A week after my entrance exams, I started getting acquainted with my new school. I asked my brother for a tour around the campus but since it was very big and he's sometimes busy, we're not done touring around the entire place.
We were going to some areas in the campus when he suddenly received a call from the member of the elite ten he was assisting that she needed help shopping for ingredients. I think her name's Kobayashi Rindou?
"Are you sure you wanna go alone? Who knows if you get lost," Hiroto said while putting his shoes on.
"Yes. Go on ahead. You know where I'm going. Just go there after shopping with her. I'm sure I won't get lost," I told him trying to reassure him.
"Fine. Just text me if you get lost and I'll come to pick you up." He opened the door of our house, flicking my forehead which became our thing after finding out Itachi's back story.
"I swear if you have any plans of annihilating our family for me, don't do it!" I joked and giggled.
"Hey, it's too soon for that! I might have to wait a few more years!" He
joked back. He waved at me before leaving the house because his ride was already there.
After I got dressed, I left the house too and went to the place where my brother and I were suppose to visit first today.
This place is a huge kitchen. It's meant for practice in the school but yet it still has the most high-tech and efficient equipments and utensils for cooking.
The door creaked and opened which led me to look at it.
There was a new person who entered the room. He had white hair that's almost silver and icy blue eyes that changes into purple with light. He wears the Tōtsuki school uniform for boys with only quite a difference. His shirt is slightly unbuttoned and his tie is loose and slung over his left shoulder. He isn't even wearing his Tōtsuki jacket.
"S-sorry! I didn't know someone was already using this kitchen," the person who just entered said looking a little nervous.
"It's fine. I'm just visiting. I'm new here." I went nearer the person and I bowed my head. "I'm Moretti Caterina, a second year. You are?"
His eyes seemed to widen in realization before picking up his composure again and bowing his head too. "I'm Tsukasa Eishi, a third year. I heard from Saitō-san that you were the transferee."
"Ohh! Then you're my upperclassman. It's nice to meet you, senpai!" I smiled.
"The pleasure's all mine. Are you using the kitchen?"
"No, not at all. Why? Are you going to cook, Tsukasa-senpai?" Obviously since he has a knife case with him. Nice going, Caterina.
"Yes. I need to practice my skills before the start of the school year again." He put an apron around his waist and took a knife from the case he brought with him.
"Do you mind if I stay?" I asked him as I watch him look at the ingredients.
"U-um, sure. I think its fine..."
"You seem like you don't really want an audience. I'll just go," I said a bit disappointed.
"No! No. It's really okay. Just sit down. Um...you can have a taste of my dish."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable," I responded, worried.
"Yes, yes. Just sit down."
"Thank you," I smiled grateful that he allowed me to stay and watch him before I sat down.
He started prepping his ingredients and I watched him move like he was dancing in the counter. His moves were so flawless and honestly he looks like a knight with the way he holds a knife while chopping the ingredients in front of him with care.
"Do you have french blood, senpai?" I asked after noticing that the way he was filleting the salmon was a french style.
"Huh? No. Why do you ask?" He questioned, confused.
"Well, you were filleting that salmon in a french style so I thought you might have french blood."
His eyes glistened with amazement. "You noticed that so quickly. That's amazing. How did you?"
"I know how to do some french style cooking too. I just don't specialize in it. I'm guessing you are though with how precise and graceful your movements are while using it."
He continued cooking while talking to me. "Well I am best in french cuisine. How about you?"
"Me?" I pointed at myself. "I think I'm pretty good in Italian, fushion, and baking."
"Ohh? That's a lot! But, given you are Italian it makes sense you specalize in its cuisine. You are Italian, right? Your brother is too. I know him. Anyways, how about the fushion and baking? Where did that come from?"
"Yes, I'm Italian and to answer your second question I enjoy fushion cuisine since I love experimenting with my dishes while I was growing up. So I decided to learn more about it. While, I love baking because I love designing. Well, not just baking. Anything that's got to do with art," I explained.
"That's quite sentimental. I just studied french cuisine because it was more fitting for me." He chuckled.
After that talk, we stayed silent. Oddly enough, the silence wasn't overbearing. It was comfortable. He continued cooking while I continued watching him.
"Senpai?" I started the conversation again. "You're a perfectionist, aren’t you? I mean I don't mean to guess or whatever. But based on my observations, you seem to be."
"Seriously? You noticed that too?" He asked, baffled with how observant I am.
"So you are?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, I can't even work with most people in cooking since it disturbs me that they're not doing it properly or they might've messed something up." An anime sweat appeared in my forehead after he said those words.
"Ohh. That's too bad. But you know, it's normal to make a mistake, senpai. We're all humans. We make mistakes every once in awhile. The most important thing is that we learn from them."
"I guess." He didn't seem to agree with me but he didn't fight with me. He continued cooking until he was finally done and served me a plate of greek salad with oregano-roasted salmon as well as himself.
What a surprise. I thought he'd serve me a french dish. I guess I didn't observe enough.
"Thank you," I said to him. I said my thanks for the food before digging in and analyzing the dish from its looks to its taste.
He looked at me as if expecting me to say that his dish is delicious, far from something a normal student can cook. Who is he?
I wanted to give him an honest judgment so I did. I wiped my lips with the nearby wipes before speaking. "Visually, the dish looks pleasing. It was plated very nicely and don't get me even started with the smell. It smells so good and it's like it's out of this world, which it is!" I smiled.
He returned back my smile but something in his eyes was different from when he just entered. They weren't nervous anymore. In fact, they look confident and arrogant.
"But," that's when his face started to twist. "There's something missing."
"W-what?" The arrogance from his eyes vanished without a trace and he held on the counter for his dear life.
"Don't get me wrong, senpai. It's delicious. But, it lacks something. Something which I think is very important but I don't know what. You see my dad is also a chef. He had me taste and eat a bunch of his dishes. They always tasted so good and fulfilling. Honestly, it feels like I was able to do anything when I tasted his dish. The same goes for when I tasted this famous Italian chef's food. Gotōda Donato I think was his name. I'm not trying to compare you to them or anything. I just think that all chefs should have that something in their dishes."
I stood up and put my plate beside. "So here's my verdict. It doesn't mean that something tastes delicious that it's fulfilling. For a normal person, it should be. But for a chef, it's a disgrace. So forgive me for saying this senpai but..." I looked him in the eye to make sure he knows I'm not lying.
"Your food is boring." I sighed. "But hey, my food's boring too. Why am I even saying these things to you? All that matters is your food is edible and servable to your customers."
I was rambling to him trying to apologize for going out of hand and being too honest when he grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes with panic.
"What do you mean there's something missing in my dish? Was it the oregano? The sauce? Did I add less salt or pepper? What?" His eyes couldn't contain its selves. "My food boring? You're kidding, right?"
I felt awkward with his many questions but decided to still answer.
"It's not the presentation nor is it the flavor or the smell of the dish."
"Then what?!"
I removed his hands from my shoulder. "That's the problem, I don't know. I'm not a full-fleged chef. I don't have much passion for cooking so each time I cook, my food ends up the same way as yours does. Boring. The only difference is that mine's much worst."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "So, I don't really have much to say. I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'm sorry if I offended you, senpai. I was only trying to be honest."
I smiled before bidding him my goodbye. "I have to go, Tsukasa-senpai. Thank you for the food again. Once again, it was nice to meet you."
Then I left a stunned chef in a kitchen while I walked towards my next destination. Poor Tsukasa-senpai. I'm sorry for going too far.
...
"I have to go, Tsukasa-senpai. Thank you for the food again. Once again, it was nice to meet you."
I wanted to reply to her that it was nice meeting her too but I was frozen.
Something is missing in my dish? My food is boring? I've never heard of that before. It's absurd!
I couldn't even get the fact out that she didn't say she enjoyed my food before leaving like most of the people who ate my food did. When she told me that she found my food boring, her eyes told me that she wasn't lying. What the heck just happened?
"Tsukasa! I'm back! How'd practice go?" I heard a familiar girl's voice.
"Tsukasa? Tsukasa? Earth to Tsukasa? Tsukasa!" she shouted my name loudly the last time that became my wake up call.
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Rindou said, concerned with my behavior.
"I...I think I have seen a ghost, Rindou..."