"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.
"Hehe," she laughed nervously, "they're just hungry, I think. That's how they looked when I found them wandering the halls aimlessly. I think they were attracted to the scent of your cooking."
"How flattering, though in fairness, I don't know anyone who can resist the crisp aroma of bacon on the stove. Why don't we sit them somewhere more comfortable and...oh crap!" He almost forgot the mushrooms, and quickly emptied them onto a plate before turning off the burner. The bacon looked ready, so he removed it as well. "As I was saying, I'd be willing to give up my breakfast here if it results in a resurrection. Looks like they need it more than I do."
"Are you sure? You're not just saying that because you almost burnt the mushrooms?" The offer sounded genuine, but she couldn't resist teasing.
"What? I would never," he winked. He helped set them up at one of the kitchen counters, lifting Soma while Ryoko grabbed Megumi. To finish up the dish, he emptied the eggs into a pan that had been heating, then threw in the peppers, mushrooms, and bacon. While he stood in front of the stove, he continued to converse with Ryoko.
"So is this your first day here at Totsuki?" she asked, glad that there was something to talk about aside from her unconscious friends.
"Yep. My flight got in early this morning. It's been a whirlwind these past few days. Hence why I'm in the kitchen with only 15 minutes until class time," he explained, glancing at the clock.
"Oh wow! And you were still able to reserve this cooking hall?" He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her.
"You're telling me that we have to RESERVE these things?" His eyes darted around, apparently expecting the kitchen police to burst in and arrest him on the spot. This earned an adorable laugh.
"Since no one else is here, I'm sure it's fine. Usually we sign our names in advance on the little whiteboards outside the rooms." she explained.
"Aha, I see I have much to learn about this strange and foreign land." He resumed his work on the scramble, tossing some shredded cheese in.
"Judging by your accent, I'm guessing you came from the States?"
"Nailed it. Beauty and brains? You're quite the catch, uh..." he realized his manners. "We didn't even have a proper introduction! And here I was getting all familiar. I'm Tormund Waldenpond," he said. "But please, call me Torrey."
"Ryoko Sakaki." She smiled. "That name doesn't sound American at all..." she trailed off, while trying to process the 'beauty and brains' comment.
"Yeah my parents are really into our Norse ancestry. I think it's kinda neat, but Tormund sounds really old school." He finished cooking and made two plates, setting them in front of Ryoko's companions. "And who might they be?"
"Oh, right. Those are my friends Soma and Megumi. I'm sure they'll be joining us shortly. Though it looks like we might have to feed them ourselves."
"I never imagined that I'd be cooking for the first chef's I meet here. And feeding them too! What an amusing intro to Totsuki," he reflected. "So how do you guys know each other?"
"We're all from the same dorm, actually. Megumi and I have been there since middle school, but Soma transferred in at the start of the school year. There's more of us too; it's really like one big, happy family over at Pol..." she was interrupted by the exorcism of Megumi Tadokoro, who had just been fed her first bite of scramble.
"Ahhhh! Soooo good," she cried, the color returning to her face along with a smile. She looked around the room. "Wait, where am I? And who...are...y-y-y" she stuttered as she met Torrey's eyes.
"Settle down girl, you've been through a lot this morning. Torrey here offered to cure your hunger. He's a new student." Ryoko tried to calm her, knowing well how nervous she gets in front of strangers (and friends, for that matter).
"Oh...I see. Th-th-thank you Torrey. I must have forgotten to eat this morning. How embarrassing..." she nervously avoided their looks. "The food's really yummy."
"Earlier I found you and Soma wandering the halls like ghouls, and once you smelled bacon I had to chase you all the way here," Ryoko explicated. Megumi glanced over at Soma, who managed to sit upright without a hint of life in his eyes. "Ah, Soma!" She cried, forking a bite of scramble for him. He was freed from his hunger in a similarly spectacular fashion.
"WHA-HA-HO! Now this is a killer scramble. The peppers are crisped to perfection! The subtle cheesiness of the eggs gives it cohesion! And do I detect...slightly charred mushrooms? Man, the umami goodness is too much! Why didn't I ever think to do that..." Fully awake now, he proceeded to scarf down the rest of his plate as the rest of them watched in amazement. Seeing this, Megumi threw her inhibitions away and followed his example.
"That's Soma for you. He never gets fazed, and he's always thinking of ways to improve a dish," said Ryoko of her friend's rambling. Soma noticed Torrey standing there, amusement dotting his features.
"Hey, did you make this?"
"I did. And you said it yourself, I definitely charred the mushrooms to lock in that umami flavor," he replied, smiling wryly at Ryoko. She giggled.
"Torrey's a transfer student like you Soma. Well, to be honest, no one's REALLY like you," she mocked.
"Oh cool! Another transfer, huh? Watch out, the students here seem to have a thing against us. You must have a pretty big chip on your shoulder!"
"That's not true, Soma! Students have a thing against family restaurant heirs showing up and announcing to the whole school 'I'm going to be the one at the top and this place is just a stepping stone and yada yada yada'," she continued the ribbing.
"Did you really do that?" Torrey laughed.
"Hehe, I was just issuing a challenge. Yukihira style!" He grinned, flashing a thumbs-up. "And thanks to that, the competition here's reached a boiling point!"
"Bahahaha! Food puns!" Torrey couldn't stop laughing at this guy, and Soma was busting up too. I guess they are alike, thought Ryoko.
"That's really not funny Soma! Things were competitive enough as it was. You're such a trouble-maker," she whined, but with a hint of playfulness.
"Speaking of competition... If you're really looking to get comfortable here, Torrey, why don't we have ourselves a little Sho..." the ring of the first morning bell cut him off. "Damn, better get to class. Do you know where your first one's at?"
Torrey reached into his pocket and produced a folded-up piece of paper. It was already so wrinkled that he to squint to make out the words. "First period...let's see. Molecular Gastronomy, Hall 3B. Where are we right now?"
"3F, so 3B's just a few doors down. Did you..." Ryoko started.
"No idea. That was pretty lucky, eh?" admitted Torrey.
"What would you have done if you hadn't met us?" Megumi worried.
"Well I would have eaten breakfast, for one thing," he joked.
"Oh my gosh, we totally stole your breakfast! I'm so sorry..." she started panicking.
"Haha, it's fine, really. You guys will just have to return the favor sometime. I'd love to see what kind of stuff you can make," Torrey bargained.
"You're on!" said Soma. "If we're in 3F then I'll need to hurry to make it on time...Thanks for breakfast, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon!" He yelled on his way out the door.
"Wait, Soma!" Megumi called, realizing that they had first period together. She quickly gathered her things and offered her thanks as well before sprinting after him. It was just the two of them now. Ryoko's class wasn't far, so she could afford to hang around for a few more minutes...
"If we have to reserve the halls, I'm guessing we also have to clean up after ourselves?" Torrey inquired.
"Yeah, that's the usual procedure. It's more of a courtesy to the next chef who uses it though. Since you didn't sign up, I don't think anyone will know it was you who left the mess," she offered helpfully. "Unless I decide to spill the beans."
"Spill the beans? Ha! You guys are too much. Well then, I will clean up after myself...starting next time!" He grinned, which she couldn't help but return. "Oh, just how long are the passing periods anyways?" he wondered out loud.
"If you haven't noticed, it's a huge campus, so they give us 20 minutes to get to class after the first bell rings."
"20 minutes, huh? That's more than enough time to exchange phone numbers, right?" Her heart skipped a beat, before picking back up double-time. Bdump bdump. Bdump bdump.
"Y-y-yes, of course. So we can repay the meal right? Here, let me..." she started fishing around her bag.
"Well geez, maybe I just wanted to hang out some time! When it comes to business or pleasure, I'm not particular about the order."
"Oh, hehe, right. I didn't mean to sound so formal." Finally finding her phone, she entered his name as a contact and handed it over nervously. After entering his number, he passed it back. They began walking out the door.
"Thanks for all the good info. This definitely won't be the last time we see each other, so until then!" he waved good-bye, heading towards 3B.
"Right, it was...nice to meet you." So dreamy...and I haven't even tasted his cooking yet!