The loud crowd slowly quieted down after the food war concluded, though their discussions remained lively as they walked out of the hall.
In a quiet corridor leading to the exit, the sounds of their murmurs reverberated like whispers, the dim lighting giving the place a peaceful atmosphere.
Right in the middle of the place...
Tap... tap... tap...
"..."
Tsuna slowly walked through the corridor toward the exit, his steps adding a new rhythm to the atmosphere. He carried his belongings, including a D.I.Y. promotion banner he had crafted at home.
It was quite an odd sight; he didn't seem very chef-like as he carried no knives.
He was always opting to use the standard ones provided at the arena after all so Tsuna had no such personal knives like every other student.
"Hmm?"
However...
Tsuna noticed some people waiting for him.
Among them, someone leaning against a tree glared sharply at him as he made his way out. He chuckled, "What is this? A war declaration or something?"
"...Soma..."
It was Soma, who slowly got up and walked closer.
His usual playful expression was nowhere to be seen.
Since Tsuna won the food war and officially advanced to the semi-final, Soma's opponent in the next round was set.
Soma looked at Tsuna, who seemed as casual as ever.
The atmosphere between them seemed tense as a breeze of wind slightly whistled through their hair, adding motion and deepening the pressure that formed between them as they glared at each other.
One with a grin, the other with a poker face.
However...
"Pfft..."
Soma's lips twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but break his serious character, his expression returning to its usual playful self.
"Hahaha, I can't..."
Soma giggled out loud, holding his stomach before shaking his head.
He looked at Tsuna, and both of them burst into laughter together.
"Hahaha look at your face man..."
Soma wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, laughing too hard, "Well anyway, congrats on the win! Though it's not really a surprise to me seeing you won it."
"How funny, I don't find it surprising either," Tsuna chuckled.
He then shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Soma before adding, "Since we're now officially opponents, be sure to try your best next round. I don't want to be disappointed, Soma."
"Oh?"
Soma narrowed his eyes and grinned before responding, "I'll be sure to try my best, but I need your help though..."
"Good... Wait, what?"
Tsuna tilted his head, blinking in confusion, "Why do you need my help?"
"Hmmm... I realized that you seem to know a whole lot more than me, so I figured it'd be better to develop a recipe with you," Soma replied as if it were the obvious answer, leaving Tsuna feeling slightly speechless.
"...Of course, silly me."
Who'd think about developing their dish with their enemy?
Obviously, no one but Soma!
"Whatever, you know my address," Tsuna shrugged, answering nonchalantly.
However, he then smirked and added, "Though, you gotta order something first to ask any questions."
"Haha, sure then..."
Soma replied while grinning happily.
He was completely unaware of the fact that it would empty his wallet later on.
"..."
Tsuna noticed this but didn't care about it as long as it brought profit.
He was a business owner, after all, and profit was all he sought.
"Still..."
He felt slightly taken aback by another gaze, one much fiercer than Soma's. Turning to the others beside Soma, he saw Alice pouting at him.
His lips twitched as he tried to stop her.
"Alice, listen, coul—"
And as he had already anticipated...
"Mou! How annoying! How dare you bet on your career so carelessly like this!? Are you dumb? Tsuna-baka!"
She kept on spouting curses at him, making him sigh deeply, completely exhausted.
He turned to look at Ryo, who had started making some distance from them. It was quite clear that he was trying to stay away from them despite having no expression on his face.
Tsuna looked at Alice's lips moving continuously, her voice becoming gibberish in his perspective.
His eyes flashed with an idea as he slowly moved Alice closer to him.
"Gasp!"
Alice let out a cute gasp, her face turning red from the proximity as she looked up at Tsuna's face, which was just an inch away from hers.
"W-what are you doing, T-Tsuna-baka..."
Her voice was so quiet it was almost like a mosquito's buzz, and Tsuna could barely hear her. Instead of responding to her, he just closed his eyes and smiled.
"Ah... This..."
Seeing this, Alice misunderstood his intentions as she tried to look away, before attempting to dissuade him, "No, T-Tsuna, it's a bit too... sudden... I'm not ready yet..."
Despite her words, she closed her eyes, clearly expecting something from Tsuna.
However...
"Huh?"
Alice suddenly felt something heavy in her hands which made her unconsciously tighten her grip on it to prevent it from falling.
However, when she opened her eyes, Alice realized Tsuna was nowhere to be seen.
"Tsuna?"
Looking down, she noticed she was holding the rolled-up banner Tsuna had been carrying earlier.
Her brain momentarily short-circuited as she struggled to comprehend the situation, blinking in confusion, "What is this?"
"Alice! I'm gonna need that in the next round, please keep it for me!"
Tsuna's voice echoed faintly.
Hearing his words, Alice sharply turned her head and saw Tsuna running off with the other three guys, all waving at her.
"...!"
Veins bulged on her forehead as anger surged within her.
BAM!
She slammed the banner down, making a loud thud on the ground before angrily shouting, "Tsuna-baka! You jerk, how dare you play with me!?"
"Arghhh...!"
Her angry shouts echoed across the area, drawing curious glances from other students who started pointing and whispering as Alice continued her tantrum.
"Hah... Hah..."
After finally calming down, Alice was out of breath.
While staring at the DIY banner on the ground, she tightly gripped her fist in annoyance as her veins were still visible.
Alice muttered, "That jerk..."
She swore to make him pay for this!
Meanwhile...
"Why are you two running along?"
Tsuna furrowed his eyebrows at Soma and Ryo, who continued to run beside him.
Hearing his question, Soma just chuckled while grinning, "It looks like fun..."
"...That's probably how you'd respond," Tsuna said while shaking his head. He then turned to the expressionless Ryo and continued, "And you?"
"...Ojou will definitely vent her anger on me, so I'd rather stay away for now."
"Fair enough..."
Tsuna nodded as it was indeed in line with her personality. He then chuckled before narrowing his eyes at them, "Then, since we're doing this anyway..."
"The first one to stop running is gay!"
"...!"
Tsuna's declaration left both Soma and Ryo wide-eyed in shock.
They exchanged a glance and swallowed nervously, realizing the stakes were higher than expected.
But as men, they couldn't back down from such a challenge!
They nodded at each other in silent agreement.
With that, they began running in circles around the academy, drawing attention from others.
Soon, more people joined in, thinking it was just for fun, only to realize they had unwittingly accepted a challenge they shouldn't have in the first place!
---
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