Flavors of Fusion: Catalina's Culinary Journey

Chapter 16: Duel of Hospitality

After completing their afternoon task, Catalina, Megumi, and Sōma arrived at the basement kitchen of the resort, where Kojirō, Hinako, Hitoshi, Donato, and Fuyumi awaited. 

Gin had invited the three alumni to serve as judges for the Shokugeki, ensuring fairness by excluding Hinako, who might be biased. Using the remaining vegetables from the day, Gin declared that their dishes would be based on them and added one last condition: Megumi as the head chef, with Catalina and Sōma as her sous-chefs. With the conditions set, Kojirō began his preparations, and the tension in the room grew palpable.

As the cooking began, Megumi found herself overwhelmed by the pressure, causing her to tense up in fear. However, Sōma, in a display of support, clapped his hands together loudly, snapping her out of her trembling. 

Rather than focusing on Kojirō's dish, Megumi was encouraged by Catalina and Sōma to showcase her true skills and create a dish that best suited her. With their guidance and assistance, Megumi gradually gained confidence, and they worked together as a team. 

Despite initial difficulties in leading strong chefs like Sōma and Catalina, Megumi took charge and demonstrated her capabilities. With their collective efforts, Megumi managed to complete her dish.

Kojirō presented his dish first, a Chou Farci. As the judges sampled his creation, their reception was overwhelmingly positive. Kojirō even graciously offered a dish for the trio to share. 

They all experienced a foodgasm, relishing the flavors, but Catalina, in her thoughts, couldn't help but feel that something was missing, making it slightly generic. To her surprise, Gin was the only one to notice her subtle dissatisfaction. However, Gin remained unsatisfied as Kojirō's dish did not showcase his true specialty. Smugly, Kojirō remarked that he was merely holding back because his challengers were nothing more than students.

When it was Megumi's turn to present, her Rainbow Terrine impressed the judges with its creativity and execution. The flavors and presentation received high praise. After sampling both dishes, the judges were each given a coin to cast their vote for the better dish. One by one, they placed their coins on the plate of the chef they deemed to have cooked the superior dish. In a surprising turn of events, the vote resulted in a tie, with each chef receiving an equal number of coins.

Kojirō mocked Catalina, Sōma, and Megumi as he prepared to depart, confident in his victory. However, Gin unexpectedly placed a coin in Megumi's dish, causing a stir of surprise.

When Kojirō questioned Gin about his impromptu vote, Gin tossed a coin to him, questioning if he had been stagnant all this time. Enraged, Kojirō lashed out at Gin for pointing out his flaws better than he himself could, but Gin made him eat Megumi's dish to prove his point. As Kojirō savored Megumi's creation, her genuine hospitality pierced his cold heart, evoking memories of his own childhood. Overwhelmed by the emotions, he dropped his coin into Megumi's plate. Hinako added one final coin to Megumi's plate, resulting in a tiebreaker.

Gin left the final decision to Kojirō, who, in a surprising turn, accepted that Megumi's hospitality was worth keeping in Tōtsuki. His perspective had been altered by the power of her cooking. With this, Megumi emerged victorious, earning the respect of Kojirō and the judges.

Gin offered some parting words, encouraging Megumi to continue harnessing her hospitality as her greatest asset. After collecting herself, Megumi, Catalina, and Sōma left the kitchen. Megumi noticed an overwhelming amount of missed calls and messages from their Polar Star dormitory members. Expressing her gratitude to Catalina and Sōma for believing in her when she doubted herself, Megumi headed back, leaving Sōma behind.

In frustration, Sōma slammed his fist into a nearby wall, disappointed by the loss he felt despite his determination to win. Catalina, understanding his frustration, grabbed his hand and reminded him that their defeat was not the end. She assured him that this second chance meant they would have more opportunities to showcase their growth and prove themselves in the future.

Later, in Zenji's room, Megumi shared the details of her duel with the others. As Sōma and Catalina returned, Yūki Yoshino couldn't help but slap them for their reckless actions. However, Megumi reminded Yoshino that Sōma and Catalina were the reason she was still with them, emphasizing their unwavering support. With the Polar Star 92nd generation still intact, they prepared for the next phase of the camp, ready to face new challenges together.