đĽđĽ You can find 40 Chapters ahead here Support link: pat_reon.com/Redon1 Also other exciting fanfic available đĽđĽ ---------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________ Renz gazed with an appreciative look at Erinaâs extended long legs. The pure, white skin, paired with such perfect, golden length, was breathtakingly beautiful. It would be even better with stockings, he thought. Renz reached out, and as his hand gently touched Erinaâs leg, it trembled slightly. Erina was sensitive almost everywhere; even a light touch on her skin would make her body tense. Renz, like an experienced Chinese doctor, began to stroke, rub, and press. He had learned foot massages specifically for Erina. As he massaged, Renzâs eyes flitted to Erinaâs face. Her complexion glowed with a faint blush, and she gently covered her mouth with her hand. In the past, Renz thought Erina was a fierce tiger, always giving him menacing looks. Later, he realized Erina was more like a cat than a tiger; her perceived ferocity was merely a facade of her strong exterior. Those sharp, once-intimidating eyes that Renz remembered now held a soft glimmer, like... a Persian cat that had been happily petted? Ragdoll cat didnât quite fit Erinaâs personality. She wasnât that clingy, so Persian cat, with its elegant demeanor, seemed more fitting. "Wife?" Renz asked cautiously. "Hm?" Erina responded. "I was thinking," Renz said, stating his plan, "after this winter training that the old man arranged, I want to participate in some cooking competitions." "Competitions?" Erina asked, choosing her words carefully. "What kind of competitions?" "Just cooking competitions," Renz answered directly. "The lecturer job the old man got me pays a lot, but I still need to save money. Itâs not a lump sum, and Iâm good at my old trade." Renzâs "old trade" was esports, but his professional league wasnât formalized; it was niche and followed a cup system. Clubs would fund them to compete, earning prize money to give back to the club. While there were leagues, they werenât organized by game companies but by streaming platforms, and playing in those leagues didnât earn much. Renz always hoped to win championships and split the prize money. Back then, there were also many bounty hunter-type players who, for a fee, would join teams as substitutes to play in cup competitions. Renzâs current idea was to participate in such cooking competitions, aiming for top rankings to earn money. These prizes were paid out in a lump sum, and a cooking competition typically lasted about a month. Winning a championship within a month could net him two to three million US dollars. Wouldnât that be great? With the prize money, he could buy all sorts of necessities for his wife. "Are prizes the most important thing in these competitions?" Erina couldnât help but say. "Honor is what truly matters!" Renz was putting the cart before the horse by treating these cooking competitions like bounty hunts. High rankings in such culinary competitions could affect world rankings. Were prizes important? Not at all. With a big name, what couldnât you achieve? Many people would hire you to be a head chef at high-end restaurants. However, Erina then realized that Renz didnât lack honor; he would achieve everything anyway. For Renz, these honors were like fleeting clouds. Moreover, working as a head chef in a high-end restaurant wouldnât earn him as much as developing within the Nakiri family. It seemed that for Renz, culinary competitions were indeed no different from ordinary bounty hunts; apart from the prize money, Renzâs other needs were low. A one-time ATM. Lots of money, short duration. A true cash cow. With this thought, Erina suddenly became interested in entering a cooking competition herself. If they both participated, they could win both first and second place prizes. After winning, they could improve their lives. Thinking this way, it seemed quite good. If they encountered any of the Elite Ten who had betrayed Totsuki, they could even target them in the cooking competition. That would be absolutely marvelous. The peak period for many chefs is often when they gain reputation and fame through such competitions. Eishi Tsukasa, for instance, was last yearâs champion. Last yearâs champion automatically qualified for this yearâs competition. If Eishi Tsukasa won again, his ranking on the leaderboard would directly jump to world number one, making him the unrivaled top figure of that period. It would allow them to earn money and vent their frustrations. "Honor isnât important; whatâs important is getting you some makeup money," Renz said, not caring about honor at all. "I donât even have money to buy you new clothes; Iâm a terrible husband." "After New Yearâs Day this year, weâll be celebrating the New Year, and I donât even know what to get you. I want to get you something precious, but I donât have the money," Renz lamented. "Then you can owe me this year; the gift isnât important," Erina raised her right hand, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and said softly, "Itâs the thought that counts." "Owing isnât an option. I still have to give you a gift, and Iâll do my best to give you a memorable one," Renz said, his hand still massaging Erinaâs delicate feet. "Alright, Iâm going to take a bath too. Itâs getting late, time to rest!" Erina nodded. She picked up a Bluetooth earbud from the bedside table and quietly read the light novel she was subscribed to. Renz glanced at her thoughtfully and headed towards the bathroom. The next morning, all the graduates participating in Totsukiâs "Winter Training" temporarily assembled. Tonight was Christmas Eve, and they didnât have much time left before their restaurants opened. In Japan, Christmas is not a public holiday, but coincidentally, it was the studentsâ vacation period. Japanese Christmas usually begins around December 23rd. It generally continues until January 4th, though December 23rd-26th is Christmas, and December 28th-January 4th is the Japanese New Year celebration. They are not directly linked. Compared to the non-holiday Christmas, the New Yearâs holiday is more important for Japanese people welcoming the New Year. However, most people choose to celebrate both holidays together. Each group had to submit their restaurantâs theme to Dojima Gin for preparation, at least outlining their main "selling points." Dojima Gin, as a senior, would offer his personal insights and even taste the sample dishes to ensure the Totsuki Gourmet Street brand didnât suffer any major issues. Those who were truly unprepared might not even be given the chance to sell their dishes on opening day. "First, letâs start with Yukihira Somaâs group," Dojima Gin called out a name. Yukihira Soma. After Eishi Tsukasaâs group left Totsuki Academy, Soma briefly adapted to the upheaval. With his excellent versatility and adaptability in all cuisines, he continuously honed his skills, becoming an all-rounder who dabbled in every culinary style. Upon graduation, he held a very high position in Totsuki, constantly competing with Akira Hayama for the Third Seat. They frequently rotated rankings, their skills very close. However, they still ranked below Renz and Erina. Before Renz and Erina graduated, their dominance in Totsuki Academy was terrifying. Without the "marriage vacuum," who knew how strong they would become after graduating. "Our theme is desserts, specialty beverages, and casual food," Yukihira Soma stated, showing a thorough understanding of the assessment. His ability to interpret prompts was exceptional. First, they werenât long-term operators on the Gourmet Street, so they didnât need to consider making "stable" dishes that would build reputation and brand. Since they would only be operating for a few days during the "Christmas" holiday, they should make dishes that could only be found during Christmas, with a Christmas theme. Second, there were already enough main dish restaurants on the Gourmet Street. Trying to compete with them on main dishes would be a head-on collision, and their reputation wouldnât compare. Onoâs sushi was famous throughout Japan. If they considered opening a sushi restaurant, right next to Ono Sushi, it would be clear to the vacationing tourists whether to choose Ono Sushi or theirs. Third, Yukihira Soma also wanted to see how far his other culinary skills could go. Making desserts was also a challenge for him, something worth trying. Renz nodded slightly. Yukihira Soma had a lot of ideas. While there was a hint of taking shortcuts, his approach was correct. Making targeted dishes , especially during a special holiday, could even lead to high sales. However, Soma might not have considered one point: during Christmas, how could other restaurants not release Christmas-themed dishes to celebrate? If he could think of it, couldnât the other established restaurants on the Gourmet Street think of it too? These restaurants would more or less launch new Christmas-related dishes. Somaâs idea was good, focusing on the Christmas theme, but he was still too young. He thought the restaurant business war was too simple. "And the theme dish I want to grandly present is Yukihira Style - Midsummer Christmas Cake," Yukihira Soma said. He had spent the entire day preparing for this cake dish and had already come up with a name. However, the naming style bore a striking resemblance to Renzâs. Renz, when he couldnât think of a name, would also casually slap one on. But speaking of his own concept, it seemed he could also add some Christmas elements. With Eastern and Western dishes on either side, a large cake could be placed in the center to celebrate Christmas. And Erina was quite fond of such desserts. Dojima Gin nodded. Yukihira Somaâs approach was already on solid ground. Focusing on Christmas-themed dishes was a sure win; the people visiting Totsuki Resort during this period were all on Christmas vacation. This was a choice specifically tailored to the target audience. "This plan is good. Now, what about Erinaâs groupâs preparations?" Dojima Gin asked, focusing on a crucial point. "And who is the leader of your restaurant this time?" "Our chosen leader is Renz," Erina stated directly. The remaining three had no objections. From Renzâs performance yesterday, Akira Hayama probably understood his role in the team now. He was a utility man, merely a spice expert with a good sense of smell. And with Akira Hayamaâs silence, everyone else quickly realized that this winter training, which they initially suspected Renz would decline in skill after a year of inactivity due to marriage, might actually be quite different from what they expected. "Our groupâs framework is to divide the restaurant into two sections: one for Eastern cuisine, which I specialize in, and one for Western cuisine, which Erina excels at. É´á´á´Ą É´á´á´ á´Ę á´Ęá´á´á´á´Ęs á´Ęá´ á´á´ĘĘÉŞsĘá´á´ á´É´ Nová´lFÉŞre.ná´t After cooking, weâll display them on the tables, and customers can pick whatever they like. Itâll be a blossoming of various dishes, a hundred schools of thought contending. All culinary styles will be presented," Renz roughly introduced their concept. There wasnât really anything complex or strategic about it; it was just about relying on raw skill. Renz would cook what he knew, and Erina would cook what she excelled at. They would steadily advance based on individual ability. What drew customers in, what they sought, wasnât it the taste? They certainly didnât lack the skill. "Why does that sound like playing doubles in tennis, where each person takes half the court?" Dojima Ginâs mouth twitched slightly. He found that he could never keep up with Erina and Renzâs logic. It was too wild. He couldnât offer any suggestions because these two simply wanted to push sales based on individual skill, without considering any other techniques. "Then, when you open for business, Iâll be your first customer," Dojima Gin said. Faced with the product of such crude thinking, he could only follow their lead. If the dishes were good, Erina and Renz would easily pass this test. Akira Hayama shook his head. It was clear that Dojima Gin still harbored some doubts about Erina and Renzâs abilities. However, Dojima Gin completely failed to notice that Akira Hayama, a capable member of Renzâs team, was in a state of zen. After tasting Renzâs Buddhaâs Temptation yesterday, Akira Hayama had surrendered. This was clearly a mixed doubles match for the Erina-Renz couple. Akira Hayama bet that when Dojima Gin tasted Renzâs cooking, he wouldnât be able to find a single fault. He had tried to nitpick Renzâs dish yesterday but found absolutely no flaws. Akira Hayama now only harbored curiosity. He wanted to know the true skill of Renz and Erina when they went all out. He was even curious if their restaurant on the Gourmet Street would surpass the daily sales of other permanent establishments. Renzâs "Buddhaâs Temptation" from yesterday still left Akira Hayama with an endless aftertaste. Given the chance, he wanted to eat it again, but... that dish took too much time and effort to make. Renz probably wouldnât make it again. If he did, it would likely sell at a high price, and people would still be willing to pay. Not only was it nutritionally rich, but Renzâs cooking was genuinely delicious. Seeing the bewildered expressions of everyone else regarding Renzâs concept, Akira Hayama sighed inwardly. You guys... youâve probably all been fooled by the year-long "marriage vacuum" of Renz and Erina. The idea that they havenât cooked for a year, busy with marriage, and might have declined in skill... Akira Hayama suspected that this couple had likely been diligently practicing their cooking skills at home throughout that year. Decline? Impossible. ________________________________________ __________________________ đ Boost This Fanfic! đ Every 350 Power Stones gets 2 bonus Chapters! đ Want faster updates? Show your support by dropping Power Stones, leaving reviews, and sharing your thoughts in the comments! Your engagement keeps the story going strong!