Chapter 3

I'm not sure if it's a clash of八字 (bazi) or a conflict between the酒吞童子 (Shuten-dōji) and the稻荷神 (Inari), but whenever these two get together, an argument is inevitable, and a fight is as common as a daily meal. The next day, the news will inevitably report some unusual weather changes.

When Kuroki Ryūji first arrived, he wasn't used to it, but now he has become accustomed to it. As for how these two plan to resolve their disputes, Kuroki Ryūji doesn't want to get involved.

"Miss Sakurai, here are your skewers." Kuroki Ryūji handed a few skewers to Sakurai, then rolled up his sleeves and began to prepare to wash the dishes.

If Kuroki Ryūji were to name the most inconvenient thing about his life since he came to this world, the first would naturally be adapting to Japanese society, and the second would be this izakaya.

Because non-human yokai customers come to the izakaya at night, Kuroki Ryūji has never been able to hire a night shift waiter. During the day, he has hired waiters, but the turnover is high, and most of them are students.

But at night, he really can only rely on himself, so as soon as night falls, Kuroki Ryūji has to start preparing the food, cleaning, and washing dishes.

"Oh, oh, the skewers here really do taste better~" Sakurai covered her cheeks, looking very happy.

"Miss Sakurai, you flatter me." Kuroki Ryūji nodded and glanced at Sakurai's wine glass, which was still half full.

Kuroki Ryūji once had the chance to see the true face behind the Noh mask, which was truly horrifying and unforgettable. So he doesn't want Miss Sakurai to get drunk, because when she does, she will 'generously' take off her beautiful mask and reveal her true face.

Since the last time Miss Sakurai used her Noh mask to smear his face, Kuroki Ryūji has set a special rule for her: no more than four beers each time.

"Hey, boss, can you help me promote my legend?" Miss Sakurai leaned in. She was wearing a dress, so there was a risk of her showing some skin.

Kuroki Ryūji kept his head down, not looking, and continued to wipe the dishes, calmly answering, "No," which made Miss Sakurai pout.

"Really~ You know, we yokai and ghosts rely on people's legends and familiarity to survive." Miss Sakurai pouted, looking particularly cute.

"Lord Shuten once told me that you can also survive by actively stimulating human emotions." Kuroki Ryūji stretched, having finally finished washing Shuten's dishes.

Kuroki Ryūji remembers that Shuten once described the relationship between yokai and humans as a symbiotic one, and that yokai can help humans in certain ways, but now, due to the agreement with the Onmyōji Association, they can't do so as freely as before.

"Hmph, a boss who doesn't understand the mood." Sakurai huffed, but even so, she still had a smile on her face.

"Miss Sakurai, would you like to try the new skewers I've recently introduced?" Kuroki Ryūji decided to change the topic, otherwise, Sakurai would definitely steer the conversation back to her strange legend.

"What kind of skewers?" Sakurai was immediately interested. As for her strange legend?

Although it's important, for Sakurai, the skewers are more tempting, especially since her legend is becoming more popular.

"Here, just wait a moment." Kuroki Ryūji took out a few skewers, showed them to Sakurai, and then placed them on the grill.

Speaking of skewers, they are similar to Chinese barbecue, just with different names. So Kuroki Ryūji later researched some well-known Chinese skewers and made some improvements. Now, with skewer enthusiast Sakurai here, he can test whether these skewers can be introduced during the day.

This time, Kuroki Ryūji prepared Zhaotong small meat skewers from Yunnan Province, which are also a well-known barbecue in Yunnan, China. They cost one yuan per skewer, are reasonably priced, and most importantly, they taste very good.

Before coming to this world, Kuroki Ryūji's favorite thing to do after work was to go to a barbecue stand with his friends and have some skewers. He would always order some Zhaotong small meat skewers, along with grilled leeks and chicken feet, and a bottle of beer, which made for a great night snack.

"They smell good." Sakurai sniffed the air, which was filled with a delicious aroma of oil and meat.

"Miss Sakurai, I think you'll like them." Kuroki Ryūji grilled the skewers very quickly. The small meat skewers don't take long to cook, so soon he sprinkled some cumin and chili powder on them and served them to Sakurai.

"They look great." Sakurai looked at the skewers in front of her, nodded, picked one up, and took a bite.

Unlike chicken skewers, these small meat skewers are more fragrant and have some fat, which, when grilled, makes the skewers even more delicious. The cumin and chili powder also make the skewers less greasy.

Sakurai immediately fell in love with these small meat skewers. Kuroki Ryūji served twenty skewers, and they were quickly finished.

"Boss, if you sell these small meat skewers to daytime customers, how much would you charge per skewer?" Sakurai picked up a napkin, wiped her mouth, and looked satisfied.

"About 20 yen per skewer." Kuroki Ryūji thought for a moment. If calculated based on the exchange rate, 20 yen per skewer is reasonable. The cost for each skewer is about 10 yen, so he can still make a profit of 10 yen per skewer, which isn't a bad deal.

"Great, the price is reasonable. I think your business will do very well." Sakurai looked up, still smiling.

Compared to the price of leek and chicken skewers, Kuroki Ryūji's small meat skewers are indeed a reasonably priced product, and the taste is also very good. Even if Kuroki Ryūji charges a bit more, Sakurai thinks there will still be many people willing to buy them.

"Thank you for your praise, Miss Sakurai." Kuroki Ryūji smiled and nodded.

"Boss~ Will the bill for this meal be the same as usual?" Sakurai stood up, smiling at Kuroki Ryūji.

"Yes, as usual, Miss Sakurai." Kuroki Ryūji nodded and took the 10,000 yen that Sakurai handed him.

To be honest, 10,000 yen is quite expensive, but it's the most suitable amount that Miss Sakurai can offer. After all, she once thought of paying with her Noh mask, which was truly terrifying.