"The noodles we ate tonight are medium-thin noodles!"
"Their width is 4mm!"
"So that's how it is."
"It seems I still have a lot to learn!"
Mujiuzhi finally sighed again.
"The culinary industry is constantly changing. If one stays stagnant, it's very easy to be eliminated by this era."
After speaking, Kuguchi Sonoka nodded, agreeing even more deeply.
...
Late at night.
Everything was shrouded in darkness, appearing even more desolate.
Kuguchi Sonoka finally went back. As a kitchen assistant, she could actually stay at the Izakaya.
But the two restaurants were only separated by a wall, so she didn't need to sleep with Sosuke—oh, wait, live with him. She just needed to show up at the Izakaya on time every night and return to Harukatei after closing!
"Ding-dong!"
"Host successfully checked in once!"
"Ding-dong!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the recipe for Lion's Head."
The Practical Training activity was about to begin soon.
New students like Tadokoro Megumi, Mito Ikumi, and Alice Nakiri were certainly busy honing their cooking skills.
And Elite Ten members like Kobayashi Rindo and Nakiri Erina were busy with various academy affairs.
Therefore, tonight, not a single Far Moon student came to visit the Izakaya.
However, with the help of Kuguchi Sonoka, the Izakaya began to get on track and develop in a better direction!
...
Meanwhile, at Totsuki Culinary Academy.
In a dormitory room full of cute girlish charm, Erina was flipping through a manga book.
"Yu!"
"Love... Love me!"
"Huh? Are these two finally going to kiss?"
"By the way, what does kissing feel like?"
Suddenly, Erina was lost in thought, her mind starting to fantasize about all sorts of messy, dirty scenes.
Afterward, her pretty little face instantly turned red. The shame from deep within forced her to quickly close the "erizhi kong" manga book that Sosuke had lent her earlier.
"Hisako."
"What do you think he's doing now?"
"The Izakaya is closed, so he should be resting, right?"
Beside her, Hisako, wearing glasses, was browsing a manga website on her computer.
She naturally knew who the "he" Nakiri Erina was referring to was.
Erina murmured, "I wonder what he's busy with when he's not running the Izakaya."
Hisako glanced at Erina and suddenly chuckled, "Young Lady, do you know what you look like right now?"
"Like what?" Erina asked.
"Like... like a young woman longing for her lover."
Hisako replied.
"Huh?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"Besides cooking, I... I don't long for anything else!"
Erina's expression changed, and she said guiltily, "Although it's too early to talk about graduation or anything like that."
"But the time truly left for me is not much. If I can't quickly improve my culinary skills and then become the First Seat of the Elite Ten, then..."
"I'm afraid I won't be qualified to lead the future of Totsuki Culinary Academy!"
Upon hearing this, Hisako shook her head and sighed softly.
She naturally knew that as the default successor of the Nakiri family, Erina carried a heavy responsibility.
"Young Lady, is that why you've become more reliant on Sosuke lately?"
"After all, his cooking can conquer many people, including the General, WGO Executive Officers, and the Elite Ten."
"Reliant?"
"I'm not reliant on him at all!"
Erina crossed her arms over her chest and said dismissively.
"Is that so? Then who wanted to work part-time at the Izakaya after the Practical Training activity ends?"
Hisako couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
"Hisako..."
Erina, whose thoughts had been exposed, couldn't help but glare at her, her eyes seemingly murderous.
Helpless, Hisako wisely closed her mouth.
But she had to admit that Erina had indeed changed a lot compared to a month ago.
And the person who changed her was none other than Shopkeeper Zhang of the Izakaya!
...
The two were silent for a long time.
Erina's expression gradually softened, but her eyes were filled with confusion.
Although her mind had been constantly thinking of Sosuke, there was another person she often thought of now.
Yes, this person was her mother: Nagiri Mana!
Even though she had resented her whenever she thought of her.
But ever since she knew her mother had come to Japan, she had actually been looking forward to it.
Looking forward to this mother coming to see her daughter, who had been separated for ten years.
However, what she waited for was the news that her mother had gone to see the General!
This made it very difficult for her to accept and even harder to understand. Was the mother-daughter relationship truly so broken?
"Hisako, what do you think I should do if I meet my mother one day?"
Erina, with complex thoughts, looked at Hisako with a helpless gaze.
Hisako was stunned. This matter also made her feel at a loss. Finally, she could only force herself to say, "I think Lady Mana should apologize to you properly, right?"
"These past few years, she probably hasn't had me, her daughter, in her heart, right?"
"Young Lady, you absolutely mustn't think that way!"
Seeing Erina think this way, Hisako was frightened and quickly comforted her.
She knew Erina's pain.
She also understood that because of the lack of her mother's companionship and her devil father's "extreme education" over the years, she had actually not been doing well.
Of course, in recent days, it was obvious that she had become much more cheerful.
Perhaps she felt some hope?
Or perhaps it was because they both knew of Sosuke's existence, so no matter what, there was no need to worry?
"Oh, right!"
"Isn't there also Sosuke?"
Thinking of this, Hisako suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
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