Silver Sakura

Team Shokugeki

  Passing the second exam thankfully wasn't impossible due to Erina's seminar covering various potatoes and their uses. It also had been a solo test, so I didn't have as much to worry about. All of the rebels were going on to the third exam, but first, we were allowed to explore the city until the train departed.

  "Yeah! Sapporo! City! Shopping district!" Yuki squealed.

  "I'm so glad they're letting us sightsee the city before the train leaves."

  "Yeah. The train won't leave till the evening, so we have a good bit of time." Mito smiled.

  "Hey, let's eat something good!"

  "Ramen!"

  "Sushi!"

  "Genghis Khan."

  "Maybe we should split up-" Sakaki was saying before I was yanked away from the group by the collar of my coat. I caught myself before nearly falling from the unexpectedness of it and looked back at who was dragging me.

  "Alice?"

  "You're coming with us. There are some shops and restaurants I want to check out." Alice said while looking through the big windows of the stores around us.

  "I can't afford the restaurants you have interest in."

  "Don't worry, I'll pay for you." She waved her hand, and I perked up.

  "So where are we going first?"

~

  Following Alice while blowing on my hot apple cider, I held the cup in both hands to warm my cold fingers. Taking a sip, I could feel it go down into my stomach.

  "Now that we actually have a minute, I wanted to ask you something." I said after blowing on my cider some more.

  "Hm?" Ryo tiredly looked at me while walking with his hands in his pockets.

  "Could you, uh," Clearing my throat, I glanced at him. "I'd like you to teach me some of those knife techniques of yours. If that's okay with you."

  "Sure."

  "Cool."

  "What made you want to ask me?"

  "I had to butcher a squirrel in the snow. I remembered a couple of your moves that helped make up for my shivering."

  "....Why did you butcher a squirrel at all?"

  "For the first exam." I replied while keeping an eye on Alice to make sure she didn't go off too far. "They gave my team shitty meat."

  "And squirrel was your solution?"

  "Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it." Sipping my cider, I could feel Ryo looking at me. "What?"

  "How did you get the squirrel? I don't remember any places nearby that would've sold it."

  "I caught it."

  "....Where did you even learn something like that?"

  "My dad likes to go hunting and camping. He taught me."

  "I see."

  "I have another question. More personal this time, though."

  "Oh?" Ryo rose an eyebrow at me.

  "Why aren't you and Alice a thing? I mean, I would have figured that was the case if I didn't know any better." I took a drink of cider, and his gaze drifted to the albino girl walking ahead of us.