The test of the day had been simple and was over in the blink of an eye. By this time, the restaurant was almost empty, with only Damian and Nene still there. Most of the students had preferred to rest before dinner.
Nene stood frozen, as if her brain had crashed. Sitting at the same table as Damian? Would that be too casual? Or too strange? And if she sat alone, would he think she was avoiding him?
Meanwhile, Damian was already relaxed, hands in his pockets and an unconcerned expression.
"Hey, Nene," he said, breaking the silence.
"Since it's just the two of us left... how about we have dinner together?"
She blinked, surprised, then replied, a little awkwardly:
"A-ah... sure. Damian-kun, you can choose the place..."
He looked around calmly.
"Hm... let's sit by the window."
"Uhum..." She replied, trying not to laugh.
They sat across from each other. It was the first time they'd shared a meal like this. To Nene, it already felt... a bit too intimate. But she didn't know why.
Damian, on the other hand, acted as if they were just at any picnic. With a slightly nostalgic look, he suddenly commented:
"Suddenly, I remembered a trattoria in Florence I visited with my grandfather a few years ago."
"Trattoria?" Nene asked, frowning.
"Yeah. It's a type of traditional Italian restaurant, simpler than formal restaurants. They're usually family-run businesses, with a really welcoming atmosphere, almost like you're eating at an Italian grandmother's house."
He smiled at the memory, his eyes drifting for a moment.
"The decor was rustic, with old wooden tables, checkered tablecloths, and the aroma... Wow, the smell of the sauce cooking slowly filled the entire place. It was like a symphony made of garlic, tomato, wine, and herbs."
Nene listened in silence, a bit impressed.
"And there, I ate one of the best dishes in Florence: Pappardelle al cinghiale."
"Pappardelle... what?" She asked, curious.
"Pappardelle al cinghiale." He repeated carefully. "It's a wide pasta, like strips of ribbon, served with a wild boar ragù. The meat is marinated for hours in red wine, rosemary, sage, and bay leaves. Then it's cooked slowly until it's tender enough to melt in your mouth. The sauce was dense, deep in flavor, with that earthy, wild taste of the boar... A dish that warms your very soul."
"Wow..." Nene murmured, her eyes slightly wide.
"It was at a trattoria called Trattoria Aldini." He continued. "Small, discreet... but there was something special about that place. I saw two boys working there, they must be around our age now. And even with little experience, they had technique. Passion. Those two have potential. If they keep at it, one day they'll stand out in the culinary world. In fact, I believe they might even come to Totsuki next year."
"You even remember the helpers?" Nene asked, surprised.
"Of course. Good cooks know when someone has fire in their eyes." He said with a slight smile. "And cooking, in the end, is just that. A fire that burns nonstop."
Nene looked at Damian with curious eyes, still processing the story about the trattoria in Florence. There was something in his nostalgic way of speaking that made her want to know more — more about him, what he had seen, who he was.
"Damian-kun..." she said hesitantly. "You said you went with your grandfather on that trip... Can I ask something?"
He raised an eyebrow but kept smiling.
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Who was... your grandfather?"
Damian let out a soft laugh, but his smile softened, taking on a more sentimental air.
"Actually... he wasn't really my grandfather. He was my adoptive father."
"So... why did you call him grandfather?"
"Because he was stubborn." Damian answered with a muffled laugh. "From the beginning, he insisted that 'father' didn't suit him, saying he was too old to be anyone's father. He was about fifty when he adopted me. A bit of a grump, but with a... strong heart. In the end, I ended up calling him grandpa anyway."
Nene leaned back in her chair, listening attentively. The way Damian spoke was different from before. There was warmth in every word. Respect. And a touch of nostalgia.
"And how did you meet him?"
Damian crossed his arms, looking out the window. The orange light of sunset tinged his face.
"It was a little over ten years ago. I was living on the streets of Naples, in southern Italy. A lively city, but full of shadows. I was just another nameless kid trying to survive. I slept wherever I could, took whatever I could get. Theft, petty crimes... anything to eat and avoid freezing on the cold nights."
Nene covered her mouth with her hand, surprised. She never expected Damian to be an orphan, let alone have lived on the streets, but she didn't interrupt.
"For a while, I started hanging out with a tough crowd. Gangs. Typical of someone with nowhere else to turn. But... even in that chaos, I had one friend. Haruto Shiobana. A kid a little younger than me, with a depressed air around him, but with a strange light in his eyes. He seemed out of place there... like he was from another world."
"You got along with him?"
"In a strange way, yeah." Damian replied, smiling. "I don't know why, but I felt like I had to protect him. It was like... instinct."
Damian paused, as if seeing the past reflected in the surface of the table.
"One day, while we were walking through alleys, we found a man lying in a bush. Injured. Bleeding. He must've taken four or five shots. He shouldn't have been alive."
"My God..." Nene whispered.
"We didn't even have time to think. Seconds later, armed men appeared. They were looking for him. They wanted to kill him. Haruto and I... lied. We said he had fled down another street. They believed us and left."
"And what happened to the man?"
"A few days later, he showed up. With a smile on his face, standing up and in one piece. It was like he had come back from the dead. And then, out of nowhere, he said he wanted to adopt me. I thought it was some kind of joke. But he was serious."
"He... wanted to take care of you?"
"And Haruto. He never said it out loud, but I know. He didn't just choose me. He wanted to protect both of us. That man was Arthur Gray."
Nene lowered her gaze for a moment, moved.
"Was he the one who taught you how to cook?"
"Yeah. He showed me what discipline was. What passion was. He said the kitchen was a battlefield, but also a home — a place where you create, protect, and live. He was the one who introduced me to the art of cooking, gave me a new life, and pushed me to where I am now."
She swallowed hard, then asked, almost in a whisper:
"And where is he now?"
Damian was silent for a few seconds, his gaze lost in some distant point.
"Before I joined Tōtsuki... he disappeared. No note, no trace. He just vanished. I don't know if it was his choice, or if someone did it for him. But..." Damian took a deep breath. "Wherever he is, I know he's still looking out for me. In his own way."
Nene didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she spoke with a soft, almost gentle voice:
"You miss him, don't you?"
Damian simply smiled. One of those smiles that hides more than it reveals.
"Every day."
Damian let out a soft sigh, like someone who had just opened an old drawer they hadn't remembered existed.
"Funny..." he said, resting his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers. "I don't know why I said so much."
Nene looked up, curious.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged with a light smile.
"Normally, I don't open up like this. Especially not about the past. It's not the kind of thing I usually tell people, you know? But... with you here, I guess I felt... relaxed."
Nene fell silent, surprised by the sudden sincerity. The air between them felt lighter now — almost intimate. She tried to respond, but her cheeks were already tinged with a visible pink.
Damian ran his hand through his hair, a little awkwardly.
"Maybe it's the atmosphere... Or maybe you have this kind of aura that makes us drop our guard without even realizing it."
"W-what? Aura?!"
"Yeah. Like... a calmness that's contagious. Or maybe it's just your grumpy face that distracts us," he added with a teasing smile.
"Hmph! You turn back into the idiot you always are, huh?"
"Of course. Can't keep the serious mood for too long. I might end up ruining my reputation," he said, chuckling softly.
Nene shook her head but smiled as well. For some reason, his words had left her chest warm — like a freshly served dish still releasing steam.
"Thanks for trusting me, Damian-kun..."
He looked at her for a moment, surprised by the gentleness in her words.
"I don't know if it was trust... or just stupidity," he said, trying to lighten the mood again. "But... you're welcome."
After a moment, he grabbed the chopsticks and started eating naturally, returning to his unconcerned tone:
"Look... hot food, nice company... all we're missing now is a dessert."
Nene averted her gaze, trying to hide her blush.
"Hmph..."
"But you're eating very little, huh?" he commented, observing her.
"Yeah... I always eat like this..."
Damian tilted his head as if analyzing a culinary puzzle.
"Interesting... with this portion size, you probably wouldn't be able to lift a wooden spoon bigger than your arm."
"H-huh?! Of course, I can!"
"Ah, sure. Keep fooling me, I like it," he teased, with a light smile.
"Are you calling me weak?!"
"No, no. Delicate. It's different." He said, winking.
"Grrr..."
Nene tried to focus on her food, but she couldn't stop letting out discreet sighs.
"By the way," Damian continued with the same teasing tone.
"If you keep eating so little, you'll disappear. Ever thought about that? One day I turn to the side and you'll just vanish from the chair."
"Y-you talk too much..."
She tried to hide her laugh, but a "pfft" escaped along with a slight choke right after.
"Cough, cough..."
"See? Even your laugh is light." He commented, laughing too.
"But I'm glad to see you more relaxed."
"I... thank you, Damian-kun. You always say things that cheer me up..."
"Cheer you up? I thought I annoyed you at least..."
She fell silent, her eyes focused on the plate.
Damian then said sincerely:
"You know, talking is easy. But being present and sharing time with someone... that says more than any pretty speech."
Nene, moved, murmured:
"You... do you really think you got this far just with effort?"
"Not just with effort. I also have an amazing talent." He replied, puffing out his chest with exaggerated pride.
"Tch... arrogant."
"Yeah, but an arrogant guy who cooks better than most people out there."
She rolled her eyes.
"And how exactly do you train, Mr. Genius?"
"Oh, that's simple." He said in an unusually serious tone.
"I just keep climbing and don't stop until I reach the top."
Nene looked at him for a moment, impressed by the confidence. It was strange how this carefree and direct side of him also conveyed a strength that... shone. And left her a bit dizzy.
"By the way," Damian said, returning to a light tone.
"You better sleep early tonight."
"Why?"
"I smell a surprise evaluation in the air. If you don't sleep well, you'll end up looking like a panda the next day."
"O-dark circles?! You're saying I look like a panda?!"
"Not yet... but if you want, I can buy you a black band for your eyes, just to match."
"You're impossible!"
"Hahaha! Okay, okay. Let's eat already. If we're late, people will say we're a couple and were secretly dating."
"W-what?! Don't say nonsense!!"
"I'm just saying what people will say..." He murmured with a mischievous smile.
"Hmph!"
---
Meanwhile, outside the gates of Tōtsuki Academy, a blonde figure was waiting. Suddenly, a car stopped, and a girl with pink hair emerged, carrying a box.
"Erina-sama! I brought your clothes, as you asked. Everything's ready. We can go anytime."
"Great, Hisako. Good job."
"It's my duty! But... I think we missed the dormitory dinner."
Erina gave a small smile.
"No problem. I wasn't in the mood to eat what they served. I can use the kitchen at Totsuki Resort. By the way, Hisako, I heard you created a new dish."
Hisako blushed but nodded.
"Hm... then I want to try it," Erina said, excited.
"E-Erina-sama?!"
"Calm down, I'm just excited. I always expect a lot from your cooking."
"Yes!"
In the car, as they left, Erina looked out the window.
"You know, I have no idea how many first-year students are qualified to join the Council of Ten..."
"And if you challenge one of them for a seat, it will be one less seat."
"Yes. The tenth seat is just the beginning. But by the last year... the first place will be mine."
"Now let's go. I don't want to miss the start of the surprise evaluation."
"Yes, Erina-sama!"
Erina then murmured thoughtfully:
"Hisako... I wonder what kind of dish Damian-senpai will prepare?"
"I don't know... but if even Chapelle-sensei praised him, it must be something incredible."
"Hm... I hope it's something as surprising as he is."
Hisako blinked, surprised.
"Huh?"
"Nothing... let's go."
---
(End of the chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉