"Eh?"
Satou was stunned for a moment and asked, "Kuguchi-senpai, how did you know the person who made the dish was a girl?"
"Because the bento is made very exquisitely and delicately.~"
Kikuchi Sonoka brushed her hair back and said with a smile, "Boys can't make such a bento, so the other person must be a delicate-minded girl."
"Alright."
Satou nodded. As a chef, he would indeed have an intuition about food.
"But Kuguchi-senpai, why would you say that… that girl likes me?"
He asked.
"Hmm, because the dishes are made very exquisitely, and the variety is very rich."
Kikuchi Sonoka's face showed a sweet smile, "Although there are only five sushi pieces, the types of sushi are all different. There's tuna sushi, salmon sushi, and the types of tempura are also different, there's fried shrimp, fried tofu. That girl must have put a lot of thought into it."
For a typical bento, the sushi inside would definitely be the same. Now, with five different types of sushi, it means the other person definitely made five kinds of sushi, and several kinds of tempura as well.
If it weren't for affection towards that person, most people wouldn't go to so much trouble.
Could it be that Hinako-senpai really likes him?
Satou thought about it, still finding it a bit hard to believe.
Although their relationship was a bit ambiguous, surpassing the usual senior-junior dynamic, they had only known each other for a short time, right?
Although they had met during the lodging training, at that time he was just one of many students.
"What kind of person is that girl?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked with a smile, as if very interested in the question, "She must be a very gentle and meticulous girl, right?"
"Hmm, she is indeed a very gentle and approachable woman. Although she is older than me, her heart is full of childlike innocence."
Satou thought for a moment and said.
He did have a good impression of Hinako Inui. She was gentle in appearance, kind in nature, and had a childlike purity and cuteness, though sometimes she could be a little mischievous, like when playing cards.
"Ah, is she older than you?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked in surprise.
"Yes."
Satou nodded.
"So, Satou, would you accept a girl who is older than you?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.
"Hmm, I don't mind it much."
Satou said.
"Really?"
Kikuchi Sonoka's pure and lovely face showed a gentle smile, evidently pleased.
"By the way, Kuguchi-senpai, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Satou asked.
"No."
Kikuchi Sonoka's face immediately flushed. She was clearly embarrassed by the question. "I just graduated this year. When I was at Far Moon, I focused entirely on cooking."
At this point, Satou had already started tasting the dishes made by Hinako Inui.
The bento was delicious, and it seemed Hinako Inui had put a lot of thought into it.
"Oh, Kuguchi-senpai, would you like to try some?"
Satou asked.
"Can I really?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked.
"Of course."
Satou smiled, then picked up a piece of sushi for her.
Although the other person was three years older than him, they interacted like friends of the same age.
Kikuchi Sonoka leaned over and took a small bite.
"It's so delicious."
Kikuchi Sonoka's face showed an expression of amazement. Such a dish couldn't be made by just anyone. Perhaps it was Satou's senior from Far Moon?
She thought to herself.
"Manager, it's time to eat."
At this moment, a chef walked in. Seeing Satou feeding Kikuchi Sonoka, he was stunned for a moment, then wisely backed out.
Kikuchi Sonoka's cheeks immediately flushed, and she realized that their actions were too intimate. She quickly stood up and said, "I'll go eat first."
Then she fled the kitchen as if escaping.
The bento made by Hinako Inui was delicious; Satou ate it all and still felt a bit unsatisfied.
After finishing the bento, it was a leisurely afternoon. Satou thought for a moment and decided to try making a Western dish.
He still remembered the system's task: he needed to leave his dish on the menu of the internship restaurant.
Satou's talent in cooking was already extremely high, and these past few days, Kikuchi Sonoka had unreservedly taught him all her understanding of Western cuisine.
Now, Satou's skill level in Western cuisine was already very high.
After organizing yesterday's ideas in his mind, Satou began to cook.
"Oh, Satou, are you going to cook?"
At this moment, Kikuchi Sonoka's voice came from beside him.
She was looking at him with some curiosity.
"Yes."
Satou nodded and said, "I want to make a Western dish. If possible, I'd like to sell it to the customers in the shop."
"Of course you can."
Kikuchi Sonoka smiled gently and then said, "I can give you some advice."
"Then I thank you, Senior."
Satou smiled, then began to cook.
First, he cut the duck meat into diamonds, then made a mesh-like incision on top to help with flavoring.
Kikuchi Sonoka stood beside Satou, a deep look of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Each incision was almost identical in depth and size, as precise as if measured with a ruler. Although it was a small detail, it demonstrated Satou's incredibly profound knife skills.
Although they hadn't competed, Kikuchi Sonoka had always believed her own strength should be stronger than this junior. However, after seeing these extremely precise knife skills, she suddenly lost her confidence.
Is he only a first-year student, yet possesses strength even surpassing an Elite Ten graduate?
Kikuchi Sonoka looked at Satou's focused profile, momentarily lost in thought.
Soon after, Satou had finished pan-frying the duck meat.
The pan-fried duck meat was golden and glistening with oil, with a rich, overflowing aroma that immediately whetted one's appetite.
Then Satou placed mashed taro, mixed with duck fat, on top of the duck meat and put it into the oven to bake.
At this moment, a chef walked in and said, "Manager, a customer has arrived."
"Oh, I understand."
Kikuchi Sonoka quickly came back to her senses, then walked out.
Since the duck still needed some time to bake, Satou also followed her out.
Soon, he saw the arriving customers, and he happened to know both of them.
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