Yuto sat in the back kitchen, quietly prepping the sunflower cake.
Once all the ingredients were assembled, all that was left was to let it steam.
This freed him up to work on the other orders.
Out in the dining room, the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.
Yukari and Reiko were chatting lightly, with Yuuka occasionally chiming in with a dry remark.
Ran was busy keeping a watchful eye on Chen to make sure the little cat-girl didn't run wild, after all, if converted to human years, Chen was only about five or six years old—the absolute peak age for mischief.
Kaguya remained seated in silence, but compared to the gloomy, depressed aura she carried when she first arrived, she seemed much calmer now.
The maid standing beside her attended to her with the utmost courtesy.
Listening to the soft hum of conversation outside, Yuto smiled to himself.
'This kind of quiet, shared tranquility was truly comforting.'
Whoosh—
The shop door slid open.
Because he was sitting down, the short curtain separating the kitchen from the front didn't block his view.
He looked up to see who had arrived.
It was Saitama.
Today, the hair on Saitama's head was sparse enough that Yuto could probably count it.
He took a quick glance and estimated there were maybe a hundred or two strands left.
"Wow, there are a lot of people here today," Saitama noted, his mouth curling into a small, simple smile.
It was the kind of smile that made him look incredibly goofy and harmless.
"Saitama, would you like to try the special today?" Yuto asked.
He had specifically bought eggplants at the market just for customers like him, a good chef always looks out for his less fortunate regulars!
"Special?" At the sound of the word, Saitama's eyes instantly lit up with excitement. "Yeah!"
"It's braised eggplant."
"Eggplant... Alright, I'll give it a try!"
"You'll have to wait a bit. As you can see, I've got quite a few orders to get through first."
"No problem, I've got plenty of time tonight."
Saitama took a seat at a nearby empty table.
The moment he sat down, he felt a heavy gaze scrutinizing him.
He turned his head and locked eyes with Yukari.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" he asked blankly, pointing a finger at his own cheek.
Yukari blinked, then smiled and shook her head. "No, it's nothing. I must have been mistaken."
"Oh. Alright then." Saitama turned back around and quietly waited for his food.
Yukari withdrew her gaze, but a deep unsettling doubt lingered in her heart.
Just a second ago, she had sensed a terrifying, overwhelming aura of absolute death radiating from that bald man... but it had vanished in an instant.
'What on earth is going on?'
She instinctively glanced at Yuuka.
She figured if she could sense it, there was no way the Flower Master would have missed it.
But Yuuka's face showed no reaction whatsoever.
This made Yukari doubt herself even more. 'Could I really have been mistaken?'
"Oh, by the way, Saitama, Suzuki came by last night," Yuto called out from the kitchen, suddenly remembering.
"That guy... is he okay?" Saitama asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
"He should be fine now. He'll probably be here later, so you can see him for yourself." Yuto was actually really looking forward to seeing the two of them reunite.
When the time came, would Saitama completely freak out?
"Alright then. I'll have a drink with him when he gets here."
In Saitama's mind, Suzuki Satoru was still the pathetic weeping salaryman mourning the shutdown of his favorite video game.
He figured buying him a drink would help console him.
Hearing this, Yuto shook his head regretfully.
'What a shame. Forget having a drink—Suzuki can't even consume liquids anymore.'
Whoosh—
Right on cue, the shop door slid open again.
It was Ainz.
'What a coincidence,' Yuto thought, his lips curling into an unconscious smile.
"Saitama!" Ainz called out the moment he spotted his friend.
Saitama just stared at the massive, terrifying undead overlord in utter bewilderment.
He didn't recognize him at all!
"Who are you?"
"What?! You don't recognize me?!"
"Huh?"
"It's me! Suzuki! Suzuki Satoru!"
"HAAH?!!!"
"Hahaha, didn't expect it, did you? This is what I look like now!" Ainz boasted, gesturing to his skeletal body.
"Gasp!!! Did you get cremated or something???"
Listening to their chaotic exchange, Yuto couldn't help but laugh.
The restaurant's 'Poverty Alliance' had finally reunited!
Beep, beep, beep—
Yuto's phone suddenly rang and he frowned slightly.
He was in the middle of assembling the flower cake and his hands were full.
Helpless, he wiped his hands quickly on his apron and pulled the phone from his pocket.
It was a call from Utaha.
Outside, the rain had lightened considerably. It seemed as though the heavens had finally grown tired of pouring.
When Yuto's phone rang, the soft chatter in the small shop instinctively quieted down.
He answered the call, unsure why she would be ringing him at this hour.
"Hello?"
"Kamisaka-kun! A huge group of bald heads from Hosen is coming for you!" Utaha's voice practically screamed through the speaker.
"Huh?"
"I just heard about it—they gathered a massive crowd and they're heading straight in your direction. They're definitely looking for you!"
"Are you sure they're coming for me?"
"I told you before! Those delinquents are like rabid dogs—they never let go of a grudge! You beat up their guys yesterday, and they won't let it slide!"
"Braving a downpour like this just to save their dignity? Now that is the mark of a truly dedicated delinquent," Yuto joked lightly.
"Ahhh!!! How are you still joking right now?! Seriously!!! Could you just close the restaurant for tonight? Please, just hide from them, okay?" Her voice was shaking, thick with genuine fear and desperation.
Yuto's heart softened at her concern.
He looked up, scanning the dining room.
Kaguya and her fiercely loyal maid, Hayasaka, the ever-amused Yukari and her makeshift family, the terrifyingly calm Yuuka, the gentle Reiko, the towering skeletal Ainz and the blank-faced Saitama.
All of them were sitting comfortably, waiting for the meals he had promised them.
He couldn't just kick them out into the rain.
"Sorry, but closing really isn't an option tonight. I have several customers waiting for their food right now," Yuto replied with a soft, apologetic laugh.
"Ahhh!!! Seriously?! Stop being so relaxed! There are dozens of them coming—you need to take this seriously!" Utaha was frantic.
"Kasumigaoka-san, thank you so much for the warning. But please, relax. Nothing is going to happen to me," Yuto promised, his voice low and steady.
But the girl wasn't having it!
"Even if you refuse to close, if you hear any noise outside, absolutely do not open the door! I'm begging you, okay? Kamisaka Yuto!!!"
Her voice broke on his name, sounding like a terrified little girl.
She was in a blind panic over a fight that had absolutely nothing to do with her.
A warmth spread through Yuto's chest.
He didn't misjudged Utaha, beneath her sharp tongue and teasing, she was an incredibly fiercely loyal friend.
"Alright, alright, don't worry. I won't go outside. Does that make you feel better, Kasumigaoka-san?" he sighed softly, feeling entirely helpless against her pleading but deeply grateful for it.
Hearing his promise, she finally began to calm down.
"Absolutely do not go outside! If anything happens, just call the police and hide. Please, Kamisaka-kun! You have to listen to me!"
"I will. Don't worry."
"Sigh... okay."
"Thank you, Kasumigaoka-san."
"No need to thank me. I can't just stand by and let you get hurt."
"Mm. Kasumigaoka-san really is a good girl."
"W-What kind of nonsense are you saying?! I have to get back to writing! Goodbye!"
"Goodbye."
Yuto hung up the phone and instinctively glanced up.
Every single person in the dining room was staring directly at him.
Everyone except Kaguya.
"Ara, ran into some trouble are you? Want me to help you clear it out?" Yukari smiled, resting her chin on her hands.
Yuto knew she wasn't human.
If he let her 'help,' who knew what kind of chaos might ensue.
"No need, it's nothing to worry about," He replied with a polite smile.
"Kamisaka, let me help! They're just delinquents. I promise I can handle them without any casualties!" Ainz offered eagerly.
While Yuto wasn't entirely sure what kind of magical abilities Ainz possessed now, the way he phrased it was deeply concerning.
If guaranteeing no casualties was his baseline... plus, if a ten-foot-tall glowing skeleton walked out into the alley, he'd probably scare the teenagers to death before he even cast a spell!
"Mm, I can help too, Kamisaka," Saitama nodded seriously.
Yuto felt a bit helpless.
He couldn't sense an ounce of fighting spirit or physical strength from the balding man.
If he let Saitama step outside, he'd probably just get beaten to a pulp.
"Just kill them and use them as fertilizer for the flowers," Yuuka stated flatly, not even looking up.
Yuto's smile froze on his face.
'Using high schoolers as flower fertilizer... Nee-san, do you have to be so hardcore?'
"Since the Boss saved Kaguya-sama from the storm, please allow me to handle this small nuisance," Hayasaka spoke up respectfully, stepping forward.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl—I can fight too!" Reiko added bravely, raising her fists.
'Reiko, please don't add to the chaos,' Yuto groaned inwardly.
But despite the sheer absurdity of the offers, Yuto felt an overwhelming wave of emotion wash over him.
Aside from the few new faces who had just arrived tonight, the regulars who filled this tiny room were no longer just customers to him.
They were his friends.
This bizarre, unspoken camaraderie was like the air in the room—unseen, but constantly surrounding him, keeping him grounded.
It gave him a quiet sense of happiness.
"It's fine, really. A few street punks are just a minor issue. Please, everyone, don't worry about it," Yuto smiled, grabbing his knife.
"For now, let's just focus on dinner."