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))

16. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

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

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

Sorry for the delay (again), but as per usual, this story seems to get harder and harder to write with each passing Chapter. Also, absolutely loved all the positive comments I've received about my characterization of Asahi and even his would-be relationship with Dove. It has come a long way from some readers begging me not to include him back during the "Nouvelle" days. That's a definite "Fanfiction Writer's Career Highlight" if I ever saw one!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

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She could hear the heavy rain hitting against the small windows in this luxurious bathroom of the hotel room that they were offered when they were all invited as judges for this "spontaneous" event. In truth, while the World Gourmet Organization, or at least, the higher ups, had been notified in advance by a good few weeks of Azami Nakamura's proposal and had examined it thoroughly before agreeing to his terms, she herself had known for far, far longer. Before even their top bitch, the Bookmaster herself, Mana Nakiri did. Because, unlike last generation's God's Tongue, Decora Sinnerfield had Azami to herself now. Mana had proven as lousy a wife as she had proven a mother, so it wasn't Decora's fault that the man had jumped ship.

Still, as the First Class Examiner exited her hot bath, allowing all the water to wash away from her nude form, she turned her sharp eyes to the fogged up mirror adorning the Resort's finest of rooms. A part of her disliked what she saw.

'…It's not my fault what happened between them,' she assured herself, wiping the glass with her hand, allowing her reflection to show more of her. How she really looked. She was stunning, she knew. Not that she could outright lie to herself either, since she knew Mana was gorgeous too. But, this wasn't a competition. 'I didn't intervene. Azami and I only got together long after she had left him. Long after he had been forced away from this establishment. He had no one, except those two little strays he had picked up…'

Dove and Loren.

Now that Decora thought about it, Azami always seemed to dodge the question whenever she inquired about how, or why, exactly he had taken in those two kids. Dove she sort-of understood. An understudy, much like how Anne had been hers. Still, Anne, while a dork, was an adult when she joined the WGO. Dove, on the other hand, was barely an adult now, much less when Azami had taken her in. Still, it's not like she believed Azami had done anything improper to the girl. The man was fierce, dedicated, and he could be mean, but he wasn't like that. He melded her into such a frightening force that Mana Nakiri herself had recognized the girl's talents as equal or even superior to anything from Tootsuki. So it made sense, in a way.

Loren, however, was different. Why take in such a young boy, who clearly had no proper talent in the kitchen? He has a role to play, had been all Azami had told her, and she knew there had to be more there. Again, nothing creepy, she assured herself, but it all still felt… off. Regardless, Decora shook her head. She had met the two brats not that long ago, and they seemed to be playing their parts adequately, so she wouldn't pry any further. The mere fact that Azami had trusted her with all these details was enough for her, or so she told herself.

'I just hope you can understand Erina, when the truth eventually comes out,' Decora told her reflection, her eyes closed, imagining the daughter's lost, little eyes, 'That I was not responsible for what happened between your father and your mother. You cannot wreck what is already broken…'

Wrapping a small towel against her wet frame, Decora exited the bathroom, a large amount of steam coming along with her, as she stepped out into the main room, where she quickly managed to spot the man himself, seated on one of the couches, his eyes fixated forwards.

"…Azami," she voiced, biting her lower lip for a moment, before she caught sight of something else, or rather, someone else, which quickly made her face flush. "Ah, eh?!"

There were two other men in the room with them, for the given definition of "men" regarding one of the two.

This young man in question was one Rantabi, who resembled his elder sister to the point that Decora had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't her colleague, the equally ridiculously named Lanterby. The light-blonde haired youth seemed utterly captivated by her the moment she stepped out of the shower, his eyes almost bursting out of their sockets, as the blush on his face seemed to match or even exceed her own. From what she heard, he had been talking very firmly against Azami, but all of that had been utterly lost the moment she walked out. Instead, the boy had to do his best attempt to look elsewhere, anywhere, to keep himself in check, away from her body and how the towel clung just low enough to show a lot of cleavage and just high enough to barely hide elsewhere.

If that wasn't enough, Shawn was also there. The aide and right hand man of Azami's seemed to take notice of her as soon as she exited the bathroom too, as evident by his wide eyes and utterly complex expression, but to his defense, he was able to avert his gaze from her almost exposed body in less than a second. Commendable, but no less embarrassing for her.

"Oh, are you done Decora?" Azami noted, without even turning to her, his tone as casual as usual, despite the fact that there were two other guys right there, both struggling to keep on a poker face, and she was almost naked and very, very wet.

"…Yes," she forced herself to say, trying to hide her shame as best she could.

"I-I-This isn't over," Rantabi seemed to squeal, not really the intended "threat" he had been trying to convey. Decora did not know what they had been talking about (in fact, she had no idea why the Junior Representative of the WGO's top brass was even in her room to begin with), but the boy seemed to have lost all the desire to continue the argument, since the situation had taken a turn to the awkward. Even if he wasn't in the same department as her, Decora was, in a sense, a co-worker, and a superior at that. "W-We'll discuss this later, don't t-think the higher ups will accept this!" he still did a commendable job in trying to sound at least a little serious. Then, he spoke to her, while facing the opposite wall. "…Ma'am Sinnerfield, apologies. I'll be going now."

Decora just gave a little scoff, even if her face was still red, she wasn't really mad at him per say. "Worry not little Lanterby number two," she offered, and she saw how he flinched at this.

"I'm not-!" he tried to argue against that, because how he hated to always be compared to his sis, but the moment he tried to face her, it was too much, so he shut up and turned right back around. "Never mind, I'll be going. Good night to you three!" he added, and then left with a scoff, his head fuming she imagined. She had a decent idea she was going to be invading his dreams for nights to come. If only she could rub that in the actual Lanterby's face without it being, you know, harassment and as such getting her in some very hot water.

"I… Ah, I think I should excuse myself as well," Shawn quickly added, clearly uncomfortable about the whole thing, as he offered the two a quick little bow. "I'll make sure to continue our talks with the young man soon enough. This is an offer the higher ups at WGO would be fools to overlook, and young Rantabi has to realize what's at stake," he told Azami, who didn't even bother to respond, before, without even looking at her, he added a polite, "Miss Decora."

"Shawn…" she replied, still blushing, still humiliated, but at least he was also leaving. And leave he did, within moments, the aide was gone, shutting the door behind him, and leaving her with the ever-pensive Azami. She… was not happy. "…Couldn't you at least warn me?!"

"About?" he asked, finally turning to her. His eyes showed that he had been very deep in thought moments before, and he sounded genuinely confused, which only irked her more. Azami was not a dumb individual, and she knew that fact well.

"That you had other men in here! Shawn was here! And Lanterby's little clone too! In my room!" she clarified, "I go into the bath, at this late an hour, last thing I expect is to come out and have a little meeting taking place, in my room of all places! What would have happened if I had stepped out with nothing on?!"

"Perhaps our deal would have gone through quicker," Azami joked, for the given definition of a joke, but even he sensed the sheer fury behind the glare Decora gave him that he had to backtrack a bit. "It was merely a joke. Forgive my carelessness. This is your room, and I should consult each and every step I take with you. It will not happen again I assure you. But," he paused, his eyes on her. Or rather, on her frame. "Rantabi is barely an adult. As much as he could ever hope to fantasize, he wouldn't even know what to do with a woman of your caliber."

"That's not the-"

"And Shawn knows better than anyone that I do not like anyone looking at what is mine," he added, his tone dry and to the point as usual.

"That doesn't sound as romantic as you may think it does," Decora replied with a scoff, her glare evident, which caused the man to pause for a moment, before he briefly laughed.

"Perhaps, you may be right," Azami replied, but she kept her glare on him. "Again, I apologize, it will not happen again. Shawn had informed me that the WGO wishes to communicate with me, outright threatening me that with this whole… state of affairs I find myself in, they will pull out of the deal if I do not have a plan to resolve everything within a week or so. Such a thing would outright destroy the International Shokugeki, and with it, every single investment I made to those schools," he explained, before, finally, his eyes meeting her own. "Even someone of my standing, if sued by those six other schools simultaneously, would surely be destroyed. I cannot, will not let that happen. As such, I wanted to meet with the young man they had sent here to keep tabs on Mana. He is still a bit green, but he is their official mouthpiece for the time being. Once he gives the WGO my message and plan of action, they will have no choice but to back down and see how things play out. Then, I can salvage this…"

"You honestly think you can get Lanterby number two to take your side?" she asked in disbelief.

"You ask that as if I would give him a choice," Azami answered, and before she could inquire, he added, "Still, current events have made it so I need this International Shokugeki to conclude at the utmost haste. This upcoming Wednesday if possible. First Erina, then Asahi, and now even Dove… I am losing my touch. I cannot let my emotions get the best of me. I cannot risk Erina's wellbeing based on my ego alone. But, you have my word Decora, I'll take better care of you. Promise."

"That would be something," the woman said, as she crossed her arms across her chest. "But you seem to have your head elsewhere," she noted, "I'll have you know… It's not just you. I've also risked my entire career and public image on this plan of yours. I truly believe in what you are trying to accomplish, but I can't say I believe it when you just allow someone of the WGO to see us… together!"

"Are you really that concerned over Rantabi?"

"Of course not!" she shot back, "But what if he tells his sister, and she then tells… you know?"

"Decora," he voiced, before he turned, standing up, and taking small steps to her. She tensed, since she always had a hard time reading his body language. "I would never be so careless. While my negotiations are with the WGO, and the boy is merely a messenger, I wouldn't be so… moronic as to ignore his very presence. I have… enough information on the siblings to act if need be, and he knows it."

"You're…" she voiced, outright surprised. "…Going to blackmail him? Azami, he's a rookie, barely twenty. I mean, I know how much this means to you, but, still, he's…"

"Concerned for a co-worker?" Azami noted with a small, amused grin. "Do not worry, I'd never. In fact, it's the opposite. I want to protect the lad. With the way Mana is handling things, as in, ignoring everything and running away, as she does, the WGO will want to distance themselves from her. And that will include her biggest supporters as well. Lanterby is by far the biggest of them all, and young Rantabi is aware. And while he pretends their relationship is strained at best, no little brother would stand back and allow their older sister to lose everything in the blink of an eye if they can help it. That's what family does."

"Azami, that's…" she voiced, eyes narrowed, onto the ground. Why? Why did it feel like everything had been planned? Including her walking out and the boy seeing her, all to fluster him, to make him lose the argument. Azami wouldn't go that far, would he? All to have someone with access to the WGO's top within his grasp… "…Of course."

"You still sound displeased," Azami noted.

"So you even have his cooperation secured, how very… crafty," she said, ignoring his comment. "I'm sorry, but it gets to a point that all this manipulations and mind games become hard to follow. But, you do you I suppose. Should I be worried, then, about your attempts at reconnecting with you ex-wife? Is that part of your act, or are you actually hoping for the chance?"

For once, Azami seemed to be taken back by the question. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, before he answered. His tone sounded genuine. "What Mana and I once had can never be reclaimed, even if I genuinely wished for it. I did not lie to you. All my would-be attempts at getting back together with her is all… one would say, theater for Erina. This whole thing, is just for my baby girl," he explained, and she stared, trying to see it in his eyes just how much of this he really meant. She couldn't tell. "Mana became lost, just like Jouichirou before her. Even worse, she abandoned me and Erina, and then I am the one who gets branded the bad parent. The God's Tongue will bare its fangs on its user sooner or later, and despite my best attempts, I could not save Mana. I harbor no illusions I could do so now… But, Erina, I refuse to allow go down the same path. My daughter will not lose her way, abandon her family, and become a shadow of her former self. And the only woman who is by my side, helping me save what is most precious to me, is not Mana, but you…"

Decora stared, her eyes slightly wide. She had not expected such an answer.

"So forgive me if I have made you feel like you do not matter as much to me as you really do," he continued, his hand slowly reaching her face, caressing her face gently, before he lowered it a bit, and with a small tug, dropped her towel to the floor. She tensed a bit more, despite how many times they had been together, it was still sudden, to be nude before the man's piercing gaze. "And I shall take responsibility for it. I too wish to have no need to hide our relationship like this, most of all to Erina herself. Once she is back in my custody, I am sure you two will get along wonderfully."

"About that…" Decora noted, her eyes to the side. She really wasn't sure about that particular detail.

"Rest assured, she will accept it, once she finally opens her eyes and sees what I've been trying to instill into her since she was a child. What I am trying to save her from," he expressed, as his hands found themselves on her body. Strong hands on her wet skin, and yet… "…She will also finally have a maternal figure who will not walk away at the first sign of trouble. And someone her father loves almost as much as he loves her."

He moved in, but before she could even realize it, she had her hand on his chest. But not as they usually did. He held him back, softly pushing him aside.

"…Sorry," she said, even if she felt she didn't even need to explain herself. She shouldn't, should she? "Just, not in the mood, okay?"

He stared, and for a moment she felt he was mad at her, but he did not move an inch. Instead… "Understood, apologies if I'm made you uncomfortable. Allow me to leave you to get dressed and get some sleep. I have messed up, tonight alone, with two too many young women that I truly care for. I will make up for this, rest assured, my love."

He caressed her face once more, before he offered her a smile and walked right out of the room. She stared, no longer bothering to cover herself up, despite the chill, since she was a mess of emotions right now. When this whole thing started, it was a thrill, and his plans sounded like just what her career and the culinary world as a whole needed. The man was a genius, no denying that. But now…

'How can something feel so right and so wrong at the same, damn, time…?'

-0-

Erina had spent a good thirty minutes hugging the toilet. After her initial hit of nausea and all the vomiting it entailed, she was at least able to almost crawl towards a far more appropriate location to try and calm both her stomach and her overly sensitive tongue. Granted, Soma had insisted on outright carrying her there, but she insisted she could move. She wasn't going to be as dramatic as her mother about it, despite her body assuring her that, yes, she would, if not now, eventually. She tried her best to ignore that gut feeling.

Still, the entire process, aside of being utterly humiliating, had proven persistent. After she was certain she had emptied her stomach of all its contents, in the end only vomiting what it seemed to be stomach acid at most, she had tried to see if she could at least take in some liquids. She knew she needed to avoid outright dehydrating herself to death, so she first attempted the now lukewarm can of tea Soma had purchased for her at the convenience store. She took just one sip, and spit it back out.

Frustrated as all hell, she tried water, which she knew for a fact her mother could drink…

…and she could, sort of. It didn't quite sit well with her, so she could only take small sips before the urge to throw up hit her, so she'd stop before she did. It was something at least, and she could at least take some comfort that it wasn't the God's Tongue rejecting the flavorless water, but more her already upset stomach rejecting everything at this point.

Still, her tongue was being a real bitch at the moment, she noted with ire, as when she tried to get up and wash up, using a spare toothbrush provided by the worried Hinako (which, in itself, was another slap in the face for the girl. Worrying a pregnant woman in her own home, how low would she go?), Erina had attempted to wash her mouth properly, but of course, her God's Tongue would have none of it. Even the toothpaste tasted like hell to her now, and out of nothing but sheer willpower, she was able to avoid vomiting again, but she had to give herself the quickest wash and spit it all out as not to risk it.

So, with nothing in her stomach but the smallest sips of water, and the almost impossible mission of merely brushing her teeth having almost killed her, Erina Nakiri, weak and lightheaded, now rested her head on the bathroom's wall, seated on the floor, her breathing pattern hard, as if gasping for air with every breath.

Soma, of course, was seated right next to her, his expression the same, worried, because of course he was. Did she ever really emote anything else in anyone that wasn't undeserved concern for her wellbeing? Alice, with the weight of the school on her shoulders, worried more about what Erina was going through. Her grandfather, on an actual hospital bed, far more concerned about getting back on his feet to resolve this mess Erina herself lacked the maturity to. And Soma, the boy she had made his life a living hell out of nothing but pride and spite when they first met, now outright wasting an entire night just to keep her company. To keep her calm. She wanted to tell him to stop that. To worry about himself. They had an upcoming match soon, and in this state, she was going to be near useless. They couldn't risk him also being out of his game…

…No, more than that. He should stop just putting his life on hold just for her. She wanted to tell him all of that, but as she turned, her dull magenta eyes on the boy, she couldn't help but also think… that she was scared, and she didn't want him to leave.

"Relax," he told her softly, his hand on her head, brushing her hair gently. "I'm right here. You're not alone."

She just stared. '…How do you even know what I'm thinking…?'

As the two teens looked at one another, with Erina, not really at all caring about what was left of her image at this point, simply moved to rest her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. If this surprised Soma, he pretended otherwise like a champ. Erina, for her part, had to admit this did wonders to calm her down. 'When… do I wonder, did your shoulders get so broad?' she noted, and for once, she wasn't blushing. If this was emotional maturity or just the fact that she had barely any blood left on her face at this point, she didn't know. 'I really was trying to convince myself I was better off without you… What sort of mental gymnastics was I even attempting there, I wonder? You couldn't possibly see me at any worst point in my life, and yet, here you are, just where I need you…'

Soma, for his part, continued to caress her head as she laid on his shoulder, brushing her hair back softly. She seemed to have finally calmed down a bit, and that was a massive relief for the boy.

"…I love you."

"Huh?" Soma voiced, having heard her soft voice speak out suddenly.

"Thank you."

"Of course," he replied, his eyebrow raising a bit. He was sure that's not what she had first said, but he knew she wasn't in the spot to be teased right now, so he'd keep that to himself for now. Still, despite himself, he couldn't help but blush at the implication. It was… rare to hear such words from her. I mean, "It's delicious" was rarer, he'd admit, as in, she never said that, but "I love you" would be a close second in his eyes.

Before he could ponder it further, his Master stepped in, stopping by the open door. Kojirou Shinomiya seemed to pause, staring at the two teens for a moment, but not really saying anything at the sheer adorable sight before him. He had an image to maintain after all. He did, however, bent down, next to the two, and offered a small little bowl to the two.

"Master?" Soma voiced, confused.

"Took us a while," Shinomiya admitted, frowning a bit. "I hate to admit it, but after that display, I feel even my craft wouldn't suffice. This is something Hinako and I prepared together, and since we still don't know how her condition works, we tried making something with as little flavor as possible, light, but nourishing. Let's hope she can stomach at least some of it, since she needs something in her or she's going to pass out."

"I'm so sorry," Erina voiced, and her voice sounded so broken that it in turn broke Soma. Gone was that power in her every word, that strength that demanded attention and compliance, like a Queen should. In its place was just a weak and tired and sad young girl. "…Did I seriously get Miss Hinako to have to cook? She shouldn't be-"

"None of that!" Hinako quickly cut in, reaching the bathroom too, and peeking in from the side. She was pouting at Erina. "I am a chef too, you know. And you have it rough sweetie, so of course I want to help. Just try and eat a bit, okay? Promise it was made with lots of love!"

"Well…" Shinomiya muttered, his eyes to the side.

"It was, don't deny it in front of our kids," Hinako shot back, now pouting at him.

The Magician said nothing, merely scoffing, but he did hand the bowl to Erina. Or rather, attempted to, but Soma instinctively took hold of it. Erina looked on, her eyes shifting from Shinomiya to her boyfriend, who quickly took a small spoonful of the light soup that had been served to her, and then motioned to feed it to her.

Normally, this would have been enough to fluster Erina completely. Feed her? Like in that Shoujo manga Soma had lent her that Megumi had lent him? That was way too romantic! Way too intimate for her! (Says the girl that got into the shower with the guy, but that's neither here nor there.)

But, for right now, even with the elder couple watching them, she didn't really care. In fact, she found it sweet, and as such, she just slowly opened her mouth. He feed her a small portion, allowing her to slowly swallow the broth, Soma ready to help her move towards the toilet bowl if needed, but Erina seemed to swallow it just fine.

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes on her. "Need a moment?"

She answered with a nod. "I think I can eat a bit more," she replied, before she opened her mouth again. Now the one of the two blushing, Soma powered though it and feed this beautiful girl another spoonful, this time with some of the very, very thinly cut veggies in it to see if she could stomach those. It was impressive, he noted, at just how expertly cut these were. They looked outright paper-thin.

Erina took the bite, this time allowing herself to try and savor the food a little bit, and despite her fears, it tasted fine enough, and she was able to swallow it without any problems. Her empty stomach made a gurgling noise, given how it was now receiving some content and not outright spewing it back out. She ignored it, since she couldn't really look more pathetic anymore at this point, unless she somehow ended up wetting herself too.

…She'd try and avoid that if possible. Stuff coming out of one end was enough.

"Hey, look at that, you're eating it just fine," Soma noted with a small smile. And if she wasn't feeling so horrible she'd outright kiss him… Wait… could she? Wouldn't her tongue also activate if she tasted…?

She went outright pale.

"Hey, you okay?" Soma asked, noting how she looked outright frightened after having seemingly calmed down.

"…We should kiss," she simply stated, which caught him way off-guard. Shinomiya and Hinako both blinked, utterly surprised as well. That… was not what they were expecting to hear. Erina seemed to notice the change in mood, and did blush this time. "I-I don't mean right now, just, later… I-I'll explain it later."

Silence followed shortly after, much to Erina's relief… until…

"Could she be pregnant too?" Hinako asked ever so innocently.

Shinomiya's glasses seemed to audibly break.

Soma flinched so hard he felt a bone pop out of its joint.

Erina would have outright fainted if all the blood had not rushed right back to her head.

The three stared, blankly, at nothing, before all three slowly turned towards the still pensive Hinako. She seemed to pause, noticing their stares, before simply asking, "…What?"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Shinomiya was the first to ask, blushing like mad, as she simply pouted at his outburst.

"Well, it would explain a lot," Hinako explained, "Feeling queasy is a part of it, as are mood swings, and with the hormonal fluctuations, girls tend to get, you know, kinda horny."

"Can you not?!" Shinomiya, even redder than before, shouted.

Of course, his blush was nothing when compared to Erina's, and surprisingly enough, to Soma's.

"I-I, no, we aren't…" Soma tried. He had not at all been expecting this topic all the sudden.

Erina, however, couldn't even speak. She just shook her head violently, too much that it almost caused her to get nauseous again, which made her stop. She wagged her finger then, emphasizing the "no" in her response as loudly and as clearly as she could muster in this state. "Miss, I-I can assure you t-that is not the case!" the princess who had not fainted out of divine protection if nothing else managed to squeak out. "Soma and I have not-I mean-we are not… that. Just, no…"

"Hmm," Hinako just noted, looking at the two, before she turned back to her husband. He looked incredibly flustered for some reason. How childish. "Guess that's not it then, silly me."

"…You almost murdered these two brats," Shinomiya just said, at least content his wife had dropped the topic.

Erina and Soma, on the other hand, seemed utterly out of it. But the boy still took one more spoonful of the small soup, and Erina just opened her mouth and took it in. Neither said a word, and now, thanks to that, the two had a much, much harder time making eye contact.

At the end of the seemingly never ending day, Erina managed to eat at least almost half of what had been served to her, with Soma giving her every single bite. She drank a little bit more water, and assured everyone that she felt like her stomach had at least settled. With all that uproar, of course everyone was on edge, but upon her insistence, they begun to try and get ready for bed… for what few hours they had left as was.

Of course Erina was still in a very dirty state of dress, and fortunately for her, Hinako had one of her old uniforms on hand. She swears she could still fit into it once she gives birth, which Shinomiya would have scoffed at, but she glared at him before he could even let it out. Erina gave the couple her thanks once more, and asked if she could use their shower, which of course they said yes. What surprised her though, was the fact that Hinako refused to just leave her alone in the shower, claiming that someone who had been that sick earlier could be too weak and get dizzy at a moment's notice, and the last thing she needed was to fall.

"I-I'll be fine," Erina assured, blushing. "I feel a lot better thanks to you both."

"Nonsense," Hinako countered, her head tilted. "I won't be having any of that. I'll get in with you, a little bonding time! Sounds fun, no?"

"Eh?" was all Erina could say, before she found herself in Hinako's bathroom with Hinako, both girls undressing and getting ready for the bath. She knew it was dumb, to be embarrassed about sharing a bath with another girl, her elder at that, but still… It wasn't until Hinako fully undressed, and her plump belly could be seen for all its splendor that Erina lost her nervousness and simply marveled at the sight. She looked so pretty. Had her own mother looked just like that?

As the girls bathed, Shinomiya got the guest bed ready for Erina, as Soma looked on, hands on his pockets, eyes on his Master.

"I know you brats are in a relationship," Shinomiya told him, without bothering to turn to Yukihira. "But you are not sharing a bed. Do that stuff elsewhere."

"We haven't done anything!" Soma sort-of lied. And, pouting, added, "Besides, where am I gonna sleep? With you?"

"Couch!"

-0-

"-and then the man's wife outright moans when she takes a bite out of my dish," Asahi boasts as he walked through the wet sidewalks, having forgone the idea of travelling back to Tootsuki with the limousine, since for some reason, he much rather preferred to take it… slowly. "You should have seen Head Chef Reyansh Kumar's face," he added with a proud laugh. "The guy looked like she had outright cheated on him right there and then! But, what can I say? Can't exactly blame the lady if she get a chance to taste what true flavor really is."

"That has got to be a low blow," Dove mused with a hearty laugh. Asahi turned to the raven-haired girl next to him, his eyes widening a bit when he was her. She was not walking on the sidewalk, per say, but on the railing that divided the sidewalk and the grass, her arms extended, as if walking a tightrope of sorts. "Making someone else's wife moan, how very naughty of you. You home-wrecker."

"It's not like that!" Asahi defended, trying to keep his eyes from staring at her too much. It was… difficult.

"Still, gotta sting for the dude," she added, bouncing about. She looked so childish and at the same time so stunning. "I mean, if my boyfriend ate another girl's cooking and it made him outright jizz in his pants I'd be offended. Would take a lot more than just a bouquet of roses for me to forgive that."

"Roses?" Asahi asked, somewhat amused. Not what he had expected. "I had imagined you as more of a jewelry kind of girl."

"…Hmm," Dove mused, "I'm supposed to be, aren't I? Being Azami's number one student and all that. Life of the rich and famous, but honestly, the gift matters not. It's the intent behind it. Just one rose, from someone who truly cares, is worth more than all the gold in the world. But, alas," she expressed, overdramatically all the sudden, "Poor little Dove has yet to find a man of that caliber to even offer her that much."

"Their loss…" Asahi replied, before he caught himself. Dove gave pause, turning to him, her expression shifting a bit before it settled on the widest of grins. He did not very much like the implications. "Dove…"

"You're starting to get a crush on me, ain't ya?" she said so smugly he just could help but wonder if this was what it felt to everyone else when they dealt with him.

"Don't flatter yourself you mock-up princess-" he shot back, eyes closed, waving her off, but she quickly interrupted him.

"Queen," she corrected, her eyes narrowed, fixated on his. "And here I thought you promised not to lie."

He felt something inside him pop. He outright glared at her, which caused her to laugh, before she hopped down to the sidewalk. He had to avert his eyes at this, since her skirt had moved up alongside her and he had caught sight of the most daring pair on panties he had ever seen anyone sport. And if he allowed his body to react, she'd have her suspicions confirmed alright.

"You are…" he tried, doing a very good job at keeping a blush at bay. "…a very hard individual to like, if I'm being honest."

"You've told me before," she said teasingly. "That still doesn't answer my question, though. Is the great Asahi Saiba actually falling in love with me? Even if you, as you've said, can't even stand me?"

She laughed at his frown, but his next words made her pause.

"…You want me to say yes, don't you?" he noted, and her expression shifted. She opened her mouth to reply, but he beat her to it by adding, "You're not one to fish for compliments. I know that by now. You'll only accept something you've felt you've earned. But here you are, edging me on. So, what of it? What happens to the ever famed Dove Dillinger if I tell her that, yeah, I am starting to fancy her?"

Dove just stared, biting her lower lip for a moment, before she seemed to smile. A much softer smile than he was used to.

"~My, that's quite a dangerous scenario then," Dove noted. "If we fall in love with each other, wouldn't it end tragically once I end up crushing your attempts at upstaging us all at the Intercontinental Shokugeki?"

"Oh, I don't recall ever adding us falling in love."

Dove outright flinched. She stared at the boy, caught completely off-guard and unprepared.

As Asahi watched her inner turmoil with some pride, he could outright hear Sarge and Yuunosuke warning him over and over in the back of his mind to abort, but despite this, he couldn't help but… try.

"What I meant was-" Dove had tried, but Asahi interrupted with the last thing she had expected to hear out of him.

"Why don't you switch sides?"

"…Huh?" she asked, utterly surprised. Asahi looked at her, and for once, she couldn't quite read him. His tone sounded… genuine, and despite herself, she found herself growing flustered. What was he even…?

"…I…" he tried, but he really had not thought this through. It made no sense at all. But… he had promised her the truth, so, he'd at least deliver on that. "…Why don't you come over to our side? To the real Noirs. Whatever Azami has on you, I… I can match it. Double it, if it's that… Just, together, we could-"

"You could never take back what Azami did for me," Dove interrupted him in turn. And for once, she wasn't smiling. "And I can't either… But, it's for the best. Besides, what? I join the King of Noirs in his underworld kingdom? What would that make me, Queen of Noirs?"

"I think you already are," he stated, and she smiled, and he forgot how to breathe. It was here he realized just how screwed he really was. Dove Dillinger was not just Azami's weapon against Erina, but an effective weapon against him too.

"Still, you should be careful," Dove warned. "Azami is a dangerous man. Don't make promises you wouldn't be able to keep, little boy."

"Oh, so he's that tough, huh?" Asahi said with a little mocking laugh. "I will defeat the man, just you wait. Besides, last thing I want is for him to keep hurting Erina, or you… or Loren for that matter. I mean, considering the kid's my-erm, never mind, what I mean is-"

"Loren's not your brother," Dove softly said, as Asahi froze, his eyes on her once more. "…What? We promised not to lie to one another. It's not fair if only one side spills. That's just a little lie that's been fed to you. Loren's just like me, a little stray Azami picked up."

"…You mean?" Asahi noted as he narrowed his eyes. 'She knows she not only spilled that detail, but also who my father likely has on his pocket. The one who first… uncovered that bit of news was Boogie, does that mean he's been lied to, or is he the one lying to me? Would he really be that stupid to even dare…?'

"You okay?" Dove asked, her head tilted playfully.

"Hey Dove?" Asahi voiced, and Dove muttered a "hmm?" in response. The young man opened his mouth to speak, realizing he could use this chance to get all the information about whatever Azami had in mind from her. An eye for an eye sort of deal. And he was moments from asking her to spill, but… just seeing her, those pretty eyes and that soft, little smile, for once not playing up her part. Not pretending to be someone she isn't. Just the real girl. And… he just couldn't do it. "…Did you have fun today?"

Dove just stared, as her small smile grew a bit. "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"…And thanks," she added, now her eyes on the ground. She looked so pretty he couldn't take it. "For standing up for me. Whatever happens from here on henceforth, I will always be thankful for that. You looked pretty damn cool."

"Thanks," he said, not really used to such direct praise aimed at his character and not his cooking. "I meant it. Glad I got there in time. You feeling better now?"

"Yeah, lots."

"And, hey," he said, the moment she seemed to be about to turn away. They were getting pretty close to the main gates of Tootsuki as was. How he wished it were further away. "Sorry about spilling the beans about Loren. Even if the kid isn't my brother, I didn't want to get him into trouble. Just… needed Soma to trust in me more."

"You better be," she warned, playfully this time. "Loren's the most annoying kid you can imagine. But, he is my little brother. And an older sister's job is to protect the little ones."

"I can't tell if you mean that figuratively or literally," Asahi noted with amusement, as Dove just smiled.

"We're not really related either," she admitted, as she turned her gaze away from him, towards the high gates of Tootsuki that were coming into view. "Azami took us in. Him first, then me. And we each have a role to play. It's too bad though, if you had shown up in my life before Azami did, maybe I would have become the Queen of your little Noirs after all, and shown you how a real Queen behaves."

"…Dove?"

"Yeah?"

"…If I beat Azami before the event, in a way that doesn't affect you, would you consider it?" he asked, and it seemed like the world have stopped all the sudden. He felt almost faint, as the girl seemed to ponder this for a moment. What was he even saying at this point? Stop Azami before the event? How would he even begin to even try that? He had no idea, but if she wanted to, if she needed him to, then… would he? Would he really risk it all just for…?

Asahi searched for an answer in Dove's eyes, but he saw how her little smile slowly faded, as if realization had dawned on her. Before he could ask, try and rephrase himself, she slowly raised her hand, and with it, her little pinky.

"Huh?" he voiced, confused.

"Time's up," she informed with a wink. "Sun's coming up, our little truce is at an end," she explained, and his eyes slowly widened at the notion. It was almost morning, and they had indeed promised no lies for the entire night, and only just. "It's been fun… Asahi, best of luck then."

A flirty smile, another wink, and her persona was back, twirling right around and skipping her way towards the main entrance. She seemed to be taking out her phone too, likely calling in that Shawn fellow to give her a lift towards the resort. He too should probably call up his limousine and head back. But, even as he took out his phone, he couldn't help but question almost every aspect of what just had happened.

'It was just a dumb little moment between us,' he warned himself, 'It won't save you. You can't risk it… Just, stick to the plan.'

And as he looked on, his eyes on her retreading form, he knew just how much this could potentially interfere with absolutely everything. How much he needed to avoid going out of his way like this, ever. And yet, he couldn't quite help but imagine, what if…

…What if the sun had stayed down for just a little bit longer?

As Asahi stayed behind, Dove pretended to bounce her way towards the nearest pick-up point she could reach, when in actuality she just wanted to get out of sight from the boy she had just spent the entire night with. Once she was sure she was out of his viewing range, Dove gave a curious look back, and upon not seeing him, slowly dropped her arms and her fake little smile, which in turn was quickly replaced by a very unsure nervous expression and brightest of blushes.

'What kinda guy just springs all of that into a girl out of the blue like that?!' she screamed at herself, mad at him for catching her off-guard, and mad at herself for lowering her guard to that degree. She knew they had agreed to be honest with one another, but neither of them had been under any sort of obligation to take it that far. To be that open. 'Like, this is so unfair. I have a role to play, a job to do. I do not need him of all people to make me start second guessing my duties here. I do not care how cool he looked against Azami, I do not care how handsome he is. And I do not care if he's fun to be around… Ah! What am I even thinking?!'

At this inner turmoil, the young girl just sat at the edge of the sidewalk, holding onto her knees, her eyes to the street. It was late, or early, or whatever, and she needed sleep. She's blame all these mumbled thoughts on just that. Her lack of sleep had made her open up more than she should have. But, she had to come back to reality. Come back to the world where her mother, her little sister, and little Loren needed her to be in.

'I didn't tell him too much, did I…?' she wondered, and she honestly wasn't sure. Since a part of her almost wanted his plans to actually work out, at least, after her job was done. But, take out Azami? As if. That man was a monster, in all sense of the word. But… She disliked that. She didn't think that the world needed to give merit to such a hypocritical, manipulative man.

He had talent to spare, she knew. He had worked hard for these talents and for his connections, she knew this as well.

But she also knew just how far he pushed Erina when she had been just a kid. And for as much as Dove and Erina did not get along, she didn't agree with that. No child should be abused that way. And for all his talks about getting back together with Mana Nakiri (another excellent parent if there ever was one, Dove thought with the highest amount of sarcasm possible), he really shouldn't be sticking it into Decora or anyone else for that matter.

'Love doesn't work that way…' she couldn't help but think to herself. 'You don't treat people like a back-up plan. Having sex with one woman while you try and get back the other… But what do I know? Maybe that's how all adults behave, and this idealistic sort-of love I wish for his just that, childish and stupid…'

She then looked up, noticing the upcoming car that drove right up to her. She got up, and without a word, got into the vehicle, as Shawn was quick to give the girl a friendly greeting. "Good morning Milady Dove," he said, as she slumped herself onto the backseat, too tired to even pretend to be prim or proper. The only thing keeping her from sitting with her legs spread as far as they would go was that she didn't really trust Shawn all that much. "Quite strange for you to be up and about so early in the morning."

"Hmm," Dove just mused, her eyes to the side, as they began to drive away. This should all be over soon enough, and she could get back to the United States. Back home. And never have to deal with all these rich people problems ever again.

"If something the matter?" Shawn asked, noticing how unusually quiet the girl was. He wasn't all that talkative himself, per say, especially now that he had just gotten to bed when he received her call. But, she was Azami's prized student, and he could not, would not be allowed to ignore her. Azami had made it very clear from the start. Dove was irreplaceable. What she wanted, she would get, or else. So the man had to fake a smile as best he could, and do his job, sleepless nights be damned. But… seeing her like this, distressed it would seem, could also spell trouble for him later on. It was his job to make sure she was content, so what could possibly be troubling this girl? "…If there's anything else you require-"

"Shawn," Dove simply voiced, her tone dry, her eyes still to the windows, watching the Tootsuki campus go by, dreaming of when that long-awaited "closed" sign would be plastered all over the place. "Shut up."

The aide's facial expressions contorted in unnatural ways before he was able to control himself and just hold himself steady. How he hated, hated this part of the job. Babysitting this brat with the ego the size of a small planet, yet he couldn't even utter a single word against her, because she was just that valuable. So he just, begrudgingly did as he was told and kept quiet.

Dove's amused smirk was not helping him, though. The girl just scoffed at the sight, such a pathetic display from Azami's supposedly right hand man. But in this world, so deep within the culinary arts they were about to change the very nature of it, cooking prowess was everything. And Shawn, for as business savvy as he was, and for all the years of service he had dedicated to Azami, was essentially dead weight when compared to what she herself brought to the table.

Heck, he was lower than Loren, abysmal cook as he was, just because the kid had a far more important role. And she found it so pathetic that a grown ass man could be so damn spineless. All to suck up to Azami Nakamura in the hopes of getting just a fraction of the riches when that man took over the culinary world.

How utterly pathetic.

Still, the very peeved and very quiet Shawn still dutifully drove Dove towards the Tootsuki Resort, and as soon as they were within close enough, Dove's eyes caught sight of something new. Something different. There was a small bus stationed by the main entrance, but instead of sporting the Tootsuki logo, it sported the WGO emblem.

'More Bookmen?' Dove wondered. If they were such, would this mean they were sent by the WGO to settle this whole mess that had spiraled out of control regarding the Nakiri family, or was this another one of Azami's machinations to bury that very controversy once and for all? That's right,' Dove realized, feeling a heavy weight on her chest at the reminder. 'I have to come face to face with him again. I really don't want to. Why… Why did I act out this way?'

The car came to a stop, and Shawn, ever so obedient, said nothing as he got off and opened the door for the future Queen of the culinary world. Dove just rolled her eyes at him, before she got off and walked towards the main entrances, before, out of sheer curiosity, and to delay her encounter with Azami for a fraction longer if she could, she got a closer look at the recently arrived World Gourmet Organization's little bus.

It was here she noticed, that no, this weren't Bookmen, Examiners, or anything at all related to the WGO itself, but rather, it would seem, students. And not of the Tootsuki variety either, give how they were all lined up towards a very noteworthy individual.

"You are all late," Ekaterina Antonova, the Russian beauty and Moscow International's Team Leader, said with her arms crossed against her chest, her sharp eyes on the group of five teens that had just arrived. They all looked kinda similar to one another, but of different ages it would seem. All high school age, she assumed, or whatever the Russian equivalent to that was. "Our match is up next, and we need to make sure to have everything prepared for this endeavor."

"Yes ma'am!" the five said in unison, and Dove just stared, holding back a snort. First all the little Noirs back at Asahi's hideout, then that pathetic Shawn, and now these brats. The culinary elite really did have a lot of power around these parts, and for someone who had only been introduced to this world roughly three years ago, this was still equal parts impressive and stupid.

"You will now all begin preparations for what each of your roles will be," Ekaterina instructed, signaling to the boy in the middle. "Your name is Boryenka, is it not? Aleksei speaks highly of you, so you better not hinder my cooking in anyway."

"Of course not ma'am!" the boy, who looked to be about the eldest of the group replied with a salute.

"Good, which being said," Ekaterina noted, her sharp eyes turning to the side, "Is something about our preparations amusing to you, Dove Dillinger?"

"Ah…" Dove just voiced, realizing she had just been openly staring without even pretending otherwise. Such were the consequences of skipping a night's sleep to go hang out with a guy her mother would most certainly not approve of. "Oh, no, don't mind me," she replied, waving Ekaterina off. "You just have fun and do… whatever it is you're doing. Honestly, I did not think you'd duplicate your team just before your match, but hey, if Tootsuki allowed it, props then. Maybe you can tire them out."

"Heh, your attempts at mockery are wasted on me Dove Dillinger," Ekaterina shot back, scoffing. "These five students are merely here to be our aides in the upcoming Intercontinental Shokugeki match, something the Elite Ten students will also employ in turn. It would hardly be fair if only my side has outside assistance, and such a victory would be pointless."

"Aides?" Dove couldn't help but ask. Since when? "That's news to me. Didn't think we could have those."

"You cannot, but our cooking is different from what you all are used to," Ekaterina explained, which Dove had not really asked for, but hey, it kept her away from Azami so she'd take the lesson with as much eagerness as she could muster. "In order to be a master chef, cooking alone does not suffice. You have to be able to command a kitchen, and that includes the staff. Hence why, when Chef Azami Nakamura approached our academy, we made it a clause in our contract that our match, were it to come to it, would be held using our famed "Five-Course Challenge"."

"Never heard of it."

"…Really," Ekaterina commented, and it wasn't really a question. She seemed more peeved than anything else. "I find it rather curious as how you, the famed Dove Dillinger, Chef Azami Nakamura's personal protégée and, I assume, the Neo-Noir's Team Leader, would be familiar with every detail found within the contracts Chef Azami Nakamura made with each of us. Or, are you also oblivious to what will happen to you once we win?"

"Uh…" Dove muttered, wondering for a moment. Was she the Neo-Noir's Team Leader? I mean, it would make sense, but she never really acted as such. That would explain why the team was currently in such a disarray. "You win, you get Tootsuki, and you make my job easier. What else is there?"

"Oh, what a naïve outlook you have Dove Dillinger," Ekaterina said with a mocking laugh.

"Must you always refer to people by their full-?" Dove shot back, but was interrupted.

"Once we have Tootsuki within our grasps, our next aim is, of course, you Noirs," Ekaterina declared, using her slender index finger to point to the raven-haired girl. Dove just stared. Wait, what? "We cannot possibly be content with just a victory over Tootsuki Academy, no Dove Dillinger, we must also crush those very four the World Gourmet Organization has deemed as being superior to even the best any of the seven culinary schools can offer. Such accusations are insulting really, so understand this Dove Dillinger, after I dethrone Tootsuki Academy, I shall-!"

Then, Ekaterina in turn, got interrupted, but by her own team no less. Two of her teammates, the very boyish looking Luka Vetrov, and the equally bouncy Sasha Yelchin, both pushed right pass her and approached Dove. The girl stared, at these two eager Russian chefs, and before she could even ask, they both spoke up.

"But, before that, since we might not get a chance to later," Luka voiced, his smile as wide as could be. "Could we possibly have your autograph?"

"Yes, please, please!" Sasha added, equally giddy, "Like, you've been my inspiration ever since you broke into the scene. Your craft, your attitude, your beauty, it is all so… ah! I can't even, just please honor us with your autograph!"

Dove was frozen in place, eyes twitching. Her brain was rebooting itself to try and process the sudden mood change.

Ekaterina seemed in a similar phase. Her face was red with embarrassment, or anger, or probably both. "…Luka, Sasha…" she almost growled. Both teens froze, slowly turning back to their team leader, who looked moments away from stabbing someone. "…Is it too much to ask for you both to act professionally and to not grovel at the feet of the enemy?!"

"Enemy?" Luka defended, "Milady, with all due respect, this is the famed Dove Dillinger. We can't just pass up this opportunity."

"Yeah, we will be super serious in the Shokugeki and all that, promise," Sasha added, "But just let us get an autograph or two or three. Pretty, pretty please Katya…?"

"Do not use my nickname here-I mean, fine, do whatever," Ekaterina just gave up, which surprised Dove a bit she'd admit. For someone who carried herself with such poise and intimidation, she was surprisingly… soft when it came to her own team. It was almost charming.

"Yay!" Luka and Sasha both cheered, before the young girl turned back to Dove, stars in her eyes. "Could you please sign this one for me, then? If it's not too much of a bother of course. And-And, if you require payment, I can offer that too."

"Eh… sure, and don't worry, I'm just not used to…" Dove began, taking hold of the marker Sasha had given her, before she caught sight of what Sasha wanted her to sign. It wasn't a photo or anything of the sort. It was a full blown poster. Of her. Of Dove outright posing for a photo-shoot she recalled only vaguely, and one she was certain was not meant to produce… these. "Since when do I have posters in my image?!"

"Huh? Oh, we are all up to date with all you merchandise," Sasha explained, and Dove felt more confused with each word.

"…Merchandise?"

"Yeah," Luka added, "If you go to your website, you can purchase quite the selection of stuff. I personally own all your posters, your coffee mug, your chef figurine, and two of your body pillows. I still can't find the third, since scalpers get to it within seconds once it comes up, the bastards. And I'm not like Sasha, who paid so much just to own it."

"I'm sorry, but it was worth it!" Sasha stated with glee. "The other two pillows are very nice and casual, I'll admit, but that one shows you at your best, dressed in your original chef uniform and with your fiercest of expressions, and-Gah! I can't, I snuggle up to it every night!"

Dove was no longer even functioning. 'Merchandise? Website? Body fucking pillows?! Where the hell is all that revenue I should be seeing?! Azami, what the hell have you been doing to my image?!'

"I apologize on their behalf," Ekaterina, still red in the face, muttered, avoiding looking at Dove in the eyes. "They have been following your career for a while now, and despite our upcoming clash, I have to relent and admit your figurine is… nice."

"Huh?!" Dove just blurted out, "You've seen it?!"

"…I may have…"

"She owns one too!" Sasha quickly clarified, and just as quickly she was smacked right upside the head by a very flustered Ekaterina. As Sasha's body laid on the floor, utterly knocked out, with Luka taking it as an indication to keep quiet, a very flustered Ekaterina just glared at Dove.

"…Do not take our threats lightly just because I find you utterly adorable Dove Dillinger."

"In all fairness," Dove plainly admitted, "I am far more intimidated now than I was moments ago."

-0-

Loren woke up to a soft knock on his door. The drowsy boy slowly opened his weary eyes, and his first instinct was to glare at the vents above his bed just in case the Chippendales' dancer had snuck in again. When he saw that that wasn't the case, he pushed his cheap covers away and sat up. He then glared at the door, as if daring it to knock on itself again. He was tired, and by the look of what little sunlight was coming into his room, it was early. Very early. So early that none of the morons that made up this dorm had yet to cause a ruckus over something.

But then another soft knock was heard, and he cursed inwardly. This had indeed turned out to be the absolute worst spy mission in all existence. But, in order to try and save face and keep up his charade that kept spiraling out of control with each passing day, he got up and waddled over to the door, opening it slowly.

He had not expected to see that girl on the other side.

"…What now?" he almost barked, eyes narrowed. The little witch stared, but to his surprise, she wasn't glaring. Was this about his homework, he wondered?

She seemed to pause, her little fist still curled up, likely having been caught almost about to knock once more. Persistent to an annoying fault; he knew she was that and then some. But, it was strange. He knew she wore her uniform every time he had seen her, even while at the dorms, and sometimes even added in those black robes over it that made her look like she was actually cosplaying something out of Harry Potter. But… he had never seen her in her pajamas. Just a little shirt and shorts, no theatrics, nothing to mock, just… her. He didn't know how to feel about this.

Also, he didn't know how to even try and argue with her if she wouldn't utter a single word.

"Stop staring at me so creepily!" he barked again, which caused her to snap out of whatever trance she was in. "Don't wake me up so early! If you have to say something, say it, otherwise I'm closing this door in your face this instant."

She looked at him. Frowned. And as he motioned to slam the door as hard as he could muster, she spoke, "…Why?"

"What do you mean why?!" he shot back, clearly annoyed. "You wake me up at who knows how damn early, and then just stare deep into my soul so… eerily. Just, follow your own rules, call me on the phone and whisper "seven days" at me or something. At least that would serve as a warning."

If she got the reference or not, she outright ignored him, as instead, she glanced downwards, before she took a deep breath, and said, "For once, I didn't come here to argue with you. I just… need to know. Why?"

"Why… what?!"

"Why did you save me from my brother?"

Loren's eyes widened when he heard her. Her tone had been so soft and gentle he could have sworn it had been the girl with the braids (he really, really needed to remember their names) talking and not this little witch. Her single visible eye was also looking at him expectantly, no glares or frowns, just genuine confusion. But, even worse than all that…

'I loathe that damn stripper,' he thought with as much venom as he could muster, before he turned back to Nao, who looked like she wasn't moving an inch until she had an answer. "…Listen, I just told Ichigo-"

"Isshiki," she corrected.

"Yeah, him," Loren noted. "I just texted him that your creepy ass brother was away from his seat, and since you insist on seating next to me, Isshiki asked me where you were, so I told him I had no idea," he explained, and she just stared. "That's all. So don't come to me expecting-"

"That's a lie."

"Huh?" Loren blurted out, his head tilted slightly. "What are you even saying?"

"Isshiki told me you not only told him about Ashitaro, but you purposely told him I wasn't at my seat," Nao corrected, and Loren had to struggle not to flinch. Her piercing gaze would have caught it effortlessly. "Listen, Loren," she added, and the way she said his name made it even more awkward. "I know it's no secret that you and I don't get along. I know you are working for them."

"That-" he tried, but she was having none of it.

"Save it," she interrupted his attempts. "Isshiki also informed me of the little match you had against little Aisha. How you and Mitsuru got your asses kicked in unison, after Soma confronted you on the truth. So, in truth, just from here in Polar Star, Isshiki, Soma, Mitsuru and I all know you're just full of crap."

"H-Hey!"

"Which means, all your so-called divine dishes aren't even yours to begin with," she added, and he felt himself shrink with every word. He was so screwed. And that bastard Soma had told him he wasn't going to rat him out. But… why had he believed the enemy to begin with? "…I can't believe no one listened to me when I warned them all, like damn it, was so damn obvious," she seemed to mutter under her breath, and as he tried to decide whether to reply or just slam the door on her anyways, she turned back to him, "That still makes it so utterly confusing to me! If you are with them, if you want to take us down, why?! Why the hell did you help me when I most needed you?!"

"Uh… I…" he had no idea what to even say. She seemed even more conflicted, as she was looking everywhere expect at him, and with a massive blush on her face. Why? He didn't quite understand. "Listen, don't think too much on it," he admitted. "I just, I dunno, felt like that brother of yours was just creepy, and he kept peering down at you every time we were on the seats, so…"

"You took notice of that too?" Nao asked, her visible eye back on his. He just nodded. "He is beyond just creepy," she said, before she shook her head. "But that's not the important part. I don't trust you, we are both past the lies. I know who you really are, and you know that I know, so just… damn it, Loren, just tell me what you gain from that? Is it to keep me quiet, or…?"

"Oh God knows I wish I knew of a way to get you to shut up," Loren just blurted out, and Nao had to struggle not to start smacking him around right then and there. He had helped her, so she should be grateful, but damn it, he made it hard. "But just do us both a favor and ignore it. Isshiki saved you, not me. That's all there is to it-"

"You were actually, genuinely worried about me?" she asked in a tone so alien to her nature it sounded off even to her.

"…Him hurting you helps destroy this place in what way exactly?" he just told her, knowing there was no point in keeping up a front anymore. Not with her. Not with the girl that had seen straight to him since the start.

"But why?!" she asked again, almost shrieking.

"Stop asking me that!" he barked back. "I already told you! I'm not going to keep changing my responses every time you ask-hey!" he added, as soon as she scoffed and pushed right past him and into his dimly lit room, much to his frustration. "Yeah, sure, come on in! Want me to make you some tea or whatever you idiots drink in the morning while you're at it?"

Nao just paused, now sporting a childish pout, as she glanced around the room. She recalled having seen it before, but she had never been in here. Loren had offered her entry, once, when she had accused him of stealing her photo. She had been wrong then, that she knew now. Still, they boy was a lot more tidy than she would have anticipated, or rather, than she would have been willing to admit. In truth, Loren Frechette seemed like someone who was very careful with everything, if his little stunt was any indication.

He kept his room clean.

Chose his words carefully.

Acted only when needed.

His use of cologne was almost intoxicating.

Took care of his dual-colored hair flawlessly. Honestly, it was divine to look at. Hell, his entire body was…

She stopped. No. Not going there. Not in his room of all places.

"Nao."

She turned back to him. He had his arms crossed, clearly both mad and confused, and she couldn't quite blame him. She then just smiled, her eyes to the side, biggest grin imaginable. "…You've actually been forced to unpack quite a few things from your luggage," she noticed, "Crushing Tootsuki has taken you longer than you anticipated, eh traitor?"

"You little…!" he shot back, realizing what she meant. Still, he just tried to shrug it off. "It'll happen soon enough. But, if all you're gonna do is tease and gloat, do it elsewhere, I want to sleep before the morons in this place begin to wake up and make a scene."

"…I've been afraid of Ashitaro for as long as I can remember," she began, and Loren just… froze. He turned to her, and her face, her features, just didn't sit right with him. She looked, for just a moment, beyond broken. "I never understood why at first. He's the big brother, the eldest, the one you have to respect but who should also protect you. I never understood why I had to protect myself from him. It didn't make sense."

Loren wanted to voice something, but he kept his mouth shut. This… sounded too real for him to comment on. So, he just took a seat on his bed, and kept his eyes on the girl.

"…He blames me for our mother's death, or so I've heard," Nao explained, her eyes drifting from Loren's, to the floor, and back again. "I've never quite gotten an answer straight from him. Momma said so, well, my adoptive mom, because it sounds a bit confusing when I say it like that," she added with a little pained laugh. Loren didn't much like it. "I know my birth mother died during childbirth, when she had me, and Momma said that's why Ashitaro acted the way he did with me. Blames me for-"

"How the hell is that your fault?!" Loren just blurted out, before he caught himself. He paused, closed fist on his mouth, but when he turned to her, it was one of the first times he ever saw her smile so… brightly.

"Yeah, I don't think it is either," she said proudly. "But, Ashitaro thinks so, and he had hurt me because of it. Again and again. Momma divorced my father because he did nothing, or rather, he made things worse," she explained, before softly, she turned to the side, and with a little hesitation, lifted her shirt up.

Loren turned several different shades of red as he realized what she was doing, even if he hadn't actually pieced together the why. Before he could shout, scream, squeal or a mixture of the three, Nao stopped, at right around her chest. 'Of course her bra's black.' Loren shook his head. Where the hell had that come from?

But, his eyes caught sight of something else, too. A mark, burned into her skin, starting from the right side of her body, right under her bra straps, all the way towards her middle back. It was faded, hard to see, yet clearly etched in there without any true concrete form.

"…This was Ashitaro," Nao explained, "We were little. I was… six, I think. He was practicing, boiling something with that putrid smell we were both taught about. He was masterful, so I loved to watch. But… he had argued with father, had had an episode, or so they called it. I didn't understand it. So I went to see him work. I don't remember what I said, or even if I said anything. Next thing I do remember, is I'm on the floor, clenching my side, crying, his dish spilled everywhere, as Momma rushes in to check up on me, and father… he just grabs Ashitaro and beats him on the ground. Punching him as if he were another man and not a boy. I saw blood. I cried, not sure if for him, for myself, or for both of us…"

As Nao spoke, her eyes became a bit teary. It was so long ago, yet, it felt like almost yesterday at the same time.

"Ashitaro got taken away after that," she continued. "Momma wanted him to get proper help, but father refused it, claiming it would ruin our family's image. So, with her reputation and authority, Momma sent me here when I was old enough, and father, happy to be rid of a potential… distraction to Ashitaro, allowed it. My brother is a monster, but he's also gifted in the culinary arts to an insane degree."

"He is a Noir who gets put at the same level as Dove," Loren voiced, and a part of him felt relieved he could actually talk to someone around here without having to watch every single thing he said. "So it makes sense he's tough… or whatever you guys call a good chef."

"That's what I'm afraid off," Nao admitted. "Only way I'm sure I can avoid being forced out of here, and landing in his grasps, is if he's defeated in this Intercontinental Shokugeki. But… I am unsure anybody here has the talent to take him on. I would hope our Queen, Erina, could. Maybe Isshiki, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Nao seemed to pause for a moment, as she was about to conclude her story which she sort-of realized Loren had never asked for, until she felt the slightest touch of his digits on her exposed skin.

She just yelped.

"Ah!"

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to…" he added, blushing madly. She stood back, blushing just as fiercely, her shirt now lowered once again, with both of them now staring at the ground. There was a period of silence, before Loren tried to speak. "…That sounded… horrible."

"…Yeah…"

"And sorry for…"

"I know you didn't mean to…" she voiced, before she looked back at him, and then she frowned. "Why on Earth are you blushing?"

"You're blushing too!" he shot back, but she shook her head.

"I know that! But why are you?" she repeated, and he was lost. Before he could rephrase himself, she added, "You're not related to Dove Dillinger, are you?"

"What does that even-?" he just asked, confused at the shift in conversation. "I mean, we see each other as siblings now, given how we were abducted, or adopted, whatever, in roughly the same year, and-" he added, not even sure if he should, but she had opened so much about herself that he'd feel horrible if he lied now.

"Then that's precisely my point!" she cut it, seemingly that proved… whatever her argument was.

"I still don't follow…"

"You spent your time alongside such a bombshell of a girl like Dove," she explained, and he just gave her the most perplexed look he could give. "And here you have Berta and Cilla outright gushing about you left and right, alongside half on your class, as faker as you are, this entire school bought into your little act. Almost all the First Year girls are outright smitten by that fake version of you."

"Why the heck are you insulting me now all the sudden?!"

"Not an insult you idiot!" she barked back. "Why would someone who has your looks blush at me?!"

Loren paused, as her words echoed in his mind long enough for him to realize their meaning. He stared at her, and just as he did, she seemed to catch herself, as her blush was growing.

'What did you just tell him?!' Nao screamed at herself. 'Just outright tell him you think he's the hottest piece of ass you've seen in this damn place while you're at it! I can't do this now! Not the time for my stupid crushes! First Milady Erina, then big sis Hisako, and now…him! …Why him of all people?!'

She turned, peeked at him from the corner of her eyes, still red in the face, fully expecting the biggest shit-eating grin imaginable as she had just handed him the best ammunition to use against her, like, ever. But instead…

"Are those your brother's words too?"

She couldn't speak.

Nao muttered something, which Loren couldn't even understand. Not his fault, she couldn't either. She tried her hardest to keep calm, but those words had seen right through her, and they had come from the most unlikely source. So as any mature adolescent would do, she just… darted right out of his room, rushing past the perplexed youth and out the door, leaving the boy sitting on the bed, completely bemused at the situation at hand.

Nao reached her own room in record time, closing the door behind her, and being grateful it was early and no one was up and about yet. As she clung herself to the doorframe, her back to it, she had her hands over her mouth, blush at its most intense, as her heart was threatening to rip straight out of her chest.

-0-

Shinomiya drove the four of them through the streets that made up the Tootsuki Academy campus, driving them, at Erina's request, towards the Elite Ten's meeting area. Granted, Shinomiya, nor Hinako for that matter, required directions on that department, as both graduates had it etched into their brains where the location was, given their prior status as number one and number two respectively.

"Amazing how you can care for a place and hate it at the same time," Shinomiya noted, mostly to himself, as he drove the young couple towards their destination. The master chef has his eyes on the surrounding, noting inwardly that a lot had changed and yet, it still looked pretty much the same.

"That's the high school experience in essence I suppose," Hinako added, all smiles, kinda giddy to be back here again. She loved getting invited back, unlike her husband, who usually had to be blackmailed to return. "You doing okay back there?" she asked, turning back towards the two kids on the back.

"Yes, thank you both so much for the hospitality," Erina replied with a soft little bow, brushing her skirt in the process. She was still wearing one of Hinako's old uniforms, which save a small detail here or there, was near indistinguishable from the current ones. "And I'll have this washed up and returned as soon as I'm able M-" she added, before she froze at the older girl's glare. "…Hinako."

"That's better!" the woman cheerfully replied, then added, "But don't worry. Keep it as long as you need. I have countless others back home. And it suits you marvelously."

"I… yes, thanks," Erina replied meekly. This had been quite the turn of events.

"She's right you know," Soma, sitting by Erina's side, and despite his best attempts, looking half-asleep, added with a small yawn. After a pause, he turned his eyes towards his Master. "Hey, Master, why didn't you give me one of your old uniforms? Now I'm the only one who's gonna attend this meeting in my civvies."

"Please," Shinomiya said with a scoff. "I burned all that long ago."

"You did what?!" Hinako quickly barked, her eyes on him as if he had just slapped her. "Why?!"

"Why would I ever need that old uniform for?" Shinomiya countered. "Leaving Tootsuki what matters is the diploma, and in our case, the Elite Ten Certificate. Having the uniform won't get me any closer to getting any of the WGO's stars."

"But… But how will we role-play?" A teary Hinako asked, and Shinomiya felt himself choke on air.

"What are you even-?!"

"That's it," Hinako decided, "You're wearing one of mine too."

"Can you stop saying weird shit in front on the kids?!" a clearly flustered Shinomiya blasted.

"Oh, so now they're kids," Hinako shot back, ever-so smugly. And Shinomiya decided it best to just drown the sound out completely.

Erina and Soma just looked on, both utterly lost on what they should say, if anything at all, but Soma seemed to recover first, as he turned to Erina and voiced, "Did you manage to make that appointment with your doctor?"

"Ah…" Erina voiced, since that had also been quite the chore. "…I spoke to a few. Getting a house visit isn't hard, I can have a doctor over in about an hour if need be, or, right now by helicopter if I press hard enough," Erina explained and Soma just stared. Just like the average working man could, no? "But, one of the doctors I spoke to was with Dr. Arato. I mean, he was a generalist before he became a cardiologist, and his father had attempted to treat my mother in the past, so given the history, I hoped he could have some answers."

"Did he?" Soma asked, hopeful. The man seemed a bit… eccentric, but most talented individuals tended to be. This school entire alumni proved it.

"Not really," Erina voiced sadly. "But we did sort-of hit the main point as to why this spiraled out of control so quickly. He even told me it was going to sound like a stupid question before he asked it," she said, with a small laugh. Less because it was funny and more because it was honestly pathetic.

"What question?"

"Do you find yourself under a lot of stress recently?"

Soma just stared, his eyes a little bit wide, before Erina just burst out laughing. At this Soma did too, realizing just how loaded that answer had to be and how obvious it all was. This was a girl currently trending worldwide for a reason. Erina, for her part, had a good idea of what she was going through, and after speaking with Hisako's dad about it, she more or less knew that there wasn't much to try and do about it. Treat the symptoms, he told her, which was honestly easier said than done when her tongue argued against any medication she could try and take.

'Dr. Arato also asked me a bunch of other questions during our telephone call,' Erina noted, with a very light blush. 'I'll keep those details to myself,' she decided, since she felt she'd outright faint if Soma knew she had been asked if she had been sexually active or anything regarding her cycle.

"So… outside the obvious," Soma began, his eyes still on her. "Did the good Doctor offer you any idea on what you should do?"

"Treat the symptoms," she replied. "Seems Mother and I have this in common. If we get overstressed, our senses get overwhelmed, and give how our sense of taste already is so high, well, it doesn't end well, as you saw yesterday."

"So what's the plan?"

"He's going to prescribe me a higher dosage of Clonazepam," Erina replied, and she began to wonder how was she able to just open up and talk all of this to him to easily. She knew for a fact if she just told him she didn't want to talk about it he'd understand it completely. Yet, she felt better telling him everything… well, mostly everything. "Mother takes it too, at a much higher dosage that I did. And even now, he's not going to prescribe it that high, but hopefully it works. I can't afford to just follow in my Mother's footsteps and drown myself in medication, gourmet foods, and when that doesn't suffice, inject nutrition onto my veins. I… hate needles."

"Your mom goes that far?" Soma asked, head tilted.

"Yes," Erina replied, eyes closed. "Admittedly, she did it more before. Lately I haven't seen her do that. Seems she's more in control now. Funny that. Granted, she did borrow my pills from me, so something tells me she's not taking just her required dosage…"

"Was that when she almost caught us in the shower-?"

"Soma!" Erina outright screamed, causing the boy to jump, who seemed to have forgotten they were in a car with others. Erina was blushing madly, while Soma, upon realizing his little oops, just laughed sheepishly. Shinomiya was glaring at the road, outright resisting the urge to kick the boy out and have him walk the rest of the way. Hinako had her hands on her mouth, hiding her silent gasp, surprised at just how daring these kids turned out to be. It was the last thing she would have expected from the ever prim and proper princess or the oblivious-to-everything-but-cooking plebian, as Erina herself jokingly referred to him.

Still, thanks to that comment, the rest of the drive was nothing but silence, at least until Hinako put some music on, which did little to alleviate the sense of embarrassment Erina felt at all this. Still, within a few minutes, they arrived at their destination, with Erina squeaking out one last "thank you" before she darted out of the car in what seemed like a flash of gold.

"So she can open doors, huh?" Soma noted with a little grin, as he turned to the elder couple. "Thanks so much. And, again, sorry for the trouble."

"It's not trouble at all!" Hinako cheerfully replied, "But… take care of that girl Soma. She seems to really depend on you. And trust me, this are the moments that will matter the most when all is said and done."

"…Yeah, of course," Soma replied, a bit surprised, but nodding all the same. Hinako may act otherwise roughly ninety-nine percent of the time, but there was wisdom there.

"And brat," Shinomiya added, stopping Soma just moments before he exited the vehicle. "Remember my promise to you."

Soma seemed even more perplexed at this, but understanding he nodded again. "Of course Master, I'll… I'll let you know if anything comes up… Thanks."

With that said, Soma left the elder couple with a little wave, before he rushed after the blushing girl who was outright powerwalking out of sight. Shinomiya and Hinako just stared at the two retreading, before Shinomiya felt his wife's judging eyes on him. "What now?" he barked.

"What promise is that?"

"Nothing worth discussing," he replied, beginning to drive the two of them away. They had restaurants to tend to, and at very far ends from one another.

"Oh, is it one of those "promise between men" sort of deals," Hinako asked, even taking a manlier tone when she paraphrased the term. Shinomiya tried his best not to laugh at that, but failed.

"Nothing of the sort," he said. "Just something I owe the kid. Nothing more."

"Hmm?" Hinako mused, as she turned her eyes back towards the campus. "This place is still very pretty. So lively. I can't help but get nostalgic just driving past these gates."

"…Yeah."

"It would hurt if this place would get closed off," she admitted, "Or is that just me?"

"…No," Shinomiya replied in earnest. "We grew up here. This place made us. Everyone who graduated from these halls would feel the way you would. But…" he added, and she turned her attention back to him, since she knew that change in tone whenever she heard it. "I have faith in those kids. They will not fail."

Hinako wanted so badly to tease him, but she settled on giving the man the fondest of smiles. Instead, "You know what I found utterly adorable?"

"What?"

"Remember when I asked her if she could be pregnant?"

"I remember how you almost murdered her with that deduction, yes."

"They both replied that no, they weren't, that it couldn't be," Hinako mused, her own hand over her belly, wondering if the young version of herself who graduated from this very school would ever believe herself to grow into this. That the boy she had challenged to stop him from leaving to France, the boy that had taken her heart and then just broken it without even noticing, would years later turn out to be her husband and future father of her child. Or, if she had her way, children.

"What of it?" Shinomiya asked, eyes still on the road.

"…Not once did either of them even humor the idea that she could be pregnant and it not be his," Hinako replied, "It just didn't even register as a possibility for either of them. They're young, but there is genuine love there. I… I want to protect them Kou."

"…Yeah," was all the magician said, as the two drove off, hoping for the best for the pair and their little group of Elites, as they knew, now more than ever, they needed every bit of it.

Oblivious to the talks about their relationship and how adorable it was, Soma rushed through the currently empty halls of the Elite Ten's current headquarters, reaching Erina after a bit of struggle. For a girl who had been moments from passing out last night, she sure could move fast when she wanted to.

"Hold up Erina," Soma called out, reaching the blushing girl, who turned to him with the biggest pout on her face, which only made him laugh. "You're very easy to fluster, you know that?"

"And you have an art at making things sound completely out of line," she shot back, her index finger pointed at his chest accusingly. "One, they did not need to know of that, and two," she added, adding an extra finger to her pointed finger, as if counting her points, "You made it sound so much worse."

"And what would this worse scenario be like?" he asked, and for the life of her she knew, just knew he was faking being this innocent. She was sure.

"Oh, do not-"

Erina was basically shut up the moment Soma cupper her face with his hands, holding onto her gently. Her eyes went wide for a moment, before she saw that same spark in his eyes she had seen ever since that night on the cruise. He seemed to ask her something with this gesture alone, and she just parted her lips slightly in response, before he gave her a kiss.

It was unreal, in a way, because she wasn't used to him kissing her like this. Soma, like with all other aspects of his personality, was always bold and direct; and his kisses were no different. He took her in with all his might, pressing lips and frame against her, almost dominatingly so. Or, if not like that, it was slow. Like when he was on top of her in the bed, a depiction which by itself makes her feel lightheaded, but during those such occasions, he takes his time. Explores her at his own pace, caresses her and hold onto her the one way she likes it to be, a way she didn't even knew she liked until he began to touch and hold her that way. In those times, he'd kiss her like a slow-burn novel, teasing her so much as she begged him to hurry and get to the point, but loving the tease all the same.

But, this, right now, it was so… soft. A tender kiss, almost as if afraid how she would react. And she couldn't blame him. Right now, despite herself, she was fragile. But such a tender kiss, almost like a first kiss all over again, was enough to outright melt her.

They parted. "You said you wanted a kiss," he told her.

She couldn't really speak, so she nodded.

"Want more?" he asked, with that little smile of his.

The nerve of him. As if she was the one who couldn't resist him, instead of the other way around. Still, she nodded again.

So he kissed her again. Just as softly, just as gently. And she was content with the knowledge, that even without tongue, for now, she could at the very least still savor her boyfriend and her tongue would not object.

"And here we were worried they had broken up."

Erina and Soma parted ways quickly, hearing a very familiar voice almost right beside them all the sudden. The flustered Soma and the tenfold flustered Erina both turned to look not only at Alice, who had the biggest grin on her face after making that little observatory remark, but at the rest of the Elite Ten students as well. They both sort of forgot they were there for a meeting after all.

"Congrats on the rebound you two," Kuga told them with a thumbs up.

"Don't phrase it like that!" an equally flustered Nene shot back. Why was she the only one that found such shows of affection to be too much for public display?

"Indeed, couples go through many things, but these two are strong," Isshiki added, as he took a few steps forwards, right to Soma and Erina. "I'm glad to see you both in high spirits. If you need a few more minutes, we can probably spare those. We'll be setting up the meeting while you to finish up here."

"Ah, sure, just give us maybe-" Soma began.

"No!" an about to faint Erina quickly cut in. "We're fine. It was just a… little kiss, that's all. Couple things and… stuff. We'll move into the meeting room now as planned-And stop giving me that look Somaaaaa!"

-0-

The Elite Ten found themselves back on their meeting spot, each seated on one of their chairs of their little table meant for these gatherings, all of them looking far, far more exhausted than the last. What had started as a thrilling and by-the-numbers challenge had become quite the tiring task, and as Nene watched her group all stammer about, all her juniors looking like they were outright pushing themselves to the very brink, she couldn't help but feel responsible for all the pressure they were currently under. As the First Seat, she really should be leading this charge, not just giving pep talks and leaving all the burden to them. Still…

"You all did wonderfully so far," Nene began, since she knew that, despite her thoughts, positive feedback was both needed and rightfully earned. "Alice, Ryou, Takumi; thank you for everything you managed. We're already half into this thing. Three more matches and we can finally return to our normal academic life."

"That does sound like a relief," Takumi noted, as he turned to Alice for a moment, "But I just have to say, special shout out to you Alice. That match of yours was something else. I cannot imagine the stress that jerk put you through."

"Oh please," Alice shot back, smiling fondly. "Like you can talk. You did the same thing against Lucrezia, and unlike me and Gautier, you two had history, so your win was twice as impressive."

"Look at the little juniors brag about their victories over the Team Leaders," Kuga noted with a smirk, as he slouched back onto his chair. "You both did great, especially with so much shit stalked against us."

"I imagine bragging rights are permitted," Nene noted, as she turned to the group as a whole. "While all the challengers are formidable, the Team Leaders are a league above them all. I can't imagine how tough it must be to face off against one of them."

"Oh it's quite…" Isshiki voiced, his mind on his match against Alex and how he almost got his hand burnt to a crisp due to the stress of it all.

"It's very…" Akira added, his mind on his match against Hakeem and how he could swear he could still smell the dish that man had concocted with the very spices he prided himself in.

"…Hmm," a very peeved Soma muttered, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and before he even spoke, Erina could tell what was in his mind. Because, of course, what else would it be? "…I want to face-off against a Team Leader."

The entire group shared a small laugh at his comment, none of them surprised that that would be the boy's train of thoughts, but they also knew, that things as they were, it was looking more and more likely that he'd get his wish eventually.

"You may just get your chance," Nene began, before she bent down, and with some effort, pulled out a stuffed folder with a ton of documents. The rest of the group just stared, eyes wide, wondering if they were going to be forced to do academic paperwork all the sudden. Wasn't that put on hold for the Intercontinental Shokugeki? "…Ha, damn this is heavy-Okay!" Nene continued, slamming her hand onto the folder, turning everyone's attention back to their First Seat. "Our next match is just around the corner. Moscow International, I've been told, are a very serious bunch, but more importantly, they had some very… peculiar specifications in order to agree to take part in this event. Ones that, for some reason I shouldn't question but damn it all I still do, Tootsuki allowed."

"…Eh?" Erina and Alice both muttered in unison, both caught off-guard, yet both feeling just a little bit responsible for whatever this whole thing was. They knew their grandfather, so the more complex and unorthodox it sounded, the more likely the man was to give it a green light.

"And what are they proposing here?" Kuga asked, staring at the doorstopper of a file Nene had taken out from under their desk. "We lose the match, we die in real life, is that it?"

"I'd wish it were that simple," Nene began, "Listen up, because this can be confusing. There are two main aspects of their proposal to consider. One which works in our favor to an extent, the other, well… just listen. First! We will be cooking with an aide this time."

At this, the entire group's mood seemed to shift, from curious to somewhat uplifted. 'An aide,' they all thought in unison, 'That so much better!'

'Does that mean I can have Hisako help me?' Erina thought, her eyes almost sparkling at the relief such a thought brought to her mind. Now, when she needed it most, having her sister by her side could be the best thing ever. She didn't even care about whatever other clause they had, if she could just…

'Tadokoro, can I actually bring you in?' Soma wondered, his grin already in place, 'That would make this just as good as won!'

"But, before you all start to fantasize," Nene cut in, outright interrupting their fantasies, "I have to inform you all that the aides for your match-ups have already been chosen by the Tootsuki with the WGO's approval. They will be Tootsuki students, but they cannot be anyone who took part in the Elite Ten Selection process, otherwise they, and I quote, "could be considered disproportionately over-qualified and offer Tootsuki an unfair advantage", end quote."

The silence that followed Nene's statement made it clear the entire group's mood had just collectively dropped.

"How on Earth is that fair?" the normally calm Akira couldn't help but ask, outright uncharacteristically angry. "They are having aides as well, right?"

"Yes, but the WGO approved of their selection," Nene explained, knowing that Akira's point was more than fair, but her hands were tied. "They assured us their selection was just run-of-the-mill students from Moscow International. No one of the caliber of their selected team. We have to answer in kind."

"Oh, that's just nice," Kuga commented, closing his eyes. "I wonder who we'll get then. I mean, most of our Third Years were either a part of that selection or have gotten themselves kicked out during the purge that happened two weeks ago, and our most notable Second Years were also part of the Selection, who do we have left to cook at that level?"

"Now, now," Isshiki countered, raising his hand, "Don't undersell the rest of our alumni. We have a decent roster this year, so I'm sure if our Headmasters, both current and former, agreed to these terms, then they have faith on who they selected. Who are we to doubt the very students we are fighting for?"

"If you say so…" Kuga replied, not all that convinced, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Now then, to the second, and arguably, biggest clause these… fine folk sprung on us," Nene continued, flipping the page on the document, before she took a deep breath. "Okay, rather than the usual Shokugeki structure we've been using so far, as in, one-on-one, loser gets eliminated, best whatever out of insert number here, this time we will be facing off in what the Russian team calls the "Five-Course Challenge"."

"What the hell is that?" Kurokiba just growled, sensing the bullshit already.

"…It's, okay, rather than getting a vote from each judge and winning by having a higher number of votes," Nene did her best to explain, as even she was still a bit confused, despite having been briefed by Soe Nakiri directly. "This will be more like the Autumn Election selection process. The judges will be giving a score to the dish, from one to twenty, for a possible total of one-hundred points per dish."

The group all looked on, recalling how that system worked, but finding it strange to have it employed in such a high-stakes event. They weren't choosing participants here, this was the event itself, so it made no sense.

"Furthermore, these points will stack," Nene continued, fixing her glasses a bit as she did. "Five courses in total: a one-bite hors d'oeuvres, a plated appetizer, a palate-cleansing salad, the main entrée, and a dessert. The main ingredients of each will still be random, but we now have specific themes to work with. And by the points stacking, I mean, that each dish will be judged, given a score, then the next dish will also be judged, and its score will be added to the last dish's, so on and so forth, until all five dishes are scored, and that total score will determine which side wins."

"…Why is this match so damn complicated?!" Alice barked, pounding the table with her hands. "I'll talk to daddy at once! This is an attempt to take us out because we'll be too damn confused to know what to do!"

"I-well…" Nene tried, but she was equally frustrated. "O-On the upside, we won't get eliminated for scoring lower than the opponent until the very end, so there's that."

"Which is just a fancy way of saying we could simply get all five of us eliminated in one fell-swoop if any of us makes even a fraction of a mistake," Akira noted, and with it, the entire group just got quiet. That honestly sounded way more worrying than just individual eliminations.

But of course…

"…It sort-of sounds fun."

The rest of the group, with the exception of a smiling Isshiki, and smirking Takumi, and an already expecting it Erina, all froze and turned to Soma, who had the most pensive look in his eyes.

"You followed all of that?" Kurokiba asked him, and Soma seemed to nod.

"Mostly, I think," he commented. "But it really doesn't matter, now does it. At the end of the day, no matter how they judge our dish, or how the process of elimination works, what will determine whether we win or lose will always be the dish we serve. And if we even have some assistance from Tootsuki's students, even if not the ones we want, I can't really see us failing this."

"I agree," Takumi added, "Coming from a local diner, such a meal is a common occurrence for events and such. I guess their logic is that we can't consider ourselves the best if all we can manage is one-on-one victories. Cooking is far broader than that, and this is just another aspect of that."

"Sounds super fun, doesn't it?" Soma replied, turning to Takumi.

"Definitely," Takumi noted, "Pissed off I don't get to participate though."

"You already took out a Team Leader, leave some for the rest of us," Soma shot back, "As in, me."

"Of course they'd be thrilled about this," Alice noted, but despite her worries, seeing those two express excitement over this whole thing helped calm her down. Maybe she was really letting the stress of it all get to her. "So, I'm game! Let's roll!"

"Yes, so, having said that," Nene continued, passing the documents over to Isshiki as he proceeded to hand several papers to the rest of the group. "Here is a summary of the rules for this upcoming match. There is a copy in there for each of you. Read through it, and plan accordingly. Match selection will still be random, so we won't know who gets what theme until you guys get called upon. And, since they have five members, we have to answer in kind, and well, we sort-of only have five to answer with."

Isshiki gave pause, as Erina, Akira, Soma and Alice all looked up from the page they had just been handed. They knew it was them, and just them, that was left, but that in itself posed a different problem.

"…Uh, I… I feel I should mention something," Erina meekly voiced, raising her hand even. Nene looked at the girl, a bit confused at her sudden shift in character. Erina paused, trying to find the words, until she felt Soma's hand grip her own, softly, but firmly. She just smiled at that. How he could read her so. "…My God's Tongue has been acting up," she admitted, which caused a bit of confusion amongst the group, to all expect to Alice, who's eyes had widened considerably. "We believe it's the… well, stress behind this whole thing. But, while I hope I can alleviate the symptoms properly, I may not be at the top of my game come this next match."

"What?! Really?!" Alice quickly cried out, getting right up her seat. "Then there's no way you should be made to compete! Have you told daddy? We can try and switch you out! That has to count as an illness, no?"

"I would assume," Erina noted, "But replace me with who? Do we have the time to try and properly set-up a seat replacement with everything already in motion?"

"I'm damn well sure we can-" Alice began, but she was quickly interrupted.

"You both are forgetting a very important detail," Kurokiba cut in, his tone clearly showing his annoyance. "They aren't going to let us just replace Erina, because to those bastards, there aren't five Elite Ten students left, but six."

At this the group all collectively remembered. Of course, Shouko Kaburagi. If they attempted to have Erina replaced, Azami could easily counter with just switching her with the other "available" Elite Ten member, which would lead to what happened during the match against the Akintola siblings, and they very much doubted any outside force would intervene this time.

"That's another issue…" Nene lamented, since they had no idea where that damn girl had disappeared to. She wasn't showing up to class, not once seen around the campus; had she not had the power of an Elite Ten student, she would have long been kicked out, but of course, being the Sixth Seat gave the girl wiggle room to do as she pleased, and they needed to do something sooner rather than later.

"That's bull!" Alice just scoffed. "We have to kick her out. That damn traitor almost cost us two matches!"

"Who knows? Maybe she's innocent and we all misjudged her," Kuga noted with a sarcastic laugh. "Perhaps, right now, when we need her most, she'll burst right in through that door," he added, pointing towards the main entrance, "Ready to help us out in our next match in earnest!"

The entire group all collectively turned to the door.

It didn't budge.

"Why did we all look?" Alice just asked.

Kuga just laughed, as even Akira found himself blushing for playing along to something so childish.

"Be serious," Nene reprimanded, despite the fact that she too had looked. "We have to try and salvage this as best we can. Erina, I… we need to see if we can…"

"Don't worry," Erina said, raising her hand again. Her eyes didn't really illustrate the confidence her words did. "I will manage. This is nothing I cannot handle. Besides, with an aide at my side, I will be able to focus on the craft and nothing else… So, apologies for the unneeded concern, please carry on Nene."

As Erina spoke, and the group looked on, each with different thoughts but reaching similar conclusions, Soma couldn't help but just frown at the sight. All this pressure, all this stress, all of this… just on her. Her own father, her own mother, and quite possibly even her new brother. Did they not see or care how they were breaking this girl? But, as the meeting continued, and the conversation shifted towards the finer details of the upcoming match, Soma decided he'd do everything humanly possible to make sure she would make it out of this.

Somehow.

Come hell or high water. He'd swear on his very soul.

-0-

"What in the hell is-Oh!? We're live! Hey, Urara here! Welcome back everyone, to the Fifth Round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki!" Urara quickly beamed once she realized the cameras were on her and the microphone was on. She had just moment prior been give the new rule set for the upcoming match, and each bullet point made less sense than the last. But, she hoped the Elite Ten students had a better grasp of it than she did, or they were plainly screwed. "Today we have our ever-feisty Elite Ten students take on the team representing Moscow International! But before we bring them in, let's give a salute to our esteemed judges! Who are the same exact five we've had from the start but I am contractually obligated to introduce like this every, single time! Let's say hi!"

As the five judges walked towards their seating, they couldn't help but stare at the young hostess and her commentary.

"Spirited, isn't she?" Histoire asked, amused.

"More like a spoiled brat," Decora noted.

"It's just kids being kids," Anne replied, smiling,

Charme and Courage said nothing, and soon enough, the five were seated, ready for this different take on the traditional Shokugeki.

Up above, everyone began to take their seats. Azami stared down, his eyes on the arena, pensive. Shawn stood by him, the two away from everyone else. The aide wondered what the man had under his sleeve this time, since he had made it clear he wanted things to end now, but would Decora alone guarantee this? Azami, for his part, looked assured. He motioned to his smart watch, and even he was a bit taken back by the sheer amount of viewers they were pulling in, according to the data on display. This wasn't just a cooking challenge anymore, this could outright rival the biggest of sporting events. And all of it, thanks to that brat and his loud mouth, and not at all helped by his niece's little outburst.

In the inner VIP area, Soe stood by the windows, fretting, having also noticed the clear spike in viewership. Soma and Alice's words had clearly turned this event into must-see TV, and while good for revenue, he knew it threw even more stress to the already stressed out kids. And that wasn't fair. Leonora sat back, wishing them all luck, all the while trying to refrain herself from shouting at the nearby Mana, who was buried into her phone, as if nothing of note was going down. It was difficult, to put it lightly.

"I never asked, but given this whole thing will be decided by points," Kuga asked, as he and the other Elite Ten students not participating today moved to their seats, "What would happen if there is a tie at the end?"

"As unlikely as that is," Nene replied, taking her seat, "There is a clause for one such occasion."

"Which is?"

"The team with the shortest student automatically wins, which means we are safe with you in our ranks," she said with the biggest grin.

"Oh, screw you!" Kuga barked back, throwing himself into his chair like a kid throwing a tantrum.

"Actually," Nene added, after her laughter subsided, "It would be decided by a match between the two who scored highest, a traditional Shokugeki affair, but again, the chance of that happening is astronomically low."

"Which means it's probably going to happen," Kurokiba said with a scoff, seating down.

"Most likely," Takumi added with a laugh, also taking his seat, as the four of them turned to the arena, and wished their comrades at arms all the best.

Elsewhere, all the other challengers took their seats. Julius, for his part, wasn't much invested in all of this. If Tootsuki were to fall before his turn, it would be for the best. He, unlike everyone else here, had nothing to prove to anyone. He had his job, and the sooner he could return to that, the better. But, even for someone like him, he couldn't help but notice the sudden, strange shift in interaction between two of his would-be teammates.

Asahi and Dove sat, next to each other as usual, but both were utterly quiet and outright avoiding even looking at one another.

"The hell happened there?" he couldn't help but ask.

"What about what?" both guilty parties asked in unison, before they caught themselves, then turned to each other, wondering how they had replied the same nonsense. Julius just gave the two a look, and sort-of figured it out. Either they had messed-up regarding something important, or they had slept with each other. And for his amusement, he hoped it was the latter.

"Stop acting so stiff around me," Dove whispered to Asahi, clearly both peeved and embarrassed. "People are going to catch on something is off, or worse, they will assume something else."

"Like you can talk," Asahi replied in kind. "You are not being all that discreet about a truce, which might I add, is already long over."

"I can't help it," Dove shot back. "You make it so awkward. Can't we just go back to when we just didn't like each other?"

"Not when you phrase it in a way that makes me doubt if that means you like me now."

"Not what I meant."

"It's what it sounded like."

'Yeah, the definitely screwed around,' Julius noted, his eyes back on the arena. While amusing, he also found himself thinking back on Yukichiko, despite everything in his being trying to block her image from his mind. And yet, there she was, all smiles as always, and he felt no longer amused at all. Damn it, he wanted this to end already.

Ashitaro, if he noticed anything off about his teammates, didn't really care. His eyes, were focused elsewhere. Not on Nao, for once, but at the arena. 'If he's not seated with the other Elite Ten, then that means he will compete today…' Ashitaro noted with the biggest slasher smile. 'Finally back on the scene, eh, Satoshi Isshiki?'

The rest of the challengers all looked on, some worried about Tootsuki despite their best attempts at pretending otherwise, especially the likes of Hakeem and little Aisha, others worried about the Russian team's, or rather, their Team Leader's upcoming match, notably one very nervous would-be girlfriend Camille, with the rest just excited for the upcoming show.

Down at the other seats, most of the Polar Stars and their closest friends all sat down, all with their eyes on the arena. All worried sick about this upcoming match, since they knew they were down to just five Elite Ten students and one traitor, and that was a very poor place to be in.

"They can win this, right?" Yuuki noted, holding onto Terrubunny tightly, the little rabbit now accompanying her wherever she went, much to the amusement of the rest.

"Isshiki's back," Ryoko affirmed. "If anything; that alone gives me hope they'll pull through."

"If Soma were to hear that, he'd outright challenge you to a Shokugeki right here and now," Shun noted with a little amusement, which caused Ryoko to laugh a bit, nodding. She shouldn't really count him out. Any of them really.

"Why are we worried?" Ikumi called out, sitting back, trying to pretend she wasn't at all nervous. "They also have Milady Erina and Milady Alice, and both have won their matches with perfect scores so far. No reason to start doubting them now, right Hisako?"

"…Yeah," Hisako replied, her eyes narrowed. Ikumi had a point, but of course, Hisako had spoken to Erina before the match. And she had heard what she had spoken to with her father about. Erina had assured her that she would be fine, but after everything Hisako had seen, how sure could she be about that?

"Something amiss?" Julio softly asked, sensing her hesitation.

"…I just hope it's not a big deal," was all Hisako replied, since she knew it wasn't her place to say such things. Still, she hoped Erina would be alright.

"Hey, and don't forget about Megumi's boyfriend," Daigo added, which caused the meek girl to flinch at the sudden mention. She was in the process of fainting before Shoji added, "Yeah, dude gets one hell of a smooch if he pulls out another win, eh Megumi?"

"I-I…" she couldn't even talk.

"No need to tease her about that," Madoka quickly came to her defense, much to Megumi's relief, as both Daigo and Shoji just laughed it off. Madoka then turned back to the pensive Marui. "…What's wrong?"

"…The judge's table is different," Marui noted, his eyes on the panels. "There has been a change. What on Earth are they attempting now?"

As the group all looked on, little Nao just stared at the arena, and without wanting to, at the empty seat next to her. She had not spoken to Loren since that morning, and a part of her had been dreading this day, since it meant having to seat next to him for several hours straight, but he was skipping out again? But wait…

"So let's get our competitors out here!" Urara blasted with as much power as she could. "Representing our academy, our very way of life, our Elite Ten Students!"

Then the screen changed, and the five names were listed:

Satoshi Isshiki

Erina Nakiri

Akira Hayama

Soma Yukihira

Alice Nakiri

As the team of five walked into the arena, the applause was outright staggering. That line-up was amazing, many an audience member thought. Not only did it have not one, but the two Nakiri princesses in there, but also last year's Autumn Election Winner and the Runner-Up, alongside, even perhaps most thrilling, the returning ace of the Third Years. Such a team couldn't ever be beaten, surely…

"And, of course, because we can never have tranquility in this place," Urara added, turning to the opposite side, "Here our today's challengers! Give a warm welcome to the Moscow International's team!"

The screen changed once more, now showing:

Ekaterina Antonova

Aleksei Ozerov

Luka Vetrov

Sasha Yelchin

Grigory Kholod

The opposing team also walked in, to scattered applauses and quite the few disses from the crowd. Ekaterina just shrugged it off, turning her sharp eyes towards her opponents. Quite the heavy hitters, she noted, but none more so that the very heiress herself.

Said heiress looked about to faint.

"You okay?" Soma asked, clearly worried.

"Yeah, peachy," Erina relied. It was a lie. A very big lie. 'I thought I could keep this under control, but no, it's worse. Just stepping in here, just the smell of the ingredients and the kitchen itself is enough to make me queasy. Oh, please, keep it under control. Focus, Erina, focus!'

"…Ah, okay!" Urara continued, signaling to the crowd for a moment. "This next match will be different from the rest, and I am once more obligated to say completely fair and in no way a cheap attempt to take us out," she added with the brightest of smiles, and Ekaterina wanted to smack her. That was not her plan at all. This was fair, damn it. "First, it's going to be score based, and only the final tally of all five dishes will count. So no individual eliminations, just go big or go home, literally."

As Urara explained, you could outright see the sheer confusion in the crowd's faces. What on Earth was going on now?

"Furthermore," Urara added, "These matches, all five of 'em, will be one hour long each. And with a specific theme to them aside from the random ingredient as per the norm. Why we are giving this school so much special treatment is beside me, but!" she quickly added, "It will also be done with aides, so each competitor, be it Tootsuki or Moscow, will have an assistant. So, let's bring those fine folks in!"

The crowd, and the competitors themselves, mostly the Elite Ten, all looked on, but the aides name did not show up on the screen just yet. Soma frowned at this, wondering if this was done on purpose. He was dying to know who they would get. Who'd he'd get. But, as he was staring up, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned, thinking it was Erina, but instead, it was another familiar face.

"Hey Soma," Mitsuru greeted with a little shy smile.

"Mitsuru? Hey! Wait, don't tell me, you got picked as an aide?" Soma asked, and at this, he felt his spirits lifted. This was ideal. Guess Soe Nakiri managed to work through the limitations and reached a very fine conclusion.

"Yeah, I was surprised about it. We all go told today, so I didn't get the chance to tell you about it," Mitsuru explained, "And not just me, all of the ones picked are first years," he added, as he signaled to the other students walking into the arena.

The twins Berta and Cilla were quick to approach Erina and Alice, the two younger girls with the biggest of smiles on their faces.

"Reporting for duty madams!" Berta said with a salute.

"We will be you aides, respectively," Cilla added, "I'll be with Milady Alice, while Berta here has the honor of working with Milady Erina."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Alice quickly cheered. "I knew daddy wouldn't leave us out to dry! I couldn't ask for a better aide than you two. Isn't that right Erina?"

"…Y-Yeah," a still very nauseous Erina forced herself to say. When she saw how crestfallen Berta looked the moment she registered, and confused Erina's tone, Erina was quick to reach out and place her hand on Berta's head. "No, this isn't about you. Please don't say anything sweetie, but I don't feel well. But I am very glad I get you… Because, frankly, I'm going to need you a whole lot more than you probably expect."

"Oh…?" Berta couldn't help but say. But upon seeing Erina's face, and seeing that yes, she didn't look all the well, the younger girl couldn't help but nod. "Understood. I shall do my very best!"

"Not a bad answer, I'll admit," Akira noted as he walked towards Soma, Isshiki and Mitsuru, and alongside him, stood Raymond, the current upstart and this generation's troublemaker. "This one here is part of Jun's seminar. A fine aide for my style."

"I will not let you down!" Raymond shouted, louder than necessary, but hey, it's the intention that counts. Akira just nodded, and Soma stared. He remembered seeing that boy before, probably on one of the First Years' classes he occasionally interrupted.

"Still, this works," Soma noted, turning to Mitsuru. "Glad you get to be my aide. With this our victory is guaranteed."

"…Oh, erm," Mitsuru stammered. "I'm not assigned to you Soma. I'm with Isshiki."

"Huh?" Soma muttered, surprised. Isshiki seemed equally surprised. Not displeased, since he knew the young boy worked well, but then…? "But who does that leave me with?"

Then he heard him.

"Who else senpai?"

And at hearing that familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm and mockery, Soma couldn't help but get a flashback of the event that could have avoided all that was to come. Because, in essence, he had been warned, and he should have acted out on it.

"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."

And because of that, Soma Yukihira was now staring at Loren Frechette.

Up above, to the cheers of all the unsuspecting students, since to them, Soma Yukihira had been paired off with the best of the First Years, an unbeatable pair if there ever was one, one girl in particular knew the truth. She had known from the start, and right now, she didn't even know what to think.

"…Loren…" Nao voiced softly, her little fists clenched, as the boy who had days ago saved her now very realistically threatened to have her very world crushed in one fell swoop.

"So you're my aide," Soma noted, his eyes narrowed, and a small smile on his lips. "My, aren't I in good hands."

"I warned ya," Loren shot back, his smile just as faked. Expertly so. "You will regret not taking me out when you had the chance."

---

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From Bad To Worse! What Will You Do Now Soma?!