Sorry, this is so late I have way too many ideas floating around in my head.

Also, you can ignore my last comment about following the canon pretty closely.

Check my bio for any updates about this story.

Reviews are helpful.

Soma walked back to Polar Star and thought about his conversation with Lenoera. Soma returned to Polar Star at midnight but wasn't tired, so he decided to cook one of his weird creations. He put on some music, low enough so no one woke up. Soma grabbed some squid, bread, soy sauce, and an apple. He cut up the apple, took the bread, and started cutting it into smaller and smaller pieces. Soma cooked the pieces of squid with a slight smirk. Then, he covered the squid with the bread and used the apples for apple juice. Then he stuck the breaded squid inside the apple juice and let it absorb the apple juice. He grabbed a note scribbled with something, and put the dish as well as the note in the fridge. He went up to his bed.

The next morning, the rest of the dorm huddled around something when Soma came down. He joined the group looking at whatever it was. It was his creation. "You guys want to try some?" Soma said.

"Yes, please," Megumi said. They all lined up to try some, following Soma's instructions of taking a bite simultaneously. Fuumio stayed out of this one because she knew what was about to happen; she did have his father, Joichiro, after all. They all took a bite and were immediately thrust into a torture chamber with them on a rack. They couldn't move because tentacles were gripping their hands and feet, and the more they struggled to get out; the more the tentacles would tighten their grip. The worst part was yet to come, the executioner got some apple juice and squid ink stuffed their mouths with the apple juice mix, and force-fed them until they threw up again and again.

In the real world, they were all gagging as they tried to look for anything that would deaden the taste in their mouths. Shoji reached for the tap, brought his face to the tap, and turned it on. "So, how was it? Disgusting, right?" Soma said after a couple of minutes of enjoying the chaos his dish brought.

"What is wrong with you?" Yuki asked. "Why give us something if you know it is bad?"

"Well, my dad and I have a Shokugeki for delicious foods and disgusting dishes," Soma explained. "So I was trying to make the most disgusting dish. However, none of us will get close to my mom." He got a wistful look in his eyes for a moment. The Polar Star residents decided not to push the issue. "Anyway, we should probably get going and don't want to be late on our first day." Everyone started freaking out that they would be late. Five minutes later, they all left together. Ryoko and Yuki pulled Soma out of the group.

"How in the world did you tame the ice princess?" Ryoko said. Yuki nodded along.

"Tame? I don't like how that sounds," he started. "But I don't know. I was a good friend to her in her childhood. Maybe that's the reason?"

"You were friends with the Ice Princess?" Yuki asked. "How did you-"

"I have to go to class," he said.

"Wait, we have more questions," Yuki said.

"We need answers," Ryoko said.

"I'll answer the questions after class or whenever I see you again," Soma ran off before they got another word in. He was wandering the halls looking for his classroom when he came across Alice. "Alice, do you know where this is?" Soma said as he pointed something out.

"I'm actually in the same class, and so is Erina," Alice said. They chatted for a bit about what happened when he left. Once they made it into the classroom, Erina noticed them and started getting excited. She slightly waved towards Soma. Soma sat next to her. Megumi opened the door as scared as always and sat next to Soma.

"Your goal is to stand out in this dish, so for anyone that doesn't stand out, I will give them an E," the teacher explained.

"Who is this guy?" Soma asked Megumi.

"Rolland Chapelle, he is one of the stricter teachers here at Totsuki," she explained as she rocked back and forth in her seat. Her eyes were wide as he said the last part. Her hand was shaking as she grabbed her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm in danger of flunking out of this year. I can't afford to, especially after my dad and grandpa gave everything for me to attend."

"Well, you will just have to work really hard."

"The objective of today's class is to create Boeuf Bourguignon," Chapelle said. "Your partners are posted on the board. One should be the chef; the other should prepare."

Soma and Megumi were together, and so were Erina and Alice. Soma and Erina got a blaze in their eyes as they got ready to cook their dishes. Megumi was still nervous about working with Soma.

"Don't worry," Soma said. "You got this." The genuineness in his words made her feel better. She calmed down as his words sunk in, and Megumi nodded a bit. She got to work. Megumi began cutting the ingredients as Soma got the tools they would need. She prepared by dicing the onion and carrots into tiny pieces so small that even Soma had difficulty believing she did that.

"If she had more confidence, she would give me a run for my money," Soma thought as he began putting the beef into the pot. "Todoroki-san, I'm gonna look for something to give it some sweetness." She nodded as she started on the mushrooms. "Oh, and remember, we don't want the mushrooms as small as the onions and the carrots." Megumi again nodded her head. She also crushed the garlic and cut the cauliflower.

Meanwhile, Erina and Alice were doing really well. They weren't speaking, but it was as if they could read each other's minds until Soma came over to look for something sweet and went out into the garden to get some parsley, bay leaves, and thyme. Erina stared at him through the window. Then Alice was teasing Erina about the whole thing. Erina and Alice continued silently fighting, causing everyone in the class to turn behind them. Two students took advantage of the situation and put salt into Soma's dish. Soma returned a little bit after he left and saw Erina heavily blushing while grabbing Alice's ear. He would have questions later but needed to finish the dish for now. He wandered over to where he had left Todoroki. Todoroki was still working but noticed something was wrong with the meat.

"Todoroki-san, you didn't salt the meat, right?" Soma asked. Todoroki stopped what she was doing and shook her head profusely.

"I didn't," Todoroki began apologizing. "I don't know what happened."

"We could try using some sugar, but then the meat would have a terrible aftertaste," Soma began freaking out, trying to find a solution, where Megumi was stuck in this apology loop. Erina looked like she might step in as Soma and Megumi were in a downward spiral. Before she could a hand reached over and grabbed her, She looked behind her, and it was Alice shaking her head.

Slap! The whole class went to where they heard the noise coming from. Soma's face was red when he slapped himself. "Todoroki-san, we will make it," Soma said in the most confident voice. She nodded. "Go get me some honey."

She nodded as Erina looked on with wonder, and Erina smiled a little. Megumi brought the honey, and Soma used the honey to knead it into the meat. Then, he cooked the meat in a pan. While he was cooking, Erina and Alice approached Chapelle and presented their dish to him. "As wonderful as always, Miss Nakiri," Chapelle said. "A." She smiled, and she grabbed Alice and dragged her out.

"Todoroki-san," Soma said. "Could you start with the veggies?" She nodded as she took out a pan and started frying up some vegetables. After a couple of minutes, Soma got a pot and started throwing everything inside of it. "We did it, Todoroki."

"Hey, Y-Yukihira-kun, why did you slap yourself?" Megumi stuttered.

"It helps with two things; one is it helps me with not getting overwhelmed, two is it helps me key in on what I need to do," he said.

"So you just slap yourself?"

"As hard as possible, yes."

"Interesting," she said. The meat was entirely tender by this time and plated everything beautifully, making the rest of the students think it was glistening. He brought the plate up front as he did, and a couple of students came up behind him in confusion about what he did. Chapelle first tested how tender it was. His fork went right through, and he didn't need a knife.

"I noticed you had issues, to begin with," Chapelle said. He took a bite and thrust into a place where giant honey bees and cows existed, and he was drowning in honey. "But that doesn't matter. You used honey in this, right? The delectable flavor of the meat, along with the sweetness of the honey, is truly excellent, A."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Soma grabbed his headband and tied it to his arm. "Todoroki-san, do you want some?" he offered her a fork. She tried some and immediately thrust into a sea of honey as she made a content face.

"Oh, it's so good."

"You made some of this dish yourself, so don't be surprised when it's good," Soma patted her head as he turned to meet the teacher's gaze. "Can we leave now?" Chapelle nodded, and they walked out. "Are you headed back to the dorms? Could you tell everyone I won't be there until late?" She nodded and said bye to her classmate. Soma went around looking for Erina. Bzzt! Bzzt! He took out his phone and walked back to the classroom. Erina was standing right there looking as perfect as ever. She was standing by the doorway waiting for him with concern written on her face. He grabbed her hand and ran before she knew what was happening.

"Soma, what do you think you're doing?" Erina said as she was barely keeping up. They stopped in a secluded part of the school.

"So, what did the ice princess want to talk to me about?" Soma teased.

"How do you know about that n-nickname?"

"I have got friends who love to gossip."

"Ok, well, you see, I was thinking we have only been on one d-date," she stuttered. "So, if you want to, can we go on another?"

"Of course, I'm sorry, I've been so busy. I'll pick you up at eight."

"O-ok, I'll see you then," Erina got flustered and walked away in a daze.

"Also, do you know where the Elite Ten meetings are?" Soma asked, which made her stop walking. She looked at him incredulously.

"Why do you want to know?" Erina asked cautiously.

"So that I know where you'll be."

"How'd you know where I'd be?"

"I'm not telling," he winked. Erina gave him directions, and then they parted ways. Soma made a couple of calls as Erina got ready for the Elite Ten meeting. Erina walked into her mansion got a change of clothes, and put them into a bag. Then, Erina put on her chef's uniform. She looked at a clock as she heard a knock on the door. "Hisako, what are you doing here?" Erina asked.

"Am I not supposed to accompany you, my lady?" Hisako said. "The Elite Ten meeting got pushed until tomorrow because Isshiki-senpai isn't here."

"Where is he going?"

"He never said," Hisako said. "So, what do you want to do with the rest of today?"

"Hisako, is it appropriate for me to request you help me pick out something to wear on my date?"

"Yes, I don't see anything wrong with doing that."

"Ok," Erina said, about to show her what she had packed.

A little while later, Soma finally made it back to his dorm. He looked at his watch and said 7:15. He got out of the shower and wore a red sweater with jeans. Soma had thirty minutes to get out of the dorm, get a bouquet, and meet Erina at her place. He was excited about this; this was their date. Soma went to find someone who could drive or tell him about a closer shop. He spotted Yuki and Ryoko walking around. "Yuki, Ryoko, do either of you know where I could find a shop for a bouquet?"

"There is a place close to Erina's mansion," Yuki showed him where he could buy flowers.

"Thanks, Yuki," Soma said as he dashed out the door.

He went to where Yuki had pointed him. Soma immediately saw the shop and went inside for about ten seconds with a bouquet of roses and carnations. The Nakiri Manor was two blocks over, so he decided to stroll there. His palms were getting sweaty as he neared the manor. He was excited to see his girlfriend. He shook his head and walked up to the door with anticipation; he knocked. A pink-haired attendant answered.

"Hi, Arato-san," Soma said. "Are you coming with us?"

"Why would I be going with you guys on your date?" Hisako asked.

"I don't know," Soma explained. "I've never had an attendant before."

"No, I'm not coming with you, Yukihira-kun," she laughed. "My lady will be down in a few moments, so come inside."

"Oh, really quick, is this bouquet of roses and Carnations fine, or…" Soma asked.

"You're thoughtful, but they'll be absolutely perfect," she said as she brought him to the first living room.

"Also, you can skip the honorifics with me."

"Oh, then so can you, Yukihira."

After a little while of going back and forth between Soma and Hisako, Erina came out. She was wearing a black mini-dress with an open cross on the back. Soma was looking for the words to describe how beautiful he thought she was. "You, I-you," Soma stuttered. He took a deep breath. "You look stunning. Here, these are for you." Erina had a slight blush and accepted graciously. She gave them to Hisako and pulled him up. It was her turn to be impressed. He looked excellent in such a simple outfit.

"No fair," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" he asked. Erina just shook her head and came in for a hug. This was her safe space. "Shall we?" She nodded. She grabbed his arm and allowed him to take the lead. He took this in stride, stopping right before he reached the car. He took the door and opened it as she got in.

"My, what a gentlemen thing to do," she teased. She got in and pulled him in. She put her head on his shoulder. "So, where are we going?"

"That's a secret," Soma continued. "Just rest; I'll let you know when we are there." She hummed with disapproval, still though she did not argue with what he said. Soma was busy looking outside the window. She stopped lying on his shoulder to look at him. "What's wrong? You usually would be talking up a storm."

"Are you missing my teases, Erina?"

"N-no, I'm just concerned, is all," Erina pouted.

"Yeah, we should be about five minutes away, so I guess I'll tell you. We are going to mini golf."

"Ooh, that sounds fun!" Erina said, bouncing up and down. Soma couldn't help but laugh and pat her head. "W-what are you doing?"

"Oh, so it's ok for me to kiss you on the cheek in front of your attendant, but you draw the line at patting your head?" he asked with a smirk. That stupid smirk made her lose where she was, and Soma was enjoying the chaos it brought. He would always tease her about it, but today, he was happy in just being themselves.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just been a while since I've seen this side of you," Soma continued. "Which might be my fault since I have been so busy, but you could always take breaks to see me." She turned away from him to hide her blush. "And I made some dinner for us."

"This is a ploy to get me to say delicious, isn't it?"

"Maybe," he said. He brought Erina into a hug. "But, I wanted you to enjoy your time, too." He smiled as he reached for the handle, got out, and extended his hand to Erina. She had a big smile, a smile Soma hoped to protect forever. He went inside the mini golf place with Erina on his right arm. They were having a great time, as Erina missed for the third time. She was getting frustrated. Soma came up behind her and showed her where to place her hands, telling her how to pivot her hips. She immediately put the ball in the hole. She got so excited and started bouncing. They enjoyed their night full of laughter and no worries. They left everything, every title, every responsibility, at home, and now it was just Erina and Soma like they were in their younger years. They finished it off by eating some buffalo chicken wraps. Erina would never admit it, but this was the closest dish to get her to say delicious.

They called the limo driver and said to come to meet them in five minutes. Soma noticed Erina shivering, took off his sweater, and put it on Erina. "What are you doing?" Erina asked.

"You seemed cold," Soma said.

"But now you'll be cold."

"I'm fine," he retorted. Erina looked so cute he decided to take a picture. "There and done."

"What did you just do?" She reached for his phone, but the sweater was too large for her, and she only managed to grab the air. "Stupid sweater, ugh."

"Hey, keep it on; I'm worried you will catch a cold otherwise," Soma explained. "However, I will take this as my reward." He held up his phone; she saw the picture.

"Fine, I'll wash this and give it back," she said.

"You don't need to worry about washing it; just give it back either tomorrow or the next day," Soma said as the car pulled up. He opened the door, let her get in, and Soma got in.

Soma got in Polar Star, and Isshiki was the first to see him go upstairs. He excused himself to follow Soma. He was standing by Soma's door knocking. "Oh, hey, Isshiki-senpai," Soma said. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" Isshiki said. Soma nodded. "So, first off, how was the date?"

"It went super well, and thanks for recommending the place. However, I don't feel like this is a social call."

"You're welcome, and while it will get serious, I want you to keep the high from your date a little longer."

"Thanks," Soma said.

"The girls are ready to pounce, so you should go downstairs," Isshiki said.

"Alright, I'll be down in a second," Soma said. Isshiki stopped in the doorway.

"Also, do you know of a group named Noir?"

"No, what are they?"

"Nothing for us to worry about."

They came downstairs, and the girls asked him so many questions. He answered them to the best of his ability. After they all finished with him, they left him. "You weren't kidding when you said those girls were about to pounce," Soma laughed.

"Hey, Soma, when you have time, meet me in my room," Isshiki said. Soma nodded, and Isshiki went upstairs. Soma thought it was weird but decided to cook for his friends. He decided to make some croquetas with an ink sack filling and put on his headband, and Soma used his knife to spread open the squid to get to the ink sack. Then, he made the roll around the ink sack and deep-fried it. He served it up, and after he was done receiving feedback, he went upstairs to find Isshiki.

"Here, take some," Soma said. Isshiki complied with his request. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"You want to become the top student here, right?" Isshiki said. He nodded. "Why?"

"Because I want to be someone who Erina can be proud of walking beside," Soma began. "Someone who can help her through the tough times with her god tongue." Isshiki thought about this for a while. "What is it?"

"I want you to prepare for a Shokugeki tomorrow," Isshiki said. Soma seemed so fired up. "Soma, give me your phone, and there. I'll give you details tomorrow, goodnight Soma."

Soma said goodbye. Isshiki wondered about him. He thought about why he would join this academy with such a carefree attitude; it was refreshing. That probably had something to do with how he was raised, well that's to be expected when you have a previous seat as one of your parents. Soma went to sleep for a little while.

Soma was downstairs a couple of hours later, thinking about what to make tomorrow. Megumi walked downstairs while rubbing her eyes. "Yukihira-kun, why are you up?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry if I woke you up, Todoroki-san," he said.

"No, no, you're fine; I usually wake up around this time every day," she said. "Why are you up?"

"I can't sleep, so I decided to cook. Do you want some eggs, Todoroki-san?" Soma asked. She nodded her head.

"Also, you don't need to keep calling me Todoroki; you can call me Megumi."

"Then you can call me Soma. How would you like your eggs?"

"Dealer's choice."

"Ok then," he said. He began preparing the eggs.

"When did you first meet Nakiri-san?"

"Around four or five. Why?"

"I just wanted to know, but still, it is rather surprising for her to have a boyfriend," she said as he put the eggs on the counter. "Thank you, Soma." She tried some and was in the land of eggs. She was having a tea party with the eggs. "This is wonderful, Soma." She looked up at him.

"I'm glad," he said while cleaning up. "Anyway, what are you doing up?"

"I'm in charge of taking care of the garden in the mornings," Megumi said. He helped her out with taking care of the garden. "Thanks for helping me out this morning."

"No problem," he said. "We got class in like an hour, huh?"

"You should probably get some sleep," Megumi said worriedly. He waved it off and went to take a shower. When he got out, he had fifteen minutes to get ready and get to class. He went to class with Megumi. He had huge bags under his eyes, and he was constantly yawning. "Are you sure you don't want to go back and take a nap?"

"Nah, I should be fine, and we only have two classes today," Soma said.

"Fine, but I'm not biting the bullet for you with Erina," Megumi retorted.

"Ooh, yeah, I forgot she was also in this class," Soma thought about it for a little bit. "I need to take responsibility some time, right?" Megumi had many questions after that, but he opened the door to the class for her. Erina saw him look worse than he had for quite some time. She went up to Chapelle and talked with him. He called Soma up to his desk and asked him to go with Erina.

"What's up, Erina?" Soma said.

"Have you not been getting much sleep?" Erina asked.

"No, Isshiki-senpai challenged me to a Shokegeki today so-" Soma started.

"You couldn't sleep," Erina said.

"Yep," Soma said. Erina stopped and turned around.

"You're going to nap in my room," Erina said firmly. "No argument, you hear me?" Soma nodded. She grabbed his hand and dragged him by his hands. He was surprised, to say the least; usually, she wasn't a very public figure choosing to do things behind closed doors, but he must look bad if she was this concerned. He followed her through the string of buildings. Finally, when they made it into the manor, it was empty. Erina thought it was weird, but she had bigger fish to fry, such as taking care of her boyfriend. They went up to her room. She told him to lie down while she got some work done. He kept tossing and turning, never settling down. He jolted awake ever so slightly, and if her eyes were not already on him, she would have missed it. "Nightmares?" Erina asked. She had always heard about them from his dad, but she had never experienced what his nightmares were like.

"Yeah," he said, not looking at her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she said. Soma shook his head. "Move over and lie on my lap."

"Why?"

"I read somewhere that the body heat of your significant other can help you…" She had her face away from him as she blushed. She patted her lap, and he came over and laid down.

Erina played with his hair while he was asleep. He began to stir as she played. "You can go back to sleep," Erina said. "You looked like you needed it."

"Thank you for this," Soma said. "What time is it?" He got up very slowly.

"11:30."

He looked at his phone. "It looks like I've got two hours before my Shokugeki," he said. He grabbed her hand. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me; we are supposed to be best friends and also…"

"And also what?" he teased.

"A couple," she said quietly. Soma hugged Erina as he kissed her on the cheek. "Anyway, could I come with you when you leave?"

"Of course, I'm guessing you want to judge?" Soma asked. She nodded. Soma went downstairs with Erina close behind. "Let me cook something for you; what do you want?"

"That won't be a good idea," Erina explained. "Let's just walk back to your dorm." She grabbed his hand and walked. After a while, they made it to Polar Star. They talked about what the best seasoning was for chicken. They were laughing and playfully jabbing at one another. They entered through the main entrance, and Isshiki waited in the kitchen.

"Will the princess be judging us?" Isshiki asked. Soma nodded. "You get to pick the ingredient we use as a star."

"Do I have to use the prize wheel?" Soma asked, and Isshiki shook his head. "Then, we will make steak done anyway." Isshiki was intrigued by the idea, so he agreed. They had an hour to get the ingredients and forty-five minutes to prepare their workspaces and finish cooking. They got the same steak; they went a completely different route. Soma got whole milk, large eggs from the hen house, all-purpose flour, bread, cheese, sea salt, ground black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, olive oil, butter, and potatoes. Isshiki got salt, vegetable oil, pepper, thyme, butter, sweet potatoes, sour cream, and chives. They washed their hands. Soma and Isshiki then waited for Erina to give them the ok to start.

Soma prepped his egg wash and put the flour into a bowl. He tenderized the steak meat and peeled the potatoes he would be using. He filled up a pot of water and then turned on the burner it was on. He dropped the potatoes inside and covered the lid. Soma sprinkled both sides of his steak with salt and pepper, then used the egg wash and flour until it turned into a coat. Soma got a pan and placed some oil and some butter into the pan. Once it heated up, place the steak inside. He drained the water out of his potatoes and left potatoes in the pot to ensure they removed as much moisture as possible. He checked on the steak and flipped it. He toasted the bread as he mashed the potatoes, making sure to add sour cream, whole milk, and cheese to the mashed potatoes. He plated everything, leaving the oil in the pan; a fourth of the butter went into the pan. He furiously whisked until it became a golden brown. Then, he added milk so it wouldn't be too thick; he poured the gravy onto the mashed potatoes.

Isshiki got his sweet potatoes ready for baking. He washed them, used a fork to puncture them, and wrapped them in tin foil. He put them in the oven. After about twenty minutes, he decided to pan-fry his steak; he used vegetable oil and a fourth of a stick of butter. He seasoned the steak with a generous amount of salt and black pepper. He put them into the pan. After about four minutes, he turned over the steak. He placed thyme in the pan. After about three minutes of basting, he plated the steak as he waited for his potatoes. Isshiki got the potatoes and stuffed them with butter, sour cream, and chives. He plated the potatoes after peeling off the tin foil.

They placed the two plates in front of Erina, and the smell attracted Yuki, Ryoko, Shoji, Daigo, Fumio, and Megumi. They were carried by the aroma of whatever dishes they made. They came down to see what that delectable smell was. Erina took a bite of Isshiki's dish first. The texture was perfect. The crust of the steak mixed with the softness of the baked potato. The umami of the steak with the subtle sweetness of the potato. She noticed that this had been a bit overcooked, thanks to her God Tongue. Then, she tried Soma's more unconventional approach. Then, again, Soma knew he wasn't going to win against what Isshiki put out using regular methods. She ate a bite of the sandwich; it was missing a whole ingredient. Soma saw Erina look at him with a confused face until Erina remembered he loves to do things in a flashy method. She put the mashed potato on the sandwich, and Soma seemed sad. That was it, before she knew it, there were conflicting flavors in her mouth that to her surprise, worked well together. The steak was juicy as the outside was crunchy, however the mashed potatoes fell a bit flat.

"Before you make your decision," Soma said. "You guys don't need to keep hiding; try some." Everyone came out and looked ready to devour things. They were in heaven when eating both dishes. "Good?" He heard them moan in delight. He nodded to Erina.

"I enjoyed both your dishes a lot," Erina continued. "But unfortunately, this is not a real shokugeki. This means you do not get bonus points for creativity. Isshiki-senpai has more of the basics down; for that reason, I'm going to have to say that Isshiki-senpai wins. However, had this been a real shokugeki where creativity was taken into account, it might have been a closer match." Soma looked happy, as though he was beaming with pride.

"Senpai, could I try some of yours?" Soma asked.

"Only if I could try some of yours, Soma," Isshiki said. They both tried the other person's.

"Any notes for me?" Soma asked. He rattled off some minor changes Soma could have made to win. "Thank you, Senpai." He walked over to Erina and hugged her. "Thank you," He whispered in her ear.

"You're welcome," she said, smiling from ear to ear.