第34話: 小泉は谷村に関する山岡の要請を拒絶しながらアワビの品種について学ぶ

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Kyōichi Koizumi, the new editor-in-chief of Touzai News, wants the Culture Department to focus on modern pop culture to appeal to younger readers, and intends to remove Tanimura from his position as director. Both suggestions Yamaoka finds appalling. Koizumi meets with Yamaoka and Kurita in a restaurant and tells them their work on the Ultimate Menu is going too slowly. They are served raw sliced awabi (abalone) which Koizumi says is the only way to eat awabi. Yamoka begs to differ, and takes Koizumi to other restaurants that serve awabi cooked or dried. Yamaoka manages to get Koizumi to join him on a trip to the Shima peninsula the day after, where they eat awabi "steak". Koizumi admits he misjudged the many ways awabi could be cooked. Yamaoka asks Koizumi to reconsider his decision regarding Tanimura, but Koizumi angrily tells him to leave. Later, Tanimura tells the staff of the Culture Division that he will remain director and adds that Koizumi had called Yamaoka an "awabi-like person". Yamaoka takes this as praise, but Tomii suggests Koizumi is implying Yamaoka's one-sided love for Kurita. (Source: Wikipedia)