-"Welcome to Tōtsuki Resort."-Dōjima started his speech.-"Not to waste everyone's time, let me directly tell you what to expect. For the duration of this Camp, up until your last test, you will be treated by us as an employes."
He looked around the hall.
-"You should know what that means. Failure will not be tolerated! Less than half of you will return to this room at the end of the Training Camp, so I can only wish you good luck. The rest depends on your abilities."
Finishing his speech, he looked at me and spoke his last sentence.
-"Now let's listen to the words of someone who stood where you stand now just a year ago."
After saying that, he moved aside, leaving the center stage to me. Stepping forward, I took the microphone from his hands and looked at the students standing below the stage.
~"Welcome, juniors. For many, this is our first meeting, but as you already know, I'm Yue. Despite being a year older than you, I already have proven myself capable of standing on this stage. Now is your turn. During this Training Camp, you will have to show your everything, and if it's not enough, you only have two choices: improve or drop out. The choice is yours."
Saying what I wanted to convey, I returned the microphone to teacher Chapelle, joining the chefs further away.
-"As Yue said to you, improve or drop out. Now, you will be taken to your first test side. I hope I will see you here again in the evening."
All students here were divided into groups of thirty or so and followed different examiners to their classrooms. As our classrooms were in the same direction, Hinako and I took our groups and started to walk together.
-"Ugh."
~"Still in pain?"
-"It's manageable but definitely uncomfortable."
~"Luckily, as examiners, we can just sit and enjoy the food."
-"True."
~"Wait for me after the test. I'll pick you up."
-"Sure."
We split up and entered my classroom. I began writing on the whiteboard, waiting for everyone else to enter inside. A minute later, I finished writing the recipe and turned around to look at the students.
~"My tests will always be the same, just different recipes, so feel free to warn others later. Your job is to cook using the recipe I just wrote but with one twist. You are to improve it. The time is three hours, you can try how many times it will allow you, but don't waste food, you have to eat failed dishes. Any questions?"
-"What do you mean by improve?"-Asked Yūki.
~"Make it more delicious. After all, this is the job of the cook."
-"How can you call you?"-Asked a white-haired woman.
~"Just call me Senior or Yue. I don't care much, but as this is not a question about cooking, I will start the time now. Good luck."
When I ended my sentence, everyone started to move, rushing to get the ingredients. Looking at them, I sat on the side and took out my laptop to work on what I was unable to do during the night.
The recipe I wrote was not that complicated, and one would need around an hour to finish it, so after a little over that, the first dishes were presented to me.
~"You just copied the recipe, only changing the amounts of the ingredients. Failed."
~"There is no improvement beyond the amount of mistakes. Failed"
~"Good idea, but you should work more on your technique. I'll pass you, but eat it yourself to reflect."
~"You changed the recipe, Failed."
-"But didn't the test force you to change the recipe?"
~"Improving and changing is different. You can't remove the basics, or you will be creating a new dish, not improving the existing one."
-"I see."
~"Learn from mistakes. You still have time."
-"Yes!"
One by one, I would be served a dish. Most of them were average, some were even tragic, but I would always point out what was bad. By the end of everyone's first dish, only two people cooked a dish that was worth remembering. First was the woman who asked how to call me.
-"My turn! What do you think, Yue?"
~"Hmm..."
-"And?"
~"Impressive. Definitely a pass, but the proportion of the ingredients is wrong. Due to the chemical processes that you used while cooking, the intensity of some tastes has changed, and while you accented some, some are too weak and should be enhanced more."
-"Huh? Do you know how to use Molecular Gastronomy?"
~"I might not look like it, but I'm quite good at chemistry, physics, and biology. As you know, my specialty is medicinal cuisine, and while it's not recognized as a field of medicine, one has to know well how the human body works to even attempt healing it."
-"True. Well, can you give me a few pointers?"
Thinking for a while, I took out a note and noted down some names with short descriptions.
~"When you have time, check those. Those are papers that appeared not so long ago, and while they don't talk about cuisine, you can use them as a reference in your studies."
-"Sure, but you forgot something."
~"And what that would be?"
-"Your number so that I can speak with you if I have any questions."
~"Is that how girls pick up boys now? Sure, here. Now, move along. Others are waiting."
-"Sure! Oh, right. I'm Alice. Be sure to remember me."
Shortly after Alice left, others started approaching, but almost all of them were still average. Before Yūki served her dish, none was worth remembering.
-"Please taste it, Senior Yue."
~"Despite this not being your strongest point, you did the job really well. Your idea to add some spiciness into the dish also bore well with the other mellow, slightly sour tastes."
-"Thank you."
~"You passed, but you should improve your handling of vegetables as it's a little rough, so you can't bring out their full flavor."
-"Yes."
~"Anything else?"
-"No..."
~"Sigh, I'll seek out Rin and Tomoe sometime later. If you want to ask something, you can do it then."
-"Yes."
After those short episodes, the test continued normally, and when the three-hour mark passed, only around sixty percent of students passed. Announcing the final results, I gathered those who passed and approached Hinako's classroom, where there was a slight commotion.
-"Please tell us who was better."
-"Yes, Chef Inui."
~"Stop it, you two."~I approached Sōma and one other student, knocking their heads from behind.~"If we don't move right away, we will be late for the announcement of the next test. Being late doesn't matter much for Hinako and me, but for you..."
My words resulted in others in class getting impatient, so Sōma and his friend had to drop the issue. Everyone quickly gathered their things and started moving back to the Resort.
-"How was your first day as a teacher?"-Teacher Chapelle approached me when I returned to the Resort.
~"It was not my first time teaching someone, but I never held exams like this, so it was an interesting experience."
-"I was worried that you wouldn't be able to expel those who failed, but I see that there was no problem. I also saw your test question, and I must say that it's quite appropriate. It tests the essence of being a cook."
~"To be honest, I just want to give everyone a fair chance. It's out of my hands if they are able to take it."
-"Don't feel bad. You should know that the title of elite carries both expectations and renown. If one can't live up to the first, he will tarnish the second."
~"Indeed, thank you for your care, teacher Chapelle."
-"Well, I can see that I needn't have to worry about you. Now, as everyone will have their joint test, you are free until the next test."
~"Thank you. If anything happens, be sure to give me a call."
-"Don't worry."-Teacher Chapelle left for the room from which he was monitoring the whole test.
Hinako decided to rest some more, so she returned to my room, and I continued with my work. Having to make some phone calls, I found a quiet place in the Resort, not doing it in my room so as not to wake Hinako up.
Having finished those, I was returning to my room when I encountered someone familiar.
-"Yue..?"
~"Hmm? Oh, Erina, good to see you again."
-"Sigh, I was surprised when you appeared suddenly, no less than when you disappeared after the Moon Banquet."
~"I'm sorry about that, but this was a plan from long ago."
-"Plan? Heh, did you plan to make us fall for you by getting us to face our feelings and then disappear to let us stir in them?"
~"..."
-"You still won't say anything."
~"I'm sorry."
-"Well, congratulations, you succeded."-Erina approached me and tiptoed to kiss me, veil be dammed.
After breaking away, she hugged me tightly and continued to speak
-"Please never, ever disappear like that. Not counting Hisako, You, Rin, and Tomoe are my only friends, and just thinking that one day you all will disappear just like you did before..."
~"..."
-"Yue, I don't care about your messy relationship. Please just don't leave me again. I can't stand a third person I loved disappearing."
~"It seems I truly should have thought more about my actions back then. I promise you, I won't disappear anymore. Even if I would have to leave one day, I will take you with me."
-"You better, or I will hate you more than that bastard of my father."
~"I might not be a good person, but I won't run from my responsibilities."
We stayed like that for a short while. Erina was quite lucky, as the place we were in was a blind spot from the cameras, so our privacy was preserved, but this still was a corridor, so moments later, we started to hear whistling and steps approaching.
Erina quickly made some distance between us and tried to compose herself. Soon, another familiar person appeared in my vision.
-"Huh? Brother Yue, how are you?"
~"So it's you, Soma. I should have expected that when it comes to speed, no one would be able to beat you."
-"Of course! I won't lose to those who never cooked for customers."
~"Yet you lost to me."
-"You don't count, bro. Not to mention you cooked for customers."
~"Have it your way, but you should cut back some of your arrogance. Right now, you dismiss everyone not because of their skills but only because of how you perceive them."
-"Have I? Hmm... You might be right. I'll try to be more open-minded."
~"Good. Remember what cooking is, and you should be fine."
-"What is cooking? You always were like that, living riddles as lessons. I'll be going first. Want to play cards later?"
~"I doubt that I would have time, so don't wait for me."
-"Sure."-After saying that, Soma left, walking toward the bath.
~"You okay, Erina?"
-"Yes, I'm all right..."
-"Miss Erina!"-A shout sounded from the corridor.
-"Hisako?"
-"I finally caught up to you, Miss Erina. Oh? Sir Yue."
~"Hello, Hisako."
-"Miss Erina, I got the cards like you asked for."
-"Cards? Ah, yes, cards. Good, we will play later. You should go and take a bath quickly before it is crowded."
-"What about you, Miss Erina?"
-"I'll talk with Yue some more, don't worry about me."
-"I see. I'll be back quickly."
-"Take your time."
Hisako also left, leaving us alone once again.
~"Cards, huh?"
-"Shut it."
~"Heh, you should try reaching out to Rin and Tomoe. Soma is part of their group, so maybe you and Hisako can join them to play."
-"Why would I want to play with that guy?"
~"More the merrier, but to be honest, I'm not exactly a good person to be giving that advice."
-"Why won't you play with me?"
~"A little later, there will be a few tasks I will have to get done as an examiner, but if you can wait..."
-"I'll wait! What is your room number? I'll go there when you are ready."
~"It's xxx."
-"Good. I'll go there with Hisako later."
~"Sure, I'll send you a message when I'm done."
Eina nodded before looking around and seeing no one in the vicinity, kissing me on the cheek, wishing me good work, and running away with a red face. Looking at the trail of steam, I wondered if all those Shōjo mangas allowed her to overcome her shyness for so long.
I spent the rest of the day doing duties I was given as an examiner, not forgetting to do some of Hinako's tasks as she was still sleeping. I finished everything before evening, so while sending Erina the message, I returned to my room. Inside, I was surprised to find not only Hinako but also Fuyumi.
~"Fuyumi?"
-"Yue, congratulations. Please take care of Hinako."
~"I will."
-"Mou, that's not what you wanted to say."
-"Hinako, I still need some time. Sorry, Yue."
~"Take your time. Better not to rush such matters. You two want to play some cards?"
-"Sure."-Hinako agreed directly, while Fuyumi simply nodded.-"You have cards here?"
~"No, but they will arrive soon."
-"What do you mean?"
And as on cue, a knock on the doors sounded. I opened them to let Erina and Hisako in.
-"Hm? Senior Inui, Senior Mizuhara? Why are you here?"
~"They are here to play cards with us."
-"Only that?"
~"Hinako has been here since yesterday. As for why, you can piece it together."
-"Huh?"
-"It seems that you also have made your decision, Erina."
-"So you too, Senior Inui."
-"Just call me Hinako. Well, we can talk more later. First, let's start with the cards."
The next morning would have started normally if not for my bed being occupied by four girls, so I spent most of the night outside, leaving the room to them. As I would always do during sleepless nights in this world, I took my zither and found a nice place to sit and play.
When the sun rose, I decided to finish, and as I was about to stand up, I noticed that a small group of spectators formed when I was unaware.
-"Maybe Kojirō was right. The chef is not the profession that suits you the most."-Spoke Dōjima, who was sitting nearby.
-"With his appearance and musical abilities, Yue could easily become a famous star. If you were to play some more modern music, you could overturn the whole musical world."-Commented teacher Chapelle.
~"Thank you for your good words, but I don't plan to enter showbiz."
-"Staying clear from that pool of sharks is not a bad choice, but how about you play something else later?"
~"Let me think more about this."
-"Sure. The first classes will start in an hour. Until then, you are free."-Teacher Chapelle told us before leaving.
-"We are planning to eat something. What about you, Yue?"
~"I'll go for Hinako and Fuyumi and join you in the cafeteria."
-"Then we will reserve some space for you."
Dōjima and some other alumni started walking toward the cafeteria. Meanwhile, I returned to my room to wake everyone up. When I entered my room, everyone was already up, so I just told them about breakfast and waited for them in the corridor.
-"Sorry for taking over your room, Sir Yue."
~"I don't mind it, Hisako. It's me who should be sorry that I can't take you and Erina for breakfast."
-"No. We are aware that as examiners, you can't show favoritism."
~"Indeed."
-"... Sir Yue."
~"What's the matter?"
-"Please take care of Erina."
~"I will."
-"...And of me..."
~"I will."
Moments later, Erina exited my room and went to the kitchen with quiet Hisako while I took Hinako and Fuyumi to the cafeteria.