Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 132 - Lost?

The boss kept his word. From that day on, I shed my apprenticeship and became a real chef at this most famous restaurant in Paris!

Since that day, my luck seems to have taken a turn for the better.

What's the Chinese idiom again?

After the worst comes the best?

Yes! That's the word!

From that day on, my career took off like a rocket, soaring into the sky with incredible success!

In this most famous restaurant in Paris, I faced all kinds of high-class diners, using my culinary skills to conquer one discerning and demanding dignitary after another.

In this arduous yet fulfilling life, I can clearly feel my skills steadily improving.

I'm so happy!

This is the kind of spiritual practice I've always wanted!

Everything was going well, until that day...

"Shinomiya, I've seen everything you've done these past few years."

"I sometimes feel grateful that I was so lucky to have discovered you!"

"Thank you for your praise, boss. You've helped me a lot, and I'm very grateful!"

"Haha, let's not talk like that between us. I asked you out today because there's something quite important I want to tell you."

"Shinomiya, I know your ambition, and I know you are a proud person who is unwilling to be subordinate to others."

"I've read the investment plan you gave me before, and I'm quite satisfied with you as a young man."

"You mean, you agreed?"

"Yes, I'm willing to invest in your restaurant, and I believe you can become an excellent chef!"

"YES!"

My heart is bursting with uncontrollable joy!

Finally... six years! I've finally waited for this day!

In the prime location of Paris's 8th arrondissement, where renowned restaurants fiercely compete, I opened my own restaurant.

【SHINO^s】

"It's amazing! He became a head chef and opened his own restaurant at such a young age."

"That's right, Chef Shinomiya is truly a young prodigy!"

"And the taste of the food is impeccable! Absolutely perfect!"

When I first stood in my own restaurant and heard the praise from customers, the joy I felt was indescribable!

With such a hopeful outlook, I thought my career would go smoothly all the way.

But..

Ah, the weather is unpredictable...

Perhaps it was because after six years of hard work, I finally owned my own restaurant, and the intense joy and sense of accomplishment filled my mind, blinding me to the world around me.

In short, I was so happy that I got a little... carried away.

In my rage, I overlooked some minor oversights, and time has proven that these oversights brought me enormous trouble.

"Hey! What's going on? Someone changed the sauce recipe without permission! Who did it?"

That day, when I pushed open the kitchen door and angrily questioned the entire kitchen, I was met with a series of cold and hostile faces.

"We modified the recipe for the restaurant's benefit too~"

"This is the flavor that's more popular in Paris!"

"That's right, Mr. Shinomiya's seasoning is a bit too Japanese; it's not very Parisian!"

"Haha, forget it, even if I said all this, I doubt you, a Japanese person, would understand."

"Exactly! The true essence and spirit of French cuisine are far beyond the comprehension of an outsider like you!"

The rejection from others, the distrust among the kitchen staff, and the jealousy I felt from local chefs because of the labels of "young head chef" and "outsider chef"...

At that moment, I gritted my teeth, a strong sense of unease enveloping me, with nowhere to escape.

Sure enough, a crisis struck...

The quality of the food is inconsistent; the taste varies daily.

Poor service!

[I doubt anyone would give a rating higher than three stars, right?]

[The reviews are so bad, I'll never eat here again!]

[You stinky out-of-towner! If you can't cook well, go back to Japan!]

Immediately, a torrent of negative comments arose, with increasingly harsh language.

The restaurant's operations even ran into difficulties.

Even the suppliers have made a strong statement, saying that due to the risks, the payment date must be brought forward, otherwise they will stop supplying my restaurant.

I urgently withdrew funds from my personal account to pay the supplier for the goods.

As that short, fat guy walked away smugly counting his money, I felt my legs go weak.

In that instant, I felt as if all the strength in my body had been drained away.

I slumped down in the alley behind the restaurant, my back against the hard, cold wall.

But at this moment, my heart is undoubtedly harder and colder than the wall behind me!

"Damn it! What the hell! Damn it!"

I kept cursing, just to make myself feel better.

"How did things turn out this way!?"

"Bang!"

After a roar, I, in a fit of emotion, slammed my fist against the wall behind me.

The solid, thick concrete wall was, of course, not shaken by my fist... or rather, by my anger.

At that moment, my fist was so painful that I almost lost all feeling, and my glasses were flung off due to the violent movement.

My vision became blurry.

I laughed out loud without thinking, but that laughter... was a hundred times worse than crying!

Is this what my current predicament is like... impotent rage?

I took a deep breath and fumbled to find my glasses.

But after putting on the glasses, I found that my vision was still blurry.

Did your glasses break when you dropped them? Or are they just dusty?

I raised my hand to take off my glasses to check, but when my hand accidentally touched my cheek, I felt a dampness.

Wet?

Unsure, I raised my hand again and gently touched my face.

His angular face was indeed wet at the moment; some mysterious liquid, disturbed by the fingers that had touched him, flowed down his cheeks and to the corners of his mouth.

I subconsciously pursed my lips, but a drop of mysterious liquid still moistened the corner of my mouth.

Salty?

I...I cried?

No! No! No!

How could I possibly shed tears!

I am Shinomiya Kojiro, a graduate who successfully graduated as the first seat of the Elite Ten. How could I possibly do something as lame as "shedding tears"!

Yes! It must be raining... It must be raining!

With mixed feelings that I couldn't quite explain, I looked up at the sky.

The next moment, a drop of water fell from the sky and landed on my forehead.

Then a second drop of water landed on the tip of my nose.

Then the third one landed on my hair.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth water droplets fell simultaneously, landing on the back of my hand, my shoulder, and the back of my neck, respectively.

The rain came down very suddenly, and before I could even react, the torrential rain had soaked me completely.

Even though there's no mirror, I can guess that I must look exactly like a drowned dog right now!

"I knew it was raining..."

'

I said that even though I could feel the warmth carried in the raindrops as they brushed against my cheeks.

Haha, how young, ambitious, and spirited I was when I first came to Paris!

Now... now the restaurant is almost on the verge of closing down...

When I regained consciousness, several days had passed.

After I was caught in that heavy rain, I fell seriously ill, became confused, and fainted several times.

Lying in the hospital bed, I looked up at the pale white ceiling, but my mind was filled with the heavy rain that day, and the desperate figure of me lying in the depths of the alley, letting the rain soak me.

How tragic!

Kojiro Shinomiya, you are truly pathetic!

That's true... I'm so pathetic...

Was I really wrong?

Were the goals I set for myself really unrealistic and delusional?

Am my ambitions, my dreams, going to vanish into ashes along with my restaurant at this very moment?

I...failed?

Do not!

I forced myself to sit up from my hospital bed.

For a split second just now, I was almost stunned by my own thoughts!

How could I have failed! I didn't fail!

This is not my fault!

I've worked hard for six years. If I admit I was wrong now, doesn't that mean I'm bowing down to reality and admitting defeat?

How can I admit defeat?

Absolutely not! Absolutely not!

The sense of horror I felt made me reconsider my decision.

I looked at my hands.

These hands were once my pride, because they could cook the most delicious and amazing French dishes.

Now, I will once again rely on you to smash everything that dares to stand in my way!

A torrential downpour, an alleyway, hard, cold walls, glasses lying on the ground, a supplier counting banknotes, a foul-mouthed sous chef, and a customer spewing insults...

Countless images flashed through my mind.

The next moment, the hands in front of me clenched into fists!

Sorry, but damn fate!

I!

Shinomiya Kojiro!

Never admit defeat!

"Get out!"

"This is my kitchen, and it's not for a bunch of trashy cooks like you!"

I got rid of a few troublemakers in the kitchen who didn't get along with me.

I had already made my decision the day I was discharged from the hospital.

For my ambition and dreams, for that gleaming Brucebolt Medal, I will seal my soul and forge this body into an absolutely precise machine!

From this day forward, I will no longer trust anyone!

Customers? Employees?

They are all my enemies!

Warmth?

That doesn't exist... It's all bullshit!

From this day forward, I will be the sole master of my kitchen.

My orders are the rules!

I will not allow anyone to defy my will!

"No!"

"I told you, you have to follow the recipe exactly, not a single detail can be off."

According to the recipe, the chocolate coating should be done as the last step.

"You are not allowed to modify my recipes without permission!"

Faced with my blunt order, the newly recruited young sous chef's face was full of hesitation.

"But...excuse my bluntness, Chef Shinomiya."

"Based on the current process, the finished product is already very delicious! Considering cost and production efficiency, my method will be even better..."

'

"What did you do?"

I interrupted him.

I could certainly sense the expectation and caution in his tone, but I had no intention of responding to his expectations.

"Get this straight... this is my kitchen!"

"I'm the head chef. If you have any complaints, you can get out!"

"yes!"

"Now, get to work! Follow my recipe exactly! Not a single mistake is allowed!"

"Yes, Chef!"

The young sous chef ran away in a panic.

In the tense atmosphere of the kitchen, I felt the gazes from all directions.

Those gazes contained panic, fear, and even hostility.

But I don't care!

The only thing I need to do now is stay on my toes and make sure my kitchen functions like a precise machine. Every single gear shift must be under my control!

Nerves on edge...

Nerves on edge....

Nerves on edge...

"tasty!"

"Delicious! Absolutely amazing!"

"It uses Japanese culinary techniques to process vegetables, giving them a sweet flavor, yet it doesn't lose the foundation of French cuisine—it's truly an amazing technique!"

"This culinary skill is simply magic!"

"magician!"

"The magician of vegetable dishes!"

Despite the high level of activity, the restaurant received a flood of customers and positive reviews.

"Phew~"

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it was tiring, it proved to be worthwhile... or rather, it was the right way!

Day after day, I finally pushed myself to my limit.

My kitchen is like an overloaded machine, with every "part" working at an efficiency that exceeds its limits to complete the cooking.

The result of pushing things to the limit was that that day... finally arrived!

Standing on the brightly lit stage, facing the sea of ​​people, I proudly puffed out my chest.

I have finally achieved my dream of winning the Bruce Bolt Medal!

Six years, six years!

Looking back, only I know the hardships and bitterness of those six years of spiritual practice.

Only someone who has repeatedly pondered this bitterness in the dead of night can understand the excitement I feel right now!

All the hardships and setbacks I had endured in the past have finally paid off at this moment!

If my past culinary journey has been akin to climbing a high mountain, then at this moment, on my path as a chef, I can proudly shout:

I, Shinomiya Kojiro, have reached the pinnacle!

but.....

After I stepped off the stage, I realized that I wasn't... that happy anymore?

impossible?

I pushed myself to the limit just for today!

How could I not be happy?

But as I raised my hand to touch the Brucebolt Medal, which I had earned through six years of hard work, I realized that I wasn't actually as happy as I had imagined.

At this point, I was plunged into deep confusion.

Not long ago, I suddenly received a call from an old classmate.

"Feed? Senior Dojima?"

"Shinomiya, I'll get straight to the point."

"I'd like to invite you to be a mentor for this year's residential training program. What do you think?"

Joint training with accommodation?

Of course I know about this training camp for first-year students at Totsuki Academy, since I participated in it when I was in school.

I was initially reluctant to agree, since it was just a bunch of kids messing around.

I was about to refuse, but then I thought about my recent frequent bouts of irritability and loss of control...

Or... how about giving yourself a change of scenery?

Maybe it will make me feel better?

And so, I accepted my senior's invitation and went to the Far Moon Resort where he worked.

Admittedly, just as I expected, this training camp consisted of a bunch of weak and incompetent kids.

Speaking of which, I remember that the elimination rate for this training camp was not low, right?

In that case, I might as well eliminate all the students in my research project!

Just watch it for fun!

After all, watching the despair on the faces of those students who were expelled from school is one of the few forms of entertainment that has managed to stir my emotions these past few days.

I thought this joint training camp would continue in this monotonous and boring way until the end.

Until... a brat who really annoyed me challenged me to a food battle...

Food Wars?

Pfft!

When I first heard that word, I burst out laughing on the spot, and then promptly refused.

After all, I, Shinomiya Kojiro, the recipient of the French Order of Brussels, am going to have a food battle with a first-year Totsuki Academy student?

Putting aside the outcome of winning or losing, even if I simply agreed to this, it would be a huge joke!

If this gets out, the other mentors will probably laugh their heads off!

To my surprise, just as I refused the food battle challenge and was about to use my mentor privileges to eliminate this brat who dared to offend my dignity, Senior Dojima appeared and stopped me!

Not only did he stop me, he also made me agree to a food battle with this brat.

Despite my reluctance, I couldn't resist my senior's insistence and reluctantly agreed to the food battle.

Although I accepted the food battle, I never doubted the outcome of the event from beginning to end.

I am Kojiro Shinomiya, and my opponent is just a student.

Is there any other possible outcome to this so-called food battle?

I have always firmly believed this in my heart.

Until this moment, I saw that there wasn't a single coin on the plate in front of me.

Meanwhile, on the plate in front of that annoying brat across from him lay three coins.

and many more!

and many more?

I... lost?