Revealing His Identity
Bang!
With a loud noise, Gin, who was standing upright, suddenly turned pale as paper.
His lips twitched, as if he wanted to speak, but his voice vanished like smoke in the wind, leaving no sound.
His strong body began to sway, like a tree caught in a fierce storm.
Then, his legs lost their strength.
He fell backward heavily, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
At that moment, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, leaving only his heavy breathing and heartbeat echoing in the silence.
...
"Gin!"
"Are you okay?"
Shinomiya rushed over to help the collapsed Gin.
Gin's hands lay weakly at his sides, fingers slightly curled, his body limp on the floor. His eyes were shut, as if he had lost consciousness.
Hinako and the others were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
For a moment, the entire restaurant was filled with tension.
"Shinomiya, I'm fine."
"I exhausted all my energy to make the best cold noodles."
"Let me rest here for a while, and I'll be okay."
Gin slowly opened his eyes, his voice weak. "Unfortunately, I couldn't defeat the Midnight Chefs, causing your French restaurant to close."
"Don't say that."
"I've experienced his abilities too."
Shinomiya showed no blame.
...
"Young and talented."
"Your culinary thinking is swift and unique, displaying remarkable talent and perseverance."
"Take your Mapo Tofu, for example. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. When making it, chefs unconsciously adjust the ingredients and flavors to suit their taste!"
"Of course, this isn't limited to Mapo Tofu."
"In many dishes, the chef's taste is often decisive!"
"And you..."
"You accurately capture the diners' preferences."
"Your culinary skills are diverse, extensive, and refined."
"If not for rich experience and continuous exploration and understanding of cooking, it would be hard to reach such a level."
"In you, I see a very familiar figure, Joichiro!"
"Yes, you're a lot like him!"
Gin closely watched the victorious Asahi, recalling his performance, and couldn't help but marvel:
Truly, the young are formidable!
...
"That's right."
"I am Joichiro's son, Asahi."
Given the situation, Asahi saw no reason to hide his identity.
"What?"
"You're Joichiro's son?"
Gin was stunned.
Although he had vaguely suspected a connection between Asahi and Joichiro, he never imagined they were father and son.
Isn't Joichiro's son Soma?
Does Joichiro have another son?
"To be precise, I'm his adopted son," Asahi said.
"I was an orphan in an American orphanage. When I was a few years old, Joichiro came to our orphanage for work and cooked for us orphans."
"That's when I met him. He helped me a lot."
"Under his influence, my talent was slowly discovered, and I became a chef!"
"Later, to show my gratitude, I took his surname."
"I became his adopted son, proud to bear the name Saiba."
"But then, he left America for work."
Gin listened, his eyes filled with disbelief, unable to accept the sudden truth.
Gradually, his expression turned resigned. Joichiro, once thought to be an unattainable figure, had trained a monster a hundred, even a thousand times more terrifying.
Gin clenched his fists, feeling the sting of his nails digging into his palms.
Yes!
This confirmed he wasn't dreaming.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
He envisioned countless future scenarios, each filling him with tension, despair, and a bit of hope. Each imagined scenario filled him with both tension and excitement.
He knew his and Joichiro's era, and Azami's too, were over.
His life.
No, not just his, but every chef from his era would face a complete upheaval!
With a new era on the horizon, was he ready to embrace the new challenge?
He felt an unprecedented pressure and motivation.
He realized that the title of the head chef of Totsuki Resort, or the strongest chef in Totsuki's history, would become just a symbol, a label.
Indeed, he wanted to stand up and challenge the Midnight Chefs, hoping to change something with his strength.
But!
Ultimately, he couldn't bear the weight of this era alone.
With this realization, he took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination: "Joichiro, if you intend to shake up this era, I, Gin, will also have the courage to embark on this new journey!"
He smiled, looking hopeful: "Zane, in the tide of this era, what choice will you make?"
...
"According to the Shokugeki rules."
"This SHINO'S restaurant is now bankrupt and must cease operations."
"And Gin."
"I will also confiscate your chef's knife."
Asahi, looking at Gin, whose face was full of struggle, spoke calmly.
To be honest, being able to compete with someone from Joichiro's era was a rare opportunity.
Especially Gin, the highest-scoring graduate in Totsuki's history, which proved his talent and skills.
Though his record against Joichiro was 101 losses to 20 wins during their student days, it still showed:
He!
Was indeed strong!
Defeating him and taking his chef's knife to absorb his abilities was something Asahi found gratifying.
This meant he had now absorbed the skills of three former Totsuki Elite Ten members:
Shinomiya Kojiro!
Gin Dojima!
Joichiro Yukihira!
"It seems the era of the Midnight Chefs is finally dawning!"
With Gin's chef's knife in hand, Asahi laughed confidently.
...
At the tavern, in Zane's bedroom.
Zane groggily woke up, feeling a warm embrace around him, so comfortable he didn't want to move.
He remembered drinking a bit after the tavern closed last night and falling asleep.
By rights, there shouldn't be anyone beside him.
Thinking of this, the groggy Zane suddenly felt a jolt, his hazy mind clearing instantly!
Thump!
Thump!
Listening carefully, he heard faint heartbeats.
His nose filled with a faint, unfamiliar female scent, mixed with a delicate fragrance. Clearly, this was a woman's warm embrace.
What?
What was Sonoka doing sleeping with him?
Realizing this, Zane tried to gently push Sonoka away.
But she murmured a few words, hugging him tighter from behind, pulling him closer into her embrace!
"Oh no!"
Zane shivered.
He wanted to get up and push her away but was afraid of waking her.
So, helplessly, he stayed still, his thoughts drifting back to last night.
...
A starry winter night, cold and clear.
After the tavern closed, dark clouds suddenly gathered, lightning flashed, and heavy rain poured, cooling the temperature.
Sonoka sat on the balcony, watching the heavy rain.
It was late at night.
On such a rainy night, nostalgia arose, bringing a tinge of sadness.
Sonoka felt even more conflicted; her Shunkatei restaurant had closed, and now she lived in the tavern, unsure of her future.
She felt lost and scared!
She sighed, taking a few gulps from a bottle of strong liquor.
This was a homemade spirit by Zane, dark and deep like a starry night, glimmering under the moonlight.
As she poured it, the strong aroma filled the air.
Like a blend of ancient forest pines and tropical fruit orchards.
A single whiff could intoxicate.
Tasting it was like taming a wild horse.
It felt like a flame from the tongue to the heart, its heat making her pulse quicken, her blood boil. The warmth spread in her chest, bringing indescribable pleasure!
"Wow!"
"This is amazing."
"I didn't know the tavern had such strong liquor."
Breathing out the fiery liquor, Sonoka exclaimed.
...
Working as a helper at the tavern.
Sonoka would usually leave before closing time, going back to Shunkatei.
After bathing, she would come to the second-floor balcony, waiting quietly for Zane next door.
Almost every night.
Zane would habitually stand on the balcony, lost in thought.
At that time, Sonoka didn't understand why he did this.
But watching him so closely was a strange enjoyment for her tired soul.
Tonight.
She stood on the tavern's balcony like Zane, looking at the night view, finally understanding!
Sometimes, she doubted if she was dreaming, a very real dream. Since Zane entered her life, it felt surreal and unreal.
Every time she gazed at the vast starry sky, she felt small.
Once.
She was a Totsuki graduate.
Once.
She was a prodigy.
Once.
She was a WGO one-star chef.
But now, she was a defeated chef.
She reached out, as if to grasp the stars, when a familiar fragrance drifted with the wind.
Lowering her hand, she turned to see Zane smiling at her.
...
"Oh!"
"You scared me."
"Zane, why do you walk so silently?"
Sonoka's heart raced, and she spoke irritably to Zane.
"Sonoka, can't sleep?"
Zane, smiling, stood beside her, gazing at the night view. He knew she was upset about Shunkatei's closure.
"Yes."
"After what happened, I can't sleep."
Sonoka's face was full of distress.
Zane poured himself a drink, pausing to say, "Need my help?"
"I can help you defeat the Midnight Chefs and take back Shunkatei."
"No!"
"Not worth it."
"I... I'm not worth it."
Surprisingly, Sonoka shook her
head, refusing: "I lost because of my skills."
"So I... I'm unhappy and sad, but I don't want Shunkatei back."
"Besides."
"Even if you take it back."
"What use is it?"
"If I can't improve my skills and fight with determination, Shunkatei will close again."
"And, I don't want you to take risks for me."
"Or involve you in my personal affairs."
...
"Heh!"
"You're just like Megumi."
"Always thinking of others."
Zane chuckled.
"Even if you say that, even if you don't want to involve me, I can't stay out of this!"
Zane finished his drink, staring intently at Sonoka, who trembled and became flustered.
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