Ayano's Point of View

We're already inside the Resort Hotel's Banquet Hall, there was a empty stage in front and looking at it made me more nervous than I was. Sure, I went to several hotels before, but this is grand; as expected from Tootsuki, though.

The silence in the room didn't help either, there were some people I recognized, Erina and her assistant, ms. whateverhernamewas, Maeda and Mito was among the crowd of students. I was walking with Yukihira by my side, we haven't really spoken much but we were comfortable with each other.

"I wonder.... How many will survive this hellish camp?" I asked myself, curious as to how many students will be able to endure the hell the camp will throw our way.

"Oh?" Yukihira perks up, "Oh!! It's Nikumi! C'mon, Hirashima, let's go talk to her!" The redhead gestured to the tanned female from a distance. "Heh, it's been awhile, huh? How's it going?" He casually greets Mito as if he wasn't nervous at all. Just what kind of creature is he?! Isn't he nervous at all??

"Y-Yukihira!" Mito turned around, looking flustered as she acknowledged his presence. I, being the quiet little shit I was, just nodded my head, letting her know that I greeted her, too. But she didn't seem to mind me, her face reddened just by seeing the boy beside me.

"Yukihira," I tugged on Yukihira's sleeve, and he shot me a confused look, "Aren't you going to drop that nickname? I think Mito-san is getting annoyed by it," I tell him and he shook his head, laughing a bit, "Eh? But I do have her permission. Right, Nikumi?"

Mito fumes in embarrassment, "Hah?! Like hell you do!"

Murmurs resounded the hall, things about Yukihira and I being transfer students, but I just ignored them so that it won't get to my head later on.

"Be careful, Hirashima and Yukihira," Mito warned us, having a serious look on her face.

I nod at her, meaning I understood what she meant but Yukihira didn't get the warning, not even a single bit of it.

"Hm? Why--"

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Pay attention to the stage," Chapelle-sensei arrived, holding a microphone in his hands, catching the attention of all of us students. The teacher then explained things about the training. "And about the judging, we invited guest lecturers."

"Guest?"

"As busy as they are, they gathered her just for today. They're Tootsuki Academy's alumni. They are the geniuses that won through the one-digit passing rate!"

Chefs walked towards the stage, they were mostly people I didn't know, but I could name a few; like Inui Hinako, I've heard her from my parents before, Shinomiya Kojiro is actually famous so probably a lot knows him.

"Hmm.... You on the ninth line starting from the front," Shinomiya-senpai says, holding his head high. I instantly froze, the stare he was giving me made me want to die because it was scary, but I only furrowed my brows in confusion. "The girl with the scarf.... Ah, sorry. You, the next one to her," Shinomiya-senpai moved his stare to the other boy beside me and I let out a--quiet--sigh of relief, I would melt because of his intense gaze!

"That's right. You. You're expelled."

My chest tightened at his order. What if it was actually me? Then I'd be expelled for who the fuck knows!

The students start to panic a bit because of this scene, but I was only relieved that it wasn't me who was expelled.

"Your hairdressing product has a citrus smell, that may overshadow the food's aroma. Being stylish is a must, if the person who makes food is out of fashion the food won't have any sensuality. But starting next time, pick a scent-free hair liquid," He instructs, raising a finger and a light smirk was on his lips.

If I was his age, I'd say that it was sort of handsome but since I am a student I'd say that it's scary; his look held authority in it, and I was jealous of the fact that he can have so much confidence just because of some award he got years ago.

"Ah, maybe I was born to meet you instead!" Someone pulls my hand in theirs and I turn my head to see a blond man who has sparkles surrounding his figure as he stared into my eyes. "Do you want to talk all night in my Auberge?"

"Ah, chef Donato-senpai," I shook his hand in ease, "It's a real pleasure to be meeting you," I tell him, my face was blank yet I was confuse on the inside on why he wanted to meet a student like me.

"Let her hand go as well, chef Gotouda."

"Wait... Isn't that Hinako Inui-senpai?!!"

The blond lets me go and walks away, a sigh escaped my lips as the uneasiness left my body.

"I'm sorry. He made you have such a scary experience...." As if in pain, Inui-senpai frowns. "By the way, you're cute like a student I saw from earlier," a gentle smile graced her face and I felt a sense of easiness in me in her smile.

"Nice to meet you, Inui-senpai," I voiced out my thoughts, shaking her hand in return.

"Hinako!! Chapelle-sensei is glaring at you! Come back here right now!!"

Inui-senpai looks away from me and to the man that called her. "Maybe you should stop by on my shop for a day... Fufufu.." She chuckled and walked away like Donato-senpai, going back to the stage where the rest of the alumni chefs were.

"Huh? What was that all about?" Yukihira nudged my side, not giving a glance my way.

"... I don't really know. But look, chef Doujima-senpai is coming up stage!" I whispered back at him, my eyes following Doujima-senpai's movements.

Chapelle-sensei hands Doujima-senpai the microphone and nodded at him.

"Welcome to Tootsuki Resort," Doujima-senpai starts off, "The alumni that gathered here today have their own shops; so for the six days of this training camp, they'll be treating you like you were an employee of theirs," he says with a blank face, yey he was still scary. "Do you all understand what this means?" He questions us, "People whose work cannot satisfy us.... We'll be fired," the male acts as if he was slicing his throat, and smirks when us students reacted to it.

"... I believe I can handle that.."

"As you could see, you may be forced to leave immediately depending on the lecturers' discretion. Well then, I wish you all the best of luck!!" He ends his talk right there, turning the microphone off.

"Everyone, start moving!!"

"See you all!!" Yoshino, with a peace sign and her tongue sticking out cutely, bids goodbye to us. She walks out of the hall, not wanting to miss her class.

"I guess so.." Ibusaki shrugs his shoulders coolly, following where Yuuki went.

"Yeah!! We're having a card tournament in Marui's tonight!" Exclaimed Yukihira, balling his hands into fists as he grinned at the remaining people who were with him in his dorm.

"Seriously?! Do you all have to gather in my room in a trip like this as well?!" Marui was about to protest, pushing his glasses upwards.

"It's the dorm's traditions, Marui. You can't break it just like that, you know?" I swept a part of my bangs sideward, and creased my clothes straight.

"Everyone is here, right? For my assignment... I'll have you form in pairs," Inui-senpai announced, "I want the partners in Chapelle-sensei's class."

"Yahoo! Hirashima, we're buddies again in this class!!"

"Nice to see you still in shape, Maeda," I gave the female a smile.

"Heh, I'm more surprised that we're both not expelled yet!" She grins happily, "I'm focusing more on other activities like going to the research society and stuff."

I sigh, "You better remember how to hold a knife properly," I deadpanned and Maeda gasps mockingly.

"Me? I should remind you on where to look for the ingredients so that you won't forget it like last time," Maeda countered, straightening her shirt.

"Shut up.." I muttered back, wanting to hit her.

We both heard Inui-senpai clear her throat, "Okay then, everyone. I'll be sitting here. So, if there's anything you don't understand about the assignment, do not hesitate to ask questions to me," she tells us, sitting down on the bench that was provided for her and ate the snack that she had.

I was dumbfounded at her, because she didn't tell us to do anything. Of course, unless...

Maeda quirks a brow, "Inui-sensei, you haven't told us anything yet."

"Ah... Is that so?" Inui-senpai bows her head apologetically, "Well, I'll explain then!"

...

"Use the ingredients you can find here to make any Japanese dish!"

Maeda looks at me with a questioning look, asking, "I don't know about this, Hirashima. How are we going to cook with no ingredients?" She questioned me.

I cross my arms, "Let's wait for Inui-senpai to say something. I'm sure she isn't done."

"Here?"

"There's no ingredients anywhere!"

"How the hell are we suppose to cook withou--"

"But they are there. Nature is around us. This area here has been Tootsuki's private land since ancient times, and it's been surrounded by a fence," Inui-senpai cuts the students off, munching on her snack. "However, if you go over the fence then you're disqualified. So you must get ingredients from this limited area and cook them to satisfy me, then you may pass!" She smiles at us, ushering for us to exit.

"I see... If I got it right, there's a forest and a stream here.."

Inui-senpai adds a few more things, "This room has seasonings, oil and cookware. You can also freely use tools inside the storehouse if you'd like.."

After a minute, we stood in silence, awaiting for other things Inui-senpai had to say. "You also have two hours to complete this assignment. Well then, ready, set, go."

"Maeda, any dish you want to make?" I interviewed the redheaded girl by my side.

"Um.... It has to be Japanese, right? Meat or something," she answered, her face turning serious. I start to think, looking around the people who were panicking anxiously.

My parents had already placed me in this kind of situation before a few times, but it sometimes got to my head. But if there's something that I learned from that, then it's to not listen to the people around you because they'd only mess up your originality; which the rest didn't probably know that's why they all went to the stream to catch some fish.

"Aha!" Maeda cupped her hands near my ear, "How about ramen? That's Japanese, right?"

"How are we going to do that when we don't have the package flavor?" I asked her and she grinned, pushed me in the corner to do whatever is it that she needed. "Here," she showed me the medium sized package that had the words 'Pork flavored instant ramen' in it.

I smiled, nodding my head and walking out of the room, Maeda was already trailing behind me.

"What ramen do you have in mind, Maeda?"

"Eh? You're asking me?" Maeda pointed to herself in a dumb manner.

"Yeah. I thought that why not give you a chance to lead us?" I responded, and she gives it a thought, using our time to walk while thinking.

Maeda sighs, "Alright, I'll take up your offer, Hirashima. I'll need you to run a few errands for me, is that okay?" I nod in response and she smiled, "Right! Get me a two third cup of bean sprouts, some green onions or scallions, either one is fine. An egg, and some vegetables you think will suit our dish," She ordered me and I immediately told myself to memorize it.

We were already outside of the building when she was finished ordering me around, but she decided to add some more before we parted, "Hirashima, if I'm not there yet when your done, then slice the onions or scallions, boil the egg and wait for me, okay?"

I nod my head once more, and we both went in different directions. I went to the left side of the forest while Maeda took the right side.

Thirty Five Minutes Later

I finally got the ingredients Maeda told me to get, so I headed out of the forest. But while I was doing so, I heard a duck quacking and rustling of bushes. I ignored it and quickly went back to the room, only a few students were there and all of them had fish.

"Hey, that's Hirashima Ayano, the transfer student..."

"We shouldn't get in her way."

"I wonder what's she going to cook.."

I roll my eyes inwardly, making my way to the kitchen that was assigned to Maeda and I.

I did what she told me, cutting the green onions that I found. The egg was already boiling and by the time it was done, Maeda arrived with a container behind her back.

"So, Maeda, what did you get?" I asked her and she giggled, not answering my question.

"I'm going to heat this pork. Find some soy sauce and sriracha for me, will ya?" She commands me, and I felt my brows twitch in anger.

I nudge her side, "You're taking this leading thing too seriously, Maeda."

She laughs, "That's very nice of you to stay, Hirashima."

I rolled my eyes again and went to the cabinets, finding the two things she told me to get.

"Hmph! Your using fish, too?" A loid voice booms around the room, and I stopped moving for a second, but ignored it to the best of my abilities. "Good grief, all of you. Cooking fish just because it's Japanese cuisine. Isn't your thinking too narrow?" Questioned the voice once more, the person speaking was a male.

"I get it now! Inui-senpai told us to do this assignment because she was judging our thinking...! Now that I figured it out, I could finally show her that I do not have a narrow mind! I'll show her what a Hirashima can do!"

I listen more closely to what seemed like Yukihira and another dude.

"What's with you? Getting all cocky. Then what are you--" Yukihira gets cut off completely by the other boy, which I still do not know the name.

"Fufu.... Do you know what this is?"

I found both the things Maeda told me to get and turned around, my gaze watching Yukihira while my feet led me to my assigned kitchen area.

"An Aigamo?!"

"What?"

"There weren't just Aigamo. There were rabbits and chicken too, you know? It's weird that no one even tried to search for them!" The blond says and the students that were near him cursed for being to stupid for not realizing that was he said was right.

"Ehh? Is that so?"

Before I even knew it, Maeda was in front of me while pointing at the blond who I still didn't know, "Are you really sure about that? You're Takumi Aldini, right? Well, news flash hot shot, I also found another thing you didn't know was even here," she smugly says, smirking and lowering the arm that was pointing to the guy named Takumi Aldini.

Aldini was surprised for a fracture of a second, "That does not matter now. Hey, you're in the way!" Aldini made a path and placed his hand on Yukihira's shoulder, "Move Yukihira."

When Aldini arrived at his station with his partner trailing behind him, I returned to my station while pulling Maeda with me, "Let's just do our dish. Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Okay then. Remember the two things I told you to get? Put them on a pot and heat it for at least five minutes. Add the noodles and the pork packet after and heat it for another five minutes, put it in a bowl when your done," Maeda commanded me and I did as I was told as quick as I can.

After I did that, I just waited for Maeda to finish her duty. While she did so, I watched Yukihira and Aldini, the boy he was talking to earlier. Aldini and his partner were pretty skilled, they had this professional aura that told me to not mess with them.

Someone taps me on my shoulder, "Hirashima. Let's go, it's done."

Both Maeda and I walked towards Inui-senpai, presenting our dish towards her.

"Here's the dish that we made, Inui-senpai..." I trailed off in the end, looking at Maeda so that she could announce the name of our dish.

"Since it's Japanese cuisine we decided on doing ramen. Inui-senpai, we, Hirashima Ayano and Maeda Naomi, present to you the Hira-Da pork ramen!" Maeda dramatically announced with a rather loud voice, I roll my eyes and get the tray from her and gave it to Inui-senpai since it was still quite hot to hold it in her hands.

"You students are first to arrive," Our teacher giggled and used a pair of chopsticks to eat the pork noodles.

I was getting anxious just by seeing Inui-senpai chew the food. Shit, what is she going to say? I don't want to be expelled!

"Please let us pass, Inui-senpai! I don't want to be expelled!"