The Heaven's Tale Shokugeki No Souma Fanfic

Chapter 3 || Edited

"Boeuf Bourguignon."

The name of the recipe was written boldly on the white board along with its specific instructions for those who have yet to encounter this recette. 'Though I'd doubt if they've forgotten the basics of the French gourmet. Except...' when my inner conscience's voice trailed off, my mind flashed the goofy smile the other transfer student had during the opening ceremony. They were in a separate class but both had the same theme which was probably discussed along with the other teachers somewhere along the road.

The smell of the sweet and tantalizing sauce whiffed the classroom. Not to mention, a pair of twins managed to show off their precise skills with the use of mezzaluna. "Amazing..." All of them except me complimented the two under their breaths. Meanwhile, I was busy prepping the ingredients while my partner got mesmerized by the other group.

"Hey, are you just going to stand there with your mouth agape?" I asked him, popping the red wine I was holding in my hands. The sound and my question seemingly worked altogether as he stared at me in surprise.

"Wait, wait, what are you doing?" His voice was softer compared to his looks. I raised a brow towards him in question. 'It is normal to cook the meat in the sauce...except if...' I took a glance at the board and found nothing that mentions 'red wine'. I shrugged and poured it on the pan where the meat was along with the other ingredients for this dish. He gasped in horror and grabbed my wrist to stop me from pouring more. "Are you making us fail purposely?" This time, he hissed at me.

I silently sighed and glared at him for disturbing my momentum. "Say, have you ever worked for a restaurant or a five-star hotel?" I asked in a more dominating tone. I saw him gulp nervously making me assume that he has not serve any kind of customers in his entire life. "Then you have to let go of my wrists. Experience wise, I am on top of you so if you would be kind enough to assist me then, that A grade will be on our hands without question." I managed to smile at him even though it was a fake one.

Forty minutes before our allotted time is finished, my partner and I were already done plating our work. The chef looked at us as if questioning the authenticity of our work when it came out rather differently than what he expected. A smile graced upon his lips the moment he took a bite of the beef. "I'm impressed. I saw you pouring red wine in the pot. May I ask why?" To me, that was not a mere question. It was a test to see if you are capable as a chef.

"As a chef, your recette will always have a room for improvement. Though an abrupt change would cost your restaurant's image, it wouldn't hurt if you'll introduce the new taste gradually." I explained in a rather cryptic way that only true chefs would understand. Our teacher chuckled and probably already had an idea that I've experienced the real world at an early age just like the twins.

"Yes of course. Or else, it will prove that you're stagnating." He proceeded to take another bite and this time, his face flushed. I smirked while the rest were just as confused as my partner. Not that they are at fault though. Three minutes later, the entire plate was cleaned with only a smear of sauce left behind its smooth surface. "You deserve a higher rating than A." He smiled towards me then scribbled an 'A' on our file. With that, we passed this round and my partner cried in glee. I remembered that he mentioned to me before that two wrong moves from him and he would be expelled from this institution. Well, he's lucky...for now, that is.

"U-um...thank you very much!"

My partner's voice boomed right after we exited the kitchen. I looked at him and he was already with his friends when he bowed towards me in gratitude. "I merely changed the recette to my taste, there's no need to fret over it." I dismissed though I was pleased that he was not like those people who lets their pride rule over their minds.

"No, it was because of what you did that we passed the test. So, thank you!" He insisted and I chuckled.

"Then it wouldn't hurt if you'll improve yourself, right, chef?"

As soon as I suggested that, he raised his head flashing that cheery smile he has under his sleeves. I gave him a curt nod then walked towards the changing room.

=== Timeskip ===

Night came when I received a call from someone I least expected. Luckily, I was already done with my bath when the phone started to ring. "Brat, I heard that you're studying at Totsuki right now." His venom filled voice first greeted me. I feigned a gasp like I was in shock though I knew who gave that information to him.

"Chef Shinomiya, would it really hurt your pride if you'll just greet me like a normal person calling someone?" I sneered. I heard him cough and a liquid splashing out of its container. "You should really get a girlfriend by now. You've been drinking, a lot, and who knows someone might molest you, our dearest Chef Shinomiya." I mused assuming that the liquid I heard over the line was his favorite wine.

I heard his teeth clenching and I could already imagine him with those big angry marks on his temples. "Are you mocking me or are you purposely doing that?" He queered. His voice was brimming with irritation for me.

"Ah, but that's just one idea though. I mean, it wouldn't be called as mock if you're not doing it purposely, right?" I answered his question with another question. He gasped lightly while I stifled a laugh that was attempting to escape from my throat. "Chef, are you sure you're fine? Maybe you ARE drunk right now and you wouldn't just admit it." I said, twirling my golden locks with my fingers.

"Then, why don't you come here and comfort me?"

I coughed when I felt my own saliva was choking me. My face heated up at his lame line. A typical thing from a typical person devoted to his skills and only that. "F-Find a girl of your age or closer to your age, baka!" I ended the call abruptly and tossed my phone on my bed. I planted my face on my pillow when I felt my cheeks heating up quite fast. "Baka!" I mumbled once again.

Shinomiya Kojirou's POV

"F-Find a girl of your age or near your age, baka!"

I opened my mouth to make a comeback from her insult when the sharp beep on the line told me she just ended my call. Angry as I was, I ruffled my hair and glared at my disheveled reflection on the night skyline of Tokyo. "Why did I even say that in the first place?" I started to question my intention and brought my hands to my head in misery.

I groaned and grabbed the wine glass in front of me then drank the liquid in one shot despite the burning sensation it had on my throat. 'Damn. Why is my heart beating so fast? Why did I even call her in the first place?' I asked myself. I admit, my head was a little bit light and fuzzy when my hand started to dial a number. I did not even expect that it was her number until I heard her voice. I lightly slapped myself in order to free my own mind from thinking about her.

"Should I take my revenge in the camp? No, no, sensei would probably kill me. Though, it doesn't apply to other students...right?" I mumbled thinking of ways to let this frustration out of my system. It was toxic and so was my thoughts of her. I took another big gulp from the bottle of wine that I had and froze.

"What the heck am I even doing!?"