Title: Sweet and Spice
Rating: T (language warning)
DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shokugeki no Soma belongs to Yato Tsukuda and Shun Saeki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: It's been a while since I have updated this, and many of you probably think I have dropped it. I promise I haven't. This story just has become difficult to write because of the current manga arc, and well...finding how to incorporate Kagome is a challenge. This story is not perfect, and there may be some flaws here and there. To me, that is okay because crossovers are hard enough. Now, unlike my other fics, this will be a more "fun" thing to write. So don't take it so seriously. I am actually REALLY worried about this chapter alone. It may not be taken well, but I do hope a few of you enjoy.
BUT I will say, the reviews of this is amazing. I will admit the main reason I am not dropping this story (and it has come close to that the past few months to ultimate deletion) is because of the reviewers giving their support. Trust me, reviews help keep a fic alive.
Again, thank you!
Enjoy!
Chapter 08: Reflection on the Doubts
"Higurashi Kagome, fifty servings done!"
Sighing in relief after another long shift of feeding hungry American football players, Kagome looked around her cooking station. Left and right a craze of rush and panic circled her; she wondered if that was how she looked at times. Then again, she had not felt that rushed or panicked this time.
Another day of camp had passed by swiftly and without issues for both her and Souma, thankfully. The day after Shinomiya's Shokugeki, things settled somewhat. The chaos of the camp continued, but after having gone through a pit of hell against Shinomiya, for her, the night courses were not so bad.
Deciding it was best to leave the kitchen and go on with her night in relaxation, she made her way through the various stations.
"Hang in there, Megumi-chan!" Kagome smiled as she saw her prepare the last five trays.
"Ah!" Megumi blinked, "y-yes!"
Going through the exit, Kagome let the doors close on their own. Checking the time on her phone, Kagome nodded to herself. "Usually we go to the baths after this before hitting Marui-kun's room, but," her eyes rose to the vast hallway leading to the lobby, "I see no sign of Souma-kun or the others." She was sure Yoshino, Marui, and Megumi were inside on the task, but she had caught Souma finishing quickly. Kagome shook her head deciding she would go to the baths on her own but two vibrates from her phone halted her.
She turned the screen on; her eyes flickered to the message.
"Wha…?" Looking around, Kagome became confused to find no sign of the sender who had said he was here.
"Psst."
Head tilting upwards, Kagome caught sight of her old wolf friend waving her from the second floor and leaning forward against the railing. "Kouga…".
"You got a few minutes?"
She blinked before her brow crooked up. "What are you up to?"
Kouga winked, "coffee, on me."
Setting his cup of black coffee down on the plate before him, Kouga's eyes immediately caught Kagome's hardened stare. "What?" He asked before displaying a smirk. "Can't believe you are seeing this good-looking face, huh?"
"You haven't changed." She answered. It was best to answer straight out before letting his ego inflate, that she remembered. Grabbing the delicate china mug in front of her, she blinked at the sight of the rich coffee color. No doubt this coffee was probably double the price she could get from Kohibucks. Taking a delicate sip, her eyes went back to the male across from her. After saving her from expulsion, her mind had continued to question why Kouga would be associating himself with Totsuki of all places. Heck, she had not even thought about the feudal era demons reaching this era. That had not even crossed her mind.
But here he was now. Right in front of her. Aside from the modern attire, everything was the same. Even his long black ponytail and speech was the same. Demons really did not age. "Lucky…".
Kouga blinked upon hearing her faint whisper. "Lucky?" Raising a brow, the wolf set his drink back down, "oi, as much as I love you staring at me, Kagome, people are going to think that I am holding you hostage here."
She lowered mug from her lips, "speaking of which," she set the cup down, "why did you call me here?" She took another look at her surroundings to see the lavish café Kouga had taken her to. A café set on the other side of the hotel where businessmen and members of the Totsuki Association went to, or unless a teenager had decided to sell his kidney to get money to come here and have a cup of coffee.
"You got questions, don't ya?" He smiled. "We both got the time right now, and we should take it before the other Totsuki alumni and instructors find out that I am meeting with a student."
"Yeah~". Kagome nodded as she gave that thought a little more thought. "We shouldn't be seeing each other like this."
"Nah!" Kouga waved his hand up and down, "who cares. These guys know they can't be too angry with me. Being angry with me," he pointed at himself with his thumb, "means being angry with our company and that is the last thing Totsuki wants to do. We are their biggest business partner."
Kagome blinked as the questions she had in her head fumbled once again. The more he spoke, the more confused she was starting to get.
"Totsuki has all these rules and I am one who hates rules so-umph!" Kouga's eyes flickered to the finger silencing him.
"Stop talking for two seconds." Kagome huffed as she retreated her finger from his lips, "as happy as I am to see you here, you are only confusing me further and I don't know where to begin, Kouga."
He blinked again.
"So you work for Totsuki?" She asked.
He blinked again.
Kagome sighed, "Kouga, you can talk."
He chuckled, "no, not really. I work for Tashio Co.".
"Tashio…Co?" Why did that name sound-? "Wait," her brow twitched as the name repeated itself in her head, "you mean…?"
"Yeah I work for those silver haired mutts." His sigh became heavier before calling the waiter for another cup of coffee. "I like to be my own boss, but don't tell Sesshomaru that, he will give me his death glare."
"You said…those? Plural?" Kagome's expression brightened, "is-?"
"Inuyasha?" Kouga knew it was bound to come up. After all, the connection both had was something one could not easily break, nor time could overwrite. Nodding to her question, he thought about the right words to say. The situation was difficult, and now knowing Kagome was in Totsuki, it placed them all in a much more difficult situation. If Totsuki found out she had connections with them, rumors were bound to sprout. "He's well," he answered, "and out there running a business. At least, we are helping Sesshomaru run a business. Never in all my years of being a demon did I think we all end up working in the food industry." He scoffed at the memory of Sesshomaru deciding to invest in high and prestige restaurants and chefs.
But it made sense. Young and old needed food, and the more attention it gained, the more money and people would be sure to come in.
"Food industry, huh?" Kagome sipped on her coffee in thought. To think of them in aprons was something she needed to see in person.
"Can't really share the details yet since most of our business stuff is to be kept secret and between business men, but…", a toothy grin reappeared on his lips, "they would be happy to see you."
A small smile curled into her own features at the thought of her old friends. Friends she had believed were forever gone.
'I guess fate really did bring me to Totsuki for a reason.'
"Here is your coffee, sir."
"Thank you."
Taking another look at their surroundings, Kagome noticed the few business men and women coming in and out. No doubt this lounge was more on the elite level compared to the coffee and meals they were receiving or making. Now that she thought about it, would she not get in trouble talking to Kouga? He had his connections to Totsuki and having her, a student, talking to him would sprout questions. Perhaps she should be more cautious of those around her before any rumors were to spread. Kagome's eyes rose to see Kouga reaching for his mug with his left hand and fingers slowly cautiously curling into the handle. She blinked a few times before realizing there was a gold band on his ring finger. Gold? Ring finger? That was a-?
"Is that a wedding ring?!" She exclaimed, ignoring the sudden jolt Kouga gave off from her increased tone. "Y-You're married?!"
Setting his cup back down – and glaring at the small droplets of his drink on the plate and table – Kouga gave the girl a mild glare. "Keep your voice down, Kagome; you are getting everyone to look over here!"
"This is important!" Kagome quickly grabbed his left hand to inspect the band. "Woah, it really is a wedding ring…". She did another inspection, "wait, who married you?"
His brow twitched, "what is that supposed to mean?"
Chuckling at his defensiveness, Kagome released his hand before relaxing back in her seat. "Don't take it the wrong way; I am curious to know. I mean," she looked left and right before lowering her tone to a whisper, "you're a demon. Did you marry a demon?"
Sighing under his breath, Kouga nodded. "I did. It becomes difficult marrying a human and outliving them, but that doesn't mean demons that survived haven't married humans. Most demons did and slowly, the bloodline mixed. There are only a few full-blooded demons left."
"I see…". Grabbing her cup of coffee, Kagome was left in thought. Only a few full-blooded demons left. She was not sure what to think about that, but Kouga had mentioned Inuyasha and the other demons she befriended were still here.
"Bleh," Kouga shook his head as he placed his cup back down, "I am only surviving on coffee on this trip. I wanted some wine from this resort." He pouted as he looked at the bar on the other side of the room, "Dojima had to go an tell us adults that were involved in the camp that we could not have alcohol because of you kids."
Kagome crossed her arms, "oh, now you see me as a kid."
"But ha!" He winked at the girl, "Dojima doesn't know that I brought Shinomiya some wine."
Shaking her head, Kagome brought her coffee to her lips, "always the rule breaker." Wanting to know more about the others, Kagome's lips parted to speak, but as soon as her voice escaped her, an announcement from above was heard.
"Souma-kun!"
Placing his towel over his shoulders and adjusting his yukata, the young chef looked over his shoulder to see Megumi and the other Polar Star residents coming towards him. He smiled back before turning to them, "oi! Tadoroko! Did you all finish your fifty servings?"
"Yes!" Megumi nodded before looking at the others behind her, "yeah we all went to take a bath and were ready to go to Marui-kun's room, but…I was wondering if you saw Kagome-chan?".
"Kagome?" Souma blinked. "I thought she was with you guys." He had finished his servings before her and went to baths before they got crowded, but the plan was always to go to Marui's room afterwards. He took another look at the present group, "hm, no sign of Kagome, huh?" It was unheard of for Kagome to be going off on her own when she had expressed her uncomfortableness in the academy. If anything, the girl would be sticking by Megumi's side if he wasn't around. "Wonder where she went…".
"Marui-kun! Stay with us!" Yoshino shook him from the shoulders. "We can't lose you just yet!" Sighing under her breath, Yoshino's head hung down as she felt the exhaustion wash her up. "I am so tired! I want to go pas our in my room already."
Chuckling at the duo, Souma turned to the others, "are we all heading to Marui's room, then? I'm sure Kagome might be waiting inside or something."
"You know it!" Both Sato and Aoki shouted as they got out the cards games from inside their yukatas. "We gotta make the last two days fun!"
"That's if we scrap by somehow," Ibusaki added before taking another look at Marui's shaking body.
As they continued to walk down the hall, Sasaki blinked as she flipped through the pages of the training camp guide. Looking back and forth on the pages, she noticed the blank space on the time sheet of today's date. "Oh?"
"What is it?" Ibusaki asked.
"I…don't see any time listed for lights out on here." She replied as she flipped again to see if there was mix-up.
Leaning closer to look at the guide himself, Ibusaki nodded, "you're right."
"Maybe it got left off by mistake." Yoshino shrugged without looking back. "Maybe they forgot and-".
A soft ringing caught their attention upwards.
"Students of Totsuki Academi!"
Souma blinked recognizing the voice coming from the speakers. "Ah…Dojima-senpai?"
"One hour from now, everyone will assemble in the banquet hall in your uniforms. I repeat, all Totsuki students must go to the banquet at ten o'clock in their uniforms."
"Eh!?" Yoshino sent hardened glares at the speakers upon hearing the instructions. "Is he crazy!? Did he mean ten in them morning?"
"He said one hour from now." Ibusaki replied.
Yoshino grasped the sides of her head, "you gotta be kidding me!"
"In the banquet area?" Staring at the speaker above them, Kagome was left sighing. "And here I thought I could relax before another chaotic morning."
Clicking his tongue, Kouga shrugged, "that man really knows how to overwork you all."
"Overwork?" Kagome repeated. "Is it even legal to be putting us in the ringer like this?"
Kouga reached for his cup of coffee as he thought to the methods Dojima had done in the past. He was no stranger to the Totsuki camp, and he was aware of Dojima and the other Totsuki alumni being harsh on them, but they had a reason. "The food industry isn't easy, Kagome." He spoke before taking another sip, "there is a lot to manage, organize, and know."
"Did you…," Kagome's brow rose, "attend Totsuki?"
"Psh, me?" Kouga scoffed with a smirk. "I had connections!" Flat hand in front of him, he turned it to lay it horizontally before swiping it as if it were a plane, "I moved right up! I had years of experience already, Kagome. Did you know they wanted to recruit me for the Olympics like 40 years ago."
She blinked back, "you really are an old man."
Staring back at her, Kouga cleared his throat. He really needed to stop bragging about all the stuff he did in all his years of living. With Kagome now present in her time, it did make him feel old. "Anyways," he placed his cup down, "you should go get changed and head the banquet. I'm sure Dojima wouldn't want you to be late."
"Right." Nodding to herself, she came to a stand before giving Kouga small smile. "Kouga?"
He looked up, "hm?"
"Thank you."
Kouga returned the smile, "psh, you know you can call me anytime you need a cup of coffee-!"
"I meant thank you for appearing in my life again."
Her words made him go silent before a smile took over. "Yeah, yeah. Now go before Dojima scolds you."
Nodding back, Kagome turned around and ran towards the exit of the café. Kouga sighed as he grabbed his cup of coffee once again and watched her take a turn. Fate had humor, that was for sure, but he never thought five hundred years later he would be seeing her again.
"If anything, I should be thanking you, Kagome."
Releasing a low whistle under his breath, Souma blinked at the sight of all the first-year students in their uniforms waiting in the banquet hall. "Woah, each time I see all the students in one place you can really tell it's thinning out.". If he remembered correctly, there had to been double the size he saw now. When they had first arrived at the banquet hall on the first day of camp, the room was practically full! Now there were definitely gaps between students.
As the rest of the Polar Star residents walked into the room, they could not help but stare at the remaining students displaying their exhaustion. Some sleeping on the chairs near the exit and others staring into space.
"Everyone is so exhausted…". Sasaki looked around and had to feel for the students who were feeling the pressure each day. A week's worth of camp was becoming hell for sure.
"Hm, what the hell could be going on at this time of night, then?" Souma questioned.
"Yukihira!"
Turning to the shout of his name, Souma immediately took a step back the moment he was confronted by both Takumi and Ikumi.
"Oi!" Ikumi shouted. "What the hell are you thinking pulling off ridiculous stunts like challenging an alumnus to a Shokugeki, you idiot!"
Souma blinked again as a sweat drop loomed over his head.
"How are you risk leaving Totsuki without settling the score with me!?" Takumi added.
Noticing the proximity between them, Takumi's and Ikumi's eyes tightened into a glare before separating.
"Who the hell are you?" Ikumi asked.
Takumi scoffed back, "that's my question."
"What bone are they picking with Souma-kun now?"
Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Megumi turned around before a smile decorated her lips. "Ah! Kagome-chan! You're here!"
"Sorry I'm late, I had to take care a few things." Kagome's eyes landed on the trio currently in a 'talk'. Watching the sparks of rivalry intertwine between the glares of the two blondes, Kagome's focus shifted to the quiet red head with a blank stare and smug smile. She had expected Souma to be getting attention in every room they went in after his first seat declaration during orientation, but never like this. If anything, he was becoming too popular for her taste.
Adjusting her coat, she walked closer to the three before coming to stand next to her childhood friend. "What did you do this time?"
"Oh," Souma looked to his left, "Kagome, where were you?"
"Don't answer with a question." Raising a brow, she pointed at the two, "what did you do?"
"Nothing!" He huffed. "They just wanted to know why I had decided to challenge Shinomiya-senpai in a Shokugeki, that's all."
"That's all, my butt," Kagome rolled her eyes. "You know it's a big deal to be in a Shokugeki, let alone with an alumnus. You had to expect this right?" Of course other students would be interested in hearing about the Shokugeki they had, but- "wait…," she caught their attention, "how do you guys know about the Shokugeki?"
"Eh?" Both replied. "Everyone knows about it!"
"Everyone knows?" Kagome repeated before she met Souma's shrug. "Did you spread the news?"
His eyes narrowed with suspicion, "why you always gotta blame me?"
"Wait!" Takumi called out, "if you two are here right now, that means…".
Ikumi quickly shook her head as she pointed a finger at the two, "you two won against Chef Shinomiya?!"
"Huh?" Kagome's brow rose. Chuckling at their excitement, she waved her palm left and right to blow away their assumptions. "No way! Not even close!"
"Yeah," Souma sighed, "we blew it."
"Eh?" Takumi took a step back. "R-Really…?"
"Ma, we should stop talking about this." Kagome smiled, "Souma-kun gets really butt hurt remembering."
"I do."
Kagome's head quickly snapped back to the red head after hearing his confession. "I was kidding."
"I wasn't." His smug smirk returned. Eyes gliding to stare at the corner of the room, his thoughts lingered to the moment after the Shokugeki. Defeat was defeat, and despite being saved, Shinomiya had proved he was far from stepping close to his level.
"Wait! No! We need answers!" Ikumi added. "What happened in there-?" Catching the whispers of other students around them, Ikumi's attention followed theirs to see the tenth seat chef coming into the banquet hall with her personal assistant behind her.
"It's Erina-sama…".
"Erina-sama…".
Having followed Ikumi's line of sight, Kagome and the others watched as Erina took her spot in the middle of the room and only a few feet away from their group. Catching Souma's eyes on the girl, she later noticed Erina ignoring those around her. They were all in the same age group, but it was obvious Erina stood in a different world from theirs, and to reach that, there was no telling what kind of skill you needed exactly. Not to mention, she was the tenth seat in the Elite Ten. Those above her meant they were greater in skill and knowledge.
"All eyes toward the stage!"
Jolted out of their stares, students turned their heads to see Dojima in front of the podium and adjusting the microphone.
"We had all of you gather here for one reason, and one reason only to explain to you what tomorrow's task will be." Dojima's smile curved upwards as he saw the confusion in the students' eyes.
"Tomorrow?" Takumi repeated in a whisper. "Why bother telling us the night before…?"
"The task," Dojima continued, "will be to create a new breakfast menu worthy of being served to guests at Totsuki Resort. Breakfasts are the face of the hotel. It is an important meal that starts the guests' day. I'd like you all to suggest an innovative dish that will make a vibrant contribution to the breakfast table. The main ingredient," he raised his hand revealing the white oval shaped item, "will be the egg."
Kagome's eyes narrowed; Souma's released a smirk.
"We won't restrict the cuisine genre, but the dish must be servable buffet style. The judging will begin at six o'clock tomorrow morning. Make preparations so that's you're ready for tastings by then."
"Hm?" Yoshino blinked with a smile, "did I hear that right? He meant six o'clock tomorrow evening, right?"
"No," Ibusaki answered, "he definitely said morning."
"W-What?!" She exclaimed turning to him. "That means-!"
"-we have no time to waste on sleep!" Marui shouted as the tears sprouted out of his eyes.
"You may spend your time freely until morning." Straightening himself, Dojima watched as the panic unfolded in the room. "You can test recipes in the various kitchen facilities or get rest in your room. I'll see you all again in the morning. Dismissed!"
With doom written on all of them, Kagome shivered as she felt everyone's auras go into panic mode. It was too late for this, and despite Dojima giving them permission to rest, no one was going to. Looking to her left, she scoffed at the sight of a smirking Souma. Of course he would be one of the few unperturbed about the situation.
"Let's go, Kagome!" Souma patted her shoulder as he turned to the direction of the kitchens.
"Huh? Why me?" She raised a brow, afraid to be asking the question.
The grin on Souma's lips stretched, "you are gonna be my taste tester."
She slapped his hand away, "the hell I am!"
"Finally," Takumi caught their attention, "a task worth competing over." Takumi chuckled before pointing at the two of them, "I'll deliver up the ultimate breakfast of a traditional Italian egg dish that's been arranged using the Aldinis' expertise!"
Catching sight of Takumi's brother, Isami, Kagome turned her focus on him. "What's the traditional Italian egg dish?"
Isami smiled at the girl before counting the ingredients with his fingers. "Well you see, you use cheese and vegetables with eggs, and-".
"Don't tell them, Isami!" Takumi shouted before grabbing Isami from the back of his uniform. "Stop giving away our secrets!"
Kagome and the others were left watching Isami sigh before taking a rowdy Takumi from the back of his own clothing and pulling him towards the exit. Kagome shook her head, 'this is going to be a long night for sure.'.
"Eggs…".
Hearing Megumi's faint whisper, Kagome looked over to see her thinking about the chosen ingredient.
"Come to think of it…," Souma tapped his index finger on his chin before turning Erina, "our transfer exam was also eggs, huh? Doesn't this bring back memories, Nakiri?"
Kagome's brow twitched recognizing the smirk on his lips. 'Of course he would go about teasing'.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Erina shouted as her cheeks reddened. Crossing her arms, Erina's expression returned stoic while observing the Polar Star residents. "A word of advice to you all. Low class dishes will only mark you an embarrassment in front of the judges."
"Low class?" Souma tilted his head to the side, "but the first dish I made with egg…it looked like you enjoyed the taste."
"I told you it was disgusting!" She raged.
Rolling her eyes at Souma's lack of "shutting-up", Kagome crossed her arms. Eggs, huh? Specifically, breakfast.
"Erina-sama!" Hinako called out as she ran past the think crowds of students. "I was able to secure a kitchen for us."
"Good." Erina flicked her hair back before turning to face the exit. Stopping, she looked over her shoulder and lowered her gaze on Kagome and the other Polar Star residents. "I'll grace you all with some advice, don't think of this as regular morning meals, understood? Like I said before, something like a diner meal won't cut it. Now don't try to wreck your nonexistent brains over this one. Good day."
Watching her leave along with the panicked stampede of first-years, Kagome sighed once more. Could she do it?
"Yosh!" Yoshino shouted as she tried to stand on shaking legs. "We can do this!" Pulling Marui's limp body from the ground, she tried calming the panic boiling within. "We are all surviving this and going back to the dorms! Let's do this!"
Laugh stopped behind closed lips, Kagome shook her head. Optimism was proving to become a challenge, too.
"It's too quiet." Scrolling through his emails with boredom on his phone, Kouga rested his cheek on the knuckles of his free hand. "I don't like this quiet, Dojima-san." Peering over his phone without lowering the screen, Kouga raised a brow. "You are aware that you have a masochist side, right?"
Chuckling at his friend's and business partner's compliment, Dojima raised the cup of tea to his lips.
"What is Totsuki trying to do? Kill these students with stress?" Focus back on his phone, Kouga crossed his legs. "Maybe all of Totsuki is evil."
"Evil?" Dojima repeated with a scoff. "Isn't your boss worse?"
Mouth left open and eyes glued on Dojima, Kouga could only muster a blink before returning to his scrolling. "Can't argue with that."
Since when did eggs ever look so annoying? Eyes glued on the oval ingredient stacked inside a large bowl, she was not sure how to move forward with the given task. Kagome looked up to see the chaos that erupted from students' panic. They were lucky enough to had found a kitchen station for themselves with the others already at work running back and forth.
Kagome winced as she saw eggs being cracked one after another and egg shells being thrown away. The aura in the room was heavy, and she was feeling it on her own shoulders.
"This assignment is more punishing that I thought." Ibusaki commented as he set his bowls down on his station.
Sakaki nodded as she looked up from her cut ingredients and watched the other students' expressions sour with each taste test they took. "You're right. You can't possibly go to sleep early unless you have enormous confidence in your work. You can't really waste time."
Eyes off Sakaki's and Ibusaki's conversation, Kagome looked back down at the eggs before grabbing one. Kagome looked over to Sakaki's and Ibusaki's stations before sending them a smile. "I doubt anyone could be that confident."
"I am retiring to bed. Are you going to stay here, Hisako?"
Looking up from her broth, Hisako blinked at Erina's finished dish before noticing Erina had fully removed her apron. "A-Ah…yes, I'm only halfway done."
"Alright," Erina nodded as she pulled off the hair tie holding up her ponytail, "make sure you don't stay here too long. You also need your sleep."
Nodding to her camouflaged care, Hisako could not help but feel her cheeks heat up. Erina never ceased to amaze her with her quick cooking and skills to conduct a recipe from start to finish. In the time she had taken to decide on what to make, Erina had already started plating her final decision. A blush crept on Hisako's cheeks before shifting her focus on her cooking.
'Pressure doesn't exist in her world! Impressive as always!'
"One more thing."
Hisako blinked, turning her head over her shoulder to the direction of the exit.
Clearing her throat, Erina avoided eye contact before pointing her index finger at her assistant. "Tomorrow night we will play Sevens! Understood? T-The game last night…um…I wasn't feeling my best." Thinking to last night's incident with Souma, it had left her mind in a buzz. Bumping into him was the last thing she wanted, especially after soaking in the hot springs. 'Yukihira Souma and Higurashi Kagome. I will reject your worth with my cooking. I will show you both what a true cook means." Directing a blushing glare to Hisako, she shoved the thoughts away. "Okay?"
Once more, Hisako nodded before watching Totsuki's queen leave.
Focused on the eggs in front of him, recipe after recipe flipped in his head. Souma hooked his fingers under his chin as he submerged further into his thoughts. There were many ways to go around the recipe and many breakfast dishes to make, but a simple dish was not going to cut it for Totsuki's level. Expectations were high.
'They did mention it was like one of those all-you-can-eat places, right? A buffet?' Buffets were one thing, but a luxurious one? 'I don't really know what a luxurious breakfast is. A simple bowl of rice with egg on top is enough for me. But,' a smile spread on his lips, "I'll have to start with the basics!"
Cracking eight eggs into two bowls, Souma quickly whisked the yolks and whites together before heating up a circular pan and another at a rectangular shape. After putting the proper amount of oil on each pan and seasoning each bowl, he poured each mix into the pans.
'If we are talking about egg dishes…'.
In less than two minutes, he quickly plated a rectangular shaped rolled omellete before cutting it into equal small rectangular pieces. 'In Japanese cuisine, it'd be the dashimaki eggs! And…', he grabbed another plate beside him to serve the scrambled eggs, 'in Western cuisine, scrambled eggs sound about right!' He smirked at his quick skills and the results of his dishes. Taking a pair of chopsticks on his station, he grabbed one of the dashimaki eggs before plopping it in his mouth. Steam rolled between his lips while letting his mouth try to cool the egg. Content washed over his expression as he grabbed a spoonful of scrambled eggs and took a bite.
The taste of salt and sweetness in the eggs melted on his tongue before be smashed his fists on the countertop of his station. "Delicious!" He shouted, making all heads turn with alarm.
Brow twitching at his self-praise, Kagome took aim with one of the egg shells on her plate before throwing it towards Souma's head.
Souma blinked to her direction, noticing her station was just across his. "Oh, Kagome, you're next to me?"
Her brow continued to twitch. Did he seriously just notice? Sighing, she lowered her hand from her aim. "One, stop screaming, and two, you can't praise yourself, idiot."
Scooping another bite of scrambled egg on his spoon, he pointed the food at his childhood friend. "Want some? You can be my taste tester."
"I want to live a bit longer, thank you." She glared back. Besides, she had her own dish to worry about. Like she had time for his.
"Whatever you say," he shrugged before taking the bite for himself. "It is delicious," he commented to himself, "but I think it's missing something. This type of dish won't be enough."
Taking her eyes off Souma, Kagome looked at the simple dishes she had made herself: fried eggs with different spices and the same dashimaki egg. Pushing the dishes to the side, Kagome grabbed an empty bowl. "Totsuki expects elements of surprise, don't forget that Souma-kun."
"I know, I know!" Souma shook his head as he stared at his own food.
Exhaling softly, Kagome eyed the other students in their own torment. Takumi on the other end went back and forth from using his mezzaluna to throwing ingredients into a bowl. Eyes shifted to the station next to him to see Megumi's panic ready to explode. Everyone was in their own storm of anxiety, and it all came down to the last few hours before the event began.
Grabbing another egg from one of the bowls in front of her, Kagome eyed it with annoyance. Since when did eggs look so unappetizing? Deciding to let her mind wander on its own, she cracked the egg at the rim of her bowl.
"Keh."
Egg shell cracked in half, yolk dripped down into the bowl as her eyes rose to meet a pair of bored pupils. Kagome blinked catching a pair of eyes staring into her now broken yolk. A male with black ruffled hair and black eye liner under his eyes had her questioning the messy presentation of his uniform. She noticed his tie loose around his neck as he rested his hands inside his pockets. For a second, she noticed the red bandana tied around his wrist, similar to Souma's.
Where did he come from? And his eyes were still glued on the bowl?
"Did you just say 'keh'?" She questioned.
No reply.
Her eyes narrowed. "Can I help you?"
The black-haired male shrugged back before meeting her glare.
The tension in the room got heavy; students in other stations shifted their focus to the lightning between their glares being shared. Sparks of judgment radiated off from the two and students were left awed in fear by the silent argument sprouting.
All of them could only blink in fear and question in their heads, 'they are fighting without saying anything?!'
'Something that adds shock in a luxury hotel, huh?' Eyeing the ingredients on his tray, Souma snapped his fingers soon after before placing the final stuff on his metal tray and turning around to place it on the island behind him. Putting it down with a confident smile, Souma nodded to himself. "Yosh, I think what I have in mind is good!" He pushed his long sleeves up to his elbows, "let's get started-!"
Souma immediately jumped in place as his focus was pulled to the pale and short white-haired female with ruby hues leaning on his counter and observing his tray. "W-Woah!". He blinked, taken back by her quiet approach. "Who are you?!" He noticed the school uniform on her, but for the life of him, he had no idea if he had seen her before?
"Hmm…?" She hummed as she took note of all the ingredients and equipment the transfer student had set on his counter. Tomatoes, eggs, blender, heavy cream, and garlic? Resting her chin over her hands where her elbows rested on the counter, she raised a brow. "Looks like you are about to cook a pretty good dish there."
"Huh?" Souma's brow rose back. "Yeah, you could say that." He took another look at her pale skin and red eyes. Definitely someone he thought he could have remembered among the students. 'Who is she? Her skin and hair are white as hell!'
Pushing herself off the counter, she sent Souma a smile. "Looking forward to tomorrow's show. I'm sure it will be fun!" Giggling under her breath, she turned to leave, "Ryou, let's go."
Souma blinked finding no one but her standing in wait.
"Ryou?" She blinked before turning her head over her shoulder to find his presence gone. "Ryou!" Shouting, she whipped her head left and right. "Ryou! Where did you-?!" Noticing all eyes presently looking over at a station with two chefs exchanging glares, her cheeks puffed with anger. "Ryou! You were supposed to follow and stand diagonally from me!"
Ending the staring on his end, the black-haired male turned his attention over to his call. "She distracted me, Miss."
"When?!" Kagome slammed the egg shells on the counter. "You were judging me!"
"When?" He questioned back.
"Right now!"
"Did you pick a fight with your face, Kagome?" Souma questioned from the sidelines.
Delivering another glare to her childhood friend, she pointed her finger. "Don't make me go over there to headlock you."
The pale female sighed under her breath as she looked over her shoulder to see Souma sticking out his tongue at Kagome. "I apologize, but what were we talking about?"
"We weren't talking about anything." He replied. "Oh, do you two already know what you're making?"
"Pretty much!" She winked. "I wish you both luck on your recipe testing. See ya!"
Watching them take their leave, Souma crossed his arms. "Well, that was interesting." He pointed at the closing door with his thumb. "Do you know them, Kagome-?" He blinked watching the leftover sparks in her glare. What did the guy do to get her pissed?
"So that was Yukihira Souma-kun, huh?" Walking down the quiet hall of the hotel, she flicked her white hair back before eyes narrowed at the memory of his ingredients. "I have heard all the rumors, but he doesn't seem to be anything special if you ask me. He is even planning on making that. He is asking for a failing grade." Chuckling under her breath, red hues looked over her shoulder to see her partner walking behind her. "What did you think about her – Higurashi Kagome – Ryou-kun?"
Eyes glued ahead, Ryou remained silent.
"Were you able to catch what she was making?" She questioned.
"Tea."
Stopping in her tracks, she turned her body to face him diagonally. "Tea? What do you mean?"
Ryou shrugged, "she had tea leaves."
"Tea, huh?" She hooked her fingers under her chin. "Perhaps…". Smirking decorating her lips, she turned back around. "We will just have to wait and see if she passes, right?"
With a long yawn, Kagome closed one eye as the bright lights of the banquet space greeted her. Two hours of sleep were going to end up becoming her cause of death, that she knew. 'Banquet Room B, huh?' As far as she knew, two banquet rooms were prepared for their upcoming trial and the minute she checked where she would be she saw Souma heading into the opposite room. She felt rested and calmer but looking around at the stations in the banquet hall and other students in their frantic turmoil. Should she also be in a panic? Eyes glued on the others either half-asleep or screaming internally, Kagome walked over to her own station while tying her hair up in a high ponytail.
All they could do now was to pray they could pass without trouble.
Reaching her station, she turned her head to the right only to freeze at the gaze of a familiar spice-chef.
"Hayama-kun?"
His name calmly fished him out of his task to prepare and turn to the station to his left. He raised a brow noticing Kagome in Totsuki's official white chef uniform. A small chuckled escaped his lips, "fate brought us here?"
"It would seem so." She shrugged. Walking over to the back of her station she nodded at her ingredients and some of the pots heavy with the result. All she needed to do was do the last heating cycle and prepare the plating.
"The spices you have chosen…".
Kagome looked at Hayama from the corner of her eyes.
"…not a bad idea."
"You know what I'm making?" She questioned.
"I have an idea." He replied. Making his way to the border separating their stations, he reached over to grab one of the containers she kept her loose tea leaves. "You don't look as panicked as the others?" He blinked the moment the container was swiped away from his hand.
Kagome placed the container back on the counter. "Should I be?"
Nodding to her attitude, he was pleased to find that the assignment itself was not the thing to have her on guard. She was growing as a chef, but there was still…hesitation? Or was it doubt in herself? "And the Shokugeki? Since you are still here it means you won, right?"
Kagome's brows furrowed before relaxing her facial expression. "Total defeat."
"Is that so? A miracle must have occurred then. Shokugekis aren't taken lightly here, you know."
"Yeah," she rolled her eyes remembering the whole fiasco with Shinomiya and Kouga, "you can say that."
"And how do you feel about the outcome?"
The question caught her off guard; her focus landed on his waiting expression. How did she feel? Pupils lingering down in thought, she had to ask herself that. How did she even feel? Sure she felt relieved that they were still "alive" and present, but was the right way to feel?
"I…," her shoulders dropped, "I didn't think that through…".
"What about Yukihira?"
Her eyes met his again.
"How did he feel after the Shokugeki?"
Pupils widening slightly, Kagome's stomach churned. Souma…he never really expressed anything after the Shokugeki. Nothing. That was unusual for her. Her thoughts scrambled; her eyes moved left and right on the counter.
He stayed silent and smiled at the end.
He chose to say nothing.
Blink after blink, Souma's mouth fell open as he entered the banquet hall. "Woah! It's freaking huge!" The room looked big enough to hold five weddings! Students rushed back and forth from their stations to their equipment as they prepared their work space. Others tried to catch their sleep on the floor. As he made his way to his station, he stopped the second he saw Megumi in the middle of the room where her station rested. He raised a brow as he caught her writing the kanji 'man' on her hand once again.
'She's…doing it again.' Turning his head, he blinked noticing a blonde Italian chef pointing and yelling at him from across the room. "Oh! Takumi is here, too?" He titled his head to the side as he tried to read the words coming out of Takumi's lips. "He's saying something, but it's hard to hear him…". Reaching his area, he nodded at the equipment laid on his counters. "Okay, so this is my spot."
The sound of heavy trays made his head snap up to see his neighbor chef. "Oh!" He blinked before pointing at the blonde female, "Nakiri! Guess we're right next to each other today!"
Cheeks exploded red as she took a step back. "Y-Y-Yukihira-kun?!"
"We keep running into each other in this camp, huh?" He smiled before snapping his fingers. "This is good! This will be my first time seeing your cooking."
Calming herself, Erina crossed her arms as she watched Souma arrange his station. 'Guess this is a good opportunity for him to see why I am superior.' Erina scoffed as the corner of her lips curved upwards. "Feel free to savor the gap between our cooking, if you think it will do you any good."
"Eh?" He blinked. "You want to do a taste comparison? I'm all for that, but it will have to wait until this test is over, okay?"
Her brow twitched having her words jumbled to his liking. "T-That's not what I meant!" She cursed under her breath, 'does he not get my sarcasm?!'
"Well, let's just do our best, okay?" Souma smiled.
Exhaling heavily Erina turned to refocus on her task only to stop at the sight of the blender in his hands. "A blender?" She questioned. "Are you planning to make some kind of souffle?"
Souma nodded, "yup! I'm planning on making an omelette. I'm going to whip the egg whites into a meringue and then cooking the dish which will give it a special and different texture. A souffle omelette! The surprise texture is what Totsuki wants, right?"
"What Totsuki wants, huh?" Erina questioned.
"What do you think?" Souma asked.
"Nothing," she turned her back, "nothing really." Hiding the smirk she held, her eyes narrowed darkly. 'Texture...'.
Glaring at the wall on the far end of the banquet, Kagome held back her annoyance. The other banquet hall was on the other side, but that did not mean it was soundproof enough to block Souma's shout.
"Was that Yukihira?" Hayama asked as he looked at the wall over his shoulder.
"It wouldn't be anyone else." She sighed. Everyone had heard it. Shaking her head, she turned on the stove on her station before placing a pot over it.
A huge screen at the end of the rooms turned on revealing Dojima holding a microphone and a black background; heads tilted upwards.
"Each of you is ready to present your dish, I presume?"
Kagome's brow crooked up.
"I will no explain the conditions for passing the test. First, I'll introduce the judges."
Heads turned to the double doors opening before all students were shocked to see the sea of customers, resort employees and other chefs walking in. Kids ran in first eyeing the stations with readied food.
"Kids?" Kagome whispered.
"They are people who grow and produce ingredients for Totsuki Resort Hotels, and their families. Every year, they serve as judges at this camp. They are all informed about the theme: an egg dish. Their judging is quite accurate."
Souma blinked as saw the last three judges walking behind the crowd. Three older men: one buffed with muscles, the middle one being a senior, and the one at the far right a skinny older male all dressed in black. He blinked again taking an estimate that they were all in their 50s, if not older. The aura they emitted made him nod, and the badges on their clothes revealed they were owners of a string bean farm, a chicken egg farm, and a cheese farm, respectively.
Souma snapped his fingers, "these guys know their shit!"
"Oi!" One of the students whispered as they saw the trio of farm owners walking amongst their stations. "That is the famous natural cheese owner, Kyusaku-san!"
A female student nodded, "and that older male is Tokuzo-san! He has worked with Totsuki and farming eggs for them for a long time."
He nodded back having heard his neighbor and gulped, "and Kosuke-san is a local string bean farm owner. Why are they here!?"
"Totsuki Resort's cooking and service staff will also join the judging team!" Dojima continued as some of the resort's staff walked in.
"Oh!" Another female student blinked at the sight of a well groomed male dressed in a butler suit standing under the door frame with the staff behind him. "The steward of the service department! Sakuma-san! And right next to him…Chef Dojima's right hand- chef?! Chef Sena?!"
Souma crossed his arms, "these judges will be tough."
"There are two judging criteria today. One is whether your dish presents an inspiration worthy of acknowledgment by our professionals and the staff. The other is to prepare and serve more than two hundred servings in two hours!"
"Two hundred servings, huh?" Kagome nodded to herself. Taking another look at the judges roaming around the stations, she saw the variety. Men and women; old and young. The taste ranged high and low, and that was the challenge. Wowing their audience was crucial to passing. And right now they were being judged on one of the most important meals of the day for families: breakfast.
"Those who fulfil those two criteria will pass the test! Very well, honored judges, please enjoy the breakfast! May the judging begin!"
As soon as they were free to start, both student-chefs and judges scrambled. Kagome looked over at her boiling pot before removing the lid and smiling at eggs resting in a bed of tea and other spices. It was a risk to try the dish she had planned, but she had her mother's words in her head to thank.
'A buffet in a hotel means families. Families mean children.' Opening the other pot beside it, she smiled at the blue tea water. 'Children are picky with food.' But they needed their nutrition. Getting a set of white bowls from the shelf below her, she began to scoop out some of the eggs from the water. Smiling at the shell painted in brown and the others in blue she began to plate them inside the bowl. She had boiled them over night without the tea and rolled them to crack the shell slightly. The second part of her night was to boil them in the tea waters she prepared. The recipe in mind called different flavored tea eggs and some in different colors to capture the attention of all ages.
Curiosity easily took over sense, especially a child's curiosity.
"Jun asked about you."
Freezing in the middle of her plating, Kagome looked at her neighbor setting aside a puree of tomatoes and coconut milk. "You mean Shiomi-sensei?"
Hayama smirked, "she wanted to know if you have made a decision about joining the club."
Placing the first black tray of her dish out at the front of her station, she smiled at her finished product. "I have thought about it," she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, "and it doesn't sound like a bad idea." It was chance to learn more about spices and herbs, something she had learned during her feudal days, but the information for sure was outdated.
But still wise.
"Jun will be thrilled to hear that." Hayama continued to mix his ingredients together. "It will be great to advance the club's research and value."
She blinked, "value?"
"Oh, such a fragrant dish!" Looking at the pizza shape egg dish filled with tomatoes and cheese, a brunette female wearing the hotel's front desk uniform stared with curiosity. "May I ask what it is?"
"It's a frittata."
Both she and her co-worker holding her hair up in a bun, stared at the young Italian boy who brought out a bowl with lettuce and other salad toppings already resting inside.
The brunette female nodded with a smile. "An Italian egg dish, huh? Made with cheese, right?"
"I don't know," the other female contemplated, "it may be a bit boring as a breakfast dish?"
"Not at all," Takumi smiled as he grabbed one of the frittata plates. "I'll be serving my frittata to you as a salad!"
Nerves froze Megumi completely on scene as she watched the wave of people walk back and forth in front of her station. Despite her dish being complete, her doubts clouded everything else in her head now. All she could do was wait to see who would come by to take a bite.
Eyes landing on three older men walking and harshly judging the other stations, she gulped. "Ano…," the three quickly turned around with a grunt making her jolt, "U-Um, p-please come try my dish if you would like!" Pushing one of the dishes forward for them to see, she gulped harder noticing the three males were the older males and owners of the farms. "I-It's a single-bite breakfast oden!"
The three males looked down to see bite sized quail eggs, tofu, brussels sprouts, carrots and other vegetables with toothpicks sticking out for easy grabbing.
"Oden?" Tokuzo questioned.
"Not to mention," Kosuke brought one of the petite eggs to his eyes by grabbing the tooth pick, "this is a quail egg on the skewer!"
"Oh, I see," Tokuzo nodded with gloom lingering over his eyes, "chicken eggs aren't the only eggs available. So that's her choice…".
Megumi shook – mostly her legs – as she watched the three males grunted and grabbed the prepared bowls and slowly take a bite.
Tokuzo immediately melted into the warmth as he took a bite of the quail egg. The gloom over them blew away before looking at Megumi with soothing eyes. "What a comforting taste! With every bite you take the mild broth enveloped around the egg fills your mouth!"
"And the vegetables are all bite-sized and colorful!" Kosuke added. "You can't resist picking them up!"
The slender of the males immediately faced Megumi, making her 'eep' from the proximity. "You!" He exclaimed. "Will you marry my grandson?"
She blinked, "e-eh…?"
Ikumi smirked as she watched Chef Dojima's right hand man, Chef Sena, feel the explosions of her loco moco donburi dish. With his attention alone, he was able to attract those around and give away more than fifty dishes easily.
'Okay!' She nodded, watching others flock to get a dish of their own. 'I could leverage the recipe I tested in Don RS. It'll be a piece of cake to make two hundred-!' Ikumi jolted in place the moment she caught a pair of red eyes staring at her from the other side of her counter space. "O-Oi!"
"Have we met before?"
Ikumi blinked noticing the white haired and pale female wearing a Totsuki chef uniform having questioned her. "I-It's you!"
"Oh!" She smiled. "You're one of Erina's lackeys, but…," the smile shifted into a smirk, "I haven't seen you around recently. Ah, I see. Did Erina decide you weren't worthy of her?"
"Shut up!" Ikumi exploded. "Do you want me to beat you up?!"
Waving her hand with a smile, she turned to leave. "My apologies. I'll be taking my leave."
Fumes of annoyance sizzled out of her head as Ikumi watched the white haired female make her way to her station. 'What the hell was that?! Why did she have to come?' Ikumi blinked noticing her dish laid out in front but, 'no one is…going? A boiled egg…another unshelled egg, and…a raw egg cracked onto the dish? What kind of dish is that?'
"This is so cool! Look at this momma!"
Smiling at the boy's excitement, Kagome watched as the toddler boy and his mother took a bite of her Chinese boiled tea eggs. She took of one of the empty black trays from the front before placing it to the left with the now empty bowls getting stacked as they went.
'That make it sixty-two!' She nodded to herself before looking at the timer over the screen. 'I can do this!'
Shifting her focus to take a peek at Hayama's dish, she noticed him placing another round of his egg curry. Something that was flourishing success. Whatever the dish was exactly, both young and old were loving it.
The neighboring competition was beginning to make her feel nervous she would not reach his fast number – her eyes shifted to the front of her dishes – but she had to.
Kagome immediately felt her insides jump as she saw a familiar feudal face staring at her plates. She blinked before shaking her shock away.
"O-Oi! Kouga!" She whispered, checking no other customers were around. "W-What are you doing here?!"
The wolf youkai grabbed one of the plates before taking half a bite of the egg dyed blue. "Judging." He replied, cheeks filled of food.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously; he continued to chew with eyes glued on her.
"Do you even work?" She sighed.
"Excuse you, but this is work." Swallowing what was left over in his hand, he smirked at the idea of her dish. "Well, well, I'm shocked to see an old dish like this around here. Not many know or do tea boiled eggs. Takes me back." After eating all three eggs, he placed the empty bowl on the side making a new tower. "Want me to help you reach two hundred?"
Kagome blinked, but suspicion lingered.
Kouga reached for another dish only to glare at the ex-priestess that was quick to slap his hand away. "Oi."
"That is now how it's done, Kouga." Kagome huffed as she rearranged the dishes.
"Well," he rubbed his hand, "I could make an announcement to make everyone come here-".
She plopped one egg into his mouth, "don't you dare."
Between his chewing, Kouga rolled his eyes. "I'm just kidding. I'm confident you won't need my help passing this test."
Kagome blinked again. 'Help passing…'. The events of the Shokugeki against Shinomiya flashed in her head before Souma's smile after the turmoil of passing made her frown. 'That's right…we are still here because,' her eyes softened as she stared at her old time friend continuing to chew, 'Kouga rescued us. It wasn't our skills. It wasn't Souma-kun…'.
Hayama's words echoed in her head.
'What about Yukihira?'
Taking a look at the wall separating the banquet halls, she wondered if Souma's confidence was still the same.
"I'll warn you though," Kouga interrupted, "your true rivals will show up from this. Keep an eye out."
Ready to question his statement, Kagome stopped herself as she saw Kouga turning to Hayama's station.
"He just set his hundredth plate."
Taking another look at her stack of empty plates, Kagome took a second to think to herself. No more saving. She needed to push through with or without Souma.
"Don't worry…," she whispered, "I got this."
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: Now I HIGHLY recommend you watching the episodes so you get a basic idea of the others and what they are doing in this arc. I am mainly focusing on Kagome in this, and then the others. And there is a reason why I haven't revealed names on certain characters. Other than that...I really do hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Please review, it would be much appreciated!
Ja~ne!