Chapter 461: The Sichuan Peppercorn Incident and a Part-Time Blade Seller
Some things appear perfectly ordinary at a glance, and it is only upon tasting them that one discovers their true, stunning quality. Hiratsuka Shizuka and the others were now learning this principle firsthand.
Every dish on the table was a work of art, visually appetizing in a way they could appreciate. But the moment the food crossed their lips, they finally understood why the World Gourmet Organization's sole Special Executive Officer had praised this humble restaurant's cuisine as the finest on Earth.
The flavor exploded on their tongues before they even had a chance to chew. It was a depth of deliciousness they had never encountered, a wave of pure culinary bliss that seized their senses in an instant.
"Mmm, this spare rib is incredible! Shion! You should have brought me here ages ago!"
"Shizuka-senpai, your image... please mind your image."
"I'm eating very elegantly!" Shizuka retorted, though her focused, almost ravenous attack on the food suggested otherwise.
Sōryūin Shion sighed, watching as Hiratsuka Shizuka and Sengoku Chihiro devoured their meal with unbridled enthusiasm. Even the usually placid Shiina Mashiro was stuffing her cheeks like a little hamster, her eyes already scanning the other dishes on the table before she had even finished the bite in her mouth. The sight left Shion utterly speechless.
Halfway through the meal, Sengoku Chihiro raised her glass. After a cheerful clink against the others', they all took their first sips of beer.
"Hoo-ah! So refreshing!" Shizuka exhaled, a satisfied grin on her face. "Shion! Shopkeeper Ren's cooking is just too good!"
"I told you it was delicious a long time ago," Shion replied with a hint of exasperation. "Don't tell me you're only just believing it now."
Shizuka quickly shook her head, waving her hands defensively. "No, no! When I heard Executive Officer Nakiri Mana's evaluation, I knew it had to be amazing. I just... I never expected it to be this delicious!"
Amou Kirukiru chuckled from her seat. "You seem awfully nervous."
Shizuka's mouth twitched. Of course. Leave it to her supposed best friends to stab her in the back when she was most vulnerable. She had no idea how to even begin to respond.
From behind the counter, Ren glanced up from his book, his voice soft but carrying a clear warning. "Kirukiru, it sounds like you're getting some ideas."
Amou Kirukiru's playful defiance vanished in an instant. She straightened up, drained her glass in one long pull, and slammed it back on the table. "Refill!"
Ren set his book down and walked over, his expression unreadable. He looked at Kirukiru, who held her glass aloft with a challenging glint in her eyes. A silent standoff ensued, her bold gaze meeting his placid one. After a beat, Ren calmly took the empty glass from her hand. Kirukiru visibly deflated, letting out a quiet sigh of relief she probably didn't realize she was holding.
Sōryūin Shion smirked. "Not so tough now, are you, Kirukiru?"
"Pfft... I seem to recall something about what was on your bicycle seat the other day."
"Uh..." Shion froze. "Shh! Shh! That's a secret! Keep it a secret!"
"What secret?"
Hearing Ren's voice, Shion flinched as if struck by lightning. She spun around, a stiff, overly bright smile plastered on her face. "No, no, nothing at all! I was just talking about the upcoming surprise exam and asking Kirukiru to keep it under wraps for me."
Ren nodded slowly. "I see. That certainly sounds like something you'd do. Well, here's the beer you wanted, Kirukiru." He placed a full ice bucket on their table. "I brought the rest. If you want more, just pour it yourselves. Your tolerance for alcohol is better than I imagined." He paused, his eyes landing on Shion.
"Not counting you, of course."
Shion's mouth twitched, but she didn't dare say a word, sitting perfectly still like a chastised student. 'Just you wait,'she thought fiercely.'When Mom gets here, I'm going to learn all her secrets and make you completely submissive to me!'
Ren offered a faint smile. "Well then, please enjoy your meal, everyone. I won't disturb you... Hmm? Is something wrong, Mashiro?"
Just as he was about to turn away, he noticed Mashiro looking at him, her head tilted. She carefully swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking in her soft, quiet voice.
"Baumkuchen."
Ren was momentarily taken aback, then a gentle smile graced his lips. "Don't worry, it's already prepared for you. I'm keeping it fresh in the back. Just let me know when you're almost full." He found her single-minded focus endearing. Then, a sudden thought struck him. "By the way, Mashiro, those little black round things in the dish? Those are Sichuan peppercorns. They aren't meant to be eaten."
Sōryūin Akemi wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, laughing it off. "No matter how naturally oblivious Mashiro is, she'd know you can't eat Sichuan peppercorns, right, Mashiro?!"
Akemi turned to look at Mashiro, only to be met with a completely blank, expressionless face. Akemi swallowed hard, a dreadful premonition dawning on her. "No... It can't be..."
Without a word, Mashiro delicately spat a half-chewed black peppercorn onto her napkin. She then picked up her glass of juice and took a long, slow sip, her expression remaining as placid and unreadable as ever.
Akemi covered her face with her hands. "Mashiro... I still underestimated you..."
"How many did you eat?" Ren asked, his voice a mixture of concern and amusement.
Mashiro tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "My tongue felt numb. It was interesting. So I ate... seven? Hmm... six..."
Shion's eye twitched. "So, the one you just spat out was the seventh?"
As expected, Mashiro gave a small, solemn nod, prompting a collective, speechless groan from everyone at the table. Akemi immediately wrapped Mashiro in a tight hug, her voice filled with mock despair. "Mashiro... it's all my fault..."
"Hey! Mashiro! Let's eat!"
"Akemi..."
"It's strange..."
Looking at Mashiro, who remained completely unfazed by the entire ordeal, Akemi felt a deep sense of dereliction of duty. Not as a friend, or even as a professional caretaker, but something akin to the dereliction of duty of a mother.
Ren sighed at the chaotic scene. "It's pretty much as I thought. Still, it's hard to imagine that you and Miss Sengoku are cousins..."
Sengoku Chihiro started, then smiled warmly. "We're both literary girls."
"Eh? Is that so?" Ren looked surprised. "But Mashiro probably doesn't read hot-blooded manga, does she?"
Mashiro turned her head, her gaze fixing on him as she spoke softly. "Ren..."
"I'm very interested in manga..."
Ren's eyes widened slightly before his expression softened into a smile. "I wouldn't have guessed. But liking manga is a good thing."
"Because I want to become a mangaka."
"Oh? Then you should work towards that goal. Having a goal is a wonderful thing."
"You don't find it strange, Ren?"
"Why would I find it strange?" he asked, genuinely confused. "A good manga can last for generations. While it might not appreciate in value like a famous painting, from a purely economic perspective, a best-selling work can be incredibly profitable."
He continued, his tone encouraging. "I know you, Mashiro. I've seen your drawings, and they're exceptional. Manga is a profession related to drawing, isn't it? I don't know the specifics, but the talent is clearly there. You're still young and have so many choices ahead of you. How will you know the outcome if you don't even try? And even if you can't become a full-time mangaka, you can always do part-time work, like creating short manga stories."
Kasugano Sora, who had been listening quietly, whispered, "But if the updates are too slow, won't people send you razor blades...?"
Ren didn't miss a beat. "In that case, you could run a side business selling razor blades."
Hearing this, the corners of Shiina Mashiro's lips curled into a faint, rare smile.
Ren's own smile widened. "You're only in high school. Take your time to think about the path you want to take. For now, let's eat. Everyone, please enjoy your meal."
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