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"You also think what I'm doing is WRONG?! I've heard that many times! But this is what I went through! Full of dreams, leaving school, only to be CRUSHED without mercy by REALITY!"
The veins on Kojiro Shinomiya's forehead bulged. Back when he was at Tōtsuki, he was also incredibly successful. But after entering society, he was immediately hit with a harsh dose of reality.
At that time, Shinomiya realized his previous way of thinking was far too naive. So, after achieving a certain degree of success, he began to emulate the very Chef who had once crushed him.
There were several reasons why Shinomiya ended up like this. Firstly, when he was at Tōtsuki, he was the First Seat, just like Eishi Tsukasa now—highly esteemed.
And he held great power at Tōtsuki...
This also meant all this power disappeared when he left school. This huge sense of loss wasn't something just anyone could readily adapt to.
Secondly, he went abroad. While Tōtsuki was very famous in Japan, that wasn't the case internationally.
Moreover, Shinomiya's luck was really bad; he encountered a terrible person. The more outstanding he was, the greater the threat he posed to that person's position.
If he had encountered someone who valued talent, they would definitely have taught Shinomiya seriously. But encountering a horrible person was a completely different story.
That horrible person wished nothing more than for Shinomiya to be beaten down and never recover.
....
Tōtsuki's Elite Ten system did have its pros and cons.
The advantages were that it could train students' management abilities, and after becoming an Elite Ten member, the resources available could allow their Culinary skills to skyrocket.
But conversely, once they left school, this power was gone, and they needed to adapt to this difference.
Actually, Tōtsuki's Elite Ten system also had some ulterior motives. Tōtsuki gave the Elite Ten considerable authority to train management personnel for themselves.
Gin Dojima was the best example.
If a graduate chose to stay and work for the Nakiri family, the Nakiris could naturally offer them good positions. Although the authority they held would still be somewhat reduced, it was better than nothing.
Even if they didn't stay at Tōtsuki but chose to open their own shops, Tōtsuki's name could still provide sufficient advantages.
As for those who chose to go abroad, if they couldn't be used by Tōtsuki, then it was every man for himself. Gin Dojima was smart—he chose to stay in Japan from the very beginning, which was why he had reached his current position.
If Shinomiya had chosen to stay back then, developing for a period before looking outward, then perhaps his situation would be much better now.
"Isn't that normal? Because you've left school. While Tōtsuki's system is very harsh, it is ultimately still a school. A school will protect its students."
"When you enter society, this protection naturally doesn't exist. You should have already prepared for this."
"Now, you are facing a group of students. Indeed, they are destined to enter society and make their own way in the future. At that time, perhaps they will also face major setbacks like you did when you first started."
"But that's something for later, something after they leave school, not now. Shinomiya, don't confuse the campus with society. These are two entirely different environments—" Roland Chapelle shook his head.
Which one of these old hands wasn't a veteran of the Culinary world? They had seen all kinds of things.
The matters encountered by Shinomiya weren't that uncommon. Tōtsuki had always been harsh, but it still maintained a certain bottom line. Didn't Tōtsuki know how cruel society could be?
To put it frankly, it was Shinomiya's own problem. What he said was ultimately just an excuse.
Seemingly wanting students to experience the harshness of society in advance, but to put it bluntly, it was just an excuse to justify his own actions.
"Shinomiya, haven't your Culinary skills been stagnating for some time now?"
Just as Shinomiya was about to retort, Gin Dojima said something that rendered Shinomiya speechless.
"Looks like I hit the mark. I noticed a problem the last time I tasted your food. You deliberately didn't use your full power to cook, probably afraid others would find out about your little predicament."
"But sometimes, burying your head in the sand isn't useful. This time, I invited you to Tōtsuki not to target you, but for the sake of your future."
"The feeling of stagnating is not pleasant. No one wants their Culinary skills to be stuck, especially not you. Your talent is very strong; logically, becoming a First Class Chef should only be a matter of time for you."
"You even have the chance to become a Special Class Chef. But now, you're completely stuck at Second Class. You've seen it, haven't you? If this continues, Hinako and the others will soon catch up to you, even surpass you!" Dojima's words were like daggers, piercing Shinomiya's heart.
"Are you saying you've found the reason for my stagnation?" Shinomiya asked after a long silence.
Since Dojima's reason for inviting him was to help him solve the problem, it meant Dojima knew the reason.
"Actually, you've also realized it yourself; it's just that you can't accept it. Not allowing others to change your recipes—you've trapped yourself, clinging to past glories."
"As a Chef, if one wants to improve, one needs to keep learning. My old friend, Jōichirō Saiba, his "Wandering Chef" moniker is because he runs all over the world."
"Back then, although my Culinary skills weren't as good as his, and when we competed, I lost more often than I won, at least I still had a chance of winning. But now, he's a Special Class Chef, and I'm still First Class."
"This isn't entirely due to a difference in talent. These years, I've devoted much of my energy to managing the resort. Staying in one place, I rarely have the opportunity to learn new things."
"My situation is somewhat similar to yours. However, I'm very clear about this and have also been trying to find time to learn. So, my Culinary skills are still improving, albeit very slowly."
"You, on the other hand, completely reject new knowledge. THAT'S the reason for your stagnation."
"Among the students you judged unqualified, some of them used their own methods to further process the problematic ingredients."
"They changed your recipes, added their own creativity. Perhaps the dishes they made weren't as delicious as those made strictly according to your recipes."
"But have you ever thought about this: dishes made with problematic ingredients without changing the recipe can only be called inferior products—completely worthless."
Gin Dojima said a lot in one breath. His words were indeed very reasonable and also pointed out Shinomiya's problems. But Shinomiya's face was still full of conflict, his expression even somewhat twisted.
"Still not getting it? Then Shinomiya, compete with Yuuki—an informal Shokugeki."
Seeing Shinomiya like this, Gin Dojima couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed that Yuuki was still needed to give this guy a good reality check—little words were too difficult to get through to him.
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