章節 344: Kojiro's problems

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Woke up like an hour ago! Good news is that I should be free from all this bs by tonight! Bad news is there probably wont be a chapter tomorrow anyways because I'm going to work with my dad from 6am to 5pm.

Maybe Saturdays will be a break day from now on?

Hiro watched as Kojiro made Chou Farci and Megumi was trembling in fear. Soma clapped her hands and told her that she's got this! It was super effective!

She finally started to move and they made their dish. Hiro looked at the Chou Farci in front of him, he cut it and ate the dish without saying anything. It was really good, but it felt like meh. Like he wasn't really trying.

Hiro didn't say anything, neither did Zerotwo but the last guy gave Kojiro a thumbs up. Gin had some and frowned "You didn't make your specialty?" Kojiro smirked "They're just students, there's no need." Hiro just shook his head at this, if Kojiro was at his level where the food was so good it could potentially kill someone, then it would make sense to hold back, but he wasn't.

So really he was just too arrogant.

He lost his way.

Hiro then tried Megumi's dish, he felt warm and happy. Her food was filled with kindest and hospitality. She was a really nice girl.

Hiro then dropped his coin in Kojiro's plate. Zerotwo and the new guy did the same. Megumi was shocked and Hiro spoke at this moment "Don't make a mistake. Kojiro's dish is 'better' than yours." Megumi was crushed, Hiro sighed "You dumb girl, look at me!"

Megumi looked at him in fear, Hiro rubbed his eyes and explained "He has experience over you. How many years have you been cooking? He probably has double that. That's the only reason he won." Kojiro looked as though he swallowed a fly, Hiro looked at him and shook his head saying "If This was against a chef with similar experience to you, you would be absolutely crushed. You wouldn't even get a single vote."

The room was dead silent, Hiro looked at him and continued "You won against a student. It's not because your dish was better, it's because her dish was worse than yours, do you understand? I don't even want to give you a vote. This... This isn't food. It looks like food, it tastes like food, but it's not food. This is a failure."

He shook his head and Kojiro was stunned, Gin looked at Hiro before dropping a coin in Megumi's plate and asking "How long have to stagnated?" Kojiro clenched his teeth and didn't answer. Gin handed him Megumi's dish and said "Try it." as he gave him a coin as well.

Kojiro relaxed and tried her dish.

Gin looked at Hiro and said "Maybe you're too harsh?" Hiro shook his head and said "Not at all. He has a lot of potential, yet he's wasting it like this. Honestly, it breaks my heart. This dish, I wouldn't even feed it to a dog."

Megumi clenched her fists and stuttered "W-What a-about mi-mine?" Hiro smiled and said "This is a tricky situation because even if Kojiro doesn't try he will still win. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Megumi shook her head, Hiro paused and thought about it before explaining "Look at Kojiro's dish, it's very beautiful and a textbook recipe."

He smiled and said "Then look at yours, it isn't by any textbooks, it comes straight from your imagination. You poured your heart and soul into the dish, giving it life. Your dish has your personality in it, the kindness and warmth as well as your hospitality. This is what makes your dish 'better' than Kojiro's."

Soma interjected "Then why didn't we win?" Hiro smirked and said "Because no matter how much soul you have, he just has too much experience. His dish, while it has absolutely no soul, the taste is better than yours."

He pointed at the dazed Kojiro and said "He didn't take this seriously, he didn't use his specialty, he didn't even try while making this dish. This is the experience gap. Except, he has lost his way. His cooking as stagnated because he believes that there's nothing he can do to get better, he doesn't have a goal, he doesn't have motivation, no drive, nothing. He's going through the motions and sticking to his recipes extremely strictly."

Hiro shook his head and added "There's no malleability, no wiggle room. It's by the recipe or the street. While some chefs do this, it doesn't make sense to stick to a recipe that would make a dish taste worse. In short, he will not budge on his beliefs. That's what makes you different. You're young, flexible, creative. He's been through the system, he knows how hard it is to run a restaurant and make it successful."

Hiro sighed "Unfortunately, he ended up like this. That's why I said his dish was a failure. Because it represents his stagnation and unwillingness to change. When you're cooking, you should always do your best. No matter who it is. That's the respect of a chef to another chef and the respect for your own abilities!"

Kojiro sighed and dropped a coin in Megumi's dish, Hinako somehow got a coin and dropped it in Megumi's dish too. Gin announced that it was a draw and sent Kojiro away quickly, afraid Hiro will destroy him with his analysis even more.

Megumi was happy that she wasn't expelled, while Soma was quiet. Kojiro was in his thoughts as he left.

Gin said "You're too harsh!" Hiro sighed "I'm just telling the truth, what do you want from me? To lie to him and tell him he's great? You know that will harm him rather than help." Gin sighed and replied "At least you can be gentle. What if he quits?" Hiro shook his head and said "Impossible! He has the desire to move forward, he's been stuck, that's why he's depressed. Hopefully I opened a way for him."

Gin shook his head and said "Me too." he chuckled and added "Next time, tell me before you crush someone." Hiro chuckled and said "It wasn't on purpose..." Gin shook his head and laughed as he left.

Hiro left with Zerotwo and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Soma smash a wall in frustration. He looked at Zerotwo and said "I'll meet you in the room?" She smiled and nodded, giving him a quick kiss, saying "Don't make me wait too long, my love." He smiled "I won't!" she smiled and left.

Hiro watched her go and when she disappeared, he turned around and walked towards Soma.