Although the customer traffic in these corner areas was very low, it wasn't non-existent. If the product was outstanding, word-of-mouth from customers could still create a good market.
Hoshino Sora and his group were assigned a shop in such a corner because he had no connections when he first arrived at Oriental Academy, so he was arranged to this spot by the person in charge of assigning shops.
Of course, this was for Hoshino Sora. If it were girls like Yumeko Jabami or Hisako Arato, who had already become disciples at Oriental Academy, if they applied for a shop, they would definitely be assigned to the sides of the teaching building or the plaza area.
This was the so-called human relations.
But for now, they could only accept it. The shops had already been assigned, and even if they tried to find someone, it would be impossible to reassign. For now, they would use this shop as a base and let customers actively come to them!
"This temporary shop is really quite rudimentary."
Shiina Mahiru complained with a hint of disdain.
"It's fine, as long as there's a place to cook zongzi. Wait, is that…?"
Suddenly, Hoshino Sora saw a figure flash by in the shop on the far right—red messy hair, a star-shaped mark at the corner of the eye. It seemed their fellow countryman from Neon had also been assigned to this corner.
"Soma Yukihira."
Yumeko Jabami softly uttered the name of the young man in front of her. This person was actually Soma Yukihira. He had also participated in this zongzi competition, but it was normal; with his personality, he wouldn't miss this competition.
"Yo, it's you guys. Is your shop also nearby? Speaking of which, it's been a while, hasn't it? Especially Hoshino, I haven't seen you much lately, not even in class."
Holding a bowl and chopsticks used for zongzi, Takumi heard movement behind him and poked his head out, then discovered Hoshino Sora and the others whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
"Indeed, it's been a long time. Erina and I were away from Oriental Academy for some business and went for external training. Takumi, you grew out your hair?"
Hoshino Sora said, putting down what he was holding and walking over. Although they weren't particularly close, they were from the same place, so it was natural to go up and catch up.
"Recently, I wanted to go for a samurai style, so I let my hair grow a little."
Hearing Hoshino Sora mention his hair, Takumi reached out and smoothed his strands, then looked at Yumeko Jabami and Shiina Mahiru behind him, raising a hand in greeting.
"What kind of zongzi are you planning to sell? By the way, why is it just the two of you? Where are Hayama and Kurokiba?"
Looking at the empty shop, Hoshino Sora asked curiously. Soma Yukihira, Takumi, Hayama Akira, and Kurokiba Ryo had been inseparable since coming to Oriental Academy, and could definitely be considered good friends.
"They went to purchase ingredients. As for what kind of zongzi we're making, we'll send some over for you to taste once we open."
As he spoke, Soma Yukihira walked out from the shop behind him. Seeing familiar faces, the boy's expression didn't change much, only the unwavering fighting spirit burning deep in his eyes.
"Alright, then I'll look forward to it."
Facing the goodwill conveyed by Soma Yukihira, Hoshino Sora smiled and spoke, his eyes also revealing a fighting spirit.
After such a long time, how much has Soma Yukihira grown at Oriental Academy? Although a Dragon Boat Festival competition can't reveal everything, it can offer a glimpse.
"This is a rare opportunity. It's been a long time since we competed after leaving Totsuki. Why don't we take this Dragon Boat Festival competition as an opportunity to have a good match!"
"I couldn't ask for more! Then I'll go back to the shop to prepare."
Hoshino Sora patted Soma Yukihira's shoulder and said with a smile. Yumeko Jabami and Shiina Mahiru also nodded to the two of them, then followed him and left together.
"Takumi."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Soma Yukihira's voice, Takumi turned his head in confusion.
"I feel like I'm on fire! My body is uncontrollably heating up. After two months of intense training, do you think we can overcome this mountain standing before us!"
"Why ask if we can? It's inevitable that we'll win by working together, isn't it!"
Hearing Soma Yukihira's slightly unconfident words, Takumi corrected him, his words full of self-assurance. The growth he experienced studying at Oriental Academy during this time had made him uncharacteristically confident.
"You're right, but Hoshino's strength shouldn't be underestimated. We could easily fall behind if we're not careful. I wonder what filling their zongzi has; let's go taste it later."
Looking at Hoshino Sora's shop, Soma Yukihira muttered to himself, then turned back to his shop to prepare.
Time passed quickly. Soon, Eri Nai Erina and others arrived, decorating the outside of the shop with Dragon Boat Festival ornaments to make it more atmospheric and attractive to customers.
Finally, Tadokoro Megumi and the others brought some tables and chairs, setting them up at the shop entrance. Although zongzi can be eaten once peeled, having a place to sit would undoubtedly be more comfortable.
The accumulation of various details in one shop made Hoshino Sora's small shop distinctly different from other small shops, to the extent that when people from the shops behind them arrived, seeing the difference between the two, they thought the organizers were biased.
"What's going on? Why is his shop so luxurious? It feels like we've been dimensionally attacked."
Some shop owners gathered to discuss. The entire river was divided into five areas. Hoshino Sora had filled his area to the brim, even hanging lanterns in the air, which weren't obvious now but would be very beautiful at night.
"All show and no substance. The most important thing in cooking is taste, and we've been assigned to such a remote place. We won't have a single customer for half a day, so who are they decorating so luxuriously for?"
Some also spoke enviously, because Hoshino Sora's shop was in the middle, with large empty spaces on both sides, allowing for many decorations. The exquisite setup looked just like a small event venue.
"This is great. Let's start wrapping zongzi. Tourists will be entering in about an hour, and the first batch of people is expected to reach us in about an hour and a half. Let's prepare a batch first."
After more than an hour of busy work, the site was finally set up. These were essential for receiving guests, as being in a remote location, they could only rely on these things to attract people.
Hoshino Sora is a practical person; whatever he thinks of, he immediately puts into practice. This is the real reason why the site could be set up so quickly, as it had already been set up once at Gourmet Manor.
"They've made it so flashy; let's see how many zongzi they can sell in this place!"
"You know, no one comes to this place in previous years. Without even a customer base, how can they sell zongzi?"
"I remember now! This guy is the BLUE Champion who was exempt from the entrance exam a while ago. He decorated his shop so well, probably hoping to attract customers and sell a lot."
"This isn't Totsuki Academy! If you think you can sell things by simply decorating, then you're dead wrong! We at Oriental Academy look at the taste of the cuisine!"
Looking at Hoshino Sora and the others who had finished setting up and were now wrapping zongzi, the shop next door grew even more envious and jealous. The reason was simple: all the people in that shop were beautiful girls!
"Oh, by the way, Asaka-nee, have you prepared the lantern riddle stall I asked you to? The one where you get free zongzi for solving a riddle, and a souvenir prize for collecting 6 zongzi leaves."
Hoshino Sora was unaware of the discussions among the surrounding shopkeepers, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care, as to him, it was just a clown jumping around, not worth mentioning.
"It's already prepared. Rika and I will each man one side. We're using simple riddles, so guests who come to visit will be able to eat our zongzi."
"That's good. We must establish our reputation on the first day, as the event only lasts for two days in total. It would be best to add another activity, where customers who post on their social media can receive an additional souvenir."
Pinching his chin, Hoshino Sora's mind raced, and he immediately decided to add another activity.
"That makes sense. Then let's have the sisters at Gourmet Manor speed up their weaving, or add more people."
"Okay, I'll explain the situation to Windsor when she comes to deliver the goods later."
The so-called souvenirs were woven items like dragon boats, lanterns, and various mythical beasts made from zongzi leaves and straw ropes. Because they were purely handmade and exquisitely shaped, they looked very appealing.
This plan was conceived by Yukinoshita Haruno, and it was a marketing strategy to gain maximum exposure for their small shop in the shortest amount of time.
Zongzi is different from other foods; its aroma is contained within the glutinous rice and only diffuses when bitten into. And biting into a zongzi requires someone to do it.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"