"Tada!"
While Sora was still contemplating how many dishes to introduce, Ako and Riko—who had been running around ever since they entered the restaurant—suddenly popped up in front of him, now dressed in bunny girl outfits.
Bunny ears, tight black leather bodysuits that clung closely to their figures, slightly squeezing in at the waist. A fluffy white tail sat above their hips, and their legs were clad in black fishnet stockings.
"Holy crap, where did you even get all this from?"
"In the employee break room. Found it in a cabinet. There were swimsuits, cat-girl outfits, and even teacher uniforms..."
Watching Ako pull out outfit after outfit like a magician, Sora's forehead was covered in stress lines, and the corner of his mouth twitched. That former manager definitely had some kind of... unspeakable fetish.
"There's even a whip here."
Riko pulled out a whip from who-knows-where. As she spoke, she raised it as if to smack Ako on the butt, only for Sora to rush in and stop her just in time. Damn, that almost turned into an R-rated scene.
"Alright, put everything back where you found it—and change out of those clothes. How am I supposed to open for business with you dressed like that?"
Sora sighed helplessly. If they went out to greet customers looking like that, and a cop happened to walk by, he might actually get mistaken for running some shady brothel.
"It's fine, though. We're only wearing it for you."
"Yeah, don't you think this looks cute?"
Riko's comment was followed by Ako giving a shy little spin. She'd been roped into it by Riko—well, more accurately, she'd felt pressured to wear it since Riko already had. That's how she ended up in this mortifying outfit.
Having changed into it, of course, she was hoping for Sora's reaction.
"It looks good. I have to say, that innocent vibe mixed with the bunny-girl look… there's this forbidden contrast to it."
Chin in hand, Sora gave an unconscious appraisal. Ako's natural air was innocent and reserved, so her wearing a costume symbolizing seduction created a striking contrast.
"What about me? What about me?"
Riko stepped forward eagerly, eyes full of expectation. She got so close their faces almost touched—her warm breath brushing against his cheeks made his heart race.
"You look great too, Riko-nee!"
He reflexively stepped back, unable to look her in the eye. She was way too close—almost pressing against him—and it made his heartbeat spike. He really wasn't used to this kind of situation. Was his sister always this forward?
"Unfair! Ako got this long, detailed review, and all I get is 'you look great'? You're playing favorites, Sora!"
Puffing out her cheeks and tightening her small fists, Riko pouted in protest. She playfully started punching her obviously-biased younger brother with her soft fists. Seeing this, Ako quickly jumped in, smugly triumphant.
"Oh come on, Sora didn't do it on purpose. Maybe he just couldn't think of the right words. After all, his attention's been on me this whole time."
Staaare…
Hearing Ako deliberately exaggerate the situation, Riko stared intently at Sora's face. Her lips pursed upward like she wouldn't let him off the hook until she got a proper explanation.
"Riko-nee is really charming—cute face, amazing figure, you don't need clothes like this. You're already a total knockout!"
"A total knockout, huh? Hehe~"
Hearing the compliment she wanted, Riko looked deeply satisfied. She opened her arms and hugged Sora tightly. The direct contact made the boy's heart nearly explode.
"Hey! Riko, you're cheating again!"
"Wait a sec—aren't we focusing on the wrong thing here?! Go change back into your normal clothes and help me shop at the market. We're opening for lunch today!"
Sora, caught between the two girls now clinging to him, raised his hands in surrender. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he urged them to go change.
"Eh? So soon…"
After gently pushing the two girls out of the kitchen, Sora began thinking about what dish to prepare. His restaurant's target customers were mostly everyday folks—students, office workers, local residents.
The food needed to be quick to serve, but not something that overlapped with the other nearby stores. On his way in earlier, he'd scoped the area—most shops sold fried foods or yakitori. Not many proper restaurants.
Considering the time-efficiency needed by office workers, he decided the shop had to offer set meals. Immediately, a dish from his past life popped into his mind—BraisedPorkTrotterRice—a meal that once swept through southern China.
That meant he'd need pork trotters and a whole lineup of spices…
On a sheet of paper, he scribbled out a list: pork trotters, pork bones, pig skin, chicken frames, star anise, cinnamon sticks, tsaoko… dozens of ingredients. Before he knew it, he was running out of space on the page.
"For today, let's just do the set meal. Get a feel for the flow first—no need to rush."
Looking at the packed sheet, Sora muttered to himself. Sometimes, more doesn't mean better. Less isn't worse either. Braised pork trotter rice had a lot going on—it wasn't easy to make it right.
"Here, Ako-nee, Riko-nee. Please buy everything on this list. Here's the money."
He pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed Ako a thick wad of ten-thousand-yen bills. It was all the pocket money he'd saved up over the years—since he hadn't spent it on any luxury outings, it'd accumulated quite a bit.
Gulp.
"Sora… we can't do anything illegal."
"It's just my savings!"
——
As the sun began to set, stomach rumbling from hunger, Takeda Harumi wandered the streets. He had been running around all morning dealing with clients and hadn't even had lunch. His steps were unsteady, and his tired eyes scanned the surroundings as he aimlessly trudged forward.
He passed by a curry shop he'd visited countless times before. Though the food was decent, he'd long grown tired of the taste. The only reason he still went was because it was cheap. But after trying every variation of their curry, his excitement for the place had dropped to zero.
"Welcome!"
Growl~
Just then, as he was about to walk into the curry shop, a rich, savory aroma of stewed sauce and spices suddenly wafted into his nose. His stomach immediately growled in response, and his eyes instinctively began darting around.
Where was that coming from?
His gaze lit up with anticipation. Ignoring the curry shop clerk's greeting, Takeda backed out of the entrance and began scanning the street. He craned his neck left and right, nose twitching rapidly.
Where?
Confused at first, then certain, he followed the scent forward until he stopped in front of a seemingly closed shop. The door was shut, but the aroma was undeniably coming from inside.
"This must be it. Pardon the intrusion!"
Acting as if he owned the place, he pulled open the door and called loudly into the shop. It wasn't officially open yet, but there was no mistaking the scent—something this mouthwatering couldn't be ignored.
"What's that noise? You two, keep an eye on the pot. Don't sneak any! It's not ready yet. The flavor and texture still need work. Be patient—good things come to those who wait."
Sora, watching the stew of bubbling pork trotters in the broth, shouted toward the two girls standing nearby. Ako and Riko were practically drooling, their eyes fixed firmly on the pot and unwilling to look away.
"We'd never do that, Sora."
"Don't worry about us. We'll guard the pork trotters with our lives!"
They slapped their not-so-full chests confidently, promising with conviction.