Chapter 74
When Hinako announced that they had passed, Haruto remained perfectly calm.
The result had been obvious.
He promptly retrieved the empty plate from in front of her and returned to the cooking station with Ryoko to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Haruto tore off a piece of chicken and chewed it carefully before nodding in satisfaction.
"It turned out really well. The freshness of the lotus leaf blends perfectly with the richness of the chicken, and the texture is just as good."
Ryoko sampled some of the wild greens and mushrooms before offering her own opinion.
"The chicken isn’t the only highlight. These vegetables and mushrooms absorbed all of its savory juices, so everything complements one another beautifully."
Haruto nodded and added, "Lotus-Leaf Chicken isn’t merely delicious. It’s also a famous traditional Chinese medicinal dish."
"It’s said to nourish the body, strengthen the muscles and bones, improve circulation, and support the internal organs."
"It can also clear away excess heat and help the body recover..."
"So it’s both delicious and good for you."
By the time he finished explaining, nothing remained of the Lotus-Leaf Chicken but bones.
The assignment ended at almost the same moment.
After a short break, Haruto and Ryoko began their afternoon test, which was overseen by Sekimori Hitoshi.
This time, they were required to prepare a Japanese dish.
Haruto was not especially skilled in Japanese cuisine, but Ryoko had no trouble with it.
She therefore took the lead, and the two passed without incident.
Once the day’s assignments were complete, the successful students returned to the hotel.
When the Polar Star residents regrouped, however, they discovered that Megumi and Soma had yet to return. Neither of their phones could be reached.
Haruto knew what had happened and was not particularly worried.
The others could not remain nearly as calm.
After discussing the situation, everyone decided to wait for news in Marui’s room.
Meanwhile, Daigo and Shoji went to find out what had happened to Megumi and Soma.
...
A little over ten minutes later, Daigo and Shoji rushed back into Marui’s room, both panting heavily.
An uninvited guest had followed them as well—Takumi.
The two barely paused to wipe the sweat from their foreheads before blurting out everything they had learned.
Yuki’s eyes widened in utter confusion.
"Megumi and Soma challenged one of the graduates to a Food War?!"
"Why would they do that?"
She could not understand how the two of them had ended up fighting a Totsuki alumnus.
Daigo scratched his head and added with a complicated expression, "According to the other students, Megumi was about to be expelled, so Yukihira..."
No one knew quite what to say about Soma’s decision.
He had challenged the graduate to protect Megumi, but their opponent was an accomplished chef who had already graduated from Totsuki.
Their chances of winning were almost nonexistent.
Takumi had only happened to run into Daigo and Shoji and followed them out of curiosity.
Once he understood the full story, envy immediately appeared on his face.
"Yukihira and Tadokoro are having a Food War against a graduate... What an incredible chance to test themselves!"
Takumi looked eager to try it himself.
The thought of facing a Totsuki graduate in a real match made his blood race.
Haruto glanced at him and replied calmly, "You’re free to try, provided you’re prepared to be expelled."
Haruto’s words immediately brought Takumi back to reality.
The excitement drained from his expression and was replaced by dejection.
At his current level, an enormous gap still separated him from the graduates. Challenging one of them recklessly would only end in a crushing defeat.
He had no intention of leaving Totsuki yet.
Then Takumi suddenly realized something far more serious.
"Wait. Doesn’t that mean Yukihira will probably be expelled?"
"I haven’t defeated him properly yet! He can’t leave Totsuki like this!"
Takumi clenched his teeth in frustration.
The other Polar Star residents also grew increasingly despondent.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the atmosphere inside the room became unbearably oppressive.
Just as everyone was about to lose patience, Megumi finally called.
She briefly informed them that the Food War had ended and that neither she nor Soma would be expelled, so there was no need to worry.
Everyone immediately relaxed.
Not long after the call ended, Megumi opened the door to Marui’s room and stepped inside.
The entire group surged toward her at once, surrounding her and firing questions about the match, its course, and the final result.
Takumi watched Megumi being crowded from every direction, envy practically spilling from his eyes.
He clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath.
"Damn it! I missed such an incredible Food War. They got the chance to challenge a graduate before I did."
Soma arrived shortly afterward.
The moment Takumi saw him, he considered issuing another challenge.
Megumi had already told them that the pair had lost their Food War, but the fact that neither had been expelled still proved that they had accomplished something significant.
Soma, however, was clearly discouraged and only gave half-hearted responses to everything Takumi said.
...
After a brief burst of noise and conversation, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
The following assignments would be no easier.
At first light the next morning, the students began another exhausting day.
To Haruto’s surprise, he and Ryoko were assigned to Shinomiya Kojiro.
Heavy shadows hung beneath Shinomiya’s eyes, which were threaded with red, and obvious exhaustion showed on his face.
The previous night’s Food War had evidently kept him awake until morning.
Once again, Shinomiya’s assignment focused on vegetables.
This time, however, all the ingredients provided were fresh, high-quality seasonal produce.
Haruto and Ryoko handled the challenge with ease.
From selecting and cutting the ingredients to controlling the heat and building layers of seasoning, every step was performed with precision.
The finished dish met Shinomiya’s standards in both flavor and presentation, allowing them to pass without the slightest suspense.
By the end of every assignment on the third day, all the Polar Star residents had survived.
Still, the relentless challenges and constant pressure were taking a visible toll.
Marui, whose stamina had never been particularly impressive, looked more haggard with each passing day.
His body seemed even thinner than usual, as though a strong breeze might knock him over.
The Polar Star group washed up in the hotel’s hot spring baths, changed into comfortable sleepwear, and then headed together toward Marui’s room for another gathering.
By this point, the utterly exhausted Marui no longer had the strength to resist.