I'M BACK!
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After his mother passed away, Mimasaka's father grew colder towards him.
Mimasaka understood it was because the restaurant was starting to grow, and his father had to perform regardless of his emotions, which in turn led to him neglecting his only son.
Mimasaka originally thought that his way of copying others and making their dishes just as good would earn him praise and appreciation from his father.
Unfortunately, what he received instead was a scolding...
His father insisted that a cook must develop something unique to become a better chef.
At that point in time, Mimasaka longed for the warmth he felt when his family still ran the small restaurant, with his mother smiling every day and his father teaching him how to cook.
Misinterpreting his father's words, Mimasaka not only began copying dishes but also started adding his own touches to make them tastier.
However...
When some VIPs visited his restaurant, Mimasaka thought it was his time to shine.
Seeing the VIPs enjoy his creations more than his father's, he smiled innocently, expecting praise. Instead, he was shocked to find his father completely outraged and ashamed.
His father's response was to send Mimasaka to Totsuki Middle School.
He was deeply hurt by this decision, and something twisted within him.
"My dad was incompetent, and I refuse to be like him..."
He became sadistic, fixating on other people's treasures with envy and taking them away by force, relishing in their despair.
But...
As Mimasaka continued to chew on Tsuna's galbi BBQ, the flavors melting in his mouth, tears began to stream down his face.
He closed his eyes and thought silently, "...why do I still think of that bastard?"
The memories Mimasaka had deeply buried within him resurfaced as the waves of flavors dominated his palate, making his brain almost malfunction.
All he could think of was his happy childhood memories.
He remembered a time when their restaurant was small, his mother smiling while serving regular customers, his dad cooking in the back, and him watching the whole interaction with an innocent smile.
"That's what you're lacking..."
Tsuna's voice snapped him back to reality.
Mimasaka widened his eyes, realizing the galbi in front of him was gone; he had finished everything.
"Skills might be an issue as well since I'm far better," Tsuna shrugged, not denying the skill difference, which left Mimasaka feeling slightly speechless.
But as Tsuna continued, Mimasaka found himself listening intently.
"Your dish might taste good, but it's nothing more than an empty shell."
"...Empty shell?"
Mimasaka looked up at Tsuna, who regarded him calmly.
Mimasaka's tear-streaked face and snotty nose made him look like a distressed gorilla, but Tsuna didn't seem to care.
He shook his head and said, "I'm saying that all those fancy dishes mean nothing if you have nothing to convey through them."
The judges, who had been listening to the interaction, nodded in agreement.
Senzaimon smiled at Tsuna while he put his kimono back on.
He was thoroughly impressed by how far ahead of his peers Tsuna was, silently thinking, "To think he'd already achieved this level..."
"Something to convey..."
Mimasaka mumbled in disbelief while he wiped the snot and tears off his face. He realized something and said, "But I have nothing of such. How am I supposed to put any into it?"
"That's not my problem," Tsuna replied, clicking his tongue.
He then glanced at the Sendawara sisters, who looked at him with flushed expressions and ragged breaths.
Tsuna twitched his mouth speechlessly and muttered, "Should I call the FBI for this?"
He was underage, after all.
"Ahem..."
Senzaimon cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention.
The crowd slowly quieted down as they heard him say, "Since we're all done tasting, let's vote for the winner of today's Food War!"
As all the judges nodded in agreement, Senzaimon slowly raised his vote, and Kawashima's voice reverberated across the arena, "Now, the winner of today's Food War is..."
"Tsunayoshi Ito!"
All the judges voted for Tsuna's galbi!
"What a victory! A crushing defeat and overwhelming domination by Ito-kun!"
"Whoaa!"
"Let's go!"
The crowd went wild at the announcement, their cheers filling the arena with excitement. Tsuna chuckled at the reaction.
Amidst the euphoria, with Tsuna basking in the limelight, Mimasaka found himself feeling nothing but acceptance.
He silently muttered, "I guess it's as expected, huh?"
He had tasted the galbi and felt the difference in their levels.
However...
"Tsunayoshi Ito, I have one question..."
Mimasaka's voice cut through the noise, catching Tsuna's attention.
"Hmm?"
Tsuna watched as Mimasaka slowly stood up, sighing before turning to him with a serious expression.
"How are you able to convey something through your dishes?"
"How?"
Tsuna repeated, studying Mimasaka's genuine curiosity before chuckling softly, "Find a purpose."
"Purpose...?"
Mimasaka furrowed his eyebrows, confusion evident on his face. He looked down, deep in thought, before shaking his head.
Feeling completely helpless, he asked, "I don't understand. How are you able to find your purpose?"
"Mine? Hmm, it's pretty simple," Tsuna replied, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Dedicate your life to something."
"...!"
Something within Mimasaka shifted as his eyes widened in shock.
He had been challenging others and inciting food wars not out of dedication but as a way to project his dissatisfaction with his father.
"I see. Dedicate my life to something, huh?"
He murmured to himself.
His whole idea of dedication had been wrong, and he realized he needed to reconstruct it correctly.
However...
"I guess I was too late for this," Mimasaka sighed, knowing that Sakamoto might ask him to stop cooking altogether.
Even if he was not, Mimasaka himself wasn't sure if he could find something or someone to dedicate his life to, so he decided to push it to the back of his mind.
Despite his uncertainty, a smile formed on Mimasaka's face as he turned to Tsuna and thanked him.
"Thanks for answering my silly question, Ito."
"It's nothing much," Tsuna shrugged, about to leave.
Yet, Mimasaka seemed to have another question, "But I'm quite curious though, what is it that you dedicate your cooking to?"
"..."
Hearing the question made Tsuna halt his steps.
He turned his head slightly, his face becoming serious, the light casting a shadow across his features.
With a solemn expression, he answered, "I dedicate my life to finding a M.I.L.F..."
"..."
The entire arena fell silent, jaws dropping in disbelief. Even the judges looked taken aback, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion.
"...Pardon?"
Mimasaka repeated, blinking in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"
Tsuna's expression stayed stony as his eyes gleamed with sincerity, "You heard me. This is what keeps me going—to find the perfect mother I'd like to fry rice for."
"...!"
Mimasaka felt the earnestness in Tsuna's voice, and his heart was moved.
He mumbled, "A mother I'd like to fry rice for, huh?"
Mimasaka tightly gripped his fist as the thoughts he had pushed back resurfaced. He had been lacking a purpose, someone to dedicate his cooking to.
Now, Tsuna's words resonated deeply within him.
...should he also...
...dedicate his cooking to a mother he'd like to fry rice for?
"...I see."
Mimasaka's turbulent thoughts finally subsided as his expression mirrored Tsuna's—calm, resolute, and stony.
They looked at each other and nodded in understanding.
That day, Mimasaka found his purpose.
"...Another lost soul was forever gone," Alice twitched her lips speechlessly at the sight of those two seemingly sharing this sense of camaraderie between them as she sighed deeply, feeling completely exhausted.
Meanwhile, the other students looked at Tsuna with newfound respect, realizing Tsuna was also also...
"...To think that Ito-kun was actually..."
"C-comrade..."
...a fellow man of culture!
---
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