Chapter 26: Box of Challenges
When Sōma awoke he found himself laying in bed with Megumi sprawled next to him, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head in the crook of his neck. Her gentle breathing tickled against his skin, and the way her unbraided hair was splayed on the pillow and on him, combined with her slightly red cheeks only added to her beauty.
Ever so gently, without waking her, Sōma turned his head towards the clock sitting on the dresser opposites the bed. With a start, the boy realised that they had slept in past breakfast and well into mid morning... "Crap! The teachers are so gonna kill me!" Unintentionally crying out, he jolted Megumi from her sleep.
Megumi bolted upright as soon as she had realised the closeness of their sleeping arrangement. Red faced and stuttering, remembering her mothers stern words, she then stood up and went over to the wardrobe and got out clean clothes and a towel. But before she left for the bathroom she found herself embraced from behind, and Sōma's kind voice whispering into her ears. "I'm always here for you, and I'm always here to talk to if ever you want to. I love you, Megumi".
Turning around, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to her boyfriend's lips. "Thank you Sōma, for everything you've done for me at Tōtsuki". Unfurling herself from him she then departed her bedroom and hurried down the hallway to the bathroom leaving Sōma to himself get ready for rest of the day.
—
Half an hour later, washed and dressed, just as he was making his way downstairs for a belated breakfast, he was met by Yuki and Ryōko who walked and talked to him about Megumi. As soon as they all began descending the grand stairwell, Sōma saw the unmistakable figures of Fumio waiting at the bottom of the stairs holding a large cardboard box in her arms.
"You have a hefty box of mail for you Sōma", Fumio stated, watching Kyokusei dorm's resident odd ball eye the parcel in her arms skeptically. "Huh", the redhead sighed, taking the box and placing it on the tiled floor. "What did my dad send me? It better not be anything embarrassing", he added half flustered half annoyed. "Ooh Sōma what have you been saying to your dad? Is it about you and Megumi?" Yuki cooed. Whilst Ryōko giggled coquettishly.
Yet, before he could diffuse and refute the two girls or even open the box, the doors of the dorm opened revealing Shun carrying a bag of wood chips in hand followed by Daigo and Shōji carrying a basket of vegetables. "Hey guys..." Sōma began desperately seeking an end to the girls teasing. "I heard you and everyone else passed the stagiaire. Well done!" Grinning the two 'meatheads' replied, "yeah of course we did! After what we went though at the training camp, the stagiaire seemed kinda dull".
"Oh god don't remind me of that!" Yuki cried throwing herself into Ryōko's arms. "That 'camp' was hell on Earth. It was a miracle we all got through with our sanities intact!"
"Oh come on Yuki, you exaggerate" Fumio interjected, "the camp toughened you kids right on up. There's no harm in being shown how a true chef works under pressure". Yuki whimpered a little less bit did not cease her crying, as the chefs, minus Fumio, headed towards the dining room. They were joined ten minutes later by Megumi, and then by Takumi, Issami and Ikumi; whom had dropped by to see them all.
—
"That guy should be runout of the culinary world", Takumi growled. It took a lot of persuading from Sōma and Ryōko to get Megumi to say, in her own words, what had happened to her. As to be able to talk was a good way to come to terms with her ordeal, so said Ryōko, and Isshiki who had slunk into the room. Ikumi surprised everyone by walking forwards, knelling down and embracing the blue haired girl and promising to help her in anyway possible. "Thank you meat-meat", Megumi tearfully replied hugging the busty blonde back.
"Ikumi... your so thoughtful", Sōma stated, before he was interrupted by Shun tapping him on the shoulder, and pointing towards the cardboard box. "What's that then Sōma?" Taking his eyes way from his girlfriend, the redhead boy was reminded of the potential embarrassment to be deluged upon him by his fathers post. "Ah yes", Isshiki interjected, "Sōma... all these food war challenges arrived for you whilst you were at the stagiaire".
Before anyone could stop him, Sōma bolted forwards and began ripping open the box and riffling through stacks upon stacks of food war challenges. "Oh yes! So this is what Master Shinomiya meant by Tōtsuki having 'many ways' chefs could learn from", the boy exclaimed definitely. "I'm going to go accept these challenges immediately! Hopefully I can do battle today".
"Hey Sōma!" The voice of Zenji Marui called from the entrance hall, "there's someone here to see you".
—
As everyone walked out into the entrance hall, Isshiki's nervous anticipation was ended upon realising that the person he had thought was here, was not present. Instead, standing in the doorway was a tall imposing spiky haired black haired older boy dressed in the school uniform, and with an arm and clenched fist folded over his chest.
"Sōma Yukihira..." the older boy exclaimed. "I am Tetsuji Kabutoyama, second year and president of the Skewer research society. You first years have been making strides and have gotten the attention of us upperclassmen... and so I challenge you and your cooking in a food war!"
"I accept", Sōma immediately blurted out, grinning like he had been given a huge early birthday present. "We can even battle today, right now, if you'd like". To the stunned expressions of his friends, Sōma threw an impish grin towards them and then proceeded to follow Kabutoyama toward the food war office to finalise the battle. "I'll be fine guys, really don't worry about me".
"You're way to impetuous! You know that!" Ikumi and Takumi both yelled in frustration before blushing at their shared yell.
"W-we should go and cheer him on", Megumi stammered, "he is a part of Kyokusei and a friend".
"I'm sure as hell not gonna allow him to leave before he's lost to me!" Takumi yelled running out of the dorm after the two, about to battle, chefs, followed by Issami and Ikumi. "Okay, lets go and cheer on Sōma", Isshiki smiled leading the group of Polar Star dorm mates onwards.
—
Upon reaching the main school grounds, where classes and extra curricular activities were held, and then a further walk to the Celestial Room, where food wars took place, all the group of friends were hearing was talk about Sōma's food war acceptance. Also, there was word about saying that the 'transfer student' was busy accepting his all his other challenges as well. "Sōma sure is bold", Shōji stated, picking up on some other first years taking about the 'impossibility' of taking on so many food wars at once. "That's Sōma though", Megumi replied. sighing. "I still support him. Even if I do feel like strangling him sometimes".
Turning her head to look at her friends, Megumi was taken aback by the grins on their faces. "What?" She murmured, embarrassment growing in her stomach. "What is it?" She repeated, when no one answered her. "Your confidence has increase so much Megumi!" Yuki and Ryōko cried dashing into the blue haired girl and initiating a three person hug. "Agreed", Shun added, "Sōma has done wonders for your confidence, and you have tempered, to a degree his recklessness".
Thoroughly red faced, Megumi spun around and pointed towards the huge building ahead, "can we move on now... we need to cheer Sōma on".
—
Upon entering the Celestial Room, the polar star group were met by Ikumi and Takumi, who were then berated by Isami for running off. "Come on", Ikumi said, "I managed to get us a front row seats! So come on, Sōma and Kabutoyama will be out soon". Bolting forwards, Megumi and Ikumi and the others raced towards and began climbing the steps of the stands so that they would get to properly see every bit of Sōma's food war.
The room was suddenly caught in uproar as the emcee, walked out onto the central stage and began announcing the beginning. "Hello Tōtsuki, I'm Urara Kawashima", the black haired girl with tied red ribbons tied into it stated. "We have a tremendous sense of anticipation here in the building today!"
Speaking onto a microphone, and raising her left arm, Urara gestures towards the corridor between the bleachers.
"Our competitors, the president of the Skewer Research society: Tetsuji Kabutoyama. And his opponent is none other than Sōma Yukihira, this food wars has been officially recognised as a test of culinary skill. So whomever the looser is, they will not have to leave the school but the defeat will still be a stain for whichever chef is unlucky enough to loose".
And then the judges arrived.
Kakinoshin Ōizumi... president of the Japanese food industry council,
Seishū Saotome, Director of Japanese gourmet society, and
Shigeno Kuraki, president of the traditional Japanese restaurant organisation.
After Urara had announced the judges, both competing chefs walked onto the stage carrying their signature cooking utensils: Sōma carried his case of knives, whilst Kabutoyama held his skewers.
—
As he walked onto the stage, Sōma smiled his trademark grin in the direction of Megumi, which alleviated some of her worries. However, the gesture was picked up by Urara who then outed the schools 'it-couple' to the entire room, eliciting many squeals of delight and jealousy from above in the bleachers. Blushing, as she felt her insecurities rising, Megumi shook her head and stood still facing the stage, as the food wars was officially started.
Two and a half hours later.
Sōma was the declared winner of his food war against Kabutoyama, and yet after winning one match he went out and then publicly accepted the challenges of two more second years in the audience.
"Winner of second battle... Sōma Yukihira!"
"Winner of third battle is... Sōma Yukihira!"
—
As he packed up the leftover food from his three battles, and saw his friends approaching him, Sōma suddenly found himself confronted a red haired golden eyed girl who had dashed down and was now helping herself to some of the spare food. "Oh yeah!" The girl grinned, a huge Cheshire cat smile adorning her face. "This is soo good! I really am impressed, chef Yukihira".
Just as he was about to ask her who she was, the girl winked at him before turning around on her heels and departed, waving over her shoulder as she walked past Megumi, Takumi and Ikumi as they themselves ran forwards.
Looking after the girl to where she had disappeared to, he saw Isshiki, Erina and Eizan as well as several other shadowed people behind them. All of them staring down towards the stage.