Inazuma City.
It was early evening, and the crimson dusk spread through the sky like the yolk of a just–pierced hot spring egg, pouring out with the falling night.
After a busy day, the people of Inazuma stepped out of their homes, strolling through the streets to enjoy their rare hours of leisure.
Hanamizaka.
Scarlet sakura petals drifted down with a soft susu rustling.
A breeze lifted the fallen blossoms, sending them into a gorgeous swirling dance.
People in kimonos passed by each other, exchanging greetings,
some calling out to friends with boisterous enthusiasm, filling the area with life,
others wandering alone, savoring the freedom of solitude.
One food stall after another lit up as the crowds grew, each vendor preparing to start their nightly business.
Inazumans, for the most part, didn't like cooking at home.
Partly, it was to support the Tenryou Commission's policy encouraging everyone to spend more outside.
Partly, it was because Inazuma's street food was delicious, cheap, and worth every mora.
…
Creaaak!!
Leo pushed his self-modified cart at an unhurried pace.
Following the bustling flow of people, he arrived at the familiar little bridge to set up his stall.
At the bridge, a good number of customers were already waiting.
Judging from the little piles of cherry blossoms at their feet, they hadn't been waiting for just a moment.
"Oh! Leo! There you are,we've been waiting forever!!" someone shouted, excited.
"Boss Leo, finally! I hope I can snag today's Limited Fox Ramen! "
"Heh, I got here early to line up. Maybe you should scoot back a bit!"
"I… I was here since last night. Yawn... so sleepy…"
Who didn't know about Fox Ramen in the whole of Inazuma City?
It was the rising star among local delicacies.
"You're impressive," muttered someone who'd come just to try it. "This is insanely popular."
…
"Thanks for waiting, everyone. I'll boil the water and start cooking,just give me a moment."
The boy named Leo smiled warmly and greeted the customers,
never ignoring anyone, never too clingy or overeager.
Young as he was, his way of dealing with people was remarkably composed.
Some curious spectators craned their necks, wanting a look at the ramen prodigy who'd taken Inazuma by storm.
…
They saw a boy of tall height, a bit buff.
A white towel was tied around his head, painted with a chubby pink fox cutely sprawled on a tatami mat.
His features were youthful and handsome, and his lively blue eyes made him instantly likable.
…
"Leo, you're a bit late today~ Did something happen? Do you need big sis to… help you with anything?"
A big sister in an orange kimono leaned close, smiling with narrowed eyes, her curvy, seductive figure brushing against him.
She had wide hips, and the fabric of her dress pulled tight across her chest.
Leo had to summon every bit of willpower he had not to just pull her into his arms and carry her home.
Covering her mouth with one hand, she whispered near Leo's ear.
Her lips parted slightly, releasing a faint, fresh fragrance of powder.
He caught a breath of her soft, womanly perfume, and his eyes nearly rolled back as heat flushed through his body
Mixed with her warm breath blowing right against his ear,
it made goosebumps shoot all across his body.
"N–No need, Sister Yako…"
His handsome face turned bright red, like a big apple.
He backed off a little on his feet.
…afraid he'd lose it completely and just take her home without thinking.
"Heehee, so cute! I almost want to just eat you up~~"
Yako licked her lips, swallowing softly.
Her pink little tongue traced across her lips, faint strings of saliva sparkling as they stretched between them
before she slowly pressed them back onto her red mouth, making her lips look even richer and more temptingly wicked.
"Ugh… milfs are really terrifying…"
He swallowed hard. Honestly, if he weren't in such a desperate financial situation, he would've already made a move.
Teyvat didn't even have condoms,one mistake could change everything.
He shook his head and forced himself to focus on cooking.
…
Preparation didn't take long,he'd already prepped all the ingredients that morning.
Boil the water;
set out the small pink fox bowls one by one.
Each bowl had been custom-made by a craftsman at Leo's request,he'd poured quite a bit of effort into making the final presentation perfect.
…
Kneading the dough was hard work.
The boy focused as he pressed, rolled, and pulled the well-rested dough, gripping it with strength,
then rounding and stretching it long.
Once it reached the right thickness, he sliced it swiftly with his specialty noodle knife into fine strands.
Into the boiling water they went, then into ice water to rest.
Next came onions, soft-boiled eggs, chashu, marinated bamboo shoots, and a custom oversized tofu pouch.
Finally, he poured over his signature "Three-Beast Bone Broth."
And just like that, a steaming, fragrant bowl of Special Fox Ramen was complete.
The moment that unique aroma hit the air, people lost all restraint and surged forward, clutching their mora.
"Boss! One bowl of Fox Ramen!"
"I was here first,give me mine!"
"I can't take it, it smells too good,give me two! "
"Hey now,don't shove! Line up properly. There's enough for everyone, I made plenty today!"
Seeing the crowd on the verge of chaos, Leo hurried to calm them down.
"Come on, don't push, don't push…"
"You hear that? Leo said there's enough for everyone! And you,Onodera! I saw you trying to sneak ahead!"
---
Want Advanced Chapters?
Join the Discord server for early access and updates.
If the link doesn't open, copy and paste this into your browser:
https://)discord.gg/q2Qr79bEn
Then remove the ")" after https:// and press enter.
You can also find the direct link in my profile.