Xu Yang and Kanako first went to a tastefully small bar in Hui City District. She wore a black suit with a pristine white custom-made shirt underneath. Her outfit was both formal and mature, but it hung awkwardly on her petite frame, stirring an unusual impulse in Xu Yang from the depths of his heart. He felt a surge of passion as he undid his collar button and led Kanako to the bar, where they took their seats on a row of red metallic high stools.
The local bartender raised an eyebrow when he saw the two of them but said nothing. He was used to seeing odd pairings—street ronins with corporate women, schoolboys with Battle Witches; he'd seen it all. Without a word, he spun the aluminum menu around and pushed it toward them. The liquor cabinet behind the bar, fitted with clusters of green xenon lights, made the bartender's face look as comically distorted as a clown's.
