Seat Number Zero

Part 17

"Nakiri Alice!? Why are you here?"

"Can't I be here?" Alice said. "I came because I spotted some interesting looking fans."

"Right? Aren't these fans great?" Yuki asked rather flattered.

"Sure! If you were trying to win the gaudiest-" Soma elbows his sister right in the ribs not allowing her to finish her snarky comments, earning a death glare."

"You said a 'match between people who grew up in Port Cities." Soma inquires. "Does that mean-"

"That's right, Ryou was raised alongside the sea," Alice confirms his suspicion.

"Oh, Kurokiba brought out something else," Mito said.

"Lobster and shrimp shells." Yumi hums at the sight. "He's going hardcore. That soup is gonna be a kick in the face."

"The judges came closer to one of the contestants." The host idol announced.

"Well watching the shopkeeper work from the counter is part of the charm of eating ramen." Judge Oizumi explains.

"Eek, I wouldn't want the Food's Demon King watching me cook at point-blank range," Yuki said.

"Great, let's lighten the load by throwing these into the trash!" Yumi suggests pointing to their cardboard fans.

The milk tea. Is starting to lose its effect.

"Guys, It's alright Megumi is calm," Ryouko reassures them.

"Ooh her soup's done," Yumi said admiring the beautifully clear shiny broth. "The scallop dashi and the chicken Paitan soup match perfectly and generates a marvelous smell."

"We can expect great things from her dish!"

"The atmosphere is good." Ibusaki comments.

"The judges and the guests are certainly intrigued," Ryouko adds.

"Alright, Megumi! Go win this." Yuki cheers.

On the other side of the arena, Kurokiba had just finished boiling the noodles and in one fierce move took the noodle out, ridding any access water.

"There goes the 'good' atmosphere," Yumi mutters.

"If his noodles are done boiling... then that means Kurokiba is going first."

"Now eat." Kurokiba finished his preparations and went up to serve his dish. "It's a 'Soup de Poisson Ramen'!"

"It's a soup from Southern France made using fish leftovers and shrimp shells."

"Even after eating Yukihira's bento they still have enough room to eat like that?" Sato said with a frown.

"They're greedily devouring the food without looking away in the slightest."

"It's common sense for a judge to be able to eat that much without taking any breaks. Just thinking about how much Erina can eat makes me want to throw up." Yumi said, shaking her head.

"Anyway, that's not what you're supposed to be focusing on. Look at the Director!" She points at the center of the judge's seat, sitting tall is the elderly man riddled with muscles, a head of spiky grey hair, mustache, and beard.

"He stripped! That means he recognizes the dish."

"Don't worry the judges haven't tasted Megumi's dish yet." Although Yuki said this to assure them that Megumi still has a chance, she can't help but be nervous for her friend. "But the atmosphere might..."

The members of the Polar Star Dormitory turned their attention to Megumi's station as she took her noodles out of the water with a firm shake. Finishing up her preparations.