Chapter 13: From This Moment On, Let the People of Japan Be Shaken!
"One thousand yen?!"
The chapter opens right where the last one left off. Yurine was staring at Ryohei, her mind reeling.
"For a single rice ball? Are you serious?"
Jashin-chan, munching on a leftover scrap of beef, chimed in with her mouth full. "What's the big deal? In the Demon World, a single soul-infused pastry can go for a million yen!"
"She's not wrong about the principle," Ryohei said with a grin, ignoring the absurd comparison. "Yurine, have you ever heard of a loss leader?"
"A what?"
"It's a business strategy," he explained, his eyes twinkling. "We sell the classic, familiar onigiri—the salmon, the pickled plum—at a normal, cheap price. Let's say 150 yen. People will come because it's familiar and affordable. But then... they'll smell these," he gestured to the special onigiri he was finishing up. "They'll see them glowing. Curiosity will get the better of them. The 1,000 yen price tag makes it seem exclusive, mysterious, like a luxury item. It's not just a rice ball; it's an experience. That's what they're paying for."
Yurine was still skeptical but also intrigued by his confidence. "...That's a ridiculously risky plan."
"High risk, high reward," Ryohei said smoothly. "Trust me."
Yurine just gave him a long, searching look.
With their conversation finished, the prep work was done. Jashin-chan packed the finished onigiri into large, insulated food containers they had bought earlier. The containers had special dividers to make sure the onigiri wouldn't get squished or deformed.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Yurine offered.
"Hmm, could you take the large rice cookers downstairs? Just take two, I'll get the rest." Ryohei tasked her, adding a reminder as he closed the fridge. "I've already packed some of the finished onigiri in them to keep them warm, so be careful."
"Okay," Yurine nodded and went out to the living room.
Ryohei had Jashin-chan take down the insulated containers and the cash box, while he himself carried the remaining supplies and followed them out the door.
It was time to open for business.
After a full day of work, it was finally time to reap the rewards. Ryohei was buzzing with excitement.
From this moment on, let the people of Japan be shaken! Let them witness the charm of Glowing Cuisine! he thought. And while I'm at it, I'll fleece them a little to fill up my own wallet. It was embarrassing to be completely broke. He felt bad that he'd been relying on Yurine's money for food and lodging these past two days.
"Excuse me? What are you selling?"
Suzuki Akane, age 29, was a corporate slave. She worked in business negotiations for a sales company, and today had been another bad day. A project she had spent nearly half a month on had just fallen through. After sulking in the park and replaying every moment, she finally learned that a competitor's offer had been so good that her own proposal didn't stand a chance.
Her head throbbed. She had no idea how she was going to report this to her boss.
Yes, report. Even though it was nearly 6 PM and getting dark, for a corporate slave like her, working late into the night was the norm. Getting home before 10 PM was considered an act of mercy from the boss.
Well, what has to be faced, has to be faced, she thought with a deep sigh. Akane stood up from the park bench, patted down her skirt, picked up her business bag, and started walking in her high heels.
As she reached the sidewalk, a strange trio appeared from her left. A girl with the lower body of a green snake was unenthusiastically pulling an old-fashioned wooden food cart. She was topless, with two locks of golden hair covering the important parts, and she moved by wriggling her tail. Next to her was a handsome young chef in a clean white uniform and hat, and a petite girl in a gothic lolita dress and an eyepatch.
Are they cosplaying some characters? Akane wondered, pausing for a moment. She didn't know anything about the 2D world, so she didn't recognize them. She paid them no mind and was about to cross the street to head back to the office for her scolding.
But just then, an incredibly tempting aroma drifted over to her. Suddenly, she felt hungry. It was dinnertime, after all. She hadn't been in the mood to eat, but her eyes were involuntarily drawn to the source of the smell, which led to her question.
"Excuse me? What are you selling?"
"..."
"Onigiri," Ryohei said, sizing up his first potential customer. A fat sheep, he thought. Seeing her walk right up to be fleeced, he smiled. "But not just any onigiri. Would you like to try one, miss?"
"How much are they?" Hearing his confident tone, Akane's interest grew. She slung her business bag over her shoulder and took out her wallet.
"The classic fillings are 150 yen. But for our grand opening today, I can give you a special discount on the house specialty. Just 1,000 yen for one." Ryohei held up a single finger, his expression perfectly innocent.
"What!?"
Akane was floored by the price, her head snapping up in disbelief. A whole bag of frozen shumai from the supermarket was only 300 yen, and he had the nerve to charge 1,000 yen for a single one?
Are you trying to rip me off?!
Her day had already been terrible, and now she had to deal with this. Akane's chest heaved with frustration. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when Ryohei turned and opened the lid of one of the large, insulated containers on the cart.
An aroma far richer and more captivating than before washed over her. It was like having a bucket of cool water poured over her head, extinguishing some of her anger.
But what truly shocked her, what made her jaw drop, was the sight of the onigiri inside. Nestled in the container, shrouded in a faint mist of steam, were rice balls that seemed to glow with a soft, gentle light, looking more like works of art than food.
"Gulp!"
The angry words she was about to say got stuck in her throat. Akane's eyes went wide, her hand flying to cover her bright red lips. This ace salesperson, famous for her silver tongue, could only stammer out four words.
"I-It's… it's glowing!!"
It was a sight that would shock Suzuki Akane for the rest of the year.