"Lace trim, my favorite type."
Escorting Alice Nakiri to the door, Hoshino Sora leaned in and whispered something in her ear before they parted. He then saw the girl's already red cheeks turn even redder.
Even her eyes trembled slightly.
"You saw all that?"
"How could I not see it from that angle? Just think about it a little, didn't you notice?"
Shrugging, Hoshino Sora said as a matter of course. Then he received a flurry of light punches, like raindrops on his shoulder, with no real force.
However, that kind of force was more like flirting than scolding, especially her shy expression; there was nothing more exciting than that look!
He definitely had to make good use of those stockings tonight!
"Then I'll head back first. Be more proactive usually, don't always make me, a girl, come looking for you."
After hitting Hoshino Sora for a while, Alice Nakiri finally returned to normal, then stared at his handsome face and spoke earnestly; she had been very lonely these past two days.
"Then I'll come to your room to sleep later."
"I didn't tell you to get close in that way!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Alice Nakiri stomped her feet, her face red, her mouth pouting high. What did he mean by coming to her room to sleep tonight? Could she really listen to such explicit words?
"Bye bye."
Seeing Alice's expression, Hoshino Sora said no more, but turned and entered the room. Calculating the time, Erina and the others should be arriving soon, and he also needed to tidy up.
However, Hoshino Sora didn't know that.
At this moment, Erina Nakiri was confronting Alice Nakiri, whom she had just met. The two stood at the staircase entrance with subtle expressions, especially Erina, who felt like she had been caught red-handed in a childhood romance.
"Hmph, we meet again, Cousin Erina. What are you doing here?"
Looking at Erina Nakiri, who was close by, Alice Nakiri was the first to attack, her first question being why she was here, though in reality she already had the answer in her heart.
"I… My being here is none of your business? Do you live by the sea, to be so nosy?"
Facing the inquiry, Erina Nakiri wanted to say something but found herself unable to speak, only able to turn her head to avoid the topic. However, her shy expression still confirmed her itinerary to Alice Nakiri.
It was probably Hoshino Sora's room, almost certainly.
These two really are involved!
Alice Nakiri thought so, a hint of an indescribable emotion appearing in her eyes: "Indeed, I can't be that nosy. I'll head back to my room then."
As she spoke, Alice Nakiri quickened her pace and left, leaving Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato standing in place.
"What was that? So strange."
Looking at Alice Nakiri, who suddenly left with a strange expression, Erina Nakiri only felt confused. Hisako Arato, however, had noticed something. After all, they had met at the staircase on the third floor.
This meant that the other party had just come out of Hoshino Sora's room, and moreover, when she saw Alice Nakiri at the assessment site earlier, she should have been wearing stockings.
Hisako Arato observed this small detail with particular care.
But Hisako didn't say anything. As a secretary, she knew what she could and couldn't ask or say. Now, she could only ask Hoshino Sora privately.
But how does one even bring up something like this?
Suddenly, Hisako Arato had a new worry.
"We're here! Let's settle the score with Go Fish tonight! Yesterday's Landlord was only a fluke win for you because I wasn't feeling well."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who opened the door to greet them, Erina Nakiri pointed at his nose and spoke with arrogance, and her attitude earned high praise in Hisako Arato's heart.
"As expected of Erina-sama, this will to win no matter what… is truly admirable!"
Lightly clenching her fists, Hisako Arato looked at Erina Nakiri, who was in a competitive stance, her eyes full of admiration.
"Go Fish, Landlord, Old Maid, Bullfight, any card game you know, I accept the challenge."
"Such big words! Ouch."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Erina Nakiri slammed the table hard after entering the room, then gasped several times, covering her hand and jumping up, clearly having hurt herself.
"Let's begin!"
——————
In the following days, the group, gradually adapting to the assessment, passed very smoothly. Hoshino Sora also teamed up with Alice Nakiri on the fourth day to complete a dish together.
That day, the girl smiled exceptionally charmingly, and her body movements increased significantly, looking very lively as she gestured excitedly. Hoshino Sora could feel this.
Fourth day, evening.
"Eh? It doesn't say the bedtime."
"It really doesn't."
"Is it a printing error?"
Looking at the accommodation training passbook in her hand, there was no mention of today's bedtime, which made Shinohiru Mahiru a bit confused. Tadokoro Megumi looked twice but couldn't find it either.
"Totsuki Academy, all students. One hour from now, at 22:00, change into your uniforms and gather at the grand banquet hall."
It's here.
Hearing the announcement from the loudspeaker on the corridor ceiling, Hoshino Sora's heart tightened, but he wasn't too surprised. Shinohiru Mahiru, however, had a bitter expression, clearly unhappy about having to gather so late at night.
"Let's go back and get ready, then head to the gathering."
Stretching his body, Hoshino Sora spoke to Tadokoro Megumi and Shinohiru Mahiru, whom he had just met after they finished bathing in the hot springs.
After this period of time together, these two had become very close sisters, inseparable wherever they went. Hoshino Sora felt a strange sense of relief about this.
Shinohiru Mahiru had finally made true friends. Although there were many girls in Yōbi Dormitory, her relationship with them had always been bland, like familiar strangers.
But unlike with Tadokoro Megumi, this feeling was like they had truly become friends, which was undoubtedly a good thing.
"Yes~"
Watching their retreating figures, Hoshino Sora also strode quickly after them. Don't misunderstand, it was simply because he and Tadokoro Megumi lived next door, and Shinohiru Mahiru lived upstairs, very close by.
It was a good thing the hotel's soundproofing was good, otherwise, there would definitely be misunderstandings.
Thinking about how Erina Nakiri had yelled and screamed when she was punished in his room two days ago, he wondered if anyone had heard it. But looking at Tadokoro Megumi's reaction, probably not…
Entering the room and closing the door, Hoshino Sora changed into his academy uniform.
——————
"Tsk, there are clearly a lot fewer people."
Scanning his gaze, looking at the somewhat empty hall in front of him, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but sigh, then shook his head and walked towards Alice Nakiri.
That girl had been waving at him for a long time. If he didn't go over, the girl would get angry.
"Tsk, I waved at you for ages before you finally noticed. My arm is tired from raising it."
Looking at the belated Hoshino Sora, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but complain while moving her arms. She didn't know if this guy was doing it on purpose; she had been waving her arm for at least three or four minutes.
"Sorry, sorry, I was thinking about something just now and didn't pay much attention."
Looking at Alice Nakiri, who was complaining like a girlfriend who had been waiting for a long time, Hoshino Sora said with an awkward smile. He really hadn't seen her just now, after all, there were quite a lot of people on site.
He only noticed Alice because she was the only white-haired girl on site and was waving enthusiastically, making it hard not to notice her.
"The reason I've gathered you here is none other than to inform you of tomorrow's assignment."
As a microphone sound came from the podium, all eyes around focused on it. It was a short-haired man, the head chef of Yuanyue Resort, Dojima Gin.
"Tomorrow's?"
"Why the night before?"
People around expressed such doubts, then looked at each other.
"The theme of the assignment is to provide new breakfast dishes befitting the guests of this Yuanyue Resort. Breakfast is the face of a hotel, an important meal that starts the day for its guests. I hope you create fresh and surprising dishes that will bring joy to the guests."
The main ingredient is eggs, right?
After listening to Dojima Gin's speech, Hoshino Sora pinched his chin and predicted, saying he just wanted to go back to sleep now. He had already thought of tomorrow morning's egg dish and had practiced it a lot in private, so he was very skilled.
What is meant by 'everything is ready' probably refers to this kind of situation.
"The main ingredient is flour. Japanese, Western, or Chinese cuisine are all acceptable, but it must be provided in a buffet style. Inspection will be conducted at 6 AM tomorrow morning.
Please be prepared for the judges to taste your dishes then."
Ah, huh?!
Hearing Dojima Gin's words, Hoshino Sora was instantly struck by lightning. What about the eggs? How did it turn into flour…
Could it be that because of his transmigration, plus the mix of various worlds leading to many more students at Far Moon, the world line had deviated? Thinking about it carefully, this was indeed possible. He had relied too much on his past life's experience.
The drawbacks of this were also very obvious; many events outside the plot would definitely occur in the future. In the end, he still had to hone his skills.
Understanding this, Hoshino Sora gradually calmed down. For him, changing the theme was merely a shift from prepared to improvised. In fact, his recipe book contained many noodle-based breakfasts.
But to be presentable…
He really wanted to make fried dough sticks; they taste great, but they clearly don't suit the hotel's style, and they're too simple, making it difficult to pass the judging.
Sesame flatbreads, siomai buns, steamed buns, fried dumplings…
Compared to the commotion around him from people hearing about the 6 AM breakfast, Hoshino Sora was calmly thinking, quickly listing the flour-based dishes he knew, then conducting the first round of elimination.
"You are free to use your time until morning. You can go to various kitchens to try making dishes, or go back to your rooms to catch up on sleep. See you tomorrow morning then."
"Dismissed!"
After observing the reactions of the crowd below for a while, Dojima Gin continued with a serious expression. Indeed, the tired students, upon hearing his final words, all looked exhausted, their hearts filled with despair.
"What should we do? My body is already swaying."
"In this state, my brain can't think properly at all."
"Finally, a challenging task has come up."
Listening to the discussions around him, Hoshino Sora stood still until Alice Nakiri waved her hand in front of his eyes, and only then did he snap out of it, looking at the girl.
"Are you spacing out again? I called you for ages and got no response. Do you want to go to the kitchen to try making dishes together?"
"Of course, let's go together. Can your body still hold up?"
"Yes, it can. After all, the previous assignments weren't very challenging, so I didn't feel any pressure."
Shrugging her shoulders, Alice Nakiri looked completely relaxed. She had always passed with high evaluations, so she appeared to be at ease.
"I'm pretty much the same. I can even stay up all night tonight. Let's work hard together then."
"Mm!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Alice Nakiri's eyes lit up. Then she energetically moved her body and followed him to the kitchen, beginning the trial cooking for tomorrow morning's meal.
"What are you planning to make?"
Alice Nakiri naturally chose a spot next to Hoshino Sora, which made Erina Nakiri, who entered later, somewhat displeased, but there was nothing she could do.
"Hisako, let's go over there."
Erina Nakiri deliberately spoke loudly, trying to get Hoshino Sora's attention, but what she got was Alice Nakiri's slightly smug little expression, which was annoying.
Hoshino Sora was engrossed in his cooking, not lifting his head for a long time.
Kneading dough, trying, kneading again, trying again.
A bowl of Chunyang Noodle? Shrimp fried dumplings? Guokui? Baked buns? They all seemed like common snacks, and serving them to guests wouldn't be a big problem, especially the baked buns.
However, Hoshino Sora always felt like something was missing.
Baked buns are hard to make with their unique charcoal flavor without special equipment. Shrimp fried dumplings seem fancy but are too ordinary. Chunyang Noodle is good, but in this dazzling array of gourmet food, who would be willing to stop and eat a plain noodle dish?
No, the hotel guests must be used to rich food. Sometimes, simple folk snacks can win people over more.
Plain, simple, but distinctive.
Got it!
Looking at a bag of brown sugar placed nearby, Hoshino Sora's eyes suddenly lit up, and he had an idea. Two hours had passed since the dismissal, and many students around had already gone back to sleep and rest.
"Still haven't thought of a theme, Hoshino-kun?"
Having finished her work and washed her hands, Erina Nakiri came up to Hoshino Sora, looking at the young man who was proofing dough, her tone puzzled. It shouldn't be; with his skill, he shouldn't still be without a theme by now.
"I've thought of it. I'm doing the final trial now. How about you?"
"I'm pretty much all set. Let's play Bullfight tomorrow night. I was just in poor form yesterday, which is why you luckily won."
"You've used similar excuses quite a lot."
Hearing Erina Nakiri's stubborn words, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but laugh. This guy really was all talk and no action; she had begged for mercy after losing last night, yet today she could still say she was in poor form.
"Hmph, I'm going back!"
Her lie exposed, Erina Nakiri let out an awkward hmph, then provocatively glanced at Alice Nakiri. A silent competition was underway, and the other party, seeing this, didn't show weakness either, intimately leaning towards Hoshino Sora.
"My dough isn't rising well. Can you help me see why?"
Flour-based dishes, to be honest, touched upon a blind spot in Molecular Cuisine knowledge. At least, Alice Nakiri hadn't thought of a suitable solution in a short time and was currently troubled.
If Hoshino Sora's talk of not sleeping tonight was a joke, then she was serious.
"Oh, for this one, your temperature isn't high enough. You can cover it with two layers of cloth for insulation. These are all very basic issues."
"Oh, what about this one…?"
Alice Nakiri was very close during their conversation, but Hoshino Sora didn't mind, explaining carefully to her. However, Erina Nakiri on the other side was a bit jealous, cursing her shamelessly in her heart.
Her fists also quietly clenched.
To be honest, she didn't know why she was so upset.
Seeing the two of them so close.
"Hmph!"
With a soft snort, Erina Nakiri turned and left, leaving Hisako Arato, who was still studying the dish, watching them with an all-knowing gaze. She could be said to be the most clear-headed person there.
"I can't figure out what to make, it's so annoying."
"It's okay, calm down and think slowly. The more you rush with this kind of thing, the worse it turns out. Didn't I teach you many cooking methods besides Molecular Cuisine? You can use them now."
Alice Nakiri was pulling at her hair, somewhat annoyed, her face showing a hint of melancholy. Flour and Molecular Cuisine really didn't go well together, and she had been thinking for a long time without finding a suitable combination.
"That's true, but I still want to combine the two. Let me think a bit more. If it really doesn't work, then I'll consider something else."
Although it was difficult, Alice Nakiri wasn't prepared to give up. The word 'give up' wasn't in her dictionary. At this point, there were still six hours until morning, so she would continue experimenting!
"Then good luck, I'm almost done here."
"Mhm."
Nodding, Alice Nakiri continued to grit her teeth and think. Molecular Cuisine had great limitations; when encountering overly unsuitable ingredients, she would feel at a loss. This wasn't the first time she had encountered such a situation.
"Have a bite to fill your stomach. I'm going back to rest."
About twenty more minutes passed.
Hoshino Sora broke the freshly baked Tanghuoshao in half and handed it to Alice Nakiri, stretching lazily. To serve a common snack at a high-end hotel's breakfast banquet, that was truly him!
"What is this?"
"A Chinese folk snack, Tanghuoshao."
Looking at Alice Nakiri's puzzled expression, Hoshino Sora gently explained. This snack was indeed quite niche, not as widely known as soy milk and fried dough sticks.
Especially in Neon, even fewer people knew about it, making it an excellent choice for a surprise attack.
"Tanghuoshao? Such a rich brown sugar aroma, it smells so good just looking at it. I'm hungry, let me try it."
Blinking her eyes, looking at the golden-colored Tanghuoshao in front of her, and smelling the sweet scent in the air, Alice Nakiri swallowed, taking the Tanghuoshao from his hand.
Crispy on the outside, with distinct layers on the inside, chewy and flavorful. Although it was a pan-fried and baked dish, it didn't feel greasy at all. It was wonderful, she wanted another one!
When she came to her senses, the Tanghuoshao in her hand had already disappeared, but Alice Nakiri still wanted more, so she looked at the freshly baked Tanghuoshao on Hoshino Sora's side.
"Another one~"
With a slightly affected tone, Alice Nakiri very naturally picked up the Tanghuoshao from Hoshino Sora's plate and began to examine it, from its appearance to its interior, then gently parting her lips to taste it. She had eaten it too quickly just now and hadn't had time to savor it carefully.
But now...
She just wanted to thoroughly analyze this dish!
And find what she was lacking from it.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.