“How could this be...?”
When informed that they were forbidden from bringing anything other than personal clothing, including ingredients and cooking utensils, to the training camp, many Totsuki students began to stir.
The Totsuki instructors, however, gave a perfectly valid reason: “This training camp is meant to test your ability to improvise.
If you bring so many bags and packages, are you really treating this training camp like a vacation?
Furthermore, not everyone has good cooking utensils and ingredients, so treating all students equally is the fairest approach for you.”
Hearing the Totsuki instructor’s words, Tadokoro Megumi, who had felt somewhat confident because she had brought many dream ingredients, instantly became dejected.
After all, the rigor of the training camp far exceeded that of a typical assessment, and if she performed as she usually did, being eliminated this time was almost a certainty.
In fact, after being told they couldn't bring other items to the training camp, there were quite a few students present who were as uneasy as Tadokoro Megumi.
This was because, in previous years, many students were expelled from Totsuki during such important grade-level activities for failing the assessments; in one year, over 900 students participated in the training camp, but only over 500 returned.
Last year’s first-year class had 812 students, but only 76 advanced to the second year, and there was a reason for this.
Because during this year, there was not only this one grade-level activity like the training camp.
The so-called training camp was merely the beginning of hell!
This year's Totsuki first-year class was much larger than in previous years, with a total of 981 students, but according to previous years' promotion rates, at most only about a hundred would advance to the second year.
Upon arriving at the training camp location, everyone was gathered in a large hall, where the person in charge introduced the instructors and judges for this training camp to Seiya and the others.
And when the students present learned that the instructors for this training camp were all former Totsuki Elite Ten graduates, they were quite excited.
After all, to them, Totsuki Elite Ten graduates were almost like celebrity upperclassmen.
And just as many students thought that since the instructors and judges were former upperclassmen, they would show some leniency towards their juniors...
One of the instructors, an upperclassman with glasses and cherry-pink hair who was a Totsuki graduate, suddenly pointed at a hapless person next to Seiya and said, “That person over there, you’re eliminated. Pack your things and go home.”
Kojiro Shinomiya, the first seat among the 79th Totsuki Elite Ten, was the first Japanese person to receive the “Plus Purus Medal.” He owned his own restaurant in France and was known as the “Magician of Vegetable Cuisine.”
The extra character was initially quite excited to be called out by the former Totsuki Elite Ten’s first seat, but upon hearing that Kojiro Shinomiya was eliminating him, the extra character’s face instantly turned ashen, and he unwillingly asked for the reason.
“You must have used hairspray, right? And it has a citrus scent.
Using such a pungent-smelling hairspray will mask the original aroma of the dish and affect your judgment of the dish itself.”
Hearing Kojiro Shinomiya’s words, the extra character student was speechless on the spot; he wanted to refute the other party but couldn’t find any excuse.
Citrus-scented hairspray indeed affects a chef’s judgment of taste, but eliminating someone for that reason seemed a bit overly critical to Seiya.
After all, various smells emanate in daily life; setting aside hairspray used by a few people, what about the shampoo and shower gel most people use? Do those have no smell?
Of course, Seiya didn’t know the extra character, and adhering to the idea of not wanting to cause trouble, he kept his eyes down, listening to the so-called celebrity upperclassman’s grand pronouncements.
But perhaps his expression was too dismissive, or perhaps his mockery aura was still on, because after reprimanding the extra character and eliminating him, Kojiro Shinomiya turned to Seiya and said, “You’re the same; you’re also eliminated.”
Seiya: (▽｀)
“You seem to be rather dismissive of my recent remarks, don’t you?
As your former upperclassman and an instructor for this session, your disrespect towards me is one thing.
But the main reason for your elimination is that you’ve been standing too close to him since the beginning, so you also have a strong citrus hairspray scent on you.
As a chef, you should be quite sensitive to smells, but you haven’t noticed it for so long, which means you are not suitable to be a chef.”
Hearing Kojiro Shinomiya’s words, Seiya, who had originally intended to stay out of it, now simply laughed.
“Former Totsuki Elite Ten upperclassman, if you want to eliminate me and have me drop out, I don’t have any objections, as I didn’t really want to enter Totsuki in the first place.
However, regarding your recent grand pronouncements, I do have a different perspective.
Pungent smells do affect a chef’s sense of smell, but I believe a truly excellent chef should be able to adapt to cooking in any environment.
His spraying citrus-scented hairspray is an issue of his own disregard and attitude towards cooking, but by what right do you arbitrarily assume that I didn't notice this smell from the beginning? And that I therefore cannot become an excellent chef?”
Seiya’s rebuttal instantly made Kojiro Shinomiya’s expression turn ugly.
He was a man who became quite neurotic and overly critical when it came to cooking, stubbornly adhering to his own views.
But now, he was being refuted by a first-year brat. How could he tolerate that?
“You must be Wenren Seiya, right? I’ve heard the Director of Totsuki mention your name.
Shinomiya was indeed a bit overly critical just now, and even took his anger out on you, but as an instructor for this session and an upperclassman many grades above you, your words and actions just now were indeed disrespectful.
Let’s put an end to this matter, consider it a favor to me.”
Seiya wasn't too concerned about being expelled, so he didn't bother arguing with Kojiro Shinomiya and turned to leave.
However, just as he was about to go, a figure in a suit, with a buzz cut and an exceptionally robust build, suddenly blocked Seiya’s path.
“Gin Dojima, I…”
Kojiro Shinomiya, still somewhat unconvinced, was about to say something, but under Gin Dojima’s imposing aura, he ultimately chose to lower his head and remain silent.
The burly man in front of Seiya now introduced himself, “My name is Gin Dojima, and I am also a former graduate of the Totsuki Elite Ten.
However, I am currently the Head Chef of Totsuki Resort and a member of the Totsuki Board of Directors.
Wenren Seiya, I have heard about you. It is said that Director and Seiichiro think highly of you.
I greatly anticipate your performance in this training camp, to see whether Director and the others were exaggerating, or if you truly possess genuine skill. I will witness it firsthand.”
