Disclaimer: All character rights reserved to the original mangaka.


Tōtsuki: a culinary school in Japan where only the best will survive and graduate. Any student who could not cut it would be dropped without batting an eye.

As Headmaster, it is my job to maintain its standards. This means I have my own set of responsibilities to carry out, decisions and negotiations that affect hundreds of students.

So any matters that I deem beneath my station only serves to annoy me.

"No."

"You haven't even tried it," a wide grin from the red head was irritating, "how'd you know what its taste is? Even the Nakiri God tongue would need to have a bite before making a judgement."

"No." I frowned, ending the conversation and continuing on my way, secretary in tow,, "I got better things to do." Having returned from a tasting, I was not feeling particularly partial to eating, even if to sample.

Yukihira Soma barely faltered, overtaking me, standing in my way. "It won't do for the Headmaster of Tōtsuki refusing to taste a dish made by the First Seat."

He held up a plate of Danish pastries.

…Nothing fancy about them as far as I can see.

I scoffed, folding my arms. This is a waste of time.

What makes him think that he can ambush me for a taste test in the corridor right outside my office.

Nonetheless, as the First Seat, I gave him a few beats of due consideration, and decided not to concede to that point.

After all, as the red head said, I am the Headmaster:

His superior.

"No. I'm not someone who is at your beck and call." I brushed past the First Seat to make my way into my office, calling out without a backward glance, "What's next?"

My trusty secretary had fallen a little behind, flipping through a clipboard, "You've a call with the president of Minji in regards to the new terms. They are waiting for you and I've already prepared the call on line 1."

Hmm, perhaps they have considered my demand for work slots to accommodate the next stagiaire batch.

Very well.

"Noted." a flick of my hair, shooting a glance at the pouting chef, of whom still held up his pastry dish, before giving the order, "Make sure I am not disturbed."

The double doors closed behind me like the strike of a gavel, settling the matter, shutting out the nuisance. Being the Headmaster of a nationally renowned culinary school has its own responsibilities and stresses.

On top of that, my unique talent getting sought for professional opinion over new factory product lines, luxury hotel menu change, and Michelin Star restaurant reviews, dwarfs any requests even from the First Seat, save for official reasons.

Unsolicited taste tests are not helping with the workload.

It was a standard routine that we would go through: he would ambush me with a new dish, and I would reject it without a second thought. He would nonetheless repeat the whole thing again a few days later.

It is getting old.

Even Hisako had a weary look over this predictability… with some form of sympathy and admiration for his tenacity appearing on her face lately.

Perhaps I was treating him too harshly?

No.

I will have to be firm on this. Else that boy would think that he has a pass in pestering me anytime for my favour; Favours that would otherwise cost millions of yen per consultation.

Humph.

Let us put that aside for now. I have an arm to twist, albeit over the phone.

After a half hour call with Minji, I barely had time to feel satisfied with securing another great deal for Tōtsuki before moving on to the next item on the schedule.

It was a typical packed day.

Hisako had dutifully waited just out my office doors. "You've a meeting with the board of one of the Nakiri subsidiaries." She knew what I was about to ask. "The car is waiting, Erina-sama."

"Good. Let's go."

'Thank goodness for Hisako.' I thought as we walked through the corridor to the exit. It would be a wonder how things would be like without my loyal assistant putting everything in place and ready.

She is the only one I trust with to handle my schedule, screening my meetings, and even handle all my quality of life matters.

She has gone through many lengths to be the best assistant she could ever be, going for bodyguard, first aid, and even accounting courses in her free time for me.

I would trust her with my life.

We got into the car, which was kept to my household standards to maintain that new car smell.

However…

"Do you smell pastry?"

"Erina-sama?"

I sniffed. Yes, the smell of baked yeast and caramel was faint, barely noticeable by a casual whiff but I am sure about it. Thanks to my God Tongue talent, identifying the faintest smells and tastes are child's play. "Didn't Yukihira-kun bring some pastry earlier?"

"Y-yes, he did." Hisako hand went over her mouth, likely surprised that I was able to pick up on that. "Perhaps it was just the smell that lingered in the air getting on my clothes… I'll make sure to freshen up before the meeting"

Hmm, perhaps.

I should instate a rule about eating and bringing food in the hallways; Food should only be opened and consumed in the kitchens, else anyone without a common sense could open a can of strömming… again.

I know one such person without aforementioned common sense. One could only hope he got the message to not bother me with further sampling requests.

Anyway, to close the pastry scent mystery, I amused myself imagining that it was a case of Hisako taking a sample after I outright rejected him.

What a preposterous thought.

Besides, Hisako will never hide anything from me.


A/N: I was doing a psych analysis of Headmaster of Totsuki, Nakiri Erina. Then an idea came to me to actually write something about it!

Initially planed to be a one shot but I think it's better served to be split in separate chapters for better reading and impact. Hope you enjoy this!

Your feedback and reviews are appreciated for continued improvement and adjusting my interpretation of the characters.

A side note: Even though it's a manga, I always thought the appointment of Erina as headmaster at the end of the Promotional Exams arc was frustratingly illogical. What does she know about running a school, stakeholder management, the commitments, politics, regulators, etc up on getting thrust into that role?

Either way, this story follows the canon up till the end of the promotional exams. Thought the writing quality dropped past that chapter. Guess the author was wrapping things up by then.