A Purpose ¦ Shokugeki no Souma ¦

C36. Tension

Professor Shiomi Jun owns a rather slightly cluttered room. There are some paper with research scattered on the floor and on her desk, along with the used clothes and belongings on the wooden floor. Yet despite that, it still has that homey feeling she didn't mind.

There are a few framed pictures hung on the wall. The female professor fondly stares at the first one she laid her eyes upon, a picture with two of her favorite senpais of all time. Jun timidly stood at the middle with a small smile while one senpai stood gracefully with her hands behind her back, and the other senpai has her arm around Jun's arm with a large grin and peace sign.

The next frame has the same people in it in a kitchen, the three wearing chef uniforms. Younger Jun is looking over at a huge pot, while the same senpais are facing the camera with different expressions on their faces. The blonde one is holding a wooden spoon in one hand, a wide smile stretched across her face while the black haired chef holds her hand up to point at young Jun at the back.

The last picture hung on the wall is one taken a few years back. It was younger Hayama and Jun, the former sporting his middle school uniform while the latter is focused on telling him to smile. The photo ended up looking candid, but Jun thinks it makes it even more genuine.

Her eyes wanders toward the clutter on the floor, and she opted to pick up her belongings and put them at their respective places. As she stacked her research papers on her desk, her eyes land on the only picture hidden behind a pencil holder. Jun grabbed the frame and smiles, seeing that it's a picture of her and the two senpais from earlier during their graduation ceremony in middle school.

Jun remembers she shed a few tears that day, bidding a temporary goodbye to the two as they moved on to the high school division. They saw each other lesser and lesser as time went on, until eventually they were so busy that they didn't see and talk to each other anymore. As years went by, events had happened and Jun couldn't stop any of it from happening. And now they're gone, one of them not dwelling in this earth and the other physically far here from Tootsuki.

Remembering her two senpais, she also recalled both of their children that are currently here in the seminar. The two actually resembled their mothers more than they think, but hopefully they won't go down the same path as their mothers did.

"Mayu-senpai, Kei-senpai, I won't let them be what you've become."

○●○●○

The following day, Jun walks out of her room to the delicious scent of breakfast. She slowly rubs the weariness out of her eyes with a huge yawn, and follows the wonderful smell until she reaches her destination. The kitchen.

"That smells nice--" Jun begins to speak once she had entered, "-Akira-kun..." But her voice falters when she sees that it isn't her assistant who is cooking in her kitchen's seminar.

"Oh!" Hanako, over the stove while holding a spatula, smiles ever so giddily upon seeing the older woman. "Shiomi-sensei, good morning! We took charge in making breakfast today."

Momoka then appears from the dining room's doorway, wearing one of Hayama's apron over her figure. "Good morning, Shiomi-sensei." She spots the professor, and does a nod of acknowledgment. "Akira is watering the plants in the garden, so we went ahead to make breakfast for us."

Sparkles and stars seem to surround Jun as she slowly registers what is happening. "How nice of you both!" And she begins to think of how Hayama has gained such wonderful friends.

"We'll be done here in a moment." Hanako turns back to the stove, continuing to do whatever she was doing before Jun had arrived in the scene.

Jun then went to the dining room, her spirits up from learning how responsible the two females are. And she marvels at the dishes on the table, her mouth almost watering at the simple sight of them.