Volume 1 - CH 19

Chapter 19: The Food Chain

Suzune continued to feed the pigs. The pigs came to Suzune's feet and while devouring her food, they sniffed her legs and skirt for a while and seemed satisfied.

I know this sounds like a metaphor, but I mean it literally.

In the end, me and Suzune played with the pig for about an hour and left the restaurant.

"Hey, I'm kind of hungry. ......"

Suzune said, reminding me that I was hungry, too. Well, we had fed the pigs, but we hadn't eaten ourselves yet.

As we strolled through the restaurant district, we stopped in front of a restaurant that looked like a good place to eat.

Tonkatsu restaurant .......

Suzune and I looked at the illustration of a pig on the curtain for a while and then looked at each other.

"As expected ...... hey ......."

I smiled a wry smile, and she smiled a wry smile as well.

"Ehehehe......Yes, that's right......."

No, no, as expected, I feel that a pork cutlet restaurant from a pig café is not a good idea for a person. ......

We both shook our heads vigorously at the same time and tried to walk away ...... pretending that it had never happened, but ......

"Welcome!　Two guests?"

A middle-aged man comes running out from inside the restaurant with a vigorous voice.

Oh, I have a bad feeling about this. ......

"Sir, it's service day today!　What a surprise, the rice for the set meal is all-you-can-eat!　Plus, two pieces of fin cutlet as an extra!"

All-you-can-eat rice and two pieces of fin cutlet?

I felt like my heart moved for a moment at such a word, but there was no way I was going to take this temptation.

I smiled a wry smile as usual and said, "Well, let's see, I think I'll visit other restaurants before I decide." ...... Suzune also agrees with me, saying, "Yes, that's right......I'll look around some other stores before I decide......."

But suddenly, the uncle's expression clouded over.

"Actually, our store is closing today. ......"

The man suddenly made a shocking statement.

Oh, that's not good. ...... I feel like I'm heading for a completely bad development. ......

"For the first time, my predecessor opened a restaurant on this site here, and for 50 years, I have been dedicated to tonkatsu. When this mall was to be built, at one point we considered closing the restaurant. However, we made the decision to open a restaurant in this mall to preserve the taste of tonkatsu that our predecessors had preserved, and we have worked hard until now. ......"

Ahh, he's in complete crybaby mode ....... This old man .......

"But, you know, the times they are a-changin. I've been trying so hard, but I'm not strong enough, and I've decided to close the curtain on this pork cutlet shop that my grandfather and father have been protecting. ......"

I looked at Suzune for help.

"Oh, that's right. ......"

Oh no. She's completely basket-checked. ......

She was listening to the uncle's story earnestly with slight tears in her eyes.

"I'm so frustrated. ...... I can't face my dead father. But I can't help it. So at least for today, the day we close the restaurant, I want our customers to enjoy the taste of the best pork cutlets my father and our family made. At the very least, I want to keep the taste of the best pork cutlets that my father and his family kept alive in the memories of our customers. That's why today, we're giving back our profits and offering a whopping 5% off."

The man covers his face with his hands.

But 5% is a very realistic discount. I felt an indescribable stench of something fishy about my father's naniwabushi.

But the innocent girl next to me was different.

"Wow, I'm so impressed!　Uncle, please let me remember the taste that your father and grandfather have preserved!"

Completely persuaded by the uncle, she nodded repeatedly and looked at me.

"S-Senpai, let's go in!"

"Uh, is it okay?"

"Yes, it's fine ...... sure, my heart is a little bit withdrawn, but I was so moved by uncle's story......."

Oh ...... what a pure child .......

Well, if Suzune say so, then ...... it's fine. We can have as much food as you want.

I was ready for it, and I said to the uncle, "Well then, we're going to go in." Immediately after that, the man put down his hands covering his face and said with a big smile, "Thank you very much!　Two people are coming in!" He exclaimed and entered the restaurant in high spirits.

No, you switched too soon!

So, Suzune and I decided to go straight from the pig café to the tonkatsu restaurant, a devilish feat of haggling.

As we made our way to our table, guided by the man, my eyes fell on the kitchen. There was an old man sitting in a pipe chair, boredly looking at a sports newspaper.

Hey, hey, that old man looks exactly like the uncle!

Hey, you don't think they are father and son, do you?　Or is it that one?　Am I seeing the earthbound spirit of the old man's father?　After trophies, I can even see ghosts now?!

I was completely taken in by the old man's tricks, and to my horror, I was led to the table.

Suzune and I ordered two set menus with all-you-can-eat rice, which is recommended by the old man. The old man said, "Maido!" and walked to the kitchen, leaving behind a drink service ticket that he said could be used on our next visit.

Hey, what do you mean we can use it next time?!

Ah?　If that's what you're going to do, I'm going to get food poisoning after this and make it really the last day of your business!

I kept staring at the old man's back until he disappeared into the kitchen.

***

No, it's good. ...... It's really good. It's a freshly fried pork cutlet, after all.

But somehow, I'm not convinced. ......

I looked at Suzune in front of me, who was eating a delicious pork cutlet, but I was still not satisfied.

She was holding her fork and wondering whether she should put her hand on the pork cutlet or not.

She had been moved by the old man's story for a while, but when the pork cutlet was served in front of her, she seemed to hesitate.

Suzune stared at the pork cutlet for a while, but then, as if determined, she stuck her fork into the cutlet and brought it to her mouth.

"It can't be helped, can it? ......We are living with our precious lives. ...... And besides, I'm sure his father in heaven would want us to eat tonkatsu with a smile on our face......."

She says this, tears in her eyes, but still smiling a dainty smile.

Haa ...... I'm almost crying because of how healthy he is. ......

Oh, and by the way, his father's ghost just left the store with a sports newspaper in his hand, talking about horse racing.

Apparently, the father in heaven prefers horses over pigs.

After that, Suzune and I continued the process of taking a precious life for a while. When the plate was empty, Suzune put down her fork and looked at me.

"S-Senpai ...... you've worked hard for a week ....... Please give me your head."

Suzune said that, so I offered her my head. Then, she put her hand on my head and patted it, saying, "Good, good."

Oh, it's the best .......

That sudden healing time from Suzune made me feel just a little bit ...... less angry at the old man.

"S-Senpai ...... are you getting your sleep?"

Suzune asks me that with concern as she pats my head. When I answered her, "Yeah, I'm fine," she seemed a little relieved and let go of my head.

The reason why she patted me. I guess it was to thank me for the past week of writing a novel to the death.

To be honest, the past week had been really hard. I came home right after school and wrote until late at night. I even got up early in the morning and wrote until the very last minute before school. Without a doubt, this was the most typed week in my history. I lied to reassure her, but in reality I also cut down on my sleep.

"Have you seen the ...... ranking, Senpai?"

"Ranking?"

When I tilted my head, Suzune said so and took out her phone. Then, she operated something and turned the phone toward me.

"Here, this is ......."

I looked at the screen of the phone. Then, I open my eyes wide.

"Ugh, you're lying, right ......."

What was displayed there was the ranking page of the site to which I had submitted my novel. At the top of the page, which was labeled "Daily Ranking," were the words "NTR my best friend's sister."

That meant that my novel had earned the most points on the site yesterday.

"Yes, as expected of Senpai ....... I knew it, that ...... sexuality of Senpai is amazing ......."

Suzune sends me a compliment that I'm not sure if she's praising me or not.

I couldn't move for a while, staring at the screen.

Are you kidding me?　My novel is number one?　It's a novel that seems to have been ranked for the first time just the other day.　And now, I can't believe it's number one. ......

"This is just my guess ...... but I think it was good that you rewrote the whole story after all......."

"No, no, I mean, yes, but ......."

However .......

I've actually been revising the entire novel for the past week.

And the reason...

"I'm sure that's the reason."

Suzune muttered.

The reason was to rewrite the sexual proclivities of the girl's brother, Shota Minazuki.

On the day of that great pervert trophy harvest festival at Suzune's house, I heard the full details of that plan from Suzune. It was to rewrite Shota's character in "NTR my best friend's sister" from S to M.

The reason why Shota became overbearing to Suzune was because of my novel. If that was the case, only my novel could change that situation. That was Suzune's idea. But that is not the only reason why Suzune made such a proposal to me.

She is the best reader of my novels. And she analyzes my novels in more detail than anyone else. On that day, she showed me various data.

She showed me the increase and decrease of favorites and readers for each story. Every day she took data on my novels and graphed the changes.

The fearless quest for my novels. ......

To be honest, when she first showed it to me, I was speechless. But it seems that she has been making ceaseless efforts behind the scenes to increase the number of people who know the merits of my novels.

Ugh, I really want to brew Suzune's nail polish and give it to the owner of this shitty tonkatsu restaurant!!

As a result, I discovered a trend in my novels. It turns out that the number of readers increased more after I updated the scene between Haruka and Ryotaro than when I updated the scene between Suzune, or Haruka and her brother.

[It seems that many of the readers of this site are perverts who are more pleased to be bullied by girls than to bully ...... a girls.......]

She concluded with a line that seemed to please those perverted readers.

As a result, Suzune...... no, no, Haruka-chan was portrayed as an outrageous perverted bad girl who rolled both her brother and her brother's best friend around on her palm, but as a result, the number of readers increased significantly, which means that she was right in her assessment.

But my concern still remains.

"I'm happy that the number of readers has increased, but will this really change Shota's personality?　Besides, I don't know if Shota is still reading my novels. ......"

I'm utters a simple question.

It's true that Shota may have become overbearing with Suzune because of my novel, but that doesn't guarantee that things will go well this time. And I don't know if Shota is still reading my novels .......

But Suzune shook her head.

"Well, you don't need to worry about that ....... Ah, my brother is still crazy about my Senpai's novels ......."

"Could it be, that b*stard, in front of Suzune-chan...."

"T-That's not what I meant! ...... I'm not saying that! ...... Actually, I checked my brother's phone yesterday."

"Checking his phone?!　He didn't even lock his phone?!"

"Well, yesterday, my brother fell asleep on the ...... couch, so I ...... used facial recognition on his sleeping face. ......"

Adulterous husbands all over the country!　You're in danger!"

"Well, I heard that ...... it's okay to use the sleeping face depending on the settings. ...... I checked the browsing history of my brother's novels. Then, I found out that most recently, he has viewed all of my Senpai's novels ......."

"You mean, he's read all of my novels after they were revised?"

She nodded.

I see, then there might be a possibility that Shota's personality has changed.

But I still can't shake my uneasiness.

"So, Suzune-chan, do you think Shota has won a new pervert trophy?"

"Heh, what's a pervert trophy?"

I ask, and Suzune tilts her head.

Sheesh ...... that's the other story.

"Sorry, Suzune-chan, do you think this will stop Shota from being so overbearing with Suzune-chan?"

Yes, I ask again, and Suzune-chan lurks her eyebrows with difficulty.

"To be honest, I think it's 50-50 ......"

Well, that's right. It just so happened to work out well last time, but I can't imagine it will work out well next time .......

But Suzune hurriedly shook her head at my troubled expression.

"B-But at least, I've reread that ...... Senpai's novel, and I've sprouted into something new again!"

"Oh, oh ...... ah, thanks ......."

Suzune-chan, who follows up conversation, reveals her sexuality.

"The problem is, Shota's ......."

I mumble, and Suzune stares at me.

"S-Senpai did a good job. It may still be 50-50 right now, but it's my job to raise that probability."

"Your job?"

"Yes ...... in the first place, this is about us siblings, and I won't trouble Senpai any more......."

Suzune looked at me with a determined expression.

"I-I'll do something about it from here. ......"