Nikaido Yoshikane was petrified. He had taken a slap from Erina Nakiri.
However, the slap didn't shock him much. Talking gossip and idle rumors about the Nakiri family and getting caught red-handed, a slap was to be expected. In Japan, while the class system wasn't as rigid as in Korea, a hierarchy still existed.
A behemoth like the Nakiri family, and the Nakiri surname itself, could completely overwhelm anyone in the culinary world. What truly shocked him was... that the man who looked just averagely handsome—no, in his eyes, utterly unremarkable—was actually the person Erina married. What shocked him even more was... the fact that the usually strong-willed Erina would actually link her arm with his voluntarily.
A small head, but big confusion. Was this what a married woman was like? Tender and caring towards her husband, but ruthless towards outsiders? Nikaido Yoshikane forced a smile uglier than a cry.
He'd been hit, and all he could do was smile and endure it. Even if he wanted to transform into a monster and hit back, he had to consider if he even had the strength to do so.
Erina couldn't care less about the feelings of a clown. They weren't worthy, nor did they have the right. If you gossip about people, you should be prepared to be taught a lesson.
Linking arms with Renz, she slowly walked into the venue. From being unnoticed at first, their presence gradually drew the gRenz of the majority.
Erina had experienced countless grand occasions, from appearing on cooking shows since childhood to frequently offering culinary critiques; she was no stranger to being the center of attention.
However, the gaze of the people passing by this time carried a hint of curiosity. This unusual, special attention made Erina feel somewhat restless. Renz noticed Erina's anxiety. With his other free hand, he gently caressed the hand she had linked with his. He didn't know why, but Renz instinctively made this soothing gesture.
Senzaemon Nakiri approached with a smile. All the preliminary contestants already in the venue, whether they had been paying attention or not, shifted their gaze to follow the movements of the former leader of the culinary world, the revered figure Senzaemon Nakiri.
"Is that the Nakiri family's son-in-law?"
"He has excellent spirit."
"He's very well-matched with the Young Lady!"
Seeing their entrance, everyone had to show respect. If Renz and Erina hadn't appeared with such an intimate gesture, there might have been some whispers and rumors. But now, with their arms linked, they clearly presented themselves as an affectionate couple. There was no need for anyone to say anything unpleasant.
"Is everyone here?" a person who looked like a host asked, holding a microphone. "If everyone's here, we'll begin with the opening ceremony and a description of the rules, and then the first round of preliminary selections will officially start." The photographers prepared their equipment.
"Chief Nakiri, please stand more in the center for your position," the photographer prompted. The Food Soul Competition was to be broadcast live throughout, aiming to promote and popularize cuisine.
Otherwise, so many chefs wouldn't have come. This competition still had the air of a prestigious event. If a dish could earn loud praise from the judges and get screen time during the live broadcast, even if the chef was eliminated in later rounds, they could still gain some popularity and attract customers to their restaurants.
The host, holding the microphone, first introduced himself: "Hello, viewers in the live broadcast room, this is the Food Soul Competition culinary event, and I am your host, Yama-no-Kawa Ichi."
"The annual Food Soul Competition has finally opened its doors once again."
"This year's Food Soul Competition culinary battle welcomes new judges and challenges from new chefs. I believe everyone already knows about the comeback of 'The Demon King of Cuisine,' Senzaemon Nakiri's granddaughter, the genius chef once hailed as a culinary king, Erina."
"Having been retired from the culinary world for seven years, Erina's return is a major highlight of this Food Soul Competition. As the possessor of the 'God's Tongue,' the kind of evaluations Erina can provide for our dishes is the biggest highlight of this year's Food Soul Competition."
"Alright, without further ado, let's meet the four renowned culinary judges of this Food Soul Competition!"
"First, we have the culinary master known for her gentle and simple folk dishes, whose cooking brings healing to diners, and who has the unique nickname 'Shy chef' — Megumi Tadokoro!" Yama-no-Kawa Ichi said, joking slightly with the microphone. The photographer's lens quickly found the somewhat unassuming lady. Megumi Tadokoro smiled and waved.
"Next, the one who needs no introduction—a living legend—Mr. Gin Dojima!" Yama-no-Kawa Ichi gestured again, and the camera focused on a burly man with a buzz cut. He merely nodded.
For Erina's comeback, Senzaemon Nakiri had sought him out and invited him to be a renowned judge for this Food Soul Competition. Gin Dojima had declined many other commitments and came amid his busy schedule to serve as a judge, supporting Erina's return.
"Third, the queen of meat dishes, a master of both knife skills and cooking techniques — Ms. Ikumi Mito!"
"And our grand finale!" Yama-no-Kawa Ichi's voice reached its peak as he introduced the last person.
"The possessor of the God's Tongue, retired for seven years from the Nakiri family, once hailed as the most likely successor to the crown of Japan's culinary world — Erina Nakiri!" Yama-no-Kawa Ichi shouted loudly.
You chuunibyou. There's a limit.
Renz had heard before that Japanese people could be extremely chuunibyou. But he never expected their level of chuunibyou to be this extreme. Even culinary masters needed to be given such embarrassing, soul-crushing nicknames in real life? And! Wait a minute. They said they were introducing Erina. So why were all the photographers' cameras uniformly pointed at him?
Well, that's fine too. This wave... This wave was the moment to declare his identity to everyone! The camera being on him, wasn't it the best time to show off their affection and their marital status?
"Hello everyone, I am Renz Nakiri, Erina's husband," Renz said, smiling and waving. Due to marrying into the family, by Japanese custom, his surname should be changed to Nakiri. However, Erina didn't seem to insist on this point much. Whether Renz changed his surname or not was quite irrelevant to Erina.
But on an occasion like this, if he wanted to really hit these people where it hurts, he wouldn't play games; he'd just reveal his identity directly.
"And this person next to me is my wife, the most beautiful chef in all of Japan, and also a renowned judge for this Food Soul Competition, Erina."
As he finished speaking, Renz gave Erina a wink.
Alright, girl, it's your turn to act.
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What will Erina's reaction be to Renz's bold introduction, especially after he declared himself "Renz Nakiri" and highlighted her as the "most beautiful chef in all of Japan" and a judge? How will the other judges and the audience react to this unexpected revelation?
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