Sizzle—
As the flour-coated tamago tofu entered the hot oil, its snow-white exterior instantly turned golden.
Tiny bubbles of oil rose and dissipated, only to form again as the batter slowly crisped up.
Yuto gently nudged the slices with his chopsticks, turning the crispy side upward to allow the other side to cook.
With the sizzle of the oil, a rich aroma began to disperse.
Grilling, pan-frying, and deep-frying are the most direct methods to release the fragrance of ingredients.
The scent now drifting through the air was like a mighty general riding a warhorse, sweeping across the land with overwhelming, direct, and powerful force.
Senzaemon's closed eyes snapped open.
His sharp, bright gaze was filled with anticipation and solemnity, his entire focus now fixed entirely on Yuto and the dish he was preparing.
Hisako also watched him with a hint of admiration.
Between the culinary skills he displayed last night and the profound words he spoke today, the young girl had unwittingly developed a faint sense of reverence for him.
Erina's expression, however, was conflicted and complex.
Though clearly captivated by the aroma, she struggled to feign indifference—a truly painful ordeal.
Utaha expressed her feelings much more simple.
"So fragrant!"
In the kitchen, Yuto had already arranged the tamago tofu on a plate—just six slices.
Carrying the dish, he lifted the kitchen curtain and stepped out.
He walked straight to Senzaemon, set the plate down, and said, "Here, tamago tofu."
With a light clap of his hands, Yuto turned and retreated back into the kitchen.
He still had to prepare the onigiri and tamagoyaki.
Meanwhile, in the front, everyone's gaze—whether overt or covert—was fixed on the dish before Senzaemon.
The old man split apart a pair of chopsticks and gently poked the tamago tofu.
It was perfectly springy, and its golden exterior looked utterly appetizing.
With a solemn expression, he picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth.
Instantly—a clothes explosion occured! Another dish perfected to the extreme!
"Nakiri-san, please put your clothes back on." Yuto's voice drifted wearily from the kitchen, tinged with heavy resignation.
"Delicious!" Senzaemon praised with immense satisfaction before somehow producing another set of clothes and putting them on.
Beside him, Erina couldn't hide her astonishment.
Just then, Yuto emerged once more.
"Here, your tamagoyaki." He set the dish down and left again.
Erina stared silently at the tamagoyaki, which was cut into three segments.
Finally, she picked up her chopsticks. The moment the soft egg touched her tongue, she found herself captivated once more, even on a second tasting, she couldn't resist its deliciousness.
After eating just the first segment, she could barely pull herself out of her trance.
If she continued eating, she feared it would be exactly like last night—once again needing Hisako to wake her up.
She forcibly suppressed the inner turmoil stirred by the dish before her, though in truth, her attempt at concealment was rather ineffective.
She set down her chopsticks and simply waited silently for Hisako's rice balls to be ready.
Coming here tonight was partly about eating, but that wasn't the most crucial reason.
Swish—
The shop door chimed once more.
Yuto glanced through the gap in the curtain.
It was Saitama.
Today, his hair seemed even sparser than before.
"Kamisaka, udon noodles!" As always, Saitama ordered a bowl of udon before taking a seat to the side.
He gave Utaha, the Nakiris, and Hisako a somewhat puzzled look.
"Quite rare to see so many people here." Saitama chuckled foolishly.
"Alright, I'll cook it for you right away."
Yuto and Saitama were old acquaintances.
Every time Saitama ordered here, it was always the cheapest item on the menu.
Udon noodles were what he ordered most frequently because at Yuto's place, they only cost 500 yen.
The bowl included shiitake mushrooms, fish cake, and even half a boiled egg, it was a very economical dish.
In fact, Yuto had specifically set this up to accommodate customers who were a bit short on money, selling it right at cost price just to cover the gas fee.
Since Saitama ordered this every time, Yuto knew the man's financial situation wasn't good.
'Sigh, how pitiful. Not only he's broke but he's balding too...' Yuto still felt quite sorry for him.
...
Hisako's rice balls were ready, but since Yuto had gone back inside to cook the udon, the question Erina wanted to ask was delayed once again.
Beside her, with each bite of the rice ball, Hisako would happily murmur softly.
Though her narrowed eyes made it hard to discern her exact expression, a smiling face doesn't lie.
At this moment, Hisako was joyful and truly happy because of the delicious food.
Seeing her closest companion like this, Erina sighed silently in her heart.
Her own cooking had never brought Hisako such genuine happiness.
She felt a faint twinge of jealousy toward Yuto, but buried deepest in her heart was a wisp of faint envy.
If only her cooking could also make Hisako this happy... how wonderful that would be.
The young girl lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if gently stirred by a breeze.
"Here! Udon noodles!" Yuto cheerfully brought out the bowl he had prepared for Saitama.
The steaming noodles bathed in a rich, clear broth.
Two shiitake mushrooms were adorably placed at the edge of the bowl, while a few green vegetables stretched out from beneath the noodles, extending past the rim.
Right in the center lay two halves of an egg, cut from a single boiled egg.
"Hiss— Still as amazing as ever!" Saitama took a deep breath of the aroma, his facial expression relaxing completely.
"Naturally!" Yuto chuckled lightly.
"Itadakimasu!" Saitama clasped his hands together, recited the phrase, then snapped apart his chopsticks and immediately began eating.
Only at such moments would his usually expressionless face show a genuine hint of satisfaction.
"Kamisaka Yuto."
Yuto, who had been smiling while watching Saitama eat, turned to look at the girl who had called his name.
Erina's expression was very serious, with tiny sparks of light shimmering in her eyes.
He understood that she couldn't let go of what had happened this morning.
That was why he had been prepared ever since she entered the shop!
Come on, he wanted to see what she was going to do.
"Nakiri-san, what's the matter?" Yuto suppressed his gentle smile, becoming serious instead.
As the two spoke, the atmosphere in the small restaurant suddenly turned somewhat strange inexplicably growing tense.
Utaha looked between the two of them with strange confusion, she really wanted to know what was going on.
Saitama, meanwhile, just continued burying his head in his noodles.
"I want to ask you, how do you view cooking?"
Before coming here, Erina had thought about many things, and there were countless questions she wanted to ask him.
She felt frustrated that he would stay in such a simple little restaurant, angry that he refused her Shokugeki challenge, yet she also found herself agreeing with what he had told Hisako in the car.
There were too many questions—if she tried to interrogate him about each one, it would take until dawn.
After thinking for a long time, she decided to ask just one question.
A simple yet complex question, seemingly ordinary but actually fundamental.
This one question would be enough, it was a question that went straight to a chef's heart, one that could fundamentally help her understand him.
Yuto looked slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected her to ask such a question.
He had originally prepared himself for difficulties and accusations, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary now.
"View cooking... hmm..." Yuto thought briefly before speaking. "I just feel there's no need to make it so complicated. Do you think this plate of tamagoyaki is delicious?"
Instead of answering, he asked her a question of his own.
Erina was momentarily stunned while instinctively nodding her head.
By the time she regained her composure, Yuto had already revealed a gentle smile.
"Isn't that enough? I can't think of too many adjectives, but... I think delicious cooking isn't just about the food itself. What makes me happy is when customers can say 'it's delicious' with genuine satisfaction. The fundamental value of cooking lies between people—what value does it have by itself?"
Yuto's gaze drifted slightly into the distance. "My mother was terrible at cooking, and while I was searching everywhere for delicious food, I unconsciously became what people call a chef. But in the end, those disgusting dishes my mother made were still the most delicious food to me."
As he finished speaking, warmth quietly shimmered within his eyes.
When Erina heard his answer, she fell completely silent.
He had denied the inherent value of cuisine itself, something her principles could never allow to be justified.
But when she wanted to open her mouth to refute him... she found herself entirely unable to speak.
The atmosphere in the small restaurant grew quiet.
Everyone was silent.
But Saitama was still buried in his noodles.