The small street-side restaurant called Yukihira Diner was lively, more than Sato expected, even after noticing the noise from outside.
Inside, the place was packed. People stood shoulder to shoulder, craning their necks to peer into the back of the shop. Faces were flushed, voices loud, fists clenched with excitement as cheers filled the air.
"There's way too many people here. Are they holding some kind of event?"
Sato stared in surprise at the crowd before him.
He tried standing on tiptoe to get a better look, but still couldn't see a thing. It wasn't that he was short, he was actually pretty tall for his age but everyone in front of him was doing the exact same thing, stretching their necks and blocking the view completely.
Seriously?! Can't any of you sit down? What's the hype all about? Isn't just food?!
After pushing forward a little and pulling off a few expert side steps, Sato finally found a decent angle.
His gaze broke through the wall of bodies and landed on the scene at the front.
Oil sizzled in the pan. The scent of stir-frying food filled the air, mingling with the sound of the crowd's enthusiastic shouts.
A cooking competition?
"What's going on in there?"
Gabriel tiptoed and tried to look over the crowd too but with her height, it was an impossible task.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly in frustration.
Is she mad?
Wait, aren't you an angel?!
Sato glanced at Gabriel, slightly skeptical. She was supposed to be an angel, yet somehow managed to look… ridiculously adorable.
Don't angels have like, clairvoyance or telepathy or something?
...Telepathy?
Oh crap, what if she heard me gooning just now?!
But still… from this angle, she really did look cute. Maybe angels were naturally this cute?
"They're having a cooking competition in there," Sato explained, finally giving in as he noticed her struggle. His gaze lingered, half amused, on her tragically short stature.
"Huh? A cooking competition? Sugoi!"
Whether it was truly amazing or not, the contest at the front had just wrapped up, and the crowd erupted in applause. People looked excited, some practically vibrating with energy.
Both Sato and Gabriel caught a whiff of the dish just served: the rich aroma of rice mingled with egg.
Fried rice?
It smelled familiar, and yet something about the scent felt unique.
The crowd began to stir again, jostling for a better view. They were like a pack of starving baboons, red-faced and wild-eyed, surging forward in desperation.
"Boss, pick me! I'm one of your oldest customers!"
"Jouichirou! I come to your place multiple times a week, you can't ignore me this time!"
"I haven't been a judge in over a month! Don't skip me again!"
"Liar! You were picked just last week!"
"You're one to talk! Weren't you the judge the week before that?!"
"Didn't I say I wasn't?"
"Bull—!"
The crowd's shouting was filled with fervor and competitiveness, which said a lot about how skilled and beloved the chef must be.
At the front, Yukihira Jouichirou smiled calmly as he scanned the audience, picking out a few familiar faces from the sea of hopefuls.
Beside him stood a red-haired teenager with his arms crossed and a deep breath drawn into his lungs.
After selecting three judges, Jouichirou's gaze swept over the crowd again.
Suddenly, his eyes paused, he'd spotted someone on the edge of the crowd.
Smiling, he called out, "You there, the young man! Want to give it a try?"
Whoosh!
Everyone's eyes turned to see who he was pointing at, revealing Sato and Gabriel.
Jouichirou raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A new face."
"First time here, huh? Lucky guy getting picked on your first visit. You're in for a treat, the boss's cooking is something else."
"Ha, though Soma's dishes aren't half bad either!"
"Well, sure, but he's lost over 400 times already, hasn't he? Haha!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
The red-haired boy, Yukihira Soma gritted his teeth at the jab, fists clenched. He shot a glare at the customers before declaring with renewed spirit, "This time, I'm going to win!"
Jouichirou chuckled at Soma's declaration but said nothing. With a toothpick between his lips and a relaxed grin, he turned back to Sato. "What do you say, kid? Want to be a judge?"
Then his gaze shifted to Gabriel.
"Of course, the little lady next to you is welcome to join too. Let's call it a new customer perk."
Gabriel eagerly nodded.
Sato didn't mind either. Curious and amused, he walked up to the front with Gabriel and the other chosen judges.
The so-called "judging area" was really just the front row of tables.
Looking around, Sato found the whole situation unexpectedly entertaining. He'd only just moved here and was already caught up in something this fun.
A cooking competition!
He suddenly felt like a character in a shonen manga.
Once the judges were seated, Jouichirou and Soma began plating their dishes, each dividing their fried rice into several portions and setting them in front of the judges.
Sato looked at the two dishes before him and wasn't the least bit surprised.
Golden grains of rice glistened with oil, each piece separate and shining: it was classic egg fried rice.
A staple of culinary duels. It's said the simpler the dish, the more it reveals a chef's skill and it's true. The more complex a dish, the more room for subjective opinions. But simple dishes are brutally honest.
The mouthwatering aroma filled the room, lingering in everyone's nostrils despite the dense crowd.
"So fragrant!"
"Right? Food served during these competitions always tastes different than usual!"
"What a pity I'm not judging!"
The other three judges looked like regulars, their eyes sparkling with anticipation as they stared at the fried rice before them, true food lovers through and through.
"Strange food…"
Gabriel murmured under her breath, drawing Sato's attention and Jouichirou's.
A glint flashed through Jouichirou's eyes as his curiosity was piqued.
Soma carefully placed his portions in front of each judge. The fried rice glowed a rich golden yellow, every grain perfectly cooked.
"Everyone, please enjoy," Jouichirou said with a smile.