"So… what exactly do you mean when you said remember clearly?!"
"I remember the weather that day, and the rain of cherry blossoms, and the beret flying on the wind…"
"But… I really can't remember what she looked like!!"
Ryuya's face was filled with panic and anxiety. No way… no way… My memory can't really be deteriorating this badly, right?!
"That sounds exactly like a school legend," Sato said with a chuckle.
"School legend?"
Ryuya looked at him, utterly confused, clearly not following.
"You've never heard of it?"
"Heard of what?"
"The school legend at Private Mixed High, there's a rumor about a ghost girl whose presence is so faint she's almost invisible."
"She's clearly there, but people unconsciously ignore her."
"Whether it's teachers, classmates, or even friends... Everyone ends up mysteriously forgetting she exists."
"Nani?!"
Ryuya's face went pale in shock. Then, realizing something, he gave Sato a suspicious look.
"Wait… why do you know so much about this?!"
He was already a second-year, yet this was the first time he'd heard of the legend.
Sato rolled his eyes.
"Isn't it obvious? You don't care about the 3D world, so of course you wouldn't know."
"But you're a 2D guy too!"
"Stop right there. Sure, I like 2D, but I'm a real, living person. I can tell the difference between reality and fantasy."
"So Ryuya, isn't it about time you grew out of your chuunibyou phase?"
"Hmm? Oh…"
Ryuya looked at Sato and nodded faintly.
Sigh… this guy…
…
Yukihira Diner.
"Hey, you're back again, kid!"
The busy shop owner beamed when he saw Sato walk in, waving enthusiastically.
"Well, with cooking this good, of course I'll be coming back for more."
Sato smiled as he took a seat.
"Haha, enjoy it while it lasts. You might not get the chance again for a while."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"Well… I'm planning to go on a global culinary journey soon. Which means I'll be tossing that brat Soma into school."
"Wait, what?! I'm going to school?!"
Yukihira Soma burst out from the kitchen, staring at his dad in shock.
What kind of joke is this? I haven't gone to school in forever and now I'm gonna be one of those students who gets chewed out by the teacher every day?!
"Dad, are you serious?!"
Yukihira Soma looked at his father in disbelief.
"Of course. You heard me right."
"No way! I'm not going! Even if you're going off on some grand tour, I can handle the diner by myself!"
"Handle the diner? Hah…"
Yukihira Joichiro cast a glance at his son and snorted.
"You've got a long way to go before you're ready to run a restaurant. The world is full of culinary masters beyond your imagination."
"Besides, the school I'm sending you to isn't just any school, it's one that trains elite chefs. That's where I graduated from, you know…"
A nostalgic glint appeared in Joichiro's eyes, as if recalling the glory of his youth.
"Wait, what?!"
Soma clearly didn't know this, and looked stunned.
Joichiro crossed his arms and continued with pride,
"You're good for your age, but over there? That place is crawling with monsters. Back when I was there, I only made it to second seat."
"Even though I eventually surpassed Dojima, I can't deny that place was full of monsters."
"Second seat? Monsters?"
"Why does it sound like you're talking about some kind of lion's den? What is this place?"
"You'll find out when you get to Totsuki."
"Totsuki?"
Sato blinked, unable to hold back his reaction.
"Oh? You've heard of Totsuki Academy?"
Joichiro asked with surprise, interest flashing in his eyes.
Soma also looked eagerly at Sato, hoping to learn more about this mysterious school.
"Well… I'm not sure if it's the same Totsuki I know of," Sato replied, though deep down he was almost certain it was.
"Why don't you tell me about it?"
Joichiro sat casually next to Sato, looking every bit the charming, dashing middle-aged man.
Seeing his interest, Sato began,
"I used to live in the countryside. One early spring, a few close friends and I went deep into the mountains to forage for mushrooms."
"While we were there, we came across a little girl who looked a bit lost. She said she had gotten separated."
"In hindsight, it was strange. But she told us it was a test from her family, they sent her to the mountains to collect truffles."
"Even though she didn't know the paths, she was very familiar with mushroom habitats."
"With her help, we collected a bunch of mushrooms, and she eventually found a small patch of truffles."
"To thank us, she used the simplest ingredients to make us grilled mushrooms. Even now I can still remember the umami... it was a simple roast, but the flavor was incredible."
"Sometimes I think that's what real cooking is."
Sato's voice carried a tone of nostalgia as he recalled the experience.
After they brought the girl out of the mountain, someone came to pick her up almost immediately. Looking back, that kind of presence must have meant she was someone important.
Joichiro's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Do you remember her name?"
"Her name?"
Sato thought for a moment.
"I think it was Nakiri… Nakiri…"
"Nakiri Erina."
"…That's right. Huh? Wait... Boss, you know her?"
A faint flicker of memory crossed Joichiro's face, then he laughed heartily.
"Of course I know her. She's destined to become an outstanding chef!"