"One hundred thousand per person? You must be joking?!"
The two guests' expressions changed drastically, and they shouted in disbelief.
Sure, the restaurants at Tōtsuki are expensive, but not 'this' expensive, right?
"We ordered two servings of shrimp dumplings, two servings of tempura, and two servings of soba. According to the menu, that's 40,000 yen, so where's the extra 60,000 yen coming from?" one of the guests demanded loudly.
"That's the price of the 'Four Happy Dumplings'," Sui replied calmly.
"Are you kidding? You're just an intern at Tōtsuki, and you think your food should be priced higher than that of graduates?" The guest continued to protest loudly. "I don't agree with this price!"
"I do."
At that moment, Mizuhara finally stood up from her seat, walked over to the guest, and said, expressionless, "If this dish were served at my restaurant, I'd charge the same price."
"It's Mizuhara Fuyumi! She was the second-seat graduate of Tōtsuki that year!"
"Yeah, I've seen her featured in food magazines!"
The surrounding guests began whispering among themselves, gazing at Mizuhara with a mix of respect and admiration.
"So, will you pay? Or do you intend to dine and dash?" Mizuhara added, her tone cold.
The two guests hesitated, clearly caught off guard. With no other options, they sheepishly paid the bill and left in shame.
Before this, Mizuhara had purposely refrained from intervening, allowing the students to handle the situation themselves.
Sui, observing the scene, couldn't help but feel surprised. Could it be that Mizuhara knew these two guests? Or was this all orchestrated by the instructor?
"Amazing! That transfer student actually handled it!"
"Yeah, I thought he was in trouble for sure."
The students around him were astonished by what had unfolded.
"As expected from a Tōtsuki student! What an incredible performance."
"They really handled those troublemakers with their cooking skills."
The hall erupted into applause. Several guests stood up, clapping and praising Sui's quick thinking.
To be honest, when the two customers initially criticized Miyoko's cooking, many believed them, assuming there must have been some fault with the Tōtsuki intern. But Sui's cooking had cleared Tōtsuki's name.
"Thank you, everyone," Sui said humbly, bowing to the applause.
Soon after, the class ended, and everyone returned to the kitchen.
"Sui, your performance today was outstanding. Your group has passed the exam, and Hojo Miyoko's group is also qualified," Mizuhara said, squatting on a chair and giving rare praise. The two guests had indeed been arranged by the school, and she had initially thought the students wouldn't be able to handle them. But Sui had resolved the situation flawlessly, far beyond her expectations.
"It's just unfortunate that I don't have the authority to give a rating higher than 'pass,'" Mizuhara added with a hint of regret.
"You don't, but I do."
At that moment, Dojima Gin entered the room, smiling calmly. "In fact, the entire situation was orchestrated by me. I informed the guest lecturer in advance."
"What? The head chef planned this?"
"Why?"
The students were shocked as the truth came to light.
Sui, on the other hand, wasn't surprised. His expression said it all: 'I had a feeling.'
"Sui, did you already know this?" Megumi asked in astonishment, noticing his calm reaction.
"No, I only just figured it out," Sui replied.
Dojima Gin nodded, addressing the students. "When you graduate and work as professional chefs, you will inevitably encounter situations like this. As chefs, you must be able to handle unexpected challenges."
"I noticed that when the incident occurred, most students chose to stay out of it, and some even considered calling the police. While involving the police can resolve the issue, it wastes time and damages the restaurant's reputation. It's not always the best option. Customers in the restaurant are watching, and they'll judge your actions."
Dojima turned to Sui with a smile. "Sui, you did an excellent job handling this situation. Therefore, I've decided to give you the highest possible rating—an 'excellent' evaluation. You're the first student in this program to ever receive such a rating."
"What? An 'excellent' evaluation?"
The kitchen erupted in shock.
"Isn't the training program graded as either pass or fail? What's this 'excellent' rating?"
"I've never heard of it!"
Dojima Gin explained, "While standard evaluations are indeed pass or fail, the school sometimes arranges special scenarios like this to test students in unique situations. Those who perform exceptionally well receive an 'excellent' evaluation."
"Wow, Sui, you've set a new record for the Rapport Training Camp program!" Megumi said, astonished.
Sui, pleased but humble, smiled. "Thank you, Chef Dojima."
A thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "What would've happened to Miyoko's group if I hadn't stepped in?"
"This was an additional test unrelated to the main course evaluation. Regardless of the situation, each group's performance would've been assessed fairly based on their work during the class," Dojima Gin assured.
"I see," Sui nodded, satisfied.
The other students looked at him with a mix of envy and admiration.
Dojima Gin then turned to the room and announced, "Additionally, Kitano Jiro, Sanada Yae's group, Okura Tani, and Murashita Ken's group—you six are expelled."
"What? We passed the exam! Why are we being expelled?"
"Yeah, that's not fair!"
The named students were shocked, their faces filled with disbelief.
Dojima Gin's face darkened, his tone serious. "During this class, you were considered employees of the restaurant. Your fellow students were your colleagues. When you saw them being unfairly treated, instead of helping, you chose to mock them. That's not the behavior of an excellent chef."
Hearing this, Sui recognized the six students as those who had made the most sarcastic remarks earlier. Their expulsion now seemed fitting.
After the class, everyone boarded the bus, preparing to return to the Tōtsuki Resort.
"Sui."
Just as he reached the bus, Miyoko called out to him.
"What is it?" Sui asked.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did earlier," Miyoko said, a bit embarrassed. She had once seen him as a rival, yet he ended up saving her from humiliation.
"Haha, it's no big deal. You're a strong chef, and it would've been unfair for you to be expelled over something like that," Sui replied casually.
Miyoko looked at him thoughtfully before speaking again, "From now on, I'll be part of the Rare Foods Research Society. Whatever issues you face, count me in!"
"I welcome you," Sui smiled, accepting her offer of friendship.
Upon returning to the hotel, the rest of the Polaris Dormitory students also arrived.
[A-Note: Sorry for not uploading. I was amassing chapters, so I can accommodate all your power stones.]