Seat Number Zero

Part 29

"Excuse me, your shirt." The bookwalker, Anne notices the logo on the front of Soma's uniform. "I see it has the Yukihira diner written on it."

"Huh? Yeah. It's a little place my family runs." Soma replies.

Anne starts flipping through the pages of 'the book', scanning through the Y section. She closed the book and gave him a pitiful look. "Don't worry there's no reason to be disheartened." Anne turned, her skirt flowing as she spun carefreely. "Your name may not yet grace the pages of 'the book', but you still live and breathe. Be thankful to your parents for birthing you."

"Hey uh," Soma turns to ask the others. "Are we sure it's a good idea to have that lady as a judge for this?"

"She can hear you, moron!" Yuki chides. "Don't be rude!"

"Yeah shut your mouth, Yukihira Soma! A third-rate cook like you have no business being here in the first place." the crowd jeered at him. "You could only make second-rate gourmet food, loser!."

"Silence!." The bookman orders, effectively shutting up the audience.

"My, what a commanding presence." Yumi remarks with a laugh.

"Hm," Satoshi hums thoughtfully, touching his chin. "Maybe I should thank her."

"And why would you do that?" Yumi frowns, glancing up at him.

"She prevented a murder." He gestures to the weapon in her hand that she was about to throw into the crowd.

"Maybe I should just throw this in your direction instead," Yumi said, twirling the knife dangerously between her fingers.

"Please don't."

"I was mocking- cough ahem... I mean offering words of encouragement on account of his zero-star status." Anne said. "However, this gentleman having zero stars has no relevance to the quality of the dish he will present to us."

"Precisely." The second judge, Charme, responds in agreement. "The only basis for our decision will be what's on the plate."

"I swear to God and 'The Book' that our judgment will be absolutely fair." The third judge, Histoire adds.

"So please make a good dish, Yukihira Soma," Anne said.

"I thought you were just full of hot air, but you can say some good things." Soma grins, as he pours a ladle worth of sauce into his wok of fried soba. "Wait just one minute, honored judges."

"What's that dark sauce, soy sauce perhaps?" Ryuko said. "He's poured it all over the noodles and the duck. It's all fried and crispy."

"It smells delicious," Megumi comments dreamily. "Yumi do you know what he's using?"

"How should I know?" Yumi frowns at the question, adjusting the heat of her stove. "I didn't watch him make it."

"I'm done," Kinokuni announced.

"Our Central's Kinokuni Nene is the first one up," Urara said.

Kinokuni Nene stepped up to the judging table. "Please enjoy."

The crowd voiced their praise as Nene presented her dish. Chilled Soba noodles with sakura shrimp tempura on the side.

"The soba noodles are so beautiful, just look at how they shine!" Urara praises Kinokuni's work, practically drooling over it. "Behold the power of the Elite Ten, of Central."

"It looks as gracious as a woman's velvet skin." Charme praises.

"A long line of chefs in the Edo-style soba tradition, impressive." Histoire notes." She has mastered the techniques that have been nurtured through generations."