Ms. Hiratsuka, who had been sitting alone in the audience, seemed to have released some pressure at this moment. She simply sighed softly and turned her gaze to Haruno, muttering to herself in the noisy environment:
"Haruno, is this the answer you've been searching for?"
At the same time, Haruno, watching her younger sister Yukino regain her spirit, simply showed a faint smile on her face. Then, she turned her gaze to Hachiman. Hachiman naturally noticed. To be honest, a person like her, appearing in front of the public, would always be the center of attention. Even a faint smile could capture the hearts of countless people, but...
Only Hachiman couldn't understand the meaning behind that smile. This person, who was so similar to Yukino from the very beginning, was also completely different. This was the first time Hachiman couldn't see through a person's code of conduct based on their expressions and actions, which naturally made him more wary.
However, on the sacred stage, such unnecessary thoughts were just disrespectful to the contestants. Hachiman didn't dwell on it any further, simply focusing all his attention on the dish in front of him.
An hour passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, the two contestants had reached the final stage. And whether it was Hikigaya Hachiman or Yukinoshita Yukino, due to their popularity, the degree of attention they received was impossible for the audience to miss.
As expected, Hikigaya was the first to finish. After all, this time he didn't hide anything, so everyone quickly knew what Hikigaya was making. However...
It was still a dish that normal people couldn't understand, a mixture of various strange combinations, which had become extremely dazzling. And if there was even the slightest mistake, it would turn into a culinary disaster.
Hinako: "It really continues his usual style. He really is Hikigaya-kun."
Shinomiya: "I didn't expect that in just a few months apart, this guy has improved quite a bit. Even his level of skill in cooking is incomparable to when I first saw him."
Gotoda: "Oh? Can I take that to mean that the former First Seat, Shinomiya Kojiro, is anticipating what kind of dish he will present?"
Mizuhara quickly turned her gaze over as well, looking like she was about to watch some drama.
Before the proud Shinomiya could deny it, Haruno spoke up first:
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. What kind of dish will Hikigaya-kun present?"
With Haruno's words, the entire judging panel fell silent. Even outsiders couldn't understand the weight of her words, but Kojiro, who was close to this circle, understood that if Yukinoshita Haruno said these words, it meant that even she herself hadn't tried this guy's cooking.
Yoshino: "Hikigaya seems to be finishing up soon. That fragrant green tea scent must be coming from him."
Ryoko: "Yukinoshita's side also seems to be almost done. If you listen carefully, you can also smell a black tea scent. That must be from the dish she's making."
Takumi: "Those two are really monsters..."
Alice: "They actually made such dishes in less than 90 minutes... I'm really curious what those two said to each other..."
Hayama: "Since the judges didn't stop them, it means their conversation didn't affect the competition, right?"
Alice: "That's not what I meant! Ryo-kun, you're such a blockhead."
Megumi: "I feel like the dishes they're making are really amazing..."
Akira: "What a wonderful match. If the strength she showed before was close to ours, then after this match... I'm afraid there will only be three powers in the first year..."
Jun: "Even so, as long as no one challenges Erina and wins, she'll still be the strongest among the first years. After all, she's a member of the Elite Ten..."
Alice: "It's just the Elite Ten, what's so great about it? I think Hikigaya-kun isn't bad either."
The others were speechless. This girl really didn't show any face to her older sister.
As the drum sounded, everyone's attention was focused on the two dishes. The first to finish was Hachiman. He gently took off the white towel that had been tied to his hand and sighed softly.
'I made it...'
The fragrant scent of green tea constantly poured out, quickly covering the entire venue. That unique ink-like fragrance seemed to have invaded every audience member's nerves, constantly teasing their emotions.
On the other side, even the judges couldn't help but praise the unique green tea scent. The excellent temperature control and the use of tea cuisine had perfectly brought out the green tea flavor.
Hachiman walked step by step towards the judging panel, finally placing his gaze on Yukinoshita Haruno:
"Hikigaya-style Honey Green Tea Lion Head Duck, please enjoy."
After taking out the most delicious part of the Lion Head Duck, soaking it in green tea, and then processing it, people would usually assume that this was simply that kind of dish. But...
When Hachiman lifted the lid, everyone discovered that the Lion Head Duck and the green tea weren't placed together, but were instead placed separately on two plates.
Without soaking, would it really be possible to taste that unique green tea fragrance?
Mizuhara: "I'll dig in..."
Using the green tea as a sauce, she lightly dipped the duck leg in it. Then, under everyone's gazes, she put it into her mouth.
As if in a dream, Mizuhara's entire brain shut down first. Only an unbelievable green tea fragrance surrounded her body, giving off an unforgettable light fragrance.
At the same time, the entire audience began to cheer:
"Here it comes, here it comes again! It's Hikigaya again, making the judges show indescribable expressions. It's so exciting, hahaha!"
"He's opened up a new world for the judges. Mizuhara was once the Second Seat after all..."
"If they're showing that kind of expression, doesn't that mean they've reached that former level?"
At the same time, the Director and Gin Dojima were chatting below the stage:
"This guy... I feel like I see a shadow of someone else in him."
The Director's eyebrows twitched, simply turning his gaze to Haruno:
"Are you talking about Haruno?"
Gin simply smiled and looked up at the sky with some unwillingness: "After graduating from middle school, she used Yukinoshita-style cooking to rule the entire Totsuki Academy. Even though she hadn't received professional training, she relied on her terrifying talent and family training to become a dark horse in the culinary world overnight, making the entire world compete for her. In the end, she was protected and further trained by the national protection agency, and even her existence became a national secret. Even now, not many people understand her, and her true strength is even beyond imagination."
The Director also nodded silently: "That's right. Although people say my granddaughter Erina is the javelin of the new era, if she truly sees the vastness of this world, she will understand that everyone is just ordinary."
"You, Gin Dojima, are the same, right."
Gin heavily lowered his head, seemingly mocking himself as he said:
"Even though there's almost a thirty-year age gap, I still lost to a student. I'm still a bit unwilling..."
Director: "So, what you're saying is..."
Gin: "Hikigaya Hachiman is Joichiro Saiba's son."
Director: "In this Totsuki, in the Japanese culinary world, in the world culinary world, Saiba is indeed a very powerful guy, always on par with you. But... you should know that Yukinoshita Haruno is someone whom the nation had to intervene for."
Gin: "Guess why Joichiro Saiba's son is called Hikigaya?"
Director: "You mean?"
Gin: "Just like you said, the world is far larger than we imagine, there are people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens, and we are all just ants, that's all."
...
Aside from Haruno, the remaining four judges have successively put the dish into their mouths, and even Shinomiya Kojiro, who was once called the First Seat, seems to have lost his ability to think at this moment, simply looking at the dish in front of him, entering a state of meditation.
You should know, Shinomiya-senpai is the head chef in a foreign country, yet now... he has been attacked to the point that even he cannot understand.
Shinomiya: "It seems I really misjudged things back then."
Sakaki: "Haha, I didn't expect even Shinomiya-senpai to say such a thing, you deserve it, hahaha..."
Before she could finish speaking, Shinomiya grabbed her head with one hand and shouted:
"If you make any more noise, I'll throw you out."
Under the audience's gaze, Sakaki-senpai was like a cute rabbit being pulled by the ears, simply saying pitifully:
"Yes..."
Gotoda: "To be honest, I still have a lot of questions. As a judge, I know this is very irresponsible, but... the most incomprehensible problem is still where this green tea flavor comes from."
Hachiman: "About this..."
Before Hikigaya could speak, Haruno raised her hand in advance:
"Gotoda-senpai, I haven't started eating yet, please leave some surprise for me in this dish."
Gotoda scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "Sorry, I lost my composure."
Under everyone's gaze, Haruno's movements quickly revealed an elegant demeanor. Just like Yukino, she was a girl truly born into a wealthy family. Whether it was her movements or expressions, they were so elegant. Simply watching her taste the dish seemed to be a form of enjoyment.
Ryoko: "This guy could totally become a celebrity..."
Yoshino: "She's practically no different from a model..."
Haruno smiled lightly, then gently placed her chopsticks on the table:
"Under normal circumstances, the use of pickling and grilling can quickly allow the green tea to enter the inside of the ingredients, releasing a faint green tea fragrance, but... both pickling and grilling have their disadvantages."
"The former wastes too much time, while the latter fundamentally destroys the original flavor of the ingredients, so these two methods are fundamentally impossible. The method you used was to brew the green tea in a rainbow-top kettle, and finally inject it from various nerve locations in the lion's head duck, resulting in such a delicious lion's head duck without damaging the ingredients. I must say, it's very impressive."
"Also, this tea water, even though it's green tea, is like soup, refreshing while also leaving the mouth feeling dry. It's simply unbelievable."
Listening to Haruno's words, everyone was dumbfounded for a moment.
What in the world is this guy talking about?
Did she think cooking was like giving an injection? How was she able to connect those two things...
But that was the truth.
Because she knew Hikigaya learned quickly, and after hearing that he had been doing nothing for a week while preparing for the match, Alice and Erina separately asked Hisako to send over some skills that might be useful.
And tea cuisine was undoubtedly transformed from Hisako's medicinal cuisine, while the injection was Alice's secret technique.
After a week of studying, Hikigaya had roughly mastered the knowledge. Although he hadn't practiced it, as long as he followed the acupoints and nerves in the book, he could perform it on the spot.
However, even such secret tips had been completely seen through by Haruno.
"Am I right? Hikigaya-kun..."
"What a bold attempt. In such a short time, you actually continuously used knowledge that some people can't even master in a lifetime, combining all aspects of this dish perfectly. Even I might not be able to do it." Haruno simply said with a smile, then casually picked up the dish on the table and started eating it.
'This guy is definitely joking.'
Hachiman was certain of this one thing. The other party could easily make such a dish. Because when people lie, they reveal flaws, even Yukinoshita Haruno.
It was just that this flaw seemed to be deliberately revealed by the other party.
Below the stage, the smile that Alice had been maintaining had frozen, and at this moment it turned sluggish.
Inside the VIP room, Erina and Hisako were also looking at the scene in front of them in disbelief...She, who had been called a genius since she was little, simply couldn't believe it.
If even Shinomiya-senpai, who was the first seat in the 79th generation, couldn't do it... but this suddenly appeared girl single-handedly denied it all.
At the same time, the entire audience once again erupted in a roar. They weren't familiar with Yukinoshita Haruno, but she had shown such powerful theoretical knowledge. Now, everyone could understand that this person's level of cooking was definitely beyond ordinary people.
Yukino also clenched her fists at this time, her eyes looking sharply at Haruno's face.
Hachiman: "Looks like my cooking didn't satisfy you."
Haruno waved her hand, smiling as she said:
"Not at all, not at all, it was pretty good. I'm not lying!"
Hachiman: "It looks like you're lying no matter how I look at it..."
Haruno: "As a chef who hasn't received any professional training, yet has achieved so much in a year, you are one of the few in this world."
Gin couldn't help but laugh: "Is this guy talking about herself?"
Director: "That really is Haruno's usual style..."
Hachiman: "Well, since it's a cooking duel, I won't say much regardless of the outcome. After all, the dish I presented is what it is."
Haruno: "I like honest kids like you, I'll give you 100 points!"
Kawashima Urara was dumbfounded. Because the moment Haruno finished speaking, her score was displayed in the center of the entire stage. Although this was an innovative dish, was such a casual score really alright on such an important stage?
As for the other four judges, they gave a perfect score of 100 points at almost the same time. Meaning that...
Even if Yukinoshita got a perfect score, she wouldn't be able to win against Hikigaya. Moreover, in Totsuki over the years, no one had ever truly gotten a perfect score.
Kawashima Urara was clearly flustered, constantly looking towards the Director as if asking: 'Is it really alright to mess around like this?'
Of course, the Director was also having a headache, while Gin shook his head helplessly: "I knew this would happen if we invited this guy."
The audience on stage was already boiling. They couldn't understand the meaning behind Haruno's words, but seeing the scores was enough for them to understand everything.
...
It was Yukinoshita Yukino's turn to appear. She still didn't have any changes in expression. After all, for her, this win or loss didn't matter anymore. But to outsiders, she seemed so calm.
"Rose Snow Cap Black Tea, please enjoy."
It was a work that highlighted Yukino's style. You could tell with a single look that it was a very exquisite dish. But...
Before everyone could start tasting it, Haruno spoke up first:
"What a pity. Yukino can clearly make even more amazing dishes."
Yukino: "Haruno-san, what do you mean by that?"
Haruno's eyes became sharp, but the smile on her face didn't change. To ordinary people, there was no difference at all. But only Hikigaya could feel the other party's change.
"Yukino, you understand the most, right."
"But let me see. Let me see if you, who broke all of this on your own, have really changed, and if you have really improved."
"If you're just staying here because you're comfortable, then it's meaningless."
Compared to tasting Hachiman's dish just now, this time Haruno picked up the spoon first, simply putting it into her mouth and laughing coldly.
Then...
The score was displayed on the screen.
90 Points.
When this score was given, no matter what other people judged, they couldn't change the fact that she had lost. And when the remaining judges put the Rose Snow Cap Black Tea into their mouths, the smooth milk tea texture repeatedly stimulated the mouth, the piping tip slowly opened, and the aroma of cream and black tea slowly spread. Although it wasn't as clear as the green tea lion's head goose, it still had some characteristics. No matter how you looked at it, it could be called an absolutely superb work. Even...
Shinomiya: "Damn it..."
Hinako: "It's clearly delicious..."
Gotoda: "How... How do you even do this..."
Mizuhara: "..."
Compared to the previous Yukinoshita, this dish incorporated more of the crystallization of the dishes they completed as partners. At this time, Yukino took a prepared dish from the stove and brought it to Hachiman. Her face had turned red, she said in a shy voice like a kitten:
"The tea is going to get cold."
Completely attracted by the scene in front of him, Hikigaya replied blankly:
"Oh, oh..."
"I don't like drinking it hot."
Under everyone's observation, the total scores of the two people quickly got a very clear display, and there was no doubt that Yukinoshita Yukino had lost this match, even if the other judges gave Yukino a higher score, it would never reach the level of a perfect score, so...
The outcome had been decided.
Shinomiya: "I'm really impressed by you. You've reached this point in such a short time?"
Sakaki: "Hikigaya-kun, would you like to consider coming to work at my restaurant? We'll be on summer vacation after the autumn selection, and the second year is so easy then, with plenty of time to..."
Hachiman: "Sorry, Sakaki-senpai, I'll just study hard."
Sakaki: "Waaaa... Hikigaya-kun, you're such an idiot..."
'What a troublesome senpai.'
Gotoda: "You have a long way to go in the future, keep it up."
Mizuhara: "Indeed, you show such potential right now, maybe a flower of Food Wars will bloom in the future."
The people in the Polar Star Dorm had become speechless, while Erina seemed to be exploding with anger, her face turning red.
Haruno: "Not bad, Hikigaya-kun, I'll come often."
Hachiman: 'I think I'll pass...'
Haruno's smile disappeared, simply looking at Yukino as she said: "Yukino, Mom will be coming soon, too. Will the progress you've made by then really be enough to satisfy her?"
"If you don't want to always be behind me, then find your own path. And this is just the beginning... If it's you should understand, I'll never be nice to you!"
Yukino simply smiled in response: "Haruno-san, I'm not planning on giving up. Speaking of which... this is just the beginning."
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