The Next Day
As evening turned into morning, the shining rays of the sun reflected brightly off the clear waters of Lake Toya. Erina started to stir as a bright ray of sunlight entered her room. She flipped onto the other side, to face away from the sunlight. She started to search for her phone on the nightstand next to her bed. After a bit of scrambling, she managed to grab hold of it and groggily opened her eyes. It read 9:15 a.m. She gave a big huff as she sat up. She rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes as she got out of her bed.
She wasn't typically a morning person, but she wouldn't sleep in this late. However, her body had been neglected of sleep over the past few months and was now beginning the process of recovery. In addition to that, she had this vivid dream of Soma carrying her bridal style to her bed. It almost felt real to her. She could feel the strong hands he possessed and his tight toned body that she nuzzled her head onto as she slept in his arms. She even remembered how gently he placed her on the bed. It made her blush as she walked to the bathroom to get ready for the day. The way he took care of her in that dream, made him the most desirable man on the planet.
As she got ready and changed, Erina went downstairs in the hunt for food. It was a little too late for breakfast and a little too early for lunch, but Erina's stomach growled loudly, so anything would do at the moment. When she got downstairs to the kitchen, a situation had awaited her.
Both Soma and Ryo were on opposite sides of the kitchen and were extremely focused on their cooking. The smells and aromas from the two stations were battling each other for dominance in the rather large kitchen in the lakehouse. Erina was a bit confused but noticed her cousin smiling brightly as she sat on the island watching the two friends go at it.
Alice turned to Erina as she felt her presence, "Well good morning sleepyhead. So glad of you to join us," Alice said cheerfully as Erina took a seat next to her.
"What are they doing?" Erina asked as she observed both competitors.
"They're having their usual Shokugeki. Nothing is really on the line, but both were in a very fiery and competitive mood this morning. I was about to suggest a Shokugeki, when both of them already started as though they read my mind," Alice explained as Erina nodded in understanding.
She watched as Ryo powerfully started to debone some salmon and cut up vegetables for a stock. The seafood master was his usual self. She then turned to Soma.
Her favorite redhead seemed to be going about his cooking in his usual style. He was always somehow calm in the kitchen, regardless of the circumstances. He had this ease about him that she never really noticed before. He cooked with style and grace yet he always displayed bold flavors in his dishes. She had never really realized that part of his cooking before since she was also trying to watch him fail, but ever since that day he stole her heart, she began to admire that part of him.
Alice noticed that Erina had fixated her gaze on Soma. Being the person that she is and by observing the way Erina looked at Soma, Alice could easily tell that Erina was falling for the redhead. She couldn't believe her cousin was even interested in guys, much less a cook from a diner. However, Alice knew that if there were one guy in the world to tame her cousin, it would be Soma.
"Something catching your eye, Erina?" Alice teased as Erina snapped out of stare and looked towards the ceiling, a slight blush taking over her cheeks.
"W-w-what are y-y-you even talking about Alice?" Erina asked, trying to hide her face from her cousin.
Alice knew she got her cousin. The obvious signs were there, not to mention the fact that she saw Soma carry Erina into the house the previous night. She wanted to know how far her cousin had fallen for Soma and if it could lead to something more.
"Don't you find it interesting that the way our two boys cook is so different," Alice started as Erina still refused to look at her.
"What do you mean by that?" Erina asked.
"Well with Ryo, you can see the power and ruthlessness of his cooking. He doesn't care about if he's loud or if he hurts someone's feelings with his cooking, he's going to cook his food and let you know about it. Soma, on the other hand, is the total opposite. He is as finesse as they come and stays calm when he cooks. No matter the situation, his demeanor stays the same. You won't hear him, but you'll definitely remember him. Those traits don't come around very often for a chef our age, yet he possesses those qualities. Now, which one would you prefer, powerful, loud and produces star quality food, or quiet, finesse and unique food that you'll remember?" Alice explained as Erina pondered on the thought.
She did admire the way that Ryo cooked, as he did produce delicious food. However, the way Soma cooked was something she couldn't describe. Even Alice's adjectives for Soma's cooking didn't do him justice in Erina's eyes. Because even though he may not produce high-quality food, people seem to find his food the most remarkable. They remember his dishes compared to others. People can't stop talking about him or his food. He is an enigma that Erina couldn't get enough of.
"That's not fair to either of them for me to choose one over the other. However, a dish that will be remembered is something all great chefs strive for," Erina said as Alice nodded at her answer. She liked the way Erina tried to deflect the question, yet still chose Soma over Ryo.
The two Nakiri's remained quiet during the remainder of the Shokugeki, as they watched Soma and Ryo complete their dishes. When they finished, the two boys presented their dishes to the judge for this Shokugeki.
"Why am I the one that has to judge?" Erina asked as both plates were placed in front of her.
"Well the three of us already ate and since you woke up late we figured you would be hungry. We thought we'd have a Shokugeki and make you a meal at the same time," Soma said as Erina blushed at the mere sound of his voice. She turned to Alice who displayed the biggest smile. She would let Erina know later that it was Soma's idea in the first place.
Erina turned to the food and reluctantly pulled Ryo's plate to her first. It was expertly cut, deboned and filleted and seared. Erina could tell by just the mere cut into the salmon that it was going to be tender and juicy. Ryo had also added a mushroom risotto with a honey garlic sauce and summer vegetables for a different element of flavor to the dish. It was safe to say that Erina loved the taste. It was a dish that was well balanced and something you would find in a 5-star restaurant. Erina complimented Ryo about the flavors and the dish as a whole.
Next was Soma's dish. Without even tasting it, Erina could see that it was an Eggs Benedict. As she cut into it, the bearnaise sauce overflowed as a perfectly poached egg oozed out the creamy yolk that Erina enjoyed seeing. However, the meat was different. It seemed to be the salmon, seared the same way Ryo made his. Underneath the salmon was a fresh avocado spread. All of this was on top of a crunchy baguette that added a different component to the dish. As Erina put this large bite into her mouth, the flavors blended as though they were one. Whereas Ryo's components were flavorful on their own, Soma managed to blend together his entire dish into each bite. Hitting all of the taste buds with incredible flavors that Erina enjoyed.
She almost finished the entire dish before remembering that she needed to judge. Though to the other three, it was pretty clear cut who the victor was. Erina gave Soma the victory as the redhead smiled and took off his headband. However, she stopped short of calling his food delicious.
"Glad you liked it! Though I didn't manage to get delicious out of you, a win is good enough for me. I told you the combination would work Kurokiba!" Soma proclaimed.
Ryo was a bit peeved, but understood that he had lost to an undeniably great chef, who was the one that saved Totsuki. This would only make him a better chef in the long run.
Erina finished up her food as the others washed the dishes and clean the rest of the kitchen. After they finished, the group lounged around and did their own thing for a bit before they all found themselves in the living room watching TV.
Both Erina and Soma were trying to contain themselves when they were in the presence of each other. Alice and Ryo started to realize that the arguing and bickering between the two seemed to be far less than they remembered. Alice had thought to herself that, "though they were probably two of the greatest chefs in the world, they were beginners when it came to their feelings."
Despite the events of day one for both Erina and Soma, the next couple of days were similar to day two. The boys would do their Shokugeki in the morning with Erina as the judge. Then the four would go their separate ways until they would reconvene for lunch. Usually, Erina and Alice napped after lunch or watched TV while Ryo and Soma would train and talk about different techniques for the upcoming Elite Ten Elections. Then they would chill until dinner, watch more TV, then head to bed around midnight.
Day 4
The group found themselves lying around as they flipped through channels on the TV. After lunch was usually their time to just lounge around the house and do nothing. The past couple of days had been lazy days that the four teenagers desperately needed. It was nice for them to finally relax and do nothing after a year of hellish work. However, they were now starting to get bored.
The four of them realized that besides the first day, they hadn't spent any of their time outdoors. Being lazy and unproductive was starting to get boring to them and the group decided that they would go out for a little fun in the sun. The beach was a great way to cool off and since the lakehouse had such a large plot of land, the group had plenty of room to operate. However, they decided to hang around each other not far from the house.
Soma and Ryo jumped off from the dock as Alice and Erina watched the two boys goof off in the water. The two girls were getting their tan on, Alice especially. The paler Nakiri was interested in getting a tanner skin tone, similar to Ikumi. She had heard that tan was in style now and knew that there wasn't much sun to get in Denmark.
The girls wore bathing suits that to an ordinary person, be deemed too small for their assets. Soma nearly drooled at the sight of Erina's bikini. He was definitely taking notice of her and her curves. Her body was something that every man would lust over and he was becoming no different. Internally, Ryo also noticed Alice's small bikini and realized that the friend he grew up with was a beautiful woman in her own right.
After tanning a little, the girls decided to get into the water. They didn't want to get too wet, but Soma and Ryo weren't going to let them get away that easily. Soma and Ryo concocted a plan to get the girls soaked. It started with some minor and small splashes in the direction of the girls. Erina had warned them not get them wet or they would suffer the consequences. However, the warning was not heeded. What can I say? Boys will be boys.
Erina's warning was the signal to make bigger and stronger splashes in the direction of the girls. The girls screamed as their hair got wet and tried to splashback. It eventually turned into a splashing war with no side being the clear cut victor. The only clear thing was that all four of them were very wet. After a couple of hours of the beach, the four went back inside to dry off and relax. After playing in the cool water, Alice suggested that after dinner they check out the onsen. Everyone seemed pleased with the idea and the night sky would be a beautiful setting for some steam.
After dinner, the four made their way to the private onsen that was located on the property. Alice and Erina went into their area and Soma and Ryo had to walk a little further to theirs. The warm water felt good on their tired muscles. After the year of nonstop cooking they had, it was finally time to let their muscles relax and recover.
Erina and Alice soaked in the bath as they conversed about different things. This was probably the closest the two had been since they were young. In Erina, Alice had a sister-like figure that she could converse and gossip with. In Alice, Erina had a person who wasn't Hisako that she could talk with openly. No matter what their relationship was like before, they were still family and this was a time to reconnect.
Their conversation switched topics to boys, which made Erina extremely nervous. Alice was talking very cheerfully about the topic, adding that Erina should have a man that she is interested in besides someone who's old enough to be her father. Erina didn't like where the conversation was going. She knew that Alice had something on her mind by the way she was discussing the topic. When Alice was cheerful and energetic about something, there was a hidden meaning to it.
Erina's hunch would be correct.
"What about Yukihira?" Alice asked, a mischievous grin slowly making its way on her face.
"W-what about h-him?" Erina responded as her face grew redder. This was not the topic she wanted to discuss with her cousin.
"Well, I see the way you look at him. It's completely different from before? I want to know what changed?" Alice asked, prodding Erina with the details.
"I don't look at him any differently. He is just an acquaintance is all. He is still a lowly diner cook who happened to help in saving the school," Erina responded.
"Don't play coy with me, Erina. I saw the way he carried you up to your room the other night. I know you wouldn't let any other guy hold you like that," Alice spilled the beans much to Erina's shock. She thought that was just a dream. There was no way Soma would do that. Erina was on the verge of hyperventilating at the thought of her crush doing that.
"You lie! There is no way Soma-kun would ever do that. Plus I would never allow him to carry me!" Erina tried to deflect Alice's revelation as a lie.
"I saw it with my own eyes, Erina. When we're done, why don't you ask him about it? Or should I tell him that you had a smile and a look of pure bliss on your face as he carried you to your room," Alice said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I would dare, Erina. Or, you can just tell me how you really feel about him. You can't lie to me. I see it on your face whenever you observe him cooking. You have the face of a girl that has fallen head over heels for him. Not to mention I've noticed that you two have not argued and bickered as often as you once did. Even when you do, you two resolve it amicably and work together to solve your problems. I am the master of noticing these things Erina," Alice explained as if it wasn't already, Erina's face was as red as a tomato. Alice knew that she had gotten her cousin. She had finally gotten the confirmation.
"So what if I do have some feelings for him-?" Erina started as Alice squealed in pure pleasure and joy.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Erina. I didn't know you liked guys, especially someone like Yukihira, though, I can tell that his presence makes you happy," Alice remarked.
"I wasn't done. It doesn't matter if I have feelings for Soma-kun or not, there is no way that I can be attached to someone as lowly as him. Making me happy has nothing to do with anything. Not to mention I have a reputation to uphold. Not only for the school but for our family as well," Erina said reluctantly as Alice huffed and crossed her arms.
"What is with you?! Everything is upholding our reputation for the school this and upholding our family name that! Who cares?! When are you going to start caring about your life and happiness? Isn't it obvious that Yukihira-kun is a one of a kind person? He obviously cares a lot about you. He wants you to call his food delicious and all that stuff. He wants your approval. In fact, I think his whole world now revolves around you. Don't you get that?" Alice said, getting a bit irritated with Erina's attitude toward the matter.
"I have no time for such activities as these. I'll say it again, it does not matter if I have feelings for Soma-kun or not. I have a reputation and standards to uphold with my public image and with my cooking. I do not feel that Soma-kun can help with any of those. Though I do admire his cooking, that is where my admiration stops. That is my final comments on the matter!" Erina said. She was getting a little irritated with Alice and her nosiness. Since when did her cousin care about her love life? Why was she bringing up all of these things now?
Alice stood up and huffed at her cousin. How could Erina be so blind to see the person Soma was. She felt that all Erina cared about was her image and reputation and nothing about her true feelings.
"Of all the things we've been through and all the times we've shared, I think tonight is the night I've finally realized how narrow-minded of a person you truly are, Erina. You refuse to acknowledge your true feelings for someone who probably feels the same way about you. You'd rather keep your reputation over a person who is probably the only person in the world that can give you true happiness. You can't even admit it yourself that you have feelings for him. I see Azami-ojisan has left his imprint on you. Well, I hope for Yukihira-kun's sake that he finds someone who appreciates him for who he is and not for his cooking. Just remember, once he's gone, you're never going to get him back, Erina," Alice said as she stormed out of the onsen.
Erina could only put her hands in her face. Why on earth did she say all those things about Soma? What was she doing? Though it was important to uphold the family reputation, she knew deep down that Soma was the only one for her. She would never admit it, but Erina knew that every word Alice was spoke was true. Why was this so hard for her? Her brain was telling her one thing, but her heart was telling her another. Erina knew she needed to do something, but she just didn't know how. If anything, she just pushed away the only person that could help her dilemma. Tears started to fall from the corner of her eyes. The thought of her losing Soma really irked her even though they were not in a relationship.
As she got out of the onsen and dried off, many thoughts race through her head. As she got home, she still didn't get to a conclusion of what she would do. She determined that sleep was needed, especially since after tomorrow, there was not going to be a lot of fraternizing with people as she would need to prepare for the new Elite Ten Elections.
Day 5
Since today was the last day of their mini summer vacation, the group had decided to go on a hike and camp out for the night. They had decided this the previous day and got all of the hiking and camping gear together. After lunch, the group set off for their hike up to the campsite that had the nicest view.
Alice refused to talk or even acknowledge Erina, which amused Soma a little. Ryo on the other knew the reason since Alice told him everything. Alice and Ryo charged ahead since Alice did not want to even be in Erina's presence. That left Soma and Erina to venture up to the camping spot by themselves. It was an awkward silence between the two for the beginning part of the hike until Soma broke the silence.
"So is there a reason your cousin isn't speaking to you?" he asked.
"That's just Alice. She's very temperamental. She'll be fine later," Erina replied dully. She did not seem like her usual self today and even Soma could tell. Another round of awkward silence ensued after that.
As they continued the hike, Soma noticed the beauty of the surrounding area and also the view that was Lake Toya. In addition to the view, Soma also liked the time he was spending with Erina. Though he didn't know how to act, merely being in her presence was enough for him.
Unfortunately, the silence ended up near the camp. Erina's foot slipped on a rock that she didn't see causing her to trip. As she tried to get up, she noticed that putting any pressure on her right foot caused her a lot of pain. Soma helped her to stand as they figured out their next plans. Though it was close to the campsite, they were still about a quarter-mile away and it was too far to go back down to the house.
Luckily, Soma had a bright idea, "I'm gonna carry you on my back, Nakiri," Soma said as Erina was taken aback.
"But what about all of our stuff? We need these things for the campsite," Erina said.
"Don't worry about the stuff, we can just leave them here. I'll carry you to the campsite and then come back for them. They should be safe since this is a private area," Soma explained.
"O-o-okay. I-I guess it'll be alright," Erina said. For some reason, Erina wasn't going to object this offer from her crush. Soma squatted down and helped Erina get onto his back.
She locked her arms around his upper body as they made the treck up to the campsite. Her blush was very evident and she was lucky that Soma couldn't see her from their position.
"This seems oddly familiar," Soma said aloud to no one in particular. This only confirmed Alice's words from last night. Erina was very flustered and tried to hide her face in Soma's back.
"Oi, Nakiri, what are you doing? That tickles," Soma said as they made the trek up the hill.
"Sorry…." Erina replied.
The two continued their hike in silence until Erina finally had the strength to ask Soma something.
"Soma-kun, did you really carry me to my room the first night we got here?"
It was Soma's turn to go red. He was a little thrown off by the question and wondered why Erina decided to ask it now.
"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry if you don't like to be carried. I just didn't want to wake you since you seemed to be sleeping peacefully on my shoulder. Plus it was getting late so I figured that would be the easiest thing to do," Soma replied as Erina blushed even harder. The fact that he mentioned that she fell asleep on his shoulder only made her heart beat faster.
Eventually, the two made it to the campsite and Soma helped place Erina down near the fire pit. Alice and Ryo saw the two approach and were wondering why they came up like that and Soma had to explain why. Soma raced back down to get the camping supplies and managed to bring up both his and Erina's stuff to the campsite.
Both Alice and Ryo, well more Ryo than Alice, was making the tents. Ryo was putting the tent together while Alice instructed. It didn't seem to be working out for them.
"No! Ryo-kun listen to me! You need to put this piece and this piece together for it to stay up!" Alice yelled as Ryo struggled to find the right pieces to put together.
On the other hand, since Erina could barely stand, Soma had to put up both of their tents. He wasn't having much luck either from the God Tongue.
"Soma-kun, the tent is upside down! How did you even manage to make it like that!" Erina pointed out. Soma could only shake his head. He was doing better than Ryo when it came to hammering the tent into the ground, yet he got confused a little with Erina's instructions and placed it the wrong way.
"Well you know I was listening to you. So technically you made me put it on upside down," Soma replied as Erina didn't look amused with his response.
"Don't blame me because you don't know how to follow directions! Ugh, at this rate, we're not going to sleep in our tents tonight!" Erina yelled. Soma could only shake his head. There was the Erina he knew.
"Let me see that," Soma said as he took the instructions out of Erina's hand. He observed the paper and noticed something was a bit off. He could only chuckle and snort. Erina gave him a nasty stare as Soma's chuckle started getting louder.
"What is so funny?!" she asked.
Soma flipped the instructions around and showed the picture to Erina, "the instructions you gave me were upside down and that's why your tent is the way it is," Soma said as Erina blushed with embarrassment. She had never built a tent before and just went with the flow. She was wondering why the instructions looked nothing like the picture on the box.
"Let's try this again," Soma said as he started to take off some things from the tent. Eventually, after getting the right directions, Soma managed to get Erina's tent right side up. Erina didn't want to admit it, but Soma was really handy when it came to these types of things.
In no time, Soma managed to get his tent up as well and they were able to get their things in order. Meanwhile, Alice and Ryo weren't even close to done on Alice's tent, so Soma decided to help. Within an hour, they managed to get both Alice and Ryo's tent up with little problems.
They managed to finish a little before dinner time which gave them some time to relax. Soma helped Erina ice and tape her swollen ankle. Erina couldn't have been more embarrassed as Soma took care of her. Alice observed this and internally snickered.
"I told you, Erina, you are totally in love with Yukihira," she thought.
Soma helped Erina get her tent set up with all of her things. Eventually, it was time for dinner. Ryo and Alice were tasked with getting the food prepared while Soma and Erina would start on the fire.
Erina watched as Soma started the fire the old fashioned way with a stick, wood, tinder, leaves, and kindling. She watched as he expertly twisted the stick with his two hands and caused the friction. Within no time, there was some smoke coming out and a small flame. Soma tried to shield the flame from the breeze but it was becoming hard. The cool breeze was a nice feeling but was routinely putting out the fire.
Erina chuckled a bit as she sat and watched Soma get frustrated after many failed attempts. Soma noticed her laughs and threw a small piece of wood at Erina playfully. Erina was thrown off a bit but found a rock and threw it back.
"Hey watch it. Why don't instead of laughing at me fail, why don't you come and help me," Soma said.
"I'm hurt, remember?" Erina retorted back.
"You don't need to stand to do this. Here let me help you," Soma said as he went over and helped Erina up. She felt the roughness of his hand as he helped her. He put her arm around his shoulder so he could help her to the fire pit. He helped her sit down as he plopped himself next to her. He brought over all of the materials as he showed her how to start the fire.
Erina watched attentively to what Soma did and tried to copy it. She started to do it but wasn't causing enough friction to start the fire. Soma noticed this and decided to help her. He put his hands over hers as they turned the stick together to cause some sparks.
"There you go, you're getting the hang of it now," Soma said as Erina was now causing some smoke. Eventually, there was a small flame that Soma shielded from the wind. After some time, they finally were able to get a full-fledged fire going. They slapped a grill on and whatever food they wanted was ready to eat.
"Wow, you're pretty good at stuff like this Nakiri," Soma said, amazed with Erina's will to learn these types of things.
"I would like to think I had a pretty good teacher," Erina replied with a small smile. She was really thankful for everything Soma did for her today. Soma laughed a bit, though he did enjoy hearing Erina say positive things about him.
Alice and Ryo bought the dinner items. Fish, meat, veggies, and some rice were on the menu tonight. Anything that could be grilled in the fire pit was given and the four friends cooked their things.
The stars were shining brightly in the clear summer night sky. It was a nice backdrop for dinner time. Also, it seemed Alice finally let go some of her anger as she was now at least acknowledging Erina's presence. The four of them talked about many different things ranging from school to even some of their childhood memories. Everyone was interested to listen to Soma's childhood and how he was raised. Since he didn't come from money, Alice and Erina were very shocked to hear about some of the things Soma had to do growing up.
As the evening progressed, the four of them finished all of the food they had brought up with them. It was safe to say that they were all very full and content with their meals. After dinner, the group admired the view that they had from the campsite. They could see the moon's reflection off the lake and also the beautiful night sky. Secretly, Alice and Ryo moved away to a different spot of the campsite, unbeknownst to Soma and Erina. The God Tongue and the diner cook were too busy admiring the view they had before them.
There were no words spoken between them, instead, they basked in the presence of one another. Also, neither of them wanted to mess up or say anything stupid at the moment. It was obvious that they had developed chemistry during their stay in Lake Toya, even though neither knew of the others feelings.
After some time passed, Soma figured he'd break the ice this time, "it's an amazing view at night," he said, keeping his gaze fixated towards the lake.
"It really is. I've never fully realized why people camp outdoors, but now I can see why. This view really makes for spectacular ambiance," Erina responded as she turned her line of sight to Soma. She observed him as he moved to lay on his back with his hands resting behind his head. He seemed so relaxed, much more relaxed than herself at the moment.
"Soma-kun, can I ask you a question?" Soma turned a bit to look at Erina.
"Of course."
"Why do you cook?" Erina asked.
Soma pondered the question for a bit. It seemed like such a straightforward question, but it had a much deeper meaning for him.
"Well, I cook because it brings me genuine happiness. I love to see the faces of customers who enjoy eating food. Obviously, I want to be the best. I came to Totsuki to become the best and to learn different techniques and cuisine from other amazing chefs. But I know that striving to become the best shouldn't interfere with my happiness. I remember dad saying that after a while, winning all of these tournaments and awards didn't do it for him. None of those things brought him true happiness. That's why he left Totsuki in the first place. Then he met mom and for the first time, found the happiness he had been searching for. I think the best advice he ever gave me was that the secret to becoming a great chef, is to find a woman that will make you want to give all the food you make to her," Soma said as Erina listened intently to his words.
"Have you found that someone?" Erina asked.
"Maybe. Though, I'm not sure we're compatible. But, I'll see where life takes us," Soma said as he returned his gaze to the night sky. Erina looked a little disappointed in his answer but didn't catch the subtle hint that it was her. She returned her eyes to the night sky. It was at that moment that a shooting star passed through for a moment. Soma sat up as both of them looked at each other for confirmation in what they just saw.
"Well, you better make your wish Nakiri. It's not often you see a shooting star like that," Soma said. He closed his eyes as he thought of a wish. Erina did the same as she thought of hers.
Did they make the same wish?
After they made their wish, fireworks started to go off in the air. The different colors lit up the night sky as Soma and Erina watched. It seemed like a nice finale for their getaway before they went back to training.
As though someone else was controlling her, Erina moved closer to Soma. From her experience from her manga, events like these always seemed romantic. She decided to make a subtle move hoping to not spook the redhead.
Soma, on the other hand, obliged. He smelled her intoxicating perfume that he was beginning to grow on him. They were nearly shoulder to shoulder as their eyes stayed on the fireworks show. Erina rested her head on his shoulder. She really did find it comfortable. Soma sat as still as a statue, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"She must really like my shoulder," he thought. The two stayed like this until the fireworks ended. Neither could move, not wanting the moment to end. Meanwhile, Alice and Ryo were returning to their tents for the night. They both saw the couple in the position they were in. Alice snapped a photo quickly before they made their presence known.
Immediately, both Soma and Erina scooted away from each other as though nothing happened. Alice snickered a bit as Ryo looked like his usual self though he was very amused at the scene.
"Don't go to sleep late now you two. We have to leave here early since Erina got hurt. Not to mention the car comes at noon tomorrow to pick us up. Have a good night," Alice said teasingly as both Soma and Erina blushed.
"Well, I guess Alice is right. We should be heading for bed. Here, let me take you to your tent, Nakiri," Soma said as he stood up and extended his hand to Erina. She took it and painfully stood up. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder again as he helped her to the tent. She limped there as she used him to keep her balance.
"Thank you for helping me out today Soma-kun," Erina said as Soma smiled to her.
"No problem, Nakiri. Just for the future though, if we ever go on a hike again, let's not try and sprain our ankle," Soma teased as Erina blushed.
"I'll try not to," she responded.
As they got the tent, Soma zipped open the entrance and bent down to help Erina fit through the hole. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the hardest part since each way they tried, Erina was uncomfortable because of her ankle. As they tried another attempt, Erina fell into the tent and accidentally dragged Soma with her to try and brace her fall. This ended up with Soma on top of Erina and the two were face to face with each other.
The two of them stared into each other's eyes as the situation got awkward for them. Soma expected for Erina to yell at him to get off of her, but this was not the case. She didn't even do anything. Both of them were stuck in time as they looked at each other.
What happened next was….unexpected to say the least.
Erina pulled Soma towards her as their lips met. It was an awkward kiss at first but after a couple of seconds, the two found their rhythm. They both enjoyed the flavor of the other's lips as they shared a gentle kiss. They finally came up for air and were panting a little. Soma's eyes were open wide with excitement and shock. Erina did the same, though it was more from the shock that she pulled Soma to her.
The two stared at each other for a few moments before someone spoke.
"Well….um, g-g-goodnight Nakiri," Soma said as he got up.
"G-goodnight, S-soma-kun," Erina responded, embarrassed and not able to look Soma in the eye. Soma got up and zipped Erina's tent close as he made his way to his own. He could not believe what had just happened. He had just gotten his first kiss and from Erina no less. As Soma laid down, his heart was still beating fast. The shock and excitement had not subsided and it would be impossible for him to go to sleep now. His eyes were wide open as he thought of Erina in the next tent over.
Meanwhile, Erina was feeling the same as Soma. She couldn't believe she had just had her first kiss and with Soma no less. Her feelings just overtook her and made her body move on its own. She was heating up as she tried to go over everything that had just happened today.
"What if he didn't like her like that? What if things between them would be awkward now? What if that kiss ruined everything?" she thought.
However, those feelings of doubt didn't last long. Instead, those feelings turned into happiness. She loved the way his lips tasted as they kissed. They were, would she dare say, delicious. His presence was intoxicating and she couldn't get enough of it. She just wondered how this would all play out when they returned to Totsuki.
Erina hoped that this was just the beginning of something special.
Something special that would last an eternity.