Soma: The Phantom Seat (Abandoned)

Chapter 23 Misaka Subaru

Soma is walking on the road until he is stopped by a man, who has greeted him. Soma notices him as the one who gets into fourth place in his own Area A.

"Yukihira Soma. Don't glare at me so much, I was just going to ask you to go inside with me." The boy says.

"Huh? Right...OK, I guess." Soma says.

"Alright, wait a sec." Soma notices that the boy is trying to chain his bike, and then he says, "Sorry for the wait."

"Yeah, you really made me wait. I never thought you'd even put a cover and a rope around it."

"Because this cautious is only natural. Of course, my bike's registered in the bike registry...and it's also subscribed to a GPS service. So, even if it's stolen, I'll know where it is right away."

"Even if you tell me all that...wait, you have a license?"

""Right down to a gnat's eyebrow" is my Motto. Whether it's in cooking or anything else." The boy says. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mimasaka Subaru. Don't forget it."

"Well, best regards. Hey, don't you need to hurry?" Soma asks.

"Don't worry about that." Mimasaka says, and Soma is a little curious about the boy in front of him.

As Hayama and Arato's match begins with their theme being Hamburgers, Megumi rushes out of the stadium as she is finding Soma.

"Soma-kun! Hurry! They're already begun cooking!"

"Sorry. But I already know that the match is Hayama vs. Arato, and then Takumi vs. Mimasaka in the end." Soma says, but then he thinks, "But why does Mimasaka knows about this? He wasn't a member of the Elite 10."

At the same time, Mimasaka is thinking, "Yukihira Soma, his home is a diner...he makes use of the creativity born from his experience there in his dishes, he's great pride in his restaurant's name. Not only that...he has the ability known as Angel's Eyes, something that exceeds my Perfect Trace...That's why I'm very interested in you..."

Mimasaka then notices Takumi and also thinks what he knows about him, after all, he is the opponent he needs to face next.

Back with Soma and Megumi, they are still finding the entrance to the stands, until they are stopped by the guards. Before they can ask the guard where the gate is, Mimasaka appears and says, "In that case, you can just watch it from the monitor in my waiting room. It's over there."

At the same time, Takumi is walking past as he is surprised to see the couple there as well/

The four of them are sitting in the room, and Takumi explains what he is doing, "The ingredients I just came, so I was checking them over. Good grief! To think you overslept, that's something a cook can never do."

"Well, I didn't oversleep, though..." Soma says as he glares at Mimasaka, who isn't fazed at Soma's glaring.

"So why I am here as well?" Takumi asks.

"Isn't it alright? You finished checking your ingredients, right?" Mimasaka asks as he prepares the tea and snacks for them.

"So, how does this match look to you, Tadokoro?" Soma asks.

Megumi replies, "Erm...the theme is hamburgers, it's a dish where you can make great use of spices, which are Hayama-kun's specialty, Arato-san is good enough to be Nakiri-san's secretary, so her ability is real. Her specialty "Medicinal Cooking" might be a bad match for the theme..."

Arato's Soft-shelled Turtle Hamburger goes first, which causes Senzaemon to be intoxicated by its flavor, but Soma knows that the match will go to Hayama, but Mimasaka beats him to it, causing the boy to look at Mimasaka with curiosity.