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Rizu Ogata bowed her head slightly, her face buried in her hands, apologizing with utmost sincerity.
"I didn't realize there was that hidden meaning," Rizu Ogata admitted.
The atmosphere immediately grew awkward. The misunderstanding was cleared, but there was no clear topic to transition to. Firstly, Rizu Ogata didn't know how to shift the conversation, and secondly, she wasn't good at finding conversation starters.
The one who broke the silence was, surprisingly, Mashiro Shiina, who had been quietly glancing back and forth at everyone's faces.
"Are you hungry?" Mashiro Shiina asked, pointing to the large portion of uneaten food on the table.
Rizu Ogata possessed excellent observational skills. She had noticed the food when she sat down. However, she wasn't an invited guest; if anything, she felt more like an "unwelcome guest." Arriving at the most inopportune moment and speaking such displeasing words, even she, with her usual bluntness, knew that doing anything more ill-mannered would lower her impression. The autographs were already in hand. There was no need for anything extra. Still, she was grateful that someone offered her an outâotherwise, it would have been mortifying.
"I've already eaten before coming here," Rizu Ogata waved her hand, declining. This statement also made Rizu Ogata pay more attention to the dishes on the table.
"Did Renz-kun make these?" Rizu Ogata asked, voicing her doubt.
Honestly, she couldn't tell if the cooking was good or not. Although her father had taught her how to make udon noodles, Rizu Ogata had never grasped the true essence of cooking. She simply followed steps, like performing an experiment, to complete a dish. Upon careful observation, it looked more or less the same, and the appearance was very similar. Her father had eaten it a few times but always said she hadn't quite mastered it. With her naked eye, Rizu Ogata couldn't discern if Renz's cooking was good. She had no talent in this area.
However, judging by the reviews on the cooking show, Renz-kun had excellent ramen-making skills, so his other dishes probably weren't far behind, right? Always troubled by her inability to make friends at school, Rizu Ogata had researched social tactics online. At this moment, speaking in a praising tone would definitely not be wrong.
"Renz-kun's skills appear to be excellent. He'll surely become a wonderful househusband in the future," Rizu Ogata commented in a mechanical voice. This was Rizu Ogata's first attempt at formally using the "compliment-based" social method.
"Under my careful tutelage, how could Renz's skills be anything less than excellent?" Erina felt quite pleased hearing Rizu Ogata's compliment. Praising Renz was like praising her. This bespectacled girl had excellent taste. And she wasn't wrongâRenz would indeed become a wonderful domestic man in the future.
Just then, Rizu Ogata's phone rang.
"My sincerest apologies, my father is calling. He's probably worried I've been gone too long," Rizu Ogata said, curtly hanging up the call. She'd text him back later. It had only been a few minutes, and he was already anxiously calling her. She wasn't a little kid who would get lost.
"Take care, and please, Ogata-san, keep the secret that Erina is my girlfriend," Renz said, bowing. "We'll announce our relationship at the appropriate time."
Erina was a public figure. If she had a boyfriend, it would easily become public knowledge. If Erina's boyfriend wasn't well-known, not only would Erina face online backlash, but Renz would also be boycotted.
However, Renz and Erina didn't care about that. Becoming a public figure meant that no matter what you did, some people would be dissatisfied. Those people were simply dissatisfied for the sake of dissatisfaction. If you raised your left hand, they would insist on raising their right. Opposing for the sake of oppositionâalso known as "keyboard warriors" or "contrarians."
When encountering such people, Renz usually showcased his happy and fulfilling life. The better his life was, the more those anonymous keyboard warriors would seethe with envy and anger. Moreover, Renz was already seasoned at handling pressure. He genuinely didn't care. His only fear was that if the entire internet learned about Renz and Erina's relationship, and the old man found out, he might deem Renz unworthy and refuse to hand Erina over to him.
But that wasn't even the most uncomfortable part. The most uncomfortable part would be if the old man agreed to the marriage, but only under Erina's strong insistence, half-consenting under duress. That would leave Renz feeling even more displeased. He hoped the old man would genuinely want to entrust Erina to Renz. For this very reason, Renz had been practicing harder and harder lately. He just needed one opportunity to prove himself.
"Is it because you're a public figure?" Rizu Ogata's eyes showed sympathy. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."
"Thank you," Renz replied.
The phone rang again. Rizu Ogata had rejected the call earlier, so her father called again. With a helpless expression, she walked out the door and answered the call.
Inside the living room, "Comrade Erina, don't just blow your cover at the drop of a hat!" Renz complained. "If this keeps up, everyone will know you're my wife!"
"I just can't stand it," Erina realized she had messed up again, and her voice softened. But she also felt she couldn't just back down like that. "Isn't this all to fend off these Vixens?"
Erina crossed her arms, her voice sharply rising. "Why don't they go after anyone else? Why do they always target you?"
"I can't help that either. Instead of this, Erina, can you think of a way to urge Father-in-law to speed things up?" Renz said, spreading his hands. "Tell him to quickly lure all the Totsuki Elite Ten away for the Academy."
"Once they're all lured away, I'll slaughter them all that very day."
"I'll challenge them one by one in Shokugeki and naturally climb to the top by stepping on them."
"Don't talk like a major villain!" Erina said, rubbing her forehead. This was one of the plans they had discussed. Because Renz wasn't qualified to participate in the World Culinary Championships, he couldn't participate in that level of competition to raise his profile.
Therefore, the best targets to build his reputation next were the Totsuki Elite Ten. These were the ten most renowned young chefs in Japanese cuisine, and most importantly, their names were all familiar to the old man. If Renz defeated all of them, it would be hard for the old man not to be impressed with him.
But the problem was, the Totsuki Elite Ten hadn't defected to her father's school yet. So, they were still members of Totsuki Academy, and if Renz challenged them, it would be like their own people beating up their own people. Have you ever seen someone dismantle their own defensive towers? They'd at least have to wait for them to "defect," right?
It was strange, really. Renz and Erina were now literally counting the stars and moon, wishing for the Totsuki Elite Ten to defect. Once they defected to Azami Nakiri's school, they would surely try to gain reputation by attacking Totsuki Academy. It would be a drama of "rebel chefs slaughtering the school." Wouldn't Renz's importance immediately become clear then?
And the most heart-piercing thing was that Renz would be proficient in most dishes in the future. The God's Tongue was truly hard to satisfy; once she grew tired of one dish, he'd have to switch to another. If he didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve, he wouldn't be able to satisfy Erina. In other words, if Renz truly wanted to bully the young chefs of the Totsuki Elite Ten to their breaking point, he could defeat them with the dishes they specialized in.
This was why the two of them were so eagerly awaiting the defection of the Totsuki Elite Ten. They were currently the best candidates for establishing his authority and making his debut!
Thinking this, Erina really wanted to call her father. Urge him to act quickly. He was dragging his feet, slow as death.
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