Now, the flower shop next door also officially belonged to Yuto.
For an ordinary person, merging two commercial spaces and completely renovating them might be a massive, overwhelming undertaking.
But to Yuto, with his enhanced physical abilities and a roster of super-powered regulars who owed him favors, it was just a minor task.
Tonight, he was going to get it done!
He looked over at Shouko.
After her mother had left for work, the little girl had obediently climbed onto a stool at the counter.
She sat perfectly still, well-behaved and not running around or touching anything she wasn't supposed to.
There was still a little time before the restaurant officially opened for the evening, but Yuto was worried she might be hungry.
He pulled her notebook over and wrote a quick message.
[Shouko, are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something?]
When Shouko read the words, her face lit up with joy for a split second, but then a deep ingrained hesitation settled over her face.
She gripped her pen tightly and wrote back.
[Shouko isn't hungry. Please don't trouble yourself, Yuto-nii.]
Yuto felt a sharp, heavy pang in his chest.
'She's so used to being a burden that she won't even ask for food,' he realized sadly.
He reached out and gently tapped her head to get her attention, then took the notebook back.
[Shouko, you have to tell the truth, you know. Onii-chan is a chef! Making something to eat isn't any trouble at all. It's my job!]
Reading this, the hesitation melted away, replaced by a bright, hopeful anticipation.
She quickly scribbled her reply.
[Then... Shouko wants to eat croquettes. Is that okay?]
Yuto smiled warmly, patted her head again, and nodded.
[Wait right here. Onii-chan will make them for you right away.]
He tied his apron around his waist and headed into the kitchen.
He grabbed a large, starchy potato, peeled it quickly, and washed it clean.
He then took his chef's knife and rapidly sliced the potato into uniform, thick pieces.
To make proper croquettes, you primarily need mashed potatoes. Usually, you would steam or boil whole potatoes until they were soft enough to mash into a smooth paste.
To save time, Yuto decided to boil them directly, and cutting them into slices would significantly speed up the cooking process.
Once the pot of water was at a rolling boil, he tossed the potato slices in. While they softened, he grabbed a small block of premium pork and minced it rapidly until it was incredibly fine, looking almost like scattered pebbles.
Perfect croquettes aren't just fried mashed potatoes—they need a savory filling of minced meat, onions, and spices to give them depth.
He finely diced half an onion and fired up a skillet on an adjacent burner. He poured in a splash of oil. Once it began to shimmer, he tossed in the minced meat and onions, stir-frying them quickly over high heat.
The rich, savory aroma of searing pork and caramelizing onions instantly filled the kitchen.
He pinched a small handful of freshly ground black pepper and sprinkled it into the pan. The coarse black flakes fell like dark snow against the sizzling meat.
The moment the pepper hit the hot oil, the aroma became absolutely irresistible.
Out in the dining room, Shouko was sitting on her stool, her nose twitching.
She breathed in the rich fragrance, her cute little face a picture of pure, unadulterated delight. It was the best-smelling food she had ever encountered in her entire life.
Just as Yuto was scooping the meat and onion mixture out of the skillet, the front door slid open.
He turned to look over his shoulder.
It was Utaha.
Of course it was.
The only person bold enough to waltz in before the official opening hours was his favorite, sharp-tongued novelist.
"Hmm~ what are you making?" she asked without missing a beat.
Her dark eyes narrowed slightly as she practically inhaled the savory air.
She had only been mildly hungry when she arrived, but the smell had instantly made her stomach rumble.
"Croquettes. Do you want a portion too?" Yuto asked, not turning around.
He was currently draining the boiled potatoes and shocking them briefly in cold water.
It wasn't to cool them down for handling—chilling them slightly before mashing helped tighten the starches, resulting in a much fluffier texture.
"Yes, obviously!" Utaha replied.
As she walked further into the room, she finally noticed the tiny, pink-haired girl sitting at the counter.
Utaha stopped, looking entirely puzzled and slightly surprised.
As she stared at her, Shouko shrank back slightly, feeling incredibly shy under the intense scrutiny of the beautiful older girl.
"Kasumigaoka-san, could you please not stare at Shouko like that just because she's cute? She's feeling a lot of pressure from your weird, creepy older-sister gaze," Yuto teased her, glancing back just in time to see Shouko shrinking away.
"Kamisaka-kun! Do you realize who you're talking to?!" Utaha snapped, instantly offended by the 'weird older sister' accusation.
She snorted coldly, glaring at his back, before taking the empty seat right next to Shouko.
But the truth was... Shouko was simply too adorable!
For a woman like Utaha, who had a hidden soft spot for cute things, the impact was absolutely devastating.
Having a mature, stunningly pretty older girl suddenly sit right next to her made Shouko's small ears burn bright red.
The blush only made the already precious little girl look even more endearing.
Utaha felt as if an arrow had just pierced her cold heart. Her sharp gaze instantly melted into absolute, overwhelming affection.
"Don't scare her," Yuto warned, violently mashing the potatoes with a heavy wooden pestle.
"Don't worry, I am a refined lady, after all. Kamisaka-kun, please just focus on cooking. And hurry up with my portion, thank you very much," she deflected.
In the past, Utaha would have relentlessly bickered with him over the insult.
But right now, Shouko had completely captured her attention. She decided to let him off the hook just for today.
Yuto knew exactly what kind of person Utaha was, so he just smiled at her dismissal and went back to forming the croquette patties.
There wouldn't be any problems with the two of them interacting.
"Shouko. What a lovely name," Utaha said, leaning in with a warm, brilliant smile. "What's your full name, Shouko-chan?"
At that moment, she really did look exactly like a doting older sister.
She looked at the little girl expectantly, but didn't receive a reply.
Just as Utaha was starting to feel puzzled by the silence, Yuto's calm voice drifted from the kitchen.
"Shouko can't hear you, Kasumigaoka-san. She's deaf. If you want to say something to her, you have to write it in that notebook on the counter."
Utaha froze.
Her expression shifted to one of absolute shock and disbelief.
She stared at the adorable, innocent little girl sitting beside her, her dark eyes filling with sudden horror and doubt.
She couldn't believe it!
Shouko timidly picked up her notebook, flipped to a blank page, and wrote a quick greeting before holding it up for Utaha to read.
[Hello, onee-san. My name is Nishimiya Shouko. I can't hear what you are saying to me. Please write whatever you want to say in this notebook.]
Reading the crooked, childish handwriting, Utaha felt as if someone had just driven a needle directly into her heart.
A sharp, stinging sensation of pure sorrow spread from her chest throughout her entire body.
She took the notebook with trembling hands.
She was a professional, bestselling novelist!
Words were her entire life!
But looking at the blank page, she suddenly couldn't figure out how to write a single word.
...
Yuto quietly finished frying the croquettes in the kitchen, while the dining room remained extremely still.
Utaha and Shouko were conversing back and forth using the notebook.
The novelist's usually sharp, arrogant face now carried a permanent, fragile smile laced with heavy pity.
Her gaze toward the little girl was filled with infinite, aching tenderness.
Utaha was, by nature, an incredibly sensitive and observant person—it was what made her such a brilliant writer. Conversing with this sweet, broken child was a profoundly emotional, sorrowful experience for her.
Yuto finally emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming plates.
Because he had added a generous amount of meat and onions to the mashed potato base, he had easily managed to make two large, golden-brown croquettes.
"Shouko, this one is yours," Yuto said, placing the plate down with great tenderness.
He knew she couldn't hear him, but he still offered a warm smile and gently patted her head.
Then, he casually slid the other plate across the counter toward the novelist.
"Yours."
The difference in his attitude was incredibly stark.
Utaha rolled her eyes at him, clearly indicating she didn't have the energy to deal with his childish favoritism right now.
Shouko's small hands trembled slightly as she picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks.
Children her age rarely possessed the fine motor skills needed to easily break apart a thick, crispy croquette with chopsticks.
Seeing her struggle, Yuto quickly reached over and gently pulled the plate away from her. Shouko looked up at him in confusion, but she didn't seem upset.
Yuto smiled and made a quick cutting motion with his hands, signaling his intent.
He took the plate back to the prep counter, grabbed a sharp knife, and quickly diced the large croquette into small, perfect, bite-sized pieces.
He swapped the chopsticks for a small dessert fork.
When he placed the plate back in front of her, it was infinitely easier for her to manage.
Shouko's eyes lit up instantly.
But instead of immediately diving into the food, she dropped the fork and grabbed her pen.
[Thank you, Yuto-nii!] She drew a massive, beaming smiley face next to the words.
Seeing that, Yuto felt an overwhelming sense of warmth wash over his tired soul.
'No wonder everyone loves cute little girls,' he thought fondly. 'They really are incredibly endearing.'
He smiled and tapped the edge of her plate, signaling for her to eat before it got cold.
Shouko nodded happily, speared a golden piece of potato and meat with her fork, and popped it into her mouth.
The moment the savory, crispy croquette hit her tastebuds, her eyes widened in absolute, pure delight.
With her cheeks puffed out, she looked exactly like a little squirrel that had just been handed a premium nut.
It was weaponized cuteness!
Shouko excitedly began gesturing wildly toward Yuto with her free hand. Although Yuto didn't know formal sign language, he could clearly read the frantic emotion behind her movements.
She was shaking her head anxiously, her small face flushing red with a sudden, desperate urgency.
She wished, more than anything in the world, that she could just speak right now.
She wanted to tell Yuto how incredibly delicious the food was.
She wanted to tell him how unimaginably happy and safe she felt in this moment.
She desperately wished she could just say something—anything—that he could understand without needing a piece of paper.
The agonizing frustration of her own silence overwhelmed her.
Tears suddenly welled up in her large eyes, shimmering as they threatened to spill over.
Yuto looked at the crying little girl and his heart broke all over again. He sighed softly and reached out, gently stroking her pink hair.
When she finally looked up and met his gaze, he offered her the warmest, most reassuring smile he could muster.
He didn't say a single word.
He just pointed to her plate and then pointed to his own mouth, giving her a firm, encouraging nod.
It was a silent promise: 'I know. You don't have to say it. Just eat.'
A single tear broke free and trickled down Shouko's cheek.
She nodded vigorously, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, lowered her head, and happily continued eating her croquette.
Yuto let out a long, quiet breath.
The emotional rollercoaster of the day was deeply draining.
"Shouko-chan is so pitiful," Utaha whispered, her voice trembling with deep, raw sorrow as she watched the girl eat.
Yuto didn't respond, he only offered a heavy nod of agreement.
"Kamisaka-kun... how exactly did you meet Shouko?" Utaha asked softly, finally tearing her eyes away from the child.
"This morning..." Yuto leaned against the counter and began recounting his encounter with the neighborhood brats.
When he finished the story, Utaha slammed her hand down hard against the wooden counter.
Bang!
It startled Shouko.
She jumped, looking at Utaha in alarm. The novelist immediately forced a gentle, apologetic smile to comfort the terrified little girl. Once Shouko had calmed down and returned to her meal, Utaha turned her furious, blazing eyes back to Yuto.
"How could those little bastards do something so incredibly cruel?!"
Even Utaha, who prided herself on her icy, unbothered composure, couldn't help but curse viciously.
"I deeply, deeply regret not hitting those brats harder," Yuto said, his voice dark and gloomy.
Utaha puffed her cheeks out in fury, looking exactly like an angry pufferfish.
She stabbed her croquette with her fork and took a fierce, aggressive bite, desperately trying to suppress the murderous rage bubbling in her chest.
Yuto glanced up at the clock.
It was finally time.
He walked to the front door, unlocked it, and flipped the wooden sign to 'Open'.
The magic of the restaurant officially activated for the evening.
Just as he walked back behind the counter, the door slid open.
Kazami Yuuka and Yukari Yakumo arrived, bringing a massive bustling crowd of youkai with them.
Compared to yesterday, their chaotic little group had grown even larger.
Last night, there had been four of them in total.
Tonight, that number had increased to six.
Two completely new girls had joined the party!
One was wearing a deeply traditional, slightly revealing red-and-white shrine maiden outfit.
She was undeniably beautiful, and was currently examining the small restaurant with sharp, calculating eyes.
The other girl was dressed in a black-and-white outfit that strongly resembled a Western witch's attire, complete with a massive, pointed hat resting on her blonde hair.
She looked around with an expression of pure, chaotic excitement.
Yuto desperately wanted to make a sarcastic remark.
Ever since Yuuka had first dragged Yukari in here, the two terrifying ancients had been acting like a runaway train, constantly adding more and more bizarre passengers to their group.
Yuto obviously welcomed more paying customers, but he found it hilarious how their entourage seemed to multiply every single day.
However, looking at the crowd, he secretly felt a massive wave of relief that he had successfully bought the neighboring shop today.
Once this group sat down, the current dining room was going to be completely packed.
"Kazami-san, Yakumo-san, your group just keeps getting bigger and bigger," Yuto greeted them with a welcoming smile.
Unexpectedly, the moment the words left his mouth, Yuuka's expression turned freezing cold.
Yuto blinked, momentarily confused. 'Did I say something wrong?!'
On the other hand, Yukari simply hid her mouth behind her fan and let out a melodic laugh.
"Oh my, are you saying you aren't happy to welcome us, Boss?" she teased.
The terrifying charm she exuded was absolutely breathtaking!
Fortunately, Yuto had built up a solid immunity to her dangerous allure.
"Not at all," he smiled easily. "You are all always welcome here."