The two of them didn't draw any attention from their classmates. After all, one was at the bottom of the class, and the other was someone who barely stood out at all. If not for him suddenly transferring in, most people probably wouldn't have even noticed his existence.
Tadokoro's cheeks were bright red. This was the first time she had ever been so close to a boy. Unlike before, now she didn't dare meet Hikigaya's eyes at all.
"What is it, Hikigaya-kun?"
"In a bit, quietly switch the pot we just used with an empty one. Keep the fire going and pretend that's our dish." This was also the first time Hachiman had been this close to a girl. Even though he tried to lean back and keep their voices low enough so no one else could hear, for the sake of their grades he decided to prepare a backup plan.
Confusion spread across Tadokoro's face. She clearly hadn't realized what was about to happen. But Hachiman had already noticed earlier—the way that rival group had glared at them was full of malice. It wouldn't be surprising if they tried to sabotage them later.
Tadokoro Megumi looked completely lost, surprisingly she just nodded firmly without asking anything.
Meanwhile, an hour and a half had passed, yet no one had handed in their dish. It seemed everyone was waiting for the right moment, but no one wanted to take the lead.
Tadokoro: "Hikigaya, our beef has five minutes left."
Hachiman: "Got it."
Just as they spoke, the first brave soul finally brought up his dish. Almost instantly, he drew everyone's attention.
Tadokoro: "Class Rep Hayama, you're done…"
Hachiman: "First to step up, huh? Figures, that's just like him."
The teacher, Chef Chapelle, sitting at the podium, finally seemed to catch the aroma of food and slowly opened his eyes.
"Teacher, please enjoy."
Chapelle's face stayed completely blank as he slowly picked up a fork, putting all his focus on the ingredients, savoring the aroma.
Hachiman: "Tadokoro, keep an eye on our dish. I'll go check it out."
Tadokoro crossed her arms, and hearing Hikigaya's words, she hurriedly responded in a fluster: "Oh! Okay… I'll watch it!"
By this time, Chapelle had already placed his fork into the beef. The sauce clinging to the meat instantly slid off, and the fork seemed to spring back from the tender meat.
"Very tender. The fork almost bounces back. Not bad."
Hayama smiled slightly and extended his hand with a very gentlemanly gesture.
"I used pineapple juice—brushed it on before braising, and even added a little when seasoning. Pineapple juice has an enzyme that breaks down protein, so brushing it on the ribs makes the meat soften quickly."
Chapelle's face stayed stern: "Indeed, what you said is correct."
The students watching from below all let out sounds of disbelief.
"Wow, as expected from Hayama."
"Class Rep, you're amazing…"
"Looks like our class might get an A."
"So cool, Class Rep."
Chapelle's face remained serious. Giving a score without tasting the food was clearly not what a teacher should do.
After all, the most important thing about cooking is how it tastes when eaten.
He simply picked up a piece of beef. It was so soft and tender it seemed like it could fall apart any second. The moment it entered his mouth, the aroma of red wine burst open.
But…
"It's stewed too soft. Feels like beef brisket. The idea was good, and the flavor overall is decent, but you didn't control the timing well. Since you already used pineapple juice, there was no need to cook it for that long."
"Overall, it's not bad. There are some minor issues, but they don't take away from the fact that this is a good dish. So… A."
Hearing Chapelle's grading, Hayama's teammates all let out a sigh of relief, but for Hayama, it was far from enough.
His face still wore that calm smile, but now with a trace of self-mockery:
"Thank you, teacher."
Meanwhile, the other students in the class started groaning.
"Even Class Rep barely got an A. Looks like we're screwed."
"More than screwed. Looks like an E is unavoidable."
"No one else can get an A, right? Ugh, so unlucky. First class and we get Chapelle as the teacher."
On the other side, after checking out Hayama's dish, Hachiman finally returned to his table, only to find Tadokoro looking so pitiful, like she was about to cry.
"What's wrong, Tadokoro?"
"I just feel like… I can't do anything right. I couldn't even finish the simplest task you gave me…"
Feeling that familiar, hostile gaze, Hachiman instantly realized what had happened.
He slowly lifted the pot lid, and sure enough, there was a big spoonful of salt dumped in.
"There are only 20 minutes left. Anything unfinished will be marked as an E." Chef Chapelle's voice came from the podium, but Hachiman just let out a small sigh of relief.
Facing the twin-tailed girl, Hachiman spoke calmly:
"We all try to live up to what others expect of us, but we always end up drifting away from those expectations. Tadokoro, maybe people expect you to cook well, to graduate smoothly, to be kind and gentle. But only you can decide who you want to be."
Tadokoro Megumi hugged herself tightly. Already timid by nature, she looked even more guilty now. "But… but…"
"No matter what happens, what's done is done. You don't need to blame yourself."
Hachiman had always expected the malice of this world. That's why he was always ready to protect himself.
"Alright, our dish should be ready to serve."
"Yeah!" With no way out, Megumi had to give it her all. If she hadn't met this guy everyone else looked down on, Hikigaya, she probably would have been expelled after today. But…
No matter how much others hated him, in Megumi's eyes, Hikigaya suddenly appeared like a ray of light—one that would guide her future from this day on.
In this class, even though Megumi barely did anything herself, it still felt like she had grown more than in any other lesson before.