I'm Back!

I'm done with my second year so I'll be doing a lot more writing!

As always, I do not own Shokugeki no Soma

Reviews are helpful!

Soma and Erina were coming back to Totsuki. Erina was surprisingly good at taking care of Soma while he was sick. Erina was sleeping on Soma's shoulder as Soma looked out the window. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the absurdity of the whole weekend. "Erina?" Soma asked. "We are at Totsuki now." Erina began stirring and cuddled into Soma's arm. Soma thought this was adorable, but they were about to pull into her manor's driveway. "Erina," he said ever so gently. "We're here." Erina began opening her eyes sleepily. "We are back." She looked around, trying to get her bearings.

"Are we back?" Erina said sleepily. He kissed her forehead.

"Yes, we're back," he said. Erina realized her position and slowly retreated, her face tomato-red, into her space. Soma watched, trying to contain his laughter. They reached the Manor, and Soma opened the door for Erina. They walked up to her door.

"Thank you, Soma," Erina said.

"For what?" Soma said. "I got sick, and you were forced to take care of me."

"I got to see a side of you I didn't think I would get to," she said. He chuckled.

"Goodnight, princess," he said. Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"You called me princess," Erina said more to herself than to him.

"Is that OK?" Soma asked. She nodded excitedly. He chuckled. "OK, then, bye, princess." He waved to her as he left. She sighed with contentment. She went in unprepared for the barrage, which was her cousin and best friend.

"How did it go?" Alice asked eagerly.

"Did you guys use the dress?" Hisako prodded.

"Did you guys kiss?" They teased in unison.

"Dear, Erina barely walked in the door," Lenoera said. "Give her time." Lenoera patted the seat next to her, offering it to Erina. Erina took her offering and sat down beside her. "So, how was it?" Erina chuckled a little bit.

"Well, things fell apart after Friday," Erina started. "He got sick after going out to grab me an apron, and I had to take care of him."

"So, didn't you go on the date?" Hisako asked.

"No, but I feel like we got closer," Erina said. "It's hard to explain."

"Did you guys kiss?" Alice asked.

"No, we haven't." Erina was embarrassed and hid behind her aunt. Lenora was chuckling.

"You should go to bed," Lenoera said. Erina nods and says goodbye to everyone.

Soma walked back to Polar Star, where Isshiki and Todoroki were waiting. He reached the door but heard all kinds of commotion. Soma took a deep breath before trying to sneak his way upstairs. "Soma," Todoroki spotted him as soon as he entered the door. How did your date go?"

"Well, it didn't," he explained. "I got sick on the first day."

"Are you ok?" she said, sounding concerned. Soma nodded.

"I'm just going to bed," Soma said. They all nodded and went back to creating chaos as Soma went upstairs. He had trouble sleeping, but eventually, he did.

He woke up in a pool of sweat. His hand approached his face, and he realized he had been crying while asleep. He dreamt about his mom again. However, this one felt different, more real. It was weird that he had never met her, but because of how often his father talked about her, Soma felt like he knew her. Soma got up and began changing, and he went out for a run. Soma needed to clear his head. He made it downstairs and reached for the doorknob when Fumio walked out. "What's wrong, kiddo?" Soma stopped as he turned around.

"I'm going for a run," he said.

"Not what I asked," she responded.

"I just need to clear my head," he said in response. She nodded at him, although she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. He went out while it was still dark. The cold air felt nice on his skin. He tried getting rid of the memory of that dream. He ran harder, and the more he ran, the more the memory burned into his mind. By the time he had realized it, the sun was already up. Soma went back to take a shower and get ready for class. After his shower, he was too distracted to notice he put his shirt on backward.

"Soma, your shirt is backward," Isshiki said.

"Thanks, Isshiki-senpai," Soma took off his shirt and flipped it around, ignorant as the girls were freaking out.

"Umm… Soma, we are here too," Todoroki said with a heavy blush.

"Oh, sorry, Megumi," he said as he finished changing. He ran off to class and left all the students at Polar Star contemplating his body.

Soma was still thinking about the dream when he made it to school. He ran into Erina by accident. His hands had a mind of their own as he grabbed her hips as she was falling and pulled her in. Her face reddened, but she was glad Soma had caught her. Soma heard whispers as he let go and apologized for running into her. Hisako, who was right by Erina's side, decided to leave while she was smiling.

"Why were you going so fast?" Erina said, missing his touch and trying to cool down.

"Sorry, it's just…" he looked around, not wanting anyone to hear this. Soma pulled Erina into an empty classroom. "I had a nightmare about my mother." Soma tried not to meet her eyes, knowing her history with her mother. Erina came over and hugged him as she was struggling to find words.

"I'm here for you," she said softly. "You know I'm here for you, right?" He nodded and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry," he started. "I know you don't have the best-"

"Hey, don't," Erina said firmly. "I want to hear about how you are doing." Soma nodded. "Let's go to class," she said as she pulled him out of the unused classroom. They entered the classroom and went to their seats. The class was hectic, as per usual, but they had a new student join them, Ikumi Mito. Once class was finished and everyone else left, she approached Soma and challenged him to a shokugeki. Soma had no time even to comprehend what was happening before he accepted. Erina was surprised, especially after what he had told her, but she had complete faith in her boyfriend.

"If I win, you'll break up with Miss Erina," Mito said. This, however, backfired hard. Mito could feel the murderous intent leaking off of both Erina and Soma. At that moment, Mito realized they weren't putting on an act. However, the shokugeki had already been accepted.

"No, actually, I will face you," Erina said as she stood protectively in front of her boyfriend. She did not want Soma to add to the stress of their relationship when he was already thinking about the nightmare and probably sleep-deprived. She looked at him and saw a person who seemed so tired. He had bags under his eyes, and his skin was paler than usual. "I'm pretty sure he will either take it out on you or fall asleep while making his dish. I, on the other hand, will be sure to take your shokugeki and humiliate you." Mito looked for words to express how much she revered Erina and was doing this all for her sake.

"Miss Erina, I'm doing this all for your-" Mito started.

"My sake? I don't need someone to do this for my sake; how dare you think you know me?" Erina's voice got louder as she yelled. She felt two arms push into her space as Soma hugged her.

"I got this," he whispered. "Don't worry." He looked at Mito. "I am giving an out here; resign from the shokugeki." Mito knew she had to take this out. She nodded and walked away.

"Thank you," Erina whispered, falling into his embrace.

"I should be the one thanking you," he said. "After all, you were about to fight for my honor."

"Shut up," she whispered as she got out of his grasp. "You look exhausted. I just did what any girlfriend would do. Come on; we have to go to our next class." He nodded and walked to the door.

After the day had finished, Erina and Soma went to Polar Star. "Hey, Soma and Erina," Isshiki yelled. They laughed as they approached.

"Hey, Isshiki-senpai, what are you doing?" Soma asked.

"I'm just grabbing a few vegetables for the Chanko Nabe Research Society," he said.

"I've heard of that group; Kiyoshi Godabayashi runs it, right?" Erina joined in.

"Yes, he asked me to grab some vegetables and bring them to him," Isshiki explained. "You guys wouldn't deliver it for me, would you?"

"Of course, I would, but why can't you?" Soma asked.

"I have to get ready for a shokugeki," Isshiki explained.

"Gotcha," Soma turned to Erina. "Care to come with me?"

"Of course, you don't know the way, after all," she teased. But seriously, are you alright if we go? You seem so tired." He smiled and nodded. They got the vegetables and went to the Chanko Nabe Research Society. They were talking while walking, but they heard fighting, and it heated up. Erina sighed as they ran with the boxes of vegetables. Erina thought about days not going as expected.

"I don't care. We can share this space if you want, but I'm not going to give this space," the guy said.

"I won our shokugeki, and now I'm here to collect," Mito said. The door opened to reveal Soma and Erina.

"What's going on here?" Erina asked as Soma took the box from her and put it inside.

"We had a shokugeki. I won, and Godabayashi isn't holding up his end of the bargain," Mito said smugly.

"No, you said you would use my space for your research club; you said nothing about kicking me out," Kiyoshi said.

"Semantix, get out," Mito said.

"Enough," Soma spoke. "If you can beat me, I'll kick him out; however, if I win, you will just have to get along and share the space without crossing over into the others." They both seemed to agree. The shokugeki will be held tomorrow, and Mito left with that.

"Thank you, but who are you?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Soma Yukihira, good to meet you," Soma extended a hand.

"I'm Kiyoshi Godabayashi," Godabayashi shook his extended arm. "Thank you for all of this."

"Don't thank me; I want to beat her using chanko nabe," Soma said. Kiyoshi was surprised by his bluntness.

"Ok, let me teach you the basics of chanko nabe," Kiyoshi said. Kiyoshi taught Soma how to make the chanko nabe and what it should taste like. Soma's gears started turning, but he was too tired. Luckily, Erina was right there.

"We've got to go," Erina said as her hand moved to Soma's lower back. "Thank you, Kiyoshi." She took her boyfriend and left. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, just tired, but…" Soma started.

"You don't want to fall asleep," she finished. Soma nodded, afraid he would have the same nightmare if he had fallen asleep. "Do you want me to stay with you?" His eyes widened as he processed this information.

"Could you?" Soma asked.

"Of course," Erina started. "That nightmare must have scared you."

"That's an understatement," he began. "I don't know what it is."

"Tell me about it once we get back to Polar Star," she said, moving her hand on his back, trying to comfort him.

"You're good at this, you know that?" he said. Erina looked puzzled.

"Good at what?" she asked.

"At comforting people," he said casually. She smiled at this.

"Come on, let's get you to sleep," she said. Soma rolled his eyes but followed her. They made it to Polar Star hand in hand. He didn't see anyone and thought they must be at Isshiki's shokugeki. They walked upstairs and to his room. Erina let go of Soma's hand. "Do you need me to stay?" He grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"But could you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Soma asked. She nodded and said that she would.

Soma woke up feeling fantastic. He got his phone and texted his girlfriend, "Hey, thanks for last night. I feel so much better," Soma texted. He got up, took a shower, and then got changed. Soma wore a jean jacket over a white shirt and black jeans. He knew he had a match tonight, and he knew he had a couple of hours until then, so Soma decided to cook. He walked downstairs, hearing voices yelling. "What happened?" Soma asked.

"Oh, if it isn't the one that started all of this," Yuuki said. Soma looked at her, confused.

"What? What happened?" Soma asked again.

"Are you fighting, Mito-san?" Ryoko asked.

"Yeah, why?" Soma said.

"Why would you do that? Mito-san is the unofficial best meat producer and consumer in our generation," Daigo said.

"So, does she have great spices or something?" Soma questioned.

"The quality of her meat is the best," Isshiki said.

"So you've tasted her cooking?" Soma asked.

"Yes, I have," Isshiki started. She uses a lot of high-quality meats, and she lets them be the star of the dish."

"Hmm, ok," Soma said as he entered the kitchen. "Have you tried her food?"

"No, I never got the chance," Isshiki said.

"Do you guys mind being my lab rats?" Soma said. They all nodded. Their mouths were watering until they remembered the squid ink dish. "This one will be good, I promise." Everyone relaxed, and their mouths began watering again. Soma had read this recipe from a cookbook his mother had. Where she kept all of her recipes, and he was about to recreate one. He set out the ingredients as he started making the broth. Soma put in 6 cups of chicken stock, with a fourth cup of sake, a third cup of mirin, two tablespoons of ginger juice, and one and a half teaspoons of crushed garlic, and brought over medium heat. Once it was simmering, he added half a cup of miso. Isshiki got what he was trying to make, and it smelled wonderful.

"Do you need any help?" Isshiki said. Soma shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to cook this again tonight," Soma said. He got half a pound of ground chicken, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of cornstarch, six tablespoons of panko, three tablespoons of chopped green onions, and half a large egg. Soma combined the ground chicken, ginger juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, panko, green onions, and egg in a large bowl, using his hands to mix it thoroughly. Once his mixture had become pale and well combined, he shaped them into 1-inch chicken meatballs. Then, he cut the cod into two-inch chunks. Soma threw the chunks of cod and the meatballs in the stew. He grabbed some tofu and cabbage, diced them, and threw them in the stew.

"So why chanko nabe," Isshiki asked.

"Well, Godabayashi lost a shokugeki using chanko nabe, and Mito is getting on my nerves," Soma said.

"So you are planning on beating her using chanko nabe," Isshiki said.

Erina was getting ready for the day when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in," Erina said while still deciding what to wear. Hisako came in. "Good morning, Hisako."

"Good morning, my lady," Hisako was treading carefully. "Where were you last night?"

"I was out with Soma," Erina said as she finally picked out a dress. "Why?"

"Well, you were out late," Hisako said quietly enough so that only Erina could hear her. "What are you guys going to do today?"

"Soma challenged Mito to a shokugeki for later tonight," Erina started. "So I'm going to go to it. It will be the biggest event, so I will talk to Grandfather about moving it to the arena." Hisako nodded.

"Do you want me to put it on your schedule?" Hisako said. Erina shook her head.

"Why are you being so careful?" Erina asked. Hisako was surprised.

"What do you mean?" Hisako questioned.

"You know you're more than just an assistant," Erina said. You're my best friend." Hisako was speechless. Erina gently grabbed Hisako's hands. "Hisako, you are part of my family."

"Thank you, my lady," Hisako said.

"No more, my lady, when we are alone," Erina said.

"Ok, my la—Erina." Hisako had to get used to that. She was glad that Erina considered her family. After Erina got ready, she went downstairs to find her grandfather. When she came downstairs, she overheard a conversation.

"I don't care, over my dead body, will he ever come back," Senzaemon whispered. "He is a lazy coward."

"I know that, father," Soe started. "But the ten seats had a vote, and more wanted him back." Erina was confused; she wasn't aware of a vote that happened even though she was the tenth seat.

"I'll do everything in my power to ensure he never returns," Senzaemon said, standing firm. Soe just nodded; he knew he couldn't convince Senzaemon but would support him.

When Erina walked out, she expected them to look like children who had gotten caught with their hands in a cookie jar; instead, she received a warm smile from both her uncle and her grandfather. She returned it and went to the table without asking about it. "Grandfather, I wondered if Soma and Mito-san could use the arena for their shokugeki?" Erina asked.

"What shokugeki?" Senzaemon asked, confused. "I haven't received a request for a shokugeki." Erina groaned as she figured out what had happened.

"I will fill it out," Erina said. As much as she wanted to blame Soma for the confusion, she knew how sleep-deprived he had been the previous day. Luckily, there were just a few lines Erina had to fill out before handing it to her grandfather. She finished, and her grandfather approved it. Erina went to Polar Star to find her boyfriend, but as soon as Erina opened the door, she was hit by this fragrant smell. She remembered Soma would use Chanko Nabe as his dish for tonight. Erina assumed he would be using his dorm mates as lab rats. She walked in, and immediately, everyone but Soma knew she was there. That was one of the things she liked about Soma; he wasn't scared of her intimidating presence.

"Guys, what's- Oh, hi Erina,'' Soma said as he turned around. "Are you here for me?"

"Yes, Soma," Erina said as she sat beside Todaroki. She smiled at Megumi, who smiled nervously back. "How has he been cooking Chanko Nabe?"

"Well, Soma has been doing things his way," Megumi whispered back. Erina looked confused but intrigued by this.

"How?"

"He is adding some dinner food on the side," Megumi said. Erina looked at where Soma was cooking, and he had made some garlic bread along with the chanko nabe. She thought that was interesting, but the flavors would complement each other.

"Hey, Soma, could I try some?" Erina asked. Soma seemed hesitant at first, but he nodded. He finished the dish and plated it. All of their mouths were watering, but Erina thought Soma looked worried. She thought for a second, and he looked anxious. Erina thought he looked cute like that. They all took a bite from the same plate and were immediately transported to a Dohyo, with the dish being one of the sumo wrestlers and the garlic bread as the other. As they collided, heat dispersed throughout the Dohyo. They were throwing their hands at each other, trying to get the upper hand. Erina and the rest were so overwhelmed by the flavor that they just sat back and enjoyed the show. The heat happening each time they collided began to build up. There was no escape, just enjoyment.

Erina enjoyed the flavor a lot. She wiped her mouth with a napkin as Soma waited for his judgment. "It is very good," Erina said, the highest praise Soma had previously received. He was determined to get her to say delicious, but this would have to be good enough for now. Isshiki and Todoroki told him it was fantastic. Erina looked at Soma, and she could tell that something was wrong. He was her oldest friend, excluding her cousin; Erina knew when he was putting up a front. While everyone else was laughing and feeding themselves, the two of them slipped away for Soma's sake.

"What's up, Erina?" Soma whispered as they were going outside.

"What's wrong?" Erina asked. He turned his head slightly. "Don't do that. I'm one of your oldest friends. I know the difference between your genuine smile and when you are putting up a facade. So I'll ask you again, what's wrong?" He looked down, deciding whether to break his facade or pretend he knew nothing about what Erina was talking about. He felt hands grip his face gently, and he looked up to see the worry in Erina's face. He brought his hands to where hers were and just left them on top of her arms, not wanting this comfort to go away.

"This was her recipe," Soma said softly, barely loud enough for Erina to hear, but to her, it had seemed like he had yelled them in her face. "This was one of her recipes, but she never got to complete it." She just hugged him. She didn't know what else to do. She felt him hug her tighter as if she would leave if he let go.

"Look at it this way," she whispered. "You are completing your mother's work—her recipes." She felt him loosen his grip.

"I know," Soma said. "But it feels like we should be doing this together."

"You are," Erina replied. Soma cocked his head to the side. "Your mother started this recipe; you are the one who will finish it." She felt him pull back from the hug.

"You are really good at this," Soma said while looking into those amethyst orbs. She laughed a little bit.

"I just imagine what you would do for me," Erina said. She took one of his hands in hers and returned to where everyone else was.

Soma walked over to the giant stadium. He had fifteen minutes before the event was scheduled to start. He went inside and heard the cheering from the crowds. It was deafening, as the announcer, Urara Kawashima, just kept adding fuel to the fire. It sounded like thousands of students and guests were up there. The Judges for this competition were Senzaemon Nakiri, Gin Doujima, and Hinako Inui.

"In this corner, we have the 'Queen of Meats, ' the one with the longest shokugeki win streak among the regular first-year students; she is a heartbreaker, Ikumi Mito!" Urara screamed, and the crowd lost their minds. Soma could hear things like 'I love you, Mito,' and 'Crush this guy.' "And in this corner, we have the one who tamed the ice princess, Soma Yukihira!" He chuckled a little as she said his title; he was sure Erina had a red face and would probably throw a fit the next time they were alone. He walked out, and no one except for Polar Star and Erina cheered. "This shokugeki is for what will happen to the Chanko Nabe Research Society. Now, you have precisely an hour starting right now." Soma grabbed his ingredients, and Mito grabbed hers. They were allowed to bring in one item that was not already there. Soma opted for regular steak. Meanwhile, Mito got some A5 Wagyu Steak.

Soma was prepping his station, but instead of chicken, he had steak. He did everything else the same. His friends were intrigued by the choice but thought it would be a nicer compliment to the garlic bread. He got everything ready in about half an hour, and then it was time to throw everything into the stew.

Mito was making a classic rice bowl with the wagyu as the star. She slow-cooked the meat to ensure it was thoroughly cooked on all sides, tender and juicy.

After fifty minutes, they both plated their dishes. Mito had won the last six shokugeki, so she went first. The judges were surprised by how good the meat tasted. They were thrust into a ranch where they had to care for the cows. Soma went after she was done. She walked back down. "Beat that," she said quietly enough so Soma was the only one that heard her. He smirked and approached the judges to present them with his dish. They were all blown away by the fact he had done this all in under an hour but were extremely worried that the taste wouldn't be up to snuff. They grabbed their spoons and took a bite. They knew their fears were unwarranted. Soma returned to where his station was.

"So, judges, who takes home the win," Urara asked. "Will Mito continue her streak, or will the newbie finally break the streak."

"Mito-san was great, and her dish brought out the flavor of her meat," Senzaemon started.

"However, she took no risk," Gin continued.

"Soma-san created something that was not only creative but also cohesive as a dish," Hinako said.

"And for those reasons, Soma is the winner of this shokugeki," Senzaemon finished. Everyone, except Polar Star and Erina, was stunned. Polar Star erupted in cheers. Soma waved to his companions as he left her on the stage with her mouth ajar. A little while later, Soma heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said. Erina opened the door. "Hey, what's up?"

"I'm guessing the original recipe called for chicken and not beef?"

"Yeah, but I thought the taste would be better with the beef," he said, making enough room on his bed for her. She came and sat down while putting her head on his shoulder.

"You ok?'' Erina asked.

"Yeah, thanks for that pep talk earlier," he said.

"You're welcome," she said. "Is there anything else you want to do before we leave tomorrow?"

"What? We're leaving tomorrow?" Soma asked.

"It's called 'the training camp from hell,'" she said. He looked at her, confused. "It's the first actual test. Before I forget, The Elite Ten wants you to meet them." He smirked at her.

"When?"

"When we get back," she said. Soma nodded. Erina stretched and got up. "You coming?"

"Sure," he said, unsure of where they were going. Erina opened her hand and smiled.

"Also, congrats on winning your first-ever official shokugeki," Erina said. Soma grabbed her hand.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you or Mom," he said. She pulled him along as they went downstairs. They went to her mansion, and Erina felt nervous the whole time. A banner came down as soon as he walked in, and there were confetti poppers that popped.

"Congrats, Soma!" everyone said.

Thanks for reading!