{WARNING: MAY CONTAIN FOOD PUNS}
...Man.
The sun's starting to set, and all I've got to my name is pocket change and a bag of soggy chicken nuggets.
"Hey," I turned to the boy next to me, with hair spikier than Kn*ckles the Echidna. "'Jello'! It's v...
Ryou was stressed. No, stress didn't begin to describe what he was feeling.
First, Hayato ended up in a Shokugeki with that weasel mobster (how did that even happen?!) and got expelled. Then while he struggled to keep Kiyoko from falling apart, he got separated from (Name). He nearly dragged Kiyoko back towards the restrooms before he got Homura's message saying she was with the others. It was a modest dose of relief at the moment. He trusted Nakiri and Megumi, but the guys?
He wasn't too fond of Takumi, finding him obnoxious after his countless brazen challenges to Yukihira anytime their paths crossed. Plus he caught him quoting memes to Homura once. Tch, simp.
And Yukihira? God, where does he even start... He was the worst possible person for Homura to be with right now. He was a magnet for trouble—hell, Ryou wouldn't be surprised if they were facing the First Seat at this very moment because of Yukihira (don't think that, Ryou. You'll jinx it). Not that there was anything Ryou could say that could separate Dumb from Dumber.
Ryou could only pray for a miracle. He knew he should be more worried about his match against the Fifth Seat, but he couldn't help worrying about that idiot too. But what more could he do besides worry?
All he could do was begrudgingly place his faith in Homura and her ragtag group of Rebels. If there was one thing they had that he didn't... it was plot armor.
Kiyoko, who was usually the composed one of the two, was still a mess beside him. Her neat ponytail was messy and unbrushed, her uniform wrinkled and untucked. She'd have a cow if she ever saw Ryou in such a state so to see her like this was nothing short of alarming.
Now it was up to Ryou to be the responsible one, even if he wanted to fall apart.
"Yanagawa Ryou," the Fifth Seat spoke upon entering, "and Yanagawa Kiyoko." She was dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, with a sweatband on her wrist. Her dark, braided hair was topped off with a similar dark baseball cap, making for one anticlimactic character design compared to literally everyone else he'd ever met at the academy.
"I am the Fifth Seat, Kaburagi Shōko. Now let us commence Stage Three of your Exam." She took to her station across from the Yanagawa cousins. "You are to cook a dish that can defeat mine, so long as it uses meat. I don't care if it is separate or individual."
A two-versus-one?! Ryou sweated as he processed Kiyoko's current state. There was no way she could face off against the Fifth Seat on her own!
But before the two could so much as exchange a word, their opponent started the large digital timer. "You have two hours. Your time starts now."
Finally, Kiyoko broke her silence, and together the Yanagawas chorused, "Well, sh*t."
*~*~*~*
(Name)'s POV
A bead of sweat dripped down my brow as Rindo cut into my dish. I was the first to finish cooking, so there was no telling how critically she'd judge.
"I guess I'll go ahead..." A sadistic grin revealed Rindo's sharpened canines when she leered, "and dig in to Homura's dish!"
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