Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

The judge, an older man lingering in front of the stove, peeked over and couldn't help but admire it.

Shimada Sho ignored him and focused on tossing the wok.

When I was down on my luck, I ate fried rice with eggs for several years in a row. If I didn't become more professional, I would starve to death.

"Is this a Chinese way of making it?" The judge was clearly very interested in the fried rice he made.

Shimada Sho nodded. "Yes."

"That's very rare! Keep it up! I believe in you."

The uncle's eyes were full of appreciation as he walked to the next stove, not forgetting to offer a word of encouragement.

Shimada Sho simply nodded in response.

He wasn't interested in the medals; his main goal was to cook for the young lady.

Compared to the older male judge, I'd much rather hear the young lady's evaluation.

So, he asked in his mind, "How is it?"

"Mr. Thug is amazing." Yukine Kamishiro's voice came through.

Shimada Sho raised the corners of his mouth. "There's something even more amazing."

Although I didn't intend to show it off, being worshipped by the character I've cultivated still satisfied my vanity quite a bit.

In a good mood, Shimada Sho didn't mind showing off his skills a bit more.

He turned on the high flame, placed the pot in the leaping flames, and began to stir-fry it in various ways.

"Remember, stir-fry over high heat until you get enough wok hei (wok aroma)."

As Shimada Sho stir-fried the food, he proudly boasted, "This is my unique technique; you won't find another person in the entire island nation who knows it!"

"Really?" Yukine Kamishiro sounded very surprised.

Shimada Sho's smile widened. "How could this be fake? I..."

"But doesn't that boy in front also know how?" Yukine Kamishiro interrupted him.

Upon hearing this, Shimada Sho scoffed, "What are you talking about—"

Before he could finish speaking, his motion of flipping the wok suddenly stopped.

Then, the sound abruptly stopped.

Because in the instant he looked up, he caught a glimpse of the crowd opposite him out of the corner of his eye.

The competition was held outdoors, with the stoves arranged in a circle.

Right across from Shimada Sho, there was a guy also making fried rice.

His movements were just as swift as his, the rhythm of tossing the wok, the angle of flipping, even the height the rice was tossed into the air...

His gaze moved upwards, and he saw a familiar face.

It was him!

Shimada Sho's hand trembled, and he almost threw the spatula into the pot.

"Are you crazy?!"

He looked at himself over there, standing expressionless behind the stove, mechanically repeating the actions of tossing and stir-frying.

The fried rice in the pan was exactly the same as the one he made, even the order in which he added the seasonings was exactly the same.

His eyes were vacant and unfocused; he was clearly in a state of being neglected.

But how is that possible?

Shimada Sho clearly remembers that he was editing videos before logging into the young lady's account.

According to the system's rule that it will meet the player's needs, after being put into the game, the player should be sitting obediently in front of the computer editing videos.

Why would they inexplicably end up in Kandagawa and participate in a cooking competition?

What kind of weird thing is the system up to now?!

As Shimada Sho was still in shock, Kamishiro Yukine's voice rang out again, asking with a hint of doubt, "What's wrong, Mr. Thug?"

"It's nothing!" Shimada Sho abruptly looked away, stiffly continuing to stir-fry.

But he couldn't help glancing at the other side out of the corner of his eye.

The body being managed was still frying rice, its movements as precise as a machine.

The staff member next to him was talking to him, and he seemed to answer something, but his expression remained blank.

“That person…” Yukine Kamishiro suddenly spoke up, “...looks like Mr. Thug.”

Shimada Sho's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"The way you make fried rice," Yukine Kamishiro said calmly, "is exactly the same as Mr. Thug."

"Ahem... coincidence, purely coincidence." Shimada Sho tried his best to laugh it off.

"But……"

"I'm leaving."

Before Yukine Kamishiro could say anything more, Sho Shimada interrupted her.

Fearing she would hold on, he even resorted to stealth techniques.

This time, the young lady remained silent.

A brief moment of silence in my mind.

After a moment, Yukine Kamishiro said in a somewhat dejected tone, "It's the weekend today."

"Ah."

"Can't you stay a little longer?"

"...Something came up."

Shimada Sho's answer was half true and half false.

On the one hand, he had to take on a part-time job; on the other hand, his login deadline was approaching.

Of course, more importantly, he needed to get back to take control of his body as soon as possible.

The system, once it was taken over, pulled this crazy stunt of participating in a culinary competition.

God knows what other unexpected things might happen if this continues.

He needs to get back to normal as soon as possible, and while controlling his body, figure out exactly what happened.

When I said I was leaving earlier, it wasn't entirely to change the subject.

Seeing that the young lady was silent again, Shimada Sho instructed, "After I log off in a little while, I'll save the fried rice for you. Try it and see if you like it."

"If you like it, will you keep doing it?" Yukine Kamishiro suddenly asked.

Shimada Sho was taken aback upon hearing this.

Making it consistently means eating it every day, but the short lunch break at school is clearly not enough.

Unless we spend time together in real life, like my younger sister Hoshino Yuuki.

Therefore, Shimada Sho couldn't guarantee it either, only saying, "I'll do it if I have the chance."

"Hmm." The young lady's voice returned to its usual tranquility. As if she had thought of something, her tone became a little cheerful, and she said sweetly, "There definitely will be."

……

"The cooking time was perfect; each grain of rice was distinct, and the aroma of egg and scallions blended just right. I give it a perfect score!"

"I also give it full marks."

"Full marks."

Shimada Sho's fried rice received unanimous praise from the judges.

It's a pity that they didn't get first or second place, only winning a bronze medal.

The gold medal is a Japanese fried rice made by a housewife.

Second place was taken by his real body.

When the staff handed him the medal, Shimada Sho waved his hand, "I don't want the medal."

What would you like?

"Can I take this fried rice with me?"

"Uh... that's possible, but if you don't want the medal..."

"unnecessary."

Shimada Sho refused to drop the medal and took the plate to a chair to sit down.

The fried rice was still steaming hot, and the golden rice glistened in the sunlight.

"The colors are so beautiful," Yukine Kamishiro said expectantly.

Shimada Sho put down the rice, picked up disposable chopsticks and placed them on the plate, smiling as he said, "Please enjoy your meal, Miss."

As soon as the words were spoken, the login time limit was simultaneously reset to zero.

His consciousness detached from the character's body, and darkness enveloped his vision.

But Shimada Sho's departure did not diminish the liveliness of the place in the slightest.

Yukine Kamishiro regained control of her body and glanced around.

The bustling crowd was still discussing and critiquing the food prepared by the chefs.

Couples occasionally stroll by hand in hand.

Kanda River remains a popular destination for cherry blossom visitors.

But the previous enthusiasm was gone from Yukine Kamishiro's eyes.

She looked down at the table; golden fried rice was served on a plate.

She took the chopsticks in front of her, opened them, picked up some food, and put it in her mouth.

Lips parted slightly, chewing slowly and deliberately.

The aroma of scallions mingles with the fragrance of eggs, spreading across the tongue.

Yukine Kamishiro showed an expression of enjoyment, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up.

"Kamidai-san?"

The quiet enjoyment was interrupted by a timid question that suddenly broke in.

When Yukine Kamishiro opened her eyes, she found a familiar figure standing in front of her.

It was her new friend, Nozomi Sasaki, whom she had just parted ways with from school yesterday.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between the table and Yukine Kamishiro's face, clearly drawn to the fried rice.

Golden rice grains are piled up in a white porcelain plate, garnished with chopped scallions, resembling a delicate dessert.

"Has Kamishiro-kun not had lunch yet?" she asked curiously.

"Ah."

"What a coincidence, I haven't eaten either!" Nozomi Sasaki looked expectant. "Um... I can..."

"No." Yukine Kamishiro's voice was calm and decisive.

Sasaki Nozomi's smile froze on her face. "I...I didn't mean that..."

She waved her hands hastily and embarrassedly, "I just thought it looked delicious..."

"No." Yukine Kamishiro repeated, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

As she spoke, she even reached out and moved the fried rice closer to her chest, a gesture that seemed all the more precious.

Nozomi Sasaki couldn't help but awkwardly look away.

But a question lingered in my mind.

The young lady has always been very generous.