"This counts as a draw."
Putting down the fork in her hand, Erina Nakiri stubbornly spoke. As the dish entered her mouth, she felt a hot current surging through her body, causing her to involuntarily clench her legs and support herself on the counter with her arms.
Yes, this was the taste of her dish.
"Is Young Lady Eri Nai planning to renege? There's no such thing as a draw in this kind of competition. I perfectly replicated your dish, and it doesn't seem that difficult."
"Even if you win, I will work for you for one month. But you just copied a practice dish that's not presentable; there's nothing to be proud of!"
"In that case, call me Master and let me hear it."
Hearing Erina Nakiri emphasize "one month," Hoshino Sora didn't delve deeper. It was impossible to make the other party a servant for life just for losing one match; someone would surely object to that.
Hoshino Sora knew that the other party had backing. He could engage in a Shokugeki bet with her, but he couldn't go too far. He was a smart person who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
However, at the moment, bullying this guy seemed quite interesting.
"Ma...."
Her voice seemed stuck in her throat. She used all her might but still couldn't utter the last word. Erina Nakiri's cheeks were incredibly red. All the embarrassing things that had happened in her life combined weren't even a fraction of what she felt now.
"What? I didn't hear clearly. Can you speak louder?"
Hoshino Sora exaggeratedly leaned his head closer, wanting to hear what he wanted from her mouth. This feeling was simply too wonderful. The moment a high and mighty princess falls, it is undoubtedly the most exciting thing!
"Ma...ster, you just wait!"
"I'll remember you, Erina-sama, wait for me!"
"Remember to be here at seven tomorrow morning!"
After saying the last word, Erina Nakiri actually burst into tears. She was so flustered that she didn't know what to do, and she ran out of the kitchen and left the restaurant in a panic. Seeing this, Hisako Arato immediately glared at Hoshino Sora fiercely, then scurried after her.
[Hidden Quest Completed]: Teach Erina Nakiri a Lesson
[Quest Description]: The arrogant and domineering young lady Erina Nakiri has appeared. She is rude and impolite. Please use lawful means to teach her a lesson and let her know the harshness of society.
[Quest Reward]: Universal Food Spirit
[Grade]: Black Iron
[Item Description]: Can absorb the food essence from Black Iron-grade and above food to strengthen itself and the host. Normally hidden in the host's right hand, it can slightly increase the taste of food and has the potential to evolve.
As the system's prompt sounded, Hoshino Sora vaguely felt something extra in his right hand. Before he could fully sense it, a clear voice sounded beside his ear.
"Hmm, you made a girl cry."
"Sora is so mean. If you want to play master-play, you can find your sisters. Why ask someone else?"
Looking at the retreating figures of Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato, Yaxiang Lixiang immediately stepped forward to reprimand him, though her tone held no real blame.
Even if the other party had a thousand faults, Hoshino Sora actually made a girl cry, which was a bit too much. As their older sister, they had to say something!
"Exactly! I remember there are maid outfits in the shop. Master, please wait here for a moment."
Ya Xiang said, getting ready to go out and retrieve the maid outfit from the employee lounge, but before she could leave, Hoshino Sora grabbed her hand, along with Rika.
"No, it's getting late. It's time to go home."
Hoshino Sora looked at the two sisters, who had suddenly changed the subject and were about to fetch maid outfits, with a hint of helplessness. He wondered what his two older sisters thought about all day!
"Okay, Master, let's go home~"
"Asaka-nee, don't call me Master. It feels weird."
Listening to Ya Xiang's voice, Hoshino Sora felt goosebumps rise on his back. It wasn't that it wasn't cute, but the key was that she was his older sister, which made it a bit ethically terrifying.
"Why is it weird? Sora, didn't you like the title 'Master' quite a bit?"
"Does it not work just because I'm your older sister?"
"Alright, anyway, Asaka-nee and Rika-nee, don't use that title! Anything else is fine!"
"Then, 'Dear'?"
"'Husband'?"
"Don't get more and more outrageous! Just call me Sora! If you call me weird things, I'll ignore you!"
——————
The next day, at seven o'clock, Hoshino Sora arrived at the restaurant early and saw Erina Nakiri, who had been waiting outside for an unknown amount of time, looking displeased.
"Oh, I didn't expect you two to actually come."
"Since it was a bet, we certainly won't back out. I, Erina Nakiri, accept defeat, but I will only work as a server. Don't even think about making me cook."
"Ah, don't worry about that. We won't use you for cooking."
With a casual wave of his hand and a smile, Hoshino Sora naturally wouldn't use Erina Nakiri. After all, her skill level was higher than his. If she were in charge of cooking, the restaurant would probably go bankrupt once she left.
He had to do the cooking himself, and if he needed help, he could only find someone with a similar skill level.
As he spoke, Hoshino Sora opened the shop and walked in, pointing to the employee lounge on his right.
"There are maid outfits in there. According to the bet, you have to wear a maid outfit to serve customers. The work is simple, mainly serving dishes and pouring water. When customers need something, go and listen. If you have any questions, ask Asaka-nee and Rika-nee."
Pointing to the employee lounge not far away, Hoshino Sora spoke to Erina Nakiri. This was also to relieve the pressure on Asaka-nee and Rika-nee. After speaking, he turned his gaze to Hisako Arato.
"As for you, please help me in the kitchen. I'm a bit too busy on my own. You should have no problem with a chef's work, right?"
"Are you looking down on me?"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's provocative question, Hisako Arato immediately fell for it, clenching her fists and saying angrily.
Because of Erina Nakiri, she had no good impression of this man in front of her. Yesterday, Lady Erina pushed aside a lot of things just to fulfill the bet.
Ah! Lady Erina, who accepts defeat, is truly responsible!
"Alright, the shop opens in 10 minutes. Let's get to work. You come with me."
Saying this to Hisako Arato, Hoshino Sora entered the kitchen. Compared to the outside, the preparations inside were crucial. Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and fried flatbreads all needed to be prepared.
"Your shop also sells breakfast?"
"Where there's demand, there's a market. To meet everyone's needs, we opened a breakfast window."
Hisako Arato couldn't help but feel confused as she watched Hoshino Sora teach her how to fry dough sticks. In her stereotype, there were few breakfast shops in Neon because there was no market.
But now it seemed that was not the case at all.
Watching the increasing number of customers after the opening, Hisako Arato's expression was thoughtful. It seemed there was a market for breakfast, as long as the food was popular enough.
But just relying on these simple fried dough sticks? Just seasoning soft dough and frying it until it expands can make it so popular? Is the taste really that good?
Hearing the occasional exclamations from outside, Hisako Arato looked at the dough in her hand with some doubt. Since when could such simple dishes be so popular?