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

Chapter 38 - Autumn Elections Finals! ...Where is the Exit?

(Name)'s POV

The ten days leading up to the finals were absolutely hectic for Soma. The theme was saury, a pacific fish seasonal in autumn, and I was embarrassed to admit I wasn't exceptionally knowledgeable on the subject. Meat and fish weren't my areas of expertise.

I did my best to stay out of Soma's way, and I was secretly glad for it when I caught him mid-rampage through the dorm, dragging Shun and Ryoko by their collars. I did my time; it's their turn to help him prepare. I sweatdropped. I can only wish him the best!

That left me with little to do after classes. Most of my dorm mates were out with their respective clubs, and there was only so much I could do on the farm other than weeding and watering. Isshiki covered anything I might've missed during the day.

"Isshiki-senpai, here." I handed the upperclassman a bottle of water, causing him to stop his plowing.

"Thank you, (Name)-chan. I was just about to take a break." He downed half the bottle and sighed. The sweat that coated his body seemed to make him sparkle in the sunlight, and I squinted a little as he grinned brightly. He was sparkling again.

"Isshiki-senpai, you're too bright." I mumbled and handed him a rag to wipe his sweat with. "I still have no idea how you manage to shine like that."

"How nice of you to say." He bubbled though it wasn't exactly a compliment. "Farm work always makes me feel refreshed! Perhaps that's my secret to sparkling."

"I saw you watered the tomatoes yesterday. Thanks for that." I rubbed my palms against my dirt-stained apron. "I told Yuki-chan that I'd cover for her, but it seems you beat me to it."

"Anything for my beloved kouhai! I'm relieved you didn't overwater them, though." He shuddered at the thought. "I'd hate for our farm to be drowned by its own caretakers."

I couldn't help but giggle at how he reacted to the implication. "You really are knowledgeable on farming, Isshiki-senpai. I was surprised at the soil quality when I first arrived, honestly."

"You're not too shabby yourself, (Name)-chan. I'd say your knowledge is possibly on par with my own!"

I bowed my head at the compliment. "You exaggerate. I was lucky enough to learn from my best friend's family growing up, and the other farmers in my village."

Isshiki returned to his plowing, offering a shameless display of his backside as he worked (how he wasn't cold in his fundoshi, I had no clue). "What is your village like? I remember you mentioning them your first day at Polar Star, but I don't know much beyond that."

I plopped down in the dirt nearby amidst a row of cauliflower, not caring about my clothes much since they were my gardening pants. "Really? Well, what do you want to know?"

He rested the plow over his shoulder and reviewed his work. The different rows were coming along nicely and would be ready for sowing soon. "Anything! I'm always happy to learn more about my fellow dorm mates."

"Okay. Then, where to start..." I leaned back on my hands and gazed up at the passing clouds. I felt a sudden craving for cotton candy. "I've told you about the cooking festivals each month, but there are also many others throughout the year. There's the firefly festival, the sakura festival, stargazing festivals..."

I listed over a dozen festivals and laughed at Isshiki's incredulous expression. Yeah, my village liked to use any excuse to party, but that's what was so great about it. I also told him about some of my neighbors and friends and a little about my family. At some point I'd forgotten he was even there as I rambled on about my hometown.