Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch. 32 Picking Up the Pieces

"Order up!" said Ikumi, entering the room with two massive briskets.

            "Wow, I'm already weak in the knees," said Ryoko, grabbing a chair for support. The Polaris cafeteria was instantly filled with the heavenly scent of smoked beef.

            "Actually, these need to sit for an hour to finish cooking. Are the appetizers done?" said Ikumi.

            "Here!" said Megumi. She was carrying an assortment of plates with vegetable themed dishes, such as yam balls with coconut and marshmallows, stuffed baked tomatoes, grilled zucchini with tomato sauce, and crispy buffalo cauliflower.

            "This stuff looks amazing, Tadokoro!" said Soma. Megumi hadn't even set the plates down before Soma was grabbing one of everything.

            "And that's not all..." said Isshiki, entering with another round of appetizers. Waldorf salad cups, spicy Tuscan kale, kohlrabi slaw, and potato pancakes were added to the already crowded buffet table.

            "You guys went all out," said Torrey, eyeing the food with anticipation.

            "Of course we did! Your last night here has to be a memorable one," said Isshiki, beaming. "This is a celebration of youth!"

            "Plus, everyone's sad that you're leaving. We're gonna eat away our feelings," said Megumi. Torrey couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

            "I'm sad about this too, but it's not like I'm leaving Totsuki. I don't plan on getting expelled (again) any time soon," he said.

            "You'd better not!" said Ryoko. "And make sure to come visit."

            "I will, especially if everyone cooks like this," said Torrey, salivating while deciding on which appetizer to try first.

            "Hey, thanks for letting me use your smoke house, Ibusaki. I can't believe all the different chips you have in there!" said Ikumi.

            "In the hands of an expert such as yourself, it was an easy decision. Judging from the scent, I'm guessing you went with...post oak?" said Ibusaki. It was rare for him to engage in small-talk, but once he got started on his favorite subject, he could go on for hours.

            "That's impressive! You really are the Prince of Smoke!" said Ikumi.

            "The Prince of...wait, do people actually call me that?" said Ibusaki. He tried to play it cool, but Torrey noticed he was blushing.

            "When do I get to use the smoke house?" said Soma.

            "When I decide that you're ready," said Ibusaki.

            "That's what you said last time. And the time before that."

            "Then you already know my decision."

            Torrey laughed. It's sure been fun living with these guys. Aren't we missing someone, though?

            Scanning the crowded cafeteria, it was clear to Torrey that everyone was having a good time. Ibusaki and Ikumi continued their discussion on smoking techniques (Torrey had already zoned out of that one). Soma was grabbing food left and right, bombarding Megumi and Isshiki with questions about their dishes. Marui was also at the buffet table, lecturing the two muscle heads about the properties of the tomatoes used in several of the dishes.

            I should probably know their names by now. Oh well, they're just glorified extras anyway, thought Torrey. Ryoko and Yuki were talking about...something. Torrey couldn't hear their hushed voices, but they kept looking in his direction. Erina's the only one missing.