A slender and delicate hand reached out—clearly belonging to a girl.
Sui couldn't help but look up, and when he saw the owner of the hand, he was momentarily stunned.
Standing before him was a young girl with long, silver-white hair and pale golden eyes. She wore a school uniform, and her appearance was strikingly beautiful.
Sui recognized her immediately—this was Shizunoya Yuzuki, the class president. Rumor had it that she was the principal's daughter, and her cooking skills were among the best in the school.
At that moment, Yuzuki was also gazing at Sui, a hint of curiosity in her expression.
It's rare for someone to judge the freshness of meat based purely on color and smell.
The pork breast they both reached for appeared fresh, having been delivered that very morning, and was from the best batch. She hadn't expected anyone to grab it before her.
"You're Sui, right?" she asked in a calm tone.
"Yes," Sui responded.
Yuzuki nodded, though she was even more puzzled now.
Though she hadn't interacted with Sui much, she knew he ranked toward the middle or lower end of the class academically. Yet his ability to select the freshest meat seemed impressively professional.
"Was it just a coincidence?" she wondered. "Or did he just happen to pick the best piece by chance?"
Sui, noticing her hesitation, asked politely, "Do you need this pork breast, class president?"
"No, you can have it," Yuzuki shook her head, then reached for another piece of fresh pork breast.
As Sui watched her walk away, he shook his head slightly. He had no idea what she was thinking, but their interaction had been nothing more than a coincidence.
"Corn, eggs, ham... carrots," Sui murmured, mentally checking off the ingredients he needed for his Sinangag fried rice. As he concentrated, a small hand suddenly patted him on the shoulder.
"Sui, what are you planning to cook?"
Turning around, Sui saw Luna grinning at him.
"Sinangag fried rice," Sui replied with a smile. "What about you? What are you making?"
"Ramen, obviously." Luna pointed at the flour, pork, and seaweed in her hands, making a playful face.
Her dream since childhood had been to inherit her family's ramen shop, so ramen was her specialty.
"Good luck!"
"You too!"
After a brief moment of encouragement, they each returned to their respective tasks.
Sui moved to his station and began preparing the ingredients—washing the carrots, dicing the pork breast, and beating the eggs. Immersed in his work, he didn't notice that someone nearby was quietly observing him.
"Could it really be a coincidence?" Yuzuki muttered to herself as she continued to watch him.
But soon, her attention was drawn to Sui's fluid, practiced movements. His precision in handling the ingredients was impressive, his actions flowing seamlessly, almost like a performance with a strange yet captivating grace.
"A chef's skill is evident in the smallest details," Yuzuki thought. "Such refined technique shouldn't belong to someone who ranks so low in the class." A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes as she pondered. "Could this be Sui's true ability? Has he been hiding his talents all along?"
---
An hour quickly passed. One by one, the students finished their dishes and presented them to Manager Mita for tasting.
"Kamihara Shimizu, thirty-six points."
"Masao Sakagami, fifty-two points."
"Kojiro Noda, forty-seven points."
Student after student offered their dishes, and each time, Manager Mita provided his score. However, most of the students failed to meet the passing mark.
"This is way too strict!"
"Well, he's the manager of a high-end restaurant. He's used to tasting food from top chefs, so his standards are really high."
"If this score gets recorded, I'm doomed!"
Tension filled the classroom as the students fretted over their marks. Meanwhile, Sui had already finished his fried rice and was keeping it warm in a bowl. Seeing the strict grading, he felt a bit nervous.
"I wonder if this dish, which passed the system's standards, will get a passing grade from Manager Mita," he thought.
"Nobita, nine points. Next." Manager Mita's voice sounded as he put down his chopsticks.
After tasting so many dishes, he was beginning to feel disappointed. None had impressed him so far.
Just then, a cold voice interrupted the silence.
"This is my dish, spicy pork curry with rice. Please enjoy."
A fragrant plate of spicy pork curry with rice was placed before him. The golden curry steamed on top of the white rice, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma. Manager Mita's eyes brightened, and when he saw that the cook was Yuzuki Shizunoya, his spirits lifted.
He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
"Shizunoya Yuzuki, eighty-nine points."
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at Yuzuki as she calmly returned to her seat. Then, a wave of murmurs erupted across the classroom.
"Wow! The previous highest score was only sixty-nine, and she just got twenty points higher!"
"Well, she is the class president, after all."
"I heard she's been a trainee chef at Kagura Sakaya since junior high. That place is full of elite chefs!"
"Yeah, and they say that once she graduates, she'll be hired as a full-time chef there."
Amid the students' excited chatter, Yuzuki remained unfazed—this kind of reaction was nothing new to her. The only thing on her mind now was how Sui would perform.
Beside Sui, Luna stuck out her tongue. "The class president is incredible," she said.
"Yeah," Sui nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'm up next!" Luna announced.
"Good luck!" Sui smiled.
"Thanks!" Luna beamed as she brought her ramen to the front.
"Luna, seventy-two points."
Another buzz ran through the classroom. Luna had earned the second-highest score so far.
Still, when she returned to her seat, she sighed. "I'm still seventeen points short."
"It's fine. You did great," Sui reassured her.
She nodded and then urged him, "It's your turn, hurry up and let the manager taste your dish before it gets cold!"
"Alright."
Sui took a deep breath and walked to the front with his Sinangag fried rice.