Walking over to Yuan's table, the proprietress scrutinized him with her gaze.
"So you're the one who wants to work here?"
The proprietress's voice, like her person, was capable yet gentle.
"Yes, Proprietress. My name is Suō Tsukasa, and I've just arrived in the inner district from the outskirts."
Yuan—now to be called Suō Tsukasa—stood up from his seat and bowed slightly in response.
Soul Society lacked strict identification, and using a pseudonym was for better integration.
"I hope to find a job here. I can do anything related to the kitchen."
The entire izakaya wasn't very large; one waitress was enough to handle the front.
The deep-colored fabric of the proprietress's cuff, close to her wrist, was distinctly darker—a mark of water staining.
The kitchen was usually the busiest, so he aimed directly for the key position.
As for his claim that he "can do anything," it wasn't an exaggeration. He truly had experience with all kitchen-related tasks: washing, carrying, processing ingredients, and cooking.
When he entered, he had already scanned the menu on the wall. It was entirely composed of common izakaya dishes, fewer than half the quantity of the izakaya where he'd worked part-time before crossing over. This suggested that resources in the Rukongai were relatively scarce.
"Suō Tsukasa?"
The proprietress softly repeated the name. This surname was quite uncommon, but it wasn't something worth dwelling on.
"You say you can do anything in the kitchen. That's quite a boast."
The proprietress glanced at Suō Tsukasa. The young man's appearance and demeanor didn't suggest he was capable of manual labor, which piqued her curiosity.
"Well, let's have a trial then. Follow me."
She led the way toward the kitchen, clearly intending to see how much real skill this boastful young man possessed.
"Thank you very much!"
Suō Tsukasa bowed earnestly again, then stepped forward to follow.
"Good luck."
As he passed the waitress, she clenched her fist and whispered a word of encouragement to Suō Tsukasa.
Suō Tsukasa tilted his head, a slight smile on his lips, and returned a reassuring look before following the proprietress into the kitchen.
As the dark fabric curtain leading to the kitchen was pulled back and dropped, the noise and voices from the front hall seemed largely cut off, replaced by the scent of fresh ingredients, residual moisture from washing, the smoky scent of burning firewood, and the unique blend of various seasonings—the smell of a kitchen.
"Come on, start by helping out."
The proprietress was a straightforward person, wasting no time on pleasantries. She took a washed-out apron from the wall and handed it to Suō Tsukasa, pointing to the orders displayed on the wall.
Afterward, she walked to the stove to check the heat of the stew.
"Yes."
Taking the apron, Suō Tsukasa drew the stone axe from his waist, casually placing it in a corner where it wouldn't obstruct anything. He tied the apron, walked to the sink for a brief cleaning, and then headed straight for the stone pool where live fish were kept.
The layout of the izakaya in Rukongai, aside from using a clay stove for fire, was largely similar to his memory, and he had no difficulty adjusting.
While tending to the boiling pot, the proprietress watched the new young man out of the corner of her eye.
Suō Tsukasa rolled up his sleeves, revealing his capable arms. He steadily scooped a skipjack tuna from the pool, bled it using the long nail hung beside the pool, then scaled and rinsed it at the sink.
After wiping the fish's surface dry, he turned to the cutting board, picked up the kitchen knife, and quickly opened the belly, cleaned the internal organs, and scored the fish. The sequence of movements was fluid and swift, without any hesitation.
That skilled and steady technique caused a flicker of surprise in the proprietress's eyes. This young man didn't seem to be boasting after all.
"Proprietress, please take a look."
Suō Tsukasa placed the prepared fish on a wooden platter and pushed it smoothly towards the proprietress.
Truthfully, even Suō Tsukasa himself was surprised by his performance just now. Although he cooked for himself regularly, it had been years since he had been in a proper kitchen like this. Yet, when he handled the knife today, he felt an intuitive familiarity.
"No problem, continue."
Glancing at it, the proprietress nodded, signaling him to complete the subsequent steps.
"Yes."
Sizzle—!
A crisp, pleasant sound burst out in the kitchen. Suō Tsukasa held the pan handle at the stove, gently shaking it to let the hot oil evenly coat the fish.
Before long, a primal and tempting aroma of searing spread through the air. Once the fish was covered in a golden-brown, crispy crust on both sides, he quickly sprinkled a pinch of coarse salt, waiting for the grains to melt quickly under the heat and permeate the fish's flesh.
To enhance the flavor, just before taking it off the heat, Suō Tsukasa drizzled a small amount of sake into the pan, causing a burst of fragrant steam to rise from the bottom.
After neatly sliding the fish onto an earthenware dish, he added a small mound of freshly grated daikon radish on the side. The dish was complete.
Just as he finished the dish, the proprietress extended a well-defined hand, lightly touched the fish, brought it close to her mouth to taste, and nodded.
"Tsukasa, you can just call me Terada-san from now on. Serve it up."
"Oh, and the one outside is Tamaki. Remember to thank her properly later."
No further words were needed; this was the most direct acknowledgment and acceptance.
The proprietress had only come out because Tamaki's repeated pleas had worn her down. She hadn't expected to find such a gem.
"Yes, Terada-san."
Suō Tsukasa placed the plate on the serving counter and lightly tapped the copper bell on the side. A clear 'ding' sound rang out, and he turned back to continue completing the other orders.
A little while later, Tamaki, retrieving the orders and placing additional ones, peeked through the window and smiled widely when she saw Suō Tsukasa and the proprietress, Terada-san, busy working in the kitchen.
Before the dinner rush.
After the afternoon diners left, Suō Tsukasa worked with Tamaki and Terada-san to prepare for the evening service. When the last stack of wooden bowls was neatly stored, the three sat down at the table next to the serving counter.
On the table sat a steaming pot of rice, a few dishes of pickles, individual bowls of miso soup, and a bowl of the stew cooked earlier, the radishes, potatoes, and meat in the stew emitting an inviting sheen and tempting aroma.
The bustling izakaya was quiet save for the occasional light crackle from the embers in the clay stove and the faint bubbling of the stew pot.
"Good work."
"Eat more; we still have a busy evening ahead."
Terada-san sat at the head of the table, her posture sharp as a proprietress. She meticulously served two bowls of rice and pushed them towards Suō Tsukasa and Tamaki on either side.
"I humbly receive this food."
The three clasped their hands together and said. As their voices faded, Tamaki casually picked up a piece of pickle and placed it in her bowl, while Terada-san took a moment to taste her rice.
To them, eating was more like a simple ritual, easing their body's fatigue with the scent of food and grounding themselves with a greater sense of being "alive."
In the middle of the meal, only Suō Tsukasa's eating speed was noticeably faster. Although he maintained a proper posture, sitting upright and chewing quietly, his movements were distinctly quicker, like a fast-forward button compared to the other two.
It couldn't be helped. Heaven knows, if Suō Tsukasa hadn't occasionally taken small tastes during the cooking process, he would have passed out from hunger in the kitchen long ago.
Finally getting to eat a proper, hot meal, Suō Tsukasa had never felt the rice he was chewing in his mouth taste so touchingly sweet!
Terada-san's gaze swept over his rapidly moving chopsticks. She said nothing, but subtly pushed the bowl of stew closer to him.
This subtle gesture caused Suō Tsukasa's hand movements to pause slightly, before he once again focused on enjoying his first meal since crossing over.