Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　That's why he chose this park.

　"Alright, then I'll leave it all to you today, Teacher Bai Yuan~"

　Seeing Bai Yuan's subtle awkwardness, Tadokoro Megumi smiled.

　This was the expression she wanted to see. It was worth the time she spent back in her room after breakfast, busy picking out clothes for an hour, and even putting on light makeup.

　Leave it all to me!

　Hearing his voice made my body go weak. Bai Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was strong and clear, and just hearing it gave me a sense of security.

　Tadokoro Megumi was the same; at this moment, she was no longer satisfied with just holding Bai Yuan's hand, but instead intertwined her fingers with his.

　This feeling is incredibly wonderful, more than a hundred times happier than simply holding hands!

　"Ah."

　A faint, mosquito-like sound responded, and feeling the warmth emanating from her palm, Tadokoro Megumi quickened her pace.

　Soon, the two left the park and arrived at the mall, but when they saw the dazzling array of shops, they suddenly had a problem deciding what to eat.

　"That Jiangxi stir-fry place looks really good. But I've never tried the Xinjiang food there before; I imagine it must be quite unique. That Hunan rice noodle place also looks very appealing; I want to try it. Ugh, I'm so torn!"

　Looking left and right, she saw delicacies she had never seen before.

　She wanted to try everything, but her stomach only had room for a little. So, Megumi Tadokoro walked back and forth in front of the shop, caught in a deep dilemma.

　"If you're unsure what to choose, why not try the buffet?"

　Bai Yuan was also making a selection, but his attention was drawn to a buffet restaurant.

　The sign at the entrance clearly stated that...

　[Over 300 food ingredients to choose from, grills and hot pots are all at your disposal.]

　There are also over a dozen kinds of fruit desserts, durian baked with cheese, and fresh seafood for customers to choose from. Don't miss it!

　The focus isn't on the food ingredients, but on the grill and hot pot available for you to use as you please.

　With ingredients, pots, and a dedicated fire source for cooking, isn't this just a small kitchen?!

　"buffet?"

　Upon hearing this word, a look of confusion appeared on Tadokoro Megumi's face.

　As a woman who received higher education at Totsuki Academy, her understanding of cuisine is limited to dishes that are carefully prepared by chefs and served on the table.

　This was the first time she had ever seen a buffet-style meal.

　However, the name itself gives a clue; it's probably a self-service style of cooking, but it's unclear whether you cook it yourself or have it prepared by someone else.

　If it's the second option, you might be able to taste delicious food that you can't find in other shops.

　"That's right, it's a buffet. You'll find out the details once you go in."

　Bai Yuan had no idea what Tadokoro Megumi was thinking. At that moment, he looked at the restaurant in front of him with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

　There are very few buffet restaurants in Japan; they are practically nonexistent in Tokyo, let alone around Totsuki Academy.

　Needless to say, the world of "Cooking Master Boy" was even more unfamiliar back then. The concept of a buffet wasn't even widespread, let alone such a thing.

　His memories of buffets are entirely from the pre-Earth world.

　However, most buffets on Earth are barbecue buffets, piled high with all sorts of synthetic meats. I wonder if it's the same here.

　With this in mind, Shirabuchi and Tadokoro Megumi paid their tickets and deposits at the front desk and entered the bustling shop, looking around like curious children.

　It must be said that the buffet restaurant in the food world gives people a very novel feeling, which is completely different from the feeling on Earth.

　The biggest difference was in the dishes. The wide variety of dishes almost made Shirabuchi and Tadokoro Megumi dizzy with choice, leaving them speechless.

　There are over a hundred kinds of vegetables alone, and the meats include chicken, duck, fish, and even crocodile meat, which is placed in a mouth decorated with a crocodile mouth. It is astonishing to look at and one does not know how to comment.

　But one thing is certain: there are many people standing in front of that kind of food, so it is obviously very popular.

　After all, we've eaten so much chicken, duck, fish and meat, so it's worth trying crocodile meat, this novel thing, no matter how good or bad it is!

　"It looks really nice, so this is a small kitchen that provides ingredients, right?"

　Megumi Tadokoro stated her conclusion: such a place has an oven, a hot pot, and a large amount of ingredients and seasonings. The facilities in all aspects are very complete, and it can be called a small kitchen.

　There were just a lot of guests in the kitchen.

　Moreover, it seems that some guests are acting as chefs themselves. This kind of hands-off management is shameful, but it also has a certain charm.

　At least for professional chefs like them, they are willing to pay for it.

　"In a sense, your understanding is not wrong. With all the seasonings available, it seems that you can make great dishes with these equipment and ingredients."

　Led by the waiter, Bai Yuan sat down at a table. His voice was slightly teasing as he turned his attention to the grill in front of him and began to think about what dish to make.

　Charcoal grill, teppanyaki grill, red soup hot pot.

　With all three present in this location, Bai Yuan can complete most of the cooking.

　"Indeed, let's start some creative DIY projects, it should be quite fun!"

　Looking at the various ingredients in front of her, Megumi Tadokoro got up from her chair and, disregarding the fact that she was wearing a white dress, quickly moved around in different places.

　The appearance of such a beautiful figure in the buffet restaurant, moving around like a butterfly among flowers, immediately attracted the attention of those around.

　Many people around the food section turned their attention to Tadokoro Megumi, but when they saw her looking at them, they pretended to look away casually, displaying an innocent demeanor.

　There's no way around it, Tadokoro Megumi's outfit is just too attractive right now.

　Not only does she attract men, but even women can't take their eyes off her, and they don't know who she reminds them of.

　"What a beautiful girl."

　"Indeed, I couldn't take my eyes off her."

　"I saw her at the store entrance just now, and I remember there was a boy with her."

　"How could you let such a pretty girl get the food while you just sat there? You're so inconsiderate!"

　Upon hearing someone's reminder, many people at the scene immediately looked towards Tadokoro Eri's location, and then discovered Shiro Awakening, who was adjusting the stove. They immediately began to complain with a mixture of envy and jealousy.

　"One person adjusts the oven, and the other person personally selects the ingredients. The key is that the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful."

　I approve of your relationship!

　The little girl held her best friend's hand, her face beaming with excitement.

　She's most afraid of seeing a kappa next to a beautiful woman. Similarly, she doesn't like chubby girls next to handsome men. There's no particular reason; she just feels sorry for one of them.

　She admired couples like Shirabuchi and Tadokoro Megumi the most!

　"Let's take this much for now. Since we're at a buffet, let's make something quick and easy."

　"Quick meals? What do you mean...?"

　Looking at the various vegetables, as well as a small amount of seafood and meat that Tadokoro Megumi brought, Shiro's expression was subtle. Then he looked at the place where ingredients were being selected not far away, and an idea popped into his mind.

　"Xiao Hui, could you bring some sushi rice back from over there? Let's just make sushi this time."

　"If you're making sushi, do you need the tuna or anything like that on the side?"

　"It's not impossible. Bring over anything you think can be used in sushi, like eel. We'll have sushi for this meal."

　To enrich the customer experience, the shop offers specially steamed sushi rice as well as sushi made by professional chefs, allowing customers to choose freely.

　The main reason for doing this is that some people simply enjoy cooking for themselves, as it makes the food taste better to them.

　"Roger that!"

　"I'll go with you."

　Watching Tadokoro Megumi's retreating figure, Bai Yuan suddenly spoke, then got up and quickly followed her, taking the plate from her hands at the same time.

　Tadokoro was slightly surprised by this, but her surprise quickly turned into a smile, and she generously took Shiro's hand.

　What happens next is simple.

　Bai Yuan was selecting ingredients in front, while Tadokoro Megumi followed beside him. Whenever she saw something she wanted to eat, she would tell him and have him put the ingredients on her plate.

　Although they didn't say much from beginning to end, they still made people feel happy. Some girls even grabbed their boyfriends' hands and looked excited.

　This feeling of being an old married couple is wonderful!

　·

　·

　Soon, the second round of ingredient selection was completed.

　Looking at the hot plate in front of him, which was gradually getting hotter, Bai Yuan decided to make cooked sushi this time.

　Wagyu beef, foie gras, and lobster filled the table, attracting sidelong glances from those around, but most of those glances were filled with doubt rather than envy.

　I'm wondering why the two of them brought so much food; they might lose their deposit if they can't finish it...

　"Guests, you can eat and take as you go. Take only what you can eat. Wasting food will result in a deduction from your deposit. The deposit for one table is a bit too much, it's not worth it."

　As they expected, the commotion caused by Shirai and Tadokoro Megumi immediately attracted the attention of the service staff. They bowed with their hands in front of their lower abdomens, then explained the situation to Shirai, maintaining a smile throughout.

　“I know, but I have a big appetite. I will make sure I finish all of this. If I can’t finish it, you can deduct five or ten times the deposit, it doesn’t matter.”

　Bai Yuan nodded slightly in response to the waiter's kind reminder, and then spoke politely.

　.

　"Five times, ten times..."

　"Just how big is this guy's appetite to say something so confidently!"

　"He doesn't look fat at all. Could he be a hidden muscular hunk?!"

　"That's definitely possible. Some people are just slim when dressed but muscular when undressed. Those are the best, they're absolutely gorgeous. You're really eating well, you brat!"

　Bai Yuan's words prompted the surrounding guests to start making sarcastic remarks, and even one or two strangers started talking about it.

　"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll call the chef over right away to help you prepare these ingredients."

　"It's alright, you mean well by not wasting food. As for the chef, we don't need one. I'm a professional chef myself. Just get me a knife."

　Given the other party's good attitude, Bai Yuan naturally couldn't make things difficult for them. He casually exchanged a few words and then looked at the Wagyu beef, Boston lobster, and foie gras in front of him.

　"Ah good."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's instructions, the waiter was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and handed him a knife from the service counter.

　This is clearly not an isolated case; quite a few girls come to the buffet restaurant wanting to be little chefs, so they specially prepared some knives for the guests.

　"Are you preparing to make sushi?"

　"But it is true that sushi is one of the dishes that requires the least skill. You just need to grab a ball of rice and put the ingredients on it."

　"It's so similar to me! I also like making sushi at buffets. Not only are all the ingredients prepared, but I don't even need to clean the utensils afterwards."

　"I like to cook stir-fries. Don't you think that with a hot plate and a little preparation and seasoning of the ingredients, you can make the expensive stir-fries you see in restaurants?"

　"I prefer meat-filled vegetable buns. You wrap the meat inside the vegetables, tie it with enoki mushrooms in a knot, then put it in the hot pot to cook, and squeeze some shrimp paste in the middle. That makes it taste extra delicious!"

　Wow, you guys all have such a big appetite!

　Chatting amongst themselves, the group began discussing the DIY aspects of the buffet. People who were strangers to each other were now able to chat freely, which was quite heartwarming.

　As for Bai Yuan, after receiving the knife from the waiter, the two sat down facing each other, and he prepared to start eating the porcupine in front of him.

　Because of the high prices, the ingredients here are very fresh, and the lobsters are also alive.

　The item was still being shaken violently in Bai Yuan's hand, which was why the waiter had wanted to call the chef for Bai Yuan and his group earlier.

　These live seafood items are too much trouble to handle, so even though they're placed in the large pool at the buffet restaurant, not many people have the nerve to take them.

　Baekyeon can be considered the first.

　They simply sent away their long-time employees.

　Those around him watched with curiosity, eagerly anticipating Bai Yuan's performance.

　Since this person claims to be a professional chef, his culinary skills must be top-notch. The only question is whether he's just bragging to his goddess or if he truly has the ability. We'll find out soon!

　Thinking of this, the gazes around him became even more intense.

　Bai Yuan didn't care about the many gazes he felt. After all, he had experienced such gazes countless times, and he had even experienced the mocking looks that treated his life as a game.

　He cooked without making any mistakes even under such pressure, and now he is even more at ease.