47 Erina's Little Secret
"Yu!"
"Kiss... Kiss me!"
"Huh? Do you really want to kiss me?" At this moment, Erina, who was secretly reading the manga "The Place of Meeting" in her dormitory, blushed bright red.
With excitement and anticipation, she wanted to flip through to see the subsequent orthopedic plot, but...
"Why is it gone again?"
"Seriously... Did they really kiss in the end?"
"Every time they get to the most agonizing part of the story, that darn author just abruptly ends it. I really want to send him a razor blade!" Closing the manga she had just finished, Erina seemed not fully satisfied.
Finally, she couldn't help but turn to her roommate, Hisako Arata, who was browsing a manga website on the computer, and asked in a soft voice, "Hisako, what about the next one?"
"Miss, are you talking about 'The Place of Meeting'?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"It's not available. The author has only drawn up to here. If you want to read more, you'll probably have to wait until next Monday!" Hisako continued browsing the manga website, carefully selecting some that she thought would suit Erina's taste.
"Monday?"
"It's only Tuesday today."
"I have to wait a few more days to see the rest of the story?"
Hearing Hisako's explanation, Erina's watery eyes suddenly became dim.
Oh! So annoying!
I really want to find the address of that darn author.
Then I'll mail him a ton of razor blades and make him work overtime every day for updates.
...
At first, Erina used to look down on these manga and light novels.
After all, in her subconscious, she always thought these things were vulgar stuff only "commoners" would like!
However, for a 16-year-old girl in her prime, these things were a "mental food" to pass the time.
Lately, she became very obsessed, sometimes even forgetting to eat while indulging in them!
Of course, based on the original story, Erina's hobbies weren't limited to just cooking and manga.
During her residential training, she enjoyed playing cards secretly with Hisako Arata at night, and even hummed tunes in places where no one could see.
As Hisako, her secretary, found out about her recent fondness for manga and light novels, she stayed up late browsing online to help her choose some.
Her reading speed was astonishing, as every night she could quickly finish reading around ten light novels or watching several manga series!
Initially, Hisako found it challenging to pick because she didn't know what genres and types Erina liked.
But gradually, as she got to know her better, she found out that Erina seemed to enjoy those "pure" stories.
Therefore, during this period, Hisako would recommend these types of manga to her to keep her satisfied!
...
"Miss."
"On my way back from buying manga, guess who I saw?"
Thinking about something, Hisako asked Erina mysteriously.
"Who?"
With a slightly downcast mood, Erina paused.
Hisako casually mentioned, "Alice."
"Her?"
"Isn't she always in Northern Europe?"
Erina, upon hearing this, looked surprised, her beautiful eyes shimmering.
She remembered that before the age of 5, she and her cousin Alice Nagikiri had lived together.
But after that, she went to Northern Europe, and they gradually lost touch, even the correspondence faded away.
So much so that Erina had almost forgotten about her cousin!
"Miss, what do you think Alice's purpose is for coming to the Academy?" Hisako continued the conversation.
Erina raised an eyebrow and calmly replied, "Whatever her purpose, she's the person who most wants to defeat me in the world, but I'm not afraid."
"Just with her talent, she's far from surpassing me yet!"
"Don't worry, Miss, in my eyes, you're always the strongest and the best!"
Hisako quickly praised her, then added, "But it seems like she returned to Totsuki Academy this time with a follower..."
"Based on my intuition, although this follower may seem lazy, their strength might surpass Alice's. So Miss Erina, you'd better not underestimate them."
"I don't care who they are, one day I'll step on all of them and stand at the top of Totsuki Academy!"
Erina's eyes turned cold instantly, as she let out a cold hum.
Her current goal was to reach the highest position at Totsuki before graduation, upholding the honor of the Nakamachi family.
She might have some familial feelings towards Alice, but if even she obstructed her path, Erina wouldn't show any mercy!
...
"By the way, did she catch you when you came back?"
Thinking of a serious issue, Erina anxiously asked Hisako.
"No, not at all."
"Miss, trust me."
"Every time I go out to buy manga and light novels, I wear a duckbill hat, sunglasses, and a mask. If I'm not completely covered up, I won't go out."
"The average person wouldn't recognize me as your secretary if they saw me."
"And it's late at night with poor lighting, so Alice probably didn't notice me, right?"
Seeing Erina's concern, Hisako reassured her confidently.
"Okay!"
"That's good."
"But she must never find out this secret!"
With that thought, Erina's tension eased.
If her cousin found out that the dignified Erina had recently developed a liking for such things, she would be utterly embarrassed in front of her!
...
Loneliness, hungry stomach!
These are the two worst things in life.
But luckily, at night, there was the tavern run by Zane.
Warm food, a slightly tipsy atmosphere, in this bustling city, always soothing the emptiest hearts and stomachs!
Gurgle gurgle!
Gurgle gurgle!
At that moment, placed in front of Rindo was a fugu meat hot pot bubbling with gurgling sounds.
Looking closely, this fugu hot pot used a special paper pot.
The ingredients in the pot were diverse, including fugu skin, bone-in fugu meat chunks, and a variety of vegetables such as carrot, mushrooms, green vegetables, tofu, and more.
Compared to the earlier fugu sashimi, the ingredients were considered very rich!
—---
Place the bone-in fugu meat in the pot and let it slowly stew.
When the time is right, take it out and its crispy texture would make even Rindo exclaim in praise.
A fugu feast is like a complex and difficult drama!
Whether it's the steaming fugu hot pot or the golden and crispy fried fugu, or the incredibly delicious fugu medley...
Even though each dish uses different parts of fugu, for Rindo who loves to eat, each one is an irreplaceable delicacy.
...
At night, the tavern is open for business.
Every day there are new customers, but there are also regulars, such as:
After Rindo, three female students from the Totsuki Polar Dormitory also came to the tavern together!
"Cheers, cheers!"
"Let's toast to creating more brilliance in the new semester!"
Inside the tavern, the lively Yuuki first lifted a cup of tea, clinked glasses with her two dormitory friends Ryoko and Megumi, and then drank it all down.
Then she gently put down the teacup, her face showing great satisfaction!
Then she glanced at Megumi, who seemed very upset and always silent.
"Megumi!"
"Are you... okay?"
She reached out her arm and gently touched Megumi's arm, looking very concerned!
"Yuuki, I'm fine."
Megumi hesitated for a moment, then forced a bitter smile.
Even though she had advanced to the high school section with the lowest grades, her middle school scores still mattered and would take effect upon the start of the school year!
According to the official regulations of the Totsuki Academy, when a student receives 5 consecutive failing grades, they will be expelled for no reason.
At this point, Megumi had already "achieved" 4 failing grades and was on the verge of being expelled.
This meant that in the first class after the start of the school year, if she didn't get a grade of D or higher, she would be expelled.
As the new school year approached, Megumi became increasingly worried about her future!
...
Throughout "Food Wars," the plot definitely revolves around the theme of "growth."
This can be seen in all the main characters, and the most obvious one is Megumi.
She started out as the bottom-ranked student in the school, but later she rapidly grew to become one of the Elite Ten at the Totsuki Academy.
Obviously, her growth and experiences reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the "elite education" at Totsuki.
The pressure brought on by such intense competition really forces every student at Totsuki to grow quickly, but at the same time it also constantly messes with their mental state.
After all, this kind of competitive mechanism where once you lose, there's no hope, can really drive people crazy.
But in Zane's eyes, this delicate and gentle Megumi is truly a severely underestimated character!
If it weren't for Erina's "protagonist" halo being so strong, overshadowing her, she might ultimately be the most promising student at Totsuki!
...
"Owner, do you have any recommendations for tonight?"
"We all came together and just want... want to eat something good."
Then Yuuki looked up at Zane and asked.
She knew that Megumi was worried about what would happen after the new school year, so she wanted to use the restaurant's cooking to let her enjoy the food to the fullest and temporarily forget her worries.
"Tonight we still have some beef and a bottle of Burgundy red wine."
"And since the three of you are here together, should I make the Burgundy red wine beef stew for you?"
Zane looked at the listless Megumi and pretended to ponder for a moment before replying.
"Sure, let's do it your way, Owner."
Yuuki looked at Ryoko, and they both nodded to each other.
They certainly didn't expect the owner to actively recommend a French dish to them.
But knowing how skilled Zane was in the kitchen, they trusted that he wouldn't trick them, so they both nodded in agreement.
"Megumi, what do you think?"
Yuuki looked at Megumi and asked.
"I...I don't mind," Megumi replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Owner, then let's have a big pot of Burgundy red wine beef stew!"
"Well, I should mention that this dish needs to be stewed for over 2 hours."
"So you'll have to wait, or rather, wait a long time."
Finally, ignoring Megumi's reactions, Zane hurriedly turned back to the cooking counter, preparing to make Burgundy red wine beef stew!
---
When it comes to French people's favorite dishes, it could be this Burgundy red wine beef stew.
Even the famed French culinary ingredients like snails, foie gras, and truffles can't compare.
According to traditional recipes, this beef stew usually needs to sit overnight for the flavors to develop fully.
But in this internet age where everyone's pace of life is fast, people end up having more fast food.
So, dishes like long-stewing Burgundy red wine beef need to be adapted!
First, gather some essential ingredients like:
- 1 bottle of Burgundy red wine
- Beef
- Bacon
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Pearl onions
- Olive oil
- Garlic, dried thyme, bay leaves, parsley, and other seasonings.
Then, cut the beef into small pieces, chop the mushrooms, carrots, slice the onions, and bacon, and make sure to pat dry the beef pieces.
In a separate pot, heat a bit of olive oil, brown the beef and bacon until golden on both sides, then add the marinated onions and carrots to stir-fry briefly.
Sprinkle a bit of flour, salt, and freshly ground pepper, pour the mixture into the cast iron enamel pot!
Next, pour in the red wine, thyme, bay leaves, tomato sauce, black pepper, salt, cold water, mushrooms, and other ingredients...
Once the beef is tender, add the bacon, and continue stewing over high heat.
As time passes and after stewing for 2 hours, the Burgundy red wine beef stew dish is complete.
With swift movements, Zane quickly turned off the heat, then slowly lifted the lid under everyone's anticipation, causing steam to rise and a rich aroma to burst out.
"Here you go, this is the Burgundy red wine beef stew."
"I dared to recommend this dish to you for a reason."
"No matter how much I praise it, you'll truly understand its taste when you try it, so... please enjoy!"
