With the crowd chattering in the background, their watchful eyes fully focused on the contestants, and the judges' scrutinizing gazes, the atmosphere slowly shifted from excitement to a quiet tension.
However, both Tsuna and Soma seemed unaffected by the pressure, fully immersed in their own culinary worlds.
Tsuna quietly closed his eyes, envisioning his dish as he mumbled, "Who said I'm not trying something new as well..."
This would be his first time attempting this recipe. He hadn't even tested it at home, as the idea had come to him just the night before.
Turning his head toward Alice, who immediately looked away in annoyance as their eyes met, Tsuna chuckled, "Thankfully, I know her..."
He had to call her at the last second to find some of the ingredients he needed for his recipe. With her connections spanning the entire region of Japan, securing the ingredients was a piece of cake.
"Alright, let's get back to work..."
Tsuna began by arranging his ingredients on the countertop. Fresh shrimp, scallops, white fish fillets, and squid were meticulously placed on a platter.
On another platter lay an assortment of vegetables and tofu: enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, silken tofu cubes, napa cabbage, mizuna, carrot rounds, leek rings, and thinly sliced daikon radish.
His dish was easy to guess just by looking at the ingredients. Tsuna was preparing a seafood hotpot, a luxurious blend of oceanic and earthy flavors that would be hard to pick if he was still as broke.
"Since I got some money from my side job, a fancy seafood dish would do..."
Tsuna chuckled, recalling his bank account that had been pretty healthy compared to when he was just starting to get used to this life.
"Ito's Special Seafood Hotpot with Yuzu Broth..."
Tsuna's voice reverberated across the arena. Soma paused what he was doing and turned his head to look at Tsuna, who had just announced his dish.
"...that's what I'm gonna be making, Soma."
"Oh?"
Soma's eyes flashed with a fierce light at the declaration. Despite this, he was completely undeterred as he continued to work on his creation. Though, he could clearly see the message behind those simple words.
Tsuna was absolutely confident in his victory.
And justifiably so, as Soma shook his head and spoke, "Make one for me. I'd definitely have to try it."
"It's 5,000 Yen."
Tsuna's reply came almost instantly, nearly making Soma lose his grip on his knife. He twitched his lips at the response.
Tsuna remained nonchalant, as if such words were completely natural to him.
"...Could you give me a discount?"
Soma knew it was useless to argue with Tsuna about why he should pay in the first place. Bargaining for a better price was all he could do since he was broke as hell.
"Hmm..."
Tsuna frowned, pausing momentarily before shaking his head. "Just this once, I'll give it to you for 3,000 Yen."
"...Why don't you just give it for free if it's just this once?"
"Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that. What did you say?"
"No, nothing..."
Soma grumbled as he continued working on his dish.
"Kekeke..."
Tsuna chuckled, his lips curling into a smirk. He looked at Soma as if he were a fool, silently thinking, "I'd do it for free. Thanks though, I won't refuse any money."
These little exchanges didn't escape the judges or the crowd, who looked at Tsuna with a mix of amusement and amazement.
"...I didn't know someone could be this shameless..."
"As expected of the Shameless King..."
"He truly lives up to his name..."
Murmurs of amazement spread throughout the arena, leaving the judges slightly speechless.
However, as Tsuna began pouring dashi into a large pot and set it on the burner, the aroma softly billowed out.
As the broth heated up, he added yuzu juice, soy sauce, mirin, and sake, stirring gently. He glanced around warily before sneakily adding a sprinkle of MSG.
The soft, gentle aroma suddenly exploded!
The fragrant aroma of citrus and umami immediately filled the arena, giving everyone smelling it a sense of comfort and making their stomachs growl.
"...It smells so fresh."
Inui spoke as she closed her eyes, inhaling the aroma deeply.
The other judges, however, seemed to be looking at Tsuna with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"...He thought we wouldn't notice, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he definitely put MSG in there..."
Tsunozaki shook her head while Mizuhara almost face-palmed at the sight. Tsuna's overly cautious behavior, as if he were doing something illegal, was unnecessary and might give people the wrong impression which made both judges sigh.
"..."
Tsuna was fully engrossed in his cooking as he carefully watched the broth as it simmered. He knew that the balance of flavors was crucial.
He then tasted it, nodded in satisfaction, and set it aside to focus on the seafood and vegetables.
Tsuna immediately took the fresh shrimp and deveined them with swift, precise movements. The scallops and fish fillets are cut into uniform pieces, and the squid is sliced into perfect rings.
Each piece of seafood was handled perfectly in a swift motion which left everyone in awe.
However, Tsuna's showmanship didn't end there as he moved to the enoki mushrooms. He swiftly trimmed it, and the shiitake mushrooms were immediately sliced.
He cuts the silken tofu into delicate cubes and arranges the napa cabbage, mizuna, carrots, leek, and daikon radish in neat piles.
"...Perfect."
Tsuna mumbled to himself while placing the pot of simmering yuzu broth on a portable burner at the center of the countertop.
The broth continues to bubble gently, releasing waves of aromatic steam.
He began adding the daikon and carrots first as their vibrant colors contrasted beautifully with the clear broth.
As the vegetables were cooked, Tsuna slowly added the seafood.
The shrimp turned a bright pink, the scallops and fish became tender and opaque, and the squid rings curled up perfectly.
The audience watched in awe, captivated by Tsuna's skill and precision.
Gin observed with a small smile on his face.
"He's still as impressive..."
Tsuna's skillful handling of ingredients and his almost sixth-sense-like timing were nothing short of remarkable.
He seemed more like an experienced chef than just a culinary student.
"And Yukihira is also quite good..."
Gin turned to look at Soma, who had once failed to impress him with a dish at Tsuna's restaurant.
But now, seeing Soma's skill and recalling his familiarity with the young chef, Gin nodded in satisfaction, "He's Joichiro's son; he should be this good at a minimum..."
Finally, Tsuna added the mushrooms, tofu, and leafy greens, completing the hotpot.
He ladled portions into bowls, the clear broth shimmering with a hint of gold from the yuzu. Garnishing each bowl with finely sliced green onions, yuzu zest, and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, Tsuna completed his dish.
The sight of it brought the crowd to a simmering excitement, the arena buzzing with anticipation.
As Tsuna carefully brought the bowls over to the judges, he noticed Soma finishing up as well. Soma was placing his bowls in front of the judges one by one.
Tsuna chuckled, "Seems like you're done with yours too..."
"Yukihira's Special Oyakodon-Inspired Hotpot. Happy to serve," Soma declared, taking off his headband with a proud smile.