So actually, barely a week after the last update, I landed a part-time job which is a good-enough stepping stone for me! And surprising that I could land a job at all despite the pandemic. But we're probably going back to monthly updates at this rate. Bi-weekly, at best!

So to my fellow readers and reviewers, glad you've been on board for the haul of Culinary Rivals. A serving (they're not leftovers!) of orange-glazed apple tart goes to PhantasmaXw, DaX0315, honoured Guest (ha, love your little joke there), and Phsycres Wolf-Brother (happy to help with your reading addiction haha; anyway, awaiting your PM)

Based on the chapter title, you can guess what this is about; if you've been keeping up!

Chapter eighty-five: Richissime

So Friday came, exactly a week since the celebratory dinner. What was important was that it marked the weekly financial reports for both the Stone Bistro and Vue sur la Lune. Who was going to be this week's winner in the informal competition between the restaurants? Whatever the outcome, the profits were going to help fund Cynthia's enormous debts for the time being.

Business had been smooth for most of the week and had carried on like normal, as if nothing much had changed since the restaurants merged. The menus had remained unchanged on both sides, save for the newest additions thanks to the innovations from the cook-off.

Also, as Steven knew already, Cynthia's café in Lumiose was still under operation as an independent and would not be affiliated with the merger of their restaurants. But Cynthia owned it, so Steven suggested she appoint a manager if she was going to spend most of her time here. So that was what it came down to, with Cynthia leaving control of her Lumiose restaurant in the hands of her sous chef while she maintained her primary operations here in Cyllage City. And besides, he was always welcome to go to that restaurant at any time and see how things were doing.

The two of them were talking privately in Steven's office now.

"So James has prepared the report for this week," Steven explained. "And this week's winner is…"

Cynthia's eyes rose in anticipation.

"Me," Steven said. "The Stone Restaurant and Bistro wins this week on restaurant operations."

Cynthia's eyes fell.

And Steven noticed that. "Aw, Cynthia. Don't be like that. Look at it this way! You'll need to find a way to do better, and I did win just by a whisker anyway. If we consider your coffee shop, you're making huge gains! It's outpacing my bakery and museum combined, but I haven't counted À la Mer. Still, the restaurants matter more, obviously."

Cynthia scoffed. True, Le Café Sinnoh had been performing very well, and even if it was actually supporting the Stone Bakery in a way. Her treats at the coffee shop and the coffee itself were proving popular and the live band's performance was going better than expected. But perhaps she could credit the media to raising her profile too.

She didn't want to be a celebrity chef either, though. It was bad enough that she and Steven were televised cooking against each other in Lumiose, and – as she was always aware – she and Steven were former Pokémon League Champions. In what way was that anything but a celebrity? Given they worked literally across the street from each other, it was difficult to not be treated as a celebrity chef.

And all of this because she set up shop two months ago and then she and Steven made it onto the face of the media! At least on the plus side, they could finally carry about their lives in peace, and maybe love in their downtime.

Cynthia eyed the financial statements where James had taken the liberty of highlighting the projected profits for the week. For the week, the businesses recorded a combined revenue of practically 100,000,000 (that is, a hundred million) Poké. At face value, it was an impressive performance, but of course there were many costs incurred that made that revenue possible. The inventory, water, hydro, and especially wages for both restaurants meant of that hundred million Poké, a hefty chunk was taken out for expenses. There was still a reasonable profit margin, nevertheless.

And those profits would, for the time being, be used to fund Cynthia's debts.

"Let's see…" Steven took a calculator from his desk. "So the profits this week pay off… about two percent of your debts alone. Hmm. So if we kept our performance constant like this for the next fifty weeks, you won't be in the red anymore."

Cynthia sighed. "Fifty weeks? That will take us to next year in that case."

"Well, we could speed things up if we became more profitable, unless we can't increase our performance now," Steven replied. "But we're only just beginning, right? Who knows? Maybe it might lower to forty weeks, depending if we can do better, and if you can catch up to me."

That last part was a joke, and Cynthia lightly punched Steven's arm after that. She then sat back on her hair. "Still, these past two months have been tiring, I admit. What do you say if go to my place in Undella Town that I mentioned earlier? Up for that? I think we deserve vacation time."

And Steven couldn't agree more. The past two months had been hectic and despite the usual breaks he had every so often, he needed to take some time off. Plus, as Cynthia could spare the time, he could go on a date or two with Cynthia while he was at it. And Cynthia seemed to want the same thing. That said, their Pokémon might agree too, that the two of them needed some rest.

Just outside Steven's office, Martine wondered if she could take some vacation time herself.

And just like the last time when Steven had left for Lumiose, James was facing a similar situation for similar reasons. Steven was going away, again. "I'm leaving you in charge of the restaurant," he said to James. "If anything urgent happens, let me know, but otherwise…"

"Rest assured, Steven. You can rest easy, and take some time off," James replied. "You've earned it! We can't expect a boss who spends his life only on work. You need to build your personal life too, and it's a good thing you've got Cynthia for that."

"James…" Steven shook his head. "Merci."

Steven took another look around the kitchens of his restaurant, and seeing if anything was out of place. He was, after all, the owner and head chef of this place. As far as he could tell, everything seemed fine and was in better shape than ever. His cooks were happy to see him pass by and even asked him to inspect the food occasionally, but Steven had full confidence in their efforts anyway.

And afterward, he left the kitchens and began making his way to the foyer to meet Cynthia there. Cynthia herself had gone to Vue sur la Lune to do the same, announcing her vacation plans to her manager there as well as Henri. In her opinion, it was hard to tell whether it was Steven who was more intent on building their relationship or herself. In Steven's opinion, the truth would come soon enough once they met at the foyer. Steven was so looking forward to seeing her that the walk from the kitchens to the foyer felt like it took seconds. He arrived at the front desk, where Sophie and Laurent were doing business as usual.

And Cynthia was there, speaking with the receptionists. It occurred to Steven that Cynthia had rarely conversed with the two of them for as long as he had known, outside of business, of course. But now that Cynthia was effectively the co-owner, there was certainly more time to do that.

"Salut," he greeted. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no, no. It's fine. I'm just asking about the rumour about the relationship between these two." Cynthia apparently didn't care saying that so bluntly had caused Sophie to blush. "It seems Sophie has some love trouble."

"I-I didn't say that! I just think that Laurent has eyes for someone else, that's all!" said Sophie.

"That's the same as love trouble, Sophie."

Steven had to smile, seeing how easily flustered Sophie was. But before he could say anything more, he was interrupted by the doors opening in the distance. More customers? Steven looked in that direction, but his eyes were beaten by his ears.

"Steven! Mon ami!"

It was Wallace, with Winona and Lisia as usual. The three of them seemed inseparable, didn't they? Though Steven noticed there were bruises on Wallace's face. Well, it seemed like Winona's punches were becoming a habit. Then Steven's smile became humourless, like a flat line.

"Steven! Good news! I have good news!" Wallace shouted, so loud that it was like he wanted the world to hear. But so far, apart from everyone in the foyer, not many people heard him. The only one who did and became curious was Martine, who had walked in from the bar with a couple of empty plates in her hands.

"Oh gosh, Wallace. What is it?" Steven asked, though he had a bad feeling about this. Cynthia felt the same.

In Wallace's hand was a book the size of a novel, and it was particularly thicker that most novels with its black cover and gold writing. Cynthia recognised it at once, and so did Steven.

It was the Kalos edition of the Richissime Guide, written and published by Hotel Richissime in Lumiose, in which it listed and described the recipients of the Richissime stars. For the restaurants who needed to know whether they were awarded a star, this guide was it. Had the guide been published just now? Whenever it was, it must have been very recent, Cynthia thought. Just the mere sight of it already raised their hopes and expectations. There could be little doubt that they had gotten at least one star – and whether both of their restaurants earned one, let alone two, was up in the air. They stayed quiet and let Wallace have his way for now. And so he did, with Wallace placing the book on the desk in front of Laurent so that everyone could have a look. Martine and Sophie of course watched from the sides as Wallace flipped the pages to find what he wanted.

Then again, as far as Steven was concerned, Wallace's version of 'good news' might be very different compared to normal standards. Nevertheless, Steven and Cynthia were left holding their breaths in anticipation.

Finally, Wallace found the pages he wanted. "Voila! Look at that!" he said.

On one page was a photo of a window seat of Stone Restaurant and Bistro against the pristine backdrop of the Cyllage City sunset. Could there have been any better photo taken? Probably, but this was more than enough. It showed the restaurant's name, emblazoned with two black-and-gold stars – the highly coveted Richissime stars.

And, most likely not a coincidence, the second page showed a picture Vue sur la Lune's interior. But what was most eye-catching was, beside Vue sur la Lune's name, the award of another two Richissime stars. Just seeing the stars felt surreal, and comprehending it took a few moments before Steven and Cynthia went to read the review. But Martine beat them to it.

"Let's see…" she said, reading out the brief. "'Hotel Richissime awards the Stone Restaurant and Bistro two stars and a place in the Guide, in recognition of Chef Steven's signature cuisine that only this restaurant can deliver. The Stone Accolade en croute and the Stone Open are just two examples of the restaurant that display excellence in cooking.'"

Martine paused, looking at Steven and then Cynthia briefly, and then went on reading. "Well, next is, 'Vue sur la Lune is a recipient of the Guide worthy to receive two stars, having shown incredible and flavourful performance in dessert courses. Chef Cynthia may as well stand as the best of dessert-makers ever to live in coastal Kalos.'"

Upon hearing that, Cynthia broke into a grin and her head was full of excitement, such that she held onto Steven's arm out of her joy. Even Steven could feel the same.

Looking up, Martine added, "There's a footnote too." She held the book up to that everyone could see the little paragraph with a lone star beside it. "It reads, 'In the Guide's opinion, the fact that these two restaurants are located directly across from each other across the street warrants a special journey – dining at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro for your entrée and then to Vue sur la Lune for your dessert. The dining experience tells the love story between the two chefs, which is a journey worth no less than three stars.' Oh hey, boss. Would you look at that? You and Cynthia practically have three stars together. That's really something, turning your love life into an award!"

But hearing that left Steven's feelings in tatters, like bittersweet but salty too. It was comforting and surprising to hear that Hotel Richissime awarded both Steven and Cynthia a collective third star, but at what cost? Hotel Richissime had practically endorsed their love life in the Guide. It was bad enough to be featured in the media and amongst other speculation in the past while, like the popular Kalos magazine or Lumiose Press. And of all the places it had to be mentioned, it was written in the Richissime Guide, and it would stay there.

Forever.

"Aw… Boss, there's no need to be embarrassed! That's three stars altogether pour vous deux, you have to agree! Isn't that what you two always wanted?" Martine gently pinched Steven's hot cheek. "So in short, your love is worth the third star. Anyone would love to dine here while experience your love story." Just saying that brought a wide grin to Martine's lips. "You know, you and Cynthia can market that, right?"

Marketing… a taste of love? That sounded like something from an extremely cheesy movie. No way would that sell, even if they had their personal reputations they could leverage. Either way, Steven wanted to minimise his attention and get along quietly with life, and so wasn't willing to use that as a marketing scheme.

Neither was Cynthia.

"Seriously, though," Cynthia said. "Did they really have to put this in the guide? That's a disaster waiting to happen. And no, Martine. We can't turn our relationship into marketing material. That sounds superficial." Her reply earned a smug grin from Martine though. "What is it, Martine?"

"I think you're a bit too late for that, Cynthia," Martine said. "If it's already in the guide, then you'll probably expect dozens of people from the media to come here. It's to be expected if anything appears in the guide. People in Kalos want to know!"

Lisia agreed. "Martine is right! I get that in showbiz all the time. Once a star starts rising amongst the ranks and gets media attention, it's inescapable. Come now, Cynthia. You of all people should know that, being a former Champion and all."

The media attention appeared like wildfire, as if on cue right after they reread the paragraph and Martine and Lisia finished their teasing. Cynthia and Steven had just gone through many trials by fire from the media because of their culinary rivalry, and that lasted for many weeks. They just couldn't stomach the thought of going through another few weeks of media attention now that the Richissime Guide had brought them to light. Was this some sort of punishment? That is, the cost of their love for each other? No matter what, the media just won't release them from their iron grip.

If anything, serious vacation was desirable in light of what had happened these past two months.

But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon as a crowd started pouring into the foyer of the Stone Bistro, all of them reporters and journalists. While most of them either had notebooks, recording material, and cameras, a handful of them also clutched copies of the Richissime Guide. Well, that would make it apparent that the Richissime stars Wallace had announced to Cynthia and Steven were no joke. The media wanted to know more.

But the media of this scale was not one neither Steven nor Cynthia expected. Once again, they didn't want to be celebrity chefs – quite the opposite. But the Richissime stars and media attention was going to make that very difficult now. Hopefully with time their hype over the stars might die away and leave them only with the stars after, and the media might find a new story to write about later.

"Metagross!"

"Roserade!"

The bursting sound of two Poké Balls filled the foyer and shook the chandelier above their heads as the Pokémon appeared on the floor. Someone needed to restore order in this restaurant before something bad happened, and perhaps using Pokémon was the easiest way. The two Pokémon looked at their masters briefly and understood the situation immediately. Quietly, they began pushing the countless media reporters and photographers out.

"We'll be happy to answer questions from you," Cynthia said, "and feel free to take pictures. But please do not obstruct our restaurant operations."

It appeared they only caught the first part of Cynthia's words.

"This is Alexa, reporting for Lumiose Press, speaking here. Tell me, Cynthia. What are your thoughts on receiving two Richissime stars?"

Unable to think clearly, Cynthia's reply was short. "It was surprising, yes. But it is an honour."

Alexa then looked at Steven. "And what are your thoughts on the third star, Steven? Isn't it impressive that your relationship with Cynthia led you to earning not two, but three stars?! Will this make your love flourish? Will you see more of customers like us asking you about this?"

That made Steven pause to think, with the noise only coming from shuttering cameras.

"I…" he muttered. How was he supposed to answer that?! He wondered if Alexa had planned this.

Unfortunately, because that third star had concentrated on their love life, it was going to be impossible to shake off the scrutiny on their personal lives. Although the number of customers showing up was welcome, their intent was not what Cynthia or Steven wanted. If only they could get on with their lives quietly! Not for some time though. Maybe with time, they'll go away.

Unless they could get away for a bit themselves.

"You know what, Cynthia? Let's go to Undella Town," Steven muttered instead, defeated.

"Oui," Cynthia replied.

So, there's no escaping their love life now. The Richissime Guide has written that in stone! But as Martine said, they finally got their Richissime stars - just not the way they had hoped or expected. Leave a review! There won't be food for now, but as I'm working part-time I still have time to write.