Different halls were filled with the "flowers" of different dishes. In Hall A, where the competition was fiercest, not only were Yukinoshita and Erina there, but also well-known names like Hayama and Takumi.
Even though there were many judges, each person could only eat so much. To prepare 200 servings wasn't just about speed and quality—whether anyone chose to taste it in the end was also a big factor.
In such a brutal competition, everyone thought it would be an intense fight. But…
Only a few minutes in, nearly everyone's attention had already been pulled toward Hikigaya's cooking.
The golden glow, the irresistible aroma, the perfectly balanced portions—all of it struck right at the hearts of the crowd. In no time, a long line formed at his booth.
"It smells incredible! What dish is that?"
"I heard it's eggs benedict."
"Eggs benedict? Sure, I get that… but not enough to draw this many people."
"You don't get it. This isn't ordinary eggs benedict. Have you ever smelled eggs benedict like this before?"
"Hey, don't push from the back!"
The hall was already fired up. Out of the thousands of people, half were heading toward Hikigaya's stall. Compared to him, even Yukinoshita and Erina—despite their fame—couldn't draw in the same number of guests.
Seeing the crowd gather over there, people started whispering:
"That direction is Erina's booth. No wonder..."
"If it's Lady Erina, losing to her would still be fair."
"Hey, look carefully. They're not going to Erina—it's that guy… Hikigaya!"
"Hikigaya? You mean the one who beat Chef Shinomiya?!"
"Yeah, that's him!"
Rumors about Hikigaya had been endless—whether tied to Yukinoshita, Shinomiya, or even Dojima Gin—but...
When people saw for the first time what the man behind those rumors could really do, the shock wasn't something they could shake off easily.
And now…
If they wanted to beat him, what would it even take?
With so many guests heading to Hikigaya's side, the rest of the hall actually felt less crowded.
Except, of course, around Hikigaya.
Because so many people had gathered around Hikigaya's booth, it also brought more customers to Erina. In just a short time, she had already finished dozens of plates.
Even so, when the spotlight that had always been on her was suddenly stolen away, she couldn't help but feel deeply frustrated.
She was confident, but not someone who never thought about failure. After all, she had walked this path step by step, and had lost more times than she could count. But…
Losing to this guy was something she refused to accept. She couldn't just let it go.
All these years, he was the first person to truly push Nakiri Erina into such a corner.
Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, Dojima Gin, Shinomiya, and the others were watching. Although the screens showed three different venues at once, in the end…
All of their eyes focused on the same person.
Hinako: "With such a huge workload and such tight time pressure, most people would already panic. But he's still calm, even when facing challenges and more customers. That's one of the qualities a chef must have. Looks like Hikigaya is doing pretty well, huh?"
Shinomiya crossed his arms: "Hmph. If he couldn't even handle this much, then I really must've been blind to acknowledge him before."
As he said that, there was clearly a trace of pride on Shinomiya's face. Hinako, of course, poked at him:
"Yeah right, Shinomiya-senpai. You lost to him simply because you weren't good enough."
"Say another word and I'll throw you out."
"See? Violent Shinomiya-senpai is at it again."
The others, used to their bickering, simply kept their eyes on Hikigaya.
Sekimori chuckled helplessly: "Most people would think Erina is the strongest, but who would've thought a dark horse would show up this year."
Mizuhara: "Honestly, I still can't understand how he improved this much in such a short time. For someone who had never touched cooking before, it almost feels like a miracle."
The group started talking about it, while Dojima Gin, frowning, spoke with a more serious tone:
"He has terrifying perception. Even though he never studied cooking before, I'd bet every dish he ever tasted, every ingredient he ever saw, every flavor he's experienced, he's stored all of it in his mind."
Mizuhara: "That's impossible. That kind of person would be a genius!"
Sekimori: "No, you're wrong, Mizuhara. A person like that would normally just copy others forever and never create their own taste. But Hikigaya is more than that."
Dojima Gin: "Exactly. He doesn't just copy. He remembers the overall process of each dish, then uses ingredients he's handled before to add unique twists to different recipes. And also…"
His mouth opened slightly, almost as if startled…
When he looked again at Hikigaya's every movement, Dojima Gin finally realized:
"His cooking style looks too much like an old friend of mine… No, not just similar. Almost identical."
Hearing that, the other chefs froze.
Who was Dojima Gin? Once the First Seat. Anyone who could be his friend had to be at the very top of the cooking world. And now… he was saying something like this?
In truth, he had noticed it a long time ago, but without clear proof, he couldn't confirm it. He had gone through Hikigaya's records again and again but found nothing.
Only one thing stuck in his mind.
The name.
Hikigaya Hachiman.
At Venue A…
"This is Eggs Benedict. It's beautiful!"
"It's like a glowing jewel!"
"I can't wait to taste it. With such a gorgeous appearance, what kind of flavor could it hold inside?"
"I don't know, but… I want to eat it so badly!"
As dish after dish was taken away, Hikigaya kept working nonstop. He had already achieved his first goal of drawing the crowd in, and now…
Just as he predicted, a middle-aged man with black-rimmed glasses walked over. With a serious look, he gazed at the dish, inhaled the aroma, and let out a small breath.
"Poached egg on a muffin with bacon, topped with hollandaise sauce. That's the basic structure—one of the most classic breakfast dishes in the US. But still… just a normal breakfast dish."
"But this golden shine… If I'm not mistaken, you've added caviar, haven't you? And most importantly… the honey in the air. It must've blended perfectly to get rid of the egg's smell."
"So then… what other surprise are you hiding for me?"
As the judge's words spread through the venue, everyone's eyes turned to Hikigaya. More people kept lining up to taste his dish.
The judge raised his knife and gently cut into the golden plate.
The moment the blade touched the egg, the yolk, already near melting, slid down along the knife like liquid, coating it with a glowing red-gold hue.
"Amazing… really, this is unbelievable!"
"With such incredible skill, how… how is this even possible!"
"Please, let me cut two more pieces!"
He grabbed another plate of food and set his knife on the egg.
As expected, the same scene played out before his eyes. The warm egg melted the moment he cut into it. By the time he sliced the third one and saw the same result, he was already convinced.
He could say with certainty—even chefs with ten years of experience might not be able to control the temperature this precisely. Yet Hikigaya had managed to make every single serving perfect. Calling it a miracle would not be an exaggeration.
Even so, words still weren't enough to describe his dish.
"The crispy bacon and slightly sweet muffin blend together and wrap around the tongue. Adding the texture of the mullet roe and the honey that removes the fishiness… genius, this is pure genius. The person who created this dish is absolutely a genius."
"Mullet roe, honey, eggs, bacon, and vegetables."
"Such simple ingredients, yet he turned them into such an outstanding Eggs Benedict. I dare say, in this entire hall, this is the most impressive dish I've tasted so far!"
With those final words, the middle-aged judge quickly started eating, and the people behind him rushed forward, eager to get their share. Everyone wanted this Eggs Benedict.
Getting the judges' approval meant Hikigaya Hachiman had officially passed this trial.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, you've passed the exam!"
The announcement blasted loudly, covering all three venues at once. He had become the first person to clear the test.
While everyone else focused on completing two hundred servings, he had already laid out his plan. After thinking it through yesterday, his answer had turned out exactly as expected.
Of course, Hachiman wasn't irresponsible. He kept cooking until he ran out of ingredients. But since he hadn't prepared much to begin with…
Only a handful of people would be lucky enough to taste his Eggs Benedict.
Meanwhile, in the three venues…
Hayama: "That's amazing… looks like I need to step it up."
Takumi: "Lost again. No way—I'm definitely going to beat him next time."
Isami: "Big bro, let's just focus on passing this first."
Takumi: "Don't worry, my Italian egg dish will do the trick."
Ryoko: "Only he could be so carefree. After resting, he still ends up as the first to pass the test. What a freak."
Marui: "Honestly, I should be worrying about myself instead."
Tadokoro Megumi: "As expected of Hikigaya. He does things we can't even dream of with ease. I have to keep working hard to catch up to him."
Yukinoshita didn't say anything. Her hands paused for a second, then she glanced over at him before quickly turning back.
Hisako: "I wonder how Lady Erina is doing…"
Erina: "That guy… he actually used my dish to get that kind of praise! He… he stole my customers! No… that's not it. He dragged my brilliance down to the bottom in front of everyone."
It was a truth she didn't want to accept, but there it was, staring her in the face. She had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Maybe in her heart she still hadn't admitted it, but… even her eyes couldn't help but turn toward him. Maybe… this is the power of cooking.
Alice, in another venue, smiled faintly when she heard Hikigaya's name.
"That guy's the real dark horse. He even beat my speed."
Kuroki: "Looks like we've got another strong rival. Things are getting more and more interesting."
...
After finishing less than fifty dishes, Hikigaya had already used up all his ingredients. Under the astonished eyes of everyone, he calmly started cleaning up his station early.
"Seriously? Who only brings ingredients for fifty dishes? This guy…"
"I really can't figure out what goes on in his head. Was this his plan from the start?"
"And the worst part is, Dojima Gin only announced the rules just now…"
"Damn it, he really pulled it off."
Ever since the shokugeki with Shinomiya, Hachiman once again felt the heavy, bitter stares around him. Of course… the strongest came from Erina. Her eyes looked sharp enough to kill, and all Hachiman could do was pretend he didn't notice.
Inside the monitoring room…
Shinomiya:
"As expected, this guy is the first to finish."
Hinako: "Oh my, wasn't there a certain senpai who wanted to expel him before? Why is he suddenly on his side now?"
Shinomiya, hot-tempered as ever, grabbed the mocking Hinako and threw her out before denying it:
"I'm not praising him, I'm just stating a fact. And if you keep running your mouth, don't even think about coming back in!"
Hinako: "Yes, yes, I get it."
Sekimori: "Well, I honestly respect him. Not everyone has that kind of ability."
Mizuhara: "Looks like Totsuki is really amazing this year. Someone from the Yukinoshita family, the God Tongue, and now this dark horse."
Gotoda: "Don't forget the other daughter of the Nakiri family. She's also incredibly skilled."
Mizuhara: "And that boy who follows her—his cooking seems outstanding too."
Dojima Gin: "It looks like the flower of Totsuki's Shokugeki is about to bloom."
...
If things ended here today, it would feel a little boring. After finishing his task, Hachiman was a bit hungry, but he didn't have much appetite for his own food.
So...
"Hey Nakiri, what are you making today?"
"You've been next to me this whole time and still don't know what I'm making!?"
"Uh, the stuff you cook is all things I've never seen before. How would I know?"
Hearing that, Erina wanted to laugh proudly, but...
Right now, she couldn't bring herself to laugh at all.
After all, being called a genius but still losing to someone half-baked like him...
That was enough to leave a scar on her mind.
"Idiot!"
"Why are you insulting me out of nowhere?"
Hikigaya, still not catching on, could only stare blankly at Erina. She, like a sulky little cat, slowly revealed her dish.
"Chawanmushi."
It was served in a medium-sized tea cup, looking like a smooth egg custard. Clearly, Erina had considered the fact that it was breakfast. The silky texture alone could stir anyone's appetite.
Hachiman didn't think much of it. He simply took a sniff and then ate it in one bite. The broth made from bonito stock burst with strong fragrance, and that gentle Japanese flavor quickly spread through his mouth. It was an excellent dish, and true to Nakiri Erina, she had added her own unique touch.
The shiitake mushrooms and egg both gave it plenty of umami, and making two hundred servings would be no trouble for her.
"Tasty."
"Idiot!"
Already used to her calling him that for no reason, Hachiman didn't argue. After finishing, he just said:
"Good luck then."
"What's with that smug tone! Remember, it's not that you won this time! It's just that I didn't go all out yet!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Not wanting to waste more words with Erina, Hikigaya turned and walked away.
The venue was huge, so even sneaking in as a guest wasn't strange at all.
Compared to being a chef, he much preferred being a taster. After all, eating without doing any work suited his life philosophy perfectly.
"Takumi, what are you working on over here?"
Startled by Hikigaya's sudden voice, Takumi replied with clear annoyance:
"Don't think you've won! Next time, I'll definitely beat you!"
"You're sounding just like Erina now... Anyway, what dish are you making? Let me have a taste too."
Hearing Hachiman's request, Takumi didn't stay stubborn. Instead, he cooked one right there for him.
"Italian cloud egg."
Not bad, this was an authentic Italian egg dish, baked with cheese and shaped almost like a sandwich.
But… it wasn't just that.
The moment it entered the mouth, even though there wasn't a single trace of salad visible on the surface, the taste of fresh vegetables was clear. It was obvious the vegetables had been blended with the eggs, then topped with balsamic vinegar and parmesan powder to create a new kind of dish.
"The soft eggs with the crunchy raw vegetables make a nice texture."
"The refreshing sauce mixes in the mouth and seems to wake up everyone's taste buds this morning."
"Yeah, not bad!"
Hearing Hikigaya's comments made Takumi even more annoyed.
Weren't they all Totsuki students? Since when did this guy start acting like he was above the rest?
"Hikigaya, what's your deal?! Stop bothering my customers!"
Hachiman was confused. He didn't think the dish was bad at all, so why did it feel like he had just angered everyone? He wasn't even given room to breathe.
Forget it. Since the other guy wanted him gone, he wouldn't stay any longer. He simply moved on to the next station.
"Eh? Hikigaya, you actually finished already? When I heard the announcement earlier, I was really shocked. I had only just started, but you were already done… that's amazing!"
So far, only Tadokoro Megumi showed no dislike when seeing Hikigaya. Maybe it was because of their connection.
Hachiman: "Can I try your dish?"
Tadokoro Megumi: "Of course! But… my cooking might not taste very good."
Hachiman: "That's not true. You need to be more confident in yourself."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Mhm! I made an oden-style egg dish!"
Hachiman reached out to take the dish Megumi offered, but then…
"These are quail eggs?"
"Yeah…"
"So it can be done like this too."
After all, eggs aren't limited to just chicken eggs. Quail eggs worked as well.
Considering that people didn't have much appetite in the morning, Megumi decided to switch to quail eggs instead. Honestly, it was a very smart choice.
Under Tadokoro Megumi's gaze, Hachiman put the oden into his mouth.
"As expected, Tadokoro, you're really thoughtful of others."
"The moment it touches the tongue, there's this comforting flavor. Every bite releases warm broth that slowly spreads out. Paired with the colorful vegetables cut to match the size of the quail eggs, it quickly pulls on people's appetite. Very impressive!"
Hearing Hachiman's praise, Tadokoro Megumi's cheeks quickly turned red.
But then…
"Hey, hey, what about my order?!"
The customers in line were starting to push her.
Tadokoro Megumi: "Sorry, Hikigaya, let's talk later tonight. I need to keep working now!"
"I still have so many more to finish."
Hachiman: "Alright…"
In the blink of an eye, Hachiman noticed another familiar face.
Yukinoshita Yukino.
---
You can read 30 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu
Free member can read 2 chapters in advance