Kashiwagi Eri and Food Department first crisis

Tetsuya looked at Yuuki Asuna with doubt, and she smiled while pointing at the screen of her cell phone. She said, "Tetsuya, have you not seen the announcement on the school forum? The Information Department and the External Information Department have posted flyers about it. They want to try the golden fried rice that you make."

Tetsuya took the cell phone from Yuuki Asuna's hand and glanced at the screen. Indeed, there was a post on the Toyogasaki High School forum titled "2000 Japanese Yen Gold Fried Rice" by Uehara Kouhei.

So it was the member of the Information Department who had a meal here yesterday!

Tetsuya was surprised to see Yuuki Asuna's post about the Food Department on her cell phone. It seemed to be Uehara Kouhei's account, talking about how he came here yesterday to inquire about the price of the golden fried rice. He was initially skeptical about the price but was completely amazed by the taste of the golden fried rice that Tetsuya made.

To try the delicious golden fried rice and experience the excellent service of the school's gentlest goddess, Yuuki Asuna, people were coming to the Food Department. They were attracted by the prospect of enjoying good food in the company of beautiful women.

"Yuuki-san, could you please make a bowl of plain noodles?" Tetsuya requested.

"Sure."

"Oh, Yuuki-san, your smile is so beautiful... I'll have one more!"

...

Initially, Tetsuya was happy about the lively atmosphere in the Food Department. However, upon hearing the students' comments, his smile turned into a grimace. This group of people wasn't here to taste the golden fried rice he made; they were attracted by Yuuki Asuna's charm.

In Toyogasaki High School, Yuuki Asuna's reputation was enough to draw many people. Not to mention the enticing posts by the Information Department about the good food in the Food Department.

Eating while looking at beautiful women... these gentlemen really had quite an imagination!

Why hadn't he studied harder? Before he joined the Food Department, he never thought that being the Minister of the Food Department would involve being surrounded by beautiful women!

As Tetsuya was about to return the cell phone to Yuuki Asuna, it vibrated. A message appeared on the screen from someone named "Kashiwagi Eri": "Asuna, do you have free time on Sunday? Can you accompany me to Akihabara? Also, can you bring your friends to visit my place? I've found an image of a woman that matches my ideal in my mind."

"Yuuki-san, you have a message on your cell phone."

Tetsuya naturally refrained from opening someone else's message out of respect for their privacy. But he noticed the message coincidentally and realized that someone was looking for Yuuki Asuna. He handed the cell phone directly to her.

"Thank you," Yuuki Asuna said as she received the cell phone and started reading the message on the screen.

Tetsuya tied on his apron, washed his hands, and checked the bill that Yuuki Asuna had written. Most of the orders were for golden fried rice. It wasn't just delicious; the cooking method was also quite simple. Since Yuuki Asuna had already washed the rice and put it in the pot, Tetsuya just had to wait for it to steam before starting to cook the golden fried rice.

Tetsuya was grateful for Uehara Kouhei's promotion. Following this approach, they would have over 20 customers every day, which would quickly allow them to complete their mission and level up the cooking skills. They could even increase the price of the food they served.

After steaming the rice, Tetsuya started mixing the beaten egg with the rice and added the ingredients to start frying it. Soon, the delightful aroma of the egg and rice filled the kitchen. Yuuki Asuna seemed to have agreed with the person on her cell phone; she put the phone down, took the dinner plates, and began serving the food. With their cooperation, they quickly completed over ten plates of egg-fried rice.

After the students finished their meals, they expressed their satisfaction and said they would come back the next day. Some even ordered two plates of golden fried rice directly. Tetsuya checked his cell phone and found praise from the students who had eaten at the Food Department in response to the Information Department's post. This made him happy because it meant that the Food Department's reputation was spreading throughout the school, and they would soon attract most of the students.

In just one day, they earned a total of 25,000 Japanese Yen and served 21 students. Tetsuya felt excited by today's earnings. It meant that the students in the school approved of his cooking. After several days of hard work, they were finally achieving their mission.

"Yuuki-san, great job!" Tetsuya said earnestly as he saw Yuuki Asuna wiping the sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief. He knew that even though the Food Department had many customers, Yuuki Asuna, as the server, was busy during the lunch hour and must have been tired.

"It's okay. Seeing so many people coming to the Food Department that we operate makes me very happy. I really enjoy this atmosphere," Yuuki Asuna replied. She had a genuine passion for cooking and was thrilled to see the Food Department becoming more popular. It lifted her spirits.

Tetsuya breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Yuuki Asuna, being an Ojou-sama (a lady from a noble family), might not be able to handle the daily operations of the Food Department. But it seemed that she genuinely loved it and could endure the bustling atmosphere.

...

Later, Yuuki Asuna decided to make two bowls of golden fried rice herself and placed them on the table.

Rating: "60 points for the golden fried rice. It passes the examination and is likable."

Tetsuya looked at the fried rice that Yuuki Asuna made and nodded in satisfaction. He realized that Yuuki Asuna was quite talented and had quickly learned the steps of making golden fried rice under his guidance. Her skills were continuously improving.

"Yuuki-san, congratulations! You can now sell your golden fried rice for 2,000 Japanese Yen."

______________________

Over the next three days, Tetsuya attended classes and spent the rest of his time working hard to operate the Food Department with Yuuki Asuna. Their joint efforts gradually improved the business of the Food Department.

In just three days, the time had come for the third day of opening the Food Department. In the early morning, a guest arrived at the school, and Tetsuya heard a delightful system prompt sound in his mind. This sound brought him great happiness because it meant that he had finally completed the mission of serving 100 students and earning 100,000 Japanese Yen!

[Congratulations on completing the Cooking Mission. Your cooking rank has been promoted, and you have earned Fantasy Points!]

Upon receiving this prompt, Tetsuya's body trembled with excitement. He had expected it to take at least a week to complete the mission, but he had managed to do it in just two days. He checked his property panel to see if anything had changed.

Host: Tetsuya

Age: 17

Occupation: Student

Synthesizes Strength Rating: Second-order [Surpasses the level of a normal adult]

Two-Dimensional Fantasy Talent:

Cooking System [3 levels] [Recipes: Plain noodles and golden fried rice]

Light novel talent [1 level] Initial Ability: Light novel: «Accel World»

[Not opened]

[Not opened]

[Not opened]...

Special Ability: [Not opened] Opens after unlocking five talents.

Store System: [First-level opened]

Fantasy Points: 1

Current Primary Mission: [Enter younger sister Sagiri's forbidden room!]

Tetsuya smiled as he looked at the system panel. Only this mission was left, but it was giving him a headache. He found it difficult to understand Sagiri's character. Although their relationship had temporarily improved since their last meeting, Sagiri had been staying at home and refused to open her door. Tetsuya continued to deliver food to her every day, but her door remained tightly shut. It seemed quite challenging to enter Sagiri's room.

"Younger sister, are you trying to capture me?" Tetsuya smiled wryly. However, there was no time limit for this mission, so he decided to take his time. He believed that one day he would have the opportunity to persuade Sagiri to open up to him and unlock the forbidden room.

...

At noon, a middle-aged man wearing tight-fitting black Western-style clothes, who had an extremely fat physique, arrived at the entrance of the Food Department. He had a gloomy expression as he looked at Tetsuya standing by the entrance sign.

Ishikawa Iwa, a famous chef responsible for operating the Toyogasaki High School restaurant, had recently received complaints from students that the food at the restaurant was unpalatable. Even the vegetables didn't suit their taste, which greatly disappointed him and led to a decline in the number of students coming to the cafeteria.

As Ishikawa Iwa observed the declining popularity of the restaurant, he couldn't understand why. In the past, the students had never complained about the food. It seemed strange that the School Dining Hall was now experiencing such a general decline in popularity.

"Could it be that they're making their own lunches in the morning?" Ishikawa Iwa wondered. However, after some investigation, he discovered that the reason for the restaurant's dwindling population was the Food Department, which had been serving students with "egg-fried rice" and "plain noodles" over the past few days.

This revelation upset him and affected his business.

"Do these two students really make delicious meals?" Ishikawa Iwa couldn't believe that a student could outdo a professional gourmet chef. He had read the posts from the Information Department about the Food Department and thought that its success depended largely on the popularity of the beautiful Ojou-sama, Yuuki Asuna. He believed that the food they served could only be ordinary.

After obtaining this information, Ishikawa Iwa discussed the matter with his boss. They both decided to visit the Food Department to investigate.

"Hmph! Only one bowl of egg-fried rice and noodles sold at such a high price? Do people actually buy this? Let this industry junior teach him a lesson. He needs to learn what it means to be a respected senior!" Ishikawa Iwa sneered as he looked at the price listed on the house number plate. With a gloomy expression, he walked directly into the school's Food Department.

"Welcome! What can I help you with?" A mild-mannered young girl with flaxen hair and a tall figure approached him with a smile.

"Could it be... Yuuki Asuna?" Although Ishikawa Iwa was responsible for operating the restaurant at Abundant Zaki School, he had heard about the school and, upon seeing Yuuki Asuna, he couldn't help but feel a shock and a touch of admiration that lingered in his heart even after more than 30 years.

Initially, Ishikawa Iwa had expected to find Tetsuya here, and managing the situation would have been difficult. However, if the minister of the Food Department was Yuuki Asuna, things would be much simpler. Despite Yuuki Asuna being from the prestigious Yuuki family, she was still just a child in his eyes, despite the guidance she received on public relations throughout her life.

After a moment of surprise, Ishikawa Iwa said calmly, "Ah, so you're the Food Department minister, Yuuki-san. Please excuse me, but I have an important matter to discuss with the minister. Can I find Tetsuya?"

Seeing the obese middle-aged man in front of her, Yuuki Asuna felt some doubts. Normally, the Food Department only received students from Abundant Zaki School. However, today, an unexpected visitor had arrived at noon. This surprised Yuuki Asuna, and after hearing Ishikawa Iwa's self-introduction, she frowned, sensing something ominous about him.

"Hello, I am Yuuki Asuna, the Food Department minister. What can I do for you, Mr. Ishikawa?" Yuuki Asuna maintained a smiling expression on her face and spoke with polite social etiquette she had learned at her previous middle school.

"Are you the Food Department minister, Yuuki-san?" Ishikawa Iwa was slightly taken aback by Yuuki Asuna's reply. A faint smile of joy appeared on his face. He had thought that Tetsuya was the minister, and managing the situation would have been quite challenging. However, if the minister was Yuuki Asuna, things became much simpler.

"Here's the thing, Yuuki-san.... I noticed that your Food Department is always busy, and you have limited seating. Many students have nowhere to eat, so they have no choice but to leave. If possible, I would like to merge the Food Department and the school's restaurant. This way, you and Mr. Tetsuya can prepare 'golden fried rice' and 'plain noodles' in the school's restaurant, which has more seating and can accommodate several hundred people. I will provide the ingredients, and every month, you will receive a share of the restaurant's profits based on the sales of these two dishes. How does that sound?"

Upon hearing Ishikawa Iwa's suggestion, Yuuki Asuna quickly understood his intentions. Her complexion changed, realizing that he had ulterior motives. She felt a sense of surprise and discomfort in her heart, as she realized that Ishikawa Iwa might try to manipulate her using her family's influence.

"Mr. Ishikawa, I apologize, but even though the Food Department is small, its operation is based on the interests and decisions of our members. I alone cannot make such a decision," Yuuki Asuna replied, trying to maintain her composure.

"Yuuki-san, as the Food Department minister, don't you have the authority to make this decision?" Ishikawa Iwa's face remained calm, and he smiled subtly. He was prepared for Yuuki Asuna's response and continued, "Moreover, considering your position in the Yuuki family, do they know that you're operating the Food Department at school? What would happen if I were to inform them about this?"

Upon hearing Ishikawa Iwa's veiled threat, Yuuki Asuna's serene expression turned pale.