(Barcelona, Spain)
Miyuki: Yusuke, one Paella Valenciana!
Yusuke: Coming!
Yusuke finishes stirring diced vegetables and quickly runs to the tables and serves everyone their food. The customers were absolutely enamored by Yusuke's dishes.
Customer 1: So good!
Customer 2: It's like it was made with magic!
Customer 3: Oye, Yuso! Esta es la mejor Paella que he tenido en my vida!
(Kudo Yusuke / Freelance Chef)
Yusuke: Gracias!
Customer 4: Hey, Yusuke! Want me to introduce you to my daughter?
Yusuke: Um... I'm gonna have to decline.
Miyuki: Yusuke, no slacking off!
Yusuke turned to face his mother.
Yusuke: Sorry, Mother.
Miyuki: I told you not to call me that at work!
Yusuke: Sorry.
(Later)
It was the end of the day. Yusuke and Miyuki were at a balcony staring into the city.
Miyuki: Another day, another job done.
Yusuke: Yeah...
(Kudo Miyuki / Freelance Chef)
Miyuki: Sheesh, you're so awkward, you know that? It's just me, loosen up a little.
Yusuke: So... Where to next?
Miyuki: About that, Yusuke, there's something I need to tell you.
Yusuke: Hm?
Miyuki: I'll be moving to America for my next gig... Alone.
Yusuke: Eh?
Miyuki: I'll be working alongside an old friend of mine, so I'll have you return to Japan.
Yusuke: How long will you be there?
Miyuki: 2 years or so.
Yusuke: That long? Are you sure you don't want me to come with?
Miyuki: It's alright. There's actually a reason why I'm sending you back to Japan.
Yusuke: And that is?
Miyuki passes Yusuke some papers, which Yusuke instantly recognized.
Yusuke: This has to be a joke.
Miyuki: The director came to me personally and suggested I let you attend, and I said, why not?
Yusuke: Senzaemon-dono? How did he even found you?
Miyuki: That's the Nakiris for you.
Yusuke: You want me to physically attend school? I can only imagine so many things that could go wrong, and you're sending me there of all places.
Miyuki: Come on, don't be like that. This is your chance to meet people your age who are just as cooking-obsessed as you. Doesn't that sound exciting?
Yusuke: No, it doesn't. And interacting with people my age isn't really my thing.
Miyuki: Then it will be. You need to develop social skills, you can't spend the rest of your life as an anti-social cooking freak.
Yusuke: Anti-social cooking freak? Aren't you exaggerating a little?
Miyuki: ...-_-... I'm really not.
(Flashback)
Yusuke: THIS SQUID IS SO RAW I CAN LITERALLY HEAR IT TELLING SPONGEBOB TO PISS OFF!!!
Chef: Y-Yes chef...
(Flashback Ends)
Yusuke: I only meant to say the squid was a little under-cooked.
Miyuki: Exactly.
Yusuke: ....
Miyuki: Come on, it's just three years. We're always moving from place to place because of work. Think of this as taking a break from that.
Yusuke: It's alright, really. I don't have a problem with it.
Miyuki: Well I do.
Yusuke: W-Wait, where am I supposed to stay until then?
Miyuki: The friend I just mentioned, he was kind enough to let you borrow their place. So you'll be staying there with their son.
Yusuke: Really?
Miyuki: I should warn you though, this kid is a little...
Yusuke: Hmm?
Miyuki: Hmm... What's the right word? He's a little... peculiar.
Yusuke: Peculiar... in what way?
(Tokyo, Japan)
At Yukihira Diner, a red-haired young man was trying out a strange combination.
???: DISGUSTING!! They don't go together at all... They're a devastatingly bad match!
A boy name Yukihira Soma was grilling squid with peanut butter in charcoal.
Soma: Squid tentacles and peanut butter... I can't help laughing, it's so disgusting...
Soma continues to laugh it off, then his father calls out to him.
Joichiro: Soma! Your friend's here.
Soma: Okay!
Soma wraps his bandage on his forehead and gets ready.
Soma: Let's do this then!
(Later)
A lot of customers had gathered as Soma was having another cook-off with his dad Joichiro, they both served two plates of fried rice.
(Yukihira Joichiro / Head Chef and Owner)
Joichiro: Enjoy.
(Yukihira Soma / Sous Chef)
Soma: Dig in!
Mayumi: Thank you!
Student: Oh, the cooking battle's on!
Student: So Mayumi's the judge today?
Mayumi took a bite a both dishes.
...
...
...
Mayumi: This one!
Joichiro raised his fist in victory. Soma falls on his hands and knees as a sign of defeat.
Joichiro: Soma. You still need more training.
Soma was already walking away.
Soma: Looks like I've lost today.
Joichiro: Say that after you win at least once. You're probably getting close to 500 losses now, aren't you?
Soma: Huh!? Don't get cocky! That was only 489!
Joichiro: You're still getting close!
Soma: Shut up, old man!
The customers were praising and enjoying Joichiro's Chinese Fried Rice.
Mayumi: B-But your's was good, too, Yukihira-kun! I've never had such delicious Chinese fried rice.
Soma was standing at the corner feeling gloomy.
Soma: Thanks. I've also got a new dish ready that I just made up. Would you like some?
Mayumi: Really? I'd love to try it!
Soma: It's a flame-grilled squid tentacles dressed with peanut butter.
Mayumi: Huh?
Aki: Mayu!
Student: Whoa, he's at it again!
Student: He made another crazy one!
Soma: Here, dig in. It's so disgusting you'll laugh.
Mayumi was crawling away from him.
Mayumi: N-No...
Soma puts the squid in Mayumi's mouth. The taste was so bad she felt that she was being groped by a giant squid.
Soma: Cooking is an endless wasteland... A wasteland dotted with flavors both delicious and disgusting... And I want to walk beyond that horizon.
Aki: Shut up, idiot, walk there yourself! Hang in there Mayu! Are you okay?
Mayumi: ...T^T... The squid... The squid is...
Student: Yukihira is always so happy making people eat his mistakes.
Student: If not for that habit of his, he'd be a decent chef.
Joichiro: But the dried sardines with strawberry jam that I made was still worse, huh, Soma?
Soma: Oh, yeah... That was nastiness of empty proportions.
Joichiro: Right?
Soma: But the peanut butter tentacles are worse!
Joichiro: No way! Sardines with jam are worse!
Customers: ...-_-...
(Later)
It was the end of the day. Soma and Joichiro were cleaning up.
Joichiro: Soma. When you're done, kill the flame on the charcoal grill.
Soma: I should've shaken the pan 3 more times for that Chinese fried rice... (I'll be graduating from middle school soon. After that, I'll be able to study cooking more. I want to surpass Dad as soon as I can! Then I'll take over as chef of this restaurant!)
Joichiro: .....
(Meanwhile, with Yusuke)
Yusuke and Miyuki were at the airport with their luggage ready.
Miyuki: Do you have all your necessary tools?
Yusuke: Mm-hmm.
Miyuki: Your toothbrush?
Yusuke: Yup.
Miyuki: Spare underwear!?
Yusuke: ...-_-... I do.
Miyuki: Wait, let me double-check!
Yusuke: ...-_-... I'm not a kid, you know.
Miyuki: Sorry, sorry... *Deep Breath* I knew this day would come someday, the day we would be forced to part ways. I kept telling myself that I was ready, but... *Sigh* Look at me getting all emotional.
Yusuke: Well, I'm off.
Miyuki: You better call me at least once a week.
Yusuke: I will.
Miyuki: I love you!
Yusuke: I know.
As Yusuke was about to leave, Miyuki quickly puts him on a wrist lock.
Yusuke: Mom! I have to go...!
Miyuki: Aren't you forgetting something!?
Yusuke: N-No...!
Miyuki: Think harder!
Yusuke: ...-_-... You've got to be-
Miyuki: Who are you!? What have you done to my boy!?
Yusuke notices the people looking at them.
Yusuke: Mom, you're making a scene.
Miyuki: You think I care? Say it!
Yusuke: ...-_-... *Deep Breath* I love you, too.
As soon as he said that, Miyuki helps him get back up and dusts him up.
Miyuki: ...^ 3 ^... Aww...! I love you more!
Still in pain from the wrist lock, Yusuke grabs his stuff and heads back to Japan.
Miyuki: ...^ 3 ^... Make lots of friends!
Yusuke: ...-_-... I swear, that woman...
(Yukihira)
It was the end of school hours, after buying groceries, Soma was heading home. Then he got a call from his dad.
Soma: Hey, Dad?
Joichiro (Phone): Yeah. You home yet?
Soma: No, I picked up some stuff for breakfast. What's up?
Joichiro (Phone): I'm out taking care of some things today.
Soma: Yeah? That's unusual.
Joichiro (Phone): I won't be home until tomorrow, so you don't have to open the restaurant.
Soma: Okay.
Joichiro (Phone): Hey... What do you plan to do after middle school?
Soma stopped walking.
Soma: You should know that. I'll study cooking at the restaurant.
Joichiro (Phone): I see.
Joichiro hangs up.
Soma: What was that about? (And... what's so important that he'd close the restaurant for a day? My dad doesn't talk about himself much. Now that I think about it, I might not know anything at all about my dad as a chef.)
Soma enters through the back door. And was surprised at what he found.
Soma: Huh?
All the meat had been completely ruined. Not a scrap of usable meat left behind.
Soma: The meat is ruined? Everything in the fridge is... A burglar? No, a burglar wouldn't do this.
Then something came through his head. He rushes to the front, where the Yukihira sign was completely stained.
Yaeko: Oh, my! Things here appear to be much more in order than yesterday. Maybe because that ugly sign is covered up. Ah... somehow I'm in the mood to eat some meat. That marbled steak I always have in Roppongi is just the best!
Yaeko and her bodyguards enter the restaurant.
Yaeko: The juice just fills up in my mouth. *Sits down* Hey, little boy... Make me the juiciest meat dish you can make.
Soma: .....
Yaeko: Oh? Don't tell me you can't make it? Your customer is asking for meat. Can't you serve it? Little boy, didn't you tell me yesterday... that if you couldn't serve a customer, you'd go out of business? Your sign already looks much better. It's perfect timing. You should shut down this restaurant.
Yaeko started laughing maniacally.
(The next morning)
Soma was cleaning up the covered Yukihira sign.
Soma: (No matter what happens, I won't let this restaurant go under. Yukihira is my castle for perfecting my cooking!)
Soma looks down to see that Joichiro had returned.
Soma: Dad...
Joichiro: Looks like something happened.
Soma: Nothing important. I just had a rude customer.
...
...
...
Joichiro: Soma.
Soma: Huh?
Joichiro: For two years I'm going to... close this restaurant.
Soma falls from the ladder out of shock.
Joichiro: Yeah, you know... I'll have to apologize to our regulars.
Soma: Apologize to your son first!
Joichiro enters the place.
Joichiro: An old friend of mine suggested working together.
Soma: Wha-
Joichiro: I'll be living with them for a while, so I won't be back here.
Soma: But you can't just... Hey, Dad!
Joichiro: As soon as I get my stuff together, I'm leaving.
Soma: Wait.
Joichiro: I'll send you some money to live on.
Soma: I said, wait! I always... want this restaurant to...
Joichiro puts his fist on Soma's chest.
Joichiro: It's time for you to go, Soma. Go figure out what you've got.
Joichiro gives Soma some papers.
Soma: Cooking school? Why do I have to go to a school like this now?
Joichiro: It's perfect timing, isn't it? I'm closing the restaurant, and you can earn high school credits there. Just go and study there for 3 years.
(Later)
An angry Soma was on his way to this Cooking school.
Soma: Paying to learn how to cook is so stupid. A culinary school is just gonna be like...
Soma had extremely low expectations of how it was gonna go down.
Student: GAAAAAH!!!
Soma: Huh?
Soma looked to see two students despairing on their knees.
Student: I failed the advancement test!
Student: I'm done for. My life is over.
A rich man was on his knees begging to a body guard.
Rich man: I beg you! I'll donate 10 million, or even 20 million! Just take back my son's expulsion.
The body guard didn't seemed like he was gonna budge.
Soma: What's going on?
Soma was starting to freak out a little.
(Meanwhile)
After arriving at Tokyo, Yusuke came to face the school he would be attending.
Yusuke: ....
Yusuke looked around and saw rich people begging the school staff to allow their kids in, they were even offering large sums of money, he also looked to see many other kids his age accompanied by butlers. Yusuke just lets out a sigh.
Yusuke: Yare, yare daze...
To be Continued...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you all so much for reading. Please don't forget to click like, comment and subscribe. Check out and support my Youtube Channel for more. Here's the link.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-_14SzFH-9HyjQw8Tdy8fg
Anyways, I'm Lunolion, and I'll see you all next time! Chao!