"Um, I'm an intern from Far Moon."
Taking the elevator directly to the sixth floor, Hoshino Sora arrived at Akikubo Sweets Co., Ltd. Looking at the front desk lady who was slacking off and playing on her phone, the boy's expression was a little awkward.
He could barely manage a restaurant, but this company...
He had a strange feeling.
"An intern from Far Moon? Oh, that one. Please have a seat here, I'll go inform the person in charge upstairs."
Seeing someone approaching, the front desk lady quickly flipped her phone face down, revealing a professional smile. It was clear that her slacking skills were already perfected.
As she spoke, the front desk lady stood up and walked into the company. Not long after, a well-groomed man walked out from inside, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at Hoshino Sora's young and handsome face.
"Are you the kid sent by Far Moon?"
"Yes, hello, my name is Hoshino Sora."
"Let me tell you this upfront, if you don't do your job well, you can get out immediately. Follow me."
Perhaps due to a bad mood or some other reason, the man ignored Hoshino Sora's greeting and spoke to him in an unusually harsh tone.
"Gulp..."
Swallowing and following him, Hoshino Sora had no complaints about the other party's attitude. He looked around. Hmm, this place was not much different from a typical company in his impression.
It was worth mentioning that there were many girls, who looked at the newcomer with curiosity. And after noticing Hoshino Sora's handsome face, the curiosity in their eyes immediately turned into joy.
Holy crap, a handsome guy came to the company!
That was probably their mindset.
However, just as Hoshino Sora thought he would be working here from now on, the man grabbed a suit jacket, put it on, and walked towards the company entrance.
"The place we are going now is Akikubo Sweets' production line factory. You will be interning there for the next week."
Hoshino Sora quickly followed suit, not saying anything extra. He followed the man downstairs and into a car. The car slowly drove out of the city. On the way, the man spoke.
He had been observing Hoshino Sora since just now, to see if he could stay calm and if he would panic when things happened. Now it seemed that this guy should be a good prospect.
At least more useful than ordinary students.
He had also received many Far Moon interns, and most of them would show displeasure and resistance when they heard they were going to work on the production line.
Then they would just muddle through a week of work on the production line without any achievements, and finally be eliminated and expelled from Far Moon.
He wondered how this guy would perform?
"This is it. This is your work badge. Remember, you are just an ordinary employee inside, with no special privileges. Finally, I hope you can pass the assessment smoothly."
Parking the car at a secluded factory in the suburbs, the man said this while looking at the factory gate.
"This is my next internship location..."
Getting out of the car, Hoshino Sora was stumped as he looked at the vast food processing factory in front of him.
He hadn't forgotten the requirement to leave visible achievements at the internship site to pass the practical training.
His internship location at a food processing factory meant that the difficulty of his training, to be honest, was higher than that of those at large and small restaurants, because there was relatively less room for maneuver.
However, speaking of food processing plants, food safety should be the top priority.
Secondly, sales and shelf life.
To successfully pass the practical training assessment, he must gain the recognition of most of the people in the factory within this week, and then allow him to participate in the dessert research and development work.
As long as he creates a dessert that tastes good, has a long shelf life, and is extremely cost-effective during the training period, he should be able to pass the training smoothly.
However, since this is Akikubo Senior's family company, the products inside must all be personally overseen by Akikubo Senior, products that have reached the optimal solution in all aspects.
A bit of a headache...
With many thoughts in his mind, Hoshino Sora reached out and pushed open the door of the dessert processing factory. The door immediately let out a creaking sound.
And as the door opened, a strong sweet aroma instantly wafted out, with the scents of cakes, donuts, tiramisu, and other desserts.
"Hey, what are you doing here? You at the door, I'm talking to you!"
Hoshino Sora closed his eyes, his expression joyful as he inhaled the scent in the air. Suddenly, a sharp shout came from beside his ear. Opening his eyes, he saw a girl in a white uniform and a mask.
"I'm the new intern, my name is Hoshino Sora."
Seeing the person, Hoshino Sora immediately took out the work badge the man had given him earlier. The other party took the badge suspiciously, looked at it for a long time, and then showed a relieved expression.
"Sorry, because the production of desserts here is confidential, we have to prevent some ill-intentioned people from sneaking in. Let me introduce myself, my name is Shiraba Ai, and I'm the dessert team leader for Work Area 3. From today, you'll be working with me. Our workshop is mainly responsible for making tiramisu."
"Okay!"
Hearing the words of the girl in front of him, Shiraba Ai, Hoshino Sora nodded seriously, his heart filled with anticipation for his upcoming work.
"Then, I'll trouble you to clean this area first."
"Eh... Okay."
Has it begun?
The miscellaneous work that all newcomers experience in the workplace...
Although Hoshino Sora was a little surprised, he didn't complain. He honestly found cleaning tools and observed the situation on site while cleaning the workshop.
The expected mechanized assembly line production did not appear. This factory uses entirely manual labor.
Each workstation only makes one type of dessert, and each person is assigned different steps. After completing their step, they pass it on to the next person. This is their job.
"Shiraba-chan, do we have a new person here?"
"He's so handsome, he's totally my type!"
"Oh, come on, stop your infatuated looks, don't scare him away."
Hoshino Sora was observing the people in the workshop, and the people in the workshop were also observing him. Many girls were infatuated because the new employee was so handsome!
"No way! Let's go get his contact information after work."
Hearing Shiraba Ai's teasing, the girl who had praised Hoshino Sora's handsomeness immediately said, her eyes full of little stars. It was clear that she was very fond of this newcomer.
"Don't sneak off!"
To this, the other girls in the workshop said in unison.
This scene made the few boys in the workshop very envious. It's great to have a handsome face! Their appearance, even they thought was very handsome, and they couldn't feel any dislike.
------
"The miscellaneous tasks are over for now. Trial operation will begin tomorrow. Do you have any problems?"
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi, whom he had barely managed to convince to stay after much persuasion, Kojiro Shinomiya took off his dirty gloves and said with a gaze.
Although he had kept her because the shop was short-staffed, this did not mean he approved of her. In fact, he had always been skeptical of this person in front of him.
His main purpose in opening a branch of 'SHINO'S' in Neon this time was to break through himself. He wanted to return to the origin of his cooking. In other words, he didn't want to be disturbed by any external factors.
Therefore, when Dojima Gin called to ask him to take an intern, he was actually reluctant, but because the shop was truly short-staffed, he reluctantly agreed.
"I will do my best!"
Tadokoro Megumi bit her lower lip and said with serious eyes. Looking at the stern-faced man in front of her, she swallowed. There was no one who could help her now. She had to overcome this difficulty on her own.
"If you dare to disrupt the harmony of my kitchen, I will immediately kick you out."
Kojiro Shinomiya left without looking back. At the same time, a girl with short, choppy azure hair walked over.
"Relax, don't look at Master Chef Shinomiya like that, he's actually a very gentle person. Tomorrow, you'll be my assistant. If you do well, I can recommend you to Abel."
Lucy Hugo, who was the meat section head of 'SHINO'S' in Tokyo, said this.
"Okay, thank you, Lucy."
Tadokoro Megumi said with some emotion.
"You're welcome. You can use the hot water in the shop freely. Take a bath tonight and do your best tomorrow."
Lucy Hugo patted Tadokoro Megumi's shoulder, cheering her on. She always took good care of newcomers.
"Let me state this beforehand: if you do anything in the kitchen that holds us back, we will abandon you without mercy."
Abel Brendan, Kojiro Shinomiya's assistant and the person in charge of "SHINO'S" in Tokyo, was staring intently at Tadokoro Megumi.
"All in all, work hard."
Kou Yui, with long black hair and a somewhat long face, the former meat manager of "SHINO'S" and now the head waitress, also walked over, her eyes indifferent.
——————
"You worked hard today. This is for you."
Near closing time, Shiraba Ai handed Hoshino Sora a freshly made Tiramisu and said this.
"Thank you."
Hoshino Sora accepted it gladly.
His gaze shifted downwards. Holding a spoon, Hoshino Sora looked at the distinct layers of Tiramisu on the plate in his hand, his eyes deep.
He dug a vertical spoonful of Tiramisu, putting all the ingredients into his mouth at once. Under the gentle pressure of his tongue, the coffee liqueur slowly flowed out, melting simultaneously with the rich eggy ladyfingers and the mellow, smooth mascarpone, topped with fine, dry cocoa powder. The flavors of fragrance, sweetness, bitterness, and a hint of spice bloomed splendidly in his mouth, satisfying all his taste buds in that single spoonful.
His eyes seemed to sparkle. This was a very traditional Tiramisu, with a lighter texture and better taste than those non-traditional versions on the market that use light cream instead of egg whites and double-boil egg yolks, and it wasn't easy to get tired of it.
Overall, it reached a high standard.
"How is it? Isn't our Tiramisu delicious?"
Seeing the happy expression on Hoshino Sora's face, one of the girls who participated in making the Tiramisu smiled and said.
"Yes, it's excellent. A very delicious Tiramisu."
Hoshino Sora nodded, first affirming the skills of the people in front of him. To make traditional Tiramisu taste this good was quite impressive, to be honest.
"However, if it were me, I would add some coffee to the whipped egg whites and yolks to make the overall flavor more harmonious.
Also, the ladyfingers were soaked in coffee liquid for too long; the inside softened too much, and the texture is a bit lacking, but these are all minor issues."
Although Hoshino Sora's knowledge of desserts was relatively weak, he had Akikubo Momo in his dorm, and she often made amazing desserts, so he could still give some evaluations on taste.
"What? Why don't you make one then! Don't just talk a good game and not be able to make anything in practice. Newcomers should act like newcomers, don't be too arrogant!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora say this, the boy responsible for soaking the ladyfingers immediately became displeased. Wasn't this guy pointing his finger and scolding him?
"I can."
Hoshino Sora said, then walked directly to the cooking counter. He at least knew how to make Tiramisu, and besides, he had watched for such a long time this afternoon that the steps were already ingrained in his mind.
He quickly cracked five eggs, separating the yolks and whites. He added a large amount of fine granulated sugar to the yolks, then used a whisk to beat the yolks until pale, adding mascarpone cheese in batches and continuing to beat until well combined.
He added a few drops of white vinegar to the egg whites and whisked them until foamy, then continued to add sugar, beating them until they resembled meringue.
Afterward, he folded the whipped meringue into the yolks in batches until well combined, then added a small amount of coffee liquid, to which some rum needed to be added to enhance the flavor.
This method reminded Hoshino Sora of the flaming ice cream he made in Komoe-sensei's class. Cooking truly is interesting!
Hoshino Sora moved skillfully, deftly composing the dish with various ingredients.
Employees who had just finished work and were on break in the workroom gathered around upon seeing this, especially the guy who had challenged him, whose face also turned a bit ugly.
He realized that this guy in front of him seemed to have some skill.
Ladyfingers, after soaking up enough liquid in coffee, were placed at the bottom of the box, then a layer of filling was spread over them, creating layers to enhance the texture of the dish. Afterward, it was placed in the refrigerator to chill.
Because the refrigerator in the studio had excellent cooling capabilities, the Tiramisu set in thirty minutes. Hoshino Sora took it out and placed it on the table.
He took a piece of chocolate, picked up a grater, and lightly grated it over the Tiramisu. Chocolate shavings immediately fell from the grater, evenly scattering over the Tiramisu.
Afterward, he sifted a layer of cocoa powder with a sieve. Thus, this Tiramisu was complete.
"Please enjoy."
A faint, delicate fragrance emanated from the Tiramisu Hoshino Sora made. The surrounding gathered staff were surprised by this sight; the presentation was too good, layer upon layer, perfectly sealed...
If Tiramisu had grades, this was definitely an A-class product!
"Gulp."
The first person to pick up a spoon was Shiraba Ai. Since she was the one who brought Hoshino Sora, she originally thought he was just a slacker, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
With these exquisite cooking skills and memory, this guy was definitely a Master Chef!
But why would such a talented person receive the lowest-level blue temporary worker card?
The delicate and silky texture, the rich and mellow coffee liquid blooming in the mouth—this was a wonderful experience. Because of the addition of coffee liquid to the 'filling,' the overall integrity of the Tiramisu was significantly enhanced.
It was just a small change in detail, yet it could produce such results. It must be said, Hoshino Sora was very impressive!
"So delicious!"
"Is this really Tiramisu made with the same ingredients as ours? It's almost too delicious."
"Delicious!"
One spoon per person, and soon the Tiramisu Hoshino Sora made was completely devoured. They were workers on a Tiramisu production line, so logically, they should have been tired of Tiramisu by now.
But why was it that no matter how much they ate of this Tiramisu, they never felt tired of it?! After one bite, they wanted another; they simply couldn't stop!
"Are you a Far Moon student?"
A flash of inspiration seemed to strike her. Remembering that Far Moon students arrived around this time every year, Shiraba Ai asked earnestly, her eyes filled with excitement.
Why was she showing such an expression?
Hoshino Sora was a little puzzled, but he still nodded: "I am a Far Moon student. You can just treat me as a regular intern."
"He's really a Far Moon student!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, the people in the workroom all showed excited expressions, and their reaction made the young man pause. What exactly was going on?
"What's wrong with Far Moon students?"
"It's like this…"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's question, the few people in the workroom exchanged glances, and finally, Shiraba Ai spoke.
"Our Akikubo Sweets Co., Ltd. production factory holds a dessert vote every month. Simply put, each workroom independently develops a dessert, and then they are all sent to Akikubo Momo for evaluation. The workroom whose dessert is successfully selected not only receives a large cash prize but also gets paid leave.
You should know Akikubo Momo, right? She is one of the Totsuki Ten Elite and also the golden signboard of our Akikubo Sweets Co., Ltd., key to the trust of various chain enterprises."
Shiraba Ai said, a proud expression on her face. It was precisely because of Akikubo's strong support that their company could flourish as it was now.
"I know."
Hoshino Sora nodded lightly.
Not only did he know, he knew it too well, after all, they were dormmates.
"What I mentioned earlier are the rewards for a successful vote. And since there are rewards, there will be punishments. A workroom that has no selected work for a year straight will be disbanded.
The staff inside will be split and scattered among other workrooms, undergoing a major personnel reshuffle.
We've worked together for so long, and we've developed some feelings, so if possible, we don't want to separate. But this month is already our eleventh month of failed selections.
If possible, I hope you can help us develop a powerful winning dessert!"
Her eyes held a plea. Although she knew her request was rude, she had no choice.
Other workrooms had super-talented dessert researchers, launching different desserts every month, while her workroom was just a simple production line.
If things continued like this, disbandment and dispersal were inevitable outcomes.
"To be honest, I'm not really good at desserts. What I just made was already my best. Is that still okay?"
Hearing Shiraba Ai's request, Hoshino Sora's heart rejoiced, but he still pretended to hesitate.
"No problem! Even so, you're stronger than everyone in our workroom. We'll assist you with all our might."
Sensing Hoshino Sora's hesitation, Shiraba Ai quickly spoke, reaching out to grasp his hand, her large eyes filled with sincerity.
"In that case, I'll give it a try."
"That's great!"
"We're saved now."
Nodding, Hoshino Sora agreed, but he didn't think it would be an easy task.
As he said, his mastery of dessert cooking was not deep, and to create a qualified commercial product, he had to research the market, which required a lot of time.
At this moment, there was still one week until the end of the training.
——————
The next day.
Tadokoro Megumi had studied French cuisine all night, mentally rehearsing a series of kitchen scenarios. She was now sitting nervously in the kitchen, awaiting the arrival of Kojiro Shinomiya and the others.
"Eliminate tension, eliminate tension…"
She kept tracing the character for 'person' on her hand and eating it, muttering to herself. This could somewhat alleviate her tension, until the kitchen door opened, startling her. She looked up and saw Lucy Hugo, Abel Brendan, and Kou Yui entering.
"Relax, don't be nervous. Excessive nervousness can lead to mistakes."
Lucy Hugo raised her hand and energetically patted Tadokoro Megumi's back, saying this.
"Okay…"
Tadokoro Megumi responded nervously, her hands clasped in front of her chest, clearly not truly relaxed.
Seeing this, Lucy Hugo shrugged.
"By the way, for the soft opening, we will prepare three types of set menus. Depending on the menu, the main dish might change, or palate cleansers might be added.
All in all, let's start with the necessary preparations before cooking!"
"Yes!"
Tadokoro Megumi replied earnestly, then began working under Lucy Hugo's guidance.
Time passed bit by bit. Kojiro Shinomiya was making the final arrangements outside the restaurant, his face etched with seriousness, until a luxurious car stopped in front of the shop.
"Shinomiya-sensei, long time no see."
"Welcome, thank you for visiting our establishment."
Looking at the customers entering, the seriousness on Kojiro Shinomiya's face instantly vanished, replaced by a mature smile. However, the moment he turned to walk towards the kitchen, the smile disappeared instantly.
Time to get back to work…
Hearing the sounds from outside, Tadokoro Megumi thought to herself. As soon as she turned around, the atmosphere around her made her hair stand on end, and her slightly relaxed mood became tense again.
"The guests are seated. Let's begin."
"Yes, Master Chef!"
As Kojiro Shinomiya appeared at the kitchen doorway, the three people other than Tadokoro Megumi said in unison, then began to process the ingredients. Tadokoro Megumi, seeing this, dared not be careless and prepared with all her might according to the requirements.
However, Tadokoro Megumi's speed simply couldn't keep up with the well-trained kitchen, and she caused quite a bit of trouble. In less than half an hour, she was cast aside.
-------------------------
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