Sui was left speechless when he saw Hinako's rare display of girlish behavior. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. Despite her restaurant clearly suffering a huge setback, she was smiling as if nothing was wrong.
Unbeknownst to him, he was the cause of the whole situation.
"Anyway, let's explain this to her first."
Ono's expression was grim as he stepped forward.
By this time, Natsume had already tasted the salmon rice, but the more she ate, the deeper her frown became. Eventually, her expression turned completely gloomy.
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Natsume. Our head chef isn't in her best form today, which is why the dish didn't meet our usual standards."
Ono approached, bowing deeply in apology.
"This isn't just a flawed dish. The rice is sticky and tasteless. Even street vendors serve better salmon rice than this."
Natsume's voice was cold, her face dark with disappointment. "I never expected a two-star WGO restaurant like Kirinoya to serve something worse than a common diner. This is truly disheartening."
Initially, she had been in high spirits, looking forward to a quiet, delicious meal. But now, her mood had soured, completely ruined by this disappointing dish.
"I'm so sorry! Please, allow us to serve you another dish."
Ono was almost groveling at this point, his head nearly touching the floor.
In truth, he was at a loss. How could he possibly explain that Hinako was distracted today because she seemed to be in love?
"Forget it. I'm no longer in the mood to eat."
Natsume stood, her tone icy.
"Wait, Miss Natsume!"
Ono panicked. If she left like this, the entire gourmet community would hear of Kirinoya's failure by tomorrow. This would deal a devastating blow to the restaurant's reputation.
But Natsume ignored him and headed straight for the exit.
Just as she was about to leave, a handsome young man in a chef's uniform stepped in her path.
"What do you think you're doing? Move!"
Her attendant barked at the young man.
"I'm sorry, Miss Natsume," Sui began with a helpless smile. "Our head chef, Hinako-senpai, wasn't feeling well today, and that's why the dish didn't meet your expectations."
Since this involved his internship performance and the reputation of the restaurant, Sui had no choice but to intervene.
"If she's unwell, why didn't you let someone else cook?"
Natsume's tone softened slightly when she realized it was a young, good-looking chef addressing her.
"You're absolutely right, Miss Natsume," Sui agreed with a polite smile. "That's why we'd like to offer you a dish made by another chef. I'm sure you must be quite hungry by now. And if you go to another restaurant, you'll likely have to wait another hour for food. Surely, you don't want to keep an empty stomach for that long, do you?"
Natsume hesitated, her hunger undeniable. If she went elsewhere, she'd indeed have to wait a while.
"And I believe you were looking for something rice-based, right? We have a dish you haven't tried before. I'm certain it'll satisfy you."
Sui gestured to Megumi, who immediately rushed to the kitchen and returned with a plate of steamed buns.
These had been prepared earlier for the evening crowd, but with Natsume occupying the restaurant, they hadn't been served yet.
"Are these steamed dumpling?"
Natsume raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.
"Yes, I've made them using traditional Japanese rice, wrapped in dumplings skin."
Sui explained with a smile.
"Is this the same filling you'd use for a 'Kaki Meshi'?"
The aroma was tantalizing, and Natsume's empty stomach growled in response. After a brief pause, she smiled playfully.
"Since such a cute boy made this, I'll give it a try. But don't think I'll be kind if it doesn't meet my standards."
As she said this, she lightly stroked Sui's cheek, her breath warm against his skin. The elegant scent of high-end perfume mixed with her teasing smile made Sui's heart race.
Just then, he felt a gaze on him.
He turned to find Hinako watching. Upon meeting his eyes, she huffed and turned away, clearly irritated.
Sui, perplexed, shook his head.
Meanwhile, Natsume had already taken a bite of the steamed dumpling.
The steamed dumpling, fresh from the steamer, was still hot. She blew on it gently before taking her first bite.
The soft, springy skin gave way to a flavorful rice filling, rich with the taste of seafood. The clams were tender, and the rice had a delightful chewiness, blending different kinds of flavours in perfect harmony.
"This is incredible!"
Natsume's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected much from the dish but found herself thoroughly impressed.
"Is this Mentaiko(Pollock roe)? And this is chicken with mushrooms?"
She began sampling the different steamed dumpling, each filled with distinct flavors. Each bite was like an explosion of taste, one after the other, bombarding her senses.
"This chewy skin feels like it's wrapping me up in rice!"
Her eyes fluttered shut as her cheeks flushed, her body heating up as she let out an involuntary moan.
In that moment, she felt as though she were wrapped in the soft, tender skin, steaming in a pot herself.
"I can't... I can't hold on any longer."
Her flushed cheeks and unfocused eyes reflected her surrender to the dish's overwhelming flavor.
A short while later, she had devoured the entire serving of Sui's steamed dumpling.
"Miss Natsume, were you satisfied with the dish?"
Sui approached with a slight smile, waiting for her response.