# Chapter 31
Rather than just shoving it into my mouth mindlessly, it was important to swallow properly within the time limit.
Looking at the other students who were taking the challenge, many were stuffing their mouths recklessly only to spit it back out. Doing that would make it impossible to swallow later, leading to failure. Some slightly better students managed to swallow bit by bit while drinking water. But with normal stomachs, they either couldn’t finish it all and gave up, or time ran out and they finally left their seats.
I started with the less spicy ones first. Of course, all five types of chicken were similar, but I began with the cucumber chicken which looked the easiest to eat.
I was fortunate it was cucumber chicken. If it had been carrot chicken, I would have failed immediately. Just thinking about that made my appetite drop, but I decided to focus on eating and quickly put it in my mouth, chewing rapidly. After a few bites like this, it was gone quickly.
After clearing one, I casually rolled my eyes to check on Moon Seoheon. I wanted to see how he was doing, and as expected, he was eating without any issues.
The surprising thing was that Seoheon was devouring the blue chicken from the start. Though it looked normal, I heard it was extremely spicy chicken. I wondered why he started with that one. Even if he can’t taste flavors well, he should still feel the pain. I was startled as I looked at him, but then realized this wasn’t the time to be distracted and quickly put the chocolate chicken in my mouth.
I had tried this one before. As expected, it had a familiar taste, but they must have used sweeter chocolate than what I’d eaten in reality because my tongue stung. So next, I immediately ate the banana chicken. Perhaps because they were complementary foods, it wasn’t bad.
After devouring those three types, 2 minutes had just passed.
Seoheon was a bit slower than me. At that rate, it would be close. Although there was one more chance, I was a bit worried about what would happen if he failed, and as I watched him anxiously, our eyes met. I don’t know what my expression looked like, but for a moment his eyebrows rose. Then he glanced at the plate in front of me.
After checking my plate and watching me chew on the last remaining ssamjang chicken, Seoheon’s expression became peculiar. Thinking he couldn’t concentrate, I said to him, who still had two types left:
“Hurry up and eat.”
“……”
As Seoheon’s expression slightly frowned, I heard a “puhah” laugh from beside us. Knowing it was Kwak Junhee without having to look, I didn’t even turn my gaze and finished off the remaining blue chicken.
The ssamjang taste that still lingered in my mouth completely disappeared when I ate the blue chicken. If the chocolate chicken made my tongue sting because it was too sweet, this one made my tongue hurt because it was too spicy.
It’s definitely very spicy. This alone would have been enough to qualify as a challenge food. I took a few sips from the water cup provided beside me, and thinking it would be best to finish it quickly, I stabbed two boneless pieces with my fork and stuffed them into my mouth. Since they were small enough to chew thoroughly, I put them in all at once.
I quickly chewed and swallowed, then drank water to finish, and pressed the timer. Checking the time, it was 4 minutes and 3 seconds.
“No way……”
Though I heard Yoon Taean’s voice muttering in disbelief behind me, I immediately looked at Seoheon. Seeing him barely eating with a slightly scrunched face, with only the banana chicken left, I shouted in frustration:
“Less than a minute left.”
At my words, Seoheon twitched one eyebrow and quickly chewed and swallowed. After getting everything down without leaving anything in his mouth, he finally pressed the timer and gulped down water. 4 minutes and 52 seconds. That was really close.
Still, seeing that he succeeded made me feel relieved, and with everything finished, my body went limp. I must have been unconsciously tense because my body just sagged.
Before the staff came to check, Taean, who had been keeping his distance, quickly approached and checked the timer. He seemed to be examining it from different angles as if checking whether the machine was broken, which made me anxious that he might accidentally press something and erase the record, so I told him to stop.
“…Huh!”
After letting out a low gasp, he immediately checked my empty plate. I understood his surprise, but his exaggerated reaction was embarrassing.
“Hey, hey, the staff is coming.”
“…How did you eat it all?”
As he reluctantly backed away at my words while still muttering, a staff member came to us, passing by Taean, and checked the timer.
“Congratulations. Since you’ve succeeded, you can go upstairs and receive your exemption voucher at the counter.”
As I received what seemed to be proof of success, I asked:
“I understand there are two chances for this, right?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. If you fail, you have another opportunity to try, but since you succeeded, there’s no need.”
“Then… could I challenge it one more time? I’m wondering if the opportunity to earn more exemption vouchers is completely gone, separate from what I just succeeded at… I’d like to do it again.”
At my words, the staff member, who had been composed until now, opened their eyes wide in surprise. Thinking it might not be allowed, I was swallowing my disappointment when the staff stammered:
“Um… so you want to challenge it one more time to… get another exemption voucher?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… just a moment, please.”
The staff hurriedly left the table. It seems there might not have been any student who challenged it twice in a row before, so they were going to check how to handle it.
“Taeho, you’re going to challenge it again?”
While I was blankly waiting for the staff to return, Junhee asked me with an expression like he was trying not to laugh.
“Yes. The more exemption vouchers, the better, right?”
“Hmm, that’s true… but you really eat well. Not many people have succeeded so far, but you ate effortlessly.”
“Ah, yes. Well… I tried my best.”
Junhee laughed softly at me as I scratched my cheek while speaking, then turned to Seoheon.
“Seoheon, you did well too. Did you succeed on your first try today?”
I thought he didn’t have much margin, and it seems he hadn’t succeeded on the first try before. Surprised by this unexpected fact, I looked at Seoheon and asked something I was curious about while licking my still-tingling mouth.
“But why did you eat the blue chicken first? Is your tongue okay?”
Even my lips were slightly sore, so I wondered if he was alright since he ate that from the beginning. Seoheon wasn’t completely unaffected either, as he rubbed his mouth before smiling slightly and saying:
“It looks disgusting. I thought it would be better to get rid of it quickly.”
“Ah… I see.”
Indeed, it was the worst visually among them. Imagining the blue chicken that could be spread as an appetite-suppressing image for dieters, I agreed.
The staff soon returned, seemingly done with the confirmation. Approaching me, they said I could challenge it once more and asked if I wanted to. I quickly nodded.
* * *
I was the only one taking on the second challenge. Though it was a bit burdensome to have the others sitting around the table as if to watch, I ignored it and finished the task.
“1… 1 minute and 53 seconds. It’s a… new record. Congratulations.”
It seems I ate extremely fast this time since I focused solely on the chicken. I was surprised it was a new record, but as I checked the timer with inner satisfaction, Seoheon, who had been quiet among the three, muttered:
“So you were going easy earlier.”
Wondering what he meant, I looked at him, and he, with a slight smile, congratulated me on my hard work. When I reflexively replied “Yeah,” Junhee spoke in a rather serious tone:
“If you’re such a good eater, why haven’t you participated until now? It’s an event done for fun, but especially lower-class students are desperate to get exemption vouchers……”
I hesitated, not knowing how to answer, and just stretched my lips into a smile.
Students with higher Classes probably take pride in their status, which is why they act arrogantly, while students with lower Classes suffer accordingly. Still, the school isn’t completely thoughtless, as they hold events for such students. That’s precisely what the special meal challenge is.
It seems similar events are held in the school cafeteria, but those are closer to events that give students small joys. In contrast, at Ace, it should be seen as a game with competition attached. After all, it’s a demotion exemption voucher.
Fortunately, I cleared it easily, but such opportunities probably don’t come often. That’s partly why I deliberately challenged it once more.
I looked around, pretending to be nonchalant.
I expected to attract attention naturally because of the prominent Junhee and Seoheon, but they were being too blatant. During the first challenge, I received occasional glances, but from the second challenge onwards, people were openly staring. Those who had failed were looking at me with astonished faces, which, far from making me feel accomplished, was making me uncomfortable.
And it was also making me unnecessarily self-conscious.
“Let’s go get the exemption vouchers.”
Our business was finished, and I needed to get home quickly. I spoke to the three whose various emotions were peeking through, and gathered the two tokens I had earned.
As we went upstairs, before even reaching the counter, I spotted Ko Kyungsu squatting in a corner. Seeing him covering his mouth as if in distress, my steps halted. Thanks to him, I had obtained some information, so I felt concerned about just passing by without acknowledging him and strode over.
He must have heard me coming, as he raised his lowered head, and his eyes were watery. His lips were swollen—he must be vulnerable to spicy food.
“Did you throw up?”
“N-no.”
I watched him shake his head and cover his mouth again, worriedly examining his complexion. It seemed he had tried the challenge, but had he failed? If so, his face wouldn’t be slightly smiling at the corners of his lips despite his pained expression.
“I was just resting because my stomach was troubled for a moment… Ah, Taeho, did you succeed?”
“Yeah. What about you?”
In response to my question, he smiled slightly and showed me the token of success. Oh, impressive. I patted his shoulder, saying that was great, but his face was so pale that his condition looked serious.
“Shouldn’t you go to the bathroom?”
Others must have noticed too, as Junhee, who had quietly approached, blurted out. Kyungsu, startled by Junhee’s appearance, flinched before slowly rising.
“Y-yeah. I should go to the bathroom.”
“Need help?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine.”
“Alright, then.” As he hesitated briefly before declining, I felt like I might be meddling unnecessarily, so I nodded and told him to be careful before heading to the counter.
When I handed over the tokens, I received two small coupons the length of a finger. I was proudly looking at the blue coupons and putting them in my pocket when I noticed Son Gyucheon entering the bathroom that Kyungsu had gone into. For a moment, I recalled the day I first met Kyungsu. I clicked my tongue, remembering his voice and expression as he whimpered, trapped in the bathroom storage closet.
I had a bad feeling. The fact that that bastard happened to be here, and that I had to witness such a scene?!
I muttered a curse and reluctantly decided to enter the bathroom.
