Nakiri Erina can't stopped starring at the paper of Shokugeki's registration. Yukihira Souma. Erina never imagined that the time that red haired boy will be kicked out from Toutsuki came this early. Not only that. She will get rid of the lowly research society too.
"Erina-sama, it's time to go back home." Hisako announced once she entered the room.
"Alright, let's go Hisako." Erina replied as she placed the Shokugeki paper on top of the pile of her paperwork.
Both of them walked through the silent long corridor. The sun was about to set at the west, and the school itself already empty from student's activity except for certain places. As soon as Erina and Hisako got out from the building, both of them greeted by little commotion which came from the next building. It was unusually filled with cried of joy. The lights in that building were brighter than other buildings. The sudden ring of Hisako's phone gave the two another surprise. After asked for Erina's approval, Hisako took two steps away from Erina and answered the call.
"Moshi-moshi, Karen-sama." She greeted her caller. When she saw the ID earlier, Hisako almost screamed out as it was rare occasion that the older Nakiri twin called her.
"Oh, Hisa-chan. I saw you and Erina are about to go back home. How if you two come here? We have a little party with everyone. It will become merrier with you two." Karen said with her voice got a bit louder than usual. Hisako could hear the loud cheers behind the phone call.
"I... we..."
"Oh, come on! We are about to have a dinner together here. It'll be a waste as we have cooked so much dishes." Karen tried to persuade the pink haired girl.
"I'll ask Erina-sama's..."
"Oh, I've already sent someone to pick you two."
"What?!"
"Erina~"
Hisako immediately cut off the call as she heard that familiar voice. The cheerful voice of Nakiri Erina's cousin, Nakiri Alice. The girl was accompanied by her aide as usual. "Alice-sama." Hisako greeted the white haired girl as she gave the latter a small bow.
"Oh, hishoko-chan. Long time no see."
"Alice, what do you want this time?" Erina asked to the point as she wasn't fond of being disturbed by her cousin. For Erina, the girl named Nakiri Alice was no more than the source of headache.
"I want you to have a dinner with us." Alice answered right away as she showed her smile. As she heard that ridiculous request, Erina can't helped but gave a questioning look. It wasn't their first time have a dinner. Even every night both Alice and Erina had dinner together in Nakiri mansion. But why out of the blue that girl asked something like that to Erina? "Of course this dinner will be different than our usual dinner, dear cousin."
"What do you mean, Alice?"
"Etto... it has more people, different place, many delicious dishes but less classic. How?"
Erina sighed as she heard another prank from her antic cousin. "I reject." She shouted out her rejection without any second thought. Her cousin pouted her lips soon after hearing such rejection. But, it wasn't Alice if she got defeated so easily like that. She grabbed Erina's right hand and pulled Erina to follow her. "Alice! What are you doing now?" Erina tried to free her hand from her cousin's hold but the latter tightened her grasp.
"Just shut up and follow me, will you Erina?! We are about to have party here."
Hisako whom already got surprised and confused at the same time just followed the two Nakiris as Alice's aide - Kurokiba Ryo - became the one who walked at the last. Along their way, Hisako barely realized that the one who got sent by Nakiri Karen to pick up Erina and her was Nakiri Alice and co.
"Oh... you've succeed this time, dear Alice?" Karen who barely placed a dish on the table greeted her cousin whom have brought her sister and the secretary girl.
"Oh~ have you forgotten, Ren-chan? I told you, to leave Erina in my care." Alice replied as she pushed Erina a bit forward so the honey blonde haired girl stood side by side with Alice.
Karen who heard her cousin's remark just smiled sweetly then headed back to her workstation. Haruki was in the middle of grilling a meat. "There are still so many vacant space. Feel free to choose your seat, minna." Karen said without looked back at the new entourage which joined the party.
The place where the party got hold is the Hoshishirou Hall. A small hall which often used as the place to discuss issues which happening around the research societies and seminars in Toutsuki. Not only Erina, Hisako, Alice, and Kurokiba who got invited there. Many faces from both second year and third year got joined too. Freshmen student was no exception. They came from various RS and seminar. The one who became the host of the party was no other than Nakiri Karen got helped with Kimura Haruki. As the 10th seat Elite Ten Council girl entered that hall, all the chats and laughs, also some discussions got silenced. It made the cooking sound created by both Karen and Haruki filled that hall entirely.
"It's completed." Karen shouted out as she served the last dish to the party. Haruki followed suit but he didn't utter any word as he already tired because of his tight schedule that day. "Oi... oi... what's with this gloomy atmosphere? We're supposed to be cheered up here?" Karen became the only one who broke the awkward situation in that place. But none answered and the atmosphere got more awkward. Haruki came closer to her then whispered.
"I have told you. Get Erina here is a bad idea, Ren."
Karen whom naturally a stubborn type didn't take a note on Haruki's words. She approached one of the upperclassmen. He is Matsuoka Josuke, the vice president of Spain Cuisine RS. "Matsu senpai, here I have fulfilled my promise by inviting my sister to this party. You've brought your present to her, right? It's the right time to give her that." She whispered to the sophomore student whom have idolized the said Nakiri Erina since in the middle school. As if to spread her virus, Karen began sent many courage words from one senior to other, and then slowly the awkward silence got melted and the atmosphere got back to life.
"Mind if you explain it, Karen?" Erina asked once the hall filled with the small discussion.
"As you can see it. It's a party." Karen answered it calmly as she took a glass of orange juice. "Yesterday, I get so many bonus from my monthly check at Kirio Farm. So, I just want to share it with all of the students here. Even I still hope more people to join us." She continued then sipped her orange juice. Erina who asked earlier became silent. She has tired of it, honestly. Seeing her sister became so friendly and carefree. Not only in the Nakiri house, but in Toutsuki too. The fact that her sister joined all the research society and seminar in the school, Erina has long known about it. When people looked at Erina because of her perfect image as the promising great chef, people looked at her sister because of Karen's caring and hospitality. Unlike her who only accompanied by her secretary, Karen got many people around her wherever she goes.
"It's not a place I should join in. Let's go, Hisako." Erina said finally as she didn't want to have another debate with her sister. Hisako, being the one who always followed Erina just nodded then walked behind the younger Nakiri twin.
"Aren't you too rude, Erina?" All the voices in that hall turned into silent. Both Erina and Hisako stopped their step as well. Almost the audience there got surprised by the cold tone used by the jet-black haired Nakiri. Even the expression on Karen's face still same as before, but all the audiences there felt the chill inside Karen's words earlier. It wasn't a secret that both Nakiri twin didn't have a good relationship each other. But the two haven't shown it open in the public.
"I invite you to the party here not only as my sister, but as the member of Elite Ten too. After all, it's not bad to hear their opinion and idea as Toutsuki student, right?"
"There is another simpler way to conduct such act. Send their idea and opinion through the aspiration form." Erina replied back. She hated it, when someone complained about something unnecessary. And it got worst as it came from her sister. Why the latter cared so much about other's matter?
"Ah... I have heard it countless times too, but how many of it..." Karen was unable to continue her complain as Haruki put his right hand over her shoulder.
"Hey, we're here to have a party, not to see your debate, Ren. So stop it already." Haruki tried to calm down the older Nakiri twin. Then he looked at Erina who looked a bit relief because of Haruki's sudden interruption. "You seem a bit tired, Erina-san. You can leave this place if you felt unwell."
"Then, excuse us." Erina bowed to the older one then headed out of the hall.
"Haruki-san, I'm sorry for the little commotion earlier." Hisako apologized in the name of Nakiri Erina. She always did that thing whenever the two Nakiri twin got into 'chaos'.
"Please stop that, will you Hisako-chan? This time, our Ren who already went beyond the line." Haruki replied back as he took a brief look at the said girl who already stuffed her mouth with foods.
"Once again, I'm sorry. Next time when Karen-sama invited us, we will be glad to join."
Haruki nodded and smiled, then saw the secretary girl left that place.
At Polar Star Dorm
"Kuro Nakiri? Who?" Yoshino Yuki's cheerful voice rang all around the dining room as she and the rest of Polar Star Dorm members read the sender's name of the package in front of them. Delicious fragrance leaked out from the small opening of the package.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's Ren-san's nickname given by Souma-kun." Megumi answered back then all the attention shoot on the red haired boy who sat leisurely on the chair next to dining table.
"Hahahaha... so you've got infected by her weird given nickname syndrome, Souma-kun?" Isshiki who barely joined the group commented. He folded his hands in front of his chest as his jade green eyes focused on the package. "Just what kind of thing she sent here?"
All the eyes got sparkled as they saw the thing inside the package. Small transparent boxes filled with various meat and vegetable dishes. A small note stayed on top of one of the transparent boxes.
"We cooked too much T_T, it will be a waste to let it untouched. So, we decided to give this small gift to you all residents of Polar Star Dorm ^_^. Hope it can give you so much energy _. Please enjoy it since it's still warm." Sakaki Ryouko read out loud the small note. Both Aoki Daigo and Satou Shouji began to unpack the package. Ibusaki Shun got back to the kitchen counter to take something. While Marui Zenji still looked at the small note in Yuki's hand. He put up his glasses as he found something in the note.
"Hey, there is an additional note." He pointed at the small letters got written down at the right bottom corner of the paper.
"Take a look behind." Yuki read it then turned the paper and found another note there. "The one in dark brown plastic box is for Fumio-san. The one in blue is for Megu-chan. The one in red is for Sou-kun. Enjoy the food o." Yuki continued then shouted out her curiosity. "Why you two get a special treatment from our beloved Ren-chi?"
Both Megumi and Souma shook their head as both of them didn't know the reason as well. But Yuki didn't ask for more as her eyes already glued on the duck meat katsu served in front of her. Another kind of dishes got served too. There are the simplest okonomiyaki, the eye-catching nasu dengaku, the sparkling karaage, the mouth-watering tsukune, several vegetable tempura, and mini grilled onigiri. All the dishes looked simple but once they took bite on each dish, only deliciousness filled their mouth.
"Oishiii~" They sang together.
"The outer layer is crispy and the inner meat is so juicy. When we dipped it into the soy sauce, it got more delicious." Yuki commented but her hand can't stopped stuffing the duck meat katsu inside her mouth.
"I can't believe that I ate eggplant. I'm curious how they transformed the eggplant's flesh into fish flesh alike. Not to mention the way its spice sink in it perfectly." Ryouko took a small bite on the nasu dengaku and about to try other dish.
"Ah~ it's beyond my vegetable tempura I always made. They managed to keep the freshness of vegetable inside the crispy coating." Daigo spoke while munched the vegetable tempura. The same act did by his rival, Shouji.
"Heh~ it's Ren-kun we talked about here. It's obviously far different than your lame dish, Daigo."
"What did you say?!" Daigo started raising his voice as he challenged the other one.
"Lame dish." Shouji retorted back as he sent a sharp look at Daigo.
Then their usual fight begun.
"The grilled onigiri has various filling." Marui found out which made the other looked at him, precisely at the mini grilled onigiri in his hand. "It's beef meat, carrot, onion ring, cheese, egg, and pickled spinach." Ibusaki listed the filling inside the onigiri then took a bite on his own onigiri. "It's definitely tasty." He added.
"Then, what do you have inside that box, Tadokoro-chan?" Isshiki asked the blue haired girl who still let the blue box sealed.
"That's right. Let us see it too, Megumi." Yuki added as she hold her chopsticks eagerly. Soma who got curious looked at Megumi too. Slowly, Megumi opened up the box and revealed the content.
Gyoza?!
All residents of Polar Star Dorm shouted out those name inside their head. But the gyoza they saw was different with ordinary gyoza. It has various color so it looked like a rainbow gyoza.
"Uhm... maybe they used vegetable as the additional composition to make the dumpling skin." Isshiki commented then took one of the gyoza, the red one. He took a better look as he tried to detect its fragrance before he took a taste on it. He munched the gyoza for a while as he fell deep in his thought. He tasted hot spice, the juicy chicken meat and shitake mushroom filling. But then he also tasted the freshness of tomato. "They maybe used tomato, red chili pepper and red paprika in it." Isshiki added.
"The orange one... it's carrot." Daigo shouted out.
"Uhm... it's no mistaken, it must be..."
"Pumpkin." Ibusaki finished up Shouji's word as the two took the yellow colored gyoza.
"It's spinach. It blended well with its filling." Ryouko ate the green one.
"While the purple one here... purple cabbage." Marui finished up a purple gyoza.
Souma who looked the whole scene can't helped but smiling. Then he looked at his own box. It seems that his friends didn't pay more attention on his 'special' dish as they already drowned into their fantasy world once they ate the rainbow gyoza. So Souma opened up the red colored box then froze for a while. The same Chaliapin beef steak he has made earlier in Don RS's room. But for some reason, Souma found that it was different from his own Chaliapin beef steak. He took his chopsticks then tried to take a bite of it. Once he sliced the meat, the delicious juice came from the meat flooded out of it. How they made it? Soma questioned inside his head. He was too engrossed in the dish which made him didn't realized that his friends already drooled because of that meat.
"Yukihira, it looked so damn delicious." Daigo spoke as he covered his mouth with his hand to prevent the saliva dropped.
"Yukihira, eat it then tell us how its taste." Shouji added, his eyes still didn't leave the said meat.
Souma brought the meat to his mouth in slow motion, which is like torturing the rest of the residents. Souma's eyes widened once the meat touched his tongue. The meat itself was definitely tasty even without the sauce. When he tasted the meat with its sauce, it gave a bigger impact. He tasted a bit strange flavor of the sauce itself. Seeing Souma's confused face, Isshiki initiated to take a taste on the sauce.
"Uhm... it's definitely her berries sauce." Isshiki commented.
"Berries sauce? I thought it is red wine?" Souma asked back. Isshiki nodded, but then he continued in explaining.
"That's true she put red wine in it but her berries sauce which made by various mix of berries was in bigger portion than the red wine itself. It gives the fresh flavor and when it met with the meat, it'll makes us addicted."
"That's reminded me." Yuki butted into the conversation. "Ren-chi is so addicted in caramel and berries, right? I never imagined that she will used her berries sauce in the meat dish like this. Usually, she only used it in her dessert, right?"
That damn girl. Souma smirked as he realized that through the Chaliapin beef steak given to him, the jet-black haired Nakiri already challenged him to make his own Chaliapin beef steak more delicious that hers.
"Hehehehe... just you wait, Kuro Nakiri."
==================Dish. 05 – The Upcoming Storm [part.01]===============
Note:
Karaage : Japanese cooking technique in which various foods - most often chicken, but also other meat and fish - are deep fried in oil.
Katsu : "cutlet" in Japanese, refers to meat that's been pounded thin before being cooked, the meat is seasoned, then dredged in flour, then egg, and finally panko breadcrumbs - a flaky type of breadcrumb made with white bread.
Okonomiyaki : pan-fried dish that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat, and seafood to wasabi and cheese).
Nasu dengaku : a classic Japanese side dish made with eggplant sliced in half, scored and brushed with a sweet and savory miso glaze.
Tsukune : a Japanese chicken meatball most often cooked yakitori style (but also can be fried or baked) and sometimes covered in a sweet soy or yakitori tare which is often mistaken for teriyaki sauce.
Gyoza : dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin dough. The typical gyoza filling consists of ground pork, nira chives, green onion, cabbage, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
