Chapter 69: Tour De Nord
- Tōtsuki Trains
Grouped together, sitting at the back of the coach they had been bundled into, the residents of Kyokusei Dormitory as well as their friends, all gnashed their teeth in frustration and anger as one of the Central's black suited staffers stood at the front of the coach and described the upcoming advancement exams.
The woman's posture was rigid and poised, despite the fact that she was standing up in a moving vehicle, and her voice was directorial yet as she spoke the watching first years all got the distinct impression that the advancement exams were going to be rather one sided.
"First year students of Tōtsuki Academy, let me welcome you to Hokkaido. The promotion exam you will be sitting is commonly referred to as the Tour De Nord, and is used or conjure up images of a harsh north..." taking a breathshe took a notepad from her jacket pocket and flipped a couple of pages over before looking directly towards the back of the coach.
"Anyone whom does not pass the tests to come will be taken directly to the airport by the bus on your right, escorted back to Tokyo and immediately dismissed. There will be no second chances, and no attempts for do overs. A pass will grant you the chance to become a second year, whereas failure means expulsion and ridicule. Thank you".
Gritting their teeth the first years did their best to bite back their fury. However Sōma, Ryo, Alice and Takumi all had to be restrained because they all very nearly bolted forwards and screamed bloody murder at the female Central staffer for parroting the Azami Doctrine.
Upon arriving in Hokkaidō, all of Tōtsuki's first years whom had progressed to the advancement exam, as well as: Sōma, Megumi, Yuki, Ryōko, Shun, Zenji, Shōji, Daigo, Takumi, Isami, Ikumi, Alice and Ryo, were all disembarked the bus and walked into the entrance hall of the massive hotel complex, owned by an ally of Azami Nakiri, which was being utilised for the advancement exams.
And not even five minutes after being signed into the hotel the whole group of first years were spit up into numerous smaller groups for the first exam.
"Huh... they sure aren't being subtle with whom they want expelled" Sōma mused as he and Megumi were placed in a group along with Alice, Ryo and Yuki. "It's like they're purposely rounding us all up, knowing that we're going to rebel against the system" Yuki scowled. "Central was already pissing me off but now this is just fucking sadistic!"
"Okay..." Megumi stammered not really knowing how to respond to Yuki's profanity, having never really seen her friend show any sort of anger before. "But why then did Central place Alice and Ryo with us?"
"Works for me..." Alice responded grinning, "this is the perfect chance to knock some of the wind out of Uncle Azami's sails!"
"Huh... I guess then that the other dorm members, plus Takumi, Isami and Ikumi are together as well" Megumi theorised. Looking back at her boyfriend, the blue haired girl saw that Sōma was looking around as if he was searching for someone. "Hey wait a moment..." the boy himself interjected. "Where's Akira?"
The redhead didn't get an answer as his group of rebels were then interrupted by one of the examiners gesturing Erina away from them and towards another group of first years. "So Erina is being separated from us as well..." Yuki said gloomily. "Looks like it" Alice growled clenching her fists, "uncle Azami sure just loves 'exerting' more control over her. I'll never forgive him for hurting her".
"Well, thank you everyone..." a friendly, enough, sounding voice announced to the room. "My name is Hiroe, I am an instructor at Tōtsuki and acting examiner for this room. The ingredient used as theme for this exam in this room, will be salmon. If you present a plate of food which plus the level of taste that I have come to expect, then you may proceed to the next stage".
As the female examiner was speaking, it became blatantly clear to all how she disdained the rebels was was only further compounded when some of the staff, smirkingly, handed over four identical large ice boxes but from a different side room that the other boxes had come.
"Everyone here has taken Director Azami's special lecture, yes? So if you are able to replicate the dish shown to you there, then you'll have no difficulty. So take a deep breath and begin cooking!" Mistress Hiroe announced, glaring at Sōma, Alice, Megumi, Ryo and Yuki.
"What's this?"
Upon opening their ice boxes, Ryo scowled at the sight of their salmon. "These are fricking worthless! They are exhausted from egg laying and have poor quality meat" the Norwegian boy frowned. "Not to mention that the ice they've been packed in has melted and the salmon itself had a rank odour".
"If you're not happy with the ingredients given to you..." the examiner spoke mockingly. "Then you are permitted to go and find replacements... that is if you kids think that you can still meet the deadline". Pointedly turning around so that he wouldn't be obliged to listen to the mocking and condescending words being aimed at them, Ryo spoke directly to Sōma and Alice.
"Hey, do you remember what is was that Erina mentioned to us during training, when you and Ryo barged in on us?" Frowning, the white haired girl pressed a finger to her chin. "I'm pretty sure we can find one around here". Interjecting, Sōma stepped forwards and grinned. "Who do you think you're talking to? Do you really think I'd let a simple off fish fall me short".
As she watched the five rebels race out of the room, Mistress Hiroe glanced at her wrist watch before nodding towards at two black suited Tōtsuki staffers. 'Try as hard as you like you rebellious brats! But your attempts will nout but failure'.
"There's nothing to concern yourself with Miss Erina. This is exactly what your father desires..." Mistress Hiroe mused as she watched Erina looking over at the rebels. Unfortunately, the acting examiners words were heard by the god tongue whom strode over to the older woman and rebuffed her words. "Your right I have nothing to worry about, nor concern myself with. My friends are talented".
"Well mistress Erina..." Hiroe replied sardonically, "I'm afraid that you'll be seeing them fail spectacular today".
Turning away confused by what the god tongue had meant and frustrated at not having made Erina half down, Mistress Hiroe found heard her name being called by one of the kitchen aides to judge some other first years student's competed salmon dishes. Looking at their faces as she walked, she couldn't help but grin to herself as she realised that Central was winning over the majority of all first years. All the expressions worn by the non rebel first years were of cold indifference and iron determination as they all ignored the rebels.
Hiroe smiled, as if she could hear the internal thoughts of the compliant first years, as she tasted and 'passed' their competed salmon dishes.
'There's no problem...'
'If we just do as Master Azami says...'
'Follow the recipe with no deviations'
'Central is absolute'
'Trying to fight back is hopeless'
Insubordination will be crushed'
'The rebels will get what's coming it them... Tōtsuki doesn't need their ilk'
'Rebels, be gone!'
As she cooked and keeping an eye on the other students around her, Erina could sense the indoctrinated disdain that her fellow first years had towards her friends. Gripping her spatula, as she gently flipped lifted her salmon onto rice paper before closing the paper around the fish. Hearing the female examiner gush positive declarations about another completed dish, by her immediate workstation neighbour, Erina narrowed her eyes and finished her own salmon dish.
"Salmon en Papillote but instead of baking parchment, the dish is Wrapped in Rice Paper".
The visual expression of anticipatory deliciousness, displayed by Mistress Hiroe as she practically raced across the room to judge her food; is if it wasn't a forgone conclusion that she'd pass it, made Erina both uncomfortable and proud at the same time.
"Ahhh! Miss Erina! This dish is simply stunning. The fish is perfectly cooked! And paired with parsley, ginger and a slightly sweet orange hoisin sauce!" Grabbing ahold of the workstation for support as she was overcome by deliciousness, Hiroe heaved her chest as she imagined being swept off her feet by a handsomeSalmon 'Lord Adonis' whilst bathing in a sea of orange and ginger with parsley sprigs in her hair.
"Oh my lord... what a dish! You really are the god tongue!"
Suddenly the doors of the large kitchen were thrown wide revealing five sets of grinning faces. "It seems you traitors have finally returned..." the examiner composed herself as she began walking towards, glaring at the rebel chefs. However, her glare disappeared and turned to utter shock as she laid her eyes upon the sight of pure beauty that lay within the cold box, carried by Alice and Sōma.
Immediately, the eyes of the room fell upon the rare fish before they began to yell out in shock and anger at those whom had this undeserved luck.
"No way? How did you traitors get your hands on five summer caught salmon?"
"This one first rate fish!" A chorus of gasps echoed around the room. "Thats an excellent salmon".
"The firmness... the lustre of that fish is simply exquisite!"
"That's an extremely rare find! And in winter as well".
"Oh come now..." Alice smirked, gleefully looking at each of the other workstations. "You must know how we managed to obtain a summer caught salmon during winter. Brining". Following on from Alice's grin, Sōma walked up and slung an arm over Ryo's shoulder, much to the other boy's annoyance. "We were supper lucky that there was a vender with a brine freezer nearby..."
"...whom also sold us some summer caught salmon" Yuki and Megumi grinned happily. Immediately bounding into action, the five rebel chefs each grabbed their own salmon and proceeded to their own workstation. "Let's go guys!" Sōma smiled. "Stay in your lane Sōma..." Ryo scowled. "You are not the leader of our team!"
Smiling as he began cooking, the redhead boy suddenly frowned as he saw a glimpse of a familiar person standing on the other side of the glass windowed doors. Realising whom the person was he instantly reached over and tapped Megumi in the shoulder and pointed to the doors. However, before either Megumi or Sōma could properly engage the person in eye contact the other person's silhouette had gone; leaving the two teenage chefs sharing a look of confusion and concern.
"Brother..." Megumi softly murmured, feeling tears drift down her face. "I will protect you".
Stepping up to the examiner, the five rebels grinned as they watched the muscles in Mistress Hiroe's face fall as she succumbed to the deliciousness aroma emanating from all five salmon dishes. "Grilled Salmon in Yuan Sauce!" Despite Alice stepping in front of him, and taking the spotlight, Sōma's dish still managed to be the one that brought the examiner to her knees.
"What the hells your problem?" Sōma chided Alice, as she stamped her foot on the ground right back at him. "Your face... that's what!" The white haired girl retorted petulantly pouting, although it was clear that she wasn't angry. Rather she felt that Sōma had one upper her with his salmon dish and she wanted to be petty as a response.
"Well well well..." Alice announced pushing past Sōma, to stand with her hands on hips staring at the downed examiner. "It would appear that your efforts to expel us have failed, and your looking down on our group a little too has gone against you. Wouldn't you say? So you can tell uncle Azami that we will show him just how wrong he is about the culinary world!"
Huffing as she spun around, Alice caught Erina's eye line and proceeded to bolt towards her cousin, knocking them both to the ground as she embraced her. "Hey there cuz! Congrats about finally getting together with Hisako, I've been praying that you would see sense..."
"Erm, thank you Alice..." Erina both blushed and frowned. "And what the hell do you mean 'see sense'!"
Getting to her feet, once Ryo had dragged Alice off her, Erina found herself accosted by an ecstatically crying Yuki. "We made it through the initial exam... all thanks to you". Gently patting the ginger girls head, the god tongue began to remind them about the coming days. "You do know that there are other exams to come, once we meet up with the others your study session begins again in earnest".
The group was suddenly interrupted by a female voice coming through on the hotel's tannoy system, being heard by all four exam room, every one of the first year who had passed the first stage immediately broke into a cold sweat. Images of hellish training and insurmountable odds before them.
"This announcement is for those whom have cleared the initial exam, you will be taken by train to the venue of the second exam. Boarding shall commence once diner and other arrangements have concluded. Thank you".
Three hours later, the kyokusei first years and their friends met down on the platform ready to board their train. And so beneath a clear starry night sky, wracked by tiredness and fear they mentally prepared themselves for whatever Central was going to throw at them to ensure that they failed. "If this wasn't a exam from hell..." Yuki cried, "then a train ride across Hokkaidō would be a dream come true. Instead we're fighting to keep ourselves as Tōtsuki students".
As she climbed up the steps and fighting against Alice's shove towards Hisako, she felt something hit her on the back of her head. Turning around, preparing to yell at someone for their rudeness, the god tongue saw a crumpled letter fallen at her feet. Looking around the platform she found no sight of anyone whom could have thrown this at her, visibly confused Alice simply bent down and picked up the paper before handing it to her cousin.
Unfurling the crumpled paper, the first thing the two Nakiri girls saw was the emblem of the Council of Ten, and drifting their eyes across the open page, taking in the words, they suddenly felt such an ice cold fury towards Director Azami coarse through them and they began seriously contemplating murder.
For written on the page was a directorial order prescribed for one of the Ten that was practically equivalent to being exiled in all but name.
R.I.P -
Ado Campeol: the chef whom created Tiramisu
Andrée Melly (Hancocks Half Hour), December 2020
Ruthie Thompson: the Disney animator.
Paddy Maloney: of The Chieftains.
[N.B. If anyone feels inclined to review, like or follow then all the best to them.]