Chapter 33: Going back to Tokyo

"...?"

Erina looked at Shinomiya, who adjusted his glasses with a puzzled expression. Then, she turned her gaze to Tsuna, noticing his calm demeanor amidst the confusion.

She silently wondered, "What's happening here?"

"And why are they reacting so strangely?"

Glancing at Alice and Ryo, who appeared to be at a loss of words, Erina's frown deepened.

There was undoubtedly something peculiar happening, and she couldn't shake off her curiosity.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was dying to know what was happening.

"...?"

Beside her, Hisako also seemed to share Erina's sentiment, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"...Well, let's try it out first," Erina murmured while turning her attention to the beautifully presented Chou Farci before her.

"Beautiful..."

With a satisfied nod, she picked up her knife and delicately sliced through it, then lifted a portion with her fork.

As she examined the dish, she thought, "He should be able to make something that satisfies my palate..."

As everyone at the table began to savor the dish he made, Shinomiya couldn't help but slightly curl up his lips, anticipating their reactions.

Then, in an instant...

"...!"

Their eyes widened in astonishment as the flavors exploded on their palates.

Savory, earthy, and luxurious notes danced across their taste buds, eliciting expressions of pure delight as they closed their eyes in bliss.

"Uhmm..."

Alice couldn't help but emit a contented sigh as she felt herself transported to a serene landscape, nestled at the foot of a majestic mountain.

In her mind's eye, she wandered through lush greenery, guided by the tender and juicy flavors of the Satsori Jidori.

The gentle breeze caressed her skin, adding to the comfort of the journey.

However...

There was a sudden kick to the taste, a surprising twist in the culinary journey.

As Alice followed the guidance of the Jidori Chicken, she found herself led to a helicopter waiting amidst the lush grass below the mountain.

Her eyes widened in shock, "...A helicopter?"

"That's right..."

Shinomiya's voice held a hint of conviction. His eyes gleamed with determination as he explained, "It will show you a whole new world!"

Suddenly, everyone was soaring through the sky, greeted by a breathtaking vista that could only be witnessed from above.

"Hmm..."

Mesmerized by the awe-inspiring scenery, they couldn't help but emit satisfied sounds of wonder.

Each bite led to another, and before they knew it, their plates were empty as they snapped back to reality.

"Fascinating..."

Tsuna's voice carried genuine admiration as he offered a warm smile to Shinomiya.

Impressed by Shinomiya's Chou Farci, Tsuna rose from his seat, extending his hand for a handshake, "That far surpassed your previous creations by far, I'm genuinely impressed..."

"It's nothing remarkable..."

Shinomiya accepted the handshake, his grip firm, his expression serious. 

"..."

The room fell into a profound silence, even those unfamiliar with the backstory were struck dumb by the sudden camaraderie vibes before them.

"King of Flavors changed me..."

"No... it guides you."

"...!"

Shinomiya widened his eyes in shock before nodding as he adjusted his glasses.

His expression turned stony as he heard Tsuna continue, "Don't worry, I've got you..."

"Comrade..."

"I see, I appreciate that... Comrade..."

Both of their faces hardened as they looked at each other with understanding in their eyes, nodding in agreement.

They might not know each other closely but as a cook... They respected each other!

"What in the world," Alice couldn't help but cringe at their exchange, her hand covering her face in secondhand embarrassment.

"..."

Even Ryo couldn't hide a slight blush creeping up his neck, before looking away.

Thankfully, the atmosphere was broken by the rest of the alumni coming over to their table, eager to see Tsuna taste their food. Erina couldn't help but shoot him a sidelong glance, feeling as if he held the title of God's Tongue instead of her.

The next day...

After enjoying what seemed to be the best banquet most students had ever been to, they began pulling their luggage out of the hotel to the bus.

"Oh? Shinomiya-senpai, are you heading back to France?"

As he was about to head out, Tsuna encountered Shinomiya in the lobby.

Shinomiya nodded as he glanced at Tsuna's backpack, seemingly all he brought to the training camp. "Yeah, I figured it's about time I try to earn three stars for my restaurant, SHINO."

"Oh, Tsuna!"

"I see! I don't know much about how hard it is, but it should be pretty easy for you," Tsuna shrugged, waving his hand at Soma and Megumi, who approached them.

"Well, it's great to hear that. I'm pretty confident in myself as well..."

Shinomiya nodded as Soma and Megumi greeted him, "Ah, Shinomiya-senpai, good morning..."

He nodded at them before turning back to Tsuna, "Let me know if you come over to France; I'll show you around if you do..."

"Got it, have a safe flight."

Tsuna nodded as Shinomiya slowly made his way out.

Shinomiya glanced at his suitcase, feeling like he could see through the jar of white powder he put in there, muttering, "I'll show the world the brand new Kojiro Shinomiya..."

He was looking forward to the new culinary journey that awaited him, his expression hardening into a stony one.

"You seem to get along with Shinomiya-senpai, Tsuna-kun."

Megumi spoke in amazement as she looked at Shinomiya's departing figure.

Soma also nodded in agreement as he chukled, "That's actually unexpected; I thought you both would be at each other's throats..."

"It's nothing impressive, we just sort of walk the same path..."

Tsuna calmly remarked with a serious expression.

He then looked at his wristwatch and bid his farewell, "Anyway, I'm about to head out as well, guys. Take care!"

"Eh? You're going now? But wasn't the bus scheduled to depart in an hour?"

Megumi blinked in confusion.

However, Tsuna just chuckled as he spoke, "I'll go for a run from here..."

He had taken the bus to get to the resort because he didn't know the way, but now that he was familiar with it, Tsuna decided to use the opportunity to push himself to a new limit.

"But that's like an hour and a half even with a bus?"

Soma was slightly speechless, but Tsuna didn't seem to care as he walked away, leaving them looking at him flabbergasted.

"...I guess Tsuna-kun is just being Tsuna-kun."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Outside, Tsuna's voice echoed, "Who's gonna carry the boats?"

With that, Tsuna embarked on his journey, running down the hill toward his restaurant back in Tokyo with his backpack bouncing with each step, his clothes gradually becoming soaked with sweat as the hours passed.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokyo...

"Grrrr...."

A middle-aged man with long, swept-back brown hair felt his stomach growling, urging him to fill it up with something.

He had a small suitcase slung effortlessly over his shoulder as he muttered, "...I guess I need to eat somewhere before going to the dormitory."

"Hmm? Ito's Golden Fried Rice? Ah, it's closed..."

He muttered as he found a small restaurant similar to the one he owned, which made him think of his son currently studying at Totsuki.

He chuckled, "Soma must be having quite the adventure at Totsuki..."

He was Saiba Yukihira!

"You don't know me, son!"

"Huh?"

A loud shout was heard as he turned to see a teenager around his kid's age running toward the restaurant, his body clearly drenched in sweat.

Blinking, he watched as the teenager opened up the restaurant and walked in.

His eyes lit up as he approached and asked, "Wait a minute. Kiddo, are you going to open the restaurant anytime soon?"

"Huh?"

Tsuna's brow furrowed slightly as he studied the man before him, a sense of deja vu tickling the corners of his mind.

With a nod, he responded, "Yeah, you wanna grab a seat?"

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