Serenedipity

Chapter - 19

"I'll be sitting right here, so feel free to ask me any questions you might have," she said, eating the snack happily. The students glanced at the chef confusingly. She hasn't instructed them what to do which made one student act.

"Excuse me, Chef Inui, but we haven't received any instructions yet." a male stated.

"Oh, is that right? Let me see.....Hmm, my task for you is....." she trailed off and stood up. The female motioned towards the empty wooden table that was placed near the window to her left, Hana's eyes shifted towards the empty table, surveying the area as she frowned as she looked at outside the window by the table. 'she doesn't mean.....that, right?'

"Use the ingredients here to make a dish that could serve as a main dish in Japanese cuisine," she instructed. The students' eyes were now on the empty table. Hana sighed knowing her wishful thought were failed and she does mean that.

"Ingredients here? But....." a student muttered.

"There's nothing here." a student commented, looking at the chef who remained on her spot.

"Of course there is! We're in glorious nature, right next to clear steam! There are ingredients galore!" she announced with a smile only to earn gasps from students. Though, you only continued to listen to what she has to say.

"The are spices, condiments, and oil, not to mention cooking utensils. You are welcome to use other tools, such as fishing poles. We are on private property, which is encircled by a fence. If you cross that fence, you will be disqualified. Secure your ingredients from this limited space and prepare them. You will pass if you create a dish that I find satisfactory. You have two hours. You may begin." the female said in a quiet voice, finishing her explanation by clapping her hands together.

"Huh? It's begun?!" a student gasped.

"You have to speak up!" another one commented. Now, everyone was under pressure at the limited time they have. Each team were now discussing frantically.

"We have to figure out what we can fish up first!"

"Sweetfish! We can just grill it with salt!"

"But are they even in season right now?"

"Whatever! We only have two hours!"

"Hurry!" the students immediately ran out of the building with fishing equipment.

Soma, Megumi and Hana started walking when most of the students were already out of the building. They thinking of the same thing as the other students. 'What can we get? There are fishing poles, that means there's fish. We can catch some fish and then gather natural spices but I'm not sure what we can make.....Discussion is essential too.....' Though, a few seconds after walking, the blond-haired male stopped them from doing so.

"It faces off time, Yukihira!"

"Oh, yeah? A face-off?" Soma stopped and glanced at the male. Hana noticed that another male was standing behind the blonde. He was taller and much more chubby, his hair was brown, spiky, combed backwards.

"Let's decide who's the better chef. Chef Inui, I'd like you to make the call. Please exercise your rigorous judgment and decide whose cooking has the better taste!" the male stated with a smirk on his facial features. He had his left hand on his hips with his right arm extended. The chef looked up at him and blinked confusingly.

"Um, what? That has nothing to do with my task, so I would prefer not to," she stared blankly. A moment of silence, Hana clasped her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to contain her laughter and miserably failing to do so.