Chapter 26 - Elite Ten Reshuffle Competition: Akira vs. Megumi part 1


"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ayame stepped on her proverbial accelerator as she raced through the courtyard of Tootsuki with her two friends trailing behind.

The three of them were attracting a lot of attention especially that they were wearing their grey Karakura High school uniform. They were sporting the red trimmed, grey blazers, big red bow tie and grey skirts while Kuchiyose-kun was in grey dress pants. Meanwhile Tootsuki student uniforms screamed preparatory school with their navy blue blazers with white-trimmed pockets and lapels. Navy blue dress pants for boys, and plaid skirts and striated bow ties for girls. Ayame ignored all the curious stares as she followed the congregated mass into the shokugeki hall. Well, she assumed that was where they were all headed and she constantly referred to the Takumi's hand-drawn map on her piece of paper.

She was very excited to be invited back to Tootsuki again. Posters and banners advertising the event were everywhere and definitely made is look like a festival. Takumi-kun was unable to get the Tootsuki passes for her to enter Tootsuki in time, but he assured her that he had asked one of his senpais by the name of Isshiki Satoshi and that senpai was more than happy to welcome their little brood to spectate. Ayame had never felt so relieved in her life after Takumi-kun came to visit yesterday. After that little debacle she'd realise how silly she was being. His comforting and protective arms around her, those warm and encouraging words filled with love made all her demons turn tail. She was truly a lucky girl, to the point that she felt quite embarrassed about doubting him. Ayame did a little first pump on the inside. She was determined to show Takumi-kun that she was strong and doing alright again. Like he said, 'no more tears' and pick herself up and try again. The last thing she wanted was for him to needlessly fuss over her when he had other things to worry about like his own competition.

Ayame, Chizuru-chan and Kuchiyose-kun bottle-necked at the doors with the other students.

"What are outsiders doing here?"

"How did they know about the Elite Ten competition? I thought it's only for our school!"

"How can Tootsuki allow a people from a delinquent school to come?"

Ayame mentally sighed. Karakura high school did seem to attract a lot of applications from delinquents, but she was surprised that Tootsuki knew about this since they sort of lived in their own little untainted world. Ayame didn't worry about the dubious and curious looks she was getting, only Kuchiyose-kun seemed to be bothered by it and Chizuru-chan probably welcomed it with open arms. She was wondering if those behind-the-back comments deserved an explanation, but thought not today. She and her friends needed to find that viewing room the Elite Ten and the other competitors were allowed to stay in because that's where Takumi said he would be.

"Guys, I think we take these stairs" said Ayame pointing to the closest railing. Her two friends followed suit. They reached up halfway up the stairs when suddenly were stopped in their tracks.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here, if I may ask?"

Ayame looked up to meet the eyes of a rosette haired girl. She had chin had a chin length bob-cut and a full heart-shaped face. She was a very pretty girl with deep and dark magenta eyes. She raised an eyebrow and her lips were pursed together. Her uniform was immaculate, but unlike the other female Tootsuki students, she wore a neck-tie instead of the bow-tie. She had the air about her like a guard-dog, sensing that something was out of place. Ayame felt weirded out under her scrutinising stare, like she was being visually stripped. This girl was all business and no-nonsense, she could tell.

"Hi, my name is Kanda Ayame and these are my friends" Ayame bowed politely and gestured behind her to her two friends. "We're here by Takumi Aldini's invitation"

"Oh right. Do you guys have Tootsuki passes?" she asked, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Well no. You see Takumi-kun is my—"

"I'm sorry but if you don't have passes then I'm afraid you shouldn't be on the premises" she said before Ayame could finish her sentence, which took her by surprise. Her tone sounded very final and she crossed her arms over her chest, levelling her with a cool stare. The girl sighed and grimaced before her expression became stern again.

Ayame cleared her throat "I understand that but Takumi-kun said—"

"Look I know Aldini-san is very nice to you girls, but he's nice to everyone. Do you understand? I've seen a lot of young female school students try to—"

"Ah! Kanda-san is that you?"

A cheerful voice called out from behind the rosette haired girl. Ayame leaned to the side to catch a glimpse of whoever said that and found her gaze falling on a rather charming looking boy. He had short auburn hair that was gently touseled. He smiled brightly, with his eyes crinkling in mirth and had dimples from his wide grin. He had a good jawline which made him look more mature than a student. Like everyone else, his uniform was pristine. He stepped down towards them and extended a bow to Ayame and she reflexively bowed back. He had a very calm and benevolent aura around him, which was very different from the rest of the Tootsuki students. Once he opened his eyes, Ayame was stunned by his deep ocean blue irises. They were very sharp, almost piercing.

"Yep, that's me" said Ayame. Was he familiar?

"My name is Isshiki Satoshi and welcome to Tootsuki's Shokugeki Hall. I see you've met Hisako-san"

"Eh? You know her Isshiki-senpai?" The girl named Hisako twisted around abruptly.

"Of course! I believe you are the young lady I've given Tootsuki passes to during the holidays by Aldini-kun's request, no?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh it was you who gave them to Takumi-kun? Thank you so much, Isshiki-san! My friends and I really enjoyed our tour around Tootsuki during the summer holidays" said Ayame she gestured to her friends standing patiently behind her "These are my friends, Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko"

"Yo"

"…"

"It's a pleasure" said Isshiki-san, bowing again.

"Umm… What's going on?" said Hisako. She flicked her head back and forth, trying to make sense of the conversation taking place.

"This is Aldini-kun's girlfriend. He's asked if they could come to watch the match today and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get him the passes promptly this time around. But I assured him that as long as they use my name, everything should be sorted" said Isshiki-san.

"Oh! A-apologies on my part. I didn't realise that you were Aldini-kun's girlfriend. I couldn't be too careful, especially with Tootsuki girls who regularly uses Takumi Aldini's name for their own agendas" said Hisako. She looked a bit sheepish by her mistake but Ayame could tell she was trying to hide is behind a mask of nonchalance.

"That's okay Hisako-san" said Ayame. "As you can see, we're not Tootsuki students. So if you had let me finish explaining myself before jumping to conclusions, then we would've saved each other a bit of heartache" she said, making sure to continue to smile.

Ayame had always believed herself to be a fair person. As a consequence she often found herself expecting the same thing from others. It often created quite a dilemma because she learnt too late that she couldn't expect everyone to behave the same way and have the same mannerisms as she did. Oh how she struggled connecting with people in middle school. She mentally sighed. Well… she still needed work in that kind of area. Good thing she had Chizuru-chan's brash nature to disintegrate all those expectations into dust. With this girl in front of her, she wondered if she sounded a bit too harsh telling her that straight up. She didn't think Hisako-san was being unreasonable. It seemed logical that since Takumi-kun was a gorgeous guy and highly rated in the school, he probably did have a lot of girls after him… Ayame tried not to think about that… and they possible in the past have used his name to get what they wanted. Hisako-san probably made that assumption. Ayame was just a bit peeved that she didn't get a chance to explain herself.

Hisako-san shifted uncomfortably on the spot and her face was getting a bit flushed. Perhaps this girl wasn't used to being off the mark with her assumptions. Or maybe she was used to being in control of the situation because she seemed so self-assured and comfortable with cutting people off in the middle of a sentence without concerns for politeness. But at least she apologised and that was all it took for Ayame to leave all that behind her.

"Please come this way, Aldini-kun is up in the primary viewing box with the other contestants" said Isshiki-san. He stepped aside for Ayame and her friends to pass and they both followed in the direction he was pointing to.

Ayame's excitement was bubbling in the pits of her belly. This was so exciting! An official tournament match! Once the three of them got there, she hesitantly peeked her head around the corner, nervous about meeting more of Takumi-kun's classmate. She could a few unfamiliar faces and also familiar ones like Yukihira-san, Kurokiba-san and Alice-san. Finally her eyes landed on Takumi-kun with Isami-kun. Ayame nibbled her bottom lip, not knowing if it was alright just to 'rock up'.

"AYA!"

Chizuru-chan pushed her roughly into the room.

Suddenly everyone stopped conversing and spun around directly towards her. Takumi-kun's eyes instantly connected with hers and her insides melted when he smiled and his eyes lit up like gleaming turquoise.

"Ayame!" Takumi-kun called out. He briskly made his way to him and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheeks which Ayame gladly took.

"How about one for me?" smirked Chizuru-chan.

"When you grow taller than a tomato plant" Takumi-kun rolled his eyes.

"Ah! Ayame-chan, Namikaze-chan, Kuchiyose-kun, how are you guys?" Isami-kun followed closely behind his brother. He gave Ayame a hug also and hugged Chizuru-chan which caught her by surprise. Then he gave Kuchiyose-kun a handshake.

"Hey, you made it! Takumi said you folks would turn up. I can't believe you guys left your school in the middle of the day" said Yukihira-san. He came over to greet them. He gave Kuchiyose-kun a hand shake and nodded to Chizuru-chan.

"Let me introduce you to everyone else" said Takumi-kun. "This is urgh…Mimasaka Subaru…" he groaned.

It was obviously Takumi-kun didn't expect to be his worst enemy to be standing so close to him. That guy was almost as silent as Otou-san and Kuchiyose-kun. Ayame had never actually seen the guy, but he looked just like she had imagined based on Takumi-kun's description. Those descriptions weren't flattering either. He had stepped forward right beside Takumi-kun, probably trying to take the Mickey out of Takumi-kun and snatch the honour of being the first person to be introduced. He was an enormous boy with large muscles. He had a wide torso and heavy set jaw with thick, full lips. He was significantly tanned, as if he lived in Okinawa all his life. His hair was styled in hip-hop looking African braids which reached his shoulders. He had a grotesque smile, almost perverse and Ayame wanted to gag. She felt he was staring at her too much. So this was the guy who'd tried to spy on her family house four times…

"Nice to actually see you Mimasaka-san. Were you able to fix your camera and listening device in the end?" Ayame painted on an angelic smile, hiding her gnashing teeth.

"Heh, actually you owe me for that" he sneered at her.

"You make me laugh" she said back innocently, her voice masking the impudence in her words.

"Anyway, this is Nakiri Erina" continued Takumi-kun before Ayame could chew out this Mimasaka guy. He placed his hands on her shoulder and swivelled her in the other direction.

Ayame was suddenly facing an elegant looking girl. She had long golden hair reaching her waist and her eyes were an exquisite violet shade. Her bangs framed her porcelain white face perfectly. If Ayame didn't know any better, she looked like she could be born in an aristocratic family, just from looking at her body language. Nakiri Erina held herself with such grace and poise. It bordered upon intimidation. The way she had one arm crossed over her stomach and the other resting its elbow on her forearm as she lightly grasped her chin made certain that she had the upper-hand in this obvious power imbalance. Ayame thought it was the trick of the light, but she seemed to be concentrating on looking at Kuchiyose-kun before she gave Ayame a quiet 'up and down' survey with her eyes as if assessing her in every detail. She didn't smile. She seemed to be looking at her from down her nose and Ayame instantly felt a bit jittery.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kanda Ayame and these are my friends Namikaze Chizuru and Kuchiyose Byakko" Ayame and her friends bowed also.

It took a while before Nakiri Erina responded and when she did she gave a bit of a haughty nod and a smirk. The girl named Hisako walked straight past Ayame and stood behind the beautifully elegant girl like she belonged in that position. So she was some sort of guard dog! Ayame thought it was quite amusing.

"Hmph. I can see why Aldini-kun would choose you. You seem like a sensible girl" she said. Her voice was silky and her accent was definitely upper-class.

"Uh… Thanks?" Ayame genuinely didn't know how to respond to such a compliment. She wasn't aware she exuded an aura of 'sensibility'.

"This is Arato Hisako, Nakiri Erina's assistant" continued Takumi-kun.

"Oh yes, we've met coming up the stairs" said Ayame. Hisako-san turned her head away slightly and was still blushing.

"Hey, hey! Do you want to know something really cool about Nakiri?" Yukihira-san suddenly popped up from beside Ayame giving her a bit of a fright and making Takumi-kun scowl at him. He was sporting an impish grin. Now that Ayame got a chance to see Yukihira-san in the school environment, his clothes were slightly rumpled and had a long white sash around his right wrist, giving Ayame the impression that he was a very individualised person whose priorities definitely didn't lie in the dress code. She heard Takumi-kun sigh on her other side.

"Sure. I'm always looking for interesting facts" replied Ayame cheerfully.

"Listen here Yukihira! My ability isn't something to be shown off like a novelty" said Nakiri Erina as she scolded him.

"Oh come on! Kanda-san, Namikaze-san and Kuchiyose-san probably had never seen anything like it" Yukihira-san rolled his eyes. "Besides, I bet you're dying to tell them anyway"

Ayame didn't think that Nakiri Erina's face could be any more red, or her temporal vein could pulse any more erratically, or her right eye could twitch in annoyance any more sporadically. So much for her poise and elegance earlier. Her shoulders instantly shook and her fists clenched tightly with unbridled fury for Yukihira-san. Despite her cool and cold disposition she portrayed to Ayame, she looked like she could get worked up very easily, even from just a bit of teasing.

"Nakiri has an ability called the God's Tongue." He said excitedly without any regard for the classmate he was jesting with.

"God's Tongue? What is that?" asked Ayame.

Erina Nakiri cleared her throat after she recomposed her elegant self "Basically my tastebuds are so sensitive, I can taste food with extreme accuracy. I was born with this ability" She certainly sounded very proud of herself.

"I can make at least fifty distinctions or comparisons between two of the same dishes, I can tell exactly how long something's been cooked, undercooked or overcooked down to each second, I can tell which region of Japan each ingredient comes from whilst blindfolded, I can tell exactly how cold or hot something down is down to each degree Celsius, I can detect every single mistake made to a dish no matter how subtle they are and generate perfect solutions for them. I can tell all this only from one sip or one mouthful" finished Nakiri Erina.

Ayame was baffled beyond belief. Such an extraordinary ability! And she thought Takumi-kun was gifted. That certainly deserved the name of God's Tongue. The dishes she made must be no less than divine and tasted like perfection itself. Ayame's mouth watered purely from thinking about this ability. She concluded that Nakiri Erina must be one of those 'supertasters', whose tongue were born with more than the average number of tastebuds or something like that.

"Amazing. You're so lucky to be able to appreciate every aspect of a dish, whereas the rest of us non-foodies probably only taste the surface compared to you" she said in awe.

Nakiri Erina continued to smirk.

"Nakiri-san often takes on taste-testing jobs even from the best chefs in Japan and gives advices on how to improve it" contributed Isami-kun.

"She's like the complete opposite of you Namikaze-san!" said Yukihira-san.

Chizuru-chan was gesturing the 'cutting throat' signal to him but Yukihira-san took no notice of it at all.

"Why do you say that, Yukihira?" scoffed Nakiri Erina.

"Long story, you don't want to know" replied Chizuru-chan curtly but Yukihira jumped straight in.

"It's nothing for you to be ashamed of, Namikaze-san" Yukihira-san patted Chizuru-chan on the back and she brushed his hand away. Normally Chizuru-chan was extremely fickle with who was allowed to physically touch her.

"It's not that…"

Suddenly something didn't feel right to Ayame. She realised that Kuchiyose-kun was no longer standing with them. She peered around searching for him and he wasn't hard to miss. She spotted him standing on the other side of the room with Alice-san, flanked by Kurokiba-san. There was a massive space between them, like no-man's land, but they were talking to each other in hushed voices. She couldn't tell what the topic was though. She felt her boyfriend touch her arm, looking at her inquisitively. Ayame and he were quite in tuned with each other.

"It's Kuchiyose-kun and Alice-san. Do you think they're alright?"

"I don't know. I believe they still have a few things to sort out" Takumi whispered into her ear. She turned to look at him. What did he mean by that? "I spoke to Kuchiyose-kun yesterday about Alice-san being here in case if he had any issues but he was okay with it. Then he told me the story on how they met and how they broke up so that I could understand their situation. I think it's a good idea if they… you know… talked"

"Oh okay. So, how did it really happen?" asked Ayame. Kuchiyose-kun had been her friend for quite a while but his past was still a mystery to her and she didn't pressure him when it came to that.

"It's not really my place to say…" said Takumi-kun.

Was he blushing? Ayame narrowed her eyes suspiciously. So Kuchiyose-kun trusted and confided in Takumi-kun his past relationship and now he was probably bounded by some 'bro-code' to not break that confidence. Good to know that Kuchiyose-kun was speaking to Takumi-kun as least. Ayame turned back to the once-upon-a-time couple, trying to decipher what was going on. Alice-san was mostly staring straight forward, not making eye contact with him whilst Kuchiyose-kun was doing the same. Kurokiba-san looked… the same as when she first met him. Other than that, it didn't seem hostile.

"Everyone! The match is about to start" Isshiki-san appeared in the doorway and clapped his hands. Everyone stopped what they were doing and started to congregate towards the large floor-to-ceiling window.

Ayame stood beside Takumi-kun and pressed her hands against the glass. It was a tremendous view. She could see the whole stadium. There were two cooking stations, facing each other in the middle of the roped off square platform. The audience seats were surrounding it on all sides in different levels like bleachers, and were packed like sardines full of students. It was a massive turnout. This was probably the whole school. Right at the front was a panel of seats, which Takumi-kun explained were for judges. Three in total. In front of the panel was an electronic board with the number '0'. This was probably where the judges revealed their scores for each dish. The stadium lights were really strong and bright, lighting up every nook and cranny of the shokugeki hall so that not a single thing will be missed. Ayame's eyes trailed further and spotted another large electronic scoring board. Probably to display the total scores and the name of the winner. Ayame was getting pumped up!

"So who is competing again?" asked Ayame.

"Tadokoro-san and Hayama-san. Their theme today is High Tea"

"Oh wow!" Ayame squealed excitedly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, attention please. We apologise for the long wait. But now we will begin the first match of Round one for the Elite Ten Seats Reshuffle competition! Let us introduce our exclusive guest judges for the round"

"I wonder who it will be this time" said Isami-kun.

"Do you often get famous guests from outside of Tootsuki to judge?" asked Ayame.

"Si! We get well known gourmet food critics, CEO of food companies, school alumni and famous chefs. Even our own school director, Nakiri Senzaemon" replied Isami-kun.

A competition AND celebrities?! Ayame could just burst. The emcee announcement continued.

"Our first judge comes from one of Japan's noble family loyal to the imperial court and they've established world-wide international fame for senbei through their rapid success and expansion for one of Japan's oldest food companies. Their senbei and okashi business stretch back to the 1800s Edo period in Iga province, starting from a secret family recipe and now stand as a booming transnational food corporation, building a revenue of trillions of yen solely based on senbei exports and they are unrivalled by other snack-food companies. Their contribution to ancient and modern Japanese commercial food culture far surpasses any like we see today and they continue to flourish and carry Japan's name to more than one hundred and seventy countries and will continue to establish themselves across the globe"

"Our second judge is a determined, ambitious self-made man born with nothing. Through sheer willpower and passion is one of Japan's leading food marketer-turned- CEO to Japan's biggest instant Ramen food company. He currently holds the greatest record for donating money and supplies to charities and direct emergency services in times of crisis such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. With undying gratitude to the popular instant-food which saved his life from starvation many times over during his orphan years, this great man with a golden heart had worked his way up through the lowest of the lowest in his dream company all the way to the top gaining respect from everyone around him, with only a qualification from high school and his business survival skills!"

"Our third and final judge of the day is a world-leading specialist in Chinese herbal medicine. With both a practicing degree in surgery and outstanding qualifications in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, she was able to utilise her hands-on clinical practice to all of Japan's research in incorporating Eastern medicine with Western medicine and naturotherapy with amazing breakthroughs. She currently holds tenure as a teaching professor for the honours class in Tokyo University in Chinese Medicine and holds the chairperson on the board of Nippon Tōyō Igakkai, otherwise known as the 'Japan Society for Oriental Medicine' for six years running. She's also co-authored the revised edition of 'The Actual Practice of Kampō Medicine' still used by practicing herbalists today"

Ayame's heart was beating fast.

"Please give a warm welcome for our guest judges. CEO of Igakono Senbei Corp. Uchiha Sasuke, CEO of TopRamen Limited, Uzumaki Naruto and tenure professor of Toudai, Dr. Haruno Sakura!"


Megumi quaked in her shoes. If she thought that the Orie twins from the famous Haubi Food Corporations were a big deal, then she couldn't begin to comprehend the magnitude of the names blaring from the emcee. The Orie sisters were the owners and models on the 'Princess Curry' packaging, but their credentials fall away like wet cake compared to the Goliaths of the commercial food world, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, and the intelligence and highly respected presence of Dr Haruno Sakura.

The first man to appear behind the screen and take his seat promptly was the CEO of Igakono Senbei Corps. He had dark raven black hair with an indigo blue tint. It spiked lightly towards the back of his neck and his fringe covered most of his face, especially the left eye. He was an incredibly handsome man. He had a strong jawline and beautifully pale skin. His eyes were dark, filled with raw power fit for someone of his position and nobility as one of Japan's oldest clan, The Uchiha Clan, which had served the Imperial court for generations. Rumour told that they were once covert mercenaries and spies, or shinobi from the Iga province during the Sengoku period. However soon after the Meiji Restoration, they faded into obscurity and became stories. Megumi's favourite stories. Nowadays she was sure they continue to protect Japan and the Imperial family through economic and business means. He donned on a black-on-black-on-black designer suit. It was completely blacklike shadowand was pristine, really accentuating his class as an elite. He instantly established an air of superiority and intimidation, so striking that Megumi felt she needed to clasp her hands together tighter lest she buckle at the knees. His thin lips were set in a tight line as he surveyed the applauding crowd with his coal black, piercing eyes, exuding pure arrogance as he did so, before closing them and crossing his arms across his chest.

The second man flounced in like a burst of bright yellow and orange sunshine. It such a massive difference between the two CEOs! He was all smiles and waving his arms up and down as if he was really enjoying himself and glad to be here. He had short spiky blonde hair and gentle and kind cerulean blue eyes. They glittered under the stadium lights and Megumi was captivated by his overwhelmingly friendly presence. He was tanned and there were whisker marks on his cheeks, which was one of his defining features. He wore a smart orange blazer, a beige dress shirt and dark grey trousers, and a pair of sturdy boots. Megumi couldn't avert her eyes from the ball of energy waving ecstatically to the audience. His clothes were poorly coordinated, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest as he took his place beside the prim and proper CEO. He folded his arms behind his head as he continued to grin cheesily at the audience.

Finally Megumi stared wide eyed as a woman emerged from behind the screen. She wore a smart-casual blazer and blouse tucked into her form fitting dress paints. She held an air of intelligence, power and grace that Megumi could only dream of having. She had a beautiful heart shaped face, striking emerald green eyes. Her hair was the shade of cherry blossoms which was cropped at chin level and her fringe was fashionably pulled to the side. She was young and gorgeous! She gave a humble bow towards the audience and waved. Megumi could easily imagine this woman to be a doctor and professor at the Tokyo University just from the way she worked the room and the way she carried herself with such honour and dignity. She reminded Megumi of a new aged woman who was career-driven, unyielding and not afraid to pursue their dreams for high education, unlike the women in her country hometown. She took her place beside the CEO of TopRamen and propped her arms on the panel, fingers laced in front of her face as she adorned a professional smile.

"The contestants for today is Tadokoro Megumi and Hayama Akira!"

Megumu 'eeped' and took that as hers and Hayama-san's cue to emerge to the stage. Hayama-san strode past her as if she was nothing and confidently walked up to his own cooking station. Megumi hurried behind him being careful not to make a fool out of herself and trip. When she finally got to her spot she suddenly felt an overwhelming crushing sensation around her lungs and heart. Oh no, she was really feeling the pressure. She absolutely dreaded that. All of a sudden all her years in Tootsuki was coming under scrutiny in the judging eyes of the students of the school. She could vaguely hear chanting from the Polar Star dorms somewhere amongst the audience and relieved some of the suffocating feeling. That's right, she had friends to support her and that was all that mattered. She glanced nervously at Hayama-san, dressed in his dark and white trimmed uniform. He pinned her with a callous and aloof look before turning his attention forward. Megumi released a shaky breath.

She steepled her hands together and closed her eyes. She tuned out the audience until they were muffled mumbles and went into a light meditative mode as she concentrated. She felt her breathing calm and her heart beat return to normal. She could do this.

"The theme today is High Tea. You may begin cooking… NOW!"

The gong sounded off.

Megumi snapped her eyes open. She knew exactly what needed to be done. She was ready.


Ayame glued herself to the glass. Time crawled since the sound of the buzzer. It was halfway into the match and she wish she had eaten before she came because just watching the contestants cooking like real chefs was already making her stomach ask her when lunch was. The two talented contestants doing amazing delicate work, slicing and cooking their ingredients with upmost precision got her blood racing. While Megumi-san bestowed devout care and gentleness in her style, Hayama executed quick and precise techniques, similar to what she had seen in his shokugeki with Mito-san. Their ingredients were many and vast and they had to come up with lots of little bite-sized delicacies. Using only bits and pieces to create those small and tiny individual dishes. Ayame could only admire such artistry. Could they really pull of a high tea platter in two hours?

Ayame didn't know much about high tea as Karakura didn't have any high tea places. She did see one shop that served high tea, when she was on her first date with Takumi-kun in Ikebukuro. Her knowledge of High tea was that it was an upper-class social event enjoyed by the British and their colonies where they sat around making small talk whilst drinking tea and milk. They were often served a three-tiered platter of cute little finger sandwiches with gourmet fillings, fluffy scones with clotted cream and jam and tiny little savoury snacks or desserts. She was sure she only understood high tea on a commoner's level as she wasn't exactly a foodie and mostly enjoyed Italian cuisine and whatever Takumi-kun made.

Takumi-kun and his classmates started discussing about the intricacies of what Megumi-san and Hayama-san were doing in small groups. Ayame couldn't wait to see what stunning dishes they were going to come up with.

"What do you think they are going to make?" she asked Takumi-kun.

"It looks like Tadokoro-san is going for the classic British style of high tea. Which is a mix of both savoury and dessert. Whilst Hayama is aiming for a Japanese-Western fusion high tea" said Takumi-kun. "Both have their advantages and disadvantages. A more liberal take would allow Hayama to exercise his creativity and expand his limits of what could be included in a 'high tea' however he risks straying too far from the definition of 'high tea'. Tadokoro-san is in the safe zone of the definition of 'high tea' however, she needs to make her dishes and skill outstanding to outshine Hayama's more unique flare" he continued.

"So what is the real definition of High tea then?" asked Ayame.

"High tea is a meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening. It typically consists of a hot dish, followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. Occasionally there would be cold cuts of meat, such as ham salad or something similar. The term was first used around 1825, and 'high' is used in the sense of 'well-advanced', like 'high noon' for example to signify that it was taken later in the day compared to afternoon tea"

"Hmm… that's sounds quite basic compared to what I've seen on TV or on the internet" Ayame commented.

"Preciso. You see, the fancy afternoon tea was something the upper-class enjoyed because they didn't have to work or anything and high tea originally stemmed from the commoners or the working class of England. This was because they had a different time schedule and obviously didn't have much money for anything but the necessities. The commoners usually work throughout the day and come home at around sixish or late afternoon. Therefore afternoon tea was much too early for them and late or high afternoon tea suited the time schedule for the working class a lot better. It was shortened then to high tea for the working class of England and it became like a sort of a 'mini-meal' that covered evening meal also. Soon the upper-class developed their own fancy variation, which is known as the high tea of today"

"Oh cool! Do you think we could go find a high tea place somewhere and try it?" asked Ayame. She was fascinated with Britain's obsession with tradition engraved even in their own mealtimes.

Takumi-kun smiled down at her "Of course. I can take you somewhere to experience it yourself. There was that place we passed in Ikebukuro before that does high tea" he said.

Yep! Takumi-kun and she were definitely on the same wavelength.

"Hey are you guys watching the match, or are you gonna continue planning your next date?" teased Yukihira-san from behind.

"Huh? Uh… yeah…" Takumi-kun flustered into a crimson tomato and Ayame tried to hide her chuckle for the both of them being caught out not fully paying attention to the match. When Ayame turned back to the glass. She saw Hayama-san reveal a large wooden boat! Oh now she realised, it was a funamori boat or the sushi and sashimi boat! It was deep mahogany red that was delicately lacquered. What was really special about this funamori boat was that it came in three-tiers, just like British high tea! From her view, it looked like it could be about the size of a large serving dish. Hayama-san had already started plating his little dishes and adding final touches like drizzling sauce or something, while Megumi-san struggled to lift out her traditional British three-tiered platter. Ayame glanced at the clock and saw that they now had ten minutes left. It was a nail biter.

She had no idea which person was going to win.


Akira wiped his brow as soon as he dropped his spoon into the sink and stepped away from his funamori. The buzzer sounded and Tadokoro, that mousey woman also stepped back looking like she was about to pass out from exhaustion. He was sure he had this in the bag. He looked towards the judges who were surveying both his and Tadokoro's high tea platters with utmost interest.

"First to finish is Hayama Akira!" came the announcement from the emcee. "Please step forward and present your dish!"

Without a word and all the confidence in the world. Hayama sucked in a breath and lifted his funamori boat and placed it on the trolley. It was heavy. He pushed it swiftly without any of his delicacies shifting and stopped it gently in front of the guest judges' panels. While the CEO of Igakono senbei's face remained as still as stone, the other two judges were showering it with appraised looks.

"Hah! This looks scrumptious dattebayo. Tell us a bit about what you've made" said the CEO of TopRamen.

"Certainly" Hayama folded his hand behind him and cleared his throat. "My dish consists of both sweet and savoury. The savoury components begin with tempura ise-ebi and tempura zucchini and eggplants lightly fried with a mix of tempura and potato flour. I have here, thinly sliced, soy-seasoned kobe beef sandwiches with cos lettuce and momotaro tomato for a more Western flare. There are chargrilled teriyaki jidori chicken in a merlot and honey glaze with a touch of balsamic vinegar. Over here are kingfish and salmon nigiri and California temaki sushi served with salmon roe-wasabi dressing. Over here is the egg omelette with seaweed salad and baby radish dressed in soy, lemon and my homemade goma sauce. I've also made kobe beef tataki with ponzu sauce and Jidori chicken karaage with spicy tarragon mayonnaise. Finally, this is the light jidori chicken and soba noodle suit as the palate cleanser."

Akira paused and allowed the judges to visually take in the savoury components of the bottom and middle tier of his Japanese-Western fusion funamori high tea and process his words. Akira then gestured to the top tier.

"For the dessert component, I have some sweet red-bean mochi, and strawberry-sakura mille-feullie with matcha cream and custard. This is matcha tiramisu, black sesame brulee, chocolate and mandarin mousse, and plum wine panacotta. Over here I have the red-bean éclair with fresh cream and slices of yuzu and almond castella cake, some mini matcha and white chocolate cheesecakes and finally Mitarashi dango as the palate cleanser" concluded Akira.

The CEO of Igakono senbei finally showed a visible reaction to his dish which was a very subtle raise of the eyebrow. Akira had managed to really test his skills and went all out on his Japanese-Western fusion funamori high tea and he was indeed proud of his work.

"Alright, thank you Hayama-san. We will sample your dishes now" said Dr Haruno sweetly.

Akira began serving them each of the many small delicacies he made on separate plates. He then watched as each judge tried a piece and their faces morphed into surprise and astonishment. Each person had different degrees of reaction. Dr Haruno sighed a lot and squirmed in her seat whereas the CEO of TopRamen wanted to cram everything into his mouth. The CEO of Igakono senbei on the other hand was eating at the appropriate pace and really took his time chewing, as he was putting extra though in each taste.

The CEO of TopRamen was the first to speak "Hmmm! The tempura-ise ebi was certainly a generous size and tasted extremely fresh. The tempura batter was amazingly light, airy and crispy. You've also made your kobe beef sandwich to resemble the classic finger sandwiches in British high tea, which was really clever and very tasty. Finger-licken' goodness! Man, I can't get enough of your use of the classic funamori boat to showcase your high tea platter. It's crazy that you managed to find one that comes in three tiers. It really completes your platter and really livens up my expectations of your high tea treats. I should get myself one of those! What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

"I agree, the funamori boat was a terrific idea. But in looking at the food themselves, nigiri was extremely fresh and your ability to slice the fish to create a stereoscopic look makes if so much more aesthetically pleasing. Your sushi tasted extremely fresh and you've cut the best parts of the fish. The chargrilled teriyaki-jidori chicken absolutely melted in my mouth. The combination of the delicate merlot with the honey really compliment the richness and subtle flavours of the jidori chicken and the balsamic vinegar provided the tangy kick to tie in the abundant fusion of Japanese and Western flavours together. I thought the egg omelette and seaweed-radish salad had a unique texture to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed as it added more variety to this visually stunning dish. I thought the jidori chicken and soba noodle soup was a very clever palate cleanser. It was fresh, fragrant and light. I would definitely bring my colleagues to have lunch with high tea like this. What did you think of the desserts Sasuke-kun?" she concluded, turning her head to the other side of the panel.

The other male CEO had already finished his plate long ago and was sitting comfortably with his eyes closed, as if still continuing to evaluate what he ate. Akira waited for his response with baited breath.

"The use of Chinese soup spoons to house the samples Western style desserts created a uniform paradox between the West and Eastern culture. Do I think it is appropriate for High tea? Possibly, but it looks like you've considered more about the modern conception of high tea not the traditional conception. So I'll give you're the benefit of the doubt"

"Oh come-on Sasuke-teme! Don't get all philosophical and comment on the taste and presentation already" chuckled the CEO of TopRamen.

"Shup up dobe. You've used Eastern elements which echo the traditional Western style desserts which you did a good job in tying in both flavours and textures. For example the sweet red bean mocha was reminiscent of raw scone batter—"

"Yeah, I bet that brought nostalgic tears to your eyes. You used to sneak a dip of your finger in raw batter and cookie dough when we were kids—"

"Shut. Up" the stoic man didn't raise his voice, but the increased intensity carried his annoyance and anger just fine, as he hissed at the shining ray of sun beside him whilst Dr Haruno face-palmed and groan.

"As I was saying. The red bean éclair with fresh cream was similar in that regard as well and I felt it was the equivalent of the classic scone. The black sesame brulee was delicious with the sesame setting off the sweetness of the brulee beautifully and with the glazed sugar layer. The chocolate and mandarin mousse was really fresh and had a nice married taste. Plum Wine Panacotta was the standout dessert dish in my opinion, with its freshness, smoothness and refined subtle flavours" said the CEO of Igakono senbei with much gravitas.

"Hayama-kun, I found that the addition of sparkling sakura sake and lemongrass and Sencha tea really tied in the flavours without taking over the tastes of the food, thus allowing me to continue enjoying the morsels while kicking back and relaxing. It gives an added class to your dish. Well done" said Dr Haruno.

Akira bowed and thanked them before stepping back. He casted Tadokoro with another penetrating look and smirked at her squeamish response.

"Alright! Let's give our scores dattebayo!"

Seventeen from the CEO of Igakono senbei, Uchiha Sasuke.

Nineteen from the CEO of TopRamen, Uzumaki Naruto.

Eighteen from Dr Haruno Sakura.

"Next up is Tadokoro Megumi! Please present your dish!"


Oh my god... That was intense writing for me. I would have to do that again to show case Megumi's high tea platter. I hope Akira's dish sounded delicious to you all! It was so difficult for me to imagine high tea with spice for Hayama so I chose to opt out and not risk writing something beyond my capabilities. I'm no food critic and I can only handle so much... :(

I wonder what Erina would think of Chizuru if she found out that she had congenital anosmia?

What about those guest judges?! I COULDN'T RESIST! Tootsuki judges are usually someone famous in the food world. But in OUR world, who is famous? Team 7 of course! If you go back to the chapter about the Summer Solstice Festival, it mentions that they were the same food companies that sponsored it :P In this chapter I tried hard to not give them too much focus and just referred to them by their titles rather than their names

Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!

Signing off

- TripWire-dono