Passion || Shokugeki no Soma

One Step at a Time, Towards the Future

Dribbling a ball in hand, sharp cyan blue eyes looked for any openings for him to pass through. He inhaled, and dashed ahead, successfully breaking through their defense and dunking the ball.

"Hell yeah! Take that sucker!" Ikki exclaimed cheerfully as he celebrated his well-deserved win.

"Damn, you practiced in secret didn't you?" Asahi cursed under his breath before slapping the older with his towel.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Venting on you."

"What kind of son are you?!"

"Ugh, shut up."

"Hey! Don't be like that! Here I am playing basketball with you because you wanted to do it first! I didn't know you were such a sore loser-" Ikki dodged the towel by a hair's width.

"Okay! I get it! What happened in that meeting with the other Nakiris? Did they piss you off?"

"No." Asahi took a big sip of water.

"I went and left after I did what I needed to do." He let out an exhausted sigh.

Ikki didn't press on, knowing it was Asahi's decision. The line was already cut long ago.

"Well, at least it's Soe who became the next head. At least he seemed half sane and more responsible than everyone else."

"Haha, you're probably right about that!"

"Why are you acting surprised? I asked you to do the paperwork didn't I?"

"Yea, so now it's official now. You're our kid!"

"Already regretting it."

"Don't be like that, son." Ikki barely dodged the basketball before letting out a smile.

McFly Asahi huh.

Really, Ikki has too much work to do.

"Why are we still here? Shouldn't we be going back? Pinky has school you know. Unless you still have trash to clean up?"

Trash is one way to put it.

"Well, I'm following in your footsteps."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Honestly, I should have done this long ago." Ikki stretched and sighed.

"Tomorrow's the flight, so I wanna settle things with my family as soon as possible. Enjoy the last day with my daughter okay?"

"Ha...alright. Don't pull some crazy stunt, from what I know, that old man of yours is an unmovable rock."

"Aw, are you worried?"

"Shut up."

"I'll be back soon!"

Just like that Ikki was on his way back. For the first time in a long time. Well, don't get him wrong, he's been delivering gifts like modern Santa Clause on his brother's and Nene's birthday but with a spy undercover theme.

He must say that his mask was truly the best at hiding his identity. Nothing can go wrong with a bear mask.

Putting on the same mask, he stepped out of his car and let out a sigh. He gazed up at the massive building, and a sudden feeling of pressure and nervousness slowly emerge from within.

"Why do you wear a mask, dear?"

"I did this so many times...and I'm still afraid." He murmured under his breath.

The image of his father exiling him was still crystal clear in his mind.

Point fingers, shaking heads, scowls, and looks of disgust. Ikki really thought he was over this, he thought after meeting Chloe, all of this would be forgotten, lost in the past.