"This time of year has finally arrived..."
In the dim room, Roland Chapel opened the curtains that blocked the sunlight, allowing a ray of sunlight from outside to stream in. If Hoshino Sora were here, he would surely notice that all the people sitting in this room were their cooking teachers.
"How have the students been notified?"
"It will all be completed today."
"Hmm, those who stand out, and those who fall behind. This is their initial divergence point..."
Roland Chapel turned his head to look at the teachers behind him. After receiving their replies, he turned his gaze back to outside the curtains, muttering to himself with a serious expression.
——————
"Accommodation training, is it finally here? I just wonder where we'll be going."
Inside Yōbi Dormitory, first-year students gathered to chat. Looking at the small notebook on the table, Hoshino Sora's eyes were filled with excitement, and he spoke much more than usual.
Because he had been looking forward to the accommodation training for a long time!
"Depart in three days, assemble at six in the morning. So early... Looks like I'll have to go to bed early the day before departure."
Flipping through the accommodation training guide, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but complain. Assembling at six in the morning meant waking up at five? No way!
Although he had the buff of unlimited stamina, Hoshino Sora still liked to sleep in. Who wouldn't want to sleep a little longer? Everything was possible in dreams.
"You seem so relaxed. It's said that accommodation training eliminates about half of the students, forcing them to drop out. This is why it's called the first hell that high school students experience by previous generations!"
Shiina Mahiru looked at the relaxed Hoshino Sora with complex eyes. How could this guy be so leisurely? Although he was indeed very capable, shouldn't he be nervous, by all accounts?
"If you're not confident in this level of trial, you'll definitely be eliminated. Miyu, your strength isn't weak, so you shouldn't be so worried."
Looking at Shiina Mahiru, who had large caramel-colored eyes, waist-length flaxen-gold hair, and a petite figure, Hoshino Sora said seriously. Although she was at the bottom of Yōbi Dormitory, that was only relatively speaking.
Even the weakest tiger is stronger than a cat—that was Hoshino Sora's thought.
Ultimately, there were simply too many geniuses at Far Moon. Shiina Mahiru was set to be a girl very skilled in cooking in her original world, but placed among the many geniuses at Far Moon, she could only fade into the crowd.
"I still feel quite a bit of pressure..."
Her voice was slightly weak. Shiina Mahiru had a clear understanding of her own abilities. Although she was very diligent, her skill simply couldn't compare to everyone else in Yōbi Dormitory.
Everyone had their own areas of expertise, but she didn't. Perhaps someone like her wasn't suited to stay at Far Moon Academy...
The duel between Hoshino Sora and Kurokiba Ryo flashed in her mind. Shiina Mahiru bit her lower lip slightly. He was clearly a transfer student, so why was he so strong? Yumeko Jabami was too...
"Then let's do some special training. There are still three days until the accommodation training, and tomorrow is the weekend, so we have time tonight too."
Knowing the plot of the accommodation training, Hoshino Sora invited Shiina Mahiru. Regardless, it was definitely right to conduct special training for the assessment items.
Among Yōbi Dormitory, the person he worried about most was Shiina Mahiru. After more than a month of interacting, Hoshino Sora understood that her strength was probably similar to his when he first enrolled.
She was slightly stronger than Tadokoro Megumi in her unconfident state, but only marginally.
The current Shiina Mahiru lacked a partner who could help her become stronger.
"Hoshino really cares about Shiina."
"Exactly."
"After all, we're dorm mates. We can't let Miyu fall behind."
Hearing Mito Ikumi and Yumeko Jabami's teasing, Hoshino Sora said as a matter of course. He genuinely had no ulterior motives in helping Shiina Mahiru; he simply wanted to help her get through the accommodation training.
After all, Miyu's family background was complicated, and if she were expelled from Far Moon, her future life would probably become a mess.
"Thank you... But is this last-minute cramming really useful?"
Clenching and unclenching her fists, a hint of stubbornness flashed across her small face. Shiina Mahiru finally agreed to Hoshino Sora's invitation, but her tone carried doubt. With only two and a half days left, would last-minute cramming really be effective?
"It will be useful. Believe in your potential, and believe in me!"
Seeing Shiina Mahiru's hesitation, Hoshino Sora pressed on. As long as she was willing to accept his help, her passing probability could increase by at least 50%, which was like being given the answers to a test in advance.
"Okay!"
Thinking of Hoshino Sora's strength, Shiina Mahiru nodded solemnly. Having a master guide her was definitely much better than fumbling around by herself, even if being taught by someone her age made her feel a little embarrassed.
"Good! Then come with me to buy ingredients this evening after school. This special training will be called 'Accommodation Training Grand Strategy'!"
As a student of Far Moon, Shiina Mahiru didn't lack cooking experience. What she lacked was the experience of simultaneously facing multiple customers. From memory, accommodation training had such a segment.
Completing 50 steak dishes within an hour, and selling 200 portions of egg breakfast within two hours.
These two tasks were undoubtedly Shiina Mahiru's weaknesses at present. Cooking slowly and leisurely would absolutely not allow her to complete the tasks. She had to start practicing multi-person cooking now.
As for the rest, it was indeed impossible to achieve significant improvement in a short time. It would largely depend on Shinohiru's performance, but with her strength, the probability of passing the assessment was very high.
——————
Evening, the sun setting.
"Xiao Hui, what a coincidence, we met on the bus again. What are you doing out of school?"
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi sitting in the last row of the bus, Hoshino Sora enthusiastically raised his hand to greet her, then sat down beside her.
"Ah, Hoshino-kun, this is..."
"Shiina Mahiru, a resident student of Yōbi Dormitory."
Polar Star Dormitory and Yōbi Dormitory were the only two dormitories at Far Moon. In fact, most Far Moon students were day students, with resident students making up a very small portion.
Yōbi Dormitory was built in recent years due to an increase in resident students.
"Ah, hello. I'm out of school to buy some ingredients. Isn't the accommodation training coming up? I want to make more preparations, although someone like me will most likely be directly eliminated..."
Seeing Shiina Mahiru greet her first, Tadokoro Megumi lowered her head and explained why she was out. Hoshino Sora's heart stirred upon hearing this, and then his eyes gleamed as he stared at her face.
"Wha... What is it?"
Noticing Hoshino Sora's gaze, Tadokoro Megumi looked up, then asked with a somewhat evasive look. She didn't understand why he was suddenly staring at her like that.
It made her feel strange and shy...
"You won't be eliminated. We're going to have special training for the accommodation training next. Xiao Hui, you should come too!"
Hoshino Sora invited with a smile. Tadokoro Megumi's strength, to be honest, was stronger than most Far Moon students. Her only drawback was her lack of confidence. She was clearly a very capable person.
As long as Tadokoro Megumi regained her confidence, even if she couldn't perform at 100% of her ability, passing this mere accommodation training would be more than enough.
"Ah? Can I...?"
"Of course! Special training is more lively with more people."
Noticing Tadokoro Megumi's hesitation, Hoshino Sora sincerely invited her, grasping her soft small hand as he spoke. However, his sincere gaze made it clear that he wasn't trying to take advantage.
"But..."
Tadokoro Megumi was still hesitant.
"There are no 'buts.' It's decided. Let's go buy ingredients together later!"
"Eh... Okay."
Seeing Tadokoro Megumi's inclination, Hoshino Sora said assertively. Immediately after, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[Hidden Quest Triggered]: Two-Person Special Training
[Quest Description]: With accommodation training approaching, through your unremitting efforts, Shiina Mahiru and Tadokoro Megumi are willing to become your trainees and participate in your special training.
[Quest Requirements]: Have both complete 40-minute, 50-portion steak meal training, and 1-hour, 200-portion egg breakfast training.
[Quest Reward]: Cooking Skill: Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return (Lv1)
[Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return]: Can simultaneously control ten pots to cook ten top-tier dishes. Lv1 can only control three pots simultaneously for cooking. The number of controlled pots increases with level advancement, up to Lv5.
The requirements have increased, but this reward is truly generous. Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return, Zhu Qi's famous technique from Little Chef. However, it seems to be a weakened version.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a weakened version; it just wasn't strong without leveling up.
However, just as he thought, completing certain cooking-related events could trigger hidden quests. The first time he completed a hidden quest was because he chose to host Akame and Kurome.
"How much longer are you going to hold her hand?"
Shiina Mahiru's voice pulled Hoshino Sora back to reality. He came to his senses and found that he was still holding Tadokoro Megumi's small hand. At this moment, her face was slightly red, and she couldn't decide whether to resist or not, so she just stood stiffly.
"Sorry, I suddenly got lost in thought about something."
Awkwardly scratching his head, Hoshino Sora quickly apologized, then sat up properly, consciously ignoring Shiina Mahiru's subtle eye roll.
"It's fine."
She touched her palm with her other hand, feeling the lingering warmth, her face slightly flushed. This was the first time a boy had touched her hand, and for so long. She wouldn't be able to get married, Mom!
During the rest of the bus ride, the few of them had no further conversation. Because of what had happened, they all felt somewhat awkward until they got off the bus, when Hoshino Sora finally spoke.
"Over there, the ingredients we need to buy today are beef and eggs."
Although there was a daughter of a beef supplier in the dormitory, freeloading off her ingredients was somewhat inappropriate, and there wasn't enough time. So, Hoshino Sora decided to go out himself and buy a batch of eggs as well.
"Beef and eggs?"
"To be precise, it's steak meal dishes and egg breakfast dishes. I believe you won't have problems with normal cooking. What I'm afraid of is them being unconventional.
For example, having you make a certain number of dishes within a limited time. For those of you who have lived at Far Moon for many years, this is definitely a weakness, so our goal today is... Chengdong Park!"
They had scavenged a large amount of 50% off beef at the supermarket. Because it was late, the supermarket would sell these beef cuts at a low, discounted price for promotion.
As for eggs, they were even cheaper.
Before long, the three of them emerged from the supermarket with large bags. Hoshino Sora then took them to another place, a very secluded alley.
The rhythmic sound of hammering metal came from within.
"Hello, I'm the customer who reserved three semi-automatic street vending machines this morning. Are our machines ready?"
In the world of Food Wars!, the street vending industry flourished because most chefs were not qualified to open a business. To be precise, leasing a storefront would lead to losses.
Dishes that weren't popular would only be eliminated and replaced.
Food stalls, however, could move around freely, with high flexibility. If one place didn't work, they could just move to another.
In such an environment, specialized workshops for food stalls emerged. They could customize vending equipment according to customer needs, providing the best user experience for stall owners.
The shop in front of them was one Hoshino Sora found online. It allowed for buying, storing, repairing, and renting vending equipment. It was quite large, with the entire alley behind it being its territory.
"They've been ready for a while. Number 132, right? Come with me."
Then followed a simple negotiation. Half an hour later, Hoshino Sora and the two girls set off with three vehicle-mounted vending machines, heading for Chengdong Park, where the foot traffic was astonishing in the evening!
While it wasn't impossible to practice back at the dormitory, it would lack practical experience, and the difference in effectiveness would be quite significant, which wasn't a good thing.
Of course, to ensure the steak meals and egg breakfasts sold quickly and smoothly, Hoshino Sora set the price very low, only at cost.
But the taste...
They would absolutely crush all the vendors in the park!
Shiina Mahiru and Tadokoro Megumi, at the very least, were top students at Far Moon Academy, and their skill level was comparable to his when he first enrolled, reaching a degree where they could easily dominate a whole street.
Of course, the reason Hoshino Restaurant was so popular was mainly due to its high-quality, affordable food that catered to the public, and its diverse menu ensured customers wouldn't get tired of eating there every day.
This was a unique advantage of Hoshino Restaurant.
"Are we going to set up a stall here?"
"What, are you scared, worried that your dishes won't be liked by everyone?"
Seeing Shiina Mahiru's subtle expression, looking a bit incredulous that the special training involved setting up a stall, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but provoke her.
"How could I be? Since I chose to be a chef, it's impossible to be afraid of serving customers. I'm just wondering what the point of this is."
Watching Hoshino Sora open the stove and start cooking steak, Shiina Mahiru was a bit puzzled. Running all the way here late at night to set up a night stall? It would be better to go back to the dormitory and study cooking.
"This is to hone your ability to handle a large number of customers simultaneously. For the next 40 minutes, you need to complete 50 servings of steak dishes of the same quality as the one in my hand. This is my passing line.
If you think it's easy, you can go back anytime now, but I can guarantee that there will be a similar segment in the accommodation training."
As Hoshino Sora placed the dish on the counter, a large group of park visitors had gathered around them, drawn by the rich aroma of the steak.
"It smells so good, boss, how much is this?"
"Give me two!"
"I want one too!"
"1000 yen for a limited time sale! One per person, please re-queue if you want a second serving."
Hoshino Sora's face was filled with excitement. He also wanted to challenge his limits: how many dishes could he sell in 40 minutes?
Cooked to medium-rare, he could cook two steaks simultaneously on the cooking station. Each serving took about 1 minute and 30 seconds to cook. With seamless transitions and high concentration, he could cook 53 steaks in 40 minutes.
This was a 40-minute limit. Looking at it this way, Far Moon was still very friendly to first-year students.
"Let's begin..."
Seeing Hoshino Sora already starting to serve customers, Tadokoro Megumi hesitated for two seconds before starting to move. Shiina Mahiru, seeing this, also felt it would be inappropriate to stand idle, so she began to move as well.
In an instant, long queues formed in front of the three stalls.
Among them were customers who, not satisfied with one serving of steak, queued up a second time.
Time was ticking away, minute by minute. Under the high-intensity work, sweat appeared on the foreheads of Shiina Mashiro and Tadokoro Megumi. In the end, they both made minor mistakes, resulting in not meeting the goal.
Shiina Mahiru, 40 minutes, 41 steak dishes.
Tadokoro Megumi, 40 minutes, 43 steak dishes.
Hoshino Sora, 40 minutes, 53 steak dishes.
"Do you still think this is easy?"
Looking at the exhausted and sweaty Shiina Mahiru and Tadokoro Megumi, who were now on a break, Hoshino Sora cheerfully stepped forward and asked. At this moment, his face showed no signs of fatigue; having worked in a restaurant for so long, he was already very familiar with serving customers.
And fifty servings wasn't a lot either.
However, at their current speed, adding the preparation of side dishes, completing fifty steak sets within sixty minutes would be a bit rushed.
That's right, the accommodation training required making a set meal, not just a simple steak. The task requirement also stated to make a steak set meal.
For today, he would make do, but tomorrow he would upgrade the food truck. There were still three days left, which was enough time for him to train the two of them properly.
Thinking of the reward for the hidden quest, Hoshino Sora's heart burned with eagerness. No matter what, he was determined to complete this quest!
"Tired..."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's question, Shiina Mahiru only managed to utter one word after a long pause. At this moment, she looked very weak, clearly exhausted by the high-intensity cooking.
"I'm fine..."
Compared to her, Tadokoro Megumi's condition was noticeably better.
However, she was still breathing heavily, and it would probably take at least ten or twenty minutes of rest for her to recover.
Seeing this, Hoshino Sora clapped his hands and then said, "I'll continue cooking steak. Watch how I do it. Some details that don't affect the taste much can be omitted."
Hoshino Sora said this and began his second round of busy work. This time, Tadokoro Megumi and Shiina Mahiru didn't slack off; instead, they stayed by his side and watched intently.
Why could he make fifty-three servings of steak while they could only make forty-something?
It was hard to understand...
-------------------------
Hey everyone! I've got 40-50 awesome chapters already up on my Patreon. If you enjoy this story, drop by my Patreon to support me. Thanks a lot!!!
👉 patreon.com/TripleCrown07