I do not own Shokugeki no Soma. I only own this fanfic's story, and any new characters introduced within it.
9:10, Sumeridōri Shopping District
Erina looked on in disbelief as the three men who were harassing her now approached the mysterious man who prevented them from going any further.
"Oh yeah? Well... You should've brought more guys then."
As the fight began, Erina noticed the man only used his legs to kick the men, as he kept his arms crossed, hiding his hands, as if he needed his hands for something delicate. Throughout the fight, the men only managed to land one blow on the man, but after that, he took care of them.
"You good?" He asked as the three harassers limped away, cursing under their breath.
"I could've handled them." Erina said as he helped her up.
"Yeah right, you looked like you were about to cry yourself to death," He chuckled.
Erina noticed her hands were shaking furiously. The only other time that had happened was the day her father visited her booth during the Moon Banquet Festival.
"I suppose thanks are in order?" Erina asked, looking away.
"Nah, it was nothing."
"Well then, thank you for- saving me..." Erina muttered the last two words.
The young man simply smiled.
"I guess I'll see you around then..." Erina began walking away.
"Actually-" She stopped.
"Yes?" He asked, almost as if he knew she would stop.
She composed herself, swallowing her pride.
"Would you like to grab something to eat?" She asked, almost stuttering, not noticing the man grin.
"Sure."
...
"Erina! What took you so long?" Alice asked as she ate a pork bun.
"After leaving the bathroom, I was getting harassed by three men..." She said.
"WHAT?!" Alice almost screeched and immediately got up from her chair, hugging Erina.
"Are you okay, Erina?" Mayumi asked, also getting up from her chair to comfort Erina.
"Yeah she's okay. She could've handled them, I think." A young man approached the table, holding a bag of egg rolls.
"Hey!" Alice walked up to the man and grabbed him by his collar.
"Erina was this one of the guys who was bothering you?" Alice said, ready to punch the young man.
"No, no, no, no, no, no! Alice, he's the one that saved me from those perverts!" Erina said, pulling Alice away from the man.
"Oh! Well in that case... Who's your friend?" Alice asked sultrily, bringing herself dangerously close to him. She could tell that this guy wasn't much older than her, but it didn't matter, he was definitely her type.
"Well, like I said, this is the man who saved me from those mongrels. Alice and Mayumi, meet, uh-" Erina realized she hadn't even asked for the young man's name and began stuttering.
"Relax, the name's Haru, nice to meet you!" He responded, grinning.
"You two however, I recognize." He immediately said, looking at Alice and Erina.
"You do?" Erina asked.
"Of course, who wouldn't recognize the infamous Nakiri cousins, Alice and Erina?" He said.
"Wait- they're- no way- I- uh- Nakiri- oh my god-" Mayumi became flustered, finally recognizing that she was hanging out with two powerhouses of the finest culinary academy in Japan.
"How do you know about us Nakiri?" Alice asked.
"Well I actually attended Totsuki at one point. Of course, you two weren't there, but I was keeping in touch when Erina's father overthrew Senzaemon-dono and took over the school along the events that followed. I was actually in the middle of looking for Erina when I stumbled upon her predicament."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Erina asked, tone changing.
"Well-" He started
"No way, were you gonna ask for her number?!" Alice squealed, clapping her hands.
"What?! No! She's a minor, I ain't gonna go out with a minor!" He retorted.
"Aw, c'mon, she's gonna be 18 soon, doesn't that count?"
"No, that's not why I was looking for her anyway."
"Oh? Then what for?"
"Erina, I'm challenging you to a Shokugeki!" Haru said.
"What? I'm the headmistress now, you can't just do that, I have a busy schedule!" Erina said, baffled.
"Well then you better clear it."
"Or what?"
"Nothing, I'll just see you as a coward for the rest of my life."
"What?! Why are you being so rude all of a sudden, I thought you were a nice guy, y'know?" Alice asked.
"I could care less what you two think of me, Erina's redemption, however, depends on what she says in this moment." He responded calmly.
"I- You know what, I thought you were better than those guys who were bothering me, but it seems like you're just another peasant who just wants my attention, will fight in blindly for it, then grovel before me like a mongrel after losing." Erina retorted.
"Aw, c'mon Little Nakiri, don't be like that, after the trouble I went through to save you, I can't have this one little thing?"
"Don't call me that-"
His expression turned serious.
"Look, I don't have time for your antics, the school is spiraling down the drain whether you noticed or not, and it's because of you. I know about your relationship with Soma Yukihira, as a matter of fact, I know exactly how you can make up with the guy and get him to come back."
Erina was stunned, how did he know?No, he must have been lying.
"I think you're bluffing. Oh well, it seems as if your little quest has been in vain, get out of my sight, plebeian."
He sighed and ruffled his hair.
"Alright, fine, I'll leave." He started to walk away when he stopped and turned to the three of them.
"The Chandra's Room, 8:30 AM, you have until tomorrow. I'll be waiting."
He walked away.
Alice and Mayumi both looked stunned at what had just taken place.
"Erina! What are you doing? You just missed a chance with a perfectly good guy, he might be a bit of an ass, but he's hot, admit it." Alice said, shaking Erina by the shoulders.
"I don't care how handsome he is, Alice, he dares to save me from those neanderthals, only to use it as an excuse to challenge me to a Shokugeki?! Unacceptable!" Erina shouted.
"Um- if I may?" Mayumi asked.
"What is it!?" Erina snapped.
Mayumi winced.
"Um- I just wanted to say, if you truly think that Haru-kun is in the wrong here, then prove it. You should take the challenge and prove that he's wrong by beating him. It might be what he meant by redemption." She suggested.
Erina calmed down.
"I suppose you're right..."
"Oh Mayumi! You're so wise!" Alice hugged Mayumi tight, squeezing the poor girl senseless.
"Ok, Alice let's go! I need to get ready if I'm going to put that pleb in his place." Erina commanded.
"What about Mayumi-chan?" Alice pouted, the two had become friends over the course of the evening.
"I guess we can bring her along if that's okay with her..."
"Yay! Is that okay with you, Mayumi-chan?" Alice asked.
"Well, I am free tomorrow, and I've never been to Totsuki before, so yeah, I can definitely go!" The girl smiled.
"Yes, this is going to be so amazing! I'm going to show you all of Totsuki, we're gonna have so much fun!" Alice exclaimed.
As the trio left the dying down festival, Haru looked at them from a corner behind.
...
"Yes, Little Nakiri, it'll be fun indeed..."
Author's Note: Hey guys, that was Chapter 7! Sorry it was shorter than others, but I wanted to keep this part relatively short, the next one should be longer though, so stay tuned! As always, thanks for reading, and I will see you in the next chapter, bye now!
-Kano