"Two servings of fried tofu, two servings of sukiyaki pouch, two servings of beef tendon, two servings of kelp, two servings of egg, two servings of chikuwa rolls. Pack them separately, please."
Takashi ordered a whole bunch in one go.
When it came time to pay, he simply handed over a 1,000-yen bill.
What shocked Maki the most was that despite ordering so much, Takashi spent less than 1,000 yen.
The elderly lady at the counter even gave him change.
"Here you go, young man, take it."
The old lady, who ran the shop, placed all the food into two small bowls, scooped in a few spoonfuls of light, sweet broth, and handed them over.
Takashi carried the two brimming bowls of oden over to Maki, handed her one, and cheerfully said, "Itadakimasu!"
Then, he took a big bite of the sukiyaki pouch.
Maki held the small bowl in her hands, hesitantly looking it over.
'It's this cheap… I won't get sick from eating it, will I?'
No friend had ever taken Maki to a hole-in-the-wall place before.
After all, the people she could get along with were mostly from wealthy or prestigious families.
Even Tanuma Tsubasa, who she considered to be from a modest background, was still far better off than Takashi—there was no way he would come to a place .
After all, Tanuma Tsubasa was from a humble but respectable family, not from the lower class.
Fun fact: "Humble origins" refers to a family of modest means, not the impoverished. So, dear NPCs, stop claiming to be from humble origins—you don't even qualify!
If even Tanuma Tsubasa wouldn't set foot here, then there was no way Maki would.
It was only because Takashi brought her here that she stayed. If it had been anyone else, she would have turned on her heel and left immediately.
Taking her to a place —are you trying to humiliate her?
Only Takashi could get away with this.
Because Takashi was poor.
Ordinary people lived their lives in an ordinary way, while the wealthy lived theirs differently.
In Maki's eyes, this was probably just Takashi's everyday life. If he had insisted on taking her to a fancy restaurant, she would have thought he was putting on airs.
Holding the small bowl, she hesitated for a long time before glancing at Takashi out of the corner of her eye.
He was eating in huge mouthfuls, savoring every bite with such enthusiasm that anyone watching would think he was feasting on some gourmet delicacy.
The more she watched, the more she subconsciously swallowed.
'Is it really that good?'
Takashi ate with such gusto that it actually made Maki hungry just from watching him.
She picked up a skewer of beef tendon and took a small, elegant bite.
The beef tendon was tender and flavorful, soaked in the delicious broth. Maki's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she covered her mouth.
"This is… really good!"
She hadn't expected that a run-down little shop tucked away in an alley, with such a shabby appearance and simple setup, would serve food that actually tasted this good.
"Right? I told you so!"
Takashi grinned smugly.
If a place didn't serve good food, he wouldn't come back.
And he definitely wouldn't bring Maki here.
"It might not be as healthy as what your private chefs cook, but it's delicious."
To Takashi, struggling through life on a healthy diet sounded far worse than eating whatever tasted good and living a little less long.
Junk food made him happy.
Maki picked up a sukiyaki pouch and took a bite, discovering that it was stuffed full of beef, tender and slightly sweet.
Of course, it wasn't high-quality beef.
At just 150 yen each, what more could you expect?
This was the most satisfying meal Maki had ever had.
When she finally set her bowl down, she realized she had finished every last piece of oden!
Even she found it unbelievable.
It was her first time eating oden, and while she admitted that this place made it taste quite good, it wasn't that amazing.
She had eaten all kinds of gourmet food growing up—what hadn't she tasted?
No matter how good it was, she normally wouldn't eat this much.
Yet somehow, she had finished an entire bowl.
While she was still puzzling over it, Takashi stood up.
"Come on, let's go. Next stop: the bakery!"
Maki looked up in astonishment.
Hadn't they just eaten?
"Walking helps with digestion."
Takashi didn't wait for her reply, grabbing her by the wrist and leading her toward the bakery.
On the way, he stopped by a small grocery store and spent 300 yen on two cups of freshly ground soy milk—so thick it was almost like paste.
They drank as they walked, passing by many elderly people on the streets.
After a short stroll, they finally arrived at the bakery Takashi had mentioned.
The shop was run by an old man, working alone.
The storefront was decorated with numerous posters and photographs of him alongside celebrities from past decades.
Judging by the pictures, he had once been featured in many magazines and TV shows.
The middle-aged man in the photos, full of youthful energy, was now an elderly figure with white hair.
The shop itself still retained its traditional charm.
The faded molds, worn-out price tags—everything spoke of the passage of time.
The shelves displayed five different types of bread, all priced differently, but the most expensive one was only 300 yen per pack.
Takashi bought two of each kind.
Altogether, he spent just 1,500 yen.
Holding soy milk in one hand and bread in the other, the two of them ate as they walked.
The May sky in Tokyo was a deep, clear blue, as if ink had been poured into it.
Scattered white clouds floated above, and the sunlight was warm and gentle.
Maybe it was because of last night's rain, but today's temperature was much cooler than the previous days.
A light breeze blew, lifting the boy's hair and the girl's skirt.
With the wind brushing against their skin, the two wandered leisurely through a forgotten street in Tokyo.
Quietly passing the time.
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money]