Welcome to a crossover story of Restaurant to Another World and Shokugeki no Soma. I would not really say that this is a new story. Call it a project if you will. But if you want more, I can give you more. Also, please do note that I am not a chef, so apologies in advance if some of the things in here don't make sense to you, in terms of cooking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Restaurant to Another World or Shokugeki no Soma. I own my OC.

It was just another day at this restaurant. Here, many customers would order their food, whether they are to be eaten in the eatery or to take out to enjoy later. Regulars, especially would enjoy the meals this restaurant has to offer. Yes, it was all and peaceful in this eatery. Well, it would've been, if it was just any other day in Western Restaurant Nekoya.

"PORK CUTLET RICE BOWL! GIMME ANOTHER BOWL!" roared a loud, demanding voice.

"Righty ho, Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl-san!" replied a young teenage girl.

"More large omelette rice," came a soft voice.

"Okay, Omelette Rice-san!"

"I'd like another pork loin cutlet," requested an elder.

"Coming right up, Pork Loin Cutlet-jiisan. Is it safe to assume you'd like some more curry rice, Curry Rice-jiisan?"

"You assumed correctly," replied a voice, not as old as the previous.

"Okay!"

The person taking orders was a young girl in her teens. While she may be taking the orders of their many unusual customers, she was actually a chef in the restaurant. A sous chef, or an assistant chef, to be exact. Hmm? What was it about these customers that were unusual? Well, the truth is...

"Order up! One katsudon! One omelette rice! One pork loin cutlet! And one curry rice!" In order, the girl delivered the meal to a lion-man, a lizard-man, an elderly man in white with a wooden staff, and an adult male who seemed to be a mix of a homeless and a survivor.

As bad or odd as it would seem to be, these guys are actually regulars of this very restaurant, and they are more common in the world they're from. And despite what the sous chef called them, those were just nicknames due to the number of times they ordered the very same food in this restaurant.

You see, there is a secret about Nekoya that is only known to the family and the weekly customers of this very day; Saturday, or Day of the Satur where these customers are from. It was said that the front door was made of some wood that connects the door to the normal world to another. And, to Nikola's suspicions, the more popular Nekoya gets, the more of its doors will appear around the other world on Saturday.

The sound of the door opened brought the girl's attention to the front. "Welcome!" Entering was a man in black clothes with a sword by his side. And by the looks of it, he was a samurai as well.

"Hey there, Nikola," the man greeted. "Hard at work as always, I see."

"Of course, Teriyaki-jiisan. Will it be the counter or a table for today?" the girl, Nikola, asked.

"I see Pork Loin Cutlet at the counter. I'll join him."

"Very well. And your usual I assume?"

"Is there ever going to be a change?"

At that confirmation, Nikola went to the kitchen as Tatsukorou settled himself by the counter.

"Da- I mean, Master! One teriyaki chicken!" Nikola called to the only chef.

"Got it!" he answered.

That's right; Nekoya is run by two people. Nikola and her father, the latter being the head chef in the eatery, and known as 'Master' to many customers and his own daughter. Nekoya was more of a family restaurant, if anything, due to the fact that if many people knew about the other world, there would be a riot and who knows what would happen to Nekoya if anyone finds out about it. Of course, being an eatery that it was didn't mean that it would just be out in the open for no reason. In the real world, the restaurant only opens on weekdays, leaving Saturday and Sunday close for the real world, with the former day open only to the other world.

"Sorry for the wait," Nikola exclaimed, approaching Teriyaki, also known as Tatsugorou. "Here's your order; teriyaki chicken with seishu to drink. Enjoy."

Tatsugorou smiled at the sight of his food in front of him. "There's the good stuff," he said. Taking a bite of the chicken and a mouthful of rice, he couldn't help but moan in bliss. "I'm convinced. Teriyaki chicken goes best with white rice."

"Nonsense, Teriyaki. This pork loin cutlet is what goes best with the white rice," Pork Loin Cutlet, also known as Altorius, retorted, taking a sip of his beer.

"I can't listen to this. Curry rice," interjected Curry Rice, otherwise known as Alphonse. "It's right there in the dish's name. This curry is obviously best suited with the rice."

'Oh no... It's started again,' Nikola thought to herself.

"More!" Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl, aka Lionel, shouted, holding up an empty bowl of the don the sous chef brought to him. "The only dish worthy is pork cutlet rice bowl! It cannot exist without rice!"

The lizard-man, Omelette Rice, otherwise known as Gaganpo, was just enjoying his meal in peace, despite what was going on around him. "Delicious," he said with a gulp of his meal.

'At least one of these guys is sane,' Nikola thought in relief, as she went to the kitchen for Lionel's other serving of his rice bowl.

Taking a sip of his alcoholic drink, Tatsugorou said, "I'm talking about what goes best with white rice. The dishes you're talking about are completely different."

"Are you implying curry rice doesn't contain white rice? Are you blind?!" Alphonse questioned.

"Another bowl!" Lionel demanded once more.

Gaganpo was just calmly enjoying himself still.

"Give me one of those. I'll taste it for you," Altorius said, taking one of Tatsugorou's chicken.

In the kitchen, overhearing the argument out there, Nikola couldn't help but let out a sigh as she scooped up some rice in a bowl. "There they go again with their weekly arguments," she said.

"By the sounds of it, it's about what goes best with white rice," her father said.

After filling the bowl, Nikola placed it on the counter for her father to add the pork cutlet on once it was ready. "I'll go stop them."

Just as she walked right back in the dining room, it was suddenly silent. At first Nikola thought the guys had their sanity back and decided to eat their meal in peace... until she saw a piece of the teriyaki chicken on the floor between Tatsugorou and Altorius, with Alphonse standing behind the mage.

'Don't tell me...' she thought.

"This is pretty good. One more bite," the curry rice guy said, reaching for a piece of Altorius' pork loin cutlet.

Next thing the sous chef knew, all five of the customers got up, prepared to fight one another. And yes, this included the calm Gaganpo.

Before things got ugly, Nikola clapped her hands. "Okay, that's enough!" she called. "It's fine if you guys want to fight, but take it elsewhere. This is Nekoya, where people come in to eat and enjoy their meal in peace! You want to fight? Take it somewhere else and don't bother coming back!" At that warning, everyone sat back in their seats and continued their meal in silence. Once there was peace, Nikola was walking back to the kitchen.

The silence was quickly broken by Tatsugorou's chuckle.

"What's so amusing?" Altorius asked.

"Nothing. Just can't get over how fast our little Nikola has grown," he explained.

This got the said girl's attention, as she stood in place while everyone else couldn't help but agree to that statement.

"I'll say! I still remember when she was just a kind, little kid," Lionel said. "She was so cute back then."

Swallowing a spoonful of omelette rice, Gaganpo agreed with him. "Very much so."

"And now look at her, all grown up into a beauty," Alphonse said.

All five customers turned their eyes to the female teen in her chef's clothes. Her medium-length black hair tied up in a ponytail, her average female body, and green eyes staring right back at them.

"With how easily she's getting us under control, and due to the fact that she was practically born and raised in this restaurant, I just know that Nekoya will be in good hands," Altorius said.

Hearing all these compliments, Nikola couldn't help but blush and smile. As they said, she was practically born and raised in Nekoya. All her life, ever since she was born, she was attached to the place and the customers. Especially the other worldly ones. Customers they may be, to her, they were her uncles, aunts, and older siblings. Nothing was going to take away her time of happiness with them.

"Now if only she can cook," the customers said in unison.

That time of happiness quickly ended, as she turned to them and defensively said, "I can cook! It's more that running this restaurant on Day of Satur requires a cook and a waitress, especially when you guys have bottomless pits of stomachs! And besides, you know that every Day of Satur, one of you guys gets chosen randomly to taste and compare my and master's cooking! Don't say that I can't cook!"

Seeing how defensive she got made them all laugh, in which she pouted in response. Even her own father was chuckling in the kitchen.

"Hey! The pork cutlet rice bowl is ready!" he called, getting his daughter's attention.

"Right!"

The clock struck 9:00 PM. At this time, all the regulars began to leave Nekoya to their respective homes.

Once they left, Nikola and her father brought out the big pots and placed them on the oven.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Today, my dish will definitely be chosen this time!" she declared with such confidence.

Her father smirked at her words. "Bring it."

And so they began. Both started to take out some ingredients from the fridge and started cooking. Halfway into their cooking, their front door opened.

"I'm here, Master, Nikola," came a female voice.

"Welcome!" Nikola greeted, as she rushed out of the kitchen. "Table for one and your usual, Beef Stew-san?"

"That is correct." Standing by the door with a large pot slung over her shoulders was an elegant, tanned woman in a black and red dress. Her long, wavy red hair reached her waist, and she had black horns sticking out of her head. In the restaurant, she was known as Beef Stew, but outside, she was the Red Queen, a red dragon, and an ancient one at that. Putting the pot down, Red said, "I'll start with one bowl of beef stew."

"You're actually just in time." The shapeshifting dragon raised a brow in confusion at Nikola's words. "This Day of Satur, you've been chosen."

The confused look turned into an amused one, as a smile formed on the woman's face. "Is that so? In that case, I hope you are able to serve a beef stew fitting for me."

Hearing that line, Nikola couldn't help but feel annoyed, as she sensed she was getting another round of being teased of how rare it was for her to cook in Nekoya. "If that's your way of saying 'I can't cook', this isn't the first time you're going to taste my beef stew. Besides, I did something different to it, as per usual."

Red couldn't help but chuckle at the response, as she took a seat at a random table. Nikola rushed back to the kitchen to finish her dish.

Minutes later, both she and her father brought out a plate of their beef stew together and presented it to their customer.

"Thank you for waiting," Nikola said, presenting a beef stew that consists of beef, white onions and pumpkin.

"Two plates of beef stew," the master followed, presenting a beef stew that also consisted of beef, but with carrots, broccoli and potatoes.

Red inhaled the aroma that was emanating from both stews. "Master's beef stew's aroma tempts me to no end," she sighed. "And as for Nikola's beef stew, in terms of smell, it is quite similar to the master's. And yet, as always, I hint that there is something different about it." Picking up a spoon, she decided, "Now then. Let's start off with the master's." Taking a spoonful of the soup, she drank it up and was pleased with it. "Delicious." Red started to down the sauce and began eating the vegetables as well.

'As always, the broth and vegetables are quite good,' she thought. 'These vegetables are so soft when soaked by the broth and just melts in my mouth. And while the potatoes are not soggy, they still break apart easily and blend too well with the soup.' Once she was done with the veggies, she went for the main part of the stew. 'Now then...' Red scooped up a beef and ate it. 'The beef is thoroughly simmered and, like everything else, falls apart quite easily in my mouth. And that's not all; the flavor it contains spreads out greatly~' Once she was done with that one plate, she looked on to the next.

From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Nikola was standing nearby. When Red brought the other beef stew closer to her, she couldn't help but be amused with the nervous look on her face.

'Now then... Let's see how the daughter matches up,' she thought. Like with the previous plate, she started off with the broth. 'Compared to the master's broth, this one has that faint fruity taste that I smelled earlier. Tasting it now... I see. She used kiwi in this stew. Not bad. Using a fruit that brought a hint of sweet and sourness into this slightly salty broth she made has made this soup...'

"Delicious," Red said out loud.

Nikola slightly perked up when she heard the customer say that about her beef stew, but knew better than to celebrate so soon. After all, there was still her choice of vegetables and how she prepared the beef that must be evaluated.

Speaking of, Red went for the next course; the vegetables. 'This yellow vegetable Nikola prepared seems somewhat similar to melted gold at first sight, but as soon as I put it in my mouth, it breaks down more easily than the carrots in master's beef stew. And the taste... I was expecting to taste the kiwi since it was in the broth, but there's not even a hint of it. However, that doesn't stop this vegetable's own unique sweetness. And next, this onion she had put in. It has that satisfying crunch, and the taste doesn't overpower the stew.' After finishing up the vegetables, she went on with the beef Nikola prepared. 'Now let's see how she did this beef.' Taking a spoonful of it in her mouth, Red eyes widened at the taste. 'This is...! I see now! The kiwi she put in wasn't in the broth, but the meat! The beef has been perfectly tenderized by the kiwi, even more than usual. The flavor it contains as it is being easily broken down is a mix of its usual taste and that kiwi. The two flavors are blended together into perfection.'

"So... How is it?" Nikola's voice broke Red out of her thoughts. Snapped out of her trance, the dragon noticed that she had finished her dish without even realizing it.

A smirk formed on her face. 'She really has come a long way. But...'

"You still have ways to go~" she told the teen.

"Huh?! Oh come on! I was sure that kiwi would work! Same for the pumpkin and onions, too!" Nikola whined.

Her father let out a hearty laugh at her reaction. "Now now. You know the deal, Nikola," he said to her. Nikola flinched at the tone he used. "You've got a lot a dishes to wash tonight. Start washing."

Pouting slightly, Nikola did as told and went to the kitchen.

"Amusing as it is to see that reaction every time, I can't help but feel bad for her," Red said to the head chef.

"I see what you mean. I actually tasted the beef stew myself. She'd definitely made a wonderful chef. Even better than me and the previous owner," he admitted.

"Tell me again why you always make us lie to her? About how good she really is as a cook."

"Because time has changed in my world. And with it, there are better chefs out there. Some at the same level as this restaurant, some even better. There are also some unique chefs out there. And besides, I told you all once before. About how she was eyeing one school she had always wanted to go to. "

"And you think this made up her mind?"

"In due time. Though I hope today's competition would be the last. She did finish middle school last week. There's not much time until high school starts. And it will be quite far from here."

Red simply nodded to his words and got up from her spot. "Well, in any case, I'll be taking my usual. You understand, right?"

The master knew what she meant and accepted the gold coins from her. "Sure thing. Please, take it with you."

Intruding herself into the kitchen, Red made way to the large pot of beef stew the head chef made. Before walking out with it, she couldn't help but look at Nikola, who was washing a large pile of bowls and plates at the sink. As she was washing, the girl seemed to be in deep thought.

"Maybe the dish would've tasted better if I didn't use onions. Then again, beef stew with a crunch is unheard of. And the broth would probably taste better if I add in tomatoes in it..." she muttered to herself.

Seeing her hard at work as a chef, Red couldn't help but smile at the sight. In her eyes, and the eyes of many other customers, Nikola was already a wonderful chef.

"Farewell. I will come again," she told the master, as he opened the door for her.

"I look forward to it," he said.

As soon as she took her leave, the master looked back into the kitchen and saw his daughter lost in her own little world. As he said earlier, he wanted his daughter to expand her horizons. But it wasn't just in cooking. All her life, helping out Nekoya, she never had a friend her age, not even amongst the Saturday customers. Sure there are some that are older than they appear, but none even physically seem to be around her age. Sure she had a lot of time focusing on her cooking and improving, but he didn't want her to grow up being alone. That was why he had requested his customers, specifically his Saturday customers, to lie about her cooking improvement, no matter how much more delicious it had become since the last time they lasted it.

The school he spoke of earlier was the top culinary school in Tokyo, quite far from the city they were in. Going to that school meant she had to move out of Nekoya. It may be hard for her, but at least she'll be able to make some friends while she was away. At least, he hoped so. He knew his daughter wouldn't just lock herself in her room or in the kitchen to improve more of her meals, but he wasn't sure about the students in the school she hoped to get into. Especially with its reputation.

"Dad," Nikola called, grabbing his attention.

"What's wrong, Nikola?" he asked.

"Well... I've been thinking for a long while now. In fact, I've been thinking since elementary school. About my future." This got his attention completely, wondering if she was going to talk about going into that school. "It wasn't an easy decision for me. But it's that... cooking has been a part of my for quite a while now. And Nekoya is and has always been my home. But... I want to do something that's right for me and I decided that... I don't want to be a chef."

It was silent between the two, as the master looked at her daughter in great shock.

'... Wait, what?!' he thought.

"I didn't want to give it up. I thought I was getting better at cooking as I watched you from the side, and as I cooked up the many meals we make. But, time and time again, no matter how much I try to improve our many dishes, add some twists to the flavors or its appearance, I just can never surpass you. Nekoya... won't need an owner like me, who can't get any of the dishes right or improve the tastes." She couldn't help but chuckle at something. "It's funny, isn't it? You, mom, and our Saturday customers all decided to name me Nikola, a name that sounded so similar to our restaurant, in hopes that I would be a great owner one day. But of what we can all see... that will never happen. I'll find something else to do, I promise. I mean, I did apply to some high schools in the area. I might be able to pick up something as I learn some stuff." She looked at the time and saw how late it got and said, "Oh god, is it that late already? Dad, you should get some sleep. You woke up real early after all to get the shop prepared. Plus it's never easy to serve Saturday customers. Like I said earlier, those guys are bottomless pits. And don't worry about the dishes; I'll get them all clean." As she said that, she pushed her dad to the elevator and sent him up to his sleeping quarters. "Good night."

"Wait, Nikola-" Before he could get a word in, the door closed and the head chef was sent up.

With him out of sight, the smile Nikola had on her face turned into a frown. 'It's better this way,' she thought. 'You, Nekoya, and our customers don't need a chef that can't cook well.' She turned back to the dishes she had yet to finish washing and laid her eyes on the beef stew she made. 'The evidence, especially, is there. Every time I lose, if there were still some leftovers, none of the customers the dishes were for would ever ask to have them, even though the losing dish is always free. Not even Beef Stew would take my losing dish, even though this pot would be too small for a dragon her original size.' She looked at the contents inside the pot and sighed at the large amount that was left. 'By the time I finish washing the dishes, I'll be too tired to dump this out. Then again, it'd be a waste to do that. I'll figure something out tomorrow.' And with that, she went back to the dirty dishes.

The next day, Nikola and her father woke up quite bright and early. Neither of them slept well after what happened last night, and couldn't dare look each other in the eyes. Unknowingly to both, they decided to somehow let the matter slide and let things be how they always were through breakfast. Imagine their surprise, though, when they found someone sleeping in their kitchen.

"Dad. This girl, is she...?" Nikola trailed off. Out of her chef uniform, the girl now wore a light blue t-shirt with grey leggings and white shoes.

"Looks like it. Someone from the other world," the master confirmed.

"But how? Did our door just appear near her late last night? It usually doesn't appear so late."

"I don't know."

Just then, the girl woke up. "Huh? Um... Where am I?" she asked, looking around. Doing so made her hat tilt, making her panic slightly as she placed the hat back on. Finally noticing the two humans in front of her she shot up. "Ah! I-I'm sorry for letting myself in!"

Nikola looked to the side and noticed the beef stew she made was all gone. The girl glanced where the sous chef was looking and let out a gasp. "I-I'm sorry!" As she bowed, her hat fell off her head, revealing her blonde hair and a pair of small, brown horns. This made her panic even more so.

"All right, just calm down," the master assured. "What's your name, miss?"

'I can't believe I stumbled into a magician's manor...' the girl thought.

"Um... I... My name is Aletta..." she introduced.

"Aletta-san. How did you end up here?" Nikola asked.

"Uh, right. You see..."

Aletta explained to the two humans about how last night, when she attempted to sleep, a door suddenly appeared in the ruins she was taking refuge in. Curiosity got the best of her and she had opened the door. Upon entering she was about to turn back, when she smelled something good in the kitchen. That smell came from none other than Nikola's beef stew. Thinking that she was only dreaming, Aletta went on ahead and ate the stew. Taking that first bite, she was more convinced that she was in a dream, for she never had such a delicious stew in all her life. After filling herself full of such delicious stew, Aletta went to sleep on the floor, still thinking that it was a dream.

"I see. So you thought it was all a dream," the master said, after the girl told her story.

"Y-Yeah! I'm so sorry..." Aletta apologized.

"And?"

Aletta was silent, not knowing what he meant buy that. "U-Um... I'm not human; I'm a demon. As proof that we have the demon god's divine protection, all demons possess an inhuman feature. Horns, a tail, scales covering their body, poisonous blood and sweat, a part of the body that's see-through slime, it manifests in various ways. Even if one of our parents is a human or half-elf, we're always born with the god's blessing somewhere. But my blessing is only these small goat horns. And unlike other demons, my physical and magical strength are no greater than that of an ordinary human girl. Half a year ago, I decided to leave my hometown and moved to the royal capital, a human city. I hid my horns, found a place to work, and was making an honest living. But then, one day, everyone saw my horns and I lost my job. Word that I was a demon spread like wildfire throughout the city. It's hard for a demon to find a job in the royal capital. I ran out of money in the blink of an eye and I'm staying in the ruins where even the impoverished won't live in."

"That's not what I mean, but I see," the master said, to the girls' confusion. What he meant to ask was what she thought of the beef stew she ate. He was hoping that hearing how good her stew was from a stranger would bring back Nikola's confidence as a chef, but decided to take an alternative.

As he walked away, Aletta assumed he was going to call authorities for her barging in and eating food that wasn't hers and panicked. "I'm really, really sorry!"

"It's fine," Nikola assured. "To be honest, I was wondering what do to with all that beef stew anyway. After all, it wasn't any good."

Hearing her say that shocked the demon. "Wasn't any good? But it was the best stew I've ever tasted!" Those words shocked Nikola more, before mentally reminding herself that Nekoya's food is always better than the other world's food.

"Well, in any case, it's morning, and my daughter and I are starving too," her father said, going through the fridge. "You said your name was Aletta-san?"

"Y-Yes, sir," she answered.

"Would you like to stay for breakfast?"

That offer surprised the demon. "N-No! I couldn't. I don't even have any money. And I couldn't possibly cause you any more trouble."

"True as it may be, we much prefer it if you stay and ate before you leave," Nikola told her. "Money or not, a hungry customer is still a customer. And on this day, so to say, we don't charge anyone for eating breakfast."

"I can eat for free?"

"It wouldn't be right to prevent someone from eating. Food tastes better with more people."

"That being said, Nikola, what are you going to make?" her father asked her, getting the girls' attention. "Come on. It may not be Sat- I mean, Day of Satur, but I'd rather settle your retirement the right way. One more challenge, before you actually quit being a cook."

Aletta looked at the human girl with a shocked look on her face. 'She's a chef? And what does he mean by her quitting?'

Nikola looked at her father in shock herself, wondering what he was thinking, having another round of their usual competition. But, then again, it was kind of her turn to make breakfast anyway. Even if her dad is making some as well, that didn't mean she should just back out from her duties.

"All right. It's suppose to be my turn to make breakfast anyway," she agreed.

"Good. Then Aletta, just wait a few," her father told the demon.

The father-daughter chefs both took out some ingredients from the fridge and got started on their own breakfast meals. While the competition didn't mean much anymore to Nikola, the least she could do was feed Aletta some really delicious food. Especially if she was going to go hungry after today. Thinking about that now, she should also make some sandwiches that would last a while for the girl later and have her dad hire Aletta after the competition. She wasn't going to help much around the restaurant later on, and Aletta does need the money. Luckily for the demon, they do have her world's money.

'We should still have some sliced bread left over,' she thought to herself. 'I'll think about that later. For now, breakfast.'

About half an hour later, both chefs presented their dish to Aletta.

"Thank you for waiting," Nikola said out of habit, presenting a breakfast dish that consisted of a pair of pancakes seemingly stacked on top of each other, with a lump in between, along with a small, fresh fruit salad and a glass of juice.

"Our individual breakfast special," the master followed, presenting his dish which consisted of an omelette with bacon and broccoli on the side, a slice of toast, and a small side of salad.

'Wow. They're both really good at cooking,' Aletta thought. 'Especially her. She looks about my age. Maybe even younger, and yet... I don't know what that lump is, but it smells good.'

"That's all we both can really offer you for now. I hope you bear with it," the master said. "Here's how it works. You try both of our dishes and tell us which is better than the other. It's kind of a tradition here. At least, for your world. The winning dish is the dish that will be eaten."

"Okay." Taking her seat on a stool, Aletta brought her hands up in a prayer. "Thank you, god of demons, for this, my daily bread-" Quickly stopping herself in fear of scaring the two humans, she said, "Oh! F-Forget I said that!"

"Sure," Nikola answered for both her and her father.

Aletta brought her attention to the food placed before her. She started off with Nikola's father's dish, specifically the bread. She let out a gasp in surprise. "What is this?!" She then went to the side of salad and ate some of its contents. "No way, this too... And this, too!" Getting a forkful of bacon with some melted eggs on it, she moaned out how delicious it was.

Seeing her enjoy her father's dish like all the other customers had, Nikola didn't feel at all confident about her own meal anymore.

"Okay. Next is this one." The human female looked back up and saw Aletta going for her pancake sandwich. "But... what is this? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's called pancakes," Nikola's dad explained. "Stacked like that, you get a pancake sandwich."

"Pancake sandwich... If it's a sandwich then, I should eat it like this..." Aletta picked up the meal in her hands and brought it up to her mouth. Taking one large bite, her eyes widened in surprise. "What... What is this?!" she gasped. "It's so soft, and so warm inside." Looking at the inside, Aletta noticed that the lump was actually an omelette with a sausage sandwiched in it, with steam coming out. "That's... egg and meat! And it looks so steamy hot, too." Taking another bite, Aletta couldn't help but moan in bliss. The demon turned her attention to the fruit salad that came with the meal and poked her fork in a strawberry and ate it. "Whoa! The fruit is so cold and has the right amount of sweet and sourness!" She then swapped to the drink and couldn't help but be puzzled at the taste. "This drink... Is this orange?"

"To be precise, it's orange juice," Nikola confirmed. "So... how is it? Compared to my dad's dish. I bet it's better than this one. It always is..."

Not noticing the sad tone the human used, Aletta honestly replied, "It is good... but I like this one better!" Hearing those words made Nikola perked up in shock. "That last dish was delicious, no doubt about it. In fact, it was the best I've ever tasted. But this one... the inside of this 'pancake sandwich' made me feel all warm inside, like I'm in a comfy bed, with the sun slowly waking me up inside. This small bowl of fruit has a whole bunch of different sweetness, it makes it fun to eat. And the drink was so refreshing. I like this one better!"

Nikola couldn't believe her ears. Were they playing tricks? Was the demon lying to her? Was this a dream? She didn't detect any signs of lies from Aletta, especially when she's happily chowing down on the pancake sandwich she made, completely ignoring her dad's half-eaten breakfast special. Nikola even pinched herself to see if she was only dreaming this, only to find that this was real.

"Can I have seconds?!" Aletta asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? B-But... You still didn't finish my dad's," she reminded her.

Gasping in shock at that realization, Aletta noticed the meal she first ate herself. "Ah! I forgot!" The demon went back to finish off that one before asking for seconds.

"Well, it's obviously clear who won this round," Nikola heard her father say. She looked up and saw him looking down at her. It was here, she realized something.

'He went easy on me, didn't he?!' She quickly grabbed the plate from Aletta before the demon could finish it, much to the latter's surprise. Taking a mouthful of the bacon, to the eggs, to the salad and the toast, she was puzzled with what she found out. 'He... didn't go easy on me? This taste, this texture... They're better than the usual staff meals he made for our weekday part-timers... But how could I have...?'

"Um... Is there something wrong?" came Aletta's voice.

Swallowing the food in her mouth with a heavy gulp, Nikola replied, "Y-Yeah. I just needed to check something. So anyway, how about those pancake sandwiches?"

With a huge smile formed on her face, Aletta nodded happily.

After that hearty breakfast, Nikola's dad, as loser of this competition, went to wash the dishes.

"Thanks again for the food," the demon thanked.

"It was nothing. I'm glad you liked it," Nikola said.

"It was really delicious and homey."

"By the way, Aletta-san. You said you were looking for work, didn't you?" Nikola's father asked.

"Well... Yes..." the demon sadly replied.

"And you said you were a waitress- I mean, you worked in an inn, right?"

"Yes."

"Then how would you like to work here, once a week- I mean, once every seven days."

Hearing that offer surprised her.

"The work is from dawn until late at night. You'd be waiting on tables and clearing away some dishes. For your pay, we'll treat it as a casual student job so..."

"For you in your world, it'd be ten silver coins a day," Nikola intervened. "With three full meals added."

Aletta couldn't believe her ears when she heard that. "That much for just that?! And not only that, but I also get to eat here?!"

"It's a 14-hour shift with breaks included. We can't have you do so much work for little to nothing. Though whatever my dad will feed you won't be on the menu."

Just confirming the payment and the treatment was enough for Aletta. "I-I'll do it! Please let me! Please!" She bowed her head, gesturing how much she really wanted that job.

"Okay. Then you're hired," the master said. "That being said, this may be sudden, but do you have time?"

"Yes!"

"Great. Then for today, my daughter will show you the ropes."

"Right! Please take good care of me!" Aletta bowed to Nikola.

"That's a good reply. Something tells me you'll do fine already," the human girl said to the demon girl. "Okay, before we actually do some teaching, let's get you cleaned up. We can't have you going around all dirty in front of customers after all. And being dirty in the kitchen does not look good for any restaurants either." That made Aletta panic a bit as she took noticed of the dirt all over her. "But, we'll let it slide for today, as part of the lesson."

Instantly calmed down, the demon nodded in response, "Right!"

"Now then, let's get you to the shower room. I'll show you how to use it. I'll get our spare uniform and shoes while you're washing. When you're done, change into those while I wash your clothes." Nikola led the girl to said room.

'Shower room?' the demon couldn't help but wonder.

After teaching Aletta how to use the shower, Nikola brought the former's clothes to the laundry room to wash. 'The clothes of the other world is similar to the ones here,' she thought. 'I hope they can handle the washing machine.' As soon as she put them in the wash and got the machine working, Nikola went to wipe some tables in the dining room.

Some time into clearing a few tables, she heard, "Excuse me. I finished washing." Looking to the source, she saw Aletta standing there, in her waitress uniform with her hair tied in pigtails.

"Wow! You look good!" Looking down at her feet, Nikola then asked, "Those shoes fit okay?"

"Yes! They're a perfect fit!"

"Okay. Let's start with wiping the tables. You can start with that one."

"Right!" The demon got to work with the cleaning.

Unknown to the girls and Nikola's dad, they were being watched from a certain dragon in the other world.

Later that day, after seeing Aletta off with the small payment the chefs gave her for the day and some sandwiches, the two started to clean the kitchen.

"Hey dad," Nikola spoke, mopping the floor while her father was wiping the counter. "About last night..." The guy stopped, signaling that she had his full attention. "I take back what I said. I was a fool to give up cooking. I want to continue to cook, if it means delivering good food to the customers. No... more than that. Aletta kept complimenting about my cooking, how they made her feel warm or energize. The way she described my pancake sandwiches, especially, got to me more. I think I understand it now, how you and great-grandfather were able to satisfy the customers. It wasn't just through the stomach; it was also through the feelings you put into the food you cook. All this time, I was thinking about the taste, when food is more than just that. But, realizing this now, I can't just ask you to accept me back as a sous chef."

"Ever since I was a kid, I've heard rumors from some of our weekday customers about this school in Tokyo. It was a difficult culinary school, where less than even one percent of the students would graduate from per year. And those that did graduate, became exceptional chefs. After today, I realize it now; I have to get into that school if I want to be a better chef. Not just for me, but for you, Nekoya, and our customers. I want you all to enjoy the food I cook, and not just through the taste, also the feelings I put into them! I also want Nekoya to expand in that other world, where people like Aletta would find themselves with a new hope for their future! So please, dad! Let me go to Totsuki! They have a transfer exam later this week! If I want to go to that school, I can't miss this! It's pretty far, so I can't always come back home like I usually do. But even so, this is something I want! Make no mistake, Nekoya will always be my home, but if I want to be a better chef, I must go there! And I won't come back until I graduate! So please, dad! Let me go!"

It was silent between them. Nikola was bowing her head to her father, not daring to lift herself up until she heard a response from him. She heard footsteps walking over to her and felt a hand placed on her head.

"Finish mopping the floor," he said. "After that, get packing. You have a flight to catch in the morning, don't you? Either that or a train."

Nikola looked up at her father, not believing what she was hearing. She can really go? She can actually go to the one school far from home to achieve her dream? She never felt so happy in all her life.

"Thank you, dad!" She went and hugged the adult in a big hug.

"Hahaha! Hey now, you'll get my clothes all wrinkled up!" he told her. Despite that, he hugged her back.

After ending that hug, Nikola rushed to the elevator to get a head start on packing. As she waited for the elevator to come, she realized one other thing.

"Hey dad... How many times did I lose to you really?" she asked.

"Why so curious of your streak?" he asked back.

"The way Aletta ate and preferred my cooking... Beef Stew-san had a similar look when she was eating my beef stew. Not just her. The past couple of years, our regulars had that look on their faces. Dad... Did you, by any chance...?"

He let her trail off that question with a smile. "I'm afraid I can't tell you the exact win-loss streak."

Seeing that smile on his face, as the doors opened up, Nikola couldn't help but smile back and said, "You mean daddy," as she walked in the elevator to her room.

*OPENING*

Meeting you here
(A train arrived at a station)
In this wide world
(Doors opened and many people got off)
Is nothing short of a miracle.
(Nikola was one of them as she walked out of the station. She stopped and stood in place.)

A fanfare resounds
(The scene changed to Polar Star Academy, where the residents were hanging out by their own greenhouse)
Something's about to start
(Scene changed to Totsuki Academy, where two teenage girls were passing by some cherry blossom trees)
So let us seize it
(Nikola looked up at the sky with a hand over her head, blocking out the sun)
A delicious life: One in a Billion!
(Camera zooms out and looks up to the sky, where the title appears)

We can still encounter
(Nikola walks around Totsuki grounds with a sad look on her face)
Others who can change our fate!
(She looks up and saw her dorm mates of Polar Star up ahead, some waving at her)

Things might seem normal to me
(They all gathered in a room, partying like there was no tomorrow)
Might be a huge surprise to you!
(Scene changed to them cooking their own meals in the kitchen)
So let's have fun with the difference!
(A devilish aura emanated from one of them, sending chills to everyone else)
Fusion! Mixture!
(Scene changed from the student feeding some pork roast to some of their dorm mates to one where he had a small tray full of peanut butter-covered tentacles with the other dorm mates lying pale and unconscious.)
So wonderful!
(Nikola hit the boy hard in the head and scolded him for possibly killing off some of their dorm mates.)

At the moment many timelines
Converge as one...
If we miss it, we'll never get another chance! (One in a Billion)
(Scene continuously changed from several other Totsuki students to several others, each demonstrating their skills in the kitchen)
I'll meet a side of you
I'd never known before
(Nikola as a child was seen in Nekoya, having a cook-off with her father with their Saturday customers watching.)
The door to a new world will open!
(Both presented their own version of beef stew to the customers)

A fanfare resounds
(The steam covered the screen and changed the scene to Nikola napping by a cherry blossom tree as a shadow blocked the sunlight on her)
Something's about to start!
(She was awoken by the shadow and rubbed her eyes)
So let us seize it
(Standing before her were her friends)
A delicious life: One in a Billion!
(Fully awake, she joined them on their venture, as song ended with the group and several other students on a large plate, looking at the camera)