Chapter 136
After tasting Kurokiba Ryo’s wildly aggressive French Seafood Soup Ramen, Nakiri Senzaemon’s clothes suddenly burst apart, revealing his powerful, muscular physique.
The entire venue instantly erupted in thunderous cheers. Students leaped to their feet and applauded, their shouts loud enough to make the walls tremble.
Kurokiba’s already overwhelming presence seemed to grow even stronger.
In the audience, Yoshino Yuki clutched her pink cheering fan tightly and looked anxiously at the students caught up in the excitement.
"Megumi’s dish is being judged next, but Kurokiba-kun has completely taken over the atmosphere. What if it affects her?"
Ryoko looked equally concerned.
"I know. One side just delivered an overwhelmingly impressive performance, while Megumi’s presence has already been overshadowed before she’s even presented her dish. She’s at a terrible disadvantage."
Megumi had once become so nervous during ordinary lessons that she could not perform anywhere near her true level.
In an atmosphere like this, it would have been all too easy for her to fall apart.
"Don’t worry," Haruto said calmly. "The current Megumi won’t be shaken that easily."
His gaze settled on the slender yet upright figure inside the arena.
"She’s completely focused."
The Polar Star residents turned their attention back toward the competition floor.
Despite the deafening cheers surrounding her, Megumi seemed to be standing in a world where no one else existed.
She calmly controlled the heat beneath the noodles, ladled the broth, arranged the toppings, and poured over the sauce.
Every movement was gentle but steady, flowing in perfect order without the slightest trace of panic.
The noise and pressure of the outside world seemed to be held back by an invisible wall.
In Megumi’s world, nothing remained except the ingredients before her, the pot of broth, and the Aizu Stewed Chicken Soy Sauce Ramen into which she had poured all her effort.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Megumi finally stopped moving.
Her dish was complete.
When the warmly fragrant bowl of ramen was placed before the judges, they were still immersed in the intense flavors of Kurokiba’s dish and did not expect much.
The instant they tasted the first spoonful, however, every judge’s eyes widened in surprise.
The natural sweetness of the vegetables blended perfectly with the carefully prepared chicken broth and secret soy-based sauce.
The flavor was mild, soothing, and wonderfully gentle, yet it carried remarkable depth.
It never attacked the senses. Instead, it flowed gradually into the heart like a warm current, relaxing the entire body.
That reassuring taste completely overturned the judges’ expectations.
Unfortunately, Kurokiba’s French Seafood Soup Ramen possessed too much raw power. Its impact and overall execution remained slightly superior.
In the end, Kurokiba Ryo was declared the winner.
The moment the decision was announced, Megumi lightly pressed her lips together, a trace of disappointment passing through her eyes.
Yuki could no longer remain seated.
She immediately rushed out of the stands and ran toward the arena exit.
When she spotted Megumi slowly walking out, she called to her at the top of her voice.
"Megumi!"
The moment Megumi saw Yuki, the tension she had been holding inside finally collapsed.
All the courage and composure she had forced herself to maintain vanished at once.
Her legs weakened, and she dropped to her knees, her face filled with the delayed fear of someone who had barely survived a disaster.
"Kurokiba-kun... was so scary..."
Yuki hurriedly crouched beside her and supported her shoulders, nodding with complete sympathy.
"Exactly! You looked like a poor little rabbit being hunted by a wild dog. It was heartbreaking!"
As the two spoke, a number of students who had watched the match gradually gathered around them.
There was no mockery or ridicule.
Instead, sincere applause began breaking out all around them.
"Tadokoro Megumi, you did a great job!"
"That performance was incredible. You definitely didn’t qualify through luck!"
"You were amazing!"
"You managed to push Kurokiba Ryo that far. That’s seriously impressive!"
"So you really did have the strength to pass the preliminaries!"
Each word of praise and encouragement made Megumi’s nose sting.
Her emotions became a complicated mixture of warmth and disbelief.
She had never imagined that she could lose a match and still earn so much recognition.
...
After returning to Polar Star Dormitory, everyone gathered in Marui Zenji’s room for a long evening of celebration and chaos.
They were there both to congratulate Soma on advancing and to comfort Megumi after her defeat.
Haruto had already decided on the dish for his own match, so he joined them as well.
Early the next morning, he arrived at the Moon Banquet Hall.
Unlike the previous day, when he had sat among the audience and cheered for the others, today he was one of the competitors and could rest inside the contestants’ waiting room.
Haruto casually sat down on a soft sofa and looked toward the large screen hanging ahead, quietly waiting for the day’s first match to begin.
Before long, the waiting-room door was thrown open.
Takumi strode inside with his usual intensity.
The moment he saw Haruto on the sofa, he planted his hands on his hips and declared passionately,
"Suzuki! During this Autumn Election, I will completely defeat both you and Yukihira!"
"I’m the one who will reach the top of Totsuki!"
Haruto gave him a helpless look.
"First, you need to defeat Hayama."
"Only after that will you have a chance to face either Soma or me."
"Good luck."
In truth, Haruto knew Takumi’s chances of winning were extremely low.
Hayama’s mastery of spices already surpassed nearly every other first-year student, and his overall ability clearly placed him above Takumi.
Unless something unexpected happened, Takumi would never get the opportunity to face Haruto during this tournament.
A short while later, the waiting-room door opened again.
Soma and Megumi entered together.
Soma had been delayed while handling a small matter on the way. Worried about him, Megumi had gone out to search for him.
By the time they returned, every seat in the audience had been taken, and there was not even room left to stand.
So Soma had simply led her into the contestants’ waiting room to watch the match.
Neither Haruto nor Takumi cared.
The sight of Soma, however, reminded Takumi of something.
He turned toward him with a serious expression.
"Yukihira, during this Autumn Election, we must finally settle the match that was interrupted on the first day of the training camp!"
The contest whose result Inui Hinako had deliberately left unresolved had remained an obsession for Takumi ever since.
Soma froze for a moment before remembering it.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"Oh, right. The match Inui-senpai stopped halfway through."
"That does bring back memories."
He had not forgotten how Takumi had dramatically declared that they would settle things the next time they met, only for the two of them to end up sitting beside each other on the bus immediately afterward.
Seeing Soma’s expression, Takumi remembered the same embarrassing moment.
His face flushed bright red, but he stubbornly shouted anyway.
"Shut up! I’m still going to defeat both you and Haruto!"
Soma’s smile faded, and he looked at Takumi seriously.
"Don’t get careless, Takumi. Hayama is strong."
As they joked and argued, it became time for the first match of the day.
Takumi took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and strode proudly toward the arena.
What followed unfolded exactly as Haruto had expected.
Takumi fought with everything he had and presented the finest Italian dish in his repertoire.
Yet in the face of Hayama Akira’s overwhelmingly powerful spice cuisine, he still suffered a bitter defeat.
The day’s first match came to an end.
Inside the waiting room, Soma fell silent.
Not long afterward, the door opened quietly and Eizan Etsuya entered.
He glanced calmly over Haruto and the other two before speaking in a formal tone.
"Excuse me. The fourth match will begin shortly. The competitor should prepare to enter."
His gaze then shifted toward Soma and Megumi.
"Anyone not participating in this match must return to the audience."
"Ah! Of course. I’m very sorry, Eizan-senpai!"
Megumi immediately bowed in a panic.
They had entered the contestants’ waiting room without permission, so they were clearly breaking the rules.
Soma glanced at Eizan, then waved toward Haruto.
"We’ll head out, then."
He and Megumi left the waiting room together.
The door closed softly, leaving Haruto alone.
He leaned back against the sofa, his fingers unconsciously tapping against his knee.
The fourth match.
Suzuki Haruto versus Nakiri Alice!
The theme: dim sum.
A trace of anticipation entered Haruto’s eyes.
The expressions everyone made when they saw the dish he had prepared would certainly be entertaining.
Before long, a staff member’s voice came from outside.
"Contestant Suzuki Haruto, please prepare to enter."
Haruto rose, straightened his collar, and pushed open the waiting-room door.
Then he stepped into the arena.
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