Chapter 38 – Through the Looking Glass
"Are they serious?! Erina-sama and Kusunoki are going to have a shokugeki right here, and right now?!"
"I've never seen Erina-sama cook before! I heard that she cooks like a holy angel orchestrating divine symphony to produce the perfect music fit for those who are beyond mere mortals"
"Oooohhh! I'm getting pumped"
"Erina-sama is totally going to wipe the floor with his arse!"
Megumi watched as the crowd stirred in excitement. It rippled through the auditorium like an oncoming tsunami. Arato-san had already left to go hunt down Isshiki-senpai, leaving a very frazzled and confused bluenette behind. The well-known secretary was in such an awful hurry and Megumi hoped that nothing was seriously wrong. But then again, with everything that was happening, it could only be bad. Megumi continued to watch Kusunoki-senpai practically buzzing as he couldn't wait to sink his claws into Nakiri-san's neck. He possessed not an ounce of respect for anyone she could see today. The bluenette had no doubt that the Nakiri heiress would definitely win the match as she was perfect in everything she did, but what she was incredibly concerned about was that she was back here so soon.
"Ha! Such gumption! Pick whatever theme you like within the Vietnamese Cuisine category. I'll give you a match which you'll be having nightmares of for years to come"
"It's like you have no clue who I am, Kusunoki-san. But if you wish so badly to be taught a lesson, I could hardly refuse"
Nakiri-san strutted over to the cooking station and plucked a fresh apron from beneath the counter. She expertly wrapped it around her school uniform, nice and tight before inspecting the knives. Kusunoki-senpai strode back to his counter, eager and ready to start. Nguyen-san was escorted off the stage by a few students who were brave enough to go over to see if she was alright and lead her away. Megumi's blood raced. If only she hadn't left her phone back at the Polar Star dorms, she could've called Souma-kun and Takumi-kun back here on the double! She could hardly go find them herself because there had to be at least one Rebel Alliance member to witness this battle for he reconnaissance and report back, so she glued herself to the railing. She prayed that the diner-duo returned in time.
"Cuisine from Central Vietnam. That'll be the theme" said Nakiri-san.
The crowd gasped and it echoed, followed by buzzing murmurs swarming around the shokugeki hall. Megumi nodded. Nakiri Erina was keeping true to one of the three themes Nguyen-san would have chosen, out of respect for the RS she suddenly joined on the spot. Megumi recounted in her head everything she had learnt about Central Vietnamese cooking.
The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnam's mountainous terrain made this region's cuisine notable for its spicy food, which set it apart from the North and South Vietnam where food was mostly not spicy. Huế in the central region was once the capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam and according to Nguyen-san, Huế's culinary tradition featured highly decorative and colourful food, reflecting the influence of ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine. The region's cuisine was also notable for its sophisticated meals consisting of many complex dishes served in small portions. Chili peppers and shrimp sauces were among the frequently used ingredients. Some Vietnamese signature dishes produced in central Vietnam included bún bò Huế which she and Souma-kun made during the Summer Solstice Festival for their Vietnamese Food truck. Central Vietnam was the region in which food was prepared with the strongest, boldest flavours. This region was constantly under harsh weather conditions all throughout the year, so people there didn't have as many green ingredients as others did in North and South of Vietnam. Instead, the coastline around Central Vietnam area was known for its salt and fish sauce industries which were the two condiments central to their daily diets.
Since Nakiri Erina had the match in the bag no matter how much Kusunoki-senpai was boasting, then why was Megumi still feeling anxious as anything? it gnawed and chewed in her stomach like a stray dog trying to make dinner out of gristle. Okaa-chan told her that was because she had always been an intuitive and sensitive girl, even as a little child, and that she sometimes knew something bad was going to happen before it did, even though on the outside everything seemed fine.
"Central Vietnamese cuisine it is!" yelled Kusunoki-senpai. "We'll have two hours" He pointed to the man standing by the impressive starting gong.
"Ready" sneered Kusunoki-senpai
"Set" said Nakiri-san
"G—"
"Halt"
EHH?!
Megumi's brown eyes shot towards the competitors entrance down below. She craned her neck until it almost snapped off to get a better look. If her eye's deceived her, then it was Hayama-kun! But as the emerging figure walked closer and closer, she realised that her eyes weren't tricking her and it really was him. His silver hair, loose against his shoulder-blades and his tanned skin was unmistakable. She rarely saw him with his hair down. He walked with his arms crossed until he reached the kitchen stations. Megumi could see that Kusunoki-senpai was getting increasingly aggravated and shooting venomous eyes at him, demanding answers, and Nakiri-san was also annoyed, but more restrained and on guard.
"The Director has ordered the Surivivor's Purge to cease for the day and resume tomorrow" said Hayama-kun.
There was something different about him… something bad… Megumi chewed her nails as she tried to figure out what on Earth was going on. Why was Hayama-kun delivering a message from Director Azami? Director Azami had his own people for that, unless…
'No way… It cannot be!'
Sure enough there was a large badge on the lapel of his blue blazer. The blazer hung loosely against his shoulders, like a cape. Hayama-kun wasn't the type to be wearing anything decorative on himself if he could help it… She couldn't make out the details of the badge but she knew enough that there could be only one reason why he was wearing it for everyone to see.
'That's… That's Central's Badge!'
Since when had Hayama-kun joined Central?! It was utterly bizarre! Well… he was never officially part of the Rebel Alliance. As a matter of fact, he had been keeping low and nobody had heard a peep from him since Nakiri Azami's grand entrance. Sure Hayama-kun often minded his own business and stayed away from the hub-bub. But recently, nobody knew what he was doing or what he was up to. Was this where he had been all along? Right in Director Azami's pockets? What of Shiomi-sensei's seminar? She had no idea. It was like the world stopped spinning and was crumbling apart into the black cosmic nothingness. The natural of order was thrown into chaos. Megumi wanted to believe there was some reason other than greed for Hayama-kun to join Central, but it was hard to think otherwise. All she remembered from Hayama-kun was his vow to dethrone Nakiri-san the first chance he got. It looked like he more than succeeded.
"AH! There's Hayama!"
"WAAHHH! S-Souma-kun?!"
Megumi almost fell over the railing head-first into the crowd below. She got the fright of her life when that missing rebel suddenly appeared from over her shoulder like a jack-in-the-box. Where did they go?! Aldini-kun skidded to a stop beside her, his forehead dripping with sweat as he leaned precariously against the railing sucking in a huge lungful of air. Megumi stared at the two boys all haggard from lots of running, only Souma-kun seemed to recover faster and was gaping like a fish at Hayama-kun down below.
"We've made it. Damn those Central guys ain't bad down at the other block. But Nikumi managed to beat their arse into the ground and saved the Don RS from disanding" he grinned at Megumi.
She didn't know whether she should demand an explanation for their disappearance or express her relief and congratulations for Mito-san. Before she could decide, Souma-kun turned his attention back to the kitchen stations down below. She just nodded, still recovering herself from too many surprises during the day.
"Hey, Nakiri is there too" The blonde Aldini pointed down onto the kitchen stations at Nakiri Erina, but Souma-kun took no notice at all that the runaway princess was back at Tootsuki. He was too focused on Hayama-kun.
"HAYAMA! WHAT'S UP WITH THE UGLY BADGE ON YOUR JACKET!"
Souma-kun cupped his hands over his lips and hollered down into the hall. All eyes immediately diverted to them. Megumi squeaked as she tried to make herself as small as possible and find somewhere to hide. Oh no, this was embarrassing! She hated being in the centre of attention. But it was too late and they were found out just like that, curious eyes boring into her. She could see Aldini-kun slapping his palm over his face and muttered something aggressive in Italian. What it was, she could not say. Souma-kun leaned over the railing with a concerned expression on his face whilst Hayama-san's intense jade eyes pierced back at him. Even though he had the lower ground, he was still looking down on the red-headed diner chef with no problems.
"Yukihira Souma…" said Hayama-kun.
"Mate, there's got to be some mistake—"
"No mistakes Yukihira" Hayama-kun cut him off like deadly scythe "I'm a part of Central now. I'm on the ninth seat. I'm no longer on your level. My job now is to get rid of you lot" he smirked up at them.
Souma-kun pulled a perplexed look with an underlying bit of perturbance lining his features, as if he wasn't expecting to hear that. "You've been laying low for some time. And here I was happy to see you back in the land of the living again, but you go off all high and mighty… Look here mate, there's a million and one things I want to ask you"
"And they are?"
"For starters, what the hell happened to Shiomi-sensei's seminar!" Souma-kun shook his fist at Hayama-kun.
"Ah, it's dead"
It felt like somebody stabbed her in the chest. Shiomi-sensei's seminar… was no more?! Tears brimmed and her vision when blurry from tears threatening to cascade down her face. The shock of hearing her favourite professor's beloved seminar was gone did more to her that what she could imagine. The despair for the fantastic seminar wasn't the only thing she was feeling. It was the complete horrified shock from the way he said it. It was like Hayama-kun himself was dead inside. Not a spark of emotion. All that was left was his callousness. His tone was listless and final, carrying the weight of infinity on his back. The way he dipped his head slightly to look at the floor momentarily before flicking it back up to them showed no remorse. Hayama-kun was the type of person to do things without any regrets. Letting the Shiomi-seminar, his home, disband was surely something he would regret for the rest of his life. Right? Yet here he was at Director Azami's beck and call.
"Any autonomous organisations outside Central are useless. What's what Director Azami thinks. I shouldn't even need to tell you"
Megumi couldn't take it anymore. She found the courage to run back to the railing and yelled down at her fellow classmate "The Shiomi-seminar…! Professor Shiomi herself…! Weren't these things precious to you, Hayama-kun?!".
His eyes remained empty. Her heart shook.
"I've got my own question for you Yukihira" Hayama-kun completely ignored her.
"Yeah? Shoot"
"What the fuck have you been up to all this time?"
Megumi flinched from the complete disgust and crude words rolling off of Hayama-kun's tongue. His eyes were absolutely blazing a molten jade now as he stared up at Souma-kun, as if he was the only person he could see. The air turned very tense and she couldn't wait to leave, but was completely ensnared. Souma-kun and Aldini-kun both had their hackles raised as they also pinned Hayama-kun with their own deadly looks.
"Protecting your dorm… rebelling against Azami-dono, rather piss-easy victories if you ask me. During the Autumn Elections last year, you bared your fangs at me. You were gunning for the top of this academy. Was that all bullshit? While you've squandered away your time, I've been climbing my way to the top"
Souma-kun was now glowering like no tomorrow. His golden eyes glinting dangerously. Megumi turned around at the whoosh of a sleeve next to her as Aldini-kun also stepped forward with a predatory expression on his face.
"I'll kick you down, and aim even higher" said Souma-kun in a steely voice.
"Bring it, Yukihira" Hayama-kun spreaded his arms out wide "Your defeat awaits"
BAM!
The sound of a butcher's cleaver slamming into the wooden cutting board. The murderous intent from Kusunoki Rentarou was almost palpable as his grip against the handle shook. His muscles were all tensed and coiled and his head was bowed as if he couldn't bear to look at any of them in his anger.
"Shut your face already! What the hell is going on with Azami-dono's head! The school day isn't over yet! You just wanted to cock-block me didn't you Hayama!" yelled the wild Kusunoki-senpai as he dragged his hand over his face in exasperation. "And you too Yukihira! You just had to show up and steal all the lime-light like you always do, didn't you?"
"Hmm? Who are you and when did you get here?" asked Souma-kun.
"I'm Kusunoki Rentarou of Central and I've been here the whole damn time, you turd!" Kusunoki-senpai screamed back, a large vein pulsing dangerously on his forehead. He bared his sharp teeth like a rabid wolf, far from pleased with the turn of events. Megumi sighed. Trust Souma-kun to be way too blunt for what was good for him.
"Oh my bad! You must've been standing a bit off to the side, so I couldn't see you" he rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed and cheesy grin on his face. It seemed he was genuinely apologetic. Aldini-kun was tutting under his breath at Souma-kun's hopelessness.
"THERE'S FUCKING LIGHTS EVERYWHERE!"
"Enough!" yelled Nakiri Erina.
Megumi had almost forgotten about the Nakiri heiress too. She had been completely drawn into the feud Souma-kun and Hayama-kun was creating together, like a black hole sucking in all the light. She couldn't break away with her own volition if she wanted to. Nakiri Erina had long gone ripped off the apron from herself and it was lying on the counter. She had her hands propped onto her hips as she harrumphed and gave all the boys a stern glare, the perfect image of an incensed headmistress with a trio of troublemakers dumped at her feet.
"Hey Nakiri! You're back! Did you just get here?"
"I WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME TOO, YOU IDIOT!"
"Glad you're looking well!" Souma-kun waved at her jovially, letting her fury slide off him as if the bad blood between himself and Hayama-kun had no effect on his natural disposition.
Nakiri Erina pursed her lips and puffed her cheeks slightly before flicking her head the other way, like she couldn't stand looking at Souma-kun. She stomped away from the kitchen stations, leaving Kusunoki-senpai to stew, rant and rave before the dreadful security started coming in to herd the students back to the main school building like a cattle-drove. Tootsuki was becoming a prison. Nobody could do anything without permission, couldn't go anywhere private for a break. The black-clad highly trained men were always watching, waiting for a wrong move to catch a student and send them to detention. It made the Rebel Alliance's movements that much harder. They scared Megumi. These men were most likely also trained to kill. Hayama-kun, Kusunoki-senpai, the judges and the gong-ringer finally left the auditorium, but there were still students slowly making their way out of the hall, with Director Azami's men right on their heels. She stomped up the stairs onto the loft all three of them were on until she was face to face with Souma-kun.
"It's not all well, let me remind you. You three come with me. We've got a lot to talk about and I'd rather have you all informed about the latest development before Father summons me" she snapped in a very restrained voice.
"Oh? You've got a plan or something?" asked Souma-kun.
Megumi, Souma-kun and Aldini-kun huddled around her, but still making sure to keep an eye out for any security coming towards them. Both boys were immediately tensed up as they leaned in close as soon as The Nakiri Heiress's voice dropped into a low whisper.
"It's about my mother's death. We think Father murdered her"
"Oh… my god… Are you serious?!"
Ayame jumped up from the sofa, wrenching herself from Takumi-kun's comfortable and warm embrace. Her boyfriend didn't look all that pleased that he was suddenly holding an armful of empty air. Ayame stopped fidgeting and whispered a quick sorry before settling back into his arms. She hadn't seen Takumi-kun for a while because of school and his rebel thingy, so she was completely serene to just lean against his warmth and revel in the light butterfly kisses he peppered on her forehead. She was even hoping for a make-out session… but that didn't happen. He slowly reached down and grasped the back of her knees, lifting them up. He gently turned her around so that she was laying her legs across his laps. Ayame sighed when she felt his calloused finger-tips tracing soothing circles against her thighs. She thought that it was hilarious that he didn't pass a certain invisible line on her thighs and religiously kept below the half-way mark. Still a gentleman as always.
"Don't go around telling anyone, alright amore? Nothing is confirmed and we've only had one meeting about it" said Takumi-kun.
We. He was talking about the Rebel Alliance meeting which secretly took place in the Polar Star Dormitories in the dead of night. That meeting was late last night, which meant Takumi-kun and Isami-kun had to sleep over. It wouldn't do to have the Aldini brothers traversing in and out of Tootsuki in the darkness because that had 'suspicion' painted in luminescent retro pink all over. Luckily Polar Star Dormitory functioned as an independent nation from Tootsuki… for now… so they could get away with having secret meetings.
Takumi-kun threw his golden head against the back of the sofa and sighed. His protruding Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Ayame agreed that it was a whole lot of information to take in. She was glad that after school Ayame made a quick trip to the shouten that was around Mitsumiya ward and bought a few snacks and candy. However, if she knew that Takumi-kun was going to be down in the dumps again, she would've splurged and bought even more. Although that shop was under new management, the products there was still the same and the shop front was still the same. Except the signage was heavily worn away by the elements. When she arrived at Takumi-kun's and Isami-kun's apartment like she always did a few times a week before the exam period, she instantly saw there was something weighing heavily on her boyfriend's mind. He was completely distracted; his face was either blank or pensive. His eyebrows would randomly knit together and he was making sudden pauses for no reason in everything he did. He also responded vaguely to her as if feigning interest Ayame's news for the day. She let it slide. She wasn't upset that he wasn't paying attention to her, she was more concerned that he was keeping something really important inside again, causing him to stew.
"Okay, okay… so let me get this straight… Erina-san, Alice-san, Arato-san and Kurokiba-san finally came back from… wherever the hell they've been… They found out that it's a possibility that Azami Nakiri murdered his wife, Erina-san's mother all those years ago?!"
Ayame's brain swam at lightning speed, trying to digest that single piece of outrageous information. Wow… what a burden for a group of teenagers to carry on their young shoulders.
"I know it sounds pazzo, but that's right" replied Takumi-kun.
"So how… did that contact come to this conclusion? Like, what made them think that Director Azami murdered his wife? I mean, that's a very serious allegation!" Ayame scooted closer to Takumi-kun. He exhaled loudly. His long fingers left her thighs and travelled back to her hand as he rubbed her knuckles with the pad of this thumb.
"Arato-san's contact who runs that 'safe-house', pinpointed the… murder weapon…" Takumi-kun scrunched up his nose in distaste "Could be hemlock" he finished.
"Hemlock? Like the poisonous plant? Hemlock poisoning?" asked Ayame.
She leaned forward and tilted her head to get a better look at Takumi-kun. His gaze was off in the distance, but the sudden appearance of her in his main line of vision captured his attention again and he turned back to her. Ayame was about to say something but he suddenly dipped his head down and gave a sweet, and chaste kiss on the lips. It was short, but his lips lingered against hers, leaving light tingles on her lips and her nose was filled with his natural scent. Takumi-kun pulled back, but not too far, leaving the soft strands of his golden hair tickling her cheeks. Ayame rubbed her nose against his. Both teenagers couldn't find it in their hearts to smile right now.
"How?" whispered Ayame.
"Isshiki-san got a hold of the medical and autopsy report from Senzaemon-dono shortly after Azami took over Directorship. Senzaemon-dono probably saw no sense in hiding it now. The report was listing out all these different symptoms Nakiri Erina's mother experienced leading up to her death. Vomiting, intense nausea, weak body movements, rapid pulses, respiratory distress, seizures and finally heart failure"
Takumi-kun counted it all down meticulously on his fingers. Ayame visibly cringed at hearing all those symptoms back-to-back. It really sounded like a death sentence. It was absolutely horrible. She couldn't imagine the confusion, the fear and pain Nakiri Erina's mother had gone through as her body was breaking down, assaulted by a mysterious disease or sickness the doctors had no idea where it came from or how to treat it.
"Nobody talked about it in the Nakiri family for so many years, too scared to upset Senzaemon-dono. The Nakiri cousins were brought up to think Nakiri Nadeshiko just simply got sick and died" Takumi-kun shrugged.
"Only, it wasn't actually simple" Ayame commented.
"Anyway. Isshiki-senpai phoned Arato-san while they were in hiding, to tell her about what he'd found out in the report, and she in turn told her secret contact about it too. Whoever this contact was, and whatever skill they possessed, they came to the conclusion that all those combination of symptoms are caused by hemlock poisoning" explained Takumi-kun.
"Wow, this contact seems to know their stuff" said Ayame. "But how come the doctor didn't figure it out?"
"I don't know. There are even things that elude doctors. Arato-san and the Nakiri cousin's insisted on keeping the 'safehouse' people and the location a secret" said Takumi-kun.
"How could this contact be that sure? That must have been a million to one deduction"
Ayame removed her legs from Takumi-kun's lap, already missing the heat from him which was keeping her legs nice and toasty warm, but she was feeling all stiff. She got up and stretched her arms up, feeling her school blouse rise up over her waistline. She released a sigh and her joints popped deliciously, and a flood of dopamine flowed all the way down her body. Ayame twisted her torso for one final stretch and glanced backwards only to see Takumi-kun gazing hotly at her and some pink dusting his cheeks. Hmmm? Was it because her blouse was riding up? He didn't cough and turn his head away this time and he kept running his eyes up and down her body. Ayame felt her cheeks heating up a bit herself at being surveyed so blatantly by Takumi-kun like that. He certainly was getting more and more confident. She pulled her blouse down and fhopped back onto the sofa and tucked her legs under herself, glad that the stiffness in her muscles were gone. Takumi-kun shifted closer to her, the dip in the seat cushions causing her to gravitate towards him and she resumed snuggling into his side. Her boyfriend curled an arm around her shoulder and rested his chin on her head. Ayame listened to the slow exhales escaping his nose.
"Arato-san trusts this person greatly and, since we trust her, we all decided to trust this contact too. Then there's the next step after this"
"Which is?" asked Ayame.
"Somehow prove that he murdered his wife, send him to jail, and then get Senzaemon-dono back. Isshiki-senpai and Yukihira have been talking to each other a lot in between classes and I bet even more so back at Polar Star Dorms. They might have some ideas how. To be honest, I don't even know what we're supposed to do with this information! There's a possible murder! We're not going to have regular meetings in-case Azami gets suspicious"
"It must have been horrible for Erina-san and Alice-san to have found out that their close family member was murdered by that awful man" said Ayame.
"Si, it was. It's really hard to swallow the fact that all this damn misfortune on our heads is possibly all because of a murder sixteen years ago" Takumi-kun groaned through gritted teeth and fisted his hand on the backrest right behind Ayame. She could tell from the way his forearm and biceps tensed up against her shoulders. "Anyway, enough about me. I'm sorry, I hardly heard anything you said about your day. Will you tell me?"
"Hmm, I don't know. You were so busy talking about yourself. I don't think I want to tell you anymore" Ayame sighed dramatically and turned her head away, putting on airs and grace as she tried to make Takumi-kun beg. She didn't think she could hold her act for long.
"Please, I want to know how my amore's day's been. I promise to listen to every word"
Takumi nestled his head at the junction of her neck, catching her surprise. He knew that was her sensitive spot! Ayame giggled and swatted his head away, trying to push him up, but she was pulled tightly into another locked hug as Takumi-kun showered her with more kisses along her neck.
"Alright! Alright! Keep your lips still and I might be able to edge a word in!" Ayame shrieked with laughter. Takumi-kun's stopped and his low chuckled rumbled through his chest, sending sweet vibrations to Ayame. His blue eyes crinkled up as he smiled at her.
Ayame cleared her throat and smoothed down her skirt "The school canteen added coconut water in the vending machines today. I've been guzzling that any chance I could"
"Coconut water is the new health food trend at the moment isn't it? Better than peach iced tea at least" asked Takumi-kun.
His beautiful eyes lost the forlorn and troubled gaze as he smiled and nodded his head. It was the clear sky-blue she always loved filled with passion as he leaned back against the sofa with her. It was like all the trouble that's been happening at Tootsuki wasn't affecting them anymore in this moment. Ayame and Takumi-kun were settled peacefully in their own bubble. She loved this feeling.
"Which was why our school bought it. Oh! And Chizuru-chan bumped into Hayama-san the other day. At the department store"
"Really? What for?"
Ayame rolled her eyes and flicked her boyfriend back on the nose. He yelped and blinked in confusion before rubbing his nose, giving her an accusatory glare.
"What do you mean 'what for?'? It was just a coincidence. Geez, you make it sound like Chizuru-chan is your enemy and every one of her actions are questionable"
Ayame huffed and bit the insides of her cheek, raising her eyebrows at him. She didn't understand why her boyfriend and her best friend had so much animosity towards each other. It was just all banter between those two. They couldn't meet up without either one of them throwing the first punch, metaphorically speaking of course. Takumi-kun grumbled and turned his head away from her, the pink on his cheeks intensifying.
"She annoys me"
"You hardly see her now"
"Hearing her name annoys me"
"Anyway, continuing on. He paid for the candle she was getting and now she won't shut up about him and how he's stripped away her rights as an independent woman who could buy her own things" finished Ayame.
"That's… really weird. Hayama being generous and paying for someone is… unheard of"
"Well, maybe Hayama-san is sweet on Chizuru-chan"
"Saying things like that isn't funny, bella"
Takumi-kun was giving her a grossed-out look and Ayame couldn't help giggling. The giggling evolved into a hearty laugh. He was making such a funny expression and she couldn't take it. Somewhere between constipated and nauseous. Between taking deep gulps of breaths to quell her funny-bone, Takumi-kun got up from his seat, heading towards the kitchen. By the time he came back, he brought with him a bottle of her favourite peach flavoured iced-tea. Meh, forget coconut water, she'll always like her sugary drinks best. A sudden and sharp coldness scrapped against her cheek and her eyes flew open, she jumped in her seat with a squeak and the musical sound of Takumi-kun's laughter filled the apartment, laughing at her expense.
"Pressing iced-tea on your face never gets old" he chuckled.
Oh looky here~ He was now more confident and mean. Ayame rolled her eyes and she failed to suppress her smile as she swiped the bottle of ice tea from his hand. She ripped open the cap and chugged it down until there was only half left and gave the bottle back to Takumi-kun with a cheeky grin. It was his turn to roll his eyes and took the cap from her, screwing it tightly onto the bottle.
"Chizuru-chan mentioned something about him which sounded odd. She said Hayama-san was, in her own words: 'pathetically depressed about some shit at Tootsuki'" Ayame produced the inverted quotation marks with her fingers in the air.
"What does that mean?"
"Apparently he looked really depressed and was asking her these… philosophical questions about sacrifice. Or something along those lines" she continued. "Does that mean anything to you?" asked Ayame.
Takumi groaned. "Nope. All I know about Hayama is that he turned his back on us and joined Azami's cause. Enough, about Tootsuki again. All I want to know is what made you smile today, bella"
She couldn't resist his cheesiness. Takumi-kun was being unbearably cheesy and it her insides feel all warm and fuzzy.
"I did well in the pop-quiz today. I guess that was worth a smile" she grinned from ear to ear. She was melting inside and she loved it.
"I think that deserves a celebratory cheesecake" said Takumi-kun.
"Cheesecake?! You're going to make me Cheesecake now?"
Ayame leapt up out of the couch and flung her arms around Takumi-kun's neck. He yelped and stumbled backwards, but his hand sprung out and grabbed onto the back of the sofa to steady his legs. She dangled from his neck ignoring his protests to let go, otherwise she might hurt herself if they both crashed to the floor.
"Chocolate Cheesecake? Can I have chocolate cheesecake? Yeah? Yeah?" Ayame followed Takumi-kun who was escaping into the kitchen to get started before Ayame could bite his head, mistaking it for cheescake. Good move, otherwise she would've tackled her boyfriend again in her sugar-high excitement.
"Si! Si! Please let got bella, I need both my arms to make cheesecake!" he panicked, trying to wrangle himself free from her flapping arms.
Ayame suddenly got an idea.
"And after cheesecake, can we…" she sidled up to him and went on the tips of her toes.
She whispered in Takumi-kun's ears.
He dropped the bag of biscuits on the kitchen counter with a deep thud.
"T-T-Tonight?! B-But you have s-school tomorrow!"
His face was brimming with beetroot redness, just as she predicted. She bit her lips through her huge smile and twisted her arms behind her back, leaning forward ever so slightly. Her eyes said 'pretty please' with added effect of fluttering eyelashes.
"It's not f-fair when you're l-looking at me like th-that…"
"Please"
"Okay… but don't complain if I get carried away" he mumbled. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, before picking up his bag of biscuits again. Ayame jumped up and down, pressing her hands to her cheek, holding in her squeal.
"You don't need to worry about any complaints coming from me". She parked her behind on the kitchen stool, eager to watch Takumi-kun work his magic on her celebratory chocolate cheesecake.
"Did I hear cheesecake earlier?"
"Oh Isami-kun! You're back"
Right on the dot, the jovial voice which belonged to Isami Aldini emerged from the balcony. He pushed the sliding door closed with a loud click and enveloped Ayame into a great big bear hug. The tall boy's hair was touselled by the wind, as it always was and his cat-like blue eyes glittered brightly. He was gone for a long time out there. She bet that he too had a lot of news to tell Bianca-san.
"Yep. Takumi-kun is making me chocolate cheesecake because I scored really high on my pop-quiz today" said Ayame.
"That's what I thought" laughed Isami-kun.
"You always seem to finish your phone dates just in time for whenever Takumi-kun is making me dessert" Ayame smirked at him.
"Do I? It must be the twins-link I share with Fratello since birth. I kind of know what he's up to and what he's feeling without asking. If he's making dolce, trust me, I'll always be around. If he's found out I've eaten the pudding-cup he was saving, he won't find me for the rest of the day"
Ayame bursted out laughing. Isami-kun was a hilarious guy!
"Hey Fratello, why is your face all red? Awwww Ayame-chan… Did you pinch him on the butt again~?"
"SHE DID NO SUCH THING!"
It was already three days since Yukihira-kun challenged Hayama-kun.
Isshiki regretted not being able to watch the match between Souma-kun and Hayama-kun today. The Survivor's Purge continued on like the march of time, but only there was an end. Souma-kun found another RS who was struggling to make ends meet and it was the Wild Game RS. It was almost as if Souma-kun didn't care which RS played to his strengths or anything since he was pretty much an all-rounder. Souma-kun saw an RS that needed help and so, he would help them. Simply that. He signed his life away onto the contract and became an official member of the Wild Game RS. Not really signed his life away. Every RS member had to meet a minimum three months contribution to the club, and after that they could quit if they wanted. The theme he chose was bear meat.
Bear meat out of all things.
Isshiki-kun could only laugh. Yukihira Souma knew nothing of bear meat. The fact that he didn't know anything about its properties, let alone cook it got him all excited just to learn more for the shokugeki. There was a huge selection of game meat he could've chosen that he was more familiar with, but the maverick picked out the most interesting and exotic one of the bunch. A small part of Satoshi couldn't be prouder. What was the point of cooking something from within one's comfort zone and playing it safe when there was a wealth of all sorts just beyond the horizon to test out? A larger part wanted to tut at Souma-kun for taking a huge risk and gambling the future of the Game Cuisine RS by picking one of the hardest game meats to handle, when he should be playing it safe.
According to the wild-game master Yoshino-kun, bear meat generally had an unpleasant odour, but that depended on the quality and season. It needed more caution than deer or boar when using it. On first impressions, bear meat looked like lamb. Very red, but far lighter than venison and darker than most pork. Closest match would be the darkest part of a high-quality pork shoulder. Preparing this unique ingredient necessitates the chef to remove that odour and in doing so would require ingenuity at every stage of the process. From seasoning, or parboiling, all the way to flavouring. For example, something like...
'...Spice. It will be an uphill battle for Souma-kun. It's completely in Hayama-kun's domain'
Satoshi quietly tapped away on his laptop for his latest assignment. Designing recipes for texture-modified Japanese dishes for patients with mild to severe oropharyngeal dysphagia, otherwise known as 'swallowing disorders', without compromising the enjoyment of food. The library around this time was pretty much abandoned as the whole school was either packed in Block A for Souma-kun's and Hayama-kun's shokugeki or Block B in Nakiri-kun's and Kusunoki-kun's shokugeki. It was a huge event. It was increasingly hard to separate the thoughts needed to complete his assignment from what his kouhais were up to.
If Souma-kun had concentrated too much on the spices, he would have ended up falling short on thinking about how the bear meat would blend with the other ingredients too. Also, if he had been spending all his time thinking about how to obliterate the stinky smell of bear meat, then he risked compromising the unique flavours of bear. After all, taste was composed on seventy percent of scent. At least his kouhai didn't need to worry about the carve of meat as Tootsuki would be providing the best carve of the season by grade-A hunters, therefore there shouldn't be any bad smells coming from it. If Souma-kun was unfortunate enough to end up with bear meat that was odorous, it reflected more on the hunters lack of skill than anything. Satoshi continued to contemplate that Tootsuki might perhaps be producing marbled bear meat as Autumn is when bears start to forage food in preparation for winter hibernation. During the past few days, Satoshi tried to leave him alone as much as possible, allowing him go through numerous trials and errors. Souma-kun had realised he had no idea about bear meat as an ingredient and he had no choice but to go back to studying. Students were forever studying, no matter what vocation they've picked.
'He's very lucky he has the talented Nakiri Alice, Mito Ikumi and Yoshino-kun on his side'
Nakiri Alice allowed him to use her private kitchens to experiment with all the latest technology at his disposal. Mito-san was very adamant put him in touch to the best bear-butchers in the Japan. Yoshino-kun was eager to give him mini-lectures about handling game-meats in general. After consummately and perfectly understanding the innate characteristics of the ingredients, Souma-kun was on the right path.
'No... there is no right or wrong path. Only the path you choose and the answer you create for yourself to deal with obstacles in your path'
The former seventh-seater wondered if Souma-kun was going to use either the paw or thigh meat, as those were the best parts of the bear.
He also regretted not having enough time to witness Nakiri-kun's and Kusunoki Rentarou's shokugeki too. He didn't have much thoughts for Nakiri-kun's match since she was sure to win anyway.
Satoshi resumed reading the research article he pulled up, adament that he needed to finish this by the end of the afternoon. He was now completely on his assignment when a hand tapped him on the shoulder.
Hmm?
"Isshiki-san. Azami-dono requests your presence in his office immediately"
Were Director Azami's security always going to be the ones needing to speak with him? He closed his laptop, putting it to sleep before regarding the black-clad security fully.
"What does the Director want? I've already vacated my position and handed over all my duties to the current seventh seater" he simply said.
"Don't get snippy with me. Azami-dono order you to come and you go with no questions asked. Do I make myself clear?" grunted the security.
"Perfectly" replied Satoshi with a harmless smile.
He packed up his things, making sure everything was accounted for before the imposing security marched him out of the library.
"Ah, come in Isshiki-kun"
Director Azami was standing by the window, looking out into the autumn leaves rather than sitting in his over-large seat for a change. But the man himself had not changed and was the same sickingly-charming viper he knew him to be. He waved his security away, who bowed deeply before leaving the office, closing the door with a soft click
"You wanted to see me?" Satoshi wanted to get straight to the point.
"Yes. It's about my daughter. I won't beat around the bush. Three days ago, my men had informed me that she had arrived through the front gates of Tootsuki, accompanied by Alice, Arato-san and Kurokiba-san"
Azami-dono slid the tips of his leather gloved fingers long the window sill and nonchalantly inspected what could be dust dotting his expensive glove. His eyes were down-cast as he spoke to Satoshi. The auburn haired student kept his breath even and rhythmic as much as possible.
"I am aware. I believe they went on a shopping trip together, according to Fumio-san. I couldn't say when exactly in the day they did, as I've been busy sorting up left over work" he replied.
"I see. Explain to me then, how it is possible that Erina was not spotted by anyone or by any surveillance cameras exiting the campus at all on that day, and yet they just waltz through the front entrance, just like that. Did they decide to teleport out and then fancied coming back in the normal way?"
He finally turned towards Satoshi, casting a long shadow onto the desk. He was making fun of Satoshi, his dark and dismal eyes goading him to falter, trying to catch him out by insulting his intelligence.
"I don't know, sir. Perhaps they used a different entrance" he replied. Satoshi wouldn't take the bait. He was better than that.
"All entrances are under surveillance. My security are my eyes"
The Director sauntered around the large, old oak table until he was standing in front of it. He perched on the edge and crossed his arms over his chest. He was dressed all in black again, as if it was the sole colour in his wardrobe. He sneered at Satoshi.
"I've had my team analyze all the footages inside and outside the school since my arrival just in case. Imagine my surprise when I was also informed that you were spotted a day after Erina left the manor, exiting the IT department shortly after Morimoto Mouza-san, the previous head of IT gets sacked. Very unusual for an Elite Ten as yourself. Sorry. Was as yourself to be visiting the IT department in person, rather than use your aide"
"My aide was ill on that day, so I took it upon myself to complete her duties and sort out a problem that cropped up regarding Tootsuki RS databases, which was part of our QI project. Luckily, Morimoto-san was still there to help me"
Satoshi had prepared himself for the day Azami was onto him, but he didn't think it would come that soon. The hair on the back of his neck stood up on end as Azami's grin widened into a smirk. A very unnerving smirk.
"Shall I summon her and ask your aide myself?"
"If you wish, but I don't understand how me going to the IT department is related to Erina-sama's shopping trip""
Azami bent his face dangerously close to Satoshi. His pointed and aristocratic nose just a hairs breadth from his. His deep souless eyes stabbed his own blue ones and he couldn't tear his eyes away. They were held captive. He could feel Azami-dono stealing all his secrets his eyes. Satoshi was genuinely frightened. Seeing Azami up close like this did more than just intimidate him, it scared the daylights out of him. His starkly pale face accentuated his impossibly sharp cheeks and the tight grimness of his thin lips could only promise that things wouldn't end well for Satoshi.
"Don't you play games with me. Don't think for one second you're capable of that"
Satoshi jerked backwards sucked in his breath, but managed to keep his feet planted on the floor. That venom and anger was seeping like thick and putrid pus from cracks in his patience which was wearing dangerously thin.
"My daughter was never at Polar Star Dormitory was she? You organised her to be elsewhere away from the Nakiri manor, away from me and you lied about it"
"Why don't you ask Erina-sama to confirm her shopping trip, Azami-dono. Your daughter couldn't lie to you, even if she tried"
"Don't worry, I will. And when I find out the truth, you all will pay for your insolence, including my daughter"
The threat was real. It was promise that Satoshi feared would definitely come true.
"And then I will find all the people involved in helping her and make them regret the thought of going against me. No matter who they are, or where they come from
No matter who they were? or where they came from?
Polar Star?
Kuchiyose-san?
Arato-san's secret contact too?
Satoshi clenched his teeth together and fought his hands to stay relaxed and stop shaking. Azami-dono leaned back. Gazing at Satoshi like Kami-sama about to smite the Earth. He kept his eyes concentrated on a tiny dot on Azami-dono's desk.
"I'll ask again Isshiki-kun. Where had Erina been all this time and what are you planning?"
Isshiki... you're about to get FUCKED.
Ayame's getting cheesecake! Keep up the good work and you get more dessert rewards, because that's what Takumi is there for, the cuddly-personal chef :D Although I think Ayame would also appreciate more than just 'Takumi's desserts' kekekeke.
Souma, you lovable dense gumnut! Where would SnS be without you! Also Hayama, Hayama, Hayama... Of course you'd sell your soul to the devil for power... or maybe you wouldn't. WHO. KNOWS.
Don't forget to check out my poll and vote for your favourite OC characters in A Touch of Saffron! Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose! And see what others have voted :D Also, if you have time, check out Chapter 2 of my other SnS story Medica Materia to find out what Erina and the gang had been up to during their escapade :) I should say it now, the stories are connected.
Until next time, I'd love to know what you guys think!
Signing off
-TripWire-dono