The Next Day

The four teens woke up bright and early to ensure that they would be ready to leave the lakehouse. Ryo and Soma broke down the tents while Alice helped Erina pack everything up. Things couldn't be more awkward between Soma and Erina. The two barely made eye contact or even acknowledged each other. They were still clearly embarrassed from the previous night and Alice most definitely picked up on that. She also noticed the bloodshot red eyes of her cousin and the redhead. She knew neither got any sleep the previous night. "Something most of happened," she deduced.

The group, well more Alice, decided to keep all of the camping supplies at the campsite and have someone pick it up for them later. Since it was a private area, no one would be going there anytime soon.

Once they were all ready, Soma had the pleasure of carrying Erina down the trail back to the lakehouse. They were quiet, not speaking to each other like the previous night. Of course, the kiss that they shared wasn't something they could just openly discuss with Alice and Ryo right next to them. Also, they didn't know what to say to each other anyways. They had both shared their first kiss with each other, yet didn't know how they should go about it now.

Were they a couple? Was that just a one-time thing? Did that kiss ruin their relationship forever? All those thoughts ran through their heads thousands of times. Yet the one thing that was evident to both of them, they most certainly had strong feelings for each other.

This was a great relief to them because up until this point, neither of them knew of the other's feelings. Plus, until this point, they didn't know how to act on their feelings either. However, after Erina's sudden display of courage, the games would finally begin.

What would happen next?

As the group got to the lakehouse, most of their belongings were packed already. They showered and freshened up and prepared for the car. Their ride came at exactly noon and the four teens hurried into the stretch limo.

Again, there was silence between Soma and Erina. Alica was talking to Ryo about random things but kept giving Erina a sneering look every now and then. She deduced that something must've happened after they had fallen asleep last night and wanted to see how far this would go. She already made plans to delay her return to Denmark for a couple of weeks to try and push Erina and Soma together.

What Alice didn't know was that Erina and Soma had been pushed together. Just that none of them knew it yet.

Eventually, the four friends made it to the airport and flew back to Totsuki. Once they reached the school grounds, Alice and Ryo made their way back to the mansion while Soma and Erina were driven back to Polar Star.

As soon as they made it back to the dorms, Soma helped Erina to her room. Even with this interaction, the two did not talk with each other. The awkwardness was very evident between the two and they were still in shock from the previous night. Soma helped Erina to her bed and then brought in her things. It seemed as though Erina was about to say something to him when Soma left to go to his room.

Erina just huffed in disappointment. However, Soma's heart was beating quickly and he didn't know if he could be in the same place as Erina at the moment. He quickly went to his room and laid down.

You see, what our favorite red-headed chef was feeling, was the feeling of excitement and nervousness. He knew of her intentions now, and his feelings were growing stronger than ever. He just didn't know how to fully express them yet.

After his heartbeat returned to normal, the redhead chef decided to do his favorite pastime.

Sleep.

A couple of hours later, Soma awoke to some shuffling in the hallway. He heard footsteps of multiple people roaming the halls of Polar Star and decided to check out what all of the commotion was. He popped his head out of his room and caught a quick glance of Senzaemon and Fumio heading to Erina's room.

Curious, Soma decided to walk over and see what was going on. When he got there, he noticed that not only were Senzaemon and Fumio in the room but a doctor as well. The doctor was checking on Erina's ankle that had a bit of swelling. Soma noticed how the doctor expertly placed a wrap around her ankle as Senzaemon and Fumio had a small look of worry on their faces.

"How is it, doctor?" Senzaemon asked.

"Luckily for her, it's only a mild sprain. She said that she has been keeping weight off of it and iced it so there isn't much swelling. I would say she'll be able to put pressure on it within the week. Until then, she will need to ice, fifteen minutes on, fifteen minutes off, and also keep her leg elevated. She will need assistance moving down the stairs so if possible, have someone who can assist her," the doctor replied, to which Senzaemon nodded.

"Very well, thank you, doctor," Senzaemon said as he bowed slightly and the doctor did the same. The doctor walked out of the room and went to get some other supplies from downstairs.

"Well, I'm glad you are alright Erina, but you should've told me about this earlier. I would've sent someone to pick you up when it happened," Senzaemon said as Erina looked a little down.

"I'm sorry Ojii-sama, it won't happen again," Erina responded.

"Oh, don't be so critical of her Senzaemon-dono. She is fine now," Fumio said.

"I know Fumio-san and you don't have to apologize, Erina. I was just worried about you and that you had to deal with this for a day. When Alice told me about you spraining your ankle, I was surprised because you didn't even text me about it," the Director continued.

"I know Ojii-sama. I didn't really think it was that big of a deal. Plus, I had a lot of help from Soma-kun," Erina said as she noticed the redhead in the doorway and blushed a little. Senzaemon turned around to see what had caught Erina's attention.

"Oh, Yukihira Soma. Thank you so much for taking care of Erina," Senzaemon said as he bowed to Soma.

"Uhh, no problem. It wasn't that big of a deal," Soma said as he placed a hand on the back of his neck and looked away.

"Well, I'm sorry to put this on you Soma, but it seems that Erina will have limited movement over the next week or so. Would it be possible for you to help her out? It's not like you have to be her caretaker, but just help her get around the dorm and things of that nature," Senzaemon asked as Soma's heart started racing again.

"U-u-u-h y-y-yeah, s-sure. I-I don't think that'll b-be a p-problem," Soma stuttered a bit. It was rare to see him flustered. It was so obvious that Fumio and Senzaemon had to really try and hold back from giggling like little kids. Erina blushed even harder.

"Well, I greatly appreciate it, Yukihira Soma. I'm sure Fumio will also help out with some things as well. In the meantime, I'm unfortunately running late for an appointment. I'll be back to check in with you later, Erina," Senzaemon said as he bid his farewell to his granddaughter and the others.

"Thank you, Ojii-sama," Erina slightly bowed from her bed. With that Senzaemon exited the room and Fumio did as well, saying she would go and get the ice and extra pillows for Erina's ankle. That left Soma and Erina alone in her room. The awkwardness just growing by the second.

It took a good minute or two before Soma spoke up.

"So, how are you feeling Nakiri?" he asked.

"I'm okay. The doctor said it was just a mild sprain and I'll be able to walk in no time," Erina replied and got a head nod from Soma.

"Well, that's good to hear. Well, if you need anything, you can just let me know. I'm just a couple of doors down. You can text me or something," Soma said.

"You know, you don't have to help me out, Soma-kun. I can take care of myself," Erina responded.

"It's fine. Besides, you could barely walk when we were at the camp. It's best to listen to the doctor's orders," Soma answered as Fumio came back with an ice pack and a couple of extra pillows.

"Here you are Erina-sama. I know the doctor didn't say it but I would also suggest taking a pain relief pill before you go to sleep tonight. I have some downstairs and will bring you a couple of them for you to take. It'll help with the pain and make your recovery a bit quicker," Fumio said as Erina thanked her for her help.

"Well, it's almost dinner. Soma, why don't you help me make something while we leave Erina be for a little. Remember Erina-sama, ice on for fifteen minutes and then ice off for fifteen minutes. Repeat until we have dinner prepared. We'll bring dinner to you," Fumio said as she slightly dragged Soma along with her.

An hour or so later, Fumio and Soma brought up dinner to Erina's room. They prepared some soup with Chinese medicinal herbs and spices as well as some chicken for protein.

"I know this isn't the food that you are used to, but this soup will also help your body recover," Fumio said as she placed the tray in front of Erina.

"Thank you Fumio-san," Erina replied as she took a sip of the soup. Even though it wasn't the food she would normally eat, the soup warmed her body. Fumio took her leave and Soma grabbed a chair and placed it at the foot of Erina's bed. He too held a bowl of soup in his hand and was eating with her. Erina noticed that and looked at him suspiciously.

"What?" Soma asked, noticing the blonde's look.

"Nothing," Erina said as she went back to her meal.

"I just thought I'd keep you some company, that's all. Plus, don't like seeing people eat by themselves," Soma said. Erina nodded a bit.

There was an awkward silence between the two as they just sat there, eating their soup and stealing some glances of each other. Neither would admit it at the moment, but they enjoyed the company of the other. It was almost romantic.

"So did you enjoy your vacation Nakiri? Minus the sprained ankle of course," Soma asked.

"I really did. I have to admit, it was nice to get away from Totsuki and just live a little. However, all good things must come to an end," Erina answered as she finished her soup. Even though the flavors weren't as powerful for her, she enjoyed the tender, love, and care that was put into the soup. She could tell that it had a real homey feel and that it was made to bring up her spirits. Soma nodded in agreement with her answer as he finished his soup as well.

"Well, I'm glad you got to live a little. I don't think I've ever seen you have so much fun before," Soma said as Erina huffed at his response.

"Excuse me, I know how to have fun! You've just never seen me have fun before. You will, though, see me have fun when I win the Elite Ten Elections next school year," Erina responded which elicited a loud chuckle out of Soma.

"What's so funny Yukihira?!" Erina demanded as Soma kept laughing.

"You know you are very competitive Nakiri. I like your confidence, but it will be I who will be winning the Elite Ten Elections. I'm gonna train my ass off and be the top chef at this school. Just watch," Soma responded confidently.

"As if a diner cook like you could ever become the First Seat of the Council," Erina retorted back, reverting to her usual antics of calling Soma a diner cook.

"You need some new material Nakiri. Calling me a diner cook is getting old. Besides, I beat the best of the best in Hokkaido. Once I become the First Seat, my goal of being the best will be accomplished. Also, you're going to be in bed for a week. In that week, I'll be training and honing my craft even more," Soma said, knowing that this would irk Erina.

"This sprained ankle won't stop me from training. In fact, I could go and train right now if I wanted to," Erina said as she moved the tray in front of her and swung her legs off her bed. She went to put pressure on both of her legs, but the pain from her sprained ankle caused her leg to give out. She was falling until she felt Soma catch her. His hands caught her body and held her up.

Erina stood on her strong leg while Soma held her up. If anyone were to walk in on them, the two would have a lot of explaining to do. Soma was holding Erina near her waist and Erina had an arm around Soma's shoulder to hold her for stability. The two were also just staring at each other. For a moment, Erina wanted to push Soma away but she knew that if she did, she would most certainly fall. However, after that moment had elapsed, she felt him pull her closer to him.

It was as though time stood still for them as they looked into each other's eyes. Soma didn't know why he pulled her closer to him, it was as though his body reacted on instinct without his consent. He could swear that his heart was beating so fast and loud that Erina was bound to hear it. Erina thought the same. She swore he could feel her heartbeat going crazy.

Eventually, Soma was able to muster the courage to speak.

"You know, you really should be more careful Nakiri. Don't want to make your injury worse," he said as Erina just looked away and blushed.

"Well, now that you're up, is there any place around the dorm you would like to go? Maybe the bathroom or downstairs to the lounge area?" Soma asked.

"I-I-I-," Erina stuttered, "I think I should shower now," she said as it caught Soma off guard.

"U-u-uh yeah sure. Um, let's go get your clothes," Soma said as he helped her to her dresser. Erina took out some clothes and Soma called for Fumio to help her to the washroom.

Erina took her shower and Fumio helped her to the lounge area and provided Erina with some of her manga reading material. Soma on the other hand decided to do some training. Fumio also decided to assist him with some prep work and some ideas for possible dishes.

Erina mustered up the strength to limp her way to the kitchen. However, she froze in her tracks when she could hear the conversation Soma and Fumio were having.

"So did you tell her?" she could hear Fumio ask Soma.

"Tell her what exactly?" Soma asked nonchalantly.

"About the soup, she ate for dinner?"

"Oh no I didn't. I didn't think I needed to," Soma replied.

"Soma, I think it is time for you to tell her how you really feel," Fumio said as both Soma and Erina blushed.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Fumio-san," Soma said as he remained focused on his cooking.

"Don't play coy with me Soma-kun. You're a horrible liar, just like your father. I see the way you act around her. I also see the way Erina-sama acts around you. Don't hesitate or else you might not get a chance with her again," Fumio explained.

"Are you talking from experience Fumio-san?" Soma quipped back which got him a smack in the head with a large ladle that Fumio was holding.

"Maybe. But like I said, just tell her," Fumio responded.

"I'm still not sure what you're talking about Fumio-san. I think you may be confused about this situation," Soma said.

"Fufufufu, okay okay I'll drop it for now. But don't say I didn't tell you so," Fumio said as she went back to assisting Soma with his prep work.

Erina, on the other hand, was blushing heavily and hopped back to her seat and manga. "Am I making it that obvious?" she thought to herself.

After a few hours, Soma finished his cooking and now wanted to get to bed. Even though it was still a bit early, the past few days had been a rush of adrenaline for him and it was now wearing him out. As he walked out of the kitchen he saw Erina bobbing in and out of consciousness as she barely held up her manga. He chuckled a bit at the sight and walked over to her.

"Excuse me, Miss," Soma said as his words jolted Erina awake. She looked around confusingly for a second before she looked up at Soma.

"The restaurant is closing now and we are going to have to ask you to leave," Soma joked as Erina hit him with her manga book. He just laughed at her antics as did Fumio, who was coming out of the kitchen after some tidying up.

"Your customer service is horrible! I don't know how you do it at your diner, but that's not how you treat your customers Yukihira!" Erina explained as Soma laughed even harder which got him another whack from Erina.

"Hey, enough of the jokes you two. It looks like it's time for both of you to head up to bed," Fumio said with some laughter. "Oh, they are definitely in love," she thought.

"Sorry Fumio-san, we will head up immediately," Erina said as Soma helped her up.

"Thank you again for the help, Fumio-san," Erina bowed slightly to Fumio.

"Don't worry about it Erina-sama. You are a member of this dorm so it makes it my job to assist you. Just focus on healing completely," Fumio said with a smile.

"Thanks for the help Fumio-san. I'll be up bright and early for training," Soma added as Fumio nodded in acknowledgment. Soma then headed upstairs with Erina in tow. When they got to the stairs, Erina realized that it was going to take forever to get up the staircase with her sprained ankle. She turned to Soma, who was waiting for her to get up the first step.

"What you waiting for Nakiri?" he asked.

"Um, Soma-kun, this is going to take forever to get up the steps," Erina responded.

"I realize that. That's why we should start now. If we don't, I'm not sure we'll make it to our rooms by sunrise," he joked as Erina gave him a nasty look.

"Sorry. Well, what do you suggest?" Soma asked. Erina had to think long and hard about possible solutions to their predicament. Finally, a thought popped into her head which only made her blush a shade of red never before seen to mankind. Soma thought it was weird that she was blushing at a moment like this until he heard her response.

"C-C-C-Could y-you c-carry m-me u-u-up?" She asked stuttering through her whole question. Now it was Soma's turn to blush.

"U-U-Uh y-y-yeah s-s-s-sure," he responded as he got into position to put Erina on his back. He gently picked her up by her legs and positioned her on his back as he did on the hike. Erina threw her arms around him to secure herself as they made their way up the steps. Once they reached the top, Soma gently put her down and helped Erina to her room.

As he helped her to her bed, Soma made sure to be extra careful and not put himself in the position they were in last night. Even though he loved the kiss, Soma wasn't sure how to act on his feelings just yet. Instead, he helped elevate Erina's leg and brought her a glass of water with the pain relief pill. He watched as she gulped down the pill and water and made herself comfy in bed.

Without any word, Soma turned to the doorway as Erina laid back on her pillow. Before he was out of sight he heard, "Thank you Soma-kun," from Erina. He turned to look at her and gave a soft smile.

"You're welcome Nakiri," was his response as he made his way to his room. It was safe to say that both slept peacefully that night.

A Couple of Weeks Later

For the week that Erina was injured, Soma and Erina got into a bit of a routine. Soma would wake up and help Erina with whatever she needed. Fumio assisted Erina anytime she needed to go to the bathroom or to bathe, but other than those things, Soma helped Erina around. Senzaemon came by every day to check on his granddaughter and make sure she was okay. He also brought a laptop for her to do work that she had requested to do. The Director also made sure to keep tabs on what Soma was doing and checking on the boy he figured would be his future grandson-in-law.

Alice and Ryo also stopped by on occasion. Alice wanted to see how the couple, in her mind, was doing. Though she wanted to, she decided not to interfere with them, noting that she needed to let fate take its course. She also decided to do some training of her own with Ryo, so their time to see everyone was limited.

Usually, during lunchtime, Soma would carry Erina downstairs so that they could eat. With only them two and Fumio being in the dorms, Fumio felt it necessary to keep them close together so she could keep an eye on them. Even though the Warden of Polar Star wanted to see this relationship blossom, she did not want any extracurricular activities to occur that would get them into trouble. Not on her watch.

After lunch, Soma would then train while Erina did work. A couple of days went by when Erina decided to watch Soma train and do some tastings. She didn't realize it, but she was helping Soma a lot more than she thought she would. She gave him ideas of different techniques he could use and foods that would pair well together. She had become his unofficial taste tester and it was becoming evident that his food was starting to taste better than before.

Then the three residents of the dorm would have dinner and lounge around for another couple of hours before heading to bed. This meant that Soma would carry Erina on his back up the steps and help her to bed. Nothing else happened through the week and Erina got much better by the end of it.

The doctor came for a follow-up checkup and saw that her ankle was completely healed. He advised her to do some strength exercises with a workout band for her ankle as therapy. Other than that, she was good to walk around again and go about her daily routine.

It was safe to say that both Soma and Erina were a bit disappointed that they didn't need to be around each other as much now. They were starting to like the routine they had gotten in over the past week. Fumio also noticed that the bickering was becoming minimal from what it used to be and that it seemed that Erina was finally seeing Soma as her equal. Well almost her equal.

Once Erina was back to normal, she headed off to her private kitchen to start training as well. The week off from cooking was nice, but now she had to shift her focus to the Elite Ten Elections. Though she had strong feelings for Soma, the elections were to become a top priority for Erina. She wanted to make sure to restore the honor of the Nakiri name, especially after what her father had done. She also returned to her regular tasting appointments and event appearances.

Soma continued his training with Fumio and regular calls with Shinomiya. He even had the chance to talk with Joichiro when his father had the time. He had wondered what Erina was doing, he was getting used to having her present in the dorms at all times. However, he knew that the elections also needed to be put in a high priority if he wanted to be the best.

The two put their feelings on the back burner for a while, until fate decided to intervene and bring them even closer to each other.

Totsuki Academy

It was a beautiful night to hold an event at Totsuki Academy. In one of the many banquet halls, Totsuki was hosting a summer ball which doubled as a fundraising event for the school. Many investors, boosters, and partners of the school attended the very formal event. All of the men wore expensive tuxedos or coats and ties while the women wore formal dresses that cost as much as a down payment for a house.

Senzaemon, Alice, and Erina attended the event to represent the family. Not one for formal wear, Senzaemon worse his usual attire of an olive yukata and black haori while Alice and Erina wore stunning designer dresses that only a few people in the world could afford. Alice wore a light blue dress that accentuated her large breasts but showed her tone figure. It hugged her body nicely which caught glances from nearly every male in the room.

Meanwhile, Erina wore an elegant black dress which like Alice, showed off her cleavage and fit her body to display her curves. There was also a slip in her dress which exposed one of her legs. If people were glancing at Alice, everyone was definitely staring at Erina and for good reason.

Ryo also attended the event as Alice's date. What more could be said, the boy could dress up nicely. Wearing a regular tuxedo with a red tie to top it off. His hair was still wild as usual but it looked tamer on him when wearing a tuxedo.

People were coming and going to their table to greet Senzaemon and the God Tongue. To say that they were respected would be an understatement. Once dinner was served and finished, the event got underway. There were some words spoken by Senzaemon about his thanks at his guest's generosity and their continued partnership. Then came in an auction for certain items that would raise money for the school. Once those were done, it gave people the freedom to mingle or to dance if they so chose. People started to get up and hit the dance floor with their dates while others mingled on the side. Alice scooped up Ryo's hand and immediately led him to the dance floor, leaving Erina with her grandfather.

Erina looked on as she watched Ryo and Alice slow dancing to the music. She always thought they would make a cute couple. A couple of younger men came up to Erina and asked her if she wanted to dance but were shut down by Senzaemon.

"I'm getting too old for this," Senzaemon said as Erina turned to her grandfather. She could see the annoyed and tired look in his eyes.

"I'm sure they have good intention, Ojii-sama," Erina said as Senzaemon gave her a look.

"I'm sure they do. However, none of them will ever be good enough for you Erina," Senzaemon said with a smile. Erina returned a soft smile.

"Though, I really am getting old for this. I think I may retire for the evening," he said.

"Okay, Ojii-sama. I can handle things from here. I'll let Alice and Ryo know when they come back," Erina responded.

Senzaemon grunted. "I'm not going to leave you by yourself, Erina."

"I'll be fine Ojii-sama," Erina reiterated. Senzaemon gave her a look then a smile.

"I know. Call me overprotective all you want but I won't leave you alone tonight with just Alice and Ryo. You'll understand when you have children one day. Anyways, I called someone I trust to come and watch you tonight. He should be here any second," Senzaemon said as he scanned the large banquet hall. Erina wondered who it could be, especially at this time of night.

After a few seconds, Senzaemon found his man, "Ah! There he is," as the person also spotted him and walked towards them. This caused Erina's heart to skip a beat.

The person that Senzaemon called was none other than Soma. The redhead wondered what was so important that he needed a tux for, but when the Director gives you an order, you listen.

As Soma made his way over, he noticed how beautiful Erina looked in her dress which made his heart skip a beat.

"Ah, thank you for coming tonight on such short notice Soma. I'm going to be retiring for the evening so I want you to look after Erina tonight. You two may leave whenever you so choose. Remember, behave but have a fun night okay you two?" Senzaemon said with a soft smile as the two nodded their heads in agreement.

"Great! I will meet with you tomorrow Erina. Good night," the Director said as he took his leave. Soma took his seat next to Erina as he looked around taking in the sights.

Erina was blushing and could barely look at Soma. She couldn't believe her grandfather thought it'd be a great idea to invite her crush to an event like this. Though, she had to admit that Soma did clean up nicely. He looked rather handsome in the tux and he slicked back his hair a little so it wasn't so unruly like usual. She didn't realize that she was staring at him until he snapped her out of it.

"What?" he asked as he looked at her puzzled.

"N-N-Nothing. J-Just you look kinda different in that tux," Erina responded.

"T-Thanks. It was kinda last minute but I managed to find one. Geez, I'm starving, is there any food left?" Soma asked as Erina managed to flag down a waiter. Within minutes, the waiter brought out food for Soma and the redhead decided to dig in.

"Ugh, can you at least eat properly. You're at a formal event. Please use the knife and fork Soma-kun," Erina said as Soma dug into the chicken with his bare hands. He didn't think much of it before and decided it was best to listen to Erina. He picked up his utensils and started to eat properly.

As he was eating, he noticed men coming up to Erina, asking her random questions, and then asking her to dance. She politely declined all of them citing that she couldn't because of her ankle which Soma found interesting. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but Soma was a bit shocked by the attention Erina was getting. In fact, he was getting a little jealous that these men were oogling over a girl that he had feelings for. However, he knew that they weren't dating or anything, even after the kiss they had shared at Lake Toya.

He wasn't going to act or say anything, however, an opportunity presented itself to which surprised both he and Erina.

A young man, by which many women would consider very good looking, came up to Erina and started to flirt with her. He was definitely putting his A-game on with the pickup lines which made Erina a bit flustered. The young man asked her to dance but Erina answered in a way which surprised both her and Soma.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here with my date," she said as she looked in the direction of Soma who was finishing up his meal. Both Soma and the young man were a little thrown off. However, even though Erina pointed Soma out as her date, the young man wouldn't be deterred.

"I'm sure your date wouldn't mind one dance with me. I mean, I am the CEO of one of the biggest suppliers of fine goods in the East. I've donated millions to Totsuki," the young man kept prodding not even bothering to look at Soma. This got Soma's blood boiling a bit.

"While we appreciate your donations, I am here with my date and don't think it's acceptable to dance with anyone other than him," Erina responded.

"I don't think he'll mind. Besides, I think you can do better than someone like him. Listen, I would love to talk about how we can strengthen our relationship between my company and your school as we dance," said the young man. Unlike with the earlier ones, this one did seem to have ulterior motives. Soma was definitely getting red hot now.

"No, I'm sorry but I'll have to politely decline," Erina responded again. However, this man would take not take no for an answer.

"As I said-," the young man started again before got up and interrupted him.

"As she said, no means no. So you better back of buddy," Soma said as he stood up and stepped in front of the guy. The young man was taken aback by Soma's actions. He was not expecting the redhead to do anything.

"When my date says no, she means no. Get that through your thick skull because if you don't I'll make sure to help you understand what no means," Soma said as the young man back down and walked away.

"You're going to regret this," he said walking away.

"And I'm gonna regret not kicking his ass," Soma said as he returned to his seat. Erina just looked at him, shocked at what he had done. She didn't expect to say that Soma was her date, but she also didn't expect him to defend her like that.

"You alright Nakiri?" Soma asked.

"Y-Yeah. Thank you Soma-kun," she responded.

"No problem. That dude was an ass anyway. Talking about your da-," Soma stopped himself when he began saying the word date. He had to think for a second. Why did she call him her date? Was this a date? What was he supposed to do on a date? At a formal event like this no less.

Soma blushed a little as did Erina as they thought about it more.

"Soma, I-I'm sorry. He just got me so flustered I didn't know what to say. That was the only thing that came to my head," Erina tried to explain as Soma nervously laughed.

"I-It's okay Nakiri," Soma stuttered as the awkward silence that usually plagued them returned. However, only for a moment. Soma brought out some confidence inside himself and decided that if he was her date, he would treat her like one. Soma stood up quickly stood in front of Erina and reached out his hand.

"W-W-What are y-you d-doing S-Soma-k-kun?" Erina asked shyly. Soma gave her his signature grin.

"Well you did say that you would only dance with your date, so let's dance," Soma said as Erina thought to herself for a second. She took a deep breath and did the unthinkable. She took his hand and got up and followed him to the dance floor.

There were plenty of people on the dance floor doing different types of ballroom dances. However, the most common one that Erina could see was the Waltz. Erina expected to dance that but soon realized that Soma was not an expert at dancing at all. He was stepping on her feet and doing the wrong movements.

"Ouch! Soma-kun. You stepped on my foot again," Erina said as Soma kind of winced at her anger.

"Sorry, sorry. This dancing thing looks harder than it looks," he said as he was watching other people.

"Why did you drag me out here if you don't know how to dance you, idiot?" Erina asked fuming.

"Just give me some time, I think I almost got it down," Soma responded.

In a couple of minutes, Soma got the timing of the dance down and soon the two of them were moving in harmony. Eventually, the two of them forgot about everything else around them. They were locked on each other. They couldn't take their eyes off each other. Soma looking down at Erina while the God Tongue looked up at her date.

Erina was starting to drown in Soma's eyes falling deeper and deeper until she was snapped out of it when Soma spun her around, dipped her, and brought her up again quickly. She lightly smacked his shoulder.

"That's not part of the dance!" Erina said as Soma just chuckled.

"I know. But you know me, I love to improvise," Soma said as Erina couldn't agree more and just laughed at his remark.

After some time, slower music started to play and the mood completely changed. Erina placed her head on Soma's chest as the two swayed back and forth to the slow rhythm of the music. She closed her eyes and smiled. She took in his scent, his warmth, and his embrace as the two held each other. Soma was also smiling as he held her in place.

The dancing had caused the two of them to lose any awkwardness or nervousness they had. There was no greater care in the world right now to them. In this moment it was just the two of them. Were they dating? Were they in love? None of that mattered. All they cared about was each other in the present. It felt different, but it felt just right for Soma and Erina.

As the night wore one, people started to leave the dance floor. As much as they both wanted to stay, Soma and Erina figured it was time for them to exit as well. Erina took Soma's hand and led him back to their table where Alice and Ryo looked like they were getting back from the dance floor as well.

"Oh Soma-kun, I didn't realize you were here," Alice said in a surprised voice.

"Yeah. Got a last-minute call from your gramps," Soma responded.

"I forgot to let you know Alice that Ojii-sama retired early for the night," Erina remembered.

"That's okay. I figured he would. Well, Ryo and I are getting out of here. Both of us are pretty tired. Do either of you need a ride back to the dorms?" Alice asked.

"I came on my moped so I'll take that back. I have room for another if you want Erina. It's up to you," Soma answered. All eyes on Erina now.

"U-Um s-sure. I-I can g-go with you S-Soma-kun," Erina responded which surprised everyone.

"Okay well don't say I didn't offer. Let me know when you get back to the dorms. Not that I don't trust you Soma-kun," Alice said with a sly smile on her face.

"No offense taken," Soma responded.

The two couples made their separate ways as Alice and Ryo took off in the direction of the waiting car for them. Soma and Erina, still hand in hand, made their way to Soma's moped. He only had one helmet, so he let Erina use it on their trip back.

"Don't kill us now Soma-kun, I still have plenty of plans for my future," Erina joked as Soma rolled his eyes.

"I promise I won't kill us. However, I can't promise that you won't get some small scratches here and there," Soma joked back as the two made their trek back to Polar Star.

Erina wrapped her arms around Soma as he drove them through the different roads of the Totsuki Academy. They traveled in silence since Erina didn't want to die and Soma didn't want his VIP passenger to get hurt. However, they did honestly enjoy each other's company.

When they arrived at Polar Star, Soma locked up his moped then took Erina's hand as they went inside. It was nearly midnight, but Fumio was still up. She noticed the two holding hands as they entered the dorms. She kind of snuck up on them and when they saw her, immediately let go of each other. Fumio found this interesting but didn't push the matter. She welcomed them back and let them know that they should get some rest. Both agreed and made their way upstairs.

Up the stairs, Erina took Soma's hand. She let go when they were near Soma's room, but Soma kept holding her hand nudged her to her room.

"I heard it's the guy's responsibility to make sure his date makes it her door," Soma said which caused both of them to blush heavily. "Where the hell did that line come from?" Soma thought to himself.

As they walked a couple of doors down, Erina turned to Soma. She let go of his hand and placed her arms around his neck. He placed his hands around her waist. Erina then pulled him down to her and kissed him. It was a gentle, sweet kiss at first, then turned into a battle for dominance. It was a heavy makeout session for sure and after a couple of minutes, the two had to separate to catch their breath.

"I heard that it's proper etiquette to always give your date a goodnight's kiss," Erina said as she reached up and gave Soma a quick peck on the lips. He returned the favor and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Thank you for tonight, Soma-kun," Erina said as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"Thank you for tonight, Erina," Soma said which threw off Erina. He only called her that once, which was back in Hokkaido. Only calling her Nakiri all this time.

The two shared one more kiss before Erina entered her room. Soma got one last look at her body as he too went back to his room.

As Erina slipped off her dress and got changed into her sleep clothes, she couldn't believe the night she just had. She was in love. Stupid, young love, but she loved every second of it. The way he protected her, the way he danced with her, the way he held her, the way he kissed her. Everything about Soma was perfect. She admitted it to herself. She loved him. That stupid, brash, lazy, sexy, handsome, delicious redhead. She loved him.

Soma got out of his tux and slipped into his sleep clothes and jumped on his bed. What a whirlwind of emotions tonight was. He didn't know what had come over him. Protecting Erina like that. Asking her to dance. Holding her. Kissing her. Soma had thought to himself that he was definitely in love with her. He loved every second of being with her. He loved being in her presence. He knew he could never feel this way about any other girl. Erina was the only one for him. He loved her.

Now if only they could find a way to tell each other.