"..."
The master of ceremonies looked at Tsuna with a hint of shock, taking a step back as Soma approached.
She leaned in to whisper to Soma, her voice trembling, "P-please make it quick..."
"Haha, I don't know what the Ten Elite or whatever Tsuna just said, but I'll keep it brief as requested," Soma replied with a chuckle.
His eyes narrowed as he continued, "I agree with him. This school is just a stepping stone for me. Frankly, I don't believe I'd lose to any of you who have never served a customer..."
"So basically, I won't be beaten by a bunch of amateurs. And since I..."
Soma glanced at Tsuna, his expression determined, "...won't lose to you either, I'll claim the top spot!"
"..."
Tsuna smirked in response, while the once-excited atmosphere of the ceremony turned icy, with all eyes now fixated on both of them with hostility.
"Hmph! Such arrogance!"
Erina's voice carried dissatisfaction as they stepped down and walked into the tent.
She narrowed her eyes at Tsuna, her annoyance palpable, "You're putting yourself too high. You should learn some humility!"
"Coming from you? That's quite surprising," Tsuna chuckled.
She scoffed in response, turning her disdainful gaze toward Soma, "And you, trusting your skills a bit too much. Know your place!"
Erina recalled she had judged Soma to be failing his exam.
However, seeing him here could only mean someone had overruled her decision.
There was only one man who could do that...
...her grandfather, who served as the Principal of Totsuki Culinary Academy!
"Hah! I'll be watching you both!"
She harrumphed before leaving, followed by Hisako, who noticed Erina's unusually strong irritation.
"Are you alright, Erina-sama?"
Hisako inquired, concerned by Erina's evident frustration.
"I'm fine, it's just annoying..."
Erina muttered, her thoughts consumed by Tsuna's audacity.
His cooking was undeniably impressive!
Yet she felt it was not enough to justify his bold claims.
But what annoyed her the most was the confidence in his words. It was as if he viewed the esteemed Totsuki Culinary Academy with disdain.
Erina could feel he was genuine with his claims!
"That guy is truly looking down on the academy!"
Erina seethed, her frustration evident as veins pulsed on her temple.
Although she usually would dismiss such insults, Totsuki Culinary Academy was part of her family's legacy.
That's why Erina couldn't stand to see it looked down upon.
"His cooking might be great, but he truly underestimates our students..."
Unbeknownst to her, Tsuna hadn't even done his best in the entrance exam.
He didn't even bring out his special miraculous white powder, which would have elevated his cooking to heavenly levels.
However, Erina was certain in her judgment.
She silently glanced at Tsuna and muttered, "Looking down on us? I'll make sure you regret it!"
After parting ways with Soma, Tsuna decided to run from home while Soma headed to the dorms.
Soma was a bit surprised by Tsuna's choice, wondering if that explained Tsuna's rapid transformation in just two weeks.
Unaware of the repercussions of his speech during the opening ceremony...
...Tsuna found himself isolated from his classmates the next day.
"So, that's the task for today—chopping enough veggies!"
A stern, mature lady who appeared to be around 40 years old addressed the classroom, "Now, let's group up!"
She was Chef Bora from Korea, serving as one of the class instructors alongside other renowned chefs from around the world.
The first task was straightforward.
That was to chop vegetables for homemade Kimchi, which would be distributed to Totsuki's Korean Restaurants across Japan!
However...
...the container was so massive that filling it within an hour was impossible for an individual.
That was why Chef Bora instructed the students to form groups of four.
Everyone quickly found their partners, but Tsuna remained alone, noticing how the class had collectively excluded him following his bold declaration the day before.
"Hmm... they all seem to be avoiding me, huh?"
Tsuna muttered with a chuckle as he observed the entire class forming their groups while casting glances in his direction.
"...He's really made a mess of things."
"Yeah, that's why it's important to stay humble..."
"...Sigh, he's off to a rough start at school."
"What a turn of events..."
Murmurs rippled through the class, accompanied by snickers and mocking smiles from the sidelines.
"33? That's quite a tricky number..."
Chef Bora frowned as she scanned the list of students in her class.
She then sighed and was about to come up with a solution, "Let's divide some of the groups into thre—"
"No, it's fine..."
Tsuna cut her short, prompting a dissatisfied look from her.
"What did you say?"
"I'll handle it on my own. Don't worry about that," Tsuna replied confidently.
Chef Bora's frown deepened as she narrowed her eyes at Tsuna.
"You do realize it's not just about filling the container in time, right? Your technique needs to be good enough to ensure the quality of the vegetables meets our standards..." she explained, then asked, "Are you sure you want to do this alone?"
Tsuna's grin widened as he nodded, "Yeah, why not?"
"Keke, it's guaranteed F for sure..."
"What a way to start the school..."
His classmates seemed to be enjoying this as they cursed him for being overly confident and silent.
As the class finally began cutting the veggies...
...the classroom fell into stunned silence as they all turned to look at a certain table where Tsuna was chopping.
What started as snickers of doubt quickly turned to disbelief as they watched Tsuna's hands move with astonishing speed and precision.
"Oh? Is he using the Julienne technique?"
Chef Bora's expression turned to astonishment.
The julienne technique wasn't advanced, but what surprised her most was how quickly Tsuna chopped the veggies.
"Such speed! Even if it were me, I wouldn't be able to chop the veggies so quickly while maintaining good quality..." As the finely sliced vegetables started to pile up, Chef Bora gulped.
She realized that, "...He might actually be even better than me."
Starting with radishes, Tsuna sliced them into thin planks, ensuring they were of consistent thickness.
He easily transformed the planks into matchstick-like pieces with perfection with each cut.
His hand movements were so fast yet precise, as he repeated the process with unwavering focus.
As he progressed, Tsuna worked in efficient batches, focusing on one vegetable at a time to maximize speed and precision.
Radishes, carrots, and scallions were transformed into uniform slices perfect for Kimchi!
"Damn, what kind of monster chops like that?"
"The quality surely can't be up to standard!"
The whole class was now sweating, feeling the intensity as they witnessed Tsuna's work.
"I'm done, what do you think, Professor Bora?"
Tsuna asked, sliding the container forward. Chef Bora's expression was one of shock.
"...He's finished?"
"Hey, look at the time!"
Murmurs echoed through the class as they were in disbelief, checking the timer to find 15 minutes left.
"You passed! I wish I could give you a better score, but A is all I can give... Congratulations!" Chef Bora grabbed a handful of the diced vegetables, smiling wryly.
With every vegetable sliced to perfection, Tsuna completed the task of filling the container with a vibrant mosaic of tiny cubes in under an hour.
And he did it all by himself!
"It's nothing impressive," Tsuna said calmly, his expression unchanged.
Cutting vegetables was hardly a challenge for someone who had been cutting heads in his previous life.
"..."
But to those in the classroom, his words felt like a crushing blow.
---
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