By the time the cake was ready, Yuto had learned the general gist of Hatsune's situation.
She really was a celebrity!
As for how famous she was, the girl didn't say explicitly, only mentioning that "the number of people who like my songs is pretty decent."
This led Yuto to speculate.
He felt that with a voice like hers, she must have attracted a massive fanbase—at least several million people.
Thinking about it, Yuto realized the girl was just being modest.
Despite being a huge idol, she was only sixteen years old.
When he heard her age, Yuto couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
'At sixteen, she's already a big idol. When I was sixteen.... I was still learning how to cook.'
"Does Hatsune have any albums? I want to buy them! I'll buy ten!" Rimuru had transformed into a crazy fan.
He rolled his body around joyfully, his round slime form stretching into an elongated shape from the motion.
"I do have albums. If you want them, I can give them to you for free. You don't need to buy them."
Hatsune had a wonderful personality.
It was remarkable how she remained so gentle and calm despite her immense talent.
Upon hearing Hatsune's words, Rimuru burst into tears on the spot.
"That is amazing!!!"
Yuto emerged from the kitchen carrying the cake and sighed helplessly at Rimuru's reaction.
'Seriously? Isn't this exactly how those fans act? Rimuru, are you really this easy to win over?'
Yuto couldn't help but find Rimuru's behavior amusing.
"Could I... also have one of Hatsune's albums?" Yuto turned his gaze to Ainz.
He sighed inwardly.
'Ainz, I thought you'd be more composed. I didn't expect you to be like this too.'
"Of course," Hatsune replied, smiling at Ainz and Rimuru.
In that instant, both of them felt their hearts swell with fulfillment!
"Milk cake. Sorry for the wait." Yuto gently placed the cake in front of Hatsune.
He glanced at Ainz and Rimuru, inwardly amused.
"Wow! Thank you, Boss~~~"
Hatsune looked at the cake with excitement. The snow-white milk cake resembled a winter snowfield basking in the sun.
Yuto chuckled softly.
He handed Hatsune a small plate and spoon, then took a slight step back.
Hatsune held the small spoon and scooped a spoonful of cake into her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, her face lit up with joy and delight.
Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons, making her look cute.
"Kawaii!!! Ah! I'm dead!"
Yuto turned to Rimuru with an exasperated look.
The slime had gone limp, and a faint red dots were visible on his face.
"Rimuru, do you know what you look like right now?"
"Huh?"
"A bit like a pervert."
"Nani?!"
Beside them, Ainz coughed, and the old skeleton flashed with [Forced Calm].
Yuto stared, stunned.
'Ainz, so you were just pretending to be calm this whole time?'
...
After finishing her cake, Hatsune prepared to leave.
She seemed to be on a tight schedule, so Yuto didn't ask any questions and simply accepted the payment.
Then, the girl departed.
As she left, Hatsune mentioned that if she had time, she would bring her sisters to visit.
Of course, Yuto welcomed the idea.
Hatsune had mentioned that her sisters were also a group of musically talented girls.
Yuto couldn't help but reflect.
'Birds of a feather really do flock together.'
Hatsune left with a flourish, leaving Rimuru feeling a little down.
Though Hatsune had only been there for a short while, Rimuru had already become a devoted fan.
Not just a fan willing to pay, but one who was already planning to cheer for her at a live concert!
Yuto was speechless.
'Is picking an idol really this casual?'
"Sigh, I wonder when I'll get to see Hatsune-chan again."
He'd already started calling her "Hatsune-chan."
"Didn't she say she'd come back when she has time?" Yuto said while clearing the dishes.
"But when is 'when she has time'?"
"Who knows? Hatsune seems pretty busy, being a star and all." Yuto recalled what he knew about the life of a celebrity.
Their schedules were packed every day, and they were constantly under pressure from their managers and agencies.
Although he didn't know what Hatsune's life was like in her own world, he figured she must be just as busy.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have left in such a rush.
"Sigh, that's so sad..." Rimuru sighed to himself.
His face contorted into a vivid expression of lament, the very picture of melancholy.
After washing the dishes, Yuto walked back to the front of the restaurant.
He sat down and looked at Rimuru with a calm expression. "Rimuru, you remind me of a certain group of people."
"Huh? What group?" Rimuru looked at Yuto, confused.
"Those fans who cheer for girl idols. You're giving me the exact same vibe right now," Yuto said with a resigned sigh.
"Is that so... But Hatsune-chan is different! She's really cute, her singing is amazing, she's polite, and she even promised to give me an album! You can't compare her to those common girl idols!" Rimuru's expression was dead serious as he said this.
Seeing such a serious expression on the slime, Yuto decided it was best to just nod in agreement.
In this situation, it was better to just go along with it.
Besides, Ainz, who had been silent nearby, was actually nodding slightly in agreement.
"Let's keep reading the manga!" the slime suddenly shouted, as if trying to dispel his own sadness.
Then, he went back to his reading.
Yuto smiled and shifted his gaze away from Rimuru.
It was nearly one in the morning, yet the restaurant still had quite a few customers.
There was the dragon group over there, the skeleton and the slime at the bar reading light novels and manga, and Iskandar nearby, who had already had a bit too much to drink.
Seven customers remained in the restaurant—far more than usual for this time of night.
Normally, Yuto would be waiting alone for customers at this hour.
Now, the chances of him being alone in the restaurant were slim to none.
Perhaps this was a sign of progress for him.
"Boss, Boss! Can I have my four dishes now?" As Yuto was lost in thought, the dragon girl approached him.
"Of course," Yuto turned to her and said with a smile.
"Then I'll have that grilled meat too."
"Mm, and what else?"
"For the rest, I'll have three orders of meat bun rice!"
"Alright!"
When Tohru cheerfully ordered the meat bun rice, Yuto couldn't help but smile.
She seemed to have a strange obsession with that dish.
Yuto turned and went back to the kitchen to start preparing her food.
As time passed, Iskandar also got up and left.
He had been drinking heavily all night, and even with his extraordinary tolerance for alcohol, he needed to rest.
After bidding Iskandar farewell, Quetzalcoatl and the others prepared to leave as well.
As she was heading out, Quetzalcoatl gave Yuto an extra-long look.
She tilted her head and flashed him an alluring smile.
This made Yuto instinctively glance down at himself.
'Nothing strange here. So why the hell did she smile at me like that?'
Before he could ask, she was already gone.
Fafnir, who had looked disgruntled all evening, managed to offer a grudging compliment about Yuto's cooking before he left.
'Well, I guess that counts as a compliment...'
"Hmph! Human, I'll reluctantly acknowledge you." Fafnir sounded like a classic chuunibyou when he said that.
The moment the words left his mouth, Tohru slapped him on the back and shoved him out the restaurant door.
After doing so, the dragon girl turned back to Yuto, still grinning.
"Your food is delicious!" Kanna, the adorable young dragon, pumped her tiny fists in the air.
Her short arms made the gesture incredibly cute!
Yuto found it hard to believe this little girl was actually a dragon.
After saying her piece, Kanna trotted away on her short legs.
And with that, only three people remained in the restaurant. Tohru would be staying, of course.
As for Ainz and Rimuru...
Yuto glanced at the two, engrossed in their light novels and manga.
He figured they were planning to pull an all-nighter in the restaurant.
╮(╯▽╰)╭
After finishing the meat bun rice for Tohru, Yuto brought it out.
The grilled meat was still cooking and needed more time. Tohru hadn't eaten anything since she arrived, and Yuto guessed she must be starving.
That's why he'd made the meat bun rice first. Otherwise, he would have waited for the grilled meat to finish and served them together.
That way, the meat bun rice could be enjoyed alongside the grilled meat. Even more delicious.
"Thank you, Boss!" Tohru clasped her hands together, gave Yuto a radiant smile, then lowered her head and began to eat.
"Tohru, eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you," Yuto said with an amused chuckle, watching the dragon girl's ferocious eating style.
She seemed to take his words to heart, slowing down her pace. Yuto smiled at the sight.
His gaze then shifted to Ainz and Rimuru nearby.
The two had been whispering to each other for a while now.
Yuto glanced at them once before deciding not to pay them any more mind. He had no interest in eavesdropping on private conversations.
But just then, Ainz spoke up.
Beside him, Rimuru also looked a little nervous.
"Kamisaka, I have a favor to ask!"
"What is it?" Yuto asked, looking at the two with some confusion.