「 Black Beef Rendang 」

( Third Person POV )

When the other students are looking at the recipe given by Miyazato-sensei on the blackboard in front of the class, Akira is busy doing his own thing, looking around for the ingredients that he need in the storage at the back of the class.

'Hmm ... Not here, sheesh ~ of course it's not here, after all its rarely or even never used in Japan, I should've been know that. '

Akira thought as he sighed, because the item he was looking for is not here.

Its called Cobek and its a tool to crushing and grinding traditional spices, its basically a mortar and pestle but with flatter base.

" Well there is no time to be picky, I think I'd just use a basic mortar and pestle although the result would be a little bit different, but they're basically the same thing so i though that would works too."

Akira muttered as he took the mortar and pestle and start to grind the spices that he will be use as the marinate.

Suddenly someone approached him, it was the purple-haired girl, Akira's partner, this girl is Hojo Miyoko, one of the 92nd generation Totsuki students.

She looks curious about what Akira is doing. Hojo then asked Akira who was preparing for the ingredients.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Akira just gave her a " Can't you see what i'm doing?" looks.

" You are here at the right time, bring this to our table." Akira said, handing over the ingredients he had collected to Hojo.

" What are you planning to do? You haven't even take a look at the recipe, let me take a lead and-."

But before Hojo can finish her words, Akira immediately cut it off.

"You want to take a lead? Don't fuck with me, you just know what is Rendang today, don't you? "

"..."

" I don't need to see the recipe because I already know, so just listen to what i say and follow my order." Akira said arrogantly with an insulting tone.

Hojo who heard that clenched her fists, her eyes darkened before she opened her mouth furiously.

"You man dare to order me? Don't ever-" Hojo who haven't even finished her words was again cut off by Akira who had walked past her.

"Is that even important? Gender in the kitchen? Erase your old-fashioned mind, shouldn't you be the one who understands that the most? Ability is everything, I am the one who knows better than you so of course that would've been make sense if i'm the who take a lead. How can a chef who doesn't even know how to cook the dish want to take the lead in the kitchen?"

Hojo fell silent because everything that Akira said is nothing but facts.

" If you want to protest, then prove it by your ability as a chef, stop whining around like a bitch around me." Akira said to Hojo, not holding back even a word as he began to compile the ingredients at the table and ready to cook the dish.

___________________

( Hojo POV )

I am Hojo Miyoko born as a woman and I don't like how society preceive that being a woman means you are below man especially in culinary world.

We are always underestimated by the man wherever we are, i know that from my own experience, I inherited the Hojoro Restaurant, my family business that has been established for more than 50 years, from my father.

But the chefs that worked in the restaurant opposed my father's decision. They think that i'm not good enough to continuing his business just because i was born as a woman. After that, i was forced to go to Totsuki culinary school, but till this very day, i still promised to reclaim that position from him. And for that to happen i need to prove myself here.

I entered the Totsuki academy, and this was my first class in the first year of high school, I got a partner who is a transfer student, when i first saw him, he was like a weak guy with a naive smile on his face. His speech in the opening ceremony is interesting but i still dont like a weak guy like him.

Today we got a menu that I don't know at all, Rendang? Is there such food on this earth? I don't even know that.

When I'm looking at the recipe in front of the class, I noticed that the transfer student was not there, so I tried to look back, and i saw him tweaking the cupboard.

'What is this guy doing?' I thought in an instant.

My curiosity peaked and I decided to approached him, but he dare to give me an order, at that moment I was furious, i want to angry at him but his last words stopped me for doing so.

He is right, gender doesn't matter in the kitchen. My hypocrisy about that matter has blinded me for that fact, maybe inferiority complex? I dont know.

' Heh... what am i doing? ' i thought, smiled bitterly.

_________________

( Third Person POV )

Akira who still grinding the spices suddenly approached by Hojo, the angry face has dissapear. That was quick.

"Sorry for being Impulsive, just now." Hojo apologized with a slight bow and regret.

"Whatever, just follow my instructions." Akira said.

"Okay," Hojo answered with a smile this time.

Akira who saw it frowned slightly and thought.

' Earlier she didn't want to be ordred at all, now she easily agreed to my words, woman is such a complicated being. 'Akira thought with a deep thought. Still working on his own.

"Oi, cut the meat into small pieces and then rub it with the pineapple juice, don't overdo it, just a light smear." Akira said while putting all the spices he had grind before such as garlic, shallot, red chili, ginger, and black pepper into a bowl. The mixed spices now looks like a rough paste.

"Not Oi, I also have a name. My name is Hojo Miyoko, you can call me Miyoko." Hojo said, still carried out Akira's instructions.

"Then Miyoko, if you have finished with the meat, put those meat into the pot along with this spice mixture, then give it a little bit of water, and cook it up on a low heat, I'll prepare the other additives. "

She nodded.

" Oh, and also take the coconut milk provided by the old Miyazoto here." Akira said.

Miyoko nodded and just doing what Akira told her to do. She put the meat that she had cut into small pieces into the pot and Akira's spices mixture.

Meanwhile, Akira is looking for the special ingredients that he always bring with him in his suitcase in case if he need it.

'Well, then the next ingredient is, galangal, lime leaves, bay leaves, turmeric leaves, cardamom, and lemongrass, and most importantly this one. Akira quite lucky that he brought this before he go to Totsuki.

When Akira still doing the prep for additional spices, he heard Hojo's voice.

"Don't we have to put the coconut milk right now? " Hojo asked while holding the container with coconut milk in it.

"No, not yet, let the meat simmered for another 3 minutes,"

After 3 minutes, Akira then open the lid of his pot and after he checked and confirming that the meat and the heat is right and perfect, he then poured the coconut milk into the pot and added the spices he had prepared before.

After that, the fragrant spices aroma spreaded all over the room.

"Sniff ~ What's this, this smell tickles my nose."

"Hmm ~ This smell is so delicious, where does this come from?"

Akira just smiled arrogantly when he heard all students in the room hypnotized by the aroma that came out of his pot. Even Hojo can't help herself but too melt into it.

Miyazoto who also smelled it made a serious and thoughtful face.

'The smells that came out of that transfer student's pot is very bold and thick, it overcome all the aroma inside this room, i'm not even sure what he put into it to create this aroma. '

"Ryo-kun, it smells so good, it comes from the transfer student dish, do you know what's in it?" Asked the white-haired girl also known as Nakiri Alice, the grandaughter of the director of the Totsuki academy, Nakiri Senzaemon.

But the black-haired guy beside Alice, her assistant, Kurokiba Ryo ignored his "master".

"Ryo-kun?" Alice asked, but Kurokiba still silent and kept staring at Akira with a wide eyes.

'Did the transfer student caught his attention? Interesting... ' Alice thought, smiled amusingly. She still cooking her own beef rendang. But its not a heavy task so she's pretty chill about it.

And then, 2 hours passed and the judging time has come.

The first to advance is the pair Kurokiba and Alice. they both serve a plate of beef rendang that looks like rendang. I don't know how to explain it, it is what it is.

After Miyazoto tasted the food, he smiled happily and spoke to both Alice and Kurokiba.

"Hmmmm~, The meat is melt in your mouth but still have an amazing texture in it, and the odor of the meat is absolutely dissapear. The spices are on point and the marinate is also punch you in the face just exactly how it should be, and it tickles my tongue, what do you add to this rendang?"

Miyazoto asked both of them.

"We add cloves in it," said Alice, smiling.

"Cloves? I see." Said Miyazoto while nodding.

"Yes~ Cloves has a bitter tingling taste in your palate, and is suitable to be combined with this Rendang, besides that, the Essential Oil content of Cloves has Anesthetic and Antimicrobial functions that able to eliminates bad smell in the meat." Alice explained with a smile.

It makes the whole class surprised by the use of cloves except Akira who only smiled.

"This girl is not half bad, Essential Oil in cloves is Eugenol, usually used by dentists to calm the nerves of dental sarag, and also for Japanese people in the past, there is a ritual called Chojiyu, which is the process of treating the surface of the sword using clove oil. But she used it to cook this rendang, maybe she sauteing it beforehand? Thats actually a very interesting way to use cloves' essential oil. " Akira said, it made Hojo gasped.

"You know a lot," Hojo said with a smile.

"Who do you think i am?" Akira said arrogantly which made Hojo smile wryly, during these two hours instructed by Akira, Hojo finally knew what kind of person he actually is, so she already quite used to his cocky attitude, even though it was very annoying at first.

"You get an A." Miyazoto said to Alice, no hesitatipn whatsoever.

"Of course." She said, of course she knows that her and Kurokiba are going to get a straight A. There is no doubt of that.

After that, several students advanced to be judged until its Akira and Hojo's turn.

"Let's go," Akira said as he carried his plate forward, then put it on Miyazoto's table.

He then taking of his band, looking down at Miyazoto with a cold stare and said.

"Behold..."

Miyazoto who saw that widened his eyes.

" This is !!!"

He then stretching his arms.

"Black Beef Rendang, Padangnese Special."