Spirit Diner: A Departure with the Taste of Memories, Episode 29

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Chapter 3: The Farewell Omelet Rice

13: Remembering the Taste of Home

On a Saturday afternoon while having such a conversation with Kazuki, Yahiro was surprised when an unexpected person suddenly visited the shop.
The person who appeared was Mama Yuko from the Ginza club 'Yukihana'.
Today, she was not in her usual glamorous kimono, but in surprisingly simple attire: denim jeans, a white shirt, and sneakers.
Her makeup was also more natural than when he had seen her at the club, but her beauty remained unchanged due to her natural facial features and clear, fine-textured skin.
Even without any adornments, Yuko was still charming and exuded a sense of allure. She skillfully made the most of her inherent qualities.
She must know herself inside and out. Her simple atmosphere only served to highlight Yuko's beauty.
In other words, a beautiful person is beautiful no matter what they are wearing.

“Yuko-san! Welcome!”
When Yuko entered the shop, the room was instantly filled with a glamorous atmosphere. As expected of someone who runs a club in Ginza, she has a certain flair.
Of course, Kazuki also has an extraordinary presence given his appearance.
Compared to them, how unremarkable I must seem.
“Welcome, Yuko-san. It’s rare for you to stop by the shop.”
“You’re going to treat me to a meal as a thank you for the other day, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course. In that case, your timing is perfect.”
Yuko sat at the counter and tilted her head to look at Yahiro.
“Hello, Yahiro-kun.”
“H-hello.”
Yahiro blushed at Yuko’s goddess-like smile.
“So you’re still here, Yahiro-kun.”

Yahiro laughed while scratching his head. Of course, Yuko meant nothing deep by it; she likely said it casually, almost like a greeting. However, Yahiro felt hurt and depressed by her words on his own.
It was true. He still hadn't found a job and was currently a burden to Kazuki-san.
“I’m having trouble finding work.”
After all, even when he tried to apply, he could barely make it to an interview. Even in these times, it was pathetic to the extreme.
“What happened to that woman, Kana Higashiyama, you were looking for the other day?”
Saying this, Yuko shrugged slightly.

“I don’t intend to pry into other people’s business, but I heard about the incident on the news and was concerned. I thought if she was in trouble, I might be able to lend a hand.”
“That’s just like you, Yuko-san.”
“Well, I was a mother with a child once too, so I couldn't think of her situation as someone else's problem.”
“Eh! Yuko-san, you had a child!”
Yahiro’s eyes went wide as he exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my, is that so surprising?”
“No, I mean, how old are you, Yuko-san!”
“My, this boy, asking a woman her age.”
“I-I’m sorry! You look so young. I couldn't imagine you having a child.”
“Oh, Yahiro-kun, you’re such a good boy.”
Hearing this, he blushed with embarrassment for some reason.

However, he was suddenly bothered by Yuko’s earlier words.
She had said she was a mother with a child once. That meant, what about now?
What happened to that child? But Yahiro kept his mouth shut, sensing he shouldn't ask any further.
“Kana-san has apparently quit her night job.”
“I see. That might be for the best for her.”
Kazuki didn't say anything more, but Kana had said she wanted to quit her night job, return to her parents' home, and work in a field helping children suffering from abuse.
She said she would take certification exams for that purpose.

As for Miyu-chan, it would still take time for her to recover. But she had started to look forward and walk ahead.
He couldn't help but wish that she would visit this shop again someday.
“Oh, it smells delicious. I wonder what you’re going to feed me. I’m looking forward to it.”
Watching Yuko peek at Kazuki’s hands, Yahiro thought she looked innocent, just like a child.
“I was lucky enough to get my hands on some good mallard duck.”
“So that’s why you said the timing was perfect earlier.”
“Yes, please, go ahead.”
Kazuki served the dish in front of Yuko.
Yahiro thought it was strange.
It was as if Kazuki had anticipated that Yuko would come to the shop.
He had felt it for a while, but Kazuki had sharp intuition.
Perhaps it was because his spiritual sense was sharper than others. There were times when he wondered if he even had precognitive abilities.

“Oh, Jibu-ni. The Wajima-nuri lacquerware with maki-e decoration is also lovely.”
The dish served was a local Kaga specialty called Jibu-ni.
It was served in a thin, wide-mouthed, shallow lacquer bowl called a Jibu-wan. The dish was made by simmering seasonal vegetables—in this case, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, butterbur, and sudare-fu—in a broth of dashi, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake, then thickening the sauce with kudzu starch and finishing it with a garnish of wasabi.
Although it was a simple dish, the fact that it was served in lacquerware decorated with maki-e gave it a sense of luxury.
“Please have this as well. It is Kaga thick cucumber simmered in jade style.”
The dish used for serving was extremely simple, without a single pattern.
Yahiro thought it was just a common plate, perhaps something bought at a 100-yen shop. However, seeing Yuko’s surprised reaction, Yahiro realized that the plate was not just any ordinary dish.
“My, Oji-yu (yellow porcelain glaze).”

Oji-yu? What was that?

While Yahiro looked blank at the unfamiliar term, Kazuki smiled as if to say he knew she would recognize it.
“I’m so happy to be able to eat a meal with such lovely tableware.”
“Is that tableware really that amazing?”
To Yahiro, who didn't understand the value of the tableware, Yuko explained.
“It’s simple, but the yellow porcelain glaze gives it a sense of transparency and elegance, doesn't it? It’s from a kiln that supplies the Imperial Household Agency. This one plate costs an astonishing amount.”
“I-I-is that so?”
Just hearing that it was supplied to the Imperial Household Agency made him feel intimidated.
“So, please be careful when handling it.”
“Y-yes, I will be careful!”
In the first place, it would be impossible to serve Jibu-ni in Wajima-nuri lacquerware with maki-e on a 100-yen shop plate.

He had thought so for a while, but he realized that while Kazuki was particular about his cooking, he was just as particular about his tableware.
The dishes lined up in the cupboard behind the counter were chosen to match the food and the atmosphere of the customers.
Indeed, the yellowish dish for the jade-colored Kaga thick cucumber provided a refreshing impression, in contrast to the rich Jibu-ni.
“Itadakimasu.”
Yuko pulled the Jibu-ni bowl toward her and opened the lid.
White steam that had been trapped inside the bowl rose up, releasing heat. When Jibu-ni is served in a bowl, the duck meat is cooked in a way that it isn't fully done, and the cooking method is calculated so that by the time you eat it, the protein in the meat doesn't harden, allowing it to be enjoyed deliciously.

First, she picked up a piece of duck coated in the thickened sauce with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.
Since the duck had just been uncovered, it was still piping hot, so Yuko blew on it to cool it down.
Kazuki had said he happened to get his hands on some hard-to-find mallard duck, but he must have stocked it thinking he would have Yuko eat it, perhaps as a thank you for the other day.
She put the duck, sliced into bite-sized pieces, into her mouth.
“Delicious.”
Yuko whispered.
The umami overflowing from the tender duck meat was gentle, simple, yet refined. The nostalgic taste reminded her of her distant hometown—no, of her mother’s cooking.
Closing her eyes, she could almost see her mother’s face.
The broth, which locked in the umami of the meat, also warmed her body. The wasabi served as a condiment added a refreshing touch beyond its sharp spiciness, harmonizing with the duck meat.
There was a dignified beauty in the way she sat with her back straight. Her chopstick technique also felt refined, and Yahiro was captivated by the way she ate.
Next, Yuko reached for the jade-simmered dish.
It was a dish made by peeling and simmering Kaga thick cucumber. As the name suggested, it had a translucent jade color.

“It reminds me of my hometown.”
Yuko lowered her gaze to Kazuki’s cooking.
“I haven't been back home in years. It’s been so long, I’ve started to crave my mother’s home cooking.”
To Yuko, who spoke as if to herself, Kazuki just smiled silently.
That aside, what was the relationship between Yuko-san and Kazuki-san?
They seemed very close, but it didn't feel like they were lovers. Could they be ex-lovers?

— Continued in Episode 30 —

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