Sign here, and these food ingredients will be all yours.
The festival turned out much bigger than expected and we need to prioritize ingredients for the public stalls. I apologize that we can't spare much for you.
The familiar staff members and their delivery carts bustle about. Across the road, festival preparations are in full swing as visitors from all around gradually gather.
Check, sign, and the spare ingredients are loaded onto the cart.
Sigh... Seeing everyone so happy makes this overtime shift worth it.
Good luck! I'll bring some friends to your stall later to show our support.
On the way back to the stall, you see Yata methodically setting up the food cart from a distance.
Her mechanical arms work with a fluid grace, swiftly pulling handmade decorations from storage boxes to adorn the small space. Their dance-like movements draw a crowd of curious onlookers.
While Yata tends to the surroundings with her head down, she immediately looks up as you approach, spotting you through the crowd with startling alertness.
Is this all? The variety seems a bit limited.
Oh, that's fine then. As long as everyone gets their share.
Right then, let me see what we can make with these ingredients. We need to start prepping soon or we'll run out of time.
Hmm... Looks like we only have enough for this.
Yata checks the inventory, then taps at her cookbook.
Yeah, the rest all have some ingredients missing. Let's go with this one.
As she speaks, Yata's mechanical arms swiftly arrange everything needed—the stove, molds, and available ingredients—in the blink of an eye.
Time to get to work! Come help me out.
Following Yata's recipe, you start mixing the batter. Despite the extremely detailed instructions, some steps are barely legible due to her wild handwriting.
Let me see—uh...
Maybe I should've taken those calligraphy club lessons more seriously...
Just keep trying... We'll get it right eventually.
Six takoyaki balls take shape under the synchronized movement of her six hands, and in the blink of an eye, they're neatly arranged in the boat-shaped paper container.
Yata picks up one with a skewer for a taste test.
Her expression remains unchanged as she chews slowly with puffed cheeks.
...This tastes different from what I remember.
Wanna try one?
Yata picks up a mouth-watering takoyaki ball from the paper container with her skewer and offers it to you.
The moment your teeth break through the outer layer, a fiery burst of spiciness floods your mouth.
The powerful spices hit your sinuses and assault your taste buds with their intensity.
Oh! Looks like you got lucky!
Yata quickly twists open a bottle of cherry blossom soda and offers it to you.
The club decided to put wasabi in one of the first batch of takoyaki balls. You know, to give customers a nice little... surprise.
That way, whoever gets it will never forget this experience.
—So yeah, I specifically saved that one for you.
Sorry about that. I might've taken the joke a bit too far.
Come on, try these other ones. I promise there's no more wasabi surprises.
Don't give me that look... I'm serious! Want me to test them for you?
Yata pops two more takoyaki balls into her mouth quickly. Her expression turns to disappointment as she shakes her head.
Still not quite right.
Yata pores over the recipe again and again, her brows furrowing with impatience at the faded handwriting.
Yeah, we make a pretty efficient team. Let's keep experimenting.
As you adjust the batter proportions, someone stops in front of the stall.
He fiddles with the coin-operated robot at the front of the stall—a creation by Miyuki from the track team.
As you raise your head from the busy work, you meet the gentle smile of an elderly man.
I heard you set up a stall here, so I thought I'd drop by and take a look.
Oh, Uncle Morita! Welcome!
Hahaha, so you're making takoyaki! You know, that's actually what I did when I started my business.
Let me have a taste. I might be able to give you some pointers.
Uncle Morita picks up a finished takoyaki with a skewer and pops it into his mouth, taking his time to savor it.
How is it?
...Hmm, the base flavor is almost there. Try adding some fish sauce to the batter.
Also, the overall flavor's a bit mild. Have you tried using bonito flakes?
Not yet. How do we use those?
It's simple. Once the takoyaki is cooked, just sprinkle them on top. Add some mayonnaise too—it'll give the flavor more depth.
Thanks, we'll give it a try.
After hearing his advice, Yata and you return to making takoyaki together, moving in perfect sync.
With a gentle smile, Morita strokes his white beard as his eyes wander over the various trinkets displayed in the food cart.
Yata, where did you find all these things?
The club room. We went to the school earlier.
Are you planning to sell these too?
If someone wants them, they can buy them. After all, these were meant to be sold at the cultural festival anyway.
If they sell, they'll fulfill their purpose. If not, let's just say they're out here getting some fresh air.
I see... I know some people who might be interested in these. Could I take a few with me?
That's fine, just make sure they don't get damaged. If they're not interested, please bring them back.
Mind if I borrow this cart for a moment?
Haha, don't mention it. I'll leave you two to it then. See you around.
As Morita loads some handmade goods onto the cart and slowly disappears into the crowd, the two of you finally finish preparing a fresh batch of takoyaki.
The freshly made takoyaki glistens golden brown. Yata sprinkles bonito flakes over them, adds a drizzle of mayonnaise, and then picks one up with a skewer for another taste test.
Well...
This is the taste I've been looking for!
Your mayonnaise turned out great too! Come on, give it a try!
Before you can respond, Yata already has another takoyaki skewered and held up to your mouth, its rich aroma wafting up invitingly.
You take the wooden skewer from Yata, savoring this delicious work of your labor.
Yata's steady hand makes it easy to bite into the thin, crispy shell. You savor each bite of your culinary creation.
Seeing your eyes light up, Yata also beams with delight.
She raises her hand expectantly, waiting for you to complete the gesture.
The crisp sound of your hands meeting marks not just your success, but also signals that the food stall is finally ready for proper business.
As you continue prepping the food, the wheels of a cart can be heard creaking nearby. Uncle Morita eagerly returns to your stall.
Perfect timing, Uncle Morita! We just finished cooking, and we saved some for you—
Huh? Why is the cart loaded with so many ingredients?
I'm here to pass a message—some people really like those handcrafted items and want to trade these ingredients for them. What do you two think?
Yata sifts through the new ingredients, carefully considering the offer.
This won't affect their business, will it?
Several vendors are quite fond of those Golden Age trinkets, so they each picked out some ingredients for me to bring to you. This amount won't affect their business at all.
That's perfect! These are exactly the missing ingredients we need for some other recipes.
What do you think, Commandant?
Alright, we'll take them then.
Oh right, remind them to handle everything with care! That little robot of Miyuki's, for instance—I fixed it up myself, and it's quite fragile.
Gotcha. You two can start preparing the food then. I'll leave the cart here, so...
Wait, Uncle Morita—take this box of takoyaki with you.
Hahaha, you too! Have a good one!
With ten minutes left until the festival officially begins, Yata glances at the time, then at you.
As the crowd's chatter grows into a roaring buzz, Yata reaches out her fist.
The festival is about to begin.
Let's give it our all tonight!
