"France has one of the top culinary countries in the world. It's said that's it's similar to Tōtsuki Academy in japan. Anyone who manages to get a graduation certificate is well regarded for being a top chef in the culinary world. Wouldn't you like to go Zac?"
"Ermm i'm not sure, i would be good enough to go an academy like that." he said while he kept stirring his tea.
Zack was 15, his hair was brown with blonde streaks. Zac liked to wear a lot of baggy clothes, usually wearing a baggy hoodie with baggy jeans. Zac loved to cook, especially at his grandfather's restaurant. His grandfather's restaurant was a small, but spacious. Zac learn't most of cooking skills from his grandfather, due to his father being always off away cooking for top hotel owners around the world.
"So you don't want to go to france's top cooking academy?, I remember when i went everything was so fresh and exciting and that's where i met your father. He was such a hunk back then and his cooking was divine." it was like Zac's mum's started to get intoxicated by the love flums she was letting out.
"Mum that disgusting i don't wanna know you and father met" Zac's face disgusted as he pulled out his chair at the dinner table, putting his cup in the sink."
"Well Zac please make up your mind soon, because it will not be long before they don't accept anymore students." his mum shown a concerning look.
"Like i said i don't want to go a cooking academy that A, i don't think i'm good enough for and B, i don't wanna cook for some bigot who doesn't get my cooking." Zac stormed off from the kitchen, making his way towards his house's front door.
"When i come back that application form better be in the trash." Zac slammed his front door as he walked out.
Zac's mum picked up her phone, with a devilish grin.
"Make sure you get him to accept to the terms."
Now Zac what's going to happen when you get back home.
"Hey grandfather i'm coming in." Zac pushed open the door. When the restaurant door opens a bell rings out echoing around the building.
"Zac come on into the kitchen." an old man shouted from another room. Zac entered the kitchen through the restaurant's bar area. Zac's face dropped as he went into the kitchen.
That badge, he's from...
"Hey grandfather, what's a guy like that doing here." Zac's grandfather had longish grey hair tied up into a ponytail. Zac's grandfather was wearing all of his restaurant's cooking uniform. A plain red shirt with the restaurant's name The Dancing Cow knitted into the shirt, with chef trousers, and a white apron.
"Old man, is that the best you can do? This restaurant is mine then." Said the young man with his hair held back with gel, his face in absolute glee. The young man approached Zac. Zac's glared at the young man with hostile eyes.
"Who do you think you are coming into my grandfather's restaurant?"
"Who do i think i am ? I'm Chad Cuben from france top cooking academy." Chad supported the academy uniform. A black blazer, white shirt and a red and black tie, with black suit trousers. On the blazers outside pocket was the academy's emblem. The emblem was napoleon on his horse towering over a knife and fork.
"I've beaten your grandfather for ownership for his restaurant. Hey, what do you think about my new plans for it." chad starting to laugh maniacally.
Chad whispered into Zac's ears.
"I'm going to knock it down and replacing with one my family's main stream restaurants, How does that sound." Zac felt like he was getting wrapped up by a snake as it started to consume his entire body.
"Never!"
"Well how about you shokugeki me for it? It will not be here though let's say at Europe's most prestigious culinary school, Dévorer Academy?" Zac started tensing his fist, his rage and anger wanting to burst out.
"Fine, i'll settle it there, until then you do nothing with this restaurant understood?"
"You've got my word, until then." Chad casually walked out of kitchen. The restaurant's bell rang out as he left the front. Zac ran over to his grandfather side.
"Why did you accept his challenge." Zac inquired, pulling a distressful face.
"Because, No one discards my family ever as trash." Zac's grandfather said as he bend down on the steel kichen top in defeat.
"I've never been an expert like you or father are, but if this devour bastard thinks he can come here to take away my family's business he's got another thing coming."
Zac stormed into his house, bursting through his front door. His mum started putting on fake concerned look.
"Zac, what's the matter?"
"I've decided i'm going to that academy, there's a bastard there who just took over grandfather's restaurant." Zac's eyes burned with a confident flare.
"Oh is that so, Well i'll go pack your stuff then." Zac's mum smiled, as she turned away she made a malevolent grin.
Now that so called restaurant is gone, you can go learn proper cooking.
Zac made his way to the front gates of Dévorer Academy. The front gate was a massive french archway similar to the one in France's capital, just on much smaller scale. Zac was unable to believe the scale of the culinary academy's campus.
I know my mum said it was big, but she didn't say it was virtually size of town in France!.
Lots of students walked up a big grand cobbled path way, leading up to grand white building.
Zac entered the building. Zac started looking around, lots of chairs were in placed in front of grand opera stage.
Within minutes, most of the chairs filled. The front doors that people entered into the opera house slowly started to close. A lone male student desperately ran towards the front doors as they closed.
"Please wait, Im begging you!" the student shouted in desperation, his face covered in despair as the doors closed.
Zac started to look around, looking confused, all while hearing faint whispers from groups of male and female students.
"Did he really think he would be allowed in because he was late?"
"If he's late to this, how does he expect to cook without time management?"
The lights suddenly went off, On the opera stage a spotlight appeared in the middle.
An oldish man appeared, Wearing a top of the line black suit. His face wore two scars above his eye brows. Knitted onto side pocket of the blazer the academy's badge.
"Hey, i know I've done this thousand times by now, you would think i would know my lines by now." The old man paused for a moment, and then coughed loudly into the microphone that he held.
"Well it looks like I've forgotten them." The old man said while smiling casually.
What the heck is this old man? for being the academy director. He sure doesn't come off as the strict guy everyone says he is. Zac contemplated while staring at the old man. The mood shifted on the stage, the old man mood changed from lighthearted to serious in an instant. He began scanning every student within the room.
"Looks like we've got some serious chefs here today. That act usually catches a few people out and they let their guard down." The old man lips started to form a terrifying Grin.
"Good, that's what i like to see."
Why is everyone in this room right is fully focused on him?. It's like an almighty food god preaching to willing subjects. Zac snapped back, focusing on the old man's worlds. Sweat started to drip from zacks forehead, slowly running down his face
"My name is Michel Rou, i'm the academy's director." Michel started to pace around stage floor, glancing around every student in the room
"Dévorer Academy rules are simple. Devour the competition. Only the best chefs can survive by devouring other chefs. The best chefs don't just devour though, they take what they eaten and make it their own. That why i named this culinary academy dévorer academy." The old man briefly paused. Suddenly with in an emphatic presence he shouted down the mic.
"Let your cooking drive you forward and devour anything that stands in your way!"
I can't help thinking i'm missing something…
As the old man started to walk off the stage, Zac shouted out
"Hey, old man, what ever happened to the exam in order to get a place here?" The old man raised the microphone back to his mouth.
"You must not have listen early." the old man turned towards Zac, who stood out in the crowd of students. The director's eyes pierced directly at Zac, like sharp knives.
"You must have gotten this academy mixed up with Tōtsuki, while we do share some similarities. we don't do entrance exams, because how can the predator prey relationship work when there's no prey?" most of the students within hall, all faced towards Zac. The students began to grin, the sound of their lips twisting.
This academy, the students. It's like i'm eye'd up by group of bloodthirsty tigers and i'm the helpless prey.
Zac gulped, as fear starting to engulf him.
Chad stood watching from one stage balconies, grinning as he looked on at Zac predicament.
"Just accepting my challenge. You've just stumbled into a lion's den and the only thing on the menu, is other lions."
Later on that day. Zac headed towards his allocated dorm.
"The hills in this place are no joke, you would think they built this place on top of a mountain." Zac grunted as he dragged his feet up a steep hill heading for his dorm.
Coming up the hill a sound of scooter, the scooter started to slow down as it approached Zac.
"Hey there, you wanna lift? i know i'm not meant to have two people on this scooter, you look exhausted." the male student asked.
"Thanks alot, i really owe you one. This place is massive beyond belief." Zac said clenching his hands for safety around the male students waist.
"No problem, it's a lot easier for us second years because we're old enough to ride scooters, so it helps a lot getting around." Zac's eyes started to sparkle like stars.
"No way! I thought most of the second years would have been devoured already." the male student let out a little chuckle.
"Haha, well that is our academy's motto. Oh my name is Alan Wonderfield."
"Yeah, maybe i should give my name, Zac Hesselgrave" Alan sly glanced over his shoulder, looking directly at Zac.
"Whats up?" Zac's face showed a curious look.
"Nah, its nothing. Which dorm are you staying at?" Alan quickly smiled as he turned his head back.
"Ermm i think it's the columba dorm."
"That's quite lucky then, because that's where i'm heading right now."
Zac thought for moment
"Wait a minute this isn't some kind of freshman beat up is it?" Zac started throwing a childish tantrum.
"I don't wanna be devoured yet!"
Both of them arrived at the dorm. Alan took off his helmet, revealing short blonde hair pushed down from where the helmet had been.
"The dorm kinda small don't you think?" Zac said standing in front of the dorms authentic wooden gates. Both of them heading through the gate going straight to the front door.
The dormed looked like an old victorian cottage, the building was white with black around the windows. The roof was covered in hay.
"Wow, look at all the plant varieties, there must lots of different herbs here." The front garden was covered in herb plants from coriander, to sage and all other seasoning herbs.
"You're amazed at this?" most of the students here have to grow everything from scratch. Although i hate being the garden."
"I love being in the garden, reminds of the british countryside." Zac said with gleeful smile on his face.
"Hope you're ready." Alan twisted the old wooden doors knob, walking straight into the dorms hallway. Zac entered strolling casually inside.
"I'll tell you what i'm ready for, bed i'm exhaust…" Zac's face suddenly dropped. Inside laid a table with were number of ingredients and a microwave.
"Whats going on?" Zac inquired towards Alan.
"Our dorm sets up challenges for new dorm members."
An middle aged women started to cackle as she entered the hallway. She had black hair tied up in a bun, she wore simple white top with an apron wrapped around her waist. The hallway was pretty large, there were number of staircases leading off into different parts of the dorm.
"This, my boy is the microwave challenge. While the cooking you'll be doing is mostly done on stove, however this will be done using a microwave. I suggest you pull your knives out because starting now you've 10 mins to complete this dish and if isn't up to standard you aren't qualified to stay in an academy like this. START!"
Zac quickly searched through his belongings, picking out his knife kit. The knife kit was wrapped in thick linen, he slammed into on to the table, untying the knot that stop it from coming loose. Zac swiftly pulled out his custom chef's knife from the kits sleeve and instantly started chopping. Alan looked directly at Zac face while he cooked, intrigued with what ingredients he'd chosen.
"Hey Ellen, you don't mind if i stick around and watch do you?"
"I'm not really fussed, my boy."
Zac's intensity switch immediately from what it was before, as soon as he picked up his knife. It's like an old samurai turning into raging machine as soon as he picked up his trusty katana.
The sound of chopping,cutting, and pinging filled the room for the next 10 minutes. Zac solely focused on the task at hand, his face determined. With a final ping of the microwave. He'd placed the dish onto the table. The dish contained what looked like a fried egg, the yolk perfectly firm yet still soft, freshly diced onions and asparagus, with a little finely chopped parsley.
"Done!" he shouted, putting his knife down onto the table. Ellen approached the table, she bend down to smell the dish.
"Hmm, smells good, my boy, looks bit too simple though if you ask me." Ellen picked up a knife and fork at side the plate, plunging straight into dish. She cut off a bit of asparagus, mixing it up with bit of onion, then she plunged the fork straight into the eggs yolk.
"This yolk it's...perfectly yolky, but the egg it looks like a normal fried egg". The perfectly golden yolk flowed through the asparagus and onion. Zac slightly flinched when Ellen shoved the fork into her mouth.
"This, this this… This is AMAZING!. It's like i'm getting showered in perfectly golden egg yolk. It's like the chickens are dancing on top the table made of asparagus!"
Alan rushed over grabbing a fork from the table, quickly diving into the dish.
"Damn, this is delicious. By any chance did you get the egg yolk to stay yolky by… Zac butted in mid sentence
"Yep, i cling filmed the microwavable container when i cracked the egg into, that way the egg white was firm and yolk still stayed soft. The asparagus and onions i heated up some boiling water straight away, then added the asparagus and onion into the boiling water, cling filmed it and virtually let it steam itself."
"Well you've passed for me, welcome to columbia dorm my boy." Ellen wore a delighted smile.
Zac sighed with relief, collapsing onto cold hard wooden floorboards.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN HERE AND MEET THE NEW DORM MEMBER!" ellen shouted, her voice echoed around the dorm. The sound of steps started shuffling across the dorms corridors.
First to come down was a male student,wearing his school uniform. He hug his blazer around his back, with his shirt tuck out, His tie was untidily shoved into his blazer outside pocket. His hair quiffed and colored white.
"Hag, why is it you shout everyone when there's a newbie?" the male student said casually scrolling down the stairwell that lead from his dorm room.
"Joe, keep calling me hag... never mind you'll keep calling it me regardless."
"AMANDA WAIT UP!" a girlish voice shouted through one the dorms corridors.
"YAHOO!"
Within a brief second a female student ran out the corridor, sliding down the staircase banister. The energetic girl had long bleach blonde hair. She wore grey jogger shorts, with a white long sleeve top.
Another girl slowly creep around the corner.
"Amanda, Ellen said that you shouldn't be sliding the staircase." the shy girl cried. The two girls looked identically in facial features, with the timid girl wearing glasses and her bleach blonde hair tied up with a blue ribbon. She walked down carefully down the stairs holding onto the banister.
"Hurry up Anna, you're always so slow." Amanda pouted, as she turned away from the staircase.
"Oh, you two are here as well i see." the energetic Amanda smiled.
"The hag, shouted us to meet the new dorm member." Joe snuffed.
Joe and Alan glanced over at each, Joe let out a confident smile.
"You better be ready in 2 weeks time, I really wanted to avoid you the best i could before our shokugeki."
"Alan, ever since you accept his shokugeki that's all he's been talking about." Amanda snorted
"Yeah but,at the end of the day i'm attempting to achieve my goals, unlike you."
Amanda quickly turned away for Joe in a huff.
"I guess my fast food style cooking isn't good enough huh?"
"Good food doesn't come fast, fact. Your sister knows how to cook correctly." Joe barked
Anna started to blush, as she slightly adjusted her glasses.
"I think my slow cooking techniques aren't really that good."
"Lets not get into a debate who's cooking techniques are the best now" Alan said, while showing an uneasy smile.
"All cooking techniques aside. I can't wait to break that smile of yours Alan, in our shokugeki."
Alan sly glanced over with a mischievous smirk across his face.
"Is that so?"
A couple of minutes had past. Ellen started to tap her foot repeatedly in anticipation.
"Girls, have you seen harumi around? She still hasn't shown up yet."
Amanda looked at Anna and shrugged.
"Haven't seen her since this morning ceremony, although i know she hasn't been here very long, so she might have gotten lost." Amanda replied
"Well it doesn't matter anyway. Welcome our new columbia dorm member Zac Hesselgrave.
All the students present raised slightly their eyebrows in a little jolt of shock, beside Alan.
"So where is he?" Amanda face turned curious. Ellen turned around to face towards Zac.
"What do you mean? Boy say hello to your new dorm…" Ellen nudge towards the table, leaning over the table.
Zac laid goofy on the floor fast asleep. Zac arms and legs were spread out all over the floor.
Amanda rushed over to Ellen.
"HE'S A SLEEP!" Amanda cried out, her face unamused.
"Well i'm off then i'm not waiting for him to wake up." Amanda said as she darted back up the stairs.
"Anna you coming?"
"Coming!, Good night everyone." Anna kindly said as she carefully went up the stairway.
"This was waste of time hag, next time make sure he's willing to actually speak instead drooling." Joe casually climbed back the stairs. When he got top, he looked down towards Alan with a menacing glare.
"I can't wait to see what chicken dish you're going to make alan." Alan casually smiled back
"And same for you, Joe." Alan swiftly faced away from joe.
"So Alan, you going back to your room as well?"
"Nah, i think i'm gonna wait for Zac to wake up."
Ellen looked at Alan with intrigued look.
"So i see he's peaked your interest a bit, it seems."
"It would look that way" Alan grinned.
Zac suddenly darted up from his slumber. He slowly made his way to his knees, peeking out slightly over the table. Sitting on a simple wooden was Alan with an empty chair next him. He sat there still in full uniform, his tie slightly ruffled. Alan sat there reading.
What the heck is he doing? Was he seriously watching me sleeping?
"Oh, i see you're finally awake Zac." Alan looked over the top of his book. He casually closed his book, and placed it down on the floor.
"The Japanese seriously know how to write a good cooking manga."
"Ermm, how long were i asleep for?" Zac questioned, looking clueless.
"A good couple of hours, our dorm likes to do a meet and greet when someone makes through the challenge tests, and well the other students went back to their dorm rooms, that being said we did do that challenge little late. Alan quickly glanced over at clock above the dorms kitchen door.
"So it's just coming to eleven o'clock"
Zac started to scan the room, his eyes shifting from one place to the next. Zac got to his feet, quickly dusting his trousers off of any dust.
"Looks i'm going to have to find my dorm room now" Zac sighed with gloom written across his face. Alan bolted up from his chair, as zac began to pick up his belongings.
"Before you go you must be hungry, i'll make you something quick to eat if you want"
As zac heard those words, his belly began growl furiously. Zac's face lite up with delight
"That would be great thanks." Alan grabbed a couple leftover ingredients from the table.
"I'll stick to the egg theme then since we've still lots of them." Alan made his way to the dorms kitchen, his hands full of cooking ingredients.
"You couldn't turn on the porch light could you, its pretty dark in here, if we turn on the hallway lights, the lights are gonna shine into everyone's rooms."
Five minutes later, Zac waited on the chair, flipping through the pages of Alan's manga. The kitchen door pushed open, Alan casually strolled out, his left hand holding the plate.
Alan passed the food over to zac, He quickly grabbed the plate.
"Enjoy." Alan said with gentle smile.
"Thanks" Zac eye's went wide, The food perfectly presented like a restaurant quality dish. The dish was simple, it was piece of flat bread with a poached egg on top. Sitting on the top of yolk was small sprout of parsley.
It's just me, why would he go out of his way to make something of restaurant caliber? Not mention it only took him 5 minutes to produce such a thing.
"So why not tuck in, Zac" Alan's face mischievously smiled.
"Shouldn't there be a knife and fork to eat this?"
"Normally yes, but it's just us two so i wouldn't worry about that." Alan showed a confident smile.
Zac gulped as he slowly picked to the bread holding the white fluffy poached egg. Zac bit into bread and egg together, the yolk busted all over the bread, dripping off on the plate.
This dish, the premise is simple. It's only bread and egg but, it's way more than that. There's hints of all different kinds of herbs coming off the bread. As the bread been soaked in herbs?
On top of that the yolk from the poached egg, mashes together so well! It's like a war between the egg and bread as finally came to end and joined together to make this dish.
Zac's eyes scanned the dish closer.
Spring onions? There carefully placed under the egg where the yolk would be most concentrated.
Zac went carefully in for another bite, trying not egg yolk everywhere as it continued drip through the bread.
The onions! The bread! The egg! All come together to make a dish like this. His cooking is...
The mood in the room tensed up, Alan's face turned with hard stern look.
"So do you understand now, what this academy is all about?" Zac was unable mutter words.
"Two ideas the director loved from Tōtsuki when he visited the academy in his youthful days."
Zac began to speak slowly and timidly.
"Shokugeki, right?"
"That was one the idea's yes. Zac most people have a goal when they come here. What was your reason for coming here?
Zac's hands started to make a fist, they began to shake as he tensed.
"Someone from this academy, challenged my grandfather to one these shokugeki, taking his restaurant away. He said coming to this academy and challenging him was the only he wouldn't knock it down and replace it, with one of his family's food chains."
"Did he give his name?" Alan curiously asked.
"Chad Cuben"
The mood shift ever more dark and sinister. Alan cracked a sinister smile, his eyes glared intently at Zac.
"The second idea was the concept of the Elite 10."
Zac's face shone with fear, trepidation came from Zac voice as he muttered.
"Elite 10?"
"The director liked the idea of 10 elite students who ruled over the other students in the academy. The elite 10 would gain access to valuable information, that normal students wouldn't be aloud to see, making their rise to the top ever more greater and it would push normal to students to pursue the ranks of the elite 10.
Alan adjust himself slightly in his seat. Zac couldn't responded.
"10 seats available and only 10 out of an entire academy of students." Alan briefly paused.
"Zac, when you said to me on the way here, 'you're a second year, how did you not end being devoured?' Did it ever occur to you that i was the one doing the devouring?"
Zac face sank deeper into despair as Alan uttered his words.
"I'm an elite 10 member, 9th seat Alan Wonderfield. A pleasure."
If this is the level of his cooking then, what about the other elite 10 members?
"You said something early about beating Chad Cuben in shokugeki right? Well you've taste only fraction of my cooking."
"A fraction?" Zac's fists no longer tensing.
"Chad Cuben is the 5th seat of the Dévoure elite 10."
Zac slumped down on his chair, his face filling up with overwhelming despair.
Well, this way longer then i expected. I know this isn't really what most people want to see on this website, which is understandably. I really didn't know where i could post this other then here since it really is fanfiction since its based in SnS world, even if it isn't the same characters everyone knows. That being said I couldn't help shake this feeling that surely that this grand cooking academy in japan isn't the only one of its kind and so this piece came to be. I'd love to do more which i'll do when i have a another writers block from my main novel I've been working on.