Kawashima Urara:
"The winner is, Tadokoro Megumi!"
After receiving the host's final score, Hisako, as if she had used up all her strength, simply collapsed to the ground.
Erina, who had been watching the scene from the VIP room, was completely puzzled.
Clearly, Hisako's cooking was better than Tadokoro Megumi's in every way she could see, but why...?
This wasn't just Erina's question. The difference between the two dishes was obvious to the audience on stage and anyone with eyes.
Hisako, who skillfully used medicinal cuisine and mixed it with spices, still lost in the end.
Judge Anton: "Hisako, do you have any objections to this decision?"
Hisako remained calm, simply saying softly:
"No..."
Hoshino Ai: "Actually, you'll understand some things once you've tasted them yourself. Either way, I hope the cooks can taste each other's dishes. Maybe that way, they can convey their feelings without words."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Huh? I won?"
Seemingly still not understanding what just happened, Tadokoro Megumi looked at everyone with a confused expression.
'How long is this girl's reaction time...'
Hachiman muttered to himself helplessly, but quickly followed with a faint smile:
"Yeah, that's good."
Under everyone's gaze, Hisako took Tadokoro Megumi's dish, took a gentle bite, and then put down her spoon.
"I understand... I understand everything..."
If Hisako's cooking was like the reincarnation of Hua Tuo, able to heal all diseases, then the one thing she couldn't do was penetrate people's hearts and pull out the roots of their problems.
In contrast, even though Tadokoro Megumi's cooking wasn't special and seemed like just a normal dinner, it felt so comforting and pleasant to eat. It even seemed to heal all mental illnesses.
This came from the kindness in Tadokoro Megumi's heart. Her awkward personality meant she was always fussing, because her cooking always took the feelings of others into account. After observing everything around her, she made the dish that was best for the judges to taste.
She had the ability to adapt to the situation, but because of her kindness, she used it like this.
Hachiman:
"I felt it the first time I ate Tadokoro's cooking. She's really amazing."
It would be the greatest misfortune to make the same dish as Tadokoro Megumi, because whatever she made, she seemed to have a magic power to heal inner wounds without you even realizing it. This wasn't like medicine, it was a spiritual magic.
Hisako:
"I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Tadokoro Megumi, I hope you get even better results in the main competition."
"Next time, I will definitely create a new dish and fight you again."
Tadokoro Megumi: "F-f-f-fight?"
Tadokoro Megumi seemed a little nervous hearing the word fight, but Hisako just smiled faintly:
"What, you're still an idiot, aren't you?"
Kawashima Urara:
"Well then, the preliminaries for the 92nd Autumn Elections are now over."
"Everyone, see you in the main competition!"
Seeing this 'Jade' generation, the director became exceptionally excited.
Many viewers were also a little sad at this moment. After all, this preliminary round was so fun to watch, especially Hikigaya's entrance, which completely broke the previous balance.
However, the thought of their duel in the main competition made the audience excited to leave.
Yuigahama: "Yumiko, why are you pulling me? I still want to go find Hikki and Yuki!"
Miura: "Come on, my phone has been blowing up. If we're both out, no one's watching the [Stuttering Cookies]! They're all going crazy. Next time, next time!"
Hayama Hayato: "Well, I'll pass on your greetings for you, don't worry."
Miura: "I'm counting on you, Hayato. What can I do? The store is doing so well right now. Ever since that Hikigaya guy improved it, it's been a complete change. Let's go, Yui."
Under Miura's brute force, Yuigahama could only leave helplessly. Hayama Hayato could only smile faintly and shake his head as he watched the two of them getting further and further away.
...
The Autumn Election preliminaries had just ended, but the contestants who had advanced to the main competition had no chance to relax.
Unlike the preliminaries, the main competition was scheduled to take place just one week later. Before that, Hachiman had already received the file.
The assignment personally given to him by Isshiki, his senior, was the first match in one week. Hikigaya's opponent was Nakiri Alice.
To be honest, Hachiman didn't know much about her. He had only heard from Ryoko and Hayato that she seemed to use elements of chemistry in previous competitions to create an area that other contestants couldn't approach.
This first battle of the main competition would be Hikigaya Hachiman versus Nakiri Alice, and the assignment would be bento boxes.
One week was too short. It seemed like only a few days had passed in the blink of an eye. During these few days, the members of Polar Star Dorm who had been eliminated were helping the contestants who had advanced with their daily routines.
After all these years, Polar Star Dorm was able to achieve such good results in the Autumn Elections. Grandma Fumio was truly happy from the bottom of her heart. After all, she could feel how much effort she was putting into the meals, even just the daily breakfast.
However...
The contestants preparing for the main competition didn't seem to be able to escape from the tense environment. Ryoko, who was usually carefree, started to tremble even while holding a knife at the thought of facing all those crazy people in Hall A during the main competition.
On the other hand, Hikigaya was no different than usual. Maybe it was because his results were far better than everyone else's, or maybe it was just his personality.
But the truth was...
The thought of having to dive straight into a painful cooking research session without resting made Hachiman's heart ache. Now that the assignment had been announced, he had to start his cooking experiments again.
Under this pressure, the thought of seeing his younger sister Komachi after the Autumn Elections, as the top-level sister-lover he was, became his motivation during this time.
But even so...
Only after calming down and thinking carefully would you realize how troublesome this assignment was. He ate bento boxes on a regular basis, but the food prepared in fast food restaurants wasn't even valued in Totsuki Academy. The original purpose of bento boxes was to make things convenient, wasn't it!?
If you abandoned that point, then it couldn't be called a bento box. At least, that's what Hikigaya thought.
Of course, besides convenience, a bento box had also become a symbol of fulfilling life. To be honest, Hachiman really hated this, because he had never experienced the feeling of receiving a bento box from a girl. Trying to experience that feeling was too difficult.
Even so, as long as he analyzed the true feelings that his younger sister Komachi contained, then the bento box didn't necessarily need to express the emotions of young people. Sometimes, it could also express a younger sister's love for her older brother. That's right, by turning that sister-loving energy into power, he could overcome anything.
In that case, he had already grasped the essence of the bento box.
One week passed quickly. Fortunately, this assignment wasn't a strength for either of them. As long as he didn't have to face a curry like Hayama Akira's, Hachiman felt like it would be okay.
But... even so, Alice was definitely not an easy opponent. According to her, she was Nakiri's sister and a student who had returned from Northern Europe. The idea of dedicating her life to cooking since childhood had already taken root.
He guessed that she would bring out a very impressive dish in this main competition.
...
Yoshino: "Megumi, are you ready?"
Hearing the urging voice, Tadokoro's heart felt like it had been hit by something huge. She frantically opened her suitcase and started searching through it, muttering to herself:
"Did I put my small kitchen knife in?"
In just a moment, her room became a mess.
"Found it... thank goodness..."
The moment she held her kitchen knife, Tadokoro Megumi seemed to regain her senses. She happily stroked the blade.
Yoshino: "Um, you don't have to be so nervous, Megumi..."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Okay, okay!"
With Yoshino's help, the two finally packed their suitcases, but...
"Where's my good luck charm?"
Like a second occurrence, she opened her suitcase again and started searching for it without caring about her image.
"Found it, that's great..."
Yoshino: "You're such an idiot, Megumi. Look at Ryoko, she's so calm."
Ryoko: "Don't say that, Yoshino. My feet are shaking uncontrollably..."
Looking at these two useless people, Yoshino could only sigh helplessly.
On the other hand, in the boys' dormitory, both Hikigaya and Ibusaki Shun were very calm, as if they saw it as a simple match.
Marui: "Ibusaki Shun, Hikigaya, you must return safely."
Ibusaki Shun: "We're not going to war. Don't act like you're sending us off."
Hikigaya: "Speaking of which, I don't plan to be ready to die. Just relax."
Tadokoro Megumi was still repeating this mysterious operation in her room, while Ibusaki Shun had already knocked on the door outside.
"Ryoko, Tadokoro, the car to pick us up is here."
It seemed there was nothing else to prepare at this point. He thought that Tadokoro Megumi would become less nervous after leaving Polar Star Dorm, but in fact, Tadokoro Megumi's feet started shaking like Ryoko's as soon as she got into the car, and she was starting to lose consciousness.
Hachiman: "Tadokoro, it's not bad to be nervous, but you're being too unusual."
Ryoko: "I think the unusual ones are you guys."
Ibusaki Shun: "Actually, it's impossible not to be nervous at all."
Hachiman: "?"
The three of them stared at Hikigaya, completely puzzled as to why he could sit there so calmly even now.
Hachiman: "Come to think of it, aren't the competition venue and the preliminary venue the same? There's nothing to worry about, right?"
Ryoko: "Of course not! In the previous preliminary round, fifty students were concentrated in such a large venue. With a little effort, you could blend into the atmosphere and briefly forget your nervousness. If I had to say, only when your name was called did your legs tremble a little."
Tadokoro: "That's true!"
Ryoko: "But now, in a one-on-one matchup, all eyes in this huge hall will be on you. If you make even a small mistake during the cooking process, it will be magnified a hundred or a thousand times, and you might even lose focus completely."
Hikigaya: "Listening to you talk, it does sound pretty scary."
Tadokoro Megumi: "It's not just that. Because this is the main competition, the pressure from your opponent will also overwhelm you invisibly. If you're not careful, the entire dish will be ruined!"
Listening to the two girls' excited words, Hachiman tried to feel the same way, but... he couldn't feel any of the tension. Although he hated being in the spotlight, he knew that the movements he had practiced so well would not betray him, even if he was watched by thousands of people.
So... just go with the flow, and he could naturally perform at his best.
Apparently noticing that Hikigaya's face showed no surprise, the two girls just stared at him like he was a monster, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Instead, Ibusaki Shun tried to remain calm and said:
"We've come this far, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Besides, if I remember correctly, aren't you two opponents?"
Hearing Ibusaki Shun's words, Hachiman seemed to realize it too. After all, Polar Star Dorm had four members out of the ten, so it was normal for an internal battle to occur.
Hachiman: "In that case, there's even less need to be nervous. Just give the audience an enjoyable competition, and that's enough."
Ryoko: "That doesn't sound like something you would say, Hikigaya!"
Tadokoro Megumi: "Yeah, doesn't sound like it at all..."
Hachiman: "At least treat me like a normal person sometimes..."
In any case, listening to Hikigaya's words, the two girls felt a little more relaxed. Just like Ibusaki Shun said, since they were just in an internal battle, all they had to do was give the audience an exciting competition, and that was enough.
The rest of the car ride was long. Although they were all driving within Totsuki Academy, Totsuki was so big that it took two hours to get from Polar Star Dorm to the venue.
After everyone finally calmed down and fell asleep, Hachiman leaned against the car window, calmly flipping through his book.
In a few hours, he would be the first to fight, facing Nakiri Alice in a cooking duel. Even now, Hachiman couldn't figure out what kind of dish she would bring.
But it didn't matter. At least in Hachiman's heart, it was enough to express what he wanted through his cooking.
...
After a long car ride, the four finally arrived at the venue. Because Hachiman was the first to fight, he had to start preparing soon. The others went to the waiting area.
At this time, the audience was starting to enter. Grandma Fumio would probably be here soon with the rest of the Polar Star Dorm members. After all, Grandma Fumio was very excited and had been waiting a long time for this day.
In the VIP room, Erina and her assistant Hisako were there as expected. Because she was eliminated in the previous preliminary round, she had returned to her original job and seemed relaxed. But she wasn't the only one in the VIP room.
Isshiki Satoshi, Etsuya, and the other members of the Elite Ten were also sitting there.
Etsuya: "This is the guy who made that dish last time. I wonder what kind of dish he'll bring us this time. Nakiri, who do you think will win, your sister or that guy?"
Seeming to have been asked a question she couldn't answer, Erina blushed and said:
"Whoever makes the more delicious dish will win."
Etsuya: "I didn't think you would say something so official one day. Isshiki, what do you think?"
Isshiki smiled faintly: "Then I will definitely support my junior. After all, we are all members of Polar Star Dorm."
Etsuya: "You're completely biased."
Isshiki: "Well, you've seen his cooking. Trust me, he won't let you down."
At the same time, Yuigahama and Miura finally arrived in the audience seats. Because the competition hadn't really started yet, Hachiman seemed to be idle, but...
"Hikki!"
In the distance, Yuigahama, who was always noticeable, was smiling and waving her slender arms. She was greeting him.
'Idiot, don't be so conspicuous.'
Although he was complaining inwardly, Hachiman walked towards her. When he reached Yuigahama, she gave him a hug without hesitation.
"Good luck!"
"I know..."
Yumiko said:
"Do your best. Even if you lose, lose to Hayato."
"I have no intention of losing to that guy."
The two smiled at each other, ending the well-timed joke.
Yuigahama went into talkative mode, saying:
"Hikki, I didn't know you were so amazing. We were there last time, and you got 98 points! Even Yumiko was surprised. We thought Yuki was the best."
Miura: "Idiot, I wasn't surprised."
Hachiman: "Well, I didn't expect to get that score last time either. But the past is the past. I don't want the past to hold me back now."
Yuigahama: "That's good. You'll win this time too. When will I get to eat Hikki's cooking? I didn't know before. I feel like I missed something!"
She said with a pout. Miura couldn't stand it anymore:
"I want to eat it too, but he's still in school. There will be a chance after he graduates."
Hachiman: "Yeah, there will be a chance after graduation."
Yuigahama was a little dazed: "Eh? Hikki, have you changed? You used to be more ruthless and colder."
Hachiman smiled helplessly: "Am I a cold-blooded person?"
Yuigahama: "No, no, that's not what I mean, but... you've really changed, Hikki..."
Hachiman looked at Miura, confused. But Miura shrugged and said indifferently:
"Honestly, I never noticed you in middle school, so she's probably the only one who feels you've changed."
"You haven't changed at all."
As Hachiman said, Miura's words were always straightforward. Saying what she thought was her right as the queen, and Hachiman didn't hate that directness.
In fact, being able to express your likes and dislikes so honestly was a powerful ability.
But in any case, no matter how he changed, Hikigaya Hachiman would not be any different. On the path he had chosen, he would only go further.
While the three were talking, Yukinoshita seemed to have passed by and noticed them.
Yuigahama: "Yukinon! Long time no see!"
Yukinoshita: "Yes, it's been a while. But can you please not call me that?"
Yuigahama: "Eh? Why? I think it's cute, like a puppy..."
Yukinoshita: "A puppy? I wish it were like a kitten."
Hachiman: 'Are these two especially obsessed with something...'
Yukinoshita: "The competition is about to start, Hikigaya. How can you still be chatting here?"
Seeming uncomfortable being suddenly targeted, Hachiman stubbornly replied:
"You need to keep a calm mind before the competition."
"Where did you learn that nonsense? Go prepare."
"Yes..."
Urged by Yukinoshita, the two had to say goodbye for now. Then Yukinoshita said calmly:
"I don't want to have an indelible defeat in my record, so... you have to win against everyone, and then lose to me."
"You're too arrogant. Making me win against everyone is asking the impossible, right?"
"But you can do it. That's why it isn't."
---
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