At Totsuki Culinary Academy, the famous Polar Star Dorm is home to genius and eccentric chefs as always. One day, Soma Yukihira is given a shock by the dorm matron, Fumio Daimido. A master of tea ceremony with a terrifying temper when angered, she declares, 'Room inspections in one week! If your room is dirty, a ten-book report without question!' Soma thinks he's safe, until Satoshi Isshiki peeks into his room and says, 'I can't see your floor.' Panicking, Soma tries to clean up but discovers a
Polar Star Dorm: Today is Peaceful… Right?! - Polar Star Dorm: Smiles at the Exam Results Announcement
Morning sunlight streamed through the window.
Golden light slid slowly across the polished floor. Where broken cooking tools and mysterious canned goods had piled up just yesterday, a crisp rectangle of light now fell clean and sharp.
The room was utterly silent.
Souma Yukihira stood with his back straight. He gripped the white cloth he always wore around his left arm, squeezing it tight. Beside him, Megumi Tadokoro trembled faintly, her hands clasped in front of her chest. Her fingertips dug into the hem of her uniform.
"…It's fine, Tadokoro."
Souma murmured under his breath.
"Y-yes… but my heart's pounding…"
Megumi's voice was as thin as a mosquito's whine.
At the room's entrance, Erina Nakiri stood with her arms crossed. Her waist-length blonde hair shimmered gold, backlit by the morning sun. Her violet eyes were open just a fraction wider than usual. A sure sign of nerves.
"Hmph… it's not as if I have any reason to be nervous. The one who did the cleaning is that idiot over there, after all."
Erina said this and turned sharply away. But the tension in her folded arms was obvious. Her fingertips pressed hard into her own biceps.
"Oh, but Erina-oneesama, you've been shaking your leg nonstop this whole time!"
Alice bounced up and down, peering into Erina's face. Her fluffy platinum-blonde curls swayed gently with every hop.
"I have not!!"
"You have! It's in the data! Forty-seven times per minute!"
"Don't count it!!"
Erina's voice cracked. Megumi couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Drawn by that laugh, the air in the room softened just a little.
—Knock, knock.
The sound of a knock echoed.
Instantly, everyone froze.
"I'm coming in."
Along with a quiet voice, the door slowly opened.
Standing there was Fumio Oomido, the dorm mother of Polar Star Dorm. Her short, graying hair was tied back in a small bun, and her posture was perfectly straight. A bamboo broom in her hand. Her usual appearance.
But her eyes — usually narrow and gentle — were different today.
The moment she entered the room, her eyes widened. A sharp gaze swept from corner to corner.
"…Hoh."
Fumio said only that, then slowly stepped further into the room. One step. Another. Only her footsteps sounded strangely loud.
Souma and the others held their breath, watching her back.
First, Fumio ran a finger along the window frame. She stared at her fingertip, then nodded. Next, she crouched in front of the cupboard. She reached deep inside and traced the very back corner with her finger.
"Hmm."
Fumio's temple twitched.
(*Crap.*)
Souma muttered in his mind. That was a sign of incoming rage.
Fumio slowly turned around. In her hand, she held a single *fundoshi*. Pure white, never used — a brand-new *fundoshi*.
"Souma Yukihira."
"Y-yes!"
Souma's voice cracked.
"What is this?"
"Uh… well, that's…"
"Ah, that's my *fundoshi*!"
Before anyone knew it, Isshiki was standing in the corner of the room. In his usual *fundoshi*-only attire. Leaning against the wall, grinning.
"It's an unused one. I accidentally left it behind while helping Souma-kun clean."
Fumio slowly turned to face Isshiki.
"Satoshi Isshiki. Why is your *fundoshi* emerging from the back of Souma Yukihira's cupboard?"
"You see, Fumio-san, Souma-kun's room was so messy I couldn't fit anything else in my own room, so I borrowed a little space."
Silence.
Fumio's temple twitched even more.
"Borrowing a little space means hiding your *fundoshi* in someone else's room?!"
"I didn't hide it. I asked him to store it for me!"
Isshiki grinned without a trace of guilt. Fumio let out a heavy sigh. Then she stared intently at the *fundoshi* in her hand.
A long silence.
Souma's heart pounded like it was hammering against a wall. Megumi had gone completely pale, trembling faintly. Erina remained frozen. Only Alice was filming the scene with her smartphone, looking thoroughly entertained.
Fumio raised her head.
"…Heh."
She laughed.
Fumio's face had returned to that of a gentle grandmother.
"Goodness, you kids. You really are Polar Star Dorm residents, through and through."
"…Huh?"
"You pass. You did well, Souma."
The strength drained out of him.
Souma collapsed on the spot.
"We did it… we did it!!"
"Th-thank goodness… really…"
Megumi sank to the floor, covering her face with both hands. Tears spilled through the gaps between her fingers.
Erina leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh.
"…Well, it's only natural. After all that cleaning."
Her voice was different from her usual haughty tone. There was a gentle warmth mixed in.
"The experiment was a huge success! The data's perfect! I got footage of Erina-oneesama getting angry, laughing, and showing all kinds of expressions!"
"I will make you delete every last bit of that data later!!"
Alice hopped away. Erina chased after her. The two ran circles around the room.
"Now, now, no running."
Fumio gently scolded them. But her lips were smiling.
Souma lay sprawled on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
(*It's over.*)
A long week. Battling the stench, freezing up over secret documents, despairing at Alice's revelations — and then everyone pulling together to clean it all up.
"…Thanks, everyone."
Souma murmured.
"Huh?"
"If you guys hadn't been here, there's no way I could've done it alone."
Souma sat up and scratched his head vigorously. Then he looked around the room again. The gleaming floor. The neatly organized shelves. The morning sun streaming through the window.
"Well, I'll keep it clean from now on, Fumio-san."
"…Is that true?"
Fumio stared straight into Souma's eyes.
"Probably! Won't know till I try!"
"…I find that hard to believe."
Fumio said this and waved the *fundoshi* in her hand back and forth.
"But still, you did well. I'll hold onto this."
"Wait, what are you going to do with that?"
"I'll display it in the living room."
"Huh?"
"It's a new Polar Star Dorm tradition. Satoshi Isshiki's unused *fundoshi*. As a charm to protect the dorm's peace."
Fumio smiled warmly.
"As expected of Fumio-san! A brilliant idea!"
"It is not!! Why are you so happy about this?!"
"Because my *fundoshi* will go down in Polar Star Dorm history! Isn't that an honor?!"
"…I don't even know what's going on anymore…"
Megumi was laughing and crying at the same time. Wiping away tears, her face crumpled into a smile.
"Come now, everyone. To the living room. It's time for the *Fundoshi* Enshrinement Ceremony."
Fumio said this, then left the room with her broom in one hand and the *fundoshi* cradled carefully in the other. Isshiki followed proudly behind her.
"What is with those two…!"
"They're such an interesting combo! I want to do a joint research project on Isshiki-senpai and Fumio-san!"
"Don't you dare!!"
Erina yanked Alice's hand. Alice bounced happily again.
Souma and Megumi were left behind in the room.
"…Here."
Souma pulled a small hairpin from his pocket. Flower-shaped — Megumi's treasured possession.
"Ah…"
"Sorry about that. Leaving something so important to you lying around in a place like this."
Megumi accepted the hairpin with both hands. Her fingertips trembled just a little.
"…No. I'm the one who should apologize. I wasn't much help with the cleaning."
"What're you talking about? Having you here was a huge help. Thanks."
Megumi looked down. Her black hair fell softly, hiding her expression. But the tips of her ears were faintly red.
"…Through cleaning, I got to see how kind you are, Yukihira-kun…"
"Huh?"
"…No, it's nothing! Let's go, to the living room!"
Megumi dashed off, her face bright red. Souma stared blankly at her retreating back.
"…What was that about?"
Watching this scene secretly from the shadow of the hallway was a single figure.
Erina.
"…Honestly."
She let out a small sigh, then slowly walked toward the living room.
---
In the living room, the *Fundoshi* Enshrinement Ceremony was being conducted with solemn dignity.
On the most prominent spot on the wall, a glass frame had been hung. Inside, Isshiki's pure white *fundoshi* was displayed like a high-class hanging scroll.
"With this, the peace of Polar Star Dorm is protected."
"To think my *fundoshi* held such power. It's deeply moving."
Isshiki nodded approvingly at the wall where his *fundoshi* was displayed.
"…Um, Fumio-san. Are you serious about this?"
"Quite serious. Or, Erina-san — do you not care about the peace of Polar Star Dorm?"
"…I-I didn't say that. Fine. Whatever."
Erina's shoulders slumped in defeat.
Alice stood in front of the frame, aiming her camera with a serious expression.
"This will be invaluable research material. The moment Isshiki-senpai's *fundoshi* was certified as Polar Star Dorm's guardian deity!"
"Guardian deity! What a wonderful ring to it!"
"…I've laughed so much my stomach hurts…"
Megumi clutched her stomach, laughing. She had been crying just moments ago, and now she was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face.
Watching everyone, Souma's lips relaxed into a grin.
"…This is getting interesting."
---
The enshrinement ceremony ended, and Fumio served tea.
Everyone sat gathered around the large living room table. The steam rising from the teacups shimmered, translucent in the light from the window.
"Still, this experiment was truly fascinating. Seven types of Erina-oneesama's angry face, three types of smiles, two types of embarrassed faces!"
"I told you, delete that data!!"
"What a waste! This is data valuable enough to write a paper on!"
"A paper?! Where exactly do you intend to publish it?!"
Laughter erupted again at their exchange.
Amidst it all, Isshiki slowly stood up.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Isshiki said this and pulled a single envelope from his pocket. The envelope containing those top-secret documents from the Elite Ten meeting.
"…What are you going to do with those documents?"
Souma asked, lowering his voice.
"Not worrying about the details — that's the Polar Star Dorm way."
Isshiki smiled as usual. But his eyes were serious.
"But those are—"
Erina started to say something, then met Isshiki's gaze and fell silent. It was a cold, icy look — unimaginable from the usual *fundoshi* man.
Isshiki quietly tucked the envelope back into his pocket and left the living room.
Souma stared intently at his back.
(*Where did he get copies of those documents? And why did he hide them in my room?*)
A mystery too big to be just one of Alice's pranks.
But if Isshiki said not to worry about it — maybe that was fine for now.
(*I just have to do what I have to do.*)
Souma thought.
Fighting through cooking. That was his role here at Tootsuki Academy.
"Souma-kun, what's your next assignment again?"
"Huh? Oh, a new practical starts Monday. Apparently, we're drilling the basics of French cuisine hardcore."
"French cuisine! That's Erina-oneesama's specialty!"
"…I didn't say I would teach you."
Erina looked away. But the corners of her lips softened just a little.
"This is getting interesting again."
Souma stood up.
Outside the window, the morning sun had risen high. He could see dorm residents hanging laundry. Birds were singing. From somewhere in the distance came the sound of someone sharpening a knife — a light, rhythmic *clink, clink, clink*.
The usual Polar Star Dorm morning.
But the room was clean. Their bonds had deepened. A slightly unsettling mystery remained — but that, too, was business as usual.
"Alright, I'm starving. Let's make something."
The moment Souma said that, everyone looked up at once.
"Ah, then I'll help too."
"I suppose I could deign to eat it. I am tired from all that cleaning."
"Experiment continuation! I need to collect data on Souma-kun's cooking too!"
Laughter echoed through the living room again.
On the wall, the pure white *fundoshi* hung like a flag.
Today, too, Polar Star Dorm is at peace.
Probably.
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