CH. 83 - A Looming Threat

They do as told as the other chefs each have upset and angry looks on their faces except Ryuji, who holds his composed and neutral look.

 “Atsushi. Your roll was quite good, but there were a couple issues. The spicy tuna was made just a bit too bland and lacking in flavor. As well as the baked salmon wasn’t baked enough to bring out the impactful flavor of the salmon. At that point, you might as well have used regular salmon. Why do you think that is?” Jordan critiques.

"I think because my subordinates are subpar and lacking in skill! I must push them harder to become the best chefs in the world!” Atsushi shouts confidently.

 “Perhaps you should focus on becoming the best chef yourself before telling others what to do.” Jordan says with a raised eyebrow.

 “But I am the best.” Atsushi says blankly as the judges stare at her.

 “Right..” Jordan says as Keller shifts her attention to Sharley.

 “Sharley. Your dish was well prepared but lacked spice and flavor, something to make it pop. What do you have to say?”

 “I had to do everything myself, sir. If it isn’t made by my hands, then it isn’t made right.” She says calmly and honestly as they stare at her with slight disappointment.

 “Unfortunately, cooking, especially for many people in a professional kitchen, isn’t a solo sport. It is a team game, and you must learn to work with your team to achieve something better. It seems to me that you cook to impress others and not to please your soul, and that is why it lacked that passion and flavor.” Keller says firmly. Sharley clicks her tongue in frustration as they move on.

 “Alphonso.” Augustine says. Alphonso sweats and stares at his dad. He covers the side of his mouth with his open hand and tries to whisper to his father.

 “Dad, what are you doing?.. I’m supposed to win!..” Alphonso says.

 “Shut your mouth, boy!” Augustine says intensely as Alphonso sweats. “Your dish was absolutely the worst today, and there is no excuse you can cook up that will taste any better than that. I am greatly disappointed.” He says sharply as Alphonso looks down in disappointment. “Ryuji. Step forth.” He commands as Ryuji does as told, awaiting their judgement. “While my stance is clear, your performance is not without flaw.” Augustine says.

“Choosing a team of inexperienced helpers is not a wise choice as a cook. If you are to be a real chef, picking your team carefully and choosing which skills you need are very important tasks that you overlooked.” Jordan says.

 “Despite that, they performed wonderfully and helped their friend the best they could!” Keller says with a soft smile as Jordan nods. 

 “Your pasta was al dente for this dish, which I would say wasn’t quite the right choice.” Augustine critiques.

 “A softer noodle would have served the flavors well. I’m not sure if that was a mistake or choice.” Keller says.

 “It was a mistake, chef. I forgot to account for the topping change.” Ryuji says boldly with a bow. “I’ll make sure to do better next time.” He says as Augustine speaks.

 “Raise yourself, boy.” Augustine says. Ryuji looks up with a look of surprise as the judges smile at him. “I believe we all know who won today, agreed?” He says while looking at the other judges as they nod.

 “What do you know? It seems the judges are all in agreement on who today’s winner is!” Shuhei says as he looks over at the judges, who all nod and give a thumbs up in unison. Shuhei smiles and shouts happily into the microphone. “The judges have decided! Ryuji Sato of Team 4 wins!” 

 Ryuji stares with a surprised and almost a confused look as the crowd bursts out into cheer. The others jump onto him and hug him tightly with big smiles on their faces. They cheer in relief and satisfaction as Ryuji smiles with tears forming in his eyes. The other chefs stomp around in frustration as Alphonso rushes to Augustine. 

 “Dad! What was that? I thought we agreed you’d give me the win?” He whines as Augustine walks with a straight look.

 “I am disappointed in you. I expected much more from my own son. You need to do better, now come along.” He says sharply as they walk away, Alphonso moping behind him.

 As the others cheer and celebrate, the slingshot student is carried on Touma’s shoulder, tied up with duct tape over his mouth in a back hallway. Touma eventually stops by a little dirt patch against a wall and throws him down on the ground. The student grunts in pain as Touma turns around.

 “This is the guy who shot her.” He says coldly as Hikigaya steps towards him, Haru following behind him. They all have furious looks and shadows over their eyes. The student sweats as Touma and Haru step back and lookout as Hikigaya crouches down before the student. 

 “Shooting at Shiori was a big mistake. Let me explain why.” Hikigaya says with a dark tone as the student cries a bit. The sound of the student getting pummeled is heard as we look towards the sky. Soon after, the three of them turn their backs to the student coldly as they walk away, leaving a beaten and bruised wannabe slingshot for hire in the dirt. A bit later, the sun is beginning to set, and a cool hue lays over the ground. The group laughs and cheers as they head home together. 

 “That was so crazy! The way you guys were moving and the teamwork!” Sugawara shouts happily as he jumps with his arms in the air.

 “The way Ryuji changed the recipe last second! That was way cool!” Hisana says with a big, excited smile. The group walks and talks about the competition, riding the high of the event as Hikigaya laughs. He slowly stops as he looks at Shiori. He examines her for a moment, looking at the bandage on her forehead. 

 “Hey, how’s your head doing?” Hikigaya asks. Shiori is slightly surprised by his question before rubbing her small cut.

 “Oh, yeah. I’m totally okay, it’s nothing.” She says before looking around a little and leaning closer to him with a smile on her face. “After fighting Keeper, I don’t think any other stone can hurt me..” She whispers to him as they both chuckle a bit.

 “Totally..” He whispers back.

 Ryuji walks at the back of the group, watching the others smile and laugh before looking down at his medal around his neck. He slows to a stop as he stares at the medal. Lucy notices and stops as well, looking at him smiling at his medal. She approaches him softly.

 “What’s going on, love?” she asks. He continues to stare at his medal as he smiles.

 “I really love cooking.” Ryuji says with bright eyes. Lucy is a bit surprised at his response as he continues. “I felt so alive, so free. When I cook, there is no stress, no time. Just me and the food I love to make. Something I make that I can be proud of.” He looks at Lucy with shining eyes and a slight blush on his cheeks. Lucy smiles warmly at him, loving the sight of Ryuji being so passionate. She takes his hands in hers and places a gentle kiss on his lips before pulling back. 

 “I can’t wait for the day you can shine in your own kitchen.” She says softly as she stares into his eyes happily. He blushes a bit more and nods softly with an awkward smile on his face. Lucy then turns softly and leads him forward as they catch up to the group, holding each other's hands.

 Another day... Amy walks home from school by herself a little later than usual since she spent some extra time in her club. She walks along when a couple of students step in front of her. She stops and stares at the second years in front of her as they smile at her.

 “You’re Amy, right?” he asks. She crosses her arms and gets a frustrated look.

 “Yeah, so what? I’m tryna go home.” Amy says.

 “Don’t worry, we’ll be quick. You’ll like this, trust me.” He says with a smirk as the girl next to him smirks too. “My name’s Drake and this is Hashigara. We saw what you did to Shiori during the Sports Festival some time ago, and I gotta say,” he whistles. “nice work.” Drake, this second year, says. Amy looks surprised.

 “Whatcha mean?” she asks.

 “The courage it took, as well as the strength of character, to stand up to her is quite amazing. Especially in front of everyone there.” Drake says.

 “Oh yeah?” Amy raises an eyebrow at his comment, obviously not entertained by his words.

“Yeah. We know who she truly is. We’ve seen her wreck relationships, scare others into submission or beat people up for simply speaking to her wrong. For years she’s gotten away with hurting whoever she wants for any reason she wants, but now we’ve come to put a stop to her and expose her true colors.” Drake says. Amy sweats a bit before closing her eyes and stepping past them.

 “That’s all cool and stuff, but I’m not interested in revenge work. I did what I did cause I felt like it.” She suddenly stops when she notices four other people with them.

 “That’s exactly the thing. We want to be just like you. Not afraid to stand up to such a bully just because you feel like it. What do you say? Join us?” Drake offers, turning to look at her with sharp eyes. Amy sweats as she looks back at Drake and the group he has with him. “She may have fooled everyone else into thinking she’s changed, but we know the truth. C’mon, I know you’ll appreciate what we have in mind.” He offers his hand to her as she stares at them. She clenches her fists a bit and sweats.

 “Well, if you do want to be my friend, I am a writer, so I could show you how to write a story if you wanted.”

Amy thinks back to Shiori offering her hand of friendship with a smile on her face as Amy struggles before looking at Drake.

 “Sure, I’ll join your group.” She says nervously while shaking his hand. He smiles.

 “Perfect. Now let’s get started.” He says darkly. 

 Another day, Hikigaya leaves his room a little earlier than usual in the morning with a yawn and slightly messier hair. He makes his way to the bathroom and grabs the door handle before pushing it open. His eyes widen when he sees Shiori in her underwear and about to lift her shirt off over her head, revealing her entire stomach and a bit of underboob. She notices him and stops before blushing intensely as Hikigaya does the same.

 “Hikigaya! I’m gonna take a shower! Get out of here!” She shouts embarrassedly while lowering her shirt quickly as he slams the door shut.

 “Sorry!” he shouts through the door. A little later, Hikigaya sits outside of the bathroom with a towel and a change of clothes as the door opens up. Shiori steps out as Hikigaya looks up at her. She blushes a bit before looking away with a slightly annoyed look. 

 “Hmph!” she huffs. Hikigaya sweats a bit.

 “I said I’m sorry..” he says softly. She looks at him as her look softens a little, blush spreading on her cheeks.

 “It’s fine. Not like I mind or anything...” she almost mumbles. Hikigaya blushes a bit while staring at her surprised. She notices and starts blushing too, realizing what he’s thinking. “That doesn’t mean you get to see me partially naked like that again! Next time I’m kicking your ass!” She shouts with an intense blush before running into her room. Hikigaya blushes a bit and smiles before going inside the bathroom. 

 After a bit, Hikigaya comes downstairs, freshly showered and dressed for school, and sees Shiori sitting at the counter in her uniform as well. He approaches her and leans on the counter facing her.

 “Still writing that book?” he asks.

 “Mhm.” she hums in response.

“Have you talked to my mom about it yet?” Hikigaya asks. Shiori stops and sweats a bit before answering.

 “I~ just haven’t gotten around to it, that’s all.” She says. Hikigaya smirks at her, seeing through her lies.

 “You’re scared of what she’ll say.” He says plainly. She drops her book and looks at him with a worried look.

 “Of course I am! She’s a super famous writer with more success than I could ever dream of achieving! What if she says my book sucks? I don’t think I can take that…” she says while drooping in her chair. Hikigaya smiles and walks next to her, examining her notebook.

 “Well, my mom is a lot of things, but an unfair critic she is not. She wouldn’t say it sucks unless she knows how to improve it, so try not to…” He trails off as he stares at the cover of her notebook, specifically at the pin Amber gave Shiori for her birthday a couple years back. She notices him staring at it and gets a slightly worried look as he doesn’t say anything.

 “Hikigaya..?” she says his name softly, worried about his thoughts in regards to his sister. Suddenly, his eyes widen as he darts back upstairs.

 “Wait right there! Hang on!” He says while rushing up the stairs. Shiori sweats with a confused look as she waits for a moment. After a few moments and some crashing in his room, Hikigaya comes rushing back down the stairs. “I finally found it- Woah!” he shouts before tumbling down the stairs and slamming into the ground from all the rushing. 

 “Hikigaya! Are you okay?” Shiori asks while approaching him only for him to lift up his arm with something in his hand, completely ignoring the question.

 “I finally remembered where I’ve seen that pin before!” Hikigaya says excitedly. Shiori sighs as they both approach her notebook. He places the item in his hand down on the counter next to it as Shiori’s eyes widen a bit.

 “What?..” she says softly.

 “Amber gave it to me when I was little, just after we moved schools. I was feeling pretty sad cause I had lost my only friend at the time, so she gave me this to cheer me up. I couldn’t find it until now.” They stare at Hikigaya’s pin on the counter. It is the same kind of pin that Amber gave to Shiori but more worn out.

 “Stray Cloud…” Shiori reads under her breath.

 “Yeah, I guess she listened to me every time I told her that cloud thing I used to say, haha!” Hikigaya says with a laugh. Shiori looks at Hikigaya, surprised and confused.

 “Cloud thing? What cloud thing-” she asks when Hikigaya interrupts her.

 “Woah! We gotta get going or we’ll be late! Come on!” He says while grabbing his bag and rushing out the front door. Shiori notices the time too and quickly follows suit. 

‘What the heck does he mean, ‘Cloud thing’?’ Shiori thinks with a confused and frustrated look on her face as they rush off to school. 

 Later during lunch, the group sits and eats happily while chatting. As Shiori giggles a bit at a comment Alice makes, a couple of students walk by close behind her holding their trays of food. As soon as they get right behind her, a cup of water they had on their tray tumbles over, drenching Shiori. Everyone is shocked and stunned for a moment as Shiori pauses for a moment.

 “Oh my cos! I’m so sorry! Here, let me help you.” The student says with a rather insincere tone. She leans forward to offer a helping hand only for the rest of her food to come sliding off the tray and into Shiori’s lap. Haru and Kitaro get up swiftly, shocked by the second mess made on her as Shiori gets angry. The two students smirk to themselves.

‘That’s right. Get angry and lash out in front of all these people.’ They think as Shiori glares at them.

‘What is wrong with her? Is she just stupid?’ Shiori thinks as clenches one of her fists before Chizuru speaks.

 “Shiori! You okay?” Chizuru asks, concerned. Shiori instantly calms down a bit and exhales.

 “Yeah, I’m fine. Just gonna… go get cleaned up, I guess.” Shiori gets up and begins walking away as the two students look surprised and disappointed. They click their tongues before walking away. Alice gets upset and stands too.

 “Hey! Where are you two going? Aren’t you gonna offer to help?” Alice shouts as Suiyoubi places a hand on her arm. Alice looks at her as Suiyoubi shakes her head softly. Alice gets an upset look before sitting back down.

 Shiori goes to the restroom with a frustrated look as she begins trying to clean the food off of her skirt. She cleans for a moment before the door opens and Amy peeks her head inside. She looks around a bit before coming to Shiori. Amy perks up before entering the bathroom entirely. Shiori looks up with a surprised look seeing her.

 “Amy? What are you doing here?” Shiori asks.

 “Going to the restroom, obvi.” Amy says with a sarcastic attitude. Shiori picks up on it and stares at her blankly. Amy opens one eye and looks at her before sweating a bit. “Okay, maybe I need to talk to you about something.” Amy says softly. Shiori continues what she was doing.

 “Well, what is it?” Shiori asks. Amy hesitates for a moment before speaking.

 “Shiori… I think, no, I met some people… They’re planning… Something is coming for you.” She struggles to get out.

 “Yeah, well, something came and went already, if you haven’t noticed.” Shiori says while patting her skirt with a paper towel. Amy gets a bit frustrated.

 “No! You’re not listening to me. I mean, like, a group and they have plans for you. They want revenge.” Amy tries to explain. Shiori looks at her a bit surprised before finishing up.

 “I appreciate your concern, but having someone after me isn’t anything new. I’ll handle it as it comes.” Shiori says with a slight smile before patting Amy on the shoulder and heading towards the door. Amy looks conflicted and struggles with her words.

 “But… It’s…” Amy stutters. Shiori gives her a soft look and smile.

 “I really do appreciate your concern. It’s cool of you to warn me, but don’t worry. I can handle it.” Shiori says. Amy nods a bit as Shiori leaves the restroom, Amy just standing in the middle of the room.

 “But it’s not just you…” Amy says softly with a frustrated look on her face. Shiori begins walking back as Hikigaya walks with a swift step towards her.

 “I gotta stop forgetting to come with you to the restroom. One of these days I’m gonna get in trouble for that.” He says with a smile as Shiori smiles back at him.

 “Not my fault. I always tell you where I’m going.” Shiori says as they walk off together. Drake watches them from around a corner with a smile on his face.

 “What do you think was wrong with that girl earlier? Her dropping her tray on you like that wasn’t an accident.” Hikigaya says.

 “Yeah, I know. Amy told me that some new bullies or whatever are trying to get revenge on me again.” Shiori explains. Hikigaya gets a confused look.

 “Amy? You mean the girl who dumped the sports drink on you at the Sports Festival? Wasn’t she the one trying to get revenge on you?” Hikigaya asks. Shiori sweats a bit and smiles awkwardly.

 “Yeah~ she was, but she’s… not so bad once you get to know her.” She says awkwardly as Hikigaya looks at her surprised before getting a smug look.

 “Well, look at you. Went from hating everyone to making friends all on your own. I’m so proud.” Hikigaya teases.

 “Would you shut up…” Shiori says with an irritated tone and look as Hikigaya giggles.

 Later that day, after school has been let out and everyone has made their way home, Shiori sits at her desk, writing in her notebook before leaning back and tapping her pencil on her chin as if thinking about the next part in her book. 

 “Matching pins maybe?.. I don’t know…” She thinks out loud before being interrupted by her phone ringing on her desk. She looks at it in surprise when she reads an unknown phone number calling her. She pauses for a moment before picking up the phone and answering.

 “Hello?”

“Hello Shiori.” the boy’s voice says. Shiori looks confused.

 “Who is this?”

“My name is Drake, but I doubt you’ll remember that. I can only imagine the amount of people that have come and gone through your life already.” Drake says. Shiori leans back in her chair with an unamused look on her face.

 “I have to say, your insults are quite outdated and dull.” she says.

“I guess it’s a good thing words aren’t the only thing I intend on hurting you with.” he says back. Shiori’s eyes sharpen a bit.

 “Look, I don’t know how you got my number, but I think you shou-”

“I don’t care what you think.” Drake interrupts. Shiori is slightly stunned by the sudden interruption. “Not like that matters to you, right? You never cared about anyone else. You just did what you wanted and stepped over everyone else to do so. So now, that’s what we’re gonna do.” Drake says. Shiori pauses for a moment before responding.

 “Do what you will. There’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t been done already.” She says aggressively.

 “You’re right.” He says with a smile as he speaks into his phone. Shiori’s eyes widen a bit. “Be seeing you, Shiori.” He hangs up abruptly as Shiori sits there with a concerned look on her face.