Chapter 16: Mana, Proactive Invitation (Patreon)

Ramsay understood everything. Every hidden meaning behind Mana’s words.

Right now, in raw ability, he truly fell short of Azami Nakamura!

But he had the system. As long as he kept training under Stephen Chow, someday he’d surpass not only Azami Nakamura but even Joichiro Saiba, in every way!

In Ramsay’s eyes, his own original intent toward cooking and Azami Nakamura’s were two roads that ran in completely opposite directions, right from the root.

Stephen Chow had stressed the core principle more than once when they talked about cooking:

A chef. Someone who sets out to make food. Their final destination is never to please one particular person.

It’s to make the diners who taste the dish feel satisfied and happy, from the bottom of their hearts.

And yet. To Ramsay, Azami Nakamura’s cooking was all deliberate pandering, servile to the core, like a flatterer who knew only how to chase after someone else’s gaze!

Every time Mana Nakiri came to taste Azami’s dishes, she’d point out flaws in seasoning, heat control, or plating, objectively and without fuss. And Azami had no thoughts of his own about any of it!

He only fixated on the problems Mana Nakiri named. Then. He’d bury his head and correct them.

In other words, every single improvement revolved around the tastes of that one woman!

…

Ramsay was entirely different.

Even though Mana was just as blunt about the shortcomings in his cooking. He had never abandoned his own understanding of food, and he certainly never bent himself blindly to her preferences!

In his eyes. A dish was meant for the countless diners out there. It was never a private kitchen serving one person alone.

Other people’s opinions were simply references for patching his own weaknesses and widening his culinary thinking, not shackles to bind his creativity!

Put simply. Ramsay always kept a cooking stance and creative mind that were his alone.

The goal of honing his craft was to improve himself and make flavors that could move all kinds of customers.

Right! Azami Nakamura’s cooking, by contrast, was steeped in the urge to please from start to finish, every effort spent only to earn… One word from the God’s Tongue: “Approved!”

…

Mana Nakiri had actually noticed this subtle difference long ago.

Compared to Azami Nakamura, who corrected his faults every time yet never broke through, she was far more intrigued by Ramsay!

Because even if Azami could improve a dish each time, he only filled in the gaps she had pointed out. The dish itself was never reborn.

Ramsay’s growth, on the other hand, was plain to see: the force of his stir-frying, the precision of his heat control, the aesthetics of his plating, the finish of every detail, the layered depth of his seasoning…

Within a single plate. From the look that met the eye to the taste on the tongue.

Yes! In every respect, he was changing at breakneck speed!

The reason Mana Nakiri liked Ramsay was that she could read his pure heart for cooking in every dish.

Whenever he stood at the counter, his goal was always to surpass himself and sharpen his craft.

By contrast. Azami Nakamura. The moment he tied his entire gaze to the God’s Tongue alone, he had already stepped onto the wrong path.

When a chef’s vision is confined to a single judge, the original intent to serve all people and the soul of cooking that embraces every palate will slowly grow cloudy and impure!

…

The night. Had grown deep.

The two of them walked on side by side, slowly.

“I’ve always felt that the most captivating thing about cooking is its endless possibilities.”

“I explore new ingredients and try new techniques, and through every round of practice and refinement, I always come away with some new insight.”

“Of course, I also hope the customers who come to taste my food can find the same joy in cooking that I do.”

“Right now, satisfying Miss Nakiri with my dishes is one of the goals I’m chasing. The road ahead may be long, but if I keep walking it one steady step at a time, I’ll get where I want to go.”

Mana Nakiri paused slightly at his words. After several silent seconds, a soft smile slowly spread across her face.

“Ramsay! I’ve dined at your restaurant so many times. I suppose… um, well… I’m not exactly an ordinary customer anymore, am I?”

“We’re friends now, so from here on, could you just call me Mana? After all, I’ve always called you Ramsay!”

The lamplight. Fell across her. Wrapping her in a hazy, gentle halo.

Then she casually took off her hat, and her light-red hair spilled over her shoulders like a waterfall.

Watching her quietly, Ramsay suddenly understood that she and the Erina Nakiri of the original story were really two different people!

…

Erina. Born with the proud aloofness of a noble house’s daughter.

In the original story, her every move, even a single sentence, carried a lofty, rarefied air.

But the Mana standing before him now. Had shed all that reserve. She was clearly a vivid, bright, lively girl.

Noticing his gaze, Mana smiled lightly and said softly, “I can tell you truly love cooking, Ramsay. I’ve prepared a small gift. I wonder… Would you like to accept it?”

“A gift?”

Curious, Ramsay looked at her.

She reached into her pocket, took out a letter, and held it out to him.

Ramsay. Hurried to take it.

His fingertips brushed the thin paper. “Can I open it now?”

…

“Mm! Of course. From the moment I put it in your hands, it’s yours.”

With her permission, Ramsay tore open the envelope. When he saw the words on the paper inside, he froze on the spot. It read:

Admission Invitation.

Seeing his stunned expression, Mana’s voice grew even softer. “Surprised, aren’t you?”

“I thought about this decision for a long time. Every time I come to ONLY to taste your cooking, you give me a fresh surprise and move me all over again.”

“I think. With your talent. You shouldn’t be stuck in a small restaurant.”

“You need a wider stage, where you can show your gifts to the fullest.”

Then she patiently explained it to him. “Totsuki Academy is the finest culinary school in all of Japan. The assessments there are brutal, and the graduation rate is shockingly low!”

“Every chef who makes it out of the academy becomes a rising star the whole industry watches.”

“In this world. Some people may not care about fame and success. But if you truly love the culinary world, you shouldn’t fear any hardship or challenge.”

“Anyway. Take your time and think it over. There’s no need to rush to give me an answer here and now!”

The night deepened. Mana walked a few steps ahead, then suddenly turned back. Her bright, shimmering eyes found Ramsay’s, and they held a sincere hope. “I should be heading home!”

“If you’re willing, I truly look forward to meeting you again at Totsuki Academy.”

“By then. I won’t be a customer sitting at your table anymore.”

“I’ll be… a fellow chef, studying the culinary arts right beside you, exploring cooking together!”