The God's Chef ~Intoxicating Desire~ BETA

Chapter 42

The middle of the stadium is brightly lit. All students begin their tasks deligently and quickly. With many metal utensils and equipment shining all about, all judges are situated on top of the judging platform.

"Say, Isshiki-kun..." The head judge, Sendawara Orie, COO of Howbee Foods and twin to Sendawara Natsume, glances over to Isshiki standing right behind her. "When will you join our company?" Her long thick lashes casts a shadow down her light brown eyes. "Be mine already." Placing an index finger on her glossy pink lipstick, she looks pleadingly at him.

"Haha," He laughs. "I'm still just a student."

"That's not a problem. Even if you withdraw from the academy right now, I'll ensure you'll never go hungry. C'mon, hurry." With the rest of the judges being male, they couldn't help but blush when the beauty seated with them spoke with such tempting voice.

"Gosh, I can't wait any longer." Pouting, she continues to rest a finger on her lush lips.

"Well, for today, please enjoy the dishes prepared by the cute dirt years."

"Hmm, very well." Backing down for now, she removes her finger on her lips.

~*~

'Do I sound like her when I'm with Eishi?' Rei couldn't help it. Thinking about that while in the middle of kneading her bread with her hands, she sighs. Despite having her ears hurt from the loud cheering of people, she heard what they said clearly.

Forming four balls with her dough, she places it on a baking tray then into an already preheated oven. Not bothering with leaving it to raise, she ignores what the judges are talking about her and her perturbed ways.

"It's true there are some students who look interesting... Fine, I've made up my mind." Glancing up over to Isshiki, she crosses her arms under her large breasts. "Give me all the students over there. Oh but, I don't think I need that girl with her hair in two braids and that girl with a big ball of poop on her head." Pointing one of her manicured fingers at Tadokoro and Rei, she continues. "I don't think they have much potential."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure."

Letting out a dark, dangerous aura, Rei never felt do angry in her life. Although Isshiki stood up for both her friend and her, she couldn't help but what to smack that delicate looking face of the so called Queen of Curry.

Pushing up her glasses, Rei cannot help but begin to laugh as she imagine her face when she tries her curry.

"W--what's wrong with that girl?" Orie looks at Rei laughing menacingly. Feeling a chill down her spine, she turns her head over to Isshiki. "Isshiki,"

"Yes?"

"Now, what's up next?" Snapping herself out of her reverie, Rei smiles and brings a large pot over the stove. With a sudden happy aura around her, to compare her with one of her rivals this round, Sadatsuka Nao, she seemed to be like her twin for a second. If they were even siblings to begin with, no one would disagree.

With the oil at the bottom of her pot simmering hot, she finally adds in her meat. Letting it brown for a bit, she looks over at Tadokoro falling down to the floor while trying to push a large triangular shaped thing covered with a blue cloth. Running up to the trailing triangular object, she stops it.

"Here," Holding it in place, Rei takes a sniff and immediately knee what it is. "Good luck," Smiling, Tadokoro takes it with her hands.

"Same to you!" Nodding, Rei takes her leave.

~*~

'Who is that blue haired again?' With an elbow propped on the armrest, Tsukasa leans his head and rests his head gently on his fingers. Alone high above everyone else, he sits exclusively in the private spectators seat that is only meant for members of the Elite Ten.

Clearly not remembering Tadokoro even though he had seen her many times during his mini vacation in Totsuki Resort, he sighs as his eyes darts back to Rei. Ignoring the spectacular skills Tadokoro might be showing, his sole reason to watch the preliminaries is only because of Rei.

With a faint smile on his lips, he happily cheers her on in his head. With the no one else inside but him, he is still not at peace. Many students who sits right below him couldn't help but cast glances over at the silver head, clearly knowing who he was.

"Ah! Rei! What is she doing?! I thought that she said that she won't be changing her mind anymore!" Suddenly gripping both of his hands on the arms rest, he looks over at Rei with shock. Seeing her sprinkle something like a dark shade of red into the boiling curry, he couldn't help but shout.

From the many persistent concerns about her original curry, he couldn't belive that she changed it last minute. With the undeniable new spice she just added on, it is exactly five more minutes until the judging starts.

Calming his racing heart, his eyes looks over at Rei cutting her bread that she made earlier. The large round ball is a gentle colour of gold and she cuts a part of the top off. Scooping up the insides, she brushes on some butter before putting it back into the oven.

Knowing exactly what she was doing before hand, everything was the same but the extra addition of spice.

Within the last two minutes, Rei finally brings out her bread bowls from the oven. Carefully picking them up, she places one of them on every five plates she has lined up beside her. Pouring in her curry that didn't excite anyone for the whole cooking duration, she is finally finished.

"We'll now enter the judging phase! I am your hostess, Kawashima Urara!" Standing right in front of the judges above the small podium, she poses with a wink. Hearts appears around her as she reintroduces herself with a wide smile on her face.

"So super cute, Urara-chan!" Her fancy that are dressed in pink robes yells.

"There are five judges! Each judge has twenty points, so each dish will be assessed out of a hundred potential points. Only the top four candidates can advance to the main tournament! May the judging comence!"

"Kita Osaji, he hosts the Konami Gastronomy Clun, which only top notch literati and financial heavyweights can join. He uses money to bring all kinds of gourmet food to his table." With her arms crossed, Fumio mutter to herself as she eyes the plump man who sits next to Orie enjoying his curry.

"The man over there is Ando Shingo." Looking down at the curry he is eating, his expression is unreadable. Seated to Orie's right, he is the number one foodie of the writing world. "He is a writer and essayist specialising in food culture. He has caused many food business to close down with his pen."

"This fish is based on achari murgh, a traditional north Indian curry dish. The special chaat masara has a strong acidity--it adds a wonderful fragrance. Not to mention, you didn't pick tandoori chicken; you picked chicken tikka. They're boneless, so they're easy to eat using a spoon. You've done your research, and you've shown due consideration for the diner!" Kita looks at the brown headed student who made the curry. "Not bad for a Totsuki student."

"The scores then, if you please!" Holding her mic with her right hand, pinky finger up, Kawasaki gestures dramatically to the judges.

33

08|07|02|07|09

"M--my dish got 33 points? What's going--"

"Who do you think we are?" The old happy man looks back at the first person up. With a new dark aura around him, he crosses hus arms and glares at the boy.

"We're facing dishes made by countless professionals every day. We may have said you did a good job, but we meant a good job for a student." Emphasising the word student, the chef who presented his dish first dropped down his metal tray. "I'd say you can be proud if you manage to score 50 points."