Chapter-3: New acquaintances again? {Edited}

Chapter-3: New acquaintances again?

POV – Hiro.

Watching them swear, Hiro noticed that they stopped paying attention to him, and then a thought occurred to him, and he carried it out. After writing a note, he left their house. On the street just beginning to get dark and Hiro headed to the exit of the academy, after a few minutes of walking around the academy, he got lost, and without coming up with anything, he teleported back home, he checked the area for cameras in advance and with a clean soul was at home.

Once at home, he took a bath and began to think about what to do, because now he can practically not sleep for about 20 days, although he still did not intend to not sleep unnecessarily. It's evening and there are two days left before the exams, so he came up with the idea to visit the restaurant of Yukihira Soma - the main character of the story. Judging from what I remember from the anime, it will close soon, so why not visit this place? There's nothing holding me back, so let's get going!

He closed the door and left the house, suddenly remembering that he had seen the bike in the garage when he was looking around, and so he decided to use it.

He's wearing his usual light-colored T-shirt and silver-gray pants and black sneakers.

He picked up the phone, found the location of the restaurant, and set off. He enjoyed the wind blowing in his face as he rode his bike.

..

He got off the bike, put it in a corner, and locked it just in case. He looked around and saw a busy street filled with people. The entire area was filled with various smells. Therefore, Hiro did not hesitate to go to each restaurant to try out various Japanese dishes, but Yukihiro left the restaurant for dessert, as the most expected.

…

- Wow, all these dishes were delicious, but I wonder how different the food of a student and a graduate is from the street chefs? I wonder if I'll strip naked after I eat the dishes in this restaurant. Hm, there is just an almost graduate and a future student here! I'm on fire! I can't wait any longer! - After muttering this, Hiro ran to a stall with a red sign.

Hiro stopped in front of the shop, and a wonderful aroma hit him in the nose. Which made my already full stomach growl.

When he entered, he noticed that the number of people in this restaurant is much higher than the previous ones: "Hmm, apparently the food here is really delicious, oh, there's just our red-haired hero, oh, why is he so depressed? And for sure, he probably suffered another defeat today. Poor guy…".

Hiro sat down at the only empty table that wasn't used: "The anime certainly showed the popularity of the restaurant, but it can't compare to reality, even at this late hour, there are a lot of people here…".

While Hiro was in his thoughts, he didn't notice the previously mentioned guy coming up to him. -Welcome to the Yukihira restaurant! What will you order?

- Hmm, let me think? - Hiro looked at the menu and saw the familiar dishes that were shown in the anime, but there were also many dishes that were not shown in the anime, because of this, his interest in trying the food of all the characters reached a new level.

- Can the owner of this place give you any advice? - Hiro asked, and the old excitement was gone.

- Father's advice? Expect well! - said the guy, going to the kitchen.

And a moment later, a man with long dark hair brushed back, only a few strands falling over his face, approached Hiro. They stuck out even when he tied up his hair. His eyes are more serious than his son's, and he has a short beard. He is well-built and wears tight T-shirts and pants.

- My name is Joichiro Yukihira, and my son told me to give you some advice, right? - Joichiro asked politely.

- Nice to meet you, my name is Hiroto Ichijou, but you can call me Hiro. - Hiro introduced himself, and continued. - Yes, I want to know, what is the cooking of the former second?

- Oh, so you know about me, I'm pleasantly surprised, but is that the whole reason you're here? - he asked with a serious look.

- To be honest, I just want to know, what is the difference between an elite chef and an ordinary chef? - Hiro asked strangely.

- Oh, you're the cook, aren't you? If you're trying to find out? - he asked with a smile.

- Well, calling me a chef is kind of weird, because I only made my first dish a couple of hours ago, but the people who ate them liked it. - Hiro said, embarrassed.

- I think it's commendable if your first cooked dish was liked by someone. But you don't have to act arrogant about it.

- Oh, me too, the same thing was said by those who tried it!

- Is this some kind of chef thing? - Hiro asked with interest.

- If those who have tasted your food know anything about cooking, then yes. - He said it so easily that it didn't mean anything.

- Can you explain it to me? - Hiro asked, interested, thinking at that moment: "Hmm, what would Alice and Erina say about this, considering that the one who said it was the teacher of one of them?»

- Okay, there's an unspoken agreement between the chefs. It says, if your first dish is liked by someone, you should not become arrogant, instead you should improve this dish, but it is not necessary to observe it, but if you do not adhere to this rule, then this chef will not have a place at the top. Oh, I'm talking too much! So, I'll go make you a dish, wait here! - said Joichiro, turning towards the kitchen.

- Yeah.. - Hiro answered automatically, thinking about what he was saying at the time.

Noticing that his client, silently, he thinks, smiling, went to the kitchen: "Hmm, quite an interesting guy! I wonder if he'll go to Totsuki? If he goes, he will be a great opponent for Soma. And by the way, I also have to tell Soma about this! Oh, how much trouble!"

…

"Interesting! So Erina gave me some good advice. I should thank her for that. But do I want to be at the top, but no, do I even need to be at the top? I can become the best at any time, in any form, but do I need it? My goal here is to have a family and someone I can trust, I wonder if I can trust Alice, if she trusts me, I guess I'm asking myself this question too soon.»

"Today is only my first day in this world. I have many more years, I hope it won't be boring. Why did I buy a skill in cooking? Now I am fully aware of everything in cooking, will I need to do something else, sports? A manga? I'll have to think about it tomorrow, and now I have dinner, from the second of the elite ten!»

As soon as Hiro finished thinking, Joichiro came over with a dish. - Here's my special rice Curry! Bon Appetit!

- Oh! You've already finished, so quickly that I didn't expect anything less from you! - Hiro said, focusing all his attention on the dish.

- Thanks! As soon as you eat it, let me know! I want to know what you think about it, okay? - The man said with a smile.

- Good! - Hiro asked.

- And be calm after the meal, okay? - Joichiro turned around and said.

Hiro nodded, he already knew that Joichiro was hinting that he wouldn't groan at the taste of the dish. But Hiro wasn't sure if this dish would make him groan, as he felt that this dish wasn't perfect, he could tell with his culinary talent.

Besides, he knew that the person who prepared it wasn't fully invested at all! He prepared it casually, but even so, his skill cannot be denied.

With this one dish, you could become a chef for a 3-star restaurant!

He couldn't wait to taste this dish, it was a dream come true for him to eat this dish prepared by an anime character! Hiro said softly. - Itadakimasu!

He picked up the chopsticks next to the dish, tasted the ramen, and swallowed.

"It's delicious!"

The rich taste attacked his tongue, the noodles were extremely thin and smooth, it immediately slid down into his stomach! This taste was perfect!

However, he did not eat hastily like a pig, he could eat normally, he wanted to enjoy the aftertaste, and then he tasted the meat, because when he chewed the meat, it would easily give way to deformation.

It wasn't hard at all! The meat was very soft!

Hiro happily ate it, but he didn't notice that all the customers and Joichiro, who had been watching him all this time, were looking at him all this time, but as for Soma, he was busy cooking.

After all, they expect him to moan, this is already a tradition of this store! The first customers usually groaned after eating from this family restaurant!

Joichiro realized that Hiro was not normal! If Hiro hadn't told him that he was an aspiring chef, he would have thought that Hiro was a chef.

…

Before Hiro could notice, he had already eaten all the Curry, so he called Joichiro.

- Yukihira-san! May I see you?

- Yes! Have you eaten everything yet? So? Do you understand something? The difference between an elite chef and an ordinary one?

- To tell you the truth, I didn't understand anything, but I'll try to find out at the academy! - Hiro said seriously.

- Do you want me to give you a clue, or rather a clue to the right path? - Joichiro said with a smile.

- I could use some advice from a more experienced cook! - Hiro asked excitedly.

- That's great, then listen! The first thing that makes a chef an elite chef is just this question, what is the difference between an ordinary cook and an elite one. And if you correctly find the answer to this question, then you will quickly become an elite chef, but this path is quite thorny. And it will take some time to achieve this! - Joichiro said seriously.

- A-a-a?! Yukihiro-san, but isn't that logical, why did you tell me that? This is probably the most logical, but what to do to find the answer to this question, can you give advice on this issue. - Hiro asked blankly.

- Ha-ha-ha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, well, I'll give you some advice, but this is directly related to the first course that the chef prepared. When preparing the first dish, a person will try very hard and put all his heart into this dish, so if the cook will devote himself to the dish throughout his life, then the dish will also respond to you in the same way. - Joichiro said cryptically.

- You know, your advice is not only strange, but it is also plausible that nothing can refute it. - Hiro said, feeling strange. - But thank you anyway!

- Nothing special, because everything else depends on you, you will either find the answer yourself or the academy will help you if you go there!

- I'm just taking the exam in two days, but will Soma go to Totsuki? - Hiro asked.

- Yes, but he doesn't know I'm closing the restaurant yet!

- Well, then, good luck telling him about it. I'll wait for him there!

- Wait, I've got an idea!

- A....

- Soma!! Come here!

- Dad, you called? - Soma asked.

- Yes! Do you want to have a cooking battle?

- Yes, but why is it so late? There are no judges, are there?

- No, you won't fight me! You will fight him!

- What?\ What?! - The teenagers exclaimed at the same time.

- You know Soma, Hiro is a good cook, if you can't beat him, you don't even have to try to beat me! - the man said, seducing his son.

- Is he really that good?

- I don't know.... Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Joichiro.

- Yes, he's very good, have I ever lied to you? - Joichiro said with a smile

- No, I guess not! Soma said uncertainly.

- Wait, don't you want to ask me first?

-Do you mind? - Soma asked.

- No!

- Well, that's all settled. - Joichiro Spoke Up.

- Ah-aha!

Hiro got up from his seat and followed Soma into the kitchen, do you want to ask why he accepted their challenge? He just wants to know the difference between himself and Soma.

He wants to know how much "Cooking Skill" it is, compared to the current Soma.

After that, he will challenge Joichiro! He felt that they were on the same level.

…

Now the two of them are standing in the kitchen, all the ingredients they need are now right next to them.

- Good! Get ready, the theme will be to cook any food that contains noodles as the main ingredient. You can use anything you find in the kitchen! Let the battle begin. - Joichiro said, and the customers attention is now focused on both Soma and Hiro.

- Okay, let's gather all the ingredients ... okay, I think I have everything I need, let's get started! - Hiro said.

They began dicing all the vegetables and seasoning their rice. His speed shocked the father and son duo as he then proceeded to cook the rice.

Joichiro, who had seen Hiro's skills, couldn't help but feel serious, he thought, " This guy.. he's at least almost on my level!»

However, he didn't know that Hiro was also holding back, he understood the difference between him and Soma from the moment they refined these ingredients, so he decided to lower the skill potential by at least a whole level.

Not long after the two of them have already done the peeling and slicing of the meat, they are already ready to cook the noodles.

…

Now 15 minutes later, both of their dishes are now in the final stage, they only had to put in the last ingredient, which is an egg.

- Hmm, the cooking has come to an end, it remains to add the final touch and the dish will be ready! Hiro said, barely audible.

As he continued to cook, he was completely different from his calm nature, he resembled a god of war who had just entered the battlefield and showed no mercy.

- Ready, your food is served! they said at the same time. They finally finished their ramen. Both dishes had almost the same flavor, but the difference was in the dish itself.

The referee of this match will be - Joichiro.

Both serve their meals at an empty table, now all attention is focused on Soma's parent. They want to see their opinions and reactions.

- I'll try my son's ramen first! - After swallowing the ramen, he spoke.

- Not bad.

But if you look at Soma, he is pleased with this "praise", but he was still serious, since he had not yet heard the result.

Joichiro started tasting Hiro's dish, when the ramen hit his mouth, his taste exploded! That he even saw illusions about swimming in the mountains, where ramen was instead of water.

It was very tasty! But he kept his cool, it wasn't at the level he was unconsciously groaning at, it was just a grade lower than he predicted.

Joichiro sighs, the winner is already determined, but still, he didn't expect that someone of Hiro's age would be able to reach such a level!

"Eh, now he not only crushed Soma, but also 18-year-old me. Wait a minute! He said that just a while ago, he had prepared his first dish, so this is his second prepared dish, what a monstrous talent, it seems not to be arrogant with such strength is quite difficult, but I hope he can handle it. I wish I'd challenged him myself. What would be the result? Okay, now is not the time to think about it! Joichiro thought as he tasted both dishes.

- I have to say that you are good, as far as I can remember, I haven't met someone at the same age as you who has already reached this level... I have to say that you are truly a genius! - Joichiro said.

Hearing his father praise Hiro, he couldn't help but sigh, he wasn't an idiot, he knew it was his loss. Knowing his father, he wouldn't so openly praise someone who wasn't talented.

But, despite this, he was not discouraged, and his fighting spirit burned even more! Previously, his goal was to surpass his father, but now there is another one!

And this is Hiro! he was also a more difficult opponent because they were the same age!

- The winner of this battle, Hiroto Ichijo! Soma, you must try your best if you want to defeat him! - Joichiro said, but added inwardly: "And try very hard!"

- Let me try to understand why I lost! - Soma said, but after taking a bite, he paused for a full minute before saying. - Next time, I'll win!

- Of course, but the only way you can do that is at the academy I'm entering in 2 days, if you join the Totsuki Academy! So if you want to beat me, you'll have to do it first, before you even think about challenging me, I'll be waiting for you there, if of course you can do it. - Hiro said seriously, especially the last part.

- Eh?! The academy? What kind of academy is this? Will it be useful for me? And what about the restaurant? - Soma asked, looking at his father and Hiro, his new rival and future friend.

- Yukihira-san, next time I would like to fight you, I hope you don't mind?

- I'll be looking forward to it!

- Don't ignore me!!!

- I'll leave the rest of the explanation to you, since it's rather late and I still have some things to do at home, if you'll excuse me! While Soma, I will wait for your call, but under different circumstances! - Hiro interrupted Soma's tirade.

- Yes, we will be happy to see Hiro again! - Joichiro said, as if he didn't notice his son's gaze.

- Yes, come again! - Soma tore his eyes away from his father.

…

When Hiro left the restaurant, he saw that all the places along the street that he used to visit had already closed. So he went home, thinking about the discussions that had just taken place: "Knowing Joichiro, he'll just leave it at that and say something like 'Go to the academy and find out' or something like that! By the way, I should buy a phone, because I can't even call a taxi! " Not finding phone booths, Hiro put the bike in the inventory and used teleportation magic for the second time and ended up at home. But to sleep that day, he never went to bed…