57 Invited to Shunkatei

Besides chefs,

In this world, there are also good prospects for brewers, baristas, food writers, critics, and many others.

A typical example is the Haubi Food Cooperationounger owned by Orie Sendawara, which directly dominates the entire curry industry, worth 200 billion yen annually.

Of course,

For Zane,

Because he runs a tavern, he has to provide alcoholic products every day.

So, he has to personally brew sake, shochu, fruit wine, red wine, and so on.

Indeed, as Sonoka said, with the brewing skills he now possesses, he might have a promising future by running a winery.

But he would never do that because he is a chef at heart and makes a living in the food and beverage industry.

...

Late at night.

Approaching midnight.

The tavern is finally closing again!

Perhaps it's because of tomorrow's opening school assessment at Tōtsuki.

That's why Rindo, who is acting as the assessor, didn't come to the tavern today.

Also, because she got drunk at the tavern last time, Sonoka didn't dare to drink too much today. But before leaving, she would often steal glances at Zane.

When she felt his gaze, which happened to look over in her direction, they involuntarily made eye contact, and she blushed slightly.

"Owner."

"Do you... do you have time tomorrow morning?"

Finally, Sonoka gathered her courage and asked.

"Except for going to the nearby meat and vegetable market and supermarket to purchase ingredients and seasonings, I have time for everything else!"

Zane was momentarily stunned.

Then, after glancing at Sonoka, he raised his eyebrows slightly.

Obviously, he didn't quite understand Sonoka's intention.

"It's like this."

"Tomorrow, I have a good friend coming to Shunkatei."

"I thought that since I got drunk at your tavern last time and didn't have a chance to properly express my gratitude, and because I shamelessly imposed on you for dinner tonight, I hoped that you could come and join us at the same time!"

After saying this, Sonoka quickly looked down, seemingly trying to hide her nervousness and anticipation.

From her words, it shouldn't be difficult to guess that her good friend is Takumi Aldini.

And as they spend more and more time together, it's becoming increasingly clear that Sonoka considers Zane to be as important as Takumi Aldini, otherwise she wouldn't invite him to Shunkatei tomorrow morning.

"What time?"

"In the morning... at 10 o'clock."

Sonoka replied in a fluster.

"Alright."

"At that time, I just hope your friend won't mind me!"

Zane just nodded and smiled in response.

"How could she?

Although she can be quite feisty, she isn't unreasonable."

"And, Chef Zane, your personal charm is there for all to see. I believe that eventually, she will also appreciate you as much as I do!"

Sonoka promptly added.

"In your eyes."

"I used to be such an outstanding person?"

At this, Zane chuckled.

"Um, uh, Owner, it's getting late, so I'll head back to Shunkatei!"

Sonoka's face turned red like a monkey's bottom, then she quickly made up an excuse and fled the tavern!

Seeing the situation, Zane could only shrug.

Clearly, he didn't expect Sonoka to be so easily embarrassed.

However, knowing that he still has some allure, he couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

...

He made the remaining low-gluten flour and eggs into a flowing batter with water. Then poured it onto an oiled preheated mold, and when it was almost 80% cooked, he added chopped cabbage and octopus pieces.

After it slightly solidified, he poured in the batter and flipped it until it formed smooth round balls.

Then,

he continued to heat it until it was fully cooked.

Zane quickly used an exquisite small box

to pack five extra-large octopus takoyaki and handed it to Erina.

"For you."

"There were a few ingredients left."

"Since it would be a shame to throw them away, I made octopus takoyaki for you to enjoy on the way back."

"Um!"

"Thank... thank you!"

Erina originally wanted to refuse.

Because her cousin Alice was next to her, she had to maintain her "dignified" appearance when it came to looking down on commoner cuisine.

However, she couldn't help but want to eat Zane's ordinary octopus takoyaki.

Seeing Erina receiving a serving of takoyaki just before leaving the tavern, Alice immediately walked up to Zane and held out her hand.

"What's the matter?"

"What do you mean by this?"

 Knowing that Alice was definitely feeling jealous, Zane pretended to be innocent and asked, "Do you want octopus takoyaki too?"

"If Erina has it, and I don't, isn't that unfair?" Alice pouted, feeling down as she spoke to Zane.

"Heh!"

"You want some too?"

"Unfortunately, the tavern only had a small amount of ingredients left tonight, and after making five octopus takoyaki, there were none left!"

Zane chuckled.

Upon realizing he really didn't have any, Alice felt even more puzzled and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

"Alright!"

"I'm just teasing you."

"Although there are no more octopus takoyaki, I've kept a layered cake for you."

After saying this, Zane placed a crispy layer cake in front of Alice.

"Huh?"

"Is this really for me?"

Seeing the layered cake in front of her, Alice was first taken aback.

Then, her feelings of being downcast vanished, and she smiled again, saying, "At least you have a conscience, so I won't hold back then!"

...

On the way back,

Erina was somewhat quiet the whole time.

But next to her, Alice, seemed very excited.

She eagerly took a big bite of the layer cake, and the crunching sound echoed in her mouth with every chew!

At the same time, the crispy crust and the savory filling instantly created a delightful contrast in texture.

The crispy crust was fragrant and crunchy, and the rich smoky flavor combined with the satisfying filling made her ecstatic!

"Mmm~"

"So delicious."

"Why is the tavern's owner Zane so talented?"

In the end, Alice expressed her satisfaction.

"Alice."

"What are your plans at Totsuki next?"

Erina glanced slightly at Alice.

Originally, as cousins, she really didn't want to pay attention to her, but things always seemed to exceed her expectations! 

And, it's quite strange.

At the tavern, although she occasionally bickered with Alice.

It seems that under the influence of Zane, their relationship did not deteriorate further, and instead gradually improved.