And so, the judges’ tasting—if it could be called that—finally commenced.
They would take a bite, ponder for a moment, and then scribble notes on the sheets in their hands. It wasn't quite the style most people imagined, where the judges would sample a dish simultaneously and offer immediate feedback to each contestant.
However, Kazunari worried that this method wouldn't provide any meaningful commentary on the food.
"I’m sure many of you are wondering," Minamin shouted into her mic, "so let me clarify! For this cooking round, we’ve decided to scrap the usual format of judges giving live feedback for every contestant! The reason is simple: honestly, the judges are amateurs, so they wouldn't know how to give a professional critique anyway!"
Kazunari had suspected as much, but the MC’s bluntness was almost painful. Still, aside from the Cooking Club advisor, it was doubtful that any regular club member or the students on the Prep Committee could manage an expert evaluation. In that sense, quantifying personal impressions and totaling the scores was likely the only feasible approach.
"In a situation like this, shouldn't they have invited at least one professional?" Natsumi asked.
"There is a professional," Hayato replied. "Look at Aji-o..."
"No, that's just a guy in cosplay."
"Well, since silence is awkward, let’s try to snag a few comments!" Minamin said, approaching the one person who actually looked like an authority: Takeda-sensei, the Cooking Club advisor. He happened to be right in the middle of sampling a certain someone's sandwich, and he wore a somewhat strained expression.
Kazunari felt a flicker of curiosity about how the teacher would judge that mess.
"Takeda-sensei is currently tackling Rena Kusuhara’s sandwich!" Minamin announced. "What's the verdict?"
"Hmm... w-well... it certainly makes the most of the natural flavor of the ingredients, I suppose?"
"So it's just raw," Kazunari muttered.
If she had at least put something cooked inside, he might have had more to say, but she hadn't touched a single heat source. It was a composition of 100% raw ingredients—ham, cheese, and other items that were edible right out of the package. Kazunari was fairly certain even he could have whipped up something more sophisticated.
"Oho! A judge has finally reached for a Hamburg Steak!" Minamin’s voice rose an octave. "And as if they coordinated it, the others are all reaching for them at once! What will their impressions be?"
"Wh-Whoa, this is delicious!"
"What is this? I've never had a Hamburg Steak this good before!"
"Incredible! How did they even get it like this?"
"Wait, this puts the local restaurants to shame..."
Kazunari couldn't tell which contestant's Hamburg Steak they were eating, but the judges’ reactions were easily the most intense so far. Then again, even Kazunari, who ate Sara’s cooking every day, was moved by how delicious it was every single time. It was only natural that the judges would have a similar reaction. Of course, the result would be the same whether it was Sara’s or Mayumi’s dish.
"Aaaah! Satsukawa-san’s home-cooked meal!"
"Dammit! I'm so jealous of those judges!"
"The male judges are radiating waves of murderous intent!"
"I want to eat it... just once before I die!"
The more the judges raved, the more the audience worked themselves into a different kind of frenzy. For his part, Kazunari wanted to shout that he’d never let any of them have a single bite. In fact, his honest feeling was that he didn’t even want the boys on the judging panel to taste Sara’s food—though he realized that was probably being a bit too narrow-minded.
"Heh heh... I wonder what would happen if we told them there’s a guy right here who eats that every day?" Natsumi teased.
"He’d turn every guy in this venue into an enemy in an instant," Eri added calmly. "And Sara would go into a cold fury, and the next moment, the scene would be one of pure agony."
"Um, Natsumi-senpai..." Kazunari pleaded. It wasn't much of a joke, and he really didn't need any more ominous predictions. He’d had quite enough of the unexpected for one day.
"Kazunari, it's okay," Hanako-san said. She gazed at him gently with a broad, reassuring smile that seemed to promise that no more trouble would occur. Truly, she was a reliable big sister, and he was grateful—
"Big sister will crush everyone who dares to oppose Kazunari."
"..."
Never mind. It wasn't okay at all. Her eyes were dead serious.
If things really went south, Kazunari knew Sara would say the exact same thing. If he didn't treat today's proposal as an all-out war of annihilation, his future school life was going to be anything but peaceful.
"Aaaaah! Aji-o... I mean, the Mysterious Old Man Well-versed in Gourmet is finally reaching for the Hamburg Steak! How will he react?"
Kazunari turned his gaze toward Minamin’s voice just as the Mysterious Old Man was about to take a bite. After chewing for a few moments, the old man’s eyes flew wide. He blinked repeatedly, staring intently at the Hamburg Steak before hurriedly taking another bite. Then, he hung his head, his body beginning to tremble.
Wait... could it be?
"SOOOO GOOOOOD!"
It finally happened. For some reason, the sound was distorted as if by a mysterious phenomenon, but there was no mistaking that legendary reaction. Mysterious light rays and rainbows seemed to burst from his mouth, arching toward the sky.
"Kazunari, no more than that," Hanako-san warned.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Kazunari offered his silent apologies. He’d gotten a bit carried away in his own head, though he hadn't actually said anything aloud.
"I can tell what you're thinking because I'm your big sister."
"Ah, right..."
He decided not to dig any deeper into that.
"Wh-What was that?" Minamin stammered. "I feel like I just saw things flying out of the old man's mouth... no, sorry, forget it!"
"Um... I think I saw it too?" a girl in the crowd whispered.
"Me too!"
"Wait, was that a collective hallucination? What was that?"
Apparently, Kazunari wasn't the only one who had witnessed the spectacle. Everyone—Minamin and the entire audience—seemed to have seen something impossible. They were all tilting their heads in unison. As expected of a legendary old man, he possessed an incredible talent for the dramatic.
Still, it was terribly late to ask, but who exactly was that guy?
Side: Yutaka Kusuhara
"Heh heh heh, Vice President-kun, thank you for the wonderful footage! Sorry about that, but we had a request from elsewhere... Oh, please wave to the camera!"
The person currently reflected on the massive screen on stage was that man—the nameless boy who had been in the Headquarters Tent yesterday. He was apparently the Student Council Vice President.
By all appearances, he was a plain, mediocre nobody. He was entirely insignificant to Yutaka, and yet, for some reason, he was on intimate terms with Eri Nishikawa. Good grief... even Yutaka hadn't been able to interact with her satisfactorily yet. That strangely familiar attitude the boy had toward her was intensely grating.
"Hah... the Vice President-kun from earlier was so cute," a girl nearby sighed.
"You still like younger guys like that, don't you?" her friend teased.
"No, really, that smile was unfair. He’s not a handsome guy, but my heart actually fluttered a bit."
"Right? And you know, watching Takanashi-kun sing with the children earlier... I just wanted to give him a hug!"
"Heh... I see. So he's the type that appeals to people with those kinds of maternal instincts."
The talk was endless. Yutaka felt a surge of annoyance. All this talk about him being kind to children or having a cute smile—who cared? "Cute" was not a compliment for a man. It might suit a mediocrity like him, but for a man of Yutaka's stature... well, taming a child or two would be child's play.
"Hahaha... well, well, Kazunari-kun is quite the lady-killer. This is going to be tough for Sara, too."
"Satsukawa Senior Managing Director?" Yutaka turned, surprised.
The man, who had been staring at the stage in stunned silence until just a moment ago, was now chuckling while looking at the screen. Yutaka didn't see anything funny about it, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"Hmm? Ah, forgive me," Masaomi said. "Anyway, there's nothing we can do about Mayumi's situation right now, so we'll just wait and see how things go."
"Ah, yes, I believe that would be best. B-By the way, sir..."
"What is it?"
"Satsukawa Senior Managing Director... do you happen to know that male student?"
Yutaka was sure he hadn't misheard. Masaomi had muttered the boy's first name while looking at the screen.
"Ah, that?" Masaomi’s gaze returned to the screen, where the plain boy was looking bashfully embarrassed while holding a little girl. "Is that really what you're asking?"
"D-Do you know him?"
"Oh? Since you put it that way, does that mean you know Kazunari-kun too?"
"Eh!? N-No, well... I only briefly met him yesterday..."
So Masaomi really did know the guy. More importantly, he had called him by his first name. That implied they were quite close.
"I see. Indeed, we are..." Masaomi stopped himself. "Oh, sorry, but let's leave the talk about him there for now. I'll be making a formal announcement about the details at the Year-end Party."
"An... announcement?"
"Yes. It’s quite an important matter, not something I should talk about casually here."
"I-I understand... then I shall wait until that time."
An announcement at the Year-end Party? What did that mean? That party was a prestigious gathering for the entire Sawa Group. If Masaomi were making an announcement there, it had to be something significant. Could a boy like that really be involved?
No, that was impossible. It was more likely that his parents or relatives were the ones with the connection. That would explain why he was close with Eri Nishikawa as well. It started to make a twisted sort of sense, but Yutaka decided not to overthink it yet.
The vital takeaway was that the boy was close to Masaomi. If he was going to be at the Year-end Party, they would inevitably meet again. Much as Yutaka hated to admit it, he’d need to be careful with how he handled the boy from now on. He’d have to put in some appropriate follow-up next time they met.
He was a truly disagreeable existence.
"I think the scores are almost ready, so please wait just a little longer!"
The cooking evaluation, punctuated by the Mysterious Old Man’s antics, had come to an end. Now, all that remained was the verdict.
From what Kazunari could see, the judges had been equally impressed by both dishes. The results would likely be neck-and-neck, potentially decided by the whim of a single judge. Unlike previous rounds, this one would announce both points and rankings. It would be the definitive benchmark for how Sara compared to Mayumi.
"Sara and Mayumi-san are definitely the Two Tops, but I wonder who’s higher?" Hayato wondered.
"True," Kazunari replied. "But honestly, it's complicated... Satsukawa-senpai wasn't even aiming for the championship, yet somehow she got swept up in this."
"That's because the wife's mother is too strong," Yuji noted. "Beating her is essentially winning the whole thing."
"You're right," Eri said. "But I doubt Mayumi-san's conditions would be satisfied by just a win on stage."
"Eh!? Winning isn't enough?" Marina asked, wide-eyed.
Eri looked at the younger girl. "Mayumi-san hasn't said a word about Sara needing to beat her in the Miss Contest results. The actual conditions she’s set for Sara are unknown. Even a win today wouldn't mean we can rest easy."
"No way... then how is Satsukawa-senpai supposed to win?"
"I wonder if Satsukawa-senpai has noticed that?" Tachikawa added.
"Sara knows," Kazunari said quietly. "But she didn't have any other choice."
If even Kazunari had figured it out, there was no way Sara hadn't. When their life together was put on the line, she would take any challenge thrown her way.
"Sara won't back down when it comes to her life with Takanashi-kun," Natsumi agreed. "Even if the opponent is her own parent."
"That's true," Tachikawa sighed. "Usually she's so calm, but when it comes to Takanashi-kun... wait, look at Mio-chan."
Everyone turned to look at the little girl in Kazunari's arms. Mio had finally succumbed to exhaustion and was fast asleep—or "taking her nap," as Sara would say. The surrounding noise hadn't bothered her, and since she’d just finished her snacks, it was only a matter of time before she hit her limit.
Kazunari couldn't see her face from his angle, but her tiny hand was tightly gripping his top. It was incredibly precious.
"Hehe... what a lovely sleeping face," Eri whispered. "I'd almost like to hold her myself."
"Ka-Kazunari, if you need a break, tell me!" Hanako-san offered. "Big sister will do it! Big sister will!"
"Heeeeere we go! Thank you for waiting!" Minamin’s voice boomed over the speakers. "The results are in, so let's get right to the announcement! Everyone, look at the screen!"
A dramatic drumroll echoed through the venue. The words "Results Announcement" flashed on the screen. The contestants, the audience, and Kazunari’s group all watched with bated breath.
The screen flickered, and the rankings appeared.
1st Place: No. 9 – Sara Satsukawa (100 points) 1st Place: No. 10 – Mayu (100 points)
A tie with perfect scores.
"Ohoooooo! Look at that! The parent-child battle ends in a perfect tie for first place! This is incredible!" Minamin screamed.
The audience erupted into a deafening roar. Kazunari, however, felt more relief than surprise. Sara had secured a tie even while holding back her "Kazunari-exclusive recipe." She had stood on the exact same ground as her mother and come out even. In practical terms, it was a victory.
"A perfect tie?" Natsumi muttered.
"Wh-What happens now?" Tachikawa asked.
"They tied in points, but the wife didn't use her true specialty," Yuji pointed out.
"Exactly," Hayato agreed. "So emotionally, I'd say she won."
Kazunari wondered how Mayumi felt. Even if this didn't settle the "real" wager, he hoped she was proud that her daughter had caught up to her.
"Now, let's get some comments!" Minamin said, rushing to Mayumi. "Mayumi-san, what do you think of this result?"
"Mmm-hehe, I didn't think I'd end up tying with Sara-chan," Mayumi said with a playful smile. "But I suppose it's no surprise. Sara-chan's cooking skills have improved remarkably lately."
"Is that so? Then a comment from Satsukawa-san as well!"
"It’s not a result I’m satisfied with," Sara said, her tone firm, "but if we tied under the same conditions, I suppose it’s a passing grade. In the first place, I'm doing this for Kazu—"
"Yeeeees! Thank you very much for those comments!" Minamin cut her off, shouting at the top of her lungs.
It had become a recurring gag at this point. Kazunari wondered if the audience was starting to catch on to why Minamin kept interrupting her.
"Sara and Mayumi's results were expected," Eri said, a mischievous glint in her eye, "but I find the person in last place much more entertaining."
"That... well, she brought it on herself," Natsumi agreed.
Indeed, it would have been more surprising if Rena hadn't ended up in last place. Anything else would have suggested foul play. The bottom of the list was exactly as Kazunari had predicted.
10th Place: No. 8 – Rena Kusuhara (20 points)
"A gap of over 30 points from 9th place... pfft," Hayato snickered.
"She didn't even cook," Yuji added. "It's only natural."
9th place had 52 points, meaning there was a massive 32-point difference. Honestly, Kazunari was surprised she’d even managed 20 points without actually cooking anything. Even if every judge gave her 1 point, she wouldn't have reached 20, which meant someone had actually scored her higher.
"Wait a minute!" Rena’s shrill voice cut through the air. "Why am I in last place by such a margin? This is unacceptable!"
She was fiercely confronting Minamin, apparently genuinely unable to grasp why she’d failed. It was almost impressive, in a delusional sort of way.
"Ueee-eee, I'm not a judge, don't look at me!" Minamin pleaded.
"Fine! Then take me to the judges right now!"
As Rena grabbed Minamin and began shaking her, the image on the screen suddenly changed. A large heading appeared: "Regarding Kusuhara-san's Judging."
Underneath, it read: "The score reflects a lack of points in numerous categories due to the absence of actual cooking."
"Actual cooking? I made a sandwich!" Rena shrieked.
"Um... usually, cooking involves grilling, boiling, or prepping the food," Minamin explained, looking exhausted. "But you just used the ingredients exactly as they came, didn't you?"
"There wasn't a single word about that in the rules!"
"The rules... look, do you even know what the word 'cooking' means?"
Minamin looked thoroughly done with the conversation, as did the other contestants. Sara and Mayumi were ignoring the drama entirely. They were both looking toward the audience—specifically at Kazunari and the sleeping Mio. They both wore identical, maternal smiles.
Kazunari shifted slightly so they could see the "angel's" sleeping face better. Their smiles widened instantly.
"Whoaaaaaa! Look at those smiles!"
"The Goddess's Smile!"
"Satsukawa-san, look this way!"
"Sara-chaaaaaan!"
The audience erupted again, but Sara ignored them. Meanwhile, Rena’s mask had completely shattered, and she was glaring at the crowd with a scowl.
"H-Hmph! Cooking is not something a person in my position should be doing anyway! Such things are for housekeepers and servants—"
"Um, Kusuhara-san?" Minamin interrupted. "I don't know if those are your true feelings, but you realize your microphone is live and being broadcast to the entire venue, right?"
"Eh?"
Rena froze, slowly turning to look at the massive screen. Just as Minamin said, her elitist rant had been piped through every speaker in the area. Her true nature was out in the open.
"A-Ahem! Let me clarify!" Rena stammered. "In my household, they won't let me help even if I want to! But I’ve always felt that, as a refinement for a lady, that is a problem..."
"What's with her?" a voice in the crowd grumbled. "Who does she think she is?"
"I knew she was like this," another added.
"She’s just a typical brat who thinks she’s better than everyone."
"She just wants to flaunt her money, doesn't she?"
The audience’s perception had shifted. Kazunari could hear actual booing from the distance. Rena’s reputation was in tatters.
It seemed the Stuck-up Woman's run in the Miss Contest was well and truly over.