"Mana replenished. Let's go home, Sora."
Looking at the somewhat tired Hoshino Sora in front of them, Yaxiang Lixiang showed satisfied smiles. On the table were outfits left by the previous manager: bunny girl, maid, nurse, teacher, and even queen-like attire. The small leather whip Rika brought when she first arrived was to go with this, an extensive set of preferences that was admirable.
Yaxiang Lixiang didn't really do anything after bringing Hoshino Sora here. They just put on various clothes, then lay on him, sucking in his scent, testing his preferences, saying it was a reward for their hard work during this period.
Hearing them say this, Hoshino Sora couldn't refuse and could only let the two sisters do as they pleased with him. Sometimes they sat on his lap, sometimes they lay on him. In the end, he couldn't hold back and reached out to do some excessive things.
However, for these two foolish sisters, their younger brother's 'excessiveness' was undoubtedly a benefit, which was why their faces were filled with satisfied smiles at this moment.
For Hoshino Sora, holding the last line of defense was his proudest achievement today.
Leaving the shop, the two sisters held Hoshino Sora's hands, one on each side, their smiles undiminished, humming an unknown tune, looking to be in a very good mood.
As for Hoshino Sora, he was currently in a cheerful mood looking at the bustling Ruishan Restaurant, because he heard many customers' dissatisfied comments, and comparisons being made to his restaurant.
Poor shop, it's not easy to cater to every customer's emotions, you know.
Shaking his head with a feigned sigh, Hoshino Sora quickly left, holding the two sisters' hands. He didn't want to be recognized by these diners, otherwise, today's plan would fail.
He had long wanted others to experience the hell he faced every day!
— — — — — — — — — —
The next day, Hoshino Sora woke up very early. He first made breakfast, quickly ate a couple of bites, and then rushed to the market, becoming one of the first customers of the day.
The dish he planned to make today was simple: fried rice.
Of course, it wasn't just simple egg fried rice, but the incredibly famous Yangzhou Fried Rice, a delicious dish that, as long as you master the heat, can be made in a large pot.
Naturally, considering his customers' financial situations, he thoughtfully divided it into three tiers based on the ingredients: an entry-level tier for 1500 yen, a premium tier for 3000 yen, and a top-tier for 8000 yen.
The top-tier included high-priced ingredients like ham and sea cucumber, and the taste was based on the oldest recipe, which he had found in his father's study.
Dishes like fried rice demand very fresh ingredients. After carefully selecting items at the market, Hoshino Sora was satisfied, carrying several large bags of ingredients towards Hoshino Restaurant.
Passing Ruishan Restaurant, he was surprised to find it closed. He looked inside but saw no one. This was unusual; normally, at this hour, the restaurant would already be open for business.
Shaking his head, Hoshino Sora turned and left, not paying much attention. What he didn't know was that Mimasaka Subaru, due to overexertion, woke up the next day with sore and weak arms and had to be sent to the hospital.
This was normal; anyone who worked continuously for over ten hours, doing multiple times their usual amount of work, would end up in Mimasaka Subaru's condition.
It's worth noting that Ruishan Restaurant, having few customers, didn't have fixed rest times. They basically served one customer at a time. Even so, the restaurant never appeared busy.
Even the maid hired to sell outside the shop could play on her phone while selling food. The few customers were mostly attracted by her black stockings.
It sounds easy; no business means no busyness.
But thinking differently, as long as customers came, they had to keep working until the last one left.
Otherwise, if they suddenly closed without prior notice, customers who had waited in line for tens of minutes but didn't get what they wanted would be angry.
This was the so-called 'riding a tiger is hard to get off'.
As the saying goes, good news doesn't go out the door, but bad news travels a thousand miles. In the world of Food Wars, if a shop dared to do that, it would go bankrupt within a month, unless your shop's food was truly top-tier. Otherwise, you had to abide by the rules.
After all, if you have that skill, people would invite you to cook. A Master Chef having a little personality is called individuality.
Of course, it wasn't impossible to announce the end of service a few hours in advance. It was more that Mimasaka Subaru wanted to prove himself; he didn't believe that what Hoshino Sora could do, he couldn't.
Thus, under super high-intensity labor, even though Mimasaka Subaru was strong and robust, he couldn't withstand it. After a night's sleep, every cell in his body was complaining, trembling, and self-repairing.
"Master Chef, good morning! Let me help you."
Seeing Hoshino Sora carrying large and small bags, Yui Yuigahama immediately jogged forward, wanting to help him share half the burden. However, as soon as she took one bag, she struggled.
"Hahaha, no need. I can still carry this."
With a faint smile on his face, this little girl was truly interesting. She casually picked up the heaviest shopping bag. However, he appreciated her willingness to help.
"I can still manage this one."
Seeing Hoshino Sora try to take the bag she had just taken, Yui Yuigahama immediately turned around, protecting the bag with both hands. Even if she couldn't share all of it, a part was still possible.
"Alright, let's go together then. Oh, by the way, how was your friend's birthday, Yuigahama? I remember it was last month, but I haven't heard you mention it."
"It went very well. Thanks to you, she really liked the hand-knitted scarf I gave her."
She thought about Hoshino Sora's tireless persuasion a while ago, which ultimately made her give up the idea of giving an expensive gift and instead give a hand-knitted one.
Hoshino Sora's reason for suggesting this was simple: young ladies from wealthy families don't lack expensive items. What they lack more are hand-knitted gifts that represent heartfelt intentions.
"That's good. If I had caused you trouble, I would have blamed myself."
"How could that be? I'm very grateful that Master Chef said those things to me at that time. If you hadn't enlightened me, I might have never understood that problem."
"Actually, it's not...
"Hey, Yuigahama, Master Chef!"
Their conversation was interrupted by a distant shout. Looking up, they saw Kitagawa Marin frantically waving. Seeing the things in their hands, she immediately ran over.
"Good morning, Master Chef! Let me help you carry those. Eh, they're quite heavy. Master Chef, you're so strong."
She reached out and took two bags of ingredients from Hoshino Sora's side. Feeling the weight, Kitagawa Marin's expression showed slight surprise. Looking at Hoshino Sora, he didn't seem completely at ease, but he certainly didn't look like he was struggling.
"Stir-frying with a large pot weighing five or six catties every day, plus the ingredients inside, will naturally build some muscle."
"Oh, I actually quite like muscles. I feel like Master Chef's physique under his clothes must be fantastic. Why don't you come cosplay with me? Maybe we can even form a CP."
"Let's talk about it later. How was your rest yesterday?"
He awkwardly shrugged. To avoid continuing the cosplay topic, Hoshino Sora promptly changed the subject.
"It was great. I went straight to sleep when I got back. When I woke up, it was already evening. I just ate some instant noodles and went back to sleep. I finally caught up on the sleep I'd missed these past few days."
"You worked hard."
"Compared to the money I'm getting, this level of work is not hard at all. I really like how generous Master Chef is, just putting the money on the table."
She shook her head slightly. As long as she was given money to buy cosplay equipment, she was willing to work no matter how long. Wearing beautiful cosplay outfits and being approached at conventions for photos, the sense of accomplishment in that moment truly made her super satisfied!
"You've earned it. Work hard and energetically today too!"
Putting down the ingredients, he pulled out his keys and opened the restaurant's door. As the wind chimes at the entrance jingled, Hoshino Sora turned and said with a smile to the two of them.
"Definitely!" * 2
They both gave firm replies.
Hoshino Restaurant officially resumed business after a day of rest!
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