Chapter 36: It's Time For War
Today was finally the day. The Moon Banquet Festival—Totsuki Academy's grand finale to the autumn season—was about to begin.
Many students had poured countless hours into preparations for this event. Even before the festival officially opened in the morning, the air was already thick with anticipation and the fierce determination to test their skills.
The daily announcement of sales rankings was another major motivator. There were no special prizes, but a high placement brought undeniable future advantages. In Totsuki's cutthroat competitive environment, such achievements were essential for survival.
Naturally, I was one of those motivated students. My stall, my menu, my team—everything had been prepared to the absolute best of my ability. There were no oversights.
It had been exhausting to scrap my original plan to crush Eizan and completely rework everything in just two days, though.
"—Everyone, good morning. We open at eleven. We have less than ten minutes. Give everything you have to the tasks you've been assigned."
This was the final meeting before the festival opened. In front of me stood the four chefs I had chosen—Alice, Ryoko, Miyoko, and Mimasaka—plus the fifteen waitstaff I had hired. Twenty people in total would run the stall.
The Moon Banquet Festival—the moment Totsuki opened its gates to the public—began at ten in the morning. The gates had already been open for nearly an hour, and the Main Street Area and Central Area were already packed with visitors.
Our stall was in the Yamanote Area. Since most stalls here did not focus on quick, casual food, many opened later than the other zones. Ours was probably one of the earliest in the entire area.
The Yamanote Area was mainly geared toward dinner service. Opening earlier in the day offered almost no advantage; at lunchtime, customers naturally flocked to the cheaper, faster, and tastier options in the other two areas. Even so, there was one clear reason we had chosen to open at lunch.
We had deliberately matched our opening time to our direct competitor's.
The stall directly across from us belonged to Sixth Seat Kinokuni Nene. Since her specialty was soba, lunchtime was her prime earning window.
That was exactly why we had timed our opening to coincide with hers. I was going to crush Kinokuni Nene head-on.
"Hehe, she really is an idiot, isn't she? Challenging Shogo-kun like that."
"She looked pretty angry earlier… I wonder if she'll be okay."
"…My condolences."
Alice laughed cheerfully, Ryoko folded her arms with a worried frown, and Miyoko closed her eyes in sympathy. Their reactions were all different, but every one of them was in peak condition. Since the chefs carried the heaviest burden, I needed them to manage their physical and mental stamina perfectly.
"Mimasaka. I'm counting on you."
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
Mimasaka's presence was crucial for keeping the kitchen running at full capacity. With him covering for me, I could focus on supporting Alice and the others.
Even though we opened at eleven, we would close the stall once at three when the lunch rush ended. We needed those two hours to prepare for the dinner service that began at six, so actual rest time was limited. While Alice and the others took breaks, I would handle their dishes, and Mimasaka would cover for me. I could work four hours straight without rest, and Mimasaka didn't need anyone to cover him.
"…It's almost time."
We already had fifty-eight advance reservations—important clients and long-time business partners of the Santoku family. I had turned down even more requests. I didn't want anyone claiming I had only won because of the family name. I would crush Kinokuni Nene with cooking, not power.
"Alright, it's time to open… No, that's not right."
"—It's time for war."
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Roughly two hours had passed since the Moon Banquet Festival began.
The weather was perfect. Under a clear blue sky, countless visitors were savoring a wide variety of exquisite dishes.
Payment was handled through a limited food-ticket system rather than cash. There were three tiers—Pine, Bamboo, and Plum—valued at ten thousand yen, one thousand yen, and five hundred yen respectively. Average prices varied by area, and in the most upscale Yamanote Area, the Pine ticket was practically mandatory.
Most of the Elite Ten, the pinnacle of Totsuki, had opened stalls in the Yamanote Area. No matter how expensive, customers would always come. They were seeking flavors that justified—or exceeded—the price.
"Delicious~! It melts on my tongue!"
"So sweet~! I know it'll make me gain weight, but I can't stop!"
"And it's not just the taste—the presentation is so cute! It's way too photogenic!"
The Sweet Paradise run by Fourth Seat Akane Kubo Momo, Totsuki's premier pâtissière, already had a long line of mostly young women waiting. The fear of selling out if you didn't buy quickly was the ultimate victory in business. Making full use of her Elite Ten name and skill, her sales showed no sign of slowing down.
Third Seat Megishima Tousuke's ramen shop. Fifth Seat Saitou Soumei's sushi restaurant. Seventh Seat Isshiki Satoshi's potato stew gathering. And First Seat Tsukasa Eishi's restaurant.
The stalls run by Elite Ten members were living up to their reputations. They were proving exactly what it meant to be at the top of Totsuki.
But there was one stall that had been completely excluded from that framework.
It was Sixth Seat Kinokuni Nene's soba restaurant.
"…Why… like this…!!"
Nene gripped the edge of her kitchen counter, shoulders trembling, unable to hide her agitation. This was hardly the behavior of a stall's head chef, but no one could blame her.
After the advance reservations had left, an entire hour had passed without a single new customer walking through the door.
No matter how long she waited, the door stayed closed and no one appeared. It was already one in the afternoon—the exact time her soba restaurant should have been at its peak. Yet the dining area was completely empty.
She looked up at the seats. Every single one was vacant. For a moment Nene wondered if she was having a nightmare.
Even though advance reservations had priority, her stall was not reservation-only. Like most other festival booths, walk-in customers were the main target. Right after opening, there had definitely been people. Excluding the reservations, there should have been at least fifty people lined up outside.
Anyone would do. Someone please explain this nightmare. Nene rushed out front in desperation.
What she saw was a massive line stretching in front of the stall directly across from hers.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Her voice was so faint it was nearly carried away by the breeze. Her legs gave out, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
The reason no customers had come to her stall was painfully obvious the moment she saw the scene. Every single customer had been stolen by the stall right in front of her.
"…! What is this smell…!"
A powerful aroma rode the wind, stimulating pure appetite. The moment it hit her nose, it took complete control of Nene's body.
The image that flashed through her mind was meat.
Hot, juicy meat overflowing with broth. Even though she hadn't eaten anything, Nene could already taste it. The scent alone was enough to make her feel as if she had taken a bite.
Using aroma to attract customers was nothing new, but the level was completely different.
Even Nene, a member of the Elite Ten, felt her mind going blank from the power of that smell. There was no way ordinary visitors could resist it.
"—Ah… nn…"
Like prey being drawn to a predator, Nene slowly began walking toward the stall across from hers.
Her mind knew she shouldn't be doing this, but her body refused to obey. The closer she got, the stronger the aroma became. By the time she reached the end of the line, her consciousness was almost gone.
"Oh? Isn't that Kinokuni-senpai? What's wrong? Leaving your own stall unattended?"
The sudden voice snapped Nene back to reality. She whipped her head around so fast her glasses nearly fell off. Standing there with the most infuriating smile imaginable was the very last person she wanted to see.
"…Santoku Shogo."
"Did you come to my stall for something? I'm sorry, but you'll have to get in line like everyone else. I can't give special treatment even to a senior."
"Wha…! I'm not here to get in line!"
"Eh? But you're standing right in the middle of my line. If you're not queuing, could you please step aside? There are customers waiting behind you."
Nene looked back and saw that five more people had already joined the line. If she wasn't queuing, she was just in the way. The perfectly reasonable request made her grit her teeth in frustration, but she obediently stepped out of the line.
"It's a bit conspicuous here. If you want to talk, how about we go behind my stall? I need to get back to the kitchen soon anyway."
Nene had no reason to accept the invitation, but refusing would make it look like she was running away. Since she did have things she wanted to say, she swallowed her pride and followed Shogo.
The area behind the stall was dimly lit and completely deserted. It was the perfect place to talk without being overheard.
"Actually, I was wondering when you'd come check things out. Good thing I had a waiter keep an eye out."
"Wha— What do you mean?!"
"You know exactly what I mean, don't you? You came to find out why no customers are coming to your stall."
The remark hit the mark. Nene took a step back. She hadn't consciously thought that, but once it was said out loud, she couldn't deny it.
"You must have been shocked when it went quiet after the reservations left. Sorry about that. Looks like my stall took all your customers."
"Don't get cocky! You just happened to open at the same time and got lucky!"
"Do you seriously believe that? If so… you're even more of an idiot than I thought."
"What did you just say?!"
Shogo covered his mouth, barely holding back a laugh. He looked at the furious Nene with cold eyes, arms crossed in open arrogance.
"The aroma drifting from the stall. The direction of the customer line. The satisfied voices coming from inside. There are countless ways to attract customers. For example, handing out menus to people in line so they can clearly imagine what they want to eat. …You never thought of any of that, did you?"
"Th-that's…"
"Taste alone is enough to bring customers. That's not wrong… but it's the absolute bare minimum. There's no way a chef who only ever focused on cooking could beat me in a sales contest."
"Th-this is only the first day! You haven't won yet—"
"I already have. A long time ago."
Shogo cut Nene off with a firm declaration. The sales battle was already decided.
"Look at the customers who finished eating at my stall."
"What about them?"
Nene looked where he pointed and observed the customers as instructed. Every single one was doing the same thing: they took out their phones and were frantically typing something.
"What are they…?"
"Social media. Even someone from the Kinokuni family knows about it, right?"
"D-Don't mock me! Of course I know!"
"You know, yet you didn't use it? There's no better tool for attracting customers in today's internet-driven world."
"Attracting… customers?"
Nene looked utterly confused.
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A/n: 500 power stones = +1 bonus chapter. Don't forget to vote with your power stones!!
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