Chapter 7 - The Great Battle of Kakamura

Erina stood up and stretched. Today had been pretty uneventful so far - they'd woken up together, and hidden under the covers away from the light of the sun, waiting for the hangover to dissipate.

After getting up, Erina had looked for Hisako and found a note, explaining that she had gone already (presumably to give them some space) and had also left a small box, containing something that made Erina rather embarrassed at it's insinuation. She went downstairs and went to the kitchen somewhat lethargically, made some bacon sandwiches - she was feeling a little frustrated that this is all someone of her ability could muster while her the room was still not quite steady to her, but it didn't seem to bother Soma one bit, who wolfed it down hungrily, saying it was one of the best things he'd ever eaten. An insult about his lack of class had come to mind, but she held back, instead choosing to see this as a valuable lesson, that food wasn't just about flavour, or texture, or other qualities of the dish itself - context was also important, and in the context of his hungover state, it had rendered her fairly basic sandwich as something sublime to Soma.

Soma had headed out, eager to stretch his legs, so Erina had stayed to shower, and to make plans for the rest of the day. She wanted to do something special tonight, as it would be their last night together. There was an excellent restaurant that she knew of not too far from where they were staying, which served an interesting fusion of French, Turkish, and Japanese cuisine. With her connections, she would have no trouble getting a reservation either. Now the only issue would be appropriate attire - Soma hadn't brought much with him, so she couldn't imagine that he would have brought formal wear with him. Or for that matter, she wasn't sure if he owned anything like a suit.

After reserving with the restaurant, she decided she would head for a quick walk, hoping to clear away any remaining cobwebs from the previous night, and also hoping to run into Soma.

Enjoying the sun, and the sound of the sea, she soon had her hope delivered on - in the distance she could see his red hair, shining bright in the distance. He was surrounded by some other smaller figures, who were making a lot of noise, and seemed to be trying to climb over him.

Erina continued to approach, giggling at what she saw - Soma was being attacked by a group of five children with water pistols, no older than 8 years of age.

"Ah here come my reinforcements!"

"Ooh pretty lady! Is that your girlfriend?"

"Yeah! She's really…"

At that moment one of the children had fired one of their water pistols straight into Soma's face. They all laughed uproariously at their victory.

"Ugh, gross!" he said, spluttering.

"I see you're making friends Soma" Erina smiled over at him. "It's nice to see that you've found some people of your level of maturity" she said, looking proud of her quip.

"Mean lady", said one of the children.

"How rude! Where are your..."

Another one of the children had already approached her, and fired their water pistol right in her face.

"How dare you!"

Taking that as their sign, they all went on the attack, and started to chase Erina with their water pistols.

"Ahh! Get away from me!"

She continued to run, and Soma caught up with her. Both of them were soaked.

"These little devils! What did you do to aggravate them?" she said breathlessly.

"I have no idea, they just came and attacked me! It's pretty fun though isn't it?"

"It's like you have some strange kind of magnetism for trouble.."

Erina was annoyed. She'd spent a while preparing herself this morning. A fresh outfit, make-up, suncream, hair. Everything was being undone by these unruly children. She wouldn't take this sitting down.

"And no Soma, this isn't fun. This is war. Regroup at the house, I have something we can use". She had a deadly serious look on her face, at which Soma had to hold back his laughter. In that short time, she'd adopted the demeanour of an action hero.

"Yes ma'am!"

They continued to run, outrunning the children, and made it back to the house.

"I think they should be in here..."

In the storage cupboard under the stairs, there was a large pile of coats, shoes, and other assorted items forming a thick layer. Digging through all that, Erina found a cardboard box, simply labelled toys.

"Yes! They're still here!"

"Don't you think this is going a little far Erina?"

Out of the box, she produced two large super soakers that far outclassed the puny water pistols the children had attacked them with.

"We're about to teach these children a lesson"

"I'm in if you are. You sure this is what you want to do?"

"We didn't start this fight. But we're going to finish it"

"Erina, this is a side of you I haven't seen before. It's quite scary. But it's also very attractive"

She looked at him, then grabbed him, and kissed him passionately.

"Save it for later" she said with a grin.

The children were swarming outside the front of the house.

"I think I saw them go in here… let's camp out here for them! Hehe"

"Now!"

On Erina's signal, Soma leapt through the gate opening fire on the two children right in front of them.

"Blegh, no fair!"

While the children were distracted by Soma's ambush, Erina had sneaked around out of the side entrance, and was flanking the children from the rear. She shouted "Take this!" and opened fire on the remaining three, who all had their backs to her.

"Nooo, the mean lady got us!"

"Hey, that's my girlfriend you're talking about, be nice!" Soma said, and fired off a few more shots at each of them.

"Alright, I think that's enough. Truce?" he said, nodding towards Erina, who was looking pleased with her revenge.

"Aww… okay" said one of the children, feigning a defeated look. He suddenly bolted upright. "Not really, we'll never surrender!". He reached into his pocket, and threw a water bomb straight at Soma, which he narrowly dodged.

"Retreat!" With that, the children all ran off, laughing merrily.

"That went pretty well I think. Excellent work captain!"

"You weren't so bad yourself Soma-kun" she said happily, clinging onto his arm as they walked back to the house, still soaked.

"I'm still a little annoyed, I spent a long time getting ready this morning. That was fun though, and it does seem to have cleared my hangover"

"Agreed. We'll have to keep an eye out for those kids, seems like they'll only be escalating the fight"

She laughed. "Well, we'll be prepared for that if it happens won't we?"

"Soma-kun - did you bring anything clothing wise that's a little more formal for going out?"

"Yeah! I brought my black chinos, and a floral shirt. Should be ideal right?"

"Ah… not really" she smiled, expecting as much. "Seeing as tonight is our last night, I wanted to do something a little bit special. I booked us in for a nice restaurant tonight - it's called 'La Connexion Turque'"

"Ah I see… I'm guessing with a name like that, my fancy outfit isn't quite going to cut it?"

"I don't think so sorry. This is the 'classy' Nakiri-style part of the trip you mentioned to me in your message"

Soma laughed, surprised how she remembered and had adopted his phrasing.

"It's not a problem though, we can go shopping together for something. It can be a fun date for us" she said with a small blush.

"What do you think Erina? Is this the one?"

Soma had stepped out of the dressing room, wearing a white suit, with a pink shirt, and aviator sunglasses. He looked as if he'd stepped straight out of Miami Vice.

She looked him up and down, appraising him, grinning. "Weirdly, you actually look really good in that Soma. But I'm afraid this isn't the one for tonight"

"Alright, one second, I've got another one that could be good."

He came out wearing a purple suit, with a yellow shirt, and a purple hat.

"Are you taking this seriously?"

"What, these are fun aren't they?". He was grinning. She could see that he was enjoying this, but also was quite open to the idea of wearing these suits to a gourmet restaurant.

"Ok Soma, how about a compromise? Here's a few options that I've found that they will actually let us through the doors with - are there any that appeal to you?"

"Hmm… let me try this one"

He came out, wearing the light grey suit with a black shirt, unbuttoned at the top. Erina looked at him up and down seemingly lost for words. In her head, she was appreciating looking at how it accentuated his jawline, how it suited his slender, toned physique, that around the rear it was a little tight and it accentuated his posterior in a way that was taking her mind to all sorts of places…

"Erina? Is that silence a good or bad thing?"

"Ahem!" She jolted back out of her fantasy, looking away to hide the embarrassment. "Yes, yes I think that will be appropriate. You… you look quite good in that Soma"

"Thanks Erina! It fits like a dream" he said, turning around again.

Must not stare, she thought to herself.

"Though it is a little pricey"

"Don't worry Soma, this is my treat"

"It's ok, I think I can pay for it. I should have saved enough over the last couple of weeks..."

"No, please, I insist, I don't want you spending so much money on something for my sake, especially just this evening. Besides, it feels as much a gift to me as it does to you"

"Really? What do you mean by that?"

She blushed slightly. "Never you mind. Come on, let's buy this and go and get ready"

They headed back to the house, and got ready in separate rooms. Soma put on his suit, and really admired how it felt. It was comfortable, and he couldn't help admiring how he looked in the mirror. He liked how it was a representation of their growing relationship, something that incorporated both of their tastes, and something that felt like a better choice as a result. He also wasn't completely blind to Erina's attention to him while he was wearing the suit, which only added to his sense of swagger.

Soma headed downstairs to wait for Erina, as he expected she would take a little more time getting ready. When she came in, he was stunned. She was wearing an elegant sleeveless dark blue dress with a silver coloured shawl covering her upper arms. The dress hugged her figure in a way that revealed her beautiful figure without telling too much. The dress hugged her figure down to her upper thigh, with a thinner mesh piece that flowed out, shading from her waist down to her lower leg. She had her hair down, and was wearing silver teardrop earrings.

He looked at her wordlessly, not quite able to comprehend what he saw in front of him. To him, she looked positively regal.

"Are you ready Soma-kun?" she said a little shyly, still getting used to the sight of Soma in that suit that they had chosen.

"Uhh… uh yeah" he said, trying to get his mind working again. "Erina, you look… absolutely stunning" he said, still looking dumbfounded.

"Oh! Um, thank you Soma-kun" she said, deeply flattered by his reaction.

"You look so good... I feel like I might not be quite well dressed enough for this" he said, looking uncharacteristically self-conscious. Little as he cared about what others thought of him, going out like this still felt quite alien to him. She forcefully grabbed his arm to show he absolutely should be there at his side.

"Don't be silly. Believe me, you look very good yourself"

With their close proximity, he turned and leant in to kiss her. She leaned in as well, before catching herself and stopping, and pushing lightly on his chest.

"I almost forgot, please don't kiss me now! It's not that I don't want to, but I've just put lipstick on"

"Ah right, sorry! Resisting is going to be a real challenge tonight" he said brightly.

"How about this - let's remember each of the kisses that we're owed, and we'll pay that debt off later tonight" she said, surprising herself with her own boldness.

"Alright. With interest" he said, beaming.

Even though the restaurant wasn't far away, Erina had insisted that they get a ride with her private driver. She wanted to arrive in style, and was also a little fearful of the children from earlier trying to continue the fight from earlier today.

Arriving at the restaurant, they stepped out of the car to curious looks and whispers. Passers by were eyeing them curiously, wondering who this celebrity couple might be, guided by the maître d' into the most exclusive restaurant in the area. Erina was pleased with the effect of their arrival, while Soma was typically oblivious to the reactions of those around them, his focus directed on Erina.

They stepped inside the restaurant. Wood panelling, and curtains divided parts of the restaurant creating an intimate feel, akin to that of a shisha lounge. They were led over to their table in the rear, a table for two next to the outdoor terrace, with a view out over the harbour and the ocean.

Soma chose the chicken confit menemen, while Erina's interest was piqued with the turkish meat souffle, with a red wine jus. It struck her that it wasn't something she would have ordered in the past, but the unusual blend of ingredients reminded her of the polar star house, and she wanted to try something different.

"Interesting! We've both gone for egg dishes. Reminds me of when we first met". He smiled fondly at the memory. Erina still wasn't too happy to be reminded of that.

"Yeah I'd prefer not to remember that again..." she said, irked at being reminded of that again.

"Why though?" he asked curiously, without any malice. "For me, it was when I met you, and when I got my resolve to try to impress you with my cooking"

"I just don't like thinking about how I was then, I'm still a bit ashamed of how I was and how I acted"

"Ah I see… well I can't pretend to understand your feelings, but I think that's who you were then, and you are who you are now. From my side, I didn't think much of it then, and I definitely don't know. I think with these kinds of memories, they're only as awkward as we allow them to be"

Erina saw that this was the basis of Soma's carefree nature. Why allow a memory to shackle you, to cause you shame, if doing that only causes pain? She wished she could just flick a switch to remove her lingering shame and trauma, to embrace those words, but sadly it wasn't that simple for her. She saw the merit in Soma's words though, and looking at him she saw someone who would not judge her for trying, failing, succeeding in her efforts to grow.

"I see what you mean. I don't think I can change how I feel immediately, but I want to learn to look back on that memory fondly. I want to remember it as the time that I met you"

"Something I'm curious about Erina, do you have a favourite kind of food?"

"You know… I'm still working that one out. Typically it would be something which doesn't turn my stomach. That's one of the real downsides of the god tongue. But now I'm thinking more about food that has a sense of fun or novelty - your father first showed me that when I was really young, then Polar Star. And now you" she looked warmly over at him. "I'm not sure how I'd describe that - I think I like the taste of a surprise? Of fun? That's very abstract, sorry!" she said, a little embarrassed by how much of her inner thoughts she was revealing.

"What about snacks? Junk food? Any unusual flavours?"

"Strangely I found myself rather enjoying those scampi flavoured corn snacks of yours the other day. The flavours were completely unbalanced and a little overwhelming, but I couldn't stop eating them"

"Yeah that's the joy of scampi fries!"

"What about you Soma?"

"I've always quite enjoyed overwhelming flavours. When I was younger, I used to try things that would give a total flavour overload. Like eating anchovies straight out of the tin, or adding peanut butter to a really strong cheese"

"What?! Really? Isn't that disgusting?"

"Actually for me it was amazing! I think to most people it's pretty gross, but the pure sensation of the flavour was such a fun experience to me. Have you ever tried drinking pickle juice? Or biting into a lemon?"

"Haha pickle juice? Gross! Though come to think of it I used to do the thing with the lemon, at least until that habit was driven out of me. I also used to put things in Alice's juice as a prank. I don't think she's ever forgiven me for the fish sauce" she said with a chuckle.

A large man with long black hair arrived at the table, with their dishes in hand. With a deep, resonant voice he boomed "Welcome to La Connexion Turque Nakiri-san! It's an honour to have you dine with us again"

"It's a pleasure to be here, thank you. Soma-kun, this is Clément-san, he's the head chef here"

"Nice to meet you Clément-san!"

"Ah is this your boyfriend Nakiri-san?"

"Y-yes, he is" she said, reddening slightly. "This is Yukihira Soma, my b-b-b-boyfriend" She liked how that sounded. "He's a very talented chef".

"Of course, I would expect nothing less of someone dating the God Tongue!" he said a little too loudly for her liking. "I also hear he's very skilled in water fights"

"Wh-what?"

Soma laughed. "Trust me, Erina is the true master in that department"

At that moment, she spotted a small child who had been hiding behind the imposing figure that was the head chef. He emerged, and said quietly "Mean lady".

Erina looked flustered "Ah! Erm… you see I can explain, erm, I'm terribly sorry that..."

A booming laugh erupted from the chef. "Don't be! I should be thanking you for teaching my son a valuable lesson in not harassing strangers" he said, placing a heavy hand on his son's head and ruffling his hair. "Pascal, go and apologise to the nice lady - now"

With that, his son approached her, and hugged her, catching her by surprise. "I'm very sorry miss" he said to her loud enough for his father to hear. He looked at her with a mischievous grin. "But you'll be sorry when we get you next time" he said under his breath.

A little surprised, Erina drew him in closer, and whispered "Bring it on" with an innocent smile, concealing her malice to all others witnessing. Pascal returned to his father's side, looking positively angelic, with no sign of their quiet confrontation.

"There much better, thank you Pascal. With that aside, we won't take up any more of your time. Please enjoy your meal" he said with a bow, and left them to enjoy their food, pulling his son away by the arm.

Erina sat in quiet reflection for a minute after they had left. Soma observed her curiously.

"Everything ok Erina?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes I'm alright. I... just felt strange. I feel like I was exposed as being myself just then, having been caught doing something rather silly. In a context like this I'm normally putting on a professional front"

"Yah? How did it feel?"

"Honestly, it felt good! I thought it would be a disaster, that my whole image might fall apart, but that wasn't the case at all"

"Heh, seems that people like you for who you are Erina. I guess I have good taste after all" he said, grinning. She reddened slightly at his words.

"I wonder if I could be a bit more carefree when I'm back in school again..."

"Of course you can! I mean, you're the director. You can do things your way. You can go around with your super soaker, blasting anyone who disagrees with you in meetings". They both laughed. "Whatever dumb stuff you get up to, I'll be there to back you up. Only if you want though"

"Even if I'm firing at you?" she said cheekily.

"Ha! Especially if you're firing at me"