The aroma grew stronger, and a young man wearing a trendy hoodie in the crowd was the first to lose his patience.
He struggled to squeeze to the front, his eyes fixed on the skewers sizzling with oil on the grill, his Adam’s apple unconsciously bobbing up and down.
“Hey, are you selling these skewers?”
Haruto glanced at the young man, his lips twitching slightly, his tone lazy.
“Why would I be here if I wasn’t selling them?”
The young man was momentarily speechless.
But joy immediately appeared on his face, and he quickly followed up.
“Then how much is one skewer?”
Haruto held up one finger, his tone calm and steady.
“Ten thousand yen.”
“Ten thousand?”
The young man froze for a moment, just about to nod, then suddenly reacted, as if he had heard something incredible, his voice sharply rising.
“Are you robbing people? How dare you sell such a small skewer of meat for ten thousand yen?”
Not only the young man, but the surrounding onlookers were also in an uproar.
“Are you crazy? Ten thousand yen can buy a whole watermelon, and this skewer isn’t even as thick as my finger!”
“Exactly, exactly! That price is outrageous. Who would buy it?”
“Isn’t this just a gimmick?”
“He’s trying to fool idiots…”
The discussions rose and fell, but Haruto acted as if he hadn’t heard them, continuing to flip the skewers by himself.
In his opinion, this price was already a bargain sale.
This was Regal Mammoth meat; ordinary people couldn’t eat it.
If he weren’t desperate for money and afraid of scaring everyone away, he would have loved to directly quote a price of a million per skewer.
“If you think it’s expensive, leave. Buy it or don’t.”
Haruto didn’t even lift his head, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.
If his pockets weren’t completely empty, he wouldn’t bear to take out such a good thing and sell it cheaply to others…
Just as he was speaking, Haruto’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly picked up one of the skewers.
The heat was perfect.
If it were grilled for even one second longer, the tender texture of the meat would be compromised.
Haruto glanced at the hesitant young man, casually pinched a small amount of orange salt, sprinkled it evenly on the skewer, and then bit into it without hesitation.
As his teeth broke through the crispy outer layer, the internal meat juices instantly burst out.
The warm meaty aroma mixed with a faint orange fragrance exploded in his mouth.
The meat was firm and springy, yet melted in his mouth, without the slightest hint of gamey odor, only extreme deliciousness surging on his tongue.
This taste was simply divine enjoyment.
And it looked like he really did have a talent for cooking!
Of course, the main reason was his deep understanding of Regal Mammoth meat, which allowed him to cook it so perfectly.
After one skewer, he was still craving more.
Haruto simply picked up two more freshly grilled skewers, sprinkled them with orange salt, and began eating them in large mouthfuls.
The grease ran down the corners of his mouth, but he paid it no mind.
Watching Haruto eat, his mouth dripping with oil and his face full of satisfaction, the young man’s throat began to itch again.
The rich meaty aroma was like an invisible hand, making him unbearably eager.
Gritting his teeth, as if having made a certain decision, he pulled a ten-thousand-yen bill from his wallet and slapped it down onto the small stool in front of Haruto.
“Give me one skewer!”
“Wait a moment.”
Haruto mumbled a response, his mouth still full of meat, his cheeks bulging…
Only after swallowing the last bite did Haruto slowly pick up a perfectly grilled skewer of Regal Mammoth meat, sprinkle a thin layer of orange salt on it, and hand it to the young man.
The young man snatched the skewer and eagerly shoved it into his mouth.
The moment his teeth sank in, his entire body froze.
He felt as if he saw a giant beast, covering the sky and sun, violently crashing into his taste buds.
Extreme deliciousness instantly swept through his entire mouth.
This was a taste he had never experienced—rich, intense, carrying a hint of perfect smoky flavor, with a faint orange fragrance lingering on his tongue.
The meat juices exploded between his teeth.
The young man couldn’t help but let out a suppressed moan, his body twisting slightly uncontrollably, his face full of intoxication and satisfaction, as if he were floating above the clouds.
Haruto watched the young man’s strange appearance, his brow slightly furrowed, his eyes holding a hint of disdain.
Wasn’t this reaction a bit too exaggerated?
He only sprinkled some orange salt; he didn’t drug him.
The surrounding onlookers, however, were accustomed to the young man’s appearance, but the chatter gradually died down, replaced by curious gazes.
The young man quickly finished the skewer, licking his lips with lingering desire, his eyes filled with fervor.
He simply pulled out all the money in his wallet, counted it, and then slapped the whole wad into Haruto’s hand.
“I’ll take thirteen more skewers!”
Haruto looked at the thick stack of bills in his hand, and a smile finally curled up on his lips.
“No problem.”
He then continued to slowly and methodically flip the skewers on the grill.
The onlookers watched this scene, and those who weren’t short on cash began to have fervent looks in their eyes.
Judging by the young man’s reaction, perhaps these ten-thousand-yen skewers really were worth the price?
Soon, a second person who couldn’t resist stepped forward, pulling out ten thousand yen.
“Boss, give me one skewer too!”
Following closely were the third, the fourth…
Without exception, everyone who tasted the skewers pulled out all the money they had, wishing they could buy all the remaining skewers from Haruto…
Inside the Yukihira Restaurant, deep within the Shopping Street.
Yukihira Soma scratched his head, looking confusedly at the two empty tables in the shop.
“Dad, why are there so few customers today?”
Hearing Yukihira Soma’s words, Joichiro Yukihira carried the freshly cooked dish, glanced around, and replied casually.
“Well, things like this happen occasionally.”
Although he said that, Joichiro Yukihira’s heart was also filled with doubt.
Since he took over the cooking at the diner, the place had always been full during mealtimes.
This was the first time this situation had occurred.
However, since there were still customers waiting to eat, he couldn’t step away to investigate what was happening.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Shopping Street, Haruto handed the last five grilled skewers to a middle-aged man.
He then shrugged helplessly at the crowd gathered in front of him.
“I apologize, everyone, but the ingredients are all sold out. If you want to eat, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
He had originally worried that the price he set was too high and that he wouldn’t sell much, but clearly, he had underestimated the allure of good food.
If he had known this, he should have raised the price even higher.
“Ah? How could it be sold out already! I’ve been queuing for so long!”
“Boss, are you coming back tomorrow? You absolutely must come!”
“Can you work overtime? I’m willing to pay double the price!”
“…”
A chorus of disappointed wails rose from the crowd, while those who had eaten the skewers looked relieved.
The middle-aged man who received the last five skewers turned and tried to leave.
But he was blocked by several people who hadn’t managed to buy any.
“Big Brother, I’ll offer eleven thousand. How about selling me one skewer?”
The middle-aged man shook his head rapidly.
“Sorry, absolutely not for sale.”
Saying that, the middle-aged man quickly dodged the others and ran into the distance.