Chapter 344

Dojima Gin stepped forward, picked up one of the training suits, and gave the springs a firm pull, testing their astonishing resistance.

He exercised regularly and was familiar with all kinds of physical training methods, yet this was the first time he had ever seen equipment specifically designed to train chefs.

He could not help sounding impressed.

"This design is remarkably clever."

"Unlike ordinary weight training, it applies elastic resistance from every direction at once. That means it trains strength, endurance, and muscular control simultaneously, which suits a chef’s needs perfectly."

Dojima glanced at Haruto.

"You really put a lot of thought into this training camp."

He continued inspecting the Spring-Resistance Training Suit.

"The guards are lined with high-density breathable rubber, and the edges have been rounded so they won’t chafe the skin."

"The spring connections are sturdy too. They shouldn’t snap under normal use."

Then his expression became more serious.

"But there is one concern."

Dojima looked toward Haruto.

"Training in something like this will place an enormous burden on the body."

"It could easily cause pulled muscles or excessive wear on the joints. If anyone gets injured badly enough to interfere with the rest of the training, that defeats the entire purpose."

Hinako Inui immediately nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! Tadokoro-chan and the others are still growing. Isn’t this a little too intense for them?"

"Maybe we should forget about it."

Soma and the others nearly cried tears of gratitude.

They nodded repeatedly.

Yes.

This thing was absolutely unsuitable for them.

Haruto, however, merely smiled and picked up one of the rolled green leaves.

"Don’t worry. I already considered that."

"To make sure everyone can train without worrying about injuries, I specifically prepared these Doctor Aloe Leaves."

He held up one of the translucent green leaves.

"This isn’t ordinary aloe. It’s a medicinal variety cultivated specifically for treatment."

"It has extremely powerful pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties."

"Whether it’s muscle soreness, strains, or minor joint damage caused by training, wrapping the affected area in Doctor Aloe will start producing results within minutes. A few hours is usually enough for a complete recovery."

"It also relieves fatigue and accelerates metabolism. It’s more effective than any ordinary ointment."

"Most importantly, the leaves are extremely flexible, so wearing them as bandages won’t interfere with training."

"I prepared more than enough for everyone to use them every day."

Haruto had actually purchased the Doctor Aloe a long time ago.

He had simply never found much reason to use it.

Now it was perfect for the group.

Since Haruto had clearly considered every possible issue, and the training method itself promised immediate improvements in culinary technique, Dojima and the other instructors naturally had no further objections.

In fact, Dojima was already quietly planning to try the suit himself once the students were done with it.

If he had not been here as an instructor, he might have put one on immediately.

Soma and the others, on the other hand, looked absolutely miserable.

"We’re doomed. We’re seriously doomed."

Alice let out a despairing groan.

"Wearing that thing, forget chopping vegetables or tossing a wok. I’d probably have trouble just walking."

Megumi’s face had gone pale.

"I-I really don’t want to wear that..."

The others stared at the cold gleam of the springs and could already feel phantom pain in their arms and legs.

Isshiki, however, stepped forward with obvious interest and picked up one of the suits.

He exercised regularly to begin with, so he was naturally curious about such an unusual training device.

"This looks pretty interesting. I’ll try it first."

Haruto was more than happy to help.

He immediately stepped forward and guided Isshiki through putting it on.

"The wrist guards need to be fairly tight. Fasten them on the third buckle or they’ll slip."

Haruto secured the clasp around Isshiki’s wrist.

"The elbow pads need to line up directly with the point of your elbows. The shoulder straps should sit flush against your shoulders—not too loose, but not too tight either."

"And this main spring around the waist is the most important part. It stabilizes your core so your body doesn’t sway when you exert force."

Under Haruto’s guidance, Isshiki needed about two minutes to put on the entire suit.

The moment the final clasp was secured, his body visibly stiffened.

He first tried standing upright and immediately felt enormous resistance pulling at him from every direction.

The springs were like countless invisible hands tugging at his limbs and torso, forcing every muscle in his body to tense automatically.

Isshiki then tried raising one arm.

The springs slowly stretched with faint creaking sounds.

By the time his arm reached shoulder height, fine beads of sweat had already appeared across his forehead, and the muscles of his arm stood out clearly from the effort.

"That’s some serious resistance."

Isshiki exhaled.

"If simply lifting my arm takes this much effort, cooking motions are going to be a completely different challenge."

He then tried taking two steps forward.

His gait was awkward and slightly unsteady, his body swaying under the constant pull of the springs.

It took considerable effort just to stabilize himself.

Isshiki eventually reached a nearby workstation, picked up a kitchen knife, and placed a potato on the cutting board.

He took a deep breath, focused completely, and slowly raised his right hand.

The spring tension made his arm tremble slightly.

Gritting his teeth, Isshiki carefully controlled his wrist and brought the knife down.

Thunk.

The blade struck the cutting board.

The potato had been divided into two wildly uneven pieces.

"Just as I thought."

Rather than becoming discouraged, Isshiki’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"Under this much spring resistance, even the smallest tremor in your hand gets magnified dramatically."

"To cut perfectly even slices, you’d need absolute control over the force in your wrist."

He set the knife down and picked up a wok, tossing a small amount of rice into it.

After another deep breath, he attempted to toss the wok.

Because he used too much strength and the springs disrupted his rhythm, the rice flew straight out.

Everyone stared.

"..."

Isshiki looked at the scattered grains on the floor and laughed awkwardly, yet the excitement in his eyes only intensified.

"This suit is incredible."

"Normally, I can toss a wok using little more than my arm and wrist."

"But wearing this, I have to engage my core, back, and even my legs to form a complete kinetic chain just to maintain the wok’s balance."

"And every toss needs exactly the right force, angle, and speed. Even a tiny mistake causes the movement to fail."

"If I can master every basic cooking motion while wearing this, then once I take it off, everything should feel far easier and more precise."

Isshiki picked up the knife again and resumed slicing potatoes in earnest.

The first few pieces were still crooked, but his movements gradually stabilized, and the slices became increasingly uniform.

Watching him, Dojima was clearly itching to try the suit himself.

Jōichirō clapped his hands and pulled everyone’s attention back toward him.

"All right. Now that everyone understands the punishment, the team-based training competition officially begins!"

"And remember—the losers have to train while wearing those suits!"

Soma, Takumi, Erina, and the others immediately clenched their fists, determination blazing in their eyes.

If they wanted to avoid wearing that terrifying "torture device," they would have to give everything they had.

With the punishment settled, the atmosphere in the kitchen instantly became tense.

Jōichirō brought over a frosted glass jar, dropped the folded paper slips inside, and shook it several times.

The little paper balls rustled against one another.

"All right. We’ll draw lots for the teams."

"Three people per team, four teams total. Anyone who draws the same number becomes teammates."

He set the jar on the counter and made an inviting gesture.

"Who wants to go first?"

Haruto stepped forward without hesitation.

He casually reached into the jar, grabbed the top slip, and pulled it out.

When he unfolded it, a large black 3 was clearly written across the paper.

"I’m number three."

Haruto raised the slip, then moved aside.

The others began drawing as well.

Before long, Erina lifted her paper and walked over to Haruto.

"I’m number three too."

"Same here."

Kurokiba Ryō lazily joined them, holding up another slip marked 3.

Soon, everyone had finished drawing.

Team One: Isshiki Satoshi, Hayama Akira, Takumi Aldini.

Team Two: Megishima Tōsuke, Tadokoro Megumi, Arato Hisako.

Team Three: Haruto, Nakiri Erina, Kurokiba Ryō.

Team Four: Yukihira Soma, Kuga Terunori, Nakiri Alice.

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