Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch. 99 Hojo's Bizarre Adventure (of Love), Part Two

            From the moment the match started, Torrey and Hojo were locked in a battle that was both mental and physical. Physical in the sense that they were cooking. They weren't...er, getting physical with each other or anything like that. Hojo finally realized that she'd misjudged Torrey, but she was too stubborn to ease up on the insults.

"Wish I could hear what they're saying," says Yuki, squinting at the large scoreboard. For most of the audience members in the packed arena, it's much easier to watch the board than the minuscule figures of Torrey and Hojo in their respective kitchens. The images are so crisp that she could almost read the lips of the contestants.

"Hojo's probably giving him a piece of her mind," says Ryoko.

"I know she comes off a bit strong, but that's just the kind of attitude that makes Hojo-san such a good chef! I wish I could be more like her sometimes..." adds Megumi.

"Same," says Yuki. She's still watching the board, as the camera had just panned in for a close-up of Hojo. It showed her chest from a rather flattering angle.

Naturally, this group of girls was focused on just about everything BUT the cooking. When the rest of the crowd rose to their feet with a roar, they looked around to see what the fuss was about.

"Did we miss something?" asks Ikumi, who'd been noticeably quiet thus far. Surprisingly enough, her attention had been fixed on the same area that Yuki's was.

"He's trying to make the fire burn as hot as possible! If the fire burns Torrey faster than he can regenerate..." says Marui.

"No, Torrey-kins! Wait, regenerate? I'm like, totes not following," says Alice, pursing her lips. "Explain yourself, nerd!"

"I don't get it either, but I like Marui's enthusiasm. Let's keep cheering on Torrey!" says Soma. "Can't have my rival losing before he faces me!"

"W-wow! He cranked up the heat, but only for a moment to give the pork a nice crisp! Then he scorched the peppers using the same technique!" yells Marui, fired up.

"Why are you analyzing his moves like we're in a manga or something?!" yells Yuki.

"Why are you resorting to such a cliché joke? I'm pretty sure that joke was actually used in the manga!" yells Ryoko.

"W-why are we still yelling?" says Megumi. It wasn't exactly a yell, but to her credit, she did manage to slightly raise her voice.

"THIS IS WHAT WE TRAIN FOR!" yells Marui. "THIS IS TRULY A BATTLE OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL!"

"I don't like her either, but 'evil' might be exaggerating a bit..." says Ryoko. She glances over at Ikumi, taking note of her worried expression. "Hey, Ikumi? Are you all right? You look like you're thinking really hard about something."

Ryoko was right. Ikumi's eyes are dulled, no longer their usual bright green hue. Her blonde brows are furrowed in contemplation.

"Well...it's just...I don't know. Maybe...no, it couldn't be..."

"OMG, I don't even care but you're driving me crazy. Just spit it out already!" says Alice.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it...but is it possible that showing LESS skin is actually sexier than showing MORE skin?" asks Ikumi, twiddling her thumbs anxiously. It's a little early for her to be having a mid-life crisis, but that's the best way to describe her current situation.