"Then I shall humbly accept."
Facing the enthusiastic invitation from the two, Hoshino Sora did not refuse. He casually picked up his chopsticks and directly began to taste.
First was this Pork Abalone. It used the unique umami of shiitake mushrooms and the rich texture of pork to create the texture and flavor of abalone. It must be said that this was a dish that took a different approach.
It wasn't abalone, yet it surpassed abalone. The texture of the shiitake mushroom was exquisite, full of umami, paired with the well-mixed and seasoned meat filling. Closing his eyes, he felt as if he was in the mountains.
Mountain spirits were leaping, tumbling, surging, resonating. A feeling he had never experienced before rose within Hoshino Sora, immersing him in a beautiful world of taste.
It must be said that the completeness of this dish was very high.
Opening his eyes, Hoshino Sora turned his gaze to the other dish, Ginger Pork. To put it simply, it was stir-fried pork with ginger.
Looking at the exquisitely plated dish in front of him, radiating a rich aroma, Hoshino Sora swallowed, picked up his chopsticks, and directly took a piece of thinly sliced pork that had been thoroughly cooked.
Bringing it close to his nose, the first thing he smelled was a ginger scent, long-lasting but not sharp, a very persistent aroma.
Then, he tasted it. The meat slice entered his mouth. Because it was cut into thin slices and cooked for a long time, the meat slice became incredibly tender, melting instantly with a slight press of the tongue.
The main flavor was the savory taste of soy sauce. The overall style was very elegant. Wait, this taste is cumin. The improvement must be here.
Smacking his lips in aftertaste, Hoshino Sora keenly detected a slight difference in the dish; aside from the strong ginger flavor, this ginger-fried pork also carried a faint aroma of cumin.
Because the portion was small, the aftertaste was very subtle, barely noticeable if one didn't pay close attention, but this flavor was truly exquisite, long-lasting, and played a perfect role in enhancing the dish.
As expected of Isshiki-senpai's cooking!
The more Hoshino Sora ate, the brighter his eyes became; if Yukihira Soma's cooking was a sudden stimulation, then Isshiki Satoshi's cooking was a continuous enjoyment.
The lingering aftertaste on his tongue elevated the flavor of this dish to another level; it had to be said, this 'artisan' and 'Japanese style' feeling was incredibly well-executed!
"Hoshino, whose cooking is better, mine or Isshiki-senpai's?"
Watching Hoshino Sora's eyes gradually clear, Yukihira Soma immediately asked, his voice filled with urgency; having lost once before, he desperately wanted to win now!
With his own cooking.
"To be honest, Soma Yukihira, your dish is excellent; to make pork taste like abalone, your creativity is naturally impeccable.
However, compared to that concocted flavor, I think Isshiki-senpai's ginger-fried pork is more delicious; he perfectly brought out the flavor and texture of the pork using ginger, and at the same time, added Sichuan peppercorns for improvement, preventing the aftertaste of the entire dish from being too bland.
You'll know the specifics once you taste it."
As he spoke, Hoshino Sora handed the plate of ginger-fried pork to Yukihira Soma.
It wasn't that Yukihira Soma was bad, but that Isshiki Satoshi was too good; seeing his composed demeanor, Hoshino Sora had no idea how much of his true strength this guy had displayed.
"Long-lasting aftertaste, tender meat... so it's Sichuan peppercorns, huh? Only Sichuan peppercorns could make this flavor so enduring and give it a slight numbing sensation.
To be precise, it shouldn't be that Sichuan peppercorns were added, but rather that this ginger-fried pork was cooked with oil infused with Sichuan peppercorns, which is why the Sichuan peppercorn flavor isn't so strong, not overpowering the ginger."
Taking the plate and tasting the dish, Yukihira Soma closed his eyes and savored it carefully, then immediately discovered the secret of the dish: Sichuan peppercorn oil, the key to making the overall flavor of the dish long-lasting.
"That's right, I added Sichuan peppercorns in it."
Nodding, Isshiki Satoshi's face showed surprise, clearly not expecting the secret of his dish to be discovered so quickly, but thinking that the discoverers were the two strongest first-years, he felt relieved.
Especially Yukihira Soma, this kid in front of him was a genius, extremely skilled at innovative cooking, or highly original improvements, unlike anyone else at Far Moon.
If Hoshino Sora was the sword guarding tradition, then Yukihira Soma was the spear expanding territory, a relationship of monarch and minister.
Looking at the two conversing fluently in front of him, Isshiki Satoshi's face showed a gentle smile; he didn't interrupt, truly happy that his juniors could be so outstanding.
——————
"Take this!"
With a clear voice, Alice Nakiri picked up a pillow and threw it towards Erina Nakiri, but it was blocked by Hisako Arato, who was guarding in front of her.
"Alice, you're still too green!"
At that, Alice's face showed dissatisfaction, and she threw pillows with even more effort; Erina, seeing this, didn't indulge her, bending down to dodge an attack, picking up a pillow from the ground, and throwing it back.
Unsurprisingly, Alice was hit, but even though she was hit, her feet didn't move an inch, because the two were just playing, and the force of the pillow throws wasn't strong.
But this also ignited Alice's competitive spirit.
"Hehehe, oh dear."
Just as Erina Nakiri was smugly congratulating herself on hitting Alice, another pillow flew from not far away, thrown by Kitagawa Marin, who had a bright smile on her face, looking very excited.
Erina Nakiri immediately turned to counterattack, but her back was left exposed, and she was directly ambushed by Alice; Hisako Arato's eyes were blurred by the pillows flying back and forth.
Everyone looked joyful, pillows flew through the air without stopping, and once they landed, they would be picked up by someone nearby and thrown again.
This lively scene continued until the room door opened and Hoshino Sora walked in; a pillow was thrown, hitting him squarely on the face.
As the pillow slowly fell, Hoshino Sora looked at the stiff figures in the room, seemingly searching for the culprit.
Suddenly, he noticed Yui Yuigahama, who was directly in front of him, had her hands behind her back and her eyes were a bit shifty, so he immediately quickened his pace and rushed over, not angry at all, just using both hands to pinch her small face.
"Letting that pillow hit me, little silly, don't you know to aim properly before you throw?"
Her orange hair swayed with the pinching motion, and Yui Yuigahama didn't resist, even showing an expression of enjoyment, because his grip was very light, feeling like a massage on her face.
"Sorry, who knew Hoshino-ge would suddenly appear there, ugh, don't make my nose stick up like that, I'll look like a little pig, it's so ugly."
"Aren't little pigs cute too?"
Looking at Yui Yuigahama's disgusted expression, Hoshino Sora said teasingly, then his fingers moved on her face, creating many interesting shapes.
"Alright, alright, whatever makes you happy."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but feel a bit helpless; she actually didn't dislike having her face pinched, it was just that so many people were watching, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"What do you mean, 'whatever makes me happy,' you look unwilling, it seems I need to give you some punishment~"
Hoshino Sora spoke and then acted, skillfully tickling Yui Yuigahama, who immediately burst into laughter, curling up into a ball.
Her body uncontrollably fell to the ground, and Hoshino Sora pressed down on her; he hadn't planned to do anything, but unfortunately, the girls behind him didn't think so.
Seeing Yui Yuigahama being favored alone, dissatisfaction appeared on everyone's faces, and then they teamed up to restrain Hoshino Sora, giving him a full-body 'welfare extension' from head to toe.
Simply put, every usable part of Hoshino Sora's body was utilized, with each girl occupying a corner; this was a feeling he had never experienced, and it quickly plunged the young man into a gentle embrace.
So much so that he didn't even go to the festival that night.
——————
The next afternoon, Hoshino Sora uncharacteristically felt a bit tired, not physically, but mentally.
Looking at the beautiful women sprawled around, he didn't know when it had devolved into such a situation; the madness of a few people had continued until now, from night to day and then to afternoon.
They tried to test Hoshino Sora's limits, but ended up being defeated first, which completely extinguished their intentions, and they decided to just enjoy themselves.
The most frantic among them was Erina Nakiri; due to shyness, she was the last to appear, and also the one who enjoyed Hoshino Sora's company for the longest time.
At that time, because everyone else had collapsed, Hoshino Sora became especially gentle with her, just like at the very beginning, but soon, Erina realized that gentleness came with a price.
Under the other party's persistent pleas, she finally relented; the legendary God Tongue, whose perception and sensitivity to ingredients and flavors far surpassed ordinary people, completely fell.
Why? Because it tasted a flavor that no other dish in the world would have.
It should have been disgust, and she even almost vomited when she first tasted it, but, inexplicably, her body became even hotter, which made Erina Nakiri a bit worried.
Worried if her God Tongue had undergone some uncontrollable change.
This also made Erina Nakiri, after waking up, cast a resentful gaze at Hoshino Sora, but Hoshino Sora, as the culprit, didn't care, instead winking at Erina with a smile.
Because the other party had fulfilled his long-held wish.
A wish he had since watching this anime!
Watching the high and mighty Queen fall, his excitement soared, and it happened a few more times afterward, to Hoshino Sora's surprise, Erina didn't refuse.
"Is it already afternoon...? Time really flies."
Looking at the scene before him, Hoshino Sora's voice revealed a hint of emotion, along with pride; making so many girls collapse felt more fulfilling than defeating a dozen enemies with cooking!
But he was genuinely tired; he wouldn't do anything so crazy again in the future; at first, it could be called enjoyment, but by the end, well, the feeling wasn't as strong, instead, it became a bit tedious.
Getting up and dressing, Hoshino Sora leaned against the wall, contemplating life; at the same time, the girls, hearing the commotion, got up one after another, their minds a bit confused by the surrounding scene.
Only when they came to their senses did they belatedly realize how crazy they had been last night.
Red blushes spread across their cheeks; almost all the girls were like this.
Except for one person, she climbed into Hoshino Sora's arms and sat down, her face beaming with happiness; because it was her first time, although he was wild, he was exceptionally gentle with her.
This also allowed Shiina Mashiro to taste sweetness, and thus fall in love with the feeling, so much so that even now, sitting in Hoshino Sora's arms, her body was still restlessly moving.
"You guys go change first, I'll wait for you outside, we'll go explore the festival together tonight."
"Okay~"
Almost simultaneously, all the girls spoke in unison; seeing such a scene, Hoshino Sora left the room, and the room became lively the moment he left.
The girls chattered about last night's events; having known each other for a long time, they weren't strangers, probably to the extent of greeting each other when they met.
"Erina-sama, what's wrong?"
Hisako Arato brought clothes to Erina Nakiri, who was sitting in the corner; she keenly noticed that Erina-sama seemed a bit off, her expression appearing somewhat complex.
"Nothing."
"It couldn't be that Hoshino Sora did something to you while we were asleep, could he...?"
After pondering the reason for a long time, upon careful thought, it seemed there was no other reason for Erina-sama to show such a melancholic expression except for Hoshino Sora.
Something must have happened between the two of them.
But, Hoshino Sora had already done the most outrageous things to Erina-sama, what else could it be?
"Don't ask about this, let's change and go out."
Faced with the inquiry, Erina Nakiri naturally couldn't tell Hisako Arato the truth; her face only grew redder, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say, only stamping her foot to urge the other party to hurry up.
Soon, everyone changed their clothes and set off in a grand procession.
On an autumn night, the air carried a hint of coolness; there were many vendors on both sides of the street, with snacks and entertainment each occupying half, and crowds of people bustling around, looking incredibly lively.
"There's goldfish scooping over there."
"Let's go take a look."
Looking at the goldfish stall not far away, Yaxiang Lixiang showed interest, then went forward to play together.
"I want to play that shooting game."
"I'll go with you, I'm very good at shooting."
Alice Nakiri excitedly pointed at the shooting game not far away, Kitagawa Marin immediately said, then walked with her towards the stall where one could win prizes by shooting balloons.
The others, while strolling, would leave and play on their own if they saw something that interested them.
Soon, only Hoshino Sora and the distracted Erina Nakiri were left at the scene.
Hisako Arato had originally wanted to say something, but was pulled by Tadokoro Megumi to a nearby stall selling medicinal herbs.
Because her pork dish for the Elite Ten competition required medicinal herbs, she needed to consult the vendor now.
Erina Nakiri, on the other hand, was still recovering from yesterday's events.
By the time she came to her senses, only she and Hoshino Sora were left around.
-------------------------------
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