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/Dove; Loren/Nao; Ryou/Alice; Isshi/Nene; Taku/Hisa; Akira/Megu] ((43 / 44: To You, 10 Years From Nao))

12. Protect Erina

Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen; Slight Mature Themes

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

You know, I gave the "Shokugeki no Soma" manga another read again, wanting to refresh my memory of it, while at the same time wondering if the parts I liked still held up and if the parts I… disliked I still felt didn't work. To me the Autumn Elections and the Stagiaire are still stellar, and everything prior to the Central Arc still works. Erina is really, really out of focus for the majority of this manga's first half, which is almost jarring to me. Central… is not as bad as I remember it, but it is still a massive decline from the quality that the manga started with. Everything after Erina is made Headmistress however, I can do without. There still some enjoyable parts, but man, they are lost in a sea of poor storytelling and anti-character growth.

Anyways, who cares? You guys wanted Drama?! No? Well too bad, Waluigi Time!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

---

The breeze always felt so different, so fresh and pure when you were out in the open seas. It was one of the things he enjoyed most, and the one who taught him to enjoy such a simple thing had been his wife, of course. They meet in a kitchen, as a two chefs would, but the fell in love outside. Experiencing life. As anyone should. He rested himself against the railing, eyes closed, wondering just what exactly was he going to do. Things were getting out of hand. He could tell a storm was coming, and he wasn't exactly sure he knew how to stop it. At least, not anymore.

Maybe, if she were still here, she could do something. She would know. She was the better parent after all. He was supposed to be the easy-going father that once-in-a-blue-moon would give good advice, while she was the stern, but smart mother who always knew best. Always. And, raising his boy for so long without her, all these years, and he still felt like he hadn't quite gotten it right.

He heard some footsteps slowly reach where he was, and tried to make his features go back to their devil may care look he often sported. After all, a pensive, worried Jouichirou Saiba was not a particularly common sight, even amongst friends.

"Something on your mind Jou?" his old friend and current owner of the Luxury Cruise Hiei, Kaito Sakamoto voiced, his eyes on the other man.

"Just enjoying the salty breeze," Jouichirou replied, a half-truth. "Thanks again for letting me hop on. Free rides from Hawaii to Japan are kinda hard to come by. Why had no one invested in Uber-Flights already?"

"I'm more worried that a man of your fame would be pinching pennies," Kaito told him, eyes narrowed. "A flight would have gotten you to Tootsuki a lot sooner than my ship. A cruise is meant to be enjoyed, not go full blast from one end to another."

"…I'm just joking," Jouichirou waved off. "Truth is, I don't really like flying. Too cramped. I get desperate. I much prefer these slow and steady pace. Besides, reaching that academy sooner or later won't make much difference. What I… will try to resolve is not really something that getting their earlier affects in the slightest."

"Is young Soma alright?"

"Who knows?"

"You should," Kaito flatly responded. "You are the boy's father."

"That's not what I mean," Jouichirou defended, turning to Kaito. "Truth is, a little incident that happened tonight is beginning to spread in social media. Now, I'm not the most technological man on this planet, so I'm not sure what most of those numbers mean, but it seems that, come tomorrow, something big is going to happen. And I ain't no oracle. I didn't travel here for that, since I had no idea it would even happen."

"Then…?"

"I actually have two boys, in a way," Jouichirou admitted, and Kaito couldn't help but be surprised at this. The husband of the year himself, involved in an extramarital affair? "Don't give me that look," the Asura quickly added, imagining what Kaito was probably imagining. "He's a kid a meet whenever I went to the States, quite a few years back. An orphan boy, from an abusive household, but the only one in that entire place that could keep up with me in the kitchen. Even more so than the chef himself. It was amazing, he had such talent, still does I imagine."

"Whatever happened to this boy?" Kaito asked, taking a place alongside Jouichirou, against the railing of the very cruise the man next to him had helped him save.

"…He's there, at Tootsuki, threatening to take it down," Jouichirou responded, and Kaito frowned. Now that was a difficult situation. "I didn't even want to send Soma there, just did it as a favor to the old man. But, now, Soma is utterly invested in that school. Got kicked out, and fought so hard that he outright forced the administration to bend their own rules and bring him right back in. That's something I don't think even I could have accomplished," Jouichirou noted, a little smile on his lips, before he added, "So what am I to do. One son want to protect that school with all he's got, because it is his home away from home, his career, his future. The other, wants to tear it all down, because to him, it represents everything wrong with the culinary world itself. There is no way both of them can get what they want."

"Even so, I still think Soma is in his right to defend his school," Kaito noted, and Jouichirou nodded.

"I can't deny that," he said. "But, the thing is, it doesn't matter. They both think this is the right thing for them. But I know they both have their doubts too. And for both, it all probably circles around the little Miss, little Erina herself," Jouichirou added, "They are going to clash, I cannot stop that, but my fear is, that it will be for the wrong reasons. That in the end, it will end up with both of them hurt, regardless of who wins or loses."

Kaito just stared, slowly understanding what Jouichirou was saying, if only a bit.

But what was worse, Jouichirou himself noted, was that he knew his role was to guide both of them, Soma and Asahi, and try and point them towards what is right. But…

'I'm just not sure I'm good enough a father to pull this off…'

As both men spoke, their topic slowly changing to something a little less worrisome, Kaito's son, Kotaru stared, having intended on walking in to ask his father about the night's sales, but decided against it. The little discrepancy in the settlements could wait a bit, since the reports were never made until the next morning anyways. Doubly so, since thanks to Jouichioru, the cruise itself was going on a much needed break. Send for repairs and a routine check, yes, but also, because his father had been invited to be part of the VIP guests to attend the Intercontinental Shokugeki currently going on.

Such a thing was something his father had outright declined originally, but when Jouichirou just popped in asking for a ride, he relented. Kotaru couldn't be happier, since it meant he could meet up with Soma and Erina once more, and also… with Urara. But he'd keep that last name off his lips, lest he give Ava ammunition for days.

So, as Kotaru walked right back to the Central Restaurant currently closed for the night, he paused, as said girl was currently sitting at one of the tables, candlelit and all, chatting the night away with her boyfriend. Kotaru had to admit he was impressed. That boy, when he had first met him, seemed lackluster at best. Kotaru figured they would not last at all. But lo and behold, here they were, still together. Love was a very strange thing indeed.

"Kinda creepy of you to just stand there and stare Kotaru," Ava voiced, noticing her superior just spaced out. He came to, smiling and waving her off.

"Nothing like that," he replied, "I just find you two utterly charming is all."

"Is that so?"

"Well, we are ever-so charming after all," Yoshiaki voiced, as he took Ava's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. The girl just smiled, wondering how even the dorkiness was slowly becoming charming in her eyes. "Which is why I take every opportunity I can to board this gorgeous vessel."

"Just to see me work?" she teased, eyes narrowed.

"Well, you look wonderful on that uniform, that is true," he admitted, and she frowned. "But it's more than that, much more."

"I'll only allow it as long as you keep bringing Kanon along," Ava noted. "I can't get enough of her. And she's so big now. Like's it's only been months, and she's several inches taller."

"And several levels more annoying," Yoshiaki noted, as Ava turned to glare at him. "Don't give me that look. You know I love the little brat, but she now thinks she's a big kid, a lady, as she says, and, well…"

"She is, and a fine one at that," Ava corrected.

"She asleep already?" Kotaru asked, turning the chairs over, the last of the duties before he locked the place down. Yoshiaki nodded, and Kotaru added, "Bet she's super excited about visiting Tootsuki. Seeing her idol Soma again should be something else."

"To the absurd degree," Yoshiaki noted. "It's either Soma-this, Erina-that, or Megumi-something-of-the-other. Like, I don't even know who Megumi is and I'm already tired of hearing of her."

"Stop being such a sour puss," Ava voiced, pulling his cheek, hard, causing the boy the yelp. "And you better be at your best behavior. Soma and Erina are in a very big competition, so we are there just to say hi, not to bother them in the slightest."

"Tell Kanon that!"

"She's never a bother," Ava countered. "She can do whatever she wants."

As Yoshiaki muttered something inaudible, and Ava jokingly threatened him to speak up louder, Kotaru just smiled and turned to the last occupied table of their closed restaurant. The laptop was still on, and to his surprise, when he took a look, the settlements had already been corrected, the total now making sense. It was surprising, but despite it all, his father had been right all along. No matter what the family itself had done, they couldn't quite run this cruise without her.

"This will be your first time setting foot inside Tootsuki too, right?" Kotaru asked.

The girl with the glasses looked up at him, and her expression was just like always, utterly unreadable.

"…Hopefully last time as well…" was all Yukichiko Eizan answered.

-0-

"You really didn't have to walk me all the way to the entrance," Hisako voiced as she took purposely slow steps towards the main gates of the Nakiri Mansion, her eyes drifting a bit to the side to the boy walking alongside her.

Takumi seemed to acknowledge the comment for a moment, before he turned to her with his trademark smile that had won him a fanclub of so many, many girls wishing they were doing what she was doing. And probably more. So, so much more.

But as she glanced at her… date, she couldn't help but give out a little smile. Or, maybe that wasn't exactly the case. More like she hadn't stopped smiling ever since he had come to pick her up. All they did was walk around the campus, stop to grab a bite, and chat the night away. Nothing to write home about, certainly not a cruise ship of adventure and romance her best friend Erina had experienced with her first-ish date.

But… she really liked it this way.

From the moment he met her at the gates, dressed in his more casual wear, up until now. 'He does know how to dress, I give him that,' Hisako admired, 'Boy is fashionable in all sense of that word.'

"Something on your mind?" Takumi voiced, as he noticed they had reached the gates. It was late, much later than either had intended on staying out, but once a rebel always a rebel he supposed.

"I never did compliment you on your attire," she answered honestly, turning to face him. "Despite, you know, you did compliment me."

"Boys aren't usually fishing for compliments," he shrugged, and she laughed.

"Oh, and I was?"

"Not what I meant," he quickly defended, hands raised. "Man, I just ruined the entire night, didn't I?" he joked, with a laugh, and she gave him a very soft punch as a tease.

"Stop that," she told him. "Besides, I'm trying to be frank here. You look nice, very nice."

"Grazie," he replied with a soft bow, and Hisako wondered if any of the many girls in his fanclub felt like they were melting whenever he spoke Italian, even if it was just a word? No, just her?

"…And thank you for these," she noted, holding up the bouquet of flowers Takumi had offered her when he arrived to see her. It was such an old-fashion and cliché stunt that it outright caught it off guard. She had no idea what she would do with them, but they were certainly going into a vase with water and right into her room.

"Pretty roses for a pretty girl," he replied with a wink.

"These are peonies, actually," she corrected with a blush, using the flowers to cover part of her face, as if she were sniffing them gently.

"Wait, really?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

She nodded, head still buried within the flowers. He frowned a bit, his hand finding itself on the back of his head, rubbing himself gently. He seemed to ponder it for a moment, before he just gave himself a light shake of the head.

"Okay, not my smoothest move," he admitted. "But, in my defense, the phrase is "a rose by any other name…" or something to that extent," he added, and she nodded yet again.

"…would smell as sweet," she concluded the phrase, wondering if this is how it felt. How Erina, Alice and even Megumi felt whenever they were the center of attention for that one special person. She turned her eyes from the peonies towards the dashing young man, smiling. "Thanks. It was a really nice gesture."

"To be honest," he admitted. "I just got them because they best matched your hair," he added, and she said nothing. "They reminded me of you. But don't worry, next time I'll get you actual roses, not these impostors," he joked, and despite it clearly being said in jest, Hisako just shook her head.

"No. I prefer peonies."

Takumi paused, looking at the girl with the decoy-roses covering most of her features, with only her pretty eyes shining from just above, and he gave the girl a soft bow. Extending his hand, he slowly took hold of one of hers, and in a soft, gentle and slow gesture, he gave her hand a soft kiss. She stared, hoping her knees did not give her away, as his lips slowly parted from her hand.

"I hope we can make this a recurring event," he slyly offered, and the playful smile on her lips caused her to both want to kiss him and hit him with the bouquet at the same time. But… she was too nervous to really pull of either, so she simply nodded. He smirked back, and once he saw the main gates opening up, bid her farewell. She nodded yet again, taking her steps to be inside the mansion grounds, as she turned back to him, as he was slowly stepping back, backwards, still facing her, likely making sure she got home safely despite being already within its gates.

"…Send me a text when you reach your dorm," she called out, finally finding her voice, and he titled his head a bit. "Just to make sure you made it back alright."

"Yeah, of course."

"…And give my regards to Isami."

"Will do," he replied, still smiling and she forced herself to turn and walk inside.

Now that she was sure she was out of view, she couldn't help but add a little bounce to her step, what started as a slow walk slowly became a series of skips all the way to the main doors, as she made her way inside, blush now full on as was her smile, spanning from ear to ear. She had never recalled having felt such a rush of so many emotions before, and she was so anxious to tell all of it to-

"Someone looks happy," a very unfamiliar voice spoke up, and she couldn't help but outright yelp and jump in unison, almost dropping her peonies in the process, but her skills in the kitchen, which honed anyone's reflexes to an insane degree, helped to stop that from happening. Still, Hisako turned, and was surprised at just who had just outright spooked her.

Sitting by the main entrance, on one of the many little couches meant more for display than for actual seating, nonetheless sat one Asahi, laid back against the wall, slouching, with both hands in his very expensive looking tuxedo. He was smiling, but the boy looked dead tired.

"Asahi?" she asked, confused. And, it wasn't just him either. Sitting… as far away as possible from him, at the very tail-end of the entrance, was the girl from these Neo Noirs, Dove is Hisako remembered correctly. "…Why are you just… there? Everything okay?" she asked, both worried and confused. Asahi she could sort-of understand, once she reminded herself he was Erina's half-brother and all that, but why was Dove there? Were the other two Noirs here too?

"You want the honest answer to that question, or you want me not to be the one that ruins your night?" he asked with a little laugh, "You look very cute by the way. Lucky guy I imagine, or gal."

"Guy in this case," she confirmed, before frowning, "Where's Erina?"

Dove could be heard scoffing as soon as Hisako spoke up, which caused the medical expert to quickly turn to her, glare fully focused, her sisterly instinct activated instantly. Dove seemed to notice, even if she wasn't much bothered by it. "Don't aim those murderous eyes at me sweetie," Dove mocked, brushing her off. "I am not the one who opened my big mouth and caused this whole mess."

"What?"

"Seems daddy dearest kinda underestimated how little a filter that one possesses," Asahi noted, laughing some more. It seemed to outright irk Dove.

"You don't really think you'll get away with this?" she asked, almost growling at him. He stared, one eyebrow raised. "We all know you called the paparazzi to our location. This mess wouldn't have happened if you didn't butt in."

"Oh, pardon me," Asahi replied, mimicking her tone. "I did not plan for little Soma to spill the beans like that," Asahi defended.

"What was your dumb plan then?!" Dove shouted.

"I just want my little sister to be safe," Asahi softly replied.

"Oh bullshit," Dove shot back.

"What?" Asahi quickly mouthed. "At least I have a purpose. Not like you and whatever creepy relationship you have with my father."

"Don't you even dare insinuate that," Dove outright growled, and Asahi just stared, frowning. "Do not ever compare me to the kind of trash you are. Or what your mother was at that."

"Wow, ain't that a low place to go," Asahi sarcastically cheered her on, applause and all, and Hisako was utterly lost as to how this conversation was going way too personal, way too quickly. "But you know what? At least I admit what I am. My mom was indeed trash; and who cares knows, maybe so am I. But, why do you only look down on her, huh? It takes two to tango, so shift some of that sass at daddy too. Sexist much?"

"Oh for goodness sake!" Dove screamed, "I don't care what Azami did. I am not defending him in the slightest. But I have never, and I will never degrade myself to be where I am. But that's all you can do right, meet a girl you can't quite overcome, so you result to insults. Is that how that works? Quite the Nakiri you are."

"You are twisting my words!"

"You claimed I had a creepy relationship with Azami," Dove shot back. "And it certainly is not as creepy as whatever intentions you have with your own sister."

"I do not have any ill-intentions with Erina!" Asahi quickly countered. "In fact, she and I-"

"Where is she?!" Hisako screamed at the top of her lungs, managing the impressive feat of surprising both Noirs and causing them both to shut up for once. The both stared for a moment, before they both slowly pointed towards the staircase, signaling to her room. Hisako was still glaring at them, her fists clenched. "Now, one last thing," she warned, "What happened to her? And I swear, if either of you give me anything other than a straight answer, I will have the guards drag you both out."

Both Asahi and Dove seemed to take a deep breathe, Asahi pulling his head back and Dove burying hers into her lap, both letting out a heavy sigh in the process.

"You should just let her explain it," Asahi offered, giving Hisako a very forced smile.

"Or just check the news tomorrow," Dove added, not even bothering to lift her head.

Hisako wanted to slap the shit out of them both so bad, but she knew this was pointless, so without another word, she darted pass the two and towards the stairs, sprinting her way towards Erina's room. It was one of the few times she inwardly cursed just how big this mansion was. It was also pure luck she left when she did, as no sooner had she gone up the stairs, than had a very unhappy looking Azami walked right into the entrance area.

"Oh, so now you have nothing to say?!" Mana shouted, following closely behind. It caused the man to stop, his eyes on the door and his expression a convoluted mess of emotions. "How much?"

"How much what?" he asked, almost innocently, but the venom was still there.

"How much did you hurt her?" Mana asked, and despite her tone being low-ish, both Asahi and Dove could tell there was quite a tranquil fury buried underneath it.

"I did not," Azami replied, but he didn't turn to face her. "The… boy was out of line. I was strict, not abusive."

"Father had you banned from this entire academy, how come I never knew that?" Mana shot back, her eyes glaring daggers at his back. Asahi was in a very peculiar spot, since while it was technically his father being shouted at, rightfully so, he had never experienced having two parents arguing. It was a new experience in a way, but not an enjoyable one at that. Dove looked similarly nervous. She didn't care about Asahi, Erina, Hisako or even Soma. She could just send them all to hell and be done with it. But Mana Nakiri? Even she wasn't brave enough to say anything to her when she sounded that pissed.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't walked out on us all, you'd know those details," Azami countered, now turning towards his ex-wife.

"You know why I did what I did."

"And I had to pick up the slack and raise our daughter by myself," Azami argued. "And with your father breathing down my neck at every opportunity. I had to raise her right. Raise her so she wouldn't walk out on her own family like you did. He considered that abuse, when what? What should I have done? Raise her like he raised you? Teach her to run away from problems instead of facing them?"

"Do not make this about me."

"It is about you."

"…I swear, if you hurt that girl-"

"Save your threats Mana," Azami warned, raising his hand to make her stop. "You heard what she said. It wasn't bad. Erina herself already put to rest whatever concerns you could have, or any stupidity that I now have to deal with my PR Team."

"She said it wasn't that severe," Mana corrected, outright spitting the last word out. "Severe is not a word I ever want to hear associated with her."

"She is trying to play to both sides," Azami countered, as Asahi and Dove tried to sink further and further into their respective seats, since this whole thing was way too uncomfortable for either of them. "She didn't want to dismiss that brat's words, or is that it? Are you actually taking Yukihira's side in all of this? You think that damn commoner has any idea what any of our lives is like? What Erina's childhood even was?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side," Mana firmly replied. Her arms were crossed, and her glare had only intensified. "But he has never hurt her. The boy's a fool, but he actually cares for her wellbeing. You better hope you get the press under control, otherwise this entire International Shokugeki of yours will be going down the drain, just like whatever chance you had at fixing whatever this was."

"You don't mean that, don't let-" he tried.

"Get out," she ordered, her expression unchanged. He frowned. "I will speak to her tomorrow, once she's better. But I warn you, if she tells me anything Soma Yukihira hinted at is true, you are not getting close to her again."

"…That's not for you to decide," Azami responded, his tone dry and dark, but Mana was unfazed.

"Try me," was all she replied, and despite his desire to say more, he knew there was no fixing anything right now. He needed to deal with the press first, so he just waved her off, and turned around, pushing the doors open without a care and walking right out. Mana stared, as the doors slowly closed themselves, before she heard the man start the engine of his, as always, expensive car and drive away in a rush, the wheels screeching against the road with thunderous fury.

She wondered if he had even waited for the main gates to open or if he had driven right through them. Not that she much cared at this point. This whole mess had also painted a target on her own back. Despite all her bravado, she knew if it was all true, she shared part of the blame, since she had abandoned her daughter to all of that, and never once checked up on her. Even when her Father took custody, the very few times they spoke, whenever he spoke about Erina, Mana purposely kept the conversation to minimum.

Had she really cared that little about her own daughter…?

Mana closed her eyes briefly, afraid of answering her own question, until upon opening the slowly realized something. There were still two youngsters sitting by the front door, utterly baffled if their expressions where anything to go by.

Well, Asahi's at least, since Dove still had her head buried into her lap.

"…He just outright left us, huh?" Asahi noted with a nervous laugh, slowly turning to Mana. "Not to be a bother, but that Resort is pretty damn far. Can we have a spare room, or…?"

"…Please don't feed us to the dogs," was all Dove added, her words half muzzled by her own thighs.

Mana just sighed, wondering just what her life had turned to. Before she could reply to them, which was to offer them each a room, because despite her anger, it wasn't their fault, and she wasn't just going to kick the two out, she heard a car drive back into the driveway, before a door was opened and slammed shut, and a few footsteps until the front doors were opened once more.

Azami stood there, taking a deep, deep breath, as his eyes turned to Dove and Asahi. He was doing an impressive effort to keep calm.

"Forgot something?" Mana mocked.

"…Come," was all he said, ignoring her and signaling to the two, who despite their own personal differences, both stood up in unison, picked up their things and walked right out the mansion without another word. Azami did a swift turn and closed the doors, although this time he drove off a little more… normally.

Mana just closed her eyes, knowing that this was just the consequences of all their actions coming to head all of the sudden. One way or another, come tomorrow, the life they knew would be turned on its head, and she had no way to even brace herself for it, much less put a stop to it.

-0-

Hisako soon found herself right across from Erina's room, and no sooner had she turned the corner, that she spotted Kurokiba standing by the door. His back was to the opposing wall, hands on his phone. He paused, sensing her, and upon seeing who it was he simply signaled to the room, which was all Hisako needed to know she was needed inside. Hisako voiced a simple "thanks" before she opened the door, expecting the worst.

Erina was there, sitting on the bed, thankfully not crying like Hisako was afraid she'd be, but her eyes looked reddish, clearly having cried already or just barely fighting the tears away. Hisako did not know which was worse. Luckily, Alice was sitting right next to her, one her hands on her cousin's, the other softly stroking her hair. Alice looked up, and she outright lit up the moment she saw Hisako.

"Hisako, hey," Alice spoke up, and it served as a reminder how delicate the situation was to the young secretary when Alice (a) did not call her "Hishoko", and (b) spoke so softly and gently that she sounded like someone else entirely. "Look, Erina, your sister is here."

Erina had raised her gaze as soon as had heard Hisako's name, and the latter was seated right next to Erina in a flash, seating at the opposite side of Alice, her worry clearly evident. "Erina, what happened? Are you okay? I mean, clearly you're not, but what can I do to…?"

"I didn't mean to worry you Hisako," Erina softly told her, offering the most pained smile Hisako had ever seen Erina sport. "Just my messed up family, again, because why not?" Erina added, outright scoffing at the notion. "But, no, I am not doing this. Not tonight… How was your date?" Erina did a one-eighty so fast Hisako felt the whiplash, and it took her a few second to process the question.

"Oh… F-Fine," she replied, wanting to say "fantastic" but deciding it was not the moment to brag. "Just a little walk and chat, nothing more."

"Those are some very pretty flowers for just a walk," Erina added, taking note of the bouquet Hisako was carrying, which the girl seemed to have almost forgotten about, if her reaction was anything to go by. Erina gave out a little laugh at her reaction, but her eyes still looked like they were a moment away from tearing up.

"…Takumi is a gentleman, right down to the smallest of details," she admitted. "But enough about that, Erina, what do you need? Or… Or do you want to change the subject? Cause if that's the case, I'll tell you everything we did, down to every step."

"My, how thrilling," Alice said with a hint of teasing, which made Hisako frown. She did, however, offer up to take hold of Hisako's bouquet and place it somewhere safe, which the girl quickly agreed to. "Two of the nicest, most innocent students going out on a date together. I cannot imagine the trouble you two got into. You didn't… gasp, hold hands, did you?"

"Says the girl that got flustered because someone called her his sunshine," Hisako shut back, and Alice turned beet-red, pouting at her. "What?" Hisako added, "I can give just as much as I can take."

"Oh, bet-ya didn't tell Takumi that!"

"Alice," both Erina and Hisako both reprimanded in unison, and Alice just lifted her hands up defensively. She was still grinning, since she had managed to lighten the mood at least. Hisako then turned her attention back to Erina, and used her hand to brush the latter's hair off her face. Her hair had gotten a bit too long, she noted. "Erina, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course," Erina replied without missing a beat. "It's… It was Soma," she admitted, and Hisako couldn't quite mask her reaction. She was shocked, to say the least. Had she misheard? Was this not something to do with her family? She had been expecting to hear something about Azami, or maybe Mana. Heck, even Asahi could fall into that category… but Soma? What could that boy possibly have done to hurt Erina like this?

"Soma?" she had to ask, just to make sure she had heard correctly.

"My family's… dinner got interrupted by the press, nothing new or out of the ordinary there," Erina began, as she pressed her nails into her knees, reddening the exposed skin. "…They asked the same questions they always do, now with an even bigger focus on our family as a whole, since we were all there. It was the best source for gossip, a long-lost child, divorced powerful people dinning together for the first time in years, the two God's Tongues under one roof, all in the middle of this academic takeover… It would have been messy regardless, but… One of them just had to ask Soma what he thought of all of this, and…"

"He wasn't lying," Alice cut it, crossing her arms across her chest, her head slightly tilted. It caused Erina to frown, looking up at her cousin for a moment.

"It wasn't his call to make," Erina corrected, firmly.

"Wait…" Hisako intervened, her eyes on Erina still. "What did he say?"

"That I was a victim of abuse," Erina simply stated, and Hisako's eyes went even wider. Erina turned to her, her expression half of sadness, half of outright anger. Maybe that was it. The only thing keeping the tears from falling, was simply anger. "You should have seen their faces. The whole mood changed. It was… like my entire life was now out there in the open for them to pick apart as they wished. They turned to me with pity and concern in their eyes, like if I was some lost kid, and not the heiress of the biggest culinary empire in this entire world. Can you imagine the humiliation? I… That was not something anyone needed to know, nor was it as big a deal as Soma made it seem like."

"I can't believe he would just…" Hisako voiced, utterly shocked, but she heard Alice scoff.

"Oh, not you too," Alice cut in, annoyed. "If he didn't say it, sooner or later, someone had to. You were throwing yourself right into his claws again. Your father is going to do nothing but hurt you, and what's worse is that you know it and you are purposely acting like you don't."

"It's not that easy," Hisako shot back, her eyes on Alice. "And that isn't for Soma to decide when and how Erina's life gets put under the microscope. It's her family, her father, she can't just be expected to throw all that out."

"Easy for you to say," Alice retorted, and Hisako glared.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You had not met her yet," Alice voiced, her eyes narrowed. "Uncle basically forbade Erina from even seeing me. We were little, and he made her life into a living hell. Honing her God's Tongue, and nothing else. I couldn't see Erina for a long time. And it hurt me too, but I can't imagine how much it hurt her. And I don't want that to happen again. I do not want to be told that I can't visit Erina because her stupid father does not want me there to disturb her "studies"."

"That's not what this is about," Hisako countered. "I am not applauding what that man did. I do not want Erina hurt either, but for Soma to throw it all out there, you know how much they could dig up? How much that could hurt the Nakiri name itself?"

"Good then!" Alice exclaimed. "What do you prefer then? Saying nothing and what? One day Uncle comes up to you and tells you, oh hey, your services are no longer required, get lost, how would you feel?"

"There are other ways to avoid such a scenario," Hisako replied. "Not everything should be just extremes."

"Stop arguing you two," Erina spoke up, standing up suddenly, causing both bickering girls to pause and turn to her. "…I am not approving of what my father did. I… am not saying what Soma said was a lie in any way. And… I know he didn't do it to hurt me. I know he did it because he found himself against the wall, with no idea on how to get me out of there… But it was the wrong thing to do, and I am to blame for that…"

"Why you Erina?" Hisako asked.

"What makes you say that?" Alice added.

"…I opened up too much to Soma," Erina concluded, and both girls couldn't help but feel that those were not the words they wanted to heard from her. "I burdened him with my family's internal affairs, too much, too soon. And, my parents, for all their faults, they're still right about that one thing… Soma is just… a high school romance; something that probably won't even last past our graduation. I shouldn't… have invested this much in something that…"

Then she broke down. No gradual increase. She just stopped talking and began to cry into her hands, and both Hisako and Alice were hugging her tightly before either girl had even fully processed what was happening.

"It's… too soon for you to be thinking such things," Hisako offered, holding onto her sister tightly. "It was just a bad day, nothing more. I'll make sure to help you until this all blows over. But don't blame yourself for anything. You did nothing wrong."

"All we see here," Alice added, her hands on Erina's cheeks, pinching her until it made the crying girl pout in annoyance, causing Alice to smile. "…Is a sweet young girl who only wants her family. We are Nakiri. We will make it through this. I promise you."

Erina said nothing, but she hoped, hoped that Hisako and Alice were right. That this would all blow over soon enough. That her mother and her father would not hate each other completely after this. And… that she and Soma…

No… she really didn't want to think about him for tonight.

-0-

Soma Yukihira was a few things.

A chef, of course.

A student, first from a regular school, then a culinary one, then he got expelled, then he got back in, and he was sure he was about to get expelled again soon enough.

But more than any of that, he was a friend, first and foremost. He would pour his everything into making sure his friends were alright and not hurt or suffered a disservice in any way. He challenged a graduate to protect Tadokoro from expulsion, despite how poor an idea that was in hindsight. He purposely took back all those utensils just to give Takumi his Mezzaluna back, which became a problem in its own right. And, in the end, he also learned that he needed to set his ego aside and accept help when he needed it, too.

So, in his mind, if he was willing to do all of that and then some for his friends, by that logic, should he not do that and tenfold for his girlfriend?

Erina Nakiri was supposed to be what his mother had been (and in ways, still is) to his father, right? The one girl he would dedicate his everything to. The one girl he'd care for until the very end. The one girl he would help even without her even having to ask…

"…Did I screw up?" Soma asked the wind as he placed his hand on the door handle that lead to the Polar Star Dorms. After the whole situation had spiraled out of control thanks to his… declaration, Soma, seeing just how stressed that had made Erina, decided it would be best to simply leave. Azami and Mana had offered some excuses, and swiftly took the kids, those being Asahi, Dove and of course Erina, and leaving. Mana had, to her defense called out to him, signaling at him to get on, but he just waved a simple "no" at her.

He had half expected Erina to stop the car, walk out and force him in or something, but she never did. They left in a hurry, and Soma simply walked back. It was… a lot further than he had anticipated. It was already too late, or too early, he wasn't sure… his phone had ran out of battery long ago. Still, he made it back, somehow, and right now all he wanted was his bed.

To sleep these problems away if only for tonight, let the Soma of tomorrow handle them, somehow.

But of course, this was Tootsuki, so there was no such things as too many problems to deal with at once. The boy entered the dorms, and the first thing he saw was one of his fellow dorm mates slaving away at the kitchen. Not an unusual sight in itself, this being a cooking school and all. And he knew that someone like Shun could sometimes stay up until very late, or someone like Isshiki could be up very early, but it wasn't them.

It was little Mitsuru, the reporter-in-training prepping up a variety of ingredients, all while he had his phone showing off a video on how to do a very tricky looking recipe. Soma was confused. He had not imagined Mitsuru to be this dedicated to the craft.

"You've got quite the set-up here, huh?" Soma noted, causing the younger boy to flinch momentarily, before he turned and smiled upon seeing his friend, before his eyes began to express some confusion.

"Going somewhere Soma?" Mitsuru asked, eyeing Soma, or rather, his attire. "Where are you going dressed that fancy this early in the morning?"

"Ah… actually I just got back from something," Soma corrected, and Mitsuru's eyes widened at the realization. The younger boy looked like he wanted to inquire more, the reporter in him and all that, but it seemed that his cooking took precedence.

"I see," was what he went with instead.

"You should also see that your chicken wings are drying up over there," Soma added, pointing to a nearby saucepan, as Mitsuru shrieked and quickly shut off the heat, opening the lid and noticing that Soma had been correct.

"Oh man…" the young boy said with a pout.

"Not to pry," Soma spoke up, walking closer, looking at all the prep Mitsuru had set up. Quite clearly too much for any First Year assignment, even by this school's standards. "You lost a Shokugeki and have to do your entire class' dishes or what? You are going to leave our pantry empty at this rate."

"Oh… no, I…" Mitsuru voiced, and Soma could sense a story behind his tone. He really, really needed to sleep, mind his own business and just head to bed… but, damn it, Mitsuru had helped him back then, he couldn't just turn his back on the boy now.

"Come on, spill," Soma told him, taking a seat on one of the kitchen's many stools. "What happened?"

"…I messed up, during our last class with Professor Chapelle," Mitsuru explained, and Soma nodded at nearly each word, half because he knew how strict Chapelle could be, and half because he was fighting with himself not to fall asleep. "It was bad Soma, I know I'm much more inclined to go into the Culinary News world rather than the cooking itself, but you can't really make it big like someone like Luka Miyano if you don't graduate from a school like this. And… And I really thought I had the skills. But, I dunno, after that class…"

"But what happened?" Soma asked, "What did you do that merits… whatever this is?"

"That's the thing, I don't know," Mitsuru explained. "We were paired up and assigned a dish, meat and veggies, French themed, one of us handled the meat, the other the veggies, then we brought it together, and if we got a good enough grade, we passed. It was our first official non-written exam. The real deal. But I came up short. I ruined the whole thing. Professor Chapelle even told me up front were it not for the current ban on expelling students due to the International Shokugeki, I would have been expelled on the spot."

"That bad, really?" Soma asked, honestly surprised. He knew Mitsuru wasn't the greatest of chefs, since as the boy admitted, his talents were more aligned with news and stuff, but he was still good. He made it throughout Tootsuki's middle school division without any problems, and he passed his entrance exam to the dorms earnestly. And he was knowledgeable. How would he…? Wait… "You said you were paired up… With who?"

"Oh, Loren."

"Of course," Soma said, closing his eyes. He had almost forgotten that other problem. "I think I can figure what happened."

"Huh?" Mitsuru asked, tilting his head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh yeah, you guys don't know, Loren is a spy or mole or something to that extent," Soma just flatly stated, too tired and stressed out to have much of a filter, but with each word, he saw how Mitsuru's eyes widened wider and wider.

"Wait, what? Loren is a… that can't be true," Mitsuru quickly defended. "Loren is the best freshmen of our entire year. All of his dishes have been heavenly, and his grades have been top notch. And he's super popular with everyone, not like me, many have even begun to compare him to you-"

Soma's uncharacteristic scoff caused Mitsuru to pause, but upon noticing Soma just waved.

"Ignore me, I'm tired," Soma replied, but he frowned, knowing that sooner or later, this was bound to happen. 'There's no longer any doubt in my mind, Loren is barely cooking his dishes. After tasting what Dove made today… last night, whenever, it's quite clear it's her cooking he's using. Either sauces, prepped meat that only needs heating, or the overall thing that he can just microwave and get ready in moments. The dude really had us all fooled, except for Sadatsuka, funnily enough. She saw right through him… that means their Shokugeki should be void, right? He cheated… Heck, that's probably why his grades are also high, she's doing his work for him… I should be mad but at this point I'm just impressed.'

"Soma…?"

"Never mind, I'll talk to good old Chappy, I'm certain there's a misunderstanding in there somewhere," Soma assured, and Mitsuru couldn't help but worry.

"You shouldn't," he practically begged, "I don't want you to shift the blame to Loren. I swear he did the best he could. Loren hasn't done anything wrong."

"Surprisingly," Soma admitted, patting Mitsuru lightly on the head, causing the younger boy to blush a bit. He always got bashful whenever Soma treated him so brotherly. It was probably thanks to the fact he was an only child, but still, Soma had a way with those younger that was just… sweet. "I don't want Loren to get in trouble either. I like the kid, somewhat. But, even more than that, I'd hate to see any talent wasted, or anyone forced to do something they do not want to do. I've seen enough of both to last me a lifetime. So, I want to hear it from him, no masks, no tricks, just the truth…"

"I'm still confused," Mitsuru admitted, "You mean Loren is really…?"

"Keep it between us for now, okay?" Soma asked with a wink and a smirk. "I'll get everything resolved faster than you can even imagine, sound good?"

"…Yeah," Mitsuru replied without even knowing what was going on anymore.

But it didn't matter. Soma knew enough for them both. With everything spiraling out of control, it was time to start setting things straight. At least, the parts he had any ability to do so. So, for now, he'd settle on resolving this loose end.

It was time Soma Yukihira confronted Loren Frechette directly.

-0-

Erina didn't get a wink of sleep at all.

Tossing and turning, she spent the entire night just looking up at the ceiling, her thoughts going to places she did not want them too. Places she had long buried in the past, and now here they were, breaking out once more. She felt defenseless, and it made her angrier. So when morning came, and without even a minute of sleep to her name, Erina decided it wouldn't really matter if she just got up and dragged herself to her duties as best she could.

She did her morning rituals at a snail's pace. Her early morning shower turned into an almost hour-long of nothingness, with the heiress just seating on the bath's floor, hugging her form as the warm water fell onto her like raindrops. It all felt so unreal. How it all had gotten so out of hand.

The shower itself did little to make her feel better. If anything, it seemed to drain what little strengths she had, and even left her a little light headed. Forgoing getting dressed, Erina merely covered herself with one of her many robes and went back onto her bed, sitting down and taking an uncharacteristically loud sigh. She instinctively traced her index finger across the Nakiri insignia on the robes, and frowned.

Then she took hold of her phone, placing her finger softly on the side buttons, as the device slowly turned on, and no sooner than she had done so, than had her phone gotten bombarded by thousands upon thousands of notifications, from several different sources. This was absurd, even for someone at her level, but as the phone continued to vibrate like it a was having an aneurism, there was a very common pattern she was seeing in it all, and she couldn't help but be outright horrified at it.

Just down the long hall where Erina's room resided in, Mana Nakiri was facing a similar situation. Except, she was already well prepared to head out. Despite not having gotten much sleep either, she was used to controversies brewing at every opportunity. Granted, maybe not one to this extent, at least, unless she got it under control, but she had a personal team to work with her for such occasions. To get these things handled before they affected their image any further… but part of her was still hesitant. After all of this, was this not in part… deserved?

She shook her head. This was not the moment to be thinking of such things. She then heard a soft knock on the door, as an unfamiliar voice softly asked, "Ma'am, I need to speak with you. Are you decent?"

She frowned, wondering who was to be the first of the many she had to deal with today. In her own bedroom even. Without bothering to turn, she voiced, "Enter."

The door slowly opened up, and with a polite bow, in came Lanterby dressed in a far more professional looking suit than Mana had ever seen the girl sport. It looked good on her, Mana noted, and it was probably a sign of how serious things were when she was not sporting a skirt or simple, casual wear. No hair decorations either, which was probably the weirdest aspect of her entire little makeover.

"I'm sure you heard everything by now Lanterby," Mana voiced, deciding that it was far more important to focus on the matter at hand directly. Her aide, in turn, seemed to frown at her comment, which caused Mana to turn. "Anything on your mind?"

"Respectfully, ma'am," her aide voiced, and Mana was wondering if her hearing was off all the sudden. Was it her or did Lanterby sound a little bit… different. Then it clicked. "I am not my sister."

"…Oh," Mana noted, staring at what she realized was the young man before her who was less a younger brother of her aide and more an outright clone. Granted, his chest was a sort-of giveaway, but given Lanterby assets, or lack thereof, it was not that easy to spot the difference. "Ah, I do recall she told me she had a sibling who was also working for another department of the WGO. Guess that means it's you. You two are identical, you know?"

"I've been told," the young man voiced, and he seemed irked at the comparison. Now that Mana actually bothered to get a good look at him, his hair was indeed a bit shorter than Lanterby's, and he looked a little bit taller too. But, everything else was almost identical. Their eyes were outright interchangeable. "But, ignoring that, ma'am," the very tired young man added as he seemed to fight to suppress a yawn. "I was sent this morning… This very early in the morning, all the way from our Headquarters when news of what happened broke out. Despite your current status, you are still expected to resume your duties as the Bookmaster of the WGO once this International Shokugeki is officially over, which could very well be as soon as this next Saturday. They are… concerned this could affect their entire image, and as such have proposed a formal statement, from your part, to officially resign from your position and name a successor."

"My, they certainly don't beat around the bush now do they?" Mana replied, half amused, half already expecting it and already annoyed by it. "So they sent you to try and coax me into quitting my job? Despite everything I've done for them, the first moment something seems off, that's the conclusion they jump to."

"I… am just an informant," the young man replied, with another soft bow, "If the answer is no, I'm afraid their next course of action will depend on-"

He never got to finish, as the blonde boy was quickly shoved to the side by who Mana presumed was the actual Lanterby this time, unless there was a third one as well. As soon as she spoke up Mana was reassured, that no, this was the girl she knew. "None of that!" Lanterby quickly blasted, her glare fully turned to her brother. "Rantabi, what are you doing here?! You do not get to come itto a lady's room!"

"She offered me to enter," Rantabi voice, still sounding more asleep than anything.

"Not an excuse, business affairs go through me, not directly to her!" she scolded regardless, her arms crossed. "We have spoken about this!"

"…Come on, Sis, just trying to do my job-"

"Don't care!" she shut him down quickly, before she turned to an amused Mana, "Milady, do not be concerned, I'll have him escorted out at once."

"Hey, they forced me to come here," he whined. "You don't have to be so rough-"

"Security!" Lanterby called, and that seemed to wake Rantabi up a bit. The young man turned pale, outright confused on what to do, while Mana just gave out a soft laugh. As soon as the guards of the manor already had Rantabi by his arms, Mana just signaled them to stop, much to the boy's relief. "Enough, last thing I need is to give the press any more gossip by throwing someone out of here."

"But ma'am!" Lanterby quickly objected, but Mana just shook her head.

"I'm thankful for the assist, Lanterby," she told the girl, before she turned to the brother, who was still looking rather stiff. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Rantabi. But, please tell whoever sent you, which I have two good guesses on who it could be, that for now, I have no plans on stepping down. And do remind them, that if I were to step down, all my signatures and all the sponsors and all the chefs I have acquired for next year's BLUE will have to be cancelled on the spot, you know?"

"Ah… yes," he replied, knowing those were not the words his superiors would want to hear. He then turned, trying his best to ignore his sister who was sticking her tongue out at him. Where was the professionalism, he wondered? "I shall let them know."

"Good boy," she replied, and despite his annoyance, he said nothing else.

"You had every right to be angry at him," Lanterby argued, as she watched her brother walk away. "He's got a stick so far up his ass I don't know which end it came in from," she added, "Besides, Milady, we have work to do. This… this thing is massive."

"Oh, don't concern yourself with him," Mana countered, waving it off. She also called off the security team, who merely bowed and left, as if they were never there. "He reminds me a lot of you, so I can't imagine him getting roughed up. I like you too much for that."

"We are not that alike…"

"If you say so," Mana teased, before she turned to fully face her aide, "But, do be straight with me. Exactly how bad is it?"

"She is trending," Shawn spoke up, his phone on his hand, as he turned from the device to Azami, who was sitting on the couch of the suite that was provided to him at Gin's Resort, the man sporting a grim reaper-like face at the moment. Decora was also there, sitting opposite him, despite wanting to be literally anywhere else.

"Trending?" Azami asked, almost spitting out the word.

"On social media," Shawn explained, a hint of nervousness on his voice. He did not recall ever having to tell his boss such… unwanted news. "It broke out this morning. Every show imaginable is running with it. The reports are… unflattering to say the least."

"Did they receive my statement?" Azami asked, and it sounded like a threat, somehow.

"They did, some have taken your side in this all," Shawn explained, losing his voice mid-sentence.

"Some?"

"Others are outright calling you an abuser, Azami," Decora voiced, her eyes on the man. He flinched at the words, but she did not feel like dragging this out. The air was thick enough as is. "Just watch the news. It's all they are talking about."

"Wait, what channels is this on?" Mana asked a very concerned looking Lanterby, who seemed to fidget to try and offer a response. The way she looked at her phone proved it to Mana that things were indeed horrible at the moment. "…Turn it on then."

"Ma'am," Lanterby quickly voiced. "Clearly you do not need to subject yourself to-"

"I can't just hide from this," Mana replied, signaling at the screen. "Better get through this quickly, hear how bad it's getting so that I can counter it. Otherwise, the WGO will find a way to kick me out and still keep all my contracts intact. No one is indispensable in a company, not even its head… So, please…"

"…Yes ma'am," Lanterby replied, as she turned the television on.

The reports, were indeed on every possible channel. Not just on those focused on the culinary arts, no, on everything. And, even worse, not just limited to Japanese programming, as it appeared the whole world was watching these news unfold. It was here both Azami and Mana slowly realized, that they had very heavily underestimated just how big a celebrity their daughter truly could be.

"These reports just came out, but it seems that Erina Nakiri, a member of the prestigious Nakiri family in Tokyo, Japan; heiress to the world-renown Tootsuki Culinary Academy," one of the presenters on one of the many news programs currently "breaking" these news announced, "Has been cited a possibly being a victim of parental abuse. Currently, both parents, currently divorced, have given statements on the matter denying or downplaying these accusation. Her father, Azami Nakamura, a popular culinary businessman, current engaged in a wager against Tootsuki Academy itself has placed out a statement where he notes, and I quote: "the allegations made against my person and my treatment to my daughter, who is my entire reason for existing, are highly erroneous and only meant to further sully my career and prohibit my relationship with my daughter outright. This is nothing but another in a string of attacks against my character, and all of my businesses therein. I do not, and have never, condone violence of any kind be used on anyone, much less a defenseless child," end quote."

"Mana Nakiri, the current Bookmaster and head of the World Gourmet Organization, currently on administrative leave because of the culinary schools wager," another reported, "has been unavailable tp reporters for the time being, but her legal team had this to say: "We have no comment on this matter until further investigations have been concluded, but are fully aware that our client, Mana Nakiri, does not condone violence or abuse of any kind. She and Azami Nakamura have been divorced for well over a decade, and as he took custody, she is unaware of the veracity of the statements made herein," end quote. They have denied any further comments when asked to elaborate on the matter."

"Erina Nakiri is currently trending in social media as justice is called forth in her name, with many online looking at many old interviews or social appearances made by the culinary princess and for signs that she has been indeed a victim of parental abuse-"

Azami's eyes couldn't be wider. He angrily flicked the channel, hoping to find some solace somewhere, anywhere.

"-As a child psychologist, if you look at the little lady's body mannerisms, you can tell she is nervous and frightened of something," a professional spoke up on one of the shows, her hands pointing to a video clip showcasing Erina as a kid during an event alongside her father, "She is clearly looking at her father at every single opportunity, even when asked the simplest of questions, as if looking for permission for even the smallest of things. That's not how a child should be forced to act-"

Mana had to fight back the tears, upon seeing her daughter in said state and hearing those words, forcing herself to change the channel. Again and again if needed.

"-Erina Nakiri has grown, just overnight, from having 15 million followers to an abundant of 48 million, as millions of people all around the world worry that-"

"-Azami Nakamura is well known throughout the world, and has been known to donate large sums of money to various organization around the world for a variety of causes, of which include abused children-"

"-Reports suggest that Azami Nakamura was outright banned from entering the academy's grounds. Now, why would that be? If he's such a stellar father, why would Erina's grandfather, the business tycoon Senzaemon Nakiri had banished him from seeing his daughter, a case, which mind you, was court approved. So much so-"

"-in Erina Nakiri's own words, she described the events as "not as severe" as they were made out to be. And I don't know you, but if it were my daughter and those were the words she used, I would get her very, very far away from her abuser. Or abusers, since we don't know-"

"-No word yet on the whereabouts of Senzaemon Nakiri. The Headmaster of Tootsuki Academy has not been seen in the public eye for months now, and rumors suggest he is not in the best of conditions. We just hope-"

"-to the young man who sparked the flames, Soma Yukihira, who if his name rings a bell, then you are not crazy, as he had caused quite the stir a few months back after outright crashing a culinary showcase and forcing his way back onto Tootsuki Academy, while also dropping the bombshell that he was dating, you guessed it, Erina Nakiri herself-"

"-thousands upon thousands of commenters on social media have-"

"-has caused Erina Nakiri to trend not just in Japan, but worldwide-"

"-as even other celebrities have begun to speak out, denouncing-"

"-with the World Gourmet Organization distancing themselves from-"

"-is believed sponsors have begun to pull out of any business venture Azami Nakamura owns-"

"-all united under the banner of-"

In different places, but absorbing the same news, Erina, Mana and Azami could do nothing but hopelessly stare in utter disbelief as the entire world seemed to rally behind this movement, and as her social media became flooded with calls for justice and messages of support, Erina could not help but tighten her grip in her phone, as she saw herself trend worldwide for the first time ever, for the very worst of reasons…

All of it under one single banner…

#ProtectErina

-0-

It seemed like traveling from one reality to another, they all noted.

As the bus that brought the challengers from the resort to the academy passed by the main gates, the difference was baffling. Outside the main gates, news crews and hundreds of would-be bloggers and video personalities crowded every area, trying to get in or catch a glimpse of the golden family. But security was as strict as ever, and once past the gates, it was all quiet, as if nothing was happening.

This time, the bus was not as crowded as other times, not only because three out of the seven teams had already been defeated, but also because not many cared for visiting Tootsuki anymore, much preferring to enjoy their stay at the resort.

The only notable exceptions, were Gautier and a reluctant Camille, who really wasn't sure why she was tagging along but was doing so regardless.

The four Akintola brothers, most notably because elder brother Hakeem wanted to meet up with Ikumi, and because little brother Aisha wanted to walk around. Middle brothers Keelan and Dakarai were basically forced to come along just to keep an eye on the latter.

And Lucrezia Russo, the Prima Studentessa herself, buried in her headphones.

As the bus came to a slow stop, and the seven stepped off the bus, they barely had a chance to even contemplate what they were going to do before they were confronted by the most unexpected of characters.

"Soma…?" Aisha was the first to voice, his little head tilted to the side. He had not expected to find his "rival" waiting for this mostly empty bus.

"Wow, that's a lot less people than I was expecting," Soma noted, but quickly turned to little Aisha, offering the kid a smile, which Aisha returned before he caught himself and turned his smile into a "whatever" type of shrug.

"My, if it isn't the talk of the town-no-world," Gautier spoke up, taking a few steps forwards, his eyes on the redhead. "I figured I'd catch your attention sooner or later. Didn't expect you to become so infamous around the world just before our match though, but it does make it even more exciting, no?"

"Yeah… What team are you from again?" Soma asked, innocently confused.

The other six present couldn't help but laugh, as Gautier grumbled a mess of incoherent words, before he seemed moments away from trying to strangle Soma, before Camille caught him in a headlock.

"You touch him, we are out of the competition in seconds," she reminded him, with her hold becoming stronger with each word, as he desperately nodded in agreement, crying for mercy. "So behave. Things are lively as all hell in here. Don't fan the flames."

"I get it… I won't… I'm sorry," he gasped.

"That aside," Hakeem noted, his eyes on Soma. Soma just stared, still surprised at how damn tall this man truly was. Only one who came close was in the Russian team, whose name escaped Soma at this time. "Any reason you are here awaiting our arrival?"

"Oh, I was sort-of hoping you guys could do me a favor," Soma replied with a little grin.

"Pass," Lucrezia quickly shot him down, as she walked right past him, leaving Soma a bit stammered.

"Hey, princess," Keelan called out, grinning. "Aldini already got himself a girl. Have some pride."

"He's not the Aldini I care about," Lucrezia responded without even bothering to stop, but she did flip him off. Keelan just laughed, before he turned to Soma.

"You want our help on something?" he asked, hands on his jacket's pocket, almost as if very amused. "That's rich. Why would we? You forget we actually want to see you all fail."

"Don't say that," Soma countered. "If we lose to another school, yours looks bad in comparison, as, why could they win, when you couldn't? You know? But, relax, you don't have to do anything."

"Huh?"

"What does that mean?" Dakarai asked, first at Soma, then at Keelan. The latter just shrugged.

"How may we help you?" Hakeem asked, and both his middle brothers turned to the eldest, their eyes filled with shock. They threw him a double "seriously?" as well, but Hakeem outright ignored the two. Soma quickly grinned again.

"If I can, I just want to borrow him for about an hour," he said, pointing.

Aisha Akintola could only tilt his head further, confused at being the center of attention all the sudden.

-0-

Megumi could still not believe what her screen was showing. No matter how many times she refreshed it, the followers just grew. The comments just multiplied. But that hashtag remained.

"Protect Erina," Megumi softly voiced, her back to the lockers of the school's many halls. The usual loud and busy halls seemed a lot more somber and silent than usual, and she couldn't pretend she didn't know why. Her finger sliding itself across the screen, scrolling to the comments, with nine out of ten voicing their support for the princess. The remaining one would usually cast doubt on the matter, acting like the devil's advocate she assumed. And there was always a random conspiracy theory thrown here and there, from Azami not being the real father (Why?), Mana not being the real mother (How? They look the same…), Soma being the abuser (this one Megumi actually replied to, she wasn't… nice), and that everything was just a plot by Asahi to marry his sister and enter the Nakiri family that way (Eww. Just… Eww.).

"Wow, the world is really ending," a familiar voice called out. Megumi's attention quickly shifted from her phone towards her side, as she saw Urara walk towards her with her trademark smile plastered on her face. And she wasn't alone, but it wasn't her usual love-struck boy-toys behind her, but several faces she did not recognize. Nor were they wearing Tootsuki uniforms. "Never seen you buried so intently into a screen."

"Oh, Urara, it's… yeah, I am worried," Megumi noted, smiling but with her worry evident. Then she turned to the group, trying to put names to their faces, but try as she might, she couldn't. Who were these…?

"Well, this is one-third of a promise," Urara exclaimed, turning to the group, or rather, to the smallest member within. "Erina will be very hard to find today, I bet, but while we look for Soma, at least you get Megumi."

"Huh?" Megumi asked, confused.

Then a young blonde girl with the cutest pigtails ever poked her head from behind one of the boys present, and the instant she saw Megumi, she was smiling from ear to ear. "Big sis Megumi!" she exclaimed, and as soon as Megumi caught sight of her, she instantly recognized the sweet little thing.

"Kanon!" Megumi exclaimed, bending down a bit and extending her arms as the little girl ran and tackle-hugged Megumi, who despite her petite frame, was able to catch and hold on tight to the young girl without much of a problem. "Oh, so it's you sweetie, I can't believe it you're here. And, wow, have you gotten big!"

"She was very clear she wanted to see you, since she couldn't last time on the cruise," Urara told Megumi, as the latter held Kanon up, both girls smiling widely. Urara then extended her hand towards the others. "So, let me officially present to you the little group that helped saved us from our Stagiaire and helped get Soma's ass back into this place. You already know Kanon Nikaido. Well, this here is Yoshiaki Nikaido, the elder cousin of the little bundle of energy in your arms. Next to him is Ava Payton, the best hostess of the seven seas. And…" she paused, turning with the biggest of grins, "My boyfriend! Kotaru Sakamoto, whose father is here on business or something…? But who I am so glad took the time to stop and visit, isn't that right?"

"Oh, you're the little group who…" Megumi voiced, bowing as best she could while holding onto Kanon. This was the ones Soma had told her about, the new friends he and Erina had made.

They were quite the, pardon her French, Nouvelle little group.

"Urara here is stretching the truth a bit," Kotaru offered. "Soma and Erina saved us way more than we ever did them. And of course, Urara herself did as well," he added, just as his girlfriend was into a half-pout. "But it a pleasure to finally meet you. Soma Yukihira spoke wonders of you. And coming from him, I cannot help but imagine just how amazing you must be."

"O-Oh, yeah, no, nothing like-"

"Big sis is like, top tier, she and big sis Erina are probably tied," Kanon added, with full confidence. Megumi felt her body grow cold.

"Oh, wow, Kanon, sweetie, no, that's a bit too much…" Megumi tried, but Kanon just stared, innocently.

"Don't waste your time," Yoshiaki spoke up. "That little one believes you and Soma could outright run this place, and no one is telling her otherwise, believe me, I've tried. Still, pleasure to meet you Megumi Tadokoro, and while Kotaru here downplays it, it is true, we did save Soma. After all, what are friends for?"

"We did not," Ava quickly cut in, pushing her boyfriend to the side, quickly shaking Megumi's nervous hand. "I'm Ava, nice to meet you. You haven't seen Soma, have you? We wanted to surprise those two then… well, all that news broke out, so we aren't sure if we should even be here."

"The guards gave us the okay," Yoshiaki noted.

"That's because of Mr. Sakamoto," Ava countered. "Not sure they expected us to go into the classes looking for one of their best students."

"Is he here?" Kanon asked, eyes on Megumi. It made Megumi just hug her tighter, given how damn adorable she looked.

"He must be," Megumi reassured, "But don't worry, even if we have to turn this school upside down, we will find him!" she declared, a little exaggerated but it made Kanon happy and that's what mattered.

"I think you won't have too," Kotaru softly added, and as Megumi and Kanon turned to him, looking at him questioningly, he merely pointed forwards, down the hall itself. "That red hair is hard to miss."

And indeed, to the surprise of the group, Soma Yukihira was indeed just walking down the hall, with a young boy in tow everyone except Megumi and Urara figured was a young girl, stopping the moment he caught a glimpse of them all. Despite how down he really felt, and how much he was forcing his mind to keep busy, he couldn't quite help by feel overjoyed at the sight of them all.

A little nostalgic too.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?!" Soma quickly beamed, waving at the group, as Megumi knowingly set Kanon on the floor (which she needed to since the girl was not that small anymore and her arms were hurting) as the littlest blonde princess quickly ran into Soma's arms. "And, wow, Kanon, look at you. You stretched a lot."

"I am a lady now," the girl being carried like a kid said. "I'm almost nine."

"Almost nine," Soma repeated, sounding impressed. "Yep, clearly a grown woman here," he told her, making her smile, as he turned towards the rest. "Kotaru, man, good to see you. Urara won't shut up about you."

"Soma!" Urara outright growled, as Kotaru merely laughed.

"I've been meaning to visit, my father and I owe you guys so much. I don't think we'll ever properly repay you all you did for us," Kotaru said.

"What are you saying?" Soma shot back, "You guys saved my butt. We're even. And Ava, looking good. Still taking care of the knife?"

"Of course," Ava replied, "And right back at ya."

Then Soma turned to Yoshiaki. Pausing, and then a smirk.

"…How's it feel to finally step foot inside Tootsuki, Yoshi?"

"…Don't make me hate you even more."

Both boys stared, eyes narrowed, before the shared quick laugh, with Megumi utterly confused but happy that at least something was going right for Soma. Just like them, she had been trying to find him for the longest time, but Mitsuru had told her this morning that he had gotten very late to the dorms and had gone out very early. Dude had barely slept a thing, and despite all the reassurance they were all giving him… Megumi could tell.

He looked miserable.

"…Is this the reason you need me here?" Aisha slowly asked, after taking a look at each person on that group and recognizing none of them. "You didn't even finish your explanation of-Hey! I'm not a kid!" he quickly cried, blushing, as Megumi began to brush his hair, almost instinctively.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," she admitted, and he pouted. He had not asked her to stop…

"Soma?" Kanon spoke up, and her tone was very different, almost as if mad. She placed her hand on her hips, and gave the chef a very disapproving look. "Who's she? You know I'm the only little sister you can have, right?"

"Oh, is that so?" Soma asked, amused. He had not heard of that ultimatum before.

"Careful, little Kanon is very, very possessive," Ava warned.

"Stop picking fights with other girls Kanon," Yoshiaki added, "Plus, she's taller than you. She'll kick your butt."

"That doesn't matter-"

"Question," a very irked Aisha spoke up, his eyes barely visible thanks to his bangs, but he was very clearly glaring at the group. "I wouldn't happen to be this other girl you guys are referring too, right?"

They all just nodded, even Kanon, as Megumi and Soma blinked, slowly realizing the confusion, while Urara just laughed. Laughed and prayed the kid didn't have his cleaver with him.

"…I'm a boy!"

They entire group of those not in-the-know all gave Aisha a very perplexed look, scanning the frustrated boy from head to toe, before they all tilted their heads. They then all offered a quick apology and stammered a few responses, none that seemed to quite please the peeved kid. All, that is, except for Kanon.

"You're a boy?"

"Yeah."

"Why you wearing a skirt?"

"Cause it's mine."

"Hmm," Kanon mused, her eyes also slowly scanning him. Skirt or not, he did look quite cute, but she wasn't going to tell him that. And, more importantly, "Then let me rephrase… I'm the only little sibling Soma can have. So bug off!"

"I am not his younger brother, I have enough of those as is!" Aisha shot back, "I'm his rival. Rival. Get it through your thick head you brat. And I am going to defeat him once we do whatever he needs help with."

Kanon just snorted, and Aisha felt a vein pop.

"What's with the snort?"

"A lady does not snort," Kanon replied, matter-of-factly. "I laughed. You, beating Soma, as if."

"I came close!"

"In your dreams!"

"Well…" Soma said, as he turned to the rest of the group, all amused at the two little kids bickering like, well, what they were. Kanon had even gotten off of Soma and went directly to Aisha's face, having to go into her tippy toes to reach the boy's eyes. It was… so adorable. Ava was even recording it on her phone with the biggest grin in her face.

"If Kanon finds out you are recording this she won't talk to you for a week," Yoshiaki noted, edging closer to Ava, who merely shrugged.

"Don't care, I ship it," Ava replied.

"I take it he's one of the competitors then?" Kotaru asked, and Soma, Megumi and Urara all nodded.

"And he's not wrong. Kid's pretty good… just don't let Kanon hear me say that," Soma noted, stepping away a bit from the quarreling duo. "And I did ask for his help too. Heck, since you guys are here, you don't think you can also offer me the littlest assist once more?"

The group looked on, confused. What did Soma had in his mind now?

-0-

One thing Loren had learned during his stay at Tootsuki Academy, which felt like years when he had only been here mere weeks at most, was just how utterly boring most of the classes were. Doubly so when it was one of those culinary classes. He hated school period, of course, but he found the cooking classes the worst. And now, seating in his assigned seat with the Professor Roland Chapelle blabbering about something French or the other, he felt like passing out. How? How had this thing dragged on for so long?

The way Azami had proposed this idea to him had been for him to infiltrate this place for what should amount to a few days at most. They were weak, inefficient, Azami had said, but those damn Elite Ten had managed to win three of the seven matches already. How was that weak?

He violently shook his head. No, it wasn't the time to start being impressed by them. He had seen two of those matches, and they had barely scrapped by. They would fall, hopefully sooner rather than later. But, even in the worst case scenario, they would all just fall to Dove.

None of them measured up to her. None of them ever could. Not even their princess…

But that was another issue in itself. Soma Yukihira had said something, and according to Dove, Azami was pissed. Stay away from him, she had texted him, and he'd do just that. But, unfortunately for him, that meant he'd be forced to stick it out in this school, like a regular ass student, for who knows how long.

And, yesterday, the inevitable had happened. He had tried his best to keep his charade up, but it was bound to occur at some point. No matter how much of Dove's pre-made stuff he had stuffed away in his backpack, the dish they were supposed to make was one of beef and vegetables. A team effort, him and Mitsuru. Mitsuru got the veggies, he, as the would-be star pupil, got the beef. Problem was, he had no beef prepped by Dove handy…

"You okay Loren?"

Loren paused, looking up from his desk to his side, where in another desk sat the only two reasons that made this whole endeavor anywhere near worth it. Berta, the long-haired, elder twin sister beauty had asked him, her eyes scanning him with a hint of worry.

"Are you still sour about yesterday?" the short haired twin, Cilla, asked, a little mischievous grin in her face. "Relax, will you? It just shows you are as human as the rest of us. It gives us a chance. We were all beginning to think you were outright unbeatable."

"…I guess, I suppose," he tried. What was he supposed to tell the two?

"It was a really simple dish," someone else called out, and Loren didn't have to look to know who it was. He had learned, just days into being in this hellhole, that the alumni here were utterly obsessed with rivalries. They lived and breathed them. So, of course, thanks to Dove's wonderful creations, he had earned himself a self-proclaimed rival. One Hispanic young made by the name of Raymond Rivera, who was currently gloating, Loren assumed at least. "I was right when I said you would be out of your element here. A master of American food, I'll give you that, but take you out of your nation, and you were utterly lost."

"Anyone can have a bad day," Berta quickly cut in, turning to face Raymond, who was seated in the back. "Both he and Mitsuru just screwed up a bit. Loren still has a much, much higher grade than even you."

"That may be," Raymond noted. "Which is why I want to face-off against him. Have a Shokugeki with me Loren. Let's put this to rest once and for all!"

"Pass."

Raymond could be seen popping a blood vessel, as the Pedersen twins laughed as they both looked at each other with knowing grins. The rest of the class could be heard laughing or murmuring something or the other, until Chapelle quickly shushed them all down. Besides, Loren's outright dismissal of all things Shokugeki was well known at this point. Much too strong for such trivialities was what was rumored through the halls.

But Loren knew, that if he failed like that again, he'd eventually be exposed. And with Azami in hot water as it was, that was the last thing any of them needed. Thankfully, he had been paired up with Mitsuru, so he managed to shift the blame to him, since between the star pupil and one of the lower ranked ones, who'd the student-body believe had messed up?

'After all,' Loren noted, looking to the side, glancing at Raymond from the corner of his eyes before turning to the twins, who quickly flashed him identical smiles. "God, so hot. But I seriously doubt they'll be that friendly with me once they know why I'm really here. Life is cruel sometimes. If not, I'd actually be living in this fantasy land they all live in, with Ray-Ray over there as my rival, the twins as my girlfriends, and little reporter-wannabe Mitsuru as my best…'

Loren paused, turning to the side, his eyes on Mitsuru, and slowly realizing that the other boy, despite the two sharing a long desk, had not uttered a single word during the entire class. Was he that shaken by their failure?

"You okay?" Loren heard himself ask without thinking it.

Mitsuru turned to him, his eyes pensive, and Loren frowned a bit. This boy was utterly annoying, always friendly and happy, so it was so strange to see him all quiet all the sudden. It was the school's fault, he noted, since as Azami had said, a school that prioritized the one percent would just serve to destroy itself from the inside out. This was just one more example.

"…You're not against us, right Loren?"

Loren's eyes went wide. Mitsuru spoke softly, so no one else would hear. But what he said, it was not what Loren had expected in the slightest.

"What makes you say that all the sudden?" Loren tried to pass it off as a joke, but Mitsuru's eyes did not falter. He was not convinced, and Loren was not sure what had given it away. Was it Nao?

Before he could try and salvage the situation a different way, the classroom's door was suddenly opened, and to everyone's delight (save for Loren's) in came walking the Seventh Seat, his hands on his pockets, just strolling by without a care in the world.

"Excuse me," Soma spoke up, offering the professor a wave. "Sup Prof. Chappy."

"Don't call me that," Chapelle quickly shot back, but he did nod at the boy. "My, what brings the Seventh Seat to my class all the sudden? Surely you haven't forgotten your fundamentals already?"

"Oh, no, I still have your voice ringing in my ears," Soma joked with a grin, and it made the girls in the class swoon.

"Hi Soma!" the twins called out in unison, and Soma flashed the two a smile.

Loren, on the other hand, was just barely hiding his glare at the boy. Had it been him? He knew for a fact that Soma had suspicions, but more than that, this idiot had gone and said something untrue and had caused a further divide between Azami and his family, and that did not sit well with Loren.

"Just doing so routine Elite Ten work and stuff," Soma added, turning to Chapelle. "Say, I need an extra pair of hands, not cooking related. Mind if I borrow two or your students?"

"You come into my classroom, disrupt my class and even steal two of my students," Chapelle noted with a sigh. "Alas, such is the power of a seated member. Go ahead, take your pick, just don't get yourselves into any trouble."

"We won't, promise," Soma lied, before he turned to the class. "Now… who to pick…?"

The entire class erupted into chaos, all lifting their hands, waving them frantically. This included Berta and Cilla and even Raymond. And, Loren noted, even Mitsuru, but unlike the rest, he just had his hand lifted, no emotion or thrill behind it. '…What happened?'

"Okay… Eeny, meeny, Mitsuru, you're up!" Soma announced rather quickly, signaling at the boy to come on up. Mitsuru just nodded, closing his notebook and placing it in his backpack before he stood up and walked up to Soma. Loren just looked on, perplexed. Why did Mitsuru look like he was marching to his death? Didn't this guy idolize that idiot Yukihira? "…And," Soma continued, barely containing his grin, "…Why not Loren? You guys are sharing a desk anyways, come, give me a hand!"

"Ah?" Loren voiced, frowning. Soma flashed him a grin and signaled him to come down, but the boy just shook his head. "I… I have a headache, certainly if it's something unrelated to cooking, you can find a lot of better people. Pick Raymond or something."

"No," Soma shut down, and his voice had shifted. He sounded completely serious, and his eyes never left Loren's. "I picked you. Come. We have things to do."

With the entire class' attention on him, Loren had no choice. He frowned again, but got up regardless, and followed Soma and Mitsuru out of the classroom.

-0-

Soma knew he was taking a big risk with all of this.

The smart thing to do was to simply expose Loren and have him kicked out. Ban or not, if it was made clear that one of the students were intentionally sabotaging the school or other students, then there was more than enough of a reason for them to be an exception. Even more so now, that he was an Elite Ten student, and he had a little more leeway when it came to such decisions.

But, Soma did not want that.

He had not wanted Mimasaka kicked out.

He had not wanted Eizan kicked out.

He didn't even want Shouko kicked out, if they ever found her that is.

So, it served to reason, he didn't want Loren kicked out either. But he couldn't just let him affect Mitsuru or the others' school records either. So it was a massive risk, but one he needed to take. As he walked into one of the many kitchens scattered throughout Tootsuki, he could tell that Loren had been taken aback by the sight, having not expected to find himself in a stage all the sudden. Mitsuru too, but the boy had learned to expect the unexpected from Soma at this point anyways.

"Why… are we here?" Loren asked, confused, and defensively. He turned, noticing they were not alone. On one of the kitchens, sat a slightly familiar face. Sitting cross-legged on the counter, his hands pressing down on his skirt at the center, eyes hidden by his hair, the little Aisha looked more like a wild beast than a young chef.

Standing by a nearby table were a few other familiar faces, Loren noted. The clumsy girl who Loren would have sworn Soma had had an affair with at some point, Megumi, and the hot hostess girl who spoke way too loud, Urara.

Sitting on the rectangular table itself, however, were people he did not recognize at all. A large, muscular young man, a pretty if unremarkable girl, a guy with the stupidest grin he had ever seen, and on his lap, a little girl, glaring at him, for some reason.

"Soma…?" Mitsuru voiced, as Soma paused, turning to the two.

"Sorry I had to lie, but I wanted this to be a surprise, no, more like it needed to be a surprise," Soma told the two. "I had already contacted Chapelle, and he gave me the go ahead. You two failed the latest dish he had you do, and under normal circumstances, that old fart would have had you both expelled, so you both should consider yourselves super lucky."

"…Yeah," Mitsuru noted.

"Extremely," Loren mocked.

"So now you have to do a little extra-curriculum work of sorts," Soma told the two, and they both had their eyes wide, for different reasons. "You are going to work together once more, on a similar dish, with these folks over here," he said, signaling to the four sitting at the table made for three, because damn it Kanon wanted to be a judge and no one had the heart to tell her no. "With your opponent being-"

"Me!" Aisha roared, slamming his cleaver into the kitchen's counter, likely cracking it. "I beat you two, I get my rematch against Soma! That's…!" then he paused, all the rage gone and substituted for childlike innocence. "…That's the deal, right?"

Soma couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, kiddo. That's the deal. But," he added, just before Aisha jumped for joy. "It's after the International Shokugeki concludes. Remember that."

"I know, I know."

"Eh, Soma, he's one of the competitors," Mitsuru meekly voiced. "You can't expect us to actually duel against someone like him. Even if he is younger, this kid almost beat you."

"He did?" Loren asked, for once actually paying attention. "I missed that round."

"He did," Soma forced himself to say. That 'almost' hurt, but it was true. Aisha had almost gotten him eliminated in his very first match, so he knew the caliber of opponent the little boy was. And he needed that. "So… Do your best you two. Your academic records depend on it."

"What?!" both Mitsuru and Loren blurted out, again, for different reasons entirely.

"Take it away Urara!" Soma declared, and the bubbly girl quickly hopped into the spotlight, as if the stage was filled and the stadium was blaring. She really did have a talent.

"Now then, in this totally-official-in-no-way-illegal-Shokugeki, we have our very own freshmen Mitsuru Soutsuda and Loren Frechette against the tiny terror that is Aisha Akintola!" Urara announced, and as both Loren and Mitsuru stared at one another first, they both then turned to Aisha, who was already flashing the two the biggest slasher smile imaginable. That little kid was going to stab them, wasn't he? "Our four judges this time around, four because Kanon said so, are Kotaru, Ava, Yoshiaki and Kanon! All very talented individuals and culinary experts in their own right!"

"I'm very proud of you, you know?" Megumi voiced as soon as Soma walked towards where they were. Soma stared, perplexed.

"What you mean Tadokoro?"

"All this, just to help them out," Megumi replied, with a knowing smile. "Even Loren. Despite everything."

"Says the girl that refused to have Mimasaka expelled," Soma countered with a grin, and Megumi just nodded. "Guess we both just can't help it."

"So!" Urara continued, not even needing a microphone, "Since you both just came out of a French Cuisine class, we'll stick to that. You all have on hour to prepare a dish that originated in France and is made by mixing chicken and-"

"Beef," Soma cut in, calling out.

"-Beef and veggies!" Urara announced, acting as if this whole thing was not totally scripted and she had not just been corrected. Mitsuru looked confused, but Loren was almost shaking.

'They're doing this on purpose,' Loren noted grimly. 'Soma clearly knows. He made me get in here without my backpack. I have nothing, nothing I can use. I'll be exposed, and kicked out… And that will hurt Azami more, and… Dove…'

Then Loren raised his hand, slowly. Then he spoke.

"Sorry, I don't think this is even allowed," he said, playing his very last trump card. "We were told not to engage in Shokugekis if we could help it, and much less against a competitor, eliminated or otherwise. I see no purpose in this, expect getting us into possible trouble. So, I think it's best if I just forfeit this-"

Then his hand was forcefully pulled down, much to his own shock, by the ever meek Mitsuru. And the boy was outright glaring at him.

"What's the matter with you?!" Loren cried out, glaring right back.

"I should be asking that?!" Mitsuru shot back. "Why are you quitting just like that? Even if this is unorthodox at best, this is still a massive opportunity no one in Tootsuki would ever pass up on. A chance to be judged by an Elite Ten member. A chance to face off against a Competitor without being expelled if we lose. How are you not jumping for joy at this?"

"…I am not like the rest of you," Loren simply replied, his eyes lowered slightly. "And you don't have to keep pretending if you already suspect something. Just say it."

"I refuse to believe that to be true," Mitsuru quickly replied, and it made Loren frown. More so, that he was holding onto his hand firmly. Was this boy really this dense? "Because, if that were true, all this time, Cilla, Berta, and even me… You've seen us all as enemies from the start?"

"…It's," Loren stammered, before he pulled his hand back, pulling away entirely. "It's not that black and white. You don't understand."

"Is it though?"

Loren frowned, as it had not been Mitsuru who asked, but, of course, Soma. Loren turned to him, glare evident, while Soma just smiled at the boy.

"Why would you want to see this place closed down?" Soma asked, walking up to the blonde boy, as the latter's glare only intensified. The rest, most of them just barely caught up on the events unfolding, just stared, silently. Letting Soma do his thing; hoping he actually knew what he was doing. "I don't think you've ever expressed why."

"Is it not obvious?" Loren shot back. "This place hurts people, sacrifices the ninety-nine percent for only the remaining one. Crushes people, leaves them in the brink of severe burnout. No one can thrive in such an env-"

"No, none of that Loren."

"You asked?!"

"I asked you, not Azami!" Soma shot back, and Loren's eyes went wide. "That's what that man thinks, his words coming out of your mouth. Trust me, I have heard them all before."

"Then you should know that I'm not… one of you," he finished weakly. He hated being put in the spotlight like this. But, even worse, he knew this meant it was over. He had failed. And, out of all days to be ousted, it had to be the day Azami was at his worst. This was going to end badly. "…I'm not a chef," he spoke without thinking, his eyes widening when he realized what he was admitting to.

He paused, looking at Soma, but the other boy did not sport a triumphant, gotcha smirk or anything similar. He looked… pensive.

"I don't really buy that either," Soma flatly told him, and Loren wanted to strangle him.

"I am telling you the damn truth!" he cried, "What more do you want me to say?!"

"No, I know you are a fake student, that much is clear," Soma just added, still with the most unassuming of looks. "But that you can't cook at all, that I don't buy."

"Everything I've served-"

"-Was made by Dove, I know," Soma quickly cut in, and Loren couldn't help but flinch. He knew even that? "But, here's the thing Loren. You can be given the dish, you can be given the tools. You can get lucky and have Sadatsuka do all your homework… But," Soma paused, and gave the boy a little knowing smile. "I've seen you hold a knife. I've seen you do prep work. I've seen you keep all the things she gives you fresh, making it almost impossible to tell it was pre-cooked. I'm sorry, but that still takes some skill Loren. And it's not Dove's. It's not Azami's. It's yours, and you are wasting it by believing you wouldn't be able to survive here without their help."

Loren just stared. This… was not what he had expected to hear. This was not how this moment he had slowly begun to dread coming had played out in his mind. His betrayal, out in the open, for all to see, was not met by anger or tears or curses, but by… praise?

"I am not going to get you kicked out of here," Soma assured him, slowly closing his fist and placing it on the younger boy's chest. "Just humor me on this. For just this once, cook something yours. Not Dove's, not Azami's. A true Loren dish. If you do this, and you still hate it, then I'll personally talk to your professor's and have you excused from most classes, how does that sound?"

"We can do this," Mitsuru reassured, all smiles, and Loren felt disgusted. But for once, he wasn't sure exactly at who.

"Urara," Soma called, turning.

"Alright!" she quickly beamed, getting back to her script. "Let's get this thing started! Contestants, to your stations! Shokugeki, start!"

Everyone watched as Mitsuru, Loren and Aisha went to their respective stations, with both freshman boys talking a bit about who would do what. Well, mostly Mitsuru spoke, as Loren was still shell-shocked by it all. He just nodded, and ended up in charge of the beef, which he slowly realized was the harder of the two to pull off, and he felt played. He frowned at nothing, as he opened the nearby fridge up, looking at all the meats there-in, wondering what the hell he was doing.

"Choosing the right meat in very important," Soma told him, and he almost yelled in fright. The blonde boy with the dark tips turned, eyeing Soma strangely, as the redhead merely turned his head to the side. "What?"

"You're helping me?"

"Of course!" Soma replied cheerfully. "This is your first official dish, I'm not just going to throw you out without a few pointers."

"But… it's a match, a Shokugeki," Loren explained. "Isn't that… not allowed?"

"I think we're way past that part," Soma joked, and Loren just frowned. "Now, focus. Since it is a French dish you are to prepare, let's go with something simple. My recommendation would be the Classic Pot-au-Feu."

"I don't speak French."

"Neither do I," Soma admitted. "But it is made of boiled beef and veggies, so it is very simple. But, very important, the beef you choose should be one that is tender and silky, avoid anything too dry, okay?"

"I…" he tried, but decided against it. "…Fine."

Loren examined the meats before him, and seeing which one was the juiciest of the bunch was simple enough. He had seen Dove do it countless of times. So he took a piece, but just in case, he looked at Soma. The redhead nodded, and Loren went with it. He placed it on the cutting board, and took hold of the knife. He paused. 'Why?! Why am I going along with this?!'

"Good! You picked boneless beef chunks, cross-cut beef shank and bone-in beef short ribs," Soma quickly beamed. Loren was too busy shaking in his boots to reply. Mitsuru was already quickly cutting the veggies into pieces, expertly so. Loren had never quite noticed how good Mitsuru was at prep work. He, on the other hand. "Focus, Loren," Soma cut in, causing Loren to turn to him, knife in hand, wondering if he could get away with just stabbing him and ending the story here. "Now, normally this dish takes at least two hours to allow the meat to boil to perfection, but we are under a time limit, so what do we do?"

"How should I know?!"

"Think."

"…Ah," Loren paused, thinking. If they had little time, then… "Thinner cuts?"

"Exactly," Soma replied with a wide grin. "Rather than the big, meaty chunks usually used in this dish, you need almost paper-thin cuts. You're making your version of this dish, so you can improvise. That's part of the fun of being a chef. So, make your cuts… and don't cut off a finger."

"Thanks for the image," Loren shot back, but he took hold of the knife, positioned it as best he could, and said screw it and dug into the meat. He took a chunk of it out. It… was horrible. "…Ah, it came out too much."

"Yeah, that will never cook in less than an hour," Soma noted, nodding. "But, you have a lot of meat left. Try again!"

Loren glared, feeling played, but he still tried. He failed, the second cut looked worse. He cursed at the beef and at Yukihira, before he tried again. It looked, better. But it needed to be thinner. He tried again, and again, wasting a large portion of the meat available, until he began to get the rhythm right. It all came down to the position of the knife and the weight he placed on the beef with his other hand. Once he got a clear picture on how to do both properly, he managed to get the cuts right. He turned to Soma, smiling proudly and Soma smiled back… then Loren quickly glared, realizing what he was doing.

"I'm just doing this because you are forcing me," Loren defended, "Don't look so proud."

"Can't help it kiddo," Soma shot back, still smiling. "I just am."

On the other side, Aisha looked on, remembering what Soma had told him before they bumped into the others. 'From the start this was never meant to be a match,' Aisha noted. 'He told me it was more like remedial classes. Teaching that blonde guy over there something or the other. Still, I'm going to kick their asses. Soma did ask me to hold back though… Fooey, I don't wanna. But, if it's for a good cause…'

Frowning Aisha quickly got dressed, oversized apron and all, and took out his signature meat cleaver high up in the air, and with the creepiest of smiles, slashed right into the poor cow's meat, who despite already dead, probably felt the blow anyways thanks to the force behind it. The blood splattered all around, as the little boy continued slashing at his would-be dish like Freddy Krueger after he caught a teenager half-asleep. Slash, stab, slash, stab; and after a bit of that, it was ready, and he was once more all smiles.

"I still love this so much…" he mused.

"…What is wrong with that child?" Yoshiaki asked, eyes almost out of their sockets.

"T-This is what Soma and Erina have been dealing with?" Ava noted, likewise as shocked.

"He's actually amongst the nicer of the lot of them," Urara replied, with Megumi quickly nodding in agreement. Kotaru looked on, noting just how expertly cut Aisha's selection was despite it looking like he had just been swinging madly.

Kanon, on the other hand, was just pouting. She was not at all amused at that brat's antics. A rival to Soma, as if…

Loren then threw everything into a large stockpot, and even before he could ask, Mitsuru presented him with the first batch of the veggies that went along with those cuts: bay leaf, celery, garlic, onions, and peppercorns. Loren said nothing, but as both boys placed everything it the pot, Soma looked on, nodding at each step.

"Okay, now what's next?" Soma asked, eyes on Loren.

"…You said it was a boiled dish," a peeved Loren replied. "So my guess is filling it with water and boiling…?"

"Yep!" Soma cheerfully said. So they did. They followed each step, guided by Soma every now and then, but as the others noticed, after a while, Soma offered less and less advice. Mitsuru and Loren spoke amongst themselves, and managed to reach the proper conclusions. Mostly, at least. They made a few mistakes here and there, mostly Loren, but it was enough. Once the hour had passed and Urara called for the tasting to begin, Loren and Mitsuru managed to have a dish prepared, set at the table, with both boys looking like they had run a marathon.

"Judges?" Urara said, turning to the three and a half.

They each took a spoonful of the beef and veggies, with Yoshiaki helping Kanon with hers, despite her complaints. Loren and Mitsuru stared, eyes wide, Mitsuru outright shaking, and Loren, despite everything, with his fists clenched.

'Why?' he asked himself. 'Why am I this invested…?'

"This is quite good," Ava announced, with a smile, "Still needs a little more work, but for a first dish, it is well made. Beef is juicy, not a piece looks dried up, and the vegetables are fresh and crisp!"

"It is good indeed," Yoshiaki noted. "A far-cry from something I could easily pull off-ouch!" he cried out, the moment Ava slammed her elbow onto his ribs. He paused, sighing. "I-I mean, quite good. Like my dearest Ava said, just a little more work on it and you guys have a proper dish in your hands."

"It does need quite a lot of work in order to be serviceable in, say, Hiei," Kotaru noted firmly. "But, that said, it is similar in taste to what I made when I started out. In fact, it could probably surpass that. I don't know you Loren, I do not expect you to take my advice to heart at all, but know this; you have the basic understanding down. You could do this, if you wished. Whether you will or not, now that is up to you."

"…I don't know anything at all," Kanon admitted, her eyes narrowed. "But it was yummy. I liked it."

"…Thank you all," Mitsuru said, with a soft bow. Loren just stared, still unsure. Then he felt Soma's hand on his shoulder.

"Try it," he advised.

And knowing how futile it was to argue against this guy, Loren did. He took a spoonful of the dish he and Mitsuru had just made, and dug in. It was… rather bland, he noted. A far cry from anything Azami ever served. Or Dove, of course. A far cry from even the pre-cooked dishes Dove gave him. It sucked in comparison to anything he had tasted in Tootsuki… but, it was his. And, despite everything Azami had told him, it didn't feel like a disaster.

"It's… fine," Loren concluded, eyes closed.

"Yeah," Soma said, taking a bite himself, "Quite fine indeed."

"…Ahem."

Everyone paused, as Aisha stood upon them all, annoyed. He had a steaming dish on his hand, lifted above his little head, the tray looking like it weight more than the boy himself, but he seemed unbothered by it.

"I am so happy you all go a life lesson or whatever out of this, but this is still a competition," the little boy reminded the group, "So judge mine!"

He placed the dish before the group, and they all stared. The little Nigerian had prepped the same dish the other boys had, except the broth looked red. As if red peppers had melted into liquid somehow. The four of them took a spoonful, alongside a curious Soma, and dug right in…

…They were in the woods, it was dark, and it was silent. The five of them looked on, hearing sounds coming from every bush, a crackle in the sky, and the eyes of a killer locked into them, unseen by all. Soma was the first to fall, as his head erupted from his body in a bloody burst. The other four stared, and screamed, as the young chef, clad in a hockey mask and wielding a bloody machete, lunged at them. They ran.

But he seemed to teleport all around. He appeared before Kotaru, slicing him cleanly in half by his waist, his screams silenced by the blood gushing out of his mouth.

Aisha turned, his attention on Yoshiaki and Ava, who found themselves naked for some reason. Both squealing at this, but even more so, at the killer, who seemed to dislike that quite a lot. They ran, but he threw his machete, and quickly cut down Ava, getting her cleanly through the back and out her chest. Yoshiaki tried to help her, but Aisha was already there, taking hold of the machete, Ava's body still on it, and stabbing him through as well, leaving both of them together, skewered, in a deadly embrace.

Then he turned, his eyes on the last of his prey. Little Kanon, stared, eyes wide, as Aisha took steps towards her, pulling out a much smaller knife. Smaller girl, smaller tool. Just to make it more personal between them.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to flee.

But damn it, she refused. She was the final girl for a reason.

"Ah!" Kanon screamed, the sheer flavor of it all hitting her at once.

The entire group just stood there, dumbfounded, feeling like they had just been massacred by the flavors of that dish, as Aisha just stared. Megumi and Urara looked on, noticing that it was pretty damn clear who the winner was, as even Soma looked utterly baffled by what he had just tasted.

'Damn kid,' Soma noted, barely holding on. 'He didn't hold back at all. That dish felt like it was trying to challenge the one I beat him with. Kid's almost as big a sore loser as I am.'

"Mercy…" Ava voiced softly, her face on the table, tears on her eyes. Her vote went to Aisha.

"Too much…" Yoshiaki noted, also face-planted onto the table. His vote also went to Aisha.

"…No wonder you can challenge the Elite Ten," Kotaru noted, coming to grips with the fact that a twelve year old was leagues beyond him. What sort of monsters were the Tootsuki students facing? Regardless, he was not a prideful man, so his vote likewise went to Aisha.

All that was left was Kanon, who looked about to faint. Aisha turned to her, grin ever present. "Weeeeeeeell?"

She clenched her little fists, eyes teary… "It was…"

His grin grew…

"Disgusting!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Aisha felt a vein pop.

Everyone else just stared.

Soma had war flashbacks.

"The heck are you on about?!" Aisha cried out, his forehead almost on Kanon's. "No one has ever called an Akintola dish disgusting before."

"Well, it's time they did!" Kanon argued back, despite the fact that she looked like she was crying. "It is the worst thing I have ever tasted. Not yummy at all. Soma's rival my butt. I vote for Loren and the other guy."

Aisha was moments from grabbing his cleaver and actually murdering her. Megumi just quietly walked up to him and had to pat him on the head to calm him down. Still, with a sort-of three-to-one vote, Aisha was the clear winner of what would be the most un-even Shokugeki ever, if it were official that is.

"…Happy now?" Loren voiced, his eyes on Soma, who turned to him, as the boy had been occupied looking at Aisha argue with Kanon promising that his next dish would get her to admit his dishes were delicious, and softly offering his condolences to the lad.

"…Depends," Soma replied, "It's your call. Found it a good experience, or do you think cooking is not for you?"

"I… don't know," Loren replied honestly, his eyes downcast. "I'm not backing down. If you want to save this school, you better get me expelled now or-ouch, hey!"

Soma had swiftly smacked the boy right across the head. "Did you hear me at all? I am not kicking you out. You have worked hard to polish a talent you only thought of ever using it for others. This is the first time you use it for yourself. Give it some time. If you feel you hate it, cool, there are many jobs out there you can try. But, if you end up even the slightest bit interested, I'm not gonna be the one to prohibit you from giving it a shot."

"…You may regret that," Loren warned, and Soma nodded, knowing that it was true, he might, but for now, he chose not to extinguish this uncertain flame.

-0-

It was a little later, once everything got settled down and Loren and Mitsuru were returned to their classes, and the unofficially borrowed kitchen was cleaned up that Soma received a little text notification. He had tried, about five time, to text or call Erina, but every time he did, he couldn't quite muster the strength to hit the send button.

So, upon feeling his phone vibrate, he got excited. Maybe it was her. Maybe they could talk.

But it wasn't.

It was Nene, calling on all the Elite Ten students.

They had a meeting, it seemed. And despite his disappointment, he much figured that even with everything that had transpired, the International Shokugeki was still on-going, so they needed to tend to that. So, after giving his thanks to the group, promising Kanon he'd tell Erina that she was now staying at the Resort so she would visit her (somehow he'd try), and reassuring Tadokoro that he was alright (she then just gave him that look that made him correct himself and say he was fine enough), Soma made his way towards the designated area, which to his surprise, turned out to be where the Autumn Elections themselves were held at. Such a wide, open area… Did they really need that much space for this surprise meeting of theirs?

But, as he stepped into view of the arena, walking down the crossroad leading to it, all those thoughts mattered none.

Parked right by the entrance was a limousine he recognized in a heartbeat, and right by the door, standing with her arms crossed against her chest, waited one Erina Nakiri.

She looked up the moment she saw him walk up to the entrance, the two now just feet from each other.

"…Erina," he tried, having a little trouble finding his voice. "Listen, I-"

"We need to talk," she cut in, with the words no one really ever wants to hear.

---

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Sinking Even Further…