Food Wars: Conquering the Mountain
Chapter 6: Roaring Through the Fires
The days at Totsuki had gone by in an incredible flash. Ever since Luke had won against Tendou, pretty much every single member of the Polar Star Dorm had been challenged to Shokugeki's one after the other. And all of them had come out victorious every single time. The only member that was slightly afraid of the battles was Eri but thanks to her time spent with the other girls at the dorm along with Marina and Karin, she had slowly begun to break out of her shell.
Along with the Polar Star team, Josuke, Antonio, Luna, and Gen had all become honorary members in a way. They always came over to the dorm and hardly ever left so they were pretty much a part of the miniature Polar Star family which made Satoshi very happy.
Speaking of which, Luke had just finished up another Shokugeki with a member of the Spanish Cuisine research society. Luke had been introduced to the research societies shortly after he arrived at Totsuki but decided to not join one primarily for the reason that he wanted to focus on his cooking with the people he knew around him and save all of his techniques for when he got challenged.
The reason he was doing a Shokugeki was that the guy he was going against wanted to face off against someone who had gotten some training from an actual Latino.
"Winner…Luke Anders!"
Luke tossed his hat up, spun around, and caught it in his hand before placing it over his heart, "Eien ni, Gracias!"
Cheers rang out through the entire arena over Luke's victory with his friends being the loudest as usual. He and his opponent shook hands before Luke stepped off the stage and made his way backstage where Kagura, Kaia, Josuke, and Gen were waiting for him.
"Nice job Luke." Kagura said handing him a bottle of water.
"Thanks Kagura-chan." He said taking a long swig of his water.
Josuke laughed, "Yeah, big man on campus."
Luke stopped drinking before he wiped his mouth, "Oh I am nowhere near that title yet Josuke. Not for a while."
Kaia giggled and handed Luke a towel that he used to wipe his forehead, "Well, with the numerous battles you've been going through that may come sooner than you think."
Gen nodded, "True Luke-dono but before anything else can happen, we need to prepare for our next big moment here at Totsuki."
Luke nodded after hearing his friends' words knowing exactly what he was talking about. A few days earlier they had all received word from the board of Totsuki about the Totsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp. At least that what is was officially called but it was more commonly known as The Camp from Hell.
The different students at Totsuki would tackle several different cooking challenges and tasks that would serve as a way for the students to not only showcase their skills but also weed out the students the school didn't feel could handle the pressure of Totsuki. While it may seem cruel in a few ways, the culinary industry was like that. It could be very harsh and cold and there are many ways for people to be hurt along the way.
But for Luke and his friends, this was one of the many tasks they had to pass to make their dreams a reality.
Food Wars
"HOLY CRAP!"
Luke practically shouted as he saw the so-called "camp" that he and his friends would be at. Their training camp was set at an enormous resort and hotel that was owned by Totsuki.
"This is where we'll be staying?" Eri said just as shocked as Luke was.
Josuke let out a whistle, "When I heard that we were headed to a camp I expected a couple of cabins around a fire pit. Not a freaking resort."
Haruka giggled, "Well, you have to remember that this is Totsuki. They don't exactly do things on a small scale."
"You can say that again," Luke said before he swallowed hard, "Well, no time like the present. Come on guys, we need to drop our bags off and head to the main hall. There's going to be an announcement once we get there."
Food Wars
After dropping their bags off in their rooms, everyone made their way to the main wall where all the other students were. Being among the rest of Totsuki made everyone feel just how small they were compared to the rest of the school, even if there were over 1,000 students around them.
Drake looked around, "Wow, you can almost feel the intensity in the air."
Chris nodded, "What did you expect? This is the camp from Hell. We don't know what's going to be waiting for us once everything begins."
Luke smiled, "That may be true but let's remember, we made it this far in the most rigorous cooking school in the world. This camp is just one more trial that we need to tackle. I know that we can all pass."
Kagura smiled, "Always the optimist aren't you, Luke?"
Luke shrugged, "Maybe but it's also the faith that I have in my friends."
Everyone seemed to feel calmer after Luke's words. While it was true that things could get very crazy for them, they knew that if they trusted their skills, they could make it.
Luke looked around and saw Youji standing next to a girl, "Oh, Youji!"
The Chinese chef looked over and smiled in Luke's direction, "Luke-san," he said as he and the girl made their way over to them, "It's good to see you again, Luke-san."
Luke nodded, "Likewise. So, how is it being the head of the Chinese Cuisine RS?"
"Well, it's not easy," Youji said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "But ever since I took over, myself and the other members now have a lot more freedom with our dishes."
The girl next to him smiled, "Plus, with you as the head, I was able to come back into the RS with no problem."
Luke looked over and could tell that the girl was Youji's friend Momo. She was a rather pretty girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail, fair skin, a heart-shaped face, and amber-colored eyes.
"I take it you're Momo?"
Momo nodded, "Yes, I am. Thank you so much for bringing Tendou-kun down a peg. With him gone Youji and I can finally cook how we want to."
Luke nodded and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "Don't mention it. Just use this chance to take your cooking at high as you can."
"Hai!"
Luke smiled. He was very happy that his actions with Tendou were able to bring smiles back to people who had such passion for what they did. Plus, getting the chance to cook alongside your friends made things even better.
"Oi Luke heads up. Tendou's walking in right now."
At the mention of the former Chinese Cuisine RS head, Luke moved his gaze away from Youji and Momo to see the very man he beat just a few weeks ago walk in, flanked by three other guys.
"Who are those guys with him?" Drake asked.
"Members of the RS that were still loyal to Tendou-kun. They followed him out when he was dismissed." Momo informed them.
As Tendou and his crew were passing through the grand room, they stopped and he and Luke locked eyes. The two of them held each other's gaze for several minutes, Luke's male friends all gathered around him just to give him a bit more fearsome aura. It seemed to get to Tendou who just moved on with the rest of his boys.
Luke smirked, "I guess he's still all bark and no bite." He said getting everyone to laugh.
"Ah, Marina-sama! Karin-sama!"
All eyes turned to see the two most recognized women of Totsuki walking into the room with the grace of royalty. It honestly surprised Luke at how much the people idolized the two girls when all he saw were his two friends. He gave them both a wave which Karin was happy to reciprocate while Marina did so on a much smaller scale with a major blush on her face. The boys around them all glared at Luke. Envy was a very dangerous emotion.
"Greetings students!"
All eyes were drawn to the center stage as Asahi-sensei took up the microphone to address the young chefs in the auditorium.
"Welcome to the Totsuki Resort. I will now give you a run down of how this camp will go. You will all stay here for 5 nights and 6 days where during that time, you'll be split into several groups and take on daily cooking tasks. Those of you who do not meet the instructors' criteria and fall below their evaluations will be sent back to the academy…and expelled."
The threat of being expelled from Totsuki was a sword that constantly loomed over the heads of all students but if they couldn't make it here, then there was no way that they would be able to make it in the industry once they left school.
"And as for how you will be evaluated, your tasks will be given out by guest lecturers that we have brought in. They are Totsuki alumni who have graciously chosen to join us despite their busy schedule."
Gasps rang out through the entire auditorium as several different men and women entered the auditorium. Each one walked with an air of pride around them.
Josuke gulped loudly, "Holy…these are Totsuki alumni? Our senpai?"
Satsuki let out a wry chuckle, "These are the geniuses that managed to stay within the 90th percentile and graduate from Totsuki!"
Luke kept his eye on his senpai as they all stood on the stage. Despite being related to an alumni member and meeting several of them previously, seeing them standing in a place where they poured their blood, sweat, and tears gave him a slight feeling of inferiority. He could see everyone from his idol Yukihira Soma, the Spice Sultan Hayama Akira, and even the White Knight of the Kitchen Table Tsukasa Eishi.
Luke let out a sigh to calm himself down, "Damn, these are the people that are going to be judging us? I'm gonna have to step my game up."
Asahi-sensei continued, "Oh, and as a special surprise, we will have the Headmistress herself Yukihira Erina stepping in on several lectures and tasks during the camp as well."
Walking in like a queen gracing the peasants in her kingdom, Yukihira Erina walked in with the rest of the alumni and stood by her husband and cousin. If there wasn't pressure put on them before, there certainly was a lot now.
As everyone did their best to calm their nerves, Tendou did something that no one was expecting and walked to the front of the crowd and addressed the alumni.
"Greetings senpai. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Tendou Misao. I am the…former Head of the Chinese Cuisine RS. I lost my title in a frivolous Shokugeki but my goal with cooking has not changed."
No one knew what to say. By now, word of Tendou's defeat had spread throughout the school and the parameters of what it meant when he lost.
Luke blinked, "What the hell is this fool doing?"
Tendou plastered his best, charming smile on his face and continued, "Even though I am no longer able to use my cooking to charm a woman's heart, I can still use other methods," he said looking up at the mothers among the alumni staff, "Which is why I am coming to you all now. Senpai, would you please give me your daughters?"
A collective gasp rang out through the collective student body. While using his food to charm a woman was something that made sense if only slightly but going right up to the parents of current Totsuki students who just so happened to be alumni was almost like asking for a death sentence for his culinary career.
"Now clearly, I would love to take the hand of Marina-sama and Karin-sama, but I am also very intrigued by the current ladies of the Polar Star dorm. Including your daughter Ibusaki-senpai."
Tendou's words did not seem to be winning over the crowd and the scowl on Ibusaki Shun's face told him he was not happy about the way Tendou was speaking about his daughter. The same is said for Soma, Ryo, and their wives.
Luke looked over at Haruka and saw her trembling a little bit. No doubt the words that Tendou was saying made her feel cheap. Not wanting to see his friend shake with such fear, Luke moved his way over her and gently took her hand in his. Haruka looked up at him in surprise, but the kind smile he gave her put her at ease and made her stop trembling. But she still wrapped one of her hands around his arm for additional comfort.
Erina was the first to speak up about Tendou's words and she did not look pleased, "Tendou-kun, you have a lot of nerve speaking to me and my fellow alumni about taking our daughter's hands."
Tendou smirked at the headmistress, "I take that as a compliment ma'am. I believe that I am the perfect match for your daughters. I am handsome and rich, have a bright future in the culinary world, and can satisfy every earthly desire your daughters may have. Plus, with the addition of a famous name as my betrothed, my name will skyrocket to the top of the culinary world! And your names will grow even more! So, what do you say?"
The people in the room were just at a loss for words. No one would think that anyone would have the gall to say that they were the perfect match for the daughter of someone who has so much pull in the culinary world and Luke was not having it.
After he let go of Haruka's hand and gently slid her hand off his arm. He grits his teeth and slowly walked forward through the crowd. Every word that Tendou said just made him angrier and angrier. The way he spoke about the girls in his life as if they were just tools to make him look good was something that Luke couldn't pass. Even though he lost against Luke in their Shokugeki and couldn't use his food to seduce women anymore, it still baffled him that he would take such drastic measures just to grow his name.
Chris saw what Luke was doing and shook his head, "Oh boy, something's bout to go down."
Everyone saw Luke make his way up toward the front of the crowd and they knew just from the look on his face that this wasn't going to end well for someone.
Luke moved through the crowd until he made it up to Tendou. He put his hand on his shoulder and spun him around to face Luke.
"What do you want?"
Luke didn't answer and instead threw a mean hook right across Tendou's face, sending him straight to the ground. The entire hall went silent after what they just saw. Even though they were in high school, seeing someone get punched in the face right in front of them was probably something that no one here was expecting.
Tendou could feel his cheek throbbing from the intense impact he had just received, he placed a hand over his new injury and glared at Luke, "You, how dare you hit me! You low-born filth, what gives you the right to lay a single hand on me you…"
"Shut up!"
Luke's thunderous voice roared across the entire hall, shaking everyone to their core. They all knew that Luke had a nasty side when you pissed him off but hearing his voice roar out the way he did just cemented the fact that you did not want to anger this beast.
Luke went over and picked Tendou up by his collar, "I could potentially live with the fact that you're trying to make yourself look good to get some girls. I can even live with the fact you're trying to get in good with their parents. But what I cannot stand is the way that you talk about my girls as if they're some kind of object just to make yourself look good!"
Whether he meant it or not, Luke's words held a lot of weight among some female members of the crowd. Each girl that Luke had come to charm during his time in Totsuki could feel their hearts beating like a jackhammer. In their minds, Luke had just claimed each one of them.
Luke grabbed Tendou and threw him against the bottom of the stage and placed his foot on his chest to keep him from moving, "Personally, I don't care if you want to go after a bunch of girls but the minute you try to pull this shit on the women I care about, then you best believe that I will knock your ass to the ground every time. So cut this shit out!"
Luke removed his foot from Tendou's chest and watched as the Chinese chef's chest heaved with each breath he took. In Tendou's eyes, he wasn't staring at a man but a vicious beast that he had just made the mistake of angering.
"Tendou-sama!"
The three men that were following Tendou did their best to make their way toward their leader but were intercepted by Luke's friends.
Josuke put his foot out and tripped the first person that made a move, "Sorry bro, can't let you do that."
The second follower was stopped when Antonio pulled him by the back of his shirt and put him on his back. The final follower didn't even make a move as he was too scared of the way his fellows were dropped to the ground so easily.
Luke smiled at the way his friends had his back before he turned to the line of professional chefs in front of him, "Senpai, I deeply apologize for my behavior. My temper sometimes gets the better of me when the people I care about being insulted so I just couldn't help myself." He said before he took a bow.
Expecting to hear something about how his behavior was not the way that a student let alone a chef should act, what Luke didn't expect was the sound of laughter coming from his Senpai.
"Man, Yukihira, I see what you mean! This kid has some serious guts!"
Luke raised his head, "Huh?"
Soma grinned, "Told you! I mean, I knew that he had skill after that dish he put up back in the States but after Erina told me that he was able to impress Marina and Karin, I knew he was something special! And now he goes and decks a guy in the face because he was insulting our daughters! This kid is cool!" he said making Luke slightly bashful.
Headmistress Erina stepped down from the stage and stood in front of Luke, "Anders-kun, while I do not particularly enjoy violence, especially from one of my students, I understand the necessary need to protect that which is important to you. And since you defended the honor of both my daughter and niece, you have my thanks." She said giving Luke a bow.
Luke waved his hands in front of him, "Please Headmistress, it was no trouble at all. I was just doing what felt natural to me."
Erina giggled and looked at Luke with a curious gleam in her eye, "Of course," she said before turning to Tendou who had yet to get back to his feet, "As for you Tendou-kun. If I ever hear you say such things about my daughter or any of her friends again, your time at Totsuki will be over before you even step foot off the grounds."
Tendou seemed too shocked to even say anything and just nodded. The impression that Luke put on him was enough to put a significant amount of fear in him.
Seeing the situation as it was, Gin decided to come forward and say a few words, "Well, now that all the excitement is over with, you will all be placed into various groups and taken to your testing sites. Be prepared for anything that comes your way as this will be one of the hardest experiences you all will face as first years. Good luck and good cooking!"
With Gin's words, everyone gathered into their groups and headed out of the grand room. Luke and his friends stayed back for a few moments to make sure they wouldn't get mobbed by all the people leaving.
Luke headed over to his friends, "Thanks for the backup boys."
Josuke shrugged, "Kind of figured you would have done something once Tendou started mouthing off."
Antonio nodded, "Si, that fool has not learned his lesson."
Luke smiled and nearly got knocked off his feet when he felt someone slam into his back and wrap their arms around him.
"Whoa."
After getting his feet back under him Luke turned around and saw Haruka hugging him from behind, she placed her chin on just below his shoulder and smiled at him, "Thank you, Luke."
Luke smiled, "Of course Haruka. I'd do anything for you girls."
Kagura soon came up and wrapped herself around one of Luke's arms, "I'm not gonna lie, Luke, it was seriously hot the way you knocked Tendou-kun on his ass."
Luke blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nothing Kagura-chan. I just did what I would always do when someone I care about gets insulted."
Just as how Kagura wrapped herself around Luke's arm, Karin ran at them in a flash of white and did the same thing on Luke's other arm. Nearly knocking them all over.
"Luke-kun, that was wonderful! You took Tendou-kun down with one punch and scared the living daylights out of him all because of the way he talked about me and Marina!"
Karin was elated about the way Luke acted and practically burrowed herself into his chest as if she was trying to merge into one with him.
Luke cleared his throat, "It's nothing special Kari-chan. I just don't enjoy it when people like Tendou talk about the women in my life as if they're objects."
All the girls seemed to love his words and tightened their grip on Luke, almost cutting off the circulation of blood to his limbs.
Chris and the rest of the gang watched as this was happening, "Should we help him?"
Antonio shook his head, "He made his bed, now he has to sleep in it. Besides, I feel like if we tried to help him, we'd probably get hurt trying." He said as everyone could feel the waves of frustration wafting off of Kaia and Marina.
A loud clearing made everyone stop in their tracks to see Headmistress Erina, Kurokiba Alice, and their husbands along with Ibusaki Shun and his wife Ryoko all standing behind them.
Like the rest of their class, Shun and Ryoko had aged very well. Ryoko still maintained her long fuchsia hair, orange eyes, and slender body. She still wore her chef whites, but they fit her body in the perfect way that made her body figure stand out more.
Her husband Shun still had his unkept, auburn hair that flowed over his eyes and kept his slate blue eyes covered. He had gained more muscle in his years as a pro chef and now wore a chef coat that was deep charcoal gray.
Erina looked at all of us with a raised eyebrow, "Well that was a lot more excitement than I was planning on the first day of the camp."
Luke was able to unwrap himself from the girls before he stood in front of the Headmistress, "Headmistress Erina, Senpai, again I wish to apologize for the way I acted. I let my temper get the best of me and I acted irrationally. So once more, I'm sorry." He said with a bow.
Ryoko walked forward and told Luke to stand up straight. The young chef did as he was told and stood rigid as the famous Koji chef looked Luke over with a scrutinous look. Now Luke liked to think that he was a fairly positive person in general but when it comes to the gaze of a famous chef that he respected and admired came down on him it felt like he was under the pressure of a dozen planets and all he wanted to do was sink into the ground.
Ryoko placed a finger on her chin and nodded, "I like this boy. Handsome, and gentlemanly, he's a great chef if he's made it this far, and he knows how to respect and defend women. I think he'd be a great fit for Haruka."
Luke blinked several times as his brain tried to process Chef Ryoko's words, "Um, huh?"
"If Anders-kun and Haruka become a couple then I bet they could make some incredible food. Makes me wonder if it's too early to think up grandchildren's names."
"HUH?!" Luke spat out in shock.
"Mother!"
Haruka, clearly embarrassed, rushed over to her mother and pushed her away from Luke who was still trying to process what Haruka's mother had just said.
Shun nodded his head, "I have to admit, I was worried when Haruka started liking boys but if she ends up with a guy like Anders-kun then I think I can live with that."
Soma grinned, "Oh yeah, plus you should see the way he cooks! Now I have done some fun things with live cooking, but he takes it to a whole 'other level! I was kind of hoping he and Marina would start dating though."
Ryo grunted, "I would hold onto that thought Yukihira, I kind of want to see where Karin can go with this kid."
Luke couldn't believe what he was hearing. His friends' fathers were actually thinking about setting him up with their daughters. Luke didn't know how to react or even what to say. He liked the girls, but he hadn't thought about relationships since he wanted to focus on his cooking.
But could he date the women that he considered close friends? He did kind of beat the crap of a guy who was talking about the girls as if they were objects so maybe it was a possibility.
Luke shook his head, "I have no idea what is going on anymore."
Antonio threw his arm over Luke's shoulder, "I wouldn't worry too much about all this amigo. There isn't anything you can do about it at this point so just grit your teeth and bear with it."
Luke groaned out loud and realized that his friend was right. While he didn't know if he could make a relationship work with any of his female friends, he might as well just go with the flow of the craziness that was happening in front of him right now. Especially considering his friends' mothers were currently fighting over whose daughter would have the right to date Luke first.
This was new territory for the young man, so he needed to be prepared for whatever was going to happen. Who knows, maybe he would get a girlfriend before the camp was over.
Food Wars
After all the craziness from the morning had settled down, Luke was now in another testing kitchen with Kaia, Youji, and Momo. Apparently, for this task, all students were going to have to work alongside the people they were partnered with at the beginning of the semester.
Luke sighed, "Man, that was exhausting."
Kaia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, must be pretty tiring to have so many girls fighting over you."
Luke gave his Hawaiian friend a sideways look, "Please don't find joy in this. I don't like the fact that the girls I've become friends with are fighting with their mothers to see which one of them will start dating me."
Kaia shook her head, "I don't think you have anything to worry about Luke. You don't have to date anyone you don't want to." She said moving just a bit closer to Luke.
"Well, that's the problem. I don't know who I'd want to date in the first place. Each girl in my life is special to me in some way."
Kaia bit her lip and pressed her chest against Luke's, "Even me?"
Luke smiled, "Yes Kaia. Even you."
The girl smiled at Luke and for the first time since they had met, the young chef had a chance to get a look at Kaia's eyes. Her hazel-green eyes seemed to shine when he looked at them, enhancing her sharp features. Reminding Luke just how beautiful she was.
"See something you like, Luke?" Kaia asked with a smirk.
Luke blinked and smiled at her, "Sorry Kaia, it's just, I've never been this close to you before, so I never noticed just how beautiful you are."
Kaia giggled but Luke could see the small amount of color on her cheeks. The same color that soon dusted his own when she went ahead and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"You certainly know how to make a girl feel special, Luke."
Luke swallowed hard, not that he would say it outright but the feeling of Kaia's hands on his waist shot goosebumps all across his skin, making him clench his fists to keep from shivering in pleasure. Damn, he had to admit the girl got to him.
Now that he was thinking about it, each girl he had met set his body on fire in some way. Marina's fiery disposition when she spoke about food, Karin's cute forwardness when it came to whatever she was interested in, Kagura's sultriness whenever they were alone, and Haruka's gentle sweetness that Luke found irresistible.
Not to mention Kaia's friendliness and how open she was to physical touch. He liked each girl for a different reason and that just made this whole idea of dating someone that much more difficult. He didn't want to hurt anyone in his life if he had to choose someone to be in a relationship with. So how could he move forward with this?
"While I don't mind the obvious affection, please keep it to a minimum while you're in class Luke."
Luke and Kaia jumped at the sound of the new voice and turned around to see Sonoka along with Megumi standing behind them.
Luke sighed, "Jeez, don't scare me like that nee-…I mean Chef Sonoka."
Sonoka giggled, "Sorry Luke, I couldn't help it. The moment seemed perfect. And please don't be so formal. We may be in the kitchen but we're still family."
Luke smiled, "Okay Nee-san. And it's good to see you again as well, Chef Megumi." He said bowing.
Megumi bowed to Luke, "Likewise Anders-kun."
"Uncle Luke!"
Just like when he was back in Arizona, Luke's prepared himself for the tackling given to him by his niece and nephew. Thankfully they came at him from the front instead of jumping on his back so he could embrace the two and stay on his feet.
Luke laughed as he hugged the two children, "Hiroto! Rika! Wow, it's so good to see you both. I didn't expect you guys to be here."
The two children left their uncle's arms and went back to their mother, "Mama said she wanted our opinions on the food you and your class are making today!" Hiroto said.
"Plus, she said we could have some of your food, so we were excited to come!" Rika added.
Luke added and patted the two kids on the head, "Well, I'll be sure to make some food that you guys will love," he said then looking to Sonoka, "Nee-san, what exactly is our prompt today?"
Sonoka nodded before she and Megumi made their way to the class with their children. Himawari had been hiding behind her mother the entire time but when she moved to the front of the class, she waved at Luke who did the same.
Kaia tapped Luke on the shoulder, "Uh, Luke, why did you call Chef Sonoka Nee-san?"
"Oh, I guess I never told you guys huh? Sonoka is my older brother's wife. She's, my sister-in-law. And Hiroto and Rika are my niece and nephew."
Luke didn't realize that he spoke loudly enough that the other students in the class heard him and were shocked by his announcement.
"No way!"
"He's related to Chef Sonoka?!"
"That means his brother is the master butcher that married Chef Sonoka!"
"No wonder he knows so much!"
Luke blinked, "Huh, people call Aniki a master butcher? Makes sense in a way but I didn't know he was called that."
Kaia looked at Luke like he was a living legend, "Just how amazing are you, Luke Anders?"
Before Luke could answer, Sonoka clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, "Okay everyone, calm down. Your attention shouldn't be on who Luke is related to but instead on what your task today shall be."
Megumi nodded, "That's right. Today, you won't just be trying to satisfy a chef's palette but also the pallets of our children."
Everyone looked nervous and Luke couldn't blame them. Serving chefs in a school was one thing but serving children, regardless of who their parents were, wasn't an easy feat. Children were highly opinionated, picky eaters, and if they didn't like something they would say it. And these kids weren't any ordinary kids. They were the kids of professional chefs, so they knew what good food was. And if they didn't like it, that would severely hurt their grade and their chances of passing this task.
"We have prepared multiple ingredients here so you can choose whatever you want. Remember, you aren't just serving us, but you are serving our children." Sonoka sed.
Megumi placed her hand on top of her daughter's head, "While we may like your dishes, our children may not. So, remember to create something that will satisfy all our pallets."
"You have 2 hours. If you don't satisfy us before that time, then you fail this test. Your time starts now."
Once Sonoka gave the okay, every single student charged toward the cooler or decided to plan their dish together. This wasn't going to be an easy task since the students couldn't just make a plate of junk food and give it to the kids, even if that would be something they'd like. They had to make something that would appeal to kids but also be up to snuff when serving an esteemed chef.
Momo and Youji were about to rush towards the nearby fridge like everyone else, but Luke grabbed their shoulders and stopped them from moving, "Hold on guys. There is something we need to check on before we start cooking."
All of Luke's friends looked confused but followed his lead as he headed up to the area where Sonoka, Megumi, and the kids were waiting.
Luke crouched down and looked his niece, nephew, and Himawari in the eye, "Hey guys, now before I start cooking, I need to know something. I know that Hiroto can't have peanuts and Rika can't eat anything that has berries," he said getting nods from his niece and nephew, "Now Himawari-chan, I probably should have asked you this the last time I cooked for you, but do you have any allergies I need to worry about?"
Himawari tilted her head in confusion, "Um, I don't know."
Luke chuckled, "Makes sense. Chef?" he said looking at Himawari's mother.
Megumi smiled, "Himawari unfortunately is allergic to pineapple. She can't even taste the juice."
Luke nodded, "Got it. Thank you, chef."
Luke and his friends made their way back to their stations and started to plan, "Luke-san that was brilliant." Youji said.
Luke chuckled, "I don't know about Brilliant, but I do know the last thing I want to do is serve something to children that could get them sick."
Momo nodded, "I can see that this is one of the challenges of this task. We know that the professional chefs would let us know if they couldn't eat anything, the kids might not."
Luke nodded, "Exactly. Now that we know what the kids can and can't eat, we can plan our dish."
The four friends made their way to the walk-in fridge. There weren't many options left but that was to be expected. Most of the other students grabbed their ingredients at the beginning of the task and would most likely cook something that they would be used to. Luke, Kaia, Momo, and Youji would now have to use what they had left to create a dish that would allow them to pass.
Youji and Momo separated from the others and made their way over to the starches while Luke looked over what proteins were left. Thankfully there were some chicken thighs left which made him happy, he loved cooking chicken.
He was about to let Kaia know but when he looked over at her, she seemed to be in her little world looking at some kind of produce.
Luke walked over to his friend and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kaia, are you okay?"
Kaia looked at Luke and smiled, "Yeah, I'm great actually. I didn't expect to find taro here."
Luke looked at the black starch in Kaia's hand, "Taro root is supposed to be a holy ingredient in Hawaii, right?"
Kaia nodded, "Yeah, my mother used to tell me that all Hawaiians came from Taro root. And since ancient times, all Hawaiians would use Taro root in any kind of traditional meal. This was one of the first things I ever learned how to cook."
After Kaia said that Luke had an idea. A dish that the chefs and kids would like that also showcases a little bit of Luke and Kaia's heritage.
Luke leaned into Kaia's ear, "I have an idea." He whispered.
Momo and Youji had already left the fridge leaving the two alone to finish their plan.
Luke leaned back and looked at Kaia that had a flush of color on her face, "So what do you think?"
Kaia nodded, "I like it. I think it would be great for us to make."
Luke smiled, "Great, then let's get to work."
As he was about to leave, Kaia grabbed onto his sleeve to stop him. Luke looked at Kaia who had a flushed look on her face. He moved in closer to check on her and make sure she was okay but what he didn't expect was for Kaia to grab his collar and kiss him.
Luke was so shocked by her actions that he just froze in place. Kaia's lips were soft, sweet, and almost luscious even. Now Luke had been kissed before but he wasn't exactly experienced when it came to girls kissing him out of nowhere but he had to admit, kissing her felt amazing. It was even more amazing when Kaia slipped her tongue into his mouth and touched his chest.
Kaia pulled back for a moment and licked her lips. Luke was still shocked, but he couldn't deny the attraction he had for the girl. It was the same kind of attraction that he had for the other girls and at that moment he wanted Kaia. Hell, he wanted all of the girls which he didn't expect. He was taught that a good man stayed loyal to the one woman he was supposed to be with
But there was a part of his mind that was considering the idea of being with multiple women. But that was something that he would have to think about later.
Kaia smiled, "I know you have a lot of things to think about, but I want you to know that I like you. A lot. And no matter who you choose, I'll still be your friend."
Luke smirked, "I like you too Kaia but you're right. I have a lot of things that I need to think about. Because I like a lot of girls right now."
Kaia giggled, "I know you do. It's pretty obvious given how you are around us. But for now, what do you say we cook like we always do?"
Luke nodded, "I'd like that."
And with that, Luke and Kaia grabbed their ingredients and headed back to their station. With one more look at each other, the duo got to work.
Kaia chose to work with the taro root she was used to and quickly peeled it, diced it, and got it into a pot of boiling water. While she did that, Luke took some of the chicken thighs he found and began marinating them in a mixture of buttermilk, thyme, garlic, black pepper, salt, onion powder, and a splash of gochujang.
Luke then took a large pot and heated a large amount of oil in it. While the oil was getting up to temp, he mixed a combination of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
After about a half hour, Luke took his chicken out of his brine, shook off the excess, and placed the pieces in the flour mixture, coated each piece, shook the excess flour off, and placed them on a plate to let them rest.
He looked over at saw her taking the taro root out of the water and started mashing it. She then set her mashed mix to the side and quickly diced red and yellow bell peppers and took some cheddar cheese and added that to her mix. Luke nodded at what she was doing and continued with what he was doing. After seeing that his oil had come to the correct temperature, Luke added his chicken to the oil and cooked 3-4 at a time. He waited until the right moment to pull the chicken out; when it had that perfect golden crust but was still juicy on the inside.
After pulling out his chicken, Luke smiled, "GBD. Golden, brown, and delicious."
After frying all of his chicken, Luke placed them on a wire rack and let the residual heat finish cooking the inside. Luke and Kaia looked at each other and saw that each portion of their dish was coming along. With Luke's chicken done frying, Kaia went ahead and formed her batter into small cakes and cooked them off in a small skillet. The cakes came out beautifully golden with a thin, crispy crust and a fluffy interior.
The two didn't even need to communicate vocally about what they needed to complete, just by looking at each other's actions they could tell what needed to be done. It was a kind of connection that you could only have if you and your kitchen partner trusted each other without fault.
With Kaia's cakes done and Luke's chicken done frying, they worked on the last two additions to their dish. Kaia mixed up a quick slaw using jicama and cabbage while Luke cooked up a quick sauce with sweet chili sauce as the base.
After all of their components were done, they went ahead and plated. Putting one of Kaia's Taro root cakes on the plate first, followed by Luke's chicken that he cut on a bias to make it look sexier, then piled the slaw Kaia made on top of the chicken, and finished off with the sauce Luke made that he added with a flourish.
Luke and Kaia smiled at each other and grabbed their plate before heading up to the chefs and their kids. Momo and Youji were in front of them, and it looked like they had just finished getting their dish judged.
"Misaki Youji and Hanagaki Momo. Your cheese and bacon Croquettes were amazing. The fluffiness of the potato, the creamy cheese, and the salty bacon all worked together in perfect harmony. The addition of the sweet corn sauce with Chinese peppers adds a unique sweet and spicy touch to a traditional dish. And the pickled Bok choy and braised cabbage made it a balanced dish that includes vegetables. A perfect, balanced meal that all can enjoy."
Sonoka's words made the two chefs proud of what they did and seemed to glow under their words.
Megumi smiled along with her senpai, "I think we agree," she said looking back at Youji and Momo, "Congratulations you two, you pass."
Momo and Youji high-fived, happy with their accomplishment, and headed back to their station after giving Luke and Kaia and wish of good luck.
Once the kids saw Luke approach, they immediately got excited, "Uncle Luke! What did you make?" Hiroto asked.
Luke laughed, "Hey kids. Well, here is something that I think you all will enjoy."
Kaia and Luke placed their plates in front of the two chefs who looked their plates over with scrutinizing looks while the kids were practically drooling, "Wow, now what do you call this?" Megumi asked.
Luke and Kaia shared a smile before looking back at their esteemed judges, "We call this our Hometown Heritage Plate. Not only are we showing you just what we can do with the food you gave us, but we are also showing you a little bit of both of our heritages."
Sonoka smiled, "How interesting! So, what do we have?"
Kaia went first, "On the base is a pancake I made but instead of the traditional flour, egg, and milk I made it using a base of taro root."
Megumi blinked, "Taro root? How innovative. From what I understand, taro isn't just a common ingredient in Hawaii but also a sacred ingredient?"
Kaia nodded, "That's correct. When I was a child, my mother took me to a farm that specialized in growing taro and told me about the history and stories behind it. She then taught me how to cook it and I eventually made it my own. The cake is filled with roasted peppers, cheese, and some Japanese seasonings along with the jicama and cabbage slaw on top."
Luke smiled, "And on top of the cake is my contribution. It's a specialty fried chicken I've made at numerous family get-togethers and outings, and everyone loves it. It's a traditional buttermilk brine which I added gochujang to along with a flour breading that contains a bunch of different seasonings and spices. The sauce is a sweet and sour sauce with a little bit of spice because I used sweet chili sauce as a base."
Luke could see the kids swallowing in anticipation and the chef's eyes looking on in interest. With no more need to speak, they all dug into their food. As each person placed a piece of food in their mouths, their taste buds erupted in delight."
"Yummy!" All three kids cried out as smiles of pure joy spread across their faces.
Megumi seemed just as happy, "What a wonderful combination! The taro cake is soft and fluffy but the griddled outside gives it just a light amount of crispiness. The addition of the bell peppers and cheese along with the Japanese spices gives it a unique twist you wouldn't normally find with taro root."
Sonoka grabbed another piece of that chicken, "And this chicken! One word Luke, perfect," she said making Luke blush, "The crust is fabulous, the spicing on the chicken is perfect, and it's still so juicy and moist. The addition of the slaw adds a wonderful crunch, and the sauce gives it just a hint of acidity and additional spice."
"A wonderful combination of flavors and a delightful union of both of your cultures. You have bridged the gap between both of your heritages and came together in a dish that was both unexpected and delicious. And as you can see, the kids loved it as well."
The kids didn't even bother talking as they were so busy eating which warmed Luke's heart. He loved seeing the members of his family enjoy the food he makes but he kind of wished his older brother could be here as well.
Megumi and Sonoka shared a nod before standing, "Luke Anders, Takeda Kaia, congratulations; you both pass."
"Yes!"
Luke and Kaia were very happy and hugged each other in victory. They had both passed the first hurdle of the camp and even made a few steps toward growing the relationship between them. Now that the first task was over, they could only hope that their friends were in the same boat and hopefully, make it to the end of the camp with all the members of Polar Star dorm and their honorary members along for the ride.
This training camp was just getting started.