Chapter 78 - Which Hand?

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'That bitch is seducing my man!!' Alice's imagination was running wild and creating every possible scenario in her head, she fears that Alexander will fall in that witch's honey trap

"Alexander get away from her!!" Alice shouted with all seriousness but to the others and especially Hayama who was near her, she seemed like every jealous girlfriend out there.

Alas, they did not know the murderous thoughts running in her head 'Just wait until I catch you later, you little princess!!'

Alice doesn't want another Rindo now, not so soon, and surely, not Erina

While this going on. From Alexander and Erina's point of view, the arena seemed calm despite the uproar that they can't hear because of the closed room, and they didn't even switch the TV on

Alexander saw Alice looking up at them, he waved at her with a smile, she returned his wave with another one as she sent him a flying kiss cutely

"Hey, Erina, Alice is looking at us, wave at her too..." Alexander said with no care at all, Erina didn't want to do such a thing but Alexander looked at her waiting for her to join him.

Erina smiled and waved at her cousin when Alice saw Erina waving at her

She then made an OK sign which Erina knows very well that it is far from the OK sign. After all, Alice locked her middle finger with her thumb instead of the index and the thumb

That gesture was their secret [F.u.c.k You!] Sign

But of course, Erina returned her kind hand sign right back at her.

But being in the middle of the match, Doujima had to step in and let Hayama and Alice about the remaining time; which is half an hour

Hearing the remaining time, Alice decided to abandon insulting her sweet cousin and focus more on cooking, making Erina cough blood will have to wait

In the VIP room, Alexander switched the TV and observed the battle, Erina just watched him do his thing

"What is the theme?" He asked

"It is-"

Before Erina could answer, Alexander stopped her with his hand

"I will try to guess that myself..." He said, he looked at the station and observed the ingredients left on the table

"They both have that white stuff like mochi, wonton wrappers probably..." Alexander muttered quietly as he looked hard for clues.

He saw a bamboo steaming basket at Hayama's station, with that he finalized his conclusion

" Is it Dim Sums?" He looked back at Erina who clapped lightly and smiled "Indeed...." She said

Alexander gave her a thumbs up and sat beside her again

The two watched the battle infold quietly, Erina was strangely enjoying the silent and calm atmosphere, his faint body smell travels to her nose and reminds her that this is a man she is sitting with, a man that she has strong feelings for. A light blush painted itself on her cheeks.

Alexander focused on the TV as he watched Hayama pull out from the oven his fish, it was little golden balls that had the steam still rising up from them

[The first one to serve is contestant Hayama Akira!] Doujima announced. The judges took their places again. Hayama walked to them and presented his dish

{Can you explain to us...what you did make here?} Doujima spoke as the camera focused on them

{Siu Mai Dumplings with shrimps, you can try the taste, I am sure you will not be disappointed} Hayama's voice could be heard from the TV, he had a confident smile

The Judges didn't waste any time to taste the delicious-looking dumplings.

Koujiro took a knife and made a small cut in his dumpling. Just as he did that as if a smoke bomb let out the gas inside it. The heavy aroma hit Koujiro's nose and made him feel like he is in the middle of the ocean skiting on the back of a shrimp

He couldn't wait to eat it so he just helped himself in, Doujima and the others did the same and went down to enjoy the feeling of riding the waves on a shrimp

No sooner, the plates were emptied, Doujima looked at the empty plate with a satisfied smile

"It was a wholesome dumpling, Mr.Akira," Doujima said

"Thank you, sir!" Hayama responded with a slight bow, he knows clearly who this man is, a compliment from him is something people die for

"Alright, Alright, don't celebrate too early, I am still serving after you." Alice cane from behind Hayama and walked to the judges' table

"So you're next?" Said Koujiro

"Of course, I can't let that white-haired old man behind have all the attention here." Alice raised her chest proudly, she extended her hand to the covered dish and raised the lid slowly

Koujiro looked in anticipation for what to come, but he would never have guessed what was in there

What greeted the audience, the judges, Alexander, and Erina is dumplings painted in the colors of the galaxy, blue dumplings that have white things spread across Like stars

"What is this?" Koujiro and the judges tried to figure out what was that on the blue dumplings that it can replicate stars

Koujiro reached with his finger and rubbed the white shiny things, he took back his finger that had some of it stuck on it, he licked it and his eyes widened

"This...is...Sugar!!" He said in a surprised manner, Doujima smiled at the creativity while Mizuhara, Inui, and Tsunozaki were observing the dumplings really hard

And let's not even talk about the audience reaction

"There she goes again, playing with those tools..." Alexander said, but he had to admit that Alice has some of the most creative minds in this school

"Humph! It doesn't matter how pretty it looks if it can't give the taste to support it." Erina never liker her cousin's using tools or technology in cooking, it was a bit out of dislike of Alice and a bit because she thinks a chef is supposed to only use his skills in cooking. That was also why she likes Alexander as a chef

"What is this Blue thing, if I may ask?" Doujima asked

Alice smiled and said "Blue velvet!" Blue Velvet was a rare thing to be used in cooking, it was mostly used in cakes and not food, and even then, it was rare to use it that some people forgot it exists

"Damn it, less talking more tasting!!" Tsunozaki shouted as she took the knife and cut the dumplings a little

Just like Hayama, her dish had a surprise for the judges and the audience again, Tue stuffing was jiggling inside, it transparent, it contained inside things like vegetables and little Tuna parts scattered in a mathematical way

Inui was the first to recognize such thing "Aspic!!"

"Oh my God!! She managed to make an aspic and stuff it in a dumpling?!!" Tsunozaki couldn't close her mouth from her shock

"Humph!! Of course, don't underestimate my science." Alice had a smug face as she faces Hayama who frowned deeply

"It needs to be tasted first, don't celebrate too early." He turned her previous words at her immediately

"Then let us not water any more time," Doujima said, and this time, there were no hidden surprises, only the pure flavor of the sweet dumplings stuffed with the aspic that is filled with vegetables and tuna fish

Doujima closed his eyes and let the taste take him places.

Under the sea, in the kingdom of the vegetables, he was a king that ruled every drop of water and every fish out there, he would taste flavors from outside his kingdom that his tuna soldiers brought to him

The taste can be described as kingly, nothing from it can be obtained by mere peasant

Koujiro and the others had the same reaction as Doujima's

After savoring the taste to the fullest, Doujima sighed and stood up

He took the mic and stood between Alice and Hayama

[Today, we have witnessed two phenomenal dishes, a dish of dim sums dumplings, both students did their best and I can confirm that both dishes were on another level...but...only one dish can give its maker the ticket to pass to the finals] Doujima gave his little speech and looked at the judges [ may the Judges give their votes...]

Following Doujima's words, Koujiro and the others raise their signs

In the VIP room, Alexander had a surprised face "HOo!! That's a surprise!"

"Indeed, in the autumn election, score like that come by rarely" Erina added after him

What they were talking about is that...they tied

Nakiri Alice: 2 votes from Koujiro and Tsunozaki

Hayama Akira: 2 votes from Inui and Mizuhara

Everyone realized what this meant.

Everyone focused on Doujima, he knows, everyone knows...the outcome of this match is in his hand.

Doujima grabbed Alice and Hayama's hands, the one that his hand will raise up is the winner.

But...which one's hand?

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