A/N: So last chapter's contest has been won! I shall not tell you who the winning user was, but I will tell you all that he requested the pairing for the lemon prize to be Sōma/Rindō. Hopefully I can get that out in the next two weeks or so, we'll just have to see how life goes. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

The ride back to Tōtsuki from Yukihira's was even quieter than the ride there. The diner had been busy straight up until closing, a fact that had both Sōma and Alice tiredly resting against the leather of the backseat. Ryo was nowhere to be seen, and Manatabe informed them that he'd already dropped the boy back to school a few short hours ago. It seemed he'd finished his errands much earlier than they had gotten done at the shop.

Alice was looking out of the window, her mind far away as she fingered the hem of the frayed, green shirt she still wore. She'd tried to return it to Sōma once the last of the customers had left, but he'd simply said that she should hold onto it, as they'd be returning tomorrow to open up again.

Something she found herself more than okay with, to her surprise. As annoyed as she'd been at the onset, she'd grown used to the bustle of being a waitress at Restaurant Yukihira. It had been…fun. Hard and exhausting and demanding for certain, but an enjoyable experience overall. If you'd asked her before today, she would've told you that serving customers and busing tables was beneath her, and a generally unthinkable thing for someone with her pedigree to do.

But now…she was comfortable with the idea. Oh, she would never go and actually apply to be a waitress, but she could easily see herself running her dishes out to her waiting customers at her own restaurant in the future. The honest happiness and gratitude on their faces made her feel warm in a way she wasn't accustomed to. It was nothing like the prideful feeling of success she got when serving one of her creations, dishes to be sampled at a conference or a cooking duel. It was different. Not any better or worse, simply different.

"I'm surprised, Alice."

She blinked, turning to face Sōma who still bore the relaxed expression he'd been wearing sine they'd left Tōtsuki's campus. He was looking at her with what seemed to be approval, although for what, she wasn't certain.

"What makes you say that, Sōma-kun?" she asked.

"It's just that I expected you to be bombarding me with questions and complaints by now."

"Are you trying to say I'm difficult, Sōma-kun?" she asked lightly as she glared playfully in his direction.

Sōma smiled. He didn't quirk his lips or slightly raise his eyebrows. He smiled. His lips rose and parted, revealing white teeth. His eyes lit up in a show of joy that Alice was unused to him displaying when he was still bound by the metal links he wore around his wrist.

"You were very patient with me and the customers today Alice. Thank you." he said sincerely, reaching over and resting his hand on her shoulder.

"W-well…that is, I…I just…"

Alice felt her face heat up as she looked down, toying with her fingers as she struggled to find something to say, stammering. All of her usual confidence had fled at the sight of such honest emotion from the boy, leaving her to helplessly blush and stutter. Sōma also seemed as surprised by his own actions as she was, retracting his hand with a blush dusting his cheeks as he cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain his composure.

After a few awkward minutes, Sōma spoke up, his voice back to its usual, flat tenor.

"So, I believe I owe you an explanation for today's events, correct?"

Alice nodded, trying to force her embarrassment to the back of her mind as she realized she still had no idea why he'd brought her to assist him at his diner.

"Do you remember our match in the Autumn elections? More specifically, do you remember what Senzaemon-sama said about your dish?"

Alice thought back to the event, ignoring the small sting she still felt from her loss.

"He said that my dish was lacking the fun and novelty of a true bento box. That…I'd simply adapted my techniques to the dish, instead of truly thinking about what building a bento box entailed."

Sōma nodded, pulling a piece of paper from the folder he'd left in the car and handing it to her. Alice looked it over and found that it was an evaluation form from their match, signed and penned by her grandfather, along with the other quarter final judges. It went into further detail, highlighting technical nuances that would've been otherwise out of place in the more crowd friendly verbal announcement the Demon King of Food had given.

Sōma pointed to a note he'd highlighted, near the bottom of the sheet. Alice read it out loud, curiously.

"The jewelry box presented by the contestant felt cold and distant in a manner that had nothing to do with its temperature. A high quality dish more suited to being on display than being eaten by a customer."

"I did my research on you, Alice." said Sōma, causing her to look away from the paper. He wore a guarded expression as he stared out the window at the foliage that was starting to crop up, a sign that they were nearing the expansive school grounds. "You've done some amazing things in the field of molecular gastronomy, and your skill as a chef is undeniable, but there's a constant theme in the feedback you receive, be it positive or negative."

"You're called the Heaven sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy for a reason. Often, your dishes are otherworldly in a way that makes people feel disconnected from them. They're beautiful and magnificent, but they lack a human connection."

Alice thought back to things she'd heard over the years about her cooking. Things that had simply seemed like glowing praise now took an entirely different context.

I feel like I'm not even worthy of tasting something so amazing!

This dish has such an untouchable appeal!

Why am I brought so low by such a simple dish? I'm but a lowly servant before your cooking, Nakiri-sama!

"Your cooking lacks connection with others. You've spent years in labs perfecting your craft, relying on precise measurements and machine given ratings and it shows. That's why I brought you to Restaurant Yukihira."

"To connect with others?" she asked thoughtfully, tilting her head at him, her bang swaying.

"Not just others. With customers, so called "commoners" that you would never encounter otherwise. Today, you served men and women that you wouldn't have even given the time of day before. You interacted with customers, real customers. Not staff members or shokugeki judges. Average men and women simply looking for a meal and good service. I don't think you've ever done anything quite like that."

Sōma looked out at the gates of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy as they grew closer and closer. He breathed in, his shoulders drawing back up as he withdrew into himself, his expression emptying itself of all carelessness. Alice saw the last remnants of ease fade from his visage, leaving it cold and distant once again. He looked back at her, his eyes a familiar, cool gold.

"Today, you started to learn something, something valuable. Something that Nakiri Azami, even with all of his years of experience in cooking and business, can't fathom."

The car started to move slower as the Nakiri mansion gates grew visible in the distance.

"At its core, the true face of the culinary world is the customer. The hungry people that come forward to buy the food that we, as chefs, create for them. Without the common man, there IS no culinary world. Which is why it's important that the food you cook be relatable to them."

"Are you saying that high class, gourmet cuisine has no value then?" Alice asked tentatively, a bit perturbed at the conclusion Sōma seemed to be steering towards. Thankfully he shook his head.

"No. That's not what I mean. It's just that high class, gourmet cuisine is but one facet of the complicated jewel that is the cooking world. Just as there are many kinds of people, so too should there be just as many dimensions to your cooking. You have to match the dish to the consumer. And to do that, you need to understand them. And to understand them, you need to connect with them. On a personal level. Something you haven't needed to do before."

Alice frowned at his implication, pouting at Sōma. It wouldn't have affected her so much if she didn't also feel like there was a grain of truth to what he was saying. But still, he could've been nicer with his criticism.

Sōma grunted, looking over at her in surprise as he rubbed at the shoulder she'd just punched. Alice didn't acknowledge his look, folding her arms and staring petulantly out of the window.

"Did…did I say something to offend you?" asked Sōma cautiously, looking over at the girl who seemed determined to look at anything but him. He knew that he wasn't the best with people, not as he was now, but he'd assumed that what he'd said had been the best way to present his case. He'd done the research, looking into Alice's background and achievements (which made him feel uncomfortable for a reason he couldn't decipher; he'd had no qualms about researching his other allies). And then he'd stated it as plainly as he could, in a way that wasn't too insulting or too sugarcoated. Hadn't he?

"Yes." said Alice simply, still refusing to meet his eyes as she stared pointedly out at the passing forest scenery.

"Ah…may I ask what it was?" said Sōma, more than a little confused at her reaction.

"No, you may not." said Alice, her tone still clipped.

Sōma looked at the girl, still wondering just what he'd done. After a few seconds of tense silence, Alice looked at him.

"Well, aren't you going to apologize?" she asked.

Sōma didn't say anything, feeling even more confused at the red eyed girl's accusatory tone. He simply stared back, his face blank.

He hissed again as Alice's hand lashed out, hitting him in his other shoulder this time.

"What was that for?" he asked incredulously, staring into Alice's angry eyes.

"Because I'm mad. And I like hitting things when I'm mad. And since Ryo-kun isn't here, you'll have to do."

Sōma stared at the girl, his calm countenance swapped for one of complete confusion. Alice rolled her eyes at him, sighing as if she was dealing with a child.

"I'm mad at you because I'm annoyed with you for pointing out flaws in my work. Flaws that I didn't notice. It's a little embarrassing for me…" she snapped, fighting the blush that was trying to work its way up her cheeks at the admission.

"But you can't notice everything, shouldn't you be happy that you now know what to improve on?" Sōma asked.

"That's not the point, Sōma-kun…" she said, embarrassment now accompanied by irritation at the boy's lack of understanding.

"Then what is?"

All that inquiry bought Sōma was a frustrated glare, a third punch to the shoulder and angry silence for the remainder of the ride back to the mansion.

Ryo stood in his room, looking out of the window, lost in thought. He noticed the black car pulling into the driveway before stopping, his mistress exiting in what seemed to be a huff, if her body language was anything to go by. Sōma followed soon after, his demeanor unchanged as he exchanged some words with the driver before heading inside himself.

Ryo watched the other boy walk inside, his thoughts conflicted. He knew that Alice was allied with the Yukihira boy, for some reason she refused to divulge, and he normally wouldn't have minded either way. Politics weren't his thing, he much preferred to let Alice make those decisions and he would deal with the fallout of her choices if need be. But the implications of just what Sōma was involved with had him…concerned.

He'd been more than skeptical when the boy had met with him that morning and told him that he wanted him to go to a separate location from him and Alice for the day. He didn't often leave Alice alone, especially with someone he didn't fully trust. But Sōma had been persuasive and had tempted him with an offer that he was loath to let slip by him.

"Ryo-kun, hello!"

Ryo turned to face his boisterous master, a bit surprised to find her in a green sweatshirt that he didn't recognize. It had stains in a few places and looked more than a little threadbare, though the Restaurant Yukihira branding was still a bright white on it.

"Welcome back, ojou." he said in his usual, lackadaisical tone.

"And just where were you today? I should punish you for running off without letting your master know your whereabouts."

Ryo rolled his eyes, completely unfazed by the threat.

"Shino's Tokyo." he supplied simply.

Alice tilted her head at him, eyes curious.

"Shino's Tokyo? I don't believe I've heard of that restaurant before. What were you doing there?"

Ryo scratched the back of his head, wondering if he could avoid telling his mistress just what he'd been up to. Her reaction was bound to be more than a little annoying.

"Working." he said vaguely, hoping she would be satisfied and move on. Unfortunately, she seemed more than a little curious and prodded him, urging him to give her details. He sighed, preparing himself for the explosion.

"It's a French restaurant. Yukihira called in a favor with Shinomiya-senpai and he closed down the restaurant for the day to give me and Hayama a few tips."

Alice blinked, nonplussed. Shinomiya-senpai…as in Shinomiya Kojiro? A former first seat of the Elite Ten and the first Japanese man to have ever won the Pluspol award in Paris? THAT Shinomiya-senpai? The realization jogged Alice's memory and she remembered, somewhat vaguely, hearing about him opening a new restaurant in Tokyo months ago, with Yukihira Sōma playing a role in its debut during his Stagiaire.

Ryo watched his mistress put together the pieces, her expression only growing more incredulous as she realized the implications of such a thing. Chefs didn't just shut down their newly opened restaurants for the day as a "favor". Especially chefs like Shinomiya Kojiro.

"So wait, Ryo-kun…" said Alice as another thought occurred to her, her shock fading in response to it. "Are you saying that you've spent the day being taught by a first seat level Tōtsuki alumnus? An award winning, world renowned alumnus at that?"

Ryo sighed, ready for the storm.

"Basically."

"Ah, I see…Excuse me, Ryo-kun."

Alice smiled sweetly, nodding at Ryo before turning around. Ryo blinked, taken aback as he watched Alice exit his room. He'd expected a much more volatile reaction from the girl. After all, she'd been stuck waitressing at a local diner while he'd been personally tutored by a world class chef. Rightfully, she should've been much angrier with…Oh.

Ryo walked out of his room and towards the stairs, almost able to feel a timer tick down in the back of his mind. As he reached the banister and looked down at Alice approaching an unaware Yukihira Sōma who stood in the foyer, observing a painting of a blonde woman in a yellow dress, that timer hit zero.

"YUKIHIRA SŌMA!"

Ryo chucked to himself as the boy jumped, turning to meet Alice with slightly widened eyes as she continued yelling.

"So you have me stuck in some backwater shopping district while Ryo's off getting elite training?!"

She grabbed his collar, shaking him petulantly as he struggled to maintain his footing, his calm expression taking on a look of exasperation. He looked up at where Ryo watched the scene, his maroon eyes amused. The taller boy shrugged, helplessly.

"I did warn you, Yukihira." he said, his words lost to the distance but his actions conveying the message clearly. As he watched Alice shake Sōma, her actions violent but lacking any real heat, he caught himself smiling, just a bit. Silly as it may seem, he knew that exaggerated violence was one of the ways Alice showed her affection for someone, although he'd been the only recipient of it for years on end.

Which made him think of just what his mistress' actions suggested and he frowned, his amusement leaving him as he remembered the phone call that Alice had with her mother earlier that morning. He was more than a little concerned about Alice's supposed feelings for the other chef. He knew his mistress, he knew her well, and he'd never seen her quite this way before. For all her bluster, he could see the subtle signs that Sōma probably didn't even notice.

The way she looked at the other boy, the way she didn't try to meet his eyes for fear he'd realize what she was thinking, the way she blushed more often than not in response to some of her thoughts when in his presence. She liked Yukihira, more than she probably even knew, he was sure of that. He just didn't know if it was a good idea for her to feel that way.

It wasn't out of jealousy or anything of the sort. While it may have been expected by those around them, neither Alice nor Ryo had ever felt any sort of romantic inclinations towards the other. Their relationship had always been a bit more complex than that, somewhere in between best friends and siblings, with a splash of the master/servant dynamic Alice liked to tease him with.

And, as the older, wiser to the ways of the world brother, Ryo would be damned before he let her be with someone he didn't approve of. Especially considering the duty her father had entrusted to him, before they'd left Denmark for Tōtsuki all those years ago.

I leave it to you to ensure that, when the time comes, Alice chooses a man worthy of both her and her station. I am placing my trust in your judgement by leaving you to do this in my stead. Do not fail me, Kurokiba Ryo.

The man had been more of a father to him than his own had ever been. And he had no intention of letting him down. And, while he trusted Sōma enough to leave Alice in his company for the day, that certainly didn't mean he trusted him enough to let his mistress make the mistake of giving him her heart. Not yet, anyway. He'd have to earn Ryo's approval, one way or the other, before he felt comfortable leaving Alice to her whims.

It wasn't until the end of the first week of spring break that Alice saw Takeda again. He'd come in near the end of the lunch rush, as he had before, and sat at a table near the front of the restaurant. Alice bustled over, welcoming him with a smile as she took his order down.

"So how's your time here been, Nakiri-san?" he asked genially.

"It's actually been a very interesting experience, Takeda-san." said Alice. "Sōma-kun! I need a #13 with chilled tea for Takeda-san!"

"I'm happy to hear it. I've been telling Yukihira for years that the diner could do with some female energy again. You're doing a wonderful job."

Alice waved his praise away, although her grin showed that it was well received.

"Thank you. It's actually been sort of fun. I'm not very used to dealing with things on this side of the counter."

"Is that right?"

Alice nodded, looking around with a now well-practiced eye to see if anyone needed assistance. No new customers had entered, and the few left in the diner were still engrossed in their meals, so she knew she had a few minutes to converse.

"I'm a chef, you see. I attend Tōtsuki Culinary Academy with Sōma-kun."

Takeda's gray eyes lit up.

"Oh, really now? That's interesting. Since that's the case, do you and Sōma swap kitchen duties every now and then?"

Alice shook her head, pouting a bit at the unfortunate reminder. She'd asked Sōma whether she could try her hand in the kitchen but Sōma had been adamantly against the notion. He claimed that it was to maximize the time she spent connecting with the customers, but she thought he just didn't have faith in her skills being good enough for his restaurant. A ridiculous notion, really.

"Sōma-kun's a bit hesitant to let me into his space." was all she said.

"That doesn't surprise me at all. Yukihiras can be very particular about that sort of thing. You should've seen how long it took Kumi to allow Joichiro into the kitchen."

"Really?" asked Alice, amazed. While she didn't know much about Sōma's father, and even less about Sōma's mother, she knew that Saiba Joichiro was a second seat and a veritable cooking legend. She found it hard to believe that anyone would turn him away from their kitchen, let alone a diner like Yukihira's.

"Why, yes. She was very protective, that Kumi. It took weeks of Joichiro bussing tables and washing dishes before she so much as trusted him to pour water for her customers. It was always amusing watching the two interact. Joichiro was a prideful man, then. And I think it really irked him to have someone order him around like that."

Takeda broke off, looking down the aisle past Alice and waving.

"Ah Sōma-chan, I had no idea Nakiri-san was one of your classmates."

Sōma walked up, a glass of dark liquid in his hand. He scratched the back of his head, almost embarrassed.

"Takeda-san, I told you to stop calling me that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Even when you were a kid, you protested it. So, in that regard, I don't really see what's changed."

The portly man laughed at Sōma's expense, the red head doing his best to avoid meeting Alice's amused gaze. He also pretended that he couldn't hear her snickering none-too-subtly behind her hand. Resting the glass of tea in front of the store manager, Sōma turned to go back to the kitchen.

"Your order will be out in a few minutes."

"Actually, Sōma-chan, if you don't mind, I would like Nakiri-san here to prepare my order. If she's willing?"

Sōma turned, the surprise in his eyes clear. Alice was also fairly surprised as well. Takeda was putting a surprising amount of faith in her, considering they'd talked all of three times and he'd never even seen her cook. She looked at Sōma, who appeared to be conflicted between wanting to satisfy a customer's request and maintaining the quality of his diner's food.

He looked over at Alice.

"What do you think about that, Alice?" he asked guardedly.

Despite her earlier insistence, Alice simply smiled at him and shrugged.

"Whatever you decide is fine, Sōma-kun. It's no small thing to allow another chef into your kitchen. I'll respect your decision either way."

Her calm reply seemed to allow him to come to a decision. Glancing around at the restaurant and noting that it was still fairly empty, Sōma nodded.

"That will be no problem at all then, Takeda-san. Let's go, Alice."

Even though she said she was fine either way, Alice still found herself a little surprised that Sōma had relented. She couldn't really see many other chefs doing something like that, although that may also have something to do with the intimacy and familiarity of a small diner like Yukihira's. Facilitating a personal request by a family friend was probably a simpler matter here than it would be at another sort of establishment.

Alice followed Sōma into the back, accepting the apron he offered her and tying it around her waist. A #13 on Restaurant Yukihira's menu was a simple dish; it was an Oyakodon. The literal translation was something like "parent-and-child rice bowl". This particular dish consisted of chicken, egg and onions, served over rice.

Sōma guided Alice through the preparation steps, his instructions clear and precise. Almost to the point of exasperation, really. Alice restrained her annoyance at his overly specific directions, following them as best she could. Why was he being so particular over a simple bowl dish?

At that moment, in the DCT kitchen at Tōtsuki, Erina sneezed, doing her best to restrain it. Regardless, a little chirp still escaped, causing her to twitch and stir her pot an extra clockwise half rotation.

"Erina-chan! You stirred the rice too much. Both of you, start from the top!"

Megumi groaned, turning her stove off and moving to reset her work station. As Erina did the same, she couldn't help but feel like she should be very, very mad at her cousin.

Back at the diner, Alice continued following the steps Sōma laid out, the end result being a steaming bowl of rice, overlaid with fresh spring onions, chicken and egg. Its accompaniment was a small bowl of soup, with a few dumplings. The smell arising from the food was mouthwatering and Alice smiled at her accomplishment. She'd been a little nervous, as she rarely prepared traditional Japanese cuisine, but the dish had come out perfectly. She needn't have been nervous at all.

Sōma picked up the tray, eyeing it critically. He wafted the steam towards his nose, taking a deep whiff.

"So how'd I do, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice cheekily. She already knew she'd done amazingly, but it wouldn't hurt to hear him admit it.

"It's alright. You did a fair job for your first attempt."

Alice frowned, glaring at Sōma, who seemed ignorant to the ire being directed at him. He simply grabbed a pair of chopsticks, slipping them into a paper sleeve before depositing them onto the tray alongside the bowl.

Alice picked up the tray, sweeping past Sōma without a word, bumping him out of the way with her shoulder, her nose in the air. He stared after her confusedly. What had he said?

Alice nudged the kitchen door open with her foot, heading towards Takeda's table. She placed the food in front of him, presenting it with a flourish.

"I hope you enjoy." she said, smiling. Takeda rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"I'm sure I will, Nakiri-san. This looks delicious."

He picked up his chopsticks, breaking them apart with a quick prayer, before diving in. Alice left his table, circling back towards the kitchen, where Sōma stood at the door. He was looking out at Takeda's table with what seemed to be a hint of nervousness.

Alice gave him a flat look.

"Do you really have that little faith in me, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma turned to her and held his hands out helplessly.

"It's not really a matter of faith so much as it is nervousness. It's been a while since anyone but Pops or I served a customer here."

"So who was it that had this honor before I?" asked Alice. She was almost sure of the answer but she didn't want to seem presumptuous.

Sōma looked at her, weighing the girl with his gaze. He looked at the green shirt she wore and he smiled nostalgically, hit by the familiar sight. He looked away, looking out at the dining area of the Yukihira restaurant.

"My mother. Yukihira Kumi."

Alice looked at Sōma's face and saw the normally distant visage fade a bit as new emotions rose to replace the coldness. Sōma's eyes looked off into the distance, clearly lost in thought, an equal mix of regret and happiness flitting across them.

"Sōma-kun, if it wouldn't be too forward of me to…may I ask what happened to her?" said Alice softly.

Sōma looked over at her, his face still a bit lost in his memories. It took him a moment to respond.

"What makes you think something happened to her, Alice?"

"Ah…well, it's just that Takeda-san had mentioned her…" said Alice awkwardly, trying to be tactful. "He said that she had…passed away."

Sōma didn't seem fazed by Alice's honesty. He merely sighed and folded his arms, looking away from her again.

"I don't mind you asking about her, Alice. Not really. But how about we close up for the day first? It's getting late."

They both started moving in a well-practiced rhythm, Alice heading out to the main dining area while Sōma started shuffling things around in the kitchen. By the time she returned with the last few dishes from the tables, Sōma had already started washing the pots and pans they'd used for the day and, with her assistance, they got the rest of the kitchen cleaned in minutes.

After lowering the shutters and properly securing the ingredient stores, Sōma and Alice sat at one of the tables in the restaurant across from each other. Sōma was leaning his chin onto his hand and staring out of the window, his mind clearly somewhere else. Almost absently, he reached over and unclasped his chain, the metal falling to the table with a rattle.

Alice didn't say anything as she watched the emotions rise and play across Sōma's face. Fondness, grief, happiness, nostalgia, regret, guilt…all of these and more moved across Sōma's face as his posture softened and he unclenched his hands with a relieved sigh. After a few seconds, he broke the silence.

"Mom wasn't a very good cook, you know."

Sōma's face was wistful as he stared down at the innocuous chain that lay on the table. He picked it up and toyed with the links idly.

"Really, she was terrible, from a professional standpoint anyway. People like Erina or Kojiro-senpai would probably laugh at her efforts. Her rice would be too hard or too soft, never in the proper middle. Her meat would be just a bit too browned, her seasonings would be imbalanced and she often took way too long to prepare something that should've been pretty simple."

"But she's the one that ran the diner, isn't she?" asked Alice curiously. From what Takeda had said, it definitely sounded as if Kumi was the one running things in the kitchen before Joichiro had taken over.

"Yea. Pops met her while he was out here one day because he'd heard about this amazing diner that was run by a single person. "

A young, dark haired man walked down the street, looking around the Sumiredōri Shopping District confusedly. According to what he heard, the diner should be pretty easy to find. After asking around a bit, he finally stood under the branded, red awning, opening the sliding door entrance.

"He made it a point to come because he was always looking to try new things to refine his cooking. Even now, he spends most of his weekends taking day trips out to distant prefectures to pick up new material. And he was pretty excited when he arrived at the diner. At first anyway."

The golden eyed man tapped his feet impatiently, checking his watch. It had been almost thirty minutes since he'd placed his order! Wasn't this a special of the day diner? He looked over at the chef's station, where a red haired, petite woman in a green, long sleeved shirt was shuffling about. She stepped away from the stove, placing something on a tray, before bringing it over to his table.

"Sorry for the wait, sir. Here you go."

"It's about time, do you know how-"

The man cut himself off as he looked up into the smiling face of Restaurant Yukihira's sole employee. He felt his heart start to race and he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"According to Pops, she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. But he pretty much forgot about that when he got around to looking at his food. There were a bunch of mistakes. Rookie mistakes, really. Something he usually had no qualms pointing out. But apparently he was "so struck by her beauty that all his criticism had left him" or so he says."

Sōma placed air quotes around his speech, smiling in fond remembrance of the familiar tale.

The man known as the Asura picked up a sample of the rice, already able to tell that the texture was inadequate. He placed it into his mouth and began chewing, finding that his assessment was correct. The rice really was-

He dropped his chopsticks as a feeling welled up within him. Feelings that weren't his own. Kindness and gratitude. A desire to succeed and to serve the customer, coupled with an overarching feeling of just…goodness. Plain and simple goodness.

"Eating Mom's cooking was…an experience. Like I said, she really wasn't all that good. But there was something about the way she cooked that just spoke to you. It's like she literally put everything she was feeling into every dish she made. It made you respect her, it made you want to come back for more, even if there were places that, technically speaking, had better food."

Sōma's phrasing sparked something in Alice's memory. Something one of the judges had said about Sōma's food. He'd remarked that Sōma's dishes were exquisite, technically perfect, but not an enjoyable experience. Was this the same phenomenon but in reverse?

"So Pops tried to impress her with the fact that he was a Tōtsuki alumnus, a former second seat on the Elite Ten. But Mom's reaction was pretty much like mine would've been, from what he tells me."

Green eyes blinked down at gold and the young woman tilted her head at her shell shocked customer. Why was he so surprised that she'd never heard of his school? It's not like it was Tokyo-U or anything. Plus it was a cooking school. Paying to learn to cook was so stupid!

"So, out of injured pride, my dad challenged my mom to her very first cooking duel. If she won, he'd work as her kitchen slave for the month. And if she lost, she'd have to let him give her proper cooking lessons for a week."

The young man was on his knees, his eyes widened as he stared at the cold tile below him. The woman standing over him bent over, asking him if he was alright, her face somewhere in between smug and concerned. Two bowls sat before a large, portly gentleman, a much younger Hiro Takeda. He was laughing good naturedly at the crushed expression on the man's face.

"Ehhh! You're telling me she won?!"

Alice stared at Sōma, who looked back at her, caught off guard by her exclamation.

"Your mother, who'd never even heard of Tōtsuki, beat the Asura on her first TRY?"

Sōma stared at Alice's dumbfounded expression, before bursting into laughter. He laughed long and hard, his mirth only confusing Alice more. As Sōma's laughing started to taper off, he wiped a tear from his eye, grinning widely at Alice's confused, pouty face.

"When you put it that way, it does sound pretty ridiculous. But Pops was pretty arrogant back then. He didn't consider the implications of just what it meant to pick a fight with Yukihira Kumi on her turf. All of her customers were loyal and longstanding for a reason. They all loved her meals, above all else. If Pops had grabbed someone from Tōtsuki, or even just a bystander off the street to be the judge, he would've probably won. But he chose Takeda-san, a longstanding customer."

"So was it a matter of favoritism then?" asked Alice curiously.

Sōma shook his head, grinning.

"Nah, although Pops will swear to this day that it was. Takeda-san just wasn't a food critic. He judged the match on how he enjoyed it and how the food made him feel, as opposed to worrying about the technical details. And Mom won out, by a long shot. So she had Pops doing things like scrubbing the tiles and washing the dishes. She even got him to paint the restaurant's interior."

Sōma looked around at the beige paint which had been refreshed over the years since Joichiro's time as the galley slave of Restaurant Yukihira.

"After that first month, he stuck around and kept trying to pester her into letting him cook with her. It took a couple weeks but she cracked, eventually. And, from there, it was history."

Sōma looked around at the diner that was such a big part of his life; of his parents' lives. His face fell as he thought back to the woman that had raised him and meant so much to him. Even now, he felt like he was living for her.

"She passed away when I was nine. Things were never really the same after that; Pops and I both kind of blamed ourselves. And each other."

Alice didn't know how to take a statement like that and her expression showed it. Sōma looked up at her and he groaned, palming his face.

"I didn't mean to be dump my family's problems on you, Alice. Sorry."

"No, no. That's fine, Sōma-kun!" said Alice. "I was just a bit surprised, is all."

Despite her words, they both sat in awkward silence for a while, the only sound being the ticking of the clock on the wall. Sōma looked at Alice, at the green Yukihira shirt she wore, and he sighed, his thoughts far away as he thought about the mother he'd lost so long ago. A familiar heaviness started to set in on his chest and he felt his eyes begin to itch. He was brought back to Earth by the feel of warm hands over his own.

Alice smiled at Sōma, squeezing his hands reassuringly. He looked down at where her fingers met his and he felt the weight on his chest ease, just a bit. He smiled and squeezed back, gently, taking in the simple gesture of comfort.

"Thank you for trusting me with something like that, Sōma-kun."

After her quiet, sincere words, the two cooks continued to sit in silence, but this one was much more amicable than the awkward silence of before, filled with comfort instead of tension. Sōma looked at the girl in front of him and he felt…something. Something he'd felt before around her, albeit never as strongly as he felt it now.

"Alice."

"Yes, Sōma-kun?"

Their eyes met and Sōma was suddenly struck by just how beautiful the girl before him was. He'd noticed that the Nakiri was pretty before, certainly. But he'd never really taken note of just how beautiful she actually was. Fair, pale skin. Deep, mystifying red eyes. A thick bang sweeping down to frame the left side of her face, giving it an odd, asymmetrical appeal.

"Is something wrong?"

Sōma looked down at where their hands met and he was almost sure that something had changed. There was a heat, an electricity present that hadn't been there before.

"Do…do you feel this too?" he asked Alice hesitantly, vulnerably.

Alice looked down at where their hands met as well and she drew back a bit, adjusting her palms so that she could thread her fingers through Sōma's. The action brought a blush to both of their faces and Alice looked up at Sōma, finding something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Had it just arrived, or had it simply been there before and she hadn't noticed it?

"I…I think so." was all she said, her heart hammering in her chest.

Sōma leaned forward, his eyes still locked on hers. He looked as if he almost intended to dive straight into the ruby pools. Alice watched him approach, frozen in place from a combination of fear and excitement.

"What…"

Alice swallowed, wondering if Sōma's eyes had always been so big or if he was just really close.

"What are you doing, Sōma-kun?"

The question was whispered, barely audible.

"I don't know."

His response was just as quiet. He'd stopped moving forward, halted at the point where his nose was just out of reach of grazing Alice's own. Neither of them seemed able to pull away from whatever this was.

"It seems like…like maybe…you're trying to kiss me." said Alice, barely getting the words out, her pale face growing even redder. Sōma's blush grew as well and he swallowed, noisily.

"Maybe I am."

Alice didn't know how to respond. She thought that looking away from those brilliant, bronze eyes would be a good way to clear her head, but she couldn't convince herself to do that. It was like she was trapped in them. And she didn't want to escape.

This time, Alice leaned forward, her nose just barely brushing past Sōma's. This close, she could feel the heat emanating from the boy and, as she spoke, she knew her breath was probably playing across his lips.

As Alice leant in even further, she saw something in Sōma's eyes change and he pulled back, his gaze haunted and vulnerable where it had been pure fire before. He turned his head, breaking eye contact with the girl in front of him as he started to speak.

"Alice…I don't think…we can't…I…I'm…."

Sōma knew he wasn't alright. He knew that better than anyone. And, while he didn't know what was going on here, not really, he knew that he didn't want whatever was wrong with him to affect the woman sitting across from him. He was already starting to feel regretful for involving her in his plans, even when he was wrapped in the cold chains of his other self. How selfish would it be of him to try and reach for more?

"You're what, Sōma-kun?"

"Damaged."

The word slipped out quietly, laced with shame and past regrets. For all that it was clear that everything wasn't right with Yukihira Sōma, this was the first time he'd openly admitted it to anyone. This may have been the first time he'd even openly admitted it to himself. That something was wrong, that, for all the strength and planning of his chained persona, he was essentially broken.

Sōma waited to hear her response but Alice didn't say a word. He felt her hands release his and he started to feel an ache in his chest blossom that was suddenly soothed by the hand he felt on his chin. It pushed against his jaw, gently but firmly, turning him to face the insistent, garnet gaze of Nakiri Alice.

"Then I'll fix you."

Sōma's eyes widened at the four word declaration. They widened even further when Alice gripped the other side of his face with her right hand and pulled him towards her. Their lips met in a soft, closed mouth kiss that lasted a scant few seconds. In that short space of time, a connection was formed and a promise was made, even if the words themselves were unspoken.

They pulled back, Alice opening her eyes to meet Sōma's once again. Neither of them said anything and then Sōma moved forward, gently bringing their lips together a second time. And then a third.

When they finally came apart, they looked into each other's eyes again, finding refuge and solace there. One of them spoke, hesitantly.

"I don't really know what this means."

"Neither do I."

Alice looked down at their entwined hands. She squeezed and felt Sōma squeeze back, almost immediately. The gesture was simple but the message was clear.

They would figure it out together.

The remainder of spring break passed quickly in much the same manner. All across Tōtsuki, those with the passion and determination to bring their cooking to increasingly new heights used the time to prepare themselves.

That day was the last time Yukihira's opened for the break. Sōma and Alice spent the second week of the break on campus with Ryo, working with Tsukasa Eishi, of all people. The neurotic first seat had been nothing but polite and cordial with them, but there was a certain, professional distance he kept between them at all times. It was clear that he was simply there to satisfy Rindō's request (demand) for him to teach the first years and nothing more.

Erina and Megumi continued working with Joichiro, their progress gradual but noticeable as they each worked at bringing their souls into their dishes. By the time the second week of their training had rolled around, their techniques had improved noticeably, along with a sudden, newfound distaste for following instructions, which only served to make them even better chefs, ironically. After all, the key to utilizing the Chef's Soul to its fullest was individuality and a willingness to experiment.

Hayama, after the week he spent studying under Shinomiya Kojiro with Ryo, had spent the second week touring different restaurants throughout the surrounding area. Sōma had contacted a few of the more receptive of his food tasting clients, offering them deals on pricing and scheduling for his critiques if they allowed Hayama to work with them for the day. The week had been almost like a compressed version of the Stagiaire period.

Rindō continued working with Ikumi, pleased with the girl's progress but also determined to bring even more out of her. Sōma would need the firepower. Especially considering that she still wasn't entirely sure just where she'd settle when it was all said and done. Things were primed to be so…interesting.

These last few weeks were the calm before the storm at Tōtsuki and everyone knew it. And those involved could only hope that, once the time came, their preparations would be enough.

Erina handed the papers in her hands to the man behind the desk, his suit garish with playing card symbols.

Kageura Hisanao looked over the forms in his hand, nodding professionally as he finished the cursory read through.

"I'll file these right away, Nakiri-san. I'll send a formal challenge notice out to Yukihira Sōma as well."

"Thank you for your assistance in this matter, President-san."

Erina turned, flicking her hair behind her as she strode out of the offices of the Shokugeki Administration Bureau.