Recall
"Abel, why the hell is she here???" Shinomiya's arms crossed glaring at Abel.
Hours before Shino's Tokyo opens for the day, Shinomiya wanted nothing more than his restaurant operations to be set up for today's important guests, but as soon as he entered the kitchen, the one person who can sidetrack him from today's schedule suddenly appears.
"Senpai, sorry... I can explain..." Megumi said nervously.
Abel scrambled ahead before Shinomiya could bite anyone's head off.
"Ahh Chef, I think it might help her with her memory. I'm sure we'll need an extra hand. She's familiar with some of today's recipes." Abel tried to reason out.
"So what made you think you can treat this restaurant as a rehabilitation center???" Shinomiya berrated.
This was not the best time. He still finds himself overly sensitive that all those times he and Megumi spent together were wiped out in an instant because of an accident he couldn't save her from. His failure to protect her is projected as anger because as much as he wants to help, he inferred that it would be best to do nothing for now, and be at bay if circumstances were better. In his mind, drastic actions could be more detrimental to her recovery. Not being able to do anything annoyed him to the gut.
Still, how many times has he attempted to call their dorm and drop the call the instant someone answers? Probably the total number of times he thought of driving his car to Totsuki to shake Megumi until the amnesia wears off.
All those conflicting thoughts resonated into aggravation towards both Megumi, and more on Abel who allowed this.
"Shinomiya-senpai, please..." plighted Megumi bowing so low. "I promise I won't be a burden. If not in the kitchen, I can just assist with serving the food, or welcoming guests..."
Shinomiya was too angry at Abel for not even asking for his permission for this, or for not thinking how heavy the responsibility it is if Megumi gets hurt again, even more so under his watch. Still, there is also that small chance that Megumi's memories could come back on their own if she spends a bit of time here.
Shinomiya clenched his fist sucking it all up. "Do whatever you want. Just don't stand in my way." he grouched. "Abel, I will fire you if she makes a mess today!"
Abel and Megumi nodded and hastily bowed as Shinomiya turned away.
It was exactly back then when Megumi insisted to help out in the restaurant, and everything that happened after: their conversations over her homebrewed tea, how she slept in his car, how fragile she was in his arms as he carried her into the Polar Star Dorm.
He started conditioning himself to take all the necessary precautions around her. She can't be forced to remember anything, or anyone. He recalled Megumi almost fainting in the hospital when that happened.
Megumi tiptoed trying to reach the ingredient from a shelf that's beyond her height. She stretched out her hand in the hopes of at least nudging on the container filled with cinnamon sticks.
Just when her muscles were already at the limit, another long arm extended passed hers grabbing the container.
"Oh, thank you... I was..." Megumi now noticed it was Shinomiya who came for her aide. She shrank a bit of how helpless she might have appeared to him.
"You just recovered from an accident. It won't hurt to avoid another one, so ask for help." he said concerned handing her the container.
As she held on the other end, their fingers touched, and in a split second her heart skipped a beat.
Megumi sheepishly nodded, and before she could say anything else, Shinomiya already walked away.
It has been a month since the accident, and Megumi's minor fractures have healed, but for her memories, there were still a few events she can't remember.
She may have become rusty with cooking as well, but she had to resume her postponed shokugekis soon, and so she followed Soma's advice to train at Shino's if she needed a quick refresher on her cooking skills. He said it shouldn't be a problem for her since she's done this before... and she knows that she has. It's just that she does not have a complete memory of it.
Moreover, she can't seem to remember much about Chef Shinomiya even though her friends would always say he is her mentor.
Megumi continued to whisk until the icing already reached the right consistency. The apple butter she prepared earlier was ready as well.
Apple butter... Since when did I learn to make this?
Her head ached a bit as blurry visions spiraled through her mind.
"Are you alright Megumi?"
Megumi felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Lucie-san..." Megumi massaged her left temple. "Sorry my head hurts a bit."
"Oh. Why don't you take a quick break?" Lucie suggested as she took over the bowl of icing from her.
The headache subsided a bit. "Don't worry. It's tolerable. I'll start with the pastry already."
Megumi stood beside Lucie grabbing a bar of chocolate.
"I see you're a natural now with that apple butter, even though Chef said you had a hard time learning the technique involved on this one." commented Lucie who watched Megumi read the instructions of the dessert recipe.
"What do you mean Lucie-san?"
Megumi followed Lucie's fast pace as she continued to chop the chocolate on the station beside her.
"Right. You might not remember this, but Chef said you've made apple butter before." said Lucie. "To recognize your effort, he added an item on the dessert menu that involved apple butter. We're only serving it now, but it was under development for months."
"Oh... I didn't know..." Megumi now started to wonder too many things...
On how her not-so-pro culinary effort could land something at Shino's menu.
On why a hectic place like Shino's kitchen could be so daring, but somehow it embraces her pleasantly like a haven...
...and in a way, Chef Shinomiya's presence does the same thing. He looks quite intimidating, but...
She made a quick glance at Shinomiya who was sauteing vegetables in another station. Watching his culinary skills come to play was like looking at art, and she was being drawn to him even though she usually cowers at anyone who has an overwhelmingly strong personality.
"Take it easy Tadokoro-chan. Let's have fun. Your memories returning should only be a bonus." said a cheerful Lucie.
Megumi took in Lucie's encouragement, and they both quickened their pace on the meal preparations.
"You what???" Erina screamed at Soma in her office as she flung a stack of papers at him. "How dare you!?!"
"What? Isn't exposing Megumi to different places the best way to bring back her memory?" Souma grinned at Erina as if he did something good.
"Idiot! What if something happens to her???"
"Then Master Shinomiya will drive her home to the dorm. That already happened before." said Soma reassuringly.
"Huh?" Erina threw him a puzzled look.
"Yeah he drove Megumi to the dorm last time." Soma picked up the documents on the floor and lazily placed it back on Erina's desk. "If he didn't do that, she might have slept in the shed that night. I'm sure Master Shinomiya will be responsible as he was then."
"Moron! That's not the point!"
Erina and the other girls had Megumi exposed to every corner and every person the latter might know at the academy. As far as the record goes, Megumi has a recollection for most of them, except for Shinomiya-senpai.
All these complications and Souma just tosses Megumi out there at the place that could hurt her.
Still, Erina thought it would be nice if Megumi can bring back all of her memories with Shinomiya-senpai. Megumi has not opened up about him for a while even before the accident.
Megumi asked for that favor as soon as she arrived from her restaurant trips months ago, that they should not open up about Shinomiya-senpai, at least not so much so as to avoid rumors. Plus, talking about it sometimes makes her feel more lonely and aware of the reality of their unclarified relationship.
"We should have heard something by now if she was in trouble." continued Souma as he sat on the couch on the corner of her office.
"You better be responsible if worse comes to worst." Erina bitterly piped down.
"Relax. Megumi is my friend too." Souma said firmly. "If you were in the same situation, I'd care enough to think what's also best for you."
Souma's tone was already serious and pensive, his hands behind his head. With that, Erina never replied anymore.
"Megumi? Is there something wrong?" Wei halted and guided her to stay on the side.
As soon as Shino's closed, Megumi joined Wei, Lucie, and Abel on their way to the train station. She has been rummaging through all the pockets and compartments of her backpack for a while now.
"I... might have dropped my charm."
"Is it important?" Abel eyed on the backpack.
"It's from my mom and my friends back home... They gave it to me before I entered Totsuki." Megumi responded a little worried.
"Oh... Well we can always go back. Chef Shinomiya should still be there." suggested Wei.
"But... Isn't he going home..?" Megumi said curiously.
"It's a crucial period for Shino's. There are different sides of the business he needs to attend to." explained Wei.
"He's... alone?" Megumi questioned further.
"Yes. We want to accompany him, but he always kicks us out." shared Abel. "He's been like that ever since the beginning, Tadokoro-chan."
"We can walk back with you. It's quite late." said Wei.
"Oh... Please go ahead without me. I don't want to be a bother..." Without hearing their response, Megumi sprinted off.
"Be careful!" shouted Lucie.
Megumi waved still running forward. The rush returning to Shino's roused her energy.
