"I got it!"
Erina's steps, which were just about to head out, froze in place. She shot a furious glare at Sora but still obediently carried the soy milk and dough sticks out. In her heart, she was cursing him out as a complete bastard.
"You can't just bully Erina-sama like that!"
Watching Erina storm off in a huff, Hisako puffed her cheeks in anger and turned her dissatisfied gaze toward Sora. This guy seriously went too far with his teasing!
"How did I bully her? That was revenge on your behalf. She got to experience the glory of soy milk and dough sticks! Too bad she's too stubborn to admit it tasted good."
Sora shrugged, unconcerned. He glanced toward the front where Ako and Riko were bustling about. Then he turned back to Hisako and urged her,
"Alright, time to get to work. The morning rush of students and office workers is coming. We need to fry more dough sticks and flatbreads in advance. I'll go prep the spiced potato skewers."
The place was getting busier by the minute, and there wasn't time to slack off.
"No need for that. To be taught by Erina-sama is my greatest honor."
"…Are you a masochist or something?"
"You're the masochist!"
They bickered a little before Sora turned his attention to the black tiger shrimp in the corner. He had bought them fresh from the market earlier in the morning, carefully selecting the best ones over half an hour. That's why he had arrived late at the store.
As for why he bought shrimp—it was for practice. Controlling the right level of heat was essential in cooking, and shrimp was notoriously picky about heat. To make it tender and flavorful, you had to cook it just right—not over or under.
First, he didn't kill them right away. Instead, he let them soak in clean water for two hours so they could spit out the sand from their digestive tracts. That helped reduce the fishy smell.
After that, he pulled them out. Any ones that were still wriggling too much got smacked gently with the back of a knife to knock them out, making them easier to handle.
He removed the heads, peeled the shells, deveined them, but left the tail shell for presentation. Then, he cut them down the back and marinated them with ginger and white wine for thirty minutes to get rid of any remaining fishiness. The heads and shells were set aside—not to be thrown away, but saved for making a rich soup stock.
"Boss! One pork trotter rice, please!"
A shout from outside pulled Sora's attention. He glanced at the clock—it was 11 a.m. The early wave of lunch customers had already arrived.
He uncovered the pot where the pig trotters had been stewing. Instantly, a thick, fragrant aroma filled the kitchen. He chose a well-braised trotter, de-boned it skillfully, and sliced it into bite-sized pieces. His movements were smooth—this was the result of constant practice.
His knife skills had improved dramatically.
The system had provided him with knowledge through "cram-style teaching," but practice helped him apply that knowledge flexibly.
Gulp…
The intense aroma made Hisako freeze mid-motion. She found herself staring at the pig trotter Sora was slicing, her mouth unconsciously pooling with saliva.
The temptation of braised food was hard to resist—especially this kind, slowly cooked over weeks. The flavor of the stew had become incredibly rich and layered. That depth of flavor was part of why their little shop's pork trotter rice was getting more and more popular.
"If you want a taste, I'll get you a bowl later."
Turning his head, Sora happened to meet Hisako's gaze. Seeing her look so tempted, he chuckled and said teasingly. But instead of a response, she quickly averted her eyes.
"No thanks. Erina-sama wouldn't be happy if I did."
"What are you afraid of her for? I'll let her have some first, and then you can follow. That way, she won't say anything to you."
Sora casually placed a portion of pork trotter rice on the pickup counter and hit the service bell. This little secretary cared too much about Erina's feelings and completely ignored her own. Honestly, that wasn't a good thing.
Friendship had to be on equal terms—being a bootlicker got you nowhere.
"You bitch, say that again!"
Suddenly, a furious roar rang out from outside the restaurant, followed by the sound of someone slamming a table. The noise made Sora jump in surprise. His expression shifted, and he immediately grabbed a kitchen knife and dashed out.
Which bastard dares cause trouble at my place?
As soon as he stepped out of the kitchen, what he saw made him angry.
Erina had been drenched in soy milk. It had even soaked into her maid uniform. A crowd of onlookers stood around taking photos, but not a single person stepped in to help.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir. She's new and didn't understand the rules. May I ask what happened…"
It was Ako who stepped forward right away, trying to mediate the situation and keep it from escalating.
"Don't worry. I'm here now. You'll be fine."
Without hesitation, Sora walked over and gently draped his jacket over Erina's shoulders. Then he slammed his kitchen knife down hard on the table.
"Would you care to explain what happened? No matter what, throwing soy milk on a girl is trashy behavior. Looks like you really are scum."
He glared at the blond-haired guy with earrings standing there and then noticed the guy's phone had fallen to the floor. It was still recording, camera aimed at the edge of Erina's skirt. Fortunately, Erina had noticed in time and he hadn't captured anything explicit, but the guy was clearly furious at being caught.
In that moment, a lot of thoughts flashed through Sora's mind—but what he did was simple.
He silently picked up the phone, raised the knife, and sliced it clean in two before tossing the pieces at the guy.
"You mother—!"
As expected, scumbags existed everywhere. Even in a world as beautiful as this anime one, there were still jerks like this blond-haired creep. Just like in those sleazy OVAs.
"Watch out!" x2
Seeing the guy charge forward in rage, fist aimed at Sora, Ako and Riko looked worried and nearly rushed over to block the hit.
But Sora wasn't someone you messed with.
Years of working in the kitchen had built up his strength. He easily caught the punch and delivered a solid kick to the guy's gut.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn't Erina's fault. It was just bad luck that this kind of guy showed up at his store. Still, it only happened once every couple of weeks, so whatever. What made him truly unhappy was the silent crowd watching as if it were a show.
Not one brave soul in this entire restaurant? The world's really grown cold.
Still, he couldn't blame them too much.
"You dare fucking hit me?! Do you know who my big bro is—Ow! Let go of my hair! I'll f—!"
"Get lost. I don't care who you know. Just don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you every time."
He dragged the wailing blond jerk out of the shop by the hair and tossed him aside without a care. This kind of scum deserved a beating. Even after getting caught trying to sneak photos, he still had the audacity to act tough?
"I'll leave the follow-up to you. That guy probably has someone backing him, but it's just some local punk."
Sora knew he didn't have the power to deal with this properly. In the end, he had to rely on Erina. She had way more influence than he did. Cleaning up a few delinquents? That'd be nothing for her.
This world may advocate peace, but it didn't forbid violence.
"I understand…"
Erina gently pulled the jacket around her. It still carried a bit of kitchen oil and smoke, something she would normally never wear. But right now, it made her feel strangely safe.
"And… thank you."
She looked at Sora with a complicated expression. She usually had bodyguards, so situations like this didn't happen to her. But seeing him step in without hesitation—it was kind of… cool.
At this moment, Erina suddenly felt that maybe… this guy wasn't so annoying after all.