"Genius?"
Hearing the voice coming from the doorway, Eishi Tsukasa, who was in the middle of filleting a fish, paused his movements.
Upon seeing that the visitor was Rindo Kobayashi, a puzzled expression appeared on his face. Simultaneously, curiosity arose in his heart regarding who the 'genius' she mentioned was.
"Yep, the other party is a freshman from this year's batch, a super formidable guy."
Rindo Kobayashi's voice was light and brisk. As she spoke, she walked right up to Eishi Tsukasa, picked up a slice of the fish he had just cut with her chopsticks, dipped it in a little soy sauce, and ate it directly.
"Ah, ah! That is for making fish fillet congee, it's not for you to eat as sashimi!"
Watching Rindo Kobayashi, who was acting completely at home, Eishi Tsukasa couldn't help but scratch his head. His voice carried obvious dissatisfaction, yet due to his cowardly nature, he couldn't lose his temper.
"Ma, ma~ You still have so many fish over there; just fillet some more later.
Besides, it would be a simple waste to take such fresh ocean fish and boil it into congee instead of eating it as sashimi. Just consider it my payment for bringing you such important intelligence."
Hearing Eishi Tsukasa's words, Rindo Kobayashi waved the newspaper in her hand. This also brought him back to his senses, reminding him of the real purpose behind her visit.
But in what way was this important intelligence?!
"So, who is this genius you're talking about?
If it's just a chef with comparatively amazing culinary skills, Tōtsuki gets plenty of those every year."
Returning to the main topic, Eishi Tsukasa finally recovered. He took the newspaper from Rindo Kobayashi's hand, the look of curiosity on his face becoming increasingly intense.
"Sequence 1, Okabe..."
"In the competition, he created a high stock using pure vegetarian ingredients that was more mellow and rich than meat-based stock, and defeated Sequence 10, Natsuo, with vegetarian ramen. That really is amazing!"
Looking at the content published in the newspaper, Eishi Tsukasa nodded with a serious expression. Subsequently, he pointed to the bolded section of the newspaper: "Speaking of which, what is this 'Sequence'?"
"You really do turn a deaf ear to outside matters, focusing your whole heart only on tossing the ladle."
Hearing Eishi Tsukasa's words, Rindo Kobayashi rolled her eyes cutely, then simply explained the new system Tōtsuki had started implementing a week ago.
"I see. Giving a ranking to a hundred students with exceptional natural talent and letting them compete.
This training model... its underlying logic isn't much different from the Elite Ten. The only difference is that this 'Sequence' seems to be something one can ascend to if they just work a bit harder."
After listening to Rindo Kobayashi's explanation, a look of realization appeared on Eishi Tsukasa's face.
Compared to the supreme Elite Ten, the title of Sequence 100 was obviously easier to obtain. Even if a challenge failed, there was no punishment; one would only lose some money.
And for the students attending Tōtsuki, that little bit of money counted for nothing. One could predict that in the coming days at Tōtsuki, there would definitely be Shokugeki duels initiated every day for the sake of Sequence titles.
"Correct. The brilliance of it lies exactly there."
"In the hearts of most students, the Elite Ten are unreachable existences, belonging to the truly top-tier chefs of Tōtsuki. There are barely any students who dare to make that their goal and strive for it.
But if it's a hundred-person Sequence, with a full 100 spots available, everyone feels that if they just work a little harder, they can obtain one.
In this way, their fighting spirit can be stimulated to the maximum extent.
The weak become mediocre, the mediocre become relatively strong, and the relatively strong become strong.
Add to that the fact that this current batch is already an elite generation, with students coming from all over the world... one can imagine just how terrifying these guys will become one year from now."
Sitting on the cooking counter and looking up at the ceiling, Rindo Kobayashi slowly recounted the information she knew, her gaze carrying a deliberately affected depth.
"In other words, they will be our strongest opponents competing for the Elite Ten seats next year?"
Because time was urgent, Eishi Tsukasa didn't forget to process the meat on the cutting board while chatting. The silver grinder in his hand was like a knight's sword.
"Theoretically, that's the case."
Watching Eishi Tsukasa, whose interest had been piqued, the corners of Rindo Kobayashi's mouth raised slightly.
"Then, when the time comes, let's just give the Elite Ten seats to them."
Eishi Tsukasa touched his head in embarrassment, acting completely spineless.
"Pfft!"
"Can't you have a little ambition!"
Seeing Eishi Tsukasa in such a state, Rindo Kobayashi retorted with a 'hate iron for not becoming steel' attitude. He clearly possessed powerful strength, yet he was always so negative in character.
"I'm sorry..."
"You don't need to apologize for that kind of thing."
Looking at Eishi Tsukasa hanging his head low, a glint of disappointment involuntarily flashed through Rindo Kobayashi's eyes.
This guy's culinary skills were very strong, but his personality was truly too weak. The only time in his life he felt confident was probably during the process of cooking.
"Do you have anything you want to say after seeing this newspaper?"
"No."
"Alright then, goodbye."
*
"Here, Senpai Junichi."
One day after the competition ended.
Okabe found Junichi Wasu in a corner classroom and tossed the key to the Vegetarian Research Society to him.
"This... this is the spoil of war you worked hard to obtain. How could I have the nerve to take it back without doing anything? You should keep it."
Feeling the heavy weight in his hand, Junichi Wasu's expression was somewhat subtle. It took him a good long while to make up his mind and return the key to Okabe's hand.
"You take it. This thing is useless to me."
Okabe shook his head slightly. He had only wanted the competition; this stake truly held no meaning for him. He probably wouldn't even bother going to the Vegetarian Research Society.
Compared to this, he actually wanted to know the secret method for drying fermented mushrooms from the temple Natsuo belonged to. That would be of no small use to him.
"No, it's not that I'm unwilling to accept it, but that it's useless even if I do."
The club members have already all run away. With the main general having suffered a disastrous defeat, even if I take the Vegetarian Research Society back, it's impossible to get them to return.
"Regarding this competition... thank you."
Junichi Wasu forcefully returned the key to Okabe. He looked at him with a grateful expression, but he truly couldn't bring himself to put the key in his own pocket.
"It's not completely useless for you to hold onto it."
"Whether you tear it down to rebuild your own culinary research lab, or use it as a base to recruit club members, both are quite good choices."
Thinking of the reason Okabe wanted to give him the key, Junichi Wasu exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
Although it was painful that the Vegetarian Research Society might be demolished, this was, after all, Okabe's spoil of war. He was already satisfied that the other party had helped him avenge his loss.
"No regrets?"
Looking at Junichi Wasu's appearance, Okabe asked.
"No regrets."
"Then I'll build a personal cuisine building. I'll reserve a kitchen for you when the time comes."
"Okay."
Junichi Wasu nodded solemnly and didn't refuse again.
"Then, I have some things to do, so I'll be going first."
Having said what he wanted to say, Okabe shoved the key back into his pocket and left the classroom.
Junichi Wasu not wanting the Vegetarian Research Society was something he hadn't expected. Few people could resist that kind of temptation; he was indeed a gentleman with backbone.
"The ten million will arrive next month. However, that small amount of money likely won't be enough to build a building directly. I'll just add extra floors on the original foundation..."
The Personal Cuisine Building was something Okabe had just thought of. Considering he would spend a very long time at Tōtsuki, a kitchen belonging to himself had to be arranged.
And Tōtsuki had all types of chefs. Everyone needed space to communicate with each other, and forming a faction required a place to gather. Just one kitchen would definitely not be enough.
Aside from that, there were specialty cuisines. Not looking too far, taking Shun Ibusaki's smoked cuisine and Ryoko Sakaki's fermentation cuisine as examples, neither could be practiced in a conventional kitchen.
In other words, they needed to be equipped with specialized open-air smoking grounds and fermentation rooms.
Therefore, a Personal Cuisine Building was indispensable.
Many concepts regarding the Personal Cuisine Building surfaced in his mind. Limited by funds, he didn't plan to build it too high; adding two more floors on the original foundation would be enough.
"Hmm?"
As Okabe left the classroom and walked toward the stairwell, a biting chill emanated from not far away.
Okabe stopped his steps and looked over, seeing a thin, gaunt back.
The youth had short white hair. Although his face couldn't be seen, through the aura he radiated, one could still sense that this guy was not a simple character.
Who?
Such a thought surfaced in his mind, and his attention drifted over. Looking at that back, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.
"Forget it, it has nothing to do with me anyway."
Okabe didn't pay it any more heed, turning around and striding toward the stairs.
And just as he turned to leave, the white-haired male seemed to sense something and also turned around. He then saw Okabe's hurriedly departing figure, revealing a thoughtful expression.
*
Carrying large and small bags of ingredients in his hands, Okabe pushed open the main door of Polaris Dormitory.
The girls heard the commotion and walked out of their rooms.
"Finally waited for you! So slow!"
"Exactly!"
"We've been looking forward to your cooking for a whole day; I couldn't even focus in class! Hurry up and make that what-do-you-call-it 'Nature's Symphony Vegetarian Ramen' for us to taste!"
Ryoko Sakaki and Yuki Yoshino grabbed his arms from the left and right, simultaneously taking the ingredients from his hands and marching him quickly toward the kitchen.
They had wanted to eat it yesterday, but Okabe had appeared too exhausted, so they had put it off until now. Today, no matter what excuse he used, he couldn't decline again!
"I know, I know, I'll make it right now. But you guys have to help; I don't want to be busy in the kitchen alone."
"Wherever you need us, just give the order!"
"Yeah, yeah! As long as we can be the first to eat it, we're willing to do whatever you ask!"
The body scent of the young girls drifted to the tip of his nose. Watching their eager expressions, Okabe's mood was quite good.
In situations where one wasn't particularly busy, being needed by others was a very happy thing—at least it was for him. It gave him a sense of fulfillment.
"Ryoko, you are responsible for grinding the soy milk. Soybeans, cashews, almonds, and white sesame need to be roasted in a ratio of 5:2:2:1 respectively.
As for the small stone mill, I recall I put it in the drawer of the corner stove. Go take a look."
"Yuki, you are responsible for the vegetable garnishes. You just need to bring out their original flavors; no need for excessive processing. This bite is all about their freshness."
"The others likely haven't finished class yet. Let's seize the time to prepare everything well. That way, when they come back from class, we can serve the meal directly."
He glanced at the kitchen layout and at the incomparably scorching gazes of Ryoko Sakaki and Yuki Yoshino.
Okabe simply assigned tasks to the two of them, then began roasting tomatoes to stew the mushroom soup. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner, and a fragrance soon wafted through the kitchen.
Time passed quickly during this process, and the three of them chatted idly.
"Speaking of which, why did Ryoko and Yuki come to Tōtsuki?"
Looking at the soup pot stewing on the stove, Okabe stirred gently with a ladle. As he spoke, he cast his gaze toward them, asking the question he had always been puzzled about.
Why exactly did everyone come to Tōtsuki?
He knew about Soma Yukihira.
To defeat his old man. He came to Tōtsuki to learn advanced culinary techniques and simultaneously accumulate sufficient duel experience to make himself grow quickly.
He knew about Erina Nakiri.
She wanted to become the world's most amazing chef, wanted to shine on a stage everyone could see, so she came to Tōtsuki.
He knew about Hisako Arato.
He knew about Megumi Tadokoro.
But regarding Ryoko Sakaki and Yuki Yoshino, he didn't know.
So he took this opportunity to ask.
This was also a very rare, good opportunity to enhance the feelings between dormmates. The first step to becoming true friends was to open one's heart to each other.
"Why come to Tōtsuki?
That really is a good topic. Actually, I'm here to inherit the family's poultry farm."
Yuki Yoshino stopped the movements of her hands and looked at him.
"My family operates a poultry farm in the countryside. I grew up together with the chicks.
But, Dad always said that just knowing how to raise chickens isn't enough. We have to make people all over the world fall in love with the deliciousness made from our family's eggs and chicken meat!
So I came to Tōtsuki! My goal is to cultivate a 'Yoshino Chicken' that is on the same level as the Bresse Chicken. When the time comes, I'll bring it back for Dad to see and make him happy too."
When speaking of the Yoshino Chicken, the girl's eyes were sparkling, full of longing for the future. This was her fundamental purpose for coming to Tōtsuki to study.
"Breeding a new variety of chicken? A very magnificent goal." Okabe nodded approvingly, then turned his head to look at Ryoko Sakaki beside him: "Then, what about Ryoko?"
Ryoko Sakaki was intently pushing the stone mill. Milky white nut soy milk flowed out slowly, and the air was filled with a very rich aroma of beans and nuts.
Hearing the question, her movements slowed slightly, and a blush of unclear meaning surfaced on her face.
She said softly: "Me... actually, I've been charmed hopelessly by the allure of fermentation!"
"My family runs a miso shop. I grew up amidst various fermentation aromas.
Watching simple soybeans and rice Koji... under the action of time and microorganisms, they become miso, soy sauce, and sake with profound flavors...
That kind of transformation is truly fascinating. I believe the world of fermentation is bottomless, filled with infinite possibilities! There is almost no chef who can separate themselves from fermentation.
However, staying in a small miso shop, the fermented ingredients I could come into contact with every day were limited. So I came to Tōtsuki. Looking at it now, I really came to the right place!"
As her emotions deepened, Ryoko Sakaki's breathing became somewhat more rapid. It took a good long while for her to return to calm, though a faint blush still hung on her face.
"Then what about Okabe-kun? Why did you come to Tōtsuki? Logically speaking, with such powerful strength, you wouldn't lack business even if you opened a restaurant directly."
Yuki Yoshino asked curiously. Ryoko Sakaki also withdrew her mind and looked at him, awaiting his answer.
"As you can see, I am here to challenge even more powerful people and conduct culinary duels with chefs of different styles. That is why I came here."
"Have to say, that is exactly the answer in my heart."
"Indeed, that is very much Okabe-kun's style."
Hearing Okabe's answer, Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki glanced at each other, seeing understanding in each other's eyes. This was likely the reason he was so formidable.
Sizzle—
He fished the spiral noodles out of the soup pot, poured them onto the ice-chilled basalt slab to cool rapidly, then picked them up and placed them into bowls. He drizzled over the boiling hot vegetarian high stock and added the garnishes.
"Done. Call everyone over to eat."
Placing the Nature's Symphony Vegetarian Ramen onto a wooden tray and carrying it to the dining hall, Okabe spoke to Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki.
"Okay."
Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki looked at each other, nodded, and then trotted out of the kitchen to call everyone who had already returned to Polaris Dormitory to come and eat.
*
After dinner.
Okabe took a shower in the bathroom and returned to the room with Ikaros.
Whirrr~
The sound of the hair dryer rang out. Ikaros stood behind Okabe, patiently helping him tidy his hair.
Her eyes carried a faint tenderness.
This was the time she looked forward to most in her day.
Because only at this time could she see Okabe and have close, intimate contact with him.
"Ikaros."
"I am here, Master."
"After classes end tomorrow morning, I have time all afternoon. Is there any place you want to go?"
He suddenly turned his head, looking directly into Ikaros's pupils.
"I do not have any place I want to go..."
"As long as it is a place where Master is, anywhere is fine for me."
Hearing Okabe's words, Ikaros softly spoke her thoughts.
"Anywhere I am is acceptable?"
"Then I'll decide the date location. How about we go to the Undersea World tomorrow?"
"Okay."
Because he had been busy with cooking during this period, he had neglected Ikaros. Okabe had been wanting to find a chance to compensate her, and the best way he could think of was to take her out to play.
"Then it's happily decided. Wait for me at the bottom of Tōtsuki tomorrow afternoon; I'll arrange the rest. It's been a long time since we've gone out to play properly."
Shaking his already dry hair, Okabe stretched his waist, a comfortable expression of satisfaction on his face as he looked forward to tomorrow's date.
When was the last time they went out to play?
He couldn't quite remember clearly.
He only remembered that the training intensity at Ryōzanpaku was extremely high; on his one day of rest per week, he only wanted to lie down.
Unless Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato made forceful demands, dragging and yanking him out, he generally wouldn't go out.
But now, at Tōtsuki.
The training intensity had instantly weakened.
He was still full of energy after finishing classes every day and had plenty of time to do his own things. It was necessary to experience proper campus life!
"It's getting late. Let's sleep."
Feeling the drowsiness emerging from the depths of his body, Okabe stood up and turned off the light. He got into bed and covered himself with the quilt very skillfully, turning on his side with a comfortable expression.
"Master, can I sleep with you today?"
In the darkness, Ikaros's voice rang out.
"So sudden? Then come in."
Faced with Ikaros's request, Okabe naturally wouldn't refuse. So he lifted the quilt to let her in, placed his hand on her body, and fell asleep smelling her body scent.
Not just Ikaros.
Okabe had also grown fond of this feeling.
Generally, under circumstances where there were no urgent matters the next day, as long as Ikaros wanted to, he would agree. It could be considered a tiny bit of compensation for not being by her side at all times.
Into the night.
Okabe quickly fell asleep.
Ikaros did not.
She just quietly watched Okabe's sleeping face. Seeing his comfortable appearance, a faint feeling of happiness surfaced in her heart.
She didn't know what this emotion was.
But she knew this was the 'happiness' Okabe often spoke of.
____
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