Chapter 10: Nanase Ren Gets Flustered, Aya Takes Secret Photos!
Luke was very good at reading people.
Whenever a new customer came to the restaurant, he would analyze them immediately.
After the other party placed their order, Luke would adjust some details during the cooking process.
The richness of the flavor, the amount of spices used, the specific choice of ingredients, etc.
Every decision would affect the deliciousness of the final product.
And now, Luke noticed that Nanase Ren seemed listless, so he decided to do something about it.
Besides the olive oil, onions, carrots, potatoes, and other ingredients needed for the 'Minestrone Soup', Luke also took out a few extra pieces of fresh ginger.
"No signal, huh..."
After entering the shop and placing her order, Nanase Ren took out her phone, discovering she couldn't connect to the network.
"There's indeed no signal here."
"A place without signal has a fully equipped restaurant, it feels quite strange."
"Nanase-san might need some time to slowly get used to it."
"Yes."
Putting away her phone, Nanase Ren looked outside the restaurant.
Through the window, she saw an endless expanse of lush green forest, not the city alleyway she had passed through on her way here.
Strangely, facing such a bizarre scene, Nanase Ren didn't feel uneasy.
Perhaps it was because of the atmosphere inside the shop?
Quiet, peaceful, with a reassuring scent.
Just like that, Nanase Ren picked up the menu again, intending to look at other dishes.
"The dishes on the menu were all photographed by Aya at my request. Although she's a reporter who likes to stir things up, her photography skills are fine."
"Is that so... That photographer named 'Aya' should have her own perspective, right? The backgrounds for some ingredients on the menu don't seem to be inside the shop."
"Precisely. Some were made by me in other kitchens."
For example, at the parties hosted by Reimu;
For example, during events in the 'Human Village';
Or, for example, the delicacies made while camping on Youkai Mountain.
Finishing his answer, Luke began to focus on the dish before him.
The 'Minestrone Soup' ordered by Nanase Ren was a very healthy and delicious dish.
The types of vegetables used could be flexibly adjusted according to personal taste and seasonal changes.
Not only did it taste delicious, but it was also rich in nutrients, suitable for customers of all ages.
Luke, knowing the recipe by heart, started cleaning the vegetables before him, carefully peeling, seeding, and cutting them into appropriate sizes.
The subsequent steps were also simple.
First, sauté the onions and minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
Then, add the harder vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, because they take longer to cook.
Afterward, pour in vegetable broth and simmer over low heat.
Once the soup started boiling, just add the remaining vegetables.
The final step was seasoning according to the customer's request.
This time, Luke added the previously prepared ginger to give the soup a hint of warmth and spiciness.
After finishing the preparation, Luke served it to Nanase Ren.
Steam rose into the air.
The long-waiting Nanase Ren, because of the delicious food before her, completely forgot the current abnormal situation and slowly picked up her spoon.
"It looks very delicious."
"Please try it, Nanase-san."
"Itadakimasu."
Nanase Ren began to taste the mouth-watering 'Minestrone Soup'.
During this time, Luke briefly sized up Nanase Ren.
She was originally the female protagonist of Yakin Byoutou, but according to her previous answer, she didn't know the perverted Hirasaka Ryuuji.
From this, it could be seen that Nanase Ren's experiences deviated greatly from the original plot.
"Haa..."
Luke's thoughts were interrupted by a soft sigh.
Nanase Ren, looking satisfied after taking a sip of the hot soup, felt the fatigue in her body swept away.
"I feel like I just woke up from a long hibernation...!"
Stimulated by the rich texture of the vegetables and the fragrant aroma of the soup, Nanase Ren's complexion became much rosier than before.
"As long as Nanase-san likes it. When you entered the restaurant just now, you looked tired, it was worrying."
"Luke-san noticed? How embarrassing..."
Nanase Ren stopped her spoon.
Luke couldn't help but ask,
"Did you run into trouble?"
"No."
Nanase Ren shook her head, taking another sip of soup.
"It's just work problems... As you said before, I'm a nurse. Because I'm still in my internship period, I work very hard, but... sometimes I also feel very tired."
"At times like these, just sit down and take a rest. I believe Nanase-san's efforts are definitely valuable."
"Really? I'm a bit worried, will this effort be in vain..."
"Effort is never in vain. It just changes into another way of making people better than they were before."
"If only that were the case... It's strange, I'm actually talking about these things with Luke-san whom I just met. Maybe... it's because of the soup?"
Turning to stare at the hot soup before her, Nanase Ren, looking blissful, took another sip.
Luke didn't disturb the girl before him, quietly watching her.
After finishing, Nanase Ren saw the tissue handed to her.
"Thank you..."
"You're welcome. Nanase-san coming into the shop also brought some changes for me."
"I just ordered one dish."
"That's enough."
Luke responded with a gentle smile.
Thump!
For some reason, Nanase Ren's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Nanase-san, there's still a little soup stain on the corner of your mouth."
"Ah..."
Luke, acting for Nanase, wiped away the soup stain remaining on the corner of her mouth.
Her left cheek felt the warmth of his palm, and Luke didn't withdraw that hand either.
The pure Nanase, the untainted angel nurse, perhaps this was an opportunity.
Luke gently caressed Nanase's increasingly warm cheek, thinking intentionally or unintentionally.
Just at this moment...
He caught sight of a figure outside the window from the corner of his eye.
Withdrawing his right hand, Luke sighed softly.
"Nanase-san, I need to solve a problem. You can sit here a bit longer."
"Ah? Ah... okay."
Nanase came back to her senses, lowered her head, and responded in a small voice.
Luke, however, went outside the restaurant and shouted towards the forest ahead,
"Aya, if you don't come out and delete the photos from just now, don't even think about getting your name removed from my blacklist."
"Wait! Wait! I'm coming out! Don't put me on the blacklist!"
The figure Luke had seen just now, Shameimaru Aya, jumped out of the bushes, begging for mercy while brushing off the weeds from her body.
Unlike Ren inside the restaurant who was being flirted with, Aya, caught taking secret photos, was a real 'trouble'.
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