"Where is such a reward...?"
"There is, you know. Does Erina prefer it a little more forceful?"
Pinning Erina Nakiri against the bed, Hoshino Sora held her wrist and observed her closely for a long time. After confirming that she had no resistance except for not daring to look him in the eye, he proceeded to the next step.
If she had resisted fiercely, he would have stopped immediately, but Erina didn't. Her symbolic body movements were just a small act to heighten the mood.
"You're like this, mmph..."
Her eyes instantly widened, revealing a hint of disbelief. Her body felt as if it had been pierced by a subtle electric current from top to bottom. Her healthy, fair, and tender legs straightened slightly, and her toes curled.
From resistance, to passivity, then to active participation, the intense sensation left Erina Nakiri's mind blank. The taste on her tongue was a bit strange, but she didn't dislike it; in fact, she rather liked it.
Her God Tongue was being used in a strange way.
However, just as Hoshino Sora was about to go further, the crisp sound of the doorbell at the entrance brought a surge of delight to Erina Nakiri's brain, and she abruptly pushed the guy in front of her away.
Phew... that was close.
"We have a guest. Let's stop here for today."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who had an expression of wanting more, Erina Nakiri quickly said, not even realizing that she hadn't rejected him when she said that.
Let's stop here for today.
Did that mean there would be tomorrow? And the future?
It must be said that Hoshino Sora's plan was very successful, and he naturally noticed this. His mood immediately became cheerful, and he said, "I'll get the door."
As he spoke, Hoshino Sora jogged out of the room, leaving Erina Nakiri slumped on the bed, gently touching her lips, where Hoshino Sora's warmth still lingered.
Honestly, the feeling wasn't bad.
The feeling of kissing.
Erina Nakiri thought with a flushed face, but immediately covered her face in embarrassment. How could she have such shameless thoughts, feeling so comfortable after being forcibly kissed by a man?
That tingling, numbing sensation, like an electric shock. Had his hand been trying to...
If the doorbell hadn't rung, what would have happened next? Erina Nakiri didn't dare to think further, her mind filled with Hoshino Sora's vulgar descriptions from earlier when he was giving her a "science lesson."
Those vivid, lively descriptions.
"Ahhh, how embarrassing!"
"What are you doing, Erina?"
She rolled and rolled on the bed in embarrassment, but a voice made her feel as if struck by lightning. Her gaze stiffly moved to the doorway, where she unluckily met Alice Nakiri's half-smiling eyes.
"My back is a little itchy. What are you doing here?"
Erina Nakiri awkwardly made a far-fetched excuse, clearly not wanting to continue this topic. Being forcefully kissed was something she was too embarrassed to say out loud.
"You took my boyfriend away. Can't I come looking for him?"
"Boyfriend?"
"Hoshino Sora. I went to Yōbi Dormitory this morning to find him, and then I was told he was here being your little secretary. Where's Hisako? Did she finally get fed up with you and leave?"
Alice Nakiri searched the room with her eyes, asking in confusion, but her tone and manner of speaking were very irritating.
"What are you talking about?! Hisako went out to travel because she wanted to improve her cooking skills! It's not like you said she got fed up with me!"
"Maybe it's just an excuse."
Alice Nakiri said, trying to infuriate her.
"It's not an excuse! What about you? Did your little follower abandon you? Why are you always mixed up with Hoshino Sora, and even became his girlfriend?"
"Hmph, I prefer Sora-kun over Ryo-kun. Isn't it normal for me to be with him? What about you, why are you snatching someone else's boyfriend to be your secretary? Could it be that you're interested in him?"
A hint of wariness showed in her eyes. She had just talked to Hoshino Sora about Erina Nakiri yesterday, so why was he here today? She hoped he hadn't told Erina all the bad things she said about her yesterday.
"What if I am interested? What if I'm not? Is it any of your business?"
"He's my boyfriend, of course it's my business!"
Alice Nakiri said somewhat anxiously, a memory of her favorite toy being snatched away by the other party when she was a child suddenly surfacing in her mind.
"Current law supports polygamy for capable individuals. Even if he is your boyfriend, it doesn't mean he can't date others."
Seeing Alice Nakiri's anxious look, Erina Nakiri suddenly had the idea to tease her. After all, that girl just said Hisako didn't want her, hmph!
"I don't really have an opinion, but can you accept sharing a man with someone else?"
Feeling that the other party had gained the upper hand, Alice Nakiri inwardly thought it was bad. After taking a deep breath, she composed herself, then crossed her arms to increase her presence and said,
"What are you two talking about? Come over here, I've already prepared the ingredients. The Mapo Tofu will be ready to serve soon."
The time required from making Mapo Tofu to serving it was not very long. To let Erina and Alice eat freshly made Mapo Tofu, Hoshino Sora decided to have them wait in the kitchen first.
"Mmm…"
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who appeared at the door with a natural expression, Erina and Alice simultaneously fell silent. After exchanging glances, they followed him.
"Mapo Tofu, is Sora-kun planning to make this for the semi-finals? It feels… a bit too ordinary."
Noticing what Hoshino Sora had just said, and remembering that the theme of the semi-finals was "Tofu," Mapo Tofu was simply too common a dish.
It was classic, a prime example of Sichuan Cuisine, but no matter how amazing something was, once it became commonplace, it lost its amazingness, at least in terms of people's subjective expectations.
After all, after eating it many times, one became familiar with the taste, and the initial surprise was gone.
"My Mapo Tofu is a bit different. It's called Hoshino Style · Magical Mapo Tofu."
Hoshino Sora remembered while cooking in the morning. After extensive experimentation and memory searching, he recalled the Mapo Tofu from Little Chef, where beef was replaced with soybeans.
Through seasoning and cooking, it created a texture similar to meat, making it impossible to distinguish from the outside.
Specifically, soybeans soaked in water were boiled in beef bone broth, then crushed and flattened, and then seasoned heavily with demi-glace sauce. This sauce was crucial for creating a meaty texture and was also commonly used in French beef stew.
It was said that some French restaurants required two to three days just to prepare the demi-glace sauce.
However, such vegetarian meat, when used in Mapo Tofu, would instantly disperse in the pot, making it not resemble meat at all, which would undoubtedly be a failure.
To do this well, the prepared vegetarian meat had to be quickly fried in oil to lock in the deliciousness of the demi-glace sauce, while also giving it an appropriate firmness. This would make the texture infinitely close to meat.
In Little Chef, ordinary soy sauce and other seasonings were used because the dish was developed during a famine year, and good ingredients like beef bones were not available for flavoring.
After appropriate improvements and comparing the two flavors, Hoshino Sora clearly felt that his vegetarian meat tasted better. This could be considered a suitable innovation.
Cooking was about progress through continuous research.
Quickly deep-fry the vegetarian meat, then turn to medium-low heat, add Pixian bean paste, stir-fry until fragrant and crispy, then add chopped green onion and ginger, stir-fry for a while, and add chili powder.
Add rice wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce for seasoning, then add some water, continue to simmer slowly, add a little sugar to enhance freshness, add the blanched tofu cut into one-centimeter cubes, and a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn powder.
This was to unify the overall flavor and ensure the tofu at the bottom also had taste. This was also a part that Xiang Ling emphasized many times, and Hoshino Sora remembered it especially well.
Simmer on medium-low heat for a while to allow the tofu to absorb the flavor. This required great skill; the tofu should remain in intact cubes, not only looking good but also tasting more evenly seasoned.
"Almost there…"
Hoshino Sora murmured softly, then picked up the prepared cornstarch slurry, thickening it in three steps, which was the most crucial time to prevent the tofu from breaking apart.
The technique changed from pushing and pulling to just pushing, trying to let the back of the spoon make contact with it.
Hoshino Sora silently recited the steps in his mind. He was always meticulous when cooking. Although the dishes made this way might be a bit rigid, he was still in the learning stage and not focused on innovation.
Sniffing, he turned off the heat just as the pot was extremely hot and about to burn, then added the minced garlic sprouts and stirred evenly. Alice Nakiri, who was nearby, very perceptively brought over a plate.
He lifted the pot and placed the Mapo Tofu onto the plate, then added another layer of minced garlic sprouts and Sichuan peppercorn powder, using the heat from the freshly served Mapo Tofu to cook the newly added garlic sprouts and activate the fragrance of the Sichuan peppercorns.
"It's standing up!"
Alice shouted, her eyes shining.
The tofu was served, and the inch-long garlic sprouts stood upright in the bowl, vibrant green and blue, glistening with oil, as if freshly picked and chopped from a field, lively and vivid.
This was the "living type" in Mapo Tofu!
"Gulp."
Just smelling the aroma made her body tremble uncontrollably, and her tongue desperately sent signals of desire.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before. Erina Nakiri's eyes trembled slightly, and her hands moved uncontrollably. Looking at the trembling tofu in the spoon, her heart beat a little faster.
Finally, as if making up her mind, Erina put the tofu in her mouth. Spicy, fresh, fragrant, and hot—these were the first sensations. When her teeth bit down, it was beef… this taste?
"Did you make vegetarian meat from soybeans?"
"That's right. The texture is great, isn't it? And it's hard to tell if it's beef or vegetarian meat made from soybeans, right?"
Hoshino Sora smiled and snapped his fingers, then softly explained.
"Indeed, even the God Tongue hesitated for a second. It's truly well-disguised. Compared to Mapo Tofu made with beef, it has a unique flavor."
Erina Nakiri nodded in agreement. This improvement was quite good; vegetarians should like it.
"Besides this, is there anything else that needs improvement?"
"Wait, I was so busy eating just now that I didn't get to fully taste the flavor. Let me have another bite."
Erina Nakiri said, her face slightly flushed. Because the Mapo Tofu in front of her was too delicious, she actually forgot to taste its deeper flavors.
However, one thing was certain: Hoshino Sora's Mapo Tofu was comparable to Kuga Terunori's, and even showed a slight tendency to surpass it.
This also meant that Hoshino Sora possessed the genuine combat power of an Elite Ten!
However, although Kuga Terunori was the Eighth Seat and she was the Tenth Seat, this did not mean she was weaker than Kuga Terunori. It was just that she was the youngest and had to show some respect to her seniors, which was why she had always remained in the Tenth Seat.
"Do you have rice?"
Compared to Erina's eloquent speech, Alice was very quiet. At this moment, all she wanted was a bowl of rice to devour with this delicious, warm Mapo Tofu!
The moment the tofu entered her mouth, the intense impact almost made her fall to the ground. Fortunately, her hand quickly grabbed the kitchen counter, preventing her from making a fool of herself in front of the two.
The piping hot, spicy and fragrant Mapo Tofu entered her mouth, made contact with her tongue, and then slid down her throat. It was a very strange sensation, like an adventure in a kingdom of chili peppers.
Wielding a spicy spear, she defeated the tofu monster. The extremely pure spicy flavor was irresistible, though the taste was slightly strong and needed to be paired with white rice to reach its true peak.
"Here's the white rice~"
Seeing the two sisters' happy expressions, Hoshino Sora's face was full of smiles. For a chef, having one's cooking liked by others was undoubtedly the greatest praise.
"This rice isn't steamed well; it doesn't match this dish."
Just by smelling it, Erina Nakiri gave such an evaluation, which poured a basin of cold water on Hoshino Sora's excited heart.
"Then I'll start researching rice this afternoon. Anyway, I have a full seven days, so I can definitely find the most suitable rice."
Yes, there's also the rice. This can't be taken lightly. He must make top-grade rice that pairs with this Mapo Tofu!
He had never paid much attention to this before, but thinking carefully, rice seemed to be a very important component of a dish that could affect the customer's dining experience.
Once he started paying attention to details, the things he needed to consider multiplied.
"I think it's fine. Can Erina even taste that?"
"You can smell it. There's a little too much water."
Alice, who had instantly finished a bowl of rice, said this. When tasting the dish, she only felt that she had lost her mind and just ate. When she came back to her senses, the rice in her hand was already gone.
All that remained was the rich, spicy, and fragrant taste in her mouth.
Although the Mapo Tofu in the plate was empty, her little belly was slightly bulging.
"I'm the taste-tester, alright?"
Looking at the empty plate in front of her, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but complain. She had only eaten two bites!
"Hmph, I can also provide feedback! From today onwards, there will be two taste-testers, okay~"
Alice Nakiri spoke on her own initiative, standing next to Hoshino Sora and grabbing his arm as she spoke.
"I'll make another portion. I prepared a lot of ingredients. There's as much Mapo Tofu as you want; you can eat until you burst, no problem."
Hoshino Sora didn't reply, only cleaned up and continued to prepare ingredients, getting ready to make another batch of Mapo Tofu…
Time slowly passed, the sun rose and set, and through extensive practical experience, Hoshino Sora's understanding of spicy tofu deepened, and he also unlocked the most suitable rice for Mapo Tofu.
"Where's my room?"
Night soon fell.
Glancing at the time on her phone, Alice went to Erina's side and asked with wide, blinking eyes.
"There's no room for you here."
Erina turned her face away and said, clearly not planning to let Alice stay overnight at her place.
"Hmm… then I'll just stay in your room."
She put her finger on her chin, thought for a long time, then tilted her head and pretended to be innocent as she said.
"The one at the very end of the second floor."
"What about me, what about me?"
Hoshino Sora also leaned forward and asked twice. Yesterday, because Erina Nakiri hadn't assigned him a room, he had no choice but to make do in her room.
"It's not raining today."
Erina Nakiri couldn't help but remind him.
"It's so late already. No one will open the door for me if I go back. I'll just stay here until the semi-finals."
Hoshino Sora said as a matter of course.
"Agreed~"
Alice Nakiri loudly raised both hands in agreement from the side.
"Uh…"
"Not welcome?"
"You can stay in the room next to Alice's."
Hoshino Sora also had his own ideas, which was to use this opportunity to repair the relationship between the two sisters. To be honest, their relationship wasn't bad; there were just some minor misunderstandings.
However, while he said he wanted to repair the relationship, he had no idea how to actually do it.
Never mind, he had a whole week anyway. He would let things take their natural course.
Hoshino Sora thought so. With such a long time, could he not manage to reconcile the two sisters? While it wasn't impossible, he wanted to try his best.
"Let's continue playing cards in Erina's room tonight."
"I won't lose this time!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Erina Nakiri said somewhat excitedly. If she hadn't been too sleepy yesterday, she wouldn't have fallen asleep. It must have been because she was too sleepy and not in good condition that she kept losing!
I have to say, Erina is very good at finding excuses for herself.
"Tch, you can't even beat me."
If it was a four-person group, Alice's win rate would be around 25%, while Erina's win rate would only be a pitiful 10%.
"Tonight, I'm definitely going to wipe the floor with you guys!"
Erina Nakiri said stubbornly. If one word were to describe her, it would undoubtedly be 'bad at games but loves to play'.
Closing the room, they started a card game. The three of them sat in a triangle and battled until midnight.
It ended with Alice Nakiri falling asleep from exhaustion.
Erina undoubtedly suffered a crushing defeat.
"You better not take advantage of her while she's asleep, even if you two are boyfriend and girlfriend."
"I know. I'll leave after sending her back to her room. If you're worried, you can follow me."
"I'm just reminding you. I trust your character."
As he picked up Alice, Erina Nakiri's warning came from beside his ear. It was clear that even though she acted indifferent on the surface, she still cared deeply about Alice.
Hoshino Sora nodded in agreement. No matter what, he wouldn't take advantage of someone in their sleep. Besides, he couldn't see Alice's adorable reaction when she was teased if she was asleep.
——————
The next day.
"The sun is so nice today. Let's go out and have some fun."
Outside the house, the sun was shining brightly. Hoshino Sora greeted Erina and Alice, who had just woken up. This was the first step of his plan: to take the two of them out to play.
"Aren't you supposed to be researching cuisine?"
Erina Nakiri showed a puzzled expression.
"Combining work and rest is also very important. A string that is always taut will break eventually, won't it?"
Hearing Erina's question, Hoshino Sora said as a matter of course, "Let's go to the amusement park, the three of us together."
Blinking his eyes, Hoshino Sora enthusiastically invited them. Where is the best place to foster friendship and love? It must be the amusement park. Many young couples have their first dates at an amusement park.
"An amusement park, huh? It seems I've never been…"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Erina Nakiri muttered to herself.
"Huh? Erina, you've never even been to an amusement park?"
Because she was standing nearby, Alice clearly heard Erina's muttering. Then she covered her mouth with her hand and opened her mouth in surprise. This wasn't an act; she genuinely found it unbelievable.
How could someone so old have never been to an amusement park?
"I've also been very few times. It's okay, today the three of us will go together and let you experience the beauty of the commoner's world."
Thinking of Erina Nakiri's previous way of addressing him, Hoshino Sora deliberately spoke in a playful tone, which made her face flush slightly, not knowing how to respond.
"Oh, so you have such a shy side too. That's quite surprising to me."
Pinching her chin, Alice looked closely at Erina Nakiri, bending over. She seemed a bit surprised. The usually tsundere Queen actually showed such a girlish side.
"What are you talking about! It's all his fault for saying 'commoner, commoner.' An amusement park isn't exclusively for commoners."
Looking at Erina Nakiri's somewhat exasperated look, Hoshino Sora didn't respond, just watched her with a smile on his face.
"Anyway, let's go now!"
Grabbing Erina's wrist with one hand and Alice's hand with the other, Hoshino Sora acted very familiar.
"Go go go!"
Alice excitedly raised her hand. Although they had dated many times, they had never been to an amusement park. They kept saying they would go, but in the end, they always chose another place.
"Then… please take care of me today."
Her eyes were a little unfocused, and as her wrist was held, Erina's face flushed slightly, but she didn't resist and just followed them out.
"Look over there, Miss Erina and Miss Alice…"
"Aren't the two of them not on good terms?"
"The person in the middle is… Hoshino Sora, the hot favorite to win the Autumn Elections."
"This is really big news!"
In the front row, there were Far Moon students who were out shopping.
When they saw Hoshino Sora, Erina, and Alice getting into the car at the same time, they were all shocked.
The two sisters, who were originally not on good terms, were now getting along harmoniously, and sitting between them was a man, Hoshino Sora, the man who had performed exceptionally well in the Autumn Elections!
The three of them were unaware of the discussion in the front row. At this moment, Erina was looking out the window, occasionally hearing Alice's coquettish voice directed at Hoshino Sora.
This guy, isn't he tired of saying such sweet things?
Erina Nakiri thought with a flushed face. Is this what it's like to be in love? If she had to say such embarrassing things, ugh… just thinking about it made her want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
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