Summer had finally arrived and most of the students were heading home for their summer break.
Most of the Polar Star Dorm inhabitants were also bound for their hometowns to enjoy their break from a very stressful first year of high school. Many of them didn't even want to think about how stressful their second year would be after nearly getting expelled during their first years. However, before everyone was expected to leave, Fumio had organized a celebration feast for everyone making it through their first year. Everyone made a potluck dish that everyone could enjoy. Not only were the Polar Star residents involved, but also the honorary Polar Star members attended the celebration.
The Aldini's, Alice and Ryo, Ikumi, Hisako, Subaru, and Miyoko all came bearing foods that they had specially prepared for the event. Everyone got to converse with each other and talk about their upcoming summer plans.
The Aldini's were heading back to Italy to work at Trattoria Aldini and also train for the upcoming elections. Takumi swore to Soma that when he returned from Italy, he would challenge Soma for his mezzeluna. Ikumi was going to be heading back to her Stagiaire restaurant that she worked with to increase her skills of heating even further. Subaru and Miyoko were also heading back to their respective hometowns, as was the rest of Polar Star residents. Even Isshiki was leaving to return home for a bit before going off and doing some training by himself. Alice and Ryo were going to stay at the Nakiri mansion for a little while longer before they headed back to Denmark.
"Soma-kun, what are you going to do for summer break?" Tadokoro asked Soma as he was concocting another one of his creations.
"Me? Well I think I'm going to be sticking around here for the entire summer. Dad's not gonna be home so I don't really have anywhere else to go. Might head home and open the shop up for a couple days but we will see," he responded blankly to Tadokoro, too focused on finishing his creation. However, before he could turn around and have Tadokoro try some, she was nowhere to be found, not wanting to be a victim of Soma's creation again.
In another part of the dorm, Erina found herself with her cousin, Ryo and Hisako, also discussing upcoming summer plans.
"So Erina, what are you going to be doing for summer break?" Alice asked, always wanting to bug her cousin about what she's going to do.
"Well, I'll probably stay here and help Ojii-sama with whatever he needs help with. This is the time of year he starts to get a lot of corporate events that he needs to attend to," Erina replied.
"Mou, that's sooooooooooo boring Erina. Why don't you let loose and relax. Why don't you come with me and Ryo to Denmark? I'm sure Okaa-sama and Otou-sama would let you stay," Alice argued, wanting to spend time with her cousin.
"It is my duty to help Ojii-sama as much as possible. I don't think I'll have any time for fun and games this summer," Erina replied, though deep down she really would've liked to go to Denmark with her cousin as well. However, as the God Tongue, she had a reputation to uphold and many duties that she would need to attend to.
"Boo you're no fun Erina. Will you at least be moving back into the Nakiri mansion? We are going to be sticking around for a little while longer and I'm sure your room at the mansion hasn't been touched," Alice begged.
"Well…." Erina really had to think about this one. She wasn't opposed to moving back to the mansion, now that her father was no longer in control, however, moving away from a certain redhead would most certainly not be ideal.
"I actually haven't thought about that yet," Erina lied, "I will talk to Ojii-sama about moving back in. I'll just have to pack all my stuff again."
A loud "yay" came from Alice as they continued off on a different conversation. As the night went on, the party moved to Marui's room, much to the chagrin of the glasses wearing young man. Ryoko's rice juice livened up the mood as everyone was celebrating the end of their first year.
Eventually, everyone retired to their rooms and prepared for their departures for the summer. As soon as the sun started to shine, movement in the dorms increased. Luggage could be heard rolling around the halls as the dorm occupants were heading out. Everyone were saying their goodbyes to each other. Even Erina was giving goodbyes to the dorm residents leaving.
Eventually, only Soma and Erina remained. Fumio of course would stay in the dorms, but Soma and Erina were going to be the only two occupants over the summer. The two hadn't talked during the celebration because they were with their respective friends.
Soma noticed that Erina moved to the kitchen after the last resident left, to prepare some food, "Huh, you're still here? I thought you would be leaving or at least moving back to the mansion?" he questioned, shocked that Erina was actually still in the dorms.
"I'm actually staying here for the summer. I have some family duties to attend to. Also, I haven't actually decided if I wanted to move out yet or not," Erina replied, as she snooped around the kitchen for cookware and ingredients. Soma was intrigued by her reply. He thought she would definitely want to return back to the mansion, but she had decided to stay at Polar Star ever since they had gotten back from Hokkaido.
Soma however, didn't think anything of this and decided to return to his room. This was going to be a very interesting summer.
One Week Later
Though both Soma and Erina were the only ones in the Polar Star Dorm, the two actually didn't see each other as often. Not to mention the fact that Erina was a bit uneasy that the object of her affection was the only other person in the dorms. She was awkward and didn't really know how to act whenever she saw Soma.
The situation she was in was different from her shoujo manga's. Though whenever she saw Soma she would blush or become flustered, nothing really came of it. They would say their hellos and move on to whatever else they were doing. It also didn't help that Erina was stuck doing 8 hours of paperwork or tasting appointments at the Nakiri mansion everyday.
Soma on the other hand, was training as best he could. He was experimenting with different cuisine and ingredients to find the best pairings he could show off at the elections. He would sometimes call Shinomiya for some advice about different French cooking techniques and would write down everything the former 1st seat would tell him. The knowledge Soma gained from these phone calls multiplied his skills immensely. He even had Fumio test his dishes to see his progress. In the short one week that he trained, Soma was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Fumio had hinted to Soma that his flavors were becoming more bold and powerful like his father. That's exactly what Soma wanted to hear. Though he hated losing to him, Soma idolized his father. He didn't want to waste the lessons and training he received from Jouichirou. Eventually though, Soma wanted to surpass his father. Soma realized that the type of food he wanted to serve shouldn't be just bold and powerful, but be refined and display technique. He strived to be known as the greatest chef to have ever lived. Of course, he knew he would need to beat Erina to do it.
Speaking of Erina, of course our favorite redhead was also very awkward around her in his own right. He had never really dealt with girls before, and being the dense person that he is, could not tell the blonde's obvious feelings for him.
However, today was a very different day. Soma had actually gone down to the main campus to see if any of the larger kitchens were open. He had kept some ingredients in the Don RS club room and was wanting to try different things. As he walked around the campus looking for a kitchen, he actually bumped into Senzaemon, who seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll around the enormously large campus.
"Oh Yukihira Soma, it is a surprise to be bumping into you here during summer vacation," the director said.
"Yeah well, I'm basically stuck here since I really don't have anywhere else to go. Dad is traveling," the redhead replied as the director laughed.
"I see your father is still running around doing what he wants. Figures. He still has the same attitude he had when he was a student," Senzaemon said as Soma just nodded and gave a small chuckle as well.
"Well then what are your plans for this summer, Yukihira Soma?" the director asked, seeming to have an ulterior motive behind the question.
"Just training basically. Everyone else went home and I really don't have anything else to do," Soma replied.
"Well that is good. However, you should let loose for a little. I can help you with that. Follow me," Senzaemon said as he started to walk in a different direction. The very confused redhead did what he was told and followed the director.
Senzaemon had Soma wait in his office as he went off for a few minutes. Before you know it, Alice, Ryo and Erina all were in the office with Senzaemon sitting behind his desk. All four were equally confused as to why they were in the directors office.
"Now that you all are here, I wanted to give you all some time to just relax before you go and train your butts off," Senzaemon started as the four were still very confused at what was going on.
"Since there is no one on campus and you all must be bored out of your minds, I'm sending the four of you on a nice little trip. Think of it as your summer vacation," he continued.
"Alice has mentioned that there isn't much to do here, so I'm sending you four to a place where you can enjoy some fresh air. The Lake house we own near Lake Toya will be a nice little getaway from a very stressful year. I've actually scheduled for you all to leave tomorrow and stay there through the weekend. About 5 or so days you'll be there," the director finished as all of them perked up at the words lake house and Lake Toya.
"Yay! Thank you Ojii-sama, I knew you would think of something fun for us to do," Alice screamed in excitement. However, Erina had a question about the reason a certain someone was coming along.
"I like the idea Ojii-sama, but why does he have to come too?" Erina asked as she pointed at Soma who was confused a bit as to why he was going with them as well.
"Well why not Erina? You are all classmates and you all competed together. I'm sure it would be fine to include Yukihira with you. Besides, the Lake house is large enough that you all will have your own rooms and won't have to run into each other," Senzaemon explained as he let out a loud laugh. Erina just nodded and agreed with her grandfather's explanation.
In reality, Erina loved the idea of Soma coming with them. However, she had basically avoided him this entire week because she didn't know how she would act in front of him. Though she had fallen for the redhead, she didn't want to appear weak as she still had a reputation to uphold.
"Yeah c'mon Erina, don't be such a party pooper. I'm sure we can all find fun things to do," Alice exclaimed, as she found this as a perfect opportunity to get back at Erina for all the times she bullied her. "Come Ryo, we must start packing. I have a few bathing suits in mind that I want to bring!" Alice yelled as she grabbed Ryo and dragged him with her.
"Well you two better start packing. You don't have much time til you leave," Senzaemon said as Soma turned to Erina.
"Geez, is going on a trip with me really that much of a pain?" Soma asked jokingly.
"Yes it is actually. I do recall you snoring very loudly on the way back from the training camp. I would advise that you up your manners Soma-kun," the God Tongue said as she flicked her hair and walked out. Soma took his leave as well as a very content Senzaemon could only smile at the scene he just witnessed.
"Oh she has definitely fallen for your son, Joichirou," he thought as he returned to his director duties.
That Night
Both Soma and Erina had returned to the Polar Star Dorms to start packing for their mini summer vacation. Soma was very interested in the fact that he would be able to go on a summer vacation after all. He just didn't expect that he would be traveling with the Nakiri's and Ryo. Soma got a bit excited with the thought that he was going on a trip with Erina. Just the four of them and not to mention that Ryo and Alice are probably going to stay together. He wondered how Erina was going to react at the fact that both her and Soma might be alone together at some points during the trip.
On the other hand, Erina didn't know what to feel as she started to pack her items. She was very excited with the fact that she would get to spend a lot more time with Soma, however, the biggest problem was how she would act. Being the only two people in the dorms was hard enough. Now, they would be in a place that was even more secluded and they would have to interact at some point.
Erina threw herself on the bed. Her heart was racing. She finally felt the feelings like the characters in her shoujo manga were feeling. The more she thought about alone time with Soma, the more she got nervous. He was such an idiot and a man with no manners, yet, there was something so attractive about him. His eyes were a sea of gold that she could just drown in at any point. His red hair was always so messy, yet it drove her crazy thinking about running her hands through it. The more Erina thought about him, the more she was losing control of her feelings. Soma was the complete opposite of her and yet, she was attracted to him immensely. This was definitely going to be a trip to remember.
The Next Day
It was finally the big day to leave. The four chefs met at the Nakiri mansion where a limousine was waiting for them. The limousine was taking them to the airport where a private jet was waiting for them. It would be about a couple hour flight, give or take, to reach the airport. From there, the four were then taken by another limousine to the Lake house. When they got there, the property was massive. They had about 5 acres of land to themselves. The nature surrounding the property was beautiful. Especially since it was summer, everything was very green and there were trees and plants blossoming everywhere.
The property sat near the lake, with a tremendous view of the entire lake. The blue water was so transparent. There was a little dock area where people could jump off or go jet-skiing. There were nice hiking trails as well as a private onsen. The nature of Lake house surroundings were breathtaking.
As the four entered inside, Alice immediately grabbed Ryo and ran for a room upstairs. Erina also went upstairs to get a room as Soma walked around the downstairs area a bit. There was a large kitchen, fit with a large island in the middle. He figured that he would have to go buy some food if he wanted to cook, but he opened the fridge and noticed that it was fully stocked with fresh ingredients.
As he looked around the house more, there were at least two different living rooms with large TV's and sound systems. There were some bathrooms equipped with shower and other items. There were some smaller bedrooms downstairs, which really didn't appeal to Soma. If he was going to stay in the Lake house, he was going to go for one of the bigger rooms. He made his way upstairs. There was a large patio deck that could be easily accessed through a sliding door. A large living room area as well equipped with a fire place. Another large TV and a smaller kitchen was also accessible on the upstairs floor. There were two hallways on either side of the TV and fireplace. As he made his way down the large hallway, he thought he would look for a room. Alice had a found a room and Ryo's was right next to hers.
He decided that he would go down the other hallways since Alice might make too much noise. As he walked down the other hallway, he thought he tried to enter one of the bedrooms that had its door closed. However, as he opened up the door, there stood Erina, who was stripping in front of the large dresser in the room. Soma immediately froze, seeing the Nakiri in only her bra and underwear.
Erina immediately noticed Soma and yelled at him, "Do you know how to knock idiot!"
"Uh…u..u…uhhhh s-s-sorry," Soma said as he closed the door and moved on. Of course he had to choose the door that Erina was in. That would only make things more awkward.
Soma finally found a room. Ironically, it was probably one of the bigger rooms since it had a large bathroom included in it. He decided to settle in and take a small nap.
Few Hours Later
Soma woke up from his sleep. It was only about 11:30 a.m. still and he was getting bit hungry. He decided to go downstairs when he heard the sizzling of a pan. Then chopping of some vegetables. As he walked into the large kitchen, that long honey blonde hair gave it away of who was cooking.
Erina had tight tank top on with short shorts. Her wardrobe definitely accentuated her curves and Soma couldn't help but stare a bit. After admiring her body for a bit, he cleared his throat loudly which made Erina turn around. She saw Soma, who was nervously smiling as though he had done something wrong. However, Erina immediately turned around and returned to her cooking.
Soma nervously got closer as he could tell she didn't seem to be very happy to see him. He took up a seat on the island, the farthest seat from Erina actually. He nervously looked at the view from the window before returning his gaze to Erina's back.
He cleared his throat again and croaked out a few words, "So, what ya making?" he nervously asked, which didn't illicit a response from Erina who continued to cook.
After a long silence, "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't realize you were in the room," he said. He still didn't get a response from her. Soma saw that this was going nowhere and decided to put his hunger on hold and go outside to get some fresh air. Lunch could wait. Soma didn't feel like dying today.
As Soma went outside, he noticed Alice and Ryo were a bit farther down on the beach area. Soma decided to pull up a seat and look out at the river.
"Well that was a great way to start off this vacation," he thought to himself. He took off his shirt and decided to get some sun. He threw on some shades and rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, footsteps could be heard heading in his direction. Soma was too relaxed to even think about turning around. Eventually, he could feel the person's presence right next to him. As Soma looked up, he noticed Erina standing there, holding two plates. Soma immediately jumped and fell off the chair, startled by the sudden appearance of the Nakiri.
Erina looked at him with a cocked brow, amused by the redheads actions. Soma hid on the other side of the chair.
"Like I said I'm sorry. Please have mercy Nakiri," Soma pleaded which illicit a bit of a chuckle from Erina.
"Whatever do you mean Soma-kun?" she teased in a very innocent voice. This scared Soma even more.
"I just made some food and realized I cooked a lot. So you can have some," she continued as she placed the plate on the chair. Soma carefully inspected the food. It appeared to be a fully stuffed omelette, with cheese, onions, bacon, bell peppers, mushrooms and shaved black truffles on top. He cautiously picked up the plate and fork and inspected it again.
"What are you doing?" Erina asked, amused by the Yukihira's antics.
"I'm checking if there is any sign of poison in this omelette," Soma explained, making sure to inspect every detail of the omelette.
"Don't be silly, Soma-kun. I wouldn't put poison in your food. I wouldn't stoop so low to do that," Erina said as she started to eat her omelette. Soma looked at her cautiously and then back to his omelette. He took the fork and cut a small piece and ate it. It tasted delicious and was a nice mix of flavors. As Soma was about to put his second bite of food in his mouth, Erina leaned in a little and whispered,
"But if you ever tell anyone about that little incident that happened this morning, I would suggest that you sleep with your eyes open. Poison would probably be the last of your worries because I would kill you myself and I can make sure that no one would ever hear about it." Erina then closed Soma's open mouth for him as the redhead shuddered at the idea. He nodded and promised to not tell a soul as he chewed his food very slowly.
As the two ate, Soma finally calmed down and retook his seat. Erina took up a seat next to him as the two ate and stared out at the beautiful lake. Erina seemed to find some comfort in the beautiful scenery that was surrounding them. The scenery helped a lot, especially since the man that had saved her and stole her heart, saw her undressing a few hours earlier. It was safe to say that Erina was very embarrassed. But something about the scenery, the food and his presence started to calm her nerves.
"Have you come here often?" Soma asked, ending the long silence that seemed to plague most of their conversations.
"I've only been here once or twice when I was little. I think Alice has been here a lot more than I have. She knows the grounds well," Erina explained as Soma nodded.
"I guess I'll have to ask her about what there is to do around here," Soma said aloud, more to himself though and Erina just nodded.
As they finished up their food and took in the scenery, Soma always being the adventurer decided he wanted to do something fun. Since this would be his only relax time before the elections, he decided that he would enjoy himself.
"Hmm, Nakiri, do you by any chance know how to jet ski?" Soma asked to a very surprised Erina.
"I don't actually. I've never had time to do such things," Erina responded, trying to sound as dignified as possible.
"Aww c'mon, let loose Nakiri. This will probably be the only time that you'll be able to have some fun and relaxation," Soma goaded.
"I don't do things like that. Besides, knowing you, you'll probably get us both hurt," Erina retorted.
"C'mon Nakiri. You're not scared are you?" Soma teased, which cause Erina to reach her breaking point.
"I'm not scared of anything Yukihira! In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to jet ski better than you!" she yelled, tired of the redhead's teasing.
"Oh yeah? Prove it, Nakiri."
"I will. Prepare to get owned Yukihira!" Erina said as she went inside to get changed.
Soma just chuckled to himself a bit. "She really is something else. Do I really want to give her all of the food I make?" he thought to himself as he went inside to get changed as well.