“Anyway, Taro-san… I was surprised when you suddenly said you would replace our tableware. Please talk to me beforehand!”
Contrary to what she was saying, Yoshino-san’s voice was clearly happy.
“I’m sorry. In the first place, I didn’t have any plans to go to the wholesale store, and the idea just came to my mind there… and also, my intuition told me that now was the right time to say it.”
At dinner that day, our conversation was lively with the topic of “Kanzaki”. Kura is eating at his own pace, though I’m not sure if he is listening or not.
“But I’m glad that the negotiation went well. If more people come to Sazankatei, more people will shop at the shopping mall. So, it’s an upfront investment.”
“Yes. Our inn may be an ordinary one, but if we can serve our meal on Arita ware, that would be our great “selling point”. My mind had been occupied with the shopping mall itself, so the idea of reforming Sazankatei was eye-opening for me.”
That’s the same for me. I feel a little guilty that I used Sazankatei to find out about the suppliers of Kanzaki, but… after all, I feel relieved because it looks like that’s going to bring good results to Sazankatei and also to the shopping mall.
“Still, I wonder what Kanzaki-san meant when she said, ‘I helped him’. She called my grandfather ‘Yo-tchan’ so intimately.”
“Gulp!”
Kura suddenly choked on something and let out a strange cough. Yoshino-san runs up to him and soothes his back.
“Well, since your granddad was a man anyway… Or I should say…there must have been a lot going on between the two of them to do business, even something he couldn’t tell his granddaughter. Or, maybe Kanzaki-san was just teasing you. You should not care about that too much.”
I had no interest in what kind of relationship Yoshizo-san had with Kanzaki, but I calmed down Yoshino-san with harmless words. Hearing that, Kura nodded for some reason, while he was being soothed.
“Well… anyway, she seems to be good at her job, so I’ll try not to worry about that too much. I’m an adult, after all.”
……Yoshino-san, if you are trying to behave like an adult about that, it looks like you are still worried after all.
“Ah, speaking of which, Taro-san, I thought of a good idea. Now that we’ve decided to replace our tableware, how about renewing our menu at Sazankatei, too? Do you remember seeing the “Food Museum” when we were walking down the shopping street? Its owner, Yoshida-san, also runs a sushi restaurant called “NINO-tei” next to it, and he once asked me if he could offer his sushi at Sazankatei several times a month.”
“Oh, sushi… That’s nice! If not an assortment, we could have a few pieces of nigirizushi on the side of the dish…… We could also offer a special chirashizushi for guests staying for a celebration. ……I think we can be creative in many ways.”
“Do you think so!? Well then, I have to go talk to him right away. Ah, let’s go see the inside of the ‘Food Museum’ as well.”
Yoshino-san was full of motivation. Even though she seemed worried about Yoshizo-san, something in her might have changed when she saw Kanzaki, a woman who was good at her job. Maybe, speaking directly with Asano, the charismatic clerk, was also a good stimulus for her…
“Taro, Taro…”
As I was lost in thought, Kura came to my side before I knew it. A cat with a topknot, washing its face while talking in human language. Familiarity is a mysterious thing, and that gesture is starting to look cuter and cuter to me.
“Oh, Kura, are you okay?”
Since I was in front of Yoshino-san, that was all I could say to him.
“You guys seem to have visited ‘Kanzaki’ today. Rumor has it that the owner there can buy anything. If you have a connection with her, I’m sure it will be useful in the future.”
I was surprised when Kura mentioned “Kanzaki” unexpectedly. And I whispered to him:
“Well, she is mysterious, but she is good at her job… It seems she can also purchase things from another world. I’ve heard that the late owner of this inn also had some relationship with her, so I don’t think she’s a dangerous person.”
“Purchasing from another world…can she do that much? Well, according to the rumors, she also works behind the scenes as an informer.”
“Informer…”
“She can buy not only tangible things, but also intangible things… She can really purchase “anything”…”
While I was thinking, Kura said further:
“Also, I think the late owner only had a business relationship with Kanzaki…”
Well, I don’t care about that…
“Taro-san, it’s fine to pet Kura, but it’s time to clear the table…”
Yoshino-san said with a hesitant tone.
“Ah, I’m sorry, I was worried if Kura was okay… so I’ll eat in a hurry.”
I said so and ate the leftover pickles and rice together hurriedly.
On the morning of the day we went to the Food Museum, Sazankatei had more guests than usual, and Yoshino-san was in utter confusion. While I was waiting for breakfast, Yoshino-san brought the meal, but she was rushing and unsteady.
“Yoshino-san, please be careful. Shall I help you with something?”
Though I didn’t know anything about the work of an inn, I called out to her.
“No, Taro-san, this is going to end soon. However, there are more people who want to eat breakfast than I expected, so your breakfast today is this.”
Yoshino-san placed the meal in front of me, with an apologetic look. I see something familiar there. It was cup noodles.
“I’m sorry. It’s originally meant for us to eat quickly when we’re busy with work and don’t have time to eat, but..eat this just for today, I’m sorry.”
“No, Yoshino-san, it’s nice to eat something like this once in a while. It’s kind of nostalgic… Don’t worry about me and go back to work.”
Hearing that, she bowed lightly and hurriedly left the room.
“They have cup noodles here too…”
Yoshino-san apologized to me, but I was happy with eating junk food for the first time in a while. The place I’m going to visit today just happens to be the “Food Museum”. I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of cup noodles they have. In modern times, as I recall, there are many types of pre-packaged foods, and there’s been a lot of development of easier-to-prepare, better-tasting foods. They are one of the saviors for men living alone.
I remembered eating cup noodles alone in my room in modern times. I can eat delicious and elaborate dishes here every day, but I’ve never felt “lonesome” when I recall the time I used to eat cup noodles. I take it as proof that I worked hard every day… Ah, memory distortion is a powerful thing.
“Beep, beep…”
The timer goes off, signaling three minutes.
I picked up the lacquered chopsticks on the table.
“Cup noodles are easier to eat with splittable chopsticks…haha.”
I was unconsciously muttering to myself.
(To be continued)
written by SASAKI HANAKO
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