Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

……

At the same time, on the first basement floor of the annex building of the Far Moon Palace.

This is the underground kitchen of Totsuki Academy. It is spacious and well-equipped. Dojima Gin had the ventilation and lighting systems turned on in advance, and the cool white lights made the stainless steel countertops shine.

Chen Yuxing led Xiao Hui through the door and went inside.

Chen Yuxing and Tadokoro Megumi stood on one side of the cooking counter, while opposite them, Shinomiya Kojiro had changed into a white chef's uniform symbolizing his status as head chef, with a red scarf tied around his neck.

"You've arrived."

Dojima Gin stood in the center of the kitchen with his arms crossed. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he clapped his hands and said, "These are the graduates who have come to serve as the unofficial judges of today's Food War."

Behind Dojima Gin, almost all the graduates had gathered.

Guan Shouping, with his squinty eyes, stood to the side. The Italian restaurant's head chef, Mizuhara Fuyumi, squatted on a chair without any regard for his image. Next to him was Donato Wutongtian, who had a double chin. When he saw Chen Yuxing come in, he immediately whistled at him with a bright smile on his face.

The remaining graduates were also present.

"Yo! The brave challengers have arrived!" Donato waved enthusiastically. "Chen Yuxing, right? You performed perfectly in my project, and I personally have high hopes for you! Moreover, your chivalrous spirit of charging forward for the beautiful flowers is truly admirable!"

"Donato-senpai, could you please stop being biased from the very beginning?"

A somewhat irritable voice rang out. Kakuzaki Taki, with her dark purple ponytail, leaned against a pillar, her sharp eyes sweeping over Chen Yuxing and Tadokoro Megumi. "But Shinomiya-senpai is really infuriating. She even bullies freshmen. What a twisted sense of humor."

"I mean, it's really unfair to have two first-graders compete against Shinomiya-senpai."

Hiding behind Kakuzaki Taki was Kikuchi Sonoka, her hands clenched nervously to her chest, her eyes filled with sympathy and encouragement as she looked at Tadokoro Megumi. "Megumi-san, good luck... I'll be silently supporting you in my heart..."

"Shut up, you big-breasted monster!" Kakuzaki Taki turned around and yelled without any politeness, and Kikuchi Sonoka immediately shrank into a ball in fright.

In the corner, Hinako Inui was bound hand and foot to a chair, with a clean rag stuffed in her mouth and a sign around her neck that read "Just a spectator".

When she saw Xiaohui come in, she twisted her body wildly, making "woo woo woo" sounds, her eyes filled with tears, as if she was cheering Xiaohui on.

"Now that everyone is present," Dojima Gin, acting as the referee, announced the rules of the match. "Today is just an informal private duel, so regardless of the outcome, the result must not be shared, and photography and videography are strictly prohibited. Only the leftover vegetables from today's exam can be used as ingredients. And I have one more condition—"

"Tadokoro Megumi will be the head chef! Chen Yuxing, you can only assist in preparing the ingredients and serve as a sous chef."

Dojima Gin fixed his gaze on Tadokoro Megumi: "You decide what dishes to make. What dishes to make, how to arrange the steps, it's all up to you."

Upon hearing this, Tadokoro Megumi was struck dumb, frozen in place, her face turning deathly pale.

"Eh? Eh!! Let me be the head chef? But my opponent is Chef Shinomiya... How could I possibly beat Chef Shinomiya..." Her body was trembling uncontrollably.

“In Totsuki, you must prove your worth yourself.” Dojima Gin interrupted her. “If you don’t even have the courage to stand up and only think about asking others for help, then you have no right to stay in Totsuki! If that’s the case, you might as well just abstain.”

Chen Yuxing frowned, as if he wanted to say something.

Kojiro Shinomiya pushed up his glasses, his face practically overflowing with sarcasm. He looked at Chen Yuxing and sneered, "What a touching display of overflowing sympathy. You're clearly a rookie with incredible potential, praised even by us picky colleagues during intensive training. If you had just stuck to your path, you could have climbed to the top without a doubt, even in a place like Totsuki Academy. But you've gambled your future on this clumsy, slow-moving idiot who can't do anything without someone else."

"That's reality." But Shinomiya Kojiro, standing to the side, looked at Chen Yuxing and sneered: "You're clearly a very promising pedestrian. If you just keep going honestly, even in a place like Totsuki, you can definitely climb to the top. But you plan to entrust your fate to this coward. I'm starting to pity you, Chen Yuxing. This is the price of your arrogance."

Every word Shinomiya uttered was like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into Tadokoro Megumi's heart.

"Shinomiya, you're as awful as ever." Mizuhara Fuyumi squatted on the chair, looking at Shinomiya with disgust. "Is that why no one wants to date you?"

"Waaaaah!!!" Hinako Inui, who was tied to the chair, nodded frantically in agreement.

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Shinomiya." Kakuzaki Taki curled her lip from the side. Although she usually liked to lecture her juniors, Shinomiya's condescending tone made her very uncomfortable. "We don't know who will win or lose yet, so don't act like you've already won."

Hearing this, Kikuchi Sonoka couldn't help but whisper encouragement to Megumi: "Megumi, don't be afraid. Even if it's a simple dish, you can make it taste good as long as you put your heart into it. Keep it up!"

Donato smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow at Chen Yuxing: "I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of thing the girl you're assisting can come up with."

"All irrelevant people, shut up! As judges, you just need to stay quiet and watch!" Shinomiya Kojiro roared as he turned around, then looked coldly at Tadokoro Megumi, "Three hours! You can start anytime."

Xiao Hui, who had been pushed into the head chef's position, looked at Shinomiya Kojiro across from her, and her brain went blank once again.

Fear gripped her throat like an invisible hand, and she felt herself struggling to breathe.

Chef Shinomiya Kojiro, after graduating from Totsuki Culinary Academy, went to France alone and opened his own restaurant in Paris. How could I possibly win against someone as skilled as him when I use my cooking?

Calm down, I absolutely have to calm down...

No... I guess I'm still not good enough... The fact that I've been able to stay until now is all thanks to Ah Xing... I'm the kind of person who...

Tadokoro Megumi clasped her hands together with trembling hands, instinctively closed her eyes, and tried to pray.

Just then, a pair of warm and strong hands firmly grasped her cold and trembling hands.

Tadokoro Megumi shuddered and suddenly opened her eyes.

Chen Yuxing had appeared beside her without her noticing. His large hands carried a reassuring warmth, and feeling that warmth, her heart, which had been pounding wildly with fear, slowly calmed down.

“Ah-Xing…” Tadokoro Megumi looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Take a deep breath, Xiaohui. Ask yourself, why are you standing here? What was your original intention in cooking?” Chen Yuxing didn’t let go, but instead gripped her hand even tighter. “Don’t think about who the opponent is, don’t worry about whether we will lose, and don’t worry about whether it will implicate me.”

Chen Yuxing looked at Xiaohui with a gentle smile, "All you need to do is put everything you're best at on the plate, everything you want to say to the person eating this dish. Just make a dish in your own style, and that's enough!"

"Don't be afraid of making a fool of yourself, and don't be afraid of messing up."

He let go of one hand and reached out to tidy up Xiaohui's slightly messy hair. "Just do your best. Even if the sky falls, I, the sous chef, will be there for you."

Tadokoro Megumi stared blankly at Chen Yuxing, and suddenly her childhood memories came flooding back.

Wearing an apron, her mother stood in front of the stove and said gently to her, "Xiao Hui, when you're cooking, just think about how the people who eat this dish will smile, and the food will taste delicious."

She thought of the guests who had come from the big city to the countryside.

When they finished eating the food they had prepared themselves, their tired faces broke into warm smiles from the bottom of their hearts.

That's her real reason for cooking.

Use your own cooking to care for every weary traveler.

"I understand."

Xiao Hui took a deep breath, and the confusion in her eyes disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

The control panel on the other side.

"Oh? Is the boring sentimental drama over?"

Shinomiya Kojiro had already put the necessary ingredients into the pot. He looked up and saw Chen Yuxing let go of Tadokoro Megumi's hand, and couldn't help but sneer, "That's just like your slow pace. But then again, no matter how much you procrastinate, it's impossible for a decent recipe to pop into the brain of someone who's at the bottom of the class. It's just a pointless struggle."

“If you want to criticize our head chef…” Chen Yuxing looked at Shinomiya, “you should at least taste her cooking first, right?”

After saying that, he turned to look at Tadokoro Megumi.

“It’s not appropriate to use these leftover vegetables to make a strongly flavored dish. After a long day of work, the judges need something that can soothe their fatigue.”

Megumi Tadokoro spoke quickly but clearly, "Ah-xing, please help me wash and peel these vegetables. I want to use these seven different colored fruits and vegetables... to make a French vegetable jelly that's as beautiful as a rainbow!"

"As for the sauce, I'd like to make two different styles. One is a refreshing lime jelly made with lime and broth; the other is a herb pesto made with basil as the main ingredient and various herbs mashed into a paste."

Finally, her gaze fell on a small jar of brown spices in the dry goods section.

“That is…” Chen Yuxing followed her gaze.

"It's allspice!" Megumi Tadokoro smiled confidently. "I plan to add allspice powder to the filling! It not only removes fishy smells and enhances the aroma, but most importantly, allspice can warm the stomach and promote digestion. It's already so late, the judges' stomachs must be tired. I want to make a dish that will be both comforting for their stomachs and their spirits!"

Seven different colored vegetables are layered and arranged to create a French-style jelly that resembles a rainbow.

Using allspice, an unassuming spice, to soothe the judges' tired bodies.

This is the feeling of wholeheartedly thinking about the diners.

"understood."

Chen Yuxing rolled up his sleeves, picked up a kitchen knife, and quickly switched gears. "I will do my best to assist you!"

"Tadokoro Hotel is officially open!"

"Let's go together, Chef Tadokoro!"

……

The timer kept ticking.

"The water's boiling, time to add the asparagus!" Chen Yuxing called out while preparing the other vegetables.

"Leave it to me!" Megumi Tadokoro took a strainer, put the asparagus into the boiling water, and silently counted the time. After eight seconds, she quickly scooped the asparagus out and put it into the ice water without hesitation.

"Ah Xing, we need to process the chicken liver and back fat..."

"It's all taken care of, here you go."

"Ah Xing, the mold..."

"Here, all you need to do is put the filling in."

On the judges' panel, the graduates watched the two collaborate, and their expressions gradually changed.

"Oh! As expected of someone I approve of..." Donato leaned forward, wanting to see more clearly, "Their teamwork is excellent. They can always anticipate each other's next move and assist her without neglecting their own tasks."

"So who is he?" Mizuhara Fuyumi stopped squatting. "This level of skill seems to be beyond that of a student no matter what..."

Guan Shouping picked up Chen Yuxing's file and started reading. "A transfer student at Totsuki High School. Before coming to Totsuki, he already ran a Chinese restaurant on his own. Moreover, shortly after entering Totsuki, he had already engaged in a series of food battles with other students and won them all. He's very strong..."

Shinomiya Kojiro was at his cooking counter when he caught a glimpse of Tadokoro Megumi's focused expression out of the corner of his eye.

That idiot... why is he making that face at a time like this?

Meanwhile, Megumi Tadokoro began to prepare the sauce. The juice of the sour orange was bubbling gently in the small pot, and the refreshing fruity acidity mixed with the unique crisp aroma of the perilla and herb sauce gradually filled the underground kitchen.

"Ah Xing, multi-scented fruit powder!"

"Here it is!" Chen Yuxing handed over the allspice powder. The unique aroma of allspice, which blends cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, instantly blended into the clear soup base of the French jelly.

The time has come down to the last ten minutes.

"Alright, both sides, hurry up, we're about to enter the final review stage!"

Shinomiya has already presented his 'Chou Farci' to the judges, and unsurprisingly, it received rave reviews from the entire audience.

Megumi Tadokoro took a deep breath and peeled off the plastic wrap from the French jelly mold.

Seven layers of rainbow-like vegetables were tightly packed together, accompanied by two very different sauces. Chen Yuxing carefully cut them into several pieces and arranged them on a white porcelain plate.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Tadokoro Megumi, carrying a plate, walked with Chen Yuxing to the judges' table. "Rainbow French vegetable jelly, please... please try it."

Chapter 32 The Warmth

"Oh? Interesting—"

After Xiaohui served the dish, Shinomiya Kojiro saw that she had made French vegetable jelly, and a slightly sarcastic smile appeared on his lips as he pushed up his glasses.

"Are you trying to challenge my Recette?"

"No, no!" Tadokoro Megumi quickly waved her hands. She did not lower her head because of Shinomiya's imposing manner. She tried her best to straighten her back and meet Shinomiya's gaze. "I didn't mean to compare myself with Chef Shinomiya. I just... I just want to make dishes with my own style and prove my own worth!"

Shinomiya Kojiro snorted coldly and said nothing more.

"Hmm... there are seven different colored fillings, so I made them into rainbow-like stripes..."

Guan Shouping squinted at the appearance of the French jelly and commented, "Well then, let's try it."

Tadokoro Megumi stood in front of the judges' table, her hands tightly gripping the edge of her apron.

Before the judging even officially began, her mind was already a complete mess.

She recalled her French cooking class at Totsuki Culinary School.

"Not only did you ruin the flavor of the ingredients while preparing the dish, but you also overcooked it." The lecturer, who was usually quite kind to her, took a bite of her dish, put down her fork, and wrote a big E on the grade board with a blank expression. "I think your last grade was also an E, right? If you keep going like this..."

"You dare to serve it like this?"

"Why is this kind of guy allowed to stay here?"

"It's all because of people like her that the school's value has been dragged down..."

"Go back to the countryside..."

She still remembers the looks she got from the other students in the classroom. Some were sympathetic, some were indifferent, and some were mocking, probably thinking that the bottom student should just be the bottom student.

"What if I fail this time too? What if the seniors also think my dish isn't worthy of being served on the judging panel..."

Megumi Tadokoro closed her eyes. "No, I can't think like that. Hoshino-kun is still here. He helped me so hard just now. I have to succeed."

With a blank expression, Fuyumi Mizuhara cut off a piece of French aspic, first forked it to examine it, and then put it in her mouth.

The initial taste was bland, similar to ordinary French aspic.

But after she bit it open with her teeth, her eyes suddenly widened.