"Let's talk about desserts again next time. I have something to take care of."
An image of a familiar figure surfaced in his mind, and the corners of Okabe's mouth lifted slightly as he rose from his seat.
"Momo wants to go too, can I?"
Momo Akanegakubo's eyes held a hint of reluctance to part.
Because Okabe was usually undergoing special training at Ryōzanpaku and only had a little time on Sundays to visit, Momo Akanegakubo especially cherished this time. On one hand, it was because Okabe was close to her in age—only two years apart—but since he was older, she had always treated him as a peer. On the other hand, Okabe was incredibly knowledgeable and could answer many things she didn't understand, things she could never learn no matter how long she spent in her kitchen.
"You want to come along? I don't mind, but can you get away from your work here?"
Hearing Momo Akanegakubo's words, Okabe couldn't help but ask. After all, business at 'Akechi no Kumakyukyu' was good. Could she, the patissier, really leave?
"It's fine. I'll just close for the day."
Momo Akanegakubo said with a nonchalant expression.
She had been a gifted person since she was young, exceptionally skilled at discovering cuteness. Any product she deemed cute would often become a massive hit the following year. This led many toy companies to seek her out, paying her large sums of money to choose toys she thought cute. Thanks to this, Momo Akanegakubo was never short on money. She had opened this shop herself.
"Alright, then let's head back together."
Okabe didn't dwell on it. Since she had already made her decision, he wouldn't say anything more. Besides, taking a break now and then wasn't a bad thing.
"Speaking of which, Okabe-kun, you also came from the Nakiri family, right?"
"That Erina Nakiri came to challenge you right away. Could it be a test from the Nakiri family to check on your training results from the past few years? She looks about your age. Do you know her?"
After leaving 'Akechi no Kumakyukyu', the group of four headed towards Ryōzanpaku. Halfway there, Miu Fūrinji suddenly asked with curiosity.
"She's my friend. The last time we parted, we promised to have a match the next time we met."
It seems she's very confident in her improvement during this time, otherwise she wouldn't have come without notice. But I'm not the same person I was back then, either. Okabe stated his speculation.
"Oh, so you had a promise like that? I saw those two arrive so aggressively, I thought there was some bad blood between you. I'm glad you're just friends."
Miu Fūrinji had been a bit worried when she saw someone coming to cause trouble for him. Now that she confirmed it was just a match, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"We're here."
Before long, the four arrived at the entrance of Ryōzanpaku. Looking at the massive wooden gate, Momo Akanegakubo couldn't help but tilt her head up and exclaim, "What an impressive gate."
"Right? I thought so too the first time I came here."
Hearing Momo Akanegakubo's words, Okabe stood beside her and agreed.
"Let's go. That girl is waiting for you inside."
Seeing Okabe pause along with Momo Akanegakubo, Miu Fūrinji reminded him before reaching out to push the gate open.
With a loud 'bang', the heavy wooden gate swung open under Miu Fūrinji's small push, which in turn made Momo Akanegakubo cry out, "Waku waku!" The young girl looked at her with a mix of shock and admiration, clearly not expecting another girl to possess such immense strength to easily open such a heavy wooden gate.
Passing through the long, tree-lined path, the four finally arrived in front of the main house. A pair of sneakers was placed at the entrance, a clear sign that someone was waiting inside.
"Shhhk~"
Just as Okabe slid open the main house's door, before he could even get a clear view of the situation inside, a cold voice tinged with displeasure rang out: "Three years, and your ego has certainly grown. You kept me waiting."
In the center of the living room, a blonde girl sat perfectly upright. She wore an exquisite white dress, its skirt spreading out on the tatami mat like flower petals. Her slender back was held perfectly straight, resembling a proud swan.
Hearing the door open, she slowly turned her head. A flash of displeasure crossed her violet eyes, and her words were an undisguised complaint. This person was none other than Erina Nakiri.
"It seems the food at Ryōzanpaku is quite good. You've certainly gotten sturdier."
She sized up Okabe, her gaze lingering for a moment on his noticeably taller frame and his firm, strong arms, a surprised expression on her face.
"Long time no see." Okabe smiled and sat down across from her. "I'm at a growing age, after all. Getting taller is a given. I just didn't expect you to come all this way to find me."
"What do you mean, come all this way to find you! I was just passing by and happened to buy an extra souvenir on my way back. And with our previous promise, I decided to stop by first."
Hearing Okabe's words, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but let out a light huff. She then set down the gift she had prepared long ago, though her words were exceptionally prideful.
"Oh, is that so~ Can I open it and see?"
"It's for you. Do as you please."
Hearing Erina Nakiri's reply, a smile appeared on Okabe's face as he picked up her gift and opened it in front of her.
"I didn't know what you like. French watch craftsmanship is quite good, so I just found a random place to have one custom-made. You can use it to check the time."
Seeing the surprised look on Okabe's face, Erina Nakiri's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned her head away.
"Just found a random place to have a watch custom-made, huh? The craftsmanship is quite nice. It seems French watchmaking technology is indeed excellent."
Looking at the exquisite wristwatch in the box, Okabe saw through her excuse but didn't expose it, a warmth rising in his heart. It felt really good to be thought of like this.
"Okabe-kun, you're back. And Sister Ikaros, too. But there are so many people, I don't think I made enough tea…"
Just as Okabe was lost in his joy, Hisako Arato's voice came from the doorway. She was holding a tray with several teacups and a pot of hot tea.
She had asked Miu Fūrinji where she could make tea earlier and went to the kitchen to brew it herself.
"You guys chat first. I'll go get some snacks for you."
Miu Fūrinji assessed the situation and felt it was best to let them talk, so she found an excuse to leave.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Miu."
Okabe didn't think too much of it and casually replied to Miu Fūrinji's words.
"Momo will go too."
Momo Akanegakubo observed the subtle atmosphere in the room and followed without hesitation.
Soon, the two of them disappeared, leaving only Erina Nakiri, Hisako Arato, Okabe, and Ikaros in the room.
"It seems Ryōzanpaku not only has good food but also a lot of girls. You really are something, Okabe. Popular with girls no matter where you go."
Watching the retreating figures of Momo Akanegakubo and Miu Fūrinji, Erina Nakiri, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, her voice laced with a sourness she herself didn't even notice.
"Ahem, this is just normal social interaction. So, what's your real purpose for coming here? It can't be just to practice martial arts, can it?" Okabe asked, feigning ignorance.
"Naturally, it's to fulfill the promise from three years ago!" Erina Nakiri lifted her chin slightly, revealing her delicate face. "I said back then that the next time we met, we would have another match. I haven't wasted these three years. It's time for you to witness my true strength."
Her voice carried an unquestionable confidence, and she exuded an aura completely different from three years ago. It was the kind of confidence that could only be built from countless Shokugeki victories.
"In such a hurry… Speaking of which, which countries did you visit these past three years? Tell me about them."
Seeing Erina Nakiri's eager expression, Okabe thanked Hisako Arato and took a sip from the teacup she handed him.
Due to her tsundere personality, Erina Nakiri rarely called him, only complaining a little when she got sick from her travels. Alice Nakiri, on the other hand, had been in constant contact for the past three years, sharing even the smallest things with him.
"France, Italy, and Turkey," Erina Nakiri answered truthfully.
"You didn't go to China?" There was a hint of surprise in Okabe's voice.
As the culinary capital of the world and a country with a food culture so similar to Japan's, he had assumed Erina Nakiri would go there first.
"I didn't really want to go."
"Why?"
"I just didn't want to go, that's all! Why are there so many questions!"
Erina Nakiri would never tell Okabe that she didn't go because he wasn't there.
If she were ever to go to China, she hoped she could go with Okabe. The two of them would study cuisine together on their journey, enjoying the pleasures of travel.
After all, he was Chinese and would return to his roots sooner or later. If she was by his side then, they could experience different and new things together. Just thinking about it felt wonderful.
"Alright, then…"
"Enough of this and that, just take me to the kitchen! I've waited three years for this day. We can talk after the match is over!"
Seeing that Okabe seemed about to say something else, Erina Nakiri cut him off.
Three years. Did he have any idea what she had been through these past three years?!
To hone her skills, she had worked in restaurants, run street stalls, dined in the most expensive high-end restaurants in France, and eaten at cheap eateries highly praised by the poor.
"Since you've put it that way, if I refuse, it would seem like I'm scared."
Okabe pondered for a moment before continuing, "But since it's a match, there has to be a theme. You can decide on it. I'll accept any type of cuisine."
"You're as arrogant as ever. But I'm not the same Erina Nakiri from three years ago. If I set the theme, aren't you afraid of a crushing defeat?"
Hearing Okabe's words and seeing his relaxed expression, Erina Nakiri felt an inexplicable irritation and stared at his face as she spoke sullenly.
"I know how skilled you are, but do you think I haven't improved in these three years? Compared to you traveling back and forth between countries, I've spent more time cooking. I'm good at more things. Letting you decide the theme will make us more evenly matched."
Okabe explained his reasoning.
In contrast to Erina Nakiri running all over the world, he had been honing his cooking skills at Ryōzanpaku every day, not just with noodles but also dabbling in other areas. His greatest improvement was in his knife skills.
Under the joint guidance of Shigure Kōsaka and Akisame Koetsuji, his knife work and food carving techniques had improved dramatically. Now, when he cooked, he had developed a habit of carving decorative patterns into the ingredients before plating them. The resulting dish wouldn't taste better, but it looked more high-class and could be sold for a higher price.
"I heard from Miss Miu that you've been mainly focusing on flour-based dishes at Ryōzanpaku for the past three years, right?"
Hearing Okabe's words, Erina Nakiri pressed her lips together, recalling the information she had gathered from Miu Fūrinji when she first arrived.
This gave her a simple understanding of Okabe's life for the past three years: practicing cooking and exercising every day, his culinary skills having reached an astonishing level long ago.
But that was normal. He was Okabe, the guy whose cooking could overwhelm the God's Tongue even as a child. It would be terrible if he didn't even have that much skill.
"That's right. You can avoid it if you want."
Okabe nodded slightly, assuming she wanted to steer clear of his specialty.
"Me, avoid your strong suit? Since your specialty is flour-based dishes, then the theme for this match will be flour as the main ingredient, with no restrictions on the specific cooking method. The dish must be a main course!"
Hearing Okabe's words, the previously calm Erina Nakiri suddenly jumped up, her cheeks flushing as she stared at him with eyes like a wolf cub's.
But it wasn't from shyness; it was from anger.
"If that's your decision, then I accept your challenge."
With Erina Nakiri having said so much, Okabe certainly wasn't going to back down. Since she wanted to challenge him in his area of expertise, he would simply accept.
If anything, he should be the one who was annoyed. To have his specialty looked down upon like this, did she think she could beat him just by going abroad for a few years? It was time to show her the harsh reality of the world.
"Let the masters of Ryōzanpaku be the judges for this match."
Not noticing the strange tone in Okabe's voice, Erina Nakiri's own voice became a bit more cheerful when he agreed, and she made her proposal.
"Fine, but the masters aren't at Ryōzanpaku right now. We might have to wait until tonight."
At some point, the masters of Ryōzanpaku had started taking a collective trip out once a month. It usually lasted three days, and each time they would bring back some rare medicinal herbs.
These herbs were used in the medicinal baths he took after his daily training to quickly recover from fatigue and prevent any hidden injuries. Thanks to this, he was able to withstand the hellishly rigorous training.
"That's fine. We can use the time in between to prepare the ingredients for the match. Let's use the Shibuya Ward area as our competition ground. Go all out!"
Hearing Okabe, Erina Nakiri waved her hand dismissively.
Although she was eager to start the match immediately, the ingredients she needed for the dish in her mind weren't common items; she had to go to specific markets to buy them. In other words, even if Okabe wanted to start now, she would have refused due to a lack of ingredients.
As for just finding some random ingredients and starting to cook? Her opponent was Okabe, the one who had crushed her in their childhood. To some extent, he had even left her with a psychological scar, and she still felt a little intimidated even now. Therefore, to face him, Erina Nakiri had to perform at one hundred and twenty percent of her ability!
"I have no problem. In fact, I have most of the ingredients I need right here at Ryōzanpaku. I'll think about the rest later and just have someone deliver them."
Recalling the theme Erina Nakiri had just declared, Okabe's face was filled with ease and confidence.
Erina Nakiri had no idea to what extent he had honed his skills with flour-based dishes over the past three years. Even his stir-frying, which he had practiced diligently for two years, was nothing special compared to his noodle work now. While not completely mediocre, it was no longer the technique he was most proud of.
After all. How could something you figured out yourself possibly compare to being personally taught by a master?
"Hmph, you should enjoy these last few breaths of free air while you can."
"When I crush you in your own specialty, I'll have you kneel and admit, 'Lady Erina is the greatest in the world! Okabe will forever be your most loyal follower!'"
"I'll have you carve that into your DNA!"
Seeing Okabe's nonchalant demeanor, Erina Nakiri grew dissatisfied. She stood up from her seat and looked down on him from above.
She had been preparing for this battle for a long time and was determined to utterly defeat him here at Ryōzanpaku, shatter the shadow that had always lingered in her heart, and take the next step forward!
"Really? If I have to say something that embarrassing for losing, then in a way, this is no different from a Shokugeki."
"And since it's a Shokugeki, isn't it a bit unfair that I'm the only one facing a penalty for losing?"
Looking at Erina Nakiri's delicate little face, Okabe's voice took on a teasing tone as a bold idea suddenly sparked in his mind.
"You, what are you trying to do?!"
Seeing Okabe's increasingly dangerous expression, Erina Nakiri's voice trembled with panic, and her body involuntarily took a few steps back.
However, due to her extreme nervousness, her foot slipped, and she fell backward.
"What's wrong? You're allowed to set a penalty for me, but when it's my turn to set one for you, you get scared and try to run away? What a selfish person you are."
Watching Erina Nakiri about to fall, and Hisako Arato who lunged forward but was too far away to help, Okabe's words were laced with mockery.
He then stood up, moved forward, and naturally wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back up.
"It's… it's all your fault! For suddenly making that… that dangerous smile like a perverted criminal!"
"Hey, calling someone a perverted criminal is a bit much, don't you think?"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Okabe unceremoniously tapped her on the head. His voice revealed a hint of helplessness; this girl really didn't mince her words.
It was a good thing his mental age was mature enough. If a normal kid his age had heard what Erina Nakiri just said, they probably would have stormed off and never spoken to her again.
There's a good reason why tsunderes often end up as the losing character, isn't there?
"I'm sorry. Please don't take it to heart."
Realizing she had misspoken, Erina Nakiri lowered her head and began to apologize.
Even though Okabe's expression had indeed been unsettling, it was wrong of her to use such insulting words against him.
Being nine years old now, Erina Nakiri had a basic sense of values.
_____
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