The Cooking Test (7)

Yamaguchi Ren wiped his sweaty forehead with a napkin while the three people stared at his dish.

It was a traditional Japanese Curry with steamed rice, and just judging from the aroma, everyone could tell that there was a lot of flavor within it.

Whether that would be good or bad, would be determined by the judges.

They each picked up a spoon and scooped some of it into their mouths, and the reaction was instant.

"Fuck, it's spicyyyy!" Mizuno Senpai hissed as she ran back to Reiji's section and gulped down on the iced tea that was still sitting there.

Yamaguchi's face crumpled, because all three of them were panting slightly and drinking from the glasses of iced tea that she had brought over. Everyone else also thought he was a goner, that he would be eliminated as well.

But Reiji smiled knowingly.

"Damn, looks like he's gonna fail too," Haruna lamented, feeling a little pity.

"Hmm? I don't think so. He's gonna pass," Reiji calmly replied.

"What? Look at them blowing air into their mouths, how is that going to be a pass??"

"Because the judges are smiling, and they even went for a second bite."

Haruna looked over at the table and it was exactly like he said. Even though the judges appeared to be in agonizing pain because of the spice level, they still had a hungry smile on their faces when they reached for their spoons again.

"Damn, this is spicy but also really delicious," The third judge muttered as she chewed on her second bite.

"Yes, it's playing into the the effects of spicy food that makes your mouth water. Although this spiciness is excessive, it's a smart use of strong flavors and the Sichuan peppercorns to create a more addictive result," the highly experienced elderly woman replied.

Extreme dishes, like mapo tofu, are highly popular because of this effect. It's a combination of deep flavors and the side-effect of the heat and pain that is generated.

The judges finished the rest of the iced tea and refocused their gaze on Yamaguchi, who was trembling with confusion and hope. He couldn't tell if they liked it or not, and it was building the tension in his body.

"Although the food was delicious, you made a major mistake. By not providing any sort of drink for some contingencies, you could have prevented your dish from shining. We only gave it positive feedback because Yagami-san's iced tea was still available, and I'm not sure if that would still be the case if it wasn't," Mizuno Senpai said with a stern voice.

"While that is true, I think his use of bold flavors is interesting. The rest can be resolved with time," the other senior interjected.

The three judges were thinking carefully, because it certainly was a strange predicament. They did like it, but the mistakes were also clearly evident.

The two seniors turned to the old woman, wanting to defer the final decision to her. She was the most experienced and could also tell if he was going to be worth the investment.

"....I think he has potential, we should let him pass," She finally said after gazing at the curry for a few seconds.

As Yamaguchi's eyes brightened, his result was announced.

"Welcome to the Cooking Club, Yamaguchi Ren."

***

The test finally came to a close, and the other seniors from the club who had simply been watching the show with interest, gathered to the front while the eliminated students were asked to leave.

Reiji studied the entirety of the Cooking Club, realizing just how small it was. Including Haruna, Yamaguchi, and himself there were only twelve students in total.

So this meant there were 9 people across the second and third years, not too different from how many people were accepted this time. On average they seemed to take in less than 5 members every year, once again showcasing its exclusivity.

Once the only remaining people in the room were all members, Mizuno Senpai and the elderly woman came to the front.

"First, let me congratulate you three for successfully passing through this test. Since all of us here stood in your place in the past, we know how difficult and stressful this time has been. But now I can assure you that it will all be worth it, and you'll quickly find out why over the next few weeks."

As Senpai continued her speech, Haruna and Yamaguchi's shining eyes brightened even further. Reiji was no different, excited to experience those amazing trips first-hand instead of through a screen.

"Just a couple of things to point out. Firstly, this here is Suenaga Tomoe Sensei, a critically acclaimed chef who once owned a Maximus 4-Star restaurant. She's pretty easy going so you can call her Tomoe Sensei, but also understand that she's extremely knowledgeable. If you have any questions you can ask your seniors of course, but it's best to get feedback from her."

All of the seniors in the club looked at Tomoe Sensei with respect, and the three of them also acknowledged her presence with an appropriate bow.

"Secondly, to reward you guys for your performance today we will have our first outing on Wednesday instead of a regular session! The place will be a surprise but we will meet at the front gate after school on Wednesday, so don't be late," Mizuno Senpai announced with twinkling eyes.

Haruna and Yamaguchi's faces lit up with happiness while Reiji was slightly calmer. He had already known about this, but he was still looking forward to it in any case.

"I realize that we went half an hour over the original club hours, and I apologize for that. I won't keep you all any longer, so you may leave. If you want to carry the leftovers from what you cooked, there are disposable containers in those cupboards over there."

She clapped her hands in a final flourish and dismissed them. While everyone walked out, Reiji and Haruna went towards their stations and started packing their food.

"I can't wait to let Granny taste this, she's gonna be so proud," Haruna laughed happily.

"Make sure she eats all of it, she needs to fatten up a little," Reiji replied.

As Haruna stuck her tongue out at him, Reiji placed a skewer each on two plates. Then he walked up to Haruna and handed her one.

"For me? Thanks, I wanted to try it ever since I saw you plate this!" She grabbed it quickly.

He just shook his head and took the other plate over to Yamaguchi, who was also cleaning up his pot. When he saw Reiji approaching, he blinked in confusion.

"Hey, I'm Yagami Reiji. Since we're gonna be seeing each other often in the club, we should get along. This is what I cooked for the test today, I'd love to hear your thoughts," he said with a friendly smile, placing the skewer in front of him.

"Oh, Oh me too! I'll give you guys some of my Nikujaga!"

Haruna bounded over with two bowls of her dish while Yamaguchi looked at them in bewilderment. Then he smiled slowly, a hint of joy growing on his face.

"I'm Yamaguchi Ren, and could I trouble you to try my curry as well?" he asked politely.

"Sure, I'd love to! But let me get some of the iced tea first," Reiji chuckled, remembering the crazed faces on the judges.

Yamaguchi rubbed his head awkwardly, and soon they each started trying the three different dishes. Reiji got a lot of compliments on his dishes, and so did Haruna even though hers was simpler.

Yamaguchi's curry was polarizing because the pain didn't go away for a while, even though they enjoyed quite a bit.

Ultimately, it was a fun session of exchanging pleasantries and getting to know each other a little more.

It didn't last long though, since they had to leave the room when the janitors came in to clean everything up.

Yamaguchi left first, saying goodbye with a satisfied pat on his large belly.

This left him and Haruna walking alongside each other as they left the building.

"Because we ended so late, the reading club is closed already and they must've gone home," Reiji muttered, seeing the locked doors on the way.

He was a little worried about how it had gone with Hina, especially since he hadn't realized that Haruna wasn't with her until she popped up for the cooking test.

This increased the importance of Airi and Greeny's attempt at getting close with the depressed little girl, since Hina was never supposed to be alone at the reading club.

While he was drifting off with his thoughts, Haruna punched his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Were you not listening to what I said?" Haruna pouted with crossed arms.

"Uh, sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to come with me to visit Granny, I also want her to try out your food along with mine! I'm sure she'd like to hear that you passed as well," she asked with puppy eyes.

"Granny? Well..... I guess why not? I don't have anything else to do today," Reiji agreed after a moment's hesitation.

He had been missing that old bat as well, so it was time to make a visit.

'I also need to message Greeny and Airi later. I have to know what happened.'