Chapter 75
Ryoko took out the residential training camp brochure while everyone discussed what they should play next.
She wanted to check that night’s lights-out time so they would know how long the gathering could last.
After looking through it, however, confusion appeared on her face.
"Huh? That’s strange. There’s no lights-out time listed for tonight."
The others checked the brochure and found that she was right.
Not only was there no bedtime listed, but the schedule for the following morning was completely blank as well.
"Could it be a printing mistake?" Yuki asked, tilting her head.
"When a schedule has a gap like this, it usually means the academy plans to catch us off guard," Haruto warned.
"We should prepare ourselves."
This was merely the calm before the storm.
"No way! We’ve already been working ourselves to death all day!"
Yuki immediately shook her head, though she had already begun to believe him.
This was a hellish training camp, after all. A surprise assignment was entirely possible.
"This is going to kill me..." Marui groaned weakly.
He had already reached his limit.
Haruto pulled out a packet of jerky and placed it in his hands with an encouraging expression.
"Marui, you have to believe in your own resilience. You can definitely make it to the end."
"Here. Eat some of this and recover your strength."
Marui stared at the jerky, deeply moved.
Come to think of it, Haruto’s jerky really was remarkable.
Whenever he ate some, he always felt noticeably better afterward.
...
"A surprise assignment? That sounds exciting!"
Soma sounded genuinely enthusiastic.
Takumi happened to approach just in time to hear him. He folded his arms and looked firmly at Haruto and Soma.
"Whatever the assignment is, I won’t lose to either of you!"
Haruto glanced at him and could not even be bothered to offer a perfunctory response.
At that moment, the hotel’s public-address system came to life, and Dojima Gin’s voice echoed throughout the building.
"Attention, all Totsuki students. This is an emergency announcement."
"One hour from now, at precisely ten o’clock tonight, everyone is to assemble in the hotel’s main hall."
The instant the announcement ended, Marui collapsed completely onto the floor.
"It really is a surprise assignment... I can’t do this anymore..."
"So it was true!" Yuki cried, looking devastated. "They’re not seriously going to make us cook in the middle of the night, are they?"
No matter how unwilling they were, everyone still arrived in the main hall before ten.
The moment the clock struck the hour, Dojima stepped onto the stage at the front of the room and raised a microphone.
"Everyone, direct your attention to the stage."
The students turned toward him.
Dojima surveyed the exhausted faces below and spoke calmly.
"You have been summoned so that we can announce tomorrow’s official assignment."
Panic immediately spread through the hall, but Dojima ignored it and continued.
"Your task will be to prepare a breakfast dish suitable for the guests staying at Totsuki Resort and appropriate to both their status and surroundings."
"Breakfast is the face of a hotel. It is the meal that begins a guest’s day and sets its tone."
"I expect you to abandon conventional thinking and create something fresh, surprising, and capable of putting our guests in a pleasant mood."
The students’ expressions became grave.
Fresh, surprising, and worthy of Totsuki Resort—combining all three requirements created an exceptionally high standard.
Dojima raised an egg for everyone to see.
"The designated ingredient for this assignment is ..... egg."
"You may prepare any style of egg dish you wish, but it must be suitable for service at a buffet."
"Judging will begin tomorrow morning at six."
"Before then, you must complete all development, testing, and advance preparation."
"From now until six tomorrow morning, you may use your time however you wish."
"You are free to work in any kitchen within the resort, or return to your rooms and rest. The choice is entirely yours."
Many students instantly went pale.
Rest?
How could anyone possibly sleep?
They had to design an egg dish that met all the requirements, test it, and prepare everything before six in the morning.
Most of them would be forced to work through the night.
"Then I will see you tomorrow morning at the examination hall."
"Dismissed."
Dojima lowered the microphone and left the stage, abandoning a hall full of panicked students.
They quickly realized, however, that they had no time to waste.
One after another, they rushed toward the resort’s public kitchens.
The Polar Star residents followed close behind.
...
Haruto went to the kitchen with everyone else.
The simplest option for him would have been the Orange Molten-Center Custard Tarts he had prepared for his transfer exam.
Unfortunately, that dish relied heavily on Orange Salt. He could remove it, but the flavor would suffer considerably.
Haruto therefore abandoned the idea without much hesitation.
He already had another dish in mind.
After reaching the kitchen, he conducted a brief test, confirmed that the concept worked, completed some advance preparation, and then returned to his room to sleep.
At five the following morning, when only a faint line of pale light had appeared on the horizon, Haruto washed up and headed to the examination hall.
He had been assigned to Hall A.
The moment he reached his designated station, he noticed Takumi at the neighboring counter.
Takumi’s eyes immediately lit up when he realized Haruto would be cooking beside him.
This time, he was determined to defeat both Haruto and Soma.
Haruto rubbed his forehead helplessly at the sight of Takumi’s excitement.
His only goal was to pass.
Soma, Megumi, and Nakiri Erina had also been assigned to Hall A, though their stations were much farther away.
Ignoring Takumi, Haruto began rinsing rice.
His dish would be Golden Fried Rice Omelet Rolls.
Golden Fried Rice on its own was certainly delicious.
Preparing several hundred individual portions of it, however, would demand an absurd amount of time and effort.
To achieve the dish’s ideal texture, each portion normally had to be fried separately.
That was why Haruto planned to turn it into omelet rolls.
The form would preserve the flavor of Golden Fried Rice while adding a fresh visual presentation and an unexpected contrast in texture, perfectly matching the assignment.
More importantly—it would save him a great deal of trouble.
...
Haruto took out a stock he had prepared by simmering pork, beef, and chicken bones for several hours.
Once strained, the broth was clear in color yet deep and richly savory.
He used it to steam the rice he had cooked the previous night for a second time, allowing the grains to absorb its full-bodied flavor.
Once the rice cooled, Haruto began preparing the Golden Fried Rice.
This time, he intended to use a slightly unconventional shortcut.
He separated the yolks and whites of fresh free-range eggs.
A little milk and salt went into the yolks, which he whisked until smooth before mixing the rice directly into them.
Haruto heated a wok, added cool oil, and poured in the egg-coated rice.
He stir-fried rapidly, breaking apart every clump while tossing the wok with quick, steady movements.
Each individual grain became evenly coated in golden egg without a trace of white remaining.
Before long, the wok held gleaming Golden Fried Rice, every grain clearly separated and fragrant with egg.
Haruto then heated a flat pan over low flame and poured in beaten egg white.
Once the edges had begun to set while the center remained slightly soft, he spread an appropriate amount of Golden Fried Rice along one side of the thin omelet.
He slowly rolled the egg around the filling, then allowed it to cook gently until the exterior held its shape and the heat had spread evenly through the center.
The Golden Fried Rice Omelet Roll was complete!
Haruto placed the finished roll on a cutting board and sliced it into twelve bite-sized pieces.
He arranged four pieces on each small white plate, making three servings from a single roll.
Using this method, every batch of Golden Fried Rice could be turned into twelve servings.
The assignment required two hundred portions to pass.
That meant he only needed to fry seventeen batches of Golden Fried Rice, making the process far more efficient than serving it directly.
...
By the time Haruto had prepared several dozen servings, the clock reached six.
The hotel’s announcement system came on again, carrying Dojima’s voice throughout every hall.
"Students, are you ready to present your breakfast dishes?"
"We will now announce the condition for passing this assignment. First, allow me to introduce today’s judges."
The main doors to every hall opened.
Several energetic children ran inside first, followed closely by their parents.
Dojima explained that they were Totsuki Resort’s suppliers and their families.
Once he finished announcing the passing requirement, judging officially began.
Every student immediately sprang into action.
Haruto neatly arranged the Golden Fried Rice Omelet Rolls he had prepared in advance across his buffet counter and waited for his first guest.
The omelet rolls had smooth, delicate white exteriors wrapped around fried rice that shone like gold, creating a striking contrast in color.
The fragrance of egg mingled with the deep savoriness of stock and drifted through the air.
The combined impact of their appearance and aroma quickly attracted attention.
A middle-aged man in a suit approached Haruto’s counter and examined the dish with mild confusion.
"Is this... a thick omelet?"
"No. It’s a Golden Fried Rice Omelet Roll," Haruto explained.
"Golden Fried Rice Omelet Roll?"
The man blinked, then inspected the cross-section more carefully.
He could clearly see individual grains of golden rice coated in egg inside the white roll.
"You wrapped fried rice inside an omelet? I’ve never seen anything like it."
The combination struck him as somewhat strange.
Still, it looked undeniably appetizing.
After a moment’s hesitation, the man took a plate and lifted one piece with his chopsticks.
His teeth sank gently through the soft outer layer, which carried the delicate sweetness unique to fresh free-range eggs.
Inside, every grain of Golden Fried Rice remained distinct, pleasantly springy yet soft.
The fragrances of rice and egg, together with the rich depth of the stock, unfolded across his tongue one layer at a time.
The soft omelet and textured fried rice created a wonderful contrast, while their flavors intertwined and repeatedly stimulated his palate.
His previously stern expression gradually softened, and color returned to his face.
"Delicious! The egg and rice blend perfectly, and the contrast in texture is excellent..."
Several judges who had been watching could no longer resist and stepped forward to taste the dish themselves.
Their reactions attracted even more people.
Sena Hiromi, the deputy head chef of Totsuki Resort, was also drawn to Haruto’s counter and sampled the Golden Fried Rice Omelet Roll.
"The primary ingredients are only egg and rice... but the rice was steamed a second time with stock. Its flavor has penetrated every grain, creating a deep foundation without becoming heavy."
"More impressive is the skill behind the Golden Fried Rice. The egg coats every grain perfectly without a single pale spot. Achieving this requires exceptional technique."
Sena had already recognized that the heart of the dish was the Golden Fried Rice.
However, the assignment specifically demanded an egg dish that could offer a sense of surprise.
Golden Fried Rice was certainly delicious, but it was still fundamentally fried rice. Its execution might be masterful, yet it was not particularly unexpected.
Transforming it into an omelet roll made it fit the theme perfectly.
Once Sena expressed his approval, the already busy crowd in front of Haruto’s station became even larger.
The dozens of portions he had prepared in advance disappeared rapidly, forcing him to begin cooking continuously.
...
At the next counter, Takumi watched Haruto’s growing line with visible frustration.
His Italian salad frittata had also received considerable praise, and plenty of judges were visiting his station.
Compared with the attention Haruto was drawing, however, it was clearly less popular.
There was nothing Takumi could do except increase his cooking speed.
Time continued to pass.
At seven twenty, Haruto successfully served his two-hundredth portion.
The moment the count was confirmed, he calmly cleaned his equipment and stopped serving altogether.
He had already passed.
Preparing more would offer him little benefit.
He would rather use the remaining time to sample the other students’ dishes and experience their different flavors and ideas.
Haruto first walked to Takumi’s counter.
Ignoring the dissatisfaction on Takumi’s face, he picked up a serving of the Italian salad frittata and tasted it.
The baked egg was soft and fluffy, the seasonal vegetables crisp and refreshing, and the sweet-and-tangy Italian dressing tied everything together.
It was light and delicious.
Haruto nodded in approval.
After leaving Takumi’s counter, he headed toward Megumi’s station.
"Haruto?"
Megumi blinked when she saw him appear.
"I came to support your business."
Haruto smiled and picked up one of her bite-sized oden-style egg dishes.
The quail egg was plump and juicy, while the vegetables were tender and flavorful. Its gentle warmth brought an immediate sense of comfort.
"This is excellent. Keep it up."
Haruto offered her an encouraging smile.
Megumi had already begun emerging from her shell.
He looked forward to seeing how far she would eventually go.
"I will..."
Megumi nodded with quiet determination.