When I Helped Out At My Classy Classmate's Family Home, They Started Going All Out To Close In On Me From Every Angle. - Chapter 11: The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered, But If It Sticks Out Too Much, It's Recognized—4

The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered, But If It Sticks Out Too Much, It’s Recognized—4

It was four o’clock, and I returned to the kitchen to face off against Hide-san.

“Let’s review the rules.”

Gen-san spoke up, looking around at me, Hide-san, and the seniors gathered around.

“The dish we’ll be making is tamagoyaki, a dish where the skill of the chef is clearly evident. To ensure a fair comparison of our skills, we’ll be using the same ingredients and seasonings. The time limit is ten minutes. Any time over that and you’re immediately disqualified. The judges will be all the chefs except Tetsu and Hide. They’ll judge based on the appearance and taste of the tamagoyaki, and the winner will be decided by majority vote. Understood?”

We all nodded in response to Gen-san’s confirmation.

Hide-san, standing beside me, looked down at me.

“Well then. Are you ready to be defeated?”

Hide-san’s gaze was filled with a sadistic malice, like a bully looking to torment someone. If it were the old me, I would’ve been shaking in fear by now.

But not now. Ayame had supported me. She gave me the strength to stand firm.

I met his hostile gaze head-on.

“I’m ready. But I’m not ready to lose.”

“You’ve got guts,” Hide-san said, a wicked grin curling his lips.

Watching our exchange, Gen-san chuckled happily.

“Nice. You two are both fired up. Then let’s get started before the heat dies down.”

Gen-san clapped his hands.

“Begin!”

And so, my cooking battle with Hide-san began.

***

“This is impossible…!”

In the silent kitchen, Hide-san’s muttering echoed loudly.

His face was filled with sheer astonishment.

It was no surprise.

Unanimous agreement.

Everyone, including the seniors who had supported Hide-san, judged that my tamagoyaki was superior.

Seeing him standing there frozen, Gen-san spoke to Hide-san.

“Can’t you admit defeat, Hide?”

“Of course I can’t!” Hide-san snapped.

“Then try Tetsu’s tamagoyaki,” Gen-san urged, motioning with his chin.

Hide-san, seemingly too lazy to use chopsticks, grabbed my tamagoyaki with his hand and shoved it into his mouth.

Bite after bite, and then Hide-san’s eyes widened.

He understood. He realized.

My tamagoyaki was superior to the one he made.

With a tight grind of his teeth, Hide-san shouted.

“This is impossible! I’ve been cooking since I was ten, dreaming of becoming a chef! How can I lose to some kid like this?!”

“Well, I can understand why Hide can’t accept it,” Gen-san sighed, frowning.

“Tetsu’s skill is extraordinary. You could even call it abnormal. Honestly, I have no idea how someone could get this good by the age of sixteen.”

“I had a great teacher,” I said, just like I told Shuuji and Chika once.

“You had a master, Tetsu?” Gen-san asked.

“Yes. I learned from my grandfather… Do you know a chef named Kanda Hiromitsu?”

As soon as I mentioned the name, murmurs spread throughout the kitchen. Everyone’s mouths dropped open in disbelief.

“This is unbelievable.”

Even Gen-san couldn’t hide his surprise, staring blankly.

“I never expected you to be the grandson of the ‘legendary chef.'”

Hirohimi Kanda—my grandfather—was considered one of the top five chefs in the world.

After training at prestigious restaurants in various culinary fields, he became the executive chef at Japan’s top hotel.

His skill was unmatched, and when a summit meeting was held in Japan, he was entrusted with organizing the banquet.

By the way, he retired from his position and now runs a diner in a neighboring prefecture.

“I grew up with my grandparents since my parents were always busy with work. My grandfather started teaching me to cook when I was three.”

“Th-three…?” Hide-san stammered.

“It was his way of showing affection for his grandson, I guess.”

Hide-san stood there, eyes wide open in disbelief, completely speechless.

Hide-san had been cooking for twelve years.

I had been cooking for thirteen years.

The young kid he had looked down on was actually his senior as a chef. The shock must have been overwhelming.

After finishing my story, I let out a sigh.

I had won the cooking battle and shared my background. There was nothing more I could do. What happens next, I’ll leave it to fate.

I watched quietly, feeling the tension.

Hide-san clenched his fist.

His body shook, his teeth gritted—then, he let out a sigh and relaxed.

“So, I guess I was the one getting carried away.”

Hide-san’s lips relaxed into a smile. The smile was self-deprecating, yet there was a sense of relief, like a burden had been lifted.

He turned toward me and bowed his head.

“I got carried away with all the talk of being a prodigy and acted arrogantly. I’m sorry for how I treated you.”

“No, I understand why you were frustrated. I’m not bothered by it anymore.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

Hide-san looked up and pointed firmly at me.

“But! I’m not going to just stay down! Someday, I’ll surpass you! Be ready for that!”

Just like before the competition, Hide-san’s eyes were filled with determination. But there was not a trace of hostility.

That made me happy, and I responded with a smile.

“Sure. I’ll do my best, so you won’t pass me so easily.”

I couldn’t help but think that this felt like the kind of development you’d find in a shonen manga, but I felt relieved that everything had ended on a good note.