Joichiro didn't stay long at Totsuki.
After the match with Hachiman, he simply exchanged a knowing glance with him and said no more.
As he had said before, everything that needed to be said had already been expressed through cooking. The road ahead had to be walked on his own. Hachiman understood this, so he didn't try to stop him.
There were still many things hard to accept, many mysteries waiting to be solved. Maybe in the near future, he would finally understand them.
But for now… having found his path, Hachiman simply took a deep breath.
He didn't have a grand dream, but for now… he would try to surpass his dad.
Meanwhile, Joichiro had already packed his luggage in advance. After giving Hachiman his final lesson, he calmly picked up his suitcase.
"You're leaving already?"
The voice from behind was, of course, Grandma Fumio's. Seeing his actions made her angry. Joichiro rarely returned, and even this time, he was only staying for such a short while. Compared to Dojima Gin from next door, the difference was like night and day.
Joichiro: "Yeah. If I stay here any longer, it might not be good for him."
"People only grow when they face hardship. If you stay in the sunshine all the time, you'll never succeed."
Grandma Fumio: "Even so, giving him a little more guidance wouldn't hurt. From what I see, he still knows too little about being a chef. He's your kid after all…"
Joichiro just shook his head:
"Even though he's my kid, I don't want him to follow my footsteps. That would make everything meaningless. I'd rather he climb upward step by step, just like he's doing now."
Maybe unable to argue against him, Grandma Fumio just put her hands on her hips and said unhappily:
"You really are a failure of a father."
"Hahaha, now that you say it… maybe you're not wrong."
They looked at each other and laughed again. Grandma Fumio understood Joichiro's thoughts. He had always been someone who let things take their course, so this choice wasn't surprising.
But still…
Since Hachiman was his child, as long as he stayed in Polar Star Dorm, Joichiro would surely return one day. On that point, Grandma Fumio wasn't worried.
"Well then, I'll wish you a safe trip. I'll take good care of Hachiman."
"Yeah, sorry to trouble you, Fumio."
"Don't call me by my full name, you idiot!"
With their back-and-forth, Joichiro left under Fumio's watchful eye.
Meanwhile, standing on the rooftop, Hachiman quietly watched him go from above.
Just as he imagined, Joichiro was still as carefree as ever. With only a simple wave of his hand, he walked away without a moment's pause.
...
In the private car, Hisako was reporting to Erina about the work that had piled up during the school trip. On top of losing the bet with Yukinoshita, Erina also had to face Yukinoshita's challenges at any moment. Whether it was in work or cooking, she had barely stopped at all.
It could be said that recently Erina hadn't gotten any proper rest. No matter how proud she was, she couldn't possibly look down on Yukinoshita, because Yukinoshita truly had the ability to fight for a seat among the Elite Ten. So…
Even under this pressure, Erina often found herself distracted. Just like now—while Hisako kept reporting nonstop, Erina's mind kept drifting back to her arguments with Hikigaya.
Even though she always came out on top, she still felt unsatisfied inside. Why was that?
From her point of view, he didn't even count as a chef, yet his image kept showing up in her mind late at night, leaving her restless.
Why was that?
Her eyes were fixed on the car window, blank and unfocused. Maybe because she was too tense or too distracted, in the blink of an eye she thought she saw Hikigaya's figure outside the window. But…
With the car moving so fast, it was gone in a flash.
Erina rested her chin on her hand, wanting to brush it off, but then…
"Stop the car!"
She thought she had caught sight of another figure, one that mattered even more to her—the person she had always kept a photo of, her idol.
"Huh?"
Not realizing what was going on, Hisako stared at her blankly. The driver was also surprised, but quickly pulled over.
As soon as the car stopped, Erina swung open the door, only to find the empty road with no one there…
"...No one?"
Hisako caught up just then:
"Lady Erina, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing…"
Back in the car, Erina couldn't focus at all anymore. She told herself it must have been an illusion. After all, seeing her guiding star at Totsuki was impossible—he had quit the culinary world more than twenty years ago, and she herself had only met him once.
Though there were plenty of stories about him among the public, how many had truly met him in person?
But still…
What she couldn't understand was, why did she think Hikigaya was that person?
That question stayed buried deep inside her once again.
...
A few days after Joichiro left, Hachiman's life settled into a calmer routine. Most of his time was spent in class. Compared to his middle school days, classes were much livelier now—maybe thanks to Polar Star Dorm. What he thought would be another lonely school life turned out different, since he now had company during breaks. In his free time, he kept polishing his basics while studying cookbooks. From Isshiki-senpai and Ibusaki Hayato, he also learned new cooking techniques.
Progress couldn't be forced—pushing too hard would only backfire. But for someone like Hachiman, who started from zero, he improved quickly no matter where he began.
Because of the school trip, most of the first-year students at Totsuki Academy were gone. The old class system had already been dissolved and split into A, B, C, and D classes.
As expected, Hikigaya was placed in Class A. His standout performance during the trip had caught the attention of the school leadership. Class A also included many familiar faces: Alice, Alice's follower, Yukinoshita, Hayama, Takumi and his younger brother Isami, and Mito.
Most of the Polar Star Dorm students ended up in Class B. Even so, that didn't weaken their bond. During class activities, they ran back and forth between classes like busy messengers, keeping the connection alive.
Since the school trip, Yukinoshita seemed to return to her usual cold self. For the most part, she didn't interact with anyone—not just Hikigaya, but anyone in class. But…
Whenever the school required group activities, she would quietly choose to sit next to Hikigaya. Since he had no partner either, he didn't think much of it.
And it was only at those times that he would hear her say:
"Huh? Zombie-kun, your hand's healed? You can actually move it freely now."
Maybe he was getting used to it, but Hachiman never made a fuss. He just replied the same way every time:
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
He thought he'd see that classic clash between the two girls again, but surprisingly, Erina seemed to vanish from class life altogether. Though officially registered in Class A, she hardly ever showed up.
As expected, she was a very busy person. Still, that didn't change the fact she was also a very troublesome one.
Time passed quickly. Before he realized it, Hachiman had been practicing cooking for almost three months. Although he had only taken part in one real Shokugeki, he could clearly feel his progress at Totsuki. Over the past month, he had gradually started creating dishes of his own—not just copying others, but cooking based on his own knowledge and skill.
For Hachiman, this was already a huge step.
On an ordinary morning, as soon as the alarm rang, the whole school burst into noise.
"Hey, hey, hey! The Autumn Election list is out!"
"I know, I know, let's go check it out!"
"This time I've gotta be on it. I've worked so hard for this!"
"Yeah right, with your lousy skills? Not a chance."
"Fine, fine, I'll shut you up with the results later."
In just a few minutes, the news spread across the entire campus. Hachiman had never really understood what the so-called Autumn Election was, but over the past month, he'd heard about it enough times to more or less get the idea.
Ryoko: "Hikigaya! Mito! Come on, let's go check the list!"
Pushed by Ryoko, the two stepped out of the classroom. Most of the students inside were stunned by her shout, then bolted out the door.
Marui: "Polar Star Dorm, all members gather! Time to see who's left behind."
The Autumn Election was basically an indirect way to recognize ability. Candidates were chosen through a vote by the Elite Ten. So... if your friends all got picked but you didn't, it would be pretty awkward.
If it had been the old Hachiman, he wouldn't have cared at all. But now, he actually wanted to fight for it. If he only sat around waiting to improve, the result might turn out the opposite of what he hoped.
Takumi: "Hey, wait up!"
Isami: "Don't rush, brother."
Alice: "Ryo, let's go too."
Kurokiba Ryo: "Yes, milady."
Yukinoshita quietly stood up and walked out alone, as if nothing had happened.
Yoshino: "Let's go too!"
...
On a huge whiteboard, countless names were posted. Since it was about the entire 92nd generation of students, there was no shortage of people chosen.
But the Autumn Election had always had an unspoken rule: the higher your name appeared, the less dispute there was. The ones listed further down, the bottom names, were often the result of tough competition among the Elite Ten.
And on this list, the first name was, without doubt...
Yukinoshita Yukino.
Only sixteen years old, and within a single year of cooking, she had overtaken most students. She now had the strength to rival Erina, making her a strong contender for the Elite Ten in the future.
The second name was also one Hachiman knew well: Nakiri Alice, Erina's cousin.
Although Alice wasn't one of the Elite Ten, she was no ordinary student. Returning from studying in Northern Europe, she mastered using chemical elements in ingredients to bring out flavors close to perfection.
More and more familiar names followed on the whiteboard.
Kurokiba Ryo, Takumi, Isami, Hayama Akira, Hayama Hayato, Ryoko, Tadokoro, Marui, Mito, Ibusaki...
It was now certain: all of Polar Star Dorm had entered the Autumn Election, except...
Hikigaya Hachiman.
Normally, with the results he'd achieved during the training camp, there was no way he should have been left off the list. But with his name nowhere to be found, even the usually calm Ryoko grew uneasy.
"What's going on? Hey, you two, come help look again."
Marui: "Don't rush me, I'm checking. Seriously, who designed this thing? The names are so tiny, can't they think about people who wear glasses?"
Ibusaki: "Uh, even without glasses, it's exhausting to read."
Tadokoro Megumi: "No way... Hikigaya-kun..."
Hachiman never imagined that just when he had finally decided to do something seriously, his very chance would be stripped away. The result hit him hard, but...
If he gave up so easily on something he had set his mind on, that would be underestimating him too much. And right now\...
"Here."
A familiar voice reached Hachiman's ears. He hadn't even noticed when Yukinoshita came to stand beside him. For the old him, that would have been impossible. But...
What was even more impossible was what was happening now.
Yukinoshita's face was calm as she put a finger on the whiteboard. Following her finger, you could quickly spot Hikigaya Hachiman's name, written all the way at the very bottom. Because of the faint marker, it didn't even look like a proper name.
Yukinoshita gave a small smile. "Looks like it's not just your presence that's weak. Even your name's presence has vanished."
For someone who rarely spoke to him, this sudden comment caught Hachiman off guard. But since she started by insulting him, his response came out automatically.
"If my presence can get lower, I really don't mind."
It was clearly self-mockery, but Yukinoshita replied,
"I thought you were going to say something strange again, but I guess not. Anyway, once the Autumn Election starts, we'll be rivals."
After saying that, Yukinoshita turned around and left, as if she had never spoken in the first place.
Come to think of it, if she was going to leave right after seeing her name, she could've left a long time ago. After all, her name was the very first one. The fact that she stayed until now…
Everyone was curious, but Hachiman wasn't about to overthink it.
As for his name being stuck at the very bottom of the board, Ryoko let out a sigh.
"Hikigaya, it looks like Erina really hates you."
Marui: "Yeah, what did you even do to her? Don't tell me you broke her heart or something? If word got out, that would be big news."
Takumi: "I bet it's like this—when you were kids, the two of you were engaged, and then Erina found out and came to your house to cancel it. Then you yelled, 'The tables will turn in thirty years! Don't look down on the poor kid!' and that's how your revenge story began. Otherwise, I can't understand why she's so hostile to you."
Under everyone's doubtful stares, Hachiman could only shrug helplessly, as if to say he didn't know either.
From his point of view, their past wasn't anything strange. Assuming Erina had some kind of grudge against him felt too self-centered. Maybe it was just that his skills and reputation didn't match at all, which led to this outcome.
But if he said that out loud, everyone would probably just give him looks of disdain.
As for how he even made it into the Autumn Election, it wasn't hard to guess. It had to be thanks to the great Isshiki-senpai. As the Seventh Seat, he had influence. So…
This result wasn't strange at all.
Everyone at Polar Star Dorm was happy that all of them advanced. And when it was confirmed that Hachiman made it too, Takumi and Hayama walked over.
Takumi: "Listen, I'm definitely beating you in the Autumn Election."
Hayama: "Same here…"
'Why am I everyone's target? Don't you guys have higher goals? Why not Yukinoshita? Or Erina?'
Compared to them, Alice's goal was simple. From the start, she wanted to surpass her cousin, Nakiri Erina. For her, this Autumn Election was a chance to close the gap. If she grabbed this chance, she could finally challenge Erina and rise above her.
While everyone's eyes were still on the whiteboard, a familiar figure appeared in front of them. That's right… it was Kawashima Urara, the host of Shokugeki.
As always, she was the special guest host, and this time, she was here to explain the rules of the Autumn Election.
"First, congratulations to everyone who was selected. Out of the 100 names on this list, you'll be divided into Groups A and B for the preliminaries, with 50 people each. After that, the top scorers in each group will earn a spot in the main tournament."
"For the Autumn Election, many famous guests and industry leaders will be attending. The judging will be open and diverse, with all sorts of cooking styles shining at once. It's the perfect stage to show your true ability. Only dishes that gain the judges' recognition will move forward."
"You may not know this, but rumor has it that the next generation of the Elite Ten will be born from the competitors here."
"Doing well in the Autumn Election means you'll gain the right to challenge the Elite Ten. So keep working toward that goal!"
With Kawashima Urara's encouragement, the field roared with excitement again.
The Totsuki Elite Ten—the most famous positions in all of Japan's cooking world. Who wouldn't be thrilled at the chance to sit among them?
While the others kept staring at the whiteboard, Nakiri Erina, as one of the organizers, leaned weakly on the balcony rail, her eyes fixed only on Hikigaya.
Seeing Erina looking so down, Hisako assumed she had suffered another loss against him. To cheer her up, Hisako spoke bravely.
"Even if Lady Erina can't take part in this Autumn Election, I'll beat Hikigaya, Yukinoshita, and even Alice. After all, I'm Lady Erina's right hand!"
Erina was glad to see Hisako so confident, but…
This time, Hisako was wrong.
When it came to Hikigaya Hachiman, Erina had never voiced any objection during the selection meeting. Instead, some of the other Elite Ten members thought his age as a chef wasn't enough for someone to compete in such a grand event.
No one knew why, but Erina stood up for him then. She admitted things she had never told anyone before. With Isshiki-senpai backing her up, and with Erina's strong push, Hikigaya Hachiman was allowed into the Autumn Election.
Afterward, her face burned red. Even thinking back on it now left her too embarrassed to speak, which was why she was now leaning weakly by the window.
She couldn't figure it out. She couldn't figure it out at all.
From the moment she met Hikigaya Hachiman, it was like the gears of fate started to turn. The carefree time she once had had been occupied by this man far too much. No matter the moment, his figure always appeared in her mind.
For Erina, she simply couldn't understand...
Why was it like this?
Even though she disliked him so much, at that moment she still spoke up for him...
---
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