All night long, Erina couldn't sleep soundly. Even when she managed a light sleep, the tension she felt in her body would wake her up. When she opened her eyes again, her clothes were already soaked with sweat.
She never thought the day would come when she would stand on the same side as Hikigaya. She never thought she would go against her father like this. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, the unease in her heart told her the truth. Right now, she absolutely didn't want to see the school continue like this, and she didn't want to see Hikigaya forced to drop out.
What else could she do? No... what else was there that she could do?
She still held a seat on the Elite Ten, but couldn't offer any real help, and was just a useless rich girl. What difference was there between her and a stray kitten on the street?
Even him... if he faced a Food War that he couldn't win, what would he gain?
Amid such anxiety and tension, at the sound of the Polar Star Dorm's rooster crowing, she was jolted awake as if surprised. She sat up in bed again, her loose hair a mess, and she held her head with her right hand.
'No, this won't do! I can't let him do something so reckless. He'll lose... He's sure to lose!'
Thinking this, Erina was already moving. Without changing out of her pajamas, she rushed out.
'Now... I can still stop him!'
The sound of her running quickly woke up the other residents, but Isshiki Satoshi, who also hadn't slept, just shook his head sadly.
She arrived at Hikigaya's room and was about to knock hard, but she found that the door wasn't closed at all. But... Hikigaya was already gone without a trace, leaving only an empty room.
Still unable to accept what was happening, Erina walked to Hikigaya's desk as if she had lost her soul. There, she found a note that Hikigaya had left behind.
"Don't you always hope I'll get kicked out? Let's make a bet this time."
"I'll win, I promise."
The ink was still wet, so Hachiman had clearly written this recently. He knew Erina would try to stop him, so he had to leave early.
The loneliness seemed to leave Erina's face, and a faint smile appeared. She slowly raised her head, the self-mocking look as if she was making fun of her past self:
"I really am... such a pain..."
...
At the same time, Hachiman had told Etsuya beforehand. Since Hikigaya Restaurant was already targeted by Nakiri Azami, it was a win-win situation.
Although getting up early for a Food War was the worst thing in the world, after all...
He had been living too peacefully for the past two months. Without the usual excitement, Hachiman wasn't used to it. So...
Let's put on a good show.
Inside the Polar Star Dorm, maybe they were woken up by Erina's footsteps, and everyone was up early. Before anyone could react, they came to the hall in their pajamas, yawning and drowsy.
"Erina, what's going on so early in the morning?"
Marui: "Huh? Even Isshiki is up this early... What day is it, Harvest Festival?"
Yukino's manner was as elegant as ever, but she noticed that Isshiki and Erina looked serious and uneasy, so she asked:
"What happened?"
At that moment, Komachi, who hadn't realized what was going on, said:
"How can big brother still be asleep with all this noise? I'm going to wake him up. It's been a while since I've done that!"
Komachi's eyes showed a hint of excitement, because before she entered Totsuki, she was the one who always woke up her big brother. At first, it was annoying, but over time, she would feel uneasy if she didn't do it.
But...
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya isn't in the dorm..."
Ibusaki: "Maybe he went to the bathroom..."
Yoshino: "Idiot, I just came back from the bathroom."
Yukino suddenly understood. Her eyes became sharp, and she questioned the two as if she was on trial, her voice icy:
"Erina, where is Hikigaya?"
Perhaps feeling a bit guilty for not stopping him, she lost her usual pride and said like a little girl admitting her mistake:
"He... he went to a Food War."
"Huh?!"
"What..."
Not only the people there, but even Grandma Fumio, who was preparing breakfast for everyone, was stunned.
Yukinoshita's words were still icy, but this time, her tone was emotionless:
"Nakiri, you should know that the current Food Wars aren't real Food Wars. Why would you let him..."
Isshiki interrupted Yukinoshita, taking the blame himself:
"Don't blame Nakiri. This is my fault..."
Yukinoshita: "You have to explain yourself to me today, Isshiki."
With Isshiki's explanation, the full story was clear. But even so, it didn't mean Hikigaya could win the Food War. After all, it was an unfair match from the start, and even overwhelming strength might not be enough.
Luckily, after hearing their explanation, Yukinoshita's expression softened a little. She quietly lowered her head:
"I'm very sorry for what I said just now. But... if it were me, I would have stopped him, no matter the cost."
Now that things had come to this, everyone knew there was no turning back. Once Hikigaya had started the Food War, there was no way to stop it. Now, they could only hope for a miracle.
Looking at Yukinoshita's look, Erina felt the other girl's strong feelings for the first time. She realized how completely she had lost, even in love.
Even though Yukinoshita was also a fallen rich girl, she wasn't as clueless as Erina. Even though she had amazing cooking skills, she was willing to start over, staying in a small restaurant and slowly improving her skills.
She had lost in every way.
Was it really best to not change anything?
Did being at the top of her age group really make her the person she thought she was?
It was all just her imagination.
Power, status, money, even the effort she thought she was making, were nothing compared to others.
So...
Was this closed-minded, stagnant path really what Erina wanted?
...
At eight in the morning, as the second Food War challenger after the rice bowl club president, even at this strange time, it quickly attracted a group of undecided students. Their clubs were also facing the possibility of being shut down, and the only way to change that was through Food Wars. But...
Was it really worth fighting on, like yesterday's Food War?
Inside the Shiomi lab, Hayama Akira and Shiomi Jun's spice research had been stalled for days. To deal with what was happening, they did not know where to begin, but...
"Hikigaya..."
The Takumi brothers were also watching the TV as usual, and were somewhat moved by seeing Hikigaya on stage, as they were used to.
"That guy always does something unexpected."
At the Nakiri mansion, Alice was also watching this important battle on TV.
"Don't let it end like this... Hikigaya."
Yuihama, Miura, Kurokiba, Kuga, Neme, and even members of various clubs, were all watching the TV, waiting to see what the ending would be. Perhaps...
The first-year who got perfect scores in the Autumn Elections could be a strong competitor in the Food War, and his opponent... was Etsuya, the ninth seat of the Elite Ten, a third-year.
At the same time, Haruno was lying in bed, holding noodles in one hand and using an iPad with the other. Her expression turned more meaningful, but that faint look never disappeared.
"This is interesting, Hikigaya."
...
Etsuya: "I didn't think you would dare to start a Food War."
Hachiman: "Well, some people aren't afraid to die. And dropping out isn't as bad as dying. Even if I drop out, I can open a 'Hikigaya Restaurant' and it will be successful. I'd be happy with such a normal life."
Etsuya sneered: "You and I are completely different. If it was just that, I would never be satisfied."
Hachiman didn't mind and shrugged: "Knowing when you have enough is happiness. For many people, living a normal life like that is happiness. Being able to research cooking together, hold parties, discuss things, help each other, and care for each other. As long as the feelings are real, it will move many people."
Everyone watching on TV heard their conversation. For them, clubs were extensions of that kind of place. Hachiman might not have understood it before. Everyone was just temporary friends, and after graduation they would go their own ways, and might not contact each other for a long time. But... those days were a source of support in the future. When they remembered them again, they would feel endless emotion and countless memories.
That's what the Polar Star Dorm had given him, just like the warmth Hikigaya Restaurant had given him. Family, friendship - he truly felt them at the age of seventeen.
If a person who can't empathize is because they are too mature and understand things too well, then when a person who can't empathize does empathize, it must be because they have unforgettable memories in their heart.
It's a power, a power to protect at any cost.
Tadokoro Megumi: "Hikigaya..."
In Hachiman's words, everyone watching TV had a familiar feeling, their own past, their own memories.
Hachiman: "I'm fighting for these precious memories. After all, it's the same as seeking something real."
Etsuya: "If that's the case, I'm fighting for profit!"
"Rules, I don't need to repeat them, right?"
"Of course."
"Then let's begin."
Five judges, a wheel, fixed recipe, any dish.
"Chicken."
Looking at where the wheel stopped, everyone was surprised. Chicken was too common. Almost every family often cooked chicken, and because it was so well-developed, any dish would quickly be figured out.
But Etsuya seemed prepared. He gently lowered his glasses and gave a provocative look:
"Hikigaya, I'll make your dish too."
"There's no need to taste yours to know what it will be like."
Inside the Polar Star Dorm...
Yukinoshita: "That guy rigged the wheel..."
Yoshino: "Really? He's seat number nine. He won't even eat other people's food, and he riggs the wheel. How unfair is that!"
Isshiki: "But if Etsuya is that careful, it means he respects Hikigaya. In a way, that's a good thing."
Erina: "But... this isn't a Food War at all."
Grandma Fumio: "Nakiri Azami is really going too far this time."
Back at the scene, because it was a closed Food War battle, Etsuya just grabbed a Satsuma chicken and put the whole thing in a pot to simmer.
At the same time, even though it was a closed venue, a big person arrived. A bright red-haired woman appeared and angrily walked up to Etsuya, saying unhappily:
"Hey, Etsuya, you're doing something this big and you didn't tell me? Are you looking down on me, your senior!"
Etsuya didn't care and cooked while saying:
"Senior Rindou, you haven't left Totsuki yet?"
Rindou: "Argh, you really need to be taught a lesson!"
Whether it was being broadcast or not, Senior Rindou locked Etsuya's head with her arms in front of everyone.
Rindou: "You know how tough your senior is, right?"
Etsuya: "Yes, yes... I was wrong."
Rindou: "Hehe, I didn't want to graduate so early. Now Nakiri Azami's policies are just what I want. It's great to be able to stay here, but you junior are really annoying."
Looking at them being playful, not only Hikigaya at the scene but even everyone watching on TV didn't know what to say.
Wait, is this really a competition? It looks like fooling around.
Senior Rindou didn't care and turned to look at Hikigaya with a very bright smile:
"You must be the first-year Autumn Election champion, Hikigaya Hachiman!"
Hachiman: "Um, who are you?"
Rindou: "How rude. I'm Kobayashi Rindou, the second seat of the current Elite Ten. You can call me Senior Rindou."
Hachiman: "An enemy?"
"Smack!"
As soon as she finished, Rindou slapped Hikigaya's head really hard.
"Not an enemy! A senior!"
Hachiman held his head and said helplessly:
"I've never heard of you..."
Rindou: "The Elite Ten are very busy. Although I haven't been to your matches, I watched them all! Very exciting. It wouldn't be wrong to call me your fan."
Hachiman: "..."
'It's different than I imagined, but there are people who don't want to graduate. Inside the Elite Ten...'
Etsuya had been cooking, but suddenly wanted to say:
"You have the nerve to say that. You're seat number two, but you give all your work to Senior Tsukasa. What an irresponsible senior!"
"Smack!"
Somehow, Senior Rindou had come in front of Etsuya and slapped his head, putting her hands on her hips and saying unhappily:
"Really, how do juniors talk to their cute seniors these days?"
Hachiman: 'This guy is just being unreasonable... But she's seat number two?'
Etsuya: "Okay, we're doing a Food War. Senior Rindou, just watch!"
Rindou's eyes showed surprise, but quickly turned to sadness: "Food War? What a pity. Hikigaya is such a cute junior. Remember to make an extra dish for your cute senior. After all, this might be the last time."
Hachiman: "I don't think it will end here..."
Rindou: "Oh? I'll be looking forward to it."
...
Unlike Etsuya, Hachiman cleaned the chicken and hung it upside down by its feet in the hot soup without cutting it up.
Tadokoro Megumi: "What is Hikigaya doing..."
Yoshino: "I don't understand at all..."
Yukinoshita's expression turned serious, and she focused on the scene.
Senior Rindou also paid attention to Hikigaya with a faint smile:
"He's going to do that? That's interesting."
Hachiman used a spoon in the soup. While cooking the whole chicken, he removed all the butter that formed. The amount of work was incredible, and not only Etsuya but also Senior Rindou and everyone watching on TV were stunned.
It was the first time they had seen chicken soup without chicken oil. Even Senior Rindou was amazed.
Erina: "What is he trying to do...? I..."
Isshiki: "No one in the cooking world has ever separated chicken oil from chicken soup before. It's never been done, but now... it's happening."
When the chicken was almost cooked, it turned golden. He took it out of the soup. In that moment, the ingredients from the chicken were already in three forms.
No seasoning, just chicken oil, chicken soup, and almost fully cooked chicken.
But now, the real cooking hadn't even started.
Sesame oil was drizzled on the chicken, and a burst of fragrance filled the venue.
Rindou: "This is..."
Etsuya: "Hayama Akira's secret weapon? He even learned that guy's skills."
Rindou: "He's pretty capable."
In this competitive environment, cooking wasn't easy. Hachiman cooked and watched the five judges. You can understand a person's heart from their expression, and the same is true for their body.
If the judges refused to taste the dish, it meant his timing was wrong.
So, he changed his strategy. He watched the judges' expectations for the dish, and excited their desire for the dish. Adding in the early morning time, two hours before breakfast, he had a chance if he could get them to taste the dish.
But it wasn't over.
Again, the smell of spices filled the venue. Because the Food War venue wasn't big, even Etsuya's dish was quickly covered.
The unique smell mixed into his dish would only make it a common dish without any style, and Hachiman had taken control of the situation.
Senior Rindou smiled again and said softly:
"Hahaha, this guy is too much fun. It seems like it won't be so easy to make him drop out."
"This time... Etsuya is going to lose."
The third scent, the golden smell in the air, went into the mouths of every judge at the scene. As they became dazed, their mouths started to water uncontrollably.
Hachiman:
"The time has come."
"Judges, please try my... Golden Chicken Oil Noodle Soup."
One of the judges couldn't wait any longer and started eating.
But another judge was stubbornly holding on.
"Don't joke around, as long as I push this button..."
Hachiman: "Oh? Well, I'll just have to eat this dish myself..."
"No... don't do that!"
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