Erina stared down at her phone in disbelief; just hours ago, Sōma had been borderline mute. And less than helpful. Now, suddenly, he was willing to be forthcoming?

"Megumi-chan, look."

Megumi blinked up at Erina, her blush fading as she read the text. She gasped.

"Sōma-kun…do you think he's serious?"

"If not, it would be a joke that's in incredibly poor taste." said Erina, glaring down at her phone as if she could convey her irritation to the boy through it. And then she realized, belatedly, that she could.

Yukihira-kun, is that offer sincere? You didn't seem well earlier this afternoon.

Both girls stared at the screen, anxiously waiting for a response. They didn't need to wait long.

It is. You earned an explanation and I will do my best to give you one.

Erina thought for a moment. This was…odd. While she didn't expect Sōma to go back on their agreement, considering his respect for the shokugeki and its tenets, she also didn't expect him to be this forward and forthcoming. She thought that getting the answers she wanted would be like pulling teeth, considering how reticent he'd been before.

And you will answer all of our questions in full and with honesty, correct?

Those were the terms right? I'll honor them. I assure you of that, Erina.

Erina frowned. That was easy for him to say. And also when did he start simply calling her Erina?

Why do you persist in doing that Yukihira-kun?

Pardon?

This isn't the first time you've referred to me so informally.

The response to the last text message took almost a full minute.

I suppose it isn't.

Erina was frustrated at the vague response but resolved to simply add it to the list of questions she had for him. She had several; it wouldn't hurt to add one more.

She slipped her phone into her pocket and turned back to face Megumi, who was looking at her somewhat hesitantly, with a bright red face. She wondered why that was before suddenly recalling just what had happened before Yukihira's ill-timed text message. She swallowed, doing her best to try and keep her composure.

The audible thumping in her chest and warmth in her face told her she utterly failed. She licked her lips, which suddenly seemed very dry, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Megumi-chan, I-"

"Well, Erina-chan-"

They paused as each of them spoke at the same time, cutting the other off. Megumi laughed awkwardly.

"S-Sorry, Erina-chan. You first."

"No, that's quite alright. You can speak, Megumi-chan."

"No, no, I insist."

"A-As do I."

Silence fell over the two as they stumbled over their words, suddenly unsure of what to say. Erina found herself at a loss now that her initial burst of courage had faded. She didn't know the first thing about being in a relationship, let alone with another girl! And that's what this was, right? Megumi HAD said they would make a "scandalous" couple, after all. So they were…together now, right? They'd even kissed!

Erina blushed even brighter at the thought, her hands shaking as nervousness began to take hold. What should she say? What should she do? Should she thank Megumi or would that come off as simpering? Or should she simply go on and act as she always did? But that didn't make sense, things had changed, right?

Erina felt warm hands take hers, in a comforting grip she recognized.

"Erina-chan."

Megumi traced a small character into Erina's palm. It wasn't the character for 'man' that Megumi used for herself. This was a different character; one that Erina had chosen at Megumi's urging. It was a simple, straightforward character.

Self.

Erina felt her mind easing and her nerves calming at the comforting sign. She smiled at Megumi, who returned it with one that was just as warm.

"Nervous?"

Erina sighed although her smile didn't fade.

"Quite." she admitted. "I'm afraid that for all of my education and pedigree, this is one particular area in which I'm almost completely clueless."

The heiress' tone was grudging, as if it almost physically hurt to admit that there was something she didn't know. It reminded Megumi of how she'd been when she'd first arrived at Polar Star. There was so much that she was ignorant about in those days.

"I'm not exactly the most experienced myself." said Megumi, shrugging lightly. "It's not exactly something I advertise, after all."

"Something you advertise?" asked Erina curiously.

"You know. My…um…preferences." said Megumi, averting her eyes from Erina's and blushing brightly.

Erina looked at Megumi in confusion before finally connecting the dots.

"Oh. I…I see. That's understandable, I suppose." she said quietly.

The conversation paused as another awkward silence threatened to take hold.

"What about you?" asked Megumi, finally giving in to her curiosity. Erina tilted her head at the blue haired girl.

"What about me, what?" she asked.

"Well, it's just…I never would've thought that you were…you know…I didn't really see any indication that you were…playing for the other team, so to speak?"

"Other team? Is that a sports reference?" asked Erina, more confused than ever.

"Of a sort, I guess. It's just…you've lived with us for months now. And I never got the slightest hint that you were…" Megumi trailed off, looking away.

"That I was what?" asked Erina

"That you liked girls." said Megumi, sighing as if she'd finally gotten her tongue around a difficult word.

Erina looked away embarrassedly at Megumi's straightforwardness, clearing her throat before she began speaking.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm just as surprised as you are Megumi-chan."

Megumi blinked. And then blinked again. And then blinked a third time.

"Um…now I'm confused, Erina-chan."

"It's not very complicated. I've just never really thought about anyone in that light before, be they a boy or a girl. I've never had the slightest urge to connect with someone the way I want to connect with you. You are my first…crush, I suppose." said Erina, looking back at Megumi, wondering if she looked as vulnerable as she felt.

Megumi blinked again, wondering if she was properly understanding what the other girl was telling her.

"So wait…you're saying you've never had a crush or romantic interest in anyone before ME?"

Erina nodded, smiling softly.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Erina didn't realize just how odd something like that was. She also didn't realize just how much pressure she'd inadvertently placed on Megumi as she thought about what exactly it meant to be someone's first love, let alone someone like Erina. Someone who deserved the best that love in all its forms could give and had already been hurt in the past. Someone who was amazing, smart, talented and a hundred and one things that Megumi was sure she wasn't.

The interaction between the two of them would be Erina's first. It would shape how the heiress looked at love and romance for quite possibly the rest of her life.

"Megumi-chan….are you alright?"

The soft hand Erina placed on Megumi's forehead was the final straw and the last thing Megumi saw before complete darkness was Erina's concerned face.

"So she just…fainted?" asked Yuki. She was sitting in Erina's bed with Megumi's head in her lap. Erina had called her through the pipes of the building once Megumi had first collapsed. She was fanning Megumi's face with a paper fan that had a cartoon of Erina's face on it.

Erina nodded from where she was standing over the bed, wringing her hands nervously as she looked down at Megumi's unconscious form.

"Yes, I'm not sure why. We were…conversing and she suddenly started to look a bit dizzy. I tried to ask her what was wrong but then she just fell."

"That's weird. Megumi-chan hasn't had a good fainting spell in a while." said Yuki, pinching the unconscious girl's cheek. "She used to faint a lot in middle school; usually because she felt stressed or pressured. Did you say anything that could cause something like that Erina-chii?"

Erina opened her mouth but then snapped it shut as she thought of just what they'd been discussing.

"Erina-chii…why are you blushing?"

"T-That's not important, Yuki-chan! I'm afraid Megumi-chan and I were discussing a private matter." said Erina, looking away and folding her arms.

Erina's odd reaction set off alarm bells in Yuki's head and she leaned forward, squinting at the embarrassed girl.

"Erina-chii?"

Erina turned her back on Yuki completely, more to hide her completely red face from the other girl than anything else.

"Can we just please focus on Megumi-chan?"

"Sure, sure…" said Yuki teasingly. "Do you have any raw peppers, the spicier the better? And a napkin?"

Erina nodded and stepped over to the small kitchenette that was standard for most Polar Star rooms, rummaging briefly before turning to place a small red vegetable into Yuki's hand.

"This is a little trick Isshiki-senpai showed us after Megumi-chan fainted in class for like the third time. All you do is put the pepper in the napkin, crush it up a bit, let the juices mingle and…"

She placed the crumpled paper beneath Megumi's nose, opening it slowly. At first, nothing happened but then Megumi's nose started to twitch and she groaned, opening her eyes.

"Megumi-chan!" said Erina, kneeling down beside the bed and smiling at her awakened friend. Megumi looked back at Erina groggily, blinking slowly.

"Erina-chan. Yuki-chan? What happened…?"

"You passed out. And to think you almost made it the whole year without fainting, what a shame Megumi-chan." said Yuki, giggling. Megumi still seemed to be struggling to process what was going on.

"I…passed out?" asked Megumi.

"Yes, Megumi-chan. We were having a discussion and I suppose it may have made you feel somewhat uncomfortable." said Erina, doing her best to resist the urge to fidget.

Megumi stared at Erina as she started to recall just what they'd been discussing. The blush that started to creep up her face caused Yuki to pounce.

"And just what were you two talking about that would have you turning so red, Megumi-chan? It wasn't something perverted, was it?" she asked, grinning wickedly at the girl in her lap.

"Eh? EH?!" was Megumi's response as she shot up, as if Yuki's lap had burned her. She started shaking as she looked anywhere but at the grinning, bun haired girl.

"N-n-no. That is, w-well you see…I-I-I was t-telling Erina-chan that…that…"

"That she was happy that Yukihira-kun seemed to be doing better." interjected Erina smoothly. She held up the phone screen to show Yuki the brief text conversation. Her eyes ran over the scree with interest.

"Oh really, that's wonderful!" gushed Yuki, clapping. She almost bounced with excitement. "We were all so worried about Sōma-kun, I'm glad to hear he's doing better, can we go see him?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea. At least for right now." said Erina carefully. Both because she wanted answers sooner rather than later and because she wasn't fully certain of Sōma's condition. A few simple text messages didn't mean that he was back to normal, for all that he claimed to be ready to meet with them. "I've arranged for Megumi-chan and I to meet with him tomorrow afternoon. After that, I'm hoping he'll be open to more visitors."

"Oh." said Yuki, dejected. She hadn't so much as spoken with Sōma since his dramatic return to Tōtsuki almost two months ago. It was more than a little disappointing to have her first real chance so firmly stonewalled.

"But we'll be sure that you're one of the first ones there if he's up for more visitors, Yuki-chan." said Megumi hastily. Almost instantly Yuki's expression reversed and she clapped once more.

"Awesome! I'll let Shun-kun know as well, thank you so much Megumi-chan!"

Yuki hopped to her feet, all but skipping to the door. She opened it and exited but not before peeking her head back in with a lascivious grin.

"And don't think this means I've forgotten about whatever perverted secret you two are hiding!"

Yuki shut the door, ignoring the sputtered denials from both girls. Erina stared at the door, mortified at her classmate's brazen attitude.

"It's not perverted."

Erina turned to Megumi, who almost seemed as if she didn't realize she'd spoken.

"The way I am…the way I feel, there's nothing wrong with that. It's not perverted in the least. It's natural, beautiful even."

The blue haired girl didn't look like she was talking to Erina. Both her eyes and her mind appeared to be very far away, Erina placed her hand on Megumi's shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Megumi-chan, what are you talking about?"

Megumi blinked, her eyes coming back into focus as she looked at Erina. Her expression was a cross between sadness and frustration.

"Oh…sorry, it's just something Yuki-chan said. It brought up some bad memories…" she said, looking away. Erina squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked gently. Megumi looked conflicted, biting her lip as she looked away.

"No…but I think I should. I think it's something you deserve to know."

Megumi sighed, holding her hands to her chest.

"You know I come from a small town in Tōhoku, right?"

Erina nodded, slipping her hand down Megumi's arm to take her hand. Megumi gave her a small smile in response.

"Things are very traditional there. We pay homage to the spirits, we observe all of the old holidays and marriage is more of an eventuality than anything else. And, more importantly, it's something to be done between a man and a woman. I was raised to believe that, one day, I would meet a man to fall in love with that would become my husband. And I would settle down with him, make a family and be a good wife and mother."

Megumi's smile faded as she thought back to a time long past.

"I didn't realize I liked girls until I was in my last year of elementary school. I couldn't stop thinking about this girl in my class; she was pretty plain but she was always really nice to me, even though I wouldn't exactly call us friends. I found myself thinking about her all the time; her hair, her eyes, her voice. And I couldn't really understand why. Until I realized that I sounded exactly like the rest of my friends. It's just that my crush happened to be a girl. It took me months to come to grips with that fact and even more months to work up the courage to confess to her."

Megumi fell silent and Erina could tell by the look on her face that, whatever had happened, hadn't gone well.

"I was an idiot. I made her this really nice bento box and invited her to lunch with me. I told her how I felt about her and she…wasn't happy. She was disgusted. She told me that I was sick; that what I felt was improper and perverted. Dirty. Immoral. Wrong."

Megumi's eyes misted as she thought back to those cruel words.

"I apologized and I begged her not to tell anyone else about what I'd done. And things were fine for a few more weeks. But then…I'm not sure what exactly happened. But she told someone and then the whole town knew, practically overnight."

Megumi closed her eyes, wiping at them with the heel of her free hand.

"I thought my mom would be furious; that she would disown me or kick me out of the house for being some freak. But she didn't do any of those things. Instead she simply said she loved me and that, when the time came, she was sure that the wife I found would be just as pretty as I was. And I was relieved; so relieved. I'd only barely accepted myself and I don't know where I would have ended up without her support. She was always the one pushing me to be comfortable with who I was, no matter what, even when the rest of the world was pointing fingers at me. She was the one that told me that love, no matter its form, was a beautiful thing and should be cherished and protected."

Megumi opened her eyes, her tears a distant memory. She smiled brightly as she remembered the time she spent with her mother and she held a hand to her chest.

"These feelings that I have in my heart Erina; there's nothing wrong with them. I know that now; and the thought of someone trying to call them wrong or perverted just…it makes me remember a time when I really did feel wrong and dirty for feeling the way I did. And I don't ever want to go back there."

"You won't have to." said Erina, smiling confidently at the other girl. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

She gripped Megumi's hand and leaned forwards, trying to convey her earnestness to the other girl.

"I promise you that, Megumi-chan."

Megumi felt her heart beat faster in response to Erina's sincerity and she looked away, blushing.

"E-Erina-chan…may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, anything." replied Erina almost instantly. Even before everything had changed between them, there'd been little the two girls had kept secret from each other.

"When did you…fall in love with me?" asked Megumi softly, unable to meet Erina's gaze as she blushed even brighter. Erina's cheeks were not spared either and she coughed lightly as she tried to focus on providing her answer instead of how warm her face felt.

"Well…do you mean when I realized I was in love with you? Or when I think I actually started to fall for you?"

Megumi's confusion was clear on her face.

"Ano…there's a difference?"

"Well, yes! I've spoken with Shiomi-sensei at length about this particular phenomenon; it's a lot more common than you'd think! You may be in love with someone and not realize it until something brings your attention to it. And even then, you may continue to deny your feelings for one reason or another. It's possible to be in love with someone for years and not even know it." said Erina, her voice slipping into a sort of lecturing tone that she often adopted when discussing her and Jun's "research".

"And that's what happened with my feelings for you. I didn't realize how I felt until literally just a few moments ago. But, when you told me that I was special to you, that I'd become such an important part of your life, it…it all just clicked. That's when I knew that I was in love with you."

Erina thought she would've been embarrassed to be so open and so vulnerable but Megumi had always had that sort of effect on her. She'd always felt safe; as if she could share anything with her.

"But I think I started to fall for you long before that. As I look back on how I thought of you…I should've been able to realize it and tell you about it a long time ago. Gomena-."

Erina's apology was cut short by an abrupt kiss from Megumi. It came with all of the same warm intensity that their first had come with and it left Erina blushing fiercely as she looked into her girlfriend's smiling face.

"That's one thing you never need to say sorry for, Erina-chan."

"Well…I w-won't then, I suppose." mumbled Erina, smiling softly.

"Alright Sōma-kun, are you ready?" asked Megumi determinedly. She held a notepad in her hands and was leaning forward from her place in the couch. Erina had her arms crossed and her legs folded primly, reclining back in the couch. She stared evenly at Sōma, who was seated before them on a large cushion.

Even though it had only been a day since they'd seen him, Sōma was already looking much healthier. His hair was more vibrant and the bags around his eyes had notably decreased. He also looked brighter and happier with a lazy smile plastered across his face as he reclined back onto the cushion. His entire bearing was simply relaxed and at ease. The difference was like night and day.

"Sure but, before we get started, can I ask a question of my own?"

His voice was light and airy, unconcerned. Megumi looked over at Erina, who nodded.

"That's acceptable. But make it brief, please." said Erina.

"Do either of you mind if Alice is present for this?" asked Sōma lightly, staring up at the ceiling. "I know she wasn't part of the original terms or anything but I'd really appreciate it if you let her sit in."

"Um…that's alright with me, I suppose. Erina-chan?"

"I don't have an issue with it. Alice is family. Although I'm curious as to why exactly you want her here as well."

Sōma sighed, scratching at his cheek.

"I don't know what you're gonna ask me but I have a few good guesses. So one way or the other, she'd need to hear this. And I wouldn't want to have to tell this sort of story more than once. That's all."

"Then it's a good thing I was planning to eavesdrop anyway, huh Sōma-kun?"

Sōma jumped, turning around to face the TV where Alice's face was leering out at them from the screen. She giggled at the confused expressions worn by the room's occupants.

"I had Ryo set up this little device for me. I wasn't planning to reveal myself quite yet but, since I'm welcome, I figured why not?"

Sōma shook his head in exasperation.

"You might as well come down then. The sooner you get here, the sooner we can start."

"I'll be there in a jiffy." said Alice, winking before the screen blacked out. Sōma smiled at the empty monitor.

"She's something, isn't she?" he said, with a tone that made it clear he didn't realize he'd spoken out loud.

"Yes. She certainly is." said Erina, looking closely at the expression on Sōma's face and what that indicated. She pulled a pen from her pocket and wrote something down onto her notepad.

"I must say Sōma-kun, you seem markedly different, all things considered. I haven't seen you like this in quite some time." said Erina, gesturing towards him with a sweep of her hand. She didn't mention just how nostalgic seeing Sōma so easygoing made her. It reminded her of how he used to be.

Sōma grinned in response, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, there's a reason for that but let's not get ahead of ourselves, huh? Alice will be here-"

"Hellooooo!" shouted Alice, throwing the doors to the room open.

"-is here." Sōma amended, smiling at her. She pulled another cushion to sit next to Sōma's, seating herself with more dignity than should've been possible in the soft, formless material. Sōma, in contrast, flopped back down into his original cushion, leaning into the material as if it could swallow him. He placed his hands behind his head, looking for all the world like he was on a beach as opposed to on the floor of a living room.

"Well, I think that's all we need. Shall we get started, ladies?"

"With pleasure." said Erina, her voice controlled despite the ball of nervousness and excitement that sat heavy in her stomach. Finally, after months of questions and secrets, she'd be able to get answers. She could hardly believe it; all of the work she and Megumi had done was about to pay off.

"First question. All those months ago, when my father came to Polar Star looking for me, why did you assault him?" asked Erina, placing a checkmark next to the first line of her notepad.

Sōma hummed, eyeing the ceiling as if it held the answers he needed.

"You word it so formally, like I'm some criminal. That's something that hasn't changed about you, Erina. It's kinda comforting." he laughed. "And, well, I punched out your dad because he pissed me off. Plain and simple."

"What exactly do you mean?" asked Erina, scribbling something down onto her notepad. "What about your exchange would've driven you to such anger? If what Isshiki-senpai told us is true, you could've only been talking for a few minutes at best."

"Well, in case you didn't notice, your dad's somewhat of a prick, Erina."

"Yukihira-kun! I would urge you to be more respectful." said Erina, glaring at the boy. "He's the director of our school. And my father."

"And a prick." chimed in Alice mischievously, ducking out of the way of the pencil Erina threw at her.

"Don't encourage him!" shouted Erina, a tick mark forming in her head. "Regardless of my father's attitude, attacking someone is never the answer. Besides, you've never been a particularly violent person, Yukihira-kun."

"That's not true." he interjected.

"It…it isn't?" asked Erina in surprise. While she hadn't spent as much time with Sōma as she could have, she'd been around both him and his friends enough to know that Sōma was easygoing and forgiving, almost to a fault. Throughout all of their trials at Tōtsuki, no one had seen Sōma so much as lose his temper, competitive streak aside.

"I had a life before Tōtsuki, you know. I had a pretty bad temper as a kid. Especially in middle school. I got into a ton of fights. I wasn't all that friendly back then and it didn't take much to set me off."

"Is that how you got that scar above your eyebrow?" asked Megumi curiously. Sōma quirked said eyebrow at her and ran his finger over it. His response was somewhat somber.

"Nah. I got this earlier than that, in an accident. I was nine years old."

The statement sounded oddly familiar to Alice and it took her a few seconds to remember just why that was.

She passed away when I was nine.

"Sōma-kun…"

Sōma glanced over at her. The expression in her eyes said it all and Sōma smiled sadly at her.

"Your memory's as good as ever, Alice. To answer your unspoken question, yes. It's related to that."

Alice didn't respond. At least not verbally. But her subsequent claiming of his left hand with her right meant more in that moment than words ever could.

"Excuse me, I'm afraid I'm a bit lost." cut in Erina, glancing between Sōma and Alice with interest. Their interaction had only served to raise more questions for her but, before she could write anything down, she felt a tug at her sleeve.

"Erina-chan, I don't think we should pry…" said Megumi cautiously. She'd seen the expression on Alice's face and she could only imagine that whatever they were talking about was deeply personal.

"No, it's fine. This would've come up one way or the other. It's actually related to why I was so mad at your dad, Erina." said Sōma with a sigh, sitting up. He felt Alice squeeze his hand firmly as she sat up as well, offering her silent support. Sōma began to speak.

"Come on Sōma, table 4 has been waiting on its order for almost fifteen minutes now. Beef stew shouldn't take so long!" shouted Joichiro.

"I'm trying, tou-san." said Sōma tiredly, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist. He ladled a portion of the soup into a small tasting bowl, sipping at it. "Table 2 revised their order twice while I was trying to finish it. It took longer than it should've."

"That's because you're not prioritizing right. It's ridiculous to have customers waiting so long at a special of the day diner. Of all the days for Kumi to catch the flu." grunted Joichiro, arranging a platter with rice, meat and vegetables at almost inhuman speeds. But even he, with all his skill and experience, could only do so much at a time with a packed diner during the lunch rush of one of the busiest days they'd seen all year.

Sōma placed a serving tray on the counter and put several bowls onto it that he then began to fill with his beef stew. After counting out a few pairs of chopsticks, he picked up the large tray, grunting at the weight. Normally his dad would lift an order this heavy but he was pretty sure he could do it. Besides, Pops had enough to handle. He was filling out five orders for every one of his!

Sōma stepped back and began to turn around, all of his concentration on keeping the bowls of stew balanced. He suddenly felt a jarring impact on his shoulder that made him stumble and trip. The bowls of beef stew went flying, shattering on the ground into shards of ceramic. Chunks of meat, vegetables and what must have been a collective half gallon of stew went flying across the kitchen floor.

"Dammit Sōma!"

Joichiro turned, furious, the platters of food in his hands not even disturbed by the bump, such was his coordination.

"How many times do I have to tell you to pay attention in the kitchen?"

Joichiro swept out of the kitchen, delivering orders to tables 1, 3 and 7 before returning to find Sōma staring down at the scattered remains of the meal.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at it? Get to cleaning!"

Joichiro's voice snapped Sōma out of his stupor and he went to kneel down but his foot slipped and he fell directly into the soupy mess, dirtying his clothes and the kitchen even further. He got up immediately, babbling apologies as he tried to dust off his clothes with his hands.

"I-I'm sorry tou-san! I slipped, I'll get the mop right a-"

"No. No! Just leave it, Sōma!"

Joichiro shouldered past his son, mopping at the mess with long, quick strokes.

"Then I'll just go and let the customers know that we had an accident and-"

"Don't bother. The customers have eyes and ears. I'm sure they've noticed, they aren't stupid." said Joichiro, stowing the mop and using a dust pan to collect and dump the remaining mess. It had taken him barely a minute to restore the kitchen floor to something passable.

"Um…ok, I'll get to work at redoing table 4's order. I wi-"

"I've got it, Sōma." said Joichiro gruffly, already at the stew pot. He clicked on the burner as he moved to gather up ingredients.

"Then…what should I do?"

"Nothing, Sōma. I can work faster by myself if I don't have to worry about you screwing up." said Joichiro, his voice calm and dismissive. He began preparing the stock, stirring it briskly as he added chopped vegetables.

"Tou-san…I want to help. I promised kaa-chan that I'd help you manage things today and I ju-"

"Sōma, it would help if you just got the hell out of my kitchen. Right now." said Joichiro, his voice tense as he cubed the beef for the stew.

"But, I j-"

"I SAID NOW!"

Joichiro's shout completely shattered the air of calm he was trying to portray. All of the frustration and annoyance of both managing the diner and Sōma's quite understandable (yet still inconvenient) slip ups was expressed in that single sentence. All the conversation in the diner quieted as they heard the normally unflappable Yukihira male raise his voice.

Sōma stared at his father, who hadn't even bothered to turn around to address him. He looked out at the customers who were staring interestedly from their tables at the unfolding family drama. Already, whispers were circulating as people wondered what could have the head chef so worked up. Did it have something to do with the boy covered in stew?

Sōma felt his eyes began to burn and he hiccupped, pulling in a shaky breath. But he didn't cry. He wouldn't cry. Nine year old boys didn't cry...

Sōma ran, only barely slipping past the crowd as he went out through the sliding door, slamming it behind him with a loud smack of wood on wood. Joichiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he doled out the completed beef stew into the newly assembled bowls with the other. He hadn't meant to snap at Sōma but it was frustrating sometimes. Sōma had the spirit and the talent to be a great chef but, at his current level, he was simply more hindrance than help. It wasn't his fault, and Joichiro knew that, but that didn't change his irritation.

As Joichiro placed the completed meal on table 4, he heard a weak voice behind him.

"Jo-kun? Why were you yelling?"

Joichiro turned to face his wife, who still looked faint. Her bright red hair was dull and sitting flat on her head and her green eyes were dim and worn. She was dressed in a simple set of pajamas but had hastily thrown on a robe to cover them as she came downstairs to investigate.

"Kumi! You shouldn't be up, you still need rest."

"I heard yelling, Joichiro." she said tiredly. She looked around the crowded restaurant, smiling weakly and waving at the patrons, more of them regulars than not. They responded with nods, waves and smiles in return. Kumi looked back at Joichiro, her smile dropping as she noticed an absence of red hair.

"Where's Soso-kun, Joichiro?" she asked. "Is he in the bathroom?"

Joichiro sighed tiredly, shaking his head.

"No, I'm afraid I lost my temper with him a bit; he went running out of the door. I was just about to go and find him."

He wasn't surprised to find his wife glaring at him. Even as sickly as she was, the force behind her glare was impressive and Joichiro would've cringed if he wasn't already holding several plates collected from the surrounding tables. Kumi sighed, shaking her head as she broke eye contact with her husband.

"I'd lecture you but I'm afraid I simply don't have the energy or the time. I'm going to go find our son." she said, turning to the door.

"No, Kumi. I've got it. You should be lying down." said Joichiro with concern, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off, waving him away.

"It's just the flu, Joichiro. I'm not dying. You take care of our customers; I'll be back soon."

She left the diner, shutting the screen with a gentle click.

Sōma wasn't crying. He wasn't. Big boys didn't cry. His vision was just really blurry because…it was bright outside. Yes, that's why he could barely see where he was going. That was it.

He bumped into someone, muttering out another apology as he kept running, wiping at his definitively-not-tear-filled eyes. He didn't see that he was approaching the curb of an intersection. He didn't see the sign on the pedestrian crossing go from bright white to warning red. And he definitely didn't see the large truck that was coming down the street, confident in the green traffic light and the clear road ahead of it.

"Kid, what are- hey, watch out!"

Sōma put his foot down, expecting solid ground but finding empty air. He stumbled forward with a cry, tumbling end over end into the street and onto his back. He got to his feet shakily, groaning as he blinked his eyes open, only to find that the left one was covered in sticky, red liquid. It was running down his face and he could barely taste it at the edge of his mouth. It tasted like pennies. He touched his eyebrow, wincing sharply at the sharp flash of pain that came as a result. Why did-



The blast of the loud horn drove all other thoughts from Sōma's mind and he looked to the left to see the large grill of a truck barreling towards him. He gasped as the truck loomed, giant in his vision. It was close. Really, really close. Some part of Sōma knew he should move but he couldn't get his knees, legs or any part of his body, really, to stop shaking and cooperate.

"SŌMA!"

He heard someone call his name, a voice he recognized. He began to turn but, before he could, he felt hands on his back, slamming into him and catapulting him forward. Sōma felt his body turn in midair and he saw his mother where she hung in the air, arms outstretched. Sōma's eyes widened and he reached out towards her but he was already flying backwards, further and further away from her as he flew clear.

He locked eyes with her and Kumi smiled. She began to speak.

"I lo-"

The truck hit her at over forty miles per hour.

The room was quiet. No one said anything as Sōma finished speaking. Alice had tear tracks marring her face and she had her hands covering her mouth in horror. Erina's face was simply shocked. Her wide, purple eyes were staring at Sōma in disbelief and her mouth hung open. Megumi's face was simply despondent; she wasn't crying but the expression she wore was almost worse.

Sōma's face hadn't changed much during his story. He'd delivered his tale in the same calm and easy voice that he'd had since they'd arrived. He kept staring at the ceiling, his arms tucked behind his head. Alice tried to speak, her voice catching.

"Sōma-kun..."

"Alice." he said, cutting her off. "I'm fighting to not collapse into a sobbing mess right now. If I look at you right now, I'm going to lose that fight. Give me a minute."

A minute passed. Sōma took a deep breath before letting it out, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes. If they came away moist, no one commented on it.

"After that…things changed. Dad didn't take Mom's passing well. He threw himself back into cooking with an intensity I'd never seen him have for anything that wasn't Mom. He'd go out for days at a time, leaving me to keep an eye on things while he was off gathering new recipes or learning new techniques."

"But Sōma-kun, you were only…" began Megumi. She didn't have the courage to finish voicing her thought.

Sōma shrugged flippantly.

"I was nine. Pretty much ten, by that point. I could look after myself. I didn't care about that, not really. But what hurt was that even when Dad WAS there, it was like he wasn't. He'd spend all his time with his nose in books or at the stove or sleeping. He didn't talk to me unless I went out of my way to engage him and, even then, it didn't feel real. It felt like he was just putting up with me. I gave him the silent treatment once and we didn't talk for three whole weeks, unless you count the note he left on the fridge telling me he was going out to Osaka for the weekend."

"Sōma-kun, I…"

Erina didn't really know what she wanted to say. Or what she could say, even. She wasn't exactly in a position to talk about what good parenting was. Sōma continued speaking as if she hadn't said anything.

"I won't bore you with anymore of the angst ridden times of Yukihira Sōma. But, to answer your question Erina, that's why your dad pissed me off so much."

Erina started. She'd been so engrossed in Sōma's story, she'd almost forgotten she'd asked a question in the first place. Sōma locked eyes with her, his smile falling as his face dropped into a serious expression.

"My mother always put family first. Above all else. We're Yukihiras. That's what we do. Above money, above power, above the rest of the world, if need be, you protect your own. That isn't merely a belief; that's our way of life. Your father spits on that in every way he could. He used you and abused you so that he could have a God's Tongue wielding robot instead of a daughter and that is something that we can never forgive. That I can never forgive."

"But why?"

The question rose unbidden from Erina's lips. She was taken aback by the sheer ferocity in Sōma's voice. It made her feel warm in a way that was completely distinct from how she felt for Megumi. It made her feel safe and protected; it was a feeling that she'd once associated with…

"Why do you care so much, Sōma-kun? Why am I so important to you?" she asked.

Sōma cocked his head at her, smiling easily.

"Because you're special, Erina. To me. Yukihiras always protect their own."

There it was again, that warm feeling. Sōma's words were simple and sincere, bereft of any hidden meanings or falsehoods.

"So what makes me your own then?" she pressed insistently. "Is it because I'm your friend?"

"Not necessarily. Besides I wouldn't exactly call us friends, Erina. Last I checked, you didn't even really like me. Or my cooking." commented Sōma, grinning impishly.

"That's because you were more than a little annoying, Sōma-kun." she bit out, narrowing her eyes.

"So I bet you must have loved that stuffy, ice cube version of myself huh?" he shot back, sticking his tongue out at her.

"It's…I…we're past that and you know it! Stop deflecting, Sōma-kun." she snapped, refusing to be deterred. She couldn't fight the odd feeling she had in the back of her mind; something wasn't right. She couldn't place it but it felt like she was close. Close to opening a door that she would rather remain closed.

Sōma looked at her appraisingly.

"When is someone family, Erina?" he asked, posing his own question instead of answering hers. Before she could retort, he spoke up again. "This is important. Trust me, I'm not sidestepping anything. When is someone family?"

"Family members are those related to you by blood. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, cousins and so on." she said.

"But what of those that aren't connected to you by blood? Husbands and wives for example. What makes someone a husband or wife?"

"A marriage ceremony, of course." said Erina, although she felt as if she was missing something once again.

"That's obvious. What I'm asking is what makes you marry someone? What makes you connect with someone so deeply that you bring them and theirs into your own?"

"Love."

It was Megumi, not Erina, who'd responded. She had a small smile on her face as she thought of the dock workers from her hometown that, even now, would send her letters and ask after her and her progress. She continued speaking, confident in her answer.

"Love, Sōma-kun. It's love that brings you together. It's love that makes a family. Above relation, above class, above everything else, love is there."

Sōma smiled brightly at Megumi as if she'd solved a particularly difficult puzzle.

"Now you're thinking like a Yukihira, Tadokoro. It's just as she said, Erina, it's about love. You can have family that you're related to by blood who care nothing for you and vice versa. That's not the family that we Yukihiras speak about. When we talk about family, we mean family. Those people you choose to cherish and love above all else. Those people who you love so much that what's theirs to protect and love becomes yours to protect and care for as well."

"What exactly are you saying, Sōma-kun?" asked Erina haltingly. She looked almost frightened at what Sōma was suggesting. He locked eyes with Erina and he smiled languidly.

"She may not have our name. But that doesn't change the fact that Nakiri Katsumi is family. My mother considered her family. And to this day, I still consider her family."

Erina froze completely at Sōma's words. After several seconds of seeming more statue than human, she suddenly sat up, her back straight and her eyes hard. The look she gave Soma was one of cold fire.

"Don't speak that name."

"You're family, Erina. Whether you like it or not. Katsumi-san would want me to-"

"Don't."

Erina's tone had become even frostier and she leveled a glare on Sōma that made glaciers seem almost tropical.

"I have no idea what your connection to her may be but you will not bring up that woman, Yukihira-kun. Do we understand each other?" she asked. Sōma met Erina's glare with an indulgent smile.

"Erina, please. I know how it looks but Katsumi-san cares about you. She wants what's best for you and-"

"She stopped getting to have an opinion when she left." said Erina, heat creeping back into her voice. "She lost the right to care when she walked out on me and left me with Father ten years ago."

"Erina…it's not that simple; I-"

"Ten. Years." Erina ground out, gripping the edges of her notepad so tightly that her nails bit through the paper. "That's how long it's been since I've last seen my mother. Since I've so much as heard her voice. She hasn't even had the common decency to pick up the phone!"

Erina's nails tore through the paper, crumpling several pages as she clenched her hands. She didn't even notice.

"Do you know what that's like? To know your mother's out there somewhere and doesn't even care enough about you to send a postcard? To wonder whether she still thinks about you or even remembers that you exist? I only even know she's still alive because Grandfather assures me of that fact every time I ask but that's about the only information he can offer."

Erina looked at Sōma, who was looking back at her with concern.

"She had her reasons, I assure you." he said cautiously.

"And just what were they, Yukihira-kun? What amazing reason could she have for leaving her only daughter behind to fend for herself at the hands of Nakiri Azami?"

Sōma went to speak but Erina beat him to it.

"You know what? I'm not interested. I stopped caring a long time ago and I'm not going to start now. She can keep her reasons. I've moved on."

"Erina…I really think you should at least let me explain a few things."

"If any of those explanations have even the slightest thing to do with Katsumi-san then I am completely uninterested in hearing them."

"But I think if you just listened for a moment…"

Erina stood up suddenly. Her hands were balled into fists and she was trembling in barely suppressed rage as she glared at Sōma.

"She doesn't get to do this. She had years to be there and she wasn't. Years to explain herself and she didn't. Years I spent feeling alone and unwanted that I can never get back, no matter how "sorry" she is or how much she "cares". And now, just when I've found someone that makes me feel like I'm part of something; like I'm cared for…no, she doesn't get to try and make this okay, not like this. Not through you. If that woman has something to say to me then you tell her that she can do it herself!"

Erina bowed stiffly to Sōma.

"Yukihira-kun. I'm pleased to see you're doing better. And I thank you for answering our questions. The shokugeki terms have been met and I'll be seeing you. Good day."

Erina turned, flicking her hair and striding out of the room. Her sudden exit surprised Alice and Megumi but Sōma just sighed.

"Well, that could've gone worse, I suppose." he said, smiling wryly. He glanced over at Megumi who was staring at the door with open concern. She glanced back at Sōma hesitantly.

"Um…Sōma-kun, I know Erina said the terms were filled but we actually had a few more questions for you. Is it ok if we sort of, I don't know, press pause on the discussion and finish it at a later date?"

"Sure, that's fine with me. To be honest, I'm not surprised Erina ran off like that; she's never been very good at facing her feelings head on." said Sōma. "But, before you go, was there anything in particular that you wanted to ask me on your own Tadokoro?"

Megumi looked down at her notepad, mentally going over the list. Most of the questions either pertained to Erina's situation or were answers they both wanted but there was one specific question that Megumi wouldn't mind hearing the answer to on her own.

"When you called me, two days after you left, you were talking as if you weren't allowed to use the phone, why was that?"

"Oh. I wasn't allowed to use the phone at Azami's facility. That's all."

Megumi fought the urge to ask for further details on the facility. She was sure that was information Erina would want to hear.

"Ok. Well…at the end of the conversation, you began to say something before I was cut off. Do you remember what that was?"

Sōma tapped his chin, thinking back.

"Oh yea. That. I remember. Did you want to know what it was?"

Megumi nodded excitedly, looking up at Sōma expectantly.

Sōma closed his eyes as he recalled the memory.

"Well, it was good speaking to you, you were always-"

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"-one of my most cherished friends. I'm really glad I met you. Please wait for me. I'll miss you."

Sōma laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's all it was, nothing too special really. I'm sorry it couldn't be more dramatic."

Megumi stood to her feet, smiling up at Sōma's grinning visage. She leaned forward and hugged him tightly around the middle. Sōma was surprised but he returned the hug almost immediately.

"I'm glad you're doing better, Sōma-kun. I'll see you soon."

Megumi slipped past him and left through the door, leaving Sōma and Alice alone in silence. Something Sōma found suspicious, considering what he knew of Alice's personality.

"Alice, you've been rather quiet. Is everything alright?"

The lack of an answer prompted Sōma to turn around and look down at the cushions where she was sitting.

"We really should look into getting a different cushion. How long have you been asleep?!"

A/N: Ok, full disclosure, At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, I must admit that I cried while writing Kumi's death. It's weird. It was pretty short, didn't have that much build up, and I'd planned her death since like Chapter 4, which would've been months ago. But writing it somehow made it seem…real. I don't know. Maybe I'm just a weirdo.

This is some of the questions I'm sure you've all had about Sōma's past answered. This is not nearly all of them, obviously. I may have even introduced a few more. Ain't that awesome? The rest will be addressed at a later date, do not worry. It's just that the list I've written out has like eleven question on it and each answer isn't as simple as writing it out. So I'm spacing them out appropriately.

Also, for those who care, very minor retcon to the Interlude chapter. Not really worth a re-read but, if you're curious, go and re-read the part where Joichiro and Senzaemon are speaking. Specifically the part where they're talking about Sōma and Joichiro changing his name.

Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll see you next week.