The Helpers Club Back In Action! The Iris High Cooking Competition!

Into Spring, the group sits in their clubroom doing different things in silence. Kitaro plays a game on his phone as Milo braids Tsuki's hair. He looks frustrated as Milo smiles happily. Shiori writes in her book as Hikigaya taps a pencil on some paper. Touma turns the page of a book he reads as Haru stares at everyone minding their own business. He sighs out loud before standing up.

Haru "Okay, well if the Helper's Club is gonna be this slow, I'm heading out."

Lucy looks at him surprised.

Lucy "You're quitting?"

Haru looks shocked.

Haru "No! I'm going to look for people who have problems that need help."

Riley "Perhaps there are simply no problems that require our assistance. Surely with Sugawara's help, there is no problem you cannot solve."

Alice "Yeah! Maybe we're just that good?"

Kitaro "Yeah, I doubt that."

Haru "Regardless, we should really be trying harder to help others. It's not like a problem is just gonna walk through our door."

Hisana "That's how it usually works, doesn't it?"

She asks questioningly as Haru turns around to see the door slide open. Ryuji stands in the doorway. The others are surprised as he has a neutral look on his face.

Haru "What's up man? Where ya been?"

He asks with a big smile as Ryuji shrugs a bit and walks past him to a seat next to Lucy.

Lucy "You okay baby?"

Ryuji "Mm."

He hums briefly as he sits down. Lucy has a concerned look as the others can tell something is up with him.

Chizuru "What's wrong Ryuji?"

Ryuji "Nothing."

Lucy places her hand on his softly. He looks at her a bit surprised as she gives him a soft look.

Lucy "Talk to us."

She says softly as he exhales a bit. He pulls out a flyer from his bag and places it on the table. The others gather around and look at the flyer with mixed reactions.

Suiyoubi "The Iris High Cooking Competition?"

Sugawara "I heard about that. Aren't they holding that in honor of that great chef who passed away?"

Alice shrugs as Riley answers.

Riley "Yes. His name was Sir Franco Gardner. He was a master in the culinary world."

They look at her surprised as she stares back.

Riley "I only partake in the finest of dishes."

Haru "Right…"

They sweat at her response.

Lucy "Why did you bring this out?"

Hikigaya "Did you want to try out?"

Ryuji nods while looking at the flyer.

Ryuji "I went to the Home Ec class trying to find others to join me since it is a team event but they have all been scouted by other teams."

He says with a disappointed tone despite his neutral expression. Hikigaya stands back and rubs the back of his head.

Hikigaya "It sounds like a big deal. I doubt there'll be anyone else left who's willing to participate."

Shiori "It says here that some of the judges are gonna be popular and famous chefs from around the Districts. It really is a big deal."

Ryuji nods as Lucy looks sad that this happened to her boyfriend. Chizuru stares at the flyer while thinking before smiling.

Chizuru "Wait, Ryuji. Do the people who enter need to have any experience or specific classes?"

Ryuji "No, anyone can join."

Chizuru "Well that settles it!"

She says with a big smile. The others look at her as Haru looks confused.

Haru "Settle it how?"

Chizuru "We'll join! We can help him win the competition!"

Some of the group look excited at the idea while others look concerned.

Hikigaya "Yeah, that's great and all but some of us aren't exactly five star chefs…"

Sugawara "Not everyone needs to be. The teams are only five people big so we'll pick the best ones."

Lucy "Two ingredient grabbers, one food runner, a sous chef and a head chef. Sounds simple enough."

Milo "Then the rest of us can cheer you on!"

Tsuki "Or spread the word of the obvious winning champ."

They say as everyone looks at Ryuji. He is surprised and blushes a bit.

Chizuru "What do you say? Can the Helpers Club help you with this problem?"

She asks playfully as he nods.

Shiori "Great, then let's get started."

Haru smiles with his hands on his hips.

Haru "Huh. I guess problems really do just walk through the door."

He says before joining the others as they get to work. The day of the competition quickly approaches as they practice and train for the big day.

Shiori "Now, there are three other teams. Each is composed of talented and skillful students from all years. They are cutthroat and vicious but so are we. There will be four judges watching our every move and evaluating every action we take, three of which are real chefs who are honored in the culinary world. We have to make sure we are ready for anything the other teams might throw at us."

She says as images of the other teams show and the judges.

Chizuru "Here's the team. Alice and Tsuki will be the ingredients grabbers. You will run from the starting point and make sure to grab whatever ingredients we need for our planned dish from the tables and shelves. Collect them and place them in the hand basket for the food runner. That's when you're up Shiori. You will deliver ingredients for the chef and sous chef as they need them as well as deliver the finished dish to the judges. Our sous chef will be Lucy since she has experience in the kitchen with her dad and rounding out our team is head chef Ryuji."

They all smile at him as he sweats a bit. They are all dressed and ready for the event as people pour into the school, looking forward to the event. They gather around a large dirt field area mostly used for sports during the school day. Four makeshift kitchens are set up across from a big area filled with shelves, fridges and tables full of food under a canopy. In the crowds of people, the others pass out flyers with Ryuji and 'Team 4' printed on them.

Milo "Here you go! Be sure to cheer for Team 4!"

She says with a smile as Haru waves the flyers over his head.

Haru "Make sure to watch Team 4 because they're gonna win this!"

He shouts with a smile as Sugawara sweats and people stare at them. The others are dispersed through the crowd. On the higher end of the field sits a long table under another canopy where the chef judges are waiting.

Shuhei "Welcome everyone! Welcome, as we prepare for a spectacular event unlike any we've seen here at Iris High before! I am your announcer, Shuhei Arataka and with me are the judges! From Districts far and wide, here are some professional and famous chefs! Jordan Ainsley from District 14 and owner of Heaven's Diner! Keller Plake, four time Steel Chef champion! And Augustine Gouso, owner of Gouso's and writer of the best selling book 'Everyone Is Able To Bake'! They will decide who wins today's competition and get the recognition of three amazing chefs! Let's see the teams now!"

He points as the first team steps out. A round boy with a snicker look and his team of cheater looking allies.

Shuhei "Team 1 led by Alphonso Jacobs!"

Alphonso smirks with a dirty look.

Alphonso "These idiots don't know what's gonna hit them."

The second team then begins to step out. A tall skinny girl with bags under her eyes leads the way with a few other nervous followers.

Shuhei "Team 2 led by Sharley Popov!"

She gets an angry look as she clicks her tongue in disapproval.

Sharley "This setup looks horrendous."

The third team steps out with a short girl leading the way in a march. Her eyes are closed as the rest of her team follows behind her march.

Shuhei "Team 3 led by Atsushi Mira!"

Atsushi stomps in front of her station as she snaps a pointer stick down.

Atsushi "Line up!"

Team 3 "Ma'am!"

They shout as they do as told.

Atsushi "We will crush the opposition and show this crowd what real food tastes like!"

The team stomps in unison as the judges sweat a bit.

Shuhei "Okay, well lastly but certainly not leastly, Team 4 led by Ryuji Sato!"

The group makes their way across the field to their station as they look nervous. Ryuji holds his head up with a neutral look as the other teams stare with disapproving looks.

Alphonso "This chump again."

Sharley "Looks like he finally managed to get a team of randoms."

Atsushi "He doesn't have what it takes to make it in this world."

They say spitefully as Ryuji keeps his gaze focused forward. They take their places at their stations, Ryuji and Lucy in the cooking area as Shiori, Alice and Tsuki line up in the front, ready to run towards the ingredient area.

Shuhei "They have a little under an hour to prepare four dishes of the same kind for our judges. The teams are ready, are you?"

He asks the crowd with an anticipating look. The teams ready themselves as the crowd awaits the commencement of the competition.

Shuhei "Ready..?"

Team one digs their foot into the dirt a bit as Shiori sweats.

Shiori 'We got this. For Ryuji.'

Alice/Tsuki 'For Ryuji!'

They think with intense looks on their face as a whistle blows sharply. Suddenly, all runners and ingredient grabbers take off in a sprint towards the ingredients.

Shuhei "And they're off! Only the grabbers can get ingredients for their dishes, the runner must wait! But they need to be quick because there are only so many ingredients, you don't want to run out of stuff in case you mess up!"

He says with an excited look as the grabbers swiftly search through the shelves while staring at a list.

Alice "What else do we need?"

She asks hastily.

Tsuki "Uh, we need tomatoes!"

He says while reading the list. Alice looks around and spots the produce. She reaches for the tomato but before she can grab it, one of the boys from team 1 shoulder checks her hard causing her to stumble into the table. He grabs two good looking tomatoes before chuckling and running off. Alice looks frustrated but quickly grabs the only tomatoes left. One good one and a smaller, slightly shriveled one. She sighs in disappointment before putting the stuff in the basket. They quickly turn as they lift the basket to Shiori.

Tsuki "Here Shiori! Go!"

She grabs the basket with a determined look and bolts back to the cooking station. Lucy quickly takes the basket and opens it up.

Lucy "Okay, what do we need first?"