14th of February.
It's a day when most women in Japan thought of it as the most nerve-wracking day of the year.
The same applied for the alumni of Totsuki Institute, Japan's one and only renowned cooking academy which produces the best chefs the world could ever have.
Only that, for this year's Valentine's Day…
...a very special event was being held.
"...Ah, here's the wedding hall!" said Dojima Gin, Totsuki's 69th generation and an ex-first seat of the Elite Ten. He looked at the number on top of a set of doors that leads to an extravagant room, then back again at the invitation he's holding, to make sure he got the right number.
"Finally!" Shinomiya Kojiro grumbled. When he was forced to temporarily close his French restaurants, yet again, he wasn't expecting a 30 minute walk (and some running) as an attempt to look for the correct hall for their event, "Why do they have to use this secluded one over here, seriously?""
The short-haired chef next to him sighed, forgetting the possibility to ever get used to his acquaintance's demeanor.
"First and foremost, it's the largest one they have. It's just to be expected from the families of the newlyweds," Mizuhara Fuyumi explained in an expressionless tone, like always, "also, this wedding seems to be held more privately. They probably don't want it to end up like the other one."
"Oh, right. That one," Donato Gotoda chuckled after he managed to normalize his body from all that physical activities they were unwillingly forced to do a few minutes before. A glimpse of the wedding that took place two weeks before made its way to his mind, "The ceremony was especially harsh. A lot of people objected. I'm surprised it all went well in the end."
Just as the blond chef finished talking, a dark brown-haired elegant lady stood straight from her leaning position to the wall behind them.
"Well, that's the power of young love, isn't it? They just showed us how strong their feelings and commitment are that they're willing to face the hardships together," she sighed contently, "weddings are wonderful indeed."
Mizuhara scoffed at that, "When you put it that way, your wedding seven years ago definitely doesn't sound that lovely."
"Good grief, I know you still hate me, but must you take it out on my wife as well?" Kojiro snapped. His attitude towards the owner of the Japanese restaurant surely had changed a lot these past few years.
"Hey, even though we're married, that doesn't change the fact that you almost ruined our wedding!" his wife, Hinako roasted his husband like she always did since the first time they caught sight of the other. It surely didn't make sense to the other alumni about the fact that two of their friends who were seen bickering 99% of the time would end up dating, moreover becoming husband and wife.
This time it was Kojiro's turn to sigh, "Great, Mizuhara, you're bringing up that topic again."
"Oh? Is something wrong with that? I'm sorry that I'm an honest person," the greyish-green-haired woman replied, calm as ever, as she then took something from her grey purse, "anyway, before I forgot, here are some of the chocolates from my restaurant. They may can't be compared to Akanegakubo Patisserie's sweets-"
"Yeah, I was about to say that."
Mizuhara glared at Kojiro, who seemed unfazed, before she continued, "But I hope you'll accept them. It's the least I can do for you guys," she handed one for each of her male friends, which made Hinako pouted.
"Hey, why don't I get one?"
"Hinako, you're supposed to give today, not get-"
"I don't care! Those are limited-edition exclusive chocolates from Ristorante F! Gimme some!"
"Nope."
Despite Hinako's pleading, Gin didn't seem to catch up on the situation and blurted out something that almost completely silenced the others.
"Why, this is quite generous of you Mizuhara, but what's the occasion?"
…
All of them couldn't believe their unofficial leader.
"For real?"
"Dojima-senpai, hasn't your wife given you anything?"
"But then again, she might think it's still too early in the morning."
"That aside, Mizuhara-senpai, I'm actually more curious about your current relationship status."
"I am married, I just don't want to let you idiots in on it."
"By the way, Hinako, where's my chocolate?"
"Later at home, you dimwit!"
While his juniors' conversations went mostly unheard, Gin suddenly felt like an imbecile.
SuzuRyuuji presents
Another super random fanfiction
My first (and hopefully not last) work for Shokugeki no Soma series
A Totsuki -Valentine- Wedding
Starring: (almost everyone there is in the series)
Pairs: (mostly everyone's favorites, though some may be pretty unexpected. But I do ship them nonetheless, so if you have a problem with that, you may leave)
Disclaimer: I do not own Shokugeki no Soma, only the plot of this fanfiction (and some stuff at the end of the story)
Warning: there may be typos, grammar mistakes, OOC, etc. Oh, spare me, ffn betas. It's not like I'm not trying here. Also, it's just a fun easygoing fiction as a result of my love for these pairings sooo…it's a bit fast-paced, I think? Other than that, switched uses of last names/first names and manga/anime terms because I actually read the manga more than I read the anime, so it's honestly a bit confusing sometimes.
Note: I present this fiction mostly for fellow shippers of the characters listed at the top, even though the setting is in another pairing's wedding, but there won't be much about them due to some circumstances
This is pure randomness
Read at your own risk
Enjoy~
"My, my, what a massive hall," Isshiki Satoshi complimented with an everlasting smile on his face. He then turned to his fiancee, "How about throwing our wedding here too, darl?"
Kinokuni Nene's face remained indifferent, however.
"Whatever, but it's too western-styled for our families' liking, and stop calling me that."
"Aw, why? It was cute," Isshiki teased, enjoying the moment to poke his childhood friend's cheek before his hand was violently slapped away.
The brunet hissed at the pain as he rubbed the said hand, which made his company couldn't help but at least smile at their interactions.
"Well, well, well, haven't changed in the slightest, have ya, Isshiki?" Rindou said, looking pretty dazzling today in her stunning black gown, holding on to Eishi's arm for dear life.
"I can say the same to you, senpai,'' Isshiki noted, "still as lovey-dovey as ever with Tsukasa-senpai, I mean."
"Don't point it out like it's not obvious, Isshiki," Kuga Terunori muttered while fiddling with his phone, "they've basically been married ever since we're all still in the Elite Ten."
The rest of them nodded or hummed in agreement, and by the rest, I meant the rest of the Elite Ten from the time before Nakiri Azami attempted his revolution.
"You're overreacting, Kuga," Eishi put up his weak smile. He's known to be weak against social pressures, and still is till that day.
Noticing her husband's uneasy expression, Rindou swiftly counterattacked the shorter male, "And what about you, Kuga? Where's your girlfriend...Bella? Cynthia? Or whatever her name is?"
"Cilla," Kuga stressed the name, "I'm dating Cilla, and her twin's name is Berta. They're probably with the Nakiri family by now since they're their employees and all."
"Oh, this loud kid can date someone? That's interesting," Akanegakubo Momo mumbled while pulling Bucchi's ears. Kuga then immediately tilted his head towards his senior, "I don't want to hear that from someone who'd rather marry the stuffed animal!"
Momo humphed at the younger's words, "Momo is much cuter when she's single and making sweets for a living. I have no time to think about dating."
"And who on earth wants to marry you anyway?" Eizan Etsuya added, "it'll make us look like pedophiles."
"Agreed," Saito Soumei nodded, to which Rindou cackled in a not-so-ladylike manner.
"Hmm, what's wrong, you guys? It's like you guys have considered the possibility of marrying Momo already," she smirked playfully, which instantly led her to denials.
"A-as if!"
Saito laughed heartily, "Yeah, my parents kept bugging me to find someone. I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought of Akanegakubo, though."
Or not.
All of them turned towards the purple-haired, dressed in a cute violet gown. Unexpectedly, she didn't seem to mind the pretty honest respond from the former fourth seat.
"...What? Why are you all staring? Do you want chocolates or something?"
"Oooh, she said it first!" Rindou seemed satisfied, pointing at the mentioned girl as she laughed.
"Well, glad we don't have to be the ones to ask," Eishi sighed in relief.
"Nice! When will we get another chance to taste senpai's sweets?" Isshiki joined in the conversation once more.
"And for free, to top it off!" Kuga added. The rest of them were silently getting excited as well.
But Momo had to turn some down.
"Wait, Bucchi said that I only have to give them to the single ones. You guys will get one from your lovers, anyway."
Eishi's smile nearly vanished hearing that.
"Momo-chan, please let me have some," the white-haired practically begged as Momo started to distribute her giri chocolates, to Eizan, Megishima, and finally, Saito.
"Nice try, Tsukasa, but Bucchi still said no."
"Wait, Megishima! I thought you're already engaged!" Rindou pointed at the male with a huge figure, who's stayed quiet til that point.
"It's arranged, yes," the ramen master confirmed, "but we're not even that close yet."
Amidst of it all, Isshiki couldn't really hold in his excitement while listening to what his friends had been up to. Heck, if it had been in Polaris, he'd already be in his naked apron mode, or his speedo forms. However, he only kept it normal in fear of crashing his friends' wedding and for Kinokuni's sake.
"I personally don't mind," he finally commented on Momo's earlier statement, "I bet Nene's gonna give me something better anyway."
He got glared at for that, but it's not Isshiki if he can't withstand the former ninth seat's antics.
"I don't mind it either, but I'll remember this as something unpleasant, senpai!" Kuga threatened before walking away to where the Nakiri family sat. The others then came to a conclusion that deep down, he's possibly mad about the situation and needed his girlfriend for comfort. But Kuga being Kuga, he's just probably being childish again.
"Welp, there he goes," Rindou broke the silence first as they watched the Chinese culinary expert leaving the conversation, "it looks like the ceremony's about to start, too. Let's go find our seats!"
Looking at the time, the former second seat had a point, so they all walked ahead, looking for some strategic seats near the other familiar faces. It wasn't until the fifth row from the front that they heard Eizan's complaint.
"Wait a minute, you brat! How come Saito-senpai's chocolate is bigger than the rest?"
Gazes were shifted as the petite girl replied calmly.
"Shut up, Etsunyan."
Yoshino Yuki couldn't stop crying from the minute the Polaris gang entered the building, and Sakaki Ryoko honestly almost had enough by the time they took their seats.
"Come on, Yuki, you're ruining your makeup," Ryoko said while pulling out some makeup kit from her purse.
Yuki managed to make a sentence between her sobs, "I can't...help it...they're finally getting married, I'm just…"
"Yeah, I know. I'm happy for them, too," Ryoko tried to calm the other with the most soothing tone she could ever muster, "but you really shouldn't cry too much, your eyes will get puffy."
"By the way, Yoshino, where's exactly Ibusaki? He said he overslept, but that can't be the case, right?" asked Aoki Daigo, who sat at Ryoko's other side.
"Oh, that idiot?" Yuki's tone turned uninterested when the red-haired suddenly became the topic, "He said he wanted to smoke some stuff first and has ignored my messages ever since. What a nerve-"
"Well now you make her mad," Sato Shoji pointed out the obvious situation from the seat next to Daigo.
"Don't blame me! How would I know that they're fighting?"
Having to deal with an emotional Yuki was one thing, but having an addition of the forever-bickering duo was another.
Ryoko nearly exploded due to pent-up frustration on this supposedly joyous day until Marui Zenji said the magic words.
"Oh, look. There's Ibusaki."
True to his words, the man was seen walking from the main door towards where his old dorm mates were sitting at. He didn't mind sitting next to Marui, while his girlfriend was near the other aisle.
"Oi, Ibusaki! What took you so long?" Daigo lashed out, all of a sudden forgetting his little argument with Shoji, "you should know that Sakaki had a really tough time because of you!"
"All of you contributed to her stress, though," Marui pointed out the truth, but nobody listened to him.
Ibusaki sighed while facing the altar at the very front, "I'm just being pathetic. I know Yoshino will have a breakdown the second she enters the building."
All of them widened their eyes at this, but they didn't say anything. That was definitely not the answer they expected.
"I know she'll be crying for a long time, and I just can't be there when that happens," he paused, "I don't know what to do to make her stop. It's a helpless feeling."
Once again, they were speechless. They didn't know Ibusaki had a side such as this one. Yuki blushed hard as the truth came out while the rest of them weren't completely sure on what to say next.
So they all stayed quiet in an awkward silence.
It wasn't until she slightly memorized the entire hall out of boredom that Ryoko decided to break the ice.
"Anyway, guys, would you like some of my sake-infused-chocolates while we wait?"
Daigo and Shoji literally gleamed at the offer since they weren't really expecting any chocolates that day. Ryoko gladly gave them a boxful so they could divide it among themselves, although Marui only took one.
When questioned, he responded as such, "Madoka already gave me a lot this morning, so I think I'll go easy on the sweets today."
"Ooh, lucky man," Daigo commented, "isn't she coming?"
Marui shook his head, "She got a fever due to exhaustion, so I guess I'll be leaving right after the ceremony."
Despite the others' disappointment of the fact that Marui won't hang around for long, Yuki couldn't help but be curious of something else by then. The sake truffles were partly to blame for gradually returning her to her normal self, "Um, who's Madoka again?"
"Enomoto Madoka, the girl who was a part of Miyazato Seminar along with Marui. She's his wife and we've just attended their wedding two months ago and you already forgot?" animewise, Ryoko would've sweatdropped at her close friend's forgetfulness, but in reality she just looked at her in disbelief.
The orange-haired girl shrugged, "Well, I'm sorry I can't keep up with everyone's love life. I basically didn't care anymore since I heard that Hojo Miyoko agreed to a no-label relationship with our Sato Shoji. I mean, is that even possible? I love romance, but nothing too bizarre."
"What do you mean by that, Yoshino?" Shoji seemed offended while continuing to devour the chocolates, "It's not even as shocking as Kawashima Urara's confession to Daigo after...what? Ten years?"
"What? When was that? I need details!"
As Yuki, Marui, Shoji, and Daigo gathered around for the gossip, Ryoko silently moved away for a bit and sat next to the silent Ibusaki Shun.
"...You really should get over that fear of yours, if you want to take it to the next step."
Ibusaki turned to her, possibly wondering what she meant.
"Don't act dumb. I know the next wedding among our group will be yours. You've been dating long enough," she clarified. Ibusaki then looked back to the front after getting an explanation.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "I still feel pathetic. I don't think I'm ready."
Ryoko scoffed, "Why are you guys so blind? If only you realize just how much you complement each other, you won't contemplate around this much. You're cool and collected, while she's all-smiles and carefree, but can be a bit emotional sometimes. You'll just have to learn to adjust with her negative emotions, and trust me, it's usually not that difficult to cheer her up. Today's just a special occasion, that's all."
Deep down, Ibusaki felt more reassured by Ryoko's words, but his character didn't allow him to show his gratefulness that easily.
He still has time. He'll have to talk to her when she gives him her honmei, anyway.
So as of now, perhaps he'll just enjoy catching up with his friends.
"...By the way, how's your fiance?" he started a small talk.
Ryoko smiled at the mentioning of her lover, "He's fine, just a bit too busy, being the CEO and all, so he couldn't make it."
Unlike the rest of her friends, Ryoko ended up dating someone outside of Totsuki, but he was still someone in the gourmet industry-and a high-class one at that.
Ryoko was about to say something else when her eyes saw a familiar figure running towards the door. She frowned when she recognized her fully.
"Wait, isn't that…?"
A knock on the door was heard while a red-haired was fixing his tie.
"Whoever you are, just come in!" he said carefreely, which was to be expected from his personality.
The door opened to reveal a short-haired woman in a tight, sleeveless gown which showed her curves perfectly. The burning red color made the male recognized the person in an instant despite of months of not seeing each other.
"Nikumi, you've made it!" Yukihira Soma exclaimed in surprise, even not dropping the nickname after all these years, "But, wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the hall?"
The woman flinched at the question.
She was facing her first crush, after all.
With careful steps, in fear of making an embarrassment of herself, she approached the other while slowly taking a simple red box from behind her back.
Soma went confused due to the peculiar action.
"Um, Nikumi? What is this?"
Ikumi took a deep breath to recompose herself before answering.
Unfortunately, it didn't help much.
"J-just some g-giri. Um, I never got the ch-chance to g-give hon-I mean, anything to you for the previous V-Valentines, so I, err, thought, um.."
Soma nodded as he took the box from her hands. His brain was still trying to process what's going on, however.
"Aw, Nikumi, you really don't have to. You must be tired from the flight as well," Soma thanked her as she took a peek inside. There were assorted pralines with various shapes and detailed accents.
Still a bit flustered, Ikumi replied while looking sideways, "I-it's not a big deal. I just happened to pass a decent shop on my way back from the airport yesterday. Might as well be my last gift," she smiled with a sad gaze.
Soma looked up at the statement, "Hey now, even after all of this, I'll still be expecting some great meats, so don't think this will be the last time you give me something."
The former first seat grinned.
Ikumi couldn't help but feel a bit relaxed by looking at that face.
"If you say so," she managed to put on a sincere smile, "guess I'll be going now. My fiance will be looking for me if I keep him waiting too long."
Soma's eyes widened as he's just been reminded of the fact that Mito Ikumi is no longer a single lady.
"Oh, you didn't tell Isami that you'll see me? Say 'hi' to him for me!"
Ikumi failed to restrain a giggle, "I will," without answering the question, she closed the door as she left.
Soma then put the box on the table while going back to what he was doing: fixing his damn tie. The ceremony was getting nearer, and his best man was nowhere to be seen since he excused himself to the toilet 20 minutes ago.
A few glances at the door later, in hoping of his best man to finally show up, another unexpected person entered the room.
"Takumi…?" he questioned as he looked at the blond through the mirror.
The Italian-Japanese man was wearing a gray suit with a blue tie that matched his eyes. From the look of his face, Soma could tell that's he's feeling happy in general, but he looked a bit cautious.
"Hey, Yukihira," he greeted, closing the door, "just thought that I'd hang around here for a while. Do you mind?"
Soma was about to ask why the other was here, but the question remained unsaid due to the clarity of Takumi's mere intention, "Oh, sure, go ahead. Can you help me with this while you're here, though?"
Takumi sighed when he noticed what Soma was doing when he arrived.
"Really, Yukihira? You're a gentleman. You could've at least been able to do this much," Takumi began his usual lecture on how gentlemen should act, but still helped the other with the tie, nonetheless.
Soma scratched his head, "Well, I'm not used to all this formal attire, and I had to ask for Tadokoro's help a lot. It is a bit embarrassing, now that I think about it."
Takumi's mouth was then shaped into a straight line, "Is that so?" he then lightly pat his rival's tuxedo for any signs of dust.
However, Soma didn't notice the change on the Italian chef's expression, "Yeah, for the weddings. I even asked Master Shinomiya once when it's his day," seeing Takumi acting like his actual best man, he proceeded to ask, "say, have you seen my best man anywhere? He's definitely taking a while."
Takumi stopped his movements to jog his memory for a bit.
"Actually, no. I've just recently arrived myself. He's probably around the bride's room and we all know why."
Soma's mouth made an 'O' shape as he took the possibility to mind. Having some scenarios in his head, he didn't realize it when Takumi had walked to the water cooler at the other side of the room.
Just then, another knock was heard.
"Wow, I have a lot of visitors today," Soma mumbled to himself, "Come in!"
The third visitor today turned out to be none other than Tadokoro Megumi. She braided her hair to one side, and was wearing a bluish-white princess gown. Her hair accessories which suits a floral theme complemented the dress and radiated her beauty even more, despite her already perfect yamato nadeshiko image.
Even Yukihira Soma looked stunned for a second.
"Oooh, looking good, Tadokoro!" he complimented as the woman shyly made his way to stand in front of him, "what's up? Wait, aren't you supposed to be in the bride's room-what is this?"
Soma's questions were interrupted as the bluenette handed over a white box which was decorated with a black ribbon. Hearing no reply, he decided to find out by himself.
"Tadokoro…" he was astonished by the contents of the box.
"Are you sure you want to give this…"
"...to the groom…"
"...moreover, in front of your husband?! I seriously can feel his piercing glare at me from this distance!"
Megumi smiled sweetly despite her friend's obvious uneasiness.
"That's just Takumi being Takumi, Soma-kun. Don't worry about it," compared to her school days, her voice has grown deeper but much softer, "besides, this is just how I show you my gratitude for taking care of me in high school. Sorry for the all the trouble that I caused."
"Yeah, but I got that covered now," Takumi interrupted.
"Hope so, I'll get Kurokiba to grill you, otherwise," Soma turned to the blond who had returned to join them, "which reminds me, Tadokoro, why aren't you with Erina?"
Even though both of them couldn't quite comprehend which part of the previous conversation that could lead to the said question, both of them answered right after.
"Takumi doesn't let-" || "Isn't it obvious, Yukihira?"
Noticing Takumi's raised tone, Soma frowned as he eyed his old classmate from her hair to her feet and repeat. The only thing he could notice was the blushing and…
He quickly looked at the two back and forth.
"No."
Takumi gently put his arm around his wife's waist, "Yes."
"How far along?"
Megumi blushed even harder as she rubbed her belly which has gotten much bigger since the last time Soma saw the couple.
"Three months."
"Three months?" the red-haired then spoke more softly to prevent more deadly stares from the man in front of him, "You look like you're already in six or so…"
The married couple then wondered whether Soma even knew much about pregnancy, but for the sake of their own sanity, they let him be.
"Well, basically, she's in a critical period and I don't want her to exhaust herself," Takumi simplified the explanation. Afterwards, he took Megumi's handbag and carried it for her instead, "anyway, now that the stuff is done, we'll just head back to the hall."
Soma nodded, silently praising Takumi's chivalrous acts, even after they're married. He then pondered if he too can do the same to his bride…
...not before realizing something.
"Wait, Takumi, you were here this whole time while knowing that Tadokoro would show up?"
The man had swiftly closed the door.
"Cousin," Alice gasped as she entered the bride's room, "you look gorgeous!"
Erina shyly twirled around in front of the mirror to get a better view of her dress. She expects nothing less of the Nakiri family. Even her cousin's usually trivial comments couldn't ruin her mood by then.
"Miss Alice, what on earth brings you here?" asked the maid of honor who's also known as the personal aide of the bride, "no-one's allowed to be here other than the bridesmaids and the bride herself."
"I suppose he's one of the bridesmaids then?" Alice cheekily pointed at the only male in the room.
Hisako stuttered, "P-please don't mind him, but I would prefer it if you leave, so that Miss Erina can finish getting ready. We're running out of time."
Alice huffed while looking to her right, "Humph, just because he's your boyfriend, so you let him stick around, huh?"
"Alice, where's your husband?" Erina asked before the two could have a chance to argue with each other.
"Ryo-kun? That's what I'm here for."
While the others just looked utterly confused, Alice knocked at the bathroom door.
"Ryo-kun, it's ten minutes before it starts! Let's go, now!"
Before any of them could ask how Kurokiba Ryo got in the bride's restroom in the first place, Alice waved them all goodbye.
…
Erina looked at the clock in caution.
"She's right," she checked herself at the mirror more thoroughly, "Hayama, go back to that idiot. He's probably looking for you now."
Hayama stubbornly shook his head at the request.
"I'm sorry, Nakiri, but I won't leave until I see your maid of honor drink her medicine, with my own eyes."
The possessor of the divine tongue immediately turned to Arato Hisako, who acted like she didn't hear what her boyfriend just said.
"Hisako, are you sick?"
"I'm fine, Miss Erina," she coughed repeatedly. She couldn't hold it anymore.
"Whoops, the cat's out of the bag," Hayama muttered in slight amusement, which earned him a displeased look. He merely shrugged.
Erina walked over to her aide and pat her back softly, "Hisako, why didn't you tell me?"
The magenta-haired woman panted, "I couldn't. You wouldn't have any other choice. Aldini didn't let his pregnant wife do any work, and Miss Alice doesn't want to leave Kurokiba's side for long. I have to handle everything somehow."
"But you could've at least told me-"
"She doesn't want to worry you, Nakiri," Hayama cut in, looking at his lover with a strict but caring gaze, "that's why she doesn't want to take the medicine. She doesn't have time to leave your side, so you'd find out eventually."
Hisako gently pushed her mistress away as she stepped closer to the tall guy, "How did you even notice? I looked fine, didn't I?"
The white-haired closed his eyes to think, "Let's see...you almost got no sleep these past three days, you didn't answer any of my calls, you didn't even touch the curry I gave you last night, you-"
"Urgh, fine, I'll drink the medicine, but please leave! Yukihira needs you!" she said as she stomped to her opposite side so that she could hide her red face.
Erina cleverly took over the situation, "It's fine, Hayama. She will drink her medicine, I assure you that. In return, please just make sure my fiance doesn't do anything stupid," she glanced at the clock, "five minutes before our wedding."
The tan male could only complied to the bride's words at that time and left the room in a hurry. He was quite having fun himself (and a bit of worry) that he lost track of time. Soma might just kill him for this.
Luckily he didn't have to go that far.
"Where on earth were you, Hayama?" Takumi was furious as he ran alongside Soma to the hall, "I almost had to be a substitute best man!"
"No kidding, he even left Tadokoro. That's a really big deal," Soma stated calmly as if he still didn't understand the urgency of the whole thing.
Hayama joined them running while could only listen to their conversation. He wouldn't dare to tell them what his reason actually was.
"I left her with the Polaris guys. Otherwise, I won't be able to be this calm," he was definitely not calm, "you owe me for this, Yukihira."
The red-haired smirked, noticing the entrance that was getting closer to their reach.
"Of course. I'll even be the one reminding you of it."
Nobody thought much of his sentence at that moment, but Soma was indeed true to his words.
The Nakiri couple were officially married. Yes, Nakiri, because Erina will be the successor of the family and she'll need an heir under the Nakiri name sooner or later.
After the traditional wedding activities, such as catching the bouquet (Yuki got it, Ryoko teased her the most because she knows what's up), cutting the wedding cake (courtesy of Akanegakubo-senpai), and some photo time with friends and family, the guests were treated to a feast prepared by the finest chefs of Totsuki Resorts (other than Gin, who's taking a day off). Each of the couples somehow ended up finding their way to a quiet place.
A lot of things were running on their minds.
And it's still Valentine's Day, much to everyone's distress.
Kinokuni Nene remained at a balcony which was two hallways away from the event she attended. She somehow found peace by looking at the horizon.
The party had been going for a while and the sky had turned to a shade of orange. Kinokuni didn't think that the scene suited her lime green appearance, but she didn't have a plan to leave.
Not yet, at least.
"There you are," Isshiki walked up and leaned forward on the railing beside her, "what's the matter?"
Kinokuni wasn't really fond of crowded places, but she wasn't the type to just leave everything behind if she got uncomfortable by any chance. She would at least tell Isshiki if she did.
Noticing that his fiancee had walked off by herself, the brunet thought that something's wrong with the beauty beside him.
Kinokuni sighed, "Just thinking about the future."
"Hmm?" Isshiki perked up in interest.
"I mean, we've been to a few of our acquaintances' wedding now. I'm glad today didn't turn out like two weeks ago. They must've taken precautions."
Isshiki just stared at the girl lovingly as she continued.
"But still," she looked away, "I wonder if our families will be able to do the same when the time comes. As pathetic as it sounds, I don't think I'm ready."
The other frowned, "What do you mean, Nene?"
The serious and calm girl walked towards the other side of the balcony, "Satoshi, many gourmet families in the west wants you to be their in-law. To think that you'll take your rival's daughter from the east will invoke their wrath. Also, this means that my cousin shall be the heir of Kinokuni. My parents still disapprove the idea of me 'leaving my throne'."
Isshiki waited patiently until she finished before putting his arms around her smaller figure.
"Look," he spoke in almost a whisper at her ear, "I personally don't mind if we're married and still fight for our own families' business. I also think it's a bit of a shame for you to throw away your position like that, it's a waste of your talent and passion."
He added, "Maybe we can work for the family but live somewhere else in between? I'll need to remind you that we're married after all. I'm afraid you'll just have too much fun cooking."
Kinokuni eased up at the joke attempt, "Knowing you, you'll find a way to remind me either way."
He kissed the top of her head, "Wow, you really do know me well."
"Sh-shut up," the green-haired quickly struggled to get out of the other's grasp.
Isshiki chuckled before he pat the meganeko's head, "It's settled then, right? We'll talk to our parents soon, okay?"
Kinokuni just nodded in silence with a faint red seeping onto her cheeks. Isshiki then offered her a hand to take her back to the hall.
To which she didn't take.
"Um, before I forgot," instead she took out a plain brown box from her bag, "here."
"Oh?" Isshiki looked thrilled for a second, "Honmei? That's very considerate of you-"
"Please don't act like this is the first time," the girl stared at him, unamused.
"Oh dear, and here I thought you've grown to enjoy youth as much as I do-"
"We're not in our youth anymore, just open it."
As Kinokuni was starting to get impatient, her fiance opened the box with his trademark smile.
He was a bit surprised when he saw what's inside.
"Are these...matcha chocolates…?"
Kinokuni adjusted her glasses to hide her embarrassment, "I asked Akanegakubo-senpai to teach me. I'm not a born genius like you, so it took a while. Hopefully it's enough for now-"
"It's good!"
Kinokuni wasn't able to finish her sentence.
The mere satisfaction of watching Isshiki enjoyed what she made managed to silence her in pure bliss.
"I know it's nothing new in the gourmet world, but this tastes superb. Guess you really did earn the higher seat back then…"
Ah, there it is.
Kinokuni knew the moment wouldn't last that long.
"Say that again, and you'll die."
But her future husband just laughed it off.
"Ibusaki, aren't you eating anything?" Daigo asked as he devoured everything that the buffet had to offer. Meanwhile, Marui had already went home and Yuki went to grab something from Shoji's car.
The car owner and Ryoko were chatting next to them, talking mostly about how Hojo Miyoko agreed to somewhat date the blond, but Ibusaki was too consumed in his thoughts to take any interest in the topic.
Or to do anything else, for that matter.
"Don't feel like it, yet," he simply replied. Daigo couldn't believe it.
"You're joking," he yelled, which didn't stand out in the crowded space, "why the wait? It's not an overstatement to say that everyone's racing to taste all of the food here and you just stand here doing nothing?"
Ibusaki didn't blame him. He did not expect the other to understand.
About 20 seconds later, Yuki returned with a food container in hand.
"Oh, Yoshino, what is that?"
Ignoring Daigo's question and her other friends' questioning gaze, she took a deep breath and walked straight towards her lover.
"I'm still mad at you," she admitted out loud, "but thank you for being honest."
Without being told directly, Ibusaki took the container from her hand and opened it.
"Wh...what is that…?" Shoji asked, having no clue of the food in the box despite the clear view of it.
"Is that...meat...and brown sauce?" Daigo guessed poorly.
"That's venison," Ryoko answered their curiosity, "it seems to be braised in chocolate sauce."
"Wait a minute…"
"...GAME AND CHOCOLATE?"
"How will that work out?" the duo thought.
On the other hand, Ryoko smiled proudly at her best friend, "I see. So this is your approach to honmei."
Without words being exchanged between the couple, Ibusaki willingly took a bite. Truthfully, the brunet emptied his stomach on purpose. His girlfriend is the master of game and she always whips up game-related-sweetness somehow for this special day.
Ibusaki was used to it.
Not even a Nakiri wedding will stop that stubborn girl.
Although this time, he sensed something different.
"...Smoked venison?"
The other three couldn't be even more astounded.
"...And I noticed some smoked ingredients in the sauce as well."
"Yeah, about that," Yuki explained while looking away. Her usual bold self somehow didn't have the courage to face her quiet boyfriend today, "I wanted a deeper taste and I thought about doing something that you always do."
She fiddled with her fingers, "I know it's probably not up to your expectations. Heck, you're the prince of smoking and all, but I really want to give you something better. Or at least, something that really represent my feelings, though it's probably not there yet-"
"Yoshino Yuki."
The girl was startled when the guy in front of him mentioned her with her full name. Was he desperately trying to stop her from muttering out such humiliating stuff in public? Was he so sick of hearing it that he abruptly stopped her just like that? Yuki was not usually scared of the guy. Never, in fact, but the tone he used just now somehow made the cheerful girl had no choice but to pause.
Even their friends couldn't tell what's going to happen next.
Ibusaki put down the container at a nearby table. Yuki's fear of the dish not being fit of the other's standards became more of a reality at this point.
She waited for the harsh words to come as she closed her eyes.
Nothing.
Instead, she felt a hand holding her right one.
Opening her eyes in shock, she was greeted by her boyfriend kneeling on one knee.
As if the whole gesture wasn't bewildering enough, what came next sent the Polar Star Dorm crew to utter chaos.
"...Marry me."
…
"...E-eh?"
"EEEEEEEH?"
It could be said that the dish led to all of this.
But it wasn't that simple. The dish brought the face of its chef to mind.
If it wasn't her that he saw, none of this would've happened.
"Oh my gosh," a familiar figure held her stomach while laughing, "such a simple man. A proposal came out as a result of a smoked dish. Not bad, Yoshino."
"Rindou-senpai!" Ryoko was the first one out of the gang to came out of her shock, "You were watching this whole time?"
"But of course!" she proclaimed with pride while eating some braised meat, "It's not that difficult to find people who are not eating anything amidst this hungry crowd. You guys just made me curious of what's going on, that's all."
Ryoko then noticed something off at what the older was eating, but the realization came a bit later after Rindou started to speak.
"Well, with a dish that tastes like this for a gift, I can see what motivated him," she put the container back in place, "Her feelings are strong and genuine. Her honesty knocked some sense into him. Way to go!"
"Um, Rindou-senpai…"
"Rindou!" just before Ryoko asked her senior's reason for eating someone else's honmei, the 90th generation's first seat arrived in a rushed manner, "Why did you leave me with those important people? I almost died of anxiety!"
The redhead didn't even bother to be mad at her husband's never-changing habits anymore.
"Oh come on, Eishi. You're an owner of a fancy place and I'm just a wandering gourmet enthusiast. They want to meet you, not me," at this point, she already started on her fifth batch of food.
"But at least you could've stayed there-"
"Oh, I'm not good with formal conversations. You know that," she cut off Eishi's whining, "besides, an interesting scene was taking place and I didn't wanna miss it."
Eishi sighed in defeat for he knew his wife would have a thousand reasons to counterattack his protests, "At least you didn't take someone else's honmei again, did you?"
"Hmm? Ne, Sakaki, was that honmei that Yoshino gave to Ibusaki?" she asked innocently.
"Of course it is, Rindooou! They're dating!" Eishi felt like finding a corner and sulk there until the party was over.
"Oh, wait, newsflash, Ibusaki just proposed."
"Even worse!" Eishi almost pulled out his hair in dread.
"But wait, did you say another honmei? I only ate Saito's chocolate from Akane-"
"THAT'S A HONMEI!"
"She said it's not."
"BUCCHI SAID IT IS."
As crazy as it sounds, it's common knowledge among them that what Bucchi says actually represents Akanegakubo Momo's inner thoughts.
In the midst of the little argument they're having, however, Rindou suddenly thought of something.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot,'' she said, back to her random easygoing mood, "here, take a bite, Eishi."
She tossed a normal-looking chocolate piece at the pale white-haired. That took Eishi by surprise. Truthfully, he was eagerly looking forward to giri chocolates from his other friends, because he knew Rindou would give him something that's too out of this world.
But this bit looked perfectly normal.
A bit too normal for someone as extra as Kobayashi Rindou.
"Hmm, what's wrong, Eishi? Why do you look that surprised? Did you think that you wouldn't get any from me?"
"N-no, it's not that!" Eishi immediately denied with his hands flailing about, "It's just...is this a normal chocolate?"
The question made Rindou confused, "What do you mean by 'normal'? It's a chocolate no matter how you look at it, isn't it?"
Eishi observed the piece he's holding for a moment and he managed to find nothing odd about it.
So he took a little bite.
It's surprisingly good.
"It tastes a bit chewy," he muttered out with his mouth half full, "what's in the chocolate?"
Rindou grinned, which was obviously not a good sign.
"Worms, of course."
It took all of his willpower to not spit it out back in an instant.
On the other hand, after congratulating Ibusaki and Yuki on their sudden engagement, the other three from Polaris remained watching the scene.
"How did Tsukasa Eishi even manage living with Rindou-senpai all these years?" Daigo asked in horror.
"Who knows?" Ryoko shrugged, "but those two have been close since middle school, right?"
"I guess," Shoji somewhat agreed, "but then, I suppose no-one can keep up with Rindou-senpai like Tsukasa-senpai does."
He was right.
Despite her wild and bizarre antics, she was the only woman Eishi ever thought of marrying.
Even her crazy creations tasted much better after they were official, including the chocolate from before-though that man really needed to work out on his reflex more, as an attempt not to waste any delicious food in which he knew that they used some unordinary ingredients.
After he succeeded in gobbling up the whole thing, he exhaled, requiring a moment to calm himself.
But Rindou wasn't having any of that.
"Come on, now, Eishi! Let's look for some chocolate gators!"
"Oi oi, do they even have that kind of meal?" Daigo commented yet again.
"Does such thing even exist in the first place?" the other two asked the real question in a low voice as they feared that their senior would hear them.
"Rindooou, if you want some chocolate gators then we should make some at home-"
"Nooo, I want them nooow!" the redhead almost threw a tantrum on the floor, but her husband swiftly caught her before she's able to do so.
Recognizing a familiar oddness here, the fermentation expert asked.
"Tsukasa-senpai, is your wife…?"
The white knight of the table laughed sheepishly as he shockingly managed to grab a hold of the other's waist, firmly but gently. With a gesture that seemed like back-hugging her, Rindou eventually calmed down.
"Yeah, Rindou's carrying our baby."
The three literally had enough breaking news for one day.
A child of the 90th generation first and second seat…
...what kind of culinary monster would show up in the future?
Ikumi stood leaning on a wall next to a table that served various mocktails. She was drinking one while observing the people who came to the party.
Mostly the people that she knew, that is.
She spotted Chef Shinomiya and his wife arguing near the French cuisine table, again.
She saw some of the previous Elite Ten members shoved Saito Soumei at Akanegakubo Momo which nearly made the poor girl fell onto the sashimi table.
She noticed the PSD gang who seemed to be hyped about something, which could be anything but the food.
She managed to find Mimasaka Subaru in the crowd as well. Wait...was that Sadatsuka Nao who stood beside him?
Not being able to think of the possibility of a relationship between the two, Ikumi quickly glanced at the Italian cuisine section, where Takumi could be seen putting more food on his plate for the nth time. Must be for his Italian-craving pregnant wife who's nowhere to be seen at the moment.
Speaking of Takumi…
"Oh, there you are, Ikumi," his brother appeared next to her, "aren't you going to eat anything?"
She shook her head, "I'm not that hungry. Where have you been, anyway?"
"Having a little global cuisine tour. The Italian one is pretty spot on," he said excitedly. Even though he's always been in his thin form ever since he dated the meat general, his appetite hadn't changed in the slightest, "So, how was your meeting with Nakiri Soma-kun before the ceremony?"
Ikumi nearly choked on the shining blue liquid, "You knew about that?"
Contrary to his fiancee's loud voice, Isami just replied in pure honesty, "Um, actually, I was heading to the restrooms when I heard your voice from the groom's room."
Ikumi couldn't bring herself to respond.
"Well, I guess since it's Valentine's day, you'd give him some giri, right?"
"Y-you're not mad?" she asked in a softer tone.
"Um, no? He's someone dear to you, isn't he? And besides," he caressed her cheek, "I'll be here if you need to cry it out."
Ever since she and Isami grew closer, Ikumi sometimes viewed herself as the luckiest girl in the world. Truth to be told, she still had a rough time forgetting her feelings for a certain redhead completely, but Isami was more than willing to wait.
She definitely couldn't ask for a better guy.
Ikumi then gently took the hand that was on her cheek in her own and slowly put it down.
"But I don't wanna cry," she said, almost above a whisper, "I shouldn't have a reason to."
"Not when I have you."
Although Mito Ikumi would never say that out loud.
Isami, on the other hand, seemed to notice the unsaid words between them, because he smiled as he pulled his hand away.
"By the way, I haven't gone to the dessert table yet, so I think I'll check it out. Do you want any?"
No.
If Isami had suit himself with the sweets to his heart's content, Ikumi wouldn't have had the opportunity to give him her honmei.
She should act. Now.
"N-NO! Uh, I-I mean," she composed herself once she saw her fiance's surprised expression, "no, thanks, but, um, I, uh, actually have something for you, w-wait here."
She ran off to some place real quick and came back 20 seconds later.
With a bowl-like food container in hand.
"H-here."
Isami was sort of expecting a honmei, but nothing with an unique case like this.
He almost thought Ikumi would give him a nikudon.
Well, his guess wasn't so wrong.
"Ikumi, i-is this…"
"...dessert...bowl…?"
The blond tried to explain while looking anywhere but the man in front of her, "Y-yeah, you see, it's a three-layer dessert bowl that consists of chocolate ganache, milk pudding, and cookie crumble. Well, since I'm familiar with putting things together in a bowl, so...I thought I'd give it a try this year. I know I shouldn't have, since it probably reminds you of him again-"
Isami hugged her.
The sudden action made Ikumi's cheeks felt warm.
But then she remembered that they weren't the only ones in the room.
"I-Isami, people are watching, what are you-"
"Grazie, amore mio."
Ikumi was stunned as the words reached her ears.
"It's perfect."
Even by barely swallowing it, Isami could tell.
A hidden fourth layer.
The pure sweet taste of limoncello.
It's as if she knew how to exactly get her feelings across to the Italian-Japanese man.
Or perhaps, she really did.
"Hayama-kun, is it alright for you to be here?" Shiomi Jun asked to the man standing beside her who's busy looking at the Indian cuisine table.
"Why not? Yukihira is probably greeting the other guests with his wife right now. I'm no longer needed to stay with him."
"Um, no, not that," Jun finally took another batch of curry since she's interested in the spice mix that the Totsuki Resorts used that time, "aren't you worried about your sick girlfriend?"
Hayama choked on his own spit at the question.
"H-Hayama-kun, y-you okay?" Jun panicked when her boy went into a coughing fit all of a sudden. He immediately grabbed a glass of...juice? He wasn't even sure what the drink was but he needed something to relieve his throat as soon as possible.
He put down the empty glass afterwards, "How did you know that she's sick?"
"Huh? I mean, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that she didn't look well at the ceremony. Moreover," Jun searched her bag for a magenta box, "she told me to give you this."
The silver-haired froze for a moment.
"Wh-why do you have this, where is she?"
Jun's eyes widened in surprise as she didn't expect Hayama's lack of information at this point.
"Oh, you didn't know? She left earlier with her family because she couldn't take it anymore, but-"
Hayama already fled the room before she could finish her sentence.
"...she's in the special room-ah, never mind."
Hayama almost ran to the front door if he hadn't bumped into Soma and Mimasaka who were chatting outside of the wedding hall. The lost groom told him that he saw Hisako being carried to the Nakiri infirmary which was only two rooms away from where the party was.
The best man unfortunately didn't have a chance to scold his rival for wandering around so carefreely, but he got other stuff to be prioritized.
Starting by running back to where he came from.
He then found the room that the redhead meant (if the big "infirmary" letters weren't straightforward enough). He opened it in a hurry for his mind was already all over the place.
"Arato!"
He made a flashy entrance of himself.
Sadly, he made a mistake.
All of the Arato family members who were in the room turned to him.
"Ah, Hisako, your boyfriend has come," one of her relatives said.
A man in the room clicked his tongue, "Such a slowpoke, what if our girl died before he could find him?"
"Father, don't say that," Hisako sat up on a bed and she looked anything but unwell in Hayama's eyes, "and I'm sorry for my selfishness as of late, but can you leave us alone for a moment?"
Mostly the women nodded at her request and dragged the men outside in the blink of an eye. At that moment, Hisako was thankful that she had an understanding family. Well, sort of.
Meanwhile, Hayama never left his spot at the doorway during those awkward minutes, and his girlfriend honestly found the times when he lost his cool like that amusing.
"Come in, you dork."
"Oh, r-right," he stammered as he closed the door behind him. Afterwards, he ended up sitting on a chair next to the bed, which was also used by one of the Aratos before he came in.
Couldn't think of anything else to say, Hayama grumpily blurted out.
"Well, you sure look fine to me."
"Why, thank you for forgetting my medicine skills."
"Didn't think you'd heal so quickly," Hayama didn't give in.
"I had extra hands from the family."
"But still-"
"And why did you come here looking like I was about to die?" Hayama was forced to cut his argument midway, "I've already given the box to Professor Shiomi, haven't I?"
Her lover didn't understand what she meant at first, but when he did, he raised his tone again.
"Do you really think I'd come all the way here just for that petty reason?"
"What? Why else? I already gave what I should so I don't owe you anything today-"
"I was worried about you, okay!?"
…
The red on Hisako's cheeks weren't so invisible.
But it's not Arato Hisako if she willingly let the words affected her mental state just like that.
"W-well, I'm fine now, as you can see," she pulled the blanket and lay sideways facing the wall, "you can go back to the hall now."
Hisako closed her eyes, hoping the other would just leave or something since she really can't face him right now.
However, her lips met something soft in her sleep.
Taken aback, she opened her eyes in a hurry.
It was…
...cream.
"Wh-what are you doing!?" she asked Hayama who put a cupcake against her mouth a few seconds ago.
"These are chocolate curry cupcakes, right? They have a lot of spices that are good for you, so eat up," he said, still holding the said dessert in the same position.
Hisako involuntarily sat up. Her annoyed feelings made her forgot about the tension between them earlier.
"I told you I'm fine-"
"No, you'd be with the other girls already, if that were the case."
Is it wrong that Hisako wanted to curse because her boyfriend knew her a bit too well?
"But that's yours."
"Yeah, it's mine, and I'm now free to do whatever I want to do with it, so here."
She still didn't take it from his hands, even though Hayama was perfectly fine if she just bit the cupcake off his.
"I've already taste-tested one for you before I woke you up," he explained, fearing that was the reason she didn't want to eat it, "the flavors are perfectly balanced. It makes you feel warm on the inside."
He sighed in mild desperation.
"Well, at least, I'd like you to feel this warmth that you've created, too."
Taking his words into consideration, Hisako took a big bite of her own experiment sweet.
A pleasant warmth, indeed.
But was it really from the cupcake…
...or because of the man beside him, who's looking at her with those caring eyes that she barely ever saw?
She wasn't even sure.
Perhaps it was both.
Kurokiba Ryo was facing the sunset at a balcony, furthest away from the Nakiri wedding hall. His wife, Alice, had been standing by the balcony door since she found him a few minutes before.
But she couldn't call out to him.
Not when she was able to witness that rare precious smile which was enlightened by the perfect amount of golden rays.
It was ethereal.
She nearly couldn't breath at the sight.
"...Why are you just standing there, milady?" the low voice startled her, more so than the fact that her husband could notice her presence without having to look.
Too flustered to even lecture the other for not using her actual name again, the daughter of Nakiri could only walk up to stand beside him in silence.
"Mou...it's a bit boring without you there. Erina is busy and Soma-kun is nowhere to be seen," she huffed, leaning her head on the taller's shoulder.
"...Then why didn't you just talk to me instead of standing there like you did?"
Alice just whined as a response while hugging Ryo's arm and rubbed her head cutely against it. Ryo actually had a tough time fighting the urge to pinch her cheeks every time his mistress started being all adorable, but he wouldn't dare to do that, fearing more for ruining his image than anything else.
He held in a chuckle when he noticed that Alice didn't want to talk about the reason, so they just peacefully enjoyed the sunset together.
But Alice wasn't the type to enjoy silence for too long.
"Ne, Ryo, have you eaten?"
Her husband just answered weakly, "Not really, just grabbed a mocktail before I got here."
"Then you, like, totally gotta eat this!" she commanded while holding a plate of sashimi.
"Huh? When did you get it?"
"I was carrying it on the way here and put it on top of the railing just now!"
Ryo blinked, a bit unfazed by the oddities of the situation. He's been used to it ever since he agreed to live with someone such as Nakiri Alice.
"Oh? I didn't notice-"
"It doesn't matter, just eat it!"
As usual, Ryo couldn't do anything but oblige. He used the chopsticks to pick up the red chunks of meat before gobbling them whole.
To say he was shocked by the taste was an understatement, but then again, he shouldn't have.
He should've anticipated this.
"...This is a really interesting chocolate, milady," he complimented. Even though Ryo often disregarded the power of Alice's cooking because it's "too beautiful", he must admit that molecular gastronomy had never failed to amuse him.
"Isn't it?" she gleamed, "Well, it sadly took a thousand attempts, but it's definitely worth it."
No matter how you look at it, it is a sashimi. When it comes into your mouth, however, it's a different story.
Ryo would hate to be honest with himself, but it was obvious that he couldn't get enough of it.
As he continued eating, Alice started to switch the topic.
"So, you wanna go home after this? It seems that not many of the guests have left yet."
"Um, milady, this is your cousin's wedding," Ryo made sure that he had swallowed his food before replying, "don't you think you should stay a little longer? Plus, it's a Nakiri wedding. I'm not sure your grandfather will be happy about it."
The girl humphed, "Well, I'm a Kurokiba now, aren't I? It's not that strict for me ever since I abandoned the family name. That aside, what about you? Will you be alright? Some of the idiots from our wedding unfortunately still made it to this one. I don't want you to-"
"Milady," Ryo cut in while slowly putting an arm around her, "rather than myself, I'm more concerned about you. You've been trying too hard to hide it. Is everybody really treating you well?"
At this point, Alice already hid her face in the other's chest as she embraced him tightly.
The wedding from two weeks before that Gotoda had mentioned earlier was indeed the day Nakiri Alice changed her surname to Kurokiba, and not everyone was thrilled about it.
Especially the greedy gourmet tycoons who were hoping to marry their sons to a daughter of Nakiri.
However, instead of someone of her class, Alice chose to marry a commoner, or so they said. A lot of people declared their objections at the wedding.
It honestly still haunted Alice until that very second.
Thankfully, Ryo had managed to shut them all up, and Alice didn't have the slightest idea to contemplate on her choices.
Her fear of Ryo's well-being came first.
Erina did a great effort on learning from other's mistakes, so her wedding wasn't as big. She too was afraid of the critiques that would be thrown at her future husband since he's also not from a wealthy family.
Though some people just can't get enough of ruining people's lives, can they?
"It hasn't been a walk in the park," Alice mumbled against his tuxedo, "but I regret absolutely nothing."
She lifted up her face, facing her husband in a serious manner, "I've chosen to do this, and I don't care what everyone says. I'm a strong person!"
The tall man smiled, tickled by the lady's declaration, "Of course you are, milady," he gripped the other's shoulders firmly and looked straight into her eyes.
"But that doesn't mean you must cry alone."
Alice was confounded.
Her husband knew all along, despite her clever attempts of hiding it.
Well, it's the guy who's been by her side since forever, what was she expecting?
Definitely not the hug.
Ryo was never much of a cuddler type.
But he knew his mistress was a fan of skinships as a method to soothe oneself.
And so that's what he did.
"We're not just a mistress and aide anymore, you know. We're family by law now, Alice," he used her real name. That was the second time since Alice forced him to do it the minute they escaped their own wedding from killjoys, "Ever since we exchange those vows, we're ought to take care of each other."
In normal situations, Alice would've teased her aide for suddenly being talkative, but she was not in the mood to ruin the atmosphere now.
"I know you've been trying to do it for me," he let go of the hug and held her chin up, "but at least let me return the favor…"
"...Let me protect you, too."
In all honesty, this shouldn't be something new. It was technically his duty to do so, anyway.
But it left the former sixth seat speechless.
Her inability to express her gratitude gave her the courage to press her lips against the other's.
Again, this shouldn't have been a surprise for either of them.
They've shared a lot of kisses and pecks here and there all these years.
Ryo widened his eyes slightly, though.
For he'd never tasted something as soft and sweet as this one.
"Tesoro, what are you doing here?" Takumi asked once he spotted his wife at one of the balconies on the building. He approached closer when he heard no reply from the beautiful bluenette.
His eyes widened as he glanced back and forth from the view they're forced to see to the delighted expression of the woman beside him.
"For real, cara? You've been watching that?"
He was certainly not expecting a kissing scene on the other visible balcony across from where they were.
"I'm happy for them," Megumi admitted, "they both have been telling me about their worries, but I guess they've just found the right moment to talk about it. I'm glad it's settled."
Takumi's face went sour at the story.
He could imagine Alice rambling to anyone, particularly a good listener like Megumi, but what the freaking hell did Kurokiba Ryo want from his innocent wife?
"Kurokiba Ryo talked to you?" the tone in his voice didn't hide his jealousy at all, but his wife giggled at how the other didn't even try to make it any less obvious.
"Yeah, since his relationship with Alice was getting more serious. He said that I seemed like a nice person."
Rather than being judged by Hayama and himself, laughed at by Soma, and he wouldn't want to talk to Erina or Hisako because Alice wouldn't like it, Takumi could see how Megumi was Ryo's only choice for the matter.
Also, Ryo basically already got a glimpse of Megumi's personality from their quarterfinal match in autumn.
Eventually, Takumi was somewhat relieved when he heard the reason, but he still didn't like it when Megumi talked in private with other guys.
Other than Soma, he's too used to him by now.
"You are a kind person, amore mio," he whispered, embracing his wife from behind, "but don't forget to take care of yourself as well. Remember, you're carrying our child now."
He rubbed his nose gently against the nape of her neck, making the other shivered slightly from the contact.
Meanwhile, Ryo and Alice had already gone back inside, so their eyes were focused on the beautiful colorful layers of the sunset palette in the sky.
Megumi felt relaxed just by looking at it.
And she needed it, especially at that moment.
"Um, Takumi," she called out while still facing ahead. He was holding her so tightly that she could barely move, "I'm really sorry about this, but can you take the yellow box from the bag, please?"
Takumi stared at the abandoned handbag on the floor without moving an inch as he responded.
"So you did end up making chocolates for me."
Honestly, Megumi was not sure how her husband would react. She was already told that Takumi was fine with no honmei this year. Moreover, he forbade Megumi to cook ever since her pregnancy was discovered. Despite so, Megumi wanted to. She had something to tell him today.
But her husband definitely didn't sound pleased earlier.
She carefully held the hands that was currently around her waist. She's afraid of making Takumi mad.
Not that he's ever. Not at her.
But that's the more reason for her to fear it'd happen.
Takumi caressed her hands back once he noticed Megumi's anxious state, "I've actually figured it out when I saw the bandages on your hand, but I thought I'd hear it from you directly."
He moved from his position until they were face to face. He took her damaged hand in his and kissed it as lovingly as he always would.
"And you're asking me why I forbid you to enter the kitchen? Tesoro, the pregnancy's been taking a toll on you."
Megumi was indeed touched by the worried look on the blond's face, but that didn't falter her resolve.
"At least let me do it today, then," she moved her head towards where her bag was, "open it for me, caro mio.''
And Takumi could never say no to that.
Attempting to look a bit mad, still, he finally gave in and opened the mysterious box.
He frowned.
There were four identical chocolate balls in the box.
His puzzled look was clear as day, but when he glanced at his wife for an explanation…
Her smiling face basically forced him to just eat it.
So he did.
"Oh, it has cashews in them," he thought as he picked up the second one to be put in his mouth.
"And this one got salted caramel in it," he kept talking to himself. He took a third piece right after, expecting another one of the two fillings.
Much to his expectations.
"...Cream cheese? Really?" he didn't realize that he just said it out loud until Megumi wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Sorry, they tend to get messy when they've been out of the fridge for too long," she panicked for a bit.
"N-no, it's fine, I was just a little surprised by the filling, that's all," he then devoured the last piece whole, not wanting to repeat the same mistake.
He could taste nothing but chocolates for this one.
But the inner part seemed to taste much sweeter…
"Wait, is the last piece…?"
"Yes, dark chocolate ball with white chocolate filling."
Oh.
Of course that's what it was.
Putting the empty box on top of the railing, he proceeded to give a kiss on the bluenette's forehead.
"Thank you, amore, it was lovely," he felt like his heart was about to burst when he was greeted with that precious smile, "but...I don't get it. Why four with different fillings? N-not that I'm asking for more, of course. In fact, I should've been mad that you made any at all, but-"
He stopped rambling when he saw Megumi turned to her right and put a hand on her stomach.
"M-Megumi," he stammered, fearing that he said something wrong and caused her more distress, "is the baby hurting you?"
She immediately shook her head before her husband started to freak out and caused a chain reaction of panic between them, "N-no, they've been good. I just...thought that I felt them, but it's gone."
Takumi just held her wife close afterwards, feeling his calm self returned knowing that his love was okay.
But it was gone as quickly as it came.
"I'm sorry, 'they'?"
At that time, Takumi had just remembered that Megumi had her regular pregnancy check earlier this week. She said that everything's fine with the baby.
Could there be more to it…?
Megumi took a deep breath, preparing for the coming reaction.
"Takumi."
She put her hands on the handsome man's cheeks. Her gentle touch almost lured him in, but the serious look on his spouse managed to stop him.
"We're having more than one baby."
Takumi actually fainted at the news.
"Last time I checked, today is Valentine's Day."
"Yes, what of it?"
"And you're not letting your husband eat any chocolates? And we've just got married!"
"Those are for the guests! And what kind of wife gives her husband the same chocolate she gives to other people?"
"Oh, come on, you two. It hasn't been ten hours since you got married, you know?" Alice remade her appearance at the reception once more, with Ryo overprotectively having an arm around her this time.
"Some things will never actually change, will they?" Megumi joined along. Her husband in tow, hadn't recovered completely from the shock.
"That's what you get when two blockheads marry each other," Hayama coldly commented. His eyes never left the woman beside her though, who insisted on going back to the hall after being re-energized by the curry cupcakes.
"Well, Yukihira is. I wouldn't dare to say the same about Erina-sama," Ikumi joked, one arm entwined with her fiance's.
"You know, it's pretty funny because Nakiri mostly turns into a blockhead only when it comes to Soma," Isshiki reminded them, reminiscing their Elite Ten days as he did. Kinokuni nodded beside him since she was one of the witnesses of such events as well.
"That just shows how compatible they are, doesn't it?" Yuki said excitedly. Surprisingly, she's returned to her normal self despite the initial feelings upon being suddenly proposed to. Her now fiance didn't say anything regarding the topic and was quietly sipping on another green mocktail instead.
"Well, if their tempers were the only thing that matches, their relationship would be as good as over," Rindou added while carrying her twelfth plate of food. As for her husband, he's...nowhere in sight. He's probably being occupied by the famous people while Rindou abandoned him for food again.
"So, I guess there's more to it?" Hinako showed up among them, yawning as she did, "And I was already scared that Yukihira would marry my Megumi."
She glanced at the older Aldini.
"It's actually a bit funny how things work out in the end."
"Yeah, remembering their strong rivalry and how Megumi was mostly by Yukihira's side, it seemed unlikely," Ryoko said with a champagne glass in hand, "guess everything changed during the fight against Central."
"Well, the Central era surely affected many couples that are here today," Kuga noted, probably talking about his own love life as well, "I wonder how it'd be if Dean Azami didn't proceed with his revolution idea."
"I don't know, either," Hisako finally said something, "but as for our newlyweds…"
"They're literally made for each other ever since they met, and we were all just too blind to realize it."
"We're not!" the new Nakiris denied.
"You guys denying it in a synced manner only weakens your point, you know," even Shinomiya could see it.
"Well, these two can't even work together during the Regimen de Cuisine," Joichiro recalled with a grin on his face, "how will they survive a lifetime of living together?"
"As young Arato said, Joichiro," former Dean Senzaemon stood beside him, "they will work it out in their own way."
As the bickering continued, Soma soon grew tired of the arguments and decided to silence his stubborn wife with a kiss on the lips.
Their friends cheered, despite it being the second time they witnessed it after the wedding kiss.
"Because they're literally made for each other."
Later that night…
Soma was ready to go to bed. The day basically exhausted him to the core.
His head hurt when it hit the pillow, though.
He removed the fluffy thing and discovered a small pink box underneath.
It was filled with…
Dried anchovies dipped in chocolate spread?
He grinned.
"Well, isn't this gonna be disgusting…"
Just wait until Erina exits the shower.
End?
Warning: OCs
Bold = Italian
=Preview=
Trattoria Aldini, 17 years later
The chime upon an opened door was heard.
"Welcome...sir?"
The man smiled once he noticed the familiar face of the waitress.
"It's been a while, Megumi Aldini."
She managed to stay calm so far.
But she was truthfully freaking out.
For she knew this day would come.
"Yes, it has, former dean Nakiri Senzaemon. Please, have a seat," she lay out her arms towards the direction of an empty table nearby.
He appreciated her hospitality, "I'd love to my dear, but let me get straight to the point first."
Megumi gulped.
Here it comes.
"Why did your husband choose not to enroll your child to Totsuki?"
The bluenette stayed silent because she didn't know how to respond to that.
"I've seen all the talented children of the diamond generation at the academy, but I only saw one Aldini at the acceptance list."
He finally took a seat after realizing that his huge figure was basically blocking the entrance.
"And as far as I'm concerned, you don't have a son."
Megumi bit her lips harder as she was trying not to have a panic attack in the currently packed restaurant (they have other people attending the customers, however, so Megumi could take her time).
"Knowing your personality and the fact that you have a daughter, I can assume that it's Takumi's decision, but I still want to hear it from you directly."
"Oh, well, um...you see…"
"I'm hooome!" the door was pushed so hard that it hit the wall with a loud bam. A teenage girl with a blonde ponytail and blue eyes looked cheerful as she stepped into the house.
"Akie, where are the others?" Megumi asked.
She pointed to her back with her thumb, "Slowpokes, as usual. I ran faster because I want to help papa with the pizza. I'll see you later, mamma," she waved as she dashed to the kitchen, still in her school uniform.
Senzaemon cleared his throat to get the other's attention again, "What a lively young girl you have."
"Y-yeah, but, err, actually…"
The chimes rang again.
"I'm home," this time, a girl with long blond hair with bangs and golden eyes made her appearance.
Her elegant and calm aura was a contrast to the loud entrance a few minutes before.
Despite their similar aspects.
"Oh, you have twins. I suppose I must've missed that information."
"Haruka, you're early today," Megumi accidentally ignored her former dean's words, "don't you have any student council activities?"
The girl answered calmly as she slowly made her way towards the kitchen.
"I've finished it all. Papa said that he'd need help with the new salad menu," she then noticed Senzaemon's existence, "should we bring anything for your guest, mamma?"
"No need, my dear. I'm just here to talk," the man himself replied in Italian which didn't only shock the young girl, but her mother as well.
"If you insist, sir," Haruka bowed before taking her leave.
After making sure that she was out of earshot, the grown-ups continued to chat.
"Such a lady. Guess that's because her father is a gentleman."
Before Megumi could say anything else, however, the door hit the wall once more.
"Papaaaa, Itsuki said that I will be moved to Japaaan!" a twintailed-bluenette ran in with her eyes close to tears. A tan boy with dark hair could be seen walking in after her a few seconds later.
"Goodness, Fuyu-nee, I wasn't even sure about it. I just overheard Dean Nakiri-"
He abruptly stopped when he noticed someone peculiar.
"Former Dean Nakiri Senzaemon! What brings you here? So the rumors are true?"
The sudden appearance of a familiar face and his surprised look didn't seem to have a same effect on the elder.
"Good to see you, too, Itsuki Aldini," he greeted the boy who's currently staying in Italy before he starts his high school in April. The young Aldini somehow made him forget about the possibility of who the earlier girl might be.
"What rumors?"
Another bluenette entered the restaurant. This one had shoulder-length hair and tied a blue string ribbon around her head. She had blue eyes, unlike the bluenette earlier who had her mother's eyes.
"Natsu-nee," Itsuki still looked pretty baffled, "it seems like it's no rumors, after all. The former dean is-"
"Is that Fuyumi's cries that I heard just now?" a loud voice interrupted him which made Senzaemon held in a smile.
"So that's how you drag the chef out of the kitchen," he thought.
This must look like a weird occasion for some, but the regulars were used to Takumi's overprotective side when it comes to one of the girls who always walk into the restaurant at around 5 PM.
That doesn't mean the staff themselves could tolerate it, though. Akie's yelling about an over-boiled pasta made Megumi tell the other bluenette to take over the kitchen.
"Thank you for finally setting your foot out of the kitchen, head chef," Senzaemon's words surprised Takumi who was busy calming down the girl with the twintails.
"F-former dean-"
"Mind if I ask you the reason I don't see these...precious daughters of yours in your alma mater?"
Takumi remained silent.
Of course he knew the answer to that.
But he wouldn't admit it out loud.
Not to a former dean, at least.
"Are you kidding me, Nakiri-san?" Itsuki decided to speak up once he noticed that his uncle wouldn't say anything, "My cousins are not just some ordinary girls, even for a Totsuki standard."
He elaborated his point.
"The oldest, Haruka Aldini, is an all-rounder prodigy lady, who specializes in using fresh ingredients and turn them into beautiful masterpieces."
"The second one, Natsuko Aldini, is the warm, friendly girl with a refreshing smile. She has a specialty using thermal senses."
"The third one, Akie Aldini, is the cheerful girl with lots of energy. Meat and spices are her forte."
"Lastly, the youngest, Fuyumi Aldini. She's the purest and cutest person there is. Her desserts would give you warmth like no other."
"If these girls were to transfer to Totsuki…"
"...they would definitely turn Totsuki upside down…"
"...in more ways than one."
A/N: yeah right um what is this
Anyway, commentaries about every pairing existed here below
ShinoHina: the interactions between these two are funny and really cute. Though bcs of Mizuhara's flashback, I kind of ship Shinomiya with Mizuhara together and perhaps Hinako would end up with Gotoda who's in the same year as her...hmm...I'm fine with it either way
IsshiNene: childhood friends? Hell yes.
SaitoMomo?: UNDERRATED. Idk they just look cute? EizanxMomo's also entertaining but I dont wanna ship anyone with Eizan rn so…
KugaCilla: THIS IS RANDOM IM SORRY || it's because of the bear episodes, and Berta and Cilla are not more than four years younger than Kuga, and they started dating (in this story) when they're already at a proper age, so...hope y'all won't be whiny about it. Why Cilla? Because she seems like the more laidback one.
EiRin: basically married, even in the series. And I love this pairing so much because poor Eishi (sometimes).
IbuYuki: um...yeah, I notice that the fandom mostly ships IbuRyoko but Idk why I can't see them more than close friends. As for IbuYuki, I've shipped them since the hell camp era. I personally love it when he said "don't cry, Yoshino" at the end of hell camp and when Yuki took out her frustration for Takumi's loss in the quarterfinals at Ibusaki and he was like "I know you're upset, but don't take it out on me"
MaruiMadoka: and also, most people ship Marui with Yoshino. Before I explore the fandom, however, I've slightly shipped Marui more with Ryoko due to their sake making, and they took the same route in Hokkaido. But when I think of it more, I guess it makes sense if Marui ends up with the girl from the same seminar as him.
DaigoUrara: this is just random, inspired by someone's fic (kira90yamato's was it? In case anyone notice the similarities)
ShojiMiyoko: same reason as above
IsaIku: Idk why people ship these two at first, but I do too after the Hokkaido moment and the character biography placement(?)
AkiSako: don't judge me but HayamaJun is and will always be my guilty pleasure ship (sadly, the timing, if Hayama were a little older, it'd be considered legal by most). I personally couldn't even think of an AkiSako possibility in the actual series but the fandom has affected me a lot, so let's just see, hmm?
RyoAli: ultimate OTP the time I entered the fandom. Basically made for each other and no-one can convince me otherwise, not even the mangaka
TakuMegu: CURRENTLY ULTIMATE OTP || dont ask why, they look cute together and I have a thing for blondxbluenette(s)
SoRina: ofc I ship the main pairing of the entire series which was obvious from episode 1 (and the newest arc just made it even clearer) but tbh I can't write much about this pairing other than their bickering parts bcs that's the highlight of their relationship, really sorry about that.
That's all for now~ let's spread the SNS love!
See you in the White Day special starring my version of next generation's Totsuki (re: The Aldini Quads)!
See ya in the next dimension, make it up to four…
-SuzuRyuuji in disguise- Mozzarella Blueberries