This story is a (surprise!) continuation of my series and begins on the Thursday following 'Usagi's Dilemma'.
Iron Chef Mako-chan
Chapter 1:
"Someone's really eager to hit the books tonight!" Aino Minako laughed as she walked into the study room at the Hikawa Jinja, sliding the door closed behind her. "Where's everybody else, Usagi-chan?" The pretty blonde sat down beside her friend, the two sixteen-year-old girls the room's only current occupants. "They must be nearby because their book bags are here."
"Hi, Minako-chan. Rei and Ami should be back soon, they're down at the park." The odango-haired teen placed two fingers to her lips to mimic holding a cigarette, then continued "and Ryo is with his Ami, of course."
"They're at it again?" Minako puzzled. "I honestly don't see what those two girls find so appealing about smoking."
"I don't either, but they seem to enjoy it" Usagi shrugged. She opened her book bag and extracted several sheets of paper, placing them in a neat stack on the table in front of her before adding, "I have no idea where Mako-chan is."
"Hmm… it can't be another detention" Minako mused. "She left school early today." She peered at the papers. "Why did you bring today's geography test with you, Usagi-chan?"
Usagi sipped from a large plastic tumbler of green soda and grinned, "Because I actually passed this one, and I can't wait to show evil Rei my score!" She proudly pointed at the number Haruna-sensei had written at the top of the first page. "Seventy-two percent, Minako-chan! I'm a certified genius now!" she boasted, before reaching into an oversized bag of chips and scooping out a huge celebratory handful.
"That's a big improvement, but somehow I don't think Ami is going to feel too threatened" the other blonde giggled.
"I guess not" Usagi giggled back. She munched on her snack before asking, "So you don't know where Mako-chan disappeared to either? That's really strange."
"Maybe she went home because she's feeling under the weather or something" the other teen suggested. "I really should call and check up on her."
Usagi shook her head. "I phoned her apartment from here ten minutes ago" she said. "There wasn't any answer, so she can't be at home."
The door slid open again and Rei entered the room followed by Ami and Ryo, the blue-haired girl and her fiancee smiling happily as they held hands.
"Mako-chan still isn't here?" the miko asked as the three teens took their usual places at the low table. "She's never this late for our study sessions."
"We don't know what happened to her" the blonde with the red bow in her hair answered. "She ran off from school at lunchtime and we haven't seen her since." She gasped, "Maybe Mako-chan really is feeling horribly ill and couldn't answer her phone! She may be in dire need of a professional house call from our very own Nurse Minako!"
Rei scoffed, "If she's not sick now, she definitely will be two minutes after you show up."
"That's so typical! No one ever appreciates my skills around here" the blonde with the red bow in her hair muttered.
"What skills?" the miko laughed. "All I know is, if I ever get hungry for another bowl of inedibly toxic, over-spiced noodles or want another stereo blown up, you're the first person I'd call, Minako-chan."
Minako gave the miko a sour glare. "Hmph! I was just trying to help."
"Minna, my Ryo-kun and I know where Mako-chan went after she left school" Ami spoke, looking up from her algebra textbook. "She isn't sick, Minako-chan."
"Then where did she disappear to, Ami-chan?"
"She was scheduled to take her final driver's test this afternoon. I do hope she performed well and passed it."
"Good for her!" Rei exclaimed. "After those practice lessons we've all given her, and with Mako-chan's natural ability, I'm sure she did just fine." The raven-haired teen paused to glare at Usagi. "Unlike someone else here who can't seem to pass nearly anything at all. I still don't know how you managed to trick them into giving you your driver's license, Usagi-chan."
"Hold it right there!" Usagi blurted back. "You're so wrong this time, Rei-chan! For your information, not only did I pass my last test, I even aced it! Well, almost." She indignantly held up her test papers and waved them in the miko's face. "Look at this! Seventy-two percent! So there!"
"Nani? Let me see that." Rei took the geography test and quickly scanned through it, only to snicker as she read Usagi's scribbled wrong answer to a question on the second page. "You wrote that Iceland's biggest export is ice, you baka!"
"I said I almost aced it, Rei-chan!" Usagi grumbled.
Rei read further down the page, then laughed again. "And you even got the wrong answer to-"
"Give me that back!" Usagi quickly snatched the test from the miko and stuffed it into her bag, muttering to herself.
"Actually, seventy two percent is a definite improvement over your last result, Usagi-chan" Ami smiled warmly at her. "I'm very proud of you."
"Arigatou, Ami-chan" Usagi thanked her, then stuck her tongue out at Rei. "Why can't you say something encouraging like Ami does instead of always being so critical of me?"
"Would you like some ice for that soda you're drinking, Usagi-chan?" Rei teased her friend. "Better call Iceland!"
"Ohh! Be quiet, you!"
"Sounds like it's just another typical day here at the shrine" Makoto chuckled from the doorway. The tall brunette strode across the room and sat on the floor beside Usagi. "Sorry I'm so late."
Everyone leaned forward, staring intently at her. "Well?" Minako pressed. "Did you pass it?"
Makoto reached into her purse and removed a small card bearing her photograph and signature, proudly holding it up for all to see. "I did it" she grinned. "Minna, my very own class one driver's license!"
"Congratulations, Mako-chan!" Ryo and Ami spoke together while the other teens cheered and applauded the happy girl.
"Have you called and told Yuji the big news yet? Your honey love will be so proud of you!" Minako added with a bright smile. She boasted, "This means I'm not only an expert at first aid, I'm a super brilliant driving instructor too!"
Rei laughed, "Minako-chan, she passed despite your so-called help, not because of it!"
The girl's lips formed a pout. "Nani? Is this pick on Aino Minako night or something?"
"I haven't talked to my Yuji about getting my full license yet" Makoto answered the blonde. "I'll tell him tomorrow when we go to Nerima. Because there's even more good news. Or at least I hope there will be" she added.
"What is it, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.
"Last week, Michiru convinced me to enter a contest at that small tv station here in Minato" the teen replied. "Minna, you know that series about famous chefs competing against each other to make the best meal?"
"I've heard of it" Rei spoke. "It's called 'Iron Chef' or something."
"Hai, that's it. Well, that local station is running a similar kind of thing, only for teenagers. And today they accepted me. I'm supposed to compete against another girl this Sunday night. And it's even being broadcast live on tv!"
"That's simply wonderful news, Mako-chan!" Ami congratulated her friend. "I'm quite sure you'll easily win. And perhaps this may lead to more opportunities for you in the future."
"Ohh!" Usagi exclaimed. "Our Mako-chan is going to be a famous tv cooking star!" She giggled, "Can I have your autograph?"
"I haven't won anything yet" Makoto chuckled. "And from what they told me during my interview this afternoon, the competition is really rigorous, so maybe I won't."
Minako scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Mako-chan! You've got this contest thingie in the rag!"
"You mean 'in the bag' Minako-chan" Ami giggled.
"Rag, bag, whatever." The bubbly blonde leaned across the table. "So what's the prize?"
"They said the winner receives a small sum of money, so I won't exactly be getting rich if I come first" the brunette laughed. "I'm just doing this for the fun of it. But I really would like to win." She added, "Oh, and I'm supposed to bring two assistants with me to help prepare the food."
Ryo smiled shyly and said, "You'll certainly choose your fiancee as one of them, Mako-chan. He's always an excellent helper in your kitchen."
"How I wish I could pick my Yuji!" the brunette exclaimed. "But I'm not allowed to pick him, Ryo-chan" she sighed. "The rules say that everyone on both teams has to be female."
The other four girls at the table suddenly eyed each other. "Me! Pick me!" Minako abruptly blurted. "I always wanted to be on tv!" She batted her eyelids at an imaginary camera. "And I should be, because I have so many outstanding star qualities!"
"Like what, exactly?" Rei grumbled.
"I'm… um… photogenic, I have a fun, outgoing personality, and... oh, and I'm really hot!" She winked at the miko, "Just ask my Taro about that last one if you don't believe me!"
Makoto rolled her eyes. "Good grief! It's a cooking show, Minako-chan, not a contest for baka sex maniacs!"
"Then who are you picking, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked the brunette. "I'd really like to help you, but I'm… uh… not at my best with stuff like cooking" she mumbled.
"That's certainly true" Rei snorted. "You'd probably burn down the tv station, like the way you nearly set Haruka and Michiru's home on fire that Friday night we were there."
"Miserable!"
The brunette told her friends, "Well, like I said before, I would like to win, so I was going to ask Ami and Rei if they'd mind-"
"Simply unacceptable!" Minako blurted, cutting her off. "We should all get our fair chance at fame and fortune! No favourites, Mako-chan!"
"Minako-chan, everybody knows what complete disasters you and Usagi are in a kitchen" Rei grumbled. "I'd like Mako-chan to have a fighting chance at winning this thing."
"Still not fair!" the blonde yelled back, folding her arms defiantly.
"You could choose names at random" Ami suggested. "That would be the most impartial way, Mako-chan."
"Hai" Makoto nodded doubtfully. "I suppose I should do that to be fair to everyone."
The other girls agreed and Ryo tore a blank page from his exercise book, writing the four teens' first names on strips of paper, then folding them neatly in half twice. Rei found an empty teacup and the boy dropped the slips inside before handing it to Makoto.
"No peeking now!" Minako admonished her friend with a waggling finger.
"Relax, Minako-chan. I'll close my eyes." The girl squeezed her eyelids shut, crossed her fingers, reached into the cup with her other hand and extracted two slips. She handed them back to Ami's fiancee.
"Good luck, Mako-chan." Ryo gave the tall brunette a shy, encouraging smile. "And the winners are…" His smile abruptly disappeared as he unfolded the first paper and read its name aloud.
"Minako."
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" the blonde leapt up and began dancing around the room. "I'm going to be on tv! He he!"
Makoto's spirits began to sag. "And the other one, Ryo-chan?"
Ryo opened the second paper and frowned. "Usagi."
"Me? Woohoo!" The odango-haired teen jumped to her feet and joined Minako in celebration. "Wait until my Mamo-chan hears about this!"
"Hai! And my honey muffin too! Usagi-chan, we're going to be famous!" Minako whooped. "Not only am I an experienced world traveller, after Sunday night I'll be a tv celebrity too!" The two girls clasped hands and danced in a circle beside the table.
'This can't be happening' Makoto thought despairingly. 'And to think today was going so well.' She looked down the table at Rei. "I'm doomed."
The miko sadly regarded the now-dejected brunette. "I'm so sorry, Mako-chan."
A moment later, a grinning Kumada Yuuichirou poked his head into the room. "Minna, sounds like you're having quite the party in here!"
"Not a party, darling" Rei muttered to her fiancee. "More like a funeral. Poor Mako-chan just watched her culinary hopes and dreams die a very tragic death."
. . . . .