Waiting for customers to arrive was usually a rather monotonous process.
Normally, Yuto would at least have Utaha sitting at the counter to keep him company, and the two of them would pass the time chatting and trading playful jabs.
But tonight, the only people in the shop were Kaguya and Hayasaka, and neither of them seemed like the type who enjoyed casual conversation.
So far, all Yuto had done was serve each of them a cup of hot tea.
Then came the akward silence.
Kaguya held her teacup quietly, staring blankly ahead without saying a word, and Hayasaka stood beside her, perfectly still and equally silent.
With the air so thick and heavy, Yuto found it incredibly awkward to try and start a conversation.
He felt that if he suddenly spoke up, it would just create a jarring sense of dissonance.
Even when he asked Kaguya if she wanted something to eat, she simply ignored him.
She was just too withdrawn.
Time passed slowly in the heavy silence.
Yuto kept his eyes on the clock, silently praying for his regular customers to finally arrive and break the tension.
Finally, just before 7:30 PM, the shop door slid open.
Yuto turned eagerly toward the entrance.
It was Reiko.
The girl had arrived exactly as promised.
Tonight, her school uniform was perfectly clean and tidy, and her light hair was neatly combed.
She looked incredibly beautiful—completely different from the bruised, dust-covered girl he had met yesterday.
Standing there, she looked like a quiet lily: gentle, yet quietly resilient.
"Reiko!" Yuto greeted her with a warm, genuine smile.
Reiko smiled back just as gently. Her eyes held bright, sparkling points of light that shimmered with quiet joy.
"Boss, I'm here!"
Her radiant entrance immediately caught Kaguya's attention.
In Yuto's eyes, although Kaguya was undeniably beautiful, she was far too cold and distant.
In comparison, the lively, cheerful Reiko was much more approachable and likable.
Kaguya watched the new girl quietly.
A subtle shift flickered deep within her emotionless eyes, looking at someone so vibrant and alive stirred a strange, quiet longing in her chest.
"Ah, hello," Reiko said, noticing Kaguya's intense gaze.
She offered a warm, gracious smile. That simple, unburdened brightness made the cold, shadowy Kaguya inexplicably flinch.
She gave a stiff nod and quickly looked away.
"Hello," Hayasaka replied smoothly, stepping in to answer for her mistress.
Reiko just smiled and didn't push it any further.
She took a seat at the counter, leaving exactly one empty stool between herself and Kaguya.
"Your clothes are very clean today, Reiko," Yuto noted with a smile.
"Yes, I made sure to change into a fresh set," she replied, that faint, gentle smile never leaving her lips.
"Would you like beer again tonight?" he asked playfully.
Reiko scratched her cheek and smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Not today."
"So what would you like to eat?" Yuto asked gently.
"I want something warm. Preferably something sweet."
"Alright, please wait just a moment."
"Wait, Boss," Reiko called out just as he was about to enter the kitchen.
He turned back to look at her. "What is it?"
"Please don't make anything too expensive. I don't have that much money," she admitted, looking a little embarrassed.
"Don't worry," Yuto smiled reassuringly before stepping through the curtain.
After seeing the state Reiko was in last night, his heart had ached for her.
Through their brief conversation, he had sensed just how hard her life truly was.
People are naturally drawn to those who are similar to them, and they instinctively reject anyone who is different.
Because she could see spirits, Reiko was ultimately cast out and isolated by the ordinary people around her.
The feeling of being entirely alone in the world is a bitter, crushing weight.
It had been painfully obvious in the dirt smeared across her clothes last night.
Yet, despite being bullied and ostracized, Yuto hadn't seen a single trace of resentment or gloom on her face.
Instead, she just kept smiling.
Even when she admitted she had no friends, she had forced a smile to hide her pain.
'What a foolish girl... she's clearly longing for warmth...' Yuto thought, recalling her request for something sweet and warm.
The less someone has of something, the more desperately they desire it.
No matter how well they try to hide it, that yearning will always slip out in subconscious, unguarded moments.
Yuto sighed softly to himself.
Among all the customers who visited his diner, Reiko was one of the few who truly made his heart ache.
'Let's make candied apples,' he decided.
And for this batch, he would make sure to add a little extra sugar.
...
Outside, the heavy storm raged on, only occasionally weakening for a brief moment before intensifying again, as if the sky were gathering its strength.
Inside the kitchen, Yuto was busy.
Candied apples were quite similar to the candied sweet potatoes he made for Rimuru.
Both required caramelizing sugar to create a delicate, "pulling strands" effect.
The only difference was that the apple pieces needed to be coated in a light batter first so they wouldn't fall apart in the oil.
He washed a crisp apple, skillfully peeled the skin, and sliced it in half to remove the core.
Picking up his knife, he quickly diced the sweet flesh into uniform, bite-sized cubes.
Next, he cracked an egg into a bowl, added a splash of water and a dusting of starch, and whisked it into a smooth batter.
He tossed the apple pieces in, coating them evenly.
If he skipped the batter, dropping raw fruit into boiling oil would create a violent, splattering disaster.
He heated a small amount of oil in the wok.
Using his chopsticks, he picked up a battered apple cube and gently slid it down the side of the pan.
Sizzle—
Instantly, the thin layer of batter puffed up, and the hot oil began to bubble vigorously.
As Yuto added more pieces, the sizzling grew louder and more intense.
It was the kind of rich, crackling sound that makes your stomach rumble just by listening to it.
Out in the dining area, Reiko was growing eager. Her nose twitched slightly as she inhaled the sweet, warm, fruity aroma drifting from the kitchen.
It smelled like spring.
Even the expressionless Kaguya couldn't entirely hide her reaction, a fleeting look of longing appeared on her face before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
She took a quiet breath, tightly suppressing the restless hunger stirring in her chest.
Clatter—
The shop door suddenly slid open.
Entering from the storm were Kazami Yuuka and Yakumo Yukari, along with two new guests.
Both were girls, though one was clearly a mature woman and the other was still a small child.
The mature blonde woman had nine massive, fluffy tails swaying behind her back, and her beauty was absolutely striking.
Her right hand held the hand of a short little girl—innocent, well-behaved, and incredibly adorable.
The little girl also had tails, though hers were the twin tails of a cat.
Yuto was at a critical moment in frying the apples and couldn't step out, only managing a quick glance through the curtain.
'Kazami-san brought quite a few guests this time. Wait, why didn't she deliver the sunflowers in advance today?'
He quickly did the math in his head.
The diner was tiny, only able to seat a little over ten people.
With Yuuka, Yukari, and their two companions, there were now seven people in the shop.
Yuto was starting to worry about the seating arrangement.
"Welcome!" he called out from the kitchen.
"My, the restaurant owner is quite busy tonight." Yukari's voice drifted back.
Today, she was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, her faint mysterious smile was enough to leave anyone captivated.
"Please wait just a moment!" Yuto called back.
He had already fished the golden, crispy apple pieces out of the oil.
All that was left was to coat them in the caramelized sugar.
It wouldn't take long.
"Take your time," Yukari hummed.
She casually led the nine-tailed woman and the cat-eared child to the seats in the middle of the counter.
Yuuka snorted coldly and sat down next to Yukari.
She never would have imagined that the old hag beside her would actually bring her shikigami along for dinner.
Bringing her shikigami was one thing, but she even brought her shikigami's shikigami!
Yuuka almost felt like cursing.
'Did she really have to bring her whole extended family just to eat a meal?!'
It was only because her temper had mellowed out lately, if this had happened in the past, she would have beaten Yukari to a pulp, along with her entire family!
The arrival of Yuuka and her chaotic group immediately drew the attention of Reiko, Kaguya, and Hayasaka.
After all, the combined beauty and presence of Yuuka and Yukari was simply too dazzling to ignore.
When she saw the nine-tailed woman and the twin-tailed child, Reiko didn't find it strange at all.
She was used to seeing yokai.
But for Kaguya and Hayasaka, it was a different story.
Their expressions showed a flash of extreme shock before their elite training kicked in and they forced their faces back to a polite, neutral calm.
'Hmm... I suppose a nine-tailed girl doesn't seem all that strange after all,' both Kaguya and Hayasaka told themselves, firmly ignoring the impossible reality sitting just a few seats away.