Chapter 4: Welcome to Polar Star Dorm

The sun is setting as Saiba is pulling his travel case with his knife box on it along with a backpack and a bag full of ingredients along a lonesome road. He is tired from walking all the way to where he is going to be staying for all his school years while sucking on a lollipop.

"Damn." he says thoughts out loud. "Where the hell is this Polar Star Dorm?" He continues to complain as he keeps on walking, "This little yellow apple sucker isn't gonna last long. I'm hungry and tired and I wanna take a bath. The hunting trips with my gramps were long but at least there is something to eat along the trips." Yet when he mentioned his grandpa, his left hand clenches tightly on his bag as if mentioning his grandpa fills him with hatred or something.

As he continues to march forward, he notices that there are a lot of fancy looking buildings from all types of cultures.

"Wow." Saiba says as he admires the buildings. "I know the school is fancy, but there are a lot of nice looking dormitories. I feel like I'm walking through the noble district or something." He looks up at the sky, "Maybe my dorm must be fancy too." Excited and fully motivated, he faces forward and smiles, "Yeah!" He picks up the pace, "I can't wait!"

Yet when he gets there, there are crows all around and cawing as they all flock at this one particular building. It looks like a three story building with a few cracks here and there and a bunch of ivy on it along with a balcony. The place gives a foreboding and haunted feel to it as the crows fly away. Saiba's lollipop falls to the ground as his jaw drops and left eye twitch because of the state of the dorm.

"What the hell?" Saiba says out loud. "I feel like I just stepped into a horror story here." He gulps, "Guess I have no choice unless I want to sleep out in the cold." So he proceeds to enter despite the lights are out. "Hello?" his voice echoes through the grand hall, "Anyone here?!"

As he enters the building, he notices the place looks deserted and dark with only lights from the corridors of the second floor. Almost like it really is haunted. Saiba isn't really afraid of ghosts but more worried about zombies, walking skeletons and a psycho murderer. He can take care of ghosts easily with magic, but that's a different story. Yet then he notices something coming from the second floor balcony.

"Is that mist? No, smoke. Is there a fire!?'

Then a stampede of animals come through that are comprised of ducks, a deer, rabbits, a boar and other such wild game. Following that, a loud rumbling can be heard from upstairs.

Yuki is chasing all her animals, "Usako, Kamosuke, Shikanoshin! Don't leave me!"

Saiba seems them run by as he tries to process on what did he just saw.

But there is an elderly woman's voice coming from some metal pipes that are used for some means of communication. She sounds very angry, "Hey, room 116! You let animals in the dorm again! If I find anymore wild game, I will skin you alive!"

Yuki says while running, "Sorry, Miss Fumio!"

"And room 208! You turned the empty room into a smoker again! How would you feel if I turned you into smoke chips the next time you do it again!?"

Shun, in his makeshift smoke room, just gives a monotone apology, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry."

"And room 205! If you make another mess in your room again, I'll toss you out!"

Zenji, in his room, apologizes, "I know, I know! It's just that these two idiots-"

Daigo and Shoji are fighting in Zenji's room which causes all the ruckus.

Shoji argues, "You wanna fight!?"

Daigo argues back, "You bet!"

Back downstairs, Saiba is giving a WTF look as his mind goes, 'So much for haunted mansion. This place is more like a mad house.'

Fumio appears, "You must be Saiba Yukihira, the transfer student who want to live in the dorm?"

Saiba turns around and notice that Fumio has a purple aura and a superior look glaring down at him.

"I'm the caretaker, Fumio Daimido. But you may call me Mother Superior or Lady Fumio."

Saiba give a confuse look while he tilted his head, 'Is this what the people of this world call a freak show?'

"So, what sort of ingredients will you be using? It is for our famous challenge for anyone who wants to live here as per tradition! You must make one meal if you want to stay. Only those whose cooking passes muster will be allowed to reside at the dorm. I will be the judge to see if your food can satisfy my palette."

Saiba just asks, "Where's the kitchen?"

Fumio raises her left eyebrow, "But what are you planning on making?"

"You'll see."

Fumio leads Saiba to the kitchen as she flips the lights on and he notices how clean it is.

"Wow. This place looks cleaner than what I saw outside."

Fumio says to Saiba, "Listen here. I despise hot-headed youngsters who act like know it all. Do you know how many students cook for me and pass? So what will you be making? It better not be some slop that you can just throw together."

Saiba looks around to see what it there. 'Let's see. We got onions, eggs, flour. Some canned mackerel.' "I got an idea." Saiba smiles as he put his headband on, "Just give me a moment, would you please?"

"Huh?"

Saiba immediately gets cooking as he pulls out one of his steel knives and starts chopping onions, squeezing some liquids from the mackerel, and a bunch of other stuff. He uses the leftovers and a special ingredient he has in his bag.

Fumio is impressed, "There isn't a scrap of pork or beef in the kitchen."

Fumio is later presented a meat patty with some sauce on it with a small bowl of soup and some rice.

"What is this?" she asks as she looks at the patty. "How'd you make a meat-filled hamburg steak? There is barely anything."

Saiba smirks, "I simply used canned mackerel."

"Canned mackerel?!"

Saiba explains, "I used eggs, onions and bread crumbs then added the drained canned mackerel while also seasoned it with salt and pepper. Cook it up and you get a fluffy mackerel burger. For the sauce, I used the drained mackerel juice that I mixed with panzo and potato starch. This is the Yukihira-style Use of Leftovers: Mackerel Burger!"

Fumio is a little hesitant, "A hamburg steak made of canned mackerel? Clearly this wouldn't be good. It would be too fishy..." She takes a bite of the burger that sets her taste buds to overdrive as if she has been struck by lightning. 'DE! LI! CIOUS!' She seems very happy with some drool, 'If he would've told me that there was actual meat inside, I would have believed it. Yes. The flavor is light yet has a fluffy texture to it.' Fumio sets her sights on the soup, 'But what about this soup?' She drinks it a little and is surprised how flavorful it is. "What is this?" 'I thought it was just ordinary egg soup yet there is so much flavor to it! It's almost as if it was made with a high quality soup stock! Not only there is mackerel in this yet I taste something. Something that is akin to tuna yet something else. What is that?' Fumio looks at Saiba, "Tell me boy, what did you use in this soup? There is more than mackerel in this soup."

Saiba chuckles a little, "Glad you ask." Saiba pulls out a jar from his bag and it has a label that shows a picture of a tuna fish with squid tentacles where the tail should be. "I used a fish stock made of Squid Tuna. It is a special fish/cephalopod hybrid from my world."

"WHAT?!" she says in surprise, "You used a Special Region ingredient?! I heard you were from the Special Region, but I couldn't believe it. So you used that as an ingredient?!"

"Yep." Saiba says. "The dried squid is pure umami and dried tuna makes for good stock. Combine them both and you get an amazing soup stock. It taste better after you add some hot water and salt. With it, you get an amazing soup stock with a depth of flavor to it."

Fumio takes another drink from her soup with a big grin on her face. 'This kid is astounding! I can't believe he made something this good just by using leftovers.' Then takes a bite and is in pure delight, 'It's so soothing.'

In her mind, the fish and the tentacles of the Squid Tuna together to form something that looks like a mermaid.

'The taste of the mackerel with the umami of the Squid Tuna matches so well together. It is such a pleasant feeling that it reminds me of my youth.'

We flashback to many years ago when Fumio was a teenager who is sitting next to a boy at a beach close to the sea. Both of them are just sitting there and being bashful.

The boy notices that Fumio isn't exactly wearing much. "Hey, uh, Fumio?" the boy asks while being shy, "Are you cold?"

Fumio, "Kou-chan?"

"Um, yes!" Kou is being nervous.

Fumio looks at him and starts to act seductively, "Come on now. I would like it if you would...warm me up."

The two teens get closer together as they are about to kiss.

Back in reality, Fumio tries to kiss Saiba while remembering her youth as Saiba tries to get Fumio away and panics.

"Give me some sugar." Fumio says as she makes a kissy face towards Saiba.

Saiba is freaked out and tries to break free as he screams.

In the bathroom of the dorm, Megumi takes a nice and relaxing bath with her rubber ducky. She hums in delight as she relaxes.

"I got to admit," she says to herself, "that Saiba isn't that bad as I thought. Plus that cookie he gave me was wonderful." She taps the head of her duck, "Isn't that right, Mr. Duck?"

Back in the kitchen, Saiba is free from Fumio's grasp as he is on the floor on his knees as he pants.

Fumio clears her throat and is back to normal, "Anyway young man, you have pass."

Saiba stands back up, "What a relief."

She hands him the key to his room, "Here is the key to your room."

Saiba takes the key, "Thank you." Saiba leaves and heads over to take a bath.

Fumio looks at Saiba's back and starts to remember someone vaguely familiar as she sees an image of another young man she knew long ago. Her eyes widen when she noticed that familiar sight as Saiba heads out.

'That boy.' she thinks to herself as she tries to piece things together, 'Is he by any chance... No.' She smiles and brush it off, 'He couldn't be. Could he?'

Saiba heads straight towards the bathroom with his towel as he says, "Time for my bath!"

Yet when he opens the door, he sees Megumi in the bath. Megumi looks at Saiba's naked body and his necklace still around his neck along with his four pack. Saiba sees Megumi naked in the bath and sees her upper bits. Both of their faces turn bright red and scream.

Back downstairs, Fumio says while finishing her meal, "Goodness. I should've told him about the bath schedule."

Saiba lays on his bed after taking his bath despite what just happened. Yet he has tears on his face because of some of the stuff that happened.

He remembers what his mom said with a serious tone, 'Now remember son, you should never show your boy bits to a girl until after marriage. And you should only kiss a girl if she is worthy of your love and has my approval. If you can, then you get to marry her. Understand?'

'Sorry, mom.' he still has a sad look on his face, 'But no one is gonna marry me now.'

While sulking, a piece of the ceiling gets moved to reveal Satoshi Isshiki. "Hello there, young Saiba! I've been trying to contact you, but-"

Saiba screams with his eyes bugging out because of a surprise visitor coming through his ceiling, "WHO ARE YOU!?"

Isshiki chuckles, "Sorry about that. My name is Satoshi Isshiki, and I'm a second year. Would you like to join your welcoming party?"

"Huh?"

Everyone is at Zenji's room where the party is.

Yuki is sitting on Zenji's bed, "Such a nice room."

Zenji is upset as he yells out, "Dammit! Why do you guys always have to party at my room!?"

"Oh come on." says Ryoko, "You're the only one with a big room where all of us can fit together. Besides, its nice and clean."

"THAT'S BECAUSE I JUST CLEANED IT!?"

Shoji notices as he says, "Oh yeah."

Daigo follows it up, "There was a lot of crap everywhere."

Zenji yells at them, "BECAUSE YOU GUYS WERE MESSING AROUND!"

Saiba suggests, "Maybe we should have the party downstairs."

Zenji starts shedding tears, "Thank you!" He is happy that Saiba suggests such a thing.

Megumi is sitting and being a little gloomy as she remembers something that her mother said.

'Now Megumi, you should never show off your goodies until you get married.'

'I'm sorry, mom.' Megumi apologizes to her mother in her thoughts. 'But no one is gonna make me their bride now.'

Saiba says to Megumi, "Hey, uh, Megumi?"

Megumi snaps out of her gloom and looks at Saiba, who has his face turn away.

"Would you please forget about what happened? Because I may never get married one day."

Megumi just stare at Saiba before smiling, "Yeah."

Yuki is all up on Saiba's face as she asks, "So! What's a noble from the Special Region doing at our school?"

Ryoko, Isshiki, Daigo, Zenji and Shoji are invading his personal space as they are interested to know more about the transfer student. Shun is just sitting on a chair.

Saiba rubs the back of his head with his right hand, "Well actually... I was born and raised at a local restaurant at a JSDF base. So I'm actually a commoner."

"WHAT?!" they all say in surprise.

"You're just a middle-class pretty boy?!" Yuki shouts.

Ryoko says, "We all thought you might be some nobleman's son that transfer here to represent your world."

Daigo says, "But your just like us, bro!"

"Yeah, dude!" Shoji agrees with Daigo.

"I see." Isshiki says. Yet he shakes it off, "But nevermind that. It's still party time!" Isshiki immediately strips and is naked in his pink apron. He starts jiggling his butt while saying, "Bing! Boing!"

Saiba screams out, "WHAT THE HELL!?" as he sees Isshiki wearing nothing but an apron.

Daigo says, "Ah, yeah! It was a matter of time before he gets bared!"

Yuki laughs along with some of the others.

Saiba taps Megumi's shoulder, "Hey, Megumi? Is this normal?" He seems a bit disturbed by what he sees.

Megumi looks away with a straight face, "You'll get use to it."

Fumio says through the metal pipe, 'Hey you kids! Dinner is ready! Come on down when you want it!'

Daigo says while walking out with Shoji, "You're the best, grandma!"

Shoji says, "Smells good!"

Saiba just smiles and chuckles, 'This is gonna take some time to get used to. A lot more nuttier than the people back home.' Then he asks, "By the way, I've been wondering something. I remember something called the Totsuki's Council of Ten. Do you know how I can join?"

"You know about that?" Megumi asks.

Everyone is a little shock to hear that Saiba knows the Council of Ten. Even Shun was caught off guard as he looks at Saiba.

Saiba looks at Isshiki, "Do you? I mean, despite your...quirks, you seem like a member."

Isshiki puts on a serious face with a smile, "I'm surprised that you know. I am on the 7th seat of the Ten. But how do you know?"

Saiba says with a smile, "I didn't. But thank you for telling me."

Isshiki got played.

Yuki points and laughs, "You got played, Isshiki!" and laughs some more.

Isshiki laughs and claps his hands, "Well done! You managed to get me on that."

Zenji asks, "But why do you want to join the Council of Ten."

Saiba smiles as he explains, "Well, my father was the number two seat on the Ten. I hope to get the number one spot and surpass him."

A few moments of silence filled the air with Daigo and Shoji at the door with a few plates of food. After a few moments, they all shout out "WHAT?!"

Yuki shouts out in surprise, "YOU'RE FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF THE TEN!?"

Zenji freaks out, "HE WAS A TOTSUKI STUDENT?!"

Megmui is also freaking out with spirals for eyes, "He was...I mean your father was...uh?

Daigo shouts, "THAT'S SUPER SICK, DUDE!"

Shoji shouts, "RADICAL!"

Back downstairs, Fumio heard everything as she looks up at the direction where the room is while in her own room.

'I thought that boy looked familiar.' she smiles, 'Just hope he doesn't get consumed by the storm like his father did.'

Back in Zenji's room, Saiba demonstrates his knowledge about the Totsuki's Council of Ten.

"From what my dad told me, the Council of Ten is an illustrious group of students in Totsuki comprised of the ten best students in the entire academy each year. This organization is responsible for handling the academy's internal evaluations, including judging the achievements based on the student presentations in the academy grounds as well as helping organize events. In other words, they have power next to that of the director."

Everyone is still in shock from learning that Saiba's father was a member of the ten.

"Oh!" Saiba remembers something, "Hang on, I gotta get something from my bag!" He exits the room as everyone is just left stunned.

"What the hell, man?" Shoji says on what just happened. "I mean, what the hell?"

Daigo goes, "I know, right?"

"I'm back!" Saiba enters the room as he holds a plastic tubberware. He opens it and presents a treat, "Ta-da! Some friendship cookies!"

Yuki smells something in the air. "I smell ginger."

Ryoko sniffs, "Yeah, I smell it too."

"Well, these are my special gingerbread cookies that I made back home during the winter holidays."

Megumi's face is full of delight when she sees a familiar treat. "I had them! They're really delicious."

Everyone takes one and take a bite.

In their minds, they got to experience what Megumi experienced when they eat them. They are on Santa's cookie dough sleigh driven by white, milk, and dark chocolate reindeer. They're all little kids in Santa costumes see a world covered in powdered sugar like it is made of snow with gingerbread people having fun in this little sugary, winter wonderland.

Everyone (except Shun) say, "It taste like Christmas!"

Shun takes a drink of his tea and seems to be relaxed.

"THIS IS THE BEST COOKIE EVER!" Daigo shouts.

"GOT THAT RIGHT, BRO!" Shoji agrees with Daigo.

"Yes." Isshiki says as he looks at his bitten cookie. "Despite being soft, it is well balanced and full of flavor."

Ryoko tells what is in it, "There is cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and...something in there."

"Allspice!" Megumi pointed out. "The allspice is used to help with digestion."

Yuki smiles, "Not to mention the three kinds of chocolate!" Yet when she takes another bite, she notices something else. "Wait, there's something else. It has an earthy peppery taste with some citrus. What is that?"

"That would be caraway." Saiba explains. "I added powdered caraway to it to give it an extra spice. That, and a few more health benefits against heartburn and spasms in the stomach and intestines and other digestive problems."

Isshiki then says, "But you also substitute sugar with honey."

"Black honey to be exact."

"I see. Usually, light colored honey has a mild sugary taste yet black honey has a stronger flavor with more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Not only that this is a pleasant treat, there are some health benefits to it. But how did you make it fluffy?"

"I used powder sugar as another substitute combined with milk."

"So that's how. Powdered sugar is less dense and much lighter than granulated sugar. Plus a touch of milk can make it soft and doughy."

Yuki starts crying with her cookie half-eaten, "This is the best!"

So the party is back in full swing and everyone is having a good time and forgotten about what Saiba said about the Ten. Yet some would like to have Saiba try out some of their own dishes.

"Hey, Saiba!?" Daigo gives him a plate that has vegetable fritters. "Try my dish!"

Saiba takes a bite and finds it good. "This is really good. The veggies are fried well with the boiled chicken strips. It gives it more flavor to the vegetables."

"I know right!" Daigo seems proud of himself.

Shun gets up, "Guess its my turn." Shun went to get something from his little smoke room and brought back a plate with cheese and three types of jerky. "Here. Smoked cheese with three types of jerky."

Saiba tastes them and seems to be happy. "This is really good. The amount of smoke used is perfect along with the salt. You do know your stuff."

Shun smiles a little.

Zenji notices, "Did you just smiled, Shun?"

Shun looks away, "It's just your imagination."

Ryoko then brings out a brown bottle, "Here, try this."

Saiba looks at the bottle and notices a handwritten label on it. "What is that?" Saiba is a bit unsure.

"It's rice juice." Ryoko poured a cup and gives it to Saiba.

Saiba takes the cup. "Huh?" He looks at the cup in his hands and it had an odd smell to it. "Smells a little like popcorn. Well, bottoms up." Saiba drinks the entire the cup. After drinking, his head falls right onto the floor face first.

This surprise everyone as Saiba has passed out onto the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED!