章節 334: Chapter 332: Moon Banquet Festival (5)
[Let's end this year with a bang! 🎉 For every 1 review, I'll upload 1 chapter!
The extra chapters, along with the regular daily uploads, will kick off at the start of 2025!
P.S.: For those interested only.]
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"How's the preparation coming along? All the reservations for tonight's meal are sold out. If you can't deliver dishes that satisfy the guests on time, your reputation could be at risk," Erina asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Sui nodded calmly. "The ingredients are all prepared, so everything should go smoothly."
"Do you have enough time?" Erina pressed. "If you're short-staffed, I can help out, or I can call Hisako."
Sui felt touched by how concerned she was, more for his restaurant than even her own. He smiled softly and said, "Don't worry about it. You've got a lot of reservations at your restaurant too, right? Focus on that."
Erina hesitated but nodded. "Yes... alright," she said reluctantly, casting one last worried glance before heading back to her own restaurant.
As soon as she left, Sui noticed that Megumi, Miyoko, and Nao had been watching the interaction closely. While Megumi's expression remained neutral, both Miyoko and Nao looked visibly jealous, their expressions slightly sour.
Sui sighed, sensing the tension, and cleared his throat.
The girls quickly shifted their attention back to him.
Just then, Eishi Tsukasa walked into the restaurant, his usual cheerful demeanor in place. "Ah, everyone's here."
"Tsukasa-senpai!?" Megumi and the others were surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Getting ready for tonight's dinner, I see," Eishi said with a friendly smile.
"Yeah. Is there something you need, senpai?" Sui asked, curious about the visit.
Eishi hesitated for a moment, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks as he spoke softly, "Do you remember the agreement we made last time?"
Sui blinked in confusion. "An agreement?"
Megumi, Miyoko, and Nao exchanged curious glances. Eishi's shy demeanor and the way he blushed made the situation feel oddly... suggestive.
Did the two of them really make some kind of secret pact? Their minds briefly wandered to more mischievous thoughts.
Sui scratched his head, speechless. "Eishi-senpai, what agreement are you talking about?"
Isshiki sighed, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "It seems Sui has forgotten."
Black lines appeared on Sui's forehead as he finally recalled. After the Red Leaf Hunting Conference, Eishi had casually mentioned wanting to compete with him again, but Sui had brushed it off at the time, thinking it wasn't serious.
Eishi sighed again. "As a chef, I should focus on cooking, but I can't help wanting to compete with you again, Sui. Especially during the school festival. After all, you're the only chef at Totsuki that I consider a worthy rival."
The tension in the air immediately dissipated as Megumi and the others breathed sighs of relief.
"Oh, so that's what it was about," Megumi said, her earlier unease fading.
Sui raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did you all think it was?"
"Uh, nothing!" Megumi quickly responded, flustered.
Eishi turned to Sui with a hopeful expression. "So, what do you say? How about another friendly competition, Sui?"
Sui was a bit taken aback but ultimately nodded. "Alright, let's do it."
Eishi beamed. "Great! It's settled then."
After Eishi left, Megumi hurried over to Sui. "Sui-kun, what's the dish for tonight's dinner?"
Sui thought for a moment and remembered the Dream Catfish he had drawn that morning. "How about steamed fish tonight?" he suggested. Given that his restaurant specialized in rare ingredients, he was confident the Dream Catfish would be a hit with the diners.
"What equipment do we need for that?" Miyoko asked.
"I'll write up a list," Sui said, jotting down the necessary items like a large steamer and plates. He handed the list to Miyoko. "Could you borrow these from the Pinoy Cuisine Department?"
Miyoko nodded and rushed off.
"What about us?" Megumi and Nao asked eagerly.
"I'll go get the ingredients, so you'll help me with it," Sui said as he headed back to his house. There, he retrieved the dried Dream Catfish and began preparing it in clean water.
After some time, the shriveled creature expanded into a massive, three-meter-long catfish.
With practiced ease, Sui covered its head with a towel and swiftly killed it with a hammer. He then called on Totsuki staff to help transport the enormous fish to the restaurant.
"This is today's main ingredient?" Megumi and Nao stared at the gigantic catfish, astonished even though they had seen it before.
"Yes, and it'll definitely impress our guests," Sui replied confidently.
Megumi smiled. "I'm sure the diners will be amazed."
Miyoko returned soon after, carrying the required equipment. She, too, was stunned by the size of the fish, but quickly broke into a grin. "With an ingredient like this, we're bound to surprise everyone. This'll help us stand out among the elite ten booths."
Megumi chuckled softly. "As long as things go smoothly, that's all that matters, right?"
"That's not enough," Miyoko declared confidently. "If we're going to run a restaurant here, we have to crush the competition!"
Sui laughed at her bold attitude. As expected, Miyoko's competitive streak never faltered.
The group began working on the Dream Catfish. They removed the gills, cleaned the slimy surface with boiling water, and prepared the fish for steaming. Since the restaurant only catered to fifty people, half of the giant catfish was enough. During the review meeting, even after everyone had eaten their fill, they had only managed to finish half of the fish.
Sui cut the fish in half, saving one portion for later and placing the other in the steamer. After seasoning it with salt, cooking wine, and pepper, the group set the fish to steam.
By the time everything was ready, it was nearly six o'clock.
The Totsuki school festival was now in full swing, and the campus was bustling with excited visitors.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票