In the crowd, some people couldn't believe what they had just seen.
"Wait, wait... that's it? It's already over?"
"That fast? Hold on, so you're telling me some guy whose name I don't even know just won?"
"No way. He actually beat Mito? Who the hell is this guy, how come I've never heard of him before?"
At the same time, everyone from Polar Star Dorm finally snapped out of it, and their faces broke into excited smiles all at once.
Tadokoro Megumi: "We really won!"
"It almost feels too easy. The opponent was Mito after all… Hikigaya, you're amazing."
Ryoko let out a sigh of relief: "Now Polar Star Dorm won't have to worry about being taken over anymore!"
Ibusaki: "Isshiki-senpai! …Oh right, he went to the bathroom."
Yoshino: "We're having a victory party tonight!"
Marui: "Not in my room…"
While everyone was talking excitedly, only Mito still stood at the center of the stage.
How long had it been since she last felt defeat? So long that she couldn't even remember anymore.
Maybe the last time was against Erina. That was the one time in middle school she could never forget.
But…
Even though she lost, why… why was she still able to smile from the bottom of her heart?
Strange. Really strange.
She shouldn't be smiling. She shouldn't allow herself to lose to anyone except Erina. And yet now, she accepted it so easily.
That dish…
Even though the plate was empty, the judges and her opponent had already left the stage, the image of Hikigaya just now was still burned into her mind.
Maybe she couldn't put into words what this feeling was. She only knew that some things might be more important than winning or losing. Maybe that wasn't a lesson about cooking, but a lesson about life.
That was why she could accept her loss so calmly.
…
Before the match result was even announced, Erina and Hisako had already left the VIP room. Erina tried her best to hide her feelings, but just thinking about Hikigaya surviving once again made her face show a trace of irritation.
"Hisako, what on earth is with that guy!?"
Hisako had secretly looked into Hikigaya's background, but found nothing special. After all, he had only become a chef in the past two days, and before that he was just a helper at a small diner.
Before Hisako could answer, both of them stopped walking.
"Erina, judging by your expression, looks like we won the match."
Standing in front of her was Isshiki Satoshi. He had left halfway through the match, using the bathroom as an excuse, and came here first to block Erina from leaving. Maybe it was his confidence in his junior, but he never once thought Hikigaya would lose. Still, there was something he had to confront her about.
Erina quickly put on a faint smile:
"Isshiki-senpai, congratulations. Polar Star Dorm still survives."
"Ahahaha, Erina, don't you think you went a little too far this time?"
With just one line, the hallway was instantly filled with tension. Erina crossed her arms, while Isshiki kept his gentle smile. The two stood facing each other.
Erina: "I don't see any problem with reclaiming a dorm that's wasting school land, Isshiki-senpai."
Isshiki: "Hmm? Is that really the reason? Somehow I don't think you came here just because of Polar Star Dorm. Bullying my junior like this, is that really okay? Or could it be… you two have some personal issues?"
At the words "personal issues," the confident look on Erina's face instantly turned red. The clear blush of embarrassment made her lose the upper hand for a moment.
Clenching her fists, she raised her voice: "Of course not! There's nothing between me and him. I'm a proper young lady—how could I possibly have any dispute with someone like that? If anything… Isshiki-senpai, aren't you being way too soft on your junior?"
Hisako had to cover her mouth to hold back laughter.
So this is what it looks like when the Elite Ten argue… why does it feel so much like kids fighting in elementary school?
But... the person they couldn't stop talking about, Hikigaya Hachiman, made Hisako feel more and more that maybe this guy really would lead Totsuki to bloom with one Shokugeki after another.
Isshiki didn't deny his kindness toward juniors. Instead, he smiled as if trying to dodge the topic, waved his hand, and said:
"Well, enjoying school life together with juniors is a very precious thing."
"In that case, Isshiki-senpai, you'd better be careful. If you stay in that comfort too long, you might slip into a pit without noticing. One day, I'll move forward and aim for your Seventh Seat."
"Then I'll be waiting for your challenge."
The two didn't say another word. They just walked past each other, brushing shoulders at the end.
...
Meanwhile, back at the dorm, Hikigaya felt unbelievably relaxed, like a heavy weight finally lifted from his chest. Right now, nothing sounded better than getting a good night's sleep.
"Hikigaya-kun! Let's have a victory party..."
"Hey, don't just drop out of my ceiling like it's nothing..."
In the end, for some reason, even though it should've been time to sleep, everyone gathered in Marui's room and started a rowdy celebration.
As always, Tadokoro Megumi and Hikigaya sat in the corner. They weren't good at joining in on such lively scenes, but deep down, they felt the same happiness as everyone else.
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya, thank you for protecting this place."
Hikigaya: "No... I'm part of it too, so really, I was just protecting myself. It's nothing that great."
Ryoko hooked her arm around his neck, raised her glass of fruit juice, and said:
"Hikigaya, I heard from Megumi that you're a real troublesome guy. Guess that's true. But no matter what you say, without you, this place might have been torn down already. So I really am thankful to you."
For them, Polar Star Dorm might be the memory that would stay with them forever, just like their three years of middle school.
So... this was enough.
Whether Ryoko did it on purpose or just forgot, she was still choking Hikigaya with her arm. Everyone else was busy having fun, so only Tadokoro panicked and said over and over:
"Hikigaya... Hikigaya's being strangled!"
"Huh?"
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