A young love story that started with exorcism

"The aroma is very unique, is it stewed beef? But why do I smell the scent of the ocean, the aroma of seafood?"

"Yeah, how come seafood and beef come together so naturally?"

"The aroma alone leaves ordinary contestants far behind."

……

Takahashi Takumi couldn't help swallowing his saliva when he smelled it. The aroma was a bit similar to the rich aroma of tuna and pork broth. It seemed that Hojo Midori had developed her own dish after research.

The tuna pig's predation level is not high, but after all, it is a gourmet ingredient from the captive of gourmet food. Now, can Hojo Miyoko make equally delicious food using the ordinary ingredients here?

Looking at the curry beef stew that Hojo Miyoko was serving, Yotsuya Miko wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth and said, "Has Miyoko's cooking improved again? It smells so good. I really want to be a judge so that I can eat her delicious food first. The other contestants' dishes are also great. It would be great if I could taste them all."

After hearing what Yotsuya Miko said, everyone around nodded in agreement, but they could only stare at Guang helplessly.

The faster competitors were already serving their dishes, but the first ones to arrive were naturally the smaller fish that were the first to be served. The judges on stage took one bite and began their comments, seemingly satisfied. However, when more than a dozen competitors came up, none of them scored above 50 points. The worst-case scenario was a 6, a single-digit score that made him faint.

The contestants who were competing to serve their dishes just now were so scared that they didn't dare to bring their dishes up, fearing that their dishes would also be rated with single-digit scores, which would be enough to ruin their reputation.

“Wow, this is too strict. I think the dishes they cook are very good, at least far better than mine.” Yotsuya Miko also spoke up for the contestants.

Yukinoshita Yukino, a daughter of a prominent family, had a different opinion. She earnestly explained to Miko, "It can't be helped. Those judges are all well-known figures in the food world. They've tasted all sorts of delicacies on a daily basis. While the students at Totsuki Academy are admittedly skilled in cooking, most of them are definitely not at the level of chefs at star-rated hotels, so it's reasonable for them to receive such negative reviews."

"Oh, is that so?" Yotsuya Miko thought for a moment and still said unconvincedly, "Then isn't it too cruel to let them, who have been trained to be picky eaters by the skills of star chefs, to judge? Look at those contestants, they're about to cry."

Yukinoshita Yukino smiled slightly and said, "There were about 1000 students enrolled in the first year of high school at Totsuki Academy. I heard that after the training camp at the resort, there were only about 600 left. The rest dropped out, so now there are probably less than 600 left. And by the second year, at least half of them will be cut off, and by the third year, at least half again. In the end, no more than 10% of the original number will be able to graduate, and sometimes only a single digit of people will be able to graduate.

If you think about it this way, do you think the current ratings are reasonable? "

With a graduation rate below 10%, Yotsuya Miko has nothing to say.

Just as Hojo Midori was about to pass the hesitant contestants, a foul odor suddenly spread from the side, scaring her so much that she quickly stepped aside to avoid being hurt by these biological weapons.

"Ugh!" Even the judges on stage couldn't stand the stench, and they all covered their noses and began to dry heave. Takahashi Takumi and the others regretted their close seating. The stench was like turning over a septic tank under the scorching sun, even worse than a can of herring.

Yet, even such a stinky dish received a final score of 84. The judges kept eating while saying it was stinky.

Yotsuya Miko covered her nose and said palely: "It's horrible. I have to eat this as a judge. I don't want to be a judge anymore."

Takahashi Takumi just laughed and said, "Of course I have to eat when I'm a judge. Even if it's chocolate-shaped feces, I have to eat it."

That's right, even if someone accidentally made Nine-Turn Large Intestine with fecal fluid, you still have to eat it. This is a modern conspiracy, and there's no way to avoid it.

But Yukinoshita Yukino said, "That's Laksa, a different kind of dark cuisine. It's said to smell bad but taste good, and it's a food that Southeast Asians got inspiration from eating durian.

But the food for the next person will be a problem. It has such a strong flavor that I won’t be able to enjoy other food.”

However, the next one was a medicinal dish that broke through the taste blockade, causing the two male judges to burst their clothes and the female judge to groan. In the end, it scored 92 points and temporarily ranked first.

However, the female judge did not have her clothes exposed, which is really unacceptable. Didn’t you see that the two middle-aged men next to her also had their clothes exposed? She is really out of place. Takahashi Takumi also felt very sorry about this.

Many outstanding contestants came out later. The dark laksa dish on the rating list had fallen out of the top four and had no hope of advancing. The top of the list was the granddaughter of the school commander, Alice Nakiri, who was far ahead with a score of 95 with an incomprehensible molecular dish.

It was then that Hojo Miyoko leisurely pushed the food cart up. The three judges all drooled at the beef stew placed before them. It was so fragrant. They had been waiting for this dish ever since they smelled the aroma that emanated from Hojo Miyoko's pot.

The aroma of pork bone soup is mixed with the deliciousness of grouper. When the two are added to beef and supplemented with various spices, the beef and fish are evolved. The combination of the two is like a whale swimming across the colorful seabed, or like a tuna wandering on the coral reef, and finally jumping out of the sea to welcome the sunshine.

After eating Hojo Midori's beef stew, the three judges seemed to have hallucinations as if they had taken drugs and started swimming in place. It took them a long time to come to their senses and they quickly started to finish the beef stew.

The final score given by the three judges was 93 points, which directly moved her to second place. Although she didn't beat Alice Nakiri, Tadokoro Megumi was the only one left in Group B who hadn't served her dish yet, so her lowest score was third place, which was a sure thing for her to advance.

As expected, Shokugeki no Soma's heroine, Megumi Tadokoro, still scored 88 points. However, the top four in Group B were Alice Nakiri with 95 points, Hojo Miyoko with 93 points, Nido Hisako with 92 points, and Aldini Takumi with 90 points. Thus, Shokugeki no Soma's would-be heroine failed to reach the quarterfinals!

How will the original plot of Food Wars! continue?

Chapter 192: Yukino's Invitation

Takahashi Takumi looked at Hojo Miyoko waving at him from above, and felt a lot more relaxed for a moment. Now that Hojo Miyoko has completely broken free from the constraints of the original work, she can now freely write her own chapter, no longer bound by any constraints.

But what about the others now?

Yotsuya Miko now has the ability to read and can fight against evil spirits, but the most important thing is that as long as the big evil spirit in the Sankitsune Shrine is not eliminated, Yotsuya Miko cannot be said to be completely free from the involvement of the original work. Even if Miko and Xiaohua do not go to the Sankitsune Shrine for help now, if the inertia of the plot continues, maybe one day she will happen to follow the original planned route.

In that case, we need to plan and deal with it as soon as possible. However, there seems to be a big guy in the back mountain of the shrine. He must not be someone to be trifled with, so we need to make a detailed plan.

In addition, Yukinoshita Yukino and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who originally lived ordinary lives, have now entered the extraordinary stage and have embarked on different paths.

The key is what's happening with the cursed spirits now. Takahashi Takumi guessed that Hanami had already told those special cursed spirits in the park about himself, Yotsuya Miko, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Kasumigaoka Utaha. Moreover, the scene of his battle with the cursed spirit that came out of the cursed fetus on the rooftop of the venue today was seen by Huoshantou Louhu, and he didn't know if he would be visited later.

This is a big problem. I have to go to the Jujutsu High School and talk to Gojo Satoru, at least to let those cursed spirits have some idea of the situation.

But now, Hojo Miyoko has come over happily, and Yotsuya Miyoko and the others have all congratulated her on advancing to the quarterfinals. Hojo Miyoko is also very happy, and she holds Takahashi Takumi's hand and says:

"I really have to thank Takahashi-kun for the tuna pork last time. That taste will stay with me for a long time. The curry beef stew just now was just an attempt to recreate that taste. Takahashi-kun is half responsible for my advancement today."

After saying that, Hojo Midori took Takahashi Takumi to her dormitory and personally cooked to entertain Takahashi Takumi and his group.

Thanks to Miyoko Hojo's superb cooking skills, a hearty and delicious lunch delighted Takahashi Takumi. The happiest person was Xiaohua, a foodie who always loved food. He had been envious the last time he heard that Miyoko had eaten super delicious food at Hojo House, and now, faced with all kinds of delicious food, he let go of his stomach and ate to his heart's content.

And now that Takumi Takahashi is here, there are no evil spirits coming to consume Xiaohua's life energy, so this meal allows Xiaohua to truly enjoy the feeling of fullness that he has not felt for a long time.

After a hearty meal, Hojo Miyoko asked curiously, "During the competition, what was the reason for the noise coming from the roof from time to time? And what were you three, Miko, Yukino, and Shiha, spraying at the entrance and exit with the fire hoses?"

Takahashi Takumi glanced at Xiaohua. Since there was an outsider, he had to embellish his words. Besides, Hojo Midori didn't need to know too much, so he casually said, "Maybe some bad guy wanted to set a fire in your school, but was discovered by the quilt and chased away. The three of them were putting out the fire at the time."

"Is that right?"

Hojo Miyoko murmured inwardly, perhaps realizing that Takahashi Takumi was worried that she would overthink things and kept it simple. Thinking about it this way, Takahashi Takumi was concerned about her again.

Looking back, not only his career as a chef was saved by Takahashi Takumi, but even his life was saved by Takahashi Takumi. The dishes he cooked today were also inspired by the ingredients brought by Takahashi Takumi.

Looking at Takahashi Takumi's handsome face again, Hojo Miyoko felt a surge of heat in her heart. She had always been a big sister since she was a child, and now her heart was beating wildly. For a moment, she became shy and wanted to move closer to Takahashi Takumi to talk.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha had noticed her early on, and seeing her shy expression, she knew what she was going to do. Naturally, Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't want a girl with a figure even more amazing than her to get close to Takahashi Takumi. She immediately rushed to Takahashi Takumi's arms to rest, claiming that her mind energy was exhausted and she was not feeling well.

Now Hojo Midori had no choice but to give up in disappointment.

During the chat, I learned that the order of the quarterfinals will be decided by the draw tomorrow, and the competition will start from next Monday, with two games a day, until the semi-finals on next Saturday; and the final will be held on the Saturday after next.

"Then we won't be able to watch Midori's next game," said Yotsuya Miko dejectedly.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm already very grateful that you guys came to cheer me on today. If I'm strong enough, I can strive to make it to the semi-finals. Then, won't you guys come again?"

"Mmm~Miyoko, you can do it."

……

After the sun set in the afternoon, Takahashi Takumi and a group of five people took the bus back. There were no annoying evil spirits on this bus, and it returned smoothly. When sending them home one by one, Yukinoshita Yukino deliberately stayed until the end.

When Takahashi Takumi sent Yukinoshita Yukino to the downstairs of Yukinoshita's apartment and was about to go back, Yukinoshita Yukino reached out and pulled Takahashi Takumi's sleeve and said:

"Come up with me, I have something to tell you."

Takahashi Takumi turned around and looked at Yukinoshita Yukino. Ever since he had a fierce battle with the cursed spirit on the rooftop of the venue today, Yukinoshita Yukino had been in a bad mood. He originally thought it was because of the sudden battle with the cursed spirit, but now it seemed that there were other problems. So he tried to reach out and hold Yukino's hand, and seeing that she didn't refuse, they went back to Yukinoshita Yukino's apartment hand in hand.

Da, the apartment door was locked. Takahashi Takumi pulled Yukinoshita Yukino to sit on the sofa and asked worriedly: "Is there something wrong? Are you injured?"

"I'm fine." Yukinoshita Yukino moved the hand that was pressed against her forehead and said angrily, "Even if you're injured, what's the point of touching your forehead? It's not like you have a fever. And can you please let go of your hand? Do you still want to hold it after we've already entered the house?"

"Why can't we hold hands after entering the house?" Takahashi Takumi felt Yukino's small hand, which was equally smooth, but a little colder than Miko's hand.

Seeing that Takahashi Takumi not only did not let go of her hand, but instead stroked it more seriously, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly asked: "Aren't you curious about what I asked you to come up to ask?"

Takahashi Takumi looked up at Yukinoshita Yukino's beautiful face. She looked stunning in a black off-the-shoulder dress. The slim fit accentuated her slender waist, and her delicate collarbone was visible beneath her delicate shoulders.

At this distance, Takahashi Takumi could smell the fragrant scent of Yukino, and his anger suddenly rose in his lower abdomen. He looked away with difficulty to look into Yukino's eyes and asked, "What do you want to ask?"

"Hmph, it's because..." Yukinoshita Yukino opened her mouth, then hesitated to speak, and finally gritted her teeth and said it.

Chapter 193 Kiss

"Today, Senior Kasumi Aki learned some Nen skills, and they were used to great effect. If she hadn't suddenly exploded, that student would have died tragically in front of us.

And Jianzi will be able to summon phantoms that can attack in coordination the earlier he does. Although only two fists can move now, I believe that the entire phantom will be solidified soon, and the strength will definitely be stronger.

What about me? Apart from the fact that my punches were a bit more powerful, I had no special features at all. I suddenly felt like I was the weakest one left."

When Takahashi Takumi heard this, he realized that this was the case. Seeing that his companions' strength was increasing rapidly, but Yukino herself had not improved much, was he worried that she would fall behind?

Yukinoshita Yukino blushed and added: "I'm not jealous, I just want to strengthen myself."

Takahashi Takumi naturally understood that Yukino wasn't jealous, but when it came to strengthening, how could one do so? Strengthening abilities, in particular, reflected one's fundamental strength. This involved either developing a strong body and then mastering martial arts, or mastering weapons, such as swordsmanship. However, both these skills required extensive practice, unlike other abilities, such as the Materialization type, where simply manifesting an item and understanding its use could significantly increase one's strength.

Yukinoshita Yukino's current physical fitness is still due to the nourishment of the big peaches, but now the effect of the big peaches has disappeared. Without the blessing of external forces, with Yukino's current physical fitness almost beyond the limit of ordinary people, it is difficult to improve it by exercise alone.

Then the only thing left is to strengthen the study of Nen ability. After all, you are a beginner in Nen ability. Your strength will definitely increase after accumulating Nen energy and using it skillfully. Of course, it is impossible to achieve quick success.

Thinking of this, Takahashi Takumi said helplessly: "I said at the beginning that you must lay a solid foundation for Nen ability. There is no shortcut. If you want to improve your strength, you must practice diligently."

Yukinoshita Yukino also understood that she was asking too much. She had only learned Nen the day before yesterday, and now she was proficient in it, yet she still had so many demands. Thinking of this, Yukinoshita's face flushed, and she was also annoyed. For a moment, she said with shame: "I'm sorry! Takahashi-kun has done so much for me, and I haven't repaid him a bit. I'm not satisfied, and I'm greedy and making things difficult for Takahashi-kun. I really..."

Seeing Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly look guilty, Takahashi Takumi said with a bit of amusement, "Haha, are you feeling bad seeing that you've been left behind by Miko and the senior sister one after another? It's okay, I understand your feelings. After all, you've always been the top student in the grade, and now you're last in our team. The gap is quite big."

"Hmph, I will catch up." Yukinoshita Yukino's unyielding nature was aroused again, and she immediately expressed her desire to start practicing Mind Energy right away.

Takahashi Takumi couldn't stand this, and took her hand and said, "Hey, don't be impatient. Why didn't you continue talking about repaying the favor just now? Don't get me wrong, I'm just curious about how you will repay it, not to ask for repayment."

After hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino rolled her eyes at Takahashi Takumi, reached out and slapped Takahashi Takumi's hand away, stood directly in front of Takahashi Takumi, and stared down at Takahashi Takumi's eyes.

"Then how do you want to repay me?"

"I don't know, as long as it's Yukino, I like it no matter what."

Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the face of the boy in front of her and found him to be very handsome. No wonder some of the girls in her class were secretly discussing confessing their love to him. Some wanton vixens were even planning to create an encounter and get close to him in order to seduce him.

Looking at it this way, Yukinoshita Yukino's heartbeat began to accelerate and her face turned even redder.

Takahashi Takumi also looked up and met her gaze, his usually stern expression revealing a unique charm as his cheeks flushed. That day in Yukinoshita Yukino's room, the light was blocked by her hair and I couldn't see her clearly, but now her snow-white skin and beautiful face were right before my eyes.

Takahashi Takumi couldn't help but reach out and pull, and Yukinoshita Yukino fell gently into Takahashi Takumi's arms as soft as if she had no bones.

"Hmm~" Yukinoshita Yukino groaned and put her arms around Takahashi Takumi's neck. Suddenly, she felt a pair of big hands grabbing her legs, and then let her sit astride Takahashi Takumi's thighs.

The two hugged each other like a couple in love. Takahashi Takumi lowered his head and took a deep breath on Yukinoshita Yukino's neck. The pleasant fragrance was intoxicating.

Unable to help himself, Takumi Takahashi opened his mouth and kissed the snow-white and tender shoulder, which made Yukinoshita Yukino's body tremble. She raised her head affectionately, looking at Takumi Takahashi with nervous and shy eyes and a little expectation.

When Takahashi Takumi saw Yukino's expression, he couldn't help himself any longer and bent down to kiss her red little lips.

In an instant, Takahashi Takumi felt it was so soft and fragrant.

Yukinoshita's eyes suddenly widened, then slowly closed in a daze. Her body trembled slightly, and her hands tightly grasped Takahashi Takumi's collar. Finally, the kiss they hadn't completed last time was continued today, and a surge of unprecedented sweetness welled up in her heart. Feeling the heat from Takahashi Takumi's body, like a flame, slowly ignited her heart and made her cheeks burn.

After a long time, their lips parted. Yukinoshita Yukino's face flushed red, and she gasped for breath.

Takahashi Takumi was savoring the wonderful kiss just now, and looking at Yukinoshita Yukino's moist lips, he was ready to move again. However, before he could catch his breath, Yukinoshita Yukino saw that he wanted to come again, so she quickly put her hand on his chin, then lowered her head and lay on Takahashi Takumi, breathing heavily.

Feeling the still trembling body, Takahashi Takumi had no choice but to reach out and gently stroke Yukinoshita Yukino's back.

The kiss just now seemed to have exhausted all of Yukinoshita Yukino's courage. At this moment, she just buried her head deeply in Takahashi Takumi's chest and dared not look up to see anyone.

Takahashi Takumi knew she was too shy to handle, so he turned her around and put her on the sofa, then took the panda pillow from the sofa and stuffed it into her hand. Seeing that she still buried her head in the pillow and dared not show it, Takahashi Takumi had to take out a few white apples, made an excuse to squeeze juice for her, and walked away to let her calm down.

When Takahashi Takumi came back with a glass of juice, Yukinoshita Yukino finally calmed down a little.

"Here, have a glass of juice."

Yukinoshita Yukino took the cup and took a small sip, her eyes dodging as she whispered, "I was just repaying you for saving my mom and sister. Don't think too much about it. When you go back, you have to act like usual. You are not allowed to tell Miko and the others."

After saying this, seeing Takahashi Takumi's somewhat surprised look, he said proudly: "Jizi's position in my heart ranks before you."

"Really? I was just thinking of giving you one-on-one professional guidance on practicing your Nen ability. Since I'm so unimportant, I'll go find Jianzi and the others."

"Oh, no, you and Jianzi are already aligned, you have to stay and guide me."

……

Chapter 194 Living Together Tonight

Late at night, dark clouds blocked the moon and everything was silent.

Immersed in her training, Yukinoshita finally opened her eyes. Feeling the noticeable increase in her Nen energy, a smile appeared on her face. Having the guidance of Takahashi Takumi, a powerful Nen user, was indeed much better than practicing alone.

At this time, Takahashi Takumi handed over a glass of water and asked Yukino to start practicing.

Sure enough, the water in the cup continued to come out. Yukinoshita Yukino could also see that the amount of water overflowing was much more than the day before, and the circulation of mental energy was also much smoother.