After saying goodbye to Yukinoshita, Hachiman quickly returned to the Polar Star Dorm. Even though he had fought hard for almost ten hours to finally get the last spot to move on, it was clear that this wasn't the end for him. Since that was the case, he might as well rest well and get his energy back, which would be enough to face the upcoming finals.
But...
Yukinoshita's words still puzzled Hikigaya a bit. It seemed to him that Yukinoshita, who was usually so proud, had said those things at that time...
On the way back, Hikigaya's mind was almost constantly replaying the words Yukinoshita had spoken to him, as well as the encounter with Yukino Yukinoshita's older sister, Haruno. Was it all really just a coincidence?
If even he ran into her sister, then why did the two of them seem like they hadn't seen each other? He found it curious.
Since thinking so much wouldn't lead to a definite answer, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't plan to dig any deeper. He simply put it all out of his mind for the time being and fell asleep in the car.
Unlike usual, there was already a letter from someone in the mailbox at the entrance of the Polar Star Dorm. When he saw that the recipient written on it was Hikigaya himself, he took it out, feeling a bit surprised.
Hikigaya Hachiman thought for a moment, trying to think of someone who would write him a letter. He couldn't think of any friends he was that close to...
Unable to figure it out, Hachiman could only open the envelope. The first sentence inside was:
"Hikki, are you wondering who has the time to write you a letter!"
"That's right, it's me, Yui Yuigahama! Hehe, didn't expect it!"
Seeing Yuigahama's style, which was as familiar as ever, Hikigaya Hachiman had no doubt. No matter what, he still believed that there couldn't be a letter in the world that could imitate Yuigahama's tone like that.
"Even though I didn't get a ticket this time, I've already bought tickets for the finals. You and Yukino have to do your best! I'll be watching the finals on TV!"
"Also, if you two can both get to the finals... hehe, our 'Stuttering Cookies' will get really famous! So I won't say much more. I believe Hikki can do it."
Clearly, this letter was sent by Yuigahama before the competition had even started. Hachiman said to himself, "What age is this? You could just send a text or make a call, but you had to write a letter..."
Of course, even though he was complaining, his hands were honestly putting the letter away.
Even though it hasn't been a long time since things changed, Hikigaya, who now had something to rely on, obviously wasn't as caught up in things as he used to be. Even his heart had become firm again.
No matter what, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't dislike this feeling of being cared for.
At the same time, 'Stuttering Cookies' was packed to the point where it was hard to move. After the competition, Yuigahama quickly hung up a banner she had prepared in advance:
"Our cookies are made under the direct guidance of Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Yukino!"
These words were more effective than any previous advertisement or improvement. Although not everyone outside of school paid attention to cooking, this business district was near Totsuki Academy, and the competition was a local event, so it was very popular. Almost without thinking, from the end of the competition... the place had completely fallen apart.
Even the usually calm Miura was a bit flustered. Looking at the endless crowd, she realized that the only ones whose hearts were hurt today were probably her workers.
Yuigahama: "Great... Hikki and Yukino got into the finals..."
Miura: "Don't be so happy! If the number of customers this week stays like this, we might not make it past a month, let alone the finals."
Hearing Miura's warning, Yuigahama seemed to suddenly realize a very serious problem, but...
Her little head quickly came up with a better idea:
"We can hire workers!"
"Idiot, you're hiring workers after just making money for the first time? Now I know why you couldn't make money before."
"Hehe..."
...
Time flew by, and five days had passed in a flash. There were two days left until the competition. Hachiman was still training his stability at his own pace. Now he could hold a frying pan with one hand, staying still for almost an hour, and his control over the heat was also very precise. The main reason for all this was a text message from the school the day after the competition.
"The final dish will be decided by a live drawing."
Since he couldn't do anything about that right now, Hikigaya could only spend his time practicing the basics. After all, every great chef needs a solid foundation, and the higher Hachiman climbed, the more he felt the difference between himself and those who had been practicing cooking since they were young.
Like Hayama Akira and Kurokiba, even though they had lost to him in the end, they had indeed developed their own skills in processing ingredients over time, to the point where they no longer needed to improve on ordinary dishes. Instead, they could truly start from scratch.
That was probably what made them amazing. To achieve that, you needed not only ability but also experience. Only through repeated practice and time accumulated in real battles could you do that. And now...
Regardless of whether there was a competition coming up, Hachiman had a cooking match with the others at the Polar Star Dorm every day. In that short week, he had already developed three new dishes the moment he decided on the recipe. Although some of them failed, still...
For a chef, developing three new dishes in such a short time was incredibly impressive.
This also meant that even in the upcoming drawing, he might be able to make a brand new dish on the spot.
Today was the same...
Outside in the yard, Grandma Fumio was sitting comfortably in a wooden chair, enjoying the warm afternoon sun with a fan that looked very old.
"Grandma Fumio, the weather is unexpectedly nice today."
Grandma Fumio didn't open her eyes. Just hearing the voice, she could guess who it was:
"Isshiki, how are the affairs of the Ten Elites going lately?"
Hearing the words "Ten Elites," a strange look flashed across Isshiki's face, but he quickly showed a faint smile:
"Grandma Fumio, don't worry, it's just some small disagreements."
"Oh, you young people are really something. But don't worry, there are always disagreements among the Ten Elites of each generation. As long as you're true to yourself, you'll be fine."
"Okay."
"How is that Hikigaya doing? His finals are in two days, right?"
Hearing Hikigaya's name, Isshiki's face softened, and a faint smile appeared:
"No matter how many times I see him, I still feel a bit emotional... That guy is much better than I was at that time."
Grandma Fumio: "Well, he's more of a pain when it comes to his personality. Maybe he inherited it from his father, Joichiro..."
Isshiki: "Oh? Is Mr. Joichiro like that? I thought he would be more open..."
Grandma Fumio: "What are you thinking? That guy is too open, while Hikigaya is too calm... It doesn't seem like something someone his age should have, even more than this old bone of mine. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..."
Isshiki: "Haha, if Hikigaya-kun heard that, he would definitely start complaining. But... no matter what, maybe his appearance will really bring earth-shattering changes to this school, or even the entire cooking world."
When he said this, there was a clear sense of determination on Isshiki's face.
Grandma Fumio: "Okay, that's good..."
"Bang!"
Until a commotion like an explosion came from the kitchen, Grandma Fumio waved her fan as if she hadn't been scared at all, and Isshiki sighed helplessly:
"That kitchen might be exploding situations. It might happen every day from now on."
"That kid, Isshiki, remember to teach him a lesson properly."
"Grandma Fumio, that's too much to ask. I'm a kind senior, and it's really hard to treat my cute junior like that."
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"Yes..."
On the other side, Yoshino was holding her stomach and laughing. She couldn't stop at all for a while. Tadokoro Megumi quickly came to Hikigaya and handed him a white towel:
"Hikigaya-kun, are you okay? Wipe your face. Your face is full of noodles..."
Hikigaya didn't refuse. He took the towel from Tadokoro Megumi and said calmly:
"Thank you. Actually, when I was making noodles just now, I suddenly wondered if I could make the noodles pop up like popcorn and then use honey to make them soft and mushy, creating a different flavor. But obviously, the facts tell me that it's not possible."
Yoshino wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, holding her stomach that was about to break from laughing, and said, "I... idiot, how could you have such an idea!"
Ibusaki: "Maybe it's possible..."
Marui: "What I'm wondering is..."
Yoshino: "Huh?"
Ryoko: "Fried noodles? Isn't that instant noodles?"
Everyone: "..."
Two days later, four hours before the competition.
As usual, Hikigaya was going to take the school's private car to the competition venue first to prepare. Because the competition was a live drawing, there was no need to prepare any ingredients.
But...
Ryoko: "It looks like everything is fine..."
Yoshino: "Ryoko, is it really okay for you to spoil him like that? This guy hasn't made any progress these days, has he?"
Ryoko smiled softly and then came to Hikigaya, simply fixing his clothes for him:
"Well, he has never worried us, and he has never disappointed us..."
As she said this, Ryoko's eyes were on Hikigaya's face as she said softly: "No matter what, getting to this point has exceeded everyone's expectations. From now on, just relax and offer everything to the competition."
Hachiman nodded in agreement. For the people in front of him, Hikigaya seemed to have no distance from them. He was a student who joined in the middle, and he thought he would repeat the same accident he had in middle school, spending his days alone without being able to completely fit into the conversation. But...
Perhaps what was different wasn't just the environment.
"Anyway, thank you all for everything during this time."
Marui: "Idiot, don't talk like you're going to die. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Ibusaki: "Even if you say that, I don't see any pressure on Hikigaya at all."
Everyone: "That's true..."
They all looked at Hikigaya's eyes. As expected, there was none at all.
Mito: "Well, since the opponent is that Yukinoshita, just show your level, no matter what."
Grandma Fumio: "Okay, okay, you young people are even more talkative than I am. Anyway... good luck."
Urged by Grandma Fumio, Hachiman got into the car under everyone's gaze.
Tadokoro Megumi put her hands on her chest, still looking very worried: "Hikigaya-kun... is he really going to be okay?"
Ryoko: "Well, worrying like this isn't going to help. Let's pack up and head to the venue. By that time, we'll just have to rely on our eyes to tell us the answer."
...
When he arrived at the new venue, there were about two hours left before the competition started. The venue was called "Moonlight Rhapsody."
Because it was open-air, the moonlight would shine on the venue every day at 8 o'clock, as long as there was moonlight, making it look particularly bright and beautiful.
Of course, Hikigaya only knew that much about this venue. After all, since it was the final, the number of people it could accommodate was more than the last gauntlet match, and culinary figures from all over the world would gather here at the same time in two hours.
Because the private car was provided by the Nakiri family, Hikigaya noticed Nakiri Erina, who was already waiting, as soon as he got out of the car.
No matter how many times he met this girl, there was always a strange feeling. Because he didn't know if she really had a problem with him, Hikigaya thought it was better not to say hello when he saw Erina sometimes. But after the last incident...
Their relationship had become even more difficult to understand. So, the two of them just stood there, staring at each other.
"You, hello?"
"How could I say something so polite..."
Although he wanted to complain about himself just now, he had already said hello, so it seemed too late to pretend he didn't see her...
However, Hachiman thought Erina would return the greeting out of politeness, but instead, she took a deep breath and turned her head away with her arms crossed. Clearly, she was angry.
At this moment, Hachiman was completely confused. Obviously, he understood Erina less and less. Not to mention why she was suddenly angry, but this was too troublesome.
He sighed helplessly and walked toward the backstage. He thought the two of them would say goodbye here, but this time it was Erina's turn to speak up first:
"Do you know where you went wrong?!"
"Huh?"
"Jerk!"
"???!"
He couldn't understand what was happening at all. Even if the smartest man in the country were here, he would probably be stunned by this girl's words. That's Erina for you.
He sighed helplessly again and turned to look at Erina, asking sincerely:
"So, where did I go wrong?"
"Huh?"
Obviously not expecting Hikigaya to ask her like that, Erina became flustered. She couldn't just tell him that she wanted to congratulate him after the last competition but found him talking and laughing with Yukinoshita...
Thinking this, a faint blush rose on Erina's face:
"Idiot, it was that... that!"
"Which one?"
"Well... that one..."
"Is this girl really not playing with me!"
Seeing that she couldn't explain it, it was Erina's turn to look miserable. Some words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say a single one.
"Anyway, you're an idiot, a jerk, Hachiman!"
"Wait, isn't Hachiman a rude word?"
"If you admit you're wrong, I'll let you go."
"Okay, okay..."
Rather than having another enemy constantly watching you, Hikigaya could tell what was more important. He remembered that Erina had almost torn down the Polar Star Dorm because of him and his problems, and he did that a while back. He had gotten used to this girl's strange personality.
Hearing Hikigaya's careless apology, Erina couldn't tell and just looked like she had forgiven him.
Then she immediately asked:
"How are you preparing for the finals?"
"Is this girl really this easy to please?"
"Well, it's like that. Anyway... I can't do any actual practice until the drawing is decided. It's mostly up to luck."
Hikigaya's words were honest. He told her what he really thought. Erina understood the situation; if she makes herself too tense before the drawing, she might not offer her best work.
"That's good..."
"Well, um, just asking, what is your relationship with Yukinoshita-kun?"
"Huh?"
"Just curious! As Yukinoshita's rival, I need to understand everyone related to her!"
"When did you start peopleing others as rivals?"
"Annoying! Tell me!"
Faced with the unreasonable Erina, Hikigaya couldn't argue. He just shrugged and said like it was nothing:
"Well, we often work together on duos in class, but other than that, there aren't any other relationships. I don't even have her contact information now. More accurately, we're partners."
Hearing Hikigaya's honest words, Erina finally felt relieved, and even her expression softened.
"Okay, that's good..."
"I thought you would ask about her strength or something."
"Well... idiot, of course, I need to know that too!"
While the two were chatting, the car taking Yukinoshita also arrived at the venue. With the help of the butler, Yukinoshita stepped out of the car gracefully. Because she was wearing a long white dress today, she was the center of attention.
However, facing the crowd of people, Yukinoshita seemed to be used to this kind of situation. She noticed Hikigaya and Erina in the crowd.
Before she knew it, she was in front of the two.
"Good morning, you two."
Erina: "You... hello?"
"She even says hello... why is your manner of speaking so polite..."
Hachiman: "Well, how's the preparations going?"
Yukinoshita: "If I had to say, the drawing is not my strength. Hikigaya-kun has a good chance."
Hachiman: "You so easily showed your weakness to your enemy, so you have confidence."
Yukinoshita: "No, I'm just stating the facts. But in the arena, I won't be loose. So... Hikigaya-kun, please remember our promise."
Even though he hadn't spent much time with Yukinoshita, Hachiman had noticed that she wasn't the same as usual. Compared to her sharp tongue during that time, she was clearly more serious now.
But...
Since the competition was about to begin, Hachiman didn't think much about it and just thought it was because of the competition, so he nodded
"Me too."
"That's good..."
Erina, out of the loop, felt dumbfounded at this moment. But what concerned her the most was the word 'promise.'
Erina: "What... promise?"
When she had noticed, she voiced her words.
Yukinoshita seemed to smell something strange. Now her eyes became interesting. She smiled:
"Some secrets of my partner. Ms. Erina, it is be better is you do not know."
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