"Momo's Coq au Vin," she said, while her partner presented the dish as her hands were busy caressing a pink plushie; Butchy was its name.
Chapelle took a deep breath, letting all the scent pass through his nostrils. "Amazing... you have nailed it."
He held onto the utensils and took a bite of the chicken.
"Hmm!" Chapelle's eyes snapped wide, stunned. His hand shook. The trembling hand moved, tearing apart the chicken with a knife, and the fork tines plunged through it. Showing no mercy, it also snaked through the bacon and veggies.
Bringing the fork near his mouth, he bit it, eyes closed.
A serene sound caressed his body. Chapelle opened his eyes. The sky sat on the river as the clouds passed through him, and the trees doubled near the edges, trembling with a slight disturbance.
The currents were slow, passing through him and licking him with flavors. Each current cradled him with different flavors.
The flavor of juicy chicken coated with wine, the sauce with pork fat, chicken stock, and all the veggies made him unable to think of anything but the food.
His taste buds were overwhelmed, but amidst that, Chapelle noticed something and dived inside the river.
A school of fish surrounded him, making a circle. Chapelle stared. All of the fish were made up of dark chocolate. The fish tickled him all over his body.
Chapelle smiled, attracting everyone's attention. The students had always thought the chances of graduating were higher than seeing Professor Chapelle smile.
All of their eyes were glued to the girl.
Momo muttered, "Welcome to Momo's world."
She flashed a smug smile at Tomoe.
Chapelle, coming to his senses, asked, "Momo, the taste... is it dark chocolate?"
"Yes, Momo added it because dark chocolate enhances red wine. It is Momo's secret to the rich and glossy flavor present in this dish," Momo replied, as a matter of fact.
"Momo and Kira pair, I am giving you an A grade."
This made them the first group to achieve an A rating in Tomoe's class.
"Butchy, let's go, Momo already won." Momo walked off the room, her walk radiating victory and confidence.
It was time for Tomoe and Megishima's pair to present their cooking.
Thud...
Megishima put the dish on the table, while Tomoe was doing her best to stay calm and composed.
Chapelle's expectations had risen after eating the dish made by Momo. He was expecting something comparable or close to it.
Chapelle examined the dish before him. Full marks on the plating and... this smell. He let the scent assault him through the nostrils. Yes, appreciable.
Chapelle took the knife and sliced a bit of the bread. He went for the half, sprinkled with parsley. His fork passed through the chicken and bacon before he ate it as a whole.
The same serene sound caressed him again. It was the same as Momo's. "Hmm?" Chapelle noticed something—a violent current marching at him.
Before he could let out a breath, it crashed over him, drowning him.
Crunch...
Chapelle knew the culprit was the caramelized bread. He got up again. The slow and warm current welcomed him with flavors deeper than Momo's.
The fish broke out of their eternal water cage and flew around him, their shapes akin to the bacon and the veggies.
They surrounded him and moved in sync, tickling him with the awe of their beauty.
The students began to whisper, "Look, Professor Chapelle is smiling again!"
Chapelle opened his eyes and looked at Tomoe. "The blanching... it was highly effective, and the crouton, you both did an excellent job coating it with pork fat."
"A grade."
"Thank you," Tomoe said as both of them left the room.
Tomoe looked back at Megishima. "Thanks for today."
"Don't mention it."
Tomoe walked off, her pace fastening. Her legs were still burning with energy, and it would remain that way until she got to her room.
She ignored everybody. It didn't matter to her if there was a rumor of her being a track star. She cared more about fainting in front of everybody.
Outside the class building, she booked a cab and safely reached her home. Her body shook with every step. Keeping her sanity up, she burst open the door.
The couch lay there, welcoming her embrace. Tomoe threw herself on it. Her eyes closed.
...
They opened again. She looked at the ceiling; it was painted red. She knew it was Nurse Joy's room. Her nightmare came true. She didn't have enough willpower to process a single thought.
Her mind was giving up and her eyes became heavy, shutting down without her permission.
Please, let me just sleep! I don't want to go... go back to my world.
It was the last thought she had. Her eyes remained closed for a long while.
It was already evening.
Her eyes opened like a parting of friends, slow and hesitant. The amber glow of the LED washed over her. Its warmth welcomed her vulnerable eyes.
This is... Using her hands as an anchor, she pushed her body up. She glanced around. Nurse Joy's room!
I am still here.
She sat up, and her eyes fell onto the clock. It was evening, 4 PM.
For Nuse Joy, she had been sleeping here since almost yesterday.
She dragged her body upward. I have to apologize. Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror.
Tomoe's hair was disheveled, her face looked puffy, and her eyes looked swollen with a heavy, droopy appearance.
I have to take a bath, quick!
She went to the bathroom and took a shower, relieving herself of the haggard appearance.
But there was one problem.
I have to wear the same dress again? Her hesitant gaze was palpable. Shaking her head, she wore it and went to Nurse Joy.
At the counter, Nurse Joy was busy, and there were a lot of people here. Everybody had a worried look on their face.
Tomoe went to a short guy and asked, "Something happened?"
"Uh, no, we are here for our Pokemon's treatment," the guy replied.
"Was there any tournament nearby?" Tomoe asked, guessing it might be the reason for the crowded hall.
"No, we just fought the Lumiose City's gym leader."
That gym leader again...Tomoe had a lot of questions in her mind. I should look into the internet.
She thanked him and backed off. Looking at the number of people, she thought, It's going to be a long while, isn't it?
She went back to her room. Sitting down, she thought about her powers.
My powers, why didn't they work?
Why! Why didn't I go back to my world?
Nervousness started gnawing at her. Will I be able to go back... again? This question started to haunt her.