"Hello, young lady."
Sui's voice snapped Sakura out of her sweet daydream.
She blinked, still dazed, and when her eyes focused, she saw the face that had just appeared in her dream — the same one she had seen at her wedding.
Sakura froze for a second, then let out a loud scream.
"Why are you here!?"
She pointed at Sui, her voice high-pitched and shocked.
"What are you talking about?" Sui asked, utterly confused.
Sakura felt like the ground might swallow her up. Why did the groom in my dream look exactly like this annoying shop owner?! she thought.
Could it be that…?
No, that was absolutely impossible!
"Well, now that you've tasted it, tell me — do you think this dish is worth the price?" Sui asked with a knowing smile.
Sakura's face flushed red. She had been ready to deny it, but the dreamy wedding scene suddenly flashed back in her mind, and once again, that overwhelming sense of happiness washed over her.
Why is this happening? Why do I feel so… happy? So blessed? It's like all my troubles have just melted away.
Her heart pounded in disbelief. Could it be that this infuriating shopkeeper's cooking actually has the power to make people feel this happy?
"No way… Could his food really be this magical?" she wondered silently.
The crowd, noticing her expressions, began murmuring among themselves.
"When she was eating just now, the girl smiled so genuinely," someone whispered. "A smile like that can't be faked."
"Yeah, and the fried rice looks amazing," another person added.
Even though Sakura hadn't answered, her face told the crowd all they needed to know, and doubt began to settle among them.
"Uh, could I have one too?" Umetaro Nozaki suddenly spoke up. He pulled out two crisp bills and handed them over.
"Nozaki-kun!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.
"I just want to see if this dish truly has the power to make people happy," Nozaki said calmly.
"Sure, no problem." Sui took the money and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Fortunately, when preparing the earlier dish, Sui had made extra. He quickly brought out another plate of Sinangag fried rice.
The rich aroma hit Nozaki's nose, and a look of surprise crossed his face. He picked up a spoon and scooped a bite into his mouth.
—_—
"This year's Best Girls' Comic Author Award goes to... Yumeno Sakiko!"
Nozaki blinked, stunned as he heard the host call out his pen name. A sudden and overwhelming joy washed over him.
He walked up to the stage amidst the warm applause from the audience. Standing before the crowd, Nozaki's heart was filled with deep satisfaction. It felt like every bit of effort he had put in was finally paying off.
"At last, I've created my greatest work ever!" he declared excitedly.
—_—
Sakura watched in awe as Nozaki, who normally had such a stoic face, now wore the kind of innocent, childlike smile she had never seen before. Her mind raced in disbelief.
Oh my god… she thought. Even Nozaki, the master of deadpan expressions, is smiling like a kid!
Suddenly, the crowd erupted.
"Manager! Give me one too!" someone called out.
"Me too! I want to try!"
"Hey! I was first in line!" another voice shouted.
The excitement spread, and before long, the crowd was clamoring to get a taste of Sui's magical food.
"Sorry, but we're only offering thirty servings today," Sui announced, "and we've already sold two, so there are only twenty-eight left."
"What? That's it?"
"Please sell me one! I'll pay 100,000 yen!"
"I'll give you 200,000!"
The bidding war grew frenzied, with the price soaring to 200,000 yen.
But Sui shook his head. "Sorry, we don't accept the highest bid. First come, first served."
Luna, standing off to the side, could barely believe what she was witnessing. It was like there were banknotes flying everywhere in front of her eyes.
—_—
Two hours later, the crowd had finally dispersed, though many of them left disappointed, still yearning for a taste.
"Sorry, we're all out for today," Sui apologized as he shooed away the last lingering customers.
After the crowd thinned, Sakura approached Sui with a sheepish expression. "Um… I'm sorry for what I said earlier."
"Huh? You're still here?" Sui asked, surprised to see both Sakura and Nozaki hadn't left yet.
"Yeah, but we'll be back next time," Sakura replied, a little embarrassed. She thought about her weekly allowance and winced, but deep down she knew the food had been worth it. "Though I guess we'll have to wait a week before we can afford it again."
"By the way, are you hungry? Want a late-night snack?" Sui asked Luna after seeing them off.
"Huh? I thought we were sold out?" Luna looked at him in surprise.
"There's a little left in the pot," Sui said with a sly smile. He had saved it intentionally.
He brought out a small portion of Sinangag fried rice and some Sautéed Cabbage as a treat for Luna, who had helped him out earlier.
"Thanks!" Luna smiled, her stomach growling. She had been hungrier than she realized.
As she tasted the food, her eyes lit up with delight. Her face flushed slightly as she savored each bite.
"This is amazing, Mu! I never imagined your cooking would be this good! It's even better than the food at that fancy restaurant we go to once a year! No wonder it's so expensive!" she exclaimed, finishing her plate in no time. Satisfied, she patted her full belly.
In her mind, she couldn't help but daydream about a happy future — her and Sui, living as a family of three after they got married…
"Huh? What are you staring at?" Sui asked, noticing the strange look on her face.
"N-Nothing!" Luna stammered, her cheeks flushing.
Afterward, the two cleaned up the kitchen together, and Sui prepared to close up the shop for the night.
"See you tomorrow!" Luna waved as she headed out.
"Yeah, see you!" Sui smiled, watching her disappear down the street.
—_—
"Host has completed the shop-opening mission and earned a Miltank," the system's voice rang in Sui's mind.
He nodded and headed back to his apartment.
__–__
"You're back," came a voice from the hallway. Erina appeared, stepping into Sui's room.
"Yeah, just finished up," Sui replied.
"Why did you come back so late today?" Erina hesitated, then asked.
"Huh?" Sui raised an eyebrow. "Are you... worried about me?"
"As if! W-Worry about you? No way!" Erina stammered, her face turning bright red as she stumbled over her words.
Sui chuckled to himself. This girl really is a classic tsundere. She can't even tell a convincing lie.
Well, aside from cooking, she probably can't do much else... he mused, shaking his head with a smile.
Sui then went to the private kitchen and set up the Miltank he had just received.