This was the usual route after buying ingredients. Though it wasn't far, it was still the most relaxing time for Hachiman.
Looking at the sunlight shining warmly into his heart, Hachiman was a little entranced and unknowingly stopped walking.
"Dun dun… dun dun dun…"
The vibration from his pocket finally pulled him back. He gently took out his flip phone—sure enough, it was his old man, Joichiro.
"Hachiman, are you home already?"
"Not yet, I just went to buy some food. What's up?"
"I have to go out for something today, so I'll need you to help out at the restaurant. With Komachi there, I'm sure there won't be any problems."
"Easier said than done, Komachi's in class right now..."
"Oh, right, that's true. Well then, I'll leave the restaurant to you."
"Hey, are you even listening to me? Still, this is rare."
"If it really doesn't work out, just close the place for now. The earliest I can get back is tomorrow."
"Got it."
Hachiman was about to hang up on his unreliable dad, but just then, Joichiro's voice came through again.
"Hey, have you ever thought about what your dream is for the future?"
Without much thought—or maybe because he had long since had a fixed answer in his heart—Hachiman replied:
"A dream? Isn't it obvious? Of course I want to be a stay-at-home husband, then meet a rich woman willing to support me. I'll get to eat food made by Dad and Komachi, and in the end, become a food critic."
"Sounds great, right?"
It was only when he said this that Hachiman's tone carried a bit of pride.
"Beep… beep… beep…"
By the time he realized it, the call had already been cut off. Looked like Joichiro had completely given up on his son. Maybe his biggest wish was just for him to live peacefully.
'That's fine too…'
At the same time, Joichiro, who had hung up on Hachiman, showed a helpless smile. But unlike usual, the childish and carefree look was gone, replaced by firm resolve.
"Hachiman, you still haven't realized your own talent… Looks like it's time for me to leave. Both Komachi and Hachiman still have a long road ahead."
Only after leaving home completely can a young bird grow into an eagle. As a father, Joichiro knew this well.
Meanwhile, Komachi was also planning her future. She wanted to finish her studies soon, then travel the world to keep training her cooking skills.
...
When Hachiman returned to the Hikigaya Restaurant as usual and opened the storage room, what he saw was unbelievable.
The vegetables, the meat, even the rice—everything was gone.
'A thief? All signs point to that, but it was only ingredients. They weren't worth much. Why go to all that trouble?'
'There's no other restaurant like this on this street. And with that much food, there's no way a single family could eat it all. Why make such a big deal out of this?'
'For so many years, this place has never done anything shady. The food has always been good, and everyone here has been nothing but friendly. People even love this restaurant.'
'So... that means there's only one answer.'
Carrying the seafood he just bought from the market, he walked toward the main hall, ready to face the enemy of this restaurant.
Outside the entrance, a blonde woman had been waiting for a while. Arms crossed, black sunglasses still on her face, her whole posture radiated arrogance.
"I wonder if you guys are even serving customers right now. Because as a customer, I suddenly feel like eating something hot and fresh."
Miura's tone sounded like she was trying to provoke Hachiman on purpose. Clearly, she came because of what happened yesterday. Since Joichiro agreed to her bet, things ended up like this.
There was no need to think too hard. She had probably already taken control of every camera nearby. Even if she was the one who stole the ingredients, there was nothing they could do about it.
Hachiman turned to face her. "You went this far just to kick us out? Don't you think that's too much?"
Miura wasn't the type to hide things. Seeing that Hachiman couldn't do anything to her, she dropped the act:
"That's right. I told them to do it. This is for Yui. Don't blame me for not caring about old classmates. As a chef, you should be able to meet a customer's request anytime, anywhere, right?"
Hachiman let out a helpless sigh. If it had come to this, it looked like she wouldn't stop unless he used some special moves. "What do you want?"
Miura took off her sunglasses, a smug look on her face. "Make me a dish that satisfies me. If not, then do what you said yesterday—close this place for good."
She had picked the perfect time when Komachi and Joichiro weren't around, and after making sure the classmate in front of her couldn't cook, Miura finally revealed her real plan.
No doubt, she came fully prepared. And as a customer, all she had to do was take a bite and say, "It's bad." Then this business battle would be her victory. At this point, there was almost no chance of losing.
Hachiman said, "So, all I have to do is make something that satisfies you, right?"
A bit surprised by Hachiman's calmness, Miura's attitude seemed to drop a little. She nodded again just to be sure.
"What are you going to cook with?"
Hachiman pulled out the seafood he just brought back from the market, saying nothing extra.
"This is enough."
"With this pile of junk? Honestly, that dead fish looks as awful as your dead-fish eyes. Let me make this clear—I've eaten at Michelin five-star restaurants. If this tastes bad, you'd better be ready to shut this place down."
Whoa, that's already a personal attack...
"Please wait here for a bit. I need to head to the kitchen and get ready."
With that, Hachiman turned and walked back to his battlefield without looking back.
Miura's eyes stayed on him until he disappeared from view. Then she finally asked her assistants behind her:
"You made sure all his ingredients are gone, right?!"
"Absolutely. We didn't even leave the sauces."
"Hmph. Hikki-kun, for bullying Yui, you're finished. Let's see what you can cook to satisfy my taste!"