As night gradually faded, the first rays of the morning sun cast a warm glow over the tranquil town, bringing life to the quiet streets.
Rindō Kobayashi slowly awoke, still groggy from sleep. Blinking a few times, she found herself in an unfamiliar room and momentarily froze.
"Ugh… Did I drink too much last night?"
She pressed a hand against her forehead, trying to piece together the hazy memories of the previous night.
As fragments of the evening surfaced in her mind, a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. She instinctively tightened her grip on the blanket, inhaling the lingering warmth and subtle fragrance of the room.
Despite waking up in an unfamiliar place, she didn't feel unsafe. On the contrary—there was a certain thrill to it.
This was the first time she had ever stayed the night at someone else's place.
And the owner of this place? An exceptionally handsome man.
Her heart stirred, emotions slightly out of sync.
"What's wrong with me?"
She let out a deep sigh, shaking off the strange feelings swirling inside her.
She knew full well that Zane was no ordinary man.
A person like him—his world wouldn't be confined to just this small tavern. His stage was bound to be something greater, something far beyond this town.
A chef who silently dedicates himself to his craft, yet whose work will inevitably leave a mark on the culinary world.
That was the kind of person Zane was.
And maybe… just maybe… she admired him a little more than she realized?
Creak—
The door to the room opened slowly.
Hearing the faint sound, Rindō Kobayashi, still lost in thought, quickly pulled the covers over her head, pretending to be asleep.
Zane stepped inside and, upon seeing her curled up under the blanket, couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Hah… pretending to be asleep? Do you really think you can fool me?"
With a smirk, he walked over and called out gently,
"Rindō, wake up! The sun is already shining on your backside!"
No response.
She lay still, eyes shut tight, her breathing even and steady—as if she were truly asleep.
But Zane wasn't so easily deceived.
Her crimson hair cascaded over the pillow like silken threads, and despite feigning sleep, a faint flush lingered on her face. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow that only enhanced her charm.
For a brief moment, Zane was dazed.
Then, realizing she had no intention of waking up anytime soon, he smirked mischievously.
Reaching out, he gently pinched her nose.
"Mmph!"
Startled by the sudden discomfort, Rindō Kobayashi instinctively opened her eyes and swatted his hand away.
"Awake now?"
She pouted slightly, rubbing her nose before nodding with a flustered expression.
"…Yeah."
Her gaze flickered toward Zane before quickly shifting downward.
After a brief pause, she muttered, "Chef Zane… I really troubled you this time."
Zane waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
He sat down beside the bed and spoke casually,
"I should've stopped you from drinking so much, but I let you have your fun. You passed out, so I just let you sleep in one of the extra rooms upstairs."
"There are plenty of vacant rooms, so it wasn't a problem."
Hearing this, Rindō Kobayashi finally relaxed, a small smile unconsciously forming on her lips.
"Alright. Thank you."
Zane stretched slightly before standing up. His tone turned light but firm.
"Now that you're awake, freshen up and leave."
"…Huh?"
She blinked in confusion.
Zane crossed his arms. "My tavern doesn't open during the day, so there's no reason for you to stick around."
"You want me to leave?"
She shot up, staring at him in disbelief.
"Yeah. Letting you stay overnight was a one-time thing. Now that you're awake, you shouldn't be loitering around."
For a moment, Rindō Kobayashi was stunned.
Oh wow. This guy really just kicked me out.
But she wasn't about to give up that easily.
"At the very least," she said with a hopeful look, "let me have breakfast first!"
Zane raised an eyebrow.
Seeing his lack of response, she pouted slightly, feeling a bit dejected.
Was that too much to ask?
But to her surprise, he simply shrugged.
"Breakfast? Fine."
"I just developed a new dish. You can taste it and give me some feedback.
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Rindō Kobayashi was momentarily stunned.
Then—
"…Wait, what? You actually agreed?"
Her golden eyes lit up with excitement.
"Not only breakfast, but you're making something new?!"
Without hesitation, she leaped out of bed and hurried after him.
In the Tavern Kitchen
Time passed quickly.
In the kitchen, Zane was already preparing to make Thousand-Layer Pancakes.
Rindō Kobayashi watched in fascination as he skillfully kneaded the dough, his movements precise and efficient.
First, he prepared two types of flour:
• 630g of low-gluten flour
• 420g of high-gluten flour
He added boiling water (99°C) to the low-gluten flour, stirring quickly with chopsticks before kneading it once it cooled.
For the high-gluten flour, he used room-temperature water (20°C) and kneaded it separately.
Once both doughs had partially formed, he combined them into one smooth, elastic dough.
This method created a semi-cooked pastry, which was both soft and pliable, perfect for making Thousand-Layer Pancakes.
Unlike regular dough, this type remained tender even after cooling and had an ultra-thin, multi-layered texture.
But Zane wasn't planning to make ordinary Thousand-Layer Pancakes.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly—
And then, with a sharp gaze, he began to knead the dough with one hand.
Using his fingertips, he spun the dough in a perfect circular motion, stretching and thinning it without tearing.
The pastry spun faster and faster, expanding outward as it became thinner and more translucent.
Rindō Kobayashi's eyes widened.
"W-Wait… what?!"
She was stunned.
No one—absolutely no one—made dough like this!
She had never seen a technique like this before.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
The spinning continued, each movement precise and controlled.
Under Zane's expert hands, the dough stretched and expanded, reaching an astonishing 3-meter diameter.
Its thickness?
Practically invisible to the naked eye—so thin that a pair of chopsticks could pierce through it effortlessly.
Rindō Kobayashi couldn't believe her eyes.
"Is this even possible…?!"
To achieve this level of thinness and elasticity required insane skill, years of experience, and absolute precision.
Seeing the mesmerizing technique unfold before her, she could hardly contain her growing excitement.
"Zane… just how skilled are you?"
As she watched, her admiration for him only deepened.
And perhaps—just perhaps—so did something else.