Spoiler...

You will read many separate parts (maybe unrelated one after the other) in this chapter... I'm sorry T_T... too many ideas I wanted to write in this chapter so bear with it, please?

A (very) small information about Kyusei High School which I have mentioned at previous chapter (ch.6/ dish.5 part.2) and I let them appeared in this chapter so you all didn't forget about them ^_^

Please leave your review so I know your opinion about it and get more ideas for the next chapter(s). Please enjoy o

-rionnaru-


Her breath got shortened and rapid. Her trembled legs can't supported her body which made her knelt down to the floor at the end. Buds of cold sweat moistened her temple. She felt something choked her neck.

...

"What are you doing, Karen?!"

"Why are you stop moving your hands?! Don't you want to be as good as Erina?"

"Keep cooking! You won't make any progress if you laid on the floor like this!"

...

"S... stop... stop it... please..."

...

"Ren-chan?"

"Ren-chan?"

"Ren-chan?!"

Karen opened her eyes once she heard that familiar voice called her name. She slowed down her rapid breath as her trembled mouth tried to call her savior's name.

"I... I... Iku... Iku-nii..."

That man – Kimura Ikuya – pulled the girl whom has been considered as his own sister into a hug. He caressed Karen's back, tried to calm the younger girl. He can felt Karen's trembled body in their hug. It was his first time seeing that ever cheerful girl trembled in terror like that.

Panic attack.

Ikuya has been told by his youngest sibling – Kimura Haruki – about that thing right before the training camp started. But Ikuya never thought that he will found his lovely Karen being in that state so soon. Even in the first day of training camp.

"It's alright, Ren-chan. Don't be afraid. I'm here." Ikuya let out a small relief sigh once he heard Karen's breath got back into rhythm. Her trembled body which once tensed already relaxed. Slowly, Ikuya released the hug and hold Karen's face, asked her to looked up at him. "You must be tired. Let's go to your room." Karen nodded her head as her reply. With the help of Ikuya, she stood up and slowly the two of them walked towards her room.


The next morning...

"Ah... I'm still sleepy..."

Yuuki whined as she walked together with Megumi and Ryoko. She grabbed Ryoko's left hand as her support while Megumi followed the two from behind. The trio were in their way to get their breakfast. Just like what have been told to them last night, that they should prepared their breakfast and dinner by themselves. Megumi and the rest of Polar Star Dorm residents decided to make their breakfast together just like their routine back in their dorm. The trio's step stopped when they spotted someone familiar whom busy choosing the raw ingredients inside the countless shelves.

"Karen-san, good morning." Ryoko being the one whom greeted the jet-black haired Nakiri girl who barely took out a bunch of green onion and placed it inside her basket.

"Good morning..." Karen's reply got paused once Karen saw the three girls of Polar Star Dorm already stood beside her. "Minna." She continued, or could be called as she completed. "It seems that you've planned on having breakfast together."

"Hai. We made turn with the boys too. You can join us, if you didn't mind." Ryoko replied back with her smile on her beautiful face.

"Eh... it seems good, then I..."

"Ren-chan~ let's have breakfast together~"

Karen hasn't finished her words, yet another girl interrupted. A white haired girl whom still close relative of Nakiri Karen. She walked towards Karen's place – alone, which is looked a bit odd in Karen's eyes as the latter always got followed by her aide.

"Alice." Karen greeted the one whom have invited her for having breakfast together.

"Let's go. I have asked Ryo to cook for us."

That girl – Nakiri Alice – grabbed Karen's hand and pulled the older Nakiri girl to follow her. Karen can't do nothing other than walked after Alice while motioning her mouth a 'sorry' to the trio. Along their way, Karen can't let go of her anxious feeling about the upcoming 'breakfast'. Having a breakfast with the white haired Nakiri Alice wasn't a bad idea. The thing which will be a bad idea is Alice's random plan. It was as if Karen's anxious feeling already got its answer once her rose gold eyes caught the other pair which got 'invited' in their breakfast. Nakiri Erina and her secretary, Arato Hisako. The two even didn't hide their surprised look when they saw Alice got back to that place with Karen.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Karen-sama." Hisako greeted the oldest Nakiri girl.

"O... ohayo, Hisa-chan." Karen greeted the pink haired girl back then looked at her sister. "Erina too."

"Huhuhu... it will be our first breakfast together since..."

"Alice, I want you to make it fast as we should get ready for the morning assignment." Erina cut off Alice's cheerful speech which is not only made the albino girl got silent but made the atmosphere between the four turned chill too.

"Mou~ Erina, you always ruin my happy mood, huh?!" Alice talked back with a pouted lips.

"Here... the breakfast, Ojou." Kurokiba Ryo, Alice's aide appeared with freshly baked pancake on the plates he brought. With his lazy, sleepy look, he placed each plate on the dining table. He placed the first plate in front of Alice, then moved to place another plate in front of Erina and Hisako. "This one is special for Karen Ojou." He whispered before placing the last plate in front of Karen.

Karen looked at Ryo with a questioned look when she heard that unusual words from the latter. Then she looked at the pancake. Just an ordinary pancake, with... caramel sauce? What's special with it? Karen questioned herself as she didn't find the pancake is different than any pancake she has been seen. It was when Karen took a better look on the other plate, which is served pancake with berries sauce on it. So, that's what make it special? But to Karen's surprise, once she sliced the pancake, she found something came out of it. The gleaming, brown-gold colored sauce. Ah... it must be his doing. Karen stated it inside her mind as a man's face appeared in her mind, also understood the meaning behind 'special for Karen Ojou' from Ryo earlier.

"This is your tea, Karen-sama."

Hisako's sudden voice brought Karen from her own world. A cup of herbal tea already served to her, placed next to her pancake. "Arigatou, Hisa-chan." Karen thanked the pink haired secretary girl together with a small smile on her lips.

Hisako smiled back as she got back to her seat. Before she continued her breakfast, she looked at Karen with a bit worry look in her eyes. Carefully, she asked the jet-black haired Nakiri. "Karen-sama, ano..."

"Yes?"

Hisako didn't know what kind of question she wanted to ask anymore when she saw Karen already looked back at her. Karen's happy and friendly look that morning didn't seem odd in Hisako's eyes. The Nakiri Karen in front of her was the same, usual Nakiri Karen she used to know. Hisako shook her head slowly as she wanted to shake off her bad intuition. "Nothing. I hope my tea can give you more energy for today, Karen-sama."

"Oh... thanks."


While from afar...

Kimura Ikuya kept his sight on the group of Nakiri girls, but his focus is no other than the oldest between the three Nakiris.

"You're worried too much, Ikuya. Look, they're civil toward each other." The older Kimura commented as he stood behind his younger brother. A cup of hot coffee in his right hand.

"Oh... seriously, Nii-san. You called that as 'civil'?!" Ikuya asked back when both of them saw the almighty Nakiri Erina had a quarrel with the white haired Nakiri Alice and the rest of the group just looked at it without any intention of stopping that small 'debate', including Karen.

"You see, Karen-kun looked enjoying that debate." Ichiya commented again before sipped his coffee.

Ikuya let out a sigh when he heard his brother's talk. "It's just that Ren-chan has no energy to join in or end it."

This time, it was Ichiya whom took a better look on Karen. Ikuya had told him about what have happened last night. For him, who didn't experience it directly, may had a doubt if that incident really happened as all he can saw now was no other than Karen's usual self. The usual calm Nakiri Karen with her beautiful morning smile.

"Then, all we can do now is pay more attention to her."


2nd Day of Training Camp - morning assignment - 09.00 am

The unexpected breakfast that morning little did ease her mind after having nightmare all night long. At the beginning, she thought that having a breakfast with her sister and her cousin was a bad idea, as she hasn't had breakfast together with them since long time ago. But then, Karen thought that it wasn't as bad as what she has imagined.

"Oh, Kuro Nakiri! We're in the same group again."

Souma's sudden voice brought Karen from her own world. She saw the red haired boy followed by his dorm mate, Tadokoro Megumi. "Hmm... that's right. Good luck for you, Megu-chan too."

All the students already stayed on their assigned workstation. On their workstation metal table, there was a piece of paper lied on it. A recipe piece.

"Good morning, everybody. I'm Shinomiya from 79th generation. In this assignment, I will be your instructor."

All the attention focused on the sole man whom stood in front of all the students there. He dressed in usual white colored chef uniform with a red tie. Some students at the back began murmuring in low voice once they knew who will be their instructor for that morning assignment. The one whom has 'fired' more than 30 students in the first day of training camp. Unlike the previous morning assignment when she got stayed at the farthest workstation, this time Karen got her workstation on the first line at the front. Once she spotted the coral pink haired chef stood there and introduced himself, Karen just can cursed about her bad luck for being in his class in the second day of training camp. The type of chef which Karen 'hate' the most.

Chef Shinomiya Kojirou.

"For this assignment, I want you all to make a dish based on one of my recipes. You must have got the recette, right?"

Karen took the recipe paper and read it. A Terrine recipe. But that terrine recipe was the most difficult one Karen ever seen. Not to mention about the main ingredient which is used in that recipe, but the preparation of each part which were needed so much energy and focus.

"It's the easiest recipe of my own, or do you want the other recipe?" That cocky chef announced as if mocking the students which started cursing that man. The easiest? For a chef like him, it's no wonder.

Karen just kept her cursing at the back of her head as she decided to take a better note of the terrine recipe in her hands. Terrine which is made by nine different vegetables. Each of the vegetable needed different preparation and cooking time. The flavor of one vegetable to other one should matched. The most difficult part of it was to unite each of the vegetable's flavor into a harmony.

"Also, for this assignment you won't make a team. It's individual task." Karen's head which previously has been lightened up by the caramel pancake, got back hurt when she heard the last part of Shinomiya's announcement. Actually, she hasn't got her energy back fully and to her misery, she has to do many things by herself. "Sharing information and helping each other is prohibited." Without she realized, Karen already balled her hands into fist as she heard so many rules in Shinomiya's class. "I have prepared all the vegetables there." Shinomiya continued as he pointed at the back of the kitchen. "And... an advice from me. It would be better if you thought that all the students here are your competitor." The atmosphere in that kitchen immediately turned chilly, just like the cold weather outside the building. "The time limit is three hours. Then, let's begin."


"Kowai." Karen muttered unconsciously when her eyes saw the chaos at the place where the various vegetables laid on. With a metal tray in their hand, they pushed each other without any intention of calming down. "They just need to take one vegetable to the other one then get back to their workstation, but why they looked like in the middle of war?"

With a heavy step, Karen got out from her workstation and intended to get her ingredient but stopped when she saw how dramatic Tadokoro Megumi got pushed away from the crowd.

"What are you doing here, Megu-chan? It's not a place for you to lay down." Karen offered her right hand to the blue haired girl.

"Ren-san."

With the help from Karen, Megumi got up from the floor. The two girls stood side by side while looked at the never calmed down crowd in front of them.

"We... we should get the ingredients too, Ren-san." Megumi suggested the jet-black haired Nakiri girl when she spotted that the metal tray which is brought by the latter still empty just like hers.

"I want to get mine too, but look... even it looked so scary just to get a step forward from here."

Megumi can't disagree with that. Each post where the vegetable displayed was surrounded by countless egoist teens which only created an annoying chaos, and she didn't know when it will ended.

"Just being told that kind of provocation and they turned like that. What a simply, narrow-minded chef they are." Karen took another route which is followed by Megumi. "Let's get it then we start our cooking, right Megu-chan?"

"Ha... hai."

With a swift move, Karen slipped in between the crowd, got several cauliflowers. She chose the best one then placed it on her tray. She repeated that act for the other vegetables remained. Once she got all of the vegetables needed in the recipe, she got back to her workstation.

"Hey, that isn't written in the recette, right?" In the middle of her work, Karen heard someone talked. A boy next to her workstation.

"Oh, that's right." The other one replied.

"You two over there."

The two boys whom got called by their frightening instructor stopped their activity and paid their attention to the older man.

"Haven't I told you? Sharing information and helping each other is prohibited. Haven't I made it clear?"

"Ano... it wasn't like I..."

"That's right. He just told me about my mistake..."

"That is what you called it as helping each other. You are failed." Shinomiya pointed the front door of that training kitchen. "You two are fired."

Karen looked at the two students whom got fired with a pity look. Then she looked around that training kitchen. For someone like Yukihira Souma, that little commotion didn't make him lose his focus. But for the other, they began moving like robot. They turned into panic.

"It seems that those students are more interesting than your own work, Nakiri Karen."

Karen immediately looked at the one whom called her full name. The coral pink haired chef whom previously sat calmly on his chair already stood in front of Karen's workstation with his intimidating look.
"It's not like that, Chef Shinomiya. It's just... I thought that the rule you put in this kitchen is a bit tough." Karen talked back with her calm yet confident voice. She even looked straight at Shinomiya's eyes without any hesitation.

That brave act was succeed in making almost all of the students there stopped their activity for a while just to see the rare, nerve-wrecking show between the famous Nakiri Karen and that frightening alumni. It included Souma and Megumi.

"Oh? You didn't like it?" Shinomiya asked the teenage girl in front of him with a smirk. He has countless times being the instructor in Toutsuki training camp, but it was the first time a student talked back to him with such a brave attitude. Not to forget that student is a girl.

"If you asked my honest answer, I really didn't like it. Even in the tiniest bit of it." Karen answered, then she continued before the male alumni in front of her spoke any kind of stingy words. "But... this is your kitchen, and we're just your employees. So, we should listened to every single command you give, right? I know it, so forgive me for my rude talk." Karen bowed to the older one before she continued her cooking.

Chef Shinomiya Kojirou, the one whom popular with his sharp and deadly speech, being frightened by almost every single person whom have met him, got dumbfounded by the sudden talk he had with the girl whom already got back into her work.

Nakiri Karen.

Shinomiya has been heard many talks about her but when he met her in person, the thing he wanted to do was grabbing her head tightly just like what he always did to his annoying junior - Inui Hinako. Maybe he should put the girl named Nakiri Karen into his most hated girl list, beside that Mizuhara Fuyumi and Inui Hinako.

"I hope that you're not a big talk, Nakiri Karen. Speak with your dish."

Megumi almost fainted just hearing it, but not with Karen whom didn't take that treat as a danger.


While at the small doorway placed at the corner of that room, Kimura Ikuya whom hid behind Doujima Gin almost burst into a loud laugh when he saw that 'entertaining' show just now.

"I thought that you have something more important other than to spy over Shinomiya's class, Ikuya-kun?" Doujima reminded the younger one whom has tailed him since in the beginning.

"Huhuhu... for that one... huhuhu... if you didn't forget it... huhuhu... my class for today is still at the afternoon, Doujima-san." Ikuya answered in between his laugh. "But seriously, Doujima-san. This is my first time I saw Kojirou got mad by a girl other than Hinako. Yah... it would be a very entertaining joke if I filmed that 'show' and showed it to Fuyumi and Hinako."

Doujima just shook his head in disbelief when he saw Ikuya's childish act. But, the unexpected 'show' he saw just now is truly... even Doujima himself got dumbfounded by the blunt attitude of that Nakiri girl. He even has been predicted that short tempered Shinomiya will fired Nakiri Karen immediately when she talked back like that. But to his surprise, that Shinomiya treated Nakiri Karen.

"Ah... I can't wait to see another entertaining show in that class."


At the same day, another place...

Kanto Traditional Cuisine Festival Venue - Kanagawa Prefecture

"You must be kidding us, Yuu?!"

The one whom got shouted just covered his ears as well as closed his eyes. He has predicted that he will got scolded by his 'trusted' men, but the real thing was worse than his imagination.

"You asked all of us to join this festival as the representative of Kyusei... no, even Kansai region but not as the contestant. We are here... become the guest?"

The one whom got asked - Kikuchi Yuu - nodded his head as the answer. "Oh come on... if I told you the truth, you won't say yes to my request, right?" Yuu asked back to the one whom bombarded him questions before which is no other than his far relative - Ishikawa Touji. Yuu put his left hand over Touji's shoulder, tried to get Touji's trust again. "Just imagined it as... uhm... other version of our annual Spring Bazaar, hmm?"

Touji looked back at Yuu with a sharp, disbelief look which got replied by the infamous innocent look which is only owned by Kikuchi Yuu. With a heavy sigh, Touji shifted his attention from Yuu to his group which busily arranged their booth for the festival. "Move faster so we can deal with the other thing faster!"

Kikuchi Yuu whom got 'ignored' just can drew a small smile as he folded his hands over his chest. Not only his team which is in his sight. Since the second he stepped on that vast ground which became the venue of that festival, his violet eyes already swept all around that place. He was looking for a group of high school students with royal blue jacket as their identity. But till this second, he hasn't found them yet. He has made sure to remember each booth location of that festival. The one he was looking for placed two blocks away from Kyusei's booth. Since he hasn't seen a single student from that famous school, Yuu even questioned himself if there was any changes that slipped away from his sight.

"If you looked for Toutsuki, they will set their booth later... afternoon." A familiar - too familiar - voice reached out Yuu's ears. Then suddenly a hand lied on his shoulder. "They are still busy with their school activity." He added, then offered a small pouch to Yuu which is taken out by him.

"Did you hack their schedule?" Yuu asked back as his right hand took something from that small pouch. A coffee candy cube.

"Oh... I never did something improper like that, Yuu. Just say it... uhm... I got the information from my trusted informant."

"Ah... is that so?" Yuu commented shortly then put the coffee candy cube inside his mouth. "I'm really getting bored here. Let's go somewhere to kill the time, Chiaki."

That boy - Kikuchi Chiaki - let go of Yuu's shoulder and followed the other Kikuchi boy from behind. "Anything for you, Yuu."


While at Toutsuki Academy…

Haruki watched the last truck which brought their booth's installment left the gate of Local Cuisine RS building. That day's schedule of Kanto Traditional Cuisine Festival is setting the booth and a meeting for discussing the preparation of the festival. The festival will started next day, run for five days in consecutive. Other than the booth instalation, the raw ingredients already prepared neatly and the hotel where the Local Cuisine RS members will stayed already booked.

"All the things we needed already settled up. There are still so many things we need to do when we got to the venue, Haruki-kun." Fujimaru, the president of Local Cuisine RS, reminded the youngest Kimura sibling then going back to the meeting room inside the Local Cuisine RS building.

"Yes, you're right." Haruki replied back as he followed the president boy from behind. The meeting room itself still filled with discussions about various things.

"This year, it will be a bit different... I thought." Inoue spoke when both Haruki and Fujimaru sat on their usual seat at their usual discussion spot. Haruki already glued his sight on the manual book of the festival.

"Eoh... last year, they didn't invite... no, it would be correct if last year they didn't get the guest to participate in the festival." Haruki replied as he flipped the pages of the manual book.

"What do you mean?" Inoue asked back.

"I thought that you already know?" Haruki gave the vice president another question which made the girl got confused. "Kyusei... already being the prior guest for Kanto Traditional Cuisine Festival every year. It just... they haven't taken part on it for years, and they got back participated the festival this year."

"How did you know it?"

Haruki sighed when he felt like being interrogated by the vice president. He chose to let that question passed as he didn't want to hear another questions related to it.

How did he knows it?

Actually Haruki could answer that question so easily. But his pride prohibited him for spilling the truth. Kyusei - more accurately Kyusei High School, Haruki has been taken a bit of interest about them. A high school which is the part of Kyusei Group, a business group which had their main basement at Kyoto and has run their business since years ago, at the same time as Toutsuki. Many people said that Kyusei High School is Toutsuki Academy at the west. But when Haruki read more about Kyusei High School, he can't agree with that old mindset. Kyusei High School is far different with Toutsuki Academy. Kyusei was so much gentler than Toutsuki, when it goes on the basic learning system. Rather than being expelled, the failed student of Kyusei got transferred to the other school which is recommended by Kyusei itself.

"Hey, Kimura-kun? You haven't answered my question yet?!" Inoue's whining made other students looked at both of them with curious look. It included Fujimaru whom seated across them.

"What are you two discussing, huh?" The president boy asked.

"About Kyusei being this festival's prior guest. Do you know about it too, Fujimaru-kun?" Inoue asked Fujimura with the same curiosity she had when she asked Haruki minutes ago.

"Just... a little bit. But, speaking of Kyusei. I never thought that they have a time for a small festival like this, not to forget that they participate in this festival not as a contestant but as a guest, which is..."

"How many 'money' they get in this festival, it won't got included in the competition. In other word, their participation in this festival is for free." Haruki continued for Fujimaru's sentence.

"Wait, small festival? You called Kanto Traditional Cuisine Festival is a small fest, Fujimaru-kun?" Inoue commented back.

"For Kyusei's standard, it is. You must have known that Kyusei is worldwide known for their Spring Bazaar and Summer Festival, right?" Fujimaru brought another thing but still related to Kyusei High School. Inoue who heard it just nodded her head, agreed to the last part of Fujimaru's statement. "They always successfully hold big event in long period, gained so much bonus from it, not only money but business investment too."

"Nah... if they participated as contestant in this festival, it will definitely that we won't get the main prize." Haruki added with his honest answer.

Actually, about Kyusei's participation in this year's Kanto Traditional Cuisine Fest still became a big question in Haruki's mind. After their long absence in that festival, then suddenly they showed up. What is their reason?

"Then, we got lucky?"

"I can't called it as lucky." Haruki spoke with a bit stern in his voice, which made Fujimaru and Inoue paid their attention more to the green tosca haired boy. Haruki opened up the festival's manual book at certain page. "Look." Haruki pointed at certain part of the page which is the map printed on it. "Their booth is near ours. We should prepare another plan to surpass their selling or all of our customer will go to their booth."

"As expected of Kimura-kun." Another voice joined into their conversation. That voice owned by Iida Shunpei, the one whom in charge of making the product selling strategy. "I already thought the same thing once I know that Kyusei will participated in this festival. But I didn't know if my plan will succeed, as we haven't know how things will go on till we experienced it tomorrow." Iida spilled out his opinion. The other three nodded in agreement.

"So, it's all up to tomorrow."


Got back to Toutsuki Resort - at certain training kitchen

One by one got their dish served in front of their instructor. Many of them got 'failed' answer from that almighty young chef.

"Yukihira Souma." The red haired boy introduced himself when he served his Terrine to Shinomiya. The older one took a small bite on Souma's dish, then after several seconds later he gave his decision.

"You pass."

Souma blew a relief sigh once he heard that frightening chef said those word. With the tray still on his hands, Souma got back to his assigned workstation. He saw Megumi started platting her dish. It seems that he didn't need to worry about that girl. Then he changed his sight to the girl whom previously drew so many attention. Nakiri Karen. She still stood calmly over her workstation. Unlike the others whom served their dish right away when they had finished it, she just stayed on her workstation. Watching each student got evaluated by their instructor, even though she has finished her dish. What's inside her mind? Those question, Souma really wanted to know its answer. Since the first time Souma knew about the girl named Nakiri Karen, he can't helped but questioned himself about her. She always surprised him. He never found someone as mysterious as her.

"Ta-Tadokoro Megumi."

Megumi's trembling voice brought Souma's attention away from the jet-black haired Nakiri girl. He got his attention on his dorm mate whom usually looked clumsy in everything she did.

Shinomiya sliced the Terrine served by Megumi then took it and ate it. He took several seconds to digest the taste of that dish, then he leaned on his chair. With his lazy look, he announced his decision.
"Tadokoro Megumi. You're fired."

Megumi's face turned pale once she heard that announcement. Her hands which holding the tray trembled. She hasn't belief it. She has put all of her effort in that dish, and Shinomiya just said that her dish was failed. A sudden tap on her shoulder magically made her body stopped trembling. She looked at her left side. "Re-Ren-san?"

"Can you wait for a moment? I'll figure something out of it." Karen tried to assure the blue haired girl whom already in the brim of tears. Megumi nodded her head slowly then took two steps backward from her place.

"You're the last one, Nakiri Karen." Shinomiya stated with uninterested tone in his voice. "You've finished your dish minutes ago, why you choose to serve your dish now?"

"It has become my old habit... to take the last evaluation as mine. You mind with it, Chef Shinomiya?"

Again, with brave act, Karen talked back to Shinomiya.

"No. Not really."

"But, Chef Shinomiya. Can I ask you something before you taste my dish?" Instead of offering her dish to her instructor, Karen put her dish on the small table near Shinomiya's chair.

"Go on."

"Why are you kept saying their dish is failed without telling them the reason behind their failed dish?"

Shinomiya didn't answer it immediately. He didn't predict such a question got asked to him, as he didn't get asked that kind of question for long time. Usually people just took his words right away without questioned it back.

"Did they ask it? It would be a different story if they have asked me that, just like what you've done now."

This time, Karen whom got taken aback by Shinomiya's words. For that thing, she agreed with him.

"Is there any other question, Nakiri Karen?"

"Then... can you tell us, why Tadokoro Megumi's dish is failed?"

Shinomiya almost grabbed Karen's head because he already got annoyed not only by Karen's questions but also by her strange act. Shinomiya even questioned himself, why that girl concerned about others so much rather than herself?

"It's because she used wine vinegar in her Terrine."

Karen turned to Megumi then took a small bite on her Terrine. Karen stayed in silent as she took a better taste of the flavor owned by Megumi's terrine. It was like what Shinomiya has told her.

"I thought that's nothing matter with her dish." Karen said once she faced Shinomiya again. "She used the wine vinegar which has bleaching effect to cover up the bad color of cauliflower. Not only that. It added the sweetness of the cauliflower itself. But, the sweetness of the vegetable and the sourness of the vinegar in this dish has balanced. So, what's wrong with it?"

Shinomiya rose up from his seat, gave Karen his intimidating stare which made every one saw it trembled in terror, but Karen. He hold the recette book high.

"Who says you can change the recipe? This menu is made so that you can enjoy the harmony created by the different flavor of each vegetable. In the recette, there isn't a step which allow you to add sour flavor. Tadokoro Megumi's terrine is a different dish, and the one whom make another dish is definitely failed." Shinomiya ended his longest speech that day. Still with his sharp stare, he looked down on Karen. "Have you satisfied with it?" He asked back with chilly tone as if made a final line to their 'conversation'.

"I can't agree with you."

Karen's eyes got wider when she heard that exclamation came from behind her, got spoken out by the least person she wished to engage in that 'conversation'. Shinomiya whom previously paid his attention to Karen, changed his attention to the red haired boy whom appeared out of sudden. He still remembered that boy. Yukihira Souma. One of the students whom has passed his assignment.

"That was inevitable. There were ingredients which its freshness had begun to decline mixed in there. Also, since in the first place, we're being treated as senpai's employees, right? Then, the responsibility of the management of the ingredients should lie on you, Shinomiya senpai. Since you're the boss, isn't that your fault as a 'chef'?"

If she was in the 'normal' condition, Karen would be agreed to Souma as that boy has reasoned with that brave words in front of Chef Shinomiya Kojirou, out of people. But now, she just wished that the intense conversation will end up in peace.

Braaak!

And... Karen's wish will never came true as she saw that coral pink haired chef got back into his monster mode. It didn't surprise Karen, not a bit. She has predicted it, since the time she insulted the said chef about his tight rule in the kitchen earlier. Those cocky, prideful chef, will never accept an insult in his kitchen. Not from his employee, moreover from a mere student like them.

"You brat! Who do you think you're talking to? Huh?!"

============== Dish.09 – The Upcoming War with Unknown Chef ============