Chapter 11 - Lestallum
Round of Sixteen - Day Two
'This is it... This is it'.
Hayato's knees jigged up and down like a skinny tarantula dancing on the griddle. Listening to the arithmetic beats of the light percussions filled him with warmth. The variety of arppegiated sequences flooded his blood, almost changing the beat of his heart matching it with its own. Hayato had always felt that he and music had their own language where they spoke without words. His wireless earpieces splitted himself and his music from the normality of the outside word.
It was supposed to anyway!
It was kind of hard when the biggest competition of his life was only minutes away and every eye in the school would be on him.
The waiting room was totally silenced by his chosen track. The vivid and lively bossa nova did the samba with each hair in his inner ear system. Hayato relished in the assortment mixes of shakers, upbeat guitar, and light piano. The Spanish-flavoured Track 35 blazed his blood with spicy vigour and yet the super-repetitiveness of the track was perfect for calming his nerves because of its predictability. Okay, okay, he just needed to keep psyching himself up until he made it onto his kitchen-stadium. Once he was behind his special griddle, he would be just fine and he could unleash himself. As they always say! 'New year, new you!'. Hayato didn't like to admit that he was a sucker for motivational self-help garbage counsellors slather on their office walls, but some were more effective than what people thought. If saying it to himself worked, then he really had nothing to lose. He knew he could demonstrate his best skill set today, but the suspense was killing him! He had been grinding and grinding to kingdom come for this day. He studied the shit out of Track 35. He nit-picked every single semi-quaver and trill until the composition was laid bare like an autopsy on the metal slab under his bright lights.
Then his creation came to be.
Finally the day he'd been dreading was here and he couldn't halt down the bubbling quagmire from swallowing him whole despite everything. Everything hinged on what he would do this morning in front of the whole school and a carefully selected invitation of judges. Once he was done, it couldn't be undone. There were no save points or check points for this whole Autumn Elections. Hayato just couldn't think straight this morning! He had glitched at least four times! He had put his spatula in the wrong pocket of his knife-case and then panicked when he couldn't find it. Kasai-senpai looked at him like he was an idiot. Today could be the difference between bringing home pride to The Guild and a shallow grave behind Heaven's Moon Arena with all the other failures who couldn't reach Tootsuki's standards.
Speaking of Kasai-senpai, he was leaning against the wall with his smart phone, typing away with one hand, cool as an autumnal breeze. Nothing ever fazed him and Hayato-kun was so glad he was here to feed off his tranquil view in all his HD quality. Yo-kun moved in and out of his peripheral vision as he paced back and forth leisurely across the linoleum of the waiting room. His arms were tucked under his arm-pits and his shoulders were relaxed. There were was a single strand of his ear phone wire dangling out from his collar and Hayato-kun felt over the moon. That meant he was going to listen to Track 35 along with him! His best mate looked like he was sleep-walking and his eyes were glazed over. Well, nothing to do but to twiddle his thumb like in a loading screen so… Everything from the way Yo-kun held himself, to the way he spoke this morning, to the look of unassailable confidence in his eyes said he could do it. What could Hayato do but believe him? Like all the other times, Hayato fell hard for this belief and that was that.
'If can't let him down'.
Yukihira-kun was present too and sat on the other side of the coffee table with Aldini-kun. He had squeezed himself beside the elder Aldini, much to his displeasure and proceeded to chat away about something. He was a cyclone of positivity after his match with Nakiri Alice and who could blame him. Hayato wondered how in the world did Yukihira-kun manage to look this happy every single day and make it look so real? His eyes wandered to the blushing blonde mess beside him in well used orange-trimmed chef's uniform,
'Aldini… Heir to his family Trattoria. He's got pretty good stats too'.
His blonde opponent had finished checking over his ingredients and equipment only moments before. His crossed legs and crossed arms reflected an imperceptible level of tension that Hayato envied from the bottom of his heart. Meanwhile, his younger brother Isami Aldini was wringing his hand muttering something rapidly beside his brother, but Hayato obviously couldn't hear past Track 35. His amateur lip-reading skills told him it wasn't Japanese at least. Hayato thought the elder brother was more likely to be antsy than the younger one, but it turned, it was the exact opposite. Go figure! Hayato decided it was better to stop lip-read now and just focused on the four different beautiful renditions of Track 35's melody.
Boom.
Hayato gulped. The thumping vibration grinded his joints. It sounded like the stadium doors had just opened to let the spectators in. Fuck, this was taking too long! Couldn't the committee get the ball rolling, like, right now? Hayato grunted in frustration, which caught the blonde Aldini's attention. Hayato offered him an apologetic and sheepish but friendly smile before darting his eyes away. Everyone in the freaking waiting room could tell he was a zapping ball of nerves. He looked to the television screen and saw his name and Takumi-kun's displayed.
銀世界 勇人 vs タクミ・アルディーニ
Ginsekai Hayato vs Takumi Aldini
Tap tap
'Huh?'.
The gentle touches on his thin shoulders felt like after-shocks that sent his heart spiralling. Hayato-kun jerked his head up so fast it gave him whiplash. He gazed wide-eyed back into his best friend's dark blue ones. He pointed to his ears. Hayato nodded and took out one of his earpiece.
"You'll be fine, Hayato-kun".
His breath shuddered. "Yeah, I know".
His face probably didn't match his words, his cheeks were sore from smiling so much. The flaxen-blonde settled is elbows over his spread knees and bowed his head so he didn't have to look at anyone and concentrated on the upbeat and festivity tune samba dancing out of his earpiece. His ungainly large hands were pale and freckly starfish against his burning cheeks and they were too cold, resisting the warmth that struggled to seep into them. Hayato figured he was quite gaunt today but like hell he'd be looking into a mirror today. He didn't want to see his face.
He wondered though…Would it look the same as the time he was humiliated by a group of seniors in the male-bathrooms the first year of middle-school?
"We best be on our way now before the seats fill up completely. Come along Yozora-kun, Yukihira-kun, Aldini-kun… Do your best, Hayato-kun. You trained hard and for that, you will always be held in the highest regard".
Awww! He was going to tear up! Trust Kasai-senpai's words of encouragement to sound like he was an old, wise wizard NPC from a historical-fantasy game. All that was missing was 'God-speed brave adventurer'. His bespectacled senpai's thin lips curved up into a gentle smile and nodded towards Hayato-kun. His heart grew lighter and he couldn't help his smile burst on his pale face! He was on the verge of fan-boying. By this time, the music crescendoed into its climax and a newfound jauntiness reached his knees. No longer were they moving up and down with restless energy, but with excitement. Yo-kun clapped him on the shoulders once more before giving him confidence-filled thumbs up. Yukihira-kun sprung to his feet and grabbed the tall and thin Aldini before he could fluff up his elder brother's cushion any further.
"That goes for you as well, Aldini-kun".
The other blonde startled as if not knowing how to accept the well-wishes from Kasai-senpai. He stood up and faced Kasai-senpai. Then he stuttered an over-formal 'thank you' to the unfamiliar upperclassman and he blushed hard. Kasai-senpai's tall frame left the scene without so much as a glance back with Yozora-kun, Yozora-kun and Isami-san close behind. Hayato-kun breathed out a sigh and steeled himself
'Game on'.
"Ginsekai-san, Aldini-san. Your ingredients have been brought to the stadium now. Please gather your belongings and make your way to the floor-entrance".
A short and busty official whipped her head into the room and called out hastily to them.
"Thank you miss!". Hayato yelled after her and jumped out and down waving his arms.
Then he turned off the music.
The void consumed him. It coiled up tightly. He was freaking pumped now. Yesterday, Nakiri Alice and Yukihira-kun came out of opposite ends of the arena, but this time he and Takumi Aldini were entering from the same entrance tunnel. It was a decision they both wanted to make since they were on their way to being comrades or party-members and all. Hayato picked up his case and so did Aldini-kun. Together they exited the waiting room and strode into the darkness of the concrete tunnel, heads held high. Finally the light bursted from the other end and Hayato gaped at the hundreds of students cheering and screaming from the stands! Wow! It was just like the Asian Games! That reminded him; he needed to ask Yo-kun if they were going to compete in any e-sport tournaments at all this year.
"I did my homework on you. Your actual cooking style is teppanyaki, huh", commented Aldini.
Hayato almost dropped his case. Kami-sama… hearing that sent a spine-tingling chill filled with fuzziness and dopamine straight to his heart. He felt so honoured. Somebody cared to find out more about him?! Hayato wanted to smack himself for how stupidly happy and giddy he was feeling now, but he couldn't help it! Aldini-kun's handsome smile didn't leave his face as he looked at Hayato in a way he wasn't familiar with in anyone else by his fellow Guild members.
Respect.
Hayato winked.
"I have the eyes for it".
No kidding. He really did. He'd only had head-shots since he started mastering the craft. He could see Aldini-kun not making any heads or tails of what he said, but that was okay. Nobody really did. So he was going to show them all.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience! Please get ready for the first match of the day. We have Takumi Aldini! and facing him off will be Ginsekai Hayato!".
Hayato stepped out of the shadows into the showering light. He fitted his wireless earpieces in once more and checked that his smartphone was secure on his upper-arm strap. The cheers, screams and shouts were deafening. Hayato eyes sought through the crowd and they found Polar Star Dorm up in the middle-right section. He could see Yoshino-chan waving a massive sensu like her life depended on it, Tadokoro-chan and Sakaki-chan were joint-holding a banner with his and Aldini-kun's names on it. Awwww! Marui-kun was stuck holding a flag with a lot less enthusiasm, Aoki-kun and Saitou-kun were cheering their lungs out and Ibusaki-kun just stood there with crossed arms. Finally, he could spy Yo-kun standing beside Yukihira-kun talking about something. Kasai-senpai was nowhere in sight, but Hayato was sure he would appear somewhere later on.
He jumped up and waved at them with all his might. On cue, his best friend turned and waved back with just as much enthusiasm with Yukihira-kun hollering right by him.
"You can see them from all the way up there?", asked Aldini-kun.
"Yep!".
He was so glad he upgraded his earpieces to be 'noise-cancelling'. He didn't know how those tiny things the size of peanuts could really do it without encasing the whole ear with proper mufflers like normal 'noise cancelling' headphones, but The Guild's NPC… a real special one…made it possible and he wasn't about to question it in case of bad luck. Actually, he probably zoned out when he was being explained how it worked… Anywho! They were perfect and he could control their 'noise-cancelling' abilities through his smartphone thanks to the custom companion app. Finally, the two young chefs parted ways and prepared themselves at their own kitchen stations.
"Contestants! Get ready. You have two hours to cook today's theme…".
Hayato snapped open the clasps over his case to reveal a set of gleaming, sharp spatulas and his collection of kitchen knives. They sang from their holders beseeching for first blood. Beside him was his seventy-inch stainless-steel griddle. Forms were filled out to get his special modification done as part of 'equipment and utensil' to be fitted into his kitchen station for this match and damn it was so hard to understand the freaking words that he needed Kasai-senpai to help him fill it out. Nakiri Alice had her truck full of her futuristic, cutting edge toys and appliances. He had his sweet baby.
He tapped 'noise-cancelling'. Only his heartbeat remained.
"…Okonomiyaki!".
He tapped 'play'.
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'Look at them go'.
Souma leaned forward just as the gong's deep clash washed through the auditorium like an invisible tidal wave. Takumi and Ginsekai pounced into action. They grabbed their ingredients and started cutting with hungry eagerness that rivaled hunting lions. Souma grinned. Okonomiyaki ,eh? So there was even a place for street food in haute cuisine. Well he'd be damned. He couldn't wait to hear what Nakiri Erina had to say about that. She gave him a spiel about how bentou was considered haute cuisine but he didn't buy it. He had only ever seen the special Kansai street food,on the actual street, in eateries or okonomiyaki specialist restaurants. Even broke-ass students could still afford it. He couldn't imagine such a nourishing and humble dish be served in high-end gourmet restaurants in a million years.
He watched the two blonde chefs chop up a variety of meats and vegetables, but something weird pinged with him. While Takumi was chopping up and grating what looked like to be standard vegetables used for okonomiyaki, like cabbage and nagaimo. Ginsekai was shredding something else at lightning speed with a set of flat spatulas. Kind of similar but different…
"Hey, what's Ginsekai using? It doesn't look like nagaimo", asked Souma.
"It's cassava", replied Marui.
"Cassava? What's that?".
Souma's hands found purchase on the railing and leaned back to look at Marui on Mitsunaga's other side. The resident 'Walking Dictionary' adjusted his round glasses from the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat, getting ready to cite his answer.
"It's a South American root vegetable. Kind of like yam".
"Look! He's slicing long thin sausages too", added Megumi.
Souma let gravity take him, but his hands remained steadfast around the metal railing keeping him from falling backwards onto those uncomfortable seats. He pushed himself onto his toes and craned his neck until he could see Megumi's navy blue head bouncing up and down as she pointed excitedly down onto the stadium.
"From this distance… I think that's chorizo. It's Spanish pork sausages", continued Marui.
"South American and Spanish ingredients… in okonomiyaki?".
Souma and Mitsunaga turned around to see Megumi gently sidle past Ibusaki to them and share their viewing space. Souma was in shock. Suddenly something was thrusted in his ear. Yikes! Panic overtook him from a warm and foreign sensation worming its way into the orifice that was, like, closest to his brain! Then he froze in mid-air. It was one of Mitsuanga's earpiece.
'Festival music!'.
He gawked at Mitsunaga who smirked in return.
"This is Hayato-kun's dish".
Souma's jaw dropped. It was an exotic piece. He could get down with it. It was kind of tropical, like from a hot and summery country filled with laughter and festive people. He could imagine food and drink were flowing wherever this music would play. The acoustic guitar was all sorts of catchy almost wrapping him up into a happy and relaxed beat. Was it Spanish? Caribbean? Brazilian? He couldn't tell. So Ginsekai was going for a Japanese-fusion dish, but fused with any of those countries. That was going to be pretty exciting and just like the other gamer chef with him, another step outside the Tootsuki box. Souma thought this piece for inspiration was clever! Okonomiyaki was a street-food sold at festivals all over Japan, and here he was listening to music that was perfect for festivals or night markets, bustling with people having family-fun. In real life, there would be stall holders and shop keepers shouting their wares to attract and welcome customers mixed along with haggling voices in night gorgeous mix of soft percussions, guitar and something shaking in the background sent a positive vibe through his being. What a flavoursome music piece!
Mitsunaga turned his body towards him and casually leaned against the railing.
"This track has a lot of Spanish and Latino influences. It's got mostly samba, salsa and a touch of bossa nova. The composer has taken a motif and repeated it over and over with some key changes and instrument substitutions to make it more dynamic which is why you feel calm and light without getting bored. You hear that in the guitar riffs and bold repetitive notes of the trumpet. There are only a few instruments that make up the whole piece, but it's the upbeat undertone and rhythm that's the most important and carries the music. This track has four renditions, so Hayato had a lot to experiment with. This could be a town-theme, actually".
"I dig it". Souma took out the earpiece and returned it to Mitsunaga who cleaned it with his handkerchief and then placed it back in his ear.
"Hey is it just me, or is Takumi-san using half the amount of flour than he should be for okonomiyaki?", asked Marui.
Souma screwed his crimson brows together and then looked back to the stadium below. Yeah four-eyes was right. Okonomiyaki needed an exact amount of flour for the batter, and therefore the batter needed enough gluten to bind all ingredients together and have enough elasticity in the body. If he was using half, then what else was he going to use for the body? What was Takumi up to? The suspended television screen showed intense but calm concentration on the chef-in-question's fair-skinned face as if he had it in the bag.
"A-Ah… Aldini-kun's ingredients are also completely different!".
Souma looked over at Megumi who was glued to the railing. He narrowed his eyes and looked to the large plasma screen suspended in the air. Damn, she was right! From what he could tell, some of the ingredients weren't out of the ordinary like flour, cabbage and nagaimo. But then there were some other products he couldn't quite recognise and were half out of camera view. When the camera panned to Takumi's stove, Souma's crimson brows shot up to his hair-line. Really now?
"Look at what's in the pan. Is that… Rice?!". Megumi carried on.
Even Mitsunaga blinked.
"Not just any rice. It's aborio rice".
The three students hogging the railing looked behind to see Isami looming over their shoulders. The younger Italian could barely mask the pride from his voice. He was sporting a bandana that shouted 'GO TAKUMI!' with red stars drawn in markers. Both hands were filled with little red, green and white flags. Boy, he was ready to get down and serious with cheering his brother. Isami looked as proud as punch. So that's how it was going to be, eh? Takumi Aldini and Ginsekai Hayato were both going to do some a Japanese-Fusion dish!
"So, Takumi is replacing half the flour in the batter with the risotto, and the risotto sauce is replacing the water and it will bind the okonomiyaki together. The starch from the rice which thickens the sauce will also thicken the batter and make it into a smoother consistency. Without the water to dilute things, that's going to enhance the overall flavour. I get it now!", exclaimed Souma.
His friends were stunned. And people thought he didn't pay attention in class!
Souma stroked his chin feeling awfully good about himself. He considered himself a very open-minded fellow, as evident in how most of the rich kids here hated his guts, but even he was extremely intrigued with Takumi's train of thought for his interpretation of the theme today. That was some smart technique he was using. He continued to watch as Takumi stirred the risotto rice in a silky sauce in a pan on high-flame. He sprinkled something in it that looked like pale yellow shreds of cheese.
He couldn't be more surprised and at the same time, he expected Takumi would pull off something like this, but risotto-okonomiyaki hybrid? Damn! That sounded awesome. He was always a fan of fusion techniques and style and he couldn't wait to see what the Italian chef created. How does one turn a cheap and abundant street-food like okonomiyaki into a gour—.
"SHIT! Ginsekai's kitchen is on fire!", screamed Yoshino.
Souma stumbled from the railing as soon as a blood-red flare erupted from the middle of the stadium. The crowd croaked with feminine yelps and manly 'Woahs'. It took only seconds for the towering blaze to dance and leap into the air, reaching hungrily for anything they could consume in their wrath. It's unnatural and deep colour sent goosebumps up his arms. Ginsekai took one step back before spinning both teppanyaki spatulas between his fingers and crossed is arms over his face, on guard. Like a knight, he sprang forward and scraped his steel spatulas across the teppan griddle with a piercing cry that even Souma could hear it from up high! The fire sparked, sending showers of red onto the side-benches of the kitchen station but they died in the air. Ginsekai had effortless vanquished the angry flames. The whole auditorium was awestruck.
"Did you see that! It was there and then it was gone like magic", murmured Sakaki-chan.
The auditorium was reduced to buzzing with panicked murmurs thinking that something had gone wrong, before uncomfortably settling down when Ginsekai continued slicing and dicing at lightening pace as if business was usual.
"What the hell was that? What is he doing…", muttered Souma.
"Flavouring the teppan grill", came Mitsunaga's collected reply
"Like that? Hey, I know us chefs flambe things all the time, but that was just overkill". Souma chuckled.
Souma turned to look at The Guild President beside him. He had been silent the majority of the time. He leaned over the railing using his fore-arms, his hands were dangling over the edge. Souma was glad he managed to lose the bandages and his knuckles were looking loads better. Damn, that guy sure was something unreal.
"Hayato-kun likes to be flashy, didn't you already know that?", asked Mitsunaga.
"His clothes speak for themselves. But I never actually got to see Ginsekai's teppanyaki", commented Souma.
"Not even when we were in Sumiredouri Shoutengai together?", replied Mitsunaga.
"Hey. I was busy with the fried-chicken at Tomitoya. As if I had time to run over to your cooking demo at the Games and Arcade store to watch".
Mitsunaga simply chuckled "Teppanyaki suits Ginsekai's skills the most".
"Skills being?".
"Superior hand-eye coordination, reflex and speed. Which kind of explains why nobody can beat him in any first person shooters".
Souma whistled nice and low and went back to observing the competition below.
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"First to finish is Ginsekai Hayato! Please present your dish!".
Takumi wiped his brow and stepped back. He took quick deep breaths to control the adrenaline. The lava coursing through his veins weren't done with the exhilaration yet. That was one tough match and he had put all his heart and soul into his dish. Okonomiyaki. The Japanese half of his blood. Risotto. The Italiano half of his blood. Hayato packed more punch that what he gave credit for. He could practically feel the heat from Ginsekai's kitchen station from the other end! During the whole two hours, the gamer chef looked like he had been invited to perform at a kid's birthday party.
Then that one moment…
That huge burst of flame from his end in the middle of the tournament had set the tone with what Takumi was dealing with. The blaze licking the air with its diavlo-red tongue had momentarily paralysed the Italian chef from his cooking. As soon as he looked over he came across something he had never seen before to that extent.
Fearlessness
'Tootsuki's got you all wrong haven't they… Ginsekai'.
Ginsekai's sterling blue eyes had harden so much and was so focused it had sent chills into Takumi. That scrawny, whiny and loud boy who spouted gaming nonsense like a total dork throughout the week had confronted those dangerous flames on his teppan grill head on and swiped across the stainless steel grill with his spatulas as if they were weapons and not kitchen utensils. The flame sparked and crackled before dying completely, bending to Ginsekai's will. Chefs could only achieve flambe through dousing with wine or spirits. He must've done that to his teppan grill, for what purpose? There had been no ingredients on it? Unless… there actually was?
'Flavour charring…'.
Takumi wiped his hands in the kitchen towel and then threw it onto the bench. He watched Ginsekai very carefully. This chef didn't play by the books. He cooked to video-game music. He saw the smartphone strapped to his arm, which according to Yukihira, meant a different part of his brain was engaged more than the usual Tootsuki chef. He could have anything up his sleeves. Ginsekai jogged over to pull a large stainless steel trolley from the kitchen bay over to where his teppan grill was. He unhooked the latches on both sides. Two of the event assistants ran over and with the blonde gamer chef's instructions lifted the teppan grill and moved it over onto the trolley. Then the assistants ran off the stage and Ginsekai proceeded to push the trolley over to the judging panel.
Takumi swallowed.
The auditorium was filled with shifting murmurs and gasps as the students watched Ginsekai push his entire teppan grill on a large trolley. He stopped about four metres from the judging panel! Takumi screwed his brows together. What was he doing?
Of course! Takumi could wring his own neck. Teppanyaki had a unique way of serving. He'd seen it on the internet a few times, but just how was he going to serve something as large as okonomiyaki with his Teppanyaki skills?
"H-Hello! My name is Ginsekai Hayato".
The judging panel seated five of the most intimidating looking judges he had ever seen. They were the same as yesterday and they looked at Ginsekai with curious yet sceptical eyes. The Director took centre and his presence dominated the panel. His broad and powerful arms were tucked into his large green sleeves. His stern and steely eyes regarded Ginsekai silently. His stature sent trepidation through Takumi and he knew he was going to be the toughest to please. On his right was a short, bold gentleman with kinder and more expressive and still wizened eyes. He too was donned in traditional Japanese garb and he was pint-sized compared to Nakiri Senzaemon, the Demon Food King of Japan. Then there was a fair-haired middle aged man who was dressed in his stock standard business suit, his eye-glasses perched on his nose as he looked down at Ginsekai's unnecessary introduction. The other two, he weren't that familiar with… From the sides, the event assistants trotted onto the stage and placed five small but deep bowls in front of each judge.
"My, isn't this exciting. It's been a long time since I've been to teppanyaki", chuckled the old and balding judge beside the Director.
"The last time I had food flung at me was from my eighteen-month old daughter", grimaced the judge of the other side.
"Young man, if I get even a drop on my Armani I will instantly vote for the other competitor", joked another.
Senzaemon-dono unfolded his muslce-bound arms. His entire physique rippled under his haori and he rested his forearms on the panel on either-side of the bowl. A rumble echoed from his chest, dwarfing the presence of the other judges easily.
"Normally Teppanyaki is done right in front of the customers and requires a very short distance to throw the food when serving". The Director's deep and resonating voice captivated Takumi's attention and froze Ginsekai on the spot."How do you intend to serve from such a long distance, lad".
"You don't have to worry about that, sir".
Ginsekai's quiet voice carried far enough to be just heard as he walked away and stood behind the teppan grill. Takumi watched as he took marching and measured steps. This boy standing by himself before the judges under the eyes of the whole school was nothing like the reckless and noisy one whom Takumi remembered was goofing around in class at the back of the lecture theatre with Mitsunaga and Yukihira. There was heaviness in his steps, punctuating the murmurs droning from the audience, as if he carried something heavy over his shoulders. Takumi suddenly remembered all the times the blonde boy with the over-sized freckly hands got rough-housed and taunted by his classmates in the middle school division. They shared only a few classes together, and he didn't know who he was then and with deep regret, Takumi was never interested to know. He only knew he wasn't popular. The blonde gamer-chef had very visible sorrow and anger drowning in those vulnerable blue eyes back then... as he did right now. Takumi crossed his arms together and rested his right hip against the kitchen bench. But there was a difference. At the same time, there was a pride under the sorrow and anger, like tripwire under snow.
Whoever dared to lay a finger on Ginsekai Hayato all those years ago…
… or said a bad word against Ginsekai Hayato all those years ago
… or even turned their back on GINSEKAI HAYATO ALL THOSE YEARS AGO…
…was going to have the boy himself to reckon with now. Today was possibly the day, whether win or lose, the unpopular gamer-chef would rise up. That his path was set, his self-warrior awakening.
Five piping hot okonomiyaki dote were lightly sizzling away from the already turned off grill, living on the residual heat, keeping it crispy.
"My eyes miss nothing… sir".
Ginsekai spun around and slammed his spatulas onto the teppan grill. Takumi jolted at the impact, his heart stopped! The sharp and shrill clang of hot metal-on- hot metal cut through the air and effectively silenced the whole arena. The judges looked to each other perplexed, unsure if the menacing strike towards them was appropriate or inappropriate whether it was teppanyaki or not, but The Director's attention was soley on the gamer-chef and he didn't bat a lash. The commanding Director lifted his bowl and tipped it forward, a silent invitation for the first serving. Tension infused with the air and it clouded the stadium, dragging Takumi's limbs down. Ginsekai widened his stance and sliced the first okonomiyaki into five parts in a perfunctory manner.
Shing!
There was no warning whatsoever. Takumi gasped. Within a fraction of a moment, there was a sharp but small splat! Just as The Director looked down into his bowl.
'W-What just happened?'.
"Already?!", yelled a judge.
"I didn't see it!" exclaimed another.
Takumi had to rub his eyes and braced himself on the bench. He leaned over and there he saw it. A piece of okonomiyaki was right in the centre of the white bowl, nestled in the lowest dip as if it had been laid there with careful hands, and not shot through the air from four metres away! The judges gaped! Not a single stray piece of ingredient, garnish or sauce was out of place! The rim and sides of the bowl were pristine. Takumi really couldn't believe his eyes! If Senzaemon-dono was impressed in anyway, he didn't show it, he just stared at the piece of okonomiyaki as if analysing it for answers.
"The delivery… the speed… perfecto", Takumi muttered.
He looked to Ginsekai. His steely blue eyes were the epitome of deadly precision. A man on a mission. He didn't have eyes, he had scopes. His pupils weren't pupils, they were crosshairs. Ginsekai's arms were extended out wide and his legs parted. His special teppanyaki spatulas had sliced through the air at break-neck speed and they remained in balanced position. His stance was the only evidence that he was where the okonomiyaki came from. The crowd burst into loud and resounding gasps and accolades of audible 'Oh my god!' and 'Woah!'. The noise level grew two-fold, three-fold at Ginsekai's first strike.
"Explain your dish".
Senzaemon-dono's commanding tone silenced the auditorium again. Ginsekai exhaled and with a few quick spins of the spatulas between his fingers, he rested them on the griddle.
"This is my South American style Okonomiyaki. I've incorporated some key South American ingredients like Portuguese chorizo, cassava, and my special chimichurri sauce into this Japanese dish to re-create a fresh and new style of okonomiyaki that's packing with spice and vibrant flavours".
"Fusion cuisine", commented the bespectacled judge.
"Yes sir. Fusion cuisine is a burgeoning, yet fast-moving industry in the food world. The wide use of social media and the internet has allowed our people to become more exposed, educated on and passionate to new, creative and innovative food ideas inspired from different cultures across the world! And in return, other countries become exposed to our wonderful cuisines too. In recent times, quick-'in'-easy street-food like okonomiyaki have been on the rise because of our non-stop, busy life-style, tourism and changing economy. People from all walks of life can eat and enjoy them and for any reason. It's now dominating the globe and other countries are investing in Japanese street food in their restaurants. I want to showcase that as okonomiyaki becomes more internationally famous, it evolves as it meets new people and cultures and appeal in many different ways. It can become something quite unexpected. Just like the Japanese-Brazilian cuisine which emerged in the early 1900s in Brazil and has become its own identity and staple, still today".
"I see. The Japanese community in Brazil is the biggest Japanese community outside Japan to date. They have a deep history there and the blend of Japanese and Brazillian way of life has developed its own culture and food. South-American style okonomiyaki… you've thought this out" commented one of the judges.
Ginsekai puffed out his chest.
"Well boy! Let me at 'em!".
The other judges raised their bowls with confident smiles gracing their faces.
Takumi spied a tiny but pleasing smile on the gamer-chef's face.
Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!… Shing! Splat… Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!… Shing! Splat…. Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!… Shing! Splat…. Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!... Shing! Splat!… Shing! Splat.
The blonde Aldini paid better attention this time. He followed Ginsekai's movements as best as he could but Merda, he was really quick. Ginsekai had slid one spatula under a portion of the sliced okonomiyaki and easily flipped it into the air. In a heartbeat, he flipped the other spatula upside down and cut the air to intercept its landing after only one rotation. Just as the okonomiyaki portion kissed the metal, the first spatula sliced across from the other side and swiped the side of the okonomiyaki just as he pulled the other spatula backwards! A combination of two opposing spins sent the okonomiyaki portion flying through air across the gaping distance! The garnish miraculously stayed put, embedded in the sauce, and the sauce stuck to the okonomiyaki itself just fine. The judge's jaws dropped in awe as they watched their many different slices of okonomiyaki magically appear on top of each other one after the other until it was all done. Every judge had five pieces of okonomiyaki. Was it the manipulation of aerodynamics that allowed the clean shot to happen? That wasn't all. Takumi knew it was impossible for Ginsekai to get a direct straight line simply because of the laws of physics. The different direction of force from the spatulas meant no straight trajectory, so there was only one way he could target the precise landing.
'He curved them… like bending the trajectory of a soccer-ball'.
"Amazing! I've never seen such precision from teppanyaki before", admired one judge.
"Hmmm… that was very interesting", commented another
"How did you manage to maintain presentation to be so tidy?", asked the judge on the far end, turning the bowl around to inspect the sides and rim.
"A lot of practice, sir", Ginsekai beamed.
Takumi looked over and there were small stacks of pieces of okonomiyaki in each bowl. It was remiscent of 'towering' which was a presentation technique to add height to the dish. The technique combined with bigger plates or bowls created the illusion of eating small portions when actually, they weren't small at all, just taking less space through stacking. This technique was rampant in gourmet cuisine. Not a single crumb of the crispy okonomiyaki batter was on the judging panel.
"Alright them let's taste this".
Each judge picked up their chopsticks and lifted a morsel to their tongues. Their faces morphed into surprise. Takumi could hear the crunch from here. The crispy okonomiyaki batter had the judges salivating bite after bite. The vibrant green chimichurri sauce intertwined with the Japanese mayonnaise sticking to the cabbage and cassava made for an interesting combination of colours that reminded him of the vibrant colours of Brazil. Takumi concentrated on the first judge on the left. He licked his fleshy lips and dug into another mouthful of okonomiyaki. There were thin slices of fried chorizo dangling from his chopsticks. They were fried to crispiness. His mouth became drenched in the sauces with stuck cabbage and he didn't look bothered at all!
"I say, the tasty spiciness of the chorizo creates a really warm and vibrant flavour in my mouth. The umami and saltiness mixed with the chorizo fat give a depth and body to the okonomiyaki batter which I didn't expect!".
"The chorizo isn't the only thing that actually tastes like chorizo… it echoes through the batter as well. There's a fragrance to it that's not coming from the spices. What is it?", asked the bespectacled judge.
"I rubbed slices of chorizo onto the teppan and let the fat melt all over it to further enrich the flavour of the batter and make it really crispy when I fry it. Then I flambed my entire grill with port to give another level of fragrance".
Ginsekai gestured to his teppan. Aha. So that's why the flame magnificently huge. Takumi understood his conception further now.
"Hmm… Pieces of the chorizo still stuck to the teppan gets charred. That's a barbeque technique popular in South America and Spain. It creates an unexpected umami bomb".
"Not only that, the okonomiyaki batter is charred in places too" commented another judge. Takumi could definitely see the tell-tale smokey blackness dotting the edges of Ginsekai's crispy okonomiyaki. "How delightful! What do you think Senzaemon-dono?".
Ginsekai was looking all nervous again, just like in the waiting room. He gnawed on his lips as both he and Takumi waited for the Director's critique.
"Charring. It adds a new crisp and fun approach to what is otherwise ordinary root vegetables. Furthermore, it gives it a cooked-outside flavour without having to go outside. And with open-hearth cooking in vogue, more and more food are sporting black char marks like a badge of authentic historic honour".
He could see Ginsekai released a shaking breath. Takumi nodded in agreement. He could smell it. The smokiness of the chorizo and the sweetness of the port wafted to his nose now that he knew what he was looking for. Ginsekai had left the bottle still open and being Italiano, he knew port when he smelt it. The heady aroma and spiciness of the chorizo tickled his nose and made him salivate. He imagined the powerful flavours of the sausages infusing through the dish, giving it an exotic lift from a dish that was otherwise only used to Japanese tongues. Takumi watched the judges nibbled the edges of the okonomiyaki before popping another bite-sized piece into their awaiting mouth.
"Replacing nagaimo with cassava is an interesting choice. The cassava when cooked is soft like nagaimo, but not gooey or slimy at all. It has a more fluffy and the more starchy composition gives a completely different texture to your okonomiyaki!".
"What are these crunchy bits? Did you fry some of the cassava too?".
"Yes! I sliced them into thin batons and deep-fried them to add more complexity to the okonomiyaki", replied Ginsekai.
The judges nodded together and continued to appraise the okonomiyaki pieces.
"Now, I have to say something about the chimichurri sauce. I'm normally not a huge fan of sweet, sour and spicy sauces, but young man, your sauce is absolutely gorgeous and goes so well with the mild cabbage taste and the saltiness of the chorizo and the light bitterness of the charring. I like how you used the Japanese mayonnaise to cut through the acidity and really let the okonomiyaki batter still shine throughout the dish. I can tell you were very careful with the balance between acidity and saltiness and bitterness, because if either one tip of the scales, it could've destroyed your dish".
"I agree, furthermore, I can taste the garlic, the paprika, lemon juice, coriander and parsley and they blend and marry to well together. It gives a bright pop and zing to the whole dish which I think is a brave thing to do, because like my collegue says, it could've gone horribly wrong if the amount of each element was off balance even by an iota",
Ginsekai pursed his lips and nodded.
"Finally, the theatrics in your superb teppanyaki skill in the beginning stole my breath away. You almost made me wet my pants, son! I didn't think anyone as young as you is capable of throwing food from so far away and hit the target at such speeds without missing a single shot. The performance value really got me excited and whetted my appetite. If I were to eat in your teppanyaki restaurant, my dining experience would be an exhilaration every time".
Takumi could see Ginsekai was almost in tears now.
"If any of the festivals in Japan sells this South American Style okonomiyaki I would eat it no questions asked! It tastes exciting, new and fresh. Frankly, it makes me feel young again, like when I was an adolescent, keen to trying anything and everything. I really like it when I get a chance to taste something that is so inventive and festive and best of all, the flavours and elements actually go together and work. The warmth and bright flavours of the South Americana mixed with the elegant mild flavours of Japan create an interesting and joyous dance that goes so well together. A harmony of flavours from different cultures. What does this say about the world our children lives in today?".
"That's it! I'm booking a flight to Brazil because your dish makes me want to dance with some hot Brazilian babes!".
Takumi choked on his spit! Did that old man say what he thought he just said! The other judges pulled confused and yet disturbing looks at the old and balding judge beside Senzaemon-dono. The emcee looked utterly appalled and stuttered into the microphone trying to say something and failing.
"Thank you!".
Ginsekai bowed, as if utterly exhausted. Takumi got himself together and smiled at his new acquaintance and hopefully friend.
"N-Next is Takumi Aldini! Please present your dish!".
Takumi placed his special okonomiyaki onto the serving trolley and wheeled it over, just as he was passing Ginsekai who was wheeling his own back.
"Hey, Ginsekai". Takumi stopped right beside him.
The gamer chef looked up. The blonde Aldini was taken aback by the amount of unshed tears threatening to fall from his watery orbs. His heart-strings pulled. Merda, he must've been fighting his hardest. He carried the name of his RS on his shoulders really seriously huh… Takumi offered him his own encouraging smile.
"Congratulazioni. Would you allow me to listen to the music that inspired your dish one day?".
Ginsekai stepped back as if he asked him to hand-over his precious teppanyaki spatulas. His opponent slowly lifted his hand to his ears, where Takumi knew his earpieces were, processing his request. Finally a gratifying smile washed over his face and he nodded enthusiastically, his words stuck in his throat from receiving such positive feedback from the judges. Takumi grinned and looked forward.
Takumi made quick work and placed five plates of his Aldini-style okonomiyaki before the judges.
"Oh, such thickness in okonomiyaki. Talk about your dish for us", said one of the judges.
Takumi cleared his throat and tucked the serving tray under his arm.
"Si signor! This is my seafood risotto okonomiyaki!".
The judges' lips lifted in admiring appraisals.
"Another fusion cuisine dish. It must be great being young! You really get inspired from anywhere".
"I am half Japanese and half Italiano, signor. I wanted to create a dish that honours both my heritages and create a marriage of flavours that speaks of my heart". He patted his chest.
Although Takumi called Firenze, his home he enjoyed summering with his grandparents. They lived in a beautiful town. Nonna and Nonno were originally from Surriento. It was called Sorrento to the rest of the world. It overlooked the Golfo di Napoli and was gifted with beautiful views of blue-crystal waters and gorgeous coastlines. His grandparents' home town were rich in seafood and so their cuisine was always filled with freshest and most succulent fish, crustacean and molluscs. His okonomiyaki had to have prawns, fish, squid, shellfish and finally blue mussels.
"Hmm… I can smell the toasted rice of the risotto, and it smells so delicious. Let's dig in!".
The judges separated their okonomiyaki into pieces and a puff of steam escaped like dancing sea nymphs. The generous serving of parmasen grated on top of his okonomiyaki separated in pale yellow sensual stretching strings leaving the judges wanting. Takumi watched as their noses twitched from the fresh aroma of seafood and they sighed in contentment. His secret weapon…
"It's giving out such as fresh aroma! What is this?".
"It's seashore seaweed, a substitute for the aonori", Takumi proudly exclaimed.
The judges faces looked absolutely ecstatic. They gobbled up their pieces of the okonomiyaki, filling their mouths to the brim.
"I've seen seashore seaweed being used for cream pasta in some Italian dishes before, but… I never thought it could be used in this way too. Do you use this seaweed back in Italy too?".
"Si, signor! There are kinds of zeppoline that use it".
"Ah yes, that's a Naplese dish that mixes bread and wheat flour, which you can then add seaweed to and fry it", contributed another judge.
"Precisamente".
"Of course! The compatibility of the seaweed and the seafood is extraordinary. The fresh and sea flavours are so aromatic and gentle. The variety textures created by the okonomiyaki batter and risotto lift the dish on a whole different ingredients found in both Japan and Italian cuisine! That is a certainly a true fusion!".
Takumi bowed gratefully.
"The depth of the cheese's taste and the seaweed flavours bring out an indescribably harmony. The explosion of umami from the two ingredients famous for each country creates a wonderful mouthful feeling and really wants me to eat more and more. I can taste that the dashi is made from consommé, but it has enough taste that it won't lose to the sauce".
The other judges nodded as well and continued to take more mouthfuls, experiencing and tasting more and more.
"I've also used passata as a subtle seasoning as in cucina Italiano, tomatoes can be used instead of stock too".
"There's something else in this dish that overall binds the seafood flavours together. It's suffused through the risotto and okonomiyaki. Aha! It's blue mussel!".
"Si! I used canned blue mussels".
"Excuse me, canned?! Why not fresh?", squawked one of the judges.
"To show how one culture could add and improve another in our progressing society. These canned mussels were boiled in white wine beforehand. These were made with the intention of being eaten straight from the can as a snack or to have a drink with. In Italia, such complicated things won't be made into canned food. Dried mullet roes, anchovies, tomatoes and even olives are cooked".
Takumi raised the small left-over can he didn't use. The small ubiquitous tin shone in the stadium lights as if it were a revered piece of artefact. Heart and soul, that was what makes a dish. He was a hafu studying in Pappa'a mother-country and he had met and dealt with many challenges to his identify. Was he Japanese? Was he Italiano? People said a side must always be chosen, but for Takumi he never felt tied down to either side. He was passionate to both and for that, the only way he could show his true-self and colours was to understand what made both sides to great. So great that his parents, Japanese and Italiano would fall in love.
"Japanese people have a great curiosity towards food, as well as an insatiable spirit for inquiry. Us Italiano tend to think cucino Italiano is the best in the world. But this is not the case for the Japanese. While taking in dishes from many different cultures, you make them into your own. Like kari-raisu and omuraisu… and even the traditional okonomiyaki all change shape by adding different toppings. But even so, okonomiyaki is still okonomiyaki. There is no way the Japanese will ever forget their pride for their cooking and culture".
It was unusually gratifying to admit that the cuisine of his Mother Country would continue to evolve. The laws of time and the universe could only push it forward, not stagnate if it ever wanted to continue to be alive in his people's culture. When he was taste-testing while cooking, he kept that in mind always. Okonomiyaki were one of those dishes that match the changing of the times. He made sure the risotto also had the 'okonomiyaki' feel to it.
"Judges! Are you ready to cast you vote!", cried the emcee.
Senzaemon-dono hadn't said a single word and that perturbed Takumi to no end. He stood up, like an erected monument and held out his strong arm.
"Handeth me mine brush!".
Takumi closed his eyes and whispered his silent prayer.
"The winner of today's okonomiyaki challenge is…!".
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Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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"TAKUMI ALDINI!".
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"What do you think Nakiri-kun?".
Satoshi could feel the cheers vibrating through the expansive window of the VIP viewing box. It wasn't exactly sound proof as they needed to hear the emcee. The match between Aldini-kun and Ginsekai-kun was a sight to behold. It was absolutely fun to watch. The quick and fast skills from Ginsekai-kun on the teppanyaki were refreshing to see. Teppanyaki wasn't actually that popular in Japan compared to the Western countries. To the Westerners, it was a novelty whereas for the Japanese it was quite ordinary. However, Ginsekai-kun turned it into a performance which chef's often forget could also be part of the eating experience for customers from the low to the high-class. He daresay that the whole school was thoroughly entertained today. Aldini-kun was absolutely magnificent to watch also. The Italian passion was famous. They were passionate in everything they did and young Florentine chef exhibited this strength front and centre for school. His precision, skill and adaptation was an honour to spectate. Satoshi couldn't remember the last time he saw young talent as incredible as this in his whole Tootsuki career. It truly was the Jewel Generation.
"It was obvious Aldini was going to win. His dish appeals to the older generation of Japanese like Ojii-sama and the other judges".
Nakiri-kun breathed on her nails and rubbed them against her shoulder. The utter boredom gleaming through her violet eyes was quite comical to Satoshi that he couldn't help but smile. Did she realise what she was saying, he wondered.
"And you think Ginsekai-kun's dish doesn't?".
She whipped her hand through her hair.
"It breaks too many rules and strays too far from the soul of the actual dish which is okonomiyaki. His flavours might be new and exciting and infuses Brazilian flavours and ingredients, but he forgets that the Japanese customers like what they are used to, no matter how much we like to think that we could be all-accepting of different cultures and flavours just because the rest of the world is".
Satoshi agreed to some point. However, he found it very interesting that Nakiri-kun soley merited Aldini-kun's win on his patriotism of the Japanese culture rather than his actual dish. What an interesting development. Satoshi didn't doubt Aldini-kun's skills and flavours at all, heaven's no! Both he and Ginsekai could make two of the best dishes in the whole school using a variety of different flavours and cuisines and yet… there was always an element that went beyond the reasoning of food that would influence a customer's perception, especially if they came from a very…
… a homogenous society…
The Guild was famed for being inspired from video-game music to fuel their creations. He was sure that even music evoked its own prejudice due to the societal construct of the composer, like baroque classical or American blues. Video-game music? Hmm… a very new genre of music these days. Thus, Satoshi surmised the link between music and food, had to be in cultural and society shift. Video-game music probably created its own niche somewhere out of sheer persistence. He was curious to know what exactly Ginsekai-kun was listening to for his dish. What sort of music inspired a dish that was so outlandish and cross-cultural and exotic? He heard from Kasai-senpai, that it was from a video-game album he had sourced, and the musical scores was still in early stages of production and wouldn't be released until a few years. Satoshi glanced at Nakiri-kun's bristling form. If his understanding was correct, Nakiri-kun was trying very hard not to say in blunt terms that Ginsekai's cooking was perhaps more… advanced in some ways which made it difficult for the 'older' generation to catch up.
'It makes me glad to be a millennial. We get to decide what future we live in'.
"How is that different to what Aldini-kun did? He combines risotto and okonomiyaki".
"He uses the ingredients the Japanese and Italian finds in common to stick to the original roots of the dish"
Satoshi grinned. Ah. There it was. The eel that slipped through the cracks. The only way for the Japanese to like another culture's food was to… what was the word…? Japanify it. Make it their own instead of accepting it's newly evolved self. Satoshi posed himself the question he wouldn't dare ask the judging panel. Why couldn't other cultures be allowed to do the same and make okonomiyaki into their own did it have to stay Japanese to be valued? Shouldn't the world operate on give and take? There had to be a two-way street, but it seemed only a one-way street was possible right now.
'Kasai-senpai… Tsurugi-senpai… what have you been teaching these kids…'.
"So what are your thoughts of The Guild now".
"Why do you keep asking me that?!".
Nakiri-kun rounded on him, her bite and annoyance signalled her broken limit. Satoshi could honestly keep going at this, however if he wanted to keep his head on his shoulders, he decided to back away just a tad. He chose his most diplomatic response.
"You never gave me a proper answer so I was wondering if you were perhaps in the process of evaluating your disposition on the RS".
"Mitsunaga-kun is still a blemish on Tootsuki's reputation with his silly idea of putting stories in cooking and cooking to video-game music".
"I didn't ask about Mitsunaga-kun, I asked about The Guild as an RS".
"…!".
Oh what fun! Satoshi dramatically slapped his chest in mock chastisement and shook his head. It only aggravated Nakiri-kun even further. She growled and turned away, her souring mood added more oil to his flames of humour. She stopped speaking to him. The brunette seventh seater's tenacity stretched further than just cooking. In a school as strict and conservative as Tootsuki, he needed to search for fun in different ways. Working on the Polar Star Plantation was one of them. Watching Nakiri-kun break from her usual composure at the mention of the RS was another. It was worth the extra mile just to see how quickly Nakiri-kun's beliefs felt challenged by the quirky RS.
Especially when a certain sleepy black-haired gamer-chef was involved…
"As riveting as our conversation is, Nakiri-kun, let's see what our next match it up to".
As if on cue, the emcee ran across the stage just after the event assistants cleared the kitchen stations.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience. Up next, the theme of fourth match is burger!".
He could feel Nakiri-kun glaring at him from the side. Ah, he lived for entertainment like this. He simply closed his eyes and smiled. He was the one who chose that theme and Nakiri-kun tried to give him hell for it. Eizan-kun didn't care though. Any cooked meat-patty sandwiched between two buns would qualify as a burger, so that meant the contestants would have free reign over the type of meat and buns they used. Who would've guessed the Tootsuki culinary school would entertain burgers as a theme for haute cuisine? Satoshi certainly didn't and that was exactly why he wanted that to be included as a theme. As predicted, the sheer unexpectedness of the food item made it a novel choice.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Here are our two contestants! Hayama Akira and Arato Hisako!".
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"He's not in the waiting room… where did he go?".
As soon as the match ended, Yozora made his quick goodbyes and left the stands. He ignored the pleas to stay and watch the next match but his mind was far from that. It was filled with Hayato-kun. A surge of panic and worry ate at his stomach as he searched for his best friend who should've been back by now. He swung around on the door jamb and went to peek into the other rooms, but was promptly booted out by event officials. Damn. He watched Hayato-kun cave at the verdict. No, no no… that was the last thing he wanted. Hayato-kun's crushing disappointment broke his heart. He had to find him quickly.
'Why can't the idiot understand that we're all proud of him no matter fucking what?!'.
Yozora angrily paced the corridor, ignoring the committee members weaving past him. He checked the bathrooms and Hayato-kun wasn't there either. When it came to Hayato-kun, the recovery was worse than the breakdown. When Takumi Aldini's name slashed across the enormous calligraphy paper, Yozora could see the world-ending distraught carved over the flaxen-blonde's face as plain as day.
Then the smile. That stupid, god-damn fucking fake-smile.
It was too late. Yozora already saw the cracked crystal vase falling onto a marble floor as Hayato-kun's last shred of hope shattered into a million pieces. As he watched his friend shake hands with Takumi Aldini at the very end, Yozora couldn't ignore the remaining thread of strength fray before the slump in posture sent him plummeting over the edge and into the darkness even if he tried. Aldini-kun didn't notice. No. Nobody else noticed how Hayato-kun fought to reclaim control over his body restraining the cry that threatened to escape from deep within his chest. His peppy and over-optimistic façade was forcing itself far too hard at the messy seams and Yozora was sure that… this time… it would tear him apart from the inside.
"Looking for someone?".
Yozora spun around so fast, his dangling ear phones slapped him around the chest.
"Who are you?".
Some distance away, a tall student leaned against the wall as if he owned it. Large muscles encased his forearms as he pushed them across his chest, accentuating the bulkiness. His shabby clothes screamed delinquent. A pair of beady, menacing eyes stared back at him. Yozora blinked several times trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. The mysterious but sinister looking student's braided hair was tight across his scalp, clean and intimidating. There were no light in his black eyes, just bloodlust and greed, it sent shivers up his arms. The sadistic grin knifed across his tanned face was so unpleasant that his Yozora's fight or flight instinct started to war against each other.
"The name's Mimasaka Subaru".
His name clicked something in his brain.
"You're one of the prelim finalists". Yozora commented.
"Sure am".
The student named Mimasaka pushed off the wall and stalked towards Yozora like a panther. His chin obscenely jutted out screaming with arrogance. His imposing stature blocked some of the light from the windows, but the dark-haired gamer chef held his ground.
"That was some match huh? Ginsekai against Aldini. Nothing could be more tragic than that. It was clear from the start that Ginsekai didn't stand a chance".
"Watch your mouth".
"Touched a nerve? Heh, Well, aren't we made of glass".
Yozora didn't have the patience for back-to-back taunts and they were fast getting old. What the fuck was this behemoth trying to start? Yozora swallowed his retort, knowing better than to give in, but holding it in only made it worse. His hand twitched a he could feel a vein pulsing on his forehead. A cruel sneer formed on Mimasaka's large face as if he found something incredibly funny, when it totally wasn't. He leaned forward, his eyes boring in his. Yozora's breathing quickened against his will and he felt his teeth forcing its way from between his lips in a snarl. The anger boiled his system, ready to spill over and melt the floor.
"Hey relax. I just wanted to ask you something… about your friend".
"…".
"You two look like you're best buddies on the surface. I just wanna know what you really think of him"
Yozora narrowed his eyes. What the fuck.
"I mean, it's obvious the guy is second-rate. He only made the Round of Sixteen with the lowest score and he got fucked in the ass by that one-trick-pony Aldini in the match just now".
Yozora didn't know how it happened, but Mimasaka's shirt was fisted in his hand. His veins were filled with poison and it burned deep and potent in his gut. He saw red and nothing else. He had never felt such magnifying hatred for anyone until now! Yozora seethed in his face, his fury and rage tipping at the sight of that merciless, lack-lustre and pathetic face of a monster. Every word stung only fuelled the fire that raged inside him. Every violated phrase was like gasoline to it, his fists clenched until his skin turned raw red, and rooted his jaw. His patience crackled into ash away like black confetti.
"There it is, that face I wanna see heh".
Yozora was going to make him gag on those words, make him shut the fuck up right now, and he was just about to make it happen! Suddnely, the corridor on the other side filled with the click of high-heels and with soul-breaking restrained, he dropped his fist and backed away before he broke his knuckles for real by planting it in this mother-fucker's face. A hateful grin spreaded over Mimasaka's face, wide and open, showing his over-whitened teeth. In that moment his motives were clear. he was a mocker, one who enjoyed whatever torment he could inflict on others. How fucking dare he.
"You're a real interesting dude, Mitsunaga. You and that measly RS".
Mimasaka brushed his shoulders, took a few steps back and straightened his clothes as if nothing of consequence happened. He threw Yozora another mocking glare. His think lips twisted into a feral smile.
"Anyway, I gotta go. Don't worry so much about Ginsekai. If his back can heal, so can his spirit. Whatever's left of it, anyway. Laters".
Just like that, Mimasaka swaggered around and sauntered away with a lazy bacward salute, just as the event assistants flooded the corridors for their change over. Yozora was rooted to the spot. he broke out into cold sweats, shaking with pent-up wrath, Paralysed in anger.
'If his… back… can heal…?'.
His mind snapped.
Insurmountable rage returned ten-fold and every fibre of his soul ignited. His bones shook and his thoughts consumed him mercilessly.
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HOW THE FUCK DID HE KNOW ABOUT THE CIGERETTE BURNS ON HAYATO-KUN'S BACK?!
Ooooohhhhhhh... shots fired...!
Oh my god guys. Writing in Takumi's POV was so nostalgic. I MISSED WRITING HIM SO MUCH! Oh the feeeels. Well done Takumi and congrats on the win! Hayato... poor baby... win or no, I'm sure you've single-handedly turned Tootsuki's impression of you around with your mad skills! THE GUILD LOVES YOU AND NEVER FORGET IT!
I missed writing Isshiki too... gonna take a quick peep at Unhinged Needs now...
Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed the continuing saga! Day Three is next. Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!
Signing-off
-TripWire-dono
