"Are we really going to let freshmen who have only been enrolled for two months participate in the Residential Training on the island? They haven't even solidified their foundations yet; isn't this progress a bit too fast...?"
In the pitch-black room, Roland Chapelle pulled the sealed folding screen open a crack, then turned to look at the man behind him, his voice filled with worry.
In previous years, the Residential Training generally wouldn't begin until the High School Section. To send a group of wet-behind-the-ears children out three years early was simply too exaggerated!
"If we were mobilizing the entire student body, it would indeed be exaggerated. But this time, I only intend to let the top students on the Sequence participate in the Residential Training."
Moreover, this year's Residential Training was different from previous years. The old training methods were simply too gentle for these geniuses.
Flipping through the relevant materials of the Sequence rankings, Senzaemon Nakiri spoke slowly.
After two months of competition, the list of names on the Sequence had undergone earth-shaking changes compared to when it was first established.
Among them, the changes in ranks 51 to 100 were the most significant; almost every day saw one or two spots change hands, and only a small portion of people made progress in their sequence.
The changes in ranks 21 to 50 were much smaller; only five people had their status snatched away by those from lower sequences. Other rankings had adjustments, but they were not obvious and basically remained the same.
As for the top 20 of the Sequence, aside from the 20th spot being taken by a student named Akira Hayama, the other rankings remained unchanged and were very stable.
It wasn't that they hadn't accepted challenges, but rather that they had won every single duel.
"Let those fellows on the Sequence participate in the Residential Training?"
This was actually a good idea. This batch of freshmen indeed contained many fellows whose levels exceeded common logic.
They were even stronger than most students in previous High School Section batches. Letting them participate in the Residential Training would be a good training method, but unlike previous years...
Hearing that the Residential Training would only allow students from the Sequence to participate, Roland Chapelle thought for a moment and nodded gently. However, he soon realized something was wrong.
Senzaemon Nakiri's last sentence surfaced in his mind.
'The old training methods were simply too gentle for these geniuses.'
Did that mean he prepared to increase the intensity?
"Let's do it this way. Release the news and add more fuel to the fire for the Sequence Battle!"
Putting down the Sequence list in his hand, Senzaemon Nakiri looked at Roland Chapelle with a profound gaze.
"Yes, Director!"
*
Saturday, Polaris Dormitory.
"Why! Why! Why!"
"Why has the Residential Training, which only appears in the High School Section, been moved up by so much time?! We've only been enrolled for two months; we aren't ready at all!"
Looking at the 'Residential Training Notification' distributed by the academy, Yuki Yoshino paced back and forth in the main hall, a look of faint despair on her face.
"Exactly. Even in the High School Section, the passing rate for facing this kind of assessment is less than half. If it's placed on us, I'm afraid not even 20% will pass!"
Zenji Marui was equally on the verge of freaking out. He had just arrived at this academy, and currently, he specialized in theoretical knowledge; his culinary skills could only be considered mid-tier among the freshmen.
Under these circumstances, if he were to participate in the Residential Training...
There was an eighty percent chance he would be eliminated!
"Huh? Residential Training? What is that?"
Due to the excessive noise, Soma Yukihira, who had been sleeping upstairs, was woken up. He heard Yuki Yoshino and Zenji Marui's pained shouts as soon as he came downstairs.
"Didn't we have those in elementary and middle school too? The kind where you stay at a forest school for a few days."
Seeing Soma Yukihira's puzzled appearance, Ryoko Sakaki explained simply, her complexion equally poor.
"Is that so? This school has that kind of activity too."
Soma Yukihira walked to the center of the crowd, picked up the 'Residential Training Notification' from the table, and flipped through it. Seeing the content describing 'harmonious coexistence between man and nature,' he revealed a surprised expression.
He originally thought Tōtsuki was purely a culinary academy; he didn't expect it to have this kind of humanistic care. In some aspects, it was quite humane.
"By the way, why is Tadokoro trembling? Everyone's faces look so terrible..."
Turning the page of the 'Residential Training Notification' in his hand, Soma Yukihira looked at the surrounding people with confusion.
It was clearly a Residential Training that sang the praises of friendship and joy. Even if they weren't happy about it, they shouldn't be showing this kind of expression.
Hearing his words, Zenji Marui's expression darkened. "This training camp is technically something that only happens upon advancing to the High School Section. In the High School Section, it is also known as the first hell faced by students advancing to high school."
"In the mountain training camp location, all first-year students must undergo cruel cooking tests. If they cannot achieve a passing grade inside, they will be required to withdraw from school immediately!"
Yuki Yoshino also spoke up at this moment.
Some time ago, she had joined the Game Cooking Research Society (Wild Game), which included seniors who had just advanced to the first year of high school and gone to the Residential Training.
At that time, their expressions of wanting to die had truly left a deep impression on her.
She originally thought she still had a few years. She didn't expect Tōtsuki to be so inhumane, placing a test meant for the High School Section onto them, the newly enrolled rookies!
"Ugh~"
Hearing Yuki Yoshino's recounting and thinking of the severe consequence of failing, Megumi Tadokoro felt unable to catch her breath. Her face was exceptionally pale, and she almost fell over.
"Expulsion, huh..."
Hearing Yuki Yoshino's words, Soma Yukihira murmured in contemplation.
His gaze fell upon the 'Residential Training Notification' in his hand, and he once again revealed a puzzled expression.
"But it says right here that only members of the Sequence are required to participate in the Residential Training. Other students will attend classes normally during this period."
"At the same time, the destination of this training is not the mountains but the seaside. To be precise, it's a small island..."
Closing the 'Residential Training Notification,' Soma Yukihira looked at Yuki Yoshino in confusion. The latter's expression froze for a moment after hearing his words.
"Huh?"
"So, we don't need to participate..."
"According to the content of the notification, that is the case."
Soma Yukihira nodded and handed the 'Residential Training Notification' to Yuki Yoshino, who was closest. She took it and immediately opened it to check.
Ryoko Sakaki and Zenji Marui also gathered around.
"Oops, turns out it was a misunderstanding!"
Yuki Yoshino revealed an awkward expression.
Because the cover was exactly the same as the one the senior from the 'Game Cooking Research Society' had shown her, she had preconceived notions and substituted that context in, thinking their Residential Training was the same as the upperclassmen's. She didn't expect it to be a new project.
"Just now, when I learned I had to participate in the Residential Training, my heart felt heavy. But now that I know I don't have to participate, why does this heaviness still exist..."
Understanding that she didn't have to go to the Residential Training, Yuki Yoshino still couldn't smile. Her brows furrowed imperceptibly.
"Because you didn't refuse actively, but were blocked outside by the qualifications. The threshold is the Sequence. Others have it and you don't; naturally, you feel like you are a head shorter than others."
Okabe's voice rang out from the doorway, directly stating the true reason for Yuki Yoshino's unwillingness.
"This Residential Training doesn't have any so-called 'expulsion if you can't keep up.' At most, you'll be sent back by the academy and lose your qualification for the Sequence."
"You can all strive for it. Although high-intensity training is painful, as long as you survive the training, your strength can undergo earth-shaking changes."
Erina Nakiri's voice followed closely behind. She walked beside Okabe, with Hisako Arato and Ikaros standing nearby. The four of them had just finished their morning run and entered together.
In terms of speed in obtaining news, they were undoubtedly the first echelon. Okabe, being by their side, naturally received the news in advance as well.
"There's no punishment of expulsion for not keeping up?"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Yuki Yoshino picked up the 'Residential Training Notification' and flipped through it quickly, discovering that there indeed wasn't such a clause.
"In other words, this is pure welfare. As long as you can grit your teeth and keep up with the pace, the possibility of graduating successfully from Tōtsuki in the future will increase significantly!"
Ryoko Sakaki quickly thought through the profound mystery within.
As everyone knew, Tōtsuki was a super-elite school. The number of students who successfully graduated each year could be counted on one hand. It could be said that one needed both luck and strength.
In terms of luck, they were assigned to Polaris Dormitory. They had experts like Okabe and Erina Nakiri, who were at the forefront of the Sequence, by their side. Daily interactions provided many useful suggestions.
As for strength...
She considered herself to be at an upper-middle level.
If she grew at this pace, she might barely be called excellent in the future, but that was all. The probability of successfully graduating from Tōtsuki remained not high.
The present situation might be the only chance in this life to turn things around.
As long as she became a Sequence member.
Participated in the Residential Training.
Endured it, and then continuously improved, she would definitely be able to grow to a height she dared not even think of before.
And the beginning of all this was to be ranked on the Sequence, to obtain the qualification to participate in the Residential Training. Otherwise, everything was just empty talk!
"Correct. The Residential Training is next Sunday, lasting for about a month. If you have thoughts in this regard, you have to seize the time."
Seeing that Ryoko Sakaki was moved, Okabe further persuaded them.
As a member of Polaris Dormitory, he naturally hoped everyone could keep up with the progress and become top students at the forefront of the academy. "If you need help, you can tell me."
"Really?!"
As the words fell, Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki looked at each other, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
Okabe was Sequence 1, the strongest existence among the enrolled freshmen. With his full support, the probability of their challenge succeeding would definitely increase significantly.
"Of course, why would I lie to you?"
"Not just me, everyone in Polaris Dormitory is willing to help you. The premise is that you have to speak up."
Observing the expressions of the two, Okabe understood that their fighting spirit had already been aroused, so he teased them.
Once there was fighting spirit, things were easy to handle. With the strength currently displayed by Ryoko Sakaki and Yuki Yoshino, obtaining a Sequence spot was not impossible.
Except for a small number of all-around talents, everyone had things they were good at and things they were not good at.
Attacking the other's weakness with one's own strength.
The defender had to find ways to use their strengths to guard the Sequence they possessed, while the challenger would try every means to use their strengths to take down the opponent.
Objectively analyzing, the challenger's advantage was greater because they could formulate a plan targeting the defender. The defender, being challenged by multiple parties, would find it hard to analyze the information of every challenger thoroughly.
This was also the real reason why the rankings after the 50th place on the Sequence had changed almost completely over the past two months. Obtaining it was easy, and everyone had a chance, but guarding it was simply too hard.
"I remember for the Sequence Battle, usually the challenged party chooses the theme, and the challenger chooses the main ingredient to be used."
"Different from a Shokugeki, the Sequence Battle doesn't have the concept of agreeing or not. As long as a letter of challenge is issued, one must accept the battle, even if the challenged party isn't good at it, they cannot refuse."
Erina Nakiri's voice rang out, considerately explaining the rules of the Sequence Battle.
"It is precisely this diverse form of challenge that allows both the challenger and the challenged to gain an extra harvest after every duel."
"Isn't Yukihira the best example?"
Okabe looked at Soma Yukihira as he spoke.
As the protagonist of the original work, he showed super strong adaptability after coming to Tōtsuki. His current Sequence had risen from 100th to 68th.
He belonged to one of the few cases of rapid growth.
In comparison, Ikumi Mito had only barely risen to Sequence 85. Some time ago, she was even mocked for overestimating herself after losing a challenge against Sequence 80.
"Indeed, Yukihira participates in a Sequence Battle almost every day now. Even though according to the rules, one only needs to accept three times a week."
Yuki Yoshino nodded in agreement.
The Polaris Dormitory residents had witnessed Soma Yukihira's efforts during this period. Through constantly challenging and accepting others' challenges, his speed of progress was terrifying.
"Decided!"
"During this period, I will take participating in the Residential Training as my core goal. No matter what, I'll get a spot first!"
Ryoko Sakaki suddenly raised her hand and patted her face. Feeling the faint tingling sensation, she revealed a determined expression.
"Then I'll join too. Since there's no punishment for failure, going over to gain experience is quite nice. At least I can't be left behind by the main force!"
Yuki Yoshino also ignited her fighting spirit.
Looking at the appearance of the two, Okabe couldn't help but remind them: "If you are taking this as your goal, I suggest determining your opponent tonight and submitting the challenge letter tomorrow."
"There are quite a few challengers during this period. If you drag it out to the end, it's very likely there won't be any opponents to challenge, after all, a Sequence holder accepts at most three challenges."
Ryoko Sakaki had a look of realization: "You're right, I forgot about that. We must pick out suitable opponents tonight and strive to be the first challenger!"
"If that person is defeated by another challenger before that, then we can only challenge the person who defeated him. We would be very passive with insufficient information."
Considering there was more than one challenger besides them, Yuki Yoshino voiced her worry.
"No need to consider so much. After all, even if you defeat your opponent, you basically can't escape being challenged by others unless the three chances are all used up."
"Even if you challenge early and lose one or two matches, there are still opportunities to challenge others later. Being challenged also counts towards occupying challenge times; if you lose, you can continue to challenge."
"Of course, remember to treat every duel as the last chance and work hard."
"Don't think about having a way out if you fail. That will only make your cooking cowardly and weak, causing you to lose matches you originally could have won."
Looking at their worried appearances, Okabe couldn't help but speak up to remind them, causing the scene to fall into a brief silence.
"Thanks, Okabe-kun. We will work hard."
After a long while, Ryoko Sakaki finally spoke.
"Wait for our good news!"
Yuki Yoshino didn't chat deeply on this topic, blinking her eyes in an attempt to pass through with cuteness.
Seeing the two of them like this, Okabe didn't say more and turned to walk upstairs.
"..."
Nearby, Megumi Tadokoro watched everything happening before her eyes, somewhat silent for a moment. She lowered her head, clutching the corner of her clothes, her fingers turning slightly white from the force.
Everyone in Polaris Dormitory... how were they all so full of drive?
Even people like Yuki and Ryoko, who usually looked easygoing, had made up their minds to fight for the Sequence and participate in that Residential Training that sounded very arduous.
And what about herself?
Memories of everything she had experienced since enrolling flashed uncontrollably through Megumi Tadokoro's mind.
The nervousness at the opening ceremony, the thrill of nearly failing in class, the shame of being severely criticized by the instructor...
Every time made her doubt whether she was truly suitable to stay at Tōtsuki.
"Megumi."
Ryoko Sakaki noticed her silence, walked over, and gently patted her shoulder.
"Are you considering it too?"
"I... I can't do it."
Hearing this, Megumi Tadokoro shook her head hurriedly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's.
"I struggle even to cope with normal classes. How could I possibly fight for the Sequence..."
"But Megumi, your explosion under pressure is very amazing!"
Yuki Yoshino leaned over, her face carrying encouragement.
"Do you remember that assignment last time? You failed the cooking because you didn't master the heat control at the beginning, but you didn't give up. You worked hard until the end and even made a dish that surprised the lecturer!"
"That, that was just luck..."
Hearing Yuki Yoshino's words, Megumi Tadokoro's face turned even redder, and she waved her hands frantically to indicate that it was all luck.
"Luck is also a part of strength."
Okabe's voice came from the turn of the stairs.
He didn't look back, but his words clearly traveled into everyone's ears.
"Besides, I remember your local cuisine is very distinctive. It feels warm when eaten."
"The Sequence Battle allows the challenger to choose the main ingredient. If the opponent chooses a theme you are good at, supplemented by the main ingredient of your cuisine, you may not necessarily lack a chance."
Megumi Tadokoro was stunned.
She had never thought of actively initiating a challenge. In her perception, persevering at Tōtsuki was already difficult enough; how could she dare to hope for something like the Sequence?
That was a stage only true geniuses could ascend to.
But... if it was really as Okabe-kun said, choosing the theme she was most familiar with, making the dish she was most adept at...
"I... I'll think about it again..."
Megumi Tadokoro said softly, something quietly loosening in her heart.
However, at this moment, she still couldn't truly make up her mind.
Over the next few days, the atmosphere in Polaris Dormitory changed noticeably.
Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki spent almost the entire day soaking in the kitchen experimenting with dishes and researching potential challenge targets.
Zenji Marui began researching Sequence holders, preparing to find a suitable opponent, while Shun Ibusaki stayed in the smoking room, blending the most unique flavored smoking wood.
Even Soma Yukihira, after feeling this atmosphere, couldn't help but increase his training intensity, preparing to shine brilliantly in the Residential Training.
As a bystander watching all this, the struggle in Megumi Tadokoro's heart became increasingly intense.
Friday night.
She stood at Okabe's door for a long time, pacing back and forth, and finally summoned the courage to knock on his door.
"Come in."
Okabe was reading a cookbook. Seeing it was Megumi Tadokoro, he was somewhat surprised.
"Megumi? Is something the matter?"
"Umm... Okabe-kun..."
Megumi Tadokoro took a deep breath, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
"If I... I mean if, I also wanted to challenge the Sequence... do you think... is the probability of success high?"
She asked cautiously, as if a slightly louder voice would puncture this unrealistic fantasy.
Okabe put down the book in his hand and looked seriously at her cramped face.
"Why do you feel it's impossible?"
"I... I'm too ordinary. My foundation isn't good either. I often get nervous and make mistakes, performing even worse than ordinary students, let alone those favored children of heaven..."
"But your cooking has a soul."
Okabe interrupted her. His eyes suddenly became profound, and he stood up from the chair.
"You often help with Polaris Dormitory's dinner, right? That warm feeling isn't something that can be produced purely by technique."
"It's here. It's the heart."
He raised his hand and pointed to the position of Megumi Tadokoro's heart. This was something he felt the first time he tasted her cooking, something not even Erina Nakiri possessed.
"Every dish of yours is made with great care. Regardless of whether the final presented taste is good or bad, at least when you are making every dish, you are wholehearted."
"This is your talent."
Megumi Tadokoro opened her eyes wide, not expecting to receive such an evaluation from Okabe.
"This... I'm not as amazing as you say."
She waved her hand, a guilty blush on her face.
Having stayed at Tōtsuki for two months, her cooking was rarely praised by teachers, and the scores she obtained were just barely passing. She lived at the very bottom of Tōtsuki.
Being evaluated like this by Okabe suddenly really made her feel overwhelmed by favor.
"The Sequence Battle isn't a Shokugeki; it doesn't have such strict comprehensive strength requirements."
Looking at her hanging head, he continued: "It is a display of specialty under a set topic. As long as you achieve the ultimate in a certain field, you can win!"
"Your field is the taste of your hometown, the warmth hidden deep within the cuisine! Since you have the idea, then go fight. If you lose, consider it accumulating experience."
Okabe returned to the desk, took a document out of the drawer, and handed it to Megumi Tadokoro.
This was the material Hisako had stayed up late organizing over the past few days. It contained information on the bottom 50 contestants of the Sequence. Among them, Sequence 98, Takumi Fujiwara...
His profile showed he came from a single-parent family. His mother was bedridden all year round, and his original intention for learning cooking was to make food that could make his mother happy.
Flipping the file in his hand to page 48, he handed it to Megumi Tadokoro so she could see the content clearly.
"Such a person, if challenged, has a high probability of choosing a theme related to 'Comfort Food,' because this is the core of his cooking."
Okabe continued: "And once he chooses this theme, the ratio of winning between you two will be pulled extremely close, after all, this is the field you are good at."
"At the same time, under the circumstance where the opponent chooses the theme, you can choose the ingredient you are more skilled with. This can also increase your probability of winning."
"But... isn't this opportunistic?"
Megumi Tadokoro asked with a somewhat guilty conscience.
"This is tactics."
Okabe had a helpless expression: "The Sequence Battle is originally a dual contest of wisdom and strength. Student Fujiwara also won by first understanding his opponent and finding a flaw."
"Choosing the fighting method most beneficial to oneself is something every chef should learn. It is not so-called opportunism."
The room fell into a brief silence.
Megumi Tadokoro looked down at the materials in her hand, her fingers gently rubbing the edge of the paper.
"I..."
She took a deep breath. When she raised her head, her eyes flickered with a light that had never been there before: "I want to try."
"Go register immediately tomorrow morning. Time waits for no one. Today is Wednesday; strictly speaking, we likely only have one chance left. Fight with the determination to win."
Hearing Megumi Tadokoro's answer, the corners of Okabe's mouth raised slightly. He had known long ago she would choose this way. Among the students entering Tōtsuki, how many were willing to be mediocre?
"Thank you, Okabe-kun."
Looking at Okabe's concerned face, Megumi Tadokoro thanked him from the bottom of her heart.
"Why be polite with me? As dormmates, isn't helping each other expected? However, before participating in the competition, you have to let me taste your cooking first."
Megumi Tadokoro was surprised: "Eh?"
"My stomach happens to be a little hungry right now. Just make a comfort dish you have the most confidence in for me to taste."
Okabe took his jacket down and draped it over his shoulders, walking with large strides in her direction: "Let me see your results from this period, and incidentally see if I can offer some suggestions."
Megumi Tadokoro was dazed for a few seconds. It wasn't until Okabe walked close that she nodded forcefully: "I-I'll go prepare right away!"
*
When they arrived at the kitchen.
Yuki Yoshino, Ryoko Sakaki, Shun Ibusaki, and Zenji Marui each occupied a spot, all working hard for the upcoming matches.
Among them, Yuki Yoshino and Shun Ibusaki had temporarily obtained Sequence 91 and Sequence 95, and on the afternoon after their successful challenges, they received challenges from other new students.
Meanwhile, Ryoko Sakaki and Zenji Marui had failed and lost in their first challenge. They were looking for a second challenge target, preparing to go to the Sequence Office tomorrow to submit a challenge letter.
At this moment, seeing Okabe and Megumi Tadokoro arrive, all four revealed surprised expressions.
"Okabe-kun, Megumi."
Looking at the two who entered, Yuki Yoshino was the first to greet them. At the same time, she put down the kitchen knife in her hand and walked quickly with large strides to come before them.
"Are you here to offer condolences?"
"To be precise, we came for a tasting."
Looking at the expectant look in Yuki Yoshino's eyes, Okabe spoke with a light laugh.
Subsequently, he pulled Megumi Tadokoro out from behind him: "Megumi is preparing to challenge the Sequence. I suggested she make a comfort dish. I happened to be a bit hungry, so I came over in advance to help her taste it."
"What?!"
Yuki Yoshino couldn't help but freeze upon hearing Okabe's words. After reacting, a surprised expression appeared on her face, and she hugged Megumi Tadokoro's neck: "Megumi, you finally decided to challenge the Sequence? That's great!"
As a dormmate in the same dormitory, their relationship was quite good. She naturally hoped Megumi Tadokoro could also participate in Tōtsuki's Residential Training so they could progress together.
"If Megumi wants to seize a Sequence spot, I have a very suitable opponent for you here—Sequence 98, Takumi Fujiwara."
"The other party just won a match yesterday afternoon. Currently, there are still two chances left to be challenged; one of which has already been booked this afternoon."
Zenji Marui pushed his glasses up, opened his manual, and stated the information he knew.
Takumi Fujiwara. He had also considered him as a cooking opponent but ultimately rejected it.
The cooking produced by the other party was not rational cooking strictly executed according to methods, but emotional cooking capable of warming people's hearts. This ran contrary to his culinary path.
However, for Megumi Tadokoro, it was a perfectly suitable theme. After all, she was also very good at making this kind of cooking that could warm people's hearts.
"Th-Thank you, everyone!"
Being hugged by Yuki Yoshino and feeling the concerned gazes around her, Megumi Tadokoro's eye sockets felt somewhat hot.
She didn't expect that everyone had been secretly paying attention to opponents that might suit her. In other words, they all believed she would come to fight for this spot.
"Takumi Fujiwara..."
"Is it that one from Okabe-kun's data?"
Megumi Tadokoro recalled the information she saw earlier and looked at Okabe, then saw him nod slightly.
"Correct. He just won a challenge yesterday using the theme 'Mother's Taste.' The opponent used 'Winter Melon' as the main ingredient, and ultimately he won with 'Vegetarian Braised Pork' as the main ingredient."
"The final explanation was that his father passed away when he was young, and his mother raised him alone. However, due to the family's financial straits, they simply couldn't afford meat. When he was little, he saw other children at school eating meat, so he clamored to eat meat. To satisfy his appetite, his mother used winter melon to make Vegetarian Braised Pork for him."
"And what he served was that Vegetarian Braised Pork."
Ryoko Sakaki had gone to watch the match that day. Recounting the process at this moment, there was no obstruction; she stated all the characteristics of his cooking.
Simply put, it was the taste of Mom.
"Megumi, your cooking can always remind people of the warmth of their hometown. I think it's very suitable to counter him."
Ryoko Sakaki said sincerely.
At the same time, Shun Ibusaki also raised his head from the smoking rack beside him, his voice steady: "His weakness is that his treatment of ingredients is too gentle. If you choose an ingredient with a strong flavor, perhaps you can form a sharp contrast."
"Everyone is right. However, I think the most important thing right now is to let Megumi make the 'Comfort Dish' she is most adept at first."
He scanned the kitchen: "Since everyone is here, why not all come to be tasting judges? It's good to give suggestions from multiple angles and find the deficiencies in the cooking."
"Good idea!"
Yuki Yoshino raised her hand excitedly: "I want to be the first taster!"
Megumi Tadokoro looked at everyone's ardent eyes. Without saying more, she took a deep breath and turned to walk toward the ingredient area.
She looked at the potatoes and carrots on the vegetable rack, finally stopping at that small basket of fresh shiitake mushrooms. The name of a dish surfaced in her mind.
She already had an idea in her heart.
"I want to make... Chicken and Vegetable Takikomi Gohan."
"Using the method from my hometown. Every winter, Mom would always make this to warm our bodies. The family gathering together to eat it... that feeling was exceptionally beautiful."
Megumi Tadokoro looked at Okabe. Seeing the encouraging look he cast over, a determined expression appeared on her face.
She began to prepare the ingredients methodically.
Cutting the chicken leg meat into chunks, marinating it with sake and soy sauce. Slicing the shiitake mushrooms, shredding the carrots, and washing the Komachi rice—that was a rice variety unique to her hometown.
The kitchen quieted down, with only the sounds of vegetable cutting and the soft noise of the stove fire remaining. Everyone tacitly lightened their movements, not wanting to disturb her focus.
Okabe leaned against the cooking counter, observing quietly.
He noticed that when Megumi Tadokoro processed ingredients, there was a unique rhythm.
Neither hurried nor impetuous.
Every movement was extremely serious.
When she cleaned the shiitake mushrooms, she would clean them to the extent of not letting go of even the gills. When cutting carrots, her knife skills weren't exquisite, but the strength of every cut was just right.
____
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