Dragon Ball: Saiyan's Culinary Journey Through the Heavens

Chapter 1003 Which side will you choose?

A week later, all the first-year students at Totsuki Academy received a booklet about their joint training camp. It featured promotional phrases such as "Friendship and Exchange," "Residential Training," "Training Guide," and "Creating More Wonderful Memories Together," and included a cute cartoon illustration of a person and a dog dressed as chefs.

But in reality, this is the ticket to a brutal, elimination-filled hellish exam, and it cannot be refused. After receiving the booklet, and with three days of preparation before the start of the training camp, the Polaris Dormitory staff handed over their part-time jobs at the night market stalls.

"Gentlemen, I hope you will all return qualified."

Isshiki Satoshi stripped down to his underwear and saw everyone off at the entrance of the Polar Star Dormitory on the day of the training camp.

"Don't worry, Isshiki-senpai, we will definitely return qualified."

Yoshino Yuuki replied.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you fail, you can still be the owner of a stall at the Polaris Dormitory Night Market in the future."

The blonde girl with her hair in a bun stumbled and almost fell over.

"Oh right, I can also be the owner of a night market stall."

"Xiaohui, calm down. Don't assume you'll fail and be eliminated just because there's no exam yet!"

The group, noisy and carrying their belongings, headed towards the meeting point for the school training camp.

Upon arrival at the meeting point, dozens of luxury buses were already waiting there.

"Broly, over here."

Mito Ikumi peered out from the entrance and waved to Broly when she saw him.

"Yu Mei, what are you doing here?"

Broly walked over and asked, puzzled.

"Of course we've been waiting for you. Come on, Lady Erina has arranged a seat for you on the bus, right next to me. I'll take you there now."

Mito Ikumi was very enthusiastic. Ever since that night when she was given a teddy bear and heard Broly say that she also had the right to choose what she liked, she had taken a lot of interest in this tall and strong Saiyan boy and had been going to the Sixth Restaurant very frequently these days.

Occasionally, after Erina finished instructing Broly on cooking, she would go in and instruct Broly on some meat handling techniques.

After a while, Mito Ikumi became Broly's second most intimate target in this world, after Tadokoro Megumi.

"Well----"

However, Broly hesitated in the face of her enthusiasm.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that Broly hadn't followed, Mito Ikumi turned back to look at him in confusion.

"I had arranged to sit with her."

Broly glanced at the girl with braided hair beside him and then answered Mito Ikumi's question.

Mito Ikumi narrowed her eyes, and Tadokoro Megumi, who was in a state of anxiety, also came to her senses. Facing Mito Ikumi's scrutinizing gaze, she subconsciously shrank behind Broly, her hand also instinctively grabbing the boy's clothes, and cautiously peeking back at her.

The timid little girl's shyness towards strangers unexpectedly has an adorable, hamster-like charm, making her someone you can't help but want to protect.

Mito Ikumi was wary, but considering that she and Broly didn't have any relationship beyond friendship, she thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "And who is this?"

"Tadokoro Megumi, my roommate in the same dormitory building."

Broly introduces the girl next to him.

"Hello, Mito-san."

Tadokoro Megumi greeted them cautiously.

"Do you know me?"

"Yes, you were always at the top of your class in middle school, and you never got a grade lower than an A when it came to meat dishes. You're quite the celebrity. Plus, you even ate at our Polaris Dormitory night market stall last time, so we know each other."

Tadokoro Megumi nodded.

"So you were here last time too—"

Megumi Tadokoro, a top-ranked meat cooking genius, can remember her, but conversely, Ikumi Mito can't remember the country girl with braids who was the worst student she ever met.

"I'm sorry, I don't really remember people who cook vegetables."

Mito Ikumi clearly remembered.

"By the way, you probably don't mind if I borrow your seatmate, right?"

She walked over, hooked her arm around Broly's, and pulled him close to her chest before asking.

It looked like a predatory beast threatening a little lamb.

Wait, why is there a scene where they're trying to snatch someone away right in front of you?

Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko exchanged a glance. As close friends in the same dormitory building, they couldn't bear to see Tadokoro Megumi being bullied like this, so they immediately came over.

"Excuse me, we already agreed to sit together."

Ryoko Sakaki grabbed Broly's other hand.

"That's right, Miss Mito, you should go back to where you came from."

Yoshino Yuuki even started pulling people away.

Of course, she was grabbing Broly's hand, trying to pull him away from the hot, delinquent girl.

"And who are you?"

Mito Ikumi raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip on Broly's arm.

"Polar Star Dormitory, Yoshino Yuuki, Master Broly's top swordsmanship apprentice."

"Same as the Polar Star Dormitory, Ryoko Sakaki, Megumi Tadokoro's best friend and confidante."

"Xiao Hui, don't just stand there and watch. Help us pull Broly away from this hot girl and prevent him from getting harassed by delinquent girls."

"No way, who are you calling a delinquent?!"

"I'm talking to you. Your school uniform lining is tied in front of your chest, exposing your belly button, and you're wearing a pretty national flag bra that shows off your chest. You came in here wanting to take away someone from our Polaris Dormitory, borrowed my Xiaohui's seatmate, and bullied my Xiaohui because she's introverted and doesn't talk much. What else is this but a delinquent girl?"

"That's right. In short, as Xiaohui's good friends, we won't just sit idly by and watch this happen."

"Damn it, this is just my personal style of dressing, not some kind of delinquent. Besides, although Broly is from your Polar Star Dormitory, isn't he also a member of our Sixth Culinary Building? It's only natural for me to take him with me."

"Don't even think about taking it away."

"I'm taking it with me."

"Waaah————"

Mito Ikumi was on the left, Yoshino Yuuki and the others were on the right. Each of them was holding Broly's hand, and they were baring their teeth at each other across the Saiyan boy, just like cats fighting for territory.

"What on earth is Mito doing?"

Not far away, Erina Nakiri saw what was happening and couldn't help but hold her forehead.

[It looks like a battleground—]

Hisako Shinto thought to herself.

"Mito, I told you to bring your men here, what are you dawdling about?"

As the bus started picking up passengers, Erina Nakiri walked over and asked.

"Lady Erina, I want to take Broly with me, but those guys from the Polar Star Dormitory are unwilling to let him go."

"Bullshit, you're clearly trying to steal him."

"That's right, Broly said he already has a commitment."

"I borrowed it from her, not from you, so why are you in such a hurry?"

Mito Ikumi stared wide-eyed at Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko.

"I—did not agree."

Although Tadokoro Megumi is somewhat introverted, her good friends are all helping her, and she hasn't let them down at this crucial moment.

Looking at the girl cowering behind the boy, exuding an overwhelming sense of fragility, Erina Nakiri felt a little annoyed. Raising an eyebrow, she said to Ikumi Mito, "Why are you asking others? Just ask Broly. As long as he's willing, what business is it of anyone else's?"

"Well----"

Mito Ikumi shrank back as she was being scolded.

"So, Broly, what do you mean?"

Erina Nakiri stared at the Saiyan boy.

"What I mean is, let's all sit together."

Although Broly was pulled from both sides and couldn't be moved, it made it difficult for him to speak. Now that Erina is here, it has given him a chance to speak.

"Sit together? You dare to dream of that? The seats on the bus are all arranged in advance. It was only because Lady Erina used the power of the Elite Ten that she was able to invite you to sit with us."

Hisako Shinto said.

"But they didn't notify me beforehand, and I had already arranged to sit with them."

Broly was a little embarrassed. After the three-day preparation period following the distribution of the camp handbook, the seating arrangements could be filled out by the teachers.

During this time, when he went to the Sixth Restaurant to learn new dishes, no one told him about it. Broly thought that Erina Nakiri and the others didn't want him to sit with them. Considering that Megumi Tadokoro was a little insecure and needed company, he didn't pay much attention to it. He never expected it to turn out like this.

"Now that you've been notified, just tell me who you'd like to sit with."

Erina Nakiri crossed her arms and said that when she was arranging the seating for the bus, she forgot to include Broly. It wasn't until today, when Ikumi Mito asked where Broly would be sitting, that she remembered and made the last-minute arrangement.

It was supposed to be a casual matter—arranging for our own people to sit on the same bus—but now…

Erina Nakiri wanted to see which side Broly would choose: his own side at the Sixth Cuisine Building, or the other side at the Polar Star Dormitory.

In a sense, this can be considered as Broly taking a side, but it's not easy to choose between the two sides. Choosing Nakiri Erina's side would probably make Tadokoro Megumi feel disappointed and sad, while choosing Tadokoro Megumi's side would probably anger Nakiri Erina, a tsundere girl who is not very shrewd either.

Logically speaking, when faced with two equally unfavorable outcomes, sacrificing the happiness of just one person, Hira, seems more cost-effective than sacrificing the happiness of three.

However, letting the honest people among his targets suffer is not Broly's way of doing things. Faced with the dilemma of how to have it all, he chose the option of being neither unfaithful to Buddha nor to his lover.

"What's so difficult about the seating? I'll just go talk to the students on the bus you're on, Ms. Erina."

Broly pulled his hands away from the people on both sides and boarded the bus where Erina was sitting. He then had a friendly discussion with the students sitting around Erina.

Unsurprisingly, faced with Broly, who was 2.23 meters tall and looked like a bear, these people very understandingly offered to switch cars and seats.

"Thank you, these drinks are on the house."

Broly kindly helped them carry their luggage and gave each of them a drink as a token of his gratitude.

Of course, since the bus has two rows of seats, it seems that another dispute is about to arise over which side Broly should sit on and with whom.

Fortunately, there were two empty seats on the bus, and Broly, knowing his larger size required two seats, chose to sit alone.

To avoid conflict, Erina Nakiri arranged for Hisako Shinoto and Ikumi Mito to sit together, while she herself sat with Megumi Tadokoro.

She intended to ask about the specifics of the other person's relationship with Broly, but Erina Nakiri noticed that Megumi Tadokoro was very nervous, so she asked, "What are you nervous about?"

"Ah, sitting with someone as great as you, one of the Ten Outstanding Figures, is naturally nerve-wracking for someone as insignificant as me."

Tadokoro Megumi answered honestly.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not going to eat you."

Seeing Tadokoro Megumi's attitude, Nakiri Erina felt relieved.

How should I put it? People who are extremely respectful to you are unlikely to become your rivals.

Without competition, there is naturally no conflict.

"Yes."

Hearing Erina Nakiri say this, Megumi Tadokoro was also relieved.

"Erina-sensei, Tadokoro is actually a very good cook, but she always lacks confidence. She's been very nervous lately because of the training camp. Do you have any ideas on how to ease her anxiety?"

Broly, who was sitting to the side, suddenly spoke to Erina Nakiri when he saw this.

"You're a great cook, but you're nervous about the training camp?"

Erina Nakiri raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Um."

Tadokoro Megumi nodded.

"Is there something wrong with you?"

"Ah, no—"

"Then why are you so nervous?"

"Uh, I heard that the dropout rate for the training camp is very high. In previous years, not even half of the students passed. I'm worried that I will be eliminated as well."

"Huh? Only those without strength will be eliminated. Only those with strength can't be eliminated. If you have strength, how could you possibly be eliminated? Unless, you don't have strength at all."

"Tian has the skills; her kiribune is delicious, no worse than the dishes I've made for you to try, I can guarantee that."

Broly said from the side.

"In that case, you don't need to be nervous."

"Ke Shi lacks confidence—"

"Shut up. I've eaten Broly's cooking before. If your cooking is on par with the dishes he made for me, at least under normal circumstances, you'll most likely not be eliminated. That's what I said."

"Is that so?!"

"You don't believe in the world?"

"No, Shixin."

Tadokoro Megumi quickly waved her hand and nodded, her tension visibly subsiding.

Indeed, the words of authoritative figures are more effective than those of ordinary people.

Upon seeing this, Broly thought to himself.

"Lady Erina————"

"Um?"

Erina Nakiri looked at Megumi Tadokoro with a puzzled expression.

"You seem more approachable than I've heard."

Tadokoro Megumi blurted out what was on her mind.

"Are you saying that Shi is a difficult person to approach according to rumors?"

Erina Nakiri raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, no, what does 'world' mean—"

Once she realized what was happening, Megumi Tadokoro hurriedly tried to explain, but she was too nervous to speak coherently.

"Well, you are indeed terrifying in the rumors. You are the granddaughter of the Food Demon King, with the tongue of God. You can ruin the future of a professional chef or a restaurant with just one word."

Chefs or restaurants that you give bad reviews to usually don't last long in this industry; they either quit or go out of business—it's practically a career death.

Yoshino Yuuki peeked out from behind and explained to Tadokoro Megumi the outside world's impression of Nakiri Erina.

"Hmph, the world is just stricter on the culinary thief path. It's not me who makes it impossible for some professional chefs to continue working or causes some restaurants to go bankrupt."

It's not that those guys are incompetent; I'm just stating the facts. I don't think it's my fault.

"Speaking the truth is fine, but the Nakiri family has a significant influence in the high-end cuisine world. Your negative review of some upscale restaurants can deter many people from patronizing them."

Strictly speaking, Erina Nakiri's evaluation can only influence the mid-to-high-end cuisine class, but most chefs want to do business in the mid-to-high-end cuisine class.

"So, you're trying to criticize the world for being overly harsh on those who can't cook well or those shops?"

"No, Shi is just speaking for Xiaohui about the impression people have of you."

Yoshino Yuuki sat back down.

"Food is food, and people are people. I think I'm usually quite easy to get along with."

Erina Nakiri said shamelessly.

"This world can prove it."

Broly, who also had no sense of humor, raised his hand to testify on his behalf.

[To this day, Lady Erina has no other friends besides those who have passed away. Does that mean she's easy to get along with?]

Hisako Niito frowned as she pondered.