Can you handle my Hikigaya's cooking?

The whole process took less than twenty minutes, and although all the movements and steps were so fast that afterimages were left, Hachiman still managed to capture them all.

"Try it."

Without much hesitation, Hachiman picked up a piece of pork. The perfect amount of flour made the pork chop look even more delicate. It was obviously pork, but it was as tender as beef.

"Awesome..." The admiration came instinctively. As soon as he put the pork into his mouth, it seemed to melt in his mouth, and it kept emitting a damn good aroma.

"The addition of cornstarch and olive oil when mincing the pork makes the pork more tender, and the use of pepper is just right. In every aspect, it is impeccable."

This is the strength of Isshiki Hui, the seventh hero of Totsuki.

It’s just a simple dish, but it produces a level of taste that some people cannot achieve in their entire lives.

However, strangely, this dish did not make Hikigaya have a strong desire to finish it, which shocked Isshiki even more.

Although it was only a moment, Hachiman still caught Isshiki-senpai's expression.

"delicious."

"Hikigaya-kun, do you have any suggestions for this dish?"

"No, I'm just a rookie chef. I'm not qualified to judge your cooking, senior."

If it was in Hotel Hikigaya, he would point out the problems in Komachi's cuisine without hiding anything, but here in Totsuki Academy, where cooking is everything, he has already suffered a loss once.

It is not reasonable for me to make comments.

Perhaps Isshiki also noticed Hikigaya's abnormality, because he immediately ran over and hugged his shoulders, his expression still gentle as he said:

"Well, although I am the Seventh Master of Totsuki, I don't have such a troublesome position in Polaris Dormitory. We are just a communication channel for cooking. No matter what suggestions you have, you can speak out without any worries. This is the fastest way for us to improve our skills."

Unable to disagree with these words, Hachiman finally made up his mind and nodded, looking at the dish again.

Chapter 33: Is this the legendary absolute sense of taste?

Hachiman: "If I must say, the only shortcoming of this dish is the problem of the heat. It's not that I didn't control it well, but flour and pork are not like beef after all. Overcooking will only cause them to lose moisture."

“So, when you eat it, it’s very rich in flavor, but it lacks a little bit of follow-up.”

Hachiman spoke in this orderly manner, and Isshiki beside him clapped his hands in agreement.

At the same time, after finishing her work, Megumi Tadokoro quietly walked into the kitchen with the vegetable jelly she had made.

"Hikigaya-san, Isshiki-senpai, would you like to taste the food I just prepared?"

Isshiki: "Oh! It's Odano's food. I'm starting!"

Hachiman: "Oh...thank you."

Using a toothpick prepared in advance to pick up a piece of soft and elastic jelly, the two soon became addicted to Tadokoro Megumi's cooking.

A pleased smile soon appeared on Isshiki's face: "So comfortable... This is the charm of Xiaohui's cooking."

Hachiman: "Indeed, it is really comforting to eat... As expected, Tadokoro-san is also very good."

At this point, Tansho Kei seemed to have remembered something and gave a helpless smile, then lowered her head and rubbed her hands.

"I have always been very nervous in front of people. When I get nervous, my mind goes blank and I become flustered."

"Well, that's not hard to understand."

"Eh?"

Hachiman's mind quickly emerged the time when Komachi was a child and her hands and feet were not as nimble as before. She was always so busy with the restaurant's excessive flow of customers that she could not handle anything. Sometimes she would even suddenly fall to the ground and cry.

However...it is arrogant to understand others without permission. Hachiman will not and will not allow himself to do so.

Everyone has their own difficulties, and all he can do is simply offer his suggestions.

"It's a time like this, the more you have to know what you want to do. If you can understand this, it will be much better. At least that's what my damn dad said."

"Ahahaha... What Hikigaya-san said is so profound... I still don't quite understand it, but I'll try my best."

Thinking back to the time during Mr. Shepper's class, Hikigaya's few words helped her break free from her nervousness. At that time, she always felt that her body was filled with unprecedented strength.

Even so, it is not enough... As a real chef, a lot of experience is gained in the kitchen, and today's Tanomo Megumi obviously has not really experienced that feeling yet.

Looking at the vegetable jelly in Tansho Kei's hand, the comfortable and gentle taste seemed to instantly stimulate Hachiman's brain nerves and made him think of something.

"I figured out what to do."

I see...

He had just noticed the kindness from those around him, and the dish made by Senior Isshiki seemed to be telling Hikigaya the best way to make a dish with vegetables and meat.

He deliberately revealed the shortcomings of his dishes, hoping to help Hikigaya in this way.

On the contrary, Tansho Kei, who was holding the food, was completely confused. It was obvious that she really had no idea.

Tadokoro Megumi: "What is Hikigaya-san going to cook?"

Yawata: "It is a meat aspic made of a lot of vegetables and a little meat, similar to jelly. The key to making it well is to control the loss of water to ensure that the dish has a rich taste layer."

Listening to Hikigaya's words, Isshiki Hui burst into laughter again.

"Hikigaya-kun, I'm really looking forward to your cooking. Now it's up to you, our Polaris Dormitory."

"Excuse me, Isshiki-senpai."

Isshiki waved his hand very casually and left the kitchen without saying a word. Hachiman, who felt the other party's kindness again, couldn't help but sigh at this moment.

"Isshiki-senpai, you are such a good person..."

As everyone knows, talking to lonely people must be done quietly in private. Although no one in Polaris Dormitory would laugh at Hachiman, in order to help himself, Senior Isshiki still chose an obscure way.

Not only does he possess strong cooking skills and a high culinary status, he is also very caring towards his juniors and even has an incredibly high emotional intelligence. In Hachiman's heart, he has truly become a true senior.

Tansho Kei seemed to be slow to react. After noticing that she and Hikigaya were the only ones left in the kitchen, she was actually a little panicked for a moment.

"Well, well, well...well, I'll go out too..."

"Tadokoro-san, could you please help me try the cooking? After all, it's just a flash of inspiration in my mind, so I have no confidence at all about how it tastes."

How could Megumi Tadokoro refuse Hachiman's request? A bright and healing smile soon appeared on her face.

"it is good!"

An hour later...

"Tadokoro-san, how about trying it?"

Faced with the dish in front of her that had no aroma at all, Tanomo Megumi actually began to feel a little bit of anticipation in her heart.

If you look at it from the outside, it is just a simple aspic with meat and vegetables, but...

When the fork touched the jelly, the entire jelly was actually bounced away by the strong pressure.

"Ah..."

Even my own vegetable jelly doesn't have such elasticity, but when mixed with meat, the dish becomes so chewy.

Seeing that the fork couldn't even be used, Hachiman quickly handed over a spoon.

With Tadokoro Megumi's frantic movements, she finally put the jelly into her mouth.

It's just... at this moment...

All the aromas burst out in an instant, and the chewy texture just now seemed to not exist, but melted into soup and flowed down the throat into the stomach, making people linger in it.

"It's delicious... With a dish like this, I might even have a chance of winning against Mito-san!"

It only took an hour to create such a dish. Tanado Kei really admired Hikigaya more and more.

He has not received any culinary education and has no experience as a chef, but he has memorized all the dishes he has eaten so far, and has reproduced and integrated them perfectly.

This is... no matter how much cooking knowledge you master, you can never reach this state of ecstasy...

Hachiman also took out another spoon and put the freshly made jelly into his mouth.

Half a minute later, his eyes became unfocused.

It’s not that the food is bad, it’s just that I feel like something is missing. If I want to defeat Mito like this, I still need a decisive factor.

Chapter 34: Emotions that cannot be ignored

Three days later, Polaris Dormitory.

Hachiman is still practicing in the kitchen. All hopes for Polaris Dormitory rest on him, and he doesn't want it to end.

In the past few days, some people in the Polar Star Dormitory have come to help Hikigaya or give some advice, but...

There was no leftover food on the table, stove, or trash can, which puzzled everyone.

Marui: "By the way, Hikigaya, what have you been doing in the kitchen these days? It is said that no one has eaten your cooking except Tanshoki's meat jelly dishes."

Everyone had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but Hachiman had no intention of hiding it, so he said directly:

"Oh... Actually, the dishes were decided on the first day, and most of the time afterwards was spent honing my basic skills. After all, Marui-kun, you also said that the food battle only lasts two hours."

Listening to Hachiman's words, everyone was dumbfounded for a moment. After all, this was related to whether he would drop out of school. Most people would constantly strive for perfection in their cooking before facing a food battle, but this guy...

"Hone...basic skills...?"

"Hikigaya, you're too careless, but this is also good, in this kind of competition, the most important thing is your mentality."

"Hahahaha, if Mito knew you were so relaxed, she would be so pissed off."

No one blamed Hikigaya for being lax. This was the irreplaceable atmosphere in Polaris Dormitory. Even though they had only known each other for a few days, they were joking around like old friends.

For some reason, Hachiman felt more and more that it was a great honor to have joined here.

At the same time, Grandma Wenxu also came out of the room with a box of cooking supplies in her hands. It contained all the seasonings, kitchen knives, and raw materials needed for Hachiman cuisine.

"These are the materials and equipment necessary for the competition. Boy, you have everything you mentioned. Remember... to win." When she said this, there was clearly a trace of emotion on Granny Wenxu's face that could not be ignored.

Yes, many generations have lived and prospered here, and the witness of all this is Grandma Wenxu. It is absolutely impossible to say that there is no emotion.

Just like his own Hikigaya Hotel and Grandma Fumiyo's Polaris Dormitory, it was not difficult for him to understand.

Ryoko soon noticed that Granny Wenxu was abnormal, and took her arm and said:

"Don't worry, Granny Fumiyo, we will win! No one will dare to attack this place anymore, right Hikigaya?"

"...I'll do the best I can."

Hachiman has always been on the road of pursuing the truth. He used to think that it was the most sincere relationship between people, but after seeing a scene that he would never forget in his life...

The emotional bridge between people may not necessarily be a great relationship, but may just be a residence, an object, or even a sentence.

And the person who tried to deny all this behind the scenes, Erina Nakiri...

In any case, he couldn't agree with her approach.

This battle is just the beginning.

...

After everyone gave their final instructions, Hachiman simply picked up the materials and utensils necessary for the food battle and slowly walked towards the preparation room.

Crossing the dark passage, outside is the brightly lit stage.

However, compared to the feeling of being watched by everyone, Hachiman prefers that dark passage.

The stage full of spotlights is not his home. Walking out of the dim exit, the deserted path there is his battlefield.

Hachiman has always known this.

He never longed to be on the big screen, nor did he hope that he would be noticed by everyone, but everyone has a code of conduct that cannot be ignored, and after resonating with it, even if he knew that it was not his destiny, there was no turning back.

Come, welcome to the first food battle.

"Everyone, thank you for waiting. The Food Wars Administration has recognized the official nature of this competition. I am Kawashima Rei, a first-year high school student who will be the host!"

"Ohhh! So cute, Xiaoli!"

Megumi Tadokoro, who was sitting in the audience, was obviously a little nervous. Even though she was not the one standing on the stage, it was her first time to see food battles in front of so many people.

"Is it... too many people?"

Marui: "Logically speaking, it's just a dispute about our dormitory, how could it be..."

Ryoko: "This scene is too scary..."