A few days later, the Polar Star Dorm had just finished celebrating Soma's Shokugeki victory against Mito Ikumi when yet another challenge arrived.
"What's this? Camp training?" Soma asked, fingering the pamphlet in his hands.
"The time has finally come." Yoshino said solemnly, her face comically serious.
"You had something like this in elementary and junior high, didn't you?" Sakaki asked, in her soft voice. "It's a camp where we all go and stay for a few nights."
Soma seemed mildly interested. "Huh? I didn't know this school did things like this." his voice implied that he didn't know just what the camp actually was. He looked up from the pamphlet to a deathly pale Tadokoro. "Eh? Why are you shaking so much, Tadokoro?"
"This camp represents the first circle of hell for new high school students." Marui explained, the light hitting his round glasses eerily.
Soma quirked his eyebrow curiously.
"All first years will be tasked with grueling cooking projects everyday in a remote place located in the mountains." Yoshino elaborated in a rather over exaggerated manner. She tilted her bangs to cover her forest green eyes. "If we don't receive a passing score, we receive immediate expulsion. They claim it's an opportunity for friendship and kinship but really, it's a merciless weeder training camp!"
Tadokoro began drooling and shaking uncontrollably.
"This is what Totsuki's education by competition looks like." Satoshi revealed quietly. "The director spoke of the one percent but this is where the selection process really begins." his eyes flashed.
"Isshiki-senpai, didn't you go to this training camp last year?" Daigo Aoki inquired.
Satoshi nodded. "Yes, of course. Even in my time dozens of students were sent home and expelled."
"Expelled?"
"The number of students even dipped below half of what they started in one camp some years ago." Ibusaki added, unhelpfully adding to Tadokoro's shaking and worries. She subsequently muttered "half?" before fainting to the ground, possibly paler than before.
Yoshino whipped around quickly. "Megumi?!"
Tadokoro had a sad smile etched onto her face, her eyes closed. "I am grateful we could be together until now, guys..." she whispered, deathly still. Then, her head flopped to one side awkwardly like a dead fish and she fainted.
"MEGUMI!!" Yoshino screamed.
Soma didn't really seem to care. He was meticulously examining the pamphlet and nodding his head. "Hmm, hmm...So we can take cards and shogi, but no hand held gaming devices." His face contorted. "Man, they don't give us anytime to take a bath!" he complained, seemingly upset.
Yoshino's head popped up angrily. "Hey, Yukihira!" she yelled, an irk mark appearing on her forehead. "How can you be so carefree and already planning your trip? Megumi's practically on her deathbed now!" she exclaimed, waving her fists up and down.
But Soma seemed not to have noticed. "So, half the class makes it, huh? We just have to make sure we're all in that half!" Soma made it sound as if it were as easy as buttering toast.
"Easier said than done," Sakaki remarked quietly, her fingers to her lips.
Satoshi nodded, agreeing with Soma's [impossible sounding] statement. "I'm also quite certain that everyone in the Polar Star Dormitory will come back smiling!" he smiled for added effect.
Hearing that seemed to have lifted everybody's moods. Including Tadokoro's. "I'll make it back here!" Daigo told himself reassuringly.
"I sure will, too." Shoji Sato exclaimed as well.
They both cracked their knuckles ominously, an aura of determination surrounding them.
Marui shifted up his glasses, the light once again hitting itself across the lenses. "Of course."
Sakaki giggled quietly to herself at their humorous behavior. "You're right," she agreed.
Even Yoshino was pumped up and she seemed to forget all about Tadokoro. "All right!" she yelled, pumping up her fists. "We're all so determined! We Polar Stars strike fear into the heart of men!"
Ibusaki sweat dropped. "We do?" But she ignored him, still courageously jumping up and down. "LET'S DOMINATE THIS CAMP!!!" she exclaimed loudly.
Satoshi smiled. "That's the spirit. Fumio-san and I will mind the place. Give it your best shot, guys!"
"All right!"
"Let's do this!"
____________________________________
The assembly hall buzzed with the excited chatter of the group. Sakura could see all of the students glaring at Soma who was casually talking to Mito Ikumi. She smiled. Satoshi had just texted her the events of Soma's recent Shokugeki.
Chapelle-sensei walked up and tapped the microphone. "Good morning, students." his voice was serious and very businessman-like. "I will now give a summary of the camp. You're scheduled to stay here for five nights and six days. In that time, you'll split off into several different groups and take on daily cooking tasks. Students' whose instructors' evaluations fall below a certain level, will be immediately expelled."
Isami Aldini grinned in a maniac way.
"As for how your tasks will be evaluated, we have invited guest lecturers."
Many students instinctively shivered, some starting whispering and few, like Isami, started grinning even more.
"Guests?"
"They are Totsuki alumni who have graciously agreed to join us today." This was the cue for everybody backstage to walk on stage.
"Totsuki alumni?"
"Wait, but that means...they're geniuses who managed to remain in the 90th percentile!"
Sakura had just walked on stage and her appearance attracted many murmurs of interest.
"Hey look, it's Nakiri-sensei..." one girl whispered.
"Oh look, it's Kura-chan." Soma remarked amongst the Polar Star group.
Sakura locked eyes with the few people she actually knew. Erina, Soma, Tadokoro, Hisako, Alice, Ryo, and so on.
She stood flanked between Hinako Inui and Shinomiya Kojiro.
Chapelle-sensei was about to continue his speech when Kojiro suddenly started sniffing the air. Sakura already had a bad feeling about this and tugged on the back of his sleeve to possibly get his attention but he just ignored it. Slowly, he raised his hand and pointed at the spot exactly where Soma was.
Oh no, Soma-kun doesn't use citrus wash, does he? Sakura thought to herself fearfully.
"Hmm, you over there," Kojiro said casually. "Nine rows back, the boy with a scar on his eyebrow."
Sakura's fears were confirmed.
Soma's face looked surprise. "Huh? Me?" he asked, bewildered, pointing to himself.
Kojiro shook his head. "Oh, sorry. I meant the boy next to you."
The brunette boy, Matsuzaki Shoichi, next to Soma pointed to himself. Instantly, Sakura's anxiety washed away but she was still tense and ready to pounce on Kojiro if he did something stupid on the spot.
Kojiro nodded. "Yes, you. You're expelled. You can go home now."
Matsuzaki's facial expression exploded in shock and Sakura could see his twin brother, Matsuzaki Koichi stiffen. "What?!"
Kojiro walked down the stairs, an evil smirk gracing his lips. "Your hair product has a citrus scent. It interferes with the aroma of food. We do need to pay attention to our sense of style. If the chefs have no sense of style, the dish is then left to be unappealing." he wagged his finger. But you should use an unscented product from now on."
"I'm going down," Sakura whispered to Inui and she instinctively walked down the steps of the stage.
"Wait?! I'm getting expelled just for that?!" Matsuzaki asked disbelievingly.
"Just that can be enough to lose a customer." he then looked at Matsuzaki threateningly. "Are you trying to destroy my restaurant?"
But then Sakura came to the rescue. "Kojiro," she began coldly. This aroused many more whispers.
"What?"
"Kojiro?"
"She knows him?"
Kojiro suddenly stiffened. "K-Kura-chan," he stuttered. "Dammit, I just stuttered." he muttered under his breath.
More whispers.
"Oh my gosh, he just stuttered."
"Kura-chan?"
A vein popped on Kojiro's forehead and he was very tempted to yell at them to shut up.
Sakura began to speak. "Using my authority as a Totsuki alumni, I choose to veto your choice of the expulsion of Matsuzaki Shoichi." She glanced at Chapelle-sensei and he nodded, approving of her decision.
"Why?" Kojiro threatened.
"There are many holes in your choices of who to expel, Kojiro. Firstly, I doubt Matsuzaki-san paid much attention and awareness to the fact that a rather strict chef with a remarkable sense of smell would go to such lengths to weed out a student with such talent. I've tasted his food before. He has a place in the food industry."
Matsuzaki suddenly straightened his posture and sent a "Thank you" and "Get me out of this, please" look towards her way.
Kojiro clenched his knuckles. "So?"
"Again, you also left many holes in your statement. First of all, you said, 'are you trying to destroy my restaurant?' This is not your restaurant so you, technically do not have the authority of it. Secondly, sense of style you say? If you claim to have a sense of style and I happen to be your customer, lose the glasses and the ear piercing. Your smirk also disgusts me."
A few people laughed at her latter comment.
"Thirdly, you said, 'but you should use an unscented product from now on.' If you were to say that, it would imply that the student would continue his education at Totsuki. And as I said before, I doubt Matsuzaki was really aware of this mistake of his and would beg for a second chance. If I were you, I'd remember how many times second chances saved your culinary life, Kojiro."
Kojiro scowled and nodded, his knuckles white.
Matsuzaki Shoichi grinned and bowed. "Thank you, Nakiri-sensei!"
Sakura indifferently waved his gratitude away. "No problem."
After all, this was just another one of her everyday problems.
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A.N: So, Sakura has authority over Shinomiya Kojiro. How awesome is that? Please give me your thoughts and feedback in the comments below and don't forget to vote!
Word Count: 1,631 words
Ja nee~
-Lady Catherine Griffin of Somewhere Over the Rainbow