Chapter 14: The Stunning Beef Onigiri!
"Hmph-hmph~."
Seeing Suzuki Akane's dumbfounded reaction, Jashin-chan puffed out her chest and lifted her chin proudly. After all, she had helped make the onigiri. The woman's shock at the food was, by extension, shock at her skill. How could she not feel smug? The very tip of her tail curled up with glee.
"..." Yurine also felt a strange sense of satisfaction, though she didn't show it as openly as Jashin-chan.
"Glowing Cuisine," Ryohei said, his voice like a devil's whisper, full of temptation. "Care to try it? It's only 1,000 yen. An opportunity like this doesn't come around every day."
Akane hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity won. "Alright... I'll have one!" she declared. Money was hard to come by, especially for a corporate slave like her; every yen was earned through blood and sweat. She couldn't afford to splurge, but she had to know.
"Excellent choice," Ryohei said, grabbing a small paper bag.
"Thank you." Akane took out a 1,000 yen note from her wallet.
Ryohei didn't take the money. Yurine, already in her role as cashier, smoothly took the bill and placed it in the cash box at her side.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
After their first sale, Ryohei had Jashin-chan pull the cart into the nearby park. It was right next to the station and had great foot traffic, a perfect spot to set up for the night. They weren't the only ones; several other stalls were already operating in the park square. There was a ramen stand, a takoyaki stall, a yakitori grill, and even a place selling yakisoba. The air was already thick with the delicious smells of various foods, and in an instant, a new, captivating aroma joined the mix.
Akane didn't leave right away after getting her onigiri, nor did she eat it immediately. Instead, she examined it carefully. The 1,000 yen "Specialty Beef Onigiri" was a little larger than the standard convenience store version, but not by much.
It was a perfect triangle, the nori seaweed a deep, glossy black against the pearlescent white rice. A faint, soft light pulsed from within, making the individual grains of rice sparkle. It didn't seem like food; it looked like a polished gem.
How did he do that? It was the first time Akane had ever seen food that glowed. It was completely baffling.
She didn't dwell on it for too long. Inhaling the scent of toasted nori, savory beef, and perfectly cooked rice, she opened her red-lipped mouth and took a bite.
First came the crisp crackle of the premium nori, followed by the perfectly seasoned rice—each grain distinct yet clinging together. Then, she hit the center. An explosion of savory, impossibly tender, slow-braised beef filled her mouth. The flavor was so deep and complex...
"Mmm~! This taste…"
Akane closed her eyes, utterly and completely stunned. This was so much more delicious than she could have ever imagined! Was this really an onigiri? Was she truly eating a simple rice ball? It was unbelievably good.
Without realizing it, she tilted her chin up, her long, graceful neck exposed. Her eyes were closed, the lines of her face completely softened.
In that moment—
All the bitterness and frustration that had been coiling in her heart, the pressure that felt like it was suffocating her, all of it vanished without a trace. She was immersed in a state of pure, sublime enjoyment.
It felt as if she had transcended time and space, arriving on a vast, boundless grassland. Herds of cattle drifted like clouds, some strolling leisurely, others bowing their heads to graze on the tender green grass. The sunlight shone on their thick coats, giving them a warm luster. Among the herd, energetic calves leaped and played, full of life, while the older bulls stood with a quiet dignity that spoke of the passage of time. The cattle, the blue sky, and the green grass created a beautiful, harmonious tapestry of nature.
Back at the stall.
"Alright, you two can have whatever you want for dinner. Don't be shy," Ryohei announced. Then, remembering the previous night's lack of self-control, he added, "Except for Jashin-chan..."
"Huh!?"
Jashin-chan, who had been happily getting ready to eat, was immediately furious. She grabbed the collar of Ryohei's chef coat and shook him. "Why am I the exception?!" she demanded. "I worked like a dog for you all day, and you're still treating me differently! You're so unfair! You…!"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Ryohei's head was starting to hurt from the shaking. He grabbed her slender shoulders to steady her. "What I mean is, once you're full, stop eating. Don't go crazy like last night."
"...Oh. Is that it?" Jashin-chan blinked her 'dot eyes' in surprise. She let go of his collar and even smoothed out the wrinkles she'd made. "You should have just said so earlier!"
"Did you give me a chance to finish? You flew off the handle before I could even get the words out!" Ryohei straightened his uniform. It wasn't torn, just wrinkled. He shot her an annoyed glare.
Jashin-chan turned away, put her hands behind her head, and whistled nonchalantly, pretending nothing had happened.
This girl…!
"Such a hothead," Yurine sighed, looking at Jashin-chan's foolish display. She took a small plastic bag, slipped it over her hand like a glove, and opened one of the containers to grab two of the beef onigiri.
Seeing that dinner was being served, Jashin-chan immediately turned back around, copied Yurine by putting a bag over her hand, and grabbed a beef onigiri for herself.
For his first bite, Ryohei also chose a beef onigiri. The feeling of the perfectly cooked rice, the crisp nori, and the tender, juicy, savory beef filling instantly lifted his spirits.
"This really is delicious," he sighed contentedly.
Just then, his first fat sheep came walking back over in her high heels. She opened her wallet. "I'll take two more… no, make that five more!"
One wasn't enough! It wasn't nearly enough! She was still craving more! She had to have more!
"Alright," Ryohei said with a smile, surprised to have a return customer so soon. He quickly bagged five beef onigiri. Yurine naturally took the 5,000 yen.
"Um… Chef," Suzuki Akane began, taking the bag from Ryohei. "Why does your food glow? Can you satisfy my curiosity? If it's a trade secret, you don't have to say."
"One day, it was like I had an epiphany, and my cooking skills improved on a fundamental level," Ryohei said, discovering he might have a talent for storytelling. "After that, I found that the food I made started to glow."
"Ehhhh~," Akane drew out the sound, her meaning unclear. She tilted her head. "Can your other dishes glow, too?"
"They can," Ryohei said, gesturing to his two companions. "They can prove it."
"That's right," Jashin-chan nodded. Yurine gave a slight nod as well.
Akane looked at the two of them skeptically, then her gaze returned to Ryohei. "Chef, will you be selling other things in the future?"
"I probably will." Ryohei had indeed been thinking about it. On one hand, he wanted to try making other things; on the other, he couldn't just eat onigiri for dinner every single night. Even the most delicious food gets boring if you eat it constantly.
Akane nodded, and after confirming that he would be setting up his stall here again, she left feeling completely satisfied.