The Izakaya was bustling at night right after opening.
This was because Nakiri Erina from Totsuki Culinary Academy had started working here part-time.
If there's one Japanese dish that can make one's heart flutter, tuna Sashimi is definitely in the top three, and the process of a tuna becoming Sashimi is often a display of cutting technique!
At the counter, Erina skillfully pulled up a fin and carefully cut the fish meat from the tuna's neck.
Then, she made an incision along the back and removed a large piece of back meat.
Next, she separated the meat on both sides of the tuna's belly from the bones, holding the knife at a 90-degree angle to the fish meat.
Then, she cut straight down, quickly slicing the fish meat into thin pieces.
...
"How was it?"
Putting away his chef's knife, Erina glanced at Sosuke and asked softly.
"I admit you have great talent."
Looking at the smoothly sliced tuna on the cutting board, Sosuke couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
"Well… of course! After all, I've served as a supervisor for many major restaurants!"
Upon receiving the compliment, Erina felt a little happy.
"Good, now go cut all those sausages next to you into octopus shapes. Many customers have been enjoying octopus sausages lately, so make sure to cut plenty."
"Okay, no problem!"
Nakiri Erina agreed without a second thought and continued to busy herself.
At first, Sosuke was worried that her tsundere personality would cause a lot of trouble for the Izakaya, but he never expected her to work so diligently on her first part-time job!
And with her help, he and Kuguchi Sonoka were even more relaxed.
...
Alcohol is the core of an Izakaya.
Many people in Japan will only ever love one brand, one type of alcohol, in their lifetime, and many breweries have been passed down for centuries because of this love and dedication.
Of course, besides alcohol, there are other things, for example:
Recently.
Sosuke made a Genmaicha.
Genmaicha is simply roasted brown rice mixed with green tea, but perhaps because "brown rice tea" doesn't sound as good, it's called Genmaicha.
Just a light sip, and you can feel the faint, subtle fragrance of traditional Japanese green tea, along with the unique aroma of specially roasted rice.
It's quiet and elegant, warm and mellow.
Especially when the Genmaicha spreads in the mouth, one can feel its rich layers and subtle changes in flavor.
This inexplicable taste experience gradually brought joy to Tadokoro Megumi, who came to the Izakaya tonight.
Afterward, she slowly opened her eyes and was slightly startled to see Nakiri Erina next to her, who was processing sausages!
Although she and Erina both enrolled in Totsuki Culinary Academy when they were in middle school.
However, in reality, the two had little interaction; their relationship could be described as strangers, as their status was clearly defined: one was the noble young lady of the Nakiri family, and the other was a "country bumpkin" from the countryside.
"I really didn't expect Miss Erina to be at an Izakaya."
Withdrawing her gaze, Tadokoro Megumi sighed slightly.
"What?"
"Can't I be here?"
Erina, having overheard this, stopped her work, looked up, and stared deeply at Tadokoro Megumi.
Perhaps she had one or two encounters with Tadokoro Megumi when she used to visit the Izakaya, but what truly left a deep impression on her was during the Practical Training.
One must know that in middle school, Erina wouldn't even bother to glance at a low-achiever like Tadokoro Megumi when she walked by, yet it was precisely this unassuming "small fry" who managed to overcome all obstacles and ultimately pass the rigorous training camp with excellent results!
"No, no, no, I mean… why are you cutting sausages?"
Tadokoro Megumi, flustered, quickly waved her hands and replied awkwardly.
"As you can see, I chose to work here part-time during this holiday."
Erina said calmly.
"Part-time?"
Tadokoro Megumi was stunned.
Finally, her expression turned exceptionally surprised!
Who would have thought that a famous young lady of the Nakiri family at Totsuki Culinary Academy would consider working part-time at such an Izakaya?
...
Amidst her shock, she quickly picked up her teacup and took a sip of Genmaicha.
The fragrant brown rice tea slowly seeped into her throat, instantly allowing Tadokoro Megumi to feel a lingering aftertaste, which gradually calmed her restless heart.
Soon, her thoughts drifted to her childhood ten years ago.
She vaguely remembered that her hometown was in Ibaraki Prefecture in the northeast, where it snowed heavily in winter and was very, very cold.
But because it was close to the port, she often saw fishermen going out in their boats and returning quickly with a full catch.
What impressed her most was that when she saw those fishermen fishing, if they were lucky enough to catch an anglerfish, they would immediately process it on the spot using the hanging method.
And that scene of slaughter always left her deeply shocked whenever she recalled it.
Driven by strong curiosity and also for her mother, she began to follow these fishermen and learn for a period of time.
Finally, she learned this hanging method.
"Chef, thank you so much this time."
"You don't know how strict that assessment led by Shinomiya-senpai was."
"And I was unlucky enough to even get a wilted lettuce. I was really on the verge of tears at the time!"
"Fortunately, I remembered that method to restore wilted vegetables to freshness, and I barely passed by relying on the improved vegetable terrine."
Tadokoro Megumi slowly opened her eyes again, glancing slightly at Sosuke beside her.
Finally, she was able to recount the thrilling assessment to him with a calm demeanor.
"I just gave you some small tips; they couldn't have influenced much."
"On the contrary, that you were able to convince Shinomiya with your improved dish under those circumstances is what surprised me the most."
Sosuke, hearing the full story of this matter, knew that due to his appearance, this incident had deviated greatly from the original plot, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Just like Mito Ikumi last time, Tadokoro Megumi's own life trajectory was also quietly changing!
...
"Chef, you're too kind."
"I know very well that the reason for my rapid progress during this time is entirely due to your help behind the scenes."
"So, when the Practical Training ended, the first person I thought of was you, followed by my mother, and the neighbors in my hometown who have always silently encouraged me."
"Oh, by the way, I'm going back to my hometown in a couple of days."
"I'll bring back some local specialties then and give some to you, Chef, as a token of my appreciation."
As she finished speaking, Tadokoro Megumi blinked her bright eyes, seemingly a little excited and hopeful.
In the past, because of her poor grades, she always felt ashamed to return to her hometown and face her mother. But now it was different; she had not only escaped the predicament of facing expulsion but had also successfully passed the Practical Training, which had a 50% elimination rate!
Therefore, she wanted to take advantage of this holiday to personally return home and deliver this good news to her mother.
"Heh, I can tell."
"You're a good girl who cares for her family. Anyone who marries you in the future will have accumulated blessings for eight lifetimes!"
Seeing this, Sosuke merely smiled faintly.
"No, no, no."
"I… how can I be as good as you say, Chef?"
Upon hearing this, Tadokoro Megumi's cheeks flushed, and then, to change the awkward topic, she added, "Chef, can you… can you process anglerfish using the hanging method?"
"Of course!"
"And coincidentally, I just happen to have an anglerfish here, so would you like me to demonstrate it for you?"
------------------------
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