Chef Sekimori: "By the way, during the school trip, you'll also be making your own breakfast and dinner. Be mentally prepared."
Ryoko, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. So Yoshino was the only one who got hurt by this…
'Sounds like I just heard a heart breaking…'
Even though this wasn't the time for jokes, since there was still a troublesome assignment in front of them: making fifty servings that could satisfy these muscle-bound guys. That was definitely not an easy task. And the key point was…
Chef Sekimori took out a stopwatch, glanced at it, and said:
"From now on, if you can't finish within an hour, you'll be considered unqualified and expelled."
As expected, today wasn't going to end so easily. If making fifty servings was already a physically draining task, then doing it in just one hour was enough to leave most students frozen on the spot.
But…
'Since it's fifty servings, and they didn't say what kind of dish…'
'That means I have to finish one dish every 72 seconds. Back in the entrance exam, I managed to make one dish per minute, but if it's nonstop like this, I'll probably run out of stamina or speed early on.'
Since I don't have an advantage in strength or speed, finding another way is the most important thing.
"Then, begin!"
With Chef Sekimori's command, the whole hall instantly descended into chaos. Both the prep stations and the cooking area were messier than in the afternoon challenge. And the more chaotic it got, the calmer Hachiman needed to be.
Ibusaki: "Alright, see you later! Marui, hang in there…"
Yoshino: "No… no dinner, no breakfast… no fancy meal…"
Ryoko: "Alright, alright, just wait until we get back to Polar Star Dorm and let Isshiki make it for you. For now, remember: everyone needs to pass."
Tadokoro Megumi raised her hand with all her strength, like she was performing some mysterious ritual, but her expression was nothing but determined.
"Yeah!"
Marui suddenly found a burst of strength, like a dying flame flaring up one last time. Even though he was completely drained, it didn't matter. The tougher it got, the faster he moved.
There was no need to worry about Mito. As an honor student, both her speed and stamina were far above the average person.
Hachiman: "Let's get started too."
...
In the corner of the hall, a strong man with a buzz cut stood with his arms crossed, glancing toward Hikigaya. His face was serious, and after just a quick look, he walked away.
Ten minutes later...
Hikigaya Hachiman, fifty servings complete!
Marui: "No way! How did he finish so fast!"
Tadokoro Megumi: "Eh? I just started..."
Ryoko: "That's Hikigaya for you. He probably thought of another clever trick. His mind is always full of weird ideas."
Mito: "I need to speed up too."
Takumi: "No way, I lost again! And to think I lost in the one thing I'm proud of—speed! Why? But at least my food tastes better, right?"
Yoshino: "Hikigaya, you're cheating, aren't you?!"
Hayama glanced over as well. If he made fifty servings in ten minutes, that means one serving every twelve seconds. That's inhuman...
Yukinoshita kept her focus on her own cooking. Like most people, her forehead was covered in sweat. Speed wasn't her strength, and neither was stamina. But when she heard Hikigaya's name, her hands froze for a second or two, and her mouth opened slightly...
No one noticed anything strange. She quickly put her attention back on her cooking.
Most students had only finished about ten servings. Even the fastest barely hit twenty. Even Takumi had only managed around thirty servings. But Hikigaya... he was already done.
What on earth... happened?
"Another bowl! Make another one!"
"This portion is way too small. Redo it!"
Under this kind of intense pressure and strict requirements, some students were already losing hope. They had spent an entire afternoon practicing, and their arms were so sore they could barely lift them. But now they still had dozens of servings to make...
This school trip really was hell.
After finishing his fifty servings, Hachiman just let out a breath of relief. Walking alone down the hallway, only he knew that he had played a little trick.
If he competed normally like the others, fifty servings would have been impossible. Not just because of speed—his stamina wouldn't keep up either. So his plan was...
To make the fifty servings street-food style. He cooked the dough and meat in large batches all at once, then packaged them together to keep the flavor. Since the customers were just rough men, their expectations weren't that high. Knowing that, he didn't need to stress too much about perfect seasoning.
That's how Hachiman pulled it off with a clever shortcut. But now that he was done so early, he didn't really have anything to do...
Just as he was thinking that, someone familiar appeared in front of him.
Nakiri Erina.
She was still wearing a Totsuki school uniform. Maybe it was a size too small, or maybe it was just her figure, but it really showed off her shape. However...
The moment she saw Hikigaya, her innocent-looking face immediately turned smug.
"Oh? Isn't this Hikigaya? Why are you out of the venue so early—did you get eliminated?"
"Oh, I get it. You must have run away, right? I knew this place didn't suit you. Even if you got lucky and managed to get into this academy, in the end you'd quit because you're not good enough. Your opponents have trained here for three years, after all. Such a shame though—we won't be seeing you anymore, hahaha..."
"I really don't want to break her sweet fantasy, but I'd better tell her the truth… If she sees me sleepless again tomorrow, I can't take responsibility for that..."
Thinking this, Hachiman calmly said:
"No, I just finished the assignment early and left."
"Huh?!"
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