Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrow Here!

If you are rereading this on or after November 19, 2020, then most likely you'll notice this Chapter has been given a makeover, of sorts. Normally, I take criticism on my work with a grain of salt, as I recommend anyone do if they post their stuff online. I read it, take it into account, but most of the time I stick to my guns (spelling and grammar mistakes notwithstanding, there is not defense for those). But… As noted by my lovely reviewer superscarface83, Akira's match on this Chapter was, pardon the use of a borrowed pun, undercooked.

And I am fully to blame, since I was dead tired when I wrote the battles and Ryou's took a lot out of me, so instead of doing the sensible thing and resting, I powered through and rushed the battle. And that has been bothering me ever since. So, I went back, and rewrote the whole damn thing. So, if you already read this, feel free to reread that part, as while I didn't retcon anything, I greatly expanded upon it. Enjoy!

Also, if by any chance this website shows this story as updated because I decided to fix this Chapter, do not fret, as "Classique" will be updated (properly) at latest tomorrow: November 20, 2020!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.


When the rest of the Elite Ten managed to reach their designated meeting area, most of them surprisingly on-time, Nene had long finished her "secret" conversation with Erina which had ended up involving Hisako and Takumi as well, the latter completely by accident. Still, Nene said nothing, merely greeting each and every member as they all came in and took their seats, giving Isshiki an embarrassed look as her… whatever he was now to her, came in walking alongside a clearly still worried-over-his-senior Soma. All the while Hisako whispered something to Erina, who softly nodded, before the secretary-turned-best-friend excused herself out of the room. Only the Top Ten were left, and as they all sat down, Nene began.

She told them about the results, about how it seemed like all the Third Years that had challenged the rival schools had lost, and as a result, had gotten themselves kicked out of Tootsuki. She could clearly tell how that news hit each of her peers differently, some like Akira, Kurokiba and Shouko taking it in stride, while others like Kuga and Alice being visibly shaken.

None more-so, she noted, than her new Seventh Seat, as Soma Yukihira's eyes widened at the news, like the boy had just gotten drenched by ice-cold water right out of nowhere. She couldn't pretend she didn't understand why. Out of all of them there, he'd be the one to know what that would feel like.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Soma asked, despite knowing fully well the response already. His fist was on the table, clenched, but his tone betrayed any will to fight he was trying to convey.

"Soma…" Erina could be heard voicing, but she didn't know what to say.

"Unfortunately not," Nene replied, solemnly. "Which is why I want to address our peers before this next match starts. They've lost faith in us, in particular thanks to my little pathetic display."

"Can you stop blaming everything on yourself?" Kuga quickly blasted out, his legs on the table, an act Takumi had tried to avoid being seen doing but that his senior didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "Enough with the pity party! Isshiki and I barely got a win. That also didn't spark mayor confidence in us you know."

"I know," Nene said, deciding that maybe he was right. Crying about it wasn't going to help. "Which is why I'm going to address those fears head on. I just hope I'm not too late."

"But you did mention how two of those twenty-something matches are being offered up for review, correct?" Akira voiced, who had spent the entire meeting avoiding eye-contact with a very curious-about-the-night-before-Alice. "Any chance we could have scored a win or two?"

"Doubtful," Nene sadly replied.

"Seems both matches are being reviewed at the behest of the competition," Isshiki explained. "They believe our Tootsuki alumni were cheating during their respective matches, and as such, requested a study be done. Seems very unlikely we'll get any good news out of those investigations."

"Well…" Nene seemed to want to say, but she bit her lip. "…No, never mind, let's focus on the next round. Since I'm obviously out, I can't partake, and I would advise against Satoshi's participation too, on the account of… well…"

"I sort-of grilled my palm out there," Isshiki said in jest, and Nene wanted to smack him so he'd at least take his own wellbeing seriously. "Try not to do this on your matches kids!"

"Sage advice there, eh?" Kuga teased, and Isshiki just laughed it off, as Nene now wanted to smack them both.

"Likewise," Nene stressed, glaring at the two, before turning to the rest, "I would like to offer Kuga a break. For as long as we can, we should avoid having any one of us compete in these matches twice in a row. Get ourselves better rested and all that. Which leaves us with our next match-up. They're offering four opponents, so we have to answer in kind. Any ideas?"

"Akira wanted it to be us!" Soma replied, raising his hand like a little kid would, causing the Fifth Seat to sigh.

"I… wanted to throw our hat into the ring, so to speak," Akira explained, trying to offer his strategy a little more soundly to the First Seat that didn't sound just like "I wanna cause I wanna". "I feel like this next match-up is very important, and we need to win bigly, if anything to at least calm the tense atmosphere that has currently befallen all of Tootsuki. As the Winner and Runner-Up of the Autumn Elections, I believe Soma and I would be a good representation against Akintola's best."

"Was the "Runner-Up" label needed?" Soma asked, his expression clearly annoyed, pout and all, against a very unamused Akira.

"Apologies," Akira corrected. "As the Winner and the final Loser of the Autumn Elect-"

"You want to have a go at it right here!" Soma quickly jerked, standing up, foot on the table, sleeve rolled up. "We can bet seats if you want to, alongside my prized knife versus that little dairy you keep!"

"It's not a-You know what, enough. Kinokuni," Akira voiced, shifting his attention fully to the First Seat, utterly ignoring Soma's bravado. "What do you think? I was also hoping we could send in Erina as well. Surely the God's Tongue participation will calm everyone in an instant."

"Oh? That's high praise coming from you," Erina teased, her arms rested on the table, a smirk evident. "I would not have thought-Soma, get your foot of the table! It's worth more than your entire dorm!"

To Erina's negative surprise, Soma did not complain, joke or tease her when she ordered him around. He merely did as she told him, not a word spoken, and barely even making eye-contact with her. It caused a very painful sting inside her chest for the heiress, who felt a sense of uneasiness at it all.

"A-Anyways…" Nene tried. She really did. "I think that makes sense. Akira, you should go. Soma should too."

"And me…?" Erina asked, pointing to herself, trying her best to keep her thoughts in check. It was calculated, they both knew, because Nene had already given the answer before the others had arrived.

"I'd rather you'll allow me to be selfish and keep you from the frontlines just a little longer," Nene replied, while adding in her thoughts, 'Not that I have much choice. I need you out there, your eyes sharp and that tongue sharper, to see if my theory is correct.'

"Is that wise? She's our highest seated available member," Takumi voiced, following the script perfectly. Nene had not planned for his inclusion, but the boy sounded so genuine that she couldn't imagine pulling this off without him.

"She is," Nene replied. "But, this is a risk we need to take. I can't have her out there just yet. She's our ace-on-the-hold. As long as we're not using her, people will still know that we are not fighting back at one-hundred percent power. And a little doubt, goes a long way. So, for now, Akira and Soma are in, Erina is on hold, as long as she agrees…"

"Fine by me," the princess said without a care, and only Soma caught something being off by her response, but he said nothing.

"So, the other two will be…?" Kuga asked, wondering.

"I'm in," Kurokiba announced, the ever-silent chef crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at the group, daring them to say otherwise. "If Hayama and Yukihira are taking part, no way in hell am I sitting this one out."

"You are aware this is a team effort, no?" Akira teased, "Don't want you trying to one up us."

"If you two can't keep up with me," he growled back, "Then maybe I should just go into it by myself."

"Don't think they'll allow that," Soma replied smiling, then paused, "Or do they?"

"They don't," Akira quickly answered, unamused.

"If those guys are participating, then-!" Alice quickly added, her hand raised and all. Akira had been dreading this, knowing her, and had considered interrupting, but someone beat him to it.

"…Actually," another voice cut her off, as the entire room paused, turning to their other, most silent member. "Would it be alright if I joined up as well?" Shouko softly asked, her head still rested on the table, the girl just barely looking up at her peers. "While I technically did compete last time, all I did was stand around and cheer. Plus, maybe it would help our image if at least one Third Year is present during this next oh-so important match. As long as you don't mind it of course, Eight."

"…I guess not," a clearly so-minding-it Alice replied, turning a bit to the side in an attempt to hide a pout.

"Are you sure Shouko?" Nene asked, and the Sixth Seat nodded with a smile. At this Nene's eyes frowned slightly, her eyes briefly meeting Erina's before she closed them. "Alright, then I suppose it's settled. Our next team-up will consist of the Fifth Seat Akira, Sixth Seat Shouko, Seventh Seat Soma and Ninth Seat Ryou… Any questions?"

"Yeah!" Alice quickly beamed, her hand once again raised. "Why are you wearing a scarf in this hot weather?"

A very embarrassed Nene muttered about three different, unintelligible things before she quickly changed the subject, being careful to avoid Alice's knowing smirk all-throughout.

-0-

The entirety of the stadium's audience remained silent, after their cries fell on deaf ears, as the screen that should be signaling to them who the first competitors would be simply flashed single, crushing message…

The International Shokugeki has concluded. Tootsuki Tea Ceremony & Cooking Academy is hereby eliminated.

Ryou was glaring daggers at the man who stood above them all, the ever-so charismatic and assured of himself and his plans, Azami Nakamura, who smiled triumphantly at the sight before him. Soma turned for a bit, his eyes drifting to the passageway they had just exited from. Erina was no longer there, and at this, he could only frown. Akira remained silent, his eyes not on a Nakamura nor a Nakiri, instead, he was staring down his would-have-been opponents, as the Akintola siblings seemed just as perplexed as them.

"Are we not going to cook?" little Aisha asked, looking upwards towards his eldest brother, as Hakeem seemed to close his eyes and ponder his response for a moment.

"Seriously?" Keelan voiced with mockery just dripping from his lips. "All that bravado. All that boasting and what? They can't even manage to show up to the event properly? Is this really the best this damn school can offer?!"

"Seems they're just as shocked as we are," Dakarai offered, only to earn himself a scoff from his twin brother.

"And?" Keelan asked, "That's no problem of ours. A deal's a deal, and it seems like our little darling here at Tootsuki failed to honor it. If that's not the perfect showcase of Akintola's prowess I don't know what it! They didn't even dare challenge us!"

"I don't think…" Dakarai tried.

"Stop boasting," Aisha added, "We're on the telly, momma might be watching. Stop acting like a child."

"Get that stick out of your butt Aisha!" Keelan blasted, causing the littlest to simply frown. "You think I'm not annoyed? I wanted a fair fight, but they can't even manage that! Knowing how these guys usually are, they are probably doing it on purpose, just to save face. You saw how Real Cocina almost wrecked them, and that was against their Top Three seated members! Imagine us against-"

"Oh can you shut up?!" Urara blasted, microphone or not, at the never-ending barrage of negative comments coming from the, to her, most unlikeable competitor of them all. "I can't even hear what's being said on my earpiece because you keep crying like a little girl over there!"

"Hey!" Keelan shouted back, "Aren't you supposed to be an unbiased observer?!"

"I am!" Urara lied. "And I am unbiasedly declaring you an annoying prick! So shut up!"

"What the he-Hey! Stop laughing Aisha!" Keelan switched his attention from the hostess of the event to his little brother, who was giggling non-stop.

"S-Seems you can't help it," Aisha said between bursts of laugher, "You always get girls screaming at you. That Akintola charm clearly skipped you."

"Keep at it and I'll-"

"Enough," the eldest brother voice, and Keelan quickly silenced his would-be threat, despite Aisha's smug grin being ever-present. Hakeem took a deep breath, and took several step forwards, much to the surprise of the audience, standing right up to a much taken aback Urara. He paused. "…Miss, is the decision final?"

"Ah… erm," Urara tried, still not over how damn tall this young man was. She wasn't the tallest girl around, granted, but she was sure she reached his stomach, at most. "Seems so," she answered earnestly, "They're still going back and forth over here," she said, signaling to her earpiece, "But all evidence points to… well… yeah."

"I see," Hakeem said, his deep voice carrying a hint of disappointment in it, as he turned to the side, towards an approaching Akira, who Urara had not even noticed walking towards them. "Just to humor my brother, and to quench my curiosity…" he asked the Fifth Seat, "…is this in any way deliberate?"

"Not on our part," Akira replied, his tone serious and his features even more so. "We have a pretty decent idea of what's going on, though."

Hakeem just looked on, nodding slowly, before both he and Akira shifted their attentions upwards towards the VIP area, where Azami still stood, a very proud smirk plastered over his face.

"…Father," a soft voice caught his attention, as the elder Nakamura turned around just in time to see his daughter taking steps towards him, her features filled with concern. "Is this really how you want to end this scenario? Such a massive event, ended in such a manner?"

"My dear, it's not just my call to make," Azami responded, turning to her. "I represent each and every school here challenging Tootsuki, and as such, I have an obligation to look out that all rules are met on their behalf. I understand, how losing on a technicality might leave a sour note on all of us, but it is what it is."

"Is it?" Erina shot back, her arms slowly crossing over her chest. "I'd assume you'd have enough power to at least grant us a substitution."

"You are fully permitted that," Azami explained, "But only in the case of an emergency, and still, both parties, the member who is leaving, and the member who is substituting, must be present, unless the emergency prevents otherwise, which of course allows for more leeway. Likewise, you can even substitute a team member that has not been eliminated for another that fully qualifies as an Elite Ten student, but again, that must be done prior to the match. Unfortunately, such are not the cases."

'Oh?' Erina noted inwardly, realizing a little rule she was not aware off. She'd rather not speak on it right now.

"However," Azami added, as he gave his daughter a soft smile. "I still am very much a father before I am a business man," he explained, and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that statement. She settled for dead silence. "I can help," he said, turning the microphone off, and extending his hand towards Erina. "The last thing I want is to hurt you. Do you want me to substitute Shouko Kaburagi for you? I can simply state that she did have an emergency, and that I simply received word of it late. If you want me to do so, I shall."

Erina just stared, silently. Her eyes narrowed, arms still crossed. Once again, this man was saying the things she wanted him to say, and yet…

"This competition matter not to me, Erina," Azami continued. "I had no other way to return to your side. Your grandfather rightfully banished me from these halls, and I had no other method of trying to show you that I have changed. While I truly believe that this place, this academy has long lost its way and can no longer properly guide its students to true prosperity; that I can still overlook. If I can just be with my daughter, win or lose, I don't care."

Erina stood, speechless, as the man behind everything offered her his hand and a warm smile.

"Would you like me to intervene?" he asked, "For your sake?"

"…I-" Erina tried, her mind scrambling for a semblance of clarity in all this chaos.

"Pardon the intrusion," Soe voiced as he entered the balcony area where Azami and Erina stood, as the elder Nakiri simply patted his pensive niece on the head softly, causing the girl to blush a bit, before he faced down Azami. "If I may, could you lend me your microphone for the briefest of moments?"

"Why of course," Azami replied with a smile, as he gave Soe the mic, allowing the latter to turn and face the increasingly depressed crowd.

"Your attention please!" he announced, and all eyes, both loyal to the school and otherwise, turned towards the acting-Headmaster. "Seems like today has not started how any of us expected. Such is the life of a Tootsuki alumni, I've come to learn, but before you are all asked to vacate the stadium, and sadly, your dorms, allow us one last brief piece of information to be passed down to our judges of the esteemed WGO."

As Soe said this, Lanterby could be seen powerwalking out of the gates and into the stadium, right towards the judges table, as she handed Anne an envelope and told the five something. Histoire could be seen opening his mouth as if to say something, while Charme looked outright pensive. Decora was frowning, while Courage seemed confused, seeming to ask Lanterby to clarify it further. Anne quickly motioned to the mountain of books she always carried with her nearby, as she flipped to the pages, before she signaled something to the others, which caused the other five to ponder before they all nodded at it.

The crowd was just confused as hell.

"You think all that nodding is good-nodding, or bad-nodding?" Yuuki asked, her arms against the seating rails, her eyes glued to every reaction she could get from the judges. She, alongside all the other Polar Stars, had managed, thanks to Soma (and in turn, thanks to Erina), to get good seats this time, all of them seated together.

Two rows, reserved in advance for the Polar Stars and their closest friends, hopefully reserved for the remaining matches too… if there were to be any.

On the front row, alongside Yuuki, sat a very worried Ryoko, a pensive Shun, a trying-not-to-look-worried Ikumi, a clearly-checking-Akira-out Berta, a clearly-checking-Hakeem-out Cilla, a insanely worried (but not just because of the match) Hisako, and a clearly-checking-Hakeem-out-but-pretending-not-to Julio.

On the second row right behind that one sat a simply tired Nao, a totally-not-hung-over Megumi, a praying Isami, a nearly catatonic Marui, a concerned Madoka, a trigger-happy Daigo, an empty chair, and another trigger-happy Shoji. The teens all looked on, varying degrees of worry on their faces, as the judges seemed to come to an agreement.

"Milady Erina is on the case," Julio assured the Polar Stars. "Quite clearly this means that the situation will be resolved."

"That's what I'm worried about," Hisako voiced, her eyes directed at her best friend, who was way too close to Azami for comfort. She instinctively shifted her gaze towards Soma, without realizing it, and she could see that the redhead, with his arms crossed and very sharp look, was also paying close attention to the scene upstairs.

"What can they even do?!" Marui asked, burying himself into his lap. "The WGO's word is absolute! The Elite Ten can't talk their way out of this one!"

"Try to be positive for once in your life!" Yuuki blasted at the poor boy, as Madoka patted him softly on the back, whispering a "there, there" for added measure.

"That blasted Shouko," Ryoko voiced, arms crossed, scowl present. "And forgive me if there was a real emergency, but all of this just points to foul play."

"A real bitch is what she is," Ikumi added, causing the nearby boys to squirm a bit at the sheer amount of venom she was spewing, while Berta and Cilla merely giggled in unison. "Forcing Milady Erina to have to lower herself in front of that man. I swear, if I ever see her walking down the hall…"

"We still don't know…" Megumi offered weakly, despite her gut telling her otherwise. "Oh? Is something wrong Nao?"

"…" the little witch said nothing, as she shifted her gaze from the arena towards Megumi, her single visible eye giving off the expression of concern mixed with annoyance. "…The little weasel isn't here."

"Huh?" Megumi asked, turning to the side, towards the empty seat between Daigo and Shoji that Nao was aiming her glare at. "Oh, you mean Loren?"

"I can't believe you fools left him alone at the dorm…" Nao muttered, her little fists clenched, as she shifted her gaze back to the arena.

"Why are you…?" Megumi started, but was cut off.

"Seems like someone's pissed her little crush bailed out on us," Yuuki teased from the front row with a grin. "Nao here's always after that little pretty-yack!"

"Don't make me vomit!" Nao threatened as she gave Yuuki's seat a swift kick, causing the other girl to almost topple over.

"Hey now, keep it civil," Ryoko added with a chuckle. "And stop teasing people Yuuki. Not everything's about crushes and romance, like you somehow always believe it to be."

"What else could it be?!" Yuuki cried.

"Loren wasn't feeling well, no?" Shun voiced, turning towards Daigo and Shoji for a moment.

"Yeah, that's what he told us," Shoji replied.

"Seemed pretty gloomy too," Daigo added, "Doubt he was faking it. Plus, who'd want to miss this?"

"…You're all just a bunch of fools," Nao softly muttered, realizing that trying to explain her suspicions any further would just net her a similar response to the one she got from Isshiki or Soma. This group was way too tightly unified, some false sense of camaraderie that did more harm than good.

"…Nao," Megumi voiced, but before she could ask, she alongside all the others spectators got their attentions pulled back towards the arena, as Soe spoke up once more.

"Now then, esteemed judges, have you come to a conclusion?" Soe asked, as both Azami and Erina stared at the acting-Headmaster, both realizing that the man probably still had one last card up his sleeve. The judges seemed to come to an agreement, the crowd noted, as Anne took the microphone once more and spoke up.

"We have," Anne announced, "Seems like we will allow this match to move forwards after all," she said, as a massive, collective gasp was heard throughout the arena. But then, Anne added a final clause, as she and the rest of the judges turned their attention to one of the seven participants present, "With one minor change, though. You, my friend, are hereby eliminated from this International Shokugeki."

A single pointed finger from Anne caused the entire stadium to grow silent, as a chill went up the spine of every Tootsuki alumni present. The Polar Star kids and their friends all stared, eyes wide and mouths agape, as Anne singled out the last person they'd ever expect to get kicked off…

Again…

"…Me?" Soma barely managed to ask, pointing at himself, as Anne singled him out.

"…" Anne paused, still mid-smile and with the pointed finger, before she quickly turned back to the folder. "…Wait, that makes no sense. How would eliminating another one from Tootsuki fix things…?" the judge pondered out loud, as the crowd felt a collective sweat drop. "…Oh, oopsie, that was the wrong Shokugeki file, my bad~" she almost sang, as Soma felt his head spinning. "What I really meant," she continued, shifting her finger to the other side, "Is that you are the one who got eliminated…"

The crowd once again went silent, as Anne pointed her finger towards the Akintola group.

"Dakarai Akintola," Anne announced, as the middle sibling's eyes went wide as plates, "The results of your Shokugeki request just came in. And sorry to say, but your opponent did not cheat, so your loss is official. As such, you are officially eliminated from the International Shokugeki."

"What?!" Keelan roared, first at Anne, before he turned to his twin brother and grabbed him by the collar. "You lost?!"

"I could have sworn I got tricked!" Dakarai defended, as Keelan shook him in place, clearly angry. "I was sure of it! I-I never thought the judges would rule in…"

"Keelan, leave Dakarai in peace," Hakeem ordered, as he turned his eyes back to his opponents. Or more exactly, at the Fifth Seat. "I don't know how it happened, but it seems you have a guardian angel, as this makes it a three-on-three match now."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Akira replied, a knowing smirk on his face. "That was awfully too close for comfort. We had our hunch, ever since our First Seat saw who your brother's opponent had been, but we couldn't be sure. We honestly didn't plan to get here with just three members though."

"Okay, okay," Urara spoke into her earpiece, nodding as she did, before she gave her microphone a light tap, just to make sure it was turned on. "Alright! After that near collective heart attack we all suffered, let's get this match under way! With one opponent missing from each team, this next round of the International Shokugeki will be decided by a three-on-three bout!"

The screen, much to the relief of everyone in the crowd wearing a Tootsuki uniform, quickly eliminated that hellish message before replacing it with the current chef lined up:

From Tootsuki…

Akira Hayama.

Soma Yukihira.

Ryou Kurokiba.

And From Akintola's…

Hakeem Akintola.

Keelan Akintola.

Aisha Akintola.

"Now that's more like it!" Urara beamed, as she signaled to the judges. "So with this change now in place, shall we finally begin this thing?!"

"We shall, however," Decora replied, etching closer to the judging table, her fingers interlaced, and a smile on her face. "Not taking this change into account and just going by the script won't do. With only three participants per team, at best what we can do is a best two-out-of-three, which if either team wins quickly, will not make for much television entertainment."

"Decora, what are you…?" Anne voiced, eyes narrowed, before Decora simply patted her on the head, dismissingly.

"Don't worry your pretty little head Anne," Decora told the ever annoyed judge, "Try not to say too much less you get your facts mixed up again," she said, as Anne pouted like an offended child. "What I mean is that we do have a special clause for such an occasion! Rather than that, it will be fully based on elimination. Each team will go at it until all three opposing chefs are eliminated."

The crowd once again could be heard gasping a bit, as several others began to mutter a few things.

Azami placed his hands on his pockets, looking down at Decora with a calm expression. He had a rough idea what she wanted to do, and it could very well work to their advantage, insuring at least an elimination or two even if they couldn't quite secure the victory. Especially if amongst those eliminations was Yukihira's. But, he supposed, he had a more urgent matter at hand right now. He turned, searching for his daughter, but he saw that she was no longer there. He turned once more, looking, until he spotted her walking through the crowds, already nearly reaching her fellow Elite Ten. At this, he frowned. The perfect opportunity, wasted.

'This won't do…' he thought to himself, as he decided it best to simply look on for the remainder of the match.

"Erina, you alright?" Alice quickly asked as her cousin walked into view, clearly worried about who she had been speaking with.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Erina reassured, before she turned to her seniors. "So… I guess this confirms it."

"It's Shouko," Nene voiced, her eyes narrowed. "She sabotaged us before. And just now, she nearly got us kicked out by simply not showing up. Damn her."

"No sense in getting worked up now," Isshiki noted, his eyes on his juniors, "We're still in this, and now we know who we can trust."

"Still a bitchy move," Alice spoke with a frown and her arms crossed against her chest. "She's wasting one of our spots. This means that we're facing these schools as the Elite Nine, rather than the Elite Ten!"

"Can't we replace her?" Takumi asked, his eyes on Nene. She simply shook her head.

"…That would be difficult," she replied.

"We'd need her to step down," Kuga added, his back slouched against his seat. "And have a suitable replacement ready. Someone who has all the credentials to be a seated member at that. Might be best to just write her out entirely and pretend we started this thing with just nine of us. But hey, at least now we won't get our equipment messed with!"

"That's a very good point!" Isshiki said with glee. Nene wondered what drugs they were on to keep being so chipper throughout this tiring experience.

Erina then turned, her eyes on the stadium, on Soma, who she had already patched things up with… right? It felt off, somehow. She narrowed her eyes, turning a bit, deciding that she was probably just overthinking things.

"Elimination, huh?" Urara asked, her head tilting slightly. "That sounds kinda scary. I mean, scarier than usual. So, what will our first theme be?!"

And upon her announcement, the screen flashed the match's theme.

Fast Food.

The crowd all went silent once again, but rather than out of shock or fear, it was more out genuine confusion. Where they seriously going to cook up… that as a theme.

"Now that's surprising," Nene voiced.

"Better than Isshiki's theme at least," Kuga added, as Nene quickly flushed and smacked the Third Seat upside the head. "What?! It's true!"

"How apt is Ryou with that I wonder…" Alice noted, before she turned to Erina. "Soma probably has a big advantage here-huh? What's with that face Erina?"

Erina Nakiri had the biggest blank expression any of them had ever seen her sport. She looked at the screen, then at the judges, then back at the screen, then at the competitors, and then back again at the screen, before she turned to her teammates, all who had turned their attention to her. Blank, soulless eyes was all they could see from the blonde heiress.

Then she spoke.

"…What's fast food?"

And all they could muster for thoughts was wondering just how damn sheltered must this rich girl even be.

-0-

Despite starting a little later than originally scheduled, the second match-up of the International Shokugeki was officially given the green light to start. As all six participants stepped forwards, the new-ish rules were properly explained to them, all by a very delighted Decora, and much to the annoyance of Anne. Most notably, was the fact that each team was given free rein to choose what member they wanted to compete on which round, so no random selection this time around.

"Seems like this is a far more favorable outcome for you both," Akira noted, taking note of the theme that seemed to favor his two teammates more than it did him.

"I'm shocked, honestly," Soma noted with a smirk. "I would have sworn Tootsuki considered fast food far beneath them."

"Quit you yapping you two," Ryou ordered, turning towards his two teammates. "You heard that woman, right? We each choose who goes when. Who goes first?"

"I'll take the first match!" Soma quickly voiced, extending his arm upwards.

"Of course you'd say that," Akira muttered, before he turned towards where the Akintola's stood, likely also preparing. The fourth sibling, Dakarai, had already left the arena and headed towards the competitors' seats, leaving only the three active members. 'If I were them, I'd probably send first…'

"Well?" Ryou asked, turning to Akira. The Fifth Seat bit down the desire to tease the mad dog about actually asking for permission, since he did not need Kurokiba barking at him. Rather, he was better if aimed at the Akintola group.

"Fine, Yukihira, you lead," Akira decided, giving the Seventh Seat a nod. "Kurokiba and I will decide who goes next based on who your opponent ends up being."

"Yes!" Soma shouted out, with a fist pump into the air. "One victory, coming right up!"

"You show them no mercy," Ryou voiced, his eyes narrowed, as Soma nodded. "You got that?"

"And Yukihira…" Akira said, as Soma paused. The Fifth Seat then smiled, "Our First Seat spoke wonders about us… Let's show our audience why they can put their faith in us, alright?"

Soma lingered briefly, before he flashed the biggest smile he could, and raised his fist at his two teammates. "You've got that right!"

"…And here we have it folks," Urara announced, as Soma stepped up into the main cooking area, taking a stand to his side, as his opponent followed suit, standing on the opposite end. "It's the first match-up of this battle that seemed like it was never going to happen! Our very own Soma Yukihira! Versus, Aisha Akintola!"

The screen changed again: Soma Yukihira vs. Aisha Akintola.

"So I do get you after all!" little Aisha exclaimed, seeing the infamous chef standing before him. "You're the reason for all of this, aren't you?" he said, as a very sinister grin began to appear in the young boy's face, a complete one-eighty from his previous tone. "The student who came back. Show me then, how good you must be to actually force this establishment to change its rules!"

"Sorry kid," Soma replied, as he swiftly removed his bandanna from his wrist and placed it over his head. "But they guy who won that showcase is no longer here. I'm ten times better now!"

'You've got this Soma, you totally got this…' Erina thought as her eyes focused solely on the boy.

'About time I get to see…' Asahi thought as he saw Soma prepare himself, with a satisfied grin. 'What the one who was raised by Jouichirou Saiba can really do.'

"You can do this Soma!" the entire two rows of Polar Stars and friends screamed out as the battle officially began.

"Contestants…!" Urara declared, as the judges nodded and the audience grew silent once more. She raised her hand, and declared the war. "Begin!"

Both contestants began as soon as Urara gave off the announcement, both reaching out to their tools and beginning their preparations. Soma was quick to give each and every one of his tools a thorough wash, just to be sure, before he went in and began to heat up his equipment.

'Fast food huh?' the red-haired chef thought to himself, now that he could properly form a plan. 'It sounds insanely easy, but with these people, there's always a catch. I can't just serve something quickly and call it a day. It's taste has to be up to par to any other dish served to the WGO, and…' he offered himself a knowing smile, 'probably something that doesn't quite come by itself.'

So he first reached out for what had become a trademark of his, a packet of eggs, carefully selected and set aside. As he did this, he eyed his opponent, noticing how utterly out of place the kid looked. In terms of height, he was no taller than Momo Akenegakubo, and probably just as cute. But, he was fast, really fast. The kid had already gotten most of his prep work set aside, and was digging into the large freezer for something. Aisha had to almost bury himself in it to get it, as Soma was about to even ask the kid if he needed a little hand, but Aisha managed and somehow pulled out the biggest chunk of beef Soma had even seen being stored in such a fridge.

'That's almost half a cow…' Soma muttered to himself, surprised, even if he was exaggerating slightly. Maybe.

"That's…" Ikumi voiced, her eyes on the littlest Akintola.

"Is something amiss?" Berta asked, turning to the meat master, as Ikumi seemed to narrow her eyes a bit.

"The little kid has taken out quite the piece of meat," Ikumi noted, "But, it isn't of any particular high quality… No, he knows what this match means. He deliberately took an average cut, not even properly divided, in order to perfectly fit the theme. He's clever."

"Oh?" Berta voiced, turning to the stadium. The long haired young girl had not been paying much attention to the opponents, her eyes having been fixated on cheering Soma on, and maybe checking out Akira or Hakeem, but noticing Aisha now, she could tell the boy had a fluidity to him. Despite his size, he could maneuver his tools to near perfection. "He's pretty good…"

"Who? The kid?" her sister asked, turning to Berta. "No way can he take Soma on. Milady Erina does not date just anyone, you know. Plus, you remember how he utterly destroyed everyone at that Showcase right?"

"…I'm not saying that," Berta argued, but said nothing else. She just kept on looking, as did everyone else. Their entire attention at the two chefs duking it out below.

"Alright!" Aisha screamed to the wind, surprising the crowd, as he took out a massive cleaver, almost twice the size of his own head, before he proceeded to slice into the cow's torso like a slasher villain who had just found a teenage couple having premarital sex. The remaining blood on the meat splashed all around his area, but, as Soma and others noted, Aisha had long already protected everything important from getting splashed. Several slices latter, the meat was more evenly split, the parts needed on one side, the rest thrown out, and one blood splattered little boy in the middle of it all. "Man, that part is always so fun."

The crowd was silent. Urara took several steps away from Aisha.

"If our plan fails," Asahi voiced with a smirk, "I'm at least asking that kid if he wants to be a Noir."

Dove and Julius just nodded, still surprised at the sudden aggressive display by the once sweet little boy. But, opposite that, was…

…Soma.

Happily whistling an anime theme song while cooking a couple of eggs, apron on and all, looking more like a happy housewife than a serious do-or-die master chef. The sheer contrast between both displays was simply absurd.

"You're pretty good at preparing such fine cuts," the oblivious to the stares Soma genuinely praised his opponent, causing bloody Aisha to pause and turn to him, slightly surprised. "At your age I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to do it just quite like that. You've got talent there kid. How old are you?"

"I'm twelve," Aisha replied, and he quickly glared at the audience when he heard a couple of "awws" being sent his way. "But you come from an established diner, don't you? So I don't think something as simple as this would be enough to unnerve you."

"Unnerve?" Soma asked, and in a sudden movement, flipped the frying pan he had the eggs on and sent the prepared, steamy yolks flying right into the air. The crowd could only stare in utter silence, as without even turning around, Soma had sent them across the kitchen area, and managed to land all four eggs on the four plates he had set apart when the match had begun. Aisha's eyes widened, since Soma had not once stopped looking at him. "…No, why would it?"

"…I like you," Aisha noted with a slasher smile, as Soma simply offered the boy a smirk.

The two went back to work, since hey, this was fast food, and a key to that was being fast. So it wouldn't be smart to take two hours on this match, even if that still was the allotted time. So both contestant moved quickly.

Spices, veggies, some salt, some oils, and a little bit of culinary magic was all Soma needed to fully prepare his dish, taking cues from what he remembered most about his mother's teachings. Granted, he had learned a lot in Tootsuki, from the teachers, from his rivals and friends, from Master Shinomiya and all that, but with this theme, he needed to go back to basics. And what better example to follow than-

"Wouldn't you give anything to be with your mom again?"

He didn't notice the plate fall off the table until it shattered onto the ground, alerting both him and the rest of the spilled ingredients now adorning the floor. Soma took a long second to be able to register what had happened, his face momentarily blank, until it finally hit him that he had screwed up.

"Yukihira…?" Akira couldn't help but say, looking at the scene before him. As much as he loved teasing the boy, Akira had nothing but confidence in his peer, and seeing him stumble like that was outright shocking.

"Damn it, Yukihira!" Ryou barked out, his fists clenched. "Get your head in the game!"

'Soma… What was…?' Erina thought.

'Is this some sort of joke?' Asahi thought.

'Very smooth there Soma,' the embarrassed chef told himself as he quickly brushed the spilled materials with a broom and cleaned up his area, before he quickly threw more prepped ingredients into the wok this time, noting that he needed to heat them up twice as quickly now if he hoped to compete against a nearly finished Aisha. 'Get those thoughts out of your head!' he screamed at himself, as he forced himself to fully focus on the task at hand. 'She didn't mean it like that! You know it, she knows it! Don't make a big deal out of it! Focus, pull through! These people walked through fire to get your ass back in here, and now it's time for you to pull your own weight and return that very favor! So! Focus! On! Your! Dish!'

With movements far quicker than even Erina had ever seen Soma move in, the increasingly exhausted Seventh Seat managed to recreate his loss materials, and in time, managed to complete his master work.

Aisha was still able to conclude his dish first, which normally would not mean much, but when half the theme of the battle includes the word "fast" in it, then it clearly painted a black mark on Soma. And he knew it. But he shook his head, and a few minutes after Aisha, presented his own dish before the judges.

Both boys stood before the judging table, one covered in cow blood and smiling, the other sweating heavily and panting. Both fully focused on the five before them.

On one side, Soma's dish, a Grand Slam Breakfast Bonanza accompanied by a glass of freshly squeezed juice and another cup of steaming hot coffee, alongside a handful of smaller, sauce filled cups.

On the other side, Aisha's dish, a Triple Deluxe Burger w/ Everything accompanied by fine-cut French Fries drenched in several cheeses, bacon and veggies and a glass of soda.

Two very un-Tootsuki dishes, served before the highest authority in the culinary world.

'And now I've seen everything…' Urara noted, before she returned to her job. "Judges, please, let the tasting begin!"

And they did, all five taking a taste of the dishes presented to them, taking their time to savor each and every factor of it.

"This is quite the exquisite burger," Courage voiced, taking note of the powerful flavors fused together in Aisha's dish. "I can't believe you managed this in such a short amount of time… It actually looks like the ones the show in the commercials, not the ones they actually serve you."

"With practice you can easily manage a picture perfect product every time," Aisha replied with a smile. "But the burger is not all, is it?"

"No, it's not," Histoire noted, taking a bite out of the fries. "The side dish is utterly exquisite, despite it seeming simplicity. Such a fine cut, all done by hand, how marvelous a talent for someone… so obsessed with cutting stuff, I see," as Histoire said that, Aisha only giggled.

"And not only that, but the soda compliments the burger and fries well," Charme added, taking a sip, before he turned to the youngest Akintola. "I don't recognize the brand, though, is it American by any chance?"

"Oh? Not at all," Aisha asked, sounding genuinely surprised by the question. "I just made it right now."

Silence followed.

"You even made the drink?!" all five judges asked in unison, as Aisha merely nodded, smile still in place. Why were they so surprised, wasn't everything they served supposed to be made by them anyways?

"That's certainly ingenious…" Anne noted, before she turned to the older competitor, "And, we meet again, Soma Yukihira. I wonder what surprises you hold in store for us this time."

"Oh, you know, the usual," the boy said with a sheepish grin. "I went with a breakfast classic that can easily be eaten at lunch, dinner or even for dessert, well, a part of it anyways. Of course, I made it my way, so it has quite the few surprises."

"Indeed," Anne noted, "The pancakes are perfectly fluffy, but they're also filled with a sweet fruity cream, that perfectly balances against the salty flavored of the scrambled eggs and sausages."

"The sauces also change the dish completely, depending on which one you use," Decora added, one of the small sauce cups on her hands, as she examined it. 'I can't deny it, the kid's good. Even after that goof up, he still managed to pull through. It's too close to call right now, what should I do?'

"But what's this?" Charme asked, as he took a sip of Soma's prepared drink. "I had thought this was merely some natural fruit juice, but this mixture, it's…?"

"Oh, that's a natural fruit drink all right," Soma explained, "Natural strawberries squished into a fruity paste, mixed with melted sugar, lemon, lime, cucumbers and a bit of ginger, all shook with ice and a bit of soda," Soma continued, before he added with a grin, "And, if you want to spice it up even further, just splash some Vodka in there and you can have quite the cocktail!"

"Can we-?" Charme tried.

"No," Anne quickly rebutted, before she turned to the other judges. "Shall we then?"

Then the stadium grew silent, as the judges began to ponder before making their respective calls. Soma and Aisha both stood, almost like statues, waiting for the call to be made. Out of the five judges, the one with the most discord was none other than Decora, who was glaring at the dishes as if they had just insulted her.

'It's still much too close, but I can't deny that the Yukihira kid's dish is better,' she thought, much to her own displeasure. 'Like I told Azami, I can't keep blindly voting against Tootsuki, or I'll get caught. Might as well vote in favor of this kid now, when I'm sure it won't matter in the grand scheme of things… Still… I hate that I have to offer him any acknowledgement whatsoever… damn it…'

And they voted, and the stadium was silent for naught but a second, before the roaring of the crowd took over once again.

Winner: Soma Yukihira.

"Yes!-I mean, and there we have it folks!" Urara beamed into the microphone, ecstatic as one could be. "Our winner of the first match-up of the second day, our very own Seventh Seat, Soma Yukihira!"

"Yes!" Erina quickly boasted, as she alongside the Elite Ten cheered. The Polar Stars did as well, as did most of the crowd. Even Asahi slow-clapped at the victorious boy, a small smirk still present in his face.

"It wasn't much!" the winner said as he removed his bandanna and placed it once again on his arm, ignoring how utterly untrue his catchphrase was at the moment, as it had indeed been quite the challenge. Still, as the Tootsuki alumni cheered and applauded, he couldn't help but stare at the score. 'Three-to-two votes, huh?' he noted, frowning, 'Aisha gave me quite the run for my money. I hate to admit it, but if it were us both at his age, I'd have been crushed.'

But Soma wasn't the only one glaring at the score, as Decora felt herself grow lightheaded. 'That bitch Anne actually voted against Yukihira?! I was sure she'd vote in favor of him! I just-I just… I just saved him! Had I voted for the Akintola brat, Soma Yukihira would have been eliminated! Damn it all!'

"Quite the match this was," Anne declared, before she turned to Courage, who had walked off the table and towards Aisha, Courage being the other judge to vote for the younger kid. "Uh… Courage?"

"You may have lost but you still did wonderfully, so don't you worry, I'll make sure the WGO keeps a close eye on you, oh yes I will, yes I will~" she cooed the clearly surprised at the sudden show of affection boy, picking him up, and much to the rage of every male present, pressed him against her cleavage in a tight embrace. "~You're just so adorable!"

"Aif-camph-bweeph," Aisha tried to save himself from suffocation, but Courage was too busy cuddling the boy to notice, resulting in Anne trying to get up to save the contestant.

"If I get that treatment, then perhaps I don't mind losing," Keelan noted, his eyes dead set on Courage's figure, as Hakeem merely rolled his eyes. He then turned to the Tootsuki alumni, as Soma made his way back to his teammates.

"Whoa, that was a close one, kid's really something," Soma said, as he fist bumped with Ryou, before he did the same with Akira, who clearly wasn't used to it but did it anyways.

"Good job," Akira congratulated, but against his better judgment, still asked, "But are you alright? You seemed… a bit off."

"You think?" Soma asked, sounding ever-so innocent.

"You spilled half your dish on the floor," Ryou countered, not buying it for a second. "Kinda goes without saying."

"I dunno," Soma lied, finding it best not to think on it much. "It's like you said Kurokiba, my head wasn't fully in it. And it nearly cost me. You two, don't follow my example. Go in there, and kick some butt."

"Yeah…" was all Ryou muttered, as he turned to stare at the Akintolas. They were now receiving the finally released, heavily dizzy Aisha back into their ranks. From the look of things, despite Keelan wanting to reprimand him, he held his tongue, likely because Hakeem was quick to assure the little brother that it was alright and that he had done a marvelous job. Plus, Aisha's head was somewhere else, so that helped too.

"So…?" Akira asked, turning to Ryou. "You or me?"

Ryou just narrowed his eyes, and without a word, walked on forwards, causing both Akira and Soma to laugh a bit at the "answer" he gave. With a brash movement, the fire-patterned bandanna was now adorning his head, as the mad dog took center stage. The screen began to flicker again, and to Ryou's lack of surprise, his opponent was ready. Because it would be him.

The screen changed yet again: Ryou Kurokiba vs. Keelan Akintola.

"Hope you're better at cooking than you are at Ping-Pong," Keelan mocked, his smile almost reaching his eyes. "There's no scary-drunk girl to save you this time."

"I'm not the one that needs saving," Ryou warned, "As I'm going to do more than just win. I'm going to end your damn career, right now. Five to nothing, that's how this is going to end."

The screen then flashed the match's theme: Pork.

"Oh? Are you that certain of yourself?" Keelan asked, laughing. "Or are you really that much of a sore loser?"

"No," Ryou answered simply. "You disrespected Alice. Simple as that."

"Our next match-up is ready!" Urara announced, as the crowd began to cheer for their respective sides. "Our very own Ryou Kurokiba, versus, Keelan Akintola! Contestants…!"

"Take him down Ryou!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs, and the crowds cheers became louder and louder.

"Begin!"

Both contestants quickly moved towards their stations, and began to work. Deciding on a dish, selecting the finest of ingredients, cutting them up as needed, all in a flash, neither giving the other an inch. Ryou quickly took a few pounds of pork out of the nearby fridge, placing it on the counter, before he allowed his finger to linger a bit over its mass. '…Was it this kind…?'

"You slowing down there buddy?" Keelan asked, grin still in place, as Ryou merely ignored him and continued to work. "Ah, didn't mean to make you angry big boy," Keelan continued, which only further annoyed Kurokiba, which he was sure was intentional. "I didn't know that hot chick was your girlfriend. I didn't mean to intrude."

"Oh my!" Urara and Yuuki both exclaimed at the proclamation, even if one eclipsed the other thanks to the microphone. "That's some juicy gossip!" Urara continued, never one to resist such talk. "Any truth to those comments, I wonder? As one of our princesses has already gotten herself a boyfriend, could the other be not that far be-akc!"

Urara was quickly shut up the moment a screeching noise came right through her earpiece, thanks to none other than Alice herself, having snatched her father's piece without the man even catching a glimpse of his daughter beforehand. Truth be told, neither had Azami, and he was outright impressed by her speed.

"He doesn't know what he's even talking about!" Alice screamed, pressing herself against the railing, against her father's wishes, directed at her best friend. "Just kick his butt! Don't let him get to you!"

"She's certainly is loud…" Keelan noted, glancing up at the scene and at the screaming princess up on the ledge. Kinda romantic, in a way, like a fairy tale, just louder. And much less graceful. Still, she was a sight to behold, lucky bastard. "Like damn, this place is filled to the brim with gorgeous beauties alright, no wonder you guys want to keep this place open so much."

"Don't you ever shut up?" Ryou asked, but his tone was far less explosive than Keelan had expected.

"What?" the rival asked, "You can't argue with me on this. That girl is seriously hot."

"Hot…" Ryou repeated, and for once, his tone sounded like he was genuinely questioning this line of thinking. It irked Keelan greatly.

"Oh, what?! She's not?!"

"…If I were to describe her, "hot" wouldn't be one of the first things I'd even use," Ryou plainly stated. "Hell, probably not among the top twenty things."

"Okay, Ryou, dear, take it down a notch!" Alice shouted out, annoyed. "That's not good for my self-esteem you know?!"

"And how'd you describe her then?" Keelan asked mockingly, but Ryou didn't even bother turning to him. His attention remained on his work, but he did supply the Akintola with a response. A single word that he did not expect. That the audience did not expect.

That Alice did not expect.

"…She's sunshine."

And just like that, they were kids again. He had met this bubbly, annoying, bratty girl one random day when she escaped from the institute her family owned and wondered right into the restaurant he had claimed as his own. She had been following nothing but rumors, and upon meeting him, she felt even more curious. Even more thrilled. The idea of an aide, to counter Erina's own. That's just what she needed.

He didn't care. He didn't care about this privileged, rich girl. Surviving out here was tough enough as is. But then, she challenged him, and he'd never back down from that. He'd put her in her place, send her back to whatever golden crib she crawled out of crying and screaming. And yet…

he lost.

She had the bite to back up all the bark, he was surprised to learn, and as such, he ended up somehow moving in with her and her family. The rich, spoiled girl had a nice family, something he could not even remember if he ever had. All he could remember was different orphanages, and how long it took him to run away from them.

This was no different, he knew. He'd stay a while, then run away when he was good and ready. After all, he owed this girl nothing. He owed this family nothing. But also…

He wanted to beat her, at least once.

So he kept on challenging her; again and again. And he kept on losing; again, and again, and again.

It irked him and impressed him in equal measure, and slowly, he begun to adapt. To learn. To see that behind the bratty, selfish, privileged princess was a lonely little girl, desperate for a friend; and to see, that he could really use one as well. So they kept on dueling with each other, slowly closing the gap between the two, and what started as grueling matches with their pride on the line, slowly became filled with laughter, teases, and pranks.

And his plan to run away kept on being postponed.

First until he beat her, of course, but that seemed almost impossible.

But even if he did, he could at least wait until her next birthday, since her mother, Leonora, had told him in secret that they had a surprise party set for little Alice. So, if the older woman trusted him with the secret, he should at least stick around, right?

Then he stayed for longer, and longer, and the prospect of running away seemed like a fever dream from long ago.

Almost a year had passed since he had been abducted (or adopted, whichever term fit better) by this crazy family, and while he had not yet managed to score a single win against the bubbly girl, she managed to surprise him greatly.

A surprise birthday party for him, of all things, with the tables now turned, as she had been in on the secret but he had not. How had she even found out of it being on August twenty? So, there he sat, on a table with this weird family, getting a very tasty cake with his favorite flavors mixed in, tight hugs and kisses from both the mother and father of the family, a handful of gifts that he was sure were insanely expensive, and…

just one look from the pretty girl, who's smile always reached her eyes, as she handed him her own present, one she swore she did not use her parents money for. One specifically for him.

He scoffed at the notion, calling her weird and dumb, causing the nice girl to pout and her parents to laugh, but he took it anyways, and despite his intentions, his expression clearly shifted when he saw the gift. He couldn't hide it, it looked cool.

He had never seen a bandanna with that flame pattern before…

"…She's much more than what she seems on just the outside," Ryou spoke up, as Keelan just looked on, frowning. The mad dog was keeping calm, as he continued to cook, slowly realizing that he had let his body take over, as he was cooking something out of memory, somehow, rather than what he had first thought of doing. Still… it made sense. "She saved me. Took me in. Gave me a home. So cut that crap of treating her in such a disrespectful manner. She's Alice Nakiri, the heiress of the Nakiri empire and of Tootsuki itself, and someone you'll never measure up to. So, let's be clear, Keelan, call her hot again, and I'll press your face into the grill."

"Ha! Quite the-" Keelan began, but the resulting glare Kurokiba offered him caused the opposing chef to reconsider calling his bluff, since he wasn't so sure it was a bluff anymore. Instead, he should focus on finishing his dish, Alice Nakiri be damned.

'Ryou…' Alice though, as she pressed her hands against the railing, her eyes on the bandanna-wearing boy, currently competing to save the very empire that carried her name.

It took two years for Ryou to finally score a win against Alice.

She was surprised, he was twice as surprised. But, despite her disappointment at it, they both cheered later on. They had become close, too close to some. It happened before either one realized it, one moment they were just rivals, the next…

"Oh, Ryou!" little Alice called out as she walked into the boy's room in the middle of the night, carrying her pillow and blanket, both pressed against her small frame. "I came to check if you were sca-eek!" her lie was cut short when a bolt of lightning flashed across the room, before a loud thunderous sound echoed throughout. Before Ryou even realized it, she was buried under his covers, shivering right next to him.

"…Milady," he voiced, and it was still weird for her to hear him refer to her as such. "Are you sure I'm the one who's scared?"

"O-Of course!" she screamed, trying to drown out the thunder. "Why else would I be here?!"

"Hmm…" he seemed to ponder something, before he shook his head and merely threw himself back onto the bed. "Sure, why not? Thanks for looking out for me…"

"…Oh, yeah, always-eek!" she told him the truth before the scary thunder made her sneak back into the covers, as both kids soon fell asleep, the very idea of running away from this perfect friend now utterly unimaginable.

And so they lived, together, becoming the best team. Knowing what the other was thinking, sometimes before the other even did themselves. He would follow her everywhere. And at times, so would she. Even to the bathroom, as he was bathing, wanting to bathe together, much to his embarrassment. Somehow, she got away with that. She got away with a lot, but her laugher made it all worth it.

And, exactly three years after she had found him, they all ate as a family, with a meal prepared by the two of them, both eager to show her parents how good they had become. That the idea of sending them to Tootsuki was indeed the best thing ever. And, as they ate, and chatted, and laughed, Ryou learned what to have a family really meant.

And it was all thanks to one beautiful girl.

"…That's," Alice voiced, her tone surprised, as she alongside her father and uncle looked on, as Ryou Kurokiba offered the judges his prepared dish, moments before Keelan offered his. The steaming plate seemed to slap the judges awake, as all five immediately took notice, their eagerness evident.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is…" Anne began, resisting the temptation to crack open one of her books to look for the answer. She'd been told way too many times to stop relying on the so much.

"It's Ӕbleflӕsk," Ryou explained. "Means apple-pork, a very traditional dish from where I spent the best years of my life. So, hurry up and eat it before it gets cold."

"Quite the charming fellow," Charme muttered, but decided against saying anything else when the mad dog turned his glare towards him. The judges decided to try the dish, and after a single bite, the crowd stared them down, eager for a reaction.

Alice felt her heart on her throat, almost going over the railing to get a better look, despite her father keeping her from falling and even Azami preparing himself if he needed to hold her by the leg or something.

"Well, judges?" Urara asked the question in everyone's mind, "What is the-huh?"

Anne just looked up at the hostess, and Urara noted how the judge's eyes seemed a bit teary. "…It's amazing," Anne replied, before she covered her mouth with her palm, holding back to an emotion she couldn't quite decipher. "T-This is… feels so pure. I can't really describe it. But, undoubtedly, for me… it's the best dish served in this competition so far."

"What?" Urara asked, her expression one of pure shock.

"Did you hear that?!" Soma quickly boasted, as Akira looked on. "You go Kurokiba! …Wait, does that mean it was better than mine?"

Akira said nothing, his eyes fixated not on Ryou, but on the girl way up high. …Was that the deciding factor?

"I-It is pretty good, but let's not forget this is still a competition," Decora tried, she really did. She signaled to Keelan, who was getting increasingly more annoyed, and he stepped forwards. His dish was placed before the judges, Marinated Pork Chops created with Chermoula, a traditional North African marinade. They looked delectable, and after a taste, clearly tasted just as good.

The crowd looked on. The Elite Ten looked on. Alice…

Alice looked down, at the boy she had met all those years ago. 'Ryou… That was our…'

'I have no idea how I ended up recreating that,' the Ninth Seat admitted, as he looked up, looked up at the girl, who way up high, the sunlight was shining right behind her, just like it always did. 'It wasn't my body that recreated this. I guess my heart took over, and instead of focusing on the competition, I ended up creating a dish for you…'

Winner: Ryou Kurokiba

"Yes!" Urara celebrated when she saw the score, and for a moment, the entire audience did. The Elite Ten all looked on, as if for the first time since this had begun, they had actual hope. "With a score of five to nothing, this match's winner, our very own Ninth Seat, Ryou Kurokiba!"

The boy said nothing, but he turned to Alice, who still had her hands on the rails. He didn't tell her anything, he didn't need to. She's already knew what it was after all. She always did. But the cameras did follow his line of sight, changing from the victorious boy to the awestruck girl. And for once in her life, the limelight caused Alice to blush and to excuse her, as the cameras caught the wordless exchange between the two that spoke so much.

The look of two souls that had, against all odds, found each other and never let go.

And much like a Showcase from sixth months ago, the news spread like wildfire, as it seemed like another Nakiri princess was in love.

A blushing Alice merely returned to her seating, saying nothing, her head still spinning.

"…Was that-?" her ever loving cousin teased. Her I've-been-waiting-for-this-for-years cousin Erina had the biggest shit-eating grin Alice had ever seen her sport, and it made her want to slap her right across the seating area.

"You sip it! Not one word out of you!" Alice threatened, even if it sounded more like a plea. The rest just laughed at the sight. Alice Nakiri, at a loss for words and totally embarrassed? Today really had been a day of miracles after all.

"You rocked it Kurokiba!" Soma praised, as he fist-bumped with the Ninth Seat, as Ryou approached and simply offered the two a nod.

"I kinda took it a bit personal," he understated. "Still, I'm sure that Keelan fellow wasn't the top dog of that school. I'm still fired up, if you two rather sit this one."

"No need," Akira replied, offering Ryou a smile. "You had your chance to shine, don't hug all the glory. Let me finish this."

Soma and Ryou both nodded, and the spice master made his way onto the arena, only to be met by the final opponent of the Akintola team. The eldest sibling, the towering Hakeem Akintola, as the screen flashed their names.

Akira Hayama vs. Hakeem Akintola.

"And we have it folks!" Urara once again got the crowd moving. "For our third-and-hopefully-final-match," she said the last part very quickly, but she meant every sped up word, "We have our resident Fifth Seat, Akira Hayama, versus, the team leader of the Akintola School, Hakeem Akintola!"

"It's been quite the day, hasn't it?" Akira mentioned, polite smile still in place, as the screen began to flash again, choosing the theme.

"It has not ended yet," Hakeem voiced, "We will not leave here without a single victory."

Then the theme was chosen, and Akira couldn't help but open his eyes widely. Urara did too. As did Soma and even Ryou.

"There's no way…" Nene voiced, shocked.

"What are the damn odds?" Kuga spoke up, between fits of laugher.

"…This is as good as won," Erina noted, her bright eyes wide.

'Is this serious…?' Akira thought, as he stared at the screen, his emotions completely mixed to an absurd degree.

Spices.

"You go get him Akira!" someone on the crowd could be heard shouting.

"It's your forte, crush him!" another one said.

"Now that's unfortunate…" Berta noted, her eyes on the screen. "Poor Hakeem. But lucky for us-Huh?" she paused, turning to Ikumi, who seemed more pensive that anyone else at that stadium. "Miss?"

"…He should know."

"Huh?"

"Hakeem should know about Akira's specialty," Ikumi clarified, her eyes narrowed as she stared down at the elder African boy. "They must have studied us. Maybe not the members of the Elite Ten that got chosen moments before this thing began, but the top five, they surely studied up on them. That includes Akira… And yet… Hakeem, he doesn't look the least bit shaken."

Both competitors moved onto the stations, as Urara got the go-ahead from the judges, and with a smile and a triumphant demeanor, she signaled what she believed would be the final match of the day. "Competitors… Begin!"

And they began to cook, both competitors rushing to get everything set. Akira quickly gathered his best spices, all of them expertly catalogued in his dia-journal, and fully committed to memory. He took careful time to sniff every ingredient, choosing the best quality amongst the sea of grandeur, all just moments before…

…He was hit by a sudden wave. It came by quickly, a rush to the senses that took him out of his element. He turned, surprised, as Hakeem had pulled out several spices and had filled the grill with chicken meat and said spice, the aroma so strong it covered the entire arena.

"Man, that feels like it went straight up to my brain," Soma noted, covering his nose a bit with his sleeve. "It's not like Sadatsuka, since it doesn't smell bad, just strong. Very strong."

"…And that's the worst possible opponent then," Ryou noted with a scowl, as both he and Soma looked on, and indeed, there was what appeared to be a hint of worry in Akira's features.

'That smell is so strong I can't even decipher my own ingredients anymore, it eclipses my sense completely,' Akira noted, also covering himself with his sleeve. 'Not good.'

Up on the seats, at an area next to the VIP seating, stood Gin Doujima, watching the matches carefully, his heart racing at every moment. Also, he didn't need to see her to know she'd be there, as a soon as someone walked up, he knew it was her. After all, her boy was competing down there. "I'm sure he'll be alright," Gin assured. "He's not last year's champion for nothing."

Jun said nothing, as she looked down at her boy, her fingers interlocked as she hoped he'd be successful. 'Akira… You can do it…'

The smells only got more intense, as Hakeem added further spices into the mix, overwhelming most of the people nearby, as the judges and Urara had to take a step back to be able to breathe properly. Akira, whose prowess was much higher than any of them, found it unbearable.

'I need to focus, I can't lose sight of what I… I'm shaking?' Akira asked himself, as he finally noticed his own hand trembling slightly. It had not occurred to him. He closed his eyes, forced his body to calm down, his mind to calm down. 'Guess I'm not used to having my own gift used against me…'

Steeling his resolve, Akira tried his best to focus on the tasks at hand. In his mind, the best use of his spices would surely be a recreation of the Doner Kebab he had used against Hisako Arato in their match-up in the Autumn Election, greatly improved of course. He had been practicing greatly on it, using spices more and more effectively, all in preparations to take out Erina Nakiri herself with it. To overwhelm her almighty God's Tongue with his mastery of spices. So he set it up, the large chunk of meat prepped vertically, and begun to work.

But the moment he motioned to the spices, he felt his composure begin to waver. He took hold of them… and couldn't get a sense of them anymore.

'…No use,' he noted, grimly, 'I can't get used to the smell that's affecting this entire arena. It's not even letting me judge my own spices properly.'

"You seem troubled…" Hakeem voiced, the buff young man with his attention still focused on his ingredients, a mix of spices Akira could no longer decipher being meticulously applied to the chicken the Akintola had chosen as his main ingredient. "That notion that you poses a superpower of sorts has always been absurd to me. No offense meant, I assure you, but this idea that you, or your teammate, which you all describe as a Goddess for some reason, have this ability… it just feels blasphemous."

"I've never once referred to my sense of smell as a superpower," Akira corrected, despite the fact that he felt like Hakeem was shoving his spices right up his nostrils, to the point his nose was starting to get irritated. "I don't believe in that stuff either, not even in the God's Tongue. A very gifted sense of taste, backed up by an insane talent, that I can buy; but divine, no one is."

"Oh…?" Hakeem voiced, slightly surprised. He wasn't expecting such an answer. For Akira to agree with him so quickly.

"Nor do I appreciate the idea that, if you sabotage my sense of smell," Akira continued, and a slight hint of menace flashed itself on his tone, "I'd be unable to cook to the best of my ability."

"Is that so?" Hakeem merely replied.

'That said however… it may be easier said than done,' Akira amusingly thought to himself, as the barrage of smells continued to affect him severely, leaving the ever-so talented Autumn Election Winner utterly winging it for the first time in recent memory. He tried, if nothing but out of muscle memory, to recreate the dish he had spent so much time perfectly crafting to take out the God's Tongue, only to take longer and longer on each step, while his opponent's dish kept on getting closer and closer to completion.

Even looking into his journal, which so many have mocked as a diary so much the joke had long lost its punch line, did little to offer assistance. Trying to follow the very instructions he himself had created proved much too difficult when he couldn't quite decide how much was too much, since he never bothered to add decisive measurement since his nose would usually be enough.

Feeling desperate but refusing to show it, Akira took a pinch of the powdered spices and brought them close to his nose, taking a long whiff in the hopes of getting even a little idea of how to use them properly, but the damage had been done. All he could smell was Hakeem's cooking, nothing more. He was certain that the smell would not leave him for days, and at the thought, he felt his body grow cold.

"We will not leave here without a single victory."

His opponent's words came back to haunt him, as he realized that he could very well make good on that threat. That he, the Fifth Seat, and Winner of last year's competition, the student who, with a possible exception of the heiress herself, was the most gifted student of his generation, could outright lose his first match on this International Shokugeki. That after all the boasting Kinokuni had offered, her plea to all the students, that he would outright fail…

He didn't even notice that he had slammed his own journal against the kitchen's counter until it made a sound, causing everyone in the audience to eye him cautiously.

Soma and Ryou both stared, both saying nothing, but both feeling the pressure of the match. Both understanding what the Fifth Seat was most likely feeling right now. Because they had felt that, and against him to boot. Akira turned slightly, fully aware that his little fit had gotten everyone's attention, and not in a very reassuring form, but the moment he met with Soma and Ryou's eyes, he couldn't help but recall something.

"What's this?" he heard his new adopted guardian ask, a cheeky, curious look on her eyes. She was grinning like a fool, much to Akira's annoyance.

"Turmeric," the young boy answered, a slight scowl on his face, insulted at being asked a question with such an obvious answer.

"That's right! And… this?!" the perky older woman cheered before she switched hands and almost stuffed her fingers right up his nose. He really wanted to tell her where to shove those fingers, but he felt he shouldn't be that rude. He liked her enough, and being out of the streets was a plus after all.

"…Garam Masala," the boy replied, playing along. Was she trying to confuse him by showing him two very similarly colored spices in succession? It wouldn't work against him, he noted, since their distinctive smell was too strong for him to confuse them. "You won't trick me you know?"

"Hmm…? Maybe but… How about this?!" Jun tried once more, and the boy shrugged and took a sniff at the powder she was offering. He smelled, felt a cold sweat run down his spine, smelled again, and couldn't hide how his eyes widened at the realization.

He couldn't tell.

Akira caught himself staring upwards, at the VIP area, where Jun Shiomi stood, the boy's mother looking down at him, her eyes still sparkling like way back then. Out of everyone in the arena, she was the only one who looked both the most worried and the least concerned at the same time. How she managed that, he didn't know.

He shook his head, and brought down the piece of lamb meat he had left unattended for well over ten minutes. The crowd just looked on, unsure, as Akira discarded his materials, and seemed to start over all again. It was a gamble, they knew, he knew, since there was less than an hour on the clock and Hakeem was close to done. But, Akira noted, he really needed to learn this lesson once more…

"I-I can't tell…"

"Oh? So cheeky and you can't call them all?" she teased with a smile, and he felt like wanting to cry, but of course he wouldn't, he's not a child.

"I'll study more!" he declared, fist clenched. "I won't make this mistake again, just you watch, next time I'll-"

Her hugging him suddenly shut him up, as the boy who had grown on the streets was a stranger to most forms of physical affection.

"Be kinder to yourself," Jun told him softly, as the boy felt his eyes water for some odd reason. "You are not supposed to know everything. That's why we grow, to learn. And that's why we fail, to grow. I've heard from my aides," Jun admitted, pulling away from the boy and cupping his head with her hands. "How much you force yourself. How you tell them you have to be better and better, all because of me."

"I won't make you regret taking me in…"

"You could lose your sense of smell completely… And I'll never give you away," she said so earnestly he could no longer hold onto the 'grown up' act he was trying to keep up. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not… And nothing will ever change that. So don't be so hard on yourself Akira, you can make as many mistakes as you need, and I will love you more every day…"

'Thanks mom,' Akira quietly voiced, before he turned and took out a familiar looking eel from the freezer, freshly caught, just about the same weight as way back then. Soma looked surprised, Ryou narrowed his eyes. Hakeem took notice, his own dish practically done.

"Starting over?" the oldest Akintola asked, turning to the Fifth Seat. "Are you sure this is wise?"

"I'm not," Akira answered earnestly, but his smile did not waver. "But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? If I don't risk messing up, there's no way I'll get any better, won't I? So…" Akira continued, as he took out his knife, and begun to carve away. His cuts were fine-tuned, expertly executed, causing the crowd to hype up again. The spice master did short work of the prep, and when he motioned to his own spice, he paused ever-so briefly, before he took hold of them and begun to spice up his eel.

Hakeem finished up first, while Akira continued. The way the Indian chef worked looked less like a chef adding spice and more like a talented pianist working hard to play the last strung of his masterpiece. His hands were still shaking, but he ignored it. He couldn't smell anything, so he didn't. He didn't have measurements, so he decided on them on the spot. He used his other senses to their fullest then.

He used his fingertips to feel the weight and distribute each grain onto the eel.

He used his ears to tell him when the meat was at its boiling point.

He used his eyes to make sure it looked as perfect as possible.

And he used his own tongue, even if it wasn't blessed by the Gods, to decipher each and every spice, and make sure it was the correct one.

He worked to the very last moment, and moments before the timer went off, he finished, placing his finished dish right next to Hakeem's. The Fifth Seat stood there, battered and sweaty, borderline exhausted, but with a steely resolve.

One side, Hakeem, offered up a specialized Akintola Piri Piri Chicken.

While the other, Akira, offered a make-shift Thirteen Spices Eel Matelote.

"Wait?" Soma noted, his eyes on Akira's dish. "…Isn't that…?"

"That damn spice bastard," Ryou growled, his eyes still narrowed.

"Judges?" Urara asked, as the tasting had begun. They tried both dishes, even taking the time to taste them carefully and plentifully, until nothing was left on either plate. Akira and Hakeem both stared, their eyes glued to the screen that would seal their fate. Both had their fists clenched, and the judges seemed to juggle back and forth on whose was better, if there even was a clear winner. Courage even noted, where this not such an important event, they could not be faulted for calling it a tie and setting up another match for another date, but since this was an International Shokugeki, and the biggest ever, they couldn't. So, after several long minutes of silence, they decided, and the score came up on the screen.

Hakeem Akintola was the first to see it, and it made Akira Hayama feel faint.

The winner, with a three-to-two vote, was: Akira Hayama.

"That was… a magnificent display," Hakeem offered, as he extended his arm at the Fifth Seat. Akira answered in kind, shaking the elder boy's hand, but even through it all, he couldn't quite stop shaking.

As Urara proudly announced Tootsuki's total victory over Akintola, the crowd began to celebrate, as cheers were heard all throughout. The Polar Stars all stood up, rushing down the stairs, all in hopes of catching the victors before they left the arena. Like last time, both Azami and Soe took the stage, thanking the viewers, the sponsors, and especially, the competitors. Everyone applauded, as Tootsuki lived to see at least another few days.

The three boys walked back through the halls that had led them to the stadium, this time walking away from it, their minds still racing and their hearts even more-so.

"You okay Akira?" Soma asked, as he noted that his teammate looked the most shaken out of them all. "That was intense. That Hakeem guy was on a completely separate league from the other two. But, you did it man! Don't look so gloomy."

"Hell, you ended up stealing my dish. Don't think I didn't notice," Ryou added, scowling at Akira, who merely smiled.

"I know Soma," he replied. "And, I didn't steal anything; I was inspired. It was the perfect, high-quality, dish that I could do quickly before I passed out, and I just needed to spice it up a bit to make sure it was acceptable to serve to the WGO. You should feel honored."

"Only thing I'm honored is that I'm the only one to win unanimously, unlike a certain other two I know," Ryou voiced, and both Soma and Akira felt insanely irked.

"Did you not see the monster I was taking on?!" Akira couldn't help but shoot back, despite it being rather uncharacteristic of him.

"And that little kid is a freaking genius!" Soma defended, likewise as pissed. "You got the easy one. The loudmouths are usually all bark and no…what?"

"Nothing," Akira and Ryou both said in unison, turning away from a now even more annoyed Soma as the three made their way through the building structure, until they were met by a familiar sight. All the Polar Stars, alongside several others who might as well be Polar Stars, all eager to see them. Especially their golden boy.

"You did it Soma!" Yuuki cried out as she hugged-tackled the boy, causing the tired boy to fall back onto the floor. Ryoko had to quickly come to his aide.

Most of the members of the group quickly swarmed the fallen Yukihira, all of them cheering to the point of almost crying, as Hisako paused, wanting to congratulate Soma too, but pausing just before Ryou left, since she knew he'd ignore them all and just head straight for Alice. "…And not bad on your end either," she teased. "For the Nakiris' second best aide, that is."

"Heh, you wish," he replied in the nicest tone anyone had ever heard him utter to someone not named Nakiri, before he shrugged and walked off. Before he was stopped again, by Marui of all people, who shook his hand, for some reason. "…What?"

"I'm proud of you partner!" Marui told him. Kurokiba was utterly lost.

"Since when the hell are we partners?"

"But… we went to the Stagiaire together…"

"We did?"

"Yeah, don't you remember," Marui cried out, "At Kasayama's!"

"That was you?"

"Yeah!"

"…Oh."

"Show more emotion!"

Akira couldn't help but laugh at that little display, before he carefully avoided the dog-pile Soma had on him, as he too walked away. But like Ryou, he was also stopped, but thankfully not by a teary Marui.

"You never cease to amaze," Megumi told him, and as she did, he felt his nervousness begin to die down. That was a power this girl had, a superpower even. He had grown to learn, that no matter how horrible he felt; just the thought of her calmed him down. And even now, having faced off against what was possibly the strongest opponent in his entire career, he felt at ease around her. No, not just at ease. He felt confident, more-so than ever before. "But I knew we couldn't expect any less from our Cham-"

So he kissed her.

He outright stole a kiss right out of the blue-haired girl's soft lips, surprising her to hell and back, as the tenderness of it all shocked her down to her very core. And just as soon as it had begun, it ended, as the boy separated himself from the girl that now resembled the tomato-man from her visions, as all the other students had grown silent, shocked at the display. Akira offered her a smile. "You were part of that victory," he told her. "And I feel like after that, I can be a little more assertive. Don't you guys think?"

He offered the others a knowing wink, and with that, he walked away, leaving a nearly catatonic Megumi moments before she was bombarded by pretty much everyone. The dog-pile shifted from Soma to her, and as she fell to the ground, she still had no idea what had happened. She got kissed? By Akira? The Akira? Was she dreaming? Was she dead? She did not know.

All she knew, from the screams of mostly Yuuki, was that Akira had just stolen a kiss from her, and she'd be caught dead before clarifying that something cannot be stolen if it's gladly given away…

"Wait!" Soma shouted out, getting back up, rubbing his head as he looked at the scene before him. "For real?! Hey, Akira, you bastard, get back here! I didn't see, do it again!"

-0-

Unlike the last match, spirits were much higher this time around, as the Tootsuki alumni all returned to their dorms for the night, their places still secured for the time being. They had all gotten back to the Polar Star dorms for a while now, and most of them had gotten ready for bed. It had been an eventful day, after all, and Soma especially felt tired. As he made his way one last time to the kitchen, wanting something cold to drink, he took a glance at his phone. No calls, no messages. Not from her. He frowned, but he reminded himself his own words. She hadn't meant it that way, so he shouldn't do this. So he searched her up, feeling a pang on his chest when he noticed how little they had conversed in the past few days, before he hit up her name…

"Give it back!"

The sudden bloodcurdling scream stopped him mid-call, as Soma turned towards the staircase, where the ghastly scream had originated from. He took several steps there, wondering if someone had broken in or something, but as he, alongside with probably every other Polar Star, took a peek, what they were meet was by the sight of not an invader, but a very distressed Nao.

"Give it back!" she repeated even louder. "You have no right to go into my room!"

"I-I didn't!" Loren, the object of her furry, defended. The boy was pressed against a wall, as Nao had settled herself between him and his door, the boy now deeply regretting having gone to the bathroom at this exact time. "I don't know what you're even talking about!"

"You were the only one here!" Nao shot back. "And while no one here believes me, I know you're working with the enemy! I don't care if this gets me kicked out, but you will give me back that picture!"

"What picture woman?!" Loren cried out. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I've never been in your room! Out of the two of us, I'm not the one with problems regarding personal space!"

"You little worm!" Nao roared, as she rushed to tackle the clearly frightened boy right through the wall if she could, but she was thankfully for him stopped by Shoji and Daigo, who took hold of her by both arms. She pushed and struggled, screaming at the two, and they looked outright pushed to their limits just to keep her in check.

"She's crazy!" Loren exclaimed.

"I suppose this was unavoidable," Isshiki voiced, as he walked next to Soma, the senior wearing only his underwear, which was shocking only to the new members of the dorm. "I suppose she told you about her situation too?"

"Not exactly," Soma replied. "She told me she had suspicions about Loren, and something about someone dangerous, but other than that..."

"Well, we can't simply ignore this anymore, otherwise she'll end up killing him, or worse," Isshiki added, "Miss Fumio will find out, and kick all of us out! So, let's settle this."

"Yeah…" Soma said, wondering if Isshiki's priorities were in the proper order. "So what will you do?"

"Me?" Isshiki asked as if he were utterly shocked. "My dear, I'll be graduating this year. I can't keep solving all these problems by my lonesome. As the only other Polar Star with an Elite Ten seating, I think it's a fine time for you to help your fellow peers and underclassmen."

"Seriously?!"

"Yes!"

"…Okay…?" Soma replied, realizing that Isshiki had probably been setting this up for a while now. Still, he wasn't wrong. He needed to step up, now that he was an Elite Ten member. And it was true, Isshiki had done a lot for them, for him. Back on that cruise, had it not been for Isshiki…

"Okay!" Soma repeated, this time with far more confidence. "Nao, calm down, we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Bottom of what?!" she roared. "He stole it! It's the only possible scenario! He's a creep!"

"I did not!" Loren shot back. "And who's a creep, you damn pervert!"

"Pervert?!"

"You walked in on me bathing!" Loren shouted back, which caused Yuuki to quickly blush at the notion. Had she not been that far off when she had teased Nao earlier today?

"Oh, don't flatter yourself!" Nao spat back. "If I wanted to see frozen shrimp, I'd just go look on the fridge!"

"How dare you?!" a blushing Loren cried. "Like you can talk, you damn ironing board!"

"Enough," Soma interrupted the argument, stepping in-between the two, and signaling to Shoji and Daigo to set Nao down, which they did hesitantly. She stared, glaring daggers at Loren, but waiting just enough to allow Soma to talk. Loren likewise waited, less because he wanted to and more because they were still blocking entry to his room. "This will get you guys nowhere, and at worse, expelled," Soma said, as he pondered what to even do. Isshiki usually handled these things well, but what was he supposed to do? Then it hit him. Of course. "Nao," he added, turning to the little witch. She just raised her visible eye at him, creepily. "If you really want to get Loren out of your hair, we'll back you up fully…"

"Huh?" Nao paused, taken aback.

"Wait! What?" Loren now having shifted his screams towards Soma.

"…But of course, this is Tootsuki after all, so there's a method for that," Soma concluded, and Nao realized what he meant. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and realized that he was probably right. She needed Loren gone, but she should outright risk getting kicked out herself, not with her brother out there. So, for now, she'd settle on exposing him to the rest. And there was really only one way to do that.

"Fine," the little witch declared, her index finger fully pointed at the boy, as her visible eye shifted towards Loren. "I challenge you to a Shokugeki!"

"No."

The entire group stood there, in silence, as if a deity they worshipped had just been spat on.

"B-But I'm challenging you!"

"So?"

"You have to accept it!"

"No."

"Why?!"

"Don't wanna."

"Loren," Soma quickly cut in, realizing they were just going to cycle back to the violence if he didn't. "I get that you don't have much to gain from this, but listen, if you really want her out of your hair, then you need to show her you're not here just for show. That you earned your spot here. I know you're new here, but this is how we settle things," the redhead placed his hand on Loren's shoulder softly, as the blonde boy looked up, sporting half a pout, as he took in his words. "Probably best if you two really did settle this once and for all."

"…Fine," Loren begrudgingly accepted. Cilla, Berta and especially Mitsuru all rushed to his side, eager to see their fellow classmate cook something up, as Nao just clenched her fist. She needed to crush this weasel before her left the doors open for her brother to come in and destroy her life again. "So I can ask for anything from this Shoku-things, right?"

"Shokugekis," Isshiki corrected, "And yes, as long as it's legal and possible."

"So I can give her a restraining order against me?"

"Heh, jokes on you," Nao shot back, "It wouldn't be my first."

"…Not really something you should be proud off."

-0-

Erina, Alice and Ryou all made it back to the Nakiri manor without much happenstance, and in time, they were getting ready for bed. It was here Ryou heard a knock on his door, and of course he knew who it was. "It's a bit late Alice," he said as he answered the door, as the silver-haired girl looked up at him. The boy paused, noticing a pillow and a blanked on her arms, and a very familiar look on her eyes. "…You're not scared, are you?"

"…Terrified."

"It's not even raining," he noted, as she shook her head.

"Not of that… Are we really going to pretend, you know, that the entire school doesn't think that we're a… thing," Alice did her best to phrase her statement, and Ryou just looked on, taking only a moment to sign.

"My bad, I went overboard," he admitted. "That guy was just badmouthing you so much, that in the end, I ended up cooking up something we did way back then… I didn't mean-"

Her hands on his face made him pause, as she held onto his face by the cheeks, ever-so gently, as she looked up at the boy that once was just as tall (or short) as her. "T-Tell me I'm not crazy, Ryou. I can't be the only one among us two to be such a fool," she paused, her lips trembling slightly. "To be the only one who actually fell in…"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know," Alice replied. "I don't want to order you around. I just… Ryou… I…"

"You're beautiful."

The look on her face was every bit as he described. Her eyes lit up, as her expression became one of the biggest of surprises. "…W-Where did that…?"

"That guy kept on asking how I'd refer to you. Kept on calling you hot," Ryou explained. "And I can't argue it, you are. But, you're much more. You're beautiful, and I owe you something I can never repay… And I feel, like if I'm honest with myself for even one second, I'll ruin what we have."

"But I don't want to have something halfway!"

"You really don't get it…"

"Get what?!" she demanded, "Just say it! Be a man and say it! What happens if you're honest with yourself, huh?! How would that-?!"

"I'd throw you onto that bed and break both it and you in two!" he shot back, and Alice almost fainted, she paused, her hands shifting from his face to his broad chest, noting that he might as well possibly could, before she shook her head feverishly. He seemed to also pause, realizing that he might have come out a tad too strong. "Alice… What I-I meant…"

"I was expecting something romantic," she answered with the biggest blush. "But honesty is important in any relationship."

"I don't mean that I see you as-"

"Ryou," she voiced, her index finger over his lips. "I've known you since we were kids… And I've loved you for just as long. I know what you meant… I feel the same way."

So they kissed, with Ryou pressing his entire frame against hers, pressing her body onto the door, managing to also shut the door in the process, as the childhood friends evolved into something more, both lost in the sensation of the other…

…all the while a very flushed Erina had been moments away from walking into that very room.

She did the quickest turn, and walked away, deciding that they most definitely needed privacy. What she wanted to discuss could wait anyways. So, the heiress decided to follow Alice's example, for once, and focus on the important stuff first. 'My gut feeling tells me something's amiss between Soma and myself, so I'll give him a call… Be honest with your feelings Erina, don't beat around the bush like you always do. It only makes things worse…'

So she took out her phone, and searched Soma up on her contact list. It hurt a bit, to see that there had been a noticeable lack of calls between the two for the last few days, but she was changing that. She then pressed his name, and was moments from dialing…

…When there was a knock on the door.

She paused, turning, as she was nearby. She was never one to answer her own door most of the time, but maybe it was Soma. If that were the case, she totally should. So she walked towards the main entrance, reaching there right alongside her Uncle, much to her surprise, as he was not one to open the main door much either.

"Oh, Erina, I thought you had gone to bed by now," Soe said, as Erina shook her head, before the picture of Kurokiba all over Alice snuck inside her head and made her blush madly. She could not allow her Uncle to learn of that from her, or else Alice would murder her. So she decided to avoid eye contact at all costs, since she was a terribly liar. At least, the door knocker took attention away from her, as Soe moved and opened it.

It wasn't Soma.

It was Azami, holding a bouquet of roses.

"I prefer daisies," Soe said at the sight.

"They're not for you," Azami replied just as deadpan, before he turned to his daughter, taking a single rose out of the bouquet and handing it to the blonde. "This one, the prettiest of the bunch, is for you however."

"Oh, I… thank you?" a blushing Erina replied, as she took hold of the flower, but then it hit her. Just one flower was for her? Then… the bouquet…?

"Was that really necessary?" Mana Nakiri spoke up as she came walking down the stairs, and at the sight of her, both Soe and Erina realized who the flowers were for. Soe felt his stomach turn, Erina… Erina had no idea how to feel. "You wanted to talk? Well, talk."

"I want to do more than just talk, Mana," Azami corrected, as he handed the bouquet to his ex-wife, who looked like she wanted to drop them, but decided against it. She held onto them, noting how she had probably mentioned to him she liked them at some point.

"Azami," she tried.

"Mana, please," Azami voiced, taking a step closer. Soe, noting how he was invading, despite not wanting to, took a turn and left the two alone, deciding that Mana should know how to at least lock the door up properly. Erina, on the other hand, stayed, her eyes fixated on her parents. "Give me the opportunity to fix this," he continued. "I've spent years failing as both a husband and as a father. But I know how to be both now. Maybe not perfectly, but all I'm asking is for one chance. One dinner, with all of us, like a family. Where we can sit down and talk. Where I can properly apologize for everything."

"Azami… do you even hear yourself?" Mana countered, her hand on her forehead. "There's nothing left to fix. You're even in the process of closing my father's legacy, you think that is some sort of grand romantic gesture?"

"You hate this place," Azami countered. "All it ever did was hurt you, hurt her," Azami said, signaling to their daughter. "Senzaemon, with all his wisdom, does not possess your gifts. He sheltered you, and you ended up lost in all the storm of responsibilities and duties. I won't destroy this place, I will rebuild it. To something that can measure up to you, and to Erina. I can finally manage that."

"Azami, please, just go," Mana replied. "I… just not now, okay. Pretty words are one thing, but-"

"Just one dinner," he sounded dangerously close to begging. "Allow me that, and if you're unconvinced, I will not bother you again. I promise."

"Azami, it's just-" Mana tried, but then she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned, and saw her daughter like she had not seen her in ages. Looking up at her, with both hope and hurt evident in her eyes, just like the day she had walked out on them both. Erina seemed to mutter a soft "mama", unheard even to her, but despite herself, Mana couldn't just ignore it. "…Fine," she relented, and both Azami and Erina lit up, the latter smiling brightly. "One dinner. Just one."

"One is all I need," Azami assured, "There's someone I'd like you to meet as well. Well, two of them really… Well, three, but one is indisposed, so two shall be enough."

"Okay…?" Mana replied, still unsure, but as Erina noted, despite her coldness, the roses were still being held by her mother very tightly.

"And, since we'll all be there," Azami added. "Perhaps Erina would like to prepare something for just the occasion. Would you dear?"

Erina felt elated, and as her eyes met with her father's, Azami gave her a knowing wink, signaling that everything was working out. That he really was fixing everything. It was a dream come true. And with that plan in mind, as her parents set the date for their, well, date, Erina couldn't wait to just get to her room, just so that she could start brainstorming the perfect dish to make the perfect night. The dish that would ensure her parents would never leave her again. And as the heiress got to work…

…Her phone remained there, her call to Soma now long forgotten.


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Slowly… She Falls…