Food Wars: The Fighter

Chapter 10: The Forgotten Memory

Ten years ago

In the busy streets of the Sumiredori Shop District on a bright and sunny summer day, a 5-year old Y/N was with her mother touring around the district.

"Y/N, I'm going to check what's in this store, okay?" Her mother, Ichigo, crouched down to her daughter's height.

"Mom, I thought we were here to explore and try some food. Isn't that a clothing store?" The young child asked her mother about her decision to check out a clothing store. She was curious after noticing the racks of clothes that sat outside of the shop.

"Indeed, but I want to check what else they have here too. If you see something, you want then let me know, okay?" Ichigo informed her as the young child nodded in response and later soon walked in.

Once the mother stepped into the shop, Y/N took a look at her surroundings. She looked around as the people passed through the district's streets, and she noticed a large red sign with white writing on a building from a distance. Out of curiosity, Y/N wandered a few distances from the clothing store, taking an interest in the diner.

When she had made it to the diner, she peeked inside and saw the populated place. Then the young girl decided to step into the restaurant with no hesitation. The moment she had stepped in, Y/N started to peek at several occupied tables. Since it was a diner, she wanted to know what kind of dishes were being served in the place.

"Huh??? So they serve various kinds of dishes here?" Y/N wondered as she had taken notice of the various kinds of dishes. As she continued to walk around the diner, she soon made it to the front of the diner kitchen. In front of the kitchen, Y/N saw a few people eating by there. Climbing on an empty seat, she stood up on the chair. She observed a brown-haired man cooking in the kitchen then calling out to him when she got up.

"Uhm, excuse me, mister!" Y/N said, capturing his attention. "Do you sell pudding?"

"Pudding? We don't sell pudding here, but...Soma!" The man called out to his young son as he appeared behind the counter, "Mind sharing your pudding pack with this girl?" He asks, motioning to the white-haired girl behind the counter.

"Huh?? But I know who she is, though," The younger boy, Soma, whined as his father laughed in response.

"Neither do I. But it's nice to share every once in a while," He responded as Soma groaned. The boy then went back up to their house in which they lived above from the diner.

While the young 5-year-old child was standing on top of the seat, the older man looked at her, confused. Seeing that the girl was alone during a hot summer day made the man confused, and what also confused him more was that she resembled someone he once knew.

"Hey, mister, what's your name?" Y/N asks in an attempt to engage in a conversation. As a child, she was a carbon copy of her mother personality-wise. Y/N came out as a rowdy child and refused to sit still as she continued standing on the diner chair.

"My name's Joichiro. What about yours?" The man, Joichiro, asked her.

"I'm Yamazaki Y/N! I came here with my mother. We were supposed to come with my twin brother, but he decided he wouldn't come with us!!" Y/N huffed in annoyance, "I'll teach him a lesson when we get home!!!"

'Yamazaki...? Could she be Shosuke's daughter?' Joichiro wondered to himself. Since the young child had introduced her full name, this had Joichiro thinking, and he had thought of his classmate when he heard of the last name. Soon, Joichiro's son Soma returns with some pudding.

"Ah, you're back, Soma. How about you and Y/N go into the back? I'll see if I could find her parents anywhere." Joichiro instructed his son while he let out an annoying sound. Giving in, Soma motions Y/N to come to follow him as she gets off the diner chair and follows him.