Chapter 153: Sweetness Always Strikes the Soul
The culinary storm had passed, leaving behind a battlefield of clean plates and satisfied sighs.
When the last drop of the Winter Melon Soup was consumed, the fiery, aggressive dance of the Spicy Chicken and the rich, savory embrace of the Twice Cooked Pork transformed from immediate sensations into fond, lingering memories.
The aggressive spices that had previously set their tongues ablaze were gently washed away by the soup's refreshing clarity, leaving only a warm, comfortable hum in their chests—a burning warmth that felt less like fire and more like the glowing embers of a hearth.
Souta Hori, usually a ball of boundless energy, was currently defeated. He rubbed his small, round belly and slumped into his chair, sliding down until he looked remarkably like a salted fish left out to dry.
"Big Brother's cooking... is still as delicious as ever..." he mumbled, his eyes half-closed in a food coma.
Hori Kyoko nodded in agreement, a blissful smile gracing her lips. Beside her, Yuriko Hori propped her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling with delight.
"Hmm~ He really is a very capable boy," Yuriko mused, her voice teasing yet genuine. "To be able to cook so well at such a young age... It's quite a rare skill these days. Right, Husband?"
Kyosuke Hori, who had been leisurely picking his teeth (metaphorically speaking, he was actually just leaning back with a satisfied grin), glanced toward the kitchen where Ren had disappeared to prepare the dessert.
"Hmm, yes," Kyosuke agreed, nodding sagely. "He's a very good man. Just like me! Both of us are excellent husband material! Haha—Haha!"
The laughter rang out, confident and utterly lacking in self-awareness.
Hearing this, Hori Kyoko's mouth twitched violently. She stared at her father, her expression a mix of disbelief and secondhand embarrassment. Souta, despite his food coma, opened one eye to look at Kyosuke with a bewildered expression that seemed to ask, 'Is he serious?'
Could his father really be this narcissistic?
Yuriko opened her eyes slightly, her smile not faltering but taking on a sharper, more amused edge. "Husband, where does your confidence come from? It's truly a marvel of nature."
"Eh?! Am I not doing well?" Kyosuke blinked, genuinely surprised.
As he asked this, he looked around the table. He saw Kyoko, Souta, and even his beloved wife Yuriko shaking their heads in unison. It was a brutal, silent rejection.
Kyosuke's mouth twitched, his ego suffering a minor dent, but he wisely chose to remain silent. Arguing now would only dig the hole deeper.
Yuriko chuckled softly, the sound like a wind chime. "But Husband, one thing you said is true: Mr. Ren is indeed good husband and good father material. Don't you think so, Kyoko~?"
The sudden shift in target caught Kyoko off guard. She was busy replying to messages from Yuki and Toru on her phone, trying to distract herself from the fullness in her stomach.
She chewed on her straw, thinking for a moment before replying absentmindedly, "Hmm? Hmm~ Shopkeeper Ren is indeed a good man."
"Right~" Yuriko pressed, her tone sing-song.
"Hmm... Huh?!"
Kyoko finally processed the implication. Her face turned a brilliant shade of red, matching the chili oil from earlier.
"Mom! Why are you asking me that?!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her phone. "I haven't even been in a relationship, okay?! How would I know how to evaluate someone who skipped the dating phase?!"
Yuriko turned to look at Kyosuke. The couple shared a tacit, knowing smile, the kind that only parents who enjoy teasing their children possess. Watching their daughter flush crimson from a question that was clearly beyond her current scope of experience was evidently the highlight of their evening.
It seemed teasing their own child was always the most fun form of entertainment for the Hori parents.
Meanwhile, at a nearby table, Lucifer paused in her meal.
She had been quietly enjoying the dinner Ren had prepared for her and the Cerberus trio, but the conversation from the Hori family had drifted over to her ears.
A good husband?
Lucifer's crimson eyes drifted upwards, a thoughtful expression settling on her pale, aristocratic features. She tapped her fork against her lip.
"Well," she murmured softly to herself. "Besides liking to bully me and making me do chores... there really aren't any major problems. No... wait. He's also a playboy. A massive playboy."
But... a good father?
The thought struck her differently. Unconsciously, Lucifer's hand drifted down to touch her lower abdomen. Her expression softened, becoming lost in thought. The concept of 'fatherhood' in the context of a demon lord and a human chef was... complicated. But not unwelcome.
After a long silence, she seemed to recall something—perhaps a biological impossibility or a future plan—and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
Cerberus, who was currently gnawing on a spare rib with the ferocity of a starving wolf, paused. The three heads turned towards their mistress in confusion.
"Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!" they chorused, though it sounded more like a chaotic jumble of voices. "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly laughing?"
Lucifer blinked, snapping back to reality. She waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing, nothing. I just thought of something amusing."
"Oh~"
Satisfied with the non-answer, Cerberus immediately resumed eating with gusto, dismissing the odd behavior of the CEO of Hell as just another quirk.
Lucifer watched them, shaking her head with a smile. They really were carefree fellows. But as she watched them eat, her mind drifted elsewhere again. This time, she didn't laugh aloud. Instead, a gentle smile graced her lips, her eyes softening with a hint of anticipation for a future that was perhaps not so far away.
While Hori Kyoko and her family chatted about trivial topics they hadn't discussed earlier due to their focus on the food, the kitchen door swung open.
Ren reappeared.
He was pushing a food cart, but unlike the previous courses, this arrival was silent. There was no explosive aroma of chili or savory meat. In fact, from where they sat, the guests couldn't smell anything at all.
Ren moved with a quiet grace, placing a small porcelain bowl on each person's table.
Before Lucifer or the Hori family could ask what it was, a voice rang out from the corner.
"Wow! It's Almond Tofu!" Inui Hinako exclaim, leaning forward in her seat.
Ren smiled, wiping his hands on a towel. "I felt like having something sweet to cleanse the palate, so I made this. It's just a little almond dessert. Everyone, please try some. Consider it a small gift to end the meal."
As Ren said, the portion wasn't large. It was just a small bowl, but the presentation was exceptionally beautiful.
People often compare tofu to the legendary beauty Xi Shi, implying that tofu is the pinnacle of delicate, pale beauty. That statement is largely correct. However, many people operate under the misconception that the raw material for Almond Tofu is actually tofu (soybeans).
In fact, it is not.
True Almond Tofu has only two primary ingredients: apricot kernels (sweet almonds) and milk. There is no soy tofu involved. It is called 'tofu' solely because of its appearance. The sweet almonds are ground into a fine paste, the milk is extracted, and then it is boiled with agar or gelatin. Once it cools and solidifies, it takes on a texture and appearance similar to silken tofu.
Because the ingredients are so simple—just almonds and milk—the taste is incredibly pure.
Almonds are inherently nourishing, carrying a unique, woody sweetness. When combined with rich, sweet milk, the result can only be described as "sweet and refreshing." There are no better words.
The Almond Tofu sitting before them wobbled slightly as the bowls were set down.
Its texture appeared even smoother than actual tofu. It looked like white jade carved into a soft, edible form. Even a beauty as pure and delicate as traditional tofu seemed somewhat rough and unrefined compared to the Almond Tofu Ren had prepared.
Kyoko picked up her spoon and gently touched the surface.
She could feel the elasticity, a slight resistance that promised a satisfying mouthfeel. But that elasticity was nothing compared to its inherent softness. It looked so delicate that it felt as if a heavy breath could shatter it.
White as jade. Intensely fragrant.
When the spoon cut through the white block, it was silent.
Kyoko lifted the spoon to her lips.
The moment it entered her mouth, it didn't just be eaten; it melted.
Sweet, smooth, and incredibly refreshing.
Indeed, a passionate, fiery dinner like the one they had just experienced needed such a delicate touch to conclude it. It was the perfect counterpoint.
If the Spicy Chicken was a blazing fire, this Almond Tofu was a gentle, cooling rain. Like a soft, smooth, cool hand, it swept away all the excess heat and grease remaining in the mouth and stomach, leaving behind only comfort and tranquility.
A drizzle of osmanthus syrup had been glazed over the top. The golden syrup against the stark white tofu was simple yet breathtakingly beautiful.
"Hmm~"
Kyoko closed her eyes, letting the block slide down her throat. "This... this is so delicious!"
"Onee-chan! This is so tasty!" Souta chimed in, his previous lethargy replaced by a sugar-induced second wind.
One bite, and you wouldn't even know if you were eating pudding or something entirely divine. This specific taste and texture were unique to Almond Tofu. It was a simple sweetness, yet it brought an uncommon sense of comfort and pleasure that complex desserts often failed to achieve.
Listening to the voices of satisfaction around him, Ren said nothing. He simply leaned against the counter, checking his phone, while using a spoon to enjoy his own little bowl of sweetness.
Satisfaction was never a difficult thing to achieve.
When you don't know what to eat to quell the fire in your heart stirred by a spicy main course, try Almond Tofu. It's a small sweetness you won't regret. It leaves a lingering fragrance of apricot kernels on your lips and teeth, a scent that seems to reach deep into your heart and soul, calming the nerves.
All of this comfort was contained in that tiny bit of white softness; all you needed to do was move your spoon.
"Shopkeeper Ren~"
Ren put down his phone, stood up, and looked at Hori Kyoko and the others. He smiled, his professional demeanor returning. "Are you finished eating?"
Yuriko smiled, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "It was very delicious. Thank you. How much is it in total?"
"Two thousand seven hundred yen," Ren stated calmly.
"Eh?! That cheap?!"
Hearing Hori Kyosuke's shocked voice, Yuriko also blinked, suspecting she had misheard. For a meal of this quality—Spicy Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, Winter Melon Soup, and Almond Tofu for four people—that price was absurdly low.
Hori Kyoko smiled, used to this by now. "Mom... That's right. Shopkeeper Ren's shop's food is very cheap. He's not in it for the money."
"Oh~ But it's a bit too cheap," Kyosuke muttered, feeling almost guilty.
"I think it's just right," Ren replied with a shrug.
After Ren collected the money, Hori Kyosuke walked over to the counter. He looked up at Ren—who was significantly taller than him—and squinted his eyes in a mixture of appraisal and approval.
"Mr. Ren, right?" Kyosuke grinned, leaning in conspiratorially. "You're really good, aren't you?"
"Eh?" Ren blinked, unsure of the context.
Yuriko also gave a mischievous smile from behind her husband. "Hmm~ He is indeed a good boy. Well then, thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Ren. We'll be heading back now."
"Alright, have a safe trip," Ren bowed slightly.
Watching Hori Kyoko and her family leave the shop, their laughter fading into the night air, Ren stood there for a moment. He had no idea what Hori Kyosuke's last remark meant. Really good? Good at what? Cooking? Or something else?
Inui Hinako, watching from her corner, felt equally confused, but she, like the others, felt the comment carried a hidden weight.
However, Ren didn't dwell on it. He sat back down and looked at the exquisite and beautiful Almond Tofu remaining in his bowl. Like white jade, it rested quietly, undisturbed.
He chuckled softly.
No matter how passionate the mood, no matter how chaotic the day, a piece of Almond Tofu was always the perfect comfort.
As the night deepened and the city outside grew quiet, there was always a small sweetness waiting here. A tranquility you couldn't resist, striking your soul and stirring beautiful fantasies of tomorrow.
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