“Don’t even start.” I groaned.
“I’m serious, Akiko. You need to be careful around him. Now that we know how this program works, he’s got even more reason to mess with your head. If what you told me about your past is true, it’s obvious he’s still harboring some serious resentment.”
“I know,” I said quietly, “but I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”
Kenji leaned closer. “It’s not just him, though. And you know I’ve got your back, but let’s be real—every guy here wants you to fail.”
I considered his words. “Maybe that’s my advantage. No one thinks I’m capable of winning.”
Kenji mulled over my words for a moment. “Interesting strategy. Fly under the radar. Let them underestimate you.”
“Exactly.” I tapped his hand with my foot, prompting him to resume the massage.
He frowned. “Still, enemy number one is Jiro. He’s a charismatic guy, and it already seems like he’s stepping into a leadership role with the others. He could easily turn everyone against you. I mean, more than they already are.”
I sighed. “He’s definitely still bitter about the breakup. But it’s more than that. It’s like he needs to prove something. Losing to me once was bad enough. Losing to me here? That would be unbearable for him.”
We sat in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts. For me, it felt like life was throwing yet another hurdle my way, as if being chosen for this apprenticeship wasn’t hard enough. It had to be more challenging. Why couldn’t something just be easy for once?
Kenji broke the silence. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“I’m a little worried about my skills in the kitchen,” he admitted.
I blinked. “What? Kenji, you said you spent your teens cooking with your mom.”
“I did. But it was different with her. She was always so encouraging, no matter what I made. Honestly? I was shocked when I got accepted into this program. I never thought I’d actually make it here.”
“Well, you did,” I said firmly. “And you beat out thousands of others to get here. That’s something to be proud of.”
Kenji smiled faintly. “When you put it that way, it does help. What about you? Are you worried?”
“Not about my ability,” I admitted. “But my gender? That’s another story. Add Jiro to the mix, plus the others who probably wouldn’t think twice about sabotaging me. It’s a lot to deal with.”
“I don’t believe for a second you were chosen out of pity,” Kenji said. “Chef Sakamoto has a reputation to uphold. There’s no way he picked you just because he knew your father. That’s Jiro talking, trying to plant seeds of doubt. He probably knew this was a competition from the start.”
I smiled, grateful for Kenji’s loyal support. “Thanks for being such a great friend.”
Kenji’s eyes lit up. “I have an idea. Since we trust each other, let’s make a pact. We help each other out, no matter what. Let’s make sure that at the end of this, you and I are the two apprentices with the most points. Deal?”
I grinned and shook his hand with my foot. “Deal, partner.”
A wave of gratitude washed over me. Having someone I could trust in a place like this felt like a lifeline. For the first time since arriving, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I could do this.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
On the way to breakfast the following morning, Kenji and I lagged behind the group, our conversation revolving around my locked door. The night before, I’d deliberately left the dead bolt unlocked, with Kenji’s help, but when I woke up, it was locked. He had to let me out.
“Do you think Iron Face locked it?” Kenji asked. “Or was it one of the others messing with you?”
“It’s hard to say,” I said, trying not to show my unease. “But the fact that my door’s the only one with a lock is really messed up.”
“You need to talk to him about it. There’s no reason for the damn thing.”
“I know, and I was planning to bring it up yesterday,” I said, pulling my uniform straighter as we walked. “But then he talked about how only one of us would be an apprentice, and I didn’t think it was the right time. I’ll try after breakfast.”
“You want me to come with you?”
