Chapter 22: Stagiaire Two: Day Five

The Soft Opening

'Shino's Tokyo'

Exhilaration and delight turned instantly to trepidation and nausea the moment Chef Kojirō pushed the kitchen double doors open exclaiming. "It's time".

Sōma had faced service time many times before: the Yukihira diner, his time with Ikumi improving the Sumeridori shopping district, the training camp from hell, the autumn elections and most recently from Mitamura's...

But this time, standing inside a proper Michelin Star kitchen made him, for the first time ever, question his judgement about his dream. As well as his the rightness of whether or not he was worthy of being here.

Shaking the jitters from his mind, he moved forwards and placed some pots and pans down on his work station with a soft clang. Immediately, the imposing voice of Chef Kojirō responded, "quiet! Do that again and you're out". Flinching, at the severity of the older chefs tonality, Sōma refocused himself with finalising the sauce for the main chicken fricassee, that Lucie was cooking, whilst simultaneously keeping an eye out if Abel needed assistance or if Wei came into the kitchen asking for something for any of the customers outside.

With all that he was doing, the expectation from him by Chefs Kojirō and Abel, Sōma was just about managing to keep up with the demand of the kitchen. 'Mirepoix... prepped earlier, another to be completed' he mused.

"Sōma I need you to prepare the langoustines and strain the chicken consumé", Lucie spoke. "Yes chef", the boy responded placing the second tray of mirepoix next to Lucie before he moved off towards the cold store, where the langoustines were and proceeded to select the best ten. As he was washed them and placed them in boiling water, Wei's voice caught him and the room by surprise.

"Table four has finished eating, and are awaiting their next course".

"Sōma, where are the prepared chicken livers?" Lucie uttered, looking towards him. 'Crap!'

"I'm sorry... I" he began but was interrupted by Kojirō. "Wei tell table four that their food will be coming in five minutes. Lucie cover table one for me. I'll help Wei at front of house, and Abel... clean up the kids mistake".

Sōma looked forlornly at the floor as he was sidestepped by Abel who harshly reminded him of his 'stagiaire status' and not to get cocky about being on "equal footing" with them just because he had been granted the opportunity to work with in an elite kitchen. "Sorry chef, I will improve", Sōma spun around and began to continue his duties, stunning Abel as as it appeared as though Sōma hadn't felt the admonition.

"Langoustines, prepped and ready" he stated handing off a tray to Lucie, before moving towards watching over two simmering pots. 'I will not falter... by the end of soft opening I will be a valuable member of the team!' He told himself, forging that will into his minds eye. Missing the look of surprise on Abel's face and the expression of glad determination from Kojirō, Sōma continued with his stagiaire task.

—-

Hours and hours of practice and theory tests, getting him used to the inner workings of Kojirō's kitchen, at a pace that nearly worked him to the bone greatly excited him. And which he never complained, stating that he was grateful to learn from his experiences. Positive and negative. Sōma spent so much time continuing to improve and learn, that Abel and Lucie has to drag him outside for a walk in the fresh air.

Yet, even then, the boy still bugged them with questions and ideas for his own self improvement, which made the two adults inwardly smile.

When he had first begun asking questions, he had received pushback from Abel, who had continuously tried to berate the boy for any mistake he had done but upon noticing that the students prep work was better and guan increased service times, the head chef allowed Lucie to answer any and all of Sōma's questions.

Slowly. Sōma became more and more confident with the new techniques being expected of him as an intern at Shino's Tokyo branch. "Well look at you", Wei remarked as she reentered the kitchen and picked up a tray awaiting delivery to the next table. "I was worried at first but it's clear now that you have learned well, and moved past your mistakes".

"You truly are indescribably focused", Abel appraised, a small smile on his face, as he placed a hand on the redheads shoulder.

Lucie, Wei and Abel were interrupted from their praise of Sōma by the chef owner walking into the kitchen announcing that the first of the arranged clients were arriving. "Sōma, give it your all", he stated walking past to his station. "Let us begin a new round of customer serving!"

"Prepared", Sōma exclaimed handing over a tray of tomato and garlic marinated salmon fillets over to head chef Blondin. "Good, now..."

"Blanch the asparagus and the spinach?" Sōma preempted, to which Abel nodded his head. "Sorry could you make me béchamel sauce", Lucie interjected. Looking forwards Sōma noticed the look on Kojirō's face, which was the look he recognised as meaning 'go ahead'. "Sure I'm on it!"

Watching the boy move away to undertake his new task made Kojirō realised the parallels between him and Sōma; they were both stubborn in their culinary beliefs, of which they saw a tremendous amount of the food world that was left to explore and utilise in their cooking. Added on to that was the fire within them that constantly pushed them onwards, no matter what lay ahead of them.

'So similar...' Kojirō mused thinking back to his first year at Tōtsuki, when he used to hear stories about a certainstudent. And the numerous food war battles he had straight up won.

Shaking his head, and turning back to his cooking, Kojirō removed that line of thought from his mind. That man was now nothing more than a distant memory, the so-called Golden Age was long over. Taken over by the current Era of Champions, the 92nd class, speared headed by the boy currently before him. Diligently, and professionally, creating a béchamel sauce.

—

"That's it chef", Wei announced, carrying the last of the empty plates from the dining area into the kitchen. "The last of the guests have departed". Looking towards his three staff, Kojirō nodded his head and was about to leave kitchen when Sōma asked "does this mean you're closing up shop early?" With an almost exasperated sigh, Kojirō rolled his eyes and deferred to his head chef.

"No we are not", chef Abel interjected, "the guests for the soft opening may have left but master Kojirō has invited some special guests specifically for the grand opening of the Tokyo branch restaurant of Shino's". Expecting, and preemptively answering Sōma's questions, Abel named: Fuyumi Mizuhara, Hinako Inui, Donato Gotōda, Hitoshi Sekimori and Tōtsuki Professor Rolland Chapelle.

"Really..." Sōma replied, stunned. "Chef Kojirō invited his fellow alumni, and his former teacher! I didn't know he cared so much about them". Sōma's response was backed up by Lucie and Wei who both, were getting used to the new more sociable Kojirō.

"Ever since he came back from Japan, six months ago, from that training session he assisted Tōtsuki with, he has been a lot more mellow and supportive", Wei announced. The doors opened slightly, and the restaurant owners face appeared in the crack, a dissatisfied scowl on his face.

"Start cooking! Or unless you don't consider this competition sufficient validation of your skills".

As soon as Sōma heard the word 'competition' he was instantly onboard, and once Wei told him that the winning dish would be made part of the official Shino's menu, the boy was raring to go. "Okay", Sōma began, wrapping his arm wrap around his head and grinning. "Today is the first day of a brand new 'Yukihira' style!"