Chapter 31: Chapter 29: Akira Hayama
Hayama looked at Tsuna on the other side, slightly shaking his head as he muttered, "I knew he was crazy, but this is just a bit too much..."
He had heard the rumors spreading about Tsuna, and since they were in the same class for their cutting technique, he knew better that Tsuna was a capable chef just by his technique alone.
Tsuna was a unique individual, almost isolated from the whole class, always finishing his assignments alone, yet still able to achieve perfect scores.
During this training camp, Tsuna's name had become the talk of the students.
A new rumors circulated that he had won a food war against alumni, which most were skeptical about.
However, considering Tsuna's behavior so far, Hayama was actually leaning toward believing the rumors.
"I should be able to confirm it here..."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed Tsuna, who was starting to prepare his station for the assignment.
"...!"
But then, he suddenly widened his eyes, almost falling to the floor when he saw what Tsuna had taken out.
"I almost forgot he's got this strange habit of promoting his own business as well..."
Hayama felt his lips twitch slightly, observing Tsuna placing a D.I.Y sign with his restaurant address in Tokyo.
"Whatever, if you're actually that good, you should be able to survive this, since I might attract all the people over to my station..."
Hayama was preparing Indian Masala Omelette.
Considering the combination of spices he chose for the assignment, he was confident everything would go smoothly today.
He looked at the four jars of different spices he held between his fingers and smiled before letting out a satisfied sigh, "Great combo, no one will be able to resist such aroma in the air for sure..."
He then glanced at the ingredients in front of him, checking the time and noticing there was still an hour left before the scheduled 6 AM start for their assignment.
"Let's cook enough for now. Since the theme is a buffet, I should at least have some portions ready..."
With that, Hayama began working on his dish.
"Oh, right. The money..."
Tsuna stopped for a moment, flipping open his phone to find several messages from the bank confirming the transfer of 10,000 yen each to his account for his services rendered during the unofficial street war.
A smile spread across his face as he checked his bank balance, seeing it had increased to around 150,000 yen, which was close to $1k.
He muttered to himself, "So this is how it feels to earn money when you're broke, huh? Such an addictive feeling..."
Reflecting on how he had barely $10 a few weeks ago and now had this much, Tsuna felt a sense of accomplishment.
It might not be a significant amount compared to what some people earned in seconds, but starting from the bottom made his progress all the more satisfying.
"Alright, let's continue making my dish..."
Tsuna was about to prepare Chawanmushi, a Japanese steamed egg custard. It was perfect for a buffet-style serving, with portions that were neither too big nor too small.
However, just as he turned on the steamer at his station...
"Hmm?"
A fresh wave of aromatic spices filled the air, causing him to widen his eyes and turn to look at the station right beside him, where he saw Hayama toasting spices in a skillet.
"Oh? Look at that guy..."
Tsuna chuckled as he noticed Hayama briefly glance at him before continuing to sprinkle his spice mix, intensifying the aroma that enveloped the whole area around their station.
It was clear that Hayama was challenging him!
Tsuna couldn't help but smile at this and muttered, "Sure, I'll play along..."
He began cracking his egg, swiftly prepping each ingredient with precision.
Next, Tsuna measured out the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, salt, and sesame oil, combining them in a bowl.
As he worked on his Chawanmushi, he placed it in the steamer.
"Time to take back my territory..." He murmured as he observed the steam billowing out like a gentle breeze of clouds.
Soon after, the air became filled with an inviting aroma, akin to a warm hug on a chilly morning.
The scent emanating from Tsuna's creation was like a melody in the air, gradually overpowering the aromatic fragrance from Hayama's spices as if asserting its dominance.
Tsuna glanced at Hayama, who caught a whiff of the aroma and mouthed, "What do you think? Do you like it?"
"Oh?"
Hayama smiled at Tsuna and responded, "Pretty decent..."
Both of them chuckled as the aroma from their station completely dominated the others around them.
"Is everyone ready to serve?"
A familiar voice resonated throughout the hall, signaling that it was time for the assignment to commence as Dojima continued, "Before I go into the requirements for the judges..."
"Whoa, it's open!"
"Yeah, finally!"
"I'm already starving..."
The door to the main hall suddenly burst open as a bunch of children flooded in, accompanied by their parents and some professional-looking individuals.
Dojima then introduced them as Totsuki's Resort food suppliers and their families.
"...!"
"They're...!"
The students appeared surprised as the next group of people slowly made their way in. Dojima's voice echoed, "That's right, Totsuki's Resort food department staff and chefs will also be the judges of today's assignment..."
"Then, onto the requirements..."
Everyone listened intently as Dojima continued, "There are two requirements. First, you have to gain approval from professionals in the field, suppliers, and servers. The second requirement is to serve 200 portions within the next two hours!"
"Those who meet the requirements shall pass!"
Dojima declared before turning his attention to the guests and adding, "Now, for our guests, please enjoy your breakfast!"
"...!"
"200 servings? Damn, this is going to be tough!"
"I need to hustle! Goddammit! Why did I have to pick such a complicated menu?"
Feeling the pressure of the task ahead, the students hurriedly increased their pace in panic, knowing they had only two hours to complete the assignment!
Despite the challenge, Tsuna and Hayama remained calm as a large group of people quickly gathered around their station, drawn by the enticing aroma wafting from their dishes.
"Wah... It looks so good..."
A little girl, about ten years old, gazed at the Chawanmushi cups lined up on Tsuna's station with a sparkle in her eyes.
Similarly, the rest of the crowd, especially the women, were captivated by Tsuna's dish.
The presentation of the chawanmushi was stunning, their surfaces adorned with silky-smooth custard that glistened invitingly under the soft glow of the kitchen lights.
Each cup held a treasure trove of ingredients nestled within the velvety custard—a colorful mosaic of mushrooms, peas, and delicate strands of green onion peeking through the surface like hidden gems.
The sight was visually appealing and absolutely appetizing.
Those sights were satisfying to look at, with people flocking to the stations they were interested in.
However...
"...!"
The same couldn't be said for the stations beside them.
A tall, purple-haired female student felt sweat trickling down her forehead at the station right on the corner between Tsuna's and Hayama's stations.
She was Miyoko Hojo!
Noticing the ongoing aromatic battle that seemed to disrupt the whole atmosphere, with the judges all being pulled over to their stations without even glancing at hers, Hojo felt threatened!
She looked at her Spicy Sichuan Scrambled Eggs and gritted her teeth, "I'm in a pinch..."
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