The strongest anime shop owner

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Chapter 78 Mito Ikumi's Memories

The moment the lid was opened, a thick steam billowed out of the bowl. It wasn't the pungent kind; rather, it carried a rich, meaty aroma, like perfume, intoxicating and irresistible. The instant you smelled it, your entire body felt as if you were immersed in a delicious feast.

The moment the smoke dissipated, the true appearance of the dish was revealed to everyone.

The bottom is still made of snow-white rice grains, topped with a piece of pan-fried beef, which looks very beautiful. On top of it is a cone-shaped pile of chopped onions, which looks a bit charred. Although it is not as beautiful as Mito Ikumi's dish in terms of overall presentation, the aroma it exudes is enough to whet one's appetite just by looking at it.

Upon seeing the dish, Katsunori Okimoto and Yoshiki Obō, who had initially shown no interest, suddenly perked up. They stared at the dish in front of them, then couldn't help but swallow hard, as the dish looked incredibly tempting.

"Well, it looks better than I expected." Looking at the delicious dish, Yoshiki Oto couldn't resist anymore, but he said this with a touch of arrogance. Then he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of rice with a small piece of meat on it, and slowly put it into his mouth.

Seeing that Yoshiki Oto had already started, the others naturally did not want to be left behind, and each picked up a piece of food and put it in their mouths.

"Hmph! How could such cheap ingredients possibly make a decent meal!" Mito Ikumi thought with disdain for the dishes made with such cheap ingredients, but her face was full of confidence.

When Yoshiki Oto put the dish in his mouth, the beef was as soft as fruit jelly. With a gentle stir, he could immediately feel the beef melting in his mouth, accompanied by a rich onion flavor. A delicious sensation burst forth. After tasting this deliciousness, his face was no longer strained, but replaced by a look of astonishment. The words that involuntarily came out of his mouth were: "I can't stop eating! The tenderness of the meat goes without saying, and this pile of onion bits is even more appetizing!"

After saying that, he started eating heartily again, savoring the dish. Yoshiki Obō said, "Is this aroma from red wine? After searing the steak, pour red wine into the pan, simmer the remaining gravy, and finally add the chopped onions and stir-fry—"

Before Yoshiki Oto could finish speaking, Katsunori Okimoto chimed in, saying, "Then pour in the potato starch to thicken the sauce. The sauce will coat the meat juices and rice tightly, making it incredibly appetizing."

No sooner had Katsutoshi Okimoto finished speaking than Shigeno Kuraki said, "And the seasoning is dark soy sauce! They even used the 'darkened' flavor as a seasoning to make the taste even richer."

"They've taken the onions, a staple of Chaliapin, and made this dish with a special sauce! The meat and sauce are both incredibly flavorful, yet not greasy at all, making it irresistible! You could even feel like you could eat it forever. Why!? Is there some secret yet to be revealed!?" Yoshiki Oto found the more he ate, the more he enjoyed it, as if he could eat it indefinitely. He couldn't understand this, wondering what secret lay behind it. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to know the secret.

"The secret lies in the rice," Soma explained, seeing Yoshiki Oto's puzzled expression. "I added chopped 'renmei' to the rice in this rice bowl, making it a refreshing plum-flavored rice."

"So that's the ingredient!" After hearing Soma's words, Yoshiki Obō suddenly realized and said, "So that refreshing taste that you can't get tired of is plum!"

"The tender, fragrant steak, combined with the rich sauce and the refreshing rice, complement each other perfectly, maximizing the deliciousness of each ingredient and making you want to keep eating." After finishing, Yoshiki Oto couldn't stop eating and soon found his bowl empty: "Ah! I'm done."

"Is there any more? Can I have another bowl?!" After finishing her meal, Zangmu Shino felt she still wanted more and asked without hesitation. She thought to herself, "While the grilled meat rice bowl is excellent, this one is definitely more tempting!"

"What did you say!?" Mito Ikumi, who was standing to the side, was immediately shocked. She looked at her dish and thought to herself, "My garlic rice wasn't finished."

“Actually, when I heard from Konishi-senpai that you should be able to use Wagyu beef, I was thinking about what to do.” Soma looked at the dish made by Mito Ikumi as if explaining, and said, “If the flavor of the rice is too strong and competes with the deliciousness of the Wagyu beef, the flavors will naturally clash. Although your dish is a rice bowl, it can’t really be called a rice bowl.”

"The leader of the Rice Bowl Research Association once said," Soma paused, drew a circle in the air with his finger, and said, "The so-called rice bowl is meant to be completed within a bowl."

"Shut up!" Mito Ikumi was immediately annoyed after hearing Soma's words. She thought to herself, "Don't give me that nonsense. How could such cheap beef possibly beat my premium meat?"

"If you can't accept it, then would you like to listen to it? Listen to the sound of my rice bowl—" With that, Su Luo brought out a dish she had made and placed it in front of Mito Ikumi, saying, "Please enjoy!"

Mito Ikumi took the bowl, looked at the still steaming dish, hesitated for a moment, then finally picked up a piece of rice with a small piece of meat on it and slowly put it in her mouth.

After Mito Ikumi swallowed her first bite, a delicious sensation immediately filled her body. She then grabbed the bowl and began to eat voraciously, her hands never stopping, as if she were possessed.

"Ah, it's true! This bowl of rice is saying to me, 'Eat as you please!'" After eating this bowl of rice, Mito Ikumi was completely captivated by it.

In this dish, she tasted her own memories:

This reminded her of her ninth birthday. Her mother gave her a teddy bear, which made her very happy. However, her father tore it to pieces, saying, "As the heir of the Mito family, you don't need to be so dignified. Just become stronger." That was a painful memory she didn't want to recall. As a girl, she also longed to be as dignified and elegant as a little princess, able to do what she loved.

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Chapter 80 An Overwhelming Victory

The meat chunks are tender and juicy with a rich aroma, thickened with a thick sauce, fried carrots retain their original sweetness, and rice has a slightly sour taste. The four ingredients are layered in a harmonious balance of light and dark, bringing out the ultimate deliciousness.

"Ah! It's so delicious! I'd love to have another bowl, but I just can't eat anymore." After taking the last bite, Katsutoshi Miyamoto covered his belly, which looked like that of a pregnant woman, and said with great regret.

Indeed, after eating the first two dishes, their stomachs were almost full, and after eating Su Luo's dish, they really couldn't eat anything else. So this was the last contestant's weakness.

"Oh dear! I ate so much meat today, my diet plan is going to be ruined." After finishing her meal, Zangmu Zinai rubbed her stomach, lay back in her chair, and complained.

"But, you can complain all you want, but why are you staring at me like that?" Seeing that Zang Mu Zi Nai was saying this but her eyes were still fixed on Su Luo, Su Luo felt really annoyed.

"Compared to the other two, the grilled meat rice bowl wins in terms of visual appeal, and the taste of the Chariabin steak rice bowl is also unforgettable. However, whether in terms of taste or appearance, this dish is the most memorable." Yoshiki Oto leaned back in his chair, quickly making his own judgment in his mind. When he thought of this, he couldn't help but lick his lips.

"How could this be? After eating so much, they actually managed to finish the transfer student's dishes." Mito Ikumi was really unable to accept this result. Both transfer students used cheap food, yet they finished it all, while her A5-grade beef dish was not finished. The successive blows had left her somewhat numb.

"What, do you want to try my dishes too?" Seeing Mito Ikumi's disbelieving look, Su Luo placed her dishes in front of Mito Ikumi and said.

Looking at the brightly colored rice bowl in front of her, Mito Ikumi picked it up and took out her chopsticks, but when she remembered the unpleasant feeling she had just experienced, she put it down and said a few dry words: "No, thank you."

"Since you don't want it, then let me have a taste!" At this moment, Soma suddenly appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bowl and chopsticks away before Mito Ikumi could even put them down.

Upon receiving it, Soma looked into the bowl. The pale yellow rice, crispy carrots, and translucent, jade-like chunks of meat looked beautiful. He then took a bite with his chopsticks, and a rich, meaty flavor exploded in his mouth, assaulting his taste buds. The sweet, soft, and slightly sour taste made it irresistible.

"Mmm, this is so delicious! I've never had such rich and tender meat before." After swallowing a bite, Soma said involuntarily. Then, he took out his notebook and started writing intently on it. Su Luo was speechless, exclaiming that his old habit had resurfaced.

"That's enough! Judges, please vote!" Kawashima Rei's voice rang out as the tasting was almost over.

Soon, the three examiners pressed a button on the table and gave their votes. As a result, Su Luo received three votes, winning decisively against the other two.

"Well then, the result is in: Su Luo is the winner!" Kawashima Rei announced enthusiastically after seeing the result.

"Sōshin-kun actually lost, it's over." Upon seeing the result, Kōsei Hiroshi immediately knelt down, tears welling up in his eyes, looking utterly dejected.

Just then, Kawashima Rei's voice rang out again: "Oh! By the way, although this is a three-person battle, it is actually two food battles, namely Mito Ikumi vs. Soma, and Su Luo. Therefore, please have the judges vote again between Mito Ikumi and Soma."

Snap~ Snap~ Snap~

Three voices rang out, and the examiners quickly gave their votes. Surprisingly, it was another overwhelming victory, with Soma winning by a unanimous vote.

"Senior Konishi, Su Luo-jun won!" Tadokoro said happily.

"What? You won!" Konishi Hiroshi looked up and exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the result, "I actually won!" Only then did he realize that he had misunderstood and thought it was a three-way battle!

"I actually lost, and I lost so badly." Mito Ikumi knelt on the ground, her face full of dejection, and finally muttered to herself.

"What? Soma Yukihira is the winner? Is this the transfer student about to rise to prominence?" In the audience, everyone was discussing. They didn't react much to Su Luo's victory, since the previous two food battles showed that he was not a simple person. But Soma's victory made them feel that the world was about to change.

"I apologize for the poor hospitality!" Soma pulled down the white cloth tied to his forehead and said with a smile.

"Ms. Erina-" Mito Ikumi looked at the figure not far away with concern and thought to herself.

"Damn transfer students, I will definitely kick you out of the academy." Erina, who was not far away, immediately showed an indignant look after seeing the result. She was especially disgusted when she saw Su Luo and Soma smiling after their victory. She then turned around and walked outside, saying to Hisako beside her, "Take back the kitchen that was given to her earlier."

"Yes, yes," Hisako replied respectfully, holding the documents in both hands.

Just then, the system notification sounded: "Mission: Intervene. The Soma Society is going to protect the Rice Bowl Research Club. Please make sure to intervene in the three-person battle and win. This mission is special (Incomplete)."

Task Reward: One Special Lottery Draw

Due to the protection campaign, another special lottery draw will be awarded.

"Hmm, this time there's a special lottery. What the heck is this? Should I draw it or not? Never mind, I'll just leave it for now." Su Luo originally wanted to draw it, but remembering the system's unpredictable nature, she decided to just leave it for now.

"It's finally this time of year again."

"Have the students been notified?"

"The reservation notification for today has been completed."

In a sealed room, several figures stood inside, seemingly discussing something.

Sure enough, one of them was the lecturer known as the one who never smiled—Roland Chappell. He parted the bamboo curtain slightly, letting in a beam of sunlight. A strange expression appeared on his face as he muttered to himself, "These are the rising stars and the laggards. The initial point of divergence."

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Chapter 81 A Uniform Vegetable Garden

As the first rays of sunlight shone on the Polaris dormitory in the early morning, everyone began to get busy, doing what they wanted to do. After all, it was a rare day without classes, so they had free time to do what they liked.

In the courtyard, Ibuzaki Shun was sawing a piece of wood in front of him with a chainsaw. As he sawed, an unpleasant grinding sound kept coming from inside, making people feel uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Su Luo-jun, the weather is nice today!" At this moment, a voice came from a loudspeaker next to Su Luo.

Hearing the sound, Su Luo knew what it was. However, it seemed there were no classes today, so she pulled the blanket over her head and continued to sleep.

"Su Luo Jun..."

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore!" Hearing the sounds coming one after another, like a curse, Su Luo's head was throbbing with pain. She really couldn't understand how Yi Se, who did this kind of thing every day, never got knocked over and dragged into an alley to be beaten up. Even if she covered her ears and the blanket, she couldn't block out the sound of the horns.

When Su Luo opened her eyes, a face suddenly appeared directly in front of her, startling her greatly. It's true what they say, being startled can be terrifying. Although she knew this could happen, it was still hard to accept if it actually occurred suddenly.

It turned out that Yise had lifted a section of the ceiling, revealing his head, and said to Su Luo, "I'd like to ask you for a favor! Could you come out for a moment after you've changed your clothes?"

Upon hearing these words, Su Luo really wanted to tell him to 'get lost'.

But in the end, Su Luo nodded helplessly, threw off the covers, stretched lazily, and then started getting dressed, brushing her teeth, washing her face, and eating. After taking care of all that, she went to the assembly point.

As soon as Su Luo came out, a large crowd had already gathered around her.

"Oh my! Little brother, you're here too!" The moment Sakaki Ryoko saw Su Luo, her eyes lit up. She immediately ran over and hugged Su Luo tightly, pressing her soft breasts against her neck.

"Quick, let go!" Su Luo, who was still half asleep, was immediately startled awake. Feeling the softness on her neck, her face flushed red, and she struggled awkwardly.

At that moment, Yoshino Yuuki and Soma also came out. Sakaki Ryoko immediately waved to them and said, "Hahaha, Soma was woken up too? Yoshino too? What are we supposed to help with?"

"They want us to go harvest vegetables in the fields behind the house!" Yoshino replied, knowing the situation. With that, the group walked together.

"That's amazing! You even grow your own ingredients." Soma said with great admiration after hearing this news.

“This kind of thing happens a lot in the Polaris dormitory!” Yoshino Yuuki said with a grin, holding the back of her head, and then began to introduce: “Ibuzaki Shun makes his own wood for smoking…”

At this point, Ryoko Sakaki interjected, "I'm good at cooking with salt koji, and I have my own studio near my dorm."

"As for me, I also want to breed a breed like the French Bressee chicken, such as the Polar Star chicken, so I'm raising free-range chickens, and this is the place that's being run around Isshiki-senpai." Yoshino Yuuki continued after Sakaki Ryoko finished speaking.

'Even so, you don't have to treat your dorm like an animal den, acting like you're on such good terms with those animals, only to end up being eaten anyway.' Su Luo thought to herself after hearing Yoshino Yuuki's words.

"Hey! Ryoko, you actually make salt koji? I wonder if we can go and take a look later." After their introduction, Su Luo became a little interested in salt koji. Although salt koji is quite easy to make, it's always a bit troublesome to make it yourself. If you can make it on the spot, that would be the best.

"What? Little brother, are you interested? If you are, let's go take a look together later!" Ryoko Sakaki said generously.

"Um... I wonder if I can go take a look too." At this moment, Soma, who was standing to the side, also became interested, but he scratched his cheek with his index finger a little shyly and said.

“Of course.” Ryoko Sakaki agreed without hesitation, since many people knew about salt koji and it wasn’t difficult to make.

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the back courtyard. The courtyard was very large, with various fruits and vegetables growing lushly in the ground, about ten kinds in total.

However, not far away, a figure caught everyone's eye. The person turned around and said, "Good morning, Su Luo-kun, Soma-kun, Yoshino-kun, Ryoko-kun! Exercising in the morning can make our bodies stronger!"

Su Luo was speechless. Was it really necessary to call out all the names when greeting someone? If there were ten or so people, how long would it take? This was definitely abnormal.

"Let's work up a sweat together!" Yise was carrying a hoe on his shoulder, completely naked except for a piece of cloth covering his private parts. Under the sun, sweat poured down his body, and a bright smile appeared on his face.

Hey kid, what are you doing? Wandering around like that, all exposed, do your family even know? Aren't you afraid the police will arrest you?

"Look, Soshin-kun, I've harvested so many vegetables!" At that moment, a sweet voice rang out. Looking towards the source of the voice, one could see Tadokoro wearing a straw hat, a bright smile on his face, an apron, and holding a rattan container in his hand. Looking inside, one could clearly see several kinds of vegetables that had just been picked from the field.