Here's another one. I was really stumped on how to write this chapter, so please tell me how it was
_
It was the last week of the year and Nakiri Erina is up to her neck with work. But even then it was Hisako who she really felt sorry for. The poor girl looked like she was going to fall down any second.
"I should give her a vacation shouldn't I", Erina thought worryingly. After all the girl was always on her toes she should relax every now and then. Erina as well though.
As scion of the Nakiri family and tenth seat Erina's job was to look over the last crucial details of the New Year's Gala and made sure everything of "God tongue" perfection.
Now here she is outside the Totsuki Resort in Tokyo. A party of hotel staff ready to meet her at the doors.
"Welcome Erina-ojou sama, Isshiki san's helper is currently in Ballroom A, if there is anything else you would need from our staff please tell me immediately. Your very wish is our command"
Another over excited worker probably wanting a raise or even something as grand as a promotion. Erina offered the employee a quick thanks and entered the ballroom to be meet a familiar face.
_
Earlier that morning
"Erina sama most of the preparations for the New Year's Gala are in place all that is left is for you to do the double checks" Hisako told her mistress. Erina can see the exhaustion seeping from her skin, dark bags under the eyes and her skin pale as if she wasn't alive at all.
"Good work Hisako, you really need a break are you sure you're going to be ok for the Gala tonight?" Erina asked
"Of course I will be, because who will be there if you ever need help?" Hisako, stated fiercely looking at her mistress as if she had grown two heads.
There was no changing her mind when she was all passionate like this, Erina thought sighing at the battle she just lost.
"So who's in charge of the checks."
"As tradition of The New Year's Gala says, the first seat is in charge of those checks"
"So where is Tsukasa-senpai?"
Hisako opened her ipad only to see several emails from each member of the elite ten. All the same topic. Sorry.
"Um... he had an important family emergency he had to go to so he can't attend the checks with you"
"What about the other elite ten members?"
Rindo senpai is in the Andes doing God knows what, Megshima senpai is at his Hokkaido home during the break participating in The Ramen King competition, Akanegakubo senpai is one of the star speakers at the Sweets Con in Paris, Saito senpai is on an excursion at a shrine in Nara, he said he wants to renew himself for the new year"
" In the middle of winter? It's like -5 outside? And the second years?"
Eizan senpai is- let's not even go there, Kuga senpai is not useful and Kinokuni-senpai's family is hosting their own new years banquet which Isshiki senpai is obligated to go to considering their family relationship"
Hisako scrolled through her IPad
"But Isshiki senpai left a message for you Erina-sama"
"What does it say?"
"Let's see... Nakiri kun it is very unfortunate that the elite ten will be gone during the preparations for the New Year's Gala so I have taken it upon myself to offer you some special help with the rest of the preparations. I hope this can amend for our absences. Best wishes for a Happy New Year. -Isshiki Satoshi"
"So where is this special help?" Erina questioned
_
Blue hair braided into two pigtails with a silver clover barrette just above her bangs.
" Ah... Nakiri san good morning"
Her smile gentle yet bright and so contagious. Erina couldn't help the way the corner of her lips curved into a small smile.
"Tadokoro san?! You were the special help Isshiki san said was coming to help me"
"Well yes bu-" Before she could finish her response to Erina
"Hey it's Nakiri, ready to work?"
'That voice… No please God no'. No matter wishful Erina's thinking was there was no mistaking that spiky red hair. That annoying smile he was always sporting around. All of a sudden Erina felt a bit queasy. Her heart rate started to speed up either in anger or in frustration 'I knew it was too good to be true, Isshiki san saying he was offering help. I bet somewhere he's laughing about this' Erina thought dryly, her previous smile melted in to a glare .
But she needed to finish the checks before the Gala starts. As much as it pained her and boy it hurts, she needed to cooperate with them. Well she had no problem with Tadokoro san but,
It was Yukihira, maybe it was the huskiness of his voice when he spoke or the way
his eyes sparkled like solid gold whenever he was cooking, or the way his soft lips turned up whenever he smiles, just that was enough to drive her crazy. Whenever she thought about what his lips would taste like… how his strong arms would hold her...how he would-
Erina slapped herself in the forehead, the force enough to bring herself back to reality
Grip on Yourself Nakiri Erina !!
" Eh...Nakiri San, are you ok" Megumi said worryingly running over to check up on her.
"I think I will be, but we need to get our work, done soon or else we won't be able to get ready for tonight's Gala. Erina finally got into a work mood and was ready to hand out assignments.
"Tadokoro san could you check with lobby and the VIP room, there should be a checklist waiting for you in lobby"
"Roger I'll be on my way then" Megumi said stepping out of the ballroom.
All that's left is...
"Yukihira kun you can check the ballrooms and I will check the menu they will be serving for the Gala"
"Wait why are you checking the menu out, Nakiri" Yukihira protested, pouting lightly . "I don't have time for this so do your job, now" her tone loud and angry, she walking past him to the kitchen leaving a pouty Soma.
"Hello, Erina ojou-sama everything you need for your checks is ready" the Totuski head chef greeted her. After a few tastings and tips on the five course menu.
She was back in the ballroom quicker than she thought she'd finish. To finding Yukihira standing in the middle of the ballroom. Scratching the back of his head nervously like he using did when he was in a pickle. Which happened more often than you think.
"This isn't good" he muttered but somehow it reached her ears.
"What isn't good, Yukihira kun" He didn't expect the Erina to be behind him and quickly turned around to meet her shimmering lilac eyes.
"You can't always be slacking like this?"
"Oh it's just that I can't dance and I was wondering what I was going to the he gala or not…" He said sheepishly
"I could teach you how" she whispered looking into his eyes.
"I guess… I'll take ya up on that offer" he whispered back with the same softness she used.
Their eyes never left each other even for second, she took his left hand and put it around her waist, his right on top of her shoulder. Her heart ramming against her chest her, cheeks tinged rosy pink. They were in their own world, just the two of them. Then she began to lead their dance, instructing him with a soft voice.
'Follow me"
Left foot forward
Then put it to the side
Then put it together with the right
He was a fast learner, well he always was but he was still a bit clumsy. This made her giggle a bit, her normally cold lavender eyes filled with amusement, as if she was a child. Soma definitely noticed this because to him the Erina he was seeing right now was just...so beautiful. Why couldnt she always be like this?
"What are ya laughing at Nakiri?" he questioned jokingly, his own amber eyes swimming with the same amusement hers was.
"It's nothing really, I was just thinking something silly" she said trying to brush it off.
"A penny for your thoughts?" her twirled her, when she was finally back he held her closer to his chest. The amount of affection his body language gave off, surprised her. He was always so gentle with others not when it came to her so what changed between them especially with their heated debates about cooking views and styles. The never saw eye to eye on anything.
"I was thinking that we can actually get along if we really tried to" Erina said softly, she averted her head to the left to hide the blush that was getting darker. Erina felt him tighten her grip on her waist and her hand. When did he start to lead their dance?
"Nakiri look at me" his voice husky filled with a certain emotion she could not quite put her finger on. But his voice did cause a shiver to go down her spine.
I wonder if he felt that
She refused to look at him.
"Erina look at me" her name, he actually said her name and why did it feel so right when it came of his tongue. She finally looked up at him, his face was serious.
"I don't know why but for some reason whenever I'm near ya.. I can't think straight, I think… No I know it's because of you. Just what are you doing to me? his face was flushed red but his eyes a mesmerizing gold.
"That my question Yukihira Soma, why does my heart ache when I see you, why can't I act rationally when I'm around you."
The next thing she knew their lips were mingled together, both scared to go further than a simple kiss. But it was just simply magical. In Erina's mind fireworks were going off, she didn't want anything more than to feel his lips on hers, him holding her like this. She didn't want it to end… This to end. So she kissed him more passionately, more heated.
And Soma really couldn't get enough of her right now. But all good things must come to an end, sometimes not in a nice or enjoyable way.
"Nakiri san, Soma kun are you done yet?" Tadokoro voice was approaching the ballroom and was getting closer by the second. Before she could catch them Erina pushed his shoulders away so they were at least a foot apart. Both of their breaths were ragged and both wanted nothing more than to continue what they started.
"Tadokoro san are you all done? " Erina replied nonchalantly, as if nothing happened. Her legs still a bit shaky and her heart racing wildly from the kiss but at least she wasn't as bad as that.
Soma on the other hand was totally spacing out. You literally see the smoke coming from his ears from his brain over processing their situation. How can she act like nothing happened between us during those 15 minutes? I can literally feel my brain grinding trying to figuring out what happened between us
"Are you ok Soma kun? You look a bit feverish"
"Uh...I..um..-" Soma particularly blabbered. Why can't I get words out of my mouth?
"Yukihira just a bit overworked I guess… He'll be ok after resting a bit, but it is time to go back to campus to get ready for tonight's Gala" Erina announced, it took everything to stabilize her voice so it would look as if nothing was wrong.
"Then shall we we go then, Nakiri san" Erina and Megumi walked side by side out of the ballroom with Soma left alone in middle of it . Even though he had trouble forming words. His instincts knew one thing whatever happened when he was with Erina was truly magical. He felt as though he kissed a princess, and he couldn't wait another minute before he felt that magic again.
Just you wait Nakiri Erina
A bit of dessert
Hisako: "Welcome back Erina ojou-sama. How were the check? Is everything ok?"
Erina didn't say anything walking past Hisako. Her blond fringe covered her eyes masking her expression body posture slouched. When Erina finally entered her bedroom, tossing her stuff at the doorway and closed the door. She threw herself on her bed with a big thud and grabbed her pillow.
Erina:Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh
She was screaming all her frustrations out into the pillow, her legs kicking air. Shocking Hisako who was witnessing her mistress tantrum by the door.
Hisako: What on earth happened at the hotel to make Erina sama act like that?