Summary: Second Seat of the Elite Ten Rindou Kobayashi has always marched to the beat of her drum. Unconventional, unorthodox, and with a playful persona - Rindou could never find the appeal of a rather boring, cooking school. Nothing held her attention for long, that is, until a particular transfer student came along…
Doesn't it make your Heartbeat Flutter?
Shokugeki no Souma
Chapter Ten
A Bonding Session with Skinship
Kinokuni Nene would adjust her glasses in annoyance if she had them on.
The steam was irritating her eyes to an extent. The smell of hot rocks thinned the mountain air. There was a light scent of wild flowers and fragrant oils drifting about. Before her was a scene that would be heavenly to most mere mortals: Kobayashi Rindou and Nakiri Erina were soaking in the bath alongside her.
As the leading Second Year, she could not let this trouble her.
"Yeah, yeah! You finished those dinner sets really fast!" Rindou praised her underclassman. The latest challenge was something stupid like cooking X number of trays within a certain time limit.
"Ehh… It wasn't much at all, Rindou-sen-Eeep!"
"It's Rindou-nee! Rin. Dou. Nee! Say it! Say it!"
Rindou had taken Erina into a chestlock. Erina had become extremely flustered, which was rare for the strict and proper young lady. Nene sighed, only the Second Seat of the Elite Ten could make the Nakiri heiress so flustered. Nene was not confident her influence and popularity was enough to attempt such skinship with Nakiri Erina… that was, of course, assuming she wanted to.
Out of the corner of her eye, Nene eyed two pair of white fleshy mountains enter in grueling gladiatorial combat.
Nene's own gaze drifted 90 degrees downwards. All she saw was a barren, flat wasteland.
"Kinokuni! Please assist!" Erina was begging for aid. Rindou tightened the headlock and was in the process of blowing into her ear.
"Nene! Nene! Nakiri has to say it right? Right?" Rindou's massive armies were now assaulting Erina's rear as the heiress had just broken the hold and attempted to escape the hot springs trap.
Nene poured herself a drink from the floating serving tray. She took a sip.
Nene's eyes lowered several centimeters at Rindou's white fleshy orbs.
"Just go die," said Nene before finishing it off with a low comment: "disgusting…"
Afterwards, Nene was treated to another scene that would be the death of mortals: Kobayashi Rindou was now testing the defences of Nakiri Erina's twin towers.
"Hisako! Hisako, help!"
"Not so tough without your secretary now? Huh? HUH?"
Ignoring the blatant sexual harassment going on before her, Nene sighed. She lowered her head to the water level and blew some bubbles through her lips. How did this situation come about again? Oh yes.
Rindou bursts through the door, as usual. Rindou then shows paperwork signed off by Eishi Tsubasa (of course… that lousy pushover of a First Seat…) that gave Rindou everything she wanted. Rindou then loudly proclaimed there's going to be some major changes around here but just lays around on the sofa snacking. Nene then proceeds to do all the work she was originally going to do, only now she was doing it with a less prestigious title.
As it turned out, Eishi had made Rindou the Primary Camp Director Assistant and Nene was the Secondary Camp Director Assistant.
Stuper upperclassmen, Nene thought bitterly. When I'm in charge, there's going to be actual changes around here!
After a while, the two finally settled down.
Erina had chosen to sat as far away as possible from Rindou, seating herself opposite of the hot spring. Rindou herself was sprawled all over the ledge like a queen, enjoying snacks and drinks.
"You gotta try this rice juice!"
"Rice juice?" Erina questioned. She took a simple whiff. "Fermented?"
"Well yeah? How else do you make decent rice juice?" Rindou asked.
Erina then went off on a tangent about how rice cultivation techniques and the resultant fermentation processes produced a liquid that was not meant for minors (i.e. Kobayashi Rindou) to drink and no amount of authority (be it her position as Second Seat or obscene wealth) could trump Japanese law.
"These two… honestly," Nene said. "And here I thought I had a bath all to myself…"
The bath was meant to as exclusive for the Camp Director Assistant. But with the inclusion of Rindou it was changed to be exclusive to be the Camp Director Assistants, plural. And because Rindou stumbled upon Erina who had finished her camp activities early, it became a female bonding session amongst the members of the elite ten.
"If Momo was here, we could call it the Elite Ten Women's Association Bonding Session!" Rindou exclaimed.
"I think Miss Akanegakubo would have say she would be busy and politely excuse herself," Erina noted. "I do not think she likes to get her stuffed bear wet."
Rindou rolled her eyes.
"She's attached to that like a kindergartner to a security blanket."
Erina suddenly puffed her. "There's nothing wrong with having something special. Perhaps the item is a memento to something she admires or cares for!" Nene raised an eyebrow. It was rare to see the young Tenth Seat rise to anyone's defense.
"Mementos are blah! They're just things! Nothing lasts forever. Food is the perfect example. You can't make food and expect no one to eat it," argued Rindou as she popped another sugary treat into her mouth. "That's why you gotta see all the world's got to offer before you kick the bucket."
Erina was silent for a moment before replying, "… sometimes memories aren't enough."
"Mind over matter," said Rindou coldly. "Experience can grow. Inanimate objects aren't special to everyone - they're only special to that one person. That seems kind of ridiculous. What'd you think, Glasses?"
Nene was sipping sweet sake quietly during the conversation, hoping to stay out of the line of fire.
"If people did not have their own personal preferences, we would not have all the cuisines we have today. Taste is subjective. You pride experience. Nakiri feels items can hold just as much meaning. In the end, we all die and we know not what we can take with us beyond in the afterlife."
After Nene's explanation, the three girls were quiet for the moment.
"Jeez, that got dark fast," Rindou growled. She produced a fan. "It's awfully warm in here."
"You realize you're in a hot springs, correct?" Nene asked.
"Doesn't mean you can't have temperature control," Rindou said with a shrug.
"You're starting to sound like the First Seat," Nene noted. "Stressing over every detail in food…"
Rindou splashed water at Nene's face. "There are more important things in life than just cooking you know! What do you two do for fun?!" Rindou asked. She leaned forward, causing mountains to sway in the warm air.
"I watch cooking shows," said Nene.
"I like reading cooking magazines," said Erina. "And I like to discuss about how amateurish their opinions are."
Rindou had a look of disappointment and terror. "Do you guys do anything that's not cooking related?"
Erina and Nene looked at each other. They both shook their head.
"Why would I?" asked Nene.
"It seems like a waste of time… what could be fun in anything not related to cooking?"
"Do you guys even planned to get married?!" Rindou asked lazily.
"Too busy to think about marriage," Nene answered sharply. "It is not out of the question later on though." Nene nodded to herself. That was the correct answer. They were students still in school. Only idiots considered this the 'springtime of life' - No. It was the time to get ahead and dominate enough to secure an easy life for later.
Erina crossed her arms.
"Many proposals have been offered. I don't bother accepting. They always pick a lousy restaurant to host a meeting," said Erina. "Hisako just automatically strikes down any of those out of my appointment schedule."
Rindou's face looked like she had seen the two biggest antisocial females in her life.
"Well unlike you two, I plan on getting married! And I plan on marrying young! I want to be a housewife!"
"You?" Nene said exasperated. "A housewife?"
"I'd make a great housewife! You know, me and the husband with a couple of little squirts running around. We could own a special of the day shop in the downtown district, ya know? Something like those hole-in-the-wall places!" Rindou explained this all excited as her mountainous pale orbs nodded in vigorous agreement.
"I want to open five star restaurants all around the world," Erina replied. "What can be so great about a special of the day shop?"
"I agree with Erina," said Nene. "Except I'm aiming for Michelin stars."
Rindou's mouth in agape in shock.
"My dear underclassman… you guys clearly don't know the secret to cooking. Tell me, do you remember your parents cooking when you were young?"
Erina's eyes grew dark as if terrified, as if a nightmare had stained the pupils of her eyes and transformed them into swirling dark abysses. Nene shook her head. "I cooked for myself," she said.
Rindou hung her head low in shame.
"When I was little, my mom would make me these really awesome dumplings. They were delicious. After school or after a sports game or while watching television on a Saturday morning… she'd make 'em and they'd be great. I didn't know how she could make them so well. So one day I tried making them myself. I bought all the ingredients from the supermarket… but they didn't taste the same. They weren't that great. They were just… bleh!"
"So you suck at making dumplings?" Nene asked.
A splash of water from Rindou was her reply.
"No! Lemme finish!"
"I'm intrigued by this story," said Erina. "Please continue."
"So anyways I go to my mom and I'm like, 'hey! How you make dumplings so good?!"
"So well," Nene corrected.
"What?"
"Nevermind," said Nene with a sigh.
"Whatever. So there's my mom right? And she's looking at the huge mess I made in the kitchen and she's like 'clean this mess up!' and I'm like 'okay, mom'. Then after I finished cleaning up, my mom goes to the freezer and pulls out a bag of pre-made store-bought dumplings! You know, the mass produced kind that you just boil water and fry a bit in a little oil to cook! She kept calling me an 'idiot' for a good week…"
Nene and Erina stared blankly.
"So you have a preference for eating low quality premade frozen foods?" Erina asked.
"No! It's not that!" Rindou exclaimed. "But that moment made me think… maybe food - like, really good food - maybe it's not delicious because we use all these techniques and skill to make it… but maybe it's something else?"
"What do you mean?" Nene asked.
"Even after that day, I tried making dumplings just like the store. I've even made my own dumplings recipes. But no matter how much I tried them they didn't taste as good as the ones my mom made for me."
Erina rubbed her chin. "It's well documented that cooking for yourself decreases the taste impact of the food. It's mostly because you are smelling the aroma of the food while you're cooking it which decreases the sensations of taste. Perhaps if you-"
Rindou silenced Erina with a splash of water.
"It's not that!" Rindou shouted before continuing. "Listen! I think… I truly think… the true secret to cooking is to cook with lo-"
"That's ridiculous," Nene interrupted. "A spiritual answer for an objective problem. There's good cooking and there's bad cooking. People only have poor taste. I expected better of you."
Rindou glared. "Fine. Whatever. I thought I was being generous sharing my wisdom with my underclassmen but hmpf! Be that way!" Rindou crossed her arms and looked away. "Hey! Erina! Want to play some cards?"
"Eh? Sure…"
Erina looked like had been deep in thought.
Nene left the water. She was done with this bonding session. "Come by later, Glasses! I wanna stomp you in cards!"
After having sufficiently dried herself, Nene placed on her robe and exited the baths. Rindou and Erina had gone off to find Erina's secretary Hisako to play card games. Nene was to take an evening stroll before joining them.
The hotel was spacious and could easily accommodate a small army. Hosting the current First Years was a simple matter. In fact, it was rare to walk across anyone in the hallways simply because they were so large and the students scattered all over the buildings in their rooms. You had to be a clumsy idiot that was completely unaware of his or her surroundings to bump into some-
"Ow! Oh sorry! Excuse me!"
Nene, lost in her thought, had bumped into someone. She looked up at a spiky haired lad, wearing the same hotel-provided robe as her. He was obviously a student.
He offered her a hand.
"Thanks, but I got it," Nene said as she got up. Quickly adjusting herself, she breathed a sigh of relief as she was not caught to expose any parts of herself to some strange. "Watch where you're going."
"Actually you walked into me-"
Nene glared. "Watch where you're going next time."
The boy looked confused. Then he had a smile. "The name's Yukihira Souma. You must be pretty good!"
Nene tilted her head. "What do you mean, I 'must be pretty good'?" Wasn't this idiot aware of who she was? Doesn't every student in the Academy know the face and name of every Elite Ten member? While it was true most members of the Elite Ten did not actively seek out glory, they were nonetheless rather famous.
"Well you just got out of the baths, which means you must have finished your dinner sets pretty fast. Otherwise, how else would you be wearing that robe right now?" The boy named Yukihira tilted his head. "Unless you're a legit hotel guest! Oh I'm sorry!" The boy began bowing his head profusely.
Nene looked on in a stunned silence.
This boy absolutely had no idea who she has. She adjusted her glasses. Her glasses were on. Her hair was unbraided… but still! Most people wouldn't be so blind as to not recognize the one who stands at the top of all the current Second Years!
"I'm…"
"No no! Say no more! Sorry!" Yukihira laughed. "I'll watch where I'm going next time. Please enjoy your stay! It'd be bad manners if a Tootsuki student ruined this hotel's reputation! Is there anything I can do for you? I'm actually a pretty decent cook!"
Nene felt a strange feeling in her chest.
When most people looked at her, it was often a look of fear. They feared her abilities in taking away all they hold dear in a shokugeki. They feared being expelled and their names being ruined by a disastrous match. Others showed contempt and hatred and spite. These were the faces of those who lost. Others showed false smiles and showered her with compliments. The faces of sycophants and kiss-ups.
But this boy… this boy didn't treat her any different…
This boy…
He was…
"I might take you up on that…" said Nene, almost like a whisper.
Yukihira Souma then withdrew something from his robe. Nene stared at it. It was a squid drenched in what appeared to peanut butter, jelly, and a dash of miso. Like a thunderbolt, Nene felt a convolution in her stomach as the disgusting travesty was placed in her hand.
"It's good! Trust me!"
Nene stared at it.
This boy…
He was…
… just an idiot!
Before Nene could make a comment on how ridiculous and avant garde the combination was, a girl with pigtails appeared. Speaking in a hurried manner, she didn't even notice Nene was she quickly pulled Souma off to meet his friends in a dorm room to play cards.
"See ya later!" Yukihira Souma shouted as he was pulled away.
"Yeah. Sure," said Nene. A slimy sensation was in her hand. Nene looked down.
The damn squid thing with condiments was still on her hand!
It was disgusting. The thing had a mixture of sweet and spice and savory that went to extremes. There was no clear balance. The thing looked absolutely unappetizing. What in the world could he have been thinking? Maybe he did know she was an Elite Ten member! Maybe this was just a way of playing a stupid prank on her!
…
Then again, the boy seemed genuine enough…
Nene sighed. What could hurt? She'll just spit it out anyways.
She popped the jelly-peanut-butter-miso squid tentacle into her mouth. She chewed.
Her eyes widened. She felt like a giant kraken arose from the sea of jelly and attacked her ship, the S.S. Miso. She could feel the tentacles slowly wrap around her, crushing the ship. Then the peanut butter cargo hidden away in the ship's bay began seeping out, drowning everything in its nutty wave!
This…
This was…
"Delicious," Nene said in a soft voice like the aftermath of a defeat.
Nene looked down the hallway, where the boy had went off to.
She was alone in the deserted hallway, alone only with her flushed red cheeks and a thumping heartbeat. She placed a hand to quiet her chest. Her pulse had risen. Her temperature was up. And she felt like something was missing… and she desperately wanted it...
This feeling…
… could it be?
What was that that Rindou-nee said? Maybe the secret to cooking was... ? Nene thought about it carefully. She was still extremely inexperienced in the matter. Luckily there were books called 'manga' that were supposedly excellent in this category. She should know, she overhead other girls in her lecture classes discuss it.
She would need to research this further before making a move. It was an opportunity she could not afford to squander.
Chapter Ten Fin
A Bonding Session with Skinship