Happy 2022 guys!!
*********
Yumi stopped in front of the entrance leading into the third floor of Venue D. "It's awfully quiet. Is there still a match going on?" She pushed past the two doors and took a quick glance around.
Her eyes landed on the stage at the center of the arena. She immediately recognizes her classmates, Kurokiba, Alice, Megumi, Takumi, and her brother. Standing on the other side is a second-year duo Yumi has never met before. The one hunched over is a blonde male. And the other one is a pink-haired female. There's not much to work with here when that's all Yumi can see standing on the third floor.
And although she has no context of the situation she can easily tell which side won just by the vibe of the room.
It's not like she can just tilt her head slightly and see the giant billboard that displays the scores 3-0 in Kurokiba's favor.
"Kusunoki. I seem to recall telling you to win all your matches." Oh yeah, and the current Headmaster is on the second floor condescendingly berating the second year.
"Ha, deserved." Yumi laughed at the others' misery, completely unbiased.
"But headmaster, Ren did actually win his other matches I think you should..." the one with pink hair tried to defend her colleague but her voice trailed off after seeing the cold threatening glare of the headmaster.
"Nevertheless Headmaster Azami, among the thirty-three matches That were held across the four venues today. Is it not true that Central has 31 wins and 2 losses." The assistant next to him informs.
"Two losses?" The headmaster looks over for confirmation.
"Yes, Yukihira Yumi won her match in Venue C ."
"Oh good on her." Soma blinked. "But damn, Central wiped the table with the other societies."
"Ryou won as well," Alice states firmly with her hand to her hips. "Given what transpired here. I wonder if you can still say with confidence that your ideas are absolutely correct."
"And here I was thinking that you would be amenable to my true gourmet utopia." He replies. "How unfortunate. The duty of ever advancing the gourmet world falls to the Nakiri Clan. That is the reason for this revolution."
"I can not come to terms with your methods, uncle. "She coldly rejects. "Nor do I want to! That's all there is to it."
"Yeah, you tell him, Alice," Soma shouts. "That's the guy that tried to destroy our dorm!"
What a pity, a hopeless child to the last." He sighs. "First you kidnap my beloved daughter from under my nose, how dare you have the nerve to mouth off to my face." The headmaster darkly addressed.
"I couldn't care less," Alice firmly retorts, anger seething from her every word. "I will never forget what you did, Uncle." She took a deep breath. "I am angry!"
"I hate you, uncle Azami."
"Did I miss a flashback just now?" Yumi asked, tilting her head. "What is a flashback?"
"Wait, that's not important right now." She shook her head, waking herself back to reality. From across the hall, she spots two familiar figures arriving at the venue. Even with the distance between them, she can still make out their distinct features. One belongs to Erina, and the other is Satoshi. As soon as she saw the latter, Yumi's face lit up, "my husband has arrived." she softly whispers, smiling from ear to ear she quickly made her way through the crowd towards him.
"I will not let you have your way any longer! Not with Erina." Alice loudly declares. "And not with Totsuki!"
"Is that so well, do your best," Azami replies.
"Satoshi!" Yumi shouts from the floor above, with that as his only warning she placed one hand on the railing and jumped over.
His eyes widened, instinctively raising his arms for the impact.
"Nice catch," she smirks, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Unbeknownst to her, she chose the exact moment when Alice and the headmaster finished their tiny family dispute; when the hall was dead silent and recovering from Alice's declaration, to pull her stunt.
"And what if I didn't react in time." Satoshi sighs.
"I would've landed just fine." She laughs, "I didn't ask you to catch me, you did that on your own accord."
"Hm." he hums lightly.
Well even if Yumi is fully aware that she's currently drawing a lot of attention, she still wouldn't hesitate to openly flirt as she's doing right at this minute.
"Allow me to congratulate you on securing yourself a win today." The headmaster said, getting ready to leave.
"Oh, leaving so soon?" she asked, smiling, with no intention of standing on her own two feet. "Well bye, have-
"Erina?" Alice asked, finally noticing her cousin on the sideline. "Did you hear all of that?"
Erina lowered her gaze in embarrassment,
"If Uncle Azami hadn't gone and stuck his head where it didn't belong, I'd have gotten so so soooo~ much closer with you, Erina!" Alice said, then turned around and loudly reprimanded her cousin. "Every time I look at you nowadays, it's that same old mopey glum face! Try being a little more dignified, Erina."
"What's this I hear about you holing yourself up in your room and causing trouble for everyone at the polar star dorm?! You should know better."
"What do you mean?" Erina retorts. "Aren't you the one who dragged me out of that house?"
"Yes, I couldn't bear to see the sight of you cowering in fear of your father!" Alice argued back. "You've got to show Uncle Azami. Show him that you are your own person, that you aren't going to let anyone else tell you who to be. You can't just keep hiding in your shell forever! Got it?"
"Besides since I plan to thoroughly defeat you sooner or later," Alice said smugly. "You should stop being so depressed all the time so that I look even better when that happens."
"What did you say!" Erina yells.
"She just had to have the last laugh doesn't she." Yumi chuckles in amusement at their friendship. "Erina was almost moved by her words."
"Indeed," Satoshi responds.
Getting interrupted is definitely something she experienced often, but just for today, she would let it slide. For one, the Nakiri family has enough history to fill up a library, and generations of unresolved drama, and she's not about to dip her toe into this one. The second reason is, and as much as she hates to admit it, her previous bout with Central exhausted her. Yumi is too lazy to start a meaningless argument especially against Alice who's known for her stubbornness.
"I've become weak," Yumi murmurs, tightening her arms around her neck. "Feel like training with me?" She asked, leaning her head comfortably against his shoulders.
"Hm," Satoshi replies with a nod, softly patting her hair.
**********
"Are you crazy!!" Yuki screamed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her vigorously.
"Maybe?" Yumi shrugs, standing in front of the sink.
"What were you thinking? That was enemy territory you stepped into, and we just got cleared from having our dorm be demolished." Yuki cries. "How can you be as reckless as Soma?"
"Well..." Yumi averted her gaze as she recalled moments before her match.
*Flashback*
"Were you surprised?" A voice greeted her the moment she walked into the waiting room.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Yumi glares. "Saito."
He sat with his legs crossed, a camera around his neck that sits on top of his uniform. And firm look on his face.
"I'm busy too, you know." He explains. "It's tough being a journalist within Totsuki when everyone is trying to make headlines."
"That doesn't answer my question." she rolled her eyes.
"I told you, it's not easy controlling what's written in the Totsuki newsletter. What do you think would happen when you appear in an official match? articles would be written about you, I can't reject that many publications if everyone is writing about the same thing." He frowns.
"Is that your reason?"
"Yes," Saito sighs.
"There's going to be articles written about me. Regardless of how many strings you try to pull as the head of the news department." Yumi said. "Soma is my brother once he appears in the paper, and an article about me would surely be made into the sub-columns." She spoke proudly of her twin. "So don't worry about it."
"Yumi..." He spoke in a worrying tone.
"I'll be fine," Yumi said, waving her hands dismissively. "Also, I thought my research society merged with Professor Shiomi's, why the hell is it independent."
"After you left, that girl broke off from Shiomi Seminar and took most of the members and budget," Saito explains.
Yumi grimaces at the mention, she knows exactly who 'the girl' is. "Keila." He nodded, confirming her suspicions.
Keila, was very eccentric to say the least, she just has this presence that compels the people around her to want to punch her. Yumi placed a hand to the side of her head to mend the increasing headache, she can already picture the annoying click of her heels echoing as she walks.
"She didn't pass the high school division entrance exam as it was overseen by Nakiri Erina."
"I'm an atheist, but I'm seriously considering thanking god." Yumi sighs.
"Well, Miss Erina is the God Tongue incarnate."
"Even better," Yumi grumbles, heading for the door. "Announce the switch in the lineup, I'm subbing in."
"What? Now?" He scrambles to his feet. "What about the theme?" She had already long been gone, as he stood there awkwardly with the question still in the air. "I hate it when she does that. This is gonna cause such a mess."
"It took me a long time to clean up your nonsense during the Autumn Election." He expressed his displeasure with a light kick to his chair and jogged off to the nearest shokugeki representative.
**End Flashback**
"we're twins." Yumi simply answered with a blink. "Do you have a chicken I can slaughter?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Of course I do. What species do you prefer?" Yuki said, clapping her hands. "Wait, we're still not done talking! Also, it's kind of creepy how you said that with such an innocent face."
Yumi took out some bowls, flour, sugar, and salted butter. "Where the heck is the yeast?"
"The next cabinet." Yuki points. "What are you making?" She asked curiously.
"I'm going to remake the dish I made in that shokugeki," Yumi said, the bag of yeast in hand. "Would you like to try?"
"Sure, but why do you need the chicken?"
"I just wanted to see how fast you are willing to sacrifice one of your chickens." Yumi shrugs. "But damn you have no remorse."
"Because I thought you were going to use it," Yuki exclaims defensively. "And the reason I raised them is so they can become ingredients."
"Fair but why did you name them?"
"Why not?"
...
*******
"What are you making?"
"Gah!" Yumi screeched, almost throwing the fork in her hand and potentially stabbing someone's eye out. "Satoshi!"
He laughed amused by her reaction.
"You're enjoying this aren't you." Yumi chides, "I could've killed you!" She yells gesturing to the metallic weapon in her hand.
"We're making bread," Yuki said, cutting the slices as instructed by Yumi. "Wanna try?"
"Yuki no," Yumi shook her head, trying to take them back. "Those are failures." But it was already too late.
"I think they are good," He responds, licking his fingers.
"See? I told you it was good," Yuki grins, giving two peace signs. "But they would have been failures if I wasn't around, get the Isshiki, she mistook baking powder with baking soda, they almost came out looking like brownies."
"That's because no one labels anything around here. Everything should be labeled along with their date of expiration" Yumi scoffs. "Besides, I decided to use yeast instead."
"So was it a failure? It tastes fine to me."
"I don't understand either, Yumi keeps saying that while making more loaves." Yuki shrugs. "It should be the same one as she made in the shokugeki."
"It is and that's why it's a failure," Yumi said stacking the bread on top of each other like building blocks.
"I still don't understand, but if that's what Yumi-ichin wants then I'll help until you figure it out." Yuki grins.
"What is the recipe Yumi, maybe I can help," Isshiki offers.
"Sure," Yumi shrugs, taking out a notebook from her apron pocket. "I was going to take a break anyway to sort out all the extra food."
"You were planning to eat all of that?" Yuki gawks at the baffling amount of bread. They've made about three batches of twenty. "By yourself?"
"Of course not." Yumi frowns. "I'm not crazy, two of them are for me, you guys can have the remaining one."
"T-two?" Yuki's jaws dropped. "What is your stomach, a bottomless pit?"
"I haven't eaten since yesterday," Yumi said, already inhaling the first row. "Want one?"
********
"Yumi." He called out to her.
"Wha-oomph," A fluffy bread was stuffed into her mouth.
"Does it taste good?" Isshiki asked.
Yumi reluctantly chewed, and upon the second bite, her face blanked. She collapses, holding onto the kitchen counter for support.
"I'll take that as a yes." He said, rushing to her side, steadily bringing her to a chair. "Yuki want one?"
"No thanks, I'm about to die." Yuki groans weakly against the counter across from them, barely able to raise a finger. "I'm not eating pastry for the next month."
"You! What did you do?" Yumi glares.
"I followed your recipe exactly," Isshiki frowns.
Yumi got her head off the counter. "What?" Covering her mouth.
"Miss Erina!" Hisako calls running down the halls past the kitchen. There was a pause and the sound of footsteps can be heard running back. "Does anyone know where she is?"
"I don't know where she is." Yumi shook her head. "But she couldn't have gone anywhere."
"I can't find her anywhere," Hisako exclaims, looking as if she wants to cry. "It just had to be at the exact moment I left her side."
"Calm down, did you check everywhere?" Yumi frowns. "Even our rooms?"
"No, I didn't ."
"I guess we can help look for her," Yumi said, tossing her apron onto the counter.
*******
"It looks like she's in Soma's room," Megumi said gesturing to the pipes.
"Ehh!"
"Did you say you're going to let me taste the cooking of 'Yukihira', right here and now?"
"Since when is our surname used as a brand?" Yumi frowns.
"Shhh." Yuki snapped, placing a finger to her lips.
"You don't even know any of his recipes, there's no way you can accomplish that," Erina said.
"Maybe not but back home my dad crammed me to the brim with cooking tricks," Soma explains. "If you taste those dishes from Yukihira... who knows? it may actually jog your memory from way back when."
"He's definitely making that face he always uses when he gives you strange combinations." Yuki and the rest grimaces.
"Can't relate," Yumi mutters.
"Will she be alright?" Daigo asked concerned.
"Nope, she won't be." Ibusaki said bluntly.
"Yeah, he's facing the god tongue, she possesses the most delicate palate in all of humanity," Marui adds.
"If she were to eat one, of his failures, she wouldn't stand a chance in hell." They have absolutely no hope he could pull this off.
"What sort of dish are you planning on making?"
"Tendon," Soma responds simply.
"What a stereotypical Yukihira kind of menu."
"I know his home is a diner and all, but of all the things," Ryoko said.
"Well, it's been years since I've eaten anything my brother made, so can't attest to anything," Yumi said. "But Chef Shinomiya approved his skills so I guess that says something."
"Will such an everyday dish really satisfy the god tongue?" Marui asks.
"It'll be alright," Megumi said confidently. "I'm sure Soma is trying to convey something to Nakiri. That's the very reason why he wants to cook for her. So I'm sure there is nothing to worry about."
"You need to shape up." they turned their attention back to the pipeline. "Cuz I'm gonna get my revenge for that day when we first met. So I'm excited about it."
"Today is finally the day I'm definitely going to make that legendary tongue of yours say 'this is delicious." Soma declares. "It's done, Nakiri. Yukihira fried egg don."
"A fried what now?" Yumi asked.
"Something wrong Ryoko?"
"Not really, I was just thinking..." Ryoko said thoughtfully. "Yukihira was doing some bulk shopping recently and got some dirt cheap on-sale eggs for 106 yen a pack..."
"This is bad! Since childhood, Miss Erina was raised with only the most carefully selected high-class ingredients" Hisako despaired. "There's no telling how her body will react if she were to eat any cheap ingredients!"
"!!!!"
"But it seems like she's enjoying it," Yumi said.
"This richness."
"It's from freezing the eggs," Soma reveals. "By freezing the egg's protein turns into a jelly-like structure, because of that it becomes chewy and round as well as creamy. The flavor, in general, becomes much richer."
"And using high-grade eggs would work as well."
"That means..."
"That's right! It's better to use bland egg because of the flavor and feel after freezing it and because it enhances the sauce's flavor!"
"How?" Nakiri asks. "How are you able to think up these ideas. It's common knowledge that eggs are meant to be kept fresh and yet... And isn't it normal to worry about how to obtain the best and rarest of ingredients?"
"How are you always...!"
"Because it's more interesting like this," He answers. "It's my own personal opinion but, guys who only know one 'answer' won't ever be able to reach 'greater heights', and more than anything because it's no fun if you already know what you're going to get."
"Well said, Soma," Yumi said.
Seven days until the exam...
"It's so cold," Daigo said, shivering.
"It's already winter and soon we won't be able to take in the morning air of the dorms anymore, the promotional exams, our life depends on it."
"So what does Erina want with us so early in the morning?" Yumi said with a yawn, the sleep still in her eyes.
"Well she didn't tell me," Soma said.
"Mhm." Yumi was too tired to hear anything as she nodded away groggily, almost leaning against his shoulders.
"Ahem, good morning people of Polar Star Dorm," Erina said through a speaker.
"Was that necessary, we are right here."
"Now that I look at it you all have very shabby expressions." She continues. "With the promotion exams on the horizon, you all must think that it's better to leave the school right now."
"We can't do anything about it, the people who get in the way of Central will be expelled." Yuki said."Us too... we want to stay in this school and create more food together."
"It's been a while since I first came to the dorms. I've tasted your dishes numerous times by now, the taste was weird sometimes and was a mess in general... to the point that I can't even count." Nakiri said. "But everyone's dishes always felt so free. But honestly, you'll be cut without hesitation! How pathetic! Are you going to leave it be?"
"Then how do you suppose we pass the exams?"
"Use your 'food' to get past it by force. If you guys don't care then please leave now! But if you do then stay here we'll get through the exam together! Now! If you guys are proud chefs!"
"Please follow me!" Nakiri declares.
"If Erina-icchi says that there's no way we'll back off!"
"That's right!"
"Let's become Second Years."
"Yeah!"
"Huh? What?" Yumi woke up with a start from the cheering. She still tired and have no idea what is going on but cheered along with the rest. "What are we cheering for?"
******