Chapter 36: The Raging Fire of El Fuego

*Huff Huff*

The cooling breeze of late autumn hasn't helped my lungs recover the collective gasps of air my lungs craved badly. From the committee office, I ran as fast as my legs could take me and even with my every effort, I couldn't arrive at the infirmary faster.

'What on earth could have happened? Don't tell me…'

True to my hunch, the moment I slid the clinic door open, the whole crew of El Fuego was inside. Rin was crying her eyes out while Hiroyuki banged the wall with his fist. Marina, sat by the chair beside the bed and William came from behind me to hand out bottles of water to everyone.

"It wouldn't do any good if you guys pass out too." He urged.

"…"

"Come now, he'll get better in no time. We didn't lose to someone who was weak, right Alex?"

I couldn't answer his question. My eyes were fixated on the person lying on the bed. It was Tamaki. His head was covered with bandage with the left side of his head stained with blotches of blood. It was only a few hours ago when he was unstoppable and yet, his unconscious figure showed otherwise.

"Alex-kun!" Rin hugged me desperately. "T-Tamaki-senpai is…"

"Can you explain to me what happened?"

She looked at me with pleading eyes before breaking down into tears once again. Marina closed her eyes and a few seconds later, a streak of tear fell down her cheeks.

"He pushed himself too hard." Marina broke her silence. "Tamaki-senpai always had a frail body ever since but he didn't want to show it to the people around him."

"We took him for granted." Hiroyuki added.

"He suddenly lost consciousness an hour after you left. His left hand was burned by the pan and he banged his head in the table behind him." William finally answered my question.

Tamaki was a worthy opponent and the source of my despair for a good number of days but I would never have wished for something bad happening to him. My heart sank along with everybody else as we stayed silent for an hour.

*Ring*

My phone vibrated once again. I had no idea of who would call me late at night.

"Alex! It is me Taki." Her voice laced with worry. "I am on my way to pick up Tamaki and all of you should better head to your own dormitories before I get there."

"Chef Taki! How can we leave him behind?" I argued. "We'll wait for you to-"

"Tsk! You should know by now that I hate to repeat myself." Her tone changed to annoyance. "You lot still have to run the booth tomorrow. Get some rest and you better handle the booth properly in Tamaki's absence. It takes a lot more to take down a Tsunozaki!"

Harsh as it may sound but she had a point. Tamaki was in no grave danger but morale would still be down. There would be the matter of delegating the workload and the preparation of the new menu that he thought of. Still, it is the rule of Totsuki Academy to brave all of these challenges and obstacles in order to produce results that can only be presented through the finest cuisine.

"Judging by the conversation, I take that it was Taki-senpai." Marina looked up.

"…"

"I have a fair idea of what she told you."

Marina stood up and tapped both Rin and Hiroyuki's shoulder.

"You two, go back to your places and I will do the same. We still have a job to do. I already know what he thought of serving for tomorrow and I assure you that both of you are familiar with what we will serve."

"Senpai…" Rin pleaded.

"You heard the nurse." She insisted. "He looks worse than his actual condition, but he will be fine."

Hiroyuki took off his apron and flung it in his shoulder and Rin picked up her belongings and they walked out together. Marina stood still, confused on what to do next.

"Marina-senpai, Alex and I will close the booth." William tried to comfort her. "It is not in my position to tell you what to do but you are the next in line to lead this group."

"I'll go with you two. I need to stay busy even for just a while."

Her shoulders dropped, carrying a new burden passed unto her. I couldn't find any words to say and so kept my silence until we finished clearing the booth. I saw her in a new light as she continued working. Things would move smoothly if I gave up all of my negative connotations about her. It was time to take the high road and the perfect moment to show my respect.

"Marina… Marina-senpai,"

It felt odd as I forced the honorific to her name.

"Please finalize the menu for tomorrow and we'll have a check on it."

"…"

"Are you crying?" William peeked underneath her covered face.

His question didn't need an answer. She stood still not uttering a single word. It was a terrible night for the Spanish Cuisine Research Society and none of its other members, who worked in different booths, knew what was happening.

"It's going to be okay." I cheered. "You have us in your team now."

"Don't mind me. Make Sure to fill up the gas tanks, okay?"

"Wy on earth did you wake up so late?!"

William ran as fast as he could with me trailing from behind. Cleaning up took longer with just three people and we arrived at the dormitory past midnight. The dark sky and cold chilly air bit into my skin asi lagged behind. Marina sent us a message to meet up at half hour past four in the morning to discuss and do a little practice run for the new menu.

"Let me reiterate my question." He huffed. "How could you sleep soundly after everything that happened last night?"

"What do you expect me to do? I submitted out sales report and had to accompany you and Marina last night!"

"I expect you to run faster!"

The first ray of sunlight hit my sleepy face and I realized that William was correct. We were already pretty late for the practice session.

Gasping for the cold air, we stopped in front of El Fuego where Rin, Hiroyuki and Marina were already cooking. It was amazing to witness the intensity of their focus. Marina took over Tamaki's role as expected while Rin and Hiroyuki provided support in prep and cooking the new dishes.

"You two! How dare you arrive late?"

"Alex here had a really nice nap. He wouldn't budge!"

"Whatever!" she snapped. "There are already three plates there. Taste those and be ready to cook it. We will have a rotation depending on the situation. Just like the Regiment de Cuisine."

She was no longer speaking specifically to William and me, but to all of us. It worried me that she proposed the style of teamwork to be the same as a Team Shokugeki. I am sure that their cohesiveness as a unit would allow them to cook in such a pace but if William or I delay any part of the process then the whole system would break

Pushing the thought aside, the fourth dish was placed in front of us. We grabbed the nearest spoon and tasted the first dish. Using the same technique as Tamaki's Seafood Caldereta, the fried shrimp shined in front of us like a jewel under a spotlight displayed in a museum. It was evident that the appetizer was Gambas de Camarones, a dish where simplicity elevated the flavors to a new level as I have tasted in Taki Amarillo.

"Here's to nothing and everything." William lifted the fork and took a bite.

He almost dropped the utensil as his face melted with amazement. It prompted me to take a bite as well and he wasn't wrong. The flavor wasn't subtle at all; it was powerful and attention taking. I lost myself for a few seconds. William scratched his head before speaking,

"So this was precooked in olive oil, garlic and a touch of butter before turning it into a tempura?"

"You don't fail to amaze me." Marina smirked.

"Wow!" Rin excitedly reacted. "You got that in the first bite. That is sooo unfair!"

William impeccably deduced the technique they used but it was more than that. The dish was aggressive and strong. The umami and acidity of the tomato sauce cut the oily texture of the tempura and the bell pepper's sweetness added a new dimension to the already complex flavor.

After the first dish, we proceeded to the second dish that would serve as the main dish for the day. They called it Salpicado de Solomillo. It looked like normal beef cubes with a sauce but the aroma was overpowering. Just like the first dish, it begged for attention and consumption and it did not disappoint. The meat was so tender and juicy that juices burst out with every bite. It was hard to believe that beef could just fall apart in the mouth even without chewing in its medium rare doneness. But the thing that took over the top was its use of garlic.

"You seem to enjoy that one, Alex." Rin teased.

I was knocked out of the trance I was placed in by the dish. It was a scary thought to have been against such a dish during a Shokugeki.

"It is good, I must admit. To turn the already soft tenderloin into a dish that is melts in your mouth and yet, it still holds enough body for texture."

"That makes me happy!" she grinned. "I prepared that one!"

"But it was me who did all the hard work." Hiroyuki added.

Rin puffed her cheeks in retaliation. "Muooohh! Ito-senpai is so mean to me!" in which was replied with a smile from Hiroyuki. It was the first time I saw him do so as he was always so quiet.

The third dish was pretty much self explanatory the moment we saw it. Rather than a dish, it was in a paellera. A large flat pan specially designed to cook paella.

"This is my take to Rin's Seafood Paella, Paella de Cuatro Quesos."

"It smells heavy and I can't wait to dig in. Rice is always best in the morning." William said.

True enough, just a few spoonfuls and I could already feel full. It meant that the servings could be lessened for each customer unless they come in a big group where the whole pan would be enough for them. Even though the dish is sprinkled with pieces of chorizo, the main characters of the dish were the four cheese fully integrated in the dish.

The Ricotta cheese that added a light texture and a subtle sweetness, the Gorgonzola cheese which provides a sharp and salty taste with a crumbly texture, the Mozzarella gave a visual appeal with its gooey melted texture and milky flavor, and lastly, the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese sprinkled generously on top bonded all of the complex flavors together. The perfect ratio and combination of the four cheeses made the dish superb in almost all aspects. It piqued the visual sensory like a pot filled with melted gold.

For the last dish, a dessert was presented earlier. Its craftsmanship was undeniable and was awe inspiring. The plate was filled with churros resembling a petal shape swimming in a pool of decadent chocolate sauce topped with vanilla ice cream shaped into quenelles. The sides were decorated with sliced strawberries that added to the appeal of the dessert.

"This is so delicious! Everything is so sweet and even the balance of temperature is perfect!"

I couldn't help but praise the dish with my condition of being a sweet tooth. The warm chocolate soup and freshly fried churros were balanced by the cold melting ice cream that gives the perfect mouth feel for every bite. Oddly enough, even though every component of the dessert screamed sweetness, I never tired of eating the dessert until it was all finished.

"Why is it that my throat doesn't ache after eating the entire dish?" I asked loudly.

"…" William once again pondered over the question before finally giving up.

Rin's energetic smile widened as we failed to identify a trick they have sneaked inside the dessert. Hiroyuki was amused as well but he did his best not to let it show.

"Marina-senpai! Is it okay to tell them now?" Rin was full of eagerness.

"Do what makes you happy." She answered while cleaning up her station, her eyes never leaving the counter.

"We added a little bit of ginger juice and pulp in the ice cream!" she revealed. "Isn't that amazing?!"

I failed to see how adding the juice of ginger to the ice cream balanced the sweetness of the dessert. William nodded as if he understood the whole trick which left me anxious since I was the only one who had no idea. Sensing my disbelief, Marina explained,

"The ginger gives a slight pungency to the ice cream. This cuts away some of the sweetness of the dessert as a whole. The chocolate we used was a mix of unsweetened chocolate and 70% dark chocolate."

"…and the result is a 'not as sweet as it looks' dessert!" Rin finished.

As a whole, all of the dishes gave the impression of a strong menu. It felt like a beaten beast ready to fully retaliate. The three of them made the Spanish club a solid group even without the presence of their leader.

The morning bells rang and it signified the opening of Totsuki Academy to the public for the third day of the Moon Banquet Festival. Customers instantly filled the streets and foot traffic was good. As expected, the line in front of the booth filled steadily and soon we were working tirelessly for the steady stream of orders.

"How many minutes more for the Paella?"

"Ten minutes!" Rin answered.

"I've got four more orders of Salpicado!" I called out and attended to the customer. "You are fourth in the waitlist. I will announce your number once a table has cleared for your group."

For every order filled, two or three more sprang up. Soon enough, we have felt the weight of working with only four people. It was disheartening to see people leave our line to go and try other stalls since our efficiency has gone down.

"Can we please refund the money? We have been waiting for already an hour and the food hasn't arrived yet." An old lady approached.

"I am deeply sorry for the delay but your order is already being prepared."

"Order's up!"

William arrived in the nick of time and served the plate in the counter. The customer went back to her group as I served their food. The hustle continued until early afternoon and pacifying customers was already starting to take its toll on me.

"Hey, kid! What's the big idea?" a heavy looking customer shouted.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?"

"Haven't I told you that my girlfriend here is lactose intolerant?" he stood up and my body dwarfed in his size. "Are you trying to get her sick?"

I finally realized my mistake as the four cheese paella was supposed to go to the table next to them. In my hurry to return back to manning the cashier, I have misplaced their order.

"How do you plan to compensate for this insult?"

"I-I…"

"I deeply apologize for my kouhai's negligence." Marina stepped in. "To compensate for the trouble we caused, your food is on us. Please be patient as we prepare your meal."

My eyes couldn't have grown any larger in the moment. Marina stood up for my mistake and owned it. It was an amateur's mistake but I never expected for her to go the extra mile.

"What are you standing there for?" she glared. "We still have so much to do so don't make the same mistake again."

"Y-Yes!"

With the mishap resolved, I thought that everything would run smoothly. This is where we were proved wrong as more unfortunate events kept on popping up.

"Senpai, the stove isn't working!" Rin said.

"I'm out too!" Hiroyuki added.

"Wait, who was in charge of the gas tanks?"

William tapped my shoulder to make me aware of the situation. The moment I turned my head back, I immediately realized the mistake I made.

"I… I…" everyone turned to me. "I forgot. The gas tanks… It slipped my mind."

*BANG!*

"DAMN IT!"

Marina slammed the pan to the floor and walked out. Rin and Hiroyuki looked at each other before running after her. My mind raced and regretted my idiocy in such a crucial moment. We were already set back by the loss of one member and now, we have lost the means to cook.

"I'm going to try and borrow from other clubs!" William said as he ran out.

I was left alone in the booth with a lot of surprised customers who were starting to grow impatient. Half an hour later and everybody was demanding their money back and I had no other option but to comply. With three hours left for the entire day, I was forced to close the booth early.

Tears started to fall down my cheeks.

Instead of helping, I brought the downfall of the entire club and forced them a negative figure in sales. The only emotion I felt was utter shame. It was actually worse than losing the Team Shokugeki because I singlehandedly, caused problems not only with the Spanish club but for our valued customers as well. I fully knew well the bad implications it would bring for the following days.

My phone rang and William was calling. Without delay, I answered the phone.

"What's the situation there?" he asked. "I can't believe how selfish these clubs are! Nobody wants to spare us a single gas tank!"

"Don't tire yourself anymore. I have refunded all of the payment for the unserved customers."

"I see… So I take it that you have closed down." His voice was almost inaudible. "I'll try to pacify Marina-senpai's feelings first then let's meet up, okay? You didn't wish for this to happen, got that?"

He hung up and once again, I couldn't contain the raging feelings inside of me that my heart was close to bursting. In the bustling street of the central avenue, the fire of El Fuego quietly went out.

"Were you really this bad when I left you?"

An old gravelly voice spoke.

"I am sorry sir. Due to unforeseen events, we had to close the booth for today."

I uttered with my head down. There was even no confidence in me to look at the man in front of me.

"You have improved a lot, but still worse than what I expected."

"Can you please-"

The man spoke very harshly. I lashed out at his insensitivity until I saw who he was.

"Arguing with a customer now, are we?"

"Chef Gerd! What are you do- OWWWW!" His cane struck my head with full force. "What did you do that for?"

"You really are turning worse by the minute! No disciple of mine is taught to fight with a customer. You ought to receive more than that!"

The part where he struck hurt badly but his image standing before me was still more surprising. His sudden appearance outweighed the pain.

"Why is it that every time I see you, I have to pick you up like a lost puppy. You are always crying when things get too hard. Was my training really that insufficient?"

"N-No! But this time, I have caused a great problem to my teammates."

"And I'm sure crying will solve everything!" Gern lashed out. "It seems like I have misplaced my trust in you. I have called you Iron Heart for what?"

There it was.

That name again.

Who gives a name like that?

It sounded so silly but…

"If you are going to sit there feeling sorry for yourself, then it's better to quit as a chef!"

'He is right! Staying here would solve nothing! I've gotta do something at the least!'

It wasn't the reunion I hoped for. I really wanted to meet the old Gerd in a different circumstance, but it wasn't the time for a joyous occasion. It was a time for action.

I pushed through to the sea of people trying to find where Marina and the others were. They weren't responding to my calls and I was getting worried that they were blocking me in purpose. I called William just to make sure.

"Hey! I need to meet them. Do you have any idea where they are?"

"Try the main building! They aren't responding to my calls either. If you are heading to their club, then I am on my way as well."

As he said, William caught up to me on the way to the main building. The sky was starting to get dark so it was easy to spot the only room that had lights on. It was the Spanish club's room. We dashed towards the room as fast as we could.

To our surprise, the whole room was filled with at least a whole class of ranging from thirty… no, forty people. In front were Marina and Hiroyuki while Rin was sitting at the far end of the room.

"So you are just telling this to us now?!" a student shouted.

"What do you have to say for yourself, vice-president?"

Marina raised her hand to calm the students.

"It was an explicit order of Tamaki-senpai. He wanted all of you to enjoy this time since most of you are first years, he didn't want you all to feel obligated to be tied down to the club."

"But still, if he was desperate for members, we could have joined you."

"That is a mistake in my part. Like I told you, senpai had an accident last night and it was too late to call for a meeting like this. I thought that we could handle everything by ourselves but it was another mistake of mine and that is why I am now asking you all for help."

A young girl from the middle of the group stood up and voiced her thoughts, albeit shakily.

"I was happy to hear that during the first day, we made it into the top three. I was surprised that we weren't called last night. I will do my best to help for the tomorrow and the last day!"

"So will I! I am a member of the prestigious Spanish Cuisine Research Society, damn it!" a spiky haired boy added. "I won't let our name be dragged down to the ground by those Filipinos standing in for us!"

"So does this mean, I have a chance of taking the President seat from Tamaki-senpai?" a laid back boy asked.

The room started to fill with chatter. The fire that snuffed out still had embers left. It was small but it persisted and now has caught on a small flame. It showed through their eyes.

"Alex, let me beat that guy who talked smack about us" William cracked his knuckles.

Even William was affected by the enthusiasm they displayed. Marina caught sight of us and nudged her head to direct us out of the room. For a second, everything was so awkward. I had to say something to break the silence.

"M-Marina-senpai, I-I-I'm…"

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh?"

She bowed deeply in front of both of us. We were left speechless before her.

"What are you saying sorry for? I'm the one who made a mistake!"

"I've hated both of you from the start. I despised your presence…" she paused. "…but it is only now that I realize that you showed me the things we lacked within ourselves."

Hiroyuki and Rin were by the door listening while most of the students inside were talking amongst themselves.

"Both of you brought us down to a close fight during the Team Shokugeki and I grew scared and angry. At the same time, you singlehandedly fixed the preparation of the booth, helped us place second during the first day and as a final insult, cheered me up last night! It was my pride that obstructed us from performing as a team!"

"I don't really understand what you are trying to say but it was my fault that the gas tanks ran empty! I placed us in the red today."

"No! It was my fault to fail on checking it last night. I had every opportunity to do so but my judgement was clouded by emotions! I was angry that you made me realize how we lacked unity in our club."

Rin was starting to get teary-eyed as she covered her mouth trying to stop herself from crying. At the same time, we started to attract the attention of the club members. Hiroyuki proceeded to lightly push us inside the room.

"What are those two outsiders doing here?" the spike haired boy complained.

"Shut it!" his voice demanded authority. "They swallowed their pride just to help us so don't go off mouthing them."

"Err… I was just saying what everyone is thinking."

Hiroyuki displayed good leadership quality at that moment. Everyone remained quiet as they waited for his next words.

"As the vice president just said. We implore you to dedicate the remaining days to work in the booth. Not all of you would work at the same time and you, amongst yourselves will decide on your shift to avoid negligence in your respective booths. Finally, tomorrow is the last day of El Fuego."

"EEEHHHHH!"

"As per our agreement, the last day would be given to the Filipino Cuisine Research Society. These two did their best to help us and what does it say about us if we fail to return the favor."

All the club members were confused but nobody spoke another word.

"We, the Spanish Cuisine Research Society under the approval of our president, will help these two make their debut in the Moon Banquet Festival. Do I make myself clear?"

"…"

Without taking off his intense gaze, he slammed the board.

"YEAH!" everybody replied in unison.

"You lot already know the menu by heart, see you tomorrow!" Marina adjourned the meeting.

Marina and Hiroyuki both showed what it meant to be a leader of one of the most popular clubs in Totsuki. Their command was never compromised now questioned. I treated them as equals but they allowed me to see the difference in our leadership abilities.

Even though there were still mixed feelings with the prior agreement, the light in their eyes blazed further, a flame that will intensify to the raging fire of El Fuego.

A/N:

This was a very emotional chapter for the Spanish club with lots of food featured. I released this chapter a little late to be able to roam around and try different Spanish cuisine in my area and based on that, the menu was developed.

I hoped you enjoyed this everything up to this point. This story has ran for almost three years along with my tardiness and hiatus.

Stay tuned to the final chapter in the story of a Filipino chef and his journey in Totsuki Academy. Last chapter will be released in the mid of next week.

Cheers!