Saturday.

Originally, Ryohei had planned to take the weekend off. He'd worked like a dog in his previous life; if he had to do the same after being isekai'd, what was the point? But alas, he was short on cash. Renting a new place, opening a shop, and buying a car to get around—it all required money. The startup phase of any new venture is always the toughest. To achieve his dream of a comfortable life as soon as possible, Ryohei had no choice but to work hard for now.

So, early in the morning, he once again took Yurine and Jashin-chan to the market.

"Hmm? Are we selling something different today?" Yurine asked, noticing Ryohei buying double the usual amount of pork loin, as well as some high-quality dark chocolate, heavy cream, and fresh eggs.

"Yep," Ryohei nodded. "I was getting a little tired of Katsu Sando. Time to switch things up."

"A new item?" Jashin-chan's interest was piqued.

"Chocolate Lava Cakes."

"Chef Ryohei, your total for the pork comes to 32,150 yen. Let's just call it an even 32,000," the butcher said with a friendly smile after weighing everything.

"Thanks," Ryohei replied, taking out his wallet to pay. Jashin-chan instinctively took the heavy bags of meat, her face immediately scrunching up. "So heavy!"

Over twenty pounds of pork wasn't exactly light, and she had to carry it all the way home. "Just hold it for now, I'll take over later," Ryohei said, putting his wallet away. For now, they were still relying on manual labor to transport everything, which was one of the reasons his daily stock was limited. Shopping was a real pain.

He had considered renting a car. The rental industry in Japan was well-developed, and a cheap car wouldn't cost much. The problem was, he didn't have a license here. Neither did Yurine. It was a frustrating situation. As a backup, he had ordered a folding trolley from Amazon. It would make shopping trips much easier, and he could use it for the stall as well. It was currently in transit and should arrive tomorrow—just in time for Minos's arrival. Maybe I'll give it to her as a welcome gift, he joked to himself. He was looking forward to Minos's help; with her inexhaustible strength and cheerful personality, his life was about to get a lot easier. Awesome! ദ്ദി˶˃ ᵕ ˂ )✧

"Chocolate Lava Cakes?" Jashin-chan asked, trying to distract herself from the weight of the bags. "Are they like those cupcakes that are always dry?" She pictured a crystalline, paper-thin crust that would crack at the slightest touch, releasing a river of warm, fragrant chocolate. Just thinking about it, especially with her absolute faith in Ryohei's cooking, made her mouth water.

"Not at all," Ryohei said as they walked. "A proper lava cake has a firm, cakey outside, but when you cut into it, the center is filled with warm, molten, liquid chocolate that flows out like lava. We'll top it with a raspberry coulis and a sprinkle of powdered sugar."

"The combination of the rich, warm chocolate and the tart, fresh raspberry is amazing," he added.

"Sounds delicious! Slurp!" Jashin-chan was sold.

Because they were adding a new dessert today and weren't planning on reducing the number of Katsu Sandos, Ryohei bought another large insulated container before they headed back. Tonight's customers were in for a treat: not only was there a new item, but the old favorites were still on the menu. The wealthy could eat more, and those on a budget could try something new. Yurine and Jashin-chan would get a bigger cut of the profits, and Ryohei's wallet would get even fatter. It was a win-win-win situation.

Back at the apartment, it was nearly nine o'clock. Ryohei had just started prepping the ingredients for the cakes when Yurine came to the kitchen door, phone in hand. Jashin-chan trailed behind her, looking completely exhausted.

"The real estate agent is here. Are you ready?" Yurine asked, a hint of excitement in her voice. Moving to a bigger, better place was definitely something to be happy about. Though, a small part of her felt a twinge of regret that Ryohei would have his own room. Having a handsome young man sleeping in her living room had been surprisingly heart-pounding.

"Ready," Ryohei said, wiping his hands on a towel and striding over. "Are they downstairs?"

"Mhm."

"Their service is really good. Of course, the commission fee is probably not cheap, either."

At the narrow genkan, they took turns putting on their shoes. Yurine slipped her sock-clad feet into her orange, round-toed shoes, bent down, and hooked a delicate finger through the loop to pull them on. "Not all agents offer a pick-up service," she said, looking back at him. "It's usually only for remote properties or very large deals. They didn't offer it when I rented this place."

"I see," Ryohei said, waiting for her to move so he could put on his own shoes.

From the landing, they could see a young man in a suit and glasses standing next to a business van, waiting for them. After a brief and polite exchange of greetings, the agent, Mr. Suzuki, respectfully ushered them into the van and drove them to their first location: a single-family house in the Chidori neighborhood of Ota Ward.

Initially, Ryohei had wanted to rent an apartment. To him, an ikkodate felt like a country house, and he, like most young people, preferred the convenience of an apartment.

But after Mr. Suzuki understood their needs and budget, he had strongly recommended an ikkodate. After he sent them photos of a 4LDK apartment and a single-family house in their price range, along with a detailed list of the pros and cons of each, Ryohei decisively changed his mind.

To hell with apartments, he thought. I choose a house!