The Door of My Bathroom Leads to the Comic World!

"Oh no, Miss Hanaya is here!" a waiter rushed into the kitchen, his voice filled with urgency.

"What? Miss Hanaya? Wasn't she supposed to come next month?" one of the chefs exclaimed in shock.

"Why is she here so early this year?" another chef muttered, a look of unease spreading across the kitchen.

The chefs' expressions shifted dramatically, concern evident on their faces. Sensing the tension, Sui turned to Yuzuki, puzzled. "Yuzuki, who exactly is this Miss Hanaya?" he asked.

Yuzuki's face grew serious. "She's a renowned food critic, someone whose reviews are treated like gospel by many diners. But her reputation? It's as vicious as her tongue," she explained.

"Vicious is putting it lightly," Miss Sakai chimed in. "Her nickname is 'The Devil of the Culinary World.' Even at prestigious restaurants, she doesn't hold back. Her critiques are ruthless."

Miss Sakai continued, "There were two high-end restaurants that were doing well until her scathing reviews decimated their reputation. They ended up closing. She's a nightmare for anyone in the culinary industry."

"That's right," Manager Mita said as he entered the room. "Miss Hanaya comes to our restaurant every year to review our dishes, but we've been lucky enough to get favorable reviews each time."

Hearing Manager Mita's words, the chefs visibly relaxed, though the anxiety lingered.

"Even though she's here a month earlier than expected, we can't afford to get complacent. Treat her as our most important guest," Manager Mita instructed gravely.

The chefs all nodded in agreement.

"Now, do your best and prepare your finest dishes for Miss Hanaya," Manager Mita commanded.

Suddenly, Yuzuki turned to him and asked, "Manager, what about Sui?"

"Him?" Alpho scoffed dismissively. "Forget it. For an event like this, it's too risky to let a student take charge. We need to guarantee Miss Hanaya's approval."

Many of the chefs nodded in agreement, supporting Alpho's cautious approach. If Sui's dish failed to impress—or worse, displeased her—it could have serious consequences for the restaurant.

Manager Mita hesitated for a moment but finally spoke. "Sui, you can make a dish as well."

"Manager, isn't that a bit risky?" Alpho asked, his brows furrowed.

"It's fine," Mita replied. "After all, it's just an intern's dish. It's not guaranteed that Miss Hanaya will even taste it."

As soon as the manager left, the kitchen burst into activity. Every chef was focused on preparing their best dishes, working swiftly but carefully.

Meanwhile, a voice suddenly spoke in Sui's mind—it was the system.

"The difficulty of the host's mission has been upgraded."

Upgraded Mission: Recognition by a Gourmet

Mission Description: Use a dish with fantasy ingredients and earn the approval of a discerning foodie.

Reward: Two Almond Cabbages and Sautéed Cabbage recipe.

The host may choose between the upgraded mission or the original one. The reward for the original mission remains unchanged.

Sui stared at the system prompt, frowning. "What happens if I choose the harder mission but fail?" he asked.

"If you fail, the original mission will be cancelled." the system replied.

That's tricky, Sui thought. If he chose the easier mission, he could still get a reward—an almond cabbage. But if he picked the harder mission, the reward would be greater: two almond cabbages plus a recipe. However, failure meant he'd get nothing.

After a moment of internal struggle, Sui gritted his teeth and declared, "I'll take on the upgraded mission!"

"Understood. The host has chosen the higher challenge. Please complete it as soon as possible," the system responded.

——

Kagura Sakaya Hall

In the main dining hall of Kagura Sakaya, all the guests had been temporarily asked to leave. Natsuki Hanaya sat alone at the long dining table, her arms crossed and her face devoid of emotion.

The waiters carefully placed dish after dish in front of her, while the chefs stood on the sidelines, nervously awaiting her judgment. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone on edge.

Sui, standing among the chefs, curiously observed the infamous food critic, known as the "Devil of the Culinary World." 

To his surprise, the critic who struck fear into every chef didn't seem that much older than him. She appeared only two or three years his senior, with long blond hair, fair skin, and delicate features. Her cold, sharp gaze, however, set her apart.

For a moment, Sui thought she resembled Erina. Not in appearance, but in the same regal and intimidating aura they both carried.

Still, he couldn't help but think, between the two, he find the tsundere girl much cuter.

——

"This is the work of all the chefs at our restaurant, so please, enjoy." 

Manager Mita calmly walked over and spoke in a deep, respectful tone.

Natsuki Hanaya nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the table. She pointed at a dish and said, "Let's start with this steak."

The dish in question was a pan-seared steak, Alpho's creation.

Hanaya delicately cut a small piece with her knife and tasted it. Alpho, standing nearby, swallowed nervously, his heart racing. The other chefs, equally anxious, watched intently.

However, Natsuki Hanaya didn't offer any feedback. She took just one bite, set her knife and fork down, and pointed to another dish, "Next, the assorted tempura."

Sui recognized this dish as the work of the older chef dressed in traditional attire. 

One by one, Natsuki sampled each dish on the table, never taking more than a single bite, and providing no evaluation. The final dish she tasted was Yuzuki's pork curry with rice.

After placing her chopsticks down and wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin, Manager Mita, clearly anxious, stepped forward and asked, "Miss Hanaya, are you satisfied with today's meal?"

"Well, it tastes the same as the previous two years," she replied with a nod.

Hearing this, Manager Mita and the chefs visibly relaxed. For the past two years, Natsuki had given their restaurant favorable reviews, so if this year's food tasted the same, there should be no problem.

But Natsuki's next words froze their smiles in place.

"So, I'll give it a bad review."

Her tone was light, but the impact was heavy.