"Is this where Okabe's stall is?"
"Yes, according to the information our family gathered, Okabe-kun has his stall set up in this area."
Two small figures weaved through the crowd, one after the other, arriving at an incredibly lively food street.
"Lady Erina, look over there! That seems to be Okabe-kun's stall. Ikaros-neesan is there too, it must be the right place!"
Suddenly, the girl with short, pinkish-purple hair grabbed the arm of the other, a blonde girl, and pointed towards a crowded stall not far away.
The reason they could spot it so quickly was that Okabe's stall occupied a very large area. Not only was it 1.5 times the size of the other stalls, but it also had the most customers.
At the same time, a beautiful poster girl stood in front of the stall. Men and women alike couldn't help but steal a few extra glances upon seeing her, some even deciding to stay and eat on the spot.
Even on a food street packed with numerous stalls, this one was the most eye-catching.
"Hmph. That guy is obsessed with shredded potatoes. To this day, it's the only dish he excels at. I have to give him a good talking-to today, knock some sense into him."
Looking at the sign in front of Okabe's stall, Erina Nakiri's face showed a look of resentful disappointment.
Two years, two whole years!
That guy Okabe seemed to have no interest in any other cuisine, wholeheartedly dedicating himself to Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes. He's nearly dug up all the potatoes in the vegetable garden!
In the beginning, she and Alice Nakiri would try to persuade Okabe to attempt other dishes, telling him that refusing to progress was not a good thing.
But as time went on, he stubbornly continued on his own path, and they had no choice but to give up for the time being.
It couldn't be helped. Although they were very good friends, they also had their own culinary paths to follow and couldn't spend all their time on Okabe.
Now, two years later, Erina Nakiri remembered this playmate she had studied with in her childhood. So, just after finishing her tour of restaurants in the Kanto region, she came looking for him.
First, she had Hisako Arato confirm Okabe's location, then she snuck away from her bodyguards.
No matter what, she had to get Okabe back on the right track today. She couldn't let him waste any more time on a dish like Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes, only to end up as just another face in the crowd.
"Ikaros-neesan, we'll have two orders of the Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes set meal."
Before persuading someone, one must first analyze the pros and cons; otherwise, the argument lacks credibility.
Erina Nakiri decided to first taste the Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes that Okabe had spent two years perfecting. Then, she would use the dish's flaws as an opening to guide him onto the right path!
If the dish he polished for two years was belittled into worthlessness, then even with Okabe's stubborn personality, he should realize his mistake and get on the correct path.
"Erina, and Hisako. What are you two doing here?"
Seeing the familiar figures appear before the stall, Ikaros gave a slight nod in greeting, a somewhat puzzled expression on her face, not understanding why the two were here.
"Shh, don't let Okabe know we're here. Just have him cook a normal portion of Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes. I want to see his current skill level."
Hearing Ikaros's voice, Erina Nakiri tensed up and made a hushing gesture.
Then, she used her peripheral vision to sneak a peek at Okabe flipping his wok not far away. Seeing that his gaze remained fixed on his cooking, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, you each need one Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes set meal, correct? Coming right up."
Looking at the two who had suddenly become tense but quickly relaxed, Ikaros didn't quite understand, but she didn't plan to probe further.
She turned to serve other customers.
The task Okabe had given her was to be the poster girl and serve customers; everything else was not her concern.
"Speaking of which, business here is really good. It's on a completely different level from the other stalls." Watching Ikaros's busy figure, listening to the customers' words of praise, and seeing more customers arrive from a distance, Hisako Arato couldn't help but remark with emotion.
"If he didn't even have this much foot traffic after stir-frying shredded potatoes for two years, that would be truly pathetic.
But no matter what, spending two years on shredded potatoes is just too absurd. Wasting time on such a commoner's dish, he'll eventually ruin himself!"
Erina Nakiri also noticed the surrounding customers praising how delicious the food was, but she paid them no mind.
Because her father had once taught her that the general public lacked the ability to appreciate cuisine. The food they ate was nothing more than feed, yet they could still find satisfaction in it.
True gourmet food should be like a profound art form; only the few with taste and culinary talent could understand and create it.
Although she found this idea subtly strange when she first heard it—after all, Liu Anqing had taught them that the essence of cooking was not about competition; as long as it could make the person eating it feel happy, it was good cooking.
But as Azami Nakiri mentioned it more and more around her, it had a subliminal effect, and she gradually came to accept this theory.
After all, no one would think their own father would harm them. Coupled with her young age and inability to distinguish right from wrong, she came to believe that her previous self was mistaken.
Since Nakiri Mana developed her eating disorder, she only came home once every few months, her figure becoming visibly thinner and more fragile. She had no energy to discipline her child.
Naturally, Erina Nakiri's education fell entirely on Azami Nakiri's shoulders.
"Here are the Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes set meals you ordered."
As her thoughts wandered, Ikaros once again appeared at their side, placing two plates of Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes and steaming white rice before them.
In the white porcelain plate, golden shredded potatoes were intertwined with vibrant green pepper threads and crimson dried chili strips.
Unlike the refined, sculpted dishes she was accustomed to seeing in high-end restaurants, the dish before her possessed a wild, vital, and ruggedly enticing beauty.
"Gulp."
If she could maintain her composure while watching others enjoy the food, the moment Ikaros placed that plate of Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes on the table, smelling the rich aroma in the air, Erina Nakiri could no longer hold back.
She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, almost subconsciously.
The wok hei mingled with a unique sour aroma, the result of rice vinegar colliding with hot oil.
The minced garlic developed a toasted fragrance during the stir-frying process, and the dried chilies exuded a scorching, mellow aroma, yet the shredded potatoes retained a fresh vitality, like a clear stream.
She could no longer control herself. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a cluster of potato shreds, and stuffed them into her mouth.
"The sharp, clear acidity of the rice vinegar and the deep, mellow richness of the aged vinegar intertwine, forming a layered staircase of sourness that releases itself tier by tier in the mouth."
"The aroma of the dried chilies is intensified after being stir-fried, bringing forth delicate threads of spice.
This spiciness isn't a burning pain but a warm, perfectly balanced stimulation, like tiny sparks dancing on the tongue, twining with the complex acidity provided by the rice and aged vinegars, mutually elevating one another."
"The precise salinity acts as a loyal cornerstone, solidly supporting the rhapsody of sour and spice.
And the umami, born from the MSG and the ingredients themselves under high heat, is like a soft background light, harmonizing all the flavors."
"What kind of astonishing Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes is this?!"
With one bite of the dish, Erina Nakiri's delicate young face flushed slightly red.
Salty, umami, sour, and spicy—the four flavors achieved an incredible point of balance. No single one overpowered the others; instead, they formed a holistic and complex deliciousness that was immensely appetizing.
At the very moment this ultimate gustatory pleasure reached its peak!
Erina Nakiri closed her eyes.
It was as if she were no longer on the bustling streets of Tokyo, but had been transported to a verdant field just after a sudden summer rain.
Beneath her feet was firm, slightly damp earth, planted full of potato stalks dripping with raindrops. The air all around was fresh, and she was lying there, completely bare.
In the sky, a rainbow woven from the clear tartness of rice vinegar and the rich mellowness of aged vinegar stretched across the horizon.
Suddenly, the potato plants began to grow wildly, carrying her into the sky, where she then saw a sun with Okabe's smiling face shining through the vinegar rainbow.
Warm sunlight sprinkled down on her, dispelling the slight chill left by the rain and bringing a transparent warmth.
A gentle breeze blew past, bringing with it a refreshing sensation.
She couldn't help but open her arms to feel the vitalizing wind of the fields, every strand of her hair seeming to dance along with the crisp shredded potatoes.
A most primitive, unrestrained joy and satisfaction, like the wind across this field, instantly filled her small body, washing over every single one of her cells.
"Ngh…"
In an instant, an ambiguous nasal sound escaped Erina Nakiri's lips. Her fingers clenched the tabletop as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
The illusion slowly dissipated.
Erina Nakiri came back to her senses, realizing she was still holding her small mouth slightly agape. The plate on the table was so clean that not even a single shred of potato remained.
An incredulous light shone in her amethyst eyes as she stared, stunned, at the boy who was vigorously stir-frying Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes at the stove.
She put down her chopsticks and, in a voice tinged with childishness yet exceptionally clear, declared with the utmost seriousness:
"Another plate!"
____
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