The Expert Among the Chefs | Yukihira Souma

Challenged

Sakura walked through the dirt path between the trees.  Eishi had asked her to wear something she was more comfortable in instead of her too-short uniform.  So here she was, wearing a gray sweater, white t-shirt paired with navy blue leggings and shoes. 

A few minutes later, she reached her destination.  Except nobody was there.  Unless, you counted a squirrel who nibbling half heartedly on an acorn as "somebody." 

That was how it was for a while.  Just Sakura and the squirrel. 

Until Eishi and Rindo showed up.  The squirrel fled, out of fear of the loud chatter coming out of the Elite Ten's mouths. 

Sakura clicked her tongue disapprovingly and gave Eishi a pointed look.  "You've got some nerve to be this late, Eishi-kun." 

Eishi was too busy looking at the squirrel, fleeing from the scene.  "Eh? A squirrel!  Oh my God, Kura-chan, you were with the squirrel? Did the squirrel bite you?  Rindo, help me!  A squirrel bit Kura-chan!" 

Rindo stepped up and examined Sakura.  "Hah?  Whaddya mean?  I don't see anythin'."

Eishi stopped his pessimism right away and apologized.  He was about to say something among the lines of, "This is the Elite Ten.  Now gawk in all of our glory!" but a midget-of-a-boy (who Sakura, using her "professional investigating skills," knew was Terunori Kuga, eighth seat of the Elite Ten) with yellow and black hair stepped up and questioned her status. 

"Tsukasa-senpai, who is this?" he asked in a condescending manner, a hint of rudeness leaking into his words. 

"Terunori-san, if I were you I'd probably look twice and see if the person in front of me looked familiar." Sakura replied sharply. 

"Elite Ten, before I introduce myself, and I don't want to sound boastful here, I know that everybody here except for Rinacchi, Satoshicchi, Eishi-kun and Rin-chan will be bowing at a 90 degree angle.  Please refrain from doing that." 

Terunori scoffed loudly.  "As if!" 

"Oh, do you want to put that to the test, Terunori-san?" she asked testily, standing up.  She was starting to really dislike him.  "The name is Nakiri Sakura, since you really wanted to know." 

Despite her speech about refraining from bowing at a 90 degree angle, the remaining six members of the elite ten bowed down either way. 

"I apologize for my rudeness, Nakiri-sama!" Terunori apologized dramatically.  "Anyways, as you've probably heard, we are the Elite Ten and...."

"Yes, yes, I already know all of your names and positions by heart."  Sakura interrupted. 

"Really?" he asked. 

"Yes.  Nakiri Erina, tenth seat.  Eizan Etsuya, ninth seat.  Terunori Kuga, eighth seat.  Isshiki Satoshi, seventh seat.  Kinokuni Nene, sixth seat.  Saitou Soumei, fifth seat.  Akanegakubo Momo, fourth seat.  Megijima Fuyusuke, third seat.  Kobayashi Rindo, second seat.  Tsukasa Eishi, first seat.  And then me, Nakiri Sakura, the zero seat." she answered and flashed a cute peace sign. 

Rindo looked confused.  "Hah?  Zero seat?  Since when?" 

"Ojiisan.  He wanted me to become part of the Elite Ten again.  But all the spots were full, so he created the 'zero seat' for my use only."  A few of the Elite Ten were wondering just who this "Ojiisan" was.  The people with more common sense remembered that she was a Nakiri, granddaughter of Nakiri Senzaemon, the devil of food. 

After a very lively conversation, ("She beats your height, Terunori-kun." Kinokuni remarked unhelpfully.  "Shut up, woman!" Terunori shouted furiously) the Elite Ten parted ways to their own stations.