Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu

by Gale-Dragon

Ever since he picked up a kitchen knife at age three, Sōma knew he wanted to be a chef. For twelve years, he cooked in the kitchen of his family diner. But he doesn't cook like you or me. No, he has his own cooking style, and that style will change the world of cooking forever. After all, Sōma's blind.

11. 10: Start the Autumn Elections

Gale-Dragon: Finally, I completed chapter 10! I'm sure there are a few errors that slipped by, but anyway, Enjoy.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Emphasizing Stress

(Author's Comments)

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 10; Start the Autumn Elections.

~}i{~

Senzaemon cleared his throat, unfolded the paper to read, and said into the microphone, "As Headmaster of Totsuki, I hereby declare… That I, Nakiri Senzaemon, use one of my Nulls to remove the following students from the Elite 10 Council with a heavy heart... Kobayashi Rindou, Akanegakubo Momo, Kinokuni Nene, Eizan Etsuya, and * with a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart * Nikiri Erina... Over this past summer, these five students have violated, not only the rules of Totsuki but also the rules that have been set in place at their summer employment… And because of their negligence of said rules… * Takes a deep breath * A customer has suffered greatly. Therefore, I believe that they are no longer fit to be a part of the most prestigious group within the walls of Totsuki…"

The arena was eerily silent. No one said a single word. No one has made a single noise. No one had any idea what could have happened over the summer to remove half of the Elite 10 Council from power.

Sōma huffed and stated, "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

Mayu turned to her twin brother and said, "Agreed, more along what they did than anything."

The blind redhead turned an ear to his sister and said sourly, "They certainly deserve what they got." Hayama, Ryō, and Alice nodded in agreement at the comment. After what they've seen during the summer, how could they not agree?

As much as the Polaris group, Ikumi, and the Aldini Twins wanted to know what happened over the summer, they knew now was not the time to ask. They would ask the Yukihira Twins after the preliminaries have concluded.

The Headmaster then added, "While I have removed these five from the Council of Elite 10, they will continue to work on the Autumn Elections as temporary members of the Elite 10 due to consistency and timeframe. They will, however, have no other authority for anything else and will lose all of their power as Elite 10 Members after the Autumn Elections have concluded."

With the Headmaster's speech done, he walked off the stage. The announcer then said over the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will now explain the rules for the Autumn Election Preliminaries. The basic regulations have already been communicated via the template of information mailed to each of you. The theme of the event is Curry Dishes. You will be permitted to use ingredients and utensils available at the stadiums as well as whatever you bring yourself. You will have three hours to complete your dish. Next, in regards to the number of students who will qualify for the finals… Of the 61 students participating in the preliminary round, Only eight will advance to the finals. In other words, only the top four finishers from each block will qualify for the finals, which are to be held in this auditorium."

For the majority of the 60 1st-year students, a spark of chills coursed down their spines (Mayu wasn't particularly feeling any sort of similar emotions at the moment). After all, only eight will make it to the finals and the rest of the 52 will be eliminated in the preliminaries.

The announcer continued, "Participants, you may now proceed to your respective halls. In approximately one hour, at 11 (AM) the preliminaries will begin."

With that, all but our main cast of characters have stampeded out of the Heaven's Moon Arena.

Our main cast of characters split into the two groups, A and B respectively, wished each other luck and headed towards the respective areas.

}i{

(Sōma and Mayu arrived early, with their ingredients so Sōma could memorize the cooking stations)

At 11 (AM) exactly, all 61 students (Mayu included) selected for the event were in their assigned area, and the Autumn Elections has officially begun!

}{

There is a brand of curry known as Curry Princess. Haubi Foods first put it on shelves in 1990. Since then, it has sold over 70 billion units, making it the highest-selling pouch curry brand in the world. The most well-recognized part of their packaging is the picture of the adorable twin girls on the front.

With that bit of information is out of the way, we can now introduce the final judge for Block A.

Four minutes later...

Eizan was talking with a blonde woman (with a relatively heavy chest) wearing a white dress. The former Ninth Seat then said, "I believe I informed you that the start of the cooking would be 11 (AM) sharp."

The blonde woman took off her sunglasses and said, "You know for well how difficult it is for us to find even one open minute in our schedule. You actually have the nerve to say that to my face? Well, Eizan-san?"

Preliminaries Block A Head Judge: Haubi Foods CEO, Sendawara Natsume.

The Totsuki students in the stands paled at the sight of the blonde as she sat in her seat. "NO WAY! They got one of those sisters to be the judge?!" Someone in the stands nearly shouted.

Sendawara Natsume then told Eizan and a huff, "Ugh! You manage to sweet-talk me into coming, Eizan-san, but do you honestly think the students will amuse me?"

Eizan then grumbled, "Feh! All I had to do was throw money at you… *The blonde woman then snapped "Did you say something?"* *Eizan speaking in a normal tone* Not a thing. Please enjoy this year's Autumn Elections to your heart's content, Lady Natsume."

The twin grandchildren of the founder of Haubi Foods, Sandawara Natsume and Orie first entered the culinary world when they posed for the picture on the Curry Princess box. Since then, they have climbed to the top of the Curry Pantheon and now sit at the pinnacle of Japan's Curry market, which is worth an estimated ¥200 billion a year. Princesses no more, they are now called the "Queens of Curry".

"They managed to bring in that big of a celebrity to judge?" One student in the stands stated before another student commented that Eizan-senpai was incredible. Then it made them wonder what he, and the other four, could've done over the summer to get him kicked off of the Elite 10.

Eizan handed Natsume a microphone so she could make a speech. She then said into the device, "Listen, children. After the war, Japan's curry market saw a massive expansion, ripening into the powerhouse it is today where curry is recognized as the nation's comfort food. This unmitigated prosperity has left me, board. What I'm looking for as a business leader and as a life-long lover of curry is a revolutionary new recipe that will change the future of Japanese curry! Show me a curry dish that will have my tongue dancing and delight."

With that, the majority of the selected 1st-year students were just about ready to wet themselves just from the sheer knowledge of who the blonde woman was. The minority, however...

Ikumi just kept cooking her dish, not caring who the current judges were. She was planning on having her dish satisfy the judges.

Ryō seemed to be prepping the basic ingredients in a very lacklustre matter. Once that was done, Ryō unwrapped his flame printed bandanna from his wrist and wrapped it around his forehead, the moment the knot was tied Ryō became a wild beast as he started madly cutting up the lobster he had! This certainly took everyone by surprise, well... Almost everyone.

Sakaki Ryoko seemed to be using Koji, a type of fermented rice with mould Aspergillus oryzae, in her dishes. That was when she picked up a jar of something black and sticky. This made her "Hidden Fans" gasp in shock.

Akira Hayama filled the immediate area with the scent of the spices he had just added to his dish. He had the head of the Sea Beam (fish) for a dish known as Fish-Head Curry. A dish originating in Singapore and Malaysia, it uses the whole head of a white-meat fish so that even delicately flavorful parts, like the eyes and cheeks, can be enjoyed. To a lot of spectators' surprise, Hayama was making Naan as a companion to the Fish-Head Curry, which was a fairly common pairing. Hayama then added a pinch of lemongrass to a very large pot of his curry, filling the arena with the fresh scent of coconut milk.

Ibusaki Shun filled his side of the arena with smoke as he made his dish. The pungently spicy aroma filled the nostrils of the nearby patrons.

Natsume placed an elbow on the table, placed the corresponding knuckle to her chin, and said, "Well, well, it looks like this may be mildly amusing after all. *Turns her attention to Eizan* So, Eizan-san? Who do you favour?"

The glasses-wearing 2nd-year student placed an index finger to his chin and said, "A good question. I wouldn't say I favour him... But, *A gleam cast over his glasses* there IS one guy whose skill I want to see for myself."

At the moment, Sōma was sitting on a barstool chair, who was somehow sleeping and balancing on the chair. This did surprise a very high number of people within the arena. Mayu, on the other hand, didn't seem to indicate that this thing was unusual for her as she filled a strainer with plums.

Sōma was still in his sitting, sleeping state when the aroma from his cooking pot started to seep through the edges of the lid. The moment the smell hit the blind redhead's nostrils, he awoke immediately and said, "It's time!" He waved his hand over the pot, feeling the heat in the air to pinpoint where the lid might be. Sōma found the lid and yanked it off the pot. The moment he did that, the aroma from his curry filled the surrounding air.

That curry scent hit Hayama's nose at full force.

One of the students in the stands stood up from there seat and shouted as they pointed at the giant screens overhead, "Look at what's in the pot!" Sōma's pot was rice mixed with vegetables and spices. That was when a spectating student shouted, "If he's mixing them together, that means... The transfer student is making Curry Risotto!"

Sōma sniffed the air. He could smell the scent of cinnamon nearby. Sōma then said without turning, "Hey, Hayama. I didn't know your kitchen was near mine."

"What're you making?" Hayama asked out of nowhere, confusing Sōma for a second. Hayama then said, "It has apple, banana, and carrots in it. You mashed them into a paste. That created the creamy texture a risotto needs."

Sōma chuckled and said, "Whoa, you got it in one go. Your nose really is on par with Andoryū's nose~."

Hayama did smile at the comment, but he couldn't help but think, 'But there's still something hidden. He didn't choose any usual spices for the fragrance, so what is he using to create this complex of a scent?'

That was when Sōma interrupted Hayama's thoughts by saying in a relatively cheerful voice, "I was still practising this recipe until just this morning, y'know! The sleep deprivation must've caught up with me a little earlier. When I took in the scent, I dozed off! I'm the one who usually tells Mayu not to do this kind of thing, but I end up doing them too. So, whoops on my part."

Hayama couldn't help but wonder if any sort of pressure could faze the blind redhead at all when he asked, "Are you going to be okay with cooking right now on such little sleep?"

Sōma gave Hayama a small wave as he said with a smile, "I'm good, I'll just take a nap when the preliminaries are over." A swaetdrop appeared on the dark-skinned teen's head. "You better be bringing your "A" game, Hayama, because I'm not holding back, neither is Ryō," Sōma stated with a smirk. Hayama smirked back.

}i{ Meanwhile, in Block B }i{

For 50 years, one high-class Chinese restaurant has flourished in Yokohama's Chinatown. The heir set to inherit that prestigious establishment… Hojo Miyoko, a first-year student of Tostuki and one of the 30 students participating within the B Block of the Autumn Elections is that heir.

Hojo Miyoko was skillfully cooking spices, vegetables, and rice in a giant iron wok while wearing a bright red, traditional Chinese chef work dress (I'm just guessing/assuming that that's what she's wearing because I doubt a standard Chinese dress is suitable for the kitchen). People in the stands were amazed by how the Hojo heir was flinging the huge wok around like it weighed nothing.

It was obvious to the audience that Hojo Miyoko would make the final 8 cut.

Miyoko glanced at Megumi, who was prepping all her ingredients, as she remembered the interaction she had with her when they learned that they would be participating in the Autumn Elections.

}{ Flashback }{

Miyoko managed to corner Megumi before she could find her friends and dormmates.

"I heard that you went against Shinomiya Kojirō during the Hell Camp," Miyoko stated in a firm tone. All Megumi was able to get out was an "Eh?" as she started trembling.

Who could blame her? Megumi was pulled aside out of nowhere by a tall, very strong gal her age.

Megumi was still trembling when she asked, "A-a-ano!"

Miyoko folded her arms and stated, "You really can't judge a book by its cover, can you."

Megumi stuttered out, "Ano! T-that w-wasn't a-an o-official m-match! I mean.. It t-technically was c-considered a t-tie-"

Miyoko suddenly punched the wall behind Megumi, shattering the section hit and scaring the country girl half-way out of her skin. Miyoko then shouted, "YOU TIED WITH THE FORMER FIRST SEAT!?"

Megumi squeaked in fear and stuttered out, "Th-th-the d-d-dish w-w-was m-m-my id-d-dea, b-b-but S-S-Sōma cook-"

Miyoko interrupted by saying in a tone that seemed to be a mixture of disappointed and surprised, "Yukihira Sōma. The blind transfer student?"

Megumi stuttered out an "Ano, y-ye-"

Before Miyoko then interrupted by snapping, "You actually allowed a man to use YOUR ideas?"

Megumi stuttered out an "A-ano, y-yes, bu-"

"You allowed yourself to become an assistant to some measly blind cook?" Miyoko hissed out before the country girl could finish talking.

That did it, THAT made the country girl snap.

Megumi angrily grabbed Miyoko by the collar and snapped, "Listen here! Ya Riffraff! Ya don't know squat about what happened during that match! Sōma's a very capable chef despite being blind! And ya still can't seem ta see that no matter what he does! So hows about ya smarten up and actually start looking at his skills as a chef rather than his inability ta see!"

Miyoko was taken back by this. The country girl went from timid to raging in a blink.

The moment Megumi realized what happened, she went back to her stuttering personality by quickly apologizing and scurry away to find her friends before the other students could notice her out of character outburst.

}{ End Flashback }{

Miyoko watched Megumi run out of the stadium to get the final ingredient for her dish.

After a couple of minutes, the country girl came back in with a Monkfish hanging from a hook by its mouth.

Megumi was planning on butchering the Monkfish Tsurushigiri style. After all, there is no other real way to butcher a Monkfish due to its gelatinous skin making it too slippery to be cut on a traditional cutting board. Also, the term Tsurushigiri can loosely translate to Cutting While Hanging.

Megumi took a deep breath and thought back to when Sōma told her to just focus on what she was cooking. And that's what she's going to do. Besides, she knows what she's doing. She'll make a curry dish that'll warm the hearts of the judges.

~}i{~ Time Skip, Cooking Time; Over. Judging for Block B; Over. Judging for Block A; almost Over. (As much as I want to write in all the cooking methods, scenes, all the harsh judging, all the judges reactions to the dishes, and the points that are given... It's a long write, it's pretty much identical to the Manga/Anime, and it doesn't need to be written in. So, I'll just be writing in Sōma's and Mayu's dishes). ~}i{~

The announcer then said over the speakers, "Next up is Yukihira Sōma! Please serve your dish!"

After placing the five servings for the judges and to servings for Hayama and Ryō on a trolley, Sōma pushed it towards the judges (with Mayu directing him). The blind redhead placed each of the servings one at a time after feeling the countertops where the judges sat. This in turn, really piqued all five of the judges' interest.

"Oh? So you're this Blind Chef of Totsuki I've been hearing about," Natsume said as she rested her elbows on the table.

Sōma placed a hand on the cart (more to verify that the cart hasn't moved) and stated, "I don't care what kind of dribble you've heard, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only blind student attending Totsuki." The two extra judges couldn't help but blink at the comment, but the two other main judges (Minatozaka Makito & Koda Shrigenoshin) couldn't help but grin at the comment.

Natsume rested her chin on the palm of her left hand and asked rather casually, "Oh? So you don't listen to what the cooking community has to say about you?"

"Oi! Natsume-Sama!" One of the extra judges vocalized.

Sōma started wheeling the cart away when he said, "Why should I care about what people like you say about me? After all, it seems that all people like you do is act like a parrot. Always repeating the same thing over and over and over. Quite frankly, it makes those words and actions completely worthless, no matter who they might be."

He stops the cart at the table that Mayu was currently using and asked her softly, "Oi, Mayu, you think they understood what I meant?"

Mayu huffed and stated, "Doubt it. Maybe your dish'll help them understand." The blind redhead nodded at that.

Once the lids were taken off Sōma's dishes, everyone was rather surprised at what they saw. An omelette.

This confused the majority of the patrons in the audience because they thought that the blind redhead was making a risotto.

Erina couldn't help but stare at the omelette with hunger in her eyes, even if the lines made from the sauce on the omelette were crooked and made it slightly unappealing.

"Hayama-kun," Sōma said with a mischievous smile before asking, "Would you like to take the first bite?" Ryō was a bit annoyed by the fact that the blind redhead asked the spice master to take the first bite, but noticing the way Sōma was smiling made the seafood specialist wonder if there was a particular reason for that choice.

Hayama used to spoon to cut open the omelette. The moment the incision was made, another aroma bomb detonated and filled the stadium with the fragrance of a risotto. Sōma gave a chuckle when he told Hayama, "I guess both of us had the same idea, at least up until this point." Now Ryō understood why the blind redhead asked the spice master to make the first incision.

Sōma then said happily, "I call it "Yukihira-Quality Curry Risotto Omelette". Just be careful, it's still hot."

Everyone who had a dish of the curry omelette took a spoonful, blew on it because it was still steaming, then ate it.

The flavour of the dish was like a sudden, well-placed, knockout, sucker punch to the face.

The Curry Risotto Omelette had a rich, thick mix of chicken and beef bouillon. Granted beef and onions sautéed in butter until savoury and tender, their umami-filled juices soaking into the rice. The creamy risotto melting into one with the soft mildly sweet eggs. The oyster sauce accented with a touch of honey had a mildly tart flavour that was thick and heavy. Together with the curry risotto, it creates two different layers of flavour.

Koda Shrigenoshin was the one to say, "I see! While Hayama's dish was a bomb going from no aroma to powerful aroma… This dish is instead an induced explosion! The different fragrances from the inner risotto and that out to her sauce come at you and waves, tempting you into the next bite."

As Hayama chewed, he thought, 'But that's not all. How did he make the flavour the deep? The strong aroma and a hint of bitterness mean he used cumin and cardamon. The sting on the tongue comes from cloves. I can smell the fragrance of several spices, but those are just surface things. Where is this full-bodied death that ties it all together coming from?!' Ryō was able to detect something fruity before Hayama suddenly exclaimed, "Mango chutney!"

Natsume then shouted, "Chutney?! Is that all it took to give this dish such a deep flavour?!"

Chutney; also spelt "Chatney" or "Chatni". Chutney is a South Asian condiment. Spices and herbs are mixed with mashed fruit or vegetables and then simmered into a paste. A wide variety of combinations are possible, resulting in chutneys that can be sweet, spicy, or even minty.

Sōma picked up a mason jar, unscrewed the lid, sniffed the contents, then said, "I use my family's homemade mango chutney recipe! I mixed a dollop of this in with the rice when I steamed it."

'Oh, so that's what was in that jar,' both Hayama and Ryō thought at the same time.

Marui was the one who explained, "The mango acts as an axle, running through it and connecting the disparate flavours of all the spices and giving a deeper, full-bodied flavour to the overall dish. In a way, it's practical, applied spice tech! In India where it originated, chutneys are always served on the side as condiments. It's only in Japan that chutney is added directly to a curry." The nearby Polaris dorm members and Nikumi were rather surprised by this tidbit of information.

Chapelle-sensei then told Shiomi-sensei (who was sitting right next to him), "It's unconventional, to say the least, from the standpoint of original Indian curry. However, by using the chutney he massively improves the flavour and richness of the overall dish without resorting to using the access of oils or animal products."

Shiomi can help but mutter, "So he did listen to some of my sudden lectures when I was at his diner over the summer..." Chapelle-sensei turned to a shorter colleague with a raised brow. Shiomi-sensei turn pink and told the strict teacher, "I-I'll ex-explain later!"

}{ In the VIP stands }{

Isshiki couldn't help but smile and say, "An omelette that could have gotten him expelled at the cooking camp. And a risotto failed in his matchup against his dad." Erina couldn't help but wonder what the upperclassman was talking about as he continued. With a chuckle, Isshiki said, "Who would have thought he'd put the two together as his dish for a competition this massive! *Chuckles happily* He hasn't let a single one of those 490 losses go to waste."

Fumio snickered when she said, "Sure, it sounds good when you put it that way. He has no intention to let a failure state a failure, making sure he has learned from every one of those failures to make any even stronger dish. However, I am rather surprised that he managed to come up with something like this while he was running a diner and judging a contest." Isshiki could only smile at that.

Erina couldn't help but remember what happened after THAT day in the diner at those words.

}{ Flashback }{

"You five are not taking one step into My kitchen without My approval, even if it is just to wash dishes! Especially after yesterday!" Sōma snapped angrily at Erina, Eizan, Nene, Momo, and Rindou, making all of them flinch.

Right next to them, the board that had the Seven Elite members' names on it had five squares blacked out, (those squares were right where the five names of the Elite mentioned in the previous paragraph and the column for "Kitchen Rights" intersect).

Growling, Sōma snapped, "I knew I shouldn't have let any of you enter the contest! *Calms down a bit* But that in itself would have gone against the rules, and you guys did deserve a chance to let your skills shine."

Erina then said with a peeved look on her face, "But it was an accident!"

Sōma angrily snapped at the honey blonde, "An accident that should have been very Easy to Avoid, had any of You five Idiots been paying any sort of Attention to What you were using!"

All five of the Elites hung their heads.

The blind redhead was right... The whole thing could have easily been avoided...

Sōma turned his back to them, heading towards the kitchen, and said, "You better learn from this abysmal failure, or else it'll happen again and there is a good chance that next time someone will die because of it."

}{ End Flashback }{

Erina muttered softly to herself, "Learn... From... Failures..."

}{ Back to the Arena }{

The judges just couldn't get enough of the curry risotto omelette! The flavours were intermingling with one another so smoothly and cohesively, it was practically impossible to say anything negative about it. To the judges, the curry risotto omelette was like a perfectly executed acupuncture massage along with the tongue.

This dish was practically on par with Hayama's dish! A battle for first place between titans!

The Judges submitted their points... And the overall score silenced everyone in the audience, as well as the MC. It was a little too quiet for Sōma.

Sōma finally broke the silenced by asking, "Ano, did the power go out? Everything got quiet. What happened?"

Hayama chuckled and finally said, "It seems as though we have tied for first place, Sōma."

Sōma's overall score was 94 out of a possible 100, same as Hayama. But unlike Hayama, Sōma got higher individual numbers. Mayu couldn't help but smile proudly at her older twin brother.

The scoreboard above the stadium added the new score to its roster.

Next up was Mayu.

She placed her dishes (with lids on top of them) in front of the judges. When the judges took the lids off of the plates, they were greeted by a deep shade of purple from the bowl and the aroma of plums hit their noses.

Mayu held out her hand, encouraging the judges to eat, and stated with a smirk on her face, "Allow me to present to you my "Yukihira-Style Purple Plum Curry"! Careful it's hot."

People from the audience started murmuring, "Plum Curry?!" "What is she thinking?" "How the hell do plums work in curry?" "Is she trying to anger the judges?"

Natsume was not pleased with what she was seeing when she snapped, "How exactly is THIS suppose to be Curry?"

As if nothing was wrong, Mayu said happily, "What, can't you tell, Miss self-entitled Curry Princess? It has all the ingredients for curry, the spices, and has the consistency. I just happen to use a food item that's just not normal for curry, that's all. Besides, I just couldn't stop thinking of plums because of an animation I was working on."

Sōma then chuckled out, "Ah, so that's what happens when you only listen to 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' during the entire summer. Ya know, you could've asked Midori if you could borrow her CD of the Nutcracker."

Mayu pouted at her twin and said in the same pouty tone, "I would've done so and finished the animation a few weeks early if I didn't have to also work on any stupid curry dish for something ridiculously pointless as an election I wasn't supposed to be a part of."

Sōma tilted his head to the side and said, "You still mad about that? But then again, I really can't blame you. You're not a Totsuki student, therefore you shouldn't even have your name selected for the Autumn Elections list."

Mayu puffed her cheeks and stated in an annoyed tone, "Sounds to me like the people who made the list only put in a half-assed amount of work and didn't bother with double-checking anything."

Hayama interrupted the twins' odd banter by asking, "Ano, is now really the time to talk about that? The Judges haven't even tasted your dish Mayu."

Mayu folded her arms, shrugged, and stated, "Oh, I don't care whether they eat it or not, all I needed to do was "Submit" a Curry Dish to the Judges. Which I did, so what happens afterwards doesn't concern me since I am not a student of Totsuki."

Ryō then stated lackadaisically, "Oi, did you even put any effort into making that purple curry if you don't care if the judges eat it or not?" Hayama, in turn, whacked the seafood specialist over the head with his left hand, since it was closer to the ravenette.

Mayu placed a piping hot dish of her Purple Plum Curry on the counter next to Hayama, Ryō, and Sōma and stated, "While I wasn't lying about not caring about the judges, I did put some effort into this dish together so my friends can enjoy it."

Sōma sniffed the air and said, "Mmm, the scent of plums mix well with the spices you used. Oh? I smell something in the curry that Kon hates."

Mayu giggled and said, "I know, but unfortunately it binds everything together. Besides, Kon doesn't eat curry that often anyway." Sōma chuckled out a "That's too true."

Despite the "odd" conversation and the fact that Yukihira Mayu didn't seem to care about the judges liking her dish, the five judges took a bite of the purple curry.

Ryō bluntly stated in his usual lackadaisical tone, "Itadakimasu (1)..." before scooping a spoonful of the purple curry into his mouth. Hayama and Sōma did the same.

The image of a tip of a purple ballerina's shoe tapped the floor. Then the other ballerina's shoe joined its sister. A spotlight lit on a deep purple plum wearing a light purple ballerina tutu and shoes in the middle of the stage as it started dancing, with the five judges following along to the music in the background, all of whom were wearing the same outfits as the ballerina plum. Tiny specs of mint leaves fluttered down from the ceiling.

"How..." was all Natsume was able to get out before finally asking/shouting, "How on Earth were you able to use plums so cohesively in curry?!"

Mayu waved off the blonde woman by saying, "Through trial and error, duh. I had to do a lot of testing when I decided to use plums. It was a pain in the ass to do, especially since I had to work on my Animation and Judging our Menu Contest back home. Those two were important." It was a little too obvious that Yukihira Mayu wasn't trying to hide the fact that she was still peeved about being in the Autumn Elections. Then again, considering that she's not a Totsuki student...

But still... She was able to make an oddly cohesive dish like her Plum Curry, of which the judges seem to like... It made the other Totsuki students wonder...

The Judges imputed their scores and then hit the button to submit them. 88, tied with Shun and Marui for 4th place.

"Cht, seriously?" Mayu said in a sour tone, before adding in an annoyed tone, "I'm not participating in this crap longer than I have to." Shun and Marui glanced at each other for a bit, not sure how to respond.

Sōma then told his sister, "Mayu, can you at least be a bit more considerate for our dormmates. They're in this event too, ya'know."

Mayu eyed the side and said, "I know, I know. But I just want this to end so I can take a nap. I guess I'm a bit cranky due to lack of sleep."

Sōma rubbed his neck and said, "Yeah, I can understand. Plus, you haven't been sleeping well over the Summer Break because of your workload." Hayama and Ryō could hear Mayu mutter a "Don't remind me."

'Isn't that an unhealthy habit to have?' Hayama wondered to himself. Then he remembered about how Sōma practically fell asleep sitting on a bar stool while he was cooking his curry. With a sweatdrop, Hayama then thought, 'I guess that one proof that those two are twins...'

At that moment someone towering bumped passed Sōma, it was a little too obvious that it was on purpose. "Whoops. Sorry. Didn't see you there, Transfer Student."

"That's original. How long did it take you to come up with that?" Sōma stated sarcastically, not even bothering to turn an ear towards the other student. The towering student only smirked at the comment. Mayu glared at him, not liking that stupid smirk on his face.

Five minutes later, the towering student knocked Shun, Marui, and Mayu out of 4th place with his score of 91.

Eizan smirked at this.

~}i{~

After the Preliminaries, everyone from the Polaris Dorm went back to their home away from home for one of Fumio's Congratulation Parties. With Ikumi, Aldini Twins, Ryō, Alice, Hayama, and Shiomi-sensei invited. For the ones who passed the Preliminaries.

It was safe to say that Ikumi, Aldini Twins, Ryō, Alice, Hayama, and Shiomi-sensei were a bit unnerved by Isshiki's "Choice of Clothing" at the Polaris Dorm (to say the least). The poor teacher was so embarrassed that when she covered her eyes and tried to leave the room, she ran into the wall. Fumio helped with the first-aid for that.

After that, the dorm partied.

~}i{~

The next morning, Isshiki asked Sōma and Megumi to join him for an assignment off school grounds.

Megumi was completely shocked by the pure fact that Isshiki-senpai was wearing a business suit, something more than his usual apron. It was just... Unusual to even witness, to say the least.

"Megumi, something wrong?" was all Sōma asked when he heard the country girl gasp in shock.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I guess she's just surprised that I'm wearing a more professional than my usual attire."

Sōma chuckled nervously before saying, "No offence Senpai, but anything is "More Professional" than your "Usual Wears"... However, any clothing on you other than your apron would be a bit strange."

Isshiki couldn't help but laugh as he helped the blind redhead into the taxi. The second-year student then told the taxi driver their destination.

}{

Well... it was safe to say that both Megumi and Sōma didn't expect something like this to happen, but then again... After Isshiki wearing actual clothing, it isn't all That surprising.

"You want us to fill-in for a children's cooking class?" both Megumi and Sōma said at the same when they arrived at their destination and Isshiki-senpai told them what they were going to be doing.

Isshiki-senpai nodded and explained, "Yes. You see, DEF Kitchen Cooking Class buys the Polaris Garden vegetables for their ingredients. They have a kids' cooking class, that teach the basics to kids from preschool up to second-grade. But the other day the headteacher twisted her ankle, so she came to me for advice on some quick short-term substitutes." Isshiki-senpai was wearing his pink bear printed apron over his business suit, this caused Megumi to have an 'of course' look on her face and made her wonder why he even dressed-up for today.

Megumi read the list of things that the class was learning to cook today, "The main dish today is fried gyoza! Along with ham-and-egg fried rice and Chinese seaweed soup, making three total dishes."

Isshiki-senpai happily said, "Right. Gyoza are easy enough for kids to make. Anyway, I'll leave the rest up to the two of you."

Sōma raised a brow and asked, "Huh? Where are you going, Isshiki-senpai?"

The 2nd-year student smiled at his underclassmen and said, "I'll be next door. I've been asked to teach the Adults 'Cooking Class. So I'm really glad you two could help today." To Sōma and Megumi, it seemed a little too obvious that the 17-year-old student was very popular with the ladies and that class.

And with that, Megumi and Sōma were left with a group of kids... So… How are the two of them going to teach them how to cook when none of the kids seem to be even paying attention to what had just transpired?

Megumi watched as the children were running around the kitchen, playing with toys that they brought with them or drawing on paper. How on earth would they get these children to follow their instructions?

Sōma felt around the tabletop. After finding a small kitchen knife and some carrots, the blind redhead worked a little magic.

"Whoa! Look at that!" One of the kids exclaimed. Sōma had carved an intricate-looking rose from the carrots. In the blind redhead wasn't done yet. The next thing he made was a Gundam figuring from carrots and other vegetables that were nearby. The kids awwed in amazement.

"Ney, Megumi, ya want to make something?" Sōma asked the country girl with a smile, indicating to her to play along. So Megumi did and made a bunch of cute little zoo animals from vegetables. This was completely amazed the little kids. Now Megumi was very glad that her mom taught her to make those.

As soon as he got everyone's attention, Sōma told all the kids, "So how about bringing me to where the sinks are so we can wash our hands and start cooking."

All the kids looked at the sink that was not even a meter away from where Sōma was standing. One of the kids pointed to the sink and said, "Mister the sinks are over there."

Sōma chuckled a bit before saying, "Over where? If you're pointing, it won't be of much help to me."

That was when the oldest child there (in 2nd grade), a blonde-haired girl with twin-tails wearing a long blue shirt and red and white stockings, stated in a tone that seemed to indicate that she was both bored and annoyed as she played on her cell phone, "What're'ya, blind? The sink's in front of your face, so quit fooling around!"

Sōma gave a dramatic huff, folded his arms, and stated, "You don't have to be a rude meany about it. You're not going to make any friends with an attitude like that, little missy."

That was when one of the little girls asked Sōma, "Wait a minute... Nii-chan, are you really blind?"

Sōma grinned, wagged his right hand with his index finger extended from side-to-side, and said cheerfully, "Bing-bong! I am, but don't think I'm incapable of anything. Especially since Megumi-nee-chan and I will be teaching this class today." All the kids looked up at the blind redhead with confused looks on their faces. The oldest girl only 'hmph' and went back to playing on her phone. "Come on, let's go wash our hands," Sōma told everyone with a smile.

And with that, the Cooking Class started.

}i{ Time Skip, Close to the End of the Class (Sorry, but again, it's pretty much the same sequence as the manga) }i{

By now all of the children were happily cooking, all thanks to Megumi and Sōma.

"Hey, Nii-chan," The blond twin-tailed girl said, getting Sōma's attention. She then asked, "Why do you cook when you're blind?"

Sōma was quiet for a bit before smiling sadly and saying, "I've always loved cooking, ever since I picked up a cooking knife. I'll admit, it broke my heart when I was told I wasn't going to see anything again... And I did lose my will to cook..."

The children were really quiet. Megumi was the one to ask, "Sōma... Wait? But how did you get back into cooking? I mean, you're obviously an amazing chef now."

Sōma chuckled and said, "She asked if I was quitting my dream."

}i{ Flashback: Sōma (and Mayu), Age 6, After They Were Released from the Hospital }i{

Little Sōma was sitting in a corner as everyone else played outside, tears streaming down his cheeks. It took him a while to find this corner since he didn't use to using a cane to get around. All of the sounds seem louder and all the smells seem stronger to the recently blinded boy... And it scared him... Not being able to see anything but being able to hear and smell all these things...

"You skipped your lunch duty," Sōma heard Her say. The blind boy's head shot up, wondering how he didn't notice that She was here. Then he remembered that his eyes no longer worked.

"I would've missed tha pwate..." little Sōma stated sadly, knowing that it was going to happen.

"That's not what I meant," She stated sternly, before adding, "YOU skipped a task that was related to food. You never do that."

"There's no point anymore..." Sōma muttered.

"No point in what anymore?" She asked in a curious but stern tone, trying to get the child to talk a bit more.

Little Sōma finally said, "I can't see anymore, so there's no point in cooking anymore..."

Things went quiet. It scared the little redhead more than all the noise.

That was She then stated sternly, "So you're just going to give up doing what you love? On your dream of running Yukihira? Just like that? Without even trying?"

Little Sōma's head shot up towards Her voice in shock. He never expected Her to say something that. "But..." was all the little redhead was able to get out.

"You can still use your hands, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, but-!" little Sōma said.

"You can still taste with your tongue, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, bu-!" little Sōma got out again.

"You can still smell with your nose, right?" She stated sternly.

"Yes, bu-!" little Sōma got out once again.

"You still love to cook, right?" She asked sternly.

Little Sōma was quiet for a good ten seconds before finally saying, "Yes..."

Little Sōma heard Her move, kneeling to his level, and he heard Her ask, "Then why do you want to give up on cooking?" The little redhead lowered his head, unsure how to respond.

Little Sōma felt Her place a hand on top of his head before saying, "Listen, you've just had a big setback, that's all. *Chuckles* Besides, knowing you, you'll learn how to overcome this." Little Sōma felt Her hand move off his head to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. "Remember, having a Disability doesn't mean you have to be disabled, having a Disability only means you have to do things differently, that's all," She said in a happier tone, tapping little Sōma's nose with her index finger.

}i{ End Flashback }i{

Sōma chuckled and said, "Yeah, She was a little bit harsh when she said that but she was making a point. I was going to let my new disability take over who I was... I guess you can call that Tough Love." All of the children were silent during this. Sōma smiled and said, "After that, I asked Pops to help me with re-learning how to cook. He and Mom made sure I was safe while I figured out how to cook without sight. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I was able to continue what I loved doing the most."

Remembering where he was, Sōma rubbed the back of his neck nervously and said, "Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to tell you all that." Three seconds later, all of the children jumped on Sōma in a group hug and told him to never stop cooking as tears streamed down their cheeks. "Oi, oi, oi! I was never going to stop cooking no matter what people tell me!" Sōma got out over the children.

As Megumi and Sōma tried to calm down the children, Isshiki-senpai was standing right outside the door, leaning against the wall. He had heard the entire thing.

~}i{ Time Skip }i{~

Sōma entered the room where Erina, Eizan, and Isshiki were, to tell the blind redhead what the theme of his match.

"Yo, Isshiki-senpai," Sōma said cheerfully before asking, "Any particular reason why you couldn't just tell me this back at the dorm?" It seems like the blind redhead has yet to noticed the two former Elite 10 members in the room.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I know, but the theme has to be told in this office to make it completely official." Sōma nodded, understanding what his dormmate was saying. Isshiki looked over the paper in his hand and said, "Now, the random draw picked you to go in the first quarterfinal match. Your theme will be Bento."

Sōma raised a brow when he asked, "Bento? As in a regular box lunch?"

Isshiki smiled and said, "Exactly. Take this evening to make whatever preparations you need and then do your best in tomorrow's match! Any questions?"

Sōma brought the second knuckle of his right index finger to his chin and asked, "Another "Common" dish theme for the Autumn Elections... I'm starting to think that this whole thing isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

That was when Erina snapped, "What on Earth are you talking about? Don't you know anything? Bento box lunches are a venerable culinary tradition that is uniquely Japanese. While other nations may emulate them, no one in the world is better than we do. Elegantly designed and prepared bento featuring the highest-quality ingredients of the seasons are loved by gourmands. In fact, they are so respected by master chefs the world over that "Bento" has been adopted by the French as a loanword and has an entry in the French dictionary. As a true asset of Haute cuisine, bento is a bit and an appropriate theme for this contest. It is a completely different dish than a comment B-Grade gourmet you somehow have a knack for."

Sōma scoffed when he said, "As I said, this whole Election isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Especially when you consider just how uneducated certain members of the Autumn Election committee actually are." This seems to piss off Erina and Eizan.

"Oh?" Isshiki got out, rubbing his index finger against his chin, then saying, "It seems to me that our Former Elite 10 Members did something more than just get themselves booted off the Elite 10. Exactly what rule they break to earn such animosity from You of all people?"

Sōma huffed before growing out, "I rather not talk about it, so can we get back to discussing the match?" Isshiki seemed rather surprised by the uncharacteristically angry quip from the blind redhead. And quite frankly, it worried the second-year-student a bit, not just for Sōma...

That was when Eizan stood up from his desk and stated, "Formalities aside, the other contestant just arrived. I will go let them in."

That was when Sōma wondered what exactly his opponent for this match was.

~}i{ The Next Day… In Heaven's Moon Arena }i{~

The arena quickly filled with quite the excitement. The crowd eagerly awaiting the clash between young talents.

It wouldn't be long before the match started, but the arena was a ready filled with excitement. Ikumi and Isami were sitting with the Polaris dorm members as they eagerly await the start of the first quarterfinal match.

At the head of the judging table sat Nakiri Senzaemon, this made the students sitting in the arena feel like there was more pressure this time around than in the preliminaries.

The announcer finally announced that they would begin the first quarterfinal match and asked for the contestants to walk into the arena.

Sōma walked into the arena, somehow carrying his apron and his knives (inside his case) in one arm and his cane in his other hand.

Already the arena was murmuring about the blind redhead. Most of them were known gourmets who were wondering what this unknown was capable of, especially since this particular student was blind.

A few seconds after Sōma entered the arena, Nakiri Alice walked in from the opposite side.

"HIS OPPONENT IS A NAKIRI!?" was the unanimous dialogue from pretty much everyone in the stadium.

As Alice past her grandfather, she waved at him as both of the contestants walk towards the centre of the stadium.

Anyone who knew molecular gastronomy knew exactly who Nakiri Alice was. In Europe seven years ago, it was during the molecular gastronomy's most prestigious international competition. As a famous name after famous name receives their awards… Imagine everyone's surprise when they saw a young girl probably around nine-years-old stepping forward to receive an award of her own. She went on to receive almost all the awards there were to win. By the time she was 10-years-old, she had successfully obtained 45 times and was contracted with over 20 different restaurants for research into new menu items.

Nakiri Alice is molecular biology's prodigal child, a certified genius! Of all the first-year students in the Institute, no one can refute that she is the one closest to being named to the Council of 10.

Alice then had a small truckload of molecular gastronomy devices brought into the arena while Sōma placed his set of knives on his side of the stadium. The blind redhead didn't seem to feel a single ounce of pressure as he tied on his apron and signature bandanna on as if this was another day on the job.

The announcer finally announced over the speaker system, "The theme for the first quarterfinal round is Bento! Contestants, you have two hours to complete your dish! Also, the conditions for your Shokugeki have been approved by the Shokugeki Administration Department. Therefore, this match is also a Shokugeki!"

This caused everyone but the headmaster to murmur in confusion. "A Shokugeki?" "In the middle of the Autumn Elections?" "For real?" "That's a first!"

The announcer went on, "Here is where the Shokugeki stands… If Yukihira Sōma wins, Nariki Alice is to stop her current romantic advancement towards Yukihira Sōma. If Nakiri Alice wins, Yukihira Sōma is to accept Nakiri's proposal of marriage."

~}i{~

To be continued in Chapter 11.

~}i{~

Omake: Summer Time at Shokujidokoro Yukihira.

}{ July 9, Summer Job Day 8 }{

Shiomi-sensei was angry. Mind you she doesn't get angry often unless someone insults spices. So Hayama was hiding in the kitchen at the moment where Sōma was currently making some snacks, because of this out of character anger from his legal guardian.

Currently, Mayu was out looking for references for her project while Hiro had the day off and was with a friend.

An anger mark was visible on Shiomi-sensei's forehead when she snapped at a rather terrified Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi, "Explain to me how SIX of the Elite 10 could FAIL this test a SECOND TIME?!"

They all flinched. It was one thing to be yelled at by a non-Totsuki student for failing the test, but it was another thing to be yelled for failing a test by a staff of Totsuki. And one who hardly ever get angry, none the less.

"Wow, Shiomi-sensei's a different person when she's mad, huh, Hayama," Sōma told the dark-skinned teen, who was sitting on a barstool in the corner of the kitchen, carefully cutting the skin off an apple.

Hayama nodded and said, "Yeah, but I usually see that side when one of the students degrade the value of spices in one way or another. Trust me on when I say, not a pleasant thing..."

Sōma chuckled nervously when he said, "Pops' is 10x worse when he feels that his kids are being pursued romantically."

This earned a weird glance from Hayama before he asked, "Wait, you haven't told him about Nakiri Alice?"

Sōma placed the snacks on a tray and said, "After The Bloody Valentine's Day Massacre, let's just say telling Pops something like that would be a very bad idea." Hayama had no idea what the blind redhead was talking about, but having a title like that... It made Hayama wonder what exactly happened on that particular Valentine's Day to give it that kind of title.

"FORGET COOKING SKILLS! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ANY SEAT OF THE ELITE TEN!" Shiomi-sensei shouted. Hayama felt a volt of fear course down his spine. Sōma could feel his ears ringing a bit because of the sudden noise. The yelling was a very unexpected thing to hear from the short teacher.

"Ano... Did we come at a bad time?" an unsure voice came to the entranceway to the diner. It was Yūki-san, followed by Tsukui-sensei. To the Elite sitting at one of the larger booths, the daycare teacher easily towered over the shorter ginger-haired woman because of their height difference.

Sōma's ears perked at the familiar voice before he said, "Oh, Yūki-san, I thought you were working today."

The ginger-haired woman smiled and said, "I have today off. So do Kaede, Ryoko, Toshiko, and Michio."

Sōma carried the tray over to the short teacher and said, "Oh, you planning on doing a Girls Night Out sort of thing?"

"Not, just Kaede, Misaki, and I. But that pighead's got it in her brain that all us girls should," Tsukui-sensei stated as she and Yūki-san walked over to a free table near the 6 Elites (Saitou was doing inventory in the back at the moment). The daycare teacher then growled out an, "And the Last thing I want is for her to think I have forgiven her for That Disgusting Incident," as she sat down at one of the chairs.

Sōma placed the tray in front of Shiomi-sensei and said to the new arrivals, "Meh, I don't blame ya. I mean, that wasn't right no matter how you dice it. I know I would feel the same way if it happened to me, same with Mayu and Hiro. And I know Mayu'll probably do what you nearly did, Sensei." Yūki-san let out a nervous chuckle because it was true.

Tsukasa was the one unfortunate enough to ask, "Ano, what happened exactly to make you so mad at her, Tsukui-san?"

The daycare teacher glared at the white-haired teen and growled out, "The damn bitch broke into my unit, threw out every single article of clothing in it, and replaced them with all those stupid high-end brand names that weren't even in my size! I had nothing to wear for work and Yumi didn't have any of her school uniform to wear!" Tsukasa immediately hid behind Kobayashi out of fear and quickly regretted his decision to ask.

Yūki-san made a calm down motion with her hands and said, "Now, now, Michio, let's not get worked up. You and Yumi-chan got brand new articles of all your original clothing, and got a brand new lock for your door and windows." Michio folded her arms and "Hmph"ed. The ginger-haired woman then said, "Besides, Kaede's going to be here in a bit and you know how she'll get if she sees you peeved like this."

A ting of pink dusted the daycare teacher's cheeks. She knew the shorter woman was right...

Sōma walked over to the two women's table and asked, "Do you want me to start on all your usuals or do you want to wait for Airia-sensei to arrive before you order?"

Yūki-san answered with, "We'll wait for her, but would it be too much trouble if you could get us three glasses of water?" Sōma nodded and walked back towards the kitchen, where Hayama was peaking out of the opening that showed the kitchen from the diner.

Tsukui-sensei eyed the short teacher and asked, "I take it those six still failed the important test that'll allow them to participate in the Menu Contest?"

Shiomi-sensei glared at the six in question and said, "It's a little too obvious that Totsuki should turn the Allergy/Intolerance Lecture into an actual Class Course. *Looks at the papers in her hand* The best grade here is a 60%, and that's not even a passing grade by standard educational standards."

Yūki-san looked at the Elites with a raised brow when she asked, "Ano, maybe you kids should enter next year's Menu Contest. Especially if none of you are very knowledgeable in Allergies and/or Intolerances. And considering that there's already one of each participating in the contest already..."

Tsukui-sensei narrowed her eyes at the Six Elites when she asked, "Do any of you kids know the difference between Allergies and Intolerances?" It was a fair question, all things considering.

The Six Elites gave their answers, all pretty much saying that the differences between the two were the name and level of severity.

Hayama stared at the Elites from the kitchen, Shiomi-sensei frowned at them, and Yūki-san and Tsukui-sensei gave them a "Seriously" look on their faces. NOT what they were expecting...

Tsukui-sensei rubbed her temples before saying, "Cht, there's a BIG difference between Allergies and Intolerances. Listen, I'll tell you kids the difference. However, I'm only telling you once, so you better take some notes, got it."

Nene was the one to ask, "How would you know these things? You a daycare teacher?"

Tsukui-sensei sighed, shook her head, and stated sternly, "It's mandatory for anyone who's in young childcare jobs to know about Allergies and Intolerances." Yūki-san vocalized that that was true.

While the Six Elites weren't completely sure, they took out their notepads and pencils.

Once the daycare teacher saw those, she started explaining, "When someone has an Intolerance they usually don't have the Enzymes for that particular food. You see, Enzymes are needed to digest foods fully. If some of these enzymes are missing, or insufficient, proper digestion may be undermined. However, certain individuals actually have Intolerances to certain chemicals in food. For example, the amines in some cheeses, and caffeine in coffee, tea, and chocolates. Usually, people with Intolerances tend to experience nausea, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, fatigue, irritability and... Well, let's just say the large intestines will be their enemy for a bit. A lot of times people with intolerance experience a combination of symptoms."

Tsukasa was the one to bring up, "Oh, that Kon girl from yesterday had an intolerance to chocolate! Does that mean she has a Chemical Intolerance to the caffeine in the chocolate?" All of the Six Elites had the image of the tall amber-eyed girl with the mossy green hair.

Tsukui-sensei shook her head and said, "Not the caffeine, but she does fall under having a Chemical Intolerance category. From what I got from her and her mother, it seems to be the chemical reaction to the ingredients binding together that they don't seem to tolerate well."

That was when Yūki-san said, "Ah, right. They can eat the ingredients in chocolate separately without much problem, but can't eat them when they are mixed together to make chocolate." The daycare teacher nodded at that.

Tsukui-sensei continued, "As for Allergies. Those can be deadly. A food allergy happens when your immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food or a substance in food as something harmful. In response, your immune system triggers cells to release an antibody known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) to neutralize the allergy-causing food or food substance (the allergen). The symptoms for food allergies are tingling or itching in the mouth, Hives, itching or eczema, swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat or other parts of the body, wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction is known as anaphylaxis. When someone goes into anaphylaxis shock they experience Constriction and tightening of the airways, swollen throat or the sensation of a lump in your throat that makes it difficult to breathe, shock with a severe drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness. It's important to get emergency treatment for someone who goes into anaphylaxis because if they don't get the treatment in time they can go into a coma, or even die."

The Six Elites stopped writing, feeling that the whole thing went dark pretty quickly. All of them wondered if something like that could really happen.

Sōma came back with three glasses of water for the women. Saitou came out from the back the moment the blind redhead placed the tray on the table. Yūki-san took one glass as Tsukui-sensei took the two other glasses and placed one at an empty seat, for their friend who will be arriving soon.

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi looked over their notes and test papers. Maybe they should do some more studying before they take the test again.

Alice and Ryō came in a few minutes later. The Albino happily signed-up for the Menu Contest, under Main Course.

~}i{~

To be Continued in the next Omake.

~}i{~

1. Itadakimasu is often translated as "I humbly receive," but in a mealtime setting, it's compared to "Let's eat," "Bon appétit," or "Thanks for the food." in Japanese.

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: Oh, boy... What's Sōma gotten himself into? -_-. I decided to add some info about Allergies and Intolerances, because, A) it's important and B) Someone need to educate the Six Elites. Anyway, Constructive Criticism is welcomed but be advised that rudeness and flaming are not welcomed.