Classique

by Zancrowe

{Soma / Erina} As rival schools attempt to crush Tootsuki in the biggest Tournament Arc; Azami finally attempts to retake control of his daughter; while Asahi decides it's time to usurp the Nakiri Throne from that very heiress. Only problem? Erina's boyfriend. [ft. Asahi/OC; OC/Nao; Ryou/Alice; Isshi/Nene; Taku/Hisa; Akira/Megu] ((38: Finals! Unlimited Cross Knives))

31. What She Wants

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

This is it!

If you've ever enjoyed any of my works on this fandom, be it the original "Nouvelle", the interconnected "Something Borrowed", the unrelated "Role Reversal", or this here "Classique"; then this is the chapter you have wanted from me since the start. You came into this story looking for something, I am aware, and here it is when I finally present it to you. Please enjoy, the chapter nine years in the making…

Also, given how I rarely update on time, make sure you're all caught up and have read the last chapter before this one, where the Grand Ball officially started!

Lastly! The Nouvelle TV Tropes Page got a massive update (thanks to whoever did it!) with now including content from "Classique"! Go give it a read if you fancy (link on my Profile Page).

YouTube Page: I have one with upcoming Sorina & Food Wars content (I swear, content is coming!)! Link is on my Profile Page or just search up "Zancrowe" on YouTube.

Disclaimer: Don't own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma.

---

"Looks like it's going to rain…"

A lonely member of the security personnel noted softly, his eyes on the dark and cloudy skies, before his attention was shifted elsewhere as the sound of a motor-vehicle slowly echoed throughout the silence.

As the festivities were in full swing, a lone motorbike rode right up towards the main entrance, coming to a slow stop right next to where the very baffled employee stood by. The man had already survived the chaos that was assisting in receiving the Nakiri family and helping to both escort them inside while also keeping the fans and the news media at bay on the opposite side of the red carpet. He was sure he'd have an easy time until it was time for the party to end, so he wasn't quite expecting another… guest?

"…Sir?" he voiced, noticing the man, who's decently fancy tuxedo did not mesh well with the helmet he currently sported. What on Earth was he looking at?

"Oh? Hey!" Jouichirou quickly greeted, removing his helmet and pushing his messy hair backwards. He'd have to tie it up in a ponytail or something he noted, inwardly, before he just smirked and tossed the bike's keys to the confused guy before him. "Park that under the name Yukihira. My kid might be getting off this crazy thing before the end," he explained, as if that made things any clearer, but before the worker could complain (or call for security), Jouichirou simply flashed him his VIP pass, which made it clear this weird man was amongst the highest of guests for the event. So… the man just nodded, noting that questioning any of this was above his paygrade or, frankly, his patience.

"What took you?!"

"You know the party doesn't start until I arrive," Jouichirou replied with a grin, turning to the side, helmet to the side, as Riko walked up towards him, clearly unamused by his antics. "Before you chew me out, it wasn't my idea. Soma wanted to bring his bike with him just in case he wanted to bail once he was sure Erina was okay, and being a good father, I told the kid I'd take care of bringing his bike for him. Let him come in the limo with his friends and have fun."

"That's…" Riko said, giving a brief pause, before she just sighed. "Fine, that's kinda sweet… In a very strange way that only you two seem to understand. But it is what it is. Still… We should hurry. Gin has already set up for the dance to commence, and if we have any shot at making this work, it's now or never. So, hurry up and…" then Riko gave pause, her eyes drifting downwards, before she outright glared, "Jou… Please tell me you brought a change of shoes with you."

"Eh? Why?"

"You muddied your fanciest pair!" Riko just screamed out, fist clenched. Why?! Why was this guy always like this?! As he just laughed it up, making up some excuse or whatnot, Riko just shook her head in defeat. She should know better by now. He was impossible to deal with back when they were students, no sense in trying to make sense of him now. "…Forget it, let's hope it's too dark for them to notice. Come on, let's hurry! Both our babies and their school are in peril if we don't get this right!"

"Yeah, yeah," Jouichirou noted, walking right alongside her, right into the madness before them. This was so not his style, nor a place he'd want to be in, but for Soma, for little Erina, and for Riko's little Nao, well… "Let's hope we haven't lost our touch. About time we adults helped the kids rather than the other way around…"

-0-

"Now then! Let this dance-off commence! Bands, do your magic!" Gin Doujima announced to a sea of cheers, as he signaled to a host of bands, singers and idols all poised to take the stage, all of the highest caliber, as Tootsuki Academy (or more specifically, Azami Nakamura's Neo-Noir Academy) had spared no expense in getting the biggest talents available for some live entertainment. As all the couples got into place, and all the hundreds of guests all eagerly awaited the spectacle, ready to vote for their favorite dancing duo, Gin discreetly exited the main stage, coming down the steps and meeting up with a young man who waited for his instructions. "I can't thank you enough for this Sena. Think you can keep them busy while I work my magic?"

"Naturally," Sena Hiromi, Gin's right-hand man, the Vice Chef of Cuisine of all the Resorts said, before he took a look to the side, to the massive crowd. "Although, this is quite the sea of sharks you just threw me into. Granted, it's not just your job at stake here, cause I'm certain if my boss loses his job, there's not much sense in keeping me around either."

"Have faith," Gin noted, "When have I ever led us astray?" he added, but he did give a slight pause, frowning for a moment, "…Just make sure nobody asks for me, not until I make sure I've gotten my point across to her. It's not just our livelihoods at stake tonight, but all these kids' as well."

"Understood," the young blond man noted with a nod, but he did sneer a, "That said, if we're successful and we're not all fired by morning, or worse, think you can also help a guy out and get me Courage's phone number?"

Gin just gave a laugh at Sena's request, before he patted his friend's shoulder, and pushed on through towards his goal. As Gin, somehow, despite his massive size, managed to squeeze himself through the immense crowd, Sena could only look on and sigh. He was joking, surely, but he did feel he did deserve some sort of motivator in order to force himself to do this. I mean, no pressure, just keep the entire world busy while his friend and boss risked the very Tootsuki name on what was nothing more than a hunch. Again… no pressure.

Seeing Gin leave the stage, finally, gave Jun the greenlight she needed to begin to move. She wasn't sure why Gin had sounded so hesitant about this plan, because she had the worst of it. Granted, she was sure it wasn't a coincidence, given most of this plan had been worked out by Jouichirou and Riko with the information Gin and she had provided them, so it stood to reason Jouichirou would leave her with the heaviest load. But… He was right. She was a teacher here, so it was less suspicious of her to do this than it was for either of the other two. Still…

Jun made her way through the crowd, having a hard time even squeezing herself through the people given her diminutive size. She was sure she had accidentally groped a handful of people (quite literally at that), but she soldiered on, until she managed to reach the little group she had been aiming for. Or rather, the one person she had to approach.

Decora stood there, chatting away alongside Courage, as a host of different men spoke to them both. Some were actors, other directors, other businessmen, all of them money. And it made sense, not only were these two women very well-known in these inner circles, but they were outright pinup models that made men drool over them, and the sensual dresses they were wearing left very, very little to the imagination.

So, Jun, currently very self-conscious about her own figure but pushing that aside, stepped up towards the two WGO judges and the reverse harem of men currently aching for a dance from them, and softly spoke up.

This was after all, part A of their plan. Get Decora Sinnerfield away from their actual target.

"Oh, hey, pardon me," Jun voiced up, causing the group to turn to her. Decora herself quickly flashed her a very practiced smile, a warm greeting if there ever was one. It made no sense for Jun to even be doubting a woman of her caliber, she'd note, but Akira had made his suspicions clear. And she trusted her son above anything else. So… "Miss Decora, I've been so eager to get a chance to speak to you!"

"Oh? I, well, you're one of the instructors here, correct?" Decora noted, a bit taken aback by the sudden interest. "I'm quite certain if it's anything business related, we can wait until we're in a more professional setting, as you can see that we –"

"It's about setting up an annual investment to the WGO on behalf of my lucrative Seminar with you as my main contact point!"

"Oh, we can most certainly negotiate that right now!"

Gin had made his way right towards the other group of WGO judges, and from the corner of his eyes he could see Jun twisting herself into a pretzel trying to sell a proposal that didn't even exist, but that was part of this ill-conceived plan. Stall. All so that he could…

"My esteemed Judges of the WGO," Gin voiced, walking right up to the little group, currently composed of Charme and his wife Kazune, Histoire, his little sister Dynamis, the twins Lanterby and Rantabi, the current acting Bookmaster Tom, and… "Miss Anne, on behalf of Tootsuki, I extend my warmest of greetings," he noted, extending his hand and offering the young woman a firm handshake, which she accepted even if her small hand seemed to outright vanish in his large one. Still, while Gin was all smiles, Anne found herself in a very peculiar position.

"I… yes, quite, thank you Mr. Doujima," she forced herself to say, outright playing off the fact that this grown ass man had just handed her a folded piece of paper in that very discreet handshake of theirs. This wasn't a confession, was it? They weren't in middle-school after all. Still, the seriousness in his tone told her otherwise, so Anne just nodded, played along as he acted along and greeted each other Judge, all the while she held onto that little note, wondering just what was going on now?

The music outright flared, as the first band took the stage. As Sena signaled to them, the group known as Tokyo Karankoron began to play their famous, and much requested, masterpiece called "Spice". It was a very catchy song, so good that it seemed handpicked for Tootsuki itself, but that aside, it signaled the beginning of the competition, and with it, the couples began to dance…

The tempo started slowly, with the female voice starting softly, before it slowly raised and raised, just as the music began to flare.

With it, the couples all moved about. Soma was quick to spin Erina right onto his arms, motioning himself alongside her, and taking careful steps to match the timing of the song and lyrics. Erina expertly followed along. Step, step and a twist, both spreading apart and coming right back together. They had done this dance before. They knew how the other would react. So Erina moved, and Soma was there to catch her. And he signaled to one side, and she motioned there effortlessly. He purposely spun her harder, allowing her dress to lift up slightly, causing it to sparkle in the lights that surrounded them, outright illuminating the entire dancefloor in gold. She laughed as she twirled, and he noted it wasn't a forced or practiced laugh, but one that had genuinely caught her off-guard. The princess ended in his arms once more, and as the band continued to sing, Erina unconsciously began to mouth the lyrics, since she knew this song.

She also remembered, singing this song whenever she bathed, long before all this drama had started, and with it, her more carefree habits had slowly diminished over time. But she still recalled, humming this song to herself, back at the Resort and bumping into Soma of all people. Her in just a robe, no less. How utterly shameless, she noted, although a moot point now given all that had transpired between herself and this boy who had refused to leave her academy until he did and the she wanted him back.

Still, Soma spun her again, then caught her, pulling her close, just as the song's very title was sang, and Erina sang along, which caused him to smile at her. She playfully frowned, but even that proved hard because his smile was infectious and it, in turn, made her smile more.

"Of course he can dance…" Asahi noted with disdain, his eyes on his baby sister and the plebian currently with his hands all over her. "And here I thought this would be another area I could effortlessly –"

"Hey," Dove spoke up, interrupting his complaints, with her fingers caressing his face before she took hold of his chin and gently forced him to turn back to her. "Eyes on me, and me alone."

Asahi's eyes widened a bit at this, as her tone had sounded way too flirty, even for her. He had not been expecting it at all, but he nodded. She was correct. His overprotectiveness of his little sister should come second, especially when he had the best girl in the world in his arms. So he pulled her closer, whispered an apology to his Queen in her ears, before he began to twirl her about. Because if Soma could show Erina off, then he could most certainly show off the outright doll of a girlfriend he had. And Dove was an expert in it all, managing to not only keep up with all his moves, but outright forcing his hand to keep up with her. She was an expert, no doubt thanks to Azami, and soon enough, all eyes were on her.

Dove twirled, her dress swinging around, and in moments, she was in his arms, and Asahi had to struggle not to simply take her by the waist and claim her lips right then and there. She was simply too irresistible for a mere mortal like him, but he had to keep up the act. So he moved. Step to step. Side to side. In perfect harmony for the perfect melody.

The song reached its climax, and in what had to be pure coincidence, both Soma and Asahi twirled their girls in unison to the song, and as both Erina and Dove danced on a single heel, both girls ended up face-to-face, having twirled almost onto each other. The crowd seemed to audibly gasp at the sight, and both girls expertly played it off with a little smirk on each other's face. Still…

Dove did do an additional twirl and bumped Erina with her hips, all masked as a playful gesture…

Which Erina returned by twirling her hair and crashing it right into Dove's face, making the girl gag and have to turn right back since her vision was suddenly blinded by golden bangs.

Erina twirled right back onto Soma's arms.

Dove twirled right back onto Asahi's arms.

Both girls were now expertly masking a glare at each other.

Soma eyed Asahi, who offered him a little wink, and Soma just smiled. They wanted to play it that way, eh?

"And that's it for the warm-up!" Sena announced, as the next group came onto the stage. Unlike the musical band that had just sung, this was an outright idol group, and the lights shifted to reflect that. Bright colors abounded. And a group of girls all took the stage, with the center being this young girl with dark, purple-blueish hair; and eyes that seemed to sparkle as if they had outright stars in them. "Now please give a cheer to one of our very special guests, the up-and-coming idol group… B-Komachi!"

The main girl in the center drew all attention towards her, grasping the microphone tightly, and the moment the music started, it was as if her very presence demanded attention. An up-and-coming talent, they had said, but the moment this girl began to sing, everybody in that ball knew that the stage, the night itself, was now hers and hers alone.

The lights flashed all around, and as the song was now very lively and required a lot more motion, the couples all responded in kind.

Alice separated herself from Kurokiba, mimicking the idol dances she had seen since she was a little girl, and managing them flawlessly. She then twisted, and jumped, and Kurokiba effortlessly took hold of her, outright lifting her up and twirling himself alongside her, allowing her to reach the stars. The crowd was going wild at the sight.

Isshiki twirled Nene around, and noticing the grand gestures, decided to go all out. And, for a man like Isshiki, what did that mean? What else? Nene had only a few seconds to register it, and she outright freaked out, since she recognized that mischievous glint in his eyes. And before she could scream at him not to bring the naked apron out, because he totally would, she felt herself get wrapped up instead by the waist. It was here she noticed Isshiki had indeed undressed, but just his jacket, and had used it as a whip to take hold of her by the waist and pull her back towards him, twirling her around and having her land right back onto his chest. Her head was now spinning, and it wasn't because of all the twirling.

Takumi and Hisako seemed perfectly in-sync, and both took some space in-between each other, allowing them both to dance opposed to each other, but mirroring their moves as if they had somehow practiced it before. But it really wasn't that. It was just that Takumi was a fabulous dancer, and he had whispered to her to just dance, and that he would follow. And follow he did, much to her utter surprise. Each step she took he mimicked, as if she was facing a mirror and not a dance partner. A few steps, a few maneuvers, and she was back on his arms, laughing because she couldn't fake it. It was so fun, and she loved this so much, and the boy just grinned in return.

Akira led Megumi as they danced. He knew he wasn't the best dancer around, but for what he lacked in skill, they more than made up for it with her. Because Megumi was utterly adorable, as she was, above all else, delicate. Her movements, he maneuvers, her very way of just being there was so delicate that it looked utterly fancy. And he used that to their advantage. He moved her, showcased her, with all the pride she deserved. And he was sure she didn't even notice it. She was dancing for fun, but she had the entire audience captivated with the sheer care she moved. A twist, and she was in his arms, and he was sure he didn't want to let her go.

All the couples danced to their best ability, from Yuuki bouncing about with Terrubunny on her head, his little rabbit ears making it look like she had them in turn, all while Kuga expertly kept up; to Shun and Ryoko having a very practiced set, mostly because they always ended up dancing together in events even before they had made it "official". Likewise, Eishi and Rindou were experts at this, and they certainly had experience dancing together in other formal events, but more surprising than them was how Soumei made it dancing with such a shortie like Momo look easy. Everyone gave it their all, but as the audience watched, it was quite clear they weren't in it to win it. For once, they were all just having fun. From Marui and Madoka, Tosuke and Sonoka, Kotaru and Urara, Van and Yua, Yoshiaki and Ava, Hakeem and Ikumi, Isami and Lucrezia, Miyoko and Mea, Alex and Linda, Ekaterina and Camille, Gautier and Christina, Victor and Timonthy, Benjamin and Emilia, Luka and Sasha, and so many others, they all had begun the dance with such seriousness but it soon turned into a fury of smiles and laughter.

B-Komachi upped the tempo of their masterful song…

The crowd's cheer was going through the roof…

On the side, little Aisha, Kanon, Hiro and Akari, the four seated on the rails right next to the dance stage, waved around sets of glowsticks to the timing of the song, the four kids cheering on the dancers up on the stage, not knowing that they looked far too adorable that they earned themselves quite a few members of the audience to record them instead…

The main girl herself sang the very last lyric, and lifted her free hand, pointing to the sky. To the stars. And the applauses then drowned out the rest. She was out of breath, panting, but her perfect smile did not waver. Her group all kept their pose…

Dove was right on Asahi, her arms around his neck, as he held onto her by the waist…

Soma and Erina both held onto each other, both a bit out of breath, but both smiling. Their hands were interlocked, and Erina noted inwardly how she really, really did not want this night to end. She could dance with this boy for the rest of her life…

"Amazing! Utterly amazing!" Sena could be heard announcing, "Now then, please, our dear guests, let's have our first set of votes. Who was your favorite pair?! Only a few will remain for this next, more complicated round, so vote wisely!"

The votes were cast, the couples not selected bowed out gracefully, but unsurprisingly, all the main couples, the outright Elites, were still on the dancefloor, because they had earned that right.

Soma and Erina.

Asahi and Dove.

Kurokiba and Alice.

Isshiki and Nene.

Takumi and Hisako.

Akira and Megumi.

Kuga and Yuuki.

Shun and Ryoko.

Eishi and Rindou.

Tosuke and Sonoka.

Soumei and Momo.

Kotaru and Urara.

Hakeem and Ikumi.

Isami and Lucrezia.

Ekaterina and Camille.

And…

"…Damn, I knew Dove was amazing, and I assumed Erina would be too, but I didn't expect Soma to move like that; or for that idiot Asahi to be able to keep up like that either…" Loren noted, with a slight frown. But he digressed. This was actually fun, and they had just barely made the cut, so they could go out with some pride.

"…hmm," Nao muttered, her eyes on the two goddesses Loren had just mentioned. And she just sighed. This was dumb, but had she not always heard young people in love are built on stupidity? Or something like that? So… "…Just promise me you won't laugh."

"Huh?" Loren asked, his eyes back on the girl on his arms, and every time he looked at her, it felt like he was looking at her for the first time. Since when was she so damn gorgeous? Still, for as lovestruck as he was, and tried to play off, Nao just frowned.

"I'm saying that if you mock me for this, I will hex you," Nao replied, and Loren saw a sparkle in her eyes he didn't quite recognize, "Just follow my lead little traitor… By which I mean, give me room, and… on that note, better make myself a bit more comfortable…"

Before Loren could even ask, Nao titled herself and took hold of one of her heels, before she slipped it off and flung it right out of the dancefloor. Loren looked on, suppressing a laugh at how relieved the girl looked at doing this, before Nao proceeded to remove her other fancy high heel, and proceeded to chuck it right over her shoulder…

"Say, baby, how about you and I go –?" Ken Dakekanba said in a flirty voice to one of the girls that was enjoying the show, but his indecent proposal got cut short when he was smacked right out of nowhere by a flying high-heel that crashed right into the drinks he was carrying, causing the guys to spill it all onto himself, slip on the ice, and land on his ass on the floor. He did manage to get a laugh out of the girl, at the very least, as he, blushing madly in embarrassment and rage, screamed out, "What the hell even was that?!"

…And Nao didn't even blink, keeping her focus on Loren. The boy stared at her, smirking, as she let out a little laugh.

"…I didn't mean to do that," she admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, worry not, it's not a dealbreaker for me," Loren admitted with a laugh, "Harming Tootsuki students is a plus in my book anyways."

Nao laughed at this, but then Loren extended his hand, and Nao took hold of it, firmly, and her eyes shifted towards the new band taking the stage. That… would suffice. The music began once more, and it was just what she needed. It was a heavy tempo. A chaotic set heavy resembling techno music. But, more importantly, it was almost, almost gothic.

"Let's do this then…" Nao declared, and as all the couples suited their dance moves to better reflect the song, all Loren could do was stare at his girl as she took a few steps backwards, and slowly, began to dance in place, side-to-side, her shoulders moving in the rhythm of the song being played. She was so damn pretty, he noted, and then she smiled, half embarrassed by the lengths she was going just to make this guy happy, but also utterly thrilled, completely caught up on the moment.

Then the music flared, and so did she.

To say it shocked everyone would be an understatement. Like a girl possessed, Nao began to motion to the sides, sliding off the floor thanks to the little friction her feet now had with the ground thanks to the only thing between them being the thin layer of cloth of her fancy pantyhose. It allowed her to outright slide herself all over, and in doing such, made her movements utterly erratic. But, surprisingly, it was both fluid and within the rhythm of the song. Each time she reached the edge of her area, she snapped her fingers, struck a pose, then repeated.

Slide, snap, pose.

Loren was sure she wasn't even blinking at this point, and then she reapproached him, her nails onto his vest, making him tense up, as she seemed to claw downwards, edging dangerously close to all of him, before she pulled back, and by back, way back. She arched her back completely, twisting herself in a way he didn't think she even could, almost managing to touch the floor with her fingertips despite still facing forwards.

The beat dropped, and she was back standing straight, unblinking eyes on the stunned boy. She tilted her head slightly, as if asking "what are you waiting for?", so he obliged.

Hand on hand, he took her by the waist, and began to moved around with her. Side-step, guide her around, eyes locked onto each other. He spun her around, and she managed it expertly. He brought her back, his fingertips tracing her back, her nails digging onto his vest. She bit her lip, he wanted to bite it too.

Then they both pushed back, as back as they could, but grabbed onto each other at the last minute. Hand-on-hand, before Loren took hold of both her hands, and she bent down once more, only this time he kept his hold on her. She flipped over, her hair bouncing about, her frilly dress brushing all-about, until she was once more in his arms, hand-on-hand, eyes locked, their faces inches from each other.

Then they split once more, and she held her dress up with her hands, and they proceeded to kick the air, both on opposite directions, but perfectly mirroring each other. Then they just couldn't help it anymore and they just laughed.

It was also here they both noticed, having been too caught up with each other, that the rest of the couples had outright stopped dancing and had all turned towards the two. They were all clapping along to the music, cheering them on. And as soon as Nao noticed this, she let out an embarrassed giggle and quickly covered her blushing face with her gloved hands. Loren just looked on, trying and failing not to grin, but his eyes quickly drifted back to her.

What would make any person into a monster capable of wanting to hurt this girl?

"I think that settles it folks!" Sena announced, signaling to the unlikely couple. "Seems even our other competitors have chosen who tonight's King and Queen of the dancefloor are! Let's hear it for the competitors of the evening! Loren Frechette and Nao Sadatsuka!"

The claps only grew, as did Nao's utter embarrassed expression, which also sported the brightest of smiles at the moment.

"Nao really went all out," Soma noted, smirking at the sight, "Betcha Loren's really happy with his life choices right about now."

"They are certainly… unique," Erina added, smiling at the sight. The two of them did make for such an unusual, yet very charming, little couple.

"I suppose I can see why you and Soma were so defensive of the boy," Nene voiced, her eyes on the couple, as Isshiki nodded.

"Indeed, he proved instrumental in helping her, and deep down, he's a very caring individual," Isshiki replied, even if his expression did shift for a second, "…But, our job's not done yet. I mean, he's done more than enough. But I can't allow any harm to fall to her. No matter what."

Nene said nothing. She knew what he meant. Who he meant. And she would be lying if she didn't say she didn't much like their chances of actually keeping such a promise…

"Little dude came here looking for copper and he found gold," Asahi said with a little whistle, which just made Dove frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, a goth girlfriend, like, that's goals right there," he explained, and when she turned to him with an outright flare in her eyes, he quickly added, "Not speaking on my behalf, just on his. He's clearly enamored. Plus, she can certainly twist herself up pretty nicely, which I'm sure – Just kidding!"

Asahi's little remark was quickly cut short the moment he felt Dove dig her nails into his sides, less trying to tickle him and more like she was stabbing him. Over-protective older sister, right, he shouldn't forget that.

"We, or I should say, I only let them win because if we tried to go at it harder, people would suspect that there's something more between us," Dove flaunted, and Asahi just narrowed his eyes. She was quite the sore loser, wasn't she? Still, Dove flipped her hair with a proud scoff, and walked right off the dancefloor, leaving her would-be date laughing to himself. That dishonesty of hers was quite charming in its own right.

On the sidelines, having watched the whole thing, stood Riko, currently trying and failing not to tear up at the sight. Currently both Nao and Loren were being given their prize, and both kids looked utterly baffled by this turn of events. Riko, being the ever-good momma, had already scurried about and recovered both of Nao's discarded heels, but she'd return them to its rightful owner later. Her little girl looked happy as happy can be, and it was so good to see.

"She's certainly quite the gifted young girl," Jouichirou noted, standing next to her, smiling at the scene before them. "Definitely didn't get that from her father."

"Nah, that's all thanks to mommy," Riko voiced, proudly, smirking to herself, before she turned to Jouichirou, "But… we should move, because I could stare at this all night long, and I'm sure poor Jun is running out of things to keep Decora busy with."

As the adults carried on their plan, Loren and Nao walked off the stage, hand-in-hand still, with her still nervously laughing at it all, while he lightly teased her about just how red she looked. She was going to bark back at him, but the two were stopped when a certain someone walked up to them, and in what could only be instinct, Loren poised himself before Nao, even if unlike with Ashitaro, he felt very insecure against… him.

"That was masterful Loren," Azami voiced, surprising the boy. The two of them hadn't really spoken after Loren's massive mess-up against Yukihira, as all communication had been through Dove. So, seeing him now, it was nerve-wrecking, but he tried to face the man, at least until he felt Nao tighten her grip, and step up.

"Mr. Nakamura, hi, I've been informed you're Loren's kinda, sorta, adoptive father," Nao greeted, and Loren turned to her, eyes wide, wondering what she was even doing. She didn't much allow him time to complain though, as she gave Azami a full curtsy with her ever fancy dress. "Many thanks for placing him in our dorm in your attempt to destroy us, as I have very much enjoyed his company. I am, after all, as you should know by now, your boy's girlfriend."

"N-Nao!" was all Loren could squeak out, but Azami just gave the two a look, before he seemed to… smile? Loren wasn't sure, as this man rarely smiled.

"My, how direct. But I suppose it's to be expected. It seems my children have an act of getting involved with some very troublesome individuals," Azami noted, and while Loren was frozen in place, Nao just glared back at the guy. She was so done being intimidated by this whole thing. Still… "But do not worry, I harbor no intent on micromanaging any aspect of Loren's life," he assured, before, surprisingly, he placed his hand on Loren's head, and ruffled the boy's hair in a gesture that could almost be seen as affectionate, "Still, winner of the Grand Ball. That's a very noteworthy outcome, I am proud. So go… enjoy the night you two, you have earned that and more."

Then, as soon as he had appeared, the man in black walked away, leaving a very stunned Loren and a still glaring Nao, who proceeded to stick her tongue out at the man's retreating form.

"D-Did he just…?"

"What?" Nao asked, turning to Loren, "Not the affectionate kind I take it?"

"I'm sort-of expecting he planted a tracking device on my head or something," he replied, brushing his hair back, but of course, finding no such device there. "That was weird."

"You dork, guess even with a vile villain such as Azami Nakamura as you daddy, you still lucked out," she said, and Loren turned to her, eyebrow raised, utterly against her observations, but, the way her eyes sank as she spoke, it was clear, she spoke from experience, "…Trust me, you could do much worse when it comes to fathers than that man…"

Azami, for his part, was certain things were currently playing off in a rather risky manner. And he hated taking unnecessary risks. His work and goals demanded control, not chaos. But he knew he needed to also adapt himself, and his plans, to everything life would throw his way. Soma Yukihira's mere existence required he change up his initial plans and introduce his challenge to Tootsuki a little sooner than expected, while, likewise, the boy's words and his own niece's actions caused a crisis that he, honestly, had not been prepared for. Not that it mattered now, since the solution was reached, and he was nothing if not capable. So, for the purpose of maintaining his masquerade and nothing else (or so he assured himself), Azami currently found himself standing next to one of the many tables of this event.

In it sat Mana, currently playing with a drink as opposed to actually consuming it, but as soon as he walked into her view, she turned to him. And he could tell how much she'd rather be anywhere else but here.

"Not fond of the music choices for the evening?" Azami pondered, and Mana just scoffed.

"The music's fine," she replied, before she crossed her arms and tilted herself backwards. "It's not yet time. I don't need to rehearse with you anymore. What do you want?"

"Harsh," Azami said with a smirk, before he extended his hand towards her. "The music has in fact slowed down, since the competition is effectively over. I find it most romantic an opportunity, and I would be delighted to share in this dance with you."

"…seriously?" she asked, looking up at him. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. It wasn't the ice-cold rebuttal she could dish out without batting an eye, or the thrilled affirmation from the time they were together. This was Mana at a point he seldomly ever saw her in. Unsure of herself.

"We must keep up appearances," Azami affirmed, then added, "And, despite it all, I still care for you. Not every action I take is calculated. I used to honestly enjoy our dances back in the day."

Mana pressed her lips together, frowning for a moment, but she still, without a word, took hold of his hand, and allowed him to take her towards the dancefloor. The lights had deemed, the music had slowed. It was romantic, she'd note, but she wasn't sure their current circumstances merited it. Azami, nevertheless, knew how to put her worries to rest, as despite all the years that had passed, he still knew how to hold her, and in no time, they were dancing, slowly, softly, to the gentle music that surrounded them.

Only the actual couples remained for these next songs, each held in a tight embrace, no longer competing for glory or laughs, but just living the moment for each other. Azami noted how his children and their dates, one Erina and one Asahi, were not currently in the dancefloor, and neither was Loren and his girl.

"Azami," Mana's voice cut his train of thoughts. He turned to her, and the woman in his arms seemed to be second-guessing her very words, "What exactly do you intend for us to do? Fix our relationship? Save Erina from this damn curse of ours? I know your girl is skilled beyond belief, but I… I don't think this is something that can be solved by just your True Gourmet alone… it's far more complicated than that."

"…We can handle it all, as we should have from the start," Azami replied, holding onto her tightly. "As a family. It's not just Dove. I will personally use Tootsuki's reach to shift the very culinary landscape itself, raising it to the standards it needs to be to ensure that both you and Erina have nothing but the best for the rest of your lives. Dove will start that revolution, and I will ensure it comes to fruition. And we will do it, together, you, me, and Erina."

"And then what?" Mana asked, "It's not just us, not anymore. You have other kids…"

"I will care for Asahi," Azami noted. "He is… misguided, but I have a plan for that. It may hurt the boy. He may not agree with my methods, but it is for his wellbeing. I will assure that he has a future in this culinary revolution of ours. And… Dove and Loren, they… they wish to return home, and that's what we've agreed from the start. They do this for me, and they'll never be hungry ever again. I will make sure they have whatever they want, just like I promised them three years ago."

"Azami? What do you mean by –?"

"I love you Mana," he cut in. "Always have, always will. And I will prove it to you, once and for all, for both you and Erina, how much all of this has been for the both of you. If I had to be seen as a villain in order to save you both, then so be it. That is, after all, what a father does. And… what a husband does…"

Then he leaned in, and Mana just pressed her lips together, because she didn't know what to even say or do at this point. They kissed, his lips on hers, and it felt just as it did all those years ago. She kissed him back, her hands on his chest, and she could feel all eyes on them, likely gossiping about the comeback-couple or something like that, but…

…she gently pushed him back, gaining some distance between the two of them.

"Mana?" Azami asked, his head tilted.

"…Your plan involves hurting your own son?" she asked, and he frowned. He didn't much like her tone.

"He plans to bring harm to us all, which I cannot allow," Azami explained. This was obvious already, Mana should know this. "I am not talking about abuse, just setting him on the correct path. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And you'll simply throw Dove and the other boy aside?" Mana asked, and Azami had trouble reacting. "You've been with them for three years, and you'll just send them back to America?"

"I will make sure they have everything they need –"

"This isn't about money, Azami," Mana cut in, frowning. "I don't understand how you could just walk away from…?" then she paused, her lips trembling a bit, because she was no longer asking him this. She was asking herself, and she had no answer.

"Mana, I assure you, once we're together again, you and I can –"

"Be honest with me," Mana cut in once more, her eyes on her ex-husband, and Azami couldn't quite hide how it made him flinch to see the hurt in her eyes. "While you've been trying to "fix" things with me, have you been seeing someone else?"

And for once, Azami had no words.

Mana just smiled, her head dropping a bit, as she turned. He still held onto her.

"I have not."

"You really are quite the man," she said, and her smile betrayed everything. "…To think you can still get away with lying to my face like that."

"Mana… Listen, the truth… The truth of this is…" he tried, but he couldn't find any sequence of words that made what he needed to say any easier to do so. But he pushed on, trying to say something, anything, but before he could muster the strength, a hand found itself in-between the former couple.

Azami couldn't quite fake the surprise, and Mana even less so…

"Apologies, but may I have the next dance?" Hiroto Arato spoke up, standing next to the two, and they both looked at the man as if he had outright appeared out of nowhere.

"Hiro?!" Mana voiced in surprise, before she caught herself, and blushing, corrected herself as, "Erm, Dr. Arato, I-I'd…"

"Dr. Arato, I had been notified you would not be joining us tonight," Azami noted, his eyes on his ex-wife's former aide. He knew this man well, and all he knew, he didn't like. "What a… pleasant surprise."

"I couldn't quite possibly miss out on my precious little girl's first formal dance," Hiroto replied, his head to the side, where Hisako sat a bit further off, with her date Takumi, both of them unaware of the cold war currently brewing in the dancefloor.

"Ah, naturally," Azami noted, "She has certainly been very… indiscreet about her dislike of me."

"Even more reason for me to be proud of her then, as I very much don't like you either," Hiroto replied, and Azami had to hold back a glare. "Regardless, may I have this dance with Miss Nakiri? Certainly, a man who intents to fix his public image such as yourself would rather not look possessive or controlling in front of hundreds of high-profile guests?"

The look Mana had was priceless, as her eyes were wide as plates as she shifted her view to anywhere but at the two men before her. Hiroto just looked on, unamused as always, while Azami, surprisingly, replied with just a smile and a nod.

"Certainly," he conceded, "Please enjoy the dance, and the night. Mana," he added, turning to the blonde woman, "I shall see you in roughly thirty minutes for the interview."

Mana forced a nod, her hand on her face, and her eyes on the floor. Azami still left the two of them alone, vanishing just as he had appeared, all the while Hiroto merely extended his hand towards her. "May I have this dance?"

"Are you insane?!" Mana whispered a shout, even if she did take his hand. Her expression certainly brought back memories.

"Hypothetically or clinically?" Hiroto asked, and Mana just frowned. They still held onto each other, and tightly, began to dance to the music. Mana knew, she just knew this was going to cause a lot of gossip to come out, even if Azami corrected most of it during the interview proper. But, still, they were… friends, right? Maybe? Acquaintances at the very least?

"Why are you here?"

"I did not lie," he replied. "I wanted to see my daughter all dressed up and having fun. She looks absolutely precious, plus I got to meet her boyfriend, and the boy is utterly handsome and charming."

"I mean… why are you asking me to dance?" Mana corrected, eyes on him. He seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"You seemed uncomfortable," he replied. "I figured I'd step it, just in case you needed a way out. Had I been incorrect, you would have easily just denied my invitation."

"I wasn't uncomfortable," Mana shot back. "It's just… Things with Azami are… complicated."

"So I've heard."

"I-It's not that there's anything wrong with us," Mana tried to clarify, since she had a role to play. "I mean, we could get back together, who knows?"

"That sounds utterly depressing."

"Oh! What? Are you going to start judging me about who I'm with?"

"Unlikely," he merely replied, "Honestly, my opinion of you couldn't be any lower anyways."

Mana felt something in her crack. Loudly. She outright scoffed, and pulled herself away, ready to leave the idiot dancing alone, but he just used this as an opportunity to give her a twirl and have her land back on his arms.

"H-Hey!"

"But I do know you enough," he added, "To know that you aren't as unbothered by all the allegations that have come out against him as you try to play it off as. Believe me, I've been working for this family all those years you were gone. Senzaemon has told me everything that man did to little Erina. It is why I placed Hisako there, because she needed a friend. And despite all the coldness you take pride in displaying, I still don't believe you'd purposely allow that little girl to be hurt."

"…I wasn't there."

"Yet," he corrected, "You're here now."

"You know me better than anyone in this building excluding my brother," Mana explained, her eyes on Hiroto, "I'm dealing with a condition even you couldn't fix. One even your father couldn't fix. My father's at the hospital, and my daughter is following my footsteps at a pace so damn quick that she'll be at my stage before she's even an adult. I'm sorry if this disappoints all of you, but I don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle this, how to fix things. Erina's best bet is Azami's plan. We fix everything with this interview, and we allow him to tend to Erina… He, he won't hurt her. I'm… certain of it."

"You always tend to look away when you lie," Hiroto voiced, using his hand to realign her eyes to meet his, as she had shifted them to the side, subconsciously. "You've done this ever since we were kids. But, as your friend, make sure you can convince yourself before you try to convince others. Erina won't be a teenager for much longer, and she's long past the age of unconditional love to her parents. Don't complain, in the future, if it's her who turns away from you… Because we reap what we sow."

"I know what's best for my daughter."

"I very much hope that you do," Hiroto replied, before he bent down, bowing before her, placing a soft his on her hand, before he walked away, leaving her in the middle of the dancefloor, in the middle of the song.

Mana just stared, glaring and trembling slight. This wasn't fair. This wasn't at all what she wanted. Why couldn't things just go back to how they were…?

-0-

"Forgive the tardiness," Jouichirou voiced, offering the two people present a little wave, as both he and Riko walked into a little separate office Gin had prepared in advance. Gin was there, arms crossed, his eyes on their esteemed guest. Said guest, a very confused Anne, just looked on, offering the arriving duo a little wave before she turned back to Gin.

"Mr. Doujima, my apologies, but…" she began, "Can you please explain what on Earth is going on?!"

"Right, I do apologize for all the secrecy and weirdness," Gin expressed, sighing.

"Told ya the paper note would do the trick!" Jouichirou said with a grin, while Gin just frowned.

"That was your idea?" Anne asked, before she shook her head. Wrong question, "Who even are you?!"

"Ah, Jouichirou Yukihira, at your service," he introduced, and Anne frowned.

"Yukihira?" she repeated. "Are you Soma's father, by chance?"

"Yep!"

"Do excuse him," Riko quickly chimed in, "He's also the former Second Seat of the Golden Era, the Asura himself, Saiba," she explained, and while Jouichirou frowned (because why was she so hellbent on telling everyone that?), Anne's eyes widened with each word.

"W-Wait, what?!" Anne cried out, "T-Then, at this very party, all four of the victors of the first ever Intercontinental Shokugeki have gathered?!" she noted in awe, before she frowned, "Wait! What does that even have to do with anything?! Why am I here?!"

"Allow me to get to point quickly," Gin voiced, "As we do not want your coworkers to begin to suspect any foul play. The reason I asked to meet you in private is because it has come to our attention that there may be some sort of… well, unprofessionalism on behalf of a member of the WGO."

"Unprofessionalism?" Anne asked, eyes wide. "I do apologize, but if you have any concerns regarding out legitimacy, then that should be taken directly to –"

"It's not that easy," Jouichirou cut in, taking a seat on one of the nearby chairs, looking far too relaxed for the topic at hand. "We suspect one of your own of intentionally eschewing votes against Tootsuki's Elite Ten."

"That is a massive accusation on your part, Mr. Yukihira," Anne voiced, her eyes sharpening considerably. "And if any of you wish this not get out of hand, we best leave this conversation as is and carry on forth. Again, any complaints should go through the proper channels."

"Miss Anne, we assure you –" Gin tried, but Anne raised her index finger at him, and despite his size, the man could do little else but shut up.

"I've said all I will say on the matter," Anne clarified. "This conversation didn't happen. Consider that a professional courtesy on my part, and…" she then said, before she gave pause, as her exit was currently blocked off. "…Miss Riko, I am in no mood for this."

"Neither am I," Riko shot back, her eyes just as sharp. "My little girl is in danger. And I don't care about company politics when it puts her at risk. Her father cares not for her, and if this school falls, just to spite me, he'll forbid me from seeing her, leaving her at the hands of my… of a troubled young man who desperately needs help but he won't allow it. So I need you to listen to us. Your fellow judge, Decora, we have our suspicions that she's in leagues with Azami, expertly assisting him in order to win this Intercontinental Shokugeki."

"Decora?" Anne voiced in outright disbelief. "Decora's one of our most gifted and esteemed Judges! She would never… I mean, do you have any proof on the matter?"

"Not really," Jouichirou said with a shrug, and Anne felt a vein pop.

"You cannot be serious!"

"We do not have proof," Gin admitted, "But we did go over her votes. Her record is spotty at best. Usually voting last when the vote itself is split, and the majority of her votes have been in the Challenging Teams' favor. Not to mention her latest hesitation against Lestrade."

"But that in itself contradicts your own theory!" Anne shot back.

"Not if Azami didn't want Erina to be the one to lose," Riko replied. "…I've seen the replays. She was quick to decry Nene Kinokuni voicing her complaints during the first round, and was quick to try and settle things on the second when Shouko Kaburagi failed to show up. You must have noticed that something seemed off?"

"…This is a WGO matter, not something I can just…"

"Azami's a cunning man," Jouichirou explained, standing right back up, the answer now clear as day. "He's been plotting this for years I imagine. He has been training Dove for at least three years, so his plans date back to then, maybe even longer. The man is an expert in sowing seeds of doubt on people's minds. Dove Dillinger, Julius Bedlam, and Ashitaro Sadatsuka. He likely assisted in spreading their infamy. Tootsuki has always had many enemies eager to see it fall, even amongst the WGO. Nakiri being made Bookmaster likely didn't sit well with many of the higher ups, nepotism and all that, so the idea that these kids, who don't come from any of the schools, could outcook even the best… why, it's too good to pass up. Azami basically wrote a plot synopsis and allowed everyone else to write out the story, with Decora edging things on discreetly from the inside."

"This is too much…" Anne noted, her eyes on the floor. "…Decora, she trained me. She's a good person. I… I can't believe she'd…"

"If you don't believe us, you can just go and call us out," Riko noted, her voice almost breaking, "I don't care. But you have integrity. You know this feels wrong, how hard they're pushing these kids. This goes beyond friendly competition. And, if the Neo-Noirs win, the ones who will end up with all the power of the culinary world is Azami, and I'm certain Decora will get something out of it. I refuse to believe that's just a coincidence."

Anne closed her fists, tightly, before she sighed. "So… hypothetically, in the case I believe this and I go on to outright risk my entire career on this, what exactly is the plan?" Anne asked, turning towards the trio. "…If you have no proof to convince me, how do you hope to convince the world?"

"That won't be on us," Gin noted, and Anne gave him a very perplexed look. "We are going to bet it all on the Elite Ten. On their victory. We tell you this so that you, believe us or not, pay attention to how Decora votes in this final round. In the end, it'll be your call. But so close to the finish line, with the entire world convinced that the Neo-Noirs are outright unbeatable, I am certain she will have far more leeway to vote for them without consequence. All we ask, is for your vote to remain impartial, and if you see even the slightest wrongdoing from her part, please, help us make this match-up fair. These kids deserve at least that much."

-0-

"– and then he never calls back, like, men right?!" Jun continued to say, sweating heavily and trembling, as Decora's glare was barely contained at this point. This midget had walked up to her with quite the offer, but the conversation had shifted all over the place, and Decora no longer had any idea what she was even saying or what the point of any of this was. So…

"I think that's enough," Decora finally interrupted, and Jun had to swallow the automatic apology. "Let's… just leave it at that, alright? Whatever business you want to engage with the WGO, please take it to our higher ups directly, okay? Okay!" she concluded with a loud clap, which made Jun outright jump, before she turned in a hurry, and walked away, hoping that Courage was still surrounded by those cute guys and she had not missed out on anything juicy entertaining this weird woman…

…Only to have herself bump into one of the servers working the area. She inwardly cursed, but the young man with the messy haircut was able to hold onto her and keep her from hitting the floor. And, equally, keep himself from getting fired on the spot.

"My apologies Miss," he said, the nervousness evident. Decora turned to him, glare and all, but then noticed the young man handing her purse back to her. She simply took it and, with a scoff, walked away. She had no time for any of this.

Jun looked on, fidgeting in place, hoping that she had bought the others enough time.

…Meanwhile the young server just smiled, as he now held onto Decora's phone tightly in his long, boney fingers. All was going according to plan, Yuunosuke noted with a devilish grin.

-0-

Erina found herself in the back area of the would-be stage for the interview, getting herself ready, as the clock ticked, signaling the near start of the real event of the night. It had been fun, playing, dancing and laughing along with everyone, but this was still, at the end of the day, business. This was her one and only chance at fixing her family, and maybe finally having a little bit of the pure joy Alice had every day. A father, a mother, even a brother. Everyone together, everyone happy. She took a look in the mirror, and she forced a smile… and she wasn't convinced in the slightest by the girl's whose reflection she saw. She felt her lips quiver, and she knew she had to do better. This needed to be perfect, and then, as she thought that, she felt her stomach begin to act up. The nerves, the anxiety, the sheer pressure of everything threatening to once again swallow her whole. And the stupid girl in the mirror looked worse and worse…

"I find it works better if you don't think of it as genuine, but rather, if you act like you're happy."

Erina gave pause, turning to the side, as she saw another girl standing by her side. The girl's eyes were on the mirror before them, and it took Erina a few seconds to recognize her as the lead singer of that idol group that had just been on stage.

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm, I wonder?" the girl who seemed a little younger than Erina replied, before she turned to her. She had really pretty eyes. "Just thinking out loud. Like one does. But, I've followed your online movement. It's pretty nice to meet a celebrity, even if I am kinda one too, but different worlds and all that! I'm so happy your family invited me and my group here tonight! Big breaks like this are hard to come by!"

"Oh, no, you were wonderful," Erina admitted, her eyes on the girl. "But what did you mean about "acting as if I were happy"? I… I'm not as delicate as my online movement makes me out to be."

"Hmm," the singer voiced, tilting her head, sparkling eyes etching closer to Erina, who blushed and blurted out a "what?!" in response. "Oh, nothing! Just, if you're going to lie, I'd recommend you learn how to fake it a bit better. After all, that's how we survive in this crazy world, isn't it?"

"I am not lying!" Erina returned, frowning, but all the other girl did was smile in response. And her smile was so genuine. Perfect. Flawlessly. Why couldn't Erina mimic that smile?

Still, the young girl just bounced about, landing next to the exit. She seemed poise to say something else, but then she heard someone call for her. From the sound of it, it seemed like another one from her idol group. So, turning back for a moment, rather than saying anything, the genius idol merely placed her index finger over her lips, and gave Erina a knowing wink.

"We are so leaving your ass behind if you don't hurry up Ai!"

"Be right there!" Ai Hoshino replied, and then she was gone, bouncing herself away as Erina looked on, wondering what the girl had even meant by that gesture. She wasn't lying. She needed to do this. It was just… the stress that forbade her from behaving as she should, nothing more, nothing less.

Still, Erina found herself heading towards the main stage, and she gave a slight pause, as she saw Soma standing just before the back entrance. Arms crossed and his back to a nearby wall, his eyes closed. It was such a foreign look for the boy, to be seen so… quiet.

"Hey."

"Erina," he voiced, forgoing their usual greeting, which made her tense up. He still offered her a smile, and walked up to her. "You good?"

"I… I am nervous," Erina admitted. "A lot is riding on us saying the right things tonight. There will be no further interviews if we screw this one up."

"You'll do great," Soma noted, and Erina bit her lower lip. This felt… wrong. "Just call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Call you?" Erina voiced, head tilted in confusion. "Are you leaving? I…" she tried, but she understood it. She knew him. "…You really don't agree with me doing this, do you?"

"It's not my choice to make," he simply replied. "I said it once, and I'll always say it. I am on your corner. Always will be. If this is what you want, then so be it. We'll still try our best to kick their collective asses during the final round. So just, if this makes you happy, then go fix the mess I made. It was never my intention to cause you so much stress anyways."

"Soma, I don't –"

"Erina," Azami called out, walking out of the main entrance. He spared Soma nothing but a glance, before he set his sights on his daughter. "It's about time we start. Are you ready dear?"

"Yes, right," Erina replied, then she moved, before she realized she had been holding onto Soma's hand. She looked back, and the boy just forced a smile, and it was here she noted he was just as bad at faking a smile as she was. They still let got of each other, and Erina was led away towards the big stage. And just like that, it was the world she knew since she could first walk. One step…

…And the camaras and lights overtook her entirely. She heard the applauses of this auditorium, so expertly set up to resemble an actual show, and she forced the biggest smile she could and she hoped it was convincing enough.

She could see her family was already seated, a chair for each of them.

Her mother, Mana, smiling sweetly at Erina as she walked in.

Her brother, Asahi, joining in on the clapping, because of course he was.

Her… dearest Dove, there, because why not?!

Her father, Azami, guided her to her own seat before he took his own, right next to her and her mother.

And there she was, with the whole world watching…

"And here we have the whole family folks!" Luka Miyano announced, as the cheers continued. The host of "Is This A Kitchen?" had been handpicked by Azami to host this event, granted, before the latter's duel with Shinomiya, as otherwise, Azami would have picked someone else due to the man's (and his daughter's) vote on said duel. But, he'd work fine enough, Azami noted, and the crowd adored him anyways. "This has been long in the making, with many burning questions to be answered! How do you all wish to proceed?!"

"I do believe this was necessary given the current state of events and how things have gotten out of hand regarding rumors and lies about our family and, in particular, my and Mana's respective teachings," Azami began, his trademark smile plastered all over his face, his initial statement so well thought out that it sounded outright natural. "We've come to set the record straight, and to explain to everyone the true purpose of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, as, no matter who wins, these kids are in no jeopardy. Their careers and studies are assured, regardless of who owns Tootsuki Academy, as they are part of the student body, and a change of administration or not, a part of the academy they will always be."

"Quite, quite," Luka carried on. Erina kept her smile up. She knew all the questions that were going to be asked anyways. This was a softball interview in every sense of the word. Just a marketing stunt, nothing more. "And Mrs. Nakiri, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

"Well, Azami's right," she replied like a pro. "Things got out of hand for a moment there, but we've made sure that the kids have everything they need, and that their future is secured. And, of course, the allegations about my daughter were not entirely correct, either. Being the God's Tongue, her upbringing required a far more dedicated training regimen, nothing more."

"So Soma Yukihira's comments were made due to a misconception?"

"Yes –"

"Somewhat," Mana voiced, and bit her lip. She had interrupted Azami, despite that not being part of their plan. The man turned to her, and Mana just sighed and carried on, "The boy didn't lie. He saw it as abuse, and Azami and I have both made mistakes. While he may have spoken without all the information, he did it with the best of intentions, and in doing so helped open our eyes to just how… strict we had been with Erina."

"…Quite," Azami forced himself to agree. That wasn't the response. While he knew he couldn't just throw the boy under the bus like he wanted, given how Erina would complain if he did, he had wanted to fully discredit him, but Mana, for some reason, seemed to have grown a soft-spot for the boy.

"Okay," Luka also seemed a bit taken aback, but he pushed on, "Now, regarding Erina's actual upbringing, what can you tell us about it? How was it really?"

"Well, for that, allow us to tell a story in two parts…" Azami began, the signaled to the girls. Erina sighed. This was the hard part. Dove would reply first, then it was her turn. Damn it, her nerves were getting the best of her. Her vision was getting blurry.

"That would be me," Dove said as cheerfully as ever, raising her hand and waving it playfully. "I am Azami's one and only protégé, his greatest student and a master chef. The Neo-Noirs Team Leader, and I know a fan favorite of everyone watching, and I am living proof of what Azami's teachings can accomplish. Sure, the man is strict, but that's all in order to assure the utmost perfection. His craft, his brilliance, will certainly change the way the culinary arts are pretty much viewed worldwide. And his training, while tough, made me into the powerhouse that I am, and, of course, made my darling… Erina into the good chef she is."

"Good?!" Erina couldn't help but blurt out, clearly out of line, as both Azami and Mana turned to her as discreetly as possible, while Asahi just began to laugh, not bothering to cover up his reaction at all.

"Yes, you are quite good," Dove replied, keeping up the act and the cutesy voice. Erina was having none of it.

"I am most certainly far more that just "quite good"," she corrected.

"That is… debatable," Dove replied, which caused Azami to inwardly flinch. Why was Dove going off-script too?!

"My skills are debatable?"

"I am just saying it when compared to my own."

"My current streak is because I have been unwell."

"You weren't sick during the dinner," Dove shot back, her puppy eyes on the camara. "And who made the better dish, hmm?"

"That's not what I –?"

"Oh, and remind me again how much you scored against Katya? Because guess who whopped her butt? Yep! I did!" Dove said as she pointed to herself with the proudest of smiles.

"I was sick," Erina blurted out, glaring at the girl.

"Then you've been sick for years sweetheart, because your own mother called my food better than yours long before I came over here – Ain't that right Mama Nakiri?!"

"Ah… I-I…" Mana tried, but she was slowly realizing that Azami clearly did not have the control over these two girls he claimed he had.

"This is the true Tootsuki spirit," Azami cut in, "Rivalries like this are the lifeblood of any chef's career, and my two girls are very spirited when it comes to their skills and talents."

"Father, I am not simply "good" as Dove here wants to paint it," Erina shot back, arms crossed, eying her father.

"Oh come on, all I said –" Dove retorted, but she was quickly interrupted.

"Dove," Azami just voiced, his tone the same. Jovial. Friendly. But the girl understood it. She had been out of line. So Dove forced herself not to widen her eyes, and simply shut herself up. Azami then motioned to Erina, to allow his daughter to say her part. And Erina knew what to do. She knew what she needed to say. But… in her mind, the declaration that Soma made; the declaration Alice made, they echoed. And she struggled to keep herself focused. And, as much as she adored to see Dove be put into her place, somehow, someway, for some reason she couldn't even understand it, what she ended up saying first was…

"Don't treat her like that."

The room seemed to grow outright cold for a moment, and Erina soon caught onto what she had just said. Her father's expression was frozen in time, while her mother was looking at her with her eyes wide. Asahi, for once, had his expression focused, as if intently awaiting what she would say next. Dove… Dove's expression was something else. The girl had turned to Erina and for once, she didn't even know how to react to the blonde princess.

"…Sweetie, I didn't mean anything against Dove," Azami quickly moved to save himself. "Isn't that right honey?"

"…Yeah-Yes! I was going off-topic, so all he did was let me know to focus," Dove tried to explain, "Like that's how Azami is, which a lot of people could misconstrued as him being mean, but he's just… like that. Dedicated, professional, and… all that…" Dove added, but she still turned towards Erina, who looked utterly lost on what she had even said. "…Hey, it's okay. We're both fine, no need to –"

"Are we really?" Erina voiced, her eyes still on the floor. And like a flood, all her memories of everything she had been trying to keep at bay started rushing back. All the screams, all the shoves, all the broken toys and broken promises and broken dreams. Her grandfather had taken her away from all of this for a reason, and it was normal, she noted, to want to fix things. To want a normal family. To want to be happy.

But was this what she wanted?

Had her father really even changed?

Had her mother?

Had… she?

She could no longer even see… Her vision utterly overtaken by her anxiety and panic.

"H-Hey," Dove voiced, softly.

Asahi looked on, his eyes scanning his little sister.

"I think we should hurry up with this," Mana could be heard telling someone, most likely Luka Erina figured.

"Erina, sweetie, if there's something you wish to say…" Azami voiced, as he bent down before her. And she saw him, she saw her father. The same father she loved, and the same father who hurt her again, and again, and again, despite his promises to change. He never did. So why…? Why was she trying to fool herself he was going to change now?! That this would be any different…?!

"I-Is this what you want father?" Erina asked, her eyes on him, and Azami seemed to pause.

"This isn't about me, sweetie," he replied, and she felt like crying. He wasn't even talking to her. He was talking to the camara. But, he made one fatal mistake. He said, "This is about what you want."

"…What I want?"

"Always."

"Do you know what I want?" she asked, and he titled his head, because her tone sounded… off. Everyone looked on, wondering what she would say, but nobody could have ever guessed it. Because the girl who had everything, who nobody could ever predict would ever need or want anything beyond her reach, simply replied with… "I want to scream."

Azami's eyes went wide, the moment his daughter replied and focused all her conflicting facial expressions into one mean glare, directed solely at him.

Mana had her mouth agape. Dove was staring blankly. And Asahi had to cover his mouth with his hands to avoid laughing.

"Sweetie… what –?"

"You heard me!" Erina shot back, and her tone was raised in a way she had never spoken to him before. "I'm so, so tired of this façade! I've been bending myself, twisting until it hurts just to make you happy, and no matter what I do, it's never enough for you! I feel like I'm drowning! Like I'm being crushed! I want to scream, because I feel like I'm in a crowded room yet nobody can hear me!"

"I-I oh my, folks I think we should cut –" Luka voiced, signaling to the camara, but he was cut in turn.

"Don't you dare!" Erina demanded, and the man just raised his hands defensively, making it clear he wasn't touching a thing.

"Erina," her father voiced, almost as close to beggingly as she had ever heard him speak. "If there's something you need to get of your chest, I understand, you can say it, but don't act like –"

"Stop trying to tell me how to feel," Erina warned, as she pushed herself up from her seat, as her father back away, and the gasps and murmurs could be heard all throughout. "You wanted to know what I want, right?" she said, holding back the tears and the rage and everything in-between. "I want to live a life that's not just me stuck in a classroom or a kitchen! I want to feel like not everything depends on me! I want to run away from all of this! I want to, for once, be so damn happy that I cry! That's what I want! And I want to stop pretending everything is fine, because it's not, you don't change, you never do! You promise me you will but you always come back worse!"

"Erina, that's not –"

"Soma and Alice and Hisako and everyone else has been right all along from the start about you!" she shouted back, not letting him even for a sentence. But Azami, knowing there was no recovering from this, still spoke, because out of everything she said, of course she had to…

"Must you insist on bringing that boy into our family's business?" he asked, barely keeping hold. "He's the one that has poisoned you with –"

"No, you're wrong father," she simply shot him down. "Do you want to know why I've been so scared to actually accept what he's been trying to tell me all this time, hmm?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, and the way she was looking at him, expectantly, judgingly, was not a way she had ever looked at him before. Azami had no words for it. "Because, father, I was afraid that if I compared the way that that boy treats me, the kindness in his tone, the softness of his touch, the carefree notion of which I can be simply Erina Nakiri with him, and not the esteemed Tenth, or Ninth, or Fourth Seat, God's Tongue of this Academy! If I compared any of that with you, then you would fall oh-so damn short of those expectations, because that boy who's barely half you age is ten times the man you could ever hope to be!"

She screamed the last part, and as she was out of breath, Azami could only stare, utterly unable to flip this around. Erina looked on, before she pushed herself away, and she took a few steps from her seating. Mana looked on, hesitating, since she had no idea what to even say, but Erina caught sight of her eyes on her, and she turned. She offered her mother a pained smile, and before Mana could try and speak, Erina said…

"Don't worry, I didn't need you to defend me before," she told her, "I most certainly don't need you now."

-0-

Both Soe and Leonora looked on, until the video feed was cut, which was roughly once Erina was off the stage. The two looked on for a second, before they turned to each other, both equally perplexed by it all.

"I had every intention of intervening if things looked bad for Erina, but…" Soe noted.

"Baby girl's got it," Leonora added, inwardly cheering her little princess on.

All throughout the events, and likely, all throughout the world, the news was breaking. Erina Nakiri had spoken without an ounce of filter, and the masquerade that Azami and Mana wanted to showcase to the world had surely been shattered to oblivion. The hashtag of ProtectErina had jumped to the top once more, by an obscene amount, as everybody was talking about what had just happened.

"Sir?!" Shawn quickly called out, rushing towards Azami, as the man came out of the set-up stage, looking utterly winded. Azami took one look at Shawn, and his eyes demonstrated nothing but fury.

"Bring her to me," Azami ordered, and when Shawn gave him a questioning look, the man snapped. "I said bring her here! She does not get to throw a tantrum on live television and get away with it! She wants to play the victim then I will show her just how good she's had it until now! I am her father, and I want her in her room, now!"

"S-Sir!" Shawn replied with a salute, before he radioed the rest of the security staff, and quickly set in motion to take hold of Erina Nakiri.

The princess, meanwhile, was on the opposite end of the event, near the entrance, walking as fast as she could before she was hounded by reporters or paparazzi or worse. As she exited, she gave pause, noticing a familiar face with his back rested to one of the pillars of the building itself.

"…Hey."

"Hey yourself," Soma said with a grin. "That's one hell of a speech."

"I think I overdid it a bit…" she admitted.

"Nah, you were perfect babe," Soma corrected. "You feel like you let it all out?"

"Funnily enough, no, I think I still have a lot to say."

"Hey, baby-steps, I suppose," he said with a little laugh, before he turned, just as the security employee drove in with his bike. "You need a ride?"

"You brought this piece of junk here?"

"Hey, don't call her that," Soma quickly defended, "She's an emotional lass. And she's been with us since the start."

"Hmm…" Erina muttered, but she nodded. Soma smiled, before he took hold of his helmet and the keys, motioning the helmet, like always, towards Erina. But before she could grab it, the radio came to life.

"All personnel, at the request of Mr. Nakamura, please secure Erina Nakiri from leaving the grounds."

The security guard took a pause, eyes on his radio, before he turned towards the couple.

Erina gave him a very nervous smile, while Soma just laughed.

"I think I'm grounded," Erina voiced nervously.

"…Well, we've come this far," Soma noted, and to her utter shock, and that of the security guard's, before the man could radio-in her location, Soma proceeded to smack his helmet right across the guy's face, utterly knocking him out, and leaving Erina utterly breathless.

"Soma!"

"I guess this is what they call the "ride or die", eh?" Soma said with a laugh, as he now handed her the helmet, and despite her inner complaints (of which there were many), she simply put it on and got on the bike. Soma turned the motorbike right on, and began to drive the two of them away, with Erina clinging onto him tightly, just like how everything had been when this whole thing had started.

But, no sooner had they tried to get out of the main gates, than had massive armada of guards appeared out of pretty much nowhere, blocking their would-be escape route.

"Lady Erina," one of the guards called out, "Please, Miss, all we have are orders to escort you home. We do not want you to do anything dangerous."

Soma tilted his head, turning to her for a moment.

"Do you want that?"

"Nope."

"Happy to serve then," Soma noted with a grin, before he turned the bike, somehow managing to spin it around on just the back-wheel, causing Erina to let out a shriek mixed in with a nervous laugh, before he raced right back into the resort. The guards, all caught off-guard, quickly gave chase, but their cars did them little good, as by racing back "into the resort" was to be taken literally. Soma proceed to drive himself and Erina right into the main halls of the event, causing a huge ruckus and a bunch of screams from all the fancy people getting the scare of their lives as a motorbike screeched right in-between them all.

Erina laughed all the way through, clinging onto the boy as hard as she could, as he dodged the people as best he could, even if some had to jump out of the way to avoid getting smacked. As more and more guards tried to get to them, Soma sped up, going right up the stairs with his bike, causing the guards to all scramble in their attempts to somehow detain the two without actually harming them. It, of course, was not to be, as Soma rode through the corridors, with many of the guests in utter bafflement at what they were witnessing.

Shawn, knowing his job was on the line at this point, managed to stand at the end of the hall, shouting out to the renegade couple, "Stop this madness Miss! Your father only wants –!"

But, unfortunately for the mook, Soma had a bit of trouble turning in time, so rather than make a tight turn in the corner of the hall, he ended up doing so right on top of Shawn's foot, putting all the pressure onto a single wheel, all the while a loud crunching sound could be heard, and Shawn let out the biggest pained scream imaginable.

"Sorry about that man!" Soma called out, offering the guy a little wave, before he proceeded to make his way right out of the back entrance of the resort, leaving all of the guards in their collective dust.

As they all scrambled, having failed spectacularly, the rest just looked on…

"Dude's insane," Loren noted, resting himself on one of the rails, looking at all the chaos the couple left behind, "…And I think I'll avoid Azami for at least ten years or so."

"Good call," Nao replied, her eyes also on the mayhem, and trying not to laugh at it all. An unforgettable party indeed.

As everybody slowly gathered themselves, Asahi quietly motioned through the crowds, coming to a stop as soon as he saw a familiar guy dressed as a waiter. He smiled, and stood right next to his left-hand man Yuunosuke, who without emoting much, gave the King of Noirs the stolen phone.

"You crack it?" Asahi softly asked.

"You know it," Yuunosuke replied, as he turned towards Asahi, "Videos are ready to go. What do you say?"

Asahi motioned to reply, but then he felt his own phone vibrate, and he gave pause. Taking it out, he noticed a familiar name on display. Dove. He eyed the phone for a moment, before he put Decora's phone on his pockets, and turned back to his friend. "Hold up on that," he ordered, "After tonight, I think there's not that much I need to do to get everybody exactly where I need them…"

-0-

Soma drove them far away from the event, as when Erina began to wonder if he was taking her back to Yukihira's or his dorm, as she much preferred the former than the latter tonight, he ended up stopping at neither. Erina looked on, and she just laughed. It was the locale that had served as their Golden Locks restaurant, way back when Akira had challenged her to a Shokugeki for her Tenth Seat. The decorations had long been taken out, but several of the tables and chairs and desks were probably still inside, just in case there was ever another challenge for a Seated student (after the whole Intercontinental Shokugeki ended, of course).

"Are you feeling nostalgic?" Erina asked, as Soma parked his bike and helped her get off. She proceeded to remove his helmet, and she laughed, since it always made a mess of her hair.

"Just thought we could hide out somewhere they normally wouldn't think to look for you," Soma replied, eyes on the building. "I mean, your gramps could probably find us here, but he raised you. This other guy, not so much."

"Oof, you've been holding that back for a while now," Erina noted, smirking at him, and he nodded. Guilty as charged. "But it's not like we can stay the night hiding out… huh?"

Erina gave pause, as she began to feel a few droplets of rain fall. She looked up, and slowly but surely, more and more rain began to fall from the sky, and soon enough, it was pouring. She heard Soma say something in surprise, as he edged her to take shelter inside, but she didn't move. Erina simply extended her arms, as if showcasing her fancy dress, and tilting her head in response. Soma looked on, before he slowly caught on. She didn't care anymore. The prim and proper princess of Tootsuki Academy, for once in her life, just wanted to enjoy the rain, expensive dress be damned.

"I was…" she spoke, "Trying so hard to fake it all, to believe everything my parents were lying to me about… It was so exhausting. But my father, all he wants is to control me, and take over an academy he did not create. It doesn't belong to him. This is my grandfather's work, his legacy. And I cannot let him lose that, not to my father… And my mother, all she cares about is her image and her job back at the WGO. Had she not been forced out; she wouldn't even be here. I don't think… she even wanted to be a mother…"

"You still have so many people who care about you, you know?" Soma softly noted. "Hisako and Alice care about you like if they were your older sisters, rather than the other way around. You have so many friends all fighting to keep this place open. You have, like, the best uncle and aunt in the world. And… I love you. Like, I don't care what your parents say or think, but I'm glad I met you, Erina Nakiri."

"I am glad you met me too, Soma Yukihira."

"So…" Soma added, as he moved to the side, setting down his phone on a spot where the rain (hopefully) wouldn't get it, and before she could inquire, he set it to play a song from his collection. When she eyes him curiously, Soma said, "Loren wasn't the only one of the Polar Stars who Yuuki made a playlist for. So, considering everything," he said, as he extended his hand to her, once more, "Care to dance?"

She replied with a laugh, a nod, and giving him her hand, and with it, just like always, her heart.

The two teens then danced around under the heavy rain, beneath the cold, darkened sky, flinging mud around, and just messing around. They twisted and twirled, and she found herself as she always did at the end, in his arms, safe. It was absurd, she knew, that the troublemaker of a boyfriend had to be the one to keep her safe from her own family, rather than the other way around. Still, right now, she wouldn't have it any other way…

They danced…

They laughed…

And when the rain got even heavier, they ran…

They got inside the restaurant, thanks to Soma throwing a rock through the window and unlocking it that way, and Erina felt like the biggest rebel imaginable due to just how insane everything was, that she couldn't stop laughing at pretty much everything they did. They got inside, and it was pretty much how they had left it. Thankfully the Tootsuki staff seemed to clean it often, as it was decently spotless despite the almost year that had happened in-between visits. Soma took in the surroundings, recalling how much he had been screamed at in here, while Erina just smiled fondly at the scene. And cringed a bit too, since she recalled how much of a (for lack of a better term) bitch she had been to him during those days of yesteryear.

She shivered, rubbing her damp dress with her hands. Soma quickly took notice, and motioned to take off his jacket to cover her up, but sort-of realized he was just as dripping wet as she was, so it probably wouldn't help her much.

So he proceeded to hug her, take her into his arms, which made her smile from ear to ear, and the two of them seemed to dance in place, swinging from side to side as they embraced. Erina, slowly, shifted her stance, so as to be able to look at him properly, all so she could turn her head and kiss him. She locked her lips onto him, and he replied in kind. They kissed so deeply, her tongue instinctively seeking his out, and he obliged. And the rush was there, it was always there.

She pushed onwards, deepening the kiss as much as she could, because she needed this. She needed him. But she pushed so much, that considering how wet the floor was thanks to them, Soma ended up slipping and falling downwards with her in tow. He managed to keep her safe, having her land on him, and surprisingly, she never once parted her lips from his. He felt her laugh a bit when they fell, but she seemed to have no intention of stopping this kiss.

Which proved a bit troubling for the boy, as her hands soon found themselves on his chest, her nails almost scratching off his wet shirt, all the while he had to struggle on how to hold her, since her dress was slippery and his hands constantly wavered dangerously from her hips and onto somewhere lower.

But she didn't seem to notice, or care, as she took a firm grip of his shirt, and pulled herself onto him, her tongue exploring chambers of his mouth he didn't even think was possible with a kiss. He ended up outright sucking on her tongue, and that produced such a soft moan from the girl that it simply proved too much for the guy.

"…E-Erina," he said almost without a single breath, "W-We should really stop. I… My head's spinning, I can't. I have limits and, like, wow, okay… I…"

"…Do you want to stop?"

Soma looked on, his eyes widening, as she stared back, biting her lush lips, a deep blush on her face, but a determined look in her eyes.

"Ah… Erina, what are you…?"

She said nothing for a moment, just slowly pulled herself up. Soma just stared, trying to remember how to breath, but inwardly kicking himself for interrupting the moment. Granted, he was never going to take advantage of her, no matter how much his body ached for her (and boy did it), so it was for the best to stop now. He didn't want her doing something she'd regret. For her, he'd wait until the end of time if need be. He still looked at her, and God was she breathtaking, but as she gave him a shy smile, his eyes went wide…

…Because her whole dress hit the floor.

"E-Eh…" he outright forgot how to pronounce her name. Frankly, he didn't remember his own.

She stood there in just her fancy bra and fancier panties, both of them soaked, clinging onto her frame like second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. And given his own state, she had a clear view of just how much he wanted her right now.

But he could tell, even as his mind spun and he took every inch of her in, that she was nervous, and damn it, he was not going to push her into this, so hormones be damned, he forced himself to speak.

"E-Erina, we don't have to do anything you do not want to do," he managed to convey, "You don't owe me a thing for what I've done. Helping you out is my privilege, not the other way around."

"Soma?" she voiced, a little tremble in her voice, but clearly a bit of annoyance too.

"Yeah?" he asked, tilting his head.

"I am aware you are rather dense," she noted, "But exactly how obvious do I need to make it. Are you seriously going to make me request it?" she added, and she bent down, her hands now caressing his thighs, brushing against them, and making the obvious all that more visible. She was blushing madly, but played it off expertly.

"I love you, Erina," he said, cupping her face with his hand.

"I love you more," she replied, resting her head on his embrace.

"…I don't know much of this," he admitted, and she inwardly noted how he better not, but, it was still sweet to hear him say, "But they do say it hurts, and –"

But, at the same time, she wasn't that much in the mood for cute tonight.

So she replied as directly as she could, so that even this dense guy that had stolen her heart on that fateful cruise could finally understand…

"Then make me scream."

---

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The Countdown To The Finals Starts At 3…