489 Moonlight Eatery in Another World” (1/2)
”I can see the end of the stairs,” Miyabi remarked.
Seiji and Matsutani noticed that the stairs were ending as well, so they stopped arguing.
The three of them thus reached the end of the stairs and discovered that there weren't any more stairs leading upward. Their only choice was to get off at this hotel floor.
Seiji was the first to enter. Miyabi followed second, while Matsutani entered last and sealed off the fire door with a spell.
This hotel floor was completely pitch-black—a darkness that Seiji was unable to see though even with his [Astral Vision]. The only lighting came from the cluster amaryllis flowers that illuminated the ground.
”Walk towards wherever there's the most flowers,” Seiji told Miyabi.
”Why's that?” Miyabi looked at Seiji.
”Because they will definitely lead to something… Matsutani-senpai and I found you using this method as well.”
”Why are cluster amaryllis flowers the guides in here?”
”I don't know the answer to that.” Seiji shook his head.
Miyabi decided not to pursue the issue after seeing that he didn't know.
The three of them followed the path of brilliantly blooming red flowers.
Seiji introduced Matsutani to Miyabi as they proceeded.
The female high school student didn't have any particular reaction to Matsutani's identity as Sharphorn Ironcliff or his light novel ”I Can't Sleep When I'm Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister!”. She merely greeted him normally.
As the three of them walked onwards, they saw more and more cluster amaryllis flowers.
”Something's up ahead. I don't know what it will be. Be careful,” Seiji reminded everyone.
Miyabi became nervous, which caused the cat ears on her head to twitch.
When they passed through a large patch of cluster amaryllis flowers, they saw...
”Moon Bunny Eatery.”
Miyabi, Seiji, and Matsutani were all rendered speechless.
They all remained silent while standing in front of the dark-brown wooden door with the exquisite welcome sign for several seconds.
Apart from the name, the welcome sign also had a cute image of a bunny sitting on a crescent moon. For such a wooden door to appear by itself in the middle of all these red cluster amaryllis flowers seemed like quite an abnormal sight.
”This is the restaurant that's the setting for Yuuko Hashimoto-san's Excellence Award light novel 'Moonlight Eatery in Another World,'” Miyabi told Seiji and Matsutani.
”So, just like Senpai's light novel, her story has appeared in this realm as well.” Seiji rubbed his chin in contemplation. ”Hashimoto-san is highly likely to be here… behind this door.”
”Go ahead, Harano-kun,” Matsutani gave his encouragement.
”Matsutani-senpai, how about you be the vanguard this time? I'll be in charge of rear support.”
”And the honest truth in your heart?”
”Those who go first will often die, while those who go last will escape the easiest!” Matsutani stated seriously.
”I knew that was what you were thinking,” Seiji retorted.
And so, he made his preparations and opened the door.
After opening the door, he saw a restaurant that had an elegantly decorated, brightly lit, and clean interior. He also saw…
”Welcome… eh?”
Yuuko Hashimoto who was wearing black and white miniskirt maid attire!
”Moonlight Eatery in Another World” was a story about a boy who loved cooking. His dream in life was to inherit and take over his father's restaurant. Although this boy always wanted to help out in his father's restaurant, he was never permitted to do so until he finally reached high school. Only when he started working at his father's restaurant did he learn that the restaurant was actually connected to another world on moonlit nights. He also met a princess from this other world who just happened to be visiting his restaurant for the first time. They liked each other at first sight, and thus began the development of a seemingly unrealistic youthful love story.
This was a rather fresh story that combined the genres of food, another world, and youthful romance. The judges' overall reviews were that ”It's overall a good novel, but still lacking in some places and needs more details.”
Yuuko Hashimoto was quite pleased with this result already. After all, she had already failed to garner interest for all her previous draft submission attempts. Finally receiving an Excellence Award gave her the motivation and interest to continue writing.
She was really delighted to have won her prize. However, she didn't know what happened after that… When she opened her eyes again after receiving the prize, she found herself in a restaurant that was identical to the ”Moon Bunny Eatery” in her light novel! Not only that, she was wearing a server's uniform.
Then, Yuuko met the restaurant's owner, one of the main characters of her own novel! After all, he was the main character's father. She learned from him that she was the only server working at the restaurant.