Gale-Dragon: I am so sorry! I went into hiatus on this by accident! I'll admit that writer's block had a part in the hiatus and life, but I was also focused on other stories... But I managed to work on this chapter as much as I could.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author making a quick comment)

~}i{~

Chapter 15: Clash of the Titans.

~}i{~

(Going to be doing a lot of cutting in the cooking scenes)

Isshiki-senpai, in his school uniform, took centre stage with the mic when he announced, "Dear members of the audience, it seems everything is ready." He then announced in a professional tone, despite being ecstatic about the event, "Please, allow me to introduce our three judges for the evening!"

Akira, Ryo, and Ikumi couldn't help but stare at the upperclassman for a few seconds, wondering where they had seen him before. That was when they realized who he was when they thought at the same time, 'Wait... That's Isshiki-senpai! He's wearing his uniform! I didn't even recognize him for a few seconds.'

That was when Isshiki-senpai continued with, "As I am sure you're all aware... The Totsuki Institute is a sprawling organization of many divisions all led by the Headmaster of the Institute, who is the head of the Nakiri Family. Each division works tirelessly in cooperation with the others to run the giant that is the Totsuki Institute. It is a tradition that each head for each division takes turns as judges for the Autumn Election's final match."

Sōma immediately thought, 'Wait a second... Is senpai implying that...'

That was when the second-year student announced, "This year we had the pleasure of inviting the Headmaster of the Institute, Nakiri Senzaemon, to be our head judge! Also judging will be the Head of the Tourism Division, Dojima Gin!"

One of Sōma's eyebrows twitched when he heard the announcement before he thought, 'Seriously, Ouji-san!? I know you can keep a professional distance, but this is the Finals and that's definitely pushing it!' The only thing Kon did was raise an eyebrow in confusion as she tilted her head to the side a bit as she wondered why those two people looked somewhat familiar to her.

To a few members of the Audience, the Headmaster looked VERY familiar! They realized that the older man was the Nakiri cousins' grandfather who visited the diner during the second round of the Menu Contest! They were pretty shocked that HE was the one in charge of the school that Sōma was attending.

That was when Isshiki-senpai announced, "Our last judge for the evening is the head of the Institute's Research and Development division! Nakiri Leonora!" As soon as he spoke these words, a beautiful albino woman with long white hair, reddish-pink eyes, wearing an elegant looking pinkish-purple dress with detached sleeves, and paired with a pair of high heels of the same colour.

Everyone from the Polaris Dorms couldn't help but comment on the appearance of the woman as well as wondering why she seemed so familiar. The only thing Alice said was, "Oh, hi mom!" Everyone immediately glanced at Alice the moment she said that. Okay, now it all makes sense why the woman seemed familiar, she looked just like Alice.

Nakiri International was founded as the Research and Development arm of the Totsuki Institute. An academic corporation, it employs the latest in technology and scientific theory to drive new advances in food science. The one who directs and oversees that corporation is Nakiri Leonora!

Isshiki-senpai handed the microphone to Leonora when he asked her to give a few words. She carefully took the mic, took a deep breath before saying into the device, "Hello, everyone. My name it is Leonora Nakiri. I live in Denmark." Her voice was a little bit shaky and unsure of the language that she was currently speaking as she continued, "I not speak your language very good. Being... Judge? Will be dish... Difh... We'll be hard. But I try my very best! OK?"

The majority of the audience could help but think, 'Oh God! She can barely speak Japanese!'

Alice practically stormed over to her mom when she said, "Mother! I told you to call me first before you came to Japan!" Erina immediately followed and she called out to a cousin that only authorized personnel were about to go onstage.

Leonora immediately and happily replied to her daughter, "Oh! Hello, Alice! Hello, Erina! Huffy mad again. Like always!" The older albino teased her niece with a childish smile. Erina then retorted that it was because of Alice. Leonora immediately turned her attention to Sōma, somewhat ignoring Erina, when she said with a happy, "Oh! Hello to you future son-in-law!"

"Huh?" Both Sōma and Kon vocalized at the same time.

That was when Alice started shouting at her mother in Danish. It sounded serious but Alice was waving her hands around in a mad yet childish manner. Leonora was happily giggling at her daughter's antics as she responded cheerfully back in Danish.

"Kon, do you know what language they're speaking in?" Sōma asked his friend as Akira and Ryō glanced at her.

Kon's reply was simple when she said, "Danish, and yes, I know what they're saying." She then tilted her head to the side when she asked the blind redhead in confusion, "Sōma, did you accidentally get engaged with Nakiri Alice or something? They're talking about wedding venues."

The three finalists had three very different responses. Sōma's was a shocked, "Wait? What!?" Ryo's was a rather potent 'oh boy' expression on his face when he said, "Uhh..." While Akira's was an amused snicker.

That was when Kon asked Sōma in a rather unsure tone, "Uh, should we tell you're father abo-"

"You wanna tell him?" Sōma got out in annoyance before the green-haired teen could finish the sentence. He rubbed his temples with his right hand, trying to mediate a headache that is slowly creeping up on him. Sōma was wondering if this whole thing was worth the annoyance or not.

Kon immediately replied with a rather unapologetic tone, "Yeah, right. I'm not suicidal." She then said with a cringe, "When your dad is in that "Protective Papa Mode" he makes a Manticore (1) seem like a cuddly toy."

Sōma made a potent cringe face when he said, "Urg! Don't remind me!"

Akira and Ryō glanced at each other at this. Both were now wondering what kind of man Yukihira-san was, especially when his own son doesn't deny those kinds of statements about him... Yeah, now wasn't a good time to ask those kinds of questions. They needed to focus on the match.

Isshiki quickly took the mic and mediated the mother/daughter duo's discussion. He nicely told them that they needed to announce the start of the match in need for them to return to their respective seats. Leonora cheerfully said OK as she returned to her seat at the judges' table as Erina dragged Alice off stage. Well, at least there was some interesting entertainment for the audience before the match.

Isshiki-senpai quickly went into a professional mode when he said, "Members of the audience, the time to start cooking is almost upon us. Please turn your attention to the ceiling!"

To Sōma, that direction was rather strange. Before he could ask why they needed to look at the ceiling, the sound of mechanical gears turning echoed through the arena. "What's that sound?" Sōma asked in confusion, trying to pinpoint where the gear grinding sound was coming from.

"Oh, the ceiling opens up," Kon stated simply as she, Akira, and Ryō watched the night's sky pour into the arena from the opening ceiling. The green-haired teen then tilted her head to the side when she saw that the seeming only open halfway and commented, "Huh, that's an odd place for it to stop." She then quickly explained to Sōma what was happening. Kon then asked, "But why does a cooking arena need a roof that opens up?"

That was when the audience excitedly murmured that they could see the Moon coming into view on one side of the open ceiling. Isshiki then announced, "Members of the audience, this is the true form of the Heaven's Moon's Arena! Cooking time for the final match will last approximately 2 hours!" He then gestures towards the Full Moon that was coming into view when he said, "It begins the moment the Full Moon has completely appeared and ends when it fully crosses the skyway and is once again hidden from sight!"

Kon couldn't help but mumble so that only the three finalists could hear, "That sounds rather impractical to only use the Full Moon as a timer… What would Totsuki do if it was overcast, cloudy, or even raining on the night of the Full Moon?"

Sōma, Akira, and Ryō couldn't help but snicker a bit at the comment. The blind redhead then smiled when he told the green-haired teen, "Kon, not everyone is as interested in practicality as you are. Plus, it seems like the Heaven's Moon Arena is for special events only, you know, events that need a lot of flairs. Kinda like this one." Kon only let out a hum at the response.

Gin can help but admire the Moon as he came into view over the arena when he said, "Even though we do this every year, it feels a little grandiose every time." He then thought back to the good old days when he attended Totsuki. Like the night that he stood in his godson's shoes during his own final match in this very arena. Such fond memories. 'Ah. That reminds me, I should drop by the diner during my next day off. It's been a while since I've seen little Hiro,' Gin thought with a smile on his face.

As soon as he saw that the Full Moon was nearly into complete view, Senzaemon immediately announced in his loud voice, "Chefs, prepare yourself for battle!" Sōma, Ryo, and Akira got themselves ready to cook. And as soon as the last bit of the Full Moon came into view, Senzaemon then announced, "BEGIN COOKING!"

With that... The three finalists started on their last dish of the Autumn Elections.

~}i{ Elsewhere }i{~

The sounds of a key to a music box was heard being turned in a gentle rhythm. The music box was then placed on the nightstand. Then the lid was opened, allowing the melody of the lullaby (2) to flow into the room.

As the song played, Andoryū rubbed his throat as he listened. He closed his eyes as he moved to get settled into bed, quietly so he could still hear the lullaby. He carefully scooted to the centre of the bed, away from the edges as the lullaby worked its magic. Andoryū let out a soft sigh as sleep easily took over.

Andoryū loves this lullaby, he grew up with it and it gives him comfort when he finds sleep. He sings it to his children when they have trouble sleeping, it works by the time the final words were sung. The in-laws thought the lullaby was creepy, but he told them that it was all a matter of perspective and told them that some of the lullabies in their culture had some creepy lyrics too.

You know... When you think about it... Sometimes... Life is like a lullaby... Sometimes it can feel happy and at ease but can have an underlying eeriness that's hard to notice at first blush... You have to sometimes look back at a memory when you're older to understand what something in your childhood means... Which can be both a good thing and a bad thing... ... ... ... How... Serial...

The lullaby repeated when the rhythm "Bayu Bayushki Bayu" (2) played yet again.

~}i{ Totsuki's Heaven Moon Arena }i{~

Cooking for the Autumn Election Finals was going smoothly. The contestants were making great progress on their dishes, and everyone could see that. They might not have touched their Pike yet, but that only emphasised the skills of the three. Kon stood at the end of Sōma's station as she watched the redhead cook, headphones still covering her ears. The green-haired girl already knew what she needed to do and knew what the boundaries are for what she's allowed to do.

Hayama, Ryo, and Sōma were able to ignore the noise from the crowd as they focused completely on the construction of their dish. Soon the Pikes came into play. Hayama and Ryō discreetly glanced at Sōma as they worked on their dishes, they were curious about what the blind redhead was going to do for his dish as they started cooking their own.

"Hey, Kon," Sōma said to the green-haired teen, getting her attention. He then asked, "Can you make sure that the judges don't eat more than a 3rd of the dish?" When Kon replied with "Sure", Sōma smirked when he thanked her.

Kon watched Sōma's hands as they worked their magic on the food, the whole thing reflected vividly off of the green-haired teen's amber eyes as they watched. After a few seconds, Kon asked, "You have some kind of twist planned for this dish, don't you?" The only thing Sōma did was smirk again. Kon then gave a small shrug when she said in an 'of course tone, "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a Yukihira Dish if there weren't a twist." Sōma couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the comment as he started washing the gunk off of his pike.

When the Full Moon was only halfway through the section of sky that the audience could see, Ryō had his dish finished and ready to serve to the judges. From what the audience could figure out from the ingredients the seafood specialists use, it seemed like he was making an Aqua Pazza.

An Aqua Pazza is a local delicacy in Southern Italy. It is a simple yet gourmet dish of poached whitefish mixed with a variety of other ingredients. Traditional ingredients include olive oil, tomatoes, and shellfish.

Akira noticed that Ryo's dish was still sealed within some kind of plastic wrap before commenting, "Oh? He's using something the two of us are-, Uh, Kon-kun what are you doing?" The whitette noticed Kon putting on a cloth mask that covered the lower half of her face mid-sentence, she then placed her headphones back on after the mask was in place. Akira couldn't help but ask with a raised brow and a small sweatdrop on his head, "Are you that sensitive to smells?"

That was when Kon responded with, "Yup, although I think it's more because I inherited Отец's (Russian for Father) sense of smell then it being a sensory issue in general." Her voice was a little muffled because of the mask, but you could still hear what she was saying. Then the green-haired teens said, "I didn't think I would be putting this on before you served your dish, Hayama-kun."

Akira couldn't help but think, 'She caught onto what Kurokiba-kun was planning before I did... I'm surprised she's this astute on these kinds of things.' The whitette remembered from the Menu Contest that the tall green-haired teen didn't seem to understand social cues very well, save for the people she already knew. 'I wonder if it has to do with her Autism or if it was something she inherited from her father,' Akira wondered as he kept working on his dish while keeping an eye on Ryo.

Sōma was confused when he asked as he continued on his dish, "Why would Kon need to put her mask on now?"

Meanwhile, the judges were quite interested in the dish placed before them. The majority of the audience, on the other hand, seemed a bit apprehensive about the wrappings on the dish. One audience member commented that the seafood specialist was making the customer unwrap his dish.

Leonora clapped her hands together happily when she said with a bright smile plastered her face as her eyes gleamed in wonder, "It is still all bubble bubble inside the wrap! It must be stupendously hot inside!"

And with that, three judges opened their respective dishes. As soon as the red ribbon keeping the wrap together was removed, the arena was hit with an aroma bomb that made it feel like everything was underwater! The scent of prawns, mussels, steamer clams, and of course pike filled the air with a fragrance that was cutting through the arena like a riptide!

That was when some of the audience members noticed that the Headmaster of Totsuki was smiling!

"It's the infamous grin!" Someone from the audience shouted in shock. That was when another audience member shouted, "Unbelievable! Even on this stage, who would've thought that the headmaster would break out "The Grin"?!"

Kon raised a brow when she asked in an annoyed tone as she pressed her headphones closer to her ears, "Do these people get excited over the littlest things in this school or does the headmaster not smile often enough here?" The green-haired teen just couldn't understand why the audience was reacting the way they were over something so minor and weird, at least in her opinion.

"Debatable," Akira and Sōma stated at the same time as they continued to work on their dishes while they watched the judges do their job. Though the blind redhead did comment on him not knowing if the Headmaster was smiling or not. That was when Akira added, "We're in the Finals, so it makes sense that he'd hit with an umami bomb. By logical deduction, there would be an explosion of fragrance hitting everyone in the arena."

Kon couldn't help but comment, "Interesting analogy."

During this, Ryō explained to the judges that the wrapping for the dish was a heat resistant film. The seafood specialist also added that using this film changed the name of the Acqua Pazza, causing his dish to now become a Cartoccio (which in Italian means "paper cone" or "to cook in a wrap"). Making Ryo's dish a Pike Cartoccio!

Now was time for the judges to taste Ryo's dish. All three judges took a bite of the dish at the same time.

According to Leonora, the seafood is so fresh and otherworldly! Their rich umami flavours world together in her mouth like a whirlpool!

Gin was impressed that Ryō had the strength to cram this much powerful umami into a single dish! It was refined, yet utterly savage. Gin commented that the seafood specialists had reached a new pinnacle in flavour.

The audience was both stunned and amazed at what was happening before them. A good number of the audience commented that the dish looked so good.

Leonora asked Gin and her father-in-law if all pikes in Japan have that much flavour in season. The answer was easy, not all pikes do and it is hard to create such a strong flavour without using a lot of seasonings. That was when the Head of the Tourism Division noticed a faint smell coming from the dish, a smell that was not seafood. The headmaster figured out the scent immediately when he said, "It is the fragrance of herbs."

Ryō smirked when he said, "Exactly! I added a part of this to the dish!" As he held out a piece of butter in plastic see-through wrapping, but it wasn't just any butter… It was herbed butter!

Herb butter is basically finely chopped herbs and spices and mixed into softened butter, and then wrapped up and shields and the refrigerator for a day of the flavours to meld.

Ryō made a patch of homemade herb butter into each wrap right before he put them in the oven. Baking on low heat made the butter melt slowly, allowing its richness to seep into every nook and cranny of the entire dish! Which in turn, caused both flavour and fragrance to have the punch of an exploding warhead!

For some odd reason, Leonora was oddly silent.

Alice noticed this and then commented, "Uh-oh. Here comes. Mother is about to do her own version... Of "The Disrobing"."

Anyone who was able to hear what Alice said started panicking, either in horror or in eagerness (Don't have to elaborate on that any further...)! Some are wondering if she should really be doing that in a crowd this big! Leonora suddenly stood up, ready to perform her own "Disrobing"! The audience waited with bated breath at this!

The next thing to happen was Leonora going into a greatly detailed speech about the taste of the dish and how cohesive everything was with one another while using a lot of colourful descriptive words to thoroughly describe such flavour, in perfect and fluent Japanese!

"... ... ... Wait, what?!" was the reaction to the majority of the audience.

Alice happily explained to whoever was in the hearing range that when her mother eats a truly delicious dish, she "strips off" her awkward speech patterns and describes the food in perfect, elegant detail.

Kon couldn't help but ask Sōma and Akira, "That doesn't make much sense. How can you "strip off" how you speak just by eating a tasty dish?"

Akira gave a nervous chuckle when he said, "I think that's just how the Nakiri family is... And I guess it also applies to those who marry into the family too..." The whitette then watched Kon tell Sōma that he better not "gain" that kind of weird thing if he marries Alice, to which the blind redhead replied that he doesn't even know what's going on and that Leonora was talking way too fast for him to understand. Akira couldn't help but smile at the interaction.

Senzaemon stared at the Pike Cartoccio when he thought as he got ready to take a bite of it, 'This is a delicacy that would work with no other fish but a perfectly in-season pike. It is the culmination of all his considerable skills as a chef! Both my body and soul… Have become one with the sea!' And of course, the upper half of his clothing was off his body and exposing his rather fit torso for all to see.

"There it is! The headmaster himself has also performed the Disrobing!" "Amazing, Kurokiba-kun!" "No one could ask for a higher praise!"

"What tha Bloody Hell is going on?" Kon exclaimed in a tone that was a combination of completely confused, dismay, and uncertainty as she saw the Headmaster of Totsuki standing behind the judges' table with the upper half of his clothing off. With a look on her face and body movements that matched her feelings, the tall greenette then got out in that same tone, "The Headmaster of tha school is taking off his clothing in front of tha student body and they're cheering?! What tha hell is wrong with this school?!" A few members of the audience were sharing the same confused and shocked expressions as the green-haired teen.

"The Headmaster is doing what now?" Sōma got out in confusion as he paused in his actions of cooking. He wasn't sure what he just heard. He shook off his shock before asking still in confusion, "You mean he's been taking off his clothing every time he does this "Barechest" thing?!"

That was when everything came to a screeching halt. No one said or did anything the moment they heard these two utter their words for all to hear.

Akira was the one who was able to ask, "Sōma-kun, you mean you didn't know that the Nakiri Family does their "Disrobing" when they eat a delicious dish?"

That was when Sōma said in a bit of a disbelieved tone, "How was I supposed to know that the Headmaster was stripping off his clothing when he was judging our dishes?! I thought when people were talking about this "Barechest" thing, I thought it meant that he was making some kind of facial expression that he rarely did!"

Okay, considering that Sōma was blind, it's understandable how he could miss knowing about the "Disrobing" the first few times. However... Well... Yeah okay, if he wasn't told that the Headmaster had that "habit" when he judged dishes, yeah, Sōma's shock at this realization makes a good deal of sense.

But...

"What about you, Kon-kun?" Ryō asked as he pointed at the green-haired teen. He then asked, "Why are you so surprised by this?"

One of Kon's eyebrows twitched when she stated in an annoyed and sarcastic tone, "Yeah, why would I expect the elderly headmaster of this school, that I've never been to before today, to suddenly strip off his clothing after eating? Especially in front of the student body and whoever else is attending this event." Kon then folded her arms when she added in somewhat of a disgusted tone, "I also find it extremely concerning that nearly every student here seems... Excited about an old man taking his clothes off in front of them." That last part came out in a more uneasy tone with a slight growl.

Oh... Oh! Right! Forest Kon was an outsider to the cooking industry. She wouldn't know who the Nakiri are nor what their "Family Traits'' mean in regards to food. So to her, seeing the Headmaster of a prestigious cooking school suddenly take off his clothing in front of everyone in the middle of an important event would be rather... Unnerving and confusing. ... ... ... This makes things rather... Awkward... Real awkward.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... After a nice detailed explanation to Kon as to the "Disrobing" thing so everything can continue as scheduled. Alice managed to make a description of her grandpa's "Disrobing" when he ate good food similar to how Usagi threw off most of his clothes when he was excitedly happy. Kon seemed to understand Alice's description a little better. Though the green-haired teen DID comment that if the headmaster took off more than the upper half of his clothing, she was leaving. That no one could fault her for.

Moving on with the next leg of the Finals.

Akira served his dish next. To the majority of the audience, the whitette's dish was a Pike Carpaccio... An appetizer?!

"Does he really think he can win with a Carpaccio?!" Nearly half of the audience exclaimed in utter shock.

'How could he choose a dish like that for an event as prestigious as this?!' Erina thought in disbelief, trying to wrap her head around this unfathomable idea.

Kon, not understanding the reactions from the majority of the individuals, was the one to ask, "I thought the only requirement for this whole thing was that the dish had to feature Pike as the main ingredient, so what's the big deal over the type of dish Hayama-kun decided to make?"

That was when Sōma explained, "Appetizers, by definition, are dishes meant to be served at the beginning of full-course meals. The first course is primarily designed to only whet the appetite. Out of necessity, appetizers are light dishes with little volume."

Kon responded with, "Oh, so appetizers are normally served first." Sōma let out basically as Akira placed his dish in front of the judges. The green-haired teen then got out, "So for Hayama-kun to serve an "Appetizer" for the Finale of this event would be considered unusual?"

Sōma shrugged when he said, "Only if you're looking at it from a traditional point of view. Some people prefer to have their appetizers last during a meal, like how some people prefer to have their desserts first during a meal."

Akira couldn't help but chuckle as he looked over his shoulder before he said, "You've been paying attention in class, haven't you Sōma."

Sōma chuckled before he said, "Hey, just because I'm allowed to record the classes doesn't mean I shouldn't pay attention to what the teacher says. Besides, we learn a lot of cool things in class and that tends to give me a lot of ideas for new dishes."

Despite the "oddity" of the dish, the judges proceeded to start on the Carpaccio. At least until Akira stopped them, to add the finishing touch to his dish. The whitette pulled out a small handheld blowtorch and seared the surface of all the fishes, creating a pleasantly nice caramelized coat to the dish as well as releasing a seductive aroma. All three judges got hit with the full power of the wondrous smell.

Now Akira's dish was completed, his Seared Pike Carpaccio was officially ready to be eaten.

The beautiful visual appeal and the seductive smell was just way too tempting! The dish was practically begging to be eaten!

Leonora couldn't wait any longer! She just had to take a bite! And when she did, her "Awkward Speech Disrobing" kicked in as soon as the fish touched her tongue, "So luscious! The dressing is extra-virgin of olive oil and wine vinegar exquisitely melded with pureed pike liver. The rich, full-bodied flavour of the liver seeps into the tongue, gracefully underscoring the mild sweetness of the fatty meat. I feel like I'm drowning in a tidal wave of flavour and fragrance!" Lenora couldn't help but ask, "How many spices he must make to-"

Senzaemon calmly interrupted his daughter-in-law by saying, "No. The spice used in this dish… Is allspice alone.". "I thought Hayama's talent lay in mixing it a varied exotic spice to create

"WHAT?!" Was the reaction from pretty much the majority of the audience the perfect fragrance!" One member of the audience exclaimed in complete shock.

That was when Erina finally realized the truth when she explained, "No, his skill is in manipulating fragrance itself. He can do more than just add more spices to his recipes. In fact..." She then places a hand to her chin when she added, "This time he subtracted spices instead of them. In doing so, he accentuated the flavour of the in-season pike."

Alice couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Uh, I get that much, but… How did he manage to get that rich of the fragrance with only one spice? His dish's impact was on par with Ryo's!"

Leonora realized that her daughter was right before she said, "Yes! Just searing not give that pow punch. It is hard to think about!"

Akira allowed a smirk to cross his lips when he explained, "I used Kaeshi sauce. Right before serving, I brushed a thin layer of Kaeshi onto the fish slices."

Kaeshi is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sake. It is often diluted with dashi stock to go with noodles.

It is considered an all-purpose seasoning that can be used in almost any Japanese dish.

That was when Gin stated, "No wonder! Fish need generally does not brown easily, even when using the high, focused heat of the blowtorch. But the sugars presented in Kaeshi make that easier! It also prevents the heating time from dragging out too long and ruining the freshness of the fish."

Akira then added, "The fatty acids of the fish mixed with the sugars in the Kaeshi. Add heat and they will sizzle and boil. In other words." He waved a hand over an extra plate of his dish when he added, "I used spice subtraction and fragrance enhancement, two opposing techniques, both in the same dish!"

Senzaemon couldn't help but think, 'Kurokiba Ryō and Akira Hayama. Their previous clash would spur both to improve...' The headmaster then made the analogy, 'Kurokiba Ryo's cooking is like an enormous great sword. With its explosive power, he can drag out the appetites - the animal need for food - even from the experienced judges of the finals. On the other hand, Akira Hayama's duck dish during the semifinals... Was a sharp, glittering swirl of spices that cut like a bejewelled scimitar. But tonight, Akira-kun's was different. His cooking was precise. Deliberate. Utterly refined. It was like this limb, find point of a rapier, hold for one purpose.'

With a single bite, the judges like that they were transported to an archery field, all subtly dressed for the occasion, with the arrow being used to shoot were actually pike!

"These people are definitely in one weird world of their own..." Kon muttered when she heard that description. She then helped Sōma place the finished dish on a little trolley when she added, "I'm going to ask Kii about how cooking relates to archery."

Sōma let out a nervous chuckle when he added as he placed a heated pot on the trolley, "Kon-kun, I think that particular description was more of a simile (3) than an actual comparison or how it relates to something." Kon let out an "Oh," as the two made their way to the judges' table for their turn.

}{

Eizan was watching the entire match from a section of the stadium that was out of view from both the audience and cameras.

"My, my, why the long face?" Isshiki's voice suddenly came from behind the 9th seat. This somewhat startled the blonde. Isshiki then asked, "Is there something wrong, Eizan-kun?" Although, from the tone that the 7th Seat was using, it seems like he already knew something.

Eizan glanced at the 7th Seat when he said, "What, me? "Long face?" What makes you say that, Isshiki?" The blonde with a hand at the stadium when he said, "The auditorium is packed, and the crowd is going nuts. This year's Autumn Elections is a smash hit. As the producer behind it, what more can I ask for?"

With a smug smile on his face, Isshiki stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Still, the show up on stage right now is quite a bit different from the one you wanted to put on, isn't it?"

Eizan glared at the 7th Seat when he said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Isshiki."

}{

Sōma's dish appeared to be Takikomi Rice with Pike being the main feature. Kon carefully scooped out three bowls worth of rice and gave each of the judges one.

The judges picked up their chopsticks, took a small bit of the rice, and ate it. The rice tasted like the joy of fall seeping into one's body!

Gin was about to explain the method of the Pike, Leonora interrupted by saying, "He carefully grilled the pike over an open charcoal brazier before steaming it together with the rice! Detailed touches give the fish a richer flavour and fragrance, which then soaks into the rice! The pike itself is extraordinary! The first touch on the tongue is a strong salty flavour, but hidden underneath is a deep umami undercurrent with a fluffy, savoury fragrance that spreads through the mouth with every bite! I would say that this pike is of a quality exactly on par with the other two!"

Kon stared at the albino woman during this speech and when she finished, the green-haired teen said, "It's official, the Nakiri family have their own brand of weirdness."

"Now that's rude," Akira stated as he tried to suppress a snicker.

Kon shrugged when she said, "I don't see how that's considered rude. It's nothing special since every family has their own traditions, traits, and methods that seem odd to everyone on the outside."

Sōma let out a hum before saying, "Kon does have a point there." as he checked the heated pot still on the trolley.

Meanwhile, Ryō was inspecting the gunk that Sōma has the pike in. The seafood specialist knew it had to be the reason why the pike had that level of flavour. Ryō slid his right index finger over the surface of the gunk before bringing it to eye level. "Nuka rice bran?" the seafood specialist questioned when he realized what the gunk was.

At that instance, Megumi figured Sōma's method out when she exclaimed, "Pickled pike!"

Pickled Pike is common in areas of Hokkaido, like Kushiro, Akkeshi, and Nemuro, where it is a traditional and well-loved dish. Pickling pike in a rice-bean mash - called Nuka - deepens its umami flavours, ameliorates any fishy smells and even increases its nutritional value!

Some fishermen claim it is the best way to eat pike!

However... It is a long process that can easily take days to complete.

"Stop!" Kon suddenly exclaimed, startling the three judges and the others who just happened to be around the immediate area a bit.

Alice was the one to ask, "Konny-chan, what's wrong?"

Kon tilted her head to the side when she said, "Huh, oh, nothing's wrong. Sōma told me to make sure that the judges don't eat more than a third of the rice."

Sōma gave another nervous chuckle when he got out, "Not what I meant by that but as long as it works and no one gets hurt, I guess that's fine." The blind red-head then thought, 'I should've been more specific when I asked her to do that. She's way too literal sometimes.'

That was when the judges realized that they did indeed eat at least a third of what was in their bowls. But now the question now was "Why did Sōma need the judges to have at least 2/3s of the bowl remaining"?

}{

"You were the one who engineered Sōma-kun's match with Mimasaka Subaru, right?" Isshiki said with a smile, yet the cheerful tone seemed to be laced with malice. The 7th Seat then stated in that same tone with that same smile still on his face as he laid out all the facts, "After all, the only one who could possibly manipulate the match pairings is you." With almost an evil gleam in his eyes, Isshiki continued with, "You figured that if you used the rivalry Sōma-kun has with Takumi-kun, you could easily goad him into biting on the match. Fighting for the sake of his friend on the big stage - and failing. There's no greater humiliation than that, ri~ght?" Isshiki then looked at the stage when he said, "Pulling all the strings from the shadows and never getting your hands dirty. How very like you, Eizan-kun."

}{

Sōma took the lid off of the pot he was checking when he said, "Would you like to try the completed version of this dish?" Inside the pot was some kind of white broth.

}{

That was when Isshiki told the lower seated Elite member with that smile still on his face, "Your plan failed, Eizan-kun~. You thought you could trip him up with your plots and bring him down." That was when the 7th Seat said in a serious tone and an evil gleam in his eyes, "But in the end, the only one who wound up caught in your clever trap... Was you."

"What?!" was all Eizan got out.

With that gleam still shining in his eyes, Isshiki stated in a serious tone, "You did what pretty much everyone in a society that caters to able-bodied and neurotypical (4) individuals. You completely underestimated him in so many ways!"

}{

Now the judges were curious. If Sōma's dish was this delicious when it was incomplete... Then what would the completed version taste like?

Senzaemon moved his bowl out when he said, "Very well. We allowed Hayama-kun to add a finishing touch to his dish, so it is only fair that we allow you to do the same to Yukihira-kun."

Kon used a ladle to scope out a portion of the broth. That was when she realized what the blind red-head plan was when she said, "So that's what you made. Clever, but don't expect me to eat it."

Sōma let out a chuckle when she got out, "Wasn't planning on it. Besides, I know you would dislike the consistency anyway."

With that, Kon poured the white broth over the rice. Despite it looking like it was a slightly thick type of broth, it quickly soaked into the rice to make it seem almost porch-like.

Senzaemon took a bite of the rice-like porridge. Suddenly, the upper section of his clothing seemed to burst off!

"There It is! The Disrobing!" "All three of the Finalist made the Headmaster Disrobe!" "Incredible!" "That has to be a high honour to cause that!" "I have never seen the Headmaster Disrobe three times in a row!"

One of Kon's eyebrows twitched when she muttered under her breath, "This still seems like this is some sort of strip show, especially with those kinds of comments..."

The three finalists, Alice, Erina, and the judges couldn't respond to that comment without being perceived as perverted to the green-haired teen. This was also making them realize that this kind of thing would raise some eyebrows to other individuals who are outside the food industry in Japan... Umm, they'll get to that problem when they get there.

Continuing with the judging, Senzaemon stated, "Mild. Thick. Creamy. This white broth is soy milk!"

The audience was shocked at this revelation.

Sōma smiled when he explained, "That's right! I mixed a dash of parmesan cheese and a little dollop of the miso paste into the soy milk and then lightly simmered it. This is my pike dish... Pike Takikomi Rice, Ojiya Style!"

Ojiya is also called "Zosui". Ojiya is soup stock and seasoning added to pre-cooked rice, vegetables and fish and cooked into a thick porridge. It is distinctively different from dishes like Risotto, which is uncooked rice that is first sautéed in butter and oils before adding liquid... And Okayu, which is a rice gruel cooked too soupy softness in extra water.

That's when Erina realized the true purpose of the broth when she said, "He built this dish to be a porridge from the start, with soy milk as the "Stock" !"

"Soy Milk Ojiya Porridge..." Senzaemon got out before saying with a smirk, "Hm, how interesting!"

Gin scarfed some of the rice porridge before he said, "Mmm! Delicious! The full-bodied richness of the cheese and the mild, salty flavour of miso meld brilliantly with the rice! Then there are the chunks of tender pike meat mixed in with these red things." He picked up a red piece of the unknown food and asked, "Are they what I think they are?"

With a smile, Sōma stated happily, "Yep~! They're crunchy pickled-plum bits!"

Some of the audience could help but exclaim, "WHAT?! Again with the dirt cheap, grocery store junk food! Like that cracker breading and the seaweed jelly pearls..." "He totally dumped those in there just for the heck of it!"

Leonora "Disrobed" again when she said, "These pickled plums are a very important facet of the overall dish! They have a bright, pleasing colour and fun, crunchy texture. Not only that, their tart flavour cuts through the rich oiliness of the pike meat, giving the dish a fresh, clean aftertaste. And, like all vinegary foods, they stir the appetite -a side effect that this dish takes full advantage of! Finally, these plums are salt pickled! It is no wonder they make a perfect accent to the pickled pike at the centre of the dish!"

This made the audience speechless.

}{

Isshiki held up the recent issue of The Totsuki Spotlight when he said, "Sōma-kun challenged Chef Shinomiya, a Totsuki alumni and former 1st Seat, to a Shokugeki in the middle of the Hell Camp and survived. He went toe-to-toe with master fragrance manipulator Akira Hayama using a spice-centric dish in the preliminaries. He beat Nakiri Alice, family to the gastric godfather himself, in the quarterfinal round. And in the semifinals, he handed Shokugeki Beast Mimasaka Subaru his first loss in 99 matches."

Eizan didn't say anything as the 7th Seat continued.

"But," Isshiki started before stating in a matter-of-fact tone that was peppered with small amounts of mockery, "Despite all of that, most students don't want to give Sōma-kun his due. Why is that, I wonder?"

Eizan could not suppress a scowl at the implication the higher-ranked Seat was saying.

Isshiki smiled when he said, "I actually had the pleasure of meeting the Yukihira Twins' father just before Summer Vacation, he stopped by the dorm to say hi." The 7th Seat was hoping that the 9th Seat would pick up on that little hint he dropped, and hopefully figure out who the man was by doing a little research and start fearing the potential wrath of the Former Gemini Chef. Isshiki then added happily, "Yukihira-san had some very interesting things to say about his son when I asked him if he taught Sōma-kun any particular skills, outside the norms of running a diner of course."

}i{ Flashback; Yukihira Jochirou at the Polaris Dorm talking to Isshiki }i{~

Jouchirou: "To my eye, Sōma never really had any talent for cooking. I never pressed him to become a chef either, but… Loss after loss, he didn't give up. He kept getting better and better, one small step at a time. One day, it just hit me… One thing that most normal people naturally have, Sōma was missing.

People generally think… "The other guy's a natural, of course, I'm going to lose."

Consciously or unconsciously, normal people put that lid on their feelings when they face off against a "Genius". They do it because they want to preserve what pride or self-confidence they have, you see.

But Sōma doesn't have that lid. Instead, he has the courage to stare straight at his own inadequacies. Even I don't have that. That's an unbelievable strength."

Isshiki: "Ah, so he was like that before he went blind. I was wondering about that."

Jouchirou was quiet for a bit before he said sadly: "… Yeah… He was…"

Isshiki, now worried that he overstepped, stated in a worried tone: "I apologize if I said something to upset you!"

Jouchirou shakes his head when he said sadly: "Let's just say that Sōma lost that part of himself for a short while after he… Lost his sight… I… I'm not going to get into details on that, just… Just that it felt like… We nearly lost him twice… *Now in a bit of a happier tone* But one day, he came to me and… And asked me to help him re-learn how to cook! I just! I was just so happy! But also worried since I didn't know anything about teaching a blind person to cook. *Lets out a soft chuckle* You wanna know what Sōma told me?"

Isshiki: "What?"

Jouchirou: "He just smiled and told me "Don't worry Pops, we'll both be learning during this! And if we end up doing it differently than what's normally done, then that's okay too!" It's just… Just felt like he was back in more ways than one. And through trial-and-error, a lot of trial-and-error, we managed to find some techniques that worked for him."

Jouchirou took a sip of his drink and said: "That was one of the major occasions where I was glad that he didn't have that "Give Up" lid limiting his thinking. He's still pretty normal despite being blind, mind you, *Smiles* but he just does things differently now. And that's a pretty amazing thing if you ask me."

~}i{ End Flashback }i{~

That was when Isshiki then added with a smile, "Sōma-kun's culinary inspirations… Those don't come to him because he has some kind of natural talent for it. He just thinks everything through and keeps plugging away through trial and error, like he always seems to do. Anyone can do that, though it's harder than it sounds. THAT'S why everyone looks down on Sōma-kun, not just because he's blind and not because he's from a diner, but because he has the guts to just keep on trying and understand that his errors have a value when it comes to learning about what works, what doesn't, and how to improve on it."

That was when a rather serious yet evil glint in Isshiki's eyes gleamed when he said with a rather satisfied smirk, "Because accepting his skills and accomplishments… This means they also have to accept that they themselves haven't even bothered to try."

}{

The audience was still awestruck at the events that unfolded before them. It was if… The unthinkable has just happened! Which it might have to be honest.

"That's… Pretty cool," one member of the audience finally admitted. "Yeah," another agreed.

The members of the Polaris Dorm turned to look behind them when they heard these admissions in mild shock.

"Those two are culinary freaks… But he's actually going toe-to-toe with them, despite being blind," yet another member of the audience admitted. "He… he might actually do it," said another. That was when yet another member of the audience admitted, "Yeah. He just might."

The Full Moon completely disappeared overhead when the rest of the student body in the audience admitted, "Yukihira Sōma… Is amazing."

Sōma undid his scarf he was using as a headband when the judges finished the dish he made when he said, "Happy to serve!"

With that Senzaemon announced, "This concludes the judging! The judges will now make their decision!"

~}i{~

Chapter 15 Complete.

~}i{~

~}i{ Summer Omake: July 13, Summer Job Day 12. Shokujidokoro Yukihira's Annual Menu Contest, Day 1, Part 3 }i{~

(Again, I'm going to be skimming on the cooking and interaction a lot in this because, well, I don't have too much to add tbh).

The Beverage and Dessert Courses was next on the stage.

Tsukasa Eishi, Airia Kanae, and Yukihira Hiro were already working on their drinks while Akanegakubo Momo, Tsukui Michio, and Usagi started on the baked goods.

It didn't take long for the beverages to be completed, so the three were able to serve their dishes first. But that was expected, drinks took less time to make than it did desserts. (Which might've been the plan, to be honest).

Eishi served his beverage first. It looked similar to a tropical slushie that the 1st Seat called "Sweet Tropical Breeze". The judges tasted the dish, though Sōma was a little surprised by the fact that the drink was cold. Androryu did like the subtle scent of the drink.

Sōma's current score was 14; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 5.

Mayu's current score was 15; a perfect score.

Eiji's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 3.

Misaki's current score was 15; a perfect score.

Andoryū's current score was 14; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 5, the creativity score being 4.

Eishi's current score was a solid 70, the highest score so far. The 1st Seat seemed to be rather content with that.

The next one to serve their drink was Kanae with some bizarre-looking concoction that looked similar to a Witch's Brew, or something along the lines. There was some hesitance on the judges part, more due to Kanae's love of alcohol, or at least from what the Totsuki students and teacher could speculate. But the judges took a few cautious sips and then submitted their scores.

Sōma's current score was 13; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 5.

Mayu's current score was 13; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 5, the creativity score being 5.

Eiji's current score was 10; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 3.

Misaki's current score was 12; with the appeal score being4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Andoryū's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Kanae's current score is a total of 60. The thing that the judges were relieved about was the fact that the dojo teacher kept her word about holding off on the alcohol, to which Kanae stated that she'll make the alcoholic versions after the Menu Contest was over. No one had anything to add to that.

Yukihira Hiro was last for the Beverage Course with his "Tree Fruit Juice". The drinks looked pretty cute with the apple slices wedge on the rim of the up and the curly, colourful, silly straws to sip the drink with (Well, he is a kid so of course, he would use silly straws because they're fun!). The judges tasted the drink and then submitted their scores.

Sōma's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Mayu's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 5, the creativity score being 4.

Eiji's current score was 11; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 3.

Misaki's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Andoryū's current score was 12; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Hiro's final score was 58. The youngest of the Yukihira siblings was ecstatic that he was already doing better in this year's Menu Contest than in the last. That made some of the regulars smiles.

It didn't take long before the three participants in the Dessert Course finish up their dishes. Akanegakubo Momo practically shoehorned her dish to the front of the judge's table. Usagi did comment that she was a very rude little girl with hardly any manners during this. The short 3rd-year student happily placed her "Cream Berry Shortcake" in front of the judges. It looked like a small vanilla cake that was overfilled with strawberries, razzberries, and blueberries as well as being smothered in what looked like vanilla cream.

The judges took a bite of the dish. One of Eiji's eyebrows twitched as Andoryū raised a brow when he bit into one of the berries, which turned out to be candied berries. Sōma had a bit of a hard time hiding his tells that screamed that he wasn't enjoying the dish. Mayu and Misaki were a little deterred from eating more than needed. It didn't take long before the scores were submitted.

Sōma's current score was 8; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 3.

Mayu's current score was 6; with the appeal score being 2, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 2.

Eiji's current score was 5; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 1, the creativity score being 1.

Misaki's current score was 7; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 2.

Andoryū's current score was 6; with the appeal score being 2, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 2.

Leaving Momo with a total of 32. The short 3rd-year was obviously unhappy with the low score for one of her desserts. The response was simple, the judges found the dish a little too sweet (or just wasn't a fan of the very conflicting textures between the soft, fluffy cake and the hard, crunchy candy berries in Andoryū's case). They suggested cutting the candied berries for the next round since they admitted that the cake was good just that the candied berries were just a little much. Momo puffed her cheeks out in annoyance at this when she grumbled out, "Momo made it perfectly, yummy sweet. You're being unfair."

Eiji managed to hear that when he said in a stern tone, "We are being fair in our judgement. We all found your dish too sweet within a reasonable means. Meaning that either you eat far too many surgery foods to notice how sweet this dish was or you made the assumption that we would enjoy an over-sweetened dish." That silenced the pastry making 3rd-year.

Usagi was next with his "Yummy Carrot Cake". (Yeah, that's what he called it, remember, he's got a child mentality). No one seemed surprised that the albino man submitted a carrot cake. The judges took a bite of the dish and then submitted their scores.

Sōma's current score was 10; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 4.

Mayu's current score was 10; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 3, the creativity score being 3.

Eiji's current score was 11; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 3, the creativity score being 3.

Misaki's current score was 10; with the appeal score being 3, the taste score being 3, the creativity score being 4.

Andoryū's current score was 10; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 2, the creativity score being 4.

Bringing Usagi's total score to 51. Momo was visibly upset while the albino man beamed when he cheered that he did better this time around.

Last was Tsukui Michio's turn with her "Confetti Treats". But just as she was about to serve her dish she realized something about them that she did out of habit, and hesitated with serving them to the judges. But fortunately/unfortunately, Usagi happily took the Daycare Teacher's dish and placed them in front of the judges for her, much to her dismay.

Misaki couldn't contain a squee of excitement when she got out, "Aaawww! Michi, these are soooooo cute~!" As she stared happily at the adorable animal and plant shaped confections. Mayu couldn't help but agree with a wide smile as she too stared happily at the treats.

Andoryū couldn't help but chuckle in amusement when Eiji told the Daycare Teacher, "You did not have to… Make these treats in those shapes for the Menu Contest."

Michio's cheeks were bright pink when she said in a rather embarrassed tone, "I… Made them like that… Out of habit… My kids love them and they're more willing to eat the treats…"

Sōma couldn't help but say, "Oh, I remember those! Your afternoon treats were always great~." He had a grin that nearly split his face in half. Michio couldn't help but turn redder at that.

With that, the judges happily ate the shaped treats before submitting their scores.

Sōma's current score was 13; with the appeal score being 4, the taste score being 5, the creativity score being 4.

Mayu's current score was 15; a perfect score.

Eiji's current score was 13; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 4.

Misaki's current score was 14; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 4, the creativity score being 5.

Andoryū's current score was 13; with the appeal score being 5, the taste score being 3, the creativity score being 5.

Tsukui Michio's score was a total of 68. The little children in the stands cheered happily for their Sensei, much to the amusement of the regulars.

And with that, the first day of the Menu Contest came to a close when Doudeuple announced to the spectators, "That will be all for today and I sincerely hope we will see all of you for the rest of the contest! Everybody! Clap your hands!" He ended up being the only one clapping at this. Cleaning then proceeded, it didn't take too long.

Erina noticed that Sōma missed one of Michio's confections and took it. She looked it over in her hand, the little confection looked similar to a small puppy with perked-up ears and tail. 'It does look… Kinda cute. I can understand why little kids would like these,' Erina thought to herself before breaking off the tail and popping it into her mouth. It tasted mildly sweet and refreshing, yet despite the pleasant sweetness there seemed to be a fun crunchiness to it. That crunch that took Erina some time to realize what it was, but when she did… It tasted like she was in a wondrously fun playground that was made of the typical confections with children happily playing. However, the children weren't human children they were-

Erina snapped out of her tasting when she felt a finger being gently placed on her lip, easily silencing her before she could finish. The honey blonde realized that it was Michio who was quieting her in such a simple way. The Daycare Teacher gave her a small smirk when she chided playfully, "No, no, nope~, you are not spoiling the fun little secret ingredient I add in all my sweets to everyone~."

That was when Erina realized that she did her God Tongue Tasting Critic out loud, again!

That was when Michio placed her free index finger to her own lips when she said, "If you tell everyone that secret ingredient, then I'm not going to be able to get my kids to eat them~." She then removed her finger from her lip and then Erina's when she said, "You don't need to tell everyone everything that's in a dish." Michio then tapped Erina's nose playfully with the same index finger that was on the honey blonde's lip when she added with a smile, "So don't tattle, princess."

Erina had… No idea how to respond to that… She really didn't… She… She just didn't understand the whole thing…

Michio then walked away to her daughter as everyone started heading out.

Erina just watched it all happen. She watched as the Daycare Teacher gave her daughter a one-armed hug before taking her hand and heading home. Something in Erina just ached, as if she was missing something important but, couldn't figure out what it was. The honey blonde did seem aware of the fact that she did feel some jealousy towards Yumi. 'Wait? Why am I being jealous? A mere child couldn't have anything I would want,' Erina told herself. Convincing herself that the little girl didn't have anything that a Nakiri could ever want.

Erina ate the rest of the confection slowly as she left the gymnasium. 'She added small pieces of vegetables to her dishes so the children could get their nutrients when they ate the sweets,' she thought as she made her way back to her hotel. She knew that the small pieces of vegetables were cut in a way to make them look like confetti sprinkles, a perfect way to trick little kids to eat their veggies. Erina would've normally thought that that kind of thing would've been pretty deceptive, but… 'She wasn't doing it out of malice, she made it in a way that everyone can enjoy it while they got the nutrients they needed… She cared about making sure that the children ate healthy while making the treats tasty…' Erina thought as she walked into her room.

She looked at what remained of the treat when she thought, 'I… I wonder how long it took her to perfect that recipe?' There had to be a lot of trial-and-error processes to make the whole thing work because as far as Erina was aware there weren't a lot of official recipes out there that actively used vegetables in such a hidden manner. 'So she… Made that recipe all on her own? Just for all the kids, she takes care of? And the other people around her?' Erina thought as she could just feel that missing piece in her festering even more.

That was when Erina realized what that important missing piece was and why she felt jealous of little Yumi. 'I haven't seen or heard from her for years,' the honey blonde thought bitterly at the memory of that specific person who chose to leave her family and never contact them well over a decade ago.

She finished off the remainder of the treat as she flopped back onto the bed. The image of that amazing playground danced vividly in Erina's mind. When she finished the treat she suddenly felt lonely. Erina quickly pulled her phone out and quickly went through her contact list to find Hisako's number, but she hesitated for a bit. Hisako had the preliminaries to prepare for and needed to focus on that… But… 'I'm sure she wouldn't mind just talking to me for a little while. I mean, she deserves a nice break for a little bit,' Erina thought as she tapped on Hisako's number.

Erina placed the phone to her ear and listened to the dial tone. She patiently waited for Hisako to pick up as the line continued to ring.

"Hello? Erina-sama?" The honey blonde heard the familiar voice of the pinkette.

Erina smiled when she said with a smile, "Hello, Hisako. Just… Just calling to know how you're doing this Summer."

Erina could hear Hisako's happiness when she said, "I am doing well. My curry dish is completed and ready for the Autumn Elections. How… How are you doing? Everything okay at that… Diner?"

Erina thought about that for a bit. Yes, the diner was hectic and something that Erina was absolutely NOT used to, but… "It's…" Erina started before taking a deep breath before admitting, "Actually isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Hisako was quiet for a bit when she asked, "Erina-sama, you… You don't have to lie to me, you can tell me the truth."

Erina took another deep breath before saying, "I am telling the truth, Hisako. It really isn't. I mean, yeah it's a diner and all with the low-grade food and unrefined patrons, but…" Erina thought back to all the events that have happened at the diner so far and all the strange but fun individuals she has met because of it. The honey blonde then said, "Despite all that, it… Really not all that bad. And… And there are a lot of strange people here that are definitely weird but oddly nice and somewhat interesting." Erina then smiled when she said, "And actually, the diner is currently having a Menu Addition Contest where the winner from each of the four categories get added to the diner's menu. I'm participating in the Main Course."

"You are?!" Hisako got out in shock, before asking, "Are you competing against either of the Yukihiras?"

Erina shook her head when she said, "Unfortunately, I do not have the pleasure of crushing him on his turf. According to the rules of that contest, the winners from last years contest to act as judges for the current contest and since he and his sister won their respective categories last year, they're on this years panel of judges."

That was when Hisako said, "That is unfortunate, but… Doesn't that make four judges?"

Erina quickly explained, "Yes, but the current owner of the diner, the Yukihira Twins' father, is apparently the permeate judge. Though he wasn't there and they had to pick a replacement judge. Urg! That Yukihira dared to choose a regular to act at the replacement judge!"

Hisako couldn't help but gasp out, "No! He didn't choose you! That's blasphemy!"

Erina huffed when she said, "Urg! I know! But…" She sighed before saying in a softer tone, "I think… He made the right call on that, to be honest… Kashii-san… Is… He's doing a pretty good and fair job as a tasting judge… I think he's doing a better job than I would have if I was chosen…"

"Erina-sama… Is everything alright?" Hisako couldn't help but ask.

That as when Erina admitted, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that the budget given to all the contestants of the Menu Contest would've meant that our only option was to use food from the grocery stores or local sources, and I don't think I would've been able to make a fair call on the dishes."

"I see…" was all Hisako got out. The pinkette then realized what was said before she asked, "Hang on if what you're saying is true then… Are you using low-classed food?! Cooking with low-classed food?!"

Erina reluctantly nodded when she said, "Yes, I am… Budgeting also counts towards the final score in this contest, they're easy points, but you lose those points if you go over the recommended budget given." She then sighed before saying, "I wasn't happy about that, but given that it's for a diner and all, I guess it is reasonable."

"I suppose so," Hisako stated in response.

"The other members of the Elite are also participating, so I do have some competition during the Menu Contest. Alice, Kurokiba-kun, and Hayama-kun are also participating so I guess that fills all four categories with Totsuki students," Erina told her friend in a casual tone.

Hisako couldn't help but say, "I guess that means that this year's Menu Contest are going to have Totsuki winner across the board, huh."

Erina then admitted, "I thought so too, but…" She then thought back to all the non-Totsuki participants in the contest, what they cooked, and what their current scores were. Erina then said, "The regulars that signed up… They were… Doing pretty well in the contest. Well, except a few, but they did that on purpose. I mean, it's so obvious that they didn't have much professional training in cooking, but they did do well so far."

"That's… Kinda surprising," Hisako stated in a surprised tone.

That was when Erina remembered Andoryū. The honey blonde then said, "Actually… That's not the most surprising thing I came across here…" When Hisako asked what it was, the honey blonde replied with, "One of the current judges… He won the Beverage Catagory last year and… And he…" Erina took a deep breath before finally saying, "I don't remember what the official word for it is but… He can't taste anything, at all!"

"!" Hisako was shocked at this revelation. That was when she asked, "Really?! And they're allowing him to judge a food contest?!"

Erina then explained, "The only requirement to enter this Menu Contest is that you can cook, and Forest-san can cook as surprising as that is. But he did say that he enjoys the smell and texture of food, though he admitted that he's not a big fan of soups."

"I guess that makes sense," Hisako stated in a thoughtful tone.

"He's been giving the participants some fair scores, so I guess he's just… Judging the food a little differently from normal but remains completely fair in that judgement," Erina admitted before she added, "I mean, he even gave his own daughter a pretty fair score."

Hisako was quiet for a bit when she asked, "His daughter is participating?"

Erina easily replied, "Yes! I mean, she's pretty competent in cooking but she comes off as completely rude!" The honey blonde paused for a bit before adding a little self-consciously, "But she did say somethings that kind of got me thinking about how I was doing things back at Totsuki…"

Hisako was quiet for a bit once more when she asked, "Can I ask what that might mean?"

Erina fidgeted with a strand of her hair when she stated softly, "She… Mentioned that I was doing more harm than good during my… Time as the 10th Seat…"

That was when Hisako said in her usual tone she used when trying to cheer the honey blonde up, "But Erina-sama! You were doing what you thought was best for Totsuki! Getting rid of unnecessary Research Societies is part of that!"

That was when Erina asked, "Were they really unnecessary at Totsuki? To all the members of those RS? To the students who have an interest in that kind of food and want to improve the type of dish in some way?" She was silent for a bit before saying the similar thing Kon told her, "Just because it doesn't fit my viewpoint doesn't mean it can be amazing in its own way or at least has some kind of potential to be great…" That was when Erina remembered her grandfather's words when she added, "Grandfather was right… I was unknowingly destroying what Totsuki stood for… I guess it didn't really sink in until… Forest-kun stated it and I saw how the good regulars did in the Menu Contest… It made me realize just how wrong I was in regards to… How many different ways to make different types of dishes…"

"That's… A lot to take in, to be honest…" Hisako stated, not so sure how to truly respond to that. But the pinkette was able to tell that the honey blonde sounded like she meant every word she said.

That was when Erina said, "I guess in a way… Grandfather was right about the diner opening my eyes to what Totsuki stood for…" The honey blonde gave a small snort before saying, "It's a little ironic, I finally understood what Totsuki stands for by being away from it."

Hisako couldn't help but giggle at that last little snip. It was quiet the irony, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and definitely no arguments. But in the end, Hisako was glad Erina was doing okay.

The two just continued talking over the phone, just like normal teenagers. They weren't the next generation of gifted chefs, they weren't focused on making the next best dish, they weren't currently planning on the next recipe. They were just being ordinary teens chatting like friends, and it felt… Nice for once.

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Until next time in Chapter 16; The Next Difficult Challange.

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1) The manticore or mantichore (Latin: mantichōra; Early Middle Persian: merthykhuwar; Persian: مردخوار mardykhor) is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that proliferated in western European medieval art as well. It has the head of a human, the body of a lion and a tail of venomous spines similar to porcupine quills, while other depictions have it with the tail of a scorpion. There are some accounts that the spines can be shot like arrows, thus making the manticore a lethal predator. It devours its prey whole, using its triple rows of teeth, leaving no traces of its victims (including bones) behind. Some sources identify the manticore with the mantyger, while others regard the mantyger as a quite different creature.

2) This particular lullaby playing in this scene is a Russian lullaby called Bayu Bayushki Bayu. It is a rather soothing and calming lullaby that mothers sing to lull children into sleep while warning them of the dangers of sleeping on the edge of the bed. It's beautifully soothing in it's original Russian (I'm aware that some people might find the lyrics creepy... But let's be honest, don't most children's lullabies have creepy lyrics?). Also, for those of you that play Dead by Daylight, this song might be familiar to you. (Link 1 for the music box version) watch?v=Vr3APOP7yDE (Link 2 for the original Russian lyrics) watch?v=8f8WYvAo-RA . Enjoy falling asleep to this lullaby.

3) A Simile is a figure of speech and type of metaphor that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as." The purpose of a simile is to help describe one thing by comparing it to another thing that is perhaps seemingly unrelated.

4) Neurotypicals do not display or are characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behaviour. The majority of neurotypical individuals often assume that their experience of the world is either the only one or the only correct one, and this line of thinking and acting causes them to alienate anyone who does not fit their way of thinking.

Neurodivergent, on the other hand, have a differing mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal (frequently used with reference to autistic spectrum disorders); not neurotypical.

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