Acknowledgement

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"... I think that the combination of flavors is good and the idea for this dish is amazing, but the execution is mediocre. But... this dish captures a glimpse of the essence of both American comfort and French sophistication. I must admit, I'm impressed. "

Maria let out a relieved breath, and her face lit up with joy. Asahi couldn't help but smile, the weight of uncertainty lifting from his shoulders.

Maria's uncle continued, his expression softening as he spoke. "Asahi, Maria, you two have exceeded my expectations." He continued. "I have never seen a dish like this, where did you get the idea?"

"Ah, that came from Asahi, Honestly speaking he did the most for this dish to come to life." Maria felt sad that she couldn't do more to help him out.

'He did so much for me...' Maria thought, for her, What Asahi did was something only people send from heaven could ever do.

Asahi then finally decided to intervene." I feel like this dish is a combined effort of both of us, from start to finish, Maria was very focused on her tasks." He then winked at Maria, with which he made eye contact.

"Ah...!" Maria then turned her face to the other side, noticingly embarrassed by Asahi.

"Well... that's true, but," He put the fork down on the table and stared at Asahi, with a visible smile on his face." How did you come up with such a dish? Do you have a mentor for cooking?" Maria's Uncle asked. He thought that Asahi might come from a famous family of brilliant chefs, which could also explain his amazing skills shown at the event. ' He is hiding some secrets.' He thought.

"Well, I come from a very poor place... I live alone with my mom, and my dad well... I have never met him." He said.

Maria and the School Director had sad looks on their faces, especially Maria, she had always suspected something wrong with Asahi's past.

The tension built in the air as he spoke about his family history. Maria's Uncle, obviously noticing this, dropped his previous attempts at getting more information, but he then concluded," But don't get mistaken, your technique is horrible, The idea was great but the execution it's not up to a standard that a future chef should have."

'Right... I expected as much for him to say that.' thought Asahi to himself.

"But, while I am still in America, you can always come visit us whenever you want for some pointers." Said Maria's Uncle, as he gave them a genuine smile.

"Really???" Maria couldn't believe his words, she felt unimaginable happiness upon hearing that. Tears of happiness welled up in Maria's eyes as she thanked her uncle. She ran towards her uncle and jumped onto him, she hugged him as she landed. While on his lap, Maria said, "Thank you, Uncle! Thank you so much!"

Maria's Uncle's facial expression showed a little bit of surprise, it was quite an unusual sight to see him act awkwardly.

"Hehehehe." Maria giggled as she found it amusing seeing her Uncle like that.

The School Director also extended his appreciation. "Asahi, you have got an amazing talent, like Romero said, you can always come to visit us whenever you want, not only for cooking but also to play with Maria."

Asahi nodded, grateful for the acknowledgment. "Thank you, Director, and chef Fontinelli. It was an honor to work on this dish with Maria, and I am delighted to receive your invitation, I will gladly come to visit very soon."

"Yay!" Maria relaxed on her uncle's lap as she started celebrating by herself. She couldn't contain her excitement. Maria's uncle leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. " Alright, young man, I hope to see you soon."

Asahi and Maria exchanged glances, their hearts filled with relief. It seemed that their hard work and determination had paid off.

"Thank you, sir." He gave a small bow before saying," Well then, I shall take my leave." Asahi said his goodbyes before turning to leave the room.

"Ah, Asahi wait !" Maria then left her Uncle behind and said in a hurry," Bye Dad, uncle. See you later !"

then she ran behind Asahi.

The School Director rose from his seat, signaling the end of their meeting, while waving at Maria he said. "Congratulations, Maria ..."

...

As they left the room, Maria couldn't help but embrace Asahi in a tight hug from his back "We did it, Asahi! We passed the test !"

Asahi then looked at her, visibly happy and his smile genuine. "Yes, Maria. We did it."

---MC's POV---

As I walked out of the room with Maria, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. This challenge had been a test of not only my culinary skills but also my ability to adapt. I had come to this world without notice but I now have a chance to see where I am at. And from what he said before... it doesn't look good. The monsters in this world start working in their restaurant very young, and they develop their abilities to be amazing chefs by the age of 15. Now I know that I have a lot of work to do.

Also, I got his attention, so now I can finally relax. This paid off, as I am unsure of the future, I can't just wait and stay still until Joichiro appears, I have to start my journey NOW.

As we walked through the school's corridors, I couldn't help but reflect on the events that had brought me here. I truly did not expect her uncle to come to school today, I had shaped all my plans as soon as I saw them discussing in the cafeteria. Well, now that's in the past.

As soon as we got to the cafeteria I noticed that everyone was gone, I looked at the watch ' Ah, it's time to go home' I thought.

But then I saw a group of people approaching us, then they spoke. "Did you guys make it?"

I see that the one to ask was Olivia, she was accompanied by Alex and Miguel. They all seemed very excited about what I was about to say.

Then I tell them," Of course--" Then, Maria jumps in the middle of the conversation, disturbing my speech. "Of course WE MADE IT !"

"""WOAA""" They all screamed in joy after hearing that, especially Olivia, who was quite worried about the whole challenge.

"I-I... I am truly glad you two did it." Olivia got a teary eye when she said that. I notice her looking at me and saying in a low voice. "...Thank you."

"What? I couldn't hear what you said." I tease her.

"T-THANK YOU FOR SAVING MARIA," Olivia screamed, then she noticed what she did and hid her face in embracement.

"Hahahahaha, I am just joking with you," I tell her, "You don't need to thank me, I was the one that suggested it, so it was my responsibility to solve it."

"That's what real man do !" Alex beamed in admiration to Asahi. After seeing Asahi doing so many impossible things, he believes now that he is a god.

"Hey Miguel, do we still have some cookies left?"

"Yeah, as surprising as that sounds. Why?" Miguel asked confused by their question.

"Well, why don't we celebrate before going home?"

""""YEAAA"""" Everyone gave a positive response to the suggestion I had made. They are still kids, hahahahaha.

....

---General POV---

After the whole chaos, everyone left to go back to their homes. After a couple of minutes, Asahi arrived at his house. The door creaked open, and Asahi stepped inside. Immediately, his senses were assaulted by a strong odor that hung heavy in the air. It was a noxious blend of alcohol and a funky, unpleasant smell that made his stomach churn.

The house was in a deplorable state. Empty bottles of alcohol were scattered on the floor, along with crumpled papers and dirty dishes. The once-cozy living room was now a chaotic mess, with furniture knocked over and the curtains drawn tightly shut, casting the room in a gloomy darkness.

Asahi's noticed his mother, slouched on the couch. She held a half-empty glass in her hand, her fingers trembling as she tried to take another sip. Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed completely unaware of Asahi's presence.

He approached her cautiously, a mixture of concern and frustration building within him. This wasn't the first time he had come home to such a scene. His mother's battle with alcoholism had taken a toll on him, but Asahi had become all too familiar with this vicious cycle.

"Asahi," his mother slurred, finally acknowledging his presence with a vacant gaze. Her voice was slurred and distant.

Asahi's frustration just grew even more as he saw her closely. He knew he couldn't fix her, no matter how much he wished he could. But he couldn't help but feel a ping of disappointment and sorrow that washed over him.

"Mom," he said softly, trying to keep his voice steady, "I... I am going up to sleep." Then he passed through the room and went straight to the stairs.

Arriving at his room the first thing he did was to drop on the bed. He then recalled the scene from downstairs and felt disgusted by his mother's behavior.' Luckily I made a few hundred bucks...' he thought to himself, as he kept counting the money earned from the event, trying to forget what had transpired in the common room. His friends allowed him to keep the money.' I have been saving a lot of money ever since I came to this world.'

Torn between his concern for his mother's behavior and the weight of his ambitions, Asahi couldn't help but feel trapped in this house. He knew he had to find a way to break free and create a better future for himself.

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A/N: Thank you for all your support. I like to communicate and I read all your comments, so keep commenting, I also want to know how you feel about the story.