Welcome to Heaven | ✓

24: Swiss Roll

The venue was, by no means, modest. Truthfully, it was the most luxurious place I'd ever stepped into.

While the building itself oozed millionaire vibes—fancy red carpets, expensive paintings, stereotypical security and all—the area where the cooking was taking place was like stepping into another world.

The bleachers were extensive. It stretched for quite the distance, filled to the brim with countless adolescents, and stood ways above the main floor where the competition would be held—almost like we were on some kind of grand balcony. Everyone had trained their gazes to the set-up below, where shiny marble counters, high-class utensils and appliances, and ingredients lying in bulk were situated.

"Is this really the place?" I demanded, eyes bulged as I surveyed the room. "This competition really is top-class. And they let us in for free?"

"Where's the ice cream?" Chiaki mumbled from behind me.

"Th-there's so many people," Hayate whimpered, trudging after us.

I scanned the completely still room, not a single peep to be heard. For a crowd this large, that in itself was bizarre. Typically a person or two would be whispering at the least.

But, regardless of that given fact, the entire venue was completely still, and every individual I passed on my way to an open seat near the front were gawking like idiots.

It took me a while to comprehend why.

The final competition of the day had ended only moments ago, and the contestants were still idling by their stations.

Posted on either side of this kitchen divided directly in half were four people.

A girl with long red hair tied in a side braid stood on one end with her chin jutted high in the air. Another dark-skinned girl occupied her side, wearing a contrasting grin on her face.

The other side consisted of both a male and female who equally appeared to have had the life sucked out of them.

For the explanation behind both the silence in the room and those contestants' demoralized countenances, it became apparent after staring at the large monitor hanging at the frontmost portion of the bleachers. They'd been swept by a whopping eighty-five point lead.

"What's wrong, Teru?" Chiaki's words were distant in my ear. "You're open-mouthed like everyone else. Why?"

"Aki." Hayate hid firmly behind him, gripping his t-shirt for good measure. "Th-the monitor."

Bewildered, he lifted his head to face what I was already gawking at.

"I... I cannot believe this!" the MC in charge of the event shrieked loud enough to pierce my eardrums. "Did we just witness what we think we did? Third-year students from Soetsu High's Middle School branch, Eru Onitsuka and Kohmi Hiroka, have taken the win by an utter landslide! Out of the total one hundred points available to score, they've tallied a whopping ninety-five to ten against their competitors from Rokura High School! This isn't the first time today either. They've defeated all their competitors in this year's bake-off only to emerge victorious in the last round! Would some judges like to comment on this monumental moment... I... I guess not! The bliss of Team Hiroka and Onitsuka's dessert is still too much for them to handle!"

The enthusiasm of the MC surged through the crowd. A series of whoops and cheers swept the room. Even all of the judges' faces depicted on the monitor were contentedly splayed out against their chairs, plates cleaned until they shone.

"The Soetsu Cooking Club is amazing!"

"Their baking and cooking is heavenly, like always!"

"I have to try their desserts first when they give them out!"