Extra chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones.
...
25th of July.
A whole month had passed, a whirlwind of days and weeks that felt like a lifetime.
The first few days of summer break had been a blur of finishing up school assignments and saying goodbye to classmates.
Haruya found himself with a bit more time on his hands than usual.
He still hung out with his friends from class, a lot of them just enjoying the freedom of no school, but the new opportunities in his life were pulling him in a different direction.
His life since the start of summer break had become a cycle of mornings at the Nakiri mansion and afternoons spent with his friends or helping out at the bakery.
It was a demanding schedule, but one he welcomed.
Erina and Alice's grandfather, Senzaemon, had taken his cooking training to a whole new level.
He didn't focus on raw skill or technique at first; instead, he threw curveballs at him.
The lessons were a constant test of his senses and his intuition.
He might be given a recipe, only to find a crucial ingredient replaced with something entirely different.
Senzaemon would watch, silent and stern, forcing Haruya to figure out a new way to make the dish work.
Other times, he'd have Haruya recreate a complex dish without tasting it, relying solely on his memory and observation.
It was grueling, and it pushed Haruya to his limits.
He'd stand in the massive Nakiri kitchen for hours, his mind racing to find a solution to a culinary puzzle. He knew it was a test of his natural talent, something his family had always remarked on.
They'd often say he had an uncanny knack for things, that he could pick up a new skill faster than anyone they'd ever seen.
What they didn't know was that it was more than just talent. It was an ingrained ability, a deep, subconscious power that allowed him to see the essence of a skill and make it his own.
He was always able to analyze, break down, and master new concepts with an almost inhuman speed. It was his Adaptability pushed to the limits. Nobody knew the extent of his abilities. Nobody had to.
His training was made more interesting by Alice Nakiri. They had been "training partners" for the past month.
In reality, it was just her trying to beat him at every single thing. She'd get a dish and then demand he create his own version, but with a blindfold on. "Let's see that talent in action, Haruya!" she'd say with a mischievous grin.
He'd just sigh and do it, because what else was there to do?
Alice was a genius in her own right, her molecular gastronomy skills a testament to her unique vision.
But she was also a little girl at heart, a mix of childish antics and fierce determination.
They would get into silly arguments over who was faster at chopping onions, but then they'd end up laughing about it. It was a strange but comfortable dynamic.
His relationship with Erina was a bit different. She was still the "God's Tongue," a girl who seemed to look down on everyone and everything.
But over the past month, the constant exposure to each other had chipped away at her cold exterior. She still wouldn't show it in her words, but her actions spoke volumes. Instead of sneering, she might just scoff.
Instead of completely ignoring his dishes, she might offer a single, almost imperceptible nod of approval.
Once, during a particularly difficult cooking session, she even offered a brief, "That's not bad for a newbie."
It was a small thing, but for someone like Erina, it was a massive step.
Haruya knew she wasn't completely warming up, but he felt the change in their dynamic. It wasn't the frostiness it used to be. It was more like a polite rivalry, a competition of two equals.
The days with Alice, however, were coming to an end.
Just a week ago, she and her parents had to return to Denmark.
Their company needed them, and she needed to finish her studies there.
Haruya watched them go, a small sense of sadness in his heart. He would miss her constant challenges and playful banter.
She had promised to come back for middle school, to attend Totsuki, and one day she would compete with both him and her cousin. He had smiled and told her he'd be waiting.
Today, Haruya was on his way home from his morning training session.
The Nakiri mansion felt a little empty without Alice's loud, competitive spirit.
When he arrived home, he heard the soft, melancholic notes of a piano.
His cousin, Tsumugi, was at the grand piano in the corner of the room; her quiet presence was a gentle melody in the silent mansion.
They had been staying with them for the past week, having come to Tokyo for a summer piano competition Tsumugi was preparing for.
Tsumugi was sitting at the grand piano in the corner of the room, her fingers hovering over the keys. She wasn't playing anymore, though. She looked sad, her shoulders slumped, and she kept biting her lip.
"Onii-chan!" she said, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and relief. She ran over to him and gave him a big hug.
He hugged her back, feeling her shoulders shake. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "I'm okay, but… I can't find my music sheet. The original one. The one I wrote myself. We came to Tokyo for a summer competition, and I was supposed to play it, but I couldn't find it anywhere."
Haruya looked at her and saw the sadness in her eyes. He knew that the song was important to her. She had been composing it for a long time, and it was the piece she was going to play for the competition. It was her original song, and she wanted to show her family how much she had grown.
"It's okay," he said, his voice firm. "We'll find it. Don't worry."
She shook her head. "I can't. I've looked everywhere. It's gone. I've tried to recreate it from memory, but I keep getting stuck. It's like my mind just goes blank. I can't remember most of it."
Haruya looked at her and then at the piano. "Then we'll recreate it together," he said.
She looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "But Onii-chan, you don't know how to play the piano."
He smiled. "Then you can teach me," he said.
She just stared at him for a moment, and then a small smile grew on her face. "Okay," she said. "Let's do it."
She moved over and let Haruya sit beside her.
Tsumugi sat on the left, and Haruya sat on the right.
She opened the music sheet that was on the stand, but it was a completely different song.
"I'll start with this one," she said. "It's the first one I learned. It's a simple song, but it's where my journey began."
She played the song, and it was beautiful.
Her fingers moved gracefully over the keys, and the melody filled the room. When she was done, she looked at him. "Now you try," she said.
Haruya looked at the keys.
He'd never played the piano before, but his mind was already at work. He didn't just see the notes on the sheet; he saw the way her fingers moved, the pressure she applied, the rhythm of her breathing.
His Adaptability was working overtime, analyzing every subtle detail, and creating a perfect blueprint in his mind. He wasn't just learning; he was absorbing.
He placed his fingers on the keys and started to play. It was slow and clumsy at first, but with each passing minute, his movements became more fluid. His fingers found the right keys, and his mind found the right rhythm.
Tsumugi looked at him with awe.
"Onii-chan," she said, her voice didn't hide her amazement. "You're doing it. How?"
He just smiled. He didn't have to explain. She knew. She could feel it, just like he could.
It was like they were speaking the same language, but in a completely different way.
For the next few hours, they played.
She taught him simple songs, and he played them.
They worked together; she would play a part, and then he would try to copy her. He made mistakes, and she'd giggle and correct him, and then he'd try again.
It was a rhythm they quickly fell into, a beautiful back and forth.
Soon, they were playing songs that were a little more complicated. She would play a part, and he'd play the next, and they would go on like that, their music filling the room.
It was an impromptu concert, a symphony of a boy's uncanny talent and a girl's passion.
When they were finally done, they were exhausted. The sun had set, and the room was filled with a warm, orange glow.
Tsumugi was staring at the keys, her hands still. She looked at Haruya, her eyes filled with a new light. "Onii-chan," she said, her voice carrying a hint of enjoyment. "Let's try. Let's try to remember the song."
He nodded, and she began to play. Her fingers moved, slowly at first, as she tried to recall the notes.
She would play a few notes, and then she would stop, a look of frustration on her face. But then Haruya would play the next few notes, and she would look at him with surprise.
It was as if Haruya could feel the most suitable notes to play next.
They went on like that, a collaborative effort to bring her song back to life. He would fill in the gaps, recreating the melody from the fragmented pieces in her mind, and she would play, her confidence growing with each passing minute.
They went on for a while, their music filling the silent house.
Finally, they finished. The last note faded into the silence, and they just sat there, listening to the quiet. Tsumugi was staring at the keys, her hands still. She looked at Haruya, her eyes filled with tears.
"Onii-chan," she said, her voice a small whisper. "It's perfect. It's almost the same. You did it. You helped me remember."
He smiled. "No, we did it," he said.
Tsumugi hugged him, and he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was glad he could help her. She was a good girl, and she deserved to be happy.
They were sitting there in silence, a comfortable, peaceful silence, when they heard the front door open. They both looked up, and their eyes widened in surprise.
A man stood at the door, a suitcase in his hand and a tired but happy smile on his face.
"I'm home," he said, and Haruya felt his heart skip a beat.
"Dad!" he yelled out, as a wide smile appeared on his face.
...
POWER STONE GOAL - 1 EXTRA CHAPTER WHEN REACHED:
100 POWER STONES (✔)
200 POWER STONES (✔)
300 POWER STONES (✔)
400 POWER STONES (✔)
500 POWER STONES (X)
600 POWER STONES (X)