NOVEL NEXT Volume 2, Prologue
Volume 2, Prologue
Characters
Helena
A waitress at Risa’s café.
Her family runs a bakery.
Favorite food: Ice cream
Alan
A new café employee.
Ex-royal chef apprentice.
Favorite food: Pancakes
Olivia
A new café employee.
Single mother for her young son.
Favorite food: Nikujaga (beef stew)
BasilEmerald spirit watching over Risa.
Around 20cm tall.
Favorite food: Tamagoyaki (rolled egg)
Keith
Royal sous-chef.
Flirtatious, but his title isn’t just for show.
Favorite food: Karaage (deep-fried chicken)
The capital of Feliformia. A few steps into the tools street off the main road stands a small compact shop.
The sign hanging on the bright red door read Café Omusubi, the shop’s name.
Lauded for its unfamiliar yet delicious cuisine, its name reached far and wide outside the capital and throughout the countries.
However, only a select few knew that the store was managed by Risa, a woman who came from another world.
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“Excuse me, I’d like to order!”
“Yes, right away!”
Around noon one day. Even though Café Omusubi had just opened, the shop quickly filled with a swarm of customers.
“I’ll have this omusubi lunch set.”
“Me too.”
The pair of young women said, pointing at the menu.
“All right.”
The girl with a bob cut in a black uniform smiled and nodded, writing notes on the paper in her hands.
“Would you like anything to go with that?”
“Would you like a drink with that?”
She smoothly asked such questions before bowing and returning to the large counter in the middle of the shop.
Watching her leave, one of the two women who ordered murmured, “I hope it comes soon!”
“Me too! I’m so glad we managed to grab a seat!”
“Yeah. I mean, just look at that line!”
There was a line of people outside the window waiting for seats to clear. There were also people who peeked into the store and went home after buying takeaway food with complicated expressions.
Seeing the people outside, the two female customers felt a tiny bit of superiority.
After a while, another employee came to their table with two plates. She smiled and placed the plates on the table.
“Thank you for your patience. Your omusubi lunch sets.”
“It’s here, it’s here!”
On the left of the plate were two types of omusubi. On the right, a steaming bowl of miso soup full of ingredients. There was also a small bowl of salad with tamagoyaki on the side.
The two customers no longer saw anything other than the food in front of them.
While finding their excitement charming, the store employee gave a simple explanation of the food before quickly excusing herself.
They immediately picked up their forks and puzzled over which omusubi to eat first.
One type was white rice mixed with bits of colorful green and pink. The other type was grilled golden brown on the surface.
After some deliberating, they each picked a type and scooped a bite out with their forks.
Their eyes, sparkling with anticipation, widened in amazement.
“Yummm!”
“Mmm, it really is! I’ll have the other one this time.”
“Me too!”
They chittered over the quickly disappearing food. The next breath they took was over tea.
“I’m stuffed!”
“It was so yummy! It always is though.”
“Right?”
They nodded to each other, satisfied.
“Hey, the one who brought us the food, that was the store owner, right?”
“It seems so. She’s amazing despite her age, right?”
“She doesn’t seem much different from us, yeah…”
The woman who bustled about serving food and giving other employees orders.
The two female customers watched her in awe, her long hair tied in a ponytail swaying with her movements.
His Highness Edgar
Crown prince of the Feliformia kingdom.
Blonde hair blue eyed Prince?.
Raises marriage talks with Risa this time.
Favorite food: Hamburg steak
Zeke
Ex-knight and cook at the café.
At first it seemed his feelings towards Risa were simple respect, but…?
Favorite food: Pudding
Risa (Kurokawa Risa)Ex-office worker transported to another world.
Store owner of Café Omusubi.
Fighting every day to spread the good food from Earth!
Favorite food: Japanese cuisine