Banri Settsu/Walking Skeleton

Sweets Bound to be Sold Out!

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Matsuno	Heeey, Miyoshi! Headin’ home?
Kazunari	Yep, just finished classes!
Matsuno	In that case, you got some time? I need your help with something related to my clique’s assignment.
Kazunari	Clique? Ah, Mattsun’s part of the Sweet Tooth clique, right?
Matsuno	That’s right. Actually, we’re arranging a list of “Top 50 Sweets Trending this Autumn.”
Kazunari	Woah, that sounds fun~!
Matsuno	Though, we’ve only been able to list 47 of them right now. We’re trying to find whatever niche place could possibly fill up the last 3 spots for us.
Kazunari	I see! But hey, taking the time to research 47 different shops is already impressive! Aight, let me try thinking of some sweet shops then…
Kazunari	Ahh, you’ve gone there already as well, huh...
Matsuno	Right? We’ve practically got the same referrals, too.
Kazunari	True! Mhmm, this is hard…
Banri	……
Kazunari	Ah, Settsuar, otsupiko! Hey, great timing! We need your help in finding some hole-in-the-wall sweets shops~!
Banri	Huh, hole-in-the-wall sweets? Why so sudden? Actually, why’re you asking me...
Kazunari	I mean, Settsuar, you like cafes don’t you? I thought maybe you know some well-hidden stores out there!
Banri	I don’t go to cafes to just enjoy the sweets, y’know.
Kazunari	Still still, you should know about their limited seasonal set menus and stuff, right? ‘Course, the single menu items included!
	If it’s sweets that you know, then it’s definitely something rare! I’ll treat you to lunch next time for it, okay? Please!
Banri	Haah, guess I can’t refuse.
	Hmm, now that you mention it…
	(In my last cafe trip with Tsumugi-san, he mentioned how he’s curious about some sweets that he heard about from someone else.)
	(They don’t show up in magazine reviews or blogs, so maybe it’d count as ‘niche’ huh…)
	Well, I’m not completely sure of what I have in mind. But, I’ll take a look around tomorrow.
Kazunari	For real!? Oh, but I’ll also go around some places myself! Thanks for the hand, Settsuar!
Banri	Sure, sure.
Banri	Tsumugi-san said it was around here, so this must be it? Rather, this place seems like it’d sell alcohol more than it does sweets…
Female Customer A	This matcha souffle is so good~!
Female Customer B	I thought this place was only just known for its nighttime bar!
Female Customer C	Seems like not a lot of people have heard of the store’s daytime cafe.
Banri	(I see. So the store is the kind that’s bar-by-night, cafe-by-day. I guess this is pretty niche.)
Waiter	Welcome. Have you decided on your order?
Banri	Right, I’ll have a matcha souffle and some coffee.
Waiter	Right away, sir.
Waiter	Thank you for waiting, here’s your matcha souffle.
Banri	Is it alright for me to take pictures?
Waiter	Yes, feel free to post it as you’d like on social media as well.
Banri	Thanks for the food.
	(...Ohh, a matcha flavor that’s not too sweet is pretty delicious. I get why this is a customer favorite like it’s written, now—)
Customer A	Huh, you’re out of matcha souffle?
Waiter	I apologize. It got sold out before we knew it.
Banri	(—Huh, does that mean I got the last plate of it then? I sure lucked out.)
Banri	I should take a pic of the store’s outside, too.
	Now the next shop should be...

Banri	From what Tsumugi-san told me, this store’s mooncakes are pretty famous for their taste.
Store Granny	Our nuts-filled mooncakes are of limited quantity, but I recommend it. Would you like to try one?
Banri	Then, I’ll have one.
Store Granny	Thank you, good man… Oho?
	You’re a lucky young man. It seems like that was the last of the nuts mooncake for today.
Banri	So I got the last one again, huh.
	Aight, got the picture taken. Time to take a bite.
	(... This is pretty good. The anko’s got a moderate sweetness to it, and with the texture of the nuts, it would definitely be popular with the crowd.)
Banri	The next one’s a daifuku shop, huh. Hm, what should I get...
Clerk	Our bestseller is the chestnut daifuku!
Banri	One of those, then.
Clerk	Thank you very much! ...Our chestnut daifuku is now sold out—!!
Banri	Got the last one again? For real? That’s the third in a row.
Clerk	Thank you very much for buying!
Banri	I’ll take a picture of the store’s bag… And, there.
	Time to partake…. Mm, this is some good chestnut.
	There’s other fillings in it, but the anko’s[] really full of the chestnut flavor. Now this is what you call an autumn staple.
Banri	I’m home. I went around three different sweets stores this time.
Izumi	Welcome back!
Kazunari	Settsuar, otsupiko! Thanks a bunch for real!!
	I also had a look around to shops with Taicchan, actually!
Taichi	Hehe, it was so fun! How’d it go on your end, Ban-chan?
Banri	So, all the places I went to, I actually got the last piece of each one of their specialties before they got sold out.
Izumi	Huh, all three of them? That’s amazing…!!
Kazunari	Hey hey, you took photos right? Show them, show them!
Banri	Sure did. There’s this… And this. Then, this.
Taichi	As expected fo Ban-chan! You got pics of both the store and the sample~!
Kazunari	Huh? This photo you took is crowded, but I feel like I know this person who’s got his back turned—
Juza	....
Izumi	Ah, Juza-kun, welcome ho—
Juza	........
Kazunari	Ehh!? Hyodole, you look super down in the dumps!
Taichi	D-Did something happen!?
Juza	...The sweets I wanted to buy, they got all sold out.
Izumi	I see, that really is a shame...
Kazunari	You say sold out, could it be—
	Ah! I knew it! Looking at the picture again, there’s Hyodole sulking over here after all!
Juza	—!? Oi, lemme have a look.
Banri	Aah? What’s up with you.
Juza	—!! All three of these were the places I wanted to buy from. You bastard…!
Banri	Hah. Your own fault for not getting there sooner.
Izumi	...Hold on, we’ve been to this cafe before, haven’t we, Juza-kun? This brings back memories!
	And this lady is from the manjuu shop in Chinatown that we went to after we saw that flyer back then, too!
Taichi	Ah! And this daifuku shop, didn’t we go there along with Tsuzuru-kun and Ten-chan before!?
Banri	You kidding!? So when Tsumugi-san said he heard it from someone… It was all from Hyodo’s dessert talks?!
Taichi	Chin up, Juza-san! You’ll certainly be able to buy some tomorrow!
Kazunari	That’s right! Moreover, with these shops the research for niche shops will be complete… That’s our sweets watchman for you!
Banri	‘Course, all of them got sold out though.
Juza	…!
Izumi	J-Juza-kun, calm down!
Juza	Dammit… You better not follow me tomorrow.
Banri	As if I’ll go!!

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