Chapter 36: Nanami Minami
Lucifer was unceremoniously eating jerky there, while Cerberus turned her head to look at the girl humming an unknown song. She had a feeling this girl was very interesting.
"Hmm? Hello there ~"
"Ah? Oh oh! Hello, hello!"
Lucifer was also startled to see Cerberus suddenly start chatting. It really was a case of an outgoing person meeting a naive, single-minded one ~
Cerberus scratched her head and said, "Um… um… never mind ~"
The girl was momentarily stunned, then scratched her head in confusion. Suddenly, she froze, because she smelled a very fragrant scent. The girl was completely energized!
Faint sizzling sounds of pan-fried dumplings started from the kitchen, and the girl felt her stomach, which wasn't very hungry, suddenly growl! She couldn't resist!
Lucifer and Cerberus were surprised to discover something: they could actually withstand the impact of such a scent! This was truly a little miraculous!
"Here are your Pan-Fried Dumplings (Gyoza). This is the salad, a mixed vegetable salad. For the juice, just stir it yourself. Three types of sauces are prepared, just choose according to your preference."
The girl looked at the perfectly fried dumplings, their bottoms golden and crispy, and a bowl of brightly colored vegetable salad in front of her. Her appetite was instantly whetted.
Ren returned to his seat, and before he could pick up his book, he saw Lucifer looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Ren asked, confused, "What's wrong? Are you hungry?"
Lucifer shook her head and looked at Ren, saying, "I don't know why, but it seems my immunity to the aroma of your cooking is getting higher and higher~"
Ren smiled, then returned to the kitchen and brought out a box of pudding, placing it in front of Lucifer and Cerberus, motioning for them to try it. Both were surprised but did as instructed.
"Hmm… This is definitely not made by you!" Lucifer frowned immediately.
"Mm! Definitely not made by Master! It's not delicious at all!" Cerberus exclaimed.
Ren smiled and said, "Of course it's not made by me. It was given to me by an aunt who sells flowers on the next street. I thought it looked pretty good~"
Both shook their heads, indicating they couldn't accept it. On the other side, the girl eagerly picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a dumpling from the left. First, she examined it carefully; the bottom of the dumpling was perfectly browned. As she lifted the dumpling with her chopsticks, the soft wrapper fully demonstrated how generously the filling was packed and how elastic the wrapper was.
"Ah… Huhu Hot "
"Huhu Mm So delicious!"
With one bite, the browned bottom made a faint, crispy sound that only the girl could hear. The perfect combination of meat and vegetables filled the mouth, and as the meat and vegetables complemented each other, a unique crisp sound of vegetables emerged.
The aroma of the meat, the meat juice wrapped within the vegetables, the unique sweetness of the vegetables—even without dipping sauce, it was satisfying enough. The girl covered her mouth with one hand, held a dumpling with the other, looking at it as if it were a little white rabbit that might run away at any moment. The half-eaten dumpling in her mouth was chewed faster and faster.
However, the girl, who initially wanted to swallow quickly to continue eating, suddenly found that the dumpling became more fragrant the more she chewed it, and the aroma of the wrapper also burst forth.
After the dumpling was bitten open, a wisp of hot steam rose.
Ren watched quietly, sitting there, while Cerberus and Lucifer suddenly realized something shameful: they were hungry!
Lucifer looked at Ren, displeased, and said, "Ren! Are you doing this on purpose? Why, after eating the pudding, did the aroma, which I had some resistance to, become effective again!"
Ren waved his hand and said, "This problem is probably because you've been eating continuously, so you've developed a taste memory, and thus a sense of habit. But if you break the cycle, it will be fine. This principle is like if you eat the same dish every day, you can imagine its taste even without eating it, so naturally, you won't have much of a reaction."
Cerberus said, suddenly enlightened, "So, if you haven't eaten that dish for a long time and then suddenly eat it again, it will feel as delicious as the first time! Right, Master!"
Ren smiled and nodded, then chuckled, "Don't waste the pudding. That was personally made by that owner."
Lucifer and Cerberus looked at the pudding. It had seemed fine before, but now that their taste buds were reactivated, they really didn't want to eat it.
Cerberus, after all, upheld a dog's loyalty, but when she picked up the spoon and reached for the pudding, she suddenly regretted it. After a moment of hesitation, she immediately put down the spoon and said, "Master, Master, Master! This is too filling, I'll just wait for breakfast!"
Lucifer also nodded, seeing Cerberus's cleverness for the first time. She really was unexpectedly wise ~
Ren rolled his eyes and said, "You two's little schemes, do you think I don't know? Alright Just wait It'll be more than an hour ~"
With that, Ren took the pudding, eating it while reading a book. Cerberus and Lucifer were stunned.
Lucifer, blushing, shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Ren said casually, "What else could I be doing? Of course, I'm finishing the pudding you two didn't eat Can't let it go to waste This was made by the flower shop owner for her child It's a rare little gift "
Lucifer, blushing, said, "But… but… but we've already eaten from it!"
"Hmm? Is there a problem?"
"No!"
Lucifer stopped speaking after that. Cerberus didn't have so many thoughts in her head; there were no terms like 'indirect kiss'. Her mind was filled with just one sentence: "Master is actually eating my leftovers! Should I be happy or should I blame myself? So conflicted, so conflicted!"
Ren was eating pudding, while the girl was enjoying her pan-fried dumplings. Cerberus was still dazed, and Lucifer was watching Ren, lost in thought.
"Oh! Shop owner!"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"This spicy sauce is so delicious! And it's a little sweet too! What's in this mixed fruit juice ~ Why is the flavor so rich!"
Looking at the girl, Ren smiled and said, "Oh, that About twenty different kinds of fruits The taste should be pretty good I originally planned to add some strange things for you But you might not be able to accept it, so I didn't ~"
The girl was startled and asked, confused, "Strange things?"
Ren nodded and said seriously, "Like Cactus, Aloe Vera, some flower petals and such ~"
The girl's eyes lit up and she said, "Eh?! There's even this way to eat it? It sounds really good ~ Can I bother the owner to make me a cup next time?!"
"Of course ~"
Stuffing the last dumpling into her mouth, the girl leaned back in her chair contentedly, then said with a hint of languidness, "Shop owner, you're really amazing! You can make a single dumpling so delicious!"
Ren smiled and said softly, "Perhaps it's because you were hungry It's just ordinary pan-fried dumplings "
The girl shook her head and said, "Absolutely not! I dare say these are definitely the best pan-fried dumplings I've ever eaten! No exaggeration! So, Shop owner! I'll be back!"
Ren smiled and nodded, then softly said, "Welcome However, my Restaurant is a night Restaurant, meaning it operates at night "
The girl was startled, then nodded and said, "Mm! I understand! I'll bring my friends next time!"
"Eh? That would be a good thing then ~"
"Mm! Shop owner, how much is it in total?"
"Seven hundred in total ~"
"Eh?! Is it that cheap?!"
"It's alright ~"
"Owner, here's the money! I'll be back! Oh, right! My name is Nanami Minami! From Katagiri High School ~"
[Author's Note: You know how it is with schools in a comprehensive anime world. It definitely won't be the same as the original. It would be too boring to write Shuchiin Academy every time ~]
[Akarin's Note: Nanami Minami is a character from Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun. Katagiri High School is a school from the anime Horimiya, it seems there will be characters from Horimiya too. And Shuchiin Academy is the school from the anime Kaguya-sama: Love is War. Maybe the author is bored seeing crossover novels always using Shuchiin Academy for every heroine's school, Hahaha.]
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