A/N : So, hi again? Yes I know I've been disappearing for like 5 months and didn't do Pierce justice by writing its 4th chapter, that's why I'm soooo sorry! I worked on this for a few months in exchange tho XD

This is a spin-off for Akai Ito's fic by Madeline Axelle which I love the most 3 if you haven't read it yet, go check it out! It's super good!

Also s/o to Akai Ito's author herself, Madeline Axelle, who helped me beta this and gave a constructive comments along the writing process. Thank you for encouraging me to finish this, big sis!

Hope this is not disappointing tho.

Happy reading! xx

I

It was on the day a certain redhead boy appeared before her eyes and the entire academy that she thought she had to keep her distance away from him. That was also the day when she knew her path was destined to come across him, with their together-class by Chapelle Sensei. And right after she got an A, plus Chapelle Sensei's smile as a bonus, she knew that Yukihira Soma was something else.

II

She didn't know since when she started giving Soma more attention than the rest of her boys dorm mates. That was probably because Soma frequently asked her to taste his new dish, that she never accomplished to refuse, even when it was a weird one. Or because Soma felt so concern about her every time she broke down and her pessimistic self came to surface.

Or might be because Soma said that he cared about her the most, in a windy evening they spent to chat around.

III

When the dark times of Totsuki under Nakiri Azami's administration came, she noticed the redhead chef's spirit was on peak. She smiled watching him and her dorm mates put extra work to take Azami down, along with the Totsuki heiress herself.

There she realized, that Nakiri Erina was no more than an ordinary girl like herself, one who could break down at her lowest point. What differs them was Erina had no one to rely on, even her own father wanted to take advantage of her super-tasting ability. Erina had her grandfather of course, but being a Nakiri Erina meant she had to be fully understood of how to be independent and walk with grace in her every step.

IV

The journey to take down Azami sure was long and exhausting. So when it was finally over, they couldn't be happy enough. They threw parties for 3 days long, talking about the matches and how terrifying Nakiri Erina was in the kitchen. It was all thanks to her that they were all a second grader now. She talked to her Polar Star Dorm mates to give Erina a token of gratitude, and they all agreed.

But never, never had she thought Soma would give Erina a bracelet. A red one at that. Her heart felt a little heavy only by that sight. She tried to shush them away. Also, remembering Soma, he might not know what red string symbolized to.

Right?

V

She always thought that she knew Soma better than the rest of her friends, but when he started flirting with Luna Hasashi, on the autumn during their second year, the thought slowly faded. The Soma who flirted with Luna was not the usual Soma. He laughed too often, did skinship too much (Luna seemed startled by this, even when she happily received these gestures), and put too much efforts to look nonchalant to the one and only Nakiri Erina.

VI

Even when Megumi wasn't keen on parties, the rest of Polar Star residents sure were. It was when their beloved senpai, Isshiki Satoshi, has finally graduated and shamelessly cried out to held a farewell party for him. Lucky to Marui (since his room was safe from another mess), Alice insisted to held it in Nakiri Mansion.

The party was nice and festive, as expected from Nakiri Alice as the organizer.

She looked around trying to find Ryoko, when she saw Soma walking together to the backyard with none other than the blonde heiress. Megumi didn't know what's gotten into her that made herself follow their steps, 10 minutes later.

But the sight which welcomed her was hard to forget, it's entrancing yet stabbing her poor heart : she found the two nemesis melted as one in a wet passionate kiss they shared.

VII

Megumi never told anyone about what she saw that night. Not even she dared to ask Soma. She still acted normal, like a kind best friend that she always was. Soma and Erina were still being the human version of cat and dog, who barked at each other's mere sight, even when it's milder now.

They did even start their own relationships. Soma with Luna, the 2nd grader, and Erina with Tsukasa Eishi, the former first seat.

Now, she started to doubt her eyes, did they really kiss that night?

VIII

In a bright night after Soma and she encountered Erina in her kitchen, she found Soma standing in the balcony where they usually spent some time to talk together, eyes staring at the horizon.

"Soma-kun? Is there something bothering your mind?"

"Ah, Tadokoro. No. It's nothing important." He shrugged.

"Well, if you could tell me, that might help?"

"It's...ah I don't know what's wrong with my head. It's just my mind keeps playing with me."

"About?"

"Tsukasa-senpai came to meet Nakiri this evening."

"And so?"

"Well, he...kind of hugged her."

"Then?"

"Just-just it! I guess I'm not used to see Nakiri around with a boyfriend, well ain't we all?" He asked her. "It's windy, Tadokoro. Let's come in, I'll make hot chocolates for us."

She just nodded. Well, aren't you just jealous, Soma-kun? But that thought was only brave enough to sound on her mind and result with a pang in her heart.

IX

After that, things went by in a blink of an eye for her. Soma broke up with Luna, then he challenged Erina to a shokugeki with her seat on stake, and won. It's like everything he has chased to up until now was finally within his reach.

But she found his eyes dimmed instead, that evening after the shokugeki.

"The first seat, eh Soma-kun? Congratulations! I'm so happy for you." She chirped cheerily.

"Yeah, thanks Tadokoro." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"So, what's with that look? You're not happy with the result?"

"No, I'm happy with that. Nakiri also said my dish is delicious."

She frowned at his answer. "Isn't it good to get Erina-san's acknowledgment?"

"Well, yeah. Just think it's a bit...weird? I mean, I don't think Nakiri will give up that easy."

X

The current first seat was having a turmoil inside his head. She knew it even when he himself didn't state it just yet. She would at least try to make him spill it.

"Soma-kun, pardon me for frankly asking. I'm really curious of what you're thinking these past days. You got your first seat but nothing's changed about your cooking. You even dazed off more frequently than ever before." She said as she looked him in the eyes.

Soma got taken aback by her words. "Tadokoro? Is this the same Tadokoro I've known all this time?"

"J-just answer me. I'm not mustering up these much courage for nothing." Her face started getting red.

Soma chuckled, but then throwing his eyes far. "I only have this uneasy feeling about Nakiri."

Her heart skipped a beat just to hear that certain name. "Uneasy because?"

"I think about her everyday. Like, every damn day. I can't even find a reason why."

"Do-don't you think…..it's because you have different feeling for her?"

Soma turned his head towards her. "Different feeling? Like what?"

"Like how you felt….for Luna?" She played her pajamas, knowing she couldn't back down anymore.

"In a romantic way? Me? Fall for her? Even if I do, it needs miracle for us to be real. You know it for certain, Tadokoro." He laughed sarcastically before continuously said, "Maybe I just wonder why it's so easy for her to admit my cooking. I mean, after all this time? It's like throwing her pride all away in a sudden."

Soma-kun, if you're not having a special feeling for her, what did those everyday thoughts of her for? Why did you feel uncomfortable watching Tsukasa-senpai hugged her back then? She stared at him, asking him silently on her mind.

"Well, if that's what really bothering you, I don't think so. Perhaps Erina-san did think it's delicious. I mean, maybe that dish you cooked back in the shokugeki sort of touched her heart or such that she had no choice but to admit it."

"You think so?"

She nodded, smiling warmly to the redhead.

He shrugged. "Well, that might be it. Thanks, Tadokoro. You're a life savior!"

XI

If not because Soma himself said she was the most precious woman in his life after his mother, Megumi certainly wouldn't regard herself that high.

She also felt that Soma cared for her more than he usually did. For example, he never asked her whether she had had lunch or took her to her class before, but now he did them all.

It's after the final exam on their final year that she saw those golden orbs regained its bright color. She thought it's because of her that he finally shone again. Because she, Tadokoro Megumi, finally won his heart. Because her patience has sweetly bearing its fruit by standing alongside him during those difficult days.

And those were the feeling she poured into his kiss she reciprocated, that night when Soma asked her to their graduation ball.

XII

She studied them carefully, as her best friend slash boyfriend dancing a mandatory dance with the blonde 2nd seat. Even when there's this uneasy feeling lingered in her heart seeing how compatible those two looked, she tried to calm herself. A soft voice whispered to her as she kept watching them. Together, they could be the king and queen of gourmet world. Together, they were unbeatable. They were like a match made in heaven.

But she pushed this little voice to the furthest corner of her heart. She refused to believe that Soma had a romantic feeling for Erina, even if he did in the past, when a few minutes ago his lips were on hers, and it felt like the rightest thing to do.

XIII

The first six months of their relationship went smoothly. It didn't lack of anything. Soma was still her best friend who always came to her rescue when she's in grief. She also managed to keep being his best friend with additional roles to be kissed passionately every time they met. She, of course, smiled happily with his kind of demeanor. The sparks there, were burning like flames.

XIV

The next six months, the flame has gotten a bit chill. It might be because the outstretched distance between them. Soma has been busy going back and forth to London and Tokyo. Shinomiya Kojiro, the owner of SHINO'S who was also their senpai, had called Soma once he graduated from Totsuki. He planned to open a new branch in London and somehow trusted Soma to be its head chef. With only a handful conditions of his cooking.

While she stayed in Tokyo, directly recruited by Inui Hinako the day after their graduation ball ended.

XV

It turned out that their relationship only lasts for 18 months before they decided to break up. In the last 3 months, their sparks has died down entirely and their relationship felt so rocky. She also noticed how Soma started to stare at a certain red bracelet he once gave her.

"Isn't that the bracelet you gave to Erina-san when we were in 2nd grade?" She finally decided to ask, after mustering her courage up. It's the third time in a week she saw him staring at that.

He nodded shortly. "She gave it back to me on the graduation ball. While we're dancing, I think. Found it few weeks later though."

"Why did you give her that, back then, Soma-kun?"

He frowned at her question. "What else? It's a friendship bracelet as a token of gratitude for her. It's your plan, remember?"

She smiled at the redhead lad. "I do. But, do you know what red bracelet symbolizes to?"

Now, he shrugged at the question. Does a certain color string have a certain meaning? He wondered in silence.

And as if she could read his mind, she answered her own question. "The red bracelet symbolizes the red string of fate. It binds the person on its edge in a lifetime bond. The bond cannot be seen, unspeakable, and endless. That's why the bracelet you bought comes in pair. Because it does mean to bind the two of you."

Soma paused at her explanation. But she continued. She had to ask this now, or later she would have no courage to. "Now, Soma-kun. Do you still love me?"

"I do. You don't think so?"

"As a lover, not a best friend."

"Isn't that the same? I mean, those are the roles we do all this time, right? What's wrong, Tadokoro?"

She didn't answer his question. She kissed him long and tender, instead.

"If you still feel the weird electricity running down your spine, you can tell me tonight Soma-kun. But if you don't, just leave it as it is, okay?"
And with that, she went away.

XVI

That night, she got no phone calls nor any messages from Soma. She smiled sadly. How naive she's been all this time. She should have known long time ago that Nakiri Erina was his only drive, his muse to be his better self, and perhaps also his longtime-unrealized love. She should have trusted her inner heart-voice back then.

Little did she know, Soma was also heavily drunk that night after realizing how long he's been an asshole to his best friend.

XVII

Until few months later, she chose to stay away from him. She was just an ordinary girl, after all. And it was her first heartbreak. With her best friend, even more.

But she's not that cruel to leave him in the dark, so she told him via a short message saying 'I'm going for a break, Soma-kun. Please don't come to find me through anything. Hope you'll find Erina-san soon.'

XVIII

After their relationship, each one of them had been seeing someone else. But it seems as long as it is not Nakiri Erina, Yukihira Soma would just flirt and date around some women for fun.

XIX

For Tadokoro Megumi, ending up with Takumi Aldini is a miracle. She never thought the blue-eyed chef had a crush on her during their school year.

They met 2 years after she and Soma broke up. She told him all her past relationships and how she missed Soma. She also told him that among all her ex-boyfriends, Soma was the one who left the biggest impact, despite their short-time dating. Good, as he always got her back in time of grief, and bad, as he just left without any explanation on the day they broke up.

Takumi, being a sweet Italian boy that he always was, just calmly said, "Well, Tadokoro-san that can't be avoided. You know how much I was 'suffering' back in the academy to win over him. I chased up to him. We all know he could be so dazzling without he himself realized it. He had that top quality in him and I can't even blame you for falling." He smiled and took a deep breath before continue said, "But listen. I don't know how much and in what way he had impressed you, but I will surely impress you with the kind of charm only Takumi Aldini has. You know that I too, am not giving up what I want easily."

Megumi remembered her heart got warm just by Takumi saying those words. After that, he frequently asked her to go for a date.

Bit by bits, Takumi walked into her life, making her accustomed to his presence. When she finally realized, her heart had been taken a long time before it.

So she said yes, when the blond-haired chef asked her to be his wife.

XX

It's been years later since she and Soma broke up. Soma had tried to contact her several times. But she rejected him again and again.

It was Takumi, the one who was responsible for them to get reconciled.

He once said, "I know he's a jerk. But It's such a shame for best friends to separate ways just because they were once a couple. It's a mistake and sure hard to forgive. But people made mistakes and we learn from it, right? Tesoro mio, be a girl with a big heart and talk to him, okay?"

She was glad she heard and obeyed Takumi's advice. Soma had apologized for being so rude, leaving her unexplained when they broke up. Now, she was finally able to talk with Soma again, without any past resentment.

She still got to be his best friend, had her own restaurant and be Takumi's wife. So, with that thoughts in mind, she happily took Soma's offering hand to dance with him on her wedding day.

"Nice party, Tadokoro! Never thought you'd marry Takumi, though!" He cheekily grinned.

"So have I. I'm happy, nonetheless. How are you with Erina-san?" She asked. "Does this red bracelet really bind the two of us as you said, Tadokoro?" She remembered that's the first question he asked after telling her he finally met Erina again in London.

"She's still afraid of stuffs, I think. I'm waiting patiently though." He shrugged.

"I don't think so. She's watching us as if she's gonna burn us down, Soma-kun." She whispered to his ears.

Soma chuckled. "She looks like that most of the times, don't worry."

"You'd better ask her for a dance, Soma-kun. And make sure you do it nice. Now, go!" She pushed him away, showing her motherly smile as the redhead chef went to his red string's partner.

She wished the best for her best friend, before she looked away to find her loving husband.