Chapter 41: Extra Seating

Lantern lit Taiwanese Night

Day Two

"Thank you soo much Mister Tomita! These are great". Ikumi stated flustered as she finished setting up the last of the folding tables, that the Sumeridori shopping district had leant them from its shared storage garage. "Now we can properly cater to both take away and sit down customers".

Grinning in sheer amazement, even as he took in the sight of both Sōma and Ikumi working together again with the assistance of a blue haired girl, Yūya Tomita pushed his glasses further up his nose and relived the moment when the redhead and the busty blonde saved Sumeridori from facing financial ruin due to Mozuya's stranglehold over the takeout fried chicken franchise.

"Ahh man!" Tomita exclaimed joyfully. "It's so good to see you two cooking together in perfect harmony again. It's almost like you're a couple". Immediately, both redhead and blonde looked up, red faced and shuffling their feet. "Huh... w-w-we're not together", Ikumi stuttered before making a beeline straight for the blue haired girl and dragging her over to them. "Megumi here is Sōma's girlfriend!" She pushed the flustered girl into an equally flustered Sōma's arms.

"They're the real deal!"

Both boyfriend and girlfriend went bright red as the cluster of customers, at their stall, began swarming around them cooing with adoration at their 'cuteness'.

"You're soo cute together!"

"Isn't it difficult managing a relationship whilst being at Tōtsuki?"

"You complement each other. Red and blue are primary colours!"

"Aww the youth of today..."

Sensing her friends growing embarrassment, Ikumi moved forwards and began to redirect the ogling customers back it either sitting down at tables or waiting in the line for takeaways. "Come on guys", she smiled softly, "we have a festival to enjoy and customers to further appreciate our food". With a grin reforming in his face, Sōma wrapped an arm around the blondes shoulders and gently leaned into her. "Yeah, thanks meat-meat!"

Blushing even more than she already was, Ikumi squirmed out of Sōma arms and bolted straight for the stone ovens, distracting herself with cooking Hújiāo Bîng. Moving over to assist was Megumi whom stood by the blondes side and smiled joyfully as they cooked together. Neither of the two girls noticed Sōma's sly smirk as he watched them work seamlessly together, which to him was what he wanted for himself and Kensuke. Someday.

The only problem in that regard was the overwhelming sense of social anxiety and fear of rejection that Ken felt.

As he walked over to the smaller side work bench, Sōma began working on the newest dish. The food that he hoped would cement his victory over Kuga and show to Takumi that they were still locked in friendly rivalry.

"Hey mister Tomita", Sōma called out. "Let me cook for you, as thanks for getting us these outside tables and chairs for us". Smiling as he uttered his offer, he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his Sumeridori neighbour drooling in anticipation. "Oh come on", Ikumi muttered. "He so reminds me of the don of bowl club, Koichi..." Shuddering as she pictured the man's pompadour hairstyle and his whinging voice whenever he was suddenly met by something difficult or insurmountable, by his standards.

"Oh come on meat-meat", Sōma guffawed, "Even if Koichi is a bit strange, we all know that you really enjoy being in bowl club". Swatting at the grinning redhead, Ikumi shoved a cooked hújiāo bîng into his mouth to get him to be quiet. Yet, simultaneously failing to hold back the smile that adorned her face. "Shut up! I'll deny anyone who says that!" She flustered despite neither Sōma nor Megumi believing her. "And stop calling me fricking meat-meat", although all annoyance in her voice seemed to be replaced with a giddy acceptance.

Taking ahold of the tray, from Ikumi, Megumi began to surround the inside of the stone oven with the hujiao bing taking care not to burn herself. "You're being real calm under pressure Megumi", Ikumi remarked peering over her shoulder. "Externally so..." the blue haired girl responded. "Internally however, I'm frantic right now". Placing a hand on the smaller girls shoulder, the meat master grinned; "Sōma has worked wonders with your self esteem huh".

—-

Meanwhile, over with Sōma...

The redhead boy was had sliced up the hujiao bîng dough into fine cut noodles and had placed them into boiling water before turning to the ground pork patty, with its hidden delicious central component. Rolling the patty into a meat ball, the boy then paced it in a pan of oil over heat, till the meat became aromatic. Then noticing the saucepan containing a gently simmering dashi and chicken stock combination, he added a few shiitake, oyster and chestnut mushrooms.

Lastly, as he was combing the individual components: soup, noodles and meatball, Sōma sprinkled some chopped chives on the surface of the food. Handing the bowl towards mister Tomita, was like watching someone win the lottery. The expression of pure joy and determination on their face was simply staggering to behold, and for Sōma seeing someone react this positively to food he had created was a major confidence boost.

"I hope you enjoy this! The second of a new series of Yukihira style dishes: Yukihira Style - Mapo Tofu!"

"Oh wow! This looks. Amazing!" Tomita was very clearly, and publicly, drooling as he took in the aroma of the food. He was about to start eating when Sōma placed a hand on his shoulder. "Try the noodles and soup, without breaking up the meatball, first". Surprised by Sōma's ask but relenting as he saw the grin on the boys face, Tomita began to swirl his chopsticks through noodles taking aim yeh aroma before bringing noodles to his lips, and slurping them down.

Looking around him, Sōma could see passers-by were either stopping, intrigued by Tomita's reaction or were walking towards his stall enthralled by the aromas of the hujiao bing and the kinda-sorta Danzai noodles. And more to the point, everyone of them were shamelessly drooling. "I guess people are like moths when it comes to good food, they'll flock towards it", Sōma chuckled. "That doesn't even make sense!" Ikumi retorted, frustratedly. "Moths fly towards light, not food".

"True", Sōma responded grinningly. "But people are attracted by aromas and sights they find alluring..." Before he could continue, the boy found himself being struck by a furiously blushing Ikumi. "Shut up! Don't say things like that..." Spinning around the blonde girl hurried back to Megumi and continued making hujiao bing.

Thoroughly confused by Ikumi's words and actions, Sōma turned his attention back towards Tomita. Who was staring into his bowl with an expression of sheer genuine joy, his eyes were sparkling like fireworks and Sōma could practically imagine steam racing from hilt he man's ears and exiting his nose. As a further sign of the food being delicious.

Turning his head, he noticed Kuga standing outside the China society restaurant veranda with widened eyes and a look on his face which showed his annoyance and happiness for his rival, as well as a hint of quiet jealousy. Waving his hand, and smiling back at the eighth seat, Sōma was surprised to see Kuga walk down from his won restaurant and over towards him.

—-

"Hey, Sōma!"

The juxtaposition of Kuga's childishness and the realisation that he was the eighth seat of the Council of Ten, continued to flummox Sōma no end. Still, Kuga was a friend and rival; not forgetting about, Takumi. As the redhead waved towards the approaching eighth seat, he was suddenly became aware that a large portion of Kuga's line had defected to him, and were now being thoroughly public about their appraisals of his danzai noodles and hujiao bing.

"Kuga! How's business?" Sōma grinned, high fiving the spiky blonde haired chef. "Not bad", the other boy responded. "I would be happier if you hadn't just stolen a huge number of my customers... but as it's you I'll let it fly". Suddenly frowning, Kuga leant forwards and stared over Sōma's shoulder at the expression of hazed deliciousness Tomita was displaying. "What... is he eating? And why does he look like that?"

Smilingly. Sōma led the eighth seat towards the main canopied ovens, where he quickly and skilfully put together a bowl of meatball-noodle soup. "For you..." Sōma drawled. Smirking. "Yukihira Style - Mapo Tofu!" As he took the steaming bowl of food, Kuga looked around him and saw that many other people were now reacting to this item of food in the same way Tomita was. Letting out a contented sigh, Kuga immediately realised that he had just alerted Sōma to the fact that he'd found the food delicious. Who, along with the two girls behind him, were all grinning at him.

"Alright I get it..." Kuga began. "You are defiant and persistent. I think I understand what Kensuke meant by seeing who you really are". Without waiting or wanting to see the smug grin on Sōma's face, Kuga dug into the meat ball and was suddenly blindsided by the pungent and eruptive aroma of curry. "Soo good..." Seeing the eighth seat smiling so genuinely happy, made Sōma feel good about his rivalry with him as it would now generate within Kuga the drive to beat him. Hopefully moving past his jealousy towards Kensuke.

Kuga was about to speak, when he found himself distracted by staring at a six large wooden eight shelved stands being setup around the perimeter of Sōma's food stall creating an outdoor eating area; complete with portable seats and tables. "Thanks captain", he heard, the voice of Megumi Tadokoro utter to a man leading a group of students pushing several trollies loaded with loads of illuminated paper lanterns. And before his eyes, these lanterns were placed large wooden shelves surrounding Sōma's stall creating a magical serene ambience. So much like a night out in Taipei.

"It's... soo beautiful".

—-

R.I.P: Dame Barbara Windsor