Shokugeki no Soma: Produits Préfabriqués

Chapter 1

The Gaming Chef

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy is the most famous cooking school in the world and a nessecary one for those youthful chefs who wished to be recognized as the world's greatest to attend. In this school there is only one way to settle problems between students, and that is with the coooking duel known as the Shokugeki. One of which is going on between two students as I speak

"Damn it... I can't believe I forgot the paprika... shit without it I'm going to have to change the recipe... but how?" a young man thought as he starts to lose his cool over an apparent clerical error on his part.

This young man was no more than 15 years old with black hair, green eyes with a scar going over his right one, a round yet still somewhat handsome face, and was about 5'6" tall. He was wearing a peach colored chefs outfit, with an orange stripe along with buttons running down the center, and a clashing pair of black lace-less leather shoes.

"Frozen already Shuzo Kubo? Or are you going to save yourself the humiliation of defeat and apologize to me now?" another a young man points out but in a vastly more arrogant tone of voice.

This 15 year-old young man was of African descent with dark colored skin to match, about 2-2.5 inches taller than this Shuzo, had yellow eyes, and a shaved head. Unlike Shuzo however; this man was far more casually dressed what with wearing a red polo shirt, black jeans, and a pair of light blue tennis shoes.

"You should worry about your own cooking Etana instead of trying to pick up something from my own." Shuzo said in such a cool and collected manner that it greatly contradicted how his internal voice sounded not too long ago.

Though nowhere near the size of the crowd the son of a certain special of the day diner drew in his first shokugeki, a crowd close to that size was watching this battle between two young talents go on.

"That other transfer student may have gotten lucky, but there's no way he can beat Etana." one student among the crowd said to a friend sitting next to him.

"Yeah no kidding. That other transfer student might not be risking his expulsion, but since Etana is one of the few guys here that specialize in African cuisine even among the teachers... there's no way that jerk can win." the friend of that student said in response.

Many more comments like this were going on, but the world should know from experience that no matter how skilled one side is... victory isn't guaranteed either way. Still a duel is about those participating in it and not observing it instead.

"You're right of course." Etana calmly says as he returns to his own workstation.

Etana had various pots, pans, knives, and several cooking tools of all kinds carefully stored on his side of the Shokugeki Arena, but as with all cooking challenges what's most important is what's being boiled in the proverbial pot. As Etana is engrossed in beating a unknown mixture with a whisk, one can see that not too far away lies the cracked remains of roughly 6-8 eggs and a bottle hastily labeled "Amarula Cream" turned on its side.

"I need to change up the recipe..." Shuzo thought as he continued to search for a way out of his current predicament.

Shuzo had nearly all of the same neatly arranged tools as Etana, but as for the ingredients... he had some milk, sugar, flower, eggs, cream, cinnamon power, and even salt resting gently in a large box next to a sealed cooler containing who knows what kind of ingredients. Among all of these, there's one ingredient Shuzo's eyes lock upon in specific.

"Cinnamon huh? Sigh... why am I thinking about what I made during the entr... that's it... I can make that to get rid of the metallic taste." Shuzo thought as he had a moment of inspiration right when he was about to step onto the precipice of defeat.

Now full of life one more Shuzo starts to mix some of the flour, eggs, salt, and milk he brought with him into a bowl with passion now that he knows there's a small chance he might pull through this shokugeki after all. Still... being a participant in one let alone being a student at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy was something originally far from his mind. Yet to explain how he's here now... that requires going back to the beginning.

"Are you awake young master?" an older sounding man asked.

That older sounding gentleman was actually a buttler in his late 50s or 60s, and he was knocking on the door to someone's bedroom... Shuzo's bedroom to be specific.

"I'm coming in young master." this buttler said as he gently turned the doorknob.

The door opened revealing a large bedroom cloaked in darkness as this dutiful butler walked inside. The only source of light in the room save for what's creeping through the open bedroom door is a flashing TV screen with a single video game playing on it. The light of the TV would have spread covered more of the bedroom were it not for a large mass on the floor right next to it.

"Sigh... not again..." the butler thought as he seemed to know what was going on as he flipped the lightswitch in the room and banished all of the darkness from it.'

Now that the butler can see, he finds that the mass on the floor next to the TV was actually Shuzo in a white t-shirt and pajama bottoms passed out over the still running game console as if he was using it for warmth like one would a fire place.

"Wake up young master, you passed out playing yours games through the night again." the butler said as he attempts to nudge Shuzo awake.

Now that there's light in the room you can see that it's rather large though nothing fancy by a wealthy man's standards, but everything in this room is still worth several years of even the most well paid middle-class worker's sallary.

"What is it Owari? It's 6:33 in the morning for god's sake." Shuzo said as he seems quite annoyed that Owari's constant nudging was able to raise him from an unconcious state.

"I apologize for disturbing your rest young master, but your father wished to see you at once before he's forced to leave on his buisness trip." Owari said in an apologetic tone as he explained the situation.

"Arghhh fine. Tell him I'll be there as soon as I get on a pair of pants." Shuzo said as he was now annoyed by the fact that he had to get on a pair of pants, but that was only strictly because of how tired he was.

The pants he got on was also nothing fancy by even middle-class standards. Getting back on topic; however, it was only a short distance to Shuzo's father's office yet in contrast with his son's room it was well decorated as a rich man's office should be.

"What's this about dad? I'm really tired right now so it better be good." Shuzo says to his father in a somewhat rude tone.

"Yes I apologize for disturbing your video game coma, but I wanted to ask one more time before you left. Are you sure that's where you want to go to school?" Mr. Kubo asks as he seems to be bringing up a subject that he's talked about with his son many times before.

"My dream is to be a video game designer dad, so yes I still want to go to Rengoku Academy since they offer some of the best programming and computer arts courses in the country." Shuzo boldly declared.

"I won't stop you if that's what you want to do then, but I refuse to help you pay for it." Mr. Kubo informed whilst seeming reluctant saying so.

In that moment all of the sleepiness was washed away from Shuzo's mind as if someone had decided to inject caffine directly into his bloodstream. It's quite clear that this news far from anything Shuzo had expected to hear today.

"What? Why? I mean I've put up with all those cooking lessons from private tutors you made me do just so I could go there. Besides... there's no way in hell I'd be able to pay for it on my own!" Shuzo yells.

"Your grandfather was a chef who built the company that pays for your food and puts a roof over your head under the premise of gourmet frozen dinners and bentos... then though I mostly manage the buisness rather than the cooking aspect now I still graduated from Tōtsuki Academy. Do you have any idea what people will say if I can't convince my own son to follow the family legacy?" Mr. Kubo said as he passionetly responds to his son's question with one of his own.

"You're seriously ordering this just because of an outdated social concept! That's completely rediculous!" Shuzo yelled before he turns to leave his father's office.

Shuzo doesn't even give his father a chance to respond, but instead he turns around and starts making the nessecary steps towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Kubo asks as his son had only walked 5 steps away from him.

"Back to my room to grab my cell phone so I can call mom, and have her get you off this vendetta you have against my career choice." Shuzo answered as he turned around to face his father.

"I'm afraid that's pointless." Mr. Kubo interjects before Shuzo could turn back around again.

"Why?" Shuzo asks both out of fear and curiosity.

"I wouldn't have had Owari wake you up if your mother didn't already agree with me, and you know it." Mr. Kubo explained as he's effectivley destroyed his son's only metaphorical path of retreat.

"Damn it." Shuzo thought as he now realizes that he's caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Still... I'm not such a cruel man where I'd deny my son a chance to follow his dreams." Mr. Kubo said as he starts to dangle a way out for his son.

"What do I have to do?" Shuzo asks as he starts to reach for this way out whether he realizes it or not.

Little did Shuzo realize that this way out was inactuality the bait on a fishing hook.

"It's really quite simple go to Tōtsuki Academy like how your older brother and Owari's daughter are and survive it's three years of hellish training. If you do I'll pay for your tuition to the best computer software focused colleges in the world as well as all of your other expenses as an adult, and I'll even throw in the best computer programming tutors I can afford to make up for the three years you'd miss at Rengoku Academy." Mr. Kubo said as he explains how lucrative the bait he's dangling in front of his son really is.

"Damn him... he knows he has me." Shuzo thought in much frustration as realized there's nothing he can do to turn the tables on his father and get him to change his mind.

"Well what will it be? Will you accept the deal I'm offering? Or will you attempt to pay for Rengoku Academy's tuition on your own?" Mr. Kubo asks as he makes it clear to his son with his tone of voice that this deal is off the table as soon as he leaves the room.

"Fine... I'll go to that damn school. When's the entrance exam for the high school section?" Shuzo asks as he realizes he has no choice but to accept his father's offer for the sake of his dream.

"This aftenoon, so I suggest you return to your room to get what sleep you can. Owari will explain the details on the way there for you." Mr. Kubo calmly answers.

"Yes... father." Shuzo retorts as he makes no effort to hide how incredibly irritated he his at this moment.

To Be Continued

Etana: Sorry no fancy chapter preview.

Shuzo: Next time on Shokugeki no Soma: Produits Préfabriqués "The Wrong Room".