A school trip might sound like fun, but for every first-year Totsuki student, it's the most terrifying event—calling it hell wouldn't be an exaggeration.
At the training camp, all first-year students must go through brutal cooking exams. It lasts for several days without proper rest, and if you fail, you're expelled on the spot.
The flyer might say things like "Build Friendships and Bonds," but the reality is a merciless survival camp.
'What a lie…'
In previous years, the number of students dropped by half after this camp.
Even last year, with so many talented people, the outcome was the same.
It's basically a selection of diamonds in the rough.
Even though he had expected this and trained his body for nearly a month, the moment they were about to leave, Hachiman felt like his soul had already left his body.
Marui: "Hey, hey, Hikigaya, what's with that face? You look just like Tadokoro."
Hachiman, holding the flyer, spoke helplessly: "Forget about eating and bathing—don't you think the sleeping time is way too short?"
Ryoko: "Idiot, why are you still thinking about that?"
Since the last food war, Mito had already moved into Polar Star Dorm. Every morning she helped wake Hachiman up and water the plants, so it had been a long time since he got up early.
Luckily, she adapted pretty fast. With her easygoing personality, she fit in quite well.
Mito: "No matter what, we all have to come back together!"
Ibusaki: "Oh oh!"
Yoshino: "Oh oh!"
Hachiman: 'What is this, caveman-style cheering?'
...
After saying a quick goodbye to Grandma Fumio and Isshiki-senpai, they finally set out. Thanks to the bus, it only took about half a day to reach the destination.
But...
This school trip was nothing like what Hachiman imagined.
This wasn't some remote wilderness at all. It was clearly a palace carrying the name of Totsuki.
Yoshino: "Wow, as expected of a rich kids' school. They even run such fancy hotels."
Mito: "Well, Totsuki is a world-famous culinary academy. After graduating, their students usually become top-class chefs all over the world."
Ibusaki: "Most of the hotels and inns around here are under Totsuki. These dozens of buildings operate as the 'Totsuki Resort'."
Marui: "That's right. Many academy graduates work here in the culinary section too."
Ryoko: "I heard staying here for one night costs 80,000 yen."
As soon as he heard that, Hachiman's eyelid started twitching uncontrollably.
"E-eighty thousand... for one night?"
Sure, he knew there were rich ladies and rich guys out there, but wasn't this way too much? Damn cultural gap.
Of course, he wasn't the only one shocked. Almost everyone couldn't believe the price. After all, rent at Polar Star Dorm was just 80,000 yen for an entire month.
Mito, on the other hand, wasn't surprised. For her, staying in an 80,000-yen-a-night room wasn't unheard of.
"Well, as long as we pass today's test, we get to stay in an 80,000-yen hotel for free. Pretty nice, right?"
'Why do I suddenly feel motivated? Weird. Where is this coming from?'
Ibusaki: "Yeah, let's drop our luggage and head to the meeting."
...
But as soon as they stepped into the lobby, there wasn't the excitement they expected. Even though there were thousands of people gathered, the mood was strangely quiet.
Just one glance was enough for Hachiman to see the panic in their hearts. Some were already thinking of backup plans. For a school, this was clearly unhealthy. If it were just a few, fine, but now most students looked like this.
'Looks like this school trip is going to be more troublesome than I thought...'
Most students were completely distracted, some had already lost all confidence. In that state, no one even noticed Chapelle-sensei had stepped onto the stage.
"Bzz..."
It wasn't until he picked up the microphone that the students in the hall jumped like they had been shocked and finally snapped back to reality.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'll give a quick overview of the training camp. The schedule lasts six days. Of course, this time's exam will be different from before. Each session will be split into different groups."
"As chefs, the most important thing is, of course, cooking. For several days in a row, you will have to complete full cooking assignments. If your score falls below the instructor's standard, you'll be expelled immediately."
"Lastly, the details about judging will be explained by our guest instructors."
No one saw that coming. Students who had been absent-minded suddenly opened their mouths wide in shock, their faces full of disbelief.
"They are Totsuki graduates who took time from their busy schedules to come here." After Chapelle's words, the hall erupted in a loud commotion.
Yoshino: "Eh?!"
Ibusaki: "Graduates, huh? This is bad."
Tadokoro Megumi: "We're we're we're... doomed."
If Hachiman remembered correctly, Marui once told him that at Totsuki Academy, the number of students who could graduate was tiny, and most were already famous in the culinary world. And now\... they were standing right in front of them.
Of course, Hachiman's attention wasn't on them, because he noticed someone that shocked him even more.
The guy he ran into at the seafood market back in Chiba.
Dojima Gin.
"You there, ninth from the front row, the kid with the dead-fish eyes."
Just as Hachiman was thinking that, a red-haired Totsuki graduate wearing glasses suddenly pointed his finger straight ahead.
'That direction… don't tell me he's pointing at me. Just my luck.'
Although confused, Hachiman still took a step forward. But the Totsuki graduate only said softly:
"Sorry, sorry, the one next to you. Yes, you. You can pack up and leave the school now."
"Huh?" This time it was the student next to Hachiman who was confused, his face full of panic.
The man walked slowly down from the podium, gave him a quick glance, and then said with a blank face:
"Your shampoo smells like citrus. It will mix into the food and ruin the taste. For a chef, personal grooming is important. Looking sloppy makes your dish lose its shine. If you don't even understand that, you're never going to be a real chef."
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