Under normal circumstances, when the Midnight Diner wasn't open yet, there would always be customers waiting early.
For example, Touka Kirishima was always one of those.
But today, there were none.
Honestly, it was quite strange. It could only be described as a coincidence.
Hayashi glanced at the sky. "Let's hope so."
Since no customers had arrived, Hayashi and Tohru started playing cards in the restaurant.
Just the two of them.
So, Hayashi also called Pochita over.
Pochita:?
Fortunately, Pochita was pretty smart.
Even if it couldn't play cards, it could still play along.
That was enough—just one person, one dragon, and one demon, and they played on.
After an hour passed, a few groups of regular customers arrived.
The regular customers were nothing special, so they were treated normally.
Hayashi treated them just like anyone else—casual conversations, chatting, and receiving compliments about the food.
After sending the customers off, Tohru immediately started washing the dishes.
Then, she relaxed again.
But Hayashi wasn't in a hurry.
This lifestyle and the level of business were just what he liked.
Sitting by the window, Hayashi looked outside.
"Shh~"
Suddenly, it started raining outside, catching everyone off guard.
"It's raining!?" Tohru jumped out, looking at the sky.
"Yep," Hayashi replied with a yawn.
The rain made him feel a bit drowsy.
Especially with the white noise of the rain hitting the wood—it was practically a lullaby.
Pochita jumped onto the chair next to Hayashi and snuggled up to him, both watching and listening to the rain.
Tohru sat beside them, taking out her phone to take some pictures and began playing.
Hayashi looked around at the restaurant, the weather, and the atmosphere.
"This is quite a rare moment~"
At that moment, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
Clearly, someone was running.
Hayashi, Tohru, and Pochita looked up.
A woman, running toward the Midnight Diner through the rain, came into view.
She had a great figure, black hair, and red eyes, with an expression that was both blank and aloof.
"This is..."
Hayashi suddenly realized who it was, but couldn't recall fully, just half-remembered.
"Hiss, who is this again?"
As usual, Hayashi's reliability was questionable.
Tohru noticed the potential customer in the rain.
She quickly grabbed an umbrella and waited at the door to hand it to her once she arrived.
Hayashi: ...
He almost laughed out loud.
The customer paused for a moment, then thanked her, but placed the umbrella right by the door.
It was clear.
Tohru was somewhat reliable, but not overly so.
However, she turned and went back to get a towel. This time, she got it right.
Hayashi stood up and walked over.
The woman was inspecting the restaurant's environment. Upon seeing the décor and layout, she turned to Hayashi and asked.
"With this kind of authentic material and modern practicality, I'd imagine the cost of building this place is probably even more than constructing the entire building."
Hayashi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."
Actually, he had calculated it himself earlier.
It was all thanks to the system. There were three styles to choose from at the time.
They were: Retro, Modern, and Futuristic.
The difference was in the décor and materials; there were no other abilities tied to it.
So, Hayashi selected retro materials and modern design.
"It's quite nice, very tasteful," the woman nodded, highly praising the restaurant's décor.
She then found a seat, took the menu from Tohru, and began looking at the dishes.
As she looked, she wiped the wet rainwater from her hair with the towel.
Hayashi watched the woman thoughtfully, trying to recall who she was.
He checked his system task.
[Positive Reviews: Important Guest (1/3)]
"1/3?"
Hayashi looked at Pochita beside him.
If Pochita didn't count, then this woman was the one.
Hayashi looked at her and suddenly had a moment of realization.
"This guest... is she someone who enjoys cooking too?"
The woman looked over when she heard and nodded.
She straightforwardly said, "I am the head chef of a restaurant in Tokyo, and a friend recommended me to come and try your food. Don't worry, I'm not here for a Shokugeki, just to taste."
At that moment, Hayashi was certain.
After all, narrowing it down to someone who could cook, a head chef, and looked like this—it clicked.
It was Takanashi Tokka.
She was the older sister of Takanashi Rikka, who was known for her "chuunibyou" (middle-school syndrome)!
"Ah, I see. No wonder."
Looking at Hayashi's realization, Tokka was a bit curious. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Hayashi shook his head. "You can order anything."
"Mm."
Tokka nodded with a somewhat stiff expression.
Then she said, "I'll have a bowl of chazuke, please."
As is well-known, the simpler the flavor of a dish, the more it tests the chef's skill.
And chazuke, with its mild flavor, is one such simple dish.
Making it taste good is difficult.
But Hayashi nodded and confirmed, "No problem."
After confirming the dish, he headed to the kitchen.
Tohru hurried over, curiously asking, "Hayashi-san, is this a competition with a fellow chef?"
"Not really. It's mostly about attitude. Chefs need to exchange and learn from each other." Hayashi replied while preparing the ingredients.
"Ah~" Tohru understood.
In the kitchen.
Hayashi was seriously preparing the dish.
Chazuke is primarily made of rice, with very few other ingredients.
A small amount of shredded nori, sesame, chopped green onions, a little soy sauce, a bit of salt, and some oolong tea, etc.
It's all about temperature, proportions, and the market.
Ultimately, it's a simple bowl that's created.
But with Hayashi's abilities, even simplicity was imbued with a glowing allure—looking like something even someone with anorexia would find appetizing.
"Serve it up, Tohru!"
"Woah~" Tohru was seeing Hayashi make this kind of food for the first time.
With curiosity, she brought it over and placed it in front of Takanashi Tokka.
Then she stepped back and watched with curiosity.
Hayashi walked out of the kitchen and rested his elbow on Tohru's shoulder as they both watched.
In the restaurant.
Takanashi Tokka sat alone.
She looked at the chazuke in front of her, and the quiet atmosphere allowed her to fully focus on tasting it.
Just the presentation and fragrance alone made her widen her eyes slightly.
"This is... chazuke?"
With both curiosity and anticipation, Takanashi Tokka picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
She took the first bite and placed it in her mouth.
Boom~!
It was like spring thunder ringing in her mind.
Her first bite plunged her into an awareness storm!
Hayashi watched, nodding.
"Got it."
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