chap. 4 toko/teruteru
toko inquires the ultimate chef about the best way to a man's heart
It had taken some time before Master had started eating in front of the others, in the dining room. Still, only on the days the ultimate cook, a guy from the grade above them, made the meals. Toko has to admit that the food those days were the best of the week's, so she's not surprised to learn that those were the only meals Master will accept from the school. He was probably paying the cook to make him his food on all the other days anyways.
One day, while the writer was sitting in her corner, watching her master wipe his chin with a napkin from across the dining hall (even though it was clean, flawless as ever) an idea popped into her head. While Byakuya seems to be hiding the fact, he did enjoy the food brought to them by their upperclassman. Maybe she can use that to get closer to her beloved?
Toko is an antisocial creature. So it was practically torture approaching one of the students from the 77th class and asking them about the whereabouts of the ultimate chef. Thankfully, she seemingly hit the jackpot with a blonde girl (who was too suspiciously delightful. Too airheaded and simple for her master, even though she was pretty and was of high status) that was straight forward about the description of her classmate.
No one in this school looked the same, so it wasn't too hard to find the chef- Teruteru, as the princess told her- after that. He was in the library, reading cookbooks by himself. Toko isn't sure if that's considered studying or not.
"A-Are you Teruteru?" she stammers, no mercy to the fact that she's interrupting his reading, something that Toko would usually take very seriously.
"Huh?" The chubby boy lifts his head from his book, and although it's clear he doesn't recognize her (who does? They all just hate her), he still flashes a smile. "Yes I am. How can I help you?" he asks in a smooth voice.
Fidgeting with her hands, the author grimaces. She hasn't thought too far ahead, but hopefully she can get this over and done with already. It shouldn't be too hard for her to think of a convincing excuse. "Do you know B-Byakuya Togami? What foods does he like most? A-And where can I get the recipes for them?" In thought of her wonderful master, Toko can't help but blush, a shaky grin forming on her face the more she speaks of her plan.
This notion is noticed by the chef, who seems intrigued. "Byakuya Togami, you say? Well, it depends on which one, I suppose,"
Toko scoffs. "Not t-that wannabe fatty faker. I mean the real Byakuya! What foods w-would he like?"
"Oh- Okay, no need to be harsh," Teruteru stammers, sweat beading off his brow. This is taking too much time…! "I can tell you what he usually likes to order from my menu… But even though I can make due with the supply the school gives me, I'm afraid that even with the recipe, if you don't have the right ingredients from the correct brands… and if you don't have the skill… Do you cook regularly?" he questions suddenly, cutting himself off.
Why is he being so meticulous?! What does he care?! "I just want t-the darn recipes!" she growls, finger twitching.
"Hey now," he scolds, "I know just as much as anyone else that the way tuh uh man's heart is through his stomach, but it'd bey uh damn waste to just throw out perfectly good food for uh fool who doesn't know how tah cook!" Is that a southern accent?! More importantly, ignoring the fact that he had just insulted her, Toko decides to focus on a different part of what he said.
"You know as m-much as anyone?" she repeats, "D-Does that mean you know how to seduce a person through cooking?"
Teruteru blinks, and in the next second he's back to being composed, somewhat, a comb appearing out of nowhere and now carding through his styled hair, "Well of course I do! It's one of the pleasures of cooking…! I don't eat it all by myself, so I might as well get something out of sharing, you know?"
"D-Do you cook for one person and share w-with everyone, then?" she asks more out of curiosity than anything. If this person really knows what he's doing, then she might learn something, but the way he's speaking is a bit confusing.
"Hmmhmm? Not anyone specific, no. But I don't mind if someone appreciates it more than others."
Thoroughly baffled, Toko runs her hands through her bangs. "I don't understand. A-Are you trying to romance e-everyone you cook for?"
That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because in that moment Teruteru happily starts monologuing about all the reactions he might get from his classmates the moment they experience his food (reactions that he admitted had never occurred, but then stated he'll work hard to make sure it might happen in the future), and about all the different kinds of ways you can use food- that isn't eating- and how he plans to make his fellow students fall in love with him with the power of his talent.
The more he spoke, the more nauseous the writer felt. This guy is… a total creep! There's definitely something wrong with him. He doesn't even realize when she leaves him to storm out of the library, thankful for once that Master isn't there to hear the atrocious rambling spewing from this man's mouth.
Most frustrating of all, though, is that it almost seems like he's somehow insinuating that she's like that. She knows she tends to cross a few boundaries (and that Jill crosses even more of them) but he just doesn't understand the love she has for her master.
It's just a little hidden, right now.
It's definitely different… right?
Right.