Chapter 21: VS Shinomiya, finale!
WARNING: The following is pure fictional stuff! (Talking about the food.)
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After Alexander was done with today's assignment, he went to his room to wait for the day to end and go down to the hotel's annex. It's time he gets his plan on building his tower in motion. The building is ready and equipped with everything, all that is needed is qualified chefs to monitor the floors.
Alexander's dream is to build a tower with 100 floors with each floor specialized in one type of cuisine. Customers can choose which cuisine they would like to eat and try and go up to that cousin's floor.
'Shinomiya is definitely a great chef without a doubt. If I can solve his little problem he can be of great help.' Thought Alexander as he entered the elevator. ' I just hope he won't break down and lose his passion."
Leaving the elevator, he went to his room and opened the door, immediately after opening the door he was punched in his steel stomach with a snow-white hand.
"Ouch..." Said Alexander, it didn't hurt that much in fact, he just wanted to comment that, in front of him his group of dormmates and Alice was the one who punched him.
"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT NOT GETTING EXPELLED!!!" Shouted Alice. She was angry at him, so angry.
"Is it real that you got in a fight with Chef Shinomiya?!" Asked Takumi, he removed Alice from his way and pushed her to the side.
"Alexander nodded at him and made his way to his bed that Ryo and Hayama were sitting on already, Isami was just munching a bag of chips at his desk.
"Then...What happened?" asked Hayama, he took out his bag of spices that he carries around with him at all time and smelled it. It calms him down often.
"If you're here now that means Chef Shinomiya took back his decision." Said Ryo, his hands were crossed as he looked at Alexander with tired eyes.
"No...not yet, the decision will be made today." Alexander went to the other side and pushed the two of them to open some space for him before laying down to rest.
"Don't just go take a nap as if nothing happened!!!" Alice jumped on his body making Alexander shout out pain this time. "What do you mean the decision will be made today?!! how is it gonna be made?!!" Alice was throwing questions here and there, even the boys wanted to know the answers to those questions themselves.
Alexander rubbed his stomach and patted Alice on her head before bringing her to his chest. She immediately stopped her tantrum and just enjoyed the moment forgetting her anger from earlier. The boys face-palmed themselves at her actions, they were relying on her to get answers. But they don't need to worry as Alexander continued.
"The decision will be made through a Shokugeki between me and Shinomiya. if I win I stay. If he wins I leave." he said the room immediately went into silent mode for a moment, Isami's munching sound on his chips also stopped. Hayama's eyes are wide open as he froze in his place with a small bottle of spice on his nose, Ryo was cleaning his ear thinking he didn't hear him right. Takumi crossed his hands and closed his eyes to think for a moment. Alice was in her world enjoying Alexander's chest not minding anything else, she doesn't know when will something like this will happen again so she better takes advantage of this situation.
A few moments later after the tension reached its max.
"Is that so..." said Ryo, he then leaned on the bed to relax.
"That's though.." Said Hayama after him, he closed his eyes to focus on his smelling sense.
"A Shokugeki with an Alumni, huh?" Said Takumi, he himself isn't sure if he will stand a chance "Just make sure you don't lose." he said.
Isami was the only one who was stunned by this, he looked at them and thought " These guys are weird as hell...Even Nii-chan is being influenced by them.'
"For now I need to sleep and rest, this day wasn't my day." He said, " Ryo take Alice away with you." Ryo stood up and caught Alice from her waist and pulled her up on his shoulder.
"W-What are you doing, Ryo?" Alice was hitting Ryo on his shoulder but she wasn't affecting him at all " You savage!! caveman!! Zombie!!" All she could do is throw her insults at him as he takes her away from her sweet and warm spot.
Hayama and Isami followed behind them too while Takumi stayed last to leave a few words to Alexander " Don't lose..." he said, his eyes are looking worried as he clenched his fist.
"Aww~is Takumi-kun worried about me?!" Said Alexander with a cute tone and teasing expression.
"Don't misunderstand!!" Shouted Takumi, he pointed back at himself and continued " I want you to experience defeat on my hands first!!" he said, " Until I can defeat you...don't you fare loose!!!" He left the room after that hurriedly making Alexander chuckle after him.
Evening.
Alexander took off to Doujima's office, the hotel was mostly empty as all of the students were in their rooms resting in preparations for tomorrow.
*Knock* *Knock*
Alexander knocked on Doujima's office door, he didn't wait for permission and just got inside.
"Oh! You're here." said Doujima as he looked up at Alexander, he put his pen down and stood up " Your timing is perfect, I'd just finished my work." he said.
"Lead the way." Alexander followed Doujima as they got in the elevator and pushed the down button.
"Do you think you can beat Shinomiya??" Doujima asked out of nowhere, he looked at Alexander who is standing beside him with his arms crossed.
"Of course, did you think I would lose??" Alexander gave Doujima a side look.
Doujima smiled and shook his head " I don't know who is gonna win" he said, " But I have a favor to ask from you..."
"If your favor is me losing then forget it," Alexander said bluntly without hesitation.
"Of course not, even if it's not official, this is still a Shokugeki. but my request is..." Doujima faced Alexander and bowed to him slightly " I want you to help Shinomiya regain his passion for cooking." he said with a sincere voice and expression.
"What are you talking about?" asked Alexander, he did some research in the past in preparation for his tower, he came across Shinomiya and found how his state had become but he wants to hear it from someone who knows him well.
"For the past years Shinomiya had become Stagnate, his cooking skills didn't grow, he doesn't have any goals in his eyes since he got his medal." Said Doujima as he straightened his back up
Alexander frowned his eyebrows and asked more " Why do you think I can do that?" He doesn't know much about Shinomiya to be sure to help him.
"I heard from your mother that your cooking can awake deep memories of people that can bring the most beautiful thing in their life or...." Doujima stopped and didn't want to continue, his small talk with Alexandra in the past about Alexander was short but it was long enough to understand what her words meant.
"Or the worst of their life."Continued Alexander, That is his Gift, his cooking can bring deep memories from the customers' hearts to enjoy his food and the time in his restaurant. That's why his hands were called [The Golden Hands]
"Yes, if you can trigger Shinomiya's past where his passion for cooking and determination was at its peak I am sure he can get back to the cooking world with stronger power." Said Doujima, he wanted to take this chance to help a friend but to help him he must lose. But...If Shinomiya lost he will be working under Alexander from now on.
Even if it's an unofficial Shokugeki, Doujima is sure that Alexander has methods to get what he wants.
"I can try." Responded Alexander, he didn't agree or disagree but to Doujima that is more than enough.
"I can't ask you for more than that." Doujima closed his eyes and waited for the elevator to reach its destination.
After getting to the ground floor, Doujima and Alexander went to the hotel's annex.
Doujima opened one large door where Shinomiya, Inui, Mizuhara, Donato, and Hitoshi who were waiting for them.
"Thought you ran away." Said Shinomiya with a grin, he was sitting on a chair and supported his face with his arm.
Alexander just gave Shinomiya one giant middle finger and ignored him which made Shinomiya's blood boil.
"Is this for real!! I thought you guys were just joking around." Donato who wasn't there when Alexander and Shinomiya agreed for a Shokugeki was skeptical about this since Inui told him about it but seeing the boy really came and Shinomiya's boiling red face he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Don't worry, Chef Donato, all you need to do is taste the food and give your honest opinion. " Doujima stood in front of everyone and spook, he would be the one to oversee the whole thing and take all responsibility if they were found out.
After a little chat about this situation, the other chefs had calmed Donato down as they took their places on the judging table.
"The ingrediants here are the leftovers from today's assignment but don't worry they are in good shape." Said Doujima. Alexander and Shinomiya stood in front of their kitchens and gave each other a cold look.
"Cook whatever you want, the time limit is 2 hours!" Said Doujima. After his words, each of Alexander and Shinomiya met on the table of ingrediants, they didn't care about what the other was picking since there was enough. With this distance between the two of them, they would be fighting right now if they weren't in the middle of a Shokugeki.
After they gathered their ingrediants they went back to their kitchen. They both had an image of their dish. Shinomiya was going with Foie Gras while Alexander is...for the first time is going to make one of his original dishes from his arsenal.
(Author Not: GOO!! Run wild my imagination, reach new heights, go beyond the heavens!!!)
The 14 sweet worlds of vegetables and fruits. he gathered 7 types of vegetables, corn, carrots, onions, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and yams and 7 types of sweet fruits, Blackberries, Strawbery, Watermelon, Peach, Raspberries, Kiwis, and finally Pears.
The chefs and Doujima tried to understand what he is trying to cook but obviously, they can't, this dish was never introduced in this world before, this is the first time it will be eaten by anyone.
Alexander cut the vegetables and fruits after washing them carefully into small pieces and put each one in a bowl for itself, so they won't get mixed up.
He made the sweet and thick sauce so the ingredients can stick to each other and don't fall from the dish. from plums sugar vinegar salt ginger chiles.
He took one Cabbage he and laid it flat on the kitchen, he cut it into 14 large layers and painted each one of them with the thick and sweet sauce.
He would put in one layer 4 ingredients from the vegetables and fruits and would put another layer of Cabbage, then he would do the same for the other remaining 2-3 layers. Also, The ingrediants on each layer are separated by one thick wall of the sweet sauce.
He closed the Cabbage in a perfect square and put each of the 5 wrapped Cabbages in a stove to cook. After he was done with all the necessary stuff, Alexander had some free time until the ingrediants are cooked and the sauce took its effect.
On the other side, Shinomiya too had finished his stuff too.
Shinomiya grinned and said " I don't know what're you cooking but one thing for sure, you know how to mess things up" Shinomiya had been stealing glances from time to time at Alexander just to see what he is going to do. But all he saw him do is throw a bunch of vegetables and fruits around.
"..." Alexander didn't respond and just waited for his dish to finish.
The room soon went silent as they waited for the food to finish cooking. Everyone was just staring at each other with nothing to say. Even the talkative Inui was strangely silent.
After a while, Alexander and Shinomiya were working on their finishing touches. Their food's aroma is clashing between each other making the judges feel impatient and has the urge to jump and steal the food for themselves. This now is a battle of the top chefs.
Shinomiya went first as he presented his dish to the 5 Chefs, Alexander is still organizing his dish.
"Here my duck liver, Foie Gras, taste and enjoy yourselves" Shinomya's dish is made of goose's liver on top of the golden sauce. Just the look of it feels like enjoyment in itself to the 5 judges.
"Let's take a bite then..."Said Doujima as he took a bite of the liver followed by the others they were immediately felt like they were in nirvana, the liver is soft that you don't actually feel that you bite it but it's tender enough to make you feel it as it melts in your mouth. The judges felt like they were flying alongside gooses.
"WOW!! you didn't hold back this time, did you? Shinomiya-senpai." Inui looked at Shinomiya with disbelieve as she never thought he will go all out, this dish is one of the top dishes that he serves in his restaurant.
"Indeed, but if he is the son of Alexander-senpai then he should not be underestimated." Said Hitoshi as he finished his dish in lightning speed.
"This is good, unfortunately," Said Mizuhara.
"Oh Did your pride get harmed when tasting something as delicious as my cooking?!" Shinomiya smirked at Mizuhara as he reminded her that he was the 1rst seat in their generation.
Doujima ate the last piece of the dish while listening to the groups talk ' I hope what you made is stronger than this, Alexander' Thought Doujima.
Next was Alexander, he presented his dish to the judges, in front of them is a perfect square made of Cabbage.
"What is this??" asked Inui, she examined the cabbage and found it closed firmly, so she figured that they need to cut it open.
"Eat it and you'll know." Said Alexander as he sat down after giving his dishes.
The first to open the dish was Doujima, as soon as he did that, three layers of vegetables and fruits are lined up on top and beside each other, its colors are diffrent in each layer, from black to white.
When it opened a new and strong aroma assaulted the room, as if that smell was imprisoned inside the cabbage and now it's free.
"WHoa!! Such a strong aroma!!!" Donato exclaimed as he took the first bite, immediately his clothes were flying around from the explosion of the flavor inside his mouth, It's not just one flavor but 4-6 or 6 to 12 depending on the amount you cut off, the more you cut and eat the more flavors you'll experience.
But this wasn't all. Just Doujima requested, Alexander used his gift on this dish as the most beautiful moment in his life played in front of him.
The time with his friends in the Polar Star dorm is in front of him. He can see his young self and his friends Joichiro in front of him cooking while playing around. Tears were about to fall down.
The same happened to the other four as they too wiped their tears, each one of them remembered their past and how happy and joyful those days were.
Shinomiya was confused ' This can't be!! this reaction!!!' Shinomiya didn't want to believe but it's clear in front of him. Alexander's dish is superior to him.
Their reaction to Alexander's food is stronger than his.
After everyone finished eating and put down their knives and forks, they wipe their lips.
"Let's vote, I think everyone made their decision." Said Doujima, what he was hoping for happened and more than he expected.
"Yes." Said the judges.
Doujima brought two plates and 5 coins for each judge himself included.
*Tic* *Tic* *Tic* *Tic* *Tic*
"That can't be...." Shinomiya looked in front of him as he saw his crushing defeat with wide eyes and sweat running down his spine. A feeling he forgot resurfaced again. It's the bitter feeling of defeat.
Saiba Alexander - 5
Shinomiya Kojirou - 0
Alexander smiled as he gave Shinomiya one last look before Shinomiya went down on his knees in disbelief.
"Food Is Served." He said.
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