Hope and Despair of Cooking [Shokugeki No Soma]

Chapter 3- Introductions

Third POV:

In the month of April, cherry blossoms were blooming from trees. It was a perfect day for Nakiri Erina as there was no one annoying her. It was also the day of the first years' entrance ceremony. Erina was happy Yukihira Soma failed the transfer exam. She couldn't stand him one bit. The girl that was with him? She completely forgot about her... (AN: Poor Moka...) Little does she know, they were both backstage.

"We will now present the class insignia. First year representative, Nakiri Erina." the announcer introduced.  

Erina walked up the stage, full of pride. 

Students from the audience was talking about Erina.

"Ahh! Miss Erina is as elegant as usual today."

"Beautiful and the class valedictorian." 

"I heard she took top marks by a mile in all of the advancement tests to get in here."

"One date with her and I could die happy man!"

"And now for the dean's address," the announcer continued talking. 

Nakiri Senzaemon walked up the stage. He had a strong and unbreaking aura around him although it could not rival Moka's cold, graceful, beautiful, intimidating, and queenly aura.  

The students was already fearing his presence. Many thoughts about him was in their minds.

'Oh god, he's scary.'

'He's the incarnation of power not only in the Totsuki Institute, but in Japan's entire culinary world.'

'He's not some lowly don'

'HE'S A GODFATHER! THE GASTRIC GODFATHER!'

"Everyone, congratulations on your advancement to high school." Senzaemon spoke through the mike. "In your three years of junior high schooling, you have learned cooking fundamentals and gained an understanding of food. You have had hands-on culinary training as well as classroom learning on various subjects such as culinary science, dietetics, public health studies, horticulture, management. Now, all of you stand on the threshold of your high school careers. However, here we will not be testing knowledge or technique. We test nothing less than your strength of will to be a chef." Senzaemon pointed a finger towards the first years. "Children, 90 percent of you are nothing but common rocks. You exist solely to grind to perfection, the 1 percent of you who are diamonds. Last year's freshman class numbered 812. Of them, the total number who survived to reach their second year was only 76." Confusion and shock spread through the crowds. "The worthless and the average are ruthlessly expunged. 1,000 will start the journey of the first years. Those who each their second year will number but 100. And the ones who survive all the way to graduation? Those might count on one hand. You are here to become one of that elite handful."  

The crowd shuddered and shivered with excitement at his grand speech. Others smiled and their smiles are filled with hope and bravery. 

"Devote yourself. Body and soul. That is all." With that, Senzaemon finished his speech. 

Cheering filled the whole audience. 

Once the crowd calmed down, the announcer spoke once again. "A few words from a student representative of this year's transfer class."

The image of Soma, went through Erina's mind. 'Hmph! Simply thinking about him irritates me.'

"Wow, uh... It's real high up here, ain't it. Aha ha... So, um, a keynote address? Me? Geez, do I have to? I always feel awkward up on stage..." a voice spoke on the stage.