Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a strong wind blew.
Just as Nagiri Mana's mind was empty, the Transmission Pulse erupted once more.
But the strong wind came and went quickly. When everything returned to silence, the slices of raw sea bream attached to the ice mountain were eaten by Nagiri Mana, mouthful after mouthful.
For some reason,
this simple Sashimi dish
seemed to possess a power that could control people's hearts, quickly trapping Nagiri Mana within it, making it impossible for her to escape.
As a result, all she could think about now was Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain.
Finally, at a visible speed, all the sea bream meat was completely gone.
"Sosuke!"
"Can… can I have another plate?"
Nagiri Mana smacked her lips, asking Sosuke with a lingering desire.
Clearly, this portion was not enough to fill her stomach, nor could it completely satisfy her God Tongue!
"Mm!"
"Just a moment."
Sosuke just nodded and then continued to busy himself.
Afterward, the ravenous Nagiri Mana actually ate three full plates of Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain at the Izakaya.
Honestly, that unprecedented feeling of fullness, along with the fresh taste of the sea bream itself, truly made her feel unforgettable at all times…
Annie, who was beside her, couldn't help but look astonished when she saw Nagiri Mana eat so much.
After all, to conquer the God Tongue so thoroughly just by relying on the original taste of the ingredients, and even to make her eat three full plates of sea bream meat, was simply unprecedented!
…
Nowadays,
many restaurants are adding other strong-flavored seasonings.
Their purpose might be to make diners addicted and find the food delicious, but this approach inevitably interferes with the food's natural essence.
At the same time, highlighting freshness requires higher costs.
It's not like the low-cost spiciness, which can cover up the freshness of inferior ingredients. Nor is it like sweetness, which is outside of the main meal and can be separated from the main course on a formal dining table to become a standalone garnish.
Therefore, a dish like Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain, which is full of the fresh taste of the ingredients, is, to some extent, more difficult to conquer the God Tongue than the Comet Fried Rice was last time.
But the reality was right before their eyes: simply by relying on the natural taste of the sea bream itself, Sosuke was able to satisfy Nagiri Mana.
Moreover, he even made her "down" three large plates of sea bream Sashimi.
"I take back what I said last time."
"Even if the God Tongue continues to evolve, it probably still won't be able to surpass your cooking!"
"If you ask me, the true ceiling of combat power in the gourmet world might just be you, the Shopkeeper of this Izakaya, and not me, Nagiri Mana!"
Finally, Nagiri Mana, having eaten and drunk her fill, temporarily escaped her food addiction, and her complexion gradually returned to normal.
Then she looked at Sosuke, watching him pick up a clean knife cloth and carefully wipe the chef's knife he had just used to prepare the sea bream.
Looking closely, his eyes were so gentle and so focused.
…
"Do you know now?"
"No matter how your God Tongue evolves, it will only be infatuated with my cooking!"
"The problem you need to worry about in the future is no longer the psychological rejection of food that leads to self-starvation, but how to break free from the dishes I make."
Upon hearing this, Sosuke simply placed the wiped slicing knife back into the knife box.
Then, he slightly raised his head and looked at Nagiri Mana, who was silently watching him.
"Sigh!"
"Food addiction."
"It's certainly terrifying, but it's better to be stuffed to death than to starve to death!"
Nagiri Mana, naturally understanding what Sosuke meant, couldn't help but respond with emotion.
Yes, compared to hating all food,
being able to severely rely on one person's cooking and developing a food addiction for it was precisely what Nagiri Mana had always wanted to pursue in her life!
It's just as Sosuke said, what if she became addicted to his cooking?
What if he wasn't around, or if, like tonight, he almost couldn't make food for her to taste due to a lack of ingredients? What then?
…
"Sosuke."
"The WGO Gourmet Organization will be holding The Blue world-class cooking competition soon!"
"We're still short on some staff, so would you like to join us?"
"With your strength, becoming a WGO Special Executive Officer like me, or even an assessor for The Blue competition, would absolutely be no problem!"
"I appreciate your kind offer!"
"Currently, I have no interest in anything related to Totsuki Academy or the WGO Gourmet Organization."
Seeing that Nagiri Mana was actually inviting him to the WGO, Sosuke was momentarily stunned, then he refused without hesitation.
"Totsuki Academy?"
"So, you also refused Father?"
Knowing that he wasn't even interested in Totsuki Academy, Nagiri Mana had nothing more to say.
Geniuses inevitably have some perplexing quirks.
And a super genius like Sosuke, despite possessing what Nagiri Mana considered to be the strongest culinary skills in the world, only wanted to run his small Izakaya properly.
His thoughts and actions truly seemed laughable when spoken aloud.
But from Nagiri Mana's perspective, they were worthy of her utmost respect!
If all chefs in the world could be like Sosuke, why would she feel so disappointed with the entire culinary world?
"Since you have no intention of serving the WGO Gourmet Organization, I certainly can't force you!"
"Annie, settle the bill!"
Finally, Nagiri Mana couldn't help but withdraw her gaze, then stood up, preparing to leave.
But at the moment she turned, she paused and couldn't help but look back deeply at Sosuke: "Sosuke! You are truly an excellent chef, and I admire you more and more!"
With that, she left without looking back.
And Annie, behind her, after paying the bill, also quickly scurried after Nagiri Mana, leaving the Izakaya together.
…
Night!
It grew deeper!
The moonlight was faint, and the streetlights on both sides of the road flickered, adding a touch of brightness to the calm and peaceful night.
"Mana-sama."
"The Blue competition, if it hasn't been moved up, is scheduled to start at the end of next year according to the date."
"And there's currently no shortage of staff, so why did you invite Sosuke…?"
Annie, acting as the driver, drove while asking in confusion.
"Is there a problem?"
"I just wanted to trick him into joining the WGO."
"After all, only with him by my side can I taste his cooking every day!"
After speaking, Nagiri Mana's face was beaming with a happy smile.
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