Yukihira Jouichirou whistled as he gazed up at the sleek glass tower that was the new Shiomi research building. After slipping past a few students and junior faculty in lab coats, he took the elevator to the top floor where he assumed his old schoolmate's office would be.

He found her puttering around a table lined with various dried herbs and spices, with a pink-haired infant cradled in one arm and a tablet in the other.

"Gin, you're early," she said once she heard footsteps on the black vinyl tiles. "I still have to finish my notes and put this girl down for her nap."

"So the rumors are true then, eh Shiomi?" Jouichirou said with a broad smirk. "I was starting to worry you and Gin would be alone forever."

"S-Saiba-senpai!" Shiomi turned around swiftly, knocking over one of the mortar and pestles behind her and sending a curry blend scattering. "W-what are you—that isn't. I mean, you've got it wrong. And mind your business at any rate!"

She then seemed to notice the mess behind her and started flailing spectacularly.

"I guess some things can't be helped, even with the fancy new lab. It's been awhile; how've you been?"

For a moment smoke seemed to be coming out of Shiomi's ears over some combination of the teasing, the spilled spices, and his sudden arrival, but then she just exhaled. "Honestly, I've been great. You?"

"Can't complain. Just flew in from Nairobi and decided to drop by."

Jun merely shook her head at him. "I'll put on some tea."

"So this is Hayama's second brat?" Jou asked once they were on the couch in her parlor, drinking what was perhaps the best masala chai he'd ever encountered.

Jun nodded, rubbing the baby's back. "Her name is Junko."

"After grandma?"

This made Shiomi flush. "Well, technically I'm not really her grandmother. Not that she and Akane aren't like grandchildren to me, but technically because Professor Hayama was the one who adopted—"

"Is she trying to deny her granddaughters again?" Gin asked as he walked in, hanging up his jacket on a hook so automatically that it was clear he stopped by a lot.

"Not you too!" Shiomi sighed. "Anyway, how is the search going?"

Gin ran a hand down the length of his face. "There are a few strong candidates, but unfortunately none at Megumi's level."

"Megumi's leaving the tourism department?" Jou asked.

"She's having twins," Dojima said simply. "Her family plans to stay in Florence permanently."

"Her too, huh? And didn't Soe get another grandkid?"

"Just last month," Dojima confirmed, accepting the cup of tea Shiomi passed his way. "I sent you six reminders to call and congratulate them."

Jou shrugged. "They must've gotten lost in my email."

"That wouldn't happen if you actually checked your email at regular intervals like a real adult! When are you going to—"

"Gin, your blood pressure," Shiomi said firmly, placing a hand on his arm.

Gin adjusted his tie and continued glaring at Jouichirou, but ultimately put the tirade to rest.

"...So are you two getting married or what?"

"Saiba-senpai!

"Jun, do not throw the sugar bowl at him, as much as he may deserve it."

Once it was established that neither of them intended to cause him bodily harm in the immediate future, civil conversation resumed.

"Did you see that new paper Marui Zenji published in the Journal of Culinary Research?" Gin asked.

Shiomi nodded proudly. "It was excellent. And he's done a great job leading the food history seminar since Professor Miyazato retired. He'll get tenure this year for sure."

"Well deserved," Gin said. "And it's great timing. After all, Yuki has another child on the way."

"Wait, them too?" Jouichirou said, drawing upon fuzzy memories of the couple from his times visiting the dorm while Souma was in school. "When are Souma and Erina going to get on with it already?"

Gin and Jun exchanged a knowing look then, and Jun adjusted her hold on her granddaughter.

"What's with that look?"

Gin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If you're going to ask for more grandchildren, you need to be around to help them more, not gallivanting around the world like you're still twenty-five years old."

"He's right, you know," Jun said. "I took a sabbatical last year to help out when Hisako was pregnant with this one. Even now, I'm only doing research this semester so I can watch her whenever those two have to travel overseas."

Jouichirou waved off their admonishments. "Souma knows I'll help them out whenever they ask."

Shiomi only sighed, shaking her head at him. "Saiba-senpai, they never ask. You have to make yourself available; make it seem like you have nothing else going on. That's the only way people their age accept help. Trust me, I know."

Jouichirou considered her words. "Spoken like the wise granny figure you're turning out to be. You've even got some gray hairs coming in if you look close enou—"

At this point, Shiomi promptly handed baby Junko over to Gin and slapped Jouichirou into the following week.

Summary: Thanks for reading, everyone! I've always imagined a fun dynamic between these three, and I think Jouichirou can be as dense as his son in some ways, so this drabble gets into that a bit. I might write another one like this with Soe and Leonora trying to lecture Mana, but I'm not sure yet. Also...Jun x Gin is a rare pair of mine. I feel like a romance could develop between them later in life, when he's headmaster of Totsuki (because I never liked the idea of Erina taking over at sixteen) and she's a senior faculty member at the academy.