Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

　What truly changed their relationship was that day they accidentally wandered into a hot spring.

　Therefore, Alice Nakiri believes that it was because of her help that she and Bai Yuan were able to get together.

　There's absolutely nothing wrong with this.

　Now, it's her turn to stand in Alice Nakiri's place and become Hisako Shinomiya's ally!

　"What?! Lady Erina! I, I never said that! You've misunderstood!!"

　Starting from zero frames, by the time Hisako Shinto realized what Erina Nakiri had said, it was already too late.

　Seeing Bai Yuan's somewhat surprised expression, the girl's heart pounded like thunder, and she hurriedly began to explain.

　"Hey, that's not what you said just now, Hisako."

　Erina Nakiri is still stirring things up.

　Hisako Shinto's words echoed in her mind: since it was already certain that the other party liked Shirayuu, there was no need to hesitate; going straight for the point was the best course of action in this situation!

　"I also have a lot of feelings for Hisako. I would say I wouldn't have worked so hard to teach you if I didn't have feelings for her."

　Looking at the girl in front of him, whose face was flushed and who looked flustered, Bai Yuan gave her a gentle smile. He could tell that this was the kind of expression she would only show in front of someone she liked.

　Having met many women, Bai Yuan has now become a seasoned player in the dating scene.

　Hisako Aragaki's current state is quite obvious: she finds it difficult to express her feelings to the person she likes, a kind of awkwardness that many boys and girls experience during their teenage years.

　However, it's not too difficult to solve.

　Just tell me directly that you like me too.

　The fear of the other person finding out about their feelings stems mainly from uncertainty.

　Uncertainty about whether the other person will accept their feelings, and worry that their feelings will become a laughing stock, leads to hesitation.

　Adults, having experienced more and matured, can easily detach themselves from love or its absence, thus their expression of love becomes more passionate and unrestrained.

　At this moment, Bai Yuan stretched out his hand, just as he always did.

　"It's not shameful to like me, and I've always liked you too."

　Of course, it all happened so suddenly, I need some time to process this. Let's go on the date when I get back!

　He reached out and gently rubbed Hisako's face. It was an incredibly intimate gesture, but Hisako felt perfectly normal. She even leaned her face closer to his, enjoying the warmth of his hand with an expression of pure bliss.

　This is something that Bai Yuan does subtly and gradually influences others.

　"Really? Teacher Bai Yuan, you really like me too?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's confirmation once again, Hisako Shinoto stopped refuting Erina Nakiri's words. She simply raised her spirited face, her doe-like eyes slightly misty, as if she were moved, yet also as if she were threatening.

　It's as if they're saying, "If you don't tell me, I'll cry."

　"Who wouldn't like Hisako, who's so cute?!"

　Furthermore, you are loyal and dedicated, even willing to sacrifice personal interests to ensure Erina's success. Secondly, you have a strong sense of responsibility; whether as Erina's secretary or in arranging our daily lives, you handle everything meticulously and resolve problems promptly—all of which I have been paying attention to.

　And there's your unique gentleness and kindness...

　Bai Yuan nodded in deep agreement. Cute girls have a great advantage in dating. They are naturally more popular than others. As long as they don't do anything against their principles, they are unlikely to be disliked.

　His liking for Hisako Aragaki wasn't solely due to her beauty; after all, there are so many beautiful women in the world, he couldn't possibly fall in love with every single one he met.

　"Am I... am I as good as you say? It all sounds too fantastical, not like me at all."

　"I'm talking about you. You're just too insecure!"

　Bai Yuan's eloquent words acted as a reassuring pill, completely calming Hisako Shinto's anxious heart, and a blush appeared on her face.

　"You've mentioned so many of Hisako's good points. You're not observing her all the time, are you?"

　Beside her, Erina Nakiri also heard Hakuyuan's incessant chatter. At first, her expression remained normal, but it soon became subtle. Was this guy really that observant...?

　Even though Hisako Shinto spends most of her time with her.

　"I didn't observe her all the time. These are the obvious advantages of Hisako in daily life. More of her advantages are hidden deep inside and need to be developed slowly over time."

　When Bai Yuan spoke of the words "depth" and "development," he emphasized them heavily, while looking at Shinobu Hisako as if he were implying something. This immediately made Shinobu blush, and she raised her hand in shame and anger, hitting him.

　What are you saying? Shameless!

　shame!"

　"It's nothing, I just wanted to get to know you better."

　Faced with Hisako Shinto's hammer blows, Shiroge showed an innocent expression, as if he was simply saying he understood.

　After all, apart from his tone, there was nothing wrong with what he said.

　"I told you there's no problem at all!"

　Teacher Bai Yuan is the type of person who, if you like him and tell him clearly, expressing your feelings, he will open his heart to you.

　As she said this, Erina Nakiri's voice was clearly teasing. As she spoke, she reached out and hugged Shirahara's arm, pressing her body against it with a satisfied expression on her face.

　She has a deep understanding of this.

　Before we got together, I thought Bai Yuan was a high-mountain flower, unattainable and beyond reach.

　When you actually get together with him, you discover that he is actually very down-to-earth and maintains a cool attitude towards others. This contrast is simply irresistible!

　"I have a feeling you're making a suggestive joke."

　Faced with Bai Yuan's explanation, Shinoto Hisako simply pursed her lips. As a seasoned veteran who had watched countless films, she naturally did not believe that his words were without any deeper meaning.

　However, she reacted with excessive agitation to something she already knew perfectly well.

　If the two of them get together, she will eventually experience what Bai Yuan said.

　However, it is extremely shameful to bring this up so openly!

　"What about driving? Why did the topic suddenly shift to driving?"

　Erina Nakiri tilted her head in confusion.

　"Erina-sama doesn't need to know about this. Are you going to have special training next? Just give me the dishes after you've finished eating, and you can go upstairs now."

　Faced with Erina Nakiri's innocent gaze, Hisako Shinoto felt embarrassed and didn't answer directly. Instead, she looked at the empty plate in front of her and hurriedly said...

　"Isn't there a need to be in such a rush..."

　Seeing Hisako Shinto's blushing face, Erina Nakiri found it intriguing and wanted to take a few more glances, so she stood there for a long time, unwilling to leave.

　"Oh dear, training is the priority!"

　Hisako Shinoto, her face flushed, pushed Erina Nakiri away while quickly gathering up the empty bowl in front of her and dashing off towards the dining area.

　"They're so cute, let's go up too."

　Seeing Hisako Shinto's flustered state, and how she almost fell but luckily there was a table nearby for her to hold onto, Shiroyuki's lips curled up slightly. He then looked at Erina Nakiri, who was clinging to his arm.

　"Right? My Hisako is super cute! You'd better treat her well from now on. If you dare to bully her, I will definitely not let you get away with it!"

　As she watched Hisako Shinto's retreating figure, Erina Nakiri's lips curled into a noticeable smile, her voice filled with doting affection. Then, she turned to look at Shirahara and suddenly gave him a serious warning.

　"Don't worry, I cherish her too much to possibly bully her."

　As he stood up from his chair, Bai Yuan walked toward the elevator while talking, with Nakiri Erina following closely behind, chatting with him intermittently. Soon they arrived at the top floor.

　Alice Nakiri had been waiting there for a long time. When she saw Shirabuchi and Erina Nakiri, she showed a speechless expression at just the right moment.

　"It's so slow... I've been waiting up there for ages."

　After saying that, Alice Nakiri noticed Erina Nakiri's hand holding Shirabuchi's arm, so she stepped forward and naturally took his other arm.

　The softness pressed against his skin made Bai Yuan swallow hard, but he maintained his cool and serious demeanor.

　"Ahem.

　It's only been less than ten minutes since you came up here, but since you're in such a hurry to start training, let's begin now.

　Seeing the change from impatience to joy on Alice Nakiri's face, Bai Yuan glanced down at his watch and realized that only about seven minutes had passed since he had asked her to come up, yet in such a short time, she had shown such an expression.

　If you can't even tolerate such a short time, how can you possibly endure a long cooking process?

　We must find an opportunity to help her cultivate her character and change her impatient nature.

　Otherwise, Alice Nakiri would not amount to much.

　Thinking of this, Bai Yuan walked towards the largest kitchen on the top floor. Seeing this, Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice exchanged a glance and quickened their pace to follow him.

　"Alice, you can make some basic dishes for now. There's a Fujian cuisine recipe book on that table over there."

　Don't underestimate it. I went to great lengths and paid a lot of money to get this unique copy from a skilled Fujian cuisine chef. There's only one copy in the whole world, and it contains many little-known tips and tricks.

　You better study hard and understand everything inside. I'll test you tonight.

　As Bai Yuan spoke, he pointed to the Fujian cuisine recipe book on the table, which was specially prepared for Nakiri Alice. In the corner of the kitchen, there were the ingredients needed for the dishes in the recipe book, for her to use.

　"Do you know? Leah created such a powerful..."

　Despite their excellent cooking, they ultimately couldn't compete with Wang Qing, primarily because their dishes lacked localization.

　As he watched Alice Nakiri walk toward the kitchen counter and pick up a book, Shirabuchi suddenly brought up Lia's problem.

　During the competition in Fujian, Liya's dishes had a strong French influence.

　If the taste is completely superior, there is naturally nothing wrong with it. However, it is a pity that the two dishes taste equally good.

　The competition was held in Fujian, and the judges were from Fujian.

　Fujian-style cuisine naturally has an advantage over cuisines from other regions. This is what is known as regional competition: either you crush your opponent with absolute strength, or you follow local characteristics and create dishes in the local style.

　"Is the focus of this round of special training on localization? I understand, I'll make the most of my time to prepare it."

　Alice Nakiri nodded heavily; her strength was only on par with Lia's.

　It can be said that her only advantage is her young age and amazing talent and potential.

　However, in this kind of competition, being young is not considered an advantage.

　On the contrary, because of their young age, they naturally lack cooking experience compared to others, which is actually a disadvantage in some aspects.

　"Then what about me? How should I practice?"

　As Bai Yuan meticulously devised a training plan for Nakiri Alice, Nakiri Erina, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up.

　Your words...