The command, "Start!" sounded like a starting pistol, and Shido and Chinatsu simultaneously stepped forward, heading toward the dazzling array of ingredients.
This time, the zone division was clearer than in the first round.
In the most conspicuous central position lay the core ingredient specified for this round—top-grade Wagyu beef brisket.
The two pieces of brisket lay quietly on a bed of ice, their marble-like snowflake patterns extremely uniform, the fat delicately embedded within the bright red muscle fibers like frost flowers.
Under the lights, they shone with an appealing luster; their mere presence seemed to silently declare their exceptional quality.
Chinatsu's gaze swept over the brisket, and she quickly calculated internally:
(The quality is definitely top-tier... However, I need to 'go easy' this round, so I cannot choose a cut that is too easy to handle and show off my skill... Hmm, brisket itself requires long stewing, which is perfect for manufacturing a 'mistake' at the critical point of heat transition. Perfect.)
She watched as Shido walked toward the best piece of brisket with clear intent and almost no hesitation, a flash of (feigned) cunning crossing her eyes.
Shido's peripheral vision caught Chinatsu's state—her damp temples, her slightly ragged breathing, her somewhat sluggish movements.
Especially the fabric of her top, slightly soaked with sweat and clinging to her body... All of this, seen through eyes that Kotori had 'enlightened,' undoubtedly became a different kind of signal.
(She... is clearly very tired. Even walking is... And the way she looked in the break room just now... and now this...)
Shido's cheeks flushed imperceptibly, then he shook his head vigorously, his gaze becoming even more resolute, carrying a hint of unbearable pity and determination.
(No, I cannot be distracted! She is willing... willing to show this side of herself... Is it to win the match, to maintain that identity? How much pressure is she truly under...)
(I am not standing here to watch her push herself like this! I am here so that she can genuinely smile and relax!)
With this thought, Shido almost hardened his heart, completely ignoring the deliberately cultivated atmosphere of slight vulnerability Chinatsu had created.
He quickened his pace and rushed toward the meat section first.
Unlike the swift decisiveness of the first round, Chinatsu's footsteps were noticeably half a beat slower.
A few strands of her ice-blue long hair were stuck by fine sweat to her smooth temples and neck, reflecting a subtle sheen under the spotlights.
The fabric of her originally light summer school uniform (which was actually her spirit dress) was slightly damp with sweat due to the stuffiness of the break room earlier.
Especially on her back and waist, the material clung to her skin, appearing slightly darker and outlining her curves more clearly.
She raised her hand and gently wiped away a bead of sweat hanging beneath her chin with the back of her hand.
This movement carried an unintended sense of fragility, forming a subtle contrast with her usual cool and aloof image.
(Good... This appearance of being freshly 'roasted' and slightly lacking in stamina should look natural, right?)
She deliberately kept her movements a step behind Shido, her gaze drifting over the ingredients as if she needed more time to think and choose, a style completely different from the precise target-locking of the first round.
(Alright, now is the time to distract him a bit, and also make myself seem more... hmm, a little more 'human.')
Just as Shido reached out, about to touch the top-grade brisket, Chinatsu happened to walk up beside him.
Her outstretched hand seemed accidental, sweeping past just a few centimeters from the back of Shido's hand, her fingertips gracefully slicing through the air, carrying a faint, imperceptible fragrance.
She did not actually touch Shido, but the distance and the posture were full of subtle suggestion.
At the same time, she slightly tilted her head, her ice-blue hair sliding over her shoulder, and she spoke softly in a voice slightly softer than usual, carrying a subtle hint of teasing:
"Classmate Itsuka is truly decisive... It seems you are determined to have this 'treasure'? However, the best ingredients also require the person who knows best how to handle them, do they not?"
These words carried a slight challenge and a hint of... something close to flirtation.
Chinatsu believed her acting was spot on, capable of both distracting her opponent and maintaining her persona as an "aloof genius who occasionally resorts to minor tricks."
However, this action, viewed through the eyes of Shido, who had just experienced the "break room visual shock," took on a completely different meaning.
(! She... is she doing this...?)
Shido's heart skipped a beat, but it was instantly overwhelmed by a stronger emotion.
(She is willing to use this method... to distract me and gain an advantage? Beneath her seemingly effortless facade, is she actually so nervous that she needs to resort to such tactics? To maintain this identity as a 'normal transfer student,' has she truly gone all out, even resorting to...?)
At this thought, the protective instinct and determination born of misunderstanding in Shido's heart surged up like a flame doused with oil!
Not only was he not "provoked," but his eyes became even more resolute and... clear?
He almost instinctively avoided Chinatsu's seemingly ambiguous gaze.
With the fastest speed, he accurately and decisively retrieved the top-grade brisket, as if it were some crucial item that must be protected.
He was now filled with 'determination'!
His movements showed no hesitation or romantic implication, but rather a pure sense of mission, as if saying, "I must get this to proceed with my battle."
He looked at Chinatsu, his eyes serious and sincere, even carrying a subtle pity (?) and encouragement (??): "Classmate Hōōin, ingredients themselves have no rank; what is important is the chef's heart. I will treat it well in my own way."
Having said that, he did not linger.
He quickly turned and headed toward the free ingredient section, starting to select side ingredients—onions, carrots, red wine, herbs—moving so fast he created a breeze.
He completely ignored any potential follow-up "interaction" from Chinatsu, immersing himself entirely in his culinary conception.
Seeing Shido's unexpected reaction, Chinatsu found it amusing and decided to add fuel to the fire.
She slowly walked to the refrigerated case next to Shido and reached for the piece of Wagyu brisket that also had beautiful marbling but required more meticulous heat control.
Their arms nearly brushed again.
Chinatsu picked up the brisket wrapped in plastic wrap, her fingertips slightly reddened by the cold of the refrigerator.
She tilted her head and spoke softly to Shido in a voice that carried a subtle hint of fatigue, yet was deliberately lowered, making it slightly husky: "Classmate Itsuka... You are so fast. It seems you are determined to win?"
The words themselves were a challenge, but combined with her current state and slightly moist eyes, they sounded more like a tentative probe tinged with helplessness and slight vulnerability.
Shido's body stiffened, and the hand gripping the meat tightened, but he did not turn to look at her.
He only replied in a low voice, his tone unusually serious: "...Yes. I must win this match."
"For... an important reason."
Having said that, he immediately turned and practically ran to grab the other seasonings and side dishes—dark soy sauce, mirin, rock sugar, fresh ginger, and green onions—moving so fast he created a breeze.
Chinatsu watched his almost fleeing figure, blinked, and became even more confused internally.
(...This reaction is too exaggerated. Is my 'frail beauty tactic' really that effective? Or is it... that he is actually a secretly pure-hearted idiot who is particularly susceptible to this?)
Her outstretched hand remained frozen in mid-air, and the teasing expression she had deliberately cultivated instantly froze, transforming into a genuine look of shock and confusion.
(...Wait? What is wrong with this guy? Why is he like a block of wood? No, this reaction is strange... It is not shyness, nor anger, it is more like... he completely failed to receive the signal? Or, he received it but interpreted it as something entirely different? What kind of buff did Kotori put on him, anyway?!)
She looked at Shido's retreating figure, which seemed to be radiating holy light (a delusion), and felt a wave of helpless exasperation.
Her planned "distraction-going easy" combination tactic had inexplicably failed in the very first step.
(Forget it... time to move straight to the 'Go Easy Plan B.')
She reluctantly withdrew her hand and also headed toward the free ingredient section, but her steps were noticeably much more languid than Shido's.
When selecting ingredients, she also appeared more "casual" or even "picky," deliberately wasting a bit of time, forming a stark contrast with Shido's efficient and focused figure.