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A/N: Well folks, here is the beginning of my Food Wars/Shokugeki no Soma story. My focus is mainly my OC, Izumi Gallagher and his time at Totsuki. The first few chapters will focus on him attending the final year of Totsuki's Junior High division before we move on to the main series. When that happens, we'll be seeing some events through Izumi's POV before he gets fully involved in the series proper. As for who I'll pair him up with, you should probably guess by now after seeing my previous oneshot. Anyway, that's all from me now, onto the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Food Wars/Shokugeki no Soma nor any characters relating to it. I do own Izumi Gallagher and any other original characters that appear in this story.
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Chapter 1: The Decision
The diner smelled of the cooking food, a comforting aroma that filled the small building, but the crowd there had been watching the cooking process. Even before the diner had opened for the day, the aroma of the food wafted out to the street, bringing in a steady stream of customers. The bell above the door jingled with every entry, a rhythmic punctuation to the conversations and the clatter of dishes. But the real draw were the three people in the kitchen itself. A family of three consisting of the two owners of the diner and their teenage son, who had been cooking with his mother.
The boy of 15 years old matched his parents looks with his short, dark brown hair clinging to his forehead from the sweat from working in the kitchen and the heat from the stove. His oak brown eyes were a mirror to his mother's, and his strong jawline was a trait that both of his parents shared.
"Order up!" His father called out as he placed a pair of plates on the counter. "Corned beef hash, hotcakes, and eggs sunny side up. Who's ready to tackle this breakfast feast?" One of the waitresses picked up the order bringing it to the customer, who almost began eating with gusto.
If one were to see this from the perspective of the customer's imagination, they would be imagining themselves on a farm complete with overalls, a straw hat, and the sound of barnyard animals in the distance. Their clothes ripping off the moment one of the cows and a pair of chickens charged at him, a moan escaping his imaginary lips as though he had just finished having sex.
"Order up!" The woman, who looked of Japanese nationality, called out. "Fried tempura-style chicken and waffles with a side of maple syrup." She placed the steaming plates on the counter with a smile.
Another waitress picked up the plate and zipped through the narrow aisle between tables, delivering the mouthwatering tempura-style chicken and waffles to a couple who were eagerly waiting. The boy watched with a mix of admiration and envy as the couple's eyes lit up with delight at their first bite. He had always loved cooking with his parents, but he dreamed of creating dishes that could transport people to exotic places, not just the stuff his parents made.
"Hey, Izumi," His dad, Thomas Gallagher called to him from his side of the kitchen. "Don't slack off now, we got plenty of hungry customers!"
"R-right! Sorry dad!" Izumi Gallagher said as he went back to his cooking, finishing cooking the dish. "Order up! One bacon, eggs, and pork ramen with a side of rice!"
The bell over the door chimed again as a group of tourists walked in, their eyes wide with anticipation. The diner was known for its fusion cuisine, a blend of traditional American food with a Japanese twist. The mother, Hitomi Gallagher, glanced over at her son, her expression a mix of pride and concern. She knew he had ambition, but she also knew that taking over the diner was a responsibility that had been in their family for generations. She wanted the best for her son, and there was only one place in the world she knew where he could hone his craft. After all, it was the same school she attended when she was younger.
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The day was the same throughout the lunch and dinner crowds. Since it was a Saturday, Izumi didn't have to worry about going to school in the morning, so he stayed late with his parents and the few other servers who worked the night shift to help clean up the diner. As he was wiping one of the tables and the last of the servers had left for the night, Thomas looked at Hitomi who nodded with a smile.
"Hey, Izumi," Thomas called out to his son, who paused in his cleaning. "Your mother and I wanna have a word with you."
"Did I do something wrong, dad?" Izumi asked, not wanting to be in trouble.
"No, son, you did nothing wrong." Thomas chuckled as he and Hitomi both sat down at the counter and motioned their son to sit in one of the diner booths in front of them, which he did. "It's more or less what we've been meaning to talk to you about ever since you started learning how to cook."
"What do you mean?" The boy looked at both his parents in confusion.
"Izumi, do you remember when I first told you about the school I attended, where I learned how to become a better chef?" Hitomi asked him with a smile.
"You mean that school in Japan," Izumi said, recalling his mother's stories of her time in the prestigious culinary school. "What was it called again?"
"Totsuski Culinary Academy," Hitomi said proudly with her eyes closed. She then opened them to look at Izumi. "One of the best in the world. And we think it's time for you to go there."
"What?" The boy whispered in surprise. "B-but why? Aren't I already a good enough chef?"
"You're a good chef now," Thomas reassured his son. "But even with the skills you have now, you're nowhere near the same level as your mother, despite all that she's taught you."
"But what about the diner?" Izumi protested, not wanting to leave the place he had known all his life.
"Don't worry about the diner," Thomas said, patting his son's shoulder. "Your mother and I have been planning for this for a while. We'll manage while you're gone. It's your turn to follow your dreams, like your mother did."
"But what if I don't get in?"
"You won't know unless you find out." Hitomi told her son with a patient smile. "I will admit that I thought I wouldn't make it in myself when I went, but I did, and it changed my life. We believe in you, and we know you can do it, too."
"Besides, you'll have plenty of time to prepare before the next transfer exam to the Middle School division when you get there." Thomas reassured him. "We've already contacted your grandparents there to let them know you'll be staying with them for that brief period of time."
The thought of seeing his maternal grandparents did excite Izumi a little, but did little to suppress his anxiety. Hitomi's smile faltered slightly, knowing what her son was thinking.
"Izumi," She said, her voice gently catching his attention. "I know this will be a difficult transition for you, having to go to a culinary school abroad, away from your friends and hometown, going to a school where only a small percentage of the first years of the High School division will be able to graduate, but this is your chance to become something great, something more than just a good chef. This is your chance to become a better person, to grow, to learn about different cultures and styles of cooking. You're going to have experiences that will shape you into the chef you want to be. And we'll be here for you, supporting you every step of the way."
"Your mother is right, Izumi." Thomas said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. "No matter what happens, your mother and I will always be proud of you. Never forget that. But, this is your decision, if you don't want to attend Totsuki this year, or at all, then we'll support that." Hitomi nodded in agreement with her husband.
"We'll give you a day to think it over. Whatever decision you make, we'll support you no matter what." She said to him softly before giving him a hug, which he returned.
Izumi was silent for a moment before he looked at them. "I'll think it over."
"That's all we ask." Thomas said, ruffling his son's hair much to the boy's annoyance.
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That night, after finishing the cleanup of the diner and closing its doors for the night, the Gallaghers went home. They already had their dinner prior to closing the diner for the night and now Izumi was in his bedroom laying on his bed and looking up at his ceiling. Ever since he was young, he had always loved to watch his parents cook, especially his mother. Between the two of them, his mother had always been his inspiration when it came to cooking. The moment he learned how to cook using a toaster, Izumi had always learned the finer points on how to cook from his mother. Sure his dad gave a helpful advice here and there, but it was his mother who taught him everything he knew on how to operate in a kitchen.
From what he understood, she learned all of the basics at home from his maternal grandmother. But after visiting this one restaurant one day, his mother had decided right then and there that she would grow up to be a professional chef. Her parents were happy that she had made the decision and from what Izumi knew, she went through elementary school learning the basics of how to cook. But when she approached her middle school years, her parents had told her of a school where some of the best chefs in the world had graduated from: Totsuki Culinary Academy.
He had seen the brochures of the school itself and had learned that the middle school was more basic, but still featured necessary cooking classes. It was rare for a student to be expelled from that division and only under certain circumstances could that ever happen. It was in the high school division where the curriculum was much more ruthless and cutthroat on the students. Students in that division had to go through rigorous cooking assignments and if a student couldn't live up to expectations, they were expelled on the spot.
His mother had told him that she watched helplessly as a few friends she had made in the middle school division were expelled because they failed certain assignments in the high school division. Others were expelled after losing in what were called "Food Wars", cooking battles where two chefs face each other in a cookoff with an odd number of judges critiquing their food. The two competing chefs also had to agree on the terms of the outcome and theme of the Food War and usually one's status in the school was often on the line. Hitomi herself had a few of these Food Wars herself and in some cases barely managed to win by the skin of her teeth.
There was also the governing body of the school to take into consideration. While the teachers and staff had some sway on how courses are conducted, the principle of the school was the overall authority and below them was a group known as the Totsuki Elite Council of 10. As the name suggests, it is a council consisting of the 10 most elite students of the academy. Each one specializes in their own field of cooking and they had prestige outside of the school. They were the school's equivalent of a student council with the first seat of the Council of 10 being their president. They coordinated most of the school's major events and had authority over much of the student body. They only answered to the principle themselves and no one else could overrule their decisions.
Hitomi had never been part of the council, but she had seen for herself the kind of talent they had; many of them were indeed the best of the best and she had almost caught the ire of one or two members of them on a couple of occasions. But thankfully, she succeeded in graduating when most of the students of her starting year did not. She would then later go to America where she met his father, Thomas, and the two of them fell in love, got married, and had him.
At least, that was the story his parents always told him.
But now his parents were offering him a chance to attend the same school his mother attended all those years ago. But this was not a decision he took lightly, it meant leaving not just his hometown, but America altogether. He would be in a completely different country where the only support he had was in the form of his grandparents, who lived in a small town in the Tohoku region of Japan.
With a sigh, Izumi got up from his bed, still dressed in his pajamas and headed downstairs, where he saw a light on in the living room. Slowing in his steps, he looked to see his mother, clad in her nightgown, was looking through a photo album of some kind. It wasn't one of their family albums that much he knew; their family albums had consisted of many pictures featuring the three of them, his paternal grandparents, his aunts, uncles, and cousins, and mostly of his childhood. He quietly walked up to the couch, where his mother sat and saw the pictures from the album she was looking through.
In each of the pictures, there was a smiling image of her younger self in a school uniform, which he assumed was Totsuki's uniform. In some of them, she was holding either a trophy from a competition she had won, a dish she had made, or she was making a peace sign with her friends. In each and every one of them, her smile was as bright as he remembered. The last picture in the album was one where she was holding up the cylindrical container that had her diploma, her cheeks stained with happy and sad tears from her accomplishment.
"Couldn't sleep, Izumi?" Hitomi suddenly said quietly, surprising Izumi.
"N-no, mom." He said just as quietly as he sat down next to her. "I just couldn't stop thinking about earlier."
"About attending Totsuki?" She prompted him with that knowing smile he knew all too well. He only nodded in response. "I suppose it would be on your mind, considering that this will be a big step in your life."
Izumi said nothing for a while, still looking at the pictures of his mother. She seemed happy in the pictures, that much he could tell; but the smile she projected didn't seem to reach her ears as much as they did in pictures that featured his dad and himself. It was like the young lady in the pictures from Totsuki and the woman in their family pictures were two different people.
"Hey mom," He finally said, garnering her attention. "What was your life like in Totsuki?"
Hitomi looked at the pictures herself and smiled wistfully. "Truthfully, Izumi, they were the most exciting years of my life, but also the loneliest."
Izumi looked at his mother, his eyes questioning.
"Before I joined Totsuki's high school division, I had so many friends who were dedicated to becoming chefs like I was. We were practically inseparable and thought nothing could separate us." Her smile then turned sad. "But that was until after we joined the high school division, as you already know. I just watched as my friends and I either went our separate ways, or turned on each other in our goals of becoming the best chefs we could be." She then turned her gaze up towards the ceiling a frown creasing her lips. "I thought that if I graduated, we could reconnect; unfortunately none of them even wanted to speak to me again after that."
"But why?" Izumi asked her, his curiosity piqued. "If you guys were so close, why would they just stop talking to you after graduating?"
Hitomi sighed heavily and closed the album, setting it aside. "Because the competition was fierce, and some of them couldn't handle that I was better than them, or that they weren't as good as they thought they were. It's a tough environment, and it brings out the worst in people sometimes. It's not just about cooking; it's about survival. You see, only a few can make it to the top, and everyone is fighting for those spots. Some friendships can't withstand that kind of pressure. That's why I want you to think carefully about this, Izumi. It's not just a school; it's a battleground for chefs in the making. You'll face challenges that will make you question everything you know about food and yourself. But if you can push through, you'll come out the other side a chef worthy of the Totsuki name."
"If that's true, what made you decide to travel to America?"
At that, another wistful smile came to her list. "I met up with an old senior of mine, someone I think you've already met." She looked at him with a slight grin. "Joichirou Saiba."
Izumi's eyes widened at the name. "Mr. Saiba encouraged you to travel to America?"
"Not exactly," She giggled quietly. "Actually, he told me that my cooking was too good to be wasted in Japan. He said that I had a unique style that the rest of the world needed to experience. So, I decided to travel the world and started in America." She looked at him with a smile. "It didn't take long before I stumbled upon this town and decided to try one of the local diners."
"That's where you met dad." Izumi prompted, already knowing where this story was going.
She smiled and nodded. "I had to admit, I didn't think much of the diner when I first met your father; in fact, I thought the place looked like a dump." Hitomi's eyes sparkled with the memory. "But when I tasted the food, something changed in me. The way he put love and care into every dish reminded me of my mother's cooking. It was the kind of food that didn't just fill your stomach, but also your heart. That's when I realized that cooking wasn't just about competition and winning. It was about sharing happiness and creating memories for the people who eat your food. That's what makes a chef truly great." Her smile became more radiant. "I decided to move into town and start working at the diner, even offering to add new items to it."
"I'll bet grandpa didn't like that." Izumi chuckled, knowing what kind of man his paternal grandfather, William Gallagher, was like.
"No he didn't," Hitomi giggled. "But your father's kindness won me over. And when I saw how much joy our fusion dishes brought to the customers, I knew this was where I belonged. But that's not all, I also realized that while I had learned so much in Totsuki, there was still so much more to learn about cooking from different cultures and people. That's what I want for you too, to have those experiences and find your own unique style, just like I did when I met your father. Plus, it's also a chance for you to get to know your Japanese heritage better, and who knows, you might even find your soulmate there."
Izumi blushed at the notion. "Mooom."
"Oh don't give me that," She chided him ruefully, waggling her finger at him. "If I could meet someone who makes me as happy as your father does, then you can too young man." She then pressed her forehead against his. "Just don't turn me into a grandmother too soon."
Izumi couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I'll keep that in mind, mom." He said with a blush before leaning back onto the couch. "Still, I'm nervous about going to Japan and leaving everything I know behind. What if I don't fit in? What if I fail?"
"You'll be fine dear." She reassured him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Besides, there is one piece of advice Saiba-senpai told me when he visited us a couple years ago."
"What's that?" He asked her.
"He told me, that the key to becoming a great chef," She looked at him with a wide smile. "Is cooking for someone you love."
With that, the two of them sat there for a while, lost in their own thoughts. For Hitomi, she was lost in the memories of her time at Totsuki and her journey to America. For Izumi, he was lost in contemplation over the decision he had to make and the future that awaited him in Japan. But deep down, he knew that this was a chance he couldn't pass up. A chance to not only become a great chef, but to find himself as well. After much contemplation, he finally came to his decision.
"I'll do it," He said at last, catching his mother's attention. "I'll go to Totsuki."
Hitomi was silent for a moment before a smile creased her lips. "I knew you'd make the right decision, Izumi. I believe in you." She gave him a hug, which he returned. "Now back to bed, young man, you'll need your strength tomorrow. We have a lot to prepare before you leave."
"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled before he got up and headed back towards the stairs. "Night mom."
"Good night, Izumi." Hitomi whispered as her son disappeared upstairs. She remained on the couch, her gaze lingering on the photo album. The decision made, she knew the real journey was only just beginning.
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A/N: And that's it for chapter 1. I don't know when I'll post chapter 2, so don't rush me ok folks? In the meantime, tell me what you think in the reviews.