Chapter 76
After leaving Megumi’s station, Haruto made his way over to Soma’s.
Soma’s soufflé omelet was as light and fluffy as a cloud, with a delicate texture and the clean sweetness of fresh egg.
It was undeniably delicious.
Its weakness, however, was equally obvious.
The ideal window for serving it was extremely short.
If left standing for even a little too long, the airy omelet quickly collapsed into a limp, unappealing mess.
Soma had clearly realized the problem and was already thinking of a solution.
Haruto decided not to interfere. Once he finished tasting the dish, he quietly moved on.
A short while later, he arrived at the most popular station in Hall A—Nakiri Erina’s.
Her Eggs Benedict looked like a work of art.
The poached egg had been cooked to the perfect degree. With the slightest touch, the golden yolk slowly spilled across the dish.
Its rich creaminess paired beautifully with the fresh acidity of the spicy sauce and the salty aroma of crisp-fried bacon.
Beneath everything sat a soft pancake with a faint sweetness, while the briny savoriness of bottarga provided the final flourish, deepening the entire dish.
The moment Haruto took a bite, the exquisite flavor seemed to melt across his palate.
He could not find a single flaw.
Erina watched as Haruto leisurely finished her dish, then wandered off to sample someone else’s creation.
Dark lines practically appeared across her forehead.
She knew he had already been declared safe, but casually strolling around and eating everyone else’s food after passing seemed far too relaxed!
Besides, Haruto was not even one of the judges.
The staff in the monitoring room had noticed his behavior some time ago and reported it to Dojima.
However, the rules did not prohibit students from tasting one another’s dishes.
Haruto only took one serving from each station, and he was extremely selective about what he tried, so his actions had virtually no effect on the final results.
Even if a student reached two hundred servings because Haruto took one, it hardly mattered.
That student would still have needed to serve the other one hundred and ninety-nine portions first.
After considering the matter, Dojima chose to ignore him.
...
The two-hour judging period passed quickly.
Dojima’s voice soon echoed through the hall once more, informing everyone that the next assignment would begin in four hours.
With only four hours to rest, the students who had passed dragged their exhausted bodies back to their rooms and seized the precious opportunity to sleep.
The Polar Star residents were no exception.
Time continued to pass through one merciless assignment after another, until at last the residential training camp reached its final night.
Every surviving student was summoned to the hotel’s main hall once more.
Remembering the surprise assignment on the third night, many of them grew visibly anxious, terrified that the academy was about to spring another trap on them.
Amid the tense atmosphere, Dojima Gin stepped forward.
He looked over the students’ weary faces and raised the microphone.
"All right. It seems everyone is here."
"Before we proceed, there are a few things I would like to say."
After a brief pause, he announced a set of cold but undeniable figures.
"As of this moment, three hundred and fifty-two students have been eliminated from this year’s residential training camp."
"Six hundred and twenty-nine remain."
The number sent a shock through the hall.
Everyone knew students had been expelled, but few had realized that more than a third of their class was already gone.
"This may seem extraordinarily cruel, but you must remember that this training camp is merely a miniature version of the real culinary world."
"When faced with unfamiliar circumstances, you must always remain calm."
"If you someday stand at the head of your own kitchen, the pressure resting on your shoulders will be hundreds—perhaps thousands—of times greater than what you have endured here."
"You will suffer through countless sleepless nights filled with anxiety, respond to crises without warning, and continue fighting on the battlefield of cuisine."
"..."
Dojima’s words laid bare the hardships of a chef’s path, leaving every student in thoughtful silence.
"I hope you will always remember that here at Totsuki, you have companions who walked beside you and left their footprints across the same wilderness."
"..."
"May fortune favor you in every battle ahead."
The students unconsciously straightened their backs, and light returned to their eyes.
"And now, we come to the final event of this residential training camp—"
Dojima deliberately paused.
At the same moment, the doors connecting the hall to the banquet room slowly opened.
Warm golden light poured through the entrance as gentle, elegant music filled the air, instantly drawing every student’s attention.
Totsuki Resort’s staff stood in orderly lines along both sides, each wearing a welcoming smile.
The unexpected sight left many students staring in confusion.
Then, while everyone was still trying to understand what was happening, the stern expression Dojima had worn all evening gave way to a broad, cheerful smile.
"The final event is a private celebration banquet to congratulate all of you for surviving the residential training camp!"
"Tonight, you will enjoy a magnificent feast personally prepared by Totsuki’s graduates."
"To the six hundred and twenty-nine students standing here—congratulations. You have successfully passed every assignment of this residential training camp!"
"Forget your exhaustion and enjoy the feast you have earned!"
For several seconds, the students could only stand there in stunned silence.
Then the hall erupted in deafening cheers.
All the fatigue and pressure they had endured over the past several days vanished in an instant.
"We did it! We really passed!"
"A banquet! It’s actually a celebration banquet! I thought they were about to give us another surprise assignment!"
"I’m so glad I made it to the end!"
"..."
The entire hall became a sea of celebration, every surviving student wearing the radiant smile of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster.
Haruto looked toward the banquet room, anticipation shining in his eyes.
He had been looking forward to this feast from the very beginning.
For the occasion, Totsuki’s graduates had brought out their finest techniques and prepared the specialties they were most proud of.
Every dish had been refined to perfection.
After all, none of them wanted the younger students to think they were inferior to the other graduates.
There were brightly colored French gratins, beautifully arranged Japanese kaiseki dishes, aromatic Italian stews, and richly layered Western desserts.
Even Haruto became completely immersed in the feast.
Every bite revealed the graduates’ exceptional skill and the care they had poured into their cooking.
The flavors struck so deeply that, for a moment, Haruto felt as though he had wandered into a dreamlike world built entirely from food.
His Gourmet Cells became more active than ever.
Every cell in his body seemed to rejoice as it eagerly absorbed the magnificent banquet of flavors.
Yet no matter how wonderful a moment might be, it could not last forever.
The banquet eventually ended amid laughter and cheerful conversation.
Fully satisfied, the students returned to their rooms and settled into bed.
That night, every one of them slept more peacefully than they had in days.