In the original timeline, Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira ended up as partners because Megumi had the lowest grades—no one wanted to team with her.
Soma, being a fellow misfit and a transfer student, was also left without a partner. By sheer chance, the two formed a team.
But this time, things had changed completely.
Megumi's chronic nervousness had already been fixed—thanks to Kael. Not only that, but he'd even asked Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato to help boost her reputation around campus.
The result? Her image had done a complete 180.
While not everyone had changed their opinion, most students now genuinely saw Megumi as a competent chef.
So when it came time to form pairs, several people actually asked to team up with her. In the end, she chose a friendly girl and formed a comfortable team.
As for Soma, since he hadn't had the chance to stir things up with one of his infamous "all-class challenges," his reputation as a transfer student was still good. A lot of people were eager to work with him, too.
That meant he and Megumi hadn't even exchanged a single word this time. Both of them performed well in their own groups, and both received praise from Roland Chapelle.
Chapelle remembered Megumi well—mainly because she used to rank dead last in his class. For a teacher, the only students who stood out were either the top performers... or the bottom of the barrel. Megumi had once been the latter.
So when he saw her improvement firsthand, and realized how steady and skilled she'd become, he didn't hold back his praise.
With that, even her remaining doubters had no more ground to stand on.
After all, Chapelle wasn't just any instructor—he was one of Totsuki's most respected chefs, a Six-Star Chef whose mastery of French cuisine was renowned worldwide. His recognition spoke louder than any rumor.
When everyone at the Polar Star Dormitory heard about it, they couldn't help but be amazed—and happy for her.
"That's awesome! From now on, Megumi doesn't have to worry about anyone making fun of her!" Daigo said, grinning.
"Yeah, seriously. It's about time," Shoji added proudly. Both of them had played a small part in helping her, so her success felt like their own victory.
"Don't get too smug, you two," Fumio Daimido cut in with a smirk. "Megumi might've climbed up, but that just means you're the new bottom two now."
"Aw, come on, Fumio-san," Daigo groaned. "We get it, but it's not like effort alone can make up for talent, you know? We're trying, but everyone else is improving too!"
It was a fair point. No one in Polar Star was slacking—but talent made a difference, and some gaps were just too wide to close overnight.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
Everyone turned toward the entrance, puzzled. All the residents were already in the kitchen, so who could it be?
Footsteps echoed through the hall—and then a red-haired boy appeared, lugging several large bags.
Soma Yukihira.
"Huh? Isn't that the other transfer student?" Yuki Yoshino whispered.
"Looks like it," Ryoko Sakaki said. "If he's here with luggage, I'm guessing he's planning to move into Polar Star."
"Yeah, that tracks," Daigo added. "He's in the same class as Megumi, right? She said even Chapelle-sensei praised him. If that's true, he should pass the entrance test here easily."
"Assuming Fumio-san approves," Ryoko said, chuckling. "Even good chefs don't get in without her say-so."
The group's attention turned as Soma stepped into the common room, blinking at the cluster of faces watching him.
"Uh, hi. I'm here to check in for housing. Could someone help me find my room?"
His eyes landed naturally on Fumio—after all, she was the only adult present.
"I'm Fumio Daimido, the dorm mother here," she said, wiping her hands on a towel. "So you want to live in Polar Star, huh? You should know the rules, then."
"Rules?" Soma blinked. "What rules?"
"You mean they didn't tell you?" Fumio frowned. "When you receive your Polar Star invitation, the dorm's special regulations are always included in the notice."
"Ah... about that..." Soma scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I think I... might've lost that paper somewhere..."
Sweat trickled down his forehead. He vaguely remembered seeing some kind of notice in his bag earlier—but he'd brushed it off, thinking it wasn't important. Apparently, it was.
"You lost it? Figures," Fumio sighed, shaking her head. "Well, lucky for you, tonight's a special case. We're having a dorm dinner party, so the kitchen's stocked. You can use the ingredients and make a dish for me to taste. If it's good enough, you can move in."
"And if it's not good enough?" Soma asked cautiously.
"Then you can pitch a tent out in the forest," she said, grinning wickedly.
"Wait, seriously?! I didn't even bring a tent!"
"Not my problem, kid. Now quit whining and get to the kitchen," Fumio said, waving him off.
Soma had no choice but to drop his bags and head that way.
"Hold up!" Yuki jumped in, rushing after him. "I'll show you which ingredients you can't use!"
After all, some of the ingredients in the fridge were off-limits—especially the ones Kael had brought back the day before.
Those were part of his Poison Cuisine research—safe enough when handled properly, but deadly if used carelessly.
Kael had promised not to serve any Poison Cuisine to the dorm members, but he still kept the ingredients sealed and separated in cold storage, clearly labeled to avoid accidents.
Each container bore bright warning marks—because if someone accidentally used one of Kael's "special" ingredients, the results could be... catastrophic.