The story
Fiction and adapted settings written by Akitsora Gaming for this title, including invented dialogue and events. This is not a historical or folklore reference. The rules and specification tables define the gameplay and math.
Ikkan wa, tenohira no ondo de kimaru.
— A piece of sushi is decided by the warmth of the palm. An old saying behind the counter
I. Before opening
Four in the afternoon, and the noren is still folded on its shelf. The chef wipes the hinoki counter for the third time; the wood drinks the water and darkens, and once the lamps come on it will glow back to that pale ivory.
The cold case holds tonight's fish: akami tuna, kohada, a block of tamago, rolls of kanpyo. The rice rests under a cloth, a little cooler than a palm — the rule of this house is that rice must never be hot enough to cook the fish.
II. The two at the counter
There is only the counter. The two on the left tonight are regulars: one in a dark suit, straight from the office; one in a pale kimono who always takes the seat behind, sips her tea first, and then watches the chef's hands.
They never order. They say omakase, and the chef shapes a piece, sets it on the serving board, slides it over — and moves on to the next.
III. Piece after piece
One piece is nothing. 8 or more of the same dish on the counter make a plate — and they do not have to sit side by side.
When a plate is taken, the dishes behind move up, and sometimes the ones that move up make another plate. The regulars say the best nights are the ones when the chef's hands never stop.
IV. The salmon roe
At the back of the cold case is a small bowl of cured salmon roe, each bead glowing like an orange lamp. Now and then the chef sets one on a piece, and that piece is worth the number it glows with.
On an ordinary night the roe counts only for the moment it is placed (×2 to ×20) — once the plate is taken, it is eaten with it.
V. The noren tags
Small noren tags hang by the door, and the chef turns one over for every guest who arrives. 4 turned over at once and it is no ordinary night: the back seating opens, the red noren lifts, and for the next 15 rounds the counter lamps do not dim.
Once the seating is open the roe no longer counts only as it is placed — the beads stack, ×2 to ×500, until the last piece is served. 3 more turned over before the seating closes add another 5 rounds, and nothing already stacked is given back.
VI. O-aiso
The last guest says o-aiso; the chef sets down his hands and gives a small bow. The noren goes back on its shelf, the hinoki is wiped once more, and the counter waits for four o'clock tomorrow.