Can you handle my Hikigaya's cooking?

"Dong, Dong, Dong..." As the bell rang violently, the commander-in-chief suddenly stood up at this time:

“Cooking, start!”

Following the commander-in-chief's order, the two began to cook without any delay, but... it was really hard to concentrate.

From the beginning, Hachiman noticed that, unlike his own stove, almost all the machines on Alice's side were machines that Hachiman could not understand. While he was busy processing the ingredients, he was watching her movements.

However, speechlessness and silence almost occupied Hachiman's mind at the same time.

The situation before her eyes was no longer incomprehensible, because Alice's movements did not seem like cooking at all, but rather like some kind of scientific experiment. The test tubes looked particularly terrifying.

The bright red liquid seemed to have completed an unimaginable reversal after passing through several machines, and directly turned into clever jellies.

Well, in order to stop himself from getting too deep into it, Hachiman could only focus completely on himself. After all, no matter how he observed, he couldn't understand the process of Alice's cooking. Instead of doing that, he might as well concentrate on making his own cooking.

only....

It wasn't just Hachiman who couldn't understand Alice's operation. It could be said that no one at the scene could understand how the machine worked and what it produced. Even Erina was the same. So in the end... everyone's attention could only be focused on Hikigaya.

However, under the gaze of nearly 10,000 people in the audience, everyone still noticed something was wrong.

"I thought he would show off his skills more fiercely..."

"By the way, we didn't pay attention to how this guy cooked during the preliminaries. Why is it a little different from what I imagined..."

"Uh, I feel like this is a newbie from somewhere."

"Not really, it's just that the technique is too unskilled... It gives the impression that he is not an elite cook."

Not only the audience, the commander-in-chief seemed to have noticed this as well, but he said nothing and just stared at the two people in front of him quietly.

Yoshino: "It's over, it's over. There haven't been any competitions like this recently. I almost forgot that Hikigaya's knife skills were questioned as amateurish..."

Ryoko: "It's not that exaggerated. After all, the devilish training is still effective. But if you say it's amazing, then it's definitely not."

Takumi sighed helplessly: "This guy's attainments in this area haven't improved at all..."

Yukinoshita, who had been standing beside the crowd for some time, was obviously a little unhappy after hearing this:

"No, it's much better than before."

Feeling the inexplicable oppression from Yukinoshita, the chatterbox Takumi surprisingly shut up.

For those who have seen his knife skills before, they will definitely think that it is a great improvement now. However, for the audience who know nothing, after seeing Hikigaya's solid knife skills now, they are just a little confused for a moment.

"By the way, this guy is Hikigaya, right..."

"should be..."

"What do you mean by should..."

"To be honest, even though this name got a terrifying score of 98 points at venue A, why can't I seem to remember his face? Is there really someone whose presence is so weak?"

Listening to what the audience said, it seemed that more and more people reacted, as if only now, they really observed this guy's face. After all, during the preliminaries, not many people paid attention to him, and when he served the food, almost everyone's attention stayed on the vegetable salad...

And now, perhaps it is the real sense of seeing.

And this is all thanks to Alice Nakiri's completely incomprehensible cooking techniques, otherwise... probably no one would notice such simple cooking skills.

However, at this moment, Hachiman was completely focused and could not notice how many eyes were watching him. His cooking had already begun to evolve in his mind. Although the preparations this time were not sufficient, at best, it was just a modification of his father's dish, which was different from the original one he prepared in the preliminary round, but...

Perhaps he has grasped the meaning of the so-called bento.

As time passed, the two of them finally finished cooking. As expected...Alice was still a step faster.

Kawashima Rei: "The first contestant to finish is Alice Nakiri. Now, please invite Alice to serve her dish."

Alice: "Come and eat!"

Although the appearance of the dish was hidden by the transparent lid, the rising mist made it impossible to see the appearance of the dish with the naked eye.

Ryoko: "This guy has come up with some weird dishes again..."

Yoshino: “What? I don’t understand.”

Mito: "Marui, explain it quickly!"

Marui: "Well, even for me, this is beyond my comprehension..."

Yoshino: "Idiot, are those glasses of yours for nothing?"

Marui: "Who is the idiot who came up with the idea that wearing glasses will make you smarter?"

In the distance, Yuigahama sneezed suddenly:

"yawn!"

Miura: "Are you okay? Is it because the temperature in the venue is too low? Are you catching a cold?"

Yuigahama smiled and responded, "No, Yumi-ko, I just sneezed accidentally."

Miura: "Idiot, wipe it with a tissue first, the final result will be revealed soon."

Yuigahama: “Yeah.”

...

Judge Anton: "The dishes were prepared with the skillful use of various instruments, which was a very inspiring and beautiful performance, and it was quite in line with the theme of food celebration."

Alice gently lifted the lid of the pot, and the true appearance of the dish that was steaming inside was finally revealed.

Granular bright red meat, rice wrapped in rice dumpling skins, and a variety of strangely shaped sushi bento boxes.

The commander-in-chief immediately noticed the peculiar dish made by his granddaughter, and said with satisfaction: "Temari sushi?"

Alice: "Yes, a Temari Bento that incorporates the essence of my existing techniques."

Judge No. 1: "How beautiful it is, it is simply a work of art, and I dare not taste it easily."

Judge No. 2: "The mist is actually liquid nitrogen, which is also used to keep the sushi fresh."

Alice gently extended her hand: "If possible, please taste this bento in order starting from the upper left."

The Commander: "First, the seafood delicacies, abalone with foam."

Alice: "This foam is made from kelp soup. The abalone has been pickled with the kelp from the beginning."

After Alice's words, everyone had already put their first piece of food into their mouths, and Yukinoshita, who was a spectator, spoke up:

"Both the abalone and kelp have been pickled and the moisture has been properly removed, so they can be kept for a while. It's a very bold attempt."

"But there's more to it than that..."

"That sushi is made of swordfish cooked at a low temperature, and the creatine in the swordfish and the glutamic acid contained in the kelp are combined with the machine, and the sweetness of each is multiplied."

"If it goes as expected, the bento has a special flavor that can be tasted more and more through the superposition of various chemical molecules."

Listening to Yukinoshita's mumbling, the members of Polaris Dormitory nearby were a little confused. After all, such knowledge involved a scope that they could not understand, but Yukinoshita was still able to analyze it leisurely.

Yoshino whispered in Ryoko's ear: "I say, this guy is also a monster..."

Yukinoshita was not angry, she just smiled at everyone with her unchanging smile:

"Well, after all, I did take my chemistry class in junior high school and my grades in school are pretty good."

Mito: "That's true. After all, you transfer students and we students who study in junior high and high school together receive different knowledge points."

Marui: "No... that's not right. I think my knowledge level has reached the level of an ordinary high school student. Even if I leave Totsuki, I can definitely be called a top student. But I have never studied this part of chemistry."

After hearing what Marui said, everyone became a little terrified and looked at Yukinoshita as if she were a monster.

And Yukinoshita still answered calmly:

"Because the knowledge in junior high school was too boring, I started to study on my own. As for where I learned it to, I don't remember much anymore."

Everyone in the Polar Star Dormitory: "This guy is definitely a child prodigy..."

Back on stage, tasting Alice's bento, from sushi 1 to 12, each one has a different flavor, but a completely different taste. Even in the end, when the sushi of various flavors are stacked together, a new flavor has been formed.

The combination of completely different styles does not seem surprising at all. Through the combination of seafood, cake and vegetables, the 12 sushi are divided into delicacies in different areas, and innovations are made through the theoretical knowledge of chemistry.

The commander-in-chief: "Well done. This dish satisfies the tasters' needs for food in all aspects. This sense of satisfaction is the splendor of Japanese cuisine. Although it is only in such a small lunch box, it contains such great food wisdom. It is completely worthy of your title."

"Boom!"

The violent righteous energy spread out in all directions, and the commander-in-chief's body suddenly swelled up at this moment, and even his clothes were completely torn apart.

"This is the strength of Alice Nakiri..."

"After all, he was ranked first in venue B. It's normal for him to receive such an evaluation from the commander-in-chief."

"More importantly, I can't imagine how those guys her age would be helpless against a chef like that."

"I will never be able to catch up in my lifetime..."

Hachiman just watched her standing in the center of the stage, and the bright and beautiful shouts were a recognition of her, but...

A talent that shines too brightly may cast a shadow on the person behind it, just like a spotlight, which always leaves a shadow behind when it shines on someone else.

Unfortunately, Hikigaya Hachiman is the guy who has been struggling forward from this shadow.

If the game ended here, it would be too fast.

Even in the face of the recognition and cheers from the whole audience, Hachiman remained unmoved and just continued to finish his cooking.

And the commander-in-chief once again focused his attention on him.

This student, whom he had brought in personally, had already given him a surprise at this moment.

Commander: "No matter what situation you face, you are the one who doesn't need to back down in Totsuki Academy. Hikigaya, you did a great job."

At the same time, Alice also handed over her own dish.

After just a brief taste, Hachiman fell into deep thought.

“Delicious, but it felt like something was missing...”

Alice: "Stop bragging and finish your cooking! I'm looking forward to what kind of dish you will make."

Perhaps because the other party did not directly submit to her cooking, Alice felt a little unhappy.

but...

That's all.

And after tasting Alice's food, Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly remembered something.

"The fact that I think of you at this time is enough to show the success of your teaching, Mr. Shizuka Hiratsuka."

He smiled faintly and unconsciously sped up his hand movements.

"Bento for six people, done!"

Kawashima Rei: "Well, please welcome our contestant Hikigaya Hachiman to serve your dish!"

Maybe at this moment, no reason is needed anymore.

However, the words of his former junior high school teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, still haunt him:

"What is truly incalculable is feelings..."

I'm so sorry that it took me so many years to understand what I meant.

Chapter 88: Hikigaya is eliminated? Is this the end?

Kawashima Rei: "Then, please invite Hikigaya Hachiman to serve your dish."

Commander: "Hikigaya, what is your cooking?"

At this moment when everyone was paying attention, Hachiman didn't seem to have thought about this question at all. He just put his hand on his chin and thought for a while before saying:

"Hmm... let's call it Hikigaya-style Seafood Cheese Bento."

Erina: “That’s nothing…”

It's not just Erina. Almost everyone has a very general image in their mind when they hear this name. It's a picture of a few shrimps and a few slices of cheese covering the rice. However, even the fast food restaurants on the street can do that...

"You're not kidding us, are you?"

"What's that?"

"The name gives me a strange feeling..."