Masked Rider, but kindhearted

Tendou Souji put the iron skewer back into the tool holder and flicked off the wooden fish flower stuck to the end of his hair.

“Cooking is the sum of sincerity and technique. You only lack the former.”

"Grandma once said that there is one thing that can surpass any seasoning or ingredient, and that is the love of the cook."

The setting sun shone through the plastic shed, casting a golden edge on his shoulders, as if he was supposed to stand in the light.

"I don't have any money at the moment. If you don't mind, I can work for you for a while as payment for this takoyaki."

Tendou Souji spoke confidently, pulling out a cookbook from his bosom and flipping through it. This was a cookbook published when old man Kamishiro was 45 years old. It was his favorite and he almost always carried it with him.

Although he is good at everything, he personally prefers cooking.

"This, this is so embarrassing..." The stall owner became timid and reserved at this time.

"It's okay. Making people happy with delicious food is something to be proud of."

Tendou Zongsi naturally took out an apron from the cabinet under the mobile stall and put it on, looking like the stall owner. The stall owner standing next to him looked like a newly hired apprentice.

......

......

Probably after Tendou Souji took over the stall's first customer, the situation started to get out of control.

Customers who find the food delicious keep ordering more, and those who can’t finish it all pack it up to take home and eat for themselves or share with family and friends.

Customers who were halfway through packing the food turned back after taking a few bites, and even called their friends to strongly recommend it.

As a result, customers came in an endless stream, and the original stall owner wanted to lend a hand but was scolded and had to retreat to the second line.

The office worker stood there in tears after biting through the golden crispy shell of the takoyaki, and the student licked the sauce on his fingertips and gave him a thumbs up.

The old man was forced by his children to chew slowly with his teeth that were about to fall out, and finally squinted his eyes and murmured, "This is the first time in sixty years that Takoyaki can be so delicious."

The ingredients for takoyaki are still available, but the paper boxes are almost gone.

Through word of mouth, this stall has been spread as the stall of the Takoyaki Immortal, and there is a long queue in front of the stall.

Passersby at the end stood on tiptoe to look, their comments mixed with exclamations of "Is it really that delicious?"

Finally, they had to announce that there were no more paper boxes, and the crowd dispersed noisily. Some people who were still there shouted in dissatisfaction: "Why go out to do business without preparing the materials?"

Some people refused to leave and insisted on buying one to try, and they were willing to eat it on the spot with a toothpick.

"I'm really troubling you."

Behind the stall, the stall owner, who was sitting on a folding stool with nothing to do, felt bored. Looking at the young man busying around, he expressed his sincere gratitude.

He watched helplessly as the young man made takoyaki for over an hour without stopping, even making six or seven servings at the same time - despite such a high intensity, every single one of the finished products was still delicious, and he himself didn't even break a sweat!

"It's nothing, just a small matter." Tiandao Zongsi handed the finished product to the little boy in front of him with a smile without turning his head.

Putting aside the heavy and grand responsibilities of fighting and protecting the world, he believes that bringing happiness to people through cooking is also meaningful.

"Give me one, no, two, takoyaki to go."

Before the person arrived, the calm voice of the middle-aged man was heard first.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any paper boxes. Is it okay to eat it with toothpicks?" the stall owner asked apologetically - this was the only way he could help.

Tendou Souji looked up at the sound while flipping the octopus balls underneath him by muscle memory.

At dusk, a tall man in a suit and a top hat slowly walked over.

A white double-breasted suit with a black tie tied in the middle with a Windsor knot on the chest.

The brim of his white tweed hat pressed down his brow bone, his jawline was hard and stubbled, and his muscles were clearly defined under his slim-fitting suit.

As he raised his hand to greet, the calluses on his palm formed a rough contrast with the delicate luster of the suit fabric, and a sense of awe-inspiring tough guy temperament came to the fore.

Shokichi Narumi is a famous detective in Fuuto and also the first Kamen Rider in Fuuto.

He possesses the [Lost Driver] and [Skull Memory], which, when combined, can transform into Kamen Rider [Skull].

Ming Hai Shouji was attracted by the strange crowd here. When he got closer, he heard them say that the takoyaki at this stall was delicious.

He himself rarely buys this kind of snack, but thought that if it was delicious, he could buy one and bring it back to Shotaro. After thinking about it, he decided to buy two to see if it was really delicious or just a rumor.

When Shokichi Narumi approached the takoyaki stall, he caught a glimpse of the long sword on Tendo Souji's waist out of the corner of his eye, and his detective occupational disease kicked in.

He ignored the takoyaki and stared at the young man, asking sternly, "Do you have a mobile vendor's license? Why are you carrying this weapon?"

Tendou Souji felt somewhat helpless. He picked up the box of takoyaki and put it away. He wiped his hands with the white handkerchief hanging beside him and replied casually:

"Personal interest," Tendo Souji replied casually.

It’s better not to involve ordinary people with supernatural powers and monsters.

The stall owner noticed that Ming Hai Shouji's temperament was not ordinary, so he quickly took out his ID and showed it to the audience, saying, "Mr. Officer, this is the permit. I hired this guy to help me!"

He pointed at the takoyaki neatly arranged in a cardboard box and said, "Look at the craftsmanship! How could a serious thug have the time to study cooking?"

Ming Hai Shouji frowned and denied: "I'm not a police officer, just a private investigator."

He paced back and forth, carefully observing the micro-expressions of Tendou Souji and the stall owner, as well as all the details of the items in the stall.

Under his gaze, Tendou Souji sprinkled bonito flakes without changing his expression, then looked up and asked him, "Would you like some salad dressing or teriyaki sauce?"

Ming Hai Shouji couldn't see anything wrong, so he walked over, bent down, and stretched out his left hand as if to touch the long sword hanging on the young man's waist.

He hid his right hand in his trouser pocket, tightly holding the pistol [Skull Magnum] so that he could subdue the opponent at any time if he suddenly attacked.

Tendo Souji didn't care about his actions at all. Seeing that the uncle didn't say anything, he simply added salad dressing - he personally felt that sweeter takoyaki tasted better.

Ming Hai Shouji gently drew out his long sword, and the blade came out of the sheath a little. He stroked the sword with his thumb, raised his head and said seriously to the young man:

"You're such a jerk... I'm not qualified to handle this case, but to protect the peace of Fuuto, please come back to the office with me and explain everything!"

Tendo Souji took off his apron and folded it, then casually handed over a toothpick with an octopus ball on it. "Of course I have no problem assisting with the investigation. I personally don't like lying."

"My sales have ended here, thank you for your support," he bowed slightly and apologized to the customers around him who had not yet had their meals.

"Well... I'm actually the stall owner. If anyone wants to eat it, I can make it!" The original stall owner stood up from the folding table, very excited.

——But no one paid any attention to him.

The stall owner sat back dejectedly, looking at his open palms and questioning his life: Maybe... selling takoyaki for more than ten years was just a dream he had.

Ignoring the customers' dissatisfaction, Tendo Souji naturally instructed the stall owner, "Remember to refrigerate the remaining octopus cubes. If they are left overnight, don't keep them, as it will affect the taste."

Then he turned to Ming Hai Shouji, wanting to see what else the other party wanted to say.

......

......

Cavalier Terrier Encyclopedia:

[Shokichi Narumi]: In Kamen Rider W, a tough detective who served as the first president of Narumi Detective Agency.

The protagonist, Master Shotaro.

[Lost Drive]: A belt that can be transformed by inserting a V-shaped memory.

[Gaia Memory]: It is made by sealing various memories on Earth with a special program and has different specifications.

It contains a strong toxin. If the user has strong negative emotions such as anger or hatred, it will react with the toxin and cause the user to lose control.

Because the specifications will be different, the author will explain it based on what has appeared in this chapter.

[Generally sold product]: Surgery is required to create an interface on the body before use. Generally, each person can only use one, otherwise the side effects may put the user's life in danger.

Chapter 5: Collaboration with a Tough Detective

Ming Hai Shouji took the takoyaki but didn't eat it, still staring at Tendou Souji.

A call from the Metropolitan Police Department interrupted their confrontation. Ming Hai Shouji picked up the phone and frowned more and more as he listened to the voice on the other end.

"Witnesses in the wedding case said the groom had contact with a salesman..." He quickly covered the microphone and glanced at the sword at the young man's waist.

Wedding case...salesman?

Tendo Souji suddenly remembered what he had overheard the Spider-Man, the groom, saying.

Ming Hai Shouji was still plotting under his breath when he suddenly interrupted, "The salesman's name is Sudo Kirihiko?"

"How do you know!?" Ming Hai Shouji's pupils contracted.

Tendou Souji added nonchalantly, "That spider himself said it, so it's probably some illegal organization selling contraband."

Ming Hai Shouji's eyes became more and more suspicious. He suddenly reached out and pressed the young man's shoulder, and said excitedly:

"Who are you, and what do you know?!"

"Well, I just happened to see it." Tendo Souji gently slapped his hand away.

This detective seems to be investigating strange cases and rewriting the endings of the stories...

We need to learn more about this world.

Follow him to obtain information about the weirdo, and persuade him to stop investigating, just as a way to protect him - if this kind of case is pursued further, it will definitely be unsafe for ordinary people.

Tiandao Zongsi thought for a while, then volunteered, "You're investigating this case, how about I be your assistant?"

Ming Hai Shouji looked at this young man and felt that something was wrong - he was as handsome as a popular romance drama idol in the Monday 9 drama (Monday-9 drama, a prime-time TV series broadcast every Monday at 9 pm, mostly romance dramas).

But the way he wore a blue and white cloth and wooden clogs made him look out of place among the young people of today.

His mind raced, organizing the known clues: he had witnessed the scene of the monster's attack and escaped unscathed, with a sword.

And then inexplicably, this stall making takoyaki is so popular?

He felt that his detective logic from all those years was getting a little confused.

But one thing is certain: through the evidence collected by the police at the scene, a very handsome man in armor suddenly solved the monster - he was a real knight, more like Kamen Rider than himself.

After all, the so-called Kamen Rider [Skull] is essentially just a monster. It is even difficult for outsiders to distinguish between him and a monster.

Since Kamen Rider [Skull] has saved many people, this identity has a good reputation, but the police have always regarded him as an unstable element.

He himself only dared to cooperate with the police as a detective, not wanting to reveal his identity as Kamen Rider and get involved in a lot of trouble.

This led to Kamen Rider Skull becoming the guardian of the Wind City in urban legend.

If it is not a work situation, Ming Hai Shouji will definitely not use this power - on the one hand, he is worried about exposing his identity, and more importantly, he is afraid of being corroded by toxins in his memory.

If this thing is not specially adapted or has a driver to filter toxins, it will corrode people's minds, amplify negative emotions, and turn people into monsters.

According to his intuition, there is a high probability that the mysterious young man in front of him is a new Kamen Rider.

Based on the above information, Shokichi Narumi temporarily came to this conclusion.

I heard that the photographer on the scene recorded the whole process. We will know the answer after comparing the video and photos of the people present at the wedding.

"Where do you live?" Ming Hai Shouji did not answer him directly, but asked suddenly, wanting to start the investigation from his home.

"Oh, I don't have a fixed residence." Tendo Souji deliberately misled him. Anyway, he really didn't have a fixed residence, and every word he said was true.

"...Excuse me, where are your parents?" Ming Hai Shouji obviously misunderstood, and the look in his eyes when he looked at him became much softer, not as scrutinizing as before, and his tone was not as aggressive either.

"Maybe, we won't see each other for a long time?" After saying that, Tendo Souji fell silent.

Although the address was deliberately misleading, the purpose was to get closer to the detective.

But he was sincere about his parents - of course, he didn't see them very often as they were on business trips all the time, and he mainly missed his sister.

My sister, grandma, parents...are separated by worlds.

Take on heavy responsibilities, protect others, and even save the world...

Although this is the path he has firmly believed he should take since he was a child and he has been working tirelessly for it until now, he still feels a little confused when he finally reaches this point.

But, I'm not confused.

As a man...

No, as the center of the world, the only sun...