Chapter 78: It Begins
"Well then I guess... this makes us homeless for now", Jun chuckled self deprecatingly, as she patted Akira on the shoulder.
After seating himself beside his adoptive 'mother ' figure; Akira unconsciously shifted shivered as he was both comforted by her presence and tensed by her words. Regret flitting through him as he was reminded of his actions that had lead him here. As he thought about all the things he had done for and with Central; that had always known his friends would all hold against him, Akira felt the sting of tears full his eyes.
Fearing that his friends would reject him and then refuse to accept him back into Tōtsuki, the spice chef continued to look forlornly at the floor.
Yet as he did such, Akira didn't hear Sōma's response to Jun's statement of their becoming homeless. And only when Professor Shiomi repeated what the red headed boy had said; in a manner that showed her surprise and gratitude, did he finally look up and acknowledge Sōma in helping him get back on the right culinary path again.
"Couldn't you solve that by moving into Kyokusei?" The redhead stated proudly. "This way you can secure a place to keep cooking at least, and you are a former alum Professor Shiomi. Not to mention the dorm had plenty of spare empty rooms!"
After the battle had been declared in Sōma's name, the judges had departed the room; Kuga and his followers left shortly after that saying that they were going back to Tokyo. And so left alone: Sōma, Akira and Jun found themselves ushered into an adjacent room by Dōjima, where they could relax a bit.
Pouring himself a cup of hot tea, Sōma smiled as he nodded his head, appreciatively, as the executive chef handed him the milk and sugar.
"You should probably get some sleep after you leave here..." Dōjima advised, "Central has already stripped Akira of rank and will be tightening its efforts to get rid of you Sōma".
Nodding, whilst also trying not to yawn the aforementioned boy waved away the executive chef's advice, as the older chef departed the room, and turned his attention back to Akira. Whom was now staring up at him with startled gratitude.
"Thank you... Sōma" Akira stuttered. "I'm grateful for the fact that you'd even consider offering rooms in your dorm for us". Moving forwards the redhead tapped his fist against the spice chef's shoulder.
"It's no biggie man..." he responded with a grin. "I told you before that I want to keep cooking with you. And I know everyone else feels the same way, especially Alice and Ryo" he exclaimed raising his eyebrows suggestively. Resulting in, for the first time, Akira hanging his head with a furious blush across his face.
Taking on a more serious tone, even if the smirk and raised eyebrows said otherwise, the redhead brought up his earlier conversation with Alice. "Oh and one other thing..." he spoke candidly. "Alice said that she and Ryo wanted to have 'words' with you when they next see you".
Shuddering as he perished the thought of being lectured by Alice, even though a part of him was kind of looking forward to her and Ryo's stubbornness. "Yeah... that sounds like them" Akira chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I guess..." he murmured softly; almost a whisper, "I'm gonna have to apologise to the others..."
Before either Sōma or Jun could respond to his regret; the door was thrown wide open revealing an out of breath and panting Erina Nakiri.
"You did it! You won!" Without even realising what she was doing and with no regard to further messing up her already messed up hair, the god tongue raced forwards and threw her arms around Sōma, laughing and smiling joyfully. "I'm glad, and I'm sure Megumi will be as well".
Blushing bright red at having Erina embrace him tightly with her body pressing into him, Sōma forced himself to not think about the possible bodily consequences of their extreme closeness.
"Erm, Erina..." he somehow managed to speak before catching the eye of Akira who was now getting his revenge for the raised eyebrows that had been given to his own closeness with Alice and Ryo.
"Oh right..." Erina abruptly exclaimed breaking off the embrace. "I came to collect you so that we could go and see where Takumi and Megumi are being examined".
That brought him right back done to earth. All of his teenage emotions were immediately stilled by being reminded of Takumi and Megumi's current situation with Rindō. "Then what are we waiting for!" He replied firmly. "Let's go..."
Unfortunately, just as Sōma and Erina were about to leave the small waiting room, a tall blonde haired man wearing a navy blue suit entered the room and narrowed his eyes as he pointed towards Akira and Professor Shiomi.
"Uh huh..." the man spoke condescendingly, "so this is where you've been. Consorting with the enemy", he continued with derision and contempt dripping from his voice. Glaring at Sōma, whilst looking disappointedly at Erina, the man shook his head and took out a piece of paper from an inner pocket of his suit Jacket and gazed at the words written on it.
"My name is Sean Aida..." he announced in an uppity voice, "personal aid to Director Azami; so pardon, if you people even know what the word means, the intrusion". The last part was said so snidely that it took all Sōma and Akira's collective willpower not to rush at the man and punch him repeatedly. However, seemingly oblivious of or indifferent towards their anger, Mister Aida moved past Sōma and Erina and stood towering over the spice chef.
"Akira Hayama you are herby expelled. And as for you Professor Shiomi you are fired from Tōtsuki Academy; and your research notes and data have been summarily destroyed".
Handing over one of the pieces of paper in his hands to the two stunned ex-Tōtsuki participants before spinning around and placing his gaze squarely on the two rebel chefs in front of him, Sean Aida read from the second paper in his hand; shocking both Sōma and Erina to their cores.
"Also..." he exclaimed; trying and failing to stifle his laughter, "expelled from Tōtsuki; as a result of not being able to overcome their individual advancement exams are: Hisako Arato, Alice Nakiri, Ryō Kurokiba, Yuki Yoshino, Ryōko Sakaki, Zenji Marui, Shun Ibusaki, Shōji Sato, Daigo Ioki, Isami Aldini and Ikumi Mito. These individuals are have been collected together and are now in transit back to Tokyo for immediately dismissal".
"No... I don't believe it. All of them?" With a pained expression on her face, and tears flowing down her face, Erina moved to confront Mister Ida but she froze in horror when she saw Rindō walk into the room.
"Hey guys..." the second seat grinned retying her hair back into its signature ponytail as she tried to shift her slightly pale face away from the piecing gaze of Sōma Yukihira. "Whilst I understand your feelings about having friends leave Tōtsuki, I ought to say that Megumi and Takumi are..."
Before Rindō could finish what she was saying Sōma bolted out from the room cursing Central under his breath followed closely behind by Erina; who glowered at the second seat.
Running down the corridor, Erina wiped away the tears running down her face as she realised that she had failed to keep all her friends together. As they reached the far end of the hallway, she didn't even notice that she'd overtaken Sōma in their rush to get to where Takumi and Megumi's exam against Rindō had been.
Throwing open the doors to the kitchen Erina prepared herself for another round heartache caused by loosing two more precious friends. Only this time she, and Sōma, were confronted by the extremely confused expressions of the two people they'd expected had just been defeated.
"Sōma!" Rushing forwards Megumi threw her arms around her boyfriend. "Megs..." Sōma sighed relief washing over him as he returned his girlfriend's hug, exhaling on the back of her neck.
"I suppose you won your match..." Megumi smiled shivering slightly through her tears. "I knew you would. Akira may be good but I know you're tenacity trumps his devotion".
Holding her tightly to his chest, Sōma had refused to believe that Rindō's words of his friends being defeated and expelled had extended to Megumi and Takumi. "Please tell it ain't true..." He was immediately cut off by Erina repeating what Rindō had said before. "We just heard that you've been expelled..."
"Whaaa... we haven't been expelled" Takumi gawked in surprise and mild annoyance.
"Yeah, Chef Rindō just asked us to make her a plate of food that would make her say delicious..." Megumi interjected. "The exam was really weird".
"So then that's what happened..." Erina responded with a deep sigh, "thank goodness for that. If it wasn't for her whimsical nature at least you two made it through to the next round unscathed".
Instantly the confusion upon Takumi and Megumi's faces was replaced by horror. "No... the other rebels have all been purged. Is that what your saying, Erina?" Clenching his fists, Takumi spun around and kicked out at a nearby rack of kitchen utensils, sending them all flying. "Fricking hell! How are we supposed to put up with this shit! My brother, my girlfriend... all of my friends. We couldn't do a damn thing to stop Central expelling them!"
"Yeah, true this kinda sucks" Sōma spoke as he sat down on a kitchen stool and crossed his arms. "We may not like it but they all faced food battles and lost. I hate that they were kicked out of Tōtsuki but it wasn't as if they'd been treated unfairly".
As is a fuse had been lit, Takumi scowled as he moved forwards and grabbed the redhead by the shirt and yanked him to his feet. "For gods sake Sōma! How can you be so damn flippant right now? Don't you care?"
Brushing off Takumi's angry question, and his insinuation, Sōma levelled a glare back at the blonde Italian; the kind that spoke of a warriors resolve to push back against their situation.
"The Council of Ten..." he uttered, in thought, "they have the power to do whatever they want on campus, right? And standing right here right now, are four people. Erina is with us and Akira is out, which means we only need to get four more seats filled".
"What the bloody hell are you even talking about!" Takumi yelled, frustration very much evident on his face.
"Just think about it..." Sōma continued, "if we get those seats the we can turn back everything; including the expulsions. All we need is a majority on the Ten, and through food wars we will get as many as we can".
An intense stunned silence took ahold within the room in which they stood as Megumi, Takumi and Erina all mentally replayed Sōma's words. "Just hold on moment..." the blonde Italian replied wide eyed but cautious. "We can't even do a food war with Central unless they agree to it, and besides there's nothing in it for them to gain".
"Well then I guess we should ask someone currently on the council" the redheaded boy responded, narrowing his eyes. "Let's go see if Chef Rindō can answer our queries".
Bolting, like a bat out of hell, Sōma exited the second kitchen and ran back the way he'd originally come from yelling the second seat's name. Sharing nervous looks with each other, Takumi and Erina both appeared undecided about this plan. Conversely, after retying her hair, Megumi took a deep breath and raced out of the room following her boyfriend; even though she knew full well that this plan was almost certainly heading for a battle against her brother.
Left without any other option, the God Tongue and Takumi resigned themselves to Sōma's reckless plan.
"It's something I guess..." the Italian boy spoke, "we don't exactly have any other plan. And Rindō seems like she's going to be reasonable enough to give answers, even if their not what we want to hear".
Nodding her head in agreement Erina lead the way as she and Takumi headed out after the redhead and the bluenette.
"Excuse me Chef Rindō..." Sōma grinned, "we'd like some seats on the Council of Ten please!"
The question, spoken in an almost childish petulance that Sōma seemed to excel in whenever he was being either stubborn or threatened, made the second seat burst out laughing and spit out the tea she was drinking tea as she sat in an armchair in her hotel room.
"Hahaha! You're as impulsive as ever Sōma, I never would have imagined that this could become your plan at a time like this. However, as interesting as this plan of yours is, I'm afraid that you don't have anything worthy of offering up to Central that could even get our attention..."
The second seat was suddenly cut off when Megumi strode forwards and placed herself in between both redheads. "Chef Rindō, whilst I am truly appreciative of the friendship you and the first seat share with met brother, I cannot abide the acutely unfair system that you are propping up by siding with Director Azami! So tell me right now, why are you both even friends with Kensuke? It's obvious that you don't see the culinary world the same way that he does".
A flicker of murderous rage dashed across Rindō's face as Megumi yelled at her yet she managed to quickly reconvene her expression to a genteel smile.
"As much as I don't like your tone or your insinuation..." the second seat growled, "we are friends. We all know the stress and pain of having known academic pressures, culinary deadlines and near suicidal levels of anxiety..." Rindō stated plainly. Rolling up her sleeve she showed the four gathered first years a series of horizontal scars on her left forearm.
"You are Kenny's sister, and I won't yell at you, but don't go assuming that me and Tsukasa are just using him for our own careers. We are firmly in the same camp; of which is the complete reformation of the Global Culinary Industry". Standing up for her seat, Rindō clenched her fists and stormed towards the door.
As the room door slammed shut and the sound of footsteps disappeared down the hallway, the four first years could still hear a follow up angry retort, from Rindō, as she walked away.
"If anyone's using Ken it would be the Director!"
"Isshiki sent Nene and me a text explaining how he's been overloading Kenny with more and more work, harder culinary research, longer and broader meetings and international travel; all to see Ken have a metal breakdown, so he leaves Tōtsuki".
Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring.
"Erm sorry about this..." Erina frowned puling her phone out of her pocket and freezing as she looked at the caller ID. "Father, why is he calling... that's it! I just need to talk to my father he can reverse the expulsions".
Spinning around and not answering the call, the god tongue exited the room and raced up to the one place she knew he'd be. The roof where he'd been arriving or leaving, after seeing the results of the third exam.
It took roughly seven minutes to get to the roof of the hotel, via a maze of corridors towards the main administrative elevator that all high paying guests used to make their way to and from the rooftop helipad. And so as the four first years burst out of the elevator doors and raced towards Director Azami and his private helicopter, they all felt a surge of anger race through them.
"Father...!" Erina yelled flatly.
Director Azami stood holding a phone as he turned around and glared at his daughter; as Mister Aida walked up to him and whispered in his ear.
"Erina, why are you seriously still keeping company with these miscreant chefs?" Azami sneered. "In a few days time they too will be expelled..." gazing at Megumi, the Director made disparaging remarks about her and her brother's countryside origin and their anxiety ridden selves.
"Sister of a weak willed coward. Country bumpkins, the both of you! A complete waste of breath and blood..."
Feeling anger, hatred and rage flowing through him in insurmountable waves, Sōma pushed forwards and jabbed his finger straight at the man before him. "Shut your mouth you pasty horse-faced albino fuck!"
Never before had he ever felt this intense rage and hatred for someone in his life. "I may not understand Kensuke's fear of socialising or his anxiety towards attachments... but neither do you! And that doesn't give you the right to insults him or Megumi!".
"Everything you said at your swearing in ceremony sounded all nice and proper..." Takumi interjected; standing tall and proud next to his best friend and rival, "however in reality all you've done is just show the culinary world's most important figures just how improper and self serving you can be!"
Stepping up beside he boyfriend and taking ahold of his hand was Megumi began her own lecture. "You don't know anything about my brother or the first and second seats! Chef Rindō just told us that they all sided with you because they felt burdened by expectation and stress... they are people not toys" she stated before embracing Sōma in a tearful embrace.
"But you see them as pieces on a chess board representing your designs for Tōtsuki and the Japanese culinary world!" Erina yelled angrily.
"If you really want to get rid of us that badly then quit dragging your feet with all these pathetic childish tests and settle things with us once and for all! Us versus you..." Sōma scowled.
"And the entire Council of Ten will be up for grabs!" The final declaration came from Takumi who, with narrowed eyes and a dangerous glint to them, looked as if he could charge forwards and commit murder at any moment.
"Urgh".
Frowning, as he waved off the challenge with effortless disdain, Director Azami turned around and started waking back towards the helicopter tapping out a message and preparing to get into the aerial machine.
"You never cease to amaze me Sōma Yukihira..." he laughed derisively. "To offer up such a challenge would require you to have something equally valuable to that of the entire Ten".
However, just as he had was about to board the helicopter another voice; smooth and oozing with charm entered the conversation and though the tonality was calm and demure, Azami knew that it belied a storm of rampaging emotions.
"Well now... you're hardly giving me anything to work with. Nakamura".
Hearing his old name being spoken and by the voice he'd not heard in so many years, Azami about faced and stared at he figure standing next to; and ruffling the hair of, an extremely peeved looking Sōma.
"Oh and by way..." the figure continued suddenly added tersely. "That's no way to speak to my son and my future daughter in law".
R.I.P:
Lynda Baron - Forever remembered and loved as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. And Auntie Mabel.