Eight years later, Alice is curious about Akira Hayama's mystery girlfriend.


Akira Hayama opened the door with a groan. He had learned to know exactly who it would be now, at this specific time of the year. "Ugh, you two never miss a year, don't you?"

Outside were Alice and Ryo, the former smiling widely at Akira. "Of course we don't! I'd hate to break the Lab Coat Three tradition!"

Alice walked into Shiomi Seminar, very much familiar with the building, humming along a little tune as she did. "We brought snacks too, as usual!" she said.

And they did indeed, with Ryo holding onto a tote bag with this year's Lunar Festival print on it, and munching on some skewered squid they bought from one of the stalls.

It had been some eight years since their first Lunar Festival, and after graduating, Alice had made a habit of showing up at the Shiomi Seminar every Lunar Festival, to "commemorate the day the Lab Coat Trio was founded", or so she says. Some years, it was the only time they even saw each other.

Over time, the run-down, barely standing Shiomi Seminar has changed into a well-kept and well-built building, thanks to the efforts of Akira. Akira groaned, acting as if he was annoyed by the sudden visit, yet he lead them to the newly renovated kitchen anyway.

"Oohh! How fancy. It almost rivals the one at our office now!" Alice remarked, as she looked around the kitchen, tugging on Ryo's sleeve and excitedly pointing at the shiny new kitchen. "Someone's been earning well!"

"That's almost an insult coming from someone who's the newly appointed director of a company," Akira said, referring to Alice. He began taking out some pots and pans, spices, and readying the stove. Ryo looked around and found the pantry cabinet and fridgee, taking out some vegetables and meat.

"My own company? Goodness, no!" Alice said. "It's just a satellite branch of Nakiri International. Dad still owns the company, of course." She found the food 3D printer she had left in Akira's care a few years back, and started fumbling with the settings.

Like clockwork, the three worked together to recreate their Lunar Festival Chocolate Curry. This too, was part of the yearly tradition. Akira, as usual, was in charge of the curry sauce and rice. Ryo dealt with the meat and vegetables. Alice worked on the chocolate sculptures. It was truly a collaborative work between the three of them, resulting in a curry with an aroma that only Akira Hayama could make, with a deep, rich flavor that was well-known for Ryo Kurokiba, and a whimsical twist that was very Alice Nakiri.

Alice, however, was quickly distracted as soon as she was satisfied that the 3D printer was still running well and good. She skipped on over to Akira's side, who was busy at the stove.

"Is your wife home right now?" Alice asked, curiously peering at the sauce that Akira was making. She noted the silver engagement band on his ring finger.

"I don't have a wife, Alice," Akira said, almost impatiently. "We're not married yet."

"But you're engaged! That's basically the same thing!" Alice said, pouting. "Right, Ryo-kun?"

"...Not quite right, miss," Ryo said, rythmically chopping vegetables. "I believe the right term is fiancee."

"Whatever, they're gonna get married eventually! Those are just insignificant labels!" Alice said, and Akira wasn't sure if he imagined it, but Ryo looked disgrutled at that statement, lips tugging down ever so slightly into a frown. After all, Alice's absolute lack of value for "insignificant labels" was what gave Ryo a hard time trying to date her all these years.

"So?" Alice said, blinking expectantly at Akira. "When are you going to introduce us?"

"When the stars and our schedules align," Akira answered.

Alice pouted. "Our schedules haven't aligned for the past three years, Akira! You could at least show us a photo, or, like post a picture of her on instagram or something!"

"Some people prefer to be private with their personal lives, miss," Ryo said, to Alice, who was now whining and tugging on Akira's arm.

"I knooow, Ryo-kun! But we're his buddies, so I deserve to know!"

"Can you not--?!" Akira struggled with the pot of sauce and ladle, as Alice kept bugging him in his usual fashion. "Fine! I'll post a picture of her if you post a picture with your boyfriend! That should be fair, right?"

That made Alice simmer down. She pouted once more, but it was a more sheepish one now, as she glanced at said boyfriend who was busy looking after the curry rice. Akira knew that Alice and Ryo were already dating long ago, but the rest of the world didn't know that yet. Of course, anyone had to be oblivious if they thought all that was between Alice and Ryo was a professional relationship... but the way the two danced around the topic and didn't outright confirm they were dating made things confusing for everyone around them.

"Can't do it, right?" Akira said, to Alice. "See what I mean? Some things are just better off private when it's not the right time yet. I don't need to be so public about my relationship, you know. I'm sure you understand that, right?"

"Hmph!" Alice huffed, stomping a foot on the ground, before she returned to the 3D printer.


When the curry was done, they helped themselves, sitting in the Shiomi Seminar couch, catching up with each other. Akira brought out the mediterrenean liquor he'd picked up on his last overseas trip, and poured some for them.

"Can't believe we almost got expelled if it weren't for this dish," Ryo said, as he ate up with the two. "It took you so long to decide on a damn dish, miss."

"Huh, all that matters is we pulled through eventually!" Alice said. "We'd better go down in history as Lunar Festival legends! We did shoot up to the third place in sales in one day."

"I wanted to kill you!" Akira said, to Alice. And to Ryo, he asked, "Is she still as indecisive as hell?"

"She's improved... A bit," Ryo said. Being Branch Director meant Alice had to be a lot more decisive about many things now. "Still terrible when shopping, though. And she still cries."

"Hey now! What do you mean, 'a bit'?! Haven't I come a long way?!" Alice pouted, as she started hitting Ryo on the shoulder.

Akira looked at them, feeling slightly amused and nostalgic. Their hairstyles were different--Alice's hair was much longer, and Ryo's much shorter--but there were many ways in which they haven't changed at all. Some things never change between Alice and Ryo, for good and bad, Akira thought.

"Aren't you gonna turn in your resignation yet, Kurokiba?" Akira asked. "Still working as this nutcase's aide? You two are still dating, right? You've got to change the dynamic between the two of you somehow."

Ryo only grumbled and shrugged, as if not knowing how to answer that question. There were just far too many things to consider, rumors and gossip that would spread, and even the potential of investors backing away from Nakiri International if they ever found out Alice was dating her secretary, of all people.

"...I haven't figured out how to do that yet," Ryo said.

"Easy. Step one, tell her parents," Akira said, and the certainty in his voice almost made Alice and Ryo convinced that he had this detailed gameplan in his head for years, for reasons that only God knows. "Step two, tell your good friends. Step three, Ryo quits the whole aide thing. Promote him to... boyfriend, or something. And then, get married."

"Easier said than done," Ryo mumbled as he stuffed his mouth with curry.

Alice, however, downed her wine and slammed the glass down, nodding enthusiastically. "That sounds like a plan! Ryo! Let's get married!"

"No," Ryo said, instantly. He quickly looked over Alice to determine if she was already drunk, and Akira seemed to be thinking the same, hiding the bottle behind his chair.

"Why noooot??" Alice linked her arm with Ryo's, clinging onto him. "I thought you loved me!"

"I do," Ryo said. "But, that wedding is going to be hell."

"What?!" Alice quickly let go of him, slapping him on his arm. "Ryo! You're so mean! What are you talking about?!"

Akira knew exactly what Ryo was talking about. "You're going to keep changing your mind about the flowers, the dress, the reception menu..." Akira started, no doubt having flashbacks of their school days.

"...the cake. The guest list," Ryo continued. "You might even change your mind about getting married at the last minute, miss."

Akira chuckled. "She's totally going to leave you at the altar, Kurokiba."

"I've considered the possibility, yes," Ryo said. "Gonna have to make sure she has nowhere to run to when that day comes."

"You guys are so mean!" Alice fumed. "You! I haven't left your for twenty damn years, and you seriously think I'll just abandon you?!" And then she pointed an accusing finger at Akira. "And you! I have kept in contact with you for more than ten! You're terrible at keeping in touch with our other batchmates, you know!"

The two guys chuckled. Despite her antics, Alice was right. She was the glue that held the lab coat trio together. Alice Nakiri could be damn annoying, but for all the right reasons.

"We weren't wrong though," Ryo said, after a mouthful of curry. "Miss, I'm banning you from planning your wedding. Hayama and I will handle it."

Alice gave a massive pout, and Akira gave a long groan. "The hell are you roping me in this for? That day's going to be a trainwreck, and I'd rather stay the hell away from that."

"If you actually let her plan it with me... We might actually break up. And it'd be your fault."

"Way to guilt-trip a man, dude," Akira said. "But fine. It's going to be done a hell lot faster with us both anyway."

"I am not going to stand for any of this!" Alice said, getting up from her seat, and pointing a confrontative finger at Ryo. "You. Me. Shokugeki. Now!"

"Sure," Ryo put aside his plate of curry without hesitation, getting up from his own seat. "The theme's going to be curry."

"Hey, what the--" Akira got up as well, as soon as the two started heading off to the Shiomi Seminar kitchen without so much a glance at him. "At least ask me for permission, dammit!"


Akira Hayama groaned as he woke up the next day, nursing a little headache as he stayed up way too late the night before, trying to mediate between Alice and Ryo who had abruptly started a food war... which for some reason ended up into a drinking match between him and Ryo after they tried to placate a whining Alice when she lost the food war. The bottle of wine he brought out that night--and two more--all vanished mysteriously. He doesn't even remember why he ever thought he could out-drink Ryo.

His phone suddenly buzzed from his bedside, and Akira picked it up, expecting a message from his girlfriend. But oddly, it was Alice, linking him to a post on her social media, along with a message that said: "Now you'll tell me who your girlfriend is, okay?!"

Akira opened the post in her link. It was a photo on her instagram, showing her holding hands with someone so conveniently cut off from the frame, and a caption that simply read, "going out with a special someone!"

There was no obvious indicator of who the man she was with could be--no visible jewelry or watch or mark, just a plain black sleeve. But of course, Akira knew that it was obviously Ryo. He'd seen that black shirt a dozen times already.

Akira only smiled, and sighed. He keyed in a response, sending her a picture with his girlfriend, likewise conveniently cut off from the frame, face barely visible and covered by her hair.

Alice was not very pleased by this, and spent the rest of her afternoon trying to theorize on who the mystery woman was.


a/n: Who is Hayama's mystery woman? We'll never know... But I was quite surprised seeing him have a wedding ring on the timeskip. Hayama, of all people!

also, obviously, I've become far too busy with work nowadays. I don't know if I can spend as much time on writing as I used to.

With that, I'll try to wrap up this fic and try to set up an ending in the next coming chapters, and finish the drafts I have on hand just so it's all out there. Some of the chapters / ficlets might be super short, or really indulgent, but I'd rather get them out there than sit on them for too long and then forget them.

If there's anything else you still want to see in this fic, please leave a review and I'll do my best to fit it in before I try to end it. Let me know if you're still here!