NOVEL WEB Chapter 101: Who is That Person Next to You?
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Inside the blanket, it was warm and cozy.
Renz's arms were wrapped around Erina's slender waist, his face pressed against her back as he inhaled her faint scent. It was already 7 AM on Christmas Eve. Renz and Erina hadn't shared any special moments, aside from the fact that Renz, who had initially promised to sleep on the floor, had found himself in bed while half-asleep.
This intimate gesture seemed to have woken the other person. Erina rolled over, still groggy, but the sudden sharp pain jolted her awake.
"You're pressing on my hair," Erina said, wincing.
"Ah?" Renz quickly turned to his side, giving Erina the chance to untangle her hair.
"What do you want for breakfast?" Renz asked.
"Anything will do," Erina replied, a question she had heard countless times before.
"Uh, something very important just occurred to me," Renz muttered. He hadn't thought about it when he fell asleep last night, but now that he was awake, it seemed like a serious issue. "Does your grandfather know you stayed here last night?"
"Of course not," Erina replied. "I told him I was staying at a female friend's house for the night, and the Old Man let me go." She emphasized the words "female friend" with a heavy tone.
If that old man knew she had stayed here with him, he'd flay him alive. Renz shuddered at the thought. He was particularly terrified of one thing: pulling back the curtains and seeing a familiar, kindly old man's face staring up at him from downstairs.
Renz meditated on the bed for about ten seconds. To hell with it. The deed was done. If the Old Man found out, there was nothing Renz could do about it.
They had already slept together, so what now? They would just have to have a few more kids in the future. Consider it early training for the Old Man's stress tolerance. Forget it, stop overthinking. First, get up and prepare breakfast for Erina and Mashiro.
The filming location for the "Midnight Chef" program was in a remote mountain village. It wasn't completely uninhabited, but it was a scenic village. After repeated decisions by the production team, the entire village was leased for about a month for program deployment. Food programs were a relatively niche genre.
Recently, variety shows had become popular, whether they were of the prank type or challenge type. Then, there were the regular singing and talent shows. In recent years, hip-hop culture programs had gained popularity, with a very down-to-earth segment that was well-received by online audiences. Contestants on these shows constantly verbally attacked each other, becoming a highlight for viewers.
Food programs, however, were taking an unconventional path. This was a bold move by Tokyo TV, as other TV stations' programs had been steadily gaining more market share. As a long-established brand, Tokyo TV was starting to feel the pressure.
They had originally intended to invite the current head of the Nakiri family, Senzaemon Nakiri, but unexpectedly, the even better candidate, Mana Nakiri, proactively offered to join the program. This boosted the entire production team's confidence. Having a highly influential figure from the culinary world participate in the show would inherently increase its quality—and indeed, that was the case.
Among the more than two hundred names on the audition list, many were well-known figures in the "culinary world," ensuring a basic level of quality.
"Hello, esteemed viewers!" A young man continuously greeted the camera. "I'm quite flattered to be invited to participate in this 'Midnight Chef' Japanese food program, especially since I've only been involved in cooking for three years."
His name was Datu, a Filipino YouTube content creator with hundreds of thousands of followers, specializing in food-related video production. The dishes he created were highly sought after by his fans. This time, he received an invitation to the "Midnight Chef" program through an introduction from his contracted company.
As a Japanese language major, Datu had no problem with ordinary communication and answered questions fluently when chatting with the staff.
"This episode can be said to be incredibly awesome," Datu said, interacting with his viewers via comments while introducing. "The judge for this episode is the previous God's Tongue—Mana Nakiri.
Perhaps this name isn't very familiar to everyone, but I believe everyone should know the WGO culinary organization, right?"
"That's right, the sole special executive officer and founder of this culinary organization is Ms. Mana Nakiri."
"And among the three main judges of our 'Midnight Chef' program this season, the chief judge is Mana Nakiri."
"I'm not here to achieve any particular results in this show; I just hope I can pass the auditions or something," Datu joked. "It's worth mentioning that several young chefs will also be participating in this program."
"We also have a formidable character, a young ramen chef who passed the current generation's God's Tongue evaluation."
"Need a quick explanation?"
"It's not really something that can be easily explained."
"The God's Tongue—it sounds quite mysterious to me too. It seems to be exclusive to the Nakiri family, a prominent culinary family in Japan, capable of discerning any flaws in a dish."
"Eh?! Eh?! Eh?!"
Suddenly, Datu's voice was cut off. Two people appeared, walking side by side. One was the young ramen chef he had just mentioned, and the other person beside him?
"No way, my mouth is too sharp. Speak of the devil, and he appears?" Datu said, between laughter and tears.
"It seems the current generation's God's Tongue has also arrived at the program." He turned the camera to the two people in front of him. Renz seemed to notice them and waved, as if meeting his fans, giving a casual greeting. However, he didn't stop for a moment.
He and Erina quickly walked toward the registration area, leaving behind a very curious Datu. How could Erina be walking with this young ramen chef named Renz?
Meanwhile, Renz and Erina had already reached the registration area. Program staff were there, tallying and confirming the participants. Those who failed to arrive on time would be removed from the competition. Some contestants brought friends and family, who might also need to be registered. After registration was complete, the staff would lead everyone to their accommodations for rest. Those eliminated early might have to leave in a week, while those eliminated later would stay in this small village for a month.
"Is this the registration area?" Renz asked the person at the entrance. The person nodded. Renz and Erina walked in together.
"Hello, what's your name?" asked an experienced woman in an OL uniform who was doing the registration. She seemed very busy and didn't even look up.
"Renz," Renz stated.
"Who is that person next to you?" the woman asked casually, still looking down and making a registration entry without a close look.
"My girlfriend," Renz answered. He actually wanted to say "wife," but thought better of it. Using "girlfriend" here seemed to be a more fitting identity and title.
"What's her name? I'll arrange a room for you two, then?" she asked again.
"Erina," Erina answered.
"Huh?" The other person was surprised for a moment.
She looked up.
Suddenly, silence.
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