Capítulo 109: 106. Megumi todokoro predicament.(Bonus 2 of 3)
After some fighting, it was nearly ten o'clock before everyone returned to their rooms.
At nine o'clock the next morning, Shiraki arrived at the cooking room to which he had been assigned.
But to his surprise, what he saw was not the expected Kojiro Shinomiya, but...
"Everyone, good morning. Welcome to today's third assessment. I'm Hitoshi Sekimori. I'm sure everyone here saw me yesterday."
Hitoshi Sekimori, who was standing in front of the stage, looked around at the students below and seemed to be stunned for a moment when he saw that Shiraki was also among them. But he quickly adjusted his mentality and continued, "Today's exam question is 'sushi.' As long as you can make sushi that satisfies me, you can use the ingredients here as you like."
"This assessment is not divided into groups. Each of you submits a dish to me individually. The time limit is one hour. What will happen to those who do not complete it within the specified time, I believe I don't need to elaborate, right? Now, is there any problem?"
The students below were suddenly silent.
"Very good, then disband!"
Chef Hitoshi Sekimori gave the order, and many of the students who had already prepared immediately dispersed like birds and beasts, rushing to the back to select the freshest ingredients. Almost instantly, Shiraki was the only one left standing there.
"Chef Hitoshi, may I ask you a question?"
Looking at Hitoshi Sekimori, who seemed a little uneasy because of his lingering presence, Shiraki asked the question in his heart.
"W-What's the problem?"
"Can you tell me... Where is the examination room in charge of Chef Kojiro Shinomiya?"
"Shinomiya?"
Hitoshi Sekimori, who thought Shiraki was going to ask some topic-related question, was stunned but didn't hide it. He pointed directly to the gate. "His room? I remember it's in the cooking room opposite. What's the matter? Shiraki-san, do you have any business with him?"
"Not really. Then again, why do I think you're deliberately avoiding me, Head Chef?"
Shiraki looked at Hitoshi Sekimori with a puzzled expression, even using honorifics. In his impression, the other party had been normal until yesterday. Why did he seem like a different person today?
"Yes, yes, hahaha, it's your delusion, right?"
As soon as he was asked this question, Hitoshi Sekimori hurriedly touched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. He didn't notice himself unconsciously switching to honorifics or that his back was already soaked with cold sweat. For some reason, as soon as he saw Shiraki, he inexplicably recalled the feeling of being completely dominated. Although Shiraki was only a first-year student, he, a chef who had been famous for many years, couldn't muster any resistance—even if he didn't fully understand why.
This subconscious reaction only made Shiraki more suspicious. When had he become so terrifying? Even senior graduates showed the same expression as regular students when they saw him.
Thinking of this, Shiraki tentatively asked, "Chef Hitoshi, I think it's completely enough to pass this assessment at my level. Why don't you just let me pass?"
If an ordinary student dared to say such a thing in front of a graduate, they would likely face immediate expulsion. But after Shiraki said this, Hitoshi Sekimori didn't immediately refuse or order him to leave. Instead, he hesitated, sweating, then actually nodded.
"...That's right. This kind of assessment doesn't seem to be necessary. So even if you...you've already passed..."
Wait, what?! Seriously?!
Hearing this, Shiraki's first reaction was to wonder if Hitoshi Sekimori's brain had been damaged by yesterday's dish. Could his food really have an intelligence-reducing effect?
He'd only made this request jokingly, hoping to avoid wasting extra points on exchanging cooking cards. Even if Hitoshi Sekimori's reasoning was truly impaired, Shiraki expected to argue extensively before he agreed. But this easy acquiescence? Could it really be the aura of wisdom reduction?
Regardless, since Hitoshi Sekimori agreed to open the back door, Shiraki didn't hesitate. Taking advantage of the fact that no one noticed him, he quickly slipped out of the main gate.
Watching Shiraki finally leave, Hitoshi Sekimori let out a sigh of relief.
If this big demon didn't leave soon, he felt he wouldn't be able to stay a chef much longer.
---
Meanwhile, Shiraki stood at the door of the cooking room opposite, checking the time. At 9:11, Kojiro Shinomiya was likely still at the start. If Shiraki barged in now, he'd undoubtedly be deemed irrelevant and immediately kicked out. Better to wait for an opportunity to sneak in.
He lingered in the corridor as students emerged from surrounding cooking rooms. Some looked defeated, others relieved, clearly indicating the difficulty of the other assessments.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Shiraki slipped in alongside a group exiting the gate. Sure enough, inside, Kojiro Shinomiya sat on a luxurious chair, regal as an emperor, judging dishes presented by the students.
Megumi Tado stood in line behind two female students, nervously clutching a plate of vegetable jelly.
Seeing this, Shiraki guessed she'd gotten stale cauliflower again. He quickly pulled out a pair of kitchen gloves, put them on his right hand, and approached Kojiro Shinomiya, who was judging dishes.
---
"Sakurako Kurosawa, qualified."
The female student ahead of Megumi sighed in relief after hearing her verdict. Now, only Megumi remained in the cooking room.
Kohei Soma watched from the sidelines as Kojiro Shinomiya picked up a piece of Megumi's vegetable jelly with a fork and placed it in his mouth.
The scene was ordinary—until a sudden, jarring figure disrupted it.
Kojiro Shinomiya chewed the vegetable jelly and quickly declared:
"Megumi Tado, dropped out."
He scanned the room, noting that Megumi was the last student to submit a dish. Ready to announce the assessment's end, Shinomiya dismissed her withdrawal without concern, as casually as he'd expelled another student earlier during training for a minor infraction.
A chef unable to follow a recipe precisely wasn't needed at Totsuki Academy.
Just as Shinomiya prepared to rise and finalize the assessment, he noticed the students' wide-eyed, dumbstruck expressions. Confused, he glanced down—just in time to see a black-gloved hand suddenly shove a large dough ball directly into his mouth.
"Mmmmmmm!!!"
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