There was no doubt—Erina had successfully killed the mood.
After her remarks, a strange silence filled the room. Sora sighed, flicked his fingers, and gave Erina a good flick to the forehead.
"What was that for?!"
Holding her forehead, Erina squatted down in reflex, looking up at the much taller and more muscular Sora. She immediately regretted not bringing Hisako with her. If Hisako were here, she wouldn't be suffering this indignity.
"Come here. There's tea—brew it yourself."
Grabbing her by the wrist, Sora dragged her to the sofa and tossed her a tin of tea leaves, expecting her to brew her own tea.
Huh?
Staring at the tea in her hands and then at Sora, who had already returned to his seat to continue eating, Erina was stunned. Was this how he treated guests? He didn't even offer to brew it for her?
Her delicate face turned red. She clutched the tin tightly and glanced at her wrist, which now bore red marks from Sora's grip.
"What a rude brute!"
Erina fumed as she examined the marks. No one had ever treated her this way before. All she did was give a few normal professional critiques!
Even so, her hands moved on their own. She began boiling water, rinsing the pot, selecting tea, washing leaves, brewing, pouring… Each movement was precise and elegant, perfectly timed.
This was Nakiri Erina, after all—whether it was cooking or anything related to it, she always performed flawlessly. As the tea flowed into the cup with a pleasant clink, it glistened like divine nectar.
Just as she finished brewing, Senzaemon and Ren returned from the study. After a brief chat at the door, Senzaemon saw himself out.
Erina hadn't taken a sip yet. Meanwhile, Sora, having just finished dinner, was thirsty. He walked up, picked up her tea, and drank it right in front of her.
"Not bad. Better than mine."
That one sentence made Erina stop in her tracks at the door. She turned and glared at Sora for two full seconds before finally leaving at her grandfather's urging.
Afterward, Ako and Riko began cleaning up the table, and Sora was summoned to his father's room.
"You should enroll in Tōtsuki."
Ren looked at his son, now grown and dignified, and spoke seriously after a moment of silence.
"Well…"
"Tōtsuki may only be ranked lower on the world stage, but in Japan, it's top-tier. It's the perfect launchpad for your future."
Seeing Sora's hesitation, Ren opened the window. The view below stretched across half of Tokyo—they lived on the 18th floor of a high-rise apartment.
"You said you like cooking, right? As a career, it's just as viable as any university degree. Whether you work for someone else or open your own shop, it's a great path.
But in the end, it's your choice."
"I don't hate the idea. I just wonder if my skills can hold up in a culinary school. There are a lot of prodigies, and the elimination system is brutal."
Sora hesitated. Truthfully, he was more interested in cooking than studying. It was purely a matter of personal passion.
Still, interest alone wasn't enough—he doubted his own talent. His food tasted good, sure, but only "good."
"You can do it. I've seen your effort over the past year. You've built a solid foundation and learned a lot. What you need now is refinement."
Ren smiled warmly. Over the past year, he had guided Sora through at least a thousand dishes. The basics were already solid—now it was time to perfect each one.
Next would be innovation—adding personal touches to traditional dishes and forming his own unique style.
Currently, most Tōtsuki students were still in the second phase. Only a few second-years reached the third stage, and very few advanced to the third year. The competition was fierce.
"So what now?"
"Summer vacation's starting soon. I rented a small restaurant nearby. The best way to improve your cooking is through practice. In three months, you'll enroll in Tōtsuki."
Leaving his father's room, Sora was deep in thought. He'd been in this world for a while now, but he still hadn't found his purpose. He just tried to live well and be excellent.
But was that really the life he wanted?
He shook his head. His father had moved on to a new chapter in life—shouldn't he do the same?
This world was far more complicated than he expected. Characters from various anime appeared here. Once the novelty wore off, all that was left was anxiety.
After all, he was just a regular person. No system, no superpowers. The only "special" things were his middle school romance with Yukino and his dad's past fame.
Thinking of Yukino made him feel a little melancholy. He sighed and shut his bedroom door, lying on his bed, thinking about the future.
Alright then—cooking it is. At least he enjoyed it. Being a chef meant he could make food he loved to eat. He'd already spent over a decade studying before. Time to try something different in this life!
[System detected a clear life direction. Evolving system—Gourmet Enhancement System initiated.]
[System activation complete.]
[Mission released]: Open a restaurant.
[Mission description]: Establish your own shop in the expensive city of Tokyo and earn the praise of local customers to establish a foothold.
[Reward]: Crystal Mirage
[Crystal Mirage]: Observing a chef's cooking process will perfectly replicate their dish while gaining partial culinary insight.
"Whoa! A free reward right at the start? But earning praise from surrounding customers… that's gonna be tough."
Hearing the system's voice in his head, Sora sat up excitedly. So he did have a system after all—turns out it simply couldn't awaken until he had a clear life direction.
Well damn, that's surprisingly humane. He liked this.
If he'd just made up his mind about his dream earlier, the system might've already awakened by now. If he'd aimed to be a tennis star, maybe he'd get a Prince of Tennis system. Start a business? Investment system. Spend money wildly? Tycoon system. Flirt with girls? Harem conquest system…
Damn it! Doesn't that mean he missed out big time?!
Realizing that he could've unlocked a "no-effort OP" system, Sora gritted his teeth. He had thrown away a perfect opportunity to rise to the top in one step!
As he was stewing in regret, a soft noise came from the door. Curious, he got up to check it—and was stunned to find Ako standing there in her pajamas, cheeks slightly flushed, body language awkward and reserved.