Chapter 4: A talk with you

Hello there again guys!

It's the fourth chapter already, yaaayyyy!

Thank you so so much for the reviews, I really am grateful for each one of them! This time we have a little talk ahead of us, which maybe isn't that exciting, but actually a very important part of the story, so... oh well, you'll see what I mean!

Once again thank you so much for writing me guys, you're awesome! Please tell me again what you think of this chapter here and if the story still interests you alright? I really love replying to you, so please let me know what you think!

Well, with that said, have fun reading and I'll see you next time! Take care everyone!

After her meeting with those two strange Applicants ended- it went rather well if she did say so herself-, Erina made her way straight to the Nakiri Estate where she hoped to find her grandfather and ask him all the urgent questions she had on her mind ever since her fathers abrupt departure.

It was time to get some answers, and Erina swore she wouldn't leave without them. Or so she thought...

Finally arriving at the Mansion, she casually passed by the security guards standing near the front gate with a small smile on her face as a sign of acknowledgment. If it was her old self, she wouldn't even have given them so much as a second glance, but now things had changed- she had changed. Coming to a halt right next to them, she simply turned her head in their direction while addressing the big bold guy with sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"Is my grandfather in his office?"

"He came in here a short while ago, Miss Erina. He said he wanted to make preparations for his vacation, and also bid his grandchildren farewell."

"Thank you, I better hurry and meet up with him before he takes his leave then."

"Yes Ma'am."

With that, she walked inside, wanting nothing more than to see her grandfather right away. Her heart ached at the thought of him leaving so soon, but she figured since he had retired from his position as headmaster, there would be nothing left to keep him here any longer. After all, Nakiri Senzaemon was a powerhouse, and therefore definitely not the type of person who stayed away from the excitement of discovering a new, different country for too long. The heiress always knew, she had no right to hold him back just because she would miss him terribly, even if they were family. Who was she to tell him what to do anyway? If he wanted to leave he would leave, no questions asked. And Erina was certainly not going to beg him to stay for her sake. Acting all selfish like that didn't suit her quite well.

So, without further dwelling on it, she walked up the stairs to the second floor, bringing her hand up to knock softly on the first door she came across before opening it and making her way inside.

What awaited her was surely not the sight she had expected. Her grandfather was sitting at his desk, scribbling away on what looked like some important documents without lifting his head, but greeting her nonetheless.

"Oh, Erina my dear, it's good to see you."

"Hello grandfather. M-may I ask what you're doing over there? I thought you were busy packing for your big trip to the Philippines? I could come again later if you need the time."

Although she didn't really want to, she knew that if Nakiri Senzaemon was occupied with his work, no one was allowed to disturb him no matter who it was. So whether she liked it or not, she had to comply with his wishes. As long as she got her answers, she would accept any time of the day to talk to him. Well, unless it would be way later this evening, then she certainly couldn't stay anymore, her friends probably waiting for her back at the dorm by then.

Luckily, she didn't need to concern herself with these thoughts any longer when she heard the former headmasters reply, making her sigh in relief. While talking, he waved his hand back and forth, dismissing her suggestion instantly.

"Don't worry about it child, I was just wrapping up these old files before heading out. Everything is packed and already tucked away safely in the back of my car, so all that's left is to say goodbye to you and Alice. However, now that you're here, I'm assuming there's something else on your mind as well, am I right? You wouldn't have come into my office if it weren't important, so tell me, what is it I can do for you my dear?"

Erina flinched visibly at hearing this. He always knew exactly when she needed his wisdom or opinion on a difficult subject. Her grandfather had this inhumanly perfect ability to read people like a book- even scaring her with it sometimes-, which made her suspicious that he already knew something about her, she didn't. It was quite the odd feeling indeed, to think that there was a hidden aspect to herself, she had no idea of it even existing, but the unmistakable glances he threw her way made it clear enough that it wasn't likely for her to find out any time soon anyway. That pissed her off more than she actually thought it would, but there was nothing she could do about it- at least for now-, and so she simply didn't ask him to explain this mysterious knowledge to her. Most of the time, it was present whenever Yukihira was around anyway. And since she didn't see him that often, it was unnecessary in her opinion.

"Y-yes grandfather, I actually do have something important to talk to you about. It's been nagging on me since father left the school, and I... I guess I just wanted some answers, but before I got the chance to ask, he was already gone. Besides, I don't really think he would have explained himself in the first place, so..."

"... you came to me instead, hoping I could provide you with the knowledge you seek."

"I... I was hoping for that. Please grandfather, I need to know what happened to him."

He sighed in defeat, as if fearing this day when she would come to him for answers eventually. Was it really that surprising? After all, she expected him of all people to figure that she was more effected by the latest events than she had led on at first. Erina just didn't like the idea of worrying her new friends, so in order to avoid any pity, she had to simply keep her cool and adapt to their lighthearted mood. Not that she wasn't happy- quite the opposite in fact-, but there were just so many thoughts rushing through her brain that truly enjoying their victory to the fullest seemed impossible at this point. So now that she was here, patiently awaiting her grandfathers response, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasier than before. What would she get to hear? What if her fathers story caused her to see things differently again? The worst kind of different.

'No point in worrying about it now, I guess...'

She tried to calm herself down, taking in a deep breath before focusing on the former headmasters face once more.

"Erina... listen child, I'm afraid I... do not have any details regarding your fathers past."

To say, she was quite disappointed, would be the biggest understatement of the century. Her shoulders fell visibly, as she slowly nodded her head in understanding, trying her hardest to not let her frustration show too much. However as it was- she even turned around to leave the office right away, aware of the fact that her grandfather didn't deserve to be blamed for simply not knowing-, she felt as though she couldn't hold herself back from growling in annoyance any longer.

"I see..., I'm sorry to have disturbed you, please forgive me."

Just as she reached the door, his voice echoed through the room again, causing her to stop dead in her tracks, whirling around to stare at him in renewed hope.

"However..., I do happen to know someone who could tell you everything you wish to know."

"W-who are you talking about grandfather?"

"Saiba Jouchirou, my dear. After all, he was the one who lived under the same roof as your father, was he not? I mean I occasionally talked to him back then too, but the first time I actually came to know him was when your mother eventually introduced him as her husband, with you already in her stomach. After that, they didn't come to visit for a long while either, so I can't really tell you anything. Jouchirou on the other hand was more or less one of your fathers friends, and... he also met your mother too. I'm sorry for not telling you all of this sooner child, but I never saw the need for it until now. I hope he can clarify some things for you in greater detail."

He gave her a reassuring smile before turning his attention back to his files, indicating the end of their conversation.

Meanwhile, Erinas eyes widened in recognition. So it seemed she wouldn't be able to get around the visit, she so desperately had tried to avoid, after all. But when exactly would she muster up the time to do that? It was just earlier today that she had decided to shorten her free time with her friends for the sake of reshaping Totsuki, so how could she possibly find the right moment to depart when there was so much to be done? Nevertheless, she was more determined than ever to go since her mother was also involved in this now. Who would have thought that Yukihiras dad was actually acquainted with the Nakiri Amelia? She died when Erina was only two years old, leaving her with not much of a chance to spent some quality time with her. However, her grandfather made sure she learned about the great things her mother had done in her youth and how proud he had been of her, which made little Erina very proud as well, even though she missed her terribly and ended up in tears after hearing yet another nostalgic memory about the amazing achievements of Nakiri Amelia. She had asked a lot about her mothers whereabouts, still too young at that time to understand the meaning of death and graveyards. Her father wasn't there after it happened, forcing her to stay with her grandfather- which she loved more than anything- until he came back two and a half years later to officially begin with her education...

Reluctant to let her thoughts drift off to this dark past, she shook her head, letting herself get back to the topic at hand.

She was conflicted beyond words, wanting to go see her idol and get some answers as soon as possible on the one hand, but needing the time to stay and fix things around the school on the other.

Apparently her thoughts were evident on her face as well, judging by the kind smile the old man graced her with when lifting his head again. He seemed to understand the dilemma she was in right now, offering her a small fragment of comfort by looking completely empathetic yet proud at the same time.

"Am I correct in assuming, you want to go talk to him as soon as you can?"

His question made her jerk out of her thoughts, flinching at the simplicity of it once again.

"Y-yes..."

"Then just go child. Nothing should stop you from doing something that's genuinely important to you."

"But, I can't! How could I possibly leave at a time like this when everyone is counting on me to change things here? I have too much to take care of before I can even think of traveling anywhere for who knows how long!"

At that, her grandfather raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Why would you want to travel abroad?"

Erina looked at him dumbfounded. Didn't he know that Saiba Jouchirou wasn't exactly a person to stay in one place for too long, even if his own son was there as well? He was one of his students once after all, wasn't he?

"I'm certain, he already left the country as well grandfather. I don't exactly have the luxury of time to follow him right now."

As much as she hated to show her vulnerability, she couldn't hide the sadness in her voice, knowing that she would have to wait a lot longer than she wanted to. The added information about her mother just caused a new sense of melancholy to rise within her, throwing her completely off. She found that she wasn't mad at him for not telling her, after all, there never had been the need to do so, thus Erina didn't blame him at all. He was the only one able to read her like an open book anyway, automatically making her tell the truth and hide nothing from him, no matter what. Well, he and someone else she knew...

'I wonder what he is up to right now... perhaps he's in the kitchen again to try out some new ideas for the Shokugeki tonight...'

She almost laughed at that thought. Who was she kidding? Knowing that mischievous redhead, he was probably out terrorizing a few unfortunate first years to taste his most recently created disaster of a dish, with his infamous squid tentacles and something unimaginably detestable mixed together in the worst way possible. Erina cringed just by thinking about it. Those poor poor kids...

Nevertheless, she allowed the corners of her mouth to move up until a fond smile was gracing her beautiful face. There might have been a time where she despised him and his obnoxious antics, but that feeling was now fully replaced by... well, she didn't know it quite yet. It was a strange bubbly sensation in her stomach, telling her to be near him and do... something. What that something was, she couldn't decipher though, which made her angry. Actually, the whole dilemma made her angry, much like this one right here. She had no way of contacting her idol- even Yukihira told them once that he wasn't able to call his dad and that he had no choice but to wait for him to send a message-, and leaving the school was certainly out of the question either, so what was she supposed to do now?

"My dear, don't overthink everything so much, otherwise you won't be able to see the clear path hidden behind the bushes right before you. Things aren't that complicated as you make them out to be, trust me. Jouchirou is still in Japan, currently finishing up all his business back at their family shop. He'll most likely depart in three or four days though, so if someone were to come for a visit, they would need to do it quickly before the opportunity is gone for good..."

Erinas eyes widened for a second time now, uncertainty and disbelief evident in those deep amethyst orbs. Was this really true? Was the man she admired since childhood still so close by? Did his son know about that?

Now she most definitely had no choice but to go see him. Who could say when or if she would ever get the chance to talk to him again. She had to visit him now!

'But the academy...'

"Don't worry about your duties here child, my flight can be delayed for as long as I please. Two or three days will hardly matter, if it means my dear granddaughter can return home with this weight lifted from her shoulders."

He smiled at her reassuringly, making her heart ache with guilt. He was willing to sacrifice his early vacation just so she could afford to spend a day or two away from the school in order to get her right state of mind back. Words couldn't express how grateful she was for his hard effort to assist her. But still..., she couldn't accept his kind offer. He deserved to take a break from all these tiring affairs, thus Erina decided she needed to push her own desires aside in order to see him happy. She loved her grandfather too much, to simply let him do all the work for her.

"I'm sorry grandfather but I... I can't let you do that. It's just not right."

"And leaving you to struggle all by yourself is? Listen child, I can clearly see now that this is bothering you greatly, so take my advice and go get your answers. I shall take care of matters here until you get back."

"B-but I don't even know, where his family diner is located."

"Then you will simply need to ask his son for directions, won't you my dear? Perhaps you and young Soma could even travel together right from the start."

Her face flushed instantly at hearing Yukihiras name. She couldn't possibly go with him to his family restaurant, the same place she always made fun of before finding out that her idol also lived there with him. It was a odd feeling to imagine herself going there alone as it is, but with the redhead walking the streets beside her, made her head spin and her stomach twist in the most pleasant way. She simply couldn't endure these sensations for too long, let alone two whole days.

"I'm sure he will be a fine escort."

"I-I'll consider it."

"Excellent!"

She gave him a faint smile, remembering that she had burdened her grandfather with all her work now, just so she could go see her idol to talk about someone as filthy as her own father. He didn't even deserve the attention she gave him honestly, but her mother was involved too somehow, so she was basically out of other options. At least she was glad that she didn't had to travel abroad to get her answers.

"Please stop making this sad face, it doesn't suit you at all. Don't forget, I'm always here for you, my dear."

While saying that, he stood up from his chair and made his way towards her, dropping one calloused hand on her head for emphasis. She had to tilt her head back in order to look him in the eyes, feeling her resolve fading with every word he said.

Her own eyes filled with tears, blurring her vision in the process. She was deeply touched by her grandfathers kind gesture, so much so that she felt her usually confident voice failing her miserably when trying to give a response. Nothing she said could express her feelings right now anyway, so without further thinking about it, she simply wrapped her slender arms around his tall and muscular physique, squeezing his middle in affection while smiling brightly with tears still lingering in her eyes. What would she ever do without him?

She felt him stroking her head gently while he hugged her in return. Although he held the title of 'The Food Worlds Demon King', deep down he was just a big softy, especially when it came to his grandchildren, which made Erina want to squeeze him even tighter. Her grandfather was the best, without a doubt!

When she released him, she gave him a bright smile.

"Thank you..., grandpa. I promise, I won't be gone for too long. I'll even head out first thing tomorrow morning to speed up the process."

He gave her a low yet heartwarming laugh in response to her enthusiasm. She guessed that he simply loved to see his kids full of drive and determination, hence the endless amount of joyful laughter escaping him. It was so nice to see this old man laugh.

"That's a good idea child, but don't get ahead of yourself there again. Did you already forget about the anniversary Gala we have, in order to celebrate the foundation of this institution tomorrow evening? It's important you partake in this big event as well my dear, for it will give me the perfect opportunity to officially hand over the title of headmaster to you in front of every participant there."

A gasp of realization and shock escaped her lips at hearing his gentle reminder, she apparently needed to hear before doing anything rash. At that moment Erina felt quite stupid for actually forgetting about an occasion as important as this. Her cheeks heated up in shame while her mouth closed almost instantly, not granting her the privilege of answering him properly.

He on the other hand seemed just as amused as hes was before, smiling even brighter now, as if he had a significantly brilliant idea crossing his mind right then and there. An idea, he unfortunately refused to share with her, making her forget about her shame and look up at him in curiosity instead. His smile turned devious and for some reason Erina knew, it couldn't possibly mean anything good. What was he up to now?

She decided to let it go for now however, seeing as he wouldn't give her an explanation anyway, thus she just settled on simply apologizing for her lack of memory just as she should.

"I-I'm so sorry grandfather, I-I didn't mean to forget about that, I swear! It's just that too much has happened lately, so I guess it completely slipped my mind somehow... I am very sorry."

She bowed her head for emphasis, feeling like her five year old self again, who so shamelessly watched a highly respected family member having this peculiar private meeting with the most amazing Chef there was back in the Estate gardens, while hiding behind the door. It was so embarrassing. However bowing in front of her grandfather like that caused something else to manifest itself in her mind. Something she didn't exactly wanted to remember right now. Her humiliating apology to Yukihira last night slowly made it's way to the front of her thoughts, initiating her to blush instinctively. She had the lingering suspicion she would never get rid of the mental image of this cute confusion written all over his handsome face. What a pain! And here she thought her grandfather was the only one she would ever willingly bow down to- her father not included since it was more out of fear than anything else...

"Raise your head my child, there is no need to apologize for something so tedious after everything you just went through. If it weren't for the mail I received a moment ago, reminding me about the time we have to be there, I would have long been on my way to the Philippines by the scheduled hour of arrival. At first I thought it would be best to cancel the whole ordeal, but now that I'm staying for a couple of days longer anyway, it's as good a time as any to officially introduce the new director of the academy, don't you think?"

A reassuring nod of his head was all she needed to confirm his question with a confident "yes sir" of her own. She was ready to take on her new responsibilities as soon as she was going to come back from her little trip.

She would make him proud.

"Very well. It's a good thing I send your personal aide to buy your dress for the night beforehand, since I doubt you would have had the time to do it now. It will be waiting for you in your room at about five tomorrow. I'm sorry your friend has to assist the other Chefs in the kitchen instead of staying with you my dear, but as you know, it was planned a long while ago so..."

She smiled and nodded her head in understanding. It was obvious, he felt bad for not being able to change the organized schedule in order to let Hisako sit with her in the main area of the Gala. But there was something else in his eyes as well. The same look she saw right before she bowed her head in order to apologize. The glint of deviousness in his eyes was unmistakable. Now she knew for sure he was scheming something, but still didn't dare to question it. The guilt for forcing him to stay here a while longer caused her mouth to stay shut. She could survive one night without her best friend next to her..., at least she hoped she could.

"It's alright grandfather, I don't mind being on my own. And... I'm so sorry again for letting you deal with all of this even though you already have retired. I swear I'll do my very best too, and when I come back, I will work even harder to achieve all our goals for this place."

"That's quite ambitious of you child, I'm looking forward to hearing you did the Nakiri family proud. But don't forget to have fun along the way. Your friends are worrying about you as well, you know? Especially young Soma."

Hearing that made her raise her head instantly, causing the old mans smile to brighten and his eyes to shine knowingly.

"W-what do you mean?"

Her grandfather laughed wholeheartedly at her too eager sounding response which forced her mouth to close shut right away and her cheeks to heat up in embarrassment. Why did she get so frustrated whenever his name was mentioned in her presence? It was really starting to get on her nerves. If she could just figure out what the meaning of this strange sensation was, perhaps she had the chance to counter it easily. But as it stands, she had no idea what to do but to just let it happen and pray it wouldn't consume her whole being- which might have already occurred, now that she thought about it.

"Whenever I see him, he asks for you, my dear. Whenever the two of you are in one room, his eyes never seem to leave yours. And right now..."

He glanced towards the window for a split second before returning his soft gaze to the heiress again. What was that for?

"No, never mind. Go now child. Talk to the boy and let him escort you to his home. I'm sure your time there will be beneficial."

"A-alright, I guess I can do that... Grandfather? Will I get the chance to say goodbye to you when I return?"

She had a pleading expression on her face, hoping to be able to see him one more time before he would leave for his, who knew how long, vacation.

He smiled at her fondly, patting her head with a gentle hand again before slowly returning to his desk. He would need to take care of other files now, she guessed, which made her feel guilty all over again.

"Of course my dear! Now run along so I can get back to work and cancel my flight."

She send him a bright smile, bowing her head slightly in respect, and excused herself to leave the office.

She just loved her grandfather, he deserved only the best of everything in this world in her opinion. So to make things easier for him, she needed to wrap this up as fast as she could, which meant she needed to head out first thing Saturday morning. But in order to do that- without drawing too much attention to herself- she had to stay at the Estate tomorrow night after the Gala, as unfortunate as it was. Her clothes would have to be transported back home by the house staff, which she was a little uncomfortable with. This wasn't part of their work after all and she didn't want to trouble them with something so... unnerving? She thought it probably would be.

While walking down the hall she came from, she let a sigh of relief escape her plump lips. Now that this was taken care of, all that remained was finding out where exactly Yukihiras home diner would be located. There was no way she would just casually ask him about it and let him accompany her. No way in hell!

There had to be a different option to deal with this problem.

What was this diner called again? The redhead always talked about his dishes being items of 'Yukihiras secret menu' or something like that, but was this really the name of their shop? Surely not, he was just emphasizing his name for some reason.

Unfortunately, she couldn't ask her driver to take her there either because she had no idea where in Tokyo this restaurant was. She had to improvise and hope that he would eventually drop his family diners name in one of their conversations. Perhaps his Shokugeki with Takumi would provide her with the final missing piece of the puzzle- well, sort of.

As she stepped outside through the main entrance, she noted how late it had actually gotten, with the sun almost setting completely, coloring the sky in the most beautiful shades of orange and red.

She hoped there would be enough time to get back to the dorm before the big event started, thus Erina returned her gaze to the path in front of her, wanting to waste no time in order to walk towards her second home.

But, just when she started to move again, a voice stopped her dead in her tracks. A voice, she knew oh too well. A voice so melodic, it got her insides all tingly and her heart to pick up it's pace all of a sudden.

"Yo, Nakiri!"

She whirled around, noticing that he was standing slightly to her right, hands in his pockets and smug smile on his face. His messy hair- it was getting a little too long now- was getting ruffled by the warm evening breeze, making him look even more dashing than the heiress could handle at the moment. Her hormones went berserk inside her, begging her to grab him by the collar of his shirt and pull him towards her just so she could press her lips passionately against his surprisingly soft ones again...

Realizing where her thoughts were headed, she quickly shook her head with an way too obvious blush on her face to get rid of them. This was not the time for her to get distracted...

So instead of doing what her gut wanted her to do, she simply pointed out the one thing she was about to ask in the first place.

"Yu-Yukihira, w-what are you doing here?"

"Ehh, me? Didn't I told you earlier that me and Kuga would be in his kitchen to try out this new recipe for the rest of the day?"

Oh right, he did indeed tell her that...

Feeling embarrassment slowly rise within her, she quickly turned her head to the opposite direction, causing the boy in front of her to let out a low chuckle. Why was he also able to know what she was thinking about? She really had to be careful to not let him get a hint of what her hormones planted in her head sometimes. Just the thought of it made her insides twist in horror.

"Man Nakiri, who would have thought you of all people are so forgetful!"

He laughed while casually resting his hands behind his head, causing her left eyebrow to twitch. He was such a tease!

"I-I am not, d-don't be ridiculous! And wipe that damned smirk off your face this instant! W-why are you here anyway?"

Flashing her yet another one of his famous bright grins- he did that on purpose, she just knew it- he simply pointed a thump behind him, revealing his motorbike neatly parked near the road. Her eyes widened with realization, having not noticed the vehicle until now. He came to...?

"I stopped by to get you! When I left Kugas kitchen, I met up with Tadokoro and she said she saw you entering your house in kind of a haste earlier, so I thought I made sure you would be at the dorm just in time for the match, y'know?"

She had to blink a few times in order to see this more clearly, there was just no way this obnoxious boy before her would ever be this sheepish, was there? Or at least not with her nearby, which made her feel a little bit sad for some reason. Was it really her fault, he never had the opportunity to talk to her so often? She supposed so, after all, it was her who wanted to get rid of him at first. Apparently there were a lot of sides about him she had yet to see. But whatever the reason was, she found she couldn't concentrate hard enough to think about it right now, this adorable expression he sported and the way his hand came up to rub the back of his neck were simply too much for her to handle. He really came to get her! Somehow this knowledge made her insides curl up in happiness and excitement. She needed to calm down quickly or he would start to notice!

"But you took forever to come back out, what were you doing in there anyway?"

She continued to stare at him in some kind of daze, still not able to get it together quite yet. He wanted to drive back to the dorm together... why did that make her feel so... ecstatic? It was crazy!

"Hello... Nakiri? You okay?"

Right when he took a step towards her, waving a hand in front of her face in amusement, she snapped out of her trance like state and immediately felt herself blushing furiously at his close proximity. Seriously, did he not know anything about personal space? He was way too close for comfort, causing her heart to go on a rampage inside her chest.

'Just stay calm, stay calm, stay calm!'

She repeated this mantra in her head for another split second before taking a step back and letting out a sigh of frustration.

"O-of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?"

She cleared her throat before continuing, feeling like her voice would betray her any second now with the way it shook. He gave her a curious look but didn't say anything else.

"A-anyway, it's not important what I did in there. I was actually just on my way back, so missing your Shokugeki is out of the question at this point. Being one of the judges, I simply can't allow myself to be late. So there was no need for you to worry, let alone come all the way out here just to make me ride your... rather questionable bike! I mean, do you honestly expect me to get on this thing?"

She pointed a finger towards his motorbike before flipping her hair. Thank god, she was back to her old self as soon as she remembered what seeing his mode of transportation entailed- sitting behind him in a compromising position, mortifying herself in the process, and not to mention the worst of them all: riding this dangerous death trap on two wheels. With her imperious demeanor returning, she automatically started to feel more at ease and confident with her actions than just a minute ago.

Yukihira raised his scarred eyebrow in amusement, stepping closer to her again while his hands found their way back inside his pockets. This time he had a devious glint in his eyes, causing the heiress to stay her ground and not move away. She didn't want him to think she was intimidated by his antics after all.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me the Nakiri Erina is actually scared of riding a harmless little motorbike? Besides, it must be pretty boring to see the world from just the window of a car. Where is your appreciation for variety?

"W-what? As if! Don't give me that, my taste of variety has got nothing to do with this! I could ride it no problem!"

"Awesome, then get on so we can head back already!"

Their nose to nose proximity was broken the moment he moved away again, grinning like the mischievous troublemaker he was, satisfaction written all over his features.

He walked back to his vehicle, starting the engine and looking at Erina in anticipation, waiting patiently for her to come over and get on behind him.

"H-hold on, don't you wear at least a helmet? What if we fall off, or worse, crush against a tree or something?"

The low chuckle he released send pleasant shivers down her spine. He found it funny! That bastard didn't take her concerns seriously!

"Seriously? A tree? You know, I won't let ya fall."

She gave no response, her heart dancing like there was no tomorrow inside her chest at hearing his words. He seemed to misunderstand her silence however, judging by the sheepish expression evident on his face once again.

"Okay, here's the thing. When I left this morning I kind of forgot to take it with me. I was already late for class, so... But don't worry, nothing's gonna happen, I promise!"

She let out another exasperated sigh. Leave it to Yukihira to forget about something as important as a helmet. Then again, didn't she failed to remember something just as crucial, if not even more so only a short while ago?

Life could be so cruel sometimes!

"You're hopeless Yukihira, you know that?"

Once she heard these words leaving her mouth, she quickly bit into her lower lip in an attempt to prevent more from coming out.

'It's not delusional, if I can pull it off, right? You won't even know what hit ya. Remember, anything can happen at any time.'

'Is that a threat?'

'More like a promise, I'd say.'

'A promise to beat me? Seriously, you are so hopeless.'

'...Y'know what? I think I really am at this point.'

She was immediately reminded of that moment at the balcony right before they kissed, which caused her blush to deepen even further and her heart to beat like it wanted to jump right out of her body. A quick glance towards the still waiting boy told her that he was totally oblivious to her frustrated state, his demeanor just as cool and collected as before. That, or he was extraordinary good at hiding his emotions at times like these. Erina silently guessed that it had to be the later option, since he couldn't have forgotten his own words from only a night ago already, right? Beside that, there was one more crucial aspect she didn't fail to notice. His smile was definitely brighter than the one he gave her just a few minutes ago. Yet at the same time, it was crooked to one side, making him look more cocky and audacious, while his eyes were half lidded. From the way he looked at her, he had to know what caused her to get all worked up like that, he just had to!

'Stay calm, don't let him get the best of you. If he can hide his thoughts then so can you! Remember, you are Nakiri Erina and still superior to him!'

With another flip of her long silky hair, she slowly started to approach the redhead with confident steps, clearing her throat once more. Was there a scene like this in her Manga somewhere? What did they do again? Her mind was so all over the place, she couldn't remember a thing.

"V-very well, I am going to ride back to the dorm with you. But! You will not drive even a little faster than what's necessary, understand? This little jaunt is over the moment you try anything suspicious!"

"Jeez, what did I ever do to deserve such mistrust from you, huh? It'll be fun, just have some faith, will ya?"

He patted the empty space behind him, encouraging her to come and sit down already, while his smile softened a bit. She hesitated a moment longer before finally getting on the backseat of the motorbike, tugging her skirt under her in order to avoid at least one form of humiliation.

"You know, you have to hold on to me or else you're gonna fall off, right?"

"I-I know that, idiot! J-just get going already!"

"Whatever you say, princess. Now, let's do this!"

She could practically feel the smug smile on his face from the way he answered her just now, and it drove her crazy. That annoying cocky little...

She didn't get to finish this last thought, for the bike took off down the road and away from her home with high speed. A small shriek escaped her lips, making this particularly strong willed and confident Chef in front of her laugh wholeheartedly. She had to hold on to his waist in order to not fall off the vehicle, forcing all her blood to rush up to her cheeks. Her grip on him was tight, she practically felt herself pressing hard against his back, which caused him to stiffen instantly. Was she... affecting him somehow? The laughter died down right away, giving her the opportunity to let out her complaints. What was up with this speed?

"Yukihira, what are you doing? Why are you driving so fast? I-I thought we had a deal?"

She couldn't help the anxious tone in her voice, considering this was her first time on something other than a car. She didn't want to be scared, but the fact of the matter was that she actually was indeed terrified. He was supposed to drive slow, so she could adjust to the new feeling she experienced, but with the pace he used right now, she wouldn't even get the chance to adjust at all.

He didn't look back at her, but she felt his muscles significantly relax as he chuckled again. The same couldn't be said about her own though. She was just as stiff as he had been a minute ago, fearing they could end up dead any moment now.

How could people ride this thing on their own free will?

"Don't worry about it and just loosen up, Nakiri. We won't crush into anything, promise! Open your eyes and take a look around. It's way more fun this way! And also, could ya stop squashing me already? I can't breath!"

As soon as he said that, she loosened her grip on his hard waist in embarrassment.

"W-well I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't broken our agreement in the first place!"

He laughed yet again, causing her to shiver all over. She somehow doubted it had anything to do with the wind blowing against her skin.

"Last I checked, I never agreed to this agreement, did I? Now calm down and try to enjoy it!"

This was unbelievable! He outsmarted her! Her!

'This guy is even sneakier than I thought! How dare he make a fool out of me!'

Then all of a sudden she remembered his last word from before, causing her still closed eyes to open wide.

'How did he know they were closed? Was he watching me from the wing mirror all this time?'

She turned red for the millionth time now, annoyed at the fact that he knew she was scared out of her mind at the moment.

'Maybe that's why he isn't teasing me about my eyes being closed or something else?'

"I-I don't want to look around!"

"Come on, I swear I won't let you fall off the bike. It's awesome to see all the buildings passing by!"

She disregarded his offer quickly in order to get back to their previous topic.

"Y-you still haven't answered my question yet. W-why the need to pick up the pace all of a sudden?"

Damn, her voice really sounded way worse than she had hoped it would. Was it normal for someone to be this terrified of a simple bike ride? She didn't think so. It was just pathetic.

"Well, since a certain someone took forever to come out of her big fancy Mansion, we are running a bit short on time, so we need to hurry up now or else Takumi is gonna kill me with that sharp Mezzaluna of his. Maybe I just shouldn't consider giving it back to him later..."

"I-I didn't take forever in there, it was an important meeting with my grandfather!"

"Oh, how's gramps doing by the way?"

"He... well... he will go on vacation in a couple of days. For right now, he's just fine."

"Wow, that's amazing! He really deserves to take some time off, don't ya think so too?"

"Yeah... he most definitely does..."

Her guilt started to come back to her now. Even Yukihira thought he needed a break, so maybe... she shouldn't have accepted his offer after all.

"You gonna miss him when he leaves, huh?"

"I suppose I will. Don't you miss your dad whenever you need to say goodbye?"

"Not really. He always goes out on long trips, so in a way I guess I'm used to it by now. Besides, we get to see each other again eventually."

"That's true..."

He was right, she would get to see her grandfather again eventually. This knowledge caused her mood to get better instantly, her cheeks widened in a gorgeous smile.

"By the way Nakiri, are ya enjoying the ride so far? We're almost there."

His words caused Erinas mind to go blank and her heart to skip a beat. She realized that she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings whatsoever while they talked. She even forgot all about her fear of the vehicle she was sitting on, having only focused on their conversation and the way his hard muscles felt trough the fabric of his shirt. She didn't grasp that they were already at the old front gate of the dormitory when he had asked that question before coming to a stop in front of the door and Yukihira turned off the engine.

"W-what...?"

He hopped off his bike as he chuckled to himself, leaving the heiress still seated where she was, in a state of confusion and disbelieve, which were probably evident on her face as well.

'He distracted me...'

Just when she wanted to confront him about it, he was holding out his hand in front of her to help her get off the seat. A kind gesture followed by a dashingly bright smile and a hint of a blush, which made her heart race again and her hormones to scream in delight. Instinctively she reached out and took his offered hand, smiling softly back at him while he pulled her up. His good will just knew no bounds.

"Thank you Yukihira..."

"See? It wasn't that bad, right? And no tree crashes along the way!"

She rolled her eyes in an unladylike fashion before flipping her hair right in front of his face as she turned around to walk inside, the silky locks brushing his skin softly, no doubt letting him even catch the sent of her shampoo without a problem. She wasn't able to see his expression- since her body was turned away from him now-, yet the weird silence that took over told her more than any facial expression ever could. He was shocked, unable to use any words. Much like the trance like state she had been earlier.

'That's how it should be, take this Yukihira!'

Silently giggling to herself in triumph and another emotion she couldn't quite decipher yet, she walked back inside the dorm, leaving the redhead outside, completely dumbfounded and still motionless.

While heading towards the main hall, where all her friends must be gathered, she wondered how long it would take for him to snap out of his daze on his own before someone stormed outside to get him. Her small giggle turned into lighthearted laughter when she heard a loud "Hey!" from outside, followed by fast approaching footsteps.

'Guess it didn't take him that long after all!'

Sooooo that was it! One question though. Do you guys perhaps know, if Erina actually knows the name of Somas diner? I wasn't so sure about that part.

See you next time! Take care!