Chapter 972

"My name is Broly. I don't know what you're called?"

Broly asked despite knowing the answer.

"Tadokoro Megumi."

The blue-haired, twin-braided girl hesitated for a moment, but still answered him.

"This is a bit presumptuous, but I just saw you looked a bit off. Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Broly asked again; it was because he saw the prompt on the Crystal Palace Panel showing the happiness value of the girl before him had decreased that he turned back.

"This—"

"Can't tell me? That's fair too. After all, we're just strangers meeting for the first time—"

A look of disappointment, like a good person doing a good deed but getting the cold shoulder, appeared on Broly's face.

"Ah, no, that's not it, I—"

【Seeing something was wrong with me, the other party came over to ask, yet I hem and haw, unwilling to explain the situation—】

Tadokoro Megumi felt a pang of guilt, bit her lip, and told her worries to this transfer student classmate before her who seemed rather kindhearted.

Listen.

"Actually, my grades are very poor. I've already received multiple failing E-Grade scores, and Totsuki Academy's expulsion rule activates when a student receives too many failing evaluations.

And I'm one failing evaluation away from being processed for expulsion by the school. That's why I was just spacing out here a moment ago.

Sorry for accidentally letting you see that—"

"I see. So that's the reason for your worried look."

Broly nodded, thought for a bit, then called out to the girl.

"Miss Tadokoro—"

"Ah, I'm here!"

Called by name, the girl instinctively snapped to attention.

"Although we only just met, I believe you definitely won't be expelled by Totsuki Academy."

Hearing this, Tadokoro Megumi was a bit startled, and instinctively asked: "Can you tell me the reason you have so much confidence in me?"

"No reason. Just a feeling. My feeling has always been accurate."

Broly's confidence came from himself; he would not sit by and watch a potential capture target who could become his wife have her happiness value decrease.

"Uh—"

Tadokoro Megumi felt it was a bit subtle. Did this count as encouragement from the person before her?

But just as the other party said, they were people who had only just met, yet she didn't know why he would do this.

"Mr. Broly, you really are a kindhearted good person."

The girl pondered for a while, finally giving this evaluation. Her worried mood improved considerably.

"Good person, maybe. But I'm not this friendly to just anyone. Only a select few who have a connection with me get it."

Suddenly issued a Good Person Card by the capture target, Broly thought for a bit before responding.

"Alright, everyone's heading to the Teaching Building. Looks like it's time for class. Miss Tadokoro, you come with me too."

Broly extended his palm toward Tadokoro Megumi, and Tadokoro Megumi was a girl without much agency; she instinctively extended her small hand.

By the time she belatedly reacted, she was already being led away by the hand by the person in front of her. This caused the face of this somewhat introverted girl to instantly flush red.

Following along step for step, looking like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to start, just like a fawn at a loss.

The Enrollment Ceremony venue wasn't far from the Teaching Building. The girl who was led by the hand this distance saw her happiness value rise by 2

The Enrollment Ceremony venue isn't far from the Teaching Building, and the girl being led by the hand across this distance saw her Happiness Value rise by 2.

"Hey—"

Yukihira Soma was waiting at the Teaching Building entrance. Upon seeing Broly walk over, the boy waved in greeting.

"Broly-san, so this is what you meant by having business?"

And since he had always been teased by Broly about girlfriends before, now seeing Broly walk over holding a strange girl's hand, Yukihira Soma teased back.

And he had previously always been teased by Broly about girlfriend matters, but now seeing Broly leading a strange girl by the hand, Soma Yukihira also started teasing back.

"?!"

Tadokoro Megumi's eyes widened. She didn't understand how she had become someone's girlfriend.

"Not a girlfriend. This is Tadokoro Megumi. I saw her alone at the Enrollment Ceremony venue looking a bit off, so I went to ask what was up."

Broly let go of her hand in time and explained to Yukihira Soma.

Broly let go at the right moment and explained to Soma Yukihira.

Yukihira Soma looked over suspiciously.

"Truer than real gold!"

Tadokoro Megumi answered a step ahead of Broly.

"Well, I'm Yukihira Soma. Please take care of me."

The boy shrugged and actively introduced himself, extending his hand.

"Tadokoro Megumi—"

The girl was guided again, feeling like she was drifting with the atmosphere, and shook hands with Yukihira Soma before her.

By the time she came to her senses and her palm was shaken twice and released by Yukihira Soma, Tadokoro Megumi realized she had actually gotten acquainted with this transfer student she fundamentally didn't want to get involved with.

【No way. If seen by others, would I be treated as an accomplice and regarded with hostility?!】

Tadokoro Megumi had a feeling, looked up, and saw the students who had already gone up the Teaching Building; a few were at the upstairs windows, glaring viciously this way.

Many of them were targeting Yukihira Soma for his boastful words at the Enrollment Ceremony, but now it seemed to have spilled over to this invisible person of her.

Many of them were directed at Soma Yukihira, who had spoken so boldly at the Enrollment Ceremony, but now it seemed the Wave had reached even her, an Invisible Person.

Tadokoro Megumi shrank her neck, subconsciously shrinking behind the Saiyan boy who gave her a sense of safety, yet treating him as cover to hide behind.

Broly raised his head and looked upward; those students at the upstairs windows glaring at this side with ill-intentioned gazes, upon seeing him look over, the ill will in their eyes melted like ice and snow, rapidly turning friendly.

After all, these students aren't some Yezi Village's Heir of the Will of Domination; they wouldn't dare glare at someone who looks like he could slap them to death with one hand.

"Let's go upstairs, everyone else has already gone up; although I don't know what they plan to do, as transfer students we should still be a bit more group-conforming."

Soma Yukihira spoke like this; Tadokoro Megumi, hearing him, almost jumped out, pointing at his nose to demand: with that speech of yours at the entrance ceremony just now, did you look like someone trying to be group-conforming?

"By the way, Miss Tadokoro, you're a student who moved up from this school's middle school division, right? Do you know what we're going to do next?"

Following Soma Yukihira into the teaching building, Broly turned his head and asked the girl behind him.

"It might be to divide classes."

Soma Yukihira said, walking in front.

"Soma-kun, Totsuki Academy doesn't have a class system in the traditional sense; we don't divide classes."

"If there are no divided classes, then how do we attend class?"

"There are many cooking classrooms in the teaching building; each classroom has a limit on the number of people who can attend simultaneously; later we go up, find a classroom with open spots, enter inside, and when the class bell rings a teacher will come over to teach.

However, during middle school division, outside the classrooms there were corresponding courses written, for example seasoning, knife skills, management and such course divisions.

But for high school, I've also only just started, so I'm not clear on the difference from the middle school division curriculum."

Tadokoro Megumi spoke the truth.

"Then will Nakiri Erina also attend class together with us?"

Broly asked curiously; he could detect Nakiri Erina and Arato Hisako's Qi, and they weren't in this teaching building.

"Ah, that one is the Totsuki Ten's last seat; she doesn't need to come here to attend class and earn credits like a normal student————"

"Why?"

Soma Yukihira hurriedly pursued the question.

"Most of Totsuki Academy's daily affairs are entrusted to students to manage themselves, and the highest decision-making body is the 【Totsuki Ten Outstanding Council】 composed of the ten students with the highest evaluations.

The Ten possess enormous privileges; not only are they responsible for the allocation of academy resources, even the academy's cooking instructors must comply with their opinions.

And the Ten's cooking capability has already exceeded most cooking instructors themselves; ordinary classes for them are merely a waste of time.

So, there's no need to attend class————"

Tadokoro Megumi explained.

"There's actually such a thing; then how does one become one of the Ten?"

"If the Ten have a vacancy, the student with the highest evaluation within Totsuki Academy has a chance to be selected to become one of the Ten."

"Then if there's no vacancy, does that mean one can't become one of the Ten?"

"One can use a Shokugeki to challenge a sitting member of the Ten; as long as the challenge succeeds, one can take their place and become the new Ten."

"What is a Shokugeki?"

"You don't know what a Shokugeki is?"

"I just came here to study; how could I know."

Tadokoro Megumi thought for a bit, then began explaining.

"In short, it's a contest using cooking, right?"

"Mm."

"Then I'll go challenge the Ten right now!"

Soma Yukihira perked up instantly, preparing to realize his words of standing above everyone else on his first day of enrollment.

"The Ten aren't someone just anyone can challenge; you're just an ordinary student, you don't have this qualification."

Soma Yukihira stumbled a step, but thought it over and felt this was reasonable too, so he asked: "Then how does one get this qualification?"

"I'm not too clear on this either, but obtaining sufficiently high scores in ordinary courses, achieving superior results in the various cooking activities held by the academy, should be mandatory————"

"Good, then I'll attend class fiercely right now, and make those teachers who come to teach give me a high high evaluation!"

Soma Yukihira full of vigor, randomly found a cooking classroom with open spots and walked in.

Broly was just about to follow in, when he was grabbed by Tadokoro Megumi behind him; he turned his head in puzzlement to look at the girl.

"This classroom is full; let's go to the other side's classroom."

Okay, actually, the classroom Soma Yukihira entered still had open spots, but unfortunately Tadokoro Megumi didn't want to get further involved with the other party.

As for why she grabbed Broly, it was because this person proactively came to care for her; Tadokoro Megumi out of goodwill didn't want the other party to also get involved with an overly troublesome figure.

"Soma, then I'll go to another classroom."

Broly nodded, greeted Soma Yukihira, and followed Tadokoro Megumi to the other side's cooking classroom.

"Sure, you go."

Soma Yukihira replied with a sentence, completely failing to notice that without Broly, the surrounding students' gazes looking over were gradually turning ill-intentioned.

Bringing Broly to another classroom, Tadokoro Megumi finally breathed a sigh of relief; staying with Soma Yukihira put a bit of pressure on her, afraid of being treated as the other party's accomplice by others.

"What do we do next?"

This was still Broly's first time attending a cooking school, so there were many things he didn't understand.

"Wait for the class bell to ring, the teacher will come over to teach."

Tadokoro Megumi answered in a small voice; although Broly was also a transfer student, no other students were hostile toward him.

Soma Yukihira suffering hostility was purely because of his own boastful words at the entrance ceremony.

The bell rang quickly; a teacher with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a chef's uniform, gold-haired, walked in.

Upon seeing the other party enter, Tadokoro Megumi's body gave a tremble.

"What's wrong?"

Broly detected her nervousness, and couldn't help but ask.

"The one teaching the class is Instructor Roland Chapelle, who is also known for his strictness among the many lecturers———

"Good morning, apprentices. From the moment you step into the kitchen, you bear the responsibility of cooking delicacies. This is unrelated to experience or stance. Therefore, in my class, anyone who does not receive an A-Rank Evaluation is uniformly considered an E-Rank failure. Remember that well!"

Roland Chapelle spoke from the podium with a stern face, while the students below trembled in fear. Tadokoro Megumi was even clutching her head; for a student like her who would be expelled with just one more failing grade, encountering such a strict teacher who only gives polar extreme grades was absolutely the worst possible thing.

"Today's menu is Burgundy Braised Beef. This can be called a traditional dish of French Cuisine, but some of you may not know how to cook French Cuisine. I'll write the method on the whiteboard for you to see for now. Two people per group, one stove. Time limit: two hours. When finished, bring it up. Then, begin———"

After Roland Chapelle finished speaking, he sat down on the chair behind the podium, leaving the students in the cooking classroom to perform freely.

"Broly, I heard the examiner in charge of the Transfer Student Exam this time is one of the Elite Ten, Miss Nakiri Erina. Since you passed her exam, your cooking capability must be quite strong, right?"

Tadokoro Megumi, who was clutching her head, suddenly thought of something and hurriedly turned to look at Broly, her eyes filled with hope.

"Uh, I've never made this dish before———"

Broly spoke the truth, then hurriedly reached out to support the girl who was about to faint.

"However, I can give it a try. Look, isn't the method for this dish written on the whiteboard?"

【A person who has never made Burgundy Braised Beef before wants to get a high evaluation from Instructor Roland Chapelle on their first attempt. How is that possible?】

Tadokoro Megumi showed a somewhat forced smile, but at this point wanting to team up with someone else was a bit late. The other students had already paired up and started selecting ingredients and seasonings for the Burgundy Braised Beef.

"Then I'll do the cooking, you assist and help out."

Things having come to this, Tadokoro Megumi could only brace herself and go through with it.

"No problem, what do you need me to do?"

"First go get a piece of beef chuck. Prioritize selecting a part with a small amount of fascia. That kind of part becomes soft and tender without falling apart after stewing."

"But these meats all seem to have quite a bit of fascia."

Broly walked to the freezer to select meat, but discovered every piece of beef was about the same, all carrying some white fascia.

"I know. This is to test our knife skills in removing fascia."

Tadokoro Megumi knew Instructor Roland Chapelle's class could not possibly be this simple.

"Alright, the fascia on the beef has already been shaved clean."

Just as the girl picked up the boning knife, nervous inside, closed her eyes and took deep breaths to relieve her tension, Broly's voice transmitted over.

"Ah?"

Tadokoro Megumi opened her eyes, staring in shock at Broly who had returned to her side at some unknown time, and at the beef chuck on the cutting board in front of him that had already been shaved clean of fascia.

【Just how many seconds have passed? While I closed my eyes, what exactly happened?】

"What's next? How do we do it?"

"The beef needs thyme, bay leaf, and red wine poured in for marinating."

Tadokoro Megumi replied without time to think further.

"How much of each of these needs to be added?"

Broly looked at the whiteboard on the podium, which only wrote 'appropriate amount', scratched his head, and asked.

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