"Sour, sweet, and slightly spicy, balanced perfectly with the savoriness of garlic. And that knife work—every slice uniform, texture flawless.
Without question, this is an outstanding rendition of Yu Xiang Rou Si (fish-flavored shredded pork). Among all of Totsuki's students, I doubt anyone could surpass you in Chinese cuisine."
The instructor's words silenced the room. Every student froze, their eyes widening as the praise sank in.
They all knew what that meant.
Totsuki had an official Chinese Cuisine Research Society, and its leader was none other than Terunori Kuga, one of the Elite Ten—and the academy's undisputed master of Chinese cooking.
If the instructor was saying Kael's dish was unmatched at Totsuki... then wasn't that basically saying he'd surpassed Kuga?
That was unthinkable. The Elite Ten were the academy's strongest chefs—legends even among prodigies. Their seats rarely changed hands, except when a graduating student vacated one.
And yet, here was a transfer student—not even a full week into the semester—casually being compared to, and even placed above, one of them.
No one doubted the instructor's judgment, either. You didn't get to teach at Totsuki without being at least a Six-Star Chef by WGO standards. If a chef of that caliber said Kael's Chinese cuisine was "unrivaled," then it wasn't up for debate.
Whether Kael held a Three-Star or Four-Star title didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that, in Chinese cuisine, he had already surpassed Terunori Kuga.
Kael, however, remained calm as the whispers spread.
He knew exactly how this would play out. News like this wouldn't take long to reach Kuga's ears. And given Kuga's personality, the guy would definitely come knocking soon.
Not that Kael minded. In fact, he'd planned to confront Kuga eventually.
After all, the version of Chinese cuisine Kuga represented was... wrong. Flashy, shallow, built on spectacle rather than spirit. Kael couldn't stand by and watch that man drag down the very cuisine he loved.
Their paths were destined to cross—sooner or later.
"That's quite the compliment," Alice Nakiri said with a bright grin. "Kael-kun, you really are something else."
She'd only partnered with him out of curiosity—to see what the transfer student representative was capable of. She hadn't expected this. His skill had far exceeded anything she'd imagined.
"Thank you, sensei," Kael said with a polite smile. "So, I assume that means we passed?"
He wouldn't deny it—being in the spotlight felt good. But he wasn't about to get lost in the applause. He knew exactly how vast the world of cooking was—how far the Elite Ten, and even chefs from other culinary worlds, could reach.
He had no intention of slowing down.
"Of course," the instructor said, nodding approvingly. "Top rating—Grade A. Unfortunately, this test doesn't allow for anything higher, but you've both passed with flying colors."
Kael nodded. Beside him, Alice's smile deepened. Even though she'd only played a supporting role, the teacher didn't seem to mind.
It helped that she was a legitimate Three-Star Chef—and the Nakiri family's heiress. If it had been anyone else slacking off during a practical, they'd have been roasted alive. But Alice Nakiri got a pass.
Once the test ended, class was officially dismissed. It was only the first day of the semester, and most of the morning had already been taken up by the opening ceremony. A light assessment was all they had time for.
Starting tomorrow, though, the real classes—and the grueling schedule—would begin.
Totsuki's curriculum was notoriously packed, with everything from intensive culinary training to full-on academic courses.
"Kael-kun, since we're officially partners now, let's exchange contact info," Alice said cheerfully as they left the classroom together.
In Totsuki's system, once a two-person team was formed, it usually stayed that way for the entire term unless something major happened.
"Sure," Kael replied easily, taking out his phone.
Once they'd swapped numbers, Alice tilted her head curiously. "By the way, Kael-kun, where are you staying?"
Totsuki students had two main housing options. The first was the dormitories—like the famous Polar Star Dormitory. The second was renting one of the many private residences near the campus, a luxury most students could afford.
Of course, Alice fell into a third category.
Since Totsuki was technically Nakiri property, the family maintained their own private residential district within the campus grounds. Naturally, that was where Alice lived.
"Polar Star Dormitory," Kael said simply. "One of the school's dorms."
Alice blinked, surprised, then smiled knowingly. "Polar Star, huh? I've heard of that place! Oh, right—it's the dorm where the Golden Age Elite Ten lived, isn't it? Even now, I think one of the current Ten still resides there. And a few Three-Star Chefs, too."
Kael chuckled softly. "That's right. Everyone there's pretty talented. Even the so-called 'weaker' ones are still above average compared to most students."
He could tell Alice's curiosity wasn't just casual. She was clearly trying to build a rapport—maybe even recruit him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be asking personal questions or trying to connect so directly.
"Sounds like a fascinating place," Alice said, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Maybe I'll stop by and check it out sometime."
Kael smiled faintly. Yeah, I figured you'd say that.
If she did come to Polar Star, she'd quickly realize just how "fascinating" it really was.