The rumor of those top two students officially dating spread in the speed of light. In a short time, a whole Tootsuki knew about them. The girls were broken heart for knowing they could never beat Erina Nakiri, and so were the boys. Erina and Soma soon become the hottest topic –and couple– at school.
"So, Yukihira, now you're officially dating Nakiri, eh?" Ryou nudged him slightly with his elbow.
"Oh c'mon Kurokiba. Not you too! I've said it zillion times already, okay?" Soma's cheeks tinted in slight pink.
Ryou just shrugged it off. He didn't understand why Soma kept his feeling for years. In fact, he's dating a Nakiri too, and at earlier time. Well, he might give him a hand when his girl, or even their girls, started ignoring them. We're in this together Yukihira, Ryou slightly smirked.
###
Nakiri Senzaemon got ears of a fox for his granddaughter matters, both for Alice and Erina. He remembered the time when Alice said she's dating Kurokiba Ryou, Senzaemon must have suppressed his own ego to give them a blessing. He knew that the chef with his both calm and berserk mode personalities was the one who could make Alice happy. She looked beaming when she's talking about him.
When Senzaemon had no other choice but to admit Ryou's skill in cooking, Soma was one of his favorite students. The red-haired boy had guts to confront Erina and her cooking since the first time he came here. Soma was one of the attention-stealer, if he would have to put him in a word. Not an ordinary attention-stealer with no brain and skill, of course, having held a knife since age tree would make someone no other than a skillful chef. Soma had had his respect since he tasted Soma's transforming furikage gohan that Erina failed on entrance exam. So, the rumors about him and Erina dating only made his smile turned wider. Let's see how this new lovebirds act, then.
"Er, so what do you want to talk with me and Soma- ehem I mean Yukihira altogether, Grandfather?" Erina quickly changed the way she addressed him when the lad had a weird glint on his eyes.
Senzaemon tried hard not to grin at his granddaughter's attempt of changing the boy's address.
"Well, I'm curious, you know. About the rumor." Senzaemon curved a small smirk.
Soma groaned at this, not Gramps too, he said silently. "Okay Gramps, what rumor?" He asked back.
"A rumor saying that you two are now together." The old man winked.
Both Soma and Erina's face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
"We-" They said in unison.
"Are. We are dating, Gramps." Soma decided to come all clean to Senzaemon. What's the benefit to lie, though?
Senzaemon let out a cheery laugh. This couple was definitely his favorite. "Very well, then. You two may leave." He said after his laugh end.
Erina looked like her eyes about to pop out. "Grandfather! You are calling us here just to ask that?!"
Senzaemon nodded. "I have the right to know who to entrust my granddaughters to, right?
Erina sighed in defeat. "He's right, Erina. It's not wise to tell him lies. Forgive me for not saying this earlier, Gramps." Soma said.
The oldest of the three smiled softly. "I think I can fully entrust Erina to you, Soma. Keep her safe."
Soma nodded, flashing his grin. "Of course I will. It's a blessing to have her as mine." His right hand entwined with Erina's left. The blonde girl rolled her eyes, blushing hard.
###
After they were graduated, the two kept their relationship stable. A few bickering here and there like they used to do, but their love grew even deeper. Until one day, when Soma decided to go around the world just like how his father did.
"Erina, I think I'll go for a while. I can't afford to be left behind my pops again. I'll gather all the knowledge from the entire culture and come back to you." Soma whispered in Erina's ear, on a very fine morning.
Erina, perfectly enjoying her position by leaning on Soma's shoulder, only said "Go, then. You know that I never hold you to grow. Instead, tell me when you found another girl you love while you were out there. It will hurt less than being left without a single explanation."
Soma chuckled. "You and that sarcastic mouth of yours, woman. Yeah, like I'd find someone better than you."
Erina smiled. "Of course not, at least never in a century, I guess?"
"If you know that well, why worry?" Soma caressed the girl's hair softly.
"I'm not. It's just I am a bit uneasy for not having you around." Erina's cheek flushed in red. Saying something honestly was never her thing to begin with.
Soma gave her cheeks a peck. "You know Erina, I'm still not used to you being this honest to me. Not that I protest though, because you look damn cute."
His words were not helping at all. Her cheeks just flushed in more red. "Whatever. You should contact me at least once a month. Got it?"
"Certainly will be more than once a month." Soma grinned.
Then there he went. To France, Italy, Dubai, India, Egypt, and another hundred countries. Soma swallowed down all the culinary knowledge he got, tried up recipes and combined it with his touch. And along the journeys, Erina, through the video call they regularly have, would ask how he was doing, where he was, and if he had found any interesting girl. Soma would always chuckle at the last question, answered with the exact same sentence of "I did. But no one is as interesting as you, let alone more."
The blonde's cheek would flush red again. Always and always. Even after all the years they've been together, Soma still had the same effect for her. Insufferable, but fun. He's always a pain in the ass, but he could turn out to a sweetheart too. Erina often wonder how someone could have two different personality at once. And a total difference at that.
"I'll be back on Sunday. It's finally done. I finally could come back to you. To home." Erina heard him said, on a Friday night, 5 years after he left.
Erina gave him a small smile. It's over. Her waits was finally over. "Idiot. You don't know how much I miss you." Her eyes got a bit watery.
"I'm sorry. But I don't want to lose to you again, I guess? Besides, I haven't heard you say my food is good, right? Though I know it is." Soma winked at her.
"It's not." Erina answered shortly.
"It's not pronounced, yes. But your face said otherwise. Also, I'm not satisfied with those unpronounced good. So, let's settle it once I arrived, okay?"
Erina just shrugged her shoulders. Her redhead chef could be so annoying on defending his argument. "Whatever, boy. Just get here first and we can talk."
Soma smiled softly, running his hand through his red locks. "Well then. Have a good sleep, Erina."
Erina nodded. "You too, baka."
###
That Sunday, Soma's airplane scheduled to arrive at 11.
Erina woke up with bead sweats on her forehead. It's only 5 in the morning. A nightmare came and wake her up from her sleep. In her dream, Soma's airplane crashed and fell down. Soma was nowhere to be found, neither also the other passengers. They were lost.
For the rest of hours, Erina couldn't think of anything but Soma. She wanted to call him but she knew her boyfriend was already on board. She took a warm bath, hoping to relax her tense muscles, but it's not much helping. She checked the clock back and forth, waiting. At 10, she decided to go pick him up at the airport.
It's a quarter past 11. Soma's flight must have been delayed, Erina tried to think positively. Please kami-sama, don't take him now. I've been waiting for long. Erina closed her eyes, praying.
"What is my cutie girl here doing, eh?" A warm hand touch her cheeks lightly.
Erina jumped to her surprise, only to find the object of her prayer standing before her. "Soma!" She ran to his embrace, hugging him tight. The redhead lad stared at his girl in awe. "Do you miss me that much, woman?" Soma chuckled while caressing her hair softly. Erina was ready to let go, but Soma didn't let that happen, as he encircled his hands in the girl's waist. "Ups, my bad. Here, give me a proper hug once again."
Erina gave the boy a light punch on his chest before burying her face there. She was thankful that Soma was just fine.
###
The journey home was no more than a series of hugs and light kisses this lovebirds shared. No intimate one, because Erina sure knew standard moral ethic. Let alone there was her driver driving.
They were happy, being in each other arms again after so long. But ordeal surely knew how to make people fall into the bottom pit of miserable state someone could ever have.
It was a go light for their lane when the car suddenly crashed, hit by a brake-loss truck. The car spun a few times before finally stop. All three passengers found unconscious.