Although it was a bit unbelievable, at this point, there was no turning back.
As a competition where five contestants advanced at the same time, the fact that the final format would take such a form surprised both the audience and the contestants.
The so-called gauntlet is a series of duels based on a points system. This means that each person must have at least five cooking methods for the same dish. Furthermore, if the scores are the same, there will be an additional round. To avoid a situation where there are no dishes to make, at least ten dishes need to be prepared.
For a chef, mastering ten dishes is not difficult. However, for the same dish, the level of mastery of each cooking method must reach perfection, with no room for error. Not everyone can achieve this.
For example, Ibusaki and Tadokoro Megumi, who returned from the stage, have completely crashed and locked themselves in their rooms for an entire day.
Perhaps, no matter how much they think about it, they can't take that difficult first step.
Meanwhile, Hachiman, sitting in the Polar Star Dorm lobby, was leisurely eating lunch. At first glance, he seemed no different from the eliminated contestants.
Yoshino: "Um, Hikigaya, I have a question?"
Hachiman: "What is it?"
Yoshino: "Have you decided what dishes you're going to make? You should have all received the information from the school, right? Aren't you worried at all?"
Hearing Yoshino's words, Hachiman instantly lost the motivation to continue chewing the meat he was eating, and became silent.
The others seemed a little embarrassed, as bringing up this topic was quite painful.
However, Hachiman had just suddenly thought of a new dish and didn't feel any regret because of Yoshino's words.
"No matter what, you still have to eat well and sleep well, otherwise you'll lose your energy before then."
Grandma Fumio, who was nearby, also joined in, nodding after hearing what Hachiman said:
"You're right, kid. No matter what happens, you still have to eat well. Some things won't progress even if you lock yourself in a room for days."
Ryoko: "Well, Grandma Fumio, they're under a lot of pressure. Apart from Hikigaya, who can remain so calm, I doubt any other student can do it."
Grandma Fumio: "Let me tell you, back in the day..."
While Grandma Fumio started boasting about her past deeds, Yukinoshita was researching her new dish alone. However, surprisingly, the new dish she was researching had nothing to do with the competition.
"Achoo..."
After a long time, Yukinoshita sneezed, shivering all over. After a moment, she picked up her coat and put it on.
"I wonder how that guy is doing?"
...
After finishing lunch, Hachiman didn't rush back to his room. After all, he had a lot of cooking methods for this competition stored in his mind. Even the ones he had seen at his "Hikigaya Restaurant" were more than enough to get him through this competition, but...
He wanted more than that.
His goal was to learn new dishes before the competition.
If he only picked up and reused old things, they would eventually be exhausted. Instead of stagnating and waiting for that day to come, it was better to learn beforehand.
If even Hachiman became disciplined, he would never allow himself to fall into a difficult situation. After all, he was such a cautious person.
Upon learning that the theme for this round was "saury," Alice seemed to contact Hachiman at the same time.
If she used the knowledge she learned in Northern Europe, she might come up with some entirely new methods for this theme. For this reason, Hachiman agreed to visit her home today.
However...
After being transported to her house in the Nakiri family's private car, Hachiman couldn't help but say, "Although I knew this girl was rich, but..."
"This is too big."
Looking around, it was like a small mountain independent of the world, a private estate. Not only did it have all kinds of ingredients, but there were also too many butlers to count.
Alice: "Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman: "Good afternoon."
Alice: "Then, follow me."
Hachiman had no doubt that if he went in the wrong direction, he would get lost in this huge estate and starve to death here.
Hachiman: "By the way, Mr. Kurokiba is also a contestant. Isn't it going to have an impact if we have a private lesson like this?"
Speaking of Kurokiba, Alice seemed to have an inexplicable confidence in her heart and just waved her hand casually:
"There's no need to worry about him. After all, he never asks me for help."
'She probably thinks I'm very cunning.'
Seeming to guess Hachiman's thoughts, Alice continued with a smile:
"Of course, Hikigaya-kun, you don't need to feel pressured. After all, I invited you here. That won't change no matter what."
Hachiman nodded and continued to follow Alice. Alice wore a smug look, covering her smiling mouth with one hand:
"Also, isn't it better if it's just the two of us alone? Isn't there a saying, 'A lone man and a widow...'?"
"Wait, I remembered I have something to do..."
"I'm just kidding. I'm not going to eat you."
When Hachiman wanted to run away, he realized that he was completely lost, and Alice was holding his hand tightly, her huge evil constantly crashing against his defense.
If time could go back thirty minutes, Hikigaya Hachiman would definitely make the right choice.
Although his face was red, he could only grit his teeth and continue.
Alice: "I just want to tell you that you really don't need to feel any pressure. That child has lived in a place a hundred times more cruel than you can imagine since she was little. If he lost that competitive spirit and skill from childhood, he would have died in that dark alley a long time ago, so..." As she said this, Alice moved closer, and the already turbulent situation became impossible to control.
'This girl is completely doing this on purpose.'
Just as the two of them were walking in a certain direction, they bumped into a very familiar face.
"H-H-H-H-H-H-Hikigaya?!!!"
'Well, I'm sorry to scare you like that, but speaking of which...'
Remembering the gate [Nakiri House] I saw when I came in, it's normal to bump into her here.
Although this girl is no different from usual, she is at home after all. Hisako isn't with her, and even her clothes have become much simpler, just wearing a pink little dress.
Erina's expression instantly turned crimson, and her words choked in her throat, unable to come out:
"Y-You... you, H-Hikigaya..."
"How did you get in here? No... Alice, what's going on?"
"Our house usually only entertains tycoons from all over the world. Normally, there's no way Hikigaya could get in here..."
"No, the most important thing is, what's going on with you two? Why are you so close together?! Are you in that kind of relationship?!"
Seeming to have completely lost her ability to think, Erina's expression became even more agitated. Hachiman didn't know how to explain, but Alice, seeing her cousin acting so different, seemed to realize something and said in a very annoying tone:
"Ah, that's right. But he's a friend I invited. Even you, Erina, have no right to make my friend leave!"
"F-Friend? Is it that kind of friend?" Speaking in an unbelievable tone, Erina couldn't care less about maintaining her noble image. Even her face was frightened.
Hachiman was about to explain, but Alice noticed something ahead of time, covered his mouth with her hand, and continued to smile:
"Yes, yes, it's that kind of friend that Erina is thinking of!"
"Moreover, we're planning to go to the room to discuss things that only a lone man and woman would understand. Can you please make way for us, Erina-neechan?"
Unable to speak, Hachiman glanced at Alice speechlessly, feeling her increasingly soft heartbeat:
'This girl is completely doing this on purpose. Her personality is really terrible.'
Hearing these words, Erina had completely panicked, clenching her fists tightly, and a few tears seemed to be about to burst from the corners of her eyes. While her face remained flushed, she was even more anxious than before. At this point, she just lowered her head and muttered:
"A lone man and woman... a lone man and woman..."
Seeming to realize that her joke had gone too far, Alice was about to explain, but then Erina came up to her and said loudly:
"No way! I want to go too!"
"Huh?"
...
Hachiman: "Why did it turn out like this?"
Erina, both shy and sulky, lowered her head and didn't say anything. However, Alice still maintained a smug look and continued: "Isn't it because Erina automatically thought Hikigaya and I were in that kind of relationship? It makes me feel embarrassed. But... I never thought that Erina-neechan, who is so busy, would be sitting here."
After arriving in the kitchen, Erina realized that she had been completely tricked. However, from beginning to end, Alice hadn't said those words. It was Erina herself who had assumed that things were that way, so in the end...
She wanted to refute something, but she couldn't say a word.
Although she didn't know why Hikigaya accepted her cousin Alice's invitation to come here, no matter what, she couldn't let that kind of thing happen now. Even if she postponed the things she needed to do this afternoon, she would stay here and monitor the situation between these two.
Moreover...
From just now, Erina had set a 3-meter safe distance between the two of them, saying something about a "safe social distance between men and women."
Three meters...
Even if Alice was slow to understand, she could realize what kind of feelings her cousin Erina had for Hikigaya. The more she realized this, the more she wanted to tease her.
Therefore, this so-called "safe social distance between men and women" was actually a pit that Erina had dug for herself. Immediately after, Alice said:
"Friends have no gender! So the ones who need to keep a distance are the two of you!"
"That's right, since Erina is here, use your miraculous 'God Tongue' to taste the dishes we made together!"
When she said "together," Alice's tone became heavier, making Erina itch, but she couldn't refute anything because she had just set the rule.
Watching this scene, Hachiman was even more certain that he had become a plaything for these two sisters. If time could go back an hour, he would not have gotten on that private car from the Nakiri family. This place...
Is too scary.
Although the beginning was hard, the process was even harder.
Not to mention the constant bickering between the two sisters, which made it impossible for Hachiman to calm down, the dishes they made were like food picked up from the trash. It made Erina, with her 'God Tongue', constantly complain.
If there was a time when they would become quiet, it was only when Alice began to show her cooking. At that time, Alice focused all her mind on cooking, and Erina, although she seemed remarkable, didn't dare to say much with Hachiman.
Even if they occasionally made eye contact, Erina would look away even faster. Frankly, there weren't many people in this world who could do that faster than Hachiman.
Fortunately, although the process was noisy, the general direction was correct. After all, they were researching the theme for the autumn selection, and Alice didn't slack off at all. She used her intelligence and high-tech machines to create an unexpected saury dish.
"In the extremely cold environment of Northern Europe, saury is a very good seafood. Almost everyone has different methods to dissect this ingredient. What I made is the result of living there for many years... [Saury Cake], how about it? Isn't it great!"
Alice held her dish, looking like she wanted to be praised, which made Erina and Hachiman not know what to say for a moment.
Erina gently picked up her chopsticks and said at the same time:
"The key is whether it tastes good. Just being able to make it doesn't mean anything."
After putting the saury cake made from ground saury meat into her mouth, a burst of stimulating lemon fragrance instantly exploded. Because she lived in an extremely cold environment for many years, the texture of the meat was more compact. Almost at the first bite, Hachiman was sure that this was a very exquisite dish.
But...
Erina: "Not to mention the smoothness and firmness of the fish cake, which cannot be completely replaced by modern machines, the most important thing is that there are no other operations possible during the production process. This has destined this dish to be imperfect."
"If this dish were served in the classroom, or in an ordinary restaurant, it might be recognized and approved, but in front of my 'God Tongue,' no abnormalities can escape."
"Moreover, I don't think the judges of the autumn selection will be much worse than me. Even if they can't clearly feel that feeling, there is still a strange feeling. This is the comment from a professional judging panel. Specifically, it's not worth considering."
Alice: "Hikigaya-kun, look, Erina denies people so mercilessly! She's such a terrible person, right!"
Erina: "Wait a minute, why are you acting unreasonable? How can you complain like that? Besides, this has nothing to do with Hikigaya!"
Alice: "Hikigaya-kun, Erina bullied me again!"
Erina panicked again. Although she couldn't understand the emotions in her heart at this moment, there was only one thought in her mind.
She didn't want to be denied by him, just like back then.
Hachiman: "Alright, no matter what, it looks like Alice is the one bullying others. And what she said is indeed correct. If you don't put your heart into cooking and always rely on these machines, the end result will be the same as yesterday."
It seemed that neither of the two girls had thought that Hikigaya would stand on Erina's side. For a moment, they were both in a daze.
However, for Alice, this was only one failure out of dozens of attacks. And with her cheerful personality, she didn't think much about it and said cunningly:
"Okay, okay, you idiot..."
But for Erina, this was even more difficult to deal with than Alice's attack just now. She didn't know what to say, and as time passed, her expression became even more abnormal. Her already beautiful face was visibly red, and she muttered something, but she couldn't make a sound.
Not expecting to face the boy in front of her in such a discomposed manner, Erina just turned her face to the side, trying to calm herself down, but she couldn't return to the peace she had before.
Speaking of which, her heart had been racing ever since just now.
Although he noticed her abnormality, Hachiman didn't want to meddle in her personal affairs and just changed the subject: "I think this dish still has room for improvement."
Alice: "Eh? Does that mean?"
Hachiman: "However, it's a bit different from what you think. Because the first step is to change all the machine steps to manual."
Alice: "Change to manual? How is that possible! Even if it can be done, the accuracy and time consumed would..."
Hachiman: "It can be done! As long as you understand the principle, it's not difficult to do it."
Although she was skeptical, Alice still doubted this possibility. Perhaps after hearing Hikigaya's words just now, she subconsciously denied the result.
If manual work could replace machines, what would be the point of creating machines?
Wasn't this a joke?
Although modern machines cannot completely replace manual work, in the near future, this dish might really become more delicious. However, Hachiman couldn't wait for that time.
However, since Hachiman had made such a decision, Alice didn't say much and quickly began to explain the machine's operation process.
Maybe it could be done with just one...
But, in such a short time?
Hachiman: "Alice, can I stay here tonight? I want to finish the assignment overnight."
Just like in seminars, Hachiman didn't plan to sit still and wait for his death. For this [Saury Cake], the only time he could provide was three days.
When she heard the word "stay," this time, not only Erina, but even Alice was speechless.
Alice: "Yes, you can. After all, there are many guest rooms here for guests to stay in, but if you want to stay with me..."
Erina: "Idiot Alice, it's not like that! Hikigaya doesn't mean that! Right, Hikigaya!"
Her eyes pleaded for strong agreement. It seemed that Erina hadn't realized that this was Alice's teasing again, and she became extremely agitated.
Hachiman: "Yes, I don't need to sleep, as long as she stays with me all night."
Alice: "Ah?"
Erina: "Huh?!"
Alice: "Hahahaha, that's great... Hikigaya-kun, I'm willing to accompany you. Even more excessive requests are fine!"
Hachiman: "Um, I think I'm already being very excessive..."
Erina: "Wait... Wait a minute! Why was it decided so suddenly! It's a lone man and woman..."
Alice: "Because Hikigaya needs me. It's okay, Erina-neechan, you're such a busy person. If you don't sleep for a day, you won't be able to finish tomorrow's work. You should sleep well. Your younger sister will take in Hikigaya."
Erina: "No way! Absolutely not!"
At that moment, she took out her phone and called Hisako without hesitation:
"Hello? Is there anything you need from me, Erina-sama?"
"Help me push back all my work for these three days. Tell them I need to rest!"
"Eh? But there's an important seminar tomorrow, and even members of the French Parliament will be coming. If Erina-sama isn't there..."
"Idiot! Even machines need to rest. There's no one who works 365 days a year without a break! Do you think I'm an idiot writing novels?! Anyway, I want these few days off."
"Okay... Okay, I'll push it back for you, Erina-sama, but you can't be this willful next time."
"Thank you, Hisako. I'll treat you to my new dish next time!"
Hachiman listened to this girl in a pink dress, who didn't have the slightest resemblance to a member of a noble family, but...
'Why did it turn out like this...'
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