"You two are working well together."
Watching the two cooperate perfectly, one after the other, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Don't misunderstand, she wasn't jealous of Hisako Arato, but of Hoshino Sora. Seeing their relationship improve day by day, Erina Nakiri only felt annoyed and awkward.
Hisako Arato was her secretary, so why was she getting along so well with someone else? This inexplicably irritated her.
"After all, it's been over half a month. If we were still as unfamiliar as we were at the beginning, that would be truly ridiculous."
Hoshino Sora didn't notice the unusual tone in Erina Nakiri's voice; he simply focused all his attention on the pot. For him, cooking every dish well was his responsibility to the customers.
"Hmph, there's not much time left until the one-month wager. By then, you won't be able to enslave us anymore."
"Indeed, it's a bit of a shame that Hisako Arato will be leaving. It's not easy to find such a tacit helper again."
Hearing this, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself why he hadn't met Hisako Arato sooner. That way, she might not have been Erina Nakiri's secretary.
Having such a useful assistant chef, Erina is truly enviable!
"That's right, Hisako Arato will be back in my embrace soon, and your dishes will no longer have her touch."
"At least she's mine now."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Erina Nakiri felt inexplicably annoyed, especially seeing Hisako Arato's obedient look without refuting him. The feeling of displeasure in her heart grew even stronger, and her golden hair seemed to take on a hint of green.
Unhappy!
But there was nothing she could do.
Squatting down to taste the freshly cooked dishes, Erina Nakiri's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She had been observing the boy's progress. Although the dishes he made were still mediocre, they were much better than when he started.
A few days ago, Nakitiri Senzaemon came to see her and specifically asked her about Hoshino Sora. He laughed heartily upon learning that she had been tricked into becoming a maid by him, but he had no intention of helping her out.
However, because of Nakitiri Senzaemon's visit, she also gained an important piece of information: Hoshino Sora's father was once a state banquet chef, one of Japan's top chefs.
Hoshino Sora inherited his genes, so his talent in cooking must not be bad. At that time, Erina Nakiri had disdainfully stated that it was impossible, but now she was starting to agree a little.
That guy really works hard. He makes hundreds of dishes every day, yet he never cuts corners on any of them. Instead, he pours all his energy into making the dishes as perfect as possible.
Of course, even if Hoshino Sora tried very hard, he was still miles away from her. The seasoning was always off, either too salty or too bland. Although that slight impact made little difference to ordinary people.
But she has the God Tongue! She could easily taste it.
However, the recent errors have been much smaller. It wasn't in vain that she reluctantly tasted a small bite of his cooking before getting off work every day. That guy was truly blessed but didn't know it. Other restaurants would often pay a huge price to invite her to taste a dish, and whether she went or not depended on her mood.
Hmph, what a lucky fellow.
"Your Kung Pao Chicken."
With a face full of annoyance, she placed the dish on the table in front of the person, then glared fiercely at the fat otaku who had specifically requested her service. This guy was truly disgusting, still smiling foolishly even when being glared at like that.
In fact, besides being famous for its delicious food, the maids in Hoshino Restaurant were also a popular topic of conversation among diners. Over time, this naturally attracted a group of special customers.
Since it didn't cause any negative impact, Hoshino Sora didn't interfere. After all, the other party just wanted to see a beautiful woman, not commit any heinous crime. It was much better than that blond guy the other day.
Fortunately, this was just a commoner's dining area, and the people who came and went were mostly local residents who knew little about the upper-class culinary world. Until now, Erina Nakiri's identity had not been recognized by outsiders.
This made Erina Nakiri secretly relieved but also a little annoyed. Was her popularity that low?
"Hello, sir. What would you like to order? This is your number ticket. There are 2 customers ahead of you, and it will take about twenty minutes."
Holding the menu and wearing her signature smile, Ya Xiang was already very skilled at greeting customers. Customers she had served had only one comment about her.
"A little angel good at alleviating dining anxiety."
"I'm not here to dine. I'm the manager of the Sanhe Street Chef King Cooking Competition. Is Mr. Hoshino here? This is an invitation. We'd like to invite him to participate in this cooking competition."
The man in the suit said, handing a letter and an invitation to Ya Xiang, then respectfully nodded to her and left.
"Competition?"
Looking at the envelope and invitation in her hand, Ya Xiang's expression was a bit puzzled, but she immediately handed the letter to Hoshino Sora. However, he didn't have time to read it and only opened the letter after closing for the night.
"What does it say?"
As soon as he opened the letter, Ya Xiang and Rika leaned in, intentionally pressing their faces close. But Hoshino Sora was clearly used to it and remained unfazed.
"Still reading. The general idea is to invite me to participate in a cooking competition. The organizers selected sixteen restaurants directly for the main competition based on their popularity. The remaining sixteen spots will be chosen from over a hundred restaurants through a daily sales competition."
The letter briefly explained the situation. Hoshino Restaurant had achieved an excellent fourteenth place in the online popularity survey, successfully bypassing the preliminary round.
It's worth noting that Hoshino Restaurant was just a small restaurant that had been open for less than a month. To receive such an honor in such a short time was a remarkable achievement.
"A competition of this level is just a waste of time."
Erina Nakiri's figure appeared beside Hoshino Sora at some point. She had overheard their conversation and always looked down on street-level competitions like this.
"You can't say that. It's always good to hone your skills, and don't you know the old saying, 'masters are found among the common folk'? Some of the century-old restaurants on Sanhe Street are very formidable."
Shaking his head slightly, Hoshino Sora disagreed with Erina Nakiri's statement. Among those who could survive in fierce competition, how many restaurants would be simple opponents?
"Most of the shops on this street develop in one direction. You let them do well in their specialized field, but once they step out of their comfort zone, they'll quickly reveal their true colors."
Erina Nakiri said disdainfully. Chefs in small shops might have some skill in their specialized areas, but in the entire culinary world, they were definitely unknown figures.
Moreover, chefs in small shops are often very conceited about their specialized dishes. She relied on this mentality to seize many shops through food duels to expand her culinary empire.
By completely defeating them in their own specialized field, they would no longer have the face to continue in the industry.
Don't let Erina Nakiri's current docile appearance fool you; in reality, she is very cold-blooded and ruthless, incapable of empathy, and looks down on those with poor cooking skills. She is a rather unpleasant woman.
Hoshino Sora was well aware of this. He knew that to change her, he would have to defeat her in a fair and square food duel, making her experience failure as well.
However, in his memory, Erina Nakiri seemed to have never lost in cooking.
That wager was also won under the circumstance of Hoshino Sora cheating. If it were a proper food duel, he wouldn't have a single chance of winning.
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