Chapter 17: The Taste of Longing!

Five-year-old Natsuki Hanaya ran into the house, tears streaming down her face.

"What's the matter, Natsuki? Were you bullied again?"

A woman knelt down, scooped her up, and asked gently with a smile.

Natsuki, still sobbing, nodded in response.

"How about a snack? Mommy made fried rice for you." 

The woman handed her a bowl of golden, fragrant fried rice.

Seeing the bowl of fried rice in front of her, Natsuki momentarily forgot her tears. A bright, joyful smile appeared on her face.

"Mommy's fried rice is the best!" she exclaimed.

——

Back in the present, Natsuki Hanaya closed her eyes and smiled contentedly.

"It's my mother's taste."

This dish reminded her of the fried rice her mother used to make for her as a child, the warmest and most comforting taste she had ever known.

As everyone in the room watched Natsuki smiling, they were utterly shocked.

"What's happening? That cold, fearsome woman, actually smiling like this?"

"No way!" 

Alpho and the other chefs were in disbelief. The woman who terrified every chef in the kitchen was now smiling with the innocence of a child.

Natsuki slowly returned to reality, still feeling the warmth in her heart and a deep sense of happiness. For the first time in a long while, her worries seemed to vanish, and she felt lighter, as if she had returned to the carefree days of her childhood.

Sui, observing her transformation, was stunned. Was the effect of this dish really that powerful? He thought to himself. Natsuki, who had been so cold and distant moments ago, was now smiling like a carefree young girl. The contrast was remarkable.

"The dish is flawless in every aspect," Natsuki said softly, her expression gentle as she looked at Sui. "And beyond that, it has a unique creamy flavor." She paused, then added, "But what's most important is that, even though this is a humble dish, it brings a kind of happiness that's rare to find."

"Thank you for the compliment," Sui replied, feeling a mix of pride and relief.

"Your name is Sui, right? I won't forget it." Natsuki Hanaya stood up, her tone softer than anyone in the room had ever heard. "I'll be publishing my full review in the next issue of the food magazine."

At her words, Manager Mita and the other chefs erupted in joy.

"Amazing! We did it!" they shouted excitedly.

Natsuki smiled gently, then added, "Thank you for this dish. It brought back the taste of my mother's cooking." Her face softened even more, and it was clear she felt relaxed—more so than she had in a long time. She even felt a strange urge to hum a song, something entirely out of character for her. It must be because this dish reminded me of home, she thought.

"You're very welcome," Sui replied with a smile.

---

After leaving the restaurant, Natsuki sat in her car for a moment, reflecting. She pulled out her phone and sent a tweet:

"Thanks to a young chef, I was able to experience the taste of my mother's cooking again. It was a dish filled with happiness and nostalgia."

As a famous food critic known for her harsh reviews, this unexpected message immediately sparked a frenzy among her fans. If the 'demon critic' praised it like this, how incredible must the food have been? Within moments, the tweet was retweeted thousands of times and liked by tens of thousands.

---

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, Manager Mita bowed deeply to Sui. "Sui, we owe it all to you. Thanks to your dish, our restaurant's reputation will remain intact!"

Alpho, Miss Sakai, and the other chefs looked on, their expressions complex. None of them had expected that Sui would be the one to save the day.

"It was nothing, really, Manager," Sui said as he helped the man up. After all, the restaurant had given him this opportunity to work.

"You were amazing, Sui!" Yuzuki chimed in. She had never imagined that Sui's skills would be so far beyond her own.

"You're great too," Sui replied with a smile. "Didn't Miss Hanaya also compliment you?"

Just then, a voice spoke in Sui's mind:

"The host has completed the upgraded mission and earned two almond cabbages and a Sautéed Cabbage recipe. Additionally, for producing a dish rated over 80, an extra culinary skill level 2 is awarded."

"Wow, with the 'God's Tongue' skill, progress is faster than I thought," Sui muttered happily to himself.

"By the way, Sui," Yuzuki interrupted, "what kind of ingredient did you use in that dish? It had such a unique creamy fragrance."

"Oh, I used a special ingredient," Sui replied casually.

"Can I see it?" Yuzuki asked eagerly.

Curiosity piqued, the other chefs gathered around as well. They too had noticed the rich, creamy aroma in the Sinangag fried rice and were intrigued.

"Sure," Sui agreed, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment. He returned with two long, cream golden coloured matsutake mushrooms.

"This is what I used."

Yuzuki took a sniff, her eyes lighting up. "Matsutake mushrooms? And what a rich creamy fragrance!"

Miss Sakai chimed in, equally astonished. "The quality is incredible!"

The other chefs, well-versed in high-end ingredients, were also taken aback. They had never seen matsutake mushrooms with such a strong fragrance and a creamy twist.

"Sui, would you sell me some of these? The price isn't an issue," Miss Sakai asked eagerly.

"Yes, please sell some to me too!" Yuzuki added.

The other chefs looked on, clearly envious.

But Sui shook his head. "Sorry, I don't have much of it myself."

Disappointed, the two women sighed. They understood, though. Ingredients of this quality were rare.

"But I can give you a little to experiment with," Sui offered.

"Really?" Yuzuki and Miss Sakai's eyes brightened with excitement.

"Of course. I don't have much, so I can only share a small portion."

Sui handed over a small piece to each of them, and their excitement was palpable. They could barely contain their urge to rush back into the kitchen and start experimenting.

Alpho and the others watched enviously. Alpho, in particular, was filled with regret. If only I had been friendlier with Sui earlier!