A/N: There's a poll on my profile now! See the A/N at the bottom for more details.

As he started to wake up, Sōma noticed that he felt…relaxed. And content. Which was surprising to him, even though this wasn't the first time he'd felt this way recently. Still though, after months of somewhat restless sleep, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to wake up like this, feeling like he'd had a good night's rest.

The reason for that became quickly apparent to him as he felt something shift next to him. Someone, actually. He cracked his eyes open, squinting as he found his sight filled with Nakiri Alice's face. She was cuddled into the side of his chest; her arms wrapped around him in a grip that was probably a bit too tight. But he didn't mind, he'd grown used to it. Many a night spent on her cushion had taught him that.

He blinked sleepily as he heard knocking on his door. That's probably what had woken him up in the first place, considering how difficult it was for him to wake up when he was with his girlfriend. It usually took Kurokiba to come and…

Sōma's eyes snapped open as what had happened yesterday finally began to overtake his lethargy. Rindō's meddling, his confessions to Alice, their fight, the letters and then…this. He looked down, as if seeking confirmation, but the bare legs and soft mounds he felt against his equally bared body was more than enough. He found himself beginning to smile, only to pause at the sound of another knock on his door.

"Yo, Yukihira. You awake in there?"

The voice of Kurokiba Ryo through the closed door made Sōma wonder at what the aide could've wanted. A small shift against him made him realize exactly what the boy had probably come here looking to inquire about. Sōma resisted the urge to gasp as he began to look around desperately for his chain. As much as he hated the damn thing, the calm it forced on him would be really useful right now. He tried to lever himself up out of the bed but the quiet murmur and tightening of Alice's arms around him made him stop. Her eyes blinked open sleepily, looking up at him in a post-sleep haze.

He cleared his throat, wondering if the sound of his heart racing was as audible as it seemed.

"Good morning, Kurokiba-san. Is there something you needed?"

Sōma's voice was calm, even and detached. Just as it usually was, and just as it should be.

"Was just wondering if you had any idea where Alice-ojou was. She doesn't look like she's been in her room since last night."

Ryo's voice was at its usual calm and lazy tenor, but there was still a hint of tension behind it. For all his skill at hiding his emotions, it was clear that he was still more than unhappy with the red head.

Alice blinked again, raising a hand to rub at her eye. She looked around at the room before looking back at Sōma. Sōma could practically see the moment when everything clicked. Alice's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, only for Sōma to reach out and cover it. And not a moment too soon.

He winced as he wondered if Ryo heard the muffled shriek. He winced again as Alice bit his hand, glaring at him over his fingers.

"I'm not completely certain, Kurokiba-san."

Alice lifted one hand, making a few gestures at Sōma. At his confused look, she rolled her eyes and mimed a few more shapes and figures that Sōma struggled to interpret.

"Although I believe she…went out last night. With…Erina?"

Alice nodded, causing Sōma to sigh in relief. Ryo's next words made that relief very short lived.

"So she spent the night at Polar Star then?"

"Ah…yes, she did."

The sharp pinch at Sōma's side made Sōma hiss and he looked down to find Alice glaring at him, her eyes narrowed in an angry expression.

"Mm. I see. Thanks."

Sōma waited until he couldn't hear the dull thumping of Ryo's footsteps before throwing the covers off of himself in what was supposed to be an attempt to get out of bed. As it were, he'd forgotten exactly what state he was in. And, more importantly, what state Alice was in.

"Kyaaaa!"

Sōma went tumbling forward, his naked form slamming into the floor, courtesy of a panicked shove from the equally naked girl in his bed who was doing her best to cover herself while she stammered embarrassedly. Sōma groaned as he groped around on the floor within his reach, his hand finding a familiar pair of soft pants.

He stood, tugging them on before turning around to meet the embarrassed gaze of his ex-girlfriend who was currently swaddled in his sheets.

"Um…good morning Alice?"

"Don't good morning me." she bit out, looking away from him as her cheeks grew an even darker red. "Not after what you did!"

Sōma arched his eyebrow at her before smiling lazily.

"What I did? Don't you mean we?"

The joke earned him a badly thrown pillow and an embarrassed denial.

"Yukihira Sōma! You have such…such nerve!"

Sōma couldn't resist laughing at the affronted tone in her voice and he sat on the bed beside her, smiling.

"Forgive me, Alice. I seem to be in a good mood today. I wonder why?"

Sōma was prepared for a response and so he merely laughed and caught the slap that Alice attempted to dole out while still cocooned in his sheets. He pulled the girl towards him, wrapping his arms around her, despite the cotton barriers in his way. After a token struggle, Alice settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

They sat for a few minutes, enjoying the comfort and the silence. It was peaceful. Easy. And all too temporary. They both knew that and were both equally reluctant to break it. Alice threaded her fingers through Sōma's, enjoying the warmth that he seemed to perpetually carry with him. She raised his hand to her face, resting her cheek against it and sighing at the feeling of closeness and fire that was so Sōma.

"Alice…"

"Shush Sōma-kun. Just…shush. Let's enjoy this. For a little while, anyway."

Sōma sighed, his arms loosening.

"Alice, please I…"

"Sōma-kun, no. We can talk later. I just want to enjoy this."

"Me too Alice, but really we…"

"What, Sōma-kun? Why can't you just let us enjoy this moment for what it is?"

Alice turned to face Sōma and she found him looking back at her, his expression somewhere in between confused and alarmed.

"Because you have an exam in an hour. And I just told Kurokiba that you were at Polar Star."

"…Fuck."

"Indeed."

"Wait, I'm sorry. You want me to what?"

A sigh was heard on the other end of the phone.

"I need you to lie and tell Ryo, when he comes looking for me, that I spent the night with you and left to head back to the mansion a few minutes before he got there, ok?"

Erina hadn't actually needed to hear Alice repeat herself. She'd heard her perfectly the first time. She just couldn't really understand why the other girl needed her to do something like that.

"And why exactly am I lying to Kurokiba-kun? Are you two fighting or something?"

"Um…sort of?"

Erina rolled her eyes, not that her cousin could see. Alice, for all her intelligence, was a terrible liar. She could mislead and deceive with the best of them but when it came to outright lying, she was more than pitiful.

"What happened, Alice? Does this have something to do with Yukihira-kun?"

The gasp on the end of the line all but confirmed Erina's guess.

"N-n-no! Of course not, why would you think such a thing?"

"Well, considering what happened yesterday, I ju-"

"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?!"

The sudden shriek caught Erina off guard and she held the phone at arm's length, rubbing her ear as she hear denial after furious denial sprout from the tiny speaker before being cut off abruptly. She put the phone back to her ear.

"Are you done?"

"She isn't, so I think it would be better if I spoke to you." responded someone else.

The unexpected, cool voice on the other end took Erina completely by surprise. She opened her mouth but then closed it, unsure of how to proceed. She hadn't seen Sōma since their ill-fated meeting on school grounds that night. And she still had no idea why he'd reacted the way he did.

"How are you, Erina?"

For all its clinical detachment, Erina thought she could hear a faint echo of genuine concern.

"I…I'm doing well, Yukihira-kun."

"That's good. I'm happy to hear it."

Erina didn't respond, letting the silence between them stretch onwards. Finally, she spoke.

"And you, Yukihira-kun? How have you been?"

The few seconds it took Sōma to answer was telling enough, even if his answer was frustratingly neutral.

"Alright."

Another silence stretched between them, one that was awkward and heavy. Erina licked her lips, wondering why all of the things she wanted to say seemed to have left her the second she heard Sōma's voice on the phone.

"Alice and I would really appreciate it if you would act as her alibi for last night. Things between Kurokiba and I are not…ideal. I'm afraid he wouldn't react well."

"React well to what, exactly?" she inquired hesitantly.

There. Erina could do this. She could have a conversation with this man. She'd just have to handle it slowly; work her way up to the questions that mattered. Like why he'd hurt her cousin.

"Ah, that's…I can't say much, I'm afraid. It's a private matter between Alice and I. Is that alright with you?"

"Ok yes, that's fine…" she said quietly.

What else could she say? What was one small lie compared to what he'd given her? She just wished she had the courage to actually speak her mind.

"Wonderful. Thank you. Alice appreciates it. I…I appreciate it as well."

Sōma's response was stilted, as if he wasn't really used to expressing gratitude. It was such a marked difference from the cavalier, failure accepting young man she remembered. The difference made her heart ache. Sōma began to speak again, his speech smooth once again.

"Well, I suppose that will be all Erina. Again, thank you."

"Wait, Yukihira-kun!" called out Erina.

"Yes?"

His surprise was mild but noticeable, which was fair, given how withdrawn she'd been throughout the entirety of the call.

"I have something I need to ask you." she said, her voice steady.

Sōma's response was delayed and, when he did respond, it was guarded.

"I'm listening."

"Are you prepared to lose tomorrow?"

Erina's tone was flippant and self-assured, almost arrogant in its sheer confidence. This was the voice of Nakiri Erina. The real Nakiri Erina.

After a few more seconds of tense waiting, Sōma responded. His voice was almost sad.

"For your sake, I hope not."

Before Erina could question the confusingly enigmatic statement, she heard the click of the call disconnecting and she sighed, staring at the blank face of her cell phone. She wondered if she should call back and question him further but she decided against it. She'd waited this long. She could wait another twenty four hours.

Erina got up and headed towards the door, taking the pink robe hanging from the back of it. She stripped down and placed her used clothes into a hamper before shrugging the bathrobe on and tying it tightly around her waist. She picked up the basket filled with bathing products before opening the door and heading out, humming to herself.

She was only in the hall for a few seconds before she looked down and realized she was missing something. Turning back, she slipped back into her room and picked up the little rubber duck that sat on her desk. She squeezed it, smiling softly at the squeak it emitted.

"Come on Saki-chan." she cooed, placing the duck in the basket among her other sundries before heading to the bathroom. As she passed by room 302, the door opened and Megumi stepped out, clad similarly to Erina, although her robe was a soft blue.

"Ah, Erina-chan. Good morning."

"Same to you, Megumi-chan. Were you going to bathe as well? I can wait."

Megumi smiled, shaking her head.

"You don't have to. Why don't we just share the bath?"

It wouldn't be strange for them to do such a thing. Erina and Megumi had shared baths before on occasion, but Erina hadn't failed to notice that, since Sōma had returned, the other girl had made it a point to avoid having to do that with her. Erina wasn't sure why but that particular slight had hurt, even among all of the other, subtle things Megumi had done.

So to hear her being the one to offer made Erina both happier and more cautious than she would've expected.

"Are you sure, Megumi-chan? I know it may still be a bit difficult for you."

Megumi's smile dropped a bit but it still persisted.

"It's fine, Erina-chan. I promise. Besides, I could use some help washing my hair. I'm sure you could as well?"

The teasing jab made Erina smile, even as she swatted playfully at her friend.

"Tadokoro-san, are you trying to imply that my hair is anything but perfection?"

"Oh no, Nakiri-sama. I would never."

The demure, servile tone caused both girls to start laughing. And that laughter carried them all the way to the bathroom where they stripped down, although they were sure to flip the sign on the door to indicate the bathroom was occupied. Megumi had insisted on adding such a thing, scheduled times or no, after Sōma's unintended intrusion at the beginning of the year.

After they'd showered and taken turns lathering each other's hair, the two girls climbed into the bath, sinking into the hot water with identical, grateful sighs. They sat back, letting the heat from the water seep into their muscles and joints. Two rubber ducks floated in the steamy waters, slowly circulating throughout the large bathtub until one of them was grabbed by its owner.

Erina looked at the little duck in her hands and she squeezed it, the squeak from the toy still making her smile, despite how long it had been since she'd received it.

"I see Saki-chan's doing well?"

Erina looked over at Megumi who had cracked one eye open to look over at her. Erina nodded simply in response, squeezing the toy again so that it almost seemed as if Saki itself had responded to her query.

"Do you remember when you first met Kawa-chan?"

Erina blushed at the reminder, looking away from Megumi's teasing grin.

It was a few days after Erina had officially moved into the dorm. Megumi had left the rubber duck floating in the bath, having forgotten about it in her rush to allow Erina her turn in the bath. Erina had gotten in and found herself confronted by the adorable lump of yellow rubber and had found herself enthralled. Megumi had come back in a few minutes later to find Erina cooing and whispering to the toy as she made it squeak out responses to her questions and statements.

Erina was so involved in the imaginary conversation that she didn't notice Megumi until the blue haired girl was practically standing right over her. Erina had scrambled and denied everything, handing Megumi the toy as if it was a nuisance, an inconvenience that had interrupted her bathing time before all but fleeing the bathroom.

The Megumi of the present day smiled at the blush on her friend's face.

"You know, Erina-chan. That was the first time I saw you. Like really saw you."

"What do you mean, Megumi-chan?" asked Erina, pausing in her attempt to propel Saki through the bath water with her hand motions alone.

"Well, it's just that…I mean, I knew who you were, obviously. From my first year at Tōtsuki, I'd heard about you. Nakiri Erina, the God's Tongue. The best of our generation. The princess of Tōtsuki, even in her first year of middle school. You were a legend, someone larger than life, really."

Erina didn't respond as she thought back to those days. The days when, for all of Hisako's eager servitude, she'd been all by herself. On a pedestal that was perfectly sized for her, with no room for anyone else.

"And when you came here, even though you needed our help, I think I still saw you as someone else; someone above the rest of us. I mean, I was just a girl from the backwoods of Tōhoku. My biggest worries were passing school and making my mother happy but you…you had so much more to deal with. It was like something out of a fairy tale; the princess needs to win back her kingdom from the wicked king that overthrew her."

"It…it isn't quite like that, Megumi-chan…"

Megumi shook her head, drawing her knees up under her chin.

"I know that now, Erina-chan. But in those first few days, it's what it felt like. It wasn't until I saw you with Kawa-chan that day that I realized you were just like me, in some ways. You may have been the God's Tongue but you were also a girl that liked playing with toys in the bath. And that made you…real to me. It made me understand you, at least a little bit."

Erina blushed again, but wondered why she somehow felt like she was blushing for completely different reasons.

"It's why I got kaa-chan to send me Saki-chan for you."

Erina blinked. She hadn't known that.

"Really? I thought you'd simply purchased another one from the same store for me."

Megumi shook her head.

"Not exactly. When I first moved to Tokyo to start attending Tōtsuki, I left Saki-chan home by accident and kaa-chan couldn't find him, so I bought Kawa-chan here. I found Saki-chan the next time I visited home but decided to keep him at home instead of bringing him up to Tōtsuki. And when I saw how much you liked Kawa-chan, I figured you'd enjoy having your own."

Erina looked down at the duck she held, turning it over in her hands. Suddenly she understood why it seemed a bit more faded compared to Megumi's. She hadn't thought anything of it, before, but the faded yellow suddenly had a significance that it didn't ten seconds before.

Megumi let out a small noise of surprise as she found a pair of arms encircling her.

"E-Erina-chan!"

Erina didn't say anything. She just continued hugging the smaller girl to her.

"…thank you."

The blonde's words were quiet but Megumi heard them all the same. She felt the darkness, that had been waning for a time now, shrink even further and she let herself relax into the embrace. At least, before she noticed two very soft, very large…things pressing into her side.

Megumi felt herself start to blush and heat up. And it wasn't because of the bath. Thankfully, Erina released her and went back to playing with Saki, watching the small fowl brave the waves she created in a futile attempt to capsize it.

It wasn't long before Megumi sent Kawa into the fray and the two ducks started "fighting" it out, their battle accented by the laughter of their owners as each girl attempted to overturn the other's rubber duckling. A futile struggle, in the end, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

After they'd had enough, both girls left the bathroom and temporarily parted ways before meeting back up downstairs in the kitchens. Today was the last day of final exams and, luckily, neither of them had any. Which meant they had all day to prepare for their fateful confrontation tomorrow. It was time that neither of them planned to waste.

At first, it was simply the two of them in the kitchen, cooking different items and discussing strategies that they'd planned in advance. But soon, they were joined by Shun, who provided his own input into what they could do in the coming match. Then, barely an hour later, Yuki joined them as well, eager to contribute and assist.

She was followed by Ryoko, who was followed by Daigo and Shoji. They all had ideas and skills they were willing to contribute to their champions' dish making process. Even if they couldn't be there in the arena with them; they were determined to do all they could before it. There was even an appearance by Isshiki Satoshi, whose apron clad form was filled with praise and encouragement for their efforts.

The kitchen was full of laughter, joy and innovation that day and Erina couldn't help thinking that Sōma didn't stand a chance. After all, it seemed like it wasn't just going to be the two of them against his cooking. It would be all of Polar Star. And Sōma was good, there was no question, but she doubted he could stand alone against their combined might. That was something she'd learnt during her tenure at Polar Star; the impact others could have on your own abilities was infinitely greater than anything you could achieve on your own.

Rindō shivered; clutching her arms. That was odd, it was pretty warm outside right now. Was someone talking about her perhaps?

She shrugged, shelving the thought for later. She had more important things to worry about, as it were. Striding forwards, she knocked solidly on the door before her.

"Enter." said a measured voice.

Rindō opened the heavy oak door, waving cheerfully.

"Good morning, Azami-sama."

"Kobayashi-kun, greetings." responded the director of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. He was sat behind his desk, going over several files. From her angle, Rindō couldn't be sure exactly what they were but the general layout made her think he was looking over another council member's nomination. She briefly wondered whose. Momo's perhaps? Saito's?

"Is there something I can assist you with?"

Azami arched an eyebrow at the senior, who had entered his office but said nothing else beyond her initial greeting. Rindō smiled and nodded, taking a folded piece of paper out of her jacket pocket and handing it over to Azami. He would've normally been annoyed at such sloppy presentation but he'd long grown use to the quirky habits of the second seat of the Elite Ten Council.

Unfolding the paper, Azami's eyes glanced over it before settling on the name at the top. His eyes narrowed by the slightest amount.

"Are you certain of your choice, Kobayashi-kun?"

Azami's voice was the picture of disinterest but Rindō didn't miss the way his unoccupied hand's fingers were drumming softly against the desk. A telling sign for someone as controlled as he was.

"I've thought about it long and hard, Azami-sama. I'm sure."

"I see."

Azami filed the slightly creased paper among a stack of neatly arranged paper he had in a manila folder.

"You know, Kobayashi-kun. While I understand that you can be rather...free spirited in your decisions, I believe it would be prudent of me to at least suggest to you other, more appropriate options for your nomination."

Rindō's eyes lowered, her cheerful expression dropping into a neutral, lazy one that wouldn't have been out of place on any cat.

"Oh, really? Do tell."

Azami shrugged, as if the matter wasn't an important one to him either way.

"Well, how about Hayama Akira? He won this year's Autumn Elections."

"And lost to Sōma-kun just the other day."

"True. But were it not for Sōma's underhanded approach to the situation, the result would've been entirely different, I imagine."

Neither of them commented on how odd it was to hear Azami dismiss the abilities of his premier enforcer. Or how ironic it was that he would call Sōma's methods "underhanded".

Rindō tapped her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head at the man she'd pledged loyalty to. When he'd first approached her, she'd been intrigued by his vision and his passion, for all its misdirection. He'd seemed like he could carry through his plans and he had, once upon a time. Beautifully, even. But months at the top had left him...content in his role. In his power. She was slowly losing interest, she could feel it.

"Well, be that as it may, I still find his talents worthwhile. He even beat Kuga-chii, who was no slouch in the kitchen, as I'm sure you're aware. Despite your dismissal of him from the Elite Ten."

The jab was subtle but it was there. They both knew that Azami hadn't dismissed Kuga due to a dearth of skill. The Elite Ten Council was always supposed to be about who the ten best students in the school were, regardless of anything else. Senzaemon had never intended for it to be the political chess piece that Azami had used it for. But then, the old man had always been a bit too idealistic for her taste.

She hadn't been able to believe it, at first. When she'd first learnt about the power the Elite Ten Council held. Between her and Tsukasa, they could pretty much singlehandedly rewrite every single law of the school. With his support, she could demand that every single student wear pink bunny ears at all times lest they be expelled and the student body would have no choice but to do it.

She supposed it was good that Tsukasa was more reticent and level headed than she was; the more chaotic of her decisions would've probably led to some sort of student rebellion by now. Just as Azami's was going to.

"Far be it from me to tell you who you can and can't nominate, Kobayashi-kun."

Despite the words used, it was clear that Azami would like nothing more than to do that very thing. But even he had only so much control over the Elite Ten Council. It surprised her that he hadn't made more of a move to curb their power, actually. Even though they were all firmly on his side; Azami struck her as the type of man who would want to be on top by himself.

Was that more complacency on his part?

"Did you need anything else, Kobayashi-kun?"

Rindō shrugged again, turning promptly on her heel.

"Nah, that's it. I'll see ya around."

She left the office with a flippant wave and a slam of the door. She cheekily wondered just what look Azami must have had on his face as she left. What she'd done wasn't quite disrespect but it was definitely flirting with the line. Oh well, she had more important things to worry about than her headmaster's disapproval.

Like going to see her little pet project. She idly wondered if she should call ahead but figured that, with the match tomorrow, there was really only one place he could be. And that was the kitchen, which worked out for her. As she knew exactly which kitchens he'd be utilizing, assuming the snowflake hadn't seen fit to kick him out by now.

So it was that, after a few minutes of walking and utilizing the confused assistance of a maid, Rindō found herself standing just outside the Nakiri mansion kitchens. She'd stalked up silently and, luckily, Sōma's back was to her, his eyes on the boiling pot but his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Sōma-kunnnnn."

His reaction was immediate, if muted. He turned to face her, his hand lowering the heat on the pot almost instinctively.

"Rindō-senpai."

His voice was still cold and distant, as opposed to the more personal tone he'd adopted with her before she'd done what she did.

"What do you want?"

Rindō sauntered up behind Sōma, grinning. She went to place her arm around his shoulder but he shrugged her off, stepping away.

"Oh, Sōma-kun. Why so mean?"

Sōma turned to face her and, if his voice was cold, then the look he gave her was positively arctic.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

Rindō sighed, even as she wondered if, just maybe, she'd overstepped herself a tad. In her experience, boys pretty much thought with what they had below the belt anyway. Sōma shouldn't be overreacting like this; not with her.

"Come on, Sōma-kun. Don't you think you're being a bit of a baby?"

The gibe did nothing to move Sōma and he simply continued staring at her, his arms folded.

"I ask again, what do you want Rindō-senpai?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I submitted my nomination for you to Azami-sama. And I also wanted to see what you had planned for tomorrow's little duel. It should be interesting, huh? You going up against even more of your old comrades."

"I see. Thank you for your nomination."

Sōma didn't say anything else and he simply continued staring at Rindō, who was staring back at him with a pout.

"Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

For the first time, Sōma's tone wasn't completely detached. But Rindō didn't know if she liked the anger she could hear lurking in it any better.

"You want me to simply be happy with you, Rindō-senpai? To simply forget what you did to hurt me? To hurt Alice?"

Rindō rolled her eyes, seating herself at the kitchen island with a long suffering sigh. She idly glanced down at her nails; the very picture of disinterest.

"Now you're just being dramatic, Sōma-kun. You sound like one of those sappy comics Erina-chan loves to read so much. Whining about how much you liked your girlfriend even though you kissed me. If you recall, Sōma-kun, I didn't make you do anything."

"No. You simply coerced me. Because that makes it better."

It was impressive how much sarcasm Sōma could impart into his voice when he tried. Rindō's eyes narrowed, as she felt Sōma's attitude begin to grate on her nerves.

"You don't get to sit here and play the victim, Sōma-kun. Everything you've done has been by your choice and your choice alone. No one made you commit yourself to saving that girl."

"You're right. No one did. But you've certainly gotten your fair share of amusement from my efforts, haven't you? You think I don't know how funny you find all of this? How this is all nothing more than a game to you?"

"A fun one, might I add." interjected Rindō with a sharp toothed smile.

"See, it's that. That's what I'm talking about. You don't understand, Rindō-senpai. You never could."

Rindō's smile evaporated and she frowned, her expression stormy.

"Then enlighten me, Sōma-kun. Please. What exactly don't I understand?"

Her tone made it clear that she didn't expect Sōma to say anything she didn't already know. Sōma tilted his head at her and his eyes softened. Not by much, but just by the barest amount. And Rindō saw something there that infuriated her. That really sent her over the edge. Pity.

Sōma was pitying her. HE was pitying HER? How dare he?!

"You don't care about other people, Rindō-senpai. You never have."

"Because most people don't matter, Sōma-kun. Don't presume things about me just because I'm a lot more selective about who deserves my attention."

"It's not just about that." said Sōma, his voice firm. "Even the people you supposedly care for are forever second to you and your own selfish desires. Me, Nene-senpai, even Tsukasa-senpai. None of us really matter to you."

"That's not true." bit out Rindō, her eyes flashing as she leaned forwards. Sōma quirked an eyebrow at her, unfazed by her heated response.

"Actions speak louder than words, senpai."

"Then all of the help I've given you should be worth something. I'm a big part of the reason you are where you are today. All those weeks of training and making sure you weren't a wreck after what Azami put you through were my doing. MINE."

Sōma's face hardened and he sighed. He held up his chained wrist towards Rindō, almost mockingly.

"Are we both going to pretend that this wasn't as much your doing as his?"

"What would you have had me do, Sōma-kun?"

"I wasn't exactly in a state to choose; but splitting me in two would've been on the lower end of my choices, I assure you."

Rindō shrugged, as if the fate of Sōma's psyche was a minor issue; like the weather or what she'd pick out to wear the next day.

"I've told you before, I work with what I have. And of all the things within you that I had to work with, mental stability wasn't really one of them."

The insult caused just the barest crack in Sōma's facade and Rindō saw him slip; his eyes widening and his teeth bared as some of his emotions slipped past his chains. There was the usual anger and rage but, more than that, Rindō saw pain. It was only for a second, as Sōma wrestled himself back into control quickly, but she saw it.

"I helped you, Sōma-kun. I made you into something greater than what you were."

Sōma didn't respond immediately and, when he did, his words were simply and taciturn.

"What really scares me is that I think you really believe that."

Rindō was smart. She knew she was. The term 'ridiculously intelligent' would not have been hyperbole in her case. She'd taken tests that had put her in the upper half percentile of the Japanese population. That meant, as far as raw smarts went, she was smarter than at least ninety nine percent of the common man. So the few times she realized that she was wrong always came as a shock to her.

This was one of those times.

She wasn't really sure what it was about what Sōma had said that struck a chord with her. It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to convince her that the way she viewed things was incorrect or warped or simply wrong. But this time...something about his statement was simply so heartfelt that Rindō couldn't help but listen. And realize that maybe; just maybe, she shouldn't have done what she did.

Regardless, it was too late to go back now. And Rindō didn't apologize. That was simply something she didn't do. She could make up for things though. That would be acceptable.

"Here."

She took a folder from her jacket, shoving it towards Sōma. He eyed her sceptically before picking it up and glancing through it. Almost immediately he shut it and slid it back towards her.

"I'm not sleeping with you Rindō-senpai. I thought I already told you that."

Rindō rolled her eyes, huffing.

"I'm well aware that you're currently attached to snowflake-chan, Sōma-kun."

"I'm not, actually."

Rindō blinked up at him.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Thanks in no small part to your efforts; we have gone our separate ways. We are no longer seeing each other."

Sōma's tone was almost grave, for all its emptiness. Rindō felt like such a revelation should've brought a smile to her face but all it did was make her feel something. She would've recognized it as regret or remorse, if she was anyone else. As it were, it simply left her frustrated and annoyed.

"If you're not with the Nakiri girl anymore, then what's stopping you from taking up my offer?" she asked, trying to maintain her casual aloofness.

"Really?"

Sōma's voice was incredulous.

"Can you really not see why I wouldn't want to have sex with you anymore, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō shrugged, eyeing her nails and wondering how often she'd done that in this particular conversation. It wouldn't do to seem fidgety.

"Not really. You seemed all too eager a few months ago. I'm just as hot and good at it as I was then, I assure you."

The second half of her statement was practically purred and Rindō expected to see at least a hint of a blush grace Sōma's features. As it were, he simply sighed and turned the stove off entirely before sitting to face her. He met Rindō's playful eyes with a tired gaze before reaching up and undoing his chain. The metal links fell to the counter with a clink and Sōma shuddered as he felt his emotions reassert themselves before looking back at Rindō. What she saw there made Rindō lean back in surprise.

"Sex with someone requires trust, Rindō-senpai. And after all we'd been through, you had mine. I trusted you. I trusted you with my secrets and vulnerabilities. I trusted you when you said you'd help me, against myself and against Azami. I trusted you with so much more than I'd trusted anyone else with since my mother died."

Sōma took her hand and squeezed it firmly, trying to convey his message through his feelings as much as his words.

"And then you turned around and took advantage of that. I considered you a dear friend, Rindō-senpai. I even loved you, in as much as you'd let me. So I could get past you using that for your own ends; I could even get past you using my faith against me, after a time. But you used that to hurt the woman I loved. The woman I still love."

Sōma released her hand and Rindō could tell that he'd let go of more than just that with that gesture.

"And there's a part of me; the part of me that knows you and still cares about you, that tells me to forgive you. Because this sort of thing is simply in your nature, it's who you are. But I don't think that's enough. Not anymore."

Rindō...wasn't sure how she felt. She wanted to simply shrug off what Sōma had said; what did she care what he thought of her? But she found it simply wasn't that easy. It should be, really, but it wasn't. And why wasn't it.

"I have to go."

Rindō stood up and left abruptly, fleeing from more than just the sympathetic look in Sōma's eyes. She strode through the halls of the mansion, stubbornly doing her best to think of nothing. She shouldn't care this much about what some troubled freshman thought about her. She shouldn't care this much about what anyone thought about her, really. And she didn't.

She really, really didn't.

She rounded a corner and only barely avoided running into someone. She turned to give the person an insincere apology, only to find that the person in question was a surprised Nakiri Alice. Her surprise quickly turned into outrage, however and she stepped towards Rindō, jabbing a finger at her.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

Rindō smiled easily at the girl. This was more her speed. Confrontation she could handle.

"Why, nothing really. I just stopped by to see Sōma-kun."

She expected her words to incite even more rage in the white haired girl. She did not expect the right hook that came along with that anger.

Alice's fist thumped solidly into Rindō's cheek, causing the maroon haired girl to stumble back as a white hot burst of pain erupted into the left side of her face.

"Ow!"

Rindō looked down at Alice, aghast, as she held her reddened cheek. The younger girl looked completely unrepentant.

"Just so we're clear. That's the least of what I should do to you. Now get out or I swear I will THROW you out, Kobayashi Rindō."

Rindō narrowed her eyes.

"Please. Make my day, Snowflake-chan."

Sōma looked up from where he was looking through a recipe book. He blinked in alarm, standing up.

"Alice?! What happened?"

Alice's clothes were rumpled and dirt stained. Her skirt was on the wrong way and half of the buttons on her shirt were torn off. Her skin was smudged and darkened in a few places, with what seemed like scratch marks. And the less said about her hair, the better.

Alice smiled and waved off Sōma's concern.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I just had something that needed attending to, that's all. More importantly, I had something I needed to ask you."

Sōma looked like he didn't quite believe her but he didn't comment. Instead he just nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"I want to be your sous-chef. For the shokugeki tomorrow."

Sōma wasn't sure what he'd expected her to ask. But it certainly hadn't been that.

"My sous-chef? Alice, are you...but why?"

"Because you need one. And we make a good team. And I'd like the excuse to finally get my chance to beat Erina. Take your pick."

Alice grinned mischievously down at Sōma and he found himself smiling in return.

"Are you sure? I know things between us are-"

"They are what they are." she said, cutting him off. "That doesn't matter. Right now, we have a cook off to prepare for. Let's get to it."

Alice strode past him, heading towards the freezer. She pulled out several plastic wrapped packages and turned towards him.

"So what kind of meat were you thinking of using?"

Sōma wanted to protest and have a real conversation with Alice. Things between them were...unresolved, to say the least. They hadn't gotten to really speak about things that morning, all things considered. But he also knew that tomorrow would be a day that decided a great many things for more than just him. And he had to be ready.

So he relented.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the final match of Central's Survivor's Purge. This time, we're in for what should prove to be an amazing bout! And also a rather unusual one at that. The Polar Star Dormitory will fight for its right to continue existing, and it will be represented by not one but TWO representatives! May I introduce to you, Nakiri Erina and Tadokoro Megumi!"

Urara Kawashima swept her hand out, gesturing towards the back of the arena where the two Polar Star residents entered amidst uproarious applause. Despite her dismissal from the Elite Ten Council, none had forgotten about the wielder of the God's Tongue, the girl most still regarded as Tōtsuki's Princess. And Megumi, while not nearly as lauded, was formidable in her own right, being one of the Top 8 of the Autumn Election.

The two girls took their positions at their stations, their faces set in determined expressions as they looked towards the back of the arena.

"And of course, opposing them we have Central's premier enforcer, the man they call the Black Jewel and the wielder of the False God's Tongue, Yukihira Sōma!"

This time the cheers were noticeably quieter, although still there. Sōma had amassed more than a few fans during his campaign for Central. Sōma walked up towards the arena, taking his position at the station opposite Erina and Megumi.

"And assisting Sōma as his sous-chef in the match today will be another Autumn Elections Top 8 contender. The girl they call the Heaven Sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy and the leader of the Cutting Edge RS, Nakiri Alice!"

Alice entered from the back of the arena, smiling to herself as she strolled up to place herself alongside Sōma. She looked over at Erina, who was staring back at her with an unreadable look on her face.

"Alice."

"Erina."

The tension between the two family members was almost tangible and Megumi resisted the urge to shiver as she saw what looked like lightning bolts pass between the two Nakiris.

"I'm going to crush you."

"Ohoho, really now? I suppose we'll see."

Urara continued speaking, as if she didn't notice the byplay between the two sides of the battle. It was all too possible that she didn't, absorbed as she was in trying to keep the spotlight on herself.

"Standard Purge rules apply, but there's also other, mysterious conditions that both parties have agreed to. They've asked me to keep them confidential but trust me when I say the stakes are high! In addition, in honour of this being the last match of the Survivor's purge, we have special guest judges here to assist for the day!"

Urara gestured to the back of the arena where a figure entered. He was tall and muscular, his wide frame held tightly in a well tailored suit. His close cropped hair and sharp eyebrows contrasted with the small smile he wore on his face.

"First, we have a familiar face, someone you all know, Dojima Gin! Please thank him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come down and give us his expert opinion!"

The cheers were Gin were just as loud, if not louder, than the cheers had been for Erina. The man smiled and waved as he walked forward and took his seat at the judges' table.

"Dojima Gin was a resident of the Polar Star Dormitory during his tenure at Tōtsuki, so it's fitting that he come back now to have a hand in determining its fate, don't you think?"

The enthusiastic response of the crowd was all the answer Urara needed. She brushed a blue bang out of her eyes, smiling widely as the cheering began to back down.

"And now, our next judge is also a Tōtsuki alumnus. He's the first Japanese man to have won the prestigious Pluspol award in Paris and he's currently living in Tokyo as he establishes a new branch of his restaurant, Shino's. Please give a warm welcome to Shinomiya Kojiro."

Kojiro wore a plain white chef's uniform, his bicoloured hair clashing with the ensemble, as it usually did. He entered to less, but still prodigious, applause than Gin but, if this bothered him, he didn't show it. He walked up and took his seat at the judge's table, adjusting his glasses as he looked over at the contenders. He smiled briefly as he met Sōma's eyes, the challenge in them unspoken.

"Now, in a somewhat unorthodox turn of events, our final judge seems to be running behind. But they have assured us that they will be here quite soon and that we should start without them. Normally this wouldn't be permitted but I've received explicit approval from the Shokugeki Administration Bureau to allow this to go ahead. So, combatants, are you ready?!"

After receiving four nods, Urara threw her hand up in the air.

"Then without further ado, let's begin!"

A/N: Huh. I feel like we've been here before.

Joking aside, I hate leaving you guys at the exact same cliff hanger I've used before but I wanted to make it explicit this time, that the next chapter would be the shokugeki. But I also just didn't have the time to get the shokugeki itself out. Trust me when I say writing cooking battles, especially on the scale I try to, is much easier said than done.

In general, this chapter just...really fought me. It was difficult to get out, for a number of reasons. I pray that the quality wasn't affected as a result, but I shall leave it to you all to tell me if it has been.

Also, just a general public announcement: Based on the feedback received from the interludes, I've decided that I probably won't use them as weekly update material. Maybe like a bonus, midweek update instead that has no affect on the update schedule of the main story. I've also opened a poll on my profile. Go and vote for who you'd like the next interlude chapter to focus on!

That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please look forward to next week's, in which we'll see the shokugeki in full, including the announcement of the victor.

Question of the Day: How does one go about getting a tvtropes page for one's fanfiction? Do I create it myself or do I simply wait or one of my adoring fans to? Or do I just opt to not have one at all? Decisions, decisions!