"What are you doing? Why are you all gathered in the living room?"
Pushing open the door of Yōbi Dormitory, Hoshino Sora's face was filled with confusion as he looked at the lively scene inside.
At this time, Shiina Mahiru was chatting with Mito Ikumi. They were partners in class today, and also roommates living next door, with a good relationship.
And on her lap lay Shiina Mashiro, breathing evenly with her eyes slightly closed.
Yumeko Jabami stood at the staircase leading to the second floor, chatting with Hiratsuka Shizuka. Hoshino Sora couldn't hear what they were saying due to the distance, but seeing them laughing and talking, he guessed it must be good news.
However, why didn't he see Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo?
"I don't know why, but Akikubo-senpai suddenly challenged Kobayashi-senpai when she came back this afternoon. Now they're having a showdown in the kitchen, saying we'll be the judges for the competition."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Mito Ikumi's explanation, Hoshino Sora paused. Akikubo Momo proactively proposed the challenge? And after returning in the afternoon? This shouldn't have anything to do with him, right…
He shrank his neck, recalling that after his match with Alice Nakiri in the morning, Akikubo Momo's gaze towards him seemed a bit off. He hadn't thought much of it at the time.
But on second thought, her way of addressing him changed when she finally left.
From 'Little Sora' to 'Sora', she gloriously dropped the 'little'.
Could it be that she was inspired by him, and that's why she bravely challenged Kobayashi Rindo, who is the Elite Ten's Second Seat?
Whose strength is truly greater between these two? Hoshino Sora leaned more towards Kobayashi Rindo, after all, she was the Elite Ten's Second Seat, second only to one person.
But it's hard to say. If Akikubo Momo drew a dessert, which she specializes in, the situation might change.
After all, Kobayashi Rindo is an all-rounder, the type who knows a little bit of everything but isn't a master of any, while Akikubo Momo is a specialist, a dessert master.
It certainly would be an interesting match to watch.
The key was being able to eat Elite Ten-level dishes. This couldn't help but make him very excited, so much so that all the Gourmet Cell in his body cheered and rejoiced, his mouth rapidly salivating, and his heart grew increasingly expectant of their dishes.
"I'm really looking forward to it. Counting the time, two and a half hours have passed. Your timing in coming back is really coincidental. Soon we'll be able to taste the dishes of the two seniors."
"Those are the full-effort works of the Elite Ten! Dishes that countless people dream of eating but can't!"
Mito Ikumi's voice was filled with emotion and anticipation. Full effort and casual cooking were two completely different concepts. Just thinking about the Elite Ten's full-effort dishes made one's mouth water.
"That's indeed worth looking forward to."
Hoshino Sora said with a smile, then strode towards the kitchen. At this moment, an astonishing aroma was emanating from inside, and the closer he got, the richer the aroma became.
The moment he arrived at the kitchen door, Hoshino Sora could no longer move his feet. His gaze was fixed on the two nimble workers inside the kitchen, unwilling to go in and disturb them.
Until more than ten minutes later.
"You've come at the perfect time! Hurry over and taste our dishes!"
"Tell us, whose is better?!"
It wasn't until the freshly prepared dishes were placed on the dining table that Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo noticed Hoshino Sora at the door. They then raised their hands and simultaneously called out to him.
Hoshino Sora, seeing this, didn't stand on ceremony and directly entered the kitchen. At this moment, Kobayashi Rindo also brought over a small bowl with a lid. Her hair was tied with a white ribbon, and a confident smile was on her face.
"I won't lose this time! Tell me, Sora, whose dish is better?!"
Akikubo Momo said seriously, then also brought her dish to Hoshino Sora's front. The theme drawn this time was flour, simply put, making a dish using flour.
Undoubtedly, this was a theme Akikubo Momo excelled at, so she was very confident, confident that she could surpass Kobayashi Rindo, who could cook anything but wasn't particularly skilled at any one thing!
Of course, 'not particularly skilled' here only referred to chefs of their level; for ordinary students, Kobayashi Rindo's strength was still terrifying.
Incidentally, Eri Nai Erina and Soma Yukihira were also all-rounders, including Hoshino Sora; he was also consciously moving in that direction, but he still had areas he wasn't good at.
For example, dishes like sushi and Ramen. Because he hadn't been learning to cook for long, there were many things he hadn't mastered or wasn't proficient in, and these all required him to learn slowly.
"Is this… a Swan Pastry?"
"That's right, this is something Momo learned while interning at a Chinese dim sum restaurant last year, and she made some improvements to it."
Lifting the lid, Hoshino Sora looked at the black swan with its head held high inside, hesitated for a few seconds, then spoke, his eyes filled with shock because it was simply too lifelike!
His heart trembled; what lay before him was a work of pure showmanship, with not a single imperfect spot from top to bottom. It was clear that Akikubo Momo had put a lot of effort into it.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her eyes were full of eagerness, clearly anticipating Hoshino Sora's evaluation.
"Gulp."
Swallowing, Hoshino Sora reached out and picked up the Swan Pastry. It was a perfect work of art, feeling as if it would shatter with the slightest pressure, making one reluctant to bite into it.
He sniffed gently, smelling black sesame and a faint buttery aroma. Although all the scents were subtle, their combination was not to be underestimated.
"Did you use salted egg yolk inside? That's a good improvement; the flavor layers are significantly richer."
His mouth watered profusely, and he finally couldn't resist taking a bite. The extremely crispy texture was followed by a rich aroma of salted egg yolk mixed with milk.
This was a very standard custard filling, sealed within the Swan Pastry. The moment it was bitten into, an incredibly rich fragrance poured out, and Hoshino Sora's body trembled slightly.
Having eaten a large amount of dessert earlier, his Gourmet Cell had already reached a critical point. Now, eating such a high-level dish, it was only natural for it to evolve.
However, this upgrade was not as simple as the last one. The young man's clothes suddenly burst apart, revealing his exceptionally muscular physique, and his skin emitted a soft white light.
At the same time.
The system's notification sound also rang in his mind.
[Gourmet Cell]: lv2 -> lv3
"Wow."
On the other side, at Kobayashi Rindo's call, the other members of Yōbi Dormitory also came to the kitchen and witnessed Hoshino Sora's clothes bursting apart.
His muscles, trained to the extreme, were perfect. This perfection wasn't about exaggerated muscle bulges but a kind of coordination, a beautiful harmony that made people drool.
Well, on a physiological level.
Perfect muscles have always been appealing to both men and women.
However, there were only girls present. Upon seeing this, Shiina Shinohiru shyly covered her eyes, but a gap remained between her fingers. Mito Ikumi's face flushed, and she secretly swallowed. Snake Eater Yumeko clicked her tongue in admiration, showing no shyness whatsoever, unable to resist wanting to see more. Hiratsuka Shizuka's face turned red, then she slightly turned her head, her heart beating a little faster, and the scene from the morning flashed in her mind.
Kobayashi Rindo whistled, a hint of surprise in her eyes. Akikubo Momo, on the other hand, was full of joy, tightly hugging Buchi, her hand sinking into its belly.
Shiina Mashiro's face showed no expression; she simply stepped forward and placed her hand on him.
That's right, she placed her hand on him, even wanting to press her face against his abs. Thankfully, Shiina Shinohiru stepped forward and stopped her in time, otherwise, she would have succeeded.
Seriously, there's a limit to being a natural airhead!
"Hmm…"
Looking at Shiina Shinohiru, who had given her a flick on the forehead, with a slightly wronged expression, Shiina Mashiro hugged her head and squatted down. It was at this moment that Hoshino Sora recovered from the Gourmet reaction.
Looking at the girls who had burst into the kitchen, it was impossible not to feel a little awkward, but he wasn't shy because his pants were still on; only his shirt had burst.
So he remained calm, his gaze turning to Kobayashi Rindo's dish, and then his heart began to tremble uncontrollably—it was a bowl of Six Shrimp Noodles, perfect in color, aroma, and taste!
What are Six Shrimp Noodles? Simply put, they are made using seasonal river shrimp, taking the roe, brain, meat, oil, powder (noodles), and broth of the shrimp. The preparation process is extremely complex.
How complex? It's so difficult that it's rarely used in competitions because preparing these often requires a lot of time, and the two-hour time limit in ordinary matches makes it very hard to do well.
However, according to Shiina Shinohiru, they had been busy in the kitchen for at least two and a half hours, which meant the time limit for their match should be around three hours.
If one is skilled, it's not impossible to make Six Shrimp Noodles in three hours, but all those shrimp look like a pain to prepare, and there are several bowls of them. As expected of Kobayashi-senpai!
Looking at Kobayashi Rindo's relaxed expression, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but praise her, then he couldn't stop swallowing. The rich umami scent alone made his muscles tense.
While observing, the other girls took their seats. Looking at the Six Shrimp Noodles and Swan Pastry placed before them, they all marveled at the superb culinary skills of Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo. Although the portion of each dish was not large due to time constraints, the artistry displayed within was evident!
"So delicious! The freshness of the shrimp rushes straight to my head, a true essence of the ingredients, but this is almost too fresh! I feel… I feel like something is coming up!"
She picked up a chopstick full of noodles mixed with shrimp and slurped them into her mouth. The next moment, light seemed to flash in her eyes. Snake Eater Yumeko squeezed her legs and twisted her body slightly. The extreme freshness made her face flush, and she emitted an inexplicable sound.
"This feeling is like… like being covered by countless river shrimp crawling all over my body, their tiny claws gently pinching me, touching the most sensitive line on my body!"
Her body struck an exaggerated pose, perfectly showcasing her figure. Mito Ikumi gasped, her voice trembling, as if only this could slightly offset the impact of the dish.
The reactions of the other few were similar. In the end, only Hoshino Sora appeared relatively normal, because his Gourmet Cell had broken through to level three, and his immunity to silver-level delicacies had been strengthened.
Although he would also have wonderful sensations, he wouldn't be like the girls in front of him, who looked as if they were about to pass out while eating, their faces flushed, looking even more tempting than the food.
"Tell us your evaluation. Whose dish is better!?"
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was in his usual state, Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo both turned their gaze to him, eagerly awaiting his evaluation, as he was the only one present who hadn't been too affected, and he had good strength.
As members of the Totsuki Ten Elite, they could tell which chefs had potential and which didn't; this could be seen from their demeanor and actions.
Confidence in cooking is always a reflection of a chef's strength.
"What was the theme this time?"
"Flour."
Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo said in unison, then exchanged glances. There was no usual friendliness in their eyes, only endless battle desire.
"Honestly, both dishes have their own merits. Each one clearly demonstrates the chef's skill. Whether it's Akikubo-senpai's Swan Pastry or Kobayashi-senpai's Six Shrimp Noodles, both are a testament to their artistry."
"But…"
Pausing, Hoshino Sora put down his chopsticks; the plate in front of him was already empty. At this moment, his heart rate was slightly elevated. Thinking that he was about to review two Elite Ten members, he just felt that this world was a little too crazy.
"Based on fitting the theme, I choose Akikubo-senpai. Of course, in terms of taste, I definitely prefer Kobayashi-senpai's. The smooth shrimp, the extremely fresh shrimp roe, even the noodles were mixed with shrimp powder. After a bowl of this, even if I knew I might get gout tomorrow, I'd still have to eat it!"
"You really manage to not offend either side with that statement."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's remarks, Kobayashi Rindo sighed in resignation, then quietly walked to Hoshino Sora's side. She had already realized this problem when she was almost finished with the dish.
Off-topic.
Although the dish did use flour, to be honest, the flavor and reputation of the Six Shrimp were far superior to the noodles. The noodles here were really just a foil; they couldn't possibly overpower the taste of the shrimp.
Therefore, if flour was the theme, Hoshino Sora felt that Kobayashi Rindo's Six Shrimp Noodles were a bit off-topic.
"Well, whether it's Kobayashi-senpai or Akikubo-senpai, both are seniors I respect."
With his head clamped by Kobayashi Rindo, Hoshino Sora awkwardly said, looking at the senior who spoke with a hint of playful blame. The soft sensation on his head really left him helpless.
Although he could easily push her away with a little force, doing so in this situation would be too insensitive, even though he knew she probably didn't mean anything by it.
But at times like this, it was hard not to let his mind wander.
Afterward, Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo asked for the opinions of the other few people, and the replies they received were not much different from Hoshino Sora's. After all, those present were not low-level chefs who judged victory solely by taste.
Since a theme was agreed upon, then it had to be followed. Otherwise, each Elite Ten member would have their ultimate dish, and if they always made their ultimate dish in every Shokugeki, wouldn't it be very difficult for others to win?
Of course, even if Akikubo Momo won this time, it didn't mean her strength surpassed Kobayashi Rindo's. Elite Ten duels also valued a best-of-three system.
——————
"Ah, that feels good!"
After a quick shower, Hoshino Sora comfortably stretched and lay on the bed, his gaze fixed on his phone. Yui Yuigahama had sent him a message while he was showering.
[Yui Yuigahama: Hoshino-bro, how are you doing over there? I heard Far Moon's entrance exam is tough, but if it's Hoshino-bro, there shouldn't be any problem, right!]
The time was ten minutes.
[Hoshino Sora: I passed very easily. How about you, Little Yui? How are things on your end? School should be starting soon, right?]
[Yui Yuigahama: I'm doing great! It's just that school starts in three days, and I haven't finished my summer homework yet, boo hoo hoo]
On the other side, Yui Yuigahama, who was staring intently at the screen, immediately replied the moment the other party's message was sent. Her little feet, as she lay on the bed, also bounced rhythmically.
It was clear she was in a good mood.
[Hoshino Sora: That's tough. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me. I can still handle middle school problems, at least.]
[Yui Yuigahama: Really? Won't it be too much trouble for you? To be honest, I have quite a few questions, and if I handle them myself, I might not be able to turn in my homework on time.]
Looking at the message on the screen, Yui Yuigahama took a deep breath, looking a bit nervous.
[Hoshino Sora: Send me all your questions. I have time right now.]
Hoshino Sora said, then got up and walked to his desk. He then pulled out a pen he hadn't used in who knew how long, grabbed a random piece of paper, and waited.
[Yui Yuigahama: Then can I call you? Texting feels a bit like a waste of time.]
[Hoshino Sora: Yes.]
As the message was sent, Hoshino Sora's phone rang. It was Yui Yuigahama. She was really efficient! Without hesitation, he answered the call.
"Yahoo, Hoshino-bro, I'm here to ask questions~"
The energetic voice of the young girl came from the other end of the phone, allowing one to imagine her actions. Hearing the voice, Hoshino Sora's face also showed a healing smile.
Although it was just a normal chat, occasionally chatting with girls, especially cute and pretty girls, really did make one feel comfortable!
"Good evening. Send over the questions, and I'll solve them for you one by one!"
Since he had no classes in the morning, Hoshino Sora wasn't worried about staying up late and not being able to wake up early, so he spoke very generously.
"Hmph, these are all tough problems. You might be very embarrassed if you can't solve them, you know."
"You're looking down on me, aren't you? Bring it on!"
"Here they come."
"You can't even do such a simple problem. Little Yui is really an idiot."
"Boo hoo hoo, stop scolding me, stop scolding me."
"For this problem, first connect point B and point E…"
——————
The night was long, but with Hoshino Sora's careful tutoring and Yui Yuigahama's diligent studying, it quickly reached 1 AM. Looking at the more than half-finished summer homework, the girl's face was full of disbelief.
"At this rate, I can finish my homework tomorrow."
"Then call me again tomorrow night."
"Can I?"
With a hint of doubt and anticipation in her voice, Yui Yuigahama gently stroked her phone, her face full of nervousness.
"Why not? We're not strangers."
"Okay, see you tomorrow, hanging up now!"
Upon hearing Hoshino Sora's last sentence, Yui Yuigahama's eyes instantly lit up. After hanging up the phone, she even jumped up directly, throwing herself onto the bed and hugging her pillow, taking deep breaths.
It took about ten minutes before she finally calmed down.
Turning off the light, her left hand held the seashell Hoshino Sora had given her, her fingers gently tracing circles on it. Her other hand reached under the covers, her face slightly flushed, and her heart rate quickened.
Although it was a little shameful, Yuigahama couldn't help it. She was not a well-behaved child to begin with, and when emotions accumulated to a certain extent, not releasing them would only cause her mind to become blocked.
"Hoshino-bro, Sora-bro…"
At night, the girl's murmur was especially alluring. This was her first time doing this, but it would definitely not be her last!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.