The Lovestruck Prince

For as long as he could remember, Soren always had the spotlight on him. Anyone who looked at him fell in love within seconds. And he loved every second of it, yet never once let it control him. He was like a prince to his subjects, charismatic yet kind.

But alas, he was only a prince, not a king or an emperor. His fame only lasted due to his surname, "Nakiri." This is what Soren realized as he grew up.

Sure, he was beautiful and talented, but it was that name that gave him the attention he received. When Soren arrived to Totsuki for his first year of Junior High, he was given two affectionate nicknames, "Ria-senpai's brother" and "The headmaster's nephew." If they loved him as much as they said, why did it seem like they never remembered his own name? Soren knew they meant well, but their adoration just seemed… fake.

Above all else, Soren sought to change that. He had to make a name for himself that wasn't "Nakiri."

He started simple, roses, the flower of love. As a prince, he had to show his love for his subjects and what better way to do so than give them a symbol of it. He waltzed through the halls of stressed out students, handing them a rose with that bright smile of his. Whether they were male, female or otherwise, they received his love in the form of a red flower. Every time they thanked him, they would call him, "Nakiri-san", and he'd always respond with, "Please, call me Soren."

And they did, to him at least. Despite his efforts, Soren still overheard people using those old, tiring nicknames. Although, he did hear a new nickname for him every so often, "Lovestruck Prince."

So, then, what else could he do? Soren thought to himself until it finally hit him, Totsuki was a cooking school! All the most highly respected students were some of the greatest chefs in Japan after all, so he had to be the same. His elder sister, Ria, was one of the most respected and she had to have been in the same boat as he was, so this plan had to work.

Soren wasn't simply good-looking, he is the son of two alumnis of Totsuki after all, not to mention the fact that both were once a part of the Elite Ten. He learned all about how to cook from his father, Ryo, picking up his specialty of seafood-based cuisine along the way. So, he decided to put his skills to good use.

It began with a single cooking-class. He had requested to be paired up with a new student and Erina reluctantly obliged. The new student, Nana Yukihira, was a transfer who, judging by what happened during the opening ceremony, was extremely nervous and maybe a little shy. She was already the perfect partner for him as she didn't even recognize his surname. Additionally, she was from a simple diner and Soren was a sucker for the rustic lifestyle.

What he didn't know, was how easily he was going to fall in love.

The girl was shockingly talented despite her upbringing. In fact, he was sure she surpassed even him in terms of sheer skill. She was a quick thinker and never seemed to let stress get to her, unlike him. When he made the mistake of burning the miso salmon, he was sure he was going to have an emotional meltdown. But he didn't, thanks to her and her alone. Nana had helped him remake the dish and the two of them together scored an A on their assignment. After class, the two even shared a legitimate conversation, something Soren was unfamiliar with.

It was the first time Soren ever had such a natural relationship. And that was when cupid's arrow struck him.

Over time, the prince began to develop romantic feelings towards the commoner. Every time she smiled, his heart would flutter along with the butterflies in his stomach. He didn't care whether she was a peasant or a princess, it was who she was as a person that mattered to him most and she was a beautiful person at that. In more years than Soren would care to count of people looking at him as if he was a god, Nana was the first to make him feel like a normal person.

And he loved every second of it.