"Just a small glass."
This is a common phrase from many overworked employees on the 9-9-6 schedule when they come to the tavern!
However, this sentence is purely nonsense, probably as useless as the domestic leaders saying, "Hmm, let me just say a few simple words."
These overworked employees who come to the tavern often drink one glass after another.
And, they often make excuses to convince themselves: "This is the last glass, I'll go home after finishing it."
And what happens?
After drinking a dozen glasses, they're still chatting happily at the tavern.
Of course, some employees, after work, actually don't want to go home, just finding reasons to linger outside.
So places like taverns naturally become popular for many people.
You see, the "residence" in a tavern actually implies "staying," meaning it's a place you can linger for a long time.
However, Zane is a bit stubborn, as he closes the tavern sharp at midnight!
...
Tonight, the arrival of heavy rain comes with a special atmosphere!
The air is filled with moisture, raindrops falling on the ground, splashing water droplets.
As the rain grows louder, the entire night world seems to be engulfed by the rain.
Despite the rain, there are still some customers after Erina, visiting the tavern.
However,
The number of customers is less than before.
Even those customers, after drinking and eating, don't linger anymore, choosing to leave.
These constant comings and goings make tonight's tavern quiet, and Zane relatively relaxed.
At this moment, Zane picks up a cloth and gently presses it against the blade, covering the blade fully.
Starting from the tip, he carefully wipes along the back towards the blade, then flips the cloth to wipe the other side.
The entire motion seems very delicate.
As the cleaning ends, the blade of the knife shines brightly!
Beside him, Erina, who hasn't left yet, sits quietly, holding her chin with both hands, staring at Zane constantly.
Her eyes, seemingly full of thoughtful light.
Wonder what she's thinking about in her mind right now?
...
"Why are you staring at me?"
Then, Zane put down the knife and looked at Erina who was staring at him.
Seemingly understanding that the Reincarnation Spring Roll dish from earlier had a great impact on her, he couldn't help but jokingly ask.
"Am I?"
Erina, upon hearing Zane's words, quickly turned her head.
"I mean, the specialty dish I made, you've already eaten it."
"You're not even of drinking age, so why do you keep hanging out in the tavern?"
Speaking these words, Zane felt quite puzzled.
Someone from the Nakiri family like her shouldn't really bother coming to a small place like a tavern.
But she, like the foodie Rindo, seems to cling around after tasting her dishes.
Although the tavern itself is a place that provides food and drinks, where people can enjoy good food and socialize!
And Erina, as a customer, is the "god" of the tavern.
Since it's not yet closing time, Zane really had no reason to rush her out.
But he and Erina kept staring at each other, making it awkward!
...
"Well..."
"Didn't I tell you just now?"
"I didn't come to the tavern for your dishes, but... to seek shelter from the rain."
Hearing Zane's hint, Erina blinked, continuing nervously, "It's still raining outside, so I definitely have to stay here."
"When the rain eases or stops, then I'll leave."
That's what she said!
Now what could he do?
Just watching her come up with such a lame excuse, Zane couldn't help but look suspicious.
Did she really predict tonight's heavy rain, otherwise why else was she using this kind of excuse to fool herself?
Seeing Zane's gaze turn more suspicious, Erina felt even more guilty, quickly changing the subject, "Moreover, who says I can't stay at the tavern just because I'm not of drinking age? Can't I have something else to drink?"
"Like your herbal tea from last night, I actually found it quite nice. So... can you make me one cup of herbal tea?"
"You're stubbornly not leaving!"
Hearing this, Zane could only smile helplessly.
But then he didn't say much, instead went to prepare two cups of herbal tea and placed them in front of Erina and Hisako.
...
Indeed, as Erina mentioned.
His tavern also has many "underage" customers.
Since these customers cannot have alcoholic drinks, Zane prepares extra jasmine tea, cool tea, plum juice, other cold drinks, and even low-cost sweet syrups!
At this moment, Erina picks up the cup of jasmine tea.
With a gentle sniff, it still had the familiar scent and the familiar blend.
Although it had a subtle fragrance, when she took a sip, it felt very rich in flavor!
It's not exactly luxurious, it's just a regular cup of jasmine tea, but it's floral aroma is enough to attract Erina.
"Rindo, is the tavern you mentioned the one right here?"
At the same time, Rindo and Momo arrived at the tavern in the pouring rain, standing outside with umbrellas.
Droplets of water slowly slid down Momo's forehead, then dripped onto the ground.
As she looked up at the tavern in front of her, she couldn't help but be a little bewildered.
Obviously, she never expected someone like Rindo, the second seat of the Elite Ten, to be a frequent visitor to such a small place.
"Yes."
"This is it!"
"Don't worry, the owner of this tavern used to be a five-star hotel chef."
"So as long as he showcases his skills a bit, I guarantee you'll have a breakthrough in the issue with the soufflé."
After saying that, Rindo quickly pushed the door open and walked in.
Momo hesitated slightly, but because it was still raining heavily and she had already come this far, she had to grit her teeth and follow her closely!
—------
A cup overflowing with fragrant jasmine tea.
In the misty vapor, a hazy memory lingered.
Just then, Erina, who had taken a small sip of jasmine tea, suddenly saw two figures.
One was a mature and steady older sister type.
The other was a pure and curious "little sister."
The older sister type was the regular customer of the tavern, Rindo.
Holding a doll, with round eyes glancing around, the "little sister" who seemed innocent and curious was the current fourth seat of the Elite Ten at Totsuki Academy, Momo!
Seeing them, Erina, as the junior, hurriedly greeted them.
"Erina Nakiri?"
"Tonight, you actually arrived at the tavern before me."
Just entering the tavern, Rindo elegantly sat next to Erina.
Although she always appeared carefree, there was an air of authority about her!
At the same time, Momo, clutching the doll tightly in her hands, glanced at Erina with a slightly critical eye.
After a while, she nodded slightly, as a kind of response to her.
Many who chat with Rindo find her as lively as a bird, but to those familiar with her, she tends to be quiet around strangers or acquaintances.
...
"It's pouring outside!"
"Yet, that didn't stop your determination to come to the tavern?"
With a slight rise, Zane came over to Rindo and chuckled softly.
"Chef Zane, let's skip the formalities, shall we?"
"Let me introduce you, this is my classmate and the current fourth seat of the Elite Ten, Momo."
"Her expertise lies in desserts. Don't be fooled by her petite frame; she's sometimes even more formidable in cooking than I am!"
Rindo directly introduced Momo in front of Zane.
"Huh?"
Zane hesitated for a moment!
Soon, his gaze rested on Momo.
Perhaps due to her short stature and reserved personality, Zane hadn't initially noticed her.
After carefully observing her for a while, he discovered that this "little sister" had big emerald green eyes that flickered continuously, indicating she was a shy and timid girl.
At the same time, Momo couldn't help but ponder about his capabilities, especially considering his name seemed to indicate he was from a different country?
Despite the world-renowned cuisine of that country, it's unquestionably at the top of the culinary world.
But could a person from that country master French desserts?
Could he create a soufflé dessert that doesn't collapse the moment it comes out of the oven?
On these points, Momo couldn't help but think deeply!
...
"Chef Zane, this time at the tavern."
"The main reason is to ask you to make a soufflé dessert. Do you think... you can do it now?"
Seeing both watching each other but seeming unfazed, Rindo had to intervene.
"Soufflé?"
"This is a tavern, not a dessert shop!"
"And here you are at this late hour, not ordering some dishes to go with your drinks or something warm to heat you up, but wanting desserts?"
Hearing Rindo asking him to make a soufflé dessert, Zane, who had just looked away, immediately felt speechless.
However, he knew that Momo specialized in desserts.
So, he vaguely understood what was happening.
"Please!"
"I know your tavern has an unwritten rule."
"As long as there are ingredients on hand or you can make it, you can make dishes as per the customers' requests!"
"So, can you..."
Knowing it was ridiculous to order dessert dishes at a tavern, it was a challenge that was hard to ignore. To save face in front of Momo, Rindo had to go ahead with it!
"Well, okay."
"Moreover, making a soufflé dessert isn't that hard!"
Since it was slow business that night, and he couldn't close early, Zane decided to go along with making the soufflé dessert as suggested by Rindo.
So, understanding the situation, Zane rolled up his sleeves in preparation to return to the cooking station.
"By the way, we have one more request."
"The soufflé dessert must remain intact for 1 minute after being baked, without collapsing internally!"
Seeing Zane about to prepare, a worried Momo quickly spoke up.
...
"Huh?"
"Aren't you asking for the impossible?"
Feeling it was a bit much, Erina nearly spat out her tea!
You see, a soufflé is famous worldwide for its light and airy texture, often poetically described as a thin veil-like foam cloud.
The reason behind this is that during baking, the evaporation of water vapor from the batter foam increases internal pressure, causing the air bubbles to expand further.
In essence, it's the combined effect of air and water vapor that creates the ethereal lightness of a soufflé.
Unlike most bread, a soufflé doesn't rely on starch or gluten proteins to reinforce its structure; instead, it depends more on the air pressure within the bubbles.
Thus, if you cut open the bubbles, the gas inside will quickly escape, causing the soufflé to collapse.
Sometimes, even without cutting open, a soufflé can collapse at a very rapid pace.
Certainly, this "contradictory" nature is both the charm and the greatest challenge of the entire dessert!
"No wonder she's part of the Elite Ten at Totsuki."
"She always manages to throw a tough challenge at me right away!"
Hearing Momo's request, Zane, who was about to start cooking, suddenly froze.
"Can't... Can't it be done?"
"Come to think of it, needing both a flowing airiness and the ability to withstand air pressure without collapsing quickly is quite a contradictory idea in itself."
Seeing Zane's troubled expression, Momo couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.
"It's a bit difficult."
"But I can still make this kind of soufflé."
After pondering for a moment, Zane said lightly.
"Really?" Momo's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
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This was a 2-in-1 chapter, meaning there is 2 different chapters in this 1 chapter. Make sure to give more power stones! More reviews too!