Ren looked at the girl standing at the entrance. She had chestnut hair, soft amber eyes, and an aura of gentle refinent that contrasted sharply with the chaotic energy Jinx had left behind.
He nodded, wiping his hands on his apron. "Yes, do you want sothing to eat? Or are you just looking around?"
The girl let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank goodness… I was worried I walked into soone's house. Are you the Shopkeeper? What do you have to eat here? I don't see a nu."
"I don't use one. If I have the ingredients, I can make anything. What would you like to eat?"
The girl thought for a mont, tapping her chin. "I want sothing light but filling. I'll have a plate of Vegetarian Dumplings and Orange Juice. That's all."
Ren nodded. "Coming right up."
He walked into the kitchen. The girl looked around the shop. Her gaze landed on Lucifer and Cerberus sitting at a table nearby. Despite their casual clothes, they radiated a strange, powerful aura—like royalty in disguise. She felt a sense of awe, as if she had stumbled upon high-ranking individuals from a guild she didn't know.
Cerberus, currently draped over the table like a throw rug, whined. "Lucifer… I'm hungry… My stomach is empty…"
Lucifer didn't look up from her phone. "There are so leftover chocolate crepes~."
Upon hearing this, Cerberus imdiately sat bolt upright, her eyes wide with terror. She shook her head frantically, her dog ears flapping. "No chocolate! No chocolate! Master… Ren, Ren, Ren! Is there anything to eat besides chocolate?! I don't want to die again!"
Ren's voice floated from the kitchen. "Wait a mont, don't worry. I won't give you chocolate. I'm making ran for you two."
Cerberus sighed in relief, then slumped back down. She snorted at Lucifer, who was smirking while typing furiously on her phone.
The girl watched this interaction with curiosity. "Eh? 'Ren'… such a familiar na…"
She felt that the na was very familiar, as if she had heard it sowhere before in a different context—perhaps a ga?—but after thinking for a while and confirming that she didn't know anyone nad Ren in the real world, she simply stopped thinking about it.
While the girl was waiting, she heard a series of crisp, rhythmic sounds from the kitchen.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
It was the sound of a knife hitting a cutting board with machine-like precision. As she wondered what it was, she slled a faint, fresh fragrance of vegetables wafting out.
The girl was stunned. Is he making the filling from scratch? Now? But with such a fragrant sll, not to ntion the quality of the scent... just how fresh were these vegetables?
Lucifer and Cerberus also slled it and were slightly startled. Ren hadn't produced such a specific, earthy fragrance when he made pan-fried dumplings (Gyoza) before. Was there a difference in the filling for boiled dumplings?
(To be fair, boiled dumplings—Shui Jiao—are the GOAT of comfort food.)
The essence of dumplings lies in the balance. The thickness of the wrapper must be just right to hold the juice but not be doughy. The filling must be chopped to the perfect consistency—if it's too fine, it tastes like paste; if it's too coarse, it won't cook evenly or bind together.
Ren worked quickly. He mixed the chopped vegetables—cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots—with sesa oil, white pepper, and a touch of ginger. He wrapped them in homade dough with practiced ease.
As a puff of hot steam billowed from the kitchen, signaling the opening of the pot, the girl, Cerberus, and Lucifer all froze for a mont.
It slled very good, but it wasn't a scent that could be easily described like steak or curry. It was the unique, humid aroma of flour and vegetables boiling—a scent that scread "ho."
This made the already hungry Cerberus almost drool, but she held back, rembering her manners (and the chocolate incident).
When Ren ca out carrying a plate of steaming dumplings, he saw Cerberus's eyes shining like high beams.
He smiled. "The ran broth needs another minute. Go get so appetizers yourself from the table in the kitchen~. There's beef jerky I made yesterday."
"Yay! at!"
Cerberus cheered and got up, running towards the kitchen. It was her first ti being allowed in the "sacred zone," and she marveled at how clean everything was.
Ren placed the plate in front of the girl. The dumplings were plump, white, and glistening with a little water.
The girl was startled when she saw them. "Eh? These dumplings are different from the ones I usually eat… They aren't fried?"
Ren said gently, "These are traditional Celestial Empire (Chinese) boiled dumplings, so they're definitely very different from the Gyoza you usually find in ran shops~. The skin is slightly thicker and chewier. For the dipping sauce, I have soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, or minced garlic. Of course, if you like strong flavors, I can mix them for you."
The girl nodded, seemingly very interested. "I'll try the soy sauce and vinegar mix, please."
While she prepared her sauce, Cerberus ran out of the kitchen with a handful of dried at strips.
"Ren, Ren, Ren! What is this? It's so delicious! It's chewy!"
"Oh, this is Five-Spice Beef Jerky~. But don't eat too much, the ran is coming."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm! Lucifer! Ren brought out delicious food! Look!"
Lucifer looked at Cerberus, who was running around with beef jerky like a puppy with a stick, and sighed. "There are still guests, Cerberus. Don't run like that, it will disturb others. Where are your manners?"
"Oh… I'm sorry!" Cerberus stopped imdiately, bowing to the girl.
The girl waved her hand and said with a smile, "It's okay. She seems very happy. It's nice to see."
Cerberus smiled and scratched her head, then saw Lucifer chewing on a piece of beef jerky (which she had sohow acquired without moving) while still playing on her phone. Cerberus quickly sat down and started gnawing on her own share.
Watching the adorable interaction, the girl's mood improved a lot. She turned her attention back to the food.
She picked up her chopsticks. She dipped a dumpling into the dark sauce.
"These dumplings… they look so simple, but…"
She took a bite.
The soft, elastic wrapper yielded easily. Then, the flavor exploded.
It wasn't greasy. It was fresh. The vegetables retained a crunch that defied the boiling process. The sweetness of the cabbage, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the sharp kick of the ginger blended perfectly.
But there was sothing else. A texture.
Crunch.
"Bamboo shoots?" she wondered.
It was indeed bamboo shoots, adding a delightful, crisp contrast to the soft filling.
The girl originally wanted to analyze the dish more—she had a habit of overthinking chanics, perhaps due to her gaming background—but for her current situation, ti did not allow it. She checked her phone. A ssage from her friend urged her to hurry.
So, she just ate.
One dumpling after another. It was comfort food in its purest form. Warm, filling, and gentle on the stomach.
When Ren finished making the Shoyu Ran for his two dependents and ca out, he saw that the girl had unknowingly eaten the entire plate. Not a single dumpling remained.
Ren looked at her and said with a smile, "It seems to really suit your taste~."
The girl nodded, wiping her mouth elegantly. "Mhm! It's very delicious! But Shopkeeper, what's in the filling? I tasted sothing crunchy."
"That's winter bamboo shoots~."
"Oh! Right! I was wondering why there was such a special fresh scent! It's absolutely delicious!"
"If you like it, that's good. You seem to be in a hurry?"
The girl nodded, picking up her bag. "Yes, I have student council duties. Even on a holiday."
Just as she stood up, the door burst open again.
"Asuna! Asuna! Hurry up! Did you forget we have duties today even though it's a holiday?! The Student Council President is going to kill us!"
A girl with a ponytail ran in, panting. It was Nanami Minami.
She saw Ren and bead. "Yo! Shopkeeper Ren! We et again!"
Ren blinked. "Oh~. Miss Nanami. You two know each other?"
The chestnut-haired girl, Yuuki Asuna, chugged the last of her orange juice and let out a sigh of relief. "Yes. Minami is my friend."
Nanami Minami laughed, grabbing Asuna's arm. "Of course! Asuna is our class monitor! She's the responsible one! I'm just the sidekick!"
Asuna rolled her eyes playfully. "Shopkeeper, how much is it?"
"Seven hundred yen~."
"So cheap~. Are you sure?"
"That's normal for dumplings!"
Asuna put down the money. "Thank you for the al! I will definitely co back!"
"Bye, Shopkeeper Ren!" Nanami waved.
Nanami pulled Asuna away, their chatter fading into the distance as they ran down the street.
"Wait, Minami! My bag is open!"
"Run now, fix later!"
Ren listened to their fading voices, then shook his head with a smile as he collected the empty plate.
"Katagiri High School is indeed an interesting place. Full of main characters, it seems."
[Akarin Note:
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