Chapter 32: Aftershock
As he looked up at the screens, his eyes widened as he took in the news... he had won but not as he'd predicted. A unanimous victory, which should have been his first, had been denied. Sōma had taken a single judge from him.
Yet, instead of feeling resentment, an odd sense churned his stomach, as if a fire had been lit within him for the first time in years. It was almost as if his food war with Sōma had been nothing more than a whetstone for sharpening his courage.
Without turning around, and tuning out all extraneous noise from around him, he remained staring up at the scoreboard as he tried to understand what had occurred. Yet, Kensuke only found himself more and more blindsided by his own inability to comprehend how he should feel about this moment.
Unfortunately, he didn't get long to ponder as he suddenly felt arms wrap themselves around him. "Big brother..." the timid tear filled voice of his sister spoke, breaking him from his thoughts. "I'm happy for you... but please don't make Sōma leave Tōtsuki".
Confused by his sisters worried expression, Kensuke was reminded of his overwhelming desire to never have to see any sort of worry on her face. "Why would I make him leave? I never set out any rules for our food war... therefore your boyfriend is free to here student of Tōtsuki until he graduates".
Megumi blinked, and blushed, as she stood shocked by her brother seemingly aware of her relationship status. As well as hearing that neither he nor Sōma had made any food war plans, regarding what to do if either of them had been defeated.
"H-How did you find out? I'm sorry if you found out by the stupid paper..." she stuttered, turning red at the thought of him learning from the Tōtsuki gazette. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Kensuke smiled, "Mum emailed me. She said that you two had been to visit for the Fête. Plus, whatever is in the paper I haven't read yet".
Megumi immediately poked her brother in the chest, both blushing and pouting. "Please don't... I was embarrassed enough by it".
"Sure thing sis", he replied, "although. You do know that the paper gets sent out to people outside school right... so mum will probably have read it or emailed me about it to me".
With a shudder Megumi envisioned their mother's potential descriptions. Emiko wasn't going to hold anything back, she had always been open with both her children. Be it in an informative, jovial, teasing or serious moment, Emiko Tadokoro never held anything back from her children.
Pushing that to the back of her mind, the blue haired girl returned to her brother in front of her, wrapping her arms around him so tightly as she didn't want to ever be out of contact with him for long periods of time again. "I've missed you Ken... although this isn't how I had envisioned introducing you to Sōma". Brushing one of his sisters braided pigtails out of her face, Kensuke simply smiled before embracing her. "It's good to see you again Megumi. I missed you too, and I'm sorry for not trying to see you around school".
Returning to hugging her brother tightly, Megumi grinned as she gently punched her brother in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were the third seat! Afraid I might come after you?" Chuckling, Kensuke replied. "I'll keep the seat warm for you then". The blue haired girl went bright red as she heard that, "I can't... I'm, there's no way I'm near good enough to take the third seat".
Standing back, her brother noticed that the room was beginning to empty of the audience. "You're a better chef than you give yourself credit for. Someday I know you'll make it".
"Is that why you accepted my challenge? To inspire your sister?" Sōma asked, before having Megumi turn and wrap her arms around him. "To be perfectly honest Sōma", Kensuke began. "I hadn't planned on accepting. It just happened..." He stopped and frowned, thinking. "... I don't know, there's just something about you which intrigued me. And that made me want to accept your challenge".
It was at this moment that Takumi and Ikumi came bounding over and began scolding Sōma for his recklessness. Kensuke simply stood and watched as Sōma flushed in embarrassment from Takumi and Ikumi's words. "You have... good friends Sōma", the third seat spoke, a forlorn smile gracing his face. "I hope you never loose them".
With the same goofy smile plastered on his face, that she had seen since yeh day she had met him, Megumi watched as her boyfriend walked forwards placed a hand on her brothers shoulder. "I hope we can become friends too, that way I can learn much more about cooking from you. Megumi would hate to see you sad again" The redheaded boy grinned, making Kensuke involuntarily flinch, as he was unused to physical interactions.
"That was a great battle! We should do it again sometime". A momentary look of confusion flickered across the third seat's eyes but it was gone before either Sōma or Megumi could be concerned. "Well...?" Megumi asked again stomping her foot and placing her hands in her hips. "Why didn't you tell me that you were the third seat?"
"I didn't want you to feel like you had to prove yourself to everyone else... I'm sorry if I made you worried or sad. Or if I was selfish... I'm sorry".
Sighing, Megumi moved her hands to her brothers face. "You could never be selfish", she stated before she rested her head on his shoulder. After about four minutes, she spun around and grabbed Sōma. "Now brother", she announced. "I want to officially introduce you my boyfriend. Sōma Yukihira". Standing before each other, both boys looked nervous as if they were expecting something to interrupt them.
Slowly Kensuke looked over at the other boy, and extended his hand, "n-n-nice to officially meet y-you Sōma". The boy in question grinned as he shook his girlfriends brother's hand. "I've been told many things about you. Megumi looks up to you, and it's clear that Emiko and Shirō are really proud of you". The nervous expression disappeared from the older boys face and was replaced by a small smile. "Thank you Sōma..."
—
"Aww look at you making friends", an incredibly cheerful voice interjected. Turning around, Kensuke found himself immediatly engulfed into an embrace by the uber-energetic Kobayashi Rindō.
"Rindō..." He began but was cut off by the red haired girl; pouting and holding out her hands expectantly. "I left an extra plate of Hari-Hari nabe on the work surface", he pointed over towards a covered bowl. "You're always so hungry, why is that?" Rindō simply grinned before making a mad dash straight for the leftover food. As the second seat moved away, Sōma and Megumi couldn't help but notice a small smile on Kensuke's face and how relaxed he seemed around the second seat.
"Come on you two!" The voice of Yuki and Shōji both yelled, "party at Kyokusei dorm! You may have lost buts it's not everyday that someone can prevent someone on the Ten from a unanimous win". Nodding their heads to convey their understanding, the red head boy and the blue haired girl began to make their way back towards their friends. "Ken", Megumi exclaimed, "you're invited too. I hope you can come, I want to catch up".
"I-I-I don't know if I'll be able to make time", Kensuke replied sadly, looking at the floor. "I've got tones of Council paperwork but if can later in the week I promise to drop by Polar Star, or see you around campus". Megumi felt waves of calmness rush over her anew, she had introduced Sōma to her brother, after they had both nearly given her a heart attack but at a the same time she had seen her brother genuinely smile for the first time in along time.
And that was an extremely good sign.
As they left, Sōma grinned fondly, "I'm glad I met Ken. I hope we can battle again soon". Gently prodding her boyfriend in the ribs, Megumi began dragging him over towards where Yuki, Shōji, Isami and Isshiki were waving. "Come on Sōma, party at Kyokusei dorm. Ikumi, Takumi you coming?"
—
As he watched the first years leave the Celestial Room, Kensuke felt his body overcome by exhaustion. It took all he had to not collapse there and then, so wearily he left the room with Rindō towards the administration building.
"You sure did take your time in that match. Still, are you okay though?" Rindō asked as she and Kensuke made their through corridors inside the main Tōtsuki administration building, towards the offices assigned to the council members. "You could have beaten Sōma quickly if you wanted to".
Musing about whether to bluntly ask him if he held any 'misgivings' or 'regrets' about accepting Sōma's challenge, Rindō decided that it was probably too early for him to have begun thinking about that yet. "I wanted to see what kind of chef, my sister has put her trust in", Ken replied flatly. "I'm sorry if I worried you and Tsukasa, with how long it took me to come up with a rival plate of food. And for my rash actions in accepting the challenge..."
Spinning around on the balls of her feet, Rindō faced him and placed her hands on her hips, pouting. "Do you mean to say, that you came up with an that Ecuadorian inspired Hari-Hari nabe on the fly? Because if you did..." she smirked. "Then that's the Kensuke that both me and Tsukasa believe in".
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Rindō grinned, "it's good to have you back with us Ken. Kuga is... well Kuga, Nene is her usual cold self, Momo is being super secretive but that's just because she doesn't want her planned stall for the Moon Festival to be known yet. And Saito is busy formulating his newest sushi recipes".
Smiling to himself, Kensuke felt the butterflies in his stomach disappear but then they were replaced by a heavy tiredness brought about by hearing an extra tidbit of information form Rindō. "Apparently", the redhead girl continued. "Eizan has been awaiting your return as he wants to challenge you to a food war himself. Only this time he will be annoyed that he was beaten to the punch by a first year".
"Urgh... I don't have the energy to deal with him yet", the third seat yawned. "I just want to finish whatever paperwork I have to do and then sleep".
—
Stopping outside the pair of double doors, that marked his Council office, Kensuke pushed them open only to find himself accosted by the unmistakeable arguing voices of Terunori Kuga and Nene Kinokuni. With an exasperated sigh, he briefly considered raising his voice in disproval but as he had very little experience in telling people off, he ended that thought and moved towards the sofa. Collapsing into the cushions and trying his best to avoid the others.
"Why are you here... this is supposed to be my office", he eventually asked flatly.
Immediately, Nene and Kuga approached him glaringly and jealously. However, before they could reply Rindō's laughter cut across the room. "Well well..." Rindō grinned, "aren't you two cute where you're jealous". That comment got exactly the right expression from the other second years council students. Red faced annoyance disguising their obvious embarrassment. "We. Are. Not. Jealous!" Both sixth and eighth seats yelled, red faced.
"Why would they be?" Kensuke interjected sporting a confused expression, to which only made Kuga more exasperated and Nene blush. "They have nothing to be jealous about..." Kensuke added just as Rindō placed a hand over his mouth.
"What the hell!" Nene yelled striking forwards and standing right in front of where Kensuke was sitting on the sofa. "I understand you wanting to see to see what sort of person your sisters boyfriend is... but you could have done that without accepting a food war challenge".
For once, Kuga was agreement with Nene as he continued that sentiment. "You could have lost your seat! That is if Yukihira-chin had made that a stipulatory prize. We, plus all the school, know that out of the entire Ten you are the one who has the least experience when it comes to food wars. Not to mention social skills", Kuga sighed running a hand through his blonde spiked hair.
"You are the third seat and as much I want to face off against you, I want to do so with you still occupying it!".
"I don't understand... what exactly do you mean", Kensuke stated, getting even more confused by the second. "What we want is for you to not leave us!" Nene snapped. "We expected some sort of speech from the midget pipsqueak here", she gestured to Kuga on her left, "but you... you completely broke ranks from the Ten. The top three seats are supposed to be the most poised and refined of all of the Ten but..." she paused and jabbed her finger at Kenosuke. "You faced an underclassman, and made the rest of our positions look almost attainable".
Standing up from the sofa, and becoming impassive, Kensuke turned around and exited the room in silence letting the doors to swing shut with a dull thud. "Great job there Nene!" Rindō spat angrily, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head in exasperation.
"Real fucking great wording! You just had to go overboard. You were only supposed to welcome him back to school not rant about his choice of accepting some first years challenge! And you Kuga, I know you want to beat Tsukasa but have you ever thought about trying to connect with someone on a personal level rather than purelybeing rivals!"
Gritting her teeth and placing her hands on her hips, Rindō growled in annoyance whilst flicking her red hair behind her shoulders, letting her fellow council students see her angry side. Spinning around she stormed out of Kensuke's office.
"You two should he ashamed of yourselves! You know how he'll be now! And he just got back as well!"
—
R.I.P: Sir Terence Conran, Sir Harold Evans, Dame Diana Rigg and Associate Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.