Episode 327: Everything Special

「Now then… START!!!!!」

Puooooon!!!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Along with Minamin’s command, a whistle… or something like that… sounded out loudly to signal the start of the judging.

The final judging, the cooking battle, began amidst massive cheers, starting first with the trial of choosing ingredients.

The theme was free, so as long as they finished within the thirty-minute time limit, it was okay. There were no specific limits on the number of dishes.

Once the judging started, there was nothing left for me to do.

I could only watch the progress of the match from here while praying for Sara-san’s victory.

It was incredibly frustrating, though.

「Now then… everyone’s lunged for the ingredients all at once!!!! It feels like some people are already fighting over things, but even though there’s plenty of variety, quantities are limited!!!! Naturally, it’s first come, first served!!!!」

Even if she called it a fight, they were just reaching out for things at the same time, so it didn’t feel like any actual trouble was brewing.

And it wasn’t just the stuck-up woman, everyone looked like they couldn’t afford to worry about appearances.

Except… Sara-san and Mayumi-san seemed to have already secured their ingredients, as they were calmly returning to their spaces.

It didn’t look like those two had to fight for ingredients, but was it because the people around them… mainly Sara-san… for some reason avoided getting close?

Well… Sara-san was definitely being serious, so maybe they found it hard to approach because they were overwhelmed by her intense pressure?

「Now, Satsukawa-san and Mayumi-san have already started cooking, but just what are they planning to make!!!! First, they both take an onion they’ve finished peeling and… wh-whoa, they’re fast!!!!! The speed of their dicing is insane!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK IS THISSSS!!??」

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

The large screen set up on the stage showed Sara-san’s hands… what was happening on the cutting board right now, and the onions were being chopped at a terrifying speed. The camera occasionally moved to Mayumi-san’s hands, and she was moving with a terrifying momentum as well.

At this point, an amateur couldn’t see any difference between them at all… but it was certain that Sara-san was by no means losing.

Go for it, Sara-san!!

「Whoa, th-that’s too much!?」

「Whoopee… I knew it, when Sara gets serious, she’s terrifying.」

「Her life with Takanashi-san is on the line, so Sara won’t be holding anything back.」

Everyone was unable to hide their surprise at Sara-san’s behavior, which was clearly different from usual. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it demonic, but the intensity with which Sara-san threw herself into the cooking without a single glance sideways was incredible even to my eyes.

And Sara-san herself had already started sautéing the onions in a frying pan… Kazumi-san in particular was staring at the screen with a look of pure shock.

Since she was the only housewife here, maybe she felt something from it?

「Hey, hey, onii-chan, is Sara onee-chan making food?」

「She is.」

「Mio wants to eat Sara onee-chan’s food!!」

「I see, I see. Then next time, let’s ask her together, okay?」

「Yeah!! It’s a promise!! Ehehe~」

Mio-chan nodded happily over and over and nuzzled against my shoulder acting spoiled.

Maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d done this, but was she being even more of a spoiled brat than usual today?

Of course, I didn’t mind at all.

「…The way he’s completely blended in, Takanashi-kun looks like nothing but a young Dad raising a kid.」

「…No, I thought so too… but if we push it any further, Eririn’s gonna get mad at us again, right?」

「…Ugh… y-you’re right. A lot of people get scary when Takanashi-kun is teased, so I’ll stay quiet.」

「He-hey, Takanashi-kun, does the usual Satsukawa-senpai always cook at that incredible speed?」

「No… normally Sara-san is the type who enjoys cooking more. She doesn’t do it like that.」

Normally, she’d be humming a tune and moving rhythmically as if she were dancing… that was Sara-san’s style.

So, while calling this「serious」might sound good, from my perspective, I could also say she was「pushing herself.」

Sara-san…

「Man… everyone is truly impressive!!!! They’re used to this, which is why they’re on this stage!!! Minamin can’t cook at all, so that alone is worthy of praise!!!! I mean, if you just make someone who can cook your lover, problem solved!!??」

「I-I can cook!!!!」

「Minamin, in that case, I’m your guy!!!!」

Minamin moved through the tables, providing a running commentary mixed with talk.

Since she threw herself into the jokes as well, the audience was a chaos of cheers, support, laughter, and quips.

But overall, you could say it was「really hyped up.」

She’s good as always…

「Now then, shall we do a little interviewing here!!! Who should we start with…」

「SATSUKAWA-SA-A-A-AN!!!!!」

「GODDESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!」

「SARA-CHAA-A-A-A-A-AN!!!!!」

「Yes, yes, thank you for the perfectly predictable reaction!!! Then, as requested, first to Satsukawa-san…」

The camera on stage moved, and a two-shot of Sara-san and Minamin was shown on the screen.

Minamin was flashing a peace sign and smiling for the camera, but Sara-san completely ignored her and wouldn’t take her eyes off her hands.

It was an oddly surreal sight…

「Um… what is Satsukawa-san making… no, if you tell me I can see it by looking, that’s that, but…」

The video on the screen showed Sara-san shaping ground meat into rounds (as fast as ever)… if I wasn’t mistaken, was that hamburg steak?

「It is hamburg steak.」

「I knew it~. Even Minamin, who can’t cook, could tell that much. I mean… the shaping is so fast!!!???」

「When molding it, even the body temperature of your palms can melt the fat in the meat, you see.」

「Ah, I see… wait, no, that’s not it!!!! I mean, you’re so fast even while talking to me… and you aren’t even weighing them, but they all look like the exact same size!!?? Just how!!??」

The over-reaction that looked more like she was「appalled」than「impressed」brought a roar of laughter from the audience.

On the screen, just like Minamin said, several hamburg steaks that looked identical in size were lined up… enough for the number of judges.

Oh, for the record, the judges for the cooking battle were the members of the cooking club, including their advisor, along with the main members of the Prep Committee, for a total of fifteen people.

「Ah~ seriously, if I keep getting surprised at every little thing, I’m not gonna last, so I’ll stop here. By the way, Satsukawa-san, can I ask why you chose hamburg steak for this match?」

「…Unfortunately, the odds are against me if I try to face Mother head-on. So, I had to choose my specialty…」

「Oh, I see!!! So that means Satsukawa-san’s best dish is hamburg steak!?」

「…Yes.」

This went back to before we started dating, but…

Sara-san, who could generally handle any cooking without issue, didn’t seem to have a specific dish she called her「specialty,」even if there were differences in how good she was at things.

The reason Sara-san came to call hamburg steak her specialty… was, of course, because it was my favorite food.

Once she learned my favorite, Sara-san did research and trial runs over and over until she finally completed the ultimate hamburg steak. It was something special Sara-san made just for me… and that was why, regardless of the reason, part of me didn’t want other people eating it.

I knew that was just pathetic possessiveness… so I was feeling a bit of self-loathing.

「Maaan, still, the judges are lucky to get to eat Satsukawa-san’s best hamburg steak…」

「…? I am not making this as my best, you know?」

「…Eh?」

Minamin wore a blank expression… and honestly, I was the same.

I mean, the reason Sara-san chose hamburg steak was surely to beat Mayumi-san.

In that case, I naturally thought she’d go all out without holding anything back… but what?

「Of course I am not slacking, but that does not mean this is the 100% hamburg steak I am capable of making. To begin with, the ingredients are insufficient to make that… and besides」

「Ah, were there not enough ingredients!? I’m so sorry…」

「Wait just a second, Satsukawa-san, I don’t really appreciate those kinds of excuses, you know? Saying you can’t make something perfect because of a lack of ingredients… those conditions are the same for all of us, aren’t they?」

Despite it still being Sara-san’s interview, the stuck-up woman cut in with a knowing look. Since there were stationary mics, the fact that she could cut in so easily was a drawback.

Also, even if what she was saying was technically a valid point, her face was just annoying…

「You seem to be under a misunderstanding… even if every ingredient were available, I would have no intention of making that here, you know?」

「…Hah?」

「Ah, wait? Really?」

「Yes. This time, I am making a recipe I learned from Mother. I planned from the start to compete using my current skills with that recipe.」

「I, I see!! I understand what you mean… but if you can make a 100% version, wouldn’t that be a surer way to win…」

「That is that, and this is this. If I am to prove that I have surpassed Mother, it is easiest to understand if I win using what she taught me.」

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Sara-san’s bold, almost hot-blooded statement brought a massive stir of surprise and admiration from the audience.

I certainly thought that way of thinking was correct, and her spirit was amazing. But it also meant the difficulty of winning would be even higher…

…Wait.

Did Mayumi-san ever actually say「beat me in the judging results」?

「So she says, but what about Mother herself… Mayumi-san? Mayumi-san?」

There was no sign of a reaction to Minamin’s question. Mayumi-san had stopped her hands and was watching Sara-san with a happy look.

Mayumi-san seemed to have quite a few reactions like that today.

「Well… either way, I won’t be making the perfect version in a place like this. Everything special to me is for Kazu…」

「WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I TOLD YOU THAT’S TOO EARLYYYYYYYY!!!」

Minamin flailed her arms and legs around as if trying to drown something out (or cover it up). Watching her, Mio-chan laughed with pure innocence, which was cute… but that wasn’t it!

Wait, did she just?

「Haa… Sara really doesn’t waver, does she.」

「The Wife has nothing more important than Kazunari. So no matter what the reason, she’ll never give in on that point.」

「All her special things are only for the one she loves… I see. Fufu… that’s so wonderful, so nice…」

「Marina-san, you really love that romantic stuff, don’t you.」

「Kazunari is truly loved, isn’t he.」

「You can’t hide that smirk on your face, you know?」

「Shut up.」

「Onii-chan, are you happy?」

Finally, Mio-chan poked my cheek.

That meant my happy feelings were showing on my face clearly enough for a child to see… but it couldn’t be helped.

I mean, how could I hide feeling this happy?

To be thought of as that special by the person I treasure, I was truly happy…

「Now then!!!! Let’s move on to the next one and shake it off!!! The next interview is…」

With a ribbon-decorated hand mic in one hand, Minamin began moving to the other contestants.

The video from the camera moving with her was shown on the screen, detailing the cooking process of each contestant.

While they lacked the overwhelming efficiency of Sara-san or Mayumi-san, for someone like me who couldn’t cook at all, I thought they were all plenty amazing.

Except… what on earth was she making?

「Um… Kusahara-san?」

「Yes, what is it?」

「What are you…」

「Can you not tell by looking? They are sandwiches.」

「No, I mean, I obviously know that…」

I could tell exactly how much Minamin was struggling with whether to quip or not… because I was the same.

Sandwiches are a dish, so in that sense, it wasn’t against the rules.

However, while everyone else was「cutting,」「baking,」「sautéing,」 and「boiling,」 she was… would it sound better if I said she was「making the most of the ingredients」?

Ah, I guess she was technically「cutting」at least… even if she was just putting things between bread.

「Honestly… you didn’t do a cooking round last year, did you?」

「Y-yes. We have a rule to change the judging content every year, after all…」

「If you had told me a bit earlier, I would have prepared properly.」

「No, it wouldn’t be interesting if you were that heavily prepared…」

She likely would have called a cooking tutor to her house if she’d had the info sooner.

But if that was the case, didn’t it mean she was just lucky to have won the last Miss Contest?

Sara-san didn’t enter, so her mask never slipped.

There happened to be no judging items she was bad at, so her mask never slipped.

Or maybe there were items she was good at, so her mask never slipped.

Wasn’t it something like that?

…Hm?

Did I say something weird?

「Now, now, let’s head to our final person for an interview!!!」

With a strained smile, Minamin left the stuck-up woman’s table. She headed, whether intentionally or by chance, to Mayumi-san, who was the last one left.

「Now then, Mayumi-san is… wait. WHAAAAA!!?? Is that…」

When the camera’s video was shown on the screen, it was a scene identical to Sara-san’s.

Since she’d taken the same ingredients and I could see her work a bit from here, I’d had a feeling… but as I thought, Mayumi-san was making hamburg steak too.

「TH-THIS IS A SURPRISEEEEE!!!!! This unexpected mother-daughter showdown is actually a battle with the exact same dish!!!! I guess you chose the same dish as a trial for your daughter, then!!!!!」

「Eh? This was just a coincidence?」

「WHAAAAAA!!?? Th-then why did Mayumi-san choose hamburg steak… is it your specialty after all!!??」

「Nfufu~」

For some reason, Mayumi-san threw a meaningful glance my way.

Hmm… I had an intensely bad feeling…

「Because it’s my cute, cute son (in-law)’s favorite… you see?」

She gave a cute wink, and the strange allure made my heart th… no!!

I told you, please stop doing such risky things!!!

「Hah? No, son… eh, WHAAAAAAAAAA!!?? No, no, no, that’s way too fast… AH!!?? I’m sorry I’m just talking to myself sorry!!!!」

Between muttering and shouting, Minamin was very busy today.

But for a second, I felt like she started making a fuss after looking this way… was it a safe bet to assume she knew a fair amount about Sara-san and me?

Hmm…

Between the meaningful exchange with Sara-san and everything else, I just hope this doesn’t turn into something extra…

Sara POV

I ended up getting worked up and accepted the challenge with spirit, but…

Thinking about it calmly, there is no clear victory line for this match in the first place.

No matter how much I boast that I will definitely win and definitely not lose, in the end, it is just the result of a trivial Miss Contest judging. There is no way such a worthless result could influence my life with Kazunari-san.

When I think about Mother’s words once more…

She used the word「lose,」but she did not say a single word about settling things with the judging results.

In other words, simply winning in the results has almost no meaning. A mindset of「I just have to win the match」will likely not satisfy the victory criteria Mother has set.

I have accepted quite an ambiguous match, if I do say so myself.

That said, once my life with Kazunari-san was brought into it, I had no choice but to accept this match.

Mother is usually laid-back and gentle, but it is a fact that she has a clearly strict side. Since Mother has shown this attitude, she is undoubtedly serious.

I do not know what she specifically intends to do, but it is certain that she will interfere with our current life in some way.

However… our life is our own.

Even if she is my actual Mother, I will never let her get in the way.

Taking care of Kazunari-san is my role alone, it is my reason for living, after all.

I have realized for a while now that Mother is unnaturally fond of Kazunari-san.

It did not start just now, and lately it has been escalating more and more. Her behavior of trying to meddle with him whenever she finds an opening is honestly intolerable.

I do not quite understand the reason why Mother tries to fuss over Kazunari-san so much…

And it also displeases me that Father surely realizes this yet does not try to scold her much…

It is unavoidable that the kind Kazunari-san cannot act strongly against Mother’s behavior. She is my actual Mother, after all, and she will be his Mother-in-law in the future, so he is likely being considerate.

That is exactly why I want Father to act when it comes to Mother… honestly.

Anyway, this whole situation is way too outside my predictions, and I am troubled about what to do with my original plans. Even if our interests aligned, I went to the trouble of getting Fukazawa-san, the host, to cooperate…

…I have wandered off-topic, let us return.

This cooking judging, in that sense, can be considered as having little meaning in the win or loss itself. And at this point, I do not know if I am showing Mother a result that satisfies her.

However, cooking is the greatest thing Mother has taught me.

The result of being taught various things since my childhood supports my current life… it lives within my life with Kazunari-san.

When I think of that, it is a fact that I feel a certain gratitude.

If that is the case… I can say that for this cooking judging alone, there is meaning in winning against Mother.

I am not just what Mother taught me anymore.

There are skills I have newly acquired through my life with Kazunari-san, and there are skills Mother-in-law has taught me. By leaving Mother’s side, my cooking has become a layering of three sets of skills, and it has been reborn into a new form through my feelings for Kazunari-san.

Normally, all of that would be for Kazunari-san alone… but this time, it is to protect my life with Kazunari-san.

So even if I know this is a stage for a farce, I shall go all out.

Because I believe that is also a form of gratitude and repayment to Mother, who raised me this far.

I am not the person I used to be.

I shall prove that today… Mother.

Ah, of course, even if I say I am being serious, I am not making the Kazunari-san-exclusive recipe.

The only ones allowed to eat that are Kazunari-san and me.