Chapter 62: The Extremely Contrasting Kobayashi Rindou
Under Ren's meticulous teaching, even the notoriously difficult Alice Nakiri listened very attentively. The classroom was filled with the sound of scribbling pens and thoughtful murmurs as Ren broke down the concept of Borscht, not as a recipe, but as a chemical equation of flavors.
It was their first time feeling that a class could pass so quickly. The hour flew by, and many students found themselves wishing it wouldn't end.
As the bell rang for the next period, Ren dismissed the first-years. But as he walked towards the door to head to his next class, he noticed two familiar shadows trailing him.
"Erina, Hisako," Ren paused, turning around in the corridor. "What do you two mean by following me like this? Don't you have other classes? Or perhaps committee duties?"
Erina flipped her hair, her expression one of feigned nonchalance. "Of course, we're going to class! My schedule today—revised by Grandpa—is purely auditing Mr. Chapelle's classes. All of them."
Ren was startled. "Huh? You're a first-year. You're going to audit the third-year Advanced French Cuisine course?"
Erina snorted, lifting her chin. "As for that question, I'm the 10th Seat of the Elite Ten! My skills surpass the curriculum. Some third-year students are no match for me, so there's no academic problem with me taking advanced classes. Besides, Grandpa insisted."
Hisako nodded eagerly from behind her. "I go where Erina-sama goes!"
Ren didn't say anything, just nodded with a small smile. "Suit yourself. But don't cry if the seniors bully you."
"Ha! As if!"
Ren suddenly thought of something and looked around. "By the way, have you seen Lucifer and Cerberus again? They wandered off while I was lecturing about beet acidity."
Erina and Hisako were stunned, only then realizing that the two "assistants" were gone.
Erina scratched her cheek. "I don't know… but I remember Cerberus whispering something about 'chocolate' to Lucifer during your lecture. They looked... conspiratorial."
Hearing that word, Ren's expression became a bit strange.
Cerberus wanted to eat chocolate? Seriously? Isn't a Hellhound still a canine? Can a Hellhound eat chocolate without getting sick?
Wait. She's a demon. Theobromine probably just gives her a buzz.
"That's too absurd," he muttered. "I hope they didn't raid the patisserie department."
The two girls naturally didn't know what Ren was thinking, nor did they know that Cerberus was the terrifying three-headed guardian of the underworld. To them, she was just an eccentric girl with a sweet tooth.
Third-Year Classroom - Building A
Meanwhile, in the elite classroom reserved for the top third-year students, the atmosphere was heavy.
Kobayashi Rindou, the 2nd Seat of the Elite Ten, was slumped over the front desk, her face buried in her arms. Her vibrant red hair was a mess. She looked less like a predator and more like a deflated balloon.
"Ugh... kill me..." she groaned. "Insomnia is the enemy of beauty."
Momo Akanegakubo, the 4th Seat, sat next to her, hugging her giant plush cat 'Bucchi'. She yawned, a small bubble forming. "Rindou-senpai… stop whining. If the substitute is boring, we can just leave. No one would dare stop us."
"Hmm? Kobayashi? Akanegakubo?"
Hearing a familiar voice, the two looked up.
Sitting a few rows back were Eishi Tsukasa, the 1st Seat, and Sōmei Saitō, the 5th Seat. They looked unusually present. Usually, the Elite Ten skipped classes to work on their own projects.
Rindou propped her chin on her hand, blinking her cat-like eyes. "Why are you two here too? Eishi, don't you have paperwork to panic over?"
Eishi Tsukasa sighed, running a hand through his white hair. He looked stressed, as always. "Well… I woke up at 4 AM with a strange feeling. It was like... a premonition. A voice telling me not to skip Mr. Chapelle's class today or I would regret it for the rest of my life. It was terrifying."
Sōmei Saitō nodded stoically, crossing his arms. "Same here. My warrior's intuition flared. A strong presence is approaching."
Rindou and Momo were stunned. It was one thing for just Rindou (whose instincts were wild) to feel it, but even the neurotic Eishi and the disciplined Saitō?
"Wasn't that a bit too outrageous?!" Rindou muttered. "Is Godzilla attacking the school?"
She slammed her head back onto the desk. "Haaah~ So sleepy… If this new substitute teacher can't interest me in the first five minutes, I'm leaving right away! I don't care if it's the Director himself!"
Eishi Tsukasa twitched his mouth nervously. "Uh… isn't that a bit rude, Rindou? We represent the school."
Rindou snorted, one eye peering out from her hair. "I'm being very polite by not flipping the table! Eishi, you don't actually think we can still learn anything new from standard classes, do you? We are the Elite Ten! If it weren't for this sudden, inexplicable gut feeling, I wouldn't have come!"
Eishi and Saitō didn't argue. They knew she was right. The curriculum had nothing left for them.
Momo hugged Bucchi tighter. "Rindou-senpai… what if that substitute teacher doesn't let you leave? What if they try to lecture you?"
Rindou's golden eyes flashed dangerously. She grinned, revealing her fangs.
"Then a Food War! I'll crush them and leave over their defeated dish!"
Rindou was especially irritable today. She was already anxious from lack of sleep, and now she was stuck in a classroom. If this teacher wasted her time, she might actually start a coup.
Just then, the door opened.
"So, you little girl, you want to have a Food War with me?"
A calm, familiar, teasing voice cut through the tension.
Hearing this, Rindou froze. Her brain short-circuited.
"Yes… Huh?!"
She shot up from her desk so fast her chair nearly toppled over.
Standing at the podium was not a stuffy French chef. It was a tall, silver-haired man in casual clothes, looking at her with a knowing smirk. Behind him stood Erina and Hisako.
Momo dropped Bucchi. Eishi stopped hyperventilating.
Rindou stared, her mouth agape. "Huh?! Ren?! Why are you here?! Are you hallucination from sleep deprivation?!"
Ren smiled from the podium. "Erina, you and Hisako, find a place to sit first. As for Rindou... is this how you are at school? A delinquent who threatens teachers?"
Rindou's face went from shock to panic to absolute denial in one second.
She waved her hands frantically. "No, no, no! Today is because of insomnia! I'm usually very kind, friendly, and approachable! Ask them! Right, Eishi? Saitō? Tell him I'm a model student!"
She shot a glare at Eishi that clearly said 'Support me or die.'
Eishi and Saitō felt a chill run down their spines. Eishi nodded rapidly. "Yes! She is very... spirited!"
Ren laughed softly. "I know you, Rindou. Sit down. Class is about to start~."
Rindou sank back into her chair, her face beet red. "Oh… Huh?! Ren, wait... you're the substitute teacher?! You?!"
Ren nodded. "Director's orders."
Momo also instantly sobered up, pulling on Erina's sleeve as the blonde sat down next to her. "Erina... is this true? Is Ren really teaching?"
Erina nodded, looking smug. "I just came from his first-year class. It was... enlightening. You should pay attention, Momo-senpai."
Eishi Tsukasa and Sōmei Saitō both looked at the man in front of them with intense curiosity. So this was the legendary "Shopkeeper Ren" that Rindou wouldn't shut up about? The man who supposedly cooked food that transcended logic?
Ren looked around the room. It was sparsely populated compared to the first-year class. Only about fifteen students were present.
"Why are there so few people? Is this the elite class?"
Rindou, having recovered her composure (mostly), beamed. She propped her face up with both hands, looking at him with adoration.
"Because some people either failed the assessment and were expelled, or went to do research, or simply felt that classes were unnecessary for their level. But today, there are five Elite Ten members here! That never happens! It shows great respect for you, Ren!"
Ren nodded. "Your academic system truly has an interesting, Darwinian mechanism. Well, let's not talk too much. Since you are Elite Ten members and top-tier third-year students, I won't waste time with basics like I did with the first years. I'll directly give you a topic~."
Rindou, Erina, and Momo all leaned forward eagerly. They had eaten his food, but they had never had the chance to show him their skills. This was their chance to impress him!
Especially Rindou. Her whole being seemed to ignite with competitive fire.
Ren chuckled at their intensity. He walked down the aisle and placed a blank sheet of paper on each desk.
"I have paper here. I want you to write down five ingredients that come to mind immediately. Don't think. Just your first impression. Go."
Everyone was confused, but they complied. Pens scratched on paper.
When everyone finished writing, Ren collected them. He glanced through the lists.
"Hmm. Venison, chocolate, rosemary, red wine, chili. Interesting mix, Rindou. Eishi... Matsutake, yuzu, sea bream... very elegant."
He nodded. "Not bad. There are no ingredients that would cause fatal reactions when mixed. So, let's begin."
"Begin what?" Eishi asked, raising his hand tentatively.
Ren smiled.
"Use the ingredients you just wrote down to make a single dish. You can only use these ingredients, plus basic staples like water, oil, salt, and sugar. No other meats, no other vegetables."
The class froze.
"The time limit is until class ends—90 minutes. I won't grade you with a score, but you should have a good idea of your own performance by the end."
Everyone was stunned.
Some looked relaxed—improvisation was their forte. Others, like Eishi who preferred meticulous planning, were frowning, their brains working overtime to connect the disparate items they had randomly listed.
Ren saw their expressions and said with a smile, "Don't let your thinking be too rigid. Just like no one initially thought that eggs and rice could be stir-fried to perfection, innovation comes from constraint. Be more active in your thinking. This is the content of this lesson: Adaptability."
"A good chef should be able to make any food they are satisfied with at any time, with whatever is at hand. Don't always stick to the classics. Sauces, accompanying drinks, fillings, pot bases, deconstruction... all are fine~."
He walked back to the podium.
As soon as Ren finished speaking, before Rindou could run to the pantry, Ren looked towards the back door, which was slightly ajar.
"Student Alice Nakiri," he called out with a smile. "There aren't many people in the classroom, and I know you're curious. You can come in and listen~. No need to spy."
Everyone looked towards the door.
Indeed, Alice Nakiri was peeking her small head out from behind the door frame, looking caught. She had followed Erina.
Alice glanced at Ren, puffed out her cheeks, and then walked in confidently. "I wasn't spying! I was observing!"
She quickly ran to Hisako's side to sit down. Her eyes were glued to the Elite Ten members preparing to cook. Because of Ren's earlier display and the intensity of Rindou and the others, she was now very interested in this Shopkeeper's methods.
"Start!" Ren commanded.
The kitchen exploded into action.
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