The morning after Ryo and Akira tied in their match at the Fall Selection, Megumi was woken up by Soma fumbling with his cooler in the hall. Not that she had really been sleeping in the first place. Most of her night had been spent tossing and turning with dreams of a fierce chef drowning her in flavours too intense and delicious to stand! Recalling the taste of Ryo's ramen sent a shiver through her body, and she could only imagine the intensity of the eel dish he made in the semi-final. Just the thought of that tender and juicy eel exploding with the tanginess of plum while the richness of mashed potatoes and slight crunch of brioche engulfed all her senses….. Megumi's mouth began to water, and she wasn't sure that the aching emptiness in the pit of her stomach was entirely for food. Her face turned bright red, and she decided that she needed to focus on something else immediately!

Turning her attention to the commotion in the hall, Megumi peeked out of her door and offered to accompany Soma to the fish market. She still doubted her own ability, but she hoped she could offer some insight to her new friend when it came to seafood. And as a bonus hopefully her mind would be kept off any "un-lady like" thoughts involving red bandanas and drowning in seafood broth.

On the ride to the market Megumi reflected on how much Soma had done for her in his short time at Tohtski. She certainly wouldn't have made it passed the training camp without him. Sure, the alums had gushed over her, but it was too much. If she was honest with herself, it felt cruel to insist that she had a place with any of the former Elite 10. Her battle with Ryo had made that abundantly clear. It wasn't only that Ryo was an amazing chef; they were the same age and had similar areas of specialty which made it all the clearer how much further Megumi still had to improve. Taking a deep breath and trying to relax against the upholstery Megumi thought to herself that at least in the fish market she felt at home.

At least she did.

Megumi caught sight of Ryo and flashes of their battle came to mind. In retrospect her boldness as she defended her cooking against Ryo's in a verbal sparring match left her unrecognizable to herself! And the thought of the flavour of Ryo's broth while he towered over her close enough to feel the heat radiating off him made her blush deepen and a tight electric feeling in the pit of her stomach flared to life…

Megumi took a few deep breaths to calm herself and tried to focus on what Soma and Ryo were saying about selecting saury. Everything Soma said sounded right, but then…

"Come try a bite. Megumi Tadokoro." Even without the fury of his bandana this order from Ryo and the way he seemed to savor her name as it rolled off his tongue sent a shiver through Megumi. She didn't lose her composure, but her heart sounded in her ears and a blush stained her cheeks as she tasted the sashimi.

"Sorry Soma, this just doesn't have any texture," she shot her friend an apologetic look before turning to the dark-haired chef. "Ryo's fish has a richer flavour and is perfectly firm!"

Ryo grinned in triumph and shot Soma a victorious look. He briefly locked eyes with Megumi, drinking in her recognition of his skill. Megumi stared back wide-eyed, and her gaze lingered as Ryo taunted Soma and walked away with Alice.

On the drive back to their dorm Megumi replayed the encounter. Ryo had said that he had to work every day to keep his skill sharp. Soma had been saying essentially the same thing since they met. Maybe they weren't just better than her. Once Soma had shown her how to calm down, her own cooking had spoken for itself on multiple occasions.

Megumi took a slow breath and pushed down her self-doubts. She might not be on their level now, but she will be. She thought of her mother and the fishermen at home. She remembered how hard she worked to learn suspended cutting for the sake of her family's inn. Her past battles turned over in her head and her resolve hardened. If she really wanted to make everyone at home proud, then she needed to apply herself here as much as she did back then. She loved the Regional Cuisine Research Society, and she wouldn't abandon that pursuit, but seafood was where she started. For that reason, Ryo was clearly someone she could learn from. Megumi told herself that that was why she found herself wanting to spend more time around him.

That was it! She wanted to learn from Ryo as a peer! The dreams and electricity under her skin were just the normal result of food that delicious combined with too many romance mangas!

That had to be it.