Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

She first scooped up a fish ball coated in golden coconut curry and put it in her mouth.

The moment she bit down, Chihiro Natsume's expression changed drastically.

"boom!"

The fish ball actually resisted fiercely in her mouth, possessing an incredibly elastic and resilient texture. Small golden cubes of sea urchin, cream, and curry were also present.

Once the fish ball is finally bitten open, the cubes hidden inside, made of sea urchin, cream, and curry, have already melted into juice and flowed out, washing over every corner of the mouth. The sweetness of the fish is amplified by the curry, with no fishy smell, only sweetness. Coupled with the chewy texture, it makes you want to eat one after another.

"The fish balls have a bouncy texture, and the curry has a wonderful coconut flavor..."

Minato Sakamaki exclaimed in surprise, "The base flavors of onions and minced garlic have blended perfectly with the curry. The addition of coconut milk not only makes the consistency even better, but also smooths out the original spiciness. This is absolutely amazing!"

Chihiro Natsume ignored the people around her and eagerly turned to the curry beef brisket on the other side.

A piece of beef brisket with tendons was put into my mouth.

"boom!"

If the fish balls were like a gentle sea breeze, then the beef brisket was a bombshell!

There wasn't a trace of dryness; the beef brisket was stewed until it was incredibly tender, so tender that it practically melted in your mouth without needing to bite.

Moreover, as it melts, an incredibly rich and savory aroma dominates the entire taste buds.

"It's not just curry flavor in here!" Shigeyuki Koda stared wide-eyed at the broth in the plate. "This aroma of fermented soybeans... and that sweet seafood and fruity scent! What else has been added?"

“Old tangerine peel, satay sauce, and hoisin sauce.” Chen Yuxing explained as he stood in front of the judges’ table: “Hoisin sauce and spices are used to marinate the beef brisket for the first time, and then curry and satay sauce are added and simmered to make the beef completely tender.”

"The seafood sweetness of satay sauce, the unique fermented black bean aroma of chu hou, the fruity fragrance of dried tangerine peel, and the spiciness of curry."

Upon hearing Chen Yuxing's explanation, the judges' breathing became rapid, and instead of asking questions, they all began to savor the food in large gulps.

The illusion descended at that moment.

Chihiro Natsume found herself in a bustling, noisy street. Above her were huge neon signs, and in her ears were the roar of passing buses and the chatter of diners on the street.

She was wearing a floral dress and sitting in a street food stall with a huge clay pot in front of her.

Suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted from the casserole in front of them, and a giant dragon formed from curry sauce rushed out of it.

The dragon roared as it soared through the night sky, then suddenly swooped down towards Chihiro Natsume, enveloping her entirely in a hot, spicy body.

In reality, Chihiro Natsume's face was flushed, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she ate, but she couldn't stop eating with the spoon in her hand.

"It's so delicious! The rich sauce, the melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket, and the chewy fish balls! It's just a simple, everyday dish, but it's so delicious that I simply can't resist it!"

With a clatter, Chihiro Natsume threw the spoon into the plate, pushed the now empty plate aside, and gasped for breath.

She stared at Chen Yuxing in shock, her eyes also filled with a longing for him.

The audience watching this scene fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared at the five judges who had licked their plates clean, eager to see what scores they would give.

"drop--"

The numbers on the big screen started jumping wildly.

80...90...

The final score was 96!

Chapter 66: Preliminary Rounds End

“18分、20分、19分、20分、19分——总计96分！”川岛丽兴奋的大喊出来。

"Oh my God!"

"It's a tie! There are actually two players with 96 points in this competition!"

"The exact same score as Hayama Akira!"

"And there are two more with 93 points and one with 90 points ahead of us... Group A is really a battle of gods!"

The audience on the stage erupted in cheers.

"That guy, Hoshino, is really a monster!" Aoki Daigo excitedly shook Sato Shoji beside him.

"Yes! Everyone in our Polar Star Dormitory is amazing!" Sato Shoji said excitedly, looking down at the Polar Star Dormitory members.

“Ah Xing… I really want to have a real man’s 1v1 duel with you…” Soma Yukihira looked at Chen Yuxing on the judges’ panel with fighting spirit.

Chen Yuxing looked at the final score displayed on the big screen, let out a soft breath, thanked the five judges, and then turned and walked back to his cooking station.

When he returned to the kitchen counter, he found that Hayama Akira was standing on his own counter, staring intently at him.

"Hong Kong-style curry, huh... It seems you are indeed qualified to be my opponent." Hayama Akira's voice was deep. "See you in the next round of the main tournament. There won't be a draw next time."

Chen Yuxing turned his head and glanced at Ye Shanliang. "Coincidentally, that's what I was thinking too."

"Then see you in the main competition, Hayama Akira."

After saying that, he waved to Hayama Akira and turned to leave.

……

After all the contestants' reviews were completed, the Group A competition came to a complete end.

The final scores for Group A are as follows: Chen Yuxing and Hayama Ryo both scored 96 points, tied for first place; Kurokiba Ryo and Yukihira Soma both scored 93 points, tied for third place; Marui Zenji scored 90 points, ranked fifth; and the remaining three, Ibuzaki Shun, Sakaki Ryoko, and Mito Ikumi, all scored 88 points, tied for sixth place.

The top four advancing to the next round are Chen Yuxing, Hayama Ryo, Yukihira Soma, and Kurokiba Ryo.

"There are just too many monsters in Group A..." Many eliminated students looked at their scores on the screen with helpless expressions.

"Look at the big screen! It seems the results for Group B are out too!"

Someone in the audience shouted.

At the same time, the final results and the list of those who advanced from Group B were also displayed on the big screen.

First place: Alice Nakiri, 95 points.

Second place: Hisako Shinto, 95 points.

Third place: Megumi Tadokoro, 94 points.

Fourth place: ? ? ?

"No, shouldn't there be four people on the list of those who advance?"

"Yeah, and fourth place?"

Seeing the question mark displayed on the screen for fourth place, the audience began to discuss it enthusiastically.

At that moment, Rei Kawashima's voice came over the loudspeaker: "Takumi Aldini, who is ranked fourth in Group B, and Subaru Mimasaka, who is ranked fifth, both have 93 points."

"Due to the fact that the scores are tied at the bottom and the last qualifying spot is at stake, we are currently holding an emergency meeting. Please wait a moment."

As the broadcast ended, the entire city erupted in chaos once again.

"Both of them scored 93?!"

"Are you kidding me? Is this year's fall selection competition really that insane? A 93-point score can still result in a head-to-head match."

“I do know Takumi, he’s the older of the Italian brothers, and he was quite famous during our residential training program. But who is this Mimasaka Subaru? I’ve never heard of him.”

The members of Polaris Dormitory Group A also left the stage and met up at the entrance of the venue.

"Where did that Subaru Mimasaka come from?" Soma Yukihira craned his neck to look at the big screen and asked with some doubt, "I've never heard of him at the academy before."

“It’s really unusual.” Marui Zenji pushed up his glasses, a hint of seriousness in his eyes. “I think I’ve heard of this name before, but I’ve forgotten his specific achievements. However, to be able to fight Takumi to a draw in Group B, he can’t be an ordinary person.”

"Could he be some hidden master?" Aoki Daigo and Sato Shoji also came over. "If the Italian brothers are so good, this Mimasaka Subaru probably has something up his sleeve too."

Just as everyone was discussing it, Kawashima Rei's voice came over the loudspeaker again.

"Dear viewers and contestants, thank you for waiting."

"Two contestants in Group B had the same score and were both just short of the fourth-place qualifying line. This is the first time this has happened in the Autumn Selection Tournament."

"After an emergency discussion by the organizing committee's review committee, and after consulting with the two contestants themselves, we are now announcing the final decision."

"Regarding the tie-breaking dispute between Takumi Aldini and Subaru Mimasaka, the tournament organizers have decided—"

"Two days later, a tiebreaker match will be held for these two contestants, and the winner will take the ticket to the main competition of the fall selection tournament."

As the announcement was broadcast, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Hooray, this is going to be interesting."

"It's like a 1v1 elimination match being held ahead of schedule."

"That's exciting! Pennant! Pennant!"

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Chen Yuxing also began to think about Mimasaka Subaru.

"Ah-Xing! Soma! Ryoko!"

A shout interrupted Chen Yuxing's thoughts. Everyone turned to look and found that the members of Group B had returned. Tadokoro Megumi, Yoshino Yuuki, and Hojo Miyoko, who was wearing a Chinese cheongsam, were walking towards them together.

"I knew everyone in our Polar Star Dormitory was the best!" Yoshino Yuuki walked up to the group excitedly and hugged Tadokoro Megumi tightly. "Megumi too! You were amazing! You got a high score of 94, securing your ticket to the main tournament!"

Megumi Tadokoro's face was flushed with relief: "It's all thanks to everyone's encouragement, and A-Xing's special training over the past few days... Actually, my hands were shaking when I first went on stage, but thankfully I didn't mess up the competition in the end."

Miyoko Hojo also came up and patted Chen Yuxing on the shoulder: "You really are a monster, 96 points. Although I know you can easily advance."

“You’re really good too. You were just one point away from winning a ticket. I really want to have a match with you in the finals,” Chen Yuxing replied.

Just then, Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato suddenly rushed to the stands, and then saw Granny Fumio walking over, surrounded by the two of them.

"Hmph, at least you bunch of brats have some backbone; you haven't disgraced Polaris Dormitory."

Although Grandma Wenxu said this, she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes and her pride in them.

Yoshino Yuuki immediately went over and took Fumio's arm, acting coquettishly: "Grandma Fumio, I was so touched when I heard you cheering for me so loudly in the stands that I cried. Thank you!"

"Alright, alright, don't say things like that! I was just worried that you would be looked down upon by outsiders!" Granny Wenxu turned her head away proudly.

"Hehe, right! The main competition is coming up next!"

Yoshino Yuuki excitedly pumped her fist, "I've decided, I'm going to go back and work through the night to make banners!"

"Make a huge banner for Ah-Xing, Chuang-Zhen, and Xiao-Hui each, so they can hold it up and cheer each other on at the competition!"

"Alright, alright, stop making such a fuss. Everyone's tired today and worked really hard." Grandma Wenxu cleared her throat and waved to everyone. "Come on, come back with me. Since you all did so well today, I'll cook you a delicious meal tonight as a reward!"

"Hooray! Grandma Fumio is the best!"

Everyone cheered.

"Where's Isshiki-senpai? Isn't he coming back with us? Why haven't I seen him?" Yoshino Yuuki looked around and asked with some confusion.

"Isshiki, as a current member of the Elite Ten, has probably been pulled into a meeting by the tournament committee."

"There are a lot of troubles waiting for him to deal with, such as the schedule for the quarterfinals, the invitation of judges, and the tiebreaker two days later. He probably won't be able to get away right now."

Grandma Wenxu explained from the side, "Let's go back first, don't worry about him, he'll definitely be back tonight."

……

That night, at Polaris Dormitory.

The party was, unsurprisingly, once again held in Marui Zenji's room.

Perhaps he was already used to it, this time Marui Zenji didn't complain. He just huddled in a corner of the room, watching everyone move various cushions, pillows, and small tables into his room.

Tonight's banquet was also very lively. In addition to the people from Polar Star Dormitory, Hojo Miyoko, Mito Ikumi, and the brothers Takumi and Isami were also brought over.

"Congratulations to everyone for achieving great results in the competition! Cheers!"

Everyone raised their juice and barley tea and clinked glasses.

The door was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh," and Isshiki Satoshi, who had returned after finishing his official business, was now wearing his classic nude apron.

"Good evening, everyone! To celebrate our Polaris Dormitory's great results in the preliminary rounds of the Autumn Selection Competition, I specially went to the Polaris Vegetable Garden to pick some fruits and vegetables to make a salad for everyone!"

Isshiki Satoshi walked in carrying an enormous wooden bowl.

"Ah—! You pervert!" Mito Ikumi screamed in fright at Isshiki Satoshi's daring outfit, then quickly covered her eyes, though she still managed to peek through a small gap.

Takumi was completely stunned by Isshiki Satoshi, standing frozen in place. "This...this is the true face of the seventh seat of the Elite Ten in private?! This is absolutely outrageous! Put your clothes on! You bastard!"

"Haha, you'll get used to it. Isshiki-senpai usually dresses like this at Polaris Dormitory." Yukihira Soma patted Takumi without a care in the world, then walked up to Isshiki Satoshi, picked up a salad from his bowl, and ate it. "Mmm! This salad is delicious. It's as good as the one Isshiki-senpai made."

After a while of fooling around, everyone sat in a circle and started discussing the tiebreaker match two days later.