This guy is totally targeting me.
On purpose. Definitely on purpose.
First he pretended not to hear me, and when I wanted to go over and see what he was making, he pulled this stunt to make me look bad!
Choked by the smoke, Erina completely lost her composure. If she could, she would have turned and walked away right then.
Hachiman's movements were flawless at this moment. He had watched Joichiro cook countless times before, and now he was finally doing it himself for real.
In the last few seconds, he finally dropped the egg into the pan. At such high heat, it only stayed for five seconds before he took it out, then he poured all the freshly finished broth into it in one go.
"Three… two… one…"
"Please enjoy—egg-filled pancake."
Maybe because he finally noticed Erina looking so flustered, Hachiman asked sincerely, "What's wrong with you?"
He really shouldn't have asked. The moment he did, Erina exploded. She slammed the table hard. She had been holding a grudge since he played tricks on her at the stove, and now seeing him put on this smug look with such a plain dish—there was no going back.
And honestly, just from the appearance, it didn't look like anything great…
"You were messing with me! Jerk, jerk, jerk!"
"You're not even a real chef. I don't even want to pick up my chopsticks."
Hachiman: "You're such a pain. What, do you expect me to feed you as the judge?"
Erina didn't know if he was deliberately twisting her words or just clueless, but after being teased again, her face was burning red. She could have walked away, but she couldn't swallow her pride. She started going on and on:
"My table, with the God Tongue, is only for the finest dishes that combine luxury and skill. That's the true heaven of gourmet. And you… serving me this… Idiot! The exam is over!"
She had no intention of tasting it. She was so angry she could barely think straight. Even Hisako had never seen Erina like this before. Normally she was confident and calm, but today, she had been humiliated again and again.
No matter how much he called out, it seemed he couldn't stop her from leaving.
But then…
Hachiman: "Some things are like this dish. It might not look like much, but until you taste it, you'll never know what's inside."
"Since Miss Nakiri is so confident in her own cooking, I'd like to see if it's really as amazing as they say."
The simplest provocation, yet it still made Erina stop in her tracks. In her eyes, this man wasn't just teasing her—he was challenging her and denying the cooking she was so proud of.
Hisako: "Don't you dare be rude to Lady Erina! Every dish she makes is priceless. There are rich young masters who would spend half their fortune just to taste one bite! Someone like you, how could you possibly…"
Erina: "Fine! Today I'll show you what a real professional chef is!"
No one expected Erina to agree so suddenly. Hisako was left speechless for a moment, and only then did Erina realize she had just spoken without thinking, completely carried away by her emotions.
Someone of her status didn't need to prove anything to Hikigaya, but she just couldn't hold back—she wanted this guy, who didn't even count as a real cook, to understand what true cooking was!
Just a moment ago she was about to storm out in anger, but now she had calmed down and slowly walked back to the stove.
Looking at the egg-filled pancake in front of her, only one thought ran through her mind:
"Reject it! Deny the existence of something that doesn't even deserve to be called food!"
This kind of simple street food from the lower classes—Erina couldn't believe it could ever stand out. Even if it had a little twist, compared to real high-class cuisine, it would always be dull and unimpressive.
"I'll just take one bite then!"
She carefully picked up the chopsticks, ready to lift the egg pancake.
"Crack..."
The crispy outside and soft inside broke apart the instant her chopsticks pressed down, splitting cleanly into two pieces. Even her chopsticks seemed to bounce back, leaving her shocked.
Erina: "This... this is impossible!"
Refusing to believe it, she tried again and lifted another piece. Almost without thinking, she put the freshly made pancake into her mouth.
"Ssshh..."
The fried egg gave off a sound again, and with that bite, the hot broth hidden inside rushed straight into her mouth.
"I'm... I'm being filled up..."
"Mm~"
It was like being under the open sky of a wide grassland. Even though it was fried, the taste was fresh and sweet. The mushroom broth cut through every bit of egg's usual smell, leaving nothing behind but pure flavor.
As Erina gently tore off another bite, Hachiman's eyes stayed fixed on her face.
Maybe because she was so focused on enjoying the taste, she forgot what she was supposed to be doing. By the time she snapped back to herself, the blush that had just faded came rushing back, along with a wave of panic.
Erina: "I... I actually forgot I was supposed to be judging!"
She thought about pretending nothing happened and moving on with a second bite, but of course Hachiman wasn't going to miss the chance. Without changing his expression, he calmly asked:
"I remember someone saying she'd only take one bite. So what's going on now?"
Caught red-handed, Erina couldn't hide her embarrassment. She slapped the table like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.
"You got a problem with that? Do you? Do you?! Idiot, idiot, idiot!"
"Yes, yes… but this is only the second dish I've ever cooked in my life. If there's anything wrong with it, Miss Nakiri, I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Watching the two of them bicker like a married couple, Hisako could only show a helpless look. Then, sinking into thought, she realized—
"So I'm the fool here, huh."