SUP Guys! Its been a while hasn't it? I think this is the first time I miss an update and I'm not proud of it. Its been a hectic 2 weeks for me due to in depth researching but here's a piece of good news for you guys. My intern period is nearing its end and I will basically have a free 2 months at home doing the things I want (This story for instance) so hopefully I can update this story faster. Well enough of that, I see that many of you were pleased with how Ikumi turned out so hopefully you guys would like another favorite character of yours turn out~ Another huge thanks for 250+ followers and 199 favorites on this story~~ You guys really are the best.

PS: Big shoutout to my G IndraAshura and NANLIT for providing me ideas for the society name since my naming sense sucks


Time for the review corner again~~ A bit lesser than last chapter but we move~

CincyRail: Thanks for the support again and sorry for the delay. Hope you continue liking the story~~

NinjaFang1331: Well cliffhangers are my thing so expect more of them every chapter~~~ Hehehe~~ But all in seriousness thanks for the support and enjoy the story

Nero00i: Sup man~~ Ya, its hard to picture specific scenes I want you guys to know since there are no animations to help me convey them~ Maybe I should ask next chapter whether you guys want a shorter chapter with faster updates or what I am doing now...Hmm~~ Well onto your question~~ Yup, they living there will relate into the Azami arc so that's a bit of a spoiler~ Best Erina is honest Erina don't you think? Thanks for the support and looking forward to hearing from you again~~

JintoLin: Sup dude~~ Sometimes we will be blinded by our own way of thoughts before realizing there was another way which takes longer and more effort. Believe me I been there haha. Hisako is slowly getting there and with the whole gang being in the Polar Star, it will be a matter of time before they get all chummy with each other~ Being killed by enjoying food huh~ doesn't that sounds enticing haha. Little angle Megumi will slowly spread her wings but she just needs a little more push for her to realize~ People speculate genshin is just another small world of Honkai~~ I got to say i prefer genshin more though~ Thanks for your support and looking forward to hearing from you again~~

FoodWarsJunkie: Sup man~~ Hmm I thought there was gonna be a grand revealing or proposal scene once they beat Central but looks like i was wrong~ Saw what you with Asahi and I'm very intrigued to say the least and oh boy will Mana get a sucker punch to the stomach when Erina serve her dish~~ I'll be patiently waiting for the next great chapter~. Thanks for your constant and look forward to hearing from you again~~

I'mAlsoAWe: Thanks for supporting and hopefully this chapter will satisfy you for weeks~~

IndraAshura: Sup my G~~ Well as I said~ Shokugeki is more of a comedy show and who wouldn't be pissed? I know I would haha~ Yup this Erina is way better, the emo version in the anime was good but I would love to see her open up to Soma before Blue though. Well regarding Yue, I think you know the answer as well ehh~ A gorgeous yellow hair girl with a bit of a mischievous side to her~~ Hmm regarding Erina's nickname I think I show it too early, this will be in relation to the Blue arc which is another spoiler~~. Teasing girls are the best and worst for your health haha~ Well guess you have to wait and see if Erina was really involved in this generation's star students~~. Hoh, I'm interested to see who the other couple you thought of~~ If it is Megumi then wrong ~~ The secret of the bedroom arts(Sleeping). Once again, thanks for the constant support as well as giving me the main idea for the society name. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you again~~

E.T.2000: Hmm~ thanks for your suggestion. So in accordance to that I'll be incorporating lines to help separating the scenes so tell me would you prefer that~~? Well, its best for kids to enjoy their high school life with their friends in which we can't do now thanks to covid. Steamy scenes? Don't worry, there will be plenty more and just a tinsy spoiler for you. Before the kaarage event~ Thanks for the support man~

Dragon King Ryouga: Yo~ what's up my dude~ Yup you can separate the seriousness off him but you cant separate the naked apron from him. I think the correct term is indeed sisters in love and they are sharing Soma but I won't hold off on making the two girls closer as well. From cousin to sister to lover~ not bad of a transaction eh~ Ya, I wont be doing any lemons in this story since it is rated T and I haven't wrote one before. Steamy kissy scenes will happen as well as some implications~ Thanks for you kind words and support and I'll be looking forward to what you review next

Arraia: Thanks for the support and sorry for keeping you waiting for 1-2 days longer

NANLIT: First of all thank you for the kind words and secondly thank you for providing me ideas for the name of the society~ Ok now time for your questions~ Yes they have 4 years of training with Gin, Joichiro and Senzaemon before Soma left with his father to travel the world, Alice with her father to Nakiri International while Erina stayed in Japan to learn from Ebisawa Riko at the age of 9. Well hopefully you won't be disappointed by how I introduced Takumi haha~ You have a good eye my friend, i guess only you found out the one who told Isshiki is Rindo. But now's the question, why and where did she know about the trio hehe~~ Thanks for the support and I'm looking forward to hearing what you say next

TopSpartan216: This is Spartan! Sorry~~ couldn't hold myself back from seeing your name haha~~ Thanks for the kinds words and don't worry, I'm gonna be continuing this story~ It's just work has been flooding in for these two weeks. Hopefully i can shorten up those mistakes in the future and have fun reading this new chapter~~ Hope to hear from you again~

Saviorfreedom: Yo~~ I guess you commented on the wrong chapter but no worries~ I still remember you and thanks for the support man. Oh it will get interesting hehe~~


"Hi everyone~~ I'm your kawaii emcee Urara des~~~"

"SUPER KAWAII!"

"GRR"

"Now then, just a day after the Shokugeki between Yukihira Soma and Mito Ikumi had ended. We have another Shokugeki featuring our schools' queen Nakiri Erina-sama and Goudabayashi Kiyoshi Senpai. Etto, let's start by introducing the chief of the Chanko Nabe Research Society: Kiyoshi senpai!"

"Senpai! Show her the passion of our Club! Defeat the so-called god's tongue!"

"Senpai! Show her that she could not do as she please!"

"…" Kiyoshi did not respond and just stood there quietly.

"Hmm~~~ Not much reaction from senpai, it looks like he is in the zone. Well moving on~~let's invite the youngest member in the Elite 10th Nakiri Erina-sama to the stage!"

"Erina-sama! Erina-sama!"

The loud cheer from the crowd was a clear indication of who was the favorite. Everyone has a similar image floating in their head which is Nakiri Erina would confidently walked out on stage and face her opponent imposingly. But scripts do not apply to the infamous 'couple trio."

"WOW~ There were a lot less fans when I had my Shokugeki with the chief of the cutting-edge RS society~~~. What was him name again…? Ma~~~it's not important."

"Hoh? So, this is what it feels like to be a fan favorite. I could get used to not being booed and glared by the other students."

"Haa…Why did I agree to let you two walk out with me…Nah its better that I don't ask. And to answer your question Soma"

"Hmm?"

Erina smirked in response and walk forward to meet her opponent but not before having a slight dig at Soma. "The problem is your face~"

"Hahaha~~~ Erina banter~~~Umu umu, she is right you know Soma~~~ You have a really punchable face~~~"

"HA?! You two fell in love with this face you know! I'm not having any of this you hear!"

Ignoring the commotion caused by her lovers, Erina reverted back to her usual stern expression and stood imposingly across her opponent.

"You have some nerve Nakiri Erina. You must think this is a playground to you huh! Trampling clubs as you see fit, we the 'Chan RS' Club would not allow it! Our club was built with the passion for food from our senpais and the history of our club dates back to before this Academy was even built! What gives you the right to close down our club!"

"I just thought that Alice and Soma had already done their Shokugeki, so why not I do one as well. As for the actual reason, your club is not needed in Totsuki Academy."

"You!"

"You haven't achieved anything important in the last few years. That may not suffice as reasonable but exploiting the funds we have given you to organize numerous sumo wrestling competition is."

"?!"

"My grandfather built Totsuki for the purpose of cooking. Leeway has been granted to clubs to further excel in their own respective cooking but using the school funds for your own personal enjoyment is something I, Nakiri Erina, the granddaughter of the Food Demon King won't allow."

"Cheh, using your authority as a shield to do what you want, I won't allow it anymore! The terms will be set now! If I win, you will relinquish the 10th Seat while I…"

"When I win, your club will be disbanded. Let's have a nice content Goudabayashi senpai." Erina said while smiling lightly.

Using the VIP room that was meant for Erina, 4 people were looking at the ongoing battle while giving their own thoughts while the other was lazily staring into a wall.


"It looks like it ended before it started huh."

"En~~~A dish with many flaws like that could never beat Erina~~~ I wonder how the senpais in this school was able to survive a whole year with skills like that."

"There are a lot less Senpais this year compare to the years before… Some of the Elite 10 members avoid having Shokugeki with Erina as they claim that they are not interested"

"Hmm, I can tell since Isshiki-senpai held back a lot yesterday. Seems it is true from what shishou told me: The Elite 10 seating is not only based on cooking skill huh"

"What does that mean Soma-kun?"

"Here~~~ I'll answer for Soma." Alice said as she brought out a pair of glasses and a teacher coat from somewhere.

'I'm not gonna comment anything, I'm not gonna comment anything.' Hisako thought as she realized that her retorts were useless.

"Now Megumi-chan~~ You do know that the Elite 10 consists of the top 10 best students in school, right?"

"Hai"

"The Elite 10 also helps in running Totsuki you know~ They count as the student council of Totsuki. They are granted luxurious authorities by the school as they are already counted as Master-level chefs by the culinary world. Some of which use their authorities to grow their own reputation like the 9th seat Shady-kun~~~

"So, when that senpai said that Erina-san is using her authority…"

"En~~~ Erina took it upon herself to help investigate the clubs that are violating the school rules. Totsuki is a school only for cooking~~~and like that senpai who has used it on spending's other than cooking, they will be judged by Erina herself~~~ Hora(Look)~~~"

Turning her head towards the score board, Megumi could see that all three judges had already voted for Erina. Surprise that Erina was looking at them with a smile rather than focusing on the result, Megumi smiled in response to her friend's victory and waved back at her.

Back in the arena, we could hear cries of disbelief from the members as well as the chief of the 'Chan RS' club.

"No way! The dish that our senpais perfected and pass down to us has been defeated!"

"It has to be a lie…"

'Slurp' 'Cough' "This dish has far too many flaws. By my calculation, your dish has 27. First of all, the lobster was blanched 2 seconds longer than necessary, the mismanagement of placing oysters in this dish completely ruins the stew as well as placing unneeded vegetables like…"

"SILENCE DE GOWASUU! What about your dish?! There's no way the dish I inherited from senpai which I refined could lose to a…!"

Once Kiyoshi tasted the 'Ravioli Di Aragosta' made by Erina, his taste buds was immediately transported to nirvana. 'It's a completely different dimension of taste… the spring-like flexibility… the lingering aftertaste of the ravioli…Its too much!'

"Now then, I think it's time to disband your club. En…Please do Hisako."

"Wait!"

Thinking that his club was gonna get destroyed by the tractors and Excavators, Kiyoshi screamed loudly in hopes of mercy while the audience look on in shock. However, Erina did not move a single inch.

'Clang…'

"…"

"…"

"En, Arigato Hisako. Have a good day Senpai." Erina said as she prepared to meet up with the others.

"…Wait wait wait!" However, Kiyoshi stopped her hurriedly.

"?"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"? It was as you saw; your club sign has been removed."

"Then those machines…?"

"? Those are heading to the Polar Star dorm…Alice called them to help renovate the place. Is something the matter Senpai?"

"…"

"…"

"Hahahaha~~~Did you really think Erina was gonna destroy your whole club house? You're really funny Senpai~~~" Alice said as the group were here to pick up Erina.

"Then…what will happen to our society…?

Signaling that it was time to go, Erina led the group towards the school but not before informing Kiyoshi this: "When you reignite your passion for cooking, you can come and challenge me again. But before that, your club house will be in my possession."

"How magnanimous of Erina-sama!"

"As expected from Erina-sama! Who spread the rumors about her being an ice queen!"

"…I'll keep in mind those words of yours, Nakiri Erina." Kiyoshi mutter to himself as he thought that maybe the food demon clan 'Nakiri' is not that inhuman after all.


Back to Erina and crew, Megumi and Hisako were congratulating Erina for her win while her two lovers were mischievously teasing her about her win.

"Ma~~~ I did not know you have such a sadistic side in you Erina~~~ Teasing them about the destruction of their club."

"That's where your wrong Alice. Erina had always wanted to see the disappointment in other faces when they lose."

"Ma~~~what a sadistic queen~~"

"I know right~~"

"WILL YOU TWO CUT IT OUT ALREADY?!" Erina cried in embarrassment as she reached out her hands to punch her sly lovers.

"Ooo~~~ Save me Soma~~~" Alice said as she clung onto Soma.

While Soma was busy dodging Erina's kitten punches, he failed to hear someone calling his name behind him and crashed into him.

"We finally meet again, this is where we settle our dispute Yukihira…Oi Yukihiraaa!"

'Bang'

"Ow…Sorry about that man, I wasn't facing the right direction…Hmm? Isn't it Takumi? You great?"

"No worries and thanks for asking. Everything's been great… NOT!"

"Ooo?"

"I was yelling your name you know?! Every time when I called you out, there seems to be a mysterious force preventing you from hearing me. Back to topic, how could you not recognize the voice of your only rival?!"

"Haha…well I was kind of busy dodging some sure-killed punches…" Soma chuckled nervously.

"HAH?!"

"Neh neh~~~ who is this comedian Soma~~~ What does he mean by only rival~~~?" Alice asked as she was tugging on Soma' sleeve.

"I'm interested in hearing about this as well Soma." Erina said as she finally caught hold of Soma and place her soft hands on Soma's shoulder.

Ignoring the increasing force on his shoulders, Soma wanted to introduce his 'rival' but when he looked at him, he could see he was doubting his existence.

"…Comedian…" Takumi pointed to himself as he continued to mutter the same word over and over again while another boy was laughing at him wholeheartedly while saying "That's so lame, Nii-chan!"

"Argh! What's with the commotion outside?" Ikumi said as she looked outside the Don research society and began scanning the surrounding with an annoyed expression.

"…?! Erina-sama?!" Ikumi cried out loud in panic.

Once everyone's emotional state has returned to sanity, Ikumi invited the group inside the Don Research club. Waiting for Soma to address the crowd, they turned their heads towards him in hope especially Takumi. However, Yukihira Soma was someone that never disappoints.

"Wow, look at all these recipes guys! This Don club has some jewels hiding in plain sight! I can't wait to try some of this out~"

"Etto…How about you start introducing your friend who has a soul slipping out from his mouth." Hisako suggested as she and Megumi look at Takumi in pity.

"? OH! My bad Takumi! I forgotten you were here."

'Crack…Crack' The group could only wonder if the sound was Takumi's heart breaking or was the shots fired by Soma.

"Well, his name is Takumi while the one laughing at him now is his younger brother Isami. I met them when I was in Italy and I worked in their restaurant for about 5 months before being dragged off to Brazil."

Regaining his composure immediately, Takumi began to introduce himself. "Buongiorno everyone, I'm Takumi Aldini and this is my twin brother Isami Aldini. As Yukihira mention, we met years ago when a father duo barged in to our trattoria."

"Trattoria?" Megumi asked confusingly.

"Aldini?" Ikumi asked suspiciously.

"Si. Trattoria means a restaurant that serves the masses just like Yukihira. And to answer your question Mito-san, it is indeed the same Trattoria Aldini that Yue-dono went to Italy for research.

"Mou~~that is not important, I want to know what is up with the rival part." Alice said as she completely ruined the mood Takumi tried to help savour his dignity.

"Ugh…hai." Takumi started to tell the story with dejected shoulders.


Flashback

"Benvenuto (Welcome) to Trattoria Aldini, is a small table suitable for both of you?" A man around the age of 36+ greeted the two gentlemanly.

"Hoh~ I know its been a long time Dino but don't tell me you have forgotten me?"

Straightening up after hearing the familiar voice and the mentioned of his name, Dino Aldini looked up and saw someone he had not heard from for 10 years. "…Joichiro?"

"Looks like you still remember me huh? Been well?" Joichiro asked with his carefree voice.

"Wait wait…What are you doing here Joichiro? Why haven't you contacted me for so long and most importantly is that kid yours?" Dino asked as the image of a perfect waiter were shattered due to the shock he felt.

Seeing the mummering from the guests inside as well as in line, Joichiro told Dino that they can have their long chat after getting seated. Snapping immediately, Dino returned back to his previous image and invited Joichiro and Soma in.

"Man, I got to say…Graduating from Totsuki really has its merits huh…The place looks great, it seems you have upgraded the interior as well." Joichiro whistled as he took in the unique ambience the place created."

"But Oyaji, no matter how I look at him, it still feels like home." Soma said as he felt the place was similar to that of Yukihira.

Ruffling the hair of his 11-year-old son, Joichiro got seated and immediately order two chef specialties and alcohol for himself.

Noticing that the head chef was seating with them, Joichiro could not help but asked: "Oi Dino, shouldn't you be in the kitchen? Haha, don't tell me you got removed from your spot as the head chef."

"As if someone could beat me, you still owe me a Shokugeki after all these years. But, it really is great to see you smiling again. On top of it, you have a kid. I wish I could met the woman that changed you." Dino said unknowingly as it hit a sour spot on the two Yukihira's heart.

"She was a wonderful woman right, Soma?"

"En, the best chef ever."

Sensing that something unfortunate may have happen, Dino stood up and patted Joichiro on the shoulder before leaving to grab two cans of beer for them. Opening one of the cans, Dino downed the whole can as a sign of respect for Tamako.

"I bet she was and still is your pillar huh Joichiro." Dino affirmed as he finished his can.

"Yeah, always will be." Joichiro said as he too down the can of beer.

As the two were catching up for old times sake, two people which Soma assumed to be brothers near his age brought out the dishes that his father ordered.

"Zio (Uncle), here's the two specialties you wanted asap." The blond one informed as he placed the dishes neatly in front of Joichiro and Soma. "Buon Appetito"

"Oh, good timing Takumi, Isami. Let me introduce you to my friend and his son." Dino informed as he introduced Joichiro and Soma to Takumi and Isami and vice versa.

"Ciao (Hello)" Takumi greeted as he extends his hand towards Soma for a handshake.

Before Soma reciprocate the handshake, he took notice of the hand of Takumi and smirk before shaking their hands.

"Yo, the name's Yukihira Soma. The best chef that will ever live." Soma said as he introduced himself cockily as a bait.

Taking note of the headband around Soma's wrist and the suitcase lying on the extra seat, Takumi deducted he was also a chef like him. With excitement pouring out from him, Takumi smugly reply: "Hoh, I don't know who granted you that fake title but, in this restaurant, You're only the 4th best chef here."

"Well, we just have to find out and see huh, Takumi."

"I guess we shall Yukihira."

While the intensity of the two locking hands was becoming more of a hand wrestling than a normal handshake. Isami politely introduced himself to Joichiro as he waited for their hands to separate before introducing himself to Soma as well.


Back in the Don research club, Megumi decided to asked innocently: "Etto…Takumi-san…did you win?"

Hearing the innocent question, Takumi dejectedly dropped his shoulders even more as it was now Soma who was standing proudly and answered loudly: "NOPE"

"ARGH! Curse you Yukihira!"

"Cheh~~~you got me all excited when you mentioned you were Soma's rival but~~~ if Soma did not rebuke the rival part then you are indeed someone with competent skills~~~"

"En, if I have to guess, you joined Totsuki as you were chasing after Soma while your brother was chasing after you." Erina voiced her own thoughts.

"Of course, I wanted to settle things with Yukihira. Could you imagine my frustration where he only left a note saying he had already left before I could prove myself?" Takumi said as he remembered when he had finally improved his pizza recipe and wanted to beat but Soma had already been dragged to Brazil by his father.

"Yes…I could totally see and feel your frustration." The five girls said with a monotone voice.

"OI! That was out of my control. You do know how forceful Oyaji is." Soma said as he was displeased with their reaction.

"By the way, it wont mattered as I would still beat you. Do you want me to remind you of our head to head?" Soma said as he vented his anger into teasing Takumi.

"Every battle and dish are different Yukihira! Even after 199 losses, I still believe that I would beat you." Takumi said as he unknowingly revealed their record.

'What mental fortitude…" The girls thought as praised towards Takumi.

"But in all seriousness, Takumi is indeed a great chef. If I did not undergo my training, I would probably still win more than losses against him but it will be close."

"Yukihira…" While Takumi was getting emotional, a silent beast was awakening from his shell and pounced on him.

"OI ITALIAN!"

"Hai?!"

"THERE'S ONLY ONE SPOT AS YUKIHIRA'S RIVAL AND THAT'S SPOT IS MINE. SO, BUZZ OFF WILL YA!"

Rolling up his sleeve, Takumi stood confidently across 'the beast' and said: "I don't intend to lose to someone that only knows how to use strong flavours to cook. I'm Yukihira's number 1 rival and I don't intend for that to change."

"GRRR!"

"Halt halt~~~ rival this rivals that…you do know that you both are no match for Soma right~~~" Alice teased as her sadistic side was beginning to emerge.

Snapping their heads towards Alice, Alice smirked smugly and gestured to herself and Erina: "Get in line you two~~~ unless either of you can get a vote against us~~~ Hehe~~~ I forgot Ryo-kun never won a vote against me and the same applies to you against Soma right~~~"

With bulging veins appearing on their foreheads, Takumi and Ryo were prepared to charge and challenge Alice to a battle right that instance but they were stop by a pitiful cry from an unknown voice.

"Urghhhhh…please don't destroy anything in the Don's RS (Research Society)"

"Mito-san, who is the depressed blob sitting over there?" Hisako asked

"Hah…his name is Konishi Kanichi. He's the chief of the Don RS but he was already like this when I came and took a look of the place."

"Hoh? You're interested in Don dishes Nikumi?" Soma asked curiously

"Stop calling me Nikumi! And yes…it popped into my head after I had my Shokugeki with you. This dish I served was similar to that of a don but the combination I used were way off from a genuine one."

"Haha, you totally did not get what a don is if I didn't tell you. But, it great to see you already trying to improve yourself. Don't you agree Erina?"

"Ikumi-san, the offer still stands. You can come consult me whenever you like. It is great to see that you took the initiative to resolve your weakness."

"Yukihira…Erina-sama…"

"Now then Kanichi-senpai, I would like to have a word with you regarding the current status of your club." Erina said as she walked forward.

Lifting his depressed face up from the chair, he was shocked into life that his hair flew upwards from who he saw. "Nakiri Erina?!"

"Wow~~~ he reminds me of someone living near your Area Soma~~~. That what you call him…urm…bento guy… En~~~ that sounds about right~~~" Alice voiced out behind Erina.

"Hmm, now that you mention it. He does feel a lot like Tomita-san, the way his demeanor is also similar like him."

Ignoring her two lovers, Erina continued her speech and told Kanichi that she wanted to take hold of the Don RS. "Senpai, it seems you are lacking in the leadership department thus resulting in the lack of members in this club. So, here's a proposal for you. Would you please, Hisako?"

"Yes, Erina." Hisako replied without missing a beat as she handed Kanichi a document.

Reading through the document, Kanichi was shocked to see that the Nakiri Erina wanted ownership over this society and merged with her cousin's cutting-edge society.

"Now then senpai, would you help us supervise this club as we are only a week away from the training camp. I don't think it's a hard task for someone that passed first year, right?" Erina said like a scheming boss.

"Uwaah~~~Scheming Erina is back~~~Mou, if you wanted to get closer to me, you can just say so Erina~~~ there's no need to aim for my club~~ I'm here you know~~~" Alice can't help but tease.

"Well it can't be helped since a big plank is constantly separating us." Erina teased back.

The crowd all turn and face the unaware Soma as he was busy reading the recipes on the book he found. Sensing everyone's gaze on him, Soma tilted his head with question marks popping above his head.

Their attention was soon shifted as an unsure voice resounded in the room. "Why me? I believe they are much more capable senpais than me to supervise a co-club which features you two."

"Hmm? What are you saying senpai? This book that you wrote consists of many don dishes that ranges from mainstream to eccentric. Every of these dons has a sharpness and a unique feel inside of them. They are really interesting." Soma said as he was finished flipping through the pages.

"Yukihira…" Kanichi said with an emotional gaze.

Hisako decided to follow up by informing Kanichi: "Senpai, Erina choosing you was not a mistake. We've been looking for a club that can cope well with Alice's cutting-edge society and your club fits the criteria perfectly."

"Its as Hisako said, a Senpai that founded and build a society just by his own passion is a chef that deserves respect."

"You guys…" Kanichi could not hold the 'waterfall' spilling out from his eyes as he cried in joy comically.

"CHEH! HURRY UP AND DECIDE SO THAT I CAN PUT THE ITALIAN IN HIS PLACE" Kurokiba spat out as his patience was running low.

"I believe it's a right time to show the one-trick that they are many more techniques needed before being a great chef." Takumi reply as he added fire onto the fuel.

Deciding to continue where she left off, Alice continue to tease the duo while Megumi was panicking on how to calm the trio down and Ikumi was deciding whether to join in.

Seeing the ruckus cause by the different personalities, Kanichi laughed heartily. "Hahaha! All right I'm in! Yosh, as president, I declare that we make this society the best in Totsuki!"

"Your just an interim president you know…When we get back from training camp, Erina will be in charge again." Hisako stated as a cool breeze was felt throughout the room.

"…"

Ignoring Kanichi who was knock off his high house by Hisako's statement, Soma asked Erina. "By the way, what's the name of this society."

Sensing everyone's gaze on her, Erina smirk smugly and replied: "Hoseki"

Immediately understanding where the naming sense came from, Soma hugged Erina tightly while Alice gave Erina a cheek rub.


Once they were done settling the arrangements for the society, the crew headed back to Polar Star in hopes for some relaxation. Once they reach the door however, Isshiki greeted them with a cheerful smile on his face while the other member faces were filled with excitement.

"My~ it seems my kohais have been busy today"

"Erinachi, why didn't you told us you were creating a society?"

"Don't be so direct Yuki, I'm sure they wanted to inform us with some nice 'rice' juice."

"Kora! You better not do anything fun without us!"

"…"

"Heh…now I know why Oyaji and Shishou said residents in Polar Star are different" Soma voiced out as Erina and Alice fully agree towards their mentors' statement.

News begun to spread like wildfire as the students caught hold of the fact that both Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice have establish a co-society. Many of the students rushed to apply but they were rejected nonetheless. Why were they rejected? Well…there were asked to make a dish that can satisfy both of the Nakiris.

If wasn't all doom and gloomed as some members of the school did manage to get into the society. All of them were from Polar Star though which resulted in claims and rumors of biasness from the Nakiris.

In response to the claims, Erina organized a Shokugeki showdown that allows those who have all bark no bite to challenge the members of her society to mark down a statement. Safe to say the society run riot as they were no mishaps and the members including Megumi were gradually growing in confidence.

5 days have passed since the establishment of the "Hoseki" Society and the crew were settling down at the Polar Star dining room discussing about their accomplishments.

"Wow~~~You did great Megumi-chan~~ you send all those first year and senpai scrambling like dogs~~"

"Uuu…don't remind me Alice-chan…" Megumi cried in embarrassment.

"You were awesome Megumi~~~ thank god I did have to face someone from the Entomophagy RS. Who would have thought a society that focuses on eating insects exist?"

"Hehe~ you're one to talk Yuki. I thought you were fond of insects since you been hunting in the forest for so long." Ryoko teased but it resulted in Yuki lightly hitting her breast.

While they were bantering, Isshiki came in with some tea, a flyer and his signature naked apron. Serving them tea, Isshiki smiled brightly: "Ah~ my wonderful kohais experiencing the joy of society~ This really is youth."

"No matter how many times I see it, it will not lessen this culture shock of mine." Takumi bemoaned with Hisako and Isami nodding their heads.

Handling each of them a flyer, the crew noticed it has a cheerful and welcoming design. But in reality, it was the first major clearance from the Elite's to the amateur's.

Taking a look at his kohais, there were no ounce of fear or worry. They were still busy chattering happily as there were a buzz of excitement surrounding them in regards to this 'hellish' training camp.

"I wish everyone good luck in the training camp and I'll be awaiting everyone to return back with smiles on their face" Isshiki said before sending them off.

"Yes!"

Once everyone decided to pack and tune in for the night, the corridor gradually darken and noises began to soften. It was as if this silenced was paving the way for a huge storm to descend. While they were still in the unknown, the room where the culprits lied were filled with soft laughter as well as radiating affection towards one another.


After a long night in Totsuki, students were already gathered in the main hall and guided to their designated buses. Naturally, the 'Hoseki' members were in the same bus thanks to Alice pulling some strings. Once they boarded the train, they were immediately the center of attention as they were the 'infamous' gathering of first years. Giving no mind to others, they calmly seated with each other at the back of the bus and began chatting away.

It only took an hour for the buses to arrive at Totsuki Resort as the parade of buses zipping through the highway could only meant the annual gathering of Totsuki students for the training camp. Once they got off the bus, they were greeted with a jaw-dropping view of Totsuki Resort.

Yuki was the first one to voice out her excitement "80000 yen per night~~I'm already excited about staying here~. The bed, the food, the hot spring."

Soma was next: "Man, it's still as big as I last been here."

Immediately snapping their head towards Soma, the other Polar star members wanted to question him but stopped when they remembered he was in a relationship with the future owners of the place.

"I know Isshiki-kun has already mentioned this the night before but I would like to say it again. I expect everyone to pass this training camp and show your own strengths and figure out your own weakness. Failure is not acceptable! Do I make myself clear?!" Erina said like a queen to her subjects.

"Yes!"

Satisfied with the response, Erina lead the way towards the Great banquet hall where the ceremony was held. One would expect a hall filled with around 1000 high-school students to be lively and energetic but the tension in here was unbearable. Many of the students chose to remain silent while others were doing their own routines to help themselves calm down.

Disregarding the looks and mummers directed towards the crew, they focused their attention on stage where Chapelle was.

"Good morning students, pay attention to the stage as I'm going to explain the outline of this training camp. The friendship and rapport training lodging is schedule to be 5 nights and 6 days long and you will be designed assignments related to cooking for each day. The contents of these assignments vary each year so you can just scrape what you have heard from your seniors. Furthermore, students will be judged by guest lecturers and if they fall under a certain line, they will be disqualified. Those who are disqualified will be forcibly sent home via the bus you just arrive in and be expelled.

Many of the students were shaking in their boots as they know one mistake could end their school life.

"Regarding the judging, Totsuki as annually invited some special guest to help judge your quality. Even though they have been as busy as they are, they are gathered here just for this very occasion. They're Totsuki Academy's Alumni.

The curtains rose after Chapelle introduced the guests as they walked out with auras oozing of confidence and dignity. The geniuses that manage to get through the one-digit passing rate of Totsuki Academy: The Alumni's.

The students' reaction were mixed to say the least as some felt their soul leaving their body while some enthusiastic fans like Marui felt moved that they were able to see their idols live in the flesh.

"Hmm, you the one between the boy with the red scar and the one with dark skin and white hair."

The aforementioned student pointed to himself questioningly which earn a nod from the coral-colored hair Alumni. "That's right, you. You're expelled, you can pack up your bags and leave."

Seeing the shocked face of the student, Soma wanted to explain to him why but he was beaten to the punch by the boy with dark skin.

"You're using a hairdressing product that produces a citrus smell that may overshadow the food's aroma." The boy said calmly.

"But…but…Isn't this too unfair?!" The culprit cried out loud but he was faced with a stern glare by the Alumni.

"ARE YOU TYRING TO LOSE ME CLIENTS?! DO YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN MY SHOP?!"

The culprit immediately cowered and was escorted out of the building.

"As expected of Shinomiya Kojirou, as the first Japanese who won the French Pluspol award he will not tolerate any mistakes or faults in his restaurant." Marui voiced out with awe.

However, Soma did not care about the accomplishments of the Alumni and faced the dark skin student. "Hoh, you are interesting."

"I'm only just getting started." The dark skin student said before he pinpointed the other two students who were wearing a similar hair product that the Alumni did not caught.

After the two students were dragged off, the dark skin student faced Soma with a confident look. "Sorry for making you wait."

"Heh, you better not make me wait when we have our battle. Your nose is truly one of a kind."

"Don't you worry, I won't let anything go amiss when I'm cooking. Tell your girlfriends that the number one first year is Hayama Akira's to take."

"Heh, too bad that you will be facing me when you somehow managed to beat them" Soma said as he acknowledged the challenge and replied with his own flare.

"Hmph, I'll be waiting for our battle Yukihira." Hayama said as he took out a piece of cinnamon stick and walked away.

Seeing that Soma was done, Alice went and grabbed Soma's arm to pull him back in line. "Hehe~~~ another cocky student trying to dethrone us~~~?"

"Only difference is that he has real skills to back it up." Soma replied as he could not wait to face Hayama.

Once they wandered back in line, they saw Megumi was being flirted by Donato Gotouda and Inui Hinako.

"Ma~~I always knew Megumi-chan attracted both genders~~"

"Uuu…stop teasing me Alice-chan…"

"Etto, senpais. I think Chapelle sensei is glaring at you two to return." Hisako said as she helped out her fellow roommate.

Giving a thankful glance to Hisako, Megumi looked up and saw an imposing figure standing at the forefront of the alumni.

"That…that's…He…He is Dojima Gin!" Marui claimed loudly as he felt onto his butt.

Increasing mummers began flooding the area as the head chief and the director were blessing them with his presence. It was no surprise that a brief introduction was preview by Marui explaining that he was the one that passed Totsuki with the highest grade ever as well as directing the cooking of Totsuki Resort all by himself.

"As famous as ever huh Shishou. Too bad we're gonna smash his record huh." Soma said confidently

"Naturally~~~"

"Hmph, that's not even a question."

Accepting the mic from Chapelle, Gin began by welcoming the students and instructing them that the alumni's will be judging them according to the employees working in their restaurant.

"If you fail to meet their criteria, then you are immediately fired! As you can see, you can be dismissed at any given moment and for any given reason. Be prepared and I wish you all the best of luck! Now get moving!"

Sending each other their best regards and the promise to meet up for cards game at Marui's room. The crew set out towards their designated locations.


"Well…what happen to splitting up…" Soma tsukkomi out loud as he saw that Megumi, Erina, Alice as well as the Aldini twins were with him.

"Thank goodness I'm with you all…I'm still not confident enough to do a task alone."

"I think you're the only one that doesn't change when you are cooking Megumi-san and that is a good thing"

"Hehe~~~ it looks like you'll be having your wish granted sooner than you thought huh Takumi~~"

"Muahahaha! Listen here Yukihira! Today's gonna be the day we settle once and for all who's the better diner chef." Takumi exclaimed out load as he pointed his finger at an invisible Soma…?

"Pfft…Pfft…that's lame Nii-san. Yukihira and them are already gathered to hear what the task is about. Let's get going." Isami said as he dragged his frozen brother to the front.

Once they were at the front, they could hear Inui asking them to pair up into pairs which resulted in Soma-Alice, Megumi-Erina as well the Aldini twins.

"Now that everyone has gotten into teams, you will be asked to use any ingredients you can find here to make any Japanese cuisine main dish." Inui said as she pointed at the empty table.

Many of the students tilted their head in questioning while Soma and crew had already set out towards nature paradise in search for their ingredients.

Seeing that many of the students were unable to catch on, Inui sigh and explain: "Everything here is an ingredient, we are surrounded by the splendorous of nature which is rich in ingredients. You may use any ingredients you can find within this private land that is owned by Totsuki since ancient times, but if you go over the fence, you are immediately disqualified."

"Haah…I thought I wouldn't have to explain such a simple task to Totsuki students but fortunately some of you had already clocked what I meant. Your time limit is 2 hours and get ready, set, go." Inui said as she calmly sipped tea from her cup.

Seeing the herd of students rushing out of the class, Inui immediately knew that these students will no doubt fail in this task. 'When humans are faced with unexpected situations, their field of vision is immediately narrow. Thoughts go dull and wrong choices are made. This is just a preliminary test. If they can't overcome this simple task, they are not needed in Totsuki. However, I'm intrigued by what those 3 pairs would come up with.'

After silently enjoying her tea for a while, Inui could see students coming back with buckets of river fish. Softly shaking her head, Inui could only wonder to herself how many similar dishes will she taste this year. However, her thoughts were interrupted by laughter coming from the door.

"Pfft…hahaha…what happen to you Soma? Went wrestling with some animals?"

"Shut it Erina…It was Alice's idea to catch some chicken and eggs…" Soma said annoyed as he glanced at the carefree Alice.

"Hehe~~~you are quite rough with chicks huh Soma~~~" Alice teased

"You better get ready for tonight Alice" Soma teased back

"Ma~~~guess I'll get the things prepared~~~" Alice continued

'Smack' 'Smack'

"Could you both hold off on your flirting? You can save it when we get to bed. Now help me carried Megumi to our spot." Erina said as she pointed at the fainted red-face Megumi.

"Yukihira! Ooh?! What happen?!" Takumi said in surprise as he saw the scene in front of him.

Once the shenanigans have been settled, the pairs got into action. The Aldini pair started off with bringing out their main ingredient: Aigamo (Domestic ducks) which earn the shock of the students there. "Hmph, when you all heard the theme was gonna be Japanese cuisine, your thoughts immediately went to fish. Your mindset is too narrow, there were chickens and rabbits in the farm as well. Just look at Yukihira and crew."

Turning their head towards them, they could see that Yukihira brought out chicken and eggs while Megumi brought out rice, bread, kabocha(squash) and mushrooms.

"Where did you find rice and bread?! Did you bring them here?! Have you known the topic of the assignment beforehand?!" Some students could not help but asked.

"Hmph, all this yelling only makes you all look the more pitiful." Erina berated them

"HUH?!"

"You can't even navigate what is needed in this task. Let alone finding suitable ingredients for it. Think about it, if they are chickens and ducks in this place then what would they feed on? Obviously, someone's gonna take care of them."

"…"

"Hoh~ great job Tadokoro. You were always great at noticing things, heck you may even have better awareness than me." Soma praised.

Blushing from the compliment, Megumi smiled at her friends before turning around to face the commotion.

"Wha…What is that?!" The students cried out loud as they say Takumi brought out a special tool.

'A mezzaluna huh? I bet Fuyumi-chan would be pleased to see someone that adept at using one. Half-moon, a perfect metaphor for the two brothers.' Inui thought as she calmly watched them cook.

"Forno, Accendere" Takumi said as he placed the finished Aigamo into the oven before getting started on the paste.

Solely focusing on the ingredient in front of him, Takumi used his mezzaluna to minced them faster than a machine could have.

Not wanting to be outdone, Soma look to the group and smirked: "Shall we?"

Once they went back to their specific kitchen, everyone though that the Nakiris would be the main chefs but their expectation was torn apart when they saw Soma and Megumi asking them to prepare the ingredients.

With their jaw droppings, they could see the pairs working fluently. A scene of tranquility could be pictured from the two pairs as the timing from the preparation to the delivery of the ingredients were done effortlessly with minimal communication.

While enjoyment the rhythmic performance by the three pairs, Inui could not stop herself from casting her thoughts to a certain coral-haired chef. 'If only you were here to see this … could they have the answer you've been looking for?'

While silently thinking to herself, Inui was brought out of her thoughts by the aroma the three dishes in front of her emitted.

"Buon Appetito"

"Oagariyo"

"Please enjoy."

Deciding to taste the cuisine that most of her friends were famous for, Inui decided to partake in Takumi's dish first. Slowly nibbling on the meat, she felt the brimming wildness and refreshing feeling further enhancing the dish. 'Its like an aria sung by an Aigamo'

Seeing the pleased reaction of the former 2nd seat, the students began to wonder what it would taste like until they saw the paste Takumi used.

"That…that green colored sauce! Isn't that Salsa Verde?! No wonder you were able to make a satisfying dish, you cheated! The theme is Japanese cuisine you know?!"

"I thought Nakiri Erina made it clear to not judge others when you lack the knowledge to do." Inui said softly as a sudden coldness descended on the hall.

"Oh~~~this cold doesn't feel as your cold as yours Erina~~~ Guess like you still have the upper hand huh Ice queen~~~"

Having enough of Alice's teasing, Erina grabbed both of her cheeks and went 'muni muni'.

"To make it clear that they did not violate the rules, I think its best for you to listen to their explanation, right?" Inui said as the mist empress smiled chillingly at the student.

"Thank you Inui-senpai. For starters, the main ingredient is not salted anchovies. It's made up of salted sweet fish entrails or what you know as 'Uruka'. By boiling with sake, soy sauce and salt, you can obtain a moderate taste of bitterness."

"You also used thought of using perilla and spring onion instead of parsley. This is indeed a wonderfully made improvised sauce. Your very own Japanese Salsa Verde. Takumi Aldini, Isami Aldini. You both passed the test!"

"Grazie!" Takumi and Isami said as they bump their fist together.

Once Inui was done, she immediately went forward and caressed Megumi's hand which earn a 'Hiii!' sound from her.

"Ara ara~~You really do have beautiful fingers. I can't wait to try your dish."

Pouting when she felt Erina separating them, Inui grab a spoonful of Megumi's dish and was transported into a warm kotatsu. She could feel the warmness of the dish as well as the feeling of home.

Before she wanted to give her verdict, Alice gave her a bite of her chicken tempura dipped in karashi mustard ponzu sauce and she felt droplets coming down from her eyes.

'This…this…this is my hometown, Oita.' Lightly brushing off her tears, she could now see why Alice interrupted her. One dish was showing her the hometown she had left years ago to pursue her career while the other was showing her the image of her mother welcoming her back home with open arms on a chilly winter night.

"Heh, glad you liked it senpai. Guess it was worth to bring some natto to chew on the bus." Soma said as he showed them his packets of karashi/natto.

"En…Throughout my years of letting students do this task, your pair was the first one to serve me a fried dish by substituting the lack of all-purpose flour with potato starch. Yukihira Soma, Nakiri Alice. You passed!"

"Tadokoro Megumi, I could feel this dish was your inspiration, your own speciality. It was the first time someone served me a full vegetarian dish. A gratin made with squash, umami mushrooms and toped off with panko breadcrumbs. A topping that only you could find from asking the caretakers. It was delightful. You and Nakiri Erina passed! However, I never would have imagined the Nakiri Erina taking a back seat and doing the job of a sous chef hehe~."

Feeling the wholehearted praise from a former 2nd seat, Megumi could not hide her emotion and smile gratefully. "Thank you so much Inui-senpai!"

"Great job Megumi-san. Even Soma haven't gotten me to be his sous chef, how its feel to get one of your girlfriend's first time stolen from you?" Erina sincerely praised Megumi before turning over to tease Soma.

"I knew you have a thing for her Erina but this is the only exception I'm willing to accept. The others are mine." Soma replied with a straight face with earn a bright blush from Erina.

"Megumi-chan… Before leaving, I would like you to know that the door of my restaurant will always be open to you. I will await your Stagiaire." Inui said before facing the mountain of freshwater fish dishes in front of her.


After a pleasant ride back due to Inui failing the next 15 freshwater dishes in quick succession after passing the first two, Soma and crew met up with the whole gang and congratulated each other from passing the first test.

However, their celebration was short-lived as Hitoshi Sekimori announced the next task immediately with the task being serving 50 beef steak meals in less than an hour.

While the other students were busy complaining, Soma gave both of his lovers a glance in which they reciprocated with a smirk. A silent agreement of punishment was made when the trio dash into the kitchen and got started.

Not even 20 minutes have passed when an announcement was made. "Yukihira Soma, Nakiri Erina, Nakiri Alice 50 meals completed!"

The students felt shocked that someone let alone three were able to finished that quickly, but what was even more terrifying was that they finished at the same time. The 'Hoseki' members could only wryly shake their heads since they knew they were still holding back.

Near the corridor leading up to the students' bedroom, we could hear a melodic voice humming a favorite tune of hers: "Hum hum hum~~`Tan tan tan~~~ Hmm hmm hmm~~~"

"I always knew you had a great voice Erina, you should try singing more often."

"Ara~ is that the only voice you want to hear Soma~~~?"

Deciding to reply by action, Soma pulled Alice and Erina closer to him which earn a 'Yelp' from both of them.

"Your voices are always delightful to me but those surprise sounds are the cutest." Soma finished his action by kissing his lovers' forehead.

"Yare yare…it looks like Joichiro's brat is really turning into a man" A sudden voice interrupted the trio's flirting.

Surprised by the sudden voice, the trio turned and saw someone they would recognize immediately.

"Shishou?!"

"Dojima-san?"

"Baldy~~?"

"Still going on with that name huh Soma? Well it was always fun to see Joichiro's expression when you called me that. Anyways, greetings to the three of you as well."

Deciding to have their meeting somewhere private, Erina led them into the grand suite that Alice somehow got permission from their grandfather.

"Breaking rules…breaking records…haa…what should I do with the three of you…" Gin sigh as they were breaking the rules in front of the director himself.

"Don't be such a kill joy Baldy~~~we only beat your records by 2 minutes."

"Well thanks for nothing!" Gin cried out in annoyance as he was still not adept in dealing with the teasing types. He began to shiver as images of Leonora and Joichiro appear before him.

Deciding to save the former 1st seat from Alice's 'torture', Erina decided to ask: "I thought you would be in the hot springs scouting like you do annually?"

"I'm sure you three have already found those diamonds in the rough already. Nothing can bypass you three when you are together." Gin praised the trio which earned a mutual smile from them.

"However, there is one thing that I would like you all to do for me."

"?"


After sending Gin off, the trio decided to take in what they were requested as they relax in the jacuzzi located in the middle of the room. Yes, you heard that right…An Indoor Jacuzzi.

Stripping naked and wrapping themselves with a towel, the trio laid close by to each other as they cherished the warmth they emitted.

Wrapping his arms on his pairs of lovers, Soma decided to bathe in this pleasant moment which they follow by laying their heads on his chest.

"Your heartbeat is calm Soma." Erina said

"En~~ that's not a good thing Soma when you are surrounded by two beauties~~~ Are you worried?" Alice said as her voice turned to concern.

Gently patting her head, Soma reassured the both of them that there was nothing to worry about. "This could be a hard challenge but it is not the hardest I have to do. Remember the promise I made to you two? That will always be my toughest challenge."

Remembering fondly of the promise that he made to defeat them on the biggest stage, the two snuggle closer to Soma and placed a kiss of either side of his cheek.

"We will always believe in you Soma~~~"

"You better keep your promise to us or we will leave you in the dust."

"Of course, there's no way I'm letting the both of you go or leaving the both of you alone." Soma said confidently as he kissed both of their cheeks back.

Basking in this comforting and warm atmosphere, the trio felt that there was nothing in this world that could separate them.


The next day, while finishing their morning task, the duo went to seek out Soma when they heard a phrase that shock them to their core.

"Oi! Did you guys hear?! The transfer student… Yukihira Soma... failed!"


And cut~~~ So~~~ put down those torch fork first and chill hehe... The biggest cliffhanger I given so far? Besides that, Hopefully you guys enjoy what I changed up through the events and there are still some minor spoilers in the story that you guys have yet to pick up on or you guys are keeping it to yourselves~

Next chapter will probably be on April fools or the day after ~~ (No promises again as I don't know if I will be flooded with tasks again)

So regarding the preview I gave last chapter, I felt it was too much if I completed all the main events in 1 chapter so I decided to split their battle to the next chapter. Yup~~ I'm a douchebag i know~~

Let me know how you guys like the change ups and whether should I continue switching the scenes by adding horizontal lines~ See you guys on the next chapter~ Ciao~