Chapter 8: System Reward (Patreon)

Then. Mana slowly straightened.

Her tailored dress showed off her poised figure. Her gaze swept coolly over the restaurant's décor, and she turned and walked toward the door.

Just as... She was about to step out of the shop.

A gentle male voice rang out suddenly from the kitchen and stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Nakiri!" "If you don't mind..." "come try my cooking again when you have time."

Ramsay stepped out of the kitchen holding the white porcelain plate that had held the Sorrowful Rice. "There's still plenty of room for me to improve this dish." "Next time." "I promise." "I'll do even better."

At his words, the crisp click of her heels abruptly stopped.

Mana Nakiri's heels halted on the polished marble floor!

---

Several seconds of silence passed.

She turned her strikingly beautiful profile slightly.

Those eyes, which held the God's Tongue, rested quietly on Ramsay. For once, the corner of her lips curved into a soft, faint smile. "Good! Then it's a promise!"

Off to one side, Azami Nakamura watched the scene, and fierce anxiety surged through him.

The dish he had so carefully prepared hadn't moved Mana Nakiri in the slightest, yet an unremarkable kitchen helper had snatched first place. He hurried forward.

"Miss Nakiri!" "Next time, I'll study an entirely new dish too." "I'll bring you cooking far beyond today's level. Please give me another chance to show you what I can do. I swear I won't disappoint you!"

But. Mana only gave him a cool glance.

She said nothing, withdrew her gaze, straightened her back, and walked out through the glass doors of ONLY with unhurried steps.

The Manager followed close behind and bowed respectfully to see her off. Only when that eye-catching figure had vanished around the street corner did she hurry back inside, her eyes brimming with barely contained excitement!

---

She marched straight up to Ramsay.

Her voice was full of awe and disbelief. "Oh my God, Ramsay!" "You've been hiding cooking skills this good and never told me... Do you know, in all my time at this restaurant, it's the first time I've seen Miss Nakiri praise a dish, or a chef, so sincerely!"

The Manager. grew more excited with every word.

She clasped her hands together, unable to hide her joy.

"Now our restaurant finally has a future!" "When Miss Nakiri comes back for her next visit, her name alone will make our restaurant's reputation. You've done us a huge service today!"

Inside the shop, many young and pretty waitresses gathered around too, their bright eyes shining as they looked at Ramsay, their admiration unconcealed.

"Ramsay!" "You're amazing!" "All this time we only saw you doing prep in the kitchen. We never imagined your cooking was this good!"

"Mm-hmm... if you ask me, the Manager should promote you to head chef right now. Keeping you on prep duty every day is such a waste of talent!"

"Ramsay!" "I've always wanted to learn to cook." "Could you teach me sometime? Tonight, even?"

Surrounded by chattering girls, with compliments rising on every side, Azami Nakamura felt a strange, sour irritation well up inside him.

---

In the past, in this restaurant, whenever he, the Elite Ten Third Seat, was present, every eye and every word of praise had belonged to him alone.

Everyone used to gather around him to talk about cooking. Today, all the glory had been taken by Ramsay, and he himself had become nothing but background scenery.

Hmph!

As the Third Seat of the Elite Ten of Totsuki Academy, he carried a pride few others could match.

He usually kept it well hidden, rarely letting it show, but that didn't mean there wasn't a speck of self-regard in him.

And yet. Today of all days. Especially in front of Mana Nakiri, a top-tier judge of food!

The one who shone and won recognition was a mere kitchen helper, while the dish he had labored over was left eclipsed.

The enormous gap slammed into his heart. Azami Nakamura stared hard at Ramsay, resentment buried in his eyes, then said nothing and silently turned back toward the kitchen!

---

Of course, Ramsay didn't notice Nakamura's lonely retreating back.

At the moment, the Manager was looking at him with burning enthusiasm. "Ramsay, starting today, you're promoted straight to a full chef here!" "Your salary," "and... all the benefits." "I'll apply to the owner right away. I won't shortchange you."

Ramsay shook his head lightly, looking a little helpless. "Manager, you heard Miss Nakiri's evaluation just now." "My fundamentals aren't solid. Sorrowful Rice is the only dish I've studied since I was a kid. I only just scraped past her standards through endless repetition." "Haah..." "When it comes down to it," "that's the one dish I'm good at." "Making me a full-time chef might not be appropriate."

"Huh?" "What's inappropriate about it?"

The Manager smiled warmly and patted his shoulder.

"That's a dish that conquered the God's Tongue. Even if it's the only one you've mastered, it's enough to draw crowds of diners." "From now on, you don't have to force yourself to make other dishes. Just focus on Sorrowful Rice." "Don't worry." "I'll fight the owner for the best possible terms." "And all those kitchen chores, washing and prepping ingredients, cleaning vegetables, cutting meat, you won't have to touch any of it anymore."

The Manager, though strict in daily management, had always looked after Ramsay. After a few rounds of polite refusal, he couldn't bring himself to waste her kindness and finally gave in!

Only, Ramsay set a condition of his own.

He would make at most fifty portions of Sorrowful Rice per day.

In his remaining free time, he wanted to practice other dishes freely and sharpen his weak points.

---

Such a simple request.

The Manager agreed without a second thought.

Ramsay was now the restaurant's one and only gold signboard. As long as she could keep him, a small matter like this was nothing.

Time. slipped by quickly.

Dusk settled over the city, and the busy day finally drew to a close.

Several waitresses invited Ramsay in turn to go for tea and a chat after work. He politely turned them all down and returned alone to his plain but clean staff dormitory.

He took a hot shower and washed away the weariness and grease of the day.

Ramsay lay flat on his bed, anticipation lighting his eyes. It was time to claim the system reward for today's completed task.