Chapter 32: The Apex of the Academy
August's intense heat still lingered as a memory when September came to an end and October arrived.
The season had fully shifted into autumn, and the maple leaves brought with them a slight chill in the air.
After the Autumn Elections and the Stagiaire program, the summer break had been nothing but one challenge after another, but I had managed to get through it all. I had secured the women I wanted to claim, and my favorability management with Erina was going smoothly. Before the critical winter season began, I still needed to make her think about me even more.
"The air's gotten a little colder lately. Aren't you cold, Nakiri-san?"
"I'm fine. Thank you, Santoku-kun."
"Good. We're here to enjoy these beautiful autumn leaves. It'd be a shame if you caught a cold."
We were sitting side by side on tatami mats laid out in a meadow surrounded by stunning maple foliage, chatting casually with Erina.
This event wasn't one of the brutal, high-stakes affairs we'd had before. There was no cooking, no risk of expulsion. It was simply called the "Momijigari-kai"—an autumn leaf viewing party—and it was as peaceful as the name suggested.
The only part that wasn't peaceful… was the group of students participating.
"Hey, hey! Shogo-kun! Look at those leaves over there—they're so pretty! Look, look!"
"Alice! That's improper! …And aren't you sitting a little too close to Santoku-kun?"
"What's the big deal?! You're the one hogging Shogo-kun all to yourself! Don't you think so, Hisako-chan?"
"I-I… don't really… And stop calling me Hisako-chan."
Erina sat to my right, Alice to my left, and Hisako beside Erina. The Momijigari-kai wasn't just a casual gathering to admire the leaves—it was an exclusive event open only to the top first-year students. More precisely, only the eight who had advanced to the main bracket of the Autumn Elections.
Naturally, five others were seated nearby. Hayama, who had won the tournament, and Soma, who had taken second. Kurokiba, who had lost to me, and Takumi, who had lost to Soma. And Tadokoro, who had lost to Takumi. They were making a noisy fuss around Soma, but it had nothing to do with me, so I ignored it.
The real purpose of today's gathering wasn't simply to deepen friendships while viewing the autumn leaves. It was to meet certain students.
The highest decision-making body at Totsuki Academy: the Central Elite Ten Council. A committee made up of the ten students with the highest evaluations in the academy—commonly known as the Elite Ten.
Members of the Elite Ten were granted free use of a portion of the academy's authority and financial resources. They could access premium ingredients, state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, rare recipes from centuries past, and even classical cookbooks that fetched millions at auction. The closer one's seat was to First Seat, the greater the authority they could wield. These were students who held enough power to move even the headmaster of the academy. They truly stood at the very pinnacle of Totsuki.
Personally, I had zero interest in a seat among the Elite Ten, but having one would be convenient. So I was considering taking down one of the members whose removal wouldn't cause any major problems in the original story and claiming a spot for myself. Of course, even if I did join, I planned to leave again right away.
"It's been a while, Arato. You look well."
While Erina and Alice bickered, I turned to Hisako. Since we couldn't let anyone know about our relationship, I used her family name.
It had been about a month since we last saw each other face-to-face, so Hisako looked somewhat uncomfortable. When you have this many women to conquer, the ones you've already claimed tend to get lower priority. Even I can't split myself in two, so it's a real dilemma.
"Hmph…! I don't need your concern. …Especially after you didn't even bother to contact me."
Oh? So she wasn't angry with me after all.
I smiled at her cute complaint and apologized.
"Sorry about that. …But thanks to me, you managed to make up with Erina, right?"
"Th-that's…! Th-thank you…"
"You're welcome. Let's keep getting along, Arato."
After losing in the Autumn Elections, Hisako had distanced herself from Erina. Thanks to my maneuvering, she was once again able to stay by Erina's side as her secretary. Acting a little patronizing like this was the perfect way to remind her of the favor I had done. Even the way she grumbled "Grr…" was adorable.
While I enjoyed having flowers on both arms, the stars of the show finally made their entrance. At the staff member's announcement, Erina and Alice quietly sat back down.
"The Central Elite Ten have arrived~~!"
They even had someone dramatically beating a taiko drum to hype up the arrival of the Elite Ten members. This academy really gave special treatment to anyone with culinary skill. …Well, considering the world I was in, that was hardly surprising anymore.
Nine people appeared—everyone except Erina, who was still a first-year.
They were all upperclassmen, our seniors. In other words, clearly our superiors. I could feel the slight tension in the air from the other first-years.
[Ninth Seat] — Eizan Etsuya.
[Eighth Seat] — Kuga Terunori.
[Seventh Seat] — Isshiki Satoshi.
[Sixth Seat] — Kinokuni Nene.
[Fifth Seat] — Saitou Soumei.
[Fourth Seat] — Akanegakubo Momo.
[Third Seat] — Megishima Tosuke.
[Second Seat] — Kobayashi Rindou.
[First Seat] — Tsukasa Eishi.
The Central Elite Ten. All nine of them stood before us.
There was a guy who looked like a yakuza, another who looked like a samurai, and a giant who seemed more like a pro wrestler than a chef. A stunning white-haired pretty boy and a sexy woman with fangs and a playful smile—each member had a distinct, larger-than-life presence.
To be honest, most of them didn't interest me. My targets never changed. I only cared about the women I wanted to fuck.
Among the Elite Ten members, excluding Erina, there were three women. From the lower seats: Sixth Seat Kinokuni Nene, Fourth Seat Akanegakubo Momo, and Second Seat Kobayashi Rindou. Out of these three, there was only one I intended to claim.
First, it wasn't Kinokuni Nene. She had a pretty face and a decent body, and her Yamato Nadeshiko vibe was charming, but there was one big reason I had no desire to touch her, she was childhood friends with Isshiki Satoshi, and they practically radiated rom-com energy.
Personally, NTR is great as fantasy material. But in reality? Doing it leaves a bad aftertaste, and having it done to me is completely out of the question. There was never any explicit confirmation they were mutually in love, but it was clear they were important to each other. Since I didn't feel the need to have her no matter what, I passed on Kinokuni Nene. Not that she lacked appeal, though.
Akanegakubo Momo was also out. While most of the female characters in Shokugeki no Soma had bodies far more developed than their age would suggest, this one was the opposite—she looked far too young for a third-year high school student. Lolis were outside my strike zone, so I passed. Besides, there was no way my cock would fit in a body that small.
Which left only one.
Second Seat, Kobayashi Rindou.
She had wine-red hair, pale skin, yellow eyes, and fangs that gave her the air of a wild animal. Her breasts were huge, though not quite on Sonoka's level, and she had the kind of body I liked. Whether she was simply unaware or didn't care, her uniform showed a generous amount of cleavage. She had been a popular character in the original story too.
There had been hints that she liked First Seat Tsukasa Eishi, but I didn't care. Unlike Nene, she seemed like a high-probability NTR target, but I would ignore that completely.
She was sitting with her legs spread despite wearing a skirt, laughing cheerfully. If she had been sitting right in front of me, I definitely would have been staring up her skirt. Good thing she was a little farther away.
"—Hey, I wanna join the Elite Ten right now. Anyone up for a Shokugeki with me?"
Soma was saying something, but my eyes were glued to Rindou. I was only stealing glances so no one would notice, yet every ounce of my attention was on her. Damn, this woman is hot.
There had been all sorts of things—eating sweets made by the Fourth Seat, getting provoked by Kuga Terunori—but I barely remembered any of it. I had spent the whole time sneaking peeks up Rindou's skirt. Just a little more, just a little more and I'd see it. I felt like I had rediscovered the true essence of upskirt fetishism. Yeah, the thrill is always greater when you can almost see it but not quite. I'm definitely claiming her when the time is right, so you'd better be ready.
"Sounds fun…! Let's steal a seat on the Elite Ten! Right, Shogo!"
"…Hm? …Yeah. Sure."
Soma said something to me, but it barely registered.
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A/n: The naming order is really getting mixed up again. Sometimes i write it the way japanese people pronounce it, but then i check the wiki for research and since its written in the opposite format, i accidentally write it that way too! Anyway, give some power stones and support the story!!
300 PS = +1 bonus chapter.
For early access to 10 chapters ahead: p@tre~~.com/Demonic_Fiction (Link is in the synopsis and my profile).