"Yes! I'll go try again right away!"
The pain from her palm woke Hisako Arato, but she didn't feel angry. Instead, she nodded seriously in agreement. After quickly finishing the Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers in front of her, she trotted back to the cooking station and began cooking according to Dylan's instructions.
Combining medicinal cuisine and traditional dishes was inherently very difficult; even a Special Grade Chef might not do it well, let alone her. Failure, failure, constant failure! Redo, redo, constant redos! Hisako Arato seemed possessed, constantly trying at her cooking station, stir-frying a portion and eating a portion, until she couldn't eat anymore.
"Hisako..."
Looking at Hisako Arato, who had entered a frenzied cooking mode, Nakiri Erina's eyes revealed a hint of worry, but she didn't step forward. This was the path Hisako had chosen for herself; she couldn't interfere. All she could do was offer encouragement and support from behind when she was tired.
"Teacher, this is my dish."
Having also failed and retried several times, Nakiri Erina placed her latest creation before Dylan, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Still not enough control over the heat. You'll need to practice this more on your own. But it's a lot better than at the beginning. I'll count it as a pass."
Tasting Nakiri Erina's dish, Dylan nodded, a smile appearing on his face. And his words caused the surrounding students, who had been staring at them, curious about his evaluation, to show expressions of shock.
"As expected of that Erina! Possessing a top-tier talent like the God Tongue, she even managed to pass this teacher's cooking assessment!"
"I'm guilty. I thought earlier that the teacher deliberately didn't want anyone to pass because of our initial offense. It turns out I was just too bad. How embarrassing!"
"Ahhh! What level do you have to reach to pass! Teacher Dylan's assessment feels even stricter than Teacher Chapelle's!"
The first person to pass smoothly caused a huge discussion in the classroom. Many people looked at Nakiri Erina with envious eyes, because she had stood out. Next, she could enjoy Dylan's cooking all by herself, that dish that was unforgettable just by looking at it!
"Just counted as a pass..."
Compared to the envy of others, Nakiri Erina felt a bit dejected. If her stomach hadn't reached its limit now, she would definitely have eaten the dish in front of her immediately and then gone to cook another pot! She was never someone who settled for "good enough." In every assessment, she had to do her best and get an A grade from the instructor, without exception!
However, this time... Nakiri Erina bit her lower lip, crossed her arms forcefully, and looked somewhat humiliated as Dylan wrote a C grade on her evaluation sheet. Her first C grade in her life.
Very good, man, you've caught my attention!
"Keep working hard. Your potential shouldn't be just this. The best way to improve your culinary skills is to constantly practice the fundamentals. For now, abandon your God Tongue; you rely on it a bit too much!"
"Yes, Teacher Dylan!"
Nakiri Erina nodded forcefully. Since Dylan said her heat control was lacking, she would just practice desperately when she got back! Coincidentally, this weekend was after today. After class, she would ask him where he lived and visit him on the weekend to ask for guidance!
As long as she utilized her rest time, she could definitely become strong quickly! And Nakiri Alice was still stagnating somewhere. If this continued, she could surpass her in no time. It was truly something to look forward to! That mere Alice, actually making her call her "sister," just because she was born a few months earlier. She would never be subservient to anyone!
As if thinking of something, Nakiri Erina's lips curved upwards unnaturally. Then she retreated to the back, her heart looking forward to Dylan's cooking. That was flowing light grade cuisine! Although as the young lady of Totsuki Academy, she had eaten many luminous dishes, this was the first time she had seen flowing light grade. The shock it brought her earlier, and the magical aroma of the dish, were truly unforgettable, even now. Such a dish, as long as she could taste it, she would be willing to give anything!
"Teacher, I..."
"Poor knife skills, poor heat control, this kind of thing can't possibly pass. Eat it all yourself. Next time you serve such garbage, get out."
Someone saw Dylan finally let someone pass and thought he had relaxed the conditions, so they brought their freshly cooked Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers forward. However, with just a glance, they were mercilessly reprimanded in public, which made them feel ashamed and silently retreat into the crowd.
This time, those who weren't very confident in their cooking also retreated, lowering their heads and eating by themselves. The classroom once again fell into silence; no one dared to bring their dishes up anymore. And Dylan was happy to be at leisure, sitting on the podium with his eyes closed and arms crossed, waiting for the dismissal bell to ring.
"Hehehe, teacher, look at mine. After six repeated adjustments, this time it will definitely meet your requirements! Please see, Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers with a forest flavor!"
At the same time, a somewhat energetic voice sounded beside his ear. Opening his eyes, he found Yuki Yoshino had come before him.
"Smart, you switched the apple to green apple. This way, it won't go mushy during stir-frying and will retain the crispness of the ingredients."
Looking at the dish before him, Dylan praised her. No matter what, progress was good. Only by constantly progressing could one climb to the peak!
"This is all thanks to Teacher Dylan's good teaching. If it weren't for your guidance, teacher, I would never have thought of it on my own."
"I just gave a little guidance; it was mostly your idea."
Hearing Dylan's praise, Yuki Yoshino scratched her head in embarrassment, sticking out her tongue and making a cute expression. It had to be said, the girl's innocent appearance paired with such an expression was indeed delightful, giving off the feeling of a girl next door.
"Green apples have a bit more acidity than fully ripe apples, generally presenting a sweet and sour taste, which pairs well with dishes like Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers because it combines many flavors. At the same time, green apples have a crisper texture. When shredded, they don't break easily during stir-frying, and in terms of flavor, they are also fresher, with a kind of youthful beauty. The mushroom slivers are soft, glutinous, and fragrant, complementing the texture of the green apple slivers. Overall, the keynote is undoubtedly Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers. Very good, you pass too!"
Dylan nodded, announcing the passing of the assessment. Compared to the passerby characters, these girls who had a lot of screen time in the main story were clearly a notch higher in strength, reaching the level of Second-Class Chefs.
"Really? Yay!"
Hearing Dylan's words, Yuki Yoshino immediately jumped up excitedly. She hadn't managed to grab any food earlier because she was at the back. But, from the crazy looks of the crowd and Megumi's subsequent description, she had developed a strong interest in the Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers Dylan made. So she cooked with all her might and finally finished cooking before class ended! And successfully passed the assessment.
"What are you afraid of? If you've finished cooking, hurry up and bring it over. I'm not going to eat you!"
Just then, Dylan's voice sounded. Looking at the timid girl behind Yuki Yoshino, he really couldn't hold back anymore. Retracting his earlier statement, there was indeed something wrong with this Megumi Tadokoro. He didn't know what had happened to her before to make her so unconfident!
And seeing him look over, his voice slightly stern, Megumi Tadokoro carefully served the dish.
"Teacher, I..."
"I don't know what you've experienced before, but your ideas and creativity are very good, at least stronger than these useless trashes around."
Looking at Megumi Tadokoro, whose expression was stiff and who seemed hesitant to say something, Dylan waved his hand, interrupting her.
"So, you don't need to be so timid, understand, Miss Tadokoro Megumi?"
When Megumi Tadokoro came before him, Dylan couldn't help but raise his hand and gently pinch her face, his voice full of dissatisfaction with her.
"Be a little more confident. When the judges see you with a sad face, even if your cooking tastes good, they'll probably deduct points in their hearts."
Looking at Megumi Tadokoro with a sad face, Dylan's voice was full of helplessness. What should he do with this girl? This clearly wouldn't work in the long run. What a troublesome fellow.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, I understand, teacher!"
Feeling the pain from her face, Megumi Tadokoro sucked in a breath of cold air and cried out in pain. Dylan finally came to his senses and released his hand. Although this was an overly intimate gesture, because she knew Dylan was doing it for her own good, Megumi Tadokoro wasn't angry. On the contrary, she felt a bit happy. After this little interaction, she felt much closer to Dylan. Perhaps next time she cooked, she wouldn't be so nervous.
Speaking of which, the main reason she became nervous again was that Dylan was too strict with the other students. Except for a few, most didn't even taste the dishes. He just glanced at them, pointed out the flaws, then mocked them with a cold face and told them to eat it themselves. She was afraid she would be like that too, so she had been shrinking back, afraid to step forward. The reason she came up now was mainly because class was about to end. No tasting meant no grade, so she mustered the courage to present her dish.
"Speaking of which, how did you think of using ripe persimmons? This reminds me of a good chef. He also once created a dish of green pepper pork slivers made with ripe persimmons. It's quite similar to yours."
Dylan tasted as he spoke. Megumi Tadokoro using ripe persimmons instead of sugar to make Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers indeed surprised him somewhat. Although the taste wasn't that stunning, the creativity was very good.
Megumi Tadokoro's creativity clashed with that of Liu Mao (Mao from Chuuka Ichiban!) when he was an assistant cook at Yangquan Restaurant. The only difference was that Liu Mao made green pepper pork slivers at that time, while Megumi Tadokoro made Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers. The application was slightly different.
"Because when persimmons are ripe, their sweetness is at its peak. So I mashed the persimmons to replace the sweetness of sugar, then adjusted the normal fish-fragrant sauce and tried stir-frying. The result was unexpectedly good. As for why I thought of using persimmons, it was mainly because there were too many persimmons in the orchard a few days ago and no one was eating them. I thought it was too wasteful to throw them away, so I made them into dried persimmons, and then tried many innovative dishes. I felt I could use ripe persimmons relatively skillfully, so I used them in this dish."
Megumi Tadokoro replied somewhat shyly. Because it was persimmon season, many had fallen in the back mountain of Polar Star Dormitory. She felt it was too wasteful to throw them away, but eating them directly would be cloying, so she started researching and trying, creating persimmon dishes that everyone could accept.
"Megumi's persimmon dishes are great! Every time, she can perfectly blend the taste of persimmons into other dishes. It's really amazing!"
Looking at the somewhat reserved Megumi Tadokoro, Yuki Yoshino spoke up for her from the side. This wasn't a lie; Megumi Tadokoro's persimmon dishes were indeed great, making it so that one wouldn't get tired of eating them.
"The quality of frugality has improved your culinary skills. The taste of persimmons makes the flavor of Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers more mellow, with the purest fragrance. Furthermore, the natural and simple original taste of overripe persimmons pairs very well with the taste of vegetables, further highlighting the crispness and tenderness of Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers, presenting a relatively perfect Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers."
Feeling the taste in his mouth, Dylan nodded in praise, an expression of enjoyment on his face. This girl had really given him a big surprise!
"Your cooking is very good. I see in it your persistence and creativity as a chef, so I've decided to give you the highest score in the class. Your skills are very good, keep it up."
Dylan said as he picked up Megumi Tadokoro's evaluation sheet and wrote an A grade on it. There was certainly a factor of wanting her to be more confident, but more importantly, her cooking was excellent enough, truly the best in the class. Furthermore, the quality of frugality also deeply won his heart!
"That's great, Megumi! You got the highest score today!"
Looking at the evaluation sheet in Dylan's hand, Yuki Yoshino very happily hugged Megumi Tadokoro. She looked even happier than if she had gotten an A herself. As good friends, she was really happy that Megumi Tadokoro could be valued!
"This girl actually got the highest score?"
"Fake, right? Isn't she always at the bottom of the class? How could she have such strength?"
At the same time, scattered discussions were heard from the surroundings. Although not loud, they clearly pierced Megumi Tadokoro's ears.
"I got the highest score? Wouldn't that be not so good..."
Feeling the shocked gazes of the surrounding people and hearing their whispered discussions, all surprised that she, usually at the bottom of the class, had now gotten first place, made her somewhat flustered.
"Getting the highest score, all you need to do is be happy, not doubt yourself, because you're not doubting yourself, but me! As for the others? If you're useless, don't drag others down with you! Cooking assessments are just a quantification of on-the-spot performance and cannot represent a chef's level!"
Looking at Megumi Tadokoro's timid appearance, Dylan's voice suddenly turned cold, with a hint of "hating iron for not becoming steel." This girl's skills were clearly good, but her grades were very poor due to her inferiority complex. This wouldn't do! He had to find a way to completely correct this in the future. As long as he could correct this kind of personality, her progress would be very astonishing! Because Megumi Tadokoro's foundation was very solid, even Erina couldn't compare. What she needed to do now was to transform these foundations into combat power.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you at all!"
Seeing that she seemed to have misspoken, Megumi Tadokoro hurriedly apologized, simultaneously flusteredly indicating that she didn't mean that, afraid that Dylan would be angry because of it.
"Can I try it too?"
At the same time, Nakiri Erina's voice sounded from the side, causing several people to look over. Dylan nodded slightly.
"Try it, then think about what's lacking in your own cooking. This persimmon version of Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers can answer your doubts very well."
Dylan said as he handed over his chopsticks. Nakiri Erina took them, stood in front of him, reached out, and picked up a piece of the persimmon version of Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers, savoring it carefully. Overripe persimmons had an exceptionally rich sweetness, which meant no extra sugar was needed for the dish, and it also had a strong persimmon aroma. That mellow taste was unique to persimmons. Compared to the ordinary version of Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers, this one had a significantly more prominent flavor!
"Is this what it means to integrate innovation into cooking? So that's how it feels... You don't need to belittle yourself. This dish is indeed excellent and deserves the A grade evaluation."
As if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind, Nakiri Erina opened her eyes, more deeply understanding the meaning of Dylan's earlier words. Fusion wasn't a simple one-plus-one; it required a deeper analysis of the essence of cooking. The blue-haired girl with twin braids in front of her could actually do this... truly not to be underestimated! Why had she never had any impression of her before?
"Thank you."
Hearing Nakiri Erina's voice, Megumi Tadokoro was immediately flattered, a blush appearing on her face.
"What's your name? With such amazing culinary skills, you shouldn't be unknown."
"My name is Megumi Tadokoro. This was actually an accident. Because I had specifically researched it before, it went so smoothly..."
Megumi Tadokoro said with a slightly flushed face, then added another sentence as if worried about something.
"Research before cooking is called accumulation; it's not something to be ashamed of. Megumi Tadokoro, right? I'll remember this name."
Nakiri Erina nodded, indicating that she had remembered her name.
"Alright, it's getting late. Is there anyone else who wants to bring their dish up?"
As he spoke, Dylan turned his gaze to Hisako Arato. A dish was placed in front of her. She supported herself on the cooking station with both hands, not taking any action when she heard his words.
"Looks like she failed."
Dylan thought to himself. This was also normal. Wanting to combine medicinal cuisine and Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers was really difficult for a Second-Class Chef. It wasn't that Hisako Arato was bad, but with the knowledge of a Second-Class Chef, it was simply not enough to support the complex medicinal principles of improved medicinal cuisine. Even if Hisako Arato was born into a family of medicinal cuisine, the strongest in her family was only a Two-Star Special Grade Chef, and the things they could teach her were very limited.
Thinking of this, Dylan retracted his gaze, not having any intention of saying anything. If she couldn't even face her own lack of ability, she might as well give up being a chef. Because as cooking progressed, this kind of thing would only happen more and more! People who were proficient in all aspects were, after all, in the minority.
"Hisako..."
Looking at the motionless Hisako Arato, Nakiri Erina called out worriedly, but received no response.
"Ding ding ding~"
At the same time, the dismissal bell rang. Looking at the white figure who had unknowingly appeared at the classroom door, silently waiting for him, Dylan's face showed a smile.
_____
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