Chapter 31: Culinary Euphoria

Overlooked and Misunderstood

Ever since he had made the vow to his mother and grandfather, at the age of nine, Kensuke had been determined to become a worthwhile chef. Someone whom people could look up to and proud of, yet when he turned thirteen his goal changed from making others proud of him to wanting to be someone whom he could be proud of. His social anxiety became the dominating most pronounced factor in his life, changing the way he viewed cooking as a future career.

He wanted to no longer be a source of worry to his mother and grandfather, or god forbid his sister. They all deserved to not have to constantly worry about him, so whenever his social anxiety got the best of him or if his depression was really bad, it had always felt like he was failing that very promise to himself. Not to mention disappointing his family by failing to improve, and he hated feeling like a burden to his mother, or to the few kinda-friends he had at Tōtsuki.

As a result, Kensuke was terrified of whenever his next depressed episode would arise, and how it would affect the ones he cared about. Stability of mind became the most important thing weighing heaviest upon him, and despite being born with talent and skill for cooking he it seemed to come with an almost unbearable achilles heal. Social anxiety cursed him, it as though it would forever limit his future.

Standing opposite Sōma Yukihira, his sisters boyfriend, Kensuke suddenly wished that he had some of his tenacity and rambunctious spirit. Perhaps that way, he could be free from his own psychological awkwardness. Instead, he simply shook his head and kept his expression reserved.

"You're a good chef, Sōma Yukihira... but if you'll allow me twenty more minutes. I'm sure I'll win. Unanimously".

He hadn't meant to sound conceited or arrogant, he simply wished to convey the decreasing time limit for the food war. Alas, judging by the frown on his sister's and Sōma's face, he had be mistaken. Yet again.

'You never were good at making friends...' the self loathing voice in his head told him.

"Oh, you think so".

Turning his head a fraction he saw Sōma cross his arms in front of his chest, and scowl. "Just because you're the third seat of the Council of Ten doesn't mean you can hold it". Hearing the mild yet kept in check, rebuttal stung Kensuke's heart. Just like all the previous times he had tried to be social, and had been subsequently misunderstood.

"I-I-erm... " he tried to respond but his fear and anxiety got the best of him, so he returned to his cooking. 'I'm sorry... I didn't mean to annoy you', his inner depressed being whimpered, desperately wanting to be expressed but instead being continuing to be suppressed by his fear of rejection.

—

Sōma blinked.

Of all the things Emiko and Shirō had told him about Kensuke, which had inspired him to challenge him one day, this person was not whom he had been expecting. One moment he had been pleasant company: awkward, yes, but overall kind and caring. Plus Kensuke had tried and praised his food yet but now he seemed cold and blunt.

Looking over his shoulder towards Megumi, he watched as a frown danced across her face. 'She's... concerned' he told himself, not that he wasn't aware of his girlfriends worrisome nature towards her brother. Sending her a comforting smile, which he could tell she appreciated, Sōma returned focus on the food war.

'Quiet and unassuming'.

Sōma remembered the words Emiko had used to describe her eldest child. 'He may come across indifferent but that's just his way of seeing those around him. Distance is how he conducts himself, and gets to know new people...'

Whilst it was glaringly obvious that Kensuke was definitely socially awkward, Sōma could also see a tremendous amount of stoicism in Megumi's brother. It impressed him greatly because it meant that despite his societal weakness, Kensuke, as best he was able could endure onwards. And yet, that in itself was worrying. 'His eyes...' Sōma realised. 'He no longer has that same excitement he had moments ago'.

As Sōma watched, he was unaware that he himself was being observed; first by Dōjima and Hinako, whom were surprised that he'd roused the third seat and was seemingly managing to keep a level footing with him. Which thanks to the Yukihira Style Whale Tagine', had thoroughly satiated them. The other person watching him was Eishi Tsukasa.

Ever since the Meet and Greet, the first seat had tried to get Kensuke to rescind his acceptance of the challenge because apart from Rindō, he was the only other chef at Tōtsuki whom Tsukasa had recognised. Which was why the first seat was adamantly opposed to the food war. Kensuke losing, whilst improbable was not impossible, would see him demoted in stature, and Tsukasa refused to loose his friend-rival to a lower culinary rank.

The first, second and third seat's were the pinnacle of Tōtsuki and the only way they would be removed was when they left Tōtsuki at graduation. Hopefully when he and Rindō left Tōtsuki, Kensuke would take and hold the first seat until he too graduated.

Tsukasa knew that so many people often overlooked the third seat, they had never pegged him as someone who would become reach the position he held. He was often seen as someone who was frail and weak. And it was for that reason why Eishi Tsukasa didn't want to loose him from the third seat, they both knew what it was like to have the weight of expectations hang over them. The three top students of Tōtsuki would change Japan's culinary world, and never again would people look down on or expect too much from them.

—

A sudden explosion of aroma burst forth from the large boiling stove top pot, of which, Kensuke had just removed the lid of. And so Tsukasa returned his observation skills to the food war.

"Students of Tōtsuki!" Urara Kawashima excitedly yelled into her microphone, whilst wiping her mouth of drool. "It would appear as Kensuke Tadokoro is nearly ready to present his finished plate". The unbelievable strong smell of Tabasco sauce filed the air, followed by the sweet starchiness of boiled yams, curried cauliflower and spiced roasted plantains.

Looking up towards his friends standing, by the above railings, Sōma spied Akira next their small collective of friends, Sōma could tell instantly that the spice expert was completely blindsided by strength of the Tabasco, and the spiced plantains. And what was more, his eyes were wide with shock at seeing what had been used instead of oil.

'Blubber!'

It was almost unreal, Sōma thought, the amount of Tabasco Kensuke had used would surely overwhelm the whale meat. However, the calm collected expression Kensuke was wearing belied the confidence that he had in his creation. And in that moment, Sōma saw an enthusiasm quietly burning away within his eyes.

'Yeah...' the redhead mused. 'Quiet and unassuming. I can see why people overlook you'.

Almost immediately, the excitement in the room exploded into far loftier heights as everyone watching inside the celestial room observed the black haired bespectacled chef bring out a single large clay bowl instead of five plates.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the judging panel", Kensuke motioned towards the aforementioned desk of people. "I invite you to come forwards and observe the final plating". Startled, the five judges stood up and moved away from the desk to honour the third seat's request.

From a large stainless steel pot of boiling water, the third seat removed a sieve containing dark udon noodles which were then plunged into ice water. Shocking the entire room.

'That's... unorthodox', Sōma gawked as he watched the judges dismayed faces. "Just keep watching", Kensuke murmured seeing Sōma's curiosity. "You'll understand soon". Moving over to a large cast iron pot simmering on the stove, he removed the lid and ladled the, now visible, vegetable stew into the, pre-chosen, large clay bowl.

Verdant.

That was the instant thought that raced through the minds of the judges, as the aroma of the broth struck their nostrils. Watching as it was ladled into the wide brimmed clay dish, filling the bowl with it's magnificence was too tantalising. Natsume Sendawara and chef Hinako both bit their lips in anticipation for the tasting. Kōda was twitching his moustache and murmuring as he scribbled in a notebook.

"Stunning. Simply stunning... Kensuke Tadokoro truly is the Silent King!"

To the broth was as next added, from a couple of adjacent saucepans, leeks and mushrooms sautéed in whale blubber with pink pepper corns, followed by diced yacón cooked in blubber, and then fried in with the Tabasco whale steaks. After placing the large clay bowl onto the judges table, the judges were openly salivating and staring intently at the empty bowls before them.

As the judges retook their seats, Kensuke began ladling the soup into the five soup bowls, before bringing forwards the iced noodles on a bamboo plate.

For almost two entire minutes the judges looked towards the third seat, awaiting him to state the name of the dish he had madden for them. Yet, the chef remained oblivious to his duty. In the end, emcee, Urara Kawashima broke the silence.

"Chef Kensuke..." she nudged him, "the judges are awaiting the name of the dish you have made".

—

As if a light had just been switched on, Kensuke's calm demeanour vanished and he reverted back to looking incredible uncomfortable. Almost as if he was just now remembering that there were hundred of eyes staring down at him. Stammering as he spoke, Megumi's brother kept his eyes looking over the shoulder of the judges but to Sōma, Megumi, Tsukasa and the VIP's in the reserved high boxes, they could all tell that even though he was being struck by social anxiety, he was still sure of his cooking.

"I-I-I have m-m-made..." he paused trying to ease his sudden anxiety. "F-f-f-for you a Pan-American styled Hari-Hari nabe. A type of whale meat soup from the Kansai region of Japan but modified using South American vegetables, in conjunction with Alaskan caught Minke whale in a Mexican Tabasco broth".

Each judge was grinning madly as they leant in and ladled the soup into their bowls before helping themselves to the ice-noodles. "Haaaaww..." Natsume Sendawara sighed, heaving her breasts in a show of her complete satisfaction of the taste, all other words seemed to fail her as she devoured the soup and noodles before her. "C'est mervellieux", Chapelle grinned, steam appearing to pour out of his nose and ears as he experienced the heat generated from the amount of Tabasco sauce used.

"Votre cuisine a augmenté en competénce", Chapelle's french sifted through the minds of the assembled audience, resulting in hushed tones of exhilaration due to having seen the third seat's cooking.

"Master Chapelle thinks the third seat's cooking has increased in skill", murmurings reverberated around the Celestial Room.

"This is insane!"

"I thought the third seat was weak..."

"I thought he only got onto the Council of Ten due to luck".

"Well there goes any chance we have of ousting him from his seat by means of proxying in the transfer student".

Sōma drummed his fingers, in annoyance, against his workstation as he heard the voices of many other students being disparaging towards an upperclassman, and member of the Ten.

"I thought that once the transfer student beat beat the third seat, then the chances of us getting on the Council would be easier".

—

Looking over towards Kensuke, he noticed that he was still looking past, and above, the judges as they continued eating. Yet, something in his body language told Sōma that he was far from okay. He was being adversely affected by the words of other students: pale, slightly drooped shoulders and the way he was fidgeting with his apron.

Before Sōma could try and talk to Kensuke, the moment was taken from him by the booming voice of Gin Dōjima interrupting. "Before we all announce who won this unprecedented food war. I would like to thank both competitors for their participation and culinary strength".

Standing up from his centre judge seat, Dōjima looked towards the two competitors; noting that for the first time the third seat had actually cooked something that seemed to push him forwards.

'Sōma's strength... involuntarily boosting other people's will to strive onwards'.

"You both showed great skill with flavour profiling and I have no doubt that you both will leave an indelible mark on Tōtsuki and the food world". Smiling to himself, Tōtsuki's executive chef handed out five scraps of paper to the other judges. "And now we shall see whom Madam Sendawara, Chef Hinako, Professor Chapelle and Mister Kōda all think the winner". One by one the others raised paper slips with a name written on.

"And... s-s-so we have it folks", Urara stammered, in shocked reverence, as the whole room went deathly quiet and still.

Staring up at the screens depicting the five. judges holding paper slips bearing the name of the chef they thought deserved to win. However, upon seeing the kanji writing on the above screens, the audience began a new round of shocked murmurings.

'Kenosuke Tadokoro or Sōma Yukihira'.

And as the audience took in the final verdict of four of the judges: Hinako, Chapelle, Kōda and Sendawara, Chef Dōjima held aloft the final paper slip. Then the emcee, Urara Kawashima, announced the victor...

"The winner of this food war, by four judges to one is... Kensuke Tadokoro!"