Alrighty guys i'm back from my friends wedding obligations, and I've been inspired to continue this romance story full steam ahead! A quick note, at the behest of an anonymous critic, I went back and updated all the chapters to fix any spelling mistakes I could find. I didn't realize my biggest blunder Yukihara is actually Yukihira, but what are you going to do? I don't have an editor haha. Also, while on the subject I want to lay out some points for the readers following along and new comers! Some of you are wondering why I am using Yukihira instead of Sōma. Well, I prefer calling him by his last name and that's all there is to it; besides that little ō is a pain in the neck to input and I know from a literal standpoint everyone is referring to him by his last name, but you get the idea. Also, this is a fan fiction so the characters you want to see and how the story develops may be identical to the original manga or not; its just how I want to see the story go. This is why I am so appreciative of all the readers and followers. I'm glad you like my ideas, and I enjoy the criticism and feedback. So let's bounce right into this chapter and see what Takumi is going to do about his problem, and we will also see if Yukihira's plan goes over well. As always, thanks for reading!
Chapter 6: A matter of pride and dignity
Tsozin laughed as he walked away with his entourage. Takumi stood there with anger in his eyes, as he knew he had been goaded into an impossible situation. The only way out was a victory in a battle versus Tsozin "The Charmer" Ikaharu. Takumi's pride and honor had officially been challenged and the stakes for losing were unbearable. Still, he knew an outright refusal would ruin his credibility as a chef and student. He immediately turned, and headed to his dorm to figure out his options to duel Tsozin.
The rest of the crowd in the courtyard whispered among themselves, several students began texting their friends letting them know of the new challenge issued by Tsozin. Within a few hours, the entire school was buzzing about the shokugeki and a slight sense of fear overcame the students as they realized that any one of them could be vulnerable to a shokugeki.
Yukihira's mind kept racing, as he headed towards Erina's place, with thoughts on how to tell Erina about his ideas to win her heart. "It's simple." He thought to himself. Ask Erina to go out with him to the market and pick out ingredients for the perfect meal then prepare it before her, and if she accepts it, he would ask her to be his girlfriend. He thought of how easy this was. That he could complete Damian's task and be a better chef in no time! As he got closer though, a slight hint of doubt started to enter into his thoughts.
As he arrived at the long driveway to her front door, his mind started to weigh down with overwhelming fear and doubt. "What if she snubs me out, like every other time?" "What if she's busy?" "What if she doesn't like it?" "What if she doesn't like me?" Still, his feet moved forward and before he knew it, he was at her door and his body froze in panic.
His heart was racing, and his entire body was starting to tingle with nervousness. Rarely was Yukihira rattled by anything, but this situation before him gave him a sick feeling. He tried to compose himself and remember why he needed to do this. He took a long breath as he raised his hand to the door bell, and nervously pressed the button. As he heard it ring, a pit formed in his stomach while his body was flushed with a sick feeling. His mind went blank as he heard the door knobs unlock and pulled open. A maid had answered and Yukihira barely managed to stutter "Can... Can... Can I speak with Erina please?"
The maid invited him in as she shut the door behind him. He waited nervously, as his mind still had no idea how to process what he was doing. Every other thought was focused on a way to escape the situation altogether. He realized he didn't have any plan, and he rushed headfirst into this predicament. Quickly, he thought of ways to sidestep the true reason he was there. He didn't have any manga volumes on him, and he really had nothing to trade. He was hoping at this point, maybe she would be busy and he could come back another time. Before he could rest easy with that thought, Erina started her way down the stairs towards him.
Erina was wearing her usual school uniform as she slowly walked down the stairs. She didn't seem to paying any attention to Yukihira at first until she was a few feet away from him. She looked across the room, turning her head away from him as she said abruptly. "What do you want?"
Yukihira froze for a moment, then nervously smiled. "Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you real quick about everything that's going on."
"You heard about Tsozin and Takumi Aldini's shokugeki?" She answered as her face snapped to look at him.
"Uhm, no I didn't. When did this happen?" Yukihira said with a puzzled look on his face.
"Earlier today Tsozin challenged him to a shokugeki and had the terms set that if he loses he has to burn an Italian flag or quit Totsuki Academy." Erina said in a displeased tone.
"What!? Why did Takumi even accept those conditions?" Yukihira exclaimed.
"Tsozin is an arrogant prick and probably challenged his pride. It doesn't look good for Takumi either. He has to compete regardless, and his chances of winning aren't great."
"You don't like Tsozin either?"
"I don't like people who use their families to cover up their insecurities. A true chef lets their talent and skills speak for themselves. I may be from the Nakiri family, but I don't let anyone mistake that I can stand on my own as chef."
"I doubt anyone would argue against you either. Why does this bother you though? You're on the Elite Council, why would you care what happens between them?"
Erina looked at Yukihira with a sharp look "Of course I care what happens! Tsozin is a member of the Elite Ten and his actions represents us all; furthermore, Takumi is one of the top students in our class and the nerve of Tsozin to belittle someone by attacking their pride is just sickening. I may be Erina Nakiri, but I still have to show honor for the first years and the Elite Council."
Yukihira considered for a moment Erina's stance, and felt for a moment that he had misjudged her. Underneath her cold demeanor was an actual teenage girl who had real feelings of compassion for others. Realizing this only hardened his heart to bring the news of his plans to her. However, he was also given the out he needed and trying to win her affection during a time like this would not go over well, that much he knew. As Yukihira quickly raced to come up with something to break the awkward silence, he looked at Erina and said.
"You're absolutely right! There has to be something we can do to help Takumi out in this mess. With our talents, there has to be something we can do right?"
Erina returned her gaze to the side of the room. "It's not that easy. I have pride in my class and status, but I cannot just elevate others talent just to circumvent the rules. Takumi will have to do this on his own."
"How can you say you share concern for his fate and your personal integrity, but still just be an onlooker to all this? Damian gathered Me, and several of my friends and rivals together to stop Tsozin and restore the REAL integrity of Totsuki. Why don't you join us?" Yukihira said passionately.
Erina's face reddened a little bit as she clenched her fist and started to say in a sharp, snappy manner. "And what would YOU know Yukihira Sōma? You're just a simple diner chef who rides the coattails of his Father! I've worked just as hard as you think have, and then some. The world isn't what it seems to be from your small shop in some back alley. I have a reputation, I have responsibility, I have expectations! What do you have? Nothing! I am the "God's Tongue" world renowned Erina Nakiri, and you think you can waltz up to me and casually criticize me and my personal sincerity? Don't think for one second you're at the center of this academy, and everything falls to YOUR whim like some cheap high school manga. Now go back to your 'friends' and leave me alone."
Erina looked away from Yukihira, and held her arms across her chest, folded and her back towards him. Yukihira was somewhat disheartened at the words she just said to him. It was a lot to take in, but he never thought about how others view the situation. He didn't say anything and turned towards the door, ready to leave. As Yukihira walked towards the door, he overheard something Erina mumbled (she wasn't as quiet as she thought she was). "I wish I wasn't, I wish I could help you."
Yukihira exited the house, and dared not to look back. He intended to confess his desires to Erina, but instead left with a new perspective on how he thought of her. She was stern and cold on the outside, but she did have an empathetic side that doesn't show often. Although he was dismissed by Erina, Yukihira felt that he may have broken some ground in their relationship and optimistically walked back to the polar star dormitory.
Erina happened to look back at the door, as the butler had locked it shut. She thought to herself about Yukihira's plea for help. "Idiot. If I could help you Yukihira I would." Erina then smiled slightly as she recalled the sincerity in his smile when he first started the conversation. In her mind, there was no way her and Yukihira could be together. Still, whether its the manga she has been reading, or the fact that he doesn't talk up to her, she briefly entertained the idea of her being a normal girl with Yukihira. She smiled slightly at the thought, before she shook her head and removed the thought entirely from her mind. Perhaps there was a way she could help Takumi. It wouldn't be much, but she knew that it was better than nothing.
Megumi and Ryō were in a heated contest in their cooking match over dinner. The dish was a simple chicken dumpling with noodles and rice. Both challengers were flinging dishes around, and spices splashing everywhere. Alice and Yuki were frightfully cowering behind the dining table, fearful of the collateral damage they might receive if they dared to interject with a simple suggestion of "toning it down."
Ryō's dark aura filled the air of kitchen, as his demonic grin and intense eyes cast a looming shadow over his work space. He was furiously needing the dough, and adding various spices and pastes into the broth. On the other side, Megumi had a similarly intense aura. Her light-hearted nature, was cast away for a more impassioned vigor to win. The two worked against one other like a clash of light and darkness. The powerful, intense cooking style of Ryō had rubbed off on Megumi during their match.
Neither of the two realized that they were nearly evenly matched. Megumi's gentle nature was starting to show in Ryō's preparation as he was going for a less intense broth mixture, and instead using lighter ingredients to soften to overwhelming taste. Likewise, Megumi was a bit more heavy handed in her usual choice of ingredients to create a thicker, for flavorful broth for the dumplings.
Finally, the last ingredient was ready. The garnish. Both Ryō and Megumi reached for the parsley to add to the side of their dish, and accidentally had their hands fall right on top of one another. An awkward moment surrounded the kitchen as Megumi looked at Ryō, who looked at Megumi. For a sliver of a second Ryō felt a slight warmth in her hand, before he yanked his hand away and turned his back in embarrassment. Megumi withheld her blush, and chopped up what she needed and returned the rest to Ryō as she smiled.
Alice interrupted the moment with a slight cough. *Ahem* "So, who made the better Chicken Dumplings?"
"Wow, they both look so delicious!" Yuki said gleefully.
Both Ryō and Megumi presented their dishes before Yuki and Alice. As both studied each soup individually, they tasted it. Both were remarkably well done. Neither one seemed to have an edge over the other, and both broths were eerily similar in both flavor and texture.
Alice said in a sharp tone, with her arms folded. "I think Megumi's was absolutely great. Clearly she did better."
"What!? No way! Ryō's amazing! He made his better." Yuki interjected.
"Where are the others? We made this for everyone!" Ryō said aggressively as he slammed more bowls across the table.
"While you two were warring with each other over a simple dinner meal, the others left to take care of somethings. Ryōko and Satoshi left to go meet up with Damian to talk about Takumi's shokugeki. Nikumi left, but she didn't say why. Come to think of it, she didn't look to good either. Zenji went to the market to pick up some more groceries for the house since we have extra guests, and Fumio needed sake so she went with him." Alice stated.
"We need someone to be the deciding factor of our dinner! I know that I can't lose again." Ryō said passionately as he clenched his fist.
"I don't want to lose either." Megumi said cutely as she balled up her first and stiffened her upper lip.
As fate would have it, Yukihira happened to open the door right at that moment. Everyone ran up to him and eyeballed him ready to pounce on him. Yukihira had a soft hesitant smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"Heh... What's... up guys?" Yukihira stuttered uncomfortably.
Alice looked at him with a disapproving look, then had a slight grin as she looked at Ryō. Alice grabbed his arm and made sure to place in in between her breasts as she pulled him over to the table.
"Oh, Yukihira you are just in time. Ryō (said with sharp disdain) and Megumi have just finished making dinner. Which one is better! We can't decide." Alice began, then she looked at Yukihira with a cute, cat-eyed looking face. "I think Megumi's is clearly better, but Yuki thinks Ryō's is. Yukihira, won't you taste them and then I think you'll agree with me." She said in a slightly childish, innocent whine and continued to hug Yukihira's arm in between her breasts as she smiled wickedly.
Yukihira flushed with embarrassment as he could actually feel Alice's bosom envelop his arm, and it felt really nice; but it was also weird to him. He quickly gained control of his arm as he blushed, and then sat before the two dishes. Although Yukihira didn't know, the dish on the left was Megumi's and Ryō's was the right. He wafted a few times, examined the dumplings by poking his fork into them, and finally took a bite of each. As he determined the outcome, the entire room was focused on his expressions as Yukihira sat with his arms folded chewing both dishes and critiquing with his eyes shut.
"That's really good guys! I can tell you both put a lot of hard work into them, but one of them stands out a little bit more. I don't know who made which but..." Yukihira began.
Alice quickly laid her chest against Yukihiras back, and said loudly "Oh Yukihira you agree Megumi's chicken dumplings were better!" Alice looked over to see if Ryō had noticed anything, but much to her ire, he stood with his arms folded and eyes closed eagerly awaiting the results. Alice scowled, and raised herself off Yukihira and let him continue.
"The one on the right in my opinion was slightly better."
Ryō slammed his fists on the table, as he decreed in his dark rough voice. "I knew mine was superior. Yes! Megumi now you understand, no one will stand in my way! You cannot hope to be better than me!"
Megumi looked back at Ryō blankly, and gave a half-hearted smile and then shuffled into the other room with a sad look on her face. Ryō noticed, and drooped his face slightly, wondering what was going on. Alice quickly followed behind Megumi, scowling at Ryō. Yuki and Yukihira were occupied eating the dumplings, to notice what was happening around them. Ryō just shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms into his usual brooding manner.
Alice walked in to see Megumi looking out the window with a slightly pale expression. Alice leaned over to look at her with a concerned looked. She thought about how to approach Megumi about the obvious, so she held off for a moment then began to say.
"Don't worry about Ryō, Megumi. He is just super competitive. He's also oblivious."
Megumi looked back at Alice, smiling slightly. "Oh, I'm not bothered by losing. It just astonishes me how someone could care so much about winning that they can find no other reason to compete."
"I know what you mean. I've known him since were young, and he's never been one to accept failure or losing. In his mind, everything is a competition. It's what makes him Ryō, I guess you could say."
"You guys seem really close. What exactly made him that way though? I mean... I wanted to win our little match, but it was also supposed to be in good fun. He completely overlooked all that and it just saddens me that he can't see anything else, but just another competitor to overcome."
Alice smiled as she folded her arms. "That's Ryō. When he was younger he had to survive in a small diner that catered to dock workers on shift. Every lunch and dinner hour there was a rush of hard working sailors looking for a great meal to relieve them of the stress of the day. Ryō's Dad didn't have much. They barely had enough, so Ryō worked in that kitchen while his Dad worked the docks to scrape what little he could for them. Ryō wanted a better life for himself and his father, so he took it upon himself to learn the chefs cooking styles and became a chef at the small diner. Through sheer determination, Ryō had always exhausted himself to overcome the chefs around him. Eventually he became like a 'mad dog.' His style so intense, and so fiery, that other chefs submitted to his superior quality. This is when I met him, and I openly challenged him to a match."
"It was the first time Ryō was humbled by anyone. He didn't take well to losing, and everyday after working a full days worth of work he'd always challenge me to another cook off. Eventually he ended up besting me, but by that time my family was done in that area so we had to move back home. Seeing as Ryō had great potential, and I was lonely and needed a friend, my family offered to take him in and send him to Totsuki academy with me. We've been friends ever since, but he always maintains that spirit he learned back in his early years. My parents always made sure he had everything he needed, but Ryō never let anyone think that he didn't deserve it." Alice looked down as she smiled softly with a light blush.
"Ryō may be passionately competitive, but deep down he is a good friend. He's always stood up for me, and protected me from bullies and other people when we were in the middle school section of the Academy. As part of the Nakiri family, many students don't believe I got into school on talent alone. They believe my family does everything, and they never respect my talent as a person. Only the name. Ryō never put me on a pedestal he was always willing to challenge me."
Megumi looked at Alice and began to understand what Ryō was like. Megumi wanted to be Ryō's friend, but it seems that Alice was already his best friend. Megumi was saddened at the thought that maybe her and Ryō were too different from one another to be more than just rivals. Her face started to sink again, but as soon as she was about to thank Alice; something overcame her spirit and she boldly asked. "Alice, what is your relationship with Ryō?"
Alice's face turned into a blank shock, as she looked over at Megumi to see she was absolutely stern faced and serious. Alice was caught off guard by the sudden outburst from Megumi. She knew that she had always like Ryō, and even grew jealous when other girls attempted to fawn over him. Luckily for her, Ryō was always lazy and absent minded when he wasn't wearing his red bandanna and didn't notice others. Megumi was different though and Alice didn't know what to say. She had feelings for Ryō and now she is unsure of Megumi's intentions. Internally Alice struggled to keep face of her families name, and involving herself with a nobody like Ryō would be bad for her stature and name. Still, she couldn't help but admire his passion and his dedication. It was all too much to sort through at once, so she quickly shot out an answer in a hesitant but reassuring manner. "Oh, we're just childhood friends. Haha."
Megumi looked at Alice, and felt there was a small struggle going on within her. Alice really did have a close connection to Ryō, and she was undoubtedly his best friend. Still, Megumi thought to herself that maybe Ryō's passion could be turned elsewhere. Maybe Megumi didn't have to be Ryō 's friend, but something more. She smiled internally, hiding the fact that she was blushing. She thanked Alice, and they walked back into the Kitchen where Ryō was standing with Yuki still stuffing her face with dumplings.
As they all stood around, preparing to clean up the mess they made; the door opened again. It was everybody that was out from earlier. Satoshi, Ryōko, and Damian met up with Fumio and Zenji on their way back to the dorm and decided to help them carry all the groceries they had. However, another stood with them. A blonde hair blue eyed slender boy, with an all white chefs jacket and pants. Takumi Aldini.
"Hey Takumi! What are you doing here?" Yukihira asked with a cheerful smile.
"Damian and Satoshi urged me to stay here at the dorm until the shokugeki takes place between Tsozin and I. They believe the less chances we give him to sabotage my chances, the better opportunity I have of ending this." Takumi said, as he stiffened his upper lip.
"What all do you know about the match? We have a few guests here that can help give you some pointers and ideas." Yukihira replied.
"I appreciate the offer Yukihira, but I have to defend my honor myself. I know I can beat Tsozin!" Takumi said with a light smile.
"Hey man, nobody is doubting you in the dormitory. We know you have a lot at stake, which is why we want to help you Takumi. It's not just your Italian pride on the line. Its our class, its our school, and its everything to do with our lifestyles as chefs! Let us help you." Yuki said, as she sighed from eating too many dumplings.
"Yeah Takumi! We can help you out, this Tsozin guy is bad business for all of us. Set aside your pride and let us help you." Alice replied.
"First, we must figure out what the details of the match are. What is the dish you guys will be serving?" Zenji asked, as he pushed up glasses.
"Tsozin clearly wants to add insult to injury with his challenge. The dish we will be serving is Lasagne." Takumi said angrily as he looked down in shame.
"Lasagne is one of oldest and most traditional of dishes in modern Italy. It is mainly composed of ragú, parmigiano cheese, and béchamel with layers of Lasagne pasta sheets. Lasagne is just as cultural as Spaghetti is to many Italian restaurants and many pride themselves on their style of Lasagne made. This is a very iconic dish of Italy, and with it carries a lot of pride." Zenji stated.
"So, Tsozin really wants to hammer in the pressure. Challenging an Italian born chef to a cooking contest where a traditionally Italian dish like Lasagne is the entry. Furthermore, as a matter of pride; you have the difficulty of displaying your families Lasagne to the judges and if it doesn't..." Ryō began, before Alice's hand came right across his face.
"Shush you moron! I think Takumi is aware of the situafion, you don't have to spell it out!" Alice shouted in Ryō's ear with anger.
"Takumi, what are you going to do?" Megumu asked.
"Well, if you all insist on helping me; I have a recipe for a particular type of Lasagne that my family makes. Alice, your gastronomy skills will come in handy. Damian, I know you are well experienced in sauces, and perhaps could help me enhance my families Lasagne sauce? Megumi, I know you're pretty handy with vegetables, and perhaps you can help me find the perfect techniques to add them to my sauce?" Takumi asked everyone, as he felt inspired to challenge Tsozin.
"That's the spirit Takumi!" Yukihira smiled as he got up, and began cleaning the kitchen to prepare for Takumi's dish experimentation.
Outside polar star, Nikumi was standing. She had a lot on her mind, but still felt that she needed to be with the gang and support them all the same as they would for her if she needed it. Plus she also wanted to know about Takumi, and what they were going to do to help him out. As she approached the door, she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She spun around quickly to see who it was.
"Relax! I didn't mean to startle you." Akira said.
"Akira! What are you doing here?" Nikumi asked, as she sprang back into a deffensive position.
"I have some news from Jun, that the rest need to hear. It's about the shokugeki in two days." Akira stated as he headed towards the door.
Both Nikumi and Akira entered the dormitory, with Akira having a stern concentrated look on his face. The group all turned to look at them.
"Hey Akira, Nikumi! What's up?" Yuki asked cheerfully.
"Akira said he has some news from Jun, about the shokugeki!" Nikumi exclaimed.
"What is it Akira?" Takumi asked as he looked over.
"Jun was told by some of the faculty that the match between Takumi and Tsozin will be streamed live; furthermore, all three judges have been decided and they are from the Administration Bureau. Rumor has is that the guest judges are all benefactors of Tsozin's father. The really insulting part about all this, is Tsozin has specifically requested the Aldini family to be in attendance." Akira said grimly.
Takumi slammed his fists on the counter. "That foul bastard! Will he stop at nothing!? What does he gain by doing all this?" Takumi said angrily, as rage boiled inside of him.
"Fear. By making a strong showing, and example of one talented individual, Tsozin can rest assured that nobody will want to challenge him. It also demoralizes any would be defendants to crush their spirit before the match begins. It's all just to exercise his twisted ago." Satoshi stated aggressively.
"No matter what you guys, you can't give up. I know you guys can pull this off. You only two days to prepare, so we all have to work together to make Takumi's dish able to best anything Tsozin can make!" Damian said.
Alrighty guys, so quite a bit happening in this chapter. We had the dramatic tension last chapter, and now this chapter uses my third favorite device: Rising Climax! Erina exposes a little more depth than the ice queen we thought she was, and Yukihira made a little progress in that area. Meanwhile, Ryō and Megumi and Alice! A second love triangle going on. Childhood friend vs. sweet charmer. My favorite battle! So, again sorry this took so long to pen out. I had some editing of previous chapters to do, as well as figure out ol' Takumi's role in all this. For you Aldini fans, I am so clever that I have good spot for him as a side character so no worries!
Next chapter, Tsozin and Takumi face off! What will happen? Will Megumi make a move on Ryō before Alice? What is Erina's plan for the shokugeki? Will she open up to Yukihira? What will poor Nikumi do about Yukihira! Will Yuki be anything more than filler? Find out next chapter, thanks for reading!