After a long while, Fumio Daimido slowly opened her eyes, looked at Ray, and spoke in a solemn tone.
"You pass."
Ray's Fluffy Egg and Fish Soup Noodles were executed to near perfection, bringing out the natural deliciousness of the ingredients to their absolute fullest.
However, Fumio knew this was still not Ray's limit. At the very least, he had cut some corners while preparing the fish broth.
Nevertheless, this level of skill was more than enough to pass the entrance cooking test.
Hearing her words, a smile appeared on Ray's face.
Beside him, Yuki Yoshino and the other two girls breathed a sigh of relief, happy smiles blooming on their faces.
"Hey, Ray, we want to try the Fluffy Egg and Fish Soup Noodles too," Yuki said, looking at him.
It would make for a perfect dinner.
Ryoko Sakaki and Megumi Tadokoro also revealed looks of anticipation.
Seeing the eager expressions on the three girls' faces, Ray nodded in agreement.
"No problem, leave it to me."
In truth, he had prepared extra ingredients to begin with. However, the minced fatty pork was only enough to make two more fluffy eggs, meaning they would have to split one egg between two people.
He quickly whipped up four more portions of the Fluffy Egg and Fish Soup Noodles.
Ray swiftly finished his own bowl.
Afterward, he accepted the brass key engraved with the number 101 from Fumio, grabbed his luggage, and headed into his designated room. He deftly laid out his bedding and unpacked his belongings.
Just as Ray was busy settling into his room, a panting Soma Yukihira pushed open the front doors of the Polar Star Dormitory.
Hearing the commotion, Fumio stepped out of the warden's room.
Crossing her arms, she calmly sized up Soma at the entrance and asked, "You must be Soma Yukihira, the one looking to move in?"
After all, Fumio already knew Ray's name. Two transfer students had been assigned to the Polar Star Dormitory; aside from Ray, the other was naturally Soma.
"I am the warden here, 'The Maria of Polar Star', Fumio Daimido."
Just as Soma was about to ask about moving in, Fumio spoke up again.
"Speak up, what ingredients did you prepare?"
Ray's Fluffy Egg and Fish Soup Noodles from earlier had left her thoroughly satisfied. Because of that, Fumio couldn't help but hold a bit of anticipation for Soma, who was also a transfer student.
"Huh? Ingredients? What ingredients?"
Soma stared blankly at Fumio, his eyes wide as saucers.
"You need to bring your own ingredients to move into a Totsuki dorm?"
Clearly, Soma hadn't bothered to read the Polar Star Dormitory's move-in guidelines at all.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Fumio's eyes widened, not expecting Soma to be completely ignorant of the dorm's basic rules.
She had no choice but to patiently explain.
"If you want to move into the Polar Star Dormitory, you need to pass the entrance cooking test."
"That means anyone who wants to live here must personally cook a dish. You can only stay if you manage to satisfy me."
"Furthermore, you must provide your own ingredients, whatever they may be."
After hearing Fumio's explanation, Soma's face instantly fell into a look of sheer helplessness.
"I haven't heard anything about this! And I definitely didn't prepare any ingredients!"
He only knew he was supposed to move into the Polar Star Dormitory; he hadn't paid any attention to the rules, let alone prepared ingredients in advance.
"Then you forfeit by default."
Fumio spread her hands, a hint of pity in her tone.
"If you don't show off your skills, you can't live in the Polar Star Dormitory."
She had actually been looking forward to it, but it seemed she would have to wait until tomorrow.
"Huh? Does that mean tonight I have to..."
Soma's heart skipped a beat as a strong sense of foreboding washed over him.
"Sleep outside, of course."
Fumio looked completely unbothered, but her words made Soma feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Soma was frantic, pointing out the door with his voice rising an octave.
"People can die from that! Don't underestimate an April night! Plus, I walked for over an hour to get here, and now I'm exhausted and starving!"
Hearing the commotion, Ray stepped out of his room.
Seeing Soma's frantic expression, he couldn't help but laugh.
At that moment, Soma spotted Ray and was immediately overjoyed.
"Ray..."
However, before Soma could finish his sentence, Ray cut him off.
"Sorry, I've already used up all the ingredients I brought."
"I do have a little bit of fish broth left over that you can use, though."
In truth, Ray had thought of Soma earlier and prepared a bit of extra food. However, after making four additional portions, everything was gone.
He was helpless too!
Hearing that Ray was also out of ingredients, Soma instantly became crestfallen and looked at Fumio pitifully.
"Um, could you just let me crash here for one night?"
"Absolutely not."
Fumio's attitude was resolute, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
"It's the rule of the Polar Star Dormitory. The entrance cooking test is mandatory."
She paused, a hint of resignation creeping into her voice.
"Of course, you don't strictly have to use ingredients you brought yourself."
"Unfortunately... the kitchen only has some scraps and unfinished prep work left."
"Luck really isn't on your side today."
If Soma had arrived a little earlier, the kitchen might have still had some usable ingredients left for him.
Soma's eyes suddenly lit up, and his entire demeanor instantly perked up.
"So you're saying I can take the test using those leftover ingredients?"
Even with just scraps, Soma was confident he could create a stunningly delicious dish.
"What?"
Fumio looked at Soma in surprise, clearly not expecting him to still be so persistent.
"I accept the test! Where's the kitchen?"
Soma clenched his fists, his eyes shining with a fighting spirit.
To avoid sleeping outside in the freezing wind, he had to go all out!
Seeing Soma so fired up, Fumio's interest was piqued.
She nodded and turned toward the kitchen.
"Follow me."
Entering the kitchen, Soma scanned the remaining ingredients. After a brief moment of thought, an idea quickly formed in his mind.
Rolling up his sleeves, he got straight to work without another word.
Not long after, a thick burger steak, a serving of rice, and a bowl of egg drop soup were placed in front of Fumio.
It was simple, yet exceptionally appetizing.
"Yukihira-Style Fast Food Mackerel Burger Meal, please enjoy."
Soma said, looking at Fumio with absolute confidence.
Looking at the dish before her, Fumio calmly picked up a piece of the mackerel burger steak with her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth.
The fluffy yet chewy texture instantly conquered her taste buds.
The egg drop soup, made with squid tentacles and fish broth, was so incredibly savory it made her tongue tingle.
With just one sip of the soup, Fumio felt as if she had instantly time-traveled back to her youth.
A summer seaside, a gentle evening breeze, her first love, and a tender kiss in the twilight.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Fumio suddenly threw her head back, looking at Soma with hazy, euphoric eyes...
Standing by the doorway, Ray calmly raised his phone.
A photo like this was priceless, one-of-a-kind blackmail material.