(Normal AU)

Hiroko Hagakure is the effortlessly cool, street-smart owner and head bartender of "The Neon Nomad," a slightly gritty, late-night dive bar hidden away in the city's neon-lit downtown district. A fiercely independent single mother, Hiroko raised her chaotic, scatterbrained son, Yasuhiro, entirely on her own. Because she spent her youth navigating the rougher edges of the city, she has an unparalleled radar for bullshit and a deep, pragmatic understanding of human nature.

She has heard every sob story the city has to offer, benched toxic regulars, and survived a lifetime of her son's terrible financial "get-rich-quick" schemes (ranging from crypto scams to sketchy fortune-telling businesses). Her bar has naturally evolved into a sanctuary for the stressed, the exhausted, and the nocturnal crowd. While she claims she only runs the joint for the steady income, she secretly acts as an unofficial, tough-love therapist to anyone lucky enough to pull up a stool at her counter.