I do not own Shokugeki no Soma. I only own this fanfic's story, and any new characters introduced within it.
8:35 PM, Polar Star Dormitory
"What?" Satoshi questioned, stunned.
"Yes, Haru is the one who diminished Polar Star's place in Totsuki." Fumio re-stated.
"How?"
"Well, let me start from the beginning."
*flashback*
6 Years Ago, Totsuki Culinary Academy
"Ok all of you! You've been accepted into Totsuki Culinary, however, you have yet to be accepted into my dorm!" Fumio exclaimed as the newest generation of Totsuki students looked around their, hopefully, new home.
"Those of you who do not pass this test, will not be allowed to stay in my dorm and will have to sleep somewhere else until you can pass." Fumio stated.
"What's the test?" Taki Tsunozaki asked.
"Make a dish with whatever ingredients are present in the kitchen, and serve me a dish of your specialty! As I said before, those of you who do not satisfy me, will not be accepted into this dorm!"
"Wow, so this is Polar Star Dormitory, the famed dorm that housed Gin Dojima and Joichiro Saiba of the Golden Generation. No wonder her standards are so high..." The students whispered amongst each other.
Fumio beamed at the compliment until one boy in the group shrugged.
"Really? Doesn't seem all that intimidating you guys..."
Fumio was vexed, who was this kid, and who did he think he was?!
"Oh really? Well then thank you for volunteering first for my test! Why don't you step forward and introduce yourself?"
"Who is that guy?..."
"He's kinda cute..."
"Not when he fails this test, what an idiot..."
They all stepped aside for a boy with slightly wavy, navy blue hair and cyber yellow eyes that could pierce anyones gaze. He was wearing gray slacks, a jet black long sleeve polo with a yin-yang symbol on the top right, and an insignia that stood for Shōkeien Ryokan Inn just underneath.
"The names Haru, and I'll gladly take on your little exam!" He said with a little bit of fire in his voice as he cracked his knuckles.
...
...
"Wow, he really is like Soma, not afraid to take on any obstacle that got in the way of his success!" Satoshi remarked as Fumio retold Haru's story.
"Haru really was a special boy..." Fumio replied as she continued the young chef's tale.
...
...
"Let's see just how good you are." Fumio said as she, Haru, and the rest of the students entered the kitchen.
"Alright! Let's get it-"
"Wait a second mister, since you were so kind to renounce my dorm like that with your little comment, for your test, you're only allowed to make a dish with leftovers from yesterday." Fumio stated.
"Oh..." He said with less fire now, Fumio herself felt a little bad for doing that to him.
"Wow what an idiot..."
"He's gonna rue the day he said that about Polar Star..." The students snickered from behind.
"Ha... haha... hahahaha!" He laughed, almost crying.
"What's so funny?" Fumio asked
"Nothing, it's just I'm not sure if that was an attempt at making things harder for me, or if this was all a joke, either way, it's still funny as hell, hahahaha!" He bawled, having to lean on the counter so he didn't fall.
Fumio was seething, who was this guy?!
"Ok, I'm done! Phew! That was funny, good one Fumio-san..." He chuckled, wiping a tear.
"We'll see how funny it is when you fail this challenge." She replied rather snarkily, getting all the other students to snicker around her.
Then, Haru's face grew serious, his glare shattered Fumio's denouncing gaze. His eyebrows deepened, nearly turning into a harsh frown.
Suddenly, his tone of voice dropped, almost growling, he replied,
"Oh don't worry... I'll make sure to destroy your challenge."
...
..
"Oh how I wish I hadn't doubted him that day..." Fumio sighed laying back on her chair.
"Woah, he really passed your test with flying colors?" Satoshi asked.
"Calling it 'flying colors' would be an understatement." Fumio quickly responded.
...
...
Fumio could see Haru rummaging around the kitchen, going over the leftovers like an inventory.
"Hm let's see, some fish, leaf lettuce, okay... Sweet potatoes, okay... Is it here? AHA, yes it is!" He exclaimed as he proudly pulled out a lemon.
"What's he doing? No one should be able to make a satisfactory, let alone stellar dish with just leftovers..." The students murmured as Haru began cooking.
Soon enough he squeezed a lemon over his finished product, and was finished. He served Fumio his dish with an annoying, but somehow wholesome, grin on his face.
"Buen provecho." He said.
"It's ceviche?" Fumio asked, looking at Haru.
"Yep, I call it Haru-style Ceviche Tacos 2.0!"
"Tacos? As if that will ever win Fumio-san over..." The students muttered amongst themselves
Fumio picked up a taco, and already the aroma was spreading across the room. She could smell the goodness and was finding it near impossible to resist not biting into it. She knew the students could smell it too.
"Dude, you're drooling."
"No I'm not! You are!"
They started arguing with one another, completely unaware that Fumio had put the taco in her mouth.
"MMMHHH!" Fumio squirmed in her seat and was instantly enveloped in the fish's unami, the sensation of the onions, cucumber, potato, and was teleported into a sea of fresh seafood and vegetables. It was a tsunami, of all these things, completely overwhelming her in happiness, joy, and fullness.
Huffing heavily, Fumio finally managed to put down the taco she had taken a bite out of.
"How? How did you manage to create something so-"
"Amazing?" Haru cut her off.
The other students were in shock, the great Fumio had just been brought to her knees by one boy.
"How were you able to harness the fish's unami without harming the flavor with the sweet potato?"
"Doesn't matter. What matters is I passed your test didn't I?"
"I guess you did." Fumio said, looking down.
"He's no idiot..." The tide of students seemed to have turned in Haru's favor. Fumio had lost, maybe not literally, but Haru did indeed pass her test.
"Since I passed your test first, I get dibs on whichever room I want!" He shouted as he exited the kitchen, leaving everyone in shock.
Right before he turned the corner into the stairwell, he called out to Fumio,
"To answer your question, lemon and salt." He said as he began walking up the stairs.
...
...
"Haru was one of 3 people to pass my test that easily, the other two being Joichiro and Soma."
"Wow... He really does seem like an amazing chef Fumio-san."
"He was, until that day..."
...
...
4 Years Ago, Polar Star Dormitory
"What?!" Fumio cried out.
"What does it say?" Kinokuni asked
"What the hell's going on?" Taki Tsunozaki asked as she entered the kitchen.
"Haru-senpai left this note here and then suddenly ran off!"
"What!?"
"It says, 'I hereby rescind my position as the First Seat of Totsuki Culinary Academy's Elite Ten. I recommend the Second Seat, Taki Tsunozaki, to replace me as the top chef in the Academy. This school has always fallen short in giving me new routes to success as a chef, and I feel that this establishment has failed in that manner. I hope that new chef's who follow me and my class will prevail where this Academy was unsuccessful. I ask that I not be mentioned in the Elite Ten Hall of Commemoration, and that all records of me be hidden from public view. Farewell, Totsuki.' "
"WHAT!? What does he mean the academy failed in offering him new routes!? What about all the great times we had here as a Dorm?! All the events, the struggles, the amazing times, did that all mean nothing to him!? That bastard!" Taki screeched as Kinokuni began sobbing.
Fumio sank to the floor.
"First Joichiro, now you Haru... Why?..." She wondered out loud as she began thinking of why he decided to leave.
*flashback end*
"Polar Star's prestige had already diminished significantly with the loss of Joichiro, but when it happened again with Haru, no one trusted this Dorm anymore. People feared that fellow classmates and even themselves would end up leaving for one reason or another. Soon enough, almost no one came to dorm here anymore..." Fumio said, depressed.
"Oh, I see." Satoshi said with an intrigued, but understanding, look on his face.
"But now he's back, I don't know why or how, but after he left simply because this school didn't satisfy his damn ego, he doesn't deserve to be here, not after what he's done!" Fumio shouted.
As she said this, a petite girl with blue locks and soft yellow eyes who accidentally listened in on their conversation, began running up the stairs, anxiety and uncertainty on her face.
Authors Note: Hey guys, that was Chapter 5! Hope you liked that little recount of Haru's backstory, I wasn't really sure how to put his time spent in Totsuki in as a student, but I'll add some more of those flashbacks in later chapters. Speaking of chapters, Chapter 6 should be coming out by Sunday at most so look forward to that! As always thank you guys for reading, and I will see you in the next chapter, bye now!
-Kano