The Kindling

Looking back, he realizes he was in love from the moment he laid eyes on her in that fateful test kitchen. Of course, he didn't know it then, misunderstanding the sudden quickening of his heartbeat for the excitement every cooking challenge brought him.

Not as the kindlings of a fiery love story.

—

Soma felt the tension in the exam room skyrocket as all the other transfer applicants' legs became limp as soggy soba as soon as she walked in front of them. Over a hundred applicants stood around the room, frantic and nervous about their academic fate, but no one took their eyes off their examiner.

Soma couldn't even try.

The atmosphere shifted within his chest when she entered the transfer exam room. He didn't know to consider her a threat like the other anxious examinees. The leggy, long-haired girl assumed the most commanding pose Soma had ever seen from someone, so… Is it- is it getting hotter here?

He couldn't breathe. She's our examiner?! Some new emotion viscerally tugged at his body. It felt almost spellbinding. How do I get closer to her?

Soma grabbed the shoulder of the prick of a rich kid he'd just pulverized near the parking lot, Takumi Somethingortheother, was it? Reintroductions were irrelevant to him, especially right now— the academy's front lawn was longer than the whole Sumire District; he could imagine this jerk would be the worst of them. Right now, he needed answers.

"Hey, wait! Why are you running away?" Soma couldn't help but chuckle at the blanched color draining down the poor boy's face.

"Are you joking?!" The snob scoffed. "Don't tell me you don't know who that is!" Soma couldn't see his face, but he knew by the sneer of disgust oozing out of the other boy that he was making the same clueless expression that always made his teachers sigh and give up. "That is THEE Erina Nakiri. The God Tongue! She cannot be pleased nor impressed in this world," he screeched, looking back at the intimidating bombshell smugly, watching the room clear out in a frenzy. "Look, I don't have time for this, diner scum! Do your own research and unhand me, you pissant!" The rich coward yanked his shoulder out of Soma's tightening grip and continued his escape with the rest of those who didn't believe in themselves.

So, of course, Soma stayed.

She just has to say it tastes good, right? He could easily do that, he thought with pride, tying his beloved white handkerchief around his forehead.

What could possibly go wrong?

a/n: today is the best boy's birthday! happy birthday, Soma Yukihira! and for those of you already reading Comfort Food and wondering where the next chapter is and what's taking so long (details I'll share in the a/n of the next CF chapter), I decided to post my second WIP as a snack: the first part of this one-shot SoRina love series/prelude to CF told entirely from his perspective, as an ode to him (and my pup who lost his first tooth today of all days!). I hope you enjoy the short drop; another one will come sooner than the next chapter of CF, so if you finish this and want more of my work, head over to the 34K words already waiting for your reading pleasure. And as always,

-My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed!-

8.20withlove

Disclaimer: sadly, I do not own SnS :(