A Purpose ¦ Shokugeki no Souma ¦

C9. A Day with the Cousin

It's my first day being in highschool, my first year, and I forgot to make lunch.

So, here I am now, in an empty kitchen that hasn't been used yet. There were ingredients that were used in today's classes, so I did by best in making myself a quick lunch for me to eat.

When I was done making myself a quick lunch, I ate peacefully. I was glad no one came to find me and ruin this peaceful moment. I mean, I guess it was okay if someone I considered as a friend had come and see me, I wouldn't mind the company they had to offer me.

But now, I think I need some alone time. Some time for myself, because I want to think about a couple of things. For example, Ikumi has seriously been acting quite strange and different, she had this different unapproachable air around her, I didn't quite like it. Another thing is, the girl from earlier has seriously left an impression on me. Who was she, really?

Ueno Hanako? If that's her name, I could really only think of one thing: and it's the fact that she might be related to my cousin, Ueno Kamiko, making Hanako my cousin as well. Why do I only know this now? Why didn't Kamiko-san tell me before? Kamiko-san isn't that open when it comes to herself, but she could've told me! And why is it that I've only seen Hanako today? If she was my cousin and Kamiko-san's sister, she should or could live in the place I was living in now.

"You seem to be deep in thought there, Momoka."

Wait, live in the Amaki Mansion?? No way; I do not approve of this, I object. I do not want to have a housemate as annoying as her, as demanding as her. I only have met her for a few minutes, but she was someone I couldn't handle; someone who was like a child, thinking she's on top of everyone, and I wasn't as kind as I was before when it came to new people.

"Oi, are you listening to me?"

Of course, I have changed throughout the years. Not just because of Tootsuki, but also because I met the people who are my friends today.

Meeting Hisako made me more independent, because I didn't want to worry her.

Meeting Erina made me more considerate, because not everyone is tough inside and out.

Meeting Alice made me be more aware of the people I was with, because not everyone is who they seem to be.

Meeting--

"Momoka."

I was suddenly aware of a warm hand on top of my head, ruffling my hair. Looking up, I see the familiar male who I used to tease was like a dog sometimes.

"Hmm? What are you doing here?" I questioned the tanned male, prompting my elbows on the table that was in front of me. I wasn't joking, why would he be here? He always seems to know where I was during breaks, and I sometimes thought that he was stalking me, but he always dismisses the thought.

"Just came to check what you were going to do here," Akira casually answers and removes his hand from my head, as if he's done this plenty of times before.

"Aren't you kind," I teased him, grinning. Akira was always looking out for me, like a older brother or something. He always knows what to say to me; to encourage me if I'm feeling low, to scold me when I'm overdoing things, or to get angry sometimes when I do something annoying or reckless.

"It's only Jun who wants me to do this," protested the male, still having that calm yet kind of stoic expression of his. "She sometimes tells me to bring you to the Seminar, because we rarely have any visitors," Akira explains to me, crossing his arms but his eyes never left mine.

That was true. I haven't visited the Seminar for quite some time now. Probably a month?

"I'll try this week if my schedule isn't packed," I tell him, which was going to be a promise. If it comes to Akira, I always end up doing what he says. And even if that's to visit his guardian's Seminar even though my schedule might be full, I'll manage somehow. If it's Akira, I'll gladly do so.