After Reiko left, the small restaurant fell into a temporary quiet.
Yuto had originally planned to try making some new dishes, but a notification from his phone reminded him that he had received a message.
Since coming to this world, he had acquired a phone, though he didn't use it very frequently.
He lightly swiped open the screen.
A message immediately popped up: it was from Utaha.
As one of Yuto's few friends in this world, Utaha had priority access to his phone number and social media, though the two had never actually contacted each other by phone before.
Utaha: Are you free tomorrow afternoon?
Yuto: Yes, why? (questioning.jpg)
Utaha: My new editor wants to meet me. I'm a bit worried about going alone, so I'd like you to come with me. (shy.jpg)
Yuto: Yikes—please don't act shy, it scares me. (trembling.jpg)
Utaha: (knife.jpg)(knife.jpg)(knife.jpg)
Yuto: What time?
Utaha: Two o'clock.
Yuto: Where should I meet you?
Utaha: Shinjuku Station, okay? I'll wait for you there. (questioning.jpg)
Yuto: Okay
Utaha: Thank you, Kamisaka-kun (heart.jpg)
Yuto: (smile.jpg) x3
Utaha: .....
Yuto had plenty of free time every day.
Originally, he had planned to visit a pet store tomorrow, today's ideas for the backyard had made him really want to keep a pet.
But since Utaha had made a special request, he decided to postpone the pet store visit by a day.
After all, he could go look at animals anytime.
Tomorrow, however, was a very important day for Utaha.
He understood her situation quite well. The girl, who had experienced multiple failed submissions, finally had her own editor.
After the initial surge of joy, a wave of fear would naturally arise because her repeated failures had naturally eroded her self-confidence.
He knew Utaha fairly well by now; her outward strength and maturity were merely a layer of self-protective disguise.
Deep down, the girl was still quite fragile.
Her hope for him to accompany her was actually a very subtle cry for help.
To refuse her would be cruel.
"Boss! I'm here!"
A somewhat childish voice rang out, and a round, blue Slime came bouncing into the shop.
Splat— Rimuru jumped right onto a seat.
"Rimuru, would you like sweet potatoes again today?" Yuto asked with a smile.
It had to be said, Rimuru's Slime form was quite endearing.
Hearing his words, Rimuru shook his body, since he had no head, he had to shake his whole form instead.
"No! I want grilled meat! Lots and lots of grilled meat!" he exclaimed excitedly.
He really had a tough time!
Last night, he tasted the delicious Candied Sweet Potato here and thought his sense of taste had returned.
But as soon as he went back to his own world, everything reverted to how it was before.
Nothing had any flavor!
"Sure, no problem!" Yuto immediately agreed without hesitation. "While waiting for the grilled meat, would you like to try some of my new snacks?"
He couldn't forget to promote his braised dishes.
He had made thirty to forty catties, but more than half of it was still left uneaten.
This was completely different from what he had expected, all because his regular customers had such small appetites!
"Huh?! Yes!" Rimuru fully embodied the excellent spirit of the Slime species: not picky at all!
"Great, I'll bring you a plate to try first!" Yuto gave a thumbs-up.
Customers like Rimuru were exactly what he wanted—they could eat anything!
He returned to the kitchen, quickly prepared a plate of braised dishes, and brought it out.
Since Slimes couldn't smell anything either, Rimuru straightforwardly wrapped all the braised dishes into his body.
"Wow!!!! Delicious!!!!"
After a day of tasteless experiences, the incredibly flavorful braised dishes left a deep impression on Rimuru's psyche.
It was the same as someone who had been starving all day finding absolutely everything delicious.
"Would you like another plate?" Yuto asked with a satisfied smile.
"Please, definitely another plate! No, make it three more plates, and bring a bottle of beer too!" Rimuru's unique physiology allowed him to consume an enormous volume of food, he even had a dragon inside his body right now.
Three more plates of braised dishes were really nothing!
"No problem!" Yuto immediately arranged it for him.
Rimuru began to savor the food carefully, though his way of savoring carefully was to insert the food into his body and slowly digest it.
Yuto couldn't help but marvel, the Slime's body structure was truly amazing!
...
Although barbecue relies entirely on fire to grill food, the flavors can vary greatly from place to place.
Even within the same country, some regions focus on sprinkling dry seasoning, while others emphasize wet dipping sauces.
Neither side concedes to the other.
This is another level of battle for regional pride—to admit defeat would mean admitting that the flavors of one's hometown are inferior to others.
Not many are willing to back down on this matter.
"Rimuru, do you want it spicy?" Yuto leaned out from the back door and asked.
Grilled meat is different from other dishes.
If grilled inside the restaurant, a huge exhaust fan would be needed to prevent the smoky smell from spreading elsewhere, otherwise the shop wouldn't be able to accommodate any other scents.
Unfortunately, the small restaurant didn't have one, so Yuto had to grill in the alley outside the back door.
The late night was quiet, with only a small stove glowing red.
"Please add lots!" Rimuru immediately jumped up and shouted excitedly.
After becoming a Slime, his taste preferences had changed somewhat; he preferred stronger flavors because they were more satisfying.
"Alright!" Yuto responded, sitting back down by the stove.
The charcoal burned brightly, and the iron grill was scorching hot. Several generous cuts of beef were continuously dripping fat.
As the fat made contact with the iron, it sizzled loudly, and white smoke rose momentarily before dissipating into the quiet night.
The beef gradually transformed from red and white to golden brown. Its flavor was also undergoing a dramatic change bit by bit.
The high heat forced the fat out of the meat, and the fat sizzled on the hot surface before melting back into it.
This was the most enticing food in the late night, and also the most guilt-inducing.
But the joy of eating late at night lies precisely in that sense of guilt when the first bite enters your mouth.
Yuto picked up a small knife. He made a few cuts in the beef, sprinkled on some spices, and finally pinched some chili powder.
Under the glow of the stove fire, the bright red chili powder danced in the air like an incredibly beautiful and unique snowfall.
Just a few seconds after sprinkling on the spices, Yuto lifted the iron grill and placed the meat on a plate.
Done.
He closed the stove's air vent, covered it with an iron lid, and walked back into the shop.
The three plates of braised dishes Rimuru had ordered were almost finished, and the beer was empty too.
The grilled beef had arrived just in time.
"Wow!!! So fragrant!!!" Rimuru cheered, acting like a mischievous child finally seeing their favorite toy.
Yuto smiled as he placed the grilled meat before him.
"Alright, Kamisaka's special grilled meat!"
"Boss! Boss! Two more bottles of beer!"
Grilled beef without beer is disrespectful to the beef!
"Alright!" Yuto walked directly to the fridge and took out two bottles.
This time, he didn't even need to open them, Rimuru simply wrapped his body around the caps, gave a slight upward tug, and the caps naturally fell off.
And so began Rimuru's feast.
Yuto quietly sat down. Among all the customers who had visited the shop, only Rimuru had such a lively and unrestrained personality.
"Ahhh—so refreshing!!!" Amidst the glistening meat and shimmering beer, Rimuru's body slumped into a puddle, like oil softened by the sun.
It looked utterly ridiculous.
'Perhaps this is how Slimes express relaxation?' Yuto was a bit curious.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Absolutely great! I feel like my life has been reborn again!" Rimuru instantly returned to his round, bouncy form, as if the earlier slumped state had been nothing but an illusion.
Yuto shook his head gently with a smile.
Rimuru's expressions were always so exaggerated and unrestrained.
'Is this what a Slime is really like?'
Time passed slowly as Rimuru continuously recounted his experiences in another world.
He was extremely cheerful and lively, holding nothing back in his storytelling, from his encounter with Veldora to today, when he directed the Goblins in building defensive measures.
Through his words, Yuto could sense his fulfillment and joy, and he was happy to listen.
This experience of hearing a customer's otherworldly stories was even more enjoyable than ordinary entertainment.
"By the way, Boss, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with," Rimuru said, seemingly remembering something.
"What is it?" Yuto looked puzzled.
What could he possibly help with?
Cooking?