"You're right, but for some reason, I feel a little sad when I hear you say that..." Xixi looked at Amy, and nodded in response. She was right; barely anyone came to buy magic potions, especially on the restaurant's days off. Most of their customers consisted of Mamy Restaurant customers, who just so happened to want some type of concoction.
"I'll take that as a yes then, Big Sister Xixi. Will Big Bear be coming?" Amy asked with a smile.
"If I go, then he'll definitely go, but I'm a little worried; this is a kids' party, so won't they be scared of him? I think he's pretty handsome, but I'm not sure about others." Xixi was still a little concerned.
"That's alright, he's ugly, but in a funny way, so he won't scare anyone." Amy shook her head nonchalantly.
"You're right..." Xixi's eyes lit up, but a peculiar expression quickly appeared on her face as she said, "But... Little Amy, I feel like you're too blunt and honest when you speak."
Amy looked up at Xixi with an earnest expression, and replied, "Really? Father says I have to be an honest little girl. That way, I'll grow up to be as beautiful as Big Sister Xixi."
"I also love your honesty. You're so adorable!" Xixi rubbed Amy's cheek with a joyful smile on her face.
"Bye bye, Big Sister Xixi, you have to bring Big Bear and come at 11:30!" Amy confirmed before skipping out of the shop.
"Alright, I'll definitely come! Anything for my braised chicken!" Xixi nodded in a solemn manner.
"Father, Big Sister Xixi and Big Bear will also be coming. That's everyone, right?" Amy emerged from the shop with a joyful expression.
Mag patted Amy's little head, and replied, "Mm-hm, we've invited everyone; good job, Amy. Let's prepare to welcome our guests now."
"My dear Princess Amy, would I be able to come to your lunch party as well?" Black Coal stuck out its little head with anticipation in its eyes.
"Me too, would I be able to come as well?" Green Pea was also looking at Amy with a hopeful expression as it said, "I've never been to a party before."
"Green Pea can come. I'll introduce you to all of my friends; they've never seen a talking bird before." Amy nodded with a smile.
"Then what about me?" Black Coal asked.
"You can't come." Amy shook her head.
"Why?! I can talk as well!" Black Coal stuck half of its body out from its birdcage, and continued, "Not only that, but I can also sing! I can sing a lot of beautiful songs! I'm super impressive!"
"But, you're ugly. What if you scare my friends?" Amy shook her head with a concerned look, and said, "Uncle Blue Fatty is going to come with his unborn daughter, so it'll bad if you scare her even before she's born."
"Splat~"
Black Coal fell against the edge of the birdcage, unwilling to accept the cruel reality.
"Meow-" Ugly Duckling immediately began to cry joyfully with a smug expression on its face.
"Alright, I'll let you come as well." Amy looked at Black Coal for a little while before splaying out her hands in a resigned manner. She thought about it for a moment before continuing, "But I'm going to cover your cage with a black cloth. That way, you won't be able to scare my friends."
"Yes! I'll make sure to stay in my cage!" Black Coal was immediately revitalized, and it began to jump for joy.
"Let's go home. Big Sister Miya and Big Sister Aisha are waiting for us," Mag said with a smile. Black Coal's feathers had grown back after being singed by Amy, and it was looking a lot better than with its old feathers, but... it was indeed still quite ugly.
"Alright." Amy nodded before cradling Ugly Duckling in her arms, and walking toward the restaurant. As she did so, she caught sight of Yabemiya and Sally, who were standing at the restaurant's entrance, and she yelled, "Big Sister Miya, Big Sister Aisha, let's perform the 'Spring is Here' dance one last time."
Sally was wearing a qipao with golden edges, revealing a sliver of her long snowy white legs, and complementing her regal aura to perfection. In contrast, Yabemiya was wearing a black maid uniform with adorable white edges, giving her a youthful, energetic look.
"Sure, I actually want to rehearse it again as well. This is the first time that I'll be dancing in front of others, and I'm really nervous." Yabemiya nodded in response.
"I'm fine either way." Sally nodded with a smile. She appeared to be a lot calmer and more collected.
Mag made his way over to them, and greeted the two of them before opening the door of the restaurant.
As soon as Yabemiya entered through the door, she asked curiously, "Boss, what's the new dish today going to be?"
"Yeah, Father, what's the delicious new dessert that you were talking about?" Amy asked. Sally was also looking at Mag, awaiting an answer from him.
"You'll know when you see it. Go and dance first. I'll go prepare the food; we've got quite a few guests today, after all." Mag shook his head with a smile, and made his way toward the kitchen.
"No matter what it is, as long as it's made by Father, it must be super delicious!" Amy was brimming with confidence.
"My thoughts exactly. Boss has never disappointed us." Yabemiya nodded in agreement.
"Let's begin our final rehearsal. We'll have to organize the restaurant after that. We need to clear out some space for dancing, and we don't need that many tables and chairs anyway," Sally suggested with a smile.
"Alright!" Amy nodded, placing Ugly Duckling in a nearby chair, and running to the counter to grab the music box.
Meanwhile, Yabemiya and Sally began to clear out some space before organizing the tables in a semi-circle around their impromptu dance venue.
The music began. Amy stood in the center, while Sally and Yabemiya positioned themselves to either side of her. Thus, they began their final rehearsal of the Gokuraku Jodo dance.
Mag was in the kitchen, preparing food for the upcoming lunch party. There was a total of 17 people who had been invited, which wasn't much compared to the customers that normally frequented the restaurant. Furthermore, most of them were kids, so he didn't have to prepare that much.
...
"Amy! Are you home? Ignatsu and I are here." A tender voice sounded along with a burst of knocking on the door.
At the restaurant's entrance, Daphne wore a light green floral dress as she knocked on the door with her little hand. Beside her stood a chubby little demon with a little bean sprout growing on top of his head. He opened his mouth, and looked at the reflection of himself in the floor-to-ceiling window. He sucked in his stomach before releasing it, and he burst into laughter, causing the bean sprout on his forehead to quiver with his mirth.
A tall and broad middle-aged man stood behind the two of them with a smile on his face. He looked up at the sign of the restaurant, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
"Daphne, Ignatsu, you're finally here!" The door was opened soon after, and Amy cried in elation. Her gaze then fell on the middle-aged man behind Daphne, upon which her eyes immediately lit up, and she asked, "Why are you here, Grandpa Tiger? Are you here for the party as well?"