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THE 66TH AUTUMNIn bright bold letters a banner hung from every side of the massive stadium that housed the ever-famous Chandra’s Room, what could be considered Totsuki Academy’s second biggest stage, far too large for any run of the mill Shokugeki, usually reserved exclusively for Elite Ten usage or special events. The Autumn Elections fell into both categories in a way, being a huge annual event that was set up by the Elite Ten members themselves, and as was tradition, usually the first true showcase of all the First Years to determine which ones of them had what it took to be the next Elite Ten members themselves.An old tradition, something that hyped almost every student within the academy that had been chosen to participate, while also serving as a massive source of panic to those who weren’t. But now that the summer break had ended, the ball had concluded, and everyone was back to business as usual, all the students headed towards the arena, most to watch what the future of Totsuki would look like, but the chosen few went there for outright war.Or at least, that’s how a very eager Kimiko Yukihira saw it.The little blonde darling was the youngest daughter of the infamous Soma Yukihira and the ever-popular Erina Nakiri, once bitter (Erina mostly) rivals (Soma mostly) who were now married with two kids attending Totsuki Academy, and, for reasons, away from the public eye. Their eldest boy, Hiraku Yukihira, had already taken the school by storm the year prior, and the aftershocks of his arrival could still be felt. They lingered. And as the little sister stared at the coliseum, her golden hair tied up in its trademark twin pigtails, still very grateful Totsuki never demanded students use hairnets because fashion was very important for reasons that eluded her, she could feel the outright tension in the air. This was it. So, taking a deep breath, the golden girl from the Polar Star Dorms took guided steps and entered the stadium, her equally golden eyes widening at the sight of the sheer size of the venue before her.“Wooooow,” Kimiko voiced, allowing the word to linger, at just how huge her new battleground was, “So many seats! They didn’t lie at all; this is a true manga-style tournament setting… neat!”“Yukihira!”Kimiko jumped a bit at suddenly hearing her name getting shouted out, quickly turning around and with an automatic “It wasn’t me!” at the ready, but rather than getting scolded, it was instead a very familiar face she should have expected calling her out. Because some things never change.“Eh… Hi Mika!” Kimiko greeted with the brightest of smiles, her pretty head tilted slightly, “We’re finally here! Isn’t this exciting?! I… huh?” Kimiko paused, mid-praise, as she eyed a peculiar briefcase Mika was carrying, “…what’s that?”“It’s… a surprise Yukihira,” Mika noted, a devilish smirk on her lips, and while she knew she should keep her cards close to her chest, but… at the same time she really wanted to show off and rub it in Kimiko’s face, so… “Actually, if you’re that desperate to know, it’s –!”“Oh! Hiroshi! You’re here too!” Kimiko utterly ignored Mika’s attempts at bragging and turned her bright eyes to Mika’s cousin, as the boy stood by Mika, his body language clearly showcasing his nervousness. And, honestly, the sight of Kimiko’s pretty smile made things both better and worse in ways he couldn’t quite describe.”“H-Hi Kimiko,” he still tried, “It’s great to see you here… I mean, of course you’d be here, we did agree to meet up here… Rather, I mean, I’m glad you were able to help me get in here… in the way you did…”“Naturally!” Kimiko replied, all smiles, not even noticing the poor boy stammer all the place.“Hey!” Mika called out, “Don’t ignore me in order to flirt with my cousin!”“I-Itoko-chan!” a blushing Hiroshi almost screeched, “K-Kimiko is certainly not…”“Hmm?” Kimiko voiced, her head tilted to the side, and the cousins looked at her curiously. Did this girl even know what flirting was? She always seemed to only have food on the brain… “I did what now? Oh! You were going to tell me something Mika?”Mika frowned at her, and she honestly felt the moment had been ruined, but, for sportsmanship, she cleared her throat and tried again… “Listen well Yukihira, I –”“My, my, look who’s already here!” a sudden voice cut Mika off yet again, as the quarter-Italian outright seethed, Hiroshi gently patted her on the back to help her calm down, while Kimiko turned to find a set of familiar faces. Literally. “How are you Kimiko?”“Doing alright,” Kimiko replied, turning to her own cousins, “Lola, Mona,” she greeted, eyes on the two Totsuki princesses, wondering just how annoying this was going to be. Don’t get her wrong, she loved both of them to bits, but dealing with them so much was tiring, especially…“I would hope so,” Lola replied with a devilishly smirk, “This is what will separate those who talk the talk with those who walk the walk, or however that expression goes.”“…Just wish her well so we can move along,” Mona added, her eyes more on the floor than on either girl, “There’s… way too many people here.”“That’s the point dearest sister,” Lola countered, turning to Mona briefly, before she looked back at the struggling not to pout Kimiko and the glaring Mika, “The sixty best students of our year, all assembled,” Lola added, but gave a small pause, and her eyes shifted to the lone boy there, and with a knowing look in her eyes added, “Ah, pardon me, sixty-one.”Hiroshi just stammered, eyes to the side.“Problem?” Mika quickly voiced, her arms crossed against her chest, as Lola just laughed playfully.“No, never. Down girl, down, we’re all friends here,” Lola replied, the playful smirk ever-present, and while Hiroshi just smiled to her out of courtesy, Mona was clinging to Lola to try and force her to move, and Kimiko had already long left the conversation, daydreaming of the dish she was going to make, Mika’s glare only grew.‘…Did she just treat me like a dog…’ she inwardly asked, but relented not to make Hiroshi any more uncomfortable than he was. She’d settle things with little miss Lola as a true Aldini, in the kitchen.“There they are!”The four girls and the lone boy all turned upon hearing yet another familiar voice, finding a little group walking towards them. Chieko Marui, Yasu Ibusaki Hideyoshi Kawashima, and Daisuke Aoki all approached the little group of now nine.“Seems we all made it!” Hideyoshi quickly beamed, “How fortunate it is for you all that I was begged to host this event, otherwise the title of best would already have its name on it…”“A-As if!” Daisuke argued, trying his best to stop shivering, since he too had been asked to host, “Even if we were considered, there’s no way we’d be the clear favorite of this event…”“Not we, me!” Hideyoshi countered, “And even as a host I’m still a force to be reckoned with, as these guys have the near impossible task of shining to the judges while I’m on stage with them!”“Please ignore them,” Chieko quickly cut in, moving away from the boys and towards the rest, “Kimiko, Mika, Hiroshi, glad to see you all again. And… greetings Lola. Mona.”“Hey Chieko!” Kimiko greeted quickly, all smiles as usual, “You excited for this?! We could end up fighting! Isn’t that great?!”“…w-well…” Chieko tried, finding her eagerness both charming and a bit alarming.“…Please don’t mind her,” Yasu interrupted, offering an excuse, “She gets performance anxiety in front of so many viewing eyes.”“…she’s not the only one,” Mona just muttered, and tugged at Lola even harder, making her twin almost topple over, “…let’s go.”“H-Hey! Careful with the outfit! Don’t just strip me in the middle of the arena! This school banned that sort-of thing years ago!” Lola complained, and the rest of the kids just looked on, utterly bemused by whatever it was she was saying. Kimiko, on the other hand, quickly scanned the entire arena, her eyes pausing on each and every competitor, eagerly sizing up the competition there-in. There were a few familiar faces in the mix…She could see Takayuki Hojo by the side, if she looked downwards granted, arms crossed and smug as always.Next to him it was hard to miss Kazuo Mimasaka, who had a massive blush on his face for a reason Kimiko didn’t quite understand. Heatstroke maybe?She saw Emi Kusunoki further back, frowning at nothing, and next to her the massive Itsuki Kumai, who like his namesake looked like an outright large bear, so out of place with all these normal looking kids…Granted, Kimiko could also see several faces she had not noticed before, and some of them just looked weird. There was one with green spiky hair and a lot of piercings, and another one wearing some sort of decorated mask and long robes over his uniform. The way some of these kids abused the dress code was so strange to her (even if she did the same on a daily basis).And, of course, way, way back, she could see little miss perfection herself, Kaori Hayama, and the girl looked like someone had kicked her puppy and then spoiled her favorite series for her. So grouchy, how was this girl capable of customer service when her face was always stuck like that?Still, before she could keep looking, the lights suddenly turned off, making all the kids give pause, before the stage at the center was illuminated, and on it stood the school’s very Headmistress, and upon seeing her, Kimiko couldn’t help but give out a childish grin. She loved her auntie after all.“~Mou, aren’t all of you so, so excited now aren’t you…?” Alice Nakiri noted, her eyes on the sixty-one students standing before her, all gathered as was tradition, “Welcome to the Chandra’s Room, a place where we celebrate the success and prowess of the Elite Ten, and of course, honor those who rose to the very top…”Kimiko, and the rest of her peers, all turned to where Alice was looking, and like she had said, right there in the wall at the back, high up, there were a series of portraits representing every First Seat who graduated from Totsuki Academy. Kimiko’s eyes widen at the sight, for once, the air around her feeling… denser.Each portrait had a story, she was certain, of what it meant to be the best of the best. She knew some of them, some by stories, one personally at that. She still looked at each one, with their names etched just below their picture, alongside the year they graduated. Could she have her name and face in there, alongside those giants…?“As you can see,” Alice continued, signaling to the previous First Seats, “That is the Totsuki legacy. The pillars that hold us even over international waters. What makes us the best culinary school in the world, is the tremendous effort and skill those select few did to elevate us even further. Even now, they are out there, leading the world of gastronomy itself. Gin Doujima, Kojirou Shinomiya, Eishi Tsukasa, Nene Kinokuni, Kanon Akintola, Ruth Dillinger, the list is noteworthy no matter what era you look at.”‘So cool…’ Kimiko noted inwardly, her eyes almost sparkles at this point, but she gave a small pause, noticing something, ‘…Is it me, or are these… incomplete? After Chef Doujima, it skips two years… and after whoever Nene Kinokuni is, pretty girl though, it… skips a year too. Was the First Seat vacant those years? Can that… even happen?’Chieko’s eyes also lingered on the same portrait Kimiko had last looked at, but she said nothing.“As is tradition, the Autumn Elections will be held here,” Alice continued, her eyes a little bit sharper, “So only the best of you will be able to return here and cook. To stand upon this stage, you must earn the right. So, ladies and gents, move your butts and get ready! Let’s meet again in this place… cooks of Totsuki Academy’s 115th Generation!”A huge uproar of fifty-nine fists raised onto the air erupted, as even the worried Hiroshi and the socially overwhelmed Mona still tried to play along. The only two noticeable girls to avoid raising their fists were Kaori, who just rolled her eyes, her back to the wall, arms crossed against her chest……and a very ghastly young lady further back, her eyes hidden by the glare of her glasses as she heard the Headmistress give out her speech. This was risky, she knew, but she needed to get the job done, and done right. She took a glance at her phone, her thumb hovering over the app that Totsuki had developed to take care of the Autumn Elections process, where each selected student would sign in, get alerts on their upcoming match-ups and themes, they would then send in their chosen recipes and await approval. It did everything that used to be done by hand, and had been a God-send for the Elite Ten’s workload, but also… for her.The app was relatively new, and so, so easy to copy and create a dummy of. She had been able to then send that dummy app to most of the students participating, and as such, everything Totsuki received, she did as well, including every single dish all sixty other participants were going to be creating today. And this was needed, as her mission was clear.Chieko Marui was winning the Autumn Elections this year.Akiko Kato was making sure of it.-0-“Kimi… ko,” Hiroshi voiced nervously, just as the group was being split up into two groups, half of them being sent to Block A, the other to Block B. Hideyoshi and Daisuke had already been rushed to their respective arenas as well, where they would then present the five guest judges for each block respectively. “…I wanted to… thank you again.”“Huh? Why? You already did, and I didn’t do it for the thanks,” she replied so earnestly it made him squirm in place, “You belong here, with us. No go out there and break a leg!”And she just playfully punched him in the shoulder. He looked on, pretending it didn’t hurt a little because he had some pride in him still, but did offer her a small smile and a nod. “Yeah, let’s meet up at the tournament then.”“Exactly! Good luck!” Kimiko said, waving at him and at the others, as she went with her half of her squad towards their Block, while Hiroshi softly waved back, his eyes showing signs of something he didn’t quite understand, but Mika, who stood nearby, could only roll her eyes at. Was that what seriously awaited her in the future? It wasn’t funny…Kimiko, not really noticing it, excitedly skipped her way into the smaller arena meant for this new match-up. The rules had been clear.The theme was: Burgers.They could use any ingredient inside the venue, or any ingredient they had brought with them that had been approved using the app.The time limit was three hours.And out of the thirty students on each Block (well, thirty-one on Block B), only four would pass. Those with the highest given score from the five judges. A maximum of 100 points to be given, up to 20 per judge, and only one chef in history had managed a perfect score like that, and it irked Kimiko to even remember that. Where was he anyways? Wasn’t he, his boyfriend(?), the mafia dude and someone else in charged of this whole thing? Or was this beneath him too?‘Deep breaths Kimi, focus…’ she told herself, as she eyed the judges table, and saw as Hideyoshi excitedly got his microphone out and began to do what a Hideyoshi does best.“Welcome one and all to the Preliminaries of the 66th Autumn Elections here at Totsuki Academy!” he beamed, announcing it to the world with utter glee. “I, of course, am your fabulous host, Hideyoshi Kawashima! And here with me are you five judges for this wonderful morning!”And he then signaled to the five judges, a selective group who looked like they were called forth from all different corners of the world. The five sat, eyes on the thirty students before them, and they felt a slight chill at the sight. These were… good guys, right?“From Spain’s La Academia Real Cocina,” Hideyoshi began, “…Alex Franco!”“To think we’d find ourselves here of all places. How funny life can be…” Alex noted with a little laugh.“From Nigeria’s Ada Akintola’s Culinary Academy,” Hideyoshi continued, “…Hakeem Akintola!”“…We do owe them I suppose,” Hakeem simply stated.“From Italy’s S-Scuola… Dotata di Arti… C-Culinarie…” Hideyoshi struggled, “…Lucrezia Russo!”“Good lord does his Italian suck,” Lucrezia said, eyes narrowed, before she shifted to look at the screen to see the names of all the participants, “And damn that Alice. She put me in a spot where neither Mika nor Hiroshi are participating. I wouldn’t have been biased…”“From France’s… are you kidding me…? I-I mean… École d-des Plats Cuisinés,” Hideyoshi tried his best, “…Gautier Pierre!”“He does kinda suck, yes, but I like his spirit!” Gautier exclaimed proudly, offering the struggling Hideyoshi a heart thumbs up and a glowing smile.“…And from Russia’s thankfully normally named Moscow International,” Hideyoshi concluded, “…Ekaterina Antonova!”“…my, I never quite expected this,” Ekaterina spoke with a hint of mischievousness to her, “Perhaps we should have taken that mad man’s offer and challenged this school to the Intercontinental Shokugeki after all.”“Why am I not there?!” Alice had to hear, as she sat back, her phone aimed away from her ear, as the loud screams were expected. She sighed.“I did send invitations to all six of you Van,” she explained, “Not my fault you took the longest to reply. First come, first serve. And sorry, but the cameo quota is filled. Give my best to Bree though!” And she hung up, quickly, since she knew he was just going to keep arguing about it. Why did she take this job again?“Now then! Everyone, begin!” Hideyoshi announced, loudly, and all thirty students rushed to their areas, getting everything set out, and beginning their prep. It was soon a very loud and busy kitchen, and as everyone cooked, Akiko kept her eyes focused on her main targets.‘By my estimates, the winners from this round should be Lola, Kimiko, Yasu and Chieko, in that order,’ she thought, her eyes on those four in particular, ‘My job here is to just gather intel. Not my place to rank in this tournament. Ideally, I would have liked to have been able to move the pieces more in his favor here than I can, like I did with Block B, but…’Akiko then turned to the “help” she had been given for this, two of the newest members who wanted to join The Network, and she honestly felt this was just her Boss punishing her.“Why the long face babe?” Timmy Revolver, a young man with spiky green hair and piercings everywhere, asked her in such a revolting tone Akiko had to resist the urge to smack him with her frying pan out of reflex alone. He didn’t seem to notice, “We have to give a good showing here, no? To make the Boss happy?”“Keep it down, moron,” Akiko warned, her tone low.“Worry not!” he boasted, “I am already done, and as you know, those that serve first, always win!”‘That couldn’t be further from the truth…’ Akiko had to bite back from saying, but she still watched as Timmy approached the judges table with his burger. It was like a car crash, it was horrible to look at, but she couldn’t look away.“And we have our first chef!” Hideyoshi announced, then took a good look at the guy, “…Sir, this competition is for children.”“I’m just fifteen!” Timmy cried out, and everyone just stared.‘He looks forty…’ they all thought. Akiko wanted to bang her head against the shelf.“And I will win this tournament!” Timmy boasted as he placed his burgers down, and they looked like the meat had been tenderized with a chainsaw, “This is my papi’s signature Six-Shooter Texas-Style ManBurger! Oh, pa-pi! If you were still here with us, too bad he passed away after getting eaten by that alligator in Florida… who then got itself eaten by a shark!”‘…what?’ everyone just inwardly asked.“Uh… sorry to hear that?” Hideyoshi tried, utterly confused.“Nah, no biggie, papi was a loser anyways!” Timmy just said, and Hideyoshi gave him a look that screamed “get the hell of my stage you wierdo!” just as Timmy turned to the judges, “…Well?”And the judges all looked at this ugly, ugly teen, and…18Timmy felt his spirit crack, as his body turned pale.“…And we have our first tally,” Hideyoshi announced, “What an abysmal score…”As Timmy Revolver was pushed away, and Akiko was certain that, yes, this was a punishment, another weirdo approached her, this time a young (she assumed) man with dark hair, long robes over his uniform, a colorful round mask on his face, and a bladed glove on his right hand.“…I see Timmy didn’t make the cut,” he spoke up, “Worry not my dear, I will prevail where he failed.”“…You are aware you are talking to a wall, I am to your left,” Akiko just said, wondering why, why was she being put through this. The boy paused, turned, nodded, and without a word, just walked towards the judges table with his own burgers.“Here…” he told them all, “This is my Five-Spice Turkey Burger, please enjoy.”They all took a bite, frowned, and gave the score very, very quickly.20.“T-That’s barely an improvement!” Hideyoshi cried out, glaring at the masked dude, “Your name is Kou Shio Jr. right?! You barely did anything better than the other guy.”Kou just stood there, then turned, away from Hideyoshi.“How much did I score? I can’t see.”“Then take the stupid mask off!” Hideyoshi screeched, “You’re making us look lame!”“I can’t,” Kou explained, “This mask was given to me by my daddy, who received it from his daddy, who received it from his sugar daddy. It’s a family tradition.”‘…what was that last one…?’ everyone in the audience couldn’t help but ask. Why were these guys chosen?‘It doesn’t matter in the end,’ Akiko noted, as she walked towards the judges and offered her own dish. She didn’t bother introducing herself or naming it. Since that wasn’t important. Not for him anyways. ‘Based on my research, and on the five judges before me, this dish should grant me a score in the lower eighties. If such is true, everything should work out…’And she was then given her score, and she almost smiled.82“Oh! That’s quite high!” Hideyoshi commented, eyes on the pale girl with the long black hair and glasses. Quite the wallflower if he had even seen one. “She’s… erm, Akiko Kato. Good showing!”‘Don’t say my name,’ she inwardly begged. But it didn’t matter. The big guns were going to come out swinging soon enough. But as she leaned back, her mission complete, she received a text, and thinking it was her Boss she quickly took out her phone, but instead of him, it was from a social media account she had never made public was hers. By a user named with just two letters: T.V.‘Initials or television?’ she asked, and found the short message just plainly confusing. It read…“Hey girlie, hold still.”And she frowned at it. What was that supposed to mean?“Kimiko!” a sudden shout filled the arena, and Kimiko was startled into an upright position.“I’m awake! I wasn’t drooling, you were!” she automatically replied, before she paused, and turned, seeing a young boy standing before her, “…yes…?”“My name’s Kenny Dakekanba,” he introduced, and Kimiko just tilted her head. He pushed on through, a bright blush on his face, “I… I want you!”“Huh?” Kimiko voiced, and then… “Oh? Okay, sure!”The whole room paused, turning to the sudden confession and even more surprising acceptance.“What?! Kimiko?!” Hideyoshi cried out, “Cheating on poor Hiroshi?! How can you?!”“Eh? Cheating? Hiroshi’s not even here.”“That doesn’t make it right!”“He won’t even find out!”“That’s horrible! We didn’t expect that from you!”“Why not?! I came to this school for this very thing!”“Oh my goodness girl! What the heck?!”“…I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” Kimiko noted, confused, before she turned back to Kenny, who was preparing to simply lean in and kiss her, until, “You want a Shokugeki, right? Let’s go!”Everyone froze. And stared. And understood. Right… she’s dumb. Poor, poor Kenny.“W-What? N-No… I mean, for us, to you know, go out…” Kenny still tried.“…But the kitchen is right here,” Kimiko noted matter-of-factly.“I meant a date!”“Today works for me!”“As a couple!”“A couple… of what? You want multiple duels?”“I-I…” Kenny tried, but he died inside, and Hideyoshi had to walk over to him, hand on shoulder, and tell him to move on, let it go. Kimiko simply stared, wondering what the heck kinda challenge that was supposed to even be.“You really are very dense when it comes to subjects not related to cooking, hmm?” Lola said with a laugh, and Kimiko turned to her with a pout, “Don’t give me that look, it’s true. But… I suppose that’s what makes you… you. But, allow me to reach you the only way you can be reached…” Lola added, and walked forwards with her own dish, a set of Fish Fillets Deluxe Burgers, as she set them on the judges’ table. “Now then, please forgive all the stupidity you just saw, and allow me to present to you what my Totsuki Academy really represents.”“One of Alice’s girls, huh?” Ekaterina noted, eyes narrowed, but they all took a bite from her dish, and their eyes widen at the sheer flavor behind it. Kimiko, for her part, actually glared, as a triumphant Lola turned back, smirk in place, to Kimiko, and to everyone else there.“See Kimi?” she noted, as her score was given, “This is what it means to be at the top.”94Kimiko grit her teeth, clenched her little fist, but went back to work. She needed to have this done right. Soon, everyone else offered their own dishes to the judges, and much like Akiko predicted, the results were exactly what she needed them to be.Yasu with 90 points.Chieko with 89 points.Emi with 85 points.The heartbroken Kenny with 80 points and tears in his eyes.And soon enough, Kimiko approached the judges table herself, setting down her own plate, her eyes hyper focused on the judges.“This one’s quite the firecracker it seems,” Alex noted.“Reminds me of my little brother’s wife back when they were both kids,” Hakeem stated.“This does look quite complex little miss. I look forwards to it,” Lucrezia added.“Such a cute little thing. Makes me wonder who her mother is,” Gautier said, and Kimiko just glared at him.“…Indeed,” was all Ekaterina spoke, before the five took a bite, and Kimiko held her breath. She had given it her all, focused every bit of herself into it. Surely…Then the score was given, and while everyone cheered, Kimiko couldn’t help but feel… defeated.93‘…One point lower than Lola’s,’ Kimiko inwardly noted, and taking one look at Lola’s smug grin just pissed her off more, ‘Damn it! That’s not fair! I wanted to win!’‘Poor little Kimi,’ Lola noted with glee, ‘Goes to show you how superior my dish truly was. Why, I don’t think anyone else here will manage to…’ then she paused, as she received a message on her phone, and upon opening it, saw a photo that made her almost drop her phone. It had been Mona who sent it, showing her the results of someone’s score in Block B. ‘…How…?!’-0-“…O-Oh my goodness,” Daisuke could barely announce, as everyone had grown quiet.Before just that very instance, the scores had been noteworthy, with both Mona and Mika scoring 94 points, way ahead from everyone else who had served until now, as nobody else had gotten a score over 85, until…“I wish for a redo of my score,” Kaori told the five judges before her, or rather, the main one in the middle. Her look was one of utter demand, and it was surreal to see a student outright speak in such a commanding tone to a judge. A former student no less. A First Seat at that. “…I didn’t execute a single flaw, so please explain to me why you felt the need to deduct a point from my dish.”At this, Eishi Tsukasa just grinned, and in his table alongside Rindou, Tosuke, Momo and Soumei, he honestly felt so surprised he was going to be having this argument, for this score of all things.“Little lady, I do apologize, but I find it so ironic to hear such words aimed at me, over this score in particular,” Eishi noted.Kaori’s glare remained, because she wanted answers. Even if nobody else did. Even if nobody else even understood why she was mad. Because, of course, what else could have possibly been her score…?99
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To say the sudden results of a near perfect score of 99 points had caused quite a commotion would be an understatement. When even the fan favorites such as one of the princesses herself like Mona Nakiri or the bombshell with her own fan-club Mika Aldini had both scored super impressive 94 points, yet now it seemed like they were massively behind the valedictorian herself, it was obvious it would cause a massive uproar.And it also peeved Kaori herself, but not for the exact same reasons. Quite the opposite actually.She had every intention of making the gap in skill and talent between herself and the rest quite clear, but it was the “near” perfect score that infuriated her.“Will all due respect, I ask again,” Kaori voiced, her tone polite, yet clearly bothered, “What element of my dish did you consider to have a flaw?”“I never quite stated it to be flawed little miss,” Eishi replied, smiling at the girl, feeling a bit like he was having an argument with his younger self of all things. That single-minded focus on quality above all else had nearly brought him to ruin in the past, and as such… “It was a wonderful dish, well worthy of my 19 points, but I do not believe any dish served at this level deserves the full 20 points, otherwise… why are you in this school in the first place?”At this Kaori’s eyes seemed to glare at him, “I am here to prove my worth, and further my studies and career.”“Exactly,” Eishi replied, “And that involves growth. Nobody starts out perfect.”“I… politely argue that claim,” she countered, clearly annoyed, as everyone watched in utter silence. She was going to get herself disqualified at this rate, “While I am aware I can always improve, and will, for the level of judging in these Autumn Elections, for what is expected of us First Years, I fully believe I am far more skilled than what is required to score perfectly at this mere level.”As she spoke, a bunch of the other participants visibly flinched, all impacted by her clear dig at all of them. Most did, of course…Mika just glared at her; arms crossed against her chest.Mona just stared, awkwardly wishing Kaori would just shut up so they could be done with this.Takayuki was busy talking smack about Kaori to a barely listening Kazuo, who in turn, had his eyes dead-set on every inch of Mika.Hiroshi, meanwhile, felt his whole world spinning. 99 points… and both his cousin and Kimiko’s cousin had scored 94. That meant the top three spots were already as good as theirs. How was he supposed to even manage anything even remotely close to that? After all the efforts Kimiko went through, was this all he would amount to in the end, just… show up and lose?“She has a point,” Rindou voiced, a little knowing smirk on her lush lips as she turned to her husband, “You’re being a bit too strict with these kids. We’re not judging BLUE, she need not offer us perfection on a plate.”Kaori had to bite her tongue, since she did not much enjoy the attempted assist when it still made it clear her dish had not been perfect.“For a First Year, it was significantly above anything I have judged before,” Tosuke added.“You seem to be taking this a bit too… personal,” Momo noted, even if she then turned to Kaori, a sharp look in her eyes, “But, then again, you are free to judge as you wish. I would be careful young miss. Wouldn’t want to get yourself eliminated for interrupting the other participants with this little tantrum of yours.”“You’re the last person who should ever tell anyone that…” Soumei stated with a laugh, before Momo materialized Bucchi out of nowhere and smacked him upside the head with the plush.Kaori was not amused, but she knew they were the judges and had final say, but even still… “…He got a perfect score last year…”Eishi eyed her for a moment, and he smiled, “I have heard. Hiraku Yukihira, the only student to ever score 100 points in the Autumn Elections. His dish must have been perfect, no?”“Then…?” Kaori tried.“I didn’t judge his dish,” Eishi coolly explained, “I assure you, had it been me, that would not have been the case. But I wasn’t invited last year… actually, I was recently told I shouldn’t have been invited this year either, but hey, I’m here!”“…Fine, I shall take pride that it was a former First Seat who made my score “almost” perfect then,” Kaori finally relented, and everyone felt like they could finally breath again, “It is still annoying that I have to be considered the second highest in Totsuki history in the Autumn Elections now…”“Third actually,” Eishi added, and Kaori flinched. She turned to him; eyes wide. As did everyone else. What? Third? Hiraku Yukihira had scored a perfect 100 points. Who had scored just as much?! Or… more? Was that even possible. Eishi, noticing the collective looks, just said, “No, nobody has scored another 100 points, much less higher, but… Back when I was a student, during my Third Year, the then Tenth Seat was considered too skilled for it to be fair to the others if she competed.”Everyone went silent, while Rindou, Tosuke, Momo, and Soumei all just knowingly said nothing.“…So if it any reassurance,” Eishi concluded, “Even this Hiraku Yukihira really only has the second best record in the Autumn Elections, as getting a perfect score is amazing, but being considered overqualified to even participate is something that has yet to be matched.”Kaori just stared, eyes still wide, her fist clenched. Someone, long ago, had been… overqualified? And wait… Tenth Seat, during her First Year, this early on? Did she gain it as soon as the school year started, or… no… it would be impossible to be a seated member in Middle School… right?Still, with her brain overloaded with information, all Kaori could do was nod, offer the judges a rather forced bow, and then she stepped back, her mind racing with just who was it that was the Tenth Seat when Eishi Tsukasa had been in his Third Year. Such an illustrious student, yet she had never once heard of her…“You really need to stop being so harsh on these kids!” Rindou cheerfully began, smacking Eishi playfully in the shoulder, “…Even if, I think we have our winners almost chosen. So… apologies for the slight pause and history lesson kids! But please let’s continue with this before our sponsors get mad at your Headmistress and then she gets mad at us!”The kids all stared, solemnly at that, but pushed on through.Itsuki Kumai offered his dish, earning himself 81 points.Kazuo Mimasaka offered his next, earning himself 84 points.Takayuki Hojo announced his, rather loudly at that, right after, complaining at every turn how the theme had been purposely picked to limit him, as his specialties did so not mix with Burgers of all things. And even then, he did earn himself 85 points.And Hiroshi stammered about, his hands on his plates, his dish ready, but his legs just would not move. He then felt a soft pat on his back.“Go, move,” Mika told him, a sharp look in her eyes, “Stop doubting yourself at every turn. We know your worth. Yukihira struggled to prove it. If you don’t trust in yourself, at least trust in her and in me in what we see in you…”He swallowed hard, whatever words he wanted to say not coming out, and instead nodded and began to walk towards the judges’ table…“And… after a very peculiar interruption, we’ve gotten quite a few decent scores all around,” Daisuke commented, before his eyes feel on the approaching Hiroshi, “Oh… Hiroshi is up.”And Hiroshi set his plate before the judges, but… wait… why was his dish already there?“Oh my, isn’t this a coincidence?”Hiroshi froze, turning to the side, as another boy had mere seconds before set down a set of plates with the exact same burgers Hiroshi had just made. Same look, same smell, and from what he could examine, same ingredients. Hiroshi turned to this boy, as did a confused Daisuke.“T-That’s Shoto Kaburagi…” Daisuke introduced, “He also completed with his dish… but, wait, why do they both look so identical?”“Hey… did that Shoto guy pull a you?” Takayuki asked, arms crossed, and eyes narrowed at the boy with the ponytail and baseball cap.Kazuo shook his head. “I… don’t think so. I’ve been… mostly… observing everyone, and not once did I see him focusing on Hiroshi at all.”“You made my…” Hiroshi began, but bit his lip. No, that couldn’t be it. The Autumn Elections were different now. Students sent in their ideas through the app and got confirmed days before the event. Just like he did, Shoto should have done the same. And while alterations were of course permitted, in order to make the same dish, it was just not feasible.“Quite strange indeed,” Shoto noted, “To think we both came to the same conclusion. But I assume you sent your suggestion through the Totsuki app, no?”Hiroshi nodded, and Shoto smirked.“Same then,” he said, “Guess great minds think alike… or something to that extent.”“Well now, this is unexpected,” Soumei noted, as he and the other judges all took each burger and gave each a bite. And like expected, the taste was… “It’s the exact same dish!”“Did… either of you cheat?” Momo asked, glaring at them both. While Hiroshi freaked out, Shoto just smiled politely.“That’s rather hard to do,” Shoto explained, “Our dishes are approved long before this began. This isn’t like the old days, no offense, and you can look at the date and time I submitted my dish, and, I assume,” he turned to Hiroshi, same smile and everything, “You can look at his too.”“I-I….” Hiroshi tried, but, yes, everything Shoto said was true. It had to be.“That is a fair point,” Eishi noted, “And since we are being asked to judge fairly, then even if this scenario is strange, for all intents and purposes…”The five judges gave their votes, and as Hiroshi stared with wide eyes, and Shoto with a wide smirk, two identical dishes meant… two identical scores…86“With a score of 86 points, both Hiroshi and Shoto simultaneously occupy the fourth rank,” Daisuke announced, still a bit confused, “So wait… is there anyone else still missing from presenting, or…?”And as the crowd began to whisper, and all the students glared at the screen, Hiroshi felt a pair of eyes on him, and as he turned, he could see Shoto’s eyes shift into something… darker.“My, my,” he told the boy, in almost a whisper, for his ears only, “Seems we will have to settle this the old-fashioned way. And sorry to say… but Yukihira won’t save you this time…”-0-“And it seems with that we have finally concluded things!” Hideyoshi announced with all the glee in the world, “Many thanks to our esteemed judges for making it all the way from basically another world to be with us here today!” Hideyoshi added, as Alex, Hakeem, Lucrezia, Gautier and Ekaterina all stared at him, just seeing in him who this kid’s mother was without even needing to ask, “And we now have our four finalists which will be making it to… huh? Eh?!”Hideyoshi made a sudden pause, as his expressions shifted into outright confusion and slight… panic.“Hideyoshi?” Chieko voiced softly, head tilted, wondering what had he just been told. She knew he had an earpiece on, so it had to be that.“Seems we may have news,” Yasu added, before he turned to the side, “And we should really do something about her.”Her, as in, Kimiko, currently laid on the floor, curled up into a ball.“…I lost…” she lamented, like a child.‘You scored higher than us…’ both Chieko and Yasu thought in unison, but decided against voicing it.To the side, Akiko had her eyes of Hideyoshi, her eyes sharp. ‘Good… it looks like Shoto came through. He has to be getting alerted that Block B will now have a Shokugeki to determine the fourth contestant. Just like the Boss wanted it…’ she thought, as her eyes shifted towards the ball that was currently Kimiko, ‘You really should have accepted his offer. Because now you will learn what happens to all those who oppose him. Your dear… friend? Boyfriend? Whatever… will be the first of many to be humiliated up on stage. He should be grateful though. He at least gets humiliated here… you, on the other hand… will be humiliated in the main event, with viewers from all over the world watching you fail…’“Is she spacing out?” Timmy asked, head tilted to the side, watching Akiko, “She still looks so, so hot!”“I understand being weird is our thing, but you’re making even me uncomfortable,” Kou added, which made Timmy pout. It was… so very not cute.“Hey! Like you can talk! I’m to your right! You’re looking to the opposite side!”“For once, it is by choice. Your words are so repugnant I wish not to look at you.”As the two argued, Akiko could feel her spirit crack, ‘…And if I had had better assistance here, I could have accomplished so much more than I did! Why was Shoto the only decent student you sent to assist me Boss…? Why?!’“Oh, hey everyone!” Hideyoshi called out, making all the students turn their attention back to him, “Seems we have a draw in Block B! That means a tie-breaker Shokugeki is about to take place! The Headmistress just gave us all the go-ahead to head there now!”“A tie-breaker Shokugeki,” Chieko noted, her eyes narrowed, “That’s… surprisingly rare.”“We should go check it out,” Yasu offered, “Considering who’s on Block B, if we go at it by process of elimination it could be…”“You guys go on ahead…” Kimiko’s muffled voice could be heard, and both Chieko and Yasu just frowned. Little drama queen. “I’ll catch up… just let me sulk here for a bit longer… and whatever you do, if you see Lola approaching me, roll me away from her…”“Kimiko, come on, it was just one single point…” Chieko tried.“Hey!” a microphone-enhanced shout made them all jump, as they turned to see Hideyoshi outright glaring at the three. Before any of them could complain, the boy added in no uncertain terms, “Move. It’s Hiroshi.”And Kimiko’s eyes went wide, sitting back up properly, her sight on Hideyoshi, before she bit her lower lip. ‘The tie-breaker Shokugeki involves… Hiroshi?’-0-With Eishi, Rindou, Tosuke, Momo and Soumei still in the judging table…Daisuke still serving as the host…And now the entire First Years all watching down at the two…The Shokugeki to decide the final contestant for the Autumn Elections was poised to start. The screen even showed…Shoto Kaburagi vs. Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro“A-And here we have it folks!” Daisuke tried his best, but damn it, he was worried for Hiroshi, “Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro versus Shoto Kaburagi! Same judges, just with our Shokugeki system. Chef who gets the most votes per judge is declared the winner and advances to the Autumn Elections. Now, please, our theme!”The screen flickered once more, and soon enough they had their theme…Beef“My, seems we’re cooking good today,” Shoto boasted, as he looked from the screen to Hiroshi, “Well… one of us at least.”“…Why do you sound so mad at me?” Hiroshi asked, still baffled by all this hostility he could sense just below the surface.“I wonder why?” Shoto noted, as he moved towards his side of the kitchen, making Daisuke flinch a bit and try to stutter his announcement.“H-Hey, I mean, Shokugeki start!” he managed.Hiroshi said nothing, even if he could feel his hands trembling, but he sighed, and pushed on through. He wanted to be here, no? He wanted this, right? He didn’t expect to graduate from Tootsuki by just hiding behind Mika, or… having Kimiko save him even when he couldn’t offer anything in return. He shook his head, and began to cook. The theme was beef, so he’d focus on just making the best Grilled Beef Tenderloin he could manage, trying his best to mix the Italian practices he learned from his dad and uncle, and the meat selection from his aunt.Up above, near the railing, the rest of the Polar Stars arrived, with Chieko being quick to gasp at the sight of the scoreboard. “N-Ninety-nine points?! That girl is not human!”Yasu said nothing, but the way his expression shifted signified the dread he felt. Hideyoshi stood next to them, since as much as he wanted to, he knew he’d get called out if he jumped in and co-hosted with Daisuke. And while arguing with Daisuke was never an inconvenience for him, right now, he didn’t want to distract Hiroshi at all. But, all three turned towards Kimiko, knowing she’s be even more pissed off at not only scoring lower than Lola, Mona and Mika, but way, way lower than Kaori…But…Kimiko had her eyes dead-set on Hiroshi, having not even given the scores a second thought. And she saw them. She knew she had been surpassed. But it didn’t matter right now. Hiroshi was dueling for the right to be in this tournament, and she wanted him to win. So her focus was on him.Hiroshi continued to cook, and as the time passed, he could feel Shoto’s eyes on him. He was never the confrontational type, but even still. “…What?”“…Nothing,” Shoto simply replied, smirking, “Just watching you work. I have to say, I am unimpressed. Such a simple dish you’re going with. Guess they were right the first time when they didn’t let you in.”Hiroshi stammered, but bit back down any first thoughts that popped into his head. Instead… “There’s no need for this animosity. We’re competing, yes, but…”“But nothing,” Shoto shot back, “You are making a mockery of our establishment. Making Yukihira grovel to bring you in, altering the rules to allow one more participant, for what? You? I know all about you Hiroshi. The reason you use both your last names, because even when combined, they don’t amount to much.”“H-Hey!” Daisuke chimed in, frowning at Shoto, “That’s uncalled for!”“Oh please host-boy, like you can talk,” Shoto simply replied, eyes narrowed, but kept his focus on Hiroshi, not even bothering to turn to Daisuke, “I’m merely spitting facts. This guy’s father never amounted to anything here, always clinging onto his superior older brother. And his mother was practically gifted her Seated Position after the only contribution she made to the Régiment de Cuisine being a damn loss.”“My mother was an amazing Seated Member!” Hiroshi finally shot back, his fists clenched, “And my dad and my uncle supported each other through everything! They’re all amazing! Why are you attacking my family?!”“…Because you are just like them, undeserving,” Shoto told him, firmly, “And you will always be. No talent. No backbone. You will be just like them… just a No Seat clinging to others to stay afloat.”“Hey, hey, keep things civil…” Rindou called out, as Soumei glared at Shoto, who quickly grinned and waved them off, offering a very, very false apology. Eishi didn’t much care, Tosuke cared even less, and Momo… kinda agreed but she’d keep that to herself.Still, despite the bravado being stopped, for all intents and purposes, Hiroshi was a mess……And as Akiko watched from above, she kept her features as non-descript as possible, ‘He’s doing a wonderful job at getting under Hiroshi’s skin. Now, when he wins, Shoto can then be made to duel against Kimiko, thereby ensuring she is also not in the right headspace for the match,’ she thought, her eyes shifting over to Kimiko, who stood by the railings, the sharpest eyes on that girl, ‘Heh, she’s already mad… You’re so easy to read. The Boss will be pleased. And it was a hassle, to copy and paste Hiroshi’s Burger Dish submitted into the app and having Shoto submit it as well, but well worth the effort. They don’t suspect a thing, and now Shoto can go all out. Eighty-six points? No, he can easily score in the nineties if it’s his own craft…’Shoto then continued, smiling as happy as could be, on his own work. He made with a quick sauté of the tender ground beef and a perfectly-browned mushrooms, and tossed in the richest, most savory, garlicky cream sauce; all with the intent of serving it over steamy white rice. The aroma alone was making everyone nearby drool.Everyone except Hiroshi, who couldn’t keep his hands from shaking. His vision from darkening. What… What was he supposed to do?He just couldn’t argue with him. He couldn’t compete with that. He couldn’t make something that surpassed that aroma that was hitting him. Why… why was he even here? Why did he drag Mika down? Why did he make Kimiko focus so much on him as opposed to her own studies? Why was he the worst Polar Star in…?“HIROSHI!”The boy outright jumped, as did Daisuke and even Shoto, as Kimiko, having grabbed Hideyoshi’s microphone had just screamed his name, making it echo throughout. The boy froze, looking up to the railings, and seeing the prettiest girl there. She was a mess, admittedly, drenched in sweat and covered in sauces, but her eyes were still as firm as ever. She was edging herself over the railing so much that Yasu and Hideyoshi had to hold her by the waist to keep her from toppling over, while a blushing Chieko had to discreetly pin her skirt down so Kimiko wouldn’t flash everyone else that stood behind them, because the girl clearly did not care. Her sole focus was…“Don’t listen to him!” Kimiko voiced up, “You are here because the Elite Ten are a bunch of morons and they admitted as much! You earned the right to be here! And your folks have to be great, because they raised you! And even then, that doesn’t matter! We’re not our parents! This is our time, our story! Show him why you deserve to be here!”“Kimiko! They’re going to reprimand you and me!” Hideyoshi screamed out.“I’m more concerned that she’s going to fall…” Yasu added.Chieko said nothing, but just hoped Kimiko would at least behave a little bit more properly. She was fully behind the message, but she could maybe deliver it in a less dramatic way, please?Hiroshi, however, had his eyes wide, but he clenched his fist, and sighed. There she was, again, trying to save him. And… ‘No… what am I saying? Of course she would. That’s who Kimiko is. That’s what I… admire about her. So headstrong, so unruly, so daring, so…’Wait. He had heard these words before.Back when he was younger, once, seeing his mother cook…“That smells so great!” little Hiroshi sang her praises, as he looked at the dish she was making, but… “But, it’s so not like you mom. What are you making? I’ve never seen you do this…”And Megumi just turned to the little boy, all smiles as always.“Oh, just experimenting, a little something I picked up from a dear friend,” she told him, and he looked at her curiously.“A friend?”“Yes, the very best kind,” Megumi explained, and it was now, years later, that he could recognize the amount of love in her voice, “A certain rebel who made my high school days the best years of my life. I owe him everything. He was so headstrong, so unruly, so daring, so stubborn at times, damn was he stubborn, but he never once stopped caring for any of us. He is the best friend anyone could ever ask for.”“That sounds so amazing,” little Hiroshi noted with a cute smile, “And then, what you’re making there…?”“This…” Megumi noted, with a little glint in her eyes, “Is something I learned from my time with him…”And Hiroshi, back to the present, clapped his hands together, and he could feel his mother’s hands clap his in turn. That little trick to calm down she taught him. That little trick, that he didn’t notice, made Kimiko’s eyes widen. Hiroshi did that too… just like she did?‘Stop dragging them down Hiroshi,’ he told himself, firmly, ‘And stop dragging yourself down. Mika has done everything she can to keep me afloat, and Kimiko went against everyone to get me in here, it’s time… I showed some guts and stopped letting all their effort go to waste!’So to the shock of many, he tossed aside half the prep he had been making, and began anew, taking hold of a different cut of beef. Oxtail.‘…How annoying,’ Akiko noted inwardly, frowning, ‘That girl can’t leave well enough alone. No matter, with the time remaining, even if he improves a bit, he’s not defeating Shoto, but… damn it, I wanted it to be a clean sweep that left him bawling, not this… whatever this is.’Shoto, scoffing at Hiroshi’s efforts, still walked forth and presented his dish to the judges.“Here, my esteemed judges,” he said, “Have a taste of my ‘Beef Stroganoff w/ Creamy Mushroom Sauce’!”And the former Elites all took a bite, and they saw the heavens. Clearly this kid had been held back, by choice or by theme, during the Burger selection, as this dish was way better. The reaction pleased Shoto, who turned back to watch the struggling Hiroshi, but before he could boast, Hiroshi was busy working on several different cuts, and mix and matching them at an insane speed, rushing against the ticking clock.“T-That’s…!” Daisuke tried.‘I thought he had switched to oxtail, but…’ Shoto inwardly noted, glaring at Hiroshi, ‘It’s not just that. Tongue, cheek, fillet, tripe, and skirt steak… he’s cooking so many damn parts… what the hell is he trying to do?!’Hiroshi threw them all together, with a heavy helping of carefully selected red wine, parsley, bay leaves, olive oil, wheat flour and dressed with salt and pepper to taste. All of it ended up in a single pot. All of it cooked until just before the timer went out. All quickly served and placed before the judges seconds before his time ran out.Hiroshi stood there, utterly winded, his vision even blurrier.Shoto was glaring.Akiko was biting her lower lip. There was no way. Just no way.But Kimiko… Kimiko’s eyes were the widest of all. ‘That… That can’t be…’“And this…?” Eishi asked, eyes on Hiroshi, as the boy offered the former First Seat the best smile he could. He looked so much like his mother.“It’s a little surprise my mom taught me, from a valuable friend of hers…” he began, and the whole world seemed to stop, as he remembered her words…“This may be a little different from the style you’re used to from me or your father, but I’m sure you’ll make great use of it someday,” Megumi noted with a smile, before she added, “That said, as for the name, while I can’t divulge everything, he always did call them…”Kimiko stared, and she could see it, and smell it, and almost taste it. 'That’s the Yukihira’s…!’“…Secret Menu Number Five,” Hiroshi announced firmly, his eyes as sharp as ever, “Beef Stew: Autumn Election Special!”One taste made everything clear, and as Eishi, Rindou, Tosuke, Momo and Soumei got hit by the flavors of yesteryear, despite how close it was, the nostalgia behind this made the vote outright unanimous.In a five-to-nothing.Winner: Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro“Yes!” Daisuke quickly cheered, his friendship sense overriding his hosting one, as he jumped and placed his arm over Hiroshi’s shoulders, which was a godsend, as Hiroshi was about to drop to the floor. He could use the support, “In a masterful showcase of a dish… way out of his comfort zone, like seriously, when did you even learn to make that? Hiroshi utterly crushes Shoto and is now in the Autumn Elections! Yes!”“Damn it, I’m mad I’m not announcing that but damn it I’m happy Hiroshi made it!” Hideyoshi quickly added.“…That was very unexpected of him,” Yasu noted.“Quite,” Chieko voiced, as her eyes turned towards Kimiko, who was unexpectedly quiet during it all. It made Chieko smile a little, “…I wonder what the secret behind that was, hmm?”As Hiroshi and Daisuke celebrated, with Mika quickly jumping in and hugging her cousin, making the three almost topple over given how exhausted Hiroshi was, Shoto just stared at the results, and felt the biggest chill ever on his body. Down his very spine. The Boss was not going to be happy, and this put his desire to join The Network in peril. Damn that Hiroshi, and damn that Kimiko. He’d get back at them. He’d swear it!And up above, as everyone was cheering for Hiroshi, from the twins Lola and Mona, to the still peeved he didn’t win Takayuki or the wishing he was Hiroshi so Mika would hug-tackle him like that Kazuo, one particular person was very, very unhappy.‘He won?!’ Akiko could barely form the thought, ‘B-But we had it in the bag! Hiroshi is not meant to be this impressive a cook! D-Did… Kimiko Yukihira cheering him on elevate his dish somehow?! How? How does that make sense?! Ah… no… He’s going to be mad at me… So mad… I need to salvage this…’Then her phone vibrated, and Akiko almost cried. It was her Boss. It had to be. And he was not going to be pleased…But…No, it wasn’t him. It was T.V.And Akiko couldn’t help but feel her body grow numb. This wasn’t exactly… better.It just read: “Didn’t quite work out as you planned, huh?”She glared at the screen, blocked him or her, and put her phone away. She was so not dealing with whatever that was now… or ever!“Excellently done my darlings!” Alice announced, standing up high at the VIP area, “With this we have our Main Eight Participants!”She noted, and signaled to the screen, as it shifted to show each name alongside the score they got:1: Kaori Hayama – 992: Mika Aldini – 942: Lola Nakiri – 942: Mona Nakiri – 945: Kimiko Yukihira – 936: Yasu Ibusaki – 907: Chieko Marui – 898: Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro – 86“Our finalists will meet up at the Chandra’s Room on Wednesday,” Alice continued, as everyone took note of how all over the place those scores were, “It’s Monday, by the way, so yes, tomorrow you all get to rest, but you should be receiving your tournament bracket, theme and instructions by eight in the morning at latest through the app. Make sure you click confirm, and send in whatever extra ingredients you plan on bringing no later than three in the afternoon so that the Elite Ten may approve of it!”At this, the kids all stared, nodding, gossiping about how this tournament was going to go, even if, to all of them, the winner was clear. Nobody was touching Kaori Hayama. But as they spoke, at least two kids didn’t much care.Hiroshi was just content to be there, to see his name with theirs, and he couldn’t stop smiling.Kimiko, however, was now fully focused on the massive “5” right next to her name and she wanted to strangle somebody. She was in the bottom half! Why?! How?! But, before she threw another tantrum, her eyes darted downwards, and they met with Hiroshi’s, and for just an instance, the way he smiled at her made her turn her eyes to the side, a slight blush she didn’t quite understand creeping up on her face, and for the moment, she kinda felt that her disappointing results didn’t quite matter that much anymore…-0-After Alice had spoken at length about the rules of what was to come, and what was expected of each of them, they had all been dismissed, and Chieko found herself by the halls, drinking water from her bottle, sitting down on one of the small couches meant more for decorations than for actually sitting down, but today had been too much. She had made it, barely, into the competition her father and mother had not. They would be proud, she knew, but she also knew how outclassed she was. How utterly unprepared for these upcoming Food Wars she really was. She knew, that despite all her knowledge, and all her brains, and all her hard work, against that natural talent, those gifts, those worldwide connections, she just couldn’t compete against it all…And just like the dark thoughts on her mind, a presence began to slither towards her.Like a predator against the cold, hard ground, it reached her feet, then slid up her leg.Its cold body skimmed across her body, and she didn’t sense it, not when it went up her thighs, or up her waist, or up her abdomen, or up her chest, or even when it wrapped itself up against her neck, threatening to strangle the very life out of her.No. Chieko Marui did not notice it at all, until the snake bared his fangs, and sunk them deep into her flesh, which was when she heard his voice.“…That was certainly a magnificent showing you had, wouldn’t you agree?”
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Chieko had been taught from a very early age to be wary of shady people.Her father, one of the smartest men she knew, had been even more specific about it, warning her about shady men in particular, boys who would say or do anything to fool her into thinking they had her best intentions in mind, when the truth was anything but. Her mother had to be the one to add the clause, that no, not just boys, people in general could be shady, and that he shouldn’t be scaring her by making her wary of everyone.Be kind, but be mindful.That was the lesson, more or less, that her parents ended up giving her, and despite the… admittedly conflicting way they gave it to her, she understood it. Give everyone a fair chance, but never go so far as to expose yourself to danger for them. Trust, friendship, consent, all of it went both ways, always, and anyone who would push past your boundaries once would, inevitably, do it again someday.Chieko knew all of this, and she knew what a red flag was. She was a smart young lady, prided herself as such…Which was why it utterly infuriated her when, against her will, her heartbeat raced the moment she heard his voice, and she knew it wasn’t her being scared or nervous. She knew what she felt, and she hated it, because if red flags should be avoided… this one was colored crimson.“…Shigeo-senpai,” Chieko greeted, as she turned back to the boy one year her elder. She hoped the slight glare on her glasses hid the uncertainty in her eyes, as she examined him briefly. While wearing his Tootsuki uniform as per regulations, which should be the norm even if Kimiko and Mika made a mockery of it, it still fit him so well in a way she couldn’t quite explain it. The same way she didn’t quite feel she had grown into hers yet, it almost felt like the uniform itself was struggling to grow into Shigeo, rather than the other way around. Absurd, she knew, but her thoughts always became weird when he was present. Still… “I’m surprised. You are able to walk places without your bodyguards holding your hand.”He gave a light chuckle, amused at her antics, at her sharp tongue and quick wit, or so he would often tell her. “Your dislike for Umino and Yamada remains charming as ever, and admittedly, not unwarranted. They can be a handful, but I assure you, they are positively harmless. Just two individuals who wouldn’t have lasted this long in this school had I not taken them under my wing, expanded their worldview and understanding of it. In exchange, I only asked for their assistance in my business dealings, it is a fair trade, you cannot dispute it.”“I would be hard-pressed to consider anything in your Network that could qualify as ‘fair’,” she shot back, eyes narrowed. He, of course, just laughed again. But… his next choice of words was not what she expected.“That is the Totsuki experience in a nutshell I suppose…” he noted, and she paused. He noticed her hesitation, and she couldn’t tell if that was a small smirk on his features or not, “Or am I wrong? This entire event itself, meant to celebrate the best and brightest of our First Years, show them off, and give them the first real taste of how big the culinary world is. And yet… we’re not really judging skill or knowledge or the fundamentals of gastronomy itself in here, are we?”“…What?” she voiced, “What’s that supposed to mean? This is, in essence, a cooking competition. A high school equivalent to the BLUE, more or less…”Shigeo gave a light scoff, rubbing the back of his neck with his open palm for a second. “This? Like BLUE? Chieko, really, you know better than that.”“It’s a tournament for the culinary arts,” she argued, “I understand never to the magnitude of BLUE, but…”“But it really isn’t, and I know you know what I mean,” he countered, “A true ‘fair’ cooking competition would judge every aspect of a dish presented before the judges’ table. Taste is important, of course, it is paramount, but it shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. Presentation, how it adheres to the theme, creativity, passion, the synergy between the ingredients used, cooking methods from the nouvelle to the classique, how easy it would be to replicate, how could the dish be sold as a recipe to restaurants, how inclusive it could be to individuals with diet restrictions, how nutritious it is, there’s so, so many factors that go into the gastronomy arts that we, sadly, here at Totsuki overlook merely for the glamour of it all.”“…T-That’s not all that’s at play here,” Chieko tried, “While, yes, I do… agree there are elements I wish were more considered, Totsuki still…”“We’re not raising master chefs Chieko,” Shigeo noted, “All we are doing is creating the next batch of celebrity cooks who will spend more time in front of a camara than outright advancing the world of gastronomy. Totsuki overlooks everything else as long as the dish served to the judges had an initial impact. That’s all they want. That’s all they need. As long as it gets a big reaction from the audience, it’s enough.”“That’s –!”“You made a wonderful dish, I wasn’t exaggerating, or, as you seem to think I do, just buttering you up with compliments to get you to join my Network,” he cut in, taking a step closer, and she wasn’t sure what this action made her feel. “Because, what would be the point? Me, lying about your skill? Why would I even want you as one of mine if I have to overprice what you bring to the table? No, no… I am many things, some not very nice things, but I deal with facts. Your dish, that burger you made, I could see everything that went into it. How you took aspects from almost every notable culinary era, using techniques from around the world, to make it the most balanced and perfect burger you could serve. It was a masterclass in what a burger should be, but… they didn’t even notice, did they?”“…I am not calling my judging into question Shigeo-senpai,” she noted, firmly, “I won’t come here and pretend to know more about the culinary arts than they do. We are in this school to learn, to improve.”“True, and I’m not saying that an impactful dish, one that upon a first bite makes your eyes widen in shock, is not worthy of being part of the conversation,” he replied, “…but I do not think it should be the only aspect that matters. They overlooked how carefully designed your dish was because that didn’t matter to them, only the unexpected first hit did. And tell me if I’m wrong, but would judges who are accustomed to the grandiose… wouldn’t they then feel that a perfectly made plate, that is designed to be the very photograph you see if you google the word ‘burger’ by how complex its design is, by extent, boring or dull in comparison?”“My dish wasn’t at that level.”“Was it then worthy of only 89 points, second lowest score overall?”Here she flinched. Chieko wanted to argue it, but she had no idea as to argue what exactly? She didn’t agree with that score, but she didn’t see her dish as superior to the others either. What, exactly, was her view in all this?“…All I want to say,” Shigeo continued, and his voice took a softer turn, one that surprised her, “Is that I see you. I see the struggle you put into each and every dish, even when they won’t. And I am rooting for you. Do your best, fight hard, because if you don’t make it big in this tournament, you won’t amount to anything for the rest of the year. Trust me.”“That can’t be true,” she tried to argue it, even if a part of her felt he wasn’t lying, “Even those not chosen can still do something noteworthy. This isn’t the end-all, be-all for us students.”“Perhaps not to those extremes, but it will linger,” Shigeo calmly explained, “And ask yourself this. In a tournament of now just you eight, where six are related to former Seated Members, four have an older sibling or cousin in the current Elite Ten, and out of those four, three are related to our very Headmistress herself. Do you consider that fair? Do you think you, or in his defense, your friend Yasu Ibusaki have an even playing field here? Or is this competition already decided, the only question being which nepotism child gets the gold, between those who have the last name Nakiri or Hayama…or the other one.”“Kimiko…”“Yes, her, she counts as a kinda Nakiri anyways,” Shigeo just brushed off, “Her brother certainly acts like more of a diva at times than the actual two princesses do, it’s so damn…” he paused, taking a deep breath, before, “…not important. Just, focus, because if you don’t give it your all, you are, sadly, not going to make it. This competition is designed to showcase the ‘strong’, which is this language just means those who thrive on their connections and natural gifts and all the money they can spare… not on hard earned talent like you do… but… you can prove them wrong. I have my sights set on you for a reason. If you try, give it a one-hundred and twenty percent, I am certain, that you can show this school that ‘knowledge’ is, and will always be, a chef’s greatest tool…’Chieko just stared, unable to say anything, for as much as she wanted to argue the points he made, she couldn’t quite find any gaps in his logic. Any lies in his words. Anything at all that she had not told herself before…As he turned away, he gave her one last look before he left, and one last piece… “I will be rooting for you,” he said, with a full smile, “…and give my regards to Yasu. I shall root for him as well.”And Chieko was left with no counterargument to say, and worse still, no desire to make one in the first place.-0-That night at the Polar Star Dorms all the kids had gathered around to celebrate, what they believed had been, the best results they could imagine. Excluding their hosts, Hideyoshi and Daisuke, and all the little ones scattered about, all the other First Years had managed to rank into the Autumn Elections, with Mika, Kimiko and Yasu scoring in the 90s, Chieko almost getting there, and Hiroshi getting in by the skin on his teeth, but still, the five were in (for Kimiko and Mika’s sake, they all agreed to avoid speaking of Kaori and her score, even if that didn’t quite stop Mika from grinning every time she locked eyes with Kimiko. One whole point less? How pathetic).And while Mika meant it in (mostly) jest, Kimiko of course was utterly annoyed by it all, and the guardian of their dorm, the former Elite Ten himself, Satoshi Isshiki, had to navigate this carefully less they all broke out into a Food Wars here due to how high tensions were running. So the man improvised, and given his experience with dealing with pretty much all of these kids’ parents in the past (he had been babysitting then, he is babysitting now), he was able to cook up a celebratory banquet for all of them, and soon enough, the party was in full swing… in Chieko’s room.The music blasted, as the younger kids all clapped along, to Kimiko and Mika, having been arguing one second, now standing up on Chieko’s bed and dancing to the beat of the music. They were very well in sync, somehow, swinging their hips to the beat, laughing as they did, all the while Hideyoshi grabbed the nearest microphone for some unprompted karaoke, which was mercifully cut short when Daisuke tried to stop him and they two got into a fist fight over it… for some reason.Hiroshi just sat on the floor, clapping alongside the middle schoolers of the dorm, as his eyes tried not to focus only on Kimiko dancing happily over him, because… it was hard not to let himself just daydream about her.Yasu, meanwhile, noticed his friend’s struggle, but rather than needing to intervene, he turned his attention to their one missing member. This was Chieko’s room, who would have normally cried out and booted them all out, but now, she was not even here. As such, and as hard as it was to take his eyes of the same sight that had Hiroshi captivated (just for the other girl in his case), Yasu stood up, gave the dancing girls a nod, and walked out, slowly walking until he reached the balcony and saw his childhood friend just staring out into the stars.“…Chieko?”“Huh? Oh… Yasu, hey,” she quickly replied, clearly having been lost in thought, “What are you doing out here?”“…That should be my question,” Yasu said, “Kimiko and Mika have made a mess of your bed,” he added, and when Chieko shifted her head in visibly confusion, he realized how he had phrased it and corrected his earlier words, “They are dancing on top of your bed. Hideyoshi and Daisuke are fighting over who sings. And Hiroshi and the kids are just there, vibing.”“I-I see… God, there all so immature,” Chieko noted, pushing herself away from the balcony and turning to Yasu fully, “Oh well, let me go in there and try and stop them from destroying my room. I would kick them out, but we are celebrating, so I can let it slide.”“…Chieko?”“Hmm?”“…Did something happen?” Yasu asked, noticing the discomfort in her eyes, “You’re clearly lost in your own thoughts, and that’s… not normal.”“So hard to hide stuff from you, is it?” Chieko noted, solemnly, and Yasu just frowned. He could feel what this was about. “…I may have, kinda, spoken to a certain someone after the preliminaries.”“Is it someone I despise?” Yasu asked, unamused.“It’s someone I’m not fond of either,” she assured, but the look he gave her made her pout, “I mean it! I know he’s not dateable, that much is obvious. I’m not an idiot. But for once, he wasn’t there just blindly offering me to join his Network like some Internet Service Provider, but, okay, he did mention it, but more than that… he spoke about the Autumn Elections, and how they are judged and…”“…Everything he says is calculated Chieko,” Yasu said, “You know him. He wanted to place whatever thoughts into your head, and look at you now. You’re conflicted.”“Because it makes sense.”“…How? What could he of all people say that made sense?”“Do… Do you feel we have a fair shot here?” Chieko asked, suddenly, almost nervously, and Yasu gave pause. What did she mean? When Chieko saw his confusion turn to hesitation she added, “I am nothing but grateful for Totsuki, and for every friend I have, but this tournament, heck, our own entire generation, is all about legacy. We’re all here because of who are parents are, and let’s face it, not all of us have the same metric. You and me? Our parents were outright extras Yasu. And… I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be a stepping stone for anyone else to polish themselves and reach greatness while I get stuck behind, just cheering them on.”“…This doesn’t sound like you,” Yasu noted, his concern evident, “Whatever that snake said…”“It’s not just what he said,” she countered, “It’s what I feel. And I feel this whole thing is stacked in their favor, and I hate to feel this way, but… tell me honestly… am I wrong to feel how I do…?”And for the longest time, Yasu had no answer to give.-0-Two sleepless nights followed, and after all the partying the first night, then slogging through the second day, the eight participants submitted their information into the app, and in return, got the tournament bracket, what time they would be scheduled for, their theme, and all the info they would need. Of course, regardless of if the student participated in the first match or the fourth, they still all needed to be present for the introduction, so it was a moot point.With the Chandra’s Room filled to the brim with every student in Tootsuki, excluding most of the Third Years who found this to be beneath them, the event was slowly beginning.Hideyoshi and Daisuke were both granted permission to co-host the event, even if Headmistress Alice had made it very clear that if they so much as argued she would kick them both out and host the thing herself. Both boys just nodded. Firmly. Best behavior it was.“Welcome one and all!” Hideyoshi began, that striking smile making all the First-Year girls swoon and all the First-Year boys want to beat him up, “To the main event!”“A-As promised, we find ourselves back in the Chandra’s Room,” Daisuke continued, super nervous about hosting something this massive, “So, without further ado, let’s give a warm welcome to the… Elite Ten members currently taken care of us and who organized this entire event!”And, as the spotlight shifted, four notable figures stood to the side of the stage, and it was hard to tell which one of the four looked more uncomfortable to even be there at all.“My, what a silly little host,” Shigeo Eizan, the Eight Seat, noted with a smirk, “Us four organizing this event? Please, I’m the one who asked the Madam Headmistress to call upon top graduates from The Seven to serve as judges when you lot came up short, and it is insulting I had to ask her when this doofus here lives three rooms from her.”“And we were very, very thankful for all you support four-eyes,” Suzume Hojo, the Seventh Seat, snarked, her playful grin in place, as she rolled her eyes, “One little decent idea and you think you handled the event single-handedly. Please. I oversaw all the decorations and the music selection; while Akio here did, well… everything else!”“…I-It wasn’t just me, this was a collective effort,” Akio Hayama, the Sixth Seat, nervously tried to stop the argument he knew was about to break, but his focus was torn in two, since Suzume was close, too close! “A-Anyways we all pitched in, brought ideas to the table, and I think the Elections turned out rather well, don’t you all agree…?”“…Oh. Elections. They call them that because the judges vote for a champion,” Hiraku Yukihira, the former Fifth Seat recently turned Fourth Seat soon to aim for the Third Seat, said with half a yawn, his eyes on the judges table. “I always did wonder why it was called this?”“Yukihira, you are aware what intrusive thoughts are, no?” Shigeo asked, eyes focused elsewhere, “I mean, of course you are, that’s the only way to classify anything that bounces around inside that empty dome of yours. But my point is, not every thought needs to be vocalized.”“Huh? Oh… did you say something Eizan, I spaced out,” Hiraku noted, and as Shigeo felt himself flinch with rage, Suzume was too busy laughing out loud.“Ha! Of course redhead here would be too dumb to insult,” she noted, still laughing, “That’s one of you most enviable qualities… somewhat.”“Is it?” Hiraku asked, and he sounded genuine.“I… I am not sure it should be perceived as such,” Akio noted, turning to Hiraku for a moment, “Still, Hiraku–”“I swear Akio, if you call him Hiraku-sama again I will slap you!” Suzume suddenly threatened, and Akio flinched, turning to her in surprise at the sudden threat, while Shigeo just laughed in a mocking gesture.“Please spare me Hojo,” Shigeo noted, “If you want to make him stop, don’t threaten him with something he’ll respond to with a ‘yes mommy’.”“I-I wouldn’t say that!” Akio blurted out, his face burning red, a small pout visible in his face, “Stop it with those weird stuff you always say. It’s not polite to speak like that in front of a lady.”Shigeo had to hold back a snort. “Where’s the lady? Closest thing to femininity here is you.”“Oh please, you’re just jealous Akio’s man enough to be in touch with his feelings,” Suzume quickly defended, “Takes a secure individual to be this honest about his emotions, isn’t that right?”“Keep telling him that, you’re really setting him up for a rude awakening in the future,” Shigeo countered.“Oh, go touch grass you Yakuza-wannabe!” Suzume barked.“Whose ass are we talking about?” a confused Hiraku asked.“T-That’s not at all what Suzume said!” Akio quickly corrected, blushing again.“Oh for the love of…!” Shigeo just pushed himself away from the other three, wanting away from their collective stupidity, and took out his own stylized microphone and quickly addressed the entire crowd, “Let’s get down to business. I don’t got no time to play around, what is this? Must be a circus in town, let’s shut this thing down, and focus on what you all came here to see! Welcome, students of Totsuki Academy… to the Autumn Elections.”And as Shigeo took center stage, with Suzume, Akio and Hiraku (somewhat) following along, all the screens focused on them, and backstage, where the eight finalists were told to wait, tensions were running high… mostly.“Could she be any more dramatic?!” Lola cried out, her arms crossed against her chest as she glared to the side, since while seven of them had been seated in the couches provided, Kaori had outright brought her own chair and placed it as far from the group as the room allowed.“Wait, who did end up against Kaori in the first round anyways?” Kimiko asked, her eyes briefly on the valedictorian, before she turned to the other six. Both Chieko and Yasu seemed to shift a bit in their seats, as their eyes fell on…“…Ah, that would be me…” Hiroshi noted, eyes to the side, briefly on Kaori, who had her glare fully focused on the screen showing their upperclassmen. She, however, felt his stare on her, and turned to meet his eyes, which made him flinch, “H-Hey, don’t mind us, best of luck in –”“Don’t force yourself to play the middleman between us,” Kaori simply stated, and her tone was utterly dry, “I have no need to even pretend that this is a competition. So argue all you want over who gets the silver or bronze, but you should at least be smart enough to know I’m winning this.”Hiroshi stammered, unsure of what to actually even say to her. Why were all his opponents so mean all the sudden?“Hey!” Mika quickly cried out, glaring at Kaori, “My cousin is outright the nicest guy in the entire school. You can keep that bitchy attitude of yours with any of us if that gets you off, but tone it down with him!”“Itoko-chan!”“…Why?” Kaori simply stated, and it made Mika almost growl, “You are his cousin, and yet you wish to lie to him? He will lose to me, effortlessly. That is a fact. A student who wasn’t even initially considered for the Elections, who then had to duel to enter the finalists, from the start, he’s been deadweight.”“Okay, that does it!” Mika quickly stood up, in her sudden kick knocking the tea Chieko had been trying to drink and spilling it on Yasu and Mona, as the former just blinked, and Mona turned to her wanting to complain but not finding the words to do so. “Someone change the match-ups! I want a round against you!”“Enough Itoko-chan,” Hiroshi, gently, stood up and placed his hand on Mika’s shoulder, “She’s just edging you on. That’s… how this school works. Besides, we can’t change the duels, I’ll… manage something.”While Mika bit at her lower lip, knowing he was right about the first part, yet very, very wrong about the last part, Kaori simply rolled her eyes and gave a little scoff, which then…“You really think you’re untouchable, huh?”Kaori sighed; this was why she wanted to sit away from all of them. These little “talks” always turned into exchanges of bravado, and she was uninterested in it all, even if it was with… “Kimiko, I do not think myself untouchable. But I know the gap in skill between myself and the rest of you. If this hurts your feelings, then forgive me for stating the obvious.”Kimiko stared, then gave a little grin, “Really now? You’re still here, with us. You still have to compete. You’re not that far above just quite yet.”“…That’s because that’s how the educational system works,” Kaori shot back, and Kimiko paused, head tilted. What did she mean? “…I am aware of… most of your talents. I know your grades. I know you are all mostly gifted. But, do not misunderstand. You all have A’s in your exams and dishes because that’s as high as you can go…”She then glared at all seven of them, and while Lola gave her a smug smile, Mona was frowning, Mika was glaring, Hiroshi seemed tense, Yasu wanted none of that, Chieko was in a near panic and Kimiko… was simply smirking, even if her eyes showed a different shade, Kaori simply concluded with…“I have A’s because that’s as high as the grading system will allow me to have. We are not the same.”-0-The music blasted even higher, as Suzume cranked it up as the show was ready to start, and as the four Elite Ten students stood side by side by the will of God itself, all eyes were on them for the moment. From all the fangirls Hiraku had, all the fanboys and also fangirls Suzume had, and… the surprising number of dudes cheering for Akio for reasons that eluded him, they certainly drew a crowd, which made Hideyoshi shed tears of blood as he cursed at the four of them and had to be held back by Daisuke less the both get kicked out.Suzume, for her part, reveled in the acclaim, and as the music upped the beat, she just began to dance to it, shaking her hips, swinging her arms, for that very moment, becoming the very star upon that stage.“Heck yeah, go Totsuki!” she cheered, before she swung her hips and smacked Akio with them, “Come on! Dance alongside me!”“W-What?! Suzume, we didn’t come here for…” he tried, but he was blushing way too much. This was not something he was prepared to handle at all.“Oh goodness are you pathetic…” Shigeo just muttered, even if Akio was blushing too hard to even hear him. Shigeo turned, perfectly willing to insult him again if need be, but another sight caught his attention and made his glasses almost crack.It was Hiraku.With maracas.Swinging them around to almost the rhythm of the song.“…what the hell are you doing?” was the politest way Shigeo was able to phrase that.“What?” he asked, blankly, “Suzume said this was part of my duties.”“Hiraku-sa… Hiraku, that’s not actually – Ack!” Akio tried to explain, but he got interrupted when Suzume just smacked him with her rear this time and basically pushed him off the little arena they were on.“Oh shush you, do not ruin this for me!” was all she said in-between bouts of laughter.As those four did… whatever it was they were doing, further back, away from the limelight, a certain young hacker and spy-in-the-making had her eyes on the tournament bracket, really, really wishing she had set this all up properly. Her boss was now onstage, and if this got ruined, she was in big trouble. Still, it should work, the plan was solid, and like she promised him, she would deliver the results he wanted.But, right now, Akiko had another problem.“…I understand your frustration,” she noted, to a very displeased Shoto, who was glaring. She tried not to be bothered by it, but she wasn’t used to… “employee reprimanding” or whatever it was she was doing now, “But you were given all the tools to succeed. You cannot fault us for not ending up in the tournament.”“I would have scored a lot higher than that ‘welcome mat’ that got in had I been able to do the dish I wanted to do!” Shoto argued back, arms crossed against his chest, “But no, you all wanted me to humiliate the guy, tie with him, that was your order! And what did that get me? Defeated!”“…Your loss was legitimate.”“Because you made me have that match!” he cried, “If you were so sure about him losing, why didn’t you tie with him and then win, huh? Easy to cry over results when it’s not your ass on the line!”“The Boss is not… displeased,” Akiko tried, lying. He was, but it was still within the realm of what he considered acceptable, “You still have the doors open to join his Network, should you prove a valuable asset to us.”“Prove?!” he almost cried out, and she flinched. Even if they were way at the back, this was certainly not a conversation she wanted anyone hearing. “I did everything you, or he for that matter told me to! And why does he get to call the shots?! Just because mommy graduated as the First Seat?! My mom was higher than she was! Only reason she didn’t take the Seat was because she disliked the attention!”“…We do not talk about that,” Akiko warned, and as Shoto glared at her, suddenly, a real man got in the middle of Akiko and Shoto. And by that, I mean, the total opposite. Timmy Revolver is what I mean.“You got a problem with the Miss?” Timmy asked, making the face of a thug, inches from Shoto’s own annoyed face, “Because –”Then Timmy was slapped right across his ugly mug like a total bitch.“I legit can’t tell if I’m talking to your face or your ass,” Shoto simply stated, “In either case, keep both away from my sight you damn waste of a genuine character!”“Is that so…?” Kou Shio Jr. asked, his voice threateningly low, as Timmy was on the floor, knocked out cold. Kou, for his part, held his target by the throat instantly, and held him against a wall, his mask inches from his face, “Why don’t you try that with me…?”Shoto just stared…Akiko did too…“…Kou, you’re grabbing Kenny Dakekanba,” Akiko informed the masked boy, who seemed to give pause, placing the mask even closer onto Kenny’s scared face, almost lips to mask, and then letting him go.“…Oh? Apologies. I thought you were Shoto,” Kou stated matter-of-factly, as if he had merely called him by the wrong name as opposed to almost strangled him.“The hell is wrong with you?!” Kenny cried out, in actual tears, “I was promised if I joined this Network or whatever I could impress my beloved Kimiko, not get assaulted by this masked weirdo.”“Hey!” Kou shouted out, “…My mask is not weird.”“You… You’re staring at a wall Kou. I mean, damn it, forget them, Shoto, look…” Akiko tried, she really did, but she really had nothing to work with here, “I promise you the Boss will give you, all of you… most of you a fair shot, but do not ever speak about his parents like that. Even I won’t be able to get you out of the hole you’ll dig for yourself if you do.”“…He’s that frightening, huh?” Shoto noted, and Akiko rolled her eyes. It was this bravado; this show of macho force that annoyed her. What did this kid expect, to just talk big and somehow dethrone the Shigeo Eizan? Please. But to her surprise, he did raise his hand, and she felt his finger inch way too close to her cheek, and it made her eyes widen, “You know something girlie; I don’t much appreciate the way you talk about him to me… I think I should –”She froze, and tried to step back, or something, but strangely, he never outright touched her.Because Kou held his arm, and kept it in place.Shoto turned to the masked boy, and glared.“You want to join your buddy on the floor?” Shoto asked.“I was first going to ask if I had grabbed the correct arm but I am assuming I did,” Kou sort-of replied.“Let my arm go or I will rip that mask clean off your stupid face.”“I wouldn’t try that,” Kou warned, “It would get very ugly for one of us.”“Really?” Shoto asked with a scoff, “Pray tell, who?”“…Me, obviously. You do not sound like you’d pull it off gently.”“Enough!” Akiko called out, and it did make both boys pause, turn to her, and with a swift pull, Shoto broke free from Kou’s grip. He turned to Akiko, sighed, and turned away.“You better have meant what you said,” he warned her, and she hated his tone, “I will play along nicely… for now.”And he walked away, leaving Akiko having to keep herself in check, Kou just standing there, Kenny with his eyes wide over the violence he had witnessed, and Timmy… somewhere on the floor. Akiko, still, did turn to Kou, and despite feeling… very conflicted over it, did manage to speak something.“…Thanks,” she told him, and she saw how his mask seemed to turn in her general direction. Did this guy even see at all? “I suppose for what it’s worth, I didn’t quite expect you to provide actual security for me, even if it was unwarranted, Shoto knows better than to try anything, boast as he might.”“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Kou replied, and she stared, “Boys like that need to be taught, or they become even worse men.”Akiko faltered a bit here, utterly unsure of why he, of all people was saying that, but before she said anything, and Kou, finding it a proper and cool way to end the conversation, turned away to walk back towards his seat… only to trip on Timmy and land on the floor. Akiko just starred, crying to herself if this… this pathetic display was the best person she had, she was completely and utterly screwed…-0-“And we’re about to begin!” Hideyoshi announced, as he and Daisuke both posed epically for the camaras. Behind the two, Chef-kun and Dog-kun, the traditional Totsuki Mascots, were busy dancing to the music, bringing in that atmosphere.“S-So let’s welcome our judges!” Daisuke continued, signaling to the judges table, as Chef-kun began to twerk and Dog-kun began to spank his booty. Neither host commented on that at all.“Please give a warm round of applause to our dear Headmistress!” Hideyoshi called out with a smile worth a million, “Madame Alice Nakiri!”And with cheers upon cheers, Alice made her way into the arena, taking the time to wave to all the students and even blow little kisses at them. She gave a slight pause as she reached her seat, her eyes down at the arena, and for a moment…
“Oh my? You don’t look all that well. Were you able to sleep last night?” fifteen-year-old Alice asked in the images current Alice was seeing down at that very arena. And of course, she could see him too…
“Well… You see, I was up late trying things out, and before I’d realize it, it was almost dawn,” the younger version of her brother-in-law, Soma Yukihira, had replied, that same carefree attitude intact, “But don’t worry. For me, this feels just like any other day. We have customers who are really particular about their food… the gleam of a sharpened knife… and a set of ingredients. If there’s anything different, it’s that there’s a tough business rival facing me…” she recalls him saying, and boy had it annoyed her back them. Heck, it annoyed her still, “Today… I’ll defeat you, take everything I gain from it, and use it to grow stronger before leaving.”
…And Alice gave a little smile at the memory, as her finger traced the chair. It would be the first time of her judging this event with her daughters in it, and Kimiko as well. ‘…My, how the time flies. They were just babies, and in a blink of an eye, already little ladies… Watch me grandpa, watch me make you proud…’“A-And joining our Headmistress, all the way from the Nakiri Research Institute,” Daisuke added, signaling once more, as a pair of young women stepped out, one with short hair, one with long hair, “Berta Pedersen and Cilla Pedersen!”The cheers continued, as the two young women quickly bounced there way next to Alice, who gave the two a quick hug.“Oh my! You two made it!” Alice gleamed, “And you both look gorgeous!”“Thank you Miss Alice,” Berta noted, all smiled, “Apologies for the late response, but I had a hard time reaching my sister. She had just decided to travel to America because of course.”“Hey, you know how unpredictable Loren is,” Cilla defended, pouting at the accusation, “B-Besides, I made it back, so let’s not go into any unnecessary details.”As the crowd cheered, the music flared, and everything was set, the Autumn Elections were officially about to begin, and just as the Elite Ten watched, thinking the worst was over, Shigeo got himself a call, and taking a glance at his phone, politely excused himself and walked away from the other three, and from all the prying eyes. Once he was alone, he picked up, his tone surprisingly warm, as he was quick to start by giving his thanks.“You have no idea how much it means to me everything you did,” he said, a genuine smile on his features. “It worked perfectly. My little hacker, Akiko, was able to make a dummy app that fooled everyone. While we had a small setback in the preliminaries, everything else should flow as planned.”“I would hope so,” was the reply he got, “Still, all of this for a girl, my… it’s way too cute, honestly. But… she better be worth it, and she better be thankful, or she’s dealing with me.”He chuckled at this. “No need, she is, and I know she will be. I want her to shine how I know she can, not with all these leeches surrounding her and eclipsing her of her worth.”“My… how poetic,” was the reply, “Still, try and behave. Your mother will give me quite the lecture if she finds out I did this.”“Relax Auntie Yukichiko,” Shigeo simply stated, “I made the calculations properly, and I couldn’t be more grateful. The Autumn Elections will play out exactly how I, and no one else, wishes them to…”
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Akiko finally managed to find her seat, after navigating the endless maze that was the Chandra’s Room’s audience area, and, having purposely picked seats that kept her away from most eyes, took the time to take her phone out and give her little app another look. With Shoto having stormed off, Kou having dragged a still unconscious Timmy to the infirmary and Kenny… actually, she hadn’t even bothered to keep track of where he went, she finally had some time to herself. Time for the plan, The ideal scenario was Shoto having made into the tournament to make it easier to take down their biggest obstacle for Chieko’s victory, but since he had lost, she had to make due.She gave her messages a quick read.Nothing from the Boss, for now, which was a good enough sign.She had messages from each of the four Caporegime of her boss’ Network however. She had to thread lightly with them, given how these Second Years didn’t think too highly of her and, given how close in skills they were to the Elite Ten members, she didn’t want to make any of them her enemy.And, speaking of them, an unofficial member of that very Caporegime had sent her a little emoji which made Akiko shiver. It was Koharu. She was so, so thankful the older girl was away on a family emergency or whatever, because ever since Koharu had decided to take Akiko “under her wing”, per say, all she felt was dread whenever she spotted her senior.But… there was another message that caught her eye. As she shifted her gaze to it, she narrowed her eyes, almost frowning at the notification. It wasn’t in her socials, but her actual number this time.T.V.
“You’re playing a dangerous game here girlie.”
She felt the urge to just block and delete, but he… she… whatever knew her personal number, and she couldn’t quite ignore that. So she texted a reply: “I do not know what you think you’ll gain from this, but I would desist if I were you.” It took almost a full minute for her to receive the reply.
“Now where’s the fun in that? After all, I am just admiring your stellar work.”
She clenched her phone a bit tighter, replying: “You are interrupting me. Proceed further at your own risk. I won’t message you again. You have been warned. I hope I expressed this clearly.” She had intended to block T.V. then and there, but this time, he replied instantly. And it made sense, it was just two words. But, as Akiko read them, she felt her blood run cold. That… had to be a coincidence, no? This individual couldn’t know that much about her, right? Because, the reply had just been…
“Crystal clear.”
-0-“And we begin!” Hideyoshi announced, the brightest smile on his face, as he signaled to the side, where Hiraku stood, microphone lazily in hand, “And since we are being honored by four of our Elite Ten members for this event, for each match-up today, one of them will introduce our students! So give it up for our Fourth Seat, Hiraku Yukihira, as he introduces our first two contestants!”Hideyoshi then expertly bounced back, pulled Daisuke by the collar of his uniform back with him, and begrudgingly allowed Hiraku to take center stage, as a lot of girls could be heard swooning over him, while the rest just seemed conflicted over singing his praises or cursing at him. He got a bit of both at the end, not that he seemed to even notice.“Go on sweetheart, the floor is yours,” Alice instructed, seated at the judges’ table alongside Berta and Cilla, offering him a little wave. He sighed, finding this too much of a hassle, but if Aunt Alice wanted it done, so be it.“…Okay, then in our first round we have, all the way from… my house, Kimiko Yukihira,” he said rather bluntly, which made the crowd just stare. Hideyoshi was having an aneurism at that horrible presentation, while Daisuke just looked on, bemused. Hiraku, again, didn’t even notice, but his eyes did shift when the main doors were opened up and the golden girl herself began to walk on stage, “…there you are.”Kimiko walked firmly, her tools on hand, as she gave Hiraku a quick look, as there was so much she wanted to say, and yet, nothing at all as well. She decided to focus for now, and averted her eyes from him, instead looking at her Aunt Alice and grinning at her. Alice smiled back, offering her a quick knowing wink.“…And, her opponent, from… my other house…” Hiraku continued, and everyone just stared at him, wondering why the hell was he introducing the participants in such a strange way, “Lola Nakiri…”Everyone paused.Alice’s eyes widened; her head titled.Kimiko looked on, and frowned.There was a long, long silence.“…It’s Mona you idiot! Don’t confuse you own cousins!” Suzume was heard shouting from the side, clearly pissed off. Akio was hiding his face with his clipboard, while Shigeo looked in outright pain from the stupidity on display.“Huh? Oh? Right, not Lola, the other one then,” he “corrected”, as he still signaled to the other side, just as Mona stood there, mouth slightly agape, before she outright formed half a pout at his dismissal, which while cute, was very out of character for her, but she couldn’t help it. This was how she was being introduced?! Her own cousin got them confused?!“Hey! Introduce Mona right you jerk!” Kimiko quickly cried out, puffing out her chest in indignation. “She’s not just the ‘other one’!”“…So now you talk to me,” Hiraku noted, clearly not at all bothered, before, in his defense, he turned to Mona, “She understood it was a simple mistake, right Mona?”“…jerk,” Mona muttered, blushing madly, as she got all her equipment ready. Everyone just stared, feeling a collective sweat drop, before Hiraku turned back to Kimiko.“…See?”“See what?! She’s pissed off! And so am I!” Kimiko barked, and Hiraku just frowned. These girls were way too emotional at times. And, with the look he gave, Kimiko almost read his mind, and her cheeks puffed out further and then… “Auntie! Look at Hiraku!”“What? Hey! Not fair!” Hiraku, for once, actually focused, as he also turned to Alice, “I didn’t mean that, it was a mistake. Don’t listen to her.”“He did it on purpose!”“Did not.”“Did too!”“Did not Kimiko.”“Did so you horrible older brother, cousin… insert other familiar connections here!”“Hey, hey, enough,” Alice called out, raising her hands, turning the kids attention back to her, “This is your academic institution. You two are not at home to be arguing like this. Kimi, sweetheart, take it easy, don’t say things you don’t mean,” Alice told her, and all Kimiko did was pout. At this point, it wasn’t a lie. This wasn’t the older brother she once knew, “…And Hiraku, dear, she’s still right. Apologize to Mona.”He frowned, but… “Yeah, hey… Mona, sorry, and… stuff.”“…sure,” was all Mona could muster, not at all convinced over that “apology”, but she knew better than trying to argue it further.Still, with that, and Hiraku, out of the way, Hideyoshi and Daisuke took center stage again, and introduced, once more, properly this time, the two contestants, as Kimiko and Mona stepped up to one another. Kimiko gave out a huff, but did manage to smile at Mona, who while still a bit uneasy about all the eyes on them, did offer her a soft smile in return.“Ignore him,” Kimiko assured, “Everyone knows who you are. And I am eager to see that brilliance on display.”“…Thanks,” Mona replied, giving her cousin a little nod, “I too look forwards to your crazy antics. May the best girl win.”The two gave each other a playful fist bump, which made Kimiko grin and made Mona’s smile hold, before Hideyoshi lifted his arm, and declared the start of the match. But just as he did, the whole arena began to shake, almost as if a sudden earthquake had hit Totsuki. And as Daisuke screeched, Hideyoshi cried out, and Kimiko’s eyes widened, Mona remained calm, her eyes dead focused on Kimiko’s.“I do hope you aren’t bothered by this…” she told Kimiko, as an entire truck was driven inside the stadium, parking itself right on Mona’s side of the arena, and opening up its side to reveal what was basically a portable laboratory for her own personal use, “Molecular Gastronomy has advanced a lot since my mom took this very stage, so I needed something… bigger.”“…You damn show-off…” Kimiko replied with an outright spark in her eyes.-0-Back in the waiting room, the other six participants looked on, their eyes on the wide screens, showing Kimiko and Mona beginning to cook. It was such a polar opposite display, seeing Kimiko go all in with the most basic of tools, while Mona responded with the state-of-the-art tech that most of them had no idea how to even turn on, much less cook with it.“That damn cousin of mine…” Lola began, pouting at the screen, “Seriously? Confusing Mona and me? The nerve!”“Yeah, Mona’s at least likeable,” Mika offered, which made Lola turn her pout to her, which only made Mika smirk.“Itoko-chan, stop picking fights,” Hiroshi tried, since he felt every other second his cousin was edging someone else on, “That said, what is the theme of this match?”“Vanilla,” Chieko replied, her eyes hyper focused on the screen, “Hiraku Yukihira’s little blunder made the hosts skip over declaring it, but it is showing up in the screens… Normally you’d think of a dessert dish first and foremost for this, and given Mona’s talent in the Molecular Gastronomy fields…”“…You think Kimiko is at disadvantage here?” Yasu asked, and Chieko just shook her head. It wasn’t exactly that. She knew Kimiko had something on her mind, it’s just she never quite shared what it was with any of them. But this was still a fifty-fifty shot at who won, at least, it should be, so why… Why did she have this bad feeling all the sudden?Yasu wanted to say something else, assure them all, but a sudden text made him pause, and his eyes widened when he saw who it was from…Kaori, meanwhile, said nothing, but kept her eyes on the screen. At a glance, she knew Mona seemed better suited for that theme, but it was just that, at a glance. Kaori never left things to chance.-0-“Look at them go!” Hideyoshi announced, “Mona is downright making a science experiment over there! Daisuke, buddy of mine, care to explain to the audience what she’s doing?!”“Eh?!” Daisuke froze, feeling a chill on his very spine, ‘This jerk! He’s making me explain Mona’s cooking because he has no idea what it is!’“Worry not, I can take over for you kids,” Alice beamed, grinning at the display. She knew this was a bit too advanced for most of the First Years. Heck, it would have probably confused her a bit back when she was Mona’s age. “Mona is making what we call a panna cotta.”“Panna cotta?” Hideyoshi and Daisuke asked in unison, both of them equally confused, as they, and the entire audience, turned to Mona.Mona had placed in a large bowl heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract and the agar agar powder, mixed it, and brought it to a boil. She slowed down the flames, then turned it off, then divided everything into two parts. She added mango pulp to one of the halves, and set them both on the fridge. Mona then moved to focus on the little pearls she wanted to make, using a syringe to carefully take another mixture she had been boiling, and very carefully, creating little orbs that resembled caviar with them. She then moved quickly, taking her initial solution out of the freezer, and setting it into glasses. First the mango mixture, freeze, then the vanilla mixture, freeze some more, and to the surprise of everyone present, Mona ended up with what looked like a little island on a glass, with the two layers of her mixtures divided by their coloring, one yellow, the other white, a white chocolate coating melted and frozen to seal it in, and the little yellow orbs looking like sand, with a piece of cinnamon and a bit of mint to make a palm tree in each.
...Knowing of her cousin's prowess, Kimiko instantly made a hand sign, and in a poof of smoke, several clones of Kimiko appeared alongside her. All to outnumber the genius that was Mona and test the waters of just how strong had she gotten. So she sent her clones onto the attack, but, with her eyes shifting into a pure white that reflected her hair, Mona effortlessly stuck each clone instantly, destroying them before she appeared right in front of a shocked Kimiko, before she slammed her palm right onto Kimiko's abdomen, making the blonde girl let out a pained scream...
Mona then turned to Kimiko, who was staring at Mona’s little bottles of culinary art with a mix of wonder and concern, but slowly, the golden girl smirked, which was expected.
...and in another poof of smoke, the "Kimiko" that Mona had struck had just been another clone, as the real girl appeared behind Mona, and both girls clashes, their fists colliding, both smirking at the prowess of the other...
“…Damn, look at you,” Kimiko noted, that little spark still in her eyes, “Now that’s just you flexing.”“…You expected anything less?” Mona shot back, and she was about to tell Kimiko to focus on her stuff, but then, all the sudden, Mona felt an aroma smack her senses, and in turn, her eyes widened. Kimiko’s grinned widen, as she had just lifted the lid on her pot, allowing the amazing and perplexing aroma to engulf the whole area.Kimiko had prepped a batch of what looked like vegetables and noodles and set it all to a boil with a choice of… something, with special care that seemed almost tender. Mona stared, as she set her little cups before the judges, just as Kimiko motioned to prepare her own bowls for tasting, allowing everyone to see that her choice of dish was. And what a choice it was…“Ramen?!” Hideyoshi cried out, noticing the dish Kimiko was serving, his eyes wide.“W-What? But isn’t the theme…?” Daisuke tried, and Kimiko just bounced her way towards the table, and set down her large, messy bowls of ramen next to Mona’s pristine little island-on-a-bottle offerings.Kimiko stood back, smirk ever present, while Mona stood at her side, her eyes on her cousin, finding this way too out-of-left-field even for her.“…What are you doing?” Mona asked, sounding almost insulted by her cousin’s choice.“Defeating you,” Kimiko merely replied, and Mona frowned. What was she…?“Milady Alice’s niece served us… ramen?” Berta noted, confused.“D-Did she get the theme wrong?” Cilla added, turning from Kimiko to Alice.“Oh… I wonder,” Alice voiced, a small smirk on her lips, “Just what crazy thing did you put in here?”Kimiko kept her smirk in place, and ignored all the murmurs and whispers from the crowd wondering what the heck had she even done. How could the “princess”, a moniker she hated, have served a ramen dish when the theme was vanilla? Had she gone insane? Or was this her not bothering to even try? Or maybe… she was that talented that she could make it work? She heard all of it, and just rolled her eyes.Mona, however, kept her eyes on Kimiko. She knew her. This wasn’t her folding or messing around. She had done something. Probably something weird granted, but something nonetheless.“Tasting time!” Hideyoshi announced with glee, as Alice, Berta and Cilla all took a careful sample of Mona’s very pretty dish, and gave it a taste.Instantly, the three women we’re hit by a sweet, sophisticated taste that seemed to target their tastebuds in full, making all three tremble at the sheer quality of the dish before them. Alice gave a wide smile, her eyes on her soft-spoken daughter, looking at her proudly. “…My, when did you get this good I wonder? This is a bit too advanced for the me from yesteryear.”“…Nonsense mother,” Mona noted, bashfully, her eyes to the side, “You were a prodigy since you were eight. I am well aware I still have room to grow.”“I-It’s way better than anything I could serve…” Berta merely added, still shellshocked.“No kidding! This is like tasting Milady Alice’s craft itself…” Cilla concluded, her eyes wide.“Wait… does that mean that Mona’s dish…?” Daisuke tried, his eyes focused on the pretty dishes, before he turned to the pretty girl who made them, who wasn’t even looking his way, “J-Just what is it?”“That’s right!” Hideyoshi chimed in, “What are your dishes called?”“…Isn’t it obvious?” Mona asked, not even bothering to turn. She really wanted to be done here. But… she had stilled served her “Mango Pannacotta w/ ‘Caviar’”.“Oh? Caviar is it?” Suzume noted, tilting her head a bit, eyes on the little bottles.“She is a princess after all,” Akio added, his eyes on the girl, “But I don’t think that’s actually…”“It’s not,” Shigeo interrupted, “She used her molecular gastronomy to shape the liquid into orbs resembling caviar. Almost indistinguishable from the real thing. How surprising that someone from that bloodline can actually be clever.”“…She’s still mad,” Hiraku voiced, and the three turned to him, as for once, he sounded like his head was in the conversation, “She knows how much I use caviar, and I guess she’s still cranky I called her Lola instead. Man, what a drag. I’ll be hearing about this for weeks…”
...And in that instance, Mona took a particular stance, as her and Lola's trademark 'yin yang symbol' appeared right below both her and Kimiko's feet, and to Kimiko's shock she was struck exactly sixty-four times in quick succession, all over her body, and she felt all her strength leave her, just as she collapsed onto the ground, her body effectively motionless after such a brutal attack...
“And… what about Kimiko’s offering!” Hideyoshi called out, as Kimiko was still glaring at Mona’s dish, trying to decipher what the heck her cousin had even made.“Eh? Mine? Isn’t it obvious?” Kimiko replied, as if it were the most common thing, “I made ‘Vanilla Ramen’.”There was a long silence that filled the stadium, before a sudden uproar could be heard that cried out over just what the heck had that girl done. Kimiko just stood there, utterly unbothered, as her aunt Alice and a very reluctant Berta and Cilla took a sample of the white broth ramen that was somehow made with vanilla of all things… really?“…What are you playing at here Kimiko?” Mona asked, knowing there was more to this meets the eye. Kimiko only grinned.“I knew I couldn’t match you when it comes to presentation,” Kimiko noted, “So I had to quickly improvise. There’s more than one way to cause an impact, you know?”Before Mona could give a retort, if she had any to give, Alice, Berta and Cilla all took a taste of the dish, of the white, gooey ramen and… instantly, it was a second blow of sweetness and deliciousness. All three women had to take a solid minute after the two blows, and both Kimiko and Mona stared, their eyes narrowed, hoping, wishing…Berta and Cilla both raised their hands simultaneously, and both gave out their votes, which caused the crowd to freeze. It made Kimiko and Mona flinch. And Alice frowned, wondering why they were doing this to her…Berta had voted for Kimiko.Cilla had voted for Mona.One vote for each girl, and they both tensed up, as the crowd could be heard gasping, wondering how did Kimiko Yukihira score a point with Vanilla Ramen of all things?!“…What did you do?” Mona asked, turning to Kimiko.“Like I said, Vanilla Ramen,” Kimiko repeated, all grins, even if she was feeling a bit nervous. This was Mona after all, “But… I think you all paid way too much attention to the “ramen” part and not the “vanilla” part…”
...Because, during her assumed victory, Mona failed to realize Kimiko had yet again tricked her with another clone of hers, and as the smoke settled, Mona was caught off-guard when Kimiko outright appeared from under the ground, having dug a hole with her bare hands and hidden there all along, and managing to smash her fist against Mona's chin, uppercutting her cousin with so much strength that it made the silent princess fall back...
At this Mona’s eyes widen, and she turned back to the table, to the bowls, and it clicked. ‘Wait…’ she thought, ‘She’s right. That isn’t actually ramen. She made it look like ramen! Those vegetables and noodles, they’re made from sweets, cookies, dough, sugar… all cut and colored to resemble ramen!’“Two very sweet dishes from two very sweet girls,” Alice beamed, smiling earnestly at the two, “And I hate to have to give out the tiebreaker vote, but… considering my own grandpa couldn’t care less about eliminating me, what can you do? Anyways, you both did wonderfully, and for artistically pleasing as your dish is my dear Mona; little Kimi, I have to say, what a curious and devious little dish you presented.”Kimiko grinned, as Mona just frowned, and as thus, the final vote was given.With a score of two-to-one…Winner: Kimiko Yukihira.“Yes!” Kimiko quickly cheered, beginning to bounce up and down on the spot, utterly thrilled. It had worked! Her crazy idea had worked! She had to refrain from offering the four Elite Ten members present there a bowl so they could all suck on it together.“She did it!” Hideyoshi cheered, “In a very close match, Kimiko Yukihira has gotten the victory over Mona Nakiri and secured a spot in the semi-finals!”“A-And that’s not to undersell the tremendous effort from Mona,” Daisuke added, his eyes on the defeated girl, and offered him a little bashful smile, “It was an insanely complex dish after all…”Mona, however, just sighed, and completely ignored him, as she turned towards the still bouncing Kimiko. “…Lola is never letting me live this down… nor are you…”“Nope!” the gleeful Kimiko replied, all smiles, “I won! I won! I won!”Daisuke, on the other hand, just stared, feeling his body having turned to stone and cracking at getting utterly ignored by the princess. He was grateful nobody had caught his attempts at being friendly with her, but of course, even then…“A swing and a miss!” Hideyoshi mocked, mimicking himself swinging a baseball bat with his microphone, which made Daisuke turn beet red in embarrassment.“Shut up, Kawashima!” the very flustered host cried out, which only made the teasing boy laugh at his buddy’s lament and horrible luck.Kimiko gave Mona a surprisingly gentle hug, which made the quiet girl tense up a bit, she wasn’t fond of these public displays of affection (heck, private displays weren’t her thing either), but she knew Kimiko meant it in earnest. Kimiko later bounced towards where Hideyoshi and Daisuke were, and the two wrapped an arm across her shoulders, as the three kicked their feet in unison to celebrate her victory. It was a stupidly adorable sight, or at least, half of the Elite Ten present thought so.“They are so damn adorable!” Suzume swooned, before she turned sheepishly to the three boys next to her, “Clearly there had to be a mistake here. They can’t possibly be related to you redhead.”“…I don’t get it,” Hiraku replied flatly, as Suzume just pouted at him, while Akio sighed.“Can we try and just manage this properly without… hmm?” Akio tried, but his attention shifted to Shigeo who had taken out his phone and began to walk away from them, “…Seriously?”“How many calls does he even get?” Hiraku voiced, half curious, half wondering if he could pretend he had a call too and get away like that.“I think he just feels uncomfortable seeing people happy,” Suzume mocked, “Only person who hugs him is his mom after all!”Shigeo paused for a second, clenching his phone, but he knew turning around and insulting Suzume was giving her the victory, so he pretended he didn’t hear her (which he was an expert at by now) and continued to walk away. Once he was far enough, near one of the entrances, he turned his attention to the young man he had been texting with, somewhat, and it made Shigeo smile, even if it clearly did not reach his eyes at all.“Displeased, are we?” Shigeo asked, and the mockery in his tone was expertly disguised, but still showed just enough.Or, at least, Yasu could certainly make it out perfectly.“Leave Chieko out of your schemes,” he warned, and Shigeo just laughed.“Oh? We’re having this talk, huh?” Shigeo noted, amused, “I imagine she told you we spoke on Monday.”Yasu said nothing, but the way his eyes narrowed told Shigeo everything he needed to know.“My, such a problematic little friend she has,” Shigeo voiced, “And even after I was even kind enough to extend my well wishes to you too. Such a pity. Cordiality is a lost art it seems.”“…Enough,” Yasu said, “I don’t know what your angle is, but Chieko doesn’t need you or your goons pestering her at every turn.”“Are you certain of that Yasu?” Shigeo asked, his head tilted slightly, eyes focused. When the younger boy seemed to give him a confused look, Shigeo added, “If she were to join my ranks, expand my Network, it would only prove beneficial to all those involved, but… can you say the same?”“…Me?” Yasu asked, a bit taken back, “What is that supposed to mean?”“What it sounds like,” Shigeo merely told him, “Her being involved with my dealings will only booster her reach, but I cannot say the same about her friendship with you. Unlike me, you lack the drive, the skills, the smarts, and honestly, the grit. You do nothing but drag her down. She has it in her head that, just because you both are childhood friends, you have to survive in this environment together. And how will that work out, hmm? You will only pull her back from what she can achieve, and you know it. You can’t offer her anything at all. She’s smarter than you, more talented, more hard-working, more… everything.”“…As if you know a damn thing about us,” Yasu almost growled, which delighted Shigeo.“Oh? Then prove me wrong.”“…Prove?”“Yes…” Shigeo offered, “You’re up next, no? Against Mika Aldini? You will lose, no doubt about that,” Shigeo said so assured that it made Yasu flinch, “But, you can still prove me wrong. Here’s my offer Yasu. Score at least one vote out of the three. Just one. If you do, I promise, I won’t interact with Chieko unless she is the one who initiates the conversation. Prove to me you are worthy of her companionship, and I will step down.”“You think I would believe –?”Shigeo merely took out his phone, and on the message app, began to record his voice, “I, Shigeo Eizan, hereby swear, if Yasu Ibusaki scores at least one point against Mika Aldini during the Autumn Elections Quarter Finals, I shall avoid engaging in conversation with Chieko Marui unless she initiates said conversations, and that includes all my… lackeys. However, if Yasu Ibusaki cannot score even one point… He won’t interfere with my dealings with her… at all.”And Shigeo just sent the voice clip to Yasu, who stared at his message app, before he glared at Shigeo, utterly conflicted about this all.“You…”“I am a man of my word Yasu Ibusaki,” Shigeo affirmed, and gave the boy a very, very practiced smile. “But I am also a betting man. I have seen your type come and go in this Academy for years now. In the end, you won’t measure up. So… prove me wrong, or you’ll prove my point. I’m not the horrible influence in Chieko’s life… you are.”And with another mock smile, Shigeo turned around and left Yasu, who felt his blood boiling, but had nothing to say. No way to change this. He didn’t want this. To make a bet about Chieko, but… why couldn’t he bring himself to just denounce Shigeo? Was it that he… really couldn’t envision himself scoring even one point against Mika?No. He shook his head. He needed to. No matter what. He needed to score against her. Heck, if he could, he needed to defeat her. As much as it hurt, he needed to keep Chieko away from that man, no matter the cost…-0-And as the stage was slowly prepared for the second round, and Kimiko and Mona returned to the challenger’s area, quickly greeted by hugs and teases, as the next two were called forth, one of them had her eyes on her phone for the longest time. A message she had just received, and one she could only read the first line of until she opened it. But it was enough. It was more than enough to utterly unnerve her…It read: “Remember that favor you promised me?” …And for an entire solid minute, Mika couldn’t find the strength to open that message from Shigeo.
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Shigeo Eizan prided himself in having a contingency plan for everything. It was, as his father would often say, despite his mother’s dismissal of such notion, the Eizan way. And it was something his aunty Yukichiko always praised him for. To always have a back-up. To always have a talking point in your favor. To never dismiss the effectiveness of redundancy. Which is why, as he rejoined his would-be classmates and fellow Second Year Elite Ten Members, or at least the ones that mattered, as he had no need or use for the Tenth or Ninth Seat at the moment, he couldn’t help but smirk as the names of the next contestants showed up on the screen.Mika Aldini vs. Yasu IbusakiIt was all going just as planned, excluding Akiko’s little mistake of not getting Shoto Kaburagi into this main tournament, but he could still make do. After all… he had a point to prove.And he needed her to see it.Unfortunately, he came back just in time to witness something he really, really didn’t care to see.“Okay! Now then, hands up high and let me see you flutter kick your right leg as well!” Suzume instructed, having turned her “announcement” into a surprise work-out, as both Mika and Yasu struggled to keep up with the blonde bombshell as she excitedly switched from one position to another, all the while all the men and several of the women in the audience lost their minds over her. “Work it! You have to want it! Nothing beats a good warm up before a major Shokugeki… or, well, Food War… what do we officially call these things again?”“It’s neither you bottle-blonde bimbo,” Shigeo just barked, and it instantly made Suzume turn to him with a mix between a glare and a pout. “This is just a regular round. They aren’t betting anything…” he noted, lying a bit, since well, one of them was, just not against his opponent.“Hey! This hair of mine is all al-natural!” Suzume barked back, before she twirled around, making everyone’s heartrate increase, because Gods she was breathtaking, before she got right back into character, and with a stunning look, began, “So… let’s get this underway! In this corner over here, our stunning quarter-Italian and the girl who somehow managed to do the impossible and teach the redhead over there a dance move or two, Mika Aldini!”Mika, taking a step forward, stood at the ready, but unlike every single other instance, her gaze seemed lost. Unfocused.Back at the waiting room, Hiroshi had his eyes on her, and he felt something was… off.“…Itoko-chan,” he voiced, and he couldn’t help but worry.“Is she okay?” Kimiko asked, her golden eyes on the screen, finding it weird to see such a fiery girl like Mika to look so… lifeless all the sudden.“Well, she is being forced to stand on a stage next to Suzume Hojo,” Lola noted, a knowing smirk on her face, “Even for someone with a reputation for being such a heartbreaker like Mika, it still has to sting when you are confronted with the perfect female specimen.”“…You sound like a boy Lola,” Mona just muttered, rolling her eyes.“Oh, shush you. No need to be pissy at me just because you lost,” Lola shot back, smirking, and Mona almost softly growled at her. First she didn’t want to go see the LED Zoo Animals with her, and now rubbing in her loss on her face? This sibling relationship was becoming way too one-sided.“What do you think of all this Chieko?” Kimiko asked, and the girl with the glasses stammered. Her eyes on the screen. She loved Mika, she really did, but… she really didn’t want to see Yasu lose either.“I…” so she lied, “I just want them to have fun. May the best chef win.”Kimiko and Hiroshi both looked on, before slowly nodding. It was the proper response after all, they wouldn’t argue it. Lola didn’t even pay attention, and Mona just wanted to leave. Only the last member of the six there present, Kaori, rolled her eyes at that stupid reply. As if the results weren’t obvious already. Three duels remained. And it was obvious Mika was going to defeat Yasu, she was going to defeat Mika’s cousin, and Lola would then defeat the orange juice girl. No other outcome could ever happen…“And!” Suzume continued, a wide grin on her face, “Likewise from the Polar Star Dorms, one of the few boys to make this tournament… like, wow, this is really a girl power hour over here, I-I mean, anyways, on this other corner we have the silent and mysterious Yasu Ibusaki!”Yasu took a few steps until he reached the stage, and now stood before Mika.Before his friend. Before his crush. Before the girl that made him toss and turn in his sleep……Before the girl he needed to crush in order to save his sister from the worst mistake of her life.“Contestants!” Suzume announced, “Shake on it!”Mika and Yasu both took each other’s hands, and Yasu could swear, that initial spark he expected… just wasn’t there.“…May the best chef win,” Mika voiced, and he was too buried into his own thoughts to notice how her voice had shifted.“…Yeah, best wishes Mika.”“Good, good, good!” Suzume continued, before she turned towards the two hosts and with a playful wink added, “I’ve done my part here! Hideyoshi… other one… Do your stuff!”“O-Other one?” Daisuke muttered, feeling like Suzume’s words had become an arrow and had struck right through his torso, not helped by Hideyoshi’s laughter at his expense.“Oh man, that’s rich!” Hideyoshi expressed, “But yeah! Let’s hear it for our ever-lovely Suzume Hojo for her expert intro! Which… was way, way better than the guy who went before her, that’s for sure!”“…R-Right, and so, contestants, get ready…” Daisuke tried.“And judges,” Hideyoshi continued, “Our theme?!”Alice, with a little grin, just gave her control a click, and soon the screen shifted to show the theme of the match:Pecans“And with that…!” Hideyoshi began, and soon Daisuke joined in as they both announced, “Match start!”Yasu moved fast, immediately going for the prep he had requested via the app, and setting it appropriately. The pie crust pastry dough, one stick of unsalted butter, light brown sugar. light corn syrup, several eggs, and of course, the pecans. And now more than ever he had to make sure he did everything as absolutely perfect as possible. This was far more than just a competition anymore. That snake was coiling himself against Chieko’s neck, and she couldn’t see it. Just because he had voiced her insecurities to her. Just because he had taken advantage of her at her most vulnerable during that stupid Ball thanks to that moron she had taken as her would-be date. Everything always seemed to go exactly the way it would benefit Shigeo most, almost as if destiny itself wanted him to end up with Chieko, but damn it, no, he was not just going to sit back and let that happen.
…And just like that, Yasu crouched down and did an instant hand sign, and his shadow came alive and crawled throughout the floor itself. Stretching out to capture Mika instantly, since he knew of the gap between the two. If he didn’t strike at her with everything now, it wouldn’t make a difference…
“And Yasu seems very fired up… shockingly!” Hideyoshi commented.“…A-And, opposed to him, Mika has… eh?” Daisuke tried, but he was utterly struck by a sudden surprise when he saw Mika just open up the little briefcase she had been carrying, and opening it up, she took out a very peculiar tool.A curved blade with two handles. A half-moon of Italian heritage.Mika did an effortless flip of it, and as the blade’s reflection showed the stunned looks of the audience members, soon enough, a massive cheer could be heard of all the fanboys utterly enamored by such a badass display from the hottest girl they all worshipped so.Takayuki rolled his eyes at the display.Kazuo was almost hyperventilating at the beauty of her.And back at the waiting room, Lola gave an impressed whistle at the sight. “Mou ~ How very fancy…”“…She had that type of tool all this time?” Mona muttered, her eyes on the girl on the stage.“That looks so cool!” Kimiko couldn’t help but admire, even if it did peeve her that, if Mika had that, why had she not used it before? Had she been holding back?! That’s not fair! Kimiko didn’t have any surprise tools to pull out and surprise people with. The most she ever tried before was trying to be efficient by using two knives at once, but her mother had reprimanded her and told her never to dual wield knives. She still didn’t understand why her mom had been so mad at her for that. Cross… contamination maybe? Still, shaking her head, Kimiko turned to Hiroshi with outright stars in her eyes, “What’s that?!”“O-Oh, that’s uncle’s Mezzaluna,” Hiroshi replied, “It’s a very prized tool in our family. Both uncle Takumi and my dad used to use it back in their Totsuki days, even if now my uncle is the one who keeps it.”“It is a staple of Italian cuisine, is it not?” Chieko commented, her eyes on Hiroshi and Kimiko, since she had a good idea of what it was. Hiroshi just nodded.“Yeah, it is,” he replied, “However… She didn’t even tell me uncle had given it to her. Seems Itoko-chan really is in this to win it.”“Eh? I-I mean, it looks cool and all, but it’s not like…” Kimiko said with a little pout, since Hiroshi sounded way too confident in Mika’s newfound prowess and she didn’t like it.“I’d be careful Kimiko,” Hiroshi still voiced, and it made Kimiko tense up slightly, because for as nice as Hiroshi was, he was also the most honest guy she knew. So when he voiced this to her, she knew, knew, he wasn’t exaggerating. And that… unnerved her… “When she wields the Mezzaluna, she is almost unstoppable.”And as Kimiko, Chieko, Lola and Mona all soaked in those words, that warning, the last member of their group, the ever-quiet Kaori, for just a brief second looked up at the screens, and she couldn’t help but frown…Mika had taken out a massive salami log, spiced to handcrafted perfection, before she took aim with her Mezzaluna and proceeded to shred the salami less like a student chef would and more like an automated machine could, not wasting a single second and getting it cut into perfect, one-quarter of an inch slices in a matter of moments. The entire arena was silent at the ferocity and efficiency on display, and without even glancing at it, she used the blade of the Mezzaluna, sliced it across the cutting board, and tossed all the freshly cut salami into a boiling pan she had at the ready.“What in the…?” Hideyoshi began.“…world?” Daisuke concluded, both boys with their eyes wide as plates.And just like that, Yasu felt his whole body grow cold.
…Because the single opening he had believed he had, in a single instance, was torn to utter shreds, as one slice of Mika’s Mezzaluna left the battlefield utterly decimated by the force it created. This threw him against the nearby stone wall, with utter force, and broke his Jutsu instantly, all the while Mika remained utterly untouched, and now, with him at her completely mercy…
“Oh my, it has been years since I’ve seen that little darling being used,” Alice noted with a nostalgic smile on her face, her eyes on the Mezzaluna. “Just make sure you don’t bet it on a Shokugeki! I had enough of that drama to last me one lifetime, kay?!”“I… I’m not betting her,” Mika replied, since, yeah, she had heard the stories. How her father, to defend her uncle’s honor, had bet the Mezzaluna and lost, against the current Fifth Seat’s father at that, until… someone got it back for him. Wait… who had it been? She had never asked…“Hey, wait a minute,” Takayuki noted, his head rested on his closed fist, eyes on Mika, before he turned to his friend, “…wasn’t it your dad who antagonized her dad and made a whole mess of things?”Kazuo just flinched. “…p-please don’t remind her of that.”“This Mika girl is rather impressive!” Suzume noted, as she playfully fanned herself with her little fan, before she turned to her three classmates, “What do you all think? Any bets?”“It does seem like Mika Aldini is the current favorite,” Akio noted, his eyes on the younger girl briefly, “And she’s quite a nice person, so I do wish her well.”“Oh? Wait, that’s right, you’re the one who had to ask her to teach not-so-tall, red and ugly over here how to dance,” Suzume realized, as she grinned at Hiraku, who just turned to her with a raised eyebrow. If he even understood her jab, he didn’t much act on it. “For shame, can’t even ask a girl out yourself.”“I didn’t invite her as a date,” Hiraku commented, his hands on his pockets, shifting his eyes from Suzume to Mika, “I just needed to know the basics.”“She is a very good instructor actually,” Akio noted, trying, like always, to deescalate the situation before the argument he knew was coming started.“Even a monkey can be taught how to dance,” Shigeo, of course, interjected, and Akio sighed. Why? “Not a jab at Mika Aldini, of course. Animal trainers have my respect.”“Oh, like you can talk,” Suzume quickly shot back, because as much as she enjoyed insulting Hiraku, she enjoyed insulting Shigeo more, “You couldn’t ask a girl out either. Had… what’s his face not royally screwed up with that girl you would have been just as dateless at the Ball.”“But I wasn’t, was I?” Shigeo shot back, triumphantly, “Unlike these two, I had no intention of actually dancing at all. The Ball was, and is, to me, just a means to an end to further my career. What everything here at Totsuki should be to us all. We’re not all so attention-deprived as you are to need a random dude in your arms every other week.”“Jealous much?” Suzume said with a smug grin, and while Shigeo just shrugged, to his slight surprise, someone else cut in.“Hey… don’t be rude to her,” Akio voiced, and for once, his tone resembled the one the boy used before. Before he lost his standing as the valedictorian. Before Hiraku outright altered the hierarchy of Totsuki with his mere presence. And it both irked and impressed Shigeo in equal measure.“My, my. Apologies. I didn’t mean it to sound that way,” he said, and Akio frowned, since he still couldn’t tell if Shigeo meant these things or not. He was so damn hard to read, “But, careful there Hayama. Keep that up and Hojo will think you may had a… thing for her.”“H-Hey! That’s not it at all!” a blushing Akio quickly shot back, blushing brightly.Shigeo just smirked, because, man, he was too easy.Suzume looked on, a faint little smile on her face, but before either she or Shigeo could speak, or Akio could try and explain the unexplainable away, for once, Hiraku interrupted.“You did dance with the orange juice girl at the Ball, didn’t you Eizan?” Hiraku said, and Shigeo just looked at him, wondering… was that actually Hiraku purposely shifting the conversation for Akio’s sake or just completely managing to do so by accident. He wasn’t quite sure, and that irked him more.“Why yes, I did,” Shigeo still replied. It was a fond memory after all, and not even Hiraku could ruin that. In fact, nobody would ever be able to ruin what he had planned between himself and the girl that shined brighter that the night stars themselves……utterly unrelated, Kimiko just sneezed suddenly……So Shigeo would humor Hiraku for the time being, “Why, yes, I did. Her… date, if you can even call it that showed his true colors, hurting her, and I, as the gentleman I am, saw her and decided to offer my solace. Nothing much, just I was raised to never allow a lady to be hurt and not intervene in her behalf.”“Oh, I am so sure of that,” Suzume mocked.“Believe whatever,” Shigeo just shot back, “The fact remains I simply took time from my busy schedule to alleviate her misfortunes. Nothing more. Besides,” he turned back to Hiraku, “You ended up dancing too, did you not?”“I…” Hiraku began, but gave a pause, before, “…no idea actually. That chapter isn’t out yet.”“…what?” Shigeo just flatly replied, and both Suzume and Akio turned to Hiraku with confused looks, with the latter wondering if he meant that the magazine article detailing the Ball hadn’t yet been published, and if so, did he really not remember? How?“Wait, is that?!” Hideyoshi’s sudden exclamation made everyone turn to the stage, and just as they did, they saw Yasu take out a very peculiar bottle. Mika turned to him, and she narrowed her eyes a bit.“Bourbon?” Mika noted, and Yasu just nodded.“…I need to improvise,” he admitted, “If I am to have any hopes of matching you,” he added, before he also took out a very peculiar gun. A culinary smoking gun at that, and in a rush, he spiked his mix with the bourbon and using the smoking gun to utterly smoke the pecans with that wooden taste, before he quickly sealed the smoked pecans with a lid, leaving a little visible cloud visible, entrapped in his container. At this, a few murmurs could be heard, with several students impressed at how… unique that style of cooking looked.
…And, when all seemed lost, Yasu had pulled his last desperate ploy, sending his shadows not through the battlefield to try and reach the unreachable Mika, who’s range with her Mezzaluna made it so he had to exhaust all his strength to keep himself alive, much less focus on getting to her directly, but instead, using the very hole Kimiko had dug for herself during her earlier match against Mona, he had sent his shadow underground, and with that surprise, to the shock of everyone, he managed to entrap Mika in his Jutsu…
Yasu quickly beat the eggs in a bowl and added to the sugar mixture once it has significantly cooled. Then he rolled the pie crust out into a twelve-inch cast iron skillet, slightly crimping the edges, and filling it with the smoked pecans. Pouring the sugar mixture over the pecans. He then set everything to bake for several minutes at a very high temperature, making sure the crust had been browned to absolute perfection.He took a deep breath, and the moment the oven sang, he took his dish out, and set it on the table for the judges to taste.Yasu had just served his “Bourbon & Smoked Pecan Pie”.“Oh my! The aroma is outright applewood! How magnificent!” Berta noted, all smiles.“Let’s have a taste then!” Cilla added, and soon enough, she, Berta and Alice all took a bite of the pie, and just as the aroma promised, the sheer deliciousness of that first bite was something else. All three women pulled back, and allowed the blissful feeling to take over.Yasu, meanwhile, stood straight, dead set on the judges and the scoreboard. That was the best dish he had ever produced. So hard he wasn’t sure he could emulate it again that efficiently if he retried to. But he couldn’t risk it. Not this. His eyes shifted to the sides, to Shigeo, who stood with the others, and upon noticing Yasu’s eyes on him, the elder boy gave him a playful, knowing wink. It made Yasu’s blood boil, but if this was what was needed, then so be it. He didn’t need to beat Mika, just win one point. And since he had been unable to get an upper hand initially, he improvised, and made sure to focus everything on the impact of that first bite. All so, even when they tasted whatever Mika presented, his taste lingered. Lingered enough to…
…But just as he had Mika captured with his shadow, the girl, in what was effectively a hurricane surrounding her, broke free from his grasp with just her Chakra alone. Yasu’s eyes widen, as she had broken free from his Jutsu with so little effort, and even now, her power outright dwarfed his…
“Here we are,” Mika announced, setting her own plate on the table. Yasu turned to her, surprised, as he had not even noticed her having finished. Neither had Hideyoshi or Daisuke, as both hosts seemed a bit lost on what to say, before Hideyoshi found his voice.“And now Mika serves!” he announced, “Time for the final ruling! Judges, the verdict?!”Because, Mika had just served her “Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, & Pecans”.Mika just stood there, her face sporting neither a frown nor a smile. Her eyes on the judges fully, and as they took a bite, their look said it all. Yasu stared, hoping, wishing, praying, but he knew it deep down. He knew it from the start. He knew it… from the moment Shigeo had suggested it…In a vote of three-to-nothing.Winner: Mika Aldini“And we have a winner!” Hideyoshi, utterly unaware of the dilemma at hand, announced happily, “Mika Aldini takes the win and advances to the semi-finals!”“…That really was masterful Mika, I –” Yasu still voiced, but to his surprise, Mika turned to him, and then, well, he couldn’t quite make his brain register the words she spoke to him…“He’s right you know?” she said, and he had never heard her speak in this tone, “You are… holding her back.”Yasu’s eyes went wide, his mouth agape, searching for an answer where there were none, but Mika simply gave him a polite bow, turned around, and walked out of the stage, to the roar and applauses from the unaware masses, all while Yasu felt himself crumble into outright dust. What? Why..?!Inside the halls, Mika gave a pause, and in an effort not to scream out, smashed the Mezzaluna’s case against the nearest wall. She clenched her teeth, and quickly took out her phone, and in the worst text she had ever had to send, said: “There. I told him. Our deal is done.”Shigeo took about a minute to respond.
“Our deal? My dear, our contract states you have to do something for me, meaning an actual labor. This wasn’t it. You simply relayed a message for me to a friend we have in common, and you have my utmost gratitude for doing me this favor out of the kindness of your heart.”
Mika almost broke her phone’s screen upon reading that message, and realizing what he had just done. Her frustrated scream was masked by the still cheering crowds, as Yasu walked back towards the waiting room from the opposite exit, only to pause when he saw a friend walking into the arena.“Hiroshi.”“Hey…” Hiroshi greeted, and gave Yasu a genuine smile, “That was a marvelous match Yasu. You made Itoko-chan have to get serious. Trust me, I can’t manage that. And, considering who my opponent is… well…”“…Yeah, sure,” Yasu noted, deciding it best not to dump all his problems and worries onto Hiroshi just before the boy got into the most hopeless duel of his career. Instead, as he tried to rationalize what had just happened, and what this now meant for Chieko, for Mika, and for himself, he instead forced a smile and said, “But give her hell regardless. If you are just another pothole to our esteemed valedictorian, then make sure you’re the deepest pothole she’s ever had to traverse.”Hiroshi looked on, before he gave Yasu a brighter smile, and nodded.Then Hiroshi walked onto the stage, and his eyes locked into his opponent.’Kaori Hayama.She was already there, her hands crossed against her chest, her eyes closed, fully focused on her craft and nothing else, despite the cheers that could be heard for her, or the few sneers from those who weren’t fans. Hiroshi moved, and took his position before her, his eyes on her, her eyes still closed.It was Akio’s turn to introduce the match, and he quickly walked up to the stage, and with microphone in hand, began. “Now then, onto our third match-up,” he introduced, “The current valedictorian of this year, and my little sister, Kaori Hayama!”The sneers were soon drowned out by the cheers, but Kaori did not react, merely finally opening her eyes to give her brother a look that Hiroshi couldn’t quite read.“…And, on the opposite side, the Polar Star boy who took us all by surprise and won the tie-breaker Shokugeki to earn his spot here,” Akio continued, “Hiroshi Aldini-Tadakoro!”“Come on Hiroshi!” Kimiko, all the way from the waiting room, shouted, making Lola, Mona and Chieko flinch at the sudden loudness, “Kick her stubborn butt!”“H-Hiroshi can’t hear you from here Kimi,” Chieko tried, her eye twitching, as she looked at her hyperactive blonde friend.“Oh, I know, I’m just sending… vibes,” she replied, and Chieko decided against asking what she meant with that, or why those vibes had to be so loud. “So, come on! Bring it home! Take the win! ¡Ganale hombre, ganale!”“Wait, you speak Spanish?”“…In this current version of events, yes, yes I do…”“Okay, contestants, please, greet one another,” Akio gently instructed, and Hiroshi was quick to extend his hand to Kaori, only he was met with nothing but air. He paused, confused, and it seemed her brother was too, as away from the microphone her voiced a slightly sterner, “Kaori.”“What’s the matter brother?” she replied as if nothing was wrong in the slightest, “Good sportsmanship I understand, but Totsuki is not built like that, now is it? We celebrate animosity and using our own to polish the one percent that actually matter. So, explain to me, why should I pretend to hold my opponent in any high regard when he won’t even make it past our Stagiaire?”“Kaori!” Aiko quickly voiced, but she didn’t seem all that bothered. Hiroshi’s eyes were wide, and he wasn’t even sure how to respond to that at all.Back at the waiting room, all four girls there had their eyes wide as plates, as even Lola, for as haughty as she was, found that to be a bit too much.“…Did she seriously just…?” Chieko blurted out.“The lion, the witch and the audacity of that bitch!” Kimiko cried out, making the other three girls turn to her for a second, but Kimiko’s features were downright livid, almost as if she had been offended directly. But even more than her, at that exact moment, Mika had made it back into the room, and as soon as she heard Kaori say that to her cousin, the outright sweetest boy in the world, all the pain and anger she had regarding Yasu, Shigeo and herself was automatically all focused exclusively on…“…Kaori Hayama…” she outright growled.“I… that’s fine,” Hiroshi still said, lowering his hand, but Akio still frowned.“No, it’s not,” he corrected, before he turned to his sister, “We weren’t raised this way. Don’t disrespect your classmates like this. This is a formal event, and every chef deserves respect.”“What would you have me do brother?” she shot back, her tone still as calm and stoic as always, which was so contrasting to the words she was saying, “Would it be more our way if I bow my head and start calling him Hiroshi-sama, hmm?”Akio outright flinched, and while Hiroshi had no idea how to react, to the side Shigeo had to bite down his tongue not to laugh, Hiraku looked on, eyebrow raised, all the while, for once, Suzume was starring at the scene with her eyes narrowed.“Kaori, this isn’t the time to –”“It never is with you,” she interrupted, “But if I have to be mean, in order to scrape what little of our family name is still left, then so be it. In my year, there are them, and then there’s me. This won’t change. I won’t change. And if it bothers anyone, they are free to challenge me… This is, after all, what this school is all about…”Akio wrestled against saying something else, since family matters weren’t something he wanted discussed in public, so he relented, not that his sister gave him much choice, as she merely walked back onto her side of the stage. Hiroshi gave Akio an understanding look, letting the elder boy know he knew it wasn’t on him, before he also walked back onto his own side. Akio had to force himself back to where the others were, and at least, Shigeo didn’t much bother to mock him nor did Hiraku ask him what that had been about (which he totally would even if he was the reason his sister was so pissed off at him).“Miss Alice?” Cilla asked, turning to the Headmistress, confused if they should say something or not. Berta also stared; all the while Alice just sighed.“She’s not entirely wrong,” Alice admitted, “We are indeed built with that in mind. However… take a look at Hiroshi…” she noted, and the twins turned to the blue boy, who despite standing nervously in his side, the spark in his eyes had not yet vanished, “…Words can only go so far. Trust me, I know what a wake-up call feels like. He hasn’t thrown the towel just yet, so in the immortal words of that old Godzilla movie… let them fight.”“So we’re completely ignoring how rude that was, eh?” Hideyoshi voiced, outright glaring at Kaori, who just glared back, and this all made Daisuke just freak out. Kaori was scary, damn it. Not that Hideyoshi cared. She had insulted his friend, and he hoped she lost, unbiased hosting be damned, “So, with that super friendly exchange between our resident sweetheart Hiroshi and main character syndrome incarnate Kaori, we are ready!”Hiroshi couldn’t help but smirk at his friend’s jab at his opponent.Kaori just scoffed, and returned her attention to her kitchen. The host boy mattered even less than her opponent. Just a glorified extra who got by because of his would-be good looks and decent enough voice. Nothing more.“…Eh, well, anyways, Judges, our theme?”And soon, the screen changed again, from showing:Kaori Hayama vs. Hiroshi Aldini-TadakoroTo now showing:Fried RiceHiroshi took a look at the screen. Not that it changed anything. Both contestants knew of the theme beforehand. They had selected their ingredients in advanced for review, and everything they used had been approved by the administration through the app. Still, this was real. This was happening. And nice as he was, it still hurt. The way she spoke about him. How she didn’t, not even once, bother to even glance in his direction. He knew the gap was there, but…He took a deep breath, and he could hear Kimiko’s words of encouragement echoing on his mind, and he wondered why. Why was it always, in his darkest moments, it was her voice that broke through…?
…Not wasting a single second, Hiroshi instantly went on offense, jumping and aiming a spinning kick directly at Kaori, because nothing ventured, nothing gained. Only…
Kaori had taken out her prep, and in a single instance, the entire stadium was outright drenched in such an intoxicating aroma that outright erased whatever traces of the dishes from Kimiko, Mona, Mika, or Yasu that still lingered. Everyone just stared in awe, as their senses got outright overwhelmed, when Kaori carefully took out a selection of the healthiest herbs alongside a mix of notable rare spices.“Oh, so she does that little trick you do?” Hiraku noted, tilting his head slightly, since the aroma was so strong his God’s Tongue was already picking up traces of the flavor they carried, and it was notable.“…In a way,” Akio replied, still unsure how to handle a rebellious little sister. This was uncharted territory for him.“She specializes more on Medical Cuisine, right?” Suzume asked, turning to Akio, and he nodded. She did, kinda, but with a lot of the trademark spices that made their father a household name. Kaori was, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, the best aspects of their parents combined into a single individual. And damn it if she didn’t know it.Only Shigeo said nothing, just frowning at the display. This… This was going to be trickier to pull off than he originally planned.
…As Hiroshi attempted to collide his kick against Kaori, without her even looking at him, the mix of herbs and spices took a life of their own, and produced a shield around her, blocking his attack, while she remained focused elsewhere. Hiroshi’s eyes went wide, and as he landed back onto the ground, he attempted to strike at her with his fists, but each blow was blocked automatically by the spices that moves around like living sand. And just as they did, they took aim at him, forming blades, and attempting to skewer right through him. He could barely dodge them, getting slashes across the chest and left thigh, and despite his attempts at breaking through, her defenses were outright unbreakable…
“I-I can’t even smell anything else except her craft!” Berta noted, eyes wide.“Smell?! I swear I can already taste it!” Cilla added, just as shocked.“…She really is his daughter after all,” Alice said, eyes narrowed, “How very annoying, I can picture his smug face already…”Kaori paid all the gasps and whispers no mind, merely focused on making her fried rice at efficiently as she needed to. She cut the shrimp tails in a few seconds, got everything on the wok, with the rice, soy sauce, Chinese mustard, red paste, bok choy, carrots, eggs and her special mix of herbs and spices… all the healthiest option available that this Academy would ever see.Hiroshi attempted his own version of the fried rice dish, setting up his own wok, and making it a mixture of several meats. Since it seemed Kaori was focusing exclusively on shrimp, he would respond by channeling his aunty Ikumi and making his with all the meat imaginable. Chicken, pork, beef and lamb. He got his cuts as effectively as he could, and threw it, the rice, and all the veggies, eggs and sauces onto the wok. But… damn it, no matter how much he tried, no matter the aromatics he used, he couldn’t even smell his own craft over the overbearing aroma of Kaori’s unfinished dish!
…And just like that, he was effortlessly tossed against a nearby wall, bleeding onto the floor, and utterly out of breath. Yet, there his opponent stood. Untouched…
“…She’s really… way out of our league…” one First Year student could be heard saying.“Why are we in the same year as her?!” another one cried out.“…Bunch of cowards,” Takayuki scoffed, arms crossed, his glare on Kaori.“…B-But, even with my dishes, I don’t think their stench could eclipse what she’s making now…” Kazuo voiced, and Takayuki sighed.“…I know,” he admitted, gritting his teeth, “I know the gap. I can almost taste it. But we didn’t bust our asses to get this far to just give up because she’s finally getting serious. If she’s that good, then we have to get even better!”Kazuo just nodded. He wasn’t convinced. He did not want to have to ever duel Kaori Hayama, but, Takayuki had a point.Hiroshi, however, felt each comment hit him again and again. And, yeah, he knew it. He was going to lose, and not even manage to put a dent on her at that. She was beyond anything he could do, but… why? Why wasn’t he crying? Normally, he would. He would be terrified. He would be shaking. So why…?Was it, once more, because he knew Kimiko was watching?He didn’t quite understand this.He knew he couldn’t win, but he hadn’t given up yet. It didn’t make sense. But… Kimiko wouldn’t give up. She would fight, kicking and screaming, and somehow, he believed, if anyone could take on Kaori, it would be either her or his cousin. They would. They could. So… why couldn’t he? So he clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and decided to shift his strategy.
…And just like that, Hiroshi took off the weights holding him back, letting them go, and to the shock of everyone present, those very weight caused massive craters the moment they impacted the ground, being far heavier than anyone imagined…
And Hiroshi moved. He moved fast. He couldn’t match her skill? Fine. He was faster. He could do things far more quickly than she could. And with such an open theme as “Fried Rice”, he had some leeway to work with. So he began to rush, turning all six of the stove’s slots on, flames on the highest setting, and began to cook six other dishes at the same time. Everyone stared, utterly confused, as the timid boy ran all over the stage, back and forth, back and forth, grabbing everything available and making more and more. It was so much, too much, and Hiroshi was outright drenched in sweat by the time he tossed the last of the things he had set up. He had literally thrown everything but the kitchen sink onto the stove, and the spark on his eyes was burning even more brightly that the flames themselves.So much so, that for the first time, Kaori turned to him, after hearing all the gasps, and for a second, her eyes widen. Wait… was he really…?
…Hiroshi attacked her not with power, but with speed. If her spice mix would automatically block his attack, then he’d move and attack from a different angle, almost in a flash, almost as if he was teleporting all around her. Her spice mix continued to block each hit, but Kaori couldn’t not look at him, striking all around her, at a speed she could barely follow, and with each hit, she could feel the shockwave brush closer and closer to her…
“…You…” Kaori heard herself say before she caught herself, because this was not expected at all.And, as everyone looked on, some slowly realizing what he was doing, the image she had built up, slowly, began to shift.Kaori Hayama is invincible.Kaori Hayama is the undisputed best.Kaori Hayama is untouchable.And as Kimiko looked at the screen, she felt the strongest sense of pride hit her, as the brightest smile adorned her face. Only Hiroshi would attempt to counter Kaori’s genius with this. Because…
…And in a flip, the inevitable happened, and the spice mix was not fast enough, and Hiroshi brought down his foot, right onto Kaori’s face…
…Kaori Hayama was no longer unreachable.“You’re doing an entire meal?!” the valedictorian just asked, the anger evident. He made her stop. He forced her to look at him. She was livid. And he just smiled at her, despite being so exhausted he could barely talk.“I can’t match your skill…” he admitted, “But fried rice mixes so well with so many things. If… I can’t beat it with quality, I can try and overwhelm it with as many side dishes as I can muster.”“Quantity never surpasses quality!”“…And yet… I finally made you look at me…”Kaori bit her lower lip, her glare evident, but… no, she shouldn’t even humor this. Her dish was enough. She could win with just this. She… damn it, she could, she should, but she shouldn’t risk it! So, with all the ire in the world, Kaori slammed the wok down, and moved back to the fridge, taking out a few extra ingredients to make a side dish of her own, making the entire audience gasp.Hiroshi had made Kaori modify her recipe!Kaori was deadly efficient, however, as she took hold of a few fresh pineapples, cutting them in half, and using their juice to amplify the flavor of her rice, giving it a sweeter taste than originally intended. She set some salmon aside, and with sweet chili sauce and oyster sauce, setting them up to fry.
…despite his speed, Kaori, now fully focused on him, took proper control of her spice mix, and aimed it at Hiroshi, which forced him to have to dodge like crazy to avoid her crippling him effortlessly. It was still too much, her power was too great, and he was smashed against the floor, left bleeding and gasping for air, with her glaring at him, her spice mix edging ever closer…
“…Here,” Kaori voiced, setting the three dishes for the judges, which instead of regular plates, used the pineapple halves for the fried rice, and a separate plate for the glazed salmon.Kaori had served them her “Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice w/ Asian Glazed Salmon”.“…Did she just plagiarize my mom?” Suzume couldn’t help but ask, her head tilted to the side, as Hiraku, Akio and Shigeo all just looked on. They were supposed to be unbiased, but, if any of them had to bet, out of any dish served so far, in terms of quality, well…“Oh wow…” Cilla began, eyes sparkling.“It smells even more divine,” Berta added, already drooling.“Such talent,” Alice noted, her eyes from the dish to Kaori, “You consider this already settled, don’t you?”“…Naturally madam Headmistress,” Kaori just voiced, deciding against boasting too much. She was not happy at being forced to modify her craft just out of caution.Still, Alice, Berta and Cilla took a bite from her dish, and instantly, the rush of flavors was so great the three women outright moaned and gasped in such a surprising lewd way that the teenage boys all got very invested, the girls all blushed, Kaori just frowned, and Suzume gave a little playfully naughty whistle in response.“Oh my God! That’s too good!” Berta cried out, “Wait! I didn’t strip to my underwear again did I?!”“N-No, we didn’t do that…” Cilla tried, but she checked. They were still dressed, “We should avoid that. This school doesn’t allow that anymore.”“Y-Yes, please, keep all layers on,” Alice instructed, before she realized she had eaten every single bite of both the fried rice and the salmon. And it was so good that she had to resist the urge to just bite down on the pineapple to just get a little more. “But… wow.”“Eh… judges?” Hideyoshi tried, still blushing like crazy at seeing such an erotic reaction out of three beautiful women, but he was still worried about Hiroshi. Despite his impressive performance, what could his friend do against that? Daisuke also stared, his worried gaze on Hiroshi, as the boy approached the table with seven dishes per judge, twenty-one in total, and he somehow managed to serve that entire buffet to them.“H-Here…” he could barely even say it, “Enjoy.”And Hiroshi had served them his brand new “Fried Rice Combo Extravaganza w/ Everything”.“Alright, let’s have a taste of… wow, this is a lot,” Alice noted, and both Berta and Cilla nodded.Kaori turned to Hiroshi, her frown ever-present. “Why go through so much trouble when you know you’ll lose? Nothing I said is false.”“…Because, I… I like this, Kaori,” he just replied earnestly, and it made her pause, “I enjoy… cooking for others. I really do. Please… if you’d do me the honors, give it a try.”“Why would I?”“I mean… Why not?”Kaori’s frown turned to a glare, but she looked at his buffet, and despite herself, she was curious. Did he really think he could beat her? With this? Against her better judgement, she took a sample of his various dishes, and motioned to take a bite. As she did, he, sounding on the verge of collapse still offered…“Do note… I respect you. But I do hope our valedictorian, our strongest, grits her teeth, because this dish made by this year’s dead last student… you’re gonna feel it.”
…And just like that, in one last dish effort, Hiroshi kicked Kaori upside across the jaw, with so much force the very ground erupted, before her spice mix attacked him in turn. She landed on the ground, the blow softened by the spice mix itself, while he collapsed, utterly knocked out, but with just the tiniest of satisfied smiles on his face…
Kaori’s eyes went wide, and she had to grip the chopsticks as to not drop them.Hiroshi just sighed, since he felt like he had been run over by a truck. And, of course, as he looked up at the screen, he felt a mix of sadness and pride, despite it all, “…This is as far as I can go.”With a score of three-to-nothing…Winner: Kaori Hayama“Oh damn it all,” Hideyoshi just blurted out, glaring at Kaori’s back.“H-He means, and the winner of the third round is Kaori Hayama!” Daisuke tried, “She too now advances to the semi-finals!”Kaori just looked at the score, and despite it being her full victory, she felt an ire in her, and she flipped around and just walked away, ignoring everyone and anything. Hiroshi was basically held up by Hideyoshi and Daisuke reaching out and helping him stay on his feet. As the crowd all looked on, perplexed at what did this all even mean, Alice just smiled, because unlike everyone else, she knew that body language very well.“Milady?” Berta asked, and Cilla was equally curious.“Just…” Alice noted, knowingly, “Even if the results were exactly how she envisioned them, being forced to improvise, and tasting Hiroshi’s dish, made Kaori realize something…”And as Kaori walked through the empty halls, she couldn’t quite keep her fists from shaking.“That insurmountable gap between herself and all the other First Years… is not as wide as she initially assumed it was…”After the initial rush passed, with Hiroshi returning, almost limping, to the waiting room, where Mika was quick to hug him, and Kimiko was about to, but stopped herself, tried again, blushed, and instead decided to shake his hand (she was confused, leave her alone), Hiroshi noted how Kaori had not returned there at all. And of course, the last two contestants had already made their way to the stage.Lola Nakiri vs. Chieko Marui“And presenting our last two contestants for the day,” Shigeo announced, out of pure “coincidence” being the one to introduce Chieko’s match, he still played his part and signaled to one side first, “One of our two princesses, you all know her and love her, and unlike some people, I actually know her name, Lola Nakiri!”“See?! Even he knows!” Lola shrieked at Hiraku, her arms raised in indignation, “Lola! Me! Black hair! Mona is the quiet one with white hair!”“I said I was sorry…” was all Hiraku offered, and both Akio and Suzume felt a sweat drop.“Quite. And, opposing her, from Polar Star Dormitories,” Shigeo continued, and Chieko could hear that slight shift in his tone. One she almost confused for flirting, “A surprise to be sure, but certainly a welcomed one… Chieko Marui!”Chieko fought back a blush, since she was bombarded by memories of that night, that dance, that… everything. She just shook her head, and pushed on through.“Contestants,” Shigeo continued, “Let’s avoid any more tantrums and greet each other properly, okay?”“Naturally!” Lola said, bouncing up to Chieko, and extending her hand to her. Chieko quickly took it, even if her nervousness was in overdrive. This was the Lola Nakiri… What the hell was she supposed to even attempt here?“It’s an honor Lola,” Chieko still noted, “Here’s to a good match.”“Of course!”“Alright! Now then, judges, our theme?!” Hideyoshi began, with Daisuke waiting expectantly next to him. The screen soon shifted to:Dried FlowersAs Shigeo headed back and stood next to Suzume, Akio and Hiraku… because he had no choice, he took out his phone and began to glance at a few things, while the latter three had their eyes on the two girls. Well, Akio and Suzume did. Hiraku was wondering who Chieko was, having absolutely no idea the girl that danced with Shigeo was in fact her, since that girl had not been wearing glasses, yet this one was, so clearly it was a different girl.“Now then, contestants, get ready!” both Hideyoshi and Daisuke announced, “Match start!”And with that, both girls moved to their respective sides, with Lola humming as she approached her kitchen, and Chieko had to drag herself to hers and pretend she was not praying in like five different languages that she could at least lose with some dignity like Mona, Yasu and Hiroshi had done so. Let her not drop a plate, a dish, or heck, herself… please.Because Chieko Marui knew she was no match for Lola Nakiri…But…That’s not this story…“H-Hey?!” Lola cried out, and the fright in her voice was so real it made Chieko turn to her, the worry evident. Everyone looked, and even back at the waiting room, Kimiko and especially Mona felt a sense of dread hit them both. Why was Lola…? “W-Where’s all my prep?! My area is almost empty!”“Huh?” Alice spoke up, her head tilted, “What do you mean sweetie? All the prep stations were filled with all the ingredients you all posted on the app and that got approved. Is… something missing?”“Yeah, all of it!” Lola cried out. “None of my specifications are here! All I have is the common stuff we use as filler. B-But, all the ingredients I asked for, that I ordered, where are they?”A long silence followed, as several Totsuki staff members approached and spoke with Alice, including Ryou, who was instantly verifying if something had been misplaced. He even asked the four Elite Ten members there if they had seen anything be moved accidentally, and three out of four of them answered earnestly that they had not.Lola waited, utterly stupefied by all this.Chieko had no idea what to even do. The match had officially begun, but she couldn’t just cook while Lola had been stripped down to just the essentials. Granted, unlike Lola, Chieko more or less only had the essentials to begin with, since she never worked with than many specifics, but still…They waited, until…“It appears the young lady, Lola, she didn’t actually submit her specifications into the app,” one of the technicians finally reported, and Lola felt her whole world shatter. What? “She is officially authorized to only cook with the basic ingredients.”“Wait… what?!” Lola just screamed. “Of course I made the request! It was even approved! I literally did it the same day Mona did!”“I… baby, calm down,” Alice tried, but looking at the submissions, yes, Lola was the only one of the eight to not have made any request, “Are you sure Lola? There’s nothing here for you.”“Of course I’m sure!” she was almost crying, “I wouldn’t overlook this! You have to believe me!”“I-I do, but… look, did Mona see you do it?”“I…” she could barely speak, “N-No, I was teasing her and she left the room, b-but I did… mommy, I swear, I had a specific dish planned, one dad taught me! I would never make this mistake! Please, there has to be some mistake!”“I…” Alice had no idea what to even do, but as she spoke to the technicians, and the staff, and Berta and Cilla, there was absolutely no trace of any request Lola could have made. And no other student had gotten any errors. So, even if it hurt, Alice was left with no choice but to, “…baby, I can’t have anything new prepped for you. It was probably just a simple mistake, but…”“What am I supposed to do?!”“…Just cook with what you have,” Alice said with outright pain in her voice, and the entire stadium felt like a tragedy had occurred. Lola argued it. Screamed at them to check again. Swore she made sure to send it. But in the end, nothing could be done about it. And as everyone looked at how the Nakiri princess broke……Shigeo Eizan had to hold back the proudest smirk of his life.‘See? This, Chieko, this is fairness,’ he thought to himself, as he saw Chieko force herself to cook, as the match was pushed through, ‘Without their fancy ingredients, their expensive equipment, their silver platter that has been their safety net from the start… When the fight is made fair, with only the barest ingredients, what, I wonder prevails? Shocking and absurd dishes made with extra flair, or… knowledgeable dishes made with nothing but experience and hard work? You see? This is what awaits you when you work with me. This is but a glimpse. I will make you shine so brightly. Your potential is endless, and I won’t allow this unfair world to snuff it out…’And after watching the most grueling match in such a long time, both girls presented their dishes, and upon the verdict being given, Lola just burst into tears, and Chieko…Chieko had no idea how to even react.Because in a three-to-nothing…Winner: Chieko MaruiUp above, away from everyone, Shoto Kaburagi looked on, his eyes on the crying princess, then on Shigeo, poker face expertly on, before he shifted his eyes to Akiko on the seats. This had been the plan all along then? It was crystal clear Shigeo was going to do everything to make that girl win, and he had been sacrificed for that?But as the whole stadium reacted to the darkhorse victory of the nobody that was Chieko, over the fan-favorite and outright heiress of Totsuki itself Lola, what nobody could tell was that this was but the prelude of the event that would alter the very destiny of Totsuki Academy, and maybe, their entire culinary generation as a whole. All of it surrounding the three girls who were each looking at the results with very different reactions. The three girls who would be responsible for the upcoming clash none of them could have predicted...Chieko's utter confusion.Akiko's small smile.And Kimiko's unreadable eyes.'This, Chieko, is what you deserve. And this success, with me, is all you'll ever experience,' Shigeo noted inwardly, his proud eyes on his girl, and while he felt elated that everything was going according to plan, that nothing would get in the way of his perfect plan, that he had finally managed to get what he wanted most, he failed to notice that, out of his classmates, Suzume had turned to him, her eyes narrowed slightly, shifting from him to his phone, for just the briefest of moments...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
That night, after all the chaos and emotions that were felt throughout the quarter-finals of the Autumn Elections, despite the fact that three members of the Polar Star Dorms had managed to pass into the semi-finals, the tightknit group didn’t quite feel like celebrating. They gave a few hugs, a few smiles, and a few praises to the three girls that had made them all proud, but it felt… off to celebrate fully after seeing Lola Nakiri utterly break like that. And that night, coincidentally, got hit by a sudden little rainstorm, making the mood even gloomier, so the ever-loud group all went back to their individual rooms, rather earlier than usual, and they all, for one reason or another, got in contact with their parents…“Our baby girl won!” Yuki cheered, facetiming with Chieko, who forced a full smile and gave her mother a little nod, “We are so, so proud! You’re right there at the top! It’s so great! I’m so happy!”“Y-Yeah,” Chieko said, her eyes a bit to the side, since her mother would be able to tell something was off instantly. And really… was it? She wanted to win, no? She didn’t do anything against Lola, so she shouldn’t feel like this wasn’t earned…“And, of course, fully anticipating such a win,” Zenji added, looking just as proud, “I of course arranged to have a gift delivered right to your room!”“Eh? Gift?” Chieko asked, her head tilted. That was… unexpected.“Yes!” he noted, “Check under your bed! I asked Isshiki to put in there for you!”Chieko looked a bit stunned, but relented and took a look. And indeed, under her bed was a… rather large giftwrapped box, bow and all, which was also rather heavy to move. She managed, eventually.“What the heck is this?” Chieko just had to ask, her left eye twitching.“Oh, open it up!” her father assured, “You’ll love it!”And she did. She opened it up, and to her surprise she found…“A drone?!” she almost fell back. What the heck kind of gift was this? “A remote control, personal use drone… Dad… why…?”“You were always talking about exploring and learning new things,” he explained, “And with that bad boy, you can do all of that but from the safety of your own room!”“Ah, gee, thanks…” Chieko just said, her eye still twitching, but she then noticed a small handwritten note, and couldn’t help but smile. Then she read it: “With all the love in the world, to our precious girl, one… one defeat does not mean the end of the world?!”Zenji and Yuki were both silent.For a while.Before Yuki elbowed him on the stomach.“You wrote that?!” she cried out, as he gasped for air.“I-I thought I had switched out the cards…”“You had already concluded I was going to lose today?!” Chieko, blushing and pouting like mad, shrieked at them both. Yuki just gave a little sheepish grin, while Zenji was pale. He tried to speak, to save face, but Chieko was having none of it, “My own father doesn’t believe in my skills. How rude. You know what? I don’t want this gift. Heck, the one person who did believe in me was Eizan-senpai, so maybe I should accept a gift from him instead!”“What?! No! Darling! Do not accept anything from that dangerous guy!” Zenji cried.“…She’s just messing with you, you know?” Yuki noted, knowing Chieko well enough.Chieko just kept her pout up, and as she gave a cute little “hmph” in response, a part of her recalled his words before her match. And it made her tense up, made her blush more. Because that part of him being the only one who had believed in her… had not been an actual lie…-0-“And as you can imagine, I was absolutely flawless,” Hideyoshi bragged, but in a tender way, in a proud showcase of his performance.“As you should be!” Urara replied, a knowing grin on her face, “So what’s the schedule look like for these last two days? I am aware a few things changed since I hosted the Elections.”“Well,” Hideyoshi voiced up, thinking for a moment, “Tomorrow we have two special guests coming over for a quick pre-semi-finals round in order to determine who duels who, after which we’ll get the two actual rounds of the semi-finals. Then, on Friday, we’ll have the duel for the bronze between the two losing competitors from tomorrow, before, of course, the final round to determine the winner.”“Huh? Right, first time I ever hosted the Elections we had no battle for the bronze since it became a three-way final round,” Urara noted, recalling those events like it had been yesterday.“A three-way final?” Hideyoshi asked, eyes widening a bit, “You’ve never mentioned that.”“Oh? Haven’t I?” Urara voiced, a little grin on her face. “It involved people you may be quite familiar with, actually. Even if… I’m unsure if I’m at liberty to mention one of them or not. Like my class is very weird in regards to this… for some reason.”“It shouldn’t matter,” Hideyoshi brushed aside, and Urara just pouted. She wanted to tell someone, damn it, “It brings in more attention if we do have the battle for the bronze though. It means one more duel, and one more chance for me to shine!”“I do suppose that’s true…”“Any sage advice before I get myself ready for bed?”“Well… if a shady man comes up to you and starts talking about revolutionizing the culinary industry, just nod and walk away, otherwise you’ll end up brainwashed and the entire school will never let you live it down…”“…what?”-0-“I was so nervous!” Daisuke cried.“I was nervous too baby!” Yua cried too.They both cried, both of them sobbing, him for what a strenuous day it had been (he had even tried to reassure the Mona Nakiri and she had just utterly ignored him), while she was sobbing because she had been worried sick for him and had hoped he had not been too stressed out (like she had been, back in the day).Only Daigo looked on, half amused, and decided it best to save what little fatherly advice he had for a less… emotional time.-0-Yasu walked through the halls of Polar Star, his mind a mess. He had spoken to his mother, just for a bit, but he had to make an excuse and cut the conversation short because he knew she was observant and she would know something was off. Still, he had no clue why he found himself in front of Mika’s bedroom door. What… should he even say?To ask her why she said what she did? Wasn’t it true in the end? Hadn’t he proved it by losing so pathetically? Chieko actually won, and he hated to think this way, but that man’s words echoed in his head, worming their way in, and he felt something was going on, but what?He raised his fist to knock, but she opened the door at that very moment.He froze, she did as well.“…Yasu?”“…oh, Mika, apologies,” he tried, lowering his hand and placing it onto his pocket. Now with her in front of him, in just her pajamas and still as beautiful as ever, he had no clue how to properly voice his words, “…Look, I…”“I’m sorry,” she quickly cut in, and it made him flinch with how focused on his barely visible eyes she was, “For what I said, it sounded way ruder than I intended to. It was,” she bit her lower lip, as if unsure of what to say. Of how to lie. “…just me attempting to tease you. But I took it too far. I didn’t mean it, not the way it sounded.”“…Oh, yeah, I figured,” he lied too, and he was utterly unsure why he now felt worse. But…As both Mika and Yasu looked at one another, in both their minds, they couldn’t help but think…‘If I tell him what that bastard tricked me into signing, then Yasu would…’‘If I tell her what that asshole made me bet during our match, then Mika would…’And while neither spoke, their thoughts ended up as the same…‘…be in serious danger,’ they both thought in unison.-0-“Heh, losing in the first round in a three to nothing, mommy and baby boy unite!” Megumi made a little cheer, which made Hiroshi just laugh because how could he not? She sounded so earnest and happy about it. “It’s no biggie sweetie. Actually, given how things played out during my days, that Hayama girl may just end up winning this, so you probably lost to the future winner, although, Mika is something else, so I’m sure she could also…”“Itoko-chan certainly was amazing too,” Hiroshi noted, still all smiles, sitting down on his bed, his phone’s screen aimed his way so he could see his mother clearly, “And… yeah, Kaori is incredibly talented. Like insanely so. If only she was nicer. I kinda wanted to be friends with her, but she clearly wants none of that.”“Oh don’t worry, like father like daughter…” Megumi just said with a roll of her eyes, “Actually, like mother too… There’s a lot of baggage there, okay, that’s all I’ll say, so relax, I’m sure she’ll come around.”“But I’m not sure she’ll be the winner,” Hiroshi voiced, “All three of our Polar Star ladies are still in this, so if anything, I wish any of them won. I-I mean, Itoko-chan mostly, b-but… if…”“…if Kimiko won you wouldn’t mind?”At this the boy with the blue hair became red in the face.“M-Mom, I didn’t specifically mention her…”“I am aware,” Megumi noted with a knowing grin, “I was also in your shoes… a lot more literal than you think… in regards to you and this little… Yukihira.”“She’s just a close friend,” Hiroshi replied, and he had no idea why he felt he was lying to his mom. He wasn’t! “We have a lot of fun together and stuff.”“No doubt, but, keep an eye on her, okay?”“Hmm?” he paused, for a second, confused, “What do you mean?”“Call it a maternal instinct if you will,” she explained, and for reasons he couldn’t understand, he felt his mother was speaking nothing but truth, “It’s after such a big event where things usually take an unexpected turn. And a girl like that, from my own experiences, and from what you have told me about her, could very well throw herself headfirst into a situation that could hurt her if she doesn’t have someone to back her up the moment, she’ll need it most.”“…This sounds oddly specific mom…”“…I do wonder why,” Megumi replied, her smile not giving anything away.-0-“Kimiko Yukihira, posture.”Kimiko straightened herself, pouting at the screen, but sitting as “properly” as a lady should. “Geez, mom, like… no congratulations first or a ‘hey, you didn’t totally suck, good on you!’, eh?”Erina Nakiri just gave out a little laugh, “My, is that what you expect to hear from me? Just dish out blind praise on results I expected? Sweetie, you don’t seem to know your mother well if that is the kind of feedback you were expecting.”“Was so not!” Kimiko shot back, “…But you are proud, right?”“Of course I am proud,” Erina replied without an ounce of hesitation, “You are my darling little golden girl, and I have been proud of you ever since I first learned I was pregnant with you.”“…You’re going a bit too far back.”“Still the truth,” Erina noted, “After all, a child needs not to be successful in order for a parent to love and cherish them… something some people should definitely learn or simply not procreate.”“…Am I missing some context here mom?”“Eh? No, sorry, not the point,” Erina quickly course corrected, “But, yes, I am proud, but also, yes, I knew you’d win. You are my daughter after all, even if it does pain me that both Lola and Mona got eliminated so early… especially Lola, considering…”“Yeah, she was crying, it hurt to see,” Kimiko voiced, “Apparently, she didn’t send in the ingredients through the app like we all did, but Lola’s smart. Very smart. I think that app glitched out. No way she would have made such a mistake… like if I figured it out, how wouldn’t she…?”“I am certain, if it was a mistake, Alice will look into it,” Erina noted, although she gave a slight pause, “Although, this is Alice we’re talking about. Not holding my breath she resolves much.”“Don’t bully auntie Alice mom…” Kimiko said, her cute pout still evident, which made Erina smile warmly at the sight.“You know I love her,” Erina just said, “But I love Lola and Mona more, so she better get her act together and make sure those girls are alright. My, I should give each a call, but probably tomorrow, after the event. Give them so time. I shall try… and lend an ear, so to speak.”“You sure about that?” Kimiko said with a knowing look, “A distressed Lola is a Lola that does not shut up.”“I am aware,” Erina noted, “But I also have vast experience, so worry not. And… Kimi?”“Yes, I am changing my panties daily.”“N-Not that you little troll,” Erina quickly mouthed, frowning at the grinning girl, “How are things between you and your brother?”“…Eh? Well, they’re… they’re… there…” Kimiko tried, but it was a bit hard to convey this appropriately, “He’s busy doing the… whatever the Elite Ten do, and I’m busy here, competing. We don’t chat, often, like, much.”“He gave me a very similar response,” Erina said, and Kimiko flinched. Seriously? Her excuses sounded like Hiraku’s now? How much was this school affecting her? “And I want you both to be open with me if something is wrong, am I clear?”“Of course mom,” Kimiko lied, because, things were… fine. This wasn’t a big deal. Her brother was just going through some stuff. He’d come around. She… had faith he would. “Just… sibling stuff. You wouldn’t understand. You don’t have a troublesome older brother with a king complex after all…”And Erina said absolutely nothing for the longest time.-0-She genuinely liked dark and stormy nights. The chill in the air. The sound of the raindrops hitting the roof. And the comforting darkness that enwrapped her and kept her warm. Kept her safe. Such a night was ideal for Akiko Kato, and as she finished setting up her To-Do List on her phone, which read…One. Call in a meeting with the five “Caporegime” of The Network. This was the first task she did because it unnerved her so. Out of the entire business model her Boss, the ever-elusive Shigeo Eizan had, the top brass who enforced his policies where these five Second Years she really, really didn’t want to get involved with. Stella Artois, Bud Weiser, Tsing Tao, Heineken Light, and, of course, Koharu Yoshida, the latter of which was out of Totsuki (thank goodness) so the meeting Shigeo requested would only be held with the former four (which still terrified her because if she messed up in the slightest any of those four could eat her alive, and unlike Koharu’s little obsession with her, they didn’t seem quite as fond of her).Two. Send a few messages to the other members of The Network, mainly the two “Goombah”, Katashi Umino and Taichi Yamada who she had not seen in days now that she thought about it, the two “Buttons”, those being the already proven talents of Emi Kusunoki and Itsuki Kumai, and, of course, a little word to the new “Associates”, like Shoto Kaburagi (who left her on read, the nerve), Kenny Dakekanba (who quickly wrote her a paragraph of gratitude for the opportunity she promptly deleted), Kou Shio Jr. (who she wasn’t even sure read the thing, since he had not opened the message, but she was not calling him), and Timonthy Thomas Cherry Middleford Revolver Gun Gonzalez the 4th, otherwise known as Timmy Revolver (who replied with a picture of his feet… sent accidentally she prayed).Three. And lastly, she made sure to recheck the app just in case any of the technicians working at Totsuki had not kicked her out of her access. They hadn’t which was a good sign. They didn’t suspect foul play, which was great. Of course, she was limited in what she could do come next round, but the plan still required her to try and place Chieko Marui against Mika Aldini, who could then be ordered to lose on purpose if need be. But… problem was… what then? What the hell was she supposed to do about Kaori Hayama?Akiko sighed, and just tossed her phone aside, before she placed her gaming virtual reality headset on and started her console, the ever-popular PlayStation 8, nicknamed the PlayStation Infinity thanks to the number, and used her hand to browse through her game library.She first stopped on Genshin Impact, and a part of her wanted to continue her game, but this game in VR was such a visual overload thanks to its anime-style, and to this day, she had not yet rescued her twin, so it pissed her off.She then moved to the newest, hottest online game: Shooty Shooty.She began it, and soon the online, multiplayer first-person shooter came alive around her, and for once, Akiko felt at ease. In her element. Free to play around and not worry about what others were saying, or doing, or looking, or anything. So she began a practice round before she went into a game lobby with other players, but just as she did, with her rifle in her virtual hands, she got a player request…And her eyes widened.User: TVwastakensothisisthebestIgotAnd she outright glared at it.Was this for real?She moved to instantly deny, block and report, but… This was the third time the TV individual had found her in a virtual setting. This… she couldn’t ignore. So she pressed the accept button, and as her virtual avatar, which looked relatively like her, looked on, the ever-mysterious boy materialized before her, and if his avatar also resembled him, then…It didn’t. It had a television for a head.“Akiko Kato,” the literal TV said, and she frowned. His voice sounded familiar but at the same time it didn’t. An app to alter his voice, really? It sounded almost fake, but at the same time it didn’t. Was it AI? Also… she was talking to a fully decked out soldier with a literal old-fashioned television set for a face, how the hell was she supposed to read his expressions from this? Was he even a ‘he’?!“…You would not be the first student to be given a restraining order,” she told him, and he tilted his… tv to the side, “Leave me alone. Leave well enough alone. The man you are attempting to play around with is not the forgiving kind.”“Shigeo Eizan,” TV said, and Akiko glared. He spoke her Boss’ name so casually. “Yes, quite. Ruthless, or so I’m told. But I don’t really care about him or his objective. Rigging an entire competition just to impress a girl? What, can’t he take her out to the movies like a normal person?”“…This isn’t about impressing anyone,” Akiko shot back, “He has no need for that. This is for the good of the Network.”“My, that’s confusing,” TV noted, and Akiko just frowned, “For you to speak so highly of him, despite what he’s doing. What? Did he mix his girls up, and it’s actually you the one with feelings for her Boss?”“Do not be absurd,” Akiko shot down, “Are you the kind, if confronted with a girl who doesn’t back down, immediately goes for the insults and the sexist remarks?”“Oh, wow, I didn’t expect such ferocity from you. I do apologize if I made it sound like –” he began, but was cut short the moment she just tossed a grenade at his avatar, blowing him up and making him lose a life. To say that it didn’t bring her a little joy would be a lie. TV respawned a few seconds later, and she could tell, even if she couldn’t see it, he was glaring at her. “…How mature.”“Go away,” she simply said, her eyes narrowed, “I already warned you once. You wish to harass me in order to get to the Boss, well, I am not responsible for what happens…” and she simply took aim with her rifle and shot him right through his glass head, fully intending to quit the game right after, only this time, she didn’t damage him. “…hmph…”“You really are surprisingly trigger happy for such a quiet girl,” TV noted, before he signaled upwards, to their user names, now sporting the same color. “But I made sure to respawn as a teammate of yours, and friendly fire is turned off, so no killing me, okay?”“No matter, this conversation is over,” Akiko simply shot back, “I won’t be bullied into…”“That’s the point sweetheart, I’m not bullying or harassing you,” TV explained, and she paused. “The same way your Boss has taken an interest in this Chieko girl; I have to you. You see, in order to ever hope to stand a chance against this Network, well…”“You aim for the weakest link?”“Wow, talk about low self-esteem,” he simply said with a little mocking laugh, and it made her almost pout, “But no, no. In chess, if you take away the strongest piece, you instantly cripple your opponent. So… why wouldn’t I take immediate aim for the Network’s Queen?”She tried to scoff, but it got caught on her throat. Wait, what? “Are you even hearing yourself?”“Crystal clear, but, are you?” he asked, and as he signaled to the side, she turned her eyes, seeing the game scenery, “Imagine this as Totsuki. A war is coming, are you sure you’re on the right side? Because, rather than seeing me as an enemy, perhaps we can assist one another. Come meet up with me. Tomorrow, as the girls are dueling in the pre-semi-final event. I’ll pin you the directions. There’s something I need to give you, and if you help me, I will certainly help you out in turn.”“You think I would accept such a…” she tried, but slowly froze in place, as TV waved his hand and materialized a little screenshot into the game, next to the two of them, and Akiko’s eyes widened, as it showed all the little changes she had made to the dummy app they were using, and more importantly, Lola’s entire order, held back by her, “…How’d you…?”“You believe yourself the only hacker?”Her eyes were on the screenshot, feeling her screen go cold at the sight. This was bad. If he sent this to the Headmistress, she was screwed. Her Boss was screwed. The entire Network would collapse, because of her. “…Y-You… I’ve been your target from the start?!”Then she turned, and her eyes widened. He had his own gun aimed at her head.And the friendly fire had been turned on.“Always have been.”Then he shot her.Akiko instantly pulled her helmet off, her body drenched in cold sweat, as she placed it aside, and bit her lower lip, her senses still all over the place. This was bad. Very, very bad.-0-“Hey Totsuki!”The next day, the entire alumni witnessing the Autumn Elections were greeted by another pair of twins, as cordially invited by Alice Nakiri so he would stop crying about it to her, the pre-semi-final round was about to be hosted by England’s very own Van and Bridgette Autumn.“How we feeling?!” Van added, all smiles.“Yes! We got added in! Yippee!” Bridgette added, grinning adorably.The twins turned to the main halls, ready to signal the arrival of the four girls still standing, all the while the three judges, Alice, Berta and Cilla, all took their seats, as the Elite Ten Second Years involved, Hiraku, Akio, Suzume and Shigeo all stood a bit further back. Hideyoshi and Daisuke, much to the annoyance of the former, were told to stand by for now. Because…“So let’s bring them in as we explain the rules!” Van basically left everyone deaf with that announcement.“Your attentions to our screen, pretty please…” Bridgette added sweetly, as she showcased the big screens, showing the names of the four participants:Kimiko YukihiraMika AldiniKaori HayamaChieko Marui“Eh? All girls? How very progressive…” Bridgette noted, before Van lightly tapped her head with his microphone, “Ouchy!”“Stay focused,” he instructed, “After the Headmistress basically begged us to come here, we need to do a good job.”Alice had to bite down on her tongue at the idea that she had to “beg” these two dorks for this. This is what happens when you’re too nice. They’re lucky she’s the Headmistress and not Erina.And backstage, near the main entrances into the arena, the four girls stood by.“…T-This is terrifying,” Chieko noted, trying her best not to shake in place, but standing next to these three girls made her feel like their very presence was crushing her.“I wonder what this’ll be?” Kimiko, not at all worried, asked, before she shifted her eyes to Mika, who was busy, and privately talking on the phone, “…Hmm?”“Yes, about that match you told me about,” Mika whispered onto her phone, “No, not the Autumn Elections, the other one… yes, that… oh, okay… no, no reason…”“Mika’s been acting weirdly,” Kimiko noted, edging closer to Chieko, who was about to faint any second now.“Huh? I mean, this is a big deal,” she said, but upon looking at Mika, no, Kimiko was right. Something felt… off.“But I suppose we should all be on our toes,” Kimiko noted, before she turned her eyes to the last girl there. “We do have the Queen with us today, isn’t that right?”“…please refrain from speaking to me,” was all Kaori said, and the ever-mature Kimiko, just like her mother taught her, responded by sticking her tongue out at her.Then the doors were opened, signaling for the girls to walk in.Kimiko went in with a little bounce in her step.Mika went directly, her grip on the Mezzaluna’s case harder than ever.Kaori just walked professionally, her eyes on the invited hosts.Chieko practically zigzagged her way there thanks to her nerves.With all four girls on the stage, and the whole school watching, the event was to begin.“Alright!” Van screeched, loudly, “Rules are simple! You are all to share a kitchen, and you have fifteen minutes to serve the best appetizer you can with the limited ingredients you have! Remember, you don’t get eliminated during this round, this is just to decide the order of the next two bouts!”“Exactly!” Bridgette added, “The lower two scores, given by the Headmistress Alice and… those other two!” she added, and Berta and Cilla both pouted at her, “Will be the first two to duel, then the other two! So, don’t overthink this! It’s just for fun! So, let’s go!”And as the greenlight was given, Chieko almost freaked out when instantly Kimiko, Mika and Kaori all moved and were instantly selecting ingredients, while she had to mentally slap herself and rush along less she be left in their dust. Man, this was too scary. How was she supposed to survive against any of them?As the girls cooked, Akiko watched up from above, and she frowned. TV had indeed sent her a pin, and the time to meet up was now, but… was this safe? She was nervous, and she hated being forced into the spotlight like this. But also, that individual had proof of what she had done, and she had carelessly let him keep it, so she needed to get it back, by whatever means she could.So Akiko sighed and moved, walking through the halls, towards the pin just outside of the venue, but before she could reach it, she bumped into two familiar figures.“Oh? If it isn’t our Lady Boss!” Timmy Revolver noted with a grin on his ugly mug. Akiko felt herself frown even if he wasn’t the reason of her current turmoil. At least he was not unconscious anymore.“Hmm? Which one?” Kou Shio Jr asked, and she just stared at that dumb mask of his and frowned even more. Why was she forced to entertain this? But, wait a minute…?“Dude, the only one with have,” Timmy noted, “Take off the stupid mask and look at her. She’s hella cute.”“It’s not a stupid mask,” Kou argued, “And don’t just call her ‘cute’, show some respect to our superior.”“Stop, both of you,” Akiko quickly interrupted the two, making them both turn to her, well, Timmy turned to her, Kou turned to a wall near her. Close enough she supposed. “…I have to meet up with someone, so… would you mind coming along?”And, as if twins as well, both Timmy and Kou tilted their heads slightly at the request.-0-Akiko, Timmy and Kou found themselves outside the stadium, at the exact point Akiko had been instructed to go. She glared at her phone, then looked around. Had this been a lie? A set-up?“Who exactly are we expecting here?” Timmy asked, his eyes as sharp as ever. Sharper than knives. Sharper that the piercings in his sensitive nipples.Kou, Akiko assumed, was looking around, or he was lost, she wasn’t sure. Still, nobody.“Why isn’t he here…?” she muttered, before Timmy turned to her.“Maybe this is all a trick, and this guy you were going to meet up actually planned something elsewhere!” he told her.“Elsewhere? Like… where?” Kou asked.“It’s like my daddy always said…” Timmy told the two…
“Son,” Tommy Revolver told little Timmy Revolver, since even if the mandate was that he remained dead in Florida, a flashback technically kept his death canon while allowing him to appear, “If you ever find yourself abandoned in a meeting, it means something wacky is about to happen.”
“Oh, you are so wise daddy!” little, ugly as sin Timmy Revolver said, then gave his father the sweetest, softest kiss on his lips…
“So something wacky could happen,” Timmy, in the present, concluded.“…You used to kiss your father on the lips?” a very uncomfortable Kou asked, and Akiko was trying not to gag. This was a mistake. She should have risked getting stabbed and have come alone. But before she could tell the two to just go back, Kou instantly took out a knife and threw it, making it stick to a nearby wall, where a sudden shriek was heard.“What the hell?!” Timmy cried out.“K-Kou?!” Akiko spoke out, as her eyes shifted towards where he had thrown the knife, and there, in fact, was someone hiding away. “Wait… Is that…?”And there he was…The man…The myth…The legend…Yori Tanaka!“Why did you throw a knife at me you masked psycho?!” he cried out, “You almost hit me.”“…I missed,” Kou offered, and that did not sound like an apology at all. Akiko digressed; she really didn’t care.“Why are you… of all people… here?!” she demanded, and Yori seemed to tense up with each word she said.“You know this clown?” Timmy asked, taking out a knife of his own, and licking the blade… slowly… “If you do, then… ouch!” he cut his tongue a bit, and had quickly shut up.“I didn’t come here to be assaulted by these… creeps!” Yori cried out, his eyes on Timmy and Kou, before he turned to Akiko, “B-But you…”She felt herself freeze.“No,” she said instantly. Seriously. Not even slightly humoring this. “I can buy a lot. But I refuse to ever accept I was out-hacked by you.”“Out-hacked?” Kou asked, turning to her, and for once, his face was sort-of aimed her way, “What is really going on here?”“I…” she tried, since she didn’t want to say this to brand new, unproven talent, but… “…There’s this individual, calling himself TV, and he…”“Television?” Kou asked, and he sounded so confused.“I don’t get it either,” Akiko admitted, before she turned back to Yori, “And this TV has proof of what I did, and told me to meet him here, but instead, we get… him. Shouldn’t you be in there, drooling over Mika Aldini?”“You don’t get it!” Yori shot back, and the guy sounded terrified, “He sent me! This TV freak! He told me to give you something!”“…Wait, he sent you?” Akiko asked, her eyes wide. Yori just nodded, and took a few steps forwards, taking out an envelope, and motioning to hand it to her, but before he could, he was instantly stopped by Kou’s hand on his chest.“H-Hey!” Yori tried.“You’re close enough juicy boy,” Kou simply told him, and for once, Akiko had to cover her mouth with her hands to hide a little laugh. Kou took the envelope from Yori’s hands, opened it up, looked at the document, then… “Wait, I can’t read this. Timmy!”“On it!” Timmy responded, and, still bleeding from his mouth, took the document and scanned it, “Huh? What the hell is this?”Akiko took a glance at the document, and her eyes narrowed. She knew a list of demands when she saw one. Or rather, of one demand. So she turned back to Yori.“Who is he?”“I-I don’t know!” Yori said, shaking in place, “He pretended to be Mika online, and we chatted for a few days, then he hacked my phone! And he threatened to expose everything I have there if I didn’t comply!”“Hacked your…” Akiko voiced; her head tilted. Why was this idiot useful at all, and moreover, what could he possibly have of value?“The heck did you have in that phone?” Timmy asked, eyes narrowed at the guy.“…Eh, I mean, I thought I was texting my darling, glorious Mika, so I may have sent a few pics of certain parts that…” Yori muttered, and all three of the others outright glared at him.“…Eww,” Akiko couldn’t help but voice, but…“But you can help me?! Right?! You’re like a super hacker! Can’t you, like, re-hack him?!” Yori desperately asked, and Akiko just shook her head.“It… doesn’t work like that,” she said, nor did she have any interest in helping this guy out. If Shigeo learned of this, he’d be mad at her. Well, if he learned of her mistake he’d be mad regardless, but still… “Just disappear. It would be the best for us all. I need to get to TV regardless, and I swear, if you are hiding something from me, I’ll send…” she began, trying to threaten him, but she had never done this before. She first pointed to Timmy, but his bleeding was getting worse, and it made her eye twitch, so she tried to point to Kou instead, “Him to… to…”“Break his legs,” Kou offered.“Break your legs!” Akiko just repeated, before she caught herself, looked at Kou, but, what the hell, sure.“I just wanted to impress my darling Mika after that mess at the Ball!” Yori cried out, tears streaming down his face.“I’m sure the full three inches of it would have enamored her,” Kou just mocked, and as Yori flinched, Akiko couldn’t help but laugh.“Damn it, stop making me laugh,” she reprimanded, kinda, before she turned her full glare to Yori, “And I won’t repeat myself. Go away, and do not engage with this TV person again, because meeting demands of someone like that won’t make them keep their promise and delete your… horrible pictures. So go crawl into a hole, and stay there.”And Yori Tanaka wouldn’t be Yori Tanaka if he didn’t instantly fold and did as he was told.This left Akiko alone with the letter TV had sent, addressed directly to her, as Timmy and Kou stood by, both of the wondering what was going through the girl’s head, as her mind raced with the reality that this was going to become a massive problem, because even if TV’s demand was just but one, how the hell was she supposed to manage this of all things?Because his demand was…“Before the Stagiaire begins make sure Kimiko Yukihira is expelled.”-0-The battle was nearing its end, as all four girls cooked as fast as they could. Despite their talents, fifteen minutes went by fast, so they had to rush. Kimiko had her dish almost ready, while Chieko was lagging behind. Kaori, on the other hand was done, and as she moved to the judges table, she was stopped when Mika stepped in front of her and set her plate down first.“Sorry…” Mika told her, even if her tone did not sound apologetic at all, “Didn’t see you.”“…Is that so?” Kaori, in her same stoic tone, just replied.Alice, Berta and Cilla quickly had a taste of Mika’s little appetizer and…“I… hmm?” Alice began, her eyes narrowed, “This is a… rather curious choice Mika.”“…Did I mess up?” Mika asked, since she could tell that reaction was underwhelming at best. Up on the stage, Hiroshi and Yasu both sat next to Takayuki and Kazuo, their collective eyes on Mika, with Hiroshi’s eyes narrowing a bit at her saying that.“It’s just…” Berta tried, but Cilla beat her to it.“Just a little bit bland,” Cilla noted, and Mika clenched her Mezzaluna tighter.“…You rushed your craft to finish before I did,” Kaori noted, finally placing her plate down, “I cannot understand why. This isn’t a match at all,” Kaori explained, and Mika turned to her, glare ever present, as Kaori directed her attention to the judges, “Please, have a true taste of what a small appetizer should be like.”And the three judges happily took a bite of Kaori’s beautiful little trinkets……And just as promptly spit them back out. Kaori’s eyes were utterly wide.“That’s way too sweet!” Alice, Berta and Cilla cried out.“Oh?! Looks like double-trouble in paradise over there!” Van noted, “Hey Bree, do you think… Bree.”“She looks like me!” Bridgette noted, grabbing Kimiko by the cheeks and pulling her up, making the girl squirms and kick her legs to be let go, since she wasn’t finished yet and both Mika and Kaori were.“Y-Yeah, but please let her cook in peace Bree…” Van just said, sighing at his sister’s antics. Still, looking back, Kaori looked outright vivid. She took one glance at Mika’s little appetizers, and she felt her vision turn outright red.“Seriously? Artichoke?”“Adding those to my dish kinda ruined the flavor, but,” Mika explained, and then grinned, “But it kinda ruins the very next dish too, hmm? It is something that happened, or was attempted at least, in this school before after all.”At her saying this, Hiraku just raised his eyebrow, Akio, despite it all, looked at his younger sister with concern in his eyes, Suzume was with her focus elsewhere, on Chieko, while Shigeo… Shigeo outright glared at Mika as she explained what she had just used, and where that inspiration had likely come from.“You ruined your own dish to…?”“This match doesn’t matter,” Mika explained, and she met Kaori’s glare with her own, “This just decided who fights who next. And with such lackluster displays, I think we know who’s next…”And at this, the whole stadium was silent, and Kimiko turned, her eyes on Mika, seeing her the absolute maddest she had ever seen her rival. And, in a way, she understood why.“You…?” Kaori voiced; her little fists clenched.“You disrespected my cousin,” Mika told her in no uncertain terms, and as the first round of the semi-finals was made vividly clear, she added, “I won’t allow you to treat such a sweet boy in such a way, so if you get your kicks belittling people, come on Valedictorian, take aim at me!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Nakiri Manor was truly a structural marvel, one of the most well-known and famous culinary landmarks of the entire world. The House of the biggest family of the culinary world for the last four generations and counting, it was a location that, even those who partook in the curriculum that the Academy itself offered, rarely got a change to venture within these walls. And it made sense, because this was reserved to the Culinary Blue Bloods. And, right now…“…Lola,” Mona voiced up, her eyes scanning her dark-haired twin for a moment, resting her back against the nearby wall, arms crossed against her chest, “…You heard what Aunt Erina told us. We can’t let these defeats bring us down like this.”“Easy for you to say!” was the muffled reply from Lola, who was currently, rather dramatically, sprawled facedown onto the bed, “You lost fairly, and barely at that! Two-to-one! I got cheated! I couldn’t even use a thing I had prepped because of that stupid App! And mom and dad found nothing! Nothing! I didn’t forget Mona!”“…I know,” her sister merely noted, “You wouldn’t. But it is a new system. Such issues could still happen. Better we keep vigilant and make sure to notify if we see any other glitches… that way we can salvage the situation…”The only reply she got was a groan from her sister, currently kicking her feet around in a little hissy fit that didn’t look cute as kids, and it looked less cute now.“Come on,” Mona tried again, “Aunt Erina gave us the best advice…”“Easy for Aunt Erina to say!” Lola shot back, finally raising her head and frowning at Mona, “She has never had to dealt with this pressure! This humiliation! This indignation! I wish I could crawl into that little commoner shop and –”“Lola,” Mona voiced, firmly, and it made Lola bite her tongue. It was rare to hear her sister talk in such a tone. “…Don’t say things you can’t take back. Don’t take your anger out on the aunt that comforted us both despite the fact that her daughter still won. Still beat me at that. We are lucky to have her.”“I never said –!”“Just do whatever Lola,” Mona voiced, and, pushing herself off the wall, turned around, “I still want to see Kimiko duel, so… as annoying as it is, I should be heading out. The first round is already underway, and if I don’t hurry, I won’t make it. Keep sulking if that helps…”Lola pouted, hard, but couldn’t quite form the words to say anything. Mona had already left the room, and left her alone. And it irked her, even if, damn it all, she knew her sister was right. But it was so infuriating. The Autumn Elections were the first main event at Totsuki Academy. And she had failed spectacularly at them. Sure, she wasn’t expelled from that alone or anything, but the black mark was there. She wouldn’t be able to shake it off so effortlessly, and for the girl that wanted to be the next Headmistress, this was not a good look. Especially…“…That girl… Chieko…” she mused pushing herself over, and staring up at the ceiling, as the images of her failed bout kept replaying over and over, “She’s one of Kimi’s friends, isn’t she? Am I… overthinking this, or… did it seem like the whole thing had… no, that… that couldn’t ever happen? It’s just the sore loser in me talking… right…?”But the silent room had no answer for her.-0-The Chandra’s Room was effectively a warzone.As the audience, most of them the students who shared classes with these two girls, stared in awe, the Valedictorian and the Quarter-Italian had gone at it from the moment they were given the green light, and neither girl seemed to be giving an inch. Everyone stared, and even Kimiko found herself standing by the railing, since she didn’t much care to wait by the waiting room to see this through a screen when only her and Chieko were left back there. This was a lot more fun, and Chieko had tagged along after a bit of… pulling from Kimiko’s part.Kimiko, Chieko, Hiroshi and Yasu all stood to the side, their eyes on the match, as Hideyoshi and Daisuke tried their best to make their commentary keep up with the clashing girls.The theme?
Murder
Or, well, King Prawn if you wanted to be technical about it, but you wouldn’t get it from looking at either of them.Kaori had taken her hold of the king prawn, peeled each individual piece, bathed it in the most delicate blend of aromatic oils, slowly curated them with an assortment of vegetables, and had taken such massive care to make sure every piece was in perfect harmony that it was almost like magic. And she knew, normally, it would be more than enough. It should be. Had to be. But…Mika had taken that blasted curved tool and had cut the prawn in a blink of an eyes, alongside an assortment of vegetables, all before she scrapped it all through the cutting board and tossed it all into the frying wok. And to Kaori’s ire, Mika had been moving fast, insanely fast. She hated to admit it, hated to compare it, but the way Mika cooked was a dead ringer for what Hiroshi himself had put her through, and it just enraged Kaori further. She was so not in the mood to deal with this again…
…Kaori had summoned her spice mix to utterly crush Mika as quickly as she could, not even giving her the chance she stupidly gave Hiroshi, but, no sooner had the spices gotten a few inches too close to Mika, the girl outright teleported right out of the way, and appearing behind Kaori, made the Valedictorian’s eyes widen. She saw Mika, just as she had seen Hiroshi. And with the same speed and force, Mika smashed her fist onto Kaori’s face and knocked the girl down onto the floor, making her slide across the arena with a pained grunt…
“Mika is hitting Kaori with everything!” Hideyoshi announced, utterly thrilled at the complexity being displayed by their friend.“…B-But is that enough?” Daisuke asked, his eyes on Mika’s craft, “It’s almost like she’s remaking Hiroshi’s earlier offering, but that had not managed to…”“Be positive!”“I-I’m trying!”Kaori shifted her glare to Mika, her hand clenching her knife tightly. These cousins were becoming quite the headache. “…What’s the purpose of this?” she asked, “Even if you are better than Hiroshi, the strategy of overwhelming me with quantity will not work. You know this. Just throwing everything except the kitchen sink against my craft won’t grant you a victory.”“Now why would I reveal my plan to you?” Mika merely replied, as she gave her lips a sensual lick, which made a lot of students flinch at the sight, while Kaori simply glared even more. She knew this wasn’t Mika just winging it, but she was sure this wasn’t Mika actually having a proper winning strategy either. There had to be something there…
…So, not giving her a chance, Kaori did a new hand seal, and with it, the spice mix began to surround her, creating a full shield around her. Mika’s eyes widened, and she rushed to strike at her before she could seal herself up, but despite her speed, the moment her fist connected with the shield, it was already as strong as steel. Mika felt her knuckles burst open on impact, as the blood stained the spice shield Kaori had made around herself. Mika couldn’t help but let out a pain gasp, and was forced to dart back as several spikes erupted from the shield and almost impaled her right through…
“Oh my, seems like Kaori has locked in on her dish,” Alice noted, her eyes on the dish Kaori was serving, as Berta and Cilla looked on, their stomachs already grumbling. Kaori took her time and took great care to serve the most colorful set of king prawns in the leafiest greens. Steamed first, then grilled, all to make sure to serve them as healthy as possible, all to lock in the iron, zinc and vitamin E, as well as sealing in the heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. All to serve the healthiest dish she could, a type of medical dish that made Alice see Hisako working on her craft for a split second there, except with Akira’s scowl. How lovely.“Please, enjoy…” Kaori offered, setting her plates on the table. She had, after all, served her King Prawn Stir Fry.Alice, Berta and Cilla all took a bite of the colorful garden that had been served to them on a plate, and in an instant, they felt pure bliss!“Oh my!” Alice cheered, hands on her own cheeks due to the deliciousness.“This is so good!” Berta added.“It outright cleared my sinuses completely!” Cilla added, feeling the healthiest she had felt in months. This was too much.Kaori gave a quarter of a smile at the reactions, before she shifted her eyes to Mika, who was completing her own dish, and, in an attempt not to sound too much like a brat, tried her best to offer some genuine praise… kinda. “…I understand what you attempted to do. Not a bad choice. However, you limit yourself with Italian cuisine. Not a poor choice, but against my –”“Kaori…” Mika cut her off, and it made Kaori pause, “For once, let our dishes speak for each other okay. And…” she added, taking hold of her Mezzaluna, and taking aim with it, “Like Hiroshi said. You’re gonna feel this babe.”
…Kaori’s eyes widened, and Mika just jumped as far away as she could, landing not on the arena, but on the nearby wall. She took hold of the Mezzaluna, and with a hand sign, it began to come alive with the thunderous sparks that sounded like a thousand birds chirping. Holding it down with both hands to keep it steady, Mika then darted downwards, crashing against the ground with an explosive thud, before she rushed at Kaori’s perfect defense. Kaori attempted to skewer her before she reached her, but Mika was too fast, and in a flash, she slammed the electrified Mezzaluna against Kaori’s perfect defense, and to the shock of everyone, it sliced right through…
…Kaori’s eyes went wide, as she felt the droplets of blood begin to drop from her abdomen the moment the blade stabbed itself against her…
…Mika gave her the biggest grin, “…Chidori.”
…Kaori felt an immense chill. Her blood. This was her blood! Mika Aldini had made her bleed!
And Mika placed her own plate on the table, as Kaori looked at her with the widest of eyes. Everyone was quiet. Hideyoshi and Daisuke were frozen in place. Kimiko was dangling on the edge, her eyes on the dishes. How? How were these two girls this damn good?After all, Mika had served her Authentic King Prawn Linguine.As Berta and Cilla struggled to give the dish a taste, Alice smiled and gave it a quick bite. It really was the best of both worlds, she’d note. The Italian mastery of Takumi, alongside the meat dominance of Ikumi. This was almost too unfair.Mika stood steady next to Kaori, both girls barely blinking, and soon enough, the verdict was given, and for a moment, they both felt faint. But…
…Despite the damage she caused, Mika had to desperately pull her arm out less Kaori ripped it cleanly off. She clung back, her eyes wide, as she felt a surge of power hidden within that shield, as Kaori’s eye stared at her through the hole her Mezzaluna had made, and what she saw, wasn’t human at all. What… What was this girl…?!
Winner: Kaori HayamaMika felt her body grow cold, and she bit her lower lip, feeling that sense of dread just hit her everywhere at once. Why? Why now? But… as she did, she turned, and she also saw it. Kaori’s eyes were just as wide. And it took he a second to understand.It had been two-to-one.With Alice Nakiri herself having voted for Mika.“M-Madame Headmistress…?” Mika voiced, still shocked. Kaori kept quiet, even if her eyes said everything.“It was quite close,” Alice noted, all smiles. “I understand why Berta and Cilla voted for Kaori’s, as, yes, it’s is absolutely delectable, but for me, this delicate touch to the prawn meat gave it a slight push. And that’s what Totsuki is. Pushing each other for better results. So, good job to you both. I am proud. So, please, Kaori, Mika, shake hands.”Kaori and Mika both flinched, both resisted the urge to pout, before they turned to each other, and very, very reluctantly gave each other a firm handshake.“…Amazing work,” Mika tried.“…You… as well…” Kaori did the same.Alice just laughed at the display, before both girls walked away, with Hideyoshi calling the match and declaring Kaori the winner, while Daisuke tried his best to then add that the next duel was between Kimiko and Chieko.“We’re up!” Kimiko excitedly announced, turning to the very pale Chieko, “You ready!? I can’t wait to see just how smart your cooking really is!”“…I feel you are giving me a lot more credit that I…” Chieko tried, but shook her head. No point doubting herself now. She needed to at least try. Defeating Kimiko Yukihira was pretty much impossible, but damn it, she could at least try to put a dent on the girl.“Best of luck to you both,” Hiroshi offered, giving them both a smile, which Chieko returned with a nervous one, while Kimiko returned with a bright one that almost blinded him. Only Yasu said nothing, as his eyes were more focused on the four Elite Ten members seated down near the arena. Or rather, one of them in particular. He knew he was doing something here, he just didn’t know what.Said young man, one Shigeo Eizan, was busy texting away on his phone, making sure to let his Network know that they were so close to their goal, so this was not the time to falter. And he was about to hit send when, of course, Suzume just draped herself onto his lap, holding her own phone onto her face in a mocking motion, mimicking his own style. “Why, yes, hello? This is the big, bad Shigeo! Please, my manly men, daddy needs validation, so please tell me I’m sexy and brilliant and oh-so smart or I may remember I’m only the Eight Seat and get sad!”“Get off me!” Shigeo simply shoved her off, which made her giggle as he did, as he sighed and fixed his collar. “Please, for once, mature. My business ventures are far more than just about my ego, I’m not you.”“Oh please,” Suzume shot back, “Tell that lie to someone who doesn’t know who you are four-eyes. And here I thought I was the one with the guy troubles, but you kinda have me beat!”“My professional relationship with my subordinates do not compare with you messing around with…” Shigeo began, fully intending to just shut her up, and while Suzume seemed unbothered by whatever insinuation he would make, the moment he turned, he saw Akio shift his eyes to him as well. And, again, that damn look, it was the same one from the Autumn Election semi-finals. The same time Shigeo actually tried. The same time Akio had thrown all his efforts down the drain effortlessly. And, for once, it made Shigeo pause and not speak the words he had wanted to say. Why? Why was there still a glimpse of that boy in there whenever it had to do with Suzume?“…Kimiko’s up,” Hiraku noted, utterly unaware of the silent warfare going on between the other three. The three did turn to him, as his eyes were focused fully on his little sister up above.“She seems like the favorite to win this next round,” Suzume noted.“Which would make the finals a clash between our little sisters,” Akio added.“…Lavender is quite gifted actually,” Hiraku said, which made Akio and Suzume both tilt their heads a bit.“Lavender?” they both asked, confused.“The bottom of her dress at the ball,” Hiraku commented, not even looking at them.“You mean…?” Akio began.“You were checking out her ass?” Suzume concluded, and Akio almost chocked on nothing.“N-No! S-Suzume, her design was lower than that. Near her legs!” Akio corrected.“Oh! That makes sense!” Suzume said with a little laugh.“…Still, I wouldn’t count little Marui out just yet,” Shigeo noted, and Akio and Suzume turned to him for a moment, while Hiraku kept his focus on Kimiko, “From what I’ve seen, she’s brilliant, and I know I wish we could get more proper culinary brilliance presentation here as opposed to just impactful dishes without much substance to them.”“You mean boring dishes,” Suzume shot back, grinning.“If that’s what your feeble mind can see them as, then yes, something like that,” Shigeo countered.“Well, I wish her well as well,” Akio voiced, “I also happen to applaud culinary smarts.”“Yeah… but she’s against Kimi,” Hiraku noted, his tone surprisingly dry. “She can’t defeat her.”And it took everything Shigeo had not to reply anything at all at that moment. He was to close to the goal now. He couldn’t risk giving himself away now.Up above, as Kimiko and Chieko headed down to the arena, Akiko had her eyes on the app. This was way too tricky. First Shoto had failed to get in, and then Mika had gone rogue and decided to duel Kaori as opposed to Chieko, meaning Akiko had to try and get Chieko to win, again, almost legitimately. And this was getting too risky. But as her eyes focused on what to do, she felt someone sit next to her, and for a second, she froze.It couldn’t be… him, no?She turned, and honestly, she wasn’t exactly sure.It was Shoto.The boy had his baseball cap covering his dark eyes, as he slouched down on the seat.Akiko frowned. “…what?”“Your boss’ plan sucks,” Shoto noted, his gaze on the two girls making their way down towards the arena. As Akiko looked on, she couldn’t quite tell if he was glaring at Chieko or at Kimiko, for whatever reason, “Had you both allowed me to go all out, I could have easily taken care of this year’s heavyweights and given your little damsel her shot at stardom. Instead, here you are, a mess trying to figure out how to make her win.”“…I won’t get stuck in this loop of repeating the same things to you Shoto,” Akiko argued, her eyes on him briefly. It made the boy pause, since there was a sharpness there that was rare. “And… don’t think I can’t see it. What you’re doing. Who you really are.”“Who I am?” he asked, and she frowned. He almost sounded genuine. “What exactly do you think I’m trying to be here?”“Save it, out of everyone who knows, who was allowed to be a part of his plans, you’re the only one I know who could disrupt my plans so much,” she said, and his eyes never left her, “What do you get from this… T.V.?”He paused. A click of the tongue. A shift in his posture. She hated not being able to tell if that was code in body language for something or not.“T.V.?” he repeated, “You making this to be some kind of show?”“Don’t play dumb with me.”“Then don’t act dumb with me,” he shot back, and she outright pouted, “I have no clue what you mean by that. If it’s an insult, it’s an uninspired one. If it’s a code, sorry, but I have no idea what you mean. Not all of us play these spy games you seem to love so much.”“That…” she tried, since, had she told him that? About her love for spy terms and movies and tricks. Did he know, or was that another clue that…? But, before she could, she heard the announcement being made, and she inwardly cursed, since she needed to act fast or else she was screwed. Shoto, or T.V., or whoever, would have to wait.Kimiko Yukihira vs. Chieko MaruiTheme: Vegan“And we now have our theme!” Hideyoshi announced, his hand raised onto the air, as Daisuke nodded along. Alice, Berta and Cilla all looked on, as did the entire audience, but just as Chieko sighed and got ready for what was to come, Kimiko just… froze.“…Vegan?”“Something wrong Kimi?” Hideyoshi asked, turning to the blonde, as her eyes were still glued to the screens. Daisuke followed along, as did Chieko, but before any of them could speak, Kimiko pulled out her phone.“Wait, vegan? That’s not… the theme,” Kimiko noted, and as soon as she opened the app, her eyes went even wider. “Eh?! W-Wait! It had not shown vegan before! It was beef stew! I had submitted everything for a beef stew dish!” she said, a slight panic in her voice, and the entire audience froze. Wait, what? Chieko stared, utterly dumbfounded at this all. Kimiko had made a mistake? Just like… wait, no, that didn’t make any sense… “Hey, Chieko, was the theme vegan all along?”“…yes Kimiko, it was,” Chieko confirmed. It had been. Since yesterday. They had both gotten the theme then, and it had not changed.“Kimi, sweetie, what…?” Alice voiced, as she looked at her niece, who seemed utterly perplexed by it all. She checked her notes, the app again, everything, but nothing changed. It did in fact show vegan, as if it had all along. How? How had she mixed those themes up?“I… I think I made a mistake…” Kimiko noted, unable to decipher how or why she had mixed her themes up, but while nobody knew what to say, to the side, Shigeo was doing an impressive effort not to grin madly. That’s what you get, he’d note, for not heading his advice way back then. She wasn’t going to help, then fine, get out of the way then.“My… how dirty,” Shoto noted, his head rested on his closed fist, while Akiko just frowned.“Keep quiet,” she simply said, “I have more than enough ammunition to wreck you completely, so try my patience any longer and you’ll be sorry.”“Me?” he simply asked, “What’s your sudden problem with me? All I’ve done is exactly what you asked me to, for my own misery mind you.”Akiko simply frowned, deciding against pushing it. She still couldn’t risk it. This was too close. Altering the ingredients twice in a row like this was risky, and if anyone complained, she could be in trouble. Lola was an airhead, so it could be excused, and in a way, so was Kimiko, but, both of them making similar mistakes? It was a bit too lucky for Chieko. And even then… what the hell was she supposed to do about Kaori? No way anyone would buy Kaori would make such a mistake. This was still bad. Could her Boss perhaps settle on his darling Chieko being the Runner-Up instead. Such a position could make for a decent Nouvelle storyline, or so she has been told.“You brought nothing but meats Kimiko?!” Hideyoshi called out, as Kimiko began to search through her prep, all the while Chieko and Daisuke looked on, both of them worried. Kimiko gave pause, pouted at nothing, and nodded.“Yep,” she simply confirmed, “Call me Meat Meat Part Two, cause that’s all I have to my name.”Up above, the girls’ friends all looked on, utterly baffled.“Kimiko mixed up her theme?” Hiroshi asked, utterly baffled by her making such a mistake. She wouldn’t. Not her.“…I’m not all that sure it was Kimiko the one responsible here…” Yasu noted, his eyes shifting from Kimiko, to Chieko, to then, Shigeo, who was stone facing it like a champ.“Yukihira is dumb, but not this dumb,” Mika voiced, reaching the stands, as both boys turned to her. Hiroshi quickly offered her a smile, as Yasu merely bit his lower lip in response. Mika’s eyes, however, focused on Kimiko. “Something’s been wrong here since the start, and… I don’t think we should point fingers so quickly, but…”“You feel it too?”Mika outright flinched, as did Hiroshi and Yasu, as the three turned to the side, and saw, standing right next to them, one half of the Nakiri twins. Mona Nakiri, arms crossed against her chest and her eyes on the arena.“M-Mona…?” Hiroshi tried, as the three focused on her, finding it so strange to see her without her more out-going cousin. Mona, however, had her focus fully on Kimiko.“Lola is not one to make such a rookie mistake, and neither is Kimi,” Mona voiced, her eyes shifting and narrowing towards Chieko, “Not sure about the girl with the glasses. Would she be willing to do anything to win?”“Huh? Chieko? No, no way!” Hiroshi quickly replied.“She’s as strait-laced as they come,” Mika added, her eyes on Mona, “She’s not the type to want a victory if it means harming her opponents, friends or otherwise.”Only Yasu kept quiet, since, yes, he agreed, but it wasn’t Chieko who worried him. But he had no proof, and trying to point fingers to him would cause nothing but problems to all those involved except the guy himself. He was way too protected, too ensured, for any of them to realistically do a thing against him.“Kimiko…?” Chieko tried, stepping closer to the blonde, “Do you want to call for an investigation or…?”And as Chieko asked, and Shigeo felt his fist clench against his phone while Akiko grew even paler than she already was, because, no, bad Chieko, what were you saying, Kimiko, with a knowing smile, just shook her head.“Oh? No, that’s fine,” she simply said, and for a moment, everyone froze, “If I messed up, that’s on me. But, relax, I’ve got this!”The whole audience felt silent, as Alice looked on, and after a brief moment, just gave the girls a nod, and soon enough, both girls went towards their spot. Shigeo had to resist the urge to scoff at the stupidity on display. She really was Hiraku’s sister, just as big a fool.“She’s going to cook a vegan dish with a pantry filled with meat?” Akio voiced, eyes wide.“She’s gutsy, I’ll give her that,” Suzume noted, her head tilted slightly.“Shouldn’t you talk some sense to her?” Shigeo acted along, his eyes on Hiraku, “worried” over his underclassmen taking such a risk. But, Hiraku merely shrugged.“Why?” he asked matter-of-factly, and it made Shigeo frown, but not more than… “She’s very likely winning this even with that handicap.”“Eh?” all the other three asked, all with their eyes on Hiraku, who simply had his eyes on his little sister.“You don’t know her as I do,” Hiraku noted, and for once, gave the smallest hint of a smile, “Can’t you tell? Being held back like this? This isn’t making her nervous. She’s thrilled.”“Begin!” Hideyoshi and Daisuke announced, their hands raised up high, and before Chieko could even react, Kimiko had taken hold of her knife, and pushing all her meat aside, went to find the very few pieces of vegetables, fruits and tofu she had lying around, and in a moment, had it all on top of her table. She flipped her knife a few times, and cut it all away perfectly, before she set the oils to boil…“You ready Chieko?!”
Chieko looked on, as she saw Kimiko took a worrying stance. She knew she had the advantage here, no matter what. Her knowledge of this culinary methods would prove superior, so why…?
Why was that position Kimiko took so… frightening?
One fist on the floor, another on her bent knee, bent down forwards, as her skin reddened and steam began to pour out of her very body…
“…Gear Second…”
Chieko moved fast, following the flavor encyclopedia she had outright memorized since she was a child, in order to combat whatever it was Kimiko was making. She took her own mix of veggies and tofu, all to make the best vegan dish she could, following it to the letter, and not giving her an inch. She couldn’t risk it. So she threw it all into the boil, but just as she did, the sheer aroma from Kimiko’s dish hit her very soul, and she stammered…
In a flash, Kimiko vanished, and soon her fist slammed itself against Chieko’s face, smashing her all across the arena, and as she tumbled around, she was stopped not by her own devices, but by Kimiko appearing above her and slamming her fist once more against Chieko’s face, burying her entire head onto the concrete. How was she moving like this?!
“Y-You’re using meats?!” Chieko couldn’t help but blurt out, her eyes wide, as Kimiko just grinned. The smell was quite clear. “Kimi… Vegetarian dishes can use some proteins, but not vegan ones, I… I know you know this…”“Of course I do!” Kimiko affirmed, and the sheer sinister smile Kimiko gave her made Chieko outright flinch. What kind of monster was her friend?! “This is a little trick, nothing more!”And Chieko bit her lower lip, her hands outright shaking. This girl was a demon. But… damn it, she didn’t last this long to cower now. So, she took a deep breath, and took hold of her own craft. She couldn’t match Kimiko in impact, that much she knew, but in theme. In knowledge. In giving the perfect answer even if they wouldn’t see it… She could. She would. She had to!It was just like... Chieko's eyes shifted, slightly, onto Shigeo, who seemed to have his eyes widen slightly when he saw her eyes searching his.It was like he had told her. He had been the only one to tell her this. The only one to believe that her studying, her knowledge was enough to bridge the gap between herself and her friends. And, just this once... she wanted to believe this to be true. To believe in him. To believe in herself!
So Chieko took aim with her own slingshot, and firing a massive fiery blast directly at Kimiko, making the girl ignite upon impact. Kimiko fell back, grabbing onto the ground, before she noticed that Chieko’s attack had left the floor scattered with spikes and more explosives, igniting them at that instant, leaving the blonde girl lost in the smoke.
“And…?!” Hideyoshi voiced, just as Kimiko and Chieko both placed their respective dishes onto the judge’s table.Kimiko had served her Coconut-Ginger Chickpea Soup.Chieko had served her Clean-Cut Nabe w/ Mushroom Dashi.Both girls stood before Alice, Berta and Cilla, both of them almost out of breath, but standing firm. The stadium was utterly quiet, with all eyes on them. Berta and Cilla were quick to have a taste, and after a pause, both young women gave their vote, and the entire stadium could be heard gasping. Because…Berta had voted for Chieko.While Cilla had voted for Kimiko.“A tie?!” Hideyoshi announced, as both he and Daisuke turned to Alice, who seemed to be pondering it.“I don’t want either to lose,” Hiroshi noted, solemnly, but his eyes still fell on Kimiko despite himself.“…I agree,” Yasu noted, but his eyes fell instead on the very worried Chieko.Mika and Mona said nothing their eyes instead on Alice, as she seemed to ponder her decision.Kaori, sitting further back, had her eyes narrowed on the plates having been offered. If she were to make an educated guess based on what had been brought forth, then, to her, the winner would be…“T-This is bad…!” Akiko grimaced, resisting the urge to bite her nails. This was not supposed to be this close! Kimiko Yukihira was not supposed to be this good!“Again,” Shoto simply noted, smirking, “Your Boss’ plan sucks.”Akiko just glared, both at him and at the arena, since she couldn’t do anything at this point. Why was Kimiko Yukihira this strong? This made no sense!“…While quite the delectable dishes served before me,” Alice began, and both Kimiko and Chieko froze, “I think, that I can safely say that my vote would go to…”And her eyes shifted, and in that instance, Shigeo, Akiko and Chieko all felt their entire worlds drop. Kimiko sported the widest of grins, because her Aunty Alice was looking just at her, meaning…
…In a flash, before Chieko could even react, Kimiko appeared out of the rubble and pulled her fist far back, and motioned to smack it right onto Chieko’s torso, taking all the fight right out of her. But… It never reached. She took aim, but seconds before she took Chieko out…
“A pause, if I may.”Alice stopped, mid-sentence, turning to the side, as a finely dressed man walked onto the stage. The whole arena began to murmur, all the while Kimiko and Chieko both turned, both equally confused.Hiraku looked on, eyebrow raised.Akio was just as confused, a sense of dread slowly building in him without him even knowing why.Suzume had her head tilted, wondering who this was.Shigeo… Shigeo’s eyes were as wide as could be.‘…What?’ he tried, ‘Why is he here? What’s going on? Auntie… no, I didn’t ask you to go this far! What are you doing?! This is too much of a risk even for us! Why… Why did you bring him here?!’As now, right there in the arena, stood one of the four former Neo-Noirs who had once almost opposed the famed Jewel Generation, now turned one of the WGO’s finest Bookmen.One Julius Bedlam.“…We’ve been receiving quite a few complaints over this Autumn Elections and their procedure Madam Headmistress,” Julius calmly noted, his sharp eyes on the baffled Alice, “So... allow me to intervene for the duration of this little event.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
In the ever-expansive garden meant for the Elite Ten students to gather and hold their meetings out in the warm breeze, seldom used for such purposes since the current Council of Ten students had a very rough time agreeing on pretty much anything, it still served as a decent spot to receive outside guests from time to time. For the current Second Seat, one Kiyoko Saito, it was the perfect spot for a nice picnic and sweet treat giveaway, even if the conversation at hand was anything but sweet. She had been following along to an extent, since she knew it involved Shigeo doing something or the other, but as long as he kept in line and didn’t absolutely wreck the Autumn Elections, she didn’t think it would merit her involvement. Granted, this was still Shigeo, and the surprise guests before her now made it clear that, yeah, he was pushing it a bit.Granted, she wasn’t the one most disappointed by these results, as her oldest friend, and elder brother of said troublemaker, the Third Seat himself, Masashi Eizan, was rather livid by this whole fiasco and doing a rather poor job at pretending otherwise. As Kiyoko took her seat, placing her fresh treats on the table, she couldn’t help but give a little knowing smirk at the scowl plastered all over Masashi’s face, as their two esteemed guests seemed to have opposite reactions to the situation at hand.The young girl, who despite being the same age as all of them, was petite by nature and seemed like a First Year who had tagged along with the older kids. Black skin, dark eyes, and dark spikey hair that gave her a tomboyish streak, she was currently taking hold of one of Kiyoko’s treats in-between her slender fingers and taking a taste with much glee.“These are so, so good Kiyo!” she said.“Mind your manners Rose,” her elder twin brother, an outright clone of a younger Julius, dressed just as fancy, top hat even, told his twin sister, as she merely rolled her eyes, “We didn’t come her to mooch off their hospitality. We are here on business, or rather, father is… of course, having to entertain Shigeo’s little plots because mother spoils him too much.”“Hey, my hands are tied!” Rose noted, extending her arms and mockingly pretending her wrists were handcuffed together, “Mom’s the one bending over backwards trying to keep all of us happy despite how opposite our goals are. Just ask grumpy pants over here, ain’t that right Masashi?”“I am not grumpy Rose,” Masashi merely noted, his scowl ever present, “And it is no bother to us if you wish to enjoy the treats. Same goes for you Jacob,” he added, turning to the elder twin brother, who merely smirked at the mention, “As long as Auntie Yukichiko and Uncle Julius keep things in order, I have no need to worry.”“You sure?” Rose noted, resting her head on the table, a little grin on her face, “You look mad. Don’t want me to go in there and put them all in their place? I can pass off as First Year. Heck, I can teach little Shigeo a little lesson if you want me to.”“Stop threatening our cousins,” Jacob noted, his eyes on Masashi, “But she is correct. You do look displeased. No need to fake it.”“I am not…”“He is very much so,” Kiyoko voiced for him, making him flinch in response, “The integrity of the Autumn Elections was already sullied by having to be modified to accept the young Hiroshi into its ranks, something Masashi very clearly did not accept then, and, he doesn’t much accept now either.”“All for what?” Masashi just mouthed, “We risked the very integrity of our esteemed, honored tradition and he lost in his first round.”“Hey, he made it into the tournament proper,” Kiyoko noted, a little innocent smile on her face. It was hard to tell if it bothered her at all or not, “That is still noteworthy in itself.”“But I do understand Masashi,” Jacob noted, his eyes on his cousin, “The Elite Ten has had quite a fall for grace in recent months. I understand how it would frustrate you. Six of your Ten are Second Years, and Ran Mimasaka proved to be an embarrassment by losing to a Second-Year brat.”“Oh, come now, Ran wasn’t really taking that seriously,” Kiyoko defended, “She was trying to help motivate Hiraku. He’s a bit… he’s something, okay?”Masashi didn’t say anything, instead kept his arms crossed, and his eyes narrowed.“Still gave the Elite Ten a bad look,” Jacob added, “At this stage, why, all Ten members should be made up of Third Years. This idea that only four of you are worthy is absurd. Especially when out of those six, one comes from nowhere, the other three were utterly humbled by this one, and the last two are so insignificant Noboru didn’t even bother to add them to the Autumn Election committee.”“Noboru actually has no idea we gave that job to the Second Years, like at all,” Kiyoko explained, with a little grin, “He is certain I’m the one supervising that.”“Oh? Naughty,” Rose noted, smirking, “And why aren’t you? Wanted to give our precious Shigeo the illusion that his little plots are going unnoticed?”“Not that,” Kiyoko replied, “I had… other plans.”“If Noboru ends up with the blame for whatever this mess turns out to be,” Jacob concluded, “Then his position as the First Seat could be called into question, now wouldn’t it?”“Oh! Damn girl, that’s ruthless!” Rose added, and Kiyoko simply shook her head.“Do not put such plots into my head, I am doing no such thing,” Kiyoko merely replied.“And what of you Alpha Male?” Rose added, smirking at Masashi, who frowned at her, “Need our assist to whip your Elite Ten into shape?”“Do not refer to me in such a vulgar manner,” he corrected, and while Rose just laughed, Kiyoko merely tilted her head in confusion. Vulgar? That? “…And, there’s no need. Kiyoko and I will fix this ship, soon. Let my brother finish his little plot. With uncle now here, he won’t make too big of a mess, and afterwards, I will make sure those four cooperate or deal with them myself. I shall not permit a repeat of this event to occur.”“Just know…” Jacob added, and it made Rose, Masashi and Kiyoko turn to him, since when he spoke in such a serious tone, it was almost like hearing his father Julius talking. And that was nerve-wracking even to them. “…If worse comes to worse, Rose and I have our small group back at the WGO. All of us former First Years of Totsuki, well versed in what this school needs. Well versed... in what an Elite Ten should be. With us both, enough for six new Third Years. We could request a transfer, and if needed, make a motion to kick out the six Second Year Elite Ten members currently polluting your ranks and give this school a true, Third Year exclusive Elite Ten.”“But that’s mean…” Rose noted, with a little snark, “We’d have to kick poor Shigeo out. That would make me sad.”“Just an offer, nothing more,” Jacob said, his eyes on just Masashi’s, “But one well worth considering. I know what you want. And you know, with how things are going right now, if you cannot bring order to these kids, I’d be more than happy to do so for you.”And for the longest time, Masashi said nothing…-0-“W-Wait! Who complained?!” Alice blurted out, standing up, as Julius made his way towards the judges’ table. Berta and Cilla sat back, both of them eyeing each other, but a bit too out of their depth to say anything on the matter.“That’s confidential Madam Headmistress,” Julius noted, and Alice just puffed up her cheeks in a pout. “Pouting won’t make me break the WGO’s rules. Just know that our offices have been flooded with complaints since before the Autumn Elections even began. First you all modified the rules to allow one more participant than is usually allowed…”As Julius spoke, Hiroshi felt a chill, and Mika had turned to him, the concern evident in her eyes. Someone had complained about that?“…I-I mean, it was a decision that the Elite Ten did not make lightly,” Alice offered.“But it is one beyond what they ever do,” Julius explained, “And, since it did begin, the new app you had been singing the praises for has proved problematic at best, mediocre at worst. Your own daughter ‘forgot’ to add her ingredients, and now, your niece came fully stocked with ingredients that are the polar opposite of the theme she was instructed. As much as we in the WGO applaud ingenuity, Totsuki Academy is the main school of The Seven, and as such, should lead by example. Such fallacies should not be allowed, and upon so many complaints, I was tasked to intervene.”“Oh, come on!” Alice barked, “This is an internal affair, Julius! We’ll do an investigation ourselves, and if needed…”“If needed? What? You’ll make corrections? When? After the tournament ends?” Julius asked, and Alice just flinched, “That is unacceptable. Once these complaints reached my desk, it was out of your hands. This is no longer just a Totsuki affair, so please, allow me to do my job Madam Headmistress.”“Ah! You are insufferable!” Alice cried out, but she sighed and moved out of the way, as Julius nodded and took his seat on the judges’ table, making both Berta and Cilla flinch. What was happening? Julius, then, turned his eyes to the two dishes served before him.“And this is the offering made by the two chefs before me?” Julius noted, as his sharp eyes turned to Kimiko and Chieko, “Chieko Marui, and… Kimiko Yukihira…”“Y-Yes sir,” Chieko voiced, offering him a small bow.“Yeah, that’s it…” Kimiko noted, her eyes on the man. Why did this feel so, so wrong?“There’s been a change in the judging?!” Hideyoshi announced, still confused, as he and Daisuke looked on, all the while Hiroshi, Mika, Yasu and Mona all stared down at the scene, with all the other kids equally confused by what was even happening.“Hey! Four-Eyes, explain!” Suzume called out, her eyes on Shigeo, who still looked like he had seen a ghost, “Who is that?! And why is everyone so scared?!”“S-Seriously? Are you unfamiliar with all the main chefs that don’t come from this Academy?” Shigeo noted, and without even waiting for a response, since he knew that, yeah, Suzume had no patience for anything that she didn’t deem interesting from the get-go, he explained, “That’s Julius Bedlam. Back in the day, during the Jewel Generation, as in, the time of our parents, back when The Seven used to be at each other’s throats, four chefs of their generation made a name for themselves outside of the schools. The Neo-Noirs, they called them. Julius was one of them. Another was Ashitaro Sadatsuka…”“Sadatsuka?” Akio repeated, his eyes on Shigeo, “As in, like Ran?”“Yeah, like her,” Shigeo noted, “I don’t know all the details, but it seemed like there was an initial plan of an Intercontinental Shokugeki between all seven schools and these four. No idea why it never happened. All I know, the other two of these Neo-Noirs, the so-called King and Queen, they’re the ones who won that year’s BLUE, well, one of them did, not sure which.”“BLUE?” Hiraku asked, and Shigeo just rolled his eyes.“Please tell me you at least know what that is.”“Oh… I’ve heard of it,” Hiraku noted. Or at least, he thought he did. Was that not the cooking competition his mom had declined to go, or was he mixing stuff up? She never seemed to give it much thought, so he didn’t either. His father had seemed bummed out though, but again, it was cooking, so it made sense.Julius, his eyes on the plates, took a taste of each dish, carefully savoring both vegan dishes, before he raised his hand, and with his finger, pointed at one of the girls. For a split second, the entire arena seemed to freeze.“You get the vote,” he noted, firmly, “Both dishes are well worth the stage they are being presented on, but only yours uses the ingredients in the most ingenious way. One feels like it’s making up for the lack of the other ingredients, while this one seems tailor made for this theme, and nothing else…”And it was a shock. Because…Winner: Chieko Marui“Huh?! Me?!” Chieko cried out; eyes wide.Everyone was frozen in place, and Kimiko’s eyes seemed to shift. She looked at the screen, then at the dishes, then at Julius himself. This… She didn’t want to say it. Didn’t want to voice something she would regret. But, wasn’t her Auntie Alice about to award her the win? So why? Why was her dish now not good enough?!“Wait? The blonde cutie lost?” Suzume noted.“H-Hiraku?” Akio voiced, turning to the redhead.Hiraku said nothing, merely shrugged, his eyes on both dishes on the table for a brief moment.Shigeo also said nothing, but he did narrow his eyes, and tried his best not to smirk. ‘Not fair Uncle. You’re making it hard for me to pretend so much. But… yes, you see things my way, don’t you? You see what true talent and skill looks like, as opposed to just flashiness on a pan.’Chieko seemed to stammer, more so than usual, as she turned to Kimiko, and here, the blonde had to force a smile and a nod. Pretend this didn’t feel wrong. Pretend it didn’t hurt. And pretend it didn’t bother her that it did bother her, because, being a sore loser was one thing, but should she feel like this that her friend won? Didn’t that make her a bad friend?“Kimi… I…”“It was super thrilling Chieko,” Kimiko tried, “You are amazing, just how I thought you’d be. Which, now that I think about it, means you’re headed to the finals against Kaori…” Kimiko noted, and with a genuinely mischievous glint in her eyes, edged closer to Chieko to whisper, “…give her hell.”“Kimi! Behave, I-I don’t think I could ever hope to…” Chieko began, but the moment Kimiko began to outright pout at her Chieko quickly course corrected, “By which I mean, of course! If I can somehow win against you, I can of course win against her too!”“Nice save.”“I-I know…”“Now then,” Julius voiced up, and even without a microphone, the man’s voice commanded attention, “The WGO’s time is limited, meaning, given our ongoing investigation of this… event, I don’t have the time to remain here for tomorrow. Hence, I propose an alternative.”“Wait, what now?” Alice voiced up, arms crossed against her chest, her eyes narrowed. This felt… off. “You keep alluding to some grand conspiracy and yet all that happened was a glitchy app, at worst. What are these complaints!? I demand to know!”“Once the investigation is concluded, you will be given all the details, I assure you,” Julius told her, before he turned to the crowd, or, rather… “But for the purpose of fairness, I am more than willing to judge the final round, right now. Classic Totsuki fashion. Random theme, full prep. What do the two finalists say?”As Alice pouted at having her Autumn Elections outright held hostage at this point, and Hiraku, Akio, Suzume and a very pokerfaced Shigeo looked on, Chieko felt her spirit leave her body. The Finals, now? She seemed to even get her vision a bit blurry, but tried her best not to just faint.Kimiko looked on, and her eyes turned to her family. Her Aunty Alice seemed peeved, and yeah, so was she, but if she couldn’t do anything, it meant this was legit, no? Her Uncle Ryou was standing further back, hands on his pockets, but the man seemed to be glaring daggers at Julius. More than usual, she means. Was there some history there? Not that it mattered, she lost, and for now, she had to step down. She last looked at her brother, and it hurt. He wasn’t even looking at her, already focused on the prospect of this next match. Of course. He would only look at her as long as she kept winning. Once she hit that ceiling, once she failed to match the impossible standards he and their mother shared, his attention drifted elsewhere. And she just looked away, and pretended it didn’t hurt like it did.She wasn’t a little girl. She wasn’t desperate to hear her older brother express his pride in her at least once.No.…of course not.-0-Kaori Hayama vs Chieko MaruiThe match had begun, with Julius, Berta and Cilla seated in the judges table, Alice and Ryou standing by, Hideyoshi and Daisuke offering the best commentary they could, Hiraku, Akio, Suzume and Shigeo looking on, and every other student utterly bewildered at seeing the little nerd that could. Nobody could have envisioned this, well, almost nobody…“That’s your doing too?” Shoto asked, and Akiko sighed. Why was he still here?“I refuse to continue this one-sided conversation.”“One-sided?” he asked with a scoff, “You act so mad at me, when, mind you, you’re the one who used me, not the other way around.”“You shot me in the face!”“I… I did what?” he asked, and she outright pouted. Why did he sound so genuinely confused?!“N-Nevermind!” she argued, sighing, “It doesn’t matter. Even you can’t do a thing anymore. Even… I can’t. I never quite figured out how to make her win against our Valedictorian. But it seems the Boss is the Boss for a reason. His connections surpass anything I can muster.”“Can you at least tell me what the endgame here is?” Shoto asked, turning to her, “We… well, you utterly dismantled a Totsuki tradition for this Chieko girl? All for what? Is she supposed to join us? Date the Boss? Put her into the Elite Ten and then use her as a majority vote to replace the Headmistress for someone we favor?”“She… wait, what?” Akiko gave pause, her eyes on him, “They… they can’t do that.”“You’d be surprised…”“A-Anyways, no, that’s not…” Akiko began, but gave pause, her eyes narrowed. Truth be told, she didn’t much ask questions. Her Boss asked her to do this, and she did it. She wasn’t that sure what his goal was. If it was to make Chieko join their ranks, then the secrecy didn’t help, cause how would she know to be grateful if she didn’t even know they did this for her? Then again, he had been very vocal that she shouldn’t know. This wasn’t them “rigging” the competition. This was them making it “fair”. And she just didn’t see it. But it wasn’t her job to understand the assignment, she just had to provide results. Nothing more. No matter who she had to ruin. Who she had to crush.Further back, as Akiko and Shoto looked on at the ongoing match, Timmy Revolver rested himself on the railings, his eyes narrowed, but rather than at the duel, at Akiko herself.“She’s getting too chummy with that Shoto guy…” he noted, the jealousy evident. Next to him, Kou, his hands on his sleeve, just gave the girl a quick look, but then turned his focus onto Shoto.“…He’s hiding something,” Kou noted, his tone low.“You think?” Timmy asked, turning to his masked friend, “Should we… do something?”“Not unless Akiko asks us to,” Kou just replied, “Although I feel we should have tried to get better scores in the preliminaries. I think she’s not all that impressed with us.”“Oh, come on, she adores us!”“We rank just slightly above Kenny in terms of usefulness to her,” Kou noted, before he gave pause, turned to the side, as he saw two other students walking by, and they both stopped upon seeing the two young Noirs, “…And speaking of useless individuals.”“My, that’s a very annoying way of thinking you freak,” Takayuki noted, as he stood by the hall, with Kazuo standing next to him. Well, towering beside him to be exact. “You have a fucking problem with me you masked weirdo?”“Not particularly,” Kou noted, his eyes on Takayuki, before he shifted them to Kazuo, “Although, this is dizzying, having to look so low then so high. You two need a third friend of normal height so the increase is gradual.”“Oh, fuck off with that!” Takayuki quickly roared, while Kazuo said nothing. He looked at Kou’s mask for a moment, and then, at his robes.“…You’re a Chinese chef too?” Kazuo asked, and Kou seemed to narrow his eyes. They honestly couldn’t tell.“My father was quite an expert on the field,” Kou noted, taking his hand out of his sleeve and showcasing his little claw, “This… magnificent object is quite the stellar tool, is it not?”“You seriously cook with that shit?” Takayuki just mocked.“At least I can cook without a stepping stool,” Kou mocked back, and it seemed the two were seconds away from just fighting right then and there. And Timmy was eager to fight, until he remembered that, if Kou fought Takayuki, he had to take on Kazuo, and suddenly, he didn’t want to fight.“Oi, oi, Kou… can we… just talk things out?” Timmy tried, and Kou turned to him for a moment. But whatever he was going to say, he didn’t. He paused. They all did. As all eyes seemed to fall to…“You think this is the correct answer for the theme given little Miss?” Julius voiced, and everyone was utterly quiet, as Kaori looked on, her eyes slightly narrowed.“For the theme we were given,” she began, “I took the time to…”“I know what you did,” Julius cut her off, “Focusing on the medical properties of the dish, rich in fiber, gluten free, well balanced, with a hint of spices and herbs meant to give it a little extra kick that would produce a dish that is both savory and also healthy.”“…Yes,” Kaori voiced, and Chieko looked on, her own dish, a sad example when placed next to Kaori’s, just sitting there. She felt utterly terrified, but like Kaori… “But why do you sound as if I made a mistake? This does not sound like praise.”At this both Berta and Cilla turned to Julius, also confused. Kaori’s dish was so, so good. Too good even. So why…?“Do you wish to be a doctor?” Julius asked, and Kaori seemed to pause.“Excuse me?”“It’s simple inquiry.”“…No, at least, not in the traditional sense,” Kaori replied, “I am a medical chef, and –”“Incorrect,” Julius cut her off, and Kaori’s eyes widened slightly, “You are a culinary student. If you graduate, then you can further your studies and become a medical chef is you so desire. But, right now, at this moment, you were tasked with a theme, and rather than follow the theme and make the best dish that theme allowed, you instead modified it just to have it mold into your specialty. You weren’t tasked with boosting the medical properties of the dish. You were tasked with making the best use of the central ingredient. And this… This feels lacking. A marvelous taste, yes, but one you would have made regardless of theme. The theme to you is an afterthought, and no chef can work like this. If the chef does not consider the client’s main desire, how will he or she fully satisfy them?”“W-What?” Kaori voiced, utterly lost on what she was hearing, “I-I just, my intent was to…”“Take your opponent’s dish for example,” Julius carried on, and signaled to Chieko, “It is not as impactful as yours, yes. However, she took great pains to keep the theme in mind from the start of the cooking process to the moment she served. She studied up on the ingredient, and made sure the result was one that could only be accomplished with the theme given. Do you understand little Miss? While here at Totsuki they do applaud the risk taking, in the real world, for the WGO, we prefer knowledge and dedication to our craft. That’s what can assure results each time. That’s what measures a true chef. So, I do apologize, but your dish is not worth the consideration, so I cannot in good faith score it, hence, the other little Miss, Chieko Marui, gets my vote.”Kaori’s eyes went wide, and time seemed to stop.Chieko was utterly pale. What was even happening?Kimiko stood next to her friends, as she, Hiroshi, Mika, Yasu, and Mona all looked on. Kimiko, standing next to Mona, since she knew the girl was probably already suffering from separation anxiety, still had to do a double take at what was being said. Kaori getting dragged? That sounded deserved, but… also… what? It didn’t sound right. Kaori was infuriatingly gifted, and all that was said, even if Kimiko saw the side that this man in all black made in favor of Chieko, to outright dismiss Kaori’s effort was… why did this whole thing feel so wrong!?“Ladies?” Julius asked, turning to the twin judges, and the two were utterly baffled. Both Berta and Cilla, utterly shocked by everything and having no idea how to exactly counter the comments of a WGO Bookman, just nodded and offered little in terms of actual review. Both dishes were great, even if they believed Kaori’s was far and beyond better, but his point held merit, and he was way more established than they were, so…Winner: Chieko Marui“Oh… I, wow,” Hideyoshi just blurted out, eyes wide, as Daisuke looked on, utterly unable to find the words. They should be jumping for joy, no?And they wanted to, but one look at Kaori, and the way her eyes seemed to deem, as she even took hold of her dish, and with barely a whisper, just said, “I’m sorry, excuse me…”And she moved right away, as the crowd all began to talk and gossip, slowly but surely, louder and louder, and she just wanted to get out of there. She looked up, her eyes on Kimiko, looking down at her, and for once, neither girl could even get any word out. They couldn’t even express themselves properly, both of them with their gazes lost. But, to Kaori’s shock, before she outright tried and failed not to cry, she heard a voice, a tone, she had not heard in over a year…“Hey!” Akio called out, stepping away from the other three, and his eyes on Julius, who gave pause, and turned to the boy. Suzume had to do a double take, since she barely recognized the boy who had spoken up. Hiraku looked on to, his eyes on Akio. For once, even Shigeo reached out, and tried to reign Akio in, since even he wasn’t fond of this type of career suicide, but Akio merely slapped his hand away, his eyes fully on Julius, “She’s just fifteen! That’s no way to talk to a student! Voting against her is one thing, but saying all of that against her very style? That’s out of line! My little sister is the absolute best of her year, and you don’t get to belittle her like that.”“Young man,” Julius spoke up, standing up, as the entire stadium grew eerily quiet. Berta and Cilla seemed frozen on the spot. “I appreciate the siblingship, and… an Elite Ten member, I take it?”“Sixth Seat,” Akio confirmed, but before he could speak more, surprisingly, Kaori rushed over and stood in front of him. Akio paused, eyes on her, and she tried her best to just speak normally.“Brother… it’s fine,” she lied, “Please, he’s a member of the World Gourmet Organization, I… his input is valuable. I can still learn…”“That’s not the point,” Akio noted, “It’s not whether you win or lose, is what he can say and can’t.”“Sixth Seat,” Julius commented, and Akio’s glare shifted to Julius, and Kaori felt so, so weird since this was the last thing she expected. Her brother was going to get banned from cooking and it was going to be her fault and since when did he speak like this, to a WGO member at that?! Her head was spinning, but damn it, she wasn’t going to let her brother ruin his career. “…I understand your frustrations,” Julius added, firmly, “But I have to explain that…”“Actually,” Suzume added, stepping next to Akio, a little smirk on her face, expertly covered with her paper fan, “This event, if it has been such a problem that even the WGO got involved, maybe, us… as the Elite Ten, could call for a timeout and do our own investigation, no? Wouldn’t that have been also appropriate Mr. Tall, Dark and Meanie?”“…You remind me too much of her…” Julius muttered, and Suzume just tilted her head, curious, but Julius knew better than to try to argue with a young lady that reminded her so much of… the Queen.Hiraku slowly walked up to join the other two, and while Akio and Suzume kept their eyes on Julius, he just looked at the worried Kaori, and without a word, took hold of a piece of her dish she still held on her hands. This made her flinch, as she turned to him with a glare. Really? Eating? Now? He didn’t much say anything, just tasted the dish, and gave a little head tilt.“Anything to add?” Suzume asked, eyes on Hiraku.“Not particularly,” he just replied, “Still surprised Akio could… use that tone though.”“Oh, samesies! Kinda hot honestly,” Suzume added.“H-Hey!” Akio blurted out, his face glowing red. Kaori turned back to him, her eyes on him briefly, then on Suzume, then back on him, and… she narrowed her eyes. Is that how this was? Interesting.“But, I’m not very much involved with this event,” Hiraku still added, before he turned back, his eyes on their last member. The glare he received was rather expected, “What’s your opinion in all of this Eizan?”“…We would be rather inconvenienced if we began to call into question the integrity of the WGO, especially since there have been genuine concerns raised against our handling of the Autumn Elections ever since the incident with Lola Nakiri,” Shigeo began, and he wanted nothing more than to shut these three down. He had what he wanted. Chieko had won. But… if he didn’t show impartiality, he could end up screwed. And as much power as the WGO held, he was still a Totsuki student, so he needed to defend both sides, meaning, “…However, I do agree that this final round was indeed rushed, and it is unfair to judge either contestant fairly when every other match was granted far more opportunity to be done properly. It pains me, but I do agree with Hojo. An internal investigation should be the Elite Ten’s response.”“Oh, my, hell froze over!” Suzume cried out, eyes wide, “You?! Agreeing with little old me? Careful… a little more, and you’ll fall for me next, and I cannot handle such dreadful news.”He almost gagged in response. “Do not! That whole stupidity of you somehow being the most attractive female in this academy is ludicrous at best.”“D-Did you seriously call me female?”“She kinda is though,” Akio muttered, and Shigeo rolled his eyes.“I agree, she is,” Kaori added, firmly, and Shigeo sighed. This needed to stop.“Then either of you two date her,” Shigeo just told the siblings, “To me, she’s just so… annoying and doesn’t know what silence is that she’s the equivalent of a damn duck or something. Also, do not make me regret, for once, working with you three as a team!”“You are basically agreeing with us at gunpoint four-eyes!”“And it’s weird,” Hiraku noted, and Shigeo turned to him, “You didn’t say anything until now. Someone as smart as you could have called this into question ever since Lola’s match.”“Do not try and understand how difficult this whole event is to run Yukihira,” Shigeo shut back, “You couldn’t even tell your own cousins apart. You are the last person I want to hear this from!”“I-I, hey!” Hiraku shot back, frowning, “I said I was sorry! They are twins! It’s… confusing, but that’s not the point…”“I would genuinely be surprised if any conversation with you had an actual point.”“Can we focus?” Akio cut in, eyes on both.“This has gotten so out of hand even this one regrew his backbone!” Shigeo just added, and while Akio frowned, Kaori legit glared at Shigeo. He ignored them both, “But, let’s just call it. Are we four, for once, in agreement that this Final Round should be… I don’t know, reconsidered or reevaluated?”“I mean, are we?” Suzume asked, turning to Akio.“If… that’s something you think feels right,” Akio added, his eyes on Kaori, who was going to reply, but when he took his hand and caressed her hair like he used to do when they were kids she almost melted and had to frown at him because she was so not getting babied in front of an entire audience! She had an image to maintain!“I vouch for whatever the majority agrees with,” Hiraku just added, and Shigeo scoffed.“And that’s his contribution to every damn problem.”“Hey, I avoid issues, okay?”“…E-Excuse me?”The Elite Four paused, turning to the side, as Chieko spoke softly, raising her hand, her eyes on them. Hiraku had long forgotten she was even there, Akio looked at her with concern, since while he was worried for his sister he didn’t want to undermine her own efforts, Suzume gave her a bright smile that outright made Chieko blush (how was this girl this ungodly pretty?), and Shigeo… Shigeo gave a genuine pause and turned to her. She looked so lost, so confused, and damn it, this wasn’t his plan. He wanted to boost her up, to let her see what he saw in her, not leave her this conflicted.“…I also wish, if possible, for this to be reconsidered,” Chieko spoke up, “Lola, Kimi… Kaori,” she added, looking at Kaori for a brief moment, “I know their talents. All the things that happened, I wish not to be given the victory if there’s even a fraction of a chance of this being wrong or illegitimate.”“Your victory is earned,” Shigeo spoke without even thinking, and he bit his tongue a bit, since he didn’t want to play his hand like this. The others turned to him, and Chieko looked on, fidgeting in place, her eyes a bit wide and a light blush on her face. She had not expected him to talk to her in such an earnest tone, “If there was any fault here, it’s on our end. We’ll resolve it. But you earned each of your victories Marui, so hold your head up high. You proved it. How to bridge that gap with knowledge.”“Eizan-senpai…?” Chieko tried, blushing, as she looked away. She didn’t want to show it, but his words, his assurance, made her feel so happy inside she was struggling not to smile.Kaori, however, did not find it cute at all and was glaring daggers at Shigeo. Bridge the gap with knowledge? Excuse you, what was he implying? That she was stupid?Yasu, up above, was gripping the rails so hard he was almost bending them.“This all got so messy,” Hiroshi noted, eyes on the scene below, “But, Chieko won, technically, so… are we… happy?”“…yes,” both Yasu and Mika replied in unison, both of them utterly dryly at that, which made Hiroshi turn to them both with a very confused look. They sounded so not happy at all.“…Is there something we should know?” Mona asked, her eyes on the two, before she turned to her cousin, and tried, “Kimi… what do you think about… eh?”“What? Nothing, just, look at that, an actual older brother who immediately defends his little sister when she gets mistreated,” Kimiko spoke with so much spite the other four had to turn to her with perplexed looks. Girl was not even focused on the issue at hand, “How wonderful that must be, no? But no, Kaori gets the nice brother, I get the idiot who confused our cousins and if I don’t win doesn’t even look at me. Phooey, this entire tournament has been horrible, I want a refund!”‘…We didn’t pay…’ all her friends thought in unison, but decided against saying anything. The girl seemed to be internally struggling with something, so best they let her manage that.“Is that a win?” Shoto, up above asked, as Akiko had grown so pale he wasn’t sure she had fainted or not.“…Shut up,” she just voiced, as she sunk her head onto her own thighs, ‘What was this even?! Why?! All we needed was for Chieko Marui to win and that was mission complete! But no, the girl has to be such a goodie-goodie and call to question the event, and of course, the Boss can be mean to everyone except to her! I… I have no idea if I accomplished my mission or not!’Shoto just stared at her, the mess she was, and just gave a little laugh, “…I’ll take that as a ‘no’.”-0-“Welcome back!” Satoshi Isshiki greeted the returning competitors that night, as all the middle school kids all gathered around to welcome their all-star team. Isshiki had prepared the Polar Star Dorms for the occasion, even if he had been surprised by the fact that the final round had been done today, and not tomorrow like scheduled. But surprisingly, little Chieko had won, and he couldn’t be prouder. Of all of them. Granted, he had also heard from Ryou, about how things had taken a little intense turn, and it seemed Ryou and Julius had spoken after the event, with Alice joining in after giving her prepared (and rushed) speech. Tensions were high, so it was his job to calm them down… except, unlike before, what he received was a series of kids all who looked less happy that the last, “…Hmm? I take it you all have some stuff to unpack?”“I-I… I sort-of won, but, it doesn’t quite feel…” Chieko noted, being the first one to speak, as the group came in, and all the younger kids gathered around, eager to hear the gossip.“You did win, why are we so gloomy about this?” Hideyoshi quickly spoke up, eyes on his friends, “If the app was glitchy or made a mess of things, that’s still not your fault. I say the victory is just as valid regardless.”“B-But I understand why Chieko would be bothered,” Daisuke commented, “Lola Nakiri, Kimi, and even…”“Oh, come on, are you worried about Kaori Hayama?!” Hideyoshi shot back, and Daisuke felt his eye twitch. “Had the tables been turned, she wouldn’t have given a damn about any of us. You saw how she spoke to Hiroshi. Nobody speaks to Hiroshi like that!”“…I, well, I’m not mad at her,” Hiroshi offered, walking up alongside the rest.“You should be,” Mika added, her eyes narrowed at Daisuke, “And, yeah, I agree with Hideyoshi. Screw Kaori. I’m glad Chieko put her in her place.”“Come on, the way that Bookman spoke to her was a bit too mean,” Hiroshi cut in, eyes on his cousin.“We shouldn’t argue about this,” Chieko tried, but before she could try and change the topic, to her surprise, Yasu spoke up.“Why don’t you just tell them?”“Tell them?”“Tell us?” Hideyoshi voiced, as they all turned to them. Kimiko, the last one to drag herself inside, gave pause, and focused on them all.“Yasu, what do you…?”“Come on,” Yasu voiced, “Enough. I get it. How much you want this to be true, but the only student who benefited from that app “glitching” out was you.”“Are you saying I did something?!” Chieko blurted out; eyes wide.“Oh? Did you?” Hideyoshi asked, and Chieko just pouted at him, “Hey! You are smart and stuff!”“Different kinds of smarts!” Chieko shot back, before she turned to Yasu, “And no! I never did, never would! I wouldn’t hurt Lola like that, or even Kaori, and especially not Kimi!”“…It was a bit lucky, no?”Chieko froze, her eyes to the side, as Kimiko had spoken up, her own eyes looking to the side, as if she didn’t want to outright voice the thoughts in her head right now.“…Say it Kimiko.”“…Lola, me, Kaori, the only three students screwed over just happened to go against you,” Kimiko said, and she almost regretted it as soon as she did. The way Chieko’s eyes widened, the hurt in them, was not what Kimiko wanted to convey. She felt that something was wrong, but… blaming Chieko? Did she really want to do this?“Kimiko, Chieko wouldn’t…” Hiroshi tried, and Kimiko turned to him, trying to muster a smile and just say she misspoke, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.“I’m not saying it was Chieko, at least, not directly,” Yasu added, and as they all looked at him, he looked at Chieko, “But you’re not being honest with us. He approached you. Promised you everything, and lo and behold, it happened. Come on, you’re not this dumb.”“Hey!” Chieko shot back, her breathing getting a bit heavier, “I know what you’re implying. But even he couldn’t have overtaken the entire Autumn Elections for what? To help me win? Why would he do that?!”“Wait… stop using the pronoun game, who the heck are we blaming now?” Hideyoshi asked, utterly confused.“Shigeo Eizan, no?” Mika replied, arms crossed against her chest, and Chieko flinched. She knew Yasu knew, but… Mika too. Mika just glared, and even Yasu seemed surprised. “He was the one who introduced your match against Lola, and the last one to try and correct the mess that happened today.”“Mafia dude did something?” Kimiko asked, her eyes on Mika, who shrugged. She couldn’t exactly say she owed the guy a favor for what he did for Hiroshi.“…But, why would he?” Hiroshi voiced, and while Mika said nothing, Yasu was quick to speak.“He’s been obsessed with Chieko for a while now,” he explained, and as all the First Years reacted to the news in their own ways, the younger kids all gasped and gossiped. “And… she knows. No?”“Yasu, you are being absurd!” Chieko shot back, “You think he would risk his entire academic career to help me win? I’ve turned down all his offers since the start. And why… why would he do this to help me win? Why not last year, during his own Autumn Elections? Why is my victory a priority but him getting wrecked by Akio Hayama not cause for concern?”Kimiko outright snorted at that. As everyone paused and turned to her, she cleared her throat with a small blush, “Sorry, didn’t know he had lost to Kaori’s brother. I so, so would have loved to have seen that.”“Well, he did, pretty badly at that,” Chieko added, before she turned the closest to a glare to Yasu, “Why was that not grounds for cheating, but I somehow am?”“…You don’t know what he’s capable of.”“Then explain!”“He…” Yasu tried, but how could he just tell her he had tried to bet against Shigeo over her and had lost. It felt wrong, but he had been desperate. Mika, too, kept quiet, since her own dealings with The Godfather had proved problematic, but she couldn’t quite voice them. This left both teens quiet, and it served for quite the few misunderstandings to take root.“…You don’t think I deserve this win, do you?”The way Chieko asked, not just to Yasu, but to all of them made the entire group pause. Yasu looked to the side. Mika hugged herself. Hiroshi tried to say something, but no words came out. Hideyoshi bit his lower lip. Daisuke flinched. Kimiko didn’t even blink. She kept her eyes on Chieko, wanting to disagree but at the same time, feeling that… as much as she hated to admit it…“None of you do…”“It’s not like that Chieko…” Hiroshi tried.“It’s not you Hiroshi,” Chieko voiced, as her voice began to break, “You’ve been nothing but supportive, but we can’t lie and say some of us here do not agree with these results.”“…Chieko.”“You seem incapable of thinking, of seeing me capable of handling myself,” Chieko said to Yasu despite his attempts. “That I’m some dumb little girl getting swept off my feet by pretty words and prettier promises. If he’s so bad, then why is he the only one that sounds like he actually believes in me?!”The entire room grew quiet, and the lack of response spoke far more than any words could.“…See? You all agree,” she voiced, almost crying.“Chieko, you don’t understand what he’s capable of!” Mika tried, and Chieko shook her head.“I do, more than you think!” she shot back, “I know he’s dangerous. I know the tricks he can pull. But it wasn’t Eizan-senpai the one who made me feel lesser on that stage! Standing next to you, next to Kimiko, next to Kaori… none of you even looked at me! None of you even gave me a second glance. None of you thought I could win!”“Chieko that’s not…” Kimiko voiced, but Chieko turned to her, and for the first time, both girls seemed to almost glare at each other.“If you had been the one to win,” Chieko voiced firmly, “Nobody would have questioned it. And I, as your friend, would have been the happiest I could be for you. But that’s not it, is it? Kimiko Yukihira winning is expected, but Chieko Marui? That’s a joke.”“Excuse me for thinking that a shady guy, that the first thing he did upon meeting me was use me to give my brother the middle finger, perhaps doesn’t have our best intentions in mind,” Kimiko shot back, arms crossed against her chest, as Chieko stared her down.“G-Guys…?” Daisuke tried.“No, Daisuke, let Kimiko speak her peace,” Chieko just said, and the hurt was evident, “You’re not used to sharing the spotlight, are you? Mika matching you, Kaori beating you, all that hurt, but you could accept it, but… me? Now that’s too low for you, no?”“I didn’t say that,” Kimiko shot back, “But, fine, if he’s so great, then why are you here?! Go and celebrate with your Mafioso boyfriend! He already screwed Lola, Kaori and me. Might as well screw the actual girl he wants to date!”“Kimiko!” Hiroshi quickly cut in, and Kimiko’s eyes widened. She instantly regretted those words, because, damn it, she sounded just like her mom. And that wasn’t how she needed to handle things.“C-Chieko…?”“No… you’re right,” Chieko simply said, and Kimiko felt her chest tighten. This… this wasn’t what she wanted to say, “I should go. Clear my head. I’m… sorry you’re all so disappointed by these results. I’ve been disappointed with myself long before any of you, so… join the club.”As the teens tried to voice different things, Chieko just blocked them all out and walked right out of the Polar Star Dorms, leaving them all confused, hurt and without any idea how this whole thing had gone so wrong.“Well… excellently done friends,” Hideyoshi mockingly added, “We are amazing at de-escalation.”“Oh, shut up Kawashima,” Daisuke just voiced, the pain in his chest still there.Both Yasu and Mika stared, both wanting to explain the truth, their truths, but not daring to say just how much they had screwed over.“…Kimiko?” Hiroshi asked, turning to his blonde friend, and as he looked at her, his eyes widened. Her eyes were wet, and she sniffled a bit, clearly holding back a lot. And, for the boy who she had seen cry so much, he felt a chill at seeing her, the Kimiko, the strongest girl he knew, on the verge of tears herself, “…Kimi, look, it’s just an argument. Chieko will…”“I… I just want to go to bed,” she cut him off, and her voice was breaking. He tried, but she offered him the most hurt smile he had ever seen her sport, before she walked past them all and headed towards the rooms. As they all looked at her walk away, they felt that this was way worse than any of them initially thought, but as Kimiko went upstairs, she seemed to trip, and gave out a cute yelp, before she held something up, “Come on! She left the chicken!”Kimiko held Megane-chi, who just looked at all of them, utterly unbothered by all the yells or hurtful words, and nobody knew what to say to Kimiko.“…Figures, I have to take care of her too, of course,” Kimiko muttered, taking the chicken and continuing to go up to her room, “If it eats my toad, I’m gonna be mad! You’ve all been warned!”And she just slammed the door shut, and the group just stayed in silence. All the younger kids quickly scattered away, and Isshiki, in the kitchen, having heard every word, just sighed. It seemed like an Eizan was always fated to destroy the harmony of the Polar Star Dorms, no matter the generation, and he wasn’t sure how to intervene this time and stop the kids from being hurt by all this in even worse ways.-0-Suzume had arrived back at her place, after a long day of paperwork and arguments with the other members of the Elite Ten over their abysmal handling of the Autumn Elections. She had little interest in formalities, but she still had a job to do. So she went in, ruffled Takayuki’s hair, who argued against being babied, which made her just ruffle it more, before he asked her what had even happened today. And, Suzume just told him the truth. She didn’t know. It wasn’t normally this complicated. It wasn’t normally this… hurtful.But she told him she’d take care of it, as an older sister does, even if she had no clue how to even manage that.Then she headed to the bathroom. Undressed, threw her clothes aside, and got in the hot bath. She sunk herself in, blew a few bubbles, felt stupid even for her, pulled herself out, and after drying her arm, reached over to her phone. She had already dropped two in the bath this year alone, and her mother was so not buying her a third, so she had to be careful. Still, she swiped the screen, and went to the last photo she took. And, she knew he didn’t notice. Because why would he?Why would Shigeo Eizan notice dumb, little Suzume Hojo actually getting one over him?
And he was about to hit send when, of course, Suzume just draped herself onto his lap, holding her own phone onto her face in a mocking motion, mimicking his own style. “Why, yes, hello? This is the big, bad Shigeo! Please, my manly men, daddy needs validation, so please tell me I’m sexy and brilliant and oh-so smart or I may remember I’m only the Eight Seat and get sad!”
Those had been her words, as she “mocked” him by landing on him, but… he never noticed how she had aimed her own phone towards his, and had taken a picture of his screen. And looking at it now, she couldn’t help but frown.‘Close to our goal?’ Suzume thought to herself, as she read the blurry text he had been moments from sending, ‘He was clearly plotting something, from the start. Communicating with those weirdoes with the strange names over whatever this is… But, what is his goal? I don’t get it? Ruin the reputation of the Autumn Elections? Get back at Akio with his little sis? Help the other girl win…? Like, why? Are they friends? Does he have a crush…? Does he get crushes? I mean, he did dance with her, but I’m half surprised he didn’t charge her for the dance… Like, damn it, the answer is here somewhere and I can’t see it!’Pouting at her own reflection, she swiped again, and made a quick call. After a few rings, the boy replied on the other line, and Suzume had to mentally slap herself to stop herself from smiling from just hearing his voice.“Suzume?” Akio voiced, taking hold of his phone with his shoulder, while he held a bowl of his trademark food and took it to the other room, “Everything okay?”“Yeah,” Suzume replied, “Just taking a bath.”Akio outright flinched. “O-Okay, no need to tell me…” he noted, with a heavy blush. Big mistake, because this just made her grin.“Actually, I almost video called you, can you imagine that image?” she teased, and he had to almost smack his head against the wall to, no, not imagine that image. She laughed anyways. “You are totally imagining it, hmm?”“Suzume, please, I’m with my sister.”“Oh? How’s the little darling?”“…Grumpy,” Akio noted, as he stood by the door, to his sister’s room, as Kaori, the ever-serious Valedictorian and her year’s best student… was currently wrapped under her blankets like if it were a little fort. “Kaori, you need to eat.”“…Go away.”“Kaori, come on,” Akio took a seat on her bed, his eyes on the bundle of blankets that was his sister, “Hey, I lost the Final Round too. It’s not the end of the world.”“…Yeah, now I have to get ready to say Marui-sama,” she shot back, and Akio flinched, lowering his eyes a bit, as Suzume, hearing it all, spoke up.“Put me on speaker, would you?”“Huh? Oh, sure…” he noted, and did, and as soon as he set the phone down, Suzume let out the loudest scream either Akio or Kaori had ever heard, making them both jump, as Akio had to hold the bowl not to throw it and Kaori poked her head out of the little pillow fort, utterly confused.“…Did that get her attention?”“Y-Yes,” both siblings voiced at the same time, before Kaori glared at the phone, “And what was that for?! Mind your own business.”“Do not get sassy with me,” Suzume shot back, and Kaori just pouted, “I am here calling your brother to try and ask for his assistance on something, and, since you witnessed it first hand, I think you can help too!”“Assistance?” Akio asked, confused.“…I am well aware of your… eccentricities,” Kaori added, “But keep me out of them. You and my brother can do whatever you want, leave me out of it.”“But this benefits you my grumpy princess,” Suzume voiced, “Because I have reason to believe our good pal Shigeo Eizan may have altered things in the Autumn Elections to benefit himself. All I need, is to know the how and the why.”“You think Shigeo would…?” Akio began, before he gave pause, tilted his head, and sighed, “Yeah, yeah he would.”“…Your Eight Seat?” Kaori asked, her eyes on her brother, “What would he gain from this? From what he did to Lola, to Kimiko, and, debatably, me?”“That, my little sweetheart, is what we’re going to figure out!” Suzume noted with a wide smile, before she added, “So give me a little break, as I finish bathing and get dressed, and we can form a plan! Or… Akio can form a plan and I just nod along.”“G-Get dressed?” Kaori stammered, blushing a bit, before she glared at her brother, “Seriously? You two talk while she’s… like that?!”“I-I didn’t call her!” Akio tried, his face burning red, “And I’m not… seeing her, you know, so…”“Huh? You want more pics Akio baby?”“Suzume! No! Kaori doesn’t know your jokes! She’ll think you’re being…” he almost went pale, before he waved his hands in front of his glaring sister, “She is joking! I swear!”“…Right,” was all Kaori said, as while she knew her brother, knew the type of young man he was, despite his assurance, she didn’t quite pick up that much of a joking tone from Suzume. Was this really a one-sided crush, like she had initially assumed, or did this blonde bombshell perhaps actually have decent tastes and liked her brother back…?…Not that she’s ever express those thoughts to her brother. Never.-0-As Chieko walked through the mostly quiet streets of Totsuki, she had every desire to just swallow her pride and head back. She was mad, yes, but she also knew her friends were just confused and tired. They didn’t mean the things they said, and, it was mostly her insecurity talking than anything else. It irked her, yes, but she didn’t want to lose friendships over this. Win a tournament and lose the family she had found. That was not a worthwhile trade. So, as she gave a pause, and flipped around, ready to try this again and hopefully this time speak with a little less hurtful words and more real meanings, she was stopped when a familiar sight walked into view.Chieko felt her body grow cold.Shigeo gave her the warmest smile.“Massive congratulations to this Year’s Autumn Election Victor,” he noted, and again, she hated how sincere he sounded. How proud. Why couldn’t her friends…? No. She shook her head. Those were the wrong thoughts to have. “Here, a token of my amazement at your well-earned victory,” he added, and she soon saw the hydrangea bouquet he had in his hands for her. And it made her blush. Of course he’d remember. He never forgot. Anything about herself she let slip, he seemed to lock in that massive brain of his and hit her with it when she least expects it. It wasn’t fair. She shouldn't be… feeling like this.“Eizan-senpai…” she voiced, half greeting, half concerned, “You… You didn’t help me win, did you?”He didn’t even miss a beat. “Help you? In what way? I cheered for you, trusted you above all else, and knew, from the start, that brilliance of yours would see you through. You doubted me. Doubted yourself. Didn’t you?”“Of course I did!” she shot back, “Me, defeating Lola? Kimi? Kaori?! There’s no way I would…”“And why is that?” Shigeo merely asked, “Why are they so unreachable to a girl who’s done nothing but study and practice ever since she first set foot in this place? Are they talented, yes, extremely. But it’s like the… Bookman said. They favor the eccentricities over the tried-and-true method. Over the brilliance that makes a true dish. Over the smarts that can not only help you cook, but is also needed to run a restaurant, market a business, manage employees. Totsuki doesn’t prepare us for that at all. And ask any chef. Owning a restaurant is more, far more than just cooking good. And that’s what they lack, and you, just as the Bookman noted, have. You see beyond just the plate and the challenge. And I couldn’t be prouder.”“I-I…” she tried, but her blush was growing a bit too much.“Chieko,” he voiced, so softly, so… unlike him, it made her squirm, “…One chance, is all I ask. Come see what I’m doing. What my business really is like. And I swear, you’ll understand. You’ll see what I mean. Why I want you with me. Give me this one, single night, and I will prove to you, why you belong right next to me, making this business soar beyond anything Totsuki has ever seen…”And Chieko knew she should say no. That she should thank him for everything, and just walk away. Business as usual. But the words, the looks, from all her friends lingered, and she, for once, she was just so tired. So tired of being looked down on. So tired of winning, and still feeling like losing. So…“…Okay, Eizan-senpai,” she said, with the first genuine smile in days, “Just this once, show me, what your little business is all about.”And it was here, it was like this, how Shigeo Eizan had won.-0-And it was here, it was like this, how Kimiko Yukihira had lost.She laid on the bed, so mad at herself, that she wanted to strangle herself. Why had she said such hurtful things? Why was she letting her emotions, her pride, get in the way of her friendships? Was that really it? Was she that damn prideful? If Chieko won, did she not actually believe it? Had Hiroshi won, or Yasu, or Lola, or Mona, or Takayuki or any of them, would she had cheered for them? Or… would that little voice in the back of her mind had poisoned her thoughts and told her, that no, they weren’t good enough. She was better, so she was the one who had to win.She rolled over on the bed, her eyes on the chicken and the toad, the former laying on the floor, the latter, charmingly nicknamed Kaori because Kimiko joked it had the same miserable expression that seemed to judge your very soul, in her small fish tank. And she sighed. She felt miserable.Then her phone rang, and she glanced up at it.For a second, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, it was her brother. Maybe seeing Akio being a good older brother would remind Hiraku to give a damn about her, but no, it wasn’t him. Actually, it wasn’t a number she even recognized.“Hello?” Kimiko greeted; a bit confused.“Hello Kimiko,” the voice on the other end greeted back, and she didn’t recognize the voice, “It is wonderful to finally be able to speak to you.”“I’m sorry, I’ve had the absolute worst day,” Kimiko noted, sitting up, “Who’s this? I don’t have this number saved on my phone.”“…I don’t imagine you would, but rest assured, we’ll be acquainted soon enough,” he replied, and she didn’t quite understand. It took her a long time to understand, “You can call me T.V., and I wanted to ask you, how did it feel to get cheated out of the victory that had already been pretty much called out in your favor…?”
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“…TV?”“Yes Kimiko,” the boy who called himself T.V. replied over the phone, his voice sounding like the strangest mix of genuine charm and that godawful polite hypocrisy that almost every Totsuki student seemed to be so fluent on, “Just a little nickname I thought off, nothing really –”“You’re calling to feature me on TV?!” a very excited Kimiko asked, quickly sitting up on her bed, and began to bounce in place, “Whatever it is, I’ll do it! I just had the worst day, but if you want me on a cooking show, I am so there!”“…W-What, no, listen you stupid idiot, that’s not… I mean,” T.V. seemed to give a pause, clear his throat, and add, “I don’t represent any television program. It’s just a codename. Try to actually listen when someone talks to you.”The pout on Kimiko’s face was something else, “…No TV?”“No TV.”“…Then I don’t want to talk to you,” Kimiko flatly stated, her pout still evident, and her eyes now narrowed, “You just made my bad day worse.”“Well, if there’s anything I can take solace in, is that then,” T.V. noted, with a soft laugh, which made Kimiko actually feel slapped.“The heck?! What is your deal?! What do you even want, calling me this late?” Kimiko asked, fuming.“If you’d let me talk, we would have gotten to that point already,” T.V. began, and as Kimiko opened her mouth to retorn, he quickly added, “Shut up for once. Listen. All I wanted to tell you sweetie pie is that you and I both know you got cheated out of you victory, much like Kaori Hayama and Lola Nakiri were.”“Don’t tell me to shut up you false advertisement!” Kimiko shot back, but gave a pause, and tried to focus on what he was saying. It was nothing new, she felt that already, but… “And what? Is this gonna be the new thing at Totsuki for the next few weeks? People making up worse and worse rumors about why Chieko won the tournament?”“I’m not calling to spread rumors,” T.V. clarified, “I am offering you information. But I do need to make sure you will do something, anything with it.”“…This place gets weirder by the day,” Kimiko said with a sigh, before she slumped herself back on the bed, “But fine, shoot, Mr. Television, what sage wisdom would you bestow upon me?”“One, it’s T.V., with a dot after each letter. That’s important,” he explained, and Kimiko pouted again. That’s not the information she was even humoring at this point, “Secondly, the Autumn Elections app was hacked, shortly before the competition started, hence why Lola’s entire prep was not entered and you got the wrong theme by ‘mistake’.”“Huh?” Kimiko gave pause, her eyes widening slightly, “Hacked? What? But that’s something Totsuki worked on itself. Auntie Alice oversaw the test… thingies you do to apps. How could it have been hacked?”“There’s a very particular Network in these grounds that do all kinds of things beneath the notice of our dear Headmistress,” T.V. explained, and instantly, one face flashed before Kimiko’s mind. And she couldn’t lie, despite not really wanting to believe this guy’s words at face… phone value alone, another part of her told her it kinda made sense.“Is it the Mafia dude?”“If by that you mean Shigeo Eizan, then, you’re half right,” T.V. replied, and Kimiko cocked an eyebrow.“I swear if you say the other half is Chieko, I will find you and slap you,” Kimiko warned, and she heard T.V. give a little laugh, which just annoyed her more, “I’m serious! She wouldn’t!”“Calm down, not her,” T.V. replied, “The other individual responsible is someone I’m taking care off, nobody in your little circle of friendship. So don’t worry. Shigeo Eizan, however, should be a concern.”“And… If I were to take the words of a complete stranger as true despite you offering me no sources of evidence other than ‘trust me bro’, what exactly do you suggest I do to fix this?” a very annoyed Kimiko asked, rolling her eyes, “I can’t take the complaint to my Auntie if I don’t have any evidence, and that… Shigeo, while yeah, the whole school seems to either hate him, fear him, or, well, both, nobody has done a thing about it!”“Until now, yes, you are correct,” T.V. noted.“And why are you helping me anyways?” Kimiko just flatly asked.“If someone said something bad about you, you’d want me to tell you right?” T.V. then asked in a surprising sweet, and very fake tone.“…No.”“What if it was someone you thought was your friend?”“What are you – hold on, other line,” Kimiko just quoted, before she gave a pause, and just began to laugh. She could hear T.V. give a little playful laugh from the other end, before she tried to stop and speak normally, “Seriously? You’ve seen that old movie?”“Can’t beat the classics,” T.V. noted, “but, I’m not really helping just you. I’m helping myself too. And a lot of other people. Shigeo is responsible. You were robbed of a fair match, as was your cousin and… the other girl you kinda don’t like so forget her, but you and Lola, both hurt, humiliated, destroyed, embarrassed, shamed, absolutely, horrifyingly –”“O-Okay, I get it! No need for so many descriptors!” Kimiko quickly cut in, pout back in place, “And, assuming I trust you, what the heck do you want me to do?! March over to… wherever Shigeo is and just beat the allegations out of him?” Kimiko asked mockingly, then paused, then thought… “…I mean…”“As fun as that would be,” T.V. replied, “I’d rather you try and pretend you’re smart and act a little more… like your family would back in the day.”“Auntie Alice would just throw a tantrum.”“Not that side of the family,” T.V. corrected, “This wouldn’t be the first time an underhanded Eizan plot was stopped by someone like you.”“Huh?”“Or a Kinokuni one for that matter,” T.V. added, “Granted, that was a collaboration of evil, but, anyhow, focus stupid one, I’m going to send you the pin of where Shigeo’s little Network is located in, and you do with that whatever Kimiko… Yukihira would do.”“One, you’re stupid,” Kimiko quickly added, “Two, you know where his Network is? As in, like… he has like an evil lair or something?”“It’s a five-story building, a former research facility with each floor designated to a specific area of expertise,” T.V. explained, and Kimiko tried to follow along. Of course, anything regarding Shigeo would be complicated, “And, even now, to the Totsuki staff and everyone else, it still is. Even I didn’t know about it until recently. Shigeo had his Caporegime each challenge the student in charge of each floor, and they took ownership of said floor. Hence, five Shokugeki victories later, each floor belongs to a new student, but unknowing to everyone else, those five serve Shigeo, meaning the entire building is unofficially his.”“Wait?! How many people work for this guy?!” Kimiko blurted out, her eyes wide, sitting back up again, her legs crossed, “And his… what? Capo… eh?”“Caporegime,” T.V. explained, “The top five chefs under Shigeo’s employ, so to speak. Five chefs, like the five fingers in a hand. They’re the ones that he sends to do the hardest tasks. Not individuals to take lightly. But… Oh, damn it…”“Huh? What?”“…I may need to cut our conversation short,” T.V. said, and his tone sounded somewhat… different, “Seems the party set up is almost finished, which means Akiko will be looking for me.”“Akiko?”“…You didn’t hear that.”“Did too!”“Pretend you didn’t!”“…Oh, my, if only I had heard the name the sketchy T.V. dude just let slip out, by golly,” Kimiko just mocked, even if she gave a playful giggle afterwards.“Ah… words cannot describe how much I despise you,” T.V. said with such politeness Kimiko was unsure if to feel offended or flattered.“Why?!”“Another time,” T.V. just cut her off, “For now, just check the pin I sent you and do with it what you will. Do not disappoint me, Kimiko.”“…You’re there, aren’t you?” Kimiko voiced up, and for once, T.V. said nothing, “…And you’re clearly not supposed to be doing this. That’s dangerous. Do you need help?”And the way she could feel how the boy on the other end outright glared at the phone was something she couldn’t even explain.“…There it is. That fake hero complex. The desire to save people as long as it’s convenient for you…” he spoke with such spite she felt he had given the phone to someone else.“It’s not fake! Why do you sound like you legit hate me?! I don’t know you! And you’re supposedly helping me!” an exasperated Kimiko asked.“The enemy of my enemy Kimiko, nothing more,” T.V. replied, before adding, “But believe me… you’ll get yours.”“Is that a threat?”“A guarantee.”“A manatee?”“…You know what I said do not ruin this for me!” he shot back, clearly annoyed, and she just laughed.“Well, join the club buddy, I just entered this school a few months ago and everyone wants a piece of me, so… I’m kinda used to it…” she noted, and then heard the other line go silent, and she pouted again, “Rude. Just hanging up on me. If you’re going to threaten a girl, at least be polite about it…”She then sighed, noticed that he had in fact sent her a pin, but what exactly was she supposed to even do with it? She threw herself back onto her bed, eyes on the ceiling, trying to think of what this mess even was. She hadn’t lied. Ever since she arrived here this whole school was a warzone, and unlike back home, she didn’t even have Hiraku for back up here…She didn’t even know if he counted as “on her side” anymore…Then she heard a knock on the door, and she quickly jumped up. She reached the door in seconds, opening it up in a flash. For a brief moment, she hoped it was Chieko, and she already had the words “I’m so sorry for what I said” in her lips and a hug ready in her arms, but instead, of course, it was Hiroshi, with two thermos coffee bottles on hand.“Hey…” Hiroshi said with his trademark cute smile, and Kimiko still couldn’t understand why, just seeing him, seemed to instantly calm her down. It made that mess of thoughts in her head untangle themselves even if just a little… “It’s been a rough day. Thought you maybe wanted something warm to drink before bed.”-0-Shoto was making his way through the halls of the massive complex that was The Network’s base of operations. It was a huge building, with five floors, all used for distinct purposes, but while they, as in, the new recruits were allowed to go anywhere from the first floor to the fourth, they were not allowed to ever set foot in the fifth. Only The Boss or the Caporegime were allowed up there, and, he assumed, Akiko if she was called. But, as if drawing her in with her thoughts, he turned a corner and almost bumped right into her.“You called?” he asked, eyebrow raised.She seemed to pause, scanning him for a second. “Where were you just now?”“In the bathroom,” she stated flatly, “Do I need to ask for permission for that too?”“…I’m watching you,” she warned, and he just laughed.“In the bathroom?”At this she gave a faint blush and shook her head. “Y-You know what I mean! You may have everybody fooled, but not me…” she noted, but before Shoto could speak, she added, “However, pretending the obvious isn’t obvious,” she said, while inwardly noting ‘and because I cannot let The Boss know about this T.V. nonsense until I have it under control or I am so, so terminated!’, before continuing with, “The Boss, like I promised, saw your efforts in the Autumn Elections, and despite your loss against Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro, he has officially promoted you from the rank of Associate to the rank of Button.”“…The what now?”“It’s an honor!” she defended, with a pout, “An Associate is, as the word implies, just someone associated with the Network, not an official member. A Button, code for Hitman, is someone who is a member.”“Who came up with all this terminology?!” Shoto asked her, and she looked to the side, blushing a bit. He frowned, “It was you, wasn’t it?”“…They sound cool,” she muttered, before shaking her head, “A-Anyways, the Button is the one sent out to deal with the targets the Boss wishes be… eliminated.”“We’re still talking about cooking, right?”“Yes, don’t shoot anyone else in the face,” Akiko added with a glare, as Shoto just tilted his head.“Why do you keep using a reference I do not understand?” he simply said, and yeah, she wasn’t buying it. But, damn it, tonight there was something much more important that T.V. and whatever he wanted. Because… “Come on. The Boss will arrive in roughly forty minutes, since he is taking the long way here in order to maximize time spent with The Chieko by forty-three percent.”The look Shoto gave her made her pause, since she could outright read his thoughts.“…I haven’t come up with a codename for her yet.”“I could tell,” Shoto noted, as they both walked towards the main area of the first floor, where Akiko had told everyone to gather.“Please do be on your best behavior,” she stated, firmly, “Everyone is here. This are some of the most dangerous students in all of Totsuki, and the Boss took great pains to gather them all. You do not wish to make an enemy of any of them… or make one crazy girl obsessed with you…”“That last one sounds oddly specific…”“Thankfully she is not here,” Akiko noted, “But the rest are, so behave.”And as they walked, Shoto took a look at her. This frail petite girl, with pale white skin and black hair, making her look like a ghost girl from any manga, looked absolutely exhausted by this point. “…You sure you’re okay? Like, we don’t get along, obviously, but you don’t even look about to drop dead. You look like you’ve been dead for weeks and just got dug up.”“…That’s the sweetest thing you could tell a girl,” she said, and she wouldn’t lie, she was a little offended.“I meant, is this all what you want? To just be running around doing favors for this Network until you’re spent?” he asked, and she gave a slight pause. Where was this coming from?“…I prefer this. I chose this,” Akiko replied, her eyes with a hint of sharpness directed at him.“You could have made it into the Autumn Elections,” Shoto simply added, and that actually made her flinch, “I wasn’t the only one who purposely held back that day.”“…The spotlight is not meant for me,” was all Akiko said, and before Shoto could ask what the heck she meant by that, the two reached the area where a significant number of students where gathered, and indeed, there were some new faces Shoto had not seen before. Akiko, on the other hand, took a deep breath, and pointed to the side, “Please stand over there Shoto, I need to explain something to everyone before the Boss arrives.”Shoto just nodded, and went to the side, where Emi Kusunoki and Itsuki Kumai where standing. Both turned to him, the former with a sly grin on her face, and the latter utterly emotionless.“My ~ someone got promoted,” Emi noted with a flirty wink, while Shoto rolled his eyes.“Surprising, I am aware,” Shoto replied, “Almost as surprising as the fact that you two haven’t been demoted despite failing twice.”“H-Hey!” Itsuki cried out, “We were tasked with taking out Kimiko Yukihira. She is the little sister of Hiraku Yukihira. The Boss was lenient because he understood the challenge involved.”“Quite,” Emi added, “You, on the other hand, lost to little Hiroshi. That is not as… excusable.”“And yet, the plan I was working on was a success,” Shoto shot back, and Emi seemed to frown a bit, even if she couldn’t lie and deny that when this boy mocked her she kinda liked it. Itsuki, however, was utterly offended, but he couldn’t reply, since Akiko nervously stood at the center and began to address all of them.“T-Thank you for attending on such short notice,” she began, her eyes on the group before her. On one side, stood her Buttons: Emi, Itsuki and Shoto (despite her better judgment). On the other, stood the Associates: Timmy, Kou, Kenny, and… eh? “…Who are you?”Timmy and Kenny turned to their new fourth member (Kou looked in the opposite direction), as standing there, was a new guy they had never seen before. Said guy gave the brightest of smiles, almost as if taken out of a toothpaste commercial.“My name is John J. Johnson,” he introduced, brushing his glossy hair back and making his beautiful eyes sparkle, “And I was just recently brought in. It is the utmost pleasure to meet you all.”“We got ourselves a freak here…” Timmy noted, and he heard Kou scoff.“Like you can talk,” Kou shot back, which made Timmy clench his fists.“Hey! You want to start something at least look in the right direction!” Timmy barked, and Kou paused, before he turned around.“…damn it, I’ve told you to tell me when I’m facing the wrong way!” Kou reprimanded.“G-Guys, easy, I don’t think you all should be arguing in front of…” Kenny was the last one to speak, as his eyes were on the four who were seated on the main table. They weren’t allowed to sit yet, but these four had that privilege. After all…“…I would like to formally introduce, to our newest members… even you John, wherever the hell you came from, to our most esteemed members, the Caporegime…” Akiko began, and she still felt a chill at just looking at them. She had met each of them individually, but this was the first time having all four in the same room, and for something so massive, “We have…”“Oh, cut the crap and let us introduce ourselves. You haven’t changed at all you wet blanket, still shaking like a little leaf…” the only girl of the four, with long, messy light red hair with a sharp bang that covered a part of her face, light skin and light brown eyes, said in clear mockery, “I’m Stella Artois.”“You shouldn’t be that mean Stella, after all, isn’t she the one who will serve us our food? Remember the saying, a person who is rude to you, but nice to a waiter is… wait…” the largest member of the group, a tall, taller than Itsuki even and twice as large, young man with a nearly bald head except for a small orange mohawk, olive skin and dark brown eyes added, or tried to at least, “A-Anyways, the name’s Bud Weiser.”“The saying is ‘a person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person’ you moron, and besides, Akiko Kato isn’t our waitress. No way Shigeo would leave any cooking duties to… her, no offense darling,” the youngest looking of the bunch despite his dark grey hair, which covered half his face, with almost pale skin and small green eyes that seemed to be matching the dark green lipstick he was wearing said with very clear offense meant, “And, oh, my apologies. I’m Tsing Tao.”“…why did we have to introduce ourselves. You guys know I get nervous in group presentations, damn it! You always do this to me!” the final member, a dark-skinned teen with long black hair tied back into a spiky ponytail and black as night eyes said with clear annoyance, “So, let’s get this over with! I’m Heineken Light.”The rest of the group, from Shoto, Emi and Itsuki, to even Timmy, Kou, Kenny and John, all looked on, baffled at the sight. Because, yes, these four were intimidating as all hell, but also…“…Is it me, or are their names…?” Timmy asked, edging closer to Kou, whispering to his… mask.“I’m used to it by now,” Kou just shrugged. This school was weird, and the students even more so.Akiko, however, had to struggle to try and continue. “Y-Yes, thank you all very much, for the introductions and for being here. The Network thanks you all greatly for everything you do and…”“The Network?” Stella interrupted, her sly grin aimed at Akiko, “Don’t talk as if you’re above us little girl. We made this Network what it is. All you do is make sure the computers work. Where’s your respect?”“I-I’m sorry…” she muttered, offering Stella a soft bow, which only made the four Caporegime laugh in mockery.“Careful there Stella,” Tsing added, “If Koharu hears you bullying her precious little girl, she might stab you in your sleep.”“D-Don’t mess around man! That bitch is scary!” Heineken cried out, giving Tsing a shove, which only made the latter laugh.“Oh tell Koharu to go eat shit,” Stella barked back, “That psycho girl act might make you boys tremble, but that bitch doesn’t scare me. We’re in the same rank, no? And look at that, Shigeo’s big moment and she’s not even here.”“…I dunno, I find her kinda hot,” was all Bud noted, and the other three just turned to him and stared, blankly.“…Be that as it may,” Akiko tried, she really, really did, “We have the preparations ready, so when The Boss arrives with The… I mean, with Chieko Marui, we will give her the best impression and assure she joins our ranks effective today. For that, please watch this graph I set up.”As a collective groan was heard, since this sounded less like a party and more like a class, from out of nowhere, two individuals came in from the main entrance. Everyone turned. They stood there.It was Chef-kun and Dog-kun!The Totsuki mascots!They then, in perfect choreography, began to do a series of flips and twists in the air, including a quadruple flip as they both landed next to Akiko, one on each side, before they turned to the rest of the students. Then… the twist. The took of their masks. And it wasn’t Chef-kun and Dog-kun at all!It was the Goombah of the Network!Taichi Yamada and Katashi Umino!Silence filled the building.“Ever since the Autumn Elections began…” Yamada voiced.“…It was always us in these costumes,” Umino concluded.The silence remained.Then Stella smacked Umino in the face with a can.“Nobody cares you two morons!” she fumed, “Stop wasting our time with this nonsense! Zombie girl, hurry and tell us what Shigeo wants or we’re leaving!”As Yamada had to console a crying Umino after their reveal was not met with the roaring applause they both expected, a blushing Akiko cleared her throat and showed the group the detailed graph she had set up (that, to their credit, Yamada and Umino had helped with and had just brought it in, even if she had never asked them to play dress-up), and there, the group saw a detailed design of how they would each guide Chieko through each floor and explain what they did, focusing on the research and data, and… very much not mentioning anything shady.“So basically, you all have, as per the Boss’ request, the duty to offer each of your own perspective of what we-legally-do here and showcase it with a signature dish,” Akiko concluded her explanation, and the four Caporegime all just stared at her, which made her feel faint, but slowly, at least Bud and Heineken nodded.“Right, explaining and cooking, should be fine, no? It’s just one girl, not a crowd, right?” Heineken asked, and Akiko softly nodded.“Sounds good! I’m starving, so let’s get cooking! Shigeo’s gonna be so impressed!” Bud added rather loudly.“Call him ‘Boss’ when that Chieko girl is here,” Stella reprimanded, “We have to look professional.”“Speaking of… professionalism,” Tsing noted, his eyes to the side, to the four Associates, “I know little Emi and Itsuki, and I saw the other one during his Shokugeki in the Autumn Election preliminaries, but who the hell are these four?”“O-Oh, the Associates are our newest members,” Akiko explained, “They are… trying… please be nice.”“Hmm? New meat huh?” Tsing noted, his eyes on Timmy, Kou, Kenny and John, “Say, since we have to cook something anyways, and there are four of them, and four of us, why don’t we give them a little test? A small duel with each of us?”“Eh?” Akiko voiced, before she quickly shook her head, “There’s no need for you four to ever…”“I like it!” Stella cut it, her eyes on them, “I am curious if they’re as useless as they look. And we’ll even throw in a handicap. Shigeo, erm, I mean, the Boss is still about thirty minutes away, so we give them those thirty minutes to cook, while we only use fifteen… What do you say boys?”Akiko was trying to think of anything to say to stop that from happening (the focus was impressing Chieko, not testing these four), but she couldn’t force the words to go against the Caporegime. Shoto just looked on, his hands on his pockets, his glare on each of these Caporegime and their “high and mighty” attitude, while Itsuki was glaring at Shoto because it seemed Emi was staring at the boy with outright heart in her eyes.The four in question however, didn’t seem all that phased by the challenge… well, three of them at least.“You want to make sure we earned our spot within the Network?” Kou voiced, taking his hand out of his sleeve, his culinary claw already on, “Caporegime as you are, it is unwise to underestimate us.”“Wrong way dude,” Timmy corrected, flipping Kou over and making him face the correct way.“Damn it! Tell me before I say the cool line!” Kou fumed, likely blushing, as the Caporegime just looked on, baffled. How desperate was Shigeo?“S-Stop! I don’t think there’s any need for us to duel,” Kenny tried, quivering, “We’re all on the same side after all!”“Oh, I don’t mind,” John said with his trademark unshakable confidence, “Bring it on Copamarines. But I call dibs on the babe!”The Caporegime said nothing. They all turned to a blushing Akiko, their eyes narrowed.“…In my defense… I didn’t scout any of them…”-0-The cold night air made the petite girl shiver, but before she could even complain she felt the most expensive jacket get placed onto her small frame. She paused, turning to the young man responsible. Given their height difference, his jacket almost reached her knees, but the mere gentlemanly act made her blush heavily despite herself.“I already agreed to see your Network, senpai,” Chieko noted with a small flustered frown, “No need to keep up the act.”“Even now you’re still so defensive against me,” Shigeo noted with a light laugh, “I am aware of the reputation I have, but my intentions with you have never been petty manipulations.”“Oh, is that so?” Chieko replied, and it made Shigeo give a slight pause. That tone of hers sounded so, so close to a flirty one he was sure he had misheard her, “By that very logic, if your intentions have never been petty manipulations, it does not deny the fact that you do have other intentions then.”“Oh, word play, is it?” Shigeo said, smirking, “Well played, but I assure you that any such intentions I have are both purely professional and born out of nothing but admiration.”“Both can be true,” Chieko countered, “I cannot just believe a man with such a… colorful reputation as yourself would have no plot that would involve using me in some way to assure your ascension in some way, shape or form.”“I have not lied,” Shigeo offered, as the both continued to walk the empty sidewalks of Totsuki, “My desire for you to join my Network is for you to flourish in a way that you would not otherwise.”“And my point is that the even if I am assured of your intent with the latter, it does not eliminate the possibility of your intent with the former,” Chieko responds, and Shigeo can’t help but smile. Only this girl could speak to him in such a way. No fear. No moronic sense of heroism. Just sheer intellectual brilliance, even in simple conversation. “Basically, how am I to be assured you'd place my well-being over your own interests when all evidence points to the opposite being true.”“Quite, and you are very, very smart in being wary,” Shigeo admitted, as he took a look at this short girl that looked so cute in his oversized jacket, “But like you stated. Both can be, and in this case, are true. But you overlooked the most significant detail in all of that.”“Enlighten me then.”“Both objectives do not have to be at an impasse with one another,” he explained, “You joining my Network will both assist me in my business ventures and academic achievements, while also providing you all the tools you need to succeed, a team that instead of dragging you down lifts you up, and the opportunity to prove to the world itself that you are not to be underestimated, because despite how much you prove yourself, they still doubt your greatness.”“…fancy words,” Chieko noted, her eyes to the side, trying her best not to blush, and if she did, she’d blame the warmth of the jacket.“For a fancy girl,” he retorted, and she had to fight back a pout, “After all, I should be the one here suspicious of your intentions if we’re being honest?”“E-Excuse me?” she blurted out, her eyes back on him, “You? Of me? The most feared student in this school afraid of… little Chieko?”“Most feared is a stretch…”“Oh, really?”“If you had to pick between challenging me or challenging Kiyoko, who would you –?”“You.”He laughed. “See?”“…point taken,” Chieko noted, “But, and I stand corrected, why would a, say, top five most feared student in this academy fear me?”“Because, unlike me, you are your year’s new Valedictorian.”At this Chieko froze, pausing in her steps. He paused too, turning to her, as the moonlight illuminated them both. It just hadn’t occurred to her. She had won. She had defeated Kaori Hayama. She was… effectively her year’s best student, with like fifty asterisks tied to that title, but still. She tried to say something, to argue it, but damn it, she liked how it sounded. She liked the praise. She liked, finally, feeling like someone who was worth the accolades and whose hard work had finally paid off. So, she tried to speak, but no words came, but she didn’t need to. Shigeo simply lifted his arm, and showcased a nearby building to her.“…But we can talk all that and more inside Chieko,” he proudly announced, “We’re here. Welcome… to what soon will be our Network.”-0-Kimiko took soft sips of her coffee, her eyes still downcast, as Hiroshi sat next to her on her bed, his hand on his own coffee, his eyes on the sad blonde girl.“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.“Not really,” she replied honestly.“That’s fine too,” he noted, and she softly smiled.“…Thank you for the coffee…” she added.“I thought it might help,” he voiced, “And I had to make sure I got the correct ones. Yasu keeps sneaking in liquor in some of them and saying its juice, so while I know we had a rough night, I don’t think it was that rough.”“You don’t have to keep being so nice even when I… messed up as I did,” Kimiko said, holding onto the bottle a little tighter, “The things I said to Chieko, how angry I was… she was right. I was jealous. It’s just my stupid ego. Ah… I’m becoming my mom. What am I thinking, me, Kimiko Yukihira, I cannot lose, is that it?”“We all say things we don’t mean when we’re mad and hurt,” Hiroshi replied, “That doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad friend. You know you didn’t mean it. Chieko does too. Once she comes back, you can apologize, hug it out, and it’ll be fine.”“How can you be so positive about this?”“I mean, I did learn it from you,” he noted, and she turned to him, and gave the cutest little head tilt as she did, “…I had given up on being in the Autumn Elections… no, even before then. I didn’t feel like I ever truly belonged here. If I hadn’t been enrolled with Itoko-chan, I’m sure I wouldn’t have stayed.”“But you’re a really good cook,” Kimiko voiced, then paused, “When you try, I mean.”“Yeah, that’s part of the problem,” he said with a little laugh, “But… since I met you. Since I… became your friend, those thoughts of quitting have been less and less. Right now, I want to stay. I want to fight.”“Oh? Hiroshi finally wants to take aim for the top?” Kimiko teased, and he smiled, but he shook his head.“That would be nice, but I don’t much care for the Seats,” he admitted, and Kimiko just blinked, confused, until he added, “I want to stay here just to be able to see how high you’ll go.”Kimiko froze, her eyes still wide, and a very light blush began to adorn her face, before she blamed the coffee and shook her head. “A-Anyways, you’re right! Let’s not dwell on what happened! I will ask Chieko to forgive me and hug her, whether she wants the hug or not!”“…That’s such an aggressive apology…”“That’s how I operate!” Kimiko declared, standing up on the bed, and when Hiroshi looked at her curiously, she extended her hand to him, “Come on, get up!”He took her hand, and ended up standing on her bed as well, blushing now because this felt so childish. Still, the way she was smiling was so pretty so he was not saying a word about it. Instead…“W-What are we doing?” he asked.“Making a vow,” Kimiko declared, and Hiroshi looked at her curiously, “The Autumn Elections were a mess, and I kinda got a call from some weirdo about Shigeo, which, ya know, everybody already suspects, so I’m sure he did something, but who cares? Chieko won, and I’m fine with that. Screw my ego. This is my vow that I will be the best friend to you all, and never let any of you get hurt, or be the one to do so…”“Come on, you’re acting like you betrayed us all,” Hiroshi said with a laugh, looking at the blonde doll before him, “It was just a moment of anger. Chieko knows it. Trust me.”“Yeah, but I kinda now need her to tell me to go screw my boyfriend to make things fair…” Kimiko said with a light blush, and Hiroshi blushed too. She saw his eyes widen, and quickly course corrected, “N-Not that I have one, obviously!”“Y-Yeah…”“Like, if my mom ever heard I said that,” Kimiko added, “Oof, forget the Mafia, I’d be dead already.”“Your mom seemed nice…” Hiroshi noted, and Kimiko just looked at him.“…I, like… I adore her, very much, and she’s amazing, but my mom, when angry, nah, no way, I am not there,” Kimiko explained, even if saying so made her feel a hint of homesickness, but she shook it off, “Anyways, what’s your post-Autumn Elections resolution?!”“Is that a thing?”“It is now!”“…I, well, I swear to become the best chef I can be who can stand on his own, and if my friends need me, then I will not lose the match, no matter who I’m up against!”“That’s it! And I swear I will defend my friends from anyone, even if I have to take down the entire school to do it, and I will only lift each of you up from here onwards!”They both grinned at this, before Kimiko, holding onto both of Hiroshi’s hands, their fingers interlocked, their coffee bottles placed on the side, began to bounce childishly on the bed.“K-Kimiko?!”“Come on! Bounce! This is how we solidify our resolutions! They are unbreakable now!”Hiroshi was a bit confused, but played along, bouncing on the bed with Kimiko, both of them laughing, and it was enough for him. To get her to laugh again. Since he couldn’t have ignored this. The girl that had rushed to help him when she saw him cry, to, when the moment he saw her near tears, not do the same. Not to her. Never to her.…then the bed outright cracked.“Oh, ah!” Kimiko gasped, falling onto Hiroshi’s chest to avoid falling of the bed, having to hold onto his shirt as the bed gave way. Both teens, blushing, looked down, blinking, like little kids that were about to get grounded.Megane-chii the Chicken just stared at the scene, unamused, while Kaori the Toad stared at her own reflection in her tank, thinking of thoughts too deep to ever be interpreted by mere mortal minds…-0-Isshiki had already gotten ready for bed, having spent the time pondering how to sit the kids down and help them talk things through, but he knew it was better to wait until the morning once the temperaments were a bit lower, but just as he took a sip of his delicious tea…“Hey Isshiki,” Kimiko interrupted as she and Hiroshi peeked their heads in from his open door, “Hiroshi and I were messing around and we broke my bed.”Isshiki proceeded to spit out all the tea.-0-Akiko proceeded to enter the main kitchen of the first floor, and as soon as she did, she was assaulted by such exotic aromas she outright felt faint, and had to hold onto the doorframe just to keep herself from falling on her face. There was no doubt, these were the Caporegime cooking their specialties. And it was the same as walking in on Koharu cooking, or almost, the few moments she could even see it, Shigeo himself.Stella, Tsing, Bud and Heineken all seemed to be putting the finishing touches on their plates, and she had to stop herself from drooling over how delectable they looked. Over the sheer gap between a First Year student’s craft and a Second Year’s. Of her own age, the closest to this level she assumed would be Kaori, but given her humiliating defeat, she believed that was no longer the case either. But, these four, she got reminded of their styles upon seeing them at work once more…Stella was an expert in Mongolian Cuisine.Tsing was an expert in Sichuan Cuisine.Bud was an expert in Mexican Cuisine.Heineken was an expert in the many uses of Barley.Just like their missing member, Koharu, who, creepily enough, was an expert in using animal (at least Akiko hoped) blood in all her dishes.Akiko then turned to the side, and as expected, the Associates were all firmly defeated.John was on the floor, faceup, and holding a flower to his chest.Kenny was with half his body sunken into an open dishwasher.Kou was buried headfirst into a trashcan.Timmy was somehow spinning on the ceiling fan by his underwear pulled right over his pants, giving him one hell of a wedgie.“We’re done!” Stella announced, all smiles, before she cocked her head to showcase the fallen Associates, “And… yeah, I would get rid of those. Not like I expected them to match us, but that was pathetic.”“I-It’s not my choice to make,” Akiko tried, approaching where Kou was and pushing the trashcan over with her foot. This seemed to wake the boy up, as he got up, pulled the trashcan off, and now, alongside his trademark mask, his face was also adorned by a banana peel. “Don’t be so dramatic Kou.”“…I wasn’t expecting them to hold nothing back… bullies,” he noted, clearly annoyed.Akiko just sighed, as she stepped on John’s stomach, making him cry out, to wake him up to before she slammed the dishwasher’s door closed right on Kenny’s ass, getting his attention too.“Young lady! I am not the type of man who wishes to be stepped on… no offense,” John complained.“W-Wha…?! What happened?! Kenny stood right up, utterly lost.“Just… try and behave. The Boss is almost here, so don’t make me lock you all in a room until Chieko Marui leaves,” Akiko warned, as Kou stood next to her, looking to the side for some reason, and John and Kenny in front of her, at least looking at her, all three not very amused by it all. Akiko then looked up, “How in the hell…? I mean, can you help me get Timmy down from the –”“AH!”Timmy’s underwear broke and he fell, crashing down onto a set of chairs and breaking them.“–Okay, that’s done, now, grab him, and let’s move,” Akiko instructed, utterly unfazed, as the three boys nodded, and the Caporegime all took their dishes and got ready to go to their respective areas to impress this Chieko girl, but before any of them could move, another voice spoke up, and it almost freaked out everyone there.“Wow!” Rose Bedlam voiced up, sitting on one of the tables, near where Timmy had fallen and was still unconscious, her legs crossed and her hands pushing her little skirt down, as she had the widest smile on her face. “Hello Network! Your security… sucks, by the way, I expected more from the terrifying Godfather… junior.”Akiko went so pale she was almost transparent. “W-Who are you?! Why are you… How are you in here?!”“Easy there zombie girl,” Stella noted, her eyes on Rose, “You need to study up more of the family of the man you work for. That’s Shigeo’s cousin… Rose Bedlam.”Akiko outright felt a chill. Bedlam? As in… Julius Bedlam? As in… Yukichiko Eizan?! As in… SHIT!“Heya Stella, don’t you look hot!” Rose greeted, raising her hand and offering the Caporegime a little wave, “Tsing, digging the makeup, slay you bitch! Heineken, howdy, love the new hairstyle! And wait, is that Bud?! My man! Have you lost weight? Looking good!”While Stella, Tsing and Heineken all forced a smile at the girl, Bud grinned like an idiot, “I sure did! Thanks for noticing!”The three just glared at him in turn, and he blushed, his eyes to the side.“I-I… Miss? Madam? Boss Lady…?” Akiko tried, as she approached Rose, who turned to her, eyebrow raised.“Huh? Just Rose is fine,” she noted, and while Akiko nodded, Rose eyes narrowed, “And you must be the hacker girl. My, you couldn’t be scrawnier. We have to be careful I don’t leave the window open or a light breeze might just steal you from us…”“I am aware of my frame,” Akiko noted, “But, more importantly does the Boss… know you’re… here?”“Hmm? He still makes you all call him “Boss”, huh? Ego much?” Rose noted with a roll of her eyes, “But, if he’s so smart, he damn well should. After all, because you kinda sucked at making that Chieko girl win, daddy had to come in and finish the job for you, so!” Rose noted, and bounced off the table and landed right in front of Akiko, her sharp eyes looking like a predator at its prey, “I didn’t travel all the way from the WGO to just hang out at the house. I want to meet this Chieko that merited all this effort. Or are you… saying I can’t stay?”“N-No, never!” Akiko quickly clarified, outright shaking, “The Boss’ family is… our Bosses too… so, Rose, you are more than welcomed here.”Rose kept her eyes on her for a few seconds, before she just smiled, “…Good girl,” she then turned to the Caporegime, “Hey! If this is a party, where’s the music? The lights? The strippers? Come on, let’s make this a true experience Chieko will never forget!”And with Akiko unable to say or do anything, the Caporegime just laughed a bit and followed Rose’s lead to “fix” what Akiko had painstakingly taken care of setting up, as the young hacker just looked on, utterly shaking in place. This couldn’t be happening. Ever since she had set foot in the building all she had gotten was mockery and insults, and she couldn’t even argue against any of it. And now this girl came out of nowhere and was going to risk ruining everything and it would still be Akiko’s fault in the end. She felt her body grow cold, her heart hit against her ribs, and the more she breathed, the less air she seemed to get into her lungs. She was starting to feel pins and needles on her hands, and on her feet, and with her vision outright blurry, she tried, tried to… tried to… tried to…She then felt someone gently tug at her sleeve, and it was Kou, still standing next to her.She looked at him, and out of nothing but necessity, grabbed his hand. “…Thanks.”“...I’ve seen panic attacks before,” he noted, “Just focus. It’ll pass.”Akiko knew this too, but it helped to have someone, anyone, to just hold onto. She took a deep breath, and slowly, recovered. She needed to focus. To be strong. So, for now, she just took her time, one breath at a time, until, hopefully, she could get back to work as she needed to. But for this moment, she could just… breathe.-0-Shigeo and Chieko reached the main doors of the Network’s headquarters, and Shigeo helped Chieko up the stairs, with the girl blushing at all this handholding that was going on. If her father knew he’d be having a heart attack right about now. Still, once she saw the building, impressive as she imagined, she couldn’t help but marvel at it.“Quite the high-tech facility, don’t you think?” Shigeo noted, “Personally, I adore the architecture of it all.”“It is quite a sight. And quite massive yes,” Chieko replied, before she turned to Shigeo with a hint of a smile, “Befitting of your ego, I imagine.”He laughed at the jab, finding it cute (actually finding it super duper adorable but he wouldn’t be caught dead using those words to describe anything, even in his own mind), before he opened the main doors to allow Chieko to go in first…“Shigeo!” Rose greeted.…And just as quickly he slammed the door close. “…Actually, we have the wrong building,” Shigeo said without batting an eye, and Chieko just gave the most incredulous look, as she could clearly hear Rose say “rude” from behind the door, and they had also praised the heck out of the building just now.“…She called you by name,” Chieko just said.“No, she said ‘she go’, as in, she’s saying a girl can go… in poor grammar,” Shigeo tried, his mind racing with like one-hundred and fifty different ways to salvage this. Why? Was? Rose? Here?!“I so did not say that! I said your name!” Rose could be heard shouting from behind the door, and Shigeo just gripped the door handle tighter.“…Senpai…?”“…Forgive me, yes, this is the building, and yes, she did say my name, it’s just,” Shigeo tried, and slowly reopened the door, revealing a pouting Rose, “…Chieko, this is my cousin, Rose.”“Aheam!”“…My older cousin Rose,” Shigeo clarified, as Rose gave him a smile and a curtsy, before she turned towards Chieko, and Chieko flinched, since Rose seemed to eye her up and down, slowly, before she walked over and circled Chieko right around, examining her from every possible angle.“Can I help you?” Chieko voiced, as Rose stopped right in front of her, “I would greet you if you allowed me…”“Oh? My bad, it’s just that after such an investment I wanted to make sure of the quality of the… merchandise,” Rose noted with quite the smirk, and while Chieko blushed, not even understanding half of what Rose said, Shigeo quickly grabbed Rose by her jacked and began to pull her out.“Anyways, Rose was just leaving!”“Hey! Was so not!” Rose complained, “Let me go or you know what I’ll scream!”Shigeo instantly let her go.“As I was saying… Rose is welcomed to stay…” Shigeo rephrased, through gritted teeth, as Rose grinned at him, before he added, “But, please behave. We are here on business. Chieko has finally accepted to see my operations and as we are all aware, first impressions are… vital.”“Oh, cousin of little faith, of course I wouldn’t make your amazing operations look bad,” Rose shot back, before she turned to Chieko, “And besides, I approve! I mean…” she motioned to her own frame, then to Chieko’s, “Us petite girls have to stick together, no? Petite pride!”“Yes, right, well, it is a pleasure to meet you Rose,” Chieko still offered, giving the older girl a warm, polite smile and making Rose pause. This…? This was the girl worth all this effort? Poor thing. But, ever the good older cousin, Rose returned the smile and gave Chieko a little nod, before Shigeo guided Chieko into the building itself, and soon enough, Shigeo, Chieko and Rose reached the main area of the first floor, where Stella awaited, with several dishes set out across the table and a bunch of research notes for each one right next to their respective plate. Kenny, who had been instructed to serve as Stella’s lackey, was close by, shaking like a leaf.Shigeo was quick to greet Stella (he ignored Kenny), and showed Chieko what this first floor was all about, with Stella taking over and ever-so politely explaining all the research and studying and experimentation they did, with Chieko’s eyes widening at just everything they did here. And with Shigeo’s warm smile, and Rose’s eyes sharpening at the sight of it all, like a moth drawn to the flame, the promise of infinite knowledge began to draw Chieko more and more into the web that Shigeo had made…-0-Akiko had not fully allowed it to click until she managed to calm down.As Shigeo and the Caporegime showed Chieko what each floor was used for, the words Rose had first used kept echoing in her mind.
“Your security… sucks, by the way…”
And it didn’t make any sense. She knew, even with the buildings internal security, and her own additions, that yes, someone like Rose Bedlam would still probably get in if she really wanted to. But to get that far inside, without anyone noticing? Something was wrong. She sent each of the Caporegime to their designated floor, with each of the Associates to serve as an aide (more like a server / busboy really), with her deliberately sending Kou with Bud, since the latter was somewhat nicer and she actually liked Kou, while she sent Timmy with Tsing cause he was an asshole and she hated Timmy.She also instructed the three Buttons to shadow Shigeo and Eizan, and especially, to intervene in any way if Rose began to go off-script and help Shigeo keep control of the conversation. At that the same time, she did tell Emi specifically to keep an eye on Shoto, which made the other girl give her a confused look, but to Akiko’s surprise, Emi didn’t much argue it. She muttered something yes, but nothing Akiko caught.Lastly, she instructed Yamada and Umino to keep guard at the door, as while she went to check on the security system on the fourth floor, she wanted to avoid any more unwanted guests. The two gave her a quick salute, and headed there instantly. She liked them, even if they weren’t the brightest, they were always so helpful and nice (or as nice as two thugs who bullied kids for a living could be).Which left her, now on the security room, a small little corner office with only one small window filled with monitors and computers, lit only by the light of those very screens, as she approached the main screen, and as she did, her eyes widened.“…Wait,” she voiced, as she began to type to activate the control pad and input the code to verify the files, “Someone did tamper with this. When…?”The security alarm system had been indeed turned off, but worse than that, as soon as the files all showed up, she outright felt her spirit leave her body.The file for Takeo Matsuoka, the Ninth Seat… Gone!The file for Eito Inoue, the Tenth Seat… Gone!And even worse… the dummy app, all the information of how she hacked the system… Gone!She frantically began to type, opening every possible folder, and finding nothing on them. All that material, everything she had gathered. Everything… that kept them loyal to Shigeo or had allowed his masterplan to go off without a hitch… gone!“I didn’t leave any of them out of my sight for that long!” she cried out, quickly switching to the camara system, rewinding it until she hopefully saw something, “I-I mean, Shoto was away, but only for a few minutes! That’s not enough to get here, turn off the security and erase those files and come back down!”Then she gave the camara footage a pause, as she saw someone…It looked… like a student. But not one she knew of. A black hoodie, dark sunglasses, and jeans, with very lush dark blue hair that reached past their waist. The student was quite slender, with feminine features, but she couldn’t tell if they were a female or not, not from this footage alone. They even looked up at the camara, and with their tongue sticking out, gave the camara two peace signs. She bit her lower lip, utterly pissed off, until she noticed something in the intruder’s left hand.A pen drive.“…No, no, no…” Akiko began to freak out, “They didn’t just erase it. Damn it, they copied it! They stole my blackmail material! They stole what I did with the Autumn Elections!”Acting instantly, Akiko clicked another key and made the screen reflect additional data, and she focused fully on the timestamp.“…This was twenty minutes ago,” she noted, outright glaring at the screen, “There’s no way you got out of this building without any of us noticing. I had to have caught a better glimpse of you somewhere else…”She began to check the camara that recorded the exit to the security room from that timestamp until the current time, and… nothing.“W-What?” Akiko asked, utterly baffled, “Why is there no recording of this person exiting the security room? Did they erase that too? No, they would have to come back in, and the footage of this room hasn’t been altered… No way they exited from the window, we’re in the fourth floor! There’s…”Then she paused, because like a bucket of ice water, it hit her.“…Unless…”“I haven’t left yet.”Akiko outright shrieked, as she felt the soft voice of the boy or girl (she still couldn’t tell and was too freaked out to care) speak right behind her. She fell back, landing on her bottom on the floor, hard enough for it to hurt, and tumbling the keyboard down with her. The individual with the long hair and sunglasses looked down at her for the briefest of moments, before they showed something else they had just grabbed, which made Akiko turn outright transparent.“…When will you idiots learn not to stuff your smart phones on your back pocket?” the intruder asked, in a tone that was both sarcastic yet oddly flirty, “It makes it so easy to steal. But, too bad little Miss Hacker. Bishop takes Queen, and… check.”Then they let out a little playful giggle, before they ran out of the security room, with Akiko snapping out of it, getting up, and chasing after them, but before she could, the security door was closed, and she heard the lock get placed.“W-What?! Hey!”“Funny how these types of doors work, no?” they said, “You can always open any door from the inside, but with these, if you leave the key jammed into them, they won’t budge. Useless for securing the room… yet oh so perfect for trapping problematic little girls.”“Wait! Stop! You can’t do this!” Akiko cried out, as she heard the intruder laugh and rush away, “You know who I work for! This won’t end well! Stop…! Please! I-I… Damn it!” she began to shake, and tried her best to pull on the door, but indeed it wouldn’t budge, and yeah, without her phone, she couldn’t even call for help or alert anybody. She had lost some of the best blackmail material the Network had, and now, she was trapped in here.And all she could do was scream…Yet nobody heard her…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“And there’s the man of the hour, nay, the moment!”
It had been almost a year ago, and Hiraku still vaguely remembered his former… classmate’s cheerful words when the two ended up meeting by the front doors of the main restaurant they were each assigned to. Hiraku gave him half a nod as acknowledgement, since he had been told endlessly by his new aide, Hayama, that he really needed to try and be more friendly with the others. Play nice, or whatnot. Not that it much bothered him. It seemed to make this other person he knew from when he started Totsuki Academy, even if the name escaped him at the moment happy at least…
“Was it true?!” the very excited young man asked, and Hiraku just raised an eyebrow, chewing on the squid tentacle currently pressed against his lips, a hyperfixation more than anything, “Did you really, actually get the last Head Chef from the restaurant you worked in fired and replaced with his own aide?!”
“…Oh? Word travels fast…” Hiraku noted, not really understanding why that was such a big deal, “They keep saying we need to leave visible results in these Sta… Stagi… child labor exams, and the Head Chef was mediocre, while the Assistant Chef was notable enough. All I did was offer the suggestion, and the Head Chef got mad, ended up challenging me to kick me out, but, yeah, I did suggest it for a reason. He lost against me, of course, and I forced him out. That is me leaving visible results.”
“You really are something else!” his would-be friend said with such glee, “Not only did you spit at the notion of the Big Three by utterly dominating the Autumn Elections, making it, what was it, the Big Me?”
“I never said it like that.”
“Still, you outright overthrew the class favorites like that scummy Shigeo, the goddess that is Suzume and even the Valedictorian himself Akio,” the other added, “But now you are utterly dominating the Stagiaire like it’s nothing! You are utterly overqualified for Totsuki my friend! It does make your dear old pal Kyo here wonder, where did you learn all this Mr. I’m-Just-A-Transfer-Student?”
“…Kyo…” Hiraku repeated, and while Kyo just assumed he was talking to him, it was more Hiraku noting that, had Kyo not mentioned his own name, Hiraku would have never remembered it, “Right… I suppose. I learned it all back home, even if… no, that’s not it entirely. My parents have some explaining to do.”
“A-Anyways, with you as my Stagiaire partner, we are in it to win it!” Kyo added, fist pump in the air, “Unlike you, I’ve had to struggle during the last three weeks, but now, in the last restaurant, we will dominate this!”
“Sure…” Hiraku just went along with it, and while Kyo excitedly walked inside the restaurant they had been sent to, Hiraku followed along, taking in the sights. He did envy Hayama’s nose at times, since while he could sense the amazing aromas of this place, he couldn’t quite decipher them from smell alone like his new secretary could. He would need a taste. Just any taste will do. But, as he looked, he saw Kyo come to a stop, as the person wearing the chef uniform walked up to the two, sharp eyes on Hiraku one moment, before they shifted towards the grinning Kyo.
“Hi, you must be our new… boss,” Kyo greeted, “It is a pleasure. I’m sure you’ve already heard wonders of what –”
“You’re expelled.”
Kyo felt himself freeze up, eyes wide, his body almost audibly cracking. The Head Chef had merely taken one look at him, and with a pointed finger, outright fired him on the spot.
“W-What?!” Kyo tried, utterly shocked and downright insulted. Was this for real?
“Posture, presentation, uniform, code of conduct, you’ve broken each of them in the minute and a half you’ve set foot into my restaurant,” the Chef explained, the voice sharp as ice, “I demand my employees follow strict guidelines, and you Totsuki students are meant to be that, employees. If you didn’t read the email I sent, or worse, paid it no mind, then you are of no use to me, as how would I ever allow someone who can’t follow a simple written instruction to use my kitchen?”
As Kyo felt himself from utterly cold, Hiraku just looked on. Why were all these Head Chefs so damn confrontational, especially for such dumb things? It kinda reminded him of his own mother in a way, and that did make him smile a bit.
“H-Hiraku?! Back me up here!” Kyo begged, turning to his would-be friend, while Hiraku just looked on. The Head Chef’s eyes then shifted to him.
“You must be Hiraku Yukihira…”
“Yeah,” he simply said, and while he honestly didn’t care, Hayama had asked him to play nice, so, what the heck, “And, could you offer… him,” he added, already haven forgotten Kyo’s name again, but using the pause to point at him, “A little leeway? I kinda need him if I’m going to be staying here a week, since my secretary got stationed rather far away.”
“A little diva I see?”
“Call it whatever you wish, but I’ve had similar conversations already three times this past month,” Hiraku just noted, and Kyo could tell, it wasn’t him just bragging. This was real. This was just him. “…So I don’t want to have to do all the work myself. Would you reconsider if I beat you in a Shokugeki…?”
Hiraku was brought back to the present when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door, and he turned towards it, wondering if it was his Aunt wanting something, or Lola coming to pester him about her loss or him confusing her with Mona again. He had already apologized enough. Still, the young man stood up, walking across his very expensive room within the Nakiri Mansion (why Kimiko was so hellbent on being such a brat and didn’t just stay here like the rest of the family did was something he’d never understand), and went to open the door. And he gave pause, utterly surprised to see nobody related to him there, but rather… “A-Apologies for the late interruption,” Akio voiced, and greeted, with a soft bow. “Don’t start this so cordially!” Suzume reprimanded, before she turned towards Hiraku, “You. We need to talk. There’s something seriously wrong here and we think four-eyes is responsible.” Only Kaori remained silent, just looking at Hiraku for a moment, before she shifted her eyes to the side, seemingly examining her surroundings. This place felt both haunting and homely to her, and she had no idea why. “Akio? Suzume? Lavender? Why are all three of you here?” Hiraku asked, confused, his head tilted to the side, and while Akio flinched, and Suzume pouted, Kaori outright glared at him. “It’s Kaori Hayama,” she corrected, firmly, “I utterly fail to see how this Tongue Blessed By The Angels this one supposedly possesses works if the neurons in his brain are incapable of deciphering such information, or any information for that matter.” “K-Kaori, please, we’re trying to get Hiraku-sa… Hiraku’s assistance here,” Akio tried, turning to his sister, who just rolled her eyes. “And I find this ‘solution’ you two brought forwards to be mediocre at best,” Kaori argued, “Unlike you, I refuse to bend over for this one’s whims.” “Hey now! Phrasing! There’s enough rumors going around in regards to that… particular notion involving Akio and Hiraku here…” Suzume noted with a mischievous glint in her eyes, which instantly made Kaori turn her glare to her. “I did not mean that,” she clarified, firmly, “You are well aware what I meant by it.” “Well…” both Hiraku and Akio spoke at the same time, both tilting their heads a bit, and both pausing when they heard the other speak. Suzume outright blushed a bit at the sudden image she got, while Kaori turned to her brother with her eyes wide. “Akio!” “W-What? No, not like that… Look, let’s focus,” he tried, turning to Hiraku, “May we come in? It is urgent, and it does involve your family.” “Hmm? Oh, sure, I suppose,” Hiraku noted, stepping back, which allowed Suzume to march in as if she owned the place, followed by Akio offering his thanks and following her, while Kaori… just stood by the door. Hiraku turned to her, “You’re not coming in?” “It’s a boy’s room,” she explained, “It isn’t proper for me to be in there, much less this late at night.” “…okay,” Hiraku just replied, and then slammed the door shut on her face, before he nonchalantly turned to the other two, “So what was it you two needed?” “H-Hiraku! Do you want to die?!” Akio outright screamed, standing up, rushing to the door, and opening it up, revealing Kaori with the most murderous glade imaginable, “He didn’t mean it, come in Kaori.” “But she said…” Hiraku tried, a bit confused. “You really suck with girls, don’t you?” Suzume noted, having already taken a seat on Hiraku’s main desk. As in, not on the chair, but with her ass right on the wooden desk itself, “You have to cordially invite her in. Can’t you pretend to be a gentleman?” “She some sort of vampire?” Hiraku noted, turning back to the Hayama siblings. “…I’d be very afraid of my bite, Yukihira-senpai, since unlike you, I’m not all bark,” Kaori shot back, while Akio tried his best to calm her down. At this Hiraku just gave her a little grin, and surprisingly nodded. “Fine, fine, then… little Miss Hayama, would you do me the honors?” he said, and while Akio and Suzume looked on, only out of necessity did Kaori just roll her eyes and walk in, taking the desk’s seat, and moving it a bit further away so she wouldn’t have Suzume’s butt right in her line of sight. “O-Okay, with that settled,” Akio tried again, walking back in, and turning to Hiraku, “You saw everything that went down in the Autumn Elections, right?” “You mean how Kimi and Lola both screwed up with their themes?” Hiraku asked, not really all that invested, “Or do you mean what happened with her?” he added, pointing to the still glaring Kaori, “You almost got into an argument with that WWE guy.” “WGO Hiraku,” Akio corrected, feeling his left eye twitch. “Why are we here again…?” Kaori couldn’t help but mutter. “Because, unfortunately, to request a formal, internal investigation, we require the cooperation of at least half of the Elite Ten students,” Suzume explained, her sharp eyes now on Hiraku, “And while, yes, the four of us, as in us three and four-eyes, did agree to it, if he’s responsible, he will delay and delay until he can fully cover his tracks. And I know him. Once those tracks are covered, we won’t be able to find even a hint he did a thing. As we are now, if he is responsible, we kinda do need Hiraku’s assistance.” “Me?” Hiraku asked, turning to Suzume. “…If Shigeo really did do something, he obviously won’t help investigate his own wrongdoings,” Akio added, “And I very much doubt his older brother, Masashi, or, given how close their respective families are, Kiyoko would be willing to lend us a hand either.” “Not to mention Takeo and Eito barely ever get involved with these sort-of things, and they’re kinda very chummy with Shigeo, for some reason,” Suzume added, and as soon as she saw Kaori turn to her with a curious look, she added, “Those would be the Ninth and Tenth Seat respectively, they’re… kinda not very noteworthy. Eito does throw some very exciting parties, since I once went there, hooked up with this girl I have no idea what her name was, and damn it, was it –” “I don’t need to know!” Kaori quickly cut in, blushing at the description, while both Hiraku and Akio had just been looking on, neither boy looking like they had been in any rush to cut Suzume’s story off. Kaori then shifted her glare at them, and it did at least make Akio react. “Y-Yeah, which means the only ones I feel we could convince would be Fifth Seat Ran Mimasaka,” Akio explained, “And, if we can offer some proof, First Seat Noboru Shinomiya. With those two, and us three, we can hopefully start a proper investigation before Shigeo just blocks everything and gets away with it… like he always does.” “So we kinda need you help to set this into motion Hiraku,” Suzume concluded, and Hiraku just looked on. “I see…” he said, eyes on her, then on Kaori (who was still glaring), before finally turning to Akio, “If Shigeo really went through that much trouble over a silly little tournament, why should we even risk investigating this? The… WGO thingy is already doing so.” “Hiraku, we have no idea why the WGO got involved in the first place,” Akio tried, “And you saw how he spoke to Kaori, there’s no way she made a dish that inferior. My sister wouldn’t just…” “What? Lose?” Hiraku asked, his head to the side, “Why? They said the same thing to me about you.” Akio froze, his eyes widening, and Suzume outright glared. “Hey, not in front of his little sister,” she warned, while Hiraku just turned to her instead. “I’m just stating a fact,” he explained, “The Big Three, that’s what you all were, before me at least. You too, were described as pretty much unbeatable. Should they had done a study for when I defeated you too?” “H-Hiraku, that’s not…” Akio tried, again, but the moment Hiraku turned to him, he felt himself back on that stage, seeing those numbers again, and the entire room felt cold, “I-I… All we want…” “Stop harassing Akio!” Suzume voiced, standing up, “You damn well know you took us all by surprise! But this isn’t about that! Your little sister, your cousins, and all their friends, they got robbed of a genuine experience we all enjoyed… I mean, you certainly did.” “And they’ll learn,” Hiraku just replied, “This isn’t a place for friends. I already had this argument with Kimi over allowing that Hiroshi into the Autumn Elections. And for what, he lost to her,” Hiraku added, signaling to Kaori, “And didn’t amount to anything. If she maybe were more focused on herself, rather than trying to carry all her less talented friends to the finish line like she is right now, maybe she wouldn’t have messed up and wouldn’t have lost. Because even if Shigeo did do something, I would have been able to still outcook her opponent even with the wrong ingredients. I expected Kimi to do the same, but in a school meant to improve our culinary skills, she’s getting worse.” “Oh! Screw you you prick!” Suzume just cursed at him, before she gave him an overly dramatic scoff, and turned away, “You don’t want to help? We’ll figure something else out. Let’s go.” As Suzume walked out, with Kaori slowly following along, she turned back, her eyes on her brother, who had to force himself to stop looking at the floor and move, but before he could leave, Hiraku, utterly nonchalantly, added, “Oh… Akio, don’t forget to schedule my next few appointments. Dealing with the Elections left me a bit behind schedule, so send them to me once they’re done.” “…y-yeah.” Akio walked out, softly shutting the door, his world spinning, because… why? Why wouldn’t he help them? Didn’t he even care for…? “…Just ignore him,” Suzume told him, still clearly angry, “I can try and seduce Takeo into helping us… dude’s always depressed about something, maybe this gorgeous blonde can help out a bit?” “Suzume, I wouldn’t expect you to…” Akio began, but before he could, Kaori just spoke up. “You are utterly incapable of standing up to him, aren't you brother?” she said, her eyes on him, and he flinched. It wasn’t anger in her eyes he saw, but sheer and utter disappointment. “Kaori, I swear it’s not…” “Hey, sweetie, I know how that looks, but…” Suzume tried, but Kaori shook her head. “No, I don’t need what I just witnessed explained to me,” she simply stated, “For a brief moment, when you defended me on that stage, I thought I had gotten my brother back. The same brother who I believed was undefeatable. Unshakable. Unbreakable. But even more so, even if that was just a child’s worldview of their older sibling, I did still believe you’d find your way, and learn to pick yourself back up… But I was wrong. It is utterly humiliating to see you grovel to someone who doesn’t care in the slightest about you, or his family, or anyone except himself.” “Kaori, that’s not fair,” Akio voiced, “What Hiraku and I… the way we work together, it’s complicated. We…” “If it had been your dream to be the secretary of the best chef of our generation, I would have wholeheartedly cheered you on,” Kaori simply said, her eyes sharpening, “But that’s not it. You’re scared. He talks to you and you can’t even look at him in the eyes. I lost, I got chewed out, insulted, and yes, it hurt, but I will be back on that stage, and I will defeat whoever stands in my way, be it Eizan-senpai, Yukihira-senpai or even that Bookman himself. I will not grovel, I will not let someone else dictate my career and my passion for me. So… forgive me… brother…” And at her words, neither Akio nor Suzume could even form a proper response. “…for believing in you once again.” -0- Yori Tanaka wouldn’t be Yori Tanaka if he wasn’t a guy with absolutely no principles. He lied, cheated, stole, send naughty pics to someone else by mistake, and would do anything to make Mika his. He even had to fake interest in that ugly Chieko for it. But, because of his wonderfulness, this bastard calling himself T.V. had taken advantage of his love for Mika and was blackmailing him to do this. But he wouldn’t back down. There was a plan, and if this guy really hated Shigeo Eizan as much as he claimed, and would indeed bring the Yakuza down, then Yori, if he played a part in that, would be hailed as a hero. After all, according to T.V.’s last message, Shigeo had something on Mika… naughty pics maybe? He wanted those. And he wanted to be there, when Mika was set free, so she’d know who saved her. And she would in turn give herself to him, because that’s what girls should do to nice guys who save them. So now Yori Tanaka stood before the building Shigeo Eizan owned, and his eyes focused on the two young men standing by the main doors. The good old thugs themselves, Yamada and Umino, who turned to Yori the moment he walked into their line of sight. “Who…?” Yamada asked, confused. “…Isn’t this the guy Akiko was keeping tabs on?” Umino added, feeling he had seen this joker before. But, Yori didn’t care. He took a deep breath, and turned around. Then he dropped his pants. And his underwear. On his left butt cheek were the letters: SHIG On his right butt cheek were the letters: ECHI (SHIG)(ECHI) “~ShigeChi!~” Yori practically sang in falsetto as he shook his bubbly ass at Yamada and Umino, making both of the older boys practically pop a joint at sheer lunacy on display; as this guy just mooned them, “This is what I think of Shigeo and his stupid crush on that bookworm! Tell your big, bad Boss to kiss it!” “He’s making fun of the Boss?!” Yamada outright roared. “And he can’t even spell his name right!” Umino added, not getting the couple name, but as soon as they both understood that this was beyond insulting to their Boss, they both gave immediate chase. Yori screeched, since they moved a lot faster than he expected. Too fast at that. He tried, as planned, to pull his pants up, but they got stuck on his shoes, and with Yamada and Umino almost on his ass, literally, he had no choice but to kick his pants and underwear off and begin running away like a maniac. So that was how the main doors were left utterly unguarded, by Umino and Yamada chasing a half-naked Yori through the crowded campus, and the shrieks of many female students could be heard every time one of them got flashed the little Yori. “…I can’t believe he’s actually stupid enough to do it,” the long-haired individual who had left Akiko locked up in the security room noted with a little whistle in acknowledgement of the stupidity on display. Still, turning to the side, since they were both standing in a spot they were sure the camaras wouldn’t catch them, “That said, this is quite excessive, even for you, I love it… T.V.” The boy gave a laugh, as he rested himself against the wall. He was so, so tired of all this playing pretend already, but… “We’re close to the reveal, so I need to be thorough. Besides, guy’s an asshole… quite literally at that.” “Should we go?” “…I can’t,” T.V. noted, “If I leave now, Akiko will figure it out. She already suspects enough as is. I can’t confirm it.” “I am aware your mom has issues with how this school, after everything it promised, outright just threw her away, but…” the other added, “Why risk it this much? We have the data. With this you can blackmail Shigeo for all he’s worth. You staying here just…” “Ryuu…” T.V. spoke up, his eyes almost glowing with the shine of the night, “Don’t underestimate her. I need her. Even with the data, Akiko can still track it. She’ll find it eventually, and if she does, I can’t take on the entire Network. Not just yet.”At this Ryuu just pouted, “Oi, why are you using my real name while I have to keep calling you T.V.? Unfair much?” At this T.V. just laughed, “Sorry, but we never agreed for a codename for you. And I’m the one infiltrating the enemy territory, not you. Nobody here should even know you exist.” “Yeah, well, Akiko kinda walked in on me on the security room, so…” Ryuu voiced, and T.V. flinched, his eyes widening. “She did what?” “Yeah, worry not, I took her phone and left her locked up in it,” Ryuu said cheerfully, while T.V. seemed to pause for a moment, “Here! You can crack it, can’t you? Maybe she has some sexy pics you can use to blackmail her in turn?” “Don’t be disgusting,” T.V. replied, and to Ryuu’s surprise, suddenly pushed him against the wall and pinned Ryuu down with just his arm, “I told you not to hurt her. We’re not them. We will never be them. I’m here risking everything to take that bastard Shigeo down, but we’re not making Akiko collateral damage.” “Hey now… don’t tell me you’re falling bad boy,” Ryuu noted with quite the grin, “That would be a bad call. Us No Seats can’t afford to fall for the people that could most hurt us. You should know better by now.” “This isn’t me falling for her,” T.V. clarified, his glare sharpening, “This is me warning you, dearest friend. I will not stoop down to what Shigeo and his crime family have done to stay in power. All the money in the world, yet no amount of money can ever buy class. He’s just another thug, one of many this accursed school has produced, and I’m changing that. So let me be clear… Akiko Kato is off-limits.” “Sure thing Boss!” Ryuu noted gleefully, while T.V. just snatched the phone, “Although, for all this talk about being… better… Really, wanting the meek girl to join your operations not out of feelings, but because of her skill, aren’t you kinda repeating a plot point here?” T.V. gave a soft scoff, before he pushed himself away from Ryuu, and gave a light click of his tongue, “…It’s not the same,” he said, and offering quite the smile, added, “After all, I fancy myself a better class of… culinary criminal. If having her fall for me actually helps what I need to do, then, who am I to deny a girl her darkest fantasy?” As the two went their separate ways, with Ryuu disappearing with no one noticing, while T.V. went back to his station, Yori had ran for half a mile, with Yamada and Umino almost catching up, but not managing to do so since they kinda didn’t want to grab the guy by the ass. But the chase came to a sudden halt when Yori ran right across the main library, with the doors opening just as he ran by, and his eyes widened like crazy. This wasn’t part of the plan! T.V. had promised a getaway vehicle around here, not a damn library! Anyone else would argue Yori should know his school’s surrounding better, but he didn’t, so he instead ran right up to the library, and out of it… Professor Madoka Enomoto walked out alongside the school’s resident barbie Harumi Tsujimoto and her young clubmate Kenshin Maeda, all three freezing in place when the bottomless Yori flashed them all. “Y-Young man!” Madoka, blushing like crazy at the situation she had just been presented with, outright cried out, “T-This is not an establishment that allows for such things! What on Earth are you thinking?!” Yori almost cried, trying his best to cover himself with his hands, “I-I didn’t mean it! Television made me do it!” As Madoka basically convulsed on the spot, Harumi just took one glance down, gave a scoff, and noted, “Well… that’s one very small department Shigeo doesn’t have to concern himself over at least.” “D-Don’t comment it like that… please…” Kenshin tried, utterly flustered over whatever this was, even if the girl of the group didn’t seem all that phased. Yamada and Umino, watching from the shadows, decided it best to let the Professor handle that situation, since they were sure there was no way this guy could shift the blame to their Boss, having been caught with his pants down… literally. And, as such, Yori Tanaka wouldn’t be Yori Tanaka if he wasn’t expelled that very night. -0- “Oh, thank God!” Kimiko noted, as she read from her latest novel, as Mika, currently pissed off that this girl had somehow broken her bed and was now sharing her bedroom with because Hiroshi had practically begged her to give Kimiko the space. “Go to sleep!” Mika roared, “And what are you even celebrating?” “Oh!” Kimiko noted with outright stars in her eyes, “In the story I’m reading, which is based on another story I love, there’s this awful character I think even the author hates, and he finally got removed from the story completely, and for once tonight, something good!” “…go to sleep…” Mika repeated, throwing her head back against the pillow, all the while Kimiko gleefully giggled at the sudden positive developments in the story. -0- The security door was slowly opened, as Emi peaked her head inside, “Akiko? You really in here?” Akiko, who had been curled up into a ball, pushed herself up, and Emi gave the poor girl a confused look, since she looked even paler than usual and very sweaty. “Y-Yeah, thanks Emi,” Akiko noted, her eyes on the computers for a moment, “I had no choice but to hack our very system to be able to connect to the internet and send you a text. But… wait, where’s Shoto?” “Oh? Hottie is downstairs,” Emi noted, “You told me to rush over, so I did.” “You left him alone?!” Akiko outright roared, “I told you to watch him!” “And you told me to came save your ass!” Emi argued. “You could have forced him to come with you!” Akiko shot back. “I should buy him dinner first, no?” Emi noted, and Akiko felt her face turn red, but she was unsure if out of embarrassment or rage. Or both. “…Forget it,” Akiko just voiced, and walked out, with a confused Emi trailing behind. “Can you at least explain?” Emi asked, “What’s with the sudden hate for Shoto Kaburagi?” “He’s T.V.,” Akiko explained, sounding so, so exhausted, “And I was so, so stupid! Even if he is T.V., why did I just assume it was just one guy?! It’s in the name. Television. As in, a T.V. Network. He’s outright trying to replace us!” “…Eh? Wait, Shoto is like plotting to…?” Emi tried, still confused. “I don’t need you to understand,” Akiko just clarified, “The mission’s been compromised. Everyone new is a suspect. Even if Shoto is T.V., that doesn’t solve anything. He has others. And everyone who recently joined us, Timmy, Kou, Kenny and that… John guy, they’re all possibly working for him. And he stole something, that if I don’t find him tonight, it’s game over.” “…So what’s the plan?” Emi asked, as Akiko took a moment, her breathing so heavy. She hated this. Hated being locked up. Hated crying like that. “…I-I, look, tell Itsuki to keep an eye on Shoto, and to not waver in the slightest. And I mean it. You go find John and send him to our first floor’s interrogation room.” “…We have one of those?” “…Lab Three.” “Oh, okay!” “Meanwhile…” Akiko tried, but remembered she didn’t have her phone anymore, “…Damn it, text Yamada and Umino for me. Tell them to meet me there. I’m putting a stop to this nonsense tonight. I’m sorry for T.V., but the show’s over.” -0- “So… what do you think?” Shigeo proudly showcased, as, after having his Caporegime each show Chieko their respective floors and the focus, he brought her to the fifth floor, his main area, where he had the biggest library, that put all the ones at Totsuki to shame, rivaling even the Nakiri’s. Chieko’s eyes were outright starts. “Kyaa!” she inwardly squealed, before she caught herself, blushed, cleared her throat, and voiced, “I mean, it is an impressive collection, yes.” ‘So cute…’ Shigeo inwardly thought, before he shook his head and buried those thoughts at the bottom of whatever hole they had dug themselves out from. “And this is just half of it. I have the rest back home. Trust me, there’s no better collection of knowledge anywhere else than within the Network.” Chieko walked past the aisles, her eyes scanning each perfectly laid book, her finger skimming through their spines, almost afraid to outright touched them. “Such rarity. ‘This Is Culinary Cinema’ by Agatha Beverley… ‘The Rich History of The WGO’ by Katelynn Essor… ‘History of the Suit Pin’ by Hisanao Kageura? Really? You have like sixteen editions of it...” “Ignore those…” Shigeo quickly blurted out, as his eyes turned towards their… other guest, “And, really, Rose, wouldn’t you have more fun downstairs with the Caporegime? You can have them do whatever.” Rose, currently looking over at all the books perfectly tucked away, just gave a playful scoff. “What? And miss my dearest cousin’s attempts at… negotiating? Not a chance! Although, I must say! You do know how to impress a girl. So many boring books! Like, please, stop! My panties can only get so wet!” “Behave!” Shigeo outright screamed at her, before he turned to Chieko, but thankfully, she was so lost to the sights before her, that she had not heard the cousins arguing, well, one of them anyways. Rose noticed too, and she smiled, turning to Shigeo with a little wink and nudging at him. He paused, eyeing Rose, before she mouthed “go for it, she’s yours”. He scoffed, since again, that wasn’t the intention, but he approached Chieko anyways, smiling at the sight of this tiny girl in this huge place looking so bright, her eyes outright sparkling in a way he couldn’t quite describe. “You are free to borrow any of them if you so wish,” he noted, as nonchalant as possible, “You may even convince me to give you one if you offer a good enough argument.” “My, what an offer,” Chieko noted, her eyes scanning another book, “Hmm…? Really, even this one? ‘Confessions of a Culinary Murderess’ by Arisu Kisaragi? Isn’t this book outright banned?” “Yes, it is, so please do not spoil this for the rest,” Shigeo commented, “But I am a firm believer knowledge should never be banned. We can learn so much, even from monsters. And that’s what I wish to accomplish here, with this Network. With our teamwork.” “Senpai… I…” Chieko tried, resisting the urge to pick up the book and instead turning towards him, “I still haven’t said I would join. I had a… bad night, not here, I mean, before, and I appreciate you opening your doors for me, and showing me so much. But… we both know what it is you do.” “And what is that?” Shigeo asked, and she paused, since she had heard it all, but yes, sometimes it was difficult telling fiction from reality apart. But the fact that Shigeo Eizan was not a good person was clear, even if to what extent was not, “…What is a Network Chieko?” “Hmm?” “You seem to think I run some type of… Mafia here, and yes, the naming conventions lightly poke fun at that, but…” Shigeo explained, and it sounded so real she wanted to believe it so badly, “A Network is all about connections. The connections we make with people, with businesses, with the world, with our dishes, our customers, and especially, each other. This is what I am building. A Network that cannot be broken by Totsuki’s brutish system, but instead, will, someday, actually surpass it.” “Surpass…?” Chieko asked, her eyes widening, and for once, she felt she finally could see the level of ambition that fueled this man, “Your aim… is to create something that takes the culinary throne from Totsuki itself…” “Of course,” Shigeo noted, “This is the end all, be all of the culinary world because this is how far it has gone. Innovators, Chieko, don’t view the world as it is, but as how it should be. And it can be better. It can be greater. A true culinary network unbound by these ancient traditions that just serve to make battle hungry celebrity chefs rather than true professionals. And… together, with all that knowledge you are wasting by not allowing yourself the chance, we can challenge that. Change that.” “I…” Chieko tried, but for once, she couldn’t quite argue that the idea, the words, they had merit. They held truth. Why…? Why did she feel more comfortable here than how she did back at Polar Star? Why was having Shigeo Eizan so close, making her… nervous. Rose looked on, and she had the cutest little grin. She gave the couple an unseen curtsy, before she left the two alone. Shigeo’s hand then found itself softly caressing the side of Chieko’s cheeks, as the girl felt outright sparks as his finger trailed her sensitive skin. He leaned in, and her eyes went wide… Instinctively, she covered her lips with the first book she could grab, only her eyes peeking out, wide as could be, earning herself a little laugh from him, but the boy had merely leaned in to grab a little petal from the bouquet he had offered her earlier still stuck to her pretty hair. As he held onto it, examining it briefly, he looked back at Chieko. “Will you at least consider it for real,” he asked, “Joining the Network Chieko?” And the automatic “no” she would always say, for once, never came… -0- Akiko waited in Lab Three, as soon Emi got inside alongside a smirking John, looking as jovial as ever. Akiko was outright glaring at everyone at this point, something John didn’t even seem to notice. Emi stood to the side, while John approached Akiko. “Emi said you wished to see me Underboss,” John noted, and Akiko frowned. “That’s not my… never mind, I…” she began, but soon saw Yamada and Umino walk in, both looking like they had been exercising for some reason. “…What took you two?” “We went after some guy’s ass,” Yamada explained, and Akiko felt her glasses crack. What? “D-Don’t explain it like that,” Umino added, “It’s that guy who you ratted out to the Boss. Yorky or something like that. He’s done for anyways. Dude outright flashed his bits to a teacher.” “I… I will somehow unhear that,” Akiko just stated, shivering, before she turned to John, “And yes, John, I did ask to see you. I need to figure this out, now. Who offered you a spot within our ranks?” “Hmm? You wish to know who scouted me?” John asked, eyeing the girl. She nodded, before, with her eyes, signaling to Yamada and Umino, just in case. Emi just stood by, knowing if this poor sap answered the wrong thing, he was in for a world of hurt. But… “That would be the Miss herself, Koharu Yoshida.” “K-Koharu?” Akiko blurted out, surprised, “She scouted you? She never scouts anyone!” “I was not made aware of that,” John just replied, still all smiles. “…I don’t by it,” Akiko noted, before she turned to Emi, “Your phone, please,” she asked, and Emi just gave it to her, as Akiko just began to text… very reluctantly: “Koharu, it’s Akiko from Emi’s phone. Do you have a minute?”
The reply came in less than ten seconds, “Akiko! Sweetheart! How are you?! What’s Totsuki’s most beautiful girl up to?! What do you need?!”
Akiko felt herself outright shiver, but tried to focus, “Sorry to bother you, since I am aware you are away due to a family emergency.”
The reply: “Oh, no worries! I’m actually on my way back! I wanted it to be a surprise, but, well, what can you do?! Everything’s solved over here!”
Now Akiko wanted to cry. Koharu was returning? Great. But… “May I ask: did you scout a First Year named John J. Johnson into the Network?”
Just a few seconds later:
“No.”
“I never scout.”
“You know that silly.”
“Who’s John anyways? You better not have a boyfriend.”
Akiko outright ignored the last message, but her eyes turned to the smirking John, “…She says she never scouted you.” John just gave her a puzzled look, “Of course she did. She was very impressed with my cooking and skill, and pretty much begged me to join.” “Yeah, that’s not Koharu,” Akiko just said, signaling to Yamada and Umino, “Talk, now. Who’s T.V., or else.” “Television?” John asked, and Akiko was so damn tired of hearing the same damn response that she just gave the two thugs the go-ahead. “I gave you a chance,” she said, and while John tilted his head a bit, Yamada quickly approached him, and moved to grab him by the neck. But, to their surprise, John blocked his grab by the wrist, and twisted Yamada’s arm towards his back, pinning the much taller guy down. “My, so violent,” John noted, “Did you not study up on me? I may be a Chef, but I am also a black belt in karate!” As John made his declaration, Yamada, in utter fury, pushed himself away from the hold and outright took a swing at John’s face. But John effortlessly dodged it, and replied by punching Yamada’s jaw, making his vision blurry, and causing him to swing wildly, which John effortlessly blocked, before he slammed his heel against Yamada’s solar plexus, then his knee against his upper jaw, then the tip of his fingers against his Adam’s Apple, before, with a rather impressive twist, jumped up, and gave Yamada a spinning kick right across the temple, knocking him down onto the floor, a bit of blood now on his face, as John brushed his fabulous hair back and smiled so brightly it seemed his teeth even sparkled. Akiko and Emi just stared; both no longer even functioning. “A valiant effort, but I cannot ever be defeated by –” And then Umino knocked John out by smacking him on the head with a skillet. “…I always tell Yamada it’s simplicity that works,” Umino noted, “Just one good swing, is all it takes.” Akiko forced herself to act, as Umino went to check up on Yamada, who, once he gained consciousness, quickly cried out that he had been caught off-guard and that had totally not counted. Emi, meanwhile, was watching the knocked out John, while Akiko had grabbed John’s phone from his pockets and was currently using Emi’s to unblock John’s, when… Koharu wrote to her…
“Oh, wait! Johnny! Yeah, I did invite him! Silly me. He’s actually the son of a very important business partner of the Eizan family, which Shigeo wanted to impress, so even if he’s kinda weird, just ignore him. He’s harmless. ;)”
Akiko just froze. And the resulting scream she let out was heard all throughout the entire building. -0- Even Shigeo heard the surprisingly loud scream, which made him turn away, as Chieko looked on. “Is something wrong?” Chieko asked, concerned. “…I’m certain they can handle it,” Shigeo dismissed, since he was not missing out on this, but… “You should check,” Chieko added, “It sounded serious.” And he forced himself not to frown. If Chieko said so, then he had to play the part of the good boss. But whoever had screamed, which had sounded a lot like Akiko, better had a good reason for it or he was giving her one. So, as he excused himself from Chieko, promising he’d be back in just a second, just as he left, Chieko received a text on her phone from an unknown number… Meanwhile, down on the first floor, with everyone suddenly gathered, Akiko outright screamed at everyone there. “Stop, we have a breach!” she told them all, from the Caporegime to the associates, “One, or more likely, several of you here are working for this T.V. individual, and if I hear anyone ask me if that means television, I will scream even louder.” “Oh, that was you?” Rose asked, sitting cross-legged on the table, “What the hell were you doing to scream like that Temu Chieko? Getting frisky while you Boss is trying his best to get to first base?” “N-No, not that ma’am…” she tried, blushing, but she knew, whoever this T.V. was, Rose wasn’t involved. She was family, literally, but the rest. “Can you explain what the fuck is going on you overly dramatic whiny bitch?” Stella asked, and Akiko felt herself almost blackout due to the stress alone. “For once! Let me do my job!” she practically screamed back, making Stella raise an eyebrow at the unexpectedness of it all. “All you people do is cook, that’s it! I’m the one trying to keep this Network running, and all I ask is for your cooperation and you can’t even offer that!” “My… someone’s on her period,” Tsing noted with quite the grin, and Akiko just wanted to cry. They wouldn’t help. They would just treat her like this. Like nothing. “Real mature,” Shoto voiced up, standing by the wall alongside Itsuki, “A girl finally calls your lazy asses out and your first go-to response is misogyny.” “Oh, look at the white knight!” Tsing applauded, with all the mockery in the world, as he pushed himself up and began to walk to Shoto, who just glared in return, before Akiko got in the way. “Stop! I’m being serious here!” she pleaded, “We are being attacked! Why can’t any of you just listen to me?!” “Look you stupid glorified secretary,” Tsing told her, and she just began to shake. What was she doing? Ordering a Caporegime? Did she have a death wish? “Get out of my face or I’ll show the white knight over there what misogyny really looks like.” “I-I…” “Hey!” Shoto tried, pushing himself off the wall, while Stella just laughed, Heineken tried to call Tsing back, and Bud looked on, still confused if this was part of the demonstration or not. But Akiko froze, as Tsing just reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to him, hard. Shoto outright froze mere feet from the two, with Itsuki right next to him, both of them glaring at the Caporegime. “We make the rules here,” Tsing told Shoto, and also, Akiko, as he pulled on her even tighter, “And bitches like you have only one role to play here, and that’s to get on your knees and –” But her wasn’t allowed to finish, as one second, he had been holding Akiko and smirking at Shoto, the next he felt a fist slam itself against his face, pushing him back and making him release her. Akiko stumbled forwards, falling on her knees, as Itsuki quickly approached her and held onto her. She turned, noticing it had been Kou who had smacked Tsing, the latter who turned to the masked boy with a grin. “Another white knight eh?” Tsing just said with a laugh, “At least the other one’s pretty, you on the other hand, she won’t let you fuck her for this, masky!” “I’ll have to settle with fucking you up then,” Kou just replied, and marched right up to Tsing, who just took out his knife and took a swing, but was blocked by the claws Kou always wore, which closed on the knife, surprising Tsing, before Kou used his other hand and punched Tsing right on the center of his face, again, and again, and again, until he was down on the ground, then placed his foot on his chest, and kept punching him. “Hey! You can’t do that!” Heineken cried out, standing up, and moving towards Kou and the bloody Tsing, but before he could do anything, Shoto just took hold of the chair he had been sitting on and smashed it against his back, outright breaking it, and sending Heineken to the floor with a pained grunt. “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Rose cheered at the brutality on display, pumping her fist into the air like this didn’t concern her at all. “The fuck?” a very confused Stella blurted out, before she turned to Bud, “Hey! Moron! Get up your fat ass and make them stop!” Bud, not really following, nodded, and got up, which made both Shoto and Kou tense up, since this dude was huge. But to their surprise, Timmy got in the way, which outright made Stella laugh. Bud just looked at him, feeling almost sorry for this scrawny, ugly, stupid kid, but before he just smacked him aside, Timmy… …actually pulled out a gun on him. “I wouldn’t move if I was you big guy,” Timmy noted, and Bud just froze, eyes wide. Stella felt her eye twitch. “No way that’s fucking real!” she cried out, while Timmy gave her a scoff. “Bitch, I’m American, and, plus, hello, Timmy Revolver, you think I don’t have one?” he noted, aiming it directly at Bud, “And trust me, I’m not missing such a massive target.” “D-Did you just call me fat?” Bud asked, genuinely hurt. “That’s not the issue here!” Stella cried out, before she turned to the still giggling Rose, “And shouldn’t you say something?!” “Me? I’m not even supposed to be here,” Rose just noted, “But for a Network, you guys suck at communication.” Akiko, for her part, thanks to Itsuki helping her up, looked around. Umino had just gotten there, helping Yamada despite the latter insisting he could walk just fine (Emi meanwhile had stayed behind, instructed to wake up John and lie to him that he had taken a heavy fall and all that fighting had been a wacky dream). Yamada and Umino still immediately picked up on Akiko being utterly stressed and genuinely scared, and quickly went to her. “Y-You okay?” Umino asked, and she shook her head, already in tears. “N-No, damn it, no!” she cried, “This is not… Why are you all doing this?! Shoto, damn it, just stand back here!” Shoto looked at her, his hands still holding onto the wooden parts of the chair he had just broken on Heineken, ready to smack him again if needed, but he nodded, and went to her. “K-Kou, you too, please, I think Tsing got the message…” she voiced, as the mask boy looked at her, then at the bloody mess that was Tsing, punched him once more, before he let him go and walked towards Akiko. “A-And… Timmy, don’t shoot anyone, please, even we can’t cover that,” she just said, flatly, because this no longer made any sense. “Huh? Bummer,” Timmy noted, but he put the gun away, while Bud kept his glare on him. “You think you can disrespect us and get away with it miss secretary?” Stella told Akiko, still seating down, her glare on her. “If it’s true that we are in any such danger, wouldn’t that be your fault. Tsing was rude, but your new henchmen escalated.” “E-Escalated?! He was hurting me,” Akiko called out. “Oh please, sweetie, a little hair pulling is not hurting,” Stella just replied, “Just wait until you’re a little older, and you’ll understand.” “She’s just charming, ain’t she?” Shoto noted, with a scoff. “…I’m not fond of hitting women,” Kou added, but he turned towards Akiko, “But I can hold her if you want to smack her.” Akiko tried, but couldn’t help but laugh a bit, at the absurdity of it all, “Stop being so violent. And no, you two, stand down. And…” she paused, turning to the last member of the group, who had outright painted himself to the wall, “…I’m not sure if to thank you for not making things worse or reprimand you for not helping.” A quivering Kenny just gave her a thumbs up. Bud walked up to Tsing, who got up with quite the glare, spitting blood onto the floor, his red eyes digging holes into Akiko, Shoto and Kou. Heineken sat up, rubbing his neck, and popping his joints, and it unnerved Shoto how he looked no worse from wear. Hell, Tsing, despite all the bleeding was already standing up. “You get one you masked freak,” Tsing warned, clear murder in his voice, “Round two asshole.” “I… didn’t want to hurt anyone, but that was rude Shoto,” Heineken added, his eyes on the other boy. Bud just turned, his eyes on Timmy, all the while Akiko could feel Stella’s mocking grin. “This’ll be fun,” Stella noted, “Why don’t we try this again, hmm?” And just as they seemed poised to, and with Akiko utterly about to have a panic attack, another voice spoke up. Softly. Calmly. “Yes… why don’t we?” And everyone froze. Shigeo Eizan was standing by the main doors, his eyes slowly shifting between each member of his Network, the blood on his floor and the broken chair. “Your secretary created this mess!” Stella quickly argued, making Akiko flinch. “B-Boss, no! I didn’t! I wanted to warn them of –!” she tried. “Oh piss off,” Tsing voiced, turning to Shigeo, “She says we’ve been compromised, so most likely a few of that little group of hers have other intentions, if not all of them.” “And we were just trying to figure out who…” Heineken added, while Bud nodded, and Akiko wanted to scream. Shigeo just stared, taking in a heavy breath, for an even heavier sigh, before he turned his eyes onto Akiko. “…Mission report.” She paused, briefly, before she nodded. She could tell Stella, Heineken, Bud and especially Tsing were outright glaring daggers at her, but she didn’t care, “…An individual calling himself T.V. has infiltrated our Network. He had others working for him. They stole important information from us. The material we had for the Ninth and Tenth Seat, plus… everything regarding the dummy app. He has it, and I know he’s here, or at least, someone who works for him is.” Shigeo seemed to give a long pause, before he turned towards his Caporegime. “And your version of events? What did you do when presented with this information, as my most trusted personnel?” “Well… we tried to interrogate them,” Stella voiced, her eyes on the boys surrounding Akiko, “But they’re rather… violent. The one in the mask beat Tsing to a bloody pulp, while the cute one broke a chair on Heineken. Oh, and the ugly fucker has a gun, which may be real or not.” “Stella…” Shigeo voiced, and it made her flinch. That was not a tone of his that showed any trust in her words, “I didn’t ask you why you are all looking so pathetic right now. I asked what you did with that information. Do you know who this… T.V. is?” “I mean, it has to be related to television, no?” Bud asked. “Another Network of sorts, I’d imagine, but Akiko here didn’t have any answers either,” Stella explained, trying to shift the blame back to Akiko. “We can handle this Shigeo,” Tsing noted, wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve, “Go enjoy your date. We’ll get the information out of these gentlemen in no time, alright?” Shigeo looked at Tsing, but before he could reply, he heard his cousin speak up. “Actually, nah, not even I’m that horrible,” Rose suddenly added, “That one’s very misogynistic. Shigeo, if you would?” Shigeo looked on, while Tsing turned to Rose with his eyes wide, a mix of shock and rage in them, before Shigeo spoke up, “I am a very kind individual, am I not, Tsing?” Shigeo asked, and the young man was forced to turn to him and nod, “…And Rose is very annoying, I am aware. Trust me, nobody wants to throw her out of a window more than I do. But… nobody makes her uncomfortable. Ever.” “Shigeo, look, I didn’t say it to her! I –!” “Did I ask you to speak?” At this Tsing just flinched. “Face on the floor, now,” Shigeo instructed, and Tsing expressed quite the look, before he forced himself to lay on the floor, before Shigeo just placed his foot on the back of his head and used that as a foot rest, before he carried on with the conversation as if nothing was happening, “Also, yes, we better resolve this mess now. I am very much preoccupied, and you all made this my problem, so let’s first focus on the facts. You say he calls himself T.V.?” Akiko nodded, while everyone else was utterly quiet. “Yeah… television… no, that’s not it,” Shigeo noted, then laughed, “Oh, I see. My, how very clever he thinks he is. Akiko, what you need to do is –” But before he could deliver his mission to her, the doors opened up once more, and Shigeo instinctively took his foot off Tsing’s head, as Chieko just walked in. Her eyes scanned the entire room, with all the blood, bruises, and broken parts everywhere. Her deep blue eyes settled on Shigeo’s, who opened his mouth to quickly say the lie he had at the ready, but she beat him to it. Not with words, but with her phone screen. On it, was the dummy app they had designed for the Autumn Elections, and for once in his life, Shigeo couldn’t quite get the lie out in time. On her screen was Lola’s loss. Kimiko’s loss. Kaori’s loss. And… Chieko’s victory, all preplanned. And Chieko looked moments away from outright crying. “Senpai, I will only ask once, and do not lie… did you make me win the Autumn Elections…?” -0- It had been over an hour since he had received the surprise visit of Akio, Suzume and whatever Akio’s little sister’s name was, but he once again received a knock on his door, and opening it slowly, Hiraku was once again meet by Akio. Just Akio. “You’re still here?” “I’ve been prancing around the hall for a little longer than expected.” “It’s late,” Hiraku noted, “Go home. We have work to do.” “…You really don’t care, do you?” Akio just asked, and Hiraku raised an eyebrow. “Is this about whatever Shigeo did?” Hiraku asked, “It’s not that I don’t care, but… he’ll get away with it. He always does. My plans don’t change with whatever it is he does anyways.” “Your little sister was directly affected,” Akio noted, and Hiraku shrugged. “Yeah… but she ignored me,” he offered, “I warned her. I want to help her, but she’s stubborn. This is how Kimi learns, she needs this. She’ll come around.” “Do you even hear yourself?” “Yeah…” “These are our little sisters?!” Akio suddenly shouted, “They got humiliated out there, in front of everybody! And you act like it doesn’t matter!” “Then they shouldn’t have lost.” “Oh, screw off with that!” Akio shouted back, “Why were we born first?!” “…Are you asking me about the bird and the bees?” “No! Because no matter how much Kaori grows, how much she says she no longer needs me, I’ll always be her older brother, and I was born first to protect her! I can take the blows, so she shouldn’t. And I’m not going to let this happen,” Akio said, his voice growing rougher and rougher with each sentence, “And I just saw her utterly lose all hope on me, again, because I can’t seem to even talk to you properly without sinking into my own self-pity and doubts.” “Don’t say that,” Hiraku offered, “The only reason you are working with me is because you are very good. I didn’t offer Suzume the same, since she’s not as –” “Shut up.” Hiraku paused, his eyes on Akio. He opened his mouth to talk, but Akio spoke first. “Don’t mention Suzume,” Akio warned, “And you think you’re so, so untouchable because you hold so many records, and you’ve accomplished so much. That your God’s Tongue holds all the answers. But what good is that if you can’t even defend your little sister or your cousins? Such a gift, and you lack the talent to use it.” “…You are making this a bit too personal Akio.” “Because it is,” Akio shot back, “I have swallowed my pride and been at your beck and call for everything because I knew I couldn’t match you… But no, I won’t fail Kaori like this. I’ll stop Shigeo, alone if I have to. And… I’ll force you to help if you won’t do so willingly.” “Akio…” Hiraku came close to outright warning, “We know how a match between you and I would go.” “That was a year ago,” Akio replied, “And I didn’t have anything worth fighting for. For my little sister, and… and… for the girl I love, I will defeat you if I have to. Because, turning your back on your own family when they need you most… That’s low, even for you.” Hiraku just stared, his eyes wide before Akio just turned around, the darkest glare in usually gentle eyes. “I’m done,” he told Hiraku, “Consider this my official resignation. Handle everything yourself if you’re so damn great.” And Hiraku outright flinched, and as Akio began to walk away, he pushed himself out of the room, and called out, “Hey! Wait, don’t be so dramatic! Talk to me. What do you even want me to do?! This school is about being the best! That’s the whole point! Like I said, had it been me, on that stage, even with those limitations, I would have won!” Akio gave a slight pause, and turned to Hiraku, and after wrestling with his words, finally settled on, “Maybe. Maybe you would have. But maybe not.” “Akio… I’ve never lost.” “Not here,” Akio replied, and for once, Hiraku’s eyes went utterly wide, “But I know… I know what happened in the last restaurant of your Stagiaire. You are the best of us, but you’re not invincible. So don’t be so quick to look down on your little sister, because she’s not the only one who has tasted the experience of failure…”
…And Hiraku was back at that restaurant, on the floor, with Kyo utterly pale, as his expulsion was made official, since, Hiraku Yukihira… had lost.
‘…I… I couldn’t even tell the ingredients at all…’ Hiraku noted, utterly shaking in place, ‘What was it? What was in it? What even…?’
“That settles that,” the Head Chef voiced, before a mop and a bucket was placed in front of Hiraku, “Now… if you don’t want to be expelled as well, I want this entire place spotless in less than an hour. Get to work.”
And all he could reply to, as his entire worldview was utterly flipped on its head, was, “Y-Yes…”
“Yes… what?”
And, of course, he’d never forget her name…
“Yes Head Chef Ruth Dillinger…”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
GAME OVER
At the big, capitalized letters appearing on screen, Jacob gave a heavy sigh and promptly removed his gaming helmet from his head, taking the time to slick his dark hair back before he turned towards his youngest cousin. “This was meant to be entertaining?” he asked him bluntly, “I barely understood what I even had to do.” “Yeah, you kinda suck,” the youngest of the Eizan family, Kei, noted with a little laugh. He set down his phone, which Jacob noted was showing a screen of a group chat of just Kei and at least four other girls, all texting him a lot… for some reason, “Rose was actually a lot better at it. You have to try and play intelligently. Just shooting won’t do.” “I did not expect complex strategies out of a game called Shooty Shooty.” “Hey, don’t mock it, it’s one of the top-rated games of the moment,” Kei just said, taking the helmet from Jacob, “Wanna watch me go again?” “…I’ll pass, it is late, shouldn’t you go to bed?” “Just a few more rounds, come on, don’t tell mom,” Kei softly begged, and Jacob sighed, and nodded. “Fine, but I do have things to do. Try not to stay up too late… playing that unfair game.” “You’re just mad you lost.” “My opponent wielded an electric sword,” Jacob noted, almost showing annoyance. “Yeah! It came with the new update,” Kei replied excitedly, “It’s cool!” “…if you say so.” Jacob simply got up, as Kei put on the helmet and began to search for opponents online. He gave the little boy a soft smile, before he left the room. He heard as Kei noted something about his next opponent, something to the extent of: “Huh? Little_Bird, what kind of username is that? From Switzerland too, hmm, one more to crush I suppose.” Jacob then walked from one of the brother’s rooms, pass the empty room that belonged to Shigeo, and into the elder brother’s room, finding Masashi on the floor, doing his nightly one-handed pushups, currently shirtless and glistering with sweat. “…Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine…” Masashi counted with each pushup, before he noticed Jacob by the door, gave his cousin a formal nod, added a “one-hundred”, and stood up, “Apologies Jacob, you caught me during my cheat day. Usually I do three-hundred pushups per arm, but today I can only manage a meager one-hundred. I understand your disappointment in me.” “…quite, I am devastated.” “As am I,” Masashi noted firmly, grabbing a towel, which promptly broke thanks to his manly strength, necessitating he grab another, “I even go as far as to prepare the best family dinner I can muster, and Shigeo disrespects you and Rose by not even attending. Words cannot convey my current anger with his actions.” “…Rose did appreciate the pizza, in any case,” Jacob noted, and Masashi nodded. “As she should. It was made with love.” “Surely,” Jacob added, “She also went to ‘check in’ on Shigeo, meaning whatever nonsense he’s up to, she’s making it worse.” “All this for that scrawny library girl,” Masashi noted, utterly bothered by everything, “If Aunt Yukichiko had not interfered I would have put an end to this before it began, but she insists we humor him… Oh well, I cannot say no to her, after all, so I hope he has his bases covered. If Rose is there to assist, I am certain the results should be… at least favorable.” “You are a man of great faith…” Jacob noted dryly, “That said, about what Kiyoko was plotting. I wanted to note that –” “Oh! For fuck’s sake!” Both Jacob and Masashi paused, turning towards the hall, as a very pissed off Kei walked out, fuming. “Young man, language!” Masashi quickly reprimanded. “Mom’s not here! I’m entitled to one!” Kei barked back, “And she cheated! She must have! She beat me!” “That is still not an excuse to curse, much less in front of our dearest cousins, well, one of them,” Masashi still noted, “Be grateful the… lady isn’t here.” At this Jacob laughed, “Yes, surely that would be something that would bother Rose,” he added, before he turned to his phone, and noticed, in a slew of unseen texts from different people he was ignoring, Rose had written him recently. And noticing what she said, he couldn’t help but almost smirk, “Oh dear me… seems your night’s about to get a bit worse my dear Masashi…” -0- As Chieko showed the screen of her phone to all of them, with that damning evidence on full display, Shigeo slowly shifted his eyes from the screen, to the girl in noticeable distress, and then, finally, to his Network currently in massive disarray. He closed his eyes briefly, sighing, and trying to restrain the sudden volatile urge he felt to curse out every one present responsible for ruining the one, single, perfect night he had, but… a professional should always be prepared, and he was nothing if not an utmost professional. “I see…” he noted, calmly, before he turned to his group, “Give us the room.” Tsing had to force himself back onto his feet, hiding the glare he wanted to shot at Shigeo, but knowing it would be reckless right now, as he and the others slowly exited. A very worried Akiko looked on, but one glance at her Boss told her all she needed to know, and she tugged at Kou’s sleeve, who in turn pulled onto Timmy to get out. Shoto was the only one frowning at the scene, his eyes on Shigeo for a moment, then towards Chieko, before he sighed and walked off to join the rest. Kenny was already outside before Shigeo had even spoken, somehow, and as the Caporegime and all the other lackeys left the room to Shigeo and Chieko, only one voice was heard. “…aheam.” Shigeo sighed, “…Apologies, Rose, if you would, could you give us some privacy… please?” “See? Is that so hard?” Rose voiced, bouncing up, landing next to Chieko, her eyes on the other girl briefly, before she walked out, leaving the two finally alone. “You have my attention,” Shigeo began, his voice still soft, but with an edge of defensiveness to it. It made Chieko tense up, against her better judgment. “I take it you are displeased?” “Displeased?!” Chieko shouted back; her glare fully focused now. This was his response? Nonchalance? “You rigged the Autumn Elections?! Actually did what everyone warned me about?! Made Lola cry on that stage, made Kimiko lose to me, and… and… and how did you get the WGO to say those things to Kaori?!” “I didn’t force anything onto anyone,” Shigeo noted, calm as ever, “I made things fair, Chieko. You and I both know this school thrives on recklessness and showmanship. And yes, that has its place in the culinary world, but not at the top. This shouldn’t be what our careers, for those of us with the brains to think beyond the thrill, aspire for.” “That’s not the point!” Chieko shot back, “You made a fake app to make me win! All… for what?! To trick me into thinking I’m better than I really am and make me another one of your lackeys?!”“Do you truly have such a low opinion of yourself?” “…what?” “You think I made you win?” Shigeo commented, his eyes, for once, narrowed at hers, “I made things fair. I brought them all down to the starting line, alongside you. You fought against the heiress of this very Academy, and against the younger sisters of both the Sixth Seat and that moronic Fourth Seat. Do you think those girls, with all their access and connections, would play fair? That they don’t have an edge in the competition that you don’t by virtue of their last names alone?” “D-Don’t give me that…” “You know it’s true,” Shigeo countered, “I had to play dirty, yes, but it was to make the competition fair. Small-Yukihira, for all her faults, at least tried to give it a go, unlike the Nakiri twin who just threw a tantrum when her prefect world was shattered. They are too sheltered. They won’t make it in the real world, not like us. We –” “Us?!” Chieko shouted, and it made Shigeo freeze by the intensity of her tone, “Us…” she repeated, almost grinding her teeth, “You, who always introduces himself as ‘Eizan, Shigeo Eizan’, all to make your last name clear… the nepotism son himself… wants to talk to me about what’s fair or not for the common student?!” Shigeo seemed to sigh, taking off his glasses for a moment, and Chieko hated how, even now, the sight of him still stirred certain feelings inside of her she rather not voice… “…Am I an individual blessed by nepotism?” he asked, less to her, evidently, and more in general, “Yes. I am. Very much so. And that is precisely why I know what it’s like. What this higher world is all about and how these types of people function.” “Meaning…?” “Meaning I more than anyone know how unfair an advantage I have compared to the common student by virtue of my last name alone,” he explained, his eyes firmly on hers, “I come from two of the greatest families to ever bless the culinary industry. My father is an Eizan, a man who managed to make more money in middle school than Totsuki itself was able to, and his notoriety has only increased since then. Both he and my aunt Yukichiko are juggernauts of business, and nobody can ever step up to either. And, of course, my mother, Nene Kinokuni, is the heiress and the crown jewel of one of the greatest families in all of Japan, a legacy that stretches back generations…” he explained, purposely leaving out the fact that he was also related to the Bedlam family, culinary terror personified, but he’d rather try and keep Chieko’s focus away from that little detail, ‘So far she hasn’t made the connection that the dark-skinned man who chewed small-Hayama up could most likely be related to the dark-skinned older cousin of mine currently making my life harder here by virtue of just being herself, and I’d rather keep it that way…’
“I am aware of you lineage Shigeo-senpai,” Chieko noted, her frown still evident, “And I know life is not fair, if that is the point of your long-winded speech. But that does not excuse what you did. That does not excuse you making me win just to try and fool me into joining this shady Network of yours!” “On the contrary, it very much does,” Shigeo countered, “Because I am aware of unfairness that exists just by virtue of your last name, I more than anyone know that you had an uphill battle no matter who your opponent was.” “That does not excuse the cheating!” she shouted, “That doesn’t –!” “Why was small-Yukihira thrilled the moment you both began your duel?” This made Chieko pause. Wait, what? “There it is. I can see it in your eyes. You’re thinking back to that moment,” he noted, “And, yes, as you recall, unlike the loud heiress, small-Yukihira was not bothered in the least by the handicap given to her. Even more so, as absolutely braindead as her elder brother is, Hiraku Yukihira even took notice of it, commenting how she was ‘thrilled’ by the challenge. And yet… why then… if she had been so eager to duel you in such an ‘unfair’ way, why was it that only when she lost was she mad? Had she managed to win, despite my ‘meddling’, do you think she would have still argued with you, or would it have been just another notch on her belt? Just another win for the current upstart?” “You… don’t know her.” “I know enough,” he corrected, “I know she would have found it amazing to win despite the challenge, but when you, little nobody Chieko, proved too much for her on an even playing field, she quickly changed her tune and turned against you.” “T-That’s not who Kimi is!” “Would you have been mad had she won instead?” “I… of course not, but she…” “Exactly,” he cute her off, that smirk ever present, “Because she would have had earned it, and you respect that. But she doesn’t. All your so-called friends, they don’t. Small-Hayama, small-Yukihira, either of the twin heiresses, little miss Aldini, had any of them won, nobody would have batted an eye at this, because to them, that’s the nature of all this. They are the ones fighting for Totsuki’s top, not you. Never you. The fact that you won is a spit on the face to all of them, and they can barely even hide it.” “I can’t vouch for Kaori,” Chieko admitted, “And maybe not for Lola and Mona, but Kimi and Mika wouldn’t –” “But they did,” Shigeo simply stated, “Because to them you are just their smart friend they go to for help on their homework, and who is there to just cheer from the sidelines. You are not meant for the spotlight, not in their eyes. And that’s what I did. I forced them down to your level, to your starting line, and lo and behold, you eclipsed them. You defeated them. Because, quite frankly, the one who believes less in Chieko Marui in this entire academy, surprisingly, is not even those girls, but you yourself.” At this Chieko’s eyes widen, her body seemed to freeze, and she stammered in place. Her rational side was screaming at her that this was just Shigeo doing what he does best, using words to twist reality to his liking, but another part of her, one she couldn’t describe, still felt there was a flicker of truth in what he was saying… and she hated that. “…Maybe you are right…” she admitted, and he looked on. It was the words he wanted to hear, but not the tone, “Maybe I do see myself as lesser, and perhaps, your intentions weren’t outright malicious… but I cannot let this stand regardless. I will inform the Headmistress, and I shall take whatever punishment she sees fit.” “…I really wish you didn’t continue to self-sabotage yourself like this.” “That’s not for you to decide.” “Then, by all means, go on, tell,” Shigeo then declared, extending his hand, inviting her to do so, “I do wonder how you’ll convince her a Seated Member managed to do such a thing as hacking the Autumn Elections without any proof however.” “Without…?” Chieko repeated, frowning, “I have your fake app right…” then she paused, her eyes wide, as her phone now showed nothing but a blank screen. The app that had been sent to her by that unknown number was long gone, “…what?” “Akiko is masterful, is she not?” Shigeo noted, and Chieko turned to him with a full glare, “As we spoke, she hacked your phone, and deleted that little app. Worry not, nothing else was tampered with, I assure you. And I apologize for the breach of trust, but this goes beyond just you and I. My Network depends on me, they require me to be the smartest man in the room, no matter who else is within that room, and I cannot waver. You may not realize your full potential, but I know mine.” “…Everything they all say about you is true.” “No,” Shigeo corrected, “I am far worse than anything they say.” Here Chieko’s eyes widened again, and her words caught in her throat. She wasn’t quite sure she was intimidated, annoyed, or… something else. “Regardless,” Shigeo continued, putting his glasses back on, and taking guided steps towards her, “If you wish to prove me wrong, let us not argue. I need not explain the scientific method to you.” “A hypothesis is proposed to a problem and through trial and error it is deemed correct or incorrect,” Chieko explained, “No, you do not. But I am past the point of word games.” “That is not what this is,” Shigeo replied, “You believe your… friends see you as one of their own, that they hold the same amount of respect for you that you do for them… no?” Chieko tried to reply, to instantly defend her friends, because, yes, they did, she was sure, but… in the back of her mind, Kimiko’s glare and angry words echoed…
“I didn’t say that,” Kimiko had practically screamed at Chieko, “But, fine, if he’s so great, then why are you here?! Go and celebrate with your Mafioso boyfriend! He already screwed Lola, Kaori and me. Might as well screw the actual girl he wants to date!”
…and it made her pause. Because it still hurt. Was it true? Was Kimiko genuinely that proud that, had she won she wouldn’t have cared about the meddling, but since she didn’t, the fact that Chieko had won instead was outright blasphemous in turn? “…Your eyes are replying the words you wish not voice.” “Don’t pretend to know how to read me,” Chieko shot back, even if she hated how he could, in fact, read her quite well, “But, no, of course I do believe they view me as an equal, and not… some drag along…” “Very well, then let’s put it to the test,” Shigeo offered, and Chieko looked at him, the confusion evident, “If they truly care, if to them you are worth the investment, then bring them. Bring all of them. I challenge you, Chieko Marui, to a Regiment de Cuisine, my Network, versus whoever you can bring to your side.” “A… Regiment de Cuisine?” Chieko repeated, “Are you insane? A team vs team Shokugeki? We don’t have the time nor the authority to even propose something that massive!” “Trust me…” Shigeo countered, “With me, yes we do, plenty of both to spare,” he added, before he noted, “And don’t hold back on my expense. Invite everyone. All the First Years if you so wish. I can guarantee you how this will end from now, so if you wish to skip all that and simply agree with me, I won’t deny you the opportunity.” “But for what? Just another chance to stroke your own ego?” Chieko shot back, “I saw enough of what your so-called Caporegime can do. Forget the rest of your Network, none of the First Years can ever hope to match that. I am well aware…” “That’s not the it,” Shigeo noted, softly, “I want to prove a point. A point you are smart enough to realize but refuse to accept because of sentimentality. Ask them. Gather your team… but, here are the terms. You win? I shall give you everything so that you can report me to the Headmistress, to the WGO Bookmen, to the culinary media even. I shall allow you to sink my entire Network entirely.” “…Quite easy to wager so much when you know victory on my side is almost impossible…” “No, it is not,” Shigeo firmly shot back, and it made her pause, “Not if my opponent is you. My Network is incomplete without you, of that, I will never waver. But, if the opposite condition is, that every single chef on your side that loses a duel… gets expelled, then I wonder, how many of your ‘friends’ are willing to risk their careers for you?” “You would wager their expulsions?!” “Would you think it twice if any of them came to you with a similar predicament?” And again, she had no answer. Or rather, she did, but she didn’t want to voice it. Of course she wouldn’t. She’d help, in a heartbeat. “For any of the big shots, it is expected Chieko Marui would help, as she should,” Shigeo added, “But turn things around, have it be you the friend in need, and watch your little found family disperse and lose the courage to take up the challenge.” And Chieko felt so defeated even now. She wanted to deny his claims, to tell him, shout at him, how wrong he was. That they, despite their rough patches, would all come through and help her. But… would they? If she asked them to go up against the Caporegime, would any of them even dare, for her sake, when expulsion was the result of them failing to match students who were practically on par with the Second Year Elite Ten themselves? “But… again, you don’t believe me, but I haven’t lied,” Shigeo noted, and when Chieko outright glared at him, he quickly added, “About my intent and your potential. I didn’t lie about the Autumn Elections, I… omitted, but I will grant you that as a reason to distrust me. However, I offer a counter agreement. Go… ask your friends for help. Explain your situation, and… when they all get cold feet, rather than expelling everyone… just… join me in earnest.” “…Our wager will be my loyalty?” “Our wager will be my placing all my faith and betting everything on the girl before me,” Shigeo replied, and again, she wasn’t even sure what facial expression she was sporting, “Your call Chieko.” “…The Regiment de Cuisine you propose has any limits to it?” she asked, trying to fool herself that, maybe, just maybe, her friends would agree to this. But, damn it, why would they? “Not really,” Shigeo noted, “It’s not a traditional one, though. I call it the Regiment de Cuisine: Battle Royale. In a week from now, I shall prepare this building with different challenges, each lead by one of the Caporegime, and assisted by my troops. If you truly wish to risk it, you and the team you can very unlikely gather shall challenge each floor. You win, you pass onto the next. Lose, and the students involved in it will be expelled. Except you, of course. As the leader of your team, you lose, you join me, but again… I’d rather not force this. You and I both know that if small-Yukihira asked for help, everyone would trip over themselves to help her against even The Seven in an Intercontinental Shokugeki, but for you, well… you are brilliant. Think over it carefully.” Chieko took a deep breath, and just, putting her phone away, began to walk past Shigeo, her eyes utterly narrowed. “Don’t make me do this…” Shigeo voiced, but again, his tone was utterly unreadable. “…I will prove you wrong, even if I have to do it alone,” Chieko replied, even if her tone sounded anything but assured. -0- “You needn’t walk me back to my apartment,” Kaori noted, turning to the older blonde girl currently bouncing in place. This Suzume girl really could not stay still, and it was annoying Kaori more than she could properly convey. “…And may I suggest a dose of Vyvanse?” “Hmm? Oh, I don’t snort that type of stuff.” “That’s not…” Kaori tried, before she decided against it, and just added, “Never mind. Thank you for the company. I’m fine now. Good night.” As Kaori turned to go into the place she shared with her currently still back at Nakiri Manor brother, likely massaging Hiraku’s feet or something, she heard Suzume speak up. “I do agree with you, ya know?” “…Pardon?” “About Akio,” Suzume explained, and Kaori gave a pause. That was… surprising, “He fooled me too. I actually believed I was seeing the old Akio once more, when he spoke up against that mean Bookman for you, but, you place him before the redhead, and he loses all the edge to him instantly. It’s… so tiring and disappointing at this rate.” “I could have warned you,” Kaori merely stated, “I am aware you and my brother have… history, but, genuinely, if even you can’t shake him out of it, then he is lost. I will restore my family’s name; I clearly cannot count on him to help me do so.” “…Yeah, it sucks, but it is true,” Suzume noted, and as Kaori didn’t know whether to nod or not, Suzume added, “I guess I now understand you now better at least. I too would be horrified if I was related to such a spineless and useless guy like Akio.” “Naturally,” Kaori replied automatically, “It is absolutely the… wait? Horrified? I… I never actually said that.” “But I understand if you feel that way,” Suzume explained, “I… like Akio, in a way I can’t quite describe, but seeing him be so pathetic is honestly such a turnoff that –” “Excuse you,” Kaori quickly cut in, “My brother may be a lot of things, but he is not useless and he is most certainly not pathetic. He was the Valedictorian of his year, and less you forget, he is still Seated above you.” “Eh? But that’s because I haven’t challenged him…” “Challenge him, go on,” Kaori challenged, “I know my brother. He may be lost, and he may be in a rough patch, but he is still amazing. My brother can cook circles around you, and I know he can defeat Yukihira-senpai if needed. He suffered a horrible blow to his self-esteem, one I did as well, so I can relate. Yes, he is utterly a fool to keep working for the man who defeated him, but my brother is more than just that. He will prove you wrong. And I am insulted that you would speak of him in such a way, especially of how highly and respectfully he speaks of you. Perhaps you are the one who…” Kaori gave another pause, as with each word, Suzume’s grin just grew wider and wider, until Kaori fully understood what was happening. “…you tricked me into saying nice things about my brother,” Kaori noted with the cutest pout. “I did!” Suzume cheerfully confirmed, “Because I am aware you are disappointed, I am too, but you and I both know you brother is a wonderful boy. And we both know he will find his way once more. So, rather than attack him when he is lost, we should be the ones trying to guide him. He immediately jumped to your defense, yet, now, when he stammers, you didn’t do the same.” For once, Kaori froze, her eyes widening slightly, before she shifted them to the side. “…I hate you.” “And you better get used to me,” Suzume playfully warned, “But, those words you said, it’s not me who needs to hear them. Akio is a lot of things, and a loving brother is one of them. To him, you believing in him means the world, so… as an older sister myself, please be kinder to him. It’s clear you adore him.” “I never said I adored him.” “You didn’t have to.” As Suzume flashed Kaori the brightest smile, followed by a double peace sign, she turned to leave, but an annoyed Kaori, despite it all, sighed, and… “You’re quite the… boy crazy individual, are you not?” “Not just boys, but yes, if the shoe fits,” Suzume noted, turning to Kaori, smile still in place, “Is this you attempting to insult me?” “No, if I must expose my protective instinct towards Akio by your cunning tricks, then I feel it is appropriate to voice them all,” Kaori corrected, and as Suzume tilted her head, a bit confused, Kaori added, “My brother is not a boy for a one-night stand. I care not for what you do in your spare time, but if you ever date my brother, you better knock that off and focus exclusively on him.” “…Okay, that is surprising.” “Your taste in men is abhorrent,” Kaori noted, suddenly, and Suzume pouted, “And the girls you pick aren’t that much better.” “Okay, I get it.” “I mean it,” Kaori warned, “What do you even see in these people you date?” “I mean, well, they’re good looking,” Suzume offered, and Kaori outright scoffed. “My brother is better looking than any of them.” “It’s not just looks,” Suzume tried, for once, a bit flustered at the turn of the conversation. Damn this Kaori and her need to get back at people, “I like my partners to be risk takers.” “My brother called out a WGO Bookman. Even you waited until he did to voice your own thoughts.” “…I get what you’re saying,” Suzume, again, tried, “B-But, also, I also mean thrilling dates and escapades.” “For you he’d break every rule.” “And for them to be good dance partners!” “He is classically trained.” “…Able to make me laugh?” “You’re always smiling when you’re with him.” “Stop!” Suzume almost begged, “I legit want someone, anyone to just treat me right and not like a prize, okay?!” “…I don’t even have to exaggerate here,” Kaori noted, softly, and for once, she gave Suzume the softest smile, “…We both know Akio would treat you far better than you deserve.” And all Suzume could do was laugh. “…yeah, I know.” -0- Yasu had spent hours staring at the ceiling. His mind was utterly lost, replaying the events of the Autumn Elections and the argument that followed that had led to Chieko storming off. He felt so powerless, utterly helpless to just tell her everything he knew about Shigeo, when he knew he had been played very much as a pawn himself. His own feelings for Mika, weaponized by that snake bastard, just another little piece on his chess board as he made his way towards Chieko, and from the look of things, he was winning. So, unable to sleep, Yasu pushed the sheets off, put on his pants, ignored the shirt all together because even at nearly two in the morning, despite the chill, a boy of his physique was utterly unbothered by the cold. He made his way downstairs, and towards the main doors, opening them up and deciding to find Chieko no matter what it took. And he did. Right in the front door. “…Chieko?” he asked, utterly confused, half wondering if he had indeed fallen asleep and was dreaming. She offered him a tired smile, and from her eyes alone, he could tell she was deeply bothered. “You were right,” she admitted, “You all were right. Shigeo-senpai was behind everything. And I had the proof, but lost it to his… hacker girl.” “…You were with him? Chieko, that’s…” “Dangerous or stupid?” Chieko noted with a pained laugh, “Yeah, either works, but… I may have gotten involved in something even more… problematic.” As soon as she gave Yasu a short explanation, Yasu quickly went to the intercom system, and being careful not to wake up any of the middle school students, gave an emergency call to all the First Years, resulting in all of them being jolted awake. Amongst them, Mika opened her eyes, her gaze on the speakers, before she turned towards her current room invader, one Kimiko Yukihira, currently hugging her firmly and resting her pretty little head on Mika’s bosom. … “Get off me Yukihira!” “A-Ah?! Wha…? Mika?” a very groggy Kimiko blurted out, still half asleep, “…why are you in my room?” “You’re the one in my room you idiot!” Mika shouted back, and it took Kimiko a few seconds to remember she had broken her own bed with Hiroshi (and explanation Hiroshi had begged her not to voice in that manner to Mika), before she turned to Mika in confusion. “…what’s wrong?” “Get up,” Mika instructed, taking off her pajama top, which Kimiko just felt was Mika just flaunting her assets at her at this point (she was bustier than her, she got it, nobody likes a show-off), and taking hold of her most fashionable sports bra, “Yasu called us down from the intercom system, and for him of all people to do so, the world must be ending.” Kimiko gave a light pause, but she did nod. That did sound serious. Very serious. So this was how the main Polar Stars all found themselves gathered by the living room of the dorms, with Kimiko, Hiroshi, Mika, Hideyoshi, Daisuke, Yasu, and, of course, Chieko all gathered around the table, all seated in the sofas that surrounded it. Chieko had explained the situation in the best detail she could, from her tour of the Network’s base, everything she learned of the Autumn Election’s hacking, what Shigeo Eizan had proposed, and, above all else, how she had no idea what to do with all this. “So Kimiko called it?” Hideyoshi noted, his eyes on the blonde, before he turned to Chieko, “But that aside, that was reckless!” “I… am aware,” Chieko noted, her eyes to the side. “She’s not the first to be fooled by Eizan-senpai,” Daisuke came to her defense, his eyes on her, “He didn’t do anything bad to you, did he?” “…He better not have,” Yasu added with barely concealed venom. “No, nothing like that,” Chieko explained, “He wants me in his Network. Wants me as another pawn or enforcer of his ever-expanding group of culinary familia. And at this rate, either I just keep quiet and let him get away everything he did so far, or… I somehow take the fight to him, at the risk of, if I lose, I have no choice but to join his ranks.” “That’s not an option we should even consider,” Hiroshi voiced, sitting next to Chieko and offering her a drink, “…I made sure this one isn’t one of Yasu’s spiked ones, so… here, drink up.” “Thank you Hiroshi,” Chieko voiced, before she turned to the others, “But you were right. You were all right. He was behind everything, but now I don’t know what to do in response.” “A Regiment de Cuisine: Battle Royale?” Mika voiced, her eyes towards Hideyoshi, “Is that even a thing?” “Not that I’ve heard of,” he replied, “A Regiment de Cuisine is a team battle in theory, but most chefs here suck at teamwork. It usually ends up being just one versus one Shokugeki duels that just happen to take place simultaneously. A waste of a concept, really.” “…I don’t think that matters here,” Daisuke added, and Hideyoshi just stuck his tongue out at him. “Still, if that bastard wants to challenge us, then let him bring it!” Mika announced, her fist clenched, while Chieko quickly shook her head. “No! I saw what his Network is capable of!” she warned, “While the… other lackeys aren’t anything special, the Caporegime, the five top enforces he has, those are beyond what any of us can manage. And Shigeo-senpai knows it. Me asking for help is the equivalent of me picking which of my friends I want expelled.” “But… Chieko, we can’t let him just intimidate you into joining him,” Hiroshi voiced, softly, and she gave the boy a little smile. “I… appreciate it,” she noted, “But I have no choice. I know you all would try, but… I’ve been a horrible friend already. I believed his lies… I believed my own lie, that I… actually mattered. That I actually could measure up. That I could actually win, and in the end, I just made a fool of myself. Such a smart girl? I couldn’t have been dumber. I…” “I mean, if you’ve already given up, why call us down?” Chieko froze, as did all the other Polar Star kids. Kimiko, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet, just watching Chieko intently, suddenly spoke up… words nobody expected of her. “…Kimiko?” “You’re right,” Kimiko noted, “You were a fool, and we tried to warn you. And now, you expect us to risk our careers just to fix a mess you ignored and then escalated?” “Kimiko!” Mika called her out, but Kimiko’s firm eyes did not waver. Only Hiroshi kept his eyes on this girl, not saying anything. The others all complained to her, all at once, until Chieko, swallowing everything, tried her best. “Damn it, you were right!” she shouted, outright in tears, “Is that what you want to hear?! You called it, and I fell for it! I believed I was good enough, but yeah, no, I’m not! I didn’t mean for this Kimiko! I didn’t want to hurt you! I… I care for you! I don’t want… this to ruin our friendship! Please, I’m not looking for pity, nor would I put any of you at risk! I… I… I just don’t know what to do!” And Chieko just began to sob softly, with Hiroshi quickly pulling her into a hug, while Yasu sat on the other side, and gave her another soft hug. Daisuke was basically crying too, while Hideyoshi felt himself burning inside. Mika had shifted her glare to Kimiko, who, again, had her expression unchanged. “It’s fine, but nothing we can do about it now…” Kimiko noted. “Yukihira?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Mika cried out, and Kimiko just turned her eyes towards her. “We can’t let Chieko work for that creep!” “She didn’t seem to mind that idea much at first,” Kimiko voiced, and Mika felt the strongest urge to just smack the stupid out of the blonde. But she held herself back, her eyes outright showing an unspoken “I expected better from you.”, which Kimiko didn’t seem too bothered by. Instead, “I’m really tired, so, we still have a week to decide, no? Let’s talk about this later. I’ll be in Mika’s bed if anyone needs me…” With those words spoken, Kimiko just stood up, and walked away, with Mika glaring daggers at the blonde’s retreading back, while Chieko just cried onto her palms, utterly devastated that her stupid, hormonal mistakes had ruined one of the best friendships she had made in this school. She had wanted Kimiko to forgive her, but… she also understood. Chieko Marui was no Kimiko Yukihira, and she’d never be. “Ignoring little miss bitchy,” Mika voiced with some rather strong disdain, “If we have to take on this bastard’s Network, then let’s! In a week, we could get a decent team!” “Of who?!” Chieko practically screamed out, “Who will risk expulsion just for… me?” “Well, all of us in this room, no?” Hideyoshi asked, eyeing the little group there. “O-Obviously,” a very scared Daisuke still added. “…That and more,” Yasu noted. “You’re not alone Chieko,” Hiroshi assured, his hand firmly on hers, “…And we will work something out,” he then turned to his cousin, “Is Isshiki-san here? Perhaps he could…?” “Our dorm master is missing, as usual,” Mika just noted, annoyed, “He slept for like an hour and then just vanished. I swear, adults pop out of existence the moment they are needed in this damn school.” “…But I don’t want this, at all,” Chieko voiced up, just relenting and giving up, “He wins. I won’t risk you guys, and I know I could never get anyone else of our year to risk everything for me. I will speak to Shigeo-senpai once more, before the week is done, and see if I can come up with a happy medium for us both,” she added solemnly, “He is a man of business after all. I am certain, that if I can make an offer that entices him enough, perhaps I can salvage this to an extent. If I am so damn smart, it’s the least I can do…” And as she told them this, despite it sounding like the most logical response to this madness, not a single Polar Star felt assured of this solution to the problem that was Shigeo Eizan. But, then again, even the best at Totsuki had never managed to even put a dent on him, what hope did they have? -0- Shigeo Eizan had his back to his Caporegime, with the four standing by his main office on the fifth floor. It was late, yes, but he was so pissed off that none of them dared complain. He took a few moments, utterly focusing on measuring his words very carefully, before he turned to them. “You all messed up, greatly.” “We… are aware,” Stella voiced, as Tsing, Heineken and Bud all looked to the side as the uncomfortable vibe that surrounded this private meeting was a bit too much. “Whether Chieko takes me up on my challenge or not is irrelevant,” Shigeo explained, his fury barely contained, “She will join our ranks, but I didn’t want to force her into it. I wanted true loyalty, something you four seem to have forgotten,” he added, and the moment they looked about to complain, his glare shut them all up, “I am not asking a question. I am noting a fact. You all, despite being my main force, behaved like utter children tonight, and as such, my plans were ruined. I do not want to hear excuses; nor do I want some moronic reasoning. I want results. Until Koharu returns, you four will be in-charge of a respective floor, and it is your duty to prepare it with a challenge that shows Chieko how creative and brilliant we are. Am I clear?” “Yes Boss!” the four noted, firmly. “Good, so, get to bloody work.” The four then froze… “Eh?” Tsing voiced, confused, “You mean during the week, no? Because…” “Week? I offered Chieko a week, I want to see your Challenge Rooms prepared for this morning,” Shigeo basically spat out, “If you can party and mess up all night long, then you can work. And make no mistake, if your challenges aren’t up to my standards, forget my challenge to Chieko, I will make you get expelled myself. So, consider this an ultimatum. You all are working overtime, without pay, and you are going to do the best damn work you’ve have ever done, so get to it.” “…Y-Yes…” the four noted, their left eye collectively flinching, before they turned to each other, each of them having the same question in their eyes. The fourth floor, the one that should have the hardest and most complex challenge… who gets that one? “Not it!” Tsing voiced. “Not it!” Bud voiced. “Not it!” Heineken voiced. “Not… damn it!” Stella tried, but the boys beat her to it, “Seriously?! I get the fourth floor? Shit… Ah, fine, I guess I have enough materials there to work something out.” “Good on you,” Tsing noted with a charming little smile, “Although, the rest of us I think we need to head back to our homes and go fetch some equipment to get these things ready,” he added, and the other two nodded. Shigeo almost growled. “I do not need a narration,” he told the other three, “Go to your places, bring everything, and get to work. If I have to say even a syllable more, your next kitchen will be the local McDonald’s. So… move.” The four all flinched, gave the Boss a bow, and went towards their respective locations, with Stella heading into the fourth floor to work on her would-be masterpiece, while the other three headed out of the building and towards their homes to fetch everything they could. It would be a very long night. Shigeo just sighed. Such a perfect moment, ruined. He then turned, to the little wallflower currently quiet at the side. “Now then, Akiko…” The girl flinched. “Y-Yes?” “…I am disappointed in your recent work, since I took you in because you were the best hacker I knew,” he added, and she felt faint, “To learn all my precious data was stolen because someone managed to out-hack you does put quite the black mark on your mission report.” “…I am aware,” she noted, “I have no excuses.” “Of course you don’t,” Shigeo just said in utter annoyance. “None of you ever do. You can’t even manage to keep my Network in-line for a few hours while I am busy, and you are supposed to be my eyes and ears from the inside. What does it say about me if you are so spineless that none of my own goons won’t follow the instructions of the one I leave in charge? Your pathetic display makes me look pathetic in turn.” “I-I… I am so sorry…” “Sorry does not get me Chieko back,” he noted, “But let’s focus on fixing your mess first. You said the hacker that stole most of my blackmail material calls himself T.V.?” “…Correct,” she noted, “And I firmly believe he is here, as one of the lesser members of the Network, or, at least, an associate of his is there.” “No, your initial assessment is correct,” Shigeo simply stated, not even bothering to look at her, “…T.V. It’s a pun. He finally wants to bare his fangs after all… And here, for a moment, even I believed he wasn’t anything special. I almost believed the apple had fallen far from the tree, perhaps, and he was nothing like his mother, but… no, he planned this. Unfortunately for him, I’m in no mood to humor this. So we’re taking care of him now.” “…You are fully aware of who he is, aren’t you Boss?” “Of course,” Shigeo noted, eyes narrowed, “It’s child’s play. T.V. is –” “Hey Boss!” Shigeo paused, and Akiko felt something in her break. Seriously?! She was going to hear the name and suddenly Emi of all people was calling in. Shigeo seemed to glare at the walkie talkie, before he gave the coldest, “What?” “…Eh? You gave Chieko Marui a week to prepare, no?” “Yes,” he replied utterly unamused, “And I am currently busy. Save your questions for Akiko, she’ll answer them in due time.” “N-No, I get that, my apologies, but…” Emi continued, and both Shigeo and Akiko paused, eyes on the little device, since Emi wasn’t one to push things when Shigeo was being clear about being left alone. Did this mean…? “…T-The Rebel Team is already here, declaring that the Regiment de Cuisine: Battle Royale begins now!” Shigeo and Akiko both cracked. What? “Chieko’s here? Now?!” for once, even Shigeo was baffled, “Is that her plan? Catch me off-guard by just marching in? How utterly… reckless. But, wait, did she find students to side with her? How many are we talking about? The Polar Stars? The Autumn Election participants? No way did she get all the First Years involved in less than an hour!” But, the response, was even more baffling that either Shigeo or Akiko expected. Because… “No, she’s not even here!” Emi cried out, “And it’s just one!” Wait? One? “It’s Kimiko Yukihira!” And as Emi spoke on the walkie talkie, Kimiko had simply marched up to the Network’s building, guided by the pin T.V. had sent her earlier, her glare on all the lesser members gathered there, initially just sent there to be scolded, but now, evidently, confronting Kimiko. It was the three Buttons: Emi Kusunoki, Itsuki Kumai, and the newest member, currently glaring at Kimiko, Shoto Kaburagi. Also, the four Associates were also there: Timmy Revolver, Kou Shio Jr., Kenny Dakekanba, and John J. Johnson (who Emi had just moments ago convinced his fight against Yamada had been nothing but a silly dream he had had). The seven Network members stared Kimiko down, while the young girl seemed to be glaring so hard she looked to be looking straight to them. “…Can we help you?” Shoto asked, his fist clenching at the sight of her. This stupid girl was the reason he had lost to that doormat Hiroshi after all, and while his beef was more with the latter, he wasn’t excusing her for her meddling. “Where’s your mafia boss?” Kimiko asked, firmly. “You do not get to just waltz into the Boss’ office,” Emi replied, arms crossed against her chest, “Leave before you regret this stupidity.” “Leave?” Kimiko repeated, and she sounded outright offended, “I am not leaving! You all are this feared Network everyone in this school is so afraid of, no? Then, fine, come on, make me leave!” “This girl is insane…” Timmy noted, while Kou just stared at her. “She’s so, so hot ~” Kenny couldn’t help but swoon. “T-The Boss is not accepting visitors!” Itsuki informed her, “So get lost! We won’t –” “I don’t care!” she practically roared, making Itsuki flinch in response, “He made my friend cry! And no number of goons are standing in my way! When will you learn?! When will you learn that your actions have consequences… and those consequences are me?! So, put up or get out of my way! I see you have cooking equipment set out here, and your pathetic boss challenged Chieko to a Battle Royale, so here I am! What was it again? I lose, I’m expelled? Wonderful… make me lose, I dare you!” “I-Is she serious…?” Emi couldn’t help but mutter, but soon enough, John walked forwards, standing up to Kimiko. “Very well,” he noted, “I have to correct my horrible first impressions after all, so, if nobody minds, allow me to put this little girl in her place.” Kimiko’s response was just a massive glare. But the first duel was set, of this Battle Royale… Kimiko Yukihira vs. John J. Johnson Akiko managed to rush out just in time to catch the two beginning to cook already, her anxiety on high alert already since, why?! When was this what they agreed to?! The had no judges yet, barely any ingredients prepped, and none of the Challenges were even set up. Heck, four of the five Caporegime weren’t even here! Still, John, knowing Kimiko was more inclined to Japanese Cuisine, offered to make the theme tacos, and the girl agreed. Akiko, against her will, ended up as the would-be judge for these initial round…s, but that worked in her favor. If the taste was close enough, screw dignity and fairness, she was voting Kimiko out. Not her fault Kimiko was stupid enough to just shrug when Emi offered Akiko as the judge. So, John began to cook, frying the meat and the tortilla, as he began to prep the ingredients. He was rather quick when it came to prep, Akiko would note, and as she observed him, she took Emi’s phone again, and gave a quick search in the student profiles for John. And just like Koharu had texted (rather late at that), he did come from a very noteworthy family. So maybe… “What’s wrong Kimiko Yukihira?” John boasted, “Is my prep too quick for you to keep up? I wonder… can you even make a single dish before I make enough for everyone present?” “…Can I make one?”
And it was in a flash. John, using his feet as springs, boasted to Kimiko about his superior speed, bouncing all around, his feet creating small craters against whatever they touched, a speed hard to keep track of… but, Kimiko, her eyes just focused on Akiko and not John, just lifted her hand, closed her fist, and the moment John tried to attack her, punched him right across the face, making a crater on the floor with his mug, and knocking him out with a single blow, no Devil Fruit powers needed.
Akiko was given the most perplexing looking taco, which was more like a salad bowl than the traditional thing, but one taste of it was enough to make her eyes water. No, she couldn’t lie, not when the gap was this huge. John just stared, eyes wide, unable to comprehend how Kimiko could outmaneuver him so effortlessly, while Kimiko didn’t spare him a second glance. “Next,” Kimiko demanded, looking like she had not just cooked an outright gourmet meal in a portable electric stove of all things, that she had brought with her in a little Hello Kitty backpack of all things! ‘W-Who is this girl?!’ Akiko couldn’t help but ask, feeling that Kimiko’s glare was digging right into her, but… she had already failed the Boss enough times as was. She needed to get rid of Kimiko Yukihira, by any means necessary. So she turned towards the remaining members of the Network at her disposal, “This is a Battle Royale! It need not be one on one! Emi! Itsuki! Take her down!” “Oh? With pleasure ~” Emi noted, licking her lips. “…Alright, yeah, sure…” Itsuki followed along. Kimiko was unperturbed, just staring at the two as they stood before her, them on the expensive, Eizan-branded kitchen equipment… and her on her cheap, portable electric grill that had seen better days. The theme? Chicken Salad. “Ready!” Emi excitedly began. “S-Set…” Itsuki nervously continued. “…go,” Akiko softly announced, her eyes on Kimiko, who took a glance at the theme on display in the yet not at all setup monitor before she went back to the ingredients she had stuffed inside her backpack rather haphazardly. By all logic, Kimiko should not win this, Akiko noted, but she needed Emi and Itsuki to completely crush this stupid girl and halt whatever madness this was.
And it was like the battlefield itself had shifted. From a backwater town infested by pirate scum, to a high mountain area of samurai who wielded the power of the souls themselves, death personified. Both Emi and Itsuki took out two very distinct blades, and with a respective cry…
“Run!” Emi cried out, “Itegumo!”
“Splash!” Itsuki followed along, “Gegetsuburi!”
Emi and Itsuki’s blades shifted and morphed into forms that showed their partial true power. A Shikai. But, as they took their aim at Kimiko, she placed her own oversized blade right onto the ground, leaving it there, and in a mere flash, appeared before Itsuki, and with nothing but her fist, shattered his transformed weapon and crushed his solar plexus alongside it, utterly knocking him out cold, before Emi, utterly shocked at the power in display, since Kimiko’s own blade remained unused, was too surprised to react when Kimiko flash stepped right before her and gave her an uppercut right across the jaw that caused her to black out instantly.
Two opponents. Two moves. Both out.
Akiko’s eyes widened at the display, unable to find a way to lie about Kimiko’s prowess when it was clear her own opponents were bowing down before her. Basically cowering before this girl before she even had a chance to call it in herself. But, to her surprise, Kimiko’s eyes narrowed, and she finally took hold of her blade, just in time to block an attack from behind…
…From Shoto.
“I can see you,” Kimiko noted with quite the grin, “Shoto Kaburagi.”
Shoto had taken a stance on the kitchen, his sharp eyes on the girl. Emi, currently laying on her butt, still gobsmacked by the taste of the dish Kimiko had produced, could only look up as the young man seemed to be glaring daggers at their blonde invader. “…What do you gain from this Kimiko Yukihira?” Shoto asked, “Chieko Marui came in here by her own volition. You are trying to avenge someone who we merely accommodated.” “That’s rich,” Kimiko noted, “You goons are so used to hurting people it doesn’t even register anymore, does it? Well, nah, I won’t stand for that. Your boss made her cry, and I’m gonna make him cry in turn!” she shouted, before she turned her head directly towards the security camara by the main entrance they all stood next to, “And I know you can hear me! You can hide all you want, but I’m going to reach you, even if I have to go through every single one of these idiots to do so!” Back at his main office, Shigeo simply stared at the scene, his anger seething at the words coming out of this brat who seemed to think she could possibly accomplish anything with this. Did she not understand, that the only reason she was still allowed to roam the Totsuki halls was because of who she was related to? Until Shigeo could make sure taking Kimiko out wouldn’t trigger a war with Hiraku, he would have remained lenient, but… now? If she attacked him first? Well… now that’s a different story. “You made me look rather bad during an important event Yukihira,” Shoto noted. “We… have never dueled,” Kimiko replied, head to the side, “You sure you have the right blonde?” “Yes, your meddling was enough, and now, I will return the favor, and meddle in this revenge you desire so, and take it from you,” Shoto announced, before he called out, “Hey, Kenny, you idiot, get your ass over here. You’re my partner for this one.” Akiko, Kimiko and especially Kenny himself all gave him quite the look filled with surprised. Akiko herself had not ordered Shoto to even duel next, much less to gang up on Kimiko. She had thought he would have refused. Had he not stepped up, she would have sent Timmy and Kou next to try and tire her out, but, then, why…? “You can’t take me on by yourself either?” Kimiko mocked; her eyebrow raised. “Two on one isn’t fair,” Shoto argued, and Kimiko felt more confused. Before she could ask, Shoto merely took out his knife and pointed it at Kimiko. Or rather, behind her, “Seems you wanted to fool your friends and rush out over here, but you miscalculated…” Here Kimiko paused, and turned around, and her eyes widened. Behind her, with his own backpack and mini-fridge with wheels, stood Hiroshi, a soft smile on his face. “H-Hiroshi?!” Kimiko could barely get out. “…I figured you were putting up an act against Chieko,” he noted, his voice soft as ever, “You can be a bit bratty, I am aware, but that wasn’t you. You kinda played the mean girl act a bit too much. So I figured you were going to head directly here and attempt to take everyone out who hurt Chieko.” “I… I thought I had acted great,” she argued, with a pout, before she looked at the boy, “…But, why? This is risky. If we lose, we’re expelled. I don’t care about myself. I have Yukihira’s. I didn’t even know this school existed beyond what my mom told me about my aunt’s job or when Hiraku got sent over here. But… you…” “Kimi…” Hiroshi explained, his eyes on her, “I may not look like it, but I am also livid over seeing Chieko cry. And what they did to Lola, to Kaori, and especially, to you. Ever since I set foot in the school, the Eizan name was almost taboo, and his Network has been this dark shadow you have to be afraid at every waking moment… but when they mess with the people you care about, enough is enough. And… you have me. You don’t have to take this whole thing on alone. You want to crush the Network, very well, then let’s.” Kimiko felt herself blush, a surprise heat at the center of her chest hit her in a way she had never before, but she shook her head, and forced the brightest smile, “My ~ That’s a side of you I haven’t seen before. I like it!” then she pounded her fists together, as she turned towards Shoto and the cowering Kenny, “But, deal! You watch my back, I’ll watch yours! Let’s crush them… together!” “See?” Shoto noted, towards Kenny, “Isn’t she your stupid crush? She seems to like nice guys who aren’t spineless, and you are neither. So if you want to impress this girl, it’s now or never.” “I-I… damn it, Kimiko! Don’t tell me you and Hiroshi…!” Kenny cried out, almost in tears; and both Kimiko and Hiroshi looked at him, tilting their heads to the side in unison, “Stop acting like a couple!” “A-A couple?” Kimiko repeated, her blush growing, and it made Kenny get even more annoyed, because all his attempts to flirt with her went unnoticed, but the moment he mentioned her with this boy, she seemed to get it. “I-I mean, that’s not…” Hiroshi tried, but Kenny was having none of it. “Forget it!” he screeched, “I’m in Shoto. She broke my precious heart! I’ll crush her in turn!” “Focus on Hiroshi you moron,” Shoto just instructed, and his voice was as cold as ice, “Kimiko’s too much for you in every way imaginable. Keep her lover at bay, I’ll handle little Yukihira,” he added, “Akiko. Call it.” “Y-Yes…” Akiko tried, with Timmy and Kou standing right behind her, as the hacker tried her best to think of a theme that benefit Shoto the most, because she really didn’t trust Kenny at all. She had already researched him, obviously. The son of Shouko Kaburagi. His dad wasn’t that well known. The reports were conflicting. Was it a guy named Hans, or was that incorrect? Not that it mattered. She knew enough of Shouko’s record to help Shoto win, even, if… did she really want to help Shoto win…? No, screw it, Kimiko was the bigger problem now, “The theme is apples. So, begin!” Next Match… Kimiko Yukihira & Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro vs. Shoto Kaburagi & Kenny Dakekanba Kimiko quickly moved, helping Hiroshi set up the extra materials he had brought along with him, which compared to her little portable grill, looked much more like a proper kitchen. Shoto, meanwhile, quickly moved to take out the freshest apples from the Network’s own supply, all the while basically ordering Kenny to begin the prep. A little behind, and noticing how Shoto was a bit more of a threat than the three losers Kimiko had wiped out effortlessly in less than half an hour beforehand, Kimiko and Hiroshi had to pick up the pace, but, without even a word, just a look, the two seemed to come to the same conclusion. Shoto was quick however, very quick Kimiko noted, quicker than even during his duel against Hiroshi. He had taken hold of the apples of his choice; big, bright red fruits that were clearly of the highest quality, and with a flick of his wrist, proceeded to begin to peel off the flesh with pinpoint accuracy. He basically spun the apple in his hand, and allowed the knife’s edge to grace the fruit ever so gently, and in seconds the apple was utterly naked in his hand. In no time, he had a rather large batch of freshly peeled apples on the side, dipped into a large bowl with enough water to cover them all. Shoto then proceeded to grab a second set of fruit: Lemons. Cutting the small yellow fruit in two, Shoto proceeded to juice them until he had enough material, and then, slowly dripped the lemon juice into the water, mixing it gently, and after firmly securing them, he proceeded to take out one of the apples. And, one at a time, began to cut around the core, with such intense precision he could have been mistaken for a surgeon. In no time, he had taken the core out, leaving only the fresh “cheeks” of the apple ready for use. “…He is indeed his mother’s son,’ Akiko noted, her eyes on Shoto’s expert handling of fruits, all the while Kenny struggled to keep up with every batch Shoto prepared. And to his credit, it wasn’t that Kenny was lousy. He had enough skill to at least keep up, and he was handling the ingredients carefully. This… This could work.
“Kimiko Yukihira. I will destroy you,” Shoto announced, his blade on hand, “And Chieko, next time, I will force her into our ranks myself.”
“I won’t allow you to do that,” Kimiko denounced, the same little smirk present, as she held her own blade firmly, “That’s why I’m here!”
Kimiko, as everyone noted, had set her apples aside, not even bothering to start peeling them just quite yet. Instead, in a surprising move, she had taken hold of a very different ingredient: Chicken. Taking hold of a careful selection of whole chicken thighs on the bone with skin. Using the biggest knife in her arsenal, she had sliced the chicken to the desired cuts, before she proceeded to season the meat with grounded salt and pepper. She took her time, her eyes almost unblinking as she prepared the meat to the level of seasoning she believed optimal, before turning to Hiroshi. He had filled a large pot in oil, and setting it into medium heat, proceeded to brown each piece of chicken as best he could as soon as Kimiko gave it to him. Piece by piece, they worked as a unit, almost as if they had practiced this very dish beforehand, and it unnerved Akiko, because she had chosen this theme to benefit Shoto, not them!
“Use you Bankai!” Kimiko called out to Shoto, who stood before her, after a few sword clashes, utterly unbothered, “You said you were going to force Chieko into this. Well, I don’t like it. So unleash your true power, so I can destroy it!”
“You want me to use Bankai? Don’t be naïve,” Shoto merely replied, holding his sword now before him, in a full vertical position, “You are way too weak to every necessitate such power. Shikai will suffice…” he added, and suddenly, his blade began to break into small pieces resembling flower petals, “Scatter… Senbonzakura…”
As the hundreds of tiny blades floated towards Kimiko, the girl simply glared, and with a powerful swing of her own blade, unleashed a massive surge of energy that pushed all the blades away, broke the ground beneath their feet, and left Shoto with his eyes wide, as the attack had passed mere inches from him. What… What was that?
Kimiko quickly took hold of several different herbs, and after examining them by scent, she picked out three and set them aside: bay leaf, sage, and thyme. Kimiko then passed it all to Hiroshi, who took a spoonful of Dijon mustard and some chicken stock. He placed all the ingredients back into the pan they had first pre-cooked the chicken in, including the chicken itself. Kimiko then began to stir, and it was here Shoto couldn’t help but glare. The speed, the movement, she was stirring just as fiercely as Shoto himself was attempting to…
“That ability…?” Shoto couldn’t help but mutter.
“Yeah, neat trick, huh?” Kimiko boasted. “It’s my special ability! I can concentrate all my power into the tip of my blade, and unleash it like a cutting blast. It’s called the Getsuga Tensho, or… pierce the heavens, if you so prefer.”
“What an arrogant name,” Shoto noted, before he took his own blade, and then… released it, “But very well… you wish to see my Bankai? Here, have at it.”
And Kimiko’s eyes went wide, since his blade went right into the ground, and then, out of it, a hundred more blades came out, all of them shattering and scattering into pieces now numbering in the thousands.
“Bankai… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.”
Shoto then took hold of a nearby cast-iron pan, and began to line the pie dough the Kenny had been working on around it, before he took hold of a fork and began to prick the dough all around. It was almost mechanical the precision Shoto had, even with the simplest of tools, as the end result seemed like some sort of symmetrical work of art. He placed it away in the fridge, setting the timer to twenty-five minutes, before he motioned to the oven, and set it on. He then worked in select batches, removing the apple slices from their cinnamon-sugar bed and carefully squeezing the excess moisture out of them with his firm grip. Once more, he moved insanely quick, getting through dozens upon dozens of slices in mere moments, setting them on a separate large bowl, while saving the liquid left over for the sauce they would use.
And just like that, Kimiko was utterly overwhelmed, as the thousand of tiny blades, despite her attempts to blast them away, proved too small to hit and too fast to avoid. Hence, she found herself smashed right back to the ground by the sheer force of them all. Even using her own blade as a shield proved worthless, as the mere impact with the ground was enough to have her all bloodied up.
It was here Kimiko finally retook her apples, quickly peeling and coring the apples at a pace that matched Shoto’s earlier demonstration blow by blow. Cut by cut. She then moved quickly, leaving the apple as wedges, she cooked them in butter and caramelized them, before she poured in some cream, and in movements almost too fierce for a girl her size, she flipped and tossed the wedges up and around, all over a flame so intense that it was making her sweat all over.
“…heh, I guess I was indeed naïve, in thinking I could match a full release with a partial one…” Kimiko noted with a little laugh, which made Shoto glare at her. He didn’t care how much chaos this little upstart had made; she wasn’t as feared as her elder brother. She wasn’t a big deal. But… “Let’s make this even… Watch carefully, this is my… Bankai!” she screamed, and as the very Earth shook underneath her feet in a massive surge of power, she added, “Tensa Zangetsu…!”
And here was Kimiko wielding a very thin blade, black as the night’s sky without a single star…
“She’s almost done, damn it,” Shoto noted, angrily, turning to Kenny, “Hurry up! We cannot mess this up!” “Yeah! Don’t worry! I’ve got this! I’ll make her see!” Kenny boasted, as he took hold of their almost ready pie and began to carefully decorate it. He had always been something of a pâtissier thanks to his mother Barbie, despite his own father’s lackluster skills on anything that wasn’t seafood. So, to the surprise of those watching, Kenny managed to arrange that pie almost to an artistic level, outright giving Kimiko a flirty wink, before immediately turning to Hiroshi with the biggest scowl, “And you. If anyone deserves to cook alongside Kimiko, it’s me!”
As Kimiko and Shoto dueled, Kenny had effortlessly taken Hiroshi down. He knew. Knew Hiroshi had been carried by Kimiko or his hot cousin Mika all the time. Even his inclusion in the Autumn Elections was more out of pity than anything else. So, with his own blade in its Shikai form, Kenny had paralyzed Hiroshi completely.
“My Shikai, the Ashisogizisou severs all contact from the brain to the limbs, you’re done…” Kenny boasted, before he turned his attention towards Kimiko, “Besides, a boy’s tortured screams aren’t as lustful as a girl’s. I care not for you. Let me focus on…”
But just as Kenny, in all his cosplay makeup and robes, looking like the maddest of doctors, turned around, a huge surge of power erupted from behind him. He turned, and somehow, Hiroshi was now standing, his glare on the other boy.
“Your opponent… is me,” Hiroshi noted firmly, focusing his energy to move his own body with it instead, like one would a puppet, and removing his limiters on his hand, summoned a bow made of pure energy, and with it, a quiver of arrows made of light. Kenny’s eyes went wide, as the very structure that surrounded them began to outright collapse, being torn down to their very atoms and serving as power for Hiroshi’s current form. Hiroshi then formed an arrow out of that very energy he had just stolen, and took aim. Kenny panicked, jumping back, as Hiroshi fired his arrow right at him. It was fast, but Kenny could still dodge it, tilting his head back to allow the arrow to fly by and miss by an inch…
…But Hiroshi was already right over him, hovering above him, his second shot aimed right at Kenny’s center.
And as Kenny’s entire body went pale at the sheer gap is skill between him and Hiroshi, Hiroshi merely playfully winked at him, and took his shot, skewering Kenny right through the abdomen and smashing him onto the ground with such a force that all the nearby buildings shattered upon impact.
Scoffing at the sight of a Kenny being utterly outpaced by Hiroshi, Shoto simply took over and took hold of his own dish, and took it out. He boiled the cinnamon-sugar until it was reduced by half of the original amount, and added heavy cream, stirring once more. And soon… His pie was done. He walked right up to a stunned Akiko, and offered her his (and technically Kenny’s) Caramelized Rose Garden. “That looks insanely good…” Emi noted, outright drooling at both the dish and the chef who had served it, while Itsuki looked on. Timmy, Kou and even John all turned to Akiko, who proceeded to take a bite, and yes, she had to hold herself back, because unlike all prior rushed attempts, this was a true Totsuki dish. Hell, this was better than anything she thought Shoto would be capable of. Did he hate Kimiko Yukihira this much? “Well?” Shoto asked, not to Akiko, but to Kimiko and Hiroshi, but the moment he did…
It was like, he had her in his sights, ready to destroy her with his Bankai, but she just vanished. He didn’t even blink. She had been there, standing so far away, before he felt her blade against his throat, and saw her sharp eyes inches from his. And he felt his body grow cold, as the only words she uttered were… “Yield.”
“Here you go creepy girl,” Kimiko told Akiko as she and Hiroshi gave her their offering, before she turned to Shoto and Kenny, and added, “And… please, go ahead, give it a try. I want to prove a point. This isn’t me throwing a tantrum. You all hurt my friends, and now it’s my turn to hurt you.” And Kimiko and Hiroshi had served their Chicken à la Normande. Akiko just looked on, eyes wide, as even if the smell was divine, outright eclipsing Shoto’s offering, she still had something to latch onto… “This…” Akiko began, giving Kimiko a small knowing smile, “Is a rather good dish, Kimiko, but the theme is apples, not chicken. Just adding apple slices to it makes it ineligible to be judged for the theme I gave and you both agreed to.” Kimiko just glared at Akiko, while Akiko didn’t care. She wanted to play dirty, so be it. She would as well. She was better at it anyways, but… “That’s not all she did,” Kou voiced, his… mask aimed at Kimiko’s dish, “It’s been soaked in apple cider, from the start, she allowed the chicken meat to bathe in the apple’s flavoring to absorb the taste of the fruit without losing the properties of the protein itself. Such a classic French dish, mixed with such a garden-esque preparation. It does seem fitting for two who are so connected to Master Kojirou Shinomiya…” “Eh?!” Akiko blurted out, her eyes to Kou, before she turned back to the dish. With her fork and knife shaking in her hands, she took a bite of the dish, and just like he said, the chicken outright exploded with the fruity taste of the apple the moment she bit down on it, so strongly it outright overwhelmed her. And despite how much she wanted, needed to lie and give the win to Shoto, the fact her body instinctively took a few steps back and she outright gave out a soft moan at the taste was proof enough. She couldn’t fake the blush on her face, nor how her body craved another bite, “…I-I…” “Weeeeeell?” a very smug Kimiko asked, and Akiko, almost in tears of frustration, had no choice but to… Winners: Kimiko Yukihira & Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro “What?! There’s no way this stupid pair could ever…!” Shoto cried out, utterly irate, but upon him and Kenny taking a bite of the dish as well, neither boy could ever hope to contest it. Kimiko and Hiroshi had surpassed even their best efforts, and it was basically no contest at all. Shoto felt his whole world collapse. He lost to Hiroshi?! Again?! While Kenny, in outright tears, could only lament how his one true opportunity to impress Kimiko was utterly lost, as the girl he was crushing on was currently… “Pound it!” Kimiko and Hiroshi both cheered, locking their fists together in a proud showcase of their teamwork and victory, before they both turned towards the paler than normal Akiko, with Kimiko smugly adding, “Well, your call Slender Man’s Daughter. You sending your clowns next, or are you stepping up yourself? Or, perhaps, if you are smart, let’s skip all this and tell your lousy boss to confront us himself. Or are his panties in such a twist he can’t even receive his guests in a proper manner? Some host…” “Watch your tongue!” Akiko tried, even if she was trembling. What was she supposed to do?! The Caporegime weren’t here, except Stella, and she was probably not done at all with her setup, and even then, what? The Boss needed this to be a massive presentation of their power and dominance, and yet, not only was Chieko, the girl who was meant to witness all this, not even present, their entire initial force had been taken out by just Kimiko and Hiroshi rather effortlessly (pathetically if you counted John’s “efforts”). But as Emi, Itsuki, John, Kenny and even Shoto turned to her, all of them unaware of what would Akiko do, she felt her heart almost on her throat, but still tried to do something. Anything. She needed to buy time. Any time. If her sacrificing herself against Kimiko would guarantee that, then… “F-Fine, if you wish to continue this ill-advised assault, then I shall-” But she was never allowed to finish, as the words that began the entire relationship were repeated to her, just this time, in person. “Hey girlie, hold still.” Akiko’s eyes widened, her body freezing, and she turned to the side. What? It was… him? Kou Shio Jr. took a few steps until he was next to Akiko, his mask aimed directly at Kimiko, who tilted her head at this, wondering if they were going to face this circus freak next. But, for Akiko… no, it couldn’t be. Did this mean…? “I think Shigeo already knows, surprised he didn’t just tell you,” Kou noted, but his eyes never left Kimiko’s, “So my masquerade here serves me no purpose any longer. And while I would benefit from the Network being taken down… Kimiko Nakiri offering to be expelled if she loses is too grand a chance for me to pass up.” “…Kou, you…?” “Here,” Kou told her, and handed her phone, which a shocked Akiko barely managed to grab onto, “Apologies for that. I instructed Ryuunosuke not to be such an asshole, but you of all people should know how hard it is to find good individuals.” “Wait a damn minute!” Akiko cried out, grasping onto her phone against her chest, as Kou began to walk towards Kimiko, “All this time, it was you?! You’re TV?!” He laughed, turning back to her, extending his arms in a showcase to himself, “Yeah, funny that, the one with the secret identity is the only one wearing a mask. I thought it was going to be obvious, but I guess I overestimated your deductive abilities. Still, I am thankful. You are amazing, utterly. I knew my plan wouldn’t work if I didn’t take aim for you from the start. So, consider my offer carefully, once the Network falls, and it will fall, you’ll have only one chance to join me, and just one. Do not mistake me for Shigeo… I won’t spend a lifetime simping over a girl who is clearly not interested.” “I feel I’m utterly lost here…” Kimiko voiced, her eyes on the scene before her, “But… TV? You’re the one who called me?” “T.V.,” he corrected, “I feel none of you pay attention to the fact those are initials and not short for television. You had all the clues, but enough of that, let’s you and I set the stage… Nakiri.” “My name’s Yukihira,” Kimiko corrected, her eyes narrowed. “…Not to me,” the boy who called himself Kou simply replied. And as both contestants moved onto the makeshift stage right outside the Network’s building, a wide-eyed Akiko just stared down at her phone, frantically searching up Kou Shio Jr. and screaming at herself why… why had she trusted this boy so much when it was so stupidly obvious?! And even worse, when she searched him up, the results, outright spooked her. Because it made sense. If he was this good at hacking, then why was she foolishly believing that he hadn’t hacked the Totsuki system before. Before he contacted her. Before the Autumn Elections had even been confirmed. Because the only result she got was…
There is no student by the name of Kou Shio Jr. in the Totsuki Academy database.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Rumor has it that Alice Nakiri always held a misplaced fascination for all sorts of outlandish fairytales. She loved to overindulge in stories that tricked the reader into fantastical, enchanted places full of lies and fabrications. Some suspect that this very delusion of grandeur is what inspired Alice to establish the egocentric Midsummer Ball.
For the young teen who would soon fake his entire identity as both Kou Shio Jr. in public, and T.V. in private, it all felt like compensating with money for something genuine this rich family seemed to utterly lack in. He just gave the Nakiri Mansion’s ballroom, decorated to a degree that made it clear the Nakiri family spared no expenses, a look of thinly veiled disgust, before he turned to his two companions for the evening, for better or worse. Granted, one had been, like him, invited by merit of scoring a spot in the Autumn Elections, while the other was his unofficial date.
“Ryuunosuke, quick check, do I look ready to give this a shot?” he asked, as his friend gave him a careful look from top to bottom, setting the glass that they had been drinking from down for a second in order to inspect him a bit better.
“…Hmm? Let’s see… the fancy tux does look out of place on you, but not as much as it does on Timmy…” his friend noted, a sly smile on their lips, and while he just chuckled, Timmy Revolver quickly gave a frown at the comment.
“Hey! I look amazing! Momma told me so!” Timmy argued, before he gave Ryuunosuke a careful look. While he, Timmy, was dressed in a fashionable enough dark green tuxedo with a dark red tie, all to match his spiky, wild hair colors, Ryuunosuke was sporting the classiest black short dress that seemed to cling to their body in dangerous ways and were accompanied by long-sleeved white gloves, white high heels, and a white butterfly adornment that kept their long dark blue hair held up in a high ponytail. Timmy was… confused, “I… thought all this time you were a dude. You’re a…?”
“I am,” Ryuunosuke replied, their eyes still on their other friend, “Way out of you league, no matter what I have in-between my legs. So, eyes off. We’re here to help our mutual pal score tonight.”
“Not like that,” the boy who would call himself Kou replied. He was dressed in a tuxedo and shirt combo that had different shades of blue, starting with the darkest colors for the jacket, and going lighter with each layer that he had under, “But, this is a big night regardless. Timmy, for crying out loud, just behave,” he reprimanded, and the thug just raised his hands in defense, “And Ryuu, thank you. But you didn’t answer me.”
“You look nervous,” Ryuunosuke replied with a smile, “And that makes me nervous. It’s rare to see you like this, and I swear, if you talked so big before and chickened out now, I am going to be very angry.”
“I… I am not nervous,” he tried, but when Ryuunosuke just raised their eyebrow at the response, he gave a little laugh and added, “Just a bit, okay? You try and be the one to offer yourself up to these guys. One wrong move and I’m screwed, and not in the good way. So, let’s focus. Stay out of trouble, and keep any of them away from me if anything happens.”
“I’ve been keeping my eyes on little miss Kimiko for a while now…” Ryuunosuke noted.
“She’s looking nothing like she does in class,” Timmy added, giving a soft whistle, “Girl knows how to get dolled up, I’ll give her that.”
“So does a sex doll, doesn’t make it classy,” the would-be Kou mocked, giving his tie one last adjustment, before he turned to the main area where several couples were dancing, “If she placed her side ponytail on her face like a moustache, she’d look like the Lorax.”
“Focus, she’s not your target,” Ryuunosuke offered, giving him a playful wink, “Not tonight, at least.”
“…Yeah,” he noted, “So… you sure of what you saw?”
“Yeah, you should be clear for the next couple of minutes,” Ryuunosuke replied, as Timmy also nodded, “Our pal Shigeo is currently busy dancing with the girl with the glasses out in the east garden, with quite a few eyes focused on that ‘surprising’ sight, while poor Yori was left utterly drenched and was last seen on the phone, crying to someone about his missed chance at banging Mika or something.”
“Right, cause he totally had a chance,” the young teen noted with a mocking laugh, “Still, Yori Tanaka… you sure you’re not hiding something from me Ryuunosuke?”
“Absolutely no relation,” Ryuunosuke made clear.
“I certainly hope so, cause that Yori might end up being useful, and if he’s related to you that might make things… awkward,” he added, before he began to move, in steady guided steps, past several of the gossiping couples or the single bachelors or bachelorettes that were gathered around, all watching the many dances going around to the beat of the soft music. He could feel several girls turn to him as he walked, and he really hoped it was a ‘look at him, he’s cute’ kinda look and not ‘look at him, he had toilet paper stuck to his shoe’ kind, since… you can’t retry a first impression.
And he needed to make an excellent one.
Thankfully, it seemed, in this area, Kimiko, Lola or Mona were not present, as last he heard the former was busy trying to get her boyfriend accepted by the Elite Ten or something, while the latter two were involved with trying to impress a noteworthy guest. Some guy from Shanghai’s School for Culinary Teachings, which as far as he was aware was… not part of The Seven? Gods, this was confusing. He decided to ignore that, and simply focus on his actual target, since, here, most eyes had been on Suzume Hojo with her date, who had just passed by a few moments ago. And yeah, she looked stunning. Girl had a smile that blinded and eyes that seemed to stare deep into your soul. Why she wasted her time on unworthy guys and girls he’d never know. But, luckily, with her taking half the attention away, and the other half on the surprise that was the Shigeo Eizan asking the wallflower herself to a dance after Yori called her a… bookworm, was it? Anyways, the mere thought that such a dangerous individual was just openly dancing a quiet and soft waltz with a First Year nobody had people gossiping endlessly, which meant…
His true target was there, accessible, and he saw her quickly.
Akiko Kato.
She was standing next to Shigeo’s lackeys of questionable sexuality. One of them had just placed his hand on her shoulder, whispering something to her that made her give him a soft smile and a little nod. And she looked… different than what he expected.
A dark, modest dress, with a long skirt wide enough to hide her curves a little, with a white webbing design in the middle of her abdomen that stretched out into the rest of the dress. She had her arms covered with an equal web-like design, only exposing her neck, shoulders and ankles, with her hair brushed back and loose, unlike every other time he had seen her with it tied up in one way or another. Unlike Chieko, who was wearing contacts, Akiko still had her glasses on, even if they did little to hide the light grey blue eyes of hers, far too pretty to be kept hidden away. A very small purse completed her, just her in general, and the girl looked surprisingly stunning.
She walked away from the scene with a small smile on her face; he walked right up to her after taking a deep, deep breath.
“Hey, you dropped something,” he called out, making her pause, as she turned to him, for a moment confused if he had even called out to her or not. She did see him set his eyes on her fully, which made her avert her gaze, before she turned to the floor, wondering what she had dropped, and hoping it wasn’t anything confidential, but she had not brought anything of that nature with her tonight, right? Seeing her confused made him smile, as he approached her fully, and extended his hand to her, “I meant your standards. Totally unrelated, hi, I’m Reese.”
She turned to him, taking a moment to catch his little joke, and having to fight the urge to roll her eyes, because this was so not what she needed right now.
“…I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve…” she voiced, timidly, her eyes shifting from the floor, to this boy. He had chocolate dark hair, and the most stunning icy blue eyes she had ever seen. A practiced smile too, one she had seen all too often. One she knew to be wary of.
“Met? Officially, no, not yet, although we share a few classes,” Reese noted, his hand still extended, but when she simply gave his hand half a glance, and showed no desire to actually take it, he laughed, and set it aside, “…cold as ever. We used to share an entire schedule back in middle school. I’m almost offended you don’t remember me.”
“I know who you are Reese Dillinger,” she noted, and his eyes widened. Wait, she knew? Noticing his surprise, she added, “It’s my… mission to know. The younger brother of the legendary Ruth Dillinger, of course you’d be an object of interest. But… I do believe someone from my… acquaintances already spoke to you.”
“Yeah, Heineken was his name I believe, he approached me a few months ago,” Reese noted, while Akiko just looked on, not quite making eye contact, “But, hey, I just wanted to say –”
“Please forgive me,” she cut him off, softly, “I don’t do this sort of thing. So, please, if you wish to find a date in the Ball, continue your search, I am not that individual.”
“Cold and mean, gods, how could dad manage this?” he muttered to himself, but when she outright turned to leave, he quickly moved along, and positioned himself in front of her, making her stop, “And also very rude; at least hear me out. I’m not your… Boss. I’m not asking for a pity dance.”
“That’s a very dangerous way of speaking,” she warned in no uncertain terms, “And if you had any business relating to that matter, then I suggest…”
“I just want to talk,” he tried, “Hear me out. Let me join you. Work for you. I know what you guys do, or at least, I know what you allow us to know. I’m sure there’s a lot more. And someone like me could be of use, I imagine.”
“…I do believe Heineken was clear,” Akiko simply noted, “You, Reese Dillinger, were approached because you are Ruth Dillinger’s younger brother. We wondered why it was, that such a young man, related to such a ruthless girl like that, our former First Seat with the highest record of expulsions in a single year, had such an unimpressive record during his entire middle school career here at Totsuki Academy, and that talk, alongside my own investigation, made the answer obvious.”
“…You investigated me?” Reese asked, eyebrow raised at her, and she didn’t much blink.
“You can call it a background check.”
“I can also call it a breach of privacy.”
“You still did not measure up Reese,” Akiko noted firmly, and before Reese could reply, he heard a nearby giggle, and turned to see two first year girls nearby, their eyes on the two.
“Not like that!” Reese was quick to clarify, “And you, phrase things better.”
“I am not here to entertain you,” she simply responded, “So, if you’ll excuse me, I shall be heading off.”
“W-Wait, hold up,” he motioned to her, reaching out, but when she seemed to tense up, he kept his hand just hovering over her arm, “It’s okay, no touching, I get it. But look… I can be a great asset, if I just –”
“You spent all three years in the middle school division skipping classes, turning in assignments and reports late, and not once taking this seriously,” Akiko noted firmly, “Such an irresponsible person plays no role in… my line of work. I have no use for a playboy with a pretty face who is in this school only because of his surname.”
“Oh? The nepo-baby insult?” he noted, giving out a little laugh, “That’s rich. Look around. Half this school is made up of those. Heck, I think this year is when it has been at its worst. Seems everyone graduated and banged at the same time, since I can’t throw a rock and not hit someone not related to someone from the 91st or 92nd generation.”
“At least they seem to have the talent to not sully that name,” Akiko shot back, ever so softly, “You, on the other hand, were busier chasing skirts than focusing on your craft. We approached you because we wondered if there was more to the story, but you’re just here to mess around, and frankly, I don’t have the time for it.”
“That’s a brutal analysis,” Reese noted, “Is that your Boss’ final assessment? For… what does he call me? Small Dillinger too?”
At this he heard another giggle, turning to the side to see the same two girls still there.
“Would you two go away?! Not like that!” he berated them, making them both frown at him, before they just walked away. Akiko looked at the scene, already feeling she needed the comfort of her room, since the last thing she wanted was to catch the attention of some frat boy trying to pick her up. Noticing she was moments from literally running away, Reese spoke a bit softer, “…why don’t we head over to the little exhibit? Near the west side of the gardens, I heard from a reliable source there’s an entire zoo of LED animals on display. Bet they look amazing in the dark.”
“…I have no idea how to simplify my message that I’m not interested any more clearly,” Akiko replied, sounding annoyed, but Reese just gave his surrounding a quick look.
“I won’t force this on you,” he noted, “But you look way prettier than I think you realize, and you are going to get hit on by a lot more people before you even get out of this hall, much less the Mansion. If you humor me to just hear me out at the garden, where I’m certain nobody will be there, since this place in nothing but business this or who’s screwing who that, then, one, nobody will bother you because they’ll think you’re here with me, and two, once you want to leave, I’ll help you sneak out, whether you cared about my proposal at all or not.”
Akiko looked at Reese for a little while, the ‘no’ on the tip of her tongue, but she never quite managed to say it. She was already feeling the social anxiety, and if all it took for her to get out of here unnoticed and unbothered was to humor him, well… “Just for a few minutes, do I make myself crystal clear?”
“Quite,” Reese replied, and used his arm to signal to her the direction of where the gardens were at. She began to walk, with him by her side.
“…You seem to know your way around here.”
“I was here when my sister was invited after all.”
“What were you… five?”
“Yeah, but I have a good memory,” he noted, and this time she did roll her eyes. As they walked, he took two drinks from a nearby tray, and motioned to her, “Want one?”
“I’ll pass…” she noted, wanting to just get this over with.
Still, he kept his word. He kept his hands to himself, and thanks to having him next to her, despite several students looking her way, nobody actually approached her, which was heavenly, because this whole place felt suffocating to her. Granted, for every look she got, she noticed he got his fair share too.
“…I think I have counted seven or so girls who have looked your way that I believe, if you were to approach them, preferably with a less cheesy opening line than the one you used on me, you’d have an eighty percent chance of them dancing with you,” she noted, and it made him laugh.
“I’m quite content as is,” he assured.
“Two guys also looked,” she added, “If that’s your preferred –”
“I said I’m content,” he repeated, before he held the door to the gardens open for her, and motioned to her. She simply nodded, and walked inside.
He followed in, and they both were greeted by the sight of the most detailed light show, as the bushes had been trimmed to resemble a grand assortment of animals, all wired up expertly with several LED lights, making them come to life in an assortment of colors. Some displays even had some machinations in them, making the LED animals move in patterns, all shown brilliantly by the expert lighting.
Reese had been impressed by the sight, but looking at Akiko, she looked, for once, awestruck. And even more-so, at peace. Her eyes widened, taking in each display, as she took a few steps on this would-be zoo, massive in scale, equally impressive in design.
Noticing this, Reese took a few steps back, and hit the nearby light switch, turning all the lights off except those of the animals, making them both get lost in the wonderland of lights and illusions.
He approached her once more, the two drinks in his hands, as he just stared at her watching the giant LED Spider “crawl” up and down on the equally lit up web.
“A spider too?” Reese noted, “They’re so…”
“Beautiful,” she voiced, and he bit his tongue.
“…not what I was gonna say, but sure, horrifyingly stunning, as my uncle would say,” he noted, and Akiko turned to him, her eyes seemingly scanning him for a few moments.
“You get five minutes by virtue of this display being as pretty as it is,” she told him, and that just made him smile.
“Then let’s cut to the chase,” Reese began, “What would it take for you to consider me as a prospect into your prestigious little club?”
“More than pretty words and mesmerizing sights,” she replied.
“You mean mesmerizing sights as in the zoo, or yours truly?” he asked, and she forced herself not to laugh.
“Do not flatter yourself,” she said, “I’m not… the type of girl you’re used to Reese Dillinger.”
“Exactly the reason I reached out to you Akiko Kato,” he shot back, which made her pause, “Unlike me, unlike all these phonies and suck-ups, these parasites that cling to whoever is the richest; you come from a modest upbringing. The name Kato carries no weight but the one you put onto it, and that, my dear, I find very impressive in this sea of hypocrisy and deceit.”
“…You,” she tried, but for once, he made her blush, and she hoped the lack of lighting made it not visible, even if she cursed how utterly pale she was, since even a light blush made her almost glow as much as the animals themselves. “Flattery aside, you speak very harshly of the school that made your sister what she is.”
“Ruthie chose her path,” he explained, and as the LED animals all moved around them, the lights were reflected on both of them, almost as if the blue colors covered him when he spoke, while the red colors covered her when she did, “I don’t blame my sis for taking advantage of what was given to her. She’s amazing. But I… want more.”
“More than the First Seat and worldwide recognition?” she asked, almost bewildered. Again, Ruth Dillinger was a legend, just as much as their mother even… “…Why?”
“Why do I want more?” he asked, taking a sip of one of the glasses, “Why not? Why aren’t we allowed to want more? Why must the Elite Ten decide what we can or cannot have? When we can have more, so much more…”
“You’re in the wrong school if you think there will a moment here where the Elite Ten don’t call the shots,” she simply noted. Her assessment of this boy had been a bit off. He wasn’t just reckless and irresponsible. He was also insane.
“They’ve been beaten before,” Reese just noted, and Akiko’s eyes widened. What? Noticing her eyes, he smiled, his body shaded in so made shades of the darkest blues, “And they can be beaten again. All we need is a strong enough group… of Rebels, if you will… and it can be done.”
“I don’t understand,” she admitted, her body bathed in the bloodiest of reds, “Your parents met at the BLUE… your sister conquered this school… and so far, you’ve done nothing to even try to make a name for yourself. Why tell me all of this? What do you want?”
He paused, taking a deep breath, his sharp eyes on her softer ones, “Revenge.”
She tilted her head a bit. “You seek revenge? Against whom? The Elite Ten?”
“All of them,” he noted, smiling at her, “I can explain more later, I suppose, and I know what you’ll say… if one seeks revenge, better dig two graves…”
“Actually, I feel, given this is a culinary academy,” Akiko corrected, “I believe the better phrase would be revenge is a dish best served cold.”
“That’s… fair,” he noted, his eyes on her, as he took another sip. He would blame the stupid LED Spider for shining its lights on this girl and making her look so damn stunning. Part of the plan wasn’t him just gawking at her, so he tried to fake it by almost drinking one of the two glasses fully, “But, even so, I would like –”
“Time’s up.”
He paused, eyes widening, “…eh?”
“I said just five minutes,” Akiko explained, and when Reese seemed to almost pout at her, she couldn’t help but give the softest of giggles, “Try and keep some dignity to your name Reese Dillinger. I wish you well on your suicidal venture, but attempting to get revenge on the Elite Ten, for whatever motive you may have, is not something I can entertain, less you forget my loyalty belongs to one of them?”
“Loyalty huh?” Reese noted, frowning a bit, “That’s one hell of a prison to fall under.”
She simply gave him a curious look, but he knew he couldn’t explain it anymore. Trying to tell her that his goal, his true target, wasn’t the Elite Ten per say. They were just in the way. Everyone who carried the Nakiri name, that was another story.
Alice, Lola, Mona…
Erina, Hiraku…
Kimiko…
“If you’ll excuse me, I somewhat appreciate the company,” Akiko noted with a soft bow, before she turned to leave, “But I can show myself out. Please do not cause my Boss any grief, or you will regret it, and even these lovely sights won’t be enough to appease him.”
“He’s that tough, huh?”
“He is an Eizan, the heir to one of the greatest culinary monopolies in the world, and the Godfather of this Academy,” Akiko voiced, and she couldn’t quite hide the admiration in her tone.
“…How frightening,” Reese just noted, as Akiko just walked away. He watched her go, his eyes on her frame, struggling not to let his eyes wander too much onto her notable backside, failing at that, and realizing he didn’t quite accomplish much at all. Pretty sights or not, what was the point if Akiko wouldn’t let him join Shigeo’s ranks? He needed a plan b, and fast, or otherwise, he would lose the chance he had been gifted, as when Kimiko got enrolled, for the first time, he had all his targets within his reach.
Akiko, finding her way out, still took out her phone from her little purse, and gave a quick search.
Reese Dillinger.
Unimpressive outside of his last name and good looks. Just another pretty face from a famous family. Not someone she would need to worry about, but she’d keep an eye on him, just in case. If he tried to cause trouble, she would stop it immediately. Besides, she was almost done with her Autumn Election app, so, even if he tried something, there was nothing she couldn’t just rig in favor of the Boss. The goal was Chieko Marui, and just as she had gotten the Boss this dance, she’d also get her the victory he wanted her to have…
…All the while Reese was looking at his own phone, studying up his own profile, realizing that perhaps, the best way to infiltrate such a strict place, was to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.
As he turned to leave, he heard two familiar voices, one loud and annoying, the other soft and annoyed, likely depressed too, but he knew them well enough.
“Now you can finally stop pestering me about it!” Lola noted with such a glee in her tone, as she guided Mona into the garden, covering her eyes from behind to show her the LED Zoo the poor girl had been begging to see since they had gotten there, “Ready?!”
“Lola, I am not a child…” Mona just said with a pout, “Just let me see.”
“Spoilsport…” Lola lamented, but still took her hands away, letting Mona finally see the LED Zoo Display…
…for less than a second as a sudden electric spark made the entire thing short-circuit and turned all the LED lights off, stopping the moving animals in their tracks.
Lola and Mona stared in total darkness, their eyes wide, mouths agape.
Reese had to bite down a laugh, as he had spilled his other drink on the breaker box, creating that little short-circuit.
“The animals!” Mona almost cried.
“D-Don’t worry, we can have that fixed, eh, once I find someone…” Lola tried.
“This is your fault!”
“I didn’t know they would die the moment we walked in!”
“Don’t say they died!”
“Don’t be so dramatic!”
And Reese walked through the halls, the sound of their despair like music to his ears, a very hearty laugh in his lips, “Yeah… best served cold indeed.”
And now, that same smile was expertly covered up by the mask he had been wearing, both figuratively and literally, as Kou Shio Jr. Or, more frightening, to Akiko, T.V. Her Boss had seen through his ruse, she was sure, but she hadn’t, and now, he was going on the offensive? This couldn’t be good. Because if she got no results for Kou Shio Jr., then it made her feel so damn stupid. Because she had told herself to keep an eye on him in case he made a move, yet for some reason, once she got enveloped in the Autumn Elections, she didn’t even consider it anymore. Kou and the others joined right before the tournament began, right after he had told her his intentions… Because if he could out-hack her, why wouldn’t he be able to hack a fake identity as well… And all she had to do was compare the original list of the Autumn Elections competitors… With the one she, and evidently, he, edited, and only one name didn’t match… Kou Shio’s, or rather, Reese Dillinger’s. “…Reese?” Akiko muttered, her wide eyes on him, as all the others, from a glaring Shoto to a very confused Emi, looked on not sure who they were supposed to support in this specific scenario. This wasn’t part of the Network’s plan at all, was it? “I gave you a warning babe,” Reese told Akiko, turning to her, his mask aimed right at her face. Marvelously, he had faked that too. She felt so, so stupid. “But don’t spoil things. I told you I want revenge, so do your job, and judge this next duel,” he added, turning back to the still very bemused Kimiko, “Between me and her.” “All your buddies got their butt whooped by me and Hiroshi,” Kimiko just noted, her arms crossed against her chest, “You sure you want this dance homeboy?” “Dance? No, I want to destroy you,” Reese told her, firmly, “Because, even when I want to use you, you’re nothing but a disappointment. Like, I gave you the damn coordinates of this place, a challenge was set forth, and you come alone? I thought Hiraku was the moron, what the hell?!” “H-Hey! I don’t even know who you are, don’t insult me!” Kimiko shot back, “Besides, I’m not… alone, Hiroshi is here.” “He came on his own,” Reese countered, “Which, while admirable, you should have really alerted more people. This was such an amazing setup to get rid of this annoying Network, but no, Kimiko Nakiri has to be the big damn heroine and do everything herself. Stupid heroine complex only when it’s someone who matters to you…” “Kimiko Yukihira,” she corrected, eyes narrowed, “And what is your problem Masky? If you’re against the Network, doesn’t that put you on my side?” Reese outright laughed, loudly. “Oh, Gods no. Not you. Never you. My identity here was already compromised, and I got what I wanted anyways. I just had to leave… but you show up now, ready to get expelled… I can’t pass this up. Switch the targets around, I’ll eliminate you first then!” “W-Wait! Kou-I mean, Reese!” Akiko tried, extending her hand to his back, “All that you said about revenge, it was aimed at… Kimiko Yukihira?” “Mostly, yeah, it’s not that complex really,” he noted, before he turned towards Timmy, “Tim, if you would?” And in an instant Timmy just drew out his revolver, pointing his gun into the air, making all the students in that area tense up, before he took careful aim at Hiroshi. “H-Hey!” Kimiko called out, almost moving towards the boy. Hiroshi looked at the guy, then at the gun, his eyes wide, wondering if it was real. And if it was… “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna hurt ya,” Timmy just told him, “But this next match is between the Prince and the Princess, nobody else, you and I sit this one out.” “…Is that so?” Hiroshi voiced; eyes narrowed at Timmy. “I do apologize for the harshness on display, but I really don’t want anyone to interfere,” Reese explained, his masked eyes on Hiroshi, “Don’t get me wrong, personally? I find you likable. Granted, you’re gonna hate my guts, but we can save that for the sequel.” “If your freakazoid even hurts Hiroshi…” Kimiko warned, her glare evident, while Reese just tilted his head a bit. “Your boyfriend will be fine,” Reese just noted, and for once, Kimiko was so mad she didn’t even react to having Hiroshi be called her boyfriend. But, for what it was worth, “Tim, like, don’t accidentally shoot him. I can plan for a lot, but not for that. Not yet anyways.” “I have trigger discipline!” “…He has trigger discipline,” Reese repeated, to Kimiko. “That doesn’t make this situation any better!” Kimiko just barked, utterly furious, before she saw Reese just walk to the makeshift kitchen, “Hey!” “…Your little electric grill won’t do,” Reese noted, “We can both use this one. I don’t want any trick or technicalities here. I want you at one-hundred percent. So, let’s begin this Nakiri.” “I told you it’s –” “How about, for the theme, we go with Yukihira’s Secret Menu Number Twenty: Onigiri Chazuke?” Reese offered, and that made Kimiko’s eyes widen, all her words stopping at once. She felt a chill, but shook her head. “You’ve… been to Yukihira’s?” “I wonder, have I?” “What is your problem with me?!” Kimiko called out, and Reese just glared, and even through his mask, Kimiko could feel it. “Problem? No, this is way more than that,” he voiced, and his tone was so rough and dark that Akiko outright flinched. He sounded nothing like the young man she spoke to in that illuminated garden, “I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t belong here. Yet… just to find you. Just to crush you. Here I am. Can’t you understand you stupid, spoiled ingrate? I was made… to take you down.” “Kimiko!” Hiroshi called out, “Something feels off about this one!” And Reese just applauded, “Thank you for your input. Can’t blame him though,” Reese noted, turning back to Kimiko, “When your parents only serve as exposition dumps, what else can you expect.” “Oh, that does it!” Kimiko outright flared, “Enough! Let’s cook then! You think you’ll be the one who takes me out?! Fine! You, pendeja, call it!” she added, her glare now on Akiko. “Eh? I… wait, what did you call me?” Akiko gave a pause, her eyes on Kimiko, who seemed to be so angry her hair was almost spiking upwards. “She called you a ‘sweetie’,” Reese told her, and Kimiko scoffed. “I so did not!” Kimiko shot back, standing before Reese firmly. “You should be nicer to those who you view as below you,” Reese told her, “Ignoring her is what cost you your precious tournament after all. Such an amazing chef, yet she changed the theme at the last second, and you couldn’t quite stick the landing, hmm?” “Oh, shove it!” Kimiko barked, “I remember you getting an abysmal score back then! Anybody would have a tough time thinking up of a new dish on the spot.” “Oh really?” Reese said with an outright playful laugh, “Damn, no wonder they don’t talk about you. The apple really fell far from the tree.” “What did you say…?” “You heard me.” The entire group just stared, as Hiroshi kept his eyes on Kimiko and this masked guy, Kou or Reese or whoever he was, sensing something very off about this. Not that he could do much. Even without the gun, if Kimiko agreed to a one-on-one duel, he couldn’t help. The others all just stared, with Akiko feeling faint. What was going on? How could things go so wrong, so quickly? Who was the better alternative to even win here?! “We’re waiting!” both Kimiko and Reese growled at Akiko, making the girl panic, and just raise her hand to call the Shokugeki. And, as she did, she caught a glimpse of a duel that… had never actually happened, had it? So why…
Erina Nakiri vs Dove Dillinger
Kimiko Yukihira vs Reese Dillinger “…Here…” Kimiko began. “…We…” Reese continued. “…Go,” a reluctant Akiko voiced, before she declared it, “A-Alright, Shokugeki… Start!” Both Kimiko and Reese made their way towards the main kitchen those from the Network had been using, with Kimiko’s intense glare focused on Reese for any sights of foul play. She wasn’t sure if all this was just played up theatrics to make her lower her guard, but this Network goons were willing and able to hack the very Autumn Elections all to fool Chieko with whatever ill intentions their mafia boss had, she wouldn’t put it past them to have this masked dude pretend to turn traitor… although, if he was acting, she had to give him kudos. He genuinely sounded like he hated her. Reese, paying her no mind, also made his way to the Network’s outside kitchen, not originally intended to be used there since nobody, not even him, had predicted Kimiko’s sudden attack, but, while not ideal, since he wanted to make her suffer, he supposed having it done in the opposite order, while less fun, could still work in his favor. As he motioned towards the ingredients stored on the small fridge that they had been using, he noticed he still had part of his charade on his person. He took out his hand, and saw the culinary claw on it, and promptly pulled the bladed glove off and tossed it to the floor, making both Kimiko and Akiko turn to him in confusion. Wasn’t that…? “Gods, finally I can stop using that stupid thing…” Reese noted, and when he noticed the stares, not just from the girls, but from pretty much everyone except Timmy, he just tilted his head to the side, “You idiots think I can actually cook while pretending to be Freddy Krueger? I have no idea how that thing works. Not like I can equip the tool of a chef and magically learn its properties like some sort of superpower or something.” “What’s you point?” Akiko asked, her arms crossed against her chest, her body language more defensive, “Is this just you embarrassing me more? Make me look as bad as possible for rejecting you?” As soon as she voiced that, she outright saw Emi’s eyes outright sparkle at the misunderstood drama, making Akiko blush. “Not like that!” she clarified, “I-I meant it when I rejected you being invited into our ranks. You faked everything. Your skills, your identity, your motives… You even protected me, like three times! So, all of that is to now rub it in?” “Please, the only one embarrassing you here is yourself…” Reese told her, not even looking her way. “Because I fell for the ruse that was T.V.?” “Because you let them walk all over you,” he clarified, and turned to her, and even if she couldn’t see his face from behind his mask, now that she knew, she could picture those icy blue eyes piercing through her, “You’re the one who holds this entire Network together, the one who created the very web the operate in, but just because you don’t focus on your culinary skills as much, you let them treat you as disposable. All because you are ‘grateful’ Shigeo Eizan took you in…” “Showing gratitude to someone who had no reason to even look at you for sparing you and taking you in is not a foolish notion,” she countered, or tried to at least. She didn’t like being in the spotlight like this, “It’s better to be on his side than against him after all…” “You’re smarter than this,” he noted, and before she could protest, he seemed to outright growl at her, “Keep at it then. See what happens when you let a man with no morals take advantage of your gratitude. See how he will continue and continue to push you more and more, never acknowledge he needs you more than you do him, and continue to dangle that merit and credit you so desperately crave over you like some sick little game, all to further his own agenda. See how he will use you until you break, and then dispose of you as if you never mattered…” “What are you even…?” Akiko, again, tried, but Reese took out his actual chef tool, a very old-fashioned knife with a noteworthy wooden handle, and with it, took hold of the salmon he was going to use for his dish, setting it on the half of the kitchen he was going to be using…
…In a flash, Kimiko charged at the masked Reese, her Shikai firmly in hand, striking quickly at him with all her pent-up rage, but the boy just effortlessly blocked it. And not even with his own sword, still sheathed, but with nothing but his actual arm. And she flinched, as she couldn’t cut him at all. His damn skin was stronger than steel. Hierro. He seemed to glare at her, and just pushed her back, with so much force she ended up in the darkened skies, above the imaginary Totsuki, hovering in the air, looking down at her new opponent.
“…Hey!” Reese called out to her, clearly annoyed, “You underestimating me, Nakiri? I still don’t quite feel like killing you, yet. Get a grip and come on! Show me your Bankai!” he basically screamed at her, before his eyes shifted to Hiroshi on the sidelines, “If you don’t, I’ll do the same thing to that little boy over there… and put a fucking hole through you both!”
“You bastard!” Kimiko roared, back her defensiveness in full force, and as she held her knife forwards, she felt it transform once more, “Bankai!”
And as she was clad in black, with the blackest blade in her hands, Reese could only narrow his eyes at the sight, “…Is that it?”
While Akiko looked on, as did the rest, Kimiko couldn’t stop her eyes from widening. ‘That knife…’ she noted inwardly, her eyes of the sharp blade, ‘It’s identical to the one grandpa Jou uses…’
“See something familiar Nakiri?” Reese asked her, tauntingly, as he began to use the knife to cut through the salmon like it was nothing. A swift, expert cut, almost like he had made this dish before. Almost like he had cooked at Yukihira’s before. Kimiko looked on, her eyes on how he tossed the cut salmon into the frying pan and held it down with his knife, and she could see her own father and grandfather mirrored in this boy somehow. But… how? “That’s…” she voiced, as she placed several ingredients on the other side of the cutting table, her eyes on his hand, “You know poêlée?” “Wait, who’s Polly?” Timmy asked, dumbfounded, as Hiroshi just narrowed his eyes at his comment, all the while the others just looked on. “Kimiko said ‘poêlée’, a French cooking technique,” Hiroshi explained, remembering his mother was very familiar with it, as was, of course, Master Shinomiya. “That’s one of the ‘sautè’ techniques, no?” Emi asked, as she and Itsuki stood next to the very, very worried Akiko, as Shoto also approached them, his glare on Reese and the culinary technique on display. “…yeah, it’s a Classique culinary technique,” Shoto noted, “You cook the ingredient uniformly by holding them down with the knife, and in the case of fish…” “…You add olive oil constantly and get rid of the fat released by the fish to get rid of the bad smell that it would otherwise naturally produce,” Reese concluded for him, adding an exact amount of olive oil onto the frying pan, bathing the salmon meat slightly, and carefully, meticulously removing the fat it was releasing. The aroma was already enveloping the area, despite them being outside in the open air. Reese began to focus on the rice next, switching to hold the salmon down with his left hand as he used his right hand to begin to get the next part ready, and it made Kimiko outright glare at him. “What the heck?!” she cried out, as she had set up her own frying pan, but instead of salmon, she had picked mackerel as her signature fish. She gave it the same type of cuts, and threw it onto the frying pan, also using the poêlée technique to fry it uniformly, as that was… “…That’s the exact recipe of how the dish is done in Yukihira’s! How the heck do you know it?!” “Surprised?” Reese asked, turning his mask to her, “What is a Chef expected to do other than memorize and cook a dish to the exact letter of what’s printed on the recipe? To never stray, to focus on only structuralized cooking, only cook the dishes that have been deemed by those who came before us as correct, and reject all the others. Is that not the Nakiri way?” “You have absolutely no idea what my family –!” “This is True Gourmet Nakiri,” he told her, and she felt a chill run up her spine, “And it can turn even the most mediocre menu item of your silly little worthless diner into a masterpiece, or were you not taught this?!” “How…?” she could barely even utter the word. She was looking at the masked boy cook like her father, identically so, but also, she saw the shadow of someone, of something else, and for just a moment… she was seven again…
“Hiraku! Look!” the seven-year-old bundle of energy and cuteness that was Kimiko Yukihira excitedly announced, upside down, as she dangled herself on a pole inside the Yukihira’s storage room. The eight-year-old Hiraku, who had been digging through the many boxes stored in there for any games to play, turned to her, noticing his little sister was holding what appeared to be a rather old cookbook of some sort. Kimiko’s eyes were outright sparkling, “It has new recipes! Let’s do them all!”
“…We can try one, I guess,” Hiraku offered, taking quick hold of her by her waist, making her giggle as he held onto her upside down, her having no idea how close he got to accidentally dropping her on her head, but he somehow managed to flip her right side up and then turned his eyes on the ‘treasure’ she had just found, “It looks… odd.”
“I know! But we can make something, no?!” she asked, filled with glee, “Maybe this one will impress mommy! Come on, let’s try it! Pleeeeeeease!”
And Hiraku sighed, but when she whined like that, he couldn’t say no, and yeah, he was curious too.
Which was how the siblings found themselves in the kitchen, early that morning, before the restaurant opened, with that cookbook opened to a random page, and trying their best to follow the rather… precise and overly detailed instructions in it. It was rare, but unlike the recipes they were more familiar with, this one seemed more like an encyclopedia that an actual cookbook, and Hiraku hated reading. Kimiko, however, was enthralled, and instructed him to follow the recipe and not improvise with his tongue, since she wanted this to be a genuine collaborative effort, and he just sighed and went along with it. It was fun, even if challenging. But in due time, the two were able to craft a dish that smelled divine, and with one taste, Kimiko saw utter bliss and even Hiraku was staggered by it, as it was a flavor utterly unfamiliar to him… and he had cooked it.
But what excited them most, was, if it was delicious even to Hiraku, then maybe, just maybe…
It could impress their mother…
That was… their first mistake.
Hiraku brought in the plate to their parents’ room, finding just their mother, Erina Yukihira, seated on the bed, reading something, before she turned her attention to the scent that had invaded her room, catching sight of her son with a brand-new plate on his hands and Kimiko bouncing in place next to him.
“Oh? Yet another challenge I take it?” Erina noted, a fond smile on her lips as she watched the two.
“Yeah!” Kimiko noted with the widest of grins.
“It turned out really good,” Hiraku added, as he set it down on a portable table, and set that on his mother’s lap. Erina just looked on, finding the rather fancy breakfast in bed very adorable, even if she was… not sure what the two had cooked up this time. Was this… deer?
“What did you two come up with this time…?” she asked, as she took a sample of the dish, and gave it a taste, just as an excited Kimiko replied.
“We present to you the…” she began, using her chopsticks as drumsticks to hype up the announcement, “True Gourmet: Venison with Butternut Squash, Parmesan and Truffle!”
Hiraku had opened his mouth to begin his explanation of the cooking process, but he was cut off when Erina had to press her own hand to her mouth, her eyes wide, forcing herself to swallow the food, before she looked at the plate her own children had cooked and served her, and her eyes… outright spooked both of them.
“…Mommy?” Kimiko asked, edging closer to Hiraku, who instinctively moved in front of his little sister.
“…W-Where did you two learn this from?!” Erina demanded, suddenly, her eyes on them.
“I-It was –” Kimiko tried, but her brother cut her off.
“I found an old cookbook and thought it would be fun to make dishes from it,” he lied, and as Kimiko looked up at him, her wide, confused eyes unsure of what to say or do, Erina just looked at him, and to the shock of both of them, just tossed the entire dish, plate and all, to the trash, “Listen to me, both of you. No. Hand that cookbook and never cook dishes like this. This… Damn it, why is that even still here? No, it doesn’t matter, hand it over.”
Hiraku motioned to Kimiko, who gave him the book, before he handed it to their mother. She took it, glared at it, her hand shaking a bit, before it went into the trash as well.
“Tell me where you found it,” Erina voiced, sternly, “And you two shouldn’t be using anything of mine without permission. Have you forgotten that –”
But Erina was interrupted when Kimiko just burst out crying, since she was confused over what she had even done wrong and also worried that Hiraku had said he was the one who found the cookbook when it had been her and if he was in trouble because of her. It was a mess in her mind, so she just burst into tears, sobbing loudly, which made Erina freeze, her eyes wide, slowly beginning to hear herself again.
But before she could speak, Soma rushed into the room, having heard his little girl crying, and scooped her up instantly. “Kimi, hey, baby, what’s wrong?” he asked her, and the sobbing little girl made a series of hand signs to explain everything, even if Soma understood none of it, “Eh…? Okay, I’ll come right back to you… Erina, what…?”
“…It was me,” Erina just spoke, and she sounded so, so broken, “I… I messed up.”
“You made Kimi cry?”
“…She and Hiraku, they found one of… His cookbooks,” Erina explained, “They made one of the True Gourmet dishes, and… I was back in that chair, tasting that dish once more. Hiraku made it almost exactly like he made me do them… and…”
“Erina, damn it, Kimi’s seven,” Soma told her, one of the few times Kimiko ever remembers him speaking even somewhat sternly at her, and Erina nodded. Soma seemed to soften his gaze, noticing how broken up Erina was over her mistake, and bending down, motioned to Hiraku, “Here, take your sister to your room and play. You two did nothing wrong. Let me… just talk to mommy, okay?”
Hiraku nodded, trying his best to ‘take’ his sister, even if she wasn’t that small and, since she was still sobbing softly, the moment he grabbed her she clung to him like a little koala, arms and legs wrapped around him, making it very hard for him to carry her out of the room, but somehow, he did. And as he went to his room with Kimiko, the blonde little girl, through her teary eyes, caught a glimpse of her parents, as Soma took a seat next to Erina on the bed, and Erina gently lowered her forehead onto Soma’s shoulder…
She remembered her mommy crying too…
“What the hell are you playing at here?!” Kimiko outright roared, her glare shifted into something darker, as those memories, long thought forgotten, resurfaced instantly when Reese mentioned the words ‘True Gourmet’. And Reese just turned his mask to her, tilting his head a bit to showcase his unsaid ‘what of it’, “You know my family’s menu, down to the secret items! So, there’s no way that True Gourmet stuff isn’t related to it! Did Hiraku put you up to this?!” “Your brother?” Reese just asked, blankly, “That one doesn’t seem to possess even a functioning brain; why would he, of all people, aim me at you?” “I don’t know! This doesn’t make sense!” she replied, then outright pointed at him with her knife, “Tell me how you know about it then! Heck, tell me who you are!” “My name’s, as Akiko has said, Reese Dillinger,” he gave a sort-of introduction, and when Kimiko seemed utterly about to reply with ‘and why should I care’, he added, “…She really told you nothing? Nothing at all? Oh, damn it, really?! You are literally in this school utterly in the dark about your family’s history?! Yikes.” “What the hell do you mean?!” Kimiko fumed, “I’m here because my parents insisted, and because my aunt is the one who runs this place! You have a problem with auntie?!” “…debatably,” Reese replied, “But she’s not the one who lied the most to you it would seem. That honor goes to your mother.” “My mom?!” Kimiko cried out, “My mother has nothing to do with this! She’s not part of Totsuki Academy at all!” “Not part?!” Reese shot back, almost laughing loudly at that, “My, damn it, you and your brother really must have been unwanted children, for you to be fed that massive lie,” he added, and Kimiko was certain she was stabbing him soon, “Your Rabenmutter utterly just threw you in here without a damn care, didn’t she?” “La tuya por si acaso, so cabrón,” Kimiko just replied, her glare still fixed on him. “Touché,” Reese replied, with a mock soft bow of acknowledgement, “But my point still stands. Here you are, utterly shocked about my knowledge of your life, yet she lied to you, about everything…” “My mother is utterly fantastic and amazing,” Kimiko said in no uncertain terms, “And if you dare insult her, I will not settle this with just cooking.” “Too bad she didn’t have that same backbone you have Nakiri,” Reese just shot back, unfazed, “She had the culinary world at her fingertips, but because she was sad, she had to abandon everything. The First Seat she had won, the invitation to the esteemed BLUE, a world of riches and glory, she threw it all away like some Hallmark Movie protagonist learning about the true meaning of Christmas with your flannel shirt wearing father!” “My dad doesn’t own a flannel shirt!” Kimiko screamed back, and everyone just stared, finding this conversation way too heated, but also confused why Kimiko had taken offense to that of all things, “And screw you! You claim you’re not from this stupid Network, right?! I’m betting my expulsion here, so why not, if I win, I get to expel you then?!” And Reese just smiled, even if no one saw it, but they could feel it, “Now we’re talking. Sure. You win, I’m out. I win, you’re out. Let’s bet everything. So, bring it Nakiri!” “Consider it brought Dillinger!” Kimiko screamed back, and went back to preparing her dish, as did Reese. Akiko could barely comprehend what she was seeing, as both Kimiko and Reese proceeded to mirror each other as they cooked different versions of the same dish. But… this wasn’t like seeing Mimasaka at work, no, it wasn’t a copy. This was like seeing two Chefs that had done this dish so many times before that it was second nature at this point, but even here, neither seemed to be enjoying this at all. Kimiko was beyond pissed, and it showed; while Reese, despite his disguise and his goading, Akiko felt he hated having to cook this. Did this boy… detest the culinary arts? ‘…And why does this feel so off?’ Akiko noted to herself, ‘This goes beyond what is expected of any First-Year student. This is almost like… watching two Elite Ten students duel. Who are these two?!’
‘…Kimiko,’ Hiroshi voiced, worried, his eyes on her, noticing her spiraling more and more into a despair he was more than familiar with. It was almost like…
…Kimiko brought down her blade, smashing the ground as Reese shifted himself away. She responded with a full side swing, but he outright caught her sword with just his hand, surprising her. He then outright used it to throw her right across the fantasy Totsuki, making Kimiko crash through several of the buildings, slamming onto the desks, chairs, walls, and floors as she rolled all over and tried her best to steady herself. But before she could, Reese was already on her, his fist inches from smashing her face open. Kimiko dodged, appearing behind him, and taking another swing, but again, he blocked the damn thing with just his elbow, and as she saw her own face reflected on his mask, he slammed his foot right across her jaw, sending her blood all over onto the pavement…
“Here,” Reese interrupted her thoughts, and made her look at him with outright murder in her eyes. It didn’t seem to bother him, as he held a piece of his almost done salmon as a sample, “Have a taste.” “Y-You’re offering me a taste of your prep…?” “Can he do that?” Emi asked, her eyes on the scene she didn’t understand, before she turned to Akiko. “I… think we’re past what is normally acceptable in a Shokugeki at this point…” was all Akiko could offer at this point. “What’s wrong Nakiri, afraid you’ll taste something superior to what you can manage?” he goaded, and she just took the little plate, roughly, before, just to shut him and not smash the plate against his mask, she bit down on the salmon, ready to just call out every flaw she could. She had heard how… creative her mother could be when insulting someone’s dish, and she was so going to use that, but…
…One taste, and the fight that had seemed even, with yet another kick, Reese sent Kimiko right back onto the ground, smashing her onto the pavement, into a huge crater, with nothing but smoke and debris to cloud her vision as her consciousness began to fade…
Her eyes widened, and she had to hold herself against the table as to not outright fall down. ‘W-What…? What is this taste?! It’s almost like dad’s, but… but it’s also like mom’s! It’s like I’m tasting a cross between the two! But… how?! How does he know this much about my family?!’
“I can see the despair in your eyes,” Reese taunted, placing his foot on nearest stool, and resting his arm on it, and his masked chin on his closed fist, his eyes on hers, “You didn’t take your eyes off me. You’ve been watching my every move. This recipe is even yours… and yet, even incomplete, it surpasses what you can manage, no?” “I-I…” “This isn’t any trick or secret ingredient, the recipe is still the one you have back home, just the True Gourmet version,” Reese noted, and when she outright lost all color, he gleefully added, “It’s a skill issue Nakiri. You’re gonna lose, and be expelled, because I’m simply better than you.” Kimiko gritted her teeth, and handed him back his little plate, even if she hated that her hands were shaking, “Here! Let me cook in peace! This hasn’t been decided yet!” “…If you say so,” was all Reese added, before he took the plate and went back to finish his dish. Kimiko, on the other hand, tried to focus, to cook, but it was like her senses were overwhelming her. Every sound was too loud. Every sight too bright. And no matter how much she breathed, she didn’t feel like enough air got in. She knew she was going to mess up, but she couldn’t focus, no matter how hard she tried, until… “Kimiko, don’t let his words get to you, that’s what he wants!” Hiroshi called out, making her pause, and for some reason she couldn’t quite understand, just hearing his voice seemed to ground her. She turned, and the boy was looking at her firmly, “Just breathe… and focus. You’ve got this.” “Oi, oi,” Timmy voiced, revolver still aimed at Hiroshi, “That could count as intervening.” “Then take your shot,” Hiroshi replied, eyes narrowed, and Timmy could help but grin. “Don’t shoot him,” Reese had to instruct, just in case, “He can’t help it…” Reese added, his eyes on Hiroshi, “After all, with his own mother and father, being a cheerleader for the actual chefs is the best he can ever hope to accomplish in this school.” “Hey!” Kimiko roared, her grip on her knife so tight she felt she was about to injure herself, but she didn’t care, “Keep your focus on me.” “Don’t worry, you are, and always will be, my priority,” Reese offered, “Especially since you are… her daughter after all.” And Kimiko just gave a pause, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, as she forced herself to focus. She knew the Network was a threat. She knew the Shigeo Eizan had hurt Chieko. But, right here, right now, she needed to just focus on this guy. Because… he was wrong. That wasn’t who her mother was…
…Kimiko, after the argument, found herself back in her room, seated on her bed, curled up, before the door was slowly opened up, and she looked up, expecting either her dad or Hiraku, but instead, it was her mom.
Erina gave a pause, finding her daughter so puffy from all her crying, and she felt horrible. She was doing the exact same thing her own mother did, how… lovely. But she shook her head, and walked up to little Kimiko, and took a seat next to her, “…Baby girl, can mommy talk to her little girl?”
“…I know I’m grounded.”
Erina gave a soft laugh, “You grounded yourself?”
“…I did something bad,” Kimiko explained, “A-And… it wasn’t Hiraku who found that book. It was me. And I pushed him into cooking it, so don’t –”
“Kimi…” Erina tried, even if she was tearing up, “Neither you, nor Hiraku, did a single thing wrong. The one who messed up was me,” she explained, and Kimiko looked at her, eyes wide, “I try, yes, I do, so much, but mommy makes mistakes. Mommy can be wrong. Mommy can say outright dumb and mean things to the two babies she loves most in the entire world and now mommy feels horrible about it. I scared you, made you cry, and it was my fault. Kimi… can you forgive me?”
“I-I… Does that happen?”
“It does when you have me for a mommy, yes,” Erina noted with a sad smile, “I have a lot of things I need to correct. And I know I’ll mess up, and I want you to know, if, or, when I do, you have every right to call me out on it. I won’t always be right, and if I hurt you, tell me, shout it at me. Make me see… because I don’t get to hurt you the way I did. I love you more than I could ever properly convey, and… I’m just so, so sorry…”
Kimiko just teared up again, and crawled up, cuddling against Erina, who took her onto her arms, sat her on her lap, and held her tightly.
“It’s okay, it was that book’s fault…” Kimiko declared.
“No sweetie, the book is just a reminder, nothing more,” Erina explained, “I overreacted, and I hurt you and Hiraku. This is fully just my fault.”
“…Is mommy grounded?”
“…Sure, if that helps, I deserve it,” Erina just went with it, “So, go ahead, what punishment does mommy get?”
Kimiko then grinned evilly, and Erina was a bit too late at realizing her mistake.
“Mommy has to taste all the experiments dad and Hiraku make for a week!”
“…sweetie, do you want to kill mommy?” Erina asked, almost begging, but her daughter just laughed, clearly not understanding that Erina really was fearing for her life, but… “…S-Sure, mommy, will do that. I… deserve it… Oh gods, God’s Tongue, don’t fail me now…”
Kimiko just laughed at what she assumed was her mother just overacting, when in reality Erina ended with food poisoning for her efforts three days later, but for what it was worth, her daughter was happy, and once she got to apologize to Hiraku too, she could finally stop feeling like the worst mother on Earth.
“I love you baby girl.”
“I love you more!”
“And I love you most,” Erina countered, and as Kimiko pouted cutely, Erina just laughed, finding her the absolutely cutest thing. And for her, for Hiraku, for Soma, she’d learn to be a good mother and wife, even if she had to change everything about herself and her traumas to manage it…
“You’re wrong,” Kimiko almost growled, as Reese gave pause and turned to her, “…My mom is the absolute nicest and best mom around. I don’t know what your problem with her is, but you leave her out of this. Take out all that macho angst on me, and leave her alone!” “…I wish I could,” Reese admitted, and Kimiko felt her blood boil, “If it were that easy… But your ‘perfect’ mother was the one who ran away from this world, abandoning everything and everyone.” “That’s not true!” Kimiko shouted back, utterly pissed off, “And even if it was, what’s it to you?! You are mad at my mom for… settling down at my family’s diner and choosing a peaceful life over living like a celebrity like my auntie?! Why is this any of your business?!” “Why?!” Reese outright seethed, his full glare on her, “Ask your mother, for the truth. And once you do, remember what we talked about, because she left, not attending BLUE, not mending fences, just vanishing off the face of the Earth without caring who she hurt in the process, do you think the problems just vanished with her?!” “…What problems…?” “He was defeated by her,” Reese explained, “He lost it all, and instead of her trying to save them, she left my mother and my uncle in the hands of that monster!” “Wait… what? Who are you talking about?!” “You’ll learn,” Reese added, “But while your parents got their fairy tale ending, my mother had to cry, to beg, to suffer just to keep my uncle in this school, because he took it all out on her. His failures he blamed her for them. She was always the Plan B. The God Slayer to your mom’s God’s Tongue, but when she declined the First Seat, declined BLUE, and then just vanished, he had no further use for either of them, and abandoned them! So don’t tell me your mother is this perfect saint, because for her own wellbeing, she allowed my mother to rot, and now, I will make Erina Nakiri feel that same pain… when I utterly break her stupid daughter!”
…And before Kimiko could react, Reese was on her, his fist slamming against her face, again, and again, and again. He punched her so hard that she was slammed against a wall, then against a light post, then onto the ground itself, before he lifted her by the collar of her shirt, and gave her a swift kick on the abdomen, sending her flying onto a nearby structure, destroying it completely…
Reese then set his plate of True Gourmet: Salmon Onigiri Chazuke before Akiko, and everyone there, from the confused Emi and Itsuki, the pissed off Shoto, the concerned Hiroshi, the confident Timmy, the crying Kenny, and the still knocked out John, looked on as Reese seemed to have served up a dish well beyond what any of them could manage. Akiko herself just stared, her hand shaking, her eyes wide, but the allure of the dish was so intense she instinctively crossed her legs in response. “Please enjoy,” he voiced, “It’s a taste that once took over this very school. Granted, you all covered it up incredibly well,” he added, before he turned towards the nearest camera, “I know you’ve been watching Shigeo Eizan. And I know you can hear me. You’re next buddy. Want to come down and solve this now, or are you seriously gonna hide in your little tower like a little princess?” “H-Hey! Don’t talk to the Boss like –!” Akiko tried, but Reese just got closer to her, his mask literally an inch from her flustered face. So close she could finally make out his eyes again. “Stop that, don’t idolize someone who doesn’t care,” he told her, “You’re worth more than that. Trust me… you’ll come to regret it, and it’ll be too late then.” “I-I…” Akiko tried, but she shifted her eyes downwards, to the dish before her. She knew she had a job to do, and despite Reese’s words, nothing would change her loyalty. She wouldn’t just betray her Boss for this liar. So… deciding already that her best bet was to just get Reese expelled and deal with the tired Kimiko with Stella, she gave the dish a bite out of nothing but obligation… …she did not expect to have to hold back a very unladylike reaction upon tasting his salmon cooked to perfection inside that crispy onigiri, enhanced with a selection of basil and light sauces that made it almost too good. Her eyes were watery, and despite herself, she couldn’t even fake any disgust or disdain for the dish. Her body craved it. It simply did. She was almost in tears and she just ate all of it, knowing she was just proving his point. And it infuriated her to no end! “Y-You lied, about everything!” “…You think?” “Your true skills are beyond any of us!” she cried, “And… I get it know. Reese Dillinger, the son of Dove Dillinger, younger brother of Ruth Dillinger, but also, nephew of Loren Frechette… Totsuki’s Trojan Horse… Gods I was so stupid. T.V. It was so obvious. He was that for his year, but now, in a Network, what can infiltrate and destroy… if not… a Trojan Virus?” “Bingo,” he replied, “Took you long enough.” “If you two are done flirting…” Kimiko interrupted, tossing her plate onto the table, her eyes on the blushing Akiko, “Here’s my Re-Revamped Mackerel Onigiri Chazuke.” This made Reese pause. Wait? Re-Revamped? He gave the dish a good look, and glared. ‘She modified it further? What did she add…? Wait, it’s swimming in a little sauce, that’s…!’
Akiko took a bite of the dish, and she almost fainted. How?! How could she be in the same grade as these two?! The explosion of flavor was close to or even equal to Reese’s. What his had in proficiency, hers had in creativity. What hers lacked in constant flavoring, his lacked in initial impact. They were both too good! She was genuinely underqualified to judge either dish! But… her mission! Reese, however, just turned his glare to the exhausted Kimiko. And he saw it…
…From the broken debris, the girl reappeared, barely standing, but charging her sword with all her power into it…
“…This isn’t something from your mother…” Reese noted. …And she just fired it, a massive black wave of pure energy that forced Reese to cover himself to avoid it shredding him to pieces. Kimiko, breathing hard and barely standing, kept her glare on him, as, once the dust settled, and her black attack dissipated into the night’s sky, there stood Reese, now finally injured, with a bloody slash right across his chest, and his mask cracking…
“Enough!” Kimiko warned in no uncertain terms, “Stop insulting my mother!”
…Finally revealing a part of the boy beneath the mask to her; of the boy with the chocolate dark hair and the piercing blue eyes…
“Such desperate gastronomy at play,” he noted, as Akiko was nearly catatonic, and everyone waited for her vote in utter suspense, “Caramelized Mongolian sauce… you literally made a last-minute gambit of pouring more salt into the onigiri so that the sweeter sauce would mesh well, something, that if you added too much of either, would have ruined it all completely.” “What? Disappointed I am not some helpless damsel for you to wreck?” Kimiko just mocked, and in it, he could see the spark in her eyes. How her eyes almost seemed to shift from gold to a colder violet-pinkish hue for a second. The same eyes her mother had, with the same look of utter disdain too. “No, on the contrary, you made this so much more fun,” he noted, smiling, “I’m glad I caught a glimpse of the little goddess I can slay in earnest. It’s great to finally meet the real you… primita.” “What… did you just call me?” Before Reese could elaborate, or Kimiko could try and push him to do so, Akiko just… bolted right out of there, running into the building, leaving everyone utterly baffled. There was nothing but complete silence for a good few seconds. “…I think you two broke her,” Emi noted, feeling a sweat drop. “H-Hey! She didn’t even give one of us the win!” Kimiko realized, and despite her anger, damn it, she came her to do something else that was not quarrel with this masked guy, “We’ll settle this later! I can’t let her get away! She’s the one who’s been a massive pain on my butt since the Autumn Elections started!” And with this Kimiko gave chase, rushing into the Network Building, leaving the others behind. Reese just glared at the sight, as while disappointed, perhaps, yeah, with Kimiko actually putting up an actual fight… maybe he could enjoy tormenting her properly after all. He turned, and Hiroshi, not even caring about Timmy anymore, began to rush into the building too, before Reese called out to him, “Yo, Hiroshima!” Hiroshi outright paused in place, “Eh? That’s totally not…” “Yeah, sure,” Reese noted, then tossed something to him, which Hiroshi caught and gave a look to it. It was a pen drive? “The plan, from what I could gather, was to have you all wait a week so Shigeo could transfer or delete any and all data that could incriminate him. For a man as ambitious as him, that’s a lot of data. If we’re going back to Plan A, and if by some miracle you two can reach that top floor, don’t waste too much time, otherwise everything will be deleted. Rush in, defeat Shigeo, and ask for you victory prize to be a copy of everything he has on that drive. That’s all you need to take down this Network for good.” “…I’m not going to thank you.” “…Trust me, you won’t ever.” Hiroshi said nothing else, and just rushed inside, leaving the failed members of the Network alone outside. At this Shoto just sighed, and promptly began to walk away. “H-Hey!” Emi called out, “This isn’t over, where are you going?!” “We lost, this is no longer our problem,” he replied to her, “And I’m done. Consider this my resignation.” “What?! No! Don’t leave me-us!” Emi cried out, but noticing the boy had no intention to stay, she realized her priority should be more inclined to helping Akiko out of this mess, “Damn it! I’m going to get in contact with the Caporegime! Itsuki, try and find where the heck Umino and Yamada are! We need them, now! And Kenny… slap John awake and help me get all this equipment back inside! We haven’t lost yet! Kimiko and Hiroshi can’t possibly handle Stella, so we have to make sure we assist her and stop anymore surprises! Everyone, move!” And as they all began to scramble, Timmy just walked next to Reese, storing his gun away, while Reese took off his mask, his face drenched in sweat. “There’s no going back from the pandora’s box you just opened,” Timmy noted, and Reese smiled. “And I don’t want to go back,” Reese noted, “Come on, our work here is done. Depending on whether Kimiko or Shigeo are still standing come tomorrow morning, we’ll alter our plans accordingly.” “Still, this is the first time in so long I’ve seen you somewhat happy during cooking…” “Well, what can I say?” Reese noted, and Timmy couldn’t tell if he meant in in earnest or in mockery, “Not every day you get to cook with family after all.” -0- “Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap…!” Akiko cutely cursed with every rushed stepped she took as she reached the main door of the first floor, the one’s that led to the stairs, where the Caporegime were supposed to set up a Trial for the rebel team, but with Kimiko and the Hiroshi catching them off-guard, they had nothing set up. She had nothing set up. Did Stella at least? But, before Akiko could call to her, Kimiko just walked right into the large room, making Akiko flinch in genuine fear. “Hey! Remember me?! You’ve already screwed me over on two duels, and unlike your boss with Chieko, I do not want to screw you!” Kimiko called out, making Akiko blush a bit at the double meaning, but she shook it off. “Kimiko… Yukihira,” she tried, “You’ve become… a bigger problem than expected.” “Oh, trust me Akiko, so have you to me,” Kimiko shot back, “So what now? Are you my next opponent, or is your boss finally done putting on his big boy pants and ready to come face me himself?” “As if!” Akiko forced herself to sound tough. It didn’t quite land, “The Boss can only be reached after you pass five trials! And you have barely arrived at the first one!” “Eh?!” Kimiko almost gagged, “What the hell do you call everything that went on outside?!” “…preshow entertainment?” “I will cut you!” “N-No, I’m fragile!” “Just let me pass or I will break that door open with you!” “…so violent,” Akiko just noted, “Look, my… Challenge isn’t that big a deal. You see, it’s…” she tried, searching around on her phone, until she just gave up and broadcasted from her phone to the big screen a random sudoku puzzle, “…this.” Kimiko just stared. Akiko refused to blink. This was so stupid. That puzzle was so easy that even a middle schooler could solve it in ten minutes at most. Kimiko looked. Akiko was sweating heavily. Kimiko was then on the floor. “Eh?!” Akiko blurted out, utterly confused. “I don’t understand those!” Kimiko cried, spread out on the floor, “Chieko, I’m sorry, I tried!” “Are you serious?!” Akiko just screamed, “T-This is what it takes to stop you?!” “They’re hard!” “You make no sense!” “Kimi, are you in here?” Hiroshi voiced up, walking into the room, and noticing the sudoku puzzle on the screens, “Wait, is that…?” “…Erm, yes, your next… Trial,” Akiko tried again, “You solve it and you can go up to the next floor to–” But Hiroshi was also on the floor, next to Kimiko. “–Are you being real right now?!” an exasperated Akiko just cried. How had things gone from so unexpectedly serious to so unexpectedly stupid in the span of a few minutes? Still, she forced herself to note, a victory, no matter how moronic, was still a victory, “…Erm, aheam, Boss, I know the sound system is on, so as you can see, I do believe our two Challengers have effectively surrendered.” “…Indeed,” Shigeo’s voice was heard through the speakers, making both Kimiko and Hiroshi glare at them, not that the older boy seem to care, “Morons, the lot of them. I don’t have time to entertain such childish tantrums… although, that said, why did you not eliminate small-Dillinger when you had the perfect opportunity to do so?” “I-I… I panicked, apologies, I genuinely couldn’t pick one over –” Akiko tried, but Shigeo quickly cut her off. “I don’t have you here for excuses, you are here for results,” Shigeo warned, and she was shaking at this point, “You have done an absolute horrible job at handling Reese Dillinger, from not being able to realize who he was and, when presented with the opportunity to expel him, you refused to do so. Now it falls to me, as always, and I have to thread carefully, as I am unaware how close Ruth Dillinger is to him, and eliminating him from here could cause her to take aim at us, which would be… troublesome.” Akiko had to bite down her response, because didn’t that just imply…? ‘…If I had voted him out, wouldn’t that make me Ruth Dillinger’s target if that were the case?’
“Nevertheless,” Shigeo continued, utterly ignoring Akiko’s plight, “If small-Yukihira and the… Tadokoro have not enough braincells between the two of them to solve my trial, then by all intents and purposes, they are now both effectively expe–” “Not quite yet.” Kimiko, Hiroshi, Akiko and especially Shigeo all had their eyes widen at the surprise fifth voice that was heard, and the three there present physically, alongside the Godfather himself looking from his screens, all turned their focus to the main entrance, and from it… …came in a drone! “…eh?” all four couldn’t help but utter. “Apologies for the rather curious way I have arrived,” the drone spoke up, in what was undeniably Chieko’s voice, “But expelling my friends for my own rash and stupid actions is something I cannot allow. You wish to challenge someone’s wits, then I shall be your opponent.” ‘…she really is just… her,’ Shigeo did not at all mentally swoon, but he did shake his head, gave out a little laugh, and warned, “I admire the courage, and creativity, but, it’s not just the sudoku puzzle. If you truly wish to run this Trial against me, we’re going to touch some very complex materials, and make no mistake, despite how much of a gentleman I am, I believe not in holding back, not even for a lady. And you are aware of my Seating, and the sheer gap that exists because of it…” “I am quite aware,” the drone being controlled by Chieko noted, but, in the most assured tone the girl had ever spoken in, she added, “And hit me with everything you have, because just like we discussed, I shall bridge that gap with knowledge.”