Chapter 8: Issues

Hellooooo there everyone, how are you doing?

Here we go again with chapter 8 and things are slowly starting to go downhill from here on out, I sure hope you're all ready?

I was soooo excited and happy when I received all your lovely reviews last time, you guys are so freaking amazing! Seriously, words can't express my gratitude right now, thank you all so very much it means a lot to me and encourages me to continue!

Again I want to send my biggest thanks to two incredible people, who always manage to warm my heart with writing the sweetest reviews ever; jellyann and maddiest, you guys are the best, thank you so much my friends I love you and your kind words every single time I read them! You're amazing, I almost cried there hahahah!

And a very big thank you as well to everyone who reviewed as 'guests', I wish I had a way to contact you somehow and thank you personally guys!

Please tell me again what you think guys, I'm really trying hard to improve my writing and your comments honestly help me a lot with that! I appreciate them all, so please write me again.

Annnddd omg did you guys see the spoilers for chapter 278? I'm dying! Our ship is finally becoming canon yeeesssss hahahahahah!

But yeah, I just wanted to point that out here as well!

With that being said… let's get the ball rolling, shall we? Bring on the drama baby (well, sort of hahahah)!

It was official.

Yukihira Soma had lost his mind.

Literally.

This girl was driving him crazy, making his body respond to her touches in ways he didn't think were possible, bringing forth desires far stronger than anything he had ever experienced before.

With her fingers tugging on his hair, scratching his scalp, pulling him even closer the way they did he felt an unimaginable urge run through his veins, causing him to feel so lightheaded, so weightless, just puddle in her merciless hands.

It was unlike anything he ever had the privilege of sensing before, and he couldn't get enough of it.

Their kiss- if it still could be called as such- seemed to scream 'desperation' so loudly in his ears he wasn't sure whether or not either of them could actually back down from it any time soon. With how aggressively they ravished each other's mouth just a second ago the young Chef found himself giving in more and more into those urges he had so desperately tried to ignore ever since their first kiss at the Polar Star dormitory. He was done for, his mind blank, his heart begging for more as he continued to suck on the sensitive flesh of her neck, until…

"S-soma… y-you…"

…he froze, lips only an inch away from her soft skin.

Hearing her sweet voice moan like that would have, without a doubt, sent goosebumps all over his body, even taken it so far as to encourage him to finally move this a bit further, but… he couldn't. Not anymore.

Golden eyes grew wide, hands began to tremble, the intoxication slowly faded from his brain bit by bit as he stared blankly at the bruise now forming on her skin, scared, unmoving.

She had called him by his first name just now…, something she had never done before, and it seemed... so wrong, so unfitting, so contradictive to her usual demeanor.

"H-hey, a-are you okay?"

No, this wasn't supposed to happen.

Not like this.

He shouldn't be in this position again.

Soma was dumbfounded. He couldn't say why exactly, but somehow that little word managed to bring his senses back to him with full force.

She had never used his first name before, it wasn't like her to do that. It had opened his eyes just in time before things could have gotten way out of control.

Though, the second he realized what he had actually been doing to her skin there, he found himself silently wishing he had never woken up from this dream at all.

The gravity of the situation, the sudden guilt, the confusion, all of it kept weighing him down the longer he stared at that damn mark on her neck.

What was going on?

What had she done to him?

He couldn't afford to be this close to her anymore, with her breath constantly tickling his ear and her scent clouding up his mind he felt like he was going to burst a second time this evening. However, sensing that she would most certainly glide down the glass wall behind them if he were to let go right now, he had no other choice but to keep his hold on her body, not wanting to imagine her on her knees in front of him like that. So instead of releasing her he simply pressed his forehead next to hers against the cold glass, hoping desperately it would help him regain control over his spilling emotions.

Looking her in the eyes was out of the question at this point.

"I don't get it. Why didn't you stop me?"

He could feel her stiffen in his arms, painfully reminding him of where exactly his hands were located at the moment, and how wrong it really was.

"I-I don't…-"

"Cut it out with the excuses, and give me a straight answer, would ya? Why didn't you stop me?"

Anger started to build up inside him, quickly dominating all other emotions he had experienced a few seconds ago. Why did she feel the need to be so stubborn all the time?

Nakiri gasped softly, surprised to hear him raise his voice all of a sudden, but other than that she didn't respond whatsoever.

'Of course she wouldn't.'

Soma sighed, his patience running out quicker than he would have liked.

It hurt a lot. To think that she was denying him the right to know what had been on her mind this entire time really tore him up inside. He couldn't let her get away with this again, not after what they just did.

"Tell me, Nakiri. Hiding stuff won't solve anything at this point."

"Oh really? That's funny coming from you!"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Please, spare me your moral nonsense. I've had enough. Hiding emotions won't solve anything, huh? If that's really what you think than I have to wonder why you don't live by that philosophy yourself."

"What?"

She started shifting under his grip, the irritation that now radiated from her almost overwhelming.

He let her go immediately, taking a step back in bewilderment. Confused amber meeting frustrated amethyst as soon as the space between them grew wider.

"You accuse me of being dishonest when you're really the one talking around the subject all this time! How about you tell me what's bothering you for once instead of acting like you don't give a damn! Are you that much of a coward to admit that you're struggling too?"

"Struggling with what? You're the one who claims that she's fine whenever someone asks! You're the one who doesn't want to show others what's bothering you! You're the one who always turns away from a conversation by saying there's nothing to worry about, not me!"

His own anger reached the point of boiling over. There was no turning back from this now, it had to come out eventually. With how on edge he had been lately, all this frustration, this agitation, this… disappointment, slowly building up inside him for the past couple of days, he was afraid of letting it out on one of his friends should they come to ask him what his deal was. He knew it wasn't fair to her, but he couldn't keep his temper at bay any longer.

"Yeah? And who's fault do you think is that? I'm sick of pretending to be okay too, but you are just forcing me!"

"How the hell am I forcing you?"

"Y-you…-"

A deep growl escaped his lips, irritation preventing him from thinking rationally. She seriously wanted to blame him now?

"Explain."

"Y-you said we should forget everything that happened on the balcony, remember? It forced me to stay quiet and act like nothing's amiss all the damn time! I was trying to do that at first, but then… it got too painful! I just… didn't want that, alright? This was my first kiss and I didn't want to forget about it! And from what I could tell it looked like you were feeling the exact same way. You also wanted to keep that memory, but for some reason decided to block it out instead. I dare you to tell me I'm wrong, Yukihira Soma!"

His mouth opened, a protest already on the tip of his tongue, but then closed it, realizing that at the end he had nothing to say after all. So he simply averted his eyes towards the floor, shutting off his inner voice that desperately tried to make him admit she was partly right.

"See? It always ends this way! Whenever you start displaying your feelings in any way or talk about them, you cut yourself off or randomly change the subject without even thinking about what the person in front of you might be expecting to hear. Do you have any idea of how disappointed I was? How it pained me? Only a measly poltroon would ask to forget about something this important to avoid revealing what their true motives are, you know! I had no idea you were one of them."

Gritting his teeth forcefully he took a step forward, blinded by rage.

"Say what? Not everything's about you, Nakiri! I can tell you I was struggling after the kiss, but not for the reasons you might think! Yes, I wanted to do it again, badly. And yes, I admit, I was thinking about it a lot too. However, there's more to it than that. This… feeling, whatever it is, has also affected my cooking way too much lately, and… I couldn't stand it!"

Soma's heart was racing, like it would come to a stop any second. Was he really saying this right now? It seemed he couldn't control his mouth anymore, the need to explain himself almost overwhelming.

The girl stared at him with parted lips, hair beyond fixable as it waved in the midnight breeze. He had to tell her the reason behind his actions, her eyes literally begged him to do so.

"I- …Remember the Shokugeki I was in this morning? I barely managed to win thanks to my dish ending up being the complete opposite from what I had intended to make. My mind was all over the place. I felt like I had no idea of what I was doing up there and before I knew it I just started to throw all kinds of ingredients together just so I could present the judges at least something adequate. Do you know how terrifying that was? I live for my cooking, Nakiri. If I start losing focus on that, then… I don't want this, okay?"

"S-so you're backing down now because your stupid ego took a hit when you were almost defeated in a food battle? Are you serious? What kind of excuse is that?"

She took a step forward of her own, her expression just as fierce as his now. He saw those beautiful eyes change from pleading into something colder, staring him down just like they had on the day they first met.

It frustrated him even more.

He wanted it gone.

"I don't expect you to understand this, Nakiri. I mean, how could I? You never had any sort of empathy inside you to begin with, so there's no point in telling you what I feel. Just drop it."

What was he saying? He had to stop himself immediately.

But as he registered the pain flickering across her delicate features he knew the damage had already been done. And it was unrepairable this time.

"W-what? Is t-that seriously how you see it?"

She tried to sound unaffected, not willing to give her true feelings away. However it was pretty obvious his words had hurt her deeply, and it was all his fault.

He hated it.

Why couldn't he just stop?

"It is. This has been a mistake from the start and I… don't want any of it. Not when my cooking is suffering the consequences."

Was this the truth, though?

Yes, yes it had to be.

He couldn't afford to get distracted when there were still so many goals to achieve. Cooking meant everything to him and if there was someone starting to mess with his mind, distracting him to the point where he randomly prepared a dish he hadn't planned on making, let alone practiced for beforehand, he would try and do his best to stay away from said person, no matter what.

This was the first time something like that happened to him. He had no idea what to do, considering he had been craving for social interactions all his life. However it became painfully obvious by now that he couldn't continue talking to Nakiri like this any longer. She was downright bad for his heart, his concentration, his self-restraint.

Her eyes widened, a trembling hand raised to cover her mouth, trying to silence the gasp that still escaped her throat as she took a few steps away from him.

He didn't dare to come closer.

"S-so you weren't… I-I was wrong?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but… I think I won't be able to handle this, Nakiri."

"B-because you are scared?"

"What? No! I-I… that's not-"

Her cold eyes found his once again. He shivered due to their intensity, frozen in place.

"Pathetic."

That was the last word Nakiri Erina said to him for the rest of the night. She flipped her hair back- the same motion she had refused to do all night long-, turned around and left the terrace.

He kept standing there, motionless, uncomprehending, shocked.

Despite his temper overwhelming him for a moment Soma was not completely blind to her body language though. He had seen the tears running down her face the moment she had walked away. He had seen the pain in her amethyst eyes slowly fading into nothingness, leaving him empty and cold. He had seen her trembling body, trying desperately to suppress a loud sob.

He didn't do anything about it, didn't stop her from running down the stairs. He needed the time to pull himself together first.

Did that really happen just now?

Had he been directly telling her to stay away from him so he could focus on his cooking again?

She had been right, he was scared. But how else was he supposed to feel? He did a big mistake by all this, their kiss, their lighthearted conversations, their dance- followed by a second kiss-, it all left him craving for more and he couldn't take it for much longer. It had to stop.

'Damn it…'

…

After returning to the main hall Soma didn't dare to give her a second glance, the gut-wrenching experience they just went through making his stomach twist with remorse.

She was standing in front of the huge door, next to their upperclassman, arms crossed over her chest and face turned in the opposite direction. He didn't want to see that emotionless stare again anyway, so he had no complaints about it. However the guilt he felt for bringing forth this expression in the first place was beyond bearable at the moment.

"Ah, Soma, welcome back! You just missed the closing ceremony. Where have you been?"

Forcing his eyes away from the blond heiress he regarded Isshiki instead. For some reason the older boy was staring at him rather intensely.

"I think you're the last person who should be asking that, don't you think? Where were you this whole time?"

"My, whatever do you mean, young friend? I was here of course and experienced the entire beauty of this banquet."

"But you- …you know what, never mind."

"Good, I see the last ones have finally arrived. I'm assuming we're finally ready to move out then?"

Hearing the deep voice of Totsukis former headmaster Soma quickly stepped aside in surprise. He hadn't noticed the old man standing behind him for quite some time now, too invested in his own thoughts to take note of it in any way. However he did notice Nakiri flinch at the mention of them being late. He couldn't say he blamed her though, considering that they were supposed to attend the dance down here as well. He just hoped it wouldn't turn into an ordeal for her.

"Oh, what's up gramps? Didn't see ya there."

A sympathetic smile was all he received before the old man turned towards the brunette in front of them, a small frown shadowing his face once again. It seemed a bit odd in Somas eyes, like his elder knew exactly he was trying his best to sound just as chirpy as usual.

"Yes sir, I believe we can indeed take our leave now."

"I-I should go get Hisako. Her shift must be over now anyway."

"Great idea, Nakiri. Do you mind if I tag along? There are quite a few things I need to discuss with you."

With only a weak nod as her response the girl made her way past them towards the exit, not looking at anyone around her, not even her own grandfather.

Why was she acting so weird?

Because of him?

He doubted it. He had to doubt it, even though his heart told him otherwise.

"Hey, eh, gramps? About that request you had earlier… would it be okay if I stopped by some other time? I don't think it's a good idea for me to come over first thing tomorrow morning, ya know?"

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well I- …I mean- that's… hard to explain actually."

Another sympathetic smile graced the elder's face. It really did seem like he knew what Soma was trying to tell him. But how could he…?

"Let me give you an advice, my boy. Sooner or later there will be a time when we are required to adjust our plans for the future so that we may find the right path to walk on. Sometimes the next curse of action is obvious, easy enough to carry out right away. But mostly we have to go through many obstacles in order to see what the best option is. And just like in the kitchen we can't allow ourselves to stray away too far from the original recipe or the dish will end up being completely tasteless. Trust me, your father knows that better than anyone else."

Soma's eyes widened at hearing him mention his dad. What did he have to do with this?

"Now if you think you're strong enough to do precisely that, come to the Estate tomorrow morning. If you're not, then I have nothing else to say to you."

Pathetic.

"I'm not a coward, gramps! I can do this!"

"Excellent. I'll await your presence tomorrow at dawn then."

"Yeah, b-but…-"

"Don't be late, boy."

With that he made his way outside, leaving the young man standing in the door frame, more confused than before.

'Adjust my plans for the future, huh? How the hell am I gonna find out which ones? Whatever, guess there's no way around it now, I just have to make sure to wrap this up as fast I can.'

Heaving a long sigh Soma released the tension in his shoulders, too exhausted to try and make any sense of what was going on around him. He figured that getting some shuteye soon would probably be the best way to escape the endless thinking at this point, otherwise he would just end up torturing himself until daybreak.

After all, his thoughts still lingered on the kiss he had shared with the blonde not too long ago and he needed to escape that anguish somehow.

Even now he was able to feel her soft lips against his own, her hands on his scalp, her leg wrapping itself around his torso, pulling him closer and closer. Her tongue dancing with his…

Shaking his head he decided to quicken his pace a bit in hopes of leaving this particular incident behind him.

It was over now. Nothing but a bittersweet memory, he wanted to banish from his mind. As painful as it might be he had drawn the line himself and there was no way he would go back on his word now.

'I need to get some rest soon or else it'll keep haunting me forever.'

…

That night Soma lay in his bed, tossing and turning, counting sheep over and over again, but sleep just wouldn't come no matter how much he begged for it. Cold, empty eyes and words as sharp as knifes followed him everywhere he looked, his room suffocating him by the second.

He had pulled out his phone, hoping his father would give him a call, but his screen remained blank, no signs of a message either.

The urge to cook rose within him, the wish to take his mind off of things. So he pulled out his trusting grill and prepared the first dish he could think of.

It was all perfectly fine at first, his hands working on their own, skillfully cutting chicken fat into tiny pieces without much effort. But then, as he purred the rice into a bowl and the eggs on top of it, he realized what exactly it was he had been making there.

Furikake gohan.

It had happened again.

"Damn it!"

He knew there was no way he would get any sleep now, his heart aching and his fists clenched painfully as he regarded the dish in front of him with pure disgust in his eyes.

It was evident in his face the next morning as well, dark circles under his eyes, his hair messier than usual, lips dry for no reason, he felt as though he would lose his sanity for good this time.

When he heard a soft knock on the door his eyebrows instantly knitted together, not in the mood to deal with his friends' constant worrying over him.

He knew they meant well, but right now, without any sleep, it was just too much for him to handle.

Nonetheless he opened the door, not finding the strength to send them away.

"H-hey Soma. I'm sorry to disturb you, b-but we have already prepared breakfast and you're the only one who's still missing. Aren't you hungry?"

"Ah, sorry 'bout that Tadokoro, I'll be there in a sec."

She raised a delicate eyebrow at his words, the concern instantly present on her features.

'Here we go…'

"S-Soma, are you alright? You look kind of… tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"B-but y-you…"

"Damn it, I said I'm fine! Quit asking me!"

Taking one step back her eyes widened with shock, not believing that the usually so cheerful boy would actually raise his voice like that. Oh if only she knew…

"S-Soma…"

"I… I'm sorry, Tadokoro. I didn't mean to yell at you, it's just… forget about it. Why don't ya go on ahead and tell everyone to get started without me? I need to visit someone anyway."

"Oh, a-alright then. But, may I ask who it is you're going to visit this early?"

"Hm? Oh, just gramps, over at the Mansion. He said he wanted my help, but for some reason he didn't tell me what exactly it is."

"Huh. Well, if that's the case would you like me to prepare something for the way?"

His face instantly lit up at seeing the enthusiasm shining in her eyes. Tadokoro really knew how to cheer him up, even if she wasn't aware of it most of the time. Soma appreciated it greatly.

"That'd be great. Thanks a lot!"

He gave her another half-smile before turning back around to search for his daily clothes. To him the conversation was over.

"Sure, but eh… Soma?"

"Yeah?"

"Please b-be careful, okay?"

"Huh?"

"I… well, I can't place what's going on with you per se, a-and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have to tell me or anything! It's just that… I feel like something has happened and it's kind of weighing you down. You act differently ever since that Shokugeki we had with Central and…, I don't know. I guess what I'm trying to say is you seem… passive lately. The others are worried too, so… I figured I should warn you to be careful, if that makes any sense?"

Stilling all his activities he stared blankly at the food stain on the ground before him, not able to say a word.

His dad had left that particular stain there when he had been a student at Totsuki, reminding Soma constantly of his remarkable accomplishments over the years, as well as all the future achievements the redhead himself had yet to focus on.

However as he looked at it now, his mind wasn't filled with pride or determination whatsoever. It was empty. No goals to reach, no people to surpass, no reasons to get better at cooking, he was just downright lost for a moment.

"Yeah, you're right. I really do feel a bit out of place these days. Maybe a quick trip back home would help me get it together again…"

"O-oh yes, m-maybe… now that summer break has started I think most of the students are planning to head back home too. It'll be a good opportunity to relax a little. I'm going as well. I guess no one will be here at the dorm for a while then, huh?"

"Yup, seems like it."

"Well, a-anyway, I should probably hurry up with your lunchbox if you're planning to head out right away. I'll see you downstairs."

"Alright. And Tadokoro… thanks. For everything."

She blushed a dark shade of red, no doubt embarrassed because of his earnest words, before closing the door behind her again. He stared at it for a few seconds longer, his smile long gone by now.

This blush just didn't have nearly as strong of an impact on him as hers had. Those reddened cheeks always seemed to raise his pulse every time he had the chance to look at her. He hated himself for comparing the two of them, but at this point his sleep-deprived brain practically forced him to register all the things he had so badly wished to forget.

It only dampened his mood that much more, which didn't go unnoticed by the rest of his friends the moment they saw him entering the dining area. He had to get out of the dormitory immediately before he would snap at them too, his temper untamable at this point.

"Hey Yukihira, you seem kinda exhausted. Is everything alright?"

"Eh, yeah, I'm fine. Didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."

His answer caused Marui to raise an eyebrow, the lights in the room reflecting his glasses as he pushed them up his nose again.

"I can see that. Did something happen?"

"You know you can always talk to us, right?"

"Yes, I agree with Yuki. We'll try to help out as best we can if you need us to, you know."

"Guys, calm down would ya? I'm okay, honest. There's just a lot on my mind, nothing to worry about. I promise you it'll be gone in a few days or so."

Feeling like he was driven into a corner all of a sudden, the tension in his muscles increased drastically, a sign that his patience was about to run out. He couldn't deal with this right now, the irritation inside him close to spilling over. No one here deserved to be a victim of his boiling rage, especially when they were just trying to help. Soma couldn't do that to them, it wasn't fair. But how was he supposed to get out of this situation when they kept pushing him?

Thankfully the sound of Isshiki clearing his throat conspicuously saved him just in time. That, and Tadokoro entering the room with a small package in her hands. Smiling softly at the petite girl he took the box and sighed in relief, thanking her for being so fast.

He could relax again…

"Alright everyone, that's enough. We should give our young friend some room to breathe, yes? I'm sure whatever it is that's troubling him will solve itself eventually, so there is no need for us to bud in. Just remember, Soma, sometimes the right amount of time can make people see things more clearly. The answers you're looking for can't be forced, nor is it wise to rush them, for that matter. Just keep this in mind."

…or not.

His eyes widened slightly, staring at the brunette with uncertainty written all over his face for a split second before he turned away, ready to leave the dining room for good.

Did his upperclassman know something as well now?

"Only question is, which of us would be the one wise enough to make use of this time."

Only a select few were able to hear his mumbling, including Tadokoro, who happened to be standing right next to him, and Isshiki himself, his friendly smile now replaced with a concerned frown.

Soma didn't care. He had nothing else to say.

So with his breakfast in hand he quickly made his way out the door, heading towards the main entrance of the dorm. His head was filled with so many thoughts, he found himself unable to focus on at least one of them. He had the silent suspicion that his elder knew more than he was letting on, which unsettled the redhead quite a bit. Nakiri wouldn't have told him, that much was for sure, but how else did he find out about their argument?

Could it even be called an argument at this point?

All he did was put a stop to something that wasn't even there- yet-, to scared it would mess up his cooking skills that much more if he were to let things continue the way they had been. But then, why was he feeling this agitated right now?

Lack of sleep was the only explanation coming to mind, but for some reason that didn't seem plausible enough. It wasn't like him to get so worked up over something this trivial, the amount of sleep he got every day wasn't much higher than what he had last night, so there shouldn't be a problem, right?

As he rubbed the back of his neck in frustration Soma finally stepped outside, reaching into his pocket to find the keys for his motorbike. He was definitely too worn out to try and make any sense of what his brain was telling him. All that mattered right now was getting this meeting with the Nakiri elder over with as fast as possible before he would run into said man's granddaughter. He didn't want to see her anymore, or more like; he couldn't. Not for the time being. Not when he was so out of it.

It was strange really. To think that he would be the one to reject a friend didn't sit well with him, especially when said friend had been hostile towards him ever since his enrollment at Totsuki. They were back at square one again and Soma didn't know how to handle that. His feelings were so contradicting and he hated it.

'I just hope dad's still at home when I get back. I really need to talk to someone. It can't go on like this.'

…

Reaching the front gate of the largest building in the academy he was confronted with a few familiar voices, particularly one that sounded rather hysterical and one that tried to calm that person down as best they could.

He knew those voices all too well, given that the sound of the latter twisted his stomach with both pleasure and discomfort alike.

Wondering what they were talking about he stopped right where he was, turning off the engine of his bike while he listened in.

"Please, Miss Erina, tell me at least if this place you're going to is save or not! I can't stand the thought of leaving you all by yourself for two days! Why won't you let me come with you?"

"We already discussed this, Hisako. You need to stay here and help my grandfather take care of things while I'm gone. It won't be a problem, trust me. As soon as my business is done I'll come right back."

"B-but can't you at least explain what this sudden business is all about?"

"I-I…"

A long pause caused the curious young man to peek through the gate towards the front door of the Mansion. Her voice came off as too unsure, too broken, and simply too… weak for him to just ignore it like he had originally planned.

To his major surprise the heiress was dressed in a rather casual manner, long skinny jeans, a white shirt coated in a black blazer, white sneakers, it was almost like she was trying to look as ordinary as possible. But in a way… she still managed to make it appear pretty high class, however that worked. A small bag stood on the ground next to her, not worth further inspection, but significant in its own right.

So it was time.

She would leave him-them today.

Did Arato not know where to either?

"I… can't, I'm sorry. Please don't take it the wrong way, I promise we'll talk about this as soon as I get back, alright? Just… stop worrying about me so much."

"She's right. There's no need to panic so much. I can assure you Erina will be in good hands. In the meantime why don't you go ahead and prepare those files I need for this year's assignments later?"

"Oh, o-of course sir, r-right away. Miss Erina, please remember I will see you save and sound in exact two days, so try to be careful."

"Y-yeah, sure… I'll see you soon, Hisako."

He saw the pink haired girl bowing low in front of the two family members before she ran straight into the house, worry written all over her face.

Not wasting anymore time the redhead got off his bike and walked through the gate. Seeing her couldn't be avoided now anyway, so he might as well make his presence known before they would notice him staring at them first.

'At least with gramps here things should be a bit easier, I guess. But what the heck is he talking about? In what good hands?'

Just where did this girl intend to go?

"Alright, I think I'm about ready to head out myself. The car should be arriving any moment now, so… maybe its best if I waited for it near the road?"

"Actually before you do, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about, but I'm afraid I can't get into details before- oh, there he is. Excellent timing, my boy, come over here."

Feeling his muscles tense again when the former headmaster spoke to him directly he continued to approach them in a steady pace. He didn't focus on anything other than the tall man in front of him as he finally came to a halt before them, his mind racing with all kinds of questions. He was still able to sense the horrified eyes of Nakiri piercing through his soul the moment they were side by side, though he figured that turning his head and greeting her was not an option anymore. As sad as it was.

"Well then, I think now is the perfect opportunity to fill you in on what I had in mind when I was requesting to meet you here so early in the morning, Yukihira."

"I'm listening…"

"G-grandfather, what is this about? Something else you were hiding from me?"

Her voice was trembling. She obviously didn't want to know the answer to those questions.

But he certainly did.

Was the old man trying to tell him something that involved Nakiri in a way?

"First of all, child, the place you wish to visit is not somewhere you go to so prematurely in a limousine. The people there will notice you immediately whether you like it or not. In other words you need to take precautions if you want no one to pay attention to you."

"B-but our driver- h-he already located it with his GPS. How should I get there without his help, grandfather?"

"Well, here's where young Yukihira comes into play."

His eyes widened instantly at seeing the elder smile in his direction. He was supposed to do what?

"What d'ya mean, gramps? I don't get it at all."

"I want you to escort my granddaughter to your family restaurant in Sumiredori Shopping District. I'm afraid it can't be delayed much further, since I will have to take my leave soon as well. So the faster Erina gets back the better."

Silence.

Nothing but silence for the next three minutes.

Both Soma and the heiress next to him stared at the old man with shock evident on their faces.

His brain was screaming something at him, but all he could hear at the moment was his own heartbeat, hammering mercilessly against his chest. Try as he might he couldn't understand the meaning behind those words, no matter how simple they sounded.

A quick glance to his right confirmed his suspicion that Nakiri was equally traumatized by this revelation. Her mouth agape, her pupils visibly grown, and her body trembling with restraint she seemed just as speechless as he was. But unlike himself, she looked more offended than anything else, her expression turning darker by the second. He had to clear his mind somehow, feeling like if he didn't the massive amount of questions would eventually end up giving him a headache. He didn't need another one, for that matter.

"H-hold on a sec, gramps. You want me to bring-"

"No."

"Hm? Come again, dear?"

"I said no. I'm sorry for disrespecting you like that, grandfather, I really am. But I won't accept your proposition. Not this time."

Said grandfather breathed a heavy sigh, his eyes closing as he stroked his beard in thought. Soma was lost again. What was going on here?

"I had a feeling you would say that. But frankly this isn't something that requires your consent, child. You can't go to a small neighborhood like this and I trust the boy to watch over you while you're on the road, so there's not much you can say to convince me otherwise. Besides, after what happened last night I think you deserve a punishment of some sort, don't you agree?"

She flinched again, her mouth closing and her head lowering in defeat. Soma was still able to see the tremble in her shoulders, the clenching of her jaw, everything. His gut twisted uncomfortably.

"I-I didn't mean- …please don't do this, grandfather. I-I can't."

"As I recall, you were the one saying that you would consider filling him in, right? I had a suspicion you wouldn't do that, though, so I took matters into my own hands. Now I can rest easy."

"Wait gramps, what's all this about anyway? Why the sudden interest in visiting my place?"

He didn't want to hear any of this. What Soma needed more than anything right now were answers.

"Well, it is definitely not my place to give you all the details, but… just know that Erina has something to discuss with your father, which is another reason why she has to depart as soon as possible. He won't be at the diner for much longer."

"W-what? Y-you're saying… dad is back home at the moment? He hasn't texted me about that. How do you know?"

"Don't forget your father has been a student here as well, my boy. But that isn't important now. Yukihira Soma, I will ask one more time. Are you willing to take my grandchild to your family restaurant and make sure that no harm comes to her?"

The authority radiating from the tall man was almost overwhelming. So much so that Soma himself could feel a thin layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He still didn't quite understand what all of this meant, but for some reason he suspected that it had to be a very important issue if not even Arato was allowed to know about this.

Nodding his head in a slow motion, Soma unknowingly sealed both their fates as the former headmaster dropped his serious glare and began to smile at him approvingly.

Nakiri's head snapped towards him, startled to see his response.

"You can't be serious, Yukihira! Why would you do this?"

"I was about to head back home after the meeting with gramps anyway, so I don't see what difference it would make to me if someone else tagged along. Besides, I wanna know why you need to talk to my dad so badly."

She didn't give an answer, her face heating up and her bangs concealing those empty eyes was all he got before she turned away again. It was concerning, but he could deal with it for now. His brain had other issues to solve, after all.

"Alright then. I hope you're aware it would not be in your best interest to disappoint me, boy. My granddaughter is in your care from now on."

"I understand, sir."

The words left Soma's mouth before he had any chance to stop himself, his voice unwavering and oddly serious, enough to catch the shaking girl's attention again. Her eyes wide, her lips parted slightly, she stared at him like he was an extinct animal of some sort. He watched her reaction from the corner of his eye, their gazes locked onto each other for quite a while. It was just so easy to get lost in those deep amethyst orbs that Soma found himself unable to look away.

That is, until he remembered what he had done to her last night, the thought forcing him to stare at the old man again instead of her, guilty yet determined.

He had forgotten that even a quick glance at her could be dangerous.

"I'm counting on you. And Erina? Don't forget that whatever you're going to hear is in the distant past now and did not shape you whatsoever, alright? Keep in mind that you should only ask what you need to know, nothing more. I hope you find the answers you seek and I wish you the best of luck."

"T-thank you, grandfather, I will do that."

With another nod towards the red headed Chef Senzaemon Nakiri made his way back inside the house, leaving them standing in front of the door, quiet and way too uncomfortable to look anywhere other than the staircase before them.

The heiress still seemed pretty pissed at the fact that they would have to venture together while Soma himself was simply deep in thought, confused as to why the old man would tell his granddaughter something like that in the first place. It almost sounded like he knew what he was talking about, knew what answers she would come across once she had a word with his dad and it left a bad taste in his mouth. And then there was this other small detail too. She needed to go see his father for something that supposedly not even her own family member knew about. Didn't she find that a bit strange as well?

As much as he wished for it Soma doubted she would explain her motives to him so easily after what had happened between them last night.

Was this why she had been so inattentive lately?

Her nightmare, that melancholic expression on her face, the constant refusal to tell him what was on her mind every time he asked. All this because of something she needed to ask his dad about?

'I knew there was no way she could be thinking of me all this time. Why should she?'

He had lost his chance to know her better yesterday, that much was certain.

'It's better this way.'

"W-well, don't just stand there. If I can't go to this diner of yours by car, then I have no choice but to accept whatever form of transportation you see fit. So how are we supposed to get there?"

Her voice was cold, harsh even. He had no right to complain though.

"I, eh, guess we can take the bus?"

"W-what? The b-bus?"

"Well yeah. Usually I ride my bike, but… considering how much it scared you the last time you were on it I'd say the bus is our best bet."

"Hmph, the motorcycle itself didn't do anything, it was more like your pitiful driving skills that startled me a little."

"A little, huh? Well in that case, mind if we go with the first option then? I parked the bike right next to the front gate."

She took a step back at hearing that, her face paling instantly.

"N-no, no, there's no need for that. Taking the bus will do just fine."

He wanted to smile, remembering their usual bickering, but he resisted the urge. It was sort of hard to accept that it wouldn't be the same anymore.

While she picked up her bag, face flushed a deep shade of red, Soma went ahead to ask the security guards if it was alright to leave his bike on the Estate grounds for a few days. He didn't have the time to go back to the dorm and park it there, so this was his only option.

Thankfully they had no complaints about it, thus the young Chef rolled his motorcycle to the side and waited for Nakiri near the road.

Once the heiress fell into step beside him Soma made his way to the nearest bus stop that would take them back to his family diner. A weird feeling began to spread inside him the longer they walked, a reminder of what exactly he had gotten himself into this time.

The girl he had wanted to stay away from was now about to see his home. It would be her very first experience in a local eatery- he was sure of that- and somehow Soma felt rather anxious thinking about this. He was proud of his family diner, no questions asked, but right now they weren't exactly on the best of speaking terms and he couldn't say how he would react if she were to insult the place he grew up in.

That would be too much.

'At least I finally get a chance to talk to dad myself. Just hope I didn't make a mistake by all this.'

As he approached the bus stop, glancing at Nakiri every few seconds along the way, Soma found himself wishing he had never agreed to this trip in the first place, the anxiety within him too strong to be ignored any longer.

Little did he know that regret was soon about to have a whole different meaning behind it. One that wouldn't be as simple in its reasoning as his current train of thought was.

Damn, things are starting to get pretty messy around here, huh? I so hope you guys aren't mad at me for giving my babies a hard time. Please, please, please, please don't hate me, I swear this story will have a 'happily ever after'. But there is just so much more that needs to happen before we can reach said happy ending and this chapter wasn't even the worst of it.

I hope you all still liked it though, and feel generous enough to tell me what you think? I would really love to see your opinions on this chapter, what was good, what was bad (but I guess at this point everyone will most probably think it was all bad hahahah).

Well, as always:

Take care, everyone and see you next time!