Chapter 134
The five judges had now become thoroughly intrigued.
Any trace of their earlier dismissiveness vanished as they picked up their spoons and prepared to examine the deceptively simple dish properly.
This time, they were ready.
Gripping their spoons firmly, they pressed down hard enough to break through the incredibly elastic surface and scooped up portions of the clear golden turtle aspic.
The jelly trembled gently on their spoons like pieces of warm golden amber.
Its appearance alone was beautiful enough to qualify as art, almost making them reluctant to eat it.
The moment it entered their mouths, the first thing they noticed was its extraordinary elasticity.
It was springy and pleasantly firm without being tough.
Each gentle bite made the aspic bounce lightly between their teeth, while its smooth, refreshing texture carried the melon’s natural sweetness.
At first, the flavor was soft and mellow.
They tasted a gentle savoriness, but none of the aggressive intensity usually associated with curry.
Then the warmth of their mouths gradually enveloped the aspic.
The resilient jelly began to melt.
Its previously restrained flavor erupted across their tongues like a dormant volcano suddenly awakening.
A deep, full-bodied curry aroma overwhelmed their mouths in an instant.
The bright warmth of turmeric appeared first, followed by precisely measured chili heat.
It neither assaulted the nose nor burned the throat, instead spreading gently and lingering for a long time.
Cinnamon left a subtle sweetness behind, while fennel added freshness, nutmeg contributed mellow depth, coriander seeds brought their distinctive fragrance, and white pepper provided a faint bite.
Dozens of spices unfolded one after another in perfect harmony.
Nothing tasted muddled.
Every spice remained clearly identifiable, yet all of them were tightly intertwined, creating an aroma so powerful that it rushed straight to the brain and left the judges momentarily dazed.
The dish’s true centerpiece—the soft-shelled turtle—had also been handled flawlessly.
Haruto had first seared the meat to lock in its rich savoriness while removing most of its natural earthy odor.
He then steamed the curry soup inside the sweet melon, allowing its clean fragrance to penetrate the broth and wash away the final trace of gaminess.
Nothing remained except the turtle’s pure, deep flavor.
The completed dish was savory without being fishy, sweet without becoming cloying, and springy without being tough.
Soma and Hayama had also finished tasting the Bouncy Soft-Shelled Turtle Curry Soup.
Both of them fell silent.
Haruto’s dish was another aroma bomb!
Unlike theirs, however, which exploded the instant they were opened, Haruto’s was a delayed blast that detonated only after entering the mouth.
That delay gave the dish even greater depth.
In creativity, texture, layered flavor, and ingredient preparation, it was every bit the equal of their own curries.
In terms of originality and mouthfeel, it might even surpass them.
At the judging table, all five judges stared at Haruto in amazement.
They had unquestionably underestimated him.
His Bouncy Soft-Shelled Turtle Curry Soup was every bit a top-tier curry dish.
Then came the scores.
The moment the numbers appeared, the entire venue erupted.
Twenty.
Nineteen.
Nineteen.
Nineteen.
Eighteen.
A total of ninety-five points!
Haruto had surpassed Hayama’s ninety-four and claimed first place in Group A!
The enormous number on the screen seemed almost painfully bright.
Soma and Hayama raised their heads at the same time and looked toward Haruto, who wore only a faint smile.
Their expressions were impossibly complicated.
There was shock, frustration, and disbelief—but also genuine recognition.
They had personally tasted the dish and knew exactly how exceptional it was.
No matter how unwilling they were to accept defeat, neither could deny Haruto’s skill.
Hayama clenched his fist and fixed Haruto with a burning stare.
"I’ll win in the main tournament. Next time, I absolutely won’t lose to you."
Haruto looked at him and nodded.
"Then we’ll meet again in the finals."
Soma said nothing, but his tightly clenched fingers made it clear that he felt no less competitive.
Once the final student had been judged, the Autumn Elections preliminaries officially came to an end.
As everyone prepared to leave, Haruto looked toward Hayama, who still appeared bitter about losing, and suddenly called out to him.
"You don’t have anything else planned today, do you, Hayama?"
"Why not come to the party at Polar Star Dormitory? It’ll be lively."
Haruto happened to notice Shiomi Jun approaching and continued.
"Shiomi-sensei is welcome too. I’m sure Fumio-san would be happy to have both of you."
Haruto thought highly of Hayama.
His Fish Head Curry Pot Pie had genuinely been excellent.
Hayama frowned and instinctively prepared to refuse.
At that moment, his mind was completely occupied with finding a way to defeat Haruto. He had no interest in attending some party.
Before he could say so, however, Jun reached his side with a nostalgic look on her face.
"A party at Polar Star Dormitory? That takes me back. We used to gather there for noisy dinners all the time."
Admittedly, those dinners had also involved everyone forcing all kinds of horrifying experimental dishes on her.
The instant Hayama heard her response, he abandoned his planned refusal.
"Then we’ll be imposing on you."
Haruto glanced discreetly at Jun.
Hayama had looked completely unwilling a moment ago, yet now he had accepted without hesitation.
The relationship between those two was somewhat complicated, but Haruto had no intention of commenting on it.
Besides, finding someone worthy of receiving everything a chef could put into their cooking was a blessing for Hayama.
At the very least, it would keep him from losing himself along the culinary path.
Haruto had no such concern for himself.
His vision and ambitions extended far beyond Totsuki Academy—and even beyond the Food Wars world.
The road ahead of him was endless, filled with enough wonders to occupy a lifetime.
There was no chance he would lose his way.
When Soma heard that Hayama had agreed to attend, he immediately became enthusiastic and hurried off to invite Takumi and Isami, along with Mito Ikumi, Nakiri Alice, and Kurokiba Ryo.
All of them accepted.
Takumi and Isami had already attended a party at Polar Star once before, and the experience had left a deep impression on them.
They agreed immediately.
Ikumi had never been there, but she was incapable of refusing an invitation from Soma and accepted as well.
Alice agreed simply because the whole thing sounded amusing.
Kurokiba was curious about both Haruto and Soma, and since Alice had already decided to go, he saw no reason to refuse.
Haruto was more than happy with Soma’s decision to invite everyone.
He had already begun considering what ingredients he should bring out later.
Seven of the eight students who had qualified for the main tournament would be attending.
Naturally, they would have to hold an impromptu cooking competition.
The only real problem was that Marui Zenji would probably spend much longer cleaning the dormitory tomorrow.
...
The large group soon arrived at Polar Star Dormitory.
Since three residents had successfully passed the Autumn Elections preliminaries, Fumio had arranged for the celebration to be held in the dining hall and had even prepared a large spread of food.
Marui breathed a visible sigh of relief.
Ryoko brought out a freshly brewed fruit drink and filled everyone’s glasses.
Yuki raised hers high above her head and energetically delivered the opening declaration.
"To celebrate the successful conclusion of the Autumn Elections preliminaries, the Polar Star victory party officially begins now!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses.
It was supposed to be a celebration, but nearly every conversation somehow returned to ingredients, spices, or cooking techniques.
Since the preliminaries had only just ended, the discussion ranged from curry ratios to methods of balancing spice blends, and the entire dining hall quickly became animated.
Not long after the party began, Isshiki Satoshi stepped outside.
He returned shortly afterward carrying several dishes.
Unfortunately, by the time he came back, the only thing he was wearing was an apron.
"Everyone, please eat as much as you like. Don’t hold back."
Takumi and Isami watched him with perfectly calm expressions, their gazes not wavering in the slightest.
"Thank you for the food, Isshiki-senpai."
It was not their first time witnessing this sight.
By now, they were completely accustomed to it.
Hayama, Ikumi, Alice, and Kurokiba, on the other hand, froze solid.
Their minds descended into chaos as their eyes repeatedly drifted back toward Isshiki.
’Wait—why is there a guy wearing nothing but an apron walking around in here?!’
’Is dressing like that at a party seriously acceptable?!’
More importantly—
’Why is everyone from Polar Star acting as though this is completely normal?!’
Unlike those four, Jun was seeing it for the first time but did not care about Isshiki’s attire at all.
She calmly sipped her drink while chatting with Haruto about different uses for spices.
She had met far stranger students during her time at Totsuki.
Isshiki’s little habit barely deserved a mention!