Fen: Hello fans! Fen and Queen here and we are in a new story frenzy!

AQ: I'm starting to feel like someone should be paying me.

Fen: Uh… what?

AQ: Never mind, I suppose a Queen needs to lead her subjects to glory.

Fen: Uh… okay? *shakes heads* Anyways, I just recently got into Food Wars and holy crap it was amazing!

AQ: And me as well, more because I'm a chef. Learning all of these skills broadened mine.

Fen: Hmmmm… maybe we could use a few of your recipes for this story. If you don't mind.

AQ: No, only two people have that honor… my King… and Beatrix!

Fen: Doh…

AQ: I made and created these dishes through blood, sweat and tears! Only family can have it and since King and I are lovers… kya he's the exception.

Fen: It would have been nice though…

AQ: Fine, fine, just a few…

Fen: WOHOO! Alright let's start!

Disclaimer: We do not own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma. All creative and production rights belong to Yūto Tsukuda, Shueisha, Michiko Itō, Yoshitomo Yonetani, Shogo Yasukawa, Tatsuya Kato, J. C. Staff, and Sentai Filmworks.


Flashback - 10 years ago

"Mazui!" a five-year old girl pouted as she pushed away a plate of food after trying it.

"Ehhhhhhhh?!" A boy that was a year older than her gawked. "It's not good?!"

"The taste is horrible, the flavor is completely off, and it's not worth eating!" The girl pouted.

"Seriously, Na-chan?" The boy sighed in defeat. "Mou, I worked hard on that too."

"…Sorry Ku-kun, I can't help it." The girl apologized with sincerity.

"Oh well, the only thing I have left is this simple slice of cake." The boy sighed presenting the said slice. It was your average sponge cake topped with vanilla icing with a few coconut shavings sprinkled on top for garnish. "Then again, you're just gonna push it away as usual." He pouted.

"At least you're getting better with my knowledge!" The girl pouted back with a more upset look.

"Just try it…"

"Haaa… fine." The girl flicked her hair as she grabbed a fork. Taking it, she slowly used the edge of the silverware to cut herself a small triangle piece. "Itadakimasu…" She mumbled before placing the fork in her mouth to taste the cake. "Mmmmmmmmph!" Her eyes widened.

"W-What is it?" The boy slightly panicked as she saw the fork drop out of her mouth.

'This flavor… It's so light… It's like I'm floating in the clouds…' the girl thought as she imagined herself floating through those said clouds, feeling the nice gentle breeze flying past her hair as she flew like a bird, soaring high in the sky. 'The simple vanilla flavor just sings with mellow sweetness that it calms my soul, almost like being hugged by an angel… like I feel safe and loved…'

"It's good…" the girl got out.

"Eh?" the boy blinked.

"It's good." the girl repeated. "Overall, there are slight problems with the look and presentation. But I love it, and it has no fault in its taste! I-Is there more?!" The girl asked with a big smile.

The boy smiled widely with his eyes shining bright. "Unn! Have as much as you want!"


The next day…

"LET ME IN! I want to see her!" The boy begged. "Why can't I see her?!"

A man wearing a dark black suit was in front of him. Even though he had a friendly smile… Kurogasa can see nothing but a terrifying monster.

He had slick black hair with a streak of white hair swept into the back. He was pale-skinned with black eyes and had a notably grim looking face despite him smiling and his outfit is predominantly black, consisting of a trench coat, vest, undershirt, leather gloves, slacks, and shoes. His tie is silver in color.

"My daughter has no need for the likes of you, anymore. Please never come back here again." The man patted the young boy's head.

"LIAR! She liked my cake! Why are you kicking me out because she tasted a cake that I made and she liked?!" the boy snapped, tears streaming down his eyes.

"…Because she's my way of creating the perfect world of culinary progress. You will never understand the ability she has. I don't want her to be soiled by your horrible food."

*POW!*

"GAH!" the boy cried out as the girl's father kicked him away in the gut making him roll to the ground before he stopped.

"Now run along, boy. The next time you come here, I will use permanent measures. The reason you're alive now is because I am slightly pleased to see my daughter happy." The man chuckled darkly before he closed the door. The boy then managed to get up and ran to get to the door but it was all for naught as it was locked.

"NA-CHAN! NA-CHAN!" the boy cried as he banged on the door while the clouds darkened the sky and rain fell. "Let me in! I want to see Na-chan! Let me see her!" He yelled, but it was no use.

"NA-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

End Flashback


"!" The boy gasped as his eyes widened before he jolted upright sitting on his bed. His heart was beating rapidly like someone was flattening it with a hammer, he was panting heavily like he had tasted the spiciest food known to man, ice cold sweat fell from his face like an ice cube melting, and he was overcome with exhaustion like he had went through a rush hour of cooking.

"That dream again…" He muttered as he wiped his sweat before looking out the window, seeing that the sun was rising. "Looks like I'll never find her. I just hope she's alright…" The boy muttered as he laid back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with an arm over his forehead. He then took out a thin-chained necklace that had a black 'V' when it actuality was half of a 'W'. The other half was a green 'V'. "Na-chan…"


Flashback - 10 years ago

"Here!" The boy grinned as he showed her the full 'W' necklace that was half black and half green.

"For me?" The girl asked.

"Well, half of it actually," He said before he broke the W in half and giving the green half to her.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, pouting.

"Why not? It shows that we are partners for life!"

"Partners?" She asked.

"Yep! If and when we ever move away, we can always remember each other with this!" He smiled widely.

"Really?"

"Uh-huh, just like Shotaro and Phillip!"

"…" The girl remained silent thinking about it, before she took the green half. "Okay, but promise me that if we do, we find each other, no matter how long it takes."

"Ah, yakusoku!" He smiled again.

End Flashback


"Yakusoku da…" The teenaged boy muttered as he looked at his half of the necklace. "Can I really keep my promise to find her…?" He wondered to himself before he shook his head. "No… I can't think like that. I have to find her… no matter how long it takes."

"Kurogasa, are you up?" a woman's voice asked. "Your Shishou is here!"

"Ha~i! I'll be there, Kaa-san!" the boy now known as Kurogasa called back.

As mentioned before, his name is Kurogasa Kururugi, an aspiring young Japanese chef who dreams to one day own a restaurant in Kyoto where his family lives, a refined city on the island of Honshu with thousands of classical temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, shrines and traditional wooden houses. It's also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes.

He was sixteen years old with medium-length brown hair whose fringe was swept to the right and his icy blue eyes. He got off his bed, as he was wearing nothing but his black boxers and a white t-shirt. But for him, today was a big day. He was going to partake in a final test of sorts, prepared by his Shishou, who was a renowned chef known throughout the world.

He remembered when he first met his Shishou. It was on the day he was kicked out by that man, that he met him.


Flashback - 10 years ago

Kurogasa was crying as he was walking home alone while in the rain, saddened that he can't see his childhood friend ever again. That is until he accidentally bumped into someone.

"You should watch where you're going, shounen." A young adult said in a stoic tone while holding a metal bowl which had a block of tofu soaked in water while holding his umbrella.

"G-Gomen…" Kurogasa sobbed, wiping his tears.

"Why are you crying, shounen?"

"N-Na-chan… I can't see her forever…" Kurogasa got out. "Her dad kicked me out… all because of a cake I made that she liked…"

The young adult looked at the boy for a while before he said, "…Come with me." as he looked at the boy with pity in his eyes.

"H-Huh?" Kurogasa asked as he looked at the man. "Where?"

"I'm going to teach you how to walk the path of Heaven."

End Flashback


Since then, Kurogasa had been training for years, honing his skills as a chef, learning the various techniques and life lessons that his Shishou had taught him, and now it was going to pay off in this final test.

"Yosha! Let's do this!"


(Cue Escape by Hemenway)

(Instrumental) The scene starts with the city of Tokyo as the camera moved fast forward through the streets until the screen suddenly slowed down to the pinnacle top of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, the top of the pagoda shining brightly before the screen whited out to show the next scene.

(Escape kono kaze ni, namida wo no-se) Kurogasa looked to the horizon with a smile as he sees Tōtsuki Culinary Academy dead ahead. Soma walked up next to him, along with Shiki and Beatrix.
(Kareru made supīdo agete)
He grinned seeing his friends before they nodded to each other and dashed towards the Academy.
(Tobikoete yukeru kitto kotae wa)
As they ran, they were met by classmates of the 92nd Generation as they ran along with them.
(Haruka na ano sora no mukou)
The camera then switched angles, now showing them running towards the camera before they all took jumped up and the camera shot up towards the sky and the title card appeared. After a few seconds, it disappeared to move to the next scene.

(Kotae ga mitsukaranai koko de wa) In the first scene, there was a side angle view of Soma and Kurogasa with their signatures dishes in the background, then it changed to Erina and Hisako with their dishes in the background as well.
(Tameiki wo tsuite sora wo miru) Then there were the cameo shots of Megumi, Shiki, Beatrix, Ryoko, Yuki, Shun, Marui, Aoki, Sato and Isshiki as the camera panned from left to right in that order showing their dishes in the background.
(Aoku somerareta hitomi no oku de kagayaiteru no wa)
The next scene had the camera slowly go up as they showed a few Alumni before it stopped at Senzaemon as a silhouette as his eyes glowed, looking intimidating as ever.
(Doko de mo yukeru, yume wo miteru jibun na no sa) However, the screen went forward past Senzaemon as a silhouetted person appeared with the sun in the background. He turned around and raised his finger in the air while a faint image of a certain red-beetle themed warrior appeared before the screen faded white to the next scene.

(Escape kono kaze ni, negai wo nosete) In a huge room full of many kitchen stations, all of the 92nd Generation were cooking as they were competing for their lives, in hopes of not getting expelled on the spot.
(Nobashita te wa asu wo egaku)
All of the Polar Star students looked at each other and smiled, determined that they were not going to give and lose to the others and continued to cook.
(Mou kowaku nado nai namida no ato) Kurogasa and Soma looked towards the front as they saw Takumi, Isami, Mito, Hisako, Alice, Ryo, and Akira as they had their cooking equipment at the ready with a few alumni in the background as huge figures.
(Nijiiro ni somatte tonde yuku)
The two boys grinned defiantly as they charged in towards them accepting the challenge.

(Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~ Ahhh-ahhh-ahhhhhhhhhh~ ahh, ahh, ahh) When the other two boys clashed with them, a bright light engulfed the screen.

(Ano sora no mukou) Kurogasa and Soma look up towards the camera as the latter panned backwards to reveal the 92nd Generation all with smiles and stoic looks on their faces as the song ends.


Dish 1: Golden Fried Rice with Fried Ribeye Steak Strips dipped in Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Kurogasa soon came down the stairs into the kitchen and the first thing he noticed was his mother, Yukina Kururugi. She was a young beautiful woman in her late 30's and has long flowing pink hair with grey eyes. At first glance, one would think that she was Lacus Clyne, and sometimes her friends would tease her about it, but she doesn't mind. As for his father, Kyoshiro, he was a renowned cookbook author and is traveling all over Japan, promoting a cookbook that he had recently finished, going to many book signings. Sitting at the table was his Shishou. He was a young man himself being in his early 30's and has shaggy black hair while wearing a black shirt with a white jacket over it while wearing denim blue jeans and black shoes.

"Ohayo Kaa-san! Shishou!" Kurogasa greeted with a smile.

"Ohayo, Kurogasa." Yukina said as Kurogasa's shishou nodded his head to acknowledge him.

"Are you prepared for today's last test?" Shishou said to the brown haired teen.

"Hai, Shishou!" Kurogasa said as he looked at the man with a determined look.

"Good… please make me… Miso soup with lightly grilled salmon." Shishou said as he smiled.

"Hai!"


The ingredients used for the miso soup will be deboned Alaskan salmon steaks, fresh with some basil, salt, pepper, and some lemons.

The boy first laid the fish onto a plate as he took pinches of the salt, pepper, and chopped basil gently rubbing it as it he made sure that the fish had enough on both sides. First grabbing a pan and setting the heat on the stove high while adding vegetable oil to the slowly heating pan.

Counting down the seconds to the pan's desire heat, Kurogasa grated the lemons for their zest also rubbing them into one side of the fish. Then returning to the pan and slightly lowering the heat down, as he slowly put the salmon steak into the hot oil which crackled insanely as it cooked the fish. After six minutes, he quickly flipped it to the other side as he turn around to grab a pot with hot water and set it on the stove.

"Ara… it smells good." Yukina sniffed.

"He has come a long way." Shishou nodded.

Kurogasa smiled at the praise but quickly resumed his work adding miso to the water, lowered the heat to a simmer, then whisked it quickly allow the flavor to fully dissolve in it as he then turned off the heat for his pan. Quickly setting the fish to a wood chopping block to rest, he pulled the skin of the salmon steak slowly and carefully. As he now had long piece of skin, he put it into an empty bowl adding some lemon juice, salt, some green onions, and the rest of the basil to the stock. He also turned off the heat for the pot as he strained the physical objects into three bowls.

"Bon appétit…" Kurogasa said now adding some rice to the salmon on the side.

"Well done." Shishou said. "Now for the taste test. Yukina-san, would you like to try as well?"

"Of course." Yukina smiled.

Shishou and Yukina each took their portion and picked up their chopsticks to pick up a piece. "The salmon is tender enough for my chopsticks to cut. And it has the perfect flake to pull apart with ease, almost like butter." Yukina commented.

"The heat of the miso soup… the steam is soothing enough to clear the sinuses." Shishou added. "A warm soothing feeling on a cold winter's day. And the smell of lemon sends a nice sense of a sharp flavor profile…" He then took a piece of the salmon and dipped it into the soup. "The salmon is cooked to perfection, the flavor and seasons are all connected, and put a great sense of harmony in it."

"Indeed and by themselves they stand out well but together heightens the flavors to new heights!" Yukina said.

They then took a bite of their food and their eyes widened.

"Ko-re wa…" Shishou got out.

"Ara…" Yukina added. "This flavor…" She began as she was imagining. "It's like walking through a lemon garden near the sea, feeling the smell of the sharp yet sweet lemon. And the freshness of the sea and wind are gusting past me."

*Slurp!*

"Hmm… I can agree. And the broth has the perfect mixture of flavor and salt, creating the perfect tone and great complement for the salmon." Shishou said after finishing the bowl of soup and cooked fish. "You pass."

"YATTA!" The boy smiled widely before jumping up in the air, "Arigatou, Shishou!"

"You had the skills, I just refined and sharpened them." Shishou said and after the two finished eating, he took the empty plates and washed them.

"Ara, congratulations, Kurogasa. I'm so proud of you." Yukina smiled as she hugged her son which he returned.

"Arigatou, Kaa-san!" Kurogasa smiled back before he broke the hug.

"Though… perhaps you could hone them more."

"Eh? What do you mean, Shishou?" The boy asked curiously turning to him.

"Unlike you, I have other responsibilities so I can't focus on studies." The teacher said before looking at younger male. "But you could probably reach a higher level than my cooking, that is if you're interested."

"Hontou desu ka?" the boy asked. "But… I don't know if I could ever beat you. You're a master." He added sheepishly.

However the man raised his index to the ceiling, "Obaachan ga iteita: People become stronger through adventures."

"How so?"

"If you do this, you can become much better in your cooking skills. You will meet many others who will be just as good, if not better. You must strive to always be at your best. It can become an adventure for you."

"Ehehe, well if you put it that way Shishou… then alright, I'm game!" the boy grinned, throwing his fist into an open palm. "If you have that much faith in my talent, then let's go all out!"

"I'm glad to hear that." the teacher nodded with a light smile. "But always remember this: It is enjoyable to eat something delicious, but the greatest joy comes from the time spent waiting for it."

"Right… you mean that because it's fun. The real enjoyment is to experience it."

"Remember this too: Truly delicious food will change the life of the one who eats it. Cooking spreads to another and the flavor connects one person to another."

"Hai." the boy nodded.

"Whenever you cook, always show honesty and humility into every dish." Shishou said. "No matter what happens, strive to be better each time. After all, men must be cool. Boiling water turns into vapor."

"Right. I will always take your teachings into heart shishou!" the boy nodded excitedly. "So where am I going to hone more of my skills?"

"Tōtsuki Culinary Academy." Shishou said.

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Kurogasa gawked in complete shock.


A week later…

Tokyo, Japan.

Japan's bustling capital, mixing the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers and anime shops to cherry trees and temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding forests. The Imperial Palace sits amid sprawling public gardens. The city is famed for its vibrant food scene, and its Shibuya and Harajuku districts are the heart of its trendy teen fashion scene.

However, there was one location that was esteemed as the best in the eyes of the chefs from around Japan and the entire world. And it is where this young man is going to.

"Are we there yet?" Kurogasa asked as he rode in a taxi.

"Not yet." The driver responded. "We'll get there, don't you worry."

"Thanks." Kurogasa said as he looked out the window. "I hope Shishou is fine back home." The boy wondered, fixing his hair. For his attire he wore his old school uniform since he was going to be a transfer student to the school he was going to go to.

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, to say its the best school for chefs in all of Japan is a crime. In fact many believe that this school is the ultimate place to create the best of the best chefs. Nearly a huge percentage of the students will be cut off in the first year and even fewer when Graduation arrives. However, no one actually knows much, aside from those basic facts. He remembered what his Shishou had told him.


Flashback

"Tell me this is a really bad joke, Shishou!" Kurogasa exclaimed.

"It's not, if you want to increase your skills as a chef." The teacher said before sipping a cup of tea.

"Still…" Kurogasa got out. He heard rumors about the school. Tōtsuki Culinary Academy as mentioned before is an illustrious cooking academy that is well known in the culinary industry. Due to the caliber and notoriety of the school, nearly all aspiring chefs must attend the school in order to become high class chefs. Parents have been known to beg officials to accept their children, even offering their life savings to have their child attend, though all offers are turned down. Students are only accepted after passing an entrance exam, requiring them to prepare a dish under a specific theme and pass the exam proctors' judgment. If they show acceptable merit in their school work in the middle school section, they will move on to the high school section. As a privately owned academy, the school board may expel students if their work does not meet their expectations, though it is uncommon for a student to be expelled in middle school.

"I wish I could send him there, but I don't have the money." Yukina said worried.

"Don't worry, if he gets in by passing the transfer exam, using my association as his teacher, he can go there for free."

"Are you sure?" Kurogasa asked.

"Of course. The Director of the Academy is a good friend of mine. I can put in a good word for you, since I attended the school myself."

"EHHHHHHHHH?! You attended Tōtsuki Culinary Academy?!" Kurogasa exclaimed surprised.

"Oh my…" Yukina blinked.

"I have. 75th Generation and Number 1 in the Elite Ten Council."

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Kurogasa gawked again.

He heard about that too.

The Elite Ten is an illustrious group of students in Tōtsuki comprised of the ten best students in the entire academy. The organization is responsible for handling the academy's internal evaluations, including judging the achievements based on the student presentations in the academy grounds as well as helping organize events such as the Tōtsuki Autumn Election. Because of their status in the academy, they have certain freedoms when carrying out personal projects. They are also given a large budget by Tōtsuki Culinary Academy for them to utilize in any conceivable reason as long as the purchases are related to cooking and food research. Their authority in the academy is second only to the director.

That being said, even the lecturers have less authority than they do and must obey anything they say. However, their power in the Academy is much more powerful, enough so that they can formally request a new director of the campus if the majority of the council votes in favor and overrule the director's wishes himself. For many, the 1st seat is the highest honor possible in the academy and most successful chefs in the culinary world have been a 1st seat.

"Oh boy…" Kurogasa sweated.

"Relax, you'll do fine." Shishou assured. "And who knows, maybe you'll find that girl."

Kurogasa looked down in thought. It was true too. There was a good chance that she could be there as well thanks to that tongue of hers, that can taste even a molecule of a dish. "I suppose you're right."

"Even if you can't find her, you can still make that person eat crow for taking her away from you." The talented chef added.

"Yeah…" Kurogasa muttered.

"Obaachan ga iteita: Even in a world full of enemies, there will always be someone you must protect." He quoted. "If and when you find her, protect her with your life."

"Hai." Kurogasa nodded firmly.

"Kurogasa, are you sure you can do this?" Yukina asked.

"I can Kaa-san. If she's there, I will make sure to stay with her this time." Kurogasa assured. "I swear it."

End Flashback


"I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into…" Kurogasa sighed to himself.

"Oi, we're here!" The man said with a wide grin.

"Ohh thanks, how much-"

"Eh, the ride's free to get here." The man waved off.

"What? Not that I mind, but why?"

"Well a lot of kids fail at these things, and I feel bad making them pay for two rides, so the ones coming here are free." The man explained.

"Really? That hard?" Kurogasa tilted his head.

"Yeah, supposedly they have a tough proctor to judge them. I heard those who heard, already told them they weren't coming."

"That bad, huh?" Kurogasa got out.

"Yeah. I'll be waiting if you fail." He waved off. "Good luck still gaki!"

"Heh, like that's gonna happen any time soon." Kurogasa grinned as he got out the taxi and raised a finger in the air. "Shishou ga iteita: He who walks the path of Heaven will rule over everything."

"He who… what?"


When he stood at the door of the said academy, with his duffel bag of clothes and other things next to him, he was amazed at the sight. The school itself didn't fit in the traditional sense of Kyoto sense it was large and had many western-styled building, being covered in shiny white stone. But the really impressive thing was that it was on a large hill-like mountain with buildings appearing often in Kurogasa's eyes and it wasn't all in just one mountain. The ones near it also had buildings around them as well, and it led up to a huge pagoda-like structure at the top.

"Whew… that's impressive." Kurogasa whistled. "Well, nothing like the present." He added before picking up his duffel bag, going over to the door, and opening it before taking the long path upwards.

After a while of walking, he managed to arrive at the place where supposedly the transfer students were to meet. It was a large building similar to the style of a large church… without the holy building itself. The young chef noticed that the only people here weren't wearing the school uniforms making him smile that he arrived at the correct place.

"Excuse me." Kurogasa asked a fancy dressed teen passing him. "Do you know where I can find where all the transfer students meet?"

However the person passed him with a sneer, "Go back to the sticks, punk."

"Uh…" Kurogasa got out, dumbfounded. "I was just… asking. Uh, excuse me, sorry but-"

Once again the person he tried to asked brushed him off with another dark look, "Don't waste my time peasant."

"Ah… Oh boy…" Kurogasa sweat dropped. "This might be a lot harder than I thought." He then took out his cell phone and dialed a number. After a few seconds…

["Hello?"]

"Hey Shishou, it's me. I'm at the place, well at least I think I am." Kurogasa said uncertain. "I'm trying to ask where the transfers meet, but they're being rude."

["…I see. I forgot to tell you,"]

"Eh?"

["Many of the would-be students are from high-class world companies and restaurants, compared to you and me. Meaning…"]

"They think they're better than people." Kurogasa finished with a deadpan look. "Figures… are you really sure I can do this, Shishou?"

["Believe in what I say. Most of these would-be chefs never truly held their own in the kitchen unlike you. To them, you're the veteran soldier in this squad."]

"Sokka. Well, I guess I better school them in their own kitchen." Kurogasa chuckled. "After all, fancy flavors cannot hide poor cooking."

["Mm. Good answer. I'll talk to you later. Tell me how everything went when your examinations are done, okay?"]

"Right!" Kurogasa said before the line cut off. He then turned around to look for someone to help and-

"Ouch, watch where ya goin' partner!" A male voice spoke in English as Kurogasa saw a teen like him fall on the ground.

"Eh? Who's that?" A girl with teal-colored hair asked a bit airly also speaking in English.

"Ugh, sorry- Ah… so sorry?" The boy said scratching the back of his head. Kurogasa looked and saw the boy he bumped into. He wore a white shirt that had a brown vest over it. His hair was short and black but combed down finely. He wore white chef pants, that were a bit larger than most should wear. And oddly enough, he had a white fedora hat that had a black slash over it. "Sorry, Japanese is not me first language."

"That's 'my' Kishi. You're not Irish." The girl responded once more without any tenseness or any ill emotion in her tone.

"R-Right," The boy now named Kishi blushed.

"Uh… can I help you?" Kurogasa asked in English.

"You speak English?! Sweet, uh, do you need help looking for the exam room?" The boy tipped his hat as he spoke.

"Yeah. That would be great, actually." Kurogasa answered sheepishly. "I've tried to ask the other students here and they just shrugged me off like I'm some kind of parasite."

"Tch, lousy punks!" Kishi spat on the ground. "Food doesn't have money so why are we being treated like we have infections? They also treated Beatrix and I like that… although Beatrix… uh, educated some of them." The boy paled taking off his hat. "May God have mercy on their souls."

"Her?" Kurogasa pointed to the girl who was following a butterfly.

Kishi shivered, "She acts all cute and ditzy but push her too far… ugh, I can't even tell you what she will do."

"I'll… take your word for it." Kurogasa sweat dropped. "Oh right. I'm Kurogasa Kururugi. Nice to meet you."

"Kishi, Kishi 'Nero' Shiki!" The boy said giving his hand to Kurogasa to shake which the latter returned, "My style is Drunken!"

"What?"

"He uses booze in food." The girl appeared behind Kurogasa eating cotton candy, freaking him out a bit. "Beatrix… Altair…" The girl said to Kurogasa. "I cook… pastries. What's your style?"

"Me? Well… I specialize in Rice."

"Rice?" Beatrix asked.

"Yep."

"Seriously, you mastered every kind of rice?" Nero raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, if I sound like those uptight high class fools, but it seems unlikely."

"Ehehe… well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a master at them. I just… do the best that I can." Kurogasa replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Beatrix smirked at him, "Ohh… I like him."

"Easy there, girl. He isn't an easy target for you to prey on and break his heart." Shiki warned the young girl.

"I'm sorry?" Kurogasa raised an eyebrow.

"Ohh uh, Beatrix and I have been together since we're kids. She has a problem seducing girls and boys and then breaking up with them." Nero said with a disappointed look.

"Oh…"

"Wait, what?! Beatrix is-"

"Fufufufufu, don't worry. You can have a taste of me before I break up with you." The girl smiled coyly, leaning in with a wink, making Kurogasa sweat.

"Ugh, just ignore her. If you can go for a week through her sexual harassment, she'll be a good friend." The hat wearer said as he grabbed Beatrix over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "C'mon, Bebe."

"Hey! Let me go! Put me down!" Beatrix shouted, throwing a tantrum.

"Nuh-uh. No way." Kishi denied. "You can seduce Kurogasa-san all you want after we pass the test."

"Huh… odd, but not rude." Kurogasa blinked.

"KUROGASA?!"

The mentioned boy turned to see a young teenage boy with yellow eyes and a vertical scar on his left eyebrow. He had spiky dark-red hair with short bangs wearing a black coat summer school uniform over his Yukihira cooking uniform. "SOMA!?" The brown haired boy yelled back and smiled. They walked to each other before giving a brotherly hug. "Good to see you again!" He laughed as Soma and him broke the hug.

"Yeah I haven't seen you in a while." Soma said. "You'd usually come into the diner every week with that weird guy that says those weird quotes so we can have our bouts, but that hasn't been frequent lately,"

"Oi, don't mock Shishou. I take his lessons to heart thank you very much." Kurogasa huffed. "Anyways, what the heck are you doing here?"

"My old man, that's what." Soma sighed.

"Your dad? He forced you to come here?" Kurogasa asked a bit incredulous.

"Well, not exactly."

"Huh?" Kurogasa tilted his head. "You lost me. What are you talking about?"

"Dad is closing up shop in a few years, so if I want to succeed him and keep the store, I have to earn my way here. But man, who knew they were so many jerks around?" The red haired teen gave a humorous look.

"Yeah I noticed. Some of them wouldn't even give me the time of day and those who did just yelled at me." The brown haired teen replied.

"Ha, I already noticed most of these guys never served food before." Soma chuckled.

"Yeah. Now come on, let's go pass this thing!"


"There are you guys are." Shiki said as he was in the back with Beatrix now released from his grasp as they were now in an elaborate empty dining hall with ingredients lining up the wall as the two friends arrived, seeing many other transfer applicants, hoping to get into the Academy.

"Hey guys." Kurogasa greeted, with Soma behind him.

"Who's he?" Beatrix pointed at the redhead. "He looks like he's from the slums."

"This is Soma Yukihira. A good friend of mine." Kurogasa chuckled. "He may look like a bum, but he's a great cook. Trust me, I know, since he and I would always butt heads in a cooking competition."

"Hmm, I can't wait to see his skills." Shiki grinned. "I wonder who the examiner is."

"Oh… I think that's her." Beatrix pointed to the front with a chocolate bar.

The examiner in question was a girl that was fifteen years old. She has pink eyes and long honey blonde hair that flowed just above her lower back. Her bangs partially crossed her cheeks and go down all the way to her neck. She has a large bust and is considered by most of the students to be extremely attractive. She wore her Tōtsuki uniform corresponds with the current season which in this case was her spring uniform.

"Whoa, she's… pretty." Kurogasa blinked, blushing a bit.

"Amen!" Shiki chuckled.

"The things I would do to her…" Beatrix with the three boys looking at her oddly, "What? So I'm a perv. Deal with it."

"Greetings, transfer applicants." the honey blonde haired girl announced. "I am Erina Nakiri, and I have been assigned to judge today's transfer exam."

"Erina?" Kurogasa got out. 'Why… does that name sound familiar?'

"Any word from the exam division, Hisako?" Erina asked her secretary. Her secretary was the same age as her. She had short pink hair with bangs that reach to the length of her chin and she has a normal fringe reaching the length of the eyebrows and she wears the Tōtsuki seasonal uniform.

"I'll read it now." Hisako nodded as she read from a clipboard. "Examinees will first undergo interviews in groups of ten based on their application. They will then undergo a practicum where they will cook three dishes or more. Those who pass will…"

"Hmph… how pointless." Erina scoffed, making Hisako look at her.

'Okay, I'm seeing a couple of red flags here and there.' Kurogasa thought with a frown. 'But I'm not gonna back down now. Shishou is counting on me.'

"Hmmm… I have an idea." Erina smirked as she looked towards the ingredient table and picked out one ingredient. "The Main ingredient will be the egg. Make one dish. I'll only allow those whose creations impress my palate. Furthermore, I will allow those who wish to withdraw and cancel their application to do so within the next minute only." The girl said with a cool smile on her face.

"Yeesh… arrogant much…?" Shiki muttered.

"RUN!"

"Wha- OW MY LEGS!" Shiki yelled when most of the other students began to run to the entrance.

"What the heck just happened?!" Kurogasa asked, moving to the side as Soma grabbed one guy.

"You don't know who that is?!"

"Nope, tell me." Soma said with a happy smile.

"That's Erina Nakiri! She has the finest palate known to mankind! A divine tongue!" The teen said in fear. "They call it God's Tongue."

"Ooh…" Beatrix giggled perversely.

"That's why we're leaving! She's basically the gatekeeper of the cooking world! If we fail here, that means there's no way that we can get back up from making her angry! If your food is deemed unworthy, you career as a chef is over!" The boy wailed before finally running away.

"And he's out. Just like that." Soma said with a lazy deadpan look on his face.

"Once again, I cleared up my schedule. I knew most of those guys were hopeless incompetents. I can't be bothered to waste my time on such fools." The honey-blonde said with a smirk, before looking at the pink-haired girl. "I'm going to test new dishes in my private quarters."

"H-Hai, Erina-sama." Hisako nodded.

"What's the matter, Hisako?" the girl walked towards her and continued to speak. "You look like you want something."

"What the-" Kurogasa started when suddenly Erina gently cupped Hisako's chin.

"Would you like the privilege of trying my cooking?" Erina asked a bit seductively.

"I… would…" Hisako got out.

"Does… anyone else not notice the roses around them or the pink background?" Kurogasa wondered.

"See what?" Soma asked, as if not noticing the intense moment. Shiki was still knocked out with comical footprints on his body.

"Hehehehehehe…" Beatrix drooled at the sight with hearts in her eyes. "I wonder if I can join in on the fun…"

"O-Oi, oi, oi…" Kurogasa sweat dropped. "I know you have your preferences, but please keep it to yourself…"

"So," Soma loudly said causing Erina and Hisako to cringe, now realizing they weren't alone. "There's no other restrictions besides the theme we have to use?"

"Oi, what are you-" Kurogasa got out as Erina's and Hisako's head turned to the remaining four people.

"Why are you four still here?" Erina demanded.

"Uh… we're here for the transfer exam." Kurogasa blinked surprised. "Isn't it?"

"Nani?" Erina asked surprised. "Don't you all know who I am?"

"Yeah, the girl who has big expectations, right?" Soma simply answered.

"Why you-!"

"Oi, Soma, don't antagonize her…" Kurogasa hissed before looking at Erina. "L-Look, we just only want to try."

Erina was about to say something before looking at the boy oddly. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. However, she had no time for such trivial matters, so she shrugged it off. "Fine…"

"Erina-sama!"

"It's fine Hisako…" Erina waved off, "Come with me to the kitchen."

"Sure, we-" Soma began.

"Not you. Him." Erina cut off, pointing to Kurogasa.

"Just me?" Kurogasa blinked.

"I'll take you one at a time." Erina ordered, making Kurogasa oddly enough… smile.

"Hai," Kurogasa said as if taking a page from Soma.

"D-Don't act like this isn't a big deal!" Erina frowned cutely at the boy's reaction.

"It is a big deal. I mean how else am I gonna be a good chef if I don't pass the transfer exam?" Kurogasa asked confused.

Erina looked at the somewhat ditzy boy, confused with a sweat drop before she pouted. "Fine… follow me."


Soon Kurogasa followed Erina and Hisako down the hallway which the three entered a large kitchen filled with the basic essentials for high-classed chefs. "Whew… sugei na… I guess that's expected of the Academy." Kurogasa whistled impressed as he looked around. The kitchen was lined with the latest cooking equipment and tools that were up-to-date, the cabinets were filled with all kinds of spices and condiments along with non-perishables, and the refrigerator, pantry, and tables were filled with the finest and freshest ingredients.

"This room is for the entrance exams. Any chef worth his salt can use these tools here." Hisako explained. "Are you ready to start cooking?"

"Hai!" Kurogasa grinned with confidence. The boy then immediately went to pull out the cooking tools and ingredients he would need. "So what's the theme again?"

"You have to use egg in your dish." Erina reminded the boy.

"Got it." Kurogasa nodded with a confident smile as he went of work.

The ingredients for the dish he was going to use were rice, green onions, eggs, salt, pepper, slices of ribeye steak, flour, olive oil, shitake mushrooms, a garlic clove, a small bottle of brandy, double cream, and wholegrain mustard.

First, he setted up a pot and poured oil in it before firing up the stove. He then used a measuring cup to scoop out three cups of rice and put it in a rice cooker bowl, cleaning the rice to get rid of any dirt, before draining the water, adding water again, and putting it in the rice cooker itself before he went to prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Next, he chopped the green onions into fine pieces with his knives at a fast rate before placing them in a small bowl, before cracking open two eggs and stirring the liquid in a bowl, adding a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor.

Kurogasa grabbed the olive oil as he then poured one tablespoon of it into a saucepan over high heat and added six Shiitake mushrooms that were sliced, moving them gently. For a few minutes he continued to do it and his eyes soon caught the mushrooms getting a crispy look to them.

*BANG!*

He then quickly smashed in a garlic clove with his rolling pin and put it all in the pan as the oil crackled with the smell of the two ingredients. The boy opened the brandy and put two tablespoons of it into the pan watching it as it exploded into flames. "…" He didn't care as it slowly vanished, leaving the garlic and shiitake with a nice char and odor. He took a step back as he then grabbed the double cream and wholegrain mustard. After getting four tablespoons of the said cream and two tablespoons of the mustard he quickly mixed them by using a whisk. "Almost there…"

"This aroma… what is this…?" Erina got out as the steam of the ingredients reached her nose causing her to sniff and gulp. "That garlic and brandy are making an almost… earthy aroma, flooding this room."

Kurogasa grabbed a spoon as he then placed the mixture of the creamy mustard into the hot pan slowly using a spatula to fold in the garlic and shiitake mushrooms. After nodding to himself he lowered the heat as the liquid contents in the pan were now at a simmer.

He went back to check on the rice to see if it was cooked. When he saw that it was ready, he went to work on the ribeye steak strips which he cut into thin slices. After doing so, he dipped them in egg and coated them in flour before deep frying them in hot oil. While the ribeye steak strips were deep frying, he started on the rice.

He placed the rice in a wok before adding an egg. That was when he used the spatula to coat the rice with the egg liquid, making sure to coat every grain. He needed to be careful. The beauty of golden fried rice was in the presentation as each grain needed to be equally coated. He then added the green onions and once it was ready he put the rice onto a plate.

During the five minutes he was doing that, he saw that the fried ribeye steak strips were golden brown while the sauce was already heating up. When he saw it was ready, he put the fried ribeye steak slices into the sauce and left them to simmer. Finally, after the meat had finished simmering in the sauce, he picked them up and placed them on the golden fried rice, arranging the slices to look like petals of a flower.

"There we go. All done." Kurogasa smiled, satisfied with his work. "Phew… hopefully this will impress."

"This is-" Erina said as she felt weak in the knees from the smell of the food.

"Golden Fried Rice with Fried Ribeye Steak Strips dipped in Shiitake Mushroom sauce!" Kurogasa presented.

"Shiitake? Wouldn't other mushrooms like oyster or chestnut be enough?" Hisako asked, "Why use Shiitake?"

"Shiitake Mushrooms are usually used for soups and dried veggies, right? Well it turns out that one time when I was experimenting using a dried-up Shiitake mushroom, it had more flavor than a regular one during the process. So that means the overall flavor will be more packed. That, going with the steak strips, will give it a delicious earth taste that most people are fond of like potatoes and such. And with this being a creamy sauce, it doesn't stand out, rather, it brings the flavor of the steak strips well and takes away a bit from the oily-ness of them." Kurogasa explained as Hisako nodded.

"I see. Usually Shiitake are used for medicinal types of food with its healthy benefits, one of which is breaking down fat… I have to admit that it was a good choice for this dish. But what you did, was take advantage of the flavor and profile, to enhance a sauce." Hisako smiled from understanding, before looking at Erina. "Erina-sama, may I also take a bite of this dish?"

"That's why there're two plates here." Kurogasa smiled, before raising a finger in the air. "Shishou ga iteita: Truly delicious food will change the life of the one who eats it. Cooking spreads to another and the flavor connects one person to another."

"T-Thank you." Hisako said with a surprised look.

"Shishou also said this: If you receive a little kindness, give them a large serving." Kurogasa added and he made the second plate for Hisako. "Since you gave me the small kindness of giving me the opportunity to cook for you two, I can reward you with a large serving of this dish."

"Don't think that's going to affect my decision." Erina said with a stoic tone.

"Good, I don't want any pity." Kurogasa chuckled.

"…" Erina and Hisako looked at the dish and slowly took their first bite. Their eyes widened as they felt the food's flavor.

'The texture of the rice… it's so fluffy. And the egg coating made it look like beads of gold. The steak strips are still crispy, tender, and juicy even though it was left to boil in the sauce,' Erina thought.

'What is this? The flavor of the steak strips… they haven't been compromised or overpowered by the sauce. They mix so well, complementing each other.' Hisako thought as well.

"So… how is it?" Kurogasa asked nervously.

'How can this be… I haven't tasted something good like this since…' Erina thought… as she felt a deep pang in her heart. 'Why… Why do I feel so hurt?'

"This is delicious," Hisako said before giving a sad look. "But sadly it's not up to me."

*Drip, Drip, Drip*

"Erina-sama?" Hisako said before she gasped, seeing Erina… crying?

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Kurogasa asked concerned.

Erina was standing there as her hair covered her eyes and her body slightly trembled before she placed the plate down on the table. "You pass… please go."

"Uh-"

"Just leave…" Erina said once more but still calm.

"But-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Kurogasa said surprised before he hurriedly ran off.

"Erina-sama," Hisako said worriedly. "What's wrong? Was the food that bad?"

"No… I was just reminded of… happier times…" Erina said softly before wiping her tears and shaking her head. "Get the other three in here, I'll judge them together. I don't want to waste any more time."

"Are you sure? I could-"

"I said, get them in here!"

"H-Hai!"


As Kurogasa was getting out of the kitchen and walking back towards the dining hall, Kurogasa had this look of confusion and concern on his face. 'What just happened? I thought she would be impressed by the dish I made, but I made her cry. And I didn't handle the food so crudely like Shishou had taught me. Man, this is very confusing…'

"Hey, Kurogasa! You're back! How did it go?" Soma grinned as Kurogasa met up with Soma, Shiki, and Beatrix.

"Huh? What's wrong, man?" Shiki asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I… passed."

"Congratulations." Beatrix nodded.

"Yeah, that's great!" Soma grinned. "If you passed, then that means we got this in the bag!"

"Y-Yeah…" Kurogasa said sheepishly before looking away worried. "Uh, I-I'll be right back." He said, before quickly leaving the room. Once he was an earshot away, he dialed up his Shishou. "Hey Shishou, it's me again."

["How did it go?"] Shishou asked.

"I passed the transfer exam, but…"

["But?"] Shishou prompted.

"The examiner… Her name is Erina Nakiri. I made her cry from the dish I made." Kurogasa said worriedly. "I don't get it… why would she cry when I passed? I didn't handle the food so crudely like you always taught me, and yet I made a girl cry. That doesn't make any sense."

["Kurogasa… she wouldn't have passed you, if it was terrible. Perhaps the food plucked a heartstring."]

"What do you mean?"

["Look, if you still feel ill about this, give her flowers. Obaachan ga iteita: Flowers can make any girl glow."]

"Flowers… alright. I'll do it!" He nodded before running off to find flowers.

["I didn't mean right now!"]

Kurogasa skidded to a halt. "Eh? Are you sure?"

["Yes, let her have some time to cool off. Then when you see her at school, give them to her."]

"Uh… well, okay."

["Mattaku… you're growing up too fast, aren't you."] Shishou chuckled.

"O-Oi! Shishou!" Kurogasa stammered with a blush. "I'm hanging up!"

And he did. Several minutes later, the other three chefs walked out looking slightly tired save for Soma, "Hey guys, how did you do?"

"Shiki and I barely survived by the skin of our teeth." Beatrix said, "What do you do to Erina?"

"Yeah, she ripped us a new one. She kept telling us the flaws in our dishes so fast and brutal, it felt like bullets were passing by us!" Shiki groaned.

"To be honest… I don't know." Kurogasa said. "I cooked my dish and I passed the test, but… she was crying. I don't know why."

"Ha, well that means you either made something so disgusting that she took a chance of taking you in or you made something awesome!" Soma grinned.

"Soma… I made a girl cry in the wrong way because I made a dish so good. That's never happened to me before…" Kurogasa said sadly.

"Huh, really?" Soma asked, looking confused. When Kurogasa's reaction didn't change, that's when he turned serious. "You're serious."

"Yeah… it's… I don't know…" Kurogasa trailed off.

"Well either way you have the chance to talk to her again, unlike me." Soma said.

"I… guess so…" Kurogasa muttered sadly, before he realized the other part he said and looked at him incredulously. "Wait… you failed?"

"Yup!"

"I thought so. No wonder your old man always beats you in your bouts with him." He deadpanned.

"Haha! It wasn't that the girl enjoyed it, it was him trolling her!" The hat wearer laughed. "I told you to reel it in, but you had to tease her."

"I couldn't help it." Soma shrugged with a grin.

"You really don't understand the feelings of a woman don't you…" Kurogasa sweat dropped.

"Thanks!" Soma said as if was being complimented.

*BONK!*

"OW!"

"Baka! That wasn't a compliment!" Kurogasa comically snapped before bopping him on the head.

"Oh well, come on," Beatrix said as she walked ahead, "I'm buying lunch. Everyone but Soma survived God's Tongue and I'm hungry."

"Haha, good, let's get some sake!" Shiki grinned.

*BONK!*

"OW!"

"Baka! We're underaged!" Kurogasa snapped.

"Fine, fine… chocolate infused with whiskey." Shiki nodded sagely.

*BONK!*

"OW!"

"NO!"

"Ugh… fine, ya buzzkill." Shiki rolled his eyes before looking at Soma. "What about you? You coming?"

"Sure, I got nowhere else to go." Soma shrugged.


Later on that day, as the sun set, Erina was in her office on the phone. Yes, she has her own office. Being a member of the Elite Ten Council had its perks. The Elite Ten Council as previously explained are the best of the school, all ranked from 1 to 10. Erina being the 10th is still remarkable for a freshman, but the Elite Ten are more or less the true leaders of the school and can even overthrow the director if they wanted to… but why would they? Besides their power, they are also responsible for handling the Academy's internal evaluations, including judging the achievements based on the student presentations in the Academy grounds as well as helping organize events.

"Yes, this is Erina." The girl said over the phone. "Tell my grandfather, the Director of the Academy, that three transfer students have passed."

Erina nodded as she heard the other speaker, "Yes… they were rather good… thank you." The girl hung up before she sat down and stared at the ceiling with a blank look on her face for a moment before she looked around the room to make sure, even though she was by herself, that no one was looking. Erina went under her desk to move a loose floorboard, taking out a small book and pulling out photo in its hiding place. It was her when she was five years old… she was smiling when a young boy was holding her hand, smiling widely as well.

"That boy… no… it can't be him… he never came back…" Erina shook her head. The boy from ten years ago was the only person that made her smile like any other person would. He made her a simple cake that was good, and she wouldn't have anything else but that. However, that all changed when he never came back, all thanks to her father. Because of him, she couldn't see that boy ever again. It's been ten years since they've last seen each other and she doesn't have the slightest clue of where he is. The only thing she could do now is hope to meet him again sometime in the future. That is, if she ever sees him again. "…I should get ready for the opening ceremony tomorrow." She stated before slipping the photo back into the book and the book back into its secret spot before covering it with loose floorboard.

She started to leave until her hand held onto the doorknob, smiling a bit, "It would be so wonderful if it was him though… his food tasted like that cake… so sweet and kind…"


Fen: WOHOO! First chapter done! And I'm pretty sure you guys know who Kurogasa's teacher is.

AQ: *Does Shishou/Kurogasa pose* If not… Go seek the Kamen Rider Kabuto series!

Fen: Mhmm. Hopefully, you all liked this chapter! I'm gonna continue watching the rest of the episodes and see what ideas I can come up with!

AQ: …Yeah this guy is WAY behind on the series.

Fen: Hey, you can't blame me for being late about it! I've been busy with other stuff. Not to mention, there's not that many good animes nowadays that interest me.

AQ: You're not wrong about the anime this season. No good harem one… oh well, good thing we have Berserk.

Fen: Uh… right. Well anyways, see ya on the next Main Course!