He should apologize to Tadokoro for that whole awkward bathroom incident, right?

Nah, it's fine! She's fine! Right?

Right.

It's not like it scarred her or that he left a lasting impression on her or anything… Right?

Right.

Hopefully, she doesn't end up hating him and months from now they can laugh it off like the best of friends.

Hopefully.

-8-

Soma thought moving away from the Sumiredōri Shopping District would be boring. He even entertained the thought of being homesick on his first night living the furthest he'd ever been from the only home he'd ever known.

Then his new dorm mates told him that Tohtsuki students and alums participated in his and his father's time-honored tradition of kitchen battles, and it was the best news ever! It woke him up to the thought that maybe, just maybe, this new journey could be an extension of his old life. He'd already gotten the chance to taste the diverse cooking styles of the eclectic residents at the Polar Star Dormitory, so to find out he could challenge them with his own Yukihira-style approach was like finding out Santa is real on Christmas morning.

What did they call these cooking battles again...? Oh, right!

Food Wars!

He needed to be in one, like, yesterday.

So when he decided to battle Ikumi Mito on behalf of the Rice Bowl Research Society, he knew this would be the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his cooking prowess. He found it odd that a school would shut down a beloved extracurricular activity to satiate the whims of one selfish person's desires, no matter who they were. But, he quickly learned that Tohtsuki had a lot of rich kids. He'd never been in the company of children with so much money at their disposal. Even more astonishing and different from what he was used to was the fact that the rich girls at Totsuki Academy had the biggest egos about their access to the best culinary education and resources imaginable. Take this student chef who barged into the Rice Bowl Soc's club room, for instance.

Ikumi Mito was arrogant. Soma could tell because she wore nearly nothing around open flames, which scared him at first. But that aside, the butcher baddie used every opportunity to brag about her meat knowledge and beef industry connections.

To Soma, that was her biggest flaw.

Everything about her cooking was about being sensual and tempting through Grade-A meats that whet the appetite, but nothing about it was inviting to the common diner on any level. Still, she wasn't his focus or reason for doing this for the sad guy with the wild pompadour. Still, he wanted to teach Meat-Meat a critical life lesson through his rice bowl—the way she had tried to demean local eateries simply couldn't go unchallenged.

And, not for nothing, quiet as kept, Soma secretly hoped that a particular mean rich girl would show up to watch him play and see she was wrong about him all along.

So, the day his Food War against Ikumi arrived, Soma entered the arena with only one person on his mind. He expected it to be a small affair. He did not anticipate walking into a packed stadium. But that didn't scare him or even rattle his confidence a smidge— he had a goal and the strategy to reach it. Besides, was he not used to battling his father in front of a restaurant full of the people and neighbors they fed every day? What was an arena full of his rich, snobby peers compared to that? If anything, it made it more challenging to discreetly look for the strictest judge in the room.

Fortunately, peering into the stands at the booing crowd made it easier to look nonchalant because he couldn't distinguish a single feature from the stage. Who were they booing, anyway? Then the jeering crowd's hushed gasps and stirring murmurs did the work for him.

He looked above the bleachers and into the skyboxes.

Even though he'd hoped she would come, and prepared with an expectant heart to see her stunning scowl, Soma didn't think she'd actually show up to his first Food War. He'd spent the entire night dreaming about how his rice bowl would blow everyone away, hoping the whole time that she'd be in the audience to witness his assured victory. But the way people around campus and in the dorm talked about her, once he made it to the stadium, he decided not to get his hopes up too high about her showing face and focus on the match ahead.

Then, she took her seat as though perched on a throne and they made eye contact. The second his heart skipped in rapid succession and wouldn't stop racing, he knew something had changed within him, or perhaps, something was different about this girl. He could see her sparkling jewel eyes in the skybox from the arena floor. He hadn't seen them since the Opening Ceremony three weeks ago. Had it really been that long?

Soma lowered his head with a small satisfied smile.

"She really came," he whispered, grinning.

-8-

Right after Soma won against Meat-Meat, he noticed that the smoke show chef had become awkward around him. "Yo, Meat-Meat! You were amazing out there and probably the best meat cook I know! Looking forward to working with you…okay, Sweet Meat?"

And violent toward everyone else.

Days after his win...or rather, her loss...she ran away from him whenever they saw each other on campus. She blushed and flushed whenever their bodies got close or his smile made eye contact with her aggressive mug. He thought it odd because when he met her, she oozed sex appeal and an unwavering bravado. He could tell that all her life she was used to getting her way and that she used everything in her power…and sensual prowess…to get it. But that seductive energy had since changed into something more sheepish, at least around him.

Where did that girl go alluva sudden? Not one to accept awkwardness in his friendships, he invited her to Polar Star to cook dinner for her; she lost their battle gracefully and he had to appreciate her for that. But she still needed to respond to his request.

He ran around campus searching for her before it finally clicked. D'oy, Soma! She was probably in the Rice Bowl Society kitchen!

He opened the saved club room's door without knocking and walked in. "Uh…you okay, Meat-Meat? " Soma leaned forward to check on the busty butcher standing before him. "Oops, I'm mean, Don Meat-Meat," he said bowing.

"Don't call me that!" Ikumi erupted out of her stupor. She'd been staring at him since he entered, smoke steaming out of her ears. She caught herself blushing. Turning away and crossing her arms, she pouted, "Why are you here, Soma Yukihira? How did you find me, anyway?"

"Well, you are the new Don of Bowl-club, aren't ya?" Soma sincerely inquired. Ikumi looked over her shoulder and sighed.

"No thanks to you, you piece of sh—" He ducked past her burning scowl and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"That's actually why I want to cook for you."

"Huh?!"

"I respect the way you handled your loss and I wanna thank you for my first win." Soma clapped his hands.

"What are you getting at, Soma?" She shrieked.

"Meat-Meat. If there was anyone I could've battled for my first Food War, I'm glad it was you." He bowed again with a wide smile. Her face glitched and her body stuttered as the sincerity of his words landed.

"Y-you…w-want to…cook f-for me?" Ikumi breathlessly asked, trying to hide the crushing embarrassment on her face.

"Well, yeah!" Soma shot straight up and earnestly looked at her as she fanned herself with her cleaver. "I wasn't kidding when I said you were awesome back there. You'll always be my first memory of a Tohtsuki Food War. That's special to me."

"It is?"

"Of course, it is! You're my first Food War, my first win, and my first non-Polar Star friend in one go! I owe you one— Ow!" He rubbed his thumping noggin where she'd just smashed her cleaver's hilt.

"Don't flatter yourself, you pissant!" Ikumi snarled. She regained her haughty pretense, which made Soma grin just a little. He liked Ikumi. She was confident, even if overconfident, but that made her a formidable opponent and an exciting chef to challenge.

Soma frowned, squinting, trying to find his way out of her violent path. "Fine, but you didn't have to hit me. That thing is a deadly weapon, y'know?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Her grip tightened around her blade's hilt.

"No!" Soma shrieked, backing into the clubroom's door and grasping for the doorknob. Then, a thought occurred to him. "So… is that a no to dinner, or…?"

Soma narrowly missed his head being pinned to the door by the butcher cleaver's blade. Pulling the door handle shut with all his might he slid to the floor in terrified relief, panting. Letting out a puff of air, he sighed. "I really don't understand the girls here."

"Soma?" A mousey voice called out from down the hallway. The Research Societies building was nearly empty, with only a few stragglers from other clubs chatting away and clearing out the building. It had only been a month, but Soma could already pick out that voice in a lineup. He sprang up and ran to her. His hands clutched her arms.

"Megumi! Damn, am I glad to see you!" He said in relief before hugging her with all the strength and relaxation he could muster. The remaining students in the hallway leered at them before suspiciously whispering among themselves. Megumi stiffened. Her arms wrapped the air inches from his back before returning the embrace.

Soma pulled them apart. Megumi's doe amber eyes poked him in surprise (and a hint of disappointment). "Listen, there's no time to explain. Let's just get outta here, Tadokoro—fast!"

"Ho-okay," she stuttered but seamlessly matched his hastened in-step. "What happened, Soma-kun? Is Konishi-senpai trying to convince you to join Bowl Club again?"

"Ha! No, I..." He checked to make sure their surroundings were safe from any sharpened blades. "I'm pretty Meat-Meat is in a bad way right now, and I need to be as far away from that deadly butcher cleaver as possible." A sweat drop sprouted below his brow. Megumi nodded; quietly relieved she would not have to compete with the busty meat master for his time and attention.

Her voice perked up. "Come to think of it—she has grown even more violent ever since you beat her in your Food War."

"Tell me about it! Can you believe she just threw her cleaver at my head?"

"Hitchcock? I heard that's her favorite blade!"

"Yeah, well, she almost hit-ched her target in the middle of my forehead," Soma groaned, rubbing the lump on the crown of his head.

Megumi giggled. "Yeah, that sounds just like Mito-san!" They started walking in the direction Megumi had just come when she stopped and grabbed his arm. Soma almost didn't feel the gentle touch. "Um, Soma?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh-um, a-are you okay?" Megumi eyed the top of his head.

"Hm?"

"With what Mito-san just did…"

"Oh, that?" Soma laughed, dropping his hands and placing them in his pockets. "Yeah, I'm alright. She may be swift with her wrist, but I'm faster," he boasted. They walked past the Rice Bowl Research Society's clubroom and he playfully flinched. Megumi jumped and they laughed. Soma liked how easy Tadokoro was to get along with. "Look, I know Meat-Meat is sweet and tender; deep down, she wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Yeah, unless the fly was named Kanichi," she quipped.

"Ha! Good one, Megumi! Maybe. Speaking of flies... Tadokoro, I'm about to go test out a new recipe. Wanna be my taste-tester?" The wicked glint in his eyes made Megumi shriek. Soma rolled his eyes. "Ah, don't look like that, Tadokoro! You know it tastes good," he chuckled and walked ahead, hands in his pockets. "I'm feeling antsy and want to try a new rice bowl recipe for the restaurant's menu..."

His nose caught the faintest whiff of a familiar expensive perfume.

Its notes, bright and gourmand, stimulated his senses before he even knew where it came from. They reached the end of the hall and the fragrance almost gave him whiplash. It flitted towards him from the opposite direction.

And immediately, Soma knew.

He spun on his heels and trotted back the other way. The scent trailed from the other end of the hall. His heart leaped out of his chest. Running into her would make his week. He couldn't stop thinking of her. She had ice water in her veins, which only made her hotter in his eyes. He just wanted to poke at her fire, just this once. It'd been a while, you see? He thought once he settled into Polar Star and, therein, as a Tohtsuki student, he'd stop thinking about the two times she'd already told him he wasn't good enough. That he'd stop thinking about her

But it didn't.

Soma couldn't explain it, but it only made her consume his thoughts even more. He barely saw her and still, the sight of her stilled all his senses. It irked him that she was the only person who'd tasted his food since he got here and didn't immediately acknowledge his dish. Even Ms. Fumio, the Holy Mother of Polar Star Dormitory; and his dorm leader and the Seventh Seat of the Council of Ten, Satoshi Isshiki, approved of the dishes he served them. She was the only one to reject him.

And it kept him up at night. Like, how could she lie like that? Which, to be real, did nothing more than excite him!

But Soma had to play it cool. It'd be his first time seeing her since he challenged Meat-Meat; he couldn't be too apparent that he'd been waiting for this moment. He sped up his pace to turn the corner, absentmindedly leaving Megumi behind, but met a dark, empty hallway instead. He inhaled her intoxicatingly warm and floral scent still lingering in the air, and his shoulders slumped.

He couldn't stop thinking of the exact dish that would make her finally say that one word. He had to get in the kitchen to find out. (After purposely accidentally running into her.)

"Soma? Is everything all right?" Megumi caught up to him. Soma blinked; she looked so concerned. He blinked again and chuckled, hoping she didn't notice the glint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Ah, yeah. I…" he looked down the dark, empty hallway with high ceilings, long windows bemused, and closed double doors leading outside. "I thought I smelled someone— er, I mean, something good."

"Oh, well, there aren't any test kitchens on this wing, and the hallway looks empty," Megumi pointed out.

"Right. There...aren't." He scratched the nape of his neck. "I guess I'm still getting the lay of the land around Tohtsuki." He threw his arm around her shoulder and led her towards the double doors. "C'mon, let's go back to Polar Star so I can make that rice bowl for our dinner!"

"Okay! But the dorm's back the other way." She pointed over her shoulder.

"I knew that!" Embarrassed, Soma turned on his heels once more and marched forward like he owned the joint.

Megumi smirked. "So, what's the main ingredient this time?" With her voice bright, she leaned and melted under his embrace.

"Eggs!" Soma replied with an inspired grin.