Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch. 117 Casino Night, Part One: The Gambling Girl

Students and staff members alike were packed into the courtyard, waiting for their director to begin her speech. The crowd was lively; the anticipation for Casino Night had reached a crescendo, and Erina's decision to cancel classes for the day was met with universal praise. This was in sharp contrast to the atmosphere of the last major event that took place in this venue: Azami's inaugural address. This did not go unnoticed by Erina, who took a deep breath to calm herself before she began.

"Esteemed students and staff members- I thank you for being here on this momentous occasion. As tradition dictates, I, Erina Nakiri, Director of Totsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy, am here to announce the beginning of our annual Casino Night event."

This was met with a round of applause.

"I will keep things brief, as there is much work to be done. Also, please be aware that some of our guests are slated to arrive as early as this afternoon," said Erina, and the mood shifted noticeably. "I need not remind you how crucial it is that you treat them with the utmost respect; they will be afforded true Totsuki hospitality, in every sense of the word. Their standards are high, but of course, so are ours. Staff members will be on call to escort them to their lodgings, and to provide them with anything that they need. The event starts at 5:00pm sharp, but students should be at their stations no later than 3:00pm to begin their preparations."

The initial wave of excitement was wearing down, as students began to stress about the reality of the situation. Similar to previous events like the Friendship and Rapport Training Camp and the Stagiare, this was ultimately a test for the students. For some, it would be the final test. A night of rock-polishing, as the former director Senzaemon Nakiri would have described it.

"Chin up, Tadokoro. Hospitality's definitely your strong suit. You'll do great!" said Soma, noticing the worry on Megumi's face. She offered him a smile in return.

"Thanks, Soma-kun."

"Has Erinacchi explained the rules yet?" asked Yuki.

"Shhh! I think she's about to," said Ryoko.

"Third year students- enjoy the festivities to your heart's content and consider this a well-deserved break. After all, it won't be long before you have to worry about THAT event," said Erina. The third-years, seated in the front row, nodded in agreement.

"Sounds mysterious," said Ibusaki.

"Indeed. I've heard that the final challenge before graduation is different for every class," said Marui, pushing up his glasses smartly.

"Second year students- you will take on a leadership role during this event. Each of you will be captaining a team of first-year students; you will be in charge of assigning their initial roles and rotations, facilitating communication between the kitchen and the casino floor, and assisting them as needed. There will be 12 first-years to a team; if more than 3 out of the 12 members of your team fail in their individual responsibilities, you will fail along with them. A true captain goes down with the ship, as the saying goes."

This set of a series of hushed whispers from the crowd; the second-years already knew what they were in for, but this condition was news to the first-years.

Satoshi Isshiki was as chipper as ever, and his enthusiasm helped to calm the nerves of his dorm mates.

"I hope we can all be on the same team! Though that might be asking for too much, hahaha," he said.

"Imagine making it all the way to your second-year, then failing because you got stuck with a crappy bunch of first-years..." said Yuki.

"It's actually a pretty realistic simulation. Though I doubt any of us will end up running a casino, eventually we'll have to manage kitchen staff," said Soma, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.