If nothing changes, the only thing waiting for him is leaving this path.
That's why, from the moment he stepped into this academy, Hachiman had been learning. Whether it was stamina, speed, or memorizing the cooking of every opponent, everything he did was for the sake of getting a calmer life.
If someone called him a genius, he would definitely shake his head. He was nothing like Nakiri. Maybe nobody cared about his effort, but calling him a genius would erase everything he had worked for. That was the one thing he couldn't accept.
So from the start, he was just an ordinary person. Even now, that's still how he saw himself.
He had already prepared himself to leave, but for his little sister Komachi, he had come this far. So why keep pretending he didn't see the future?
If he understood all this, then maybe everything Hikigaya Hachiman had done would finally have meaning.
Looking at the completely oxidized broccoli in front of him, he had already found his answer.
Since he was young, Hachiman had been the one in charge of buying supplies for the Hikigaya Diner. Everything the restaurant needed—from chicken, duck, beef, and lamb, to seasonings—was his responsibility. Vegetables, even more so.
But that didn't mean he never made mistakes. Even with his sharp eye, lack of experience was still lack of experience. There had been plenty of times when he brought back ingredients only to realize they couldn't be used at all.
Back then, Joichiro would use his special skills to treat ingredients that weren't completely spoiled, turning them into something new. And among those... was broccoli.
If he remembered right...
'As long as you add red wine vinegar while boiling broccoli, not only can it bleach away the oxidized color and bring back its bright look, but... it can also draw out the broccoli's natural sweetness.'
'The sweetness of the broccoli and the sourness of the vinegar balance each other perfectly. Even if it's just a small change to the dish, it can still create something special. I don't like that word, but right now I don't have any other choice.'
With that thought, Hachiman's hands started moving. Memories of the past flowed through his mind, and all he had to do was copy the method his dad once used. That should be enough.
As the broccoli boiled, Hachiman held the pot with one hand and poured in red wine with the other.
The smell of wine quickly spread through the classroom, making the nearby students turn their heads in confusion.
"Was that step in the recipe??"
"This guy actually dared to change Chef Shinomiya's recipe. No doubt about it, he's dead."
"Using those half-ruined vegetables and oxidized broccoli to make a dish that will satisfy Chef Shinomiya? No way I'm buying that."
"I bet he's getting kicked out soon."
Hachiman was completely focused, so he didn't hear the comments around him. On the other hand, Yukinoshita, while working on her own dish, kept glancing his way from time to time, as if checking on something.
Of course, Shinomiya, sitting high above on the platform, had noticed everything long ago. But what expression hid behind those glasses, no one could tell.
Even so, nobody believed Hikigaya Hachiman could pass this challenge. After all, Chef Shinomiya was famous for being strict about his recipes. Even if Dojima Gin showed up, he probably couldn't change Shinomiya's mind.
Time flew by. The limit was three hours, but since they had to handle nine different ingredients, finishing right on time was already lucky.
In the last half hour, many students had already turned in their dishes, yet there were still unused ingredients left on their tables.
As expected, there was never going to be a second chance from the start. That thing Chef Shinomiya said was just to make the class more intense. For some reason, watching all this, Yukinoshita's usually expressionless face slowly frowned.
She glanced at Hikigaya. Since they were working at about the same pace, by the time she finished her dish, Hikigaya seemed about done too.
Meanwhile, a long line had already formed in front of Chef Shinomiya. Sitting in his chair with one leg crossed over the other, he faced more than forty identical-looking dishes like an unfeeling machine. Every small move of his decided a student's future.
"Expelled. Thanks for your effort."
"Expelled. Thanks for your effort."
"Expelled. Thanks for your effort."
"Expelled. Thanks for your effort."
"H-how can this be?! Let me try again! I still have ingredients!" The desperate student pleaded, but Shinomiya only gave a meaningful smile.
"Oh? Do you still have time? If you can pull it off like this, then you're a magician better than me."
With a helpless look, yet another Totsuki hopeful was mercilessly expelled by Chef Shinomiya.
Yukinoshita gave Hikigaya one last glance, then carried her dish forward.
"I'm Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Oh? From the Yukinoshita family?"
Something about that triggered a memory, but Yukinoshita's voice only grew colder:
"My dish represents me alone. Don't use anyone else to define me."
"Interesting."
With a simple cut, Chef Shinomiya tasted her dish without any change in expression.
A few seconds later…
"Congratulations. You pass."
"Thank you."
Under the mixed stares of shock, envy, and jealousy, Yukinoshita stepped down from the platform without a trace of emotion. After her, only a few more students managed to pass.
Another ten minutes passed.
Finally, after finishing the plating, Hachiman became the last student to present his dish. Looking around the classroom that once held over forty people, there were now fewer than ten. The ones gone? All expelled by Shinomiya.
Being the last, every remaining student's eyes were on him, along with Shinomiya's and even Dojima Gin's, who had been watching from the shadows.
"I'm Hikigaya Hachiman."
Without a word, Chef Shinomiya, like a machine, picked up his knife and fork, cut the dish, and put it in his mouth.
Time seemed to freeze. In that moment, only the sound of Shinomiya chewing existed. After he swallowed, his movement and expression didn't change—except for a sudden smile.
"Hikigaya, expelled."
As if expecting this outcome, Hachiman simply lowered his head and gave a small, relieved smile.
From the start, he wasn't anyone special. So ending up like this after his choice—that was only natural.
His body moved back a few steps like it wasn't under his control, then slowly walked toward his station. From beginning to end, he had never believed in himself.
"Heh, I knew it. Changing Chef Shinomiya's recipe like that, ending up like this is no surprise."
"Who knows what he was thinking, seasoning with red wine."
"Man, what a waste."
Chef Shinomiya finally stood up and stretched, then glanced around at the group and said:
"That's it. The task is over. Those who passed, stay here and get ready for the afternoon session."
Just as Shinomiya was about to leave, Yukinoshita suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
"Chef Shinomiya, I object."
"Oh? Yukinoshita, what's the problem?"
She casually picked up a piece of the "Nine-Vegetable French Terrine" from Hikigaya's plate, tasted it, and spoke up:
"I don't think there's anything wrong with Hikigaya's dish. In fact, I believe his dish is better than anyone else's here."
No one expected this. The whole room went silent. Even Hachiman, who had been quietly accepting the result, quickly turned to look at Yukinoshita.
Chef Shinomiya's expression finally changed a little as he spoke in a slightly mocking tone:
"You're right, Yukinoshita. His dish is better than anyone else's here. But even so, my recipe never said anything about 'showing acidity.' Changing my recipe on your own and serving something that doesn't fit the task is automatically a fail. Do you understand that?"
"Sorry, but I can't accept that. If the best dish in the room is going to be disqualified, then I'd rather fail too. I just can't accept that a zombie's dish tastes better than mine."
'Wait, is she helping me or insulting me…?' Hachiman looked at Yukinoshita with a helpless expression, but she ignored him completely.
Yukinoshita: "And besides, this isn't something we can ignore. There were spoiled ingredients mixed in. If Chef Shinomiya wants to treat us like future kitchen staff, then tell me… is fighting over bad ingredients really your standard for picking employees?"
'I didn't think this girl would be this sharp even to an upperclassman… what a headache.' Hachiman hadn't expected things to blow up this far, and now he didn't know what to do.
What surprised him most was that the same Yukinoshita who had been criticizing him earlier was now standing up for him.
Yukinoshita: "Chef Shinomiya, I have every reason to believe you didn't fulfill your duty as a head chef, and I have the right to challenge your judgment."
Her voice was firm, like she had become a different person. Even facing Chef Shinomiya, who was almost ten years older, she didn't back down at all.
At the same time, the crowd started whispering again:
"What the hell is going on…"
"Is that really the Yukinoshita I know? Standing up to Chef Shinomiya for some random guy?"
"No way… what's their relationship?"
"This is huge! And why does it feel like Chef Shinomiya doesn't even want to mess with Yukinoshita…"
Shinomiya's expression turned cold, and his voice lost all warmth:
"Yukinoshita, do you know who you're talking to? The only reason I explained things so patiently just now was because of your sister. If you keep pushing—"
Before he could finish, Yukinoshita cut him off:
"I speak only for myself, Yukinoshita Yukino. This has nothing to do with my sister or my mother."
"Chef Shinomiya, please make the right decision."
Shinomiya chuckled coldly, as if amused by her words:
"Fine, I'll tell you the truth. I mixed in those oxidized broccoli on purpose—to weed out the ones who don't belong."
"Broccoli oxidizes easily, gets damaged easily, and is hard to cook. If someone loses their cool and makes bad judgments, or if they're clumsy and useless in a kitchen, then of course they don't belong."
"Don't think I didn't notice. That guy gave you the good broccoli on purpose, Yukinoshita. Without that, you would've failed too."
But Yukinoshita didn't get angry. She just replied softly:
"So even fixing a mistake in another way is still wrong? Sorry, I don't understand that."
"I'm the head chef. I can't allow an employee to challenge my authority! Listen up, Yukinoshita. If you keep this up, even if your sister is who she is, I won't hesitate to use my authority to expel you. Think about it. How will your family look at you after that?"
At that moment, Hachiman finally stepped up beside her. He gently patted her shoulder and shook his head.
"Thanks."
"In that case..."
Yukinoshita let out a helpless sigh, her expression changing slightly. She glanced at Hikigaya for a moment, then turned her eyes back to Shinomiya.
"Chef Shinomiya, I'll accept your judgment."
"But... that's only if you can beat me first."
"A shokugeki."
"If you lose, take back this decision to expel him."
'At least don't call me a zombie right now\... but still...'
He never expected this. Yukinoshita actually stood up for him, questioning the decision to kick him out.
And the moment the word "shokugeki" came out, the entire classroom exploded. After all, it was Yukinoshita—the girl everyone called a genius—who said it. Even after almost a year at Totsuki, no one had ever seen her challenge someone to a shokugeki. And now, she was challenging a legendary graduate like it was nothing, as if his status didn't matter at all.
"Hey, hey, he's a graduate! The former First Seat of the Elite Ten!"
"Not just that, he's a monster who's been on the front lines of the culinary world!"
"Yukinoshita must have lost it, challenging a graduate—and just for some guy none of us even know!"
"What's his name anyway? Damn, this is the biggest gossip of the year."
"What is she even thinking...?!"
"Yukinoshita, I..." Hikigaya didn't even know what to say. He just stared at her, trying to stop her.
But Yukinoshita simply turned around and looked straight into his eyes, like she could see through him.
"I'm not doing this for you, Zombie-kun. I just can't accept this. Totsuki is a place where cooking comes first, and the person who cooked the best dish is about to be thrown out."
"I can't let that happen. That's just the kind of person I am."
Good thing she didn't say she was doing it for him—Hikigaya would've wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
Still, no matter what she said, the fact was she was helping him. To anyone watching, and even to himself, it was obvious she was doing this for him.
When the word "shokugeki" reached Shinomiya, his body trembled for a moment. But that was all. For someone who was once Totsuki's First Seat, he had faced countless shokugeki before. He just never expected that after so many years, a junior would dare challenge him now.
Even so, Shinomiya only gave a cold laugh.
"Yukinoshita Yukino, if it were your older sister, she might have a chance to beat me. But you? You're just a student. You're not even qualified to challenge me, let alone win."
"It's not like students have never done shokugeki against graduates, but it only happens if both sides agree. As long as I refuse, there's nothing you can do. No matter what you try, Hikigaya's expulsion is already decided."
Yukinoshita smiled faintly. "Oh? Then what if I can offer you a chance to work as a chef for the Yukinoshita family? That's a once-in-a-lifetime offer."
At those words, Shinomiya's body shook hard.
For most current Totsuki students, the name 'Yukinoshita' was just something they had heard. They didn't really know what it meant.
But for someone like Shinomiya, a former First Seat who had spent years building his career, 'Yukinoshita' was every chef's dream. If you could work for that family, then in the near future, your opportunities, status, and even wealth would skyrocket. He had seen chefs go crazy trying to reach that level. But now...
Yukinoshita Yukino was putting that on the table.
Still, Shinomiya wasn't someone who had never seen the world. After that moment of shock, he calmly adjusted his glasses and said:
"I don't think you're in any position to make that promise. You're just a 16-year-old first-year student."
Yukinoshita was about to argue when Dojima Gin suddenly stepped in between them.
"Whoa, Dojima Gin himself showed up?! This is bad. This is really bad."
"All this... just for some guy we don't even know the name of!"
"I just want to know what this guy's real name is! Today was really nerve-wracking."
"Something like... Hikipedia?"
The classmates sneaked a look at the file, and after seeing the name, quietly memorized it.
What happened here today was something they'd probably never forget in their lives.
And after today, the name Hikipedia would definitely spread like wildfire through the whole Totsuki Academy. Whether in high school or middle school, everyone would know.
After all, that legendary ice-cold beauty actually challenged the former First Seat of Totsuki for his sake, and now even Chef Dojima Gin had stepped in. The situation was still heating up, and all the bystanders could do was keep their eyes glued to it.
"At least now you should try to remember the name right... Wait, who the hell is Hikipedia? Don't just make things up."
Hachiman muttered with some annoyance, but even so, he didn't really care about that anymore. Because no matter how much Yukinoshita denied it, the spark for all of this was him.
No... it would be better to say that if he hadn't given her the whole cauliflower back then, she wouldn't be fighting for him now. It was because she felt it was unfair that she stood up to resist. Just like Yukinoshita herself said, she had always been that way.
Shinomiya: "What are you butting in for? This is my class, Dojima-senpai."
Dojima Gin: "Don't you think it's getting more and more interesting, Shinomiya?"
Behind Dojima Gin stood Chef Inui, Chef Sekimori, Chef Mizuhara, and Chef Gotoda.
Inui Hinako: "Huh? Shinomiya-senpai's causing trouble again? As expected from the most troublesome guy in the 79th class."
Since Hinako kept pestering Shinomiya, he just grabbed her and tossed her straight out.
Dojima Gin: "You two, come with me first."
Under everyone's gaze, Yukinoshita and Hachiman followed behind Dojima Gin and walked out of the classroom.
The other chefs picked up the dishes Hachiman had made and followed after. Inside the classroom, only the classmates were left, stunned and wide-eyed after witnessing such a shocking scene.
"Hey, hey, this is way too crazy, right? What do you think will happen next?"
"Who knows? But I bet the two of them will get expelled. At the very least, that guy called Hikipedia will definitely get expelled. I've never heard of anyone surviving Shinomiya's judgment."
"Well, even if he does get expelled, once this spreads, he'll still become a big deal!"
"Today... really opened my eyes."
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