Chapter 42: Rankings!

Day Two continued

"Well that's it for the first second night of the Moon Festival", Ikumi stated packing away any leftovers food supplies into a cold box. Nodding her head, in relief that the day was over, was Megumi who was busy wiping down tables and throwing disposable plates and napkins into rubbish bins. "Yes..." the blue haired girl replied, "but remember there are three more days".

The resulting groan of exhaustion that came from Ikumi made Megumi chuckle, which in turn brought Sōma out of his internal musings about the coming days, as well as wondering when they could squeeze in a visit to Kensuke's and Erina's booth in the mountains.

It was then that they heard footsteps hurrying towards them, followed by the unmistakable voice of Takumi Aldini shouting to them. "Hey guys! The paper has published the top three sales rankings for each of the three school areas".

Like a bat out of hell, Sōma bolted forth and started pestering Takumi for details. "Quit being so damn childish!" The Italian boy sighed, rolling his eyes as the redhead made an unsuccessful attempt to grab at the paper. "Ha! That'll be the day", Ikumi chuckled moving forwards to stand next to the elder Aldini, not noticing the faint blush that spread across his face.

Joining the group of chefs was Kuga, who practically ran down towards them and yanked the paper out of Takumi's hands. Much to the extreme annoyance of the Italian chef.

"What the hell! How is Tsukasa only fifth place in the mountains!"

The eighth seat looked as if he was about to scream obscenities to the high heavens but he was stopped by Megumi walking forwards, and shoving a hujiao bing into his mouth. "Eat up, chef Kuga".

He would have yelled at her for being rude... but three things stilled his tongue. One: the blue haired girl was obviously still peeved at him for what he had said about her brother. Two: the hújiāo bîng was delicious. And three, the laughing coming from Sōma, Ikumi and Takumi was now being joined in by his own staff. Which made him even more embarrassed to rebut the bluenette's actions.

"Hey... Megumi?" Kuga spoke slowly, after wolfing down the food, and hiding a faint blush on his face, whilst carefully phrasing his next sentence. "I'm sorry for what I said about Kensuke... I know it he has difficulties with socialising and being around people. I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on him."

Relaxing her scowl, Megumi moved forwards and hugged Kuga. "You feel out of place... I used to know what that get like", she replied, "but since meeting Sōma I've gained more insight into my own cooking style and greater confidence".

"And I'm sure that joining Sōma's rival list, alongside Takumi, Akira and Ryo, will help you as well".

Smiling slightly, and not wanting the action to be misconstrued by Sōma, as him seemingly hitting on his girlfriend, the spiky haired Szechuan chef patted Megumi on the back. Trying to return to his restaurant, he was grabbed by the blue haired girl and dragged towards the others, and Kuga became very much aware of Takumi's frown getting more and more in his face. Snatching back the paper, Takumi began to read out the sales rankings. Of which Sōma was practically bouncing around for.

Stating slowly and calmly, Takumi began reading the top three sales from the main avenue. "In third place are bowl club, so Ikumi you're going to be pleased about that..." Takumi involuntarily glanced at the busty blonde, who was grinning at being in the rankings but also muttering that she would need to have words with Kenichi. Blushing as he suddenly became aware of his staring at her, Takumi returned his attention back to the paper.

"In second place are myself and Isami, with our branch version of Trattoria Aldini", he puffed out his chest with pride as he announced that news. And seeing Sōma's grin and Megumi's smile, made him even more proud and happy to be studying at Tōtsuki. "Well done Takumi!" The redhead spoke high fiving him, before Ikumi smiled at him and pulled him into a hug; wishing him continued good luck.

"And in first place are the skewer research society..." he drawled off as he looked through the lower rankings. "Are here we are... wait what! Alice, Ryo and Akira are dead last on the main avenue?" Surprise was evident on the faces of Sōma, Ikumi and Megumi but at the same time there was an understanding why it was so. "They seriously need to work on their teamwork!" Ikumi muttered. "I mean they all three of them are super stubborn and have strong ideas about what food they want to make".

"Plus I highly doubt Akira would be willing to relent anything when it comes to the Shiomi Seminar", Megumi added just as the three boys began to lurch into a three way argument about who was going to have higher sales. Despite Takumi being in different area than the others. "Hey look at this..." Ikumi spoke, taking the paper from Takumi. "Kensuke seems to be doing well".

Immediately, the three boys' eyes lit up with curiosity as they made their way over to her. "Oh wow!" Megumi joyfully exclaimed staring down at the paper and read the single paragraph about her brother.

"Kensuke Tadokoro... Third seat of the Council of Ten, ranked second place in sales, directly behind the forth seat: Momo Akanegakubo. And despite being at the mountain area of the Moon Festival, he is showing his skill in a small kitchen with only one other kitchen staffer. The third seat's restaurant, Mindfulness, is proving to be quite popular since receiving rave reviews from the visitation of his three top benefactors".

Lowering the paper, Megumi kept her eyes fixed on the printed image of her her brother. Dressed in chefs whites,an apron around his waist and with a look of silent determination on is face, he looked every bit the consummate professional that she had always imagined he would be. "He'll be fine..." Ikumi spoke munching on a hujiao bing. "What with all the extra confidence he seems to have gained being around the first and second seats, and then his food wars with Sōma".

Feeling arms encircle her waist and a gentle breath on the back of her neck, she didn't even need to turn her head, knowing that it was Sōma. Leaning into her boyfriend, she sighed contently as they looked up at the stars. "Aww!" Kuga exclaimed. "You two look as if your admiring a city nightscape from the top of a tall building". Before they could reply, Kuga was dragged away by Ikumi. Leaving the couple alone, Ikumi and Takumi went over to by the outdoor tables with Kuga and began sampling each others food.

"Sōma..." Megumi asked tentatively. "Do you think Ken is right when he told me that I have the potential to succeed someone on the Ten?" Her question momentarily stunned him, but after mere seconds he spun her around in his arms and placed a soft kiss upon her lips. "I do. I really do", he whispered. "I knew from the first time I tasted your food, at Kyokusei fields: your selection of Onigiri. I knew then that your food could take you to new heights. Then again your performance at the Fall Selection, I was amazed by you. And clearly Ken does too".

"Hey lovebirds!"

The familiar voices of Yuki and Ryōko called out through the night air. Turning towards their fellow dorm mates, the young couple were also greeted by the thoroughly exhausted other polar star members, accompanied by Isami, Ryo, Akira and Alice. Who had come from their own stalls. Only Isshiki remained his smiling joyful self expression, as they others all collapsed into seats and began helping themselves to Sōma's leftover hujiao bing and danzi noodles.

"Oh Sōma, these are delicious! I can feel myself being eased out of exhaustion", Ryōko infused, as she twirled chopsticks around the noodles. "Oh yes! Such youthful vitality!" Isshiki cried, he was enraptured by the danzi noodles. "Soo cool bro!" Daigo and Shōji both exclaimed, before beginning their rivalry simply because they'd spoken at the same time. The redhead boy was about to make his way over to Isshiki to ask about potential advice for tomorrow, when he was interrupted by Takumi and the, just arrived, Mimasaka.

"Hey!"

Turning around, Sōma stifled his desire to laugh with a slight cough at the way Takumi was striding forwards with a look on his face that practically screamed, 'I'm not letting you fail'. Mimasaka towered over the blonde Italian boy, and yet Sōma could see a relaxed expression upon the copy chef's face as he walked alongside Takumi. "Takumi", he spoke before reaching out and shaking Mimasaka's hand. "We are here for you", Mimasaka spoke, "I know you have Megumi and Ikumi helping... but if you need extra chefs then we're here".

"That would be soo helpful of you... but Takumi what about your bootie with Isami?" Smiling, the Italian raised his hand and fist bumped Sōma's chest. "Isami was the one who suggested I come and help you..."

"And Takumi here, was the one who convinced me to come and support you", Mimasaka interjected.

The hulking copy chef and the blonde blue eyed Italian were both suddenly interrupted by a wildly grinning and ecstatic Sōma, who gripping both his friends hands and dragged them over to the stall. "Okay then! With all of us, the final days of the festival will see us take number one in rankings!"

—

R.I.P David Cornwell (John Le Carré) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett)