BiTTER (Shokugeki no Souma Fanfic)

5. Best and Worst Dishes

"Fumi's been making high-level sweets recently, hasn't he?"

"Maybe someone should tell him about the market price..."

"Oh shush, you."

-

"Welcome to Kiyo's Bakery with a tiny bit of Love, or whatever that sign says because the sign shop owner keeps giving us new ones with different names, how can I help you?"

Saiba Jouichirou's been through plenty of eccentric shops, but this takes the cake.

The sign out there read 'Kiyo's House'. In search of somewhere to dine in, he came across Sumiredoori Shopping District when the lavish smell of baked goods attracted his attention. Deciding on a whim to make a detour, he turned in.

He really wasn't expecting the degree of desserts he would find, much less coming from a ten-year-old shopkeeper who stepped up from his spot to greet him.

The chocolate shone. There were savarin in the coolers, and macaron lined up by colours at the counter, perfectly baked.

This place looked professional.

Jouichirou spotted the 'out for lunch' sign in the boy's hand, and realized the boy was about to take a break as well. Maybe he had come in at a bad time.

"Welcome, Mister," the boy repeated, craning his neck up because the man was so tall, "are you new here? Is this your first time in this district? Did you come looking for something or should I recommend something?"

A sudden burst of questions. Jouichirou wasn't sure how to respond to an overeager kid like this.

The boy blinked when the man didn't answer after a while.

"Uh, I'm fine," Jouichirou managed to find his voice. He caught a distinct smell of chestnuts and baked tart from the kitchen. His mouth watered simply from the aroma. "This store smells really nice... it's like a house made of sweets."

The little boy laughed at that.

"Is that so?" he asked rhetorically, "that's right, I've just finished icing the mont blancs. Want to try one?"

"Eh?" Jouichirou was taken aback, "I'd love to, but unfortunately I haven't had lunch..."

"Eh? Then, you shouldn't go hungry! This shop won't run away, so you can come back later, I'll keep the mont blanc chilled for you. Did you come to this shopping district in search of a restaurant? Then, if you don't have a preference, let's have lunch together, mister! Ah, just a sec, I left the oven heated."

Jouichirou had honestly never met a child like this one.

He wasn't pushy, but he had a way with words that dragged people into his pace, and before he even realized, Jouichirou had agreed to go out and have lunch with this child he had just met.

Well, that was fine anyways. Not like there was anyone around to recognize him or anything...

(He was interested in that mont blanc, though.)

-

"Welcome...ah, Fumi. And mister, party for one? Have a seat at the bar."