The students participating in the election only glanced at Tsuna's workstation briefly before focusing on their own tasks.
The judges' impressive lineup put significant pressure on them to perform better, knowing this was more than just about winning—it was a chance to catch the judges' attention and possibly gain recognition.
While some participants were visibly stressed by the judges' presence, others seemed unfazed, displaying their confidence. Tsuna was one of the latter, confident in his skills and barely concerned about the election.
He observed the other students, noticing Alice pouting at him, which made him chuckle. She huffed and turned her focus back to her workstation.
"Whoa! Look at that huge machine!"
"Alice Nakiri! She's truly different!"
"I can't even imagine what she's gonna do with those..."
The audience was shocked by the massive machine Alice had prepared on stage. Tsuna also took note of this while slightly raising his eyebrows at her setup.
A flash freezer and centrifuge, which she used to employ her signature technique, Molecular Gastronomy!
Not only that, most of her kitchenware looked advanced, far from the basic tools others were using.
Tsuna chuckled to himself, "Seems like she's trying her best this time..."
As he turned his attention to the other contestants, Tsuna blinked in surprise when he saw a long black haired girl making her roux.
"...Why is it so dark, though?"
Instead of looking like a chef, she resembled a witch brewing a magical potion. Her giggling like a crazed witch left him slightly at a loss for words.
"Hojo-sama!"
"You're the best!"
Tsuna shook his head, hearing another commotion nearby.
He turned to see the girl who had kabedon-ed him before, now commanding the attention of the audience.
A crowd with flushed expressions cheered for her as she made strong, dramatic movements at her workstation.
The earth seemed to tremble with each motion, and the twin mountains looked like they were about to erupt. The aesthetic mega bakery at the bottom appeared to shake along with her every action.
"...I guess men will always be men, huh?"
Tsuna sighed, though his eyes flashed in appreciation before he focused back on his own work.
Silently, he laid out all his ingredients on the counter.
"Hmm..."
He studied his ingredients thoughtfully. "I probably should add a bit of butter to make it smoother..."
Meanwhile, the whole arena was suddenly filled with a burst of aroma that shook the entire place.
The judges widened their eyes and turned to one of the workstations.
"Yuki Yoshino..."
"...That is definitely..."
"This smells... Mhhmm!"
Even Orie couldn't hold back her voice as she felt the aromatic spices spreading, entangling her whole body. Her face flushed red before she commented, "...this must be spices cooked in duck fat..."
She looked at Yoshino with satisfaction, realizing the quality of the students participating in the election was top-notch.
Orie then turned to Ishiki, "Ishiki-kun, it seems like it wasn't a waste of time for me to come here..."
"Those students, give me all of them..."
She continued with a flushed expression as she looked at those students with a weird expression.
"...Give me?"
"That's, um, a bit inappropriate, isn't it?"
The other judges were taken aback, their faces turning red at Orie's proposal. However, she didn't seem to care as she scoffed and added, "Of course, excluding that shameless student..."
Orie pointed at Tsuna, who was doing push-ups at his workstation. Her annoyed eyes suddenly blinked in surprise as she mumbled, "Huh? He's doing what?"
"..."
"Alright, now I'm pumped! Let's start with the roux as well..."
Tsuna chuckled as he melted butter in a pan, its aroma beginning to fill the air around his workstation as he stirred the flour until it turned a rich golden brown.
"Hmph!"
Meanwhile, the flustered Orie pouted, turning away in annoyance before sharply pointing her finger toward Megumi, "And her! She lacks any talent and is clumsy. I don't need them both in my kitchen..."
"Well, I don't know about that..."
Ishiki's eyes flashed slightly as his usually squinted eyes opened a bit.
He turned to Megumi, who was fidgeting while preparing her ingredients with a nervous expression. Ishiki smiled as she silently added, "Tadokoro-chan is a pretty good cook after all..."
Orie furrowed her eyebrows at this. However, she noticed Tsuna had stopped doing push-ups and narrowed her eyes at him.
Tsuna seemed to notice this as their eyes met.
"...!"
It felt as if an electric current suddenly coursed through her veins. Orie froze, feeling a strange sense of nervousness before sharply shaking her head.
"No, it must've been just my imagination...!?"
However...
"...!"
The second she tried to regain her composure, Orie's eyes widened in shock, along with the other judges, as they all turned to look in the same direction.
"What is this smell?"
The crowd turned in surprise towards Tsuna's workstation. A strong fragrance, overpowering the rest of the arena, billowed out from his area.
"This is the smell that comes from a combination of curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and..."
Orie exclaimed, her eyes widening as she saw Tsuna throw a pinch of MSG over the spices, causing the aroma to explode.
She mumbled in disbelief, "...MSG?"
Alice glanced at Tsuna, who seemed focused on his cooking. A blush crept up her face before she pouted and looked away, "What a show-off..."
Ignoring the commotion caused by his aroma bomb, Tsuna heated oil in a large pot, adding chicken pieces and searing them to a perfect golden brown.
The sizzle and crackle were music to his ears.
He removed the chicken, setting it aside, and added finely chopped onions to the pot, sauteing until they turned translucent and caramelized. Pouring in the chicken broth, he brought the pot to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer.
He grated an apple, adding a bit of soy sauce and ketchup.
The aroma grew even more intense, filling the entire hall and captivating everyone present.
Looking at the pot, Tsuna nodded in satisfaction.
"It's time for the rice," he muttered.
Using slightly less water than usual, he planned to cook it until it was perfectly dry—ideal for absorbing the curry's rich flavors without becoming mushy.
Returning the seared chicken to the pot, he gradually stirred in the prepared roux. The curry thickened beautifully, its color deepening to a luscious golden brown.
He let it simmer, allowing the flavors to meld together.
"Now, I just have to wait..."
While waiting, Tsuna went down to the floor and did another set of push-ups, leaving the audience and the judges feeling speechless once again.
Megumi, who had seemed nervous a while ago, began to regain her composure thanks to Tsuna's peculiar behavior.
"...That's right, seeing Tsuna-kun being Tsuna-kun helps me realize I need to get a grip," she mumbled to herself, lightly slapping her cheeks and making a determined fist.
As the clock ticked down, the three-hour mark was about to end. All the participating students reached the final stage of their cooking, preparing their plates.
"This time..."
Alice muttered to herself as she carefully plated her creation. Sweat rolled down her forehead as she worked slowly and surely.
Takumi, Hojo, Hisako, and all the notable students in Block B had their eyes locked onto Tsuna, who had just finished his push-ups.
They all thought the same thing, "...I'll defeat you!"
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