[Warning] OC, Fem!Souma, possible nudity, minor cursing, detailed descriptions of foodgasms and spoilers, lot and lots of spoilers

[Disclaimer] I own neither Shokugeki no Souma nor OHSHC...

{A/N} So many reviews, I've never gotten so many reviews for one chapter before... It's absolutely mind-boggling and you are all officially angels, just thank you all so much! As expected shippers have been popping up all over the reviews and I'm as grateful to them as everyone else who review, though like I said they won't be the main focus. I'll say it here and now, no major characters will be cis-swapped, or at the very least the ones currently presented in the anime won't. That being said I don't write homosexual pairings very well, so full on yuri is out of the question, but there will be girls crushes, very intense girl crushes. As for the males, kesesesese, you'll just have to wait and see because I've got a lot in store for all of you *smiles evilly.* In short this is going to look like a Souma reverse harem, but very unfocused. A lot like the actual manga...

On the topic of Ayumu, did I make his minuscule ([*smacks Ayumu for trying to lie*] huge/ginormous/painfully obvious) sister complex too noticeable? Don't worry about Ayumu's character too much, this story was technically published a month late just so I could hammer down the finer details of his personality under the harsh criticism of my equally obsessed friends, he's so different from his first character design that even I'm startled. Despite all the time and effort I've put into his character Ayumu doesn't really count as an MC in this story, though he will be popping up often to raise hell for any males in the vicinity, what fun I'm going to have with that. Of course if you notice anything to Gary Stu-ish about him I'm up for any suggestions on how I can fix it, for now his specific "talent" won't be revealed just yet.

Anyway this chapter will have Souma's entrance exam (which I've tweaked quite a bit) and was originally supposed to have the entrance ceremony as well but it turned out ridiculously long so... I'm really sorry!

As always please drop a review after reading, both compliments and criticism highly appreciated!

Chapter Two

Entrance Exams and Stuttering

"As stated by the exam division, your test will be as follows," Tsukasa continued fluidly, with intimidatingly graceful confidence he looked over the clipboard in his hands. "Examinees will first undergo interviews in groups of ten based on their applications," girls all around the room began to twitter excitedly, and Souma had to hold back an eye roll as she saw them flicking their hair over their shoulder, giggling about how them having a male examiner was going to be an easy pass. Tsukasa cleared his voice politely, immediately shushing all of them. "They will then undergo a practicum where they will undergo three or so dishes. Those who pass will─"

KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE
MAYBE YOU'RE MY LOVE

kidzukeba itsudemo soba ni iru keredo
HONTO wa KIRAI? SUKI? mousou na no?

jibun no kimochi ga KURIA ni mietara
REDII demo HOSUTO demo kamawanai yo

SUKI ni natteku riyuu wa minna
chigau yo ne KEDO MAYBE YOU'RE MY LOVE─

"What on earth?" one of the girls murmured quietly to her companion, like many of the group were doing as they watched the young man's eyes widen in horror, frantically patting at his pockets, probably trying to locate his phone. Souma sweatdropped as she recognized the tune from one of the anime Aki has tried to force on her and Mayumi, if Souma wasn't mistaken it involved some kind of host club. The fact that a seemingly mature young man had it as his ringtone was highly amusing, if not slightly disconcerting.

"Anime, seriously?" one of the other girls giggled, causing many of the girls to scoff; muttering amongst themselves at the sudden turn of events.

"Shoujo to boot," another replied conspiratorially.

"Rindou why must you always do this? Oh for the love of─," Tsukasa cried, obviously exasperated as he grappled through his pockets with a pained expression, before eventually pulling out a sleek black phone. His eyebrows furrowed together as he read over the screen, but he brought the phone to his ear nonetheless. "Hello, Hisako-san? Was there something you needed?"

Souma blinked in confusion as Tsukasa's face fell, looking comical in its crestfallen state as he looked ready to curl up in a fetal position and die. It was almost amusing how abruptly his personality did a 180; his shoulders hunching forward miserably and eye brows furrowing together dejectedly as his mouth wobbled into a childish pout that was the epitome of non-masculinity.

"I see, I should've expected that of Erina-hime," he murmured hollowly, laughing weakly with a far off expression in his eyes, looking as if his soul was going to come floating out of his mouth any second now. As the person on the other end of the line continued Tsukasa slowly began to regain his composure, his expression going back to its neutral state as he wraps up the call, "Well it can't be helped now... Yes, of course I'll adjust the exams to accommodate for her."

"Ahem, sorry for that interruption, ladies," Tsukasa said amicably, calming sliding his phone back into his pocket and clapping his hands together once to get their attention, many of the group conceded politely, though it was obvious that the recent debacle has shattered the prestigious air around him and had effectively lowered their respect for him. If he noticed it, the lone male in the room definitely didn't let it show seeing as he immediately referred back to his clipboard, as he glanced back up the look in his eyes war far less welcoming, this time it was more analytical than hospitable and he didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it. "Due to unexpected conditions the contents of your exam have been altered."

"A-Altered!?" one girl demanded haughtily, with an arrogant flick of her hair as the rest of the room burst into angry muttering, along with other girls who were very vocal with their disapproval. The collective reassurance proved to be sufficient encouragement, so the girl who had spoken directly to Tsukasa continued to speak, "You've already stated the parameters, it's extremely unprofessional and degrading to suddenly change them!"

"You have my sincerest apologies," Tsukasa informed them all, bowing politely for formalities sake, but despite his earlier episode his voice didn't even falter in the slightest, in fact it sounded as if he was used to having his decisions questioned. As he straightened, he looked over them with a sharp, stern gaze that could have almost been classified as a glare. "Even so, the change still stands, after all I try not to clash with the other members of the Elite Ten too often, especially our newest addition."

"E-Elite Ten?" the girl murmured looking a cross between confused and angry.

"Yes," he replied easily, a serene polite smile unfolding on his lips and he hummed pleasantly before gesturing vaguely to himself. "We're one of the highest governing powers at this academy," once more his eyes took on that almost dangerous edge, and Souma felt a chill run up her spine, "Though I hardly see the point of further explanation if you fail to pass this entrance exam."

"Wha─? Now you're bordering on rude," the girl screeched, losing her composure at an almost alarming rate.

"I'm sorry if it seems that way," Tsukasa said, completely professional as he referred to his clipboard and jotted down a few notes. They watched him retreat to the corner of the room to make a couple more phone calls, much to the other girls' chagrin. While this was happening Souma took the time glance down at the long strip of cloth wrapped around her wrist, adjusting it and subconsciously loosening it in preparation to tie around her head, to keep her bangs from falling into her eyes. This was a test to get into what was supposedly the most prestigious culinary academy in the country, Souma might not be a member of the upper rungs of the food society, but she was damn good in the kitchen, they would surely prioritize her aptitude in cooking, wouldn't they? After all if she didn't make it in the first place she'd have to kiss all her chances of gaining her father's genuine respect out the window. Wait, Tsukasa had already begun speaking again, "All right, it's been settled," with those five words he had effortlessly caught every person in the room's attention, whether it was positive or negative was highly debatable. "Applicants will be having private interviews with me in pairs, you will be meeting me in alphabetical order according to you surnames. Each interview will last for a maximum of ten minutes to be directly followed by your practicum wherein you will cook a dish featuring an ingredient of my choice. Should you pass your final test will follow shortly after."

The room waited in tense silence for him to continue, but the girls found themselves two steps away from gnawing at their fingertips as Tsukasa merely smiled pleasantly, not bothering to finish his sentence.

"W-Well go on!" an anonymous girl cried from the crowd, conveying the distress that all of them were feeling.

"Ah, of course," Tsukasa told them with a pleasant smile, as if he wasn't aware of the rising tension in the crowd, though it was beginning to fray around the edges. Despite his seemingly regained calm Souma could see him beginning to sweat once more along with the obvious quivering of his lower lip, and was torn between being amused or being very worried for what was about to come. "Should you pass my standards you will be required to recreate the dish for the current tenth seat of Totsuki's Elite Ten, Nakiri Erina."

"Nakiri... Erina...?" Souma echoed quietly, tilting her head in befuddlement at the unfamiliar name. Girls in her immediate vicinity turned to stare at her with wide eyes, and Souma could do nothing but smile wearily at them in return.

"Y-You honestly don't know?" the nearest girl asked, it was the one who had so kindly informed Souma about the lack of males in the room, the redhead smiled at her sheepishly while scrathing the back of her head.

"Who Nakiri Erina is? Nope! Mind telling me?" Souma asked her brightly, flashing a megawatt smile. In return the other girl gave her a gobsmacked expression obviously too stunned to think up a sarcastic reply.

"U-Um, if I could call back your a-attention," Tsukasa stuttered out, his voice cracking near the end. Souma looked back at him and couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy as she saw his expression, he was sweating bullets and nervously clasping his hands together, his mouth opening and closing as if to say something but he just couldn't seem to get the words out. "Th-Though my verdict will be the one that admits you into the academy, Nakiri-san's will hold a heavy w-weight in you standing at the academy, mainly with s-sponsors and teachers."

"Whoa, wait a minute," a girl nearly the front spoke up immediately after he finished speaking. "S-So you mean that even if we get into the academy, her opinion could ruin us from ever having a career outside of Totsuki?"

"Well, um, yes basically," Tsukasa replied though he looked rather weary of where this conversation is headed, especially when the muttering started up once more. Feeling just as weary as Tsukasa must be at the moment, Souma had to bite her lip to keep back a groan. This was so boring, they head the exam set out in front of them, yet everyone here was just stalling unnecessarily. When were they going to get to the actual cooking?

"So basically she hijacked this exam and made it her own," another girl spoke up, venom literally flying from her lips. Souma swiveled her gaze over to the speaker more than a little surprised by what she found, unlike the other, obviously pampered girls in the room this girl stood out like a sore thumb, surprisingly even more so than Souma. Her coal black hair was styled into a sleek bob, only seeming to accentuate her harsh glare with equally dark eyes. Her muscled, tan frame was was sheathed in leather, and a scowl was prominent on her lips, a far cry from the other girls with their forced, polite smiles and limbs encased in fluttery fabrics. She closed her eyes momentarily, before lazily opening one to address Tsukasa directly once more, "And you're the opening act for formalities sake."

"I wouldn't say that," Tsukasa replied coolly, and Souma's head was honestly spinning at how easily he lost his composure and regained it, especially now as Tsukasa set down his clipboard on the empty table at the front of the room and looked over them with that critical expression once more. "I may not have Nakiri-san's 'God Tongue' as they call it, but th-this isn't the first time I've proctored th-these e-exams. I-I would l-like to believe my palate will s-suffice for these exams."

The entire room went silent at his proclamation, but Souma noticed his expression already beginning to falter.

"That being said I'm a lot less verbally destructive than Nakiri-san," he informed them, obviously trying to appease them with a comforting smile. He was greeted with an icy wave of glares, the other girls in the room obviously as miffed with him as Souma was, surprisingly enough Tsukasa managed to keep his cool this time. "You needn't worry about me slandering your name and ruining your chances at a cooking career outside of the academy."

"What a relief," one girl murmured lightly in relief, her voice as loud as a gunshot in the suddenly all too quiet room.

"But Totsuki has its honor to uphold," Tsukasa continued casually as if she hadn't spoken, his expression still looking slightly distressed, but an undeniable aura of intimidation was suddenly flickering to life around him. His voice was deadpan and professional, like this was all just old news, and Souma didn't have much trouble believing it was. "As first seat it's my responsibility to judge your exams thoroughly, anyone who does not meet the standards this academy strives to maintain, will be turned away immediately. Should any of you feel uncomfortable with the information I've just told you, I will those who wish to withdraw and cancel their application to do so immediately."

Tsukasa's eyes were shielded by his bangs as his final statement began to sink into their minds, the constant buzz of tension in the room only growing more and more prominent as the minutes ticked by.

"I-I think I'll take you up on that offer," one girl finally murmured, then another and another, and even more followed. Each one of them exiting with as much dignity as they could muster, shutting the door behind them quietly. Souma blinked in surprise as they all began to exit in droves, haughtily swaying theirs hips and tossing their hair, but leaving all the same. She felt herself gaping as their numbers dwindled, more girls following suit.

"M-Maybe I put too much p-pressure on them, s-so m-many of them l-left," Tsukasa stuttered as he stared forlornly at the door, slumping forward in a manner that Souma could only call pathetic at this point. Well Souma could understand his anxiety on some level at least; after all you could count the remaining applicants in the room on your fingers. Thing was this exam wouldn't be getting anywhere if Tsukasa didn't get his act together.

"Eto, Tsukasa-san, shall we get started?" Souma asked him kindly as she made her way to the front of the room, trying to spur him to action without agitating him too much. The boy looked up at her fretfully and Souma tried to lean back discreetly as he practically got into her face, his expression worried as ever.

"I-I'm so sorry! I've b-be-been making you ladies s-stand and wait this entire time, y-you must all be tired of standing!" he fretted unnecessarily, sweating profusely as he scrambled to find his phone once more. Once he found it, he gestured to it wildly, "I-I'll call the staff t-to bring ch-chairs for you. Y-You'll tell me if you have any complaints, right?"

"Sure," she replied uneasily.

"Oh, alright, I'll call them immediately, but first," they all watched, mildly perplexed they watched as he scrambled back to the table, grabbing the portfolio that must have been laying there since earlier, it was placed right under his earlier clipboard. He looked up at them once more, glancing over each of them quickly and flipping through the pages, marking each on respectively. "Ayuzawa-kun, Ennoshita-kun you two will be the first to take the test."

The two girls moved to the front of the room to stand in front him, both pretty and long haired. Tsukasa pursued his lips upon seeing the two of them before finally gesturing to the smaller door across the room, "That door leads to the kitchens, you may commence cooking as I make quick call to the staff, your dish must have..." they saw him pause for a moment, obviously contemplating. The two girls at the front of the room froze as the pressure in the room seemed to suddenly skyrocket before Tsukasa nodded his head, sending them what he must have thought was an unquestionably reassuring smile. "Cheese. It may be any kind of cheese, just be sure to capitalize it in your dish."

Both girls blinked at him owlishly.

"E-Er, that is all," Tsukasa mumbled out, fiddling with his hands as his gazed turned downwards. He's obviously avoiding their gazes, making it a point to focus on the tiled floor, yet his voice came out surprisingly icy as he continued. "You two may wait for me inside the kitchen. I'd like you to brainstorm what you'll be making before out interview because I'll only be giving you thirty minutes at most to cook, exceeding over the given time is immediate grounds for rejection. Oh and the next pair ─ Hanamura-kun and Hiiragi-kun ─ you're ingredient shall be fish. Any kind as well."

That caught all of their attentions. Wordlessly the two formerly mentioned girls scrambled towards the kitchen, already glaring at each other as if this were a competition. Souma would have to hold her opinion on that last statement, after all she had only a vague idea of how this exam worked, and for all she knew the one amongst them who performed the best would be the only one to be accepted. Which of course had to be her, she'd guarantee it. Stealing a glance a Tsukasa she can't help but question if this stuttering, fumbling personality was fake or not. After all he did seem to have his moments of authority, the question was, were they lapses in his act or sporadic bouts of confidence?

"A-Ah, the chairs are here! Q-Quickly, quickly get them set up so our examinees c-can s-sit!"

Well if it really was an act, it was thoroughly convincing.

"Ah, Yukihira-kun it seems you're our last examinee," Tsukasa finally said, exiting the kitchen with a weary expression, though he tried to cover it up with a trembling calm smile. He gestured towards the doors leading to the kitchen, never quite letting his arms drop as he fumbled through the air. "We'll be starting your interview while Seto-kun and Uehara-kun wrap up with their chicken dishes."

"Oh, all right," Souma tried to offer him a comforting smile, but it came out slightly bleary due to the fact that she'd dozed off by accident, though you couldn't really blame her for that either. Doing these exams two-by-two was time consuming even if only a measly thirteen of them had stayed for the actual exam, being last certainly hadn't helped. Come to think of it Ayumu's exams were probably over already, well she'd make her turn quick as possible and her interview, she could probably just leave that as was, it's not as if there was anything particularly interesting they could ask.

"A-Ah yes, right th-this way then," Tsukasa told her, leading her through the doors with surprising grace despite his stutter. He looked back at her sheepishly as they walked, his hangs wringing nervously once more. "S-Sorry for the long wait, I-I thought that since so many of you left it'd only be right t-to try and focus on more. I-It turned out to be a lot more time consuming than I'd h-hoped, I-I truly am sorry for the delay, you must have b-been feeling quite a bit of pressure j-just stewing out there in the hall..."

"Ehehehe, no it's fine really," she assured him lightly. It's not like she would admit that a pit of worry had rooted itself in her stomach when ─ Ayuzawa was it? ─ had first stormed out of the kitchen doors red faced and seemingly on the verge of tears. It had caused renewed fear in the group and Souma had to give herself a pat on the back for keeping it under wraps, but she mostly chocked it up to her unwavering confidence in the kitchen, and the logical assumption that no girl in the hall had a higher cooking prowess than her father. As they entered the kitchen the two cooking girls took their eyes of their preparations to glance at them, pausing them to pause in their work. Souma wondered if that would lead to some kind of deduction, perhaps focus was one of the criteria. "Though I have to wonder... Why make us do these dishes separately, and with varying main ingredients no less?"

"Ahaha," Tsukasa laughed sheepishly, glancing away even while he led her to one of the tables set out at the edge of the actual cooking space, gesturing for her to sit. "That's actually more for my sake than yours. I gave each of you different ingredients right before you started cooking so I could so how you think on abrupt notice, and I made each of you go in pairs so that I could scrutinize your techniques," he told her with a wry smile as he sat down, crossing his legs like a gentleman, "I'm a chef who admires the proper use of various ingredients, though I'll admit that I also assigned you all different ones to emphasize because eating the same main ingredient from chefs of your level would most likely get repetitive."

Souma blinked, staring at him.

"I-I-I─ I'm not underestimating you or anything!" Tsukasa told her, flushing under her gaze and waving his hands in her direction as if he could ward of her attention. Souma bit her lip to hold back a giggle, call her a bit sadistic but it was interesting how the smallest things seemed to flip Tsukasa's switch effortlessly. As if sensing her pseudo-disrespect Tsukasa turned to his clipboard, waving it around in repetitive warding methods. "N-N-Never mind let's get started w-with your interview."

"All right, hit me," Souma told him casually, leaning back in her seat with a nonchalant expression. This couldn't be that bad right?

"Ahem," Tsukasa coughed, flipping to what she assumed was her own application form on his clipboard. She saw his eyebrows raise as he scanned over it and momentarily wondered what he taught about the horribly derpy picture of her that her annoying father had submitted, something he must have gotten a kick out of submitting in the first place. "Well it says here that your family runs a diner?"

"Yup that's right," she told him, hoping that this wouldn't turn into a repeat of the courtyard earlier, because she didn't think nearly strangling him or possibly cursing at him would be very good incentive for him to accept her.

"I assume you've been helping out there?" Tsukasa asked, Souma nodded in response unsure of any other way to respond. Tsukasa nodded vaguely, jotting down something on the page as well before glancing back it her, his eyes appraising. "Might I ask how long you've been doing so?"

"Officially, in front of customers? Age five, though the first time I entered the kitchen with the actual intention of cooking was at age three," she told him, looking him right in the eye. Tsukasa's eyes narrowed in response. Souma knew he was appraising her, trying to see if she was lying to try and get favor with him. Her mind flashed to the photo album they had at him, the one her father always joked he only kept so he'd have amazing blackmail, that lying old man, it's not like she'd seen him looking over it fondly every once in a while. "Hey we've got pictures at home, I'll show you if you want."

"Th-That won't be necessary," he told her, eyeing her application once more. Souma's eyes flitted over to the pair that were still cooking at the moment, noting the way their hands stumbled as they kept glancing back her every so often. It's not as if Souma was completely oblivious to the tension in the room at the moment, it was just hard to take any notice of it since she'd face much worse. She had long since learned that very little could rival the pressure of cooking for a room of demanding customers, much less when her father got that smug, superior look in his eyes. Compared to either of the two this was child's play. Her eyes found their way back to Tsukasa as he began gnawing on his bottom lip, reading over something on her form with a concerned expression.

"What something wrong?" she asked him lightly, letting a single red eyebrow rise towards her bangs.

"I- I no─ n-not particularly i-it's just," he continued looking over the document, as if he would find the solution to whatever mistake was there if he looked hard enough. Souma momentarily wondered if her father had put anything particularly embarrassing in there. Tsukasa let out sigh before continuing, "There's no culinary affiliated school listed on your past record…"

"There shouldn't be, I never attended one," she answered him offhandedly.

"Th-Then why are you here, Yukihira-kun?" he asked her, looking into her eyes, and despite the uncertainty in his tone his eyes were cold, sizing her up. Souma shrugged offhandedly not really sure if there was anything she could really say, it's not as if she had a real reason to do so. She doubted saying that she was her because she needed to make it here if she ever wanted her father to take her seriously, and that she didn't really have any other options at the moments would earn her any favor in the interviews. Tsukasa scrutinized her silence, and Souma stared right back, not the least bit perturbed by the silence. "Yukihira-kun if you don't plan on taking this seriously─"

"Examiner Tsukasa, would you please taste my dish?" one of the girls asked brightly, approaching them with simpering smile and mega-watt smile. Tsukasa immediately stood up to face here, belatedly Souma's eyes narrowed when she realized that his hands lacked the tremble that had seemed so noticeable before.

"Mine next Tsukasa-san!" the other girl cried out ushering him over from her station.

"Of course," he informed politely, lightly setting down his clipboard on the table, though his gaze immediately turned back to Souma and the redheaded girl honestly didn't know what to make of the sudden panic written on his face. He glanced back at the work stations his eyes scanning over what Souma guess to be ingredients, seemingly nodded as he noted something. "Alright Yukihira-kun please be prepared to use eggs in your dish."

"Roger that," the redhead informed him lightly, giving him a mock-salute for good measure. She makes a big production of turning around and hunching over in thought, doing her best to drown out whatever criteria Tsukasa was dishing out, more out of respect for the two girls than anything else.

"What to make?" she wondered to herself. There were a lot of possibilities when it came to eggs, lots of different dishes with different kinds of impact, but what she needed for this exam was something that would give the needed shock factor, but not be too overwhelming in taste. Eggs were easily overwhelmed and overwritten by other ingredients so strong spices were out of the question. She might also be better off foregoing strong flavors like pork and fish since Tsukasa apparently liked emphasis. Should she try making something on the spot? No, there were some risks not worth taking, and even she wasn't confident enough to make something up on the spot, especially with such limited time. "Something from the shop then... Ah, yeah maybe that'll work..."

"Y-Your palate just isn't refined enough!" startled from her scheming, Souma jumped, glancing at the cooking space across the room only to see the girl who'd gotten her dish examined second storm out of the room, looking absolutely livid. Tsukasa looked after her with an uncharacteristically passive expression, for all his stuttering and worrying earlier, he didn't seem too fazed or worried by the sudden exclamation. The girl who had asked to be judged first was looking over the scene with a dejected expression, cleaning up her station with hasty, fumbling hands.

"Ah, Takeshi-kun you may leave already, I'll finish cleaning up your station," Tsukasa told her calmly, the girl blinked up at him with a mortified expression, as if leaving the kitchen would cement whatever verdict Tsukasa had given her. Eventually she cracked, her hands falling to her sides before she shuffled out of the room, refusing to look up. Souma watched the entire thing with a forced blank expression, unwilling to flinch back from the intimidation that seemed to pour of Tsukasa in waves. As if acknowledging her nonchalance Tsukasa turned towards her, nodding to one of the unused stations. He had an apologetic look his face while he vaguely gestured to the door, "S-Sorry these exams usually don't end w-well... Th-Though th-that's no reason to delay, Yukihira-kun I look forward to see what you'll make."

"I'll be happy to..." she told him brightly, looking over the impressive array of kitchen utensils as she reached for the cloth headband she had wrapped around her wrists, deftly unwrapping it, "... serve you..." pausing for dramatic effect she and let it snap around in the wind, "... our specialty!" She wrapped the headband around her head, effectively pinning her bangs away from her face, and inevitably flicking her long ponytail behind her as she wrapped a white apron around her waist. "Hang onto your seat, Examiner Tsukasa!"

Tsukasa nodded indulgently to her enthusiasm, controlling the trembling of his hands as her smile seemed to take on an almost challenging edge. Despite his acknowledgement he continued to clean up the other two girls' stations without a single break in pace, all the while making sure to keep Yukihira in his peripheral vision as she began her preparations. By the time Tsukasa truly paid her any heed she had already moved briskly to the table of ingredients, her stride confident and meaningful.

Despite the distance between their work stations Tsukasa had very little problem evaluating Yukihira's performance, which could mainly be attributed to how fluid and effortless her movements were. The redheaded girl flitted about the kitchen space with practiced ease, gathering the things she needed without much trouble. From the minute she turned on the stove and began boiling something he couldn't quite take note of, to the moment she began expertly dicing several sprigs of spring onions, there wasn't a single wasted movement in her preparations.

All playfulness had left her expression by then, leaving determined confidence in its wake, and Tsukasa ─ blushing and stuttering included ─ would have trouble denying that the expression suited Yukihira a lot more. Sure she was pretty otherwise; striking with that playful easygoing attitude to match, but in the kitchen she seemed to possess some sort of ethereal grace. She made cooking look like a dance, all motions fluid and graceful, even as she added various ingredients to the now simmering pot. Sake, mirin, grated ginger, bonito broth, soy sauce, and... salt? No adding that would force the salty taste to completely dominate the dish, sugar perhaps?

Moments passed as they both continued to work, Tsukasa momentarily diverting his attention from her to finish with the cleanup. Once he was done he moved over to Souma's station only to find her already beating the eggs she'd be using apparently, Tsukasa momentarily cursed himself for not checking sooner; he'd seen her refrigerate something earlier, and as curious as he was he wasn't bold enough to go outright and check himself. Wait why was he even bothering to check himself? He was the examiner, there would be nothing wrong with asking.

"Yukihira-kun, what exactly are you making?" he asked her lightly. The girl blinked up at him suddenly, momentarily pausing in her egg beating as she looked up at him, almost as if she'd forgotten about him completely. Tsukasa fidgeted under her gaze, beginning to sweat bullet as she continued to stare at him blankly, that was until she broke into a full on beam.

"Guess," she sang, looking as if she was holding back a giggle.

"Y-Yukihira-kun I told you about t-taking this seriously!" he cried out frantically, the feeling of being mocked all too reminiscent of another golden-eyes redhead he knew. Coming from a girl younger than him it felt all the more degrading. "Listen, please! I need to know if you're taking this seriously, and intend to make a dish worthy of these exams!"

"Fine, I'll tell you," she told him with an easy smile. She went back to beating the eggs with that same smile as she continued, "What I'm making is the eighth item on Yukihira Diner's secret menu!"

"Secret menu? What manner of complicated dish would this be?" he asked lightly, easily intrigued by its title. Perhaps this wasn't such a lost cause after all.

"Furikake Gohan!" she informed him with a proud smile, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with the answer.

"What...?"

The only expression Tsukasa could offer was one akin to that of someone who had just suffered a blunt force trauma to the head. His mind had gone almost completely blank, the only image it managed to conjure was a packet of seasoning being upended onto a bowl of white rice, and while not being an exactly unappealing image, he'd have to say it was quite anticlimactic... And how did that even use eggs in the first place!?

"Yukihira-kun, could you please take these exams seriously, this─ this is just plain degrading," he pleaded with her, steeling his nerves as he tried to dispel the red embarrassment and anger from his cheeks. She kept her head down during his rant, her eyes shadowed as she let him blow off some steam. He waved his hands around for good measure, not really sure what kind of image he was trying to convey at this point. "Please, I can't have you mocking the exams like this!"

"Of course, it's no ordinary seasoning, Tsukasa-san," she told him blithely, a small smug smile curling on her lip. He paused for a moment, staring at her confident smile, she waved the chopsticks she'd been using to beat the eggs in his face with an almost chastising expression. "What I'm making is rice with transforming seasoning!"

"Transforming...?" Tsukasa echoed, confused. Sudden possibilities coming to life in his mind. He watched from a distance as she pulled out whatever she had been refrigerating and placed it down on the counter, out of his sight so he couldn't quite see whatever the mystery substance was. The only thing he'd been able to register was its rich gold color, before it was blocked from his sight by Yukihira's lithe frame as she began to cut it into pieces.

"Not much longer..." she told him happily. He watched as she made her final preparations, infuriatingly managing to keep most of the actual dish away from his view. It's back to an elegant dance with her, the knife in her hands quick and precise, her entire form every so so graceful. "Thank you for waiting!"

So he's a little stunned by how normal the bowl of scrambled eggs placed before him looks.

"U-Um..." he stutters because he's really not sure what to say at this point, for all he knows she could very well be playing some for of prank on him. Yukihira slowly unties the white headband from her head, letting her bangs frame her face and fall into her amber eyes, beaming at him as if she's done something amazing. Tsukasa scrambled over himself for something to say, and ends up with a pathetic, "W-Well i-it's r-rather ordinary l-looking... I-I'm afraid it f-fails to arouse my appetite..."

"Oh you haven't seen its true form yet, Tsukasa-san," she told him lightly, planting her hands on her hips, and wagging a finger at his face in a stern manner. "Remember this is 'Transforming Furikake Gohan.'"

The girl closed her eyes at his weary expression, picking up the bowl in one hand and tilting it closer to his face. Tsukasa blinked not sure what he was supposed to be seeing until some of the eggs finally shifted, revealing the rick golden blocks hidden beneath them, shimmering not unlike jewels. He glanced back up seeing Yukihira's grin spread ever wider as she tilted her chin into the air.

"Good that you noticed! Well, keep your eyes peeled," she told him brightly, setting a bowl of white rice on the counter space in front of him, the rice still steaming. "The true value of rice seasoning is only apparent once it's served on white rice."

"Well then," she continued, her grin fading to a knowing smirk as she carefully tipped the bowl of egg right on top of the rice. "Time for the finish!" Tsukasa watched as egg soboro and jeweled cubes fell through the air in an alluring golden hue, the fragrant, mellow aroma of long-simmered chicken wafting through the air as the eggs and cubes ─ aspic, his mind informed him offhandedly ─ hit the rice. They bounced around a little effectively covering the majority of the rice, only for the aspic cubes to melt from the rice's heat, coating the eggs as well.

"What an alluring way to make use of the rice's heat," he found himself murmuring. The melting aspic brought out the warm colors of the eggs themselves, and contrasted nicely with the white of rice. The formerly bland looking eggs found a completely new form atop the rice, shimmering in the lent coating of aspic, the sudden smell of chicken instantly whetting the appetite. Snapping out of his trance he glanced back as Yukihira who was smiling at him confidently, making him cough awkwardly in response. "Very well. I'll begin judging now."

"Here you go," she told him brightly, sprinkling on the spring onions that she had chopped earlier, and pushing the prepared tray in his direction. Graciously taking the chopsticks she set out for him he gently leveraged a portion out, the rice still steaming. Self-consciously he placed it in his mouth, closing his eyes in rapture as the gooey aspic on rice and egg melted together in his mouth, golden bubbles floating before his eyes as he reveled in the warm content that spread through his body in waves with the dish as its origin.

"Th-This i-i-is..." his voice wavered as he realized he hadn't actually critiqued the taste at all, instead finding himself in enjoying it. His eyes open wide with shock at the realization, he wasn't some rookie that easily got distracted! But this dish, it was the perfect harmony of everyday flavors creating a dancing symphony akin to be tickled by angel feathers. He glanced back at Yukihira who merely smiled at him, the teasing edge was gone, instead satisfaction of a job well done shone through. Straightening his features he deigned to take another bite, this time making sure truly analyze the taste.

"So how is it?" she asked him lightly, her arms crossed with a knowing smile.

"You ended up using aspic I see, chicken wingtips I presume," he murmured for lack of anything better to say. He took another clump chewing experimentally and testing its gelatinous texture, fluffy egg soboro coated with the rich flavor and saltiness of the original broth, enhancing the eggs subtle sweetness to perfection. He froze for a moment, looking over the dish before looking back at smirking girl once more. "Though it seems you refrained from adding strips of the original chicken wings..."

"That's right," Yukihira told him matter-o-factly. "I decided not to add them since they'd overpower the taste of egg completely."

"A good choice on your part," he commended her. "Instead of covering the taste of egg completely, the aspic compliments it instead, lending the smell, gelatinous texture and mild taste of chicken. Chicken strips ─ though convenient for not letting anything go to waste ─ would have pronounced the taste of chicken too much in this dish, instead you've succeeded to compliment the eggs without overpowering them."

The redhead smiled knowingly, but Tsukasa could practically see her glowing under the praise, or at least he'd like to assume that.

"I have to say Yukihira-kun you've surpassed all expectations for this exam," he informed her lightly, unconsciously finishing off the bowl of heavenly innovation before him, of course making sure that he polished it off in the most gentlemanly and polite way possible. "Well you've certainly given me an applicant to consider."

"So all that's left is to remake it all over again for... Nakiri-san, right?" Yukihira asked him lightly.

"Y-Yes, that'll conclude the examination..." he told her lightly, noticing her fidget slightly despite the continue casualness in her stance. He thought for a moment, until his eyes caught on the clock hanging on the adjacent wall, a solid five hours had gone by which was... very bad to say the very least. She'd wasted a good portion of her time just waiting around for her exam to start, no wonder she looked mildly impatient, how utterly embarrassing on his part. "O-Oh y-you must h-have appointments scheduled a-after this! I-I'm s-so sorry!"

"I wouldn't really call them appointments," she told him sheepishly, sweatdropping as he practically fell over himself apologizing. "It's just my brother started the junior high exams at about that same time I did..."

"Oh, oh," Tsukasa found himself muttering stupidly. Her brother had been taking the junior high exams... which had probably finished a good three hours ago. He knew he was making at major miscalculation with the time, but he'd let his curiosity get the better of him, and wanted to see each of the examinees' cooking methods and observe them thoroughly, only to find that the lass participant was the only one worth consideration. How much time has he wasted? "I-I-If that's the c-case, y-you can go ahead and re-remake the dish now... D-Don't w-worry I'll e-explain to E-Erina-h-hime!" Wait was he even allowed to call anything besides Nakiri-san for official school business!?

"Hm, alright then," she told him, giving him a bright grin. He watched belatedly as she re-wrapped her apron and headband, and began gathered more ingredients to cook with, her movements never faltering. He had to admire that at least, here he was now watching all her movements like a hawk, but everything about her was pure grace. Her knife technique was flowing and smooth, and her prep work for the aspic was concise and natural, despite the repetition her movements were not all monotonous or lethargic instead the maintained the same steady efficiency. Unlike most of the other soon to be first years at Totsuki, Yukihira's cooking didn't possess the same refined elegance all theirs bore, instead it was marked with the efficient and overwhelming grace of a cook who was used to working with the pressure of customers, the flexibility of a pro who was used to cooking on the spot. Before he knew it she was already done, the cubes of aspic once more deceptively hidden behind innocent looking egg. Calmly placing it before him along with two bowls, one being small and containing chopped spring onions while the other was a bowl of piping hot rice. She tucked away her apron and wrapped the headband around her wrist, before instructing him lightheartedly. "Okay, just put it on some steaming hot rice right before she eats and add the spring onion!"

"A-Ah, all right, I-I'll handle it," he tried to reassure calmly. She flashed him a dimpled smile before waiting expectantly, he flushed once he realized what she was waiting for.

"Alright then! I'll be leaving now, Examiner Tsukasa, bye! Oh crap is that the time!? Ayumu's going to be so pissed..."

Before he could get a word in edgewise the door was already swinging shut behind her, but he belatedly her a muffled commotion going on outside until her heard Yukihira's voice call out once more.

"Sorry about that!"

He furrowed his brows in worry. Not to long after the door swung open revealing a bored looking Nakiri Erina, the young heiress was currently dressed in the schools official kitchen apparel, the white uniform hugging close to her curves though the sight hardly fazed Tsukasa ironically enough, he belatedly took note of how her blond hair hung loose around her slender frame instead of the usually ponytail she wore when cooking. Hisako followed behind her at a respectable distance, in contrast dressed in the designated girl uniform, consisting of a white blouse covered with navy blue blazer and tied with a checkered red necktie. Her checkered brown skirt was standard length, and her white socks and brown shoes were common, but she held herself with single minded pride and efficiency, the look in her eyes professional and cool.

"Well she didn't seem on the verge of bursting into tears at the very least," Erina commented dryly, glancing back towards the doors before looking back at him a single eyebrow raised. "I'm guessing that one has potential?"

"Indeed."

"Sorry, Ayumu!" Souma cried, spotting the brown haired boy sitting on one of the benches in the middle of examination location's courtyard. She smirked a little as she approached him, realizing he had dozed off, the open pocketbook haphazardly strewn across his lap only making it more evident. Quieting her footsteps she snuck up right behind him, holding back a giggle as she lightly pinched his nose right when a soft snore escaped him. It came out as a loud snort, and the boy's amber eyes flashed open in panic, not quite comprehending who she was as he jerked out of her grasp, clutching at his red nose.

"Nee-chan!" he screeched when he finally got a good look at her, his entire face slightly flushed. She had to giggle at that, after all. how often did she ever see him that flustered over something simple.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized lightly, moving back around the bench so she could be right in front of him as she leaned towards him teasingly. She took a moment of his momentary confusion to pinch one of his cheeks, only heightening his blush. You purposely forced her voice into a cutesy, high-pitch, "It's just you were so cute!"

"I was not," he murmured calmly, furrowing his features as he shook off her hand. His voice may have been cool as a cucumber, but there was no mistaking the light pink blush that still stained his cheeks. He looked over her again, noting the content bright, content aura around her and couldn't help the small pit of relief in his stomach. He'd been worried for her when the other high school girls had exited, even though most of them had been pretty composed none of them had looked to pleased, his sister may have had a ridiculous level of calm, but he doubted she'd be this bubbly if she had been flat out rejected. "I take it the exams went well?"

"Yeah something like that," she told him blithely, a small smile on her face. He wanted to ask her what she'd been asked to do, since the junior high exam wasn't really anything special, it was literally just a written exam and interview, they didn't even cook! The exam had been common sense, and he'd learned most of the answers in passing from his sister and father, the interviewer had blinked at him after hearing his family background but hadn't raised too much of a fuss, he'd been shocked when they'd told him it was already over. The high school division exam was different though, he heard that they rarely had transfers, so it must have been something really difficult, but his sister didn't seem too fazed all, so maybe it was just grotesquely exaggerated...

He was pulled from his thoughts by his sister as she abruptly she took off running towards the entrance, Ayumu froze unsure of what was going on before she turned around mid-stride to call out to him. "Come on, slowpoke! If we make it back to the shopping district before dark I'll buy you some topsicles and I'll make beef stew for dinner!"

"Tell me that first! Hey, wait for me!"

Well then again she was his sister; he'd be confused if anything directly related to cooking fazed her at all.

Chapter End

And that's a wrap guys! Sorry it took so long to update, but I'm back guys! And holy frick I got fifty reviews for one chapter, that's INSANE and I seriously didn't see it coming, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was waiting out for those fifty reviews because I assure you that is not the case, it's just around the time I started writing this story I started playing Fire Emblem Awakened and Persona 4 Golden and yeah, distractions which I'm awful for, sorry... But hey it's here and I think I've got some semblance of a schedule planned out so hopefully that goes well. I'm going to try and get back into my old updating rhythm starting today!

Furthermore there's some things I'd like to address in this chapter:

a.) Souma's cooking attire- no she is not wearing the Yukihira diner shirt, she's wearing her junior high's uniform (Mayu's) and from what I've seen it's sailor style so I'd be kinda awkward for her to toss off the top for the sake of the shirt, not my most thought out idea I confess, but for now please go on with the assumption that while Souma was cooking she was wearing Mayu's uniform coupled with the apron and headband, I promise this will be remedied as we get into the actual Totsuki chapters

b.) Tsukasa- I feel like I didn't quite capture the essence of his character, and he's the main reason I struggled so much with this chapter. I apologize if he seems to OOC

c.) Tsuaksa and Rindou- I just feel like they're close, I can't help but feel that way. Plus Rindou strikes me as the kind of person who'd do that to her friends, especially the easily flustered like Tsuaksa. (I also might be shipping them, but due to conflicted feelings towards both of them due to the most recent chapter of the manga I don't think I'll be addressing that anytime soon)

d.) No Tsukasa did not have foodgasm- I'm sorry he just didn't strike me as the type to foodgasm so easily, even if it is in response to Souma's cooking. I mean he's A THIRD YEAR for crying out loud.

ps. there's a very subtle Persona 4 Golden references in this chapter, as well as a blaring Ouran High School Host Club one, kudos to those who found them!