Chapter 37: Shopkeeper, Please Stop This Fraud!

"Yes, Auntie."

Sui greeted the elderly lady with a warm smile. His family had been running a snack bar in this neighborhood for a long time, and the locals all knew him.

"It's not easy for you, but keep at it!"

The neighbor aunt encouraged him kindly.

"Thank you, Auntie."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Sui got to work cleaning the shop.

---

An hour later.

"Finally done."

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Sui took a moment to survey the now-clean store. Even though the shop still looked old, the fresh cleaning gave it a certain charm—a sense of nostalgia and time.

He then pulled out a small blackboard, paused for a moment in thought, and wrote the menu:

- Sautéed Cabbage: 20,000 yen

- Sinangag Fried Rice: 20,000 yen

After finishing the menu, Sui prepared to open for business.

But the prices are so high… he mused. In a high-end restaurant, maybe, but this is just a small street-side shop. Will people really pay this much? Still, he believed his cooking was worth the price.

---

About half an hour later, the first customers arrived—a young couple.

"I'm exhausted. Let's eat here?" the girl suggested to her boyfriend.

The boy nodded, and the two of them walked in, took a seat, and casually asked, "Are you the owner here? What do you recommend?"

"We have Sautéed Cabbage and Sinangag fried rice," Sui replied.

"Only two items?" The boy frowned but, feeling awkward about leaving after sitting down, hesitated before saying, "Alright, we'll have one of each."

"Sure. But payment is required upfront—80,000 yen in total," Sui said with a nod.

"H-How much?"

The couple froze in shock. Eighty thousand yen? Even a full luxurious meal doesn't cost that much!

"Manager, you must have made a mistake, right?" the girl stammered.

"No mistake. You can check the prices on the blackboard," Sui shrugged.

The couple glanced at the blackboard, confirming the outrageous prices—20,000 yen per dish.

"You… you're running a shady business!" they exclaimed, unable to stay calm any longer, jumping up from their seats.

"Not at all," Sui replied calmly. "Our food has a unique flavor that brings happiness. You'll understand once you try it."

"Happiness? More like something that'll make us cry!" the boy retorted angrily. "We're not falling for this scam. Let's go," he said, turning to his girlfriend.

"Yeah," she agreed, and the two of them stormed out of the shop.

Sui could only sigh helplessly as he watched them leave. I guess selling food does require patience…

---

Over the next hour, several more groups of customers entered the shop, only to be scared off by the high prices. Some even threatened to call the police.

Just then, Luna burst into the shop with a cheerful shout. "Sui, are you here?"

"Luna? What are you doing here? Isn't this the peak dinner rush at your family's restaurant? Won't your dad be upset if you're not there to help?"

Sui was surprised to see her. Normally, Luna would be busy working at her own family's izakaya during this time.

"Nope! I already asked my dad for time off. I was worried you'd need help handling things here." She grinned.

"By the way, why is your shop so empty, Sui?" she asked curiously, glancing around. "It's never been this quiet before."

"Maybe because it just reopened," Sui replied.

"That makes sense… But don't get discouraged, Sui! Starting a business takes time," she encouraged him. However, as she turned and saw the menu on the blackboard, her eyes widened in shock. "S-Sui! Is your menu wrong? 20,000 yen per dish?!"

"No, that's the correct price," Sui confirmed with a nod.

"But… this…" Luna was at a loss for words.

She had initially thought the lack of business was due to some mistake on the menu, but now she wasn't sure what to think.

"Don't worry," Sui smiled at her surprised expression. He was confident in his cooking. As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush. If the food was worth the price, customers would come eventually.

---

Another hour passed, but still no one entered the shop. Instead, the high prices drew complaints from angry passersby.

"How can they charge so much in this alley? This has to be a scam!"

"Yeah, no way this place is legit!"

The growing murmurs made Luna's face pale. It was the first time she'd ever encountered such a situation.

"Amu, maybe you should lower the prices," she suggested hesitantly.

"It's fine," Sui remained calm, unfazed by the negative reactions.

"If you're not interested in buying, please refrain from criticizing our food," he said coolly.

---

At that moment, a loud voice cut through the commotion. "Hey! Are you the shop owner? This isn't right!"

Sui turned to see a girl with orange hair, sporting bows on either side of her head, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Behind her stood a tall boy with black hair, wearing an expressionless look.

"Huh?" Sui blinked, recognizing them. Aren't they…?

After a moment, it clicked. Isn't that Sakura Chiyo from Monthly Girls'? And the guy behind her—wasn't that the famous shoujo manga artist, Umetarou Nozaki?

Seeing Sui lost in thought, Sakura shouted again, "Shopkeeper! This is fraud! What you're doing is wrong—stop it immediately!"

Sui couldn't help but laugh. "And why do you think I'm a fraud?"