The sharp scent of sizzling beef curled through the air like a seductress in perfume, wrapping itself around every nostril in Akaneyaki. It was the kind of restaurant where the chairs were so plush they swallowed you whole and the plates looked like they were fit for a king—where you needed a six-month reservation… or a sister with weaponized cleavage whispering "Ara~ Ara~" directly into your ear.
Daichi Fujiwara sat hunched in his seat, face buried in his hands. Through the narrow gap between his fingers, he stared at the little demon sitting across from him.
Shouta Shiraishi. Fourteen years old. Reika Shiraishi's baby brother. And a complete menace.
"DAAAAAIIIICHIIIIII-KUUUUUN!!!" Shouta's voice exploded, echoing through the serene dining hall. Chopsticks froze mid-air. People stared at Daichi's table.
Daichi twitched. "Oi, brat—keep your voice down!"
Shouta grinned like a gremlin. "Hey Daichi-kun! Hey Daichi-kun!"
"What."
"I wanna order the Crimson Ember Kaiseki!"
"...Sure, fine, whatever." Daichi reached for the menu, flipping past pages filled with gold-leaf garnishes and words like "artisan" and "heritage-fed beef."
There it was. Seven courses. Fish, wagyu steak, seasonal vegetables, and dessert.
All for the low, low price of—
¥38,000. (~$350 USD)
Daichi blinked. "...Yeah, no. Not happening. Also, it comes with sake. You're a minor."
Shouta's face scrunched up like a chewed mochi. "But I wanna!!! I wanna!!! I WANNA!!!" His voice climbed several octaves, tears streaming down his cheeks. Patrons began whispering.
Daichi dragged a hand down his face. Why me?
***
Flashback — Earlier That Day
"Can you take care of my little Shouta-kun for me, pleeease?" Reika's voice was sweet poison.
"Hell no. Just because I agreed to stop bullying him doesn't mean I'm his babysitter."
Then she leaned in—way in—her chest brushing against his arm like a loaded weapon. "If you do… I'll give you a hot… spicy… reward~"
Badump.
Daichi's heartbeat detonated. Sweat? Goosebumps? Emotional whiplash? Yes to all three.
"Anything for you, Reika-chan!" He said, trying to act cool.
YESYESYESYESYES!!! echoed in his skull like a victory fanfare.
***
Back to Present
Through his fingers, Daichi glared at the brat throwing what could only be described as a "premium tantrum."
Why is he like this?
A waitress approached, her professional smile twitching at the edges. "Is there a problem here?"
"IIIIIII WAAAAAANT IIIIIIT!!!" Shouta wailed, kicking his legs under the table.
Daichi sighed in defeat. "Fine. Get him the damn thing." Daichi said, pointing at the Crimson Ember Kaiseki on the menu.
The waitress nodded politely. "And for the drink, perhaps apple juice instead of sake?"
Shouta nodded furiously.
"And what will you be having, sir?" she asked.
Daichi flipped the menu with the dead eyes of a man calculating his bank account's funeral costs.
To be honest, I shouldn't even be worrying about the money—Reika-chan gave me her credit card.
But… if I pay with my own card, I'll look way more impressive.
Daichi-kun, how kind of you to spend your own money. You deserve a very naughty reward.
The imaginary Reika-chan purred in his mind.
Daichi giggled to himself, already picturing the kind of "reward" he wanted.
"Uh… sir?"
"Oh! Right, yeah—cheapest thing you've got."
"Well, we have the Wagyu Dashi Chazuke for ¥2,800 (~$25 USD)."
"Perfect. I'll take it."
Tears welled in Daichi's eyes. There goes my savings… but if it gets me closer to Reika-chan, it's worth it.
Then he remembered—this was a seven-course meal for Shouta. No way the brat was finishing all that.
Perfect. I'll score more points with Reika-chan by bringing the leftovers.
***
The first dish arrived: sea urchin with a gold leaf, paired with apple juice in a crystal glass.
Instead of eating, Shouta just stared at the plate with an empty smile.
"You can… uh… eat whenever you want."
"No thanks. I'll eat in a few minutes."
***
The second wave came: sweetfish with miso glaze, wagyu tartar, and smoked pickled daikon. Daichi's own Wagyu Dashi Chazuke arrived—premium wagyu shavings, lightly seared, over koshihikari rice in a fragrant broth.
Daichi took a bite, savoring the tenderness. "See? I'm eating. You should eat too."
Shouta didn't even blink.
Soon the table was covered—sashimi, grilled wagyu, sukiyaki, fried rice, yuzu sorbet for dessert. His first dish was already cold.
"Kid, what's going on?"
"Nothing. I'm just not hungry."
"I spent ¥38,000 on that!!!"
"Yeah, but I'm not hungry."
Daichi's smile twitched. "Then why did you make me buy it?"
"Daichi-kun, you're making a scary face."
Daichi inhaled deeply. Calm down. If he tells his sister I'm scaring him, I'm dead.
***
Ksshhh!
The sound of shattering glass snapped him back. His eyes shot open. Every single plate of Shouta's untouched meals lay smashed on the floor. Shouta's hands were still mid-motion from pushing them all off the table.
For a moment, Daichi's soul left his body.
¥38,000… gone.
"Hey, you little shit. You'd better have a damn good explanation for that."
"Sorry about that. Can you buy me another one?"
That was it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Sorry, Reika-chan, but this brat's about to catch these hands. I hope someday you'll understand.
Daichi raised his fist—
—just as Shouta began chuckling. The chuckle grew, twisting into a full-blown maniacal laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"You're so predictable. The moment things get tough, you resort to violence. That's what animals do. Better yet…" Shouta smirked, "…you're just a monkey."
Daichi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.
"Go ahead, hit me. I know what you really want is my sister. But if you lay a scratch on me, you'll never see her again."
"So that's what you were after…" Daichi's eyes narrowed. "If you think I'm gonna lower myself to some brat, you're in for a surprise."
"It doesn't matter. Even if you don't, I'll still tell Onee-san you treated me horribly. Either way, you're cooked."
"Hey!" A voice interrupted.
Both turned to see a sharply dressed man with the build of a towering bodybuilder.
"Brat, that stunt you pulled earlier stained my jacket." He grabbed Shouta by the collar and lifted him like a cat. "Do you know how much this costs?!"
As the man ranted, Shouta looked to Daichi. Without a word, Daichi read the message in his eyes like telepathy: Daichi-kun… help!
Daichi's lips curled into a wicked grin. He turned away, his expression practically saying, Nah, you called me a violent monkey, right? So I'm turning over a new leaf.
Shouta's eyes narrowed, his expression saying, You jerk! I'll tell onee-san.
Daichi pulled out his phone, pressing record. His grin widened into something devilish. His expression read as: No need. You already said I'm cooked no matter what, right? Might as well enjoy the show.
Tears welled up in Shouta's eyes. "I'm sorry! Please, help me!"
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!" Stained-Jacket-san roared. "That's it!"
The man's fist came swinging, but Daichi's hand shot up, catching it mid-air.
"Sorry, Stained-Jacket-san," Daichi said calmly. "As much as I'd love to see this brat eat dirt, I can't allow you to do that."
He drove his fist into the man's face, dropping him to the ground.
***
Later…
Daichi had paid the bill with his own money, and he and Shouta were walking on the street, heading to drop Shouta off at home.
The two walked side by side down the sidewalk, the air between them thick with awkward silence.
Shouta finally broke it. "Daichi-kun, why'd you save me… after all the trouble I caused you?"
Daichi shrugged. "Felt like it. I dunno."
Shouta smiled faintly. "I think I'm starting to see what Onee-san sees in you."
Daichi flinched. "Whoa, calm down. I don't swing that way, buddy."
"That's not what I meant, you idiot."
Daichi stuffed his hands in his pockets. "By the way, how come you were fine taking a punch from me but not that guy?"
"That guy looked like he was going to kill me. At least you'd hold back… for Onee-san's sake, right?"
Daichi looked away. "…Y–Yeah. Totally."
"Well, thanks. I'll put in a good word for you with Onee-san."
Let's gooo!
It's time to claim my prize!!!