"Elementary Sense of Taste?"
Looking at the transparent screen that appeared before him, Okabe's face revealed a hint of surprise; he clearly hadn't expected to awaken a new skill under these circumstances.
He read the description.
It seemed that to awaken the ability 'Elementary Sense of Taste,' one had to eat Special Grade dishes of five different flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami—all within a single day.
The condition was quite demanding. If it were just dishes with the five flavors, that would be fine, as they could be encountered in daily life.
The key was the 'Special Grade' requirement.
Although he hadn't yet been exposed to the culinary world here, Okabe had watched Chuuka Ichiban, and a Special Grade Chef was basically the top dog of a region.
An existence that ordinary people would never come into contact with.
Could it be that he did it on purpose?!
Thinking of Liu Anqing, who had tidied up briefly after his lecture and left with a stainless-steel thermos, this thought surfaced in Okabe's mind.
As the former head chef of Juxiang Restaurant, Liu Anqing most likely possessed methods unknown to ordinary people for stimulating a person's potential.
"Whatever, I won't overthink it.
In any case, with this skill, my next steps have become much clearer."
Looking at the brand-new ability on his system panel, the corners of Okabe's mouth lifted slightly.
Judging by the skill description, this was undoubtedly a 'Super Taste: Junior Edition.' As long as he worked hard to grind its proficiency, it could evolve into something more profound one day.
Isn't that how a proficiency system is supposed to be used?
"Let's go back."
Nakiri Leonora called out.
The next moment, Alice Nakiri trotted to her side. After waving goodbye to Okabe and Erina Nakiri, the two left the quiet room, one after the other.
For children, energy is undoubtedly limited, so their lessons were only scheduled for a few hours in the morning. The rest of the day was their own.
"Let's go too, Ikaros."
There was nothing left to do here. After Nakiri Leonora left with Alice Nakiri, Okabe looked at Ikaros, who was already prepared to leave.
"Yes, Master."
Ikaros nodded lightly, then opened her arms and lifted Okabe, letting him lean securely against her chest, her ample bosom becoming his pillow.
Although Okabe was a bit shy about this, he didn't resist. After all, he was still a child, and besides, Ikaros's embrace was genuinely soft and fragrant.
After a day of classes and with a full stomach, his body swayed gently with Ikaros's movements on the way back, and he gradually grew sleepy.
By the time they returned to their room, just as Ikaros was about to put Okabe down, she discovered he had already fallen asleep in her arms, his breathing even and strong.
So she could only raise her hands again, take the bedding out of the closet, quickly lay it out, and then place Okabe inside, covering him with a thin blanket.
Then, she knelt beside him, watching him sleep with her eyes open, like a female knight guarding her prince, never to leave his side no matter what happened.
·
·
The days passed one by one.
Suddenly, he looked back to find his small body had grown, and the calendar had advanced two years.
One early morning.
"Morning, Alice."
Dressed like a little farmer and standing at the edge of the Nakiri family's vegetable garden, Okabe waved a greeting to Alice Nakiri in the distance before walking over.
"Okabe, you're here so early."
Seeing Okabe wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, a long-sleeved breathable shirt, durable trousers, and rain boots, Alice Nakiri greeted him back.
"It's been a while since I last came to the vegetable patch, so I was a little excited. By the way, has Erina not returned yet? I seem to remember she went to Hokkaido."
Okabe's voice was filled with curiosity.
Because Nakiri Mana had developed anorexia, little Erina Nakiri had taken her place, visiting restaurants all over Japan. It had been three months already.
During this time, she visited many restaurants and, using the keen perceptive power of her God's Tongue, gave very constructive evaluations, earning a great deal of praise.
Even though Okabe was here at the Nakiri estate, he could occasionally overhear guests discussing her, praising Erina Nakiri for being beautiful and kind-hearted, serious and down-to-earth about cooking.
Given time, she would absolutely become the most dazzling new star in Japan's culinary world.
"Before being influenced by Azami Nakiri, Erina's personality was actually really nice.
She would always answer with a smile when people asked for her advice, never looked down on anyone's cooking, and held an equal and loving heart for cuisine."
Okabe recalled Erina Nakiri's shrewish, willful, and domineering appearance from the original work and couldn't help but sigh. She really was unlikable during that period.
A completely different person from the little angel she was now.
Looking back, that was most likely just a protective front against the various pressures from the outside world.
"There are only a few years left before the storyline where Erina is imprisoned by Azami Nakiri. I'll have to do something then, at least so she doesn't have to be alone again."
As a child living under someone else's roof, it was difficult for Okabe to change the decisions of adults, but he could maneuver within the situation to make things less painful for her.
After all, Azami Nakiri's 'imprisonment' wasn't about physical abuse, but more about exerting mental control. The best way to combat that control was to give her the strength of friendship.
"Okabe! Okabe! Don't ignore me!"
"What's wrong?"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's call as she shook his body, Okabe finally snapped back to reality, a puzzled look on his face as he looked at her.
"What were you thinking about? I was calling you for ages and got no response!"
His gaze shifted to meet a face puffed up like a blowfish. Alice Nakiri's expression was full of dissatisfaction, clearly unable to accept being ignored by him.
"I was thinking about Erina a bit. It's been a while since I've seen her, after all," Okabe said honestly.
"Is that so? I miss her a little too. Next time, let's ask if they can take us along. Here, try this tomato, it's so wonderfully sweet and sour!"
As she spoke, Alice Nakiri handed the half-bitten tomato to Okabe. There were still water droplets on its surface, a clear sign it had just been washed.
"Okay."
Taking the tomato from Alice Nakiri and seeing her expectant gaze, Okabe didn't hesitate to take a large bite, and then his facial features contorted.
"Hiss, so sour!"
"Hahahahaha, that's what you get for ignoring me, you fell for it~"
While spitting out the extremely sour tomato, Okabe looked angrily at Alice Nakiri, who had already run off into the distance, her voice ringing out like silver bells.
"The main reason a tomato is sour is insufficient sunlight. Ample photosynthesis is the foundation for producing sugar.
Although the tomato you ate looked good, it grew under the shade of branches and leaves. Plus, it was watered too often with nitrogen fertilizer, which is why it tastes so sour."
In the distance, an old man wearing a straw hat was walking over. Beside him was a slender young girl in a plaid skirt and a knitted vest.
Her golden hair fluttered slightly in the wind. Who else could it be but Erina Nakiri?
____
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