Okay okay. I have no idea why I'm doing this. Really. I have close to zero knowledge when it comes to cooking (okay, I do cook, but...) and right now I'm rather busy and stressed - Not the best condition to write. And what's worse is that while the pairing is although understandably Erina and Souma, I have a strong dislike for tsun and hime. Which actually confuses the heck out of me why my mind keep bothering itself with coming up with ideas. Okay, I do like the series, the character are nicely built and has great developments, and the fanfictions hasn't exactly quenched my thirst (infact it kinda makes me want more) so I can only bite my tongue and hope I can come up with a decent story as I write.

Mainly, my focus is how to make Erina and Souma less...well, less hostile (with Souma, does that even count as hostile?!) The basics would still follow the main storyline, besides several changes.

Oops, since I'm new to the block, I have to introduce myself.

DsCrystalEyes here, and hoping you would enjoy my humble story (of which I still think is a bad idea to write)

*Insert Standard Disclaimer Here*

_o_o_0_o_o_

"Terrible!"

That sound resonated through the small area.

At the back entrance of his family restaurant, Yukihira Souma sat before the burning grill before him.

"A failure..."-His head hung low, his voice shaky at the failure before him-"Squid tentacle...with peanut butter...no...It just...doesn't feel right...it's horrible...horribly funny..."

"Souma!"-A voice coming from inside the kitchen called out, stopping him from his murmuring-"The guests are here!"

"Oh! I'm coming!"

...

...

This restaurant, located in Shitamachi shopping district is where he has been living his whole life til now. Eversince he was three, he had been helping his father running it.

No, not the things like boiling water, passing the salt or buying ingredients.

We're talking about knives.

"Look, they are having another contest!"

"Really! Another one?!"

"Souma just don't know when to quit!"

And eversince, Souma's dream has not yet changed a single day.

To beat his father, Yukihira Joichirou.

"This side wins!"-Kurase-chan, Souma's classmate, declared victory to the older chef.

Once again.

After 489 times trying to catch up, Souma still failed.

"Indeed! The old generation still hasn't lost his edge!"-One customer said as he gulped down the fried rice dish the chefs presented.

"To be eating such good food and so close to home even! I'm blessed!~"-Another customer, this time a student said as well.

Every sentence feels like a jab to Souma's pride and mentality.

It might just hit bottom level, dig itself into a hole then refuses to come out.

"Huh...I guess I've lost to you today, old man."-Souma took of his headband.

"Say that when you had won at least one time, kid."

And his father just has to deliver the finisher.

"Hey, Souma, aren't we getting close to 500 wins in a row?"

"Shut up old man, this is just the 489th time!"

And so, along with that weak comeback, goes the last of Souma's mentality.

"Well, I don't have the time to properly count, so let's just even it up."

You can just see it! You can see the aura of gloominess surrounding the young Yukihira.

"Bu-But! Souma-kun's cooking is really good too! You can never find a better dish of fried rice anywhere else!"-Kurase tried to cheer Souma up, although it was rather in vein.

"T-Thanks Kurase. If you don't mind then...Would you mind trying a new dish I came up with?"-Souma spoke, still having anime tears going down his cheeks.

"E-eh?"-For some reason, Kurase felt sweat coming out of her body profusedly.-"Sure! I'll gladly try it!"-Pushing that fear aside, the bright girl nodded.

'T-There it comes!"-The customers all had that same thought.

"Here you go. Squid tentacles with peanut butter."

"Eh?"-Was all Kurase could speak before one of the most horrible dish ever invented entered her mouth.

The feeling...

It's...it's like...

Being touched and stroked by slimy, slipery tentacles. (The humble fanfic writer deeply wanted to put a *citation needed* mark here.)

To top it off, it seems his father support the boy in his endeavors of creating new, equally horrible dish.

"Compared to my sardines with strawberry jams, that dish can only take 9th place, right Souma?"

"Hah?"-Souma turned to him-"My tentacles are better and you know it!"

"My sardines are better."

"My tentacles are!"

I-I guess like father like son...

_o_o_0_o_o_

Nakiri Sanzaemon wasn't having the best day of his life.

He had been coming up with ideas. Strategies. Hopes and plans.

All in the hopes of opening his grandchild's eyes.

Nakiri Erina. The infamous God's Palette. Born gifted, raised gifted, surrounded by gifted and stepped on the gifted like dirt.

Soon, that girl would enter her highschool years.

The grandaughter that would surely succeed him, surpass him, and take over the entire culinary world.

Of course, being a man that has passed his twilight (some would say otherwise, though), he had no problem with having such a gifted individual take his place.

But right now, right this momment, Nakiri Erina has a fatal flaw that no one but him could realize.

And he had no way to fix it. There is no means to.

That flaw would not show itself, not right now. It is not a crack right now, but rather, a tiny flaw. Over time, that flaw would show a crack. And then, that crack would tear open. And then it would not be salvagable.

Who...what in the world could fix such a tiny but important part of his grandaughter?

After brainstorming for hours (surprisingly without even losing his majestic gaze), a name finally entered his mind.

'Yukihira.'

_o_o_0_o_o_

"Man, that was annoying..."-Souma sighed as he wiped somesort of white paste off the sign of his small family restaurant.

Getting rid of those harrasser trying to close his family shop and tear it down was a piece of cake. A quick improvise of the ingredient he bought for breakfast and he had gotten them rolling on the floor in pure estacy.

"Seriously...of all times for the old man to be away..."-Souma said, but soon, a smile spread thinly across his lips.-"Mah, it wasn't such a big deal anyway."

'One day, I'll be able to do it! I'll surpass the old man and take over this family bussiness!'

That had always been the boy's dream. A simple, yet passionate and beautiful dream.

But, suddenly, a car entered his vision.

An expensive limo at that.

Souma tried not to stare, but it's a rare scene to see a limo passing by this district. Hell, he had never actually seen one in real life before!

And what's worse is that it stopped right at Yukihira's.

Turned on his position on the ladder, he faces the limo's window doors.

Taking in the situation, the incident just last night, and the time of early sunrise right now, unsuitable for any guests here for enjoyment, Souma voiced.

"If you're here about the land again..."-He was close to gritting his teeth.

But.

The door slowly opened, and from it, a leg, then a pair of leg stuck out.

Female. School uniform.

"Eh?"

From the limo, a girl that even the renowed dense and naive Yukihira Souma must admit, has all the quality for a "princess" stepped out.

A porpotionate body that has all the curve women could dream of, long, wavy blonde hair with two pointy sideburns flew in the air as her handgave a small, elegant flick to fix it from the presumably long journey in the limo.

She looked up to him, pierce him directly with her cold, mesmerizing purple eyes.

They stared at each other for a short few second.

"W...what do you want?"-Souma voiced, not shaky but very confused and awkward.

"..."-The girl seperated her gaze from him, as the other limo door opened, and from it, a terrifying old man that Souma could only relate to a very, very terrifying Yakuza leader stepped out. He possess a solemn, majestic, and Souma would say, cool gaze. He looked to the young redhead cleaning the sign with a strange smirk.

"Young man. What's your name?"

"Yukihira Souma."-The young cook responded, steeling himself.

"...Yukihira...Souma?"-The old Yakuza-like man repeated.

"If you are here about the issue with the land, I told you we-"

"Cook something for us."-The old man requested, very solemn yet had a hint of friendliness in it.

"Ah?"

"Didn't you hear it clearly?"-The beautiful princess voiced-"Cook something for me. Your best dish. If it doesn't satisfy me, I'll tear this shop down."

"...So you are here about the land again?"-Souma clenched his fist-"I already threw out your lackeys yesterday after you messed up my family restaurant, my home, and now here you are, want me to cook another dish?!"

"Hm?"-The old man frowned. Did the boy got the wrong idea about them?

Looking at what he was doing, cleaning up obvious signs of sabotage, the wise old man gotten a vague idea what happened.

The tables, kitchenwares inside seems to be a mess. The ingridients can be seen vaguely all over the floor in the back.

"No, you seem to have gotten the wrong ide-"

"Very well!"

'Hm?!'

Nakiri Sanzeamon couldn't be anymore surprised.

The redhead cook named Yukihira Souma jumped down from the ladder, directly facing the ojou girl.

"I'll make a dish that would make you say 'delicious'!"-He then confidently declared.

This...

What is this?

Sanzeamon had no idea how the outcome would turn out.

But he had that feeling in his gut.

That all that solution, plans and everything he came up with that lead to him leading his grandaughter here.

All that can be scrapped.

A better solution has risen.

The best.

"Hmph."-Nakiri Erina flicked her hair again.

...

And there you have it. You can see the obvious change right? Too bad I couldn't write further than this, it's late, and I'm busy tomorow morning, so I'm stepping out of my comfortzone to bring you this. No, I don't have expectations for this fanfics. Heck, I have no hopes for it to be absolutely honest. I'm just writing to relieve stress and giving you guys something with it in the process. But regardless, I love writing and don't plan on abandoning this anytime soon, so, fav and review as you please! Any supportive ideas you have, you can give them through reviews or PMs, as I always look out for and appreciate it.

Until very soon from now,

DsCrystalEyes