Soul Devourer Chapter 3 Episode 31 — In Search of a Yakiniku Joint and Night Butterflies
After checking the other two locations and handing over the Chi*ese hunters who had been hiding there to the Hunter Guild, I finally set off on my way back to Hokkaido.
Since Dad and Mom seemed to be sightseeing together, I changed clothes at the luxury hotel where we were staying and headed to Susukino.
(E/N: Check out Susukino Street on Google Maps!)
It was already past 5 PM, and I was starting to feel hungry. I was in the mood for meat, so lured in by a delicious smell, I stepped into a nearby yakiniku restaurant.
“Welcome! How many in your party-!? H-Hunter M-Matsubara!? I-I’m so happy to meet you!”
A young female staff member greeted me energetically, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Ah, thank you. It’s just me, and I don’t have a reservation… is that okay?”
“Yes, no problem at all! One guest coming in!”
As I followed her to my seat, I could feel the gazes of other customers enjoying their yakiniku and drinks.
From somewhere farther away, I heard voices like, “Isn’t that S-rank Hunter Matsubara…?”.
“Here’s your seat!”
“Thank you. May I order right away?”
“Yes, I’ll take your order!”
“Two portions each of premium kalbi, premium loin, sagari, and jar-marinated jingisukan. Also a large bowl of rice, a bibimbap bowl, and a lemon sour, please.”
“Certainly!”
The female staff member looked very surprised by the size of the order, but for a hunter whose body is their livelihood, this much felt pretty normal.
After that, I dug into the meat together with rice at a vigorous pace. When it was time for more, I pressed the call button.
“I’ll take your order!”
“One portion each of premium kalbi and premium loin. Two portions of special selection salted upper tongue. Also some lettuce leaves, scallops, a large bowl of rice, and a lime sour, please.”
“Certainly!”
Having fully enjoyed solo yakiniku, I paid the bill and was about to leave when the female staff member called out to me.
“Hunter Matsubara! Um… could I get your autograph?”
“Uh…”
Coming up with a signature is a pain, and moments like this are always awkward… well, it can’t be helped. I’ll have her settle for a photo and a handshake.
“I don’t really have a signature prepared, so I can’t write one. But if it’s instead a photo together or a handshake, I can do that.”
“Really!? Then please take a photo with me!”
“S-Sure. Of course.”
After taking a photo with her, other customers and staff who had been waiting for the right moment crowded in, saying things like, “Me too!” and “Me too!”
Feeling genuinely happy that so many people were cheering me on, I took photos and shook hands with everyone before leaving the restaurant.
♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢
After leaving the yakiniku place, I decided to visit a high-end cabaret club where night butterflies gather.
(E/N: Cabaret Club - (Kyabakura) specialized hostess bar where customers pay for the company and conversation with female hostesses called kyabajō.
Night Butterflies - (Yoru no Chou/夜の蝶) is a traditional and poetic euphemism for hostesses(kyabajō) who work in cabaret clubs, snack bars, and high-end clubs in districts like Ginza. Not necessarily hookers, iykyk.)
Curiosity played a big part, but I also figured it was something worth experiencing for social education, so I walked around.
Then I spotted a place that caught my attention. I didn’t know the model, but I saw a well-dressed older man step out of what looked like a luxury car and enter a certain establishment.
What’s more, I saw the same well-dressed older man come back out with a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant gown, watching him off until his car departed.
That convinced me, this was the place.
Standing at the entrance were two intimidating men in sharp black suits. And surprisingly, both of them possessed strength equivalent to B-rank hunters.
“Having mid-level hunters guard the entrance really adds to the sense of exclusivity.”
Feeling even more excited, I approached the entrance. The two intimidating men shot me sharp glares. An ordinary person might have wet themselves from fear, but I’m an S-rank hunter.
Without hesitation, I walked up to them and spoke.
“Excuse me. I’d like to enter the establishment.”
“P-Please excuse us, but are you S-rank Hunter Matsubara?”
(E/N: Fan-boying moment? 😂)
“Ah, yes. That’s me.”
“J-Just to be sure, may we see your hunter ID?”
“Understood.”
Despite their appearance, the two men treated me politely. When I showed them my hunter ID taken from my《Magic Pouch》, one of them slipped inside the establishment.
He quickly returned and gestured with his hand.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Please watch your step as you enter.”
And with that, I was able to enter the club without issue.
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E/N:
Yakiniku is essentially Japanese BBQ meat grilling and Izakaya is basically a Japanese version of a Bar/Pub. And just FYI, you can skip it if you want though -
• Kalbi/Karubi - high-grade, intensely marbled beef short ribs;
• Loin - most expensive and tender cuts of Japanese A5 Wagyu beef;
• Sagari - hanging tender/diaphragm meat, prized in yakiniku for its rich, lean, and savory flavor;
• Jingisukan - premium variation of the classic Hokkaido lamb BBQ where large, thick-cut pieces of lamb or mutton are aged in a ceramic jar filled with a specialized marinade;
• Bibimbap - (lit. mixed rice) signature Korean dish consisting of a colorful arrangement of seasoned vegetables, meat, and a fried egg over warm white rice, served with a spicy gochujang chili paste;
• Lemon Sour - (レモンサワー/Remon Sawā/Lemon Chūhai) one of Japan's most popular alcoholic drinks, typically served as a simple highball in izakayas or enjoyed at home via canned versions, essentially a Japanese-style vodka or shochu soda with fresh lemon;
• Salted upper tongue - premium, thickest base of the beef tongue (tan-moto), seasoned simply with salt and served with lemon, typically one of the most expensive and sought-after cuts on a Yakiniku menu;
• Lime Sour - Just check out this Google Gemini link to find out how it's different from Lemon Sour!
Won't say anything else! (2/3 chapters)
Stay tuned!
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Check out my other translation -
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