After a simple goodbye with Komachi and his dad, Hachiman quickly started his journey.
Even though he was going to a new school, at this time of year he could only join as a transfer student. Not that it mattered much—making friends was already an almost impossible task for him.
Still, hearing that it was a school full of amazing chefs, Komachi instantly got fired up, saying that after graduating she would definitely come to this legendary school and challenge everyone.
Before parting, Komachi did her usual thing—acting like the cutest little sister in the world—giving him a huge hug. And their father, watching his son set off on this path, only gave a warm smile and left him with these words:
"Hachiman, as a chef, the fastest way to grow is to meet someone who makes you want to dedicate all your cooking to her."
"Yeah, yeah..."
...
After a long trip, Hachiman finally arrived in Tokyo alone. But it wasn't quite what he expected—the school wasn't in some busy part of the city, but instead was tucked away in a mountain-like area.
Even so, the gate was surrounded by bodyguards and rich kids coming and going. For a moment, Hachiman couldn't help but wonder if Joichiro had given him the wrong address. After all, that would be just like his totally unreliable dad.
"Beep beep beep..."
"What's wrong, Hachiman?" Joichiro's voice quickly came through on the other end of the call.
"I'm asking, you didn't give me the wrong address, did you? Why do all the other students have butlers and bodyguards with them?"
Even though Hachiman wanted to accept all this, no matter how he looked at it, this didn't feel like a school at all. It looked more like some kind of… special place.
Joichiro: "Eh? I forgot to tell you. The place you're going to is Japan's number one cooking school. It's an elite school with a graduation rate of less than ten percent."
Hachiman: "Hah? You expect me, someone who's not even a chef, to fight against those monsters for that ten percent graduation rate?"
Joichiro: "Do your best, Hachiman."
"Beep… beep… beep…" The line went dead, clearly hung up. Once again, Hachiman felt just how unreliable Joichiro really was.
Not to mention he was already overseas. If he couldn't pass this school's trials, with no money at all, it wasn't just about him not being able to survive—he might even drag down Komachi, who was still in school.
At this point, Hachiman had no way out. He didn't know how his dad managed to get him into this school, but the real problem now was how he was supposed to pass the transfer student entrance exam.
Just from the huge scene outside the school, Hachiman was already stunned. But once he stepped inside, he realized what he had seen was only the tip of the iceberg.
Every day at this school called "Totsuki," the number of people wanting to get in could only be described as a sea of people. Judging from their clothes and the way they acted, they were probably chefs from restaurants all over the world.
Hachiman didn't talk to anyone. That was never something he was good at. He just walked down the path, piecing together bits of conversation from people around him to slowly get a sense of what kind of place this was.
Maybe because he had the habit of arriving early, Hachiman was one of the first to reach the exam hall. But as soon as he walked into the room, all he could hear was a wave of noisy chatter.
"Hey… today's examiner won't be her, right…"
"It really is her. Damn, this is the worst luck…"
"Forget it, I'll just come back another day. They say among all the examiners at Totsuki, she's the strictest one."
"Well of course, she was born with the so-called 'God Tongue.'"
Before the exam even began, people were already getting cold feet. Following everyone's gaze, Hachiman noticed the girl. Maybe it was because of her tall figure, or maybe it was her striking blond hair, but she instantly caught his eye.
'Wait, no way… They're letting a girl my age be the examiner?'
'And what's this "God Tongue"? Never even heard of it…'
Even though Hachiman had grown up eating his little sister's and his dad's cooking, the situation in front of him was completely different from that.
Before he could think further, the girl standing before everyone was already looking impatient. With her arms crossed, she scanned the crowd, then gave a faint smile:
"Hisako, let's make things interesting this time."
The girl named Hisako quickly set down the papers in her hands after hearing the blond girl's words.
"Lady Erina, since there are more people taking the exam this time, do you have something in mind?"
"Move the cooking stations over."
"Yes..."
Under everyone's gaze, Erina walked slowly to the cooking station. After taking a quick look around, she gently picked up an egg and turned to face all the examinees.
"The main ingredient is the egg. Make a dish using it. As long as your dish can satisfy my taste, you can enter Totsuki Academy."
From her words and gestures, Hachiman could already tell that this girl named Erina was definitely not someone to mess with. Her confidence in her cooking had clearly reached an unimaginable level. Even though she looked about the same age as him, her cooking might even be better than his dad's.
Thinking that, Hachiman couldn't help but feel like backing out. At the same time, wails of despair echoed through the hall.
Erina: "Also, anyone taking this test must finish within one minute starting now. But, I'll allow you to quit."
Her smile, carrying a hint of danger, quickly sent everyone scattering in all directions. The hall that was packed just moments ago emptied in an instant.
Only Hachiman seemed frozen in place. Since he arrived too early, he had a spot near the front, and by the time he turned around, the entire hall was empty except for the three of them.
'Seriously... isn't this a bit much? Even if they can't pass, do they all have to give up?'
Maybe she didn't expect anyone to stay, because soon both girls' eyes were on Hachiman.