Her luggage felt heavy, but not as heavy as her heart, as cliche as that sounded. She loved travelling, but there had always been a possibility of returning home. Her family didn't want her back, at least not until she graduated. What was the graduation rate? What if she didn't make it? Would that James guy take over with her sister?
She slammed her hand on her desk in frustration or rather desperation. How could they do this? Give the family business away to a stranger! What if he changed the place? What if he ruined all their hard work? What if he was using them to get an easy foot into the business? Their restaurant was already well known and praised by several food critics.
She had to return. She would graduate and show her family her true worth! They would finally see what they were missing once she was gone. Absence made the heart grow fonder after all!
Camilla slowly closed her bag and looked around her room one last time. She wouldn't be home for a few years. She wouldn't allow herself to return, she had to be strong at least until she surpassed James' skills.
The flight to Tokyo wasn't easy. She spent the entire time sleeping or sobbing. She had never had to travel for seventeen hours, especially not on her own, to a country she had never been to. As hard as this was, it was a necessary evil.
As soon as she arrived, she put on her best poker face and bit her tongue. She could barely speak the language at a middle school level and although many people were bound to be amicable, it would be hard to make any friends if she couldn't get past the usual questions.
It was ok, she had to focus on the important things. She wasn't here to make friends. All she needed was to pass all her exams and do what she did best; cook.
The entrance exam was a huge success, although most people shuddered and failed miserably from performance anxiety, she trusted in her skills. As long as she could cook without any restrictions and without anyone yelling at her, she flourished. The simple and yet beloved potato ensure an easy pass for the young girl.
"Excuse me, sir.", the dark-brown haired girl slowly approached her professor with a weak smile, "Would it be possible for me to take a few potatoes?"
He raised an eyebrow and was about to reject, but she quickly continued.
"I mean no disrespect but I just got off my flight this morning and I need an ingredient to be accepted into the Polar Star dormitory."
He sighed and shrugged, "This is an exception. Don't make me regret it."
She grinned and bowed to her supervisor before grabbing a few potatoes and rushing to the Polar Star, the only on-campus accommodation, the cheapest option, according to her parents, and her next hurdle. From what she had read that dorm was pretty far away.
The exterior left her baffled. Even if vines gave it a run down appearance, it clearly used to be a stunning building. She pushed open the heavy wooden door and peered into the seemingly abandoned chalet. A thick layer of dust covered most of the place, although marks of footsteps indicated that others had entered this place before her. An old, creepy lady appeared from the shadows making the young girl jump and cower in fear.
"I see you have decided to join us, Huber Camilla. I am Fumio Daimido, possibly your new dorm mother if you can pass my test."
"I hope I'm not late, Miss!", Camilla stuttered in broken Japanese. The mention of a mother left a bad taste in her mouth and made her heart ache. It had not even been a full day since she left home. The final hug she gave her mom had lasted long, but sadly not long enough in her eyes. To be fair leaving home and knowing she couldn't return in the foreseeable future meant that any amount of time was too short.
"Now, now, no need for that, what will you cook for me?"
Camilla smiled and presented the object she would cook with.
"Huh, potatoes? You want to impress me with that?"
Camilla grinned, "Where's the kitchen?"
"Amazing! This kitchen is even bigger than the one in my restaurant!", Camilla exclaimed, looking around in awe. The modern kitchen contrasted the rest of the building, from what she had seen and was rather unexpected. No old stove and cockroaches running around, just a pristine, restaurant-level kitchen.
"Yes, all the things you see are thanks to the Golden Era of the Polar Star."
"Were they important people?"
Fumio smiled, her eyes sparkling as she relished in her memories. "They are now. Back then they were students, just like you."
Meanwhile, Camilla took a look at the ingredients in the kitchen. There wasn't a lot of food here, but she could try to use the leftovers.
Although she had always been good at handling her kitchen utensils, exams never were her forte. She barely passed middle school, only shining in the kitchen. Luckily there weren't written entrance exams otherwise, she would have been bound to fail.
She grabbed a pot of water and waited for it to boil, as she peeled the potatoes and thinly sliced them. As soon as the water started to bubble, she tossed the slices in.
After butterflying a small package of veal, she pounded it with a mallet.
The old lady smiled at her, "What did that poor piece of meat ever do to you?"
Camilla smirked, "Not tender enough."
She tossed vinegar, oil, mustard, pepper, sugar, fresh parsley and chives, garlic and red onions into a bowl with some other ingredients and rapidly mixed them together. She poured the fluid into an ice cube container and put it into the freezer.
"What's that?"
"Oh, I'm just making some marinade ice cubes."
"Ice cubes?", Fumio asked bewildered.
Camilla smiled and tossed the al dente potato slices into some stock. "I need to cool this down, but I've noticed that the potatoes soak up the stock best when they are still hot. It's a fast method of cooling without diluting the flavour that I developed at my restaurant."
Once the potatoes soaked up some of the stock and became creamier, she added the vinegar cubes and made sure everything was incorporated, before placing everything back in the fridge.
As soon as that was done, she poured panko bread crumbs in a small bag and crushed them until they were fine. On another plate, she poured out some flour and some mixed eggs.
She salted and peppered the cut of meat and the bread crumbs.
"Veal Milanese?"
Camilla smirked, "Close." She brought out a block of lard and placed it into the sizzling hot pan.
As the lard melted, she dipped the meat into flour, then eggs and then crumbs. As soon as the coverage pleased her, she carefully placed the meat into the lard bath and moved the pan as the crust browned.
As soon as both sides were golden brown, she placed it on a rack and patted it with a paper towel. Camilla placed the potato salad in one bowl and the Schnitzel onto a plate.
"Please enjoy this serving of Vienna!"
Fumio looked at the dish. "That's a large piece of meat. It's pretty thin too, are you sure it didn't dry out?"
The grey-haired lady cut a small piece off the edge and observed the small piece of meat. "Ah, it's nice and crispy, but the inside is so tender and juicy."
She took a bite, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Such a delicate flavour. The lard complements the meat in such a beautiful way and the airy, light batter shields the meat, adding such incredible texture!"
Camilla smiled warmly, "Please try some of the salad as well."
"What's that green shimmer? Another oil?"
Fumio took a hesitant bite of the salad, her eyes widening. "The cold contrast to the meat and the acidity are so refreshing! The potatoes have absorbed the flavour, while the starch thickened the marinade. A beautiful exchange! The potatoes haven't turned soggy as well and the sweetness together with the slight spicy sweetness and crunch of the red onions enhance the dish! It reminds me of the sweetness of my youth!", she kept eating.
"Fumio, what's this commotion?"
A fair-haired young man walked in, wearing an apron. And that was it. Camilla turned away in shock. Was it normal for a half-naked guy to run around? Fumio clearly wasn't fazed by this. His muscular arms tensed as he spotted Camilla, but his expression changed to a sweet smile as he watched Fumio enjoy the dish.
"Oh nothing", Fumio paused wiping some crumbs with a napkin, "Just welcoming the newest member of the Polar Star. Welcome, Camilla Huber, you've passed!"
Camilla smiled confidently, although she had to shield her eyes and resist staring at the almost naked boy. How was this hygienic in any way? She was proud of herself, not only for her self-control but also her ability to cook.
"Huber? Where do you come from?"
Camilla smiled and raised an old, faded picture of her family restaurant that had been neatly tucked in her apron, "Austria, I was the chef at the Viennese restaurant Golden Deer.", he briefly looked at the picture and handed it back to her.
"We serve traditional Austrian cuisine, although I've been trying to add a Japanese flair lately, to my family's dismay.".
Her experiments had been an utter failure for the most part, but it still was fun and rewarding to finally find something that worked.
"Japanese and Austrian? What an odd mix of cuisines."
"Yeah, my mom's Japanese, so I thought it would be nice to deviate from our usual recipes. Anyway, please have some too, sir."
He let out a hearty laugh, "I'm only a first-year student myself, so please don't make me feel so old.", he cheerily exclaimed, taking a bite of the salad. Usually, it was the side dish but the sweet, acidic and yet savoury flavour stole the spotlight in this case. The potato, a simple and beloved vegetable came out on top.
"I added some different ingredients, but that's my secret to keep.", she smiled.
"Pumpkin oil, light soy sauce and sesame oil? What interesting additions.", she raised an eyebrow.
"I guess I couldn't hide something so simple from a skilled cook."
He shrugged, "You don't need secrets here, Camilla, you just need to work hard and have fun. We're family in the Polar Star dorm, although, I wouldn't mind a cook-off one day."
Have fun? It was rare that another cook didn't try to undermine her skills right away. On top of that, he told her to have fun? Her eyes sparkled in awe.
"Enough of this, Satoshi! She needs her rest while she can get it. You should know how stressful things will get.", Fumio nagged, grabbing the plate back from Satoshi and continuing to eat.
"Of course, what room is she in, Fumio?"
"Room number 207.", Camilla raised an eyebrow "I hope it isn't too far? I'm pretty beat after my flight."
"I can lead you there, neighbour.", Satoshi grabbed her bag and started walking. Camilla quickly took her keys and rushed after him, repeatedly telling him she could carry her own things. She didn't like receiving help. Favours only meant you owed something back. She tried not to lag behind to avoid a view of his butt.
"It's honestly not that heavy.", he started when they finally stopped in front of a door, "And you said you're tired. You're part of the family now, Camilla. We try our best to look after each other at Polar Star."
The sincerity in his voice melted her heart. Was it naive to trust someone so easily? Most definitely, but she couldn't help it. "Anyway, I'll be in room 206 if you need me.", she bowed to him and disappeared into her room.
The medium, minimalist room surprised her. There was a bed, a wooden desk by a large window that faced the garden, a simple bookshelf and a short coffee table. The style once again deviated from the exterior of the classic house and the modern kitchen.
She set her luggage down and took out the most important outfits. Her pyjama and her bathrobe. It was time for a nice soak.
After soaking in the hot bath for what felt like a year, she wrapped herself in a towel and a bathrobe and slowly crept out of the bathroom. Her skin was still steaming when she turned around the corner and spotted someone by her room.
"I'm starting to feel like you are following me.", she chastised, crossing her arms.
Satoshi laughed, "Are you calling me a creep?" he pointed at the door next to hers. "I'm just leaving my room."
"I see." she pulled her robe tighter around herself as she walked past him, "Then have a good night.". He smiled and nodded at her.
She wrapped her hair in her towel and tossed her bathrobe away before rolling into her cool bed. After the long flight and demanding entry exams, it wouldn't have been surprising if she instantly fell asleep. Instead, she stared at the ceiling and wondered how life would be. Although cooking for customers had become a routine, most of the time her mom was the one, who cooked her dinner. She also was so used to her mom doing her laundry. The more she thought about home, the more she realized how fortunate she had been. Yes, she had to work at the restaurant on most days, but she always had a home and a hot meal to return to and basically a loving mother, who also acted as her housekeeper. She rolled over and took a deep breath. Homesickness was inevitable, but that it would set in so fast and also hit her as hard as a bulldozer was rather unexpected. Usually, she loved travelling and going away from home. Her eyes watered as she took another deep breath. Maybe she really was a spoiled brat until now.
"Camilla, are you awake?", a creepy voice escaped from a few metal tubes beside her bed, tearing her from her train of thoughts.
"Well, I'm all alone over here.", Satoshi whimpered, pretending he was crying all alone. Her eyes briefly fluttered open, before eyeing the clock in frustration. It was almost midnight. Had so much time passed already? Did she actually doze off without realizing it?
Camilla sighed and stood up. "Give me a minute to get dressed before being creepy."
"That's great! Room 207! We'll be waiting here!" his former sad voice had completely vanished within a split second.
We? How many others lived here? Come to think of it, he seemed to be the only other person in this dorm when she arrived. Were they the first to come back? Where had all the other students been? Still in class or taking their exams? Maybe the others would be waiting in the room with him, to welcome her?
She stared at her reflection and groaned. Her hair looked as if a wet dog were clinging to her head. Camilla grabbed her brush and tried to fix it, but to no avail. Finally, she grabbed a hair tie and made a messy bun to hide her mop head. She slipped on her pyjamas and bathrobe and made her way to the neighbouring room. How many people were waiting on the other side? She gulped and hesitantly rested her hand on the handle. What if they didn't like her or didn't understand her? She knew basic Japanese, but having full blown conversations with several people at the same time? Her mom always wanted to teach her Japanese, but her teachers would become upset when she only spoke Japanese in class. Maybe if they had Schnapps for some odd reason or a beer. Alcohol supposedly makes people less anxious and better with foreign languages from what she read.
But even if she managed to get some coherent sentences out, what if they disliked her? She let go of the handle and turned around. It wasn't too late to pretend she felt ill. Tomorrow she would make sure her hair looked good and wear something more flattering than fluffy bunny pants, a faded panda top and a worn-out bathrobe. As she reached for the door handle of her room, the opposing door swung open.
"Come on Camilla! We're waiting!", Satoshi grabbed her hand, which made her flinch and pulled her in. Everyone stared at her expectantly, but nobody seemed fazed by the almost naked Satoshi.
She fumbled with her hands as she stared at the group of new people feeling more ridiculous than ever before. "Hi.", she awkwardly lifted her hand, "I'm Camilla."
"Welcome!", a bubbly girl with two orange buns called out, "I'm Yuki, this is Ryoko.", she pointed at a mature-looking, purple haired girl, "And this is Megumi!", an innocent blue haired girl waved at her.
She made her way to them and sat down, before getting introduced to everyone else. "Ryoko is like our big sister! You can ask her anything."
Camilla observed Ryoko. She did have a sisterly vibe that reminded her of her own sister, although Sofia loved telling others about her secrets after promising not to. Maybe Ryoko was more trustworthy? She looked kind and if the others said she was great, maybe it was true? She felt uncertain. "Thank you, I might take you up on that offer one day."
"I really like your top, it's cute.", Megumi shyly exclaimed with a small smile. Camilla smiled back and thanked her.
Even though all of them were incredibly kind, she felt a little uncomfortable. It was clear that they were a close-knit group and could joke around, but the new girl was, well, a complete stranger, who could barely get a word out.
Ryoko looked her way, her eyes widening when she noticed how uncomfortable Camilla must have felt. The purple haired girl brought out a large bottle. "I thought this would be a great occasion to celebrate with some rice juice."
Everyone cheered and brought out their cups. Megumi handed a cup to Camilla. Why were they so happy about juice?
Ryoko filled her cup, "I made this myself, so please be honest. I want to perfect my skills like everyone else here."
Camilla slowly raised the cup to her lips as everyone else chatted away happily. Instead of juice, the rich flavour of rice wine hit her tongue. The unexpected difference almost made her spit out the beverage, but as soon as it coated her mouth and she swallowed her body felt as if it had been embraced with pure warmth. She took another big gulp. "This is delicious! Much better than the stuff I've had back home."
Ryoko smiled happily, "I'm glad you enjoy it. My family specializes in Koji and fermentation, so I've had some experience with making rice juice. It's fun to try some other ingredients once in a while."
After a couple cups, Camilla started to feel her cheeks heat up as the delicious juice was rather strong. She ended up joking and chatting with everyone all night. This was going to be her new family for the next years and she wouldn't have it any other way. They were goofy, maybe even slightly crazy, but accepting and loving. Something she had craved for years.