Although the Yukinoshita family had already been brought up more than once, it seemed that only Hachiman still knew nothing about it.
But…
'If even someone as outstanding as Shinomiya dreams of joining the Yukinoshita family…'
Without overthinking it, Hachiman could already tell that her family's influence was far beyond what he had imagined. It was practically on the level of a financial conglomerate.
Still, no matter how it was, Hachiman had no interest in knowing anything about the Yukinoshita family. The more he learned, the harder it would be to get away. Just thinking about being mentally attacked every day by this sharp-tongued, manipulative beauty made Hachiman feel like ants were crawling all over his body.
He took a deep breath, trying not to imagine that terrifying scene again. At the same time, Chef Shinomiya was the first to leave. With the Shokugeki now over, the other chefs also said a quick goodbye before heading out.
The basement that had been full of noise a moment ago was now left with only Dojima Gin, Yukinoshita, and Hachiman.
Hachiman: "Getting played by you like that really doesn't feel good."
Dojima Gin acted as if nothing had happened. He spread his hands and answered calmly:
"Well, it was a fair Shokugeki match."
Hachiman: "But you already saw through everything from the start, didn't you?"
Dojima Gin: "And didn't you as well?"
Their exchange left Yukinoshita, who was standing off to the side, completely lost. She had no idea what these two were even talking about.
Dojima Gin: "Back then, you already noticed Shinomiya's stagnation. And while cooking, you memorized his every step, didn't you?"
Yukinoshita couldn't make any sense of what Dojima Gin was saying. Her face grew more confused.
Hachiman stayed silent.
Dojima Gin gave a faint smile.
"Just from that alone, it wouldn't look suspicious at all. Everything seemed reasonable—deliberately slowing down the cooking, spotting your opponent's flaws.
But what really confirmed it for me was the moment you tasted Shinomiya's dish. The look on your face clearly said, 'Just as expected.'"
Hachiman had to admit he admired Dojima Gin. Just from his reactions and movements, this man had guessed his thoughts and even used them to help Shinomiya, who had been stuck in place, find his way forward again.
Since he had already been exposed, Hachiman let out a small sigh and chose not to hide anything anymore.
After all, Dojima Gin was over twenty years older than him. As the director of Totsuki Resort, his reputation was well earned.
His eyes seemed to tell Hachiman that he had been watching closely the entire time, never letting anything slip past.
But...
Hachiman knew his intentions too. When Shinomiya first announced the assignment, the glances that occasionally drifted his way had already felt strange. After he was ordered to withdraw, the sudden Shokugeki over an odd reason made it even clearer. Hachiman knew.. even if Yukinoshita hadn't issued the challenge, Dojima Gin would have stepped in somehow.
If he had a goal, it was to observe both Shinomiya and Hachiman. Hachiman had noticed Shinomiya's problem back then. The classmates' rumors gave him a picture of Shinomiya's personality, and once the Shokugeki began, he could confirm it directly.
Both of them clearly understood the meaning behind this Shokugeki. The only ones left in the dark were Yukinoshita and the other chefs.
Yukinoshita finally realized what was going on. Her confused look turned into shock. Two people who seemed to have no connection had actually worked together to put on this frightening act.
Learning the truth, she found herself completely speechless.
Hachiman: "If Shinomiya-senpai had gone all out, I wouldn't have stood a chance."
Dojima Gin: "Maybe after tonight, he'll find his old self again. And that's thanks to you."
Hachiman: "I was just a piece on the board. You were the one holding it. Rather than thanks to me, it's more like you gave me the chance, Dojima."
The two shared a knowing look, then exchanged a quiet smile.
To Yukinoshita, this was impossible to understand. From her point of view, it had been just another normal Shokugeki. But behind it was so much planning, and the masterminds were these two men with twenty years between them.
She couldn't imagine how they had managed to think the same way.
...
After saying goodbye to Dojima Gin, Hachiman and Yukinoshita finally left the matter behind. But with the afternoon gathering time coming soon, Hachiman realized he'd have to face the terrifying Chef Shinomiya again without any rest. The thought alone made his heart race with fear.
Yet Yukinoshita seemed completely different now compared to when they first arrived. Not only were her occasional glances filled with emotion, but there was also a faint look of blame in her eyes, as if she was quietly complaining.
Finally unable to hold back, Yukinoshita stepped in front of Hachiman. Her slender hands shot out and blocked his path.
"You knew from the start?"
"Uh, what are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb."
Realizing he couldn't dodge it anymore, Hachiman sighed and said:
"In the end, I was just a pawn being pushed around. So really, my situation was the same as yours. In a way, I was on your side from the very beginning."
But Yukinoshita clearly wasn't buying his reasoning.
"I don't see it that way! And that vague answer of yours is just annoying. As expected of Zombie-kun, you're disgusting."
"Hey hey, that's a personal attack!"
Yukinoshita didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation. She stopped pressing the issue, turned around, and walked off coolly.
Classic Yukinoshita.
Later that afternoon, the Shinomiya-senpai who had terrified Hachiman earlier seemed to step back for some reason, leaving the class to Inui Hinako. Since Hinako's lessons were always done in pairs, Hachiman and Yukinoshita—who both had no partners—ended up paired together again by chance.
Maybe because of what happened at lunch, their teamwork grew smoother. But for the same reason, they spoke less and less to each other.
For Hachiman, it didn't feel like a big deal. But to the rest of the class, it was mind-blowing.
What they saw was Hikigaya Hachiman, the guy Shinomiya had ordered to drop out, standing there like nothing happened. And Yukinoshita, who had challenged Shinomiya to a shokugeki, also looked like nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.
If it was just that, it might be fine. But the biggest shock of all was that Chef Shinomiya—the one being challenged—was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, what's going on here? Someone go ask!"
"Don't tell me we're about to see another huge drama this afternoon!"
"I don't know them… come on, someone who actually talks to those two, go find out!"
Everyone looked around nervously, desperate to know what had really happened, but not a single person dared to step forward.
The whole class went on like that until it finally ended. Under everyone's stares, Hachiman and Yukinoshita didn't even say goodbye to each other and just left separately.
…
But just after walking out of the classroom, Hachiman felt a strong vibration in his pocket. He had only just picked up his phone again, since no phones were allowed in class and all devices had to be stored at the entrance.
Pulling out his phone, he saw something that made him doubt reality.
99+!
"Did I inherit Hayama's normie system? Or did I forget to pay the bill and get reported…"
Muttering that joke to himself, Hachiman answered the call.
"You finally picked up! Hikigaya-kun, where are you right now? Did you get expelled?! What really happened? I heard you fought against Shinomiya-senpai! What was the result?!"
"At least let me answer one thing at a time…"
Even without seeing Tadokoro Megumi's face, Hachiman could feel her panic through the phone. He was just about to reply when another voice cut in.
"Hikigaya, is there still a chance to fix this?! Where's Chef Shinomiya? I need to talk to him face-to-face!"
Yeah, sounded like Ryoko had grabbed Megumi's phone.
Hachiman: "Well, I haven't been expelled."
On the other end, the noisy voices suddenly went silent, like the people had vanished, leaving only dead air.
Hachiman: "Hello?"
Ryoko: "Wait, so if I understand this right… Hikigaya, if you weren't expelled, that means… you beat Chef Shinomiya?!"
Hachiman: "Uh, well, it might sound a bit off, but for now I haven't been expelled..."
On the other end of the line came a long sigh of relief.
But only moments later, instead of calming down, they sounded even more excited.
Voices kept coming through the phone, and it wasn't just Ryoko and Tadokoro Megumi fighting to talk anymore. Even Marui, who usually looked drained, was now fired up like crazy.
Hachiman: "Anyway, let's just talk when we meet. Same place as usual."
...
What was it like to be the center of attention? Hachiman had never really felt it.
Even if he stood on a bright, glamorous stage, he knew very well that it wasn't a place that belonged to him. So, over time, it was like he chose to vanish from the crowd on his own.
He never thought his lack of presence was a weakness. On the contrary, it saved him from a lot of trouble. As long as he just focused on what was right in front of him, that was enough. Living without that kind of burden was easy for him.
But... the moment he stepped into the hall, he felt a pain he had never felt before, like countless spotlights were shining straight on him, exposing everything about him.
Facing those endless spotlights, his steps became stiff, and even seeing the way forward felt hard. He wasn't used to being in crowded places, and now that everyone was staring, it was unbearable.
He lowered his head slightly, avoiding eye contact with all those gazes. As he moved through the crowd, whispers started reaching his ears.
"Hey, did you hear? Because of this guy, Shinomiya-senpai tried to expel him, and Yukinoshita challenged him to a Shokugeki. And now he's showing up here?!"
"Wait wait, could it be that Yukinoshita secretly likes him? That ice queen actually stood up for him?"
"Hold on. A student beating the former First Seat—don't you think that's strange?"
"Strange? The whole thing has been strange from beginning to end."
"Don't tell me... Shinomiya-senpai found out Yukinoshita liked Hikigaya and tried to steal her away, but then Yukinoshita coldly rejected him?!"
"What's going on in your head? They're more than ten years apart. Forget Shinomiya-senpai—why would Yukinoshita even look at some random guy like him?"
"And besides, he's got those dead-fish eyes..."
The gossip showed no sign of stopping, good or bad. But for Hachiman, it didn't really matter.
Maybe all he wanted was to go back to how it used to be—quiet, unnoticed, out of the spotlight.
At that moment, a familiar figure rushed forward and suddenly wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Thank goodness, you're really okay."
"Uh... well, Ryoko-san, everyone's watching."
Hachiman's reminder finally made Ryoko let go, though reluctantly. Right away, Tadokoro Megumi looked anxious as she asked:
"What on earth happened?! Hikigaya-kun, people are saying you had a fight with Shinomiya-senpai."
'Tadokoro-san, you're too innocent... A scary thing like a real fistfight has to be taken seriously. I really don't want to end up getting arrested.'
Everyone seemed curious about what had actually happened. In an instant, the whole hall went silent, all eyes turning to him.
Marui leaned close and whispered in his ear: "Hey, I think we should change places first."
Hachiman: "Honestly, I think so too."
After struggling to shake off the crowd tailing them, they finally managed to get away. What was this place, some kind of paparazzi training camp?
After Hachiman gave a quick rundown, everyone more or less understood what had happened. But...
Once they knew, they seemed even less calm than before.
Ibusaki: "Before I ask anything else, let me confirm one thing. How's Shinomiya-senpai now?"
Hachiman: "Probably in his room, working on his cooking? As for the details, I don't really know."
Marui: "That sounds like he's gone into hiding..."
Yoshino: "Normally I think Marui just talks nonsense, but this time... wow. Hikigaya, you're amazing."
Hachiman: "It's got nothing to do with me. It's mainly because of Yukinoshita. If not for her, none of this would've turned out this way."
Trying to end the endless questions as quickly as possible, Hachiman didn't hesitate to use Yukinoshita as a shield. But doing that...
Ryoko: "Hikigaya, what's going on between you and Yukinoshita? Forget about what happened later, but why would she start a Shokugeki for you?!"
Tadokoro: "Hikigaya, I want to know too."
Takumi: "Come to think of it, this guy even shook hands with Dojima Gin last time. I thought that was weird! How do you know so many important people?"
Mito: "Yeah, now that I think about it, even Erina used to hate him a lot. Hikigaya, with these big names, you either have grudges or favors with them..."
Honestly, even Hachiman himself hadn't expected things to turn out like this. After all, he was just an ordinary student at Totsuki Academy, nowhere near the level of those geniuses. But now...
After today, there probably wouldn't be anyone in the school who didn't know the name Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hachiman: "Anyway, there's a reason for all this. I just happened to get tangled up with them by chance, and... I don't really know how to put it. But... I'm really not close with them."
Ryoko: "Not close?"
Tadokoro: "Really?"
It probably was true, since they weren't even friends.
After being questioned for a while, Hachiman went back to being quiet with the excuse that he wanted to rest. He really had been worn out all day, so no one wanted to disturb him anymore.
As for tomorrow, Hachiman didn't dare to imagine it. In a way, his life path would change completely after today, as long as he stayed in this school.
What he wanted most was just for everything to sink into the past and never be mentioned again. Maybe then, his school life could finally become a little more peaceful.
...
It was only the third day of the training camp, but compared to the first day, the number of students had dropped sharply. The ones left in the hall now were the best of the best. And over the next two days, the number would only go down even more.
Still, there was one piece of good news for everyone: the Polar Star Dorm members hadn't been expelled yet. Except for that one time when Hachiman almost got kicked out, the rest of them had all made it to the fourth day. And as long as they survived tomorrow, this hellish nightmare would finally be over.
Over these few days, Hachiman hadn't been assigned to the same class as Yukinoshita anymore, and he hadn't seen Chef Shinomiya again either. Both things he considered good news.
But there was one problem—Hisako and Nakiri had started showing up a lot more often.
Like now, Nakiri was secretly following behind him, and Hachiman had to pretend not to notice...
Honestly, Hachiman really didn't want to get involved with someone as troublesome as her. The rumors flying around were already more than enough to give him a headache. Things like "Hikigaya and Yukinoshita are secretly dating," or "Yukinoshita started a Shokugeki to protect Hikigaya," or "Shinomiya got crushed so badly by Hikigaya and Yukinoshita that he locked himself away and disappeared."
And those weren't even the craziest ones...
Once, while sitting in a stall, Hachiman thought he heard voices outside:
"Did you hear? People are saying Yukinoshita is Hikigaya's sister."
"So that means Yukinoshita is a sis-con?"
"Could be!"
"Makes sense."
After two days of nonsense like that, the rumors had only gotten worse. If Shinomiya hadn't been busy in the kitchen working on new dishes, and if he had actually heard them, with his temper, he probably would've grabbed someone by the collar and demanded answers on the spot.
At least it would all end tomorrow, and that thought gave Hachiman some relief.
Just as he finished his classes for the day and was about to rest, the loudspeaker suddenly came on:
"Totsuki Academy. All students. In one hour, change into your uniforms and gather in the grand banquet hall."
'Figures... it was never going to be that easy.'
Without wasting time, Hachiman turned toward the hall. But, as luck would have it, the person who had been following behind him this whole time wasn't paying attention and ran right into him.
The moment their eyes met, Nakiri's face instantly turned bright red, spreading across her cheeks in seconds.
Hachiman: "Uh, well... what a coincidence."
Nakiri crossed her arms, tossed her head with disdain, and let out a loud "hmph."
'What a pain...'
Since she didn't say anything to him, it only felt natural to just ignore her.
So, right in front of Nakiri, he walked straight past her.
The ignored Nakiri's expression shifted from disdain to annoyance.
She quickened her pace and stepped in front of Hikigaya to block his way.
"I don't think you really beat Senior Shinomiya. Honestly, the only reason you haven't been expelled yet is pure luck!"
"If it weren't for Yukinoshita, you would've been kicked out a long time ago!"
Hachiman: "Uh, well, you don't really need to tell me all this, I mean..."
Nakiri cut him off, but then couldn't find the words. Her face was already red, and she couldn't hide it.
She pointed her finger at Hachiman, stammering: "You… you… you idiot, just wait, you'll be expelled soon enough!"
"I can feel it. Senior Dojima Gin must've set us a tough challenge, and you'll definitely be eliminated!"
After saying that, Nakiri ran off in a fluster. The way she hurried away left Hachiman even more confused.
'See, just as I thought—this girl is really troublesome.'
---
You can read 30 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu
Free member can read 2 chapters in advance