So, from beginning to end, unlike the combative Alice Nakiri and Yukihira Soma, she herself had no great desire to compete.
She never thought about winning against anyone or surpassing anyone; she merely didn't want to lose, didn't want to be expelled.
She was definitely grateful to Sosuke.
After all, with her abilities, she might really have failed the first assessment at the beginning of the school year.
But precisely because she met Sosuke, she gained the courage to act, and then through repeated training, she was able to grow.
She is a grateful person and knows that Sosuke will always be the most important person in her growth journey.
Yes!
The one and only!
…
Late at night, the Izakaya became even livelier.
Because in two days, Tadokoro Megumi had to return to her hometown, and there were many things to quickly pack and deal with.
Therefore, after eating the monkfish curry hot pot, she quickly paid the bill and left.
Afterward, more and more diners visited the Izakaya.
Tonight's business was even more bustling than usual, but fortunately, with Erina as a temporary worker, Sosuke wasn't too busy!
"Oh?"
"This Izakaya…"
Just then, a remarkably curvaceous young woman entered the Izakaya.
She was wearing a figure-hhugging, dark red Suzhou embroidered qipao. Her graceful figure, accentuated by the qipao, appeared even more elegant and charming, like a vibrant peony.
Her simple hairstyle, along with a slightly longer ahoge (cowlick), made her overall demeanor appear more refined and delicate.
"Hmm? It's her."
Seeing that the person who arrived was Hojo Miyoko, one of the few Totsuki students skilled in Chinese cuisine, Sosuke couldn't help but feel curious.
After a brief look around, Miyoko was ultimately amazed by how exquisitely designed and decorated this Izakaya was. The overall environment was particularly suitable, making her feel more and more comfortable the longer she looked.
Afterward, she couldn't help but withdraw her gaze.
Only then did she choose a relatively secluded spot and sit down.
"Hello, this is the Izakaya."
"Our establishment has a rule of ordering freely, but the premise is that I must be able to make it and have the ingredients on hand!"
Sosuke proactively stepped forward, approached her, and greeted her warmly.
His voice was magnetic and infectious, sounding real and pleasant, instantly breaking Miyoko's thoughts.
She could only slightly raise her head and observe Sosuke in front of her, realizing that he was younger than she had imagined, probably at most 20 years old, and didn't seem like a waiter at this Izakaya, but rather the Chef.
Of course, the most crucial thing was that he was very handsome, with exceptionally high Appearance!
"You're the Chef?"
Blinking, Hojo Miyoko asked softly in an "uncertain" tone.
"Yes, I am the Chef and also a Chef!"
Sosuke smiled.
"What?"
"He really is the Chef?"
"It's truly enviable to be able to independently manage an Izakaya at such an age."
Upon hearing this, Hojo Miyoko felt a little surprised and also somewhat envious.
…
You should know.
Her family also operates a successful Chinese restaurant.
And her greatest dream in life was to inherit this restaurant from her father, but because she was a daughter, no matter how hard she tried, she did not have this right of inheritance.
Then, becoming increasingly interested in this Izakaya, she looked around again and discovered Nakiri Erina.
She couldn't help but be stunned, seemingly understanding something.
"Um…"
"Tadokoro Megumi, is she really close to you? I always feel like she comes here to eat often?"
Hojo Miyoko, realizing, asked Sosuke curiously.
"A regular customer!"
"And a good friend."
"She's a very gentle and kind girl, so I don't really dislike her."
Sosuke frowned slightly, and ultimately, unable to make sense of it, he answered truthfully.
"Oh!"
"So, what do you think of her cooking?"
"Do you think she will be able to reach the top of Totsuki in the future, surpassing all men?"
Learning that his relationship with Tadokoro Megumi was not what she had imagined, Hojo Miyoko breathed a sigh of relief, then continued to ask Sosuke.
…
"Are you trying to ask if she can become one of the Elite Ten, or even the First Seat?"
"I don't know why you have such a strange idea. Although Tadokoro Megumi certainly has great potential, to be honest, it's absolutely impossible for her to become the strongest person in the future!"
"Not to mention those in her own year, there's Nakiri Erina with her God Tongue ability, the Molecular Cuisine master Alice Nakiri, the meat expert Mito Ikumi, and so on."
"These people's talent and ability may not be inferior to hers."
"Above them, there are also the current Elite Ten members, such as Isshiki Satoshi, Kobayashi Rindo, and others."
Sosuke said indifferently.
He was initially puzzled as to why Miyoko was so concerned about Tadokoro Megumi's affairs.
Moreover, she seemed to greatly approve of her and hold her in high regard, and then, shortly after Tadokoro Megumi left, she directly entered the Izakaya.
After much thought, the reason for this was probably the same as in the original story.
It was simply because during the Practical Training, Tadokoro Megumi's exceptional performance successfully caught Hojo Miyoko's attention.
In fact, during the later Nakiri Azami coup d'état, as heroes who defeated the "Elite Ten," Sōma, Isshiki Satoshi, and others ranked very high.
Especially Sōma himself became the First Seat of the Elite Ten, but there was one character who seemed to fall short, and that was:
Tadokoro Megumi!
It was hard to believe that her ranking was only tenth.
But according to various pieces of information, this ranking might be very scientific, only indicating that although Tadokoro Megumi was very talented, unfortunately, there were many people stronger than her in that year!
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"