Chapter 83 - Sports Festival – Part 3 (1/2)

Sports Festival – Part 3

Being a member of the sports festival’s organizing committee, I was already aware of the many details related to the bread-eating competition that I am competing in. To be exact, it’s more of an obstacle course, that has the aspect of bread eating imbrued into it.

The first stage of the competition is looking for marshmallows. The goal is to stick your face in a vat of flour, find a marshmallow, and then eat it. The second stage involves drinking a can of milk as quickly as possible. Lastly, the final stage is eating bread that is tied to a string.

Compared to the relay race and other such serious competitions, the bread-eating race was a relatively low-profile and relaxing competition. During the race, there’s usually lots of laughing and a nice and light-hearted atmosphere.

After a bit of waiting, it was finally the time for my group’s turn to depart.

Fujimoto has been doing the role of commentaring for quite a while. He’s doing it pretty seriously as well—just as I was thinking of such things, a mysterious shadow appeared on the course, and then it momentarily disappeared.

Rather, I am certain it was Hiiragi-chan. Did she tamper with something again?

I casually tried to whisper into Fujimoto’s ear. But he kept saying, too close, too close, and showed a lewd face.

After taking my position, the pistol’s sound reverberated throughout the field. Four people, including me, ran out towards the first stage and started looking for the marshmallows.

“Everyone had a nice clean start to the race. Now, let’s see who will be the first one to overcome the first stage!”

The moment I was going to stick my face into the vat, I noticed a note placed on the side.

“Make sure to put on a lot of flour!”

The person who placed it was Hiiragi-chan, right? What does she mean? It should be over after eating a marshmallow though. It is also true that my face would turn white from the flour.

As I continued to look for marshmallows, I finally found one. Gunyuu, somehow, it has a certain flesh like feel to it…

“Haah?”

Giving in, I unconsciously placed my hand on it.

“W-what is thiiiiisssss!?”

It was chicken meat, carefully dusted with flour. It was probably thigh meat.

“Today’s special course! Exclusively for the 4th outside lane, a special course has been prepared with other stages!”

Fujimoto started reading off from the notes in his hand.

“With the chicken meat that you found in the first stage, please proceed to the second stage!”

I would have been fine with a normal marshmallow though.

“Yaaah! Sei… You’re face is white! It’s covered in flour. It’s so cute~!”

She was barely able to stop herself from calling out my name. Hiiragi-chan was jumping up and down with a video camera in her hand.

Dammit. I should finish this quickly…!

Ending up a bit delayed, I took the mysterious chicken meat, and hurried towards the second stage. Various things were prepared on top of a long table. From the inside lane out, there was milk, milk, milk, and hot oil on top of a portable stove.

This fourth lane on the outside, is clearly weird! The set of objects prepared are definitely the things I see when my mom is making fried food at home!

“Now then, for lane four—Contestant Sanada, please put the chicken meat that’s in your hand, in to the hot salad oil!”

… I don’t think it’s possible, but is this…

I add in chicken thigh meat that I had. Pachi pachi, it started making a crispy sound.

It looks good…

Looking at the three other people, they were still drinking the milk by sucking it from a straw.

“Alright, so I’m good to go with just this, right!?”

“Contestant Sanada, there are a few other finishing touches you have to add, so please refrain from leaving your current location.”

“Isn’t this weird!? It’s not even a competition at this point!? I’m on a way too different of a course!”

“Ummm, according to the materials I have in hand, you shouldn’t depend just on your eyes. Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature at the center is about 65 degrees and you should be able to make tasty karaage.”

That’s what I thought!

“What are you making me do this bread-eating competition?!”

You guys made sure to prepare a thermometer, chopsticks, and even plates!!

Everyone else finished drinking their milk and started running away, and yet I was the only one left staring at the chicken being fried.

Ummm, using the thermometer… 65 degrees… Ah, it’s still too low.

Pachi pachi…