Chapter-21: The usual lesson?

....

I'm here to warn you!

I have written a little more than 2000 words in this chapter...

so I apologize...

It won't happen again...

...

Chapter-21: The usual lesson?

Hiro once again rolled over on his back and covered his eyes with his hand, exhaling wearily. There was no sleep and there was no sleep. After the sudden invitation from Alice, Hiro couldn't fall asleep.

- Damn... - Hiro whispered with annoyance and sat down on the edge of the bed. - Well, there's no point in lying around.

Hiro got up and went to the window. The sky was dark, but the big, almost full moon was shining brightly.

- It seems that it is still far from dawn. - Hiro muttered and went back to the bed, quickly made it up and, taking a towel, went to the bathroom. After quickly washing and brushing his teeth, Hiro returned to the room, put on black sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Putting on his sneakers, the guy went to the bedside table and took the smart glasses from it. Hiro still couldn't resist buying these glasses.

- Fi, get ready to turn on the music! - Hiro said, picking up his phone and wireless headphones from the table.

[Brother, are you sure? It's 2:45 now!] - Fi said in a seemingly sleepy voice. An image of a young girl yawning appeared before his eyes.

Hearing Fi's words, Hiro looked at his watch for the first time. 2: 45 was lit on the touch screen. Putting the phone back on the nightstand, Hiro quickly moved to the exit. A minute and he went out into the refreshing morning air and breathed deeply, putting on his headphones.

- Yes, turn on the music! And connect to these headphones! But before that, pave the biggest possible way to pass the time.

[No problem brother!]

After these words, the music started playing, and the guy ran along the path shown in the glasses. At first, very slowly, slower than some people walk, then faster and faster. It was as if he was adjusting to the rhythm of the song, which was also gaining momentum. And so Hiro got into the usual rhythm, just when the song reached a powerful chorus, and ran along the asphalt road, wherever his eyes look.

Hiro didn't really like running, but when there are too many chaotic thoughts swarming in his head, it's just a salvation.

"It would be nice to be back before Isshiki-senpai wakes up."

…

Turning left, the guy ran another ten meters and stopped for a second to look at his watch. But his gaze stopped on a white card lying in the grass on the side of the road. Bending down, the guy managed to grab the card before a strong gust of wind carried it away. Her pale eyes stared at the photo, and her free hand straightened her bangs.

- Professor Shiomi Jun... - muttered Hiro, studying the person's identity and status document. This was the case for everyone who stayed in the territory of Tootsuki. - Hmm... she seems to be a former resident of the Polar Star dorm, and there is also a talented Indian in her apprenticeship. There is also an address here. Well, I'll stop by before the lessons start to return the loss. - Hiro said, and went on to see the sights of the academy.

…

Now Hiro said goodbye to everyone and went to return the loss. A little more than ten minutes later, Hiro was standing next to a large hangar, the outside covered with rusted, metal sheets. It looked like it was abandoned, and the first time Hiro saw it, he thought so. But it was strange that there are abandoned buildings on the territory of such a respectable academy, so the guy found out a little about this place. This turned out to be the laboratory of Professor Shiomi June, who was engaged in the study of spices, spices, their various combinations, properties and everything else. That was the end of Hiro's interest in the hangar, and he didn't think about it anymore.

The sun was already delighting with its bright light, here and there the birds woke up and, merrily singing their songs, greeted the new morning. Hiro took a deep breath, straightened up, and approached the rickety metal door.

"It's a little early. Most likely, there is no one. But I'm going to knock anyway. If anything, I'll leave the document stuck in the gap between the door and the wall!" - thought Hiro and hit the door three times with his knuckles. There is only silence in response. Sighing, Hiro was about to leave the document when the door lock opened with a loud noise. The door opened with an unpleasant creak, and a tall, slender guy with dark skin, white, rather long hair with a slight blue color appeared on the threshold. He was wearing dark blue trousers and a white short-sleeved shirt, and a striped tie hung loosely from his neck. The green eyes stared blankly at Hiro.

- Did you want something? - the guy asked, arching his dark eyebrows questioningly.

- I apologize for such an early visit! - Hiro apologized and bowed slightly. - I need to see Professor Shiomi. Is she here?

- June's still asleep. I've been working on my formulas all night again! - the guy exhaled wearily and rubbed his neck with his hand. - If you need, I can give her something. Apparently, it's urgent.

- Not for me. - Hiro handed the document to the guy. For a second, he looked at it in bewilderment, and then took it away and, having carefully examined it, sighed in resignation.

- ...June... - the guy muttered and covered his face with his hand.

- Apparently, this is not the first time.

- Usually she loses it in the club, but then she went further... - the guy tsked irritably. - Thank you for bringing it. - he nodded at Hiro.

- You're welcome! Happy day! - Hiro turned away, walked a couple of meters, and then broke into a run, rushing back to the academy. The guy watched him go and disappeared through the door.

Hiro was happy to meet another character, but was slightly saddened that he forgot to introduce himself. With a smile, she replayed this meeting in her head.

Taking a shortcut, Hiro quickly arrived at the academy.

…

Hiro walked into the classroom where today's classes were held and greeted everyone. Hiro made it, just in time, as the teacher followed him in.

- Good morning! Today we will have a joint lesson with a parallel class! - the teacher announced, pointing to the office door with her hand.

- Hi, Hiro! - Yukihira's loud voice shouted over all the hubbub standing in the office. - Did you do what you wanted?

The crowd of freshmen resolutely entered the office, as if to their own home. Yukihira Soma and Tadokoro Megumi, noticing Hiro at one of the cutting tables, hurried to their friend.

Hiro smiled broadly at the guys and greeted them warmly. The guy immediately felt a change in the mood of his classmates. It was difficult to understand the aura of hostility that suddenly appeared from the surrounding people, but when Hiro noticed the look of a classmate whose name is Kim, he realized that the reason for this was Yukihira.

"Exactly! After his words at the ceremony, the entire academy almost hated Soma for his conceit! How could I forget such a thing?" - Hiro thought, and then stopped paying attention to the others.

- Hiro-kun, it's good to see you! - Tadokoro said, barely audible.

She was a little embarrassed that they distracted Hiro from talking with friends, and even these unfriendly looks from the female half of the class made goosebumps arrange a march on the girl's back.

"It seems that Hiro-kun is very popular. Maybe I shouldn't have approached him at all? And what if they wait for me somewhere in the alley and kill me! They will stab you in the stomach with a knife, pull out your tongue and squeeze out your eyes!" - Tadokoro turned pale and clenched her hands tightly, quieting her trembling.

- I'm glad too, Megumi! - Hiro said with a smile. - Soma, how…

Hiro was abruptly pulled by the sleeve and pulled towards the next table. Kim crouched low, nervously squinting in the direction of the red-haired cheerful guy.

- What are you doing? - Hiro asked, puzzled.

- Do you know this guy? - The Chinese nodded at Yukihira. Hiro turned to see who the classmate was pointing at.

- Well, yes. We live in the same dorm... - Hiro replied, understanding Kim's reaction.

- It's that upstart from the ceremony! - Kim hissed irritably.

- As I said before, Soma is a cool guy! You should talk to him! - Hiro put his hand on the guy's shoulder and smiled broadly. - You will get to know him better, you will understand that you were wrong!

- I'm not going to recognize him! - The Chinese objected and finally released the sleeve of Hiro's uniform and turned away irritably.

- Okay! - Hiro grinned and returned to his roommates. Tadokoro for some reason fell into a stupor again, probably she thought of something frightening for herself, and Yukihira looked thoughtfully at the cutting table. He doesn't seem to notice anything around him at all.

"Then it's not worth pointing out these sidelong glances and whispers," - Hiro thought.

The teacher waited until everyone took their seats, cleared her throat and, taking a sheet from the table, waved it in front of the crowd of students.

- Today we will cook rolls and sushi! - the woman announced and hung the sheet on the board. Turning back to the students, she importantly raised her index finger.

- You can use the suggested recipes, or you can present something of your own. The main thing is that it is delicious. Get started!

Most of the students rushed to the blackboard to rewrite the recipe and cooking methods. Only a few remained in their places, including the trinity. Hiro began to slowly roll up his sleeves, simultaneously thinking about what interesting things to cook.

"Maybe rolls in tempura? Although this will not surprise anyone... maybe ... " - Soma distracted him from his thoughts.

- Hey, Hiro! - Yukihira said softly, twirling a large knife in his hand. Hiro turned to him. His eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time he had ever heard this guy speak so seriously. - Let's fight?

- What? Soma-kun, I think it's a little... - Tadokoro stammered, turning pale.

- Do you want a rematch for that day? - Hiro asked, remembering the first meeting with a father - son couple. Soma, who heard his friend's question, became even more serious and continued.

- Yes, this time, I will definitely win you!

- Why not? I'm all for it! - Hiro said, looking into the guy's eyes.

- Great! - Yukihira untied the white bandage on his wrist, and in the blink of an eye, it was tied on his head.

…

- What's going on? - Hiro's classmate whispered to Kim.

- It seems that they want to compete... - the guy muttered in response.

- Oh, Hiro-kun will compete with someone! - a girl almost squeaked with delight.

- How cool is it! He will definitely win! - Her friend said confidently.

…

The moment Hiro and Soma started the fight, they were completely focused on thinking about the dish, not paying attention to the situation around them. From such a sharp change in Hiro's behavior, some were even taken aback. They did not think that this cheerful guy could shut up and become so serious literally at the click.

Tadokoro at this time seemed to be rushing between two fires, trying to reason with the guys who simply did not hear her. With a resigned sigh, Megumi, paler than a ghost, trudged to the next cutting table and quietly asked for two girls to help. But even those who do not participate in the competition have already forgotten about the topic of the lesson, completely fascinated by the upcoming spectacle.

And so, by some command only audible to them, two guys began to cook. Both of them took up rice first. Thoroughly washed, transferred to a saucepan and put on fire. After that, it was expected that they would prepare the filling. However, Hiro put a saucepan on the stove.

Hiro poured rice vinegar into the saucepan, added cane sugar, a little mustard and brought it to a boil.

"Why? What is he doing?" - this question was on the mind of all the students. Usually, the finished rice is simply soaked in vinegar, without any additives. Hiro was clearly moving away from the original recipe.

Hiro took only one fleeting glance at the opponent's table and immediately realized that Soma had improved his cooking skills in this short time.

"Does this have something to do with the fact that he is the main character?" - thought Hiro, continuing to cook. Hiro did not make unnecessary movements, thought through all his steps in advance, accurately calculating the time almost to the second.

Soma was also calm, his thoughts were focused on cooking, but still he sometimes looked at his opponent with a smile, as in their first duel, it was clear that Hiro was not a second-class cook at all. But after all, Soma himself was not a blunder. Anyway, this discovery made Yukihira even more inflamed, the spirit of rivalry burned like a righteous bonfire inside him, giving his hands speed and agility, and his brain clarity.

The audience of this confrontation grinned quite, thinking that Yukihira was too relaxed and did not take Hiro seriously.

Everyone, with the exception of Tadokoro, was looking forward to the moment when Hiro would defeat this cheeky guy and bring him down from heaven to earth.

…

- Hey, did Hiro-kun take the smoked chicken breast? - A girl with brown curls whispered in Tadokoro's ear. Megumi turned her head and looked at Hiro's table and his set of products.

- Apparently yes...there are also red sweet peppers, green onions and ... is this flying fish caviar? - Tadokoro couldn't believe her eyes. And he is going to make rolls from these products?!

- Will he ... will he win? - the girl asked with obvious doubt.

- Of course, he will win! How can you doubt him?! - the brunette who was standing next to her objected and looked angrily at her friend.

- But...it looks strange... - the girl answered uncertainly, still not taking her eyes off Hiro.

The brunette muttered something and, with a snort, returned to cooking. Tadokoro followed suit. It's pointless to guess. On the one hand, following the generally accepted recipe of Yukihira, who made his own small adjustments, and on the other — completely turned everything upside down by Hiro. The latter's experiment will either become his winning ticket, or a complete failure.

…

- Done! - Yukihira said confidently and put a plate with two portions of perfectly cooked rolls on the table. Eight pieces with salmon and eight vegetables. Right next to them was a small cup with a liquid similar to soy sauce and some pickled ginger.

- Wow! You're fast, Soma! - Hiro said, only for a moment, distracted from cooking, after which he returned to her again. He had just dipped the roll into a mixture that vaguely resembled tempura batter. - I don't have much left. A little more than three minutes.

Hiro put the roll in the heated oil and very quickly fried the rice block on all sides until golden brown. Then I took it out and left it to cool slightly, and for now I cut another roll, more like a classic Japanese roll, put it on a plate so that the filling was visible. Such a serving surprised everyone. It seemed that Hiro simply did not know how to put the rolls on a plate.

- Do you even know what you're doing? - Kim, who was watching him, asked him. Just like the others.

- Hmm... no... - from Hiro's answer, everyone was shocked, even the teacher.

- Do you want to lose? - The guy who was standing next to Kim asked him.

- Hey, can you have more faith in me! - Hiro was indignant.

- But you don't know what you're doing, so…

Kim shut up in the middle of the sentence, and his eyes widened in shock, like the others.

Hiro picked up a pastry syringe and began to squeeze out a strange mass of pale green color on each piece of roll.

- What is this all about? - Megumi asked Soma.

- I don't know, but I want to know what it all tastes like! - Soma replied. Despite the dislike for him, everyone could not disagree with his words.

After finishing the first portion, Hiro quickly cut the cooled roll and laid it out like the first portion on the other side of the plate. Then he picked up the prepared liquid sauce of an incomprehensible color and randomly poured a small spoon over the roll. When he finished, Hiro exhaled deeply and placed the plate closer to Yukihira with a satisfied smile.

- Done! - announced Hiro.

- Well, shall we go? - Yukihira picked up his plate, and was already moving towards the teacher, but did not have time to take a step.

- Guys! - clapping her hands, the woman drew attention to herself. - I have to go away, so I can't try your rolls. I think it would be great if you give them a try to a person from a parallel class, and he will tell his opinion. You can even choose several! - the woman announced and headed for the exit from the office, taking out her phone from her pocket and looking irritably at the screen.

- That's right... - Yukihira said through his teeth, catching a curse ready to escape in time. Clearing his throat, he turned to Hiro.

- We're going to fight anyway. It's just that someone else will judge us! - Hiro said before Yukihira could say a word.

- I just wanted to say the same thing! - Soma chuckled. The guy thoughtfully put a bent finger to his lips. - But who will judge us?

- I am! Can I! I want to! I can! - deafening girlish shouts were heard from all sides. Someone impatiently stretched out his hands, as if they were in class and wanted to answer a question, someone was trying to get as close as possible to a couple of rivals. Hiro laughed, seeing all this excitement, and just couldn't choose someone, because the others would be offended.

- Listen, and maybe Tadokoro will judge us? - Yukihira asked, ignoring the shouts behind him.

- Oh, that's right! Megumi! - Hiro called out loudly to the girl, which made her shudder and her pigtails jumped prettily to the beat.

- Ah? I?! - the girl squeaked, feeling a chill run down her back from the girls ' looks full of hostility and anger.

"Why should I do this? I will definitely be killed by this crowd of fans!" - Tadokoro turned pale again, like a ghost, and walked stiffly to Yukihira.

- Come on, Tadokoro! We are counting on you! - raising a thumbs up, Soma encouraged the girl.

- Please, Megumi-chan! - Hiro clasped his hands in front of him and looked at the girl pleadingly.

- Um... okay... - Tadokoro muttered.

"So, pull yourself together!" - she gave herself a mental order.

Closing her eyes and pressing her hands to her chest, Tadokoro took a deep breath and almost immediately felt her nerves calm down. My heart stopped beating hard against my ribs and slowly returned to its normal rhythm. Tadokoro opened her eyes and carefully looked at the two plates, reaching for the chopsticks with her hand. Hesitating a little, the girl swallowed at the sight of the rolls and reached for the first one. Dipping it into a plate of sauce, she carefully put a piece in her mouth.

"M-mm! That's great! Soma-kun made a roll with smoked salmon and cream cheese. The smoked fish, the salinity of the sauce, the sweetness of rice and the delicate texture of cream cheese. Everything merges together, reinforcing each other. But what kind of sauce? This is not just soy sauce, it has a sharper taste. And there is something else in the roll itself...as if Soma-kun added something else along with the cheese." - Megumi thought.

- Mm-mm! That's great! - the girl said, blissfully closing her eyes and finishing chewing. - Soma-kun, what is this sauce?

- I added a little apple cider vinegar and a couple of spices to the soy sauce to make the taste sharper, not just salty, - Yukihira explained, holding up his index finger. - I also added mashed avocado and cucumber to the cream cheese to add freshness.

- Great idea, Soma! - Hiro slapped the guy on the back.

Tadokoro picked up the second roll with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. With a deep sigh, she banished the impression of the last piece and put a new one in her mouth.

"God, this is so wonderful! Refreshing and easy! It's like I'm running through a spring forest, and a light breeze tickles my face. The sauce still complements every taste in the roll. But if the last one was tender in texture, this one was crispy and juicy. What a blessing!" - Tadokoro broke into a smile.

- It's so refreshing! - the girl said after swallowing the food. - Did you add lemon?

- Not really. I held the cucumber and pepper in lemon juice with sugar for a while. - Yukihira replied.

- Listen, can I try it too? - Hiro asked.

- Of course! - Yukihira handed the guy the chopsticks, and he immediately grabbed a salmon roll.

- Mmm...fine! Cream cheese wraps around my tongue. It's very tasty! - Hiro concluded, and began to eat a vegetable roll. - Sour, but fresh. Such a range of tastes! Great, Soma!

- Hee-hee! - the guy grinned contentedly.

- Now it's yours, Hiro-kun! - Tadokoro looked at the rolls with a slight suspicion. They were too unusual. - Ah...Hiro-kun ... um, why isn't there... soy sauce here?

- He doesn't need to be here! - the guy answered confidently. - Just try and understand. First, the ones that are hot are better. - Hiro gave advice and watched the girl's movements with excitement.

Tadokoro carefully picked up the roll, trying not to drop the bow feather.

- Let's try... - as soon as the piece was in the girl's mouth, she opened her eyes in shock and for a moment stopped chewing and, it seems, breathing. Timidly, the jaws began to move.

"Hot, but not scalding...usually hot rolls are made in tempura, but not these. They are not only made with rice outwards, but there is practically no dough on top, only a thin crispy crust. Rice ... it has a brighter taste than that of Yukihira. The balance of sweetness and salinity is excellent. And the filling! Smoked chicken breast and sweet pepper combine perfectly. But the most striking thing was this sauce on top. Salty, a little spicy, but it emphasizes the taste of each component so much. And a feather of green onions adds quite a bit of sharpness, finishing the picture as a whole" - while Megumi was thinking, she could not understand what she was eating at all. The dish was stupefying, and the girl simply could not say something. The pause began to drag on, and the tension grew.

- Hey, Tadokoro! - Yukihira waved in front of his girlfriend's face, who was looking at a plate of Hiro's rolls in disbelief.

- That's ... that's amazing! - she whispered, and a flush of satisfaction spread over her cheeks.

- Did you like it? - Hiro asked happily.

- yes. This is amazing! - How did you come up with this?

- Well, I didn't quite make it up! - Hiro shyly ran a hand through his hair, pushing a stray strand back. - I saw my friend preparing something like this, so I decided to try to finalize it, and this is what happened.

- Wow! This is something! I haven't tried anything like this! - Yukihira admired, continuing to chew the roll.

- What kind of sauce is this? - Tadokoro asked, taking another bite to savor the taste.

- Sesame. I used sesame oil, white sesame seeds, balsamic vinegar, salt, sugar and black pepper! - Hiro replied and smiled happily, seeing that the girl was happily eating the third piece. - Now try the second one.

Tadokoro nodded. The girl could not tell which of the two rolls aroused her great suspicions. But if the first one was so delicious, then the second one simply could not disappoint her. Tadokoro, with undisguised enthusiasm, put a piece with a cap of green cream in her mouth.

"Is it ... Sharp?! Is the sauce spicy?! After a hot roll, the gentle, cool texture of the cream falls pleasantly on the tongue, calming it. And the sharpness feels better. He added red caviar of flying fish to it, but I can't understand what makes it spicy. And the roll itself is simple. With only one cucumber, but this is more than enough. Nothing superfluous. Only one pleasure! It's like I'm floating in the ocean abyss, I see the light of the sun above and I come up with force, flying over the surface of the water together with the shiny fish of tobio."

- Bliss... - Tadokoro put her hand to her cheek, slowly shaking her head from side to side and mumbling contentedly.

- Tadokoro, who won? - Yukihira asked and carelessly threw his hands behind his head.

The girl chuckled and, clasping her hands in front of her, looked at the two dishes in a puzzled way. They are so different, but definitely delicious. Which one should I choose? Which one?

Yukihira looked at the girl impatiently, almost clenching his hands into fists. Hiro put his hands in his pockets and looked at the girl with interest. Both looked at each other sideways and were well aware that no one wanted to give in.

-I...I think...Hiro-kun's dish...was tastier... - the girl said the last words confidently and raised her golden eyes to her rivals.

- Great! - Hiro said, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through his body from defeating a serious opponent.

Hiro was convinced that this victory had come to him for a reason, but the chance of losing was very high. Their chances were equal. In such a situation, any small detail can play a decisive role. Apparently, this is where it happened.

From behind, there were joyful shouts, supportive and encouraging words, coupled with pleased and somewhat contemptuous chuckles directed at Yukihira.

"I ... lost? Again? Damn!" Yukihira thought with annoyance and clenched his fist with force. After all, he offered and lost. The guy looked thoughtfully at his dish, analyzing it.

"I knew that this guy was cool, because not only did he easily pass the Nakiri exam, but also shortly before that he defeated me in front of my father. After that day, I was hungry for a rematch, so I trained every day. On some occasions, when Hiro was in the dorm, I offered to fight him, but he always refused me. When I challenged him to a duel today, I didn't think that he would agree, but I was happy, but, damn it, I lost to him. I lost to my peer," - Yukihira clenched his fist even harder, digging his nails into his palm, almost tearing the skin.

- Soma-kun... - Tadokoro called softly, deep in thought, to the guy. She was worried that the loss had greatly upset the guy, and she was embarrassed because of this.

- Hey, Soma! - Hiro walked up to the guy and put a heavy hand on his shoulders, causing Yukihira to almost fall forward. - That was cool! We'll fight again sometime!

- I will, Hiro! - Yukihira replied in the same cheerful manner. The fire of rivalry was rekindled in him.

- How many times have I beaten you there? 30? 50? - Hiro asked sarcastically.

- You won only 2 times! - Soma objected.

- Good-good! But this is not so far from the truth! - Hiro said with a cheeky smile.

"I will become better and defeat you!" - Yukihira thought resolutely, looking at Hiro. - Will you teach me how to make these strange rolls?

- No problem! - Hiro and Yukihira high-fived each other with wide smiles, and began cleaning the cutting tables.

- By the way, have you already come up with something for a duel with Ikumi? - Hiro asked Soma casually.

- No, it turned out to be a little difficult, but today I will definitely come up with something! - Soma replied.

- Do you need help? - Hiro asked, since he remembered that they had problems with the budget.

- I'm not particularly pleased to say, but I need your help! - Soma said, bowing his head. Megumi heard the request and realized exactly what the problem was.

- In what way? Advice? Products? Money? - Hiro asked.

- Money...the boss of the club, for which I stood up, spent the entire budget, so there is not enough money for ingredients! - I told the whole story.

- Okay, it's not difficult for me! - Hiro said, taking his wallet out of his pocket. – How much do you need?

Hearing the friend's question, Soma was slightly shocked and could not answer anything.

- Okay, here's a card, there's quite enough money on it, so don't worry, if you still don't have enough, then apply. - Hiro said, but now he thought that he was acting like a major canon from some cheap story.

- Thank you! I will return everything! - Soma said with a smile of the main character.

- No, I don't need it, but instead you will have to cook breakfast for a month! Unless, of course, you're busy! Agreed? - Hiro asked with a devil's smile.

- No problem! - Soma replied.

Megumi stood nearby and thought: "Soma, what did you just sign up for?"