"..."
Soma looked at Tsuna in disbelief.
"...Are you getting taller, Tsuna? And in just two weeks?"
Tsuna now resembled more of an athlete than a cook, and his height seemed to have increased.
"Well, I guess puberty hits me like a truck..."
Tsuna chuckled, and Soma scratched his head in wonder.
The last time they met, he appeared to be around 176 cm. Now, Tsuna stood tall at 180 cm or something close.
Soma shook his head, shrugging it off as he smiled, "Well, it's finally great to meet you again..."
"Haha, let's go in..."
They strolled through the entrance together.
Soma shared his recent experiences, including his initial failure in the exam before someone called to inform him otherwise, which left him feeling elated.
"And I've been honing my cooking skills for the last two weeks. I won't lose again next time, Tsuna!"
"...Lose? What do you mean?"
Tsuna blinked in confusion.
When had he ever won against Soma?
Despite Tsuna's confusion, Soma smirked confidently, "Don't worry about that, all you need to know is that I won't ever lose again!"
"..."
Tsuna could only shake his head as they walked into a massive field where the inauguration ceremony would be held.
As they arrived, they saw a vast sea of students gathered in the field, anticipation filling the air as the ceremony was about to start.
They were about to join in, but when the members of the event organizing committee knew they were transfer students, they were told to go to a tent at the forefront of the field.
"Ito-kun! We meet again..."
A stern yet familiar voice greeted them as Tsuna turned to see Senzaemon sitting down at the tent, his hand tucked within his kimono.
"Oh, it's good to see you again."
"Haha, come on, don't be too formal with me!"
Senzaemon chuckled as he turned to Soma, seemingly trying to say a word.
However...
"Hmm?"
A member of the event organizing committee suddenly leaned in and whispered something into Senzaemon's ear, prompting a nod of acknowledgment from the elder.
He turned to both of them and spoke, "Well, it's about time I gave my speech. Then see you both later..."
Tsuna and Soma nodded in understanding as Soma then turned to him, "Who is that?"
"How did you not even recognize him? That's our principle. You should at least remember his face..."
"Oh, I think the guy who called me a while back also said he was the principal or something! No wonder his voice sounded familiar. Hahaha, I wasn't expecting him to be a gramps..."
Tsuna chuckled along as the ceremony finally began.
Senzaemon delivered a welcoming speech and reminded everyone that Totsuki Culinary Academy was the best in the world for a reason.
After his speech, footsteps were suddenly heard as Erina arrived at the ceremony with the tense event organizer, who immediately guided her to the stage to deliver a speech.
The inauguration ceremony was solemn, without overly fancy performances or decorations.
Totsuki Culinary Academy seemed to prioritize practicality over unnecessary extravagance.
"Ah, you both must be the transfer students. Please come up on stage together to also give a welcoming speech..."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Both Tsuna and Soma blinked in confusion, unaware of this arrangement.
The member of the event organizing committee gave a wry smile and explained that Totsuki Culinary Academy operated differently from most culinary schools.
There wouldn't be time for formal introductions, as many students already knew each other from middle school.
It was better to introduce new students immediately so they could blend in during class.
And with that...
"..."
Tsuna and Soma exchanged glances before facing the large group of curious students.
Tsuna scratched his head before grabbing the microphone.
He took a deep breath as his eyes looked lost in thought...
"My name is Tsunayoshi Ito. I'm one of the new transfer students joining you all..." He scanned the faces of the students before him, feeling a bit out of place.
Tsuna had never set foot in any kind of academy before, not even in his previous life.
Back then, he barely had any control over his life and mostly spent time sharpening his skills as an assassin.
Sure, he'd absorbed a ton of knowledge over the years, enough to even disguise himself as a college lecturer in the past.
But this was literally a new experience – his first time in a formal academy setting.
Was he excited about being here?
Was he excited about attending classes?
Not exactly...
He did look forward to the new experience, as he was quite adventurous...
...but ultimately, all he cared about was cooking!
A small chuckle escaped him, almost unconsciously, at the thought.
The students looked at him in confusion as he suddenly fell silent and began chuckling.
"Oh, my bad. Honestly, I don't really care about studying with all of you. All I care about is cooking."
Senzaimon, who heard these words from the tent, smiled as he nodded in satisfaction.
That was the spirit of a true chef!
"Though I doubt I'll learn much here..."
However, the next words almost made him fall out of his chair.
"What's he saying?"
"...Is he serious?"
"I think he's crazy, guys..."
The students murmured among themselves, but Tsuna didn't seem to mind and continued, "I've traveled the world, experimented with countless dishes, and sampled cuisines from every corner..."
"If it weren't for honoring someone's wish, I'd probably be out there exploring or running my own restaurant, Ito's Golden Fried Rice. It's located about 30 kilometers from here, at this address..."
"...Is he seriously promoting his business right now?"
"What nerve!"
"S-shameless!"
Tsuna's face turned into a stoned face as he shamelessly promoted his restaurant.
He needed money!
He was broke, after all.
It was the first time he had ever had to worry about it.
Back in his previous life, he didn't need to worry about basic necessities since they were all taken care of by the organization.
"...I know the menu at my restaurant is expensive, but I wasn't expecting that to scare the customers away!" He silently thought, his expression remaining unchanged as he remembered the yellow octopus and the military man, who were now the only customers in his place.
If he continued not to get any customers, "Forget about going out to see if the High Table is here, I might start using my skills to commit a crime if I can't get the money flowing in..."
He often heard people say money didn't buy happiness. Technically, he also believed that in his previous life.
But now that he was broke, Tsuna firmly believed that a lot of money would!
He had been thinking of the best way to promote his small restaurant and establish credibility...
"Feel free to come over to taste the best fried rice of your life..."
...and his eyes flashed as Tsuna continued, his voice conveying confidence.
"Is he really that confident?"
"I can't believe this guy..."
"Did he just say the best?"
As murmurs of disbelief swept through the crowd.
"I know you all might be skeptical which is completely understandable... So how about this, since there is Elite Ten Council here that you are all so proud of..."
Tsuna's smirk widened as he raised a finger, declaring boldly, "I'll take the first seat!"
The Elite Ten Council!
A revered committee comprised of the academy's top ten students was chosen based on their performance in internal evaluations.
Obtaining the first seat and being acknowledged as the best would give him enough fame to ensure he'd have plenty of customers!
"..."
Silence fell over the entire field as hostile gazes now bore down on Tsuna.
All of this fiasco left Soma, who knew nothing about what Tsuna had said, blinking his eyes in confusion.
"Hahahaha!"
Senzaimon couldn't help but laugh out loud from the tent as he slowly made his way out.
He looked at Tsuna's back on the stage and muttered, "Such an interesting kid. I'll see if you can back up your claim..."