I am back! Thanks for sticking around.
Sorry, that the length of this is so short.
As always reviews are helpful.
Despite waking up with a pounding headache, Soma's determination was unwavering. "Soma!" Yuki's voice echoed through the house. "Hurry down." He swiftly packed his bag and changed, then dashed into the kitchen. The others, except for Isshiki, were already there, ready to go. "Let's not waste any more time!"
"Where's Isshiki-senpai?" Soma asked.
"He had something to take care of for the Elite 10 or something," Megumi said.
"I need to go check on something," Soma started. "Could you guys take my stuff?"
"Where are you going?" Megumi questioned. "We are about to leave."
"I'll just go with Erina," Soma said dismissively. "I'll see you guys there, though." After they said goodbye, he took off. He went to where The Elite Ten Council usually has its meetings. Before he went in, he was stopped by someone with red hair.
"Shouldn't you be going to the training camp?" She asked. Her feline-like eyes flicked over to him.
"I'm sorry, I'm-" he tried to explain.
"I know who you are, Yukihira-san," she said as her eyes narrowed.
"I'm here for Erina, and I need to talk to Isshiki-senpai," he explained.
"Rindo-senpai, we are ready to-" Erina had started. "Soma?"
"Hi," Soma said. "Can I ride with you?"
"Of course, but why?" Erina said.
"I need to talk to Isshiki-senpai," he said.
"About what?"
"He gave me some advice last night that doesn't make sense to me," he said.
"As much as I would love to see how you two interact," Rindo said while sizing Soma up. She turned to Erina. "We've gotta go; your boyfriend can come too." Erina blushed a little.
"How did you know we are dating?" Erina asked.
"I saw your heart eyes," Rindo said. "I'm sure if I wasn't here-"
"Ok, ok, I get it!" Erina's face reddened. "Let's go." She held the door for both Rindo and Soma. Soma gently kisses her cheek, which only makes her blush more as she ushers them all inside. This was Soma's first time inside the Elite Ten building, followed closely by a heavily blushing Erina. He pulled her chair out and sat a little behind her. The table they sat at was a circular table made of marble. Soma was rather interested in the people that surrounded the table. The only ones he knew were the tenth and seventh seats; otherwise, he had seen the rest at school, but people had kept their distance out of reverence and fear. Isshiki nodded at Soma, a gesture Soma had returned. After about thirty minutes, the meeting was over.
"Soma Yukihara, my name is Eishi Tsukasa," a young man with white hair said. "I planned to do this later, but you're here right now. It would be a waste to squander this opportunity. I want to challenge you to an unofficial shokugeki."
He considered this offer, mulling it over. "Thanks, but no thanks," he said. Everyone else was stunned, especially Isshiki and Erina. "Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of taking that seat from you. However, I don't know how well I'd fair facing you, considering that I can't even defeat Isshiki-senpai."
"Well, that's… disappointing," Eishi continued. "You guys should get going." Soma nodded and walked over to Isshiki. They talked for a little bit as Eishi got closer to Erina. "That's the first time anyone has ever outright rejected me." She chuckled as he said.
"He is a wildcard," she said.
"I see," Eishi said. He began walking away. "Good luck."
Erina notices Soma shooting her a look and nods his head. She walks on over. "I'm ready to go whenever you are," Soma said. "Are you ok?"
"I'm confused," she replied. "Why did you-"
"Because I don't trust him," he added. "Yet." She mulled it over.
"I'll be ready to go in five minutes," Erina said, and Soma nodded. As she turned around, he grabbed her hand, and she looked at him quizzically.
"Do you have any bags or anything?" he asked. Erina shook her head. Soma nodded and left the room. A few minutes later, Erina was out, and a limousine was outside a few seconds later. The driver opened the door for both Erina and Soma. A quick thanks flew out of his mouth as he sat inside. Erina yawned even though she tried her best not to. "If you are tired, you can rest on my shoulder." She smiled but shook her head.
"But I have some questions to ask you," she said.
"Ok, shoot."
"What did you ask Isshiki-senpai?"
"He told me that if someone else gives me the answer, it won't have the same impact."
"I guess that makes sense," she said. "You went with my grandfather last night; what was that about."
"As usual, if you hurt my granddaughter, I will hunt you," Soma said nonchalantly. Erina's eyes became as big as saucers.
"I… I didn't ask Grandfather to do that."
"I know, it's normal," Soma said.
"I'm going to call-"
"Erina," Soma grabbed her hand. "No need. They all love you." She nodded and fell onto his shoulder. It's not as bony as when they were children.
"When did you start working out?"
Umm… Last summer, I think," Soma said.
"Wait, is that why you were only available one day a week?" Erina asked more to herself than to him. He nodded. "I'm going to sleep; you better wake me up when we get there."
"Yes, princess, I will," he said.
"Hey, Erina," Soma gently said as he kissed her forehead. Erina opened her eyes and pushed herself off of Soma. She looked at him, and Soma was trying not to laugh. Erina had a cow lick at the side of her head. Soma reached over and tried to smooth it out.
"Thank you," she said. "Have you ever come here with me?"
"I think so, but it was a while ago," Soma said, stepping out of the car and extending his hand so Erina could grab it. She took it and shot him a grateful smile. He smiled back as he pulled her up. She held on to his hand even after she got up. "So what is this, Training Camp from Hell?" She takes a little while to answer.
"It changes every year, but basically, we are to focus on one type of food daily, and it's an eight-hour course."
"So why do people call it the training camp from hell?"
"You can be expelled for any reason. Every year, at least one student is expelled for smelling of mint."
"That is a little harsh," Soma said.
"That is the training camp from hell," she said. They went up to the front, and immediately, someone opened the doors, and another person ran outside to get her luggage. Soma chuckled a bit as everyone inside the building was waiting on Erina and, by extension, himself, hand and foot. They were all practically tripping over themselves to see if they needed something. "We still have some time before the training camp actually starts. You want to check out my room?" A teasing smile spread across Soma's face.
"Erina, I didn't know you were so bold," he teased with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Inviting your boyfriend up to your room like that."
"I…I, Ugh…" she took a deep breath and tried to tame the blush that had been all over her face. "I'm going to the pool. Join me or not, I don't really care." She left in a huff, still blushing. Soma followed close behind, chuckling a little. He grabbed her hand, and she didn't fight it.
"Soma and… little Erina too?" someone said over their shoulders. They turned around and saw Gin. He looked down at his watch, confused. "I thought the training camp wasn't for a few hours?"
"It's not; we came a couple of hours early," Erina explained. Gin laughed as he got a call.
"I need to take this, kids," Gin said, walking away. Erina sighed, and Soma looked at her, confused. Erina shook her head and dragged Soma to the pool until he saw the kitchen.
"Sorry, but do you mind if I check out the kitchen," he continued. "And the food?" She shook her head, trying but failing to hide a huge grin.
"It's all about food with you, isn't it?" Erina added. She waved her hand as if to say go. Soma gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and explored the kitchen. Erina went to the pool. She took off her shoes and put her bare feet into the pool. The water felt nice on her feet, and the temperature differential also felt really good, especially when the cold water mixed with the hot air. She was thinking back to the party and smiling. Soma walked out with some candy and froze because the view of Erina sitting by the water was beautiful. He had a blush on his face as he went to sit next to her. She looked up at him and noticed the pink cheeks. "What's wrong?" she asked as she inspected the bag filled with sweets.
"Nothing," he said as he turned away from her. She picked one of the sweets. "They made them here, so I thought it would be fine for you to try them." She looked at him with a puzzled look. "What?"
"How am I your first girlfriend?" Erina was blown away by the fact she was his first and hopefully last girlfriend.
"Well, it helps that I've known you for so long," he started. "We've known each other since we were seven?" She nodded, doing the math inside her head. "My point is it was natural for us to take the romance step, or at the very least, I would've looked like a fool confessing to someone who didn't feel the same way." This fact hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Wait, wait," she was still stunned. "When did you realize you liked me?"
"I don't know," he said. Erina narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised his hands. "Look, I really don't know." He was telling her a lie because he knew precisely when the crush developed, but she didn't have to know the details of that. "Anyway, want to show me around?" She looked directly into his pleading eyes. The golden honey stared back at her. She took a deep breath.
"Fine, help me up," she relented, even though she wanted to continue talking about his crush on her. He brought his hand towards her, and she took it without hesitation. He helped her up and helped with her shoes. She grabbed his hand and did a quick tour around the place. She still wanted to ask about his crush on her but held herself back. They went back to the entrance, and everyone walked in. They looked tired and irritable. Polar Star looked even worse. Todoroki and Yuki had bags under their eyes, bloodshot eyes, and their bodies hunched over. Soma came up to them with Erina in tow.
"You guys ok?" Soma said, looking concerned.
A couple of hours later, all the students looked somewhat rested. They were all in the auditorium, waiting for the chefs to be announced. Something was on Soma's mind. Erina placed a hand on his and gave a questioning look. "Would the school ever use a chef that isn't an Alumni?"
"They can," Erina whispered back. "Although, why would the school use someone who hasn't graduated from here?" He thought for a second.
"Because sometimes we haven't heard of the greatest chefs," Soma explained.
"Ridiculous," Erina brushed off the notion.
"Did your Grandfather see my mom coming?" Soma countered. A pout came over Erina's beautiful face as she got lost in thought. "My point is we should be looking outside the school as much as past Alumni." As much as it irked Erina to admit, maybe their candidate process was flawed.
"Maybe," she whispered so quietly he barely heard it. He grabbed her hand.
"Just a thought," he said.
"Expelled!" Someone shouted. Everyone looked toward the middle of the room with shock. They saw a first-year about break down with this pink-haired person standing over them. "Get out." He didn't wait until he reached the hallway to break down; snot was coming out of his nose as he rushed outside.
"Was that the person wearing cologne?" Soma asked. Erina nodded.
The pink-haired man walked back to the stage, and everyone started freaking out. He grabbed the microphone. "I'm Kojirō Shinomiya," he said. "And I hold the fate of your existence at this school in my hands." There was utter silence as what he said sunk in. The students' faces slowly morphed into one of horror. "To my right are Hinako Inui, Gin Dojima, and Riko Ebisawa; someone else is supposed to join us later."
"Who is Inui-san?" Soma asked.
"She was the second seat of one generation," Erina explained.
"You don't know which generation?"
"Well, I could do some quick math, but she gets scary as soon as age is brought into the equation," Erina said. Soma looked at her, confused. "I heard this story about how a couple of teenagers tried to guess her age, but they were never heard from again. I like not knowing if that's true or not."
"I see what you mean," Soma shudders as he hears the story.
"You remember Riko, right?" Erina asks.
"You mean the one in a relationship with my dad," Soma said, trying to contain his laughter. "Yes, I think I do." Erina processed this way faster than he had anticipated.
"Wait, what?" Erina looked at Soma incredulously.
"I'll tell you about it later," Soma whispered back to her.
"We will be teaching you all about our specialty," Shinomiya continued. "Then, for the final two days, we will be the judges for your final dish. Anyone who gets below a B will fail and get kicked out. Who you will be starting with is posted on the wall. Otherwise, you're dismissed." Soma and Erina took a quick look at who their instructor was. Soma had Shinomiya, and Erina had Riko. Both Soma and Erina were excited to challenge themselves. They went to the four kitchens to see what items they could use for tomorrow. On the way back, they noticed Riko standing there and decided to say hi.
"Hi," Soma said. Riko looked up, and her expression softened as she saw Soma approaching. "Are you feeling as excited as we are?"
"It certainly will be something," Riko said as her phone buzzed. She looked at the name and smiled wider.
"If that's my dad, we can always talk later," he said.
"That is quite alright, Soma," Riko continued. "We will just talk later." Erina watched the interaction in awe of Soma and how he made everyone comfortable around him. "I see your girlfriend is watching you." Riko laughed as Soma and Erina's faces went bright red. "You guys had better get to sleep," she said. "I don't know about Shinomiya-san, but I plan on running Erina ragged." They said their goodnights as Soma and Erina went to their room on the other side of the hotel. She hugged him super tight.
"Just in case this is the last time I'm going to see you," Erina said. She gathered herself and backed away from him. "Oh, and I'm already going to take the first spot, but you could be my second, so I'll root for you." She slipped away before he could retort.
Soma woke up with renewed energy and a fire in his eyes as he remembered last night. He changed into his chef's uniform as he headed outside. Soma went to where Shinomiya's kitchen was. He stood outside, looking around until he saw Megumi's familiar face. Soma waved at her, and she shook her head with wide eyes. He nodded but was confused. The doors were opened a few minutes later, and the students all tried going in at once, causing a bottleneck. Soma took Todoroki to the side entrance to avoid the rest of the students. Once they all filtered in, Shinomiya gave them all instructions as they watched him plate a beautiful steak tartare.
He dismissed them, and they had to find a partner to make a dish together. "Oh," Shinomiya said; everyone looked up at him with fear in their eyes. "You must catch the ingredients yourself without talking while in here." Everyone's eyes went wide like saucers. Everyone wanted to say something, but they feared what he might say.
"But-" a student had the misfortune of speaking.
"Expelled," Shinomiya calmly replied. "Get out." The student turned white as a ghost. "And your partner, too." The students ran out of the room. And from then on, it was pin-drop silence. Many of the students were freaking out; some of them went ahead and made the group's decision for them. Soma nodded and was excited about this challenge, while Megumi was hyperventilating. He nudged her as he put on that million-watt smile. Soma listed out the ingredients they would need. Megumi took a look over that list and began nodding. She went outside and collected zucchini and yellow squash. Soma went out and got some eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and red bell peppers. Soma then prepped the vegetables and preheated their oven, and Megumi went back outside to grab the garnishes. Soma tossed the eggplant with some olive oil, salt, and pepper into one baking sheet and tossed the squash, zucchini, and bell pepper into another. Megumi made a simple tomato sauce as she waited. They were working pretty well as partners, but there were a couple of hiccups here and there.
Soma timed the vegetables in the oven to avoid overcooking them. Megumi started plating all of them while Soma cleaned up after themselves. They presented the dish to Shinomiya. He took a bite and was thoroughly impressed by it. "You two pass," Shinomiya said. "You may leave for your first break."