If anyone was wondering, this is my imagination of how the SnS world would handle a Fem!Souma. So there will be slight changes and developing bonds and relationships with a female Souma (and a harem, 'cause who doesn't want Souma to have a harem? She-or he's the best!)
Again, this is just a draft to write everything in the anime down before I edit it the way I want, like also changing the dialogue because the subs doesn't always makes sense. Hope you don't mind the mistakes and errors! :D
A bowl of soup in a round tray was placed on the wooden floor with chopsticks properly put near it. Steam was emitting from it, indicating that the dish had just been made. It looked elegant and simple.
"This is the final dish." a man specified.
A young, female teen with honey-blonde hair brought up the bowl of soup near her face, discreetly examining it with purple-pink eyes before lifting it to her lips, tilting it back slightly for the liquid to enter pass her mouth.
After a taste, she gently lowered it to her lap, eyes closed in concentration whilst sitting in seiza style. She grunted softly, her brows furrowing faintly in thought.
A droplet of water fell, and the scenery soon changed around her with her sitting on a hot spring, her hand gripping the small towel that was covering her modesty. A cloth was also tied around her head, securing her hair from falling off. She had the most relaxed face ever, cheeks flushed pink in satisfaction.
A gorilla sniffed the air, sitting right across the honey-blond female. The said girl opened her eyes slowly in confusion, before seeing the gorilla in front of her. She stared, before lets out a startled yelp and stood up from the waters.
"Disgusting!" she yelled, slamming the hot, steaming bowl on the head of the guy who created said dish. He yelped at the hot liquid of the soup touching his head, hair, and skin, the soup burning it slightly from the heat.
The honey-blond remained unfazed as she folded her arms under her chest and faced the other men who also created a dish she had tried. "It's incredible that you managed to come up with this many train wrecks." she said, voice filled with distaste. "The last oyster gruel, in particular, was as if..." she lowered her head and closed her purple-pink eyes, like the last dish was beyond comprehendible for her to even describe because of how bad it was.
"...as if I were taking a bath with a western lowland gorilla!" she finished, and all the people with bowls in their heads, in a similar way she had done to the previous guy, stared at her with visible question marks on their heads, not understanding what she meant but assumed in a different way.
"She's being deep again..."
"Her palate is not the same as a mere mortal's..."
A shadow covered her eyes as the wind gently moved her long hair, "It seems you omitted one of the steps in prep work." the guy who was still in the ground peered up at her with slight fear in his eyes. "I am aware that your restaurant group is expanding, and that you're trying to increase efficiency for that reason. But do you dare presume that gives you the right to defile my tongue with such food?" her purple orbs were boring into the man's eyes, authority radiating from her whole being. Almost like the man was just a low-being standing in her way.
The man had tears forming in his eyes, no longer feeling the heat from the soup, as the other men bowed down to the honey-blond teen. "M-m-my apologies, Erina-ojou-sama!" he bowed as well, and everyone apologized to the heiress as she stood tall.
The red-head folded her hand into a fist, trembling ever-so-slightly, with her hair shadowing her eyes, "I always...want this restaurant to..." she hesitated, before hearing footsteps nearing her and a hand suddenly on her hair, gently rubbing it.
Souma blinked, lifting her head to see her father smiling affectionately at her. "It's time for you to go, Souma-chan. Go figure out what you want."
Souma stared at the building with wide golden eyes and jaw dropped open, clearly intimidated by the size of the whole place. She could barely see the full building since the clouds were shadowing the top.
"I'm totally out of place here," Souma muttered, eyeing the many, expensive-looking cars and equally expensive-looking people. "Why do all the other applicants have butlers and guards and stuff?" she said to her father on the phone.
"Oh? Did I forget to mention? You're taking the transfer admission exam for one of the best culinary schools in the country." Jouichirou explained, a hint of smugness wrapping on his words. "The graduation rate is less than ten-percent. It's an elite institution."
Souma only blinked cluelessly, her mouth still wide open as she tried to sink the information in her head.
"Best of luck with that, Souma-chan."
"Hey, Jo! Please wait a moment!" another unfamiliar, male voice was heard from the phone, causing Souma's red eyebrow to lift up in confusion. She recognized didn't know the language, the guy sounded very foreign.
"Where are you right now, oyaji?" Souma asked, wondering what country he was on.
"New York City." he answered the confused red-head. "In the VIP reception hall of Manhattan Royal Hotel,"
"Hah?" Souma made a noncommittal sound in confusion.
In New York City in an incredibly luxurious hotel, Jouichirou held two plates up with his hands, and the phone was in-between his ear and shoulder, side-glancing at said phone. "That's where I'm cooking right now."
"Hey, Jo!" a round man called out, sitting on a chair with a bib on his neck, and held a fork and knife on his hands. "Thanks for coming back to New York!" his smile grew bigger and eyes slid closed, "This is the best dinner ever!" he laughed joyfully.
Jouichirou looked at the man, "Oi, simmer down, Doctor McFly!" he scolded lightly, "You wouldn't want your blood pressure to go up again!" the doctor only continued to laugh in joy, not minding the truth in the chef's words.
An old man took a bite of the delicious food with his fork, feeling it slide to his stomach and cleansed everything with a refreshing feeling. "Delicious!" he closed his eyes in content, "After taking a medical leave of absence from Congress, I'd resigned to myself to my fate, and considered my life fulfilled if I could eat Yukihira's cooking one last time, but this only makes me greedy for more!" he said, slicing another piece and held it up in front of him.
"Let's come again, sir!" a woman suggested, putting her hands together in hopeful delight.
"Yes! Many times as possible!" a man beside the dark-haired woman agreed with passion.
"Is Yukihira here?!" an old man with a bald head and orange robes tied around him exclaimed, bursting the doors wide open. Two more males were behind him; hold their master's arms to prevent him from going inside.
"Please come back, master!" they begged, doing their very best to hold the wise man back. "We're in midst of a feast! What example will we be to our disciples?"
"Bah, silence!" he broke free from their grip, "Are you telling me to turn away from Yukihira's cooking when it's right in front of me?!" then, he started, pulling his clothes off, "In that case, I reject my calling!"
"Master!"
While the commotion happened inside, Jouichirou walked out to the balcony, approaching his grill-cooker that was already heating something up. "I first went to India. Then Italy and Spain." he told his daughter, "I just got into America yesterday." a hand was placed on his hip. "I plan to cook in the cities on the East Coast for the time being."
"Ha? I'm not following," Souma's confused words was said through the phone, and Jouichirou could clearly imagine her equally confused (and cute) pout.
"Well, let's just say someone called in a favor." his copper-gold eyes moved to the grill in front of him, seeing the squid getting cooked as his eyes softened slightly at how it reminded him of the red-head he was currently talking with. He took a tentacle that wasn't too hot and bit into it between his teeth.
"Hey, Souma-chan," he started, leaning his back on the rails of the balcony and rested his arms on there, his elbow on the surface as he held the phone. "If you can't survive that academy until graduation,"
"You can kiss your hopes of surpassing me goodbye as a pipe dream." he finished; a small frown was on Souma's face. She started feeling annoyance, and caught the challenging hint, towards her father and grinned resolutely.
"Just watch me!" she proclaimed, and Jouichirou could image the way she pumped her fist in the air. He closed his eyes, the tentacle still hanging on his teeth. "Good. Then let me tell you a special secret to improve your cooking..." before he could continue, the line was immediately cut off and Jouichirou stared in surprise at the phone.
"She cut me off." he said out loud, and he'll admit that he was a little befuddled. But then a soft smile appeared on his face, to a certain extent thinking that it was very 'Souma-like' to cut him off. That's his daughter alright.
"Where are you, Yukihira?!" a shout came from inside the hotel behind the closed doors of the balcony.
"I'm here!" he replied, walking away from the railings and to the doors as he slid his phone in his pocket. The amazing buildings of New York City shining behind his back as the many lights seemed to glow like stars from afar.
'Listen up, Souma.' he thought in his head. 'The trick to becoming a good chef is to meet someone you want to devote all of your cooking to.' the image of the picture-frame back in their home flashed in his head, a picture of him, a cute, little, short-haired Souma, and a woman beside the little girl in the center.
Then Jouichirou halted on his steps momentarily, an infuriated glare developing on his face. 'But then again, Souma-chan is my little girl, and I don't want any wild-animals near her!' The 'wild-animals' being any male species, including some females, even if they're gentle or something.
Jouichirou wasn't dumb; he knew that both genders were attracted to his beautiful little girl. He could see the way Souma's classmates always seemed to stare at his daughter with tender, affectionate eyes. There were moments he was proud at the fact that his little red-head would grow up to be a beauty (and she was beautiful now as well), but he sometimes cursed it because a lot of eyes somehow managed to move to her whenever her bright, eye-catching red-hair could be seen.
And there was also a fact that his daughter was a complete dense wall, and oblivious as a rock, too. But again, he also cursed that fact because Souma always unknowingly flirts with anyone by how honest and straight-forward she was.
Maybe sending her to Totsuki was a bad idea after all...
In the hall of a traditional Japanese house, the honey-blonde haired teen, Erina, was walking forward, minding her own business before stopping briefly.
"So, what's next on my plate?" she asked, directing the question to the person behind her, with her eyes still closed. After that situation prior, she wondered if there were more things that needed her presence (and judgement).
A female-teen around the same age as Erina stopped behind her. Her short pink hair shifting slightly with the stop and light-red eyes closed, bowing to the heiress in front of her while holding a clipboard out. "This, ojou-sama."
Erina took the folder out of the pinkette's hands and scanned the words displayed at the front as the pink-haired teen straightened her posture. "Judging transfer exams?" she questioned, before giving the clipboard back to the awaiting hands of the female.
"So this is the kind of grunt work I'd get for joining the executive board." she flicked her honey-colored hair away, turning back to the front. Slight annoyance filled her at the thought of so much work that might be unnecessary, but she had not choice whatsoever.
"I'll head over once I change."
'Kuso...' Souma grumbled in her head, her hands in her pocket and left her bag slung over her left shoulder. 'A pipe dream, huh? Yeah, right. I'll definitely make it to graduation, dammit!' she thought as she kicked a bench, and a sound of liquid jumping from a container sounded in her ears.
A male teen was sitting on the bench, elegantly folding his legs over as a cup of tea was held on his hand and eyes slid closed. Beside him was a man holding, what it seemed to be, the teen's bag, and on the other side was an old butler , holding a tray of tea.
"Ah, gomen!" Souma apologized immediately, bringing her leg back down. He looked very rich, and she was worried he might have stained his clothes because of her (and that was all she was worried about). "I didn't mean to kick your seat,"
The sandy-blond teen turned to look at the red-head with his eyes still closed, appearing unfazed by the kick moving the bench. "No need to apologize." he assured, "You're also applying for a transfer, right?" he enquired, before continuing. "Take a seat, will you—" he trailed off when he finally opened his eyes and took in the sight of the female who kicked the bench.
His mouth was opened mid-way from finishing his sentence, the words stopping on his throat. The female in front of him had red, messy spiky hair that was tied to a loose ponytail behind her back. Her long, black lashes was glowing red under the light that dawned to her, and her golden-yellow eyes seemed to hold every emotion known. And he will admit, she was the most beautiful red-head he had ever seen.
Souma blinked, tilting her head in confusion at the weird look the teen was giving her and the redness on his face. "Hm? Is there something on my face?" she asked, pointing a clueless finger on her face to emphasize her point.
The boy blinked back in reality the moment Souma spoke. His face flushed brightly and coughed in his fist, inwardly embarrassed that he was caught appreciating the red-headed beauty. "I-Iie, there's nothing. Please, don't mind me."
A question mark was visible beside Souma's head but complied anyway and sat beside the boy.
"Anyways, with high school qualifying exam results being announced for Totsuki's junior high division, and exams being held for people like us hoping to transfer in, things are pretty lively today." the sandy-blonde explained as both he and Souma watched the many students pass by, talking and observing the academy around them (while the former was secretly stealing glances from the oblivious female beside him).
"I'm Nikaido Yoshiaki. My family runs a French restaurant." he introduced himself, leaning back on the bench.
"Eh? What a coincidence. Mine runs a restaurant, too." Souma commented, leaning on her hands between her knees on the bench.
Yoshiaki sent a closed eye-smile at the red-head, "That may not be such a coincidence." he stated, confusing Souma slightly, and turned his head to the other two benches across them, making Souma look over as well.
"The guy over there's the heir to a national restaurant chain, and that other one's family runs a seafood wholesale business that supplies the entire Kanto region." he explained, "Almost everyone here has a cooking industry pedigree of some sort."
"Oh," Souma made an understanding and noncommittal sound, looking over at everyone around her. So all the students transferring here all had relations to a restaurant, huh?
"What's your place's name?" Yoshiaki asked kindly, wondering if he might have heard of the red-headed beauty's place.
"Ah, Yukihira."
"Yukihira..." he paused, giving some thought to it as he tested the word rolling off his tongue. "A traditional Japanese restaurant, then?" he enquired.
Souma laughed, almost as if the blond had just said a silly joke she couldn't believe. "Oh, we're not that high-brow." a smile was on her face as she closed her eyes, "We're a diner downtown..."
A sound of a glass shattering on the ground was heard beside the red-head, and Souma opened her eyes, directing her attention to the sound only to see the teacup Yoshiaki was holding on the ground in shards of pieces.
A dark aura was around the sandy-blond, his hair covering his eyes. "How dare you sit next to me..." he snapped his glaring eyes at her, disappointment clear on his face. "...you low-class commoner!"
Souma stood up from the bench, startled, and backed away from him, eyes narrowed slightly in confusion and slight offense at being called a low-class commoner.
"Listen up; this academy isn't for the likes of you! It is a sacred grove, meant as a place of learning for denizens of the upper echelons of the food industry!" he explained, standing in front of the red-headed beauty. It was a real shame that a beauty like her worked at a diner, he would've gotten along with her well.
"That's the kind of place Totsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy is! A low-born like you won't even make it past the written exam..." he continued, not paying in mind of Souma's darkening face before she snapped.
Her hand darted out to Yoshiaki's front shirt and lifted him up, a smile on her face with her golden eyes narrowed and a tick mark throbbing on her cheek, not caring at all that she was choking the boy as foam started forming on the corners of his mouth. "You haven't even tried Yukihira's food! You don't get to judge our quality!" she scowled. How dare someone who had never tried the delicious dishes her father made call her restaurant low-class!
"Ojou!" the two servants yelled in concern after Souma dropped the sandy-blond to the ground, whilst the said red-headed girl strode away, a sour look on her pretty face.
While she was walking away, she ignored the other teens around her talking about her, having had seen the uproar.
"Look, someone from a diner thinks she can transfer in."
"You've got to be kidding me,"
"She should know her place."
"But, hey, she's a total hottie!'
"Yeah, that's a pity. All the incredibly hot ones are always hard to get."
"Yeah..."
As they were whispering and chattering about Souma, meanwhile, the said red-head was busy grumbling and complaining in her head, not noticing a few of them ogling or openly appreciating her figure and some girls glaring in jealousy.
'This isn't giving me high hopes for this place,' she grumbled, 'if this is how things are right off the bat, who knows what pompous ass I'll get as the examiner.'
There was a crowd of students crowding in the room, all standing in front of two female-students and whispered to each other.
"Hey, is that..."
"Y-yeah..."
Souma blinked, peeking into the crowd to see two girls standing in the front of the said crowd.
"Greetings, transfer applicants," Erina's voice echoed through the place, causing it to turn silent in a manner of few seconds. "I am Nakiri Erina, and I have been assigned to judge today's transfer exam." Nakiri Erina, age fifteen and third-year in junior high, explained to the people in front of her with her arms crossed.
'A girl...?' Souma blinked again, feeling a hint of bewilderment filling her mind, totally forgetting the fact that she, too, was a girl. 'And she's wearing the school uniform. She's the examiner?'
"Any word from the exam division?" Erina directed the question to the pink-haired girl beside her.
"I'll read it right now." the rose-eyed female answered, holding up the clipboard in front of her to read. "Examinees will first undergo interviews in groups of ten based on their applications." she started, "They will then undergo a practicum where they will cook three or so dishes. Those who will pass will..."
"Hmph,"
The pinkette paused, staring at the honey-blond female beside her in confusion at the interruption.
"How pointless," Erina uttered, opening her eyes and brought a finger to her chin in thought. "I have an idea." she said, eyeing the transferees in front of her.
"Bring the kitchen work table here!" she ordered, while all the others stared in confusion at the honey-blond teen.
"H-hai, ojou!"
A moment later, the pink-haired female pushed a table to Erina, the surface filled with numerous ingredients. The others started speaking up their confusion.
"Cooking ingredients?"
"What's she up to?"
Erina walked to the table with a hand on her hip, staring at all of the ingredients. A small, unreadable smile was on her face as she picked a lone egg with two fingers, taken in extra care, lifting it up for everyone to see.
"The main ingredient will be the egg." she started, facing the lot once more. "Make one dish. I'll only allow those whose creation impresses my palate to transfer into the academy." she stated, and everyone (except Souma) stared in uneasiness at the single egg.
"Furthermore, I will allow those who wish to withdraw and cancel their application to do so within the next minute only." A feeling of power was surrounding Erina, a challenging dare in her voice.
Everyone soon had a feeling of dread pooling in their gut.
"What? One minute?"
"I...withdraw,"
Soon enough, everyone began running away, all heading towards the door at the same time as Erina watched them go with her hands on her hips, a small smirk on her face.
Meanwhile, Souma's golden eyes were wide in shock and disbelief at all the transfer-students (who were mostly male) running past her.
'Eh?!'
Souma's hand reached out to grab someone's shoulder, which conveniently was the sandy-blond who insulted her restaurant earlier. "Oi, wait!"
The sandy-blond glanced at her, eyes wide and wavering with fear and the thought of running seemed even more pleasant than he thought, even if the red-head was in front of him.
"Why are you all running?!" she asked, hoping to at least get some answers because she was currently, and terribly, confused.
The boy looked shock, eyes widening even more. "Y-you don't know who she is?!"
Souma only blinked cluelessly and innocently, a confused smile on her face. "Huh? Nope. Tell me."
"Nakiri Erina had the finest palate known to mankind! A divine tongue!" he explained in a rush, "The God Tongue!"
"Eh?" Souma was even more confused.
"Human babies typically begin talking between the ages of one and two. But her first spoken words, at three months old, were..."
"Not enough depth of flavor."
"Given the small glimpse of her genius already present at birth, she has been asked to serve as the taste-tester of famous restaurants nation-wide since a very young age." he explained.
"All the heavyweights in the food world are her clients! Her evaluations spread far and wide in the industry!" he screamed, trying to run away and get out from the red-head's grip on the back of his shirt, and didn't have time to care that the red-headed teen had an incredibly strong grip. "Should she—should she brand you as an imbecile without any talent, your career in the food world would be over!" Finally, Souma allowed him to get away from her grasp and just watched him trip over himself, getting back up, before running out of the room.
"I figured most of them were hopeless incompetents." Erina said in dislike, her eyes closed and arms crossed. "I can't be bothered to waste my time on such fools." she lifted her head up and looked at the pink-haired girl, "I believe I've cleared my schedule for the day?"
"Er, hai."
Erina moved her gaze to the side, "I will now test my new dishes in my private quarters,"
The pink-haired teen gasped lightly at the news, a small blush forming on her cheeks as she stared at the heiress with an awed look. 'Erina-sama's new dish...' she thought, and Erina noticed her look, causing her to face the pink-haired teen.
"What's the matter, Hisako?" she started approaching the female-teen named 'Hisako', a small smirk on her face. "You look like...you want something." she informed, bringing a hand to the pinkette's chin and lifted it up eye-level to hers.
"O-oh, iie, well..." she hesitated, her blush coming full-force as she gazed at the beautiful heiress.
"Would you like the privilege of trying my cooking?" Erina asked gently, her voice soothing and low as Hisako blushed.
"I... I would!"
Erina smiled, "Maa, what a shameless hussy you are." she giggled softly, amusement in her eyes as her thumb touched Hisako's bottom lip gently. It almost seemed like roses and sparkles were around the two girls, such romantic scenery.
"Oh, please forgive me!"
"We'll have to report first that no one passed." Erina suggested; eyes soft and caring as Hisako stared back into the heiress' lovely purple eyes with a hint of pink, her own pinkish-red eyes filled with slight tears and a dazed blush on her cheeks.
"H-hai..."
"Ne, so are there no other restrictions on the dish?" Souma suddenly spoke up, interrupting the girls' moments and ruined it at the same time, with her hands in her pockets.
Erina and Hisako's eyes widened in shock before parting, staring at the red-headed teen who dared to interrupt their moment with narrowed eyes.
'What?' Erina stared at Souma's glowing golden eyes, her lips forming a small frown. 'I...have a challenger?'
Moments later, the three girls were now in a kitchen with all the ingredients and materials people could find. Erina stood in front of the red-headed beauty, with Hisako a step behind her.
"As long as you use eggs, you can make anything you want." Erina reminded, before sliding her eyes close. "But are you sure you want to do this?" she asked again, "You should withdraw while you..."
"Ah, I was really worried!" Souma cluelessly interrupted the heiress, not hearing the next words at all, placing a delicately small and pale hand on Erina's shoulders with her other hand on her busty chest. "I thought you might fail me before I even got to cook!" she continued like the dense-headed girl she was. Erina glanced at the small hand on her shoulder, annoyance clear in her eyes but was somewhat confused at the odd tingle that went through her body at the touch.
"Back away!" Hisako yelled, standing in front of Erina and created a space between the two, her hand outstretched. "Do you know who she is?!"
Souma's startled stance relaxed slightly, a curious looked in her big, golden eyes that Hisako unwittingly got lost in them. They were so yellow and so gold and tantalizing and—"Who is she?" Souma asked, getting Hisako's attention back to earth.
With her hand still outstretched, she elaborated, "She is the top of her class in the junior high division, and the youngest member of the Totsuki Elite Ten Council," Hisako moved her hand to gesture to the heiress who had her arms crossed, "the highest decision-making body in the academy, in the academy's history: Nakiri Erina-sama!"
"Whoa," Souma stared in awe, a pique of interest in her golden eyes, "This is a fine tool." she complimented the big, smoothly sharp knife she found from the drawers she was rummaging through, lifting it above her for the light to reflect from it and caressed the edge carefully with a finger.
"Don't wander around!" Hisako and Erina scolded the clueless red-head in chibi-form, finding it offensive to stupidly ignore an important information, with the latter having a drop of sweat hanging on her head.
"Huh?" Souma glanced at them in the corner of her eye, bemused.
"Let me ask one last time: Are you really going to take my exam?" Erina asked again, folding her arms over her chest as Hisako glared at the red-head.
"Eh?" Souma made a confused sound, sliding her left hand in her pocket as she threw the sharp knife up in the air, spinning around with Hisako gaping slightly and Erina watching apathetically, "I just have to make you say it tastes good, right?" before effortlessly catching it on the handle without looking or flinching, bringing it up to her smiling face. "Of course I'll take the test."
Erina stared at the red-head in astonishment, her eyes widening microscopically, before narrowing. 'This girl...'
"Erina-sama," Hisako called, handing the heiress a piece of paper and showing it to her. Erina scanned the information within it. About the red-head.
"Yukihira Souma. Her family runs a diner." she reads out loud but lowly, glancing up at the red-head, who was examining the egg on the table, and spoke in a tone only she and Hisako could hear. "She's obviously a second-rate cook. She doesn't understand my noble pedigree," and image of a stray dog with a scar on its left brow licking a valuable pink diamond appeared on their heads, "just like a stray dog would have no idea of a gemstone's value."
A small smile, which almost looked like a smirk, appeared on her face as she glided her eyes closed. "If that's your attitude, I'll taste your food," Erina raised her head up, eyeing the red-head, "the food of the bottom feeders in the food world."
Souma stopped her observation, her head tilting to the two slightly as her bangs covered her eyes, her signature smile on her face. "I'll be happy to..." her hand reached for the tie of her headband, "...serve you..." pulling it away from her wrist, "...our specialty!" and flung her school jacket into the air.
"Hang on to your seats," Souma started, pulling on her headband that was tied around her forehead and connected to her hair, tied also into a high-ponytail, "Examiner Nakiri!"
The fire was started, rising up in flames as Souma began cutting chives in a fast pace, a confident grin on her face.
Behind her, the two other females were observing every movement the red-head made. "Eggs are a fundamental ingredient in Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, across all the culinary genres." Hisako commented out, and took a glance at the heiress beside her. Erina still had her arms crossed, her expression blank that not even Hisako could decipher what she was currently thinking about. 'What will she serve to Erina-sama, who tastes haute egg cuisine on a daily basis?' she thought, moving her gaze to the red-heads back.
What could the red-head make for the Nakiri heiress? The main ingredient was the egg, but could it compete against the other delicious eggs Erina had tried? Creating something to satisfy Erina's extraordinary palate was never an easy feat; so Hisako will not admit to anyone she was a bit curious for the outcome.
Souma grabbed a piece of cloth and opened the pot, watching the liquid inside, and made her way to taste it, her eyes closed in contemplation. After a moment of thought, her eyes opened and grabbed an egg, cracking it open and let the yolk fall into the steel bowl with other three eggs before stirring them with chopsticks.
Erina continued to observe, a hint of a frown on her face. 'It seems she'll use beaten eggs,' she moved her purple orbs to the pots being used on the stove, not a single dish that she could remember with those tools pop in her head, 'but I have no idea what dish she's working towards.'
As Souma continued stirring the egg until it was mixed with only the yellow yolk, Erina approached the red-head, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Yukihira Souma-san, what are you making?"
"Eh?" said red-head glanced at the heiress, before an amused and funny look appeared on her face. "You still can't tell at this stage?" Souma looked to be keeping her laughter in place.
"Do you want me to fail you right now?!" Erina countered, both flustered and aggravated at the glee rolling off of the golden-eyed female in waves.
"Listen! I don't have the time to waste on ill-conceived food." she started, narrowing her eyes, "I'm asking you if you have any intention of making a dish that is suitable for my palate!"
The red-head stared at the heiress; not noticing how her stare was making Erina a little shifty, then sent a closed eye-smile. "Alright, I'll tell you." she relented.
"What I'm making is the eighth item on Yukihira Diner's secret menu!"
"Secret menu?" Erina repeated in slight disbelief and doubt, wondering who would actually put a dish like that in a restaurant (somewhere, a certain brown-haired man sneezed). Unknowingly like Hisako, Erina was interested, not that she'll ever admit it to anyone. "And what manner of a complicated dish would this be?"
Souma resumed her stirring on the egg yolks before looking at the honey-blond, a grin on her face. "Rice with seasoning!"
Erina surely wasn't expecting that simple answer, her eyes shrinking with pure disbelief. Behind her, Hisako had a shadow on her eyes, deadpanning at the red-head. Both females had an image of a bowl filled with rice and a packet of seasoning being sprinkled upon.
'Wha...?!'
The whole room around them was so silent that a pin dropping could be heard at any time.
A loud slam was heard in front of the red-head on the table, the cause by Erina as she slammed her fist down, annoyance and slight anger eyes. "Cut the crap! I knew you were a bottom-feeding cook. What a waste of time." she began walking away, missing the shadowed-look that passed on Souma's eyes.
"Erina-sama..."
"Of course, they're no ordinary seasoning." Souma spoke up again before Erina could exit the room and caught her attention as she faced back at the red-head, surprise visible on her features.
"What I'm making..." Souma pointed the chopsticks at the heiress, a confident look on her face. "...is rice with transforming seasoning!"
Erina blinked in surprise and confusion, "Transforming seasoning...?"
Unbeknownst to the three females, someone was standing beside the door outside with folded arms, eavesdropping at their conversation.
"Saa, almost done!" Souma announced, doing something on the cutting board that couldn't be seen by the two females.
'Yukihira Souma... What dish is she about to serve?' Erina wondered, suddenly feeling tense at the red-head as a nervous droplet of sweat dropped on her face. Why was she feeling like this? Was she somehow expecting a dish that passes her expectations? No, not likely, so then why...?
"Thank you for waiting!"
Placed on the table was a square bowl filled with normal-looking eggs that looked nothing like Erina expected as a dubious expression crossed her face, blue lines appearing and eyebrow twitching. 'Iie...' she closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves that were presently going haywire inside, 'Like I initially thought, she's just messing with me!' she supposed as Souma untied the headband off her forehead and hair, allowing her messy red locks to fall on her shoulders.
A shadow covered Erina's eyes from view as she sighed, while Hisako leaned down and examined the container. She blinked her light-red eyes, 'It really is ordinary.' the egg just looked dry and plain and simple and dry.
Erina raised her head at the red-head, a blank look on her face. "In the end, it's still the work of a second-rate cook." she said, "It fails to arouse my appetite."
Images of luxurious and polished dishes appeared in their heads. "My palate has been called the God Tongue. Only the most elaborate and refined haute cuisine graces my dinner table." an image of Erina sitting on heavenly clouds and being served my angels holding amazing dishes appeared. 'Indeed, I reside in a gourmet paradise! How dare she serve something like this to me?' she stared at the plain-looking eggs before facing away.
"This exam is over." she turned, walking away to the door.
"Erina-sama!"
Souma watched the two stride away and placed her hands on her hips, eyes closed as she opened her mouth, "But you haven't seen its true form yet." was the only thing she said that caused the two to stop. Hisako looked back, skeptical, and Erina stared at the red-head with a hand on her hip.
"What do you mean?" she questioned. Souma only held the container, tilting it slightly forward as Erina scrutinize the 'dish' more carefully, before gasping slightly when something shiny and smooth could be seen from under the eggs.
'There's something hiding behind the eggs...' Erina blinked once, shock and incomprehension glinting on her purple eyes. How could she have missed something so small when examining the eggs?
"Well, keep your eyes peeled." Souma said as Erina approached the red-head. "The true value of a rice seasoning-" she placed a small bowl of hot rice in front of the heiress, "-is only apparent once it's served on white rice." she explained, moving her gaze for golden-yellow to meet purple-pink.
"Well then," Souma started, and Erina gasped lightly when the red-headed female tilted the eggs down, letting it fall to the rice as shiny, clear and smooth cubes shimmered in the light. "Now for the finish!" a beautiful smile appearing on her face that both Erina and Hisako noted first before snapping out of it, now looking at the dish that graced the surface of the table.
The eggs and cubes were bouncing on the rice, glossing like gold under the light of the room. Erina's eyes widened when noticing something on the dish, 'It's melting...from the rice's heat?' she watched the cubes melting, absorbed into the rice in such an elegant way. 'And as it melts, it's coating the egg.' she then smelled the scent of the dish, her body warming up for some reason.
'What is this aroma? Chicken?' her arm around her waist tightened at the amazing smell. 'The fragrant...the mellow aroma of the chicken that's been simmered slowly over time...That's what's wafting through the air.'
'So this is the rice with transforming seasoning? It looks completely different from before.' Erina gulped, her body suddenly craving for it. 'I wonder what it tastes like...'
Seeing that Souma was still staring keenly at her, Erina moved her gaze to the dish, avoiding the red-heads alluring golden eyes. "I suppose I can afford to taste one bite." she reluctantly submitted.
Souma grinned as Erina fully turned her attention to the red-head, flipping her honey-blonde locks behind her. "Hand over the dish!" she ordered with a slight blush on her cheeks.
Sprinkling some chives, Souma served the dish with chopsticks ready for the heiress, "Oagariyo!" she grinned, her headband tied back to her wrist.
A heartbeat later, Erina had the piece of rice between the chopsticks, scrutinizing it before bringing it to her mouth. When it was finally in her mouth, she closed her eyes in thought, letting the flavors melt into her tongue. She moaned slightly, before snapping out of her daze, appearing flustered. 'I can't believe this...' she thought in chibi-mode, realization crashing down on her. 'I forgot to judge, and just savored the taste?!'
Erina stared at the rice, incredulous. 'What was that texture?!' she thought, bringing her chopsticks down to get another bite to confirm the tastes and texture.
"Ara?" Souma's voice resounded and Erina halted, raising her head to face the red-head. Souma had her arms folded under chest, a dark and amused expression surfacing on her face with an unreadable glint on her eyes. "You're going for a second bite? I thought I heard you say one bite only."
Erina stared at the red-head, her face flushing up in embarrassment at the truth of those words. She started slapping the table repeatedly in chibi-mode, "Do you have any complaints about that?!" she retorted, very flustered.
"I'm just kidding." Souma responded, inwardly finding it amusing at how easy it was to rile her up (though she did it unintentionally), while Hisako sighed silently at her mistress. "Take your time and eat up."
Erina took another piece of rice on her chopsticks, staring at the rice with a serious look and closed her mouth on it, eyes closed as well, chewing on the food, before purple orbs were shown again. "It's aspic, isn't it." she stated, not sounding like a question at all.
"Bingo!" Souma approved, a bright grin on her face. "The squares are aspic made from chicken wingtips." she said. "Aspic is formed when meat or fish broth with high gelatin content congeals into jelly. I simmered chicken wingtips with bonito stock, sake, and light soy sauce, and then finely chopped the aspic once it cooled and solidified." she lifted a finger out, "When that's sprinkled over hot rice, the aspic melts and the gelatinous broth coats the egg soboro."
'In effect, this aspic is a rich soup infused with the umami of the chicken.' Erina concluded, narrowing her eyes in thought. 'The rich flavor and saltiness of this broth are enhancing the fluffy egg soboro's subtle sweetness. With every bite, the fluffy and gelatinous textures caress the insides of your mouth.' to Erina, it felt like she was swimming in the delicious broth. 'The melted aspic is elevating the egg to entirely new heights...' she gazed at the dish, amazed and shocked. 'This is unlike any dish I've ever eaten. It's an entirely new world of flavor.'
"So, how is it?" Erina jumped slightly in surprise as Souma leaned forward with her arms folded. "Glad you didn't go away without tasting it first, right?" she teased.
"S-Silence!" Erina slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward and towering over the red-headed beauty. "The evaluation has yet to conclude!" she countered, but Souma leaned forward more, causing the heiress to lean back in surprise at the closeness, her blush turning a little darker and her bust shifting, and stared at the clueless red-head.
"Even when the menu item is basic in the extreme, we use our creativity to transform it into a masterpiece!" Souma leaned back, hand on her hips. "That is the Yukihira cooking!"
Erina's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly and forced it to remain still, 'Even so...how can I, a denizen of gourmet paradise, accept this?' her purple orbs peered up to the red-head. 'This, a dish by a girl who's like the personification of all things common!' she thought, even if the back of her mind told her how Souma's red hair gracefully falls on her shoulder, no matter how messy it was, seemed to glow and match her pale skin with hands that were small and delicate-looking. Not one thought actually said that Souma was a commoner-looking female, because she had extraordinary beauty like no other.
'I can't...accept this,' her hand unwillingly went for another bite, 'I just...can't...' Hisako watched the heiress with worry as Erina brought the chopsticks to her mouth, opening for the rice.
Once she closed in once more, she leaned her head back slightly, moaning as a blush rushed to her cheeks. 'This flavor... It's as if...' her whole scenery changed around her as the flavors took over her mind and body. '...I'm being caressed by angel feathers!'
Many little Souma's with adorable white robes and angel wings flew towards Erina. Erina could only watch in slight fear as the angels began pulling on her robes, a tingling feeling in place. 'Go away!' she begged, trying to keep the robes on her chest from getting pulled.
'Stay away!' her pleadings were being ignored as the angel Souma's started tickling and caressing her visible chest, her thigh was way too close to her behind, and the front of her thighs with light feathers. Erina used her other hand to reach down on her robes to pull it even lower, trying, and failing, to ignore the fuzzy and warm feeling on her body. 'Iie!' the cute little angel Souma's continued trailing her skin and body with their feathers, a furious red blush on her face.
'I don't want to accept it...but my palate... My body...can't help but react...'
Erina leaned on the table to prevent herself from falling on the ground, her knees abruptly feeling weak. Her eyes were closed, and everything felt too warm as she panted, trying to regain her breath.
"Sure, we're a small diner, and I'm sure you're one of the elites of the food world." Souma spoke, turning her head to the side with eyes closed. "But, you know, I bet there are some things you can't make if you get too comfortable sneering down at people from your throne." she opened her golden eyes, a small, soft smile on her face as Erina stared at the red-head blushing even more, still leaning on the table.
Erina gritted her teeth, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes as she glanced down from the red-head.
"Erina-sama..." Hisako muttered, worried for the heiress in front of her.
"Well? What is it?" Souma asked as sweat dripped from Erina's face. "Yukihira-style rice with seasoning... Is it delicious, or disgusting?" she pointed at the honey-blond heiress, an eager look on her face. "Tell me!"
Souma waited for her response while Hisako stared, both waiting in anticipation as Erina remained silent.
"It's d..." Erina began, hesitating as a shadow covered her eyes.
"Huh?" Souma blinked, not understanding what the heiress was trying to say, before everything came crashing down.
"Disgusting!" Erina shouted in the bottom of her heart with her eyes closed, tears on the corner of her eyes and a flustered blush on her face.
Souma paled drastically to the color of paper, her eyes wide as saucers, "NANIII?!"
"How dare she?! How dare she?! How dare she?!" Erina grumbled, walking down on the hall at a fast pace. "Talking down to me like that! To me, Nakiri Erina!" many, many tick marks were around her in sign of her irritation and anger towards the red-headed teen prior.
"Unforgivable!" she punched a wall with all her might, staying still for a moment, before crouching down on the ground when the pain finally came through her fist.
She sat on the ground, folding her arms on top of her knees as her face flushed red with slight tears in her eyes. 'Yukihira Souma...' her purple eyes were glaring at the space in front of her, 'Totsuki Academy has no need for people like you!'
"Hello? It's Erina." A phone was held up to her ear, her hand leaning on the desk beside her. "Please tell ojii-sama, the director of the academy," her mind flashed an image of a certain beautiful red-head with a cute and innocent smile on her heart-shaped face, "that no one passed the transfer exam today."
Meanwhile, outside, Souma was sitting on a small grass hill, an unmoved look on her face at her unexpected defeat, sulking. She couldn't believe she lost, and was her dish really disgusting? Or was Erina just in denial? Who knows, because Souma couldn't exactly think straight right now... "Eeeeeeeeeeeeh..."
End of Ep. 2 and Ch. 2!
If there are any mistakes, don't mind to point it out! :3
Osomatsu!
