The layout of Genki Sushi resembled a bar, with a counter where the chefs prepared food.
Once a dish was ready, they placed it on a small plate and set it on the constantly moving conveyor belt.
Kyousuke and his two companions sat in a row at the counter.
In front of them was a small divider displaying various signature sushi dishes and other menu items.
Each seat was equipped with a touchscreen for ordering.
After placing their orders, all they had to do was wait.
Once their food reached them on the conveyor belt, it would briefly stop, allowing them to take their plates.
Much like single-serving hot pots or capsule hotels, Kyousuke felt that conveyor belt sushi perfectly embodied the efficiency of Japanese culture—eliminating even the need for servers to bring food to the table.
Since this was their first time experiencing it, both Yuzuru and Kyousuke were engrossed in exploring the digital menu.
"Kyousuke-kun, here's some tea for you." Shouko handed him a cup of green tea.
"Nee-chan, what about mine?" Yuzuru, seated between them, called out.
"Be patient, Yuzuru." Shouko smiled gently as she prepared another cup, scooping green tea powder into it before filling it with hot water from the tap built into the counter.
The tea powder was stored in small jars on the table, while the water taps were integrated into the bar.
"Oh, it even has Foreign language support." Kyousuke took a sip of the perfectly warm tea and looked at the screen in surprise.
"I remember you occasionally using English proverbs before," Shouko said as she leaned over to glance at his screen, which had switched to the Chinese interface.
"Wait, wait—Kyousuke-niisan, you can actually read an entire menu in English?" Yuzuru stretched her neck between them, eager to see.
"For something like this, yeah, no problem." Kyousuke pointed at a few sushi options and pronounced their names in English.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Yuzuru whispered in awe, impressed by his fluent pronunciation.
"Haha, it's nothing. If you're interested, Yuzuru, I can teach you later. For now, let's focus on ordering—you kept saying you were hungry, remember?"
"Oh, right! I got distracted by everything around me."
Yuzuru scratched her head before turning back to her tablet to place her order.
Shouko leaned in beside her, making selections as well.
"Ahh, everything looks so good! I don't know what to pick." Yuzuru frowned, overwhelmed by the choices.
"How about the kids' meal?" Kyousuke pointed at a large advertisement hanging above them.
"It even comes with a Maruko-chan toy."
The kids' meal included mini udon, tamago sushi, flying fish roe, inari sushi, crab stick rolls, and a small orange juice—perfectly filling for someone Yuzuru's size.
"But I want sushi!" Yuzuru was torn, eyeing the cute Maruko-chan plushie in the ad.
"No worries. You order the kids' meal, and Shouko and I will order sushi. You can have anything you want from ours." Kyousuke made the decision for her.
With that settled, the ordering process became straightforward.
Kyousuke was already familiar with most of the common sushi varieties, and Shouko knew his preferences well, so they quickly placed their orders.
Now, they just had to wait—a perfect time for taking photos.
Since this was a popular spot, the restaurant's unique decor attracted a constant stream of customers snapping pictures.
Fortunately, the space was spacious enough to avoid feeling overcrowded.
"Shouko, take a picture of me!" Yuzuru stood in front of a Maruko-chan figure sticking out its tongue and mimicked the pose, her own tiny tongue poking out playfully.
Shouko, not used to handling cameras, fumbled a bit.
"I'll take it. After Yuzuru's turn, you should do the same pose, Shouko. I bet you'd look adorable." Kyousuke took the camera, ruffling Shouko's hair with a smile.
"Okay!" Shouko grinned and ran over to hug Yuzuru.
The sisters stuck out their tongues together, making silly faces at the Maruko-chan figure.
Kyousuke laughed, unable to resist capturing the moment.
He pressed the shutter, freezing the image in time.
The photo showed Shouko bending down, her soft arms wrapped around Yuzuru from behind, resting her head atop Yuzuru's.
Her eyes squinted tightly, tongue out in an exaggerated attempt at a goofy expression.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she still looked adorably innocent.
Yuzuru, on the other hand, was a pro at making funny faces—pulling down her lower eyelids with both index fingers, revealing part of the whites of her eyes.
Her tongue even wobbled slightly, leaving a blur in the photo, with tiny droplets of saliva visible mid-air.
"Alright, next spot!" Kyousuke gestured for them to move aside for the next group of customers.
They then found another photo spot featuring a Maruko-chan cutout where visitors could poke their faces through.
"Hahaha! Nee-chan, you look hilarious!" Yuzuru burst into laughter as she watched Shouko peering through the cutout, her baby-fat cheeks making her expression even funnier.
Kyousuke snapped several photos as other girls nearby excitedly asked to take pictures with Shouko.
Her round face, squeezed into the cutout's space, paired with the spiky, jagged hairstyle of Maruko-chan, made her look even more endearingly silly.
The cuteness was irresistible, and soon, a small group of girls gathered around, requesting photos.
Kyousuke took a few shots of Shouko looking slightly flustered as she was surrounded.
Though she was still a bit shy, she quickly adapted, striking cute poses for the camera.
She's really grown, Kyousuke thought.
Back in middle school, she would have just watched from afar, too timid to join in.
Now, she naturally attracted people around her.
Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to her school life lately, he mused. I should ask her about it later.
"Our Shouko is amazing!" he said as the group of girls thanked her and left.
"Hehe." Shouko tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushed pink.
Though still shy, she was clearly happy that so many strangers liked her.
"You're awesome, Nee-chan!" Yuzuru gave her a thumbs-up.
"Alright, let's head back. Our food should be here soon," Kyousuke reminded them.
Hearing this, Yuzuru, who had been distracted by the fun, suddenly remembered her hunger and quickly dragged Shouko back to their seats.
Although it was sushi, the place was known for being budget-friendly.
Classic options like tuna, salmon, and snapper sushi were all priced at a uniform 110 yen per plate.
Even someone on a tight budget, like Kyousuke, could eat his fill here.
Of course, the restaurant's popularity wasn't just due to its decor and low prices—the quality was excellent.
The ingredients weren't high-end, but they were incredibly fresh, living up to the name "Genki" (meaning "energy" or "vitality").
Just as he was thinking this, Shouko placed a large black pepper salmon sushi on his plate.
Though he could eat raw fish, his past life habits made him less fond of it.
But this one was different—topped with a dollop of mayo, chopped scallions, and a generous coating of black pepper.
He took a bite, and the rich, fatty salmon melted in his mouth—smooth, flavorful, and without any of the unpleasant textures of low-quality raw fish.
"Whoa, this is amazing! Shouko, try it!" Kyousuke's eyes lit up.
Shouko hesitated under his gaze but then opened her mouth wide and stuffed the entire sushi in. Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed.
"How is it?" he asked eagerly.
"Delicious!" She struck a serious pose and gave him a big thumbs-up.
Kyousuke laughed, satisfied.
"Ugh, I wanna try it too!" Yuzuru pouted.
"We'll just order another one," he said, swiftly placing another order on the tablet.
At Genki Sushi, the food kept coming, plate by plate, keeping the energy—and their appetites—going strong.