Hey, don't you feel hungry?
Want to get some ice cream?
Nah, I want something more filling.
Agreed!
I want something filling, too.
So, what do you want to eat?
Kurase Mayumi First-Year, High School
Meat!
Hey, good idea!
What do you want?
Meat!
Would you like some?
It's flame-grilled squid tentacles dressed with peanut butter.
Here, dig in.
Day after day,
you steal a glance whenever you pass by that place.
Huh?
I... I don't...
Don't lie!
You were thinking about Yukihira again.
That's why I told you you should've asked him out back in junior high,
Koganei Aki First-Year, High School
y'know, when you realized you'd be going to different high schools!
Gloom
Oh, sorry!
I'm sorry, Mayu!
W-Well, it might not be too late to act.
Why not try texting or calling him to win him over?
No way...
I'm... too plain. It'd never work.
Oh, hey, Kurase.
Been a while.
Y-Yukihira?!
Hey guys, long time no see.
You should've told us if you were coming back!
Yukihira, are you going to reopen the place?
Oh, nah, I just came by to air the place out.
Whoa!
Yukihira's open!
What?!
It's true!
Soma-chan, make me something!
Me, too!
For me, too!
Me, too, please!
I miss your diner's cooking so much.
All right!
I'll have to make a run for some ingredients!
Diner Yukihira's gonna have a mini-reopening!
Out of Order Do Not Use
Due to a power shortage, this machine has been disconnected. Please ask a staff member if you want to play on this machine.
The Seductive Karaage
Diner Yukihira
Here're the Chicken Egg Rice Bowl and Ma Po Tofu Sets!
Yeah!
I've been waiting for this!
Hey, where's your dad?
You're not with him?
Oh, I saw him the other day,
but he might've gone off to some other country again.
Soma-chan, can I add sauteed snow pea sprouts to my order?
Sure!
Yukihira-kun...
A cooking contest?
He's going to face off against his dad,
and needs a judge.
You've never been over to his place, right?
You can eat really yummy food!
You''ll be missing out if you don't come.
I'd been in the same school as Yukihira-kun since kindergarten,
Diner Yukihira
but we'd never really talked much.
Dig in!
Thank you!
I don't have any special skills or hobbies.
I'm pretty ordinary. To me...
...you're really amazing.
It's only been two months since we graduated from junior high,
but you already look a bit more mature.
It feels like you're even more out of reach now.
Thanks for the food!
Thanks!
Thanks for coming.
Huh. Is it just me, or are there a lot fewer people now?
Bento Shop Tomitaya
There should be more people around at this time of day.
What's wrong? You guys run this shopping district.
Are mega investors so great?!
Tomi-chan, calm down!
Did something happen, Chairman?
Tomita Yuya Bento Shop Tomitaya Second Generation Owner and Current Chairman of the Shopping District
To tell you the truth,
just about a month ago,
the station's shopping complex reopened after renovations.
Oh, yeah. It's a lot nicer now.
It's another one of those "city in a station" type things.
They have a bunch of stores selling clothes and books and stuff.
One's really popular. It sells karaage.
It's supposed to be really good.
Huh.
Have you guys tried it?
Yeah, my parents brought some home the other day.
Mine, too.
It was good, yeah.
They showed it on TV, too!
It's crisp on the outside, and juicy on the inside!
What's the score?
Well, that's a 10 out of 10 from me!
All the customers are going to Ekinaka for the karaage!
The work and student commuters don't come here anymore.
My bento store's sales have plummeted, too.
I'm not sure how long we can stay open now.
Seriously?
You shouldn't be wasting time chowing down food.
Seconds.
Hey.
I guess it's a sign of the times.
This shopping district may be on its last legs now.
Well, I'll figure something out.
Figure what out?
Their main attraction is the karaage, right?
Let's cook up a new karaage that can knock their socks off here.
What?
That's impossible, Soma-chan.
They top us on everything! Money, marketing, you name it.
They're the wrong ones to pick a fight with.
It's better than doing nothing.
Customers are greedy, y'know?
Yukihira's open!
Soma-chan, make me something!
If you make something really good,
they'll always find it.
I'm one of you guys.
I can't just watch this place become a ghost town!
Let's steal our customers back with a new karaage recipe,
and revive the shopping district!
Well said, Soma-chan!
You're not the future owner of Yukihira for nothing!
We can count on you!
All right, I'm gonna use my vacation
to come up with a great dish!
I'll have to make a lot of preparations.
Okay, first off...
Guess I'll get back to work.
Not that there's much to do.
Thanks, Soma-chan.
Panic Panic
Your face is saying, "I'd like to help Yukihira-kun, too,
but I doubt I can be of any help... ugh."
You're an open book!
Hey, Yukihira.
Wouldn't you like a taste-tester?
Huh?
She's not in any clubs,
and I bet she's got good taste!
Huh.
What?!
Wh-Wh-Wh-Why me?
I don't know anything about cooking!
Now, now.
Who knows? Your opinion as a non-expert might be important.
But my opinion?
"I'll try my best!"
Oh, okay.
Thanks for helping, Kurase.
First, let's check out their karaage.
Then we'll brainstorm our menu.
Okay!
I'll see you tomorrow morning, then!
Is this gonna be okay?
I'm not picky enough to be a taste-tester.
You've been a judge in a cooking contest before.
This is totally different!
I mean, we're going to come up with a brand new dish.
Listen, Mayu.
This is your chance.
Huh?
A guy and a girl with the same goal,
locked in the same room...
Of course you're gonna get close!
G-Get close...
Put your game face on, Mayu!
Aki-chan, you're scaring me!
Hmm...
Karaage, huh.
We've made that often here,
but maybe I need some special knowledge
about take-out side dishes like I did for the buffet assignment at camp.
Who do I know that might have that kind of knowledge?
Karaage...
Chicken...
Meat...
Don RS
Man, who's bugging me?
I'm trying to enjoy my break here.
Huh?
Wha?
I don't even recognize this number.
Hello?
Hey, Nikumi?
It's Yukihira.
Wh-Why do you have my number?
Oh, sorry 'bout that.
I asked Konishi-san.
S-S-So what do you want?
I have to come up with a new karaage dish, stat.
I'm back home right now.
Do you think you can come help?
Huh? To your home?
You have any vacation plans?
Oh.
I... I... I guess I've just gotta!
I'm super busy, but I'll come!
I'm busy, but I guess.
What choice do I have?
No, if you're busy, I can ask someone else.
I said I'll come, didn't I?!
Sumire Avenue Shopping District
What's with this run-down place?
Okay, so Diner Yukihira.
Maybe I should've picked a more normal outfit.
Nah, I'm fine being me!
Sorry, Kurase,
can you hang on for a second?
S-Sure, I'm fine!
I'm so nervous.
I hope I'll be able to help him.
Get close!
Get close, okay, Mayu?!
Aki-chan, don't pressure me...
Hey!
What?!
This is Yukihira Soma's place, right?
Y-Yes!
Oh, hey, Nikumi!
Thanks for coming!
Oh, this is Kurase. One of my old classmates from junior high!
I asked her to be a taste-tester.
Huh?
This is one of my classmates from high school.
She's a meat expert.
Call her Nikumi.
"Nikumi"?
D-Don't spread that nickname around!
I'll punch you!
Anyway, now that everyone's here...
...let's go check out enemy territory!
Welcome!
Come get the karaage that's the talk of the town!
Man, what should I wear?
A few hours earlier
Should I try harder?
Can I act like myself?
Or is that not good?
Dammit!
Bah!
Wow!
The place's huge now!
It looks pretty trendy, too...
No wonder our shopping district's on the ropes!
I-It's nothing to laugh about, Yukihira-kun.
Whatever! It's not like I expected to be all alone with Yukihira in his home!
I'm here to think up a new dish!
I think her name's Mito-san.
She's like an actress or model.
I've never met anyone so sexy.
High school students are amazing.
Note: Kurase-san has forgotten that she's also in high school.
Shuffle Shuffle
I'm nothing like her...
That's right.
It's nothing out of the ordinary to have someone else around.
Why am I so irritated, then?
He said this girl's his childhood friend or whatever,
but is this his type?
Is that it?
Oh, could Mito-san be Yukihira-kun's girlfriend?!
What're you looking at, huh?
S-S-S-Sorry!
Hey, don't be mean to Kurase, Nikumi.
Don't call me that!
Are you upset that I called you on vacation?
Not really.
Sorry, Kurase.
It's okay.
Well, they're only meeting each other for the first time.
I should try to smooth things over by putting myself between them!
Clueless
Hey!
Isn't that it?
The karaage?
Spicy Extra Spicy
The line starts here!
Thank you for waiting.
You can get a discount for a box of twelve!
Welcome!
Come to Mozuya for karaage!
This is Mozuya!
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
So Mozuya's the karaage place you were talking about.
You know of it?
They're a really famous chain in Kansai.
Nakamozu Kinu CEO, Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
That's Nakamozu Kinu.
She's the owner of the Mozuya chain.
They started in Kyoto and now have branches across Kansai.
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
They've won the national karaage contest three years in a row,
National Karaage Competition Gold Medal Award 3 Years in a Row
a historic feat,
and they're said to win this year, as well.
I see.
A lot of the customers are housewives.
Yeah, there will be even more people in the evening.
The packaging is stylish,
so it's really popular with the ladies.
A lot of people even take the train here to buy it.
So they have a nice storefront with a bunch of staff.
The business looks good.
Huh?
Chairman?
Whoa!
Soma-chan?
What're you doing here?
O-Oh, I was just hoping I could help, too.
What's with the disguise?
Well, we're in enemy territory!
It'll be a huge risk if they realize who I am!
How?
You should be careful, too, Soma-chan!
There's no need to skulk about.
Why not line up with pride, Chairman?
Oh, are you folks from the shopping district?
Would you like to try one?
Really?
Okay, thanks.
Inside the crisp, light batter,
there's fat bursting out of the plump chicken
and raging war inside your mouth with umami!
It's like umami arrows are raining down on you!
Wow!
How do you make them taste so good?
Let me tell you!
We're using Omi local chicken.
They're a premium breed fed only with herbs.
Prattle Prattle
Luxury Raw Soy Sauce
The finishing touch is the super secret soy sauce marinade
known only to Mozuya!
Including grated apples,
there are more than a dozen secret ingredients
in this marinade that's dressing up this chicken.
Prattle Prattle
We then fry up the chicken nice and crispy by exposing it to air as it fries!
Some even call our chicken, "The World's Greatest Karaage."
Are you sure you want to tell us everything?
We're technically here to scout out enemy territory.
Oh, I don't mind at all!
I doubt you'd ever manage to make ours!
Still, what a pathetic loser of a man you are,
depending on women and children.
You just stood by and watched as customers left you.
Stab
Mozuya
Do you have any self-respect?
Stab
Mozuya
I'd be worried about my business, too, if someone depressing like you
were on my storefront!
Stab
Mozuya
This weakling is reminding me of someone I know...
The next don of Don RS is you!
Guess you're really confident, huh.
So if our shopping district comes up with karaage that's better than yours,
it'd be a huge embarrassment for Mozuya-san, huh?
You talk big, boy,
but don't be fooling yourself!
What can a kid like you do?
Hmm? Well?
Well,
a wimpy shopping district that has no competitive streak or shred of imagination
deserves to wither away and die, don't you think?!
I hope you'll continue your patronage of Mozuya at the station!
Spicy
Great as Gifts!!
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
Diner Yukihira
Please come again.
Th-That was scary.
I felt like I was in a yakuza film.
Do you want to try to see how far we can get by doing
what the competition's doing?
Yeah, let's go for it!
And neither of them are swayed by it in the least.
That's some mental toughness!
All right!
Operation Defeat Mozuya!
On with the trials!
Knead the marinade into breast meat chunks.
Like Mozuya, we'll add ingredients like grated apples and onions,
and modify it with ginger for added measure.
This will serve as the foundation for the karaage's flavor.
Make sure the marinade coats each piece, and let it sit.
This is just a test, so we'll fry it right away,
but I bet Mozuya lets theirs sit in the marinade for about 10 hours.
Ten? That long?
Then, dredge the pieces in katakuri starch.
Dusting off the excess starch
is key to making sure the chicken fries up nice and crisp.
I see...
Katakuri Starch
I thought it would taste better if you have more on.
Okay, the temperature's perfect.
Let's go.
Test Subject 1, complete!
Kurase, try it!
Okay.
It's delicious!
It's great, Yukihira-kun!
But it doesn't pack the same punch as Mozuya's.
That high-quality marinade...
It contains soy sauce, garlic, and many different spices.
All of them combine to create a complex flavor.
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
I bet it took them many years to perfect.
We're going up against a marinade like that?
Hey, why do we have to stick with karaage?
Even if we stick to meat, there's beef, pork...
There're any number of options.
Huh, you're right.
How about A-5 beef?
In terms of quality and brand name recognition,
we'd totally win.
But isn't it really expensive?
I'll give you the special Mito conglomerate discount price.
You're a classmate.
I'll get you the best ingredients, and to hell with the profits!
Wait, let me calculate the price.
Thanks a ton, Nikumi!
If we can keep the price down to about 1,000 yen per 100 grams...
That'll be 3,500 yen per 100 grams!
Uh, never mind.
Huh?
Don't hold back just because it's so cheap!
Uh, no, that's not it.
Do you have any ideas, Kurase?
Huh?
Um, well...
Wh-What if you capitalize somehow on the fact that we're a shopping district?
Oh... um...
But I don't really have any specific ideas.
Sorry.
Customers who use the station as a hub to catch trains and buses...
Customers who come to the station building for other reasons...
This location gives us a double advantage in terms of customer draw.
It was the right decision to choose this spot.
Mozuya
Of course, it's only to be expected,
given that we contracted your consulting services for our Kanto expansion.
Don't let your guard down.
You haven't established your brand in Kanto yet.
Let me know if you catch the slightest whiff of any potential issues.
You're such a worrywart for someone so young!
We're making steady progress.
Discerning the market
and making the optimal moves as soon as possible
is a basic rule of business.
Well, if anything,
there's this brat from the shopping district who's trying to pull something.
"Brat"?
Oh, it's nothing to worry about.
At any rate, the store's getting a constant stream of customers!
It's only a matter of time before Mozuya overtakes this entire city!
Just in case,
pay attention to what he does.
Don't forget to follow up with me, got it?
Sure, sure.
Kids these days... they're all so uppity.
None of these are bad,
but I guess they're just average when you get down to it.
We've tried changing the marinade and the batter...
...but none of them have stood out so far.
What should I do?
What kind of karaage will let us take back our customers?
If we don't succeed,
Sumire Avenue Shopping District'll...
Huh.
Even though it's a holiday, students are coming through.
There're a lot, actually.
They must be junior high students on their way home from club practice.
There're a lot of schools here.
There are a couple of high schools and universities, too...
Wh-What if you capitalize somehow on the fact that we're a shopping district?
That's it!
Y-Yukihira-kun?
That's right!
I was thinking too much inside the box!
We don't need to fight on their turf!
So we're going with A-5 beef, then!
Nah, we'll be doing chicken karaage.
Huh?
But you said we won't fight on their turf.
We won't.
We just have to think about doing what the other side can't.
Doing what only we can, because we're a shopping district!
We're going to come up with the best way to have people enjoy karaage.
We're going to set the stage for our victory!
My word is law.
That's the condition for my consulting services.
Fine. I accept.
Mozuya isn't the only one who wants my magic.
Clients Karaage Mozuya Pork Cutlet Roast Gecko Ramen Thick Noodle Danbei Western Food: Lakeside Meal
It's almost time.
Shut up. I know.
What's on the table today?
You didn't read the message?
It's the Fall Elections.
We're going to start narrowing down which first-years will get to compete.
What a waste of time.
Why do we have to do that during break?
Nakiri Erina Tenth Seat, Totsuki Elite Ten
What choice do we have?
Isshiki Satoshi Seventh Seat, Totsuki Elite Ten
It's one of our important responsibilities...
...as the Elite Ten of Totsuki!
To Be Continued
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
Silence
Next time, we'll talk about karaage in a train station!
Mozuya, Mozuya, Mozuya!
Menu The Karaage of Youth
The Karaage of Youth.
Have one!
Flick Flick
Yay, Dad!
I got you something!
Karaage Specialty Store Mozuya
Please continue your patronage!