Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrow Here!

Sorry for the delay everyone. Working in a restaurant during these uncertain times is quite the… adventure? No, that's not the right word. Would make for an interesting Shokugeki no Soma story, if it wasn't for the fact that I do not want to relive this even in writing. But, do stay safe out there friends, thank you guys so much for the support and the feedback you provide, and enjoy the next chapter of "Classique"!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.


Nene Kinokuni had lost.

In just a matter of two hours, during the first match-up of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, Tootsuki Academy had just lost a point to Real Cocina, and with it, their First Seat. Every single member in the audience with an ounce of investment in Tootsuki Academy's future sat silently as the monitors still flashed the losing screen, signaling the unexpected defeat of the one who should have been their greatest asset. Others, notably those who wanted Tootsuki to fail, were not as silent, as murmurs could be heard asking whether or not this could in fact be it. That this event, so highly marketed and sold as such grand in scale, could very well be settled in the very first day it had begun.

That the mighty Tootsuki, once thought of as an unshakable giant, could very well fall.

Nene herself remained still, her head still facing upwards to the screen, her eyes still wide as could be. Her mind was still processing the results, as her lips quivered as she tried and failed to react. It took a soft hand being placed on her shoulder to get her to move, if only slightly, to face Isshiki, as the Second Seat gave her a pained look.

"…Satoshi…?" she voiced.

"It's alright," he assured her, tightening his grip slightly on her shoulder, knowing fully well how horrible she must be feeling at that very moment. "It's not over just quite yet. We took this risk of going first to protect our underclassmen. Come, we can still salvage this."

He led her away from the stage, and she followed. Nene forced herself to shake her head, to try and come back to Earth and face the reality of it all. They quickly got back to their area, where Kuga and Shouko awaited, both silent, with the former worried and the latter pensive.

"I lost," Nene said, addressing either the group or herself, she wasn't sure which.

"Nene… What was that?" Kuga asked, but his tone was not of anger. He sounded outright confused and even scared. "How could they just… win like that?"

"I don't know," Nene answered as honestly as she could. "I did it just like we had practiced, with everything we had prepared. I didn't think… I didn't think they'd be that far out of our reach."

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake somewhere that-?" Kuga tried, but Nene cut him off.

"Do I look sure of anything!?" she shouted, then bit her lower lip to try and keep herself in check. This wasn't supposed to go this way. 'How could I lose…?' she asked herself again. 'It's not like I think I'm unbeatable, but a complete defeat, five to nothing? How?! All that struggle, everything I've done for my family's namesake…'

"It won't help to crumble under the pressure now," Isshiki spoke up, firmly. "We need to win three times, without losing two. Preferably, without losing at all, but it seems like we underestimated our opponents, somehow."

"He is right," Shouko voiced, still seated, her eyes focused on the other team, who were still joyously celebrating their win. "Once we step into this arena, we can't switch out, so it's just us three left to win this. Wallowing in despair because our First Seat has been eliminated will not help."

"I'm not wallowing in anything," Nene argued, frowning and blushing at the same time, knowing that Shouko was right and they needed to get their act together, somehow. "I just-Ah!-I can't fully process it!"

"Are we allowed time-outs, or…?" Kuga asked, even if he was sure he knew the answer already. Both Nene and Isshiki shook their heads, as while yes, groups could interchange ideas and brainstorm while a fellow teammate was in a match or the few minutes in between matches, they couldn't ask for more time. The airtime had already been bought, so they couldn't extend past it.

Then the screens began to flash again, as the names of the competitors once more began to be randomized. Team Tootsuki all seemed to stiffen at the notion, especially upon noticing that on the flashing names, Nene's was no longer there.

"Wait, seriously, I could be chosen again right away?!" Linda asked, seeing that her name was flashing on the screen too. "This stuff is tiring, I don't think I can pull off a second win just like that!"

"Have more faith in yourself," Alex reassured her, as he glanced up at the screen. "It's still a twenty-five percent chance, just like it was last time. Doesn't matter which one of us gets picked, we can and we will win this one too. We cannot lose this momentum."

"Easy for you to say," Christina voiced, concerned. "They are going to come at us pissed; we won't have the element of surprise anymore."

"Are you saying my win was out of dumb luck?" Linda asked, giving her teammate a half-playful, half-serious glare.

"I'm not!" Christina argued, "All I'm saying is we have to be ready!"

"And here we go folks, time for the second match-up to begin!" Urara forced herself to sound as happy and perky as can be, despite the fact that she was feeling the student equivalent of being nearly unemployed. "After that unexpected victory of Real Cocina's Linda over Tootsuki's First Seat Nene, we are now moving to our next match! Will history repeat and Real Cocina achieve another win?! Will Tootsuki prove this tuition is worth all the money and actually put up a fight?! Will I have to find employment on a cruise ship that I hope is watching this and does not think less of me if we lose?! Most of these answers we'll get… Whenever that screen stops flickering! Seriously, why does it take so long to-?"

Then the names flashed up on the screens, and everyone could feel the tension in the air. It was palpable, even more so than before.

Terunori Kuga vs. Alberto Rodriguez

"Of course it's me…" Kuga said with a nervous smirk the moment he saw his name on screen.

"…Heh, and here I was hoping to go third; get the big win and all that," Alberto said with a smirk, shrugging as he moved towards the arena.

Kuga swallowed a bit before he decided it would be best to move too, since he wasn't about to back away now. He took two steps, then felt his phone vibrate. He paused, realizing that he still had it on his person and he really should set it aside for the match. So he took it out, glanced at the screen, and for a moment, he couldn't help but smile.

"Seriously?" he voiced softly. "I wouldn't even consider us friends… But, hey, that means you're watching, aren't you?"

It had been a text from Eishi. Just four little words.

"You can take him."

With a newfound resolve, Kuga stepped into the arena, where he stood face-to-face against Alberto, as both competitors nodded at each other.

"That's an impressive hairdo you're sporting there little man," Alberto teased, still smirking.

"Insulting my height and my do, you're making it pretty hard for me not to take this personally," Kuga replied with a smirk of his own.

"And our next match begins!" Urara announced as she showcased the competitors. "Our resident Third Seat, Terunori Kuga! Versus Real Cocina's Alberto Rodriguez!"

"Beto is just fine," Alberto quickly added, as he winked at Urara, "Especially for one such lovely as you."

"Al-ber-to," Urara repeated with extra emphasis on his full name, shrugging off his flirting attempts. Her boyfriend was watching after all. "Now then, let's get our theme!"

Both Kuga and Alberto glanced up, as the screen flickered again before showing the theme of their Shokugeki.

Sugar.

'Damn it,' Kuga half-jokingly told himself. 'Where's Momo when you need her?'

"All right!" Urara blasted onto the mic, her enthusiasm back, or as close to as she could get. "Let's get this match started!"

And with those words spoken, and a nod from the judges, the cooking began. Kuga already had a dish in mind, as several desserts were discussed in the meetings prior to these event, so he had a good idea what to do. Still, in the back of his mind, he still couldn't help but think how was it that Nene, using the same recipes they had all prepped beforehand, had lost so easily. It just didn't make sense.

He shook his head. It was not going to help him in the slightest to think about that. From the corner of his eye, he could already see "Beto" beginning to cook, so he couldn't just space off. So cook he did.

All the while, as the minutes passed, and Urara offered commentary alongside the judges, Nene's mind kept racing.

'Why do I feel that something's wrong…?' she asked herself over and over, her eyes scanning everything Kuga was doing, and much like how she had believed she had done, finding no flaws to his methods. 'Underestimating our opponents I can understand, but that defeat was too much. Something doesn't make sense here. But what?'

She scanned around.

'The prep work was done by the WGO, they could risk a massive lawsuit if the tampered with anything…'

She turned to their opponents.

'For as much as they trash-talk, I cannot imagine they would sabotage our food… No, even if they wanted to, they never had a chance to do so… am I overthinking this?'

An hour had passed, both cooks already halfway done, and still, Nene frantically searched with her eyes for an answer to a question she wasn't sure was even valid.

'There's just no way… No way that we could have been sabotaged,' she admitted regretfully, 'It was no fault except my own. Our opponents had no access to our food, the prep was done by the WGO, and the only thing we brought here was…'

Then her eyes blasted opened.

It couldn't be… right? It was too farfetched to be true. She knew, deep down, that she was only looking for excuses. But… But… Why did she feel like that could might as well be it? She could now choose to stay silent and watch, or…

"Kuga!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, shocking Isshiki and Shouko who had been mostly quiet throughout the match, simply observing and analyzing. The opposing team also turned to the First Seat, surprised at the sudden outburst, as did most of the crowd. She didn't care. "Restart everything! Something's wrong!"

"What?! Are you insane?!" Kuga blasted back, his hands covered in more dough than he could handle. "I've been cooking for over an hour here, what's gotten into you?!"

"Just trust me!"

Kuga paused, hand on his tools, his eyes scanning hers for a moment, before he frowned and bit his lower lip in frustration.

"Can she do that?" Linda asked, pointing to Nene with her index finger while looking at Alex. Alex simply turned to the judges at the table.

"Seems like Tootsuki is getting eliminated much quicker than expected," Decora spoke up, glancing at Nene, a little smile on her face. "At no point has it been established that this Shokugeki allows outside assistance. Or am I wrong?"

Courage turned to her fellow judge for a moment, unsure, but Anne quickly spoke up.

"But did she really?" Anne said, and Decora, alongside the others, turned to her. "…She only told him to discard his dish, a very… poor idea, to be honest. But, furthermore, I do feel like something is off. For an Elite Ten, the First Seat at that, don't you think her dish was a little… underwhelming?"

"And that allows interference because?" Decora flatly asked.

"She's right," Courage added, "This should be discouraged."

"Perhaps," Anne replied, but her eyes darted upwards briefly, to the area where the other Elite Ten members were seated. "I have tried dishes from these members before. This did not elicit a similar reaction to that time."

"What reaction?" Decora asked.

"It made me call my momma," Histoire replied for Anne, and both Decora and Courage felt like they had not been answered at all. What did that even mean?

"…Let's just play along just this once," Anne said, turning to the participants. "If you please, Nene, dear, no more interfering, or Kuga will be disqualified. That is, of course, if the Third Seat wishes to abide to your advice."

Then everyone turned to Kuga, who just sighed.

Then he tossed his entire dish into the trash.

The entire crowd could be heard gasping, and even the competitors, actively cheering for Tootsuki's defeat moments prior, were speechless. The spiky haired boy just stood there, cracking his neck a bit and taking a deep breath, as all eyes, all over the world, were on him. Solely on him.

'What do you take me for?' he asked Nene, even if it was only meant for him to hear. He was sure, at least, that with his eyes she could understand him a little bit. 'I have less than an hour to make a brand new dish that has to be better than a dish made by a fellow pro who had two hours to make his… How very annoying.'

So Kuga got to work. He washed all of his equipment thoroughly, a necessity to avoid cross contamination, but still something that took out of the valuable, little time he had left. Then he retook more of the prepped ingredients, and deciding to do a different dish, began to cook. The crowd was silent for the time that followed, as even Urara was left speechless for a bit, and before anyone knew, the timer had run out…

…and two dishes were presented to the judges.

On one side, a majestic-looking Tres Leches Cake from Beto.

And on the other, a slightly less impressive Mango Pudding with a side of tea from Kuga.

And while both competitors looked tired, Kuga looked outright ready to drop dead on the spot.

"Well, let us have a taste," Anne cheerfully declared, as the five WGO judges took their time taking a bite out of each dish, comparing and contrasting, as the entire stadium remained as silent as ever. Urara held onto the mic tightly, as Nene, Isshiki and Shouko looked on, their eyes fully focused on the five judges taking their sweet (pun intended) time to give the boys a score.

"Both are marvelous indeed," Charme declared, breaking the silence, "But I must say I believe my point should go to Alberto's magnificent Tres Leches. While close, I feel it has a slight edge over the other."

At this all of Tootsuki tensed, but none more so than Kuga himself, who could see history repeating, but then…

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you there my friend," Histoire voiced, his hand still holding onto his fork. "You never did quite appreciate the finer qualities of tea. I feel that it compliments this dish so well. Too well in fact. My point goes to Kuga."

Kuga felt he couldn't breathe. And, surely, none of the Elite Ten could either.

"I think I agree," Courage voiced, turning to Histoire. "It did offer a very different experience when combined. For that versatility alone, my point also goes to Kuga."

"Versatility is not the end-all factor here," Decora cut in, her eyes on the dishes for a moment. "While both are exquisite, I must say I favor, how did you prefer to be called? Beto?"

"Yes ma'am," a very happy Beto replied.

"Yes, I give my point to his dish," Decora announced, and with that, the vote was tide. Then they all turned to Anne, with Decora offering her a small smile. "And this is offering Kuga a fair shot, as he should have been eliminated due to the outside interference earlier."

"That's true," Anne said, and Kuga felt his body grow cold, but then Anne smiled. "…But you said it yourself, didn't you Decora?"

"Huh? Said what?"

"That both dishes where exquisite," Anne replied, "And that is a far cry from the dish presented earlier by little Miss Kinokuni. There seems to be a reason for that, but for now, I shall give my vote to…"

The crowd began to murmur again, and soon the murmurs turned to shouts and screams and roars, as the screen flashed the winner's name.

Terunori Kuga was the victor.

"Yes! He nailed it!" Soma shouted out, standing up from his seat with his fist pumped into the air.

"That must have been quite the challenge," Takumi voiced, equal parts impressed and delighted.

"Yes! We're still in this!" Alice cheered, "See Ryou, we don't have to move!"

"We're you honestly already ready to give up?" a concerned Ryou muttered.

As the four continued to cheer, Akira was the one who turned to a pensive Erina, who sat quietly. "…You noticed something?"

"…Not sure yet," Erina answered earnestly. "But it seems Nene did."

"And the winner is our very own Terunori Kuga!" Urara celebrated as she bounced up at the joy at not being out of the job just quite yet. The crowd continued to cheer, as a very tired Third Seat made his way back onto his team's side, where he was greeted by a very sudden hug from Nene.

"Okay, this is weird," Kuga said as she placed her arms around him, but then she spoke softly, to his ear.

"Someone is messing with us," she whispered, and he couldn't really say anything on the matter.

"Well done Third," Shouko told him, to which he nodded. "You tied the game up. We can still win this."

"Indeed," Isshiki said, as he placed his hand on Kuga's shoulder, "You were amazing."

"From your angle maybe," Kuga admitted with a small laugh, "I wasn't feeling all that amazing. And, they're tough. Way tough. I'm exhausted."

"Hey!" a voice called out, interrupting the four, as they turned to see their opponent's leader, Alex, before them, the muscular young man sporting a very serious expression. "Is there something you guys aren't telling us?"

Everyone's attention turned to the confrontation that they were sure was about to happen, and as Nene, predicting that she couldn't quite explain herself properly without any proof whatsoever, was ready to talk, Isshiki stepped in.

"Seems like we're having problems on our end," Isshiki answered, face-to-face with Alex. "This in no way invalidates your team or your efforts. Just, it seems, a very hefty mistake on our part."

"Where you sabotaged?" Alex asked straight up, surprising Isshiki slightly, but Nene quickly cut in.

"We cannot say," she admitted, and as much as it hurt her pride, she added, "And… while I will argue the points, I cannot argue against my loss against Linda. I underestimated her, and in turn, all of you."

Linda, standing nearby, said nothing, only turned from Nene to Alex, who seemed to nod at the statement.

"Very well," he said. "If you are certain we have not messed up on our end, I will let it be. But, I take no pride in victories earned if there is even the slightest hint of doubt. And I'm willing to back that up. If needed, I can show you our talent, and even offer, if we are to lose this next match, that your team gets the last two points it needs to win this event."

"What?!" Christina shouted out.

"Dude! ¿¡Qué carajo?!" Beto blasted out, red in the face, still reeling from his loss.

Only Linda said nothing, only observed.

"What? Why would you…?" Nene, just as surprised, asked, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder by Isshiki. "…Satoshi…?"

"I cannot permit you to do that on the account of our own mistakes," Isshiki replied, his eyes fixated on Alex's own. "Not, unless, we offer the same. If you wish, this next match, decides everything. I would be content with that."

The screens began to flicker again. The next competitors getting chosen.

"As would I," Alex firmly responded.

The names appeared, and the crowd had no idea how to respond. Urara just stared, her eyes narrowed, knowingly. "…That had to be on purpose… Random selection my ass..."

Satoshi Isshiki vs. Alex Franco

"Isshiki's up…" Soma noted softly, as Erina turned to look at him. His eyes were fixated on the arena, his entire focus set on his upperclassmen and the older brother figure for all of the Polar Stars. It was charming to Erina, how much trust Soma seemed to have in Isshiki, which was clearly written on his face. And, she was sure, he wasn't the only one to feel that way.

The Polar Stars, although scattered throughout the crowd, all had their hands pressed together in prayer at the victory of their top guy. Megumi was near the center, seated in between a few Third Years, her eyes closed as she kept writing the words "win" into her palm and pretending to eat them, much to the confusion of those seated next to her. Yuuki, seated closer than any of the others, was trying her best to cheer, even if the crowd had begun to drown her out. Ryoko was seated further back, and she had her hands over her chest, trying to keep her heart from bouncing right out, as she couldn't take the tension. Marui, the furthest from the arena, because of course he was, could barely even tell what was going on, but he knew it was probably serious so he cheered. All others, like Shoji, Daigo, Madoka, Berta and Cilla, each tried their best to offer mental support to Isshiki, each dealing with the stress as best they could. Even Mitsuru, who as a member of the student press, was seated elsewhere, was trying his best to keep himself unbiased, and not just snap photos of only the Tootsuki students.

The only two not as invested, of course, were the only two seated next to each other. Nao, while not disliking Isshiki per say, really didn't care whether Tootsuki won or not. So long as she didn't run into her brother, she was fine. '…But, if that's the case,' Nao pondered, pouting, 'If they lose and this place closes, I get kicked out. I'd have to go back home… Crap! No, I need Tootsuki to win this! Should I place a hex on that Alex guy?! Do I have the time to-?'

Then her train of thoughts were interrupted by the one sound she didn't expect to hear during that event. She had heard the cheers and the booing, the gasps and claps, the sudden screaming and the dead silence, all of that she was used to, but this…

…she heard someone yawn. Loudly at that. Her one visible eye turned to the side, slowly, her neck cracking as she did, to face the person she was growing to hate most, only to confirm it was indeed as she thought.

There was pretty boy Loren, slouched on his chair, yawning loudly and barely making an effort to conceal it. She… she had no idea how to react.

"My God…" he muttered, looking very sleepy now that she took a good look at him. "This is so damn boring. Seriously? Each match is two hours? Why?"

"…Are you serious?!" Nao blurted out, before she caught herself. She had had no intention on talking to him at all, but she couldn't just hold it in. Once he lazily turned to face her she decided to screw it and just speak her mind. "What kind of chef are you aspiring to be anyways?! This is as grand as it gets! And our very futures are at stake! What's wrong with you?!"

"Geez, did I touch a nerve?" Loren asked rather dismissively. "You can't tell me there's any excitement in this? Just two guys frying stuff. I mean, we don't get to even eat what they make, so what's the point?"

"…I-I can't believe you…" Nao replied, her single visible eye still wide.

"And I can't believe you didn't crawl out of a television screen," Loren shot back, which made Nao outright flare up. "So, see, we're even. Surprises all around."

"Listen here you little traitor," Nao growled as she pressed herself closer to Loren, who involuntarily stiffened at the sudden contact from the ghost girl. "I don't care how you have everyone else fooled. I know you're hiding something, and I will figure it out! Sooner or later, I will expose you to everyone, you hear me!?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, knock yourself out," Loren dismissed as he took out his headphones and placed them on. With some difficulty, thanks to his still busted screen, he managed to get some music playing, the perfect recipe to drown out the wailing Llorona next to him.

Nao felt a vein pop, but deciding that smacking him right across the jaw would hurt her career more than his, so she just sat back and tried to focus her attention elsewhere. This turned to be a mistake, as once she glanced upwards, her eyes caught sight of the only person in the entire arena she hated more than the insufferable blonde seated next to her.

Ashitaro… and he has looking right at her. She froze, her nails digging into the armrests and forcing herself to look away, look anywhere else. She didn't even try to decipher the type of look he was giving her, just that he was right there, and now he knew she was there. Why? Why did she agree to come here? She knew he was going to be here. Had she been expecting to hide within the crowd?

She cursed inwardly, trying her best not to cry, and instead try and focus on the match at hand.

Unbeknownst to her, Loren took a glance at her, noticing the sudden shift in posture. The boy looked, but said nothing.

"Alright! We now have our next match-up set!" Urara announced with full force. "Our Second Seat Satoshi Isshiki is set to take on Real Cocina's Team Leader Alex Franco! Chosen completely at random I'm sure and not because they saw them arguing and assumed that that would improve ratings I'm sure!"

"Should she say that?" Leonora asked, pointing to Urara, a curious look on her phase.

Soe just shrugged. "She's not wrong."

"Now then judges, let us-eh?" Urara paused, as she noticed both Isshiki and Alex had stepped forwards towards the judging table. They seemed to exchange a few words between the seven of them, which in turn seemed to be communicated off-camera, likely towards the man in charged, Azami himself, Urara presumed, before they seemed to be given the green light. Before she could ask, Urara received the notification on her earpiece, and she didn't know whether these were good news or not. "Oh, okay?! Change of plans everyone! Both parties have agreed to cut to the chase and have this next match decide it all. Winner gets two points and seals victory in their favor… Oh my-Ok! Let's do this! Kotaru! In two hours I'll give you a call if I need a job!"

Both Isshiki and Alex then walked onto the stage, as the monitors began to choose a theme. The two chefs stared up at the screens, their eyes fixed, as it flashed, and flashed, until…

"And… It's-ack!?" Urara tried to announce, but it caught her off guard.

It caught everyone off guard, as the most common sound heard throughout was that of sheer confusion and even… disgust.

Nene felt her glasses actually crack when she saw the screen.

Erina had to cover her mouth to avoid even thinking how her God's Tongue would react to such a dish.

Alice was holding back her giggling, because damn it, she was a professional.

Soma was wondering why he never thought of using that before, wondering if he could have beat Rindou had he done so during their many anti-Shokugekis.

Satoshi and Alex just stared, and stared…

The screen did not change.

Testicles

"Why is that even an option?!" Nene screamed out, blushing madly, before she turned to glare at Kuga, who couldn't stop laughing. "Can you be serious for once?!"

"I can't help it!" he answered though his laughter. "Doesn't it just all flow so naturally. We get ribs, then sugar, and now, of course, big, hairy balls! Because of course we do!"

"Erina, have you ever-?" Soma began to ask, as he turned to face the blonde, who quickly replied before he had the chance to finish.

"No, never! I refuse!" she almost shouted back, and when he tried to follow up his question, she shouted louder, "End of topic! I cannot imagine how that would feel for me! So do not talk to me until the match is over, or so help me, I will throw up!"

Soma couldn't help but laugh, patting Erina in the head, and despite the mischievous side in him wanted to bug her a little bit more, he decided against it. He did, however, wonder how Isshiki would tackle such a thing.

And Isshiki was wondering the same thing.

"Qué cojones…" Alex muttered, before he shook his head and moved to his station. He needed to win this after all, so he would focus everything he had on this dish, which admittedly, was not all that unheard off in Spain.

Isshiki decided to follow suit, thoroughly washing his utensils and proceeding to begin. He went to the nearby large freezer, and without much reservation, choose the best pair of… well, protein he could find and proceeded to work with it. In time, the match had officially begun, even if a very surprised Urara had kinda forgotten to declare it properly.

Up, in the audience area, Asahi had been carefully observing Tootsuki's performance, and even he couldn't help but chuckle at the audience's reaction to the theme of the match. "Kinda immature for so many so-called culinary artists."

"What else do you expect from all these sheltered rich brats?" Julius replied, legs crossed and resting his head on his closed fist, his eyes fixated on Isshiki.

"Oh, would you two shut up!" Dove cut in, shushing them both as she waved her hand dismissively at them. "I don't wanna be distracted from seeing the two hot guys cook their balls."

"Oh, for the love of…" Julius shot back, annoyed.

"Speaking of immature…" Asahi added, likewise as annoyed.

Dove just stuck their tongue at the two. "You're just jealous of their manliness, isn't that right Ashitaro?!" Dove cheerfully asked their fourth member, but upon turning to face him, she could see he wasn't looking towards the arena at all. His eyes were fixated on the audience, somewhere, and Dove just looked on, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Back on the stage, the cooking continued, and as the time passed, the two chefs got more and more creative, stealing glances at one another and deciding to go bigger and bolder each time. Their little game escalated, and soon, Alex showed his true colors, opening a sauce pan he had left prepping since the match had begun that sent an intense aroma throughout the arena, engulfing the audience.

And for some reason, he had gone completely shirtless, because of course he had. The very well-toned Alex flexed before the stunned crowd, most notably showcasing a very impressive tattoo he sported across his back, with the words "REAL HASTA LA MUERTE" inked throughout in a very complex design. Alex seemed to revel in the attention, turning to Isshiki with a smirk. "Is this too much for you, Satoshi Isshiki?"

"On the contrary," Isshiki replied, throwing his meat right into the skillet, as the protein began to sizzle loudly. "We're pretty used to that sort of thing here. As a matter of fact, it takes quite the pair, to pull that stunt against me of all people!"

And with a war fully declared, Isshiki discarded the upper part of his uniform to the side, and while he lacked any fancy tattoos, he more than matched Alex's physique. The crowd, mostly the female members present throughout, began to cheer even more loudly, as whistling could be heard added in for good measure.

'Please just keep your pants on!' Nene screamed in her head, as her face flushed and she tried to keep herself calm. Kuga only laughed a bit at the display, wondering how this match had turned so erotic all the sudden.

"…Is that hygienic-?" Charme voiced, taken aback by the display, but no sooner had he asked than had he received his answer.

"We'll allow it!" both Decora and Courage quickly declared, and Anne felt her eye twitch. Having worked with Senzaemon before, she knew she should be used to these scenarios, but it still felt odd.

All attention soon returned to Alex, as the young man proceeded to begin his finishing touches on his dish, and by how quickly and strongly he maneuvered his ingredients, it was clear why he had been selected Team Captain.

Isshiki tensed, realizing what his opponent was doing, knowing what it meant. 'I can't get careless, this guy, is scarily good. I need to turn up the heat, otherwise he will outclass me.'

So he did, both figuratively and literally. Isshiki coated his meat in the flour and set the flames as high as they would go, deciding to golden them to perfection, as any less would probably not be enough. So he moved, and tossed, and flipped, and kept his eyes dead set on the goal, until…

…he made an error. A slip of the wrist, a risk to any chef partaking in such precise motions that resulted in his skilled turning over. The gasps from the crowd came well after the fact, as his reflexes kicked in and he instinctively grabbed the skillet by the side of the pan and managed to keep it from spilling onto the floor.

He had saved it, and, despite his body already sweating out thanks to the heat, he managed to overcome the pain and proceeded to complete his meal.

"Dude, for a moment there…" Kuga voiced, still in a state of shock.

"Satoshi…" Nene, on the other hand, had her eyes fixated on Isshiki. Or rather, on his hand, which he was purposely moving away from the skillet now, as he had switched from his dominant hand to his left. "Don't tell me you…"

And, despite the brave face, he knew, up to the point when he presented the dish before the judges alongside Alex's, that he had just massively burned his right palm.

The two shirtless boys stood before the judges, both of the panting heavily and worn out, but their expressions as focused as could be. The crowd had grown silent once again, and everyone inwardly rooted for their preferred side as the tasting began. The judges seemed to be hit by the flavors differently, as they seemed to tense with each bite, squirming in their seats at the unusual but yet somehow intoxicating flavor. The "foodgasms", as the Tootsuki alumni would jokingly refer to such reactions, where they to be described, would probably be too obscene for a non-adult work of fiction. As such, the judges kept their thoughts mostly to themselves, but their body language spoke volumes.

Isshiki and Alex still stared, staring down each other as well as the judges before them. It took three separate tastings for the judges to even begin to try and cast a vote. But after much silence, after their dishes had been thoroughly tasted, a winner was declared, and the collective reaction from the crowd was unimaginable.

At a vote of three to two, the winner… was Satoshi Isshiki!

"He did it folks!" Urara blasted, a big grin on her pretty face, "After what I can only describe as the most inappropriate Shokugeki broadcasted on cable television, what begun as total despair for Tootsuki's Dream Team, we have a total one-eighty switch as our Second Seat Satoshi Isshiki takes the second win, and with it, the victory over Real Cocina!"

"Yes!" Soma cheered as he stood up from his seat, pressing himself against the railing, a big, goofy smile on his face. "You show them Isshiki! That's the Polar Star poster boy right there!"

"…" a blushing Erina seemed to mutter something unintelligible, as she covered her eyes with her hand and wrist. "This is too shameless…"

The Tootsuki students in the crowd kept on cheering, drowning out even Urara's microphone assisted voice, as the judges declared the day's victory to Tootsuki's Elite Ten. Isshiki smiled and waved, offering his left hand to congratulate Alex on a hard fought match, which was returned with a firm shake and a nod. Both young men seemed to come to an understanding, and soon, both returned to their respective sides. The day won, for now, Urara continued announcing what would follow, which the Elite Ten were already well aware, as several match highlights were being showcased up on the screens.

Isshiki reached his teammates soon after, quickly being greeted by Kuga extending his hand to clap against Isshiki's own, but the Third Seat was taken aback when Isshiki offered the left instead, causing Kuga to have to switch hands mid-salute. Before Isshiki could even speak, however, his right hand was gently grabbed, as Nene had somehow materialized right next to him, softly turning it over, exposing his palm to her. Her eyes said everything.

"…I messed up," Isshiki offered, but despite his nonchalant tone, he couldn't quite stop his hand from shaking in her grasp.

"Dude…" Kuga voiced, his eyes wide, at the sight of the burn, which formed a straight line across his entire palm, the skin red and almost peeling off.

"We need to get this treated now! You should have said something!" Nene reprimanded, pulling Isshiki by the arm away from the arena, towards the doctor's office.

"I couldn't do anything else," Isshiki explained. "If I left the arena to get treated, the match would not be interrupted. I would not have made it back in time… and we would have lost."

"…All because of me," Nene said, and Isshiki wasn't sure if she had meant to say it out loud or not. He tried to say something against that, make it clear she wasn't at fault here, but she didn't even allow him that. She dragged him out at took him away, as Kuga and Shouko remained behind to "celebrate" their day's victory.

The first day of the Intercontinental Shokugeki had ended, and Nene couldn't help but feel sour about it, as their bittersweet victory had come down to the wire. And, despite the praise, she couldn't help but think how they would even try to survive any further encounters…

…with an eliminated First Seat and an injured Second Seat.

-0-

After the judges had said their part and Urara had, begrudgingly, handed the mic to Azami to offer the concluding statements followed by Soe, the crowd began to disperse and exit the arena. It proved just as troublesome to get out as it had proven to get in, as little Megumi found herself facing off against a wave of people, all taller than her, as she tried to navigate herself out. She was worried, as she had seen how strained Isshiki had looked despite clearly doing a marvelous job at hiding it. She just knew him better. And, she assumed, so did Nene, as the two had rushed out before Urara had even finished talking, much less stuck around for Azami and Soe's respective speeches.

Regardless, Megumi finally managed to make it out by squeezing through the cracks, finding it a bit odd, that despite feeling like she had been all day in there, it was still not actually night time. Thanks to the event only having three matches take place, it ended "early", as it only took a little over six hours to be completed.

'I'm sure six hours would have worn me out back then,' she mused, as she managed to get away from the large crowds and get some much needed air all to herself. 'Have to thank the Stagiaire and all those crazy events last year for building up my stamina. I still feel pumped! Although… I should try and find… oh?'

And find someone she did, just not the one she had been expecting.

Out of the blue, Megumi saw as Soma just walked out of the stadium, hands in his pocket and sporting the same carefree attitude he always carried, as he seemed to pause and stand by the entrance, likely waiting for the others. Good a time as any to ask him if he was planning of going to see Isshiki too, she supposed.

"So-" she tried.

"Yukihira," someone beat her to it, and by the sound of his voice, someone she knew very well too, despite it being the last person she'd expect to call out to Soma. Then again, they were fellow Elite Ten members, unlike her, so they had now more common interest.

"Huh? What's up Akira?" Soma asked as he turned to face the Fifth Seat, sounding just as surprised at being approached by him as Megumi was.

"A word, if I may," Akira replied, reaching the redhead and pausing, before he turned to the side and offered a nearby (really already there, just unnoticed) Megumi a soft smile. "Megumi, are you doing well?"

"Oh! I-I, yeah, just fine," Megumi replied, a little off-guard at being noticed so suddenly. Not that she was hiding, really.

"Oh? Tadokoro? What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Soma asked, as he turned to the blue-haired girl, who simply gave him a little, nervous laugh.

"Trying to talk to you too, but it seems Akira beat me to it," Megumi replied. "I'll leave you two to it."

"Huh? But why would you-?" Soma began, but was quickly cut off by Akira.

"Don't," Akira quickly cut in. "It makes it a lot easier to speak to Yukihira if you're present Megumi. You are far more fluent in his language than I'll ever be."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Soma quickly blasted, frowning and pouting at the same time. Akira ignored him.

"Try to behave you two," Megumi simply offered, still all smiles.

"I shall," Akira replied, before turning to Soma. "And, my business with you is quick, but, considering recent events, I've been thinking that perhaps we should advocate to allow us to be part of the team that will be in the next Shokugeki match-up. That was too close for comfort just now, and if possible I'd like to offer Isshiki and Kuga a break."

"You know you don't have to pull my leg to get me to agree to that," Soma answered earnestly. "Didn't you see how insanely good those guys from Real Cocina were? If the others are like that, I have to be a part of it! It's just too good to pass up!"

"Of course you'd say that," Akira muttered, shaking his head, but smiling nonetheless.

"You're not worried at all, are you?" Megumi said with a little grin.

"Why would I be?" Soma asked, and it still stumped Akira how he could sound so honest with something so obvious. "In fact, I'm still pissed off you aren't a part of this Tadokoro. You'd be a massive help. Erina is the heiress after all, wonder if she can turn the Elite Ten into the Elite Eleven and get you in… or the Elite Twelve and we can squeeze in Hisako or Mimasaka in there too."

"…I don't think it works that way," Megumi simply stated, even if she really, really wanted to be a part of all of this.

"While farfetched, he does make a good point," Akira voiced, surprising both Soma and Megumi at him agreeing with the former. He seemed to notice this. "What? We just lost our First Seat. Megumi would be a massive help. She did help me kick your ass last year after all."

"Nice try, but I've matured a lot Akira. Such comments no longer bother me, since we both know what really went down," said the boy whose eye was twitching like crazy. Megumi pretended not to notice.

"That said," Akira continued, "We agree on the fact that you and I should be part of next Wednesday's team up, correct?"

"Yeah!" Soma quickly replied, then added, "So… Who else do you have in mind? I'm sure Kinokuni is open to suggestions right now."

"Ideally it would be Erina," Akira answered. "And, preferably, anyone else not named Alice."

"What? Why?" Soma asked, even if he let out a bit of a laugh at Akira's sudden shift in tone.

"Let's just say she and I are not the best pair," Akira voiced, taking a look to the side, half expecting Alice to jump out of the bushes and complain. "Not a dig at her abilities, mind you, just that I'd prefer to keep my sanity intact during this event is all."

"Oh, you don't mean that," Megumi voiced with a hint of laughter. "She was part of our team after all last year. We worked… well enough, I think."

"Your recollection of events seems a bit… off, Megumi," Akira offered, and Megumi just kept her sheepish laugh to a minimum.

Megumi and Akira spoke a bit about their team-up during last year's Shokugeki for the Tenth Seat, a topic which always fascinated Soma as he loved hearing about how things had been going on the other side while he was… cleaning tables… 'Still a sour spot, move it along Soma,' Soma told himself as he shook his head. As his friends spoke, Soma, intending on asking Megumi if she was planning on looking for Isshiki, was distracted when he saw one of the Nakiri limousines driving up, taking a sharp turn, and coming to a halt right in front of them.

As if on cue, Erina herself walked out of the stadium, her presence clearly noticed by all the students nearby, who all quickly gave her a few cheers and, annoyingly enough, a whistle or two. Soma pretended not to be bothered by this. Erina, for her part, ignored most of it, out of habit if nothing else, as she approached the trio standing before what Soma assumed was her ride. Noticing the three, Erina paused, before locking eyes with her boyfriend and finding herself a bit tongue tied, for some reason.

"Oh, Erina?" Megumi greeted, a bit surprised. It seemed the blue-haired girl had just noticed the massive limo before them too, as she looked a bit confused for a moment. "These drivers of yours are scarily efficient."

"Nothing out of the norm," a slightly out of touch with reality Erina voiced, "I had Hisako call for it, after…" Erina paused a bit, her eyes meeting Soma's for a moment again, and the look she gave him outright confused the boy. She looked… worried, but also, embarrassed.

"…You okay?" Soma asked, noticing how the blonde seemed to be fidgeting a bit.

"…I also had Hisako look some… stuff up for me," Erina explained, "I was hoping you could join me. There's someone I need to talk to for a bit."

"Huh? Oh sure," Soma agreed rather quickly, causing Erina to wonder if this boy worried about anything anymore. Granted, she knew he did, he just acted so carefree sometimes it made her wonder. "Where do you wanna go?"

"I think this is the point where I step out of this conversation," Akira noted, glancing briefly at Megumi, knowingly, before he turned to Erina. "If you'll excuse-"

"Hey! Are we having a little reunion here?!" Alice shouted out as she, followed by Ryou, stepped out of the stadium and towards the four before the limo. A few of the students seemed intent on sending a few whistles her way too, but Ryou "accidentally" shoved one of them towards a trashcan, so the others decided against it. Alice either didn't notice or didn't care. "Oh? You called for our ride already Erina? Good going! Oh hey, Akira and Megs are here too, Team Akira and his Three Caballeros ride again, huh?"

"Since when were we ever called that?" Ryou voiced, still glaring at the other students, the one who toppled himself over the trashcan trying his best to escape the guard dog's menacing glare.

"And I really should get going," Akira muttered.

"How rude!" Alice voiced, stepping right up to him, preventing Akira from leaving. "Still no gratitude on your end for all the help we offered, the nerve!"

"What help?" Akira, Erina and even Ryou all asked in unison, as Alice pouted fiercely at all three, while Soma and Megumi just looked on.

"I-I should also get going," Megumi said as she turned to Soma, "I'll leave you to tend to Erina. If she can escape Alice that is."

"That's true," Soma replied, smiling, before it hit him. He then turned to Erina. "Where are we going anyways?"

"Huh? You going somewhere?" Alice asked, turning to Soma. Before he could reply, Erina turned to him, sending a pout and a glare his way, which caused the boy the sweat a bit. She was clearly pissed at him saying that, but when had she ever made it clear it was supposed to be a secret? "Hey!" Alice quickly added, turning to Erina and getting right in her face. "You mean you didn't call this ride to get us home? You're planning to go out? On a school night? Cousin… I'm proud! You go girl!"

"That's not it," Erina shot back, avoiding Alice's high five, and stepping next to Soma. "I just need to stop by the Tootsuki Resort for a moment," Erina admitted, knowing that if she didn't spill a little, she'd never hear the end of it from Alice. "I-It's business related, nothing major, so…"

"You know you're a terrible liar," Alice told her with a smirk. "No worries, though, I'm no snitch. Just know that I'm coming with! Right Ryou?"

"Why me?" Ryou asked, wanting nothing to do with this. Erina just stared, sighing, before she simply turned to Soma.

"I'll fill you in on the way," she told him. "I need to confirm something someone told me. Something personal, and it does sort of involve Alice, so…" she admitted, as Alice cocked her head to the side, surprised at the mention. Soma just looked on, nodding. It didn't really matter to him what she wanted to do there, as long as she wanted him to go, he'd go. He did, however, turn to Megumi afterwards, who had been long trying to excuse herself from the group.

"Do you need a ride somewhere Tadokoro?" Soma asked the meek girl, who flinched at the question. "Erina, could we-?"

"What?!" Megumi quickly blurted out, knowing just how in the way she'd be. How much Erina would probably not want her there, even for a ride. "No! I mean, no thank you, I can manage. I could never impose-"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Erina replied, and the fact that her tone showed no signs of annoyance surprised Megumi. "In fact, if Alice is going to force me to bring her along, you are welcomed to join us too Megumi."

Megumi had no idea what to even say.

Erina, Soma, Alice and… well, not exactly Ryou, but still, all looked at her expectantly. She had no idea how to respond, as she didn't want to be rude, but she didn't want to impose either. Then Soma made it worse.

"That's great, come along Tadokoro," he said with a smile. "It sounds like fun if we all go to the Resort. We haven't been there in what? A year?"

Megumi was still silent. Akira, moments from walking away, just looked at her with pity, knowing that the girl was too nice to turn down an invitation even if she really, really wanted to. This proved to be a mistake, as Megumi's eyes lit up as soon as she made eye contact with him and she outright pounced at the opportunity.

"Only if Akira goes," Megumi uncharacteristically expressed, as she flashed Akira the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could muster. Akira flinched, as the group just turned, surprised, but Erina merely nodded, half expecting to end up taking her entire class with her at this point. Besides, if someone was going to be well behaved, it would be Akira, so she really didn't mind.

But he did. Very.

"I am most certainly not," Akira replied, as Megumi almost cried. It hurt a bit, to see her like that, but he had experience with dealing with this sort of stuff with Jun, so he'd manage. He knew what she wanted to avoid, which was being the biggest third-wheel ever on a trip with Soma and Erina, and Alice and Ryou, but he wasn't going to sacrifice himself for this cause. No matter how much she pleaded.

"…Please," she begged, softly, eyes almost watery.

Akira twitched. He was most certainly not going.

-0-

Akira ended up going.

The party of now six all sat across the limousine, three on each row, with Soma, Erina and Megumi on one side, and Alice, Ryou and a very disappointed at himself Akira on the other. They were being driven towards the Tootsuki Resort, and as promised, along the way, Erina told them what she had been made aware that day when she had missed their last meeting. It was not what any of them had expected to hear.

"Your brother?" Soma asked, his mind flashing back to that guy. Asahi Saiba. And, in a way, he could see the similarities between him and Azami. In a way, it was almost too uncanny.

"I have another cousin?" Alice asked, clearly surprised. "You mean Uncle Azami…? But, why are you learning of this now?"

"This is why I wanted to make sure," Erina explained, shifting her eyes to the side, towards the window. It reminded her of her meeting with her father those few nights ago, and he hand clenched the window's panel unconsciously. "I had Hisako look into it. There's… not much information. Not enough to prove it, but…" she voiced, as she saw the Resort begin to materialize in the distance, the place where she would hopefully find her answers. "Nothing to disprove it either. My father did take a trip to America during that time. And the resemblance, once you know it's there, you can't unsee it."

"I can't even imagine how you must feel Erina," Megumi told the blonde. "Finding out you have an older brother. I-I'd be beyond shocked."

"Are you going to ignore the fact that he's here to get this place shut down?" Ryou asked bluntly, as Alice turned to him with a frown. He didn't care, and Erina turned to him, her eyes sharp.

"I'm not," Erina replied. "Nor am I ignoring the fact that this is the infamous Asahi Saiba, one of the supposedly best Noir Chefs around."

"Whatever the case, we're here," Akira voiced, turning to the side as he saw that the limo was currently reaching the Resort's main entrance driveway. How and why he'd been convinced to come he'd argue with himself later, but for now, here they were, so might as well look into their competition while they were there.

Upon exiting their vehicle, the Tootsuki six found their eyes fixated briefly on the school bus stationed nearby, a sign that the competitors have already been brought back to their "rooms". The six said nothing, as it was already getting late, and it was to be expected. They made their way towards the interior, reaching the front desk and allowing Erina to talk, since she was royalty after all. Alice was too, but they rather not let her direct them in the slightest if they could avoid it. After a brief exchange with the clerk, Erina was guided towards not where they expected, which had been to a room, but rather to the back, to the outdoor pools that led to the gaming / arcade area that could easily be mistaken for a casino with how big it was.

It was not what they had been expecting, much less to find an outright party once they reached it.

The competitors, from all seven schools (or rather six-and-Azami's-made-up-one) were frolicking about, some in the pools, some in the arcade, some in the "supposedly" alcohol-free bar set in-between. Music was being played, rather loudly at that, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves a lot, a stark contrast to the actual "winners" of the day's event, who had looked more solemn than anything else.

"Hey there Tootsuki!"

The six paused, as they were called out by one of the resort's "guests", as a bathing suit clad Gautier approached them, flashing the three Tootsuki girls a big, bright smile. The guys, not so much. "Lovely seeing you here! Didn't expect you all to come out all this way for our big celebration."

"My! Aren't you all a bit quick to jump the gun?!" Alice noted, returning the smile.

"I don't recall Tootsuki losing today," Ryou added, staring down Gautier, who merely scoffed at the Ninth Seat, before he bounced right next to Alice.

"My lovely, don't you see. Real Cocina managed to eliminate your First Seat. That's all we're celebrating today, nothing more. I assure you, once we beat you, the celebration will be ten times more grand!" he told her, as he took her hands into his, looking deeply into her slightly confused eyes. "But I assure you, even with Tootsuki closed down, I will never leave you out on your own. École des Plats Cuisinés will be more than happy to accommodate you my sweet!"

"~Oh? Is that-?" Alice began, but was cut off when Ryou snatched her hands off Gautier's and pulled the older boy by the arm closer, his eyes narrowed.

"You're a little too grabby, ain't ya?" Ryou threatened, and Gautier merely scoffed.

"And you're not?" he shot back, still all smiles, before he outright ignored Ryou and turned to Alice. "Does the lady really need such a brutish d-?"

He never got to finish, as his teammate Camille, likewise clad in a swimsuit, jumped right out of the pool and slammed her hips against him, pushing the young man away and into the pool, seconds away from Ryou clocking him right across the face.

"Gautier!" she growled, as he clung to the side of the pool and took a gasp of air, surprised at finding himself underwater so suddenly. "Can you not be five minutes without sexually harassing someone?!"

"Are you referring to Alice Nakiri or Ryou Kurokiba?" Gautier asked jokingly, as Camille glared. "Relax Camie, I am merely playing. They know that, right?"

"Oh, yeah, totally," Alice replied, tugging at Ryou by the sleeve to keep him from bloodying the pool.

"It's quite the surprise to see you out here," came another voice, one the six had heard a lot during the match earlier in the day. Coming out of the arcade and heading to the pool, two more swimsuit wearing guests approached, as both Linda and her boyfriend Alex reached the six. "Didn't think a little, almost-victory celebratory thingy we have going on would fancy you lot," Linda added with a smirk.

"That's not why we're really here," Erina replied, her eyes narrowed, wondering if it was really fair for all of them to be enjoying themselves so much while the Tootsuki alumni were almost drowning themselves in duty and tension. Not to mention, such a blatant display of skin, on a Tootsuki property no less. So shameless.

"How's Isshiki?" Alex asked, his tone earnest, as Soma shifted himself from looking at the surrounding to face the tattooed graduate who had nearly defeated his upperclassman.

"We were planning on checking up on him," Soma replied, signaling to himself and Megumi. "Kinda came here first. But, knowing him, he'll be just fine. Isshiki's as resilient as they come," Soma added, and Megumi nodded at his every word.

"That's good to hear," Alex replied. "Since we're staying here until a winner is declared, whether it's any of these guys or you guys, I was hoping I'd get the chance to see him cook again."

"Alex here was insanely impressed with your Second Seat," Linda confessed with a wink. "Insane talent, even if I don't much agree with that two-for-one battle you guys agreed to."

"We already talked about this…" Alex muttered, uncomfortable, but Linda merely scoffed.

"~My, my~" a voice sang out, as Dove came out of the pool, stepping out using the nearby ladder, slowly, as if to show herself and her suit out. A barely-there swimsuit, Erina noted with disapproval. "If it isn't the Tootsuki twerps. What brings you all here?"

"Ah, well," Soma voiced, but before he could properly talk, Dove had already gotten closer to him, much to Erina's ever increasing frustration with the girl. Soma, for his part, kept his glance fixated on Dove's eyes, impressively enough, since Gautier most certainly did not and even Alex, Linda and Camille wavered a bit. "Stuff, you know," he finished weakly.

"Stuff huh?" Dove repeated, still smiling. "Good to know! You know, I've been meaning to talk to you. I've heard your name way more times than I've ever expected out of someone who is not all that well known worldwide, and admittedly, not much of it good. Granted, you did make out with the man's daughter in live TV, so that may be a factor."

"You must mean Az-"

"That's nice and all," Erina cut him off, stepping right in front of him, between Soma and Dove, her eyes sending glares in the girl's general direction. "But we came here on business. Go back to your swimming or whatever, since our business is not with you."

"Oh, jealous much?" Dove noted, as Erina scoffed at the accusation. "I know why you're here princess, no need to be rude. He's probably in the arcade… maybe. But, I expected more respect from you, you know, what with me being one of the four WGO approved Noir chefs and all."

"And that matters to me why?" Erina shot back, crossing her arms across her chest and staring Dove down, who kept her smile in place.

"Why else? Who ran the WGO when I was noticed, huh?" Dove replied, all smiles, and Erina paused for a moment, her eyes widening a bit. "That's right!" Dove added, then shifting her posture and pointing at Erina with both her hands. "Yo' Momma, that's who! Something that I'm painfully aware you haven't managed yet. Sucks, huh?"

"Are you trying to tell-!?" Erina outright screamed at Dove, before Soma and Alice cut her off by grabbing her and gently taking her away from a still grinning Dove. They had not been in the Resort for even ten minutes and already they had to stop two of their own from starting a fight with the opponents. "What? Let me go! I have not finished talking with this-!"

"We came here for someone else," Alice reminded her, wondering why Erina was so easy to trigger like that. She needed to have thicker skin if they were going to survive this, she noted.

"Now, now, ladies, no need to fight," Gautier cut in, turning to the still smiling Dove. "I little crass, but I guess that's part of your charm. So, what do you say? Want to leave these guys here and head back to my room? I've got a few things I'd like to show you."

"Oh? Is that so?" Dove playfully replied. "I'd love to, but I'm busy. Rain check?"

"For you? Anything my sw-" he tried, but Camille's elbow landing right into his solar plexus ended his statement early, as she could be heard muttering an embarrassed "seriously?" as she pulled him away from the area.

The Tootsuki six made their way past the pools, and into the arcade, where more of the guests were spread out, all playing games and most of them also clad in swimwear, meaning that they were likely bouncing in and out of the arcade and the pools.

"The nerve…" Erina fumed, and Soma softly patted her on the head. "What does she know?!"

"Ignore her," Soma replied, as he shifted his attention to his surroundings. "Let's first search for this brother of yours. That's why we came here, right?" Soma added, and Erina, despite her frustrations just sighed and nodded.

"He's manning the bar," Akira noted nonchalantly, as the other five turned to him, surprised. Akira said nothing else, merely pointed to the far back, and just as he had noted, there was Asahi, behind the counter, serving up drinks to the other guests.

"Did he get a part-time gig here?" Alice asked.

"I don't think he's allowed to be there," Ryou noted.

"So…?" Soma turned to Erina, whose eyes widened a bit, the nervousness visible in her facial features. "…You good? Want me to go back there with you."

"…Yeah-Yes," Erina corrected, as she shook her head. "Let's get this over with quickly. I don't want to be here any longer than I need to."

As Erina and Soma went towards the bar, to finally talk to one Asahi Saiba, the other four remained behind. Alice, upon being asked by Megumi if she wasn't going to join Erina and Soma, shook her head, telling the girl she'd rather give Erina the space. However, she did want to look around, so, before Akira or Ryou could argue, Alice vanished from their side, and little by little, they all spread out, checking out the sights, since hey, they were there anyways.

-0-

"What'll it be?" Asahi cheerfully asked as Erina and Soma reached the bar, resting his arms on the large counter, giving Erina a fond smile. "Hey there, didn't think I'd see you here so quickly."

"…I needed to make sure," Erina replied, unsure.

"I bet you did," Asahi said, as he signaled to the two to take a seat. "It's nice that we can finally talk a bit," he said, before he turned to Soma. "You too. Seems we got off on the wrong foot last time. I'm still very grateful to your father. Man taught me everything I know about cooking. I could never repay him enough."

"I just wished he told me about you," Soma said as he and Erina took a seat, respectively. Surprisingly, for Asahi, Soma extended his hand to him, which after a brief pause, Asahi took it firmly. "Still, nice to meet you. Especially if you are…" Soma added, turning to Erina after a brief pause.

"…my brother," she concluded for him, her tone still sounding unsure.

"Hard to process, no?" Asahi noted. "But family should stick together. I'm glad I've finally got to meet you Erina. Had I known I had such a lovely little sis, well, I'd probably would have had a much happier childhood."

"I-Oh, I…" Erina tried, but she wasn't used to brotherly praise. So much so that she just felt embarrassed, as she blushed and looked down. Both Soma and Asahi laughed a bit at her reaction, both realizing the other had laughed too and eyeing each other briefly. Erina, for her part, cleared her throat before she tried again. "It would have been good to know, on my end as well. Being raised an only child is a bit lonely."

"You got that right," Asahi replied, as he grabbed one of the wine glasses he had placed on the wash and began to polish it with a linen. "And, what about you Soma? Any siblings?"

"Nope. Only child as well," Soma answered, "And you seem like a natural in there. Bartending part of your skill set too?"

"I tend to work at Don Calma's often," Asahi replied, as he set down one glass and picked another. They were left spotless. "Us Noirs tend not to get that many offers, you know, often. So I tend to work there in-between gigs. But don't worry," he said, with a smile as he pointed at the two with the glass, "No alcohol will be given out here. We have an image to maintain after all. I can serve you a killer virgin piña colada, though. Or, if you want the punch, it's out there, already prepared."

"Asahi… I," Erina began, wondering what exactly had she been planning to say or do once she got to this point, but Asahi quickly cut in.

"I've got you little sis," Asahi told her, causing her to fidget a bit. "Let's head somewhere more private. I know there's quite a bit you want to ask me. And, if we're honest, so do I. Music's too loud here, anyways."

Erina nodded, without thinking really, but she really had a lot she wanted to say, and this really wasn't her type of surroundings anyways. Asahi set the last glass down, before he hopped over the bar itself, surprising Erina a bit, as he landed right next to her. She got up, following his lead, before she paused turning to Soma, who was still seated. "Soma? You…?"

"You guys go on ahead," Soma replied, flashing the two an unsure smile. "This… is family, right? You guys have a lot of catching up to do. I'll just hang around here."

"Soma…"

"You sure bud?" Asahi asked, and Soma couldn't quite decipher his tone. "I don't mind the company. And, given how I've seen you kiss her, neither does she."

"Hey!" an embarrassed Erina blurted out, turning to Asahi with a frown.

"Don't you "hey" me," Asahi shot back. "I have a lot of catching up to do, as an older brother it is my duty to embarrass you, so consider that just one of many," he said with a smirk, to which she only muttered something to herself. "Still, you sure you don't wanna hang out with us?"

"I'm fine," Soma replied. "You guys go on. Don't worry about me. I really want to give Isshiki a call."

"Suit yourself," Asahi voiced, before he added, "If you change your mind, just go and find Dove. She knows what room I'm staying in."

"Or…" Erina quickly interjected, "You just call me, okay? Do not go near that girl."

"S-Sure," Soma replied, certain he had just been threatened. Asahi laughed it off, as both he and Erina walked away, leaving Soma seated behind, pensive. As the music drowned out the newly discovered siblings, the last thing he heard them say was something along the lines off.

"Something about her attire, right?"

"You call that an attire?"

-0-

Alice Nakiri found herself jumping from group to group, freely chatting with several of her would-be opponents, which, upon further inspection, were not as bad as they claimed to be. Very, very high strung, yes, but she was a part of the Nakiri family and she was already used to that. They knew how to throw a party, that was for sure, and soon enough, she found herself watching the groups play a few rounds of ping pong.

Ryou, who had just brought her a bit of the punch that was being offered all-around, got somehow roped into the game, as several of the boys from several teams had been playing, using the arcade's tokens as bets. Ryou, while reluctant, was pushed onwards by Alice, as she knew he would at least enjoy himself a bit if he did.

So, there she was, watching him wait his turn, getting ready to drink some punch, while her cousin was probably speaking to a brother she never knew she had. 'Life can be so strange sometimes…'

Before she could take a sip, a hand covered her plastic cup, blocking her lips from reaching the liquid.

"I wouldn't," Akira voiced, having appeared right next to her. "Someone spiked the punch."

"Wait? For real?" Alice asked, looking down into the cup. "They could get in trouble for that. Many minors around here… Wait, how'd you know?"

"I can smell it," Akira answered, and Alice had to remind herself of this boy's prowess. "Granted, it's not much, but still."

"…I should complain, it's what Erina would do," Alice admitted, before she took another look at the cup. "…Or I could drink a little, just to make sure," she added, before she began to laugh at the look Akira gave her. "I'm joking, I don't drink… I think. Besides, I need to focus on my bet."

"Oh?"

Akira looked on, as Alice signaled to the game before them, as Keelan Akintola managed to score the winning point against Valentino De Luca, much to the latter's dismay. "You guys better be better cooks that you're a player, cause, man, if you're not," Keelan mocked, sticking his tongue out at the defeated Italian.

"I'm sure this is not a ping pong academy," Valentino shot back, but, despite how much the African chef annoyed him, he still paid up with the required tokens.

"Alright, who's my next victim?" Keelan asked, before Ryou set himself up on the other side, paddle on hand. "Oh, a Tootsuki student. Elite Ten at that. What seat were you again?"

"Ninth Seat," Ryou replied, his hand finding its way towards his bandanna. "Although, I have beaten the Eight Seat more times than she has me, so take that as you will."

"Uh, sore loser much?" Alice voiced with her tongue stuck out at him, which only caused Ryou to smirk.

"Oh? Is that pretty thing in the sidelines the Eight?" Keelan asked, signaling at Alice with his paddle. The young heiress nodded with a smile, while Ryou felt his blood begin to boil again, wondering why it felt like the whole world was flirting with Alice today. How annoying. "Wanna bet a date with her?"

"I can offer you a date at the hospital, how does that sound?" Ryou shot back, bandanna now on, as the flames of competition (amongst others) consumed him.

"Now, now. Don't threaten me with a good time," Keelan replied, and with those words spoken, the two began to play.

Back and forth, the ball went, and every time either boy scored a point, the other would make a comeback. Fiercely, both played at it hard, and soon enough, most of the attention nearby was drawn to their match. Alongside Akira and Alice, the latter who wasn't sure if she was officially part of the bet or not, several others came to watch, among them the already defeated Valentino, his teammate Marco, the lovebirds Benjamin and Emilia, and the ever imposing Aleksei, who looked like he was on his sixth cup of spiked punch and showed no signs of it affecting him in the slightest.

"You're pretty decent, ain't ya?" Keelan said, as he scored a point over Ryou, setting the game in his favor. "But, too bad for ya, I'm better."

"Is that so?" Ryou growled, as he retook the ball. On strong swing, and it flew right past Keelan's defenses, scoring him another point, tying the game. Ryou's glare did not let up, and Keelan merely scoffed at the score. It came down to this last point, and as Keelan served, Ryou did not let up. He managed to figure out that Keelan loved to aim for the edge, the closer the better, so he had to keep himself on his toes. But once Keelan fell on a pattern, he could easily… 'What?!'

With a slasher-like smile, Keelan pounced and landed the ball right past Ryou, having anticipated the boy's movement. "And with that, you're out!" he announced gleefully, as Ryou had to dig his nails into his palm to avoid wanting to smack him right then and there. "And here I thought and Elite Ten member would offer me more of a challenge. Then again, if your First Seat went down like such a pansy, what can I expect from the Ninth?"

"You want to turn this into a Shokugeki?" Ryou growled, as Keelan merely smirked.

"Soon enough," he replied. "My team's up next. And you Tootsuki lot, you're all finished. Wednesday's as far as your school's curriculum will go."

"Ryou, down boy, no smacking him across the jaw, okay?" Alice called, out as everyone turned to her for a brief moment, before resetting their eyes of her "dog".

"Can you stop calling me that woman?!" Ryou barked back, annoyed, as a few murmurs and whispers began to fill the area.

"What kind of freaky shit do you two have going on?" Keelan bluntly asked, which made not hitting him much harder for Ryou, who inwardly flinched.

"~Wouldn't you like to know?" Alice teased, which did not help at all. "But, fill me in, did you "win" me in this little game just now?"

"Do you feel like a prize sweetheart?" Keelan asked, eyeing Alice from head to toe, as Akira was trying to squeeze himself out of there. He knew murder when he saw it, and that was clearly what was flashing in Kurokiba's eyes right now. And he wanted no part in it. But, before he could, someone else stepped up to the plate.

Everyone froze.

There she was, little Megumi Tadokoro, standing right next to Ryou.

"Ryou, your paddle, if you please," she asked ever-so nicely. So much so that it took the boy a bit back, and he instinctively gave it to her. She offered him her thanks with a pretty little smile, before she turned to Keelan. "Mind if I join?"

"For you? Anything sweety, but," Keelan warned, "I'm not one to hold back. Sure you can handle me?"

"~Maybe," Megumi practically sang back.

"Is… she okay?" Alice asked, completely in shock at being upstaged by Megumi, who was acting way too different.

"Megumi, are you…?" Akira asked, before he turned around, to where he had just last seen her, and his eyes widened when he saw the table. Right on top of it, were around four empty cups. "Wait! Megumi, how much punch did you drink?"

"That doesn't matter now Akira," Megumi voiced sweetly, and both Akira and Alice flinched at the realization. "Mommy's taking out the trash right now."

"What's th-" Keelan tried, but the ball flew inches from his face, at speeds he couldn't even follow. It was as if she had just fired a bullet at him, and the crowd took over a minute to find where it was that the ball had even landed. 'The hell was that?!'

"If you don't keep your eye on the ball," Megumi voiced, still sweetly, but it made the boy sweat. "…You might lose an eye."

"You think you're being cute?!" Keelan blasted, as he angrily took the ball from Benjamin and shot it at Megumi with as much strength as he could. It didn't matter. She flung it back. At even higher speeds. The crowd gasped. Alice gasped. Akira wanted the ground to swallow him. Ryou was sure he had to be drunk to be seeing this. No matter how Keelan tried, Megumi just blasted the ball back, and at no point, was he even close to getting it past her. This… This was no longer just a girl. It was a wall. It was like trying to win a game against a wall, where no matter how hard, how fast, how smart he played, he'd never win. 'It's like she's generating her own force of gravity, the ball is being pulled towards her! How the hell is she this good?!'

Then he saw a single opening, she had hit the ball a little bit softer, off-center. He lunged, hitting out of her reach, aiming to score his first point… but, then, he saw her smile.

He had fallen into her trap.

She twisted her body like a woman-possessed, contorting her body strangely as she managed to land a hit on the ball and, like a cannonball, smashing it right across Keelan's face, scoring her the perfect victory.

"Ah, my nose," the boy complained, realizing that it really wasn't that hard a ball, so it wasn't that painful. The crowd still eyed him funnily, since he had just moments prior reacted like he had just been shot. He just coughed, a bit embarrassed.

"So… who's next?" Megumi voiced sweetly again, and the crowd all took several steps back, away from the ping pong table and the girl.

"Okay, enough of that, nothing to see here folks!" Alice called out, grabbing Megumi by the torso and ordering Ryou to grab her by the legs. Despite the petite girl's protest, the two proceeded to carry her out of the arcade. "Let's get you out of here!"

"Let me go, I'm not done!" Megumi could be heard arguing. "They need to know that I'm not stuck in here with them, they're stuck in here with me!"

"I apologize for that," Akira muttered, as he followed his three classmates along, all the while the others were left utterly stunned, all of them deciding that that was enough ping pong for their remaining days at Tootsuki Academy.

-0-

A shirtless Azami proceeded to grab his shirt from the floor, using his other hand to push his hair off his face in the process. His eyes were narrowed, taking a glance at the nearby clock, noticing that it was already time for him to show up to his next meeting. No time to properly iron out his clothes, he noted, but the fault was his and his alone he supposed. Well, almost.

Decora still laid in the bed, covered by the sheets, her eyes staring at the man's back. "…I feel like I should tell you," she voiced, as he continued to get dressed. "I can't keep voting for the competition. Every now and then I need to give Tootsuki the vote, otherwise they'll catch on."

"You do whatever you see fit," Azami replied, turning to grab his discarded tie, currently stained with bright, red lipstick. He sighed, discarding it and moving to the drawer to search for a replacement.

"I have to," Decora added, "Anne's very perceptive. And she seems to have a soft spot for these brats."

"You trained her a bit too well," Azami noted, with a soft smirk.

"I could do no less," Decora boasted with a smile of her own. She stared, as the man finished getting ready. She frowned a bit, wondering if she should speak her mind or not, but it was seriously irking her. "…Are we going to pretend you weren't a lot rougher tonight?"

"Was it not to your liking?" Azami simply asked, not even bothering to turn to her.

"I wouldn't say that, if it was because of me," Decora replied, "But considering who you spoke to earlier today, I can't help but think-"

"I'm already late as is," Azami interrupted, turning to Decora, the man now fully prepared. "Feel free to take anything from the minibar you wish, just be wary of anyone seeing you leave my room."

He said nothing else, and she really didn't expect him to. He simply walked right out of the room, one hand on his side, as he made his way down the resort's many halls and towards the nearest elevator. It had been quite the day, both expected and unexpected in equal measures, and despite his wishes, he knew that there was still more to come. More to do. He needed to focus on everything, otherwise all his efforts would be wasted. An entire year worth of planning, flushed down the drain. All because…

He paused. As soon as he had turned a corner, he had come face-to-face with a pair he never expected to see together so suddenly. It was one of the few times he was at a slight loss on how to react.

"…Father," Erina voiced, her eyes wide, surprised at seeing Azami so suddenly. She seemed to be unsure of how to react, just like him.

"Oh, hey there daddy-o!" Asahi greeted with a hand gesture, which caused Azami to frown, but he refrained from acting it out any further. "You seem well-dressed. Don't you own any more comfortable clothes? Like a bathing suit, because God knows you need to get yourself some sun… I mean, I do too…"

"I'm currently on my way to an important dinner," Azami replied, "It is… unexpected to see you both together. I assume that this means…"

"I would have expected you to tell me," Erina spoke up.

"To be fair," Asahi added. "I don't think he knew. Not until a little before we got here, that is."

"…I didn't," Azami explained, his eyes on Erina. "While your opinion of my parental abilities are rightfully low at best, I would never outright abandon a child. I never knew of his existence, but I suppose it's never too late."

"Right," Erina muttered, before she turned to her brother, "Asahi, I think I should be going. My friends will worry, and unlike you all, we have more on our plate that partying around."

"Ouch," Asahi replied with a grin. "Well, can't fault you for having that low opinion of us. It's fair. But are you sure you have to go so soon? You've only been here for minutes at best. I mean, I know this guy is a mood killer," Asahi said with a smile as he pointed to an unamused Azami, "But he is going to dinner, ain't he?"

"Isn't he?" Azami corrected, and Asahi eyed him confused. "Don't say "ain't", it's not proper. And the last thing I intend is to make either of you uncomfortable. So, if you'll excuse me."

With those words spoken, Azami bowed lightly before his two kids, before he passed right by them, as both siblings said nothing, Asahi still taken aback by Azami's correction and Erina wanting not to prolong this encounter any longer. And Azami knew it, he knew how awkward things were, but still, he paused. Moments before walking away, Azami stopped himself, and turned to the two.

"…That is, you both are more than welcomed at joining me at tonight's dinner," Azami offered, and both Erina and Asahi turned to him, both equally surprised, for the first time the siblings sporting similar looks. Azami smiled a bit at that little image. "Have either of you eaten? If not, allow me to offer at least this much. You both must have many questions, and while not fully, I could try my best at responding as many as I am able."

"Now that's unexpected," Asahi replied with a small laugh, then he turned to Erina. "Your call baby sis. Wanna hang out with daddy, or would you rather give him a taste of his own medicine and leave him hanging?"

"…I'd," Erina tried, but she was finding it hard to even think. Azami had frowned at Asahi's comment, but the man had said nothing, a far cry from the father Erina had known from before. Maybe… Maybe he had changed… "…Sure. If it's not a bother for you. I can make time for dinner."

She was not sure, at all. And as soon as she had replied, she saw something flash in her father's eyes. And again, she wasn't sure of what exactly.

-0-

Nene sat on her bed, her dirty uniform still on, her eyes fixated on her hands, her mind lost in thought. She could hear the shower, signaling that Isshiki was still in there, and her thoughts wondering whether it would be proper to ask him if he needed any assistance. It probably wasn't, so she wouldn't.

She then felt her phone vibrate, and the First Seat took it out, eyeing it briefly. She was surprised, in a way, at seeing the name that flashed on her screen, knowing it was not someone who would under any other circumstance probably call her, but she couldn't quite say it had been totally unexpected.

"Hello? Hey Soma," Nene answered, smiling fondly at knowing just how worried Isshiki's underclassmen were probably were. So it wasn't that surprising to hear Soma call her. It was, however, insanely unexpected to hear a massive surge of party-music on in the background. "Eh? What the…?"

"Oh, hi Kinokuni!" the boys greeted happily. "Don't mean to bother ya, but is Isshiki with you? I gave him a call and he didn't pick up, so…"

"No, I mean, yes, he's here," Nene replied, still a bit stunned. "He's taking a shower, so that's why-And I mean I am most certainly not assisting him. He's there and I'm here, just so you know!"

"…I figured," a confused Soma replied.

"Nevermind," Nene added, a light blush on her face. "But rest assured, he's fine, give or take. He was treated properly. I'll tell him you've been calling."

"Thanks!" Soma replied, even if it was very hard for her to hear him with all that music blasting into the speakers. "You two take care of each other! And excuse the noise, I'm just trying to find out where everybody went. I think the left me here."

"Huh?" Nene honestly had no idea what the boy was talking about, but she decided not to press it. They two said their goodbyes and hung up, with Nene deciding to also not overthink Soma's comment about taking "care of each other", whatever he meant by that. A few minutes passed, in silence, until her bathroom's door was opened and Isshiki walked out, clad in nothing but a towel across his waist. Nene felt faint. "C-Can you not?!"

"Normally, I'd be inclined to tease you," Isshiki commented upon entering her bedroom, with a soft smile in place. "But, you'd be surprised how difficult it is to put on underwear with only one hand," he informed, and the look she gave him spoke volumes. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not asking for assistance in that regard, so don't slap me. I just left my burn cream out here."

"I-I wasn't thinking-!" she stammered with a massive blush, as the boy moved and walked towards her counter, where the medical cream that the doctor had given him was. "You know what? Forget it. How are you feeling…?"

"…Fine," he replied, pausing briefly. He avoided her gaze a bit, but bit his lower lip and turned to her. "Fine enough I suppose," he replied in earnest. "Had to shower myself with my arm sticking out throughout the whole thing. The pain is nothing to scoff at."

"Of course it isn't," Nene quickly added, as she bounced a bit on her bed, moving to the side a bit to offer Isshiki a bit of space. "Let me see. Do you need me to bandage it off?"

"I'll let it breathe until I have to go to bed," Isshiki replied, taking a seat by her side. Nene instinctively took his hand once again, turning it and examining the injury. She inwardly flinched at the mark that was left, as if a very small motorcycle had driven right across his palm. Then she blushed again, realizing what she had just done. "I-I really should let you get dressed first."

"You know, if you really want to help me in that regard," Isshiki joked, "I would not be against it. It is very hard to get dressed like this."

She said nothing, instead opting to turn to him with a look he knew very well. He just laughed.

"Soma called," Nene replied instead. "Wanted to see how you were holding up. Your phone's been ringing nonstop too. Those guys, they really care about you."

"They are my best of friends for a reason," Isshiki replied. "You really should spend more time at Polar Star. It really is a fantastic thing to have friends such as those, especially in this line of work. You wouldn't regret it."

"I'm not like you," Nene answered earnestly. "There's a reason why there hasn't been that big an uproar at Tootsuki yet. Because you're still in this. You have that air about you; that people can depend on you. You've always have. I can't match that."

"…Stop selling yourself short," Isshiki replied, motioning closed to Nene. "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, and you know that. My entire inspiration, my motivation, is and always will be you. And I'm not the only one."

"Mighty fine way I demonstrated that today, huh?" Nene shot back, her eyes beginning to water despite her best efforts. She hated to cry in front of others, but it was hard to hold it in for so long.

"Indeed," Isshiki simply stated. "Have you not gotten involved, Kuga and I would have gotten eliminated too. You noticed something, something neither he, nor Shouko, nor I did. And we still need that. You might have been eliminated from the match ups, but we still need our First Seat to guide us. We can't do this without you… I can't. I can't replace you Nene. And I need you to know that."

Nene wasn't sure what happened next. She knew she had motioned to hug him, because despite everything, she couldn't keep up the act any longer. But, somehow, they ended up kissing. She wasn't sure if she had kissed him first, or if it had been him who started it. All she knew is that she found his lips on hers, and she didn't pull away. She closed her eyes, gave in, and kissed her childhood friend turned childhood sweetheart with everything she had. Because she was scared, and she had never been as scared as when she had seen him get hurt.

So she kissed him, because she wasn't sure they would be able to stay within these walls for much longer, and the time for eliminating self-doubts was long past due.


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