Soup 1.3
⸻1⸻
Like most boys his age, Dana Alouette was roused from his slumber by an old Japanese woman yelling at him…Hold on a second. Sitting up in bed, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. The blurry environment came into focus and he remembered where he was; in his room at Polar Star Dormitory, the only on-campus housing facility at Totsuki Academy.
The old woman's cranky voice emanated from the bronze pipes embedded in the floor of his room, gaining a harsh and creepy quality that grated on his eardrums. The pipes were like those old-fashioned speaking tubes that ships used to have, and for whatever reason this dorm was infested with them. Dana groaned and laid back down, covering his head with a pillow. Unfortunately, the voice pierced right through the impromptu earplugs.
"Room 301, it's time for breakfast!" said the voice of Fumio, the dorm mother, "It's the first day of school, and I don't want you to go to class on an empty stomach. So get up already and join us. If you don't hurry, we'll eat everything before you arrive."
"What the hell," Dana muttered into his pillow, "She just said that she didn't want me to miss breakfast, but then said that they'll eat it all without me? I'm totally getting mixed signals here."
He pulled the pillow off his face and yawned, closing his eyes. It was a mistake to stay up so late last night, but it really wasn't his fault. Ingredients were tempting him, incessantly whispering recipe ideas into his head like a culinary mantra, and he couldn't sleep without trying them. The result was a very messy kitchen, and a very satisfying midnight snack. By the time the dishes were cleaned and put away, it was basically two in the morning.
Still, even tired as he was, the thought of breakfast made his stomach growl. Sleep would have to wait. There was food that needed to be eaten.
Dana opened his eyes and saw a smiling face looking down at him from the ceiling. The man's unexpected appearance caused a brief spike in panic, but Dana took a calming breath, and said, "Oh, it's you, Satoshi. You're raring to go this morning, eh? You normally don't start popping out of my ceiling until the afternoon."
This strange individual was none other than Satoshi Isshiki, a fellow Totsuki Academy student and the only second year living at Polar Star Dormitory. There used to be more students from Isshiki's generation living here, but every single one of them failed to advance past their first year and were subsequently expelled. That was the kind of place Totsuki was. The plain and boring students were weeded out, and the strange, quirky, or otherwise unhinged students blossomed. It was a garden for growing culinary monsters.
"Oh, good! You're awake," Isshiki said, "When you didn't reply to Miss Fumio's wake-up call, she suggested I come up here and make sure you're up. You don't want to be late on your first day, right?" With his charming smile, well-groomed brown hair, and blue eyes; most girls considered him handsome. Dana wondered if they'd still find the guy so attractive if they knew he enjoyed crawling around in the attic, oftentimes completely nude.
"Huh? Weren't you just telling me the other day how often you skip class? Telling me not to be late…sounds kinda half-assed coming from you."
"Heh, you got me there. I'll just let you get changed into your uniform. Come downstairs when you're done. I'll be sure to save you a plate." Isshiki slid the displaced ceiling tile back and disappeared from sight. Listening close, Dana could hear scuffling above him as Isshiki crawled away.
Sitting up in bed, Dana glanced around his room. Furniture-wise, it was pretty spartan. Besides his bed, he only had a small desk and chair. Despite that, the entire room was quite cluttered, filled to the brim with knife cases and animal pelts. Notebooks of recipes and cooking tips littered the place as well. Some of his more prized knives, like his 100 cm long maguro knife, were proudly displayed on the wall, but other than that, things were strewn about with no real rhyme or reason. Simply put, his room was a catastrophe.
After moving into the dorm, Hana was more than happy to send over all his stuff from his room back in Canada. It kind of made him paranoid. Was this her way of passive-aggressively getting him to move out? If he got expelled from the school, would that make him homeless?
"Where did I put my uniform? I know I had it last month," Dana questioned himself. He couldn't see it hanging up anywhere, which probably meant it was laying crumpled up in a ball somewhere on his floor. He spotted a glimmer of plastic poking out from under his partially unpacked backpack (He'll get around to fully unpacking it someday. Definitely.), and tugged it out. It was his uniform, neatly folded and still sealed inside the wrapper. "Ah, perfect."
Dana got dressed, putting on a black t-shirt and his Totsuki uniform pants as well as a red and black flannel shirt that he wore with all the buttons undone. After a second's thought, he put on the academy's blazer over the top of it all. He yawned and ran his fingers through his feathery salmon-blond hair, scratching the back of his head. Snatching his favorite knife off the desk, he tucked the sheathed blade into the waistband of his pants and carefully maneuvered the cluttered floor.
He left his room and headed downstairs towards the dining hall. Along the way, Dana passed many empty rooms. More times than he'd care to count, Fumio had regaled him and the other dorm members about the "Golden Age" of the Polar Star Dorm, a time when every room was filled and students applied for residence in droves. For Dana it was hard to imagine the dilapidated manor holding any sort of prestige or renown. Out of the forty dorm rooms at Polar Star, only ten were currently occupied by students; the rest sat vacant.
Adjacent to the sizable restaurant-quality kitchen was the dining hall. It was a large room containing several long tables. Most of the tables went unused as the other members of Polar Star all gravitated to the table closest to the kitchen. Dana sat in the only available chair and was immediately accosted by Isshiki, who shoved a plate of food into his face.
"Glad you could join us," Isshiki said, completely naked except for the apron that was draped across his front.
"Thanks for the food." Dana graciously accepted the offerings of rolled omelets and assorted vegetables, not even batting an eye at the fact that Isshiki was basically exposing himself. The ability of humans to adapt to unusual circumstances was truly astounding. Before entering Totsuki, Dana never would have imagined he'd get used to hanging around a guy who was naked, like, all the time. Perhaps his own transformation into a quirky weirdo was already underway?
Fork in hand, Dana happily dug into his meal. The others were all using chopsticks, but after a month of living in Japan, he still hadn't gotten the hang of using them—Yeah, it wasn't gonna happen.
The vegetables were cooked to perfection, oozing with a natural sweetness that could only come from being freshly picked and grown with meticulous care and consideration. Satoshi Isshiki and Megumi Tadokoro, a fellow first year dormmate, went through great pains tending to the vast garden outside the dorm. Everyone took turns pitching in to help them, but the bulk of the fresh produce provided by the land was due to their hard work and diligence.
Even a carnivore like himself could appreciate the fruits (or in this case, vegetables) of their labor.
Next he bit into the rolled omelet and marveled at the softness of the eggs and the smoky cheesy flavor that flooded his mouth. It had the perfect amount of saltiness that paired well with the juicy vegetables, creating a harmonious song on his tongue.
The eggs had to be from the chicken coup out back. Dana knew that Yuki Yoshino spent each morning checking on them and the other livestock found around the Polar Star Dorm. She had an eye for quality, and her chickens would lay only the best eggs. Similar to himself, Yuki specialized in wild game, although on a much more limited spectrum. She tended to focus her efforts on more common animals like deer and ducks, but Dana often had fun comparing notes on meat preparation and marinades.
The smokey cheese used in the dish was likely smoked by Shun Ibusaki, a quiet shaggy-haired boy who took dedication to the art of smoking to another level. On more than one occasion, he had been chastised by Fumio for converting an unused bedroom into an extra smoker after the Dormitory's actual smoker was filled to capacity.
What Dana liked best about living in the dorm so far was the sense of community. It was like a melting pot where everyone's talents come together to make something wonderful, like this delicious breakfast. Although at times, Dana felt a little disjointed from the rest of the dorm members, he knew that they'd have his back in a pinch. And he'd do the same for them. You know, probably.
Finishing his meal, he carried everyone's dishes to the kitchen. He didn't help with the morning chores like harvesting the vegetables and eggs, or help with the cooking; so washing the dishes was the least he could do. Ryoko Sakaki, a kind-hearted girl with long purplish-red hair, stayed behind to help while everyone else returned to their rooms to get ready for school.
The kitchen was easily the most up-to-date and well-maintained room in the entire building. Dana suspected that even if the rest of Polar Star crumbled into dust, the kitchen could still be used to cook gourmet meals. The kitchen sink had a wide basin to allow for large and cumbersome pots to be washed with relative ease and made washing plates a fairly relaxing task.
Dana did all the scrubbing, dunking his hands in hot soapy water, armed with a sponge and brush. Ryoko did all the drying, wiping the dishes with a clean towel. The tandem worked like a well-oiled machine, finishing their task in no time at all. It was a routine forged by day-to-day repetition as they regularly volunteered to wash them. Truthfully, Dana found it relaxing.
"Hey, Dana," Ryoko said, hanging the dish towel up on a rack to dry. "Are you excited for classes to start? I notice you've been kind of restless these past few days."
"I suppose I am. Well, it's not so much the classes that I'm excited about. I've never been one to enjoy school. I've actually been expelled from every school I've ever attended, so I think the feeling is mutual. What I am looking forward to is seeing what some of our schoolmates cook up and maybe get inspired. I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump these past few weeks."
"That's good. Though, hearing about your past experiences with school I'm a little worried about you. I don't want you to get expelled because you decided to ditch class, or pick a fight with a student, or talk back to a teacher. That'd be a waste considering that you're quite talented." Ryoko looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I—We'd miss you if you left. Plus, you've only been here for like a month. You'd likely set some kind of record for fastest expulsion if you were sent home on the first day."
"Awe, you're so cute Ryoko," Dana teased, "But you don't have to worry so much. I've decided to give it my all. Even if class gets boring, I'll still go."
"That's sort of the bare minimum expected of every student, but you do you."
"You sound like my mother, but you're not wrong. I have lofty dreams and aspirations. That's why I'm actually hoping to steal a Seat on the Elite Ten Council. Preferably this week if possible. That'll be a good first step towards my goal."
"Oh wow, that's ambitious of you! Maybe you should aim for something more manageable? I mean, the food you've made for us this past month has been phenomenal…but the Elite Ten? I don't know. There's a reason why hardly any first years have ever made it onto the Council in its 92 year history."
Dana laughed and gave her a playful shove, "Shut up, I can totally do it. Just keep an eye on me, and I'll show you something amazing." He gave her a wide smile that showed off his sharp canines. Ryoko blushed, and opened her mouth to reply when Yuki poked her head into the kitchen.
"Quit flirting, you lovebirds," she said, "We have to leave soon or we'll be late for the opening ceremony."
"I—We weren't flirting, Yuki! I told you it's not like that." Ryoko said, waving her hand in front of her face. Her cheeks had darkened to a shade of red that nearly matched her hair.
"Yeah, sure."
"I'm serious!" Ryoko followed Yūki out of the kitchen, denying that there was anything going on between her and Dana. Yuki responded to her friend's words with a knowing smile which only seemed to rile Ryoko up more. "Tell her, Dana."
Dana and Yuki exchanged a glance and then burst out laughing. To them there was nothing more adorable than seeing the normally composed Ryoko flustered. Teasing her had become one of their favorite pastimes. They couldn't help it, her reactions were just too cute.
The three of them met up with the six other first year students that were gathered by the front door, and they all left together for the opening ceremony.
⸻2⸻
Roughly a thousand students shuffled anxiously in a grassy courtyard. They were all dressed in identical blue uniforms with red-striped ties on the boys and bowes on the girls. Murmuring with each other, they looked towards a stage set up at the edge of the courtyard like they were waiting for a concert to start.
"Hey, Ryoko? We arrived all together, right?" Yuki said, turning to her friend. Ryoko furrowed her brow, not exactly understanding what the other girl was asking, and slowly nodded. "That's what I thought. So, then—Where's Dana?"
Ryoko looked to her other side and saw an empty patch of grass. Glancing around at the sea of people, she didn't spot her dormmate anywhere. She exasperatedly sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know, he really is like a stray cat. Always coming and going whenever he pleases."
"Definitely! Though I think that's all part of his charm, wouldn't you agree?" Yuki laughed with an elated expression. "Oh, we should try and get him a pair of cat ears and force him to wear a little bell around his neck. That way we'll be able to hear him next time he tries to sneak off."
Ryoko imagined Dana dressed as a catboy chef with a swishing white tail and twitching cat ears, raising one of his hands like a paw, saying, "Order up, nya." Cupping her red face, she shook her head back. "Oh no, we couldn't… But I really want to!"
"In all seriousness," said Yuki, "I wonder where he had gotten off to?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine. After all, it's only the first day. How much trouble could he possibly get into?"
⸻3⸻
Listening to the songbirds chirp outside the open window, Eishi Tsukasa gave a relaxed sigh. Lately, he's been living for these peaceful mornings before all his classes and council work started for the day. In less than an hour, he was expected to give a welcome speech in front of all the incoming first years and he was feeling nervous.
What if he forgets what he was going to say and the whole crowd laughs at him? Or if he bites his tongue? Accidentally mispronounces a word? A kaleidoscope of unfortunate scenarios swirled in his imagination.
Tsukasa shook his head, trying to block out those bad thoughts. Now that he was the 1st Seat he needed to not be so wimpy—at least that's what Rindo kept telling him. Nothing calms the nerves better than some nice early morning baking.
Donning a modest pair of thick oven mitts, Tsukasa removed a tray of ramekins from the center rack and closed the oven door. The salty smell of smoked salmon and the sweet fragrance of baked eggs steamed from the small round dishes. He could smell it before, but after taking the food out of the oven, the smell was much more pronounced.
Asleep on a stool, with her head resting on the countertop, was Rindo. It was her idea for Tsukasa to cook breakfast to alleviate his anxiety. He liked to think that she was trying to help, but he suspected that she was more interested in a free meal. The theory had merit as even asleep her nose twitched and sniffed the air.
Yawning, Rindo lifted her head and stretched out her arms. Strands of her silky red hair were sticking out like a raggedy-ann doll and her uniform was wrinkled. Now that the new semester was starting up, she'd have to get used to waking up early again. Perhaps at the next Elite Ten meeting she should propose a referendum: No classes or meeting before 10:00 AM!
"Oh, something smells delicious," Rindo said, hopping off the stool, "What did you make?"
"It's nothing special. I was finding it hard to focus this morning so I went with something simple, Oeuf en Cocotte with Smoked Salmon and Spinach," Tsukasa explained, "I didn't want to prepare an overly complicated dish or one that would take too long. Just imagining being late to give my welcome speech…" The white-haired boy clutched his stomach and his face paled to the same complexion as his hair.
"You're such a worrier, Tsukasa," Rindo laughed and slapped the boy on the back, "If you don't want to go then don't. You're the 1st Seat, they can't force you."
"That would be unbecoming of my position. The 1st Seat is a coveted and historic role that comes with a level of expectation—"
"Okay, I get it," Rindo said, cutting Tsukasa off, "Let's just eat. You don't want to be late, right?"
Before he could respond, the sliding door to the kitchen flew open and a boy with salmon-blond hair, ear piercings, and a flannel shirt under his blazer all but leaped into the room; causing Tsukasa's heart to leap out of his chest. Rindo recognized him as Dana Alouette, the guy from the transfer exam.
"I smell something delicious!" Dana roared, sniffing the air like an animal tracking its prey.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Tsukasa asked, patting his chest as his heart settled back down.
Dana paused, scratching the back of his head as he noticed the two occupants for the first time, though his eyes quickly wandered to the steaming ramekins cooling on the counter."I'm Dana. I was walking past this building—minding my own business—when a particular smell drifted from the window, and one thing led to another…so, here I am. Let's eat."
"Uh…What?"
"Oh, yeah! I remember you," Rindo said, bopping her palm with a fist, "At the transfer exam. I told you about him, Tsukasa, the guy who made Oeufs en Meurette."
"Ah, I see," Tsukasa said, his tone more enthusiastic. He turned to Dana. "So, do you specialize in French Cuisine? Rindo had nothing but good things to say about your dish. Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. As a new student, allow me to welcome you to Totsuki. I'm third year student Eishi Tsukasa and this is my classmate Rindo Kobayashi."
"He's been at the Polar Star Dormitory for the past month," Rindo stated, "Isshiki wouldn't stop bragging about him at the last meeting. So he's not exactly new to the school, ya'know? Like, he's been around campus."
Tsukasa seemed to shrink in on himself. "Sorry. That was awfully presumptuous of me to assume that I would be the first person to welcome you. This is so embarrassing."
"You're kind of strange," Dana said, "You need to relax, man. I know you were just trying to be polite. Thanks for that. You're actually the first third year I've met. Well, besides Rindo, the girl who ate my portion of the oeuf en meurette that I cooked."
"Sheesh, hold a grudge much? That's like ancient history. And after I bragged about your dish to Tsukasa. Hmph, people would kill for that kind of recommendation," Rindo huffed, crossing her arms.
"Anyway, ("Hey! Don't ignore me!") I'm French Canadian on my father's side, so I grew up with French cooking, but I wouldn't call it my specialty. What I specialize in is wild game. I have a pretty good memory when it comes to tasting dishes, so using the same few proteins over and over again is super boring and tedious. That's why I enjoy using as many different meats as possible for my dishes."
"Sounds interesting. I'd like to hear your take on venison. It's used in quite a few French recipes and if you truly are as good as Rindo claims, I think my cooking could benefit from your input."
"I don't see why not. It might be fun to compare French Canadian cooking with traditional French Cuisine."
"Hey, Tsukasa," Rindo said, butting into the conversation, "Don't you have that commencement speech thing coming up soon? We should probably start eating or else you'll run out of time."
"Right." Tsukasa nodded and passed a ramekin of oeufs en cocotte to Rindo and Dana. The next few minutes were filled with the clank of silverware on the sides of the dish, quiet chewing, and satisfied sighs as the three ate in silence.
"Soooo, what do you think?" Rindo asked Dana after he put down his fork, ramekin empty, "Tsukasa's cooking is good, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I mean he is a third year student. I'd expect this much. Though…hm, I should I put this," Dana closed his eyes and stroked his chin in contemplation. He glanced at Tsukasa. "Is this really the best you can do? I sorta get the feeling that you didn't give a fuck. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but with a little more attention to detail it could have been great. It's just kinda…pedestrian. Were you distracted while cooking this?"
"Maybe a tad," Tsukasa admitted, sheepishly.
"He has to give some kind of welcome to Totsuki speech in front of all the incoming freshmen this morning," Rindo explained, "You should have seen him scurrying around like a timid rabbit."
Pulling his phone out, Dana checked the time. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Doesn't it start at nine? Are you going to be alright?" He turned his phone to show the screen to his upperclassmen. The time read 9:07. Tsukasa paled and rushed out of the room, shouting his goodbyes over his shoulder.
Rindo stared at Dana expectantly. "Aren't you going to go too?"
"Eh, Why?"
"The commencement is for all first year students. That includes you, remember?"
"True," Dana said, nodding, "They were even going to have me make this big self-introductory speech thing, but I don't really want to. So I'm skipping it. And good thing too, otherwise I would have missed out on a free meal." He glanced around the room. "I still can't get over how nice the kitchens are in this school. This place must make bank."
"It does," Rindo confirmed, unperturbed by her underclassman's blatant truancy, "This place is actually my personal kitchen that the school set aside for me to hone my craft and try out recipes. It's nicer than the average classroom kitchen. So don't get your hopes up when you go to class for the first time."
"Wow. So everything in here is yours to use how you please?"
"Yep. Since we've got some time before class starts, I guess I can show you around. I've got nothing better to do."
It had everything: wide countertops, plenty of storage space, fridges wide as Dana was tall; all in stainless steel so clean that you could use them as a mirror. Any kind of toy a chef would want to play around with was in this kitchen. There were things that Dana didn't even know the name of or had a clue what they did.
Alice would probably enjoy this place, Dana thought, punching random buttons on some kind of bread-making machine. It made an alarming whirring noise, and Rindo casually unplugged it from the wall before the thing could explode.
There was one thing that drew his attention, the myriad of knives attached to a magnetic strip along the kitchen backsplash. There were cleavers, boning knives, fillet knives, as well as breaking knives and carving knives. Dana framed his flushed face with his hands, gushing like a school girl in love, "You could butcher an entire animal with these babies, breaking them down from skin to bone would be a snap!"
Carefully plucking one of the blades off the wall, Dana admired it with stars in his eyes, "A Wüsthof cimeter knife! How cool! Most chefs just use breaking knives, or even just a cleaver, if they need to carve up big game, but I find a cimeter is best for scraping every scrap of flesh off the bone. Only someone specializing in butchering would bother to have something like this in their kitchen."
"You have a good eye," Rindo said, smirking, "I could get by using only a cleaver in a pinch, but I think the ability to properly utilize kitchen knives is what separates the good chefs from the great ones. I could never be satisfied just making do with whatever knife's on-hand. It's nice to finally meet someone who appreciates the diversity of knives. Tch, even Tsukasa mostly sticks to his chef's knife." She pouted with her arms crossed.
"A chef's knife is versatile," Dana admitted, putting the curved blade back on the magnetic strip, "but what's the fun in that? You wouldn't ask an artist to limit themselves to only one kind of paintbrush."
"Yes! Exactly!" Rindo snatched Dana's hands, clasping them with her own, she stared into his eyes, "You really do understand. Hey, I have something I want to show you. I think you'll appreciate it." Without letting go of his hand, Rindo pulled Dana toward the pair of massive refrigerators. Releasing her grip on him, she took hold of the latch on the closest fridge and yanked it open.
Cool air washed over Dana as he leaned closer, inspecting the fridge's contents. There were some fruits, vegetables, and condiments, but the vast majority of the space was taken up by meat. Some of the meat was out in the open like the entire slab of beef that hung from a hook in the center of the refrigerator, while other meat was packaged up, wrapped in white paper with a label slapped on the front. On the bottom shelf, a container of meat chunks was soaking in a marinade, which judging by the smell and look, consisted of olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
A package of meat sitting on the shelf above the marinade caught Dana's eye. Snatching it off the shelf, he read and re-read the label plastered to the side. He glanced over to Rindo, and asked, "Is this python? Like, for serious? How'd you get it?"
Rindo nodded with a proud smile on her face. "Definitely. For someone like me, procuring ingredients isn't so hard. I'm sorta a big deal around here. I've got connections. I'm able to stock up on things that most ordinary students wouldn't be able to get their hands on. I ordered a batch of python since I've been experimenting with snake meat dishes as of late, although the results haven't been great."
"Snake can be a pretty tricky ingredient to use, but I think that it has a unique flavor profile that can't be imitated. Well, if used properly that is. Though I guess the flavor'd be unique even if used poorly." Dana smiled to himself, his eyes unfocused and lost in a memory. "Ah, that takes me back to spring break last year. I nearly got chomped by an alligator while wrangling Burmese pythons in the Everglades."
"Sounds like fun," Rindo said, and glanced down at the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. As if a light bulb went off in her head, her face lit up. "Would you like to get your revenge?"
"What do you mean?"
Taking the container of marinating meat off the bottom shelf, Rindo gave it a shake. The glossy meat chunks slushed around in the gooey liquid, drawing Dana's attention. "What I mean is that I've been marinating this alligator meat all night—Let's cook it up!"
Smiling bright, Dana brimmed with jubilation. If it's meat, he's always down to eat. Wiping drool from the corner of his mouth, he said, "Hell yeah."
⸻4⸻
A sizzling symphony of searing alligator meat serenaded Dana and sent his mind skating to a savory sanctuary, ensnaring him in the steamy sauna of sautéed flesh. Using tongs, he flipped the meat. Glistening juice drizzled from the hunks of gator at the slightest caress, hitting the hot pan with a hiss.
"Does this look about right for our jambalaya, Rin?" Dana asked, holding the frying pan out for her to inspect. The gator meat had crisped up, developing a golden brown sear, however the interior was still raw. "Since it will be cooked in the stew, I didn't want to cook it too much. Overcooked alligator becomes tough and rubbery after all."
Rindo glanced over from her pot of chocolate-colored roux, and said, "Looks good! Set it aside for now and begin preparing the vegetables. I need a bell pepper, onion, and two stalks of celery diced pronto. After that, mince some garlic. The roux is almost ready." While giving her orders, she never stopped stirring and kept her focus on floury concoction.
A roux is a sauce made from a mix of flour and animal fat, and is the basis of many dishes. That being said, it is incredibly easy to burn a roux and has to be attended to constantly until the proper color is reached. If the roux does burn, it has to be scrapped without question. It is a quintessential cornerstone of Cajun cuisine.
She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her dark blue chef's coat. Her long red hair was tied back into a ponytail with a white bandana.
Dana had also changed out of his casual clothes and into a dark blue chef's coat that matched the one Rindo had on. In fact, it was Rindo's. She let him borrow one of her spare uniforms since he didn't have any proper cooking attire with him. Since she was taller than him, he had the sleeves rolled up and his pant legs folded over so he wasn't constantly stepping on them.
"Yes, chef!" Dana chirped with a big smile on his face. Cooking was fun, but cooking with someone else was the most fun. He enjoyed cooking with his mom, but this felt different from that. This was the first time he felt truly accepted by a peer in the kitchen. Back at the Polar Star Dorm, Dana had cooked alongside the other residents on a few occasions, but even then: Ryoko, Yuki, Isshiki—Everyone, would typically shy away from his desire to use strange protein in his dishes. It was like they couldn't keep up with him sometimes. He still loved them though.
However Rindo didn't just embrace that desire, she fueled it with her own burning passion. They were synergizing, elevating each other to a new summit. Saying goodbye to the mundane, the two chefs set a course for unexplored territory.
Relinquishing the required produce from the industrial-sized pantry, Dana set up shop at a cutting board near the stove where Rindo was babysitting the roux. Borrowing the nakiri hanging on the magnet strip, the vegetables were diced swiftly and professionally into equal-sized little cubes. Rindo took her eyes off the roux long enough to admire her underclassman's knife skills.
Next, Dana peeled a few heads of garlic and smashed the white cloves with the flat of the knife. He then minced the smashed bits into tiny flakes and set them off to the side.
Rindo called for the diced vegetables, and Dana carried over the cutting board. He scraped the bell pepper, onion, and celery—the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine—into the pot, and Rindo mixed it all together with the dark brown roux. Letting the vegetables sweat a little bit, Rindo asked Dana to add in the garlic.
Rindo poured in several cups of amber-colored chicken stock that she had on hand, transforming the pot of brown tinged veggies into an actual soup. Stirring for a few moments longer, she put the top on the pot and left it to simmer.
With nothing left to do but wait for the gravy to thicken, they decided to pass the time getting to know one another: Different places they've visited, different things they've eaten, things of that nature.
"So what is your goal?" Rindo asked, leaning on the kitchen counter. Their jambalaya soup stock simmered away on the stove next to her. The sweet smell of caramelized peppers and garlic hung heavy in the air. "Why did you decide to come to Totsuki?"
Dana crossed his arms and looked up at the fluorescent lights, gathering his thoughts. He wasn't sure how in-depth of an answer she was looking for, or if she was interested in a practical obtainable goal as opposed to a more philosophical chased-but-never-gotten type dream.
"My goal," said Dana, "though I guess it would count more as a dream, is to travel the world and eat things I never knew existed. I want to taste every dish possible, and using that, create a type of cuisine that's unlike any other. A cuisine that encompasses the entire world—a masterpiece that could only be called the Ultimate Cuisine. Totsuki is simply the key to unlocking that path for me."
"Wait, so you don't want to become a professional chef?"
"Not really," Dana admitted, scratching his cheek, "I wouldn't want to be stuck in the same place for the rest of my life, and the thought of traveling the world catering to others as a private chef makes a stomach churn. Gross. It might be selfish, but I'm doing this for myself. I want to be the best, or at the very least, find someone who could help me achieve my goal."
"There's nothing wrong with being selfish," Rindo said. Dana's goal wasn't too far off from her own reason for wanting to come to Totsuki. It was one of those 'If you want it done right, do it yourself' type things. She locked eyes with Dana. "If you want to be the best, that means you'll be after a Seat on the Elite Ten. Correct?"
"Obviously. They're supposed to be the best of the best at this place. I'd like to see how they stack up against me. I'm really looking to join as soon as possible."
"That's a lofty goal. I didn't become a member until my second year."
"Wait…What?"
Rindo continued as if Dana hadn't spoken, ignoring his flabbergasted question, "Are you willing to bet your life for a spot on the Council? To give it everything you got?" The air in the room changed and a strange tension started to build. The look in Rindo's eyes were like those of a lioness; fixed and focused before going in for the kill.
"Huh? I…" Dana swallowed, and then spoke with confidence, "Absolutely."
A sly smile split Rindo's face, amused by his reply. "Then, with my 2nd Seat of the Elite Ten Council on the line, I challenge you—Dana Alouette—to a Food War."
End of Chapter
⸻Author's Note⸻
Hello everyone! We've finally reached the central conflict of Arc 1: Dana vs Rindo in a Food War. You might have noticed an influx of Elite Ten members pretty early in this story. I like to call this Arc the "Elite Ten Introductory Arc". I would like for them to play fairly pivotal roles in this story as it develops.
In case anyone is confused, in this story Dana moved into the Polar Star Dorm the same night he passed the transfer exam (passing Fumio's test on his first try). I know there was some time between when Soma "passed" his test in canon and when classes actually started, but I'm not sure if it was ever specified in the manga/anime and I don't feel like looking into it. Just know that in this story, Dana had been at Polar Star for an entire month already.
On that note, isn't it kinda weird that Soma moved into the dorm with like no luggage at all? Does he literally wear the exact same clothes everyday? Does he not have any possessions? Whatever.
P.S. I do a tiny bit of ship-teasing in this chapter so let me be frank, Romance will never be more than a subplot. Friendship will always be first and foremost, though that doesn't mean there won't be any romance at all. Just keep your expectations manageable. 'Kay?
Lazily Yours,
A Horseshoe Crab
Chapter Word Count: 6,054
Arc Word Count: 14,937
Story Word Count: 14,937