Reiji had a great sleep.
The bright sunlight streamed through the gap in the large curtains, which he had specifically left open to help him wake up in the morning.
The birds outside chirped joyfully and the toasty blankets under which Reiji was hibernating created a peaceful ambience that made the young man sigh comfortably.
He slowly got up, ruffling his hair that had been completely messed up by the pillow, and yawned as he stumbled into the bathroom. A thorough brush and a hot shower later, Reiji was ready to make the most out of his day!
'After school tomorrow, the clubs officially start their operations. I need to practice the dish I'm gonna make for the cooking test, can't risk messing up at any point!'
Mondays and Wednesdays were when the Cooking Club held their activities, while Tuesdays and Thursdays were allotted to the MMA Club.
Thankfully they didn't clash, but it also meant that he had an extensive workload for four out of the five schooldays.
Not that he was complaining though, he was actually looking forward to it. Reiji planned to use the entire morning to sharpen up his skills and test out a couple of different dishes to come up with a course that would guarantee his entry into the Cooking Club.
When the seniors said that the test would be grueling, they weren't joking. It wasn't just an exam where they tried the food you make and pass you based off of that, no it wasn't quite that simple.
There were three levels that each person had to pass.
First:
The seniors would hand out an exam paper with various cooking-related questions that they had 30 minutes to answer. The questions themselves weren't anything crazy, it was basic knowledge that anyone that had spent a reasonable amount of time in the kitchen could answer.
Second:
The participants' skills would be tested through different challenges, such as the precision and speed at which they cut vegetables, the technique with which they break an egg, and their handling of various cooking utensils.
Third:
Finally, everyone would have to cook a meal that they were confident in and serve it to the Third-Years and the Cooking Club's Supervising Teacher, who would act as judges.
Only if you passed all three levels would the students be able to enter the club. In general, if anyone practiced hard for even a few days they would be able to pass the exam, but not many students were interested enough to put in that much effort.
That's why the club had very few members when compared to some of the others, but that was by design. They prioritized quality, dedication, and talent over everything else.
"Man, I can't wait! I wonder when we'll be able to go on our first field trip," Reiji grinned confidently.
Failure wasn't even an option in his mind.
"Okayyyy, let's get started! I need to be productive today!"
He skipped into his large kitchen happily with his arms swinging up and down. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful time to do what he loved.
Nothing could ruin his good mood.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
"BOSSSSSS! ARE YOU HOOOMEEEE?"
Reiji froze, his excited expression stiffening rapidly. His arms slowly fell to his sides as a single tear dripped down his cheek.
"Haha"
"Hahahaha"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
"Of course, what else did I expect? Peace and quiet was never on the table!"
Reiji slowly withdrew a butcher's knife from the drawer beside him, the sharp blade glistening under the kitchen's bright lighting.
"BOSSSS!! HELLOOOOOOO?"
"Blood shall be drawn today, and it ain't gonna be a chicken's," Reiji promised as he stormed to the door.
As he flung it open, Baldy and Beardy's clueless smiles greeted him. They were both wearing suits again, which indicated that they weren't here just to meet him, and this made Reiji even more depressed.
"Boss! You look cool as always!" Baldy cheered.
"Mhm, I feel like you have gotten even more handsome Boss," Beardy added on.
"...Enough with the dickeating, don't choke on it. Why are you guys here?"
Reiji toyed with the wide knife in his hands, studying the detailed designs on the handle. The two men glanced at each other and winced a little, as if they knew that their next words would push their young Boss over the edge.
"Haha, we'll tell you..... But why don't you put the knife away first?" Baldy chuckled nervously.
Reiji rolled his eyes and walked back into the house, and the two followed behind after a second's hesitation.
He put the knife back into the drawer and poured some water into three glasses, pushing two of them towards his henchmen after putting some ice in it.
Then he took a seat at the dining table and asked again.
"Alright, tell me now. Did I get assigned another stupid task?"
Baldy opened his mouth but then shifted his gaze towards the man next to him.
"Er... Takeda-san will explain!" He mumbled and turned away, ignoring the furious glare that Beardy was giving him.
Beardy coughed and spoke, "Boss, we kind of.... Um... We kind of told the Big Boss about how well you handled the Ichihara incident. I-I know you asked us to downplay your role, but this bald egg got too excited and spilled everything..."
Reiji didn't respond, staring at them indifferently as if urging them to continue while tapping the glass of water on the table.
"So um.... The Big Boss has summoned you for a chat, and we're here to take you there," Baldy picked up where Beardy had left off, a trickle of sweat running down his shiny forehead.
Reiji tilted his head slightly, and then his lips rose into an amused smirk.
"Why on earth are you guys so nervous?"
Beardy paused briefly.
"Well, because you had requested us to keep the specific details under wraps...." he mumbled.
"....And? I wasn't exactly expecting you to follow through with that, you know? It was more of a wishful plea. I know your loyalty lies with my Father and you can't keep any secrets from him, so there's no need to make up stories about getting overexcited or other bullshit like that."
Reiji shrugged casually and leaned back into his chair. The two burly men looked surprised, not expecting to be read like an open book.
Beardy hesitated before asking, "So.... You aren't mad?"
"Mad? Well, I'm a little pissed off that my wonderful Sunday has been flushed down the fucking toilet, but I don't care about you revealing everything. It was bound to happen at some point," Reiji sighed tiredly.
Don't get it twisted, he was not looking forward to meeting his father. It was bound to be stressful, argumentative, and a complete shit-fest but there was no point delaying it. It might even be better to get it over with as soon as he could, maybe he'd be able to earn more freedom.
Baldy started shaking Beardy's shoulders with an emotional expression, his eyes watering with pure joy.
"Takeda-san, am I dreaming? O-Our Boss has grown up so well!"
"You're not dreaming Raiden, my heart can't take this much happiness or it'll explode!" Beardy responded loudly, clutching his chest exaggeratedly.
Reiji just rubbed his temples while watching the over-the-top antics of these two dunderheads.
"Stop overacting, I'll go get changed and we can leave," he snapped and strode into his bedroom.
He put on a pair of black jeans and a comfortable hoodie, rolling up the sleeves to his elbows. He was probably supposed to put on something more presentable or formal, but Reiji was planning on this being the first step to show his intentions a little more clearly.
It might earn him a lecture, but whatever.
He found the two already standing by the front door with solemn but slightly excited looks.
"Let's go."
***
"Boss, although he might not show it.... The Big Boss was really proud of you. So.... please don't get into another argument with him, it would break his heart. He seems tough, but he's a real softie inside," Beardy pleaded as they pulled into the parking lot.
They both turned to look at him with hopeful eyes. Reiji raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"Hmmmm, I wonder what Dad would say if he found out you called him a softie...."
Beardy's face went pale and his mouth gaped open with shock and fear.
"N-No! Please don't tell him that Boss!" he shrieked, his voice rising by more than a few octaves.
Reiji gave him an evil look.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," he laughed, opening the door of the car as he stepped out.
Reiji stretched his arms and looked up at the building in front of him.
It was a massive 50-storey building that looked incredibly modern and was designed artistically, with curving floor-to-ceiling windows, coiling archways, intricate carvings on the exterior walls, and a massive sign on top that said "Yagami Corporation".
Many people bustled in and out, and there were multiple security guards stationed at the gateway to monitor everyone who entered the area. Though they were a Yakuza Syndicate, they ran multiple legal businesses to cover their operations and provide them with more avenues of revenue, and this building was their main headquarters.
"Let's go Boss," Baldy motioned to the unmoving Reiji, who shifted his gaze to the top floor where the King of the Underworld resided.
'Fuck it, let's do this.'