That night, it was cold. Biting cold – the kind of cold that stung her cheeks and froze the air in her lungs, and anyone who knew Erina Nakiri knew that she did not like the cold. If the weather was too chilly to enjoy a mai tai on the beach, she much preferred to spend it indoors, preferably curled up by the fireplace with a cup of tea and a good book. However, on this very cold night, she didn't notice the freezing wind or falling snow, because everywhere he trailed his hands, the heat within her body spread, and she was fairly certain she could stay out there all night if it meant he would keep warming her up.

Much to her great frustration though, Soma pulled away just as she had leaned in for another kiss, and she pouted at his dirty trick. He, on the other hand, was smiling softly and looking at her like he was just seeing her for the first time.

"Erina Nakiri, I love you too."

...

They sat in awkward silence for what must've been a full minute, and while Erina wished to say something - anything - it seemed the network of neurons responsible for speech were on a break, and she could only stare. The earth was still spinning and time was ticking on relentlessly, but she was frozen (or as Alice would tease: short-circuited), and her brain incapable of comprehension.

Soma chuckled awkwardly, "Hello? Anyone home?" while waving a hand in front of her stunned face.

This seemed to bring her back to earth, because she finally controlled her breathing and whispered, "Y-you love me?"

"Yup!" he smiled proudly.

"You… idiot!" She exclaimed, bringing her hands up to shield her face. "H-how can you say that at a time like this?"

Soma frowned in plain confusion, "What do you mean?" He thought he was supposed to tell her how he felt!

"This!" She motioned to their rather compromising position where she was sitting on his lap with her hands in his hair while his were gripping her hips. "Now I'm always going to remember the first time you confessed as this!"

Soma looked up at her pink cheeks and cross expression and burst out laughing at her embarrassment. "You're already thinking about all the times you're gonna look back on this day in the future? You're right here with me now, so be here with me." He brought her back into him and kissed her again. "Besides, what's so wrong about this?"

"It isn't the kind of story you can tell your children when they ask," she frowned.

"Children? Whoa, slow down there. We're not ready for that yet."

Erina exploded, "I obviously didn't mean it like that! I just meant-"

But her outburst was cut short by his lips on hers, and any future objections she had melted in his embrace along with her restraint.

He roughly caught her bottom lip between his teeth, saying, "Besides, you taste too fucking good not to do this..."

"Yukihira!" she hissed, her face as red as a rose. "Don't say those things out loud, you pervert!"

He grinned and moved toward her ear, his warm breath fanning her neck. "Are you saying you want me to whisper?"

She blushed but leaned into him helplessly. "I hate you."

He corrected cheekily, "You love me."

"Are you cold?" He murmured against her hair as he held her. He could feel the goosebumps under his fingers as he lazily traced her back.

"No," she lied, head resting on his chest.

He chuckled, pulling her in closer. "We can go inside, ya know."

She shook her head. "But then we'd have to say goodnight."

"Do you wanna stay over at my place?"

"I can't. Alice and Hisako will definitely notice if I'm gone tonight."

Soma sighed, "So we're gonna stay out here for the rest of the night and get hypothermia?

She nodded stubbornly and Soma teased, "Ya know, the nice thing about dating is that we can do this all the time now. No one will care if we're at the other's place."

Erina shifted herself up to look at him. Even before she spoke, he could see the confusion in her purple eyes. "Why bother dating at all?"

Soma smirked, "Uh, because we love each other? I thought that much was clear."

She blushed and clarified, "But if we're both graduating in 3 months and going our separate ways, is it even worth it?"

Realization struck him, and he confirmed with a lighter heart, "So, that's why you ended things last night."

Erina nodded, "It just doesn't make sense for us to keep getting attached when we'll be forced apart in a few months."

Soma chuckled in relief. "Holy shit, Nakiri, I thought you just didn't like me anymore. We can do long distance!" he suggested breezily as if all their problems were now solved.

"That would never work! You can't even be trusted to reply to your messages now when we're all in the same time zone and have the same schedules. Chef Dojima literally had to track you down in person just to have a conversation with you. What will it be like when you're off on a different continent and we're both juggling new responsibilities?"

He repeated his idea from before, "Then come with me! We can travel together, you can make fun of me when I embarrass myself speaking other languages..."

"As much as I would love to see that, I already told you I'm opening my restaurant. I'm ready. I want to take this next step now before I lose my nerve."

He threw his hands up and said resolutely, "Then I'll stay. I'll work at Yukihira's like I always planned!"

"I thought you wanted to venture out on your own path though..."

"I do," he admitted, "but I'd rather be with you."

Erina frowned and said stubbornly, "Well, I can't let you do that. I refuse to be the one who stands between you and your goals."

Soma asked in frustration, "Then what are we supposed to do? I know it's crazy and we're so young, but I feel like this is the real deal."

She buried her face back into his chest to avoid his gaze, mumbling, "I know, I feel it too. This isn't just a practice run anymore, which is exactly why I don't want to do this. I won't let our relationship fail before it's even started. We should both go off on our own and accomplish what we need to, separately. And when the time is right and you're ready to come home, we'll be together."

A moment passed where the two simply leaned into each other on that cold night, staring out at the dark sky, rattling their brains for any alternate ending to the story that was seemingly writing itself. When none came, Soma made a sound of displeasure and groaned, "I hate this. It feels like we're breaking up when we never even started going out. Is there really no other way?"

Sighing, she said, "None that I can see."

"...Okay. We can do whatever you want, Nakiri. As long as you're happy," he reluctantly agreed, kissing the top of her forehead.

She scoffed quietly, "I'm not, but thank you. I really think this is our only option."

"What if you find someone else while I'm gone?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood, although he was certain that the second he left, potential suitors would be beating down the doors to get to her.

Impossible. But instead she said smoothly, "I suppose you'll have to challenge him for me."

They made the long and treacherous journey all the way from the roof to her penthouse suite, only pausing about a dozen times to rest and recover every few feet, kissing and giggling secretively. They held hands, playfully swaying them back and forth, until finally stopping right in front of her room. Erina looked at the door in distaste as if it were covered in mold and she dropped her gaze downward. "I suppose we should call it a night..."

Soma leaned down to kiss her for what was fully intended to be the last time, however, the second his lips left hers, he realized he had grossly overestimated his willpower when it came to the blonde, and somehow one innocent kiss turned into another, then another. Her quiet moans did nothing to dissuade him from tangling his fingers in her hair or teasing her tongue with his, and 5 goodnights, 8 I love yous, and 12 Okay seriously, byes forced between kisses later, they had made the opposite of progress.

"You need to go! Someone will see us," Erina panted as soon as their lips parted. She knew she sounded like a broken record, yet she still clung to him, fully inviting another kiss. She was reminded of all the times she'd overheard conversations in the hallway where a lovestruck student gushed into their phone, "No, you hang up first!" God, how sickened she'd been by their attitudes before. Now, here she was playing the same game.

He shot her a genuinely confused look. "I am. Can't you see I'm down the hall now?" he asked softly just before meeting her lips with his again. He trailed kisses from her mouth and along her jaw, murmuring, "Getting in the elevator."

She giggled but said nothing, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes.

"In my room now," he whispered in her ear, grinning at her nervous squirming against him. "Thinking about you."

The ding from the elevator was finally what broke the never ending cycle, and the two broke apart in haste. Luckily it was a stranger who was heading in the opposite direction, but Erina let out a shaky breath, "See what happens when you don't listen to me? Go already!"

Soma slyly pulled her back into his embrace and dropped his head onto hers. "I don't want to leave you though. When we see each other tomorrow, it's gonna be as friends and I'm not ready for that yet."

Her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck, and she closed her eyes, trying to etch the feeling into her memory for the moments when she knew she would need it the most.

"...Neither am I," she admitted, but she lifted her head to meet his gaze. "But we have to."

Sporting a very shy look, he dropped his forehead to hers. "I know. Just know that I love you, okay? I don't want you to forget that even when I'm gone."

Erina had to turn her head away, because she could feel the tears collecting in her eyes and she didn't want him to see. "Yes, I know," she muttered, unwilling to really hear his words. It wasn't like she needed him to say it. She could feel it in his grip and the way he kissed her; she could even feel it when he cooked for her with that happy grin and cocky attitude. In fact, it was overwhelming to be loved so deeply. Her heart was aching with the love and pain that were so inextricably linked when it came to the boy before her, and any second now it was bound to rip in two.

Soma, on the other hand, needed to lay it all out on the table before they had to part ways. Who knew when he would be able to tell her all the stuff that was on his mind? "Seriously, every time you see me zoning out during a council meeting it's 'cause I'm thinking about you. And if I bring you another twelve dishes to try in the first week of school it's 'cause all I want to do is make food that'll make you happy. Got it?"

His sweet words were only making it harder to move on, and all she wanted to do was change into her pajamas, drink away her sorrows with the liquor in the minibar, and cry. The lump in her throat was growing by the second, but she managed to choke out softly, "I know... Now please leave, Yukihira."

Her trembling lip and averted eyes were breaking his heart, and although all he wanted to do was stay with her, he knew it wasn't helping either of them. A tear ran down her cheek, and he brushed it off with his thumb. He kissed her forehead lightly, not wanting to cause her any more pain. "Sweet dreams, Nakiri."

After tossing and turning all night, Erina woke up to an empty room. The girls had seen the wreck she was upon entering the room the previous night, and they knew she would want some space in the morning. She turned sideways in bed to see two little notes scribbled on the hotel's stationary pad.

Erina,

We have gone down to get breakfast. I know your ankle must be hurting so you probably will not want to come to the restaurant. Please call me and let me know if you'd like me to pick something up for you.

-Hisako

She laughed to herself. Ah yes, her ankle. She appreciated how tactful Hisako was when it came to personal matters. She moved onto the second note.

E,

I'm going to pretend I found a red hair in my breakfast and get him fired. Love you, feel better!

Xoxo - A

Erina smirked and quickly texted Alice not to do such a thing. She hadn't exactly explained what had occurred the previous night; all they knew was that she was heartbroken, and it was all thanks to him. Misguided as it was, this was Alice's own way of saying she was there for her, and Erina appreciated it all the same.

Her phone buzzed with Alice's reply. I didn't even get to! He's not here.

He wasn't there? Erina knew his schedule by heart (a fact she would never admit to anyone), and she knew he was scheduled to work that morning. That idiot probably overslept. Gathering strength, she decided to reprimand him as a headmistress should. This would show him that she was ready to put their relationship back on track. Heart racing, she mentally prepared herself as she went down to his floor to scold the shit out of him, but she was surprised to see Megumi loudly banging on his door.

"Soma-kun, open up!" she shouted in a panicked voice.

"Megumi," Erina accidentally called out in her authoritative voice reserved for troublemakers. "What are you doing?"

The blue-haired girl squeaked, "I'm so sorry for yelling! I didn't mean to wake everyone this morning, but I received a weird text from Soma-kun and I wanted to check on him!" She began lightly rapping her knuckles against the door and whisper-screamed, "Soma-kun!"

"What exactly did his text say?" Erina asked, trying to keep the concern out of her voice.

Megumi wrung her hands together. "He said he was leaving to 'get started on his plans' and that he would be back soon. That was it. I tried to call him, but he didn't answer."

"Leaving?" she wondered aloud. She suddenly remembered she had an extra key card to his room and tried the door, ignoring the awkward look on Megumi's face. The light blinked red and the door didn't budge.

Megumi murmured, "Oh my... I guess he's already checked out."

Feeling a sharp prickle of irritation at the fact that the boy hadn't said anything to her about his departure, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and excused herself from the worrying girl. So what if he left the resort early? She would see him when they came back to school.

One week later...

The Elite 10 had gathered a week after school had started to go over the last events the seniors would oversee as part of the council. Every seat was filled at the round table except the illustrious first seat. Soma had been missing ever since that last day at the ski resort. She'd heard rumblings and rumors that he was traveling abroad, even seeing a photo of him with Chef Dojima and his father in front of Big Ben. Hisako had received the picture from Hayama, who got it from Jun, who got it directly from Gin, and when the poor girl blanched and tried to whip her phone out of sight, Erina already knew what (and who) she was hiding.

"Nakiri," Takumi gently called out, breaking Erina's train of thought. "You were saying something about our final order of business?"

She shook her head as if to rattle her brain back into focus. "Ah, y-yes, excuse me. As I was saying, third years: this is your last chance to get in your project proposals before I will review them in the upcoming semester. If you are able to obtain the majority vote in your favor, please have each member sign the official proposal and bring it to me by the end of the week. Any questions?"

Alice leaned back in her chair, puffing her cheeks out. "Why do we have to get our proposals in so early? What if I don't know what my cute little juniors need yet?"

Erina sent her a frosty look and said, "Because I will not be chasing each of you down on the last week of school trying to implement these changes, and I certainly won't be leaving all this paperwork for my successor. Do none of you know if you'll be submitting final proposals?"

Hayama said, "I have already drafted mine and gotten the proper approvals to expand the Shiomi Seminar. It will be on your desk in the morning."

"Excellent."

Ryo growled in berserk mode, "If you losers don't accept my proposal to start our own fish market, I'll kill each of you!"

"When did you even put this on?!" Alice snatched the red bandana off his head. She thought aloud, "Hmm, I guess I can figure out something to do with my Cutting-Edge RS..."

"I've got one," a voice called out from the doorway. "How about a pool at the Polar Star Dorms?"

Erina felt her mouth go dry.

"Soma-kun!"

"Yukihira, you're back!"

All eyes turned to the redhead as he casually sauntered into the room like he hadn't gone AWOL for the past week.

"What's up, guys?" he asked with a huge smile on his face as he made his way to his empty seat, which happened to be right next to Erina.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

"I had some stuff to take care of," he said offhandedly. "Speaking of which, is this meeting almost over? I've gotta show you something."

"No, it's not almost over!" she screamed, indifferent to the way everyone flinched at her sudden exclamation.

"A-actually, Nakiri-san," a shy second-year stammered, "Y-you said that was our final topic for this meeting."

"Oh, nice!" Soma exclaimed, shooting the kid a thumbs up, earning an awe-inspired smile from said student. "That means we can go."

She glared at him before silently standing and gathering her papers, signaling the end of the meeting. The rest of the council followed suit one by one, and Erina and Soma were left alone in the council room. The headmistress grumbled, "Just because the meeting's been adjourned doesn't mean I want anything to do with you."

Soma asked in total ignorance, "Why're you mad?"

"Because!" She pushed past him and down the hallway, trying to get to her limo as quickly as possible.

"Because what?" He called out cluelessly as he half-jogged behind her trying to keep up.

She finally stopped in her tracks and hit him harshly in the chest. "Because I thought you left! I thought you jetted off to the other side of the world without saying goodbye!"

Soma cocked his head. "I didn't leave though. I mean I did, but not like that! I had to go talk to my dad about stuff, and-"

"That's not the point! You didn't tell anyone where you were, and it scared me! How could you ever think we would be able to maintain a long-distance relationship if you can't even be trusted to reply back to your closest friends?"

"I texted Tadokoro and told her I'd be back soon though!" he argued.

"Soon is a few hours, not a week after school starts! You are such an inconsiderate jerk!" She whirled back around and made her way back towards the doors. They walked outside to her limo but when she pulled the door open, Soma closed it right back.

"Look, I'll admit I didn't handle that well. I suck at texting and emailing, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise! Please, Nakiri, I'm beggin' ya. Come with me. I'll tell you everything that happened this week."

The sincere look in his face slightly soothed her hurt ego, and she reluctantly took her hand off the limo's door handle. "Fine. But I am not getting on your bike."

One short motorcycle ride later, Erina and Soma were in the heart of Tokyo in the restaurant district. Erina asked irritably, "What are we doing here, Yukihira?"

He stopped walking abruptly but the swarm of people merely side-stepped the pair. Soma announced with his arm outstretched dramatically, "Listen up, Nakiri! You've been my biggest opponent and harshest critic since I came to Tōtsuki. You're the reason I keep going when I feel stuck or drained. I thought I had to travel the world because it was what my dad did to get stronger, but after talking to him, he made me realize the only reason he left was because he lost his motivation in the first place. He only found it again when he met my mom!"

Erina's cheeks heated up at his very loud declaration and she glanced around in embarrassment. Thankfully the horde of pedestrians just trying to get home after a long day of work paid no mind to the two teenagers who were perceivably having nothing but a lovers' quarrel.

"What I'm trying to say is - I don't need to leave! If I travelled the world, sure I'd get to learn new recipes and techniques, but I wouldn't have the same motivation to keep going without you there telling me it's disgusting! So, if you're not coming with me, I'm staying here with you!"

The feeling of hope settled in her heart at his words, but she still crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. "What are you talking about? Are you staying at Yukihira's?"

Soma shook his head. "Nope. I love that place and it'll always be my home, but I meant what I said about doing things my own way."

"But if you're not traveling after graduation and you're not going back to your diner, what are you doing?!"

He grinned and rubbed his hands together as he finally unveiled his master plan. "After I came home from talking to my dad, I've been meeting with real-estate agents all week. You said you were looking to open a restaurant in this neighborhood, right? Well... say hello to your biggest competition!" He extended his arms proudly as if to showcase himself.

Erina narrowed her eyes and yawned. "As if your little street cart could rival my establishment."

He laughed at her unimpressed attitude, "Nah, it's not some shitty street cart. I bought a real restaurant. Put down the deposit a few days ago and finally got the keys today."

"And how on earth did you manage that?"

He scratched the back of his head and shrugged, "It's not like I have any money stored away, but the bank seemed to think I was a solid investment since I'm the first seat of Tōtsuki and all. I hope you're ready for some intense competition, Nakiri, 'cause my place is about to blow the socks off yours!"

"You bought a restaurant…" she reiterated in disbelief, "And you're staying, not to be my boyfriend, but to be my competitor?"

"Well the two don't have to be mutually exclusive," he winked, "But for the most part, yeah! You're my biggest rival, and I'm not leaving this goddamn country until I make you admit my food is delicious!"

A moment of silence passed as she absorbed everything he had told her. Within seconds, she was bursting into giggles, which eventually escalated into full-blown hysterical laughter on the street. Erina had never laughed like this in her life, and only after her lungs seized from laughing so much was she able to calm down, clutching her sides in pain. "Oh my GOD, you're certifiably insane, Yukihira!"

"Absolutely!" he said, taking advantage of weak state by pulling her down the street again. He said cheerfully, "C'mon, I'll show ya my new place!"

They finally stopped in front of an abandoned but well-maintained building, and Erina could only stare in confused wonderment.

"Tada!" Soma exclaimed.

"This is your restaurant?"

"Yup! What do ya think?"

"Yukihira," she began sweetly, "You know how I said I wanted to open a restaurant in this neighborhood? THIS was the restaurant!"

Soma blinked. "I bought your restaurant?"

She nodded adamantly. "I'd been in negotiations with the old owners for ages! I had them at half their selling price plus covering the closing fees! You're telling me you just went and bought it?!"

He chuckled nervously, "Yeah… I knew there was another buyer, so I thought I should act fast… Didn't realize it was you!"

He pulled out the key, and they entered the empty building. It was an old restaurant, with plenty of open space for tables and cozy booths lining the walls. Beautiful pendant lights hung from the ceiling while the warm light reflected off the oak floors. It was a blank canvas, ready to be made into something spectacular.

She pouted as she sank down into a booth. "It's just like I remember. It was going to be so perfect."

Soma ran a hand through his hair as his surprise veered off course and crashed in a ditch, dying a fiery death. Fuck fuck fuck. He offered awkwardly, "I can sell it to you if you want?"

She looked up at him with a dead expression. "I'm guessing you paid full price? No thank you. I'll just find somewhere else. Another restaurant with perfect foot traffic and targets my key demographic and requires minimal changes to the infrastructure."

"That's the spirit!" Soma exclaimed before he realized she was being sarcastic. "Uh, how about we have a Shokugeki for it?"

"Are you crazy? We can't bet something like this on a Shokugeki! I'm certain there are tax restrictions against that sort of thing!" She began pacing up and down the empty restaurant to clear her head. Suddenly, she had an idea. An idea so simple she could kiss herself – an idea so utterly contrary to her younger self she could have gagged. "Yukihira... what if I bought half of the restaurant?"

"Huh?" Soma asked in confusion. He couldn't help but picture the left half of the restaurant draped in chandeliers and silk, a thick line of tape running down the center of the building, and the right half being a nondescript diner with rowdy patrons. That couldn't be what she meant though, right? "You wanna be co-owners?"

"Yes."

"Are we co-chefs too?"

She nodded in embarrassment. "Yes."

"And we're serving the same customers off the same menu?" Soma asked doubtfully.

"Yes."

"So, it would be our restaurant that we own together," he repeated again, forcing Erina to frown and huff, "Yes, I believe that was all implied."

He didn't answer her; instead, he walked around the restaurant trying to meld the two halves he'd previously conjured up in his mind. He tried to imagine a restaurant created by the two most influential chefs of their generation, with food combinations that had never been seen before on this earth and flavors that had yet to be discovered. He grinned like a madman picturing working alongside the most talented woman he knew everyday.

He never gave her a yes or no answer. Instead, he slowly approached her, warning wryly, "You know we'll kill each other, right?"

Erina smirked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders where they belonged. "Are you afraid?"

"Nah," he shrugged, "More like... excited."

A chill went down her spine as he eyed her lips in interest. He murmured in a gravelly voice, millimeters away from her face, "Say, Nakiri, there's one last thing we've gotta do to seal the deal."

"Oh?" she tried to keep her voice even, but every nerve in her body was on edge.

Suddenly tearing himself from her grip, he sprinted towards his backpack and pulled out a canister. As soon as it was uncapped, the most odious smell attacked her nose and tongue, and Erina held her hands to her face to stop from throwing up on the spot. "What is going on?!"

Soma grinned naughtily, an evil aura emanating from his body. "The terms of our first agreement, Princess. Remember? You'd eat anything I served you if I helped you... Eat up..."

She continued covering her nose but the smell was somehow permeating through her eyes! "What's in that? I can smell like 5 different animals alone!"

Soma cocked his head. "Oh a little bat here, a little squirrel there. Some squid too. Added some ramen just to make it go down easier."

Let it be known that Erina Nakiri was not a coward. She took the canister with a trembling hand.

Her screams could be heard from halfway across town.

3 years later...

Alice, with Ryo in tow, forced her way through the throng of people who were buzzing excitedly at the entrance of Venture. Hearing the word 'Shokugeki', she whipped her head around in search for the hidden Totsuki alumni, but didn't see anyone she knew. Must've imagined it! She skipped the line of queuers all dressed to the nines, ignoring their angered shouts, and marched right up to the hostess. Her perfectly manicured fingers raised into a V as she said, "Table for two."

The hostess looked at her in annoyance. Of course, she was used to this kind of behavior working in the restaurant industry. "Do you have a reservation?"

Alice simply cocked her head. "No, of course not. We just flew in on a whim to celebrate their first Michelin star."

Rich people, the hostess rolled her eyes. She sneered, "Unfortunately, as you just proved, this is the hottest restaurant in town. Reservations have been booked months in advance, so if you would like to put your name on the waiting list, we may have a spot if someone doesn't come, although that is highly doubtful. The first Friday of the month is always our busiest night."

Alice pouted towards Ryo and said in exaggerated worry, "Ugh, if only we'd made reservations! How will I ever taste Erina's-" she pulled out the latest article of Saveur and recited word for word, "-inspired, one-of-a-kind, blessing to your taste buds cooking?!"

Ryo shrugged, "We can always meet them at their apartment. Yukihira said we could crash with them while we were here."

His fiancée rolled her eyes. "As if I'll be sharing a bathroom with Erina again. Do you not remember 'The Case of the Stolen Lipgloss' last year when we all vacationed in that villa in Saint-Tropez? What a nightmare."

"I'm certain you lost it..."

As the couple before her argued, the hostess's hands grew clammy; something wasn't right here. "Wh-what did you say your name was again, Miss?"

"Alice Nakiri," the young girl smiled back, ruby eyes glistening. "You might know my cousin, Erina. Blonde, arrogant beyond belief, controls your paycheck...?"

The woman felt her soul leave her body, and she quickly allowed them entrance, assuring them, "Please sit anywhere you'd like! I'll be sure to let Chef Nakiri know you are here."

"Don't bother, I'd much rather it be a surprise," Alice said as she strolled into the dining area with Ryo following silently behind her. The restaurant was inherently chic with its rich oak floors and dark red walls. The pendant lights provided little pockets of gold in the otherwise dim restaurant, and despite the obvious feeling of luxuriousness, one also felt at home in the space.

Their search for a good table was interrupted by something so outlandish that neither could've ever imagined it would be at the God Tongue's restaurant. Erina and Soma were sharpening their knives and preparing their workstations at the hibachi-style grill in the center of the restaurant. Many of the patrons had their bodies turned, watching in rapt attention, but the majority had left their tables altogether and gathered around it like spectators at a wrestling match.

"What'll it be today, guys?" Soma asked cheerfully, throwing his trusty knife up in the air so that it twirled a dozen times before landing snuggly back in his palm.

The crowd gasped, but Erina rolled her eyes, unimpressed after seeing the same trick month after month. "Please hold your applause until after you try our dishes. Then you'll see who is truly the better chef!"

CEOs, prime ministers, and entrepreneurs yelled out their requests for the mini-Shokugeki, and Soma's eyes and ears scanned the crowd for worthy suggestions. Finally, he pointed with his knife to a little boy in the back. "Yo, kid, what do you feel like eating?"

The 5 year old blinked in surprise at being addressed but quickly got over it, flailing his arms and yelling excitedly, "Breakfast!"

Everyone laughed at the child. Breakfast for dinner? What a preposterous idea! But Soma smiled, "Yes, sir! Wanna come up here and watch the magic?"

The child scurried up to the front, leaving his mortified parents behind and haphazardly climbing the stool that sat right in front of the two infamous chefs.

Soma grinned at the kid's enthusiasm and asked his co-chef, "Ready?"

Sending him a deadly smile, she expertly twirled her knife in her right hand while pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear with the other. "Always. I can't believe you don't get tired of tasting defeat each month."

"Hey, not always! It's 25-13 and don't you forget it! I'm catchin' up!" Soma exclaimed. "And I won last month!"

"A fluke and nothing more," she huffed.

Alice threw her head back and laughed, "Ryo, don't tell me they've actually brought Shokugekis to their restaurant."

Even her solemn partner had the tiniest smile on his face. "Looks like it."

Alice hummed to herself. "Cute. I wonder who'll win this time."

"You don't wanna go sit up front and say hi?"

She shook her head, "We can wait until after. I'd like to see how this plays out."

Soma riled the crowd up while Erina giggled, plainly enamored with the redhead. Soma yelled, "Alright guys, start us off!"

Alice, Ryo, and all their fans cheered in unison, "3...2...1... Go!"

A/N: And that's the end! Hope you guys enjoyed this story, please let me know what you think in the comments!

To answer a few questions:

Why do the OCs have white names lol - I have no imagination and was scared of picking the Sally or Bob of Japanese names.

Will I keep writing stories - maybe? I'm working on a couple right now but once I'm done with those not sure! If anyone ever wants me to write something for them though, all you have to do is PM me! I'd be happy to try my hand at any prompt if I thought I could do it justice!

Love you guys and all the support I've received throughout this story! Have a great day!