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"We should be fine, right?" Sui thought for a moment before saying, "After all, you all tasted our exam dishes last night and agreed there were no issues."
"Haha, but it's not 'us' I'm worried about," Megumi replied with a nervous smile.
"Hey, is the sauce okay?" Sōma chimed in.
"Of course! But you better not mess up the soup," Ryō shot back.
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Akira added.
Sōma, Ryō, and Akira trailed behind, still caught up in their argument. Both Sui and Erina couldn't help but sweat nervously.
For days, the trio had been debating who should take charge of the cooking, and in the end, they decided to split the tasks among themselves. Unfortunately, this wasn't a great solution. Each of them had their own style and methods, and without strong coordination, their dish could end up being a disjointed mix rather than a harmonious whole.
"At this point, we can only take things one step at a time," Sui said, trying to stay optimistic.
"But ours should be fine! I'm sure we'll stand out!" Alice chimed in enthusiastically.
Yesterday, they had already tasted their finished dish, and the delicious flavors still lingered in their minds.
"Mm-hmm," Megumi nodded with a soft smile.
"Sui, you've been working really hard these past few days. Be sure to get some rest tonight," Erina said, her voice laced with concern.
Sui glanced at her in surprise. Erina's attitude had shifted noticeably over the past few days—she had become much more gentle and accommodating.
'Could it be that after I made that promise that night, she's already considering me as her future husband?' Sui mused, chuckling to himself. It wasn't uncommon for traditional Japanese women to be obedient to their husbands after marriage.
'We aren't even married yet, and she's already this obedient. Just imagine after we tie the knot!' he thought, anticipation bubbling inside him.
As they approached the designated exam hall, Sui and the others spotted Eishi and the rest of their peers. They greeted each other with warm smiles.
"Hey, Sui! What did you cook? Can I get a taste?" Rindō asked, peering curiously at the dish Sui and his team had prepared, which was still hidden under a lid.
"Are you serious?" Sui shot her a look of disbelief. "How could I let you taste it before the exam?"
"Stingy!" Rindo pouted, lightly hitting Sui in mock frustration. She then turned to Megumi, asking, "Megumi, is your dish any good?"
"Oh, it's amazing! Yesterday, I almost swallowed my tongue because it was so delicious!" Megumi beamed, her face lighting up with enthusiasm.
"Really?" Rindo's excitement grew. She turned back to Sui and playfully whined, "You 'have' to cook for me after the exam!"
Sui let out a sigh, resigning to her request. "Alright, alright. I'll cook for you."
At that moment, a commotion erupted inside the hall.
"Chef Dojima, we traveled all the way here from across Japan to taste 'your' bear meat dish. Are you telling us we'll be sampling dishes from students instead?" complained a rather portly man, Kita Osaji.
"Exactly! In the past, we had seasoned chefs with over ten years of experience cooking bear meat for us. Now you expect us to eat something prepared by students? This is outrageous!" another gourmet chimed in.
"Yeah! We've been coming here every year!" more voices joined in, clearly unhappy.
These disgruntled individuals were members of the prestigious Kita Gastronomy Club, a group that gathered annually to savor fresh bear meat dishes.
"Chef Dojima, we're food connoisseurs who indulge in expert cuisine daily. If you're asking us to taste student-made food this time, don't blame us for being harsh," said Sendawara Natsume, her tone icy.
Dojima remained calm, offering a reassuring smile. "Rest assured, the students participating in this exam aren't your average students. I promise you won't be disappointed. And if you are, I'll personally prepare a dish as an apology."
Hearing that, the gourmets' eyes lit up. After all, Dojima Gin, the head chef of Totsuki Group, was a legend in the culinary world. It was a rare privilege to taste his food.
"Then these students are in trouble," Orie Sendawara said with a laugh. "Since we want a taste of Chef Dojima's cooking, we'll be as strict as possible."
Dojima Gin then clapped his hands, signaling Sui and the others waiting outside the hall to enter.
As soon as she saw the distinguished guests, Megumi's legs started trembling.
"What do we do, Sui? These are all members of the Kita Gastronomy Club! They're gourmets. How are we supposed to impress them?" she whispered anxiously, gripping Sui's sleeve.
"Don't worry. Remember how good our dish was yesterday?" Sui reassured her with a smile.
Thinking back to their successful dish, Megumi took a deep breath, her nerves slowly easing.
"Are all the students this time from the Elite Ten?" one of the gourmets asked, surprised to see Isshiki, and other prominent students among the competitors.
"Yes, your feedback will determine their exam results," Dojima Gin replied with a nod.
"But even though they're the best, we won't hold back. We're eager to taste 'your' food, Chef Dojima," Natsume Sendawara said with a sly smile, clearly hinting at the high standards they would enforce.
"So, who wants to present their dish first?" Dojima Gin asked, turning to the students.
"I'll go first!" Kuga eagerly volunteered, licking his lips as he stepped forward with his dish.
"Hey, Kuga, if you make us look bad, I'll kill you," Nene warned coldly.
"I know, you yellow-faced woman!" Kuga retorted with a scowl.
Watching the exchange, Sui and the others couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu—it was a lot like the chaotic dynamic between Sōma, Ryō, and Akira.
"Alright, let's go! Bear meat hot pot!" Kuga announced as the staff wheeled his dish to the front.
"Bear meat hot pot?!" Sui was a bit taken aback.
Soon, the gourmets in the hall began to taste the dish.