Seat Number Zero

Part 27

"Can't we settle this with a game of cards?" Yumi asks her opponent for the third trial. "Or maybe rock paper scissors?"

It had officially been one week since the Second Seat Rindou, laid the news for the rebels. And unlike Soma and Alidini who also didn't get a wink of sleep due to their excitement, Yumi isn't all that stoked about the idea of facing off against members of the Elite Ten.

"You're asking that now?" her opponent asks, taking their place on the opposing side of the station.

"Well yes," Yumi said, laying her head down on her arm. "During this week, I probably slept a grand total of five hours."

Despite complaining the entire day, Yumi still showed up to the briefing of her third trial the following day. The rules, the theme, the date, and her opponent. As much as she doesn't want to, she knew that she needed to prepare for their battle, just like everyone else.

"I believe it is too late to change the rules." The three judges have arrived and thus the trials began.

"Is that so?" Yumi nods and drags herself to her workstation and towards the sink. She slowly turns on the faucet and fills up a bucket of water. She stared into the rippling water, vaguely remembering the week she spent preparing herself.

************

"Sugarcane?" Yumi frowns upon opening the envelope and reading her prompt. I haven't done sweets in forever, that's no good. This theme is way out of my league. And to top it off I'm allergic to sugarcane!

"The match will be held in four days, you may spend your time until then preparing for the match." The examiners explain. "The rooms for the lodge and kitchen for practice will be provided. The judges for the match will be fair and unbiased in their decisions. The ingredient: sugarcanes will be prepared and provided by us. All other ingredients are to be taken care of by yourself. That's all."

"I accept the challenge." The current seventh seat, Yoshiko spoke calmly and waited for her opponent's answer.

An unfortunate circumstance and for someone like Yumi, the world will end first before she rejects a challenge and be forced to explain why.

"I accept as well." Yumi begrudgingly agrees to the challenge.

Day 1 of Testing...

"I hate this" Yumi grumbles, throwing her utensils into the sink. She grimaced upon hearing the clash of her unwashed dishes. A visible crack can be seen on one of her neglected glass cups.

No longer caring, she yells out her frustrations "I am getting nowhere!". Sliding her arm across the counter Yumi knocked everything above straight into the sink. She pulled off her gloves and threw them straight into the trash.

"Maybe I should call up a few friends."

Night 1

"Hey?" Yumi waved at the two, meekly. "I did send a voice message yesterday-"

"Oh my gosh, Yumi!" a woman about two years older than her ran out and gave Yumi a bear hug. "How have you been? You're so tall! Have you eaten yet?"

"Um, I did eat on the way-eee!" Yumi couldn't finish the sentence as the hug nearly squeezed the life out of her. "Are you trying to kill me, Aiko?"

"That can be arranged?" the voice spoke out emerging behind Aiko, gently holding her by the waist. The senior wasn't as happy to see their guest, sporting his usual frown. His hair is a couple inches shorter than she remembered.

"I see that married life has treated you cruelly," Yumi said, shedding a crocodile tear.

"We are not married." He growls.