At first glance, nothing seemed strange. The two of them looked like they were cooking separately, with no intention of working together.
But...
If you looked closely, their teamwork was flawless. They weren't rushing, but every move flowed around the other.
Takumi stared at the scene, completely forgetting he had already finished his task. His mind was pulled in entirely.
"No... no way!"
Maybe he got too caught up, because the words slipped out loud enough for everyone to hear—including the other students and Chef Inui.
"S-sorry..." Takumi scratched his head in embarrassment as everyone turned back to their cooking.
Only Chef Inui followed his gaze toward the two students in the back who had teamed up at the last second.
Chef Inui: "Huh? That long-haired girl... she looks like someone I know... Did I get it wrong?" Her voice was so soft that no one else heard.
Yukinoshita Yukino was well known among the first-years at Totsuki, but outside of the academy, there were always bigger names. And for a graduate who left long ago, it wasn't strange not to know.
For the other students though, there was no way they didn't recognize her.
Takumi: "I-I figured it out!! It's not Yukinoshita... the key is that guy, Hikigaya!"
Isami: "Brother, their teamwork speed is already beyond what we had back at the restaurant. It's unbelievable."
Takumi: "It's Hikigaya. He's predicting what Yukinoshita needs and preparing everything a step ahead. That's why it looks so smooth. No wonder it felt weird. Their individual speed isn't that fast, but together it's like one plus one equals way more than two."
Isami: "Predicting...?"
Takumi: "Hikigaya's sense for this is almost scary. I thought my own observation skills were good. Working in an Italian restaurant, I always have to watch the customers and make dishes that satisfy them. That's why I could lock onto the duck so fast just now. But him... why..."
What he really couldn't understand was the terrifying sharpness of the person in front of him. It was frightening how deep her insight went. If he had found the wild duck earlier, that was because he hadn't been nervous and had some experience. But in the world of cooking, unless you had an overwhelming advantage, predicting another person's moves was almost impossible.
But this was Yukinoshita...
Hachiman and Yukinoshita's teamwork continued. His knife moved quickly, the dough instantly shredded into fine pieces. He handed it to Yukinoshita, and after she kneaded it, it turned into a new shape.
"Almost done..."
"Yeah, almost."
Those were the first words they exchanged while cooking, marking the moment before plating. Though he wasn't really close with Yukinoshita, their accidental meeting before and their sudden pairing now had both been out of necessity. Hachiman knew very well that in the future, he and Yukinoshita probably wouldn't have any real connection. There was something about her that caught his attention, but without a special bond, drifting apart was only natural.
But... it didn't matter. Hachiman had already experienced too many people leaving his life, so with a temporary partner like her, he didn't feel much of anything.
Besides... she was a sharp-tongued girl.
His hands didn't stop moving. Knowing Yukinoshita's skills were decent, he naturally left the final steps to her, while he moved aside to grill the dough. Since he was the only one in the room doing that, he quickly drew surprised looks from the others.
"What is this guy doing? Weren't we supposed to make Japanese cuisine?"
"When it's Yukinoshita cooking, don't bother guessing. You should worry about yourself."
"Tch, even if she cooks well, so what? She's always by herself. Have you ever seen her with a partner? She almost got eliminated in the last task."
Ignoring all the chatter around her, Yukinoshita just kept cooking like nothing was happening. Since Hachiman had some free time, he flipped the dough and teased her.
"Looks like your reputation out there isn't that great."
Yukinoshita didn't seem bothered. She calmly replied:
"Like I said before, there will always be people jealous of the smart ones. I just happen to be the one they envy. But that's still better than you, zombie classmate—at least they don't even remember who you are."
As she said this, Yukinoshita gave a faint smile.
And that moment was caught by their classmates in the room. Their stunned expressions turned even more dazed. Because Yukinoshita was already beautiful—her fair skin and long black hair drew many eyes instantly.
In their minds, Yukinoshita had never smiled. Because of her personality, no one ever approached her. Even in regular pair assignments, since partners weren't required, she almost always worked alone.
So when they saw her smiling, the whole class was entranced. Some even forgot they were cooking and let their dishes overboil. By the time they came back to their senses, it was too late to fix things—they could only smack themselves in frustration.
At the same time, Hachiman had already finished the final plating. As he cracked an egg and let it slide into the pan, Takumi finally reacted.
"It's a Japanese omelet... such a simple dish. Why... why would they choose this? Do they actually think something this basic could impress Chef Inui? That's impossible!"
Staring in disbelief, Takumi's jaw dropped. He was certain only Hikigaya could come up with such an idea.
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