The French toast, baked to a golden perfection, was soft and fluffy. With each bite, the creamy richness of butter and milk wrapped around the subtle fragrance of the flour, dancing on the palate.
Chewing thoughtfully, Hara Kei's expression grew contemplative.
So that was it. The secret behind this deliciousness… the key lay in the ratio of ingredients in the bread.
Unlike typical French toast, the chef here had increased the proportion of butter, sugar, and eggs, making the aroma richer and the texture even fluffier than usual. Yet the flavors remained balanced—never overwhelming the wheat's natural scent.
The ratios were executed flawlessly. In a feudal society, this might have been considered a closely guarded family recipe, passed down through generations.
As Hara Kei swallowed the bite and took another piece, he mentally calculated: if using 100 grams of high-gluten flour, then sugar would be around 12 grams, butter 20 grams, and cream… probably about 15 milliliters.
With his Cooking skill approaching Lv. 3, its subtle supernatural edge began to manifest. Previously, it had heightened his senses to detect flaws in Yukinoshita Haruno during the "pool incident." Now, its benefit in taste perception was becoming evident.
Hara Kei recalled a manga from his past life called Food Wars!—the heroine, Erina Nakiri, possessed the "God Tongue," an extraordinary sensitivity to flavors far beyond ordinary humans.
Now, Hara Kei was starting to evolve in a similar direction.
After tasting a bit of each dish, Hara Kei stopped eating.
Noticing this, Ai Hayasaka looked puzzled. She set her half-eaten donut down and asked, genuinely confused, "Hara Kei, are you full already?"
"Of course not," Hara Kei shook his head.
"Then… is the breakfast not to your taste?" Ai blinked, slightly bewildered.
"No, it's delicious—but one cannot overindulge in delicacies. I need to save room for the next stop," Hara Kei said seriously.
As his taste perception improved, the time required to discern the essence of each dish grew shorter. Once the secret of the flavor was revealed, further tasting yielded almost no additional experience.
Thus, though the breakfast on the table was still steaming and irresistibly fragrant, it no longer held value for Hara Kei.
Of course, if he had come alone, he would have eaten everything in line with his principle of not wasting food.
But today, Ai was with him.
Guided by Ai, the local expert on Tokyo's cuisine, Hara Kei could visit multiple famous—or hidden—restaurants across the city. Eating full meals at each would be impossible, even for him.
For a culinary efficiency master like Hara Kei, wasting this opportunity was out of the question.
Ai watched him. His expression was utterly serious—there was no pretense.
She glanced at the breakfast on the table, still steaming and signaling its deliciousness. From her vantage point, she could clearly see that Hara Kei only sampled each dish lightly. Even her own mistress might not have eaten enough with such portions, let alone a teenage boy like him.
Resisting hunger was hard, especially when faced with delicious food. Yet Hara Kei managed it effortlessly. Not only that, he didn't urge her to eat faster; he simply waited quietly by her side.
Thinking of this, Ai found the donut in her hand suddenly less appealing. She raised her hand and summoned the waiter.
"You're not eating?" Hara Kei asked, surprised at her action.
"I'll eat on my own, and you just watch—that's not right," Ai said before he could respond. "I know you don't mind, but I do."
Her voice carried absolute conviction. "I mentioned it yesterday—this trip today is actually my way of repaying you."
"It makes no sense to enjoy a meal while the benefactor just watches."
Of course, the remaining breakfast wouldn't go to waste. Ai planned to pack it up. She also learned a lesson—next time, she wouldn't order this much.
Furthermore, any previous plans meant to fill time between meals were scrapped. All remaining time would be spent traveling between restaurants and tasting the food.
The meeting with her mistress and Yukinoshita Haruno was scheduled for after noon. As long as they arrived on time, her task would be complete. Until then, the morning belonged entirely to her—she could freely adjust her plans.
Once the waiter packed the remaining breakfast, Ai placed half in front of Hara Kei and kept the other half herself, rising to her feet and signaling him to follow.
Seeing Ai handle everything so decisively and efficiently, a faint look of surprise crossed Hara Kei's face, followed by a small smile.
He rose as well, falling into step beside her.
And so, they walked side by side.
As for payment, of course, it was split equally. Ever since their first off-campus encounter, the two had maintained an unspoken but flawless understanding in this regard.
…
It had to be said—Tokyo truly was a haven for culinary variety. Cheese, cakes, crepes; ramen, soba, udon; unagi, seafood sashimi, tonkatsu; grilled meat, sushi, tempura…
Under Ai's guidance, they ate their way through the city. Portions were modest, each dish merely sampled, yet the sheer variety gradually built a sense of fullness—even for Hara Kei.
By this time, the sun had climbed higher. Ai glanced casually at her wrist and realized it was nearly time to meet her mistress.
In other words, it was almost time to pass the "baton" to the next person.
The morning with Hara Kei had been easy and enjoyable, giving her a rare sense of a day off.
Perhaps, if she ever truly had a day off, she could try walking this route again.
Feeling somewhat buoyant, Ai and Hara Kei turned a street corner.
Suddenly, a familiar black car appeared before her. Seeing the open window and the familiar face inside, Ai froze entirely.
'That's the Third Young Master? Why is he…?'
A wave of disbelief struck her, leaving her sluggish, vulnerable to the waiting man.
'Is he the Third Young Master's valet?' Ai recognized him.
She tried to evade him, but her body refused to cooperate, stiff with shock and fear.
Yet his plan failed.
Another hand grabbed his.
"I told you, my conscience will kick in and deal with them when the time comes," said the one who intercepted him—Hara Kei, his calm tone radiating reassuring authority.
"I always keep my word."