Bittersweet *What we used to be*

What makes a good chief

" meet a person that will make you want to give all the food you make to her. "

Those words drifted in my thoughts as I cooked. Who ever said that this morning is a fool. Just because you meet a person like that doesn't make you a good cook.. cooking is not just hard work.. You cant get better over night.. It takes years to even make a dish worth judging. And yet.. That boy.. Simply tells a failing student that foolish advice.

" Its Nikita!! "

" don't look her in the eyes.. she'll curse you.."

" she's coming closer "

" She's so creepy."

I silently walked past all of them and entered the class room.. It doesn't matter anyways.. I'm not here to make friends..

" I heard Nikita means unconquered in Russian. "

" I heard she was trained to be a monster cook in her home town.. That's why she's named that.."

So what.. I'm half Russian. That has nothing to do with what my name means.. My Japanese mother named me Nikita because of the characters used in the name..                                                                                *( 児 children) ( 希 hope ) (克 overcome)* it was just a coincidence that my name mean unconquered. though I am unconquered so far in all of the shokugekis that I have been in.   I am one of the top student in the culinary school.. I will make sure that I am apart of the 1% that graduate this hellish school.

The examiner starts the assignment.

I start by preparing my area with the needed  ingredients. 

Heating  2 tablespoons of canola oil and sesame oil in a large skillet I cook and chicken and garlic until I could smell the garlic mixing with the oil. after about a minute. Leaving that on low heat for a few minutes, I start making a chili paste..

 As steam seeps through the slightly open lid of the chicken, I mix in the chili sauce. Now I cook the chicken until it's completely browned, which took about 3 to 4 minutes.  

After adding soy sauce I let it simmer as I ready the plate to serve my dish. . I cut fresh cabbage in to thin strips and slightly steam it under medium heat. I also start making a sweat and sour sauce to compliment my dish. After a few minutes, My dish is finished cooking.

Placing the piece of chicken on the place, I cut it into strips before pouring the somewhat thick sauce over it in a zig zag pattern making sure it pours onto the plate as well creating a pattern on the white plate.  I then do the same with the lighter brown Sweet and sour sauce except in the opposite patter. to create a net like pattern. I pile a small amount of steamed cabbage on top along with a single rosemary leaf.

I walk my dish to where the examiner is waiting.. He looks at the clock once, writing the time I finish on my review page..  He then slowly takes a bit of my dish.  His lips slightly smirk.
Them turns into a full on grin.. His face shows the image of bliss as he eats another bite on  my dish. He writes rapidly on my page them turns it over beside the pile of unfinished people's pages.. " Pass. Hishita Nikita " Is all he states before handing me a note from the office and an empty plate of my previous dish.

With that, I clean my kitchen and walk out the door.. But I was stopped by the examiner..  " Nikita.. I want to give you some advise.. You dish.. It was perfect.. If there were a set of rules of what your dish was required to have.. You'd get a perfect score..  you'd meet every standard needed. but the one thing I think your dish lacked.. is compassion. It's as if, you don't love what you made..  I bet, If you made something you really love.. Your own style, You'd have more compassion for you dish.. " He stated as looked at him indifferently.. " Cooking doesn't require compassion.. It's just something to do when your bored.. to make food taste better.. It's an art that just needs to be mastered. " I stated before walking out of the room.

What I said is completely true.. You don't need to love cooking to know how to cook.  Compassion is not needed in cooking.

I looked down at my note.

~ Hishita Nikita, You have been transferred to the polar star dormitory. Please move your things by this 6 this afternoon or we will throw your things out along with the rest of the zodiac dormitory things.

The Zodiac Dormitory is being disbanded because of students being disobedient and not following school rules.. 

WE apologies for the inconvenience. ~

I dead planned and stared at the school clock... 30 minutes until 6.. Mentally screaming at myself.. I started to sprint to my dorm.. My things.. my treasures.. I cant live without them..

barley making it to the dormitory.. I saw them throwing my things out of the window for people at the bottom to catch and then once again throw into a very large dumpster. I scrambled towards them as I gathered different things from them. My clothes, books, papers, knifes, recipes, pictures. all that was left is my box.  as I see it flying down from my 3d story window.. I slightly scream as if falls towards a direction where no on e is there to catch it.. I run as fast as I can to catch it but I bump into a boy and watch as his friend catches my box.. I sigh in relief and look up about to thank them and hopefully explain to them.. but the red haired boy is looking through my box..

Angrily, I snatch my box away from him.. and start walking away. The short black haired boy walks up to me with an apologetic smile.. " I'm sorry about him.. " He sighs and I smile at him.. I look at him and realize who he is.. " No.. It's not for you to apologies for.. Besides that, I'm sorry for running into you.. The school shutting my dormitory down and I had to fight these people for my stuff while they threw it out the window.. " I explained laughing slightly..

Honestly, I'm surprised they aren't looking at me weirdly for the rumors that's been spread about me. The red headed boy laughs.. " That's why your running around like a maniac.." He laughed even more as I glare at him.. And start to stack my things in a manageable pile to carry..  I slowly attempt to pick it up.. And I do manage to, though I wouldn't be able  to see where I'm going.. I slowly but surly start to walk to where I think the Polar star dormitory is.  But suddenly the weight in cut in half.  " I'll take half of the stuff for you.. Where are you transferring to?" He asked as I shook my head.. " No!! It's ok.. I can manage.. I'm only moving to the Polar star dormitory..  I don't think it's that far away.." I explained as he chuckled slightly.. " Well, first of all, The polar star is the other way.. and second, it's a few minutes walk from here.. I wouldn't be a man if I let a little lady carry all her stuff by her self.  Unlike Joichiro, I like to consider myself a man.." He full heartily laughed as I blushed and the Joichiro raged out and took my half of stuff. " I can carry my own stuff." I insisted but they just laughed and looked to each other..  Then they cracked a grin..  " Lets start with introductions..  First, I'm Saiba Joichiro.. 2nd seat and he's Dojima Gin 1st seat. We're both polar star residents and we are now your escorts for the day.. Now.. now, little lady, lets the men do the heavy lifting and start introducing yourself.." Saiba teased slightly emphasizing on the little part..  They started walk toward the dorm but looked back waiting for to me to follow.  I huffed but followed..

" I'm Hishita Nikita.. And I'm sure you've heard of me somewhere.. " I slightly growled looking down.. Saiba started to say something with his big mouth but Dojima-san cut him off.  " Rumors are just rumors.. We want to know who the real Hishita Nikita is.." He smiled.. I blushed again..  I looked down hiding my blush while Saiba grumbled incomplete words under his breath.  " Well, I'm Hishita Nikita, and just that.. half Russian and half Japanese.. This is my second year at this school because I was scouted to come here.. My only objective is to master cooking.. I don't love it.. I but I like it.. I believe that I can be one of the greatest if I just work hard.. " I stated calmly.. " See that wasn't that ha.." Dojima-san was cut off. 

" That's not true.. Hard work by it's self isn't enough.. You have to meet a person that will make you want to give all the food you make to them"  I looked up to see Saiba smiling down at me with an unknown smile, as if he knew something I didn't.

" Well I don't need that.."

" Yes you do.. And I'll show you that you do."