Bittersweet Memories
A Shokugeki no Soma Fanfiction by Literate Cricket
Early one night, the rising half-moon's light shining through the window and a small, softly buzzing desk lamp were the only sources of light in the Elite ten office. Even Eizan, who quite often remained long after all the others had gone, had left more than an hour ago, leaving Nene Kinokuni alone to wrap up the day's tasks. This wasn't all too surprising, however, for a serious girl like Nene was akin to taking the time to get a few extra tasks done in or ahead of time. With calm and focused eyes behind her dainty glasses, she quietly filed through the last of her paperwork. Almost everything had been taken care of, and she had even begun to fill out a bit of what would have been for tomorrow.
At that moment, she had been officially approving some documents for upcoming shokugekis. This technically should have been Kuga's job, but Kinokuni had grown used to taking on a few of the tasks left behind by more irresponsible members of the ten such as Terunori. Nene absentmindedly signed and checked off the documents, reading over the participant's names on every other document just out of curiosity. There's been a surge in shokugekis ever since the Rebel's war, it's practically a daily occurence now, she thought to herself as she read the names Ibusaki, Kurokiba, Hayama, Aldini, and especially Yukihira for what had to be the dozenth time each among many others. Are these guys even going to class between all these food wars? She wondered again, but then moved on as it really wasn't any of her business.
The stack was a little disorganized, so Nene stopped at one point to jog the papers. Doing so, she accidentally sent a few sheets fluttering to the ground, and let a tired sigh escape her as she stood to pick them up again. While recollecting all the documents one by one, Nene paused unexpectedly when she lifted the last sheet, which bore two familiar names: Etsuya Eizan vs. Isshiki Satoshi. Nene's heart throbbed with a little pang when she read over the second name, and she was abruptly overcome by a sullen aura. She sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the little inscription as her thoughts trailed off…
Every time I thought of his face, my heart lurched with pure hatred. I loathed him for being talented, I despised him for being happy. I hated how he came in first time and time again, while I went through so much pain to end up only in second or lower. I scowled everytime I walked by him, avoiding his gaze that I thought would be full of nothing but scorn and disdain. And yet all this time…
"I have nothing but respect for you" was what Satoshi had revealed to her during his match against Tsukasa Eishi all those weeks ago. This phrase, however kind and simple, had pierced Nene's supposedly ice-cold heart like a samurai's katana. On that day, Nene's fortress of comforting lies had blown away like a house of straw when faced by the truth: Satoshi didn't and never had hated her, scorned her, or anything of the like. She had falsely persuaded herself of these things purely out of envy, and for years on end had treated Isshiki like her worst enemy despite the fact that he'd never done a thing wrong.
Yet somehow, Isshiki seemed to have forgotten this, or at least he wasn't thinking about it very often. Because for the last few months, he had been making obvious efforts to respark their friendship, which did not go unnoticed by Nene (or most of the others, for that matter. Kuga often mocked the two by calling them "little lovebirds", to which Nene reacted with angry outbursts and Isshiki calmly denied). And truly, Nene really did enjoy the days she spent with Satoshi. However, as time went by, Isshiki's kind and benevolent actions seemed to have the opposite intended effect on Kinokuni, who was beginning to grow quite sorrowful behind her unyielding expression.
Because ever since that wintery day in Hokkaido during the Rebel's War, a small, uncomfortable ball of bitter regret had begun to swell in Kinokuni's chest, and she was finding it harder and harder to suppress it every day that went by. She recalled more and more often how pointlessly unkind she had been to her childhood friend all these years. Now that she was fully conscious of her unjustified actions, Nene could find no words to express how guilty she felt. Worse, because of their complicated past, Isshiki's kind treatment of her seemed so absurd that she sometimes felt as if fate itself was mocking her: Satoshi should hate her for what she'd done, or at the very least ignore her, but here he was instead trying to be her friend!
Confusion and pain, bitterness and shame… All this time, Nene had tucked these awful feelings behind an impassive expression, moving on as if nothing was wrong; blending into the masses. But ignoring the guilt did not make it go away, and now that she was alone with herself, Nene couldn't help but fall into a sulky state of depression; how she longed to apologize for her cruelty, but would it actually help? Or would it just make things worse for the both of them?
Suddenly, a series of knocks from the office's door startled Nene, snapping her back to reality. She hastily stood up and reorganized herself, then made a puzzled little frown as she was unable to imagine who in the world would stop by the Elite's office at such a late hour, much less why. "Who is it?", she called out, curiously eyeing the door. The door slid open with a whiny creak, and she could see someone's figure step into the room and close the door behind them, but the desk lamp's light was too dim for her to see their face."Who is it?!", she asked again, louder this time. The figure slowly began to approach her and, much to Kinokuni's surprise, the moonlight through the window illuminated a familiar face sporting fluffy caramel-brown hair and cheerful cerulean eyes.
"Good evening Nene! I figured such a studious soul as yourself would still be here!"
"Isshiki?! What- what are you doing here?", she stammered, a little jittery from shock. Speak of the devil! What could he possibly be doing here? And now of all times! Nene thought disbelievingly to herself. Meanwhile, Satoshi stepped a bit closer to Nene and smiled as he explained "I ran into Eizan on his way out some time ago. He said you planned on staying up here a while, so I thought I should come back and check on you". Nene blinked, then turned away when a small embarrassed blush emerged on her cheeks as she mumbled in retort "I'm not a kid anymore, Isshiki, who said I needed any 'checking on'?". Satoshi laughed heartily, then replied "I know that, Nene-chan. I just thought you might be kind of lonely up here by yourself".
She scoffed "D-Don't call me Nene-chan! And you know as well as I do that I'm just fine working alone; don't you have better things to do with your time?". … than to be getting worried about me of all people… finished Nene silently in her mind. Isshiki slid into a chair near her and smiled as he calmly replied: "No, not really. All my juniors are studying or sleeping 'round this time of day, so I have a bit of leisure time". "Uh, don't you have class tomorrow too?", asked Nene with a touch of concern in her tone of voice, before regaining her seat at her desk. As he pensively touched his own chin, Satoshi replied genuinely "Hmm… I dunno, my tomato and zucchini plants need some extra care, so I'll probably skip at least the first few hours".
Nene gawked at him incredulously; "You can't be serious…" she said. But Satoshi laughed it off as usual: "I am, though! The best fruits and veggies can only come from plants that receive all the love and care they deserve, and that's worth missing just a few classes, isn't it?". Isshiki smiled obliviously while he eyed Nene, who rolled her eyes as she reminded herself: : Well, this is Isshiki we're talking about after all…
"Speaking of which…", Isshiki began in a slightly mystical tone. Kinokuni squinted suspiciously at him, more than half expecting him to do or say something completely ridiculous. But much to her surprise, Isshiki made a childish little smile as he pulled out a little paper bag out from behind his back. "Um… Isshiki… what's this?", asked Nene, readjusting her glasses for a better look as Satoshi nudged the bag over to her. "Have a look and see!", he peeped happily, then eyed Kinokuni expectantly with a jolly smile. Nene shot him a glance as if she had a few questions, but ultimately said nothing and opened the little bag.
Inside, some crumbled pieces of paper served as makeshift protection for a modern thermal cup and a traditional Japanese rice bowl, the latter secured to it's lid by rubber bands. "Isshiki…", Nene began, before he interjected "That thermos contains some green tea made by Megumi-san and Hisako-san; it's really good! As for the dish, my juniors back at the dorms made the most delectable European seafood soup earlier today. You should have seen how amazing it looked, I'm just so proud of them!".
Nene eyed him thoughtfully as she commented "You always speak of your juniors with such ardor, it really is incredible". "Huh?" said Isshiki, snapping back to reality (He always went into a daydream-like state when rambling on about his juniors and other things dear to him) "Ah, yes, I guess I do talk a lot about them. After all, how could I not be so fond of such sweet yet formidable young chefs that I have the great honor of cohabitating with?". Isshiki chuckled, but then turned his attention back to the subject at hand: "Anyway, since there were some promising eel cuts amongst the leftover fish, I figured I'd make you some Hitsumabushi!" .
"Hitsumabushi?!", exclaimed Nene. Sure enough, underneath the bowl's lid lay what had to be the most dazzling eel fillets Kinokuni had ever seen. Firm and juicy with just the right amount of fat, the eel sparkled like ocean waves in the sun, contrasting beautifully with the dark sauce and finely minced garnishes drizzled over them. Completed by a bed of fluffy white rice, the dish in all it's culinary glory was completely irresistible. Its aroma alone would surely have been enough to rouse even Erina's appetite, but Nene was held back by her own astonishment. "You… made this for me?", she murmured. Isshiki's reply came with a chuckle "Of course! Why, you've been working so hard all day, I bet you haven't even had supper yet, am I right?".
"Well, yes, but…" Nene began. Despite the rice bowl's delectable fragrance, Kinokuni's mouth was filled with a small wave of bitterness as her thoughts reeled: This just doesn't make any sense… he comes all the way up here long after sundown just to see me? And now he's even gone far enough to cook for me too? Something's wrong… he could never do all that… not after what I did to him…
"Um… are you going to eat?"
Nene snapped back to reality with a jolt. "Er…", she mumbled, casting a quick look at Isshiki, who appeared mildly confused as he watched her. "Of course, thank you…", she thanked him as she picked up the chopsticks. Well, whatever the reason, he did cook for me. I suppose I must… thought Nene to herself as she took a bite, although the eel smelled so delicious she wouldn't have been able to leave it untouched even if she wanted to.
As soon as the eel hit her palette, Nene knew that the serpentine fish had been chosen by a chef worthy of that name: although it wasn't as soft or as fatty as a renowned Capitone eel, the anguille's meat was tender and sweet. It's savor filled her mouth each time she chewed, and despite the rich fragrance of the sauce and the powerful tang of the spices used in the garnish, no ingredient ever overpowered the other. Fragrant rice, savory eel, flavorful sauce, and everything else spiraled together in a never-ending torrent of seafood flavor.
"Before you finish, you may want to try it with the green tea…", said Isshiki. Nene suddenly snapped out of the flavorful world of Hitsumabushi and back into the real world. "Um… of course. That is, after all, the traditional way to eat this dish", she mustered, trying to sound professional. Isshiki nodded in agreement as Nene unscrewed the thermos and poured some of the tea over the rice bowl. And sure enough, once Nene tasted the already delicious dish with the aromatic herbal tea, the refreshing earthy flavor of the tea transformed the torrent of eel flavor into a true tsunami of deliciousness! If Nene had to describe it, she would say it would have felt like swimming through a majestic and perfectly balanced coral reef. In this delicate habitat, every fish, crustacean, and anemone beams with vibrant colors that are almost too much for human eyes to take in… yet everything coexists in perfect harmony to create a uniquely mesmerising scene, and Isshiki's Hitsumabushi had captured all of its beauty in but one little bowl.
As Nene took a second and then a third bite, Isshiki began to describe the fabulous dish's creation: "That fantastic eel you're enjoying was picked out by sweet Megumi; she really has an eye for seafood! As for the sauce, it used sake and special smoked soy sauce made by Kyokusei's own Ryoko and Shun!". He took a breath to say more, but Nene suddenly lowered her chopsticks. "This is the same dish you made at the Team Shokugeki", she suddenly realized out loud. Isshiki smiled "You have an excellent memory, Nene-chan! Yes, I did make a similar dish in my match against that Shiratsu guy". He yet again took on a mysterious air as he added "However, I wouldn't say that this is exactly the same dish…".
Nene turned to face Isshiki, who suddenly didn't look as nonchalant. But his calm expression abruptly gave way to a goofy grin when he practically sang: "... for my amazing underclassmen have made amazing culinary progress in these last few weeks, so all their amazing creations like the ones I used in this dish taste even better than before!". Nene almost jumped in reaction to the sudden moop swap, but Isshiki quickly reestablished his more serious demeanor. Kinokuni thought she saw a strange twinkle deep in his cyan-blue eyes as he continued "In addition to that, however, I took the liberty of adding another little twist to this dish, as you would see if you were to dig a little deeper under the rice…".
"A twist?", murmured Nene, and proceeded to lift up the top layer of fluffy rice. The little white grains parted to reveal a sleek slab of what looked like fish meat. "What could this be?" Nene wondered out loud, casting a quick glance at Isshiki, who said nothing. Despite Isshiki's silence, however, Nene could read his message loud and clear in his sky-blue eyes: Try it! Nene picked up a piece of the mysterious ingredient, which parted effortlessly under her chopsticks, and tasted it along with a bit of the dark sauce…
Butterfish! He incorporated butterfish into the Hitsumabushi! Realized Nene with a jolt as flavor shot like a geyser through her mouth. The butterfish had just the right texture, falling apart with ease as its soft, mild flavor engaged in an elegant dance with the fatty eel and the smooth, bold sauce. She could tell with just one bite that the butterfish, and every other part of the dish for that matter, had been tended to with the utmost care and precision. The rice bowl, despite it's simple looks, absolutely beamed with the burning passion that only a chef who truly cares about their diner could produce…
Suddenly, Kinokuni stood up and walked over to the window. "Um… Nene, is everything alright? Did you not like the dish?" asked Satoshi as he too stood up. "Of course I liked it! That Hitsumabushi has to be the most delicious thing I've eaten this whole month!", retorted Nene, her back to him still. His brows furrowed in concern, Isshiki walked over to Nene, who's head hung low as she clutched her arms to her chest. "Nene?" Satoshi repeated, and was about to put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her when her voice, sharp and clear, cut through the silence.
"Isshiki… Why did you make this for me?"
The cyan-eyed boy blinked in confusion, then replied "I already told you Nene, I just wanted to give you a nice surprise after working so hard all day… don't you remember?". Nene's frown intensified as she retorted "But why?!". Isshiki's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at Kinokuni in complete bewilderment: "Nene, I don't understand… What are you talking about? What's troubling you?". But if Isshiki was already confused by his classmate's actions, words cannot describe the puzzlement that befell him when Nene turned around with tears sparkling in her eyes.
"Are you really that clueless?!" she jabbed with a fiery gaze behind her tears. "For years, Isshiki, I did nothing but scorn you and reject you purely out of selfish jealousy! I… I hated you, even though you'd done nothing wrong! You remember it, don't you? All the dirty looks I threw you, all the times I scolded you for daring to show me kindness? And all that for more than ten years now! So why…". Nene paused briefly, her voice shaky with tears, then exclaimed despite her tightening throat: "Why do you keep on wasting your time on someone as pathetic as me?!"
Pathetic?! Thought Isshiki, shocked beyond wonder. He could hardly wrap his head around the fact that the distressed girl in front of him was the same person as the calm and serious Nene he had always known. But the barrage of crazy exclamations didn't stop: "Don't you get it? I'm nothing compared to you! You're a prodigy, a genius, nothing short of a walking legend! You've always beaten me at everything without even breaking a sweat! Next to you, I'm just some boring, talentless girl who can only do exactly what was written in the books again and again like some kind of damn robot! I haven't a trace of your creativity or passion or… or anything!". Nene's rampage was suddenly cut off by a series of small sobs, and she dropped down onto her knees before she continued "And when I think I had the audacity to despise you; to blame everything on you for so many years… hic… I'm just a jealous idiot who couldn't even realize that you were trying to be my friend this whole time!". Kinokuni hiccuped a few times, and finished in a powerful voice despite her tears: "So what the hell do you mean when you say you have nothing but respect for me?! I'm-".
Nene was abruptly cut off when something slammed against her chest and knocked the wind out of her. Even after she opened her eyes, it took her a moment to become conscious of the strong arms that held her pinned to a warm torso, and the soft caramel-brown hair brushing up against the side of her face. After a long pause so soundless that Nene could hear her own racing heartbeat, Isshiki murmured in a voice brimming with sorrow, irritation, and love all at once: "Nene, do you have the slightest idea what you're saying to me right now?".
Her eyes wide and stinging with oncoming tears, Nene could do no more than sit petrified in Satoshi's arms. "No response, huh?" he murmured. After a brief pause, Isshiki continued in a voice that although soft and soothing was also undeniably serious: "Alright Nene, it's my turn to speak now, and I want you to listen very closely to what I have to say". Satoshi loosened his embrace just enough to look Nene in the eye, and in a gentle yet purposeful tone began to speak.
"I really didn't know that you… felt so strongly about me all this time, and I'm truly sorry if I involuntarily caused you so much pain". Nene felt another pang of guilt as she took in his words: No… I should be the one apologizing, not him! She was about to open her mouth, but Isshiki had already resumed his speech "But there's one thing I do know, Nene, and that's that if you keep comparing yourself to others this much, you're going to destroy yourself without even realizing it".
His next few words came out with a bit of a chuckle, but the intensity of his gaze did not waver for a second: "I'm not saying a bit of friendly competition is bad though, I actually believe that's one of the best ways you can improve as a chef! But no matter how talented your opponent may be, Nene, just because they are better at the time than you are doesn't mean that you're unskilled or unuseful. It's just that no one can be the best at everything, and you know that as well as I do". Nene could feel herself relaxing bit by bit as she listened, and her breathing began to come more regularly.
Suddenly, little butterflies tickled her stomach as Satoshi took her hands between his own: "Remember what these hands of yours have been through, Nene. Remember all the time and effort you consistently pour into perfecting your craft, and the amazing things you can create because of that". Hearing this, Nene turned away, protesting "But what's the point if someone like you can do the same thing without even trying?", but Satoshi lightly cupped her face in his hand and carefully turned her back to face him "Then maybe that someone has a bit more skill than you do, for the moment, but that doesn't mean you'll never catch up". Isshiki gently wiped a little tear from the corner of her eye as he finished: "Nene Kinokuni, you're one of the most brilliant chefs I've ever come to know, and it pains me to see that beautiful face of yours getting all teary simply because you fail to realize it".
Nene almost ceded to the comforting warmth of Isshiki's words, but her own guilt pulled her back at the last second. She shook her head, and gently brushed his hand off her shoulder as she said "No, Isshiki, you don't understand! It's not my cooking, it's… I just… I was so mean to you! How can you even bear to look at me after all the awful things I've said?! I've thrown you so many scowls and cruel words ever since the day we first met, and all you ever do is laugh it off as if nothing was wrong!". A sullen aura fell over Isshiki's face when that uncomfortable truth reached his ears, while Nene sniffed sadly a few times before continuing "So how can you just sit here and comfort me after everything I've done to you?! I… I'm such a horrible person! ". Nene shut her eyes in shame, and turned away from Isshiki as she finished "Just go, Isshiki… you'll be better off without some rotten loser like me in your life…".
Many long moments passed, during which the two teens sat near each other in complete silence save for Kinokuni's sorrowful sniffles. But eventually, Isshiki reached out and gently grasped her hand. Nene lightly squeezed his hand in response, before speaking in a small voice strained with sobs "I'm sorry, Isshiki. I'm so sorry. I… I had no excuse". Many more apologies began to accumulate on the tip of Nene's tongue, but before she knew it, the soba specialist found herself once again wrapped in the warmth of Satoshi's arms.
"You know, Nene… no one in this world is completely good. We're all being tested day after day, and the truth is, some days we'll do well, and others not so much. The only thing we can do is accept that we make mistakes, and learn from them so that we can do better in the future. It's no different from what we live through every day in the kitchen, can't you see?". Satoshi looked Nene in the eye once again, and uttered with finality and the most benevolent of smiles: "So hear me when I say this, Nene: You're not a horrible person. You've just made a few mistakes is all". Rose coloured eyes stared deeply into sky-blue ones for a long, heartfelt moment. Then, after a pensive pause, Nene finally lifted her gaze. "Satoshi Isshiki… can you ever forgive me?", she said in a slightly stronger voice as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Nene…", Isshiki began as he gently brushed the tears from her other eye too, "I never had any grudges against you to begin with. I have nothing but respect for you, remember?".
Nene felt a warm rush of relief flow over her. She looked up at Satoshi again, who smiled down at her with seemingly endless understanding and patience. Then, at long last, Nene relaxed and ceded to his affection. "Thank you, Isshiki. Thank you so much" She murmured as she rested her tired head on his supportive shoulder. He smiled knowingly: "Anything for my oldest friend, Nene". Nene felt another glowing warmth within her as Isshiki spoke the word friend, and even managed a little smile despite her puffy, cried-out cheeks. And with that, still in each other's arms, the two fell silent, taking all the time they needed to just enjoy each other's company in that little office under the moon's silvery light.
"Hey hey hey! Looks like our little lovebirds are finally here!", taunted Kuga from his armchair on the other side of the room. Nene sighed in exasperation at Kuga's constant nagging as Isshiki shut the door behind them; they had just arrived together at the Elite ten's office. Nene looked like she was about to throw some taunt back at Terunori, but Isshiki gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said "Don't mind him Nene, let's just finish up our work so we can leave early". Nene made a small smile as she replied "Yeah, I wouldn't want to end up like poor Soma over there…". Yukihira had his own desk towards the front of the room, flipping through quite a stack of paperwork as he quietly complained: "If I had any idea that being the first seat meant this much busywork, I swear…".
Satoshi shook his head gently with a smile, "Ah… joining the ten is always tough in the beginning for new members; I'll help him out a little later. Come on Nene, let's go". The two strode past Kuga's desk without paying him much heed, but his teasing voice rose once again "Aw, don't tell me the little lovebirds are too busy to say hi to their old friend Kuga? I'm hurt…". Kinokuni spun around, her eyes full of fire behind her dainty glasses. However, before she could say anything, she was distracted by a quiet tut-tut-tut coming from behind her. Nene glanced back to find Isshiki standing close behind her, his little smile and gentle eyes speaking for him: Come on, Nene, you know better…
Nene took a slow breath to calm herself, then turned back to Kuga, her gaze as cool as ice. "Don't you have anything better to do with your time than to go around pestering everyone, little shrimp?", she replied casually. Nene smirked to herself when Kuga jabbed back, any trace of serenity gone from his tone of voice: "What the heck did you just call me?! You should have more respect for me as your culinary superior, ninth seat!". Nene glanced at him with mock sympathy as she continued "Aw, did I make the itty-bitty third seat angry? I'm so sorry!". Terunori's face turned redder and hotter than even mapo tofu as he hollered "That's it! We're settling this over a Shokugeki, you got that pigtails?!". Nene giggled to herself before responding "Sure sure, shorty, anytime you want".
The sichuan chef gnashed his teeth in complete and utter fury, and would have thrown a nearby pencil holder at Kinokuni had new principal Erina Nakiri not chosen that exact moment to step into the room: "What the heck is all this racket?". Kuga's face rapidly switched from fury to mild worry as his reddish eyes met Erina's piercing purple ones. "Um…", he began nervously, knowing he couldn't find a lie to explain the cup full of pens that he still had aimed at Nene.
As Erina dragged a protesting Kuga out of the office by the back of his shirt, Nene (and everyone else in the room; poor Kuga!) couldn't help but release an amused little laugh. Satoshi, who until then had also been chuckling at the crazy situation, smiled to himself upon hearing Kinokuni's carefree laughter. The images of last night's hurt and damaged Nene still fresh in his mind, Isshiki felt immensely relieved seeing his old friend shaken up by sweet little giggles. His eyes trained on her face, Isshiki could think of nothing but how beautiful Nene looked when she smiled, her rosy eyes sparkling happily behind her glasses.
Eventually, everyone settled down, and Isshiki realized as he sat down with Kinokuni that "Hey… we really don't have that much to do today!". Then, he blinked and turned to Nene as he remembered: "Oh yeah! You were up pretty late last night working up here! Did you really finish all of today's work so quickly?". Nene readjusted her glasses as she replied in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice "Well, yes, I like to get my work done early sometimes; it leaves me with extra days that I can dedicate to more important things like research and practice". After a moment, Satoshi smiled as he murmured "You've always been such a studious girl, Nene". Kinokuni glanced up so that her rosy eyes met Isshiki's pretty blue ones for a moment, until she began to feel her cheeks warm up a bit. "Um.." she muttered, before quickly turning away as a flurry of butterflies traversed her gut. "Is everything okay Nene?", Satoshi asked from behind her.
Nene sat silently for a long, pensive moment, then spoke in a slightly hesitant tone of voice: "You know, since I got everything out of the way yesterday, I think I can afford to take a day off". Nene didn't know what to think of the strange squirmy feeling in her gut as Isshiki eyed her innocently: "So… you want to go home?". Nene shook her head gently as she continued "Well, not exactly…". Nene stopped again, subconsciously rubbing the tip of one of her braids between her fingers. "Isshiki, I think what I'm trying to say is… I dunno… wanna hang out?".
Across the room, Alice, who had been watching from afar, whispered into Ryo's ear with strange excitement in her voice "Something tells me Kuga would have loved to see this~". Kurokiba raised an eyebrow in confusion, although it wasn't uncommon for Alice to say things like that that made little to no sense at all. "Whatever you say, miss", he replied simply, returning his attention to the laptop he was working on.
Back at Nene's desk, the soba specialist's gaze jumped nervously between Satoshi and the ground as she waited for an answer. Isshiki hesitated for a moment, before speaking in a smallish voice: "Oh. You'd really wanna do that?". Nene blushed lightly again, and this time didn't try to hide it as she replied with a hint of impatience in her voice 'Well, yeah…".
Suddenly, doubt weaseled it's way back into Nene's thoughts: You really think he would accept an invitation like that out of the blue? Especially after something as chaotic as your little outburst not twenty hours ago? Seriously what's gotten into you?. Nene's embarrassed expression slowly began to shift to a worried one as she nervously clutched her arms to her chest. But all of a sudden, a way-too-loud, way-too-happy outburst from Isshiki sent her toppling off her chair: "YES! I WOULD LOVE THAT!".
Almost dizzy from shock, Nene sat up and readjusted her now skewed glasses as Isshiki continued to ramble on with a childish smile illuminating his face "Oh Nene, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that! Finally, after all these years!". Then, as if the situation wasn't awkward enough, a very angry Eizan shouted from across the office: "Will you keep it down?! This is an office, not a playground for goodness sake! My gosh, did she ask you to marry her or what?!".
Distracted by the ruckus of voices, a few members of the ten looked up from their work. Nene exhaled very slowly as she brought a hand up to her forehead in sheer exasperation; she didn't even try to battle the beet-red blush that had just emerged on her face. Then, rather abruptly, she stood up, took a startled Isshiki by the arm, and was quick to storm out the door and shut it behind her.
The two walked on for about a minute after that, until Nene was sure they were alone. "What the heck, Isshiki?! Did you have to say that so loudly?", she jabbed, mild irritation tinting her words. Satoshi chuckled a bit before responding to a very disappointed-looking Nene: "I'm sorry, Nene, it's just that I can get kinda loud whenever I'm excited about something!". "Kinda?" Nene said rather sarcastically, continuing to stare him down like an angry teacher. Satoshi smiled nervously and put his hands up as if pleading innocent: "Really I'm honest! Ask anybody at Kyokusei". Kinokuni sighed as she brought her hand to her forehead again: If that's really true, then I pity those dorm-mates of yours… she thought to silently herself.
But eventually, a little smile formed on Nene's face. "Well, I guess it's whatever we want now", she murmured "Is there anything you want to do?". Isshiki touched his chin for a pensive moment, then replied "I just remembered Shun has a Shokugeki today, he's facing off with Skewer RS. I think it could be a really interesting match! Do you want to check it out?". Nene nodded with a small smile, then took Isshiki's hand in her own. Finally able to appreciate a moment with Isshiki without any guilt looming over her head, Nene walked off with him, her typical blank and sullen expression gone to instead leave a beautiful, satisfied smile as Isshiki's happy voice trailed off into the distance "Oh! Did I tell you that Shun's smoking techniques have gotten even better lately? I'm serious, he even found a way to make delicious dishes that incorporate both smoked and steamed ingredients! I'm so honored to have such skilled underclassmen at my very own dormitory!".
End