As Ryo placed the plate on the table for Dojima to taste, he took off his bandana, and his fierce expression immediately disappeared.
His demeanor now seemed lazy and bored as he spoke, "Salmon Teriyaki, please have a taste..."
"Oh? It's freshwater salmon, huh?"
"Yeah, I dived into the river to get it..."
Ryo's casual reply, as if diving into the river were an everyday occurrence, surprised everyone. They weren't accustomed to hunting for fish by diving; they lacked the necessary equipment.
However, Ryo, born and raised on the coastline, was accustomed to hunting fish with minimal equipment, relying on nothing more than something sharp and long, like a spear.
Meanwhile, Tsuna observed how drastically Ryo's personality shifted after removing his bandana.
In his previous life, Tsuna knew Ryo would have been put in a mental hospital for his dual personality disorder for sure.
However, he was surprised to see the others merely shrug it off as if it were normal.
"I guess that's common sense in this new world, huh?"
It was unexpected yet intriguing and prompted Tsuna to chuckle.
"Well then, I'll take a bite..."
Dojima announced, picking up his fork with high expectations for Ryo's Salmon Teriyaki.
"If it's freshwater salmon, it should be firmer than saltwater ones. But my fork just cut right through, huh?" he silently mused as he examined the piece of salmon on his fork.
"...!?"
As Dojima took a bite of Ryo's Salmon Teriyaki, he was immediately transported to a tranquil riverside setting.
Breeze...
The gentle sound of flowing water and the rustle of leaves filled his ears while the air was redolent with the aroma of cedar and pine.
With each mouthful of the succulent salmon, Dojima felt as though he was diving deeper into the pristine waters of the river, surrounded by the tranquility of nature.
"It's actually so tender?"
Dojima exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening in shock.
The tender flesh of the fish practically melted on his tongue, releasing a burst of flavors that danced across his palate.
"Yeah, I've combined soy sauce, mirin, sake, honey, ginger, and garlic and marinated the salmon in it," Ryo lazily explained.
Dojima widened his eyes in realization as he nodded.
The combination of those would act as a tenderizing agent, breaking down the proteins in the fish, allowing it to soak up the flavors and soften the flesh.
It also managed to infuse the now tenderized salmon meat with layers of complex flavor.
Dojima could vividly feel the sauce enveloping the salmon in a blanket of sweetness and umami, coating every inch of the delicate flesh in its rich, savory embrace.
"Very clever! The teriyaki sauce turns out to be a perfect combination for freshwater salmon, huh?"
As he savored each mouthful, Dojima felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over him.
He looked at Ryo with a satisfied smile as he declared, "Your presentation is on point, the way you tenderized the salmon was brilliant. Ryo Kurokiba, your dish is worth... 94 points!"
"A-Another 9-90?"
"How can we even compete with these people in the world?"
The students felt their backs drenched in sweat as they heard Dojima's declaration.
However, Ryo couldn't help but clench his fist in frustration since that meant he lost against Alice.
"...I lost against young lady!"
He looked at her, and she gave him a smug smile, which only made him clench his fist even tighter.
Although it was mainly because his expertise was in seafood and Western style, a loss was a loss, and Ryo silently swore to return the favor later.
BAM!
"Ito's Special Yakitori: Yaki-Yummy!"
A loud sound of the plate slamming onto the table was heard as everyone turned to see Tsuna placing his dish in front of Dojima before opening the lid.
"Hmm!?"
Suddenly, Dojima's expression changed as the smell hit him in such close proximity.
"Such a smell..."
Dojima muttered.
Ryo and Alice seemed to notice his strange reaction as they moved slightly closer, widening their eyes at the sudden projection of the smell.
The unexpected eruption of fragrance caught everyone off guard, the heat of the grill mingling with the sauce, releasing its aroma in a powerful burst that filled the room with an intoxicating allure.
"Just the smell alone made me certain it would taste good," he murmured in disbelief as he took a piece.
Dojima leaned in to take a bite of Tsuna's Ito's Special Yakitori.
"What!?"
He was suddenly struck by a powerful projection of its savory aroma.
The closer he got, the stronger it became!
"How did he even do that?"
It seemed to materialize out of nowhere, enveloping him in a cloud of fragrant smoke that filled the room with an intoxicating scent.
"It's almost overwhelming!"
Dojima silently exclaimed in disbelief as he looked at Tsuna, who didn't seem to care about his reaction at all as he silently continued, "This student..."
Then, as he took his first bite of the tender, flavorful chicken, Dojima understood.
The moment the yakitori touched his tongue, it was as if the flavors exploded across his whole palate, shaking away the taste of all the dishes he had tasted earlier into oblivion.
The yakitori flavor completely dominated him!
The combination of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and MSG danced on his palate, each ingredient harmonizing perfectly.
"Good, isn't it?"
Tsuna's casual voice snapped Dojima out of his reverie.
"...!"
He widened his eyes as he realized he had been quiet and hadn't commented at all about the yakitori.
He was about to open his mouth, only to close it again.
It's not that he was speechless; he didn't want to waste any more time as he took another bite.
He could almost taste the smoky char of the grill, feel the sweetness of the mirin, and sense the umami richness of the soy sauce.
It was as if the dish itself had materialized its flavor into an illusion, captivating his senses and leaving him utterly entranced.
Dojima felt like he was transported back to when he was just a young adult, going out on his adventures.
He pushed himself to his limit and achieved things.
"...This yakitori feels... fulfilling..."
He mumbled softly, feeling something filling some of the emptiness in his heart.
"D-Dojima-senpai's reaction..."
"...I-Is it really that good?"
The students gulped, completely forgetting their grudges as they witnessed Dojima's reaction to Tsuna's yakitori.
If possible, they all wanted a bite as well!
"I-It's impossible..."
Alice observed Dojima's reaction, realizing just by the way he responded to her dish compared to Tsuna's that she might actually lose this competition.
"...No, there's no wa---!?"
"Will you really think so after having a bite?"
A voice interrupted her words as Alice snapped back to reality. She turned to Tsuna, who held another plate of yakitori in his hand.
She gulped at the aroma as she took one.
"...Can I try as well?"
Ryo also joined in as both of them took a bite together, their expressions filled with disbelief as they savored the flavor.
"This is... undoubtedly the best yakitori I've ever had..."
With each mouthful, Dojima's senses were heightened to new heights, his taste buds tingling with pleasure.
He couldn't help but sigh as he turned to Tsuna and declared, "Tsunayoshi Ito, for a dish worthy of this score, undoubtedly... 98!"
"I wish I could give you a perfect score, but I'm sure this is not your specialty, right?"
"...Wha?"
Everyone else in the room was shocked to hear those words, and they all turned to look at Tsuna in disbelief.
---
A huge shoutout to my patrons.
Up to this day, I only have 13 chapters in advance, and I am slowly building it up to 15 chapters as I normally would, which is why there isn't any shameless plug at the end like this one.
However, I wasn't expecting to gain new patrons even when I only have 5 chapters in advance.
Thank you, guys, for the support; I appreciate it. Just know that your support means the world to me!