25 Women 1 Wife. (A Skip Beat! Fanfic)

Master Chef's

"Come on Kuon its not all that bad." Lory goaded with a large smile on his face.

He was really enjoying this and Kuon knew it. Kuon didn't even bother to raise his head from his arms where he was resting it on the table as he muttered under his breath, "That's easy for you to say, you don't have to eat 6 meals!"

Lory laughed at the obvious tantrum his number one actor was pulling as the man seated besides Kuon patted his back comfortingly. "No worries my boy! I will be helping out too!"

Kuon had to admit this was actually a very comforting thought as he lifted his head slightly and looked at his father seated next to him. "Let me guess. You were the one who thought up this challenge?" Kuon offered already knowing the answer.

His dad smiled and whacked his son on the back with a hefty guffaw. "Well we need to make sure the woman who will be looking after my son can cook properly now don't we?" Kuu asked smiling as Kuon dropped his head back onto his arms.

Well I knew it... Kuon thought about what would this very moment be happening down in the makeshift kitchens Lory had set up for the 6 remaining women.

They would be preparing breakfast first he thought as he remembered the scrambled egg on toast Kyoko's eyes had guilted him into at the breakfast table. She hadn't even needed to speak to get her message across loud and clear so Kuon being ...Kuon had jumped into it without much thought to the 6 breakfasts, lunches and dinners he would now be required to eat.

"Oh cheer up Kuon!" Kuu cried jovially. "Just think I get to eat my second son's cooking again. Oh how I've missed it!" Kuu admonished as he was off on one of his father speeches about his adoptive daughter who both Lory and Kuon knew if Kuon didn't ask her to marry him soon, Kuu really would file for adoption of the girl, Kuon be damned.

Lory almost laughed at the change of Kuon's posture and expression as he opened out his arms and smiled softly. This boy was so easy to read as Kuon's sour mood lifted for a moment thinking of Kyoko's cooking. She had always been the one who could get Kuon to eat no matter what and Yashiro had even told Lory how Kuon was almost eager or even, dare he say it, excited to eat when it was Kyoko-chan cooking for him! He watched the emotions play over Kuon's face reading him like a book. The betting polls and general public had caught on quickly to Kuon's emotional state Lory thought. Kyoko was almost at a 50-1 chance of being the winner of the show or so it seemed. People believed the second girl who seemed to have rocketed from the centre of the pack to become the main challenger was a little surprising. Lory watched Maemi play her own kind of game with Kuon and the other girls alike. She was a clever one Lory knew. She was sly and worked everything to her advantage, playing every little move out in her head before deciding on a course of action. She was clever and manipulative and in ways Lory liked the girl a lot, but he also hoped she would not be the one to tear his favourite lovebirds apart.

Kyoko couldn't help but gasp in appreciation at the 6 immaculate, modern work stations that had been set out for each girl. In 2 rows of 3's the stations had everything each girl could want or need including their own oven and tools. Kyoko looked at the plaque with her name on it and walked around her work station appreciatively. Looking across from her own work station to Chiori's who was just in front of her own, she smiled.

"Isn't this great?" she asked, not hiding her excitement as Chiori just raised her eyebrows at her respected senpai.

"If you say so, though personally I would rather sit this one out." she stated matter of factly as Seina who was stationed next to her chuckled.

"You and me both is the cook. I prefer to eat thank you."

Kyoko smiled at the woman who smiled back before turning back to their stations to await Makoto's instructions. Kyoko glanced towards the other girls. Maemi was positioned next to Seina, while on Kyoko's row Oka was next to Kyoko with Sachi at the other end. None of the other girls looked at her, all of them intent on Makoto who smiled as she entered the room.