Chapter 152: Wearing Sunglasses to Eat is Already Weird Enough! But You're Blindfolded?
"Eh? A food festival?"
Yurine, having just arrived at the restaurant after school and set down her bag, heard Ryohei Tanaka talk about the food festival and his plan to work for a single day. She blinked, and as if a thought struck her, she tilted her head and said, "Should I give my uncle a heads-up and borrow the food truck?"
"No need. I'll have the organizers arrange one for me."
Ryohei wanted to avoid the hassle, and he was confident the organizers would be more than happy to handle it for him. Yurine, glad to be spared the trouble, simply said, "Okay," and then asked what he planned to sell.
Ryohei had already made up his mind. "Dumplings," he said with a smile. "Ascending Dragon Dumplings!"
Dumplings were something that could be prepared in advance. That way, he wouldn't be too busy during the festival, and he could still blow people's minds. It was truly the perfect choice for this event.
"...Ascending Dragon Dumplings?" Yurine thought for a moment. She had never heard of them. "What are they like?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"You'll see when the time comes," Ryohei said, deciding to keep it a surprise. Spilling the beans would halve the anticipation. He didn't just want to shock the public; he wanted to dazzle his girlfriend, too.
...
In the blink of an eye, the sky turned dark. Streetlights cast halos of dim yellow light in the deepening night. Moths began to circle the lights, their wings casting fleeting, tiny shadows.
A red Toyota slowly pulled over near the restaurant. The car door opened, and a tall, beautiful woman wearing a face mask stepped out. She wore a black, navel-baring halter top, the slender straps crossing into an 'X' over her delicate collarbones, accentuating her full curves while revealing a sliver of her pale waist. Her pure white miniskirt had a high slit on the left side, which, with every graceful, cat-like step she took, offered a tantalizing glimpse of her long, porcelain-white legs. Ten-centimeter stiletto heels arched her feet into an elegant curve, elevating her posture to near-perfect proportions. She exuded the deadly charm of a runway supermodel.
The ghoul known as "The Nutcracker," whose dream was to become beautiful, arrived at the restaurant she had passed by before, her heart full of anticipation.
"It smells so good!"
Even through her mask, the enticing aroma made her tremble. She quickened her pace and pushed open the glass door to the restaurant.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?" Pekola, wearing a white bandana and a frilly apron, greeted her with a smile.
"I do." The Nutcracker, who had been curiously observing the restaurant's interior, quickly responded. She took her phone out of her stylish handbag, tapped the screen, and showed her reservation to Pekola. "I reserved seat number five at the counter for the seven o'clock slot."
"Right this way, please."
The previous customer at seat five had just left. Pekola checked the phone screen to confirm and then gestured for the Nutcracker to follow. It wasn't quite seven yet, but it was common practice in most restaurants to seat the next wave of customers early if a spot opened up.
A bright smile formed on the Nutcracker's pretty face, hidden behind her mask. She strode forward on her long, slender legs, feeling incredibly lucky. Not only had she managed to get a reservation, but a seat was available the moment she arrived, allowing her to eat early.
'The goddess of luck is smiling on me today!' The Nutcracker thought happily. She glanced at the unfinished dishes in front of the other customers before her eyes settled on Ryohei. It was her first time at this restaurant and her first time seeing the Culinary Sage in person. She was intensely curious about the man who could create glowing cuisine that ghouls could eat. Of course, she harbored no disrespectful thoughts.
Aside from the fact that both "Aogiri Tree" and "Anteiku" had issued warnings throughout the ghoul world not to cause trouble here, she knew she couldn't afford to provoke the restaurant itself. According to a reliable source, the infamous "Big Madam," head of the "MADAM" group, had come to the restaurant with two subordinates to kidnap the Culinary Sage. They hadn't even made a move; the mere hint of malicious intent had been enough for some mysterious entity in the restaurant to vaporize them. Not only were there no bodies, but every trace of their visit was instantly erased. The notorious, S-rated ghoul "Jason" had also provoked a staff member on the street and was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture, dying on the spot.
This restaurant was ridiculously powerful. But as long as you didn't cause trouble, you were fine. So, the person who had come here tonight was not the "Nutcracker" who enjoyed performing impromptu "sterilization surgeries," but just an ordinary big sister ghoul who loved beauty.
"Have you placed your order?" Pekola asked as she led her to seat number five.
"I've already ordered." The Nutcracker averted her gaze from Ryohei and replied to Pekola. She had spent the entire day agonizing over what to order, and she had placed it right after getting out of the car.
"Very well." Pekola turned to the busy Jashin-chan in the kitchen. "Jashin-chan, the order for seat five is ready to be served."
"Got it." Jashin-chan looked up, temporarily set aside what she was doing, and went to find the order slip for seat five. Pekola went to the counter to get the printed receipt.
...
Soon, a series of dishes, glowing like precious jewels, were placed before the Nutcracker. She removed her mask, took a black lace ribbon from her bag, raised her pale, slender arms, and elegantly tied the ribbon over her eyes. Her fingers deftly looped and knotted the ribbon into a beautiful bow behind her head.
The diners next to her were stunned by this display, their expressions turning strange. People wearing sunglasses to eat was already odd enough, but she was blindfolding herself with a black cloth?
'Can she even see?'
'How is she going to eat like that?'
Ryohei, who happened to glance over, was also taken aback. This woman's style was clearly different from everyone else's; she was quite conspicuous. Seeing the Nutcracker with her exquisite features, stunning figure, and revealing attire, now blindfolded with a black lace ribbon, he almost thought he was running a different kind of establishment.
The Nutcracker, however, was completely unfazed. She clasped her pale hands together, said, "Itadakimasu," and picked up her chopsticks...
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