"I see..."
Soma sighed with a slight frustration.
However, his expression immediately turned determined as he extended a firm handshake toward Tsuna.
"...I'll catch up fast and defeat you next time."
Tsuna grasped it firmly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
With the jar of white powder in his hand and a newfound direction, Soma was more resolved than ever.
He had learned a lot from this experience and was determined to improve and catch up to Tsuna as quickly as possible.
"It's frustrating," he thought silently, feeling a tightness in his chest from losing the round. But he knew there was nothing to do but get better.
"I'm looking forward to it," Tsuna replied, their hands still clasped.
With their mutual acknowledgment, both of them left the stage to clean up their workstations.
In the meantime...
Although there was a slight pause after the declaration, the crowd quickly regained their excitement, their cheers roaring across the arena as the moderator announced Tsuna's victory.
The atmosphere grew livelier as everyone was both relieved to leave and thrilled by the impressive match between the participants.
"Then, with that, we now conclude the semifinals for the 43rd Autumn Election! Next..."
The moderator's excited voice echoed through the arena.
Creaking sounds were heard as someone familiar suddenly made his entrance.
It was one of the Elite Ten councils who was in charge of the election!
The 7th seat, Satoshi Isshiki!
All eyes suddenly turned to Isshiki, who was pushing a large ice block with something inside it towards the center of the stage, eliciting surprised gasps and pointing fingers from the audience.
Seeing that Isshiki had captured everyone's attention, the moderator continued with even more fervor, "...the organizers will announce the theme for the three-way battle in the finals!"
Click!
As those words echoed, the lighting across the arena suddenly dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated. All eyes focused on what Isshiki was bringing!
This heightened the audience's excitement, as they were familiar with the election and understood what was happening.
Every year, the finals featured a seasonal theme, a tradition that was seen as an appropriate way to conclude the election.
"Fiuh, this is going to be tough..."
Isshiki muttered with a small smile as he grabbed a large hammer from the side of the cart he was pushing. His smile widened as he raised the hammer and brought it down with a resounding slam on the ice cube.
Cracking sounds echoed through the arena, followed by a loud thud as the ice cube shattered, revealing its contents.
"These things..."
The crowd gasped in unison!
Inside the broken ice cube lay a bunch of small, elongated fish, glistening in the light.
This year's seasonal theme was...
"The topic is Pacific saury!" Isshiki announced loudly as soon as the crowd saw what was inside. "In the old times, it was considered a lowbrow fish, eaten only by the common masses. But in recent years, it has taken a surprising turn, slowly appearing in high-end restaurants..."
That was why it had piqued their interest as it was the current trend in Japan and was slowly making its way across the globe.
It was their pride and a winning cuisine, helping Japanese cuisine gain even more recognition worldwide.
"A dish using this fish will be the theme of the final rounds!"
Isshiki continued, his voice ringing with excitement.
He then looked at the contestants, calling their names one by one, "Akira Hayama..."
"Ryo Kurokiba..."
As he named them, spotlights illuminated each competitor.
Finally, his gaze fell on Tsuna, who was still busy cleaning his workstation. Another spotlight highlighted him as Isshiki called out, "And Tsunayoshi Ito!"
All three spotlighted participants immediately became the center of attention.
"..."
"I feel fate's strange hand at work since these three are advancing to the final round," Isshiki remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"For Pacific saury is an extremely fragrant fish, a highly valued seafood ingredient, and a fish with deep ties to common folk! It is therefore an ingredient that allows each one of you to utilize your own strengths!"
His speech paused as he narrowed his eyes and added, "The final will be held in ten days, and it will decide who among you three is the best among our first-year students!"
A palpable tension filled the air as Hayama and Ryo looked at each other, then turned their gazes to Tsuna, who continued cleaning, seemingly unfazed by the attention.
The crowd erupted with cheers, their excitement filling the entire arena.
They were eagerly anticipating the three-way battle that would determine who was number one!
"Hmm, with my dish..." Tsuna mused, his thoughts elsewhere. He glanced at the judges, who were eyeing their empty bowls with disappointment and smirked. "...they'll be coming to my place today. Kekeke..."
He knew his strategy.
The galbi was the most expensive item on his menu, and with a little persuasion and the enticing aroma wafting from his kitchen, he was confident he could convince them to order some.
With that, the semifinals finally came to an end. Judges, organizers, participants, and students slowly left the arena, their chatter filling the air as they discussed the match.
Tsuna returned to his restaurant after touring the city for his usual training.
As he expected, his cash co—his customers—arrived!
Tsuna was slightly surprised to see all five judges come together. He had thought it would mostly be Gin, Mizuhara, and Inui since they were already familiar with him.
But this was even better, as his eyes practically turned into dollar signs.
The next day, Tsuna resumed his routine, starting his training early as usual.
However, there was a slight change to his schedule; he was making snacks for the club members' training today.
"Yo, Tsuna..."
Sakamoto arrived to pick up the snacks as usual. However, unlike his usual cheerful demeanor, he wore a dark expression as if someone had stolen his money.
"You're quite early today, what's going on?"
"Ah, right. We're about to go watch Too Academy vs. Kaijo High today. You wanna tag along?"
Sakamoto recalled how excited Tsuna had been when they played against one of Too's players, so he figured he'd extend the invitation.
As Tsuna finished putting the snacks into the container and brought it to the table where Sakamoto was sitting, he shook his head, "Nah, I have some other things to do today."
"Some other things?" Sakamoto blinked in confusion.
Tsuna chuckled. "I was hired to teach some kids how to cook."
"Huh? And you took that job?"
Sakamoto was shocked.
Not because Tsuna was lazy, but because he knew Tsuna well enough to know it must have been expensive to hire him.
Shaking his head, Sakamoto picked up the snacks as he stood up, "Alright then, I thought of showing you something interesting, but never mind."
"Interesting? What's that?" Tsuna asked, genuinely puzzled.
Sakamoto just gave a mysterious smirk. "You'll know later..."
Meanwhile...
In a crowded gymnasium where the Interhigh was taking place, people walked through the corridor, their excited chatter echoing through the space. Faces were lit up with anticipation for the matches today.
However, one individual didn't share their excitement. He walked languidly, a mountain of snacks in his arms.
BAM!
As he took a turn, he bumped into someone, causing his snacks to spill all over the floor.
"Ah, sorry..." came a bored apology, which didn't sound apologetic at all.
The individual turned to see a similarly tall guy with lavender hair and a jacket that had "Yosen High" clearly written on the back.
The guy's snacks had also fallen to the floor.
The two stared at each other for a moment, both seemingly uninterested in the situation. Then, the lavender-haired guy sighed, bending down to pick up his snacks, "Watch where you're going next time."
"Same to you."
The first individual shrugged and began to gather his scattered snacks. Both of them seemed to be completely disinterested at all.
The encounter was brief and almost inconsequential, but something about it unsettled one onlooker.
Kenichi Okamura, the current captain of Yosen High, felt a chill run down his spine.
His eyes widened as he watched the burly figure move away, the way he walked reminiscent of someone Kenichi knew very well.
It sent an uncomfortable shiver through him.
"Wha—?"
Kenichi's gaze fixed on the jacket of the retreating figure.
His eyes narrowed, and he muttered to himself, "Totsuki Academy?"
The name echoed in his mind, mingling with a sense of unease.
---
The next arc is going to be Assassination Classroom once again!
I've found a way to help Korosensei...
And if it felt like a bit forcing, Korosensei deserves it! Our best teacher!
Now, give me your powerstone you son of a---ACK! *Someone grabbed my neck and published the chapter right away.
Source: TRUST ME