A single portion of grilled fish obviously wasn't enough to satisfy three Uma Musume for dinner.
That was beyond doubt.
Thus, after briefly dealing with Mejiro Ardan's enthusiastic proposal, Tokai Natural soon returned to the kitchen.
Listening to the sizzling sounds from inside, Chiyono O glanced toward Ardan curiously.
"Is Yayoi-san really that amazing?"
Mejiro Ardan nodded firmly. "Yes. If we say the head chef of the Mejiro household has exceptional professional skills, then Yayoi-san would probably be…"
She didn't finish, but Chiyono O understood clearly what she meant.
"I'm home~"
With the sound of the front door opening came a voice extremely familiar to Tokai Natural.
"C.B.-san, you're back. Where's Maruzen-san?"
Hearing the voice from the kitchen, Mr. C.B. didn't immediately answer. Instead, she glanced toward Chiyono O and the two others sitting beside her.
Yaeno Muteki and Mejiro Ardan, huh…
After quickly identifying them, Mr. C.B. finally replied, "Maruzen-san got pulled into summer training preparations, so she probably won't be coming home tonight."
"Oh, I see…"
Hearing Tokai Natural's slightly wavering tone, Mr. C.B. didn't inquire further. She merely turned toward Chiyono O.
"Are you all here to taste-test?"
"Yes. We already tasted one dish, and the reviews…"
Chiyono O glanced briefly toward Mejiro Ardan before continuing, "were very good."
"I see."
With that, Mr. C.B. took the fourth empty seat opposite Yaeno Muteki. "Then there shouldn't be any problem with opening the restaurant."
As she said this, Mr. C.B.'s gaze shifted toward the kitchen.
Something must have happened between Tokai Natural and Maruzensky.
That much, Mr. C.B. could sense clearly, but…
She had no intention of pressing further.
Thus, she simply returned her attention to Yaeno Muteki. "What happened to her?"
"Yaeno-san's been like this since tasting Yayoi-san's cooking," Ardan explained calmly, then turned her eyes back toward the kitchen. "Yayoi-san's cooking skills really are exceptional. If only we could recruit her to the Mejiro household…"
"Recruit her to the Mejiro family?"
"Yes… Yayoi-san's skill is outstanding, but she declined." Ardan glanced meaningfully at Mr. C.B. as she spoke.
As the most perceptive among the three, Mejiro Ardan had clearly caught the subtle changes in Tokai Natural's tone when she spoke to Mr. C.B. earlier.
She had already guessed that one of the "important people" Tokai Natural mentioned was Mr. C.B.
Precisely because of that, Ardan deliberately mentioned recruiting Tokai Natural in front of her.
Mr. C.B. considered this quietly for a few seconds. "The Mejiro family, huh? It indeed sounds like a good workplace."
She gazed steadily at Mejiro Ardan, then continued after a short pause: "But personally, I don't think it's a good idea~"
"I see…"
Realizing Mr. C.B.'s stance, Mejiro Ardan didn't press any further, merely returning her gaze toward the kitchen.
From the aroma wafting through the air, it seemed Tokai Natural's second dish was nearly ready.
As Ardan had guessed, it wasn't long before Tokai Natural returned, carrying another dish—a thick portion of mixed grilled meats neatly presented on a plate.
"A simple grilled meat platter."
As she placed down knives and forks in front of each person, Tokai Natural added, "Please, give it a try."
Hearing this, Mejiro Ardan picked up her knife first, slicing open the grilled meat. As she did, she noticed something within, surrounded neatly by layers of meat.
"What is this?"
"Mashed potatoes. It's fairly simple to prepare. For Uma Musume after training, it should be very filling."
As she explained, Tokai Natural's gaze shifted to Mr. C.B., clearly awaiting her evaluation.
Feeling Tokai Natural's expectant look, Mr. C.B. calmly cut a small piece, lifted it with her fork, and tasted it without comment.
Unlike Mejiro Ardan's earlier exclamations, Mr. C.B. simply swallowed before turning toward Tokai Natural. "It tastes even better than usual."
"It's because of the seasoning. Maruzen-san's house doesn't usually have these spices, but running a Western restaurant requires them, so I bought some to experiment."
"I see…"
Mr. C.B. smiled slightly. "I think this dish would make an excellent addition to the restaurant menu, especially since you mentioned it's easy to prepare?"
"Yes, it's pretty simple. You only need mashed potatoes mixed with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and bacon bits. The sauce isn't hard to make either." Saying this, Tokai Natural turned toward Chiyono O. "What do you think, Chiyono O-chan?"
"I don't really know how to describe it, but it tastes really good."
Chiyono O smiled shyly, glancing away slightly. "Yayoi-san, your cooking really is amazing."
"When the restaurant opens, I'm sure it'll draw a lot of customers, right?"
Speaking excitedly about the future, Chiyono O focused her gaze back on Tokai Natural. "So, Yayoi-san, when do you plan on opening?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure yet, because Mochizuki still needs taking care of."
As she said this, Tokai Natural glanced briefly at Mejiro Ardan and Yaeno Muteki.
Ardan was still carefully savoring the mashed potatoes, while Muteki had just placed her first bite into her mouth.
Watching them, Tokai Natural quietly awaited their reactions.
"Hmm… Compared to the previous dish, this one seems to lack the carrot taste Uma Musume generally prefer. Although it's very tasty, some Uma Musume might find it less appealing," Ardan thoughtfully remarked.
"Indeed," Yaeno Muteki nodded gently. "Compared to the earlier dish, this one's flavor isn't as powerful. But as a main dish in the restaurant, it would still work fine."
Ardan's description was precise, whereas Muteki's evaluation leaned more toward personal impression.
Taking note of their comments, Tokai Natural nodded lightly, standing once more. "I still have one more dish. Please wait just a bit."
Seeing Tokai Natural heading back to the kitchen, Mejiro Ardan glanced again at Mr. C.B.
From the earlier exchange, Ardan had realized clearly that recruiting Tokai Natural would require first resolving the issue posed by Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky.
Considering this carefully, Mejiro Ardan quietly sipped her water, deciding not to dwell on it further for now.
Judging by the way Mr. C.B. treated Tokai Natural, this recruitment might turn into a long-term project indeed.