The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 101: God Eye and God Hand

The next afternoon, Touka arrived at Shunsuke's house with Rikka in tow.

In her hands was a pot filled with a classic Italian dish—Aglio e Olio pasta. Meanwhile, Rikka was carrying a platter of roasted sea bass.

Both dishes were generous in portion, not the dainty, meticulously plated kind you'd find in high-end restaurants.

Instead, they exuded a comforting, rustic charm, perfectly embodying the essence of Italian cuisine.

It was all about simplicity and the warmth of "mom's cooking."

For elaborate plating, one would have to look to French cuisine.

After setting down the two dishes, Touka made another trip and returned with a plate of Acqua Pazza, or "crazy water."

The name sounded peculiar, but in essence, it was a dish of poached whole fish.

These three dishes were quintessential classics in Italian cuisine.

Almost everyone had tasted them before, and their familiarity made them the ultimate test of a chef's skill.

Even the smallest deviation in flavor would be immediately noticeable.

It was clear that Touka had put significant effort into preparing these dishes today.

After laying out all the food, Touka awkwardly fiddled with her ahoge, her signature stray hair, and said with a hint of embarrassment, "Mr. Fujii, Rikka insisted on eating with you, so I made a little extra. This, uh..."

"No worries at all, Miss Takanashi. Why don't you join us as well? We're neighbors, after all, and I'm Rikka's senior. It'll be good to have each other's company in the future."

Shunsuke naturally didn't refuse. In fact, he extended an invitation to Touka as well.

Touka didn't hesitate. As someone who had raised Rikka on her own, she was the epitome of an independent woman.

The four of them sat down, clasped their hands together, and said in unison, "Let's eat." Shunsuke started with a bite of the Aglio e Olio pasta.

This version Touka made used only olive oil and garlic for seasoning—no chili, parsley, cheese, cream, or black pepper.

It was the simplest and most authentic form of the dish.

While it might seem straightforward, this was one of the most iconic Italian recipes.

Its simplicity made it a true test of a chef's skills.

Without carefully selected ingredients and perfect heat control, the dish could easily fail.

And yes, it was served in a bowl.

Touka had gone all out with the rustic Italian vibe, serving it just as they would in its homeland.

Shunsuke eagerly picked up a bite—yes, using chopsticks.

At home, forks and knives weren't necessary; chopsticks were much more comfortable.

The first bite tasted a bit mild, but as he chewed and savored it, the subtlety began to shine.

The garlic combined with the premium Mediterranean Agris extra-virgin olive oil created a fresh and delightful flavor.

In simple terms, it was good. Two words: very good. Three words: extremely well-balanced. But…

The catch always lay in the but.

—Where's my heavenly revelation? My clothes-ripping burst of flavor? The magical flashback to mom's cooking? At the very least, where's Mrs. Izumi making an appearance?!

—Why is nothing happening? Where's the "special ingredient"? Where's the food-induced euphoria? Eating something made by a master like this is supposed to come with hallucinations! Someone bring me the magic seasoning!

A dazed Shunsuke glanced around, only to find, to his disappointment, that not only himself but everyone else present remained fully clothed.

While it was possible that Touka and Rikka were simply used to it, Mashiro, who had spent most of her life in England, should have shown some reaction, right?

Yet, when Shunsuke looked over, even Mashiro, who usually ate in delicate, slow bites, was eating faster than usual today—but her expression was completely neutral.

There wasn't even a hint of the drugged-like blissful reaction one might expect, not even the intense look Koizumi had when devouring ramen.

It was all so...ordinary.

—Is this really the level of a Totsuki Academy graduate? That can't be right.

—If this is all there is to such highly regarded cuisine, I could easily replicate this myself.

—Or maybe I'm just asking too much from a mundane, everyday world?

Shunsuke felt a bit lost, though he was genuinely serious about his second thought.

If Nakiri Erina was the "God Tongue," then with Star Platinum possessing him, he was the "God Eye" and "God Hand."

While he might not surpass the God Tongue in culinary creation, he was confident that in cooking execution, he would be on par with Erina—the pinnacle of Shokugeki no Soma.

Even Elite Ten working together would only be fit to shine his shoes.

Of course, he wasn't at that level yet. But given the chance to observe a few high-level food wars at Totsuki Academy, his skills would skyrocket. In no time, he could easily become one of the top culinary masters.

Although in his current state, Shunsuke knew he could only produce dishes that were consistently "100 points" and never surpass that perfection, he didn't mind.

After all, he had no plans to be a lifelong chef.

Even Erina in her earlier days was only at this level.

As a casual, self-entertaining amateur, this standard was more than enough.

Achieving dishes beyond perfection could be left to talents like Soma and his peers.

At worst, when they surpassed him, he could always just copy their techniques later.

Copying light novels, copying manga, copying traditional literature, copying anime projects—and now even copying cooking.

Shunsuke wondered what was left for him not to copy.

If someone ever wrote a novel about him, it would probably be titled "I, the Stand User of the Everyday World, Copy Everything."

But the current problem was this: if Totsuki Academy graduates were only capable of this level, even replicating "100 points" wouldn't bring the magical, drug-like effects he had been expecting.

After thinking for a moment, Shunsuke decided to probe a bit.

He complimented Touka with a bright tone, "Is this the skill of a Totsuki Academy-trained chef? It's absolutely delicious!"

Touka brushed her hair back and responded with slight embarrassment, "Mr. Fujii, you misunderstand. While I did attend Totsuki Academy, I didn't graduate. I was eliminated during the promotion from second to third year."

Ah, so that's how it was.

Shunsuke nodded to himself, realizing his assumption had been off.

Totsuki Academy was a fiercely competitive institution, a school that fully embraced the philosophy of survival of the fittest.

It adhered to the idea that "99% exist to hone the skills of the remaining 1%." Fewer than a thousand students were admitted each year, and every one of them was skilled enough to open their own restaurant or work as a professional chef.

Yet among these thousand, fewer than a hundred advanced to the second year, and even fewer—only a handful—made it to the third year.

As for those who managed to graduate? Most of them earned the prestigious title of Elite Ten during their time at the academy.

Even among the rare graduates who didn't earn the title of Elite Ten, their culinary skills were absolutely on par with, if not potentially surpassing, those of the Elite Ten.

Over time, it was anyone's guess who might become stronger or weaker.

A prime example was Yukihira Soma and his friends from the Polar Star Dormitory.

While they didn't hold the Elite Ten title, no Elite Ten member could afford to underestimate them.

Graduates of this caliber inevitably became global stars in the culinary world.

Though the restaurant where Touka currently worked was high-end, it wasn't quite at that extraordinary level.

Although making it to the second year and only being eliminated during the promotion to the third year was already impressive, compared to graduates, there was still at least a two-tier gap in skill and mastery.

Thinking of this, Shunsuke couldn't help but wish he could visit Totsuki Academy tomorrow and taste the adorable desserts made by Momo Akanegakubo...

No ulterior motives—he just wanted to imagine himself immersed in the soft, creamy creations, challenging his weaknesses.

—Should I try using Star Platinum to help trigger a clothes-ripping reaction at that time?

Shunsuke's thoughts began veering into very dangerous territory.

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