The morning sun spilled gently through the window.
Still half-asleep, Lance rolled over on his bed , just another lazy salted fish enjoying the warmth.
But then his eyes snapped open, and he grabbed for his phone only to freeze mid-motion.
Something wasn't right...
It was already past eight on Monday morning, but Lance had no job, no interviews, and no rush to be anywhere.
Yawning, he smiled wryly to himself. This was his new life now.
Originally, he'd planned to turn in early the previous night after dinner. But when he entered the kitchen... one thing led to another.
"Egg Fried Rice – Completed."
"Difficulty: F."
"Completion: 46%."
"Suggestions: Rice too soft; egg unevenly stirred; poor temperature control."
"Conclusion: Can't even make decent fried rice and still calls himself a chef?"
The system's sarcasm stung more than he cared to admit. Of course, it wasn't just his fault — proper fried rice was supposed to use leftover or firm rice, not freshly steamed.
Still, being insulted right after earning praise the day before wasn't something he could let slide.
Fine. Challenge accepted.
He bought a serving of "firm rice" from the Ingredient Shop and got back to work. After a few tries, he managed a version scoring over 60%, though far from perfect.
Hours later, the kitchen looked like a battlefield covered in ten plates of fried rice.
By the time he finished eating dinner—well, late-night meal—it was already after midnight.
Now, bleary-eyed but satisfied, he remembered everything clearly when the system chimed in again.
"Main Quest: Rookie Chef."
"Description: New chef, new shop."
"Objective: Serve your restaurant's first official customer."
"Difficulty: F."
"Reward: Points ×10."
It seemed simple enough, much easier than yesterday's "side quest." Still, the fact that it was labelled main quest meant today's mission was part of the tutorial stage. He didn't mind. Starting slow was fine.
After washing up and getting dressed, he went downstairs. The restaurant looked the same as before, quiet, neat, a little empty when the system message floated into view again.
"Tap on 'Menu.'"
"Tutorial: All dishes with a Completion Rate above 60% can be added to the menu. Pricing adjusts automatically based on customer profile."
Automatic billing? That explained why the courier yesterday hadn't been charged.
He muttered a quiet "...well, that's convenient," and began adding dishes:
First - "Hunter's Buffet," his best dish from his training, refined over three months, with a 90% completion rate.
Second - "Apple Pie." Even with only 71% using E-grade ingredients, he couldn't bring himself to exclude it.
Lastly - "Egg Fried Rice." With the overnight rice, it reached 80% last night, so it was good enough to sell.
"Let's start with these three," he said and hit confirm.
The electronic menu panel flickered to life, displaying all three names.
Stretching his arms, Lance grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen… the restaurant is officially open."
.
.
.
.
A short red-haired boy wearing a brown school uniform sprinted down a quiet street, panting heavily. If he'd had a piece of toast in his mouth, it would've completed the cliché perfectly.
Unfortunately, he looked more exasperated than comedic.
Thanks to repairing his home TV late into the night, he'd overslept. The alarm clock malfunctioning didn't help either, and worst of all, no time left to make a bento.
Fortunately, his lean-but-fit body, trained by years of daily exercise, let him weave through backstreets with ease. Unfortunately, that also meant no breakfast stalls along the way.
Lunch could wait until the school cafeteria, but skipping breakfast would make the morning unbearable.
As he crossed another corner, something unusual caught his eye - a small restaurant tucked into an empty alleyway.
"Hunter's Buffet – 15,000 yen
Apple Pie – 2,180 yen
Fried Rice – 1,200 yen"
The red-haired student, Shirou Emiya...stopped and stared.
The prices were… normal. But who in their right mind would open a shop in such a hidden street? Could this be one of those mysterious back-alley restaurants everyone whispered about?
Grrr...
His stomach voted before he could finish thinking.
He glanced at his watch... still enough time before class. Warm food beat convenience store bread any day.
I'll just check. If it looks shady, I'll walk out and tell Taiga about it later.
Confident in his sense of direction and his friendship with the "Fuyuki Tiger" Fujimura Taiga he pushed the door open.
"Excuse me! Is the owner here?"
He scanned the interior. To his surprise, it wasn't seedy or rundown. Quite the opposite , newly decorated, clean, bright.
Weird location aside, this looked like a normal place.
Just then, the kitchen door slid open. A young man in a chef's jacket stepped out , Lance blinking in surprise at his unexpected guest.
Lance couldn't help his shock. Nine in the morning, and a high schooler showed up out of breath, schoolbag still in hand? What happened to first-period classes nowadays?
The boy didn't look like a delinquent, more like… a friendly herbivore type. Skipping classes didn't fit the impression. Still, business was business.
"What would you like to eat?" Lance asked with a polite smile.
They both found each other odd, but neither dug deeper.
"Fried rice," Shirou said simply.
"Got it."
Lance poured a glass of water and set it in front of him. "Just a moment."
Then, with practiced movements, he turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
(Chapter End)