Note to readers leaving negative comments:
1 chapter per 100 stones—I'm already being generous, so why the hate? There are over 10,000 readers for this book, you know. If the chapters aren't coming faster, it's because readers aren't voting their stones. That's not on me!
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"Because Sui hasn't been back lately, Tohru-sama has been very irritable," Kanna said. Then she lowered her head sadly, adding, "Kanna hasn't had Sui's fried rice in a long time."
Hearing Kanna mention food, Elma couldn't help but swallow her saliva. She too missed the delicious dishes Sui used to make.
"I wonder when he'll be back," she murmured, a rare trace of melancholy crossing her usually cheerful face.
Tohru who had flown a short distance away, felt the joy vanish from her face, replaced by a faint sadness. She glanced up at the vast sky, showing a small tiger tooth, and muttered to herself, "I wonder if Sui has received my thoughts."
...
"Recently, there have been several incidents of islands sinking. Some experts believe this is related to the eruption of an underwater volcano. Given the sudden increase in natural disasters this year, many are speculating that the end of the world may be approaching…"
Yusa Emi, who had a rare day off, was watching TV in her living room.
"What should I have for lunch today? Definitely not instant noodles—I've had them for three days straight. A bento sounds good, but it costs five hundred yen more."
With the recent surge in natural disasters causing a rise in prices and her rent due soon, Emi sighed and quietly picked up a cup of pork bone-flavored instant noodles.
"Damn it! Where the hell has that guy disappeared to? He hasn't even opened the restaurant lately! Has he become lazy after making some money?"
She shouted angrily, thinking of how Sui's restaurant had been closed for more than ten days.
Back when Sui's restaurant was open, she could shamelessly ignore Tohrus disdainful glances and go there for dinner under the pretext of 'supervising' to enjoy a good meal.
But now, she couldn't even get a free meal!
...
Meanwhile, at Shōkeien Ryokan, Sui was busy helping Megumi with the food preparations.
"This is amazing! This dish is absolutely delicious!"
"Yes, it's even better than anything I've had in high-end restaurants!"
"I just came from a hotel nearby, but the food made by their chef doesn't even come close to this!"
There was no need to describe Sui's current skill level. Every dish he made earned loud praises from all the guests who had come to dine.
"Madam, the food today is even better than usual. Did you hire a new chef?" a regular customer asked Masako curiously.
Dressed in a traditional kimono, Masako smiled and replied, "We're just a small inn; we can't afford a professional chef. Megumi's classmates are helping out in the kitchen."
"Oh? Megumi is back? Haha, did she bring her boyfriend along?"
The regulars burst into laughter.
"I think so. But they're both still young, so it's better to focus on their studies first," Masako said with a gentle smile. She was increasingly pleased with Sui and had already started thinking of him as a future son-in-law.
"Sui, the guests really love your cooking," people in the kitchen chimed in with praise.
"Indeed, and your coordination with Megumi is flawless. The two of you are like a team of four or five people. It would be wonderful if you both stayed."
Hearing everyone's teasing remarks, Megumi's cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She sneaked a glance at Sui, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.
The thought of running Shōkeien Ryokan with Sui and living with her mother filled her with happiness.
Just then, Masako approached and asked, "Are we running low on ingredients?"
"Yes, we're almost out, but I've sent someone to the seafood market to restock," one of the staff replied.
Normally, Masako would drive to the market herself in a small truck with the words "Shōkeien Ryokan" painted on it. But today's business had been unusually good, and they had run out of ingredients earlier than expected.
After a while, the delivery arrived.
The driver, an elderly man with a headband and a small mustache, greeted Megumi warmly. "Megumi, you're back!"
"Yes!" Megumi smiled. It was a small town, and with her family running a restaurant-inn, she had known the seafood market employees since childhood. They had watched her grow up.
"Thank you for your hard work," Masako said as she walked over to settle the bill.
But when she heard the total, she frowned and sighed. "Has the price of seafood gone up again?"
The old man looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Masako. We've already given you the best discount we could."
"Has the price really increased that much this year?" Megumi asked, surprised.
Her family had always sourced seafood from this market, and as far back as she could remember, the prices had remained fairly stable.
"Yes. A large resort hotel opened nearby, and they've been buying directly from the fishermen, driving the prices up," Masako explained worriedly. "And there are fewer tourists as well."
"But even if the town doesn't have a large population, there should still be enough seafood to supply both the hotel and the local restaurants, right?" Sui frowned, puzzled.
The small town where Megumi lived wasn't densely populated, but it was known for its beautiful scenery and seaside location, attracting many tourists each year. Shōkeien Ryokan was famous for its seafood dishes.
"They're reselling the surplus at much higher prices," the old man with the headband added.
"That means the hotel isn't making much profit either," Masako said with concern. "If we try to buy from the next town over, it would be too far."
"That's just unreasonable!" Yoshino exclaimed indignantly.
"Yes, it's become hard for restaurants in the town to operate. Even we locals can barely afford to eat out anymore," others echoed.
"Who owns that hotel?" Sui asked.
"It's said to be a well-known food corporation, but we folks around here don't know much about them," Megumi's mother replied.
"Why don't we go over this afternoon? Maybe we can negotiate a fair price for the seafood with them," Sui suggested.
"Huh? Sui-kun, do you really want to go and check it out?" Megumi asked, surprised.