He stared up at the scoreboard in disbelief. No, disbelief wasn't the right word.

Rejection. Absolute rejection.

He rejected this conclusion; completely and wholeheartedly. This simply couldn't be.

Yukihira Sōma & Nakiri Alice – 1

Nakiri Erina & Tadokoro Megumi – 2

He stared at that lone digit; wondering if he could change it through sheer force of will.

No. There was no need to change that which wasn't real. This simply couldn't be happening.

But no matter how hard he bit the inside of his cheek, he wasn't waking up. He was caught in the inescapable reality of this moment. He'd lost. He'd lost this shokugeki. He'd lost everything.

As long as Saiba-senpai remains here at Tōtsuki, you have my word…

He'd be losing that soon enough then; in one simple decisive blow, months of work, stress and pain were all rendered useless.

Not useless…

His wrist throbbed and he gritted his teeth. It seemed Alice had been more than a little convincing. At least to some part of him. The part that still put his faith in hope. And people.

His wrist throbbed again, the dull pain sharpening into a persistent ache. It had been happening more and more over the past few days; ever since Rindō had come in like the natural disaster she was and destroyed the only good thing he'd been able to salvage out of this mess.

It's…not destroyed…

Not for lack of trying! Do you forgive the shooter just because she missed your head and hit you in the shoulder?

Alice understands.

Ever since then; ever since Rindō's threats and his talk with Alice, he'd been disagreeing with himself more and more. They'd always done things differently; he'd been the strong one, the intelligent one, the one with the False God's Tongue. He'd stepped up time and again to shield his weaker half; to be the strength they both needed. Because they'd both agreed on what needed to be done. It's why the chain, for all the detest they held for it, was still needed.

His wrist throbbed again, the ache increasing even further. But the pain wasn't important. Nothing was. Except for the verdict that had been delivered by her grandfather. He knew how important this was…how important everything he'd been doing was and he hadn't hesitated for even a second to tear it all down.

A small part of his attention noticed Azami's exit, along with the exuberant cheering of the crowd around them. Each cry and wave only made him sink further; they had no idea what they were cheering for. They were ignorant of what was truly lost this day. They were all so happy because a collection of badly painted rooms and shoddy construction got to stay standing.

Polar Star…the friends we left there…they are important.

He'd demolish it in a second if it would've suited him. And realizing that only made his wrist start to pulse in time with his heartbeat; each tick sending fire running up and down his arm. He could feel the horror from his other self and he felt the divide between them grow even larger. He could feel the tension, taut and stretched like a rubber band.

The plate slipped from his hands but he didn't care. The noise of it shattering on the floor didn't even stir him. He just continued to stare upwards until he felt eyes on him. And not just any eyes. Important, bright, purple eyes.

He turned and faced those eyes.

Erina…

The pain was starting to become unbearable. He felt half remembered memories creeping into the back of his mind, memories of shackles and fire. He felt his other half cower and quake; gibbering madly as he continued to stand strong, as he always did. Always would. Regardless of how he felt.

That's when he came to a decision and he felt the shackles that made him up, for the first time in what seemed like too long, finally ease and loosen. He felt like he could breathe again, even as the other part of him protested.

No…you can't…

He felt a smile work its way onto his face. He couldn't see it but knew, based on the way that those purple eyes had flinched, that it must have been an ugly thing to see.

It's too dangerous…we don't know what would happen. We'd be lost!

No. YOU would be. He strode over to the sink and unclasped his chain in one swift motion. He resisted, for the first time in what seemed like too long, the urge to surrender to his other self. To give him control. He held the chain above the sink and tried to drop it. But felt his hand stall. For a brief second. The distinction between Sōma and Sōma grew even further as his other self tried to resist.

With almost contemptuous ease, the struggle was won and he dropped the chain before switching on the garbage disposal. He felt each and every harsh clank resonate as something more than just metal was destroyed. Each clang of the disposal blades meeting the chain hit him in a way that only served to widen the gap even further.

What have we done…

As the last of the metal clashing faded, he straightened up. He reached over and switched the garbage disposal off, the whirring hum fading. The crowd was still cheering, still oblivious, still ignorant.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

He gasped as he felt the shackles slip and loosen completely, fading into so much nothing. But his other self hadn't faded with it. Instead he felt the pressure in his head suddenly rise and swell, seemingly without end as his other half reached across the divide, a wordless scream running through his mind as what should've been the frail part of himself lashed out with a strength that he recognized. A strength he'd thought only he had.

"Sōma-kun…"

He turned to face Alice, even now smiling at the girl he loved. The girl who'd made him a promise that she couldn't have known she wouldn't be able to keep.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I really am. I tried."

And he had. He'd taken Alice at her word and he'd wanted to let her help. To help him become something better. Something like what he once was, before he made a deal with the devil. For her.

Those bright purple eyes were still staring at him, wide eyed. For some reason, the expression in them, on top of everything else; on top of the stress, the pain, the failure…it made him laugh. A deep, hysteria edged laugh that held no joy, despite its volume and pitch.

Even as he felt his other half wail and scream against the walls of his psyche, he laughed. The chain had been the only thing holding him together, even as it held him back. It had been a limiter; a pneumonic device oh-so-helpfully suggested by Kobayashi Rindō.

Even as he felt his already unstable mind tremble, splinter and split as his weaker self…or at least the self he'd always thought of as lesser…waged war. To take back that which was rightfully theirs, he laughed. That part of him, it wasn't weakness. No. It was something else; something he'd lost. Something vulnerable, yes. But he was realizing now that it wasn't weak. It was never weak.

Even as he felt himself losing control, his other self gaining more and more with each second, he laughed. Would he be the one to vanish? To be forgotten in the back of his mind as the part of himself that he could no longer call weak took full control. Who knew?

He certainly didn't. And so he laughed.

And laughed

And laughed.

Alice stepped up to the door of the room and raised her hand to knock. Before her knuckles could make contact with the wood, she paused. She stared at the door for several seconds, her mind going in several directions before finally settling on one. A course that was pure Alice.

She knocked firmly on the door.

"Sōma-kun, I'm coming in. I hope you're decent!"

Without any further preamble, she swung the door open and stepped inside. Sōma was in bed but he was awake; his back propped up against the headboard. He didn't turn to face her, content to stare at the far wall. His face was empty in a way that was even hollower than he usually appeared. His eyes had deep, dark lines around them and his hair fell almost flat and lifeless, a dull red as opposed to the bright scarlet it usually was.

He was clad in a set of sweatpants and nothing else; normally the sight would've made Alice flush and grin in equal measure but this time, she had more important things to focus on.

"You're still in bed? Come now, Sōma-kun. It's been two days. Don't be such a sore loser."

With a cheeky grin, Alice stepped over to the bed, setting herself down on the covers next to him. She bumped him with her shoulder playfully. Sōma didn't say anything but he glanced at her, briefly, before looking away again. Alice didn't let the way that made her feel show on her face. Instead she leaned over, pinching Sōma's ear and tugging at it.

"Sōma-kunnnnnnnn." she whined, frowning up at him. He turned to face her but he didn't say anything. The look in his eyes would've made Alice shiver if she hadn't spent the last two days getting used to it.

After his episode at the arena, Sōma had collapsed and Joichiro had rushed him off to the nearest hospital. They'd returned to the Nakiri mansion almost two hours later to find almost everyone that knew the red head crowded into the foyer, anxious for news on Sōma's condition. He had a clean bill of health, although the physician had noted that he had clear signs of someone that overworked themselves on a regular basis and he should be sure to curb the amount of pressure he put on himself and recommended bed rest.

Sōma hadn't said a word since returning, despite the concerned questioning of those around him. His silence only provoked more and more questions until, finally, after what must have been the twentieth inquiry, his facial expression shifted and he said a single word.

Alice.

The named girl saw the look on Sōma's face and the raw fear and pain there brought her back to weeks before; to the vision of that lone, hurting boy, shackled to the ground. She'd then proceeded to usher Sōma to his room before turning and kicking out each and every single person that didn't call the Nakiri mansion home. It took some pushing and shoving (quite literally) but, after a time, she was the only one left.

Sōma still didn't say a word. Alice wondered what it said about her that she considered the easing in his shoulders and the renewed calmness of his face thanks enough. She'd tried to get him to open up to her, gently prodding him with questions and support, but Sōma hadn't responded to either. Instead he'd simply gone to his room and proceeded to take up residence there for the next two days.

"Sōma-kun, you can't just sit and wallow in your room forever. Sooner or later, you're going to have to get out of this funk. Would you just…would you please talk to me?"

"…can't."

That was how it had been. The most Alice was ever able to get out of him were short one word or two word responses, responses that didn't address anything and simply made her more concerned.

"Sōma-kun…I want to help you. Really, I do. But you need to let me in. Please. I'm…I'm begging you."

Sōma looked at Alice with a forlorn expression but simply shook his head, turning away from her and facing the wall. Alice sighed despondently, disappointed but not surprised. While this was certainly preferable to manic fits of laughter, it didn't mean that Alice particularly enjoyed this version of Sōma either.

She left the room without another word, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she walked down the hall. She tapped out a series of numbers before placing the receiver at her ear. It had barely rung once before the person on the other end picked up.

"You better have a good reason for ignoring all of my texts, Alice."

"I'm sorry, dear cousin. I've been a little preoccupied, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"How is he?"

Alice hummed non-committedly in lieu of actually answering.

"That bad, huh?"

"He's still not speaking to me. Not really, anyway. I've tried jokes, greetings, insults, physical violence. Nothing seems to provoke a reaction. I've even tried…"

Alice cut herself off, blushing. Erina didn't need to know about that.

"Suffice to say, I've tried pretty much everything I can think of."

"So you're finally ready to lift that stupid ban?"

"Yes, visitors are officially allowed back into the mansion. Although I still think it would be better if only a few of you came at a time. I don't think Sōma-kun would do well with crowds."

"I suppose not. Well, I'll let the others know. Megumi-chan and I should be over soon."

"I wish you luck. See you soon, cousin."

Alice hung up the phone, turning a corner and almost running directly into Ryo.

"Oh, Ryo-kun. Be more careful, please. What if you'd knocked me to the floor?"

The quiet boy didn't feel the need to point out that she'd been the one to almost walk into him.

"Ah…sure, ojou. My apologies."

He moved past her continuing down the hallway, listening carefully. Once he was sure that she was far enough away, Ryo turned around and doubled back, heading towards his original destination. Sōma's room.

He knocked on the door brusquely before letting himself in. Sōma glanced over at Ryo before looking away. If he was surprised by the seafood chef's presence, he didn't show it. Ryo stood near the door, leaning against the wall. His dark eyes were set on Sōma.

"So that's it for you, Yukihira?"

At his name, Sōma glanced at Ryo again but he didn't say anything in response. Ryo stepped over and seated himself in the chair that Alice had left by Sōma's bedside. He continued looking at the boy with an inscrutable look.

"You're going to let one loss be the end of everything?"

Sōma didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Ryo.

"I can't claim to know exactly what you're doing. Or why. But it has to be something pretty important. So for you to chicken out now is more than a little sad, ya know. Especially after all you've put Alice through."

That particular comment got Sōma to look back at Ryo and he held the boy's red eyed gaze.

"She cares about you. Despite everything. And I refuse to let you dishonour that by wallowing like this. Your reasons don't matter to me. I don't care just what it is you're trying to do; I just care that you're hurting my sister in the process. Get better. Be better, Yukihira. Or I just might have to actually kick your ass."

Sōma didn't seem particularly intimidated by Ryo's threat. In fact, he almost smiled in response. Almost.

"Something funny about what I said?"

"You…love her…"

Ryo frowned, as if Sōma had said something particular obvious or foolish.

"Of course I do. She took me in when I had nothing and nobody in my corner. I'd do anything for her. And that includes making sure her idiotic cheater of an ex-boyfriend gets his shit together because she's too selfless to leave him behind."

Sōma flinched as if he'd been physically struck. It was clear that Ryo still hadn't forgiven him, despite Alice's assurances. He couldn't blame him. He still hadn't really forgiven himself either.

Ryo stood up abruptly, turning and heading to the door. As he reached the doorway, he paused.

"I doubt we could ever be friends again, Yukihira. But…for what it's worth, I wouldn't mind having you as a rival again. So let me know when you're ready to cross blades again in the kitchen."

Ryo left, closing the door behind him and leaving Sōma alone.

"Do you really think this will work, Erina-chan?"

Erina shrugged in response to Megumi's question. The two girls were walking down the hallways of the Nakiri mansion towards Sōma's room. Megumi held a small, white box in her hands, although she held it far from herself, as if she were afraid of its contents.

"I don't really know, Megumi-chan. But I don't think it could hurt at this point."

Erina knocked on the door before opening it, not bothering to wait for permission to enter. Alice had already told her it wouldn't happen one way or the other. She looked at the bed but found it empty, which was surprising. Alice had made it seem as if the boy hadn't left it for two straight days.

"Erina."

Erina looked over and found Sōma sitting at his desk, writing into a book. He closed it almost immediately at their entrance but didn't say anything further.

"Sōma-kun. Good morning. How are you?"

Sōma looked away from her imploring gaze. He simply turned his head to face the wall. It was a marvel that he hadn't burnt a hole into it with his stare by now. Erina didn't frown, despite how it hurt her to see Sōma like this. She nodded at Megumi, who stepped forward and placed the box and a pair of chopsticks into Sōma's unresisting hands.

"We made something for you, Sōma-kun. Please taste it and let us know what you think." she said, bowing.

Sōma looked down at the box in his hands. After a few seconds, his hands moved, albeit jerkily, and opened the container. It contained several small, white dumplings. Sōma reached for one and picked it up. He sniffed at it hesitantly but couldn't smell anything aside from flour. He placed it in his mouth.

He leaned back, almost falling out of his chair as his eyes widened, life coming back into them. The box fell from his hands, the rest of the dumplings scattering across the floor. His mouth started moving.

"There are over a hundred and thirty seven flaws within this dish. The vast majority of them are urgent, if not downright critical. The dough mixture is inconsistent, the pork used as the filling is much too salty, the herbs used do not compliment the rest of the dish or each other, there's an overabundance of both basil and ginseng added, along with a spice profile that is simply…simply…."

Sōma stopped talking abruptly, closing his eyes. He opened them less than a second later and turned to face Erina and Megumi. His expression was distinctly unamused.

"You've clearly taken a page out of my father's book."

Erina grinned haughtily down at him, even as Megumi smiled in response, clapping her hands.

"So it worked?" asked the blue haired girl excitedly.

"Not exactly." said Sōma, wiping the happy expressions from both girls' faces. "You have seconds at best before I recover."

"Recover?" asked Erina curiously.

"To how I was before that delightfully terrible dish." he said, tapping his fingers on the desk experimentally. "To that conflicted, immobile version of myself that is what I am when my other half isn't knocked off kilter by his oversensitive tongue."

"That's what you'd call a recovery?" asked Megumi concernedly. "And what do you mean by your other half?"

Sōma turned to face her and opened his mouth to explain but then froze, blinking rapidly. A dull sheen settled over his eyes again and he closed his mouth, breaking eye contact with Megumi.

"Sōma-kun? Sōma-kun?" called Erina. Other than a momentary glance, Sōma didn't respond.

"No, you don't get to do this!"

Erina stepped forward and stood over Sōma's chair. She glared down at him angrily, doing her best to conceal the worry and fear that fuelled it.

"Yukihira Sōma! Do NOT ignore me. You have obligations to fulfil, do you hear me?"

Erina leaned down, almost nose to nose with the boy. Even then, he refused to meet her eyes.

"You agreed to our terms and we've won. Which means you owe us answers. And you also owe us the courtesy of not being so…so…obstinate!"

"Erina-chan."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she found her own hands fisted into Sōma's collar. He still wasn't looking at her but Erina noticed that he was trembling. Every few seconds he would shiver and twitch inside her hold.

Erina let go, stunned at the reaction. She wasn't a very physical person under normal circumstances. But these circumstances were hardly normal. Even so, Sōma shouldn't have reacted so negatively to her simply grabbing his shirt. God knows it had happened before he'd left. Was this yet another example of how damaged he was from the time spent with her father? Willingly, no less?

"Why, Sōma-kun? Why are you like this?"

It was clear that she didn't just mean Sōma as he was now.

"What could've possibly made you do this to yourself?"

He finally turned to face Erina and the look in his eyes pricked a sense of caution in the back of her mind. Before she could act on it, Sōma spoke and it was too late.

"You."

Erina stilled. It was such a simple word. You. One syllable, three letters. But the way Sōma said it left her feeling faint and lightheaded. With such pain, sadness and longing. It made her feel…she didn't know how it made her feel. And Erina wasn't very good at dealing with her feelings in the first place. So she did what she always did. She ignored them.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice was cold. Sōma didn't answer her. He just continued looking down at his desk, his fingers still tapping away.

"Yukihira-kun. What. Did. You. Mean?"

"Erina-chan…"

She turned to face Megumi, who didn't flinch at the cool look in her eyes. She stared back resolutely.

"I don't think this is the way to go about things."

"And why not?" Erina shot back before turning to face Sōma once more. "Yukihira-kun was more than willing to use force to get what he wanted thus far. Why should I be any different?"

"Because this isn't the Shokugeki arena. And Sōma-kun's our friend."

"Then he should act like one and stop ignoring us to our faces. And stop ending conversations with cryptic threats. And stop trying to tear down Tōtsuki one Research Society at a time."

Ice turned to fire, and Erina leaned forwards, jabbing Sōma in the shoulder with an extended finger as she made each point, her purple eyes alight with rage and hurt.

"Friends don't leave for months without any notice. Friends don't start dating your cousin and convince her to hide it. Friends don't go and work under your bastard of a father without a single word of explanation. Friends don't have panic attacks at the mere sight of you. Friends don't act like you don't. Fucking. Exist!"

By the end, Erina was shouting, her face red with exertion. Her eyes were moist but she was stubbornly resisting the urge to cry. She was done wasting her tears.

"I'm sick and tired of you and your bullshit, Yukihira Sōma! I've had it up to here with your silence and your secrets. I'm through."

Erina turned, flicking her hair as she stomped off past Megumi and towards the door. Megumi stretched a hand beseechingly.

"Erina-chan, where are you going?"

"Home. To Polar Star. I don't have time to waste on him if he's just going to sit there like this. All the good he's done isn't worth this."

"I don't understand; why are you so angry?" asked Megumi, more confused than anything else. Erina's reaction had been explosive, even for her. The heiress turned to face Megumi, trying and failing to keep the bite of her anger out of her voice as she addressed the other girl.

"I'm angry because of what he's done. He threw us away. He threw YOU away. Do you understand that?"

"He has his reasons, I know he does! Sōma-kun wouldn't leave us unless he had no other choice." argued Megumi. Erina swept her hand towards Sōma, who still wasn't looking at either of them.

"And just where has that gotten him?"

It was a low blow and Erina knew it. But she was much too angry to care. Megumi glowered at her, feeling angry in defense of the boy she still considered a friend, even after all he'd inadvertently put them through.

"That's not fair and you know it."

"No. I DON'T know that. Because he refuses to tell us anything of substance!" responded Erina, jabbing her finger at Sōma again for emphasis. "So when Yukihira-kun's ready to talk, he knows where to find me."

With that, Erina exited the room, slamming the door behind her so hard that the wall shook in response. Megumi stared at the closed door in surprise. She could tell that there was more to Erina's reaction than what she was saying but she knew how difficult it could be to get the girl to be honest. Especially with herself.

"Erina…"

Megumi looked over at Sōma but he wasn't looking at her. It seemed he hadn't even realized he'd muttered the girl's name. Megumi sighed, stepping over and laying a hand on Sōma's shoulder. She realized that he felt clammy and cold; a stark contrast to the warmth that she remembered.

"I'll see you later, Sōma-kun." she said, giving him a hug around his shoulders. She wasn't surprised, but also wasn't happy, when he didn't deign to return it. Only after she'd left and the door had closed behind her did Sōma draw in one rattling breath before curling up, his hands around his knees. No one was there to comment on the tear tracks that began running down his face.

Alice stood in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she stirred a pot of rice. She could've had one of the servants prepare dinner for her, she wasn't nearly as picky as her cousin, but she needed the distraction. It helped her forget how helpless she felt about Sōma's condition.

She'd spoken to Megumi briefly after seeing Erina storm out of the mansion without a word to her. She knew that they'd had just as much luck as she had with getting Sōma to open up, and she'd resigned herself to yet another night spent in silence. Despite her resignation though, she couldn't help thinking about the red head and what had happened. It was such an extraordinary situation, in so many ways, that she really didn't have the slightest idea on how to begin helping him.

Alice was so focused on pondering the situation that she didn't even notice the person walking up behind her until they began speaking, practically at her elbows.

"What ya making Snowflake-chan?"

Alice's stirring slowed before pausing completely. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before opening them and turning to face her unwanted guest.

"I thought I told you that you weren't welcome here. Shall I give you another black eye to join the first one?"

Rindō smiled cheekily, waving a small white flag that she'd clearly made herself.

"Relax, I come in peace. I just want to speak with Sōma-kun. I hear he's giving you all the silent treatment."

Alice glowered at the older girl but Rindō considered it a win that she didn't attack her on sight.

"And just what would you be able to do that I can't, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō smiled lasciviously, blinking slowly at the other girl.

"Other than the obvious, I believe I know a bit more about the situation than you do. After all, I'm the one who helped put him back together the first time."

"The first time?" asked Alice, quirking an eyebrow. "The way Sōma tells it, you're half the reason he was like that in the first place."

Rindō shrugged, not bothering to deny the accusation.

"I work with what I've got. It's all I've ever done. And trust me when I say that, were it not for me, Sōma would be much worse off."

"Oh trust me, I know that. Otherwise I wouldn't be entertaining this conversation in the first place. Come, this way."

Alice turned off the stove before marching off, not looking back to see if the other girl was following. After a few turns and hallways, they arrived before Sōma's door. Alice didn't even bother with knocking; she simply opened the door and gestured for Rindō to go inside before following after her and closing the door.

Rindō looked back at where Alice was leaning against the doorframe with a frown.

"If it wouldn't be a problem, I'd prefer to be alone with him."

Alice's deadpan expression made it clear that this would, in fact, be a problem. Rindō debated whether she should argue but decided against it. She knew she was on thin ice as it was. She turned to face Sōma, walking over to where he sat in the bed. She ran a hand through his hair, frowning slightly at the limp, dull quality of it while ignoring the glare she could feel Alice giving her.

"Sōma-kun, Sōma-kun, Sōma-kun…it's always one thing or the other with you, isn't it? Now, let's see."

Rindō snapped her fingers in front of his face to catch his attention, before guiding her index finger back and forth before his nose. She noted how his eyes followed the motion easily, if a little wearily.

"So you're fully conscious. That's a plus. Now the issue is you've just gone all robot on us. You're clearly cognizant and understanding our words. But, for one reason or another, you're either unable to speak. Or you're purposefully not speaking."

"That's not quite true." interjected Alice. "Occasionally, he'll give one or two word responses. But they're rarely of much help."

"So he's not completely silent then? That's good." said Rindō thoughtfully. She hummed and tapped Sōma gently on the cheek, attracting his attention.

"Just what's going on in your head, Sōma-kun?"

He didn't answer. Instead choosing to simply lean back into his headboard and away from her. Rindō's mouth twisted momentarily but she didn't let any other sign of her irritation show. It wasn't too long ago that Sōma cherished her touch, in whatever state he was in. To say things had changed would be an understatement.

"So what's the verdict, senpai?" asked Alice, clearly more than willing to hurry the older girl along. Rindō rolled her eyes at the somewhat childish display before replying.

"I have good news and bad news, what would you like to hear first?"

Alice huffed, a glare her only response. Rindō pouted.

"Aww, you're no fun. Anyway. The bad news is that I don't think I can be of any help here."

"So you're telling me I put up with you for nothing?" cut in Alice, almost scathingly. Rindō gave the girl a flat look, far from intimidated.

"Hold your horses, Snowflake-chan. That was the bad news. If you'd been kind enough to let me finish, I would've been able to tell you that the good news is I think I know a guy who can help. I'll just need to give him a call and see if he's willing to assist."

"Why wouldn't he be?" asked Alice curiously. "Is it a question of payment? I assure you that I'd have no trouble making it worth his time."

"It's not that. Money isn't really an issue for him, trust me. It's more of an idiosyncrasy of his. If he's free, he's free. And if he's not, he's not. It's as simple as that. "

Rindō thumbed her phone display, placing the device to her ear as she listened to it ring. After a few rings, she perked up.

"Hey, you busy?"

A pause.

"Oh, I see. Well, ditch that for a while. I need you to come over to the Nakiri mansion ASAP. It's important."

Another pause. Rindō rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, no, no! Listen to me; that can wait. I…yes, I know…yes, I understand. But listen! I need you to come over and see if you can take a swing at fixing Sōma's noggin for me…no. I didn't break it."

"Not this time anyway." Alice voiced, making no effort to keep her voice quiet.

"Shush you." bit out Rindō, glaring at her, before going back to her phone call.

"The sooner, the better. Who's to say what he'll be like tomorrow? Or the day after? Based on what I'm seeing here, you may be able to offer some insight. That's all I'm asking."

Rindō listened to the tinny voice coming through her phone. She grimaced.

"Ok…ok. Fine. How about this? You come here and I'll come over there and handle things while you're gone…yes I will…no I won't just blow it off this time, promise. What, don't you trust me? Ok, fair enough, you probably shouldn't but I swear, I'm not yanking your chain, no pun intended…yes, it's that serious…alright. Thank you. I'll be right there."

Rindō hung up and sighed wearily. She glared at Sōma, who had turned midway through her phone conversation to watch her.

"You better be thankful, Yukihira. I wouldn't do this for just anyone."

"Do what?" asked Alice.

Rindō glanced over at Alice, weighing her with her yellow gaze.

"Well. Thanks to this little headache over here, I now have to go and do some work that I've been putting off for quite some time. It was the only way to get Tsukasa to come over on such short notice."

"Tsukasa-senpai is the person who you think can help Sōma?" asked Alice in surprise. She thought back to the last time she'd been in contact with the first seat. It had been in one of their "Central Approved" classes. He'd shown them some of the finer aspects of Spanish cuisine but had clammed up midway through because the student assisting him had spilled a dash of sauce onto his sleeve. Alice's overall impression of him, cooking skill aside, was not one of competence.

"Are you…certain he would be able to help?"

"To be honest, things are anything but certain when it comes to Sōma-kun. But I think, out of all of us, Tsukasa may have the best chance of getting somewhere." said Rindō, giving Sōma's hair one last affectionate ruffle before heading towards the door. "He should be here soon. Meanwhile I'll have to head out and get started on fulfilling my end of the bargain."

"Alright, I suppose. I still don't see what he'd be able to accomplish. He and Sōma-kun aren't very well acquainted after all."

"That shouldn't matter. Tsukasa may be a little neurotic but he's the man for the job, trust me."

Tsukasa tilted his head at Sōma from where he sat beside the bed. He didn't say anything, aside from a soft hum to himself every now and then. Sōma hadn't spoken in greeting but his eyes had followed Tsukasa interestedly since he'd entered the room. Time continued to tick by as the white haired boy simply kept staring at Sōma, as if trying to help fix him through looks alone.

The older boy was dressed in his full Tōtsuki uniform. The only piece of clothing out of place was the red and black tie that he had draped over his shoulders. His white eyes were locked onto Sōma's still form and he seemed content to just sit and watch.

It was only several minutes later that the silence was finally broken. But by Sōma, this time.

"Why."

Tsukasa's eyebrows rose interestedly.

"Why what, Yukihira-kun? Why am I here? Or why was I sitting here in silence this whole time, perhaps?"

Sōma nodded slightly, his head barely shifting at all but Tsukasa's sharp eyes had caught the movement anyway.

"Well, I was simply testing a theory, one I hope you can confirm for me."

Tsukasa leaned forward, ensuring that Sōma's eyes were locked with his.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that not only do you want to speak, but you also want to do other things. Maybe move around, take a shower, read a book, cook a dish. But there's a part of you; an entirely separate part that also has wishes and desires. And these are constantly clashing with your own. So more often than not, you can't do anything. You're left to listlessly go on with your life. Am I on the right track?"

With each word, Sōma's eyes had widened until he was staring in undisguised shock at the senior student. Tsukasa smiled pleasantly at the expression on Sōma's face. He reached over and took a piece of paper from Sōma's desk along with a pen before holding it outwards.

"I'll take that as a yes. So these two parts of you, let's call them Yuki and Hira, are currently at odds."

Tsukasa drew a large circle before drawing a line down the middle. He drew little circles around the dividing line, the shape of a chain taking form on the page.

They're two distinct personalities that both, at one time, were a single sense of self; a single Yukihira. Now, things have changed. You don't have your shackles to keep the distinction between Yuki and Hira separate any longer."

Tsukasa scratched out the previously doodled chain,

"Now Yuki has things it wants to do while Hira has things it wants to do. Whereas before, they could essentially swap back and forth with ease with your chain, almost like a pilot and co-pilot switching seats, they no longer have that luxury. They're both trying to share the driver's seat and that means that a whole lot of nothing is getting done."

Tsukasa drew a chair and drew two figures onto it, highlighting how difficult it was for them both to fit in the seat.

"Of course, you're still you in the end, Yukihira-kun. That hasn't changed. So, to have split yourself to the point of having two distinct sides, that must mean that Yuki and Hira are fundamentally opposed to each other in several ways. Which is what's leading to the deadlock I described before. Yuki may want to go brush your teeth while Hira may want to take a long bath. But they can't do both at once, so they end up just struggling for control and getting nothing done. And I'd wager that lack of control is scaring the hell out of both sides of you."

This time Sōma's nod was immediate and lacking any subtlety.

"See, there? That was a forward, distinct motion. That's because both of your sides were in agreement just now, even if it was just for half a second. Both of them wanted to nod because they both have that same fear; that fear of losing control and never getting it back. Things like using the bathroom and eating are beneficial to you both; they're not complex and both of you find it easy to agree on needing to fulfil those needs."

Tsukasa flipped the paper over and drew two large circles, their edges overlapping and forming a small oval in the middle. Labelling one circle 'Yuki' and the other circle 'Hira', he went on and shaded the oval that formed at the intersection, pointing at it with the tip of his pen.

"Actions that fit inside this intersection are taken and done with little effort or complaint. It's everything else that's not. And it's because neither side feels comfortable giving up the driver's seat. You literally don't trust yourself."

"Of course…I don't…can't."

"And therein lies the problem." said Tsukasa conclusively. "I had a similar issue some time ago, although mine wasn't nearly as bad as yours appears to be. But the stuttering, the dropping utensils, the tripping down as my legs tried to go in separate directions…it was inconvenient to say the least."

Sōma looked at Tsukasa in surprise, the question clear in his golden orbs. Tsukasa chuckled.

"What, you didn't think you were the first person Rindō-chan tried to play psychologist with, did you? Nope, it was I that had that honour, way back in middle school. She taught me how to bury myself under a persona of my own making; a more controlled, confident side that could handle things that I couldn't on my own. For you, Yukihira Sōma, your shackles were made of iron. Mine were made out of fabric."

Tsukasa held up the red and black fabric in question, his school tie. He looked down at it, almost fondly, as he threaded it through his fingers.

"She helped bring out my potential and played a big part in moulding me into what I am today, but that didn't come without cost. After some time under her ministrations, I, too, started to splinter, pneumonic device or no. There was the timid, obsessive side of my personality that trembled at the thought of simple public speaking and then there was the strong, cool and selfish side of me that could face down a room full of the culinary world's finest and tell them why they were all idiots."

Tsukasa laughed softly to himself at the memory; it had been quite a surprise for those in attendance that day. Few had rarely seen the White Knight of the Table so merciless.

"But soon, my two halves started clashing more and more. They'd grown too much as two separate parts; become too distinct. There was no 'real' Tsukasa and 'fake' Tsukasa anymore. There was simply two halves of the same whole that had no idea how to get along in the same head."

"So what did you do?" asked Sōma quietly. This time Tsukasa was the one looking at him in surprise.

"A complete sentence, my. That's a good sign. And, well, what I did was simple, although I would hesitate to call it easy. One side simply had to surrender control to the other. How you would go about doing that exactly is something for you to figure out for yourself, Yukihira-kun. But the first step you need to take is for one of you to step down and let the other have control. Take it slow; start with simple tasks like cooking a meal. Or having a conversation with someone."

Tsukasa drew another pair of circles, but this time the intersection was even larger. He drew an arrow connecting his previous circles to the new pair.

"And then quid pro quo. If Yuki lets Hira step up to cook dinner, than Hira should let Yuki enjoy the meal and talk with those at the table. If Yuki goes to class in the morning, then Hira can go to class in the afternoon. Start off with swapping little tasks, and always ensure there's a clear, defined end to each session of complete control, for both your sakes. Once you've both gotten used to trusting each other again, and realizing that, for all your differences, you're still the same person, then you can start changing things up."

Tsukasa scribbled a few words into one circle and then a different set into another.

"Then, you can slowly adjust to situation based control sessions, as opposed to time based. To better fit your situation, much as you may have done when you had full, conscious control of your switching. Do you understand?"

Sōma nodded a bit hesitantly and looked down at his hands, which were trembling. Tsukasa placed a hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly.

"It's a scary thought, I know, Yukihira-kun. And it's the first step on what could very well be a long road for you. But, if you ever want to get back to anything even resembling normal, you need to do this. Especially if you want to finish your mission, foolish as it may be."

The off color comment prompted Sōma to glare at Tsukasa, frowning. Tsukasa simply smiled once again in response.

"See? You two are agreeing more and more already. I believe my work here is done."

Tsukasa got to his feet, folding up the demonstrative piece of paper and resting it on the desk. He went to reach into his jacket but Sōma's voice gave him pause.

"Why…why are you helping us?"

Tsukasa tapped his chin in thought before looking over his shoulder at Sōma.

"Because Rindō-chan asked. And she offered to do paperwork in exchange for my help. Which is something she's never done before. You're important to her, Yukihira Sōma. So you're somewhat important to me too, by extension."

"No. She…she doesn't care about anyone. Except for h-herself."

Tsukasa frowned, turning to fix Sōma with a stern glare.

"Rindō-chan isn't the warmest of people, I know. But she's not completely heartless. She's simply very good at burying it under her own selfish desires and she loves to manipulate people. It's second nature to her, as natural as breathing. So you have to read between the lines when you're trying to figure out what she's doing."

Tsukasa reached into his jacket, pulling out a manila folder that he tossed onto the bed in front of Sōma.

"For example, she made it very clear that I should give you that folder once I was done speaking with you."

Sōma picked up the file, flicking it open and looking at its contents.

Elite Ten Placement Details

He glanced up at Tsukasa, challengingly.

"Strings? Conditions?"

"There are none." said Tsukasa simply. "Call it a peace offering, or an apology or whatever you like, really. But Rindō gives this to you freely, of that you can be certain. That doesn't sound like someone who only cares about themselves."

Tsukasa turned back to head towards the door, his task completed. Before he could fully exit, Sōma's voice stopped him one last time.

"Thank you, Tsukasa-senpai."

"It is not me you should be thanking, Yukihira-kun. If I had my way, I would've still been in the kitchen working on my venison dish. But I'm nothing if not a loyal friend. Good day."

And with that, the first seat left, leaving Sōma with steps to take and decisions to make.

Megumi knocked on Erina's door hesitantly.

"Erina-chan…may I come in?"

She waited patiently until, after almost a minute, she got a response.

"Sure."

Megumi opened the door to find Erina huddled on her bed in her night gown. The room lights were off and she was clutching a pillow to her chest, her face buried in it.

"Erina-chan, are you okay?"

The blonde glanced up at her friend, her eyes suspiciously red.

"Yes…no. No, I'm not okay. I'm sorry, Megumi-chan."

Megumi walked forward and seated herself on the bed beside Erina. She leaned, shoulder to shoulder with the other girl, hoping she would take the gesture of comfort for what it was.

"What's wrong, Erina-chan? Is this about what happened earlier with Sōma-kun?"

Erina didn't respond at first but then she sniffed, rubbing at her eyes as she began to speak.

"I just…I just got so mad. We've been through so much just to speak with him. So much. And at every turn, he refuses us. Refuses our help. Instead he gets help from pretty much anyone BUT us. Alice, Kurokiba-kun, Hayama-kun. I even suspect that Mito-chan is working with him, have you noticed how absent she's been lately?"

"And why does that bother you so much, Erina-chan?" asked Megumi.

"I don't know…it's just…Yukihira-kun's done so much for me. He gave me a second chance; he introduced me to all of you. He made it possible for you and I to get close and I…I just…"

Erina's eyes began to tear up again.

"He said 'You', Megumi-chan. We asked him what made him do all of this and he said it was me. I'm the reason this is all happening. And I just…I couldn't take it. I'd only just started forgiving myself and allowing myself to be happy for what I have at Polar Star and he just goes and wipes all that away in one word. And then doesn't even have the decency to explain himself."

Erina drew in a long, shuddering breath as tears began to flow down her eyes.

"I'm the reason Sōma-kun's the way he is and I don't even know why. It's what happened with you all over again except this time, I don't know how to fix it. Because he won't let me in. And it just…I'm so sick of feeling helpless!"

The sudden exclamation caught Megumi off guard but she didn't flinch outwardly. She just continued to be there for her friend.

"I'm sick of everyone bending over backwards for me. I'm sick of being unable to do anything for myself. And so when Sōma-kun all but accused me of being at fault…I just snapped. It wasn't right and I should've held myself in check better. I'm sorry."

Megumi reached her arm around Erina and hugged the girl to herself. Erina leaned into the smaller girl's shoulder, finding comfort in the warmth and companionship that Megumi seemed to exemplify and radiate without even trying.

"I couldn't handle the thought of being the reason Sōma-kun threw all of us away. I didn't want to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, you were right. And that I'm the reason you lost your best friend. I'm not worth it."

A slap rang out. Erina held her cheek in disbelief, in shock more than pain, her head flung to the side. She turned back to face Megumi, who was glaring at Erina, her eyes bright with anger.

"Don't say that. Don't you dare! You don't get to belittle yourself; you don't get to devalue yourself and what you mean to all of us. What you mean to me!" shouted Megumi angrily. She gripped Erina's shoulders tightly.

"You're special, Erina-chan. You're very special to me. And you ARE worth it. You'll always be worth it. "

Megumi's hands slipped down to grasp Erina's and she squeezed, trying to convey more than just her words to the other girl.

"Do you have any idea how important you are to me, Erina-chan?" she asked softly. Earnestly. "Do you know how happy I am that I got a chance to get to know you? To be your friend? I don't think I could imagine what my life would be like without you in it anymore."

Erina looked back at Megumi, her mouth dry. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest and she could feel the blood rushing to her face. The warmth coming from Megumi's hands was different, this time. It was something more; it made Erina feel as if every single word Megumi said was true. Complete and utter fact. It made her feel special.

It made her feel wanted.

It…it made her feel loved.

And it made her realize something that she'd known for all too long.

"I love you, Megumi."

Erina's words caused Megumi to freeze. Her hands slipped from Erina's as she stared back at the blonde in complete and utter shock. Erina's face was a bright, cherry red and her hands were shaking. She hugged them to herself, resisting the urge to turn away in embarrassment. Instead she kept looking straight into Megumi's eyes, trying to convey the sincerity of her words through them.

She swallowed and waited as she watched a tapestry of emotions flicker across the blue haired girl's face. Finally, after several seconds, Megumi's face settled into embarrassed confusion. She crossed her arms and looked away from the other girl.

"W-w-what do you mean, Erina-chan?"

Erina swallowed again, trying and failing to calm her heartbeat down. She wondered if Megumi could hear it from where she sat considering how loudly it was thumping against her chest.

"I'm not sure when, or how or why. But I…I love you. I'm IN love with you, Megumi-chan."

"With me?!" asked Megumi incredulously, as if she couldn't believe what the other girl was saying. "Are…are you sure?"

"Yes."

Erina's answer was simple and resolute, for all that her voice shook in embarrassment. She went to take Megumi's hands and was happy when the girl allowed her to. She'd been afraid that she would pull away entirely.

"I'm not very…um that is, when it comes to things like this. I know I'm not the best with words. Or feelings. And I've never really been in love before. But I know how I feel. For you. You're more than just special to me, Megumi-chan."

"Erina-chan…I don't know what to say." said Megumi cautiously.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure what I want you to say." admitted Erina. "So just…be honest with me. And with yourself. And speak from your heart. I've never known anyone who's better at that than you are, Megumi-chan."

Megumi looked at Erina, her face blushing at the compliment. She looked down at their joined hands and squeezed; smiling when she felt Erina squeeze back. She looked up at Erina's face, at her vulnerable purple eyes, and opened her mouth.

"I never thought my first confession would be from a girl. And I never thought that I'd feel this strongly about it, either."

Erina blinked in response, thrown by the non sequitur. Megumi smiled brightly at Erina's confused expression.

"You know we'd be the most scandalous couple at Tōtsuki, right?"

Erina still felt confused and her face more than showed it. Megumi laughed, threading their fingers together.

"Our friends would badger us with endless questions; especially the guys. Can you imagine Isshiki-senpai's reaction alone?"

Erina was now one of guarded confusion. Which only made Megumi smile even wider.

"Megumi-chan…what exactly are you saying? I'm afraid I'm missing something."

Megumi leaned forward, almost nose to nose with Erina. They both blushed brightly at the proximity although Megumi's smile didn't fade in the slightest.

"I'm saying that, for all that I'm taken aback and surprised...I love you too, Nakiri Erina."

Erina's heart stopped. Or at least she thought it must've, considering that she couldn't hear it anymore. She stared back into Megumi's bright, golden eyes. For all her confidence and forwardness, she still found herself surprised at the other girl's response. Pleasantly surprised, of course, but still surprised. Once she'd finally come to grips with the fact that Megumi had responded positively, she had no idea how to proceed.

So she did what came naturally.

Erina leaned forward, her lips meeting Megumi's in a soft, warm kiss. It lasted for several seconds and Erina would remember them as some of the warmest, most cherished seconds of her life. Years from now, she was sure that she would look back on this moment with fondness as the beginning of something new; something beautiful.

When she pulled back, the smile on her face was just as bright as Megumi's. As was the blushes they were both sporting. Erina opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by her phone beeping in a wind chime-like pattern; her personal text tone. She picked it up and went to turn it off but that was before she glimpsed the name on the screen.

"Yukihira-kun?"

The text on the screen was short and straightforward; one sentence.

I'm ready to give you the answers you want.

A/N: Apologies for my lateness, ladies and gents. It's been a crazy week. And I didn't help make it any less crazy by getting hammered on Thursday AND Friday. Suffice to say I spent most of Saturday doing my best to drown myself in water and not die.

Also, for a bit of extra fun (and also because this story is very long, with more than a few unresolved plot points so far) I would like you to review and tell me what questions you would ask Sōma if you were in Erina and Megumi's position. I already have several that I'm planning to answer but I also want to hear back from my audience to see if there's any issues I have forgotten to include. So review and let me know!

And, assuming I get at least three reviews on this chapter, I will officially have the most reviewed story in the Shokugeki no Soma fandom. Thanks in advance to all of you, I literally couldn't have done it without you guys. Expect more gushing next chapter, have a great week!