In the kitchen, Fumio Daimido snapped out of her daze, letting out a light cough to cover up her previous loss of composure. She looked at Soma Yukihira and spoke with utmost solemnity.
"Alright, you pass. You're allowed to move in."
"Glad you liked it!"
Soma grinned, pulling off his headband with a bright, refreshing smile. He took the key Fumio handed him and eagerly ran off. He planned to quickly move his luggage into his room, take a comfortable hot bath, and get a good night's sleep.
After Soma's departure, Ray returned to Room 101 and casually picked up a culinary book to read. As time passed and the pages rustled, a faint scratching sound suddenly came from above.
Thoughtfully setting the book down, Ray looked up. A wooden board in the ceiling slid away silently, revealing a face with a gentle smile. It was none other than Satoshi Isshiki, one of the current Elite Ten of Totsuki Academy.
Speaking of which, even among the gathering of eccentric weirdos in the Polar Star Dormitory, this guy was considered the oddball of oddballs. He loved dropping by through the ceiling and was wild enough to frequently wander around wearing nothing but a loincloth or an apron, claiming it was to 'free himself.' In Ray's eyes, the guy was a walking combination of a peeping tom and an exhibitionist.
"Yo, new transfer student," Satoshi said, looking down at Ray. "Come on over. Don't be late for your own welcome party."
"Alright." Ray nodded calmly, closing his book without a hint of surprise on his face.
However, Ray's reaction made Satoshi pause for a moment. Even Zenji Marui and the others, who were already used to his antics, couldn't stay this composed. Yet Ray didn't seem surprised in the slightest, giving off a vibe very similar to Shun Ibusaki.
Taking another look at Ray, Satoshi didn't say anything else. He slid the ceiling board back into place, his voice fading away.
Ray pushed his door open and stepped out, soon arriving at Room 205. By now, Room 205 was already bustling with noise and excitement.
Zenji Marui, sporting a messy bedhead, glared at the room full of people with a look of absolute despair, his voice bordering on a sob.
"I told you! I'm busy reviewing for the written exams! If you want to throw a party, go to another room! Stop making a racket in mine!"
This was his bedroom, not some dining hall!
"We can't help it, Marui. Your room is the most spacious," Yuki Yoshino said, twirling her fingers with a breezy tone, completely ignoring his protests.
"Besides, no matter when we come over, it's always spotlessly clean," Ryoko Sakaki added with a faint smile. In that regard, even the girls couldn't compare.
Only Megumi Tadokoro looked a bit apologetic, though she was just as helpless in this situation.
"I just finished cleaning it!" Zenji wailed, feeling a wave of sheer agony at the thought of having to tidy up all over again later.
"Yeah, right up until a minute ago, there were books piled half a person high on the floor!" Shoji Sato earnestly acknowledged Zenji's hard work.
"That's only because you two were fighting in my room!" Zenji snapped his head around, glaring furiously at Shoji Sato and Daigo Aoki, his voice spiking in volume. "You knocked books all over the place and got me a severe scolding from Fumio!"
"By the way, couldn't you have prepared a few more chairs?" Daigo scratched the back of his head, scanning the room with a dissatisfied expression.
"Why would I prepare chairs for you guys?!" Zenji clutched his head and groaned.
Off to the side, Shun Ibusaki silently sipped his drink, not having said a single word from start to finish.
"Speaking of which, Marui, you really have quite the collection of culinary books here," Ray remarked, his gaze sweeping over the massive bookshelf against the wall with a hint of admiration.
He had collected quite a few culinary texts himself, but it was still far too little compared to the vast library before him. With just a cursory glance, he spotted several rare ancient tomes.
"But of course." Hearing Ray's words, Zenji pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, a touch of pride appearing on his face. While he hadn't personally collected all these books, he had meticulously studied and memorized every single one on the shelves.
"If I have the time, I wonder if I could borrow a few to read?" Ray asked.
Come to think of it, Zenji Marui was the captain of the Miyazato Seminar, specializing in classical gourmet literature. Perhaps he could dig up some lost, ancient recipes from this collection.
"Of course, no problem," Zenji agreed readily, the gloominess on his face dissipating significantly. Having someone appreciate his collection actually made him quite happy, so naturally, he wouldn't be stingy.
As Ray chatted with Zenji, Ryoko handed him a glass of milky white liquid.
"Here, Ray." She then explained, "This is a juice brewed from rice. Want to give it a try?"
"Thanks." Ray took the glass, thanked her, and took a small sip. The sweet aroma of rice mixed with a faint fruity scent spread through his mouth. The texture was smooth and mellow; it was indeed delicious.
Afterward, Ryoko poured another glass for Soma Yukihira, who was standing nearby.
"By the way, it's the middle of the night. Is it really okay to be this loud?" Soma held his glass, looking at Ryoko with hesitation. "I thought school dormitories would have strict curfews and quiet hours."
"It's fine." Ryoko waved her hand, looking completely unbothered. "The dorm is surrounded by woods anyway. No matter how loud we get, no one is going to come complaining."
"B-But..." Soma scratched his head, his eyes darting around as he stammered, "Um... the dorm warden..."
With all this noise, it definitely looked like they were going to get yelled at.
Right on cue, Fumio Daimido's booming voice echoed through the speaking tube.
"Hey, you lot!"
Soma jumped, thinking the scolding had finally arrived. Instead, he heard Fumio continue.
"The yellowtail and daikon stew is ready! Who's coming down to carry it?"
Hearing this, Shoji and Daigo instantly perked up, scrambling over each other as they bolted for the door. They left Soma standing frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.
"You two better make sure you get back before Fumio starts telling stories about the former Elite Ten!" Yuki shouted at their retreating backs, her tone full of exasperation.
Fumio was great, but she loved reminiscing about the senior Elite Ten members who used to live in the Polar Star Dormitory, and once she started, she couldn't stop.
"Otherwise, she'll talk from dusk till dawn without end!"
Watching Shoji and Daigo sprint out the door, Soma finally snapped out of his daze. He turned to look at the perfectly composed Ray beside him, his belly full of questions practically overflowing.
"Say, Ray, how are you so calm? We're both new residents who just moved in. Aren't you surprised at all?"
"About this?" Ray set down his glass, glanced at Soma, and replied evenly, "Is this really something worth being surprised over?"
Well, it would be surprising at other schools, or even in other dormitories at Totsuki Academy. But in the Polar Star Dormitory, this was just an everyday occurrence. Everyone else looked like they took it for granted, too.
"..."
Soma opened his mouth but found himself momentarily at a loss for words. When he found out he had to live on campus, he had specifically looked up the rules for the school dormitories. The current situation was worlds apart from what he had researched!
Soma felt his mind boggling at the sheer absurdity of it all. But on second thought, he decided that a Polar Star Dormitory like this was actually pretty interesting.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]