Chapter 3: Distracted from Distress

PopNina25: Hi everyone!!! Here's chapter 3! Trust me, things are getting more interesting!

Anime Show: Shokugeki no Soma

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Shun Ibusaki and Ryoko Sakaki

Overview: Ryoko thinks about her past moments with her fellow dorm mate. Shun also has thoughts about her that cause some worries. Along with that, with dinner taking place at the dorm, the tension between just had to be acknowledged.

"What was that?!?! Why was I so awkward around him?!?!"

Running to class, knowing she was going to end up with a tardy in her attendance records, Ryoko began contemplating what had happened to her around Shun.

"I've never gotten that flustered around him, so why did that happen to me now?!"

Her mind tried to wrap around the reason for her mixed emotions and ended up picturing those last moments with her dorm mate.

"Seeing him hold his hand out to me, it... almost made my heart want to burst out of my chest. His blueish-gray eyes, looked so warm and inviting. And his body looked so handsome and so se-"

Ryoko shook her head back and forth rapidly, bringing her running to a halt and cupping her cheeks to gain control of her sanity.

"WHAT AM I THINKING?!?! WE'RE FRIENDS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! I SHOULDN'T THINK OF A FRIEND LIKE THAT!!!"

Ryoko turned her head back in the direction of the dorm, kept a hold on her cheeks, and began to regain her breath.

"I mean, he would never see me as anything more than a friend...right?"

Taking a few more deep breaths, she returned her focus to her rush to class. Every step of the way, she thought about the handsome fellow.

"It's times like these that I need to talk to Yuki."

Back at the Dorms:

The sweat and exhaustion were washed away by the cooling sensation of a shower. Having finished his outdoor work for the day, Shun Ibusaki had decided to take a well-earned shower before lunch. With no classes today, he was free to do as he pleased, and in this case, think as he pleased.

He turned off the shower, grabbed his towel, and wiped the water off his face. Wrapping himself up in his towel, he gazed into the mirror, scanning his form from top to bottom.

"Is there something wrong with my body? I mean, why else would she look at me strangely?"

His tired hand lifted the bangs from his eyes. They gazed back at each other in the mirror, critically examining their flaws in appearance.

"Perhaps she looked into my eyes and became scared or disgusted by them. I wouldn't blame her for that."

He released his grip, allowing his eyes to return to their normal state. Sighing, he walked out of the bathroom and headed towards his room.

As he walked up the stairs, a voice called out his name and halted his movement. The familiar voice prompted him to turn toward where it originated. He encountered eyes with his best friend and dorm mate, Zenji Marui, who appeared absolutely wretched because of his morning gardening duties. Dirt coated his glasses, while his arms and legs seemed to have lost all their muscle.

"Hey Zenji? You good buddy?"

"Ehh, could be better. My body wants to collapse so badly, but apparently I have a class to attend to."

Shun sighed with a slightly worried look over his wobbly friend. He took a few steps back down the steps to get closer to the withering, pale Zenji.

"Next time, you shouldn't waste your time working in that garden. If you keep this up, you could end up getting kicked out like-," Shun held his tongue and immediately put his head down, regretting what he had said.

"Like them?" Zenji had returned a more serious and almost angry look at his friend. "I will never end up like those... those fools, Shun! Those idiots weren't even making an effort to come to class! At least I'm not giving up my spot at this... this school! This wonderful opportunity for me!" He made his way past Shun up the steps, grumbling and clutching his fists in fury and frustration.

It's been like that with him for a while. Ever since their former dorm mates were forced to leave, Zenji had developed a dark place in his heart. One that Shun had been unable to get rid of.

Shun would feel hurt by Zenji's cruel accusations and statements, but deep down, he knew Zenji was hurting even more than he himself was.

Daigo and Shoji were true pains in the neck, with their constant fights. Fights Zenji himself had to break up. But even so, Zenji missed the two knuckleheads. He even had a soft spot for the precious looking, incredibly annoying Yuki Yoshino. Shun was aware of Zenji's crush on her. A crush that was unable to become anything more.

Shun returned his footing back up the steps, to get to his bedroom, where he would change and do his smoking craft in, until dinner.

"Zenji may not be the only one hurting. Perhaps Ryoko is feeling the same way. After all, Yuki was her best friend."

Time Skip: Dinner

"Hey you kids! Get your butts into the dining room before your dinner turns into tomorrow's pig mush!" Miss Fumio's ever-so-jovial voice boomed through the call pipes, prompting the students to hurry down for supper.

The dorm members made it to the dining hall and took their seats. Ryoko took a seat next to Gracie, a first-year, and Ikumi Mito. Both of them shared the first floor with her. Shun sat next to Zenji, along with the Aldini Brothers, who shared the second floor with him.

Ikumi and the Aldini Brothers had moved into the dorms, after Soma went out on his journey. Their company was appreciated, but they could never fill the gap left by Soma.

After they had gulped down their last bites, Ryoko became lost in thought, staring at her now empty plate. She twirled her fork in her fingers, catching Ikumi's attention.

"Is something wrong, Sakaki?" Ikumi asked her, which startled Ryoko. She adjusted herself into a more focused position to respond to her.

"Oh... no. I've just been very distracted today." Her eyes gazed to the side. She hadn't been able to get that moment with Shun off her mind.

"May I ask what the distraction is?"

"Well...uhhhh..." She glanced over at the man on her mind. He and Zenji were deep in conversation. She wondered what they were talking about.

Ikumi followed her eyes' gaze and found what they were fixed on. A smile appeared on her face, accompanied by a chuckle that got Ryoko to bring the attention back to her.

"W-what Mito-san? Why are you smiling like that?" Ryoko's frustration was obvious in her voice. In reply, Ikumi's smile grew even wider.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you do have quite the distraction, don't you Sakaki-Chan?" Even more confusion was put on Ryoko's face. It was gone once Ikumi pointed towards the source.

Ryoko was looking at Shun once again. She got red in the face and looked back to Ikumi. "W-What are you talking about? S-Shun is my friend!"

"That doesn't mean he can't be more than a friend," Ikumi said as she placed her hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "Look, if you keep staring at him like this, he might think you're a bit creepy. You just have to recognize your feelings and tell him how you feel." Ryoko became even more flustered and red-faced from being both embarrassed and frustrated.

"I can't just do that! He probably doesn't even feel the same way."

"Heh, no shot he doesn't even like you a little bit. With your sexy body, he must have had some thoughts of you guys together." Ryoko was a red tomato about to explode. Before she could speak again, Ikumi had to throw in another comment. "Oh man, I can just imagine what it would look like if you two had sex. With his toned, muscular body and your chest and thighs, man your kids will be gorgeous." Ryoko stood up from her seat, in absolute shock from what she just heard.

"D-Don't t-talk about u-us like that!!" Ryoko grabbed her plate and speed walked to the kitchen.

"Oh, so there's an us." Ikumi licked her chops in excitement. In her head, she was already making truly devious plans to make her fantasies of them come to life.

Concluding Statement: Sorry I was a bit late on this one! Things are getting spicy now, so stay tuned for the next chapter!!