As soon as those words were said, the whole hall erupted again with loud commotion.
"Hey, it's not over yet... I've never heard of this happening before."
"I just came from Hall B and saw this scene. It's so worth it! Speaking of which, that guy called Kurokiba Ryo also did this. Could it be..."
"I'm really looking forward to how many points this guy Hikigaya can get?"
"Who knows? Even though this guy seems kind of famous, if he can surpass Hayama and Yukinoshita here, he might be a dark horse."
Amidst the crowd's discussions, the Director's movements only became slightly slower. Then, slowly regaining some composure, he turned around.
"Hikigaya, please show us the full extent of your cooking."
Hachiman quickly took a small bottle of broth from his hand and brought it to the front of the stage, placing it before everyone.
"Because the waiting time was too long, it needed to be preserved well, and now…"
Under everyone's gaze, Hachiman gently waved a spoon, dipping each part of his dish in the fragrant broth.
Hayama Akira, who was very sensitive to spices, quickly noticed the faint astringent and fragrant aroma.
Hayama Akira: "If I'm not mistaken, it's cumin and cardamom. He ground these two spices into powder and added them to the dish, but..."
Can this still be called a vegetable salad?
The broth spread over the vegetables, and the sauce from before also blended together. The current situation was like a Western-style mushroom soup, thick and with a faint, delicate fragrance.
Regarding this dish, which had already developed to who knows what stage, everyone seemed to have opened a new world. But Hachiman didn't think much of it. After all, he only ground the clove, which stimulates the tongue, together with the two spices that Hayama Akira had analyzed, and used the sweetness of fruits to neutralize them, creating a new dish.
[Hikigaya-style Vegetable Curry Soup]
Different from before, the dish now constantly emitted the aroma of spices. Although it wasn't as intense as Hayama Akira's, because of the excessive number of ingredients, the layers of flavors were indeed richer.
For the judges, after learning what ingredients a dish is made of, they can usually imagine the taste in their minds. But for the dish in front of them, the judges seemed to have surrendered. They couldn't imagine what kind of taste it would be, with sour, spicy, bitter, and sweet all present.
Marui: "Hey, isn't this really a dark dish?"
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya-kun shouldn't have Joichiro-sensei's strange tastes, right? By the way, Marui-kun, are you traumatized by Joichiro-sensei?"
Marui: "Now that you mention it, I can still remember that day in my nightmares. I guess I am a little scared..."
Takumi: "Although Hikigaya has some strange ideas sometimes, in a competition, I believe he's careful enough not to do something like that..."
Isami: "Brother, is it okay to set a flag like that for someone else?"
Tadokoro Megumi: "But then again, Hikigaya-kun's precision in cooking is unmatched. I'm afraid no one can do it, and that's probably the result of his terrifying insight."
After Tadokoro Megumi said this, everyone suddenly realized that it seemed to be true.
At the same time, the Director on the stage hadn't yet left. Faced with this dish given as the finale, it really brought too many surprises, but… whether this surprise could continue to last depended on what he would turn his dish into.
The thick broth gradually dissolved the sauce. The intense heat gradually softened the vegetables, which had just been standing upright, and then all sank into the soup. Even the remaining sauce seemed to have entered some kind of chemical reaction at this moment and simply disappeared.
Hachiman: "You can enjoy it now, this dish…"
Under everyone's gaze, the Director took up the spoon and slowly scooped up some of the soup, finally… slowly bringing it close to his throat and slowly putting it into his stomach.
Silence…
Under that dazed gaze, the judges behind him didn't continue to wait. As professional judges, whether they could reverse his recent lapse depended on this moment.
So, as if they had made a big decision, the moment they put the spoon in their mouths…
The cracks in their hearts seemed to bloom at this moment. With no more barriers, that gentleness that could warm everything struck the tasters' hearts in repeated waves, breaking and repairing until it became solid.
There was none of the strange taste that was mentioned earlier. No sour, spicy, bitter, or sweet. No dry or conflicting tastes. There was only extreme gentleness.
As if it could capture them, dedicating their entire selves to the messenger of this dish.
"Bang!"
After the upper half of the Director's clothes burst open, the lower half of his pants also tore open without any warning, as if he were a ferocious beast with nothing of his aging body left.
Erina said with some annoyance, "Hikigaya, what the heck did this guy give my grandpa? It's like that drug… but…"
Although she couldn't say it out loud, the excitement in her heart couldn't be hidden.
If possible, she would still like to taste this dish with her 'God Tongue,' perhaps she would have a different experience from others.
And Etsuya, the ninth seat of the Ten Elites who was previously denying Hikigaya, and the other members of the Ten Elites who couldn't accept him as an Autumn Election participant, had a new understanding of this guy at this moment.
"He's pretty capable…"
"It seems Totsuki is getting more and more interesting."
"This year's kids actually have such insane scores. If this guy Hikigaya gets another 90 points, then even a score like 89 will have to go through re-evaluation to pass. That's never happened in Totsuki's history, right?"
"Who knows..."
At the same time, the Director's voice became heavier at this moment. After frowning, he said gruffly:
"Compared to the sauce from before, even with such a mix of spices, the taste is only a rich sweetness. The more you drink it, the more you want to drink it. How did you do it?"
Faced with the Director's question, the eyes of the whole venue seemed to focus on Hachiman at this moment. For this situation, Hayama Akira seemed to fully understand that even he, whose nose had been so sensitive to smells since childhood, still couldn't do this.
To mix so many spices, ingredients, and sauces together, and still be able to control the final taste of the dish to a single point, this ability wasn't just about controlling spices. Rather, it was that unless he had a perfect grasp of every ingredient, absolute certainty about the doneness of each cooking step, and had tried thousands or even tens of thousands of experiments for each combination, it would be impossible to do this.
And Hikigaya Hachiman did it.
Hikigaya Hachiman spread his hands and replied nonchalantly:
"It's not as difficult as you think. I just added 18% of sweet and sour sauce to the broth, and then, in order to suppress the overly prominent taste of the sweet and sour sauce, I also added 27% of apple juice. The prominent sweetness is exactly what you get from this."
"Moreover, the reason why you can still feel the lingering curry flavor in your mouth becoming richer after tasting it, is because the remaining sauce and the newly added spices in my broth further stimulated the curry fragrance. With that, this is the true face of this dish."
Listening to Hikigaya's easy explanation, everyone looked at him like they were looking at a monster. Although he said it simply, only by doing it would one know how difficult this dish really was.
The so-called percentage situation had to be constantly adjusted according to the situation at the time. And to get numbers like 18% and 27% probably required tens of thousands of experiments. What's even more exaggerated is that in such a competition, if there was even the slightest mistake, the flavor of this dish would no longer be exquisite. Overly emphasizing the sour or sweet taste would lead to failure.
At worst, it would directly ruin this dish, making it no more than a dark dish.
Even Joichiro couldn't so precisely control such ingenious numbers, which is why so many seemingly normal but strangely flavored dark dishes were born. But… Hikigaya Hachiman, in just a little over a month, while helping Shiomi and helping all the members of Polar Star Dorm, made such an insane dish.
This could be listed in textbooks, but… this kind of dish had surpassed the realm of humanity. I'm afraid it would be impossible to reproduce it with 100% accuracy.
Moreover, in their hearts, even Hikigaya himself couldn't make this dish a second time.
However, they still underestimated Hikigaya's control over numbers. Yukinoshita, the partner who had been cooperating with Hikigaya all along, smiled gently, as if she had expected this ending, and didn't say anything else.
Marui: "I'm saying, do we have a monster in Polar Star Dorm?"
Yoshino: "You're only reacting now? How slow is your reaction speed?"
Ryoko: "Amazing… it seems our worries were unnecessary after all."
Tadokoro Megumi: "As expected of Joichiro-sensei's son, no… as expected of Hikigaya-kun."
Alice: "It seems it's getting more and more interesting…"
Kurokiba Ryo: "He actually came up with such a dish? He's a bold and careful guy."
Hisako shook her head helplessly: "As expected, Lady Erina, this guy isn't someone I can compete with."
Erina stood in the VIP room, crossing her arms. For a moment, she couldn't say what her mood was, it was just… an undeniable excitement that still erupted at this moment.
Isshiki: "It seems that after this battle, the name Hikigaya Hachiman will break through all the rumors of the past."
Grandma Fumio: "Well, it's great to be able to witness the birth of a guy like this. Isshiki, you should also work hard, otherwise your juniors will surpass you in the future."
Isshiki scratched his head with an indifferent expression:
"It's a happy thing to be surpassed by one's juniors, but… no matter what, I will do my best."
In a school where cooking is supreme, cooking ability is the measure of status. Any opponent who uses the strongest strength against someone is showing respect to the opponent, and Senior Isshiki is the same.
Looking at Hikigaya getting such a high evaluation, Yuigahama couldn't hide the excitement in her heart, and jumped up, saying:
"Yumiko, look, look! Hikki's cooking is going to be included in textbooks! And it's Totsuki Academy's textbooks! Even Yukinon hasn't done that!"
Miura was a little helpless, but she still lovingly touched Yuigahama's hair:
"I see, I see, you're such an idiot, but speaking of which… that guy is really amazing. I'd like to try his fried rice."
Because of Yuigahama's fuss, the eyes of the surrounding audience focused again, making Miura a little embarrassed, but she suddenly grabbed Yuigahama and said:
"Hey, hey, don't make a fuss."
Hayama Hayato's eyes were focused on Hikigaya from beginning to end. Such dazzling spotlights couldn't hide his own light.
"You really were amazing all along. That's great, Hikigaya-kun."
Kawashima Urara: "Well then, please let each of the judges give the final student their score."
"Hikigaya Hachiman's score is??!"
"98 points!"
…
"98 points?! What…"
"I've never heard of a 98-point dish being produced in the Ten Elites' competition. I haven't heard of that in all these years."
"That's too insane… how did this guy get into this school…"
"And he's still a teenager. I can't imagine how far he'll be able to go in the future."
Looking at the score in front of him, not just Hayama Akira, but even Erina, who had been watching the whole time, was dumbfounded.
She originally thought his dish would get around 96 points at most, but…
98 points meant that only two judges didn't give a perfect score. And they were almost all very professional judges. When three judges gave a perfect score, they were already negating all the dishes they had tasted in the past.
Even the always indifferent Yukinoshita was shocked by this terrifying score. As far as she knew, there were probably no more than 5 people in Totsuki Academy who could reach this terrifying score of 98 points. Although one of them was her extremely familiar sister, but…
This meant that his steps had already reached her sister's level.
At least at this age, he was similar to her sister.
"Well then, I'll temporarily treat you as a goal to defeat, Hikigaya-kun."
Under the stage, away from the spotlights, Yukinoshita seemed to have made a decision and quietly said this to herself.
However, the only thing that Hachiman understood was that in this dish, he had only pioneered a new flavor, which is why he was able to get such a high score. Otherwise, his dish would only get 96 points at most. This time, it was just pure luck.
After all, not every dish can create a new flavor, otherwise there wouldn't be so many cooking geniuses who are buried in the long river of time.
Looking at the score on the screen, the Director didn't seem to have any extra words. He just nodded at the score and put his eyes on Hikigaya.
"Well then, congratulations, Hikigaya Hachiman, you have become the first place in Group A."
"Now, the top five players in Hall A will be announced."
"First place, Hikigaya Hachiman, 98 points."
"Second place (tie), Yukinoshita Yukino, Hayama Akira, 95 points."
"Fourth place, Yūki Takumi, 90 points!"
"Fifth place (tie), Arato Hisako, Tadokoro Megumi, 89 points!"
Unbelievably, there were already four players in just one group who had scored over 90 points, and there was also an insane guy who had gotten 98 points. And as for the two players with 89 points, they could only choose one to advance.
Ryoko grumbled to herself:
"It's a good thing I'm not in Hall A, otherwise…"
Just thinking about facing such monsters, Ryoko felt a cold chill coming from her body. Clearly, in Hall B, 85 points was already something to be feared. But in Hall A, even 89 points had to face selection in order to enter the main competition.
Such competitiveness was a bit scary.
Director: "According to the rules of the Autumn Election, the five judges will conduct a final competition for Arato Hisako and Tadokoro Megumi, and between these two, the final qualifier will be determined."
Under the Director's words, Hisako had already stepped onto the stage, while Tadokoro Megumi's body seemed to stiffen at this moment, and she couldn't move.
Hachiman, who had just walked down the stage, gently patted her shoulder:
"Do your best."
As if breaking through all the restrictions on her body, Tadokoro Megumi's eyes became extremely firm at this moment, and she slowly walked onto the stage under the gaze of thousands of people.
Seeing Tadokoro Megumi getting stronger and more determined, Hachiman also smiled. But on the road back, Hayama Akira had blocked him in front of him.
"Hikigaya, it's great that I was able to become your opponent."
"Next time, let me try your cooking."
"I will win against you in the main competition."
Leaving behind only a slight nod, Hachiman easily accepted the other's challenge.
Unlike the past where he'd always been avoiding things, he's now able to face everything around him calmly. As for Hayama Akira, he wouldn't slack off in the slightest, even if he entered the main competition.
And…
He looked around and put his eyes on Erina, who was in the VIP room.
"I will definitely make a dish that will make you say it's delicious."
Perhaps noticing Hikigaya looking over here, Erina suddenly became a little shy and hid.
She clearly wanted to use going to the bathroom as an excuse to avoid his gaze, but the time for Hisako's and Tadokoro Megumi's final judgment was about to begin, so she couldn't move a step.
In the end, she could only pretend that she couldn't see and fully put her attention on Hisako. But even if she could deceive herself, she still couldn't deceive her heart. Only her heart that was pounding constantly seemed to be telling her something.
At the same time, Yukinoshita also smiled gently and said:
"Congratulations, Hikigaya-kun."
"No, it was just luck."
"Well, you would indeed say that, but… luck is also part of strength."
"Is that so? I thought you would attack me with more venomous words."
Yukinoshita just smiled indifferently and sank these words into her heart, instead saying:
"Well, in their eyes, you are indeed a new genius, even someone who will surpass Erina in the future."
Saying this, Yukinoshita just looked around and surveyed the surrounding audience, but Hikigaya said with an indifferent expression:
"I don't care what others think of me. I don't care."
"I knew you would say that, so…"
Yukinoshita came to Hikigaya's side and just smiled gently, as if melting the ice in Hikigaya's heart:
"Even if no one will encourage you, I will make this choice. You worked hard, Hikigaya-kun."
"Well, it's been a long time since I heard those words." Hikigaya seemed unable to stand such a thing and turned his face away.
Yukinoshita was the one who knew best that everything was earned through hard work, but the word 'genius' denied that effort.
But…effort is effort; no matter how much you deny it, it makes no sense.
The dark circles under his eyes, the calluses on his hands, the slightly trembling hands, and the tired expression all told of the other person's effort.
The more people who understand what all this entails, the more someone like that will be spoken bad about.
So...only this time, Yukinoshita would say without any attempt to hide it:
"After all, we're partners."
…
On the stage, the last qualifying player from Group A will also be determined at this moment.
Remembering the two dishes, Hoshino Ai was the first to respond:
"Hisako-san made a medicinal curry dish that makes people feel a hundred times more energetic. It's really delicious. At least it can replenish energy, cure all kinds of ailments. I don't think it's just worth 89 points."
"Tadokoro Megumi's dish is also very amazing. It cut such difficult to handle monkfish into small pieces while still ensuring curry flavor. It's a very unique dish."
"...."
Kawashima Urara: "Well then, judges, please choose one of the players to advance!"
Unlike the grading mechanism, after all, the number of judges is an odd number, so…
As long as you choose the person in your heart, there will definitely be a result in the end.
The Advancing Player:
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