Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's voice again, Kikuchi Sonoka smiled and explained the inspiration behind her adding the garlic sauce.

　"You're right. France has garlic bread, and China has garlic vermicelli shrimp, garlic freshwater prawns, golden garlic beef cubes, and many other dishes."

　Without exception, these dishes all bring out the full flavor of garlic, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the taste of the other ingredients.

　Bai Yuan took another big bite, savoring the taste, and closed his eyes to think.

　Would it taste better if minced garlic was used instead of minced garlic?

　Garlic paste is made by directly chopping garlic cloves, adding water and mashing them into a paste, resulting in a smooth, creamy texture that is relatively mild in the mouth.

　Garlic paste is made by mincing garlic cloves, usually adding seasonings such as chili peppers and salt, and then stir-frying it in salad oil, giving it a golden color and aroma.

　If the goal is to highlight the original flavor of the ingredients, then minced garlic is the most suitable choice, while shredded garlic will overpower the flavor of the ingredients due to its stronger spiciness.

　"I already know how the competition will turn out. Before revealing the final answer, you two should try each other's dishes."

　Opening his eyes and comparing the taste of the two dishes, Bai Yuan already had the answer in his heart, and then spoke to them in a calm voice.

　"it is good."

　Having long been eager to try Kikuchi Sonoka's cooking, Yukihira Soma immediately nodded upon hearing Shirabuchi's words. He then picked up a shrimp steak from the plate, put it to his mouth, and took a bite.

　"They look similar, but you can feel a clear difference."

　The moment the shrimp steak entered his mouth, this thought flashed through Soma Yukihira's mind.

　This dish tastes very similar to the four kinds of snacks Bai Yuan made, but upon closer tasting, you can feel the distinct differences.

　The biggest difference is that this dish integrates the flavors of the dishes.

　"Have the scattered flavors come together as a whole? Replace the chicken cutlet with a shrimp cutlet, and sandwich chopped mango and black pepper beef in the middle of the bread..."

　Soma Yukihira closed his eyes and savored the flavors, feeling the various tastes spread in his mouth and blend together as he chewed.

　If we say that Baiyuan's four snack treasures are made by creating four different dishes with distinct flavors, and then allowing the flavors to combine randomly in the mouth according to the diner's individual preferences during the tasting process, it's like opening a treasure trove where you can experience new tastes at any time.

　Kikuchi Enka's cooking brings together all these scattered flavors to create a unique, lasting taste!

　"The flavors of beef and shrimp combine perfectly, creating a dish that is fresh, tender, and smooth. It's a really good dish."

　On the other side, holding the steamed tofu bowl made by Yukihira Soma, Kikuchi Sonoka also exclaimed in admiration.

　The bowl contains extremely tender tofu, combined with slightly chewy beef and shrimp, and then drizzled with a carefully prepared seasoning sauce.

　One bite and the aftertaste is unforgettable. Both the texture and flavor are excellent, making this tofu truly worth the trip.

　Soon, both of them had finished tasting each other's dishes and turned their gazes toward Bai Yuan.

　"The ingredients in this dish, 'Chuangzhen,' are cleverly combined, using tofu, beef, and shrimp."

　This dish offers a delightful contrast and complement to the textures of meat, seafood, and tofu, creating a unique and harmonious blend.

　Xiaoyuanguo's dish evolved from my previous recipe, so I have a deeper connection to it.

　This innovative dish looks very similar to mine, but only after tasting it can you know how much she innovated.

　Seeing that the two had finished eating each other's dishes and turned their gazes toward each other, Bai Yuan couldn't help but comment on the taste of their cooking.

　"What I just talked about was your two ideas. If we're only talking about the taste, Soma, your dish can only be considered a semi-finished product at best. There are still many things that can be improved."

　Xiaoyuanguo's dishes, on the other hand, are complete; the flavors of each part have been perfectly refined.

　Seeing the slight movement in their eyes, Bai Yuan offered further commentary.

　The difference between these two is quite obvious; one is a semi-finished product and the other is a finished product, differing only in terms of completion.

　In terms of cooking levels, one is almost at the top tier, while the other is only at the peak of level two.

　And this was only achieved with Soma Yukihira performing exceptionally well.

　"I lost this match."

　Looking at the empty plate in front of him, Soma Yukihira gave a bitter smile; he had finally lost.

　The moment he took a bite of the food in front of him, he understood the difference between the two of them.

　Although Kikuchi Sonoka wasn't as skilled as his father, she was still far superior to him, possessing a much more refined grasp of every detail in cooking.

　He could achieve a unified flavor for the entire dish simply by changing the proportions of a few seasonings in a serving of minced garlic—something he couldn't do.

　Beside him, Joichiro Yukihira's face also showed understanding; there was only an empty plate in front of him.

　The people following this giant monster are unlikely to be ordinary characters.

　"It's getting late. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave now."

　Looking at the time on his watch, it was already 11 p.m., a time when most people would be asleep. So Bai Yuan spoke to Yukihira Joichiro.

　Something happened here.

　They should also head to the next place.

　"Take care on your journey, I won't see you off."

　Seeing Shiroyuki get up, take Kikuchi Sonoka's small hand, and prepare to leave, Yukihira Joichiro went to the door with him.

　"Well, go back."

　As he left the restaurant, Bai Yuan waved to Yukihira Joichiro, his voice drifting from afar.

　·

　·

　"Truly for travelers who come and go in a hurry."

　Watching Bai Yuan and Kikuchi Sonoka's figures gradually disappear into the distance, Yukihira Joichiro couldn't help but sigh softly, then looked at Yukihira Soma, who was sitting in a chair inside the shop, deep in thought.

　"Soma, pack your things, let's go home."

　As they were talking, Joichiro Yukihira went into the kitchen and began to tidy up the mess inside. Seeing this, Soma Yukihira went in without saying a word.

　This is just normal for them.

　Half an hour later, the father and son stood at the store entrance.

　Joichiro Yukihira bent down to close the shop, while Soma Yukihira stood to the side, his head slightly lowered, his hands in his pockets, seemingly lost in thought.

　"What? Seeing such amazing chefs in the world, are you feeling lost about the future?"

　Putting the key back in his pocket, patting it to confirm its existence, and turning around to look at Soma Yukihira, whose head was hanging low, Joichiro Yukihira said half-jokingly.

　"No, I just feel so weak. I lost the game so easily, and my opponent wasn't much older than me."

　Looking up at the sky, Soma Yukihira's voice was filled with emotion.

　It is undeniably a sad thing that both father and son lost on the same day.

　"That must be his disciple. To have the strength of a first-class chef at such a young age is quite remarkable, making him a talented genius."

　You're not even 15 yet, which is a period when your cooking skills are developing rapidly, so don't be discouraged.

　Feeling the cool breeze blowing in his face, Joichiro Yukihira opened his big hand and patted Soma Yukihira's head to comfort him.

　"I know, but I never expected that you, Dad, would actually lose."

　"In any competition, there is no such thing as a win-win situation. Don't be fooled by how strong that guy is now; he must have gone through countless failures to get to where he is today."

　Therefore, failure itself is not terrible; what is terrible is not knowing how to face failure and giving up after just one failure...

　But you shouldn't have that problem.

　I was just about to give Soma Yukihira some motivational pep talk when I suddenly remembered how many times Soma had challenged him, and how even though he lost every time, he never gave up.

　Such perseverance is an essential element for success in any industry.

　"Don't worry, I just feel that it's really embarrassing for me to lose so easily, but I won't give up on myself because of this."

　"Give me some special training when we get back, Dad. Next time we meet, I'll definitely beat that guy, and then challenge that man!"

　Shaking his head, a look of amazement appeared in Soma Yukihira's eyes as he recalled the techniques Shirai had used in his battle against Yukihira Joichiro.

　Having such a person as an opponent is truly exhilarating!

　"My goal is to defeat him when we meet again. Starting tomorrow, the shop will be temporarily closed. Let's begin special training, Soma."

　"They're going to close down for renovations? Great!"

　Upon hearing Joichiro Yukihira's words, Soma Yukihira was initially taken aback, but then he came to his senses and an excited expression appeared on his face.

　He recalled that there weren't many times when businesses were forced to suspend operations for rectification.

　They would only take a short break from business occasionally, either when they went on a trip or when their father wanted to teach them something new.

　The same should be true today.

　"Then get some rest early tonight, and we'll have special training at five o'clock tomorrow morning!"

　As he spoke, Soma Yukihira quickened his pace.

　"Hey, please spare me if you're getting up at five. I finally get a day off, and I want to rest a bit more."

　"No slacking off! Since this is special training, we have to train from morning till night! The taste of failure is really unpleasant..."

　Following behind Yukihira Soma, upon hearing his words, Yukihira Joichiro gave a wry smile; he was planning to stay in bed a little longer tomorrow.

　As expected of a young person, they have boundless energy.

　"I hope you can shine brightly in Totsuki after this training is over."

　Looking at Soma Yukihira's retreating figure, Joichiro Yukihira thought to himself.

　He had long wanted to let Yukihira Soma go out and make his own way in the world, and Nakiri-sama had been urging him on. Hakugen's appearance only accelerated this process.

　He just happened to not know where to go after closing the shop.

　He originally planned to continue his travels and retrace the paths he had taken in his youth to see if he would gain any new insights.

　But now that he has a better place to go, he naturally won't stubbornly stick to his original idea.

　The world of culinary disasters? Let him see what kind of organization this is!

　·

　·

　As night fell, feeling the wind blowing in his face and seeing that Kikuchi Sonoka's face was red from the cold, Bai Yuan grabbed her hand and put it in his coat pocket, bringing warmth to the girl.

　"Teacher Bai Yuan?"

　Feeling the warmth of his palm, Kikuchi Sonoka's expression was one of surprise, as if she hadn't expected Shirai to act this way, which didn't fit his aloof persona.

　"what happened?"

　"No...nothing."

　When Bai Yuan looked at her, she swallowed back the words she wanted to say. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but her heart warmed as her hands warmed her.

　"Do you want to ask me why I've suddenly become so considerate? It's actually very simple. We weren't very close before, which is why I was cold to you."

　But now that we're in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, caring for you and protecting you has become a matter of course for me.

　Although Kikuchi Sonoka didn't say it explicitly, Hakugen still understood her thoughts, so he explained softly.

　The two had no relationship before. If he were to be nice to her unilaterally, it would be somewhat like he was a simp, and he didn't want to do that.

　But now that the two are together, they've already unlocked all the physical intimacy except for the final step. In Bai Yuan's heart, the other person is already his.

　Since they are his people, there is no problem in taking good care of them. He has always treated the people around him very well.

　"I see.

　I feel... kind of happy...

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's explanation, Kikuchi Yoko finally realized what he meant, and a slight smile appeared on her lips, clearly enjoying his explanation.

　From someone insignificant to someone she cherishes, such a huge transformation makes it hard for her not to feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

　"You might be celebrating a little too soon. I'm going to punish you for your underestimation of your opponent earlier when we get back to the hotel."

　Seeing the happy expression on Kiko's face, Shirobuchi poured cold water on her without any politeness, and then began to announce the punishment.

　Fear it, young girl!

　This is your punishment for disrespecting your opponent!

　"punish?"