Chapter 25: A Sweet Bizarre Set of Events
Soma's Room, Monday Late Evening
"Sigh, still can't get the answer I am looking for" Soma mumbled to himself. He currently was working on another test mapo tofu dish, looking for an answer to Kuga's Special Mapo Tofu. Unfortunately, all he was doing was drawing blanks.
"What I am missing? What can I do to battle back Kuga's mastery of "Ma" and "La", which allows him to make ridiculously spicy dishes that people can't stop eating?" Soma thought. Hours ago he got Erina's opinion on his dish, which was cryptic as hell except for her explanation about Kuga's specialty. Thankfully the cost wasn't much as she told him to bring a complete set of shoujo manga, a set he got from Megumi. But even then, he still couldn't find his answer.
"Maybe if I knew someone who also understood the properties of spiciness" Soma sighed before closing his eyes a bit.
Flashback
Sizzle~ Pop! The sound of grilling could be heard in the backyard of the polar star dormitory.
"Ahhh, it looks like the Jalapeno and tartar sauce is done~" Trina whistled as she plated a few pieces.
"Oh? And how is it?" Soma laughed before noticing the goofy look on her face, "Oh, your expression says the combination is terrible."
"Well, the mayonnaise, while relieving some of the pain, seems to spread the heat. Which means the oil content is really high. The rest of the tartar clash too much with the Jalapeno and makes for an unsavory flavor. However, my taste buds are now fixated in finding a mustard substitute to dairy neutralization" Trina lectured.
"Hmmm, I just noticed something" Soma mused just enough for Trina to hear. She turned to face the boy, chewing on the remains of the Jalapeno.
"And that is?" Trina suspiciously asked.
"Every time we're grilling snacks, you always seem to bring hot peppers with you. Why is that?" Soma questioned. Trina swallowed her food before grinning at the redhead.
"That's really simple: endorphins" Trina beamed.
"Endorphins?" Soma raised a brow.
"Yeah, it's the body's natural pain relief. You see, peppers have capsaicin, which causes a burning sensation on the tongue. This tricks the brain to thinking something is actually burning and thus sends the endorphins to block the nerves" Trina lectured.
"Huh, sounds neat" Soma nonchalantly stated.
"For me, the euphoria created by the endorphins is almost as good as sex" Trina happily mumbled while resting her head in between her hands.
"Huh, did you say something?" Soma asked.
"Oh, nothing, nothing" Trina dismissed before going back to her grilling. Soma just lifted an eyebrow at her, but shrugged it off and also returned to cooking.
End of Flashback
"That's it" Soma shouted while snapping his eyes open, "I can try for Trina's opinion!" Soma poured a small bowl of mapo tofu and walked towards Trina's room.
Knock, Knock.
"Ja, Soma?" Trina slurred as she opened the door. The bags in her eyes were extra droopy.
"Would you like a taste of my mapo tofu?" Soma asked. Trina scratched her cheek before taking the bowl from him and lifting a spoonful to her mouth. Once she had the scoop in her mouth, she moved the food around with her tongue.
…
"Well, what do you think?" Soma prodded after a few minutes of silence. Trina tapped her lip a few times before heading back into her room/ Just before Soma could shout at her, she returned with the bowl.
"Here you go, try it now" Trina flatly stated.
"Sure" Soma mumbled before placing the spoon in his mouth. Unfortunately, he nearly dropped his bowl at the unbearable sensation.
"OW, HOTHOTHOT" Soma spit out, "Trina, what did you to my mapo tofu?"
"Just cut up a ghost chili pepper and tossed it in. Trying to maximize the dish's spiciness" Trina shrugged.
"There is no way I can serve this to customers, it's way too hot!" Soma seethed.
"Meh, what are you going to do then?" Trina ponder while rubbing her fingers together
"I was hoping you would give me advice or even a clue..." Soma muttered.
"Did you forget? I rarely give my full opinion on food, that is Erina's job. Anyway, I need to get some sleep" Trina replied with a hint of annoyance. She gently closed the door behind her, leaving a deadpanned Soma behind.
"Well, it looks I am back to square one" Soma sighed as he walked back to his room.
EEEEEEP! A short outburst came from Megumi's room.
"Oh?" Soma piped before heading towards her room, "Yo, Megumi. Is everything alright?"
"Mmm...noooo" Megumi whined.
"May I come in?"
"Ummm, sure. But be careful..." Megumi muttered. Soma opened the door to witness Megumi rubbing her ankle next to an unfamiliar spider. Soma slowly put the bowl on her miniature kitchen counter top before taking immediate action.
Whack! Soma swatted the spider with a conveniently placed Weekly Shounen Jump magazine and then moving to throw away the dead spider and magazine.
"I got it!" Soma exclaimed, "Now, may I examine the bite wound?" Megumi just shook her head as a single tear formed on her eye.
"Hmm, seems to be minor from what I can tell" Soma noted, "Do you feel any pain?"
"A bit across my abdomen and backside" Megumi softly stated, "Um Soma, where did you learn to treat spider bites?"
"My father when I was bitten by a redback as a kid" Soma sighed before letting Megumi's ankle go, "He happened to have antivemon on hand, which helped me through the ordeal. Unfortunately, antivemon won't help you since I didn't recognize the spider that bit you. Let me get you some aspirin."
"Before you do, may I ask what is in that bowl? It smells really good" Megumi pointed out.
"Oh this? Well, I was working on a mapo tofu dish to compete against Kuga" Soma sheepishly laughed.
"Ah, I -" Megumi opened up before she felt a spoon in her mouth.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH! Megumi nearly yelped as smoke came out of her ears and face turned red. She felt like fainting on the spot.
"Haha, sorry" Soma laughed, "But I remembered something about spiciness and had to test something on you."
"And what was that?" Megumi rebuked while she turned her head a bit.
"Do you feel pain in your back or stomach?" Soma asked.
"Of course not! All I feel is the burning in my mouth!" Megumi flustered. Soma just laughed at her response.
"Well, I think eating spicy food for a few days maybe a better cure to that spider bite than aspirin" Soma admitted unabashedly.
"Thanks..." Megumi mumbled while sweat-dropping.
"Anyway, I need to head back and work on a solution to beating Kuga" Soma nonchalantly waved off.
"Wait, Soma" Megumi cried out, "This just came to me, but you do know you can't end up in the red at the moon festival, right?"
"Eh?" Soma moaned, "Oh yeah, Erina told me about that condition. Don't worry, I won't get expelled."
"Um...okay" Megumi doubtfully responded, "You know, I can lend you a hand if you need it."
"Oh, but don't you have your research society to worry about?" Soma reminded.
"I do, but I feel that I should help you out. You did help me out back at the camp, you know?" Megumi calmly stated.
"Well, if you want to help me then I gladly accept" Soma chuckled. Megumi nodded at Soma.
"Oh, maybe I can see if Subaru will help out too" Megumi casually mentioned.
"Subaru?" Soma blinked.
"You know, the big guy that hangs out with Trina a lot and is her training partner? Rides a motorcycle? Lives on the first floor of the dormitory? That Subaru" Megumi reminded Soma.
"Oh, hahaha. Yeah, I know who are you talking about!" Soma chuckled, "But I never really interacted with him, so I don't know if he will accept my request"
"Well, he owes me a favor after I helped him out during my stagaire at Taki Amarillo" Megumi explained.
"Taki Amarillo...Isn't that the restaurant owned by Chef Tsunozaki?" Soma inquired.
"Mhhmmm, it was an...interesting experience to say the least" Megumi answered in a nervous tone. Working with Tsunozaki was a difficult task since her temper created a rigid atmosphere, but she seemed to mellow out by the week's end. In return, Megumi picked up a few things from Taki, both practical and emotional.
"Ah, well I hope to see what you learned from her" Soma answered with a smile, "Anyway, have a goodnight Megumi!"
"Goodnight Soma!" Megumi fired back with a soft smile. However, once he was gone her smile faded, the pain in her body returned. Setting her gaze back to the bowl of mapo tofu, Megumi fidgeted her fingers in contemplation. On one hand, the mapo tofu was unbearably hot and hard to swallow. On the other hand, the pain from the spider bite was overwhelming her being, even her own soul felt like it was shifting and changing in pain.
And so, she took a deep breath and ate.
And ate some more until she suddenly fell asleep.
Tuesday Morning
"Ugghhh, I can't believe I have a hangover" Trina moaned as she walked to the main kitchen. After coming home from intense dance lessons, Trina decided to drink heavily as it would be the last time she could for awhile. Apparently, drinking that last shot of whiskey before bed was a BAD idea.
"Well, since it's Ryoko's turn to cook breakfast maybe I can ask her to whip me a detox drink" Trina thought to herself. When she reached the kitchen, Ryoko was indeed there but not cooking. Instead, she was in shock from the sight in front of her: a drunk Megumi.
"Mornin' Honey~" Megumi drunkenly exclaimed with her home dialect, "Can ya come here so may I luv ya?"
For a few brief moments, Trina looked in shock at the sight in front of her.
"Ryoko, have you seen Megumi drunk before?" Trina said in a flat tone.
"Never, Megumi isn't the person to drink a lot of alcohol" Ryoko answered while shaking her head, "But I don't understand why she's drunk, as the only thing she had to drink was her morning coffee." Ryoko stated.
"Ugh, I am too hungover to question it" Trina grumbled, "Ryoko, can you make us a detox drink and French Toast? We're both going to need it."
"Um, sure" Ryoko said in a baffled tone. While Ryoko was cooking, Trina sat down and laid her head on the counter.
"Ugh, what an annoying start to this morning" Trina grumbled. She felt two hands wrap her waist.
"I am sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do?" Megumi pleaded.
"Not really, but I will accept your hug" Trina sighed. A few moments of silence happened before Megumi spoke up once more.
"You really soft, you know that Honey?" Megumi purred.
"Hm?" Trina mumbled. Suddenly a jolt of realization hit her: Megumi was now groping her. A red blush rose on her face as Megumi accidentally discovered one of her vulnerabilities.
Boing, Boing.
"O~ They bounce too! How cute~" Megumi slurred.
"Megumi, um, can you please stop?" Trina muttered.
"Huh? But why, this so fun!" Megumi pouted and moved her hands faster, "I did say I wantta luv ya, no?"
"You're right, I fell into your trap and now I am yours. I can't resist you period" Trina replied in a dull tone. Megumi did pick up on Trina's tone and stopped with her hand movement.
"Trina, is something wrong?" Megumi asked in a worried, drunk tone.
"I..I...I..." Trina stammered.
"Breakfast is served" Ryoko interrupted. Trina smiled at Ryoko in relief, saving her from an embarrassing reveal she wasn't ready to share with Megumi. And breakfast went smoothly with little fanfare, just Ryoko talking to the two girls. Megumi was first to finish and immediately went upstairs to wash up.
"Ah, this what I needed" Trina sighed, "I am glad you know how to make effective detox drinks."
"It was my pleasure" Ryoko smiled.
"Well, I need to head out for the day. Need to make arrangements with Momo" Trina stood up.
"Alright" Ryoko answered softly, "And if you ever need to talk about your vulnerabilities, I am always here." Trina's eyes went wide at the statement.
"Wait, you were able to read the situation with that much clarity?" Trina gasped. Ryoko frowned and turned away from the white haired girl.
"Let's just say I am familiar with the look of a girl who has been forced into submission" Ryoko sighed. Trina ran her finger across the rim of her glass. A moment of silence passed before Trina spoke up.
"Five years" Trina sadly spoke, "From the age of nine to fourteen, I was sexually abused." A bloody tear rolled down her face.
"Oh my god how awful! And Trina, you're bleeding from your right eye!" Ryoko exclaimed. Trina wiped her right eye with the napkin on her lap.
"No, I only cry tears of blood. That's something I can't explain, since I don't understand it myself" Trina mumbled, "Anyway, the repeated sexual abuse has molded how I think about intimacy and lust. It also morphed me into a submissive type whenever unwanted contact is made. In other words, I become easy prey."
"I am sorry to hear that" Ryoko responded.
"Nothing I can do about it" Trina spoke solemnly before walking towards the exit, "But I will definitely come to you more about my problems in the future." Before Ryoko could say a final word, Trina was gone.
"Even though she was drunk, her hand movements were just like mother's" Trina thought to herself, "A mother who genuinely loved me, but also abused me and molded me into a whore. A mother who, in retrospect, was the first woman I fell in love with."
Momo's Office
"Hmm, it seems like this is the best booth plan that Eizan came up with" Momo thought to herself as she looked at plans drawn up for the banquet. This year she was going to take first in the uptown area and paid Eizan good money to design a booth that would accomplish this goal.
Knock, Knock. Momo looked up from her booth planning and slowly approached the door.
"Momo is busy right now can it-" Momo grumbled before she saw the foreboding figure standing in her doorway.
"Guten Tag, Chef Akanegakubo" Trina greeted with a normal smile.
"T-T-Tr-" Momo tried to say the girl's name, but her social anxiety around people she barely knew kicked in. Trina sighed at the reaction.
"I was afraid this was going to happen" Trina shook her head, "But in order to help you out tomorrow, we need to be able communicate at some minimum level. Got any ideas?"
Momo shook her head furiously, causing Trina to sigh and pull out a iFad from her bag.
An awkward moment of silence hovered in Momo's office as Trina nonchalantly played Candy Crunch Saga.
"Danm, missed the combo" Trina muttered. Momo just squeezed Bucchi, contemplating how to approach Trina.
"You've got mail" Trina's iFad rung out.
"Oh! Let's see what that is" Trina smiled, "Oh, awesome! My special delivery from Freddy and Jason's Butcher Shop came in! Can't wait to make some new manhu dishes." Momo just raised a brow at the exclamation, but then an idea came to her head. Pulling out her iFone, she sent Trina a text message.
"Manhu?" the message read.
"Yeah, it's a special meat delicacy. Freddy and Jason have the best cuts" Trina explained, "Wait, you're comfortable sending me text messages?"
"Yes" another text message read.
"Oh, so you want to communicate via text messaging?" Trina replied back in text message.
"That's right. It's not ideal, but it will have to do until Momo's comfortable speaking to you in person"
"Well, that is fine with me. Shall get to business then?"
With their communication problem fixed, the Sweet Genius and White Fox were going to be a delicious duo on Wednesday.
A/N: I was going to include the first day of the banquet in this chapter, but I need more time to write dessert dishes and the dialogue between Momo and Trina. But the next 5 chapters will be the following: Momo/Nene/Soumei/Rindo/First Date and The Elite Betrayal. After that, well, I get to wrestle with the Central Arc and Megumi's fall from grace. (Pun Intended)
Speaking of Megumi, I will eventually show the dish she made for Azami and his thoughts about it.
And now time to pack and get ready for my move to Austin. Tchau!
AN 2: Ok, I've completed the revision, so chapter 26 will be the first day of the banquet with Momo