Chapter 228: To Create from What I See and Hear!
Late at night, somewhere in Tokyo—
Hairo Irimi, wrapped in a bath towel, stood in front of the mirror, drying her pink hair with a hairdryer. She placed the dryer on the shelf, turned, and left the bathroom, walking with light steps to her bedroom.
With her hands at her sides, she gave a little hop and threw herself onto the soft, fragrant bed.
"Uunnn—! So comfy~~!"
The 17-year-old Hairo Irimi rolled over, making a sound like a contented cat. She stretched out a pale arm, fumbling for the phone on her nightstand. Her fingers found it, and she pulled it over. Unlocking it with her fingerprint, she lay in bed and lazily scrolled through Twitter.
Suddenly, a push notification popped up:
[Good News for Foodies! A Blessing for Dessert Lovers! The Culinary Sage Has Announced a New Dessert Shop!]
"Huh? Seriously?"
Hairo's eyes widened. Instantly interested, she tapped the notification. She had a major sweet tooth and always treated herself to a dessert shop on her days off.
She had long since heard of the "Culinary Sage," even before Ryohei Tanaka had officially earned that title. At the time, she had been skeptical, assuming he was just using some kind of "chemical tricks" or unnatural additives. By the time she realized his food was the real deal, his restaurant had opened and required a reservation.
Unfortunately, she was incredibly busy. The CCG was always short-staffed, and her "Arima Squad" was an elite team, handling many of the most difficult missions. Her time off was often canceled for overtime, and it was common to be called back to work in the middle of a vacation.
The most frustrating part, however, was that when she did get a day off, Ryohei was usually taking a day off, too.
Then there was that incident in the middle of last month... That night, Ryohei and his restaurant staff had left an indelible, deep impression on her. Her curiosity was now mixed with a new layer of respectful fear.
...
Back to the topic at hand.
Hairo carefully read the tweet. The author was a verified food critic and writer who had been lucky enough to snag a reservation tonight. He started by mentioning the complimentary "deep-fried ice cream," which led to the news of Ryohei's dessert shop, including its opening date and detailed address.
The critic then went on to review the dishes he had ordered, complete with meticulously shot photos and detailed commentary. His writing was so good that Hairo felt like she was right there, tasting the food herself.
It was making her crave it badly.
She unconsciously licked her lips and swallowed, then tapped to open the comments. As expected, the section had already exploded. Many users were asking if the news was true. Several other diners who had reservations tonight chimed in to confirm it.
...
"It looks like it's real... not fake news..."
Hairo's fingers scrolled through the comments, her large, bright eyes shining.
"This really is a blessing for dessert lovers!"
"This is great! It doesn't need a reservation! Even with a purchase limit, the amount is enough to be satisfying!"
Hairo cheered silently and made a decision: she had to go on Friday, even if it meant taking a personal day.
She and Kishou Arima had left the CCG, but they still maintained a delicate relationship with the organization. After the main family and the 'V' organization had been rooted out, she and the other former "Arima Squad" members, at Arima's direction, had continued their investigator work. Their workload was just much lighter now.
Still, she would probably be working on Friday. To ensure she could get her desserts, she would put in for leave in advance.
...
While Hairo was dreaming of what sweets she would buy, Ryohei was stewing over the very same topic in the hot spring back in Hokkaido.
When he opened his restaurant, he had the "Miracle Comet Fried Rice." At the food festival, he had the "Ascending Dragon Gyoza."
It wouldn't make sense for his new dessert shop to open in a plain, ordinary way. That would be too disappointing. People might even think he wasn't skilled, or at least, not skilled with desserts.
He had to do it. He wanted to give people another stunning, visible spectacle.
But after racking his brain, he couldn't think of a suitable dessert. It wasn't that he had no ideas, but some, like the Rainbow Pudding from Toriko, were impossible. A pudding whose vapor formed a seven-colored rainbow in the air and whose flavor changed seven times with the temperature...
That was definitely spectacular.
Unfortunately, he was missing the key ingredient: the Rainbow Fruit. A master chef can't cook without ingredients.
"What's wrong? You've seemed preoccupied all evening," Yurine Hanazono asked gently from her spot in the hot spring.
"Hmm. I'm thinking about desserts... I'm still missing a show-stopping, signature dessert." Ryohei admitted, leaning back against the pool's edge.
"Oh..." Yurine was taken aback, then found it both funny and frustrating. We're here soaking in the hot spring with you, and you're thinking about desserts? Are we that unappealing?
"Lucoa," Ryohei turned to the other woman in the pool. "In your world, are there any desserts that are stunning at first sight?"
It was the three of them again tonight.
"Nope," Lucoa answered without hesitation.
"What about any interesting ingredients suitable for desserts?" Ryohei pressed.
Lucoa tilted her head. "I'm not sure what Ryohei-kun's standard for 'interesting' is."
"Urk..." Ryohei was stumped. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
After a moment, he turned his gaze back to Lucoa. "Would it be... convenient... for you to take me to your world to look around?"
If he couldn't replicate a spectacular dessert, he would just have to create a new one based on what he saw and heard. Ryohei was confident in his skills.
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