Alright guys, here is some more Shokugeki No Sōma! Again, I am not a food expert so the descriptions of the battles won't be in depth and as intense as it is in the manga or anime. Still, thanks for your continued interest! In this chapter well have some more development into the plot. Thanks for sticking around, hope you like it!
Chapter 2: Hard Answers
The group sat silently stunned as Damian made his announcement. It was extremely rare to meet a member of the Elite Ten at Totsuki academy, and even more unlikely for a member to challenge a first year to a shokugeki. This news was a sudden development for Sōma, and his initial reaction was less than ideal.
"A Shokugeki? Why would you challenge me to a Shokugeki?" Sōma asked with a puzzled look on his face.
Damian grinned "You are an interesting person Yukihira Sōma and my reasons will be revealed in time."
"But, how would this work? What do I have to offer that is of value to a Senior! Much less, their spot as an Elite Ten member!" Sōma replied.
"Yes, quite an intriguing offer I suppose. The match will be simple. Defeat me and the chance to be an Elite Member will be yours. Lose, and you must obey one command I give you; that if you do not fulfill you will never cook again as a professional chef or in an establishment." Damian answered.
The group all looked at Sōma as he looked down with his chin in his hand, contemplating the offer. To be given this opportunity, and deny it, would be absolutely ridiculous. Especially since it doesn't require his immediate expulsion. However, to fulfill one command that could be anything is a troubling agreement. Still, Sōma knew that despite losing in the Autumn Elections, he would probably be murdered by the other students for not accepting the offer.
"You mentioned 'a chance.' What do you mean by that?" Sōma asked.
"Hmm... Keen observation Yukihira Sōma. I'm afraid I cannot be candid at this moment in time, suffice to say all that matters is your acceptance." Damian answered as his grin faded to a more serious look.
"Of course i'd be honored to have a shokugeki against you; what are the terms?" Sōma said.
"There is a clear disadvantage you have Sōma, so the match will go as follows: You, Akira and Ryō will team up to create a full service dinner meal to presented to the judges. Should all three of you defeat me, then I will resign my spot and title of Elite Ten to the winner of a follow up match contested between you three. The winner of that match, will then become number ten on the Elite Member council. Obviously you cannot be number three because you cannot challenge a higher seat unless you are an Elite Member." Damian announced.
"So if we win, I get to battle for a seat in the Elite Member Council? And if we lose, we have to fulfill a command you give or else we can never be professional chefs again?" Sōma restated, clarifying the terms.
"Correct Yukihira Sōma, I have arranged for our match to be scheduled in five days. Seeing as how I am outnumbered three to one, I have determined that the meal you serve cannot have any influence of Japanese cooking styles or cuisine, and that your meal must be an american style, or tradition." Damian said, as he grinned once more.
With the announcement made, Damian bowed as he left the dorm. The rest of the group sat silently for a moment, trying to absorb what just transpired. The buzz they were all feeling, quickly vanished as this revelation shocked everyone. After a brief silence, Yuki spoke up.
"Wow Yukihira! A chance to be an Elite Member, I'm so jealous!" She said joyfully.
"Yeah Sōma, and you get to have Ryō's fish specialty and Akira's spice technique to help you win! There is no way you can possibly lose." Megumi said excitedly.
"You can do it Yukihira, I bet you feel better now!" Nikumi said.
Satoshi, interrupted the cheerful atmosphere with a more grim undertone in his words. "Yukihira Sōma, as you know I was once an Elite Ten member, and Damian is in my class as a fellow senior. He is an American student whose family owns a successful chain of "Texas Style" steakhouses which are rumored to be some of the best in the world. Beyond his family, Damian is an expert in sauce and southern style cooking. He would probably be number one, if not for his lack of knowledge on Japanese tradition and cuisine."
"I see. As well, I have to work alongside Akira and Ryō who both have their own way of doing things in the kitchen. Also, I don't have much experience in American cuisine. Even still, I cannot let this opportunity pass. I look forward to competing and tomorrow I'll invite Ryō and Akira over to figure out how we will tackle this match." Sōma said confidently.
With the final announcement everyone realized that alcohol was wearing off and each felt the immediate need to lie down and rest. The group cleaned up all the dishes and the dorm and wished each other a good night. As Sōma laid on his bed, he couldn't believe how much had happened today.
Sōma thought to himself about how he lost the finals match because his cooking didn't have an identity; and then Megumi encouraged him to continue on. The thought of Megumi in his mind again, he remembered how cute she looked today. He never noticed how her shy and soft personality could be so charming. Then he remembered talking to Erina, and being amazed at how attractive she was. She was like a royal princess unmatched in beauty and grace. Thoug, he also knows how harsh and cold she was. Yet he wondered if there was more to her then just a pretty face but cold exterior. Then his thoughts shifted again to Nikumi standing in the moonlight. He felt really comfortable around her, and even though she was slightly taller, her figure and appearance made it hard to notice.
Finally, he was just given a rare opportunity to challenge an actual Elite Ten member for a chance to be one of the Elite at Totsuki. So much mystery surrounded this though. Why Sōma? What did Damian have to gain by all this? What could have sparked his interest in Damian, and why now? So many questions, but none of them could be answered at this moment. Still, he shut his eyes and decided to sort it all tomorrow. He knew then, that there would be little time to rest, as he prepared for the Shokugeki. The final thoughts before he slept, returned to the images of the three beautiful girls he talked with today and he felt slightly more at ease with the whole day.
The next morning a tense atmosphere had befallen the dorm, aside from the normal daily routine with Megumi and Satoshi making breakfast with Fumio, and Yuki teasing Zenji and Ryōko. As Sōma entered the kitchen he noticed Ryō had already arrived brooding in a chair in the corner while Alice was fawning over Satoshi in his apron.
"Uh, Hi Ryō when do you get here?" Sōma asked with a slight smile.
"I heard the news of the Shokugeki challenge from the Elite Member number three and knew I had to be here to start working on a plan to beat him so the real competition can resume." Ryō said begrudgingly.
Ryō felt in his mind that this was an opportunity for a rematch between Yukihira and Akira to prove he was the best. Though he did not like the sting of failure the day before, he knew this was the perfect opportunity to regain his position and his belief that he would be number one. Ryō didn't like the idea of working alongside others, but the chance to become an Elite Member had more pull over his ego.
"Oh Ryō, I made some herbal green tea for you. You look kind of tired, so hopefully this will wake up!" Megumi said brightly as she handed him a warm bowl.
Megumi and Ryō were like two equal opposites. Megumi's light and soft personality, was challenged by Ryō's aggressive and domineering aura. As Megumi handed him the tea, she was shivering on the inside and tried to maintain her smile though in reality, she was terrified at his aura. Still, she felt a sense of empathy for him wondering why he had such a dark tone about him.
Ryō opened his eyes to look at the cup, and immediately wanted to refuse the offer. However, for some reason he couldn't help but be compelled to take the cup as Megumi's bright aura slightly pushed back the darker nature of his own.
"Thank you." Ryō said sharply as he took a sip of the tea.
"Oh, your welcome! I hope you like it, my Mom used to make it for me in the mornings when I had to stay up late helping her in the kitchen." Megumi said with a pleasant smile.
"Yukihira, have you given any thought to the meal you are going to make? The competition is five days away and Damian is an Elite Chef after all." Satoshi said as he was mixing eggs in a small frying pan.
"I was waiting on Akira and Ryō because I have no idea what American cuisine we could make that could challenge an expert." Sōma answered.
"Hmph. American food is adaptive of other cultures around the world, so any dish idea has origins elsewhere in the world. To try and emulate 'southern style' cooking would be of no use as Damian appears to be the expert and the slightest imperfection would spell certain defeat." Ryō snickered.
As the conversation continued, breakfast was ready and everyone sat at the table continuing to brainstorm ideas for the dish to serve at the shokugeki. Ryō sat next to Alice and Megumi and still continue to brood with his arms folded in his seat. As they were all trying hard to think, a knock came at the door. Fumio opened it up to see Akira standing there, waiting patiently to enter. Akira was wearing a customary white chef jacket and pressed white pants.
"Akira, nice to see you here. We were just going over ideas for our dish to serve at the shokugeki. Original american cuisine is a tough subject to prepare for. Maybe you have some thoughts?" Sōma said politely as Akira joined them at the table.
"Unfortunately, I do not Yukihira. Still, our match is in five days and we need to have an idea now." Akira stated calmly.
"Does anyone here have any experience in America to shed light on the boys problem?" Fumio asked.
"I traveled to an American research facility once with my mother, but we ate at an Italian restaurant in New York. Americans don't really have unique food of their own do they?" Alice remarked.
"That's not true. America has such a diverse and large country that every region has a unique food and culture, but much of it is adapted from other countries around the world. This is a tough predicament." Zenji said as he fixed his glasses.
"Satoshi, you've seen Damian's work more than any of us and even sat in the same council as him. Do you have any ideas of what they should do?" Ryōko asked as she turned to Satoshi.
"Damian spends most of his time at Totsuki learning Asian style recipes and cuisines. Any American style food ive seen or heard him talk about involves steak, or barbecue. There are variations of fried chicken, and burgers as well but nothing I can recall that plays to your advantage. The only person that might be able to help, would be someone who's been to America." Satoshi answered as he gripped his chin in thought.
The rest of the morning was filled with kitchen cleanup and everyone thinking about the meal they would prepare for the shokugeki. As this was a match of first years against a senior elite member, everyone wanted to chip in to help the boys out. Still, to no conclusion they pondered and started to get frustrated as they researched online and read books about American cuisine.
As Ryō continued to contemplate in the living room, Megumi walked over to him and started to tremble as she was afraid to speak to him. His dark aura always surrounded him, as his passion for victory was always his foremost goal. Ryō didn't notice her presence at first, as he stood with his eyes closed and his hand gripped firmly on his chine pondering everything he knew about fish and how to relate it to American cuisine.
"R..R...Ryō. Do you want some tea or something, you've been sitting here for hours now thinking. Can I help?" Megumi stuttered shyly.
Ryō looked up at Megumi and his eyes had a peircing gaze, that made Megumi shutter for a brief moment. "No. I'm fine, leave me. I must think about how to win this competition. I will not accept another loss."
"You know, winning isn't everything. Sure its good to challenge yourself to be the best, but there is no shame in losing. Its what makes you learn to be better than before." Megumi stated.
"What!? Winning is everything! If you have no passion to be the best, then that's one less competitor I have to deal with. You cannot be the best until everyone who stands before you, cannot reasonably think otherwise. I will not stand to be second, only the best and strongest are fit to be in the kitchen!" Ryō snapped aggressively.
Megumi felt a slight sense of anger. "But if all you do is care about crushing your adversaries, then how will you know what you've already won? Is it so terrible to enjoy your accomplishments, and know that you've done a great job so far? Sure you always want to look to the next best thing, but neglecting your own merits just makes you selfish and greedy."
"What merit is there in being second best? What honor is there, knowing your whole lifes work and ambition was swept away by another?" Ryō replied.
Megumi thought for a moment. "Just because someone defeats you, doesn't diminish your honor or accomplishment. It only wounds your pride. Your friends and people you care about surely support you and admire your accomplishments."
"There is no one. Only me. I am all I need, I will be the best." Ryō stated as he got up and walked into another room.
Megumi watched him walk away, and at first she felt sadness in her heart because of how grim and dark Ryō's words were. His passion as he spoke, even made her question herself almost; but a small moment later her heart felt empathy. "How could he have no one?" She thought to herself. With this question, Megumi felt sorry for Ryō and again her heart felt empathy and sadness for him. It was against her nature to see things as he did, and for the rest of the day she would think about her conversation.
Meanwhile, Sōma continued to think with Akira about their upcoming match in five days. As Sōma thought to himself, he wondered who else would know about unique american cuisine that would give them an edge in the shokugeki vs. Damian. As he muddled over it, the image of Erina popped into his mind. As he remembered her robust form, and blonde hair he knew what he had to do. Erina must have tried all sorts food from around the world, if anyone would know a unique american food; she would! Sōma grabbed a few manga volumes and went out the door. Akira had already left, to go talk to Jun about unique american spices.
Sōma was running out of manga volumes her could barter, but another deal to get some insight for a prize like this was well worth it. Also, he had a small hint of wanting to see Erina again. That quickly faded as he reached the dormitory where Erina resided, and she surprisingly answered the door. Upon realizing who it was, her face turned into a scowl.
"Why are you bothering me?" Erina said pompously.
"I came to deliver you the manga we agreed on." Sōma answered as he rubbed the back of his neck. He noticed she was not wearing her school uniform, but a more casual look. She had on a blank pink t-shirt and a tight pair of black spandex, that accented her curves very well. Sōma blushed slightly when he noticed how well her legs and backside looked in the outfit, and her pink shirt was just tight enough to see the outline of her bust as well.
"Very well hand them over and be off. I was in the middle of working out, before YOU interrupted me.!" She huffed as she let out a slight blush of embarrassment because she knew Yukihira was looking at her body. Still, she wasn't grossed out by it and didn't want to admit that she kind of liked being ogled at. Still, Sōma was just a common diner chef and not someone worth her time indulging.
"Wait, before you go Erina I need some advice from you." Sōma asked hesitantly as he let out a nervous smile.
"Didn't I already give you enough advice yesterday? Besides, this is our deal and I honored my part." Erina replied as she inched closer back into her space behind the doorway.
"Yes, but just hear me out. No doubt you heard of the shokugeki between me and Damian Thomas, the Elite Member number three. The challenge is on a full course american meal. Akira, Ryō and I can't figure out a uniquely American dish that will help us have an advantage in the competition." Sōma stated.
"Hah! You think you stand a chance against Damian? Even with Akira, and Ryō I believe you overestimate your chances." Erina said smugly.
"Even still, this is an opportunity for us all. If we win, you become number nine on the council and it will be credit upon our class as first years." Sōma replied.
"It doesn't matter to me, I am an Elite Member as it is. I have tasted Damians cooking first hand and it is quite remarkable. His mastery over steak and sauce with simple ingredients is truly amazing. I guess.., since I feel a slight sense of pity, I will leave you this bit of advice: Damian is a master of glazing and marinating techniques for all types of meats and among his contemporaries he is known as the sauce master. To even come close to a long shot of beating him, you will have to create a meal that combines all three of your strengths together. American cuisine is simplistic in nature, and not complex. To excel in this challenge, you must make a meal extraordinary while maintaining a simple appearance. That is the appeal of American cuisine. As far as what you should make, I leave that up to you figure out." Erina stated.
"Wow, thank you Erina! That really helps alot." Sōma said as he flashed her lighthearted smile.
Erina twitched at the smile and turned her head to hide her blush again. For some reason, Erina couldn't bring herself to respond in her usual cold manner. Infact, she even thought for a moment that she liked hearing Sōma's praise of her advice. Quickly however, she recomposed herself and managed to say: "Y...You're welcome. Now go, I have to finish my workout."
With that Sōma waved goodbye and walked down the long pathway up to her house. As Erina closed the door behind her, she fell back onto it and thought to herself for a moment. "Why did she continue to indulge Yukihira?" He's just a simpleton with mediocre talent, yet she couldn't help but let out a soft smile as she looked at the manga volumes she had in her posession from him. Quickly however she shrugged it off, and went back to her massive t.v to continue her crossfit workout. Something she did everytime before she spent hours in the kicthen.
Yukihira reflected on what Erina said, and although he learned a great deal about his upcoming match; his mind continued to see the image of her in tight black spandex shorts and he felt a slight arousal. Her sex appeal really started to take notice in Sōma's mind. She was really attractive and now that he saw that image of her, he smiled to himself as he walked back towards the dormitory to share the news.
As he was walking along the road back to the Polar Star Dormitory a familiar voice called out to him.
"Yukihira!" Nikumi shouted as she pedaled on her bike towards him, a big smile on her face.
Sōma turned in her direction to see that for once, Nikumi's cleavage was not on display as she wore a tight white t-shirt and tight blue shorts similar to most Japanese workout uniforms. Instead of a leather choker, she had a cloth headband around her neck, but her curves too were revealed in this outfit and Sōma couldn't help but notice.
"Uhh... Hey Nikumi, you're working out too huh?" Yukihira said shyly as he smiled.
"Yeah, gotta burn off all that food from last night. Fitness is really important you know." Nikumi answered as she pumped the brakes on her bike towards him.
"Whatcha doin all the way out here?" Nikumi asked.
"Just getting some information on our shokugeki match in five days. All of us are stumped on an american style dish to present at the competition." Sōma said nervously as he looked down, trying not to stare at her bust.
"Hmmm... Well that is a tough subject, I know lots about Japanese and eastern cooking styles but american style food unique to america is a tough one to figure out." Nikumi answered.
A silence came over their conversation as they tried to think once again on a dish that they could present at the shokugeki.
"Hey Nikumi, you've traveled to America before right?" Sōma asked, breaking the silence.
"Lots of times, my father actually sells meat to the Thomas family that they use in their steakhouses. We also went to some unique places in America, like on time my Dad took us this crazy party event in a city where there was lots of music, and parades, and tons of interesting food." Nikumi started, right before she had an epiphany.
"Yukihira! I know what you guys could make for the competition thats a perfect entry that combines all your guys' skills!" Nikumi blurted out excitedly.
"Really!? What is it?" Sōma asked surprised.
"Hope on, let's get to the dorm and tell the others. Call Akira and Ryō too they'll wanna know about this too." Nikumi exclaimed.
"You mean, ride with you on your bike to the dorm?" Sōma asked nervously.
"Of course silly! We don't have time to waste. Let's go." Nikumi said as she adjusted herself to make room for Yukihira.
Sōma looked nervous as he stepped up to the bike. Again, noticing Nikumi's uniform and feeling slightly uncomfortable at the thought of being that close to her. He hopped up on the pegs, and sat behind her. He hesitantly put his arms around her waist making sure to keep as much distance as he could without falling off. Suprisingly, she didn't have any sweat on her so he didn't feel anything gross as he locked his hands at her waist.
"Hold on Sōma or you might fall off." Nikumi said.
Sōma leaned in a little closer until his chest was on her back. Sōma couldn't see, but Nikumi blushed a little before stepping off and pedaling towards the polar star dorm. Sōma texted Megumi to let her know to round up everyone at the dorm as they seem to have found an answer to their problem. With five days away, they'd only have four days to prepare.
And that concludes this chapter guys. Oh man, things are heating up. If you like the story continue to follow along, as next chapter will be the eventual Shokugeki and the revelation of Sōmas dish. Also we'll explore more about Erina and why she is so cold, and we'll find out more about what Sōma's missing ingredient is. Thanks for reading, leave comments with your input, criticism is welcome!