After thinking about it, Yuto felt there was nothing inappropriate about the arrangement; on the contrary, he would be the one gaining an advantage.
With the addition of the blacklist notebook in the restaurant, he also had a guarantee of restraint.
He nodded, bringing a trace of joy to Senzaemon's face.
"However, I do have several requirements for the chef. I hope you can agree to them." Yuto considered the restaurant's current situation, knowing that recruiting a chef could not be done casually.
With a broad wave of his hand, Senzaemon indicated that Yuto should speak freely.
"First, I hope their specialty is something other than Chinese and Japanese cuisine—preferably someone skilled in Western cuisine."
"Second, they must be obedient and accustomed to working at night. They must also have experience working in a kitchen, I don't want to take on someone who knows nothing."
"Finally, their personallity must be good! I've heard that Totsuki students have unique temperaments, and I don't want the person who comes to my restaurant to be like that."
Yuto raised these four requirements deliberately.
He could handle Chinese and Japanese cuisine himself, leaving Western cuisine as the restaurant's weak area.
Back when he studied cooking, he hadn't researched Western techniques much, as mastering the thousands of dishes in Chinese cuisine was the work of half a lifetime.
Having studied Japanese cuisine alongside it, he had even less opportunity to focus on Western styles.
The latter three requirements were proposed with the restaurant and its customers in mind.
Since the kitchen was only a single step away from the dining area, an assistant with a bad personality could easily cause unpleasant incidents.
"Please rest assured," Senzaemon agreed with a nod. In truth, he already had a candidate in mind.
Such a prime opportunity naturally had to be given to the person he trusted most.
After finalizing the details, Senzaemon, Erina, and Hisako bid farewell to Yuto and Kaguya.
Before leaving, the old man handed over the phone numbers for the managers of Totsuki's ingredient warehouse and other departments, instructing Yuto to call whenever he needed anything.
Yuto glanced at the numbers before putting them away.
Ordering ingredients was a matter for the morning.
Kaguya watched him pocket the slips of paper. "If you need anything, you can also call me."
The offer made Yuto pause before he nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, Kaguya-san."
His expression caused a rosy flush to spread across her face.
Watching her mistress act like this, Hayasaka sighed.
"After all... I always come here to eat..." Kaguya stammered, scrambling to find a suitable reason for her abrupt statement.
Her heart was filled with regret. She didn't understand why she had said that.
'If you need anything, you can also call me,' she repeated in her head, overwhelmed by embarrassment.
'How did I end up saying something like that?!' She was collapsing inside.
Yuto looked at her in confusion.
"Boss, there's no need to mind it," Hayasaka interjected. "After all, judging by the current relationship between you and Kaguya-sama, you could be considered friends. It's only natural for friends to help each other."
As a qualified maid, she knew she had to step forward and smooth things over when her mistress was struggling.
Her words made both Kaguya and Yuto pause, though Yuto recovered quickly.
With a smile, he glanced at the awkward Kaguya, which only made her feel more self-conscious.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose we can indeed be considered friends," he laughed.
Hayasaka glanced at her dazed mistress and sighed again.
"That's right, Kaguya-sama. Wouldn't you say so?" she asked, guiding the topic toward her.
To make sure she noticed, Hayasaka deliberately pinched Kaguya's leg under the counter.
While it technically went against a maid's duties, she knew a true professional needed the courage to take special measures when their master wasn't thinking clearly.
The pinch brought Kaguya back to her senses, wiping the dazed look from her eyes.
She nodded mechanically. "Y-yes... Kamisaka-kun and I can now be considered... friends."
Despite recovering her wits, she still stumbled over the words.
Her stammering left Hayasaka feeling completely helpless, as though all her assistance had been wasted.
"Mm," Yuto responded, saying nothing more.
He wasn't stupid, he could clearly see Kaguya's abnormal emotional state, and his silence allowed her to calm down.
Recovering from her agitation, Kaguya savored the word.
'Friends... friends...'
Just thinking about it made her heart heat up again.
'Ugh... calm down, Shinomiya Kaguya!'
Clatter—
The restaurant door opened, providing the perfect distraction to calm the young girl's restless heart.
Yuto, who had been watching little Shouko do her homework, shifted his gaze toward the entrance.
A slight ripple appeared between his brows as his eyes took on an indescribable look.
"Welcome. Would you like something to eat?" he asked the two girls standing at the door.
Rather than young women, the two seemed closer to little girls—an impression likely caused by severe malnutrition.
They wore oversized military uniforms and standard-issue helmets. The blonde girl in front held an old-fashioned rifle, its muzzle pointed straight into the restaurant, though she seemed unsure of who to aim at.
The patrons reacted with a mix of amusement and wariness, but everyone remained calm.
The black-haired girl standing behind her companion tugged at her uniform, looking anxious.
"Yuu, don't do that."
"Okay," the blonde-haired Yuu agreed, skillfully slinging the rifle onto her back.
The black-haired girl let out a sigh of relief.
"Boss, I'm sorry," she apologized, bowing to Yuto with cool rationality.
"It's fine. Why don't you sit down first?" Yuto offered, and the two girls took their seats.
When the rifle on Yuu's back accidentally bumped against the counter, she casually adjusted it into place.
"If it's inconvenient, you can take the gun off," Yuto suggested.
Yuu hesitated, but eventually gave a soft nod and placed the rifle by her feet.
Looking at their military uniforms, helmets, weapons, and hyper-vigilance, Yuto couldn't help but guess they had just come straight from a battlefield.
"Would you like something to eat?" Yuto asked.
The black-haired girl fell silent, but Yuu excitedly raised her hand.
When it came to food, she became a completely different person.
"Fish! Grilled fish!"
Yuto nodded in agreement and turned to her quieter companion. "And you?"
"I'll have the same thing as Yuu," she replied after a brief hesitation.
"All right. Two grilled fish then, please wait a moment." Yuto turned and walked into the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Yuu and the black-haired girl began talking quietly.
"Hey, Chii, is this place heaven?"
"Probably not."
"But look, there are so many people here."
"Just because there are a lot of people doesn't mean this is heaven. This is a restaurant. A restaurant!" Chii answered.
"Ehh~ Okay~" Yuu dragged out her reply before turning her curious gaze toward the other patrons.
Spotting Shouko doing her homework in the corner, Yuu looked surprised and moved closer, startling the child.
"Nee-san, what's wrong?" Shouko asked as Yuu stared at her with wide eyes.
Yuu sucked in a breath. "Are you writing?"
"Mm."
Excited by the answer, Yuu turned back to her friend. "Chii, hurry over and look! I found a little girl who can read and write!"
Her genuine excitement sparked varied thoughts among the other customers.
In the kitchen, Yuto sighed.
He didn't know exactly what these two girls had experienced, but the few words they had unintentionally revealed since walking through the door were enough to make anyone's heart ache.
Out front, Chii and Yuu gathered around Shouko, bombarding her with questions that left her at a loss.
The little girl couldn't understand why knowing how to read and write was so surprising.
When she mentioned she had learned it at school, Yuu blinked in innocent confusion.
"What's a school?" she asked.
The genuine lack of understanding in her voice cast a faint trace of sorrow over the room.
Sitting beside Shouko, Reiko gently joined the conversation to explain the basic concepts to them.
The two helmet-wearing girls listened intently until Yuto emerged from the kitchen carrying two portions of grilled fish.
Yuu practically dove into her seat, while Chii offered Reiko an apologetic, grateful nod before sitting down.
"Whoa! It's delicious!"
Unable to wait, Yuu took a bite, her face lighting up with joy. Chii mirrored her excitement, though to a slightly lesser degree.
"This tastes way better than the grilled fish Chii made before!" Yuu declared.
"Shut up. When you ate it back then, you didn't say that. I remember you kept saying it was delicious," Chii muttered around a small strip of fish.
"Really? Hahaha, I forgot~"
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Chito and Yuuri is from anime Girl's last tour..
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