Too bad, Yukihira. Looking at the Polaris Dormitory now, only Megumi is left. Go for it, Megumi! You're the Polaris Dormitory's last hope.
In the audience, at the gathering spot for the Polaris Dormitory members, Yūki Yoshino and Ryōko Sakaki surrounded Megumi Tadokoro as she walked towards them, their faces full of excitement. The others didn't speak, but their eyes were shining brightly as they looked at her, hoping she could achieve a top rank in this competition and bring glory to the Polaris Dormitory!
"Don't worry, I'm fully prepared."
Looking at everyone's expectant gazes, Megumi Tadokoro's voice was gentle. She didn't guarantee she would win, nor did she say she might lose.
Making a premature judgment about the outcome would be disrespectful to both her and Hisako Arato.
Besides, Hisako Arato is a powerful opponent, and she has Erina Nakiri by her side to help. Before the results are out, she wouldn't dare say she's guaranteed to win. The odds of victory between the two were roughly fifty-fifty.
"Let's go back and rest during the lunch break."
"That's right, you need to be well-rested for the match!"
Although they were all Dylan's students, some relationships were closer than others. For Yūki Yoshino and Ryōko Sakaki, they were definitely closer to Megumi Tadokoro.
Megumi Tadokoro was now surrounded by them. Since the match started in the afternoon, they decided to return to the Polaris Dormitory to get ready before coming back.
"Lady Erina."
On the other side, Hisako Arato saw Erina Nakiri waiting for her outside the stands and immediately trotted over to her.
"Let's go to the back lounge to rest. There's a bed there so you can take a nap, and I'll personally prepare lunch for you."
"Mm!"
Hisako Arato nodded vigorously, enjoying the other's concern without any burden. Erina Nakiri was truly good to her; otherwise, she wouldn't have followed her.
"Let's head back too. We watched a great match today, and the afternoon match probably won't be bad either. There might be even more people coming."
Watching Megumi Tadokoro and Hisako Arato leave, Dylan also got up from his chair, pulling his hand out from Alice Nakiri's embrace.
A faint fragrance still lingered on his arm, warm and very comfortable.
"Yeah, once this evening's match is over, we'll know the finalist list and the theme. It's a shame it has nothing to do with me. In the end, I'm just a spectator."
Speaking of this, Alice Nakiri lowered her head as if she had thought of something, putting on a very dejected look, then peeked at Dylan out of the corner of her eye.
"Alright, when the Fujian Youth Chef Competition comes around, you'll have your time to shine."
"The contestants there will all be Special Grade Chefs, or at the very least First-Grade Head Chefs capable of producing Special Grade cuisine. It will definitely let you battle to your heart's content."
How could Dylan not see through Alice Nakiri's little scheme? He reached out and ruffled her hair, promising her a time in the future when all eyes would be on her.
It couldn't be helped. The level of Totsuki's Summer Selection was too low. Having Alice participate would be pure bullying, and it wouldn't serve as any sort of training for her.
This was also the reason why Erina Nakiri didn't participate.
"The Fujian Province Youth Chef Competition... are you going to participate too?"
Leaving the Tsukiten-no-Ma and walking on the small path by the pond, Alice Nakiri looked at Dylan with a subtle expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"I'm going to have some fun. Besides, at my age, it's pretty normal to participate in a youth culinary competition. Secondly, I want to recruit some promising newcomers."
Looking at the lotus flowers in the pond to his left, where a few black swans were playing, Dylan explained his thoughts.
Previously, he didn't really care about the development of the Dark Cooking Society. After all, he initially created it just to make up for a regret. Power, to him, was just an external force; as long as it was sufficient, it was fine.
But now he had changed his mind. After hearing from Zhou Tai that the Food Realm was about to open and many rare ingredients would flow out from it, other ideas began to form in his mind.
Top-tier ingredients are limited in quantity. If others take more, he gets less. To obtain more and better quality ingredients, besides having sufficient personal strength, one's background is also crucial.
In other words, the stronger the Dark Cooking Society, the more rare ingredients he would obtain in the future, and the more experiments he could conduct. This was a good thing for him.
"Since you're participating, I'll try my best not to lose before I have to face you, Big Brother Dylan."
Hearing Dylan's words, Alice Nakiri was a little surprised but didn't say much, simply looking at him with a radiant smile as she spoke.
"So you lost too, huh? Didn't you say you were going to dominate Totsuki and crush everyone under your feet? And now you're out before the finals?"
At the entrance of the Tsukiten-no-Ma, Takumi Aldini was leaning against a wall, watching Soma Yukihira emerge alone, his expression somewhat complex.
"At least I'm better than someone who got eliminated in the first round. I made it to the semi-finals, at least."
Glancing at Takumi Aldini, Soma Yukihira spoke with a hint of sarcasm and then walked straight ahead, not intending to say much more to him.
"I just had bad luck, that's why I lost in the first round. What are you planning to do now?"
Faced with Soma Yukihira's coldness, Takumi Aldini didn't give up and followed him, abruptly asking this question beside him.
The two had become acquainted through conflict. Because of Soma Yukihira's outrageous speech at the start of the school year, Takumi Aldini had a very poor opinion of him.
Coincidentally, half a month ago, the two were assigned to the same class, so he proactively challenged Soma Yukihira, and in the end, they fought to a draw.
"To put it another way, are you really okay with this?"
"What can I do? I wasn't skilled enough. I'll just go back, work twice as hard, and try to win next time."
Hearing Takumi Aldini's words, Soma Yukihira appeared very nonchalant.
He had tasted Liu Yu's cooking. It was unbelievably good, not something he could even dream of challenging right now. Even if he didn't want to admit defeat, he had to.
"When is 'next time' going to be? The Youth Chef Competition in Fujian, China, is open to anyone under thirty. Let's go and participate too!"
Takumi Aldini's voice was full of excitement. As he spoke, he blocked Soma Yukihira's path, making him stop and listen.
"The Fujian Youth Chef Competition... you mean the competition that Teacher Dylan mentioned in the plaza on the day the selection list was announced, right?"
Looking at Takumi Aldini blocking his way, Soma Yukihira was a bit exasperated but still stopped to hear him out.
"That's right. I checked the official forums. You just need to pay the registration fee in advance, show up at the venue on the day of the competition to participate in the preliminary auditions, and if you pass, you get into the main tournament."
"Preliminary auditions? Main tournament?"
It's the same system as here.
Hearing Takumi Aldini's words, a flash of doubt and surprise crossed Soma Yukihira's eyes. Could it be that Totsuki's competitions were modeled after China's?
"No, I should say there are significant differences."
"Take the preliminaries, for example. In Chinese cooking competitions, the theme is given on the spot. They'll give the contestants a recipe, along with a large amount of ingredients, and ask them to improve upon the dish using that recipe, all within one hour."
"Improve a dish on the spot and then cook it?"
Soma Yukihira was amazed. Compared to Totsuki's selection tournament, modifying and presenting a dish on the spot was on a whole other level of difficulty.
"Exactly, and that's just the preliminaries! The later rounds are even more incredible. If you follow a full competition, your culinary skills will definitely improve a lot!"
Takumi Aldini looked thrilled. Even without participating, just going to watch would be a great experience, since it's a battle between highly skilled chefs.
"I get the picture, but why did you come looking for me?"
Soma Yukihira voiced his confusion. There were so many students at Totsuki, and Takumi Aldini's own younger brother was here. Why did he come to him instead of them?
"You were able to fight me to a draw, which proves your skill is on par with mine. Plus, I'm going to China and need a partner, so I came to you."
As he spoke, Takumi Aldini looked at Soma Yukihira with an eager expression. The guy had just lost an important match and was feeling down, with a lot of pent-up passion to release. The chances of winning him over were high.
Actually, he had already asked quite a few people before this, but none of them were willing to travel so far. Now, he could only try his luck with Soma Yukihira.
"Go to China, huh..."
There was some hesitation in Soma Yukihira's eyes. If possible, he didn't really want to go that far, but the competition truly intrigued him.
"The competition takes place during the autumn break. The vacation is long enough for a round trip, and the plane tickets aren't too expensive. A normal family can afford it."
Noticing Soma Yukihira's interest and hesitation, Takumi Aldini pressed on.
"Oh right, there's the plane tickets to deal with. And now that I think about it, accommodation is a big expense too."
However, to his surprise, Soma Yukihira's brow didn't relax; instead, it furrowed even deeper. After his dad left, the living expenses he was given were just enough to get by, at most allowing him to buy ingredients for competitions. There was nothing more.
"Huh?!"
Hearing Soma Yukihira's murmur, Takumi Aldini was completely baffled. Was it not that this guy didn't want to go, but that he didn't have enough money?
There are poor people who attend Totsuki!?
"I'll go with you, but you have to help me calculate how much this trip will cost. I'll earn enough money by then."
As he spoke, Soma Yukihira looked at Takumi Aldini. He had skills, so he could definitely earn money, but he needed some time to prepare.
"Okay, I'll send you a LINE message later."
Hearing Soma Yukihira's words, Takumi Aldini looked at him with a complicated expression. He didn't offer to sponsor him, as that would hurt the other's pride.
"Then it's settled."
Evening. The sun was gradually setting.
Megumi Tadokoro and Hisako Arato entered the competition arena from the east and west sides, respectively. They were carrying baskets filled with various containers.
"Megumi, let's have a battle neither of us will regret."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. With Teacher Dylan watching from above, there's no way I can lose."
Although they were usually on good terms, at this moment, neither was willing to back down. They both looked towards Dylan in the audience at almost the same time.
This was a battle to decide who would receive more of his attention in the future. No matter what, they could not lose!
"The theme of the last match was dessert, and the theme for this match is taro! Both contestants are showing great fighting spirit. Now then, let the cooking... begin!"
Seeing both sides ready for battle, Gin Dōjima stood up with a microphone in hand, then spread his five fingers towards the audience, his expression serious.
At the same time, a fierce roar erupted from the audience. Everyone's face was filled with excitement as they stared intently at the two contestants.
"Hisako is taking out her ingredients."
"Is that... fatty pork?"
"No, that's not right. To be precise, it's pork fat."
Watching Hisako Arato take out her ingredients, the members of the Polaris Dormitory began to comment, their faces showing scrutiny and curiosity.
"An expert in medicinal cuisine, Hisako Arato. When using taro, which can be considered a medicinal ingredient, what kind of dish will she create?"
At the judges' table, Sonoka Kikuchi lightly tapped her lips with her finger, her face revealing a deep curiosity.
"As the heir to a family of medicinal cuisine specialists, Hisako grew up surrounded by medicinal ingredients. This accumulated knowledge is more than enough for her to make full use of an ingredient like taro."
Hinako Inui nodded, acknowledging Hisako Arato's skill.
"That's right, this theme is quite advantageous for her. The heir of a medicinal cuisine family, a super elite who has received Totsuki's formal education since her first year of middle school, Hisako Arato."
She even defeated the campus powerhouse Ryo Hayama with absolute strength, making her a strong candidate for the Elite Ten after Erina Nakiri.
Although Gin Dōjima didn't speak, his gaze remained fixed on Hisako Arato.
She had defeated Ryo Hayama, whom he had previously held in high regard. She could definitely be called a dark horse—a truly formidable young woman.
"Hisako will most likely win this match."
"That's right. She's been by Lady Erina's side for so many years, she must have learned many techniques."
As they spoke, many Totsuki students in the audience turned their gazes to Megumi Tadokoro.
Compared to Hisako Arato, Megumi Tadokoro wasn't very famous at Totsuki. She was even at the bottom of the class for a long time. Somehow, she made it to the semi-finals this time, which could be considered a major upset.
"Megumi's fundamentals are very solid. She has worked incredibly hard all this time, willing to delve deep into her studies no matter how difficult. She's a genius of hard work."
Hearing the discussions around him, Dylan spoke slowly to Alice Nakiri beside him, his eyes holding a somewhat ambiguous meaning.
Megumi Tadokoro's talent isn't that strong, at least not compared to others. But she is diligent enough, taking one step at a time, and that's how she has reached this point.
In the past, she was simply too timid and couldn't show her true abilities to others. Now, after his guidance, she has...
"It seems she has pork in front of her too. Are both of them using pork elements?"
Looking at the ingredients on Megumi Tadokoro's cooking station, Alice Nakiri's face showed surprise. She didn't seem to expect the two to be so in sync, choosing the same ingredients even though they weren't cooking together.
"It might not be a coincidence. Taro and pork have been a perfect pairing since ancient times."
"First, they complement each other nutritionally. Second, the starch in the taro can neutralize the grease from the pork. This combination not only improves the texture of the dish but also has a certain nourishing effect."
Dylan's voice rang out, expressing his appreciation for both their choices. With this pairing, no matter what kind of dish they made, the flavor wouldn't be bad.
Inside the competition arena.
Hisako Arato made the first move. She started by peeling and dicing Buffon taro imported from China, then steamed it in a steamer basket.
Once it was steamed, she took it out, added white sugar and lard, then mixed in an appropriate amount of boiling water, stirring it into a taro paste of medium consistency.
On the other side, Megumi Tadokoro took out the dasheen taro she had prepared in advance. She peeled it with a knife, and once it was cleanly peeled, she cut it in half and then into half-moon slices.
"Taro belongs to the Araceae family. It's high in starch and has a lower water content than even potatoes or daikon radish, making it suitable for steamed and fried dishes."
Watching the two of them preparing the taro, Gin Dōjima's voice was heard explaining the properties of taro to the audience, while also guessing what they were planning to make.
On the competition floor, Megumi Tadokoro paid no mind to anyone. After finishing with the taro, she took out a fine piece of marbled pork belly from her ingredient basket, sliced it thinly with her knife, and set it aside.
"Is she preparing to make a dish similar to stuffed eggplant?"
In the audience, everyone watched Megumi Tadokoro's cooking and began to discuss it amongst themselves. Even Alice Nakiri, beside Dylan, was craning her neck to get a better look.
At this point, Dylan already had an answer in his mind. Dasheen taro is an ingredient that absorbs oil well; once the juices are released, it becomes incredibly fragrant and tender.
Adding pork belly, which releases fat during the steaming process, will help the taro release its juices more easily, enhancing its layers of flavor.
On the floor, after layering the pork belly and taro, she placed them in a clay pot using a bamboo net, then placed a few abalones around the edge of the pot.
After arranging them, she lifted the bamboo net, placed sliced ginger and onion in the clay pot, and then, feeling something was still missing, Megumi Tadokoro took out a few cloves of garlic and began to peel them.
"Placing various intensely aromatic ingredients at the bottom so that their fragrance permeates the taro during the heating process... that's a pretty good idea."
Watching Megumi Tadokoro's movements, Hinako Inui at the judges' table nodded with a look of praise. This cooking method could add more flavor to the taro.
"Oyster sauce, light soy sauce, soy sauce, a small amount of seasoned soy sauce for seafood, spare rib sauce, two bay leaves, two star anises, plus one piece of cassia bark and one piece of galangal. After mixing well, add Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, and yellow wine."
Megumi Tadokoro murmured to herself as she worked, her movements exceptionally skilled. Then she added four spoonfuls of sugar, MSG, pepper, chicken essence, diluted it with boiling water, added dark soy sauce for color, and finally, another spoonful of lard.
She quickly stirred the sauce in front of her with a spoon, and a rich aroma instantly filled the entire space, making the audience in the front rows swallow involuntarily.
"She added so many ingredients! How rich must the flavor of this sauce be!"
An imaginative audience member exclaimed in admiration, 'Just smelling this is almost too much for me, and it hasn't even been cooked into the dish yet!'
"One thing's for sure, this dish is going to taste amazing. Too bad I'm not a judge, or I could eat the dishes they've so carefully prepared."
The front rows of the audience were mostly reserved for figures of high standing in Japan's culinary world, but even they weren't qualified to be judges for this competition.
This couldn't help but make them sigh with regret.
______
✅ Until 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
Claim your 40% OFF spot and unlock everything now:
👻 P - Walnutchan