"It's fine, Hisako. It's just some soy milk on my clothes—he didn't actually do anything to me."
Erina patted Hisako's shoulder and shook her head as her expression darkened. Since earlier, Hisako had been fussing over whether Erina had been hurt.
"Ako-nee, Riko-nee, take Erina home so she can shower and change clothes. I'll stay here and serve the rest of the customers. Let's just close early today."
Sora flipped the shop sign to "Temporarily Closed." Since his home was close by, he asked Ako and Riko to escort Erina back to clean up, while he remained to handle the remaining customers.
"Okay."
"Then we'll be heading back first."
After a few quick arrangements, they split into two groups. Sora turned to face the crowd still lingering and watching the scene.
"Sorry for the scare, everyone. Today's meal is on the house. I hope you'll all be understanding—and please don't spread what happened today."
"Don't worry, boss. Our lips are sealed."
"Yeah, those pervs with hidden cameras are the worst. The way you kicked that guy? So satisfying."
As soon as Sora spoke, the dozen or so customers chimed in supportively. Fortunately, this happened during the lull between breakfast and lunch, so there weren't many people around. The jerk's table was far enough from others that it didn't cause a scene.
All in all, the impact wasn't too bad. Now it was up to Erina to handle the rest.
As the heiress of Japan's most prestigious culinary school, Sora had no doubt she could take care of some local thugs. So, aside from closing for the day, this incident didn't affect him much.
He returned to the kitchen and packed up some braised pork trotter to bring home, but it wasn't enough. There was still plenty left in the pot, so he portioned it out and handed it out to the remaining customers—both as a peace offering and to avoid wasting food.
He cleaned the stove, wiped the tables, washed the dishes… By the time he was finished, it was already 2 p.m. His back and waist were aching. He locked up and headed home.
During the cleanup, a few new customers had come by, but he politely turned them away.
"I'm back."
Dragging his tired body home, it was already 2:10 p.m. The first thing he saw were two elegant pairs of unfamiliar shoes. Well, not unfamiliar—they belonged to people he'd seen several times, but he had never paid attention to them before.
Still here? Erina and Hisako…
Thinking that, Sora started to take off his shoes and step inside. Just then, Ako suddenly popped out and handed him a pair of indoor slippers like a caring housewife.
Ako/Riko: "Welcome back~"
Ako: "Would you like dinner first?"
Riko: "Or maybe a bath?"
Ako/Riko: "Or perhaps… us?"
Kneeling on either side of him, the two sisters spoke alternately with charming smiles. Sora could only sigh and rub his forehead helplessly.
"I'd like to go inside first."
He slipped into the slippers and walked past them without reacting to their disappointed looks. Honestly, he had no idea how to respond to stuff like that.
What am I supposed to say—"I want to eat you while bathing"? That would just be too much.
"You cooked something? Smells amazing."
Just a few steps in, he caught a whiff of a rich aroma coming from the kitchen—grilled eel.
"After her bath, Erina said she was hungry and wanted to cook lunch. Then she called someone and had a few eels delivered. She's been in the kitchen for about an hour now—it should be ready soon."
Ako answered as she counted on her fingers. When they'd gotten home, Erina had showered and changed. Then, looking a little prideful, she asked if they had any ingredients. But after seeing the budget goods in their fridge, she'd turned up her nose and ordered fresh Japanese eel for delivery.
"Is she making unagi don? The aroma is so strong—it must be almost done. I should wash my hands and eat."
"Hmph. For a commoner like you to eat food I personally cooked, you should feel honored, Sora-kun."
As Sora stepped into the kitchen, Erina walked out with a silver tray and a confident smile. Don't think that mimicking fancy techniques makes you great. In the end, a chef is judged by one thing—the flavor of their food.
"Sora-kun? I believe you're supposed to call me 'Master.' Didn't you do that so well last night? Why forget today?"
Feigning confusion, Sora corrected her seriously. She must've been too busy and forgotten. Otherwise, how could she forget to call him 'Master'?
"There are no customers now, and we're off duty!"
"Then why'd you say it last night? You just wanted to? Or was it that your not-so-smart brain couldn't catch up until now?"
"You're the one who's not smart!"
A brief verbal skirmish, and Erina was defeated. Her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish. Knowing she couldn't win, Hisako wisely stayed out of the fight.
This man was terrifying—his words were too sharp. Even with both of them teaming up yesterday, they couldn't win. Worse, he'd tricked them into becoming maids. Thankfully, only for a month.
She chalked it up to inexperience. This incident was a learning experience, and from now on, she viewed Sora with a touch of respectful fear. She'd never argue with him again.
We're chefs. We compete with cooking, not cheap comebacks!
With that self-consoling thought, Hisako glanced at Erina, who now looked like a defeated rooster, and sighed.
Erina-sama… why did you provoke him?
"Go wash your hands. Let's eat."
Seeing Erina sulking made Sora feel a lot better after the mess earlier. He washed his hands and came to the dining table, where five silver trays were neatly arranged.
No need to guess—Erina had clearly ordered these as well. That rich-girl aura really ran deep.
The aroma of grilled eel wafted out from under the lids. Unable to wait, Sora opened one and was greeted by a steaming bowl of unagi don.
The moment the lid lifted, the scent turned into golden waves of light, assaulting his nose. He couldn't help but step back, drooling before he even realized it.
"So fresh… and tender!"
He picked up a piece of eel, resisting the urge to wolf it down immediately. It was springy, full of umami, soaked in sweet-savory sauce, with a golden-brown char. The fatty parts were round and glistening. Just one bite would be incredibly satisfying!