So…Where to begin this tale ?
It was quite sudden and off the bat.
They indeed started off on a rough spot. During that match at the Autumn Election.
But considering all that went down during the dark Central Dystopia, their mutual predicament must've really drawn them toward their current relationship.
Maybe. Most likely.
To: The Walking Nose;
Yo, Hayama. :D
I really have to pass on today's meet-up T_T. I finally got Nakiri to taste-test my new dish, I can't let this opportunity slip through my fingers XD.
See ya later. Mate.
From: That cheeky bastard.
What's with all the emojis?
To: Spice Asshole
So, I can't come today. Milady Alice dragged me along into one of her usual shenanigans. Call it out a day.
From: Port Punk
*Sigh* I guess, I am left on my own today. Again.
The man named Hayama Akira plopped down the soft sofa. He made tea and cookies for nothing.
He sighed once again.
Ever since, Nakamura Azami was disgracefully dethroned, and the new elite ten was established, quite a few things changed within their gang.
After their glorious victory in the Regiment de Cuisine, a huge party was thrown on the Tootsuki train, starring, of course, the one and only naked apron and the polar stars. He was happy they didn't treat him like some traitor, they all seemed to understand his situation and warm up to him.
Even though, he wouldn't admit it in public, he enjoyed their company for the most part.
However, he isn't blind though, he did notice the drastic change in certain individuals behavior. First and foremost, and not that he was surprised about it, the Yukihira lad and the Nakiri ojou became really attached to one another, like literally.
They walk each other back and forth, you're more likely to find them cooking together in some campus kitchen, or bickering in so
me hallway these days. He could almost guarantee that they stick together more often than the bluenette did before.
As for Kurokiba, god damn they are sooo obvious. That spark between them just flashes into your face brightly.
-" What should I do now?" He loudly questioned himself.
Since those two idiots are not coming, and Jun is making some errands at the market, he really doesn't have anything to do.
This silence…. Just staring at the blank ceiling…
-"Oh fuck it. I'll just go out for a walk." He said, standing rapidly on his feet, and walking out of the seminar.
It is pretty normal for the campus to be pretty empty right now. Courses ended about 4 hours ago and everyone is either back to their dorms or in their RS.
So walking alone in the large alleys of the academy wasn't helping with his loneliness. He kept marching, forward aimlessly.
Until, as if God had mercy of him, he finally took a glimpse of someone familiar.
Pink hair? That pretty much gave it away.
He would've jumped in gaiety if he could, but he got a statue to protect.
So, he proudly walked toward her. AS got closer and closer by each step, he noticed something odd with the loyal Hishoko.
Usually, the pink-haired aid is always accompanying her mistress, head held high. But now, even from his back view, she looked like sulking and dragging her feet hopelessly.
He kept walking her way. Barely a foot away from her, he tapped her shoulder lightly, making her instantly turn to look at him, first with shock, then with deep grudge.
-"Oh, it's you, Hayama-kun." He grumbled at him, her eyes piercing through his form.
What's with all this hatred?
Everything about you is limited.
Yeah, that's probably why.
-"Hi, Arato-san." He greeted joyfully, ignoring the dangerous aura around her. "Where's Nakiri? Really an oddity to see you without her." He seemed to turn a switch there. Her threatening aura disappeared to turn into one of depression.
Is she pouting!?
-" She must be with Yukihira right now." She pursed her lips annoyed. " she dismissed me earlier.
-" So you've been ditched." He blurted, getting said pinkette to shiver at his spot-on conclusion.
She knew her mistress just wanted to spend some alone time with Yukihira, Probabaly with some hidden intention behind it.
The thing that seemed to greatly annoy her.
-" Don't worry, I've been too." She looked up at him with surprise, for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. " Kurokiba and Yukihira left me on my own the day we agreed to met in." he declared his epidemic.
-" Yeah, Alice-sama and Erina-sama too, have busy these days. They should've found a good enough company, I guess." She lowly whispered in response.
A long, heavy silence stretched between the two.
The cold breeze's howling and the rustling of nearby trees were the only sounds that filled the empty ways.
-"Hey, Arato…Wanna talk?"
And that was the start of an interesting relationship between the two.
When two left-out individuals find refuge in each other. The result is something else.
Ever since that afternoon, the two would talk with each other more often, when they were alone without their respective companions they would walk and talk with each other and converse sometimes over a cup of tea at the seminar. They had grown closer over the times, and what seems to go beyond friendship, formed between them. Intimacy.
They talked about their lives: Hayama's slum childhood, Hisako's bond with the Nakiris. Their crushes: her crush on Yukihira, which somehow surprised him a little. His infatuation with Jun? which she proclaimed as morally wrong. And much more stuff that went beyond platonic between them.
Their blooming relationship grow even more than they could've expected.
But that day, was a turning point in their relation.
-"Hayama-kun, are we having any guests?" The short Tootsuki instructor asked her aid who seemed really invested in making a good bash of ginger bread.
-" Yeah. It's a friend of mine." He replied at her with a smile adorning his face.
Hayama-kun… excited about having a friend come over…
Tears of joy streamed down her face.
Sensei is happy.
*Ding**Dong*
He looked up with joy.
-"Jun… Could you.."
-"I'll get the door." Even before finishing his sentence, Jun was already by the door opening it.
-" Arato-san." The instructor beamed at their visitor.
-" Shiomi-sensei, " the pinkette bowed at her elder. " I got some nice medicinal herbs from my garden." She offered them to her with a wide smile.
-" Thank you. Hayama-kun, your friend is here." The instructor called for him, momently disappearing from their sight.
-" Arato-san…" He gretted her into the living room. " You came late today."
-" Sorry, I had to wait for Erina-sama to make sure she sticks at the polar stars. Hmm, Nice smell. What are you baking?"
-" It's my new recipe, wanna try it?"
Thus started another one of their mutual conversation. With some warm green tea and crispy, fragrant ginger cookies, they spoke and giggled very openly.
Behind the creaked door, Jun was crying tears of happiness.
Hayama-kun, you don't know how happy is Sensei. Getting a girl into your apartment. You've grown up so fast. I gotta leave. Leave. Won't interrupt.
She lightly retreated with little to no sign of her previous presence.
So engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice the grey colors of the sky, neither the sound of water droplets hitting against the glass window, nor the roaring of the striking thunder.
-" So, Jun almost got it all deleted if I didn't stop her." They giggled together at their elder's antics.
It was then that she noticed the heavy storm raging outside.
-"What is it, Arato-san?" He asked her, noticing her sudden change of demeanor.
-" I gotta go." She quickly stood on her feet, walking toward the exit.
-" What?.." He then heard the thunder screeching the sky loudly.
-"Hey, you can't go alone in this weather!" he grabbed her hand to stop her movement.
-" I have to. Erina-sama, must be stuck in the storm too. I need to go to her." She was forcefully tugging her hand away from his grip.
Amidst their wrestling, a stray bolt stroke the electricity antenna causing a black out, and the pair to fall over the floor at the sudden happening.
It was dark at first. It took time for her eyes to get used to the new environment.
Once she finally started to notice her surrounding, she almost choked on her own spit.
She was completely knocked out on the floor, trapped between the arms of her friend. His torso bringing her body down, as he looked at her weirdly.
They were in a compromising position, one that could give off many wrong vibes.
Or maybe not.
-"Arato.." He called for her in such a hoarse voice. " May I kiss you?"
That was uncalled for.
-"Huuuuhhhhh? What came to you Hayama-kun? Why are byou asking such an absurdity?"
He didn't hear her, as he straightforwardly followed his instincts and smooched his lips on poor Hisako's ones.
She seemed to struggle under him for a while. But as he deepened his kiss, she completely relaxed at his touch.
She even started to reciprocate.
They were both melting within that kiss, sucking and nibbling as hard as they could.
But their stupid need for oxygen had to make them break their kiss.
Both flushed, shivering and slightly hazy. But the aid quickly attacked her alpha male back within igniting vigor.
Who could've thought those two were such hungry and wild beasts?
It was carnal. Ohhh so carnal.
Raw and Savage.
Their clothes were almost torn, their underwear were snatched away from their bodies.
The heat that was emitting from their colliding bodies camouflaged any cold that the night wind could cause.
it was primal in all the ways the word could refer to.
At the end, they both fell clad on the stack of their mutual clothing, finally processing what really occurred.
-" That was definitely something." She giggled at the notion.
-" Your damn right." He smiled at her.
A slight silence stretched between the two, both trying to suck in what just happened.
A chill of awkwardness ran up their bodies.
-" Hhhhhow.. did this even happen?" the flustered aid, finally taking in what they just did, mumbled.
His answer came as equally as hers.
-" Hormones? I guess." He said, cheeks tanned cherry red.
Another awkward silence stayed for a while, until the slight sound of a muffled beep filled the room.
From under their common sheet, the pink-haired girl gently crawled out and toward her clearly ringing phone, unbeknownst to her the fact that her fine, sharp, fair body was now fully exposed to her 'lover' from rear downward, already getting him all railed up again.
Hisako fetched in between the pile of clothes and took out her phone. It was an incoming message from Erina
To: Hisako;
The weather is terrible today, the storm seems to be getting worst. I'll be staying in my room at the dorm. Make sure you're well-covered today so you don't catch a cold. Don't worry about me.
Love you.
From:Erina-sama.
Then, as if struck by realization, the aid looked towards the glass window. It was still raining and the storm was awful.
Clearly she can't call a lift this late and with this weather. What could she do? At least Erina is OK. He sighed in relief.
-"Umm…Arato-san. You might want to cover yourself."the boy with spoke weakly.
-"What?" She peeked at him over her shoulder. He was blushing like crazy, and struggling to cast his eyes away from her.
And then, she realized why. They way she was standing on all four was SOOOOO compromising.
She blushed, ideas of their previous deeds came back to plague her head. And oh my, how good they were.
She turned around as she was now facing him, seated on her legs, her hands buried deep between her thighs.
-"Want to…" She hesitated for a moment. " Want to go again?" She uttered in utter embarrassment, shocking the boy before her totally.
-"Wait, what? Are you serious?"
-" I don't have anywhere to go right now with this storm, and…" she looked with glassy molten, hot scotch eyes. " I feel cold."
That was their silent agreement to continue it until another time.
Starting that day, it became a habit. No, a need for both them. In weekends and free afternoons, they would meet up, mostly inside the seminar, talk, eat and then do…the thing, then chatter till dawn. They clearly spoke about it all. Their feelings, their recipes, and some gossiping.
Their illicit, almost promiscuous contact reflected even in their daily exchange. Now, everyone of their group must've noticed at some point the change in their relationship.
Constantly standing together, giggling, walking through the campus hall. Hayama even once got late for the Elite ten meeting because he lost track of time as he met the Nakiri aid at entrance gate.
It all became clear to all of them that…something was going on.
Especially some Nakiri blonde, who even with the thrilling company of her favorite redhead, noticed her best friend's change of demeanor towards their friend, and so she had to know.
-"Hisako?" the blonde called for her best friend.
-"Erina-sama…" the aid joyfully replied to her lady. " Is there something you want from me?" she acquired.
-" Well.." she looked down for a moment before, looking at her faithful secretary straight in the eyes. " Are you and Hayama-kun involved?" that shocked the poor girl, making her drop her notepad.
How did she…? Erina can not conclude that. What…?
-"Erina-sama, what got you to think this? And what do you mean by 'involved'?" she voiced her question, getting a heavy blush from the blond princess.
-"I mean.. you've been strange lately. Putting on lipstick in the morning, using an oriental perfumed washing gel during your night showers, you changed your hairstyle that day, and you seem to go around a lot with Hayama-kun. Are you two together?"
Well, she got to agree. She maybe went a little too obvious in her action. She changed her washing gel so that her scent would go more with Akira's spice-craving nose. She did some make up and hair dress-up to get his attention, and she MAYBE wore that one black lace underwear that she borrowed from Leonora-san's old wardrobe.
She got to admit, it's quite comprehensible why her ojou seems skeptical.
-"Hisako?" she snapped at the sound of her friend's screeching embarrassed cry. " Have you been doing stuff, like kissing, holding hands, strolls, and…and…" Maybe she had given her too much racy material.
-"Erian-sama, Erina-sama, calm down. It's just that we started to get along after last year's events. Because everyone was busy with their own stuff,.." she noticed the blonde wither at this sentence. " Me and Hayama-kun started to talk and fix up the misunderstanding that went on since the Autumn Election." She looked at her surprised friend. " Erina-sama, I swear that if it were something going on, you would be the first to know about it, okay?"
-" Really, do you promise?"
-"I do." Deep down, she knew she was lying. " Now, speaking of that," the pinkette smirked at her mistress. " How is it between you and Yukihira?"
And the questioning went on to the blonde, but that is a story for another day.
-" We are doing Arapaima. Case closed."
-"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, THE THEME SHOULD SOMETHING OF THE ? THAT'S IT."
-"Boooring. We want something exciting. How about squid tentacles."
-" Shut up Yukihira. Let's give them cheese, cheese is the way to go… Stop staring at me like that, Mimasaka."
-"Uhuhuhuh, calm daown, uhhhhh."
-"Like hell I'll let children choose over me. Jalepenos, that it. That is what Kuga-senpai said."
-"Hahaha, how about we calm down, and vote over the best theme ingredient."
-" SHUT UP, NAKED APRON."
-"What the hell?!"
That was the global atmosphere in the Elite ten hall today.
A quarrel raged over the next election's theme ingredients, with everyone throwing randomly their ideas in a loud, crazy manner.
The only people who cast themselves out of this mess were Nene and Hayama.
For Nene, she seemed to care less about this shit.
As for Hayama, he didn't want to scream at those two idiots again, neither did he want to butt heads with the stubborn Nakiri.
How annoying! All this screaming!
Screaming…
Uhh~~~
Loudly.
Iiieeeeeee.
A loud moan echoed through his head. He found himself more often than usually daydreaming about his woman. Her ivory skin burning under his, her curly pink hair sprawled on his sheets, her plush lips clashing hungrily against his, dancing in sync with his rhythm. Each night she would come to him, they would mate like animals, drowning in the pleasure provided by one another.
Damn. She was one fine woman.
I wonder what she thinks of me? Wow rough spot!
He didn't know why, but a wave of anger and rage filled his body. The pen he held between his fingers seemed to be the victim of his uproar. He clench it hard enough for a scary cracking sound to abruptly break the chefs dispute.
In Hayama's head, he questioned himself: What were they to each other? Friends, surely. Friends with benefits, clearly. But none of these labels seemed to satisfy him.
His anger grew greater, the poor pen cracked more. The elites looked at the others, surprised and confused.
He wanted more. More. More. Something more concrete, something real. Something like…
The pen finally submitted and snapped broken, its fragment reaching the other side of the meeting room. This seemed also to get the boy out of his trance. He looked at the shocked, slightly creeped elite ten.
He just couldn't control his emotions ten.
-" Well… Thanks Akira-kun." The first seat cheered the hall with his usual carefree words. " Shall we proceed with the official, organized vote for the Autumn Election theme ingredients.
The meeting continued as silence as a funeral.
-" You want to what?" resting on his belly, the man named Hayama Akira questioned his bed partner who was seated clad on the opposite side of the mattress.
-" I want to become an Elite ten member." She repeated her words, a burning determination filling her eyes.
-"Well, the Elite ten selection is coming at the end of this term so…" He announced.
-" Akira…" He was shocked at her calling him by his first name only. She never did that, not even when they are doing it.
She slowly snuggled besides him under their thin cover. She laid the same way as him, and looked at him straight in the eyes.
-"Akira, I know Erina-sama is going to be backing me up on this one. But, since I know Alice-sama is most probably participating too, the competition is going to be fierce."
-" If the other Nakiri is in, Kurokiba is most likely to be by her side." He swiftly encircled his arm over her exposed waist.
-" That's why,…Akira…, will you be by my side?" she whispered, gently resting her head over his shoulder. " I want to stand by you and Erina-sama in the top of Tootsuki."
Her words, her breath, her touch.
He smiled a small one and put his head over hers, making her jump at his romantic gesture.
-" You can't ask for something that you already have?"
They both fell asleep, heads cushioned by the other soft neck.
Pre-selection
Sadatsuka Nao
Nakiri Alice
Hojo Miyoko
Arato Hisako
Ibusaki Shun
Isami Aldini
Sakaki Ryoko
Semi-Finalist
Nakiri Alice
Arato Hisako
Miyoko Hojo
Isami Aldini
Finalist
Arato Hisako VS Nakiri Alice
Through the entrance hall of the Chandra Hall, the echo of hasty, light footsteps came closer. The busy, soon to be first-seat Nakiri Erina was running toward the hall. She hardly found anytime to come watch the selection. But, considering the finale was between her own cousin and dear aid, she HAD to come watch.
Arriving on the high viewing terrace, she noticed the writing on the screen, surrounded by flames: Nakiri Alice VS Arato Hisako; the Epic Finale.
She stopped to finally get a full, nice puff of air, only to hear her name being called in that annoying voice of you know who.
-" NAKIRIIIII, HERE. COME HERE. It's a nice spot." She looked to the side. There was that insufferable idiot, Tadokoro-san, Takumi-kun and his brother, the Polar Stars, and even Kurokiba-kun and Hayama-kun.
She walked toward the group, glaring at Yukihira.
-"Can't you be more courteous." She sat beside Megumi.
Soma just smiled at her usual prickly attitude.
-" Ok, enough with you two. There is a match we need to watch." Ryo quickly interrupted their exchange. He knew what is to come after if they let them go with it.
As the hall all came to a silence, the two contestants stepped into the arena from each side. They stood face-to-face, the air around them getting more intense by the second.
Erina couldn't help but gulp in nervousness. They were both precious to her, she couldn't prefer one over the other. Now she couldn't know who to hail for, and now she had to watch one of them lose. She can't.
She started shacking.
But the feeling of a warm, small hand sought her a little. It was Tadokoro-san's hand. The bluenette smiled at her and nodded. She is just an angel. What a fabulous friend!
Down on the center of all, the vixen stared amused at her opponent. She saw this coming since the moment her eyes caught the name 'Arato Hisako' on the participants list. She bets her friend knew too.
-" Alice-sama…" her laughter stopped at the sound of her name being called. " What are you laughing at?" she asked unamused.
-" Uhh, what a killjoy, Hishoko-chan. But, we are not here to laugh or fight again. Now Hishoko-chan, make it a good match. My Ryo-kun is waiting for me up there. I want to be worthy of joining him."
-" Me too." She paused. " I want to join Erina-sama at the top and be besides her. And…" She looked up to where all their friends were gathered.
A pair of emerald orbs greeted her warmly. Within them, she could see and feel all the courage and support she needed. And the smile he gave was nothing but soft and heartwarming.
In response, she smiled at him, telling him that she will eventually make it to where he is.
Up there. At the pinnacle.
-" I'm not here to lose, Alice-sama. So prepare for lose."
After that electric moment for Hayama, he turned to look at the stunned faces of his two dumbass friends.
-"What?"
-"Hayama…" the redhead stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. " You can smile."
-"Like hell I did." He strongly denied.
-"You just did." An equally shocked Ryo confirmed.
-"Idiots."
Winner:
Nakiri Alice
She lost.
-"So I think, Hishoko-chan, it's my win today." The Nakiri uttered proudly to the devastated pinkette.
She…
Lost.
Her tears weren't supposed to be, she was supposed to jump in happiness, to be held between two strong arms, to hug her mistress.
But she fell short..
Again.
She really is limited.
Maybe if she ran away, maybe no one would see her shame.
And so she did.
-" So I guess Milady is to be the next 7th seat now." Kurokiba said prideful
-" Hisako….." Erina muttered, obviously sad for her Best friend.
-"Wow, that was a close call. I mean, I think they both should've won. What do you think Haya.. Hayama?" the Yukihira questioned, getting the attention of the others. " Where do he go?"
Backstage, as the winner was being rewarded with her seat panel, the pinkette cried in silence in front of the brightly lit window.
She was so naïve. How pathetic? Thinking she could've won a top seat. How stupid.
Baka Hishoko.
-"Arato-san,.." A familiar voice called out for her.
-" Hayama-kun. I guess I failed you again." She looked up with a teary face and a shaking smile. She was miserable, and he felt horrible just by looking at her. " Not just you, Erina-sama too." She crawled towards him, and buried her face deeply into the hem of his Tootsuki blouse.
-" I guess you were right." That was a critical hit. " I am limited. Everything. Since the very beginning.."
_"Arato.."
-" And even though I knew it. I couldn't get over it."
-" Arato.."
-"I guess I'll always have to be that one side character. Just the loyal dog of the queen, that person just standing on the touch line forever, just the toy of the sultan…"
That was it, he snapped.
-" HISAKO." She stopped her wailing at his scream. " You were never limited. You're nobody's dog nor toy. You deserve better, Hisako." He put his hand over her hair. " your work, your effort, your sweat, no one could've ever done that. And if those hollow judges don't see, I surely do."
At those words. They were just the right ones.
She cried, more, more and more. Not just from sorrow and self-loathing. But also from happiness.
_" And Hisako.." She looked up at him. " in terms of aroma, I think your dish was much better."
See, just the right words.
For the first time in like two years, for the first time they sat purely together.
Talking, laughing, eating, giggling and more. They were no illicit moves, flirting, nor rubbing.
Just a friendly talk.
It seems like Arato got 9th seat, but she is surely planning to snatch the 6th from Mimasaka soon anough.
As the night fell on their casual talk, there was a long moment of silence.
Then…
-" Hisako.." he called. " I think I love you.'
She stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.
He was confused at her behavior.
-" Idiot, hhaha, you just realized it." She laughed more at the now blushing boy. "Well.." she let her head fall over his shoulder. " I do love you too."
They stayed like that for a second. Their recent confession sinking in slowly.
And then, he slowly and quietly left her chin upward, and for the first time, brushed his lips passionately over hers.
That was their most heartfelt kiss ever.
This beautiful relationship that bound the two survived the time, even after their graduation. Thei passion for each other growing more by each passing day.
Yet they never could've expected that such a tragic event would come to instantly demolish all what they've built through time. Breaking their hearts and stepping on their souls and emotions.
Leaving them both very empty and endlessly lonely.