Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Interlude: A Father's Day Phone Call

(Author's note: I promise I'm still working on Chapter 94. This was just a last minute idea for a non-canon side story. If this did actually happen, I guess it would be in the summer of their 2nd year. On a side note, I still haven't read Volume 36 yet. One of these days...)

It's Sunday, and Torrey (presumably with nothing better to do) is sitting with Erina in her office when Hisako comes barging into the room.

"Miss Erina! It's...it's...it's..."

"Goodness, Hisako. Is something the matter?" says Erina, with a giggle.

"It's your Father! He's on the line. What should I do?" says Hisako, looking flustered. Nobody in the room expected this turn of events.

"F-father? I d-don't know..." stutters Erina, nervously.

"I know you two aren't exactly close, but it IS Father's Day," says Torrey.

"Father's Day! Of course! He probably just wants to speak with you, Miss Erina," says Hisako, relieved. At first, she was paranoid about some sort of ulterior motive.

"I have no wish to speak with that man, regardless of what day it is," says Erina, steeling her resolve.

"Aren't you just a little curious about how he's doing?" asks Torrey.

"Well...perhaps a little."

"Then talk to him! What have you got to lose?"

"Pride, dignity...a number of things, actually."

"Just see what he has to say. If you want, I can stay with you for moral support."

"Hmm...not a bad idea. We'll make sure to point out the fact that you're here, so that he doesn't say anything strange. Hisako, please put the call through," says Erina.

"At once, Miss Erina!" says Hisako, running back to her desk in the other room to forward the call to the phone on Erina's desk. When it starts to ring, Erina sighs before answering it.

"Hello, Father. Torrey's here and you're on speakerphone," says Erina, calmly.

"Hello, my darling daughter! And Tormund, dear boy! You know, I've always thought of you as something of a son to me," says Azami.

"Uhh...really? You said some pretty bad things about me, that day in the arena."

"Well, I'm a changed man now."

"Father, do you mean to say that you've cleaned up your act? That you've had time to reflect on your mistakes while behind bars?" says Erina.

"Why that's exactly right! I'll need to be on my best behavior, after all, if I'm to get my sentence reduced. I miss you ever so much, darling. It's the hope of seeing you again soon that allows me to make it through this dreadful ordeal."

"Oh...umm," says Erina, unsure what to make of this.

"You don't have to say it; I know you're just dying to see me, too. I promise, Daddy will be home soon!"

Erina looks like she just took a bite of spoiled cabbage, and Torrey tries not to laugh. Personally, he never wants to see Azami again and figures Erina might feel the same. In spite of the complicated past between Erina and Azami, though, Torrey doesn't know how she's actually feeling right now.

"Right..." says Erina, after a moment.

"Your mother would be so proud of me, my dear. Why, just this morning they had me on cafeteria duty. I served heap after heap of slop rubbish to the other inmates, and not once did I curl my nose up in disgust or gag reflexively! I don't eat the stuff myself, but that's neither here nor there."

"Wait, what do you mean? Have you not been eating the meals they serve?!" questions Erina, betraying her concern for Azami's well-being.

"Never. I dare say that they're so bad, you might very well fall into a coma simply from entering the room."

"W-well, I don't intend to follow your path to prison, Father..." says Erina.

Her usually vibrant purple eyes are dulled, and it reminds Torrey of the same look she had when Azami first reappeared at Totsuki. Apparently, the mental image of prison food is enough to strike fear in her heart.

"As well you shouldn't! I knew I raised you right," says Azami, proudly.

What?! thinks Torrey. Not that Erina didn't turn out okay, but he highly doubts that Azami deserves any of the credit for that.

"But you must be eating SOMETHING," says Erina, sounding worried.

"Let's just say I have connections. And leave it at that," says Azami, suspiciously.

Torrey pictures him as the head of some underground, contraband trade network for gourmet ingredients with the other prisoners. He wonders if that's even possible.

"Unfortunately, I can't speak for much longer. But I'm glad that I got to hear your voice again, my dearest daughter," says Azami.

"This was...nice, I suppose," says Erina. "And Happy Father's Day."

"Why thank you, darling. It's a happy day, indeed. And Tormund..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't you want to wish me a Happy Father's Day, too?"

"Not particularly..." says Torrey. Why would I?

"Well, that's a shame, coming from my future son-in-law..."

"WHAT?!" says Torrey and Erina, together.

So that's what he meant by 'something of a son'... thinks Torrey.

"I just assumed you two would have arranged the wedding by now. You have my blessing, for what it's worth, and please don't forget to send your old man an invitation. I might not be able to make it, but I'd still appreciate the gesture."

"H-hold on! That's not...I mean, we aren't..." starts Torrey.

"W-who said anything about...m-m-marriage?!" says Erina. "We aren't even d-d-dating!"

"Sorry, darling, but they're giving me the sign. My minutes are up. Best of luck with everything, and I'll speak to you again soon! Take good care of her for me, Tormund."

Azami hangs up the phone before they can protest any further, and neither Torrey nor Erina are able to look at each other. Finally, after a few moments, Torrey speaks (without making eye contact).

"So...the plan was for me to stay here, so that he WOULDN'T say anything weird. Right?"

"A slight miscalculation on my part, it would seem," says Erina, shaking her head.