After Asuna agreed to help Yuto, she took a few casual bites of her salad before heading into the kitchen.
She never ate much for dinner anyway, and the sheer excitement of being able to prep dishes for actual customers spurred her to hurry.
So, less than a minute after Yuto returned to the kitchen, Asuna followed him right in.
Her sudden actions drew several curious glances.
Since Yuto had spoken to her openly at the counter, the customers seated around the bar weren't particularly intrigued.
They just assumed she was a friend helping out.
However, the 'Three Musketeers' at the distant corner table stared over in surprise.
"Huh? Why did that girl just walk into the kitchen?" Saitama asked, pausing mid-slurp.
Ainz and Rimuru both shook their heads, indicating they had no clue of it.
"She probably knows Kamisaka," Ainz speculated, his eye sockets glowing thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I think so too," Rimuru agreed, squishing down on his stool.
Saitama stared blankly across the room at Utaha with a hint of surprise in his deadpan eyes.
"Hey... Kasumigaoka's face looks awful right now," Saitama pointed out bluntly.
"Hiss—I think Kamisaka might be in serious trouble," Ainz muttered, assessing the dark aura radiating from the writer.
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah~~ The Boss is in danger!" Rimuru vibrated in agreement.
"What are you guys talking about?" Saitama asked, genuinely lost.
"Seriously, Saitama, do you really not understand the romantic tension happening right now?" Ainz asked, slightly exasperated.
"Huh?"
"Let me explain..."
The trio fell into a hushed discussion regarding the complex love triangle currently forming in the restaurant!
Before long, Saitama's expression shifted.
He nodded solemnly and glanced at Utaha again.
This time, the girl's sharp gaze caught his.
Saitama quickly averted his eyes, sweating slightly, pretending nothing had happened.
He casually surveyed the ceiling before rejoining the trio's hushed conversation.
"Kasumigaoka's eyes were really scary just now!" Saitama muttered, sounding slightly unnerved.
"Don't say anything to her. Just act like nothing happened," Rimuru advised wisely.
Ainz and Saitama nodded in agreement.
Across the room, Utaha took a deep, shaky breath.
Though inwardly bewildered and confused, she forced herself to maintain a calm, aloof demeanor.
Now wasn't the time to ask questions or make a scene.
When the moment was right, Utaha vowed to interrogate Yuto about this sudden 'Asuna' situation!
'What I need right now is composure.'
'Just stay calm,' she told herself.
Though her leg trembled incessantly beneath the wooden counter, betraying her deep nervousness and brewing jealousy!
Yakumo Yukari, sitting nearby and glancing sideways at the writer, smirked.
A gleam of mischievous amusement flickered in the Yokai's eyes.
It looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the unfolding drama!
...
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Asuna had already tied on a fresh white apron.
Yuto had just handed it to her from the reserve stack.
For convenience and hygiene, she casually asked Yuto for a clean cord and tied her long hair back into a tight ponytail.
The snow-white nape of her neck was now exposed, her delicate ears no longer hidden by stray flaxen strands.
Asuna's expression radiated focused confidence and genuine joy. Her entire demeanor exuded energy.
Watching her prep, Yuto felt that Asuna resembled a young ambitious female general embarking on her first military campaign!
"Is it really okay to just tie your hair with a simple piece of string?" Yuto asked, surprised to see her secure her luxurious hair with a plain piece of butcher's twine.
He knew how important and delicate hair was to girls.
Asuna simply smiled and shook her head, unconcerned. "It's fine! It's a bit plain, but it'll have to do for now. I'm just here to cook."
Her radiant smile showed no hint of dissatisfaction, only raw anticipation and excitement for the orders ahead.
Yuto couldn't help but admire her easygoing attitude.
'Asuna's personality was truly endearing.'
"Alright, then I'll leave Rimuru's soy sauce yakisoba to you. I'll handle making the udon for Saitama," Yuto said, his expression turning slightly serious as they entered work mode.
Rimuru had ordered the soy sauce yakisoba—a common dish that Yuto was confident Asuna could handle flawlessly.
Upon hearing her assigned task, Asuna's expression also turned serious.
"Don't worry! I can do it!"
"Just go ahead and stir-fry it boldly. Don't be afraid of the heat. Oh, and remember to fry an egg to put on top of it," Yuto reminded her, recalling Rimuru's weird order.
Asuna listened attentively to his instructions, nodding earnestly like a diligent student.
The kitchen had two large commercial stoves, allowing them to work separately and efficiently without bumping elbows.
"Alright, let's get started," Yuto said with a gentle, encouraging smile.
The two immediately began preparing their respective dishes.
Soy sauce fried noodles required only common, pre-prepped vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and shredded cabbage.
Asuna's knife movements were swift as she gathered her ingredients.
During her practice run earlier in the day, Yuto had corrected many minor aspects of her cooking posture.
Her movements at the stove were now noticeably more refined and professional than before.
While silently boiling the udon noodles at his station, Yuto discreetly observed the girl's form.
He felt deeply satisfied as a mentor since she hadn't forgotten a single thing he taught her earlier!
Yuto chuckled softly and focused back on his own cooking.
He originally planned to let Asuna handle the udon task as well, but he decided it would be better if he did it himself.
He wanted to let Asuna focus solely on nailing the yakisoba, especially since she seemed pressed for time before her curfew.
"Oh, and remember to make two portions of the fried noodles. One is for Yuyuko," Yuto offered a quick reminder over his shoulder.
"Got it!" the girl replied crisply over the sizzle of the pan.
Their interaction flowed as smoothly and naturally as that of longtime coworkers.
...
While the kitchen buzzed with activity, the front of the restaurant continued to fill with regular customers.
Reiko, who had left abruptly the previous night, walked in with a bright smile.
After greeting Yuto loudly toward the kitchen, she took a seat at the bar.
Yakumo Yukari, already seated nearby, greeted her warmly.
Yuyuko glanced at Reiko as Yukari quickly introduced them.
"Poor Reiko..." Yuyuko murmured sympathetically after hearing Reiko's story.
Reiko chuckled softly.
She was no longer the person she once was.
Though she had once felt lost, she now felt deeply content.
"Yuto-nii!"
Shortly after Reiko's arrival, Yaeko Nishimiya entered, holding Shoko's hand.
Yaeko still wore her work uniform.
Despite having recently transferred ownership of the shop, she couldn't just quit her demanding job immediately.
"Shoko!"
The adorable little girl's entrance drew gasps of surprise and protective coos from many of the tough girls in the restaurant.
Yuto peeked out from the kitchen window and waved a soapy hand to Shoko and Yaeko.
"Kamisaka-kun, I have to go to work right now, but Shoko is clinging to me and really wants to stay here. Could you watch her again, just like yesterday? I'll pick her up right after work," Yaeko asked, her voice a mix of apology and weary resignation.
"No problem at all. Let Shoko stay here," Yuto replied easily.
Shoko was naturally endearing and well-behaved, and he didn't mind her sitting in the restaurant at all.
"Thank you so much. I'm really pressed for time, so I have to run!" Yaeko said, bowing deeply before hurrying back out the door.
Shoko stood by the entrance, her large eyes scanning the packed restaurant before she trotted over and settled down next to Reiko.
This left the 'Three Musketeers' watching her from the distant table feeling a little disappointed!
They had secretly hoped the cute kid would come sit with them first.
Even tough guys have a soft spot for cute things, after all!
"Shoko, how about I fry up something special for you later?" Yuto called from the kitchen, currently scooping boiling udon noodles into a strainer.
"Okay~~~" Shoko happily chirped in response.
The little girl seemed even cuter today than she had yesterday!
...
Yuto's udon noodles were ready first.
He prepared two steaming servings: one for Saitama and another for Yuyuko's endless order.
Yuyuko's bowl could simply be placed right on the counter through the pass.
But Saitama's massive portion needed to be walked out to the floor.
This made Yuto somewhat anticipate the arrival of a certain lazy dragon girl.
It was already well past seven o'clock.
'She's already late on her second day?'
Yuto didn't know what to say about the maid he'd hired.
'Deduct her wages! I'm deducting her wages! Her daily allowance of four free taiyaki is now reduced to three!'
Yuto first carried the udon noodles to Yuyuko.
The ghost girl murmured a soft thank you and immediately began slurping the noodles, completely unfazed by the scalding heat of the boiling broth.
'Could it be because she's a ghost? Her mouth can't burn?' Yuto wondered inwardly.
Just as he was about to return to the kitchen for the second bowl, he felt Utaha's heavy gaze upon him.
Her stare was like autumn water in a frozen pond, her eyes as still and cold as a bottomless well!
Yuto reached up and touched his face.
'Hmm, nothing seems to have grown there.'
"What's wrong, Kasumigaoka-san?"
"Nothing."
Yuto gave the girl a highly suspicious look.
'There's definitely something wrong! But now wasn't the time to worry about her.'
He returned to the kitchen, brought out the second massive bowl of udon, and pushed open the small counter door to walk it over toward Saitama's table.
"Kamisaka... stay calm," Ainz whispered, tugging gently on Yuto's apron as he set the bowl down.
"Boss, don't worry. We've got your back," Rimuru added quietly, trying to reassure him.