Chapter 36: Intimacy (Patreon)

Stephen Chow once said that the denser the internal energy, the greater the explosive power. And a dense, solid foundation can only be forged through ceaseless training, day after day.

Ramsay had only just crossed the threshold of inner qi. When he unleashed his true qi at full strength, his raw power rivaled that of several tigers combined. Stephen Chow, by contrast, had a deep foundation, and his stacked-up energy could match several giant elephants. The gap between them was plain to see.

The road ahead was long. He still had a very long way to go.

…

Ramsay leaned against the window, his thoughts drifting.

Ever since he'd arrived in this world of Shokugeki no Soma, where cuisine reigned supreme, his strength had been far beyond that of any ordinary chef. If he set aside his identity as a chef and stepped into a fighting ring, he was confident he could sweep every fighter on the planet on physical strength alone.

But this was a world of food. Everyone here obsessed over heat control, knife work and ingredient flavor, and the contest was cooking. Pure brute strength was almost a sideshow, and it hardly ever came in handy.

…

Just as he was musing that this strength had probably been born in the wrong place, a crisp knock sounded at the door. A soft, sweet voice drifted through the wood.

"Ramsay, are you up? Want to come check out my club with me?"

Ramsay got up and opened the door. Kazuko Minami stood there in a fresh light-blue uniform, morning sunlight resting on her hair, looking radiant.

"Hm? Do you always get up this early?" Ramsay asked casually.

Kazuko pressed her lips together in a smile and waved the Local Cuisine Research Society armband in her hand.

"How could I laze around under the covers on a beautiful weekend morning and waste it?"

"Tomorrow is the school-wide Sports Festival. I'm going to the club early to cheer up the members. If you're free, why not come along?"

Ramsay had no cooking classes and no other plans today. Thinking it over, he really had nothing better to do, so he nodded after a moment.

…

The two of them walked side by side down the stairs of Polar Star Dorm. The faint scent of soy sauce and frying egg drifted out of the kitchen. Joichiro Saiba was humming a cheerful tune, his wrist flicking the pan as the tamagoyaki puffed up into a tempting golden shape.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around. His gaze landed on the two of them, and he teased them loudly.

"Ramsay, are you heading out to play with Kazuko?"

Before Ramsay could answer, Kazuko jumped in.

"Senior Saiba, I'm taking Ramsay to the Local Cuisine Research Society. We won't be eating breakfast at the dorm."

"Oh? Is that so?"

A glint of amusement crossed Joichiro's eyes. He set down his spatula, hurried over to Ramsay, threw an arm over his shoulder and lowered his voice.

"Listen, I appreciate you helping out with the tug-of-war at the Sports Festival, but don't push yourself too hard! That Chanko Research Society bunch may be average cooks, but don't underestimate their brute strength. Every last one of them is built like a sumo wrestler. Even if you're strong, you can't beat a whole pack of them."

"Hey! Don't talk nonsense, okay?"

Kazuko's cheeks were slightly flushed as she glared at Joichiro.

"Ramsay is kind enough to come help me, and you keep dumping cold water on him and killing his enthusiasm. I'm going to get mad."

"Okay, okay. I was just saying."

Joichiro grinned and slapped Ramsay on the back, still teasing.

"Still, Kazuko, you finally found the right helper this time. Gin looks all lean muscle, but he's useless in a tug-of-war. You're different, Ramsay. You're tall, you're strong, and with you on the team, the Local Cuisine Research Society might actually have a zero-point-one percent chance of winning."

That made Kazuko both angry and embarrassed. She grabbed Ramsay's arm and turned to leave at once.

"Ramsay, let's go. Don't waste time chatting with this guy! All Senior Saiba does all day is pour cold water on people. No wonder no girl has ever taken a liking to him. He'll probably be single for life."

Ramsay was speechless. He'd figured it out by now: whenever Kazuko wanted to hit back at someone, her trump card was always pointing out that they were single, and it never failed to sting.

…

Outside the gate of Polar Star Dorm, Kazuko wheeled a retro single-seat bicycle out of the side storage shed. A few bundles of fresh wild greens sat in its basket.

"Ahem! Um… well… it's still a bit of a walk from the dorm to the club building on campus. So Ramsay, why don't you ride and give me a lift? It'll be a squeeze, but it's totally fine for two."

Looking at the cramped rear seat, Ramsay thought it over for a moment and suggested, "You ride. I'll just walk. I've got plenty of stamina, and I'll count it as my morning workout."

"What? Why walk when you've got a bike?"

Kazuko looked up at him with bright, pleading eyes and pouted.

"Do you hate going places with me?"

"I've never thought that," Ramsay said hurriedly.

"Then you're giving me a ride!"

Without another word, Kazuko pushed the handlebars into Ramsay's hands, neatly hopped sideways onto the rear seat, and held the sides of it lightly with both hands. She tipped her head back and urged him on.

"Okay, Ramsay, ready to go!"

Seeing he couldn't win, Ramsay swung a leg over the bike, pushed the pedals and headed toward the Local Cuisine Research Society.

…

Kazuko sat steadily on the back, her arms naturally circling Ramsay's waist. The warm breeze brushed past their faces and blew away the cool morning mist, and she felt light and happy.

"I always ride to school alone, so sitting on the back today feels kind of different." She tilted her head and smiled. "Hey, how about… you become my full-time driver from now on, and I'll pay you."

Ramsay glanced back with a laugh. "Pay me? How much can you afford?"

"Hey! Talking about money is so crass!"

Kazuko swung her legs, breathing in Ramsay's clean scent.

"The payment I mean is rare ingredients. From now on, whenever I come across fine mountain delicacies or seasonal fresh produce, you'll be the first to get a share. How about it?"

But Ramsay just shook his head lightly.

Behind him, Kazuko puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.