BiTTER (Shokugeki no Souma Fanfic)

26. Errors and Improvisations

The Autumn Election begins in September.

The High School first years were stoked with excitement. Unfortunately Sekimori was expelled before it, but of the four other first years in the dorms, two made it into the list.

"Stew? That's the topic this year?"

Shinomiya nods, looking around for any sign of their high school seniors. Coming to the arena to witness the election prelims, they were surrounded by high school students and it was honestly kind of intimidating.

"I... am feeling bloated just thinking about it," Eda murmured, looking at the map.

"You're in a cooking school. Why are you even surprised?" Shinomiya pulled at Eda's collar before he walked off. "I see Mizuhara and Sena. We're joining them so we can be lost together."

"Oh?"

Sena found them at the same time Shinomiya did, and Shinomiya's face scrunched up displeasurably. Sena beamed, completely undeterred by the waves of annoyance sent in his direction. Eda was more than happy to reflect the joy, because he wasn't a prick.

He's so relieved he doesn't have to be lost with Shinomiya in the den of hellhounds. Mizuhara, however, sharpened with hostility at the sight of Shinomiya.

"...it's nice to meet you," her voice was soft, when she finally turned away from glaring at Shinomiya to greet Eda.

"Nice to meet you," he couldn't help but respond just as meekly.

"You guys are here to watch, too?" Sena asked.

"Our seniors from the dorms are competing," Shinomiya snarled at him. "Mizuhara is here to learn, I can guess. Are you here to fool around, Sena?"

Sena brightly responded, "nope! Here to learn, too. We have the day off because the teachers are busy, after all."

They say the greatest counter to unjustified anger is to 'be as nice as possible', and Sena clearly got that lesson down to pat and perfection. Shinomiya screeched in defeat in the corner as Eda silently died of second hand embarrassment.

"We can meet with our seniors and go in together," Eda suggested, "less likely to get cornered or lost like that."

"Cornered?" Mizuhara asked, a little wary of why he even thought of that.

"Lost, eh? I guess Shinomiya's horrible sense of direction has even you stumped," Sena said, mildly, and Shinomiya almost whirled around at the chance to retaliate before Eda interrupted.

"Help me," Eda pleaded. "But I'm at least glad we won't be too out of place here with you two around too... it's so scary being in a crowd of high school students..."

Shinomiya interrupted curtly, "why are you two together, huh?"

There's a blink of confusion from the two addressed.

"Because... we're partnered together in all of our classes?" Sena answered. "And, well, no one else wanted to come here, and who would come to this kind of place on their own?"

He answered it so casually that Shinomiya just turned around and wilted in defeat.

He can't do this. Make an offensive joke in his direction and it flies right over his head. Mizuhara definitely understood it, but she was so baffled by Sena's oblivion that her argument also died in her throat. It's almost impressive.

(Eda has an inkling that Sena definitely knows and he's just messing with them all, but under that firm smile no one knows for sure.)

"Give it a rest, Shinomiya," Eda said, sympathetically. "Let's just relax and watch the competition, can we?"