Chapter 313: Their Birthdays Are Approaching!
"Whoa—! The mushroom soup is so delicious!"
At a table by the window in the second-floor restaurant—
Pecola held her soup spoon, drank two mouthfuls of mushroom soup in a row, and her whole face looked so happy as if she was about to melt.
(*´∀`)
"This soup... is really so fresh! So fresh my eyebrows are about to fall off!"
She closed her eyes and sighed softly, her eyes curving into happy arcs.
The umami of the mushrooms—
Was precisely the soul of the bowl of soup in front of her!
Added to that were the silky tenderness of the tofu, the savory aroma of the ham, and the softness of the egg drop... various flavors interwoven to create rich layers of texture, blooming on the tip of the tongue and amazing the palate!
"..." Pecola opened her eyes, and the colors of autumn became even more vivid in her gaze.
Beside her—
"The wild vegetable and mushroom tempura is also very delicious! Especially the Maitake tempura!"
Poporon picked up a piece of Maitake tempura, her eyes bright, her voice carrying a bit of excitement.
"The Maitake tempura, fried to a golden yellow, is crispy and light on the outside, while the inside retains the tender and juicy characteristics of the Maitake. When you bite down, there's both the crispiness of the fried batter and the moistness and sweetness of the mushroom."
"Different from the woody aroma of Matsutake, the umami of Maitake is more direct and impactful. Paired with yuzu salt and Japanese soy sauce, it's simply more delicious than meat!"
(≧∀≦)
"But I still prefer meat!"
Minos hugged a pig trotter, gnawing away happily.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was harmonious and pleasant, enveloping everyone and making the food taste even better.
A moment later—
Elma was the first to finish a bowl of chestnut rice. She put down her chopsticks and stood up with the largest rice bowl.
"Next is the braised chestnut rice!"
She muttered happily and trotted off to the kitchen.
"She eats so fast!"
Everyone couldn't help but look sideways.
And Elma soon returned holding a bowl full of braised chestnut rice.
Compared to the previous chestnut rice, the braised chestnut rice looked more oily and lustrous. The surface of the rice grains shone with a warm oily sheen, presenting an enticing golden color.
Whole, unbroken chestnut kernels, orange-red diced carrots, tender green edamame, and dark brown diced shiitake mushrooms were cleverly embellished within. Just the appearance alone made one's index finger move!
The aroma that assailed the nostrils made people unable to stop swallowing their saliva!
"..." Elma sat down in her seat, picked up her chopsticks, and couldn't wait to shovel a large mouthful of braised rice into her mouth.
She chewed gently—
Feeling only that the rice was soft, sticky, and bouncy. The warm rice fragrance wrapped in the savory and sweet sauce aroma spread between her lips and teeth.
The chestnuts were cooked to be soft and dense, melting in the mouth yet retaining a hint of grainy texture.
The edamame exuded a fresh bean aroma, perfectly neutralizing the sweetness of the chestnuts.
The diced carrots were crisp with a hint of sweetness, leaving an elegant aftertaste. The diced shiitake mushrooms were plump, smooth, and tender, emitting a rich mushroom fragrance. The diced pork was savory and palatable, the aroma of its fat quietly permeating every grain of rice...
Various ingredients danced together in her mouth, bursting forth with a richly layered yet harmoniously unified deliciousness!
"Super super super super... super delicious!"
"This taste and texture are amazing! Even better than the chestnut rice! (っ˘ڡ˘ς)"
Elma couldn't help lifting her chin slightly, praising profusely, her face full of happiness and satisfaction.
"Even better than chestnut rice? Looking forward to it!"
"Incredible!"
Everyone coincidentally sped up their eating, wanting to taste the braised chestnut rice sooner.
...
Time quickly reached past one o'clock.
The chestnut-themed autumn feast came to an end, and everyone ate to their heart's content.
Ryohei Tanaka didn't need to worry about the cleanup work afterward—feeling a bit full, he greeted everyone and strolled out of the complex building, walking along the lake to digest his food.
Yurine felt she also needed some exercise to digest, so when Ryohei Tanaka spoke up, she added "I'm going too," and followed him out.
The afternoon sun was warm and comfortable on the body.
"Speaking of which..."
Walking a few steps along the lake, Ryohei Tanaka calculated in his mind, turned to Yurine, and asked with a smile: "How did Yurine celebrate her birthday in the past?"
Her birthday was October 31st, which is the week after next, not far away.
And the closest birthday was Jashin-chan's—October 28th, three days earlier than Yurine's!
Jashin-chan had already mentioned it several times in the LINE group, deeply afraid that everyone would not prepare birthday gifts for her.
As for the scummy snake's birthday gift—Ryohei Tanaka had also decided. He would give her scratch cards worth 100,000 yen.
Catering to her preferences, she would probably be happy?
"Hmm... my family actually doesn't pay much attention to this, but on that day, Mom would cook red bean rice, and the dishes would be more sumptuous than usual." Yurine's tone carried a touch of regret.
Who wouldn't want to celebrate their birthday? Normally, no one, right?
Anyway, she quite wanted to celebrate it.
"My family was the same."
Ryohei Tanaka looked at Yurine, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Is that so?"
Yurine looked sideways in surprise, bumped Ryohei Tanaka gently with her shoulder, and said with a slightly coquettish tone: "Ryohei-kun, have you thought about what gift to give me? I'm quite looking forward to it!"
"It's a secret for now; you'll know when the time comes."
Ryohei Tanaka kept her in suspense.
"Eh—!"
Yurine deliberately dragged out her tone but didn't press further. Instead, she changed the subject:
"Jashin-chan's birthday is three days earlier than mine. What are you going to give her?"
"Give her some scratch cards."
Ryohei Tanaka answered concisely.
"Uh..."
Yurine blinked—giving scratch cards as a birthday gift, it was the first time she had heard of it, but Jashin-chan would most likely like this gift.
Thinking about it this way, it made sense!
"What about you?" Ryohei Tanaka asked back.
"I plan to give her a rocket launcher shot, giving her an unforgettable birthday experience." Yurine answered without thinking.
"..." Ryohei Tanaka was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.
Ah this—!
Yurine looked at his speechless appearance, the corners of her lips curled up, and she waved her hand: "Just kidding. I plan to give her a scarf. After all, winter is coming soon; she should be able to use it."
"I almost took it seriously!"
( ﹁ ﹁ )
Ryohei Tanaka wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and glanced sideways at Yurine.
"Ehehe~~~." Yurine smiled brightly, her eight snow-white teeth clearly visible, smiling very happily.
~~~
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