AN: Hello! Welcome to my first SnS fic! This was originally posted on AO3 and written before I finished the Regiment Shokugeki arc (just finished it last night). Also, this is me satisfying my thirst for a time travel story ft. Souma. Hope you like it!
PROLOGUE
Everyone was so used to having Yukihira Souma in their lives that they had forgotten what life was like without him.
The Polar Star Dorm was in absolute chaos. Its residents flitted about up and down the floors and every nook and cranny in the gardens. Frantic shouts of Yukihira, Souma-kun, and Yukihira-senpai filled the air. Even the matron, Fumio, was looking worried as she punched a number in her phone.
The phone connected after a few rings. "Hello?" came the confused but cheery greeting.
"Jouichiro!" Fumio called out. "It's me. Something terrible happened with Souma."
"What?" Jouichiro exclaimed, before sounding serious. "What did he do now?"
"Is that Jouichiro-san?" came a timid voice. Fumio turned and saw that Megumi had come back from checking the barn. She nodded once to Megumi.
"It's the kids who know what happened exactly," Fumio said to the receiver. "Here, I'll let you talk to Megumi." She handed Megumi her phone. Megumi took it gratefully.
"Jouichiro-san," Megumi greeted, and she sounded close to tears. "Souma-kun is—" She stopped to wipe at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "E-everything was going so well at the party last night. But this morning when I was knocking at his door, Souma-kun is… S-Souma-kun is—"
"Hey. Calm down, Tadokoro-chan," Jouichiro said softly. "Calm down and tell me what happened to Souma." Megumi sniffled once and nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see it.
"When I opened his door, I expected Souma-kun to be sleeping. But he's gone. He just vanished!"
Erina was having tea for breakfast when she heard Hisako's scream What? He's missing?! from the other room. Before she could go check on her, Hisako barged into the breakfast hall just then.
"Erina-sama," Hisako whispered, eyes wide in shock and fear that made Erina's stomach twist.
"What is it, Hisako?" Erina asked uncertainly.
"Takumi Aldini called. He said Yukihira-kun is missing."
Erina's eyes widened. "What? Are you sure? Maybe he's just testing his dish somewhere in the school."
"That's what they thought too. They checked with the classes Yukihira-kun is supposed to take today, but nobody has seen him at all! According to Takumi Aldini, the Polar Star residents said the last time they saw him was last night, when the party at the dorm ended. Tadokoro was sure Yukihira entered his room, but when they checked this morning, he wasn't there. His bag, his clothes, even his knives were still in his room."
"That's impossible! Where could he go?"
"Ehhh?" Jun put down the phone and turned to the direction of the door. "Akira-kun! Akira-kun!" She stopped when the door opened and in came Hayama Akira with Nakiri Alice and Kurokiba Ryo. "Akira-kun! Fumio-san called. She said Yukihira-kun is—"
"We know, Jun," Hayama said calmly, settling down on the couch with Alice and Kurokiba following him. Despite the air of nonchalance, Hayama's mouth was set in a grim line. Similar expressions were etched on Nakiri Alice's and Kurokiba Ryo's, too.
"Where could he have gone to?" Jun said worriedly. "It's almost night time. They said he's been gone since morning!"
"Yes," Alice said with a furrow in her brows. "We checked all the surveillance cameras in the school. Yukihira-kun has not left Polar Star Dorm after going home last night. It's so surreal. How could he vanish without a trace?"
"More importantly," Kurokiba cut in. "If we don't find Yukihira by Friday, how are we going to explain to the organizers of BLUE about what happened?"
"Or to the whole school. How are we going to explain that idiot's absence?" Hayama asked, frowning.
Jun observed all three who were lost in thought and fought a smile at their obvious worry. She was curious as to how Yukihira-kun's absence might affect his classmates. They all saw Yukihira differently: irritating rival, local idiot, good friend. But it was comforting to see how attached and loyal they were to him. After all, he initiated the Shokugeki that brought most of them back from expulsion. His close friends in the 92nd class would forever see Yukihira as a reliable and irreplaceable ally.
Jun was so proud of them.
Everyone was so used to having Yukihira Souma in their lives that they had forgotten what life was like without him. Now they did and they did not want to lose him forever.
After all, no one could serve as the First Seat of the Elite Ten better than him.