Chapter 15: Conclusion!! F3!! Suspicion, Proof, and Showdownnnnnーーー‼︎

That strange, undeniable feeling about Takeko Super Deluxe and Chanko Bakukin... but in the end, that’s all it is. Just a gut feeling. Sure, Chanko’s voice sounds totally robotic, but then again, Shizuka uses a speech app too, so it's not like that alone makes them suspicious.

Unless there’s something blatantly weird about them, I’ve got nothing. If only I could catch a glimpse of, like, a steel stomach or something. That’d be a dead giveaway. I’d probably feel it just from bumping into them. Not that they'd actually have something like that implanted... right?

"It’s curry time~!"

"How are you able to eat this!?"

"Kusuri messes up her potions a lot and ends up drinking actual toxins, so her tongue's pretty used to it."

"Karane-chan said she was good with spicy food..."

"Yeah, and she looked real smug about it…"

"...G!! GRAAAAGHHHHHHHH‼︎‼︎"

Right—back to the match. Kusuri-senpai’s unexpected clutch performance, and Karane getting her pride obliterated so hard that she pushed through the limits of pain—those two took us to the top.Like… wow. Seriously.

And I say that as the guy who powered through the pain to finish off that mountain of tapioca. Actually… stuff like this keeps happening today, huh?Everyone’s putting their all into this. That’s what it means.

"That’s time!"

"The results of Round Three are: 1st place — the Koitaro Family Team with 3 points! 2nd place — Gurira Union & Yuu-kun Team with 2 points! 3rd place — the Big-Eater Champion Team with 1 point!"

"Now for Round Four: Cake‼︎"

"Leave the sweets to me!"

"Yes, do leave it to us!"

"…………"

"...Kurumi-chan? Something wrong?"

"No… it’s nothing…"

What was that? Doesn't look like we suddenly got closer or anything, but… maybe something’s on her mind?She looks kinda troubled. I'd like to help, but... we haven’t quite bridged that gap yet…! Even Rentarou probably can’t reach in that far at this point.

Anyway—back to Takeko Super Deluxe and Chanko Bakukin. That weird feeling I’ve had about them—what is it? What are they hiding…?

Maybe that’s why I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.

Before I knew it, my foot slipped hard—like always—and I ended up stumbling right into Chanko Bakukin, who was just starting to walk up onto the stage for Round Four.

THUD‼︎

"Guh—aaagh…!"

"Oops—my bad, didn’t mean to bump you, de-Chanko. You should watch where you’re going too, de-Chanko."

That hurt. What the hell was that pain? That wasn’t the pain of hitting another person.I’ve crashed into walls and floors plenty of times before, but this—It was like I hit metal…?

"A-ah… sorry… I didn’t mean to… bump into… you…"

Wait… what’s… going on…? My vision’s… spinning… My head’s going… completely white…

"...Kawaru‼︎"

---

“…Hang in there! Kawaru, stay with me!”

“Mm… huh… I… what happened…?”

“You tripped and slammed into Chanko Bakukin’s belly… The impact knocked you out cold… I’m so glad you’re okay…”

“I see… Wait, what about the fourth round!?”

“The Big-Eater Champion Team took first place. Kurumi, Hakari, and Hahari pulled through and secured second! Their comeback was incredible… I can’t believe their pace picked up so much thanks to Karane’s advice…”

Is that so… What could it have been…? Something like fat-burning or something? Maybe something that makes your boobs bigger if it works on those two? Feels like the kind of thing Karane would research. Okay, that’s a bit prejudiced—not cool. I’ll keep that thought to myself.

Still, man, this sucks… I was just starting to figure something out… but that hit to the head—huh?

“K-Kawaru!? You’re bleeding from your head—!?”

“Oh yeah, look at that… But I’m probably fine, right? Just a little cut. Should stop bleeding pretty quick.”

“Well, yeah, but…! Still, why your head? You didn’t even hit the back of it or anything…”

What is it…? What am I forgetting? When I crashed into that thing… the feeling was off. It wasn’t normal. What was it… that sensation…

“…I remember now!!”

What I hit—it didn’t feel like a person. It felt like steel. There was the texture of clothing, yeah, but underneath that… there was something unmistakably hard.

And this cut on my head. This is… the kind of wound you get when you smack your head against the edge of something solid. The way it’s bleeding, the pain—I can tell. A corner. Something with a metallic feel. And then there are those two, devouring everything without even chewing. Plus, they’re big eaters. This might actually be something.

But if I’m wrong, I’d just be making baseless accusations. Coming off like a sore loser, and I don’t want the Aijou family thinking that. There’s gotta be… some way to confirm it. As Rentarou helps stop the bleeding and wraps my head in bandages, I try to think.

“And now, the finals! The theme is… ramen!! Also, points in the final round are doubled!”

“Alright, Kawaru… I’m gonna go rub everyone’s bellies now… If I don’t, I think I might puke…”

“…You didn’t have to say it out loud…! Now I feel sick too…!!”

Damn it. I was managing not to throw up by pacing and keeping my mind busy. You can’t just say that, man, it puts the image right back in my head.

“Want me to rub your belly too, Kawaru?”

“I’d be honored.”

I mean, come on. If Rentarou’s offering belly rubs, I’m taking that offer. No question about it. The man’s gonna rub my belly. Of course I’m down…! But if only there were a way to confirm this secret… but also… belly rubs… but the secret… belly…

“There, there, there…”

“Uhehehehe… hehehe… ehehehehe…”

While I’m giggling like a goof from the belly rubs I got ahead of everyone else, my eyes drop to near-ground level… and I see something red at Chanko Bakukin’s feet. Huh? Was that a trick of the light? That was… hmm. Oh. I see. Mystery solved.

I did see Chanko Bakukin swallow that thing with my own eyes. But the red meat she was supposed to have eaten—it showed up again by her feet. Which means… yeah, this is basically a slam dunk.

I immediately went to one of the staff and told them Chanko Bakukin was suspicious, along with everything that led up to this. The staffer was skeptical at first, but the second they saw the cut on my forehead, their expression changed. This might actually work.

---

I call out loudly to Chanko Bakukin as he heads toward the stage for the final match. The earlier incident and the bandages on my head have stirred a bit of a buzz around us. Perfect. The more eyes on us, the better.

“Chanko Bakukin!”

“Hmm… what is it, Chanko?”

“Sorry about earlier…! I was trying to apologize, but I passed out before I could finish!”

“That’s alright, Chanko. But that bandage on your head… are you okay, Chanko?”

“Yeah. Thanks to this injury, I figured it out…! Look at your feet, Chanko Bakukin!”

“What do you mean, Chanko? What’s at my feet, Chanko…!?”

…Exactly. At Chanko Bakukin’s feet, there it was—red tuna and scattered rice, the sushi he should’ve eaten.

“What is that… sushi?”

“That’s red tuna… right?”

“It’s almost identical to the sushi I ate earlier. Similarity rating: 99%.”

The crowd stirs louder than before. Everyone had seen him eat it, so seeing it now at his feet—something wasn’t right. A murmur spreads fast: suspicion of foul play against the reigning eating champion. The place erupts.

Huh? You’re wondering whether the smoothie drug counts as cheating? Oh… that? Apparently, Rentarou swapped it out. By the time we got in the limo, he’d already replaced it with a clean, drug-free version he’d prepped as a backup. The original one with the drug? He just kept it stored since it felt wasteful to toss it. Yeah, I only know that ‘cause I kinda read his thoughts. “Didn’t want to win in a way that left regrets…” or something like that. Honestly, can’t argue with that.

Yeah… using drugs really does feel shady. I’ve gotta reflect on how quick I was to chase after easy power. Thinking how I could’ve ended up like Chanko Bakukin if I kept going… Rentarou made the right call. No question.

“…Impossible… it shouldn’t have leaked from the tank, Chanko…! …Wait!!”

…Wow, he confessed real fast!? Lucky break. If he’d tried to bluff his way out, that could’ve been bad.

“…I knew it! That whole act of swallowing food without chewing—it was all because of this, wasn’t it!?”

“No wonder his body looked so oversized…!”

“[He was not a giant, but an artificial one…]”

A staff member immediately checked Chanko Bakukin’s body and raised a red card. Guess they really do use those.

“Unbelievable! A shocking truth has come to light! Chanko Bakukin, the reigning eating champion, had been faking his consumption by funneling food directly into a tank hanging from his neck! He is hereby disqualified!”

Chanko Bakukin slumps in utter defeat. Takeko Super Deluxe fidgets nervously—definitely looking suspicious too. She’s probably using the same trick.

According to the staff’s inspection, even when touched over clothing, her body gave the impression of realistic human skin. Seriously? That’s fishy as hell… Couldn’t it just be some elaborate makeup like what was covering Bakukin’s mouth?

We can’t completely prove it, but I’m almost certain Takeko Super Deluxe is dirty too. Their debut timing matches. Same body shape, same eating technique, and they’re partners. That’s pretty much checkmate.

…Well, either way, it’s still a huge win. One of the two untouchable champion-level eaters is now out of the running.

“Why… why did it leak from the tank, Chanko…!”

Why? That’s an easy one.

“There’s only one reason you lost… just one simple answer…

“You ran into me.”

“…That’s all there is to it.”

“…Not cool at all…”

“You uncovered the whole plot and that’s how you wrap it up!?”

“[Not quite on the level of Aniki Kuujou, huh…]”

---

Now then, even though our remaining opponent is essentially just Takeko Super Deluxe, she's still undeniably formidable. If she really is using the same setup as Chanko Bakukin... we’re in serious trouble. But losing isn’t an option.

As for the matches Chanko Bakukin had previously won—rather than voiding them, the decision was made to have Takeko Super Deluxe eat the equivalent amount he had “eaten.” Naturally, she polished it all off without breaking a sweat. So the situation’s slightly improved, but the wall ahead of us is still towering.

…That said, all of us are currently getting our stomachs rubbed by Rentarou. Didn’t I already get a turn earlier? Yeah, that was just to keep from puking while I tried to look cool, okay? This time is the real deal. Ahh… so good… ahheheheheheh… Wait—! I’ve gotta go help Kurumi-chan… but I feel so gross… urgh…

"The final round begins—!!"

At last, the final match kicks off. In the lead is Takeko Super Deluxe. Kurumi-chan holds second place. In third is the Gokurira Alliance—aka Boss Gorilla. I mean, the president. And Yuu-kun. Third place isn’t really a threat anymore, but Yuu-kun’s pushing hard so his team’s efforts don’t go to waste. Inspired by him, the rest of the Gokurira Alliance rises to their feet.

That’s right… it is okay for more members to join mid-round… that’s good to know. And wow, the Gokurira Alliance is seriously impressive. Unlike us, they had all their members participating from the start. Honestly, they could’ve been a real threat…! Well, except that right after they stuffed themselves, everyone but Yuu-kun had to be taken away and was forced to withdraw…

---

(Kurumi's Pov)

When I passed the twenty-bowl mark of ramen, my arms finally stopped moving. Of course they did. Eating nonstop for that long, it was bound to happen eventually. Meanwhile, Takeko Super Deluxe still looked like she had plenty of stamina left.

"Trying to compete in every single round? That was reckless unless you’re someone like me, hmm~? Wasting your energy without saving any was a huge mistake, don’t you think~?"

"………!"

I knew better than anyone else that I’d reached my limit. I was the one who brushed off the Aijou Family’s outstretched hands, telling myself I wouldn’t cozy up to some weird group—and yet, they turned out to be able to eat far more than I ever imagined.

Aijou Rentarou powered through mountains of rice with nothing but love for his family guiding his taste buds. Yoshimoto Shizuka used her jaw strength, trained by her habit of chewing excessively, to her full advantage. Seibetsu Kawaru bit back the pain in her jaw and forced her way to a clean finish. Eiai Nano overcame her fear of heights with sheer appetite and her indomitable throat, finishing even faster than I did. Yakuzen Kusuri, whose tongue was already used to potent toxins, scoffed at spiciness like it was nothing. Inda Karane, who claimed to be good with spicy food, backed up her words regardless of the struggle it took. And then there were Hanazono Hakari and Hanazono Hahari—who, just by hearing that fat could go to their chests, suddenly shifted into a whole other gear and ramped up their speed.

Just like Rentarou-senpai said, I should have left the things I couldn’t handle to others. I should have trusted in them. All this time, right by their side as they truly ate with victory in mind, I was just… stuffing myself for nothing.

If only I hadn’t done that. If only I’d been my usual self. Then I could’ve eaten as many bowls of this delicious ramen as I wanted…!

"Another round, please!!"

That was when it happened. The voices echoed across the venue.

"…Wh-Why…?"

"Same as the Gokurira Alliance… we all have the right to compete…! Just leave the rest to us…!"

No… that’s not what I meant. That’s not what I wanted to ask at all. I didn’t care about the rules or why they were allowed to join mid-round. That wasn’t it. What I wanted to say… what I really wanted to say was—!

"No…! I—I said all that awful stuff about you…!"

"Hmph! Like I care what you think of us…!"

"To us… you’re one of the family. You’ve come all this way with us…!"

"[It’s because you were there with us that we were able to fight this hard.]"

"'I wanted to be there for you'… that feeling alone made it impossible not to come."

"Because that’s what being a mom is all about!!"

"Urgh…! E-Even Kurumi is a part of the family!"

"Seeing Kurumi-chan fight this hard… we’ve gotta step up too…!"

"It wasn’t meaningless, Kurumi. Just earlier, you were trying to say something to everyone, to thank them, right? There are feelings that get through even if you don’t say them—and others that do get through because you said them. What you felt… definitely reached us all. Kurumi, you’ve been fighting this whole time… with all of us…!"

"In other words… the power of love!"

Fighting together… love… normally I’d brush that off like it was nothing. Just empty fluff. But this time… it wasn’t just some pretty lie.

Because the moment everyone showed up—I realized I wanted to fight again.

---

There was something I had to say, so I made sure to speak up right after Rentarou. Sorry, Rentarou… but this one thing—I just couldn’t leave unsaid…‼︎

"...Rentarou already said it, so maybe I don’t need to repeat it… but you don’t have to dismiss everything you worked so hard for. What you ate today, Kurumi-chan—that wasn’t a waste. No way. Nothing you’ve done is. The love Rentarou talked about too—that’s not meaningless either. Well, yeah… this morning’s smoothie was, as you know, kind of a disaster for me, but still."

"...Doesn’t matter what that bamboo bastard next to me says. We’ll beat him as a family, take the win… that’s all there is to it‼︎"

"…Yeah…‼︎"

She’s such a good girl… really, Kurumi-chan is just the best. And yet… to throw such cruel words at someone like her, someone fighting with just her own stomach…?! I can’t forgive that… I won’t forgive you, Takeko Super Deluxe‼︎

And on top of that… you’re saying everything she’s done until now was meaningless?! Don’t give me that crap, you dirty cheat‼︎ This tournament—every single person, except your cheating crew, gave it their all using just their own stomachs‼︎ Even the Gureira Union, who just got carried off—they were fighting with everything they had, eating with desperation‼︎ And you have the nerve, the gall, to mock them while using cheap tricks, not even eating for real?! You say what Kurumi-chan did was pointless?! Give me a break‼︎

Who's really desecrating food here?! It’s you, damn it‼︎ Just like that chanko bastard—you’re the one disgracing food‼︎

"No matter what the rabble says, they’re no threat to me…! I’m just going to put a huge lead on them and finish this!"

...Hah, fair enough. Maybe to you, we’re nothing but rabble. But listen—everything everyone’s done up until now… everything Kurumi-chan has worked for… it’s not worthless‼︎

"……⁉︎"

You realized it, didn’t you? That your tank’s hit its limit. It won’t hold any more.

…If there had been some system to empty the tank from the start, that chanko bastard wouldn’t have panicked like that. But there wasn’t. That tank was built so nothing could leak out—sealed tight. No easy way to remove it, no way to dump the contents. Which means… not even once since this tournament started has that tank been emptied.

Which means… no matter how big your tank is, sooner or later, it’s gonna hit capacity. And unlike Kurumi-chan, who digests what she eats, your tank? It just stores it. It doesn’t shrink from digestion‼︎

Just as I thought. I can finally see the panic in your eyes. This is it—the final push. Everyone else is giving it their all. I’m doing everything I can not to puke, just forcing myself to shovel more ramen into my mouth…‼︎

"Now, we’re down to the wire in the finals! Both teams are covered in blood at this point! But the number of bowls eaten is still tied! It all comes down to who can finish the noodles left in their current bowls!"

…Damn. I’ve got nothing left in me. I can’t eat another bite. And I’m not the only one. Everyone’s at their limit. Kurumi-chan’s barely managing to get noodles to her mouth—she looks like she might throw up any second. What’s this… Rentarou’s coming over… ah. Of course. That’s it, Rentarou‼︎ You really are… the coolest damn guy around.

“…Gulp!”

“…BWAAH‼︎‼︎”

“…Time!! The Food Fight Festival finals are over! And the winners are…”

"The Rentarou Family Team‼︎"

WAAAAAAAAAAAA‼︎‼︎

"How…?! You were at your limits too…!"

"Normally, I would’ve puked… but something she fed me—something she ‘a~hn’d’ into my mouth? That’s something… I could never throw up. Not even if I died…!"

Unbelievable. Winning… by having Kurumi-chan feed him. But yeah… of course Rentarou wouldn’t ever throw up something she fed him‼︎ Damn, that’s so cool…‼︎

.

.

.

.

.

Man, this is rough... The prize for winning was gelato, but... urp.

"I thought 'there’s always room for dessert' was just a figure of speech... ugh!"

"Even after turning into a girl, nothing really changed... blegh...!"

"Looks like Rentarou and Kawaru won’t be able to eat any gelato either..."

"I mean, we’re at our limit... Counting dessert separately isn’t happening... mmph!?"

...Wait, what the heck!? Someone just jammed a straw into my mouth. Same with Rentarou. The culprit is... Kurumi-chan!? Huh... after sipping a little, my stomach feels a bit better...?

"It’s a smoothie with medicine that helps digestion!"

"Yeah, I get that, but... why now...?"

"Wait... is this the one I swapped out this morning...?"

Right. Why now of all times? And why Kurumi-chan? A bunch of question marks are popping up in my head, but I focus on Kurumi-chan’s voice as she starts to speak.

"...Right now. Right now, drinking a smoothie with medicine wouldn’t count as doping, right? That way you can still enjoy the delicious gelato... and, you know... that thing you said earlier about how the smoothie this morning was a flop. Now it’s not a flop anymore, right? You’re the ones who told me that nothing we do is ever a waste."

"Kurumi...‼︎"

"K-Kurumi-chan...‼︎"

『『Kyun...‼︎』』

She’s just too good...‼︎ I was gonna say something like, “you got me good on that one,” but honestly, I can’t even get the words out. She’s such a good kid...‼︎

...After that. We enjoyed the gelato, and after getting the vague sense that not only did Kurumi-chan bond more with everyone in the Rentarou Family, but also got a little closer to Rentarou himself, we all headed home.

By the way, Take-bastard and Chanko-bastard apparently got properly blacklisted from TV appearances as con artists. A happy ending for all.