Rating: XXX
Pairing: Loren/Erina; Loren/Alice; Loren/Hisako; Loren/Marui; Loren/Ryoko; Loren/Akihisa
Genre: Many Self-Insert Lemons
Notes:
Hey Everyone! Loren Here!
I am currently about to embark on my ultimate adventure at the ever-so famous Tootsuki Academy! I will face challenges, have my relationships tested, look failure in the eye and march forwards; all in the name of becoming the Gourmet King… or whatever the hell it is you do in this place. I don't know, people here seem to take this whole culinary arts thingy way too serious for it to be healthy. Oh well, in a month or so this place will be closed down, so who cares. Wish me luck!
Disclaimer: I do own Shokugeki no Loren!
The last thing she expected to find when she went to pick up the acceptance results and records for the new students enrolling into the Academy was her second favorite aide (granted, she only had two, but still) beaten and broken, buried headfirst inside a trashcan.
Erina paused, scanning the classroom / kitchen for a moment, before settling her sights on Julio, legs up and motionless, seemingly also shirtless for some reason she'd rather not ask. She knew the man could be dramatic, but this seemed a bit excessive even for him. She simply blinked, narrowing her eyes before proceeding to shut the door and walk away.
"Don't just pretend you don't see me!" Julio cried out, his voice echoing thanks to the trashcan he was now wearing as a hat. The Italian flipped himself over, landing on his ass, and proceeded to remove the trashcan from his head, as multiple dirty pieces of leftover food feel all over him.
"Julio," Erina stated simply, reopening the door ever-so slightly. "I cannot stress enough how little time I have for this type of buffoonery."
"It's not that Milady!" Julio quickly shot back, defensively. "I'll have you know I happen to hold Tootsuki's principles very close to my heart. I would never do anything to sully its image, or yours for that matter. It was just… something happened that I…"
"…Julio, it's late," Erina stated, her eyes narrowed as she was so not in the mood for any of this. She should have sent someone else, but unfortunately, both Hisako and Ikumi had been taking the test, so it couldn't be them. "Did you test the aspiring students? Properly I mean."
"That's exactly what transpired Milady," Julio replied, turning to her with his fists clenched, his eyes glaring at the nearby stack of papers Erina assumed were the results from the entrance tests he had given, as a piece of leftover salami slid across his face. "It was all going well. Most of them didn't measure up, some even left as soon as I introduced myself, out of sheer panic, as one usually does when meeting one as talented as I."
"…Quite."
"But, this one fellow… Oh, this one demon cosplaying as a student," Julio spoke with a hint of rage Erina could not tell if it was genuine or not. "He created this amazing dish, so damn savory that I ended up losing consciousness it seems. That damn brat. Behind those beautiful, lovely, sexy eyes of his is buried the soul of a killer!"
"…Julio," Erina stated, almost to the point of giving up and simply failing everyone by proxy. "I'm ten seconds from simply walking away and leaving you locked up in here. You have eaten gourmet dishes for as long as you can remember. I cannot believe that being away one summer caused you to be so taken in by a run of the mill stu-"
"You don't understand Milady," Julio uncharacteristically cut in, surprising Erina slightly. "This was no ordinary dish. The texture, the flavor, the sheer ingenuity and class behind it…"
Erina just stared, beginning to at least humor the idea that perhaps there was a little more to what Julio was saying than simply mad ramblings, but then he added the only thing that truly shocked and insulted her in equal measures.
"…It was like…" he continued, awestruck. "…if I had eaten a dish created by you yourself, Milady."
-0-
"So… what do you want me to do?" Loren asked, as he scanned the kitchen before them before settling his attention back at Soma, who seemed to be wondering just that. "I just got out my acceptance test, so I'm still kinda hyper. I was hoping to use that very adrenaline to cook up something great, if that's what you'd need of me that is."
"That's the gist of it," Soma replied, "Truth be told, while this kitchen is big enough to allow multiple cooks to practice different things, I think that hosting six cooking matches simultaneously might be pushing it a bit."
"Oh?" Loren looked on, somewhat confused but the little, knowing smirk ever-present.
"But, since I have the power to decide the theme and stuff, let's make the most of it," Soma declared. "We'll make something quick, with whatever ingredients we find here. In order to pass my test, just try to make the best dish you can. We'll compare it to mine, and I'll give you the pros and cons of your selection. But don't get nervous, I'm not very strict, just do your best and I'm sure you'll be fine."
"That's still a scary thought," Loren said ever-so innocently. "I mean, having a Shoku-whatever with someone as famous as you is not something I expected to be doing in my first day at Tootsuki. I hope you go easy on me."
"Oh, relax, this isn't a Shokugeki," Soma told him, patting the younger boy in the shoulder, which caused the blonde to stiffen a bit but he acted otherwise. "You'll see plenty of those throughout the year. Right now, this is just a friendly competition, nothing more. So let's get started, otherwise the others will use everything up and we'll be left with nothing but table scraps."
"R-Right," Loren replied, forcing the smile as much as he could. Was this guy really as problematic as Azami and the others played him out to be? Loren knew Soma could cook decently enough, and that kiss he gave Azami's insanely hot daughter was envy-worthy, but aside from that, he looked like every other common student Loren had seen thus far. Utterly unremarkable.
"Now then, as there's no theme or main ingredient, you are free to go wild. We start now," Soma told him, and then shifted his attention towards the pantry. 'He seems like a nice enough kid, and he's probably a bit nervous, so I should take it easy on him. I know, I'll make the same dish I made for Fumio when I first got in here! That way, if Loren here can at least come close to that, then I can safely give him a pass.'
'So here we go then. Let's see how far I can take this,' Loren thought, as he pulled out his phone and his earphones. "Excuse me, Soma?" Loren asked in the most good-boy voice he could muster. Soma turned to him, raising a brow. "Just wondering if it's okay if I listen to some music while I cook. I have a special playlist, and it helps me a lot when I'm nervous to fully focus on my cooking and stuff."
"Oh, sure, as long as it doesn't hinder your ability to hear the timers and stuff you should be fine," Soma replied, giving the boy the okay he needed. Loren lit up at hearing this and quickly moved to set his earphones in and turn on his saved audio files. Soma likewise resumed his preparations, and within moments, both competitors had begun to create their would-be dishes.
Within that very kitchen, ten other students were busy prepping their ingredients and utensils, as the other five "matches" had started as well. Isshiki simply took a seat nearby, out of anyone's way, as he observed each and every student, smiling proudly at the display. Soon, he theorized, Polar Star dorms was going to be bigger than ever, rivaling if not outright beating the Polar Star of the Golden Era. He quite liked the sound of that, especially in what was to be his final year within these walls.
He shifted his focus on Soma, noticing with a smile how the boy was completely engrossed with his cooking and was already halfway done.
Soma moved, finding it so very different than when he first cooked this dish for Fumio exactly one year ago. Now, instead of experimenting and forcing it to work, he did it so effortlessly. A dish so simple compared to everything he had learned and created since then, that he completed it in what he believed was record time. It almost caused him to mentally apologize to Loren, since for once, he wasn't trying to show off. He wanted to measure the boy with how he had been back then, but even so, his skills had grown so much that even handicapping himself he made the dish way too quickly and way too easily.
He even had time to text Erina during prep work, sending her a simple greeting, hoping she wasn't already sleeping, as he knew she had a busy morning schedule. 'Don't want to be a bother…' he thought. 'Should probably refocus on the food. Granted, it probably tastes better than it did back then when I first made it,' Soma noted, sighing. 'Still, I don't have plans on failing this kid anyways. So long as he doesn't burn the entire kitchen down, we should be fine… heck, even if he burns it this place in insured, so who care-?'
Then a smell so divine caught his attention, stopping him mid-thought, as he turned in sheer shook towards his side, where his would-be opponent stood, lost in his music and pouring a little bit more sauce onto the skillet that was cooking up his dish. Loren looked very focused, and Soma couldn't blame him, as whatever it was he was making smelled absolutely delicious.
"…Aaand it's done!" Loren announced with a smile, as he took the skillet on the stove and turned, coming face to face with a gawking Soma. "Oh! Are you done too? Cool! What comes next?"
"Uh…" Soma paused, his eyes darting to the steaming skillet Loren was holding, his left eye twitching. "Oh, well, we now judge it, I guess. What's it called?"
"What's what called?" Loren innocently asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Eh, your dish," Soma replied, somewhat confused. "What did you end up preparing? It does smell pretty good."
"…Oh," Loren replied, turning his attention back to the skillet. The boy seemed lost in thought for a moment, before he returned his gaze back to Soma. "…I haven't named it yet."
Soma was even more confused now. He found the concept of not naming a dish so outright alien in nature that it almost spooked him, but he never did instruct Loren to do so, so perhaps the boy had been taught differently. He did not seem to be Japanese, so maybe that was a factor. He looked American, Soma presumed. Did American chefs not name there dishes? He was sure they did, maybe it was simply Loren who wasn't quite there yet. He was young and a new student to boot, so maybe it wasn't that surprising.
"No worries," Soma assured. "Here at Tootsuki we usually do name our dishes, especially if we use them on Shokugekis, because that all goes on record and stuff. But relax, I'll make sure to give you several pointers later on, back at my family's restaurant we named everything, so I have experience."
"That sounds cool!" Loren replied, before he turned to Soma's dish, eyeing it curiously. "So… what's yours called then?"
"Ah, that's my special "Improvised Mackerel Burger Meal"," Soma declared proudly, just as he had way back then. "It's a personal favorite of mine. I first made it when I first set foot into this academy, much like you are doing now."
"Oh!" Loren voiced, "…But how can it be improvised if you've done it before?"
Soma felt slapped.
"…Ah, erm, well," Soma stammered, noticing how the name really no longer fit. "Guess that's a fair point. It used to be improvised alright! When I first got in here the kitchen wasn't as packed as it is now. I only had table-scraps to work with, give me some credit."
"Sure, whatever you say," Loren cheerfully replied, before he took another look at his skillet. "So… then? It's getting cold, shouldn't you…?"
"Ah, right, allow me a taste," Soma said, half-forgetting his main role in all of this. "Have a taste of my own dish, so you can compare and contrast what I've done with what you've done."
"S-Sure."
As both boys interchanged dished, Soma ended up taking a spoonful of Loren's dish right out of the skillet, still wondering why the boy didn't even bother to set it on a plate, but deciding it was probably meant to be eaten that way. So took a bite he did, and…
…He found himself buried alive in a mountain of food, the massive weight of every single ingredient almost drowning him in its flavor. His body stripped completely; with the meat's juice that was running down his nude body so thick that for a moment he had thought it was his own blood. It was frightening, yet amazing. And, above him, was the chef, shovel in hand, burying him further and further, shutting off the very little room for air he had. And, as his mind went blank and his senses were completely shut off, the very last sight he managed to catch was her mad murderous smile…
"Whoa, that's!" Soma blurted out, as he came back to his senses. He moved back so quickly it caught the attention of all the other competitors, as they were all still cooking. The Polar Stars and the would-be Polar Stars all stopped, eyeing Soma strangely, as the redhead seemed like he had just been punched right across the jaw. 'What the heck even is this?!' Soma screamed to himself. 'It's insanely savory… I can't even decipher it. What ingredients did he use? What's the sauce? I-I can't even tell…'
"Is everything alright Soma?" Isshiki asked, approaching him. Soma nodded, as he pointed to Loren's unnamed dish.
"This kid seriously made something good," Soma said. "Try it, make sure I'm not just making this up."
And Isshiki did. And a second later, Isshiki was in just his underwear.
"Amaaaaaazing!" the half-naked young man exclaimed excitedly.
"Why did he get naked?!" Loren blurted out, outright scared at the display. Such a display was not one he was used to seeing from guys, but as soon as Isshiki yelled out, the others quickly approached and demanded a taste of Loren's creation. Soma allowed all of them to get a piece, and to Loren's surprise, within moments, everyone had gotten a taste of him.
"This is so damn good!" Yuuki said as she lost herself in the flavor.
"Oh my, it's outright divine, you are quite the upstart Loren," Ryoko praised, which caused Loren to blush and avert his gaze.
"It's so good I can't even tell what ingredients he used!" Marui said, his body shivering with every bite.
"Seems like the cute boy is a culinary genius Cilla," the long haired Berta told her twin.
"This is something near the caliber of Milady Alice, is it not Berta?" the short haired Cilla replied, as Loren couldn't manage to look at either girl. It was way too embarrassing to do so.
"You really are talented," Mitsuru told Loren as he approached him, as the latter boy turned to face the young reporter. "And here I thought with everything I had learned from Soma I'd be a force to be reckoned with this year, but if my experiences are anything to go by, you have a sure path to being one of our year's best!"
"Ah, y-you think?" Loren forced himself to smile as he spoke. "I feel like I still need to practice more, but who knows? I'm sure you'll hold your own pretty well enough and stuff."
"I can only wish," Mitsuru replied, still in awe of Loren's prowess. "But I am going to challenge you once I get a little better. I'm not that great, but I will strive forwards. Hope we can push each other to our goals."
"…Right."
Soma looked on, his face contorted in a way that it made it hard to read, as the approaching Daigo and Shoji noted. Both boys went to Soma's respective sides, grabbing each shoulder, and pressing their faces to him. Soma just narrowed his eyes, knowing them well enough to know they were going to say something to annoy him.
"You do know it wasn't a Shokugeki right?" Daigo asked.
"Yeah, and you even held back, so it's not that bad a thing that Loren kicked your ass so badly," Shoji added, which caused Soma to mentally snap.
"I did not lose!" Soma barked, causing the other two to burst out laughing at the reaction. "I didn't!" he repeated, still angry. "I wanted him to win! He needed to do so to pass! I wasn't going to go all out with an underclassmen!"
"He totally would," Ryoko noted.
"So fiercely that he'd make the poor kid unable to even boil water in the future," Yuuki added.
"I'm not as harsh as Master Shinomiya!" Soma defended. But as the others laughed, and in time, returned to their own cooking, Soma could only ponder. It had been amazing, the dish this boy had created. Something had tasted… strange. Like an ingredient he had never tasted before or something. But how? He knew everything they had in this kitchen!
It must be his cooking style, something he did. Next time he had the opportunity to see Loren cook, he'd be more attentive. But for now, he knew he had a role to play. So he swallowed his massive pride, walked up to the still-bashful-at-all-the-attention-he-was-receiving Loren, and gave the boy a firm pat on his shoulders.
"Fair is fair kid," he told the boy, managing a genuine smile in the process. Because despite it all, he did feel proud for Loren, and he was going to be sure to fester that talent just as Isshiki had done with him. "You beat me fair and square. So, welcome, new Polar Star."
It wasn't much.
Soma could practically hear his younger self say those words when he was accepted, the amount of relief and pride in his work evident in his tone. As any student would be. As any chef would be when your hard work pays off. It was only natural. So, perhaps, that's why it was so strange for him when he heard Loren's reply.
"Ah, cool," the younger boy replied nonchalantly. "So, where's my room?"
-0-
"Listen up everyone," Gin Doujima announced to the group of students before him. The intimidating man stared down the group of sleepy students, as all seventy-seven of them had been alerted as early as six in the morning that their presence was required in the assembly hall at seven in the morning sharp. Here, all of them hazily prepared and carrying all their stuff, as per instructions, were made aware that they had in fact passed the written exam portion of the New Elite Ten competition. The second and last part, the actual cook-off, was going to start at eight in the morning, and would run concurrently with the second day of the Open House, as in, their would-be customers would consist of those very people visiting Tootsuki.
"I'm proud for all of you passing the written test with perfect scores. I expected nothing less, and I'm delighted in being proven right. But, you must know, that was merely the prerequisite. Today, you'll compete for real. Only five amongst you, at most, will be granted the rank of an Elite Ten come tonight. Before then, for the next eight hours, from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, you'll be cooking nonstop," Gin said.
As Gin explained what they had to do, all the students began to shake off their tiredness and try their best to hype themselves up. Some had an easier time that others, because some, like Soma, had barely gotten any sleep the night before. Mostly because he still couldn't believe that Loren had "beaten" him, despite everyone reassuring him it didn't count. To him, it totally did. And that mixture of disappointment for his loss and pride for Loren's talent was an odd combo that he was not used to dealing with.
Furthermore, Erina had not replied at all. Not last night, not this morning. And she had read the message, because he could see she had done so. What was going on?
"Don't tell me these exams have you stressed out?" Takumi whispered to Soma, edging closer to the boy. As per usual, the very few Second Years amongst the sea of Third Years kept themselves close to one another. Takumi, for his part, felt tired too, but he had gotten a decent enough rest, unlike how beaten up Soma looked.
"It's not that," Soma replied, whispering as well. Last thing he wanted was to get scolded by Gin. "Not that I'm not a bit nervous, because yeah, I am, but… there's this new kid in our dorm," Soma replied, deciding to share the non-Erina related worry. "And damn, you should eat the stuff he made last night for his entry test. The "me" from a year ago would have never managed something like that."
"That good huh?" Takumi said, his interest peaked. "Does he come from an established family? Or is he like us, you know, more down to Earth?"
"I… didn't ask," Soma noted, realizing that he should probably start paying more attention to those details. "In fact, I don't know his last name. Now I'm kinda curious myself. If he comes from a small family restaurant like us that'd be awesome."
"What's his name?" Isami cut in, following Soma's conversation with his brother, as Soma turned to the younger twin and seemed pensive for a moment.
"I think it's… Loren?" Soma replied, almost sure.
"Ohhh… That one scored the highest in the entry exams Julio gave yesterday," Alice added as she seemed to materialize in between the three. "Seems the kid is good enough to get even you rattled, huh Soma?" Alice added with a knowing smirk, which served to irk Soma even more.
"As if," he lied. "I'm just excited for a decent challenge is all," he said, then smirked right back. "Cause I'm sure not finding it here."
"Them's fightin' words," Alice joked, before they all heard Gin clear his throat loudly, letting them know they weren't being as inconspicuous as they believed. The kids all straightened up, their attention back at the stage, ignoring all the glares from the annoyed Third Years.
"Now then, listen closely," Gin continued, now that he didn't need to compete with the youngsters. "You will all be running a food stand, much like the Moon Banquet Festival you all took part in last year. This time, however, we will assign you your stand, and in order to qualify for a seated position you must reach a specific quota."
"Wait what?" one of the Third Years in the crowd, Hamtaro or Rentaro or something to that extent if Soma recalled correctly, said out loud. "Wouldn't that just give us less than an hour to even prepare?"
"It took us days to get everything ready for that," Megumi voiced, beginning to shake in place. "A-And we even helped each other at times."
"What's this now?" Gin spoke with a knowing grin. "We're not getting cold feet are we? Of course you won't be granted all the commodities you had during the Moon Banquet. That was meant for everyone, this here, this is created solely to test the talent of the next Elite Ten members. So here are the rules. One, you are only allowed to cook dishes you have created and presented during official Shokugeki matches, nothing more."
A collective "what?!" could be heard throughout, as they all began to realize how limited their menu had just become.
"In order to not be that tough on you guys, we will allow any dish, not just the ones that were victorious," Gin added, but whether or not he was being a little sarcastic the kids couldn't tell. "Of course, that alone would not show growth, so you are allowed, and even, expected to modify and improve upon those very dishes. To what extent, I leave that to you."
"And second, please take a look here," Gin continued, as he took out a tablet from his suit and showcased it to the crowd. "Your sales will be tallied in this app. Every hour, it will be updated, showing us where each of you stands, and how close you are to the goal. You will also have this app, so think of it as a motivator of sorts. Remember, and I cannot stress this enough, in order to become an Elite Ten member, you must meet the quota. Even if five seats are available, if only three of you pass the mark, then only three seats will be filled, no exceptions. Am I being clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the group called out in unison. Gin could only smile. Maybe, just maybe, they could save Tootsuki after all.
"Good," Gin said, as he motioned to a screen behind him. It lit up, showing several numbers and statistics. "This is your quota."
All students paused, their eyes wide. That… That number couldn't be right.
$232,200.00
The massive number was plastered on the screen, and the kids had no idea what they were supposed to even get out of that amount.
"This, based on a study made by our own academy last year, is the monthly average revenue for your run-of-the-mill restaurant. Nothing fancy, a far-cry from the establishments most of you come from. If you divide that by the average days on a month, thirty to be exact, you get…"
$7,740.00
"This, for you, is the net income that you all must reach in order to pass this test," Gin stated firmly, and the students felt like fainting. They had to reach that, in eight hours?
"That's a load of bull," Mea said to Rentaro, who stood beside her. The former members of Eizan's hit squad all stared down the imposing figure, as Rentaro merely scoffed.
"There's going to be more to this," he told her. "We can't be expected to reach that sum with just the people visiting this place. Not all of them are going to even bother eating something made by students."
"What now? You think this is a ploy?" Gin added, seemingly reading everyone's mind. "How sharp you all are. Indeed, that is not the number you must reach in sales to get a pass…"
"See," Rentaro said, satisfied. Mea was not that sure.
"I did say that that should be your net income," Gin repeated, and then it hit all of them. "Your gross income, the amount of total sales you have to make in order to qualify, is larger. You must, after all, make enough to cover for the expenses you take. So, adding in the Labor Costs of the hired hands assisting you, and the Food Costs of the ingredients provided to you, what you must sell in order to qualify is…"
8,661.00
"…So get to work," Gin stated firmly, as the students all realized just how hard earning the Seated position was really going to be.
Borderline impossible.
-0-
"When I said you could take over for me, I did not instruct you to scare the crap out of them," Soe commented at Gin, as the latter entered the main office. Soe was seated on the main desk, his eyes on the several screens showcasing all the students beginning their challenge. To their credit, they weren't hesitating, a necessary factor in being able to pass all this.
"I'm just making sure they know what needs to be done. If I needed to exaggerate just a little bit, then so be it," Gin replied, taking a seat on the office, taking a look at the screens. Several students had already begun cooking, and he imagined, even gotten a sale or two, as the first wave of visitors had started to arrive. With their dishes already priced for them, it was up to the individual student to decide how much effort and time to dedicate to each dish, and of course, word-of-mouth would dictate whether their stand would be a success or not. "Allow me to set up the app on your screens Soe, I'm anxious to find out which one of them is the first to break one-hundred. The first hour is always the slowest, so…"
He did a few clicks, and in no time, the app's data was showing itself on the screens, the sales number right next to the photo of each student, a little graph on the side showing how they were managing thus far.
"…Is that data correct Gin?" Soe asked, tilting his head to the side, his expression one of bafflement. Gin paused, turning to what Soe was staring at. His own eyes widened at the sight.
"This thing just begun…" he said, for once completely caught off guard, "How can two students already be that high?!"
The screens did not lie. Only five minutes in, and Soma Yukihira and Takumi Aldini were neck and neck competing for first place, with an approximate of over $350 in sales respectively.
"Order up!" Soma called out to his "rented" staff, who were simply more students who wanted the extra credit and were glad to help out. In Soma's case, which he had just learned, two of his staffers had previously worked under him as bussers in Erina's restaurant last year, and the two had specifically asked to be placed with Soma. He couldn't be happier. "Keep it flowing guys!" Soma told them with a trademark smile. "The smell is what's going to keep people coming in, and the steamier it reaches the client, the better it will be!"
As he cooked he also took glances at the screen, smiling at the sight that Takumi was matching him hit-for-hit. "You've always been a stubborn one…"
"You're not getting rid of me that easily Yukihira," Takumi stated as he swung his mezzaluna around and perfectly crafted his dishes. His aides rushed in and took them to the clients, his sales going further and further with each passing minute.
The rest of the students, upon noticing the massive lead the two "commoners" had acquired at the start, begun to pull out all the stops, and because of this, the Open House guests' attentions were stolen by this event, with everyone and anyone coming to a stop to see what all the fuss was about.
One hour passed, and the app was updated. Soe roared in happiness before he caught himself, as Gin eyed him judgingly, since he should not be playing favorites. But after a first hour of Soma and Takumi dominating, the second hour showed Alice Nakiri in a clear lead, much to her father's delight.
"I told you didn't I?" Alice mused, syringe in hand, he kitchen looking more like a scientific lab than a food stand. "I wasn't losing to you again."
Another hour passed, and Alice's lead remained, despite everyone's efforts, except that someone had managed to almost tie with her sales. To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Soma, Takumi or Ryou, but rather someone most people had long ago disregarded.
"That's good, I can keep up with this pace, I can match her," the not-so meek Megumi noted to herself, as she edged closer and closer to Alice's sales.
Within time, the eight hours passed and the cook-off concluded, the final hours results hidden from the students, meant to be revealed at the end of the day. But, as they were at least excused from having to do any clean up, the competitors all retreated, their hearts still pounding hard, as the seventh hour had shown them all way too close to each other to be able to tell, but, as far as Soma had counted, none of them had passed the mark yet.
'I was close,' he noted, solemnly, 'As were several others. But… in that last hour, did I sell enough to reach that mark? Erina…'
Soma, his focus returned to the object of his affections, the main reason he wanted to secure an Elite Ten seating, took out his phone and dialed. He called his girlfriend that had been leaving his messages on read…
…And she never picked up.
-0-
It was at around eight in the night that they were called back, this time ushered towards the central stage that Senzaemon used last year to make important announcements. The very stage Soma had first issued his challenge to every student there, promising to use each and every one of them as a stepping stone. Now, he thought, came the moment he proved whether or not that threat had had any merit to it all.
They were all collected there, both the tired participants that had barely had enough time to return to their dorms for a quick bath and change of clothing before being dragged back, and the general student body that had kept themselves occupied with the Open House event. All instructed to wear their school uniform, for some reason, and Soma felt insanely weird wearing his. Ikumi felt even weirder.
They all stood, chatting about, as Soe Nakiri took the stage, microphone in hand.
"Good evening Tootsuki!" he shouted out as excitedly as he could. The students, while tired, still did their best to roar their enthusiasm back. They were tired, sure, but the excitement overcame all of that. This could be it, the moment some of them became seated members. "Thank you all so much. This year's open house has been a rousing success, and we owe it all to your efforts. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. And I applaud you, welcome, to your next year here in Tootsuki Academy!"
At this, everyone cheered. One year down, thought the Second Years. Two for the Third Years. The new meat, as the rest called the First Years, just looked on, thrilled to be finally taking part in this.
Soma was amongst the ones clapping and cheering, standing in the crowd surrounded by the other Polar Stars, both new and old, all except for a suspiciously missing Isshiki. Soma, seeing as Erina was not there either, deciding to check his messaging app once more. And like before, his messages remained there, read but unanswered.
'What's going on Erina…?'
"So, while we have major announcements to report in the coming days, let's finally announce what you are all eager to hear," Soe announced, as he took out several envelopes from a file he was carrying. Was it meant to look like an award show? "So, first thing I feel like we should say, is, well, I'll allow Gin Doujima to say this part."
Right on cue, Gin walked into the stage, microphone also in hand. "Very well then," he announced. "I feel the need to apologize to our participants of today's main cook-off. The statistics you were given are somewhat false."
At him saying this, a very sudden and loud uproar could be heard, which amounted to little else than making the older man chuckle.
"I may have inflated those sales numbers quite a bit, doubled them in fact," Gin explained, still laughing. "Still, those are still average restaurants we were basing ourselves from. You are all Tootsuki, you are all expected to far exceed those numbers. So, I'm proud to say, that in a record display, eighteen of you actually surpassed the real gross sales quota. Congratulations!"
The student all grew quiet at this sudden information. Eighteen? That meant that it was certain that five of those would be granted seats then.
"Indeed," Soe added. "We will now announce the five of you that have been granted a seated position within the Elite Ten, alongside your final sales tally. Likewise, right after, we will officially recognize our former lower five seated members as the new top five, so, once I've announced all ten, then this year's official New Elite Ten will all be upon this very stage. Let us, begin!"
'This is it!' Soma thought with his eyes focused beyond belief. They all held their breaths, as this was going to shape their entire year. The winners would be Elites, their entire curriculum altered, the rest, they would have new targets to defeat from here henceforth.
"With a total of $7,794.75, our new Tenth Seat is…" Soe announced, "Takumi Aldini!"
A huge uproar followed, from both applauses and sneers, but Takumi himself felt outright lightheaded, about to outright faint. He froze, knowing he needed to climb up that stage, but his legs were not responding properly. He then felt a hand press right onto his shoulder, causing the blonde to turn to the side, and instead of seeing his brother as he had expected, it turned out to be the scarlet haired secretary that he had fought alongside with during their past Stagiaire. "H-Hisako?"
"You should be moving that way," she said as she signaled to the stage. "Mr. Tenth Seat."
Takumi smiled from ear to ear at the sound of that, even if he felt equal part embarrassed. Isami and Soma followed suit, patting him on the back and pushing him towards the stage. With cheers from all of those of his year, Takumi climbed up the stage and was given an envelope, alongside an affectionate pat from Soe. He shook both his hand and Gin's, before he was instructed to remain on the stage, at the far left.
"Then, with a total of $7,820.95, the new Ninth Seat is…" Soe said, "Ryou Kurokiba!"
"AH! You did it!" came the scream so loud from Alice that it drowned out the entire crowd, nearly deafening Ryou. He frowned, not all that used to so much attention, but he did his best to shrug it off and moved up the stage, grabbing the envelope from his lady's father and given both men a firm handshake, before he moved to stand right next to Takumi.
"Congrats," Takumi whispered as Ryou reached him.
"Right back at you," Ryou replied.
"And now, with a total of $7,833.02, the new Eight Seat is…" Soe said, but then couldn't help himself and began to cry, "My dearest baby-girl! Oh my God! She did it! She's in! Ahhhhh!"
"Alice Nakiri," Gin immediately cut, in, trying his best to drown out the bawling acting-Director.
"AH! I did it!" Alice repeated with equal delight, bouncing up and down as Hisako tried her best to keep the Nakiri from going overboard and outright flashing everyone present. The overly excited girl practically bounced her way up the stage, jumping into her father's arms as he gave her the envelope, before she did the same and glomped Gin as well.
"Seriously? You beat me by that tiny margin?" an annoyed Ryou told the cheery Alice as she moved to stand next to him and Takumi. She stuck her tongue out at him, but her smile was impossible to remove. Ryou did his best to simply look away, as he couldn't help but outright smiling as well.
"Oh, my apologies for that, let's continue," Soe said, as he tried to regain him composure. "Now, with a total of $7,996.39, our new Seventh Seat is…" he said, pausing once more, "Soma Yukihira!"
Soma's senses overwhelmed him.
He heard his name. He heard his total. He heard his new seat. And his mind went blank. He could still vaguely see his friends, all surrounding him, telling him to go up the stage, motioning and even pushing him towards it. He stared, knowing that he had to move, but his body failing him. He had been so quick to push Takumi forwards, but damn, he now understood how overwhelming it really was.
Then he felt his hands being clapped by another more delicate pair. He snapped out it, his eyes meeting those of his best friend, who gave him the warmest smile he had probably ever seen.
"Go, you earned it Soma," Megumi told him. He nodded, and moved.
Soma quickly reached the stage, with a bit more sneers than the others, because of course. He knew very few actually accepted his return, but he didn't care. He grabbed the envelope, shook Soe's hand and then Gin's, and moved to the side.
But then, surprisingly, he begun to hear more cheers. They became louder, more diverse, and for once, not just from his friends. Soma paused, looking down from the stage, and he saw it. He didn't quite understand it for the briefest of moments, but then it hit him.
"What's… this…?" Soe couldn't help but mutter, as both he and Gin looked on at an unusual display.
Several students, dozens upon dozens, all waving around cooking utensils as if they were lit-up torches. All cheering, drowning out the negative remarks. These students, happy as happy could be, with their items on display, causing Soma to fully realize who they were.
"This is…?" Megumi asked, as she looked around at the display.
"It's them," Mimasaka approached her, his arms crossed but looking proudly at the stunned Soma. "It's every student I beat, every student he gave back what I had stolen from them."
Soma fought hard not to tear up, as he looked around, in awe. As he turned to the side, where he was supposed to walk towards, he saw one more blade in the air. The Mezzaluna. Takumi held it up high, as he gave Soma a knowing nod.
Soma returned it, as he turned to the crowd and gave them a very short bow, before moving right next to an almost crying Alice.
"That wasn't meant for me, and still," Alice voiced. "Damn, you have a fan-club now."
"I-I wouldn't go that far," Soma replied, still emotionally overwhelmed. "I'm not Takumi."
"Yeah, blondie here has a flock of girls over there nearly catatonic over his win," Ryou stated as he pointed to the far right.
"Was that meant to sound like it was dripping with jealously on purpose or…?" Takumi teased, as Ryou simply scoffed.
"And now, last and certainly not least, our new Sixth Seat, with a total of… wait, what the?" Soe said, as he looked at his data, his eyes widening. He turned to Gin, who nodded, letting him know that the information was not incorrect. "…Well, wow, with a total of $8,662.25, actually surpassing the overinflated amount we had set…"
"Someone reached that high!" Marui screamed out, before Yuuki motioned him to shush himself.
"It's certainly not me," Ryoko said sadly, as she turned to Shun. He shook his head.
"No, I don't think it's any of us," he replied.
"…Who could surpass Soma, Alice, Kurokiba and Takumi like that?" Megumi voiced, as they all awaited the answer from the purposely dramatic Soe Nakiri, who was milking this for all that it was worth.
"Shouko Kaburagi!"
The Third Years all began to cheer, their applauses drowning out everyone. The Polar Stars looked on, noticing just how happy they all were that at least one of their own had claimed a spot. Megumi looked on, realization finally hitting her. She hadn't made it in, because of course she hadn't. Her bad thoughts were halted, however, as she felt her sleeve get tugged. She turned, not expecting to find Loren looking straight at her, his expression somewhat confused. "Oh, Loren, yes?"
"Who's she?" he asked, pointing to Shouko, who was making her way towards the stage.
"Ah… she's a Third Year," Megumi replied. "I don't know her well to be honest. Far as I know, she is very talented, but I didn't know just how much."
"Might be more than that," Mimasaka added, and both Megumi and Loren turned to the taller student. He said nothing else, but his eyes were focused, staring directly at Shouko as she took her prize. 'You don't fool me. You used to be every bit as dangerous as Eizan. Now that he's avoiding the spotlight… What are you up to?'
"So… the Pokémon Trainer got the highest available seat, huh?" Alice said, as Shouko walked towards them and stood in line with them, from highest ranked to lowest.
"Evening princess," Shouko replied, with a soft smile. If she had heard Alice's comment or not they couldn't tell.
"Evening," Alice returned with equal hypocrisy, and had to be tugged by the sleeve by Ryou to keep her in line.
"That was one hell of a sales number," Soma told Shouko. "But don't think you've scared me off or anything. I can't wait to challenge you to-"
Soma paused midsentence, when he saw Shouko had turned and was staring intently at him, smile still in place, carefully listening to him but not emoting to his words. He felt, weird, and had no idea what to say, or if he should keep talking at all.
"…I look forwards to your challenge," Shouko finally said, as if she had finished examining what she wanted to, and then she turned to face the crowd, leaving the redhead boy utterly confused.
"Now then, with the new members on stage, let's formally introduce our remaining Elite Ten students!" Soe continued, pointing to the side of the stage, likely the spot where they were waiting before walking in. "The former Tenth Seat, having won it in a novelistic Shokugeki match we all remember, the current Fifth Seat, Akira Hayama!"
With a cheering crowd, the spice master walked onstage, taking his spot right next to Shouko, as Soma, Alice, Ryou and Takumi could not help but glare his way. He was still higher than them, and it irked them. He seemed to notice, as he briefly turned to them and smirked. "Congratulations guys, about time."
They all wanted to smack him there and then.
"And now, also the former Tenth Seat who lost her seat, and then managed to win the even higher Ninth Seat, who now raises even higher as our current Fourth Seat," Soe summarized as best he could, "my ever-precious little niece, Erina Nakiri!"
Soma stared to the side, as the blonde goddess walked into their line of sight, ever so poised and collected, taking a stand next to Akira. The crowd went the wildest they had been at the sight of her, and she coolly ignored them all. Soma kept on staring, his heart sinking when he saw that she wasn't even looking his way. Keeping up appearances, as she had said. He understood it, he really did… but why did it hurt then? Was a little friendly greeting and acknowledgement really be that bad a thing on her reputation?
"Bitch much," Alice muttered.
"Milady…" Ryou tried, but Alice simply pouted.
"What?! No congratulations to her cousin or even her boyfriend for our victories?" Alice complained, and Soma felt so weird that he completely agreed with Alice for once. "She still thinks she's so high up? Come on! Just because I'm twice her number!"
"I don't think the seats work that way," Ryou voiced.
"I don't think it's just pride," Soma added, and Alice just turned to him. In her eyes, he could see she could tell he wasn't too happy about it either. "At least, I'd hope not."
"…Yeah, perhaps," Alice said, for once deciding it was best not to push it.
"Then, our former Eight Seat, now our new Third Seat," Soe continued, "Terunori Kuga!"
The Chinese-culinary expert walked onstage, his trademark laidback grin ever present, as he moved to stand next to the Tootsuki princess. The Third Years in the crowd once again cheered, and he merely waved his hand towards the crowd.
"Next, our former Seventh Seat, now officially our new Second Seat," Soe said, "Satoshi Isshiki!"
The Polar Stars began to cheer as loud as they could the moment Isshiki appeared, for once wearing his school uniform properly, as he cheerfully waved back at all of them. Then he turned, but before he stood next to Kuga, he pointed knowingly at Soma. Soma couldn't help but smile, since he caught his meaning the moment he had heard Soe's announcement.
'Somehow I ended up taking your former Seat, huh Isshiki?' Soma noted with pride, as he looked on as Isshiki took his place in the line. Kuga seemed to whisper something at him, which caused the boy to laugh but likewise shake his head. Whatever it was, Soma presumed it had to do with their last, highest ranked member.
"And finally, the former Sixth Seat, now officially the highest ranked student member in all of Tootsuki. Our First Seat," Soe announced as he signaled to the right once more. "Nene Kinokuni!"
The young lady walked in, the very same cheers that Shouko, Kuga and Isshiki got repeated, but now even louder. She was at the top, of course, she deserved the extra attention. She barely glanced at the crowd, however, simply moving next to Isshiki and standing firm.
"First Seat, I could not be prouder," Isshiki whispered to her, causing her to frown.
"…Don't patronize me Satoshi," she replied, as Isshiki merely looked on.
"I'm certain I'm not," he said.
"She's probably happy," Kuga added, "I've never seen her smile, so, maybe that's how she expresses joy."
"You know what's actually sad?" she asked, "That without Momo here, you're actually the shortest Seated Member."
"I swear I'm gonna-" Kuga barked, his fists clenched.
"Now, now. Can't we at least try to get along?" Isshiki asked sadly, as the new Elite Ten all stood before the crowd, the applauses still going on strong.
"I didn't think you'd cheer that much for her?" Ryoko noted to Yuuki, who merely shrugged.
"She's Isshiki's kinda, maybe, I think, girlfriend, right?" Yuuki noted, unsure. "Least I can do is cheer, even if I do think she's a stuck-up bitch."
"Wow, how do you really feel about her?" Shun jokingly added, as Yuuki stuck her tongue out at him.
At this Soe concluded his announcement. The new Elite Ten just stood there, the cheering crowd amazed at the sight of their new goal, as they all wrestled with the emotions that came with such a leap. In due time, these ten would be all that stood between Tootsuki and the threats that were close to arrive. But, they still did not know that, Soe would allow them this night. One night to celebrate, before they were forced to tend to a situation that no prior Elite group had had to deal with. Not, at least, to this scale.
As such, the New Elite Ten was officially formed, come hell or high water.
-0-
The activity and resulting festivities lasted quite a bit, and they ended up going home very late into the night. Ryou tossed himself onto his bed, tired, but still feeling that sense of hyperactivity one feels when you've been overly active all day. He pulled out the envelope Soe had awarded him with, eyeing it for a moment before finally opening it. Inside was the official award of his new seat, a big, bold number 9 right in the middle.
"So much fuss over this little thing…" Ryou muttered, annoyed at even himself because he also took it very seriously. But then again, who wouldn't? This was, after all, their main goal during their time in this academy.
Then he heard a soft knock on the door, which caused him to sit right up. It clearly wasn't Alice, because she'd simply hit the door with so much force she'd almost break it down. He'd doubt it was Erina, since if she'd need him, she'd simply call or text. Hisako, maybe?
He stood back up, motioning to grab his worn up shirt then deciding against it, he was tired, it was his room, and he could be shirtless if he wanted to.
He can't say he wasn't surprised when it was in fact Alice at the door.
"Since when do you knock properly?" he said jokingly as he rested himself against the door frame.
She said nothing, just smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. He observed her carefully, his lady, dressed in her sleepwear which consisted in simply an oversized shirt and her underwear, nothing more. He'd be surprised if he had not seen her like that before, but what really scared him was the way she carried her pillow, hugging it against her frame as if defensively.
"Can I come in?" she voiced softly.
"You don't have to ask," he replied, moving aside and letting her in. Alice walked in, and took a seat on his bed, her eyes staring out at the wall. He closed the door, then took a few steps towards her, stopping just barely at arms-length from her. "What's wrong? This… You don't look okay. And it's not the Elite Ten seats, right?"
"…I wish it was," Alice said, and her tone sounded scared, causing Ryou to move and take a seat right next to her. She simply rested her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. "I heard daddy and mommy talking. They keep saying everything's okay, keep making so much fuss about all the events here at Tootsuki… But grandpa has never stayed away for so long. They were discussing how to handle an upcoming month long event, don't know the details, but… how to handle it without him… Ryou, I'm scared, he's not well…"
"You really think such a strong man could possibly be ill?" Ryou asked, honestly taken aback.
"I knew he wasn't feeling too good, he told Erina and me as much before the school year started," Alice admitted, and Ryou looked on. It was the first time he was hearing this, but he said nothing. "But, what was supposed to be some check-ups or something like that has extended itself to weeks. Daddy won't tell me, but… but… damn it Ryou, I know grandpa. He'd never leave this place for so long unless he…"
She began to cry, barely able to finish her sentence. Ryou honestly did not know how to properly respond to such a situation, so he settled on holding onto her tightly. Letting her cry into his shoulder as much as she wanted. Was it true, he wondered, that the ever-imposing Senzaemon Nakiri was sick? It would make sense of all this situation, in a sense, but it still sounded far-fetched. So, he ignored those thoughts, just holding onto Alice, noticing for the first time, despite how loud and brash she could be, just how utterly fragile she felt in his arms.
"We'll ask your dad again, both of us. Make him be upfront with us," Ryou told her, and she nodded onto his bare chest. "No point in doing something like that to protect you and Erina as if you two were still children. If anything, this worry is hurting you more."
"…C-Can…" she began, but stopped herself and cried more, softly, still not fully grasping how to handle her sudden emotions, how one could go from being on top of the world to feeling so sad in the span of just a few hours.
"Sleep here tonight," Ryou read the thoughts she was hesitating on saying, and she simply shut her eyes again, softly nodding.
Then another knock was heard, causing both Alice and Ryou to look up, an embarrassed Alice jumping off Ryou and covering herself with his sheets, red in the face. Ryou just stood up, cocking his eyebrow at her display, laughing a bit.
"Since when do you ever get embarrassed?" he teased.
"I'm not embarrassed!" she argued. "If dad sees us like that, he could misunderstand. You know that!"
"Yeah, yeah," he replied as he went and opened his door again. No one was there. "…What the heck? Is Hisako pulling pranks all of the sudden?"
"That does not sound like her."
Another knock came, and Ryou and Alice noticed that it wasn't coming from the door, but from the window. Ryou, getting tired of all the sudden surprises, moved and opened it, frowning at the sight before him.
"What on Earth are you doing here?" Ryou asked, "Yukihira?"
Soma gave Ryou a wave and a smile, as he approached the window. "Sorry for interrupting, but they're not allowing guests at this hour, Erina is not answering my calls or texts, and this is the only route I know of sneaking in."
"Soma?" Alice said as she peaked her head out of the covers. "Why are you spying on us?"
"Alice?" the equally surprised Soma asked, "You two share a room now?"
"Wait! You didn't know I was here?"
"I'm not some perv who spies on people's windows!" Soma defended. "I just got here and knocked, I didn't peak inside. Although I had expected only Kurokiba."
"Then you better keep it that way!" Alice threatened. "If you tell anyone I'm in here, I'm Shokugeki-ing you ass out of here, for real this time! Not even Erina, you hear me!"
"Yes ma'am!" Soma answered with a military salute, before he turned to Ryou. "Don't think you'd mind me taking a shortcut through your room so I can see Erina, right?"
"…I'm so done with today," Ryou muttered, as he sighed but nevertheless gave Soma a hand and helped him inside. "Take a peek at Alice and I'm throwing you through a wall."
"What's with you people and thinking I'm some sort of peeping tom?" Soma argued, but thanked the two all the same and made his way out of Ryou's room and towards Erina's. He left the two… lovers, maybe, to their own devices, since he had his own situation to resolve. Thankfully, he knew the layout of the manor well enough already, since the last time he snuck inside with Ryou's help was still fresh in his mind. A few minutes and two avoided maids later, Soma reached his destination, and gave the door a soft, yet firm knock.
He heard how Erina seemed to get up from her bed, if the sound of the mattress was any indication. "Hey, Erina, it's me," he announced before she reached the door. "Just in case you're not decent. But, I was hoping we can talk-"
The door was slowly opened, as a surprised Erina peeked her head out of her room, her wide bright eyes still not believing he was really there. He noticed that she was wearing her pajamas, but they covered plenty, so he felt dumb in giving her the warning.
"Soma… why are you…?" she voiced, her tone just as shocked as her eyes were.
"I… well, listen," he said, forcing himself to be firm as he crossed his arms and stood his ground, not sure if it would go the way he wanted it to, but he couldn't take it anymore. "I don't like this, okay. I can understand you need your space. I can understand you want to downplay our relationship in public, because you are, well, a public figure so to speak. And, while I could care less, you don't want people to think I'm dating you in order to further my career. I get that. I get all of it. But you are insanely distant as of late. You barely reply to my texts, you don't answer when I call, and you never call back. When we see each other most of the time you keep yourself several feet apart at minimum. I mean, what changed when we became Second Years? Are you… not happy?"
She stared, her mouth open as if she had intended on interrupting him but was unable to do so. She remained that way for a second or two, pensive, until she took a step back and fully opened the door. He stared, unsure, until she spoke, sounding a bit unsure. "…Are you coming in?"
Was he? He wasn't sure himself. He didn't plan that far ahead. But he did so regardless, it was something after all. Within moments, Soma and Erina found themselves alone in a room that belonged to one of them, the first time in what felt like forever.
"I would have cleaned up a bit more had I known you'd be here tonight," she voiced.
"Relax," he reassured, "Compared to my room, I don't see anything in this place that's not completely spotless. Heck, I didn't even know you cleaned. What are the maids for then?"
"I'll have you know that I can clean," she defended. "Our staff merely handle the more, strenuous tasks."
"Right," he replied. "Erina, listen, I…"
She moved, her eyes focused on him as she sat back down on her bed, her fingers intertwined. She looked so tired, and it was making Soma crazy how he couldn't properly converse with her, especially after everything they had gone through. So he'd risk it.
"I'll just be honest," Soma said, his tone reflecting just how tired he himself was starting to feel. "I don't think it's fair, this… this distance that you want us to maintain. I don't know what's going on in your life. I don't feel like I'm a part of it. I-"
"There are a few things that are happening that are a bit personal Soma," Erina cut in, her eyes now shifted downwards. "I understand how you feel, but it's all I can offer. I'm sure many people told you that dating me would be a nightmare… and they'd be right. I have an image to uphold, and there's… there are things that I need to handle, I-"
"Okay, see, right there, what you're doing now is talking a lot and saying absolutely nothing," Soma cut in, pointing at her as he edged closer. She paused, her eyes widening slightly before she frowned.
"You're the one that seems to misunderstand something," she argued back. "I agreed to be your girlfriend, nothing more. You are not my father. I don't have to tell you everything. I don't need to answer to your every beck and call. And if I need space, you need to give me that."
"What more space do you want?" Soma asked, feeling like this was not going where it should. "I've followed each and every single one of your whims, down to-"
"Whims? You think that's what this is?" Erina cut in once again. It seemed to anger her, the notion that it was mere whims what he was following, as she quickly stood up right up to him. "You have no idea what I'm going through. What's happening in my family. It's not something you have any right in interfering."
"It's not interfering, it's helping," he argued. "Why must you carry all that weight by yourself? If there's really something going on, then let me help. Stop being so prideful."
"Prideful?" she repeated, and her tone told him she was getting really pissed. She sounded outright offended. "This isn't mere pride. You have no idea what I'm going through!"
"Because you won't tell me!" he shouted right back.
"I don't have to!" she shouted, her fists clenched. Her voice threatening to break.
"I'm not saying you have to! I'm saying you could, if you wanted to! You don't have to bury yourself in your own problems!"
"That's not what-!"
"It is!" he countered, "And it's the same damn thing I did last year!"
She froze mid-argument, her eyes wider still. Erina then took a step back, her mind traveling back to those simpler and at the same time far more complex times. "…Why are you…?"
"I did the exact same thing Erina," Soma told her firmly. "I hid away. I pretended nothing was wrong. I ran from this place, from my friends, from the truth that was that I was falling for you. And it hurt. It was drowning me."
"T-Then you should understand, you needed space, right?!"
"No, I needed you!" Soma shouted back, and she felt like breathing was something she no longer knew how to do.
"I needed you," he repeated, almost like if he had said something even he had not realized until now. "If you had not given up your seat to come and pull me out of my own self-pity, I don't know where I'd be now. You, against all odds, appeared right there, when I needed you most, even after I told you not to do anything. You saw through it, so how the hell do you expect me, now that I see it, clear as day, how sad and distracted you look, and merely keep myself at bay?"
"But I'm not-"
"Stop lying to me," Soma told her, as he moved forwards and caressed her hair with his hands. He gently stroked the blonde locks, his eyes fully focused on hers. "I can see through you just as you can see through me. So don't lie and tell me you're handling what's got you down, because it's clear you're hurting a lot."
Erina closed her eyes, squeezing them shut so hard but despite this the tears she was fighting to hold back still spilled out.
"I will never repeat this, but…" Erina said, eyes still closed. "…Are you sure you want to be with me? I'm not an easy person to deal with. Even I'm aware of this."
"And I am?" Soma shot back, but this time with a smile, as he wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. "Look at me you blonde idiot, I love you, and we are going to make this work, somehow, I promise."
"…You are the most poetic guy I know," she mocked, but it did earn him a smile.
"I know," he responded with a grin. "And remember, you don't need to tell me anything you don't want to. Just… just let me be here with you. I'll make sure no one messes with us, so forget the rumors; let me deal with all that."
"No, you're right," Erina admitted, taking a deep breath. "…My grandfather is ill, Soma, and I'm afraid it's serious."
"Old man Senzaemon is ill?" Soma asked, taken aback. But, it also explained his prolonged absence. "Since when? And, wait, how serious? Is there anything…?"
"For a few weeks now, and I'm not sure how, but it must be serious. Not just because he's missing all the events here at Tootsuki, but, I snuck into my grandfather's office, where my uncle is keeping everything. I…" Erina paused, taking a deep breath. "I shouldn't have, but I took a look at the documents. I wanted to help Uncle. He is so overworked that I wanted to do something for him. But that's when I saw it. Tootsuki is being openly challenged by six other culinary academies, the other top six in fact."
"Wait, really?" Soma asked, feeling that the conversation had shifted. "That's… is that bad? It sounds kinda fun actually."
"Under normal circumstances I'd be inclined to agree, but," she argued. "My uncle is the one who appears on all the papers. As far as Tootsuki is concerned, he's the Headmaster, and grandfather would never just retire without telling us, not unless it's something serious."
"I see…" Soma softly noted.
"But, even worse," Erina said. "One of the three men responsible for this idea, the one in charge of the challenge itself… is my father. He's going to be here in the next couple of days Soma. And since its business and I'm already old enough, they can't keep him from coming. And grandfather won't be here… And… And, God, Soma, I don't know how to face him without grandfather here."
"Yeah, I get it," Soma told her, as his hands shifted from lingering in her hair and towards her own hands, grabbing them firmly. "But I won't let you be alone with him at any point. I promise, I'll outright kidnap you if you need me to."
The blush on her face was priceless, and it caused him to laugh a little too loudly, which in turn caused her to pout.
"That's going too far!" she argued, still beet red. "Don't be so shameless!"
"I mean it though."
"…I know you do."
They both smiled at each other, their hands still locked to one another, as they both wondered what they should say next, since they were not used to such intense arguments followed by such sweet words. Soma spoke first, beginning to feel a bit embarrassed himself. "I guess I should really get going… If I keep sneaking out of the dorms Fumio is going to kick me out for good."
Soma moved, but Erina held onto his hands, and pulled him a bit closer, not letting go. "…Stay."
She had spoken so softly he barely understood it. And even more so, he refused to understand it, because she would never suggest such a thing.
"What?"
"…Stay… with me," she repeated, and it was his turn to blush brightly. "I don't want to sleep alone tonight."
-0-
Several miles away from the academy, at the Haneda Airport, unbeknownst to most of the Tootsuki personnel and all of the Tootsuki students, several planes had arrived throughout the day, all of flights having been chosen by one Azami Nakamura purposely so that they'd all arrive close to each other, that way Tootsuki's personnel could pick up and escort them all together. Despite a delay here or there, it worked out decently enough, and now, near midnight, the airport was packed with several dozen world famous upstart chefs.
The crowds, made up of both locals and tourists, could only look on at the string of uniformed individuals from different countries that seemed to overtake the very airport itself with just their mere egos clashing.
"Make sure to grab my bag Marco," one of the girls wearing a uniform with the "Scuola Dotata" logo on her sleeve spoke up to her teammate. "If you lose that, I'm kicking you off the team."
"Right… because big, bad Lucrezia Russo can take on all of Tootsuki by her lonesome, no?" Marco replied with a hint of sarcasm, as the other three members of their team just looked on, unamused.
"Who knows, maybe I can," she responded, as she shifted her attention to the side, where another group was picking up their own luggage, since they seem to be looking at her. "You need something friend?"
"Oh, just lost myself in your beauty mademoiselle," one of the French competitors replied, which caused the Italian girl to scoff. The young man, Gautier, blew her a kiss, right before he was smacked upside the head by one of the girls in his group.
"Can you try to be a little less stereotypical, for like, five minutes?" she spoke up, annoyed, as he simply smiled sheepishly.
"I can't help it Camille," he offered, "There's something about Italian girls that I cannot help but admire. You should take this opportunity as well, as you are also now a foreign beauty much like I."
"As if," Camille replied. She had no interest in showing off or in checking out anyone. But, even she had to admit, if she were to do so, it would not be a boy she'd check out, as her attention shifted to the Russian group seated near the waiting area, and the quiet girl working on her phone seated in between all of them.
"We seem to have gotten attention," a very tall young man voiced with a thick accent, as the Russian girl didn't even bother raising her attention from her phone. "I don't like it."
"Ignore them Aleksei," the girl, Ekaterina, told him. "They, much like Tootsuki, are enemies, not comrades. Do not involve yourself with them."
"That guy looks massive," another young man, from another group, said, as he and his group rested themselves on the opposite bench, likewise waiting to be picked up. "If this competition were about actual fighting, we'd be so screwed."
"Are you being threatened by him, or are you checking him out?" one of the girls in his team, Linda, asked. He shot her a glare.
"No seas pendeja," he shot back, as she merely stuck her tongue at him, laughing as she did.
"What does pendeja mean?" another young man from another group asked, turning to his boyfriend who seemed lost in a book. "Hey, I asked you something."
"Idiot."
"Hey, no need to be rude!"
"…I'm telling you what it means," the other boy, Timonthy, replied, his eyes briefly leaving the pages of his book to stare at the other teams. They all seemed intimidating, he noted, but way less organized than he had been led to assume. His eyes did meet another pair, who merely nodded his way, so he nodded back. At least someone was cordial.
"At least someone is cordial," that other guy muttered, one of the four brothers from Akintola's school, as he turned to their youngest member, "Aisha, hurry up and put your stuff away. I think all the groups are here by now. We should be getting picked up shortly."
Aisha perked up, removing the large earphones from his head and flashing a grin at the thought. "It's about time! I'm tired of simply hearing about this oh-so great little school. Time to see if those Elite Ten are as fun to crush as they hype them up to be!"
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UNKNOWN FORCES BARE THEIR FANGS AT TOOTSUKI!