A/N: After a small eternity, I have returned! I am SO incredibly sorry for allowing the fic to go dormant. Life has been...a lot. But! I'm trying to give myself more time to write (lest I go completely and utterly mad!) so I'll be working to upload more chapters over the next few months. This chapter was actually part of a larger one I had been writing, but I broke it into two pieces cuz it was getting super long. The longer it got, the more I wanted to rework it, the less likely I was going to ever finish it. I'm not 100% happy with it, but in the interest of actually progressing the story I'm putting it out anyway. Hopefully, the other half more than makes up for this one!

Also, thank you all so, so, so, SO much for all your wonderful comments. They really mean a lot. Here's to hoping that I can continue to live up to your glowing reviews!


For most of his life, Ryou had been considered unpredictable.

It didn't take him long to realise that to many that meant they didn't really understand him or what he was inclined to do. Sometimes, however, he felt inclined to do things that not even he could explain.

This was currently one of those times.

After the Autumn Election finale, he found himself in what could only be described as a tailspin. Fired up from his loss against Hayama - and it was a loss in his books - he had been on edge in a way that he had never been before. Even though he was a sore loser, he understood losing. It meant he had to get better. To fail to dominate, but also not lose outright felt like an indictment on his conviction. It was the stale, limp taste of complacency that coated his tongue for the first time and he hated it. To be tied with someone as restrained as Hayama was surely the kick in the ass that he needed to take him higher. He needed more strength and depth of flavour. He needed even more passion in his food. He was convinced that this would be his key to victory.

He could not have been more wrong.

As his cuisine became more ferocious, Hayama's became even more restrained. Refined, even. And that meticulous, almost dispassionate approach secured him a win. Ryou was left in the dust, barely edging out the transfer kid, Yukihira. To say he was shaken would be an understatement. After they announced the results, everything became a blur. He was in a rage. At least that's what he told himself. Being in a rage was a lot easier to rationalise. He couldn't face what it meant to feel inadequate and the threat that posed. He couldn't even set foot in a kitchen that night. Instead, he put himself through a gruelling workout that seemed to go on forever. When it was done, he showered and made his way to the fish market. In the wee hours of the morning there were hardly any patrons and still so much work to be done. Everyone was so focused on their own tasks that there was no one to bother him or ask about the final battle. He was glad for that. As more people began to filter in, he left. He continued through this haze, occasionally taking his frustrations out in the kitchen.

It had been a few days, he wasn't entirely sure how many, before his routine returned to normal. Before he saw Megumi again.

He wasn't sure what came over him when he asked her to make ramen for him. When he looked her in the eye, he didn't see pity or fear; none of her resolve or even her usual timidity. In her honeyed gaze he saw nothing but her sincerity and earnestness. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, no doubt from her admitting genuine admiration for someone who was her rival. It seemed to come so easily to her. Her sincerity came just as easily as her steely resolve, or anything else he knew about her. With each encounter she showed him something new, something different. Just like her ramen. The words were out of his mouth before he knew it, and her own sense of confusion mirrored his shock at having said it. But he would be damned if he was going to back down now.

"Your ramen. I want to see how you make it."

In those moments before her response, he had never felt so vulnerable. He watched as so many emotions flickered across her face. She searched his face as well, looking for any hint of mockery in his request. He never thought he would see the day when having her look at him would put him on the spot, but there they were. He looked back at her, taking his time in studying her features. Her large innocent eyes, her plush cheeks, delicate complexion and surprisingly full lips.

"I'll do it."

The sound of her voice brought him back to the present. He nodded, to let her know that he heard her. He told her to meet him at Alice's and made a brisk exit. He couldn't bare to feel more vulnerable than he already did.

His day continued as normal. After his run in with Megumi, he returned to the dorm and did some minor practice work in the kitchen before heading out to shadow that spice bastard again. In the midst of following his regular flow however, was a feeling he had been unable to shake since he ran into Megumi. The memory of her eyes taking in the sight of him, as if she could just about see inside his head left him feeling rather unnerved. He wasn't accustomed to being seen. As Lady Alice's assistant he barely registered on anyone's radar. Even when he was alone at Toutsuki, no one ever really noticed him. He reserved all his passion for the kitchen, meaning he often came across as lazy or laidback outside of it. Most of the students had written him off until he set foot on the competitive stage. Then they became afraid of him and steered clear. But in that moment, when Megumi looked at him, he felt none of those things. She looked at him like she was on the cusp of understanding him; how he thought and how he felt.

To say it made him feel uneasy was an understatement. It's not that he actively cultivated mystique or was trying to maintain a facade. He had been a child the last time someone saw through his front. Few and far between were the people who took the time to read him. Naturally, Alice stood to the top of that incredibly short list. They had been together long enough that her knowing smirks could never get under his skin. The folks at the fish market saw saw bits here and there but if they saw through him they never said. Megumi, with her guileless appearance, studied him openly. Even as his hackles rose and he tried to defend against his own vulnerability and uncertainty, her eyes never left him. Her gaze raked over every inch of his face in a way that no spotlight ever could. Despite her own confusion, he could see it. A faint light of recognition, of understanding, going off behind her eyes. He stopped sharpening his knife. The sudden lack of background noise left the kitchen deathly quiet. Typically the quiet wouldn't bother him, but today it only served to amplify the thoughts already in his head. He packed the knives away and tidied the rest of the kitchen before exiting in a huff. In such a brief time it felt like everything was unravelling, and he wasn't sure that was a good thing.


Megumi played it cool. From the moment Ryou turned to leave until that morning when her eyes peeled open she had done nothing but play it cool. Surely, she thought, she had reached her limit. A vision of Ryou crossed her mind, unbidden. She could see, almost as if he were standing before her, his clenched jaw and the uncertainty dancing behind his crimson eyes. The smooth skin of his face looked less tan than she remembered but she wasn't sure if it was because of the contrast from his darkening his undereye bags or because he was spending more time indoors. Even in that state he looked imposing, his features seemingly cut from granite.

She sharply exhaled and slapped her cheeks lightly to break the hold he had on her mind. This wasn't the time for her to lose her train of thought. This was the time to focus. After he asked her to make noodles, the rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. Not that anyone seemed to notice. They were all busy doing their own thing, at least enough for an unusually flustered Megumi to slink past. She hoped she would be so lucky today, but it didn't quite work out.

First, she ran into Souma, literally. As she left her room, she collided with something solid and warm. The impact jolted her, leaving her disoriented until strong arms gripped her upper arm.

"Ah! Megumi I didn't see you there."

She blinked as the voice registered in her brain.

"Souma...kun?"

She opened her eyes to find his face distressingly close to her own. His eyes sparkled as his face came further into focus, in stark contrast to the dark circles developing under his eyes. She flushed violently at their closeness, backing out of his grip. He let her go reluctantly, embarrassment and concern written all over his face.

"I wasn't looking where I was going. You alright?"

She nodded dumbly, smiling weakly at his relieved expression. The sudden absence of his body close to hers left her feeling cold. His scent lingered in her nose. And those dark circles under his eyes...

"Ahh! I...I have to go!" she squeaked out quickly. The sound of her hurried footsteps on the stairs drowned out his reply.

She thought she could regain her composure at the fish market. That was until her eyes made four with her smirking fisherman friends.

"That's quite the haul you've got there," Hitomi said in lieu of a standard greeting, "looks like someone has plans for dinner." Her tone was playful but suggestive. Megumi smiled awkwardly, trying not to overthink what she may have been insinuating.

"Don't pay attention to her, she saw you and Ryou-kun chatting and let her imagination run away with her." Sanosuke's voice had a clear tone of exasperation.

"It's only a joke. It's not like I said you two were going on a date!"

Megumi froze. Almost instantly an image formed in her mind. Her, blushing feverishly as he crowded her personal space. His face dangerously close to her own. Firm hands on her upper arm. The warmth of his firm body as it closer to her own.

"Megumi-chan? Are you ok?"

The sound of her name broke her out of her reverie and she smiled awkwardly at the pair. They looked at each other, a thousand questions evident on their faces.

"Y-yeah. Well, I really should get going." her voice sounded shrill and nervous. She took off before they began to pry further. When she returned to the dorm, she avoided Ryoko and Yuki like the plague. She was barely holding it together and she still had to actually cook with Ryou later.

When the coast was clear, she snuck back to the kitchen to start packing up her produce. She kept an eye out for her dorm mates, spooked by the run ins she had so far for the day. Normally she wouldn't be phased by Souma bulldozing right through her. It was how a lot of their interactions started, even from the beginning. But she was so flustered about cooking with - or was it for? - Ryou that her frayed nerves made a big deal out of a normal occurrence. Souma running into her. The fishermen teasing her. If she was this hopeless on something that was decidedly not a date,there was no hope for her love life, she thought with a sigh. She was half way through packing some shellfish into her basket when Isshiki entered the kitchen humming a cheery tune to himself. He was wearing his normal loin cloth and boots, covered in a thin sheen of sweat which suggested he had been out gardening. Megumi watched him with keen eyes as he poured himself a glass of water, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Content that she wouldn't be interrupted, she continued packing.

"What's all this then?" Isshiki's voice suddenly behind her made her shriek. She turned, breathing hard and staring at her upperclassman with wide eyes.

"Ah! Sorry to have startled you Megumi-chan. You weren't out in the garden today and I was wondering what my precious junior could be up to, squirreling away food in the kitchen all by herself." As always, his tone was even and his countenance radiant and cheery. She took a deep breath and straightened herself out.

"I was just...taking some stuff to Alice's house. To cook." Isshiki nodded, seemingly unphased by her statement. He stood next to her, watching her pack away some more fish.

"I didn't realise you and Alice were so close," he noticed the way she froze briefly before resuming packing.

"Ah...yes, well." He smiled to himself at her response. Megumi had always been a terrible liar, but seeing the tension that hummed through her body he decided against pushing her further.

"So how will you be getting there? A fancy limo perhaps?"

She shook her head. "I'll be making my way there..."

She jumped suddenly, her eyes fixed on Isshiki as she remembered something crucial.

"I...I don't know where Nagiri-san lives." He hummed, a thoughtful noise, bringing his glass to his lips for a sip of water.

"Well I think Souma-kun and her assistant were going to Hayama's place today. He could always take you back to her place from there."

"Oh, I suppose I could do that." She seemed unsettled by the idea but nodded all the same. "Thank you senpai."

Isshiki smiled at her, patting her gently on her head before turning to leave.

"Anything for my precious junior. Have fun!"

Megumi waved him farewell before picking up her bag and heading out to Hayama's. It didn't take her too long, and she did better at remembering how to get there than she expected. She rang the doorbell, expecting Hayama or his mentor to open it. Instead, the door swung open as Souma and Ryou were forced outside by a flustered Hayama. The door slammed unceremoniously in their faces.

"Tomorrow same time, Hayama?" Souma shouted. A muffled shout of "Leave me alone!" sounded from behind the door and Souma grinned to himself. He turned to say something to Ryou but noticed Megumi standing on the landing with them.

"What are you doing here?" Ryou said, his face bent with mild confusion. Souma watched the two of them keenly, not missing the implication that Ryou was expecting to see her. Megumi snuck a peak at Souma and flushed, as if embarrassed, before answering.

"I-I..." a deep breath, "I don't know where Alice lives so I came here to look for you."

Ryou made a face but nodded, following her logic. He stretched lightly before assuming his normal relaxed posture.

"You should have said something before."

"I know. But I didn't realise until today."

"Oh!" Souma interjected "You guys were gonna do some cooking practice together, huh" Megumi nodded and Ryou looked at Souma as if he was an idiot. "Mind if I tag along?"

Megumi looked to Ryou instead of answering, noticing the slight frown on his face.

"Yes. Lady Alice will be joining us and our kitchen isn't big enough to handle so many people." Megumi tried not to look surprised at the mention of Alice's name. Not noticing her reaction, Souma nodded, his expression equally pensive and sorrowful.

"That sucks. Megumi is a really good cook so I know you guys are gonna enjoy it." Megumi smiled shyly at his comment. Ryou nodded in agreement, eyes watching the two of them keenly. Souma, oblivious to his gaze, clapped a hand on Megumi's shoulder before taking his leave.

"See you back at the dorm!"

"Bye Souma-kun."

Ryou tipped his head in a silent farewell before bending to take Megumi's bag from her. He pulled his phone out and began texting before walking away wordlessly, leaving Megumi to follow him. He set a fairly languid pace so it wasn't hard for her to catch up. Unsure of what to say she kept her head down, aimlessly stroking one of her braids. Their walk was quiet and somewhat awkward. She tried all day to avoid talking about her evening plans with Ryou only to run into Souma - of all people - when she had just about gotten away with it. In typical Souma fashion, he didn't seem to think anything odd about Megumi spending time with Ryou. Though, now that she thought about it, Ryou mentioning Alice may have had something to do with it.

"I...I didn't know Alice was going to be with us today."

"She isn't."

"Eh?! But you said..."

"I said that to get him out of my hair. He'd just insert himself into the evening otherwise."

"I see."

It made sense. Souma was relentless and would possibly have followed them all the way back then stayed if he knew the truth. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if it was three of them. Souma, she knew and could talk to. He could fill the silence that settled between them with lively chatter. But she wasn't sure how she felt about Souma knowing that it was only going to be the two of them. She wasn't even sure what difference it would have made if he knew. It wasn't like they were dating or he had feelings for her that could be ruined by the revelation. And yet, she found herself uncomfortable with the idea of him knowing that she was going to be spending time with Ryou alone. She was uncomfortable with anyone knowing, because they were likely to get the wrong idea about what was going on. She remembered the comments Yuki and Ryoko made during the Autumn Elections. If it got out that she was spending time alone with Ryou, she was sure she would never live it down. Her eyes flicked over to Ryou, who walked almost shoulder to shoulder with her. Other than their previous conversation he had hardly said anything. He had hardly paid her attention either. Perhaps their walk had not been as awkward as she thought. The quiet may have been a good time for her to clear her head, if she hadn't been so busy projecting her own doubts into it. They continued walking like that for some time, Ryou quietly setting the pace beside her and Megumi buried in her own thoughts.

"We're here." She looked up at the mansion before her. It was pretty much what she expected. White. Pristine. Large. She followed him up the steps, waiting patiently as he fished out his keys and unlocked the massive door. He stepped aside so that she could enter first, walking in behind her and closing the door. It was oddly quiet for such a large door. She waited to follow him once more, this time to the kitchen. Just as before, he opened the door and allowed her in before shutting it behind himself. She was thrown off by his chivalry, though she supposed being Alice's right hand it would be second nature for him. She turned her focus to the kitchen they would be working in. Instead of a homely, domestic kitchen she was confronted by a spacious room filled with industrial equipment for every process she could possibly of and then some. She almost had to laugh at the idea of their kitchen not being big enough to accommodate Souma. Their kitchen was large enough to accommodate all of the Polar Star Dorm if they wanted. With space to spare.

Ryou set the produce down at the far end of the room. The set up was not dissimilar to that of the Autumn Election stage. Unlike most of the other equipment, the machinery here showed signs of frequent use. She could see it was the home of many a keen battle between Alice and Ryou. She dragged her fingertips across the countertops as she walked past, marvelling at all the things he had access to. She wondered idly if that was the difference between them; not only his boundless passion but the sheer scope of things he had access to for practice. And yet, that still wouldn't explain why he brought her here.

"Are you ready?" the cool tones of his voice broke through her thoughts immediately. She honestly wasn't sure what the answer to that question was. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and her head was swirling with too many thoughts. But she looked him in the eye and she nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. Then let's begin."