Hey I'm back! The last chapter was just an intro. This will be the first one and it takes place during the Moon Banquet Festival. Enjoy!
"Soma-kun, why are we going to Nakiri-sans booth?" Megumi asked curious.
"I have to bring these financial reports to her real quick. I also have some black pepper buns for her" Soma stated.
"You really mellowed when it comes to Nakiri-san haven't you?" Megumi teased.
"Tsk. She's still the same spoiled princess from when we were kids" Soma responds.
What Megumi said was true though. Soma and Erina cooperated more when cooking and had occasional conversations. They still argued a lot though.
Soma finished his work as an Elite Ten Member in the Moon Festival placing third in their area just below Erina. Which irritated Soma a lot.
Soma and Megumi enter the booth to see Hisako collecting dirty plates.
"Hey Hisako how's it going? Is Erina's booth doing fine?" Soma asked as he walked in
"Everything's going fine Soma-kun thanks for asking" Hisako replied with a smile as she sets down the plates.
Erina and Soma might of gone off in the wrong foot but Hisako didn't mind Soma. They established a good friendship with each other. Hisako didn't like how Erina and Soma treated each other though.
Suddenly there is a commotion in the F.O.H.
"Sounds like someone came, all the guests with reservations arrived already though." Hisako says confused as she goes out the kitchen.
Soma puts down his paper work and black pepper buns in a desk so Erina can collect it later. He then joins Hisako in the F.O.H only to see a terrible surprise.
"Its been a while Erina" Nakiri Azami says.
ZAQ - Braver
Soma knew who he was. He knew what Azami did to his childhood nemesis and it was one of the reasons he wanted to be friendly with Erina but just couldn't. He suddenly felt a burst of anger and a dark aura surrounded him. Meanwhile Erina was trying not to faint after seeing her father.
"What are you doing here?" Soma asks in a very cold tone Erina is surprised to hear.
"Hello Soma-kun it's been a while" Azami says as if he didn't do anything before to hurt his own daughter.
Soma doesn't say anything as he know her father has a lot of power even though he was kicked from the Nakiri family.
Azami suddenly walks out for some reason only to be surrounded by a bunch of black cars and Senzaemon.
"Nakamura Azami! You are banned from Totsuki! I told you to never step foot in the place forever!" Senzaemon shouted angered.
"Ah, father I was just about to see you. It is terrible how much this place had fallen." Azami responds calmly.
"Totsuki is a school best known for casting out the weak, showing no mercy. Only collecting the best ones." Senzaemon explains.
"Totsuki will now become a school where no chef will be cast out or swallowed by the storm! This is true gourmet!" Azami retorts.
"Oh? How will you do that? There is no way I'm just giving you the headmaster spot this easily" the current headmaster says
"I believe you will after you see this" Azami responds excited for Senzaemon's reaction.
"What..." Sezaemon says shocked and betrayed.
"6 out of 10 Elite Ten members agree there needs to be a new director" the soon to be headmaster says.
Erina wells up in tears thinking why her childhood nemesis would do this but when she looks at Soma she sees a shocked, surprised, and angered? expression.
Soma meanwhile was not notified of this and was furious thinking Azami will use Erina again for his own good, not thinking about his daughter.
"Kinokuni Nene, Saito Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Megishima Tosuke, Kobayashi Rindou, Tsukasa Eishi, have voted to put me as headmaster" Azami says in a tone expressing evil and coldness.
(Im sorry Megishima but Soma took Eizan's seat)
A part if Erina is relieved her childhood nemesis wasn't part of the vote but her body is focusing on what her father will do to her and she is scared.
Senzaemon kneels on the floor in defeat while everyone is shocked over what just happened.
"Oi brat you have a special guest in your room" Fumio says to Soma.
"A guest? This late at night?" Soma thought as he walks up to his room.
"Senzaemon-dono? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Soma asks while seeing the former headmaster flexing in his room and bowing a bit.
"Hello Soma-kun I'd like to talk to you outside for a bit" he says.
They walk outside and talk about random stuff until they get to topic.
"Im gonna save Erina" Soma suddenly states surprising Senzaemon but he also understands since they mellowed to each other.
"You may get expelled for this Soma-kun" Senzaemon says.
"I know where her room is I just need something to climb up with on the balcony" Soma responds ready for anything.
"There should be a shed nearby next to the back door, it should have a ladder in it too. Make sure nobody is around when doing this besides Erina and make sure to be quiet unless you want to be caught." Senzaemon explains.
"Thanks Gramps but now that I'm thinking about it doesn't Azami know me? He should let me talk to Erina right?" Soma asks thinking of alternative ways to save Erina.
"Azami cut of every form of communication from the outside world, thats why you didn't see her as much when you were kids. I fear he plans to do it again. You could ask but he didn't even let Erina's cousin Alice speak to her" Senzaemon says as he thinks about Erina's horrible past.
"I see, I think I should be ready for this Gramps" Soma says confidently.
"I hope your ready, you can still reconsider this because we don't want a young talented chef like you getting expelled do we?" the former headmaster says.
"Im ready for anything" the 9th seat said.
"Alice is gone, Hisako is gone, even S-S-Soma-kun is gone. All I have is father" Erina says while trembling on her bed.
"What will I do now?"
Outside we see a redheaded boy in a black hoodie jumping over the Nakiri Mansion's gate. He scans the area to make sure he is alone.
"Alright, so Gramps said the shed should be next to the back door" Soma thinks.
He spots the back door and shed through the dark night easily. However there is a lock on it.
"Shit theres a lock, good thing I have a lock pick with me" Soma mutters to himself.
Soma's dad trained him not just cooking but many things like lock picking as well. Soon Soma opens the shed door and takes out the ladder.
"There it is." He says.
He then looks up behind him holding the ladder and sees Erina's room he quickly scans the area again making sure nobody is around.
Soma puts the ladder against the balcony railing and starts climbing up to Erina's room. He scans Erina's dark room and sees her on her bed alone.
"Erina! Erina!" Soma shouts while keeping quiet also. She doesn't here him at first so then "Erina-chan!" He says.
Erina looks up from her bed and sees her redheaded nemesis on her balcony.
"S-Soma-kun what are you doing here?" Erina asks surprised.
"Come on let's get you out of this hellhole Erina! I know a place for you to stay" Soma says.
Erina thinks about it and Soma is right. She wants to escape from her father.
"O-okay then" Erina says. "Where are we going though"
"Just follow me. Go down the ladder first" Soma says as he climbs down.
After Erina climbs down he quietly pits the ladder back in the shed and closes the door.
"Here I'll boost you over the fence" Soma says
"Okay but you better not look up!" Erina retorts
"Don't worry princess it's not like something I haven't seen anyway" Soma says while rolling his eyes.
Erina blushes while hearing this and climbs over the fence. Soma then climbs over as well and they start running all the way to Polar Star Dormitory with Erina following him.
"Wait. I need a break" Erina says while trying to catch her breath.
"Sure, there's a bench over there" Soma points as he sits down patting the side of the bench giving way for Erina.
Shortly after they sit down Erina asks "Why would you rescue me Soma-kun?"
Soma sighs "Erina-chan we may be nemeses and we may not like each other but I still care about you"
Erina was surprised by what he said.
"Thank you, Soma-kun for this" Erina says while blushing.
"Don't worry about it, for now we should get to my dorm before we get caught" he says
"My legs feel cramped from all that running they hurt for some reason" Erina says while holding her leg.
"Not as athletic as me huh Erina-chan?" Soma teases.
"Urusai Soma-kun!" Erina retorts.
Soma gets up from the bench and extends his arms.
"Here I'll carry you to the dorm" Soma offers.
Erina starts blushing furiously but its the best thing to do right now and she nods.
Soma picks her up from the bench and starts walking the long train to Polar Star.
Erina also wraps her arms around Soma's neck and snuggles her head in his shirt. Soma then starts blushing along with Erina but he just goes along with it.
And for the first time in a while, Erina is smiling.
nano.RIPE - Kyoko JitsuJitsu
Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be released soon!