Chapter 20

"Fix your face, you're going to scare the transfers" Nene said as she shuffled through files in the Elite 10 conference room, making sure to gather all the necessary paperwork for the upcoming Transfer-Entrance Exam that she was going to proctoring. Although it was Nene's first time, her stoic expression did a good job concealing whatever doubt or semblance of emotion that was running through her head.

Soma, however, wore the foulest scowl that rivaled even Eizan's bombastic expressions during their Shokugeki. Skimming over the text messages within their private Elite 10 + Headmaster group chat, Soma felt the intensity of his twitch increasing.

Hayama Akira: I'm currently pre-occupied with a Shokugeki at the moment, is there anyone who's free to proctor the 3:45 P.M and 5:30 P.M transfer exams? – 11:47 A.M

Kurokiba Ryo: WHAT THE HELL I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T DOING ANY SHOKUGEKIS TODAY?! HAYAMA YOU LYING BASTARD! – 11:48 A.M

Soma recalled Kurokiba asking if anyone wanted to go to the gym with him, which everyone had either declined due to their busy schedules, or in Soma's case, completely missed because he was still asleep. Well aware of this, Soma knew Ryo was in his "zone", imagining the wild beast of a man destroying the various gym equipment with his monstrous strength. Shaking his head, he focused on his phone once more.

Hayama Akira: Listen, I can't spend every day of my high school career going against you and only you, Kurokiba. I'll take your challenge some other time, but for now, is anyone willing to cover? – 11:50 A.M

Takumi Aldini: I can't, I also have some transfer exams to proctor as well. I knew Totsuki was popular, but this many transfer students at once is unheard of – 11:50 A.M

Eizan Etsuya: It's all because of the Yukihira brat. It's like he's some symbol of hope for all the riff-raff diner brats, no offense to you two – 11:51 A.M

Despite that, Takumi still made sure to react to his message with a thumbs-down and two exclamation points.

Eizan Etsuya: Honestly, if we keep accepting transfer students like this it'll definitely ruin our image, and that'll change the dynamics of relationships we hold with businesses. Our stocks will definitely take a hit. – 11:52 A.M

Kuga Terunori: Oh, shaddup with all that money talk, you think too much four-eyes! We'll be fine! I think this is great! Maybe we'll finally bring that graduation rate up! Having a low rate isn't always a good thing. Some people might start thinking we suck at teaching LOL – 11:53 A.M

Isshiki Satoshi: I also agree! I think it's about time we shed that gloom and doom atmosphere we have! Having high standards while being a little more welcoming isn't impossible, plus I'd love to welcome lovely new juniors with open arms, especially if they're as charismatic as Yukihira~! – 11:54 A.M

Tadokoro Megumi: Yeah! To the first part, I mean! There's a lot of talented people out there that don't get a chance because of how intimidating it is here and just don't want to risk any future career they might want to pursue! That was how I felt for a bit, to be honest… - 11:55 A.M

Nakiri Alice: Ooo, the chat is so lively today! Guys, check out this cute outfit I just bought! – 11:55 A.M

Alice had then sent a screenshot of a strapless blue crop-top, which prompted a heart reaction from Megumi.

Tadokoro Megumi: That's so cute! I wish I could pull stuff like that off… - 11:56 A.M

Nakiri Alice: Oh, Tadokoro-chan! Come by my place after, I'll loan you some of my clothes and I'll even be your personal fashion advisor! We're gonna turn you into female fatale of Totsuki! You know, second to only me, of course – 11:57 A.M

Megumi Tadokoro: NO NO NO NO, THAT'S FINE! I could never compare to you or Erina-san! – 11:57 A.M

Soma stifled a laugh as he pictured Megumi's flustered flailing.

Nakiri Alice: Oh, please, my demon of a cousin has nothing compared to your cute and innocent charms! Let's go shopping later this week, yeah?! I'm a little too busy with a certain SOMEONE'S leftover work! AHEM Yukhira Soma – 11:58 A.M

Soma was aware of the newly made schedule the Elite 10 had created in order to pick up Soma's lack of attention towards the more "boring" side of being an Elite 10 member, as Soma would describe. Though he did feel a little bad, he couldn't help it if his experiments demanded his undivided attention! For hours…or days...maybe weeks.

Hayama Akira: Sorry to interrupt…whatever this is, but to bring it back to the original topic, can anyone please cover for me? – 11:58 A.M

Nakiri Alice: Ooo! I have a genius idea! Of course, leave it to me save your heinies! – 11:58 A.M

Soma sometimes has mental debates on who was vainer and more pompous; Erina or Alice. He never dared to admit this though; one Nakiri at a time, he could handle. Two is a little out of his league right now, considering the struggles of having to get Erina to break out of her shell while dealing with her nutjob of a father, he thought.

"That Nakiri bloodline definitely has some crazy in it or something…" Soma thought to himself as he recalled every single Nakiri he had met having some outlandish quirk to them.

Nakiri Alice: So clearly, Yukihira-kun is the blame for all this, we can all agree on that right? His showboating and crazy gutsy moves have seriously lit something up in aspiring chefs all over the world! Our lovely little playground is BOOMING with applicants! – 12:00 P.M

Kinokuni Nene: Continue. – 12:00 P.M

At this point, Nene had finally been fed up with the constant vibrations while she attempted to finish up her work early.

Nakiri Alice: Wellll, since Hayama-kun is clearly in a pickle because of Yukihira-kun's actions, and I am certainly not trying to get payback for having to deal with that feisty little redhead's chores or anything; I say we nominate Yukihira-kun to take your exams! Who else agrees?! – 12:01 P.M

Hayama Akira: You know, I'm going to ignore that bit in the middle and agree with you. I think that's a fine idea – 12:01 P.M

Takumi Aldini: Yeah, you know what?! Have him take my 8:30 P.M exam too! I barely got any sleep because of his stupid work I had to do yesterday! – 12:02 P.M

Nakiri Alice: That's the spirit! Who else is with us?! We need at least 3 more people on board! – 12:03 P.M

Kinokuni Nene: I suppose that isn't the worst idea. I did have to cover for him when he had to go visit the Totsuki Middle School for a seminar. Though I don't know how working with him with such an important job will play out… - 12:02 P.M

Eizan Etsuya: Absolutely not! He's the exact last person we should rely on to proctor! He'll simply let anyone with a way with weightless words in!

Kuga Terunori: Oh, come on! My little Yukihira-chin is not that bad! I think he's the perfect candidate to proctor! He knows just how much skill you need along with guts to get in! He did have to face Nakiri-cchi during his Transfer exam! You got my vote! Make me proud, Yukihira-chin! – 12:03 P.M

Isshiki Satoshi: Oh, I don't know. He's a little under the weather, though he has gotten better! I don't know if he's up to such a strenuous task – 12:03 P.M

Tadokoro Megumi: Yeah, plus he's still asleep! I don't think it would be fair of us to decide this without his awareness – 12:04 P.M

Ryo Kurokiba: Yeah, I guess he can proctor the exams. I don't really care – 12:04 P.M

Tadokoro Megumi: Hey! Alice-san, did you text Kurokiba-san to say that?! That's cheating! – 12:05 P.M

Nakiri Alice: I did not, I swear! That was one time! – 12:05 P.M

Ryo Kurokiba: She did. – 12:05 P.M

Nakiri Alice: Ryo! :( - 12:06 P.M

Hayama Akira: Whatever, I already told Arato-chan to switch over Aldini-kun's and my proctoring schedule with Yukihira's. 12:06 P.M

Nakiri Alice: Ohohoho, first name basis, Hayama-kun? How bold of you! – 12:07 P.M

Hayama Akira: Shut up. - 12:09 P.M

"You know, staring at it won't change anything. Maybe if you were awake, you could have argued back. Though I doubt it would have done much" Nene said as she organized the sheets of paper into several folders. Soma simply sighed as he threw his legs up on the table, leaning back in his seat.

"Oh, now you're giving me options, eh?! You sided with them too, traitor!" Soma playfully accused, throwing his hands into the air. Nene simply rolled her eyes as she straightened the first pile of papers and slide them into a folder, setting it aside and moving onto the next pile of paper.

"Whatever you say, Yukihira-kun. Though I may feel a little remorse for you, junior, I can't say this wasn't warranted. Do remember your negligence brought you here" Nene calmly responded, contrasting greatly to how fired up Soma was.

"Hey, I wasn't being negligent! I was simply preoccupied with my own stuff, you know! If I don't get better, I'll never get to run Yukihira and make Erina say delicious!" Soma excitedly proclaimed, raising his fist to the air.

"Ah, so you did remember your tasks, but due to your lack of prioritization and organization of time, you were unable to complete your tasks within a certain timeframe. I know you just recently started going to class, even if on a leash, but I'm sure you are aware of what negligence means, right?" Nene teased with a smirk. Soma sputtered, unsure of how to respond and simply nervously glanced away, eliciting an awkward laugh.

"Alright, alright, you win!" Soma laughed, making Nene roll her eyes. Though what caught Soma's attention was the stifled giggle that came from the normally stoic third year. Well, stoic unless around Terunori.

"Ah, so you do have a sense of humor!" Soma teased, smiling away. Nene simply ignored his sneer and said "Of course, I do. I just know that there's a time and a place, Yukihira-kun"

"Yeah, of course but come on! With all the work we have to do, we gotta just squeeze in a little fun wherever we can!" Soma happily exclaimed.

"I think you of all people shouldn't speak of "all the work" we have to do as the Elite 10, Yukhira-kun" Nene responded with a short laugh. Though it was clearly a jab, Soma couldn't help but beam back at her with a childlike glee. He rarely got to talk to Nene one on one and was certain she hated him due to his close association with Terunori, but was soon reassured that Nene, though usually stoic and if not, a demon when around Terunori, tolerated and perhaps even enjoyed Soma's presence.

"Ahh, yeah you got a point there. Seriously, thanks for covering for me! I can't thank you guys enough!" Soma said, lowing his head into a bow while clasping his hands together. Nene quickly glanced at the redhead and smiled, swiftly returning her focus to the paper before her.

"I'm only taking it easy on you because you're my junior, both as a student and as an Elite 10 council member. There's only so much I can expect you to do, Totsuki student or not. But do be aware that you have to set an example now as well. Not just as a second year, but as the First Seat too" Soma's smile softened in a small frown as he stared at the ceiling. The very seat he was currently lounging around in once belonged to the illustrious silver knight; Eishi Tsukasa.

"First seat…huh" though Soma. Though he regained his confidence, that nagging feeling still remained. Soma couldn't but feel…wrong.

"Nene-senpai, I have a question" Soma quickly said, catching Nene's attention.

"His whole demeanor changed…" Nene quickly noted before nodding in confirmation, awaiting his question. Soma took in a deep breath before gazing back at her.

"Eishi-senpai…what was he like? You know, as the first seat?" Soma asked. Nene was caught off guard, not only by his question, but the sudden hardened gaze of his amber eyes. She knew the boy was looking for answers, but not necessarily the answers to his question.

"He was…to say it plainly, the exact opposite of you" Nene explained, making the redhead's eyes widen.

"Huh?!" Soma exclaimed as he dropped his legs off the table and leaned forward.

"He was always at his desk, slaving away trying to finish all his paperwork. He was always so anxious and self-loathing. He would always get cold-feet in front of big crowds and was absolutely terrified of the idea of being challenged to Shokugekis" Nene answered. Soma was reminded of Eishi's rather odd behavior and nervously laughed, remembering the few interactions he had with Eishi.

"But…his skills were unmatched. The moment he entered the kitchen, the entire atmosphere shifted. He became a completely different being; one abnormal for this plane if I'm going to be honest. Those doubts you had before vanished the moment you watched and tasted his cooking. The moment his dishes blessed your palate with it's presence, you were immediately reminded why stood atop the throne of the Elite 10" Nene continued, her hands clenched into a tight fist as she was reminded of the first time she had tried his dish. The first time she had ever seen a gap between two chefs so large.

Soma lowered his gaze, reminiscing his initial defeat against Eishi. It was too one-sided, he thought. Despite that, it was exhilarating being able to go against someone of such caliber. Though for some reason, the defeat hurt more now than it did back then.

"…What about my cooking?" Soma quickly asked. Nene's eyes focused on Soma's downcast gaze and immediately took in a deep breath.

"So that's what this is about…" Nene thought to herself, followed by a sigh.

"Your cooking is one of a kind. It's a style that's never been seen before and therefore cannot necessarily be compared to another" Nene quickly said. "But I'm sure that's not the answer you wanted to hear"

"That obvious, huh?" Soma said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, making the sage-green haired girl smile.

"If I were to humor this question of yours, I'd have to compare you as of right now to Tsukasa-san when he was a second year. But even that's troublesome since I met him about halfway through his second year" Nene continued, pushing her glasses up. Soma stared at her intently, awaiting her analysis. Meeting his gaze, her eyes were narrowed and stern.

"If I were to compare, the gap between Tsukasa-san in his second year when I first met him, and you is about as far as the sky is from the ocean floor" Soma's eyes widened as Nene's harsh words sank in. Once he had registered them, he let out a small laugh and dejectedly stared at his feet, putting on a frail smile.

"Can I really say I didn't expect that answer…?" he thought to himself. Soma was beyond confident in his abilities. He knew what he was capable of and he knew he had much more room to go. Despite that, he couldn't halt that feeling of failure creeping up on him.

"But you know, being the First Seat isn't necessarily all about being the best chef" Nene added, catching Soma's attention. His eyes shot up and stared at Nene, who was organizing the last folder.

"Yes, your skills may not be up to par with Tsukasa-san, but that doesn't mean yours are anything to laugh at or that you don't have your own unique strengths. I witnessed them firsthand, after all. You adapt, you evolve, you accommodate at an alarming rate" Nene confidently said with a small smile, thinking back to her Shokugeki with Soma. "Being the First Seat also signifies a role of leadership, something that Tsukasa-san was pitiful at. Leading was never his strong suit, and it was very prominent. You, on the other hand…" Nene soon turned her attention from the folder to Soma, surprising him.

"Though Erina-san was the leading figure, you were the catalyst. You ignited something within your group of rebels and ultimately led them to their inevitable victory against us" Nene soon stood up and walked over to Soma whose eyes remained glued to her pink orbs.

"We may reprimand you for your actions, scold you for your immaturity, and so on, but there is one thing we can't deny. You inspire others. You inspired your friends, your fellow classmates, and even those striving to join Totsuki and make a name for themselves. To my recollection, there has never been a First Seat with such wide-range influence at such a young age and so early in their culinary career" Nene continued, smiling at the redhead.

"Yes, we thrive off of competition, but don't forget to work at your own pace. Comparing yourself only does so much good until it begins to constrain your growth. You're special, Soma. I'm not saying that just because you're my junior, but I've seen it myself and I've seen the way everyone looks at you. If you weren't, Satoshi-kun wouldn't stand by you so fervently" Nene rested a gentle hand on Soma's red hair, taking him aback.

"You've proven yourself to us, so all of us seniors are looking forward to where you're headed and entrusting you to lead the next generation. So don't be too hard on yourself, junior" Nene said, gently ruffling Soma's hair, making him smile nervously as a blush contaminated his cheeks. Though initially glancing away out of embarrassment, he was soon mesmerized by Nene's gentle smile. Her eyes were shut, yet they radiated such warmth.

"So don't be too hard on yourself, junior. Or should I say, First Seat?" she soothingly said, making Soma beam in return.

"Got it, senpai!" Soma happily exclaimed, feeling his doubts lifted and motivation rising. With a quick nod, Nene made her way to two piles of folders; one pile made up of three while the other singular file stood alone. She set the singular file to the side and grabbed the three others. She slid the files over to Soma, who quickly picked them up.

"Those files contain all the information and paperwork you need for your three Transfer Exams. Good luck, Yukihira-kun" Nene said. Soma nodded with a confident smirk and headed towards the door. Nene's eyebrow pointed up as Soma hesitantly turned around with a nervous smirk.

"Is there any chance you might want to take one of these exams and-"

"Yukihira…" Nene responded sternly, making a shiver go down Soma's spine.

"E-eh, pretend I didn't say anything! Later, Kinokuni-nee-chan!" Soma cheered before running out the door, leaving behind a startled and blushing Nene. She shook her head and sighed, which was followed by a soft giggle escaping her lips as she looked down at her folder and then to her phone, where a picture of young Isshiki and herself shined brightly.

"Don't make the same mistake I did, Yukihira-kun. Pace yourself, or else you'll soon lose sigh of what's really important"

"I'm going to end it all right here. I can't take it anymore!" Soma groaned as he chewed on a piece of dry squid. He glanced at the clock and then to his phone, expecting the time to be different. With a loud groan, he slouched in his seat behind the mobile cooking station and rolled his eyes.

"This is sooo boring…" Soma cried out, rolling his neck. Soma had finished proctoring Hayama's Transfer Exams, now left with the final exam that Takumi threw at him out of spite. Though he thoroughly enjoyed each and everyone's dishes, he had to make sure judge all the dishes with Totsuki's standards in mind, and as a result could only pass a total of three students; one that hailed from Greece, another that came from Dubai, and one came from a local diner in Kyoto. He felt bad for some, but more indifferent towards others; specifically the ones who would act all pompous and disrespected him as the proctor. One that came to mind was in the same group as the diner boy, who raged and accused Soma of biased judgement when he had been failed. Though he held no ill-will, Soma did enjoy the face of pure shock and fear when Soma whipped up a quick dish, had the students try it, and then compare it with the enraged crybaby. Needless to say, he quickly ran out, reminding Soma of that one student from his own transfer exam.

Messing with the flaps of the last remaining folder, Soma berated himself for concluding the last exam so early and rushing over, thinking that he was going to be late. Now he had to sit here for the next forty-five minutes, awaiting the last batch of transfer examinees. He quickly unlocked his phone and stared at the time, hoping it was speed up in anyway. Finally coming terms with the fact that time manipulation wasn't a part of his wide array of skills, he opened up his messages and clicked on the group chat. During the exams, he had furiously texted away in the hopes of entertaining himself. Refusing to enable the boy, everyone had silently agreed to ignore his cries of attention. Finally breaking his chain of messages was none other than Nene.

Kinokuni Nene: Yukihira-kun, I'm sorry but you need to be put on time out. You'll be back when you've concluded your exams. – 7:05 P.M

Soma Yukihira has been kicked from the chat.

"So cold" Soma said with a laugh, followed by a sigh as he back out from the group chat thread and stared at the list of threads below. Right below was none other than Erina, who he had been texting first but was also partaking in a one-sided conversation.

"She definitely blocked me" Soma thought with a smile before putting his phone away.

"Soma? What are you doing here?" said a familiar voice. Soma immediately shot up, locking onto the blonde bombshell that was standing at the door with bewilderment written all over her face. Erina stood there with the same black trench coat that she had worn during their trek to Hokkaido. It was covering the entirety of her uniform, only being accompanied with her thigh-high socks and black shoes. Soma's eyes traveled to white embroidered scarf that snuggled her neck and then finally met her wide purple eyes, clearly surprised to see Soma so late at night. In the next moment, Soma lunged from his seat and raced to the startled Erina who took a step back and leaned back. Her maneuver was soon deemed irrelevant as Soma quickly grabbed her hands and shoved his face close to Erina's leaving only inches between them. Erina eyes darted from her hands that were held tight in Soma's, then to his crazed smile, then to his deep running scar on his eyebrow, then finally landing on his golden eyes that pierced her purple orbs.

"Erina, you're my fucking hero! Thank god you came; I was starting to think I would die alone in this cruddy old room!" Soma exclaimed, frantically swinging his arms around and in turn dragging Erina's along.

"Cruddy old-hey! Don't talk about my classroom like that, I'll expel you!" Erina hollered, only for her words to fall on deaf ears as Soma dragged her into the room and practically started swinging her around as he pranced around the room.

"Soma! Unhand me, right this moment!" Erina cried out, struggling to fight against Soma's ridiculously hidden strength as he casually sauntered around the room, laughing with child-like glee.

"SOMA!" Erina finally shouted, breaking through to the redhead. His mouth formed a small "o" before he quickly let go of Erina's hands and rubbed the back of his head, laughing away.

"Oh, my bad Erina, hehe. Got a little carried away" Soma chucked as Erina rolled her eyes and rubbed her hands down her jacket, getting rid of what she referred to as "Soma-gens"; a special form of germ that only Soma produced.

"You call that 'a little'?! That was practically assault, Yukihira! I could get you arrested" Erina threatened, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, please do! Whatever to get me out of here, I can't take it anymore!" Soma pleaded, clasping his hands together and bowing before her. Though she had always wanted the diner brat to bow before her, the context managed to make even that act irritating to the blonde, realizing it was a result of his ignorance towards her rather blunt threat. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest.

"What are you even doing here?" Erina asked again, eyebrow pointed upwards.

"Oh, I'm proctoring the last Transfer Exam in this room" Soma explained. Erina's eyes widened initially but soon narrowed as she sneered at the redhead.

"Oh my, Soma Yukihira actually doing his job as an Elite 10 member? Who would have thought?" Erina teased, making the redhead erupt in fury as he held his fist high.

"It's all because of Akira and Takumi, those bastards! They were supposed to do this but WHILE I WAS ASLEEP they told Hishoko that I would do it! How slimy of them, right?!" Erina's eyes once more narrowed as she leaned in.

"Oh wow, it's almost like what you've done to them every single day since you were appointed your seat. How criminal of them, honestly" Soma simply threw his hands up in the air and smiled at the blonde.

"Thank you! Someone gets it! Such an asshole move, am I right?!" Soma exclaimed, much to Erina's dismay. She simply sighed and rubbed her temples, not even the least bit surprised by his idiot counter.

"Well, either way, I wish you the best of luck with this last exam. Though your examinees will probably need it more; dealing with your idiotic tendencies is going to be a challenge in itself" Erina said, turning on her heel and heading towards the door. She was waving her hand when suddenly she felt Soma's hand quickly grab a hold of it, startling her once again. She whirled around only to be face to face with his wide and pitiful eyes paired with a quivering frown.

"What?! Where are you going?! No, don't leave me, I can't take this anymore!" Soma exclaimed, making the blonde blush.

"Does this kid even realize what he's saying?!" Erina thought to herself before clearing her throat. "I was heading back home before I saw you in here. Now if you excuse me-"

"Please stay! I'm going to die of boredom! No one's talking to me and they won't even respond to my 8Ball challenges! I'm going to die before the students get here!" Soma exclaimed, begging Erina to stay. Erina couldn't help but feel bad for the boy as he pleaded for her like a puppy.

"My, when did you get so clingy, Soma?" Erina teased with a smirk as she tried to free her hand from Soma's.

"I'm not! I just can't do this anymore! It's like 6 hours of just watching people cook, and then tasting so many dishes that aren't even mine, and then failing so many students! What kind of lunatic would even do this for a living, man?!" Soma cried out, absolutely losing it as he dramatically fell to his knees.

"Do you even know who you're talking to?" Erina asked, glaring at the boy for his indirect insult. She shook her head, refusing to be distracted by the boy's Oscar worthy performance. "Listen, this is your punishment for ignoring so many of your jobs. Take it like a man and let me go. I, for one, have finished all my work for the day and I wish to relax myself. So if you don't mind-" Erina sternly said, only to falter at the sight of Soma's puppy dog eyes clinging onto hers. Struggling to form words, she turned from Soma to the door and then back to Soma, who was still wearing the most innocent and heart-wrenching expression she had ever seen. With a sigh, she tried to reach for her phone, only to realize Soma was gripping on tighter.

"Let my hand go, Soma" she said with a tinge of annoyance, only to be answered with an urge shake of his head.

"I'm not letting you go!" Soma cried out, making the girl groan in annoyance as she stomped her foot into the ground.

"Let go of me, you idiot!" Erina exclaimed as she pressed her foot against Soma's face, trying to push him away. He, however, refused to give in.

"I'm not letting it all end here! I still have so much to live for! I haven't even beaten my pops in a Shokugeki yet!" Soma cried out, ignoring the foot that ferociously pushed against him.

"If you don't unhand me, I promise you I'll beat you myself, Soma!" she exclaimed. With one burst of strength, she kicked the redhead off, causing him to release her hands and roll backwards, all the way until he slammed into the wall. With an exhausted sigh, she pulled out her phone and tapped on her contact list. Her phone began to ring as she held it up to her ear. With a click, a voice emerged from her phone.

"Hello, Nakiri-sama. I am located right by the main entrance. Is there anything you need?" the elderly man asked. Erina took a moment to answer and glanced at the sobbing redhead. Erina sucked her teeth and looked at the boy with disgust and pity before answering.

"I'm so sorry, but there's a matter that must have slipped by me. It'll take me about twenty minutes, so you're excused to leave if you so wish. I'll call someone else" Erina answered, only to receive a small chuckle from the other end.

"Oh no, dear it's perfectly fine. Take your time, I'll be waiting right here for your arrival. Take all the time you need" the man responded, making Erina smile.

"Thank you very much. I'll call you when I've finished" Erina responded.

"Very well, best of luck to your Nakiri-sama" Erina nodded and ended the call. Her eyes shut, she let out an exasperated sigh. Once she had opened them, she took a step back from the sight of Soma's glistening eyes beaming at her as a wild smile nearly curved up to his eyes.

"You're the absolute best, Erina!" Soma excitedly exclaimed, making the blonde scoff as she unbuttoned her jacket and made her way to the seat that Soma had originally occupied. Holding her skirt down, she took a seat, removed the scarf, set it aside, crossed her legs and stared at the gleaming Soma, who had yet to move. With a raised eyebrow, she stared back at the boy with narrowed eyes.

"Well? You've forced me to stay here, don't bore me and just stand there in silence!" Erina shouted, making the boy smile even wider as he dashed over to the mobile cooking station and quickly jumped onto the counter, sitting across but right beside Erina.

"Oh come on, you know you never get bored of me" Soma prodded, making Erina roll her eyes. She took her jacket off, revealing the famous Totsuki uniform that complimented her perfectly. Letting the jacket rest on the back of the seat, she looked back at Soma with a narrowed glare.

"Please, I wish I could feel an emotion like that when around you. It's always nothing but high blood pressure around you" Erina quipped back as she reached over to the two folders that had been set aside, clearly the completed exam files.

"That's no fun, though! You already have enough yes-men around with, I gotta spice it up, you know?" Soma bantered, smirking at the blonde.

"Ahh, yes of course. You truly know the ways to a woman's heart; infuriate them to no end as a mean to sticking out of the crowd. Truly genius, Yukihira" Erina mocked, flipping through the first file, clearly unimpressed.

"Hey, it worked on you" Soma quickly added, making the girl twitch and slam the file shut.

"It did not. Bold of you to assume you've had any sort of effect on me, Soma" she quickly retorted as her anger slowly rose from the sight of his mocking and idiotic smirk.

"But you just said I raise your blood pressure-"

"That's not the same, you idiot!" Erina shouted before letting out a defeated groan, realizing just who she was talking to. Shaking her head, she looked through the second file. Though Soma continued to banter, she simply tuned him out as she looked through the file, trying to see if anyone else had passed the exam. So far she had only saw two, but soon her eyes focused on an applicant. The boy had wild blonde hair and wore a headband, just like Soma. She looked through the file and soon narrowed in onto his background information, locking in on the word 'diner'. She simply scoffed, shaking her head as read over the information that listed his previous work experience, his specialties, and the dish he made.

"Good lord, they're like miniature Soma's. Please don't be as life-threatening as the original, please" Erina thought to herself, stifling a laugh as she hovered over the bright red "Passed" stamp on the corner of the paper.

"What's so funny? Oh, him? Yeah, he was surprisingly pretty good! I promise I didn't accept him just because I liked him though" Soma added, leaning in to get a closer look at the folder in Erina's hands.

"I believe you; I'd hope you didn't admit him based on bias. Don't make me regret having that much faith in you" she chirped with a smile.

"You've been staring at that applicant for a while. Don't tell me; you secretly have a thing for diner guys! It all makes sense now!" Soma exclaimed, making Erina roll her eyes once more. At this rate, her eyes will practically roll out of her sockets, Erina thought.

"Ahh, yes. Truly caught me. Too bad there's a flaw in your theory; I failed you, remember" Erina added, turning to face him only to be surprised by how close his face had been to hers. His eyes remained locked onto the applicants file, however.

"How could I forget? That's was when you practically shattered my reality by calling my cooking disgusting! Even though you took like four bites! How did it go, again?" Soma asked before looking up, thinking back. Then, he suddenly morphed his face to imitate the one Erina had made way back when.

"Mazui!" Soma squeaked in a high-pitched voice, trying to match Erina's. Erina quickly punched Soma's arm, ruining his rather disturbingly accurate impersonation. Though Erina wanted to be annoyed, she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips from his amusing bit.

"How dare you?! I did not look like that!" Erina said, struggling to halt her laughter in between her words. Soma, who had dramatically fallen to the ground once more, rose up and rubbed the spot that Erina had punched him in, still smiling back at her.

"Yeah you did! Man, you gave me a heart attack for the rest of that day! You really are cruel with your jokes, you know! Could have just told me you were gonna pass me anyway" Soma said, returning to his spot on the stainless-steel counter.

"I didn't. I personally made sure it was known that I failed you. I don't know how you managed to get that stupid acceptance letter" Erina said, still to this day unaware of the fact that her grandfather had voided her decision and personally accepted Soma.

"I'm just that tenacious, I guess. You can't get rid of me that easily!" Soma added, nodding ferociously, clearly approving of his own compliment.

"Just like a cockroach. Ugh, if only you had your original proctor. Maybe I would never have met you, at least so early" Erina said, regretting her decision and knowing all to well that their paths would have crossed eventually. Soma's attention was piqued as a look of confusion set in.

"What? Original proctor? Who would that be?" Soma asked.

"It was going to be Tsukasa-san" Erina revealed, taking Soma aback. He jumped back up and stared hard at Erina, surprising her.

"W-what?"

"You mean the First Seat was supposed to be my proctor and not you?! That's so crazy!" Soma exclaimed, hyped up at the thought that he almost came face to face with the strongest chef in Totsuki before even realizing what it meant to be a First Seat.

"Yes, yes. Consider yourself lucky, fool. He surely would have ensured you didn't gain entrance to this academy" Erina taunted, flipping her hair over.

"Lucky? Nah, I think it was fate! We were definitely aligned to meet!" Soma said, sitting back down. Erina choked on air at his response, clearly off-guard.

"What's with these cheesy pick-up lines?" Erina coughed out. The redhead's infamous cocky grin soon formed on his face as he pressed his thumb against his chest.

"Hey, I gotta compete with Suzuki-senpai in every way I can! I do plan on-" Soma started before Erina's hand was soon shoved into his face.

"Don't. Even. Say it. I'll hurt you, I promise" Erina threatened, refusing to be thrown into a flustered mess by that line about her tongue again. Soma simply shrugged and sat back down.

"I thought you girls loved those types of lines. That's what those books said after all" Soma said curiously, unsure of what he said wrong.

"What have you been reading?! Clearly not the book we were assigned in class" Erina said, trying to see if she can get Soma to admit if he was actually doing his homework or not.

"Nah I tried to, but then I got kinda bored. Then I remember that Yuki-chan gave me some of those mangas you two like reading and wanted me to give it to you, so I read a bit of those. I seriously don't get why you guys are so obsessed with all that romance crap. I think a tournament arc, or something could really spice it up!" Soma exclaimed, completely ignoring Erina's flushed face.

"Y-you what?! Don't read those and recite the lines you idiot!" Erina stammered, flustered by the fact that Soma Yukihira had practically been using lines from her fantasy worlds, which she'd never admit of course. Soma stared at her, dumbfounded as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"The heck? If you don't even like it why do you read it so much? Weirdo" Soma added, infuriating the blonde even further.

"That's not- I didn't- Ugh! Shut up, Yukihira!" Erina exploded, getting tired of his constant too simple to argue back lines. Soma threw his hands up unaccusingly and whistled.

"Yikes, touchy much. Cool it, Erina, you might blow a blood vessel!" Soma nonchalantly said, infuriating Erina even more that she was the only one getting worked up.

"Keep talking and I'll blow yo-" Erina started before her eyes widened. A bright red color began to fill her cheeks as she stuttered under Soma's unsuspecting and confused gaze.

"B-blow you up! Yes, blow you up!" Erina stammered, trying to take in deep breaths. Unaware of how aggressively she was breathing, Soma simply stared at her as she furiously huffed out air, once again reminding him of how her adrenaline had been pumping in Hokkaido when she confronted her father.

"You good there? Want some water or something?" Soma asked, only to receiving a crushing punch on his cheek. Quickly sputtering out "KO!" he fell to floor.

"No! I'm fine! Thank you very much!" Erina shouted, still taking in deep breaths. Suddenly, the rumble of Soma's stomach caught her attention. She looked over to Soma, who was now sitting up and rubbing his stomach, laughing away.

"Haha, guess it's been a while since I ate, huh?" Soma laughed as he stood up and stretched. With a sigh, Erina reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small baggie, getting Soma's interest. Inside were a few pieces of chocolates and cookies. She set it on the table and made sure to avoid his eyes, aware of how red her face was.

"S-sometimes when I'm stressed out while working, I bake. I was going to indulge in these once I had reached home, but I suppose I should just make a healthy meal instead. It's not much, but it'll get you through the exam" Erina said, trying her hardest to halt her twitching. Soma was silent, much to Erina's dismay.

"I offer this brat some of my cooking and he doesn't even have the common sense to thank me for blessing him?! This brat…" she thought.

"Wow, you get stressed? Since when? I thought you were just some crazy workaholic" Soma laughed, making Erina groan.

"Of course that's what he has to say…" Erina thought with a sigh before meeting his eyes.

"Yes, I am human, after all. Especially now being the headmaster, it feels as if my workload has quadrupled. I need to do something to relieve my stress" Erina said.

"Really? When I get stressed, I like to put on my hanten when I get stressed" Soma said with a laugh, surprising Erina. She suddenly was reminded back to all the times he had casually strode around with the patterned winter wear with that dopey expression of yours.

"You? Stressed? Since when does a care-free puppy like you get stressed?" Erina bemusedly responded, stifling a mocking giggle. Soma rested his hand on his chest, acting as if he was actually insulted.

"I am human, of course I get stressed!" Soma mimicked, much to Erina's dismay. With a hardy laugh, he added "Yeah, it keeps me nice and cozy. I dunno, I used to do it with my dad's all the time and eventually it just stuck to me" Soma explaining. A warming smile formed on Erina's face as the thought of a tiny Soma swimming in the giant hanten of his father plucked her heart strings. No matter how annoying the man before her was, there was no denying that he was a cute child. At least, from what she remembered of the pictures she had seen adorning Yukihira Diner.

"You're such a loser" Erina teased, laughing at the redhead who was mimicking her with his hand. "You better remember to make an actual meal when you get back! If you only eat these desserts, I'm personally going to come over and kick your ass!" Erina exclaimed, tapping her finger against Soma's chest. With a snarky smirk, he whistled.

"Then maybe I shouldn't. Gives you an excuse to come over and teach me that soup recipe of yours!" Soma challenged. "Besides, I'm sure everyone in the dorm would love to hang out with you even more. I'm telling you; they completely forget about me when you're around" Soma said, making Erina smile seductively.

"I mean, I am royalty. Can you blame them?" Erina taunted, shrugging nonchalantly. She reached for coat and quickly put it on, fastening the notches. She got up and was about to make her way towards the door when Soma stopped her. Looking up at the boy's brilliant amber eyes, she pouted.

"Soma, I can't stay any longer. It's almost time for your exam and my driver is waiting" Erina explained. Soma held his hand out, halting her from continuing.

"Chill, you almost forgot your scarf" Soma explained, revealing the scarf in his other hand. Erina stared at it, unsure of how she had forgotten it even though she had left it on the table. Just as she was about to reach for it, she froze as Soma began to wrap the scarf around her neck. Being as gentle and precise as possible, he began to fiddle with it, gently tugging it in different areas to make sure it both covered any exposed skin while looking as presentable as possible. Erina struggled to keep still as she watched his fingers dance around the scarf. Every time he leaned in to get a better look at her scarf, the sudden burst of his breath sent shivers down her spine, terrifying and enticing her at the same time.

"There you go! I know you'd throw a fit if it didn't look perfect, so you are very welcome!" Soma said, throwing up a thumbs up. Too shellshocked at first to respond, she let out a resounding sigh before meeting his gentle eyes once more.

"Thank you" she finally said, walking past her before she felt his hand tightly grip around her elbow. Turning around once more, she flinched at the sudden sight of a cookie in her face. Moving his hand a bit to reveal his own face, he smiled radiantly.

"A cookie! For keeping me company. You really saved me back there" Soma exclaimed. Erina's pink lips curled into a small smile as she shook her head, accepting the cookie.

"Thanking me with my own gift. You really are an idiot" Erina laughed, turning around and taking a small bite of the cookie. For some reason, it had tasted better than before. Making her way to the door, she turned around again, staring at Soma who was sitting behind the mobile cooking station once more.

"What's up? Trying to get one more quippy remark about how I might accept some 'unskilled ruffian' again?" Soma teased, resting his chin on the palm of his hands.

"Nope. You made it through with me as your examiner, and you're a second year now. I trust in your judgement. Best of luck, Soma" Erina softly said before waving her last goodbye and leaving the room, leaving behind a blushing Soma.

Soma watched the time return to its sluggish pace, once again despising his job. At long last, however, the clock finally struck 8:30 P.M. Getting up from his seat, he made sure to stretch out his limbs before heading over to the door.

"Alright, let's get this over with" Soma thought before swinging open the door. His eyes widened as his eyes locked onto the person that stood right before him.

"Wait a minute. I know you—"

A/N: Wooo I finally got this chapter out. Tbh I spent more time thinking about how I wanted to go then actually writing it LMAOO. Like I said, I have the major plot points down, just getting to them might be a little tough, but we'll get there~ Don't really have much to say, so on to the reviews~

RandomSam12: LOL don't worry, no chainsaw dude. That shit was stupid. And yeah, I always wanted to see more of Dojima and Jouicihrou; I found their dynamic pretty interesting and found it kinda interesting they didn't have as deep of a talk considering they hadn't seen each other in so long. And yeah; I'm trying to fix my sleep schedule heh. It's tough but I got to since school starting up again soon, thanks for looking out though! Much love 3

FlamingNinja14: You know, at first I was confused but then I looked it up and you're right; it is brown. I'm just here like wtf LOL but also idk, it kinda also looks maroon-ish to me. Either way, I might fix it, just not right this moment. Thanks for the heads up, though!

I'mAlsoAWe: Thank you! As much as I don't care for Asahi, I don't think I could use that as an excuse to not at least try to make him somewhat compelling. And yessss, I always like Gin's interaction with Soma, he always seemed so protective and mentor-like even though he barely knew him.

DracoSoull: Thank you! I try to make sure everything is easy to imagine because actions tell just as much as words. I'm glad everyone's enjoying my take on Asahi; I was worried that it might seem like a failed attempt at reviving an already hated character, but it's nice to see people are willing to give it a shot!

Guest: No, you!

Animequeen100: Thank you! I always found it weird that Jouichirou just randomly decided to up and leave. Like, yeah he wanted Soma to go to Totsuki but also like…why randomly start traveling? I guess to keep him away from coming to Yukihira Diner all the time and focusing on him, but still odd. Also the fact that Senzaemon just decided not to be headmaster; so why not give that a more solid reason too heh.

Whatermelown: HUH I WASN'T TRYING TO MAKE YOU CRY LOL MY BAD? LOL but yeah, Jouichirou is more tragic the more I think about it. Has so many regrets, almost lost his way, lost his wife, and now his kid has to deal with the mistakes that he made? I'm sure it messes with him more than we ever really saw, so I really do want to flesh him out into more than just the cool dad type character. And tbh, back when I made the chapter with Soma's mom, there was like. No information on her, so me making her a good chef was really just how I thought it would pan out LOL BUT GUESS WHO WAS WRONG. Oh well, let the woman be better than Jouichirou. ACTUALLY BETTER, none of that Asahi nonsense.

Guest: Right now :]

So yeh. Also just to make sure this is clear; JOUICHIROU DID NOT REALLY LOSE TO ASAHI IN THIS FF. I hate that the manga played it off like some easy ass loss we're supposed to accept and THEN DID IT OFFSCREEN. So dumb, not having it pan out that way here LOL. Just wanted to throw that bit in just incase the dialogue was confusing. But yah, hope ya'll enjoyed and please do review~