Chapter 24 - Where is my Chef

I created a discord for this Novel.

I will post a link to it in the next chapter

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Alexander was sitting on a chair watching as Shinomiya is wiping his tears from behind his glasses, he was very surprised to see him crying. While Doujima and the other Alumni are happy that Shinomiya seems to remember his motive to start the life of a chef, Alexander was just chewing on some of the leftover ingredients from Shinomiya's dish. ' I have to admit, this is some good Duck Liver' he thought.

"I'm glad that you've realized your situation Shinomiya, I wouldn't want to see you as you walk an empty path that has nothing at its end but an edge to fall in." Doujima smiled at Shinomiya who just looked down, he is grateful to him but that doesn't mean he is going to go on an all-out thanking ceremony, but Doujima doesn't mind, as long as he is saved from that destiny, he thought.

"Yes, seeing Shinomiya-senpai crying was a sight to behold." Hinako laughed and teased Shinomiya about his crying which made Shinomiya grab her head with anger and red face " Shut it Hinako!!!"

While the group is having their little fun, Alexander stood up from his chair " While it's refreshing to watch you like this, but don't forget..." They turned to see Alexander walking as they remembered a very important fact " ...I won." Said Alexander.

Silence went inside the room and only Alexander's shoes' footsteps could be heard. " Now, where is my Chef?" He looked at Shinomiya who was stunned, even tho he remembered his ambition but the feeling of losing is still bitter in his mouth.

"Can't we just leave that out, Alexander-kun?" Hinako stepped forward and asked Alexander, " We could end this here and you can continue your training here. After all, Shinomiya granted you a chance to fight instead of just mercilessly expelling you out." She is hoping that Alexander can be satisfied with him not being expelled and leave the part of Shinomiya working under him.

"No." That was alexander's respond " We had a deal, I win so he will be working for me. And by him working under me means that his restaurant will be under my management too." He added making everyone shocked.

"that wasn't part of the deal!!" Hitoshi shouted, "The deal was Shinomiya working for you but his properties were out of the question." He said remembering every one of the deal. everyone agreed with him even Doujima.

"Alexander-san, while I understand where you're coming from, I think this is too much." Doujima stepped forward and touched Alexander's shoulder "With this Shinomiya isn't working under you anymore, he becomes your slave at this rate."

Alexander brushed his hand off and said: " Then how is he going to work under me if he is going to continue working in his restaurant? What type of job do you think I'll be giving to him. Even tho this is unofficial Shokugeki but it's still one, we both agreed, we had an odd number of judges and an overseer which is you" he said, they can't deny his words.

"Enough, let it be," Shinomiya said suddenly when everyone is trying to get him out of the situation.

"What're you talking about Shinomiya, are you planning on closing down your restaurant?" asked Mizuhara, for once she was showing emotions like everyone else.

Shinomiya smiled at his friends' protection but he has to finish what he started. Shinomiya's eyes lost the sharpness and the edge he had for the past years showing that he had changed.

"I'm willing to work under you." Shinomiya looked at Alexander as he gave up the outcome much to everyone's protest.

"Good..." Alexander smiled, he gave a bright smile to everyone "Then after this camp, relocate your restaurant here in Japan." he said surprising everyone.

"Do you mean that Shinomiya won't need to close his shop!?!!" Hitoshi said in shock, he wasn't alone, everyone else had their eyes wide open. Even Shinomiya himself.

"Of course not, he is an excellent Chef, but I have a grand project that I want to start so I thought why not start it with him." Alexander sat on a nearby chair and crossed his legs.

"And what might this project be??" Asked Donato, he is still confused about everything, he wasn't given that many details about anything going on. He was just called to be a judge.

"Basically, i'm building a tower with a hundred floors. Each floor with a certain type of cuisine, since Shinomiya is a master of the French cuisine then he can take over the 99th floor. The project is still under development as I still need to gather 99 chefs in different cuisines for it to be launched with the help of my company's promotion." Said Alexander, he was talking cheerfully about his project that the others could feel his joy from his tone of voice.

"What type of cuisine is the 100th floor then?" asked Shinomiya, he was slightly interested but mainly happy that he won't need to close his shop and feeling a little competitive as the way he sees it, the floors are like ranks, the higher you go the better the food. so he wanted to know who is better than him.

"An all-out mix, any type of cuisine mixed with the Japanese cuisine." he said " Lead by me. Any problem" he gave Shinomiya a look

"No, Not at all." Shinomiya fixed his glasses.

"But that doesn't change the fact you're still working under me as I'll be giving you some work to do for the tower's preparations before it's officially opened," Alexander remembered Shinomiya with a teasing smile making Shinomiya's face twitch.

"Though, if you hadn't accepted the result of this match, I would've forced you to close your shop." He dropped a bombshell on them making everyone gasp, mainly Inui. she is the only one who overreacts.

"With this, we're done, you just have to relocate your shop here and work for a while until i'm done with school." Alexander stood up to leave.

"AH!! by the way, the offer is open to the rest of you if you want to join my tower, It may sound like I own everything but the truth is i'm renting the floors and I receive a part of the monthly revenue." He said to the other Chefs.

The chefs thought about it for a moment before saying " Maybe, if it succeeded." Said Donato

"I'll wait until it's open." Said Mizuhara

"Maybe I'll take the risk," said Hitoshi

"If it's Alexandra-senpai company that will promote the tower then I have no complaint," said Hinako

Hearing their responses, Alexander decided to leave. Things were getting heated inside the room he just left, mainly because Shinmomiya was getting the scolding he had always deserved.

Alexander took out his phone and looked at the picture he took of the two boys from today's assignment with Mizuhara.

He sent it to his assistant.

-Vlad, when these two reach Totsuki, take them to one of the warehouses in Tokyo, let them live a night filled with nightmares.

-Roger, the bus will arrive tonight and the kids will be expelled officially tomorrow. I will inform The Mental Torture division to send one of theirs here.

-Just don't go overboard, they're still students.

-Roger.

After taking care of the case with these Kids, Alexander finally sighed after all his trouble was over, he doubts that something like this will happen again. He didn't know how wrong he was at this time.

When he went back to his room, Alexander found his friends there waiting for the news.

He was asked if he had won against an Alumni by Takumi, Hayama, and Alice but he didn't want to make them feel that there is too much difference in strength between each other so they won't give up on improving and competing with him. so he had to lie.

"Nah, Thet felt that fighting an Alumni is too ridiculous so they changed the rules and said if I can make them a dish that can satisfy them I will pass. So no Shokugeki.

"That was expected." Said Takumi " Do you really think Chef Doujima will let an Alumni fight a student?" the rest agreed with him, Alexander was happy about the result.

The next day's assignments went smoothly, When the groups were shuffled, Alexander got in the same group with Ryo and for the first time, he saw him in his berserker mode that Alice was telling him about all this time. It was kind of enjoyable to see him like that, but the cursing around each second was the only annoying part for Alexander.

The day ended without any trouble, the gang took a bath and took off to Hayama's room again to play Uno. They were in the middle of an intense game with Alexander losing even with the help of Alice who was giving him some instruction, but a bad player is still one even with instructions from the holder of the 2nd seat in the Grand Uno Tournament of The North Star Dorm.

After a while, the speakers in the room and halls came in with Chef Doujima calling all the students

[Attention all students, At 10 pm, please change your clothes and gather at the main banquet hall]

"What the hell, I'm about to beat Takumi!!!" Shouted Alexander with frustration.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, there was no bedtime on today's schedule sheet," Said Alice as she remembered today's schedule.

"I thought it was a printing Error!" Hayama looked back at here, he was helping Alexander win, unfortunately.

"There is no such thing as a printing Error. If that happened the person responsible will be fired immediately." Said Alice, this is her family's hotel and she knows he it runs " The schedule was checked by many people to ensure its working." she added.

"Then let us change and go there, immediately, it 9:30 pm now, we don't want to be late." Said Takumi, for some reason he was losing to Alexander suddenly. The poor guys didn't notice that Alexander was getting help from Hayama and Alice.

"Yeah, let's go." Said Alexander. Each one of them went to their room and changed uniforms, they gathered later and went to the great banquet hall.

When they entered, they saw all of the other students...well, what remained of them here. Their faces were pale and exhausted, some are sleeping on the floor.

While Anxiety was taking over the majority of the students, some were carefree and confident in their skills.

"Aniki!!!!"

"Saiba-kun!!!!"

Two shouts came from the gang's side, they looked and saw Soma and Megumi running at them.

"Aniki, you didn't get expelled?" Soma was sweating and smiling from ear to ear when he saw his brother.

"Did Chef Doujima solve the problem??" Asked Megumi, she took Alexander's hand as her eyes were watering about to cry. just like Soma she was waiting on fire to hear the news about Alexander's situation but they were soo busy, she was so busy as she tried as much as she can to rely on herself. And it seems she succeeded, all Tadokoro needed was determination.

"I'm okay, everything is still fine, I worked things with Chef Shinomiy--" Before he can say his part, he was interrupted by Alice taking Megumi's hand off his.

"Take back your hand girl, he is mine." Alice declared making Megumi realize what she is doing, with a big blush she let go of Alexander's hand who smiled at Alice, she took his arm between her B.o.o.b.s and hugged it.

'Alright, thanks for the honesty, it made things more clear for me.' Thought Alexander, when he heard Alice declaring he was hers, he felt quite happy, until now she never admitted her love which made him confused, is she just being too close of a friend or there is feeling. Thought, only him missed one of the major hints which are Alice's body language, everyone who sees them from the sideline will immediately know that Alice loves Alexander. No girl will stick to anyone if she doesn't love him.

After calming Alice who was about to bite Megumi, the gang heard a commotion behind them. It was Erina.

Erina came from behind with the students fanboying/fangirling over her.

"Oi Erina!! Come here." Alexander called for Erina who looked their side, she saw Alexander and immediately her face lit up She came near him.

"Alexander-sama, good evening to you." Erina saw Alice hugging Alexander's arm and everyone could swear they saw thunder strike behind Erina.

Alice noticed her reaction and smirked "Oh! If it isn't my princess cousin, this commoner is humbled by your presence." She teased Eruna about her complex of princes, all these years Erina was raised like a princess and she took herself for a princess.

"Alice..." Erina gave Alice a cold glare, especially because of the arm thing. She held back her feelings for Alexander for the longest time because of her duties but it seems that Alice wasn't the same. "Good evening to you too my Commoner Cusin." The two shared an intense Glare that was cut off by Soma

"Yo, Nakiri."

"Don't "Yo, Nakiri" me you idiot, people will think we know each other." Erina looked the other side with hatred, she still refuses Soma's way of cooking and she refuses him too.

Alexander laughed at the small interaction between the girls and Soma, maybe due to the nature of his job in the past 7 years or something else, but to Alexander, this seemed like just normal talk between friends, not realizing that they really have some bad feelings toward each other.

Someone needs to tell him that insulting and glaring at your friends isn't a type of friendly talks.

Erina looked at Alexander's arm, Alice was holding his left arm, she had the idea of taking his right arm but her face turned red and dismissed the idea.

'I still have a long way to be like Masaki.' Erina thought with an embarrassed voice. Masaki is the protagonist of the Shoujo manga she is reading now.

Alice noticed her small action and scoffed at it ' Amature!' she thought with pride.

[Alright, since everyone is here let's start.] Doujima's voice rang in the hall, everyone snapped off their things and looked at the stage where Doujima is standing. [The reason I had gathered everyone here is to inform you about tomorrow's test...]

The students' tensed at his words, it seems like something dangerous from the tone of his voice. And he even called them here to announce it [The content of this test is to provide a new breakfast menu. One that is appropriate for the guests here at Totsuki's resort]

The students realized how difficult this can be, breakfast is the face of any hotel, it's the start of the guests day and the most memorable and important meal of the day

[The main ingredient is eggs, make whatever type of dish you want as long as you use egg. The format will a buffet-type breakfast. The exam starts at ... 6 AM]

The hall went into silent mode, the students looked at their watches with disbelieve.

THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO SLEEP!!!!! they shouted, the majority was afraid, only the group with Alexander was unaffected excluding Megumi, she was still terrified.

"This is pretty hardcore." Said Soma with a grin.

"Absolutely." Said Alice " This is Totsuki for you."

While the group chatted between each other with Alice and Erina insulting each other at any given moment. Some people didn't even hold the exam in their eyes at all. Not because it's easy but because of their mission.

"Oi! This could be our only chance..." Said one boy with gree curly hair, his eyes are sharp as he looks at Alexander.

"Yes, Eizan-sama learned about the other two's failure, we can't fail too or his brother will get angry at us." answered a black-haired boy, he can only be described as a plain man with nothing outstanding about him.

"Doesn't Eizan-sama hate his big brother??" the green haired wondered " He wouldn't ask his brother to punish the two. His brother will maybe torture the two but if Eizan-sama didn't send them to his brother they may just come out safe."

"Don't misunderstand. Eizan-sama's big brother has men watching and reporting all of his younger brother's progress." The black haired said with a nervous smile " He knows that the two had failed by now and after they're expelled they will return to the family's manor and receive their punishment."

The green haired's eyes flashed with fear " T-then we mustn't fail this, isn't it??"

"Yes."

"But how? the other two said that he is a good chef, he can deal with any unexpected situation."

The black haired looked at his partner and smiled with a scheming grin " Well, that is easy, as long as he doesn't attend the assignment then he will fail. We just need to make him be late."

The other boy was stunned for a moment before he smiled too " You know how to do that??"

"Of course."

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