In the kitchen break room of Wagnaria Restaurant, despite the number of people present, the atmosphere had fallen into a mysterious silence, carrying the feeling of a storm about to break. The part-time workers were utterly baffled, and Takanashi in particular asked:
"Manager, Satou-senpai, Soma-senpai, what's going on...?"
Before he could finish, Satou, the chef in charge of the kitchen, let out a breath. "So this day has finally come..."
"It has..." the other chef echoed.
Takanashi looked completely lost. "Senpai, what day are you talking about...?"
Unfortunately, after saying that, the two chefs plunged into a fervent state of work. Fortunately, Manager Kyoko was there to explain. "Takanashi, don't disturb them. This is a trial for them..."
"A-a trial!?" Takanashi was rather shocked by such a solemn term.
"Mm..." Manager Kyoko nodded. "When that person left, Satou and the others asked whether their improvements in cooking had disgraced the restaurant. Do you know how he answered?"
"He was very satisfied?" Takanashi hesitantly guessed. Though this was only a family restaurant, it had repeatedly made lists of renowned establishments thanks to the cooking of those two seniors. If the manager were not such a voracious eater, the restaurant's monthly profits might well have matched the annual earnings of some small companies.
"No. That person said it was barely passable. Since he was their honorary advisor, he would come inspect whether they had improved in the future. No matter what kind of cooking it was, as long as they improved to the point where a girl would feel the urge to marry the chef after eating it..."
"W-wait! What kind of evaluation standard is that!? Who would want to marry a chef over a single dish!?" Takanashi had already found the obvious point to complain about.
Manager Kyoko turned her face