Hello! I'm new to this fandom, so please excuse me for not being very familiar with the characters yet. As for the pairing, I'm SouMegu trash, so... mostly because SouEri didn't get much development yet and I don't change pairings that easily (despite the manga practically yelling SouEri is on the way!).

Please enjoy.

"Well, looks like we actually graduated from this freaking school," Souma said, holding his certificate with a significant grin on his face. He would never admit it, but he was tremendously happy that he had successfully passed Totsuki with all of his friends by his side. Fumio was happy that the Polar Star dorm got a little of its glory back from the time of Dojima Gin and Saiba Joichirou.

"And you know what it means... PARTY at the Polar Star dorm!" Yuki exclaimed happily already dragging Ryoko and Marui towards the white building, today especially, glistering in the sunlight. Megumi and the others just laughed and followed lead.

"Congratulations on passing!" Was shouted as the wooden door opened and a naked with an apron covered Satoshi greeted them with a wide smirk.

"Isshiki-senpai! What brings you here?" All shouted in unison. None of them had seen nor heard anything from Satoshi, since he graduated last year and disappeared somewhere abroad, improving his cooking skills to another level, which the rest could only dream of, well, at least for now.

"Of course I would come back to your graduation! And of course I had to check on Fumio-san if she was still alive," Satoshi joked, earning an evil glare from the housekeeper herself. However, soon the partying began and several bottles of rice juice were opened and emptied.

Soon the sun set and all were stuffing their stomach with delicious food, which all of them prepared together. Megumi, however, was leaning on the rail of the balcony and counting the stars, which slowly appeared one by one on the vast dark skyline.

"I have to tell him tonight!"

"Oi, Tadokoro, what are you doing here all alone?" Souma called, joining her star watching. Megumi flinched in surprise and blushed heavily as she saw the redhead standing so close to her.

"Um, just remembering how much fun we had here despite the hardships we had to encounter on the way," Megumi said, of course not telling him her intention on confessing to him that night. Souma chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, that were some rough three years, huh? But we made it through alive. We are actually among the 10% that passed this culinary school. But what I actually wanted to ask was...Tadokoro, how does your path look like from here? I know I'm going back to Yukihira. Pops said he would be back now and re-open the restaurant for awhile, although he did say it was just temporary. Only God knows what's going on in that twisted mind of his."

"I'm not really certain yet. I'll definitely go back and see how things are back home and help out a little. But then... I will see how far my cooking abilities can get me. I'll probably go somewhere abroad like Isshiki-senpai."

"Sounds like a plan, though you must promise me to stop at Yukihira sometime and try my new recipes," Souma said, smiling widely at the bluenette. Megumi just shivered at the thought of eating something like squid in honey ever again. But she giggled nevertheless, Souma-kun was just Souma-kun and she was glad that he wouldn't change that easily.

Souma was always there for her, protecting her and helping her out when she needed him the most. He made her smile a lot and helped her develop confidence in her cooking. Souma was in Megumi's eyes simply amazing. His will to fight and the best never wavered and he always aimed to come out on top, almost frequently challenging Akira and many other talented cooks. And without realizing it, she fell in love with someone who was oblivious to this kind of things. But Megumi knew that if she wouldn't say it tonight, she might never get the chance to say it actually out loud for Souma to hear.

"S-Souma-kun!"

"Heh? What is it, Tadokoro?"

"I-I need to tell you something, I have always lo-"

"Nakiri! Arato! Nice timing, I was just about to give you a call to come over!" Souma shouted loudly as he saw the blonde and her friend arriving at the Polar Star dorm. He waved at them from the balcony, smiling, which of course caused Erina to blush and show her tsundere side once again.

"Come on, Tadokoro, I want Nakiri to taste my cooking. I want the 'God's Tongue' to finally admit my food is delicious."

"Y-Yes, I will be right down. You just go ahead, Souma-kun," Megumi replied, biting her lip as she watched Souma run down into the kitchen to prepare everything. As she was sure he was out of sight, Megumi felt her eyes water and her whole body tremble.

"I did see that coming, right? So why...?" Megumi whispered as big drops of salty tears rolled down her cheeks. The bluenette knew that Souma-kun would never have romantic feelings for someone as timid and self-conscious like her. She noticed subtle hints that the redhead was developing a certain amount of affection towards Erina. Megumi realized from the beginning of the second year that she wasn't the girl for Souma. But it didn't matter. As long as she was allowed to be Souma-kun's friend, she would be happy. Souma was someone really special in Megumi's opinion and whoever his life partner would be she would always support him when he needed it.

"It's okay, it just wasn't meant to be," Megumi said as she wiped away her tears and with a content smile walked down the kitchen, where Souma was already giving the dish its finishing touch. The bluenette couldn't help but smile at how focused he was whenever he was cooking. Yes, it didn't matter that her feelings would stay unrequited. As long as she could stay close to him, she was okay. She then just mentally slapped herself for being so overemotional about this issue. There was no reason to.

"Dig in before it gets cold!" Souma said, placing two plates in front of Erina and Hisako. Megumi could smell the fragrance enter her nostrils. She could feel the saliva gathering in her mouth, so good it smelled. And the visual beauty of the dish couldn't be dismissed either.

"Oh, Ode to Zuni roasted chicken, huh? Interesting choice, Yukihira-kun," Hisako admitted, still inspecting the dish, since it looked quite different from how an Ode to Zuni roasted chicken is supposed to look like. He definitely added something to strengthen the smell and probably also the flavour. However, there was something else Hisako couldn't quite figure out.

"Let's give it a try then, but I don't think it will please my palate," Erina said, blushing a little, since she would never admit in her deepest dreams that she actually thought the dish looked stunning. Both Hisako and Erina cupped a little of the dish with their spoons and bit in, chewing to savour the flavour.

"What's this flavour-?" Hisako gasped in shock a very pleased smile on her lips. Her cheeks were flushed and she had her eyes closed in pure bliss. This kind of reaction was to be expected from Souma's dish.

"The meat is so tender it dissolves as soon as I bite in it! The seasoning matches perfectly with the chicken and herbs, oh, the herbs are in perfect harmony, none overwhelming the other so you can enjoy various flavours at once!"

"Good work, Souma-kun!" Megumi cheered, smiling happily. Souma smiled too, giving her a thumbs up. Then all the attention turned to the bearer of the God's Tongue. Her cheeks were in a light tint of pink as she moaned after swallowing. She didn't look any different from Hisako.

"Well, Nakiri, how's my dish?"

"I guess, it should have been obvious that the dish wouldn't be a total disaster, since no alumnus of Totsuki would prepare a lousy dish. The choice of the dish wasn't bad either, so I-I g-g-guess it wasn't t-that b-bad," Erina finally stuttered out. All people's eyes present widened in shock, since they would have never believed the Nakiri Erina would admit and accept Yukihira Souma's food.

"Hmm... Nakiri..."

"W-W-What is it, Yukihira-kun?"

"Just you wait I'll make you say it's delicious. One day I will make it so you don't have another choice!" Souma exclaimed, the determination glinting in his eyes. Megumi was taken aback a little. Souma-kun rarely ever showed this side of him when he wasn't currently in a Shokugeki.

"Y-You wish!" Erina countered, fuming angrily and embarrassed. Megumi watched her two friends continue to drabble and a smile bloomed on her face once again. So this was what Souma-kun needed. Souma-kun needed someone who would constantly challenge him, to force him to reach higher places, where his cooking could improve.

"Yeah, this is how it's supposed to be."

The partying continued afterwards, more and more bottles of rice juice were opened and more and more delicious food (expect Souma's experiments) was served. All of the graduates realized that this would be their last night at the Polar Star Dormitory, so the celebrated until sunrise. Everyone had already packed their suitcases and prepared for departure. One by one took the train, got picked up by their parents or took a taxi to the nearby airport.

"Yukihira! I swear to my Mezzaluna that I'll come back and defeat you in a Shokugeki properly!" Aldini Takumi shouted as the car was driving away. He had regained his Mezzaluna by on unofficial Shokugeki with Souma. Takumi had improved greatly and it was only a matter of time, when he would catch up with Souma, Akira and the rest of the top chefs of the Academy.

"I look forward to it!"

Now everyone was gone and Souma and Megumi were heading for the station, since both of them would take the train home. They both chatted about old times, how the training camp almost mentally and physically murdered them and also about their first classes together with Chapelle-sensei and the likes.

"I guess, Tadokoro, this means goodbye, at least for now," Souma said, patting her encouragingly on the back as Megumi's train arrived. Megumi smiled and nodded.

"We'll definitely see each other again. So until then Souma-kun!"

REVIEW

Well, I hope it wasn't a total disaster. If you have any suggestions to improve this, please let me know. And I know it was quite random to add Takumi at the end, but I just find it amusing how he always yells at Souma. Also, I didn't mention any Elite Ten seats, since I thought it was quite a preference manner and I wouldn't probably get the seats right.

So until next time!