Salppi's Tears
I stepped out of my room in 202 and headed down to the first floor, where I spotted Dennis on his way home from work.
"Oh, hyung, you're back early today?"
"Hey, dongsaeng! For some reason, they let me off a bit earlier than usual today."
"We're heading out to eat. Wanna join if you haven't had dinner yet?"
"Sure, just let me drop my stuff in my room and I'll come."
And so, I linked up with Dennis and made our way to the usual street food stall.
"Hmm... Didn't we eat here before?"
"This place has the best value for slime noodles."
I'd checked around, but this was the spot where I'd first bought slime noodles—the biggest portions for the cheapest price. Slime noodles barely had any flavor anyway, so more quantity for less money was king.
But why's there no one here? Other stalls nearby were pricier but busier.
"Uh... You really like slime noodles a lot, huh, dongsaeng?"
"Nah? I just eat 'em 'cause they're cheap?"
"I-I see."
Dennis figured I was just pinching pennies since I hadn't been here long and let it slide.
"Hmm... Never thought I'd end up back at Bandage Lady's stall."
"Bandage Lady? Oh, she has a nickname like that."
It fit, considering the features of the stall owner I frequented.
"Hungry—let's order first."
"Yeah, dongsaeng, slime noodles again today?"
"Nope, time to flex today!"
Gonna buy one of everything on the menu. We went up to order.
"Ah... Oppa Soo-chan, you're here again today. I'll whip up your usual real quick."
She was wrapped head to toe in bandages, her face hidden behind a veil. She wore a worn-out work uniform and an oil-stained apron. The bits of skin peeking out told the story of burns that forced her to cover up.
"Tsk tsk... Luna, today's me is different. Gimme one of everything on the menu!"
"Pardon? Ah... Must be good news today, oppa. Congrats."
"Yeah, every day's a new personal best."
"Have a seat, it'll be ready soon. And the gentleman with you...?"
"Slime noodles for me, please..."
"Got it."
We sat at one of the few tables in front of the stall.
"Hyung likes slime noodles too?"
"Nah... not really, just nothing else looked appealing..."
"Really? Menu seemed pretty stacked."
"Anyway, you okay with this, dongsaeng? The owner here... she seems..."
"Huh? Why?"
"Oh, you don't know. She's a beastkin—you can tell just by looking."
Hmm... Yeah, I'd figured that out. She hid her whole body because of the burns, but that plump fox tail was impossible to conceal.
"Uh... you're not about to say something discriminatory about her race...?"
Dennis waved his hands frantically.
"N-No! Nothing like that... It's an old story, but one of the monsters that blanketed the surface spewed cursed flames. The beastkin-heavy areas got wiped out by just that one."
"One monster?"
"Yeah... It was huge, like a moving island. Every village in its path burned to ash. A few rare survivors made it to the shelter."
Hoo... News to me. Gotta search the gallery later.
"So... the owner survived that monster? But why does that matter?"
"Well..."
Dennis glanced around, then leaned in and whispered cautiously.
"Wounds from that monster's flames don't heal with holy magic. That's spawned superstitions among some folks—that it's cursed. They say getting close might spread it, so they avoid her."
Makes sense in a ruined world like this. Her stall had better prices and portions than others, but no customers. It all clicked.
"Gasp... So that's why you only ordered the cheapest slime noodles..."
"No, no—I'm a researcher, you think I'd buy into superstitions? Purely because it tastes the worst."
"Wha...? Tasteless?"
"...Street food's mostly just grilled raw ingredients. I can't handle the gamey smell..."
Hm? I glanced at Luna cooking. She was pouring in what looked like sauce...?
"But won't that sauce kill the gamey taste?"
"Eh? Sauce? That's not sauce."
"???"
"Ah, you wouldn't know since you're new here. That's nutritional supplement."
Whoa... So the "sauce" I'd thought was flavor was just nutrients? No wonder it tasted so bland. I'd assumed it was going for that Pyongyang cold noodle subtlety...
According to Dennis, it was standard Magic Tower nutrient solution used by most eateries. No permit without it.
"Uh... Gotcha. So the stuff I ordered cheap..."
"Hmm... Did your world use a lot of spices? Proper restaurants aside, they don't use seasonings here—you're meant to enjoy the natural flavors."
Come to think of it, spices and seasonings must be scarce in the shelter after ten years underground. Stockpiles from the surface would've dwindled.
...Shit, I hate gamey smells too.
"Your orders are up."
Dishes hit our table one by one. First, slime noodles for Dennis.
And for me:
Giant Bat Wing Skewers
Giant Spider Leg Roast
Rock Lizard Tail Roast and Leg Meat Skewers
Sewer Rat Lean Jerky Char-Grill
Wild Boar Front Leg Roast
Mud Crab Steam
And finally, slime noodles
Hmm... Did I overdo it?
As I pondered where to start, Luna hesitantly spoke up.
"Um, oppa... If it's too much or you can't eat it, just say so."
"Huh?" Why the sudden worry?
Luna sounded apologetic.
"...I knew you were a transmigrator but didn't explain first. Sorry..."
She deflated like a sad puppy.
Ah—Luna's a beastkin too, so sharp ears...
"Uh... You overheard?"
"Yes... Sorry, if I'd told you sooner, you'd have gone to a real restaurant..."
Oh... Oh no...
"You haven't eaten yet, so if you want, I can refund you right—"
"STOP, SALPPI-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Eek!"
"Wha... Soo-chan dongsaeng?"
My earth-shaking bellow made Luna and Dennis jump, along with passing pedestrians and other stall owners staring over. But that wasn't important now.
"Luna."
"Y-Yes?"
"Do you always apologize to customers first, even when it's not your fault?"
"That's..."
Yeah, from watching as a three-meals-a-day regular, Luna's self-esteem was rock bottom.
"...For buying food made by someone like me..."
I got it. A young woman, full bloom of youth, scarred head to toe by burns, hiding behind bandages to sell street food—low self-esteem made sense.
"Someone like you? Don't sell yourself short. To me, at least, you're the chef who makes the best slime noodles in this shelter."
Dragging that body around, working her ass off every day—she wasn't someone who needed to bow to a freeloading NEET like me first.
"Eh... Ah... Uh..."
Veil hid her face, but she was blushing hard—I could feel it.
"Don't worry. I'll keep coming for your slime noodles."
Dennis shot me a look like 'Wait, isn't this just the cheapest noodles...?' but I ignored him.
"St... Still, no need to force down food you don't like..."
Before she finished, I grabbed a wild boar front leg roast from the plate and tore into a big bite. The distinct gamey pork smell hit...
"...A truly wild flavor. As expected, Luna—your cooking's the best."
I quietly slid the plate toward Dennis with a meaningful glance.
"Uh... Huh? Oh..."
Dennis followed suit, ripping into the boar meat.
"Mmph... This is seriously... as dongsaeng says, really... tasty?"
Thank god—he played along.
"See? Don't undervalue yourself. Hiding behind those bandages and letting others decide your worth? Even more no."
As her daily indebted regular, I declared myself Salppi's hype man.
"Ah... Th... Uu..."
Under my blind cheer, Luna flapped her mouth, speechless.
"Sob... Hic... Sniff..."
Then she started sobbing.
Aah—It hit home.