Heaven's Senses

XVI

~~~~Soma~~~~

Finally, we could breath a sigh of relief now that the Training Camp From Hell over. I could see Zenji dying in the corner of the loading area where all the students were gathered earlier.

I would've laughed at his exhaustion, but I couldn't since...

"Look what you did Soma!" Hikari shouted at me as we stood in the empty parking lot where all the buses were supposed to be parked.

"We missed the bus because you couldn't read the directions to our designated place." Hikari continued to shout at me.

"Well you could've taken the directions from me at anytime." I retorted.

"I certainly tried, but you wanted to be the typical big brother and shoot me down. "Don't worry, Hikari, I know where I'm going" you said, and here we are behind everyone else. How are we gonna get back to the campus now?"

I was about to shout back at my sister, when a voice beat me to it."

"Why are you two still here?" We turned around and saw Erina Nakiri clutching a small white purse in her arms and a shocked expression on her face.

"Oh, you care?" I asked. Hikari slapped me on my back and sighed in annoyance with me.

"Well, this and that happened and... well you can easily figure what the heck happened with us." Hikari chuckled.

"Ms. Erina." A woman called from the hotel before running over to us, "We were able to arrange a car for you. Luckily there was one still left in the parking garage." She looked over at us, "Oh, did you two miss the bus as well?"

"Yeah, but you had really good timing." Hikari said then turned to Erina, "Think you could do us a favor and let us ride with you?"

Erina looked conflicted for a second, but she let us ride in the car with her. We sat through the car ride in silence for a little while. I sat on the same side as Erina while Hikari took the other seat, her head bobbing up and down like she was about to fall asleep. I couldn't blame her, though. All of this cooking at such an intense level was something that the two of us weren't used to. 

And with her enhanced senses.... it was something for her to get used to.

"Want some rice crackers?" I asked Erina, handing her some of my snack.

"I don't eat those." She snapped back.

"Some candy?"

"Are you serious?"

Hikari sighed and leaned forward, her chin resting in the palm of her hand, "You know, I recall you saying that you were looking forward to seeing us fail one of these days, right?" She said with a small smirk, "You didn't get that chance now, so when do you think we're gonna fail, huh?"

"Hmph!" Erina huffed, "Go ahead, keep floundering around the edge if you want. Tere's no way either of you will be chosen to be members of the Selection."

"Selection?" Hikari and I repeated.

"You don't even know what that is." Erina said, "It's Totsuki's legendary Fall Selection. It's a festival where Totsuki's chosen few show their skills in a battle of fine cuisine. It's the first opportunity for students to display their abilities off campus and show instructors and investors all in the same place. The screening process has already begun. Of course, you two didn't even notice."

"Oh, now it all makes sense." Hikari said, drawing our attention over to her, "There were a lot of people in black suits watching our every move and they didn't seem too interested in trying our food. They were always whispering about skills and potential. I'm ashamed really, it took me more than a few minutes to get what they were doing. Judging us from the shadows of the crowd. Pretty smart of them, I'll give 'em that."