Of Yokai and Hopeless Romantics

Chapter 4

" Everyone, may I have your attention," Tugushi said and they all quieted down and looked at their sensei. " I have some great news I want to share with you. There is going to be a high school cooking competition in Osaka, the winner of which gets to participate in a televised national cooking competition in Tokyo over summer break. The competition is focused on high school chefs. The Cooking Club will be hosting its own competition the winner of which will be sent to Osaka to represent Sasayama Academy."

Benihime couldn't believe her ears, being on a televised cooking competition was one of her goals, she thought she wouldn't reach it until after she had gone to university. Tugushi was offering her the opportunity to start to gain national popularity amongst humans while still in high school. Being on a televised competition, that would make her parents proud and if she won there would be no way they would ask her to return to the Yokai World. Benihime had always thought of the kitchen as her safe place, but now it could also provide her salvation.

Benihime looked around the room there was a current of excitement running through it. Benihime locked eyes with Toro, the two yokai both knew they were entering the competition playing for higher stakes than their human clubmates. Once again, just like in the election, Benihime was matching herself against a yokai, but this time she would win.

" I think it will be you and me, Toyoma-san, I hope you're ready," Toro said walking right up to Benihime. The rest of the club just stared at the two, knowing that what Toro said was likely the truth.

" I will do my best as I always strive to do," Benihime said in response.

" You're going to have to do more than that, winning this competition will be a nice way to cap my time at Sasayama Academy," Toro said. She stopped seemed to think about what she had said, " sorry I got carried away."

" Alright everyone, I know you're excited, but let's clean up," Tugushi said signaling an end to club activities.

Benihime cleaned up her station and put away the eclairs she had left. Benihime bowed to Tugushi and made her way to the dorms. Toro came up next to her as she was walking.

" I just want to apologize again Toyama-san, I'm your senpai and I didn't want to seem like I was picking on you," Toro said her face looking apologetic.

" It's alright Toro-senpai, I know sometimes our natures get the best of us," Benihime said thinking of her own recent struggles.

" That's true, though for a first year you are always well composed," Toro said.

" Thank you Toro-senpai, but don't be too hard on yourself, you have always been a great help to me," Benihime said as they walked up to the dorms, a large building that housed students and staff. Another one of Sasayama Academy's spectacular buildings. It was made up of three, six-story towers, arranged in an equilateral triangle, connected together on the first floor. The East tower was the girls' tower, the West was the boys' tower, and the North the staff tower. Benihime and Toro entered the dorm through the front entrance on the southern connection between the boys and girls towers. They parted at the lobby Benihime heading to her dorm room and Toro heading to the courtyard at the center of the first floor.

Benihime changed out of her uniform, showered, and left an eclair for her roommate, before heading off to the dining hall with Yayaka and Inna. The three were eating dinner gossiping about the happenings in Sasayama Academy, just enjoying themselves, before they would have to go back and start their homework.

" Oh, it looks like we're going to get a show," Yayaka said looking at a boy who was approaching Mari.

" Poor boy, why do they do it to themselves?" Inna asked as Mari completely ignored the boy as he confessed, not even giving him an answer, just letting him slink away. It was something that happened every few weeks, some boy decided to confess to Mari only to be embarrassed. They knew Mari liked the bold type but had yet to realize Mari had no interest in boys, only girls, though Benihime doubted a girl would fare much better. It did not stop boys from confessing to Mari though, Yayaka said that some of the boys had set it in their minds that they would be the one to tame the unruly girl and get her to accept their confession.

" And you agreed to allow her to play matchmaker for you," Yayaka said shaking her head.

" She did help Noriko out or at least she claims to have. Did she not also help you and Inna-chan?" Benihime said as a way of defending her decision.

Inna's eye twitched, apparently, Benihime had hit a touchy subject. " She did help if you could call what she did help. I shouldn't argue, she did what she promised and helped me realize I was lesbian, but I don't think she did it for me."

That was something she didn't know. Benihime always knew there had been something odd around how Yayaka and Inna got together, at the time Yayaka was mostly with Mari, but she didn't pry. Yayaka was free to have her secrets, especially when it came to her romantic life, Benihime preferred it that way.

" Mari-chan got Inna-chan jealous, told her some lies about her and me to get Inna-chan to act," Yayaka said.

" Yes she said she would help me be friends with Yayaka-chan, then made it look like she was using me to get closer to her," Inna said a bit bitterly, obviously not have fully forgiven Mari.

" When it comes to Mari-chan, the ends justify the means, are you ready for that Beni-chan?" Yayaka asked looking a bit concerned for her.

" I do not think I have a choice, I agreed to Mari-chan's terms, she is not likely to stop because I got cold feet. From the start I doubted that she would take a simple no for an answer," Benihime said.

" That's true Mari-chan does as she pleases most of the time, but I'm surprised you don't have more fire in you. You aren't the type to just allow others into your romantic life, you're very protective of that," Yayaka said, hinting that she thought there was more going on.

Benihime knew this would happen eventually, Yayaka was starting to guess that there was something bothering Benihime. It had probably taken her this long, only because of how busy they had all been recently. Still, Benihime was not ready to discuss her parent's proposal with Yayaka. " I am simply trying something different like you have told me before, I need to change my approach when it comes to boys."

Yayaka nodded her head dropping the subject, but she knew her friend was too well acquainted with her to have believed her lie.