Ray and Ryoko Sakaki hadn't ridden far when they encountered Megumi Tadokoro and Yuki Yoshino, who were also riding bicycles back to the Polar Star Dormitory.
Seeing Ray and Ryoko sharing a bike, surprised expressions appeared on both of their faces.
"Ray is moving into the Polar Star Dormitory but didn't have any transportation, so I'm giving him a ride," Ryoko explained calmly, looking at Megumi and Yuki.
Hearing this, Megumi and Yuki nodded in sudden understanding.
The distance was indeed quite far.
"I didn't expect you to be moving into the Polar Star Dormitory too, Ray!" Megumi's tone was full of surprise, but she quickly followed up with a hint of worry. "But... the cooking test to get into the Polar Star Dormitory is really difficult."
Even though it was a dormitory arranged by the academy, to actually move in, one had to pass the cooking test administered by the dorm mother, Fumio Daimido.
And Fumio's standards were incredibly high.
It had taken Megumi three months to pass it back then.
Because of this, not many students successfully passed the test to live in the Polar Star Dormitory.
At this hour, if he failed, he would have no choice but to camp out in the dormitory's courtyard for the night.
Ray glanced at Megumi and offered a slight smile. "Well, I'm fairly confident in my culinary skills."
Seeing Ray's confident demeanor, Megumi and Yuki exchanged a glance, momentarily at a loss for words.
Mainly because they had absolutely no idea what his cooking level was.
However, since he managed to pass the transfer student exam, it shouldn't be too bad.
"In that case, we can properly celebrate a new member joining us tonight!" Ryoko said with a bright smile.
Hearing this, Yuki thoughtfully looked back and forth between Ray and Ryoko. Her eyes darted around before she asked curiously, "Oh? It seems you have a lot of faith in Ray, Ryoko. Is it because he performed really well in cooking class today?"
Ryoko nodded without hesitation. "He was indeed outstanding. Even though he had never made pan-seared foie gras before, Ray's execution was as smooth as flowing water, without a single mistake. Even I couldn't compare to his mastery over heat control."
"You flatter me." Ray waved his hand, a modest smile appearing on his face. "I still have a long way to go. I'm just a bit more sensitive to heat control, but there are many other areas where I still need to learn."
Yuki observed Ray with great interest, her curiosity about his cooking skills growing. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she looked at Ray and asked, "By the way, Ray, have you prepared the ingredients for the entrance test? If you haven't prepared anything, for Ryoko's sake, I can give you a Polar Star Chicken!"
The Polar Star Chicken was actually a free-range chicken hand-raised by Yuki in the Polar Star Dormitory's courtyard. Its meat was firm, bouncy, and full of umami, making it perfect for cooking.
"As for ingredients, I've already prepared them," Ray smiled and replied calmly.
Since he knew he was moving into the Polar Star Dormitory, Ray naturally came prepared. He wouldn't go so far as to bother others for his test ingredients.
Hearing this, Yuki didn't press the matter further.
Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Ryoko turned to Megumi with a hint of curiosity in her tone. "Speaking of which, Megumi, weren't you paired with that transfer student named Soma Yukihira today? How did Soma perform today?"
Since Ray's performance had been so outstanding, Ryoko couldn't help but wonder about the true abilities of the other transfer student, Soma Yukihira.
At the mention of Soma Yukihira, the smile on Megumi's face instantly froze, and her expression became rather complicated.
She paused for a moment before speaking with difficulty. "Soma's cooking level... is indeed very high."
This was the truth. The talent and creativity Soma displayed in cooking were truly astonishing.
However, Megumi immediately changed the subject. "But his personality is just awful."
Thinking about the squid tentacles marinated in honey that Soma had made... Megumi felt uncomfortable all over. The taste was truly horrendous.
It felt as if her very body had been ruthlessly tormented.
Seeing the complicated expression on Megumi's face, Ray instantly guessed the reason.
She had most likely fallen victim to Soma's dark cuisine.
When it came to this twisted hobby, Soma had practically inherited his father's true legacy.
Back in the day, Joichiro Yukihira had frequently 'poisoned' a certain innocent girl with his bizarre dishes, forcefully leaving her with lifelong psychological trauma.
"You really had it rough, Megumi." Ray looked at Megumi, his eyes full of pity. "That guy Soma really does have an awful personality sometimes."
Just imagining the taste of those dark dishes made Ray's stomach churn.
However! This was only the beginning for Megumi.
After all, Soma was also moving into the Polar Star Dormitory. In the days to come, Megumi would inevitably be subjected to frequent taste tests of his 'dark cuisine'.
Such a future was simply bleak and devoid of light.
He just didn't know why he felt the urge to laugh.
"Could it be... you've tasted it too, Ray?" Megumi suddenly raised her head to look at Ray, her tone hiding a trace of imperceptible delight.
She probably felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of relief thinking that she wasn't the only one who had been tragically 'poisoned'.
"Not at all. I flat-out refused," Ray said calmly.
Soma had previously invited him to taste a so-called 'prototype'.
But Ray, who was well aware of the Yukihira father-son duo's tricks, had cleanly and decisively rejected him without a second thought.
"I see..." Megumi's shoulders instantly slumped, her tone filled with disappointment.
She thought she had found a fellow sufferer, but in the end, she was still the only one who had been tragically 'poisoned'.
"What was it? What was it? Hurry up and tell us!" Yuki urged, looking at Megumi. She was genuinely curious.
Not only her, but Ryoko beside her also looked at Megumi curiously, clearly intrigued as well.
Unable to withstand Yuki's persistent pestering, Megumi had no choice but to blush and quietly recount how Soma had 'treated' her to squid tentacles marinated in honey, heavily emphasizing the bizarre taste of the tentacles.
After listening to Megumi recount her 'tragic ordeal', Yuki and Ryoko exchanged a glance, their eyes instantly filling with deep sympathy as they looked at Megumi.
That experience was indeed awful enough.
Squid tentacles marinated in honey... just thinking about it was enough to know how terrible it must have tasted.