"Dylan-nii, I've grown up!"
Nakiri Alice spoke suggestively, taking two steps forward and grabbing his hand as she spoke. She looked into his eyes with sincerity, other emotions seemingly brewing within her gaze.
"I can tell. Alice is an adult now."
Dylan nodded sincerely. From the moment Nakiri Alice said those words, he understood she was no longer the naive little girl she used to be.
Of course, this wasn't meant negatively. After all, people always grow up.
"Really?"
Nakiri Alice said with some excitement, her big eyes blinking twice, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly as if anticipating something.
"Of course. You're much more mature than before. You couldn't say those things without a certain amount of social experience."
Dylan nodded seriously.
"That's not the kind of growing up I meant! It's my figure! My figure!"
Hearing Dylan's words, the expression on Nakiri Alice's face froze. Then, exasperated, she stomped her foot, gesturing at her body as she spoke.
Those streamlined curves, that figure... she was practically a peerless beauty, okay!
"Hmm, if you put it that way, Alice has indeed blossomed beautifully."
Dylan knew exactly what Nakiri Alice wanted him to say, but he couldn't. After all, her age was dangerous territory.
Although in ancient China, thirteen was an age for marriage, this was the modern era. He, Dylan, had always been a law-abiding, respectable young man!
In this situation, it was best to just laugh it off and gloss over it.
Thinking this, Dylan patted Nakiri Alice's head and gently poked her slightly puffed-out cheeks, which were inflated with annoyance.
"Dylan-nii, you're so clueless! Hmph!"
Feeling the pressure on her cheek, Nakiri Alice pouted, uttered those words, let out a "hmph" through her nose, and quickened her pace as she walked away.
Seeing this, Dylan gave a wry smile and sped up to follow her.
Honestly, Nakiri Alice had truly blossomed. Whether it was her face or her figure, most people wouldn't be able to guess her real age.
But he didn't dare say such things! Saying it felt strange. Those who knew understood they were master and apprentice, but those who didn't might think he was...
Damn it, if she had the guts, she should try saying this to him again in two years! See how he'd react then! Hinting again and again, did she really think he was some meek lamb!
Following behind Nakiri Alice, Dylan thought indignantly. This wasn't the first or second time she'd done this. Every time, he had to pretend to be oblivious even though he understood perfectly. Did she really take him for a docile sheep!
Of course, for now, it was just a thought. He wouldn't actually dare to do anything. After all, if he really did, things would get complicated.
It wasn't that he was afraid of complications. The key issue was that he was leaving soon. It wasn't the right time to make a move. After all, if he did something like that, he'd have to take responsibility.
Dylan clasped his hands behind his head, looked at the back of Alice's head for a moment, then gazed up at the sky. He was a responsible man. If he really did that, he definitely wouldn't leave so easily.
Besides, once a person forms bonds, it's like gaining a vulnerability.
"We'll see..."
Dylan thought, closing his eyes with a sigh. The two quickly disappeared into the moonlight.
Night fell. Dylan stayed up late, working by lamplight on a training plan. He left the day before the competition free, deciding to let Nakiri Alice rest and recharge her energy.
If a bowstring is kept taut constantly, it will eventually break. People are the same. After training, one must relax. This was also to ensure better performance during the competition.
"Alright, this should be enough for now. I also need to study molecular gastronomy more deeply, otherwise, I'll really have nothing left to teach that girl."
Closing the notebook in his hand, Dylan got up and went to bed. A lot had happened these past few days.
He really hadn't expected to encounter a 5-star Special Grade Chef in a small place like Denmark.
He recalled when they entered the Shokugeki Bureau, the Director happened to be coming in through the door. Upon seeing Toth, the Director immediately went over to greet him, then followed them around the entire time with a smile, his expression and tone extremely respectful.
It seemed the first thing to do after leaving Northern Europe was to take the Special Grade Chef exam. With status and position, many things would become easier to handle.
Besides that...
All sorts of thoughts flooded his mind, densely packed. Dylan soon felt drowsiness creep in and fell asleep not long after.
During that time, Nakiri Alice came to his room once, hugging a pillow, but seeing him asleep, she quietly retreated.
·
·
The next day, 6:00 AM.
"Although you use molecular gastronomy techniques, you can't forget the fundamentals. The combination of dishes, the blending of their flavors – the principles behind them are all based on the most fundamental things."
Placing an illustrated guide to Danish ingredients in front of Nakiri Alice, Dylan spoke with a serious expression. The most difficult part of molecular gastronomy wasn't using the machines, but the pairing and application of various ingredients.
Every ingredient has a different flavor. Cooking is essentially about combining various ingredients, allowing their flavors to merge and create a brand-new taste experience.
"I think my combinations are alright, though. The dishes I make don't taste bad..."
Nakiri Alice murmured weakly, somewhat confused. Molecular gastronomy was her specialty; she had genuinely produced dishes of Special Grade quality before.
"Don't try your innovative dishes for now. Try returning to the basics. Reconstruct all the fundamental Danish dishes using molecular gastronomy, starting with the simple ones. Let molecular gastronomy showcase its uniqueness."
Watching Nakiri Alice, who constantly wanted to innovate and try various experiments, Dylan stopped her. Although every dish she made tasted decent, it didn't serve the purpose of practice.
Nakiri Alice didn't truly understand all the ingredients. Everything she did was based merely on experience. While that wasn't inherently a problem, the key issue was that her experience was shallow, lacking much practical application.
Although she could create molecular gastronomy dishes that were above passing grade in taste, to improve further, she had to return to the basics.
Start from scratch, break down to build anew!
"Let me demonstrate for you. This is also a new technique I've just researched. Let's take your initial baked cod as an example. First, use sous-vide (low-temperature slow cooking) to cook it through evenly."
"Then, use spherification to create micro lemon-butter foam bubbles, cover the fish with them, and sear it with a blowtorch."
"This will give the surface of the fish a caramelized layer, adding textural complexity, while also melting the lemon-butter foam, changing its flavor profile, and allowing it to integrate more perfectly with the baked cod."
Dylan explained while demonstrating. Due to limited time, he cut the cod fillet into bite-sized pieces. This way, it would cook through in about ten minutes.
During the spare time in between, he prepared the lemon-butter foam, quickly making it with a molecular gastronomy machine, then set it aside.
Since it was fresh cod and time was limited, Dylan didn't plan to add anything else. Just these few ingredients were enough to highlight all the umami and flavor.
Fifteen minutes later, under Nakiri Alice's unblinking gaze, a dish emitting a faint golden glow was placed before her.
"Go ahead and try it. Then tell me, what's the difference between this dish and the one you made?"
Looking solemnly at Nakiri Alice, Dylan's voice was calm, yet it made beads of cold sweat appear on her forehead. He was here! The super strict Master Dylan!
________
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