"Continue speaking."
Hearing Ryōko Sakaki's answer, Dylan's movements softened slightly. There was no trace of distraction in his eyes as he looked at her, only encouragement.
"You can add a little dried fruit to the sausage for a sweeter flavor, or you can add some nuts, like the specialty nut sausages from Georgia."
"See? You can think of solutions."
"Besides these, the casing, sous vide cooking, smoking, and even the side dishes prepared for the sausage later, can all serve as tools to enhance flavor and texture."
Dylan stopped his movements and helped Ryōko Sakaki up.
Because of Dylan's earlier punishment, Ryōko Sakaki's rear was still aching, and for a moment, unaware, she stumbled and fell onto him.
The next instant, their bodies pressed tightly together, causing both to feel a stir of emotions.
Naturally, they maintained their composure on the surface.
"Alright, you can have a good cry now. Remember this pain, let it transform into the motivation to move forward, and don't lose so miserably next time."
He reached out and cupped Ryōko Sakaki's waist, feeling the faint, elegant scent emanating from her body, and a warmth spread to his hand upon contact.
And Dylan's words made the girl's already dry tears well up once more.
"Can I really cry? Crying… feels like an incapable person's weak escape from reality."
Ryōko Sakaki lifted her head, looking at Dylan. After what had just happened, she wasn't actually that sad anymore; after all, she was busy pondering her shortcomings, with no time for sorrow.
However, feeling the warmth on her body and the young man's caring words, she still couldn't help herself. The faint sensation of tears that had receded welled up once more.
"It's okay. Crying isn't necessarily a sign of weakness; it's just a way to release emotions. You don't have to suppress yourself."
Patting Ryōko Sakaki's back, Dylan's voice was gentle and deeply soothing, which made the girl's body relax.
"Dylan-sensei, woo woo doo~"
There was no feeling of utter grief; rather, it was like a young girl pouting playfully. Ryōko Sakaki had already composed herself; now, she only wanted Dylan's comfort.
After all, she had just been struck so many times; she couldn't have endured it for nothing, right?
However, doing something so out of character made the girl blush fiercely, her heart pounding "thump-thump," and her eyes glazed over.
As for tears, because her emotions had welled up earlier, she had shed quite a few, but later, perhaps due to the joy in her heart, they wouldn't flow anymore.
So, Ryōko Sakaki released her grip on Dylan's clothes, stepped back two paces, cleared her throat lightly, and spoke to him earnestly: "Dylan-sensei, next time I will definitely achieve good results. Even if I fail, I won't be defeated, and I certainly won't indulge in self-pity."
"Remember what you said today. Failure isn't scary; what's scary is not daring to face failure. People who are defeated by setbacks won't get very far."
He pinched Ryōko Sakaki's cheek. She had the appearance of an older sister, and by rights, she should be the type to "listen to others' thoughts and guide them." Yet, her current sweet pouting towards him created a strange sense of contrast.
He didn't dislike this feeling; at least, he quite enjoyed it.
"Mm! If I'm like this again today, Dylan-sensei, feel free to discipline me as much as you want. No matter how many times you strike me, I won't resist!"
Thinking of what had just happened, Ryōko Sakaki blushed fiercely, but for her future prospects, she still grit her teeth and said it.
Of course, more importantly…
When treated by Dylan in such a way, not only did she feel no aversion, but her heart was instead filled with a strange sense of comfort.
This feeling drove her crazy, yet she also found it hard to stop.
"Perhaps her true nature is that of a pervert,"
Ryōko Sakaki thought with a touch of despair.
"Alright, now that you've come to terms with it, stop hiding in the corner crying. Go and join everyone; it's rare to eat and chat together."
"Mm,"
Feeling the warmth on her cheek, Ryōko Sakaki was reluctant to leave, but considering that Dylan-sensei might have other things to do, she ultimately nodded.
Watching Ryōko Sakaki's retreating back, Dylan heard a voice from behind him.
Holding a bowl of sea bass feet mixed with peanut paste, Soma Yukihira walked towards Dylan with a mischievous smile, a sea bass whisker still in his mouth.
Seeing the approaching figure, Dylan chuckled lightly, reached out, and grabbed the end of the sea bass foot that wasn't covered in peanut paste. He pulled it out of the peanut paste and tasted the side that was full of peanut paste.
"It's a bit like being entangled by something. As for being unpalatable, I think it's acceptable. After all, both peanut paste and sea bass feet are good ingredients; it's just that combining them like this gives it a strangely novel feeling."
Closing his eyes, in the illusion, he was entangled and bound by an unspeakable entity, but as he tensed his muscles, he easily broke free from the restraints.
"You really get it."
Hearing Dylan's evaluation, Soma Yukihira immediately showed an expression of having met a kindred spirit.
"So, you came to find me not just to eat this sea bass foot, right?"
Swallowing the sea bass foot in his mouth, the flavors of sea bass and peanut paste lingered on his tongue. Dylan looked at Soma Yukihira with a half-smile, asking why he had come.
But he already had the answer in his heart.
"I want to have a cook-off with you, on the theme of mutton!"
As expected, Soma Yukihira's next words were a challenge.
Knowing Soma Yukihira's thoughts, Dylan shook his head. He wasn't prepared to have a competition before the official matches, as that would affect the other party's condition.
"Then when can we?"
"When you win first place in the Summer Selections."
Leaving those words, Dylan left the corridor, leaving Soma Yukihira to murmur to himself.
"Win first place in the Summer Selections… I understand. I'll show you!"
Watching the retreating figure, Soma Yukihira clenched his fists, his face filled with rising fighting spirit.
"Dylan-nii!~"
Just out of the house and into the yard, Alice Nakiri, pushed by Erina Nakiri, lunged forward, her voice so charming it made one's bones go soft.
"Did you guys get Alice drunk?"
Looking at Alice Nakiri in such a state, Dylan's brow furrowed slightly. He then looked at the boys and girls around him, some eating meat, some drinking, and asked doubtfully.
"No, she wanted to drink herself. And it seems she only had three cups."
Yūki Yoshino shrugged her shoulders and told the truth. Three cups of alcohol were enough to incapacitate her; in a sense, she was truly a lightweight.
"Dylan-nii, hug, give you shhh… mmm…"
"Pfft, this one seems done for. I'll take her back to rest. You all carry on."
Hastily covering Alice Nakiri's mouth, fearing she might blurt out something shocking, Dylan bent down and carried her princess-style back to the room.
Just as Dylan placed her on the bed, preparing to return to the yard to continue the party, Alice Nakiri wriggled her body, unbuttoned two buttons of her clothes, and entwined herself around Dylan like a water snake.
In this situation, Dylan no longer wanted to be a Liu Xiahui!
So, taking advantage of the girl's tipsiness, he experienced the feeling of her half-heartedly submitting, and it must be said, that sensation was absolutely wonderful.
Especially when she woke up the next day, Alice Nakiri looked blankly at the ceiling, only letting out a sigh of relief when she realized it was him.
Presumably, after this incident, Alice Nakiri wouldn't get so drunk again, at least not when he wasn't by her side.
"You bad, perverted Dylan-nii."
With some lingering memories of yesterday in her mind, Alice Nakiri, her face flushed crimson, gently pushed Dylan's chest, her emotions a little complex.
"Girls don't love good guys, right~"
Patting Alice Nakiri's soft spots, Dylan pulled her into his embrace, and at the same time whispered in her ear: "Good girl, go back to sleep."
"Hmph…"
Feeling the warmth before her, Alice Nakiri stopped moving, silently shifted her body, and rested her head on Dylan's chest, finding a comfortable position.
"Good night… or rather, good morning. Oh well, just sleep."
"Sleep now, get a good night's rest."
Holding Alice Nakiri close, Dylan closed his eyes again. After being restless all last night, he also felt a bit tired and needed to replenish his energy through sleep.
A few days later.
"Are you ready? Are you ready, Dylan-nii? It's time to leave!"
Watching Dylan slowly washing up in the bathroom, Alice Nakiri paced back and forth in the living room, looking anxious and occasionally urging him on.
"Today we're just going to hear the explanation for the main competition. You're not even participating, so why are you in such a hurry?"
Looking at his face full of fine bubbles in the mirror, Dylan shaved his beard with a manual razor while speaking to Alice Nakiri behind him.
"If we go too late, we won't see anyone else! Besides, I also want to hear the rules."
"Alright, let's go."
Swiftly finishing his shave, Dylan patted Alice Nakiri's shoulder and quickly walked to the door, transforming from the one being waited for to the one waiting.
"Wait for me, I need to put on my shoes."
Alice Nakiri's expression changed, and she quickened her pace to follow him. At the door, she put on her sneakers, gripped Dylan's shoulder, stomped her feet on the floor to ensure her shoes were on tightly, then left the house with him.
Outside the house, a car was already waiting. Dylan and Alice Nakiri got in, and the car then headed towards the Summer Selections Administrative Inn.
Before long, Dylan and Alice Nakiri arrived at their destination.
Looking at the inn before them, the two got out of the car together and saw Megumi Tadokoro and Yūki Yoshino, who had arrived before them.
"Dylan-sensei."
"Dylan-sensei, you're here."
Upon seeing Dylan, the two immediately stepped forward to greet him, their faces beaming with excitement.
"Hmm, has the order of appearance been decided?"
Alice Nakiri asked curiously.
"I don't know. Soma-kun was called inside by Satoshi Isshiki. He should be competing in the first match; we just don't know what the theme is."
"It's dumplings. The opponent is Ueno Sugi."
Just as Dylan and Megumi Tadokoro were chatting, Soma Yukihira walked out of the house and announced the theme of this cooking challenge.
"Dumplings, truly a down-to-earth theme."
Hearing Soma Yukihira's words, Dylan's expression subtly shifted, then he spoke with a strange look.
The theme of the first round of the Totsuki Summer Selections was surprisingly dumplings, a dish that almost anyone with a bit of cooking skill could make, and as long as the filling was well-seasoned, it wouldn't be unpalatable.
But precisely because of this, distinguishing between winner and loser would be somewhat difficult.
The key lay in the filling.
Of course, the dumpling wrappers were also very important. Specific problems required specific analysis; to make perfect dumplings, both aspects needed to be considered.
Speaking of dumplings, Dylan couldn't help but think of… the Ascending Dragon Dumplings, Little Master's masterpiece, which once won first place in the Guangzhou Dumpling Competition.
If the Ascending Dragon Dumplings were entered into the competition, the outcome of the match would be without suspense.
But the opponent was Ueno Sugi, that kid…
An image of a figure working hard in the moonlight appeared in Dylan's mind. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. That kid had also made it into the official competition.
"You all continue chatting. I have something to take care of, so I'll be leaving first."
After saying that, Dylan left the scene, leaving them looking at each other in confusion.
"Was Dylan-sensei here to take care of something?"
Yūki Yoshino looked at Alice Nakiri, her voice filled with doubt.
"Don't look at me, I'm not too sure either."
Alice Nakiri shrugged her shoulders, indicating her confusion. Dylan hadn't said he had something to do when they came, and if he did, why wasn't he in a hurry?
On the other side, Dylan left the Summer Selections Administrative Inn and headed towards the teaching building.
Before long, he arrived at the Third Classroom.
"You're here after all."
Looking at Ueno Sugi, who was kneading dough and making dumplings inside the room, Dylan showed an expression of 'just as expected.' The sudden sound made the other party's body tremble.
"Dy… Dylan-sensei, why are you here?"
Ueno Sugi was very surprised. Dylan usually appeared and disappeared like a ghost, rarely showing up in the teaching areas. Why had he suddenly come today, and from the looks of it, it seemed he was looking for him.
"I heard you advanced to the official competition, so I came to see how you're doing."
Pulling up a chair and sitting down directly, Dylan looked at the dough on the cutting board, his brow furrowing slightly, and finally asked: "You haven't made dumplings many times, have you?"
"I made them a few times when I was at home, but I haven't made them once since coming to Totsuki. After all, there are no related courses, so my skills are inevitably a bit rusty."
Ueno Sugi scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. This theme could be said to be very disadvantageous for him, as he was not very familiar with the dumpling theme.
"One day is enough. From the dough to the filling, and the dumpling wrapping methods, I will only demonstrate once. How much you learn depends on you."
As Dylan spoke, he picked up a short wooden stick from the table, tapped it twice to check its weight and sturdiness, then pushed Ueno Sugi's prepared dough aside to sit idle.
From below, he scooped a spoonful of flour onto the table, added salt, warm water, and egg whites, then performed the White Luo Snake Turning Chain.
A soaring serpent leaped into the air, striking various poses. Ueno Sugi's mouth slightly agape at this sight, his eyes filled with shock.
"What's the name of this technique? It's so agile!"
Swallowing hard, Ueno Sugi only regained his senses after a long while, then asked with longing in his eyes.
"It's the White Luo Snake Turning Chain, one of the Dark Cooking Society's ultimate techniques. Want to learn it?"
The great serpent in the sky would sometimes hover, sometimes coil, sometimes flick its tongue, sometimes pounce, displaying countless forms, before finally settling calmly onto the tabletop.
"Yes!"
Hearing Dylan's words, Ueno Sugi nodded heavily, his eyes filled with a desperate desire for culinary skills. If he learned this, he would surely become a master of pastry-making!
"When you can make Special Grade level pastries, I'll teach you this technique."
"Special Grade level?!"
Ueno Sugi's mouth twitched slightly. He was still some distance from being a First-Grade Head Chef; how could he possibly become a Special Grade Chef…?
"That's right. Only by creating Special Grade level dishes will you have the foundation to learn this technique."
In other words, if you can't even make Special Grade dishes, forcing yourself to learn this technique would just be a waste of time; there's no need for it.
Dylan briefly explained, then set the prepared filling aside and began kneading the dough, dividing it into equal-sized small portions.
He pressed down with his hand, rolled the rolling pin into a circle, then began wrapping the filling.
"There are many ways to wrap dumplings. In China, almost every region has its own wrapping method, equivalent to local specialties. Of course, just as there are dialects and Mandarin, dumplings also have basic versions."
As Dylan spoke, he wrapped the most basic type of dumpling, which was equivalent to the "Mandarin" of the dumpling world, and also the most widely accepted dumpling.
"That's roughly it. Besides these, there are also Katsuobushi-shaped dumplings, and potsticker-shaped ones. Slightly more unique ones include Chrysanthemum Dumplings, Four Happiness Steamed Dumplings, Ingot Dumplings, Crescent Dumplings, Purse Dumplings, Small Lock Dumplings…"
As Dylan spoke, he demonstrated. Before long, there were over a dozen dumplings of various shapes on the table. He then put half of them into a steamer, and the other half into a pot filled with hot water.
______
New History: A heart of Ice With a Romance System.
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