CHAPTER 1 : Stepping into the holy lands of culinary gods.
-'And as the documents indicate, each member of the council will be assigned a group of youth toward whom they are responsible, this year transfer exam's tasks will be chosen by the examiners themselves, in condition that the acquired task will test both the appliers culinary talents and field skills. Any further clarifications on the transfert exams, necessary paperwork and such, are on the document that each of you had purchased. With this, we dismiss the year's first Elite ten assembly.' finished the black-haired boy sitting at the opposite end of the round wooden table.
The roots of his loose black hair had a white shading, as if snowflakes were dusted over his crow black tuft. His sharp blood red eyes showed disinterest. Though, you could see behind that paper-thin façade, a fiery and ferocious passion that burns silently waiting to be released in the kitchen's battle field. His porcelain skin added a strange yet attractive edge to his sharp features, not to forget to mention his tall and muscular build. To be brief, he was quiet a sight to behold.
Organizing his scattered papers into a tidy pack, he took them and stepped toward the exit. As the large council room's doors opened in front of him, he was met by the sight of pale skinned boy, his fair hair was messy and uncombed, but his grey eyes along with his large round glasses just gave him a more formal and tidy look than expected. The moment he saw the older boy walking toward him, he bowed respectively and stayed in that position until his master motionned to him to straighten and to walk along him.
He was walking just a step behind the black-haired boy, keeping his eyes down and not daring to look up to the boy in front of him.
-' What do i have today?' the black-haired boy broke the long-lasting silence.
-' The upcoming transfert exams aside, you got a request from the director, asking you to choose the new first-year's valedectorian student among the generation elites'
-' Wow, isn't that obvious?.., anything else ?'
-'Alice-dono was looking for you the whole day.'
-'Mom ?'
-'Yes, she said she would like to tell you to go easy on the appliers and to not shred them to pieces for not serving an adequate dish.' He heard a giggle.
His mom can be pretty funny and childish sometimes, but that what makes her the best. He might be savage like his dad when it came to cooking, but he got the attitude of his mother. And he likes to trigger and troll her just for the sake of seeing his pout. Maybe when all is over, he will do something to tease her a little, maybe tell her he broke somebody's face because his dish was too salty, that would be fun. She thinks he is dog that needs to be tamed, but he is already taming his demons since forever.
-'Ok then, i am free right now, i have to go prepare some special ingredients for the transfert exams.' He said in a light-hearted ton.
-' Yes, i understand, Kyou-sama' replied the blond boy flatly, looking ready to fulfill any duty his master orders.
-' A top-notch culinary academy huh…' as the old rusty bus drove through the roads of Tokyo. She kept staring at the window, not caring about the kids shouts or the small fight that Kanna and Lua were engaged in over the place next to her.
She was silent for the whole ride.
The director, who was driving, peeked at her from his seat as they reached the red light.
-'Akane, are you ok ?' he said worriedly and her startled reaction didn't calm him either.
-' Uhh, me ahh yes i am' she stuttered in respond.
-'Mmm, are you still bitter about Mayumi's reaction ?' He said as he drove off the lights.
He heard her gasp which confirmed his hypothesis.
Indeed, the morning next to the director's announcement, they gathered the orphanage residents, and told everyone about Akane's next great life step. They were mixed reactions, the kids, most of them, were realatively upset but supported her even though, because they loved her like a big sister and wanted her the best. But the most unexpected reaction was that of Mayumi, who at the moment she heard the words Tootsuki and transfert, she fell to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. Ever since that day she locked herself in her room and stopped sleeping with the kids, and more importantly, she stopped talking to Akane or even looking at her. And today, the day she will be leaving, she refused to accompagny her to Tootsuki and bid a last goodbye.
-' I don't know what came to her lately, but maybe she is just a little sad about the fact that you are leaving, she always cherished you like a daughter of her so her reaction is quiet acceptable.' He said cutting the train of her thoughts.
-'Don't take it too harsh on yourself, i believe that in her heart, she is happy for you and that even if she doesn't show it she will support you anytime.'
Hearing his words, it made her heart feel warm, the director always knew what to say in every situation, he has always been the father that she never had.
-'Akane-san, don't worry Mama will come to her old self sooner or later so don't feel guilty' she was brought out of her trance with the feeling of a small hand on her own, and the gentle voice of Lua by her side.
She looked gently at her small companions, not only is Lua the only one looking at her that way, but everyone is. They are all worried about her and hoping for her best.
This is the family that she soughts for, the true family that didn't abandon her in the streets.
She felt the bus come to a stop. They arrived to their destination, her new highschool, the place where she will reach…
Well she didn't finish her sentence as her jaw hit the floor.
What the hell is this place ?
It is a premiere.
For the first time in forever, he is leaving this villa. He never stepped outside this gate, he grew here, he studied here, and he cooked here. But now, he leaves to another world, it is different, it is new.
-'Yamada, come on, we are gonna be late'
He was brought back to reality with the voice of his aunt, he realised he was standing at the gate step for a while now.
-'Ohh, yeah, here i come.' His bag slung over his shoulder, he stepped inside the black mercedes, and they drove away.
It was quiet, they didn't start a conversation or anything, or more precisely, his aunt didn't, she looked different, she was always talkative and energetic, but today she was calm and airheaded, as if she was thinking about something and dreading it deeply.
The ride was long and boring, if it wasn't for him worrying about his aunt, he would have fallen asleep a long while now.
Happily, they came to a stop, breaking the awkwardness, drifting his sight to the window, he couldn't believe his eyes, he had to brush his fist over his eyes twice and pinch himself to check if this was true. He wsn't dreaming, this was reality.
What he had before his eyes, was the sight of the enormeous school that stood gracefully on the hill, its huge buildings were camoflaged with the thick fog, but what stood out amoung the other buildings, was the giant japanese-style building on the hill's summit, it was unbelievable.
The car's door opened, and his aunt went out as if she wasn't surprised with the huge landscape in front of them.
He followed suit, his eyes not getting of the godly view.
As he stepped outside and closed the car door behind him, he felt two warm, fragile hands encicling him in a tight yet gentle hug.
-'Take care of yourself, Yamada' she whispered in his ear, her voice had a hint of sadness. Why, he didn't know.
-' I will, thank you Auntie Rindou, for everything, i won't let you down, i will dominate this school's pinnacle, i promise.' He said warmly, feeling a slight shiver that ran up and sown her spine. Maybe she was just sick, she slept the previous night outside, she should start taking care of herself a little.
-'Take care of youself too, Auntie, don't expose yourself to the cold wind too much okay, i don't want you to fall sick while i am absent.' He said worriedly breaking their contact, she sounded confused at first but then she just nodded.
Taking his bag, and hugging her one last time, he said : ' Here i got, Yosshi' walking to the Olympus of gourmets.
-' What am i doing ?' she muttered under her breath.
As the more he walked , the more he realised how big this place was, he might get lost. Dammmn, he started asking himself about what kind of school this was.
-'We love you Akane-neechan' his attention was absorbed by the warming sight of the most cute group hug ever, all those kids were hugging a red-haired girl, crying and snuggling into her. It was beautiful.
This place is…HUGE.
'My god this looks like one of those elite super-expensive schools, the sirector must've payed a fortune to get me just the application letter. Shit this is bad, the orphanage barely got with what to pay the taxes, and he uses the charity money for this, it is stupid. And if i ask about how much he payed he will just avoid the question.' She thought.
-'Akane-san' a voice called.
Hearing it, she spun around, only to find the kids with tears in their eyes, some of them were already crying.
-' Everyone'
-'We love Akane-neechan' they all shouted, catching her in a heart-melting hug. They got quiet some eyes on them. But they didn't care, they knew this was a lats goodbye for a long time. The director was just smiling from a distance, watching the scene blissfully.
As they let go, they shared one last group laugh, and they parted ways, as she stepped into her new home, holding in her heart, not only her dreams, but also the love toward her pseudo-family and their care for her.
-'You got quiet the nice family there' she turned around in the direction of the manly voice that addressed to her.
She was met with the sight of a tall , lean marron-haired boy, he had bag on his shoulder and was standing behind her , what captivated her were his eyes, a mixture of bright molten gold, and the shine of the vibrant amethyst, it was like something of a fairy tail, and they shone brightly with the sunlight reflecting through them.
Remembering his question and seeing his uncomfortable reaction to her staring, she answered :
-' They are not my real family, but i consider them like that though'He tilted his head confudely.
-' I am an orphin actually' his eyes widened for a moment before turning into a wistful expression.
So she is like him , she lost her parents. Huh.
Even though he doesn't know why she was ogling him a second ago ( it felt super weird, he thought he said something wrong, it is his first time engaging in a conversation with a stranger), he can totally relate to her state. Needing to prove something, that you have a value, that you deserve better.
It is painful.
-' My name is Kobayashi Yamada, nice to meet you, i lost my parents too' he said reaching his hand forward for a shake.
She looked taken aback for a moment, but then she gave him a soft smile , and took his hand and shook it.
-'My name is Fujidokoro Akane, pleased to meet you too'.
Their threads of destiny that broke years ago, intertwine once more.
