Passion || Shokugeki no Soma

Before the Storm

"Akanegakubo-senpai, Saito-senpai, what's wrong?"

"Momo wants Bucchi to be your muse."

The pink-haired grinned. "Sure, how can I reject my favourite senpai?"

"What about So-myan?"

"Saito-senpai is amazing too."

"You're lying."

"As if." She rolled her eyes before letting them in.

Momo pouted before the two of them entered her vacant room. Momo saw paintings on the floor, and paint buckets on the side. Yanai Ringo was an artist, so it was no surprise her room was messy. Paintings of landscape, abstract, and...Polar Star members?

"Yanai, you should clean up." She shrugged and then pulled out two chairs.

"I'll do that after you guys leave then. Just watch your step. Sit here and lemme grab my stuff."

"You said that last time but nothing changed."

"Hey, my room, my rules, Saito-senpai."

She said before she stubbed her toe.

A hurl of inaudible words left her lips in another language.

Momo, Bucchi and Somei did not ask.

________________________________________________________________________________

"Yanai was better at Shogi than So-myan."

It was true.

Saito eyed the board again and heaved out a sigh of defeat.

"So-myan sucks."

The other bristled but did not say anything. It was boring for Momo to win against literally everyone in Shogi, Yanai and Isshiki came close, but still no match for the petit girl. She was a genius despite her childish appearance.

Truly gifted consultant and the best patissiere in Totsuki.

She was a senpai adored by everyone, for her cuteness, for her skill and for her amazing knowledge of sweets.

Yet...an artist challenged her in terms of design.

Yanai Ringo.

But...she came to her for lessons, to win against her opponents. Of course, Momo assisted her. She wanted Central to win. She wanted her to win for Central.

Momo would never admit that she thought Yanai's designs were cute.

The more Yanai greeted her in the halls, cursed at her own cooking skills, and sarcastically roasted others, the more Momo found it a shame.

A real shame that Yanai Ringo left.

Expelled.

By the redhead who apparently beaten the other in terms of taste than design. Naturally, Momo harbored some kind of prejudice against her and avoided her as much as she possibly could. After all, they were not close, they were nothing close compared to the relationship of that of Yanai's.

Acquaintances perhaps.

Even after Momo found out it was Yanai who challenged Saiba. It was such a dumb yet bold move, and Momo had no idea how to describe that sort of ridiculous bravery. But...Momo can't do anything, whatever happens...happens.

A few times, the redhead asked her for help, subsequently asked Somei as well. And Momo witnessed her skill first hand.

She was quite an avid learner, she was always carefully, meticulously watching every move of the teacher. But...unlike Yanai, Momo found her actions unable to reach the delicacy, the preciseness of the artist. Saiba Shiro was not a patissiere no matter how much she practiced.