Chapter 7: Closer for Comfort

Anime Show: Shokugeki no Soma

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Shun Ibusaki and Ryoko Sakaki

Overview: The journey to find Yuki Yoshino begins! Ryoko and Shun pack up and head out for the bus station on the motorbike. They spend the night on the bus together.

"Shirts- Check. Pants- Check. Underclothes- Check. Tooth brush- Check. Blanket- Check. Beauty care supplies- Check, check, check."

Ryoko went down her packing list, making sure she didn't forget to put anything in her bag. Her finger traced down the lined paper, not missing a single item written down.

"Deodorant- Check. Reading book- Check. Phone- Check. Wallet- Check. Passport just in case- Check. Looks like everything's here."

She zipped up her luggage and finally finished her packing routine. Getting up from the floor, she approached her full-body mirror. She took another glance at herself, straightening up her silky, medium-length hair. The trim she had done as a second-year student was already growing back.

Her lenient hands moved down to her clothing and attempted to work out the wrinkles and creases in them. Under her breath, she wished she had an iron with her to help them get out easier.

"So, just a trip full of friendship, huh?" Ryoko turned to see Ikumi, leaning on the door frame, "So the white, v-neck shirt and those tight jeans of yours won't be too revealing for his eye candy?"

Ryoko grabbed her black jacket lying on her desk chair and slipped the sleeves onto her arms. "What are you trying to imply, Mito-san?" She questioned her, with a tint of blush on her face, as she saw her devious smile.

"Why are you trying so hard to get him in the sack, when he clearly wants you too?" She walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing them both to stare into the mirror. "But hey, I'm not complaining about it. I'm all for making a man drool over your looks." Ryoko rolled her eyes. Nudging Ikumi's teasing hands off her shoulders, she browsed over to her shoes, trying to decide what would be best to wear.

"Here, wear the red Converse with the white laces. I think it compliments the navy blue color of your pants," Ikumi said, squatting down next to her. Ryoko gave her an agreeing nod and mumbled her thanks, then continued to slip on the shoes and tie the laces. They stood back up together. Ikumi ran her fingers through Ryoko's hair for one last spot check. The action seemed similar to a mother, making sure her daughter was ready to go out.

"You look perfect, Sakaki! Don't worry! You'll always be a smoking hot hottie! Now, go get your man!" She gave her a thumbs up and pat on the back for some reassurance. For once in a long time, Ryoko actually felt like Ikumi and she had a civil, intimate conversation... and then she spoke again.

"Oh and please tell me about it afterwards! And don't leave out any details about the sex! I want to visualize how steamy it would be." She held her hands together and gave Ryoko a sensual look.

Ryoko gave her a deadpan stare. "Shun and I are just friends. We're going on this trip together to find Yuki, and that's it. No romance, just a good old, platonic adventure... So stop assuming there's going to be more than that like a pervert!"

Ikumi chuckled to herself, making Ryoko get even angrier than before, "Okay, Okay, Okay. Whatever you say, Mrs. Ibusaki."

Ryoko turned all red and flustered, and in anger, she threw a nearby shoe at Ikumi. However, she managed to dodge it and ran out of the room. She held another shoe in her hand, prepared for another remark. To her satisfaction, Ikumi didn't return, and she finally felt comfortable.

--

As the evening emerged, the dorm grew quiet. Some of the students had already left for the long weekend. The rest were just in the kitchen, preparing their dinners. Shun made his way down the stairs to the main entrance, duffel bag in hand. Noticing that Ryoko wasn't there yet, he set his luggage next to the door, took a book out, and sat on a nearby chair.

The book contained details on how to cook different smoked dishes. After the incident with Central, he wanted to further expand on his techniques. The weight of his loss was still on his shoulders, and he wanted to do whatever he could to advance past his limits.

After a few minutes of scanning through the pages, someone finally made their way down the stairs. Shun looked up to see who it was and found that it was not Ryoko, whom he was expecting, but instead, his friend Zenji. He was currently holding a book, supposedly one he was using to study with for upcoming exams.

"Hey, Shun!" Zenji spoke enthusiastically.

He spotted the bag by the door and looked back to him curiously, "What's up, man? Are you going somewhere?"

He nodded. "Yes. I am." He marked his book and closed it, setting it on the small table next to him. Zenji paced closer to him and put his hands in his pockets.

"And... where are you going?" He raised an eyebrow at him.

Shun rubbed his leg. He wasn't really planning on telling anyone about this trip, but since Zenji brought it up, it wouldn't hurt to inform him. "Uh, well, Ryoko and I are going to-"

"We're going camping together!" Shun and Zenji looked up to Ryoko, at the top of the stairs, "I mean, with Shun's background knowledge of the great outdoors, I wanted him to come and... help me out."

Standing up from the bench he had been sitting on, Shun wore a bit of a confused expression. He fidgeted with his jacket, straightening it up just a bit to look more presentable.

Zenji darted back and forth between the two, his gaze flickering from one to the other before returning his focus to a smile directed at Shun. "Well, I think that sounds great! I hope you two have fun!" He winked at Shun not-so-subtly and walked off with a small wave to both of them.

Shun grumbled a bit under his breath, hoping Zenji didn't get any wrong ideas. His attention was then distracted by Ryoko struggling with her suitcase. Quickly, he went over to her and helped her with it.

"T-Thanks," she stuttered. Even though they had basically resolved their whole 'thing', she still felt uneasy about being alone with him. Just the two of them together.

"Say... um... why did you lie to Zenji?" He put down her baggage at the foot of the stairs and gave her a questioning stare.

With a subtle grin and a nod of appreciation, she pulled up the handle to her suitcase and started to roll it towards the door. Without looking back, she stated, "Well, I don't know if you know, but I think Yuki and Zenji had a thing for each other. If he knew we were making this trip, heck, if he had her address right now, he would've bolted out the door after her." She gripped the door handle and swung it open. "Just don't tell Zenji anything about this, okay? Now, let's get moving. We've got a bus to catch."

Ryoko's shaky voice caused Shun to pick up his bag. "Understood. I won't say a word about this." He met her at the door and they left together, side by side.

--

The phone rings from a distance. It stands on an antique table in a rather Japanese-style room. The walls are covered with artwork and symbols, and the floor is made of a light birch wood.

The side door slid open. Darkness prevented anyone from seeing anything. A mysterious figure entered the room. They picked up the phone and answered it with a simple, "Hello?" Their tone conveyed tiredness and exhaustion.

"Is this Isshiki Satoshi speaking?" A familiar female voice was heard on the other end. The guy raised a brow and yawned. He was planning to take a nap, but now, he found himself held up by this phone call.

"Yes, this is he. May I ask who's calling?"

"It's Erina. We need to talk." Her serious tone made Isshiki feel a little uncomfortable.

"Is everything alright, Erina? You don't sound all that chipper for someone about to be wed. If this is about your wedding, don't worry. I already sent out my RSVP."

"I'm not talking about my wedding right now." Erina sighed gently, "I want to talk about a more pressing matter... Can we just meet up about this ASAP?"

Isshiki scratched the back of his head. "Uhhh... sure? Can I get some info about it though?"

Erina let out an even louder sigh, "Well, let's just say that some of your dorm mates got expelled, and I'm trying to undo that, okay?"

Isshiki's eyes widened. His chill expression turned to anger and disappointment. He had never been the type of guy to lose his temper, but ever since he graduated from Totsuki and left Polar Star, a dark place had grown in his heart. It was never clear how he got it, whether it was due to his breakup with Nene or being deprived of seeing the faces of his friends every day.

"Wait a second, Nakiri? Aren't you the headmaster?! Can't you undo this or even better, prevent this from ever happening"

"Yeah... about that, I kind of gave the position back to my grandfather, after me and Soma got engaged. I didn't want to have to juggle the duties of being a headmaster and a wife. Sadly, it backfired on me, and now we're in the middle of this stupid mess!" Erina started to sound upset, with some sobs being heard from Isshiki's end.

He clenched the phone tightly in one hand and made a fist in the other. His blood was heating up, and his temper was reaching its peak. He took a deep breath and spoke once more, "Let's meet at the supermarket near Totsuki tomorrow morning. There, we will fix this."

He hung up the phone. His hands clutched his head as he breathed heavily.

--

The ride felt longer than expected. The awkward silence along the way wasn't helping it pass quickly. Even the motor of the bike's engine couldn't fill the gap of unspoken space.

Shun was driving the bike, with Ryoko behind, wrapped her arms around him securely. At first, she wanted to drive, but she figured since Shun used it more than her, so she let him take the lead. He noticed her chest pressed against him, but he let that slide, thinking that she was only doing that to not fall off.

Their luggage was sitting in an attached cart behind them. The sound of it's repetitive bumping seemed to be Ryoko's distraction, as she would check every once in a while, making sure nothing would fall out. Every time she would swing around though, her long hair would get in her face and she would immediately have to return to looking forward. Shun could feel her hair each time she did this, wondering if she was uncomfortable with their position.

He tried to think of something, anything to say. Anything that could make this less awkward would be greatly appreciated right now. He glanced at his GPS with some hope, "We should be heading towards the bus station in about five minutes."

Ryoko was a bit startled by the vibration in his voice. "O-okay, good." She put her arms around him a little tighter, which made her notice his abs through his iconic dark green sweater. He gulped a bit as he took a quick glance at the arms around him.

Really thinking about it, Shun realized how unusual it was to be this close to a woman. He'd been an only child his whole life, his mother leaving him when he was six. His father was around for him, but he wasn't really the affectionate type. Also, he tended to hang out with Zenji or the other guys at his dorm, so the girls he would only be around for mostly during their dinners and dorm parties.

He thought of what the guys would do. Zenji would either be as awkward as him or worse, not even acknowledge what's happening. Shoji would probably make some charming, flirty comment about it. And honestly, knowing Daigo, he would probably swing the girl over on his lap and have her ride him.

He blushed as he pictured Ryoko on his lap like that. He could imagine her grinding against him, taking off her tight jeans and blouse. He imagined his bulge getting bigger and his hands caressing her entire body. God, he needed a distraction from this hot scenario.

Ryoko felt him tense up a bit. "Are you alright, Ibusaki?" she asked.

She tried to sit up more steadily, "Yeah, it's just the cold."

"Hmmm, you should've worn a jacket..." she snuggled closer to him, her hands traveling up his chest.

Leaning further back into her embrace, he felt the warmth of her body and sensed his own growing desire. His rather nasty intentions were reflected in the noticeable bulge in his pants. He gulped nervously, hoping she wouldn't see or suspect it. As they finally approached the bus station, Shun relaxed a bit in relief.

"It looks like we're here," he said as they drove up to the bike lot and parked. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was 5:15 p.m.

"Yes and perfect timing too. We've got fifteen till our 5:30 bus comes." She hoped off the motorbike, unbuckling the helmet. Shun attached the bike lock wire to the pole and went to the cart to retrieve their luggage.

Ryoko looked up at the bus arrival time board and confirmed when the next bus was scheduled to depart. She saw that it would arrive at their destination at 8:30am.

"15 hours. Me and Shun. I can do this, right?"

She looked back at him to see him carrying his duffel bag on his right shoulder and rolling her suitcase with his left hand. He wasn't even struggling a bit with the load. Once he reached her, they went into the station to pay for tickets and get their bags checked.

--

Soon enough, the bus approached on the tracks, and the pair got on in the compartment. Unlike most modern buses these days, the interior seemed more like a train, having aligned leather seats, small bedrooms with bunk beds, and a mini cafe that sold hot chocolate, coffee and many delectable sweets.

One of the bus employees approached them with a ticket puncher. He checked them both in. "Ah, I see that you're both booked for a 15-hour bus ride. Would you like to acquire one of our rooms for the night, or would you prefer us to keep you on your seats with blankets and pillows?"

Ryoko looked at Shun and asked, "What do you think?" Her sparkling ruby orbs made him freeze for a second, but then he knew he had to choose one of the options.

He said to the man, "I think the beds would be more comfortable." The man nodded his head and handed him a key.

"Your room will be number 5. In there, you're provided with your own bathroom, a cabinet full of towels and beauty products, and complementary robes. Feel free to ask us for anything else you need. And please, prepare to take your seats. We'll be serving dinner shortly."

They walked down the aisle to their room number. To their surprise, the room was spacious. It didn't have much to it, but it was an acceptable place to rest. Their bags were placed in the large drawers of the dresser, and in unison, they peered up at the bunk bed.

"Top or bottom?" Shun asked bluntly, taking Ryoko aback a bit. She cursed at her brain for having such advanced thoughts.

"Huh... oh, that's fine." She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Her heart was beating so fast, thinking about them sharing a room together. Thankfully, the beds were separate, but they would still share the same bathroom and changing area.

As Ryoko inspected the small closet, Shun stepped into the bathroom, turning on the light. It was cramped but it would do for one night. He shut the door and locked it, leaving Ryoko to believe he was going to the bathroom, as she took her jacket off. In fact, Shun didn't actually have to go. He needed to check his pants from their previous incident on the bike.

When he returned to her, he saw her white blouse more clearly without her denim jacket. It was lacy, with a V-neck showing off the tip of her cleavage. The fabric seemed to be figure-hugging as well. He felt a bit perverted for being so vigilant.

Once they got settled in, they went out to get dinner, finding an empty table with a place setting in front of it. Immediately, a waiter approached them to take their orders.

"And what will you be having, young sir?" Shun opened the menu and scanned it quickly to find something.

"I'll take the yaki udon noodles with green chai." He told him friskily.

"Excellent choice!" The waiter turned to Ryoko, "And for the lady?" She smirked a bit at the "lady" comment and glanced at the menu for something good.

She said, "I'll have the katsu curry ramen with a lemon ice tea, please." Then she handed the menus back to him.

"Very good, miss!" he said cheerfully. "Your dinner will be out shortly." He winked and walked away briskly, leaving the two of them alone. Well, at least they were sitting next to each other in complete silence. Ryoko stared out the window, while Shun fiddled with his fingers and stared in the opposite direction. This situation was difficult to bear. Someone had to say something before they received their meal.

"It's very beautiful tonight. I love this time of year, with the autumn leaves. Shun finally looked at her, still staring out the window, but the reflection in the glass allowed him to see her movement.

"Yes, it really is. There's a lot of trees at Totsuki, but none of them show off these bright reds and yellows, especially since most of our trees are just prickly green pine." Ryoko met his eyes, and for a moment, he felt his body stiffen.

"I guess you would know more about that, considering you basically chop down a tree a day," she said with a sly giggle. "I was never quite the outdoosy type of person. Most days, I'm just stuck in the basement, constantly spraying chemicals to preserve my rice. Don't get me wrong, I love fermenting. It's truly my passion... I just think I need a break from it every now and then."

Shun chuckled a bit, "Honestly, I try to work breaks into making my new dishes as well. It's a tiring process sometimes, but hey, your creations taste remarkable. I enjoy the rice juice you make for us, and I know it wasn't easy to make all those batches of it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I appreciate your craft."

Her cheeks turned pink, as she gave off a shy smile. "Thank you. I appreciate your craft too. I've always had a soft spot for your smoked dishes. They're tasty and comforting."

"Thank you," he said as his hand adjusted itself beside hers. As soon as it touched her hand, he quickly retracted it. The action left Ryoko feeling slightly disappointed. She was about to tell him there was no need to pull away, when the waiter arrived with their dinners.

"Here you go! Do enjoy!"

--

The food wasn't grand, but there wasn't much to expect after all. They spent the rest of their evening chowing down on their meals, chatting about their works and interests, and listening to the calming music in the background. It was around 9:00 when they decided to return to their room.

"You can have the shower first," she said. "I need to do something on my laptop." She pulled it out of her bag and sat down at the desk. He nodded to her, grabbed his pajamas and a towel, and headed for the shower.

"Okay, I'll be quick," he said before disappearing behind the door. She could hear the water start to trickling down as she opened the screen of her laptop.

It wasn't long before he emerged from the bathroom, now wearing a grey t-shirt and black sweatpants. His hair looked frizzy, as if it had been dried with a towel. Meanwhile, Ryoko appeared to be fully concentrated on whatever she was typing up.

To wake her from her trance, he walked behind her and tapped her shoulder, making her let out a startled yelp and causing him to flinch in response.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted you to know that the shower's ready." She closed the laptop and stood up, meeting his bangs and placing a reassuring hand on his chest.

"It's okay. I just wasn't... ," Her eyes darted to his chest. The material of the t-shirt was doing no job at all to cover up his muscle. "Expecting you to come out so early." She resisted the urge to move her hands all throughout his body.

Noticing how long it took for her hand to get off him, he almost wanted to grab her by the waist and lay her back on the desk. Unfortunately, they were both stupidly putting their friendship before anything else.

Ryoko made her way to the shower. Before the door closed, she left him a look. It was almost like a signal that she wanted him to come in with her. He retracted his gaze to the floor, as the door locked.

From the complementary bookshelf, he selected a book at random and started to skim it. He hadn't done a for-fun read in a while; it had been a while since he had simply read for pleasure and leisure. It wasn't long before he realized he had never heard the water flow.

And then, out came Ryoko, wrapped in a cotton white towel and nothing else but a cotton white towel. "Could you help me turn on the shower?" she asked. "I can't seem to figure it out." He felt his jaw drop a bit, seeing her bare legs and arms doing their best to cover her torso.

"Y-Y-Yeah, umm," he put his book back on the bookshelf, almost having it slip through his fingers and dropping it to the ground. "I'll get right to that then." He walked passed her through the doorway, nearly trembling. He got the job done quickly, trying his best to keep his focus on the job.

With his magic touch, the water began to flow. "There," he said. "All it took was a bit of jiggling with the knob."

"Thank you, Ibusaki," she said as he got up from the shower floor.

The cramped feeling of the room came to light, when realizing that Ryoko was in the room with him, and he would have to slickly glide by her. He decided to not overlook and just go for it. "Excuse me, sorry," he said as he moved away.

The feeling of her silky breasts brushing against his back was inevitable. He wondered what he would be jiggling next. She bit her lip and shut the door once more, finally able to wash up.

Shun sighed longingly and returned to his reading, this time getting cozy on the bed instead of standing by the shelf. He used the side lamp, turning it off when he was done. When Ryoko came back, wearing a black tank top and checkered pajama pants, she turned out the light.

"Goodnight, Sakaki."

"Goodnight, Ibusaki!"

And they dozed off peacefully into an undisturbed slumber, awaiting another day of their journey.

Concluding Statements: Thank you all for your patience! I just want to make sure my stories are as close to perfect when they are written! Stay tuned!!!