Chapter 35 - From One Dragon's Jaw to Another
'All my nightmares have come at once'
Up on the podium was none other than Nakiri Azami. He dominated the podium with no mercy, his uniformed men flanking both sides and the front of the podium. Satoshi whipped his head around to check all the emergency exits and other entrances only to confirm that there were more uniformed men guarding them. Nobody was coming in or out, so they were condemned to be part of this insanity.
The judges were boxed in and were left stupefied at this sudden and totally uncalled for interruption to the wrapping-up of today's matches. Satoshi's insides broiled. For weeks and weeks, he'd been trying to track Nakiri Azami's movements through the news, social media, word of mouth from as many connections as he could get. That included Doujima-san and his fellow alumni. So far he could only glean that this monstrous and elusive man was most recently in China. No information pointed to him being in Japan, including the police! That was until now since he's right there. He placed a hand on Nakiri Erina's shoulder but her quaking wouldn't cease.
"Kurokiba-kun" said Satoshi. "Go out to the front of the school, wait for the police to arrive and bring them here. Take the north-west corridor window and scale down so those men don't see you"
"But we have security—"
"They can't do anything for us right now" Satoshi cut off Alice-san. He didn't mean to sound harsh, but that was the reality of it.
Kurokiba-kun gave a small nod at his upperclassman. He casted a last glare towards Azami down below before exiting the viewing box swiftly. Once again, his kohais were giving him strange looks. They better get used to seeing the serious side of him. Of course he tried to appease their discomfort by smiling, the same way he did for Aldini-kun and Kanda-san in the limo, but from their reactions it looked like it was losing it's usual benevolent charm.
Azami's soulless eyes were deep pools of pure blackness and it sent a shiver up Satoshi's spine. His face was pale as the moon and grim, with shadows accentuating the aristocratic highness of his cheekbones and his brows. His thin lips were twisted in an insincere smile as if he had the gall to think he was welcomed to the school, but Satoshi knew better. He was decked out in long, black trench coat, black waistcoat, dress-shirt, leather gloves, black slacks, and shoes. His tie and a streak of his hair were painted a glowing silver. He might as well have walked off a thirties mafia movie. He raised his hand and one of his henchman snatched the microphone from the student emcee and offered it to Azami with both hands, head bowing to avoid all eye contact like an obedient Igor to his Dracula.
"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls. My name is Nakiri Azami. I apologise for my abrupt interruption to one of your most celebrated competitions. I have come with good tidings for Tootsuki which you all may or may not understand at first, but don't worry it will in time"
His voice betrayed the sincerity of his words. It was coated with sickeningly sweet venom, so patronising and condescending that Satoshi felt nauseous from hearing it. His tone was obnoxiously aristocratic, the type where one pretended to be of noble birth and so, would over compensate and put in that extra lilt. The audience gasped in unison and it flooded the whole stadium. Whispers became frantic and murmurs escalated to of shouts. They were suddenly drowned out by just a echoing snap of his finger, like a gunshot in the night. The audience fell silent. Satoshi prayed that Chief Inspector Shoseki would get here soon.
"What the hell is this?" demanded CEO Uchiha.
He stood up from his seat and so did CEO Uzumaki. They were coiled springs waiting to attack Azami at the smallest provocation which Satoshi had seen only in the best trained guard dogs, obviously not impressed by what's transpiring around them. Nakiri Azami merely turned around, as if he'd forgotten they were there. He wasn't intimated by their calibre and standing in the Japanese food world at all. Doctor Haruno was flexing her arms already, snarling through her perfect make-up and sending Azami the evil-eye.
"My esteemed judges. I thank you for taking part in Tootsuki's illustrious judging panel and your services are much appreciated. However, I regrettably must terminate your contract for the rest of the competition as you will no longer be needed"
"What right do you have?" scoffed CEO Uchiha.
Azami smirked cruelly. "I have every right as the true Director of Tootsuki"
The whole stadium was ignited into pandemonium.
Outrage and confusion spread like wildfire as the students were thrown into turmoil. Satoshi wanted to slap himself in the forehead. How could he have been so blind! Why else would Nakiri Azami hire an information broker to infiltrate Tootsuki's systems?! For sixteen years, this man disappeared with nothing but his first name and his family name rescinded upon excommunication. Not a word was heard from him for a decade until he suddenly rose to power in The States, South East Asia and the Middle East in recent times. Satoshi thought Azami just wanted to create his own gourmet food empire to compete against the Nakiri family. Not once in that time had he touched Tootsuki. Satoshi had all the slivers of information, but he couldn't piece them together until now because they kept slipping through his fingers like egg-whites. Everything was going fine for the past sixteen years for the disowned son-in-law and biological father of the current heiress. Then suddenly out of nowhere he stuck his nose into the school servers. Of course it now made sense! He first needed to build his influences away from Nakiri eyes. He needed the financial strength, proper social standing and backing to do what he was about to. And where better but to start at his alma mater.
This was a usurpation.
A usurpation planned for sixteen years.
"What the hell is he saying?!" The younger Aldini-kun yelled.
"H-He's a Nakiri?!" squeaked Tadokoro-kun.
"I thought he was c-completely disowned!" gasped Arato-san.
That's when all his kouhais turned to the rosette haired secretary, demanding all sorts of answers from her.
"Not disowned. He was excommunicated. He married into the family. What you're looking at is Erina-san's Father" said Satoshi, diverting some of the attention back to him to save Hisako from the interrogations.
"Shit… really?" Sōma-kun gasped. "Where had he been all this time? Why isn't Nakiri happy to see him?"
The Nakiri heiress was getting worse and worse by the second the more she stared at her Father. The Father who abused her within an inch of her sanity. It was in those times that Satoshi truly pitied her. He motioned for Arato-san to take her charge the hell out of here before her trauma consumed her and fully break down in front of her peers.
"She has her reasons" said Satoshi.
It seemed to satisfy Sōma-kun temporarily once he understood the state Erina-san was in, so he didn't push. This was also the first time any of them had seen Erina-san like this and Satoshi could practically taste the bewilderment in the air. She was at her traumatic breaking point. Mentioning the man's name was enough to make her break out into a cold sweat, which also happened that time when he had set up a meeting with the Nakiri cousin's the day he came back from visiting Eizan-kun in jail. Erina-san was quickly raised to her feet with support from both sides as Arato-san and Alice-san gently lead her away from the viewing box, whispering desperate assurances to her, but it did nothing to bring her out from her nightmares.
"W-We'll take her to the bathroom… to wash her face…" said Arato-san.
Satoshi nodded. Tadokoro-kun anxiously hovered over the three of them, trying to offer additional help as it was in her nature, bless her, but she eventually let them go, nervously wringing her hands together.
"Bring Senzaemon here"
Satoshi turned his attention back to the scene below the viewing box. Azami sneered at the closest Tootsuki official who was rooted to the spot. The official scurried away without a moment to lose.
"Anyhow, I'm so glad to be back in this stadium! So nostalgic. It's been almost a lifetime and I see that a lot has changed. But that's not enough. I believe more change is in order, to prevent the regressive path the current director, my Father-in-law had doomed Tootsuki to take. And as the true director, I'll return Tootsuki to the glory she once was"
He strolled around the podium like he owned it, talking as if he was in a casual conversation with the audience over coffee, not seeing how insane he was sounding. The judges were as dumbstruck as the audience, not fully comprehending what on earth Azami was talking about and Satoshi didn't blame them.
"He keeps saying 'true' director…"
Satoshi jolted on the spot at the low, husky voice. He completely forgot that Kuchiyose-san had an all access pass given to him by Nakiri Erina and of course would want to see his ex-girlfriend compete. It wasn't hard to figure out eventually... He loitered around the back of his kouhais distancing himself from the window with his arms crossed over his chest as he could easily see over their heads. His face was absolutely neutral since the events didn't really affect him. He and Kanda-san probably wouldn't be able to leave anyway since all the exits and entrances were blocked, and he couldn't find it in himself to ask Kanda-san to escape through the window. It was safer if both Karakura students stayed with them.
"AZAMI!"
The thunderous, booming voice of the 'Demon Food King' Nakiri Senzaemon demolished the suffocating hold his son-in-law had on all those in the stadium. The students gasped again and a trickle of hope passed through Satoshi. Senzaemon-dono emerging through the entrance doorway clad in his usual moss green haori and hakama. His all-consuming powerful presence quelled Satoshi's churning insides. He brought with him a tumultuous anger and rage befitting of the 'Demon Food King' in his wake, striking lightning bolts of fear within Satoshi's heart. It was funny, the highly respected culinary expert conjured both hope and fear like a God.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
"Ah, Father. I'm so glad you could join me. I have a matter to settle with you regarding the future of Tootsuki" Azami welcomed him with fake politeness, full of impertinence and derision.
"You are no son of mine. I'm sure I've told you to never step one foot back in Tootsuki and call yourself a Nakiri again. You have no business here. Leave at once!"
"I don't think so. We have unfinished business"
"What nonsense are you spouting? You disgrace us with your presence!"
"Hmph… This"
Azami whipped out an old, aging scroll from his inside jacket pocket and held it out to his Father-in-law, daring him to take it. It was small and ornate, wrapped in azure blue silk with embroidered cranes. It was delicately tied together with a beautiful red and white silk cord. His grin spread and a cackle was about to burst through the seams of his lips. Satoshi watched as recognition passed through the Director's eyes and Senzaemon-dono snatched it from him with his large and calloused hand. His nostril flared in barely controlled ire and he could practically see the pressurised steam from his nose, whistling past his thick moustache. His aging, but sharp and intense eyes were so full of hate. The large scar over his right eye making him look all the more brutal. He kept them on Azami as he stared him down and he unfurled the scroll with a harsh snap. His eyes skimmed down and then it suddenly widened.
"This can't be…!" gasped Senzaemon-dono.
"That's right. It belongs to your deceased daughter, my late wife" said Azami triumphantly. "Nadeshiko's 'yuigonshō'".
"L-Last Will and Testament?" stuttered Tadokoro-kun, echoing everybody elses' shock.
"How did you—"
"Get the real one? I have my ways. A good contact of mine was able to get into Tootsuki's network. It was so idiotic of you, but advantageous to me when you merged the Nakiri Family server to the school's server. Didn't take long to find the right files leading to it's location, especially when you are so diligent to back-up everything you do" chuckled Azami. "You've always hated me, Father. Your hate for me over-shadowed your love for your own daughter. You ignored her dying wishes. When your eldest son, Soue relinquished his birth-right to take over Tootsuki to chase some Danish trollop and start his research facility, he passed his position as Director onto Nadeshiko. She was then destined to be the next Director of Tootsuki after your reign and she prepared for it like the dutiful daughter she was"
Satoshi drank in everything Azami said. Everyone knew Lady Nadeshiko was supposed to be the current Director, as part of their curriculum to learn Tootsuki's history. Obviously Nakiri Azami's name was omitted out of everything and was instead a vague and hazy footnote in Tootsuki's history. Not even his name or picture were left. However, her untimely death shortly after Nakiri Erina was born blew a hole in the centre of the Nakiri Family. Her brother, Alice-san's Father, Soue-sama, returned for the funeral but still refused to be the next director. Senzaemon-dono was grief stricken, but had no choice but to re-take the mantle as Tootsuki's Director whilst dealing with his only daughter's death. Nakiri Erina grew up without a mother, nor a grand-Father in those early years. The textbook must have weaved additional details to try and seal the hole Lady Nadeshiko's death left behind, enough for the students not to question the veiled truth. Satoshi guessed that Director Senzaemon's grief temporarily blinded him to Azami's mental abuse and torturous regime on his grand-daughter for her God's Tongue. No wonder he was able to get away with that for so long.
"But alas, it was never meant to be. She made her yuigonshō before death took her. She bequeathed the Director's position to me. TO ME, as exactly stated in her will that you have in your hand"
"No. This is fake. She did NO such thing" boomed Director Nakiri.
"Oh no, no, no. You can't fool me this time around. She told me herself!" Azami spat at Senzaemon-dono. "She wanted me to take the position for her. Changing a person's yuigonshō after they've died doesn't render the original fake, but rather that's illegal isn't it? YOU created the fake yuigonshō"
"Yuigonshō?" asked Hayama-san.
"A yuigonshō is the Japanese 'Last Will and Testament'. It requires the testator to be of sound mind and to handwrite the complete will with name, date and place their hanko stamp on it all by themselves with a witness present. Its purpose is to officially declare that they pass on all their worldly possessions, estate, finances or whatever in the event of their death, to whomever they chose and to make any final wishes" said Kanda-san.
She remained by Takumi Aldini's side and her face was reduced to a thoughtful green gaze as if she was putting as much effort as Satoshi was into analysing the situation the school was in now. He heard from Aldini-kun that she was quite the clever girl and her reasoning and problem-solving skills were well above average for someone her age.
"…My grand-Father wrote one before the symptoms of his dementia took away his legal capacity to do so... The Nakiri Family is an old and noble family, so they must have stuck with the traditional method and their members would probably write a 'holographic' yuigonshō" she continued.
"What's a 'holographic' yuigonshō?" asked Sōma-kun.
"It's a yuigonshō that doesn't have a witness for the writing and signing. In case of emergencies such as umm… his wife being already on her deathbed so suddenly and had never written one before, I suppose. It could be done unwitnessed and the government will treat it the same as a 'witnessed' yuigonshō" continued Kanda-san.
"Damn… I can't believe those type of traditions still exists. That'll cause all sorts of problems" commented Sōma-kun.
"I know… Usually, you're supposed to go to the kōshōnin, which are notary offices to create a 'Notary Deed Will' as it's much safer and more reliable than a holographic yuigonshō" said Kanda-san "It took months for Otou-san to drag Ojii-san to one…" she muttered under her breath.
The blonde Aldini seemed to be only one to understand that last implication as he pulled a complicated facial expression.
Satoshi moved his eyes from Kanda-san and back to the stadium. A handwritten scroll. It was definitely a holographic Last Will and Testament.
Meanwhile, the Nakiri patriarch was about to burst an artery and his jaws were clenched so tightly his teeth could shatter on impact. Satoshi knew nothing about this debacle and he couldn't help but let himself be snared by this family saga unfolding shamelessly in front of the whole school.
"You have no proof" grounded out Senzaemon-dono.
"Care to find out?" Azami pulled out another something from his pockets and waved it in front of the director's face. It was a memory stick.
"What is that?"
"You can't actually doctor a handwritten will, you'd need to re-do the whole thing from scratch. You'd need an underground forger for that. And that forger needs an example of her handwriting and her hanko stamp. Guess who's on this memory stick?"
It didn't take a genius to guess, but that was the cruel joke.
"Trust me, he will testify. I have blackmail on him too. But I digress. Nadeshiko had a specific custom-made calligraphy set from Kyoto which she was fond of and always used it for writing her poems. You recognise it don't you? It didn't surprise us she'd use it to write her yuigonshō too, did it? She only had one scroll left after that. You had to work quickly and forge one using the last of her calligraphy set before submitting it to a lawyer for validation. You didn't have time to order a new custom-made set for her, especially with people asking why after she's already dead".
"How dare you-"
"NO! HOW DARE YOU! You buried the original yuigonshō of my dear Nadeshiko, so far and so deep. Beneath the Nakiri Winter Villa in Hokkaidou no less! It took a professional information broker to locate it! Even in death you stole my wife from me!"
Azami burst out at Senzaemon-dono, breaking his façade long enough to reveal the psychotic madman within. His saliva flew in all directions like a rabid dog. Satoshi suspended his disbelief high out of reach. He caught a glimpse of crazed pain flitting across Azami's abysmal eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Senzaemon-dono instantly fell silent. The estranged Nakiri pulled himself away from the director once he realised he had encroached too close to the muscular and fit Director without thought. He dramatically spun around and strode back away across the podium with heavy clicks of his expensive shoes. He raked his gloved hand through his hair right across his scalp, smoothing down the imaginary tangles. His lone silver tress glinted in the stadium lights. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, and slowly at least five times each with closed eyes to reign himself in, preserving his dignity. When he opened them again, the greasy and oily gourmet food expert resurfaced with his original airs and graces, and calculating, snide smirk, like nothing had happened.
"N-none of this tr-true... right? I-Isshiki-senpai?" Tadokoro-kun pleaded.
He ignored her.
Orihara Izaya. So that's why Azami hired him. To uncover the location of the secret and hidden Last Will and Testament, as well as any documentation alluding to contacts with forgers. Could there perhaps be digital duplicates on that memory stick too? In this day and age, digital duplicates of a yuigonshō, could be made to preserve authenticity in the event that the original was destroyed. The trouble with a holographic yuigonshō was the risk of family quarrels over the meaning of expressions in the will . A lost yuigonshō would cause great distress upon the family. He doubted Senzaemon-dono would do such a thing.
"Even if your accusations were true, this fictional forger you've conjured up would have destroyed the evidence of having my daughter's handwriting sample and any contacts to us" growled Senzaemon-dono. He remained unyielding to Azami's tirade.
Azami shook his head and tucked the memory stick back into his inside jacket pocket. He smiled cruelly like a card-counter with more tricks up his sleeves. This couldn't be good… If what Azami said were all true, Senzaemon-dono forged his daughter's yuigonshō to erase Azami's chance to take Tootsuki? What more ill news would fall from his lips now?
"He wasn't very good at being 'underground' I'm afraid. Also, not every underground forger is taught in the ways of re-creating a yuigonshō. He failed to notice that her will was 'chirographed'"
Chirographed? Satoshi narrowed his eyes. Kami-sama… What more was there to this will? Kanda-san's shelf of facts ended right there. She was just as astonished as the rest of them. They didn't need to wait long as Azami deigned them the answer instead.
"The right-sided edge of her scroll is indented with small serrated cuts. Which both you and your forger had overlooked as minor stationary decoration. That was your first mistake. In chirographed documents, the serrated edges indicate being paired with another scroll of the same content with matching serrated edges that fit together like jigsaw pieces. It's a way of verifying that it's genuine. The other pair is given to the bequeathed or another for safe keeping. It's a Medieval practice from England which I don't expect you to know. Nadeshiko was always fascinated by British Medieval History, wasn't she? She made that herself and you've probably realised now that it wasn't on the false yuigonshō that you had made sixteen years ago"
The Director unfurled the scroll again to inspect the edges and damn, Azami was correct. The right-edge had small triangular cuts from top to bottom. His eyes widened, stumped that such a detail could possibly escape his notice sixteen years ago.
"Then where is the other copy, you claimed she wrote?"
"She gave it to me, Father" he spat 'Father' like it was filthy.
It was starting to look like a losing battle from Satoshi's point of view. He begged for this torment to be over. Like a horror movie that didn't want to end, Azami pulled out a second scroll which looked almost identical to the first.
Same size.
Same azureness.
Same cranes.
Same thickness.
Same red and white silk cord.
The only difference was the serrated edges were on the left side. Satoshi gulped and imagined that if both copies of the will were unfurled and placed side by side together, the serrated edges would match like paired pendants.
The larger and older man looked so weary, thinned out, like butter spread over too much bread. Satoshi couldn't process the reality of seeing the always strong, confident and wise man looking so damaged. He was like a grandfather for all the students here and if the steady rock they all relied on was suddenly being pushed by the wind down the slope, it was game over for them all. His large and powerful shoulders were shrunk back under the weight and his eyes were shadowed to the point that Satoshi couldn't see it. His luscious and thick main of grey hair, which was evidence for his sageness lost its shine and for some reason looked dull and scraggly. He always looked so spiritedly and virile for his advanced age, but right now he was physically showing his true age of over ninety years. He was rendered heart-broken.
The seventh seater's heart ached for the Director at being attacked by the snake, striking right in the underbelly. That was Azami. A cold, merciless, ruthless predator using his wife's death and twisting it to force Director Senzaemon to his metaphorical knees. It was too late to think of reasons to poke holes into Azami's story because the Director's silence said everything was painfully true.
"...I wrote you off the will because of your insatiable greed to monopolise and force your deplorable ideals onto the gourmet food world!"
Satoshi momentarily closed his it all cave down on his head.
"Why now…" he demanded. "Why dredge this up naught but sixteen years later?"
"I needed to be more powerful than you first"
Satoshi shook his head. His theory was right.
"You saw her death as an opportunity, knowing full well she trusted you to uphold the morals to nurture the budding talents young chefs in the right way! You soil my daughter's memories with this unnecessary performance. I saw the blackness grow in your heart. Gourmet food that only has one faith, one answer, and all sense of originality and creativity to be purged. You've always wished to make it exclusive to the affluent or anyone that fits your absurd upper-class criteria. No! Talent, skill and passion is all one needs to reach one's dream. One could be an orphan from the slums of Bangladesh, or lived all their lives in a squalid Scandinavian pub, or even be a simple diner chef for the working class. As long as their heart is true, Tootsuki will give them the equal opportunity the same as anyone from a privileged family to spread their wings. You think all others are worthless and that's the creed you live your miserable life by. You have narrowed your views so far you no longer see the true beauty of food. That is not what dearest Nadeshiko would want for the school she loved. If she had known the man you have become, she object to you becoming the director and turning Tootsuki into a factory of chefs by your own destructive image!"
Senzaemon-dono's demonic-like aura was back. Azami bared him a nasty snarl.
"DON'T talk to me about what my wife would've wanted… she's already DEAD" Azami hissed back aggressively. "It doesn't change the fact that legally, Tootsuki should be MINE. Instead, you left Erina to me and that's the only thing I will thank you for. I've polished her God's Tongue to what it is today. All that blood and education I've blessed her with won't go away and she's perfect to stand by my side to carve out the future fit for Tootsuki"
"Leaving Erina to you was my greatest mistake"
"And so was this" Azami held up the other pair of the scroll again.
"You should've finished the job and burnt it. Instead, guilt ate you and you couldn't destroy the one thing she poured her heart in soul into right before she died. Your weakness is your demise. You were foolish to think I wouldn't come after this. I can take you to court because everything has already been authenticated. If you fight me, it will be a long... egregious... and VERY public process. But I will savour every moment of it, because the outcome is inevitable. The law will force you to hand all of Tootsuki's assets to me and you will have NOTHING left except your damned family and another scandal worthy of the name. Are you sure you want to go through with that?"
"Listen to yourself Azami… Have you truly grieved for your wife?"
Azami turned to face him again and pointed a gloved finger at his face. The younger Nakiri's expressive was stone-hardened so impassively it was impossible for Satoshi to figure out what he was thinking. It was clear that the Director's attempt to reach out to his estranged son-on-law was quickly deflected back into his face before it could leave a mark. It was like time had stopped and the only thing that mattered was this ...thing... happening between the two Nakiris. Azami's eyes were frozen cold, full of fury and loathing. If he was feeling any pain or hurt at the mention of his wife like that, Satoshi could not see it. He was a wound up steel trap now, his patience running out like a diminishing fuse.
"…You know NOTHING of my grief…"
Azami snatched his hand back and squared his shoulders, staring defiantly back at Director, his eyes transformed into ablaze like molten tar. The creases in his face deepend with anguish. It was his turn to clench is jaw tightly. Then a slow self-assured smirk grew on his pale face as if he already thought he'd won. Satoshi could still detect the slight trembling of carefully concealed rage in his voice beneath the smugness.
"Turn the position to me quietly… and willingly… or so help me… I will run Tootsuki into the ground and bury it so deep even History will forget"
It was the old, 'If I can't have it, no one can' tactic and Satoshi truly believed that Nakiri Azami was mad and crazy enough to do it, no question about it.
"DON'T DO IT!" Sōma-kun banged on the window, scaring the other students in the room half to death, but it caught no-one's attention down below.
He spun around and ran out the viewing box kicking up metaphorical dust, jumping down the stairs three at a time. So did the Aldini Twins, Hayama-san, Mimasaka-san, Kuchiyose-kun, Kanda-san and Tadokoro-kun. Satoshi had no choice but to chase after them, hoping that Sōma-kun wouldn't do anything stupid to get them all into trouble. They pushed passed Azami's men, elbowing them and shoving them out of the way until they made it up to the stage front, but were further blocked from climbing up. It didn't stop Sōma-kun from cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting like his life depended on it.
"DON'T GIVE INTO HIM, OLD MAN!" yelled Sōma-kun.
"YEAH! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE THE DIRECTOR!" Isami Aldini joined him, loud and proud. Satoshi and the older Aldini were both shocked at the sudden passionate burst from the usually placid Aldini.
"If we're all banding together, then don't leave me out! WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU TAKE OVER US!" Takumi Aldini joined his brother's side.
"Ummm… Uhhhhh… KARAKURA HIGH SCHOOL SUPPORTS TOOTSUKI!" screamed Kanda-san.
Satoshi believed he had probably seen it all. Kanda Ayame, an outsider to Tootsuki who had nothing to do with this, was swept up by the electrifying moment and hollered shrilly anything she could come up with.
"Usually I hate crowds, but I guess this is momentous enough for me to be okay with" said Hayama-kun as he wasn't really one to show his emotions so grandly.
Soon the audience started hollering along with Sōma-kun, and his beloved Polar Star Dormitory took the lead and started waving their patchwork banners frantically through the air, screaming at the top of their lungs. The din rose higher and higher until it Satoshi couldn't bare it, but he didn't care. He could be rendered deaf and he would still be extremely happy at the sight of the stadium jumping up onto their feet. The crowd cried out in opposition to Azami, both in regular words and colourful ones. Satoshi couldn't be prouder to be a Tootsuki student. They were standing up not just for themselves, but for the school and the future of the school. They knew bad management when they saw one and they obviously were not taking kindly to this unannounced stranger making a grab for the seat himself who didn't even have the decency to have an official meeting. Azami's plan to make a ludicrous stage production out of this family drama to win over the student's sympathy had beautifully backfired. They couldn't give a rat's arse for the legality of all this. They just didn't want him.
"GET HIM OUTTA HERE!" That was the unmistakable shrill sound of Yoshino-kun climbing over Marui-kun's shoulders.
"WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?! I OUGHTA RIP HIS BALLS OUT!" Daigo-kun and Shōji-kun pounded their fists together.
"JERK! HE DID NOT JUST COME IN HERE AND TRASH OUR DIRECTOR WITH A LAME ASS SOB STORY!" Mito-san stood up and brandished her fists at Azami, amongst the Polar Star Dorm as kindred.
Satoshi temporarily ignored the revolting students. His only concern was the Director's decision. Azami had the legal precedent on his side which he feared the most. In the last two centuries, the noble families were toppling off their high horse, while the working class was moving up. It was a slow and steady change, but a change nonetheless. Most noble clans crumbled to dust, refusing to down-size and adapt to the progressive world the West brought, and consequentially, they squandered their wealth away, trying to preserve their aristocracy and tradition for the sake of keeping face. None were as lucky, or had the good sense, as the Nakiris and the Uchihas. These clans took a leap of faith and dived into the commercial business to keep their existence and name alive with the changing times, sacrificing their nobility to actually 'work' and 'work for themselves'.
However there was always a downside...
'Senzaemon-dono is cornered'
Noble families were no longer above the law. Nakiri Senzaemon had no hope of the government giving him any leniency or special treatment. He broke the law, and now it was catching up to him. He was equal to any common criminal. Azami had him in his iron-grip. Satoshi's eyes remained transfixed on the Director as he hadn't said a word and Azami's smirk grew, unaffected by the stadium's protest. However, he was adept at reading lips and what he read from the Director's grim ones made his heart sink to the furthest depths.
"Promise me, you won't hurt Erina…"
"I have no need to hurt her. She'll follow me willingly" replied Azami.
Nakiri Azami had won.
Later that night
Darkness.
Coldness.
Too small.
Boxed in.
Four walls.
No light.
No way out.
'Now… believe only in your Father… Throw away everything else'
Pain.
Agony.
Too tight.
Fear.
Horror
Terror
'N-No! Father! I beg of you please! You're h-hurting me… I don't want to do this! Father!'
Anger.
Rage
Fury.
Wrath.
Hate.
'… I see, I don't need girls who act like this'
Trash.
Everything was trash.
She was trash.
"Ah!"
Her eye's flew upon. Erina remained paralysed on her bed as the gripping nightmare ebbed away. Was it a nightmare or was it a memory? She couldn't tell. Warm tears streaked across her temple as she blinked slowly in the darkness of her room. She didn't realise she had cried in her sleep. Sleep… that's what happened. She fell asleep. Her room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight and she found no beauty in that. Her limbs felt lifeless and heavy. It was so cold. Every movement she made caused a nauseating sickness to jolt in her stomach so she stayed put.
'It's been a long time since I last had that dream'
The competition... the Reshuffle Competition was no more... What happened when Father made his first appearance in sixteen years? Right... Hisako took her to the bathroom... It took forever to wash her face because of all her shaking. She couldn't think straight at all as she had fumbled with the taps. Hisako had to wet her personal hand towel for her and she was barely able to pat her own face. Alice was there to. She remembered. She was holding her by the shoulders making sure she didn't fall from her dizziness. They were saying words to her, but she couldn't hear them. There was this muffling din that sounded like yelling and shouting, but she wasn't sure. All she heard was his voice. Father's voice. No, she wanted to call him anything else but her Father, but she had no choice. Even now, he still had a hold on her.
Everything else that happened after his appearance was a blur and Isshiki-senpai had to relay to her what happened from day to day since the new dynasty began.
Her mother.
She remembered Ojii-sama telling her she had died when she was old enough to understand that for some reason she didn't have a mother like other kids. She must have been four years old at the time. It took some time for her to process Isshiki-senpai's story, that her mother wanted Father to take the Director's position from her, but Ojii-sama prevented this from happening by illegally removing him from her mother's will. She honestly didn't know how to feel about that. Maybe Father would never have abused her if he had been allowed to take on Directorship of Tootsuki... or would he still have? It was impossible to tell. All she knew was that it started from her mother's death. How did she die exactly? Everyone said it was an illness as if it was just 'one of those unlucky things'. It was sudden. Erina never asked for details. Or maybe she did ask but couldn't remember the answer. It was all too much to take in. She should feel sad on her mother's behalf, but...
'Kami-sama... I don't have the strength to think...'
Ojii-sama submitted. Father had won. No matter what happened, Father was going to take the seat because what Ojii-sama had done was illegal and the law would only see Father as the victim who was unfairly cheated from the will. It was a matter of whether Ojii-sama would give it up willingly or be subpoenaed with the same outcome, which would damage Tootsuki's and the Nakiri's image even further.
CEO Uchiha and CEO Uzumaki had left and severed all business ties with Tootsuki. Doctor Haruno had come very close to belting Father, but was held back by the other judges.
The police eventually came, but no arrests were made. They had intercepted and captured the information broker before they got here, so their case was wrapped. However, Chief Inspector Shoseki and Special Detective Rii and part of their team still came to Tootsuki to make sure Orihara hadn't smuggled any yakuza or other armed men to the school. Isshiki-senpai told her that Father cooperated very well with the police's questioning behind his motives for hiring the information broker and he hadn't needed detainment or interrogations. He didn't pressed charges against Ojii-sama either. In Japan, it wasn't illegal to hire an information broker. So when the police realised that Father hadn't committed any real criminal offenses and his connection with Orihara was no longer relevant, they left.
Kobayashi-senpai was on the next flight back to New York.
Father gave his inauguration speech to the whole school with an army of media reporters. He brought his own people over too from all across the world. He put the fear of God into the hearts of the students. Follow him or be expelled. It was simple. Follow him and he would show them a world of gourmet food unlike any other and he would turn them into the marvelous chef they've always dreamed. He'd teach them the secret techniques that would put them on top and show them the taste creations only the most divine could appreciate. He appealed to the dark wishes lurking in the students' heart, their wanton desires to be the best chef in the world. He tempted them with his silver tongue, seducing them with promises of success and power. His tongue was sterling silver and his charisma was addictive.
Hate turned to fear.
Fear turned to love.
Love turned to worship.
The ultimatum broke their will and the students had no choice. The prospect of leaving Tootsuki was much too disastrous and the students forced themselves to believe in him and their forced belief turned into reverence. They ate his words, they lapped up his promises. They gave in like mindless drones and chose to follow him blindly reaching for the carrot on the stick held by the Devil. Father's manipulation was a huge success and soon the almost the whole school were willing to do anything and everything for him
Father disbanded the current Elite Ten, except for her own seat. He planned to re-create it from the ground up into a new faction, selecting the strongest, most faithful and most deserving of his followers to represent his doctrine and enforce and model his teachings to their kohais to revolutionise Tootsuki.
It was to be re-named as 'Central'.
Her nightmare continued. He deemed the curriculum worthless. He had pulled her out of her cooking practicums and had replaced them with taste-testing jobs, personally supervised by him. The terror she felt., she never wanted to feel that way again! It was like being careened back in time when she was six years old, sitting in the cold dark room doing nothing but tasting and throwing food into the bin!
'Hisako… I won't be able to see Hisako anymore'
The final blow was relieving Hisako of her duties. She had no idea until it was too late. Father had dismissed Hisako! That crushed her as she'd realise now that she was truly alone and at Father's beck and call. She'd be forced to rely on him again… Hisako had been her only friend. Her light and star during the most dismal of times and also during the brightest and happiest of times. Erina suddenly regretted never telling her how much Hisako meant to her and what a cherished friend she had always been. So many missed opportunities, now that Hisako was ripped away from her. What was she going to do without her best friend? Who was going to listen to her woes and stress and make it all better? Who was going to listen to her good news and offer her her favourite tea? Who was going to listen to how absurd but addictive her shojou manga was? Who was going to give her advice on how to be nicer? Sadness overwhelmed her at the thought of never being able to enjoy those treasured experiences anymore. Hisako was no longer at her side. Dear and sweet Hisako who had been nothing by good and kind to her…
When Father told her what he wanted to do, all she said was 'Yes, Father'…
She could feel it. She was becoming a husk, slowly about to be filled with despair, ready to be yanked on pupper strings.
Erina slowly lifted herself up onto her elbows, being careful not to slip until she was supporting herself with her palms flat against the bed. Her clothes felt so uncomfortable and tight like her throat. She was still in her school uniform, she hadn't changed out at all. She didn't have the energy anymore. It must be in the middle of the night right now… sleep eluded her.
'Erina'
She was too scared to close her eyes. If she closed her eyes, she would see his face and his cruel smile.
'Erina…!'
If she closed her eyes, she would feel the squeezing pain of his cold hands on her smaller wrist. Not letting go, even when she shrieked for him to stop.
"Erina!"
Erina's mind jolted. That was a real voice! She turned her head from side to side frantically. Was that Alice? it sounded like Alice. It had to be Alice! Finally, she located where it was coming from and turned towards the double French doors leading out to her spacious balcony. What on Earth?! Sure enough, her cousin was struggling to climb over the balcony! Her face was pinched and red, puffing her cheeks out. Her silver hair was a mess, strewn all over her face and she made vain attempts to blow them out of her eyes. She had one leg over and looked about ready to fall. Erina hurriedly got up and opened the double French doors. She had no idea what to do in this situation, wait for her to finish or help her up? Her hand hovered anxiously as Alice finally swung her legs over and landed neatly, patting down her skirt. Suddenly, Kurokiba-kun's face popped up from behind the railing with a distinct shoe print on his face from Alice using it as a ladder step to climb over.
"A-Alice?"
"What are you being so slow for?!" her cousin huffed, with her hands firmly planted on her hips.
Erina flinched.
"We're escaping from the mansion!" her cousin continued yelling at her face.
"Erina-sama!"
"H-Hisako?"
Erina's heart skipped a beat. She craned her neck desperately over the balcony, peering through the darkness and caught the sight of her rosette-haired friend at the bottom of the ladder. She was peering back at her with a determined expression on her face, bathed in the moonlight. She hadn't felt so relieved in so long. She realised that all four of them were still dressed in their school uniform.
"What are you talking about?" she asked Alice, turning back to her
"Ryou-kun! Pack anything Erina will need into a suitcase! Clothes and toiletries! Step to it!" she spun away from Erina, brushing past her as she ordered her aide, pointing to the chest of drawers and the wardrobe.
"Ousu"
The Cerberus of Tootsuki made the final leap over the balcony and brushed past her following Alice like a man on a mission. He stopped at her queen-sized bed and knelt down to pull out a luggage case from underneath. How did he know that's where she kept her suitcase?! He went to work immediately, rifling through her clothes without hesitation.
"Alice! Please, explain what is going on? I can't just leave this place! Father will—"
"Always listening to what others tell you to do and what to feel. That rubbish ends now" Alice cupped her face, forcing Erina to look deep into her ruby red eyes. They were intense and unforgiving, brimming with a powerful defiance she wished she had. Most of all, she could see care.
"Why are you doing this… Alice?"
"I found Hishoko throwing rocks at my window. She came up with a plan for you to get away from here."
Erina forced herself to look down, feeling so helpless whilst the ones she cared for were already taking matters into their own hands while she was stuck where she was.
"…My letters Erina… I sent so many of them… But you never replied!" Alice yelled again. Her lashes were dotted with unshed tears which were already welling up.
Guilt and shamed overwhelmed her. "Th-That was—"
"I know… It was Uncle Azami's fault. Just had to get it off my chest... But anyhow, we're becoming runaways!" she declared in an excited whisper.
"Mi'lady, not so loud… I'm all finished" Kurokiba-kun emerged with a full luggage case.
Erina's eyes widened as Kurokiba-kun lifted it by its handle to show Alice, who nodded in approval. He immediately went back to the balcony. He swung his legs over, catching his foot on the ladder that was propped there and hefted the luggage along with him. Erina was amazed by his strength as he carried her luggage without breaking a sweat or a hint of a struggle.
"Come on, let's go"
Soon she and Alice were the last two to climb over and down the ladder to join their awaiting aides. Kurokiba-kun obediently lifted his arms to gently place them onto Erina's waist as she made it to the last rung so that she didn't slip and fall on her face. Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she didn't hesitate to throw her arms around Hisako and squeezed her tightly and Hisako did the same. When she finally parted, she fought back the tears. Years of penting up her tears due to Father punishing her for crying in front of others were still ingrained in her. The tears stung so much and no matter how hard she tried to make them fall, it couldn't. Alice yanked her arm and soon all four of them were running off into the adjoining woods.
'Kurokiba-kun is running with my luggage on his back! Unbelieveable!'
The dry grass crunched beneath her feet and were getting taller the further she ran into the forest. she could hardly see where she was going, only the random dappling of moonlight through the trees to help her. The grass whipped and scratched at her socks, snagging the soft fabric leaving burrs dotting all over it, but she didn't care. Adrenaline overtook her. They were actually escaping! He chest heaved and her lungs felt ragged from gasping at the cold night air. She had no idea how long she was running for, she just concentrated on running. The chirping of crickets and hoots of owls surrounding them along with the other nightly critters amplified her paranoia. The thought of getting caught seized her with a new fear and her 'flight' response kicked off even harder. Any security lurking about could suddenly jump out and catch them! She tried to dodge the small branches, shielding her face as much as she could as she pressed on, letting them scrape her blazer instead. She could hear Alice and Hisako panting beside her as they too fought to run as fast as they could, while Kurokiba-kun brought up the rear.
Finally in the distance, there was a bright light shining up ahead at a clearing. That shouldn't be there. They look like search lights. Erina panicked. Were they Father's men?! The large men waiting in the shadows to pounce on them terrified her, but not as terrifying as what Father would do to her once she was dragged back to the manor. But Alice, Hisako and Kurokiba-kun didn't slow down and were still running straight for it. The bright light bright splitted into who the closer they got and were joined by a low rumbling sound like a car engine on standstill. Was this in the direction of Polar Star Dormitory? Erina was proven wrong when somebody stepped in front of the bright lights, casting a long shadow.
A long and tall shadow.
"Kuchiyose-san?!"
It was Alice's ex-boyfriend!
He leaned against the hood with his ankles and arms crossed over each other. Erina squinted and she caught the dim white colouring of the car and it also had black markings. His overall laxed posture against the headlights made it look as if he didn't care to be here. When Erina finally slowed down and stop, she could finally see him properly amongst the headlights. Unlike the school uniform they were all wearing, he donned a white v-neck t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. She had never seen him in casual wear aside from the photos Alice kept under her bed, but she had to admit he was more good-looking with casual wear in real life compared to the Karakura school uniform. His lilac hair was pulled into a short half-ponytail, his fringe swept back. His eyes quickly sought Alice before going back to regarding her. Through the light and shadows, he nodded at her but didn't say a word.
"It's about twelve kilograms..." said Kurokiba-kun, holding out the luggage case.
Kuchiyose-san nodded. He took her luggage with one arm and placed it into the already-opened boot of the car.
"Thanks for coming, Byakko!"
Another surprise of the night. Alice launched herself at Kuchiyose-san as soon as he slammed the boot close. He stumbled slightly but caught her by the back of her thighs just in time. She planted a sloppy kiss right onto his lips. Shoujou manga coming to life! Her face flared up ivolently and she didn't whether to be disgusted, embarrassed or both! She thought Alice was adamant to stay broken up! When did this happen?!'
"I know what you're thinking Erina, close your jaw before a cicada zooms in. Byakko and I… want to make this work again" Alice huffed at her, sitting in the crook of Kuchiyose-san's elbows while she had a firm hold of his shoulders. He held her up like she didn't weigh all that much. He finally set her on the ground without any changes to his emotional state, but still kept one hand on the small of Alice's back.
"And it has nothing to do with you and Ryou-kun going behind my back!"
"I w-wasn't going to say-"
"Erina-sama, please get in the car" Hisako cut her off.
She urgently opened the car door and ushered Erina inside to sit in the middle before her. Kurokiba-kun came in from the other side. The car was so small, she was squished! Once the last door shut, the car came to life and it zoomed off through the forest on a beaten dirt road. Erina hastily clipped on her seat-belt, fumbling a few times, but she managed. Did Kuchiyose-san know where he was going at all?! But she remembered that Alice told her he used to sneak onto the grounds often to meet up secretly. The bumps and dips made the car vibrate, tickling her ears.
The trees became more sparse the further they drove through Tootsuki's forest and before she knew it, the lights of the Polar Star Dormitory glittered in the distance from her left side. They must be driving along the edge of Tootsuki's property now, where the infamous 'Independent Nation' resided. The large and majestic dormitory building made her breathless. She'd rarely looked in its direction but under the blanket of twinkling stars and moonlight of the dead of night, it held an ethereal beauty as it stood amongst the crops. It was a manor in it's own right, covered by vines but had been refurbished to be a dormitory. As they went past, her thoughts immediately latched onto Yukihira-kun and his bands of misfits. They probably had know idea she was running away.
Finally, they emerged from the trees and up ahead was an open wire fence gate with a sign that said NO ENTRY right on the front. This must be the back way of Tootsuki's forest property. It never should be open! The chain and open padlock dangled loosely, ready to slip and fall onto the dirt road.
"How did you manage to get the keys for this gate?!" Yelled Erina, trying to compete with the car engine noises and the crunching rocks and dirt beneath the wheels.
"We didn't!"
"Huh?!"
Kuchiyose-san briefly glanced at her through the rear view mirror.
"Okay, Hishoko, let's hear your plan! Where are we going?" yelled Alice from the front seat.
"Give me your phone, Alice-sama. I'll type in the address into your GPS for you. The address is a little bit complicated" demanded Hisako.
Alice huffed and surrendered her smartphone to Hisako. Hisako rapidly typed into the maps app, the clicking firing at the speed of a machine gun rattling. Erina trusted with all her heart that Hisako had the perfect safe haven in mind. Before she could catch a glimpse of where on Earth they were heading, she handed it back to Alice over the seat.
"Let me make a call to see if everything is set" her rosette-haired friend pulled out her own phone and started dialling.
"Where is this… urghh… I gotta zoom in… WHOAH! Careful Byakko! What the hell Hishoko!? It's like three hours away!" screeched Alice before her lips pinched together in intense concentration. "…Uh Byakko, we have to take the Great Western HighwAAYYY!"
The car violently swerved to miss a large fallen tree branch.
"I'm almost running on half tank…" grumbled Kuchiyose-san out of nowhere, who had one hand securely on the wheel and the other resting on the gear stick, ready to push it to the next gear.
"I'm sorry! But the further we go, the safer we are! KYAAA! Oh Kami-sama, th-that was close! Umm!... Th-There are petrol stations on the way and the A-Arato family will reimburse you for the petrol!" yelled Hisako over the constant revving.
"…" was her only reply.
He made a sharp turn. It was literally downhill from there. Erina's stomach flew into her mouth, pushed by the g-force as Alice's (boy)friend barrelled down the mountain slope. She yelped loudly and then clamped her hands over her mouth in reflex. Her governess taught her that screaming was unlady-like behaviour, but she had a feeling that none of that would matter anymore while Kuchiyose-san was behind the wheel. Everything outside was blackness, the only illumination was the headlights lighting bouncing on mountain road in front of him, continuing to descend, descend and descend with no end, only tight corners. He pulled the gear stick and threw the car into clutch after clutch as they took hairpin turns down the mountain side. Large pine trees whooshed past them, surrounding on all sides. He was going way too fast! Alice looked like she was enjoying this too much and the adrenaline coursing through her veins at this absolutely reckless driving did terrible things to her!
"KYYAAaaaaahhh!" Erina screamed again.
Out of nowhere, Kuchiyose-san had pulled on the hand-brake and stepped his foot down, and the small car skidded sideways down another sharp turn, forcing Erina to smash against Kurokiba-kun.
"KYYAAaaaaahhh!" Erina screamed again.
She pulled herself upright and clasped her shaking hands over her chest. She dry heaved over and over, until she got her mind back in working order. She was NEVER ever going near this guy or his car AGAIN! "Please drive more carefully! You shouldn't be so reckless with passengers!" Erina finally blew her top off and yelled at the top of her lungs to compete with the roaring of the engine, but Kuchiyose-san continued to ignore her as he pushed the car into the next gear and sped up to the point Erina was pushed back into her seat.
"Relax Erina, you'll be fine~! Besides, Byakko hasn't even gotten to the cooler moves yet!" laughed Alice, still fiddling with the map on her smartphone.
"WHAT!?"
Hisako suddenly shooshed everyone impatiently, not without sending an apologetic glance at Erina, signalling that she was still trying to listen out for her call to connect.
"Ah! Hello? I'm sorry to w-wake you up, but this is an emergency! I've left a few voice m-messages but I really couldn't afford to w-wait for you to get back to me!" said Hisako frantically into the receiver before another swing of the back wheels threw her speech off.
"Alright, I got it…" said Alice. Why wasn't Alice car-sick yet, because SHE was! Erina had been trying to concentrate on watching Alice fumbling with the zoom function on the GPS map on her phone to distract her from the thought of vomiting in Kuchiyose-san's car.
"I r-really need a favour..." continued Hisako.
"What's this…?" muttered Alice squinting closer to the bright screen "… Ryuusenka Apo-AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The sound of grinding gears and the revving engine filled the air as Byakko once again yanked the hand break and they skidded sideways around a turn towards the foot of the mountain. He practically threw the car around, just shy of scraping along the railing, but he wouldn't let it get that far before he righted the wheels again as he should be! While he drove like a speed demon, she hung onto the flimsy thing called a seat-belt for dear life. What was scarier? Driving around like this or her Father!
The road evened out into bitumen and her stomach finally collapsed back next to her liver. Her reprieve was a moment too soon as the car lurched sideways and she cringed at the screeching tires. She screamed again as Kuchiyose-san made a hasty donut to take off in the opposite direction towards the Great Western Highway as instructed by Alice. At that moment, Erina slammed onto her other side as Kurokiba-kun did the same and narrowly missed face-planting onto her breasts.
"OWW!"
"OWW!"
Her head collided into Hisako's head painfully with a sharp crack and both goals groaned, holding their bruised noggins. The hearing piece of Hisako's phone was pressed tightly to Erina between their squished heads and she over-heard the words on the other end that made her hair stand up on end.
"HISAKO! WHO ON EARTH IS CALLING YOU SWEETHEART?!"
I'm gonna let that sink in... XD... Did you think Senzaemon did the right thing? Or are Azami's feelings justified? It's up to you readers.
That's right! Erina isn't going to Polar Star like in the manga, but rather she's running away to Ryuusenka Apo-AHHHHHHHHHH! Assuming they survive the 3 hour car ride in Kuchiyose-kun's Trueno AE86.
If you guys aren't sure what Ryuusenka Apo-AHHHHHHHHHH! is or who's calling Hisako 'Sweetheart' on the phone, don't fret! Check out the FIRST 2 CHAPTERS ONLY of my other Food Wars! fanfic story Medica Materia :) The 3rd chapter is for later on and will contain spoilers. So please await my instructions on when to read the 3rd chapter (Btw, this author's note is written way after I posted this chapter)
I hope you guys like this tasty treat at the end. I will see you next in Chapter 2 of Medica Materia!
Signing-off
-TripWire-dono
