2: Transfers
"Wake up, Furihata-san!" a gentle voice sounded. "Wake up, or you'll be late for school!"
"Unghhh… okay, mom!" I moaned, rubbing my eyes. Wait… My vision cleared, and I sat up in bed. Megumi stood in the doorway, dressed in her school uniform. "Yyyaaaaaaa!" I squealed, diving back under the sheets, realizing that I was still in my underwear.
"Ah sorry!" Megumi said, covering her eyes. "Um… get dressed, and come to the dining room for breakfast!" She disappeared.
Well, that was awkward! I climb out of bed and get ready, putting on my orange skirt, white shirt, and blue suit. Ahhh, one of my favorite parts of this school were the uniforms! They're so cute! I take a mirror and comb out of my suitcase, brushing my dark hair. Hmm… should I do anything special for the first day? Maybe a little braid? Nah, I can't be late. I put on a pink bow hair clip and head out the door. I don't think makeup is allowed, but I don't think I need it anyway… I mean, I guess I'm kinda attractive?
I go downstairs and find my way to the dining room, where the other students were seated around a long table, eating all sorts of delicious foods. As I arrived, all eyes turned upon me.
"Eh… h-hi," I squeaked nervously, fingering the edges of my skirt.
"Ah, morinin', Furihata-san!" Soma grinned. "Come eat breakfast with us! Everyone, this is our new dormmate, Furihata Nanase! Make her feel welcome, okay?" He introduced me to everyone else in the dorm: Sasaki Ryoko, Yoshino Yuki, Sato Shoji, Marui Zenji, Isshiki Satoshi, Ibusaki Shun, Aoki Daigo, Tadokoro Megumi.
After numerous "Nice to meet you"s, I began to eat. The food was delicious.
"Hey, you excited for school, Nanase? I mean, I could show you around, if you like," Daigo said, chuckling. Shoji elbowed him in the ribs.
"Bro, stop scaring the new girl!" he shouted.
"Dude, you're the hopeless one," Daigo shot back.
"Um, it's all good! I- I don't think I need any help…" I said.
"Aw, that's okay…" Daigo said, Shoji snickering beside him.
"Don't worry about them! I understand, you're scared cuz they're gross boys," Yuki, the twin-tailed, cheerful girl piped.
"If you want, you can chill with us," Ryoko offered. "Right, Megumi?"
"Mmm, of course!" Megumi agreed.
"A-alright," I said.
After that, we went to the entrance ceremony, in the schoolyard. Students were crowded everywhere, taking up every available space. The girls and I squished through the crowd, until we had a clear view of the stage. An ancient, old man stood, face scarred and angry. Beside him was a blonde girl, who looked very important. She also had a scowl across her face. The old man cleared his throat and spoke.
"Welcome, everyone, to Totsuki Academy! As you know, I am Headmaster Nakiri. I wish everyone a successful and meaningful year. Now, some of you are speaking of our school's new… policies. Yes, it is true. Due to… circumstances… we are opening our school up to many new students, hoping to become more accepting of people from all skill ranges. For first years alone, our class is twice the size of the second years. There are fifty new transfers in the second years, and twenty-five transfers in the third year. These students come from all around, so please make sure to help them feel welcome and treat them with respect." I noticed his vein popping as he said this. Is he just always angry? Or especially angry?
After we were dismissed, we went to class.
"Morning, everyone. I'm Mr. Chapelle, one of your teachers this year." The blonde man sighed, taking off his chef hat. "Normally, I would make this the worst day of your life. But now I can't. The headmaster told me that I had to… tone it down a little. Therefore, we'll begin our day with notes."
A murmur spread throughout the classroom.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Well," Ryoko whispered, "Chapelle-sensei is supposed to be a very, very hard teacher… And now this… It's all part of the new policy."
"Isn't that good, though? So we don't get kicked out for failing one assignment?" I said.
"Well, I guess…" Ryoko replied.
"Quiet down, quiet down!" Chapelle-sensei shouted. "Today, we'll be learning about the basics of French cuisine. Please find a seat and take out your notes."
There was a mix of sighs and cheers as we sat down around the cooking tables. Well, I didn't see anything wrong with the new policies. What's wrong with accepting more students and making the curriculum easier? I mean, I don't want to be expelled, you know! Well, I guess it does make the school feel less elite… but still….
"Furihata Nanase! Are you paying attention?" Chapelle-sensei shouted.
"Eh-eh? Y-yes!" I suttured, brought out of my thoughts.
"You look like a transfer student… I can tell. Right?" He questioned.
"Yes, I am."
"Well, can you tell the class what experience you have in cooking? Go ahead, tell them," he said, gesturing towards the rest of the class. I looked at the other kids, who were all staring at me.
"Um… well… I'm Furi-"
"We don't need your name! Cooking experience?"
"Um… er… well, I baked a few cookies for my class last year… and… I can make instant noodles! Ah, don't worry, I'm good at following directions on Google!" I said nervously.
Chapelle-sensei sighed.
"Okay. See? These are the type of kids we got comin in. I just don't understand what's going on this year!" he burst. "If you want to be part of our glorious institution, you better step it up. Because I will not have inept cooks tarnishing our academy's reputation!" He continued to lecture.
After class, we went to lunch in a massive dining hall, filled with exquisitely cooked, top-notch delights.
"Furihata-san, don't worry about him," Megumi comforted me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We all want you here," Yuki said.
"Yeah! You're welcome here, no matter what your cooking skill is. How could Chapelle-sensei be so rude? You're a human, too!" Ryoko ranted.
"Ehe, it's all good!" I said. "I do suck! That's why I wanted to come here, to not suck!" I grinned.
"Yeah! That's a great reason to come," Ryoko said.
All of a sudden, we heard murmuring around the dining hall. Everyone was staring at someone, who was walking down the aisles. People hastily cleared out of the way as she approached. It was the blonde girl from the entrance ceremony!
"Who is that?" I whispered.
"That's Erina Nakiri, the headmaster's daughter."
"Wait- is she coming towards us?"
Erina headed straight towards me, her determined eyes piercing mine. I quickly looked down at my pasta. Gulp. She can't be coming for me, can she?
Erina cleared her throat behind me.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" she said. What?
"Uh, oh, of course!" I said. Erina sat down next to me, straightening her skirt.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Erina."
"I'm very glad to meet you, Nakiri-san!" I said with respect.
"Furihata Nanase, is it?" She said, expressionless.
"Y-yes!" How did she know my name?
"You're a transfer student from Tohoku, second year," Erina said. "You have no cooking experience."
"Well, I have a li-"
"Are you aware of the reputation of our school, and what it means to be part of it?"
"Yeah. I aspire to become a great chef, and I will try my hardest to bring glory to our institution!" I said. The other girls were just staring.
"Good. You better. It was nice talking to you." Erina rose and left.
"Wow, that was creepy," Yuki remarked.
"I know, right?" I said. "I mean, she knew my name and everything!"
"Well, she is the director's daughter… I guess she's interviewing all the transfer students," Megumi said. "Also, you're from Tohoku?!"
"Yeah!" I said.
"I am too! Wow, you're my people!" Megumi said excitedly.
"Woah, I've never seen Megumi so excited," Yuki said.
"Really? That's so awesome! You gotta teach me our regional specials," I said to Megumi. Sigh, I wish I had practiced more cooking before I came… Everyone here is really special. I'm just a regular kid… I need to get better!
After I finished my food, I announced, "I need to use the restroom. Do you know where it is?"
"Oh, it's out there, down the hallway, then turn right, then left… here, I'll take you there," Ryoko said.
"No, it's fine, I think I can find it," I said, embarrassed. I don't want to be a burden on the others. I followed her directions, trying to find the bathroom. As I approached, three girls stepped in my way. A girl with straight bangs and a large chest folded her arm in front of me.
"So, it's one of the new kids, right?" She said, giving off an air of superiority.
"Y-yes."
"You sure you belong here?" She laughed. Ugh. My heart flared in anger, but I was too scared to do anything.
"I… think?"
Suddenly, someone came up beside me. It was a tall boy with black hair.
"Hey!" He shouted. "Stop bullying her!" He stepped in front of me. "I'm a transfer student too, and my family runs one of the best sushi restaurants in Nagoya! This girl may not be the best, but at least she's here! She's trying! She wants to be great! Don't take that chance from her!"
"Wow, big words from a transfer loser," the girl chuckled, leaving with her friends. The boy turned to me, brushing the hair out of his eyes.
"Sorry about them… They think us transfers are useless, tarnishing the school's reputation! They don't understand that we're here to become good! Isn't that the point of this school? If everyone was already good to start with, what would be the point?" he said.
"Yeah, that's true," I agreed.
"I'm Tatsuya Takahashi. Third Year." He held out his hand, and I shook it. Is he a foreigner?
"Ah, sorry about that," he said, bowing. "I got used to handshakes because I just came back from a year in America."
"Oh, that's so cool!" I said. "What did you do there?"
"Well, I studied a lot of different cuisines at this cooking know, my parents' restaurant is looking to expand their menu. How about you?"
"Um… I don't have much experience… sorry!" I said shyly, covering my mouth.
"That's completely okay! I don't like how everyone in this school is so exclusive and elite. Like seriously, everyone needs to chill!" Tatsuya said. "Well, if you ever need help, call me. You gotta be strong against these bullies. Don't let them put you down."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Sorry, but I really, really need to go pee! Byee!" I said, running into the bathroom. That was weird. Augh, why am I so awkward!? Man, that girl did not make me feel good at all. Well, Tatsuya was pretty cool.
After the day's classes, I was chilling in Megumi's room, doing homework.
"Er, and what was that spice again? Ahh, I forgot again!" I mumbled.
"Paprika?" Megumi piped.
"Aha! That's the one! Thanks, Megumi-chan!" I said, jotting it down on my paper. Man, this is some pretty hard stuff. Or I'm just bad…
"Uh, girls?" Ryoko popped her head in the door. "I think we're having more new residents… Like ten…"
"What? Really?" I asked. I mean, the more the better, right? But then again, I was already getting kinda comfortable with this small group… I kinda like it that way, you know? But whatever… we gotta welcome the transfers! I mean, I'm one myself! I stand up and head downstairs, with the other girls. At the doorway stood the other dorm mates, along with ten other newcomers. The guys were giving them a warm welcome, inviting them over to eat dinner.
"Let's go meet them!" I said. We went to the dining room, where a huge assortment of dishes were prepared. "It smells so good! Who cooked?"
"Oh, we were all out here cooking after class," Ryoko said. "Megumi-chan opted out so she could help you with your homework!"
"W-what? Aww, you didn't have to do that!" I said to Megumi.
"Oh, no, it's not like I cook well anyway…" she replied.
"Hey! It's you!" I heard a voice say. I turned to see Tatsuya, standing beside me. "You're dorming here?"
"Uh, yeah!"
"Wow! I guess a lot of us transfer students live far from home, huh. Oh yeah, meet Misaki Momoko! She's my old friend," Tatsuya said. Beside him appeared a girl with long, black hair.
"Nice to meet you," she said softly. Her eyes looked cold.
"You too!" I heartily replied. Momoko shook her hair out of her face and went back to her food.
"Is she angry about something?" I pondered.
"No, she's actually just like that around new people. Once you get to know her, she's a bit loud," Tatsuya explained. I looked over to where Momoko was sitting. Apparently, she was laughing and shouting with the people around her, who were all other transfer students.
"Well, she looks like she knows them!" I said sarcastically.
"Actually, she does… well… I mean, a lot of the transfer students know each other… because… well… never mind. Ah, I don't want to disturb you. See ya!" Tatsuya left.
Okay, Tatsuya's pretty nice, but he's kinda weird, too. If you know what I mean… I dunno, there's just something about him that's… strange! Meh, probably because he went overseas for a year. I met all the other transfers, who were all pretty nice and weird. Look, I know it's not nice to call them weird, but they are! Like I guess that's one of the differences between the elite and the others. I'm probably weird too!
I need to talk to them about this… you know, I don't like this difference. I'm gonna try and bring the old and new students together. Then again, my dorm mates seem pretty chill… But I don't know about the other students in the school.
These thoughts in my head, I went back to my room. I tried to finish my homework, but I just couldn't stop thinking. You know, I hope I can make a change during my time here. Yeah, it's cheesy, but still. Ughhh… I hope that my idea of "getting the students together" won't just end up with me hanging out only with the transfer kids… and perpetuating the problem… ahhh don't think about that. There's still a long way to go.
"Right, Megumi?" I said aloud.
"H-huh? What's right?" Megumi asked, looking completely confused as she entered the room, bringing my homework which I had forgot in hers.
"Oh, nothing," I replied.
