Chapter 38: Kobayashi Rindou
The final day of the Moon Banquet Festival.
I had finished the early-morning Shokugeki against Kinokuni Nene and thoroughly settled the score for the fight she had picked. I was now the Sixth Seat of Totsuki's Elite Ten. I had originally been aiming for the Ninth Seat, so this was an unexpected step up, but moving higher was hardly a problem.
Incidentally, I hadn't told anyone about the Shokugeki with Nene. The result would be made public by tomorrow at the latest, so there was no need to announce it myself. Besides, I would be leaving the seat almost immediately anyway.
Now that the match with Nene was over, there was no longer any reason to pour effort into the festival stall.
Our sales ranking looked like it would end in the upper ranks, so for the final day I decided to close the stall after the lunch service and skip dinner.
Naturally, Alice and the others tilted their heads and asked why we were closing early. I told them to enjoy the rest of the festival and visit the other stalls as a celebration for finishing the booth, and they accepted the excuse.
Perhaps because they had worked together in the kitchen, Alice and the others had grown closer behind my back. When I asked, they said they had decided to go around and try food from the other stalls together.
I had been considering inviting all three of them to my room for a celebration after the stall closed, but since they had made plans, I sent them off. It was wonderful to see my women getting along. Alice led the way, pulling Ryoko and Miyoko along, and the three of them headed toward the other areas.
I finished cleaning up the stall and handling the remaining minor tasks, then took a breather. I had already paid the waitstaff and submitted the report to the committee that the stall was closing. Mimasaka had been helping at Soma's stall since yesterday, so I was the only one left at my own booth.
I had been busy for days, so I was exhausted. Sitting in a chair and staring blankly at the ceiling, I felt the accumulated fatigue melting away. It had been a long time since I had enjoyed such a quiet moment. A little peace every now and then wasn't bad.
"—Hey!! Santoku Shogo!! Feed me already~~!!"
The quiet moment didn't even last five minutes.
I opened my eyes and turned toward the visitor. Just as I had guessed from the voice, it was exactly who I expected.
Second Seat of the Elite Ten—Kobayashi Rindou.
"What's up? Were you taking a nap? And why is the stall already closed?"
"…Yeah, well. We started early this morning."
"Come on, that's a problem~! My goal for the Moon Banquet Festival was to conquer every single stall!"
"…Sigh. There are over a hundred stalls, you know."
"It's the last day, so I'm in the final sprint! Come on, please! Feed me!!"
What was with this pushiness? She felt like a Jump protagonist. Even if I said no, she probably wouldn't back down. Refusing would be more tiring than just giving in.
Actually, this might be a good opportunity. I was planning to claim Rindou eventually, so earning some goodwill now was smart. If it became a useful card later, sacrificing a bit of rest time was worth it.
"…Fine. But this counts as one favor. The stall's already closed, so there's no charge."
"Whoa~! You're generous! Don't worry, I never forget a debt."
"I'll hold you to that. Just wait a moment. …I wonder if there's any ingredients left."
Obviously, a customer showing up after closing is far more troublesome than one arriving just before last call. I had finally been able to relax, and now I had to cook again.
I scraped together what ingredients remained and threw together something resembling a meat dish. I didn't know how it would turn out, but it was probably good. My very first attempt at soba had been well received, after all. With meat dishes, anything I made should taste good no matter what cut I used.
"Uha~! This is delicious~! Yeah, yeah, it's good! …Nn, it's making me all hot."
Why do the women in this world always react so erotically when they eat something delicious? …Actually, the men do it too.
The Nakiri family even has that "endowment" thing where their clothes explode. That clan is straight-up fantasy. Thank goodness no one in the Santoku family has any weird special abilities.
"Haa~, that was great. Hey, hey, any seconds?"
"There aren't any. That was the last of the ingredients I had left."
"Aww, come on~! If it was this good I should've come on the first day. —Now I get why Nene lost."
The relaxed atmosphere vanished in an instant. Rindou's eyes sharpened.
She had been acting like a laid-back senior, which was cute, but this side of her wasn't bad either. I could clearly feel the pressure of an Elite Ten Second Seat. Her provocative expression had a sensual edge, and the fangs peeking from her smile gave off a wild, combative allure.
"So you knew. About the Shokugeki between me and Kinokuni-senpai."
"Well, yeah. I am part of the Elite Ten, after all. I went to see Nene too, but she was bedridden and I couldn't talk to her. I just left a get-well gift."
"So? Did you come for revenge?"
"No? I'm not here for that. …Besides, if I'm going to fight you, I need to get serious too."
"You're giving me quite the high evaluation."
"After you beat Nene, there's no way I wouldn't. I heard you lost in the Autumn Elections semifinals, but did you evolve during Stagiaire? Or… was that your real strength all along? You're hard to read, Santoku Shogo."
This senior was surprisingly sharp. Was it some kind of wild-animal instinct?
"Besides, I'm not here for revenge. Even if she loses a Shokugeki and stops being part of the Elite Ten… Nene is still my cute junior. That won't change."
"I see. Looks like you've finished eating, so I'm closing the stall for good now. Don't forget—this counts as one favor."
"I know, I know. You're surprisingly anxious, aren't you?"
She sounded dissatisfied, but I wanted to make this clear. If she forgot, the meal I had just cooked would lose all meaning.
"Still, joining the Elite Ten at this exact moment… I don't know if it's unexpected or just bad timing."
"You're speaking with a lot of implication. Is there some problem with me joining the Elite Ten right now?"
"You're the one asking with implication. …Or maybe you already know?"
She was putting on a strong-senior act, but I was too tired—my eyes kept drifting to her cleavage. I had thought the same thing at the Momijigari-kai, but why was her uniform so erotic? Why was it more erotic than being completely naked?
"If you already know, then I'd like to have high expectations. …I hope you'll get on board too."
"In that case… I don't think I can live up to Rindou-senpai's expectations."
My declaration while staring at her cleavage made Rindou laugh with amusement. Good—she hadn't noticed me looking.
"That's a shame. A new wave is coming, you know."
"I actually joined the Elite Ten to stop that wave."
"Heh… So that was your goal. You're even more suspicious now. Who exactly are you, Santoku Shogo? Those eyes of yours make me feel like I'm facing a dangerous beast."
Eh? Was that how it looked? Had my pent-up lust leaked out because I'd been too busy to sleep with anyone lately? I'd better be careful.
"N-no, well… I'm the eldest son of a family with a name that echoes across the world, that's all."
I gave an exaggerated cough and forced my thoughts back on track.
"I quite like the academy as it is right now. I don't want anyone interfering. After all, this is the first time in my life I've been able to enjoy school life. If I had to give a reason for fighting… I guess it's to protect my youth?"
"I see. Not bad. You sound pretty cool. …But you're too late. The wave can't be stopped anymore. It'll start at the earliest today. —The reform, that is."
I didn't need her to tell me that.
The mastermind behind the major incident that would begin after the festival.
His name was Nakiri Azami.
Erina's real father and the man who would soon seize the position of headmaster of Totsuki Academy. He had already won over the majority of the Elite Ten and secured more than half their approval. The decision was essentially finalized. That was only natural. Behind-the-scenes maneuvering on that scale couldn't possibly be completed in just a month or two.
Even though I had taken the Sixth Seat from Nene, I couldn't overturn a decision that had already been made. Besides, I had only earned the right to become a member of the Elite Ten—I wasn't officially one yet. There was nothing I could do with the academy's authority since I hadn't been granted it yet. Not that I had any intention of doing anything anyway.
"Totsuki is going to change, you know~? Well, whether that's good or bad… we won't know until it happens."
"Looks like winter's going to be stormy, Rindou-senpai."
"Yeah. …And I'll remember this. That you're a dangerous guy. —Thanks for the meal. See you later, Santoku Shogo. Feed me again sometime~!"
Rindou said what she wanted and left the stall.
If I had to describe her in one word, she was like a storm. I had expected strong physical contact even with a guy because of how she acted at the Momijigari-kai, but she hadn't done any with me. Maybe she was instinctively wary. Too bad.
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