A Spice in Life (Shokugeki no Soma x Fem!Reader)

Chapter 9- Duel of the Don

(Name)'s POV

"Here're the ingredients and tools you need for the match. I got everything you asked for." Konishi said as Soma looked in the cooler.

"Yeah, and we even got them half off with these coupons I found in a magazine!" I chirped from beside him.

"Yup! Thanks, Konishi-san, (Name)-chan!" Soma thanked us and closed the lid, dark circles under his eyes.

"Did you get any sleep, Yukihira?" Konishi asked, and I turned towards the boy with a pointed stare.

"Yeah Soma-kun, did you get any sleep?" I repeated in an accusatory tone.

"Uhhh.. Afterwards, I tweaked the sauce a little more. Well, I think I got about two hours." I frowned at his statement.

"Geez, how are you so cool about that?" Soma shrugged when Megumi suddenly walked over with her arms outstretched.

"S-Soma-kun, d-don't get too nervous... D-d-don't get nervous, okay?" She spazzed, and I couldn't help but feel bad for the girl.

"F-for times like this, you can write the 'man' character on your hand." She demonstrated as we all stared at her blankly. I repeated her actions on my own hand out of curiosity.

"On your hand, okay?" She repeated and continued to write the symbol, but Soma just smiled calmly.

"Oh, sure. Why don't you go ahead and do that, Tadokoro?" he said in a comforting tone, seeming not scared in the least.

"Huh?" She stopped and looked at him. "Aren't you nervous at all? You're going to be cooking in front of that huge crowd."

"Nope," he replied. "This isn't scary at all compared to when I have to cook in front of customers with our restaurant's reputation on the line."

"Well, when you put it that way..." I blinked at his confidence. It was almost as if he was used to cooking on a large stage in front of thousands of students, and if I didn't know any better, I would've thought he was.

A voice over the intercom caught our attention. "Ladies and Gentlemen! The Administration has deemed this match an official Shokugeki!"

The crowd cheered from the other side of the door, and the girl continued to speak. "I am Kawashima Urara, a first-year in the high school division. I'll be your host for this event!"

I could hear chants and cheers of boys shouting her name from the stands, and I briefly wondered if fan clubs were a normal thing at this school.

"Hello!" She giggled, obviously pleased at the attention, and I could almost imagine her striking a cheesy pose to go with it.

"Cute!" They responded, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Now, the contestants will be coming in from each corner!" We went to our designated corner and waited. Megumi continued to write the 'man' symbol on her hand as Soma waited patiently. I was finally allowed a small view of the stage and some of the crowd behind it, and my stomach churned slightly in intimidation. How Soma managed to remain calm was beyond me. 

"The first to enter is... the Meat Master, Mito Ikumi!" The huge screen displayed her name as cheers echoed throughout the room, many of the boys fanboying at Ikumi's presence. I couldn't see much from where I was standing, but the squeals of the crowd were unmistakable.

"All right! Here comes the other contestant!" Urara introduced us after a moment, and Soma confidently led the way before us.

Boos and shouts of disapproval rang throughout the stadium, I somehow managed to hold my head high as I ignored their shouts. While part of me knew they were for the boy in front of me, I couldn't help but feel some of the hate was directed towards me judging from past experiences with some students.