Author's Note:

Hello! This is a project I've been working on for quite some time now, but I'm finally at a point where I can say welcome to chapter one of my Shokugeki no Soma Next Gen story! For now, the title of this fic will simply be "Shokugeki no Soma: The Next Generation" but as of right now, that is a work in progress title.

This features several ocs of mine that I've been developing over the course of several months, but I do want to give a fair warning before we begin: There are many characters here that are based off of ships that are either 1. Unpopular compared to another ship or 2. Basically nonexistent. What I am saying is, the pairings I ship will NOT be identical to yours, so please read this with that in mind!

And finally, of course all canon characters belong to Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki!

With that said, let us begin, hope you enjoy it!

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The 92nd generation, known to many as the Jewel Generation of Totsuki. This class was, and still continues to be, the only generation that managed to have so many graduates that couldn't simply be hand counted. Of course, each and every one of these children were incredibly talented chefs, who only honed their skills further while studying at the number one cooking school in Japan. Fighting their way through countless battles of skill and technique, they were able to survive and come out victorious amongst all the rest.

However… those days have long since passed. The generation that was once full of teenagers have now become adults.

Even so, the legacy of the Jewel Generation continues. Most had ended up in romantic relationships throughout their three years at Totsuki and eventually married post-graduation. One such relationship happened to be between Soma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro. Despite most having seen it from the beginning, these two hadn't realized their love for each other until third year, but nonetheless, ended up in a happy, healthy marriage. Having inherited it, Soma and Megumi now continue their lives as the head chefs of the Yukihira Diner.

But this story isn't about them. It is time for a new protagonist to take the stage and her name… is Nana Yukihira.

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Chapter One – The Flower Begins to Blossom

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In the daytime, the Yukihira Diner was just like any average restaurant. Customers would trickle in and out to enjoy the traditional, Yukihira-style dishes that no other diner could provide. It wasn't incredibly packed by any means, but not empty either. It was a balance that gave it the quaint, yet comforting atmosphere present in any old-fashioned restaurant.

It was during the evening when things began to liven up.

The time was around 7:00 PM, which meant the dinner rush was currently in session. Tables were filled to the brim with customers either waiting for their meal or happily eating the dishes created by the one and only Yukihira family.

"Hey, kid! I'll have an order of the Chicken and Vegetable Katsu!"

The kid in question, who was currently wearing the Yukihira Diner uniform, clicked his pen and began jotting down the customer's order on a notepad, "Chicken… and Vegetable… Katsu… gotcha! We'll have that ready for you as quickly as possible!" the boy flashed the customer a wide grin alongside a thumbs up.

He was quite young, about thirteen years old. He had bright, golden eyes and a head full of spikey, red hair. Additionally, he sported a blue hairclip that helped keep his bangs out of his face. The boy tore off the page with the man's order and placed it on the counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen. "We've got one order of Chicken and Vegetable Katsu." He said to the three chefs who were hard at work.

"Alright, thanks, Ryuu!" one of the three cooks, one that looked very similar to the kid, replied. Like Ryuu, he had spikey, red hair, though his was much longer and had begun to dull with age, as well as gold-colored eyes. He also had a bit of a beard on his chin, though it was wasn't much. This man was the one and only Soma Yukihira. Simply looking at him and Ryuu side-by-side, it was no doubt that these two were family.

Ryuu grinned once more and went back to taking the customer's orders. Meanwhile, the chefs in the kitchen worked on preparing the meals. The man who had responded to Ryuu before was currently working on cooking fried rice alongside his wife.

It must have been a family trait, as her eyes were, too, a brilliant golden color. Her deep blue hair was tied into a braid and she wore a floral hairclip that served a similar purpose to Ryuu's. Overall, she was fairly petite in stature. If she was cooking alongside Soma, then this woman couldn't be anyone except Megumi Yukihira.

Completing the rice, they filled four bowls and set them on the counter. "Order up!" Soma called to Ryuu, who took the bowls and proceeded to serve the table who ordered them. Turning back to the kitchen, Soma took the next order while Megumi had already begun preparing her next dish. Before beginning, however, he addressed the third cook in the kitchen.

"Hey, Nana! Think you can handle the Chicken and Vegetable Katsu?"

"No problem, dad! I've just finished the order for the daily special!"

Nana set the finished dish on the counter for Ryuu to take, then started preparing the Chicken and Vegetable Katsu. She was two years older than her brother, currently on the brink of completing her Junior High years. Like her mother, she was petite in size and her wild, deep blue hair was tied in a ponytail. Just like the other members of the Yukihira family, she had bright gold eyes. Notably, she wore a big hairclip that resembled a pastel-pink lily.

The sounds of a knife slicing through vegetables filled the area, as Nana sliced the carrots and courgette with swift, yet precise movements. She boiled some water in a saucepan, added a pinch of salt, then carefully added both of the ingredients. While that was busy boiling, Nana grabbed two boneless chicken breasts and, with the same swift motions, sliced the chicken breasts into four pieces each, then pounded them using a rolling pin to thin the slices out to about the size of sandwich bread.

Once the vegetables were done, Nana seasoned the chicken slices with salt and pepper and added a few slices of the cooked carrot and courgette slices on each piece and then placed a second layer of chicken onto them. She created an egg mixture using mustard, then proceeded to cover the sandwiches in breading, using flour, the egg mixture and breadcrumbs.

The aroma of fried chicken permeated through the kitchen as each sandwich was placed into a deep-frying pan. All Nana had to do left was create the sauce and slice a few cabbage leaves for serving. Once all of that was complete, she methodically placed each sandwich on a plate, put the sauce on the side and finally added the cabbage slices.

"Order up!" Nana called as she put the plate on the counter.

"Thanks, sis!" Ryuu replied as he took the plate and brought it to the customer who ordered it.

As Nana went to pick up her next order, she overheard the man complimenting her dish. Due to all the noises within the kitchen, she was unable to pick up anything exact, but she could hear something along the lines of, "This is delicious!" and "Your sister made this?! I'd say she improved a lot since she was just a little girl."

Nana couldn't help but smile to herself.

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The once bustling diner eventually became empty once the dinner rush ended and the place had closed for the day. "Nice work today, guys!" Soma said with his signature grin as he went around and gave everyone a high-five.

"All in a day's work, dad!" Ryuu replied as he winked and gave a thumbs up.

"I'm especially proud of you, Nana." Megumi smiled sweetly as she turned to look at her daughter, who's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment.

"You are?" Nana asked.

Soma ruffled her hair, "Course we are, Sunflower! You've been improving a whole lot lately!"

Nana laughed, "Well, I'm being taught by the best!"

"That's right!"

"Anyway, I'm gonna go take care of the garden for the day. You don't need to help today, mom, you must be exhausted after the dinner rush."

"How sweet of you, Nana! If that's all right with you, then go ahead!"

"Okay, thanks!"

As Nana headed out the door that led to the back of the building, Soma held Megumi's hands in his own and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Our little flower's really starting to bloom, isn't she?" Soma asked her.

Megumi laughed, "She really is."

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It may have been dark outside, but that didn't stop Nana from partaking in her favorite hobby aside from cooking. The garden she's been tending to ever since she was little was truly a sight to behold. There were so many fruits and vegetables to be found in just this small area that any chef could consider it to be a culinary paradise. Nana turned on the outdoor light so she could see and grabbed a watering can and a pair of gloves.

Similar to an artist painting a portrait or a dancer performing a ballet, watching Nana tend to her garden was an art form in and of itself. She began by putting on her gloves and pulling out every weed she could find, making sure not to harm the plants in the process. Next, she watered each plant the exact amount they needed, never overwatering nor underwatering any of them. Despite how much these two jobs seemed like simple chores to a normal person, to Nana, this was her favorite part of the day.

There was one more thing to do before she headed back inside, as she had noticed several fruits ripe for picking. Nana took a wicker basket and began carefully picking them: rhubarb, apples, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. With her task complete, Nana took off her gloves and entered the kitchen once more to put all of the produce in the fridge. Satisfied with all the work done today, Nana went upstairs to her room.

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With her pajamas on and her homework for the day completed, Nana laid on her bed with her earbuds in, playing whatever was considered to be popular at the time.

I can't believe I'm gonna be in Highschool soon… Nana thought to herself, in just a couple of days, I'll be leaving this place. At least, that's what mom and dad say. One thing I do know, is that I'm gonna miss being here, with the diner and the garden… But I'll finally be at a school where I can begin perfecting my cooking! Maybe… I'll finally make some real friends. That'd be nice… I just hope I'll be able to survive…

These thoughts continued running through Nana's mind until a new noise began to block them out. What is that? It sounded like people arguing from downstairs. Nana got up and started down the stairs and as she did so, the people whom the voices belonged to became clear. Two of them belonged to her parents but the other one was someone she didn't recognize.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Nana found her brother spying on the conversation from behind a wall. "Ryuu? What are yo-" she was stopped by Ryuu's hand covering her mouth.

"Shh. Listen." Ryuu whispered.

Nana peered around the wall separating the stairwell from the dining room to see Soma and Megumi speaking to a woman who was currently seated at a table, arms folded with one leg over the other. She looked to be about in her mid-twenties, and she was wearing some fairly formal attire. Her long, strawberry blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and her gray eyes were covered with a pair of rectangular glasses. Looking at her closely, she had freckles dotted on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

"I was told this was supposed to be a restaurant. If that is the case, why am I being denied a meal?" the woman questioned.

"I'm sorry miss, but we closed an hour ago!" Megumi replied in a shaky voice.

"Sorry, lady, but you're gonna have to come back tomorrow." Soma added.

"I will not be tolerating your sorry excuses! If a customer arrives at an eatery starving, would you be so rude as to refuse to offer them sustenance because you're "closed"?!"

"Mam, I don't think that's how it works."

"Again with the excuses! I'll have you know I am an esteemed Journalist for Tokyo Magazine! If you continue to deny me service, then I'll write a poor review and bring this establishment down!"

"I, uh, think you might be overreacting!"

"Am I? Anyone would react in this fashion if they were treated this way! All I'm asking for is to have something sweet!"

Something sweet? Nana thought to herself. Those fruits I picked earlier… I could definitely make something with them… But I can't just go and disobey mom and dad, can I? What do I do… Nana closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them, I know what I have to do. I can't just sit here and let the diner be shut down!

"Where are you going?" Ryuu whispered as Nana began walking out from behind the wall to confront the three adults.

"Nana!?" Megumi exclaimed.

"Pardon me, miss, but may I ask for your name?" Nana asked the woman.

"And who might you be?" The woman replied in an irritable tone.

"Don't worry about her, she's just our daughter!" Soma responded before Nana could say anything. He walked over to her and whispered into her ear, "Nana, what are you doing?"

"Don't worry dad, I'll handle this." Nana whispered back and said once more, "I'd like to know your name, I'm Nana Yukihira!" She held out her hand to the woman.

"Emi Yoshida, journalist for Tokyo Magazine." The woman replied as she hesitantly shook Nana's hand.

"Well, Miss Yoshida, if it's something sweet you're looking for, you came to the right place!"

"What?!" Megumi and Soma exclaimed at the same time. "You know the rules, Nana. Our restaurant closes at 8:00 PM. It would be unfair to our regulars if we served anyone after that time!" Megumi scolded.

"I know that, mom, but it's clear that no matter what we say, Miss Yoshida won't leave without something to eat." Nana replied, "And besides, I wanted to make an agreement between us."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Emi questioned.

"Well, if I make something sweet for you, then you must promise to never come in after eight ever again." Nana stated. "Also…" she pointed a finger at Emi. "You'll have to write a positive review of the Yukihira Diner!"

Megumi gasped while Soma grinned and said, "Wow, Nana, nice one!"

Emi hesitated for a moment, then sighed and replied, "Very well. But ONLY if I actually enjoy the meal!"

"That works for me! Hey, Ryuu, I'm gonna need some help getting a few ingredients!"

"Uh, okay, sis!"

"Ryuu?! Were you two spying on us?"

"That's not important right now, mom!"

"Alright, Ryuu, I'm gonna need you to get me these ingredients." Nana said as she wrote something down on some notepad paper and handed it to her brother. "Can you do that for me?"

Ryuu read the entire list then gave Nana a thumbs up, "Sure thing! I'll get everything in no time!"

"Thanks! I knew I could count on you!" Nana smiled, then turned back to Emi, "Miss Yoshida, just sit tight. I'll have something sweet for you as soon as possible!"

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Nana began by preheating the oven and retrieving the fruits procured from the garden earlier from the fridge. Taking a kitchen knife, she carefully peeled the apples, making sure not to harm their cores. Then, with fast technique and absolute precision, she sliced them into equal parts.

"Hmm, I must admit that those fruits are some of the freshest I've seen." Emi observed as she took out a notepad and began scribbling down notes for her next article.

"That's right! My sister is one of the best cooks around!" Ryuu stated.

"She actually grew all of them herself. She's an avid gardener." Megumi added.

"Did she now? Impressive."

Nana had already cut the strawberries and was currently chopping the rhubarb. One thing that never went unnoticed when it came to her cooking skill was the sheer precision. Never once was one of the fruits cut unequally nor was there ever hesitation in her cuts. Once each and every fruit was sliced, Nana combined them in a mixing bowl along with sugar, cornstarch and tapioca.

Next, she mixed together the ingredients Ryuu brought her: flour, salt, shortening, eggs, water and vinegar. The sounds of her spatula scraping against the metal bowl could be heard as she fiercely stirred the mixture. It was honestly shocking how strong her arms were given her size. Once the dough was finished, Nana took some of the flour and spread it onto the counter. She divided the dough in half, making sure one side had more than the other, and placed the larger portion onto the floured surface. Using a rolling pin, she flattened the dough to fit the tin for her…

"A pie? That's what she is making?" Emi questioned, "Quite the odd choice. Pie isn't a very common dessert in Japan after all."

Once the crust and fruit mixture were added to the pie tin, Nana placed the unbaked pie inside the oven and set the timer for forty-five minutes.

"Now, all we have to do is wait." Nana instructed.

"So, Yukihira, I noticed you combined strawberries, apples, raspberries, rhubarb AND blueberries in your pie mixture. That is five whole fruits." Emi noted.

"Yeah, is that a bad thing?"

"Not particularly, I'm just surprised. Usually one would base a pie off of one fruit in particular, but here, there is not one, but five."

"That's right, I call it the Yukihira-style Five Fruit Pie! It's a dessert I like to try making using different combinations of fruits. I figured since I picked those five earlier, that I'd try out that combo."

"So, what you're telling me is, you just slapped together five random fruits and hoped they would taste good together?"

"Oh, not at all! It was honestly a miracle I had such a perfect combination of fruits already for the pie. You see, the mellow flavor of the apples bring balance to the sweetness of the berries and the rhubarb helps ease digestion so it's perfect for a late-night meal."

"Hmm… I never thought of it that way. It's fascinating how knowledgeable you are on plant life."

"Haha, well, cooking with fruits and vegetables has always been one of my specialties. There are so many different types and so much you can do with them! And especially when you grow them yourself, it's so satisfying to create a dish everyone enjoys…

I want to show people who I am through my cooking and this is exactly how I do it!"

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After a little while, Nana's pie was finally complete. It had a crisp, golden-brown crust with stars cut into it to show the mixture inside, which had combined to create a swirl of purple, blue and red.

"This looks amazing! Can't wait to dig in!" Soma exclaimed.

"This is even better than your last one!" Ryuu added.

"Well, everyone, I just want to say one thing before you all start eating…" Nana smiled brightly, "It's a pleasure to serve you!"

"I must say, this looks absolutely delicious, but let's see how it stacks up in taste…" Emi said.

At once, all four of them took a bite of the pie and were immediately whisked away into a fantasy. They found themselves in a garden, much like the one just behind the diner, except the fruits were enormous and they were tiny in comparison. Suddenly, waves of each fruit's individual juices began washing over them, swirling together into a psychedelic rainbow.

"WOW THIS IS AMAZING!" Ryuu shouted as he went to take another bite.

"You said it, Ryuu!" Soma agreed, mimicking his son.

"This is wonderful, Nana! Each of the fruits blend together perfectly!" Megumi complimented.

Nana blushed, "Thank you everyone! What about you, Miss Yoshida?"

The family looked at their customer, but she didn't respond. Why? Because was busy furiously writing on her notepad.

"What a marvelous dish! Why, I don't believe I've tasted anything of such splendor in my life! This isn't just a Five Fruit Pie, no, this is good enough to be considered Five Star cuisine! That's it! I shall call this dessert the Five Star-Five Fruit Pie!"

"Haha, I think she liked it." Soma stated, then he walked over to Nana and placed his free hand on her shoulder, "I'm really proud of you, Sunflower. Way to take the initiative!"

Nana looked up at her father and smiled, "Thanks, dad!"

"This restaurant must be more well-known! There is no way I'm allowing food of this caliber go to waste!"

"Okay, lady, you can go now. And remember the deal." Soma began pushing Emi out of the diner.

"Yukihira, I can assure you that with your talent, you will be going places!"

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It was now the following day and Nana was currently in her bed, sleeping. She had been exhausted after the previous night and she was happy to get all the rest she needed.

Or at least, she wished that were the case.

"Hey, sis! Wake up, mom and dad need you!" Ryuu exclaimed, but his sister was still sound asleep.

"Uhh, Nana? Hellooooo?" Ryuu tried again, this time shaking Nana, but to no avail.

"Alright, third times the charm…" Ryuu then readied himself and jumped, "WAKE UP!" He shouted as he jumped straight on to Nana's back. Needless to say, this one definitely woke her.

"RYUU WHAT THE HECK?!" Nana exclaimed, ever so slightly pissed off about her rude awakening.

"Sorry, sis, mom and dad need you." Ryuu explained.

"Huh? Why?"

"Did you forget?"

"Forget about what?"

"Your entrance exams…?"

Nana went silent for a moment, then her once tired eyes widened, "That's right! I totally forgot!" She immediately got up and, after Ryuu left her room, got dressed and ready for the day.

"Sorry I slept in, I hope we're not too late!" Nana said to her parents after heading downstairs.

"Don't worry, Sunflower, we'll get there in time." Soma assured.

"Your father's right, but we should get going." Megumi said.

After some time, the three eventually made it to the train station.

"Well, here's where we split off." Soma stated.

"I know you're going to do excellent, Nana." Megumi added, "But, just in case you're nervous…" She presented Nana with an Omomori, a good luck charm. "My mother gave me this when I started Highschool. I believe you should have it now."

Nana took the Omomori and clutched it to her chest, "Thank you mom! I'll treasure it, always."

Soma grinned, "And don't forget where you started!" He gestured to her flower hairclip.

Nana laughed, "I won't, I promise. See you guys soon!"

Little did she know, Nana was about to begin her journey at Totsuki, the number one cooking school in Japan. Not only that, but she'll soon meet the ones who will change her life forever…