"Understood."
Trim leather shoes tapped against the wooden floor, creating a crisp, cheerful sound as Liu Yu and Huang Mei arrived on the second floor, led by Momo Akanegakubo.
The second floor was considerably smaller than the first. It was furnished with five cooking stations, each equipped with ovens, mixers, and other necessary dessert-making equipment. All around them were piles of various ingredients.
At that moment, four people were busy making desserts at the stations. From the sweet aroma wafting from their work, it was easy to tell that these desserts had all reached a first-grade level!
"President!"
"The President is back! Come try my newly developed Pine Cone Choco-Sweet! It tastes amazing!"
A dessert that looked like a pine cone but was actually made of fried potato slices and chocolate sauce was presented to Momo Akanegakubo.
A spirited-looking girl with short, light purple hair spoke to her, her large eyes filled with anticipation.
"And my Forest Tree! I added Brazil nut paste this time…"
Another girl stepped forward. This one wore black stockings and had a tall, slender figure. She held a plate bearing what looked like a section of a dead tree trunk.
More accurately, it was a dead tree trunk made of cake and cream, its surface covered in toasted, crushed nuts, emitting an incredibly pure fragrance.
"You all should let the President rest. You can taste the food anytime; there's no need to rush."
A girl wearing casual home clothes and black-rimmed glasses spoke up. She was carrying a glass of iced barley tea to Momo Akanegakubo's side.
Momo, however, had an expression of understanding. She took the barley tea from the girl's hand and drank it down in several large gulps, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face.
Barley tea with a bit of honey and ice is the best cold drink for summer!
"By the way, who are these two?"
The last girl spoke up, and at her words, the others shifted their gazes, curiously sizing up Liu Yu and Huang Mei behind Momo Akanegakubo.
"This is a new member, and next to her is her friend. She came today to visit the Dessert Research Society and decide whether she wants to join.
Just act as you normally do. Show your true selves as much as possible…"
After speaking, Momo Akanegakubo tasted the Pine Cone Choco-Sweet and the Forest Tree in turn, offering her evaluation and suggestions for improvement. She then returned to her own station to continue the dessert she hadn't finished yesterday. This was also the ultimate killing move she was preparing for the Régiment de Cuisine!
"You two can look around as you please. The second floor is smaller than the first; it's a place for focused research, where everyone helps each other solve problems."
Standing before her cooking station and seeing the two standing there傻ly, Momo Akanegakubo spoke to them.
"Oh, okay."
"I have to say, there are so many ingredients here!"
As they spoke, Liu Yu and Huang Mei began to wander around. What caught their attention most on the entire second floor were the ingredients piled up all around.
Fresh milk, whole milk, light cream, condensed milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, and cream cheese were neatly arranged on a table as one category.
Next to them were sugars used for flavoring, such as white granulated sugar, brown sugar, black sugar, powdered sugar, and honey.
In addition, there were flours and starches, fats and oils—almost every ingredient they could think of for making desserts was available here.
Liu Yu and Huang Mei looked at everything with curiosity, reaching out from time to time to touch and feel.
Liu Yu, in particular, suddenly felt her mind open up. Her previously chaotic thoughts gradually began to form the prototype of a dish.
"Let's talk. Your purpose in coming to the Dessert Research Society probably isn't as simple as just visiting, is it?"
Momo Akanegakubo's voice sounded. She didn't believe for a second that Liu Yu had come all this way just to tour the sweets club. There had to be a deeper reason.
"I want to stay here and learn how to make desserts for three days."
After wrestling with her words for a long time, Liu Yu finally distilled them into this single sentence.
Rather than probing back and forth in an endless battle of wits, it was better to state her request directly and move the other party with sincerity.
She wanted to be here, to learn advanced dessert techniques from Momo Akanegakubo!
"Your cooking is good; I quite like it, to be honest. But you can't learn the techniques of the sweets club unconditionally. Not unless you join the sweets club."
Looking at the sweet-faced girl before her, already knowing she had come with a purpose, Momo Akanegakubo stated her condition.
Join the sweets club, become one of its members, and she could naturally learn techniques from her.
This was, in essence, an exchange of benefits.
"What do I need to do to join the sweets club?"
"Come at least once a week.
And then, participate in the Régiment de Cuisine between the Sweets Society and the Ramen Society after the Summer Selection."
Facing Liu Yu's inquiry, Momo Akanegakubo pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I have to come at least once a week? That's not unacceptable. Besides, desserts are my weak point. I can take this opportunity to shore it up."
Hearing Momo Akanegakubo's words, Liu Yu fell into deep thought, her heart in turmoil. No matter how she looked at it, joining the Dessert Research Society only had benefits for her.
As for the Régiment de Cuisine Momo mentioned, she had some understanding of it.
Simply put, she would just need to contribute her skills to give the Sweets Society a better chance of winning. For her, that was a trivial effort.
"I agree to your condition."
Thinking this, Liu Yu nodded immediately.
"Welcome. I'll have someone bring up your cooking station this afternoon."
Hearing Liu Yu's words, a smile couldn't help but appear on Momo Akanegakubo's face. She then stepped forward and extended her hand, shaking Liu Yu's firmly.
Polaris Dormitory Kitchen.
Several desserts were laid out before Soma Yukihira. The air was thick with a sweet fragrance. However, such a cloying scent did nothing to smooth his tightly furrowed brow.
"Original desserts… another broad theme…"
Sitting cross-legged on a chair and looking at the desserts on the cooking station, Soma Yukihira was lost in thought.
These desserts tasted good, but only good. They were far from reaching the competition standard, and he didn't believe this kind of dessert could win him the match.
"Soma, have you hit a wall too?"
Looking at the troubled Soma Yukihira, who couldn't help but run his hands through his hair, Megumi Tadokoro sighed softly, then focused her gaze on the taro in front of her.
The theme she had drawn this time was 'Taro Cuisine,' a subject she rarely tried.
"Yeah, I'm a bit stumped."
Untying the headband from his forehead and re-wrapping it around his neck, Soma Yukihira let out a long breath, his eyes filled with confusion.
"I don't have many ideas either. Taro cuisine… there are plenty of dishes that use taro as a side ingredient, but not many feature it as the main star."
Megumi Tadokoro also looked lost. She had planned to look up some taro-related dishes, but after searching for a long time, she only found a few in her cookbooks.
And in those few dishes, taro was only one of the side ingredients. If the goal was to highlight the deliciousness of taro, such dishes definitely wouldn't work.
"I'm going to head out for a bit. You can't get good results by locking yourself away."
Getting up from his chair, Soma Yukihira spoke to Megumi Tadokoro.
Since he couldn't create a dish he was satisfied with no matter what he did, he might as well go outside to clear his head. He might even find some inspiration.
"Soma-kun is right. Sitting here when you can't think of a dish is pointless. I should go out for a walk too."
Watching Soma Yukihira's retreating back, Megumi Tadokoro stood frozen for a moment. But after seeing the soil still clinging to the taro, she had a realization.
Instead of wasting time in the kitchen, she should take a trip to the countryside. It was the season for taro to ripen; she might even see a bountiful harvest!
The grandparents who farmed in the countryside had spent their entire lives with taro. They could be said to be the people who understood taro best. Maybe they could give her some ideas.
"Speaking of taro, China's Lipu Taro is the most famous. Three days is enough time to have it air-shipped from China. You should think about what kind of dish you want to make."
Erina Nakiri's home.
Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato, dressed in chef's whites, stood before a kitchen station. In front of them were various kinds of taro.
Red taro, white taro, betel nut taro, nine-headed taro, Longdong early taro, and Lipu Taro. Each was simply steamed, with a small dish of white sugar on the side of the bowl.
There was a simple reason for this: only this way could one taste its most essential flavor. Understanding the ingredient's own taste before cooking is very important.
"So delicious!"
Holding a Lipu Taro and taking a bite, Hisako Arato's face lit up with a satisfied expression.
When cooked, Lipu Taro has an incredibly fine and tender texture, practically melting in the mouth and leaving an endless, wonderful flavor dancing on the tongue.
"Lipu Taro itself has a soft, sticky, fragrant, and sweet character. The sweetness of the sugar further enhances the taro's own fragrance and sweetness, making the overall taste fuller and richer."
Beside her, Erina Nakiri also took a bite, her face equally full of bliss.
The God's Tongue, which usually found everything ordinary, was now delighted by a simple steamed taro. With the addition of white sugar, its deliciousness was doubled!
"Speaking of which, taro is actually a type of Chinese medicine. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen, tonifying deficiencies, resolving masses, and detoxifying. You could say it's the best ingredient for making medicinal cuisine!"
After finishing the large taro in her hand, not even sparing the crumbs left on her fingers, Hisako Arato began to share this piece of trivia with Erina Nakiri.
They had tasted every taro here, and both agreed that the Lipu Taro had the best flavor, making it suitable as the main ingredient for the semi-finals.
"This match is to your advantage, but you can't be careless just because your opponent is Megumi. She specializes in rustic local cuisine, and taro, being grown in fields and not some rare, expensive ingredient, is also within her comfort zone.
Someone will deliver imported Lipu Taro later. You can use them to practice for now."
Looking at the talkative Hisako Arato, whose eyes were sparkling, Erina Nakiri reached out to touch her face, reminding her to be careful.
"Okay."
Feeling the warmth on her face, Hisako Arato replied a bit shyly.
Just like old times, as if she had returned to the past.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At this moment.
Tsukiten-no-Ma.
Soma Yukihira and Liu Yu faced each other from a distance on the competition stage. Below them was a massive audience. Because it was the semi-finals, an exceptionally large crowd had come this time.
"These two look so unfamiliar. They probably didn't have much of a reputation before, right? How did they suddenly make it to the semi-finals? Is this year's class of students that weak…"
In the audience, a spectator who was attending a match at Tsukiten-no-Ma for the first time this year murmured to himself, his voice full of doubt.
He had never seen either Soma Yukihira or Liu Yu. These two had no fame at all in Japan's culinary world, yet they had advanced to the semi-finals.
"I don't know. Maybe they're the type of diligent students who focus on honing their skills in seclusion. A few of those appear every year, untroubled by outside fame and fortune."
A beautiful woman shrugged her shoulders and offered her guess. Famous doesn't necessarily mean skilled, and skilled doesn't necessarily mean famous. That's common sense.
"Stop guessing. Both of them are transfer students. They just transferred in the first half of this year. They've probably been at Totsuki for less than half a year, so of course they're not famous."
Nearby, someone in the know spoke up.
"Both of them are transfer students?!"
"Does that mean they haven't received a Totsuki education before and have made it this far on their own? Could they be from some culinary family?"
Hearing his words, the surrounding people all turned their gazes toward him, their eyes filled with surprise and curiosity. Many among them were first-timers at Tsukiten-no-Ma.
The semi-finalists are all transfer students.
What a bombshell!
"This time the theme is desserts. To be honest, it's a relatively niche category of cuisine. I wonder what kind of dishes they will present."
"Desserts are niche? They're practically mainstream in the West."
"You know that's in the West. Here, just look at how many dessert shops there are nationwide. Compared to other types of restaurants, the number is pitifully small!"
"Comparing a main course to a snack, you're quite a character, my friend!"
The competition stage was still silent, but the audience had already started debating, with two people even getting red-faced in argument, neither willing to back down.
At this moment, on the stage, Urara Kawashima stood between Soma Yukihira and Liu Yu, holding a microphone and delivering the official opening remarks to pique the audience's interest.
"And now…"
As she said this, Urara Kawashima looked up towards Gin Dojima, who was seated at the very top. Receiving her gaze, he stood up from his chair.
"Let the match begin!"
Holding a microphone and pointing forward with his arm outstretched, a powerful voice boomed from Gin Dojima. The next moment, the two contestants on stage sprang into action.
"Look! That girl brought out so many ingredients!"
"Marzipan, milk, powdered sugar, crisps, whole egg liquid, cocoa powder, egg yolk, dark chocolate, gelatin, egg yolk, milk chocolate chips, cream, cake flour, butter, water, and cream…"
An elderly pastry chef was looking at the large screen in the sky, which was currently focused on Liu Yu's cooking station. This made him gasp in surprise.
Although making desserts is complex and tedious, you shouldn't need this many things, right? What kind of dessert is this young lady trying to make?!"
"Soy sauce, is it…"
As luck would have it, the old man was sitting right next to Dylan and Alice Nakiri. The two of them were also somewhat astonished as they looked at the ingredients on the big screen.
Unlike the old man, who was marveling at the sheer number of ingredients Liu Yu was using, Dylan focused his attention on the rather inconspicuous bottle of soy sauce in the pile.
"Is there something special about the soy sauce?"
Hearing Dylan's murmur, Alice Nakiri asked curiously. Speaking of which, why was there soy sauce among the ingredients for making a dessert?!
"...it's quite a good idea."
Dylan did not hold back his praise. Liu Yu's unconventional approach could be considered an innovation in the culinary world.
Although it might seem like a small, inconspicuous change, the development of the culinary world progresses precisely through such small steps.
"Adding a salty flavor to a dessert can make it sweeter. It should be a similar concept to adding sugar to a savory dish to enhance its umami, right?"
Beside him, Alice Nakiri looked thoughtful after hearing Dylan's words, then asked, applying the logic to a different situation.
"It's the same theory. But it's impressive that you could figure that out."
Dylan praised her, patting Alice Nakiri's head. The worst thing when teaching a student is when they resort to rote memorization; that's what fools do.
Smart people often only need to grasp one point to be able to reason out other theories by analogy. Such people make the fastest progress.
"What are you talking about! I'm a Special Grade Chef, you know! I'm not a child anymore. I can figure out something like this! And you messed up my hair!"
She helplessly removed Dylan's hand, which was making a mess of her hair. But letting go completely felt like a waste, so she pressed it against her own cheek.
"When you praise me in the future, don't pat my head. The hairstyle I did this morning is all messed up now. Just touching my face is fine. The makeup I'm using is hard to smudge."
Feeling the faint warmth from his hand on her cheek, Alice Nakiri spoke in a coddling tone. Half of her body was leaning against Dylan now, looking very affectionate.
"Couples these days, tsk."
Not far away, a girl who had come alone clicked her tongue softly, her tone full of sourness and her eyes tinged with jealousy, because Dylan was extremely handsome.
Hearing the sound, Dylan couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. He tried to pull his hand back, but Alice Nakiri held it tightly in her palm and placed it on her lap.
Dylan naturally noticed this, but since the lighting in the audience seats was dim, and after confirming that no one else's line of sight could catch their little movements below, he let her be.
"That Yukihira kid, is he making Wagashi? It's quite Japanese. He must have gone to a traditional Japanese confectionery shop to learn specifically during these three days."
Looking at the ingredients laid out in front of Soma Yukihira, Dylan voiced his guess. Right now, he was brewing tea, and besides that, on his table were ingredients like kanten powder, trehalose, caster sugar, and mizuame.
"Can a dish like that be considered an original dessert?"
Hearing Dylan's words, Alice Nakiri was puzzled. The theme shown on the big screen earlier was supposed to be original desserts, right?
"Creating a dish from scratch, from zero to one, is obviously incredibly difficult.
So, when the competition asks for an 'original dessert,' it mostly refers to a dish that is unique to them, something others don't have, not creating an entirely new category."
Dylan was a little exasperated.
No matter how innovative cooking gets, its essence is hard to deviate from. For example, there are thousands of ways to make fried rice. Similarly, when making cookies, different people will produce cookies with different styles and tastes.
As long as you modify the recipe instead of copying it one-to-one, it can be called original in a sense, because its roots cannot be moved.
______
✅ Until 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
Claim your 40% OFF spot and unlock everything now:
👻 P - Walnutchan