Dojima Gin: "All you need to do is watch. Soon enough, he'll show you the answer with his own actions—this guy's secret."
Chef Sekimori: "Since you put it that way, Dojima, I can't help but be curious. Just how did he get this far?"
Chef Inui covered her mouth and giggled:
"If the students outside found out that Shinomiya was being challenged head-on by someone who only just became a chef, it would definitely cause an uproar."
Mizuhara: "Now I'm really curious to see what kind of surprise he'll give us."
At the same time, while the other head chefs were still in discussion, Chef Shinomiya had already finished his dish at incredible speed. All that was left was to place it in the oven and wait. On Hachiman's side, since he was starting to form a clear idea of his dish, his movements grew faster and sharper.
Yukinoshita never once looked his way. The two didn't exchange a single word, yet just by scent and sound, they could figure out exactly what step the other was on, and adjust their own work to match perfectly in time.
Chef Sekimori: "Hey, these two haven't spoken a single word since the start, right? Dojima didn't forbid talking, so why haven't they said anything?"
Chef Gotoda: "Don't tell me they already planned out their dish ahead of time?"
Mizuhara: "No way. Hachiman was only just assigned as sous-chef by Dojima a moment ago. There's no way they discussed anything in just half an hour!"
Dojima Gin gave a faint smile, crossing his arms as he spoke calmly:
"To be honest, this is only their second time working together."
"What?!"
"You're kidding..."
"No way..."
It was mostly just basic tasks, but even so, for them to work like this without eye contact or speaking, and for it to be only their second time... that was nothing short of a miracle.
Yukinoshita had never once worked in sync with anyone before. Before this match's rules were set, she had never even imagined being Hachiman's assistant. And yet here they were, accomplishing something beyond everyone's expectations.
With a swift motion of her knife, a silver flash cut through the air, as if turning into a dazzling waltz midair.
When she handed him bitter melon, then a banana, Hachiman immediately caught on. He stuffed the banana inside the bitter melon, wrapped it in filter paper, and placed it in the pan for a quick sear.
Mizuhara: "Bitter melon with banana? Never heard of that... Is this guy trying to make some kind of cursed dish to poison us?"
Sekimori: "I've never heard of that combo either, but judging from the smell, it's no joke. The crazy part is... those two actually thought of the same idea?!"
Gotoda: "No, this doesn't make sense! One's been cooking for less than a year, the other for less than a month... Hold on, let me process this—what country's cuisine is this even supposed to be?"
Hachiman showed no signs of slowing down. Once he fully entered his state of focus, he poured everything he carried inside himself into the dish.
If his actions ever caused Yukinoshita trouble, that was the one thing he absolutely refused to allow.
No matter what, he didn't want to bother anyone else. That thought spun in his head again and again as he cooked.
Yukinoshita: "The sinew from the beef shoulder is all trimmed. Should we go with chicken liver or foie gras next?"
Hachiman: "Foie gras."
After that one reply, they immediately got back to work. The reason she asked was simple—choosing between chicken liver or foie gras meant going down two completely different paths for the final dish. Once that choice was clear, the two of them worked as if they shared the same unspoken understanding.
But to the others watching, it just looked like the two of them were each cooking on their own. Only those rare moments of cooperation reminded them that the shokugeki was still going on.
The moment the foie gras was handed over, Hachiman trusted her without a second thought and poured it straight into his pot without even looking at it.
That kind of trust in Yukinoshita was something extraordinary. Hachiman was never the kind of person to trust others easily, yet at that moment, it felt like he had thrown away everything else in his mind, putting all of his focus into the dish in front of him.
After finishing her part, Yukinoshita took off her white apron, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and let out a long breath of relief.
On Hachiman's side, he seemed to be at the final step. He took out the fried foie gras, brushed a thin layer of egg wash over the bitter melon, then added breadcrumbs. At last, this unusual dish was revealed to everyone.
Mizuhara: "I see! This is a banana foie gras roll, made by combining the French ingredient foie gras with Chinese cooking methods like pan-frying, deep-frying, and wrapping."
Sekimori: "That's true, now it makes sense. But adding bitter melon as an ingredient? I've never even heard of that."
Gotoda: "Honestly, it scared me just now. I've been a chef for years, but serving a dish with banana and bitter melon as the main ingredients? I've never seen anything like it."
Dojima Gin: "Now this is getting interesting."
Inui Hinako: "Eh? Why did they choose this dish? How did they end up so in sync?"
Once again, everyone's eyes turned to Yukinoshita, who had just finished cooking. At the same time, Shinomiya's gaze also secretly shifted to her.
But Yukinoshita, usually sharp and sensitive, seemed to have lost all awareness of her surroundings. Her eyes were fixed only on Hachiman. No one knew what she was thinking—maybe not even herself.
She hadn't grown up cooking. Most of the time, the family's meals were handled by a maid. The first time she really touched cooking was because of her sister, Yukinoshita Haruno. Back then, she had just entered middle school, yet she saw her sister enroll in a place called Totsuki Academy and set off on a completely different path.
She didn't want to admit that she was following in her sister's footsteps, but…
It was from that moment that she, still just a middle schooler, stepped into the kitchen for the first time.
From then on, while keeping up with her studies, she kept digging deeper into the art of cooking. When she found out her sister had already graduated outstandingly from Totsuki, she grew anxious to catch up. So…
Maybe it was her natural talent, or maybe it was the ambition burning inside her, but that's what pushed her to where she was now.
Even so, from the time she started cooking until now, not a single person had ever truly understood what was in her heart—let alone become her partner.
Anyone who couldn't keep up would only drag her down. To surpass her sister and gain her parents' recognition, she had to cast everything else aside. But when she looked back, there was no one left.
Was she arrogant? Maybe…
But at the same time, she was insecure. Living under Haruno's shadow had shaped her into who she was.
And yet, in this moment, for the first time, her eyes were locked on the man in front of her. For the first time, she truly felt what it meant to share the power of teamwork.
She often mocked Hikigaya for having no friends, but wasn't Yukinoshita Yukino the same?
After the final steps, Hachiman had also finished his part, and the final plating, naturally, was done by the great second-in-command Yukishita, and as for the reason why...
Naturally, there was no need to say more.
Dojima Gin: "Time's up. Both sides, please do your final checks."
Shinomiya: "Hmph, then let my dish go first."
Shinomiya lightly pushed up his glasses. His whole body gave off the powerful presence of a top chef, a confidence built from many years of hard work abroad after graduation.
Under everyone's eyes, a green cabbage dish was brought forward.
[Cabbage Roll – Chou Farci]
Sekimori: "That's an unexpected choice. I thought you'd bring out something more of your specialty, Shinomiya."
Shinomiya: "Hmph, for dealing with these two brats, I don't need to be that serious."
But as he said this, his eyes clearly showed a bit of unease.
Gotoda: "A local dish from Auvergne. Minced meat and vegetables wrapped in cabbage leaves and steamed, kind of like stuffed cabbage in Western cuisine."
Mizuhara: "It may be a common dish in French homes... but in Shinomiya's hands, it feels very different."
Among all the chefs, only Hinako let out a small sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. After all, Shinomiya-senpai always makes such pretentious dishes... This time Yukinoshita and Hikigaya might finally teach him a lesson!"
"Bang!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Shinomiya's heavy palm landed on her head, making it practically smoke.
"Sorry sorry sorry... By the way, where's my share, Chef Shinomiya?"
Shinomiya: "You? Go share one with a dog."
Hinako: "Wrong, wrong, come on, really not even one for me? I'm still your junior after all...!"
Hearing her apologetic tone, Shinomiya's expression finally softened a little:
"You can share one with Mizuhara."
"Yes."
Gotoda: "The smell of these vegetables really stirs my appetite. I can't wait anymore."
Without any more talk, the three of them simply cut open the [Cabbage Roll – Chou Farci] and put the food into their mouths.
Mizuhara: "Mmm... ah..."
The aroma seemed almost visible, bursting out at once. The unique charm of the [Cabbage Roll – Chou Farci] revealed itself in full. Just the moment it touched their throats, the chefs were completely hooked. The multi-layered texture lifted the whole dish to another level. After only two bites, their faces were already flushed red.
Mizuhara's pupils shook as the fragrance leaked out with every breath, no longer held back. Her body twisted slightly, as if trying to resist with reason, but...
How could reason ever win against the pleasure brought by taste, or against the desires stirred by the body?
Mizuhara: "So... so good!"
Gotoda: "Perfect. As expected of Shinomiya. After all these years, your cooking has reached another level."
Sekimori: "This filling... it isn't the usual pork and onions used in regular cabbage rolls. It's chicken breast, and inside the breast meat, he's also added morels sautéed in beef fat along with seaweed. Then blended with butter, egg, and fresh cream into a smooth mousse and steamed. The unique taste it creates is unbelievable."
Mizuhara: "The mousse wraps around the tongue, melting quietly the moment it enters, and a rich flavor pours down the throat. But I think the key is the cabbage wrapping it. Because it's Savoy cabbage, raw it has a strong odor, but after heating, it turns incredibly sweet."
"Boiling, blanching, steaming—each process works the cabbage little by little, polishing it until all the flavors merge into one. In the end, it becomes a dish that feels like it's been touched by magic."
At the same time, Hachiman and Yukinoshita also tasted Chef Shinomiya's dish. As expected, the burst of flavor was truly unique.
Hachiman kept staring at the dish in front of him, and the image of Chef Shinomiya making it just moments ago was still vivid in his mind.
Dojima Gin: "That's Shinomiya for you. After graduating from Totsuki as the top student, he went straight to France. After years of training, he opened a restaurant in Paris and became the head chef. While French cuisine is usually focused on meat, Shinomiya made vegetables the star of his dishes. That shocked the entire French culinary world at the time. Soon, the people living in the city gave this Japanese chef an honorable title."
"The Magician of Vegetable Dishes."
Hinako: "Ugh, it's frustrating... but it's really delicious."
Sekimori: "Taking something so ordinary and, with his sharp instincts, weaving it into a dish you could proudly serve in a high-class restaurant."
Gotoda: "The soft, melting chicken mousse wrapped in fresh, sweet cabbage fills your whole mouth... no, your whole body! Tongue, body, everything is overflowing with this mysterious taste. This... this is magic!"
...
After tasting Shinomiya's dish, the judges didn't get lost in the memories it brought. Because they were great chefs from all over the world, they wouldn't let themselves be swayed. Instead, they were ready to judge Hachiman and Yukinoshita's cooking more fairly.
Shinomiya's dish received extremely high praise, and he was, after all, the former top student. Since then, he had only continued to improve. Defeating him seemed like pure fantasy.
But...
It was still too soon to give up.
Shinomiya's face showed clear confidence. From what just happened, he was sure the outcome of this Shokugeki was already in his hands. When he turned his gaze toward Hikigaya...
He wasn't shaken at all.
Even though his dish was flawless, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita's eyes, expressions, their entire presence—nothing wavered. It was as if...
They had burned their boats.
Or maybe...
They had never even considered Shinomiya's dish as an obstacle they needed to overcome.
By the time Shinomiya snapped out of his thoughts, Hachiman was already placing their dishes in front of the judges one by one.
The moment the lid was lifted, a golden light spilled out.
But...
Mizuhara looked at the dish, and instead of being impressed, seemed puzzled. He raised his hand.
"Wait. Before I taste your dish, I want to ask a few questions."
Hachiman and Yukinoshita just nodded calmly in silent agreement.
Mizuhara: "I want to know, how exactly did you two decide on this dish? From start to finish, you didn't say a single word. I'm really curious."
"Teamwork?" Yukinoshita turned to look at Hachiman in confusion. Her blank, innocent gaze seemed to toss the question straight to him.
She hadn't thought about it at all. Even though she was the sous-chef, she was the one handling the ingredients. As long as she passed them to him, maybe... he would understand what she meant.
Hachiman: "Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. And wait, why does that look weirdly cute? Almost fell for it..."
Since there was no need to lie, Hachiman simply said:
"Uh, it's not really that complicated. Cooking with two people is about the same as cooking alone. The only difference is efficiency."
"As soon as I see what she hands me, the image of the dish just pops into my head."
Back at the Hikigaya Diner, his sister Komachi and Joichiro worked together in the same way, and Hachiman just copied it here.
Yukinoshita nodded in agreement.
Sekimori: "Do you two even realize how hard that is?"
Mizuhara: "That takes a huge amount of theory, deep trust, and nerves of steel. One wrong step and everything falls apart. But even so... you still pulled it off."
Gotoda: "I feel like you two have shocked me more than once today."
Hachiman could understand what the judges were thinking. After all, assuming you know someone else's intentions is just being overconfident. So throughout the process, he had to constantly read Yukinoshita's thoughts, filtering and judging through the smells he picked up with his nose and the sounds he heard, then process everything in his mind to decide the dish.
Inui Hinako: "The banana foie gras roll is fine, but I have another question. When Yukinoshita gave you bitter melon, Hikigaya, didn't you doubt her even a little?"
Hachiman shook his head: "Not really. The air already carried a bittersweet aroma. Pairing bitter melon with the sweetness of banana brings out a unique taste."
At first, Hachiman thought it was some kind of weird, dark recipe. But since it came from someone who had passed Joichiro's tests...
Anyway, he just happened to know this random bit of knowledge.
Hearing Hachiman's explanation, the judges were completely stunned. Even before tasting their dish, they were already impressed by the two's teamwork.
Dojima Gin: "Alright, let's save the questions for after the meal. Next… it's time to taste this so-called banana foie gras bitter melon roll."
By coincidence, even though the dishes weren't set to a fixed style, they all ended up taking the form of a roll.
For Shinomiya, who already had the advantage, this naturally gave him most of the edge.
But even so, they had already made it this far. From here on, it was all or nothing.
Following Dojima Gin's lead, the other chefs also cut into the banana bitter melon foie gras roll.
But the moment the knife went through, a clear liquid slowly oozed out.
Sekimori: "What's this?!"
Mizuhara put it into her mouth, and the rich fragrance instantly filled her palate.
"Osmanthus sauce?!"
Gotoda: "It's really osmanthus sauce. I thought bitter melon and banana together was already strange enough, but this osmanthus sauce took it to another level. To merge such different ingredients and still create this kind of layered taste is unbelievable."
Mizuhara: "It not only removed the gaminess of the foie gras, but also didn't interfere with the mix of bitter melon and banana. I'm speechless—who would have thought of making it this way?"
Sekimori: "The way these different ingredients came together so perfectly is just…"
"Perfect!"
Dojima Gin: "And the amount of work that went into this—whether it's controlling the osmanthus sauce or balancing the flavors… no, wait…!"
Hinako: "What's that?!"
As the dish was revealed layer by layer, the truth could no longer be hidden.
Green herb sauce, yellow mayonnaise, and the special citrus together instantly balanced out every weakness of the dish.
Hinako: "How… how did they even pull this off?!"
Mizuhara: "This isn't the kind of risk just anyone would dare to take. And remember, for you two, this is a life-or-death Shokugeki match!"
Dojima Gin: "That's right. You've given me a huge surprise."
At the same time, Shinomiya's eyes quietly turned to Hikigaya. Even though he hadn't tasted the dish, for some reason, at that moment…
Hikigaya seemed to carry a strange kind of power.
Just what kind of magic did this dish hold?
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