'...... Hi, I'm Magda, the assistant manager.'
'Haaan!Today's Magda is even more of an angel!

The sunlit pavilion is more chaotic than ever.
No, it's simply the density of idiots is high. Mainly because of Umaro.

Last night...
Magda and Loretta welcomed me back from District 35, and were very surprised to learn that Jeannette hadn't returned.
What was more surprising to me was Magda's sulk.

"A sunny day like this without the ...... manager is ...... poisonous.
"Magda!I'm not sure what to make of it.Now is the time to show us how you've grown up!

Loretta did her best to comfort me, and I was able to avoid the situation. ......
Magda once said.

...... It may be the most painful thing for Magda that she waited and waited for him to come back, but he didn't come back.

When Ginette comes back, I'll spoil her big time.
Until then, please visit ......

'Acting Manager Magda. I've made a prototype of the limited time menu. Please give it a taste.'
'...... Mm. You can have it.
'Yes, I'll take it!

I said to Magda in a gruff, vertical society style, and laid out the limited menu in front of her.
This is how we're going to pass the time.
I'm sure Magda is thinking something like ...... 'I'll just pretend to be on board since I know she's concerned about me.

'Magda!Today's Sunlit Pavilion is a little different from the usual!We're going with a somewhat wild taste!

Loretta told me that she would stay at the Sunken Pavilion until Ginette returned.
And to help us get through Ginette's absence, we've gathered some reassuring helpers.

'Nahhhh!It smells so good!I can't wait to taste it too!
'I'll settle down for a bit. You can eat as much as you want after the assistant manager.'
'No, I don't think you should eat as much as you like. ......'

Delia and Norma in their waitress outfits. And here's Umaro wearing his newly made men's apron.
This apron, designed by me and sewn by Jeannette, is to be worn by Umaro and Bekko, who will be asking for ............ help in the future.
I'm sure the apron and Oumalo will be very happy to have it.

'Accentuate the flavor of the garnish!

Hammaro comes out of the kitchen, one behind the others.
In his hand, he holds a tray with green laver, dried bonito flakes, and red ginger.

'Good. Leave it there, Hammaro.'
'Hammaro?

That's you.

'Well, help me out here, Oumaro.'
'Ooras?
'There's no one else but you, Oumaroo!
'Don't call me that, Hammaro!
'Hammaro?

Leading a group of boisterous men, I begin preparing the teppan.

'...... Is this unfinished?'

Magda says, pointing at the food in front of her.

'No. That was made in the kitchen and it's already finished. You can eat it. What I'm going to make is a demonstration of how to serve it to customers.

The flat and wide griddle used during the festival and the one with many indentations made before and after the festival. These are used to make okonomiyaki and takoyaki. And yakisoba.

'Aaah!I can't stand the smell of sauce!Yashiro!I haven't eaten yet, but I'll have another!

Delia's stomach is growling loudly.
And she's crying a little.

'I'll cook it now, just wait a minute.
'...... Yashiro.'
'Hmm?

While I was thinking about how to keep Delia quiet for the next twenty minutes or so,......, Magda called my name.
You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

'...... Are you going to grill it now?
'What?Oh. I'll be teaching the members here how to cook and stuff.'
'...... Delia.'



Now he calls for Delia, and slides the untouched plate across the table.

'...... to present to Delia.'
'What?Is that okay?
'...... You should eat it before it gets cold.'
'Yeah, that's right!It's a good opportunity!

Delia glanced at me.
You're right, you're right. I guess I'm running out of patience. ...... I can't help it.

'You can eat it.
'Yes!I'll eat it!

Delia bites into the okonomiyaki.
...... Isn't it hot?

'Was it good?'
'As the ...... acting manager.'

A quiet gaze stares at me.

'......I've decided that I should properly taste the food, which is made using the same process as what I serve to my customers.'
'Oh, that's great.'

That's a very impressive statement.
As long as it's not drooling out of the corners of your mouth.

In short, it looks like you're going to have fun baking now and you want to eat it. Along with everyone else.
He's so ...... lonely.

'Then wait a minute. I'll cook you a nice one soon.'
'...... Magda likes shrimp.'
'Yes, yes.'
'Oh, I'll have another one too!
'Yes, yes.

It seems that one serving at a time is not enough, so Delia raises her hand vigorously.
This guy must have gotten his gluttony habit from the gluttony contest. You can't help but think that this is a good idea. .................. No, no, no, no, Delia didn't eat at all, the gluttony contest!
It's just a foodie thing.
It's not as bad as Siraha.

'Then I'll have three servings too.
'...... Why are you here, Bertina?
'I was told Ginette was away.'

Yeah, I told her.
This morning, when I went to donate.
I thought okonomiyaki would be too heavy in the morning, so I made a variety of rice balls with different flavors.
I left the soup to Magda, and Loretta and I just grabbed the rice balls.
This is the moment when we both said, 'The manager is great.
...... Fifty servings is pretty tough.
............ profits are being swallowed up.

And ......

'You've eaten so much, and now you want me to feed you more?
'I was just wondering if I could help.

Are you sure you want to help?
Are you sure you're going to do anything other than tasting?
I've never had Bertina do waitressing, so ...... I'll let her do it, she might be in demand.
...... I just don't want the demand to increase on a day when Ginette isn't around, though.

'I'm going to be helping out all day today. It's the least I can do to repay you for all the help you've given me.
'At ......, I need to order a super mini maid outfit ASAP.'
'Wait, Magda!For today only, please refrain from unnecessarily increasing the demand.

There will be deaths.

'...... has a point. I'm going to operate quietly today.'
'I don't see how that's possible.
'Well, it's impossible. Whenever we start doing something special, there are always a lot of people who come to take a peek.
'Why don't you just invite as many customers as you can?I'm up for any challenge!

No, no, Delia.
You're always in a panic when there's more customers and you can barely handle them, right?
Anyway, let's work on your habit of dashing as fast as you can, okay?

Yashiro-san. May I ask you a question?
'What is it?'

With a calm expression, Bertina raises a small hand.
As usual, she is modest in her assertions. But the words she says are very precise.

'I understand that you want to look at women in an unpleasant way, Yashiro-san, but I'm a sister, so please don't expose yourself too much.
'I wonder if the first part is necessary!

Maybe it's not as accurate as it sounds!
It was Magda who came up with the idea of a super mini maid outfit in the first place!

'That's right, Magda. Bertina's clothes should be modest.


'...... 'Bertina's clothes are modest in fabric'?......Yashiro is an obscenity.'
'Wait a minute . You added an extra word, now?'
'......Yashiro-san'.
'Don't look at me like I'm in trouble, Bertina!

They're playing with ...... me.

'Be a good girl, or I'll burn your okonomiyaki.
'Excuse me. I'm going to put on something indecent.'
'...... I'm sorry. I'll dress you in obscene clothes.'
'No!That's not what I want!That's not what I want, that's what I want!
'Yashiro ......, you're a man ...... who's gone all out .......'
'Norma, I've been watching you closely, up to this point!

It's my loss to be bothered with these guys.
Let's just do a test bake and open the store. Yeah, let's do that.

Hammaro. Grease the griddle.
'You're going to ...... with your bare hands?
'No, no, no, no!

With the speed of light, I stopped Hammaro from dipping his hands in oil and directly stroking the hot griddle.
That's dangerous!
If I don't explain properly, there's no telling what he might do.

'You have to use the right tools to apply the oil.
'Tools?
'You've got tools around here you can use.
'............ Umaro?
'Who's the tool?And don't call me that!
'Well, oil's dangerous, so just use Oumalo.
'Okay.
'Oumalo, do it.'
'You don't say!
'Wow, ...... is a blatantly disparate society...'

While Umaro is greasing the griddle, prepare the dough.
Mix the dough with cabbage, shrimp and other ingredients.

'Okay, Hammaro. Pour this onto the griddle. Oh, and use the tools!
'Umaro, go ahead.
'You've got some nerve, Hammaro!
'Hammaro?

The okonomiyaki was cooked and the tasting was over without a hitch.
During this tasting, Umaro had mastered okonomiyaki. This will be useful for the real thing. Yeah, let's leave the okonomiyaki to Umaro.

'Loretta, take care of the yakisoba, which requires a little more technique.
'I'll leave it to you!

If you use the wrong amount of sauce, you'll get into trouble. I'll ask someone who knows the basics.
I'm sure Loretta can make it just fine. Just a normal yakisoba that tastes good.

'...... Where's Magda?
'You have a special job.'

Then I'll teach Magda how to cook octopus.
Magda was lonely and sulking, so I let her learn something new and concentrate on that.
In the meantime, Ginette returns. I'm sure it will all seem like a blink of an eye.

'...... This is ............ fun.'
'Ooh!That sounds like fun!I want to do it too!I want to do it too!
'It requires a lot of technique, so it's not for Delia.

They were all glued to her as she twirled the tako-yaki with a thousand blades.
It's interesting, isn't it, Takoyaki? The finished product is cute too.

'I'm sure ...... Magda has already mastered it.
'You've only seen it once.
'...... I'll do it.'
'Hah!'Magda is a real angel!
'Umaro, burn okonomiyaki!
'You're annoying, Hammaro!And don't call me that!
'An honest reprimand!



After repeated failures, Magda has mastered the art of takoyaki, and it's time to open the restaurant.
It was time to open the Sunshine Pavilion without Ginette.

'It's a little nerve-wracking to open the restaurant without even the manager preparing the food.
'Don't worry, Loretta. We have an assistant manager we can rely on.
'...... You should feel like you're on a big ship.

We can make it today or tomorrow.
Well, I'm here, so anything's possible.
I was nervous, but I wasn't worried.

I united with the employees who would be working with me for the rest of the day, and opened the door to the restaurant.
A few people were already waiting in line, probably lured by the delicious aroma that had been wafting from the prototype stage.
The queue at the Sunlit Pavilion...... again, no ginette was seen, or.

'Thank you for waiting!The Sunlit Pavilion is open!

At the sound of Loretta's voice, the customers smiled and entered the restaurant in order.
That day, the Sunlit Pavilion had a good turnout from the start, and the importance of ...... Jeannette was sunk into my mind.
............I'm busy. I want to take a break. ............

In the meantime, the sun had passed the top of the mountain and afternoon tea time was upon us.

'Oh!You've finally shown your face, you crusty bastard!

The one who came into the store with a shrill voice was the old man from Zelmar, who had been showing up at the Sunken Pavilion more and more frequently lately.

'Who's the breadwinner, you retard?
'Shut up, you little shit. You don't show your face at all!You've been playing around somewhere anyway!
'I'm sure Jeannette was away on the days I wasn't.'
'The grandson in the sunshine must have had some unavoidable business to attend to. He's not like you.

You old bastard.
He's not hiding his favoritism.

'Oh dear. Long time no see, Yashiro-chan.'

Grandma Mum comes in a little later.
Or rather, Zelmar's old man came to the store just in time for her arrival.
You're embarrassed if you don't pretend to be a coincidence, like a junior high school student. You're so wrinkled.

'Zelmar was lonely without you, Yashiro.'
'Don't be silly, Mum!Who's going to ...... this little shit?
'Heh, ...... old man. He's started to call the old lady ...... out. ...... Heh. ...... I wonder if there's been any progress. ...... grin.'
'Ba!I'm not sure.There's nothing going on here!It's not like I'm going to be able to do anything about it.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of these in the marketplace. You're so pure-hearted. ...... You're so wrinkly.

I'm not sure. I'm sorry. Since you started talking to Yashiro, Zelmar has become more energetic, hasn't he?
'That's not true!Why do I have to go to ......?
Because. You've been coming here and chatting all the time.
'No, that's not it!This little brat doesn't have any respect for his elders, so I'm teaching him!
'When I go home, all I do is talk about Yashiro.
'That's not true!

Ginette said, but Zelmar's swearing seemed to have regained its former glory.
'It's like when you were arguing with your grandfather, you were so lively and rude, and I was having a little fun,' he said.
It's not that I can't stand it when I'm being verbally abused.

But more than that, you know.

'Hey, old man. What do you mean 'even if I go home'?Hmm?Did you finally take the old lady into your house, you old fart?
'Bofufufu!Gofufu!Gosh!Gefgaf!''Gofogafu!
'...... old man,die'.
'Yes, sir. Soon, sir.
'Go-go-go!Who's dying, girls?Don't you dare say a word!
'...... I'm pissed at the old man.'
'I'm scared of you, old man.
'What!I didn't bring him in!I'm not taking you in!' 'Mum, Mum, go to ...... without permission!


'Yes, yes. Don't raise your blood pressure too much. The Grim Reaper is waiting in line behind you.''
'Crap!Whose fault is it?

It's your fault you're bringing old lady Mum in here.
It's 'Mum's own fault'.
You probably said, 'Come and cook dinner' like before. Didn't you say that before?You spoiled old man.

'You spoiled brat general.
'Who's the General?I'm just an ordinary citizen.

Is that what you're angry about?

'No~. It's as lively as ever.'
'Hahaha!This is what a sunny pavilion should be like!You know?

Bobba and Frouft, regular customers from when old Ginette was here, show up together.
Then, a little later, ......

'Well, well, well. I'm the last one again. ...... Thanks, that's not good, hahaha.

Suspicious presence...... Orkio arrived.
Orkio is smaller and thinner than the other old men.
The other old men were all artisans, and in their youth they worked with their bodies to the fullest. That's why even now, when they are wrinkled, their bodies are relatively crisp.
Orkio, on the other hand, is an old man with an intellectual air, more intellectual than physical.
If this guy is a former nobleman, it's no wonder.

He's a dandy with neatly coiffed romance-gray hair and a mustache.
He must have been a very handsome man in his youth.
............ Why did he choose such a ham-like old woman? ......
Maybe Siraha's guy can take the place of an anchor if we keep him on the ship. It's safe in a storm.

......, but...
It is not yet determined that Orkio is the author of the poisonous text.
Even if he is, there is a possibility that he is hiding his past for some reason.
We don't want to expose his past in front of Zelmar and the others and make the relationship between the old men strained.
In the worst case scenario, Orkio would stop showing up at the Sunshine Pavilion, and if that happened, Ginette would be very sad.

Be careful what you ask for. ............

'Bobba, it's been a long time. I didn't know you were still alive.'
'Aye, aye, aye. I'm a very stubborn man.'
'Long time no see, Frodo. Aren't you even hated by the Grim Reaper?'
'Ha-ha-ha!You're as insolent as ever, Onya!
'Orkio, it's been too long since I've seen you...'
'Buchoooooo!

Orkio flipped over.
He flipped over with a force that could have stopped the hearts of all the old men at once, and hit the back of his head hard on the floor.
The old men and women around him were restraining their hearts as if they were in deep pain.

'What's wrong, Orkio, suddenly!
'What, are you trying to kill us?
'Oh, ......, you startled me.'
'Orkio. Are you okay?Oh, that's not what I meant.'

Only Grandma Mum is worried about the fallen Orkio. ............ Are you?

'What's wrong, Orkio?Do you feel like the words you want to say are overflowing?
'Ya, ya, ya, Yashiro-kun!I want to talk to you outside!

Jumping to his feet, Orkio pulled my arm to go outside.
But ......

'What is it?Is this a secret from us, Orkio?
'What's with the watery smell?
'Orkio!Orkio, if you're a man, don't hide anything from me, just tell me right here!

The old men had made the first move and were making their way around the entrance.
Zelmar, Bobba, and Frodo were lined up in front of the door.

'U...... oh, no...... I'm the ............'

Orkio turns around and asks Grandma Mum for help.

'Oh dear. I'd like to ask you a few questions too.

I'm sorry.
Looks like you had no one on your side, Orkio.
Old people love small talk.

'...... If you want to hide your identity, I'll take care of it, okay?
'Yashiro-kun, ............ no.'



Orkio shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, as if he had given up.
He smiled a very soft and humane smile.
Grandma Mum's compassion and Orkio's generosity must be the reason why the Jibaba-kai, made up of rough and twisted people, has not split internally.
She has very deep pockets.
That's the image I have of Orkio.

'I've already told everyone that I'm a fallen nobleman. I'm not good at hiding things.'

Stroking his mustache with troubled eyebrows, Orkio says in a soft voice.
Unlike the other old men, Orkio's tone is pleasant and polite to the ear, as if he had never been rough with his words.

I'm not good at hiding things,.......
That may be true. At any rate, ......

'You only have half a heart in your body,' he said.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.If you're smart, you'll know what I'm talking about, right?Oh, so you do know what you're doing?You're a scary kid!

What, you want to hide things even if you're not good at it?

Did you see that ...... that ............?
Yeah. It's your letter. ......'

I'll call up the Conversation Record.

'I had Gilberta read it aloud to me, so it's stored right here.
'Stop it!Don't do it!

I cover up the Conversation Record as if I'm hugging it.
Well, that was painful. Time to listen to the poisonous text being read aloud.
But somehow, ...... the other girls were entranced, though. ...... There's something wrong with the senses, the girls in this town.

'What's the matter, Orkio!I'm not sure what you're trying to hide.You're not a manly man!

Zermatt is snarling at Orkio.
Yes, yes. It's not very manly to hide things.

'Zelmar. Is there someone you like?'
'Gosh!What are you talking about?No, no, that's not the point right now!
'What is it?Zelmar, is there such a person?
'Onya, you never said a word about that!Say it, say it. Who is it?
''Hey, shut up!We're talking about Orkio now!

You're doing your best to hide something... Smirk.

'You little shit, remember ......!

Zelmar swears in a low voice.
As expected, Grandma Mum didn't get involved in this conversation.
I guess she knows what she's doing, she just doesn't act on it.
Zelmar, if you work hard, your wish will come true, won't it?

I'm not going to tell you.

'Well, so much for the harassment.
'Oh, ...... I knew it was harassment. ...... You're a horrible kid, Yashiro-kun.'

Orkio sits down on an empty chair, looking as if he is about to collapse.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
The average age of people in this store has gone up at once.

'Hey, old guys. What kind of salmon do you want?

Delia comes over to the seated old men.
Yeah. That's zero customer service.
It's only salmon.

'Five Anmitsu!

Fortunately, I can make dessert.
I've prepared several kinds that will be available this afternoon. Of course, I've prepared anmitsu.
Norma, who can cook, and Loretta will do the rest.

So I'll just concentrate on what I have to do.

'Actually, I met Orkio .............'

That must have been enough to get the message across.
Orkio muttered briefly, '...... I see'.
He exhaled a deep breath with a complicated expression.

I am the beloved one who cannot be met.
I'm the one who went to see him. He must have some feelings about it.



'How were you ......?'
'Oh. I've been fine.

I've been incredibly unhealthy, though.

'Well, I'm ...... relieved. She's sensitive and frail.'

You're lying!
There aren't many women with that much brains!
The second thing you say is 'another one, another one'.

But when Orkio heard my words, he smiled happily.
He smiled quietly and nodded happily, saying, 'Well, well, well, ...... how are you?

Ah, you really like me. ......

'Hey, Orkio......'
'Hmm?What is it?
'Do you like ............ ham or something?'
'Hmm?...... I don't understand what you're saying.

No, I was just wondering if you have a ham craving.
Boneless-like.

Well, whatever it is, I won't pry into it.
But there's one thing I need to make sure of.
Does Orkio want to see Sirach?
And does he want to be with her?

Orkio is quietly biting his happiness with the calmness of a man of his age, but with the sparkling eyes of a boy absorbed in his first love.
The two were forcibly separated, but ...... you can clearly see that their time together was filled with happiness.

You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

'It may be against your rules, but ......'.

Before I confirm, I'll give you something that was entrusted to me.
It's a letter from Sirach.
He asked to see the letter, and Siraha presented it to him.
When I told him that I would deliver it to him if he had already written it, he nodded his head several times in delight.

'I've got a letter from Sirach for you.
'Oh, shit!Seriously?Yeeeeeeeeaaahhhhhh!I got Shirapin's new letter!I'm so excited!

I'm so excited!
Who are you?
You're the same person?
You're possessed by something bad!
You've changed too much!

Let me read it!Give it to me!Give me Shirapin's letter!Come on, hurry up!I'm going to crack your balls open and slurp up your brains, you little bastard!
You're scary!It's like being possessed by an evil spirit!What's with the "Shirapin"?You're not that kind of a character, are you?
'Shut up!We're a lovely couple who call each other 'Shirapin' and 'Orkio'!
Are you calling me 'Orkio-sama'?

The glimpse of Orkio's transformation and the lovey-doveyness of the old man and the old woman made my spine shiver. A year's worth of chills must have hit me all at once.

Orcio took the letter from me in a devilish manner, sealed it very carefully, pulled it out of the envelope, and carefully followed the words with his eyes.
...... A couple who look alike.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

Orkio is writhing in agony as he reads that idiotic, song-like rap.
...... loving it?I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea.

But you don't need to ask any more questions.
You can see it clearly in this situation.

Orkio also wants to see Sirach.
And he wants to live with her.

Now we have the go-ahead for the mission.

You'll be useful. To bridge the deep-rooted rift between humans and insects.

'Yashiro. Thank you for delivering the letter.

Orkio put the letter away carefully and bowed his head with a satisfied expression.

'Yashiro-kun, you are Tenderness, aren't you?
'Don't let yourself be influenced by that thing.

What's the Tenderness?

'Hey, you little shit. What the hell are you talking about?I have no idea.'

Zelmar, Grandma Mum, Bobba, Frodo, and Bertina are eating honey beans while watching us.

'Hey, hey, hey!What are you eating, Bertina?


'No, no. I was so engrossed in your letter that I thought you didn't need it.'
'Don't you dare touch my customers' stuff!
'No, no, no. It's okay, Yashiro-kun. I'm too full to eat. Sister. Please eat my portion. It would be a shame to leave it behind.
'Then, I'll take it gratefully.
'You've got the order backwards: ......'

Eat after you've eaten.

'So, what is it?Talk to me.'

Zelma and the others looked at me unhappily, as if they didn't like being left out of the loop.
Only Grandma Mum is smiling at me.

Well, I'll tell them.
Orkio says he's not good at hiding things.
In the first place, it'll all come out anyway.

'I think I'll let Orkio meet my wife.
'What?

It was Orkio who shouted in surprise.
That would be a surprise.

'But, but, the swallowtail butterfly people are at .......'
'I've already talked to them. Lucia will help us.'
'The lord of the 35th district!

There was a sudden buzz inside the Sunlit Pavilion.
I give a summary explanation to Delia and the others who don't know what's going on.
What happened in District 35.
And what I'm going to do now.

'The wedding of Theron and Wendy will be a grand affair involving not only the neighborhood of District 42 but also District 35.

It's a grand plan to have a big parade from Wendy's house.
I'll give you my full cooperation.

'For that, Orkio. I'm going to need your help and Sirach's.'
'...... ours?'

Yes, yes.
After all, you're the senior member of the Bug People and Human interracial marriage.

'I'll let the world know about your marriage as a 'success story'.
''...... 'Success story'?''

Orkio and the others' marriage was met with various obstacles, and as a result, it aroused the suspicion of the Bug People.
But this marriage itself was not a mistake.

Because...
They seem to be so happy together.

We'll show that to the world and make it known.

'Help us, Orkio.
'Are you sure you're okay with me ......?'
'Yes. It has to be you. And if you help me, ......'.

I'll give you the best reward.


'We'll do our best to support you. We'll do our best to help you and Sirach ...... create an environment where the two of you can live together.

The two of you can decide whether you want to live in District 35 or District 42.
Whichever you choose, I will protect your lives with the backing of my lord.
No one will interfere.

You've lived apart, but now you're going to live together.
For the rest of their lives, forever.

'You'll do it, won't you, Orkio?
'............'

Orkio turned his head and shook his shoulders.
But when he looked up, he raised his fist high in the air.

'Yee-hah!

............ Yeah. At any rate. I'm not sure what to say. I'm sorry.
And don't make me imagine ....... Don't make me imagine a lovey-dovey old lady.

Anyway... Orkio's in the mood.
I'll have something good to report when I pick up Jeannette tomorrow afternoon.


But first...

I've got a few more things to take care of. In the 42nd precinct.