Chapter 32: Natsume Takashi, Clow Reed
Just as Kure Raian and the others had left earlier, a heavy silence settled back over the Restaurant. No other customers came all night.
Ren simply sat behind the counter, quietly reading a paperback book. He didn't have many hobbies outside of cooking and martial arts, and reading was one of the few he indulged in.
It wasn't because he loved literature for its own sake, but because he liked to find something to focus on that would quiet and empty his mind after the chaos of service. Before Lucifer and the others came crashing into his life, his days had always been very quiet—meditative, almost.
He brewed a fresh cup of coffee. The rich, dark aroma mingled with the ever-present floral scent of the Restaurant (a side effect of the dimensional magic) and the faint, dusty scent of old paper.
Ren turned a page. Day after day, night after night, he would read here. Because of this, the number of books he had read reached a terrifying level, covering everything from ancient history to modern quantum physics.
Tranquility. Peace. There was nothing more relaxing than that.
Just as Ren was about to get up to refill his cup, he saw the front door light up with a soft, gentle glow—unlike the harsh flash of some other arrivals.
Ding-a-ling.
A somewhat bewildered young man walked in. He had light brown hair and gentle eyes that seemed to be constantly looking for threats in the corners of the room. He wore a simple school uniform.
Ren smiled, closing his book. "Welcome~ What would you like to eat?"
The young man was startled. He looked around, blinking rapidly. "Ah... wasn't the door supposed to open to the street just now? Why did I end up here? I was just running from..." He trailed off, looking relieved. "But I did want to eat something..."
Ren looked at the young man and smiled reassuringly. "This is a completely different world from yours. But judging by your appearance, there shouldn't be much difference in culture. Just consider it a hidden shop."
The young man nodded in realization, his shoulders dropping as the tension left him. He quietly said, "Phew... It seems I've really encountered something strange again... At least this one isn't chasing me."
"Again?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing. Just... bad luck." The boy shook his head. "Shopkeeper, what do you have here? Is there a menu?"
Ren was also surprised by the young man's polite question; usually, guests were more demanding or confused. He smiled warmly. "Whatever you wish to eat, I have it here. Or I can make it."
"Is that so..." The boy thought for a moment. "Then... Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelette). I suddenly feel like eating something sweet... and warm."
Ren nodded. "Sweet Tamagoyaki. Coming right up."
The young man found a seat in the corner, his back to the wall. He looked around, his eyes scanning the empty chairs. Then he said, somewhat lost in thought, "Ah... there really isn't any..."
Any spirits, he meant. The air here was clean.
The young man looked at the pristine shop, the warm wood, and felt the extraordinary tranquility. It was a sanctuary. He slowly relaxed, gradually feeling more at ease than he had in years.
Ten minutes later.
"Here's your Tamagoyaki~"
Ren placed a rectangular plate on the table.
"Hmm. It's been a long time since I made Tamagoyaki like this. As a memento, I'll give you this too."
The young man was startled. He looked down.
On the plate, next to the perfectly golden-yellow, fluffy egg rolls, was a piece of appetizing Tempura Shrimp (Ebi Tempura) and two round, golden Sesame Balls (Jian Dui).
"Shopkeeper, this..."
"It's a memento. And you seem very tired, carrying a heavy weight," Ren said gently. "So I'll give you a '100'. Keep it up~"
"A hundred?"
The young man looked down again. He realized that the long tempura shrimp (representing the '1') and the two round sesame balls (representing the '00') just happened to form the number 100. Like a perfect score on a test.
It was a small, childish gesture, but it warmed his heart instantly.
"Thank you..."
Ren was holding his red tea and about to sit down when he heard the door chime again.
Ding-a-ling.
The young man also turned his head sharply. He saw the door light up with a mystic, purple hue.
Then a tall, well-dressed man walked in. He had long dark hair tied back, round glasses, and wore a traditional yet Western-style outfit that screamed 'scholar'. His eyes were closed in a perpetual smile.
"Oh dear... It seems I've discovered an extraordinary place..." the man mused, his voice calm and melodic.
This man was clearly more mature than the young student. Instead of confusion, he found this situation very curious and interesting. From Ren's experience, people who reacted this way to dimensional displacement were mostly very powerful beings.
Ren interrupted the man's thoughts. "Welcome. What would you like to eat?"
The man came back to his senses, looking enlightened. "Ah~ This is a Restaurant then. I apologize for my rudeness just now. Are you the Shopkeeper?"
The man found a seat near the center, moving with fluid grace. He looked at Ren with a smile that didn't quite open his eyes.
Ren nodded.
The man said in surprise, "Amazing. To have such a large Shop connected to the ley lines at such a young age. What kind of food do you have here?"
"Whatever you wish to eat, I have it here..."
"What an extraordinary statement... confident." The man tapped his chin. "Then please give me a portion of Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple (Gu Lao Rou), two different desserts of your choice, and some wine. Anything is fine. Red wine is also acceptable."
Ren was surprised. Sweet and sour pork with wine?
Then he smiled. "This guest, you really like sweets... But Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple and red wine? That's an interesting way to eat it. The tannins might clash with the acidity."
The man just kept smiling at him. "I trust your judgment to bridge the gap."
After Ren entered the kitchen, the man began to look around the Shop. His aura expanded, tasting the air.
When he saw the young man in the corner, who was eating Tamagoyaki with a look of pure ecstasy, the man was startled.
The young student seemed to notice the man's gaze. He looked up, wary.
The man just smiled and said, "You have a very interesting power about you... faint, but deep."
The young man was startled. Then suddenly, he widened his eyes, looking at the man in disbelief.
"You... can see it too?"
The man nodded. He was about to speak when he saw Ren come out with a small ceramic wine pot.
Ren placed the wine pot in front of the man and smiled. "Red wine with Chinese food is a bit unusual. Try this. Osmanthus Wine. Although it's not the strongest wine I have here, its sweetness and floral notes should be the most suitable for your palate and the pork."
The man was startled, then nodded with a smile. "Osmanthus? Delightful."
After opening the cork, the mellow and rich aroma of the wine instantly filled the entire Restaurant. It smelled of autumn and nostalgia.
The man's eyes flashed with a hint of genuine surprise. He said with a smile, "I've never smelled such a mellow wine... Did you brew it yourself, Shopkeeper? It contains mana."
Ren nodded. He was about to turn around when he heard the man speak again.
"Shopkeeper, it seems your place..."
"This place is different from your world," Ren finished for him. "But anyone who can come here is a guest. Very strange people occasionally come here. Pirates, demons, assassins."
The man nodded, accepting this easily. Then he looked at the young student with a smile and said, "Including this young man? He carries a heavy book of names."
The young man was startled, clutching his chest pocket. He looked at Ren in confusion.
Ren thought for a moment and said, "No. He's human. But I occasionally have Yokai (Spirits) and such visit here. One of my regulars is a kitsune-like girl, though she never thinks of herself as a Yokai. She's quite cute~"
The young man, Natsume, said, a little disbelievingly, "Shopkeeper... do you also believe in the existence of Yokai?"
"Of course. Not only do I believe, I've even seen them. Served them dinner, actually."
The man with glasses looked at the stunned young man and said with a smile, "It seems the magic-like substance—spiritual power—on you allows you to see Yokai. What an interesting ability. And a burden."
"Magic?" Natsume blinked.
"Oh dear. I let it slip. I used an old term." The man laughed. "But it shouldn't be strange here, right~"
Ren said with a smile, leaning on the counter, "Of course. Even if the essence of magic itself walked in and ordered a burger, I wouldn't find it strange~"
"An interesting way of speaking. Very open-minded."
The man adjusted his glasses. "Let me introduce myself properly. Clow Reed… a magician. Or perhaps just a scholar of the arcane."
"Ren. A Restaurant Shopkeeper~"
After they finished speaking, both looked at the young man.
The young man was startled, realizing he was the only one who hadn't introduced himself.
"Ah… that… Natsume. Natsume Takashi! A student... who can see Yokai…"
The two nodded and said nothing more, accepting him instantly.
Natsume was still a little confused when he saw Ren walk into the kitchen to finish the pork.
Then he saw Ren poke his head out from the window.
"Would you mind telling me about the Yokai you've seen later? While you eat? I'm quite interested~ I need new stories."
Clow Reed also turned his chair and said with a smile, "I'm also very interested. It's been a long time since I've heard fresh tales of the spirits. You don't mind having one more listener, do you?"
"Eh?" Natsume froze.
Usually, people ran away. Or called him a liar.
Ren said softly, "You don't want to? It's okay if you don't."
Natsume quickly waved his hands. "No… I just… I never thought that someone would actually believe me. And one day would be willing to listen to me talk about these things without fear…"
Ren smiled warmly.
"Well then, now there is such a place. Although the space here is limited, it is enough to accommodate everyone who needs warmth, quiet, and a story to share. And it is also enough to hold every story… no matter how strange."
After speaking, Ren walked back into the kitchen to start preparing Clow Reed's Sweet and Sour Pork.
Clow Reed, however, looked at Natsume. The boy was slightly dazed, his pupils trembling involuntarily as tears threatened to spill. He looked like a traveler who had finally put down a heavy load.
Clow Reed took a sip of the Osmanthus wine.
"It seems I've found a good place…" he whispered to himself. "And perhaps, a successor to the concept of balance."
[Akarin's Note: Natsume Takashi is the protagonist of Natsume Yuujinchou, a boy who can see spirits. Clow Reed is the legendary magician from Cardcaptor Sakura, creator of the Clow Cards.]
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