Laughter echoed through the hall like a soft melody. Damian watched his five friends in front of him, each with a note stuck to their face. Seeing the absurdity of it all, they couldn't help themselves—another wave of laughter burst out as the notes gave in, fluttering into the air.
"Damian!" Shoko half-laughed, half-complained. "You always make that same face! And every single time, you fool us!"
"As expected from the king of cards," Kuga said solemnly, arms crossed. "You never lose."
"You really need to fix that mummy face," Nene muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"Pff..." Isshiki chuckled, sliding his cards back into his pocket with a smile.
Then he turned to Damian, curiosity glinting in his eyes. "But tell me something... earlier, you mentioned a 'true chef.' What did you mean by that?"
Damian tilted his head slightly, thinking. "Wasn't it obvious? We're chefs, aren't we?"
"Yes," they all replied in unison.
"Then during evaluations, Totsuki alumni are just clients. At least, that's how I see it."
"Clients?" they echoed, exchanging glances.
"A chef takes ingredients and turns them into something delicious. That's our essence. Then we serve the dish to the client for them to enjoy. If it tastes good, then we've done our job. What greater joy is there for a chef than that?"
Damian crossed his arms and continued, that familiar sparkle in his eyes igniting the moment he spoke about food.
"That's why I say this: I'm a chef—so my job is to find a way to make this dish taste amazing. The innovation within that process is my method. A chef cooks, a client tastes—and food is the bridge between them."
Isshiki froze for a moment. "So... the real challenge is finding the best way to make the dish taste better..."
"Isn't that what Totsuki is all about? The place where the best clients meet the chefs who can move them with a single bite?"
"That actually makes sense," Kuga muttered. "I feel a lot more relaxed now..."
"As always, Damian-kun bringing clarity," Shoko added with a soft smile.
"You get it, Isshiki?" Kuga asked.
"Nope," Isshiki replied with a laugh. "But I feel fantastic!"
Laughter spread again, light and genuine.
"All right, everyone," Damian said, stretching his arms. "Let's get some rest. Hell Camp starts early tomorrow."
With waves and goodbyes, the group dispersed. Shoko disappeared into the elevator, while Nene lingered at the door next to hers, hesitating.
As Damian turned to head into his room, he heard her soft voice:
"Damian-kun... can we talk for a bit?"
"Of course," he said, surprised. "What's on your mind?"
She paused, eyes lowered. "Do you know someone who... just can't win, no matter how hard they try?"
Damian was quiet for a moment, then smiled gently. "Depends… in what area?"
"Cooking."
He nodded sincerely. "Yes. There's someone I know I'll never surpass."
"Then… why are you so calm about it?" she whispered.
"Because I'm excited."
"Excited...?"
Damian leaned against the doorframe, eyes fixed on her. "If you want to be the best, you need someone who keeps pushing you. Someone who pressures you, even when you're already at the top. That's what makes the journey fun."
Nene stared in silence. Then he asked:
"You work so hard every day. But in the end... what are you really chasing?"
She blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"You're the protagonist of your own story, Nene. You don't have to play a supporting role in someone else's. Life doesn't have to be a race against another person."
The silence between them deepened. Damian's voice softened:
"If your goal is to grow stronger, then keep pushing forward. But if everything centers around beating just one person... then what? What's left after that? Do you really think your time, your youth, your effort is worth that little?"
Nene's eyes widened. For once, she had no response.
"You've worked yourself to the bone trying to be something more. But the truth is… your effort is worth more than any natural-born talent."
He stepped closer, gaze warm.
"The hours you've spent training, your composure under pressure—that's all yours. Years of dedication can't be erased by one compliment to talent."
"Don't you see?" he said, with a small smile. "You're already a great chef. Your strength is real. You earned it. And that's something to be proud of."
Nene clenched her fists, eyes shimmering.
"A genius like you—"
"You'll be one of the Elite Ten. But you also need to learn how to take the first step with courage. Courage to believe that you're enough."
Damian took a deep breath. "When you finally realize that... you'll see your time is far too precious to be measured by someone else's standards."
Nene's face turned crimson. She bit her lip, then nodded slowly. "Hmm..."
"Good," Damian smiled. "Now go get some rest. No pulling all-nighters. Good night, Nene."
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
Blushing and avoiding his gaze, Nene held out her phone. "I just realized... I don't have your number."
Damian blinked, then chuckled. "Seriously? Let's fix that."
After exchanging contacts, she turned to leave, but stopped for one last question:
"Damian-kun... who's the person you said you'll never surpass?"
He gave a half-smile, eyes drifting past her. "Who knows? I'm not the only one getting stronger, right?"
Nene froze for a second—then smiled. "Yeah... I get it."
"Nene."
"Yes?"
"Your smile is beautiful."
"Idiot!"
She dashed into her room, slamming the door like she was escaping. Damian just laughed, shaking his head. "Effort... I like that word."
On the other side of the door, Nene slid down onto the carpet, took off her glasses, wiped away a quiet tear, and murmured with a smile that seemed to light up the night:
"Finally... I finally did it…"
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉
Do you want to know why I didn't post anything here for so long?The reason was something completely stupid.I formatted my phone and my PC because somehow they got a virus and some unemployed person with nothing to do kept hacking some of my accounts... The problem is that I forgot to save the password for my email linked to this account in my notebook... Literally today I remembered that my old phone, which hasn't been on since last year, still had that account saved, all I needed to do was recharge its battery, turn it on, and then change the email password.
As compensation, I will update twice the number of chapters this week.