Not only the people in the audience were a bit shocked, but even Yukinoshita's mother and Haruno didn't react for a moment. The others in the rebel army were even more confused by the current situation.
Mito: "What are they planning to do?"
Ryoko: "There are only fifteen minutes left. Do they want to undo everything they've done so far?"
Yoshino: "I can't understand at all... But... that's Hikigaya. How could he do something he's not sure about?"
As spectators, they could only watch the scene unfold before them, unsure of what to say. The ten elites and Erina on the stage felt the same way.
Although Erina was puzzled by this, because there was so little time to do much in fifteen minutes, but... This didn't mean she wouldn't support Hikigaya's current actions. After all, they were already at the end of the road. After seeing Yukinoshita Haruno's dish, everyone should know that it couldn't be beaten by an ordinary dish. If that's the case...
Tadokoro Megumi kept writing the Chinese character for "person" in her palm and then eating it. As the best way to relieve tension, even she, who wasn't participating in the competition, was so nervous that her throat was tight.
Sakurajima Mai: "It seems they're planning a last-ditch effort at this point."
Hoshino Ai: "It's a pity, with only fifteen minutes to change their ideas and ingredients..."
Eriri: "I have a feeling they're plotting something big."
Haruno's eyes were always on Hachiman, because his appetizer hadn't been revealed yet. After finishing the appetizer, Hachiman covered the dish and went to help Yukino. This proved that the two of them might have been planning this from the beginning.
The cream cheese stewed turtle from earlier seemed unreasonable, but as the two of them used the remaining ingredients, everything became reasonable. Their speed increased again at this moment, and their so-called teamwork became even more unbelievable, almost like they were teleporting. Almost in the blink of an eye, a pot of cordyceps chicken essence was poured into the pot. As a spice, it was mixed into the ingredients again as it was stir-fried.
The aroma from the cordyceps chicken essence was scooped out, and the other spices were discarded. It was just mixed with the squeezed sugar cane juice. The goal wasn't just to create sweetness, but more importantly, to highlight the flavors under the knife skills. The cream and cheese melted on the turtle's back as the temperature rose, eventually melting into the meat. The aroma of something being slightly burnt filled the entire venue.
But this was just the beginning.
From the very beginning, Hachiman had been frying the bread. With the sour bitter melon being removed from the pot, it seemed that everything was settled. A turtle that had been fried and covered in cheese and cream was placed between the bread. It seemed that everyone finally realized what was going on.
This is... a hamburger?
But a food that's normally considered fast food in their country was going to be presented on such an international stage. It was laughable. Before the dish was even presented, voices of disapproval could be heard from the audience. Even Yukinoshita's mother was disappointed, because she didn't think her daughter would make such a dish.
Under everyone's gaze, the two used a flamethrower to heat it up one last time. The hamburger, as the main course, was now complete.
Haruno had a faint smile on her face. Just witnessing that cooking method made her want to smile.
"This is really interesting..."
Of course, the appetizer for the hamburger was also very important, and all of this seemed very mysterious to everyone watching.
The two exchanged knowing glances and walked onto the stage with their dishes.
At this moment, the world's attention was focused here.
Hachiman took out his appetizer first. After spending nearly an hour on it, the appetizer was finally revealed.
"Hikigaya's Luo Han Guo Cake."
Looking at the simple and easy-to-understand appetizer, it didn't seem to match the hamburger behind it at all. If the hamburger was the main course, then the appetizer should be paired with juice. This answer, which was ingrained in everyone's mind, was almost impossible to change. A cake with a hamburger was something no one had ever heard of. Even Yukinoshita's mother couldn't understand the situation.
Togawa Sakiko: "Is that really the dish? That's not a good choice."
Eriri: "Yeah, was it because they were running out of time that they didn't match the appetizer and main course well?"
Sakurajima Mai: "No, it shouldn't be like that. Hikigaya, you helped Yukinoshita, right? Does that mean you expected this result?"
Amidst the judges' speculation, the entire stage became even more lively. Everyone was at a loss for a moment. Yukinoshita's mother's attention was focused on the so-called cake. She frowned.
Others might not have noticed, but she had been focusing on him the whole time. Almost twenty minutes ago, Hikigaya had stopped. Generally, serving the appetizer and main course together would give the judges a better experience. This was a cake. If it was left out for too long, it would melt...
But even after so long, it hadn't changed. This clearly showed that it probably wasn't a simple cake. The secrets hidden within could only be known after tasting it.
Yukinoshita's mother gently picked up a spoon. As she reached for the cake, everything seemed clear. Under the so-called cake crust, it broke with just a poke. As the crust melted, countless pieces of fruit and juice flowed out.
As a lady, Yukinoshita's mother always paid attention to her manners, so even after witnessing what was happening, she maintained her composure and gently put the juice from it into her mouth with a spoon.
The cool taste was as if it was connecting her entire body and mind. Without even realizing it, she became so intoxicated. The nervous system, completely out of her control, made a huge leap at this moment. When she came back to her senses, even Yukinoshita's mother's eyes were shaking uncontrollably. She didn't even have time to take another look at the dish before her as she went into wild tasting mode. This was the first time the audience had ever seen a dish that fascinated Yukinoshita's mother so much.
Hachiman had simply used the properties of a coconut to make a cake. Through some minor processing, he was able to ensure that the outside crust was crispy, while also ensuring that the inside Luo Han Guo juice was cool. What seemed like a simple cake had already been transformed by Hachiman's skills into an appetizer that couldn't be defined by existing human cooking technology.
Even Yukinoshita's mother, after living for more than thirty years, could say with 100% certainty that this was by far the best appetizer she had ever eaten. The feeling she had just experienced was something that no other dish in the world could give her.
Her face turned red. At the same time, the other judges couldn't care less about anything else. Their mouths were burning. The desire to eat more and more at the same time was felt by so many judges. There was no need to prove anything anymore.
When she saw that the dish on the table had disappeared, Yukinoshita's mother finally realized how impolite she had been. Even if she wanted to make up for it, there was nothing she could do now. Looking at the unremarkable young man before her, she had to admit that she had misjudged him.
She gave a satisfied smile and, under everyone's gaze, extended an invitation:
"Hikigaya-kun, it seems I misjudged you. Even I have to admire you after making this dish. To be honest, I hope you'll consider that matter more."
As she said this, Yukinoshita's mother glanced at Yukino with a meaningful look. As her mother, Yukinoshita Yukino could understand what her eyes meant. Her face unconsciously turned red.
Hachiman was also a little embarrassed. For now, he could only pretend not to understand. If he couldn't, then changing the subject might be a good choice.
Faced with Yukinoshita's mother's meaningful smile, Hachiman simply gave a faint smile and said,
"Rather than my dish, you should be looking forward to your daughter's dish. Since the atmosphere has already been set, why don't you try to look forward to it as well?"
"Oh?"
As the final dish, Yukino's dish would be the final definition of this competition. Would it be a final victory or a regrettable defeat? Perhaps... the answer could already be given.
"Yukinoshita-style Simple Burger."
Although the name has the word "simple" in it, the ingredients used aren't simple at all. As it came onto the stage, countless amounts of mist filled the stage. What followed was a dish made from the two hours that had passed.
Yukinoshita's mother continued to give a faint smile: "It seems that I need to look forward to it."
After Hachiman's appetizer, there was no need for her to say anything else. At the same time, Yukino handed her finished dish to Haruno.
"Sister, I hope you can recognize me, starting with this dish."
Haruno simply gave an interesting smile and teased:
"Okay, but maybe I'll deny you because of it."
"Then I'll accept it completely."
Seeing Yukino's determination, Haruno didn't say anything else.
Although it's called a hamburger, it's different from the average hamburger. The bread layer is only on the bottom. Most of the ingredients are vegetables and turtle. The cream and cheese in the design burst out when you bite it. It was so good and tasty that it came together with the appetizer to get the amazing end result. The use of vegetables also changed the taste. Finally, all the dishes are done. It creates a good cycle on all of the taste buds.
Although it's different from the normal hamburger, the amount of food that they give is more than enough.
But...
Even though they already had Haruno's amazing food, they bit and ate it all up. It seemed that the people were not done.
Yukinoshita's mother softly nodded her head. She knew that Hikigaya helped a lot, but it was also Yukinoshita Yukino's own work.
Haruno's happiness disappeared. She felt that her sister has grown.
"What Hikigaya did was all done. This all happened because of his plans."
"No, it was just a fluke."
Haruno gave a smile and was happy that her sister grew.
"I guess you guys won."
Yukino did not react to this.
Yukinoshita's mother agrees and looks at Yukino.
"Yukino, you have grown."
"You do not follow in your sister's footsteps, which is a good start."
Yukinoshita's mother then looks at Hikigaya, smiles, and says:
"You guys will have a long way to go."
Yukino starts to not agree with the mother's words. She then thinks to not change now.
Hachiman then plays dumb.
Erina was not happy with this.
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