Dimwit || Shinomiya Kojiro

six

(Ishikawa Juno POV)

The second year of my time at Totsuki also flew by quickly. Arguments between Shinomiya and I dwindled down until we no longer bickered. We actually became even closer friends and I started developing feelings for him, but never told him about it.

Before I knew it, Shinomiya-senpai and Mizuhara-senpai graduated and were off to start their own professional careers.

"Uwaaa Shinomiya-senpai are you really going to go to France?" Hinako whined.

"Yes, I'm going to further advance my French cooking in Paris. My goal is the Pluspol Award," Shinomiya's eyes shone with confidence and determination.

"Waaaa, you're going so far and leaving us behind! You're not going to make any friends because you're so unfriendly!" Hinako continued to whine.

"Hinako, we should be supportive of his decision," Donato said while patting the teary eyed girl.

"Junnn why are you not saying anything? He didn't even ask you out yet!" Hinako continued.

Her remark earned a smack from Shinomiya, "As I've said a hundred times, we're not going to date!"

I laughed at their exchange. I was sad that Shinomiya was leaving, but I couldn't keep him from reaching his dreams. I walked over to him, "I'll meet you at the top?"

He gave me a smile, "I'll meet you at the top."

After the third-years' graduation, I became the first seat, Hinako became the second seat, and Donato became the third seat. Shinomiya never really kept in touch, only sending a few brief text messages to me every now and then.

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened in my third year either, except for more frequent visits and letters from Suzuki. I had a lot more paperwork to do as the 1st Seat of the Elite Ten and a bunch more Shokugeki challenges.

[Elite Ten Office]

"Senpai, another batch of mail came for you today," Sho, the 7th seat walked in the office carrying a bag of envelopes.

I internally sweatdropped. "Thanks, can you put them there with the rest of them?" I pointed to an already mail-flooded corner.

"Are these all job offers?" Sho asked. "Whoa, this one is from New York!"

"Yep," I replied, not looking up from the papers I was examining.

"Wow, did you decide yet?"

"Yep"

"Oh wait, wouldn't you want to open your own restaurant since you're the First Seat and all?"

Sho was interrupted when Hinako chimed in. "She's going to her lover's restaurant, SHINO's"

A visible irk mark appeared on my forehead and I dropped the stack of papers on the desk loudly.

"He's. Not. My. Lover."

"Teehee, whatever you say. Just know that when you guys are married in ten years that I knew it all along." Hinako mused.

"Lover?" Sho asked with his head tilted.

"Who else but the charming former First Seat, Shinomiya Kojiro?" Hinako dreamed.

"Oh, but I thought his restaurant isn't officially opened yet." Sho noted.

"I bet you he's waiting for her to come before he officially opens." Hinako joked.

I heaved a big sigh and gave up looking over the paperwork. "You're making it sound so romanticized. It's just because I'm gonna be his sous chef, nothing more. Also, he's still busy finalizing everything with his funding."