Kanata Sweeps Them Away

Howdy readers! I, Kitahara Kanata, shall present the events from my point of view for this chapter and things aren't going easy for me...

The manager and I stayed for a while inside the employee quarters while our opponent has been scanning the kitchen for ingredients.

"Manager!" I said. "Why did you say that~?! I feel so pressured right now because of it!"

"Rest easy, Kanata-san," he answered. "I know you can do it since I only requested a simple dish."

T...That's the thing, Manager!

"B...But..."

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"W-Well, I don't really know how to cook," I answered. "I even struggle with frying an egg that's why I applied for the service position!"

O-Of course, he is stunned!

"For real?" he said.

"For real."

Eek! His expression looks like all of his fluids and happy hormones got drained completely!

"T-That's why I told you to simmer it down earlier!" I said. "Look, you must be thinking that this is over, right? Right?!"

"Well, yeah," he said.

He didn't even deny that!

"Phew, I was hoping of something like a Shokugeki atmosphere~" he pouted.

Why the hell are you pouting for anyway? You started this!

"Now we're so screwed..."

"Come on, don't be so down," he said. "We will manage."

"That's easier said than done, Manager," I answered.

"No, I have a plan," he said. "Crap, I want to giggle at how brilliant this is."

"A strategy?" I answered. "What might be that game-changing plan you're talking about?"

I somehow feel a little bit anxious about this.

"You see..." he whispered.

<He told me every bit of his tactic for this contest and it was a little bold sort of. After our little chatter, I and the opponent team have proceeded to the kitchen.>

"Hey little girl, are you really up for this?" asked the woman. "Don't you lose your soul while cooking. HAHAHA!"

The contest hasn't even started and she's dissing me already. I just hope that the Manager's plan is going to work.

"Let's start, then," said Manager. "Looks like Kanata-san is itching to cook now!"

You are adding a lot of pressure to my shoulders again, Manager! Please stop it!

"Fine, then," said the woman. "How much time is allotted?"

"One hour, is it enough?" said Manager.

"Hmph, more than what we need," answered the woman. "Let's get this over with!"

"Just what we are thinking," said Manager. "Go Kanata-san, beat their asses!"

Please don't say that, Manager! I want to cry right now!

Though, he smiled at me in the end like he really is confident that I can pull this off. Or should I say that he believes I can execute the plan perfectly.

<And so, the cooking contest actually commenced. The other team was composed of nine members, including that boastful swine lady. On my side, well, I was there cooking the ingredients alone since Manager can't interfere as per the additional guidelines. Wait, no, I wasn't alone. Yeah, I wasn't, though I was weirded out by his proud smile with a matching thumbs up pose while I was cooking.>

After exactly an hour, the opponent team and I are done with the culinary act. It is time for the ordeal of the, ugh, opponent judge also.

"How can we win this, Manager?!" I asked. "The judge is another muscle guy!"

"You'll see soon enough," he responded.

What is he talking about?

"Oh~ So this is Boss Lady's cooking? Pretty fragrant and looking fresh." said the judge.

Of course, you'll say that. You're from the opponent!

"Please dig in. We have seconds," said the woman.

Tsk, she glanced at me as if the game's over already.

"B...Buono!" said the judge. "This is a great dish, Boss Lady! T-The pasta's texture is so smooth and perfectly soft and the sauce is so rich in flavor! S-Splendid!

"Heard that, punk?" said the woman. "I'm pretty sure you're scared shitless since earlier 'coz you were walking back and forth around the restaurant while we were cooking. Talk about being restless after such overconfident lines."

"Kanata-san, please present 'that' dish," said the Manager.

"O...Okay," I answered. "Well, here's my presentation."

"W-What a simple way to present, I mean, this is beyond plain," said the judge. "Either way, I'm sure this isn't as good as the Boss Lady's!"

<The judge still tasted the dish after he ran his mouth.>

"Eek, what kind of spaghetti is this?!" reacted the judge. "I knew that this isn't the Boss Lady's level but this.... the pasta was drier than a desert terrain and the sauce isn't that tasteful. Everything is bland about this dish!"

"HAHAHA! I knew it!" shouted the woman. "Even before this contest started, I knew that victory is ours since Kanata-chan can't cook!"

Tsk, she figured out my weakness!

"Now, what are you going to do? Squeal and run?!" said the woman.

"What's worse is that... this food has been microwaved!" said the judge. "The plate is still that warm, feel it!"

"HAHAHAHA! I didn't think you'll reach the point of serving microwaved food just to compensate for what you need to do in this competition!" boasted the woman. "Forget it, we'll run this place so you brats should leave!"

"No, we aren't done yet," I answered.

Yes, the Manager and I aren't gonna call this game over.

"You said microwaved, right?" asked Manager. "Yeah, she intentionally microwaved it."

"A-Are you messing with us?!" asked the woman.

"Now you know the feeling of being served with food that isn't worth what you paid for, right?" asked Manager. "Come on, that's what you guys did to me earlier and to the other customer who shared their reviews on the Internet."

"Where did she even get a duplicate spaghetti?!" asked the woman.

"I bought a ready to eat spaghetti from the convenience store before I went here," said Manager. "You see, I was being cautious that the food here will disappoint me so much that I'd have to eat my extra snack just to fill my hunger, which your food should have done to my tummy."

Manager...

"It's just I forgot that I had this spaghetti in my bag and I went straight to the employees' room because I want to breathe steadily," added the Manager.

"B-But I saw her cooking something! Y-You can't fool us!" said the woman.

"Uhh, that?" asked Manager. "She was cooking for real. The microwave wasn't visible from your point of view, which made the plan perfectly executed. Now, she'll serve her freshly made dish. Are you even ready to taste it, Mr. Judge?"

"I-I'm sure it wouldn't be that good!" said the judge.

Haha, that seriously ticks me off.

"This is my spaghetti dish," I said while I was looking directly at his eyes. "Please help yourself."

"Hmph, this certainly wouldn't be go-" said the judge as he tasted my dish. "W-Wha-?!"

"What's wrong?!" asked the woman.

"G-G-Gustoso!!" screamed the judge. "Sabroso! Savoureux! Tasty!"

Wow, he's going multilingual right now. He takes another portion of spaghetti from the fork he is handling.

"Oh, he took a second taste with her dish," said the Manager. "I wonder why he didn't with your spaghetti, Madam."

And the judge continues to eat what I served.

"This is the best spaghetti I ever ate!" said the judge.

"Hey, you are on my side! What the hell are you talking about?!" asked the woman. "You said my dish was great!"

"Ehem, he did say great but ours was the greatest," said Manager. "Superlative form, Ma'am."

"The pasta is so tender. There's no sign of over nor undercooking," said the judge. "What the highlight was the sauce! It tasted way better than the Boss Lady used."

" Of course, she used fresh tomatoes off the can, while your boss lady used the standard sauce in a pack," answered Manager. "Both can be both in the local supermarket, but we aimed for the best quality."

"H-How did you know that I used a commercial sauce?!" asked the woman.

"I figured it out after a couple of walks around the restaurant," said Manager. "Your trash can sure is full, isn't it?"

"So you weren't walking around because you were nervous! You were looking for clues!" asked the woman.

"Bingo, fat lady," said Manager. "If you used the same sauce as she did, well nah, you're still gonna lose. Not that I am dissing budget sauces but we are on a restaurant level."

H...He's really confident all the time, eh?

"You see, I wasn't aiming just for a win," said Manager. "I want you to discover the truth right in front of your eyes."

"What truth are you talking about?!" asked the woman.

"You should know by now, am I right?" said Manager. "The problems this restaurant has endured are all because of your unwavering incompetencies!"

Yes, he nailed it.

"Plus, you were underestimating everything, including Kanata-san, that's why it also led to your crushing defeat!" added Manager.

"T...That can't be..." said the woman as she falls down on her knees. "W...We're the experienced ones here, s-some brats s...shouldn't be..."

"You see, I don't want to settle on being great or good or whatever," said Manager. "I want that -est suffix at the end, not often but always."

He absolutely wants everything to the highest quality.

"The judge's facial expression as he tasted the microwaved spaghetti, that's something your customer shouldn't make when tasting your cooking," added Manager. "So, who won this match?"

"C-Certainly, Kanata-chan!" said the judge.

"Heard him?" asked Manager as he looks straight at the woman's eyes. "You are all fired!"

"W...We aren't gonna leav-" said the woman though interrupted.

"-Guess I'll call the police~" answered Manager.

The other muscular guys hurriedly scram out of the restaurant.

"Any last words for this woman, Kanata-san?" asked Manager.

"U...Uhm...." said the woman.

"Good luck with your life, fatass," I said as I accidentally glared at her.

The woman stressfully runs away from the place.

"Ha~ Finally, it's over!" I said in relief.

"Yes, you did well, Kanata-san," said Manager. "You proved that you can turn things around."

"No, Manager. This was all according to your plan, I should thank you," I said. "So, what is our next move?"

"I don't know," replied Manager.

Eh?

"For real?" I asked.

"For real," he answered.

We're still doomed!

"Don't be so down, Kanata-san," he said. "Let's start by completing the staff members, that is close within our age."

"I have to agree with that," I answered.

"For now, let's clean this place up," he said. "This is just the start of a new beginning for Umami Land!"

I am still cringing with the naming sense of this place but...

"Roger that!" I answered.

This isn't that bad at all.

<The next day, everything has been tidied up but Manager decided to cease operations until we completed the staff roster.>

"This looks perfectly clean, Manager," I said.

"Yes, it is," he answered. "It looks better when I came here, though we still need to upgrade some stuff. Huh?

"Uhh, Manager," I said. "Thanks for letting me watch your tutorial video on your phone. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be able to cook that dish greatly."

"You're the first one to see it since I was just planning to upload it on YouTube," said Manager. "As a price, you better subscribe, okay?"

The door opens as we are conversing and a girl shows up. Is she a customer?

"Excuse me, but we are still not open-" I said.

"I am Tatsuhisa Itsuki," said the girl. "I am here to apply for the Managerial position."

E.....Eh?!