When they returned to the classroom, Hachiman was covered in bumps all over. By coincidence, right at the door, they ran into Takumi, who had also just come back from outside. He was holding a wild duck in his hands, a proud smile on his face.
You had to admit, finding a wild duck deep in the mountains at a time like this was impressive. For this assignment, the most important thing was insight. After all, the theme was Japanese cuisine, and if all you thought of for Japanese food was fish, that would be way too narrow.
Takumi: "Hikki-kun, let's settle this once and for all."
Hachiman: "Wait, that doesn't sound necessary at all."
After all, talk of "settling scores" was something only sworn enemies used. And Hachiman had only met this guy today—wasn't this a little too much?
Takumi rubbed his nose, looking a bit awkward.
"Let me ask you something. How long have you been a chef? I need to know this."
"Counting today, exactly forty-five days."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope. I used to be just a waiter. Honestly, I never thought I'd end up at this school."
"Bang!" Takumi slammed his fist into the wall beside him. In that instant, the pressure he gave off was way beyond what it had been earlier.
"Let's settle this once and for all!"
"Why do you have to act like it's some life-or-death grudge..."
In Takumi's eyes, if the other person was a genius, then he had to defeat them. Otherwise, it would deny the years of training he had gone through. From the time he was five, serving pasta to customers in Italy, he had been building up his pride. Whether it was Hikigaya, Yukinoshita, or anyone else—it was the same.
That's why, no matter what, he had to win.
Inside Takumi's heart, it had already become a gamble of "win or be crushed." He stormed into the classroom full of energy, while behind him his younger brother Isami only smiled kindly.
But...
Even from such a brief exchange at close range, the rough, weathered hands already showed that the other wasn't just some ordinary cook.
Even so, declaring someone your enemy without their consent was way over the top.
Hachiman let out a helpless sigh and followed him inside. The atmosphere in the classroom wasn't as easy as he had hoped. Chef Inui, though gentle, had extremely high standards when it came to cooking.
Since the test took a lot of time, many students had already submitted their dishes once. But so far... not a single one had passed.
In the huge classroom with more than fifty groups, almost all the dishes used fish. The moment you stepped inside, the smell of fish was overwhelming. For some reason, Hachiman's first thought was pity for Chef Inui. If she had to keep eating fish like this, after just one day she might never want to see it again for months.
"Not good. Redo it."
Another group failed to pass Chef Inui's test. The students waiting below the stage were already feeling the pressure. In this kind of environment, many even began doubting themselves. Could they really pass this test?
But the only one who seemed completely unaffected... was the girl in front of him.
"Oh? You're back already? The girl-stealing Hikki-kun."
"Hah? Are you picking a fight? If you say I stole someone, then you're an accomplice this time."
"Don't call it 'accomplice.' You should say master and loyal dog."
"Tch..." Her mouth really never stopped. Hachiman finally understood—never be fooled by her perfect face. Beneath that flawless beauty was a demon straight out of hell.
This was supposed to be a test, yet there was no sense of nervousness at all. Watching from the side, Takumi only grew more annoyed. Everyone else was stressing about whether they'd pass, but these two were chatting and laughing like they were on a date.
Since that was the case, Takumi decided there was no need to hold back. He grabbed his knife and, in one smooth motion, cut off the duck's limbs. It was just an instant, yet done with such precision and perfection. That level of knife skill could only belong to someone with real experience.
In that moment, the entire room's attention turned to them. The coordination between Takumi and Isami could only be described as flawless. No doubt, they truly were brothers.
Even Yukinoshita stopped bickering with Hachiman and focused on the brothers.
"The speed is impressive, and they didn't damage the duck's organs. Very skillful knife work."
"Their teamwork has no weak points. Without at least ten years of training, you couldn't reach this level."
Takumi and Isami processed the ingredients in less than ten minutes. And then...
Takumi pulled out a dual-handled knife from his bag, shocking the room.
"What's that?"
"No idea, but it looks amazing."
Pushing her hair back, Yukinoshita calmly explained, "That's a Mezzaluna. It means half-moon. It's a two-handled knife used by Italian chefs."
With the Mezzaluna in hand, Takumi moved even faster. It was just a knife, but in the brothers' hands, it linked them together perfectly. Whatever ingredient they touched was turned into a fine paste in an instant, faster than the eye could follow.
As soon as the duck finished roasting, Isami took the Mezzaluna, handled the final prep, and plated the dish. In less than fifteen minutes, the dish was complete.
Seeing that they were finished, Yukinoshita simply returned her attention to her own dish as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, Chef Inui clapped her hands on the stage. "That was quick!"
Takumi: "Speed is the unique flavor of Italian cooking. Please enjoy."
The roasted duck, paired with green salsa sauce, released both the wild aroma of game and a refreshing sharpness that hit the nose. With just one bite, the dish carried a noble and powerful taste, like a symphony, giving it a perfect finish.
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