The tension between them dropped to freezing point. It felt like the smallest spark would set everything off.
Mito's face returned to calm. Now there was only one last thing to confirm...
"Since our conditions are about the same, let's each give a challenge."
"The main ingredient will be meat. According to the rules, you pick the dish."
"Meat, huh?" Hachiman didn't look surprised. In this academy, everyone has their specialty. If she picked meat, that meant she was very confident.
The more this happens, the more you have to avoid playing into her strength.
He casually picked up a cabbage and said:
"In that case, the dish will be a vegetable dish."
The people standing behind Hachiman were stunned. A vegetable dish when the main ingredient is meat...?
Even Mito couldn't help but burst out laughing. She really wondered if the guy in front of her was actually a chef. But that only made her more excited.
"Three days from now, we fight."
"Fine."
After leaving those last words, Mito walked away without a second thought, and the people behind finally let out a sigh of relief.
Tadokoro Megumi ran up, stammering nervously:
"H-H-H-Hikigaya-kun... Mito Ikumi has the title of 'Meat Master.' She's been top-ranked since middle school, and her skill with meat has never scored below an A. Even in this school, she's among the best... and you agreed to a meat battle with her..."
"Sounds impressive."
Ryoko hugged Tadokoro from behind. She could feel her panic, but since the food war was set, there was no changing it now. All they could do was trust Hikigaya and help him as much as they could.
Mito's arrival had completely broken their earlier good mood. Now, everyone was feeling some level of tension.
For Hachiman, this might be his first day in Polar Star Dorm, even his first day at Totsuki Academy. But for them, from middle school to high school, this place, as harsh as it was, held countless irreplaceable memories.
No one wanted to lose it. Even knowing the odds were slim, they still chose to believe, to fight, to keep struggling and holding on.
That alone was something Hachiman couldn't ignore. At that moment, something deep inside him resonated strongly.
...
After a simple meal, Hachiman returned to the kitchen. Since coming to Totsuki Academy, this would be his first time initiating a food war, his first battle against a student of this school. And the price was his expulsion and the demolition of Polar Star Dorm.
But since in a Food War you already know the recipe and ingredients ahead of time, it's really important to plan what dish you'll make and keep testing and improving it.
"According to Tadokoro, Mito's best skill is beef, but she's also really strong with chicken and pork. If you fight her head-on, the chances of winning only get smaller."
"The real focus should be vegetables, while meat dishes serve as support. If I follow that idea..."
While Hachiman was thinking, Isshiki walked into the kitchen.
"Hikigaya, still struggling with what dish to make?"
Hachiman nodded. He couldn't deny that against Mito's heavy meat-based cooking, trying to win with lighter flavors and careful balance would be difficult.
Isshiki only smiled faintly. For some reason, when he looked at this new member of Polar Star Dorm, he always felt there was something unusual about him.
"You must be hungry. Eat something first, then think about it."
"Actually, I still—"
"Well, let your senior take care of you this time."
Without waiting for Hachiman to answer, Isshiki started cooking on his own. This was the first time Hachiman had seen him cook in person, despite Isshiki being one of the Elite Ten, ranked seventh.
He casually took out some pork from the fridge, and under knife skills as sharp as sword flashes, it was quickly chopped into fine mince.
If Erina was like a queen dancing gracefully in her palace, then Isshiki, when cooking, looked more like an artist. In just a short while, using flour and minced pork, he created a completely new pork cutlet before Hachiman's eyes.
The whole process took less than twenty minutes. The moves were so fast they almost left afterimages, yet Hachiman still managed to catch every detail.
"Try it."
Without much hesitation, Hachiman picked up a piece. The coating of flour made the cutlet look even more refined. Though it was pork, the texture was as tender as beef.
"Amazing..." he muttered instinctively. The moment it touched his tongue, the pork melted in his mouth, releasing an irresistible fragrance.
"I added starch, and mixed in olive oil while mincing the pork to make it smoother. The pepper was used at just the right balance. From every angle, there's nothing to criticize."
This was the true skill of Totsuki's seventh seat, Isshiki Satoshi.
A simple dish, yet elevated to a level some people could never reach in their whole life.
But strangely, this dish didn't trigger in Hachiman the strong urge to devour it completely. That reaction made Isshiki even more surprised.
Even though it was just for a moment, Hachiman still caught the look on his face.
"It's delicious."
"Hikigaya, do you have any suggestions for this dish?"
"No, I'm just a rookie chef. I don't have the right to judge your cooking."
If it were at the Hikigaya Diner, he would honestly point out any problems in Komachi's cooking. But here, at Totsuki Academy, where cooking is everything, he had already suffered once for speaking carelessly.
Logically and emotionally, he shouldn't criticize.
Maybe Isshiki noticed Hachiman's hesitation, because he quickly walked over, put his arm around his shoulder, and said gently:
"Well, even though I'm the seventh seat of Totsuki, inside Polar Star Dorm we don't care about status. We're just here to share cooking with each other. Whatever suggestions you have, don't hold back. That's the fastest way for all of us to improve."
He couldn't help but agree with those words. Hachiman finally made up his mind, nodded, and looked at the dish again.
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