Chapter 58: Pink Gold

As the meeting for members of the Council of Ten, those who were aligned with Central, met to discuss whom should take on food war challenges from culinary societies trying to protect their standing went further and further into the night, across the campus inside Kyokusei Dormitory was celebrating its continued existence.

Sōma's victory over Eizan, coupled with the surprising visit by Kensuke with a historical document legally cementing their independence on Tōtsuki grounds for as long as students came to stay in the dormitory. As of the present moment the residents of Kyokusei Dormitory, along with the Aldini brothers, Ikumi, Hisako and Erina were all partying.

"Yeah! We still exist!" Shōji and Daigo exclaimed, singing loudly as they ate food cooked by their dorm mates and drank 'special' rice juice. "You did soo well Sōma!" Yuki grinned before hugging the redhead boy, in a bone crushing hug of joy. "Hey... Yuki", Ryōko interjected, "I think you're cutting off Sōma's oxygen".

Despite breaking off the hug, Yuki couldn't help but continue grinning and crying like a baby. "I'm just so happy we all get to stay at Kyokusei together!" The orange haired girl suddenly noticed Megumi walking into the dining room, dressed in blue striped pyjamas with tired bloodshot eyes. Seeing as the blue haired girl had been practically exhausted defending their home from Eizan's goons and by her boyfriend's impetuousness, Yuki was surprised to see her up so soon. Bolting forwards, Yuki grabbed her friends hand and began to drag her over to Sōma.

"Hey there Megumi..." Sōma slowly cut himself off upon seeing the frown on his girlfriends face. "Do you have any idea how worried you made me!" Megumi bemoaned only to proceed to lunge forwards and threw her arms around his waist and crash her lips against his. "But... I'm soo happy!"

"Ahhhh! You two are so cute together!" Chorused Ryōko and Yuki together, roping in Ikumi and Alice to joining them. "Hey Hisako, Erina-pu" Yuki called out. "Join us". Twirling her long golden hair around her left index finger, as a way to distract herself from watching Sōma and Megumi kiss, Erina moved forwards and took a plate of food from the orange haired girl. Hisako on the other hand, smiled as she saw Isshiki entering the room.

"By the way..." Sōma asked after he and Megumi decided to come up again for air. "What happened to the other seminars and research society's that looked as if they'd be facing Central's axe?"

"They're in as much danger as they were before..." Isshiki replied walking into the centre of the dining room; resulting in the chattering becoming less obvious as they payed attention to the seventh seat. "But thanks to you Sōma, the situation has somewhat changed for the better".

"Where did you run off to?" Zenji asked cautiously. "Yeah, you weren't in the dorm when Eizan's goons began their attempt to evict us..." Shun added. "But then you turned up with Kensuke and that lawyer whom effectively ended the eviction attempt".

With a small smile upon his face, Isshiki stepped forwards and explained himself. "I'm sorry for seemingly ignoring you guys but until recently I was a member of the Ten, and I was afraid that if I wasn't careful enough Azami would have brought the hammer down on us harder than Eizan tried. Although, I have to say that Ken's assistance was a surprise benefit to us".

"You know what?" Yuki exclaimed. "I really thought that Isshiki had sold us out to Central".

"Yeah..." Shōji added, Shun and Zenji nodding along. "It really looked as if you were going to throw us all under the bus". With tears partially falling from his eyes, Isshiki dropped to his knees and proclaimed his eternal loyalty to Kyokusei and his friendships forged within the walls. "I would never do that to you guys! Do you not get just how much I love this dorm, Kyokusei holds everything I care about!"

It was then that Takumi stepped forwards, with a serious look etched on his face. "Whilst I'm happy that you haven't betrayed us, what did you mean by things have changed for the better?" Wiping away his tears, Isshiki straightened himself upright. "Well thanks to the very public shaming and humiliation of Eizan, Central has declared that it will accept all food wars from groups facing dissolution. And that the elected judges will be chosen on the base of true impartiality".

Stepping forwards Isshiki pulled Sōma into a tight embrace. "It's all thanks to you Sōma! You saved the food wars. We still have to accept Central as running the academy but Eizan's cheating ways are no longer a part of the school". Squirming, and trying to extricate himself from his friend, Sōma simply grinned and patted the seventh seat on the back. "Nah, you should know that the dorm means a lot to me as well. I won't allow it to be taken from us... and Kensuke really came through for us".

Seeing a frown, momentarily, grace Isshiki's face both the red head boy and the whole room could tell that there was a great amount of unease being felt for the third seat. However, then look was banished and was replaced by a joyful smile that lit up the room, which was suddenly followed by a loud scream from Hisako as Isshiki reverted to his dorm attire.

'Naked but for an apron'.

As the party picked up again where it had temporarily stopped off, and grew steadily more raucous, Erina and Hisako went outside and stood on the balcony watching the moon in the night sky and the stars twinkling above. "What the hell is up with all these freaks in this dorm!" The rosette girl grumbled. "How can they accept a naked person wandering around in an apron!"

The girls protestations ceased upon seeing a slight smile creep onto the god tongues face. "Is everything alright, Miss Erina?" She asked worried but hopeful at the same time. Lowering her head, so that her blonde fringe fell over her eyes, Erina stuttered out her question. "Hisako... erm, do you perchance know how to use a washing machine?"

Struck by the peculiarity of the question just framed to her, the pink haired girl simple nodded, whilst staring blankly towards Erina. "Erm... Miss Erina" Hisako began, only other be stopped by an bright red faced god tongue.

"Urgh, forget about the fricking washing machine!" The suddenness of Erina's change in tone coupled with a usage of her first ever cuss, made Hisako stifle a laugh at the cuteness that her friend was unconsciously being right now. Carrying on with her point, Erina didn't even notice her assistants blushing face. "My point is that inside this dorm I've learnt more things that up until now I've never thought about! Much less known how to do!"

Again Hisako tried to speak but found herself stopped by a raised hand. "Everyone at Kyokusei really are bizarre, and at the centre of them all is Sōma Yukihira... they all trust him. Like when the dorm came under threat, they all rallied around him, you did too Hisako. You looked as if you knew that he would come through in the end... Kensuke did as well, but you smiled when we all heard that Sōma had won. Why did you do that?"

With widened eyes, and baited breath, Hisako plucked up the courage to lean forwards and placed a hand on Erina's shoulders. "Erm, I guess... I don't really have anything to base this on but I just... erm, had a feeling about him. Y'know, If anyone can save Tōtsuki from master Azami then Sōma would be the one capable of doing so".

Blushing under the light of the moon, and unaware of their close proximity, leaning on the balcony railings both girls began to see each other in a knew light; and very slowly, imperceptible slow, they leaned into each other until their lips touched. "Thank you, Hisako... for always being there for me" Erina whispered as she hugged the rosette girl. "I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for you and Alice".

Moving in for another kiss, both girls suddenly sprang appear when a knock on the window alerted them to someone's presence. Abruptly spinning around they saw a grinning Ryōko standing by the open door and beckoning their inside. "Come on you two, join the party. You're both honorary Kyokusei dorm mates!"

"Erm okay..." Erina stammered. Erina and Hisako both furiously blushed as Ryōko grinned once more. As both girls watched the purple haired girl reenter the dorm, Erina felt a warm sensation gripping ahold of her heart. "Erina... are you okay?" Turning back to her best friend, whom she'd just kissed, the god tongue saw that Hisako's eyes were bright and full of genuine concern.

"I'm-I'm fine Hisako... I just felt the cold". Erina instantly regretted her words, as she saw a minute flicker of sadness in her secretaries eyes. Something sparked within Erina in that fleeting moment, sadness in Hisako's eyes, made her bold. And so taking pointers from

Sōma and Megumi, the god tongue leant forwards wrapped her arms around her best friend and kissed her square on the mouth.

"Please don't leave me... when you left after your autumn elections defeat it almost broke my heart!" Erina cried into Hisako's shoulder. The rose haired girl was stunned but receptive of, and reciprocated, Erina's feelings. "I promise you Erina..." she firmly stated returning their prior embrace. "I will never leave you again... I-I love you".

And so as Erina and Hisako returned inside Kyokusei dorm, holding hands and blushing, across the the other side of the large Tōtsuki campus the Council of Ten were discussing the food wars they were now inclined to accept. Much to their annoyance.