Kyandi: Hey guys!
Ariadne: It's late here, but she wanted to get this up before she went to bed.
Kyandi: First, I wanted to address a few reviews.
Ariadne: Some made her smile.
Kyandi: Some just have me wanting to clarify a few things. One review asked for me tone down on making this story about Ariadne.
Ariadne: Ouch, that stings.
Kyandi: I get wanting to see the original story shining through, but, first and foremost, this story is about Ariadne. It's her story, not Food Wars. I'm sorry if you don't like that. As for another review that said something about liking how Ariadne already knows Souma's father…
Ariadne: There is a really good reason why I know him, and it ties in with my story.
Kyandi: You'll all get to see how later on. All I can say is if you don't like those aspects of my story…then don't read it. I'm not going to start changing key points of my story just to satisfy a few people. Sorry.
Ariadne: Then there was a review about potential nicknames about me another about actually dancing along with what I was humming without having an idea on what it was.
Kyandi: I died! I really liked the Blue Devil nickname, especially since the mascot for my local high school is the blue devil. As for the dancing part….I loved that! For your reference, it was actually a series of songs she was humming and dancing too. Taste of You by Dove Cameron, Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time by Panic! At The Disco, and Build a Bitch by Bella Poarch to name a few.
Ariadne: She has a whole playlist of songs for me.
Kyandi: I do, but we can discuss that later. Everyone enjoy and review for now.
Ariadne: Kyandi-sama does not own Shokugeki no Souma.
Chapter 12 Calm Before the Storm
"Eeeeemm…And now, to commemorate the closing of the Autumn Election preliminaries…we'll have a party!"
That night, after the amusing grueling competition that was the preliminaries, Ariadne found herself gathered with her friends once more in poor Zenji's room, celebrating those who had made it to the election and those who had managed to make it to the main tournament. The Aldini brother and Mito had joined them for their celebration, Ariadne perched in a chair off to the side with a cup in hand while she watched her friends chat amongst themselves. It was from where she sat that she watched, with an amused grin on her face, as Isshiki, naked save for his apron, served food to the Aldinis and Mito, the three staring at him as he walked away. Ariadne could just almost here their thoughts.
"You hang around here long enough and you'll get use to it." The brothers and Mito looked down at her as she sipped at her drink. "He does this daily. As long as you don't sit on the floor and end up eye-level with the back of him when he's standing in front of you, you'll be fine." The three couldn't tell if Ariadne was speaking from experience of just word of mouth.
"Anyway," Attention turned away from Ariadne as Ryoko spoke. "That ambush at the end of the preliminaries sure was something."
"What kind of person is that big guy?" Souma asked, thinking back to the guy that had so narrowly beat Ariadne out for the last spot in the main tournament.
"Well…he's a pretty mysterious student, and there are lots of bad rumors about him. One of my friends told me that he has connections with a dangerous organization and that he destroyed a crime syndicate. A friend's friend said that he saw him beat a bear with one hit." Yuuki told them.
"Wasn't it a bull?" Ryoko asked.
Ariadne glanced over at the two girls, idly swishing her drink around in her glass. "That's the thing about rumors and assumptions, girls. All they do is make assess out of you and me. Though, in the case of so many bad rumors, nine times out of ten it turns out that there's some kind of creditability behind it. Let's just say he's bad news and leave it at that."
Souma scratched his head as he thought it over. "In the end, I have no idea of what's what." Ariadne smiled at the confused look on Souma's face. She was sure that he would figure out what was what before the end of the Autumn Election. After all, he had a bad habit of ending up in the thick of it.
"Hmm? Come to think of it, where's Ibusaki-kun?" Ryoko asked.
"Ah! He must have shut himself in his room!" Yuuki replied. "He doesn't really show it…but it seems he's really bitter that he didn't pass through to the main tournament." Some of the others could understand how he felt. "I guess I'll drag him out here. Geez, he just can't be helped! Ibusaki sure acts cool, but he's unexpectedly immature."
"What about you, Ari?" Ryoko turned to Ariadne who raised an eyebrow at her.
"What about me?"
"If it hadn't been for one point, you could have passed into the main tournament. Aren't you upset about it?" Ryoko asked, all eyes turning to Ariadne.
Ariadne shrugged her shoulder, easily waving it off with her free hand. "Not really. I kind of already foresaw the outcome."
"What do you mean?" Yuuki asked.
A grin spread across Ariadne's face, the girl leaning back in her seat to cross her legs. "There is a quote from a famous Frenchman that goes like this: "La parfaite valeur est de faire sans temoin ce qu'on serait capable de faire devant tout le monde."…"True valor is to do in secrecy what you could just have easily done before other."."
"What's that mean?" Takumi asked.
"That means, dear sir, that you will see in due time why I am so unconcerned by the outcomes of these little tournaments." Ariadne gave him a wink before downing the rest of her drink. "Anyway, you, Souma and Megumi should worry yourselves more over the main tournament than the reasons behind my madness."
"She has a point. The main tournament is in two weeks." Isshiki said from the door. "This is a contest that will decide who among Totsuki's first years, excluding Nakiri Erina, is currently the strongest."
While it seemed to get the others worked up, all of them thinking about who the top dog by the end of the tournament would be, Ariadne was disinterested, the girl covering a yawn. She only perked up, raising an eyebrow, when Isshiki dropped into the chair next to her and gave her one of his Mom Smiles. It was a smile that told her that he knew something and was hoping she'd rat on herself, so he didn't have to call her out on her bull crap.
Ariadne decided to play the dunce.
"What is with that smile, Isshiki-senpai?"
"Do you want to talk about why you threw your shot at the main tournament?"
Ariadne's eyes slid over towards him, the girl giving no other sign that he had caught her in the act. "What makes you think I did?"
Isshiki gave her another smile, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees, as well as bring him closer to her so he could lower his voice where only she could hear. "Aside from the fact that you somewhat gave yourself up a few moments ago, I have seen you cook, Ari. If you really put your mind to it, you can make outstanding dishes to rival that of Souma-kun's. You simply choose not to. I don't know why, but I can figure that much out at least."
One of Ariadne's eyebrows quirked up at his declaration before a slow smile spread across her face. Leaning forward, much like she had with Eizan, she gave Isshiki's nose a single boop. "You are a clever man, Isshiki-senpai. I like you, so I'm going to ask this as nicely and respectfully as I possibly can. I have a great many plans for my time here at Totsuki, so please…don't ruin my fun. I swear, when the time is right, I will show all of you what I'm capable of, but not a single moment before."
Isshiki scanned her face with her bright smile. Not taking her words to mean anything bad, though still a little curious and, if he was being honest, concerned, he decided to just agree for now and see what it was that Ariadne had planned. After all, so far, the girl hadn't been trouble. Not like Souma, that is. With his agreement, Ariadne gave him a dazzling smile before she hopped out of her seat and joined the others. It was as the party was dying now that Isshiki told them that he would be stepping away from the dorm the next day.
"Isshiki-senpai, you're going somewhere tomorrow?" Souma asked.
"Yeah…I have something to take care of in the neighboring town. And that's because I started a small business using the vegetables I harvested from the Polar Star field, and my partners want to consult with me." Isshiki replied.
"Hmm…I didn't know you were doing that with the fields vegetables." Souma remarked.
"Nor did I. It sounds like a wonderful idea." Ariadne added.
Isshiki brightened then, as if an idea hit him, his eyes traveling over to Souma and Ariadne. "Do you two want to come too, Souma-kun, Ari? We could always use an extra pair of hands."
"Really?" Ariadne perked up, Isshiki smiling when he could guess her response even before she could say it. "I'd be delighted!"
"Let's see…count me in too, it sounds interesting." Souma agreed.
"Tadokoro-chan, you're welcome too!" Isshiki added.
"Ermm…Yes! I'd like to go!" Megumi agreed as Yuuki came back into the room, dragging Ibusaki behind her.
"Heeey, round two is going to start!" Yuuki announced.
"Greeeeeat…then, to liven things up a bit, I'll make a dish too!" Souma said with that glint in his eye that told them all that he was about to make one of his really disgusting dishes.
"No, no! We're celebrating for you, so sit down!" Yuuki demanded.
Ariadne covered a laugh with one hand as things really started to liven up, Isshiki switching from his apron to a pair of competitive swimwear trunks. When those trunks went flying through the air, Ariadne bowed out for the night, slipping out of the room. Shaking her head, she made her way back to her room to sleep in her own bed and not crowded in a room with a boy who couldn't keep his clothes on.
She'd let the others enjoy that little honor.
-0-0-0-0-
The next morning it was Isshiki's voice coming through the pipes that woke Ariadne. "Good morning! Souma-kun, Tadokoro-chan, Ari! You should start getting dressed!"
Sitting up in bed, Ariadne stretched, bowing her back until she felt it pop. Getting up, she changed from her night clothes into a pair of short, black jean shorts, a short-sleeved, skin-tight, red turtleneck top with a blue, cropped tank top over it, and black thigh-high stockings and boots. She wasn't sure what she would be doing, but she would be comfortable while doing it. She ran her brush through her hair, tying it up into a side ponytail before she headed out of her room and downstairs. She met up with Megumi and Souma along the way. "Morning. How'd you two sleep last night?"
"In the end, Isshiki-senpai was the one who partied the longest." Souma said, stretching his back and shoulders out.
"Yeah…and yet he was the first to wake up." Megumi agreed.
"I won't deny that that he has quite the stamina." Ariadne shook her head as they reached the front door and Souma opened it, giving them all their first view of Isshiki in a suit. It had the three pausing, Megumi and Souma's jaws dropping while Ariadne's head tilted to the side. "Wow, you clean up so nicely, senpai!" Ariadne jumped down the steps, two a time, until she could circle Isshiki, looking him up and down.
"Shouldn't we put on our uniforms or something?" Souma asked, looking down at his hoodie.
"It's totally fine! I'm just dressed like this because, to the end, this is a business discussion." Isshiki told them.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Souma." Ariadne came to a stop, clasping her hands behind her back. "I dressed in my best bra today. It really gives the girls a lift, you know what I mean?" Ariadne gave them a wink, puffing her chest out in pride. Souma gave her a weird look, Megumi blushing behind him, while Isshiki chuckled. Ariadne kind of pouted when Souma decided not to justify her statement with a response.
"So…what is the consultation for?" Souma asked, turning to Isshiki.
"Well, you see…I'd like to leave a very important job necessary in real kitchens to you guys!"
Curious as to what it was that Isshiki meant, Ariadne followed him, Souma and Megumi bringing up the rear. At the school gate, they caught a taxi, Souma, Ariadne and Megumi sliding into the backseat with Souma and Megumi on either side of Ariadne, while Isshiki took the front seat. To make things stranger after seeing Isshiki in a suit, they got to watch as Isshiki paid for the taxi, asking for a receipt. It had the three of them putting their heads close together as they watched from the backseat.
"Wow…he's really like a working adult." Megumi remarked lowly.
"Yesterday's shameful attire almost feels like a lie." Souma agreed.
"I would agree…if I didn't have the image of him in that apron burned into my brain." Ariadne added.
Megumi leaned closer to the two, raising a hand to whisper behind it. "But a business run by Isshiki-senpai…I'm sure it deals with amazing food."
"Yeah, we might learn a few things from this!" Souma agreed.
"I have a feeling we're going to be in for a shocking truth that is going to prove you both wrong. I mean…this is Isshiki-senpai." Ariadne reasoned.
The two looked at her and then at each other. They could see the point behind what she had said and only hoped that it wasn't the case. Arriving at their destination, however, Ariadne was proven to be spot on in her declaration.
"Wait…what the heck is this?"
Ariadne was torn behind saying, "I told you so" and simply laughing as she watched a child climbing all over Souma, pull his cheek.
Upon arriving at DEF Kitchen, Isshiki had told them that the location was a cooking school for children from kindergarten to their second year of primary school. The vegetables that Isshiki had been growing at the dorm were being used in the cooking classes. Sadly, the teacher that had been teaching the classes, had been injured and was currently unable to lead the class. Isshiki's job for the day, was to be her substitute. Having finally gotten the little boy off Souma and another out from under Megumi's dress, Ariadne stood before Isshiki with her two classmates, hands on her hips.
"Just one question…what was the point of the suit then?"
Isshiki chuckled at Ariadne's question as if she was making a joke when she hadn't been. "Here's the menu for today."
Ariadne heaved a sigh and took the paper from Isshiki for them to look at. "Today's main dish is "yaki gyoza"?"
Megumi took the paper from her, reading over it too. "Other than that…ham and eggs fried rice and Chinese wakame soup, a total of three dishes, huh."
"Gyoza should be easy enough for the kids to make." Isshiki remarked, half turning away from them. "Then, I'll leave the rest to you!"
"Huh? Isshiki-senpai, what are you going to do?" Souma asked.
"I have to take charge of the class for these ladies." Ariadne's eyebrow inched up as she caught sight of the older ladies that seemed to fawn all over Isshiki with hearts in their eyes. "You really saved me by coming here."
Ariadne turned to face the classroom full of kids running about the kitchen and climbing all over everything they could reach. Her hands went to her hips as she scanned the children. By the time she had been their age, she'd had a healthy respect for the kitchen and all its tools. Then again, she had been raised by chefs while these children looked like they didn't spend much time in the kitchen.
"So how should we do this?" Ariadne asked.
Souma picked up a knife that he was sure was nothing more than a toy while Megumi tried to gain the attention of the children.
"Hmph. It's not like we even need to learn how to cook." Hearing one of the children scoff at them, they turned to find a little girl with a phone in her hand. "People will make it for us even if we don't."
"Hm? Then, why did you come to the cooking school?" Souma asked.
"It's not like I wanted to come. Mama told me to, so I didn't have a choice." the girl replied.
"B…but, you might end up living alone in the future, and I think it's a good idea to learn how to cook in case your family gets sick or something like that." Megumi reasoned.
"Hick." Ariadne could practically see the arrow to Megumi's heart the girl's single word caused. "Don't lecture me like you know everything!"
"Haha, that's one precocious brat." Souma remarked.
"It is not funny, Souma." Ariadne told him, her eyes scanning the other children. "If we do not act quickly, we will lose control."
Both Souma and Ariadne looked around, trying to get an idea of what they should do. When Souma caught sight of a child drawing a flower, he took a carrot to carve into the shape of a rose. Seeing another child running by with an action figure in hand, he carved a likeness out of carrots and other vegetables. Both won awed gasps from the children.
"Tch, tch, tch, you shouldn't get surprised by this much." Souma told the children before laying a hand on both Ariadne's and Megumi's shoulders. "These onee-chans over here are amazing, too!" Ariadne turned a raised eyebrow on Souma, silently asking what he was up to. Leaning close to Megumi and Ariadne, Souma lowered his voice. "Tadokoro, Ari…take this chance to show them how good you are. If you do that, kids become rather obedient."
"Ermm…hmmm, like something I learned in Totsuki?" Megumi asked.
"I think I have a good idea, Megumi." Ariadne leaned into Megumi's ear, whispering lowly to her. Megumi lit up as Ariadne told her the idea. Nodding to each other, the two girls got to work making animals out of vegetables. A pig, penguins, a hippo, and even a mouse decorated the tray. Upon seeing them, the children gasped in awe at the edible creatures.
"Souma-sensei, Megumi-sensei and Ari-sensei are amazing!"
Ariadne grinned as Megumi cried tears of joy at the children's praises. It wasn't really a big deal to Ariadne. She had been making creatures out of vegetables and fruits for her little sister since the day the girl had been born. That being said, if it made Megumi happy than Ariadne wasn't going to say anything. Especially since it also seemed to have won the children over.
"Alright…everybody wash your hands!" Souma called as Ariadne and Megumi pulled on aprons. "We'll start making the gyoza! Well then, to begin, let's mince the Chinese cabbage and Chinese chive and make a-"
Ariadne zoned out of Souma talking, her eyes darting over to the side where the little girl, Kanon, who had told them her mother made her come, was on her phone. The child was shooting glances over her shoulder, but she didn't look like she was inclined to join them. Shaking her head, Ariadne moved on to helping the children alongside her classmates. Getting the other children going, Ariadne and her classmates soon turned their attention to Kanon.
"What's thiiiis? Kanon-chan, you're not going to join in? Maybe you're clumsy?" Souma teased.
"Wh…what's with you? Shut up!" Kanon protested, her face turning red. "I mean, you probably plan on laughing at me if I fail!"
"No, not really." Souma replied.
"You don't need to concern your adorable, little head about that." Ariadne gave Kanon a smile as she laid a hand on the child's head.
"She's right. Just make it while thinking of a person important to you. If you do that, your dishes will become a lot tastier." Megumi added.
"Eeeeeh! No waaay!" one little boy called out.
"That won't make the taste change!" another added.
"She is not lying." Ariadne stepped up between the boys, dropping a hand on each of their heads. "It is a trick all of us chefs use."
"Right." Megumi turned back to her cooking, a smile on her face. "You should all try to make your food while thinking of the people in your family or the people you want to eat it. That will make the result really delicious!"
"It's okay, I'll eat it even if it's bad." Souma told Kanon.
"Souma," Ariadne shooed Souma off to the side in order to crouch before Kanon, putting her on eye level with the child. "You know, I have a sister about your age. We live in a restaurant that our family runs and have been cooking since we could walk. Despite that, both she and I still mess up from time to time. It's not a bad thing if you mess it up because you can always improve. That being said…you have to give it a try first. Le bonheur n'est pas quelque chose de pret a l'emploi. Il vient de vos propres actions."
"What does that mean?" Kanon asked.
"'Happiness is not something that comes out of a box, ready to use. It comes from your own actions.' It's an old proverb my mother use to tell me. In short, if at first you don't succeed…try again. So, how about it? Join us?" Ariadne gave the girl a bright smile.
For a long moment, Kanon stared at her before she sat her phone down and grabbed an apron to put on. "Okay! H-hurry up and teach me!"
"Sure." Souma and Ariadne agreed, Ariadne giving Souma a wink over the girl's head.
The two moved back to their stations, calling for the children's attention once more so they could start making the gyoza. The children, though, balked at the sight of all the ingredients that Souma and Ariadne had prepared for their use.
"Eh!? What's this!? These are all ingredients for gyoza?!" one child cried.
"Yup! Today we're improvising our own gyoza! Put whatever looks tasty in them." Souma replied.
"Ah…and the dough has different colors!" another child added.
"Having many colors is fun, isn't it?" Ariadne asked. "The red one was kneaded with tomato and the yellow one with curry powder."
Seeing the different ingredients, the children all started calling out what they wanted to use and put inside the gyoza. Souma showed them how to wrap the gyoza before leaving the children to try on their own. Kanon gave it a try but ended up ripping the dough and dropping the ingredients on the countertop.
"Ah, so close, so close. Come here." Souma called to her, stepping up behind her to take hold of her little hands and show her how to do it properly. "You do it like this…okay? The trick is in doing it rhythmically."
Ariadne shook her head before leaning towards Megumi. "You know, usually Souma is so dense, but then he does things like this, and it makes me wonder if he picked up more charm from his father than he knows."
Megumi smiled, silently agreeing with Ariadne. The two moved on to helping the other children before they put the gyoza in to fry. Ariadne couldn't help by grin, thinking about her own little sister when she saw the looks of excitement on the children's faces when the gyoza was ready. All of the children were thrilled as they ate the gyoza, some of them finding the ones they had made and others promising to make the gyoza for their parents. When the class was done and the stations cleaned, the children saw them off, all of them, including Kanon, calling for them to come back sometime. Ariadne waved with a smile as they followed Isshiki away from the school.
"Thanks for the hard work, guys! The teacher was really happy, too!" Isshiki told them.
"Isshiki-senpai…did you perhaps ask us for help to let us relax before the main tournament?" Megumi asked.
"That might be so." Isshiki replied with a smile.
"It certainly made me miss my sister." Ariadne heaved a sigh, a longing smile on her face as her dormmates looked at her. "I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking with her. I think I'll see about having her and our brother come visit me soon. It'd be awesome to introduce them to all of you."
The others smiled, Souma turning to Megumi. "Hey, Tadokoro, you said something pretty nice back there. That "Cook while thinking of the people important to you" thing!"
"Ah…haha…that's a bit embarrassing. It's something I learned in the Ryokan that's my home. That in order to put your heart into cooking, you must…think of someone you hold dear." Megumi replied.
Ariadne smiled as she watched Megumi's face. Especially when the girl thought back to the preliminaries and started blushing. It made Ariadne chuckle lowly to herself as she followed her friends.
Sometimes, it was just too amusing to watch someone as they realized they had a crush.
-0-0-0-0-
The day before the main tournament, Souma and Megumi were summoned to be briefed on how the main tournament was to proceed. Souma, it seemed, would take place in the first match the following day with "bento" as the theme. A theme that surprised Souma, but Ariadne was sure he could roll with it and do great even when it was revealed who is opponent for the first match would be.
His opponent…Alice.
Ariadne couldn't help but grin at the looks on her friends' faces the day of the first match when it was Alice that walked in as Souma's opponent. "No waaaaaay! He's suddenly against a Nakiri!?"
Ariadne rolled her eyes, leaning forward to peer down at the floor below. Seeing her, Alice gave a bright smile and a wave. A wave and smile that Ariadne returned with one of her own. Of course, her dormmates accused her of flirting with the enemy, but Ariadne merely waved them off. When it came down to it, both Souma and Alice were her friends. She wouldn't choose one over the other. Especially not when she was pretty sure she knew who would win. While Alice was highly trained and an international star in the culinary world, with all the most modern equipment at her disposal…there was just something about her cooking that was lacking when compared to that of Souma's.
Ariadne leaned against the wall in front of her, dropping her chin in her hand as she watched Alice and Souma confront each other. Many people, even those from her own dorm, saw the situation as hopeless, that Souma would lose by a landslide. Even Mito, who had lost to Souma, was leaning forward, yelling down at Souma. "Damn it, Yukihira…I hope you have some kind of plan. You won't win with just any random dish, you know!?"
"Calm yourself, Ikumi." Mito glanced over at Ariadne who was watching the events below with a serene look on her face. It was as if the French girl wasn't the least bit concerned about whether or not Souma won. "Have faith in him and just watch. Souma actually put a lot of thought into this dish."
Mito didn't question Ariadne. She had come to realize, in just a short while of knowing Ariadne, that the girl was usually right. Especially when it came to Souma. Maybe theorized that it had to be because Ariadne and Souma had a similar mindset when it came to their approach with cooking. Ariadne argued that it was just because Souma was a really easy person to understand when you got down to it. When it came to cooking, Souma put his all into it. Once he learned a lesson, he was sure to apply it, and once he had an idea, he went for it…regardless of how well or how poorly the results turned out to be.
Alice was the first to present her dish, setting before the judges five trays that had dome-shaped lids on top. Underneath that, mist swirled about, concealing the actual dish from sight. When the judges lifted the lids to reveal the dish, they could a temari bento beneath with twelves different bite-sized pieces of sushi ready for their tasting. Ariadne let out a low whistle as she watched the judges begin to eat the bento, following the order it was laid out in. Which each piece they ate, the level of the dish's taste seemed to grow, the judges really seeming to enjoy it. By the final piece, Sanzaemon stripped off the top of his clothes from sheer delight in the dish. Ariadne couldn't help but snicker at the sight of it.
Just as the judges finished with Alice's dish, Souma stepped up with his, the crowd raging in outrage when Souma proudly stated that he was presenting a nori bento. Alice, though, was intrigued as Souma presented each of the five judges with a layer-styled bento box. Opening the boxes, the judges were first presented with the side dishes of isobeage, kinpira gobo and fried cod. The judges praised Souma for the three side dishes and the fact that Souma had boiled the cod with dried tuna verses the usual dried bonito. After the side dishes came a bacon and onion miso soup and finally came the rice. Opening the container to look at the rice and the nori on top, the judges found that there were tiny black drops spread out over the rice verses the typical nori. Upon taking a bite, the judges found that the little drops were spheres of nori flavor that would pop open and spread their flavor with the first bite.
A technique that was in Alice's field of gastronomy.
The deeper into the bowl of rice the judges ate, the more they revealed a layer of finely chopped dried bonito that Souma had sandwiched between layers of fluffy rice in order to change the texture of the rice the more the judges ate it. It was then that the judges found a fourth container in the bento that held a kudzu sauce. By pouring that on the rice it sent the judges into flavor overload, Sanzaemon once again stripping. In the end, Sanzaemon explained that while Alice's dish had been delicious, she had failed to embody what a bento box was really about. Something that Souma had gone above and beyond on. As such, the winner was Souma.
Ariadne chuckled to herself as she stood up straight and turned to her friends. "I told you so." Ariadne gave them a wink as she moved past them, heading past them. As Alice stormed away from first Souma and then Erina who had been waiting on the sidelines for Alice, she ran into Ariadne, who stood waiting for her. At first, Alice puffed up, as if she was going to snap at Ariadne, too, but Ariadne merely gave her a sweet smile and held her arms out. Sniffling, Alice took a dive for Ariadne, throwing herself into the French girl's arms to cry at her loss. Ariadne gentle pet her head.
"Don't worry, Alice. You'll beat him next time and then you can show Erina how good you really are." Ariadne assured her. Releasing Alice, Ariadne pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at Alice's tears before giving her a smile. "Keep going, Alice, and keep growing. We all have to hit a hurdle, now and then, in order to rise higher. Stop by later and I'll have some nice sweets for you, okay? For now, I have to cheer on two more of my friends." Ariadne gave Alice a wink, leaving her with the little red and blue handkerchief before she returned to the stands where Souma had joined their friends in cheering on Megumi. There, she found that Yuuki had managed to strong-arm most of her friends into wielding the fans she had made for cheering on Megumi. Even Mito and Isami had been talked into talking one of the ridiculously, over-decorated fans. Ariadne gave Mito a pat on the back, chuckling silently to herself as she did.
The announcer declaring the battle between Megumi and Kurokiba Ryou with the theme being ramen, pulled Ariadne's attention away from Mito and to the two chefs below. Just like with the match between Souma and Alice, Ariadne had a good feeling on how the match would go. Megumi was going to give her all and show what she was made of. It made Ariadne proud to watch her friend step up to the challenge that was her opponent's rich soup with more graceful version of a seafood soup.
"That's right…! Megumi's home is a port city!" Yuuki exclaimed. "Her understanding of marine products is second to none!"
"Fufu…how interesting. To think this would be a "match between people who grew up in port cities"."
"Yeah, it's between people who grew up in…" Yuuki cut off, Ariadne grinning as she realized the person who spoke wasn't someone from their Megumi Cheering Squad. Turning, Yuuki's eyes went wide when they landed on the happily smiling face of Alice. Yuuki jumped back as everyone else realized that Alice now stood next to Ariadne in the middle of them all. "Nakiri Alice!? Why are you here!?"
"Oh my…can't I be here? I came since I saw some interesting fans." Alice remarked. Alice gave Ariadne a wink as Yuuki giggled, flattered that Alice seemingly liked her fans.
"You said…a "match between people who grew up in port cities", didn't you?" Souma asked from where he stood just to the other side of Ariadne.
"That's right. Ryou-kun was raised alongside the sea." Alice replied.
"Oh!? Kurokiba brought out something else!" Mito exclaimed, pulling their attention to the stations below.
"Isn't that lobster and northern shrimp shells?" Ariadne asked. Ariadne's eyebrow rose as, with a huge grin on his face, Ryou began to smash the shells to pieces with a cleaver. Once broken up, Ryou began to grind them into a powder. As they watched Ryou work, Alice told them of how she had found Ryou at a pub overseas where, at a young age, he had already become the head chef of the place. Ariadne wasn't surprised to hear it. She, herself, had been a centerpiece in her family's restaurant's kitchen since she had been able to see over the counter…with the assistance of a step ladder, of course.
"T-to think he was such an amazing cook…!" Zenji remarked when Alice had finished.
"You're telling me that from such a young age, he was already on equal footing…no, forget about that, he was already the best in his kitchen!?" Ryoko asked.
"Sounds about right." All eyes turned to Ariadne. "Alice would only pick the best to be at her side. That being said, though…Megumi, too, has experience working in the kitchen of her family's inn."
"That's right!" Yuuki perked up, cupping her mouth to raise her voice. "Megumiiii! Don't let him be more determined than you! We're with youuuuuu!"
Ariadne gave her head a shake as her friends cheered for Megumi. Leaning against the wall, Ariadne fixed her eyes below as Ryou shared with Megumi his view on what cooking really was. Though Ariadne could only hear bits and pieces from where she was, she heard enough to understand what his standpoint was. Ryou saw cooking as a battlefield that pitted one chef against the other. No two could stand on the same stage without one failing in the light of the other. After hearing what she had of his past from Alice, Ariadne could understand his view on the subject. After all, that was how he had grown up, while Megumi, opposite of him, had grown up in a family kitchen where everyone had worked together in order to create better and higher dishes.
Ariadne couldn't say that she agreed with either or.
That being said, it didn't matter in this case. In that moment, in the midst of the match, all that matter was Megumi and Ryou. Both were fighting for their beliefs, their cooking, and wouldn't bow to the other. With that resolve came peace of mind for Megumi.
"Great…she's calm." Ibusaki remarked.
"Yeah, she's doing each part properly. There's no waste in her movements." Souma agreed.
Ariadne felt her lips tug into a fond, proud smile as she watched Megumi. Even when the judges came closer, watching her cooking from just the other side of her counter, she didn't falter in her cooking, keeping calm under the pressure. In opposition to Megumi's tranquility, there was Ryou's intensity. It was like everything the boy did just had to be with the most energy he could pour into it. A completely change from how he acted when he was just following Alice around. With that energy he was the first one done, presenting to the judges a bowl of Soup de Poisson ramen. The finished result had Ariadne's eyebrow raising.
"Soup de Poisson, huh? That's a soup from my own country made using dashi of fish leftovers and shrimp shelves. I should have realized what he was aiming for before now." Ariadne remarked, crossing her arms in interest. She watched as the judges fully enjoyed the bold, richness of Ryou's ramen with expressions that looked like they had just been knocked out of a fight. A fitting reaction for the cooking of a man that approached his dishes as if it was a fist fight. Of course, the dish managed earn another stripping from the headmaster.
But it seemed that not even the intense display of Ryou and his dish could break Megumi's focus. She continued through the finishing of her dish and presented it to the judges without ever, even once, sparing a moment to pay attention to Ryou and what he was doing. Standing back, she merely waited for the judges to try the dish. After the incredible impact of Ryou's ramen, looking at the graceful ramen before them didn't leave them with the same impression. They were sure that Megumi would fall short of Ryou's ramen by a considerable amount. One sip of the soup and they were proven wrong as a strong flavor hit them right in the gut. The judges' reactions were so great that Ryou also insisted on having a taste of Megumi's ramen. A little afraid of the look on his face, Megumi complied quickly.
While Megumi didn't have the level of skill to create a rich ramen like Ryou did, she had her own talent using her vegetables and the skills she currently possessed. Even she could fight on the same stage, just in a different way. It earned Megumi the respect of Ryou, the boy insisting that she try his ramen as well. She even won over the crowd with her hard work, determination and her ability to keep her head under the pressure. Despite Megumi's best try and how well her dish turned out, the headmaster didn't strip, and the win was given to Ryou.
It wasn't until he walked away from the venue that Sanzaemon realized that his fundoshi had come undone in the fast of Megumi's dish.
Ariadne walked away from the first two matches, a smile on her face. She had to admit that it was more interesting watching others battle for the top than to try to take the top herself. Watching Megumi and Ryou clash with their different points of view, it just reminded her of the reason she had done come to Totsuki in the first place. She couldn't say that she agreed or disagreed with Ryou's "cooking is a battlefield" view or Megumi's "cooks help each other grow" view. Both had their valid points. For Ariadne, it was a little more complicated than that. She smiled, teased, flirted and acted like she couldn't be bothered to take anything seriously, but she was merely biding her time.
When the time came, she was going to show them all who the real devil of the kitchen was.
For now, she was going to enjoy watching the others struggle. Let them feel like she wasn't a threat to them. They would figure out, soon enough, just how wrong they truly were.
END
Kyandi: I can't wait to reveal the truth behind you and your history.
Ariadne: It will make a lot of things fall into place.
Kyandi: It will. I really can't wait for the next arch.
Ariadne: Ah, I know why.
Kyandi: Yeah, but you're not going to share.
Ariadne: No, I'm not. Let your readers suffer just a little bit longer.
Kyandi: I knew I liked you for a reason.
Ariadne: Two peas in a pod.
Kyandi: Yep! Well, it's late, I have to be up early tomorrow, so…night everyone! Enjoy and review!
Ariadne: We'll be back as soon as possible.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!