"Well then, we'll see each other tonight."
Satou waved and walked out of the bathroom amidst Erina Nakiri's roars.
"See you, my foot!"
Erina Nakiri was filled with immense regret, wondering why she had invited this guy into Far Moon in the first place! The thought of living with him from now on made her future seem bleak, as if she had descended straight into hell.
After washing up, she returned to her room, took off her pajamas, and changed into Far Moon's school uniform.
In the living room, a short-haired girl with pinkish-purple hair was waiting.
This was Erina Nakiri's personal secretary, Hisako Arato.
"Miss Erina, I just heard a male voice upstairs?"
Hisako hesitated as she saw Erina come down.
Erina's heart tightened, and she quickly said, "You must have misheard. How could there be a male voice upstairs?"
"That's true," Hisako smiled, thinking she had imagined it.
"What's the schedule for today?" Erina asked.
"Besides visiting two restaurants to taste dishes, you'll also act as an examiner for the transfer student exam," Hisako reported quickly.
"An examiner?" Erina frowned. "How troublesome."
…
Satou changed into his school uniform and left his Apartment.
"Satou!"
He turned at the familiar call and saw a short-haired girl with black hair waving and jogging toward him.
She wore a sailor uniform, her playful short hair framing a round, cute face with large eyes.
This was Kaga Aoi, his childhood friend. They'd been classmates since kindergarten, growing up together.
"Let's go to school together," she said sweetly.
"Okay," Satou nodded. They'd remained classmates even after entering high school.
"My father said your snack shop hasn't opened for seven days?"
"Yes," Satou replied.
Kaga Aoi's family ran a small ramen shop, not a high-end restaurant, not far from Satou's snack shop.
"So when will you open?"
"We'll see," Satou said. Between attending two schools and being short on money, he needed to figure out a way to manage.
"Is it because you don't have money?" Kaga Aoi asked earnestly. "You live alone, and your aunt and uncle passed away—it must be hard."
"That's not good," Satou said. Borrowing money from her family would be unfair; they weren't wealthy either.
"What's wrong with that? We grew up together," Kaga Aoi blushed.
Satou stopped and looked at her, touched by her concern. "Okay, I understand," he said with a smile.
Soon, they arrived at Jin Yu Middle School. Satou quietly sat in his seat while classmates chatted about their holidays. With poor grades and little presence, no one paid him much attention, aside from subtle comments about his Chinese heritage and orphan status.
Soon, the first period began.
"The first period is the entrance test class," the homeroom teacher announced. "We've invited the manager of Kagurazaka-ya to assess everyone."
Not long after, a middle-aged man in a suit, slicked-back hair, and elegant demeanor entered and bowed.
"Hello everyone, I am Mita, manager of Kagurazaka-ya. I will be tasting your dishes today."
Students panicked. Kagurazaka-ya was a famous high-end restaurant; Mita's standards would be extremely strict.
Satou, though surprised, smiled knowingly at Kaga Aoi. She had clearly been practicing during the holiday.
A new task notification appeared.
"Host has received a new task: Stand Out.Task Description: Make a dish and get the highest score in the test class.Task Reward: One catty of fantasy ingredient Cream Matsutake."
Satou's eyes lit up. With this fantasy ingredient, he could finally make a true Yangzhou Fried Rice.
"The test begins now. Make one dish in the next two hours. Form is not limited."
Students rushed to the ingredient area. Satou also moved forward.
Although Jin Yu Middle School wasn't Far Moon, scoring highest in class would still be a challenge.
After considering the options, Satou decided to make Yangzhou Fried Rice. He selected the freshest chicken breast, using color and smell to distinguish quality—a skill all chefs needed.
Just as he reached out for the chicken, another hand simultaneously reached out—and their fingers touched.