"Eishi-kun. Rin-chan." Sakura whispered sorrowfully. It had been years since she had seen them. She sighed and stared at her case full of cooking awards.
Being a former first seat wasn't easy. Always being stalked by nosy journalists and whatnot. Heck, she couldn't even go outside in the garden of her mansion without being flocked by a plethora of people.
Sakura felt her eyelids droop and her long lashes fluttered before she closed her eyes and dozed off. A few moments later, her phone rang loudly. "Crap, gotta take this one..." she grumbled to herself.
"Perfect timing, Dad. I was just about to fall asleep when you just HAVE to call me." she noted sarcastically.
"Hey!" her father yelled in protest. "We haven't seen each other for months and all you say is, 'Perfect timing, Dad.'" He clicked his tongue in mock-upset. "Honestly, my dear Kura-chan, haven't I raised you to be more like a mannerly lady?"
Sakura rolled her eyes. She could just imagine her father giving one of his goofy grins to his wife. "Whatever you say, Dad... Nee, is Mom there?" She probably was.
"Funny you ask, really. Kono-chan does have to have a word to say." Ironically, her father sounded very serious. "Here she is...." The sound of a phone being switched to another person filled Sakura's ears.
"Kura-chan, how are you?" her mother asked. "I'm fine, Mom. Um...Dad said you had something to say....?" she suddenly felt very nervous.
Kakono's voice turned exceptionally serious. "Otosan called and-"
Sakura's stress levels upped drastically. "Ojiisan called?! What does he want?!"
She could hear Kakono grumbling something in the background. "Honestly, Kura-chan! What have I told you about interrupting people? Anyways, he wants you back at the academy to teach the 92nd Generation."
Sakura's aquamarine eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Ojiisan wants me to teach the 92nd Generation?! What the hell?! I can't teach!" She could hear her father's chuckling crackling the sound.
Kakono growled menacingly. "Language, young lady! But yes, he does. Totsuki expects you tomorrow. Oh! One more thing, I'll just say that Tsukasa-kun and Kobayashi-chan are the first and second seats there. Now if you'll excuse your father and I, we really must get going. Send our love to Otosan. Love you, Kura-chan."
Sakura nodded. "B-bye, Mom, Dad." She sank to her knees. What was her grandfather thinking? Eishi-kun and Rin-chan were in the Elite Ten? Already? Of course, she knew that her cousins Nakiri Alice and Erina were already attending and that Erina was already the tenth seat but...seriously!
Sakura sighed. "Well it's best to start packing now." she mumbled. "Ojiisan will be expecting me."
_________________________________
Panting hard, Sakura ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She was late to her meeting with Nakiri Senzaemon. "Stupid legs," she muttered angrily. "I need to get there," she checked her silver wrist watch. "NOW!!"
A minute later, she found herself opening the door to her grandfather's private study, trying her best to catch her breath.
"Morning, Ojiisan. You called?"
Nakiri Senzaemon chest rumbled with a deep and raspy laugh of pleasure. "Kura-chan, you're here. I've been expecting you. I believe Kono-chan told you about the following events?"
Sakura nodded grimly, displeasure etched upon her face. "I. Can't. Teach." she explained. Senzaemon laughed again. "Kura-chan. Tell me. Who taught Tsukasa and Kobayashi, the current first and second seat of the Elite Ten?"
Realization dawned onto his granddaughter's face. "Oh yeah! Looks like I can teach! Uh...is that all you needed me for, Ojiisan?"
Senzaemon shook his head. "No, let me give you your uniform." He turned around and reached in one of his desk drawers for a bag of uniform. He poured out the contents. "Here is your uniform."
His granddaughter looked at the skirt incredulously. "Bloody hell, is it just me or are the skirts EVEN shorter than before?!" Senzaemon chuckled. "You can thank your cousin Alice for that." Sakura scowled. "Ali-chan," she growled.
_____________________________________
"Kawashima Urara," Sakura mumbled. "Cute and stunning as always."
"We will next present the new students with their class badge. Incoming valedictorian, Nakiri Erina!"
Cheers were heard amongst the crowd. The boys in particular.
"Here," Erina said, smiling slightly. She walked up from the back curtain and bowed to the woman holding her badge. Sakura clicked her tongue. "Rinacchi, just as uptight and polite as she used to be." she shook her head.
The hushed chatter began.
"Ah, Erina-sama." a boy gushed. "Just as exquisite as always."
"Beautiful and at the top of her class." Another boy said. "She is just....perfect."
"If I could go out with her on a date for just one day," another boy began dreamily, hugging his body. "I will die happy."
The first boy looked around nervously. "Baka!" he whisper-shouted. "Watch your mouth, you'll be kicked out of the academy!"
The second boy agreed quietly. "Yeah. She's the daughter of the don who heads the food industry mafia. AND she's Nakiri Senzaemon's granddaughter, the director and founder of this academy!"
Kawashima spoke again. "I now welcome, your key note speaker: The director of Totsuki Academy. Nakiri Senzaemon-sama!"
Amongst the crowd, a girl named Tadokoro Megumi clenched her teeth and gripped her knuckles tightly.
Senzaemon was closing his eyes but then opened them, revealing blood red orbs. A bunch of students shivered and started staggering back whispering, "He's t-terrifying!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "What an immature lot. Honestly, Ojiisan, try not to act TOO high and mighty..."
"Greetings," Senzaemon said in his raspy voice. "Congratulations on your advancement to the high school division. During your three years in the junior high school division, you have obtained a basic skill set on cooking and deepened your understanding in key ingredients. In addition to the cooking practicum, you attended classroom lectures on a variety of topics. Including culinary theory. Nutrition, public health, introductory agronomics, and management. Now you're finally standing at the entrance of the high school division. The challenges you will now face are not about skill and knowledge, but whether you have the wherewithal to survive as a food professional. 99 percent of you..." he minimized the area between his fingers. "Are sacrifices. The remaining one percent, will be successful and graduate Totsuki. Of the 812 students who entered our high school division last year, Only 76 have advanced to their second year."
"Eishi-kun and Rin-chan." Sakura whispered.
"Incompetence will be mercilessly excised from our student body. A thousand first years, will be whittled down to a hundred by next year. And we can count on those who can advance to graduation on one hand. Aspire to be one of the handful of professionals that Totsuki will develop. It should be you!" Senzaemon widened his eyes and pointed his finger blindly at the crowd.
This made some of the students more confident.
"That is all." he said and walked off the stage.
Kawashima spoke again. "In this year's entrance exams, there has only been one transfer student."
Yukihira Soma walked up and Sakura raised her eyebrows at the sight of him. She shook her head and sighed. "He's a spitting image of you, Joichiro."
"Well, sorry to be talking to y'all from up here," Kawashima leaned over. "Please keep it short and sweet," she whispered.
Yukihira nodded. "Just a couple words from me. "Uh, I'm Yukihira Soma. To be honest, this academy's just a stepping stone for me!"
This caused a deafening uproar. Out of the corner of her eyes, Sakura saw Erina widening her eyes drastically. "Fufu, Erina. Looks like you have competition this year. He really does have potential. To be as confident as he is."
Yukihira Soma continued with his 'speech.' "I wasn't expecting to transfer here, but I don't plan on losing to folk who've never actually served customers before. Anyway, what I'm getting at to is...basically now that I'm here, I'm gonna take the number one spot!" he raised his index finger to the air and the screams followed shortly.
Yukihira walked into the tent Erina and Sakura were in. "Oh! You're the one from the exam!" he exclaimed casually. Sakura had to admit, she was a bit surprised with his lack of knowledge of Erina and how confident he was. The two exchanged (cold on Erina's part) words for a moment before Sakura cleared her throat. "Rinacchi, I'd like to have a word with Yukihira-kun."
Yukihira seemed to just have noticed her. "Oh! The name's Yukihira Soma. But you can just call me Soma, or anything like that!" He grinned. Sakura walked up to him and extended her hand for a shake. "Hello, Soma-kun. My name is Nakiri Sakura."
Soma raised a scarred eyebrow. "Nakiri? You mean like this Nakiri?" Sakura smiled. "You're correct. I am one of the three granddaughters of Nakiri Senzaemon, my father is Rinacchi's mother's brother. That's how I'm related to them. But it looks like it'll be time for me to go up to the stage."
Erina widened her eyes. "Wait, Kura-chan, why are you here?" Sakura smirked. "Find out for yourself, Rinacchi. Oh wait, you'll be learning about it in a few seconds. I want you to be reminded of what your dealing with this year." She walked outside of the tent.
Kawashima Urara spoke into the microphone. "Students of Totsuki, a special announcement from Nakiri Senzaemon: You will be having a new professor this year. It is my pleasure to introduce to your new professor!"
"Eh?!" Erina and Soma said in unison and disbelief.
Sakura walked up to the stage and held the microphone Kawashima offered her. Before she could even speak, chatter filled the stage again.
"Wait, is that-"
"You're kidding me..."
"SHE'S teaching us?"
"To those of you who have already suggested it amongst yourselves, I am indeed, Nakiri Sakura.
More deafening screams.
"For those of you who have not heard of me yet, I am the youngest in the world to have graduated from Totsuki Academy. At the age of six I first entered Totsuki, passing the high school division's entrance exam."
"What the hell?! At age six I still didn't know what cooking was!!"
"Amazing, she must be better than you, Nakiri." Soma suggested bluntly. Erina flushed angrily and huffed. "Watch your mouth, Yukihira Soma!"
Sakura continued. "At age seven I first entered the Elite Ten as the fifth seat and at the age of nine I had progressed to the first seat. At the age of 10, I had graduated from Totsuki and had started my early culinary career. One more thing, your current first and second seats, Tsukasa Eishi and Kobayashi Rindo were personally taught by me. Let this be a small taste of who I am. I may be younger than most of you but I am still your sensei. I will not tolerate any disrespect from you. That is all and thank you."
Sakura stepped down from the stage and back into the tent.
"Well? Surprised Rinacchi?"
Erina was speechless, her eyes wide with fear. Of course she adored her younger cousin but....she had thought the race to graduate from Totsuki had belonged to her. Though her cousin would be only teaching, Erina knew better than to just assume.
"Soma-kun, if I may ask: How is Joichiro doing, is he well?"
Erina had to bite back her gasp. Of course not! Sakura could not have meant Saiba Joichiro, her idol. That would be absolute nonsense. This second-rate chef cannot be kin to her senpai.
"Oh, Pops? How dya know?" Soma asked, scratching the crown of his unkempt fiery red hair. "I'm a professional investigator. Stalker, if that's your word. So, I have my ways." Soma laughed. "Like that isn't creepy."
Sakura eyed Erina. "Don't think I haven't heard all of the distasteful words you said to Soma-kun, Rinacchi." she scolded. "But I'll only tell you this once, be aware of what you're saying to Soma-kun. He might not be what you'd think he'd be."
Erina looked frightful, her suspicions half-way confirmed and Soma just looked confused.
Sakura's ring tone buzzed.
"Crap, I gotta take this one."
She walked out of the tent. Her eyes narrowed to cat-like eyes.
"Eishi-kun. It's been a while."
A.N: Ah, writing this felt good. And yes, the main character IS named after my big sis, So? Thoughts on my first chapter? Send your feedback in the comments below! Your words make my day (even if they might be a little mean ;))!!!
Word Count: 2,104 words [To Big Sis: Oi! I beat your record, sis!! Chew on that!! Over 2,000 words!!]
Janee~
~Lady Catherine Griffin of Somewhere Over the Rainbow ;)