Nakiri Erina stood in the kitchen of the Polar Star Dormitory, going through the motions of making dinner. It was her turn on the dinner shift, something she appreciated as it was a lot easier than tilling the ground or dealing with Buta and his little army of animals.

The dish of the night was one she'd made several times before, Poached Salmon with Tarragon. It was a light meal, made up of salmon fillets, green beans and potatoes primarily. This, along with a large pot of miso soup, would be what she served to the rest of the dormitory. Her experience with the dish, combined with the drill-like training she'd had under Joichiro, meant that she had more than enough mental energy to spare to think about just what had been nagging at her for the past few days.

"Yen for your thoughts, Erina-chan?"

Erina blinked, looking up from the sizzling fish into the softly smiling face of Isshiki Satoshi. The second year was lacking his usual attire (or lack thereof) and was instead dressed in a white dress shirt with black slacks. He held a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, a sign that he was about to head out or had just returned, which was the most likely reason for the fundoshi's absence.

"Ah, Isshiki-senpai, it's nothing, really…" said Erina, trailing off. While what she and Megumi were doing wasn't exactly a secret, she also wasn't exactly sharing her inner conflict with just anyone; especially considering how central a certain red headed young man was to it. It wouldn't do for word to spread about just how much Erina was doing for…

"Does this have something to do with Sōma-kun?"

Erina started stammering almost immediately, even as her hands expertly divvied out the portions to the plates and bowls she'd set out beforehand.

"That's…w-w-well, you see…t-t-there's a perfectly good reason!"

Once each dish had the proper serving of food, Erina placed the pot back on the stove, yanking the oven mitts from her hands angrily. She glared at the smiling boy, who just continued staring at her, his face telling her that his question was more rhetorical than anything else.

"H-How did you know that?"

"I have my ways, Erina-chan."

"And…well…so what if it does?" responded Erina defensively. Satoshi waved his hand, laughing.

"I'm not judging you for it, Erina-chan. I just wanted to see if I could be of some assistance. You looked like you needed someone to talk to."

Erina continued looking at the boy, the blush beginning to fade from her face as she pondered. The former seventh seat was very intelligent, more than most gave him credit for with his silly antics and perpetual cheer. She was aware of that more than most, having seen him as both a fellow Council member and a Polar Star resident. Just look at what he'd done in response to the Azami's administration swift takeover of the school. He'd legitimized the shokugeki rules for the independent entities of Tōtsuki singlehandedly, implementing them in such a way that, even months after his dismissal, they still held strong.

Isshiki Satoshi was a shrewd and clever young man. Maybe he would be able to give her the answers she needed.

"Well…senpai, as you know. Yukihira has been working under my father for the past few weeks as Central's Premier Enforcer. In addition, he's cold and withdrawn, borderline emotionless even and…"

Erina paused.

"…and I have it on good authority that there are other, more distasteful things he's been subjected to. But he isn't being forced! He's doing it willingly. He's going along with my father's ideals of his own free will and I just…I…"

"You don't understand why." said Satoshi, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Erina nodded.

"And I can't seem to get any answers. He's made his father promise not to say anything, and I've tried asking some of the other students that work for Central but no one's divulging anything. I even tried arranging a meeting with my father, but he refused to see me."

Satoshi's eyes widened.

"You actually tried to meet with your father, Erina-chan?"

Erina nodded, her expression guilty. The relief she'd felt when she'd gotten the notice from her father's head of security that he refused to see her had made her feel even worse than the initial fear she'd had when making the request in the first place.

"So…I believe the only way for us to get any answers is by force."

Satoshi understood immediately and he nodded in acknowledgement of the idea. The ruling of a Shokugeki may as well have been absolute at Tōtsuki. Sōma, even as he was now, would be bound by the ruling, no matter the outcome.

"So that's you and Megumi-chan's plan. You're going to have a tandem duel against Sōma-kun. But what exactly are you going to…"

And that's when Satoshi saw the problem.

"Sōma-kun has no reason to accept your challenge, does he?"

Erina shook her head in frustration, turning to the fridge to pull out two large pitchers of iced tea.

"Exactly. There's nothing we have to offer up as stakes. At least, nothing that would warrant a full disclosure of whatever secrets he and my father have been keeping. If I still had my seat, I could've used it but that's clearly not an option."

Erina's back was to Satoshi, so she completely missed the surprised look he gave her in response to her words. Wagering a seat on the Elite Ten was no small thing, and for Erina to even suggest that she would've put hers at risk for a few simple answers was telling, in and of itself.

Satoshi said nothing as he watched Erina fill several glasses with tea. He looked at the furrow in her brows and the worried, pinching of her lips that had nothing to do with the large jug in her hands, and he came to a decision.

"I think I may be able to help you, Erina-chan. However, it seems dinner's just about ready, so how about we save our discussion for after we've enjoyed this wonderful meal you've prepared for us?"

Erina was a bit taken aback that Satoshi had come up with a solution so quickly, but she didn't question her good fortune. She nodded, a grateful smile creeping onto her lips.

"That would be most helpful, Isshiki-senpai. Thank you."

Erina turned once again to replace the iced tea pitchers she'd taken from the fridge.

"In that case!"

Erina stopped moving, a chill running down her spine at Satoshi's sudden enthusiastic exclamation. She turned, slowly, as if that would change what was.

"Ha! Ha!"

Erina was greeted to the sight of Satoshi's naked rear as he waved it once and then twice in her direction. It almost seemed to sparkle in defiance of her embarrassment. Satoshi danced out of the kitchen in his pink apron, heading towards the dorm stairs.

"Soup's on, everyonneeeee!"

Even after months, Erina still felt powerless before Satoshi's Naked Apron Assault.

"Nakiri Erina nails it yet again!" said Yuki happily, leaning back in her chair as she patted her belly. An empty plate and glass sat before her, picked clean by the Game Mistress.

"I must agree. This was amazing. I don't know what you and Megumi have been doing Erina-chii, but keep it up." said Ryoko, her smile just as wide as Yuki's.

The rest of the Polar Star Dormitory members were talking amongst themselves, all praising Erina's cooking to various degrees. The chef in question sat at the end of the dinner table, not quite beaming in pride. It was to be expected, after all.

"Who's on dish duty today?" questioned Daigo as he nibbled on a green bean.

"I am." answered Shun simply, standing up. He began to circle the table, collecting the used plates. As he picked up the plate in front of Yuki, his hand brushed hers. A blush formed on his face that was almost directly mirrored by the one on Yuki's. Shun didn't move his hand for a few seconds, and Yuki didn't comment on that fact.

As Shun finally began to raise the hand that held Yuki's plate, his ascent was stopped by Yuki's hand grabbing his sleeve.

"Um…would you like some help, Shun-kun?"

"Ah…that would be welcome, Yuki-chan."

The wide smile he got in response only caused Shun to blush further.

The two seemed oblivious to the rest of the dorm that watched their interaction closely, some amused and some exasperated. One person in particular, however, merely seemed confused.

"Ibusaki-kun, I wasn't aware that you required assistance. I'd be more than happy to lend a hand."

Shun turned to look at Erina, who had been the one to extend the offer to help. He opened his mouth but was cut off by Yuki.

"No, no Erina-chii, that's fine. I've got it."

Erina blinked at the girl.

"But I'm already dressed for it." she said, highlighting the dirty chef's uniform she wore. "Besides, didn't you just finish bathing? There's no need for you to-"

"It's FINE, Erina-chii!"

Yuki all but dragged Shun towards the kitchen, the stack of plates he held teetering dangerously as a result. Erina watched the pair leave, taken aback at the girl's odd insistence. She turned to Megumi, who was sitting next to her and had been watching the entire exchange.

"Did…did I say something out of turn, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi fought the urge to roll her eyes, and instead just nodded, giving her friend a tired smile.

"In a way. But don't worry about it too much Erina-chan."

Despite the blue haired girl's assurance, Erina still felt a bit confused but she decided to push it to the back of her mind in favour of addressing more important matters. She turned to face Satoshi, who sat at the other end of the table, still nude aside from the teddy bear stamped apron.

"Isshiki-senpai, are you ready to finish our discussion?"

Satoshi nodded, standing up.

"Certainly."

That was all the warning Erina had before a large, pink mass of fabric hit her in the face, blinding her.

"WHAT?!"

"OH MY GOD!"

"SENPAI!"

"ISSHIKIIIIIII!"

The panicked shouting of her friends caused Erina to jump in surprise and she scrambled to remove the apron from her face. When she'd finally cleared her vision, she saw Satoshi standing where he'd always been, clad in the slacks and button up shirt she'd seen him in earlier. The faces of the other Polar Star residents ranged from shock, awe and, in Ryoko's case, flushed admiration. Megumi's eyes were wide and she looked like someone had just smacked her in the face with a very large object.

Erina stared in shock at the impossibly clad form of her upperclassman, who just smiled back at her benevolently.

"Shall we go, Erina-chan? Megumi-chan?"

"So, as I'm sure you all noticed, Sōma-kun has made it clear that the Polar Star Dormitory is a target for the purge once again."

Satoshi, Megumi and Erina were gathered in Erina's room. The two girls were seated on the bed while Satoshi stood at the window, staring out at the grounds of the building. His expression was still light and kind, despite the seriousness of the subject matter.

"We haven't received an official challenge notice from Central yet but I'm sure that one is coming, sooner rather than later."

"Ano, senpai." interrupted Megumi hesitantly, raising her hand as if she were in class. "That's actually something I've been wondering about. I thought Polar Star was saved when Sōma-kun defeated Eizan-senpai?"

"I thought the same, Megumi-chan. So I was just as confused when I heard Sōma-kun's speech. I inquired further and found that the results of the shokugeki between Sōma-kun and Eizan-kun were deemed illegitimate and thrown out accordingly."

"Illegitimate?!" asked Erina, her eyes wide. While it wasn't completely impossible for a shokugeki's ruling to be overturned, it was still rather unheard of. There would have to be some sort of blatant act of sabotage or misconduct, proven and verified by the Shokugeki Administration Bureau. And even that was difficult to do, depending on how the violation occurred, as was proven by Eizan's match fixing scheme. It said a lot about Satoshi's political manoeuvring that he'd been able to get the results of those particular duels rendered invalid using Sōma's match with Eizan as the catalyst.

Which begged the question as to how the match itself had been rendered illegitimate.

Satoshi nodded, his face losing some of its cheer.

"I dug further, and found that, a week or so before Sōma-kun's return in February, the match results were challenged and summarily thrown out. It seems that, during the duel, there was a point where Eizan interfered with Sōma's cooking. He purposely turned off Sōma's burner. Based on the timing, it had little effect, if any at all, but…"

Satoshi shrugged. Megumi and Erina more than understood the implication. Interfering with someone else's cooking during a Shokugeki bordered on sacrilege. At the level the students of Tōtsuki operated at, the slightest shift in seasoning or temperature or any of the hundreds of other nuances involved in the cooking process could make or break the entire dish.

When such a rule was violated, even accidentally, it was grounds for immediate forfeiture and further punishment dependent on both the level of the interference and the importance of the match in question.

"But Isshiki-senpai, if Eizan-senpai was deemed to be in the wrong, then shouldn't that mean the ruling stood since it was Sōma-kun that won the match?" asked Erina curiously.

"That would be the case normally. But, as it turns out, it was Sōma himself that challenged the results. He pushed for the results to be voided and, as both the winner and the wronged party, it was his right to do such a thing."

Megumi's face fell at Satoshi's statement. What hurt her more than the revelation, though, was her lack of surprise at it. She wasn't shocked at all by such a thing. Before, she would've sworn on her life that Sōma would never do anything to harm the Polar Star Dormitory or the friends he'd made here, but he had. Of course he had.

Because of her…she did this to him…

Megumi felt the dark impulse whisper in the back of her mind and she clenched her fists, resisting the urge to glance at Erina. She was her friend, one of her treasured companions, a fellow Polar Star resident.

And just whose room did she steal, hmm? Out of all of the available spaces, she took THIS room, didn't she?

Megumi looked down at the burn mark at the centre of the room, a remnant of Joichiro's time in Polar Star from years past. The heat that must've caused it paled in comparison to the heat she felt in her chest, as the anger suddenly flared up.

"Megumi-chan?"

Megumi blinked, looking up at Satoshi's inquisitive face.

"Uh, I'm sorry senpai. Did you say something?"

Satoshi didn't respond immediately, instead choosing to just fix the girl with a curious look. He didn't comment though, and instead just repeated his previous statement.

"I was simply saying that I was going to challenge Sōma-kun on behalf of the Polar Star Dormitory. I'd planned to do it sometime this week, after I was done with my final exams. But, considering you and Erina-chan's impressive growth, coupled with your need for stakes, I'd be willing to allow you two to act in my place."

"Isshiki-senpai?!" exclaimed Erina, looking up at the second year in surprise. "We couldn't let you risk Polar Star's future like that!"

Megumi nodded, in agreement with the blonde.

Satoshi smiled down at the two girls, his eyes closing.

"Megumi-chan. Erina-chan. You ARE Polar Star's future. You, Ryoko-kun, Yoshino-chan, Shun-kun…all of you are the future of this special place and it would be remiss of me to deny you the opportunity to protect it. Especially considering the admirable job you all did the first time."

"But that was when we had…"

Megumi stopped talking, trailing off. She didn't need to complete her sentence for the other two occupants of the room to understand what she was about to say. Last time, they'd had the redheaded chef from Yukihira's on the front line, facing off against the Elite Ten member determined to destroy their dorm. Now the tables had turned and that same redhead would BE the Elite Ten member looking to destroy them.

"Megumi-chan."

She looked up into Satoshi's warm, green eyes. They stared back at her with pride.

"I have the utmost faith in you. In both of you. I know you can do this."

Megumi couldn't help but smile in response to the utter confidence in Satoshi's voice.

"Thank you, Isshiki-senpai." said Erina, no less stunned by the complete faith the older student had in both of them. "We won't fail you."

"I know you won't." said Satoshi, his smile unwavering. With that simple statement, he exited the room, hearing the two girls break into discussion as he closed the door behind him. As he began to walk down the hall, he pulled his phone out, dialling a number and putting it to his ear. After a few rings, he heard a voice respond.

"Good evening…yes I've spoken with them. I've given them my approval."

"Great, great. I can't thank you enough for taking this chance on them, Isshiki-kun."

"No thanks needed, I have faith in my precious kōhai's abilities. But are you sure this will work? There's no guarantee he'll accept the revised conditions, after all."

"Which is why I'll simply have to add some extra incentive. Something Nakamura won't be able to resist. He won't let Sōma say no to this challenge, I assure you." said Joichiro, smiling grimly into the slim phone he held.

"Eh? Joichiro-sensei, why would you do such a thing?" asked Erina, blinking at the older man. She was standing in front of his desk in his classroom. He'd asked her to come and meet with him after classes were done for the day to discuss the details for their upcoming shokugeki request and offered his tenure at Tōtsuki as further leverage onto the current stakes.

"Erina-chan. There are things my son wants, things that matter much more to him than the fate of Polar Star. You won't be able to get the answers you seek with that alone. He'll just deny your conditions straight out. But with this…"

Joichiro tapped the shokugeki request form on his desk that she'd given him. Scrawled black handwriting indicated amendments he'd made to the previous conditions.

"I can guarantee that your father won't let him refuse. My continued existence at Tōtsuki's something Nakamura would be hard pressed to give up, I assure you. He'll care little for whatever fringe benefits you toss in alongside it."

Erina looked down at the paper, puzzled.

"But Joichiro-sensei, why would my father be so invested in you staying here?"

Joichiro shrugged, his expression just a bit too casual.

"Your dad's a complicated man, Erina-chan. I knew him for years back in the day and I still didn't really understand some of the things he did. I'd be hard pressed to understand why he does what he does now, after all this time. But I'm sure this will work, so you and Tadokoro-chan will just have to put the fruits of your training to good use, huh?"

The entrance to the classroom opened and Megumi burst in, panting. She jogged up to Joichiro's desk, trying to catch her breath.

"Ah, speak of the devil! Tadokoro-chan, we were just talking about you."

Megumi bowed hastily.

"Sorry for being late, Joichiro-sensei. I came as quickly as I could."

Joichiro waved her off, smiling amusedly at the girl. He quickly filled her in on what she'd missed and her reaction was much the same as Erina's but Joichiro was firm and, in the end, both girls agreed that his plan had the highest chance of getting them across the stovetop from the enigmatic red head.

"Well, now that that's settled, I've got one final task for you both. And with this, I'll declare your apprenticeships under me complete. At least for the time being. Follow me."

Joichiro led them out of the classroom and to the DCT kitchen, a familiar place that Erina and Megumi had come to both love and hate over the course of their training. Their usual stations were, surprisingly, completely bare. Usually, Joichiro would prep the kitchen beforehand, stocking their stations with the ingredients they would need for what they were going to prepare but there was no sign of that here.

"You didn't prepare any ingredients this time around, Joichiro-sensei?" questioned Megumi in confusion. She'd also noticed the oddity.

Joichiro pulled a whiteboard in front of them, flipping it with a smirk. Written on it were three simple words:

Match the customer.

Megumi blinked at the words before looking at Erina, who seemed just as confused as the bluenette.

"Today, I don't have any set recipe or ingredients for you to use. Instead, your only duty is to match your dish with the customer."

"The…customer?" asked Erina, looking around the room. Unless someone else had a penchant for hiding in the ceiling space, she was fairly certain that they were the only people inside the kitchen.

Joichiro nodded.

"Correct. And, in this particular case, the customer is the two of you."

Erina and Megumi looked at each other again before looking back at Joichiro, who laughed at the completely baffled looks they sported.

"To be more specific. Erina-chan, you will cook a dish for Tadokoro. And vice versa. It can be whatever dish you like, as long as it can be prepared in less than three hours, using the ingredients we have on hand. Of which I've bought extra, just for the occasion."

Joichiro gestured to the stocked cabinets and refrigerators that sat on the side of the classroom.

"You two have come far together in these past few weeks, farther than I'd even thought you could. And now, I want you to put everything you've learnt into making a dish that you think will please the other. Make a dish that embodies the other person and what they mean to you; it can be as complex or as simple as you desire, the only true requirement is that it must be something you couldn't see yourself making for anyone else."

Erina and Megumi locked eyes. The conflict in Megumi's golden eyes was clear but she didn't say anything, simply turning to face their teacher. Erina's face fell and she turned to face Joichiro as well.

"Ok, Joichiro-sensei."

And with that, the two girls got to work.

Their skills had certainly improved, that much was clear. Megumi and Erina moved through the kitchen like smooth machines. Their movements were almost too perfect to be human but also too natural to be anything but. Erina sliced at almost dangerous speeds while Megumi stirred her pot, her movements precise to within a quarter rotation.

After what couldn't have been longer than an hour, each girl had finished their dish. They brought the covered plates to a small, dining table that Joichiro had set up for them. They placed the dishes down, before taking their seats opposite each other. Joichiro sat to the side, his face propped up by the hand he held under his chin.

He looked between the two girls, who both seemed to be doing their best to look at anything but each other. After a few minutes of silence, he cleared his throat pointedly, catching their attention.

"Food's getting cold, you know." he said, smiling cheekily at them.

"R-Right." said Erina hesitantly. She took a deep breath before reaching forward and uncovering the dish that Megumi had made for her. Megumi followed her example and both girls looked down at the food before looking up at each other.

Megumi picked up a pair of chopsticks, her actions mirrored by Erina.

"Itadakimasu."

With that, the girls began to eat.

Darkness. Complete darkness surrounded them both. The two girls stood across from each other, perfectly visible despite the sheer blackness of their surroundings. Erina looked at Megumi, her face near tears.

You hate me.

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Erina's mouth moved.

I'm so sorry.

Megumi's face was twisted, her expression filled with something that usually only lurked at the back of her mind.

You did this. You caused this. You took him from us. You took my best friend away from me!

Erina stepped forward, her hand held out beseechingly.

I'm sorry. So, so sorry.

Megumi took two steps forward and viciously smacked the hand Erina held out before her.

Not good enough. Not even close!

Erina drew her hand back, cradling the stinging flesh.

Then what? What can I do to make it right?

Megumi screamed, a wordless noise. Erina stepped back even further, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

You can do nothing!

Erina began crying in earnest as she held her face in her hands.

Why? Why can't I do anything?! Please, just tell me. I'll…I'll do anything…

Something in Megumi's expression changed as she watched Erina cry, sobbing noiselessly as tears ran down her face. The darkness paused in the face of such pure and honest emotion.

No…no…you can't.

WHY?!

Erina looked up, the tears on her face still flowing even as her sadness was joined by anger. Anger at Megumi. Anger at Sōma. But most of all, anger at her own helplessness. Her own inability to act, to fix things.

I should be able to do something, I just want you to forgive me. What can I do to make you forgive me?

There's nothing you can do to make me forgive you, Erina-chan!

Erina stepped towards her friend and Megumi took a step back in turn, trying to stay away from the girl.

There has to be something, Megumi-chan. I don't want you to hate me. Forgive me, please!

You can't do anything, Erina-chan. You can't…you can't….

Why not?!

Because it's not your fault!

Erina looked at her friend in surprise, her face still wet with tears. She shook her head.

That's not true; it's my fault. It's all my fault. All of it. It always is.

NO!

Megumi gripped Erina's shoulders, staring into the girl's purple eyes. Her sincerity shone forth, the dark emotions beaten back in the face of who she truly was.

Sōma-kun left. He's the one that gave up on us. On me.

But it was my father that did this to him. To you.

That shouldn't matter.

Erina glared at the other girl through her tears, sadness swapped for fury in a single blink.

But it does, doesn't it? I've seen how you've looked at me. I've seen it, even though you deny it. I can feel it. In here.

Erina placed her hand over her chest, right where her heart resided. Megumi's arms fell from Erina and she stepped away, a guilt ridden expression on her face.

You hate me for something I never wanted and never asked for.

I…that's….true. And I'm sorry.

So then forgive me.

Erina looked at the other girl, her previous fury exchanged for desperation.

Forgive me and stop hating me. Please.

I can't. I won't. Not until we get him back.

So you're just going to go on hating me for something I can't control? Is that it?

Megumi looked at Erina, two sides of herself at war on her face. She tried to lie. But there were no lies in the bared soul of a chef.

Yes. That's it.

The two girls stared at each other, light and colour fading back into the world. Once again, they sat across from each other at the small dining table in the DCT kitchen. Two empty plates sat before them, the only remnants of the meal being the stained sauce on their plates and the memories of the conversation that they'd had through their cooking.

Erina's face was stone. Her expression didn't move, even though she still had track marks on her face and her eyes still shone wet with tears. Megumi's expression was horror struck, and she reached out towards her friend, her fingers trembling.

"Erina-chan, I-"

"That's it, isn't it, Tadokoro-san?"

Megumi closed her mouth, drawing her hand back. She couldn't bring herself to deny what the other girl had said. They would've both known she was lying. The darkness that had been eating at her for weeks; that she'd been pushing down and repressing for so long had been set loose and bared before Erina through her dish.

"I'm sorry. Really."

"Yes, you've made that very clear."

Erina's voice was dismissive and cold, reminiscent of how she'd been long ago, when she'd stood on a pedestal above those around her. She stood up, the sudden movement causing Megumi to flinch.

"Joichiro-sensei, I will be taking my leave. Thank you for all of the assistance you've given to us."

Joichiro tilted his head, wondering what had just been learnt in the exchange that the girls had through their meal. He could only speculate that, whatever was revealed, hadn't been good, if their subsequent reactions were anything to go by.

"No problem, Erina-chan. You and Tadokoro-chan were great apprentices. I wish you the best."

He held out the official shokugeki notice for Erina to take.

"Good luck against my son."

Erina nodded, sparing the man a small smile as she took the notice from him. She left the room with a flick of her hair and a slam of the door. Joichiro looked over at Megumi, who was staring down at her plate with a despondent expression.

Joichiro felt a brief flash of concern. He'd assumed that having the girls express how they felt about each other would only bring them closer as friends and make them that much more capable in the coming battle. But it seems he'd miscalculated. The question was just how grave the implications of his miscalculation would be.

"Enter."

Sōma opened the door to the Director of Tōtsuki's office. He entered, closing the door behind him as he strode to stand at attention in front of Azami's desk, his posture ramrod straight and his face expressionless.

Azami glanced up at Sōma, his eyes cool.

"Sōma-kun. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Without a word, Sōma withdrew an envelope from his jacket, placing it on the desk in front of Azami. The man took it up, opening it and withdrawing the paper from within, idly noting the wrinkled edges. He glanced over the paper, already familiar with its contents.

"Is there something you need to discuss with me concerning your upcoming match with my daughter, Sōma-kun?"

"Yes, Azami-sama. I believe it would be in our best interest to decline the revised conditions presented by Polar Star Dormitory. I propose we use the original rules dictated by the survivor's purge."

Azami looked up at Sōma and he smiled. The gesture would've been almost playful, were it not for its utter falsity.

"Absolutely not."

Despite the fact that he'd expected such a response, Sōma still felt a sense of grating annoyance at the Director's abrupt refusal.

"Azami-sama, I implore you to reconsider. If we allow these revisions to stand, we will set a precedent that the other independent organizations will leap on. Revised conditions and terms will turn what should be an orderly disbandment process into a nightmare."

Azami leaned forward, looking at Sōma over his folded hands. His dark eyes, while usually empty and cold, held something else on this particular occasion. A particular spark and passion that few could incite in the Nakiri.

"I could care less, Sōma-kun. You are free to deny any forthcoming revisions from any of the other research societies or seminars. But this…this particular revision will stand. No matter your objection."

Sōma folded his arms, giving Azami a hard look that bordered on a glare.

"Azami-sama, if I may be so bold. This is clearly some sort of ploy or trick. It would be inadvisable to accept it outright."

Azami's eyes hardened and his stance shifted, almost threatening.

"The way I see it, there's no room for any sort of mischief in these terms. As long as you are victorious, that is."

Azami's eyes bored into Sōma, completely abandoning any sense of levity or kindness.

"Are you suggesting that you will lose, Sōma?"

Sōma looked into Azami's eyes without flinching; even as his mind raced. Before he could respond, Azami continued speaking, each word honeyed poison.

"When we began our little…arrangement…you assured me that, until such a time as our arrangement is concluded, you would become everything my daughter was, and more. And. More. Do you recall that, Yukihira?"

Azami practically spat out the surname, as if it were a curse. Sōma could only nod, hoping Azami didn't notice the way he clenched his teeth behind his lips.

"And more…that would imply that you would be better than she was, wouldn't it? It would imply that, should you go up against Nakiri Erina in any manner, you would emerge the victor. Academics, cooking, business. It matters not the field. You should best Nakiri Erina. Isn't that what we agreed to, months ago?"

Sōma could only nod again, feeling the part of his wrist that sat under the chain itch.

"If you can't fulfill such a simple stipulation, Sōma-kun, then what conceivable reason would I have for fulfilling any of mine?"

"You don't need to concern yourself, Azami-sama. I will defeat her."

"Good." was all Azami said, before looking down at the files in front of him, a clear sign of dismissal.

He could practically feel Sōma's burning desire to continue protesting, despite the fact that he wasn't even looking at the boy. But the shackles he'd instilled long ago held and, with a simple bow, the boy left the office. Azami heard the door to his office close and then, only then, did he allow a smirk to creep onto his face.

Things couldn't have worked out better. He briefly wondered why his daughter would bother to dirty her hand but disregarded the thought as unimportant. What was important was that his daughter's arrogance would lead to both the destruction of one of the final holdouts against his absolute domination of Tōtsuki and an extension to Saiba-senpai's tenure to Tōtsuki. The man had originally agreed to be a professor under his administration for a single year, throwing in the remainder of the current school year as a sort of bonus.

But now, he would get four…four entire years to mould Saiba-senpai back into the man he was supposed to be. Azami knew that those additional years would turn what was only a possibility into a certainty.

The revival of the Asura had never seemed more in his reach than it did right at this moment.

Sōma opened the door to the Nakiri mansion, resisting the urge to throw it open. The way he was now, he'd more than likely send it off of his hinges. It had happened before. Sōma closed the door behind him, slamming it with a rattle that seemed to shake the entire house. He marched forwards, heading to his room before pausing in front of a large portrait on the wall.

It was a painting of a woman. She had high cheek bones and a rounded face. Her hair was a bright, rich blonde and her face was framed by two bangs that curved around the sides. Her eyes were a light purple, the colour of lilacs. She was smiling serenely down at Sōma, clad in a yellow, pearl studded dress, seated in a high backed leather chair.

Sōma didn't say anything, his anger momentarily quelled by the image of the woman before him. He felt a presence come up behind him, one he recognized.

"Katsumi-oba-chan certainly was beautiful, wasn't she?"

Sōma looked over at Alice, who had joined him in staring at the portrait. Her expression was one of sadness as she stared at the painting. Sōma didn't respond to Alice's question, as it was more rhetorical than anything else. A blind man could tell you that Nakiri Katsumi was beautiful.

"I can't believe it's been so long…it feels like just yesterday that Erina and I were nagging her to bake us cookies. Even though that was over ten years ago, now…"

"She was friends with my mother, you know." said Sōma softly. Alice turned to him, blinking in surprise. Sōma's expression was still cold and withdrawn, but his eyes had softened. Flinty bronze replaced by warm gold.

"Senzaemon-sama had come down to Yukihira's for the day to meet the woman that had been responsible for beating the Asura. He'd brought Katsumi-san with him. She and my mother just clicked. I guess because they were so similar. Two women burdened with upholding their families' respective legacies in the cooking world."

Sōma raised his hand to trace the embossed name plate that bore Katsumi's name in fine, gold leaf lettering. The chain he wore on his hand clinked softly with each movement.

"Your mother was friends with Erina's, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice.

Sōma nodded, his hand falling.

"Yea…it's almost funny, in a twisted sort of way."

"What do you mean?"

Sōma continued to stare up at the former matriarch of the Nakiri family.

"Dad always says that he made three great mistakes in his life. And that one of those mistakes was convincing Mom to let him introduce Nakamura Azami to Katsumi-san all those years ago."

The statement took Alice completely off guard. Joichiro was the reason her aunt had even met Azami?

"Why would he do something like that, Sōma-kun?" questioned Alice. Sōma shrugged.

"Apparently, Azami-sama was a different man back then. Or so my father thought…"

Once, Sōma would've thought that someone changing so completely, the way Azami must have, was unthinkable. But when he looked at what he'd undergone, at what he himself had become, in three short months, he realized that it wasn't so farfetched that Nakiri Azami was once a completely different sort of human being almost twenty years ago.

"Sōma-kun…"

The tone in Alice's voice had changed completely and Sōma looked over at her, to find a single, ruby red eye staring up at him, almost menacingly.

"I hope you know that this discussion of past misgivings won't save you from me."

Sōma sighed. The little known bit of trivia hadn't exactly been an attempt at diverting the girl's attentions, but it would be a lie to say that Sōma wasn't hopeful it would serve as one.

"Alice, look. I'm so-"

"No." she said, cutting him off. "You don't get to say sorry until I know why you did what you did. Now spill."

Sōma turned to face Alice fully, who was giving him a look that made it clear she wasn't budging on the issue. Sōma looked conflicted, something dancing behind his eyes that Alice couldn't place.

"I…it's complicated, Alice. It involves some things that I can't tell you. I really can't."

"Why, Sōma-kun?" she asked insistently, reaching forward and grabbing his wrist. "Don't you trust me, even now?"

"Of course I do." he stated. "But there are still things I just…can't talk about. Please, Alice."

His tone was insistent and Alice hated the way she felt herself start to cave. She was better than this. He needed to know that she wouldn't bend to his will simply because he asked. She was still a Nakiri.

"Sōma-kun, I know that you have secrets. I understand that, really, but you have to understand that I'm simply concerned. The way you stormed out of here told me that whatever happened was important. And I need to know why. Even if you can't give me the full story, just share what you can. I can't help you if you keep it all locked up behind that stupid chain of yours."

Sōma looked into that red, pleading gaze and he felt something in him unwind. One of the many shackles instilled in him by his training came free and he felt his mouth begin to move.

"Alice…when I left, months ago, it was because Azami had offered me a deal. A deal that I couldn't afford to turn down. One of the conditions was that my dad come to teach at Tōtsuki for a certain amount of time. And once that time is over, so is our agreement. And I just needed to make sure that sh-that everything was ready for when that inevitably happens. My dad was supposed to leave at the end of next year but, as you saw, that will no longer be the case once my shokugeki with Erina and Tadokoro-chan happens."

Alice felt like she understood. Some of it, anyway. Whatever Sōma had with her uncle, it would end once Joichiro left the school. She didn't know exactly what that implied but she could imagine that, based on Sōma's reaction, it wasn't anything good. She was tempted to ask him just what it was, but she felt that she'd gotten all she could out of the boy. At least for now.

"Alright then. Fine. Now you can say you're sorry."

Sōma blinked down at the girl, who smiled up at him with a hint of mischief.

"You didn't explain much, Sōma-kun. But you explained enough to pass. This time, anyway. So go ahead, say you're sorry."

"I'm…sorry?"

"With feeling!"

Sōma looked down into Alice's adorable, pouting face and couldn't stop his smile.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you and storming off, Alice."

Alice nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Now we just have to see about your punishment."

"My punishment?" asked Sōma confusedly. Alice took Sōma's hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. The resulting warmth caused both teens to smile fondly at each other for a moment before Alice tugged at Sōma's hand, pulling him towards the living room.

"Yes. Your punishment. I'm going to do what any good girlfriend should; make you sit through a stupidly romantic movie with me."

"Girlfriend?" asked Sōma in surprise, blushing mildly. Alice stopped walking. The hand holding Sōma's tightened, just a bit.

"Well, that is what I am to you isn't it?"

Alice looked back at Sōma, her cheeks a brilliant red. She knew exactly what she'd said, and she knew how big of a step that was, for the both of them, when she'd said it. Her hand started to tremble as nervous butterflies burst into existence inside of her stomach. She ignored the self-doubt that was currently yelling at her that she'd been too forward, too soon.

"I wouldn't kiss just anyone, you know. Who do you think I am?"

Sōma looked down at Alice's vulnerable, flushed face. He felt something in his chest; something warm and safe and he gripped Alice's hand tighter, in assurance. A plink resounded as he unclasped his chain.

"My girlfriend. That's who."

Alice's face grew even redder as she started to smile giddily, the butterflies fading away to be replaced by a warm feeling of happiness. She began to pull Sōma behind her with even more fervour.

"Well, come on then boyfriend. We're in for a night full of gooey romance and sappy love soundtracks."

Something inside Sōma knew that, as a man, he should be warded off by such things. But the rest of him didn't really care and just focused on the warm, small hand that he held in his own.

He settled down onto a large, plush cushion that Alice directed him to and she joined him on it after queueing up the DVD player. She snuggled into his side, her arms encircling his chest and her head resting on his shoulder in a way that he really, really enjoyed.

It wasn't until halfway through a movie about what seemed to be a time traveling mailbox that Sōma realized that Alice's complaints about how comfortable her favourite cushion were indeed true and he found himself dozing, worn out from the stresses of the day.

As his head lolled back and his eyes began to close, he groggily turned to look at Alice, who'd already dozed off completely, if her closed eyes and light snoring were any indication. He pulled her in closer, burying his nose in her hair as his thoughts continued to fade and sleep began to take him. His last thoughts were that she smelt like warm sugar and apricots.

"Alice-san. Alice-san, are you here?" called out Hisako. She knocked on the door to the mansion again, curiously. None of the cars were missing from the garage, and it was fairly late in the evening, so she was almost certain the girl would be home.

Alice had been out of touch recently. She responded to texts or calls but it had been weeks since anyone had seen her or Ryo outside of the classroom. Erina had asked her to stop by and check in on her cousin, along with inviting her to dinner at the dormitory. It was Yuki's night to cook, and Alice had always liked her dishes, considering how different the gamey cuisine was to her own particular brand of cooking.

Hisako pulled out a key, wondering if the locks had been changed since Erina had left the mansion months ago. A quick twist and click gave her all the answer she needed, and Hisako opened the door, knocking again on the open portal.

"Alice-san? Kurokiba-kun?"

Hisako entered the main foyer, looking around. She saw no sign of her two classmates, although she did notice that she could hear what sounded like music coming from the direction of the living room. Maybe they were watching something and couldn't hear the door knocking over the volume of the television?

Hisako walked into the living room, calling out a greeting as she saw two people sitting on a cushion in front of the television.

The first thing she noticed was that the two occupants of the room were asleep. The second thing was that one of the occupants was a complete and utter surprise.

The third thing she noticed was the affectionate manner in which the two were holding each other, with Alice splayed across Sōma, her face buried in the crook of his neck. The boy's arms surrounded the girl, keeping her pinned to him, not that either of them seemed to mind. It was this last detail that prompted Hisako to shriek in surprise.

"YUKIHIRA!"

Hisako's shriek had been anything but quiet, and the sudden burst of noise caused both Alice and Sōma to jerk awake, surprised. Sōma moved to jump to his feet, half asleep but reacting instinctively. Unfortunately, he failed to account for the pale girl sprawled over him and only succeeded in rolling both of them off of the cushion onto the hardwood floor.

He groaned, the back of his head aching from where he'd hit it on the floor as he struggled to figure out just what was going on. He opened his eyes to find Alice's wincing face a few inches from his own. The girl was lying on top of him, her arms around his neck. He was uncomfortably aware of just how flush her body was to his.

"Ah, Sōma-kun…"

Alice opened her eyes, just as groggy and confused as Sōma was. The two locked eyes, the last vestiges of sleep beginning to fade as they realized that their faces were very, very close.

"ALICE-SAN!"

And that they had an audience. Alice yelped, scrambling backwards and hopping off of Sōma as if he was on fire. Sōma sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up into the embarrassed face of one Hisako Arato.

"W-W-What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Alice-san?!"

Sōma blinked up at the girl, resembling nothing less than a deer in the headlights. He scratched his cheek, searching for something to say.

"It's…nice to see you after so long, Hishoko-chan?"

"You as well, Yukihira-kun…wait, I refuse to accept such a blatant deflection Yukihira!"

Sōma got to his feet, shaking his head to rid himself completely of his nap induced grogginess.

"Are you sure? I'll make you something if you do."

The sheepish smile he gave the purple haired girl surprised her. His entire demeanour was surprising, actually.

"Yukihira-kun, what's happened to you?"

"Ah, I'm afraid it's a rather long story, Hishoko-chan."

"It's Hisako." the girl corrected absently. Sōma smiled at her in response, laughing.

"I know. I know. Force of habit, sorry. What brings you here tonight, Hisako-chan?"

"Erina-chan asked me to check in with Alice-san and- wait a moment! Stop dodging my questions. And stop trying to sneak away Alice-san!"

The aforementioned girl froze, her foot almost across the threshold to the foyer. She drew it back, pouting at being caught.

"Now, Erina-chan asked me to check in with you Alice-san, you haven't spoken to any of us in weeks and then I come and find you cuddled up with Yukihira-kun?"

The aide's stern, no nonsense tone caused Alice to shrink in response, cowed by the admonishment. Hisako turned her heated gaze on Sōma, who found himself a touch intimidated by the girl's ire.

"And you, it is absolutely deplorable what you've been doing to the rest of us! Do you know how worried we've all been about you, Yukihira-kun? You disappear like a ghost for months on end and then return with no warning and no attempts made to get in touch with any of us. How are we supposed to feel?"

"Hisako-chan…"

Sōma's face changed, his cheer replaced by a conflicted look of guilt and shame.

"I can't tell you why I'm doing what I'm doing. Soon, maybe. But not yet, not now. You'll just have to trust me."

"That's not good enough, Yukihira-kun. Do you know how concerned Erina-chan has been for you?"

Sōma froze at the mention of the Nakiri heiress' name. His eyes widened and he felt the edges of a familiar feeling start to creep onto his chest. A terrible feeling.

"Erina's been worried about me?"

Hisako narrowed her eyes at the boy, her hands on her hips.

"Of course she's been. She feels like whatever has happened to you is all her fault since her father's clearly the one to blame for what's happened to you."

"That's not right."

Sōma felt a clawing sensation in his chest and he struggled to keep his breathing even. He looked down at the floor in panic, his eyes roaming, searching desperately for something.

"She's not to blame. She never was. She didn't deserve what happened to her. She really didn't."

"Yukihira-kun?" queried Hisako, watching the way the boy's shoulders started to tremble.

Sōma looked up at Hisako, as if seeing her for the first time. His expression was equal parts fear and shame. He opened his mouth to speak but Alice interrupted his attempt.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Hisako-chan."

Hisako turned to look at Alice, who was eyeing Sōma with an unreadable look.

"Alice-san…?"

Alice looked at the girl, giving her a tight, close lipped smile.

"You can tell Erina that everything's fine. I've just been rather busy the past few weeks is all. But, right now, there's some pressing matters I should address. So would you please take your leave?"

Despite her tone, it was clear that the Nakiri wasn't asking a question. Hisako looked confused by the sudden turn of events, looking to Sōma who was still staring off into the distance, muttering softly to himself.

"Hisako-chan, please. Go."

Hisako gave Alice one final, questioning glance before bowing and leaving the room.

Alice watched her go, waiting until she heard the firm thud of the front door closing before turning to face Sōma, who was still standing, muttering to himself. She stepped towards him, pulling a silver chain from her shirt pocket. She took Sōma's wrist and wound the metal around it, securing it with a soft click.

Sōma gasped, his heartbeat calming as he felt the familiar chain bind him in place. He looked down at Alice, who was scrutinizing him closely. She continued staring at him, as if attempting to burn a hole in his head.

"Sōma-kun. Soon. You WILL explain all of this to me. Understood?"

Sōma went to nod but Alice jabbed him sharply in the chest with her finger, stopping him short.

"Actually, scratch that. I'm not leaving this at some vague notion of soon. I'm picking a date."

Alice thought briefly before hitting on a day that seemed perfect to her.

"Your cooking duel with my cousin is this weekend, correct? How about then?"

Sōma wanted to deny the girl; to tell her that it really wasn't any of her business but soft kisses and whispered words held him back.

Then I'll fix you.

"Alright."

Alice blinked up at him, surprised by the relatively easy acquiescence to her terms. She wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth though and leaned forward, pulling Sōma's face down to hers for a firm kiss. After a few seconds, she let him go and looked up into his blushing, calm face.

"There. It's a deal, sealed by a kiss." she said, grinning impishly. Sōma could only smile softly at the girl's antics, even as, in the back of his mind, he felt the weight of the agreement he'd made settle in. In a few short days, so much could change for him. Would change for him.

Which made the now that much more important.

Sōma reached out and hugged Alice to him, the sudden move surprising her. Usually, she was the affectionate one, especially when Sōma had his chain on, but she wasn't going to complain. She hugged him back, hearing and feeling his heart beat in his chest.

"Do you want to see if we can actually get through the movie now, Alice?"

"You know we won't, Sōma-kun. But sure, we can try."

As they moved to settle back into the cushion, Sōma thought about the girl in his arms, wondering if, once she got the answers she wanted, she would still be there. Once she knew just what he'd sacrificed and just who he'd sacrificed it for, how would she feel?

He really couldn't say, and the thought of not knowing that somehow terrified him more than Azami ever had.