NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84: Culinary Clash
The Academy Festival was in full swing. The wide-open academy grounds were transformed into a chaotic, vibrant marketplace, dotted with colorful stalls.
Students were shouting promotions, their voices rising above the general din. The air was filled with energy—the sounds of laughter, friends enjoying games, the aroma of treats, and the palpable excitement of people momentarily distracted from the daily grind of survival training.
It was exactly the kind of organized chaos the council had hoped for.
But amid the cheerful clamor, one stall in the C Class section was a pocket of furious silence.
Blaze and Grey, the two core organizers, stood behind their counter, their prepared ingredients for burgers, meat wraps, and steak laid out.
Instead of starting their cook fires, however, they were staring, utterly shocked and increasingly furious, at the stall directly opposite them.
That stall belonged to the A Class. And, coincidentally, though they believed not, it was also a food stall.
And coincidentally again, they were selling burgers, meat wraps, and steak.
They had set up a bit early and, leveraging the A Class's superior reputation, had already attracted almost all the passing foot traffic.
"This is peak shamelessness," Aeron fumed, crossing his arms and practically vibrating with anger.
"They fucking stole our idea and purposely set up their stall early!" Lenore hissed through gritted teeth, her jealousy instantly transforming into competitive rage.
Blaze ran a hand through his hair, disappointment leaking out of his posture. "It was probably a coincidence. These are popular street foods, too, you know." He tried to sound reasonable, but the conviction was weak.
"Fuck coincidence," Aeron spat. "They did this to screw us. Look who's the owner." He nodded toward the A Class counter.
"It's fucking Waylon. He's taking revenge for what Grey did to him in the joint practicals."
As if to prove Aeron's words, Waylon, the A Class representative, glanced over. He caught their eye and gave a slow, deliberate, mocking smirk before turning back to serve a clamoring line of customers.
"Look at this bastard," Lenore growled, furious.
Silence descended in their stall again, heavier this time. They felt helpless.
The key to the competition was earning money, and their entire plan had been neutralized before they even lit a flame.
"What do we do now?" Blaze asked, his voice tinged with panic.
"I didn't prepare any other ingredients. Also... I don't know anything else to cook that can sell."
It was too late to salvage the ingredients for a complex, new dish. Defeat seemed inevitable.
Just then, Grey spoke up. A slow, thoughtful smile spread across his lips, the kind that usually preceded either a genius tactical move or an act of self-destructive bravery.
"I have an idea," Grey said, his voice low and confident. "But I'll need Aeron and Lenore's help too."
The three turned their heads toward him, their eyes sparkling with sudden, desperate hope.
"I can make three different dishes from the materials we already have," Grey explained, his mind racing through the possibilities based on the meat, flour, and frying oil Blaze had prepared.
"But time is short. We'll have to act fast. Just follow my instructions without questions."
"What dishes?" Blaze asked, leaning in eagerly.
"Fried chicken, corndogs, and dumplings," Grey said excitedly, already moving toward the cutting board.
"We're going to pivot to frying and quick prep. Let's show Waylon what real competition looks like."
******
The shift in strategy was instantaneous and decisive. Grey immediately took charge, his focus intense, his instructions rapid-fire and precise—the same controlled urgency he used to coordinate a combat maneuver.
"Grind the meat, add spices and onion, and give it a light toss in the pan," Grey commanded, pointing toward the pre-seasoned meat.
"Knead the dough well, Aeron! I'll shape the dumplings."
"Make the batter for the corndogs, Blaze! And I'll toast the breads for the crumbs."
All four friends sprang into action.
Aeron focused his frustrations into the dough, pounding it with disciplined strength.
Blaze deftly mixed the corndog batter, his movements surprisingly delicate.
Just then, Lenore arrived, returning from a quick supply run. In one hand, she carried a round bamboo steamer, and in the other, a bundle of long, fine bamboo sticks.
"I've got it!" Lenore said excitedly, showing them the crucial equipment.
"Great! Add water in the lower compartment and put it over the stove, Lenore," Grey instructed her, not looking away from his job of toasting bread.
Aeron finished the dough and immediately moved to grinding and coating the chicken pieces for frying, following Grey's quick demonstration.
The oil in the large frying pan was starting to release hot steam; it was ready.
Blaze coated the first batch of sausages, dipping them thoroughly into the thick corndog batter, and then gently lowered them into the hissing hot oil.
Sizzling, aggressive noises immediately erupted from the pan.
Meanwhile, Grey was working at lightning speed, shaping small pieces of dough into neat circles, filling them with the prepared, spiced meat, and expertly crimping the edges to form perfect little dumplings, placing them at the side one by one.
Lenore took the completed dumplings and placed them evenly in the bamboo steamer, securing the lid. The first batch was ready to steam.
"Make the dumplings, Aeron! I'll fry the chicken now," Grey rushed, trading places.
Aeron moved back to the station, and having watched Grey prepare them once, he had enough of an idea to start making passable dumplings.
Grey coated the chicken pieces with the final, crucial layer, dipping them first into a thin wash and then thoroughly into the bread crumbs. He dropped them onto the second pan of hot oil.
The corndogs were ready. Blaze pulled them out, perfect golden brown cylinders skewered on the bamboo sticks.
Grey followed suit, pulling the crispy, golden-brown fried chicken out of the oil.
Blaze and Grey looked at each other, anticipation and triumph in their eyes. Aeron and Lenore looked at the two of them, their breath held tight.
A wide, confident smile spread on both Grey and Blaze's faces. They nodded at each other.
Both of them, simultaneously, broke a piece of corndog and snapped a piece of crispy chicken.
CRUNCH!
The perfect, loud crisp sound of the perfectly fried coating reverberated sharply in the chaotic environment.
For a split second, a bubble of silence formed around their stall, bringing everyone's attention—including the customers at Waylon's busy A Class stall—towards the unexpected sound.
Grey gave a quick, knowing nod to Lenore.
She immediately lifted the lid of the bamboo steamer. A rush of hot, fragrant steam surged upward, and fine droplets of water sprinkled around from the lid top.
The warm, savory smell of steamed, spiced meat and fresh dough rushed out like a wave, with their stall as the epicenter. It invaded the olfactory senses of everyone in the surrounding area.
Mouths began to water instantly. The combination of the aggressive, crispy scent of the fried food and the delicate, savory steam of the dumplings was irresistible.
The people waiting in line at the A Class food stall left Waylon's counter entirely and, in an instant, migrated en masse toward Blaze and Grey's stall.
A rush of customers was coming like a hungry tsunami.
"W-What is this?" the first customer asked, eyes wide, drooling slightly as he stared at the three never-before-seen food items laid out on the counter. "Can I get one?"
A wide, collective smirk spread on all four of their faces. The revenge tasted sweet, even before the money started rolling in.
"Welcome!" Blaze exclaimed, his disappointment now a distant memory. "What would you like to have first: The Corndog, the Crispy Chicken, or the Steamed Dumplings?"