Soma was acting recklessly—more recklessly than he had any right to act considering the amount of people who loved and cared for him. He was cutting through tall pine trees and jumping off ledges on the scariest black diamond he could find. Not falling off the mountain took all his concentration, which was exactly what he wanted, because ever since last night, his mind had been taken over by a certain princess.
Sharp left! A flash of blonde hair swept through his mind.
Sharp right! Shimmering purple eyes bore into his soul.
The wind that was roaring in his ears did nothing to mask the sound of her laughter but he couldn't think about it now. He didn't have the luxury of thinking about how she had shattered his heart. He had to focus on flying full speed ahead down this mountain, otherwise-
"Shit!" he yelled as he just barely missed colliding with someone. He veered off to the side and finally slowed to a crawl at the base of the slope. That was close… I've gotta get it together, he thought in frustration as his heart hammered in his chest.
A few hundred feet away, Megumi, Ryoko, and Yuki were resting on the benches outside the small eatery at the base of the mountain where skiers and snowboarders could grab a quick lunch to re-energize before heading back up.
Yuki continued chattering as she took a bite of her banana, "I'm just saying, Marui looked kinda cute this morning when we were on our shift together."
Ryoko giggled, "You've been saying stuff like that ever since you saw him shirtless. Are you sure you don't have a crush on him?
Yuki scoffed, "No way! I'm just appreciating the fact that we have a cutie in our midst!"
Megumi brought her hand to her chin and wondered, "Do you think it's because everyone made fun of him for being so weak during the Training Camp from Hell?"
"I don't know, but whatever it was, thank you!" Yuki called out to the sky as if praising god himself.
Ryoko pointed to something in the distance and said, "Is that Yukihira?" just as she caught sight of him almost crashing into someone.
Megumi immediately got up from the bench and squeaked in fear, "He's going to kill himself! I'm going to go stop him!"
"Do you really think that'll work? When has he ever listened to anyone when it comes to his crazy ideas?"
Megumi gave them an unexpectedly sly smile and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do!"
"Soma-kun, I didn't realize you were already doing black diamonds!"
Soma looked up as he heard the familiar voice, and he grinned. "Yo, Tadokoro! I didn't know you were out here! And yeah, might as well, right? We're leaving tomorrow and I haven't conquered the mountain yet!"
That's Soma-kun for you! Always trying his best in everything even when it's crazy! Megumi thought with admiration. "You're so brave! I'm going to try my hardest too!"
Soma gave her a thumbs up. "That's the spirit! Go get 'em!"
She began hustling towards the lift to the black diamond, and Soma stopped her. "Wait, you're not going up the same one I did, right?"
Megumi nodded with false determination, "Yes, I am! I want to prove that I can do it!"
"But you've just been doing the bunny slopes this whole time!"
"W-well, yes, but it's okay! I want to ski with you! And if I fall, I know you'll help me like you always do!"
Soma thought grimly, I can't help you from falling off the side of a cliff! He shook his head and proposed, "How about we do a green together instead?"
Megumi pretended to think about it and finally nodded, "Okay, that sounds like fun too!"
The pair began slowly making their way down the easier slopes while Megumi continued to get the hang of it. She could tell Soma's mind was elsewhere but having a deep conversation while hurdling down a mountain wasn't exactly doable. When they came to the bottom again and Soma pulled out the crumpled map in his pocket to check where they should go next, she finally voiced her concerns. "Is something wrong, Soma-kun? You seem distracted."
He plastered on his signature dopey smile and lied, "Course not! Why would anything be wrong?"
"W-well, for one thing, that map you've been studying is upside down…"
Soma noticed his error and let out a small chuckle. He wrestled with his feelings for a moment before confiding in his best friend. "Eh, caught me there, Tadokoro. I guess I'm having a bit of an issue…"
"Anything I can help with?"
He shuffled awkwardly in the snow before blurting out, "Ever felt like you're not good enough? Or like you're working towards an impossible goal?"
Megumi admitted in embarrassment, "Only all the time. Before you came along, my time at Tōtsuki was running out! It felt like no matter how much I studied and prepared I couldn't overcome my fear. Somehow I don't feel like you're talking about cooking though." The Soma she knew would never be overwhelmed by those challenges.
He shook his head, smiling wearily. "Nah, not really… it's girl problems." He said as he kicked the snow absentmindedly. Suddenly, he looked up at her and said incredulously, "But wait a second, you're a girl!"
Megumi felt like a pan had been dropped over her head. She merely sighed though; this was to be expected from her lovable, but obtuse, best friend. Honestly, it was nothing short of a miracle that he had finally realized his feelings for Erina.
"So, there's this girl, let's call her Sabrina… In the entire span of our friendship she's never shown any interest. In fact, you could say she downright hated me. But lately it's been confusing because she keeps sending me mixed signals."
Megumi couldn't hide the look of surprise on her face. Had Erina finally confessed her feelings to him? "What makes you think she's been showing signs of interest?"
Soma avoided eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck, saying, "A guy can just tell!"
Megumi said awkwardly, "No offense, Soma-kun, but you aren't always the most perceptive when it comes to girls' feelings. Did she say something to you?"
Soma kept his tone casual as he continued looking anywhere but her innocent yellow eyes. "There wasn't a lot of talking involved if you know what I mean…"
The naïve girl immediately gasped and plugged her ears with her fingers. "Soma-kun!"
Soma laughed, "Chill, Tadokoro! It wasn't that bad! Unless you count that one thing…"
"LALALA," she screamed over him while still plugging her ears.
"It's nothing you and Takumi won't be doing soon anyways," he teased, still laughing at her embarrassed state.
"Huh?!" She exclaimed with panic, finally dropping her hands to her sides. "How did you know about that?"
Shit. Soma had forgotten Erina told him not to tell anyone! "Uhh, I could just tell since it's totally obvious." Good save!
"WHAT?!" The blue-haired girl passed out in the snow, and Soma dropped to his knees, shaking her awake. "Tadokoro, stay with me! You still haven't given me advice yet!"
She finally woke up after a minute, still anxious from his previous statement, but she put her thinking cap back on. "Um, w-well, if you two are k-kissing, then that must mean she likes you! Wait, you like her too, right?"
Soma nodded, a quiet blush creeping up on his cheeks. "I don't just like her, Tadokoro. I love her. I want to be with her."
"Wow…" she murmured as she observed him thoughtfully. He wore the same look of determination he always did when he was cooking, and Megumi knew he would stop at nothing until he'd reached his goal: Erina. He had finally found the woman he wanted to cook for.
While Megumi had expected some remnants of jealousy to resurface, oddly enough, all she felt was happiness for her friend. It was cathartic to feel nothing but platonic love for the boy she'd been following around like a love-sick puppy for the better part of three years. She vowed to do everything in her power to help him as his friend.
"What did she say when you told her?" she asked with wide eyes.
Soma wavered and his voice raised an octave. "Uhh, I haven't actually told her how I feel yet."
Megumi's jaw dropped. She squeaked, "What?! Neither of you have admitted your feelings to each other? You've just been… doing stuff?!"
Soma defended himself hastily, "Well I thought my feelings were pretty clear! And besides, I'm not gonna confess just for her to laugh in my face and call me an idiot!"
Megumi brought a hand to her face in weariness. "Soma-kun, she would never do that. In fact, I have a creeping suspicion she probably feels the same way. Okay, so let me get this straight. If you love her, and she clearly 'reciprocated', then I don't understand what the issue is."
He shrugged listlessly, "She doesn't want to be with me."
"But you kissed! Of course she does!"
"Last night after the dinner, she told me we should just stay friends. It came out of nowhere. I thought we were both happy with our arrangement."
Megumi said, "Well, this is her first relationship and she's unsure as to where you stand! If neither of you have admitted your feelings or defined what this is, then it's probably very confusing for her! Also, 'Sabrina' is a woman of class and sophistication! Do you really think she would want to be in such a casual relationship with no established boundaries?"
Soma's head was reeling from all the insight. He ran a hand through his spiky hair and conceded, "Maybe. Jeez, you're making me think I really screwed this up, Tadokoro."
She giggled and patted him on the shoulder, "I think you'll be okay. You just need to express yourself. Even if you think your actions are enough, please remember girls need verbal affirmations!"
Soma nodded, "Got it! Thanks for the love lessons, Tadokoro! You ready for me to teach you now?" He nodded back towards the ski lift, itching to get another run in. Megumi agreed and began trekking over in her skis, but as soon as she picked up her foot, she and Soma both went tumbling to the ground! The pair had failed to notice that the entire time they'd been talking, her ski had been trapped under his snowboard!
Soma chuckled, inches away from Megumi's bright red face. "Let's hope Takumi didn't see that, eh?"
Before either of them could get up though, they heard a shriek! They turned their heads just in time to spot a streak of color whizzing past them. The person tried to fall into a controlled slide, a skid of snow flying in all directions, and her skis were thrown off her feet.
Soma quickly got up, helping Megumi as well, before walking over to check on the girl. "Yo, you alright? Looked like a nasty fall!" He offered his hand out in assistance, but the girl swatted it away. She tossed her helmet off causing long golden hair to spill out.
Soma gulped.
"Sabr- Ah, Erina! Are you okay?" Megumi asked as she dropped to her knees to assist her friend.
"I'm fine," she muttered, glaring at Soma while brushing the snow off her clothes.
"You sure?" He asked hesitantly. She seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. Little did he know, she had spotted him from the top of the mountain. Try as she might, she unconsciously began watching him out of the corner of her eye as she skied down. Curse that bright red hair! When she saw that he'd toppled over with Megumi, her feet couldn't help but follow her head, and that was how she'd found herself in a crumple, mere feet away from the man she'd most desperately wanted to avoid.
"Nakiri!" A voice called out from above them. Brad had skied down with ease and was now taking stock of the situation. "What happened back there?"
"I just lost my balance," she said as she stood up. When her right ankle touched the ground, she winced and yelped in pain. Everyone hurried to steady her, and Soma asked, "What's wrong? Did you hurt your leg?"
She tested it gingerly, scowling each time. "I'm fine," she lied through gritted teeth.
Brad shook his head, "You're not fine. You've probably got a sprained ankle. We should get you back down to the hotel."
The gondola ride back down to the base was awkward. Soma and Erina weren't speaking, the boys couldn't help but feel antagonistic towards each other, and Megumi felt the need to fill the uncomfortable silence by commenting on innocuous things she could see from their vantage point.
"Ah, look another bird!" Megumi prattled on nervously. "This one is bigger than the other one I pointed out!"
"You should really be more careful, Nakiri," Soma couldn't help but say when he noticed how tightly she was gripping her leg in pain.
She huffed, "I was fine! I've done that run dozens of times! I was distracted by something unseemly."
Brad said, "It happens. No worries, Nakiri, we'll have you bandaged up and good as new."
Soma was irked at how calm Brad seemed despite the fact that one of his students had gotten hurt. Why hadn't he been by her side when she'd fallen? "This seems like pretty run of the mill stuff for you, Brad. Do most of your students get hurt on your watch?"
Brad narrowed his eyes but said coolly, "I wouldn't say it happens a lot, but it does happen. This is a dangerous sport."
Soma shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "Maybe it's not so much the students and more about the teacher." Megumi and Erina gaped at his open hostility and were all too glad when the gondola touched ground. Erina would have thrown herself off were it not for the fact that she could barely walk. Sandwiching herself between the two men, she used them as crutches to hobble back to the lobby. Once they arrived, Brad immediately offered to take her up to her room.
Soma put a possessive hand on Erina's shoulder and frowned, "I can take her. Shouldn't you be filling some paperwork out saying one of your students got hurt under your supervision?"
He then turned to Megumi. "Can you let Hishoko know she's hurt? She'll probably have more first aid stuff than the front office."
Without warning, Soma picked Erina up bridal style and began carrying her towards the elevators. She shrieked in surprise and locked her arms around his neck to avoid falling, but she still kicked her good leg and protested in his arms. She was really about to give him a piece of her mind, but when he finally made eye contact with her, she found her breath had caught in her throat and she lost her nerve. She felt herself melting as he stared at her with those eyes that blazed like molten gold. She tried not to think about how the way he supported her with his strong grip made her feel safe. She almost felt like this was something out of a fairy tale. Except the prince doesn't usually kidnap the princess!
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Brad turned to Megumi and asked, "Are they together or somethin'? Nakiri made it seem like they weren't."
Megumi smiled weakly, "W-well, they're technically not, but their relationship is complicated… Soma-kun is very protective of her."
Brad frowned, "I can see that." He walked away to take care of the paperwork from her injury, and Megumi stared back at the elevator doors. Good luck, Soma-kun!
"Take off your pants."
"What?!"
Soma clarified, "Your snow pants! You don't want to get your bed all dirty!"
Erina's blush deepened as Soma made no signs to turn around. They both knew she had leggings on underneath but it was still inappropriate! She shuffled out of them as discretely as she could while supporting herself with one foot and finally kicked them off. She plopped down on the bed and awaited his next instructions. She didn't know why, since he had no medical training, but for whatever godforsaken reason, she felt safe in his care and trusted him to take charge of the situation.
"Okay, according to google, we have to use R.I.C.E." Soma said as he scrolled through his phone.
Erina exploded, "That's for when you drop your phone in water, not when you have a sprained ankle! Honestly Yukihira do you ever think of anything other than food?!"
Soma chuckled, "Not rice, R.I.C.E! Rest, ice, compression, elevation! Now where does Hishoko keep her first aid stuff?" He looked around the room to find a small bag tucked in the corner of the room. "Is this it?"
Erina shook her head, "Those are her clothes." She pointed towards the large suitcase next to the bag. "That's her first aid equipment."
Soma opened it up and whistled in appreciation at the array of medical and emergency supplies. "She really takes her job of keeping you safe seriously. But what the hell would she ever need a flare gun for?"
Erina giggled despite herself and shrugged, "It's important to be prepared!"
He sat on the edge of the bed and began propping pillows under her ankle, caring for her the way a boyfriend would. She murmured, "You don't have to stay here. Hisako will be here any minute to help me."
"I want to help. It's not like Brad was gonna do anything." He focused all his attention on wrapping her ankle with a compression bandage. "I guess our skiing competition is cancelled for tomorrow, huh?"
Erina insisted, "No, I'll be fine. A minor injury won't stop me from showing you who's truly the better athlete!"
Soma smirked, "Chill, Nakiri, there'll be plenty of times during the school year that you can challenge me to something. I'm not saying you'll win, but still. You just had to push yourself, didn't ya?"
"Perfection has no rest days."
He laughed, "Clearly. I didn't even know you had a lesson scheduled for today. Were you doing these every day?"
She grimaced as the cold ice pack touched her ankle. "No, I had to reschedule because of yesterday's dinner, remember?"
"Oh right. That was fun," Soma commented absentmindedly. At her confused look, he clarified, "The dinner! Cooking together. Not the… the other part."
Erina said uneasily, "Y-yes, that was fun. It felt like old times."
There was an awkward pause as they remembered their less than mutual breakup the night before. Soma exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, I know! We should keep it up when you open your own restaurant!"
"Huh?"
"Like we should do live improv cooking every once in a while! Or we could have Shokugekis! It'd be a huge crowd pleaser!"
Erina laughed, "You're really so desperate to experience public failure?"
Soma smirked, "You know me, I'm a masochist. Seriously, how fun would that be? It'd be like bringing a little bit of Tōtsuki back with us."
"How would that even work? You're not going to be in the country!"
He shrugged, "We'll do it whenever I come back! I'll try to give you like a week's notice so you can prepare since I know you'll need it."
She didn't imagine her elegant restaurant being well-suited for this type of rowdy event, but upon seeing the animated gleam in his eyes and charming smile, she caved as she always did when it came to this boy. At the very least, it was a promise that she would see him again, and that was all she needed. She sat up and flicked her hair over her shoulder, switching effortlessly into her princess persona. "I suppose it could be worthwhile to show my clients the full extent of my talent. I'd be remiss to pass up the opportunity to crush you yet again."
Soma, who was happy their usual banter hadn't been affected by their awkward situation, leaned in playfully, "Who's to say you'll win? You have no idea what I'll be capable of after traveling the world."
She cocked an eyebrow. "While I admit your skills have grown since our first year, who do you think is responsible for that growth? Your mentors? Your friends?"
The underlying tone in her voice suggested otherwise, and Erina grinned as her teasing had its intended effect. The adorably dumb look on Soma's face intensified as he mulled over her words, and she could see him following her train of thought. "You…"
She smiled like a cat who had finally had enough of toying with her prey. "Precisely. Your cooking evolution, which can be marginally attributed to you, is because of me. Had it not been for me, you would have been perfectly content with going back to Yukihira's. You wouldn't have the same drive or ambition you do now, nor the skills to attain those goals. If I were you, I'd be worried about being all on my own without my muse."
"You're right." The words escaped him before he'd even had a chance to think.
Erina stared at him in shock. She had only been messing with him; she didn't actually believe she was the only reason he'd grown as a chef. "Yukihira, I'm only teasing—" she started.
"Come with me." It wasn't a question, but a plea. He took her hands in his and stared into the amethyst eyes that had looked down on him the day they'd met. There was no contempt or disgust in her gaze though, only surprise. She breathed, "What are you talking about?"
"We can travel the world together, exploring new foods and cultures. Nakiri, I—"
The sudden rattling of the doorknob stopped him, and she stole her hands back just in time for Hisako to enter the room looking shaken. "Erina! I'm so glad you're okay! Y-Yukihira, what are you still doing here?"
He looked at Erina and gave her a small smile, hoping it conveyed what needed to be said. "Just making sure she was good until you came."
"Oh. Well that was very kind of you, thank you," she said distractedly as she eyed Erina's ankle, checking his handiwork.
"Yes, th-thank you, Yukihira," Erina added in a small voice.
With that, he picked himself up off the bed and left the room. He murmured to himself, "What are friends for?"
He was this close to telling her how he really felt! Why was the universe conspiring against him on this vacation? And what would her answer have been to his proposal?
Something else was tugging at the back of his mind. If Erina truly did have feelings for him, there was no way she would suggest they see other people… right?
"Oi, when an ex says they're cool with you dating new people, is that true?" Soma asked Takumi and Megumi as they worked the dinner shift together.
Takumi shrugged as he chopped some potatoes, "Depends on the person I guess."
Megumi quickly but quietly whispered in Takumi's ear that he was talking about Erina, and Takumi dropped his knife and blurted out, "Wait, you're referring to Nakiri? Absolutely not! Do not under any circumstances go out with someone else if she told you to!"
Soma looked baffled. "Why not?!"
"Because girls are beautiful and gentle creatures, but they are incredibly complex! No offense, Tadokoro!" he assured Megumi hurriedly.
She nodded, "Listen to Takumi-kun! The last thing she wants is for you to go out with someone else."
Soma frowned, "That God's Tongue is so annoying. It never lets her say the things she actually wants to say!" This was exactly like how she'd never admit his food was delicious! So fucking frustrating!
A waiter appeared, calling out from the door, "Yukihira, you've got a customer wanting to speak to you! Table 6."
Probably paying compliments to the chef! Soma thought smugly. He walked up to the table and said a silent Fuck you to the universe upon finding none other than Brie waiting there for him.
"What's up? Come to compliment me on my excellent service tonight?"
She batted her eyelashes and gave him a sweet smile. "Well, yes, and I was hoping to cash in that rain check from the other night. You promised to teach me to cook something!"
Soma hesitated. Both Megumi and Takumi had warned him not to go out with Brie, but this didn't seem like a date! She was just asking him for help with cooking, and he was a chef!
"Uh, okay, you free in a few minutes? My shift's almost over."
She nodded excitedly, "I'll be here! Come get me when you're done."
Soma returned to the kitchen with his tail between his legs, and began, "So, I know you guys said NOT to go out with Brie-"
Takumi and Megumi both groaned and exclaimed, "What did you do?"
"Nothing! I didn't ask her out! Buuuut she wants me to teach her how to cook. I'm just gonna show her a super basic recipe and we'll be done."
"You're playing with fire," Takumi warned him as he went back to his potatoes.
Megumi murmured, "Oh, Soma-kun. I hope you know what you're doing…"
Meanwhile, Hisako had ordered Erina to stay in bed for the rest of the day. She had provided everything she could possibly need: the number for room-service, extra fluffy pillows, the latest work from her favorite author, and a relaxation CD! Yet despite having everything she could possibly want, she was too restless to lie in bed all day.
Erina changed the channels without bothering to actually see what was on TV. She scrolled through her newsfeed until there was nothing new. She played Solitaire on the bed. This is so boring!
Very gently, she got out of bed and tested her ankle. It hurt, but not enough to keep her holed up on the last night in the hotel. But what would she do? Erina had forced Hisako to go out with Hayama because if she had stayed, she was certain the well-meaning girl would have driven her crazy with her worrying. Alice was out with Ryo as usual, claiming she wanted to "paint the town red" before they left.
She could ask Soma to hang out, but no, it was too hard to be friends right now. Especially after his latest idea… What was he thinking, asking her to travel the world with him? Was he actually insane?
Her mind and heart were at odds when it came to trusting the redhead, and she didn't know which part of her would win. Feeling too conflicted, she went to the only place that still made sense to her.
Erina could hear voices from inside the kitchen, and she pushed the doors open to find Soma and Brie standing over the workstation with a few bowls.
"The trick is not to overmix," Soma was explaining as he coated some shrimp in tempura batter.
Erina cleared her throat to make her presence known. Soma and Brie looked up, and she smiled coldly at both of them. "Getting in a late night snack, Yukihira?"
"Y-yo, Nakiri," Soma greeted her much less confidently than usual. Her piercing stare was literally chilling his bones.
Brie, on the other hand, loved the attention, and she greeted the princess with false sweetness.
Soma could sense the tension in the air, and he explained, "I, uh, was just teaching Brie to make some easy recipes since she asked."
"But we're having such a blast, aren't we?" She asked him as she patted his arm flirtatiously.
Erina sent a glare that shaved ten years off her life, and for the first time since they'd met, Brie felt more than a little intimidated. She'd thought Erina was nothing more than a dainty princess, used to getting her way because she was spoiled. Suddenly though, it was like she was seeing her for the first time: an Empress who wielded more power than she knew what to do with.
Brie muttered, "We were almost done though if you wanted to use the kitchen."
Erina said in a challenging tone, "No, please continue. I didn't mean to interrupt. Yukihira is our top student, after all. You're in good hands."
She backed out of the kitchen and made her way back towards the elevators as quickly as she could with her injured leg. She heard the creak of the restaurant doors swinging open behind her, but she didn't turn around. The last thing she wanted was to see his face. She frantically pushed the up button a million times before it finally took heed of her request, and just as Erina spotted a white bandana waving in her direction to hold the elevator, the doors finally closed.
Soma returned to the kitchen dejectedly. He apologized to Brie for taking off so suddenly and continued through the motions of preparing the food with minimal interaction. Once it was finished, Brie took a bite and her world exploded with flavor. "Wow," she gushed, "This is incredible! Who knew such an easy dish could be so delicious!" She continued to shower him with praise, but Soma's mind was elsewhere.
"Listen, I gotta head out," he said as he began cleaning up their dishes.
Brie sighed and propped her chin up on her hand as she leaned over the workstation. "You're chasing after her?"
Soma nodded.
"Listen, I know I barely know you, but I think you deserve better. When I asked about you two the other day, she made it pretty clear she didn't have feelings for you."
Soma felt a sharp pain in his heart. Is that true? But he shook his head, trying to convince himself more than her. "Nakiri's always been like that. She says stuff she doesn't mean and never says what she really feels. It drives me crazy but…"
"But you love her."
He nodded again.
Brie took a bite of another crunchy shrimp tempura and rolled her eyes. "Then what are you waiting for? Go get her."
Erina found herself alone on the hotel rooftop. The usually lively and packed rooftop was now deserted due to the cold, but Erina preferred it this way. She was looking over the edge at the brightly lit street below her. She liked watching the cars drive by and the people walk hand in hand. She liked the way the freezing air numbed her lungs. She liked the way the night sky provided the cover of darkness she needed to cry. But at the first tear that rolled down her cheek, she wiped it away instantly.
There's no point in being sad, Erina, she scolded herself. You brought this on yourself. Honestly, what were you thinking?! You knew he was leaving and yet you still got involved. You'll find love again! Albeit, nothing as passionate or real as this was, but who really gets that happy ending?
Her depressing reflections were interrupted by the sound of the heavy metal door opening on the opposite side of the rooftop.
"Hey."
Her heart lurched. Slowly, she turned around to see Soma staring at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. She asked, "How did you know I was here?"
"I saw the elevator let you off on the top floor. I thought you were in your room, so I knocked and no one answered. Honestly I thought you were just ignoring me. I came out here to get some fresh air."
"I see." She turned back around to look over the edge again. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your date?"
Soma sighed and made his way over to Erina. He leaned against the railing and clarified, "It wasn't a date. I told you I was just teaching her a recipe."
"So you say," she commented sourly.
He looked at her in confusion. "Why are you so pissed? You're the one who broke up with me."
"Wha-? We didn't 'break up' because we were never going out!"
"Okay, so if we were never going out, why are you so mad?!"
"I'm not mad!" she practically screamed.
Soma was beyond irritated. She was doing that thing again where she was lying about her feelings. He couldn't help but raise his voice right back, "Oh that's right, I forgot; this is just your natural state when it comes to me! You're always annoyed when I'm around! I'm telling ya, Nakiri, I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much."
She scoffed and began counting on her fingers, "Hmm, let's see, you're late to everything, you're annoyingly cocky, you lack sophistication and tact..."
Soma smirked, "Is that all?"
She stomped her foot, whirled around to face him, and exclaimed, "No! You're reckless, irresponsible, have no respect for authority…"
Soma laughed heartily and held his arms open as if to welcome her tirade. At least she was being honest! He yelled back, "Let it all out, Nakiri! Don't hold back anything on my account!"
"When have I ever?!" she screamed as she took a step forward.
He mirrored her movements and asked, "If you hate me so much then why did you kiss me?! You shouldn't mess with a guy's mind like that!"
She poked him roughly in the chest and fumed, "That's rich coming from you! You're the one constantly teasing me and making me think you feel things for me when I should know better! You're a no-good womanizer who's planning on leaving the second we graduate!"
Soma shook his head in confusion but continued to yell, "What does me leaving have to do with anything?!"
She ignored him though and continued ranting, completely unaware of her volume and words. At this point she was on a roll and had no intention of stopping. She screamed loud enough for the people down on the street to hear her. "I hate you so much, Yukihira! I hate the way you come to our meetings late and never ever finish your paperwork on time! I hate the way you treat everything so carelessly, even the important things!"
She began pacing in place and running her hands through her hair in frustration.
"I hate how I can spot your stupid hair in a crowd or hear your laughter down the hallway, but most of all I hate how my stomach twists into a million knots when I do!"
She was tearing up at this point, and Soma was so confused. He softened his voice a little, "Nakiri."
She looked him straight in the eyes and admitted, voice quivering but loud nonetheless, "I hate how jealous I get when other girls talk to you. I hate how insecure and vulnerable I feel around you. I never feel that way around anyone. I'm Erina Nakiri, the literal Queen of the cooking realm, and I actually get nervous when YOU, a nobody from a diner, eats my food!" She began laughing hysterically at the sheer ludicrousness.
"Nakiri!" he repeated, trying to interject, but she wouldn't have it.
"But most of all, Soma Yukihira, I hate how you somehow managed to make me fall in love with you!"
"ERINA!"
At the sound of him addressing her by her first name so forcefully, her mouth snapped shut, and she finally acknowledged the boy she'd been ranting about at the top of her lungs. Her heart was pounding and her hands were trembling, but her soul felt like it was on fire.
Soma was staring at her critically. His fists were clenched and his jaw was locked. "Are you done?"
She nodded timidly, a contrasting move to her brazen outburst from moments before.
In an instant, he closed the distance between them with two short steps, and his lips found hers before his hands had even made their mark. He dug his fingers in her hair as he kissed her with urgency; she responded in kind by gripping the sides of his face with a sense of desperation she didn't even know she felt. Finally, she thought hungrily as she gripped his sweater and walked him backwards until he hit a patio chair. He fell into the chair and she straddled him, never taking her lips off his. It had been 24 hours since their last kiss, far too long in Erina's opinion. They were pressed against each other so tightly she could've sworn she felt his heart beating on time with hers.
Soma pulled away and gently cupped Erina's face. The way the moonlight reflected in her eyes and the gentle falling of snow around them was something he would never forget. She was clearly frustrated that he'd pulled away, which made the image all the cuter in his opinion, but he couldn't let another second go by without saying it now.
"Erina Nakiri, I love you too."
