"This must be Setsuno's Diner."
Kei held Binchōtan's hand in his left while the right gripped a small card.
After careful comparison, he confirmed the location—this humble little place was Granny Setsuno's restaurant.
The diner had only one floor and a very modest storefront. No extravagant decorations, just a simple wooden sign that read: Setsuno's Diner.
Though it looked ordinary on the outside, the name behind the place—Setsuno—made getting a seat incredibly difficult.
Granny Setsuno only opened the shop once a month, or even every few months.
The timing? Entirely up to her whims.
Many people had made reservations long ago—like Toriko, who made his four years ago and still hadn't gotten his turn.
Upon entering, the interior decor was as simple as expected.
One cooking station, a counter with seats in front, and a wooden board with the menu hanging on the wall.
"Yo~ You finally made it."
Jirou was already seated at the counter area, cheeks flushed red from drinking.
He waved at Kei when he saw him come in.
"You're hiding your scent now. Hic. Not bad."
Jirou's senses were sharp—he noticed the changes in Kei's body immediately.
"Well, that's thanks to the acupoint technique you gave me."
Kei walked over with Binchōtan and took a seat next to Jirou.
Binchōtan had to scramble a bit to climb the tall stool—her little legs dangled in the air, swinging back and forth.
"Hello, Granny Setsuno!"
"Hello, little Kei."
Granny Setsuno greeted them with a cheerful smile.
She already knew about Kei from Jirou—apparently, he was an interesting young man.
"I—"
Kei was about to place an order when Setsuno cut him off with a chuckle.
"You're not here as a customer today—you're here to freeload, hohoho~"
Jirou grinned mischievously.
"You're the kind of person who just sits at the table and eats without lifting a finger."
"I'll pay."
"I won't take it."
"Alright, alright, I'll help out."
Kei finally understood—the two elders had already decided he'd be helping in the kitchen.
Not that it mattered. He usually cooked at home anyway—how hard could it be to lend a hand?
He got up, walked around the counter, washed his hands, and rolled up his sleeves—ready for action.
Binchōtan saw Kei helping out and tried to get off the high stool, but halfway down, she realized her tiny feet couldn't reach the floor.
She was stuck—unable to go up or down.
"Don't be scared, it's okay."
Setsuno gently encouraged her. "Be brave and come down."
Binchōtan looked at the kind old lady and thought of her own grandmother.
She nodded, then courageously jumped down.
Once she landed, she realized the floor wasn't even that far down.
"Thank you, Granny Setsuno! I'll help with the rice!"
Binchōtan ran into the kitchen and looked up at the tall sink, clearly troubled again.
Setsuno came over and placed a small step stool next to the sink.
"Thank you, Granny."
Standing on the stool, Binchōtan reached the sink just fine and began seriously washing her hands before helping prepare the rice.
"This child is so adorable," Setsuno said with a warm, loving smile.
Who wouldn't adore a polite, hardworking, and adorable child like her?
"Granny Setsuno, stop staring at Binchōtan and tell me what we're cooking today. I'll help you prep the ingredients."
Kei sighed, seeing himself being sidelined.
"Oh, right. I forgot about you."
Setsuno chuckled and walked over to a cupboard, pulling out some ingredients and placing them on the cutting board.
"Chop these for me—very finely, okay?"
Setsuno suddenly looked extremely frail—but Kei knew better. She was a national treasure of the gourmet world, with unmatched culinary might!
Putting on this frail act… was that really okay?
Kei didn't say anything—he just started slicing.
Standing at the counter, his hand turned into a knife as he swiftly and precisely sliced through the ingredients.
"This kid's not bad."
Jirou sipped his sake and spoke to Setsuno. "That little girl's cute too."
"She's adorable, but the boy? Meh, average."
Setsuno replied.
"I can hear you."
Kei looked over, speechless—they weren't even whispering.
"We wanted you to hear it."
Jirou grinned unapologetically.
Kei had no words. He focused on slicing, and soon, most of the ingredients were done. It wasn't difficult at all.
Only one item remained: a strange purple grape-like fruit.
"Hm, something's off about this."
Kei instinctively sensed it was different from the others—far more unique.
He carefully picked one from the bunch, but as soon as his fingers touched it, the grape exploded!
"That's called Bubble Grape. It contains extreme sweetness—legend says each grape holds the flavor of countless desserts."
"But it's also incredibly difficult to handle—just a small shock and the whole bunch explodes."
"If you can't handle it, I'll take care of it," Setsuno said kindly.
But to Kei, it sounded like a challenge—he had just said helping out was easy.
If he failed now, wouldn't that mean he had no hands?
"So it just can't sense any shock, huh? Then I'll be faster than its reaction!"
Kei tried again at max speed—still exploded.
"Nope, speed's not enough. Time for a trick."
Seeing both Setsuno and Jirou watching him, Kei activated his acupoint technique.
As soon as the grape sensed impact, he immobilized it with pinpoint acupressure.
Piece by piece, he carefully picked the grapes using delicate waves of energy.
"How's that?"
"Not bad. Reminds me of a young Jirou—but a bit smarter."
Jirou looked annoyed. "I just didn't bother using tricks. Sure, I'm an acupoint master, but I prefer relying on strength and technique."
Setsuno chuckled and walked over with a knife.
"I'll take care of the rest."
Kei stepped aside, curious to see her method.
Setsuno casually swung her knife—when it touched the grape, there was no explosion.
With smooth, almost slow motions, she sliced the Bubble Grapes cleanly.
"Your knife is fast and sharp, but not delicate enough. That's why it explodes."
Setsuno then began cooking a variety of ingredients at once—juggling them expertly while still chatting with Kei.
"Yeah… this ingredient really stressed me out. But I'll figure it out!"
Kei looked at Jirou. "No shortcuts. I'll master it with my own skills!"
Soon, Setsuno's dishes were ready, paired with Binchōtan's perfectly cooked rice.
Dinner time.
"Granny Setsuno, aren't you going to eat with us?"
Binchōtan noticed she hadn't come out and tugged on Kei's sleeve.
"Yeah, Granny, come join us."
Kei added.
"No need, you're the guests."
"What guest? Didn't Jirou just say we're freeloaders? I even helped cook!"
Kei walked over and gently helped her out from behind the counter.
Binchōtan also tugged at her.
"Food tastes best when we eat together!"
Reluctantly, the elderly Setsuno joined them at a small round table.
Kei and Binchōtan moved the food over, and Jirou followed slowly, still holding his drink.
The group gathered at the small table and began eating.
"So good!"
Binchōtan exclaimed with sparkling eyes.
"Delicious! Truly the work of a professional."
Kei added.
"Wanna become a chef?" Jirou asked.
"No thanks. I just enjoy eating."
Kei rejected the idea instantly. Cooking casually was fine, but going pro? Nope.
"Hahaha, same here. Let Setsuno handle the cooking."
Jirou laughed—he'd given the same answer when asked before.
"Don't just eat meat and drink sake! Eat properly!"
Setsuno scolded.
"We're eating, we're eating."
"Yup, yup."
Both responded half-heartedly.
When the meal ended and they were about to leave, Setsuno handed Kei an address.
"This is a knife-maker. If you want your cuts to be sharper and more delicate, go see him."
"I will."
After sending Binchōtan home, Kei immediately departed.
He couldn't rest until he figured out the Bubble Grapes!
As Kei left, Setsuno's shop closed for the night.
Only Setsuno and Jirou remained.
"Did we forget something…?"
Kei suddenly remembered on the train.
"The Century Soup! We came here for that!!"
Back at the diner—
"Oh no! I forgot to bring out the Century Soup!"
"Little Setsuno, you're really getting old. Hahaha!"
"Shut it, old man!"
BAM—Jirou paid for his joke with a frying pan to the head.
"Alright, alright, my bad. But seriously—what do you think of that kid?"
"He's impressive. These ingredients require real skill, and he handled most of them easily."
"…aside from the Bubble Grapes."
"But he figured out how to handle them with acupoint precision. He's strong and clever. A great kid."
Despite downplaying him earlier, Setsuno was full of praise now.
"In the younger generation, few can compare."
Jirou nodded—his judgment had been right.
"What about his path as a gourmet? Is it solid?"
"Very. Eating with him felt like going back in time…
Back when you three brothers and Lord Acacia were still around.
Eating together, enjoying the food for what it is."
Setsuno's eyes softened.
Back then, she was the junior. Now she was the elder.
The flavor of food really does change with time.
"In terms of pure appreciation of food—he's the best I've ever seen."
Jirou grinned wider. "And the little girl? Could she become a great chef?"
"No."
Setsuno answered bluntly.
"A true chef needs a heart that wants to create delicious food.
That child simply wants to eat with her family."
"She doesn't care if the food is good or bad—so long as everyone's together, even plain rice is wonderful.
That's why her rice is so full of warmth. She doesn't need to be a chef. This is enough."
At that moment, Setsuno thought of Toriko.
That eternally hungry younger brother—for him, the best meal was probably one shared with loved ones.
"How long do you think it'll take him to conquer the Bubble Grapes?" Jirou asked.
"Three months. If he trains under Melk, that should be enough."
Bubble Grapes were from the Gourmet World—Kei had done well just to cook them at all.
"I bet three days—including travel time."
"If I win, you can drink my treasured sake to your heart's content. If I lose… well, I'll tell you then."
"Hahaha! Doesn't matter. I'm winning this bet."
Jirou had full confidence in Kei—anyone with that beastly aura wasn't ordinary.
He always exceeded expectations.
...
Elsewhere, Kei had already sent Binchōtan home and was headed toward Melk's workshop.
Mount Melk was 4,000 meters high with a winding staircase of 20,000 steps.
The journey was perilous, filled with gourmet beasts—ordinary people would take days to reach the summit.
"Outta my way! I'm in a hurry! If you block me, I'll eat you!"
Kei climbed the mountain like a madman.
His sheer will and killing intent terrified the beasts—they all cleared a path in fear.
Those living nearby didn't even dare to move.
In no time, Kei reached the top.
At the summit stood a small round stone cabin—Melk's workshop.
As he approached, he felt a sharp aura—like blades cutting him.
It wasn't an attack—there were simply too many sharp tools inside.
"As expected of Master Melk!"
Kei didn't bother knocking—he barged in, eager to learn how to master fine cuts.
"Who's there!?"
A crisp voice rang out as a figure appeared with a blade in hand.
Melk the Second eyed him warily.
"Name's Kei. I came to learn from Master Melk.
Here's a note from Granny Setsuno."
Kei handed over the slip—there was a cute doodle at the bottom.
"Alright, come in. But don't touch the blades on the walls—they're sharp. One wrong move and you'll get sliced."
After seeing the familiar chibi signature, Melk the Second relaxed and let Kei inside.
(End of Chapter)
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