Takatsuki Sen felt that this restaurant was truly brimming with hidden masters. Every single person in the shop seemed extraordinary.

After watching Poporon lead a customer to the second floor, her gaze fell upon Pekola. Both of them had a similar aura.

Her line of sight then shifted to Ryohei Tanaka and Jashin-chan, who were busy in the open kitchen.

Takatsuki Sen had previously thought about visiting their food stall when she had the time, but now that she was in the actual restaurant, that leisurely curiosity was gone.

Her verdant green eyes, deep as a lake, began to shimmer.

...

'A ghoul novelist...'

'She wants to use Tanaka-kun as a model... to write a novel with a chef protagonist?'

Yurine, sitting at the bar, looked up with considerable interest, her gaze settling on Takatsuki Sen.

Feeling Yurine's stare, Takatsuki Sen turned her head, her green left eye meeting Yurine's reddish-brown right one.

Takatsuki Sen's gaze then swept over to Yurine's side, landing on the seemingly shy Koji-kun. She mused internally:

'So this is the little sister of that kimono-clad waitress who's like a Yuki-onna?'

'She... doesn't look human...'

'And her aura is very strange.'

"Ah..."

As if remembering something, Takatsuki Sen pulled a notebook and pen from the pocket of her overalls. She flashed Yurine a brilliant smile and waved.

"(,,･∀･)ﾉ゛hello! My name is Takatsuki Sen. I'm an author. Would it be possible to ask you a few questions about the daily life of the 'Culinary Saint'?"

"I saw your street interview before. I remember you two are a couple!"

Her energetic tone and cheerful smile made it impossible for anyone to dislike her.

"Yes, we are," Yurine replied, a little surprised. A gentle smile then surfaced on her face.

If you know how to talk like that, then please, say more!

"Great! Is it okay if I ask how you two met?" Takatsuki Sen asked as she flipped open her notebook and clicked her pen, striking a pose as if she were about to take meticulous notes, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Yurine glanced at her, then paused, pulling out her phone to search "Takatsuki Sen." After a moment, she looked back up.

"Do you mind if I... artistically process the details?"

"Not at all," Takatsuki Sen said, blinking her beautiful eyes, her slender eyelashes fluttering.

Thus, Yurine held up one finger, her small face completely serious. "It was a dusky evening, during the twilight hour when demons roam."

"I had just finished work, dragging my exhausted body home. The moment I pushed open the door, I saw that the demon I had summoned... had just summoned a human."

"And that's how we met."

Takatsuki Sen: "..."

(O_O;)

'Isn't that a little... TOO artistic?!'

'Is this 'artistically processed' to the point that only the art is left?!'

Takatsuki Sen was stunned for a second, her expression turning indescribably strange. "Umm..." she managed, "So... what's the non-artistic version?"

"That was the non-artistic version," Yurine replied with a completely flat expression.

Takatsuki Sen: "..."

'Are you making fun of me?'

'You've got some nerve!'

But then she glanced at the adorably unique Koji-kun next to her. She thought about Jashin-chan's snake tail... and Minos's horns and cow tail...

And suddenly, Takatsuki Sen was half-convinced.

'Do... demons actually exist in this world?'

Seeing Takatsuki Sen's reaction, the corners of Yurine's mouth turned up slightly. "Well, you're writing a novel anyway, so adding a little fantasy color won't hurt. Glowing Cuisine is already pretty unscientific. What's wrong with adding a bit of fantasy to the mix, right?"

"Mmm... you actually have a point there." Takatsuki Sen's lips twitched, as if she was convinced. She lowered her head and scribbled this absurd piece of information into her notebook.

"Okay, next question—"

Entry complete!

Takatsuki Sen looked up, her gaze flickering. "How did you two fall in love? And how exactly did you summon a demon, Ms. Yurine?"

"Are you planning to model the main heroine after me?" Yurine tilted her head, looking at Takatsuki Sen with growing interest.

"Yes, I was thinking about it," Takatsuki Sen replied, nodding seriously.

This only piqued Yurine's interest more. She crossed her arms, pausing as if organizing her thoughts, and then began to tell her story.

"My romance with Tanaka-kun started with us living together."

"Jashin-chan accidentally summoned Tanaka-kun, but because she was missing the return spell, Tanaka-kun couldn't go back and could only live with us temporarily."

"The very first day he was there, I was completely blown away by his cooking!"

"After that, I spent every single day just looking forward to the next meal..."

"As we lived together, I found that he has a great personality, he's handsome, and we get along really well... And since we were living in the same studio apartment, it was inevitable that a few... heart-pounding, blush-worthy things happened... To be honest, I never thought I would end up dating him."

"To be more accurate, I never thought I would date anyone."

"But... when Tanaka-kun told me, 'I want to cook for you for the rest of my life,' my body had already reacted before my mind caught up..."

Yurine spoke candidly, sharing whatever came to mind. She rambled on and on, her voice filled with a sweetness and joy that made Takatsuki Sen openly jealous.

What kind of teen romantic comedy is this?!

Her own youth was grayscale. In fact, ever since she could remember, her life had always been grayscale. It was still that way now; no other color had ever appeared.

"...Sorry. I got a little jealous just listening," Takatsuki Sen admitted, quickly flashing an apologetic smile when she realized Yurine had stopped talking and was squinting at her.

"I see..." Yurine looked at her thoughtfully, deciding to skip that topic. She had been planning to share one or two other "amusing stories," but it was probably better not to provoke the girl further.

She decisively changed the subject. "As for how I summoned a demon..."

"One day, on an impulse, I bought a grimoire from 'The Store.' When I got home, I tried it out, and she was summoned."

She said it as casually as if she were describing drinking a glass of water.

Takatsuki Sen: "..."

(;￣ー￣川

"What kind of store did you buy a grimoire from?! And are demons really something you can just summon that easily?!"

Takatsuki Sen was completely speechless and couldn't stop herself from retorting. She felt like an absolute idiot for having half-believed her earlier!

'Eto! You're this old, how can you still be so naive?!'

'Tch!'

Takatsuki Sen verbally roasted Yurine, but mentally, she was roasting herself.

Yurine just looked at her, showing no particular reaction, and answered with complete earnestness, "I bought it at 'The Store' in Shibuya."

The name of the store is just 'The Store.'

'She's really committing to this bit...'

Takatsuki Sen stared at Yurine with deadpan eyes before lowering her head to scribble in her notebook. She was here to "gather material," after all, so she had to at least look the part.

"Okay, next question—"

Entry complete. Takatsuki Sen looked up with a smile. "Ms. Yurine, what is the Culinary Saint's daily life like?"

"Mmm, well..."

Yurine began to organize her thoughts, and started to answer...

~~~

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