Chapter 14
The crisp sound of the bowl being set down pulled Erina out of her thoughts.
She looked down at the dish in front of her, the faintest crease appearing between her brows.
"Scrambled eggs?"
It looked reasonably appetizing, but in the end, it was still just an ordinary bowl of scrambled eggs.
"They’re not ordinary scrambled eggs!" Soma immediately protested.
He turned around, brought over a steaming bowl of white rice, and placed it in front of her.
"It’s egg rice!"
Whatever interest Erina had shown faded almost at once.
Egg rice was nothing more than a common home-style dish. Something so plain and widely available could hardly be worthy of her attention!
She was about to say as much when Soma eagerly poured the scrambled eggs over the rice.
The golden pieces tumbled onto the white grains along with dozens of small brown cubes.
As steam rose from the rice, the cubes slowly began to melt, releasing a rich sauce that quickly coated both the eggs and rice in an appetizing light-brown sheen.
A deep chicken aroma rose with the scent of egg and freshly cooked rice.
Erina’s gaze sharpened slightly.
The melting cubes were enough to make this otherwise ordinary-looking dish seem a little more interesting.
Soma quickly scattered a pinch of chopped green onion over the top, then pushed the bowl toward her with a confident grin.
"Dig in! This is Restaurant Yukihira’s secret specialty—Transforming Furikake Rice!"
...
Erina studied the surprisingly appealing bowl for a moment before finally picking up her chopsticks.
She lifted a bite of sauce-coated rice with a piece of egg and slowly placed it in her mouth.
Her eyes brightened at once.
The soft egg and springy rice created a pleasant contrast, while the melted cubes had turned into a rich chicken sauce.
It was full-bodied without being greasy, and it brought out the natural sweetness of the egg beautifully.
The flavor brushed gently across her palate, so comforting that she nearly closed her eyes.
It was a combination she had never experienced before.
Unable to resist, Erina took another bite and chewed carefully, the surprise in her eyes growing stronger.
"Well?" Soma leaned closer, expectation written all over his face. "Is it good or bad? Come on, say something!"
Erina set down her chopsticks and rested a finger lightly against the corner of her lips.
After considering it for a moment, she finally gave her verdict.
"It’s merely somewhat acceptable. Still... I suppose it shows a certain level of skill."
Compared to Haruto’s nearly flawless orange custard tart, Soma’s dish lacked the same refinement.
Even so, she could not deny that the creativity and flavor had surprised her.
There was also something strangely familiar about it, as though she had tasted a similar warmth long ago.
For some reason, it made her feel at ease.
Soma immediately broke into a wide grin.
As far as he was concerned, Erina saying it showed "a certain level of skill" meant she had acknowledged that it tasted good!
She was obviously just being a tsundere. He knew how this worked!
He was about to press her into admitting it when a golden tart suddenly appeared in front of him.
Haruto had walked over without him noticing and now held out an orange molten-center custard tart.
"Want to try it?"
...
Soma’s attention was instantly captured by the tart, and whatever he had been about to say vanished from his mind.
He snatched it eagerly and took a huge bite.
The crisp pastry shattered between his teeth as the rich fragrance of orange, egg, and cream swept through his senses.
Warm custard flowed down his throat, sweet without being cloying, while the clean citrus flavor balanced the deep richness of the dairy perfectly.
It tasted even better than he had imagined.
"This is seriously amazing!"
Soma’s eyes widened as he praised it through a mouthful of tart.
It might actually be better than his Transforming Furikake Rice.
Erina frowned slightly at the sight of him wolfing it down, but she did not comment.
"Yukihira Soma, you pass as well."
His dish still had its shortcomings, but it had just barely reached a standard she was willing to accept.
"Yes! I did it!"
Soma swallowed the tart and rubbed his hands together excitedly.
He turned toward Erina, clearly about to say something else, when Haruto suddenly clapped him hard on the shoulder.
Soma stumbled and nearly lost his balance.
When he turned around, he found Haruto smiling at him with exaggerated sincerity.
"Congratulations! We both passed!"
Haruto immediately handed him another tart.
"Here. Have one more."
Inside, Haruto was already exhausted.
’You passed, so stop pushing your luck.’
Were his orange custard tarts not good enough to keep Soma’s mouth occupied?
Erina had already declared them successful, but she was still a tsundere.
If Soma annoyed her badly enough, who knew whether she might suddenly change "pass" to "fail"?
...
Soma had no idea what Haruto was thinking. He happily accepted the second tart and started eating.
Once Soma’s mouth was safely occupied, Haruto picked up the tray and walked over to Erina and Hisako.
He set it gently on the table beside them.
"Would either of you like another one?"
"The judging is over now, so technically, this no longer counts as working hours."
Several tarts remained on the tray, each baked to perfection.
Their caramel-colored edges gleamed under the lights, and the molten centers seemed to tremble faintly beneath the surface.
Thin trails of buttery citrus fragrance drifted into the air, teasing the appetite.
Hisako’s gaze settled on the tarts, and a flicker of longing appeared in her eyes.
She had been intensely curious about the dish that had made Erina eat a second serving.
The faint orange fragrance mixed with the sweet scent of egg and cream was enough to make her mouth water.
Even so, she quickly turned toward Erina.
As Erina-sama’s secretary, Hisako always placed her wishes first.
If Erina did not want one, Hisako would not overstep.
Erina lightly rubbed her chin as she struggled with herself.
Reason told her that, as the examiner, she should maintain her proud and dignified image.
Unfortunately, the lingering taste of orange and cream on her tongue seemed almost enchanted, constantly tempting her to take another bite.
Then she noticed the obvious anticipation in Hisako’s eyes, and the last of her restraint crumbled.
Erina cleared her throat and turned her face away, trying to preserve her usual haughty tone.
The slight redness at the tips of her ears betrayed her completely.
"Very well. Since you insist, I suppose I can taste one more."
She glanced at Hisako.
"You may try one as well, Hisako. This dish is genuinely worth tasting."
"Yes, Erina-sama!"
Hisako’s eyes lit up, and a soft smile appeared on her face, her voice filled with delight.