[Orbiting Kitchen Station — The Flavor Network]
The elevator doors hissed open, and Arin Sol stumbled out dripping seawater and pride.
Lira followed, dragging the half-snoozing Crimson Deep-Octopus in a transparent capsule.
They were greeted by applause—half genuine, half morbid curiosity.
"Team Earth returns," announced the chrome-plated announcer droid. "Status: surprisingly alive."
Arin flashed a peace sign to the cameras. "Ayos lang! Never doubted myself for a second!"
Lira snorted. "You drowned twice."
"Minor seasoning mishaps," he said. "Adds depth of flavor."
THE RIVAL
From the shadows of the galley floor stepped a familiar figure—graceful, sharp-eyed, and carrying an energy that could slice air.
"Still alive, huh?" she said.
The voice was soft but carried the weight of a kitchen knife.
Arin froze mid-grin. "...Kaiya?"
Lira blinked. "You two know each other?"
He gulped. "Yeah. She's—uh—my ex-sous-chef."
"Ex?" Kaiya arched an eyebrow. "You mean the one who got tired of cleaning up your disasters."
Arin rubbed the back of his neck. "Creative differences."
"You exploded a rice cooker."
"It was experimental!"
THE FLAVOR NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENT
A booming cosmic voice cut through their reunion.
"ATTENTION CONTESTANTS.
ROUND TWO: EARTH VS. EARTH.
A TASTE-OFF TO DETERMINE YOUR PLANET'S TRUE REPRESENTATIVE."
The crowd erupted. Even alien judges leaned forward, sensors pulsing with excitement.
Lira gawked. "Wait—what? We're fighting each other?!"
Kaiya's smirk sharpened. "You didn't think they'd let you represent Earth alone, did you, Arin?"
He frowned. "We were partners, Kaiya. You left to 'find the perfect flavor'—and ghosted me."
"I found it," she said coolly, holding up a glowing vial of golden liquid. "It's called Celestial Broth. Extracted from a dying star."
The light shimmered across her face.
Even the judges murmured.
Arin whistled. "Whoa. Okay, that's— I can't even make good ramen broth half the time."
THE SHOWDOWN BEGINS
Two floating kitchen arenas materialized—mirrored stations, suspended over a swirling galaxy.
Below them, stars bubbled like simmering soup.
The gong sounded.
ROUND TWO THEME:
Fusion Dish — Combine an Earth flavor with an alien ingredient.
Arin blinked. "Fusion? I got this!"
Lira crossed her arms. "You say that every time right before we almost die."
"Details, details…"
Kaiya smirked across the void. "Try not to burn the universe again, Sol."
"Once! It happened once!"
THE COOKING WAR
Arin rummaged through his cosmic pantry—octopus, bagnet fat cubes, alien chilies, starfruit from Vega-3.
He threw them all into a floating wok that spun lazily in zero gravity.
Lira winced. "You're just mixing random stuff again."
"That's the point! Chaos births creation! Or mild explosions."
"Probably both."
Meanwhile, Kaiya moved like clockwork—precise, elegant, silent.
Her broth shimmered gold, whispering faint music.
Every chop, every stir was poetry.
The audience leaned toward her station, mesmerized.
Arin's station, meanwhile, looked like an oil spill with dreams.
THE TURNING POINT
As the countdown ticked, Arin tasted his sauce and grimaced. "No, no, no—too bitter. Too empty."
He stared into his pan and sighed. "She's better, huh?"
Lira softened. "She's disciplined. You're… unpredictable. That's your edge."
He looked up. "My edge keeps setting things on fire."
"Then burn brighter," she said. "But mean it."
Something clicked.
Arin took a deep breath. Closed his eyes.
He thought of home—Ilocos sunsets, smoke rising from a bagnet stall, vinegar on his fingers, laughter from the crowd.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out his last Earth ingredient: a drop of Ilocano sukang maasim.
"One taste of home," he whispered, pouring it in.
THE CLIMAX
As it hit the pan, the universe shuddered.
Flavors exploded outward—chili, vinegar, starlight, sea.
A wave of scent washed over the arena, bending light and memory.
Judges clutched their taste nodes. "I can feel my ancestors eating!"
Lira shielded her eyes. "Arin, what did you do?!"
"Just—trusted the chaos!"
When the light faded, two dishes sat ready.
Kaiya's: a gleaming Celestial Ramen, broth singing softly in golden light.
Arin's: a humble Octopus Bagnet Fusion, sizzling on a banana leaf, glistening with interdimensional glaze.
THE TASTE TEST
The lead judge floated forward, tasted Kaiya's broth, and gasped.
"Perfection. Pure technique. A symphony of order."
Then, hesitantly, the judge tasted Arin's dish.
He chewed. Swallowed.
And suddenly started crying.
"What is this?" the judge whispered.
Arin rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… it's called lutong bahay, I guess?"
"It tastes like… failure. And hope. And Sunday lunch."
Arin blinked. "So… ayos?"
"Ayos," the judge sniffed, wiping a tear. "Painfully ayos."
RESULTS
"ROUND TWO WINNER: DRAW."
The crowd gasped. Even Kaiya's confident expression cracked.
"A draw?" she murmured.
Arin grinned. "Guess we both represent Earth now, huh?"
She turned away, hiding a smirk. "Don't get cocky. Next round, I'm not holding back."
"Neither am I."
Lira groaned. "Fantastic. Two chaotic geniuses on the same team. We're doomed."
Arin winked at her. "Nah. We're just getting started."
END OF CHAPTER 3