Takumi: "Hikigaya, how did you even find a cow?"
Hikigaya was about to push the credit to Yukinoshita, but when he saw her resentful gaze, he realized that wasn't a good idea.
Helpless, he could only explain honestly.
"There's cow feed growing all over here. The mountains behind the yard aren't too big or too small. Just follow the trail where the cows have grazed, and you'll find them."
Chef Inui smiled faintly: "Looks like you've grasped the key point of this exam. In an unfamiliar environment, people often freeze or lose the ability to think. But you didn't. Once you decided on your dish, you went to search for the ingredients and created something that stands out completely from the others."
"What are your names?"
"Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Yukinoshita Yukino."
The moment he heard the name "Yukinoshita," Chef Inui, who was usually so laid-back, suddenly grew serious. He muttered quietly to himself:
"So she's from the Yukinoshita family... I see..."
Standing beside her, Hachiman felt like he had just overheard something big. He didn't fully understand what it meant, but it was clear now—Yukinoshita coming to Totsuki was definitely not as simple as he had first thought.
After spacing out for a moment, Chef Inui quickly returned to his usual easygoing smile. Clapping his hands lightly, he announced in a warm tone:
"Alright then, Hikigaya Hachiman, Yukinoshita Yukino, you pass!"
The two of them didn't celebrate much—just exchanged a quick look—while the rest of the class started whispering.
"So far only two groups passed? No way..."
"Stop talking, our dish still isn't done. Less than thirty minutes left."
"That guy's really lucky, getting close to someone like Yukinoshita..."
"Yeah, I don't think he even did much of anything."
The students who failed were still clearly unhappy, but to Hachiman and Yukinoshita, they never cared about what others thought. After all, only the two of them knew what they had really done. Why should anyone else define it for them?
Takumi, however, still had a question in his heart. When he heard Hikigaya's team had passed, he walked straight up to Chef Inui.
"Chef Inui, between our dish and theirs, whose was better?"
Every word carried his burning desire to win. But for Hachiman, the idea of competing never even crossed his mind.
Chef Inui gave a small smile. For once, he didn't dodge the question. Looking at Takumi, he said softly:
"Takumi, Isami, your dish was excellent. From the choice of ingredients, preparation, and the entire process, everything was first-rate. The taste gave me a fresh surprise as well. If this had been served in a restaurant, and the customers saw something this delicious prepared so quickly, they'd definitely be satisfied."
Takumi stared straight at Chef Inui's face, his eyes burning with intensity. It even made the chef chuckle awkwardly as he took a sip of tea and shook his head.
"But this test wasn't about speed. By the time you served that wild duck, I had already eaten a lot of dishes, so the surprise factor just wasn't enough for a restaurant setting."
"On the other hand, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita, while everyone else chose meat dishes to complete the task, they alone presented something completely unrelated to meat, using unusual ingredients again and again. So..."
"As a judge, I feel their Japanese rolled omelet gave me the greatest sense of comfort. For this task, their dish takes first place."
Hearing this, Takumi's legs gave out and he stumbled backward. Even though his dish hadn't been outright denied, he had still lost to this newcomer chef. The gap was too much, and his spirit wavered.
Thankfully, Isami reacted in time, using his large frame to hold his brother up. While Takumi looked crushed, Isami seemed completely unfazed.
Hikigaya: "Hey, you okay?"
Realizing he had gone too far, Chef Inui waved his hands in a panic.
"Takumi, I didn't mean your dish wasn't good. It just wasn't as good as theirs, that's all! Yes, that's it."
Takumi looked like he had been hit straight in the heart again. His legs went weak, and this time, even with Isami holding him, he collapsed to the ground.
Hachiman sighed and glanced at the clueless Chef Inui.
'This guy seriously has no idea how to talk... and now it looks like I'm the one taking the blame. I really don't want to end up making an enemy out of him.'
Sure enough, after a minute of recovery, Takumi's eyes filled with tears. His trembling hands pointed straight at Hachiman, his face and voice full of unwillingness.
"Hikigaya! Next time—next time we'll beat you for sure!"
"Until then, just sit tight and wait!"
'Great... the worst possible outcome. Why does it sound like I'm about to get executed...'
Isami: "Don't worry about it. My brother's always like this."
Hachiman let out a helpless breath. Thanks to Isami's help, Takumi finally began to calm down.
'Having a brother like that must be tough, huh, Isami...'
Half an hour passed quickly. After Hikigaya and Yukinoshita's group cleared the task, only five groups in total had passed. Out of more than a hundred students, barely a dozen remained. Everyone else would have to head back to Totsuki to collect their expulsion notice.
A heavy mood hung over the room. Some students wiped away tears, others regretted not making a better dish. Watching this scene, Hachiman couldn't help but sigh again at the cruelty of this place. It was very possible that less than a hundred second-year students would be left in the end.
Yukinoshita: "Why are you standing there spacing out? Get on the bus."
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