Chapter 145: The Omelette Crown
"Ryusei, wasn’t it?" The old man called out to me.
I turned around, still half-expecting another lecture. My shift had just ended, my feet ached, and my shirt smelled like smoke and alcohol—classic bar scent. I raised my brows, “Yes?”
He cleared his throat, adjusting his old coat like a grumpy judge about to hand out a verdict. “Good work. You did a great job.”
I froze. Wait. What? Did I hear that right? Was that… praise? From him? My brain glitched like an old video game.
“Uh… thank you,” I replied, still processing the shock. My inner monologue screamed: Is this real life? Did the sun rise in the west today? Did hell freeze over? Did the old man just… compliment me?!
The old man sighed, rubbing his neck. “You get this bar.” Then he turned around and walked away, like some mysterious RPG NPC who just dropped a quest reward and disappeared.
I stood there blinking. “Wait… was that approval? Was that just my imagination? Did I just—finally?!” My heart raced. My double shifts… were ending. I felt like shouting to the heavens.
“THANK YOU!!” I yelled after him, though he had already vanished like Batman.
I running home, grinning like an idiot. Today was 10 November 2026—a date to carve into history.
No, to tattoo on my forehead.
No, wait—that would look weird.
Maybe just put it in my phone calendar. Yes. More civilized.
---
When I arrived home, the place was quiet. “Keiko?” I whispered.
She was already asleep, tucked under the blanket, her face relaxed and peaceful. I stood there for a while just admiring her. Man, she deserves to see me in this victorious state… but she’s too cute to wake up.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” I whispered like some romantic movie protagonist (though I probably smelled like whiskey and sweat instead of roses).
After a quick shower, I slipped into bed, holding her close, grinning like a man who just found out ramen shops never close.
---
The next morning, I shot out of bed with excitement. The sun was shining brighter than usual—or maybe it was just my mood.
I found Keiko in the kitchen, making breakfast like a graceful goddess wielding a frying pan.
“Keiko!” I screamed, running toward her like a puppy seeing its owner after three minutes apart.
“Ahhh—be careful, Ryusei,” she scolded, tilting the pan quickly so the eggs didn’t burn.
I hugged her from behind, unable to hold it in. “The old man approved me!”
She blinked, then turned around, “What?! Master did?”
I nodded furiously, imitating the old man’s grumpy expression. “He said, ‘You get this bar.’ Just like that!”
Keiko covered her mouth, giggling. “Congrats, Ryusei. I’m proud of you.”
I swear my ears turned red. Her words felt warmer than the stove. Yes. Yes, this. I could live off this praise for years. Someone bottle it and sell it as energy drink, please.
“What’s with you two? All lovey-dovey since morning?” Rin’s voice came from the dining table.
We turned to see her, already half-asleep but still somehow awake enough to be sarcastic.
“Oh, Rin, your dad will own a bar now.” Keiko smiled, serving her juice.
Rin’s eyes widened. “What?! How?”
I puffed my chest out proudly, then together, Keiko and I gave her the short version of last night.
“Wow… lucky, Dad. Great on you,” Rin muttered, unimpressed.
Her praise always sounded like a side quest reward: minimal effort, no excitement. Still, I held a plate up dramatically.
“Thank you!” I said, bowing deeply with exaggerated elegance, like a Shakespeare actor.
But then… disaster struck.
I lost my balance.
The omelette slid from the plate like it was in slow motion.
Time froze.
Keiko gasped, Rin reached out too late, and I—like a true idiot—tried to save it by diving after it.
The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. Flat. Face first. Plate in hand. And… the omelette? It landed perfectly on my head.
Yes. My dignity was now a breakfast topping.
Rin’s scream broke the silence. “Dad!!”
Keiko clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. “Pffft—Ryusei!”
I sat up slowly, omelette still sitting proudly on my head like a crown. “Behold,” I announced solemnly, “The King of Breakfast.”
Rin facepalmed so hard I thought she’d break her skull. “You’re ridiculous.”
Keiko couldn’t stop laughing. Her eyes teared up, and she nearly dropped the spatula.
I tried to play it cool, standing up with the omelette sliding dramatically down my shoulder. “No worries. It’s just… my natural aura. Food is drawn to me.”
They didn’t buy it. Rin ignored me completely and started eating her omelette. Keiko shook her head, still laughing.
---
Keiko offered, “I’ll share mine with you, or I can make a new one.”
But I waved my hand like a tragic hero. “No, no. We don’t have time. I’ll make do with bread. This is the burden of a man destined for greatness.”
Keiko rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
---
Breakfast ended with Rin giving me the silent judgment stare while Keiko shook her head at my antics, but honestly? It was the happiest morning I’d had in a long time.
I couldn’t stop smiling. Not because of the bar—though that was huge—but because of them. Keiko, laughing at my clumsiness. Rin, pretending not to care but secretly impressed.
It felt like my messy, ridiculous, comedic little world was finally starting to shine.
And I—omelette crown.