Food Wars: Taste Reversal

Hinako closed her eyes and carefully savored the dish in her mouth. The more she savored it, the more the shock stretching from her heart deepened.

As a graduate of Totsuki Culinary Academy, she naturally understood the level of skill each grade of students should possess.

The "salt-baked grilled fish" dish that Shiraki presented earlier was already near the pinnacle for first-year students. Most students couldn't even come close to matching its flavor.

However, the dish she now held in her hands was on another level entirely.

While the exquisite taste captured her senses, Hinako also felt an uncontrollable shock. This dish could even rival her own nirvana dish!

In fact, even if she were to use her nirvana dish to compete, she couldn't confidently say she would win. Both dishes achieved perfection in flavor and texture, yet Shiraki's creation exuded an inexplicable happiness that her own cooking lacked.

This isn't just talent; this is monster-level cooking, isn't it?!

In this year's batch of Totsuki first-years... Could such a terrifying talent exist?

So this is what the Headmaster meant... "The Age of Sapphires."

What an extraordinary monster!

A few drops of cold sweat formed on Hinako's forehead as she slowly opened her eyes.

Golden sunlight filtered through the skylight, casting a warm glow over her.

"Huh?"

Hinako blinked and looked around, only to realize the chef was gone. Instead, she found herself standing in a Western-style cathedral.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

The deep sound of bells echoed as white doves fluttered outside the window. Bewildered, Hinako turned her gaze forward. There, a man in a white suit stood before her. Looking down, she realized that she, too, was now dressed in a Western-style wedding gown.

"W-What on earth is this..."

The scene overwhelmed Hinako. Though she had graduated from Totsuki years ago, marriage had never crossed her mind. If she were to marry, it would surely be in a traditional Japanese ceremony, not a Western one.

Before she could process this surreal situation, the man before her gently reached for her hand. Though his touch was light, she found herself unable to resist. When she came to her senses, a sparkling ring adorned her finger.

"Now, will the bride exchange rings with the groom?"

The priest's melodic voice brought Hinako back to reality. She looked up at the man before her—her supposed husband—and froze in shock.

The face she saw was Shiraki's!

"Is this some kind of joke?!"

Hinako stumbled backward. She knew this was a dream—none of it could be real. Yet, even so, she found herself fantasizing about a student she had just met.

No, absolutely not!

She wasn't a frivolous woman. She had never even entertained romantic advances from men she'd known for years. The idea of skipping so many steps to marry a student she barely knew was utterly absurd!

But as she resolved to reject the scene before her, the lingering taste of the dish exploded within her.

Though it was the same flavor as before, its intensity now overwhelmed her senses, filling her with an indescribable happiness.

The rich texture of the tuna felt like the earth awakening after the first thaw, melting into her being and bringing tears to her eyes.

Her vision blurred. The man before her seemed to speak, but she couldn't hear his words. The taste transported her into a daydream where they started as strangers, grew closer, and eventually stood here together in a wedding ceremony.

Almost as if guided by instinct, she slipped the ring onto the man's finger.

The golden sunlight illuminated the dazzling ring. Hinako found herself smiling—the happiest smile of her life.

But just then—

"Senior Hinako, our dish is ready! Please taste it!"

Soma Yukihira's cheerful voice abruptly shattered the illusion.

Hinako's eyes snapped open. The church, the wedding gown, her perfect partner—everything was gone. It had all been a dream.

She stared at Soma, who stood grinning before her. Turning quickly, she searched for Shiraki and found him already cleaning his station, chatting casually with another girl.

"Wait, wait, Shiraki-kun! How can you just leave while I'm tasting your dish?!"

Under Soma's bewildered expression, Hinako ignored the food in her hands and stormed toward Shiraki.

"Huh?" Shiraki and his partner, who had been discussing their plans for the evening, looked up in surprise.

"Didn't you say we passed?" Shiraki asked innocently.

"But, but..."

Hinako struggled to respond.

Shiraki gestured to Soma behind her. "Well, before that, Senior Hinako, another student is waiting for you to review their dish. Don't you have a job to finish?"

"A-Ah, that's true," she muttered.

Soma grinned and held up his dish. "Here you go, Senior Hinako! This is our group's creation—please enjoy!"

He presented the "tempura" with pride.