"Akashi, you must have been sent by the gods themselves!"
The members of Seirin and Seiho gathered around Akashi Asuka, tears brimming in their eyes.
The feeling of having barely survived was just too overwhelming.
Akashi frowned. "Don't celebrate too early! How many of you here actually know how to cook?"
The group froze. "Uh…"
Akashi continued, "Don't forget, if we can't find enough contestants for the cooking contest, that means tonight we'll still be forced to eat the 'feasts' those two ladies prepared. The more people who join, the higher our chance of survival."
Hyuga Junpei gulped. "…Kagami, Mitobe, I remember you two can cook, right? Tonight, our survival depends on you."
Kuroko Tetsuya mumbled timidly, "Um… I can also boil an egg."
Takao Kazunari piped up: "Hey! This actually sounds fun. Oh, and Midorima, you can cook too, right? Why don't you join?"
Midorima Shintaro scowled. "Takao, stop dragging me into ridiculous competitions."
Kuroko muttered even softer, "…boil an egg…"
Akashi's eyes lit up. "So Midorima can cook too? Perfect! I'll join this contest as well. That makes me, Kagami, and Midorima, all facing off again. What's the matter, Midorima? Scared?"
Midorima pushed up his glasses and snorted. "Hmph… your provocation is clumsy, Akashi."
============
Ten minutes later.
Aida Riko, Kitayama Yuzuki, Mitobe Rinnosuke, Kagami Taiga, Akashi Asuka, and Midorima Shintaro each occupied a stove in the kitchen.
Riko and Kitayama were brimming with confidence, barely acknowledging their other opponents.
The cheerful atmosphere that had existed between them moments ago had vanished, replaced by a tension that smelled of smoke and gunpowder.
Mitobe, wedged between the two women, was already losing his mind before the contest even started; the intensity emanating from them was enough to terrify his soul.
Meanwhile, Kagami, Akashi, and Midorima remained expressionless, giving no indication that they were taking this "competition" seriously.
"Are these guys even reliable?"
Hyuga swallowed nervously, observing the scene in the kitchen. He realized he, as the judge, was more anxious than any of the participants.
"Ready? Then let the contest begin!"
At Hyuga's signal, the kitchen erupted with the sound of chopping, sizzling, and clattering.
The noise persisted for quite a while…
Anyone who's actually cooked knows that prepping ingredients, washing, peeling, chopping, often takes far longer than the actual cooking.
Outside the kitchen, the waiting players felt like time itself had slowed to a crawl.
Eventually, Shutoku coach Nakatani Masaaki and Seiho coach Matsumoto Yukinori entered. Former teammates, their unexpected encounter naturally led to plenty of chatter.
But when they saw the solemn, heavy atmosphere inside the dining area, they froze.
"What are you doing here instead of training?"
Iwamura, expression still grave, replied, "We are waiting for the results of a contest that will decide the life or death of everyone present."
Nakatani and Matsumoto fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Suddenly,
BANG!
The kitchen door swung open. Aida Riko emerged, carrying a large clay pot with heatproof gloves, her face radiating confidence.
Everyone tensed. The moment of life or death had arrived.
Riko placed the pot on the table with a smile.
"Behold! Please enjoy my specialty: assorted hot pot!"
She lifted the lid.
A wisp of steam rose, revealing a pot of hot pot that… looked surprisingly appetizing.
For a moment, everyone froze.
"Hmm? That doesn't look so bad," thought a Shutoku player.
"Seems like this Seirin coach's cooking isn't as scary as everyone said," thought a Seiho player.
"Forget it… we're doomed," thought a Seirin player.
"Wow, so capable! Riko not only coaches Seirin but can make such a fine dish? Amazing!"
Nakatani Masaaki praised, tapping his chin.
Riko, embarrassed by the compliment, shyly replied, "Hehe, you flatter me…"
"May I try a bite?"
"Of course, please help yourself."
Despite the warning glances from the Shutoku players, Nakatani was slightly too quick. Riko handed him a pair of chopsticks.
He picked up a mushroom, and in the next moment, his pupils lost all life.
Half-cooked, sour-sweet with a choking saltiness and a mysterious bitterness… that bite had every flavor imaginable except the mushroom itself.
"How is it, Coach Nakatani?" Riko asked eagerly.
Nakatani couldn't respond; his soul had yet to return from the other side.
Shutoku players closed their eyes in silent mourning for their coach.
Matsumoto, sensing something off, recalled hearing rumors of Kitayama Yuzuki's skills. His unease grew stronger by the second, an intuition honed during his professional career.
He attempted to quietly retreat, but it was too late.
BANG!
The kitchen door opened again. This time, Kitayama Yuzuki emerged, carrying a tray of exquisitely arranged sushi.
Seiho players, previously merely frightened, now nearly leapt out of their skin.
If it were just ordinary dishes, the reaction wouldn't be so extreme. But a novice producing high-level cuisine? The taste… anyone could imagine.
Seeing the reactions of the Seiho players, Matsumoto's anxiety was confirmed.
Just as he was about to make an excuse and leave, Kitayama cheerfully said:
"Oh, Coach, you're back just in time! Come taste my cooking!"
Her radiant, joyful smile reminded Matsumoto of his own ten-year-old daughter.
He could refuse anyone, but never his daughter. In a daze, he sat down at the table…
=============
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