Chapter 15: Food Stall
Several ideas began to cross Souta's mind—small business, investment, or perhaps something more creative. However, every idea that came up was always accompanied by various challenges and limitations. After a few minutes of thinking, Souta finally let out a long sigh and shook his head slowly.
"Haah... For now, it's better to focus on saving," Souta murmured, before finally taking a few bills and putting the rest away.
After closing the cupboard, Souta headed towards the front door, took the keys, and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, the hot wind typical of Sunagakure greeted Souta. He then stepped outside and, before leaving, made sure to lock the door again.
As he turned around, the typical view of the village welcomed Souta. The sand buildings stood tall under the brightening sky. A few people could be seen walking in the distance, going about their respective activities.
However, before Souta could move down, the sound of a door opening next to him caught his attention.
Souta turned and saw someone coming out of the adjacent apartment. A girl with orange hair, a calm face, and a relaxed demeanor.
Pakura.
Today, Pakura was wearing simple clothes—a slightly loose green t-shirt, black shorts that allowed her to move easily, and a dark green skirt that fell just above her knees. Pakura's outfit looked comfortable while still maintaining a simple impression.
Souta fell silent.
To be honest, Souta wasn't good at talking to kids. Worse yet, his social skills were quite pathetic.
After a few seconds of confusion, Souta finally opened his mouth.
"Yo?" Souta greeted awkwardly.
Pakura looked at Souta with a flat expression before responding briefly, "...Yeah."
Silence.
Souta scratched his head, trying to find a way to continue the conversation.
"Uh... Uhm... Are you also looking for food for breakfast?" Souta finally asked.
"That's right," Pakura replied, then casually locked the door to her apartment.
Souta thought for a moment, then said, "If that's the case... let's eat together."
Pakura didn't seem hesitant. "Sure," Pakura replied simply before starting to walk down from their apartment floor.
Souta let out a sigh of relief and followed behind Pakura.
They walked side by side, along the increasingly busy streets of Sunagakure. The hot air was becoming more palpable, even though the morning had not fully turned to noon. Some residents could be seen selling goods, opening simple stalls along the roadside that offered various necessities.
After a few minutes of walking, they finally found a simple soup stall.
The stall's building, like most buildings in Sunagakure, was made of compacted sand. The structure looked simple but sturdy enough.
As they pushed the clay sliding door and entered, the stall appeared empty. There was only the aroma of boiling broth and the soft sound of water flowing from a large pot behind the main counter.
Inside, there was a long table directly connected to where the stall owner cooked and prepared food. Wooden chairs lined the table, creating a simple yet comfortable atmosphere.
Without much conversation, they quickly sat down in the available chairs.
Their first meal of the day was about to begin.
...
...
...
"Hello kids, so what would you like to order?" asked a woman who seemed accustomed to her routine.
The woman was somewhat plump, with fair skin and long black hair tied neatly into a ponytail. Her black eyes appeared friendly, although there was a hint of fatigue visible at the corners, like a woman who had spent years serving people in this stall. Her voice was soft and warm, still radiating confidence.
Souta looked at the woman with overflowing curiosity. "Ah, what do you have, if I may ask, auntie?"
...
Chapter 16: Lizard Soup and Grilled Meat
The woman smiled, as if she was ready for that question, and began to explain the menu with great enthusiasm, as if the food being offered was a priceless work of art.
"We have lizard soup, desert crab soup, and desert rabbit soup. There are also other dishes, such as grilled bird meat, roasted snake meat, and fried lizard meat. All the dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients that we get directly from the desert, from all kinds of creatures that live here." The woman's smile grew wider as she spoke about her special menu.
Pakura, who heard the menu, immediately nodded eagerly and chose the lizard soup—a cheaper option. But Souta, who was hearing about such dishes for the first time, looked confused. Souta's eyes widened slightly as he tried to digest all the information he had just received.
In Souta's previous life, grilled rabbit or grilled bird was food he might encounter, but lizard soup? Roasted snake meat? Fried lizard meat? All of that felt very foreign to Souta. He even felt a bit squeamish imagining the taste.
For a moment, Souta felt confused and didn't know what to order. That feeling of strangeness pushed Souta to think more, until he finally looked at Pakura, who was calmly waiting for her lizard soup to arrive.
Suddenly, a realization dawned on Souta—living in this world indeed required courage and a strong mentality. This world was full of unpredictable things, and Souta had to adapt, even to unusual food.
Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, Souta finally glanced at the menu again. After a few seconds of consideration, Souta decided to order the grilled bird meat.
Although it was a bit more expensive than the lizard soup, at least it was more acceptable to Souta's stomach, which was still accustomed to the food from his old world. Moreover, the portion of grilled bird meat was much larger, so it would be enough for lunch and a bit more economical for dinner the next day.
"Auntie! I choose the grilled bird meat!" Souta exclaimed, his voice now sounding more assured and confident.
"Of course!" replied the owner of the stall with a wide smile, nodding promptly. The woman quickly noted their order with swift hand movements, clearly accustomed to the various orders that came in every day.
After a few minutes of waiting, their food was finally ready. Pakura's lizard soup arrived first. The simple clay bowl contained soup that was still steaming warmly, giving an inviting warmth that immediately whetted the appetite.
The broth was brownish, with green flecks from the wild leaves added to it, as if the desert itself was served in a single bowl.
On the surface of the soup, pale gray lizard meat pieces floated, looking tender yet slightly fibrous, as if showcasing a texture of meat rarely found in the previous world. Each piece of meat seemed to be submerged in a layer of natural oil that reflected the light.
Some rare desert spices, such as finely chopped desert roots and bitter leaves, were seen floating in the soup. The sharp and slightly bitter aroma of these spices burst forth strongly, as if reminding one of the harshness of life in the unforgiving desert.
The oil from the lizard meat created a thin, shiny layer on the surface of the broth, enriching its appearance and adding allure even though the ingredients seemed simple.
Meanwhile, Souta's grilled bird meat arrived with thin wisps of smoke still rising from its surface. The eagle meat, brown in color with a slightly charred surface from the grill, gave an impression of being crispy and crunchy on the outside.
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