The general hourly wage for part-time work in Neon is one thousand yen. Although it was for an apprentice chef, the salary was five times higher, and it was paid daily!
This was very important for Satou, who was short on money.
The key was that he could leave whenever he wanted.
Under the envious gazes of his classmates, Satou calmly returned to his seat.
"Wow, Satou, when did you become so amazing?"
Kaga Aoi ran over, smiling happily, "Five thousand yen an hour! That's more profitable than my family's restaurant! And it's only for an apprentice chef!"
"Mhm."
Satou also smiled and nodded, equally pleased.
"By the way, do you still have any Yangzhou Fried Rice?" Kaga Aoi asked, her eyes gleaming.
"There's still a little, do you want to try it?" Satou couldn't help but smile.
"Mhm!" Kaga Aoi nodded emphatically.
Satou scooped a small bowl of the remaining Yangzhou Fried Rice from the pot and handed it to her.
Kaga Aoi eagerly picked up a spoon, scooped a bit, and put it into her mouth.
"Is it delicious?" Satou asked.
As soon as the fried rice entered her mouth, Kaga Aoi was struck as if by lightning, her body trembling slightly.
After a long while, Kaga Aoi finally opened her eyes, her small face flushed, and she excitedly said, "Satou, you're amazing! I've never eaten such delicious fried rice! With this skill alone, Satou, you'll definitely never starve to death!"
"Really?" Satou secretly chuckled. What did she mean by "never starve to death"?
"Um… could I also have a taste?" A clear, cold voice suddenly spoke up.
Satou turned his head and saw Izayoi Tsuki.
"Of course you can." Satou nodded, scooping the last bit of fried rice for her.
Kaga Aoi looked at the small amount of fried rice pitifully, swallowing her saliva.
Satou couldn't help but smile and said, "You can come find me anytime you want to eat it in the future."
"That's true." Kaga Aoi then remembered, smiling triumphantly, "From now on, Satou, I'll come find you whenever I want to eat, so don't refuse."
"Is that even a question?" Satou laughed, "Don't you see what kind of relationship we have?"
On the other side, Izayoi Tsuki said thank you and took the Yangzhou Fried Rice from Satou's hand.
The golden fried rice emitted a rich aroma.
Actually, she was also full of curiosity. What was so special about this dish that scored even higher than hers?
Izayoi Tsuki picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth.
Suddenly, her beautiful eyes widened instantly, flashing with a deep surprise.
The sweet corn, the chewy chicken pieces, the fragrant rice coated in egg liquid—every aspect was impeccable.
In terms of ingredient preparation, it was indeed much more perfect than her curry chicken rice.
She had always thought she was the best in the class, but she never expected that a classmate could do even better than her!
However, she had no choice but to admit it.
"Your dish is much better than mine," Izayoi Tsuki exclaimed.
"Can I taste yours?" Satou asked.
Izayoi Tsuki was visibly stunned but nodded and said, "Of course you can."
Then, she scooped some of her dish and brought it over.
Satou took a spoonful and tasted it.
Beside him, Kaga Aoi also couldn't help but scoop a little with her spoon to taste.
"So delicious!" Kaga Aoi's eyes widened as she exclaimed.
Satou also nodded and said, "The taste is good. You marinated the chicken with white soy sauce and wine, right?"
Izayoi Tsuki's eyes widened instantly, her face full of shock.
He could even taste what she used to marinate the chicken; how did he do it?
"That's right," she nodded and said.
"You marinated it for too short a time, so it's not very flavorful, and it feels like you added a bit too much water; the curry is a bit thin. It would be better if you added less water," Satou said.
Izayoi Tsuki immediately lowered her head in thought.
Her cooking skills were already good, but after listening to Satou's suggestions, her eyes brightened increasingly as she realized that what Satou pointed out were precisely the weak points of her dish!
If she could improve those few areas, the next time she made it, it would definitely be even better!
Izayoi Tsuki gazed deeply at Satou, as if meeting him for the first time.
"Thank you, Satou," she said earnestly.
"Haha, no problem," Satou said indifferently.
The classmates who were secretly observing them were a bit dumbfounded.
What was going on here?
Satou was actually teaching the class monitor?
And the class monitor looked completely convinced?
It was truly groundbreaking!
"Satou, you've suddenly become so amazing!" Kaga Aoi had exclaimed this more than once. She felt as if Satou had become a different person after the holiday.
In the subsequent classes, the students' attitudes towards Satou clearly changed a lot, with a hint of respect and even awe.
Satou was happy with this.
He didn't have much friendship with them to begin with, nor did he intend to become friends with them in the future.
When he had a moment, he went to the restroom.
"Host has successfully completed the task. Would you like to see the new ingredient?"
"Yes," Satou said.
Then, a somewhat wickedly long matsutake appeared in his hand, emitting a rich Cream Matsutake aroma.
Satou opened the ingredient description.
"Cream MatsutakeGrade: C-rank Fantasy IngredientOrigin: Gourmet CaptiveDescription: In addition to the inherent aroma of matsutake, it also possesses a rich creamy fragrance. It is delicious whether eaten alone or cooked with other ingredients."
Smelling the rich creamy aroma, Satou was a little impatient, wanting to make a dish with it, but at this moment, he could only restrain himself.
"Host has received a new mission: First time cooking a fantasy ingredient.
Mission Description: Please try to make a dish using a fantasy ingredient and get the tasters' approval.
Mission Reward: One Almond Cabbage fantasy ingredient.
Time: Within three days."
"A second fantasy ingredient?"
Satou's eyes lit up, but the upcoming classes seemed to have no cooking lessons, all were theoretical classes. It seemed impossible to complete it in class.
"Should I make it for Tsundere to taste when I get back? Or perhaps Kaga Aoi could too."
Satou thought, believing she would be very happy to taste the new fried rice made with the new ingredient.
Soon, the first day of school ended just like that.
"Satou, let's go home together after school."
As soon as the bell rang, Kaga Aoi ran to Satou's desk, smiling like a flower.
"Mm, okay."
Satou couldn't help but smile. He was quite fond of this lively, cute, and sincere childhood friend.
"Satou."
At this moment, a clear, cold voice rang out.