The strongest anime shop owner

"The annex of the Totsuki Palace... won't be used in this training camp. If we compete here—in the kitchen on the first basement floor of the annex—no one will disturb us." In a kitchen, there was a cooking station on both sides, and in the middle was a large table made up of four tables joined together. Tadokoro, Soma, and Shinomiya Kojiro stood on either side, while Dojima Gin stood in the middle to explain.

------------

Chapter 112 Tadokoro Team VS Shinomiya

"Huh?! Why are there so many graduates here?" Upon seeing so many graduates, Tadokoro immediately felt nervous.

"Su Luo!? What are you doing here?" At this moment, Soma seemed to have discovered something and exclaimed.

Su Luo was instantly filled with anger. "Damn it, you only noticed me now?! Am I really that invisible? So what if I'm a little shorter?"

At this point, Dojima Gin explained, "I asked them to serve as examiners because having Inui make the judgment might lead to biased results. As for asking Su Luo..."

"I'm just passing by and doing nothing." Before Dojima Gin could finish speaking, Su Luo interrupted him directly, her relaxed manner making it seem like it was really true.

"Since Su Luo-kun won't do it, then let me do it!" As soon as Su Luo said this, Inui Hinako, who was tied to the chair, immediately struggled and shouted loudly.

"Damn it! Can't you two just shut up for once?" Dojima Gin walked over and gave them a good beating. Seeing the strange looks from the crowd, he coughed a few times and said, "To be fair, we invited a student over. You shouldn't have any objections, right?"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Su Luo and Qian Rinko pitifully clutched the bumps on their heads and cried out in pain.

And this "you" naturally refers to Su Luo. Shinomiya Kojiro had met Su Luo once before. He crossed his arms and said casually, "Well, it doesn't matter who the examiner is!"

When Shinomiya Kojiro said this, it was a tacit indication that there was no problem.

"It's an informal food battle, and it's happening during training camp, with the opponents being graduates and current students. I wonder what would happen if Professor Shaper found out?" Donato Wutongtian said, spoiling the mood.

"They'll definitely be angry and get a severe scolding," Guan Shouping said casually, arms crossed, hinting at what would happen once the truth came out.

"If things are exposed, I will run away first and then blame everything on Shinomiya," said Mizuhara Fuyumi, who was squatting on the chair, expressionless. Although she was already a graduate, she still felt inferior to Totsuki-sensei, so she was still very scared. Of course, this did not mean that graduates were inferior to teachers.

Since it's a top-tier academy, the teachers are naturally top-tier as well. This doesn't mean the teachers have to be incredibly skilled, but rather that they excel in certain areas, or even be considered the best.

"I heard everything! You bastard, Mizuhara!" Shinomiya Kojiro, who was standing there with his arms crossed, had obviously heard Mizuhara Fuyumi's words, so he turned his head and said in a raised voice.

"Ugh! This is such a dilemma. I was thinking about whether to come or not. What if they find out? Will I get expelled or something?" Clearly, since even graduates are a little worried about this, Su Luo has no reason not to be worried. Although they say that, there is no trace of worry on their faces.

But Su Luo was just a student! She couldn't compare to a graduate. So she wondered if it was right for her to come here to watch the show. But after a moment, she shook her head. Since she was already here, she wouldn't think about it too much. If anyone asked, she could just say it was all Dojima Gin's fault.

As Su Luo was thinking this, Dojima Gin suddenly sneezed, then looked at both sides and said, "The 2-on-1 private match will now begin. Today's topic is the remaining vegetables, and the theme of the match is to create dishes using these vegetables."

"I will do my best to support Soshin-kun on the first day's assignment, just like I did back then. I absolutely cannot let Soshin-kun drop out of school because of my mistake." As Dojima Gin said this, Tadokoro's mind began to race, and a sense of tension gradually arose within him.

At that moment, Dojima Gin spoke up again, "And I have one more condition to add, Tadokoro Megumi—"

"Huh!?" Tadokoro was clearly confused when Dojima Gin called out to him, and he showed a puzzled expression.

"You will lead the cooking process." Without giving Tadokoro time to react, Dojima Gin announced, "Then, let the food battle begin!!!"

"I'll take the lead in the cooking process?" After the initial shock, Tadokoro's speech became somewhat unclear, or rather, he repeated it subconsciously in a numb state.

“That’s right, even the recipes will be decided by you alone.” Dojima Gin crossed his arms, looked at Tadokoro, and said with certainty, “Soma will be her assistant and help her.”

"What?!" Soma was clearly surprised by Dojima Gin's decision, but remembering Tada's reaction while cooking, he became quite anxious and said, "Dojima-senpai, I'm the one who challenged the food battle! But why—"

Dojima Gin clearly wouldn't give Soma a chance to explain. Even if he did, he would still say, "The reason this non-existent match was able to take place is because of me. You must accept the conditions I set. Soma, even if you win this match with your own dishes and Tadokoro stays in the end, what's the point?"

“She’ll still be your shadow, won’t she? Sooner or later, she’ll be kicked out of another project. Will she have to come to you or someone else to save her in the future? In Totsuki, you have to prove your worth with your own abilities.” Dojima Gin’s words made the somewhat excited Soma fall into deep thought. Dojima Gin patted the cooking station and continued, “Tadokoro should prove for herself whether she should stay in Totsuki. Tonight, Tadokoro, you are the head chef at this cooking station.”

While they were talking, Shinomiya Kojiro had already chosen the ingredients he wanted and asked Dojima Gin, "Dojima-senpai, I've decided what I'm going to cook. May I start cooking?"

“Sure, you can start first,” Dojima Gin replied directly.

"Hmph, I feel sorry for you, Soma!" After selecting the ingredients, Shinomiya Kojiro didn't immediately start preparing his own dish. Instead, he provocatively approached Soma and spoke to him casually, but one could hear the schadenfreude in his words.

------------

Chapter 113 Tadokoro's Thoughts

"...What do you mean by sympathizing with me?" Soma said expressionlessly, his thoughts unknown.

"You must be feeling desperate, right? Because your idiot status is related to whether you'll be expelled!" Kojiro Shinomiya explained 'kindly' when he saw Soma's confused look.

"Did you all hear those disgusting words just now?" At this moment, Hinako Inui appeared beside the others without them noticing, with her hands clasped, as if to prevent Kojiro Shinomiya from hearing.

"Shinomiya-senpai, that's why you can't have long-term relationships with girls," Donato Gotoda said, agreeing with the sentiment.

"I think Shinomiya's personality is really awful!" Mizuhara Fuyumi, squatting on a chair, clearly agreed. However, as if suddenly noticing something, she said to Inui Hinako, "Speaking of which, Hinako, when did you untie the ropes...?"

"Shut up, you outsiders!" Seeing them talking back and forth, Shinomiya Kojiro could no longer bear it. A big "well" character appeared on his forehead as he roared at them.

As for Su Luo, he stood there silently, not saying a word, trying his best to make them ignore his presence. As the saying goes, when great gods fight, the common people suffer, so it's best not to get involved. After all, he still has several days of study to do! What if he runs into this Shinomiya Kojiro? You know, with his wicked personality, do you think it's possible he won't retaliate? Regardless of whether that's the case, he has to minimize that possibility.

"Go for it, my little Megumi!" In the face of Kojiro Shinomiya's roar, Hinako Inui completely ignored him, cupped her hands into a megaphone shape, and shouted loudly at Tadokoro.

"Shut up!" Seeing Inui Hinako's attitude, Shinomiya Kojiro's forehead creased with anger, and he yelled at Inui Hinako.

Faced with a pile of ingredients on the table, Tadokoro felt at a loss. Looking at Shinomiya Kojiro, he remembered everything about him. He felt that he was competing with someone like him, and even had to use his own recipe. His mind went blank. He didn't know what to do. His hands kept trembling, and he couldn't calm down at all.

"Tadokoro...!" After seeing Tadokoro's appearance, Soma seemed to remember something and called out to him.

“I’m telling you beforehand, you’re not allowed to change her recipes.” Just then, Dojima Gin, who had clearly seen through something, said to Soma, “Because you’re ultimately just a deputy. Don’t you think there’s any value in leaving her here? If you can’t even trust her cooking…”

"Then surrender now." Dojima Gin pointed in the air and said very seriously.

"...How could I possibly surrender...I'm a chef...How could I possibly escape the kitchen!" Soma immediately denied Dojima Gin's words without the slightest hesitation.

Tadokoro kept looking at his trembling hands, which were shaking with nervousness, and kept doubting himself in his heart, not knowing what to do. Just then, Soma walked over and, before Tadokoro could react, slapped Tadokoro's clasped hands hard.

"Ouch!" Tadokoro cried out immediately as he was struck by the sudden pain.

"!? That hurts..." Tadokoro said, looking at his hand.

Soma, with a grin, explained to Tadokoro, "This is a technique that can relieve tension. I learned it when I was at home, but the downside is that you can't do it alone."

Tadokoro looked at his slightly numb hands and was surprised to find that they had actually stopped shaking.

"Alright, let's calm down first, and then think about what to do," Soma said, looking at Tadokoro, who had calmed down.

“But…but…Chef Shinomiya’s dishes have been honed in the local area many times…?” Although that was true, Tadokoro was still not very confident: “And if I can’t make a dish that can beat his, even Soshin will be expelled.”

“My dad once said that what a dish is… is simply putting everything about yourself on a plate—” So said to Tadokoro, one hand on his hip and the other out of the air, as if trying to give her some inspiration: “Just don’t think about… what kind of dish the opponent is making or anything like that.”

"But...but...the dishes I make..." Although that's true, Tadokoro still lacked confidence, and his tone carried a hint of self-contempt.

"The rice balls you made in the dorm are really delicious," Soma said earnestly to Tadokoro.

"Mmm, it's really delicious! I can vouch for it." At this moment, Su Luo, who was behind, raised her little hand and waved, saying in strong agreement.

"What...what do you want to do?" As Su Luo was speaking, Inui Hinako suddenly appeared in front of Su Luo, her eyes gleaming, which made Su Luo tremble with fear, so she asked.

"Is my little Hui's cooking really that good? Can I come to your place next time?" Inui Hinako asked, her eyes shining as she looked at Su Luo.

What do you mean by "your Xiaohui"? Su Luo was speechless, but still said, "Of course, as long as Tadokoro has no objection."

"Wow! That's great!" After hearing Su Luo's words, Inui Hinako jumped up and said happily, which left Su Luo speechless.

“Since he’s my darling… how could I be left out!” Donato Gotoda chimed in while Su Luo and Inui Hinako were talking, brushing his golden hair aside as he spoke.

This left Su Luo speechless. Could this be the legendary protagonist's domineering aura?

Seeing Su Luo and the others' support, Tian Suo was quite happy.

"Don't think about anything unnecessary, just make dishes that suit you!!" Soma explained to Tadokoro.

"A dish that suits me..." Tadokoro murmured, then immediately fell into a reverie.

"Oh my, that's surprising. You haven't even started cooking yet, have you?" Shinomiya Kojiro turned on the stove and started cooking his own ingredients. During this free time, he looked at Soma sitting there without doing anything and said, "It seems that your chef is very slow."

"If you want to say bad things about Tadokoro... wait until you've tasted her dishes, okay?" Su Luo ignored Shinomiya Kojiro's nonchalant sarcasm and said this instead.

"Soma-kun, um... I'm planning to make... a dish like this..." Tadokoro quickly decided on the dish he wanted to make and said to Soma.

"How interesting!!" Soma commented after hearing Tadokoro's words.

"Really...!? Really...? That's great..." After hearing Soma's words, Tadokoro was overjoyed, but also worried, and said, "Ah... but... this recipe requires processing a lot of time-consuming ingredients... I don't know if I can finish it smoothly..."

------------

Chapter 114 French Stewed Cabbage Rolls

"Who do you think I am?" Soma turned around, released the white cloth from his hand, and said to Tadokoro, "I'm the second-in-command at Yukihira Restaurant!"

After saying that, Soma's tone changed, and he said, "But it's just me and my dad in the restaurant!"

"Hahahaha!" After hearing Soma's words, Tadokoro felt a lot more relaxed for some reason, and covered his mouth, chuckling softly.

"I'll use all my experience to support you with everything I have! Today only—" After saying this, Soma declared with great enthusiasm, "【Tadokoro Restaurant】is now open!"

“Alright, let’s get started, Chef Tadokoro.” Soma said to Tadokoro as he tied the white cloth around his forehead.

"Yes!" At this moment, Tadokoro exuded an aura completely different from before. That confident feeling made her as fiery as the sun, shimmering with a captivating radiance.

"Is this the legendary protagonist? No matter what difficulties he encounters, he can always inspire those around him and give off a spirit of courage and determination." Looking at Tadokoro's rejuvenated appearance, Su Luo couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"Tadokoro Restaurant is now open!" After saying this, the two got busy.

"I'll start by preparing the tomatoes, and Soma-kun can handle the other ingredients," Tadokoro said to Soma, just like a true head chef, after they began.

"Understood!" Since Soma was the deputy, he would naturally do his best to help Tadokoro.

"Shinomiya-senpai-" Hinako Inui appeared behind Kojiro Shinomiya at some point and said to him.

"What's wrong, Hinako?" While waiting, Shinomiya Kojiro sat there, resting his cheek on his hand, and said without turning his head.

"The restaurant's 'tokoro' and the 'tokoro' in 'Tadokoro' sound the same, it's easy to pronounce!" Hinako Inui quietly approached Kojiro Shinomiya, cupped her hand to her ear, and whispered.

"Tie her up again and throw her far away." Upon hearing this, Shinomiya Kojiro's face darkened, a large "well" character appeared on his forehead, and he said angrily.

At that moment, Donato Gotoda tied Inui Hinako to a chair and dragged her away, while Inui Hinako kept screaming, "Why?! Why?!"

"If I approach this with the mindset of defeating Chef Shinomiya, I'll only become more nervous. I just need to focus on my own dishes, because I'm the head chef now." Having figured this out, Tadokoro relaxed considerably and began to seriously prepare his meal. But then, he suddenly remembered something: "Ah! Oh no, I forgot to tell Su Luo-kun! If the shoulder meat isn't cut properly from the start, the cooking order will..."

"The meat is already cut, and the tendons have been removed." Just as Tadokoro was worrying about this, Soma had already finished everything and asked Tadokoro, "Should we deal with the chicken liver or the pork fat first?"

"Uh, let's deal with the chicken livers first." Tadokoro was clearly surprised that Soma handled them so well, and exactly as he had expected, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Understood." After receiving Tadokoro's words, Soma began to focus on the task at hand.

"Su Luo Jun, prepare the molds after steaming and baking."

"Ready! All that's left is to fill in the French meat sauce. By the way, the stir-fried vegetables will take another 12 seconds."

"Thank you, thank you."

"Amazing!" Tadokoro thought to himself as he watched Soma handle things so well. "The ingredients were prepared and delivered to me one by one at the exact time I needed them!! But the cooking speed seemed to be several times faster than if I were cooking alone—even though there was only one person supporting me."

"Who is he?" Seeing that Soma was able to do so well, it caught the attention of Mizuhara Fuyumi and the others, who asked curiously.