A crisp clink snapped Erina Nakiri out of her thoughts.
Looking down at the bowl in front of her, she furrowed her brow almost imperceptibly, her tone laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"Scrambled eggs?"
Although the presentation was decent enough, at the end of the day, it was just a plain bowl of scrambled eggs.
"It's not just regular scrambled eggs!" Soma Yukihira immediately retorted. He turned around and placed a steaming bowl of white rice in front of Erina. "It's egg over rice!"
Erina's gaze fell upon the bowl of white rice, and the interest in her eyes instantly faded.
Egg over rice was nothing more than ordinary peasant food. How could such a commonplace dish ever catch her eye?
She was just about to say something when she saw Soma eagerly pouring the scrambled eggs over the rice.
With a soft rustle, the golden curds of egg, mixed with dozens of small brown cubes, cascaded onto the snow-white rice.
As the steam from the rice rose, the small brown cubes began to slowly melt from the heat, oozing a rich sauce that quickly dyed both the rice and the eggs an appetizing light brown.
A mellow, savory meat aroma, mingled with the fragrance of egg and rice, suddenly wafted into her nose.
Erina's gaze narrowed slightly.
Watching the melting brown cubes actually sparked a bit of interest in this seemingly ordinary egg over rice.
Soma deftly sprinkled a pinch of vibrant green chopped scallions on top, then pushed the bowl in front of Erina, his face brimming with confidence.
"Enjoy! This is Restaurant Yukihira's secret menu item—Transforming Egg Rice!"
Erina looked at the rather enticing dish in front of her. After a moment of hesitation, she picked up her chopsticks.
She picked up a bite of the sauce-coated rice and a piece of scrambled egg, slowly bringing it to her mouth.
The next second, Erina's eyes lit up.
The tender smoothness of the egg and the chewy texture of the rice clashed between her teeth, while the melted brown sauce carried a rich, savory chicken flavor.
The sauce was mellow but not greasy, perfectly accentuating the fresh sweetness of the egg.
It felt as if a pair of gentle hands were softly brushing over her taste buds, so comforting that she couldn't help but narrow her eyes in pleasure.
This flavor was a novel sensation she had never experienced before.
Unable to resist, she took another bite, chewing carefully as the astonishment in her eyes grew deeper.
"How is it? How is it?" Soma leaned in, his tone full of anticipation. "Is it good, or is it disgusting? Hurry up and tell me!"
Erina set down her chopsticks. Pressing her fingertips lightly against the corner of her lips, she pondered for a moment before giving her evaluation.
"It's merely a bit novel. Well, I suppose it does show some level of skill."
Compared to Ray's flawlessly perfect Orange Puff Pastry Lava Egg Tart, this egg over rice ultimately fell a step short in terms of culinary refinement.
But undeniably, the fusion of creativity and flavor had indeed given her quite a pleasant surprise.
Furthermore, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if she had tasted a similar flavor a long time ago. It gave her an unexplainable sense of comfort.
Hearing this, Soma immediately broke into a wide grin.
In his eyes, an evaluation of 'some level of skill' meant that Erina Nakiri had acknowledged his cooking.
'She's just being a tsundere!' he thought, knowing the type perfectly well.
He was just about to say something else, like making Erina admit that his food was genuinely delicious, when a golden egg tart suddenly appeared right in front of his eyes.
Ray had walked over at some point and was holding an Orange Puff Pastry Lava Egg Tart out to Soma.
"Want a taste?"
Soma's attention was instantly captivated by the pastry, and whatever he had been about to say was thrown completely out the window.
He snatched the egg tart and eagerly took a massive bite.
*Crunch—*
The crisp sound of the shattering puff pastry exploded in his mouth. A rich orange aroma, mixed with the sweet fragrance of egg and milk, instantly swept through all his senses.
The warm, molten center slid down his throat, sweet but not cloying, while the crisp orange scent perfectly neutralized the richness of the custard.
The taste was even more breathtaking than he had imagined!
"This is way too delicious!" Soma's eyes widened. With his mouth stuffed full of egg tart, he mumbled his praise indistinctly.
It seemed even better than his Transforming Egg Rice!
Erina watched Soma wolfing down the food. She furrowed her brow slightly but didn't say anything.
Instead, she stated crisply, "Soma Yukihira, you pass as well."
Although it still had some shortcomings, it barely met her standard for a passing grade.
"Haha! Awesome!" Soma swallowed the egg tart in his mouth and rubbed his hands together excitedly. He looked at Erina and was just about to speak when someone suddenly slapped him hard on the shoulder.
He stumbled, nearly losing his footing. Turning around, he saw Ray looking at him with a 'sincere' smile.
"Haha, congratulations! We both passed!" Ray said. "Here, have another egg tart."
At this moment, Ray felt utterly exasperated on the inside.
'Since we passed, you should stop showing off. Is my Orange Puff Pastry Lava Egg Tart not delicious enough? Why can't it shut Soma Yukihira's mouth?'
Even though Erina had already announced they passed, this girl was a total tsundere.
'If he really pisses her off, who knows if she'll change her mind on a whim and turn that pass into a fail?'
Completely oblivious to Ray's inner thoughts, Soma took the Orange Puff Pastry Lava Egg Tart and started eating.
Seeing that Soma had finally stopped talking, Ray picked up his tray.
He turned and walked over to Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato, gently placing the tray on the table next to them.
"Would you like to try another one?" Ray asked. "Besides, the judging is over now, so this doesn't count as working hours anymore."
There were still quite a few Orange Puff Pastry Lava Egg Tarts left on the tray, each one baked to absolute perfection.
The edges of the crust gleamed with a caramel luster, and one could faintly see the slightly jiggling molten center inside. The enticing aroma drifted into their noses in wisps, teasing their taste buds.
Hisako Arato's gaze landed on the egg tarts, a flash of longing in her eyes.
She was incredibly curious about this dish that had compelled Lady Erina to go back for seconds.
The faint orange scent mixed with the aroma of custard was enough to make one's mouth water just from the smell.
However, she quickly turned her head to look at Erina beside her.
As Lady Erina's secretary, she naturally had to prioritize Lady Erina's wishes.
If Lady Erina didn't want to eat, she wouldn't overstep her bounds.
Erina's fingertips unconsciously rubbed her chin as an intense internal struggle waged within her.
Reason told her that, as the head examiner, she needed to maintain her aloof and noble persona.
But the lingering trace of orange and milk on her tongue seemed to possess a magical allure, constantly tempting her taste buds.
Coupled with the obvious look of anticipation in Hisako's eyes beside her, whatever little restraint she had left instantly crumbled.
She coughed lightly and turned her head away, trying to keep her tone sounding as haughty as ever, though her slightly reddened ears betrayed her true thoughts.
"If that's the case, then I suppose I'll have another piece."
"Hisako, you should try some too. This dish is indeed worth a taste."
"Yes, Lady Erina!" Hisako's eyes lit up. A faint smile graced her face, her tone brimming with joy.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]