Chapter 8

Erina sat silently on the edge of the bed in deep thought as she stared at her lap, looking off to the corner of her eye every so often, waiting for the redhead to make any sort of movement. She tried her best to get a read on him, but she couldn't make out any semblance of emotion on his face. His damp red locks draped over his face, only allowing the tip of his nose and the lower portion of his face to be shown. Erina had to say something, anything at this point.

"Hey…Yukihira-kun-"started Erina as she turned to Soma, only to be pulled into a strong embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise, unsure of how to react. Her face was glowing red in the dark room, barely lit by the moonlight shining through the window panes.

"W-w-why-" thought Erina as he heartbeat quickened, practically pounding out of her chest. She knew he could feel it, embarrassing her even more.

"I told you, you could just call me Soma" Soma said with a short and weak chuckle. Erina's mind had stopped as she locked her sights onto Soma's head which rested on her shoulder. Erina's face of bewilderment and disarray softened into a small smile.

"Honestly, you're crazy for running out in the rain like that. And pretty stupid" Erina was practically able to feel his breath as he spoke to her softly. Despite how pleasing the sensation was, she couldn't just gloss over what he had just said.

"Ugh, you're such a je-" groaned Erina as she tried to break from his embrace, only to be surprised by his iron hold and refusal to let go.

"But…it meant a lot. You running out there like that, just for me. Not many people would do that" he continued in a somber tone. Erina's muscles relaxed as she melted into Soma's embrace. She hadn't even realized it, but her arms were slowly wrapping themselves around Soma, though not as tightly.

"That's not true…you would" thought Erina.

"…Honestly, calling me stupid when you were just standing there for who knows how long. You're one to talk" Erina mocked as she tightened her grip around Soma, burying herself into the crook of his neck.

"Why…why am I hugging HIM of all people, like this?! Why am I not letting go?! Why…why is it so comforting and why…why does he smell so…good…" Erina's thoughts were running rampant once again, unable to contain themselves. She didn't understand any one of the numerous feelings that formed a cyclone within her.

"How could I not run out there? I may be the headmaster but that doesn't mean I'm just going to ignore one of my students…" she said softly, slightly pulling herself away from his neck to avoid being muffled. Not too far, though. Soma let out a small laugh and disengaged himself from the hug, catching Erina off guard. For a moment, she had a look of disappointment as he pulled away.

"Of course" he said with a bright smile and closed eyes, trying to hide how red and swollen they were.

"B-besides…" Erina continued, surprising Soma.

"It's not like…it's not like I could have just watched you and NOT do anything…You may be irritating, obnoxious, loud, idiotic, irresponsible, stress-inducing, rude, lazy, problematic-" continued Erina, her voice getting louder and angrier after each adjective until Soma smiled at her, giving her a look that also said "Your point?". Erina cleared her throat in an effort to recompose herself.

"You may be all those things but…you're still a close friend and I still do care for you…" she finished, her cheeks honing their signature crimson shade as she looked away, trying to avoid eye-contact knowing it would only flare up her burning face even more. Soma was shocked, to say the least. Let alone the fact that the easily-agitated blonde called him her friend, close one at that, but also by the fact that she herself had admitted that she cared for him.

"I know…you would have done the same for me. You HAVE done the same for me…I may not have the same experience but…I know that feeling. That feeling of helplessness. That feeling of despair, knowing that no matter how much you wish things were different…no matter how much you want things back to the way they were, they never will" Erina continued, her purple eyes glittering as Erina tried her best to fight back tears.

"I-" started Erina before she stopped herself. No, she couldn't. She couldn't bring up her father. She refused to make this about her. This is about Soma's time of need, not another therapy session for her. It was Erina's turn to give what Soma gave her; comfort and hope.

"I just wish I could do more than this" she continued, looking down at her lap.

Silence.

Suddenly, a loud slap echoed throughout the room as Erina squeaked, feeling Soma's palm crash onto her back. She swung at Erina, to which Soma responded to with a duck.

"What the hell is that for you brute?!" shouted Erina as she rubbed her back without averting her furious glare from Soma. Soma just had a wide smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You don't need to be so down. Cheer up, come on!" he exclaimed enthusiastically with a laugh. Erina couldn't believe it. The originally heart-broken, devastated, defeated Soma disappeared in an instant and was replaced by the more confident and over-joyous Soma. Or did it disappear?

"Soma, stop messing around. You can't hide it anymore" Erina said sternly, upset that Soma was still trying to hide his feelings from her. Soma stared back in shock but then smiled as he looked away.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I'm serious, don't be so hard on yourself. Doing what you did is more than enough" Soma said with a sigh of relief. Erina couldn't believe it. Here he was again, stricken with grief. Yet, he was the one comforting her. What the hell is this guy? Erina lifted her hand and gravitated towards Soma. She hesitated at first, but then swiftly grabbed the boy's hand and held it tightly. A bright shade of red appeared on Soma's face as he turned to Erina. Though her face was burning red as well, she had a look of determination in her eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes were locked onto Soma's golden orbs. Suprisingly, Erina's gaze was unwavering.

"It's just us, Soma" Erina said calmy, holding onto Soma's hand tightly. Soma eyes were still widened in shock but soon softened, as he looked down dejectedly.

"You just…you never realize just how much you need something until it's gone" he said softly. Soma shut his eyes tightly, trying his hardest to fight back the tears.

"She was gone before I even understood the fact that I'd never be able to see her again. I'd never able to cook for her. I'd never be able to show her just how much I've improved. I just wish I had a little more time with her…I'll give anything just to have her back, even for a day" Soma said with a sigh.

"She was one of the main reasons why I even want to get better at cooking…Sometimes when I think about how she'll never be back, I just wonder about why I'm even trying. What's the point of even doing all this if she's not here to see it…" Erina tightened her grip on his hand, surprising him.

"Just because she's not here anymore doesn't mean that she still can't be one of your reasons" Erina said sternly. Soma looked up at her, confused. She smiled back at him, softly.

"Honestly, Soma. You can be such an idiot. The fact that she's gone…it should only drive your ambitions even futher. I'm sure she wished nothing but the best for you. I'm sure she wanted-no. She wants you to go on to become an amazing chef, an amazing person" she continued as she leaned in closer to Soma.

"Why…why would you think that there's no point to your struggles? You didn't pour your blood, sweat, and tears into every dish, every promise, every single action just so you could look back and think it was all in vain. You, Soma, as someone who's fought time and time again for their recognition, are the last person I'd expect such…such a cowardly way of thinking. Just wanting to give up is something that goes against everything you stand for" she continued. Soma's amber eyes didn't disengage from Erina's glistening eyes.

"And Soma…you told me this before. You've shown everyone this before. It's okay to follow your dreams for others, to make their wishes come true. But…as much as you love your mother and as much as you are inspired by your father, that's not the real reason as to why you go that extra mile" she continued. She looked down at their hands. They were no longer holding onto each other. Instead, they were flat on the bed with their fingers intertwining with each others.

"You go so far because you want everyone to know that you will be the best. But not only that, you have fun. You've always had fun with everything you did, no matter what the stakes were. It's just who you are. To think that it was of no avail just because your mother isn't here to see it is just…weak, Soma. She may not be with you physically, but she's definitely still…" continued Erina as she took her other hand and poked Soma's chest gently, right over his heart.

"…there" Erina said, with a soft smile. Soma didn't know what to say. Erina's gaze was just so…mesmerizing. He couldn't pull himself away from staring at her beautiful eyes as they shined in the moonlight, glittering with the reflecting of the stars that shined through the window.

"I meant what I said before. Your mother, wherever she is, is proud of you. She's watching over you, smiling and gleaming with pride because who you've become. But more than anything, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to dedicate your passion to her. She wants your passion to be in devotion to your own heart, not hers"

"Why am I saying all this? Why can't I stop? Why don't I want to let go of his hand?"

"Soma, the reason you stand out so much is because of your passion and desire to outdo yourself. Everyone looks up to you because you're this beacon that never stops shining. You're this unshakable tower that will never fall before anything, no matter what it is or who it is. You keep walking tall for yourself, at the end of the day. It takes a lot of strength and dedication to be that resilient" Erina said as she softly laughed.

"You're an accumulation of everything that makes your mother and father great. But who you are today is a result of your own hard work. Remember that. Don't go around thinking that you're who you are because of other people and that that's the only reason you should keep going" Erina said confidently. However, that confidence wavered as she moved onto her next thought.

"A-and if that's really the c-case…which I hope it's not! B-but…if anything…keep going for uh…your friends who look up to you and are inspired by you…and me…" she said, blushing even harder than before. Soma just stared at her, confusingly. At that moment, Erina began to sputter and tremble in embarrassment.

"I-I mean…! You're still the First Seat! You're still technically my, like…right hand man…well left hand if we count Hisako but she's more like my personal assistant or secretary or like…point is! You have a lot of responsibilities! You can't just drop them just because you're sad!" she shouted, trying to recompose herself. She gasped as she realized how insensitive her last words were.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it li-" continued Erina before she was interrupted by Soma's hysterical laughing.

"What's so funny?!" she pouted angrily, as Soma failed to compose himself. Erina sucked her teeth and sighed.

"Honestly, why do I even bother with you?!" she shouted angrily before removing her hand from Soma. But in that instant, Soma grabbed her hand and pulled it back into his. In the next instant, Erina's eyes widened as Soma leaned in close, resting his forehead on hers. His eyes were closed as he smiled softly, the complete opposite of Erina's widened eyes and shocked expression.

"You really know how to bring a guy back to reality, ya know that Erina. Thanks…I…I needed that wake-up call" he said softly, resting his forehead against hers all while holding her hand tightly. Erina let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and smiled back at him.

"Honestly…you're such a pain in the ass…" she sighed. Soma let out a small laugh and let out a sigh.

"Love youuuu" he said mockingly. But deep inside, he was questioning just how much of it he meant.

"Love you too…" was the only thought that raced through Erina's head, escaping her awareness. The two sat there, comforted by each other's presence, and had no intention of moving.


From outside the room, Jouichirou leaned on the door, eyes closed with a wide smile on his face.

"Honestly, twelve years and I couldn't crack the code for shit yet his school pal figured it out in less than a day? What is this, some romance sap story?" he muttered before letting out a chuckle, walking towards his own room. He raised his hand and waved without turning back.

"Keep him out of trouble, will ya Erina-chan?"


The brilliant rays of the sun shined throught he window, practically blinding the sleeping blonde. She was mustering all of her strength to avoid waking up; she refused. She was still incredibly tired and had no intention of waking up anytime soon. Not only that, but she felt especially warm and cozy this morning. It was a feeling she had never felt before and she wasn't going to risk losing the feeling either. Of course, life didn't share her sentiment as her phone blared intensely, awaking the sleeping beauty. Erina groaned as she flopped around, grabbed the phone that rested barely on the edge of the bed, and turned the alarm off. She arose and stretched, letting out a stifled yawn. She felt the strap of her nightgown slip off her shoulder, but she could't even see properly yet. To hell with this strap, thinking Erina Nakiri would give it the time of day while she was still trying to readjust to the brightened setting. Eyes lazily half open, she looked around the room. She didn't know what she was expecting; it was Soma's room after all. She had already spent a night in it, it's not like anything would suddenly be any different this night. His barely standing nightstand, his nearly bursting hamper, Soma's resting body right next to her holding onto her hand, his workdesk that honestly did not match the room at all. It was all the same.

Wait, what?

Erina's eyes widened in shock as her gaze locked back onto Soma, who was still in a deep sleep next to her. They were both still on the edge of the bed, the same spot they sat last night.

"Did…did we fall asleep?! Together?! In the same room?! Same bed?! Why are we still holding hands?! Wait…was he the reason I was so warm and comfortable?!" shouted Erina as she was about to yank her hand away. Just then, she stopped herself and covered her mouth with her other hand. She didn't want to wake him up. For one, she didn't want to go through the torture of trying to explain the already indecent and embarrassing situation. But more importantly…

He looked so peaceful.

Erina stared at his resting face. He looked so…calm. It was a different kind of calm, however. The only time Erina has seen any sort of calmness on his face was when it was paired with a deadly and piercing gaze. But here he was, free from the stress and pain from the day before. He looked so…

"Why is he so cute…wait what?!" thought Erina, face ablaze from her thought. Throughout her entire life, she had never awknlowdged a male on their appearance. It never mattered to her, they were all inferior to her in the end. When she did think of falling for a guy, she always thought it'd be someone on her level. Someone who was organized, captivating, polite, gentleman-like, clean-cut, and charming. But here she was, heart racing at the speed of sound as it swooned over this rougish, disshevled and chaotic boy. But if one thing did fit the category, she had to admit. Soma was handsome.

"Well…I don't know if handsome is the best word to describe him…he's more-so just…" thought Erina and she stared at his peaceful face and then thought back to the his other more attractive expressions. She thought back to his serious glares, his charming smiles of pure happiness, his more confident, sly, and almost seductive smiles and gazes.

"…Hot…" thought Erina as she blushed, unable to control her emotions. Before she knew it, she had taken her left hand and began to run it through his long crimson locks. To her surprise, his hair was incredibly soft. Despite it's sharp and chaotic appearance, his hair slipped through her fingers like silk. She couldn't help but continue to run her hands through his hair, smiling fondly at the soothed boy. Soon, her hand went over to the noticeably large gash over his right eyebrow. She glided her hand across it, hovering over it and barely touching it. Her hand then continued lower down to his cheeks and then stopped at his lips. She couldn't help but stare at his soft lips, a million thoughts racing through her head. Her face flushed, and she began to shake her head, in hopes of shaking what she deemed as lewd thoughts out of her head. Before she knew it, she found herself leaning in.

"What am I doing?! Why can't I stop?! What is this…this feeling?! I just can't…stop…I don't…want…" thought Erina as she leaned in further. Merely inches away, she gasped as Soma's eyes began to move subtly. She pulled back quickly, cracking her back in the process as Soma rose up and rubbed his eyes. He stretched his arms as far as he could and let out a long and slow yawn. He went back to rubbing his eyes afterwards. Erina, on the other hand, watched in complete and utter horror, unsure of what to do next as he opened his eyes and stared right back at her. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do. What could she possibly do to make this situation better? Well, on the bright side, she was sure there was no way for her to make the situation any worse.

"S-Soma…I-I can ex-" she started before Soma interrupted her.

"Mornin' Erina" Soma said as he yawned again and tightly shut his eyes again and opened the, trying to adjust to the current setting. Once his vision cleared up, he found himself staring in complete awe at the blonde before her. Her hair was disheveled and messy, but in a way that Soma couldn't help but think was cute. She was in a frilly pink nightgown with thin straps that hung over her shoulders, though one of the straps were slipping of her shoulder. His eyes wandered to her slender shoulders, then to her neck, then down to her chest. He couldn't help but notice how the nightgown was slight lower than it should be, revealing the top of her ample breasts. His hypnotic state broke as he saw the nightgown move up, covering up the skin that he was locked onto. His eyes darted up to Erina, who had slipped the shoulder strap back on and adjusted her dress. Her mouth quivered uncontrollably while her eyes were widened. Soma knew one thing; he recognized that look. That look of pure humiliation mixed with rage.

"Eh?" was all he sputter out. Soma shot up and raced towards the door and attempted to exit. Before he could, Erina tossed a pillow at the red-head. It crashed against his back as he exited, only after he heard the wail of the Ice Queen.

"GET. OUT!" she shouted as he slammed the door behind him, breathing heavily. He leaned on the door and slid down, burying his head in his hands.

"That…could have gone better"


Jouichirou raised an eyebrow at Soma who was scratching the back of his head with a nervous smile and Erina who was very noticeably twitching in rage, arms crossed against her chest. Jouichirou simply shrugged his shoulders as he closed the door to the restaurant behind him. He walked over to the car and unlocked the door. He entered the car and started it up before rolling down the window.

"I don't know what happened between you two, so you should sort it out before I go to drop her off, Soma" Jouichirou, putting an emphasis on his son's name.

"Wha-How do you know it's my fault?!" shouted Soma.

"Because it is your fault!" Erina shouted, breaking her silence. Jouichirou rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm gonna go pick something up, I'll be back in five. Sort it out, kiddies" he responded. He waved at the two and drove off, leaving the redhead and the blonde on the sidewalk. Erina had gone back to her original position, looking away from Soma and avoiding eye contact. Soma itched his cheek and let out a sigh.

"I said I'm sor-"

"Shut up" Erina responded angrily, venom splattered on her word.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Soma said, trying to defend himself. Erina spun around quickly, starling Soma as she glared at him with hate in her eyes.

"An accident?! You could have reached your next birthday if you stared a second longer!" she shouted angrily.

"I really didn't mean to stare, I promise! It's just…" Soma started, unsure of how to exactly defend himself.

"It's just what, huh?! Care to explain yourself, pervert!" she shouted. Soma put his finger over his lips and made a shushing sound.

"Can you not shout that in the middle of the street?!" Soma said in a loud whisper. Erina huffed and spun around, still upset with him. Soma just let out a sigh as he shrugged.

"Listen, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have stared, I admit that" he said, holding his hand up. Erina opened one eye and looked over to Soma, who was smiling gleefully away at her. Erina let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"You're so annoying, you know that" she finally said, shaking her head again.

"Now that I think about it, why were you just staring at me?" Soma asked blankly, genuinely confused. Erina jumped at his question and spun back around, holding her hand up.

"I forgive you, don't worry about it! I'm over it, really!" Erina shouted, laughing awkwardly. Soma looked at her confusingly but then shrugged, getting over the topic. Luckily for Erina, Soma wasn't one to linger on something for too long. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at Soma. To her surprise, his soft golden eyes were gazing back at her. They were filled with warmth and comfort as a smile spread across his face.

"Again, I just want to say thanks. It's been fun having you around, really. And you know…you helped. A lot" Soma said with a laugh. Erina was surprised with his sudden appreciation but then giggled.

"Of course, I can't have a single day where I don't have to rescue you. Honestly, it's a miracle you've even made it through your whole life without me" Erina responded, mockingly and trying to get on Soma's nerve. But of course, getting on Soma's never wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.

"To be honest, though! I feel like a lot of things would have been easier with you around! You're so smart after all" he laughed, genuinely complimenting her. Of course, this was nothing but condescending to Erina as she gritted her teeth and balled her hands into a fist. Soma didn't notice as he laughed away. Erina soon let go of the anger that was bubbling inside her and calmed down. She turned to Soma and walked over to him, standing barely a few inches away.

"Uh, what's up, Erina?" Soma asked confusingly and with suspicion, trying to see if Erina was testing her or something. She held her hand out and pouted, confusing Soma even more.

"Give me your phone. Now" demanded Erina. Soma stared at her, unsure of what to say. But in the end, he decided to just hand it to her. Without warning, she swiped her finger across from right to left, opening the camera app. She then got closer to the redhead, who was still trying to process what was going on. She smiled wide and held her arm out to make sure they were both in the shot. She pressed the circle near the bottom of the screen and just like that, the picture was taken. She took a look at the picture and smiled. She looked great, of course. Soma, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what was happening and looked confused, as usual. She tossed the phone back to Soma, to which he fumbled between his hand before securing it.

"Add that to your scrapbook, yeah?" she said sarcastically. Soma's mouth widened a bit in shock, but then changed into a smile. Erina's smile faded as she felt Soma pull her back by her arm and turned her around. She spun and pressed up against Soma's chest and gripped onto his shoulder, trying to keep her balance.

"H-hey! What's the big ide-"

Click.

Soma brought back his retracted arm and looked at the picture. Soma let out an evil laugh before allowing his sly smirk to appear on his face again.

"Now this is a picture that I'll put in the scrapbook" he laughed. Erina was powerless against that smile; her emotions had begun to run wild again. Just in the nick of time, Soma's father had pulled up in front of them.

"You ready to go, Erina-chan?" he asked. Erina turned and nodded to him, deciding to let Soma win this one. As she entered the backseat, she rolled down the window and looked back at Soma, who was still grinning away.

"You suck"

"I'll see you back at school too, Erina" Soma responded with a smile. Erina shook her head and smiled back as they drove off.

Erina's phone rang as a notification popped up; it was from Soma. She opened it only to find the picture that Soma had quickly taken before they departed. This time, Soma was smiling gleefully and confidently while Erina was caught off guard, obviously not ready to take the picture. Contrary to Erina's initial thoughts, she found the picture to be very…cute. She smiled as she saved the picture and set it as her background. Shaking her head, she looked out the window.

"Stupid Soma Yukihira" she thought, smiling away at the passing scenery. Jouichirou caught a glimpse of the blonde who's smile was brilliantly outshining the sun itself through the rear-view mirror and smiled.

A/N: Honestly, I wasn't planning on uploading another chapter so soon but after reading all the reviews for my latest one, I couldn't help but get back on it. Tbh I hope no one thought I was going to actually disappear, I was just tired from staying up all night working on the chapter LOL. Everyone had such nice things to say about the end and honestly, I hated how I did it. I kept thinking it wasn't enough and was wracking my brain trying to make it better. I'm sure I'll revisit it eventually, but for now if you guys enjoy it, that's all that matters! Also the selfie bit was inspired by what I think is my favorite pic of the two lovebirds, which I'll set as the story pic for now on, lul. Once again, enjoy and please review!