Notes:
Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here! With TWO (2) HUGE ANNOUCEMENTS!
1. Have you ever been curious what Dove Dillinger looks like? As in, her actual character design? Well, then head over to my Twitter (X) Page or the Shokugeki no Soma Reddit Page and look for my latest post on either. You will find a neat surprise!
2. In order to celebrate the fanfiction scene of Food Wars, I have made a Collaboration Project with about a dozen other writers from this platform (& AO3), some which are new to the fandom, while others are some you probably know and love! We'll be posting a set of one-shots on our accounts that link to each other in a way to celebrate this milestone (10 years of Shokugeki Fanfics!), and if any of you want to join this little passion project of mine, let me know in a Review and I'll add you to the list!
Twitter / YouTube: ~ Zancrowe ~
Disclaimer: Don't own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma. & Yuzuki Eizan belongs to IceColdSea (of "Shokugeki no Kimiko"). Thanks Lea!
One month later…
"We're back!"
Isshiki quickly gave out a hearty smile the moment he heard the collective call from all his dear First Years, as he set aside his farming equipment and walked right towards the main entrance of the Polar Star Dorms, where a little group of five had just made their way back.
"Welcome back everyone!" Isshiki said with utter delight and relief, "You were able to survive that hellish training camp! Truly… well done –"
Then his eyes went wide as plates. The first one he saw was Loren. Once a cute young lad, the boy had outright lost an eye and was wearing an eyepatch to cover up the injury, a massive scar still clearly visible underneath. The scowl in his face, alongside his tattered clothes, made it clear he had almost been killed at that resort.
"Loren! Goodness! What did they do to you my poor boy?!" Isshiki cried out.
"…Don't worry," Loren spoke in a voice far manlier than the more boyish one Isshiki was accustomed to, "You should see the other guy."
"A-A dreadful dispute in the kitchen became a most worrisome knife fight…" Berta began to explain.
"And one thing led to another…" Cilla added, "Serves them right, I say!"
Isshiki, utterly baffled, turned to the twins, just in time to receive another shock.
Berta was dressed like a little damsel, with a collar and chain around her neck, and an utterly heartbroken expression on her face. She looked utterly nervous and meek, a far cry from the energetic bundle of sunshine she was. And if that was something…
Cilla had gotten her entire head shaved, and now sported torn clothing held together by leather belts, her face featuring black war paint over her eyes like some sort of mask. The glare she gave Isshiki made the older boy outright panic.
"Berta! Cilla! My two Polar Star princesses! What on Earth happened to you both?!" he exclaimed, aghast. "Why do you two look so polar opposite, and in very concerning ways mind you?! Cilla, you look like you've been to war in a mad world! Berta, why are you wearing a collar?!"
"…Berta was forced into an arranged marriage," Raymond explained, sounding utterly dull and broken up inside. Isshiki turned to him and gasped.
Raymond looked like he had aged up about six decades, poorly at that. The boy now had white hair, and a very wrinkled face. He was holding himself up with the use of a cane, and looked about to fall over at any second.
"Raymond! I mean, you're not even a Polar Star but you're very dear to us all, what happened my boy?!" Isshiki cried out. This was too much.
"War Isshiki," was all the Latino said. "War never changes…"
"W-War…?" Isshiki repeated, utterly horrified. But then he noticed. "W-Wait! Where's little Mitsuru?!"
It was Loren who approached Isshiki first, and handed the elder boy something that utterly crushed his heart.
It was Mitsuru's trademark camera, with the lens shattered, and covered in either blood or tomato sauce… Or both!
"No! No!" Isshiki fell to his knees, screaming in agony, "No! This can't be happening! My beautiful underclassmen! Little Mitsuru, and the rest of you… Nooooo!"
And with a jolt Isshiki woke up, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, before he pushed the sheets off his nude body, and stood up, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, before he brushed his hair back. He stood by the room's window, looking to the outside, as the morning's sunlight shined in and bathed his muscular naked form. If anyone from the outside where to look in, they'd get quite the show, as the young man hid nothing, except, somehow, his most private area, as a carefully placed (either by coincidence or design) framed photograph stood in-between his manhood and the rest of the world.
Not that it bothered Isshiki, as he was just relieved it had all been a bad dream, nothing more. A bit of déjà vu, he'd admit, but nightmares tended to do that. But, unlike last year, well…
"My God Isshiki! Put some clothes on!" Nene cried out, her face crimson red, as she sat up from the bed they shared, not even needing her glasses to notice that her boyfriend was letting it all hang loose. "And get away from my window! If someone catches you in here do you have any idea what would happen to us?!"
"Oh… morning Nene," Isshiki greeted with a smile, turning to her, making her blush even more. It didn't make sense, she was aware, as she had seen that and more already, but still. She wasn't used to waking up to… well, this. "I do apologize. I just had a very troubling nightmare is all."
"…Still worried about your First Years?" Nene noted, and Isshiki nodded. She could see through him with no effort at all.
"Yes, and I know I shouldn't be," he replied, "Berta, Cilla and Raymond are amongst this year's best students, while Mitsuru is quite the clever little lad. Reminds me a lot of Megumi actually. I know they'll be fine. Even our little Trojan Horse himself. If anything, I'm more concerned he got another student unfairly expelled just to save himself if I'm being honest, but I trust in his character development to not have him go down such a dark path… hopefully."
"You've certainly grown attached," Nene noted, but unlike her usually more colder ways of saying things, here she spoke with utter fondness. "To think you and Soma actually took the risk to steer that kid in the right path despite how utterly moronic such an endeavor was, and that it was crazy enough to work at that. You never fail to impress…"
"Our efforts would have been in vain had our team not succeeded at the end," Isshiki added, smiling fondly at his girl, "And we all have you to thank for that. You guided us expertly. The one and only First Seat to oversee Tootsuki Academy during such a massive Intercontinental Shokugeki. Only Gin Doujima himself can claim but a fraction of what we did, of what you did, so if anything, once we are given our awards, you can finally send it to your parents… with all due respect of course."
Nene laughed. "…You know, that sounds fun, but I'll pass," she said, and then she grinned, "This time, I'm content with what I did. I did it for you all, and for me, not for them. I don't care if they're proud or not, because I'm proud of myself. That's good enough, no?"
Isshiki smiled at her, and then got back onto the bed, taking her by surprise by starting by kissing her neck, just the way that made her quiver, "I think that's what truly matters…"
"Y-Yeah…" she tried, squirming, "Still, hey, your First Years are due back today! And we have the ceremony to attend too! So ~ Ah! ~ Isshiki, damn it, we have to get ready!"
And she knew he wasn't much going to listen to her, nor did she much want him too. It was the time to celebrate after all, Nene digressed…
-0-
Tootsuki Academy had seen quite a few changes during the last month. After the Intercontinental Shokugeki had ended, and Tootsuki had barely survived, there had been a change of administration, and with it, a retool of many facets of the school itself. While it had proven that it reigned supreme in the culinary world in the eyes of the WGO and, as a result, the world, Tootsuki Academy still had to reevaluate itself over just how close it came to losing everything. They knew that the system, while good, was still flawed, so a change was needed. This all started, of course, when Senzaemon returned from the hospital. The man proved to be as strong as an ox, and as stubborn as a mule, as he recovered in half the time of even the best prognostic, and was up and about in no time. Granted, Doctor Arato had been very clear he should avoid stress under any circumstances, and it had long been decided that the Don of the Food Mafia would be stepping down from his duties as the Headmaster of Tootsuki. He would, of course, still remain around, in a much less stressful role of Tootsuki Consultant, to offer guidance and the occasional class (to both students and professors), because that was the most the old man was willing to budge.
But that meant someone new had to be given the role, and for the first time in Tootsuki's history, the top academy of the culinary world was now being captained by a Headmistress.
And that's how and why Erina found herself seated at her desk, her eyes glancing at the little plate that read "Headmistress Nakiri" with a strange mix of satisfaction and concern. It was nice for the school, and for her family, for the role of School Principal to remain in the family, but at the same time, maybe they did kinda rushed things a little bit in choosing so quickly. Her Uncle Soe had done an admirable job in the role during the Intercontinental Shokugeki, so perhaps they should had done more to try and convince him or maybe Gin Doujima to take this job instead…
Erina then heard a knock, and raised her head.
"Come in."
The door opened up and Hisako walked in. Erina smiled at the sight of the girl, who may or may not soon become her actual sister, not that it mattered, for as far as Erina was concerned, she already was. Still, Hisako looked adorable sporting that little ponytail she now wore, which she always made clear it was in no way related to her status of dating Takumi or any off-hand comments he may have made at all.
"Oh? Heavy workday Madam Headmistress?" Hisako noted, her eyes on Erina. Erina gave her a little laugh and shook her head.
"It is absolutely dreadful," she told her, "To think I gave up my Seat in the Elite Ten, again, for this. Oh, but alas, what could I do? I need to steer this ship properly after all, what if I'm still a student and this makes oh-so little sense, family traditions are unbreakable after all."
"You make that sound so, so dramatic…"
"Do I?" Erina asked in a playful tone, "I wonder why? It is such a delightful job that I cannot imagine anyone complaining about having to partake in it. Why, just yesterday I –"
The office's door opened up again, without a knock this time, making both Erina and Hisako pause, as they turned towards the person walking in, who gave a small pause at the sight before she frowned.
"Erina, get out of my chair," Mana Nakiri, Tootsuki's newest Headmistress spoke firmly, as Erina and Hisako just laughed.
"Just playing around mom," Erina noted with a smirk, before she got up and allowed her mother to take her seat, as Erina walked around the desk and stood next to Hisako. "Still… For you to be so defensive of it, I'm happy. It makes me proud you think so highly of your newest role as Tootsuki's leader. It is an honor to study under your guidance."
"Ah, you little brat," Mana said with a heavy sigh, her eyes on the massive amount of paperwork that awaited her. "I take it these documents are the latest revision from the proposal the Elite Ten came up with?"
"Indeed," Erina said with a nod.
"Just hurry up and sign them," Hisako added, and Mana flinched.
"Can you try to be nice to me?!" Mana cried out, almost pleadingly, "What do you want, for me to get on my knees for you too? I already said I was sorry Hisako…"
"I'm not mad about your lackluster parenting style anymore… much, I mean," Hisako noted, firmly, before she simply pouted, "But I am watching you. You are dating daddy, so tread lightly."
"Gods, such a daddy's girl…" Mana noted, as Hisako nodded, proudly, while Erina just laughed.
"Still, those are indeed those documents mom," Erina said, "With your signature, Tootsuki will officially implement its new Strike System,thereby granting students more room to take risks and creatively explore culinary options without the fear of immediate expulsion."
"It will allow, rather than an immediate expulsion, for students who fail a class or assignment to be given a strike instead," Hisako added, "Three strikes still account for an expulsion, but this offers some leeway for students that need more time and guidance to grow the opportunity to do so. As we saw with the likes of Megumi, had our system not been challenged, she would have long been expelled from this school, and without her, well, Tootsuki would have long been lost."
"Indeed," Erina concluded, "Plus there are quite a few other suggestions in there, such as opening up a financial assistance program to allow students of lower income to apply to Tootsuki, for both our Middle School and High School divisions, as well as a few updates to our guidelines to entice more Transfer Students to be accepted into Tootsuki, even in-between semesters if the prove they have prior restaurant experience. Go on, read it, we're very proud of how it turned out."
"That last clause sounds written strictly in favor of allowing more troublemakers like your boyfriends to come in here…" Mana noted, her eyes skimming through the pages.
Erina and Hisako both blushed, since yes, it was true. It was added with Soma and Takumi explicitly in mind, but it wasn't a lie that it could help others of similar backgrounds.
"Still, the whole Strike System is already being tested out as we speak, over at the Tootsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp," Mana added, her eyes now on her two girls, "From what I heard, very few students were actually kicked out this time. This does go against what Tootsuki initially stood for, but I suppose I do see merit in it. Ah, what the heck? I'll check it out and sign it. You two better get moving. We have an award ceremony to attend today, so go get ready."
"Very well," Hisako said, trying to put in the effort not to sound utterly dry as she spoke, and offered Mana a polite bow.
"We'll get going then," Erina added, offering her mother a little smile, before she turned around and began to walk away with Hisako. But the blonde girl gave a pause, and turned around. "Say… mom?"
"Hmm?" Mana voiced, eyes on her daughter, "What is it sweetie?"
"…Thanks," Erina said, "For this. For all of it. Uncle Soe would have been torn in two trying to manage both Tootsuki Academy and Nakiri International at the same time. It really means a lot to me that –"
"Erina, you don't have to thank me for this," Mana cut her off, and smiled at her girl, speaking as softly as she had ever. "I owe you this and more. This school is your life. And I will make sure to protect it with every fiber of my being. This is just the start of what I must do to make sure you have everything you need in life, as a mother should. But, like I said, move your butt and get ready, or I'll expel you for loitering."
"Hey! I'm trying to be sentimental!" Erina barked back, pouting, "And I can't be expelled! We have the Strike System!"
"That doesn't apply to an Elite Ten student," Mana shot back, and Erina pouted harder. "Less pouting, more walking. Go!"
Hisako just laughed at the display, since despite how clear it was both mother and daughter loved each other, the egos were still too big not to clash, even if playfully, so Hisako, ever the faithful sister, gently tugged Erina along and pulled her out of the office and on their way to get ready for the event. She found it almost charming, she'd admit.
"I am glad things worked out like this," Hisako admitted, "Despite my hesitation, I do think your mother is a fantastic choice for Headmistress… just if you tell her I said that I will deny it until my dying breath."
"I'd imagine you would," Erina noted, laughing a bit, "But… I am glad as well. That fear in me, that I'll just wake up one day and she'll just not be here… I haven't fully shaken it off, but I can see her trying, struggling, and… I believe she means it. That apology sounded real, and her hug felt very real."
"I believe her…"
"I'm kind of surprised you do…" Erina said with a smile, "I just wish…"
"Hmm?" Hisako paused, eyes on Erina, and noticing what she meant, "There's still time Erina. I can't say I understand how you feel, but I know it must be rough. Fixing things, even if slowly, with your mother, still leaves things unresolved with…"
"Both my father," Erina noted with a light frown, because she knew some scars weren't meant to ever heal, but still, "…and, of course, my brother…"
-0-
"If this is meant to be the last time we ever speak, then I shall simply repeat what I told you all those weeks ago. I am ever-so grateful that I got to call you my big brother… And I never lied about it, not once."
Asahi glanced for what he felt the hundredth time at that message he had left on read, and he couldn't still decide whether to delete and block or find the strength in him to offer some type of reply. His little sister deserved at least some type of closure, did she not? Yet, was he really the best person to offer that to her. It may not have been fake to her, but to him…
The King of Noirs slumped back on his chair, giving out a long sigh, as he placed the phone down and turned his wary eyes to the group currently joining him. His little handpicked squad, the once feared Noirs, that had been his back-up plan to both weaken Tootsuki and push Erina past her limits should she need it, ended up, just as he was, completely defeated.
Con Calma Don Calma had long been closed down, with Asahi assuring his team that it was due to no longer needing to put up a front for anybody, but most Noirs knew it was really their King's desire to avoid his little sister reaching out and finding him there. Instead, they ended up meeting in a lofty warehouse that had once belonged to a former employer of Sarge that Asahi had effortlessly crushed and taken ownership off. It really wasn't that impressive a place, but it would serve for this last little meeting.
"…Alright! From one to ten, how much did we screw up?! Any guesses…?" Asahi began, still rested back against the chair, his eyes more on the ceiling than at his group. "Come on, no wrong answers here, I want to hear your thoughts everybody…"
"…I-I'd say about an eight or –" Kou Shiou tried, but he got cut off.
"Wrong! This breaks the damn scale!" Asahi shot out, slamming his hands on the table and turning his glare to all of them. "An easy eleven at the least. You all failed to even win a single match against Erina's little group. Like, do you realize how stupid that sounds? My personal army of chefs, the ever-feared Noirs, chefs who work the shadiest underworld kitchens… defeated by the damn power of friendship?!"
They all looked down, like children being scolded. His team, once mighty and feared, had now dwindled down to just six other members, with just Yuunosuke, Sargenta, Don Calma, Kou Shiou, Claude Ville, and Bunnyhair present for this forced meeting. Other Noirs of theirs, like the former Tootsuki alumni like Mea, Rentaro, Rui, Shigemichi or the other Julio had long gone their own separate routes, while shady characters like Tommy Revolver, Jerry Monarch or the Paradox Brothers had all dipped to different parts of the world, and the likes of Boogie Malcanta had outright vanished off the face of the Earth since he was pretty much in hot water with both Asahi and Azami at this point. Nobody would be surprised if that clown's dead body turned up in a body of water in the near future. Still, that left…
"…Asahi, even if true, we still followed your instructions to the letter," Yuunosuke voiced, and unlike the rest of them, he didn't much have any hint of fear in his voice. Asahi merely eyed him for a moment, tapping his index finger against the table.
"Perhaps…" he noted, "I am aware such a failure always reflects poorly on the leader. I do suppose the blame does lie in my feet… Is what I would say if I wanted to take responsibility for any of this, but damn it I don't wanna!"
"You could have won!"
"…Sarge," Yuunosuke tried, but the woman pushed her chair back and stood up, her eyes burning holes into Asahi, who merely raised his eyebrow at her. He was sure he knew what words were coming next. Because, in a way, she was right.
"No, I'm not letting this go," Sarge continued, "You had the perfect opportunity to wreck Azami Nakamura's team during that little team-up duel where you cooked alongside Dove Dillinger, but for some damn reason you backtracked and allowed them to pass right through. Had you stuck to the damn plan, it would have been you, not the Elite Ten, the one with all the glory for having stopped the dreaded Neo-Noirs and Azami's conquest. You could have gotten all the glory without having to cook a damn thing!"
"Sarge… tone it down…" a very worried Bunnyhair practically begged.
"It's not wise to bring that subject up," Claude agreed.
"She's not wrong!" Don Calma countered, pouting childishly at Asahi, "You even made me close my wonderful establishment because of this mess! We trusted you with everything Asahi! What now?!"
"…damn," Asahi just muttered, knocking on the table a few times before he forced himself to stand up. "…You're kinda right Sarge, and I am sorry we had to close your great spot Don Calma, but… I…"
"…I just want to finally hold my little girl!"
"…I had my reasons," he forced himself to finally say, finally admit it more to himself than to them, as he narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "There are lines even I won't cross. Lines," he turned towards them, and it outright made them shiver with the coldness he stared at them with, "That I won't let any of you cross. As much as some of you may hate that… Dove Dillinger is one such line. As is Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, and Loren Frechette. From this point on, we're done. This little group of Noirs under my command is over. You are free to do as you please, but I've made myself clear, try to target any of those four I just mentioned, or anyone closely related to them, and longtime service to me or not, you'll answer to me."
They all froze in the spot, and even those utterly against the message they were receiving, like Yuunosuke and especially Sarge, could do little else but just nod in response.
"Good…" Asahi noted, and proceeded to end the meeting, and these team of Noirs, once and for all, "…Then that's all folks."
-0-
There were very few times that Fukuzawa Eizan had felt himself utterly humiliated.
Getting upstaged in his very showcase all those months ago by that troublesome upstart was one of them. Spending an entire day walking around one of his business compounds with his fly open was another. But this? This had to be the absolute worst of them all. To be called into his own office, and be forced to sit, not at his desk, but in the visitor's chair, and be forced to stare down as his son and daughter both too their seats at the main desk was simply overwhelming his senses.
"Ah, so good you could join us today," Etsuya noted with so much glee he sounded like a completely different person. Fukuzawa had to swallow everything he wanted to say.
"I do hope these accommodations are to your liking," Yukichiko joined in, and the man flinched. This was too much.
"…Do you two really think you can actually pull this off without me?" he voiced with a lot of venom, but unlike before, neither child seemed even fazed.
"Pull it off, why, we already did!" Etsuya noted, rather proudly at that. "May I remind you exactly why you signed off on this, hmm? Your entire brand collapsed after your disastrous results in the Intercontinental Shokugeki, leaving you broke and outright blacklisted from any major culinary or tourism business venture from here until who knows how long…"
"…Which is why it's so fortunate that we, as your ever-loving children," Yukichiko added with so much sarcasm it made Fukuzawa dig his nails into his palms, "Took pity on you and took over. I mean, I practically run the Luxury Cruise Hiei as is, and with Mister Kaito Sakamoto's blessing, from now on, I'll be his business partner, since while he can't bring himself to trust you, he'll make an exception for me."
"And, in the culinary side of things," Etsuya continued, "As the actual chef of the family, it makes sense I'll be the one to take over any and all business ventures with Stuffed International. Our dearest friend Mickey Tiberius Roberts already signed off on it, which wasn't really that hard, as you could hand that man a Dorito and he'd be happy."
"But how does this even work?!" Fukuzawa spat out, "You two are now running all my businesses? How? You're still college aged!" he signaled to Yukichiko, then turned to Etsuya, "And you're not even out of that damn high school! Even if both Sakamoto and Roberts signed off on it, our shareholders will most certainly protest if all their money is going into the hands of… of… children!"
"Oh please old man, you think we didn't consider that?" Etsuya voiced, utterly unfazed. His father did not like that tone at all. Etsuya then turned to the side, and gave the girl standing next to them a small nod. "Shouko, would you please?"
"Oh, certainly!" she replied with a little grin, before she placed a set of documents in the table before Fukuzawa, "Here you go! Seems like I did manage to uphold my end of the bargain, huh? Gave you quite the deal in the end, eh father-in-law?"
"You damn well failed at what we agreed on!" Fukuzawa blasted, glaring at Shouko, before he turned to his kids. "You're outright letting her off the hook but showing me no mercy?!"
"Well…"
"Yukichiko."
"…Fine, yeah, we are," Yukichiko stated with a sigh, "Unlike you, her betrayal can be excused by youthful ignorance and desperation. Plus, my brother here likes her, so as much as it pains me, I shall be a good older sister and allow it."
"Thank you sis!" Shouko stated gleefully.
"Don't push it or I will fill your entire room like a spider's nest," Yukichiko warned, as Shouko pouted.
"Geez, you really can hold a grudge…"
"A-Anyways," Etsuya tried, "My relationships aside, as for the shareholders, I do agree, for once, with you father. An adult presence is required, even with all my sister and I have done to prove ourselves. Some would probably decline if we kicked you out without a suitable replacement after all…"
"Wait," Fukuzawa voiced, utterly pale, "Suitable… replacement? Who would even qualify as…?"
"That would be me…"
The front doors were slowly opened, as everyone turned to it in surprise, as not even Etsuya nor Yukichiko had planned for her to outright appear at that very moment. Heck, they didn't think she'd arrive here at all so quickly, as the initial plan had been to simply explain her would-be support to their father and be done with it. But, lo and behold, their aunt Yuzuki Eizan was indeed there, dressed in her finest purple dress and matching purple fedora. A dalmatian patterned scarf (hopefully not made of actual dogs) completed her outfit, as her sharp green eyes seemed to dig into her older brother.
"Long time no see Fukuzawa," Yuzuki voiced with quite the hint of venom in her voice, "My, I did warn you the kids would someday be old enough to make their own choices and it would come back to bite you. It did come sooner than I expected, I'll admit, but at least now you can't keep me from seeing them whenever I want."
"Auntie?!" Yukichiko voiced out, surprised, "How… Why are you here? We haven't even reached out to you yet. I didn't think you'd agree to this so quickly…"
"Oh, you of so little faith, of course I came on the next flight over as soon as that lovely young man approached me and explained what was happening," Yuzuki explained, and her niece, whose name had outright been inspired by this woman's, could only stare in confusion.
"Lovely… young man?" she asked, as a certain person came to mind, but it couldn't be him, right?
"Yes, quite the charming fellow," Yuzuki noted, before she turned to Etsuya, "And you, where are your manners boy? It hasn't been that long, now has it?"
"Oh, no, not at all. Greetings auntie, we were just not expecting you to drop in so… perfectly, is all," Etsuya managed to say, and Yuzuki just smiled, before she took an available seat and sat down, her eyes the drifting towards the very confused Shouko.
"Oh, and who's this?"
"Eh, oh, I'm Shouko Kaburagi…" the young girl greeted with a little blush. This was like staring down an even older (and scarier) Yukichiko, which was simply too much for her. "I'm Etsuya's… erm, I mean, we're…"
"…I see, well, that's certainly noteworthy. Ah, but you will tell me all the details later," Yuzuki emphasized, smiling coyly at her nephew, who just did his best to keep his poker face in check, until… "I always did think you'd end up with that other girl from your class though. Nene, was it?"
"Okay, moving the conversation along!" Etsuya quickly brushed past what his aunt was hinting at and just turned back to his baffled father. "We can now actually confirm we had her support, so I'm sure our investors and shareholders will be calm if she helps supervise our business ventures until we are of age in their eyes. Clearly just for show, but it should be enough to please them. So," he explained, ignoring the way Shouko was pouting at him at his aunt's words about the idea of him dating anyone else. "…As you can see, you're no longer needed."
"T-That can't be how this ends! I can't simply be…!" Fukuzawa tried, but Yukichiko stopped him with just a finger raised, and a cute smile.
"This meeting is over, and you better head back," Yukichiko noted, "Be grateful we granted you this opportunity to remain in business and with a job, as trust me, if you just look at what happened to Mister Sadatsuka, well, you know how much, much worse you could have had it."
"Yeah, so, old man, get some rest," Etsuya added, and with the biggest and smuggest grin imaginable, one his father could no longer argue against, as he simply signaled to his father's new role in the company as "Retail Service Agent", the absolutely lowest starting position in the company he had until yesterday outright owned. Now, he actually worked for his children. "Because your shift starts tomorrow at five in the morning, and we are very strict with tardiness."
And it was here, as Etsuya, Yukichiko, Yuzuki and Shouko all looked at him with knowing grins, as the man was forced to swallow what was left of his pride and reply with: "Yes…"
"Yes… what?" Etsuya voiced, eyes narrowed, as both he and Yukichiko looked on… waiting.
"Yes… sir," he forced himself to say, and he felt himself die inside. The moment Etsuya looked on, eyes narrowed, he was forces to add, "…and madam."
And with a fist bump between siblings, Etsuya and Yukichiko closed out the deal, the brand-new owners of the Eizan brand and all business that were linked to it, as they very well should.
-0-
"So, taking into account the abuse, the manipulations of the system, the money laundering, and the oh-so many attempts at further crimes that he was simply too inept to carry out, your father is looking at quite the lengthy jail sentence," Riko noted neither smugly nor sadly. She spoke firmly, since while it was wonderful news to her, she knew it would set off a series of conflicting emotions on… "Ashitaro?"
The Warlock sat on the dining area of the clinic he had been signed up in, completely voluntary, and one where Riko had not missed a single day to visit him. His long, messy, unkept hair had been cut down by quite a bit and brushed back, allowing for his face to be fully visible for once, as his red eyes scanned his mother's face for a brief moment before he spoke.
"You don't have to be so on-guard," he noted, "I understand you hesitation, but I am aware he deserves that and more. I am… relieved."
"You should be," Riko assured, "If he was so damn concerned about the family image, then trust me, you receiving the help you need is nothing compared to him getting sent to prison for over a dozen crimes. But, rest assured, the Sadatsuka name will represent what you and Nao do with it with your futures, once you are well and head out back into the world."
"…You were way too patient with me," Ashitaro admitted, as he looked to the side, "Anyone else would have taken one look at this man's unhinged son and just walked away. I get protecting Nao, she was just a toddler when you met her, but me… I'm…"
"You are my son," Riko corrected, edging closer to the table they both sat on in this visiting area, as several other family members were also visiting their loved ones being treated there. "I wasn't going to abandon you. And I am proud you took this initiative. It takes strength, and courage, to admit when we need help. And look at you now! One month in and I've been told you've done some wonderful progress… and how the staff here keeps begging you to cook every time there's an open kitchen event. You know you don't have to always say yes, though."
"It's the least I can do," he replied, turning back to face her. And it was so, so relieving for her to finally, finally see her son again reflected in those eyes of his. "Better to use my talents to help others too. There are people in here with worse things going on than me, so if my food can help calm them down or make them a little happy, then it's enough reason for me to offer it up."
Riko just stared, her eyes widening slightly, before she just smiled. She was, however, surprised when Ashitaro pushed a small envelope her way. "Huh?"
"…I am aware she owes me nothing," he voiced, firmly, "But I can't just stay here, healing, without even attempting to reach out. Please, hand this to Nao," he said, and Riko bit her lower lip, hesitantly, but her son understood. "She doesn't even need to read it. She can burn it if she wishes. She owes me not even a second of her time, but… I still want to, no… it is my responsibility to at the very least apologize for what I did."
And Riko simply nodded. "…Of course, I'll make sure she gets it. And while I can't promise anything, I can tell you your sister, she still cares. Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but someday, if you truly put in the effort, perhaps your relationship can also heal. Nobody is undeserving of second chances, not even you, despite what you may tell yourself," she said, then leaned in and kissed his forehead, "I love you, always will."
He nodded, resting his head on her embrace. "…As do I mother…"
-0-
Nao was busy bobbing her head to the music currently playing on her earphones, as she browsed her favorite fanfiction site, heavily invested in the way the plot of this particular story was getting steamier and steamier with each passing paragraph. The little witch was almost drooling in anticipation when she saw a hand wave right in-between her face and the screen.
"Gah! Hey!" she blurted out, blushing, as she quickly pushed the monitor away, "Don't just barge into a lady's room unannounced!"
Soma could only laugh. "I knocked for like three minutes, so either you were not here, dead, or lost in your reading. Guessed it was the third option, huh?"
"Yeah, so? Does it still impress you one of us can actually read?"
"Oh, please, I read recipes all the time!" Soma rebutted, as Nao just shook her head. That's not what she meant and he knew it. But… "But if you're here, wait… Does that mean?!"
"Yeah, there about to get here," Soma noted with a grin, "Thought you might want to be there when we welcome them back."
"Yeah, of course!" Nao quickly pushed her chair, and herself, back, and stood right. "Let's go! He damn better not have gotten expelled!" she quickly added as she dashed right out of her room, leaving an amused Soma behind, but before he could even move, she rushed back, and to his surprise, gave him a very tight hug, "Thanks…"
He paused, before he hugged her back, "You that happy I told you they're returning?"
"Not that…" she said with a little laugh, "You know why. Thank you, for standing up for me, when nobody else would."
"…Anytime," Soma assured, and the little sister grinned, before she rushed right back out, just as Soma turned around, raising his eyebrow when he noticed his helmet sitting on her bed. "Hey, were you using my bike?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" she replied from downstairs, and the boy just laughed and shook his head. She was certainly a handful. Maybe he and Asahi had a little more in common than he first thought after all.
Still, as Nao went down to the entrance, where all the other Polar Stars were gathered, she quickly approached Isshiki, currently chatting with Shun and Marui, before she hugged him too. The elder boy quickly pulled her in.
"Seems someone is in a good mood!"
"Oh shut up, it's not because of that!" she argued, pouting, before she let go and grinned. "But I feel I haven't thanked you enough."
"You had no need to thank me at all," Isshiki assured, his eyes drifting briefly to Soma who joined the rest of them, before he knowingly added, "But, if you wish to hear it, then you are most certainly welcome."
"…I still need to thank the goddess though," Nao noted, as Soma laughed. "…I'll figure out a way to hug her while resisting the urge to grope her… somehow…"
"Please do," Soma suggested, and then they all heard Yuuki call them out, and all the Polar Stars turned towards the main entrance, as from a distance, the five silhouettes of those students could be seen walking back to their home…
Berta Pedersen was the first seen, a huge grin on her face, as the long-haired beauty seemed absolutely glowing.
Cilla Pedersen followed along, but unlike her sister, she was currently chatting with her "friend" (and nothing more, she always made clear), cutely giggling at something or the other.
Mitsuru Soutsuda was busy talking with Cilla, his trusty camera on his hand, likely filled to the brim with many-a photos from their month in training camp hell.
Raymond Rivera had been arguing with the resident Trojan Horse, a rather one-sided argument at that, as the other boy was attempting to speed up his pace and reach the dorms faster.
Loren Frechette did manage to outpace Raymond, briefly, before he caught sight of the girl in the dark robes that had made him switch every aspect of his entire life, and for once, he paused. They all did, standing in a line before the Polar Stars, looking worn out and exhausted, some more than others, but clearly triumphant.
"Welcome back!" Soma, Megumi, Isshiki, Yuuki, Ryoko, Shun, Zenji, Madoka, Daigo, Shoji, and Nao all greeted with smiles on their faces to the surviving five, as a series of little fireworks flew out of the dorms and all over the place, making Cilla and Mitsuru cry out at the suddenness of it all, while Loren just felt his eye twitch. One month later and these people were still all idiots.
"So how was camp?" Soma asked.
"It was dreadful Soma!" Mitsuru quickly complained, his eyes almost filled with tears. "We got the shock of our lives when Tootsuki had asked for Eishi, Rindou and the others to be the ones to oversee the event! Six different trials, each one worse than the last!"
"Oh you poor things," Megumi quickly voiced, going down the steps and hugging Mitsuru, "You mean Eishi, Rindou, Tosuke, Sonoka, Momo and Soumei? Oh, that must have been horrible to have to face off against them…"
"Megs, you already did and you defeated Momo," Yuuki reminded her, her eyes narrowed, and Megumi just told her not to say it so loudly, as if Momo would hear her and appear right then and there demanding a rematch or something.
"Still, considering we had to deal with Master Shinomiya, Master Inui, and a host of other high-profile alumni, I think that checks out for you guys," Ryoko noted, as Shun stood next to her and nodded. Their experiences had indeed been intense, and it was curious to hear how it had been for these kids with the most recent graduates as their exam proctors.
"Yeah, it was totally intense!" Cilla noted, her little fists clenched.
"Their styles are so very different, so it was hard to accommodate to each of their exams," Berta added, before she then began to swoon, "But, it was worth it to cook next such a hottie like Eishi."
"Oh, he's even dreamier up close!" her sister agreed.
"Right, the way he just looks at you and undressed you with naught but his eyes?!" the twin added.
"Dangerous men are so hot!" both twins cried out in unison, blushing like mad, and Raymond felt like punching something.
"Honestly, hearing this for an entire month was way harder than any trail…"
"Hey!" Cilla cried out.
"You don't have to be so jealous little boy!" Berta added.
"Who's jealous you disillusioned weirdo?!" Raymond shot back.
"You are, obviously! Like, I get it," she noted, flicking her long hair back in an act that Soma was sure she picked up from Erina, "But don't confuse things. Know your place."
"Yeah, be like Mitsuru!" Cilla added, "He knows and accepts he'll never be as hot as Eishi."
"W-When did I ever even say anything remotely like that?!" Mitsuru tried, utterly lost.
"…And?"
Loren paused, looking up the stairs, where Nao stood, the smile he swore to protect ever present.
"And what witch?"
"You didn't get kicked out, congrats."
"…Of course I didn't!" he barked back, "I can survive anything this school throws at me anyways."
"Loren did get in so much trouble though," Berta noted.
"Almost got into a fist fight with that new kid too," Cilla added.
"All the transfer students of our year want a piece of him," Raymond said, annoyed.
"And he even ended up in a Shokugeki against Eishi, because of course…" Mitsuru concluded.
The Polar Stars all froze, slowly turning to Loren. All, except for Nao, who for some reason didn't seem all that shocked by those revelations, especially…
"You got into a Shokugeki against Eishi?" Soma just asked, and Loren turned and glared at Mitsuru, who just sheepishly looked away.
"It… was a learning opportunity, really," Loren voiced in quite the non-answer. Everyone just stared, wondering just what the heck was this kid doing now to get into so much trouble. Of course, that didn't change the fact that…
"Loren, that's reckless, you shouldn't do that…" Soma noted, arms crossed.
'Like he's one to talk…' everyone else there thought, feeling a sweat drop, but deciding against calling the redhead out. Whatever had happened, at least Loren was still a student and he had not, to their knowledge, stabbed anybody, so they'd take that as a win. Yuuki was certainly curious why, out of all of them, Nao seemed the least surprised, but she supposed this was a story for another time. Something to borrow for later, she imagined.
"As reckless as that may have been, I am glad to see you five back! Youth could not be better represented that what you five have right here!" Isshiki noted proudly, as the five all looked on, and surprisingly, none of them argued against it. In fact, the five all turned to each other, and with the biggest grins, all bumped their fists together.
"We did it!" the five of them cheered, their fists up in the air, as the Polar Stars all applauded their efforts. It was, after all, a day for celebration, in more ways than one…
-0-
Mana stood by the grand stage where her father used to give his big speeches from, the same one that she had been told Soma Yukihira had pretty much insulted the entire alumni (twice) from. Every student had gathered for the big announcements, all of them watching their new Headmistress, some more content than others, she was certain, but that was part of the job. Senzaemon still stood by her side, proud and confident as always, not at all looking like a man who had undergone heart surgery just a month ago. Soe and Leonora also stood close by, as they all waited for her to begin. As Mana took a glance at the students, at her students, she took a deep breath, and gave the signal.
"Thank you all for stopping by," she began, "I am aware how there have been many changes as of late, and with the whole Intercontinental Shokugeki, many of you have been rushed through your already hectic classes at a record pace, so I am grateful you've all have taken the time to come out here today, so we can, for once, actually celebrate our accomplishments and not always be preoccupied of what dreadful thing awaits us next. So, of course, hold your heads up high, Tootsuki students, as you have survived something no other alumni, past or future, will be able to claim!"
A huge round of applause erupted, and Mana smiled at the sight. Maybe this job wouldn't be that horrible after all.
"Now then, first, a word from you former Headmaster…" Mana announces, as she signaled to her father. The applauses only grew louder.
"Thank you all," Senzaemon carried on, and man had they missed this man. He spoke as powerfully as ever when he added, "I do want to apologize for not being present during Tootsuki's most dire hour, but I needed a little tune up at the hospital, nothing major, so I am grateful you all stepped up to the plate, as it were, and did your part to ensure Tootsuki Academy remained open and victorious, as it should be," he told them all, and you could hear several students replying that he had nothing to apologize for and thanking him for everything. It made the old man smile. "And, as a show of appreciation to those that went above and beyond the call of educational duty, we, as in your new Headmistress, my darling daughter Mana Nakiri, you former acting Headmaster, my darling son Soe Nakiri, and yours truly, have come up with a few noteworthy awards we want to give out to a select group of students today… Soe…"
"Indeed," Soe continued, "In order to show our gratitude to all these students who did far more than we could have ever asked of them, we have a few different categories of awards we wish to give out. The first being…"
"What we call the "Above The Line" award!" Leonora announced, clasping her hands together. "This is a special award given to those students who took a very risky gamble to assist our Elite Ten in stopping a rather nefarious plot. Initially, it did cause them to get almost expelled, they did get a suspension for this, but we all agreed they were not in the wrong and they totally had Tootsuki's approval for the Shokugeki duels the partook in…"
"So allow me to award these to the following students…!" Mana began, and as she spoke, each student took a step forward, as the cameras and the lights all fell on each of them.
The applauses and all the attention were something else, and each student felt outright dizzy at all the sudden hefty attention, some more than others granted.
"Hisako Arato!"
"Oh? I really shouldn't…" the pinkette said as she gave a little smile as she blushed and gave a soft bow to the cameras, as she was handed her award, utterly giddy inside at such a gesture.
"Isami Aldini!"
"The honor was all mine actually…" the currently chubby boy said in earnest, as he smiled and waved at the camera.
"Subaru Mimasaka!"
"The Perfect Trace did not lead me astray! I thank Soma, Takumi and Megumi for this opportunity!" he boasted, proudly, grinning from ear to ear at the award. He'd soon rub it on his father's face, that's for sure.
"Ikumi Mito!"
"…Just doing my duty, that's all," Ikumi downplayed, blushing a bit at all the attention, her eyes to the side. She was still very giddy at recieving it though.
"Julio Rossi Saotome!"
"Now we're talking!" Erina's second (third?) best secretary quickly fist bumped the air and took his award with pride, giving the crowd such a bright smile it almost sparkled.
"Urara Kawashima!"
"I am so not used to be on the other side of these announcements, but hey, look bitches! I can cook too!" the perky hostess quickly cheered, and her statement had to be bleeped out for obvious reasons, but her smile was infectious.
"Miyoko Houjou!"
"To think all that would lead to this…" Miyoko noted, smirking, as she accepted the award, and even blushed a bit when the one cheering for her loudest was her special guest Mea, who despite having been expelled, was of course allowed to visit and cheer for her girlfriend with all her might.
"Shun Ibusaki!"
"…If we're being honest, my actions probably merit both an award and a strike…" Shun noted, looking at the award with an amused expression. He had "betrayed" Tootsuki after all, even if he had then fought to protect it. Oh well, he'd accept it regardless.
"Ryoko Sakaki!"
"Don't give them ideas, just be happy for once. We earned this!" Ryoko stated, with a confident wink at the camera and a happy smile. After all that worry and heartache, it was finally over, and they even had something positive to show for it. Life was funny like that sometimes.
"Yuuki Yoshino!"
"YES! YES! I totally knew we'd be rewarded and I was never super worried we'd get expelled! Isn't that right my little baby?!" Yuuki quickly beamed as she held the award together with Terrubunny, who simply began to nibble at it.
"Zenji Marui!"
"Hmm… It was to be expected, I never once doubted our capabilities…" Marui proudly boasted, as Shun, Ryoko and Yuuki all turned to him with an expression that seemed to cry out "seriously?", but they'd let him have this at least.
"Madoka Enomoto!"
"I-I don't think I even deserve this…" the shy girl tried, taking hold of the award and just blushing all the way through every picture of her that got taken. This had so not been in her plans when she had gotten the idea to stay in the Polar Star Dorms at the start of the school year.
"Daigo Aoki!"
"Damn right! Feels good to get awarded for all our hard work… huh? Why is my award shaped like a card?" one half of the ultimate duelist team noted, seeing how, unlike the other awards, his looked more like he had won a card game tournament rather than a cooking duel. Just like…
"Shoji Sato!"
"Seriously?! Who made these things?! Asahi?!" the other master duelist noted, eyeing the award strangely. He was happy, of course, but who had suggested their awards be shaped like this. It had to have been Erina.
"Ken Bakakanba!"
"Oh what joy…! Hey! It's Ken Dakekanba! Not Baka-whatever!" the young man cried out, finding that his award had outright misspelled his last named. He felt a vein pop, and seemed to scream to the skies: "Someone did this on purpose!"
"And Nao Sadatsuka!"
"Eh?" Nao froze up, tilting her pretty head to the side, her bright red eye wide. Since when had she…? "I got awarded too? But my match wasn't even televised, and I didn't even win…"
"You should just ignore those technicalities," Hisako offered, leaning towards her, which made the little witch blush. Hisako, noticing her reaction, just narrowed her eyes in a teasing way, "What? Still with that?"
"The goddess aside, you are still my beautiful big sis Hisako, of course I could never keep calm when I have you so close by ~" Nao swooned, and Hisako looked on, before she smirked.
"So… if I did ask you out now, you know, to celebrate, would you say yes?"
"I am dating Loren, so if it's a date I wouldn't…" Nao automatically replied, before she paused, and bit her lower lip, and blushed like crazy and pouted hard, "Hey! You're teasing me on purpose! You know I can't accept that date because of Loren! Stop making me admit things!"
Hisako just laughed. "S-Sorry, it's just so cute how you two look together, I couldn't resist seeing how quickly you'd turn me down, and man, you didn't even think it."
"Hmph," Nao noted with a scoff, "While you are slightly more attractive, and you do have a much better ass –"
"H-Hey!"
"– What Loren did for me is something I won't ever forget," she simply said, hugging her little award close to her chest, "You don't get to save a girl from everything like he did and not make her fall for you. So I do feel sorry for him, but he's stuck with me."
"…You two are creepily precious…"
"Likewise, while we gave those awards to our students who partook in some rather risky battles to help the Elite Ten, we also have to thank the two girls who kept the Intercontinental Shokugeki alive with their commentary!" Leonora added, taking over from Mana for a moment, as said two girls turned in confusion, as they had not been expecting this at all, "For the greatest hostesses ever seen in Tootsuki Academy, we award you two the "Hostess Of The Year" award! Obviously to… Urara Kawashima and Yua Sasaki!"
And both girls were given a little award, or rather, trophy, that was basically a golden microphone on a stand.
"Huh? We got awarded for our commentary?" Urara noted, utterly baffled.
"Urara! You got two awards in the same day!" Yua noted, her eyes outright sparkling for her friend's achievements.
"Uh, yeah, guess I did…" Urara noted, examining her new trophy, before, of course, "…This kinda looks like a golden dildo though."
"URARA!"
"A-And, before we of course move to our main team," Soe tried to carry on, ignoring the girl's comments, "We also want to offer an award to the five aides who offered their assistance to the Elite Ten during the Intercontinental Shokugeki itself, as these five young First Years had to cook on stage, on live television, all to assist and help out their fellow upperclassmen. There is no greater show of cooperation and teamwork than this, so allow me to offer those five our "Masterful Aide" award! Starting with…!"
And the camera fell onto the five kids, none who could actually hide the thrill on their faces as soon as it registered to them that they were also being awarded something.
"Berta Pedersen!"
"Yes! Quite!" Berta tried, as Cilla quickly hugged her twin with all the love in the world, as the elder sister with the long hair just sighed, 'I still have nightmares of that… Milady Erina was sick, so I had to step up… So, so harrowing…'
"Cilla Pedersen!"
"We did it! We did it!" the little bundle of joy jumped up and down, as Mitsuru and Loren had to shift their eyes elsewhere less she flash them accidentally. Berta still held onto her sister, as they both grinned, happy as could be.
"Raymond Rivera!"
"Yeah, naturally! Let's see those idiots from back at the Resort complain about this, huh?!" Raymond proudly boasted, raising his award up high, and intending to challenge Loren right then and there, but the giddy Berta and Cilla quickly rushed him and tackled him to the ground in their cheering. "Ack! Hey! Get off you two!"
"Mitsuru Soutsuda!"
"I still don't think I deserve this…" Mitsuru noted, as he turned to Loren, who quickly tried to hide away his grin and replace it with a look of indifference. Mitsuru, for once, just smirked, "Although, if you also get one, at least mine's not the least unearned of them all…"
"And Loren Frechette!"
"…Low blow…" Loren noted, as he took hold of the award. He could feel the stares from everyone. He knew people were starting to suspect something. A school so big wasn't going to keep secrets for long. Azami's other protégé, Dove's little brother. How they'd all attempt to crush him if (or when) they all found out. "…But like an idiot once told me, an assistant chef's job is not done until the dish is at the table, and that at least I did right…"
He then looked up, as he saw Nao looking his way. He waved his award at her, she smirked and stuck out her tongue at him. Yes, he had given it all… for that beautiful girl.
"And, with those awards given to our stellar students," Mana retook the stage, "Let me hand the microphone over to a dear friend of mine, as these next awards, while ever-so magnificent, are not just from Tootsuki Academy…"
The crowd stared, waiting in suspense, as Anne Waltz from the WGO walked onto the stage. The cheers grew, as she waved to the audience, before Mana handed her the microphone.
"Thank you Book – erm, I mean, Headmistress!" Anne quickly corrected herself, "And yes, these next awards are not from Tootsuki Academy, but from the WGO itself. They are one of a kind, created for this specific event, and not intended to ever be handed out again. Such an award cannot even be challenged for in a Shokugeki, as it is engraved into our system with the name of the Chef it was awarded to. So, please, try and understand just how important these awards are, as we welcome onto our stage, your Elite Ten!"
And the eleven members that had made up the Elite Ten during the crisis walked on up, with cheers upon cheers of the loving crowd, as they all waved in their own way, from Soma's proud fist in the air, to Erina just offering a polite little wave.
"First Seat – Nene Kinokuni!"
"Gah! This is a whole trophy! And quite heavy! Our names are even engraved on it!" Nene noted, utterly shocked, as the thing looked insanely expensive and probably the biggest accolade that they would ever receive in that school.
"Second Seat – Satoshi Isshiki!"
"It does look masterfully done… We should totally celebrate back at the dorms!" Isshiki quickly offered, but Nene gave him quite the glare. Last thing she needed was him posing naked with that trophy in his crotch.
"Third Seat – Terunori Kuga!"
"So… I am totally allowed to boast now, right?! Not even Eishi got one of these!" he noted with very noticeable glee, and while Nene would have argued it, he did have a point, so she said nothing and let him have this.
"Fourth Seat – Erina Nakiri!"
"My ~ I don't know if I even have the room to store yet another award… I'm joking!" Erina began, then laughed as her entire team gave her a look, as she waved off defensively. "I know the honor this is, I'm not as vain as I used to be I swear!"
"Fifth Seat – Akira Hayama!"
"Gods, I can hear Jun's screams from here…" Akira said with a little blush, as his mother was indeed causing quite a scene at him being given that award.
"Sixth Seat – Megumi Tadokoro!"
"Oh gods! Oh gods! I'm gonna throw up! I'm gonna throw up! This is too much!" a very, very nervous Tadokoro took the trophy, her hands shaking all throughout, utterly unable to reason with the reality that she was an official seated member and she had more than earned that.
"O-Other Sixth Seat – Etsuya Eizan!"
"Considering I will be stepping down from the Elite Ten after this, I say this award is more than a suitable replacement for my lost Seat, all the glory, and none of the work…" Eizan noted with pride, as the other looked at him with varying degrees of frowns, but he had done more than enough to earn it.
"Seventh Seat – Soma Yukihira-ah!"
"Damn, does it look nice!" Soma noted, causing Anne to have a near heart attack, when as soon as she gave him the award, he just threw it into the air and caught it. The crowd was confused if to cheer for him or call him out on it. Which, granted, was pretty usual whenever Soma stepped onto that stage. "Considering dad never got one of these, I say I'm well on my way to getting all my goals accomplished, eh?!"
"Eight Seat – Alice Nakiri!"
"If you turn mine around, the eight become the infinity symbol, so I am so leaving it like this!" Alice noted, turning the trophy to its side, and smirking. Erina looked on, laughing at her cousin's antics, but loving just how happy she looked.
"Ninth Seat – Ryou Kurokiba!"
"Heh, not a bad detail to show just how badass we all are…" Kurokiba noted as he held the thing with one hand. If anything, it could serve as a decent dumbbell, given its weight, but despite his words, he was very proud of having gotten it.
"And Tenth Seat – Takumi Aldini!"
"With Isami getting his own award, and now this, it seems the Trattoria Aldini will be quite well known soon enough…" the elder twin noted with pride, as he could see his brother cheering for him, as he waved back. He could also see his fanclub super excited for him, but all those girls were very promptly shut up by one very, discreet glare from Hisako.
"And while we call them the Elite Ten, as per their position in Tootsuki," Anne continued, "I want to be clear, that in regards to these awards, while they are numbered, one is not superior to the other. They carry the same value, and upon the suggestion of your First Seat Nene, in order to avoid confusion, from now on, this particular group of eleven students shall be, for both Tootsuki and the WGO, known collectively as…!"
And ten of the eleven students all turned to Anne in confusion, as Nene just smirked.
"The Eleven Supernovas!"
Silence followed…
They all slowly turned towards a very triumphant looking Nene.
"I shall hear no complaints," she assured them all. "It was too good to pass up."
"Oh you fangirl," Erina mouthed, but laughed.
"That's so cool!" Soma quickly boasted, and Nene smiled.
"That's from One Piece, isn't it?" Alice asked, tilting her head a bit.
"Yeah, she really seems to like it," Kurokiba noted.
"I think it fits us perfectly… ignoring the events of the manga of course!" Isshiki added, which made Kuga laugh, but as the eleven teens all spoke and cheered to this, Mana cleared her throat for a moment, bringing all the attention back to her.
"Do note, that out of those trophies, we here at Tootsuki did ask for one particular detail," Mana added, and the eleven paused, turning to her in both confusion and anticipation. Something else? "While you all deserve that and so much more, we'd be remiss from giving a little extra to the student who wasn't eliminated from the Intercontinental Shokugeki, or, shall I say, students."
"Huh?" Alice voiced, her head tilted again, "Not eliminated? Then that means…" she then turned to her cousin, "You get an honorary distinction then?"
"I-I didn't know…" Erina replied, in earnest, before she paused, "But, wait, students? Plural? Who else would qualify for that…?"
"Do they possibly mean Yukihira?" Kurokiba asked, turning to the redhead.
"Me?" Soma asked in turn, confused, "But I did get eliminated."
"I mean, you sort-of did, but it was from your own volition…" Takumi noted.
"Maybe, in the eyes of the WGO, that doesn't count?" Kuga offered.
"That has to be it!" Megumi noted with glee.
"Most likely…" Isshiki added, eyeing Soma.
"Tsk, sounds like a freebie to me…" Eizan added with a scoff, and Soma quickly glared at him.
"A-At least they didn't give these out based on our victories… otherwise I'd…" Nene added with a little nervous laugh, her left eye twitching.
"Oh, please, enough of that. You were and still are our leader. You'll hear no complaints from us…" Akira offered, his eyes on Yukihira, before they shifted to… someone else, "But… is it me, or…?"
"So allow me to give an extra special shout-out to our… technically never disqualified students…!" Mana proudly announced, and to the cheers of the crowd, she gave the biggest accolade in Tootsuki history to… "Erina Nakiri and Megumi Tadokoro!"
Erina had the biggest, knowing, smuggest grin imaginable.
Megumi had the most dumbfounded expression, with her eye twitching like crazy.
"…Eh?" everyone else muttered, looking at both girls being given yet another award.
"What?! Me?! Why?!" Megumi cried out, almost in tears, unable to even hold the damn things. "I only dueled once!"
"It does make sense," Erina voiced, standing next to her. Megumi felt outright faint. Up on the biggest stage, standing shoulder to shoulder with Erina Nakiri herself. Being deemed equals. What the hell was going on?! "…You were forced to switch out with Eizan, meaning you were never technically eliminated from the event."
"That still is in no way valid!" Megumi tried, "I really, really don't deserve this."
"You took out Shouko and took her seat to save us," Erina countered, "And I also heard how you faced down Momo and defeated her too. If anything, I'm undeserving of this, as I lost to both Dove and Ekaterina, even if neither loss counted as an official elimination. Face it, out of us both, the only one who hasn't lost a single match this school year… is you."
"I-I…!" Megumi's mind just went blank, as the cheers erupted, mostly by Soma leading them, as seeing his two best girls on center stage, being awarded as they deserved, made him happier than if it had been him being given that award.
"…And mind you all," Anne added, smiling to the crowd, before she turned to the Eleven Supernovas, "That's not everything. Alongside your well-earned awards, all eleven of you are also hereby offered an… invitation. It has been indeed been delayed onto the upcoming year, but… such stellar chefs, why, I can't ever imagine hosting it without you all involved…"
And they all froze, the eleven of them turning towards Anne, who winked and signaled towards the bottom of the trophies. And indeed, as they all turned them, there was an envelope taped there. And of course, the seal was very familiar to pretty much all of them.
BLUE
The crowd all stared in silence as history was made that day. For the first time ever, not one or even two, but eleven high school students had been invited to the legendary Bishoku Leading Under-25 Entrance event.
And wouldn't that be a story to tell?
-0-
It was a few days later, where Soma found himself inside the Nakiri Mansion once more. It still felt weird to go in through the front door like a normal human being, but he digressed. A lot had happened, from their trip to the beach for the Beach Exams (Erina in a bikini was still a sight engraved into his dreams), which had been followed by a trip to the mountains for the Mountain Exams (Erina had stated that before it used to be one or the other, but now the curriculum had changed so both were taken in succession). Then they got back, the First Years had gotten back from the Resort, and after the awards ceremony, they all got some days off to finally relax and rest. The First Years would return in time for the selection process for this year's Autumn Elections, while the Second Years would in turn be given the one-two hit that was The Blindfold Challenge and The Flame Trails, whatever those were. They sounded fun, so Soma was excited. He also wondered what tests the Third Years would get, but as he asked Isshiki about it, the guy always acted coy and gave a non-answer.
"Fine, keep your secrets…" Soma voiced to himself, as he was seated outside of Erina's room, waiting for her to get ready for a little date he had asked her out on. But… more than that, he was worried about something else.
In his finger was his late mother's ring.
'Is this okay?' he asked himself, 'I mean, we're young, so I don't want to outright ask her to marry me… but, like, I want her to have it. Is a pre-pre-engagement a thing? And would she even accept?'
He flicked the ring into the air, before he caught it. He was sure he should be throwing it around, but he found that playing with things helped calm him down.
'Like seriously Soma, you're getting nervous now?' he thought, tossing the ring again, 'You've been with Erina for almost a year now, and you've even been… intimate with her. So, why would this of all things make you so damn nervous?'
He tossed the ring yet again, only this time with a bit too much force, as it hit the ceiling fan and was sent off course, which made the boy's eyes widen as he lunged to grab it. But he didn't, someone else did.
Soma looked on, at the closed fist that now held onto his late mother's ring.
"…My, aren't you always doing something weird, eh Soma?"
"…Heh, we have to stop meeting up like this, right outside Erina's bedroom Asahi."
Asahi just smirked at Soma, before he turned his attention to the little object he had just caught by surprise. Opening his palm, to say he was shocked at seeing a ring would be an understatement.
"…Are you seriously gonna pop the question?" Asahi asked, eyeing Soma, eyebrow raised.
"I'm going to pop a pre-question, actually," Soma defended, blushing a bit. This was unexpected, "But enough of that, where the hell have you been? Erina's been feeling rather down after you left, even if she pretends otherwise."
"Yeah, yeah," Asahi just mouthed, sighing. "Brother of the year, I am aware. I dragged myself in here to talk to her, to try and see if… if my version of events is true or if hers have any merits."
"What? You still trying to downplay you care about her? Because take it from me, it doesn't work."
"It's a different kind of love Soma."
"I would hope so!"
"Oh screw off!" Asahi just blurted out, before he motioned to hand Soma his mother's ring back. He had taken enough family heirlooms from the boy as was, he didn't need the ring, even if he didn't quite agree to them taking such a big step so early on, but he would try to keep an open mind. Unfortunately, just as Soma reached out to grab it, the bedroom's door was opened, and Erina appeared.
Asahi darted back, hiding the ring behind his back. He had ruined enough; he was not ruining this for Soma or for her. Especially for her.
Soma just motioned in place, eyes wide, as he stood up straight, trying to pretend nothing weird was going on.
Erina just stared. And blinked.
"B-Brother?"
"Hey princess!" Asahi tried to greet normally, "How've you've been?"
Erina's wide eyed stare, of utter surprise, slowly shifted into a mix of a glare and a pout that Asahi found both adorable and worrying. "How have I been?! Is that the best you've got after ghosting me for an entire month?!"
"…Eh, when you put it like that…"
"I have been trying to find you, to talk to you, for so damn long!" Erina cried out, and as Asahi flinched, Soma was wondering if he should even be present for this… but he needed that ring back. "You outright vanished, after I know it was you how picked that last theme to help me, and yet, you want to pretend, pretend you don't care at all!"
"I-I… listen, you're not exactly wrong, in a way, I just…" Asahi tried, but he soon found that an angry Erina was much, much better than what followed, as his younger sister seemed to pause, before her eyes began to water.
"…Is that it? Was it true then? Not once did you see me as a genuine sister?"
"Okay! No, no, no! Calm down," he quickly approached her, and to her, and even his, surprise, hugged her. "I've done a lot of shit, I know, but you… listen, I tried to pretend this was all an act, but I can't seem to make it work. I can't go back to being an only child after hearing you call me brother, okay? So don't cry… I'm sorry I ran, but I'm here. Scream at me, slap me, punch me, hit me with a frying pan, just don't cry. I can take the rest, seeing you cry is too much."
"You promised not to lie."
"And I'm not," Asahi affirmed. "And, correction, I promised to lie less, but now, I promise you I won't lie at all. Ever."
"You better…" the sniffling girl said with a pout, and before Soma could say anything, or Asahi could try and steer the conversation elsewhere, Erina's eyes fell on his closed fist. "…What are you holding there?"
"Eh…?" both Soma and Asahi mouthed at the same time, both of them with their eyes wide.
"What?" she asked, first looking at Asahi, before she turned to Soma, "Wait, you're in on it?"
"I-I… well…" Soma tried, unsure of what to even say.
"Oh my God, you are!" Erina called out, then turned to Asahi, "So, what is it?"
"I-It's not something you'd care about…" he tried to bluff, adding, "You know, guy stuff."
"Guy stuff?"
"Yeah, guy stuff?"
"What even is guy stuff?"
"…condoms?"
"Eww!" she quickly blurted out, before she turned to Soma, "Are you seriously discussing that stuff with my own brother?!"
"What?! No, this is not at all related to anything you and I may or may not have…!" Soma tried, but now it was both Erina and Asahi glaring at him.
"You've done what now to my baby sis?!"
"Oh don't you start!" Erina reprimanded Asahi in turn, "You left, you have no right to speak on the matter!"
"That doesn't mean I can't keep you safe!" Asahi cried out, "And it's not condoms, okay? That was a joke… it's, erm…"
"Joke?" she asked, and tilted her head in that way that made it clear he was screwed. "…You just promised not to lie, and you just did, didn't you?"
"It was for a good cause!" Asahi outright sounded like he was begging, before he shook his head and just showed her the ring, kinda. He waved it around her face so she couldn't get a good look at it, but her eyes still widened at the sight. Soma's did too. "And it's actually a ring, you know, which…" he turned to Soma, and as much as he could just shift everything to the guy, he knew he'd ruin the surprise, and damn it, he had ruined enough as was, so… "I got to give to…"
"Wait, an engagement ring?!" Erina did a one-eighty and now sounded outright delighted, her eyes outright sparkling, before reality set in, and in her mind, if her brother had an engagement ring, then the one possible candidate to wear it would be… "Oh! Wait, you're going to ask… that to Dove?!"
"Am I…?" Asahi slowly realized the hole he was digging for himself.
"Are you…?" Soma asked, bemused, as he had no idea what the Noir was doing. Asahi's glare didn't much answer his question.
"Well, I suppose, for as much as I hate the idea," Erina began, clearly understanding things a bit differently from what was meant to happen, "I do think she's really the one who makes you happy, so I won't stand in the way. She'd be lucky to have you after all…"
"T-Thanks…" Asahi barely mouthed.
"But then, why are you here with that…?" Erina asked, and as Asahi tried to think up an excuse, she made one up for him, "Or is it that you need some support to ask her? Oh, that's right! You two ended rather messily, right? So this is both an engagement ring, and a "get back together" ring, right?!"
"You sound very, very invested in this…" Asahi replied, turning even paler with each word. This was his punishment, wasn't it?
"Well, as luck would have it, for you at least," Erina began, clasping her hands together in delight, "For as horrible a brother as you've been, I'm a wonderful sister, so of course I'll accompany you and offer you support. In fact, Loren and Nao already got my permission to stay over at Dove's for the week, and they should be making landfall shortly. We could easily catch a flight and get there a day or so after them. After all, when Dove signed Loren into the school, officially I mean, she did give her home address as his, so I know exactly where to find her!"
Asahi and Soma just stared at this entire scenario Erina had just conjured up.
"…right," Asahi forced himself to say.
"So what are we waiting for then?!" Erina voiced in a very happy tone, "You have a lot to make up to me, and I assume to Dove as well, not that she deserves even fraction of what I do but I digress, let me tell mom and we'll get our tickets ready! You'll join us too, won't you Soma?"
"…Sure."
"Excellent, so pack your things! We're going to America! Oh, this is so romantic even if I hate the bride-to-be!" Erina cheered as she walked past them and headed, presumably, to find Mana Nakiri and explain the sudden, necessary trip to her. Soma and Asahi just stared as she left, both boys utterly baffled.
"…That was impressive," Soma said.
"…I hate you with every fiber of my being," Asahi muttered with sheer venom.
"I mean," Soma added, turning to Asahi, "I didn't think she got it wrong, though. She really looked to be the one who made you happy. You know? The whole "cook for the person you love" thing?"
"Oh, shut up, I don't want to hear that phrase ever again!" Asahi barked back, practically throwing the ring at Soma. "Now I have to figure out how to not do… this while keeping it a secret from Erina that I lied, again, just to cover your ass."
"Hey, you didn't have to, okay?" Soma assured, "But I am thankful you did. I want it to be right, when I ask her, okay? I know to you it doesn't look that way, but for me, Erina's… well, she's…"
"She's that girl, the one Jouichirou described," Asahi noted, and Soma just nodded. The Noir just sighed, and suddenly punched the wall, making Soma look at him quizzingly, "…I hate, hate how that phrase keeps popping into my head. I want to fix things with my little sister, I really do, but every time I think of that phrase, all I can think… Is if I could, like, turn back time and…"
"Fix things with Dove?"
"…Yeah," he finally admitted, "I thought, I went into it like an idiot, thinking it was her future or mine, but Erina was the one who proved me wrong. She saved Dove. She did what I should have done from the start. What you two have done for each other from the start. I put myself first… and I have regretted it ever since…"
"Then… why not try and fix it for real?"
"Be serious."
"I am," Soma shot back, "Look, I'm not the best expert in romance, but I think people overcomplicate things. If you care, and she does, that's all you need. Let's go on this trip, find Dove, and tell her exactly what you told me."
"Exactly what I told you?"
"…It made my heart skip a beat," Soma noted, and Asahi wanted to smack him but it also made him laugh.
"Ah damn it," he cursed, stammering in place, "Fly all the way to America, surprise a girl that wants nothing to do with the culinary world or me, and… fix things with her? That's the plan?"
"Sounds like a plan to me, and…" Soma added, then signaled to the side, as Erina approached the two with a wide grin on her face, "What better wingwoman to have at your side than the one who actually saved your girl, huh?"
"So…?" Erina reached the two, with three printed plane tickets already on hand, "Is departing in four hours a bit too much or can we make it work…?"
%
Road Trip!