"I didn't expect to draw the captain as my opponent. But hey—this is a great opportunity. You don't usually get to challenge the captain!"
Miyoko Hojo looked like she'd been injected with adrenaline when she realized her opponent was Kael.
"Miyoko, your opponent is Kael. Aren't you nervous?"
Hisako Arato watched Miyoko with some bewilderment. To her, facing Kael meant almost certain defeat. If it were her, she wouldn't just be nervous—she'd be desperate.
But Miyoko showed none of that.
"What's there to be nervous about? We all know how this will end, right? If you face the captain, the winner will always be the captain—unless he chooses to lose on purpose."
"Since I know I'll lose, I'll at least make sure it's not humiliating. I want the captain to be able to see my progress."
Miyoko was full of fighting spirit. Ever since she'd joined the Chinese Cuisine Research Society, her skills had leapt forward. The society's resources, plus having Terunori Kuga—an Elite Ten member—meant they had plenty of support.
And then there was Kael's mentorship. Kael taught the Chinese Cuisine Research Society monthly, but he'd give extra attention to students who showed promise. Miyoko had been one of those he'd given a bit more to, and she'd felt her skills rocket upward. That's why she'd managed a score on par with Hisako Arato.
That rapid improvement made Miyoko more confident. She wasn't afraid of losing to Kael—losing still meant she was improving.
That mindset was something Kael had drilled into the Chinese Cuisine Research Society: losing wasn't fatal. Life was long; getting crushed by one loss and never recovering was contemptible.
Because of Kael's influence, most members of the society could now face failure head-on—Miyoko included.
Her purpose was clear: graduate from Totsuki and prove herself to those at home who looked down on her. She wasn't chasing perfection; she wanted steady progress. Losing gave her material to get better.
On that point, Miyoko actually admired Soma Yukihira. Kael had told the society about Soma, and when they learned Soma had lost to his father 490 times, everyone was stunned.
Four hundred and ninety straight losses—what did that feel like? They couldn't imagine it. Most of them would have broken after dozens of losses, let alone nearly five hundred. That made them respect Soma's stubborn resilience; they took his refusal to be defeated as an ideal.
"You are really optimistic."
Hisako Arato was taken aback. Having been raised under Erina Nakiri's wing, she'd grown up around winners. Erina's camp didn't tolerate failure. When Mito Ikumi failed in canon, Erina had promptly cut her loose.
Under Erina's rule, those who lost were essentially discarded. So Hisako cared a lot about winning and losing.
Even though she knew Erina wouldn't blame her—even comfort her—Hisako couldn't allow herself to fail. It was just how her mindset had adapted.
"Maybe," Miyoko said, "but your group isn't any easier. You drew Alice Nakiri and Soma Yukihira—both perfect scores. Facing those two, elimination is almost certain."
Hisako's expression darkened; she'd been so focused on Kael she hadn't realised her own group was a death group. Neither Alice nor Soma were opponents she could match.
The Autumn Selection used the Four-Star Assessment as its baseline: anyone getting a perfect here was effectively a Four-Star Chef. Hisako had scored ninety-two—close to Four-Star, but close didn't mean she was one. Against Four-Star opponents, unless they made huge mistakes or held back, she stood no chance.
Thinking about letting down her family's made Hisako's face sour. But there was nothing she could do—the matchups were set, and she had to accept them.
"Miyoko, we're having a feast at Polar Star Dormitory tonight. You should come!"
As Hisako and Miyoko talked, Kael stepped up with an invitation. They were planning a celebration—everyone could bring friends.
"I'll be there, Captain!"
Miyoko nodded eagerly. Normally she kept her competent, strong-woman image, but around Kael she turned into a fangirl.
"Hisako, if you and Erina are free tonight, you're welcome to come too."
Kael invited Hisako as well. Alice lived at Polar Star Dormitory too—Erina and Alice were cousins—so it made sense to extend the invite.
"Me and Erina? I'll tell Erina-san."
Hisako didn't commit immediately; she planned to ask Erina first. If Erina agreed, she'd go along.
Meanwhile Soma Yukihira had invited a few friends he'd made this term: Takumi, Isami, and Ryo Kurokiba, and even Akira Hayama. Kael knew Soma well enough to know inviting defeated contestants to a celebration might look like mockery, but these guys understood Soma's nature and didn't take offense.
Akira Hayama considered it and agreed; he'd spent enough time with Soma to know what kind of person he was. Jun Shiomi, having once been part of Polar Star Dormitory, also accepted.
As for Ryo Kurokiba, he agreed gladly—he and Soma were close friends, both of them the focused type who tied headbands and got serious.
Yuki Yoshino invited Mito Ikumi—both specialized in meats, and they'd become good friends after meeting.
"Kael, are you and Megumi free tomorrow? I have something to ask of you."
On the way back to Polar Star Dormitory, Satoshi Isshiki found Kael and Megumi Tadokoro.
"We're free. What do you need, Isshiki-senpai?" Kael asked. He'd guessed already—Isshiki had originally asked Soma and Megumi in the canon, but now it was Kael and Megumi.
"I need you two to teach the kids a class."
Isshiki explained he wanted Kael and Megumi to give a lesson to some children.
"I don't mind."
Kael agreed—he had time, and it would be a nice change from studying chef's hearts all the time.
"I'm fine with that too."
Megumi agreed once Kael did.
"Wait—sounds fun. Can I join?"
Alice Nakiri suddenly popped up. Seeing Kael and Megumi acting together made her feel a twinge of competition—she couldn't let her guard down.
"Alice, you want to come? Of course!"
Isshiki welcomed more hands; more cooks made the class easier to handle.
Others wanted to tag along but had other tasks, so they didn't.
Soon everyone returned to Polar Star Dormitory. With Alice there, any ingredient the dorm needed was suddenly available. Fumio Daimido fretted—she worried that once Kael and company graduated, the dorm might have to tighten its belt. But she'd been through prior Golden Age departures; she had experience handling the transition.
Ingredients arrived and everyone began preparing. It was late and guests would arrive soon; they had to speed up or the celebration wouldn't happen.
Kael wasn't worried—he could process whatever ingredients were needed in no time.
"Kael's knife work with the Seven-Star Knives is absurd. All of us together aren't even a tenth of his speed!"
Yuki Yoshino groaned as Kael tore through prep. His efficiency made the rest of them feel like slackers.
"You'll get used to it."
The others said they were used to it—Kael's culinary skill was beyond any human, everyone agreed.
"If you keep teasing me, I'll stop helping." Kael muttered, half-exasperated.
He'd been cutting ingredients and the others joked about him being a monster.
"Sorry, sorry—please forgive us!"
They chorused, not wanting to offend their powerhouse. If Kael stopped helping, they'd be stuck doing the work themselves; better to cling to his coattails.
"Enough fooling. Set up the tables and chairs—quite a few people are coming."
Kael reminded them, and the boys moved furniture while the girls continued in the kitchen.
After about an hour, the guests began arriving, each carrying small gifts. It felt wrong to come empty-handed.
"Need help? We're not as skilled, but we can assist."
Takumi offered. Only Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato in the dorm were worse cooks than him, and even they had scored near eighty.
"No need. It's almost done—Takumi, you and Isami wait in the dining room."
Soma waved them off—the work was nearly finished. Takumi and Isami didn't mind; it was their first time at Polar Star Dormitory.
Now the dorm was famous because of Kael. In the past, Fumio had refused all requests to stay—Polar Star Dormitory stuck to an elite line. Not everyone could move in; the dorm's atmosphere mattered, and Fumio didn't want a rotten apple spoiling it.
But this time Polar Star Dormitory had become renowned again. Apart from Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato, everyone in the dorm had passed the Autumn Selection prelims with high scores.
People had expected Kael to be strong, but they hadn't expected the entire dorm to be this formidable. Even average members ranked top among Three-Star Chefs, and several had already reached Four-Star.
Everyone wondered what magic lived in Polar Star Dormitory. The Golden Age's Elite Ten had all lived there once—now a generation even stronger seemed to be gathering. If the first time was coincidence, what explained this second wave? Some whispered about the dorm's spiritual energy—but others just admired the talent.
After Takumi and Isami, Miyoko Hojo arrived. Hisako Arato, Erina Nakiri, and Mito Ikumi also showed up, trailing behind them—though one person followed like a little shadow.
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