Can you handle my Hikigaya's cooking?

In just a few moments, all of Hachiman's food had been eaten up, while Mito's food was only half finished because the vegetables and beef were not matched evenly. After the greasy taste of the meat came up, the food was not hard to swallow, but it had lost its original flavor.

Noticing Mito's dissatisfied expression, Hachiman simply said:

"I heard from Marui that you would use high-quality beef ingredients. It is true that I can't beat you in terms of ingredients. In order to compete with the deliciousness of meat, the vegetables must naturally enhance their unique flavor. However, the two flavors will definitely conflict, so in the end, this dish is made."

"Although there is nothing wrong with the method, Mito-kun, you didn't show the true function of vegetables at all, so this is the result."

Mito's body was shaking continuously. She could neither accept nor acknowledge Hachiman's twisted words.

but...

Perhaps he noticed her dissatisfaction early on, and Hachiman just handed over his [Hikigaya-style Vegetable Jelly] before the other party became completely furious.

"A famous person once said that the purpose of cooking is to taste each other's food and find out each other's shortcomings. So please taste my cooking story."

"No matter what suggestions and shortcomings there are, I will accept them all!"

Only when he said this, Hachiman's eyes revealed an absolute determination, and this momentum once again shocked everyone in the field, and Mito, who was closest to Hikigaya, completely extinguished his anger.

Unconsciously, she had stretched out her hands without any conscious control, and without much hesitation, she gently pushed the food in her hands into her mouth.

There was silence.

There was no discussion or noise, and everyone seemed to have focused their attention on the two of them.

There was no expression on Mito's face, but the movements of her hands revealed her true thoughts. The spoon in her hand trembled uncontrollably, and then she could no longer suppress the depression in her heart and kept putting the aspic into her mouth one by one.

I don't know when it started, but my body has been surrounded by a warmth, and the source of this kindness is the gentle man in front of me who is not good at speaking.

As long as you are close to him, no matter how cold your body is or how disappointed your heart is, hope will be rekindled.

...

Mito Yumei was a lovely child when she was little, but under the influence of her family's values, she needed to be not a lady but a strong and powerful person. I'm afraid that the sentimental her must have died at that time.

She didn't know when she grew up, nor did she know when she stopped crying. But at this moment, it was as if the emotions that had been suppressed for many years suddenly burst out, and tears couldn't stop sliding down her cheeks.

Hachiman: "If we only compete in meat dishes, I will definitely lose miserably, but..."

"No matter how much sugar you add, chili peppers are still chili peppers. That wonderful indescribable thing is indispensable."

“Just like this dish, sometimes you don’t need to follow a fixed recipe. After all, no one can define what is right for you.”

"You are you, no matter how you change, you will never change."

Mito raised her head suddenly, but tears still couldn't stop falling. Yes...why should she define what it means to be a lady and to be strong?

As long as it's yourself, isn't that enough?

"Damn it..." She gritted her teeth and tears fell to the ground. Once again... everyone was speechless.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

As the three judges pressed the blue button at the same time, the outcome of the food battle was decided.

Kawashima Rei: "The winner is, Hikigaya Hachiman!"

Hachiman gently took off his apron, handed a tissue to Mito from his pocket, and returned to his stove to pack up without any joy of victory.

Mito: "Well... that..."

Hachiman: "What's wrong?"

Mito: "Can we exchange cooking skills in the future?"

A faint smile finally appeared on Hachiman's face: "When you enter the Polar Star Dormitory, you will find that such things happen every day."

Mito wiped away her tears with her hands and placed the tissue handed to her by Hachiman on her chest, as if feeling the warmth he brought.

"Yes!"

"Well, see you next time."

Although Hikigaya left the stage at this point, discussions continued to be heard from the audience seats.

Obviously, there is no stopping anytime soon...

Chapter 39 Why do the ten heroes quarrel like elementary school students?

Some people in the audience couldn't even believe their eyes.

"Hey, hey... Is this... the end?"

"So fast? Wait, so now the guy whose name I don't even know wins?"

"How is it possible that he could beat Mito? Who is this guy? Why have I never heard of him before?"

At the same time, everyone in Polar Star Dormitory also came to their senses and instantly burst into excited smiles.

Tadokoro Megumi: “I really won!”

"I always feel like this is too easy. Our opponents are Mito and Hikigaya... They're too powerful."

Ryoko breathed a sigh of relief: "Now the Polaris Dormitory won't be occupied by them anymore!"

Ibusaki: "Isshiki-senpai! Oh, I forgot that Isshiki-senpai went to the bathroom."

Yoshino: "We're having a celebration party tonight!"

Marui: "Don't be in my room..."

Amidst the noisy discussions, only Mito still stood in the center of the stage.

Come to think of it, how long had it been since she had felt defeated? So long that she couldn't even remember.

Maybe it was the last time I played against Erina. That alone was the most unforgettable experience in the entire junior high school.

but...

I clearly failed, but why...why could I still laugh from the bottom of my heart?

Weird, really weird.

I shouldn't be laughing. I shouldn't allow myself to lose to anyone other than Erina. But now, I accepted it so easily.

That dish...

Although the plate was empty and the referee and opponent on the stage had left, Hikigaya's appearance just now was still imprinted in her mind.

Perhaps, she couldn't explain what this feeling was. She only knew that some things might be more important than winning or losing. Maybe that was not a lesson for chefs, but a lesson for life.

That's why she can accept her failure so calmly.

...

Long before the result of the competition was decided, Erina and Hisako had already left the independent VIP room. Although she tried her best to control her emotions, Erina's face still revealed a hint of dissatisfaction when she thought about Hikigaya surviving again.

"Hisako, what on earth is going on with that guy!?"

Although Hisako secretly observed and checked Hikigaya's information, she didn't find anything important. After all, he really only became a chef in those two days, and before that he had only been working as an assistant in a small restaurant.

Without waiting for Feishazi to answer, the two of them stopped.

"Ms. Erina, judging by your expression, we won the game."

The one standing in front of her was Isshiki Hui. He had gone to the restroom halfway through the game, but he came here first and stopped Erina who wanted to leave. Perhaps it was because of his confidence in his junior, he never thought that Hikigaya would lose, but there was something he had to ask for an explanation.

Erina's face soon showed a faint smile:

"Senior Isshiki, congratulations, the Polar Star Dormitory is still alive and well."

"Ahahaha, Miss Erina, did you go too far this time?"

Just one sentence instantly caused a conflict in the corridor. Erina crossed her arms, while Isshiki Hui still had a faint smile on her face. The two of them just confronted each other.

Erina: "I don't see any problem with me reclaiming a dormitory building that wastes school space, Isshiki-senpai."

Isshiki: "Huh? Is that really the case? No matter how you look at it, Miss Erina didn't come here for Polaris Dormitory. Is it really okay to bully my junior like this? Or... do you two have some private dispute?"

When she heard the word "privately", Erina, who had been so strong just now, blushed instantly. The shyness that was visible to the naked eye made her lose her advantage for a moment.

She clenched her fists and argued loudly, "No! There is nothing between him and me. I am a lady, how could I have any conflicts with such a person? It's you...Senior Isshiki, are you too lenient with your juniors?"

Feishazi covered her mouth and wanted to laugh.

So this is how the top ten quarreled. Why do I always feel like they are just elementary school students?

However...the person they always talk about, Hikigaya Hachiman, makes Himeko feel more and more that maybe this guy will really lead Totsuki to bloom one food wars flower after another in the future.

Isshiki did not deny that he was tolerant of his juniors. Instead, he smiled and tried to avoid the topic of the past, waved his hand and said:

"Well, enjoying campus life with the younger generation is a very sacred thing."

"In this case, Senior Isshiki should be careful. Living in a gentle and comfortable environment all the time will easily lead to falling into a quagmire. I will move forward to take your place as the Seventh Hero one day."

"Then I await your challenge."

The two of them didn't say another word, they just walked towards each other and finally passed each other.

...

On the other hand, Hikigaya, who finally returned to the dormitory, felt extremely relaxed. It was like he could finally let go of the worry that had been hanging in his heart. At this moment, the only thing that Hikigaya could enjoy the most was a good night's sleep.

"Hikigaya-kun! Let's have a celebration party..."

"Hey, don't just appear from my ceiling as if nothing happened..."

Anyway, although no one knew why, at this time when they should have been sleeping, everyone gathered in Marui's room and started this huge and joyful celebration party.

Tadokoro Megumi and Hikigaya still sat in the corner as usual. After all, they really found it difficult to fit in with this kind of situation. Even so, the happiness in their hearts was the same.

Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya-san, thank you for protecting this place."

Hikigaya: "No... After all, I am also one of them, so no matter what, I am just protecting myself, it's not that great."

Ryoko put her arm around his neck, raised the craft juice in her hand, and said:

"Hikigaya, I heard from Xiaohui that you are a very troublesome guy. It turns out to be true. But no matter what you say, if it weren't for you, this place might have been demolished, so I still thank you from the bottom of my heart."

For them, perhaps Polaris Dormitory is the unforgettable memory that has accompanied them throughout their three years of junior high school.

So...that's good.

I don't know if Ryoko did it on purpose or if she really forgot. She held Hikigaya's neck tightly. Everyone was having a great time except for Tadokoro who kept saying in a flustered manner:

"Hikigaya-san...Hikigaya-san is about to be strangled to death."

"Ah?"

Chapter 40: The Fastest Celebration Banquet

Ryoko finally reacted and let go of his neck, but Hikigaya was already foaming at the mouth and his eyelids were twitching.

"Hikigaya..."

"Hikigaya-kun!"

"Hikigaya-kun... send him to the infirmary..."

On the eve of losing consciousness, Hikigaya only felt that his body was immersed in a dream that he could not wake up from. He could clearly hear their calls and see their anxiety, but he was completely unable to move.

"Is this the legendary revolving lantern?"

...

When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying on the bed in his room. Hikigaya just raised his hand slightly. This feeling of suffocation...

That's right, I'm still alive.

I always feel that everything that just happened is like a dream, but it is also very real. After all, I still have some difficulty breathing.

Perhaps because she noticed that Hikigaya had woken up, Tadokoro Megumi beside her also let out a sharp scream. Perhaps because she covered her mouth in time, the scream was not very loud, but it still scared Hikigaya.

Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya-san, you're awake! That's great..."