Megumi was enthralled by Ryo. She could see his workstation and easily imagine what type of flavour he was creating. So, when Alice brought her a slice of Ryo's coulibiac, she only managed a weak protest before gasping out, "oh god, yes please!" and eagerly filling her mouth with Ryo's dizzying dish.

Even with some idea of what to expect, Megumi was floored. Ryo had evolved since the last time she'd tasted his food. Akira's influence was present in his use of spices, but there was more. The vegetables! He used the vegetables to bring their own flavor to his dish! Since she was on the sidelines Megumi didn't bother trying to hide the euphoria that Ryo's dish left her with. She moaned around the fork as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her! The crust dissolving on her tongue to unveil the slight bitterness of the spinach crepe which melded into a rich blend of savory and salty rice, occasionally accented by a firm mushroom popping in her mouth before the juiciness of the salmon burst over her taste buds and down her throat. It was like fireworks by the river in her hometown!

Her eyes fluttered open to look at the man who created the unrelenting deliciousness in her mouth and was surprised to see him looking straight at her with a smug grin. Megumi tried to compose herself, but she knew it was too late. Ryo knew what kind of effect his food had on her. Her blush deepened and she squirmed under his gaze. Megumi was embarrassed, but there was more than that. The heat coursed through her body, pooled in her stomach and left her knees weak and her heart pounding. Thankfully Ryo's attention was pulled back to his competitor leaving Megumi to release the breath she'd been holding. Though her heart wouldn't stop pounding.

Ryo POV-

Of course, Ryo wasn't going to let some rich bastards walk all over him! When that arrogant jerk had walked into Alice's kitchen and ordered them to disband their club (which they didn't know they had, but that was irrelevant!) it pissed him off and he needed to put that guy in his place. Plus, he'd been itching to battle anyone to show just how much he'd improved since the Selection. A lot had happened since then and it had been too long since he'd destroyed an opponent.

The hot springs trip had been fun, but his fishing challenge against Soma and Akira had been very unsatisfying. Seeing the little country chef show some real backbone and dominate at ping pong had at least been a surprising treat. She wasn't even phased by her opponent facing her in just a fundoshi! For someone who always seemed so meek and timid, she clearly had a competitive side.

And then the whirlwind of the Lunar festival had been…interesting. Ryo was used to Alice's antics but seeing the way Akira eventually grew to work with her had been unsettling. He wasn't bothered that Alice had someone else to drag into her flights of fancy, but he felt like there may be something more to it. Alice had been a little cagier than usual too. He knew she was up to something, and he had a gut feeling that he was somehow involved. Still, he did trust Alice. He wouldn't stress about whatever she had in mind. It's not like he could do anything about it anyway!

On the day of his battle against Central, Alice was of course waiting to see him win. But along with her were Soma and Megumi. Ryo clenched his jaw to suppress a grin. The idea of Megumi seeing just how much he'd improved flooded him with a joy and eagerness that he couldn't explain. He wondered if she'd pick up on her own influence. He'd never have bothered with such mild vegetables for flavour before facing her. He'd found that using a more restrained touch to first pull the diner in gave his stronger flavours a more impactful punch!

Ryo was happy to just flaunt his new skill for Megumi to just witness, but then Alice swooped through after the judges had been served and insisted that Megumi try a bite. His pride surged when he heard her polite composure break as she gasped out her eagerness to taste his dish. His eyes shot to Megumi as the first bite hit her tongue, and he was not disappointed! The moment her lips closed around the fork, her entire body responded! Her chest strained at her uniform while her legs pressed together as she moaned in delight at the taste coursing through her senses. Ryo's own heart skipped a beat at the sight of her! The normally meek girl was undone by his cooking, and he finally got to see her completely succumb to his skill. As she swallowed the first bite, her cheeks flushed while her eyes glossed over in bliss, and she had to pant to catch her breath after such an experience. Ryo's eyes were locked on Megumi as her euphoria subsided and he grinned hungrily as she became aware of herself and just how lewdly she'd reacted to his food. For a moment Ryo didn't care about the judges or his opponent, his food left Megumi flushed and panting in extasy and that felt like everything he wanted.

But reality intruded, and Ryo focused on the deliberations happening at the judges' table. He was annoyed that it took as long as it did for the judges to see the difference in their dishes when it should have been obvious. It was an insult for anyone to think that he would be beaten using a convection oven after spending so many years cooking against Alice. The weirdo from Central barely knew how to best use the machine, in Ryo's opinion. Such a basic dish never stood a chance.

His victory was short lived as Alice's uncle chose that moment to step in, trying to intimidate them.

"This Azami guy really doesn't know Alice", Ryo thinks. "Why would any of us be intimidated by a chef who must play dirty to win. It's pathetic."

Still, his moment with Megumi had passed. Ryo took off his bandana and settled back into place as Alice's sullen aid. The pig-tailed girl had regained her composure during Azami's intrusion as well. Ryo shouldn't care, he already got her submission. But he wanted to know what Megumi thought about his dish. And he definitely wanted to see more of her unguarded reactions!