Here we go, less than 10 hours and I'm back to my not-so-comfy chair digging up materials to write with.

If anything, chap 0 of the manga (I guess it was a beta or something) actually fits my imaginations of the characters better than the actual manga. The interactions were smoother and I guess cooler. The foundation of the story is there too. But enough ranting, here we are, chap 2.

I don't own Shokugeki no Souma, and all this is just for fun.

Enjoy!

"Terrible!"

With that, the bowl of miso soup gets dumped on the chef that brought it over.

"Seriously! What kind of soup is this? It feels like sharing a hot bath with a gorrila!"

W...what? How is bath and...okay okay, I'll stand back.

Nakiri Erina crossed her arms as she stood up and left the place, leaving dozens of chefs bowing in apology.

The infamous God's Palette. To her tongue, no taste can pass by undetected. Even the faintess trace of impurity. The sense of God, if you will.

To top it off, she is born in the Nakiri family, being the family that leads the culinary world. Tootsuki, their private academy, has a tiny rate of graduation of around 10%. As Ernina would say: "You can still be a cook if you fail from Tootsuki. A second graded one, that is." Tootsuki is the elite of the elite when it comes to culinary schools, the best in Japan and hardly has a rival abroad.

Amongst that, Nakiri Erina stood at the top. And although only admitted into highschool, had already taken a seat in Tootsuki 10 Elites, a group of students so good they handle the school affairs, even some teacher's and other culinary affairs worldwide. Erina can already lead a class, which to other student, is like devine revelation to learn from her.

Only the most high-class, top rated and perfect food are allowed to be eaten by her.

It would count a dizzying amount of money to have her taste and review a dish.

And if you get denied by her, it is almost equal to game over for any chef.

"Is that the last of my appointments, Hisako?"-Erina asked her loyal aide.

"Uhm, haii, Erina-sama. For the rest of the day you are free to do as you wish."-The brown haired aide replied, checking the books.

Suddenly, a familiar face.

"Erina. I've been looking for you."-Nakiri Sanzeamon spoke as they met at the hallway, near the stairs.

"Haii? You have been looking for me? Is something wrong?"-Erina was surprised. Her grandfather wasn't one to be eager enough to go looking.

"No, not really."-The bitter-sweet grandfather smile thinly.-"I just had an unusual apetite and..."

"Then, I'll be more than honored to prepare a meal for-"-A meal from her is pretty damn close to a god-sent, this Hisako knows.

"No, Erina. I'm inviting you."

"Haii...?"-Now both Erina and Hisako was completely and utterly confused.

"If you don't have anything else to do, why not come along?

"Along? To...where?"

"To eat of course."-With that, the old yakuza-like man turned around and started walking.

What...?

Her grandfather, Nakiri Sanzeamon, the Demon Food King, is inviting her to go eat out with him?!

"Oh and, I hope you tasted enough food to last through dinner, because we're going a bit far."-The old man gave a passive wave.-"Meet me at the entrance at 6 o'clock if you're interested."

'Interested' is definitely the right word to describe Erina right now.

"Well, I guess I'll go then. I wonder what kind of place grandfather wanted to show me..."

In Erina's mind, the image of a certain chef came to her.

But she shook away that thought, thinking it's impossible on multiple levels.

"Do you want to come along, Hisako? I'm sure grandfather don't mind."

"Eh...Eh? Oh...I have other work that needs finishing. Forgive me Erina-sama, I could not join you."-The aide bowed slightly.

"I see..."

Erina turned away.

'Then, show me just what kind of a place that could grab me, Nakiri Erina's attention!'

...

...

...

"When you say pass dinner...you really did mean it..."-Ernina trembled as she sat on the limo with her grandfather.

She didn't expect them to drive through the night!

"Well, it was a spur of the momment, afterall."

Then again, what kind of spur of the momment can make the great Nakiri Sanzaemon travel all that way for?

With all greatest chefs at his fingernails, he can have whatever food he want before him in less than a few minutes!

So what kind of a place that made him drove out to this point?

The stranger it gets, the more it, although Erina would denied, excites her.

The sun hasn't come up yet, but it's light is dimming through the early morning skies.

They are passing by... a shopping district? Usually here, there's only second rated family restaurant and shops. Nothing worth a Nakiri's attention.

'I guess it's a little further up...I'm so beat right now...'

She did took naps on the road in short sessions, but the overall trip is just tiring.

Then, suddenly, the ride stopped.

"Eh? Why did we stop?"

"Why else. We're there."

"Hah?!"-Erina looked outside.

Shops and restaurant aren't even open yet!

The only human she can see in the street is a young boy her age on a ladder, cleaning up some sort of stain on what seems to be his family restaurant.

If her grandfather said it was some sort of ultra secret restaurant, and that the ground below them would suddenly lowers them into a secret base underground, Erina would still actually have a thin chance of believing. This? Where is this place? What is this place?

But, no such explantion came.

The driver opens the door safety locks, signalling them to get out, and as such, Nakiri Erina stepped out first.

She and that red haired boy locked eyes.

At first she was only was going to glance over, as it is hard to miss him as he is sitting on a ladder on an empty street, but she, for some reason, slightly got captivated by his gold eyes. The look of his face wasn't surprised, but quite confused. But. That look in his eyes. The way his orbs shines, it was captivating for some reason. Confident, resilient yet friendly.

As she stared for too long, the boy spoke.

"...What do you want?"

Nakiri Erina felt no need to answer it.

As her grandfather stepped out, the boy turned attention to him, and gave his name.

Yukihira Souma.

Erina struggled if she remembers anyone she bothered remembering that has the Yukihira family name. And she came up with none.

So why is grandfather seems so interested?

"If you're here about the issue with the land, I told you we-"

'Hm? This shop is having some trouble?'-Erina eternally thought.

"Cook something for us."

Nakiri Sanzeamon's request surprised her to the letter.

'What?! This boy? This lowly dog is why I had to travel all night to meet?!'

"Ah?"-The look on his face turned into utter confusion.

Too annoyed with the situation, Erina spoke, almost threatening.

"Didn't you hear it clearly? Cook something for me. If it doesn't satisfy me, I'll tear this shop down."

"So you are here about the land again?! I already threw out your lackey yesterday after you messed up my family restaurant, my home! And now here you are, want me to cook another dish?!"

Is he accusing her of something?

Looking inside the place, it seems to have been trashed by outsiders, and the sign that the boy had been cleaning up until now got some strange white paste threw on it.

Erina heard of projects that tears down district like these and built up high rises, hotels and modern shopping centers. This shop must be suffering from it.

'Hmph. A fitting end to such lowlives.'

Suddenly, in a surprise movement, the redhead on the ladder jumped down, facing her directly.

Erina's eyes opened wide as a strange sensation hit her.

She never felt that uncomfortable feeling before.

"Very well!"-Yukihira Souma pointed at her, declaring confidently-"I'll make a dish that will make you say 'delicious'!"

Never in her life did she saw such passionate fire burning in one's eyes. His confident smirk as they locked eyes made her feel strange. Very strange.

But, she retained her expression (besides a small blush that came from no where).

"Hmph."-Erina flips her hair again before walking pass him and entering the special-of-the-day-shop.

Souma randomly pulled a table and two chairs for the two early guests.

"Forgive the messy layout. Now."-Souma pulled the white band from his wrist and tied it on his forehead.-"Please wait a momment!"

Erina took her time and looked around.

'He couldn't be serving any meat dish, since all of those are on the floor...Still, there are many other ingredient he can use...'

"So, Yukihira Souma. What do you plan on serving us?"-Sanzaemon asked. Right now, he feels really strange and nostalgic. He hadn't been to this kind of restaurant since he was still...young.

Regardless, he was quite sure the quality of the food isn't going to be the same as the plain restaurant layout.

"Raw eggs with white rice."-Souma answered bluntly and almost naively as he started cooking rice.

"Wha?"-For a second, Erina wanted to slam the table and lecture the redhead to death.

"Ah, don't worry, I'm...coming up with something. It won't simply be raw eggs mixed with rice."

'In other words...Tamagokake Gohan?'

Souma finally brandished his knife, and chopped garlics into bits. He scrambled a few eggs while seasoning the flavor of garlic, sesame oil and burnt soy sauce on a frying pan.

'The ingredients are simple, the cooking don't look like there's anything speci-?!'

Souma surprised the two guests as he was pouring the scrambled eggs into the pan.

Just as the eggs hit the surface of the pan, Souma did a quick flick on the handle, sending both the eggs and the seasoning upwards.

For a second, even without tasting it, Erina had envisioned something.

Some light, delicous, heavenly flavor.

As if white feathers are surrounding her, falling all around her.

But it last only a second, giving her a huge shiver.

'W-what did he do just now...I didn't even tasted it yet, and I already felt something...'

But after that, he just pour the eggs onto white, burnt rice with nothing else.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"-Souma said as he carries out two bowls of raw eggs mixed with white rice.

Erina was more than surprised.

True to his words, the eggs are still raw, but it has that seasoning flavor inside it.

Sanzeamon noticed it too.

"You enclosed that seasoning on raw eggs?"

"Yes, by moving the pan as if making the eggs run through it."

"On heated oil too... Must take incredible precision and a lot of practice."

'If it were only half a second late, they would become half-cooked scrambled eggs. But the eggs are still raw, syrupy, and from it, erupt a fragnant smell of that delicous seasoning. Such a combination on rice...To think that this is just Tamagokake Gohan...'

"Well...you see..."

"Hm?"-Both guests looked up to him as he turned back into the cooking station, stretching his tired left arm.

"The first time I held a knife was when I was three years old."

As Erina stared into that pose, she had an unexpected familiar feeling.

Overlapsing him is a shadow of a man with the skills that did more than just satisfy her taste.

It only lasted a second, but Erina couldn't stop, or rather she didn't notice a light pink blush on her cheeks.

"Well, before it gets cold, please eat it."-He said as he was putting away the utensils.

Then he just murmured incorehently stuffs about new ingredients, probably to replace the destroyed ones last night.

Erina took the first bite.

'The onion and garlic has such a strong, dense smell and taste...I might choke on it...The syrupy eggs although raw, it feels hot and brushes gently against my tongue...The soysauce and rice combine with each bite, giving such a heavenly taste...'

And by the time she gulp it down, she was already felt like she was in heaven.

'This is the best~!'

While Erina felt like she was floating in mid air and getting teased with gentle feathers, Nakiri Sanzeamon took a bite, and suddenly, the entire upperside of his clothes just bursted into shreds.

"?! What was that?!"-Souma suddenly looked up, out of his bizzare ideas for improving squid tentacles and peanut butter.-"Why...no, how did you undress just now?!"

The muscular old man then laughed hystericaly, as if he has no care in the world.

Meanwhile, back at Erina, she was shooting bullet shapes stares at him, but at the same time flustered and even embarassed tears began appearing in the corner of her eyes.

"S-stop it! Don't come near me! Nohhhh~...Uahn..."-She weakly voiced after taken a second bite. That feeling now runs through her like electricity, intensified that heavenly feeling.

"I-I haven't taken a step towards you though?"-Souma, oblivous towards the girl's acute sense of taste and the "torment" she is going through, asked confusingly.

'Even though this is just Tamgokake Gohan...even if this chef is just a second rated one... and...even if...'

"Fuah~..."-Erina let out a weak, satisfied yelp.

"...So!"-Souma decided to jump in now to ask for the verdict.-"Is it good? Or...is it bad?"

Sanzeamon just looked at the young chef with a smile and nodded his verdict.

But Erina, now collapsed on the table, tremble as she form an answer.

"Uhm...are you okay...uh...what's your name again?"-It was now that he realized he didn't even knew their names, going into this challenge.

"Nakiri...Erina..."-Still trembling, the blonde replied.

"Uhm. Are you okay, Nakiri-san?"-He knew his food has that effect on people, but he need the verdict, then she can squirm all she wants.

Unexpectedly, the girl bursted up from her position on the table.

"You don't know who I am?!"

"Nope. Enlighten me."-Souma stated naively and bluntly.

"Kuh-?!"-Erina felt like stomping him in the foot, but restrained herself.-"Don't think you have won against me yet though! I'll prove to you that my cooking...Tootsuki's way of cooking is the ultimate way of cooking!"-She declared-"Just you wait, Yukihira Souma!"

"Uhm...what's Tootsuki?"-Souma dumbly asked again, and for some reason, it was Erina who felt embarassed.

"Ehh! ... Ah...A-anyway!"-Erina stumbled, blushing furiously-"I'll prove it to you that my cooking is better than yours! Just you wait!"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to tasting your dish."-Once again, the naive Souma said with a friendly grin, with no actual clue of the gravity of the situation.

Which only served to further embarass the God's Palette and force-sent the situation down the friend route instead of enemy.

Well, partly.

"But, admit it! My cooking was delicious right? We don't know about winning or losing, but it is delicious right?"

"There is no way I'll admit it!"-Erina shouted embarassingly, still hasn't gotten over it yet.-"There's no way I...could...admit it..."-She added that under her breath.

"Hm, what was that?"

"..."-Erina just stayed quiet after that.

'There's no way for me, Tootsuki's princess, the God's Palette to admit that such a plebian dish made by a person that is the definition of that word...to admit...that such food...is...delicious...'-Erina just quitely sit down and pick up the chopsticks again.

And, with his superb inability to read the mood, Souma spoke.

"That would be 1000 yen."

"ARGH!"

Nakiri Sanzeamon couldn't be pleased any more than this.

He hoped to meet the legendary Asura again and have that man teaches Erina how to advance herself, refine and develope herself even more.

The young blonde seemingly thought that she is already at the top, and that no more refinement is required.

Yet that would later be her downfall.

So, either let her speak to someone she would listen and take it to heart, which Sanzeamon doubt anyone but Asura could, or...get her a rival. A goal.

Yukihira Souma flawlessly did so. He showed her the things she lacks, especially her lack of development and reliance on the word 'perfect', and drew her out of her comfort zone. All that in a very friendly way that encourage her to compete.

"Yukihira Souma."-The muscular old man called.

"Yes? Ah, about the land..."-Souma recalled the main objective.

"Ah ha, no, we're not here about it. Infact, we don't have anything to do with it."-Sanzeamon smiled.

'He spoke to him as if they don't know each other...'-Erina noted.

Then why did her grandfather came here in the first place?

"Tell me young man. where is your fa-"

"Yo Souma. I'm back!"-From the door came in a middle aged man with a rough, powerful build, his hair tied into a pony tail-"Did something happened?"-He gestured to the sign.

"It's no big deal pops. I got that covered."-Remembering about the sign, Souma headed outside to clean it again.

Checking the back of the kitchen, and seeing meat all over the floor, teared and destroyed, Yukihira Joichirou gave a slight smirk.

"No big deal, huh..."

It was incredible how the Nakiris were being ignored.

"...?"-Only after a while did Joichirou cast a glance over at the two guests.-"Hoh?"

"A...A...A"-Erina stumbled for words.

"Yes, ojou-chan? I'm sorry but we're not taking orde-..."

"ASURA?!"

The shout almost knocked Yukihira Souma off the ladder.

After swaying for side to side a few times, Souma finally regained balance.

"What happened pops? Pops?!"-The young chef got down again.

"Pops?"

Erina then eyed between the presumably father and son, looking for similarity.

"What is it Erina? You scared me..."-The younger Yukihira spoke.

"Don't call me by my name!"

"Ah? eh? Uhm...Nakiri-san then?"

"Ah, so it's you, Nakiri-dono."-Joichirou gave a smile to the older man before him.

"It's been time...Asura."

"A...Asu...A sure? What?"-Souma stumbled.

Awkward silence ensued.

Erina took back that part about Yukihira Souma being a second rate chef.

What is this? What kind of a strange turn is it?

She had read some shoujo manga about these kind of encounters before and...

...

...

Steam is coming out of her ears.

Somehow, before the older Yukihira, Erina seemed very meek, unlike the attitude she threw at Souma's face like slaps.

Then again, the boy failed to even register that intent in the first place.

Asura of the Polar Stars, or Saiba Joichirou was like an old idol to her. The first and only man (she hasn't recognized Souma yet) to be able to satisfy her tastes.

Then one day, he just gone off the news, went under completely. Sometimes, after reading too much shoujos in one day, Erina thought he had an accident and died or something!

And just now, she met the man's only child.

While he still has plenty of improvements needed to catch up to his father, he undoubtedly had his father's blood in him.

She wanted to make a lot of questions, why did the infamous Asura of the Polar Stars is now running a special-of-the-day shop, what made him turned down offers from Tootsuki, from her grandfather, even from her to settle in like this. So much questions that she could not find courage to ask. In her own view, she felt she is still like a child to him, like when he cooks for her the first and only time.

Unbeknowst to her, Yukihira Souma also had the same feeling to an extent.

He too had been looking up to his father, desperately trying to catch up to him. And after seeing the strange meeting just now, he too realizes he knew very little about the man who he called pops.

But, no questions were made, and the Nakiris soon left (After paying 2000 yen for the 2 Tamagokake Gohan, of course).

"T-then. We'll be going."-Erina meekly bowed a goodbye to the older Yukihira.

"Oh."-Joichirou nodded.-"Have a safe trip, you two.

"Mn. It was sad to wasn't being able to enjoy your food, but it seems your son has some talents of his own. Wonderful boy."-Sanzeamon nodded.

"..."-Joichirou looked to his son, wiping paste off the sign of their family shop and gave a slight yet proud smirk-"Hmph. That boy has somethings that even I don't have."

"Hmph!"-Erina folded her arms as she childishly huffed.

"Souma, aren't you forgetting to say something?"-Joichirou smirked again.

"Hah? Ah...Thank you for your patronage, please come again..."-The boy didn't even turned to face them.

"Hey! Couldn't you at least sent guests away properly?!"-Erina responded to the attitude she assume is disrespectful and mocking.

Suddenly, no more pleasantries. An awkward silience hung.

"That's that then."-Joichirou would have patted her head if she was still small, but she is a fine lady now so he just leave it at that.-"Have a safe trip."

As he turned away, Erina gathered some courage and spoke.

"If you don't mind, may I come aga-"

"Hey Souma."-Joichirou unintentionally cuts her off-"I'm closing Yukihira for two or three years."

"HAH?!"-Both Erina and Souma couldn't be anymore surprised.

This time, Souma really did fell off the ladder. Comedically.

"Well, I'll send apologies over to regular clients..."

"Start by apologizing your son first!"-The redhead Yukihira got up instantly, yelled at his father.

"A friend of mine asked me to work over there for a time. It's far away so I won't be able to come back here."-Joichirou got inside again.

"Hey, isn't that a bit too selfish?!"

"I'll leave as soon as I've packed my bags."

"Wait a minute!"

"I'll send you back some money to live on, so don't worry."

"I said wait a minute!"-Souma followed inside.

Erina don't know how to respond to this situation.

So all she and Sanzeamon did was to watch.

"I wanted to stay in this place!"-Souma started.

'To prefect my skills and beat the old man...that is my goal! And this shop is where I can refine myself to do so! So...I don't want to leave...'

But before he could said that, his father gave him a short pump to his chest.

"It's time to spread your wings, Souma."

And that's it! Chapter 2 completed. I think I have somewhat smoothe out the relation between Erina and Souma, so it's a good chapter for me. I did what I could as far as describing the dishes and how you cook them.

I guess Erina in my fic is less 'bitchy' as most people would say. How do you enjoy that OOC? Please give me your opinion and ideas through reviews and PMs, I always welcome those interactions between the writer and the readers.

Feel free to fav and follow if you haven't!

Until next time.

DsCrystalEyes