"Let's go back too."
"Hmm, but are you two dating? You and Miss Alice look very close."
Immediately after they parted ways, Mito Ikumi, who was beside Hoshino Sora, asked curiously. Shiina Mahiru also looked over when she heard the question, her eyes filled with curiosity, appearing somewhat interested.
"Hmm? No, she's my adorable maid. At the time, because she lost a Food War to me, according to our wager, she had to be my maid for a year.
What kind of look is that? She was the one who proposed the Food War, okay? The wager was that the loser would serve the winner. She wanted me to be her servant, it just so happened that I was the one who won."
Seeing the subtle looks on Mito Ikumi and Shiina Mahiru's faces, Hoshino Sora quickly explained. What the heck, he was a victim too, okay?
Their looks were as if he had tricked Alice Nakiri, using a Food War to force a beautiful young lady to become his maid.
"Oh~~~"
Dragging out her words, and thinking of all the perverted things Hoshino Sora had done to her, Shiina Shinohiru clearly didn't believe that a pampered young lady like Alice Nakiri would make such a wager.
"Don't disbelieve me, it's true."
Seeing this, Hoshino Sora quickly explained.
However, once a preconceived notion is formed, no amount of explanation will suffice.
"I believe you."
"No, your tone sounds very disbelieving."
"But I genuinely believe you, how can you not believe that I believe you just because my tone sounds disbelieving?"
"Forget it, let's not argue over something so strange."
Seeing that Shiina Shinohiru wouldn't believe him no matter what, Hoshino Sora finally gave up. Anyway, in her preconceived notion, he was just a perverted foot fetishist who was good at cooking.
"Meat-Ikumi, can you make me a meat dish tonight?"
"Hmm? I can, yes. I happen to have some A5 Wagyu beef in the fridge that my family sent for me to practice with. But it's so sudden. And also, don't call me Meat-Ikumi!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Mito Ikumi remembered that after their last match, he said he wanted to try her cooking sometime. She readily agreed.
"Shinohiru, help me make a dish later too."
Turning his head, he saw Shiina Shinohiru's slightly expectant, yet unspoken, gaze. Although Hoshino Sora had eaten countless dishes made by Shiina Shinohiru, he still asked her to make him dinner.
He couldn't show favoritism and make her sad, could he? Having Meat-Ikumi and Alice cook but not Shiina Shinohiru would make her feel like she was being treated differently.
"Okay! I'll give it my all."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, a light appeared in Shiina Shinohiru's eyes, and she immediately agreed with a smile on her face.
Soon, the three returned to Yōbi Dormitory, and then rushed to the kitchen without stopping. At this moment, a faint scent of dumplings permeated the kitchen.
"She seems to be asleep…"
Looking at Yumeko Jabami, who was leaning back in a chair, tired and asleep, Hoshino Sora stared at her for more than ten seconds, then turned to look at the kitchen counter, which was piled with all kinds of ingredients.
"I remember Yumeko's competition theme tomorrow is 'dumplings', which originated from China…"
Towards the end, Shiina Shinohiru's voice grew softer and softer, and her brows furrowed slightly.
Chinese cuisine accounts for half of the world's culinary landscape. From imperial banquets to street snacks, the variety and quantity of dishes are astonishing.
Even taking just one cuisine style, it can rival the entire culinary efforts of other nations. Many dishes here in Neon are adapted from Chinese cuisine. This is China, the Eastern Dragon with a heritage of over five thousand years!
Facing Chinese contestants, they basically had no advantage. The themes they drew were also the areas their opponents were most proficient in, which was truly very difficult.
"From the dumpling wrappers to the fillings, and then to the cooking temperatures required for different fillings, and the preparation of sauces, Yumeko has done a lot of research. This thick notebook, it's truly astonishing."
Picking up the draft paper on the table and flipping through it, looking at the dense handwriting, and even illustrations, Hoshino Sora's expression was somewhat surprised.
He had thought Yumeko Jabami was a naturally gifted contestant, but now it seemed she was likely a hardworking genius. He had never seen anyone make such detailed notes.
Hearing the sounds around her, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. Then, seeing Hoshino Sora and the others in front of her, Yumeko Jabami stretched languidly, perfectly showcasing her figure.
"You're back! Do you want to try the dumplings I just made? The timing should be about right."
Hoshino Sora swallowed, then heard Yumeko Jabami's invitation to taste. She also stood up at this moment, went to the steamer, and brought out the steaming hot dumplings.
At the same time, she also brought out three sauces she had carefully prepared.
"Please, I must taste them!"
— — — — — — — — — —
It was already eight in the evening when he left Yōbi Dormitory. During this time, he tasted Yumeko Jabami's magical dumplings, Mito Ikumi's meat dish, and Shiina Shinohiru's soup dish. Now, he was rushing to taste Alice Nakiri's Molecular Cuisine.
Knocking on the door, Alice Nakiri had been waiting at the entrance early. Hearing a sound outside, she immediately opened the door. At this moment, she was wearing an elegant and luxurious evening gown, her hair slightly coiled up, looking very dignified, beautiful, and exceptionally graceful.
Seeing Alice Nakiri in this attire, Hoshino Sora was momentarily stunned, because she was simply too beautiful, making him somewhat infatuated. This atmosphere, why did it feel so much like a candlelight dinner on a date?
"You haven't been to my house in a long time."
Welcoming Hoshino Sora into the house, Alice Nakiri spoke with a slight hint of complaint. Ever since she won the match against Ryo-kun, he hadn't visited her house again.
"Isn't it because I didn't know what capacity to come in? Going to a girl's house casually, if outsiders knew, they would gossip."
Sensing that Alice Nakiri also had that intention, Hoshino Sora remained outwardly calm, but inwardly actively guided the conversation. He was already quite experienced in wooing girls.
"Let others say what they want. Do you care much about what others say? We're living our own lives."
Her cheeks puffed out subtly, clearly dissatisfied with Hoshino Sora's answer. What did he mean by being afraid of outsiders gossiping? Did he really dislike people gossiping about him and her that much?
Unhappy.
"I don't care, but I'm afraid you do."
Shaking his head, he followed Alice Nakiri to the dining room, where exquisite Molecular Cuisine dishes were laid out. He sniffed, and there was a faint, elegant fragrance.
"How could I possibly care? If I cared, I wouldn't be clinging to you every day."
"I thought that was because you were my maid."
"We don't have an official Food War document, nor do we have witnesses. It's just an oral wager. Even if I wanted to go back on my word, you wouldn't have any way to stop me, right?
Ah, I'm not saying I'm going to go back on my word, I just wanted to tell you that I'm looking for you not because I said I was your maid, but because…"
Looking at Hoshino Sora leisurely savoring the Molecular Cuisine, Alice Nakiri anxiously explained. Towards the end, her cheeks suddenly flushed, and her voice abruptly stopped.
Her gaze darted left and right, and her breathing became somewhat rapid. Even someone as straightforward as her couldn't be as blunt as usual when facing matters of the heart. The unique shyness of a girl was fully displayed at this moment.
There was no way around it. She had been a virgin her whole life, always busy researching cooking, and had absolutely no romantic experience. She had spent so much time with Kurokiba Ryo, learned nothing, and he had even blocked all her romantic opportunities.
Her relationship with him was more like that of close friends. She hadn't developed any romantic feelings for him, so she hadn't pursued that path.
But Hoshino Sora was different. Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Alice could clearly feel her own feelings. Ah, it was this person, the feeling that it had to be him and no one else.
Even if this guy was a perverted stocking fetishist who liked to lecture her and make her blush. But love, once it begins, everything about the other person will sparkle in her eyes.
Likes stockings? Then why only hers, and why did he say it so boldly? Aren't preference and frankness also good qualities?
"I like you too, but I don't think you can accept me. After all, I'm just a foot-fetish idiot whose cooking is just okay, and I even forced you to become my maid. You must really dislike me, right?"
Hoshino Sora's voice was very soft, with a hint of grievance, as if he was playing the victim, but in reality, he was retreating to advance, to make her decide sooner.
"What nonsense are you talking about! If I disliked you, how could I let you come to my house, or give you the stockings I just took off…"
The more Alice Nakiri spoke, the softer her voice became. This was still too embarrassing for her. If Hoshino Sora hadn't said such unconfident words, she wouldn't have said any of this.
"Then, shall we try dating?"
"So sudden…"
"If you don't want to, then forget it."
"I never said I didn't want to!"
Seeing Hoshino Sora's disappointed expression, Alice Nakiri said urgently. Why did he think she changed into such a beautiful dress today? Why was she so serious about dinner with him?
"Then that means you agree."
"But I don't have any dating experience, so please guide me from now on, Hoshino-kun. Now I should call you Sora-kun."
With a title, Alice Nakiri's lips curled slightly, and her mood became exceptionally beautiful. The joy on her face was visibly apparent.
"Yes, please guide me."
As the Molecular Cuisine in front of him was swallowed, a faint warm current arose from the depths of his heart. Closing his eyes, his mind was filled with the methods of making Molecular Cuisine, including but not limited to the operation of precision instruments.
This was the function of Chef's Heart: through tasting the dish, he could experience the chef's entire life—their effort, their experience, their creativity, their ability—all of which would be transformed into experience points and absorbed by him through this dish.
It truly was an extremely buggy ability!
[Hidden Quest Completed]: Scumbag? No! I just love everyone equally!
[Quest Requirement]: Simultaneously date five girls without them discovering each other, or make the dating girls accept other girls (sisters not included).
[Quest Reward]: Subtly change the world's perception, making it believe that it's normal for capable men or women to have a harem, while also greatly increasing the tolerance of dating partners for a harem.
As the quest completion prompt appeared, Alice Nakiri, who was sitting in front, suddenly felt her brain freeze for a second. But because nothing changed around her, she didn't pay it any mind.
At the same time, everyone in the world paused for a second. A football goalkeeper conceded a goal because he paused for a second, some young couples ended up in bed because they paused for a second, and various events happened in this world.
However, no one paid attention, dismissing it as a trivial minor error.
"Speaking of which, you and my cousin, Erina Nakiri, aren't you two in some sort of ambiguous relationship?"
Her expression suddenly became awkward and hesitant. After pondering for more than ten seconds, Alice Nakiri suddenly asked this question. After speaking, her heart rate slightly quickened.
"Erina and I, for now, should be just friends. What's wrong?"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's question, Hoshino Sora's heart instinctively panicked, but he still pretended to answer nonchalantly.
"For now?"
Alice Nakiri keenly caught the second meaning in Hoshino Sora's words. She immediately stood up, hands on her hips, and asked with an interrogative look.
"Ah, this…"
"Although I don't object to you finding another girlfriend, can you really tolerate Erina's personality? Let me tell you…"
Pulling a chair, she sat next to Hoshino Sora, and Alice Nakiri began to speak voluminously. She had accumulated a lot of frustration over the years with nowhere to vent it.
"When she was little, she often snatched my toys like a bandit, and even criticized my cooking for being bad, which was irritating. So what if she has God Tongue? Why is she so arrogant!
These aren't the most crucial things. The most crucial thing is that I sent so many letters over the years, and Erina didn't even reply to a single one! And, and…"
(The letter incident might not be Erina's fault.)
Hoshino Sora quietly muttered a retort in his heart. Looking at Alice, who was constantly spilling Erina's dirt and occasionally gesturing, his eyes were full of doting affection.
However, she seemed to have said earlier that she didn't object to him finding another girlfriend, right!?
Although he didn't know when it started, it seemed the quest rewards from completing tasks were already beginning to affect reality.
In other words, as long as he slowly let Kitagawa and the others meet and know of each other's existence, he wouldn't have to hide anymore. He also wouldn't have to worry about being caught by another girlfriend while on a date with one.
The biggest crisis was resolved. He should be able to relax a lot more from now on.
Thinking of this, a satisfied smile appeared on Hoshino Sora's face.
"Are you even listening to me? You've said so many upsetting things, and you can still smile."
"I was just thinking, your relationship is actually quite good, isn't it?"
Looking at Alice Nakiri pouting in dissatisfaction, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but tease her. If his memory served him right, Alice had never truly disliked Erina.
Both sisters were more or less a bit tsundere.
"Who… who has a good relationship with that guy?"
With a hint of unconfidence in her voice, Alice Nakiri grumbled, but her constantly darting eyes had already betrayed her true feelings.
"Hurry up and eat. All this food can't shut your mouth."
"Okay~"
Hoshino Sora intentionally drew out his words, then continued to enjoy the delicious food. Molecular Cuisine didn't provide much of a feeling of fullness and was more suitable as a dessert after a meal.
If they continued to open a shop in the future, he would let Alice be their dessert chef.
After eating, Hoshino Sora left. Because there was a competition tomorrow, he didn't use the dating atmosphere to make further advances on Alice. He went back early.
He needed to digest what he had learned today and perfect even better dishes!
Especially after seeing how hard Yumeko Jabami worked, his fighting spirit was endlessly ignited.
His opponent was Soma Yukihira.
Goal: Achieve victory!
— — — — — — — — — —
The next day.
"Well then, I'm off. Yumeko, you do your best too. I look forward to meeting you in the semi-finals or finals."
Before that, you aren't allowed to lose either!
"That's for sure."
Saying that, Hoshino Sora stood up, confidently carrying his chef's tools box with one hand, and made a grand entrance from the Tsukiten Space's contestant path, arriving at his cooking station.
"We meet again, Soma Yukihira. From the looks of you, did you not sleep at all last night?"
Looking at Soma Yukihira, who clearly had dark circles under his eyes, Hoshino Sora familiarly stepped forward and greeted him.
"I spent the whole night researching new dishes. There are simply too many dishes with 'chicken' as the theme, so it would be very difficult for an ordinary chicken dish to win.
Therefore, I spent the whole night researching chicken dishes and finally decided to make 'Chicken Risotto.'"
"Chicken Risotto?"
Hearing Soma Yukihira's words, all the spectators present were stunned. The image of the chicken risotto bento sold at convenience stores naturally popped into their minds, and their expressions immediately showed some disappointment.
"Of course, it's not ordinary 'Chicken Risotto.' It's 'Soma Yukihira Style: Transforming Chicken Risotto.' In short, you'll know once I make it."
Seeing Hoshino Sora's somewhat surprised expression, Soma Yukihira smiled and began to explain.
"Then I'll have to look forward to it."
Nodding, Hoshino Sora said earnestly.
"Since all contestants are ready.
Then I announce, the first match of the quarterfinals, day two, begins now!"
After a simple exchange, the atmosphere gradually set in. Kawashima Rei, standing near the two, immediately picked up the microphone and said.
The Academy's General Director also stood up the moment Kawashima Rei finished speaking, and with a strong, resonant voice, addressed the entire audience and the two contestants on the field: "Cooking, start!"
The atmosphere group began to beat gongs and drums. Hoshino Sora also returned to his cooking station the moment the gongs sounded, arranging the prepared cooking ingredients. After taking a long breath, he began to cook.
"This is a showdown between two transfer students! In the preliminaries, there was only a three-point difference between them. It's clear this will be an evenly matched battle!"
Holding the microphone, Kawashima Rei loudly stirred up the atmosphere, walking around the venue while commentating, a cheerful smile on her face, which drove many boys in the audience wild.
"Kawashima Rei, Kawashima Rei, the cutest Rei in the world."
The support cheerleading squad immediately took their positions, their shouts causing the girls sitting near them to show displeased expressions.
"Look, that transfer student's way of handling the chicken."
"Which transfer student? You should say the name, both of these on the field are transfer students."
"It's that one, Hoshino Sora on the right, it's too magnificent! He perfectly dismembered an entire chicken in less than two minutes! Not a single cut was superfluous!"
"Indeed, this handling technique, you couldn't achieve it without butchering hundreds of chickens."
A true master's skill is evident at first glance. As Hoshino Sora displayed his exquisite knife work, exclamations of admiration and cheers erupted from the audience. This was the true highlight of a cooking competition.
The chef's operation, the deliciousness of the dish, the judges' reactions.
"So many chilies, is that guy preparing Sichuan Cuisine? A bit surprising."
Looking at the table covered with chilies, Feng Xuanya, sitting in the contestant lounge, murmured while pinching her chin, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Sichuan Cuisine, that's a Chinese thing. Can a Japanese person truly make it well?
If he's just exploring with a recipe, he can't make top-grade Sichuan Cuisine. So, Hoshino-kun, what kind of dish will you present in this competition?
The inheritance of cooking requires a Master Chef to guide; exploring with recipes is called a 'wild path' in the culinary world. One can make acceptable dishes, but not top-tier delicacies.
"Sora-kun, you can do it!"
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was diligently sweating on the field, Alice Nakiri cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted loudly.
Seeing this, Shiina Mahiru and Mito Ikumi immediately raised the flags they made yesterday, each vigorously waving one side.
Although their faces were flushed and even their ears turned red, their movements were firm, and they were cheering for Hoshino Sora with their actions.
"Hoshino-kun, how far can you go?"
At the contestant entrance, Erina Nakiri murmured while looking at Hoshino Sora. His strength had already exceeded her expectations, especially in these past two months; the dishes he presented in the Autumn Elections had shocked her.
Hisako Arato stood beside her, watching Hoshino Sora, who was sweating on the competition field, with complex eyes, and silently cheered for him in her heart.
"Chicken head, chicken neck, giblets, chicken breast, chicken meat, chicken wings, chicken legs, chicken butt."
Looking at all parts of a chicken laid out on the iron serving tray, Hoshino Sora took out his Master Chef knife from his knife case. Next, he would move on to a deeper level of seasoning.
Marinating.
Each part needed a different marinating method, yet they had to be interconnected, because he was making an original dish: Sichuan-style Whole Chicken Feast.
Cooking different parts of the chicken with different methods, but ensuring that the overall flavors maintained a harmonious rhythm, progressively enhancing their aroma.
Its difficulty was not in cooking and plating each part of the dish separately, but in making all the flavors converge into one dish, forming a perfect culinary closed loop.
After a whole night of practice, Hoshino Sora could clearly feel that his skill in using chilies had significantly improved, and he also gained a deep understanding of the characteristics of 'chicken.'
Those experienced old Master Chefs must have also spent many nights like him, enduring through them.
Set up the pot!
-----------------------
✨ Want early access to the latesat chapters and exclusive content? Support me on Patreon and unlock special perks!
👉 [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]