Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch.1 Better Late Than Never (Ryoko Sakaki)

            "Man, I wish I had some breakfast this morning. I waaay overslept," Soma admitted to Megumi. "Hey Tadokoro, got any snacks on ya?"

"Umm... I think I have a few crackers left," she mumbled as she fished around her bag. "I know they...should be..." her voice trailed as she felt an empty wrapper. "I didn't eat anything either," she said, eyes widening in fear.

They trudged onward through the halls of Totsuki Culinary Academy, tears flowing down their cheeks. For such accomplished young chefs, there was much shame in failing to make time for the most important meal of the day.

"Hey Soma! Megumi!" shouted their friend Ryoko Sakaki. She joined them en route to class. "You guys look drained," she observed. No acknowledgment. "Me-megumi? Megumiiii!" Ryoko grabbed her by the shoulders, recognizing that her dorm-mate was possessed by a hunger demon. "This won't do! You guys need to eat something if you want to make it to class. Let's hit the cafeteria before..." Ryoko stopped in her tracks, her nose assaulted by the scent of swine.

"BACON!" Soma screamed, now back from the dead. This aroma wafted through the halls, and our famished friends took off to seek the source. Ryoko found herself struggling to keep pace with her de-zombified peers. When she finally caught up, she found them huddled around a door.

There was no doubt that this was the origin, but the pair made no attempt to enter. They looked frozen in bliss- or perhaps the hunger reclaimed them. Pushing her friends aside, Sakaki approached the door in order to get a glimpse inside. She saw...

A student? She hadn't seen him around, but he looked to be about their age. The curls of his brown hair were slightly unkempt, but by no means messy. His big brown eyes were so focused on his cooking; their intensity mellowed only by the slight grin forming at the edge of his lips. He wore a white Totsuki chef's coat with the sleeves rolled up, his well-muscled forearms glistening with beads of sweat. The left was covered with something...a tattoo?! "Whaaa?" She gasped loudly, covering her mouth with both hands. He turned towards the door, and their eyes locked for a moment that seemed to stretch forever.

This is so embarrassing... His smile interrupted her thoughts, and he beckoned her inside the room.There's no turning back now, she thought, reluctantly dragging Soma and Megumi in with her.

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Mushrooms almost done, peppers are nice and crisp, just need to... The chef's train of thought was lost when he heard a loud gasp at the door. He looked up from the stovetop and locked eyes with a woman, who was even more startled than he was. Her hair was breathtaking; long and lustrous magenta locks split into bangs that reached down to her chest. Her chest...After staring for a moment too long (she didn't seem to notice) he smiled and waved her in. She dropped her friends on the floor and, not wanting to draw out the awkwardness, spoke first.

"Hi there, umm...are you a new student? I haven't seen you around here before."

"Hahaha, I am indeed."

"What's so funny?"

"You three. Or rather, those two specifically," he indicated the collapsed figures. "What did you do to them?"

"Oh goodness! It's nothing like that, umm this is so weird, I uh..." she stuttered helplessly.

"Relax Gorgeous, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. We are strangers, after all," he grinned. "I'm just saying they don't look so good..." Gorgeous! How brazen! Ryoko's cheeks grew red.