Cooking Club! Meeting Of Those With Burning Passion to Not Burn Things

[mrburningambition]

WHO: Keiichi, Cooking Club members and prospective members.
WHAT: Cooking Club meeting
WHERE: Cooking Club room
WHEN: After school



As Cooking Club president, Keiichi Ito had arrived early to the room in which his club held its meetings. There was much to be done, such as, for example, decide on what they'd be cooking, but he figured there would be time for that.

For now, Keiichi simply sat in a chair in the cooking room, waiting to see who'd show up. He'd put some posters up advertising -- the club's membership wasn't tiny, but nor was it large, either. More people would help, particularly in his constant ongoing battle for more funding.

Comments

[pinksunbeam]

Misaki hurried along the coridors of the school, after seeing the posters of various clubs she was suprised to find one that pertained to cooking, something she enjoyed as a hobby. It was better then joining a kendo club or something violent or trivial, and cooking had something that came out of the work.

Walking down the hall she saw the sign that indicated where the club would be, and knocked once before coming in.

"Um excuse me," the short pink haired girl said with a smile, "is this the cooking club?"

[mrburningambition]

Before even looking up, Keiichi nodded in reply. "This is. I'm Keiichi, the Cooking Club president. It's nice to meet you."

When he looked up, though, he saw a young woman standing there with pink hair. Pink hair. He...knew someone with pink hair, didn't he? Whatever this was, it was an odd bout of deja vu, and he forced himself to stop.

"Sorry," he managed. "You just...look kind of familiar. But yes, this is the cooking club."

With that, he rose out of his chair, and bowed to the newcomer.

[pinksunbeam]

"Oh good I'm in the right place..." she paused and tilted her head some. "Um...do I know you? I'm sure we've met before...Oh I know.....no wait I dont."

Misaki waved it off and smiled, "Wow this place looks amazing. So many interesting items. So um...what do I have to do to join? I heard that this is an interesting place to learn."

She bowed down and moved things around on the counter, "Oh what's this?" She picked up a potato ricer.

[terradomina]

Just then, a slightly disheveled looking brunette walked into the room. Her shoes were scuffed and all in all, her appearance was completely unremarkable, especially compared to the girl with the bright pink hair already present. The only thing that really stood out about the girl were her eyes which were a very vivid emerald green.

"Hello!"

She greeted them both with a friendly, if slightly nervous smile, then looked around for a place to put her books where they wouldn't get in anyone's way.

[pinksunbeam]

Misaki glanced around holding up the potato ricer. She took a quick glance over the disheveled brunette and grinned. "Hi! Are you new too? Oh those books look heavy um...here!"

With a quick motion misaki pulled out a chair for the girl and waved her to pass her books over. "We can put them on the chair if you like?"

"I'm Aoi Misaki, what's your name?"

[terradomina]

"Sort of! I just moved here this past spring. So I'm still new compared to our venerable chief here."

She nodded toward Keiichi as she handed the books to Misaki.

"Matsumura Kimiko, at your service." She curtsied with a grin. "I think you're in my class, maybe? Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Aoi-san, and welcome to the Cooking Club."

[pinksunbeam]

"Pleased to meet you too Matsumura-san." she bowed and grinned, "And you're right, but I don't think I've had time to talk to you."

Misaki took the books and set them down moving the chair carefully out of the way. Once done she turned to fact Kimiko and grinned brightly.

"I've not been here long either, but my family lives in the region so I've been in this town before. Although I bet you could give a better tour than me." She tilted her head and nodde to Keiichi. "I'm sure you two can teach me a lot! I'm in your services, please teach me well, and thank you for such a warm welcome."

[mrburningambition]

The Cooking Club president was astounded. Two newcomers in one day? That was more than the club got in some entire semesters, he'd been told by the prior generation. Well. That meant that he'd have to do a good job and retain them, of course. That annoying drama club president wouldn't stand a chance in the next budget meeting!

"Welcome to both of you," he said, gesturing to chairs around the room's central table. "It's wonderful to have you here. The others should be filtering in any moment now, and then we'll be able to get started. I'm Keiichi, a second year here, and the president of the glorious Cooking Club. Well, sort of glorious, anyway. I do my best."

It wasn't the smoothest of all introductions ever, but it was...something.

"That thing in your hands, Aoi-san, is a potato ricer," he said, perhaps in an effort to prove his cooking credentials. "It's mainly a quick way to mash potatoes, but you can do a lot of other things with it. How experienced are you two with cooking, by the way? If not, don't worry. Our club has a wide variety of talent levels, from novice to slightly less novice."

[terradomina]

"Uh, I'm not a newcomer, chief. I've been a member since April and I'm a good cook."

It was awkward correcting the president but this kind of thing happened so often, Kimiko rolled with it. She just had that kind of face that wasn't particularly memorable. And she did split her time between these meetings and those of the Gardening Club so maybe he just hadn't noticed her at the meetings? Still, being welcomed as if this was her first day was a bit disheartening.

Kimiko wouldn't let her get it down, though, especially since there was perfect distraction right there - a new student that needed help.

"It's nice to meet you, Aoi-san, and if you'd like a tour, I'd be happy to show you around," she offered, cheery tone only slightly diminished.

She quieted down after that so Ito-san could do his job.

[pinksunbeam]

"Ah, thank you so much! I really do need the help," Misaki glanced over at Kimiko and quickly asked in a quiet tone, "Does he do that a lot Matsumura-san?"

"Oh I see, we usually do it by hand in the family...or food processer I think," Misaki told him and tapped her chin. "Um...Cookies, I bake good cookies, at least that's what my Oniisan says. Haven't really tried much after that, my Mother has a cheif come in at night to cook the meals. She and my father are professors at the college so they're too busy to make food, and we never have the same cheif come in, so I never have time enough to get to know them well enough to ask about how to make the food. Also in a lot of cases they're cranky."

Misaki beamed and rocked on her heels some, "So I'm glad to have any help I can get. I figure an independent girl needs to know how to make food right?"

[terradomina]

"Not too often," Kimiko whispered back quickly. "Maybe he's distracted?"

She flashed her a quick wink then started feigning interest in examining a set of bamboo cooking utensils she didn't remember seeing before. She listened attentively to the new girl's revelation about her cooking abilities. She brightened noticeably at the mention of cookies which quickly gave way to sympathy as Misaki brought up her parents.

"I bake sweets, too! Cookies, cakes, candies... Oh, and actual meals. I like Western cooking, especially. I can make some traditional things, too." She beamed at Misaki. "You're in a great place to learn. And I agree with you about independent girls needing to know how to cook. Boys, too," she added a little more quietly.

[pinksunbeam]

"Well I guess he's too dazzled with two pretty girls before him." she giggled and smiled at Kimiko. At the mention of cooking western food Misaki bightened up and claped her hands together nearly jumping for joy. "OH do you know how to make a hamburger,Matsumura-san? I've always wanted to learn to make one western style. They're really quite yummy."

Misaki paused and noted the shift in tone but didn't want to ask, as she didn't know Kimiko well enough to as of yet, so instead nodded, "Mmm-humm, Oniisan can't cook a lick. Well he can but it normally comes out tasting weird. OH what's your favorite dish to make Matsumura-san?"

[terradomina]

"Hmm... That's a tough one! There's so many. I like making desserts most. I like working with fresh vegetables, too. And yes, I can make hamburgers. Barbecue hamburgers are the best. I'd be happy to teach you anything you want to learn."

She beamed once more. Misaki would be a lovely addition to the Cooking Club, she thought.

[mrburningambition]

In truth, Ito was more than just slightly frazzled. He'd already forgotten the existence of one cooking club member (and as he looked at her face again, he realized that she was one of the actual recurring members.

"Sorry," he apologized, running around the room as the two of them spoke. "I'm a bit...out of sorts today." He looked hopefully at the door. Having a new member was wonderful, but it didn't appear that anyone else had actually showed up.

"Does anyone know if there's any other function today," he asked, nervously. "There should be more people here, but if not, we can get started soon."

There was a remaining pink blush on his cheeks that he was trying to hide from Aoi-san's comment. Steady on, old lad. Don't go down that road.

[terradomina]

"I don't think so, Chief," Kimiko said, catching that hopeful look at the door. "I mean, I could be wrong. Just because I haven't heard anything doesn't mean there isn't."

She'd caught the blush, too, but feigned ignorance with all the honed finesse of a seasoned babysitter.

"Were you expecting someone?"

[pinksunbeam]

"I didn't hear of anything. I wonder if it might be just the nice weather." she blinked some, "Hummm, warm weather, it's nice outside." Misaki glanced at Kimiko, "Matsumura-san maybe we can cook outside today? I heard barbeques are fun to have?"

She noticed the look at the door and smiled, "Maybe they'll come if we start to cook? But I kind of like a small group Ito-sempai, and I'm sure you and Matsumura-san will teach me alot."

[mrburningambition]

"I wish we could cook outside," Keiichi said, a little sadly. "To be honest, the Cooking Club's not particularly well funded due to a paucity of members. It's why I'm always recruiting. I had to fight for what little they even gave us this time around, but it's enough for us to exist. With more funding, though, we could definitely get a grill or something like that for the club!"

He always had ideas about things they could do with more money.

"For now, though, I suppose we can get started. A small group does have its charms." He thought about what they had handy in the fridge, and came to a decision. "Would everyone be okay with Western-style omelets? They're similar to but also quite different from the sort we have here in Japan, are pretty easy to cook, and can be quite filling, so you can have them for any meal of the day."

[terradomina]

"That's fine by me, Chief! I like making omelettes and I'm curious how you make them."

She turned to Misaki.

"How about you? What do you think? Have you ever tried an omelette before? They're really yummy."