The crisp sound, caused by the rubbing of teeth, constantly released a heart-stirring flavor. Although the transformation from saury pike to hamburger only took seven days, the effort put into it was countless.
Okamoto: "Such an extreme taste, just like real fish, as if putting your tongue on the fish's surface, exactly the same."
Anton: "As expected of Hikigaya's cooking, it has surprised me again. Apart from the taste, this texture has already stimulated my desire to continue eating."
"Adding crispy fried fish bones to the burger, using the sauce to offset the fishy smell of the saury pike, is simply irresistible. There's no way to resist it anymore!"
Seemingly unable to continue speaking, the five judges opened their mouths and took big bites. Watching this scene, not to mention the stunned audience, even Tadokoro Megumi was affected by this scene, and could only sigh for a moment...
'Hikigaya, you're really amazing...'
Thinking back a few months ago, he was someone who didn't even know what Totsuki was. He couldn't even be considered an amateur in cooking, but in these few months, he has made almost rapid progress. In the blink of an eye, he has far surpassed them.
Perhaps in the near future, he will go further and further away, to a place where the distance cannot be measured with the naked eye, and this time...
Maybe this is the last real duel between him and her.
Tadokoro Megumi smiled and muttered to herself:
"With my skills, I've done my best to get here... Even so, I'm still grateful to you, otherwise I might have been ordered to drop out a long time ago..."
"It's great to be able to have a cooking duel with you at the end, even if the ending is a failure... it's enough."
The five judges had already finished eating, but they were still enthusiastically discussing it. At this time, Tadokoro Megumi carefully held her dish and walked to the five people.
"This is my dish, please enjoy it, everyone."
"Also, Hikigaya... this is your share."
Seemingly not expecting Tadokoro Megumi to prepare a dish for him, Hikigaya was stunned for a moment and stared at Tadokoro Megumi.
Perhaps because she was a little embarrassed by being stared at so intently, Tadokoro Megumi lowered her head and said:
"The thank you from that time, I haven't repaid you yet. Anyway, this is just a thank you."
Hachiman clearly saw a trace of oddness in Tadokoro Megumi's eyes. Because they hadn't agreed to taste each other's dishes beforehand, Hikigaya didn't prepare one for Tadokoro Megumi, but...
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi's appearance, Hachiman gently took the dish handed over by her.
If you can't express it with words, then entrust everything to the dish.
Unlike Hikigaya's hamburger saury pike, Tadokoro Megumi's chosen dish this time was still based on her specialty vegetables as side dishes, combined with the basic elements of saury pike to complete a dish.
Vegetable stewed saury pike bibimbap.
Putting all kinds of vegetable leaves as spices in a stew, maintaining the compatibility between the ingredients, and adding the grilled saury pike, cooled, and cut into equal pieces into the bibimbap.
Chilled grilled saury pike, this method comes from the ancient East. Through the existence of both grilling and chilling, the taste of saury pike is brought to the extreme.
Okamoto: "Although it looks good... after eating such a good dish, can it really make me forget that taste and flavor just now?"
Anton: "I have to say, the dish just now was impeccable, and to surpass it, you have to do better..."
"In this world, can anyone really do it?"
Just as the judges were still hesitating, Hachiman had already put the dish into his mouth first. There was nothing special about the moment he lightly bit into the vegetables, but as the fish and bibimbap rushed into his mouth at the same time, an indescribable warmth welled up in his heart.
Hachiman: "This is... the sunflower seed flavor of sunflowers?"
Rather than saying this is a dish, it is more like a perfect recipe that can heal the spirit. No matter how many times you eat it, Tadokoro Megumi's cooking always gives people this kind of feeling.
At the same time, the other judges also put this dish into their mouths, and that unspeakable shock settled in their hearts, and for a moment they couldn't find a direction to determine the winner.
Okamoto: "Unbelievable, unbelievable, too unbelievable!"
"Totsuki Academy is really an amazing place..."
"I thought that such a dish had no one to surpass..."
"But, in Totsuki, any student, anyone can make unexpected dishes."
A smile appeared on Judge Anton's face, but he couldn't hide the joy in his heart, and said softly:
"Obviously the grilling technique needs to be improved, and the taste control has not been done to the end, but it still brings such a comfortable feeling. Why is that..."
Hachiman: "It's using mushrooms and seaweed, right..."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Huh?"
Hachiman: "Tadokoro, you thought of it, didn't you? Although we have to stand here for eight hours or even longer to carry out the stamina-consuming wheel battle, the judges are also the same, repeatedly tasting dishes and sitting here for about ten hours, this kind of physical consumption is no less than us contestants, so..."
"Tadokoro, that's why you thought of using the effects of seaweed and mushrooms to relax the judges, right?"
After being said by Hikigaya, Tadokoro Megumi had no way to avoid it, and just put her hand on her blue hair and turned it around a little embarrassed.
Obviously the mushrooms and seaweed have been crushed into powder and sprinkled in with the peppercorns. This faint flavor is generally impossible for normal people to taste, but...
'As expected, Hikigaya is amazing...'
Just as Tadokoro Megumi was thinking this, Hachiman had already come in front of her.
"Tadokoro, thank you."
"Your dish is delicious."
"No way, I should be thanking you!"
Hachiman shook his head and said softly:
"To me, Tadokoro, you have always been the sun. You are so weak, but you still bite your teeth and move forward. I can't understand it, but after witnessing it with my own eyes, I can't forget..."
"Your feelings have been conveyed well."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya, saying that... is too cunning, isn't it..."
Hachiman: "I will take your share and go to the end..."
Tadokoro Megumi: "That's enough."
After the final decision of the judges, Hikigaya, as always, won the final victory.
In this way, Hikigaya's schedule for this wheel battle is over.
Current points ranking:
3-1 Hikigaya Hachiman
2-2 Kurokiba Ryo
1-2 Tadokoro Megumi
1-2 Ibusaki Shun
1-1 Yukinoshita Yukino.
Because Hikigaya and Kurokiba's matches have already ended, they can go back to the spectator stand first. The next two matches will be the final showdown between Yukinoshita and Ibusaki and Tadokoro Megumi.
If Yukinoshita loses one of the games, then she will have to have a tie-breaker with Kurokiba, but...
Whether it was Tadokoro Megumi or Ibusaki, they almost overwhelmingly won the final recognition of the judges, and it can be seen that the time spent on the remaining two games was too short compared to the previous ones.
The final points ranking has come out, and as the top two qualifiers, Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Yukino will have the final in a new venue in a week.
At that time, there will be new guests present.
Although the game is over, everyone still seems unable to escape from that passion. For this wheel battle that lasted nearly 10 hours, there were too many famous scenes, and the dishes that appeared were more exciting than the other, causing everyone to simply be unable to suppress the excitement in their hearts.
And the final battle can be regarded as making up for the duel between Yukinoshita and Hikigaya that did not take place this time. In the new venue in a week, there will definitely be more exciting moments than now.
"Shizuka, let's go."
"Huh? Is it really okay to leave like this? Didn't you come to see Yukino? Are you really not going to say hello to your sister?"
Haruno smiled faintly, revealing an expression completely opposite to Yukinoshita, and said softly:
"I will see her, in a week."
Hearing Haruno say this, Shizuka's expression instantly became serious:
"Are you really going to do this? She's your sister."
"Shizuka, precisely because she is my sister, I have to do that. I don't want to see her like that anymore..."
Everyone gets their own life from birth. If you blindly follow the life trajectory of others, then what you will get in the end will only be useless memories. When recalling in old age, it will only become painful and unbearable.
Because she understands this, Haruno must bring her sister back to the right path. Before that... they don't need any meeting.
Shizuka sighed helplessly:
"You two sisters are really stubborn in some ways."
"What? Do you feel sorry for her?"
"Idiot, she is also half of my student. As a teacher, what I can't stand the most is someone hurting my student."
"Oh? I didn't expect you to be so dutiful..."
Saying this, Haruno deliberately showed a bullied look:
"Teacher Shizuka, I am also your student! If I am bullied..."
"Okay, okay, it's good enough if you don't bully others. Who dares to bully you."
The two left the venue in the midst of the quarrel.
On the other side, after witnessing the fact that Hikigaya was about to enter the final, everyone supported him and sent blessings.
As roommates in the Polar Star Dorm, they were even more happy for him, especially Grandma Fumio, who even forgot that she was already an old woman in her 70s, and jumped up like a child, almost flashing her old waist.
Ryoko: "Congratulations, someone from Polar Star Dorm has finally made it to the final after many years."
Marui: "That's right. According to Grandma Fumio, Polar Star Dorm has been on a downward slope for about seven or eight years."
Ibusaki: "Well, this result is also very good, not much different from what I predicted."
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya, I'm counting on you for the final!"
Takumi: "This kid, has he already reached this point? It seems I have to work harder..."
Although Hachiman was not against such things, he was not good at being surrounded by such a focus of attention. In the end... while everyone was discussing, he just found an excuse to slip out of the venue.
Just...
"Hikigaya Hachiman?"
Hearing someone calling him, Hachiman subconsciously looked back, but... the guy who called his name was actually someone he didn't know at all, but... just looking at this face, it looks somewhat similar to Yukinoshita.
Haruno walked over generously, with a smiling face, wanting to come over and hug Hikigaya directly, but he dodged it.
"Oh? Does Hikigaya dislike beautiful girls?"
"No, I like them very much, but it's better to keep a distance from these suddenly strangers who strike up a conversation, and, there shouldn't be any girls who call themselves beautiful girls."
"Hikigaya, you make me very sad, after all, I think I have some beauty, but... Hikigaya is really an honest good boy."
For some reason, the situation he had learned when he was watching TV before suddenly appeared in Hachiman's mind. It is said that every celebrity after becoming famous will have some very scary fans. Could it be this...
Looking at Haruno in front of him, Hachiman shook his head violently. Compared to Yukinoshita and Erina, he only won two games and wasn't considered any celebrity at all, and... no matter how you look at it, this guy's motives are impure.
Perhaps noticing Hachiman's expression, Haruno just smiled meaningfully, and then said directly:
"Even Hikigaya would be very sad to be misunderstood as a beautiful girl with impure motives."
'This guy... completely sees through me? No... it's the eyes...'
Hachiman adjusted his mentality and just replied very calmly:
"I already said that no one should call themselves beautiful girls... so, you shouldn't be looking for me just for this, right?"
Haruno smiled again and just waved her hand lightly:
"Well, it's nothing, I just wanted to get to know you."
"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yukinoshita Haruno... I am Yukino's older sister."
Saying this, Hachiman was stunned in place. He finally realized where that strangeness came from. Although this guy's words were not venomous, her face was almost exactly the same as Yukino's. If you had to say it, she was a D cup.
'This is completely being given a warning, right...'
Once again understanding Hachiman's inner thoughts, Haruno just said with a smile:
"Don't worry, I won't care about what happens between you and Yukino. I'm not here to give you a warning. I really just want to get to know you."
"You are really full of nonsense, but... there is nothing between me and Yukinoshita."
"Huh? Haven't you noticed?"
"What?"
"Looks like you're a bit dumber than I thought."
"Idiot, it's awful to just decide someone else is smart."
"Calling a pretty girl like me an idiot on our first meeting, Hikigaya, you really don't understand romance... But, hehe... that's okay, I'm glad I met you."
'Not okay at all, and why is this person targeting me?'
"See you next time!"
With just a light wave, Haruno disappeared before Hikigaya's eyes.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this person appears and disappears like a ghost.
'That's so weird...'
Muttering to himself, Hachiman continued to walk forward. Just as he left the building, he heard a rushed voice from behind him again:
"Hikigaya!"
This time the voice sounded more familiar than before, but...
"Yukinoshita?"
'These sisters didn't plan this, did they...'
Seemingly surprised that Hikigaya recognized her right away, Yukinoshita lowered her head a little shyly when he turned around to look at her, and stammered:
"Um... um."
"Huh? You're not?"
"Not what?"
"Nothing..."
The more she acted like this, the less Hachiman understood Haruno's appearance. But... someone who can instantly see what I'm thinking, that kind of person would never come looking for me just because they were bored...
Yukino seemed to realize that Hikigaya was hiding something from her, but she didn't ask. She just said with a smile:
"Congratulations, Hikigaya."
"Yeah, thanks to you. Otherwise, I probably would have quit halfway through the competition."
"No... no need to thank me. You're strong, it's normal for you to advance to the finals. It's just... you should work on your stamina a bit more, although my stamina isn't great either..."
As she said this, Yukino once again looked down shyly, her face suddenly flushing red, as if telling a story.
Hachiman: "It's amazing how time flies. You used to be so sharp-tongued, I didn't expect you to have a caring side."
Yukino: "Huh?? Does Hikigaya like being treated badly? Well, I can do that to you too."
Hachiman: "That's not it, idiot."
Yukino tilted her head and smiled softly: "Yes, time passes so quickly. I'm so glad I became your partner. As long as the people I care about understand me, who cares what happens to everything else?"
Even though she said it very vaguely, Hikigaya instantly understood what she meant. In the last six months, Yukinoshita Yukino hadn't really changed. Most of the time she was still alone, so...
There was no way Hikigaya couldn't understand what she was saying.
Maybe it was the first time he'd heard someone say that. Hikigaya also turned his head away shyly. Seeing this, Yukinoshita's smile became even brighter, melting even the coldest ice, and it was deeply imprinted in Hikigaya's heart.
Yukino: "Can I ask you a favor?"
Hachiman: "So there are things you can't do? That's unbelievable..."
Yukino: "I'm helpless with this one thing... and I want you to be the one who can do it."
"If it goes well... then I won't have any reason to keep challenging Erina."
Not quite understanding what Yukinoshita meant, Hachiman simply asked:
"What is it?"
"In the finals, please, defeat me."
"I believe that one day, you will be the one to save me, Hikigaya."
Yukinoshita was always so honest. Although he never thought he would hear such words from such a strong girl, there was no lie in her sincere words.
Although he still didn't understand, after seeing Haruno, Hikigaya could more or less sense that this matter might not be as simple as he thought.
And the current Yukinoshita Yukino was different from usual, maybe that's why...
Whether it was her cold expression, her gaze, or her sharp words, they were all probably her ways of protecting herself. And behind all that was a burning heart wrapped in frost.
Only by peeling it open layer by layer, like an onion, could you truly reach her core, and a request like this, spoken at the end, must be the truth from her heart.
Hachiman: "I'll do my best..."
Yukino's smile seemed like it would never disappear. She had a strange trust in the boy in front of her who had unknowingly helped her escape the nightmares of the past, and she just replied softly:
"Yes, that's good..."
"I believe you can do what you say, Hikigaya."
...
In the distance, Erina, who had finally gotten away from the crowd's questions, finally broke out of the building with Hisako. Since the last incident, their relationship had indeed improved somewhat, and... in Erina's heart, those photos were indeed proof that he cared about her, so now... it was normal for her to send her blessings, yes.
After a lot of hard work, Hisako and Erina finally found Hikigaya, but...
Hisako: "Erina, that's Hikigaya over there, right? But he seems to be chatting with Yukinoshita, and he looks happy. Should we go over now?"
Erina was a little dazed: "Yuki... Yukinoshita..."
Hisako: "Erina?"
Erina: "Send him what? Why should I, a proper young lady, send blessings to a guy like that? I hope he loses as soon as possible! Idiot, idiot, idiot!"
Hisako: 'Erina is really hard to understand...'
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