"You two did well with the interior design," Shinomiya said. "From tomorrow on, we're beginning the pre-opening for Shino's Tokyo."
"Pre-opening?" Soma asks.
"The pre-opening is a sort of test run for a restaurant." Gao Wei explains. "We mostly invite people we know."
"Soma! For the time being, you'll be helping me." Lucie said. "Once you're used to it, you might also help Abel."
"Alright, I'll do my best," He replies.
"Then what will I be doing?" Yumi asks.
"You're helping me with the service." Gao Wei answers with a smile.
"Geh," Yumi made a face upon hearing her tasks.
"Got a problem?" Shinomiya asked.
"No," Yumi mutters, averting her eyes. "Not really."
"You never really like interacting with the customers," Soma said remembering their childhood.
Yumi was never the type to socialize even with the regulars back at the diner. She hates talking to customers and prefers staying in the kitchen or burying herself under recipe books. However, when they are short on hands and they have no other choice, Yumi is surprisingly very... professional.
"Customers can be quite rude sometimes," Yumi grumbles. "Just the idea of serving certain people irks me." She then looked over to Gao Wei, "Um no offense."
"None taken." She politely shook her head.
"We say it's a test-run, but various journalists will be coming on the last day. This is my restaurant we're talking about, people will have high expectations." Shinomiya warns. "If we make a mistake the rumors will spread in no time."
"We must make this a success."
"And while the pre-opening period serves to check the coordination between the staff members, it also serves to try out the new dishes we'll serve at Shino's Tokyo." Gao Wei added. "We'll change the menu every day depending on the reactions we get from our customers. We're also having a new dish competition among the staff on the final day of the pre-opening period."
"Can I participate in that competition too?" Soma asked in interest.
"Of course." Shinomiya nods. "It's only natural to consider the opinions of talented people, no matter their position."
'Good if my dish is adapted into the menu, it'll count as a visible result.' Soma thought to himself. 'It's also the perfect chance for me to learn completely new techniques.'
"Man this is bad," Yumi said glaring at the documents given to her by the Totsuki Committee. "I'm so lost..."
****************
The next day
"... that cook coat looks unexpectedly normal on you." Chef Shinomiya comments on Soma's appearance.
"Then you must be blind," Yumi said with a blank expression as she fixes her hair.
"Hey I don't look that bad," Soma said. "At least I don't have to wear a bowtie."
"Ugh don't remind me," Yumi said readjusting the tie that's strangling her neck. "I think I might die in this thing."
"Are you making fun of my uniform choices?" Shinomiya asked.
"That's exactly what I'm doing," She glares at him. "Oh, the customers are here. Go greet them."
*****************
"You should be able to rest on that sofa with this," Abel said, tossing over a couple of blankets. "The kitchen stuff arrives around noon so you have to prepare yourself before then. You can use the shower at will."
"Ok thanks." Soma nods.
"See you... don't oversleep Yukihira." Abel warns before leaving the shop.
"From what I saw of your work today, it'd be better if you weren't here." Shinomiya criticized. "My success in Japan depends on the pre-opening."
Soma stayed silent and listened.
"But you being a student have it way easier don't you?" Chef Shinomiya continues. "We're letting more customers in from tomorrow on. The amount of work should be twice or more what we had today."
"If you continue working like you did today, on the last, you won't have a place here."
The restaurant was quiet and empty. Soma took the other staff's criticism to heart and lied unmoving on the sofa.
"That was tough to watch." A voice came from the kitchen.
"Why are you still here, sis?" Soma abruptly sat up in shock. "I thought you left already."
"And go where exactly?" Yumi rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "I came back to Japan in a hurry and didn't have time to find a place to crash, I barely got any sleep during the first stage and then they suddenly informed me that there was a second stage and transferred me here via car."
"So in short I have nowhere to go." Yumi crossed her arms. "I can leave if you want. I can sleep practically anywhere these days."
"Nah, stay. I don't mind the company." Soma shook his head. "By the way, how do you cut the fish?" He asked casually.
"Why is cooking still on your mind?" Yumi sighs then get off the couch and heads to the kitchen. "As the older more mature twin I should tell you to sleep but..." She waved at him to follow. "You won't die from an all-nighter."
************
"How many times do I have to tell you!" Yumi yells. "Just copy my hand movements."
"You're a terrible teacher!" Soma shouts back. "How am I supposed to practice without having the ingredients in front of me!"
"As if we can waste food just so you can practice," Yumi chides him. "Use that puny small brain of yours to picture it in front of you." With a knife in hand, she made a bunch of invisible cuts in the air. "Like this!"
No matter how stupid this feels or looks, Soma begrudgingly listens and follows along.
"Good just remember the thickness and length of the cuts differ depending on the ingredient and the dish. 'Pont neuf', 'Allumette' and, 'Paille' for potatoes. And 'Medaillon', 'Darne', 'Troncon', and 'Escalope' for fish." Yumi said then took a deep breath, and spoke in a calmer tone, "Don't be disheartened if you can't do well on the first few days. The environment you're standing in is completely different from the one you're used to."
"Observe and adapt to your surroundings and you'll be fine"
***********
"Great job," Yumi praised patting her brother on the back. "You're starting to fit in."
"Yep, you too," Soma said. "Good job for today."
"Just today? I do well every day." Yumi said defensively.
"You two don't have time for a breather, the true challenge begins now," Shinomiya said. "Tomorrow will be the final day, make no mistakes."
"Of course."
"Abel, any objections to letting him stay?"
The head chef looked over, "none at all, he gets full marks."
"Gao Wei?"
"None as well." She responds. "Yumi handled the hall expertly."
"I'd rather clean the dishes," Yumi grumbles at the praise. "My freaking cheeks hurt from smiling all day. I rather not have a permanent smile on my face."
"Better than getting wrinkles at a young age." Soma laughed.
"Haha very funny." Yumi scowls in response.
***************
Last day
"Are we closing early on the last day?" Soma asks as the last person leaves the restaurant.
"We're not closing." Chef Shinomiya responds. "I reserved the place for one last group of guests."
"Good Evening!" A cheerful voice greeted the crowd that just walked in. The alumni of Totsuki.
"What the Yukihira twins!" Hinako Inui shouted as soon as she saw the two redheads. "What are you doing here?" Yumi flinched as soon as she heard that familiar high-pitched voice and immediately planned her escape route.
"Long time no see." Soma greeted her. "I'm a stagiaire."
"Why didn't you let me help with the opening." Hinako confronted Shinomiya in utter rage. "To think you'd disregard me and call Yukihira!"
"You have your own restaurant to attend to idiots." He retorts.
"Oi," Shinomiya caught Yumi trying to escape through the back door. "If I have to deal with her, so do you. Get back to work!"
"Then why did you even bother to invite her," Yumi mutters under her breath, and immediately changes her tone to a more professional one. "Welcome to Shino's Tokyo, we hope you enjoy your stay. Please try today's special, 'exploitation of child labor."
"That's not part of the script." Shinomiya rolled his eyes.
"Oh, my, Yumi, that side of you is as cute as always," Hinako said gently, holding her hands.
Yumi shivered upon physical contact and immediately retrieved her hand. "Please stay 10 feet away from me at all times."
"Welcome Madame," Shinomiya greeted their final customer, ignoring the noise in the background. The woman is much older than the rest of them, evident by the couple of wrinkles on her face and dull hair.
"Who's a madame, Kojirou." the woman scolded in a heavy accent. "Yer really selfish! Ya ain't come home for years, and then ya tell me to up'n come to Tokyo. What's all that now?"
"Anyway, I don't come on out to these parts a lot, so it's awkward."
"How bout ya relax for a bit. Just think've this as home." Shinomiya replies in the same accent.
"That is Japanese right?" Chef Abel asks no one in particular.
"As if you can call this shabby place a home," Yumi mutters.
"Wow, it's like he's a different person." Soma laughed.
****************
"Why did you choose French Cuisine?" Soma asked the chef out of the blue. Yumi glanced over, also wanting to know the answer.
"Is there any reason why I should tell you that?" Shinomiya said enraged.
Neither Soma and Yumi were particularly surprised by the answer. Yumi sighed and proceeded to wipe the remainder of the tables.
"Remember that Quiche I made on the first day?"
Soma perked up his ears and looked over.
"Greater Burdock... is something that westerners only think about as 'tree root," Shinomiya explains. "They get surprised and say, 'Japanese eat tree roots? All the time."
Oh...
"During the second world war, they used Greater Burdock in the food of one of Japan's war prisoners. This became a problem when they said, 'the Japanese made me eat tree roots.' Turned into an international trial for cruelty against war prisoners."
"Cruelty?" Yumi laughed dryly at the accusation. "They should be glad they are still alive to tell the tale."
"Either way that's an amazing story."
"Yes, the greater burdock, carrots, and other such root crops reminded people of the meager meals they ate during the war, so they weren't used as ingredients for a long time," Shinomiya said in a melancholic tone. "Those vegetables are known as the "Forgotten Vegetable in the west."
"The reason why I decided to open a restaurant in Japan, was to reaffirm the roots of my own cooking." He adds. "Once again I'll face the cooking of the country I was born in. That's something I must do to get three stars."
"Oh." Yumi mused thoughtfully, intrigued by the dedication of their senior chef.
Soma seemed to also have picked up on the subtle intent of his words and called out, "Shinomiya senpai, tonight you're doing the new dish competition right?"
The chef turned around with a nod of affirmation.
"I want to turn in a dish for it, too," Soma said, determined. "I want to give my dish a form as soon as possible."
"I'll put all my resolve into this dish."
*****************
"Congrats." Yumi flashed her brother a smile. "Never doubted you."
"Thanks, sis." He replies.
"Well, except for the time when you decided to hold a real knife," Yumi adds, ruining the cheery atmosphere between them. "Or when I knew you were gonna burn that pizza."
"I was 5." Soma sighs.
"Whatever."
"What are you going to do about the requirements for the stagiaire?" Soma said changing the subject.
"I'm not sure. I might actually fail." Yumi laughs. "Won't that be something?"
"Yumi..." Soma frowned at his sister's lack of conviction.
"Don't worry," Yumi sighed. "If I'm going to be expelled from the academy, it'll be based on my volition and not a decision made by the council." She smiles reassuring him.
As they continued to converse in the quiet and calm atmosphere a black SUV pulled up near the restaurant. "Looks like your ride is here. I'll see you at Totsuki."
Soma nodded and went to say goodbye to the rest of the staff.
************
"Why are you still here, go home," Shinomiya said closing up the shop. The shop was empty, just the two of them wrapping up the work.
Yumi glanced at him then looked away. "You enjoy cooking for your mother..."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Haha," Yumi let out a tasteless laugh. "So did I."
Staring at the Shino Tokyo logo she spoke, "You fail'... those were the words I both dread and dream of hearing."
"The Stagiaire... Chef, what am I doing here?" Yumi asked. "Why am I still here?" She turned the question on him. "You didn't fail me nor did anyone in a black suit come forth to fail me."
Shinomiya was quiet. Not a sound left his mouth.
"Why did you put me as a staff member and not in the kitchen." Yumi continues to question him.
Yumi felt sick with guilt as she watched Soma complete his first original French cuisine. She should be proud of her brother, proud of his achievements. But she doesn't feel happy at all, there was no trace of satisfaction on her face. Just a sad and lonely expression.
"It was a whim," Shinomiya said.
"... that's not the answer I want to hear," Yumi said, lowering her head.
"Then why do you insist on staying in Totsuki," Shinomiya asks.
"Because... I," Yumi shifts her weight, finding the question quite uncomfortable. Not wanting to answer she averted her gaze.
"Because there was nothing for me to teach you regarding French cuisine." Shinomiya finally replies. "And I don't like your personality," Shinomiya deadpanned. "I can't stand the thought of your presence in my kitchen."
"I see." Yumi cracked a smile, playfully rolling her eyes.
"Hey, let me join your staff." Yumi finally said what she had wanted to say. She spent the week thinking about the requirement for the Stagiaire. She doesn't know what 'leaving visible results' entails, sure making a dish like her brother would be simple but it doesn't feel right.
That was Soma's results, not hers. She has to find her own way, not an imitation.
"What?"
"Let me join your staff." She repeated slower this time. "I don't have to join any class and my schedule is free after the 4th Stage of the Stagiaire." Yumi shrugs. "You have two restaurants now, you can't possibly be in two places at once. Why not?"
"Because you're a student." He answered.
"Oh yeah?" She raised a brow. "And what were you doing at my age?"
...
"I thought so." Yumi huffed. "Well that settles it, see you in two weeks boss." She waved exiting the restaurant.
"I did not approve of you joining," Shinomiya sighed, knocking his head a couple of times, hoping that this was all a terrible hallucination. "Damn it, I've been duped."
Two weeks later...
"Rejoice, for I am here." Yumi exploded through the Polar Star Dorm. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh Yumi, you're the last one to arrive, dinner's in an hour," Fumio called out to her, no reaction towards her noisy entrance.
"Seriously no 'welcome back', no 'glad you didn't get expelled." Yumi pouts.
"As if I have the time for that." Fumio waved her hands dismissively. "Soma is having a shokugeki right now with a second year, you can watch that in the meantime."
"I can really feel the love," Yumi mutters rolling her eyes.
"That's Isshiki's job, go to him if you want attention." Fumio retorts.
Yumi flinched at her words and immediately decided to bounce. "Would you look at the time, I just remembered a very important thing I have to do... right now in fact. Bye."