Home by the Ocean

001: Train

At last, after months of rigorous training and near-death challenges, the day has finally arrived for the students of Tootsuki Academy.

Summer vacation

The students made no second thoughts of packing up their things and double checking their plane tickets to ensure their three months' worth of rest out of the academy. As for the students in the Polar Star Dorm, they conjured a banquet for themselves for their successes this year and also to bid farewell to each other for their small time of separation for the summer.

Most of them will be going back to their hometowns to rejoin with their families and travel to places, maybe even abroad to have fun. Like a certain Tadokoro Megumi, who smiled and cheered along with her friends.

Though the others planned to go swimming at a famous water park, Megumi had to decline the offer because she promised her mother to be back home on the first day of summer. Though a bit disappointed, the others made sure to accompany her to the Tohoku Shinkansen to properly send her off.

"You have everything right, Tadokoro?" asked Souma, who handed her her luggage.

Megumi nodded "Thanks Souma"

"You take care now okay Megumi?" reminded Isshiki

"Yes, I will senpai!"

"Megumi! I'm going to miss you!" exclaimed Yuki, who tackled her into a bear hug.

"I'll miss you too Megumi" added Ryoko who also joined the hug.

"Hey, hey what about us?"

"Don't leave us out!"

And soon, the others came around into a big group hug, making Megumi blush from their affection.

"T-t-thank you e-e-everyone! I-I'll miss all of you t-too!" She stuttered after they let go of their embrace.

They were saying their last farewells when they heard a commotion somewhere, but they disregarded it when they heard the speaker saying that the train will be departing. The group of aspiring chefs of Tootsuki waved their friends off even after the doors were closed and they didn't stop until they were out of sight.

Megumi sighed, thankful that she was able to meet and gain new friends despite being (formerly) called the class dunce. With her luggage in tow, she walked carefully along the carts to find a spot to sit on.

Luckily, she was able to find some space despite the number of people. However, she wouldn't feel so lucky now because the second she sat down, another person sat beside her.

Curious at the sudden decrease of space, the two occupants turned to each other.

Aureolin met magenta.

Megumi gasped.

"Eh-E-EHHH?!" she flushed and her face grew to a redder shade when she realized she caught so much attention.

Well, who wouldn't be surprised? She's sitting right next to the renowned 'Mad Dog' of the Tootsuki 92nd generation, Kurokiba Ryo. The person who has a double personality, her rival during the quarterfinals, and the second placer- along with Soma, in the Tootsuki Autumn Election.

The raven-head only raised a bored brow at her.

"You're too noisy" he said lazily as he picked his ear as if she damaged his eardrum

"K-k-kurok-kiba! W-w-what are y-you do-doing h-here?!" the question came out on its own.

"Talk normally" he lazily stretched. 'What's she stuttering around for? She wasn't like this when I fought her, where was that confidence?' "I was supposed to go on a trip with Alice, but I couldn't find her anywhere and the staff said there was no Nakiri…"

He stopped when he relaxed his body again and a piece of paper fell from his pocket, which landed near Megumi's bag. She automatically picked it up and unconsciously read it.

"U-Uhmm… K-kurokiba, are you s-sure you're headed for Tohoku?" He merely tilted his head to her and she nervously showed him his paper "I-I think you're g-going to Kobe"

Double-checking the paper, he was slightly taken aback when he realized his mistake. Alice was rambling on and on about things last night that he was eventually dozing off. All he heard was 'a trip', 'port town', and 'to check on the company'. And because he was caught asleep while she was talking, she became so upset with him that she literally left him alone in the kitchen and hastily packed as she headed off to Erina's place to bother her instead- but not after writing a quick note to Ryo from an ink and brush coming from-who-knows-where.

Ryo woke up with shapes and wiggles drawn around his face.

"Ohhh…" it sounded like he half-said it and half-grumbled it. He rests his head by the glass behind him after realizing his mistake. There was a smudge on the paper and he was still drowsy when he looked at it so the kanji made it look like 'Tohoku' instead of 'Kobe'. His pride refused him to do a double take after that.

Seeing his mistake, Megumi kindly returned his paper. "D-d-don't you think you should c-call Alice? This train is a one-way ride to Tohoku so…"

Ryo pondered for a moment "Hmm… nahh"

"Eh? Ehh?! W-w-won't A-Alice be lo-looking for you?"

"Hmm"

"S-she's probably w-w-wondering w-where you are"

"Hmm"

"Don't m-make your friend worry"

He paused at that 'Friend'? He turned his full attention towards her, which made her flush under his serious gaze

"You think she's my friend?"

"I-I'm sorry! B-but even though y-you're her aide, y-you two are close s-s-so you two should be friends, right?"

Ryo, even though he didn't show it openly, was surprised. Most people would call their relationship as that of a dog and his master. No one ever referred to them as friends until now. The two of them has always been focused on their culinary career that that topic was never even mentioned in all the years they've been together.

He could've denied her but he said something else instead.

"Can't you talk normally without stuttering? It's annoying"

"I-I'm-! I'm sorry!"

He sighed and looked out the window across him, noticing that the buildings and houses has become fewer and more plains and trees are seen.

There was a good silence between them for a few minutes. Megumi was playing with her thumbs when he spoke.

"I think I'll… take a break for a while… besides, Alice nags too much"

"Ohh…" Megumi blinked when she looked at him. After saying those words, his arms were behind his head and his eyes were closed as he slept. Looking down, she only noticed that he only carried a single duffel bag with him.

"Wake me up when we get there"

"Y-o-okay!"

Minutes ago she was shaking of fright because she thought that the notorious person sitting beside her was going to eat her. But after seeing that he wouldn't and noticing how peaceful he looked while he slept, maybe she could feel at ease during this train ride.

Wait… that means he'll be coming with her to her hometown, right?

This is chapter 1! I hope it somehow catches your taste.

I am actually confused with my OTP in Shokugeki no Soma, at first I was Megumi and Soma but people keep persisting- and since the manga is developing further the relationship of, Soma and Erina.

After reading the Autumn Election arc (especially Megumi and Ryo's battle), though its only canon, I think their polar personalities and the same time, similar traits, conjured a good chemistry for me between those two. I've been thinking about MegumiXSoma and MegumiXRyo but it seems MegumiXRyo became more dominant for me. And seeing that I'm not the only one in this pairing, I was like… what the heck! Let's make a fanfic!

So thanks for reading this! The following chapters will be more interesting, I promise

I'm still studying their behavior and how much I could tweak their personalities so please bear with me!

Ciao~!