Chapter 4: Homeward Bound
Back inside her room at Polar Star Dorm, after bolting upstairs avoiding further embarrassment, Megumi immediately grabbed her suitcase and placed it on her bed before walking over to her small wardrobe and rummaging around in the drawers and shelves looking for the appropriate clothes to pack. Plucking a few blouses, skirts, jeans and leggings from the shelves, along with some underwear and bras, she moved back to the bed and began placing her picked clothes into her suitcase.
Placing a flower pendant around her neck, the blue haired girl continued picking up toiletries she would need; toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner and packing them too in an internal pouch of her case. Her eyes landed on the bikini Yuki had leant her, tensing slightly and feeling some trepidation build up within her, she was almost tempted to leave it behind and not go swimming.
'Just be content with sitting on the beach', but then she heard a voice emanating from the metal conversation tubes, "remember Megumi. Take the bikini, otherwise... I will mail it to you".
Thoroughly flushed at the thought of opening such a parcel at home, or god forbid having her mother get to it first, made her grab the swimming garments and press them too into the case. "Yuki! Stop bugging me, I'm already nervous enough", she yelled flushed at the metal tube before closing the cap on it so she would not be able to hear her friend.
Turning around she walked over to her desk, upon which sat a mirror with her good luck charm sitting attached to it. Picking up her good luck charm she placing it in her pocket, and smiled as she thought of her mother and grandfather as well as all her friends, waving to her a year ago when she first boarded the train to Tokyo for the Tōtsuki Academy. If she hadn't taken their advice she would never have had the courage to move forwards as a chef let alone meet Sōma, all of the members of Polar Star, along with the new friends Takumi and Isami, and Ikumi, Alice, Ryo, Akira, Hisako and Erina. Even if the 'God Tongue' was still a begrudging that choice.
A tear of happiness ran down her face, as she thought about the inseparable bonds of friendship that bound them altogether. She hoped that one day Erina would come around to being their friend but for whatever reason the 'God Tongue' was hell bent on being against Sōma. Alice and Ryo were better than Erina in that regard, the other Nakiri no longer saw Soma as an inept ignorant brat.
To Alice Nakiri, Sōma Yukihira was a well accomplished and deserved rival to her wish of gaining a seat on the Council of Ten, a view that was shared by Ryo Kurokiba. As did Akira Hayama, even if Akira was also a begrudged rival. But they all saw each other as people to sharpen ones skills against, as for Takumi, the older Aldini twin was semi obsessed with beating his friend/rival, much to his younger brother Isami's continued banter. Then there was Hisako who seemed conflicted towards Sōma, on one hand she respected his cooking style but on the other hand she was trying to maintain a level of I ndifference. Mostly due to Erina's continued disdain of him.
Lastly was Ikumi Mito, who had an obvious crush on Sōma, which Megumi knew about, had developed feelings for Sōma after he had defeated her in a food war on his very first week at Tōtsuki. Coincidentally that defeat had resulted in widening her culinary horizon, breaking her out of Erina's orbit and awakened within her a liking for bowl club. But if anyone so much as dared tell her that, or asked her if she enjoyed being a member, she would violently and strenuously deny it.
As clothes hangers were placed back into the wardrobe empty of their previous occupying vestments, Megumi noticed a small piece of folded paper laying on the bottom of the top shelf. Picking up the paper and unfolding it, she felt her smile broaden as she focused on the faces of her mother and grandfather holding herself, when she was about four years old and with Kenosuke standing almost humbly at their mother's side, at nine. Both siblings were grinning and holding up cooking utensils; a rolling pin and ladle in Megumi's hands and in Kenosuke's was an egg whisk with a colander on his head.
"Miss you big brother..." she whispered, "I hope you recover soon and return to Tōtsuki". Placing the photo into an empty frame on her desk, she then proceeded to close her suitcase and place it, upright, by her bedroom door. Remembering the cold weather outside, and likely cold weather back in Hachinohe, she then decided to change her dress for a pair of navy jeans and a green and purple blouse. Checking herself in the mirror, she brushed her hair and redid her twin pigtails, before pulling on a hoodie and grabbing a goose down jacket and pulling her suitcase behind her, she made her way out of her room and downstairs to wait for Sōma.
Meanwhile, inside room 303, Sōma Yukihira was nervously fidgeting with the phone in his hands, pondering his fathers latest words to him. And trying to figure out why he had told him about going to a local food festival with a friend from Tōtsuki. "Listen well, Sōma, the secret to becoming a great chef is... meeting the right woman. One that will inspire you to always give cooking your absolute best, every single time... and push you to be the best possible chef you can be".
"Senile old man", he mused, "just because I'm going with Megumi to her home town doesn't mean anything. She's my best friend..." Sōma stopped as he realised he could hear laughter coming from the phone. "Crap!" He yelled, "don't even think about it dad!"
From the other end of the line Jōichirō continued laughing. "Honestly son, you can be so dense sometimes". And with that the call ended, leaving the boy feeling extremely put out and confused. Looking out of the window he watched a murmuration of starlings flitter across the azure sunburst sky, the sight of which brought a quickening to his heart and a faint blush across his face for an unknown reason. Without realising it, the redhead boy placed a hand on the window and leaving an imprint of condensation on the cold glass.
"You seem troubled young Sōma?" The boy in question almost jumped out of his skin as he spun round to face the concerned expression of Isshiki climbing down from the ceiling rafters. Mercifully, the seventh seat was dressed but still the silence and creepiness of his entrance was exhaustive for Sōma to handle.
Placing his mobile back into his jeans pocket, the redhead boy turned back to his finished suitcase, trying to ignore his friends entrance to his room. Jeans, jean shorts, T-shirt's, boxers and socks all packed; he had even grabbed a pair of swimming trunks just in case they decided to go swimming but he highly doubted it. Northeastern Japan at this time of year wasn't particularly inviting for swimmers. Sōma didn't have have much experience when it came to being invited by friends back to their houses, as he had always had to help out back at the restaurant with his father.
Which in hindsight was probably why many former middle school peers had ignored him, writing him off as antisocial and whispering things behind his back. His only real friends he'd had before coming to Tōtsuki had been Mayumi Kurase and Aki Koganei, and despite them coming round to his family eatery every now and then, he rarely saw them outside of school. "If you're nervous about your vacation trip with Megumi..." Isshiki began, "there is no need of it. She is a sweet hearted girl, she will not hold anything against you".
Closing his suitcase and lifting it onto its wheels, sōma allowed a trace of his anxiety to show through his usual happy-go-lucky self. "Isshiki...", Sōma began. "I feel queasy".
Walking forward, the seventh seat of the Council of Ten slapped the redhead on the back and pushed him forwards. "Don't focus on it then, focus on the food festival. Enjoy the sights, smells and atmosphere. With Megumi at your side let you two enhance one another". Feeling a heat spread across his face, Sōma quickly turned back to his suitcase wanting to distract himself with packing but instead he was confronted by a finished and closed case, meaning he couldn't ignore the growing hammering in his chest.
Feeling a hand in his shoulder, he heard Isshiki sigh. "Just be yourself Sōma. That's all that is required of you, and bring back some souvenirs from Tōhoku". Isshiki grinned as he sensed the anxiety begin to fade from his underclassman, and be replaced by calm reflection of the coming four days.
"Thanks Isshiki. You know you should be a therapist with your way with words", the redhead boy grinned pulling a scarf round his neck, followed by putting on a jacket before taking his suitcase and leaving his room. Following his friend along the corridor and down the stairs, Ishiki noted that his friend jumped the bottom two steps of each flight of stairs, inadvertently showing his calm mind and renewed focus.
Upon reaching the ground floor, descending the final large stairway, they both saw Megumi standing next to Yuki and Ryōko, who were giggling amongst themselves whilst the blue haired girl hid her face in her hands and shook her head. "Blackjack!" A sudden yell, erupted from the dining room, making Yuki and Megumi jump. "Hey! Daigo, Shōjo will you please keep the noise down!" Ryoko responded turning around and into the dining room.
"Geez! Ryōko", Yuki squeaked, covering her ears, "could you give a little warning next time please". Chuckling, Sōma and Isshiki approached the girls, "awe let 'em be", the seventh seat responded chuckling. "Sōma!" Megumi uttered, moving towards him and smiling a little but then tripping over and falling into the redhead boy, knocking them both to the ground. To the smirking of Yuki and Ryōko, and chuckling of Isshiki, "honestly! You two are just too perfect!" Yuki exclaimed, as the aforementioned boy and girl got to their feet red faced and avoiding eye contact.
"You better bring back some souvenirs!" Yuki whispered, as she hugged her friend, and then giggling at seeing megumi's blushing face. "Remember", Ryōko whispered in Megumi's ear, "to tell your mother exactly how much Sōma has helped you evolve here in Tōtsuki". The three girls were interrupted by the honking of the nearby taxi, that the dorm mother, mistress Fumio, had called for them. Giving her friends one last hug, Megumi turned around and followed Sōma as he approached the taxi putting her and his cases in the trunk and then returning to the side and getting into the schools luxury chassis.
Looking over to her left she saw Sōma grinning at her. "What is it?" She asked, worried that she had something wrong with her hair but instead the boy next to her simply smiled. "Nothings wrong Megumi, I can't wait to see your home town and this food festival".
His smile was so infectious, she couldn't help but share in his optimistic attitude. "Yeah! You're gonna love it, it's always my favourite time of year". Rolling down the window, the two young chefs waved to their friends as the car pulled out of the Polar Star Dormitory's grounds, and both teenagers unconsciously blushed due to their close proximity, and even at the distance the car was now at it still made Yuki, Ryōko and Isshiki smirk.