Before I left Brooklyn, I had to get something that I don't have to leave. It's also to remember my mom while I be the best chef I can be.
Why a rosary tattoo? Because of my mom.
When I showed Erina after it was done, she loved it, but she wanted me to hide it when we get back to Japan, so I did.
After we arrived, we had to prepare ourselves for what was about to come.
~Days Later~
It was time for the Fall's Selection and I couldn't be more excited.
When I got there, over 200 students were there and the first people I saw were my roommates. Yuki hugged me with the most adorable face I have ever seen.
Yuki: こんにちは、あなたの名前！ (Hey, Y/N!)
Y/N: こんにちぎ！ お元気ですか！ (Hey Yuki! How are you!)
Yuki: あなたはどうですか？ (Good how about you?)
Y/N: 私は文句を言うだろうが、誰が聞くだろうか？ (I would complain, but who would listen?)
I found Takumi and Isami and I had to go over to them for the armbands.
Y/N: Cosa sta succedendo, ragazzi? (What's going on, guys?)
Takumi: Il tuo nome! Piacere di rivederti. (Y/N! Nice to see you again.)
Y/N: Hai qualche bracciale per voi ragazzi mentre competiamo. (Got some armbands for you guys while we compete.)
I handed them the black ones to them as they put them around their right arm.
Takumi: Questi sono così fantastici. (These are so cool.)
Y/N: Mia zia e i suoi amici progettarono e li hanno fatti. Ora possiamo dimostrare che non dobbiamo essere incasinati. (My aunt and her friends designed and made them. Now we can show that we're not to be messed with.)
Isami: Questo è fottutamente fantastico. Facciamolo! (That's fucking awesome. Let's do it!)
I then eyed Megumi. She was nervous like always and I had to see what was wrong.
Y/N: めぐみ。 (Megumi.)
She looked at me with a shy smile and started talking to me.
Megumi: こんにちは、あなたの名前。 あなたはここで何をしていますか？ (Hey, Y/N. What are you doing here?)
Y/N: 私はあなたと話をしたいと思いました。 すべて大丈夫なら？ (I wanted to talk to you. If everything okay?)
Megumi: ええ。 (Yeah.)
I raised an eyebrow and she knew I wasn't bullshitting.
Megumi: わかりました。 私はこの予備を渡すつもりならばわかりません。 あなたの名前、私はこれを行うことができるとは思わない。 私は失敗するつもりです。 (Okay. I just don't know if I'm going to pass this preliminary. Your Name, I don't think I can do this. I'm gonna fail.)
Y/N: こんにちは、あなたがそれを渡すつもりはないとは思わない あなたはこの点に到達するためにあなたの尾を働いた、あなたはトレーニングキャンプで自分のゲームでエリート卒業生を倒しました。 なぜあなたはまだここにいるのですか？ (Hey, don't think you're not going to pass it. You worked your tail off to get to this point, you even beat an elite graduate at his own game at the training camp. Why are you still here?)
Megumi: わかりません。 (I don't know.)
Y/N: あなたは心を持っています。 だからみんながあなたを愛している理由です。 ああ、そして私はあなたのために何かを手に入れました。 (You have heart. That's why everyone loves you. Oh, and I got something for you.)
I pulled it out and I showed her the black Totsuki-Gun armband as she was shocked.
Megumi: 何?! あなたの名前、私はそれに値しません。 (What?! Y/N, I don't deserve it.)
Y/N: 私はあなたが心を持っているので私はあなたがすることを知っています、そしてそれはあなたが戸尻 - 軍に参加するのに十分な大きさの理由ですが、私はあなたに取引をするつもりです。 (I know you do because you have heart, and that's a big enough reason for me to have you join Totsuki-Army, but I'm gonna make you a deal.)
She listened with intent as I told her this.
Y/N: 予備を通過する4つのランクの学生としてそれを作ることができれば、あなたはこれを獲得しました。 これをあなたの動機にして、大丈夫？ (If you manage to make it as a number four ranked student who passes the preliminary, you earned this. Make this your motivation, alright?)
Megumi seemed determined enough to win this armband as she smiled and looked to make us proud.
Megumi: やります。 あなたは私がそのアームバンドを獲得するつもりだとあなたの円を賭けることができます。 (I'll do it. You can bet your yen that I'm gonna earn that armband.)
Y/N: 見たいのですが。 それまで、あなたはあなたが念頭に置いていたものは何でも調理する準備ができています。 (I'd like to see it. Until then, you better be ready to cook up whatever you have in mind.)
Urara: 待ち声をお詫び申し上げます。 競技大料理研究所の学部長から数単語で競争が蹴り始めます (We apologize for wait. Competition will kick off with few words from the Dean of Totsuki Culinary Institute!)
What! The Dean is here! It's an honor to see him again!
When he got to the stage, he was about to talk, but he was coughing and looking like we was having a stroke, but he said that he only caught something in his throat, which was understandable.
Senzaemon: この講堂の空気中で呼吸することは、この建物のドライブである体と精神の両方に感じることができます。 この会場は天室としても知られています。 もともと、この部屋は10のメンバー間の食品戦争にのみ使用されることができました。 それは彼らの優れた成果を尊重するために、私たちは1席を獲得した人々の肖像画をぶら下げます。 (Breathing in the air of this auditorium one can sense, both in body and spirit, the drive of this building. This venue is also known as the Celestial Room. Originally, this room was only allowed to be used for food wars between the members of the Ten. It has become tradition that, to honor their outstanding achievements, we hang portraits of those who have earned the no. 1 seat.)
We looked around, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing: Gin was on there and Kojiro Shinomiya, sweet bleeding Jesus, Kojiro Shinomiya.
Senzaemon: 多くの戦いが戦ってここに勝ちました、そして、多くの専門物がこの場所で生まれ育てられました。 今でも、彼らは砂の穀物のようなものを持っています。 彼らは破損していない戦いの連鎖の思い出を取り戻します。 言ったように、秋の選択のための最後の戦いは講堂で開催されます。 これはあなたの輝く瞬間です。 あなたが歴史のあなた自身の人々を彫ることができる場所！ そして、私たちはここでも戸棚アカデミーの92回目の選択の参加者をもう一度満たしています！ (Many battles were fought and won here, and many specialties were born and nurtured in this place. Even now, they linger like grains of sand. They bring back memories of an unbroken chain of battles. As was said, the final battle for the Fall Selection will be held in the auditorium. This is your moment to shine. The place where you can carve your own peice of history! And so we meet here once again eager participants of Totsuki Academy's 92nd Selection!)
We all cheered as he walked away, and I thought I saw him do a subtle wave at me as I was cheering!
Urara went on to say that the time limit is three hours and out of 100 people, only eight will move up: 4 from Group A, and 4 from Group B.
Urara: AとBのブロック競技者は、今回はそれぞれの会場に向かってください。 予備は1時間で始まります！ (A and B block contestants, please head to your respective venues this time. The preliminary will begin in one hour!)
We all moved from one another as we were about to compete. Before I could get ready to make my entrance, I walked out of the building, almost to the brink of tears.
The reason is because I'm starting to have doubts. Doubts of winning, how the curry is going to taste and how my dish will not get close to 100.
Before I could start crying, Erina saw me down and walked up to me, folding her arms.
Erina: May I talk with you?
I had to nod before we started talking.
Erina: Are you okay?
Y/N: No. I just don't want this anymore.
Erina: You are down because you want it to be over, I glad.
Y/N: I do.
Erina: You do not give up since we are together.
Y/N: I don't know what you want me to say. How did everything so good get so bad?
Erina: What is bad? Tell me, please.
Y/N: I didn't think of others when I was thinking for myself. I mean, why didn't my mom tell me this before she died?
Erina: I know you try to be better chef, but do not throw away all you work hard for.
Y/N: Those challenges weren't real. They weren't Erina. I didn't cook for someone who didn't tell me I was good when I really wasn't. My mom didn't tell me nothing about people being rude and egotistical. Does that make any sense to you?
Erina: Hai, but you know that she loved you and she died working for what she did best: raising you!
Y/N: Welp, all that didn't help anything! It only made things worse!
When I said that, almost all of my friends were overhearing the argument and came out to see.
Y/N: These challenges weren't that real to me, Erina. It was all about which person had the better dish, so what?! At least it didn't look real to me!
Erina: They are real!
Y/N: NOTHING IS REAL UNTIL YOU FIND OUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE! I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE! WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, A PERSON IS DONE! IT'S OVER! THAT'S IT!
Erina: That is not it!
Y/N: It is!
Erina: Why will you not tell me truth!
Y/N: What are you putting me through, Erina? You want the truth? The truth is I don't wanna lose my passion. I would go into the school, cook something up, get a grade, I didn't care! And now there's you, this school, I don't wanna lose my passion!
Erina: What have you not lost? What! Friends, instructors, travel arrangements, and me! You have everything but the truth! What is the truth, goddammit?!
Y/N: I WANNA DIE! OKAY? YOU HEARD ME RIGHT? YOU WANNA BREAK ME DOWN?! ALRIGHT I JUST WANNA DIE! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I WANNA DIE!
Erina: You think you are only one? It is okay want to go back to America.
Y/N: It isn't! To me it isn't! I was only caring about myself the entire time, and because of that, my mom isn't here anymore!
Erina: Do not talk crazy! Mom proud you have passion, and you have no right to tarnish ancestry! You know why I have you as boyfriend? Because you have grit! Think of the people who will say you not passionate no more. You do not have passion after mom die! But none of that is true! The Y/N I know would prove them wrong! You worked your ass off to get here! It is not heritage, bad childhood, or muscle who make person, it is heart! That is what people miss! They are idiots! I love you for that! Your passion inspires me to change attitude. I do not like Souma, but I respect him. If you leave for America, I will not stop you, but since loss of your mom, I cannot live like this, we cannot not live like this! You want to go home? I agree, but do not leave. I love you! You my boyfriend, I want you to stay and try to pass. I know you try. So do it for your friends, but please Y/N. Do it for me.
Hearing that made me wanna cry as I had to ask her this.
Y/N: And if I don't pass?
Erina: Then you do not. At least you do not pass with no excuse. Please. For me. Pass the preliminary.
Silence was around and I had to break it. Erina was really getting to me as I had figured it out. No matter what I'm going through, Erina was by my side and I couldn't be any more grateful to her.
Y/N: Why did you come to me?
Erina teared up and said this while smiling.
Erina: I in love with an Italian.
We were close to each other and we hugged.
Y/N: You know I love you.
Erina: Hai. I love you too.
We kissed as and still hugged before I had to get ready for the preliminary. We basically gave each other a final hug and kiss as I had to get ready.
Erina was going to be in the stands and watch me from their as I cooked and make my entrance.
~45 Minutes Later~
It was almost time to enter the dome. I was there a little nervous before my music played. Megumi went out to...
..."Rouge no Dengon" by Yumi Matsutoya. Good song. Hisako came out with a J-pop type of music, and Takumi and Isami Aldini came out to...
..."Miseria Cantare - The Beginning" by AFI while wearing the Totsuki-Gun armbands.
Miseria Cantare is Italian for "Misery Sing". The meaning behind this song is because we want students who face off against us to feel the misery of defeat, which I think is brilliant in its own way and this is the main theme for Totsuki-Gun.
Then, the lights were out as the video and the introduction to my song was playing while I was waiting to make my entrance.
The lyrics blared into the arena through the speakers...
Speakers: Oshieteyo hito wa naze sagashitsuzukeruno?
Kagirinaku setsunai ashita no
Yume wo!
Everyone was starting to clap along with the beat as I was waiting to come out. They knew that I commanded respect since I've been through so much.
After the instrumental part of the song, I walked out with my black chef uniform and armband while holding the towel that my aunt had made me.
I saw everyone clapping, including Erina, who was just trying not to cry, while I didn't want to show emotion, so I wielded the towel, getting a huge reaction from everyone.
And to show how more awesome I wanted this entrance to be, I started to remind those that weren't clapping by clapping my hands and gesturing them to do it.
After looking around the students in the stands, I eventually went down the aisle and started making my way to the station, still reminding everyone that I wanted them clapping.
When the chorus was here, I was near my station, but I didn't step foot towards it yet. I clapped one more time and showed off the towel before stepping onto the station, where the line was sung...
Students/Speakers: KAZE NI NARE!
Translation: Just be the wind!/Be the wind!
Urara: 極星の寮を代表する彼の駅にすでに彼はあなたの名前の姓のリーダーです！ (Already at his station, representing Polar Star Dormitory, he is the leader of TOTSUKI-GUN, Y/N L/N!)
I set the towel down at the front of my station and I waited to cook the curry that I worked so hard on for this moment. If I don't pass, then I know that I did everything I could to bring memory to my mom.
Senzaemon: 調理を始めることができます！ (You may begin cooking!)
Let's go.