Gale-Dragon: Hi everyone, chapter 8 is finished and I fixed some of the grammar issues (I'm pretty sure I still have some grammar flaws that flew under the radar). Also, I'd like to thank everyone who gave me all of their suggestions to help with finding a replacement for Microsoft 2010.
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"Talking"
'Thinking'
(Author's Comments)
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Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 8; Selections for the Autumn Elections.
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In the last chapter...
Erina then stuttered out with an utterly shocked look on her face "W-w-w-w-w-what th-th-the h-h-hell d-d-did you j-j-just s-s-say?!" Alice puffed her cheeks angrily and said: "You heard me." The Albino then walked up to Sōma, her footsteps were audible to everyone, and wrapped her arms around the blind redhead's right arm. Sōma was pulled off-balanced for just a moment before he catches himself with the cane in his left hand. Alice then said for all to hear "Yukihira Sōma will be supporting me as my husband when I become Head of the Narikiri Family."
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Everyone in the immediate area practically shouted at the same time.
Sōma's eyebrow twitched as his face was distorted with a pure shock when he thought 'What the hell?!'
~}i{~ Now Back to the Story ~}i{~
Sōma yanked his arm away from Alice and said "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Rewind that! What did you just say ?"
In a casual tone, Alice said: "That I'm going to be head of the Nariki Family and that you'll be supporting me as my husband."
Sōma let out an audible sigh, rubbed his temple, and said in an annoyed tone "That's what I thought you said." That was when the blind redhead noticed he didn't hear anything from Erina and asked "Ano... Did the Bratty Princess faint or something? She hasn't said anything about this, which I'm sure she would have..."
Well, close... She was petrified where she stood, her face still distorted in that shocked look on her face. Erina could've easily been mistaken for a statue considering how still she stood. Hisako waved a hand in front of her face, trying to snap the honey blond out of it.
Sōma took a step away from Alice and said "Okay, listen, I'm not sure how serious you are about this whole marriage thing, but I'm telling you now, my family is NOT going to approve of this, heck I'm not even on board with your little proposal! Plus, I barely know you."
Alice smiled happily and said cheerfully "Oh, don't you worry Sōma-koi (1) we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other better~, especially after we wed~."
Sōma rubbed the back of his neck and said "Oh boy, looks like there's no changing your mind. Eesh, Mayu's going to be mega mad when she hears this." The blind redhead wasn't sure what to genuinely believe right now.
Erina finally snapped out of her shock and shouted: "What the hell do you mean by You being head of the Nakiri Family?!"
Alice puffed her cheeks and stated in a huffy tone "As I said, I'm going to be Head of the Nakiri Family and you're not."
"There is no way in hell you're going to be Head, I am! I have the Perfect Pallet to be the next Head!" Erina screeched.
Alice waved it off by saying "God's pallet, God's Shmallet. Grandpa sent me a message and assured me that You haven't been behaving like the 10th Seat or the Nakiri Heir lately, so He told me to work hard because the position as Heir of the Nakiri Family might be mine."
"There's no way he told you that!" Erina snapped angrily.
"Miss Alice..." Ryō said, tapping the albino on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.
Alice brushed it off and continued arguing with Erina, "Yes way, he so did assure me!"
"There is NO WAY you're going to be the Nakiri Head! And you are Especially not bringing THAT inept chef into My family!" Erina practically screeched, her face lit with anger.
Alice smirked and stated "If I recall correctly, He hit the 200 servings mark waaaaay before you did. And he got over 400 servings in total. You barely got 300 servings by the end of the challenge, if I recall correctly." Now Erina was lit with rage.
"Miss Alice..." Ryō said tapping Alice on the shoulder, again.
And again, Alice brushed it off and stated in a childishly chipper voice "Face it, Erina, you've lost your edge, God's Pallet or not."
Erina practically screeched, "I have not lost my edge! That inept second-rate chef has been ruining everything for me!" and pointed an accusing finger at Sōma, only to witness a vacant space.
Both Nakiri looked at the space in confusion and said at the same time "Where'd he go?" Everyone but a certain seafood specialist looked around for the blind redhead.
Ryō spoke up by saying "Ano, Sōma-kun and his friends left when you two were arguing."
Alice stomped towards the ravenette and said in a huffy voice "Why didn't you tell us this sooner?!"
Ryō replied in a lackadaisical tone, "I tried to, but you were too busy arguing with your cousin."
Alice grabbed Ryō by the arm, dragged him off, and said: "Well, help me find my future husband then."
Ryō only replied in his usual lackadaisical tone "Okay..."
Erina was fuming with anger. But she wasn't sure if it was from Alice being herself, or the blunt fact that Sōma wasn't even present during her seething of him. Probably the latter in all honesty.
}i{
The Polaris Group, the Aldini Twins, and Ikumi walked into the Polaris dorm, where Daimidō was waiting for them with a big feast in the dining room.
"Oh, so Mayu-chan's going to be back here the day after next," Daimidō said, her arms folded and with a smile on her face.
Sōma nodded and stated plainly "Yes, mostly because she has to be on her school's campus for the results. * Happily, * So save some food for her, please." Daimidō was fine with that.
As everyone ate the feast, Ikumi asked Sōma "Are you sure you're alright with Alice practically proposing to you?"
Who could blame her for asking, it was a practically a weird thing to say, let alone witness it happen.
"Of course I'm not alright with it. Pops'll give her nightmares for a very time when he finds out," Sōma stated before shoving some of the food into his mouth.
Everyone gave the blind student a curious look and asked in unison "What do you mean by that?"
Sōma swallowed what was in his mouth and said, "Do any of you know the Overprotective Father trope?"
Everyone replied in unison "Yes."
Then Takumi asked, "Why? Is he one?"
Sōma sighed and said "Let's just say that Pops is ten times worse than that trope. *Sigh* He pretty much hunts down anyone who would give either Mayu or I a "Romantic" Valentine's Day card and do something to scare them out of their wits. One Valentine's Day we celebrated back in Jr High has been labelled "The Bloody Valentine's Day Massacre" because of him. It's also the reason why Mayu and I aren't looking for romance at the moment. And that's why I needed to figure out if Alice-chan was serious about that proposal."
This information was painting a very "Interesting" picture of Sōma and Mayu's father. It's kind of frightening just thinking about... Now no one was sure whether or not they should feel sorry for Nakiri Alice or not... They weren't.
~}i{~
"Well everyone, I'm waiting for an apology; although, I think you really should give Sōma-kun an apology as well," Isshiki said with that cheerful smile on his face. The 7th Seat had earned the right to completely rub it in the other Elites' faces, well some of them who deserve it.
Kuga cackled and said, "It's starting to become blatantly obvious that the Yukihira boy's got some pretty amazing cooking skills. Forget the fact that he's blind." Megishima remained quiet as he scanned the paper in front of his hand. The 3rd Seat had to admit, the dishes Yukihira Sōma made seemed to be all the rave with the staffs.
Tsukasa read the transcript from the Hell Camp out loud, "He got one of the highest marks on his Day One Assignment. He serves 423 dishes during the 200 Dish Assignment. Also, the Alumni chosen for the Hell Camp have yielded nothing but favourable reviews... While he may not have much of a record here, he seems to have more cooking knowledge than the average first-year Totsuki student... It'll be foolish Not to elect him for the Autumn Elections..." Isshiki still had that smile on his face, pretty much expecting this outcome.
Tsukasa made it official, Yukihira Sōma is officially selected to compete in the Autumn Elections.
Erina vocalized nothing this entire conversation. Even though she completely and utterly protested the fact that the blind redhead was even selected for such a prestigious competition. The reason for this was whatever she would have said for this meeting would have completely fallen on deaf ear.
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A few days after the end of the Hell Camp, Isshiki-senpai told Megumi, Sōma, Ibusaki, Marui, Yuki, and Ryoko were chosen for the upcoming Autumn Elections. A total of 60 out of the remaining 628 first-year Totsuki students will be participating in the Autumn Elections. Isshiki also explained that the Autumn Elections were the first step to the top of Totsuki.
}{
Sōma was walking back to the Polaris dorm after his last class of the afternoon concluded. Mayu currently at Polaris because she had a vital, mandatory test she was required to undergo from the computer she had set up at the dorm.
Sōma was wondering what kind of ingredient restrictions there would be during the Autumn Elections. 'Perhaps I should start practising some new recipes this evening,' Sōma thought before he heard some rustling in the nearby bushes. From the sound, it sure didn't sound like anything that could be considered a woodland critter.
"Yukihira Sōma?" the blind redhead heard someone asked.
Sōma's eyebrows narrowed when he asked in a suspicious tone, "Why do you want to know?" Something felt funny to the blind student as he heard about four, no, five separate sets of footsteps as the other students surrounded him.
"Come with us," one of the students stated.
Sōma tapped his cane and asked, "And if I refuse?"
}{
Eizan adjusted his collar in front of the reflective window. While he knew that his "Guest" was blind, he was not slacking-off on his appearance as a businessman.
Eizan heard the door open.
The 9th Seat turned to the door as he said: "Ah, here you are Yuk- What the hell happened to all of you?" Eizan saw that all of his minions had injuries all over their persons. Half of them had black eyes and one seemed to be limping.
Sōma stood in the middle of the minions and stated "Eizan-senpai, next time you send people to "Pick-up" someone; either tell the person so they know they're coming or tell the people to tell the person that you want to talk to them. I kind of thought they were attempting to kidnap me when they wanted me to go with them, so I "Defended" myself."
Eizan blinked, pointed at the blind redhead, and asked in an uncharacteristically bewildered tone "You did all that damage?"
Sōma then replied in a calm tone "Yes, and I do have a black belt so I can defend myself. Just so you know for the future."
That did clarify a few things...
Eizan quickly regained his composure and said "I'll... Keep that in mind, please have a seat."
"I'll stand," Sōma stated plainly, before asking in an annoyed tone "So what do you want?"
"Ah, you want to get right to the point," Eizan said with a smirk. The blind redhead huffed in annoyance, really wanting the other to just get on with it.
"Yukihira-kun," Eizan stated, making sure the redhead was paying attention. Then the 9th Seat said, "Ever since you arrived here at Totsuki, you've single-handedly taken the first spot among the first-year students. You practically set a new record for the 200 servings Assignment for the Hell Camp. And you've been able to win over the majority of the staff here at Totsuki."
"Is there a reason why you seem to be telling me things I already know?" Sōma stated, nearly snapping at the upperclassman, and just wanting him to get to the point.
With a smirk still on his face, Eizan said "What I'm saying is that you're an amazing chef. You even managed to outrank Erina in during the 200 Servings Challenge. Although from what I've read in the reports, she seemed to have underperformed in all of the assignments even though she passed them."
Sōma scoffed and stated with a slight growl, "That was one of the consequences of her choice." Eizan had raised a brow at that before he continued, "I'm sure you can manage to join the Elite 10 with some more effort."
"Can you just stop with the buttering job and just tell me why you dragged me here for?" Sōma snapped, his unseeing eyes seem to pierce anything before them, almost like a ballista. Eizan felt a chill go down his spine when he saw that.
The 9th Seat then said, "I guess what I'm saying is that you're amazing, but I can't help but think that you could be even better if you were able to see."
In a serious tone, Sōma asked: "What are you getting at Eizan-Senpai?" But it seems like the blind redhead already knew what the other was implying.
With that smirk still on his face, Eizan said "Through some of my "Connections", I know some skilful doctors who are well known for restoring eyesight."
"You seem to assume that I lost my eyesight rather than being born blind," Sōma stated, really starting to understand what the other wanted.
Eizan adjusted his glasses and said "I've done some research into your school life before Totsuki. You lost your sight when you were 6-years-old."
Sōma tensed up at that before saying "Alright, I lost my sight. So what are you trying to "imply", Eizan-Senpai?" But it seemed like Sōma already knew what it was.
With an even wider smirk, Eizan said "I can help you get one of the best doctors to restore your sight. You don't have to worry about the cost. I'll cover it."
Sōma then stated, "While that is rather generous of you, but I'm going to decline." The blind redhead then turned to exit the office.
Eizan quickly called out, "Oi! Wait a minute! You're not going to think about this?! This is an enormous opportunity for you to see again!"
Sōma stopped and said, "I already did and I'm still declining." Eizan needed a plan, and fast if he wanted the redhead to work for him.
"Don't you want to see your sister's face? Or your friends'?" Eizan asked with a smirk. Sōma's hand just stopped short of the door handle.
The 9th Seat thought he had the redhead until Sōma stated coldly "Eizan-Senpai, just stop. There's no amount of money or anything you can say that will ever bring my sight back. My sight is gone, Period."
Something was off here... This didn't sound like the "There are no such things as Impossible if you set your mind to it" Yukihira Sōma.
"It seems like you didn't do enough research, Senpai," Sōma stated coldly before leaving the office, then slammed the door shut. Everything inside the office shook at the sudden vibrations.
For once Eizan Estuya's life, he hadn't a clue how he failed this challenge of recruiting someone to work for him.
}{
Sōma stormed down the corridors, in an incredibly foul mood.
This was extremely unusual for the normally upbeat redhead.
'Rotten bastard!' Sōma thought angrily as he continued his way. He was frightening some of the other students halfway out of their wits when they saw the rage-filled look on the blind redhead's face. Sōma continued to seethe as he thought 'Like hell would I would accept something like that! Going through my past like that! He had NO right to do that! Especially with the motivations he had!' The thing that Sōma hated the most was the memories that the 9th Seat carelessly dredged up.
~Flashback, Sōma & Mayu, Age 6~
Little Sōma wasn't sure if he was unconscious or not since everything was completely dark. But, all Sōma could focus on was his twin sister calling out, "Onii-chan (2)! Onii-chan!"
"Wait! Mai-chan! Don't pull that out!" another voice, it sounded like a woman's voice and she sounded like she was in pain.
"Why? It's hurting Onii-chan," little Mayu said in a teary voice.
The woman said, "I know it's hurting Sō-chan, but pulling it out without medical training will hurt him even more!" To Sōma, the tone sounded like a mixture of worry and trying to make a child understand something that was above their understanding.
'What are they talking about?' Sōma wondered. He wanted to ask them, but for some reason, he couldn't get his voice to do so.
"OI! Someone call an Ambulance! Hurry! This child has a severe injury!" the woman's voice called out in a grunt of pain.
~End Flashback~
Sōma bit his lips before thinking in anger 'That rotten money-loving bastard!' He stormed outside. The wind blew a bit, making the blind student's burning red hair sway a bit. 'I'm starting to wonder if Isshiki-Senpai is the sole person on this Elite 10 who has a moral compass,' Sōma wondered, trying to calm himself down. Well, he'll find out during the Summer.
~}i{~
The last day of class before the Summer (and the Summer Job Omakes)... Teachers passed out First Semester Report Cards... And students fidgeted with anticipation for the long-awaited Summer Break, or grudgingly awaiting their Summer Job in the case of Seven of the Ten Elites. However, the last day before Summer held one more meaning at Totsuki, especially for the first-year students.
All of the current 628 first-year students gathered in the courtyard of Totsuki, in front of a giant billboard that was covered by a humongous cloth.
On this day... The chosen participants for the Autumn Elections are formally announced.
The cloth was removed from the billboard to reveal the 60 first-years that have been selected. Those 60 names were split into two groups of 30, aptly named A and B.
The Aldini Twins were on the list. Mito Ikumi made it too. Tadokoro Megumi made the list, much to the poor girl's nervousness. Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryō made the list too, but that seemed to be expected considering how Alice was acting.
Alice was about to jump on Sōma when Mayu shoved her out of the way before the albino could. "Stop with that immature behaviour of yours," Mayu snapped in annoyance, not the least bit amused by Alice's antics. That was when Alice and Mayu started their glaring match. The Polaris group and the Aldini twins did try stopping it but failed.
"Ano... Is Yukihira Mayumi a Totsuki student?" Ryō asked an annoyed-looking Sōma, who replied with a raised brow "No, but she does have special permission to be here. Why do you ask?"
"Her name is on the list, right before your name," Ryō answered lackadaisically as he pointed at the board (more for the others to see than Sōma). This, in turn, caused everyone (but Sōma) to turn to the billboard to see if the seafood specialist was telling the truth.
Right there, over Sōma's name was the name Yukihira Mayumi.
"Oi! Was there a glitch when establishing the lists?" Mayu asked when she recognized her name.
Yuki scan the list and asked, "You think they made a mistake?"
Ryoko mumbled a "But that's a pretty colossal mistake to overlook..."
Isami then asked, "I'm pretty sure a Totsuki staff member would've pointed that out." Takumi agreed with that statement and suspected something bigger at hand.
After counting all the names, Alice then said, not in her pretending tone, "Huh? There are 61 names if you include Mayu-chan's name... I mean... There are only supposed to be 60 names of the first-year Totsuki students, and * Directs her attention towards Mayu * no offence but there's no way you should even be on this list."
"None taken, and for once, I agree with you," Mayu stated sourly.
Before anyone could put in another word in, someone said over the PA System, "Ladies and Gentlemen!"
The next thing the first-years knew, a crane was lifting a box with a person in sed box and smoke emitting from the edges of the box. "Good afternoon!" the girl in the box said into the microphone in her hand.
Sōma already seemed to recognize who it was when he asked his allies "What is that annoying MC doing here? Making such a ruckus?" Mayu was just wondering why she needed a crane to tell people something.
Urara then said in her cutesy tone, "Your hostess for all things Autumn Elections, I'm... Kawashima Urara * Poses and winks cutesy *." The majority of the male students was cheering happily while the majority of the female students were seething.
"What is she doing?" Sōma asked rather cluelessly, not sure why he heard a crane, a faint sound of a fog machine, and two very different reactions from the students. Yuki told him not to worry about it too much.
Urara then continued her announcement, "Congratulations to all the students chosen to participate in the Autumn Elections! You'll receive your formal notifications in the mail in a few days… But let me give you all a quick overview of how the Autumn Elections competition will work! As you can see by looking at the bulletin board… The 60 chosen students have been divided into two equal blocks called A and B. The first stage will be a preliminary competition between all of the students in each block. Those who place the highest in both blocks A and B… Will officially participate in the main torments!" With that, all of the students cheered and excitement.
'60? But Alice-chan had just counted 61 names... Something smells fishy, and I don't mean that tuna smell from Ryō-kun's person,' Sōma thought suspiciously.
Urara pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket to read and said into the mic "Okay, next... I have a message to all of you from the tournament organizer, Eizan Etsuya, the 9th Seat of the Elite 10." Sōma clenched his cane a little tighter.
Urara then announced, "To all chosen students… The Autumn Elections draws many VIPs and stars of the culinary world as guests. This is your opportunity to showcase your skills. * The first-year student started yammering a little bit between one another * But... * the student stopped talking * keep one other thing in mind… If you present an inferior dish on this grand stage, your potential career as a chef could come to a screeching halt. Good luck to you all. Okay, that's all! Bye-bye!"
While that did explain a lot... But the question that was still unanswered was why Mayu's name was on that list?
}{ About Two Minutes Later }{
"Yikes! Really?" Mayu stated when she heard from Alice that Erina was completely banned from working on anything relating to the Autumn Elections.
Alice nodded and stated, "Yup, grandpa was super mad with Erina for her actions during the Hell Camp. I'm not 100% sure what happened, but even Chapelle-Sensei was upset with her too."
"Hang on, what exactly happened?" Takumi asked, knowing full well that it took a lot to make The Chef-Who-Never-Smiles that angry at a single student.
"She sent me towards a different hall during the announcement for the 200 Servings assignment," Sōma finally said in an annoyed tone.
"WHAT?!" the Polaris group, Aldini twins, Mayu, Mito Ikumi, Alice, and Ryō (who was uncharacteristically surprised) shouted in the same shocked, bewildered, and 'What-the-Hell-?' tone. Any of the first-year students that stood nearby only turned to the shouting just to see who was.
"That clarifies her comment after the announcement!" Takumi stated, eyes still wide in shock.
"How could she even do such a thing?!" Ikumi asked, still not 100% sure with what she just heard.
Mayu folded her arms and hissed out "Oh, that "Princess" is not cooking one thing in Our kitchen. I don't care what she can cook up." Sōma assured her sister that here it set a reminder to notify him that Erina's job would be washing and gathering the dishes.
Alice got all huffy when she stated, "How dare she do such a shameful thing to MY future husband!"
Knowing that he was getting a little too angry for his liking, Sōma took a deep breath to try to soothe himself. 'Cinnamon?' The blind redhead thought when he smelt a faint scent of cinnamon sticks.
"Well, we know one thing," Ikumi stated snapping Sōma out of his thoughts. The Meat Master then stated, "Summer is going to be nothing but practising new dishes for us for the Autumn Elections."
"Easy for you to say. I have to oversee the diner, and Mayu has her Summer Project from her school," Sōma said as he remembered that the Yukihira Twins' father was out of the country for the Summer.
Mayu then added, "So depending on what the Mandatory Ingredient is, we might have a problem on our hands."
Yuki had that look of realization on her face when she said, "Wha! That's right! But... These elections are supercritical! Do you think both of you can run the diner, work on that project, AND work on a dish for the Autumn Elections?"
"We'll think of something," the Yukihira Twins said in unison.
Somehow, no one was surprised by that response.
}{ Somewhat at the Same Time }{
Daimidō hung a big banner that read ' Congratulations Autumn Elections Participants ' over the dining room. She was happily vacuuming the dining room. Since it felt like the Golden Age of Polaris has come again.
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Daimidō stop what she was doing and went to answer the door.
When she opened the door, she immediately recognized who it was. In a tone that was a mixture emotion, Daimidō said, "Sheesh! If you're coming for a visit, and you could at least give me a call ahead of time to warn me!"
Then, looking at the person with gentle eyes Daimidō stated, "You haven't changed a bit. No manners or sense whatsoever."
"You haven't changed either, Fumio-san. How's it goin'? I was in the area, so I thought I'd come by. I'm home," Yukihira Jōichirō said with a cattish grin.
~}i{~
To Be Continued...
~}i{~
Omake: Summer Job for the "7 Elite Seats". (This is still a work in progress title, and is open to suggestions)
}i{ July 4; Summer Job Day 3 }i{
14:20 (2:20 PM), Shokujidokoro Yukihira...
While Sōma was off to taste Mozuya Karaage, the 7 of the 10 Elite were taking a certain Allergy/Intolerance Test (Supervised by Yukihira Mayu of course)... Okay, in truth, they already underwent the test and Mayu just finished grading their papers... (this will be interesting).
With an anger mark on her forehead, Mayu growled out "I have to admit, I'm actually surprised by this." She had six sheets of papers one of her hands and one piece of paper in the other hand.
Erina flipped her hair and said with a 'Full of Herself' smirk "Oh, please, we're the Elite 10 of Totsuki. This sort of thing is easy for us." Mayu watched as the other Elites completely chilled and not all that concerned about the test they just took.
"I would call that impressive IF all of you PASSED the test, that is," Mayu stated before slamming the papers onto the table that the 7 Elites were sitting at and revealing the grades on the papers.
"Do you think these numbers are considered passing grades?" Mayu snapped angrily at the 7 Elites, not the least bit amused. The Elites who got their papers only had to look once before realizing that the Nakiri heiress spoke waaaaay too soon.
"What the Hell?!" Erina shouted, looking over her grade for the Allergy/Intolerance Test, a perfect 0%. Eizan also got a 0%. Kinokuni got 47%. Akanegakubo got 42%. Tsukasa got the highest of the failed scores with 55%. Kobayashi, somehow, managed to get a -10%.
"Before you all start complaining, I checked them all Three Times, those are your grades. Honestly, just how incompetent can you guys be about this, especially since it's a critical thing in the food industry? Some "Elites" you are," Mayu stated in annoyance, before holding Saitou's paper in front of him and saying calmly "You're an exception, Saitou-san, you passed."
The 5th Seat took his paper and looked at the grade written in red ink, as he did the other Elites looked over his shoulder to see what he got. It was 97%. The other Elites gave the 5th Seat a look that practically screamed 'How-the-Hell-Were-You-The-Only-One-Who-Passed-?' Mayu then stated calmly "Saitou-san, you got all the answers right, but spelling counts, and you did misspell " Lactose." Other than that, you passed the test with flying colours."
"Mayu-Ane (3), I finished the board," Hiro said happily, walking into the dinner with a large board under his arm.
Mayu looked at her younger brother and said: "Perfect timing, I just gave everyone their grades."
"Did any of them passed?" Hiro asked curiously, looking up at his sister.
Mayu said with a sigh, "Only Saitou-san, everyone else failed miserably."
"Eh? Just one? Really? But they're Totsuki students... I guess I was expecting too much from them, huh," Hiro said with a disappointed sigh. Mayu then helped Hiro with hanging the board on a nearby wall.
Akanegakubo watched the two Yukihira then asked: "What's the board for?" Mayu and Hiro moved out of the way, so the Elites could see what was written on the board.
From what the Elites could see, the first column had all of their names on it, and the top row had something written in each cell. "Entry", "Allergy/Tolerance Test", "Work Ethic", "Customer Service", "Kitchen Rights", and "Pass" were written neatly in each of those cells. A gold star was stuck in the column under 'Entry' on all of the names. Mayu told the Elites
"Since this will be easier for you guys, this board will show what you have passed and where you stand in Shokujidokoro Yukihira." Mayu then placed a gold star on the cell under the "Allergy/Tolerance" column and in the row with Saitou's name.
Hiro smiled and told the sushi master "Looks like you now have a chance to work in the kitchen Saitou-san." The 5th Seat only nodded at that.
Mayu glared at the other Elites and stated: "I'd suggest the rest of you use this upcoming weekend to study for the Allergy/Intolerance Test, considering how poorly you all did."
Those six glanced at each other. Tomorrow will be their first official off-time from Shokujidokoro Yukihira, to do with as they pleased, but did they genuinely want to squander it studying for a test? Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, and Kinukuni looked at their grades again and concluded that maybe it was a good idea to do so. Since this was rather unbecoming of any of the Elite 10 of Totsuki to fail in anything in cooking or food. Not to mention the implications that could happen if the other Totsuki students find out about it.
"I'm thinking you failed us on purpose," Erina stated crumbling her piece of paper. There was no way in hell she believed the female Yukihira graded these papers fairly. Eizan adjusted his glasses and agreed with the Nakiri.
Kobayashi seconded the motion and added, "I mean, how else would I have gotten a Negative 10%."
Mayu sighed and stated "You got a -10 because you have the grammar and spelling of a 2nd grader. But fine, I'll give you three a quick oral test. You all can verbalize your answers, but I'm telling you now, it's not going to change your grades." The three agreed to undergo the oral test.
Hiro walked up to Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Saitou, and Kinukuni and said: "This should be interesting."
Quick Oral Test: Begin!
Mayu: "What is Celiac Disease?"
Erina flipped her hair and said, "A type of allergic reaction." Eizan folded his arms and said, "Allergen immune to EpiPens." Kobayashi grinned wildly and said, "A yummy ingredient in cheese."
Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "..."
Mayu: "Name one common Food Allergy?"
Erina flipped her hair and said, "Low-grade foods." Eizan stated, "Unsensitized food." Kobayashi happily said, "Yucky food."
Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "..."
Mayu (rubbing her temples in aggravation): "What are the alternatives to anything with Lactose?"
Erina flipped her hair and said, "Eating cashews." Eizan stated, "Consuming a meat-free diet." Kobayashi happily said "Eating yummier food."
Mayu, Tsukasa, Akanegakubo, Kinokuni, Saitou, and Hiro's reaction: "... *All at the same time* You three weren't even remotely close to being right on any of those."
Well... It was now very clear why those three did so very poorly on the test.
"I'm back~," Sōma said happily as he walked into the diner with three package boxes in hand. He then added, "And take a wild guess on who I ran into at the Mozuya Karaage. Although; I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence."
"Yo~" a familiar voice rang out.
}i{ Flashback }i{
Sōma walked into the in-station mall, it was bustling with the sounds of people coming and going. The blind redhead used his cane to help navigate his way towards the Help Desk near the front of the mall. " 'Scuse me, could someone help direct me to Mozuya Karaage?" Sōma asked the person behind the desk.
"Sōma-Koi~"
Sōma paused at the sound of the recognizable voice, then the next thing he knew he was jumped on by someone. That person then grabbed a hold of his left arm and started nuzzling his shoulder. "Alice-chan? Why are you here?" Sōma asked in a bit in an annoyed tone. Ryō only gave a lackadaisical hello not caring what the albino was doing. Sōma sighed and asked, "Shouldn't the two of you be preparing for the Autumn Elections?"
Ryō then replied in a lackadaisical tone "The same could be said about you."
"I have a Diner to run," Sōma stated sternly as he tried to ignore Alice snuggling with his arm and then asked, "What's your excuse?"
Alice happily chirped out "I wanted to spend some time with my future husband~."
"And Ryō-kun's here because?" Sōma asked, not awaiting a reasonable answer.
"Oh, I told Ryō-kun he had to come. He doesn't mind, though," Alice said happily.
Sōma wasn't too sure about that when he asked: "So both of you have Curry Dishes for the Autumn Election?"
Alice said pretty quickly, "Yup."
Ryō, on the other hand, didn't respond to the question, but he did ask, "I don't think you're going to get any ideas for curry here, so why are you here?"
After the explanation as to why Sōma was here. Alice, of course, decided she wanted to help and dragged Ryō along for the ride as she brought Sōma to Mozuya Karaage. She said something along the lines of not letting Her Future Husband lose his childhood home. The blind redhead did mention that the street market wasn't in THAT much trouble.
"I hear a lot of women here," Sōma said as he, Alice, and Ryō walked into the store, then asked, "Is there a special deal going on?"
"Oh, you don't know?" the albino said before explaining that Mozuya gets packed at the mealtime hours and that "It is especially popular with young to middle-aged women because of their take-home packaging, which is fashionable by the way. Plus many train commuters go out of the way just to stop by the station so they can come in for Mozuya's Karaage."
Sōma placed a hand on his chin and said: "I get it because the location of the shop they can get many customers relatively easily and quickly."
Ryō glanced at the waitresses in their cutely designed uniforms and thought 'Those are probably another reason why people come here.'
Next thing the trio knew, they were greeted by Nakamozu Kinu, Mozuya's Karaage CEO.
"Hello~, and welcome to Mozuya's Karaage~, would you like to try a free sample of our much talked about Karaage?" Nakamozu urged them as she held out a Bento box full of freshly made Karaage.
Alice beamed when she said "Like, don't mind if I do," and took a toothpick of the sample. Ryō did the same.
Sōma just asked, "Ano, could one of you hand me one of the samples?"
Nakamozu noticed the white cane in the redhead's hands and asked: "Are you blind, young man?"
Sōma gave a nod and said, "I am, so if it's not too much trouble, would it be all right for you to hand me the sample?" The slit-eyed woman thought nothing of it and carefully put the toothpick sample in the blind redhead's fingers.
The trio ate their samples, and a burst of flavours filled their very being. The flavour was so mighty, it felt like their clothes were ripped off their very bodies by a barrage of delicious arrows being fired at once.
"Wow, this is delicious," Alice said with a smile on her face. Ryō's expression didn't change when he said it was good.
Sōma opened his unseeing eyes and said: "You use Oumi chicken breast, right?" Nakamozu was relatively surprised by that. The blind redhead then added, "And you use soy sauce-based marinade, I can also taste some apple, grated I think, and a good number of spices in that sauce, you then thoroughly coat the chicken in and then fry it up to a crispy texture, but I'm thinking you do it carefully because it the crispiness taste pretty light."
Nakamozu was even more surprised by that when she said "My, my, young man, you've got a good tongue on you. How'd you know we used we use Oumi Chicken?"
"I have a really good food memory. I can memorize a taste after eating something once," Sōma said with a bit of a smile.
Alice looked at the blind redhead and said: "Oh, right, you mentioned that during the 200 Dish Challenge, or rather, you mentioned you ate Hollandaise sauce before." Sōma nodded at that.
"200 Dish Challenge?" Nakamozu wondered as she fanned herself with her hand-fan, then asked them "Say, are you kids go to Totsuki?"
Alice grinned happily and said in that same cheery tone "Yup, we sure are~. All three of us~. *Wrapped her arms around Sōma, and in a very cheerful tone* I can't wait to tell our children, that's how we met~." Sōma looked like he wanted the albino to stop this stuff. Ryō didn't genuinely care what was happening.
The CEO dropped her hand fan, then asked with a completely shocked look on her slit-eyed face as she pointed at Sōma "Wait, you mean you're attending Totsuki? Blind kid?"
"That's correct, I'm attending Totsuki," the blind redhead said calmly as he could with the albino hugging his arm the way she is.
Pulling away from Alice, Sōma told Nakamozu "Anywho, I would like to buy a Karaage family dinner box, please. It'll be a nice treat for my siblings back at the Diner."
Alice was genuinely shocked at this and asked "Sōma-koi, are you buying some? This place is practically closing the street market!"
"Ano, Miss Alice," was all Ryō got out before Alice shushed him.
"While I'm not thrilled with this place," Sōma said in a plain tone and then stated, "There's nothing wrong with taking home something for the family once-in-a-while." Alice and Ryō had to admit, there was no fault in what Sōma was saying. Then Sōma said in a completely calm yet slightly menacing tone "Besides, I need some comparing samples so I can make my Karaage better than Mozuya's." Nakamozu embraced the challenge.
"So can I get that Karaage family box, please? Oh! Actually, can you make it three? For my employees. I almost forgot about them for a minute," Sōma said in a humorous tone as if he didn't declare anything to antagonize the CEO. Nakamozu wasn't sure if she should consider the blind redhead a legitimate threat or not.
}i{ End Flashback }i{
"Oh, so You're here, how lovely..." Mayu growled out in annoyance as she glared at Alice.
The albino glared back and said in her mocking cheery tone that hid the fact that she was as aggravated as Mayu, "I know right. What a total coincidence."
Hiro only sweatdropped and asked his older brother "Ano, what happened between them?"
Sōma only answered, "I'm not sure I should tell you since you're still a kid..."
Ryō then added "I agree. * Looks at Hiro * Who are you?"
"I'm Yukihira Hiro," the boy said before asking "Who are you nii-san?"
"Kurokiba Ryō," the lackadaisical teen said, before asking Sōma "You have a younger brother?"
The blind redhead replied with an "Obviously," before telling his sister and Alice to break-up their glaring battle. The two huffed and turn their backs to each other.
Alice then noticed Erina, in her diner uniform. The albino giggled and said with a bit of a mocking tone, "Wow, Erina~ you're looking good~." The Nakiri heiress wasn't enduring any insult lying down. Well, she would've until Sōma stepped in.
"Listen, both of you. I don't care who starts a fight, but I will eject BOTH sides out of the diner if need be. And that will also mean you're not going to get paid for the day, understand Erina?" the blind redhead stated sternly, eyebrows narrowed in aggravation. Both Nakiri could tell the oldest Yukihira was dead serious and quickly ceased their usual banter.
Sōma took a deep breath, calming himself down a bit, and placed the three sealed packages of Mozuya's Karaage onto a nearby table.
}{
"Can you make a better Karaage then Mozuya's?" Eizan asked, but judging by the tone he was using, he knew something.
While making a sauce base for his Karaage, Sōma stated "Their Karaage is indeed delicious. But, their main selling point is their sealed packaging and the fact that you can reheat the Karaage when you get home."
"He does have a point," Ryō stated in his lackadaisical tone, before slurping his bowl of shrimp Raman that he ordered off the Yukihira menu (and paid for with his own money).
Alice then piped in, "That is true, the sealed packaging avoids the smell of the Karaage from bothering the train passengers."
Mayu glanced at her twin and stated: "I take it you're not going in that direction."
Sōma smirked and said "I'm planning on making a more practical "Packaging" for Yukihira's Karaage." Mayu had an Of-Course-You-Are look on her face, while Hiro happily cheered that his big brother can do it.
Saitou said with a raised brow "While I douth admire thou for taking up such a challenge. But doth thou have'th to work on Curry Dish for the Autumn Elections? This inquiry tis not just for Yukihira-kun." (Saitou seems to talk with either a slight Shakespearian tone or an old-fashion samurai. I'm just guessing on that from how he talks in the manga).
Alice happily stated, "I already have my dish ready~. Ryō-kun has a dish too." Ryō simply slurped his noodles, not even bothering to comment on whether or not the albino was right or not.
Sōma smirked and stated, "I was wondering when one of you was going to bring that up."
Mayu waved a hand and said "Sōma's a pretty brilliant person. He can work here at the Diner while working on his Curry Dish."
Tsukasa then nervously stated "B-but! On top of this Karaage challenge! That's a lot! Isn't that too much for you to accomplish? Especially since you can't see?"
Sōma placed his first test Karaage dish on a plate and said sternly "You don't need working eyes to see what can be accomplished or not." It was clear that the statement had a double meaning to it.
Sōma placed that plate of Karaage in front of Alice and Ryō and urged them to try it, so they did.
"It's good! Good!" Alice said with a smile.
Ryō then stated in his usual lackadaisical tone "It's good, but not as impactful as Mozuya's."
That was when Sōma stated "I had a hunch that would be the case. Mozuya probably marinates their chicken in their sauce for about nine to ten hours, maybe more along the lines of the latter. But since I'm just testing recipes out, and the fact that this is a diner, I'd rather not have to test something that'll take that long."
One of Eizan's eyebrows twitched as Kinokuni asked "How'd you know they marinade their chicken for that long? I'm sure they wouldn't have hinted something like that."
Sōma then added "Consider it a hunch. And I'm sure they also wouldn't disclose the fact that they add garlic in their marinade. * In a tone of realization * Oh, that reminds me, I need to tell Kōmori-san about that. Hmm, I think I can manage to make an alternative sauce for him with my Karaage."
"I don't blame you for that since he can't eat garlic... But in my particular opinion, Karaage Onigiri with some mozzarella is the best kind of Karaage out there," a new voice from the entranceway. Everyone but Sōma looked towards that direction to see a teenager around their age with grey hair (despite his age) sleepy grey eyes and wearing a high school uniform while carrying a brown bag on his left shoulder (4).
"Oh, it's you, Cheese-Otaku (5)," Mayu said with a giggle. The grey-haired teen rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Oh, Yoshi, are you here for your Four-Cheese Usual?" Sōma asked the grey-haired teen who simply replied "Pretty much, oh, make it a double portion. My club activity was intense, and I'm starving. * Takes a seat at an empty table * Why are you talking about Karaage anyway?"
"Mozuya's Karaage, Sōma-Ani's going to make a better Karaage then theirs to bring people back to our market," Hiro stated happily.
Placing an elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand, the grey-haired teen, said "You'll be able to do it easily. In my opinion, Mozuya's Karaage isn't all that good."
Mayu snickered and said, "I take it they don't have an option to add cheese to their Karaage."
The grey-haired teen shrugged and said with a yawn "Well, that and I don't like the whole "Eat it When You Get Home" thing that Mozuya does. It's inconvenient for us, students, after the school clubs, especially when we're starving after some of the more intense activities..."
With that, a spark of an idea lit up inside Sōma's brain 'Students! The After School Clubs! Location! Rice! Walk while you Eat! That's IT!'
"Mayu-Ane, Sōma-Ani has that smirk on his face," Hiro stated when he glanced at his brother. Alice and Ryō (The seafood specialist was still slurping his noodles, btw.) briefly glanced at the blind redhead. The Seven Elites could only eyes one another in plain confusion not sure what the hell that meant. The grey-haired teen only yawned.
"Yoshi! I'll cook your dish right away. Saitou-san, you mind gathering some cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, jack cheese, and some nori wraps from the fridge for me while I get started on the ravioli," Sōma stated as he wrapped his white scarf around his forehead.
Saitou raised a brow at this, but he complied with the request. The sushi couldn't help but think 'Four kinds of cheese, nori wraps, and ravioli? What sort of dish tis this suppose to be'ith?'
~}i{~ Later that Night ~}i{~
Erina was tossing and turning in her bed. The dream she was having was just... Well... In her opinion... It was a nightmare... Take a look.
~ Erina's Dream ~
Sōma's dorm mates, friends, and the three other Elite Ten who wasn't working at Yukihira somehow found the diner and they were enjoying themselves.
"Wow, this ravioli is pretty superb," Takumi said as he cut into his dish. Isami happily agreed with his brother.
Erina wondered how Italian food got on the menu.
"Sōma, Pop's going to be here soon," Mayu instructed her twin brother. Sōma grinned and stated "Perfect, I got his favourite cooking." "Oooooh, I get to meet my father-in-law~," Alice said happily as Ryō lackadaisically agreed.
Erina put a plate of a chocolate cake roll on the table Isshiki, Kuga, and Megishima sat at. 'Wait, when did this get on the menu?' the honey blond wondered. Hisako was playing the guitar in the corner. 'How long has she been playing that?' Erina thought in confusion.
"I'm home~" a voice from the entrance.
Erina froze. She recognized that voice!
"Pops!" Mayu, Sōma, and Hiro said in unison as they rushed towards the man in the entrance.
Erina slowly turned to the new voice.
Saiba Jōichirō was standing there, hugging the three Yukihiras happily. "You three running my diner well?" the man asked happily, seeming to already know the answer. "Diner's doing fine, Pops," Sōma told the man happily.
'POPS?!' Were the words that echoed through Erina's head.
~ End Dream ~
Erina bolted awake with a shout.
After a minute or so of taking some deep breaths, Erina finally calmed down. 'It was just a nightmare,' Erina told herself. She pulled out the picture of her when she first encountered her idol Saiba Jōichirō from its hidden spot inside the cookbook she inevitably had with her. With an Of-Course-that-Couldn't-be-Possible look on her face, Erina thought 'There is no way on Earth That abomination could Ever be related to my beloved Saiba-sama. It was just a terrible nightmare, nothing more.'
(If only she knew).
~}i{~ Two Days Later: July 6; Summer Job Day 5 ~}i{~
After their time off of Yukihira, the 7 Elites came back to the Sumiredōri Shopping District to observe it bustling and booming with people. A complete 180 from the last time they were here. The businesses were filled to the brim with customers.
"Wh-what happened?! This place was practically dead last time we were here!" Erina shouted, not believing her eyes. The blond Nakiri was hoping that the shopping district would close down and that she wouldn't have to work at Yukihira's diner anymore. But fate seems to have a cruel sense of humour.
Mayu appeared in front of them and snapped "About time you guys got here. Get to Yukihira's NOW. We have a hoard of customers and we need all hands on deck." The Elites quickly complied and trailed her, after all, none of them wanted to get on Yukihira Mayu's evil side (so they wouldn't get shoved in those "Spiked" uniforms).
}{
Well... Now the 7 Elites knew why this market was packed. A Sumire Original Karaage Wrap made by Sōma, Mayu, Hiro, Alice, and Ryō at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.
The Sumire Original Karaage Wrap had chicken thigh meat cut into big, thick chunks. Those chunks are marinated in a marinade featuring soy sauce and cayenne pepper (an idea that was surprisingly from Ryō). The marinated chicken is then fried, twice. Then it is wrapped in lettuce leaves, other leafy herbs, and then wrapped in the special, freshly cooked thin rice wrap. Then sprinkled with some "Secret Chili Sauce" (garlic-free, so Kōmori-san could eat it). And finally, the wrap is branded with the Sumire Market logo.
It was a major hit with everyone. Even Nakamozu Kinu, Mozuya's CEO, was a victim of the deliciousness of the Sumire Original Karaage Wrap.
Now the Seven Elites had even more work on their plates. Pun intended.
~}i{~
After closing, at 22:10 (10:10 PM) everyone was just cleaning up.
"Alright, the last chore of the night," Sōma said out loud as he placed the last bit of perishable item in the decomposition bin.
"Bringing the decomp to the fertilizer pile," Mayu said with a sigh.
"Not it!" the Yukihira Twins said at the same time.
"Not it!" Alice said added.
Ryō then raised his hand and said in his lackadaisical tone "Not it..."
After realizing what was going on, Tsukasa and Saitou quickly shouted/said (respectively) in unison "Not It!"
Akanegakubo realized what it was and said "Not it. Bucchi not it too."
'Decomp?' Erina though, before finally realizing what it meant and shouted in unison with Kinokuni and Kobayashi, "Not it!"
Eizan just raised a brow at this whole thing, not completely aware of what they were doing. "What's going on?" Hiro asked as he walked into the area, he completely avoided the whole thing and was clueless about the situation.
"Seems like Hiro and Eizan are tied for Decomp duty," Mayu stated as she folded her arms.
"I smell a cook-off happening, after all, it's a tradition here," Sōma said with a slight snicker.
Saitou raised a brow and asked, "Thou doth have'th Shokugeki here at Yukihira?"
"Well, Pops did graduate from Totsuki. We figured that he just brought that here when he opened this diner," Mayu said with a shrug and wondered if any of these "Elites" would notice what she meant.
That was when Sōma added, as if it wasn't that big of a deal, "Besides, it's a fun, nonviolent, way to solve disagreements or arguments here. Some of our customers join in for judging."
"Speaking of which, who's going to judge the Shokugeki between Hiro and Eizan? You and I can't do it; Hiro's our younger brother and will call in nepotism," Mayu told her older twin brother.
Sōma then said, "Good point, we need a judge, or judges, who don't have much of a connection to either Hiro or Eizan."
"I'll be a Judge~," Alice said happily as she raised her hand.
With a sweatdrop on their heads, the Yukihira twins stated "No offence, but we're pretty sure you'll vote for Hiro."
"Pretty much," Ryō said, not caring if he did get on Alice's bad side. Alice gave a childish pout. Looks like her plan to get Sōma to cherish her via declaring his kid brother the winner of the cook-off was ruined.
A yawn captured everyone's attention.
Everyone turned to the sound to see the grey-haired, grey-eyed teen from a few days ago.
"Cheese-otaku? What are you still doing here?" Mayu asked the sleepy-eyed teen. '
How'd we miss him?' The Seven Elites wondered as the teen yawned again before saying as he rubbed his tired eyes, "I guess I dozed-off..." Mayu mumbled an "Obviously."
With a sly smile, Sōma asked the grey-haired teen "Say, Yoshi, would you judge tonight cook-off?" The sleepy-eyed teen flat out declined.
Mayu then said with a sly smirk "The Main Ingredient is going to be cheese." The grey-haired teen then agreed to be the judge. None of the Totsuki students knew what to say about that.
Sōma then turned his attention to the two contestants for the cook-off by saying "Alight, Hiro, Eizan, as you heard the primary ingredient will be cheese. And you can use whatever is in the diner, provided that you clean up after yourselves, and you can use whatever theme you want. However; considering that it's late. The time limit for your cooking time will be 30 minutes, so make a small dish. The winner doesn't have to deal with the decomp pile."
"The cook-off will start once both of you collect all your ingredients," Mayu said as she thumbed the pantry. Hiro nodded and took off to gather the ingredients he would use. Eizan just walked, he wasn't worried about the outcome of this "Unofficial Shokugeki", so to speak. After all, Eizan Etsuya was the 9th Seat of the Elite Ten, there was no way he could lose to a nine-year-old boy that only had some cooking knowledge.
Once the two gathered their ingredients, Akanegakubo asked the Yukihira twins "Wait a minute, Momo thought we had to "Earn the Right" to cook in this kitchen? Why are you letting Eiz-nya use the kitchen for this Shokugeki?"
"For these Shokugeki, we're just going to let that rule slide. Since it is a bit pointless to have a cook-off when one person can't use the kitchen," Sōma stated as he set the timer for the Shokugeki (using his phone via voice control).
Mayu then stated sternly, "But only for the cook-offs got it." Well, none of the Seven Elites could deny that logic.
"You two ready?" Sōma asked, getting ready to start the timer on his phone with his voice. Both Hiro and Eizan said "Ready." Hiro in a cheerful tone while Eizan in a more laid-back tone. The 9th Seat still had no legitimate worry about this cook-off.
Sōma started the timer and declared "BEGIN!"
And with that, the Shokujidokoro Yukihira Cook-off (You can call it a Diner Shokugeki if you want) between Yukihira Hiro and Eizan Etsuya began as the two started their cooking.
Eizan glanced at the boy's cooking station. More along the lines of confirming he didn't need to put too much effort into this quick dish than anything else. He saw the boy seemed to be making some sort of soup with tomatoes. 'Tomato soup? Really? The main ingredient is supposed to be cheese, not tomatoes. Then again, he IS a child after all,' Eizan thought as he continued with his dish. All the 9th Seat had to worry about what making sure the oven was set to the ideal temperature to cook his dish properly.
The grey-haired, grey-eyed teen only watched the two with sleepy eyes.
}{
When the 30 Minutes were up, Eizan served his dish first.
Eizan placed the plate in front of the grey-haired teen and said with a smirk that practically beamed that he was not worried "Enjoy my Gougères. It's better known as French Cheese Puffs."
The grey-haired teen looked at the Yukihira twin with a raised brow. Mayu then said honestly with a shrug, "Well, we didn't say it had to be an original cheese dish for this Cook-off. So it'll be accepted."
The grey-haired teen muttered an "All right," before eating one of the puffs. After chewing, then swallowing, the grey-haired teen announced his verdict, "Well, it IS one of the best cheese puffs I had."
Erina snagged a cheese puff off the plate and popped it into her mouth. To the honey blond, the cheese puff tasted like an elegant evening party in Paris (She was describing this out loud, btw).
With a sweatdrop and a raised brow, the grey-haired teen said "Ano, if you say so. * Mutters * Weirdo." Erina seemed to into the flavour of the cheese puff made by a fellow Elite 10 to notice the comment.
Mayu and Alice pretty much snickered at the honey blond's lack of reaction, while Sōma sighed in disappointment in the honey blond's mannerism. 'I wonder if she'll ever learn some of her "Habit Ingrained Behaviors" aren't going to be well received here?' The blind redhead wondered to himself, before settling on the idea that Erina is going to learn this the hard way.
Hiro placed his dish in front of the grey-haired teen. It was a thick grilled cheese sandwich cut in fourths and a small bowl of tomato soup. The grey-haired teen placed a knuckle to his chin and said "Oh? This is considered a pretty classic pairing, but it's a perfect one, nonetheless. * Picks up one of the slices of the grilled cheese pieces and inspects it * Oh? There's not just cheese in this."
Hiro then happily said, "Correct, but the only way to find out what those are."
The grey-haired teen nodded before taking a bite out of the grilled cheese sandwich with a crunch. After chewing, the grey-haired teen realized what else was in the sandwich, "Chickpeas and spinach!"
Hiro smiled and happily said, "Yup. I wrapped the chickpeas in a couple of relatively thick spinach crepes, then carefully placed them between the cheddar cheeses before I grilled them together in the bread."
The grey-haired teen then looked at the tomato soup and asked "I take it there's more to the soup than just tomatoes. * Sniffs the aroma of the soup * I smell a hint of cheddar in the soup." The grey-haired teen then dipped a side of the sandwich he hadn't bitten into the tomato soup before taking a bite of that side. Now the sleepy-eyed teen was wide awake, when he said, "I was right! You did add the cheddar to the tomato soup, but you also added a pinch of black pepper and a small amount of pureed garlic for a nice kick!"
Hiro smiled at that. The grey-haired teen offered some of the grilled cheese to Erina, who in turn, flat out refused.
The grey-haired teen finally made his choice for the winner of this Cook-off. However; the reason for him choosing the winning dish had nothing to do with taste, even though it played a considerable part.
}{
Eizan held his breath as he brought out the bin for the compost.
'How the hell did I LOSE to a child?!' Eizan thought bitterly as he dumped the decomposable in the compost. The 9th Seat pinched his nose at the sudden surge of the rotting odour.
}{ Flashback }{
"I choose Hiro-kun's dish as the winner," the grey-haired teen stated as he tapped the plate the grilled cheese sandwich sat on.
This dumbfounded all of the students from Totsuki (minus Sōma).
Erina then snapped, "Why the hell would you choose some unrefined brat's dish over a decadent dish made by a member of the Elite 10?!"
The grey-haired teen glared at the honey blond and stated in a cold tone, "Listen, Weirdo, I don't know or care to know what this Elite 10 thing is about, but I'm the judge of this Cook-off so it's My decision is what matters here. And last time I checked, you are not some "Professional" Taster, that you seem to be portraying yourself as. And from what I've seen, you are completely biased in your opinions and you don't even try anything that you deem "Below" anything High Classed. Which might I add is NOT Professional. You're nowhere near being even a decent Taster, heck, you can't even tell the difference between a thoughtful dish and a thoughtless dish."
This was a major blow to Erina's pride (and I'm talking about a KO kind of blow, on a big scale.).
"What do you mean by that? The Thoughtful Dish thing?" Alice asked curiously, real curiosity, not a pretend curiosity. This time, Alice decided not to pester Erina. Since what the grey-haired teen said seem to hit the honey blond harder than a straight-on collision from a cement lorry, and Alice was no bully. Someone who'd poke fun at something seemingly minor, yes, that's Alice, but she Does know when to draw the line when it comes to teasing.
The grey-haired teen pointed at the two dishes and asked "Ignoring who made each dish, which one seems more thought-out as a meal within the 30 minutes given? And be honest." Alice and Ryō looked the cheese puffs and then the stuffed grilled cheese with tomato soup.
After looking back and forth between the two cheese dishes, Ryō stated: "The grilled cheese, because it's more filling."
Alice carefully dipped her right pinky into the soup and tasted it off her finger. She then said "The tomato soup is also well thought out, especially since garlic can easily overpower other ingredients if you just toss it in without much care or thought. * Then looks at the cheese puffs * And now that I think about it... Gougères are mostly a snack that's mostly served with wine." Ryō wondered if the grey-haired teen knew that already, considering he had been given the nickname Cheese-Otaku by Mayu.
The grey-haired teen then stated, "While I was telling the truth about those cheese puffs being some of the better ones I've tasted, but in the greater scheme of things. It seemed like the chef making them either didn't put any effort in this Cook-off or severely underestimated his opponent to the point of barely even thinking of a proper dish." With that last sentence, the grey-haired teen seemed to glare at Eizan through his sleepy eyes.
}{ End Flashback }{
After Eizan got out of range of the smell, he thought 'Okay, maybe I didn't put any real effort into that dish... And I guess I shouldn't have underestimated Yukihira's kid brother as much as I did... Considering how Yukihira cooks I should've expected that his kid brother would cook like him.' That was when an idea struck the money-loving Elite 10 member's brain. 'Maybe I can use that kid to get Yukihira to my side,' Eizan thought with a smirk.
Unbeknownst to Eizan, Mayu was glancing down at him through her window (that just so happened to face in that direction). Her eyes narrowed at the 9th Seat, knowing full well what that smirk could mean.
}i{
Erina was hugging one her pillows to her chest, thinking about what that grey-haired grey-eyed teen said about her not even being a "Decent" Taster and was completely biased. Her! A Nakiri with the God's Palette! And he even called her a.. a.. Weirdo!
'Come to think of it... What does this "Weirdo" word even mean?' Erina thought in confusion.
In all honesty, being called a Weirdo seemed to be the thing Nakiri Erina couldn't understand the most. (... Not sure if I should categorize that as sad or pathetic.).
~}i{ Summer Omake: End }i{~
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1) The suffix -Koi is basically a term of endearment for a lover. Usually used by really lovey-dovey couples (but it's their choice whether or not to use it in public). As you probably figured, Alice is claiming Sōma as her lover/future husband.
2) Onii-chan does mean Older Brother in Japanese, but it is only used when the person using the "Onii-chan" is really close to the person it is addressed to. It's also typically used by children.
3) Ane is the respectable Japanese word for Elder Sister.
4) Try and guess who this is and which Anime he's from. A Summer Omake request will be awarded to the first person who gets it right.
5) Otaku is basically Japanese for a young person who is obsessed with computers or particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills.
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Gale-Dragon: Okay... The Summer Omake ran a bit longer than I wanted, but it came out all right. And if there are any guesses to this chapter's trivia, write it in the comment box and I'll message you if you are correct or not. Also, thanks again to everyone who helped me find programs to replace Microsoft 2010.