"Wait—what? The Chinese Cuisine Research Society? And as the captain? Invited personally by Kuga-senpai? What the hell is going on here!?"
Everyone in the Polar Star Dormitory stared at Kael in disbelief.
The Chinese Cuisine Research Society was massive—one of the largest and most influential research societies in all of Totsuki.
After all, Chinese cuisine had long conquered Japan's culinary world. It was deeply loved, widely practiced, and boasted a huge number of talented chefs.
On top of that, the society was led by none other than Terunori Kuga, a member of the Elite Ten. Not that other Elite Ten members didn't belong to research societies—some did—but none of them managed or expanded theirs the way Kuga did.
Erina Nakiri, for instance, had her own faction, but her group followed an elitist model—only the most exceptional could join her ranks.
Etsuya Eizan also gathered subordinates, but his focus was building his business empire, not running a student club.
Among all the Elite Ten, Kuga alone had genuinely invested in growing his research society. That was why the Chinese Cuisine Research Society had become such a powerhouse.
And naturally, the captain's seat in a group that large was priceless. No one had ever dared to challenge it—because who would go up against an Elite Ten?
"He's not giving me the position for free," Kael said with an easy grin. "He lost to me in our Shokugeki, sure, but he's still an Elite Ten. His reputation—and the society's along with it—took a hit. By naming me captain, he saves face and strengthens the group's image. It's a win-win."
Everyone went quiet for a moment, then nodded in realization.
"So that's what he's after," Megumi Tadokoro murmured. "Still… is it really okay for you to take that job? A society that big must have tons of people vying for the position."
Megumi spoke from experience—she was part of the Regional Cuisine Research Society. It wasn't as big, but even there, competition and politics existed. She'd heard stories about bigger societies where things could get downright vicious—sabotage, betrayal, and all kinds of backstabbing..
"I agree," said Yuki Yoshino, crossing her arms. "A group that size? Where everyone's gunning for the top. Once you become captain, people are gonna come after you—and not necessarily through official Shokugeki channels."
The others nodded grimly. Sure, Totsuki's students were talented, but they were also entitled. Many came from wealthy culinary families, the type who used underhanded tactics to get ahead.
If it were just a fair duel, Kael could handle it—he'd already beaten a member of the Elite Ten. But underhanded schemes were another story.
"You don't have to worry about that," Kael replied calmly. "Kuga-senpai already promised me something—he's stepping down as captain, but he's not leaving the society. He'll deal with anyone who tries to stir up trouble.
With an Elite Ten backing me up, there's nothing to worry about. And when he graduates, his seat on the council will open up… by then, I'll be ready to take it."
That confidence silenced the room.
"Well, that makes sense," Megumi said softly. "With your cooking level, it's not even a stretch. You're already on par with the Elite Ten—there's just no open seat for you right now."
Yuki grinned. "Yeah, and I doubt any of the current Elite Ten are dumb enough to bet their seat against you."
With Kuga's protection, no one in the Chinese Cuisine Research Society would dare cross Kael.
"It looks like the Golden Age is finally about to return," Fumio Daimido said from the kitchen doorway, her face lighting up with nostalgia.
Back in the academy's heyday, the dorm had produced legends—students like Joichiro Saiba and Gin Dojima, who had filled the ranks of the Elite Ten.
Now, with Isshiki already in the council and Kael destined to join him soon, the Polar Star Dormitory was once again rising in prominence.
Add in Soma Yukihira, Megumi Tadokoro, and the others honing their craft, and it wouldn't be long before half the Elite Ten were Polar Star residents again.
For Fumio, who had watched the dorm's decline after the Golden Age faded, this was a dream come true. It was the reason she'd kept the dorm's infamous entrance tests so strict—to ensure that only the most extraordinary students stayed.
And now, that decision was paying off.
That night, however, the dorm stayed unusually quiet.
Everyone wanted to celebrate—after all, Kael had defeated an Elite Ten member and been named captain of one of the academy's most powerful societies. That was huge news.
But after remembering that his specialty was literally Poison Cuisine, nobody felt entirely comfortable opening a bottle of champagne.
So they agreed to wait until the next day—mainly to make sure Kael's "poison cuisine" hadn't made Senzaemon strip himself into the afterlife. If everything checked out, they'd throw a party and invite Alice Nakiri too.
And so, the dorm spent the night in silence.
The next morning, life went on as usual. Classes, breakfast, and then everyone crowded around the campus intranet (Totsuki's internal digital network)—no breaking news, no scandals.
Yuki, ever impatient, decided to call Alice directly. She didn't even have to ask outright—Alice immediately guessed what she was calling about and told her everything that had happened the day before.
When Yuki heard that Senzaemon had been perfectly fine, she let out a massive sigh of relief. Then she posted the good news in the dorm group chat.
The moment everyone read it, the atmosphere in the dorm lifted.
They started planning the evening's celebration right away—food, drinks, decorations. After a night full of worrying, they were finally free to enjoy Kael's victory.
Meanwhile, Kael had just finished his morning class when his phone buzzed. It was Kuga.
After a short call, he made his way to the Chinese Cuisine Research Society headquarters.
When he arrived, Kuga was already waiting by the entrance, smiling as students streamed in around him.
These were the society's members—disciplined, uniformed… and, oddly enough, a lot of them were bald.
Kael blinked, suppressing a sigh. He could understand uniforms, but why the shaved heads? He could only chalk it up to Kuga's bizarre sense of style.
"Finally!" Kuga greeted him cheerfully. "Come on in. Once everyone's here, I'll introduce you to the group. Though honestly, at this point, I doubt there's anyone in Totsuki who doesn't know who you are."
He grinned, ushering Kael inside.