Chapter 243: Appreciation Dinner
"That's great."
"Haha, I knew it. Soma will definitely be fine."
"Our Polar Star Dormitory still has a perfect pass rate. I'm sure we can all pass this resort training."
Amidst the cheers of the Polar Star Dormitory members, the breakfast assessment officially concluded.
As expected, the top two in terms of servings were Erina and Alice, the two sisters. Alice, true to the original story, exhausted the ingredients and achieved a score of 380 servings.
With guidance from Hachiman, Erina made a breakthrough, reaching a total of 480 servings. She surpassed Alice by a hundred servings, leaving Alice stomping her foot in frustration. She mumbled about preparing more ingredients if she had known, believing that would have secured her victory over Erina.
However, it might indeed have been possible. Erina's dishes were innovative, and with the small portion size, taking two or three servings per person was completely reasonable. She ran out of ingredients half an hour before the assessment ended. If she could have continued, she might have had a chance to compete with Erina.
Apart from the Nakiri sisters, several others had a chance to contend for the top spot. Leaving aside Soma, who chose the wrong dish, both Ryo Kurokiba and Akira Hayama had the ability to challenge for the first place.
However, both of them chose to remain discreet, completing only around 300 servings before stopping.
With the breakfast assessment concluded, the students who met the 200-serving standard all breathed a sigh of relief. Just as they were about to relax, Dojima's voice echoed from the broadcast again.
"Assessment complete. Congratulations to all the students who passed."
"The next assessment will begin in two hours. Until then, it's break time."
Hearing this announcement, the passing students groaned in unison.
Only now did they realize that although the breakfast assessment had ended, this infernal-like training was far from over.
On the contrary, Hachiman and the girls, after finishing breakfast, began exploring Totsuki Resort.
As the entire resort backed onto a large mountain, the group decided to turn it into a sort of spring outing. They climbed the mountain, played in the water, enjoying the scenic beauty of nature.
They played until around three in the afternoon. At that point, Hachiman received a call from Dojima. He mentioned there would be a congratulatory feast for the students who passed tonight and asked Hachiman to come and help. Hachiman didn't refuse this request.
Today marked the last day of the training camp. This six-day, five-night resort training was finally coming to an end, and tomorrow morning, the students would return to Totsuki.
After securing entry for some of the girls for the evening banquet, Hachiman returned to Totsuki Resort.
In the main kitchen, Hachiman noticed several graduates were already preparing dishes.
Everyone is present except for those still engaged in certain projects.
"You've arrived, Hikigaya-kun."
Dojima greeted upon seeing him enter the kitchen.
"Yeah, Dojima-senpai, what's my role?" Hachiman asked as he approached.
"This is a celebratory dinner to commemorate the successful completion of the resort training. We'd like all guest lecturers to prepare one or two signature dishes for the students."
"A celebration? Got it. So, I just need to make one or two signature dishes, right?" Hachiman clarified.
"That's correct. One or two will suffice. However, be prepared to make a substantial quantity, as there are quite a few students who have passed. Consider it a test for you guest lecturers as well. Hahaha," Dojima laughed.
Indeed, even with Hachiman's involvement causing more eliminations than in the original, there were still over five hundred students who passed.
With six people per table, that's nearly a hundred tables, meaning each person needs to prepare at least a hundred servings of the same dish.
Furthermore, since it's a celebratory feast, simple dishes won't suffice. This dinner tests not only their culinary skills but also their stamina and energy.
Fortunately, for someone like Hachiman, this is a piece of cake.
"No problem at all. By the way, Dojima-senpai, will you be cooking this time?"
This guy in front of him is also considered one of the culinary experts in the original. Hachiman is quite interested in his cooking skills.
"How about you, Dojima-senpai? Would you consider making a dish as well? You only need to prepare three servings, consider it a personal request from me."
"Only three servings?"
Upon hearing this, Dojima raised an eyebrow, quickly understanding that Hachiman probably wanted him to make a few dishes specifically for his friends.
"Exactly. In return, I'll also put all my effort into making a dish for Dojima-senpai to taste. How about that?" Hachiman smiled faintly.
"Oh? Putting your full effort?"
Hearing these words, Dojima was somewhat surprised. Wasn't the sashimi from that day already his best effort?
"Yes, it'll be a dish even more delicious than the 'Intense Ice Fresh Sea Bream Mountain.' I believe Dojima-senpai will agree."
"Alright, I agree."
Sure enough, upon hearing about a dish even more delicious than the 'Intense Ice Fresh Sea Bream Mountain,' Dojima readily agreed. As a top chef, his 'greed' far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Just as the two reached an agreement, a lively voice came from the side.
"Naninani, could it be Dojima-senpai is going to have a cooking showdown with Hikigaya-kun?"
Both turned to see Hinako standing not far away, her face filled with curiosity.
"Haha, not at all. Hikigaya-kun and I are just preparing two dishes for each other," Dojima laughed heartily.
"That's right, Hinako-senpai. Dojima-senpai is helping me by making two dishes for my friends, and in return, I'm preparing two dishes for him to taste," Hachiman explained with a smile.
Seeing the synchronized act of the two, Hinako rolled her eyes.
In her mind, she had already classified Hachiman and Dojima together under the same category of 'Deceptive Appearance, Dark Heart.'
Although she didn't inquire further, she walked to her own cooking station, preparing her dishes while secretly observing the two.
She was quite interested in what kind of dishes the two would make. Deciding firmly, she planned to boldly ask for a taste after they were done. Even though her culinary skills were not on par with theirs, being a chef, she too possessed an extraordinary level of 'greed.'