Damian had just left, but Erina remained frozen in the middle of the kitchen like a statue. Hisako, standing nearby, looked just as stunned, as if she'd just been slapped on the forehead. A light slap… but a slap nonetheless! And the most unbelievable part: Damian had actually tapped Erina on the forehead!
Hisako was the first to find her voice, speaking quickly:
"Erina-sama! Are you okay? Are you seeing stars? Want some ice?!"
Erina blinked, slowly returning to reality. With a complicated expression, she muttered:
"What kind of person is Gray-senpai…?"
"Erina-sama, Gray-senpai just… just… he—" Hisako tried to form a sentence.
Erina cut her off, touching her own forehead as if she'd just received a divine revelation:
"He… he didn't even use force. It was like… like he was dealing with a spoiled child..."
Hisako blinked.
"And… is that good or bad?"
"I don't know," Erina whispered existentially. "Just now… I think I saw—"
"Saw what?!" Hisako leaned in, super curious.
Erina shook her head and let out a defeated sigh:
"Forget it. Must've been my imagination. The suggestions Gray-senpai gave me were really valuable. Hisako, go finish dinner… and then let's get some rest."
"Yes, ma'am!" Hisako saluted seriously. "Ah! Erina-sama, would you like to take a bath?"
"Yes. But in my private bathroom. I don't want to run into people on the way… and I'm kind of tired."
"Understood! I'll prepare your meal right away!"
"Hm."
As soon as Hisako left with Erina's meal, the young girl was left alone. She slowly touched her forehead… and, to her surprise, felt her face heat up.
She wasn't angry. Worse: she was embarrassed! The memory of Damian's gentle smile, his calm words, and that forehead tap—so familiar, so natural, like a neighborhood big brother—made her heart beat a little faster.
"Gray-senpai..." she murmured dreamily.
"Erina-sama! Erina-sama!" Hisako came running back, nearly slamming into the door.
"What is it now?" Erina asked, already bracing for another crisis.
"Ah, I just wanted to ask… will you be eating now?"
Erina frowned subtly in thought.
"Better not overdo it. The restaurant I went to today was so bad that my appetite died and was buried."
"Understood!" Hisako replied before rushing off again.
Erina, now leaning against the stove, drifted back into her thoughts: Damian's kindness, his confident words, that reassuring smile… and, of course, the forehead tap. A devastating combination.
"Tomorrow…" she thought, determined. "Tomorrow I have to taste Gray-senpai's cooking! I bet it's a thousand times better than that garbage I ate today!"
"Erina-sama! It's hot!" Hisako shouted suddenly.
"Ah!" Erina gave a small jump, snapping out of her dramatic mood.
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall...
Most of the students were already gathered. When Damian walked in, it was like a spotlight turned on him: half the room turned their heads to stare.
This handsome, kind-looking boy had already become a mini-celebrity at the camp.
"Yo! Damian-kun! Where have you been hiding?!" Isshiki called out with a teasing grin.
Damian scratched his head, thoughtful, and replied casually:
"If I had to explain… it's kinda complicated."
Isshiki and Nene, who were nearby, looked at him, intrigued.
"Did something happen?" Isshiki asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Ah… nothing big," Damian shrugged. "I just went for a walk and… got stopped by two beautiful girls. They insisted I try their food."
"WHAAAT?" (x2)
The two of them froze as if their internal operating systems had crashed.
After a long, awkward silence, Isshiki exploded:
"No way! All the students are here! Who were these girls?! And how did they stop you to feed you?! You're making this up, aren't you?!"
Nene narrowed her eyes, staring at Damian. She sniffed subtly—and yes, there was a faint perfume in the air. The unmistakable scent of another girl.
It was true.
Nene's heart twisted in silent irritation. Very silent. But very murderous, too.
What the hell? He just said he liked girls like me… and now he's already getting cozy with others?!
But then she shook her head, forcing herself back to normal.
Why am I mad? Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.
Damian, noticing her closed-off expression, asked suspiciously:
"Nene? Are you okay?"
"Me? I'm great!" she replied, smiling with threatening sweetness.
"Are you sure…?"
"You idiot…" Nene muttered, crossing her arms.
"Pfft—" Isshiki tried to hold in his laugh but failed miserably.
"HAHAHAHA! Damian-kun! Welcome to the real world! Being called an idiot by a girl is practically a graduation diploma!"
He burst out laughing, nearly doubling over.
"If it's Nene… it's to be expected," he said, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.
Nene narrowed her eyes, ready to fire back with something venomous, but then Damian, as if predicting the attack, smiled gently and said:
"Until today, no other girl has called me an idiot like that. Nene really is special."
Her face turned so red it looked like she might explode.
She quickly turned away and mumbled something inaudible—probably a mix of "idiot" and "thank you"—but no one could decipher it.
Just when it looked like she was finally ready to strike back, firm footsteps echoed through the hall, making everyone turn.
It was Gin Dojima, approaching with the air of a man on a mission—to ruin everyone's sleep.
He stopped, scanned the crowd, and with his sharp gaze, locked eyes on Damian and company—a group that clearly looked like they came from a different anime.
[A/N: Like that anime scene where the protagonist is obviously highlighted in the crowd. Or like in JoJo, where every main character looks like they just walked out of a bizarre fashion show… not real life.]
Wasting no time, Dojima announced in a loud, commanding voice:
"First of all, congratulations… to those of you who've survived this far!"
He gave a quick glance at the clipboard in his hands.
"When the school year began, there were 813 students. For the dorm training, 791 showed up. Now… 523 remain."
The mood dropped heavier than bean soup.
Dojima continued mercilessly:
"But don't get too comfortable. Tomorrow is your next challenge!"
Everyone's eyes lit up with tension.
"Tomorrow's task will be to create a brand-new breakfast menu worthy of serving guests at the Totsuki Resort."
"Breakfast is the face of a hotel. It's a crucial meal because it sets the tone for the guests' day."
"I want you to suggest a dish that's innovative and a perfect addition to a breakfast spread."
As he spoke, Dojima raised a small bottle.
"The main ingredient will be milk."
"Milk?" (they repeated in unison.)
"Yes. Every dish you serve must include milk as a key component. It can be sweet, savory, hot, or cold—doesn't matter."
"There's no restriction on cuisine, but the basics remain: it should be a full buffet experience."
"Judging starts at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. Make sure your tastings are ready by then."
Dojima tilted his head and added, with a malicious smile:
"You can use the time until dawn however you like—test recipes in the kitchens or go rest. But if you don't present a proper breakfast… well, be ready to get kicked out."
A chill swept through the hall.
"Finally… you're dismissed!!"
With that oddly comforting farewell, Dojima exited, leaving a thick tension in the air.
Damian crossed his arms and spoke aloud:
"Hm… using milk… in breakfast… suddenly this challenge feels a bit boring."
Nene, still half-upset with him, blinked in surprise.
"Damian-kun! You've already thought of something, haven't you?!"
Damian gave his signature laid-back smirk—the one that was both charming and annoying.
"More or less."
Then, out of nowhere, he raised his hand again.
"Chef Dojima!"
Everyone turned, thinking he was going to ask to change the theme or something.
Dojima raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
Damian asked with total nonchalance:
"Can we make more than one dish?"
The silence that followed was almost painful.
Most students could barely manage one decent dish. And this lunatic wanted to make several?!
Nene and Isshiki stared at him like he'd asked if he could cater a wedding.
But Dojima smiled. His eyes sparkled like he'd just found a diamond in the rough.
"If you can prepare it quickly, maintain high quality, and impress… there's no limit on dishes."
Damian nodded, eyes gleaming.
"Understood."
Isshiki turned to Nene, whispering:
"Definitely… a kitchen monster."
Nene sighed, exhausted, as if accepting her fate:
"An annoyingly adorable monster."
(End of chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉