Muttering to himself, Yukihira Soma turned and headed back into the kitchen.
Inside, the kitchen fire flared high as the evening bustle picked up.
Other customers had already finished their meals and were either leaving or chatting leisurely with drinks in hand.
Sato and Gabriel sat together, staring at each other in silence, struggling to find a topic.
After all, she was an angel. What was he supposed to say? Do angels eat food too?
The atmosphere grew awkward, but it quickly shifted when Yukihira Jouichirou arrived at their table with two bowls of steaming seafood risotto.
The fragrant aroma wafted through the air, making their stomachs grumble, especially after tasting his earlier masterpiece.
"Here you go. Let me know how it tastes."
Oddly, Jouichirou didn't return to the kitchen right away. Instead, he casually plopped into the seat beside them, his face wearing a confident, easygoing smile.
"Um… shouldn't you help out in the kitchen? There are still a lot of customers waiting…"
Gabriel glanced nervously around the restaurant, suggesting politely.
At that moment, she still carried a bit of shy girlishness.
"Eh, I'll leave that to Soma. Gotta give the kid chances to train. Otherwise, he'll never surpass me."
Jouichirou chuckled, then introduced himself, "Name's Yukihira Jouichirou. The guy back there is my son, Yukihira Soma."
"You two seem new around here. Did you just move in?"
Ding! You've gathered new character data!
New entry—Yukihira Jouichirou. Character card created. Please check your system.
Sato picked up his spoon, then nodded calmly. "Yeah, I moved here from Akita. Enrolled in a local high school for... personal reasons."
"And the young lady?"
"Uh…"
Gabriel's bright violet eyes flickered. With an innocent smile, she replied, "I came here for high school too."
"Oh? So you're not siblings."
cough cough "No, we just met today. But turns out we live next door to each other."
Sato coughed twice in a hurry. Siblings? That was absurd. She was a literal supernatural being, not even the same race as him.
"I see. That explains why I hadn't seen you two before."
Jouichirou laughed heartily, drawing an annoyed shout from inside the kitchen.
"Dad, stop slacking off! I'm swamped in here!"
"Brat!"
Jouichirou grumbled, then gave the two of them a warm welcome before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Neither Sato nor Gabriel noticed the intrigued look on his face as he turned, his interest piqued by something about the two.
With no more interruptions, the pair quickly finished their food.
Oddly enough, even though it was the same chef's cooking, the magical feeling from earlier was missing.
Was something lacking?
Sato was puzzled. Still, the meal was excellent, and at such a reasonable price, it was definitely worth it.
After dinner, he and Gabriel strolled around the area to familiarize themselves with the neighborhood, stopping by a convenience store for some essentials:
Toothbrush, cup, towel, slippers…
With their shopping done, the two returned to Aoyama Apartments and parted ways at the door.
…
Stepping into the entryway, it was pitch black inside.
Sato fumbled around for the switch. With a click, the lights flickered on, illuminating the entry and part of the hallway.
The deeper parts remained dark and quiet.
He stood still for a moment, then shook his head with a mutter, "Still not used to it."
Swapping into his new slippers, he grabbed the toothbrush, cup, and towel, then headed into the bathroom. After filling the tub with warm water, he settled into the bath and opened the blinking icon in the corner of his vision.
[Name: Yukihira Jouichirou]
[Job: Demon Chef]
[Age: 38]
[Species: Human]
[Threat Level: D]
"Knew it, a Demon Chef…"
Sato arched a brow as he examined the glowing screen. No wonder that earlier dish had felt so... familiar.
He shrugged it off. After all, he'd met an angel already. A chef with supernatural abilities? Not that surprising anymore.
Like hell it isn't! he snapped internally.
Still grumbling, Sato finished his bath, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped out onto the balcony.
The distant city lights glittered beneath the night sky, which was unfortunately hazier than the clear, star-filled skies of the countryside.
Still, the view from Aoyama Apartments was excellent. It was part of why he'd chosen this place over others.
The breeze carried a slight chill, still lingering despite the approach of April. Standing there for long made him start to shiver.
Rustle, rustle...
Huh? What was that?
Sato's ears twitched as he heard a faint sound and then, suddenly, a rope dropped from the floor above.
A rope?
Wait, a rope?!
His face darkened. Is the security here really this bad? I'm getting burglars on my first day?
He instinctively looked up and was met with a pair of long, slender legs wrapped in black stockings. The stockings stretched to mid-thigh, revealing a glimpse of pale, round skin above. And beyond that…
Spats are humanity's most tragic invention!
Wait, what the hell am I thinking?!
"Hey—!"
Just as Sato opened his mouth, his voice startled the descending girl.
"Ah—!"
She lost her grip, and fell faster.
Oh sh—!
Panic flooded his face.
"Mmff—!"
His vision went dark. Something soft and indescribably plush smothered his face.
What the hell… is this a heavenly attack?!
"Yaaah!"
The girl squealed and quickly rolled off him. Just before she vanished, Sato caught a glimpse of a blushing, slightly annoyed face.
She was a cute girl, with a white eyepatch over her right eye, giving her a strangely adorable, slightly eccentric look.
And then, she was gone.
She shot him one final glare, then rappelled down the rope and darted off into the night without hesitation.
Sato stood there, stunned.
What… just happened?
Shouldn't a girl scream hentai or slap him or something? Why was she fleeing like some kind of fugitive? Was there a monster chasing her or something?
Before he could make sense of it, a sudden gust of wind whooshed past.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another figure descend: a sharp, icy beauty with a piercing gaze that swept over him coldly.
One after the other, it looked like a full-on chase scene.
Sato: "…"
What the hell is this place?
Is this… a stronghold for supernatural beings?!
...
(TL Notes: Spats, refer to tight, stretchy shorts or leggings, typically worn by female characters as an undergarment or athletic wear.)