Promises (Shokugeki no Soma)

deux

Cherry blossom petals were blown off the trees by the light wind passing by. Students both male and female lined up in rows and columns. Nakiri Erina bowed to the staff member after her badge was placed upon her shirt.

"We now welcome our keynote speaker: the director of Totsuki academy, Nakiri Senzaemon-san." The speaker introduced as the director of the school walked upon the stage. In the crowd of scholars, squeals and shouts of shock were heard.

"Greetings. Congratulations on your advancement to the high school division. During your three years in the junior high school division, you have obtained a basic skill set in cooking and deepened your understanding of each ingredient. In addition to the cooking practicum, you attended classroom lectures on a variety of topics including culinary theory, nutrition, public health, introductory agronomics and management. Now, you're finally standing at the entrance to the high school division. The challenged you'll now face are not about your skills or knowledge, but whether you have the wherewithal to survive as a food professional. 99 percent of you are meant to be sacrifices for honing the remaining 1 percent! Of the 812 students who entered our high school division last year, only 76 advanced to the second year! Incompetence and mediocrity will be mercilessly excised from our student body. A thousand first-years will be whittled down to a hundred by next year, and we can count those who'll advance to graduation on one hand. Aspire to become one of the small handful of those professionals! It should be you! Hone yourself!" The director's speech managed to rive the students up.

Behind the scenes, sitting next to Erina was Amai. Her arms are crossed just underneath her chest, unintentionally propping them up. Like the other students standing in the array in front of the podium, she was smiling in some sort of way. Her eye lids fluttered open to reveal her dazzling ocean eyes. You could tell from looking into her eyes that she was going to be that single 1 percent that would make it to their second year of high school.

"That is all." Senzaemon concluded, stepping off the stage. Chatter lingered from person to person and everyone was completely ecstatic to be that 1 percent. Erina and Amai simultaneously glanced at one another and made eye-contact.

"You're up soon." Erina told the blonde sitting next to her. This tugged at Amai's smirk very slightly. Pushing herself up, she readied herself standing idle at the entrance. This is the very beginning of her path to becoming apart of the top culinary chefs in the world. Amai could feel Erina's eyes staring right at her back. Erina stared so hard, no one would be surprised if holes resided there.

The conversations subsided, showing that everyone was once again, paying attention to the person standing at the podium.

"Finally, we'd like to introduce" The speaker started, and at this statement gossip arose again. Amai prepared herself for her introduction, cracking her neck from side to side.

"Two transfer students who'll be joining your ranks today." The speaker continued, this made Amai immediately turn her head back to look Erina directly in the eyes. Surprisingly, Erina held a baffled expression. She announced to Amai not too long ago that she did not pass anyone in the exam. And yet, there were two transfer students. Amai and somebody else. Revolving her head back to the front, she waited in anticipation for the other student to speak.

"Oh, sorry to be talking to y'all from up here." Yukihira Soma spoke in a carefree tone.

Amai flinched and her eyes travelled out to the stage. Spiky red hair lay atop the young male with gold hues.

"Nakiri Amai-san. Please come this way." A member of the staff instructed, gesturing her arm in the direction of the stage. A nod was seen and Amai followed the member of the staff up to the stage whilst listening to the other transfer student's speech.