Erina had never gotten into the habit of ordering room service. Truthfully, she didn't think highly enough of other people's cooking to run the risk of some errant server seeing her in her pajamas over it. But she'd had Yukihira bring breakfast up to her hotel room for the past three mornings.

Despite her best attempts at nonchalance, she found herself waking up well before seven on those days, selecting outfits and applying the peach scented lip gloss she couldn't be bothered to unearth from her toiletry bag most of the time. And when she heard him knocking on her door in that rhythmic, playful way he had, her pulse started racing.

She took two calming breaths, sprayed a rose scented perfume on the insides of her wrists, and quickly fluffed her hair before opening the door.

"Morning, Nakiri." Yukihira Souma casually leaned against the door frame, his newest creation in one hand. He took his time looking her over in a way that would've made Erina shriek back when they were first years. "You look nice."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest. "So, what do you have this time?"

"Breakfast yakisoba," he explained, setting the covered tray down at her desk.

"How obscene," Erina said, smirking despite herself.

There was no way a dish that heavy should be able to translate to anything remotely appropriate to eat first thing in the morning, but she would be an absolute fool to doubt him at this point.

The moment she brought the first bite to her lips, the sound of a sweet aria began to overtake reality; she was drenched in sunlight, caressed by gentle breeze, taken into the arms of a lover in the warm pink sand.

She released a breathy sigh as the flavors teased and delighted her sensitive palate, crossing her legs tightly at the ankles to hide the weak-kneed trembling.

"Looks like you enjoyed yourself," Yukihira said once she was done. "How did it taste?"

Erina glanced down at her lap for a brief reprieve from his honey eyes. For some reason, it was becoming ever more difficult for her to lie to his face. "Am I supposed to be your guinea pig?"

Yukihira chuckled a bit. "You're really never gonna give me a straight answer?"

"I don't see why I should have to," she said, standing up. "Aren't you supposed to be the people's cook, anyway? What would it do to your proletariat following if the common folk found out you were this desperate for my approval?"

"Approval?" he repeated, looking sincerely confused. "I'm trying to make you admit defeat."

Erina scoffed. "You must still be concussed if you think that's ever going to happen. All the kitchen jobs in the world won't put you on my level."

"You say that, Nakiri, but your legs are still shaking."

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What had she ever done to deserve this kind of body betrayal?

"It's just a chill," she said, "From the AC."

"Wanna head down to the beach then?" he asked. "You could warm up."

Erina shook her head. "I have too much paperwork to catch up on."

"Isn't the Elite Ten here on holiday?"

"It's a holiday not one of us can afford, especially since our second seat decided to spend half a year 'finding himself'—"

"I've been training—"

"Whatever the hell it is that you do," she said with narrowed eyes and a dismissive wave. "Some of us still have responsibilities."

Yukihira just watched her for a moment, and Erina felt the resolve draining out of her like grains of sand in an hourglass.

"So...come back in like an hour, and you'll be dressed?"

"Yes." She sighed. "Bring a picnic basket for lunch or something."

When he left the room, Erina felt certain the last of her willpower had gone with him this time.


A lifelong student of traditional medicine, Arato Hisako believed that she had uncovered all the secrets of the human body. She knew which herbs to brew to lower a fever, induce sleep, or restore energy. She could create the desired effects of keto and paleo diets without any of the restrictions and stop a brutal hangover in its tracks. She could diagnose all types of common ailments with the precision of western doctors, and usually in half the time—though her personal code often prevented her from doing so.

Though minds and emotions were a different breed of complicated—one she often couldn't be bothered with—bodies were simple, mundane, unsurprising.

Yet every time Hayama Akira slipped his hand beneath the waistband of her skirt, she learned new lessons of anatomy—the science of teasing and edging and low, lewd whispers, case studies in sensitive nerves and muscle spasms.

To put if frankly, he got her off. Without fail, whenever she asked, as reliable as the laws of motion or gravity. And as cool-tempered and high-minded as she felt content to believe she was, Hisako liked it. Too much to stop, too much to even want to. There was only one real drawback to their current arrangement, and it plagued her mind constantly.

"We are going to get caught," she murmured as he sucked her neck on some secluded stretch of beach on their resort's property.

"No one's out this early," he told her, and Hisako felt the low rumble of his voice against her collar bone.

"It was early two hours ago," she replied, as she she ran her fingers through his gorgeous silvery hair despite herself. Responsible fools that they were, they had actually brought breakfast and some work outside with them. "Now it's prime beach going time."

"Do you want to stop?"

At this Hisako scoffed, glancing down at her swimsuit bottom. "Does it feel like I want to stop?" she asked. "We have to, though."

And just like that, the scene was over. They were no longer passionate lovers, but tepid co-workers who tolerated one another only out of necessity. The first time this shift took place, Hisako thought it would be permanent, but then she came to realize how reluctant they both were to give up this pastime.

"Are we heading back to your room?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Yours. Erina-sama would die if we saw her sneaking around with Yukihira." And vice versa, if she were being completely honest with herself.

"He's here?" Akira asked. "Since when?"

"Since before we got here," Hisako explained. "Why do you think I booked this resort when Alice started complaining about a break?"

"Why all the scheming?" he asked. "Can't those two handle their own affairs?"

Hisako gave him a quizzical look. "That's strangely optimistic of you," she said. "But knowing them, they would have never been on the same continent again if somebody didn't help them."

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading, everyone! There may be one more chapter of hotel shenanigans featuring Ryoali and Takumegu before they head back to Totsuki. Please let me know what you think, and have a great day!