“Good,” he said with a thumbs-up. “Let’s kill it.”
As far as I could tell, I was the only woman. I stood at attention like the others, eyes forward, back straight, arms stiff by my sides. The silence in the hallway stretched on endlessly. I kept my face neutral, trying not to reveal my emotions. Was I already being judged?
Finally, Kanshisha-san’s voice shattered the silence, booming through the corridor like a thunderclap. “A sushi chef strives for perfection—anything less is a disgrace. But that alone won’t save you. You’re not here to train. You’re here to survive. Welcome to Kage Ryu!”
Shadow school? Why is he referring to the apprenticeship that way? And what’s this nonsense about surviving?
“Everything you are exposed to here is for your eyes and ears only,” Kanshisha-san continued, pacing the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back. His movements were sharp and precise. “You have all signed NDAs, which will be enforced if necessary. You are part of a group that will have access to information that no one else is privy to. Do not spoil it by discussing what takes place here. Accept that you are now a part of a privileged few.”
Privileged few? Strangely, I didn’t feel privileged. If anything, I kind of felt like a lab rat in some grand experiment.
“Kage Ryu was developed by Chef Sakamoto to test the stamina, mindset, and physicality of chefs in training. You may not understand his methods at first, but the results speak for themselves. Every graduate of Kage Ryu has gone on to immense success. May the best man win.”
His words struck like a slap.Was that a dig at me? Am I already doomed, before the program has even started?
Kanshisha-san stopped in front of me, his dark eyes boring into mine. I tried to hold his gaze, but the intensity of his stare was too much. With my breath stuck in my throat, I glanced away, the victory of that stare down going to him. Only then did he turn on his heel and resume his pacing.
“Never speak to Chef Sakamoto first,” he barked. “This is the most important rule to follow. Breaking it will result in immediate dismissal from Kage Ryu.”
We’re not allowed to speak to him?I blinked, trying to process the absurdity. How was he supposed to teach us if we couldn’t talk to him? Was this really a twisted sushi cult?
“The dormitory, the bathrooms, and the training kitchen are the only places you have access to,” Kanshisha-san continued. “You are forbidden from entering other buildings or roaming the compound unless I give explicit permission. And under no circumstances are you to enter the Sakamoto residence.”
Great. Not only do we have to live here, but we’re being restricted.
I did my best to keep my expression neutral.
But seriously, where are the bathrooms? And why is this starting to sound less like an apprenticeship and more like orientation day at a prison?
“When not training, you are expected to remain in your room unless granted permission to leave,” he said.
“Excuse me, Kanshisha-san,” a chubby man with a high-pitched voice interrupted. “What are we supposed to do in our rooms?”
Kanshisha-san’s reaction was instantaneous. He spun on his heel, closing the distance between himself and the man in three swift strides. Without hesitation, he struck the man hard in the stomach. The apprentice doubled over, collapsing to one knee, gasping for air.
“Get up!” Kanshisha-san’s voice thundered. “Or I will dismiss you this very second.”
The man struggled to his feet, his face red and contorted in pain.
“Under no circumstances should any of you interrupt me while I’m speaking. This will result in immediate corporal punishment.” Kanshisha-san’s unforgiving gaze swept across us, almost daring someone to challenge him.
No one moved or attempted to say something; the reality of his authority had sunk in.
“Each week, there will be a challenge,” he continued, resuming his pacing. “You will be informed of the challenge ahead of time. At that point, you will have twenty-four hours to prepare yourselves. Your performance on every challenge will earn you a set number of points. The one with the most points at the end of Kage Ryu will be the champion, the chosen apprentice.”
Champion? My heart sank. This wasn’t an apprenticeship; it was a competition. We weren’t here to learn. We were here to compete. My fingers twitched at my sides as I fought the urge to glance at Kenji. I needed to keep my focus straight ahead.
“Every morning, after breakfast, you will have chore duty. There will be an inspection to determine if your efforts were satisfactory. Points will be taken away if you fail too many times. Cleaning and training are the only times you should be outside the dormitory. Period!”
I swallowed hard as he passed by me again. His footsteps echoed ominously, each one drilling the rules into my mind.
With each word out of Kanshisha-san’s mouth, this six-week program sounded less like an opportunity and more like six weeks of culinary hell. I glanced down the line of apprentices, each standing stiff as a board, their faces pale and tense. At least I wasn’t the only one who seemed unnerved.
But when my eyes landed on the last apprentice, standing in front of room one, my stomach dropped. I blinked, my breath catching as I took in his profile. It was impossible. It couldn’t be him.
Jiro Tachibana.
My ex.
