Chapter 9: The other side of the coin
I happily welcome you all back to yet another chapter everyone! The plot thickens and we are very close to the big 'truth' (no pun intended, hahahah)! For right now there is something else Erina has to deal with though and I'm afraid they're not that easy to solve. But let's just see how things go for her, shall we?
As always thank you all so very much for telling me what you thought of the last chapter, I really appreciate every single word believe me! You are so awesome and I couldn't be happier about the way things are going right now, so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. I honestly can't say it enough! And, I have to give a shout out to my dear friends jellyann and maddiest for writing me such sweet messages, you're the best, and I love you so very much guys, hahahah!
Please tell me again what you think this time either, I would love to get a chance to thank you guys in person and answer questions, should there be any.
Oh, oh, and about the new chapter from the manga again. Omg this is soooo epic, I was literally screaming at how cute Soma and Erina were! Our ship's pretty much canon at this point, yeeesssss!
It also blew my mind even more when I noticed something specific in the manga. Something I had planned for the curse of this story for quite a while now hahahah, how exiting!
Anyway, with that being said let's jump straight into the chapter.
Take care everyone!
Some people said there was only a certain amount of pain a person's heart could withstand. A specified number of times it was able to bounce back. But for Nakiri Erina the curtains had fallen quite a while ago. She possessed neither the energy nor the will anymore to overcome the heartbreak this time.
To say she was hurting would most definitely not be enough to describe the pain she felt right now. Her pride mercilessly taken away from her, the humiliation of having interpreted the situation wrong, all of it just kept weighing her down and there was nothing she could do to recover from such a harsh reality. The reality of feeling attached to someone that doesn't reciprocate it in the slightest. He had shattered her heart into tiny pieces without even considering what it might do to her in the long run, or how she would cope with such a ruthless rejection to begin with.
Erina definitely had her answer in that regard now. It was pretty obvious he didn't feel the same, and as much as she tried to deny it, the heiress knew that deep down she wished it were otherwise.
Why, she couldn't say though. All she knew was that this stupid infatuation had to stop right here before she would make an even bigger fool out of herself. There was no point in giving in to those strange sensations if she would just end up hurt afterwards.
Losing one of her newly found friends yesterday had taught her an important lesson; never show anyone your weak points or you might get stabbed in the back as a result of it…
As they waited for the bus to finally arrive she secretly glanced over at the boy from her spot on the bench a few feet away. He was looking at the empty street in front of them, completely lost in his own thoughts from what she could tell.
Unable to ignore the clenching of her chest for much longer Erina focused on her shoes instead, too overwhelmed with feelings of abandonment again.
Why did it have to be like this?
Why couldn't she just brush his words aside and move on the same way she had done so many times before?
It was frustrating, to say the least. And now she couldn't even get away from that idiot thanks to her grandfather commanding him to watch over her while she was on the road. At that moment, she had wanted nothing more than to scream, to protest, state that she wasn't a kid that needed babysitting anymore. To… start crying again… However, disrespecting her family member like that was not something the blonde planned on doing anytime soon. She certainly was angry with him, but she would never raise her voice or disobey him in any way, not even if she had the desire to cry.
It was unbelievable how low she, the Nakiri Erina, had actually fallen.
To feel this sad over something that was supposed to be considered irrelevant was utterly ridiculous. Yes, the boy had been her friend, and yes, she had wanted to be close to him for some unknown reason. But was it really a normal experience for someone to feel so… devastated after ending a companionship? Especially when said companionship had started just a short while ago? She doubted it.
Clearly, her grandfather was not thinking this through rationally when he assigned Yukihira to take her to his family diner.
'I will see it… the diner he grew up in… his home…'
Her face flushed a deep shade of red again, embarrassment and frustration spreading inside her simultaneously like wildfire.
Damn that idiot for still managing to make her think about him nonstop, to pique her curiosity regarding his background even though she shouldn't care at all. She didn't go there to have a sightseeing tour in the house, she went because there were important questions she needed to be answered.
As painful as it would be, Erina couldn't afford to get sidetracked right now. This was a golden opportunity to find out what happened to her father that turned him into the monster she knew him as, and the heiress would rather torture herself by trying to pay the redhead no mind than miss her chance of learning more about the man's true motives.
She had to set her priorities straight immediately or she would end up with nothing.
The moment she heard the engine of the bus Erina closed her eyes, a melancholic smile gracing her face.
Things would have been so much easier if she were alone on this trip, without Yukihira's company. She had always been alone, working in silence by herself until she reached her limit, never bothering to care about the people around her. And now… she couldn't stop wondering what it was that made her feel so vulnerable in that boy's presence. So… defenseless.
"Hey, Nakiri? The bus is here, are you coming? I can take that bag if ya like?"
"It's fine, don't bother. I will carry it myself."
As she got off the bench, Erina took her luggage with a silent sigh of relief. She was starting to get anxious the longer they waited without looking or speaking to each other. It was uncomfortable, and Erina hated the steadily growing tension between them, the awareness of there being still so many things neither of them had admitted yet.
They were both unhappy in a way, she could feel it, but considering what happened last time they tried to talk about their differences it was a better choice to just let things be instead of starting a conversation.
It wouldn't end well, that much she had learned.
So as an attempt to escape these futile thoughts, the blonde tried focusing on something else instead. Something she never imagined she'd do at some point in her life as the Nakiri heiress.
Riding a local bus for the very first time.
She really wanted to express her excitement by bouncing on the balls of her heels or giggling in anticipation like a child, but she simply suppressed the urge as best she could, not favoring the idea of Yukihira seeing yet another ridiculous behavior on her part. Nevertheless, she found herself unable to prevent that previously sad smile shifting into an exhilarated one as the large vehicle came to a halt right in front of them.
"What are ya thinking about?"
"Huh?"
"You're smiling brighter now than the last time I've seen it."
"So?"
"I thought maybe you'd tell me the reason why."
Even though Erina never looked his way, she could sense a certain hope radiating from him. Hope that she would open up again, hope that they still had a chance of interacting with each other without getting too close or personal. It was so stupid Erina considered laughing out loud for a second.
She didn't want to say it in the middle of the street, but what he was asking for just couldn't be done so easily. And he knew it.
"Why would you care? As far as I'm concerned, I have no obligation of informing a mere acquaintance about what's in my mind. Just do me a favor and don't get in the way. I have other things to focus on than listening to your pointless endeavor of making small talk."
"…A mere acquaintance, huh?"
For a second Erina's eyes threatened to mist over as she passed him by, smile slipping off her face at seeing the hurt in his expression.
He had no idea of how much she was hurting right now.
"That's what you chose to be, remember? We're only doing what you wanted, so there is no need to drag it out any longer."
With that she made her way into the bus, her heart aching as she tried desperately to control the shaking of her hands. His eyes lingered on her for a few more seconds before he got in as well, the pain evident on his features slowly changing into apathy.
They didn't talk as they found a decant spot to stand, the crowd pushing and dragging each other from one corner to another, trying to hold onto something stable. Erina observed the display in silence, taking in all the different kinds of behavior every passenger in her sight displayed. And once the bus started to move, the sorrow within her instantly turned into excitement again. Dimmed, but still there nonetheless, ready to outshine the darkness in her heart if forced enough. Which she tried to do by all means necessary as she continued to glance at her surroundings in astonishment.
It turned out that traveling by bus wasn't much different from sitting in a car, in fact, it could be considered almost identical if it weren't for all those people pushing each other around. However, what fascinated Erina so much about this vehicle was the fact that she had the pleasure of standing the entire time. Her hands were pressed against the large window they stood in front of, eagerness to see as much of the ground as possible taking over the rational side of her mind.
She didn't realize her smile returning to her face when they left familiar territory and drove straight into the heart of the city. Another thing she didn't realize was the constant stare Yukihira sent her way, a grin of his own tugging at the corner of his mouth as he witnessed the girl's growing excitement. Too engrossed in her environment the heiress never had the chance to take note of that particular look though.
Instead, she watched old buildings passing by, vendors patiently standing in front of their shops to invite anyone in who would be interested in buying their products, and small bakeries selling freshly made bread or pastries to their customers. It was lively, maybe a bit too crowded for her taste, but definitely not what she had expected to see when imagining the streets of Tokyo. Erina didn't think she'd feel this delighted at the sight of happy families walking from one store to another with heavy looking shopping bags in their hands, or dogs waiting for their owners in front of a market for that matter.
'Must be nice… to be this carefree…'
For a split second, her heart yearned to experience the same pleasure they got to have every day, even if it were for only a moment. She never knew that life outside the Estate would seem this thrilling and eventful. Never having set a foot into the open street like this before the heiress did feel a little out of place, used to big empty spaces and maids bringing her whatever she needed in just a few of seconds.
It was sad that even the city she had called home her entire life was somewhat a new sight to her.
"It's so different here…"
"W-what? Oh, eh… well… w-what d'ya expect? These people don't have the same luxury of living in fancy apartments as everyone over at Totsuki, ya know. They have simple jobs, simple meals, and their kids go to simple schools."
"But they still seem so happy."
"Yeah… they are."
"Why is that?"
He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to answer that properly.
"Hm… I think most of them probably just don't care about having the best of everything. Their families and loved ones are more important than all that other stuff."
"Is that so…?"
Turning her head towards him Erina noticed the startled expression on his face shifting into one of nostalgia, a deep fondness for the calm life he used to have making his features seem way gentler than before.
She never thought the day would come where she actually cared enough to ask him about his past, but lately the heiress had no clue what was going on inside her head anyway, so she didn't even bother questioning this particular question.
"Do you miss it? The daily grind you were subjected to in these streets, I mean."
His eyes widened slightly, taken aback by her sudden interest once more, before he tuned his head towards the window again. It seemed they both weren't expecting her to ask him something so intimate, seeing as they both stayed silent for a few minutes. Just when she was about to take her question back, thinking that it might be something he'd rather not share, his low voice echoed in her ears and forced her to look at him dumbfounded.
"It, e-eh… yeah. I guess, sometimes I do… There're a lot of things that attach me to this place, ya know? My childhood here was really something else, and I loved running errands for the shop whenever it was needed. Huh, strange… I never thought about it before."
She suppressed the urge to smile at his goofiness, the way he explained it so nonchalantly reminding her of the casual conversations they used to have late at night. As nice as it felt she couldn't afford to let herself go again, the wounds in her heart still fresh enough to bleed a second time if she wasn't careful. It just wasn't worth it.
And so she did the only thing she could to keep the bandages inside her secure; she settled on nodding and quickly focused on the unique view in front of her, even if she was the only one who thought of it that way. The heiress couldn't help but feel fascinated every time her eyes wondered curiously over the busy streets.
Again, the space between them was filled with nothing but silence as Erina subconsciously jumped up and down in exhilaration, unaware of the curious glint in the boy's eyes.
"Hey Nakiri? I've been wondering. You seem oddly excited ever since we got in the bus. There a specific place you've been wanting to see or something?"
"W-what? O-of course not. Don't be ridiculous."
"Uh-huh, sure…"
A sly grin spread across his face all of a sudden, those captivating orbs filling with amusement.
Caught off guard for a second Erina instantly began to blush, her heart going berserk inside her chest. She had no idea what came over him, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't benefit her in any way, her pulse rate proved that fact all too well right now. She tried to pay it no mind.
"Ya know, I'm starting to think that you've never been into the city before, eh Nakiri? "
"H-huh? N-no- no it isn't like that! I just…"
His laughter interrupted the blonde's hysteric rant, her pride took a hit the moment she realized that it was pointless to even try denying the obvious. He had figured it out thanks to her oh so fantastic acting skills.
Finishing his laughing fit Yukihira arched an eyebrow at her lack of protest, waiting patiently for her to say something else. Unable to resist that bright smile any longer she had no choice but to come clean about her strange behavior now, the irritation she felt expressed through crossing her arms and pouting in the opposite direction.
Unbeknownst to her however, that action would prove itself to be a mistake soon enough.
"H-hmph, even if that were the case I have nothing to feel ashamed for. It's not like I had the time to go on a sightseeing tour around town anyway, or ride random buses just for the sake of it. I was perfectly fine developing my skills in the kitchen, not to mention taste testing all kinds of different delicacies every day."
"Hold on a sec, don't tell me that… this is the first time you're riding a bus too."
She literally jumped out of her skin at the realization of what she just said, her slip-up causing her eyes to widen and the blush on her cheeks to deepen immensely.
"T-that's not- I mean, i-it's-"
"Hey, relax, I understand. Guess that means there really are princesses who can't leave the castle then, I totally get it. Although, you sure missed out on a lot of great experiences, I'll tell ya that much."
"Urgh, you're the worst, you know that?"
At that moment the bus was forced to hit the brakes so abruptly that Erina, who unfortunately still had her arms folded, lost her balance and crushed straight into the young Chef standing next to her. Her face landed on his shoulder while he instinctively held on to her waist, trying to stabilize her before both of them could fall.
Saying she was shocked to the core would not even begin to describe her current feelings. Time seemed to freeze the second his hands touched her hips through the thin fabric of her blazer, the addictive smell coming from him filled her nostrils, his warm breath tickled her neck again in a way that left her knees weak…
As soon as she pulled back from him, the heiress could see the same kind of bewilderment she felt reflected right back at her through his eyes. Yukihira's expression said more than she needed to hear, the perplexity turning into exasperation the longer they held on to each other.
This was bad.
Not only for her heart, but also for her sanity.
Looking at him so closely was even more painful now, the words from last night not forgotten, the tears not completely dried. He didn't want to be close to her in any way, she had to remember that without starting to cry all over again.
Since when had she become so emotional?
"S-sorry. I-I wasn't paying attention."
"Eh… n-no, it's- I mean…-"
"Excuse me, could I squeeze through somehow? This is my stop."
They were saved by the young man tapping politely on her shoulder. It was a perfect timing in her opinion.
As Erina tried to make a path for him, Yukihira took a quick look at the sign showing the name of this particular area, his features also relaxing a bit…
…before they unmistakably showed signs of panic.
"Oh crap, we gotta get off here too! C'mon, Nakiri!"
"Wha- hey!"
He grabbed her wrist and yanked her as fast as possible out of the bus, the doors closing behind them just a few seconds later.
The heiress herself was rather confused to see the boy almost missing their stop, her hand still in his, which she tried to ignore for the time being as best she could.
Hopefully he would just let go on his own soon.
"W-what the hell, Yukihira! Did you seriously forget where you live now?"
"Huh? Sorry, guess I got distracted."
"Don't give me that! Who in their right mind forgets where they need to get off?"
"Well excuse me for not being in my right state of mind at the moment!"
He released her hand, allowing Erina to take a step back before she began to walk in a random direction, her face flushed out of anger and her nose in the air. His statement was nothing she wanted to think about just yet. Or ever, for that matter.
"Unbelievable."
"…what are ya doing now, Nakiri?"
His voice was once again filled with amusement, instantly making her blood boil. Did he have a switch to change between moods or something?
It really pissed her off how fast he could go from frustrated to happy-go-lucky in an instant.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to that lowly diner of yours."
"Hey, I told you to quit insulting local eateries! And… you do realize this is the wrong direction, right?"
Heaving a long sigh, Erina turned around and gestured for him to lead the way then before she crossed them again.
He smiled gleefully while walking down the street to their left, hands tucked in his pockets and an agitated heiress not far behind him.
The moment they set foot into Sumiredori Shopping District Erina began glancing around in sheer curiosity, her pace slowing down the longer she stared at the different food stalls surrounding them. She had never seen a street as small as this before, and yet, despite the fact that it was so ridiculously narrow, masses of people still came to complete their daily purchasing from all the shops located in this area. It was chaotic and loud, voices coming from every direction, negotiating the amount of money for vegetables and the likes. Erina watched with interest as one old lady in particular bought a bag of apples for half its price, even going so far as to choose which ones she wanted.
Could people really purchase something without paying the vendors back in full?
It seemed so bizarre.
She didn't realized that she had stopped walking a while ago, her eyes practically glued to the white haired woman standing a small distance away.
Yukihira on the other hand had noticed her falling behind, though the confused look he sent her went completely unnoted at this point. She heard him calling out to her as he came back to check what her issue was, but deemed it unnecessary to answer.
"Nakiri, you okay?"
"Is…, is she allowed to do that?"
"Hm? What d'ya mean?"
She discreetly pointed a finger towards the fruit merchant before repeating her question. Her eyes wide and her lips parted in awe Erina continued to stare while the redhead smiled at her in what seemed like understanding.
"Oh, right, I forgot. Well actually, this is pretty normal."
"What? Seriously?"
A small laugh escaped his lips, the amused glint in those amber orbs at full display.
"Yeah. When you go buy something, it's your choice which of the available products before you should get in your shopping bag. There might be vegetables or fruits that aren't as fresh as the rest, so the vendors let you make the decision, once you payed the money that is."
"Really? B-but she didn't even pay the full price."
"Yeah… about that. You can't negotiate like this everywhere, but people around here are kinda laid back, so there's no problem in trying to lower the price a little."
"O-oh, is that so? How interesting."
"You've seriously never heard of this concept before?"
"N-no…, not necessarily. I know that sometimes specific stores tent to have sails and give discounts for particular articles, but this…, arguing about how much you're willing to pay for a certain merchandise sounds too strange to be true."
"Well, as you can see, this is an everyday occurrence in our shopping district, nothing out of the ordinary."
"Huh… I see…"
Finally able to turn her head away from the scene she gazed up at the young Chef with fascination written all over her features. His smile was a bit softer now, giving her only a second to admire that handsome look, before he let a fist fall into his open palm, the signs of a sudden idea visible in his eyes. Erina, startled as she was, could do nothing but arch an eyebrow at that silly gesture.
"You know what? Why don't we go get some stuff first before heading over to see pops? I wanted to buy a few ingredients for dinner anyway and now would be the perfect opportunity to do it."
"A-are you kidding? What makes you think I'd want to go s-shopping with you?"
"C'mon, it'll be your chance to explore everything around here. Don't ya wanna take a look at all the stuff you never got to see before?"
"I-I, eh… w-well, when you put it like that…"
He grinned from ear to ear, probably aware that she was going to accept his offer no matter what he said. Erina didn't know how to feel about that, considering his words from last night and right now were so painfully contradicting. Why would he ask for her help if he wanted to stay away from her?
It was conflicting. On the one hand she really wanted to go and learn more about this place- feel like a normal girl for once-, but on the other she hated the thought of her heart hammering inside her chest whenever she looked at him, the pain that would come and go as it pleased constantly reminding her of the humiliation he had put her through.
"On second thought… maybe I should just-"
"Alright, let's go!"
Picking up the pace as he walked Yukihira smirked over his shoulder, his thumb pointing towards the crowded street in front of them.
'What the keck?'
"H-hey! Don't just walk away when I'm talking to you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up or Imma leave ya behind!"
Erina's eyes widened slightly, the imagination of the consequences, should something like this actually happen, clearing her mind in an instant. Lots of people walked back and forth around here, meaning that if she didn't get a move on now there would be no way she could find the boy any time soon. And if that happened she would never get to his diner, the concept of asking random people for directions too bizarre for her to even consider.
So without wasting any more time Erina started walking after him, fast but still careful to not bump into someone.
'I really hope I won't regret this later.'
…
The second they stepped into the large marketplace was the second Nakiri Erina felt as if she was entering a completely different world.
Merchants shouting from every corner about how fresh and cheap their goods were, children laughing as they chased each other, all sorts of people walking around and buying almost everything in sight, it was absolutely not what Erina had expected to come across when the redhead told her where they would get all the groceries.
Especially all the varieties of food.
There was so much here she didn't know where to look first, her head turning from left to right and back in a matter of seconds.
"Wha-what is this place, Yukihira?"
He seemed a bit sheepish as he also glanced around, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in an almost apologetic way. It was adorable, but she didn't have time to think about that right now. In fact, she didn't have time to think about anything with a view like that in front of her.
"This, e-eh… is our special bazaar. It's only open three times a week, and everyone from around the area comes here to buy as much as they can, since prices are negotiable."
"Wait a minute… You mean people can do that in this market too?"
This explained at least why it was even more crowded than the streets outside. But Erina didn't understand the overall concept of purchasing supplies in this place, and she didn't know how to negotiate either, thus making her utterly useless for this task. How was she supposed to get the right articles she needed in a chaotic and disorganized area like this?
The heiress didn't want to be ineffective. She had never felt that way before, and seeing as it was quite mortifying, she quickly began to hate it.
"Yeah, they love doing it. I have the feeling most people are straight up pros at this point, if not all of them."
"Huh. Well isn't that nice."
His mocking laughter caused Erina to pout even more exaggeratedly as she turned her face away from him. She didn't see the point in being proud of something so irrelevant, her ego telling her that she could do it too if she were to learn how.
"Well, well, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're pissed that there is actually something you can't do. Could it be, Nakiri?"
"I can too! But why would I waste my time trying to negotiate prices when there's also the easy option of just paying in full without all that complication?"
He shrugged in response, still having goofy expression on his face.
"Guess I can't argue with ya there. But for right now you're in a place where it doesn't work that way, so you should at least say something to get a discount."
"B-but I have no- what would you want me to say?"
"Simple! Just stick close and pay attention to what I'm doing for now. You'll learn it eventually."
Erina's eyes widened.
Didn't she say something similar to him when they were dancing yesterday?
Was that on purpose or just a coincidence?
She didn't know, and her heart warned her to not think about it so thoroughly or it would start hurting her all over again. It would be a waste, since she was finally able to get that memory out of her head for the time being.
Oh, how badly she wished to erase that moment from her brain forever…
"A-alright. Let… let's get started then."
And so they did.
Beginning at the tomato stall Yukihira showed her how to properly talk to the merchants in order to lower the price of said vegetable. From there he led her to the next stall serving nothing but mushrooms. She saw areas specializing only in spices or different kinds of nuts, teenagers standing behind book stalls, and even ladies of all ages selling some older clothes. This bazaar had literally everything, which impressed her more than any of those beautifully designed shops she had encountered with Alice at Totsuki Resort.
And as much as Erina wished to just walk freely and look around, she couldn't afford to lose track of the boy next to her, or the task he had assigned to her.
It was not quite easy to learn from him, considering that he knew almost every person they passed by, his smile brightening each time they greeted someone. To make matters worse there were a few who kept asking him if she were his girlfriend, even saying that they would made a perfect couple. They both denied it with red faces and waving hands, but the awkwardness afterwards was something neither of them could escape. Not until they reached the next stall, which then tended to end the same way.
However, Erina tried to focus on the redhead's words as best she could instead, memorizing the basics without interrupting or asking him to slow down a bit.
She wouldn't fail this task, no matter what.
After they bought some more vegetables Yukihira suddenly stopped walking, forcing her to do the same.
"I think it's time you tried it out yourself now. What do ya say? Are you up for it?"
"Hmph, just watch me."
"Alright then, let's see…"
Letting his eyes wander around the marketplace for a few seconds he searched for their next stop, hands casually tucked in his pockets.
"Ah, there it is. C'mon, it'll be a piece of cake, I swear."
"H-hold on! Aren't you going to tell me what it is I have to negotiate over?"
"Oh, that's right! We still gotta get some eggs. I'll leave that to you, 'kay?"
Her heart skipped a beat at hearing that.
Why was it that every time an egg was mentioned she would lose her cool like that and start blushing all over?
"Oh and by the way, the old man selling 'em is kinda noisy. Just a warning."
"Wha…? What is that supposed to mean?"
"There is no specific meaning, that's all there is to it. Like I said, the old geezer is sorta noisy."
And the blush disappeared, an irritated glare taking its place.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"Huh? Me? No way! Where did ya get that idea?"
He was doing it on purpose. That expression on his face showed that he was enjoying himself more than he should.
'That sneaky little… I'll show him what he gets for messing with me!'
"Fine. Bring it on, Yukihira. I got this."
"Okay then…"
The merchant selling fresh eggs was only a few feet away, smiling politely whenever someone passed him by. The moment he spotted Yukihira walking towards him, that small smile turned into a delighted one, recognition written in his eyes.
"Now this is a surprise! Welcome back, Soma! I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been, my boy?"
"Thanks Mr. Yoshida, I'm fine. Just dropping by to check on pops and the shop."
"I see. How are your studies going? Did you pass all the exams so far?"
"Eh, yeah it's all good. I basically have no other choice than to pass, considering I get expelled if I fail at even one of them, so…"
Erina had to suppress the urge to laugh out loud at witnessing the boy's frustrated expression. He definitely wasn't lying when he said this man was noisy, she could see it herself now.
Standing just a short distance away, Erina continued to watch the interaction between Yukihira and the old gentleman, her smile stretching from ear to ear at this point.
"How cruel! I heard that the school you're attending is some sort of elite and only for rich people, but I never thought they would take such extreme measures to sort people out. Good job getting in there, my boy, good job indeed!"
"I, um…T-thanks? Hey Nakiri, what are ya doing there? C'mon over here already!"
And with that, her amusement came to an abrupt end as Mr. Yoshida's eyes found her. She stiffened immediately at the judging expression on his face.
"Oh my… Soma, don't tell me that…"
"Eh, n-no, no, nothing like that. She's from Totsuki and-"
"From your school? How wonderful! Since when are the two of you dating? Did you tell Mrs. Kiyo about it? I'm sure she will be delighted to hear that you have finally matured!"
"Wha- no! Listen to me, I told you already that's not-"
Paying the young Chef no mind, he turned towards Erina next, a warm smile spreading on his face.
"Now, what is your name, my child?"
"N-Nakiri Erina, sir."
"Hey, stop interrupting me and listen for a second would ya?"
"Nakiri…? That name sounds oddly familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
The stiffness in her muscles intensified immediately, due to the fact that she didn't want anyone to recognize her the blonde quickly made a dismissive gesture, cold sweat beginning to build on her forehead. It was because of this exact wish that she didn't came here by car, after all, and she couldn't risk getting recognized now. Not by someone who likes to talk that much…
"I-I'm sure it's not that important, sir. Maybe you'll remember it later?"
"Hm…, you're right, I suppose… Well, in any case, I'm pleased to meet you, young lady. My name is Yamato Yoshida, I work at our family farm back home and sell all our fresh products here at the market. Let me tell you it's so exciting to see Soma with such a beautiful girl like you by his side, I'm completely at a loss for words."
'Yes, that much I can see…'
"Thanks, I'm flattered, but… we-we're not really-"
"Where are you from, my child? What do your parents do for a living? Have you two already kissed?"
"Wha-what?"
"Say what?"
Erina didn't dare to look at Yukihira's face right now, the humiliation and embarrassment burned on her cheeks like she too close to a campfire.
What was wrong with this man?
"W-we're not in that kind of rela-"
"Ah there's no need to be shy! I can tell just by looking at you two! Those eyes say more than you might realize."
Neither the boy to her left nor Erina herself opened their mouths at that, too stunned to protest again.
What was that supposed to mean?
Her eyes told him what exactly?
She was confused, the hammering in her chest increasing consistently. However, before she could think about it in more detail Yukihiras a spoke up again, his voice coming off just as startled as she felt.
"A-anyway, we just wanted to get some eggs. You got 'em here, right?"
Mr. Yoshida released a chuckle before answering him, the way he winked in their direction agitating the heiress somehow. Why did he look so damn please?
"Yes, my boy. Pick out as many as you need."
As she watched him picking up a few eggs, the recollection of what she originally had to do at this stall hit her. Immediately Erina composed herself and turned towards the lively merchant, a professional smile plastered on her face.
"So, how much do these eggs cost, sir?"
"That would be 460 yen, young lady."
'Really, that's it? Why do people feel the need to negotiate when the prices are so reasonable?'
She had asked herself this question every time she saw Yukihira trying to lower the amount of money he had to pay for a certain item, but never voiced it out loud for some unknown reason. Now she wondered about it again without putting it into words, figuring that it had to be something people around here were just used to do. And so would she if she wanted to see how it was like to go shopping like a 'normal girl'.
"Alright…"
'How did Yukihira start this off again? Oh no, I can't remember! What gives?'
"T-then is it possible for me to get a discount on that, please?"
"A discount?"
At seeing him arch an eyebrow, she hesitated a little.
Was she already doing this wrong?
"Y-yes… sir?"
Mr. Yoshida regarded her posture for a few seconds longer before he burst out into laughter, his eyes filling with tears.
"Oh my, this is unexpected! I think…, I think this is the first time someone requested me to lower the price of my products so politely!"
Erina's face instantly heated up due to sheer embarrassment. It was mortifying enough to see the old man laughing at her, but when Yukihira started to join in as well, she found herself feeling extremely irritable.
"What the hell are you laughing at, diner boy? I did precisely what you told me to do, so there is no need for you to be amused!"
"I told you to go and ask for a discount? Oh man, this is so good, way to tell 'em, Nakiri!"
"W-well, how else am I supposed to begin then?"
The moment he and Mr. Yoshida calmed down again Erina turned her head away to hide her red cheeks, her pride hurting quite a bit.
"Just give us those for 200, alright?"
"I'm sorry, my boy, but I have to earn my daily money somehow too."
"Gotcha. What about 260, is that okay with ya?"
"Hm… fine, 260 yen it is. But just because I like you and your lively girlfriend so much."
"We're not like that, damn it! Anyway, thanks for the eggs. Guess I'll see ya around then. Say hello to your wife for me!"
"Sure. Come by anytime. Have fun out there you two lovebirds, and work hard on your studies! Goodbye, young Erina, I wish you all the patients in the world to handle our friend here!"
"B-but we don't- oh, never mind. Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."
With that, they waved the old man goodbye as the red headed Chef quickly led them away from the stall. It was obvious he just wanted to get away before their elder could start talking more nonsense, which actually started to amuse Erina. To think that Yukihira Soma, the boy who always kept his cool, would get flustered so easily, it was downright hilarious to witness.
However, after all that she felt quite exhausted, having ventured for so long around the marketplace seemed to really take it out of her. Although, as loud as it was, as crowded as it was, the heiress still considered everything to be an experience she would cherish for the rest of her life. She had never seen anything like this before and the fact that she was able to learn new things made it even more enjoyable than it already was.
Glancing at the boy to her right Erina couldn't help but crack a small smile, remembering that none of this would have been possible if he hadn't brought her here.
'I suppose I'd have to thank him at some point…'
"Well, that was really something, wasn't it? You totally blew that one up, Nakiri. I honestly couldn't have done it better myself. Now the old man will have something to remember and laugh about!"
His snicker dampened her good mood drastically, the way his goofy expression and the raised thumb were directed right at her seemed to make Erina's blood boil even more.
"What is that supposed to mean? I didn't do anything wrong! I-it's just that this is not within my area of expertise, s-so I couldn't adapt as easily as I usually do."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
"Stop laughing already, Yukihira! It was easy for you because you already knew everyone, that's not fair at all!"
"Huh? How is that unfair? I never said I didn't know who those guys were, did I? Stop being a sore loser and except that you aren't good at negotiating, like at all."
"Whatever. Aren't we done yet? I'd like to go back to my previous objective now, if you wouldn't mind."
His mocking chuckles died down the moment she reminded him of the real reason they were here, a sheepish expression spreading across his handsome features once again. They came to a halt near the exit and turned to face each other, one confused, the other… shy?
"Eh, actually… not quite. There's still something else we need to get. I thought I bring some salmon back home with me, but it's at the other end of the bazaar, so…"
"I see…"
"If ya want I can run over there and grab it real quick while you wait with the rest of our stuff in front of the entrance. I think we'd be a lot faster that way, don't you?"
"Oh, alright then. I suppose it should be no problem."
"Great! Let's go then, the door's right there."
Before he could make one step, Erina stopped him with a wave of her hand, having already seen where she needed to go. She offered to carry the bags in order to save more time, which he hesitantly agreed to.
"I'll be right back."
"Don't rush. And try not to hit other people on your way."
"Sure!"
And with that, he ran off in some direction, leaving the heiress alone with all their groceries- and her thoughts.
She didn't know how to feel about their time together right now, her heart begging Erina to just let go, but her brain forcing the reality of the situation upon her every time she tended to do so. It was so frustrating not to be able to relax in the presence of someone, especially when she had to remind herself that said someone didn't exactly want to be next to her. It made her feel oddly tired, irritated, and just… ready to shed some more tears. Tears she couldn't even find a plausible explanation for, or see the meaning in, whatsoever.
As she waited patiently in front of the exit the heiress began to reflect on everything they went through together, particularly the events from these past couple of months.
Her father had made them suffer in many different ways, yet not a single one of her new friends had been willing to give up, a trade she had come to appreciate a lot over the time they spent together.
And Yukihira…
It was so heartbreaking to hear that he had changed his opinion of her, not seeing her as a person he needed to prove himself to anymore, but rather viewing her as someone who could actually endanger his improvement as a Chef.
How ridiculous.
'What did he mean by that anyway? Why am I to blame for his lack of concentration, lately?'
Her heart began to hammer like crazy at that thought, trying to tell her something, but Erina payed it little to no attention, too concerned on finding an answer to stop and just listen.
Suddenly she felt something- or rather someone- tugging on the end of her blazer, the movement gentle and soft.
Glancing down curiously Erina found herself face to face with the most adorable child she had ever seen. A little boy, possibly not older than four or five, stood right in front of her, his curly black hair messy yet fitting to his slightly darker skin, the clothes he wore a few sizes too big, and those innocent green eyes staring up at her in complete awe.
Erina was mesmerized.
"Um… hey there. Can I help you with something? Did you lose your mother?"
"N-n-no, I-I… a-are you maybe… Nakiri Erina, t-the god tongue?"
Shock coursed through her in lightning speed, her eyes widening by the second and her lips parting ever so slightly.
Seriously?
How could a small child know who she was?
Her first impulse was to deny it, tell him that he confused her with someone else, but the longer she looked into those big, hopeful eyes the stronger became the urge to tell him the truth. For some reason she didn't want to let this kid down.
So without giving it a second thought she crouched down to be at eyelevel with him and pressed a finger against her lips, not noticing the pair of amber orbs observing the scene as they came to a stop right behind her.
"Shhh. I am, but no one needs to find out about it, okay?"
A bright smile spread across the boy's face, his hands quickly moving up to try and muffle the squeak that escaped his moth. It looked so incredibly adorable that the heiress had to stop herself from melting right then and there.
"I knew you were! That's so awesome, I finally get to meet my idol! When I grow up I want to be just like you!"
She had to laugh at his enthusiasm, flattered that he would hold her in such high regard.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Shido!"
"Well, Shido, as long as you do your best and work hard you can even become a better Chef than me."
"Really?"
"Of course. I'm really honored to meet such an ambitious young fella. Now then, should I help you find your mom or dad?"
"Nah, Miss Yuri came to the market with us!"
"Miss Yuri?"
"Yeah! She's right over there."
Raising her head Erina now noted a black haired woman who stood next to seven other children a few feet away, looking right back at her with admiration written all over her face.
"I see… she looks like a nice person."
"She is! She takes care of us and plays with us, and reads us bedtime stories too! We have a lot of fun together!"
"Huh, really? That sounds amazing. And are all these kids over there your friends? Did you come here to hang out or something?"
"Uh-huh, they're from the orphanage not too far from here just like me! We don't have any parents, but that's okay, because we're just fine where we are! And we have each other! Miss Yukino needed help to pick up food for the next week, so a few of us wanted to come too and carry the bags for her."
Erina's heart felt way heavier all of a sudden, the thought of all these children coming from an orphanage, having no parents, tore her completely up inside.
She never knew her mother, and her father was a tyrant through and through, so she definitely knew the feeling of having no parents around. But in her case, the pain was more or less overshadowed by all this work she had to do as the 'God Tongue', whereas these kids had absolutely nothing to distract them from the loss they experienced. No one who could guide them through the darkness. They were too young to be separated from their loved ones, too young to have this pain inside them.
She knew the existence of orphanages, had always heard her elders talk about its dirt and filth, but being confronted with a child that came from one was a whole different story, altogether.
It was heartbreaking.
She could see now why Shido's clothes were too big for him, he probably owned not that many to begin with.
"T-that's… a wonderful thing to do, I'm proud of you."
"Thanks! Oh, I know! Would you like to come to our home and have dinner with us? We can play games together and cook some awesome food!"
"I-I…-"
"Hey there Shido, how's it going?"
"Soma!"
The person standing behind Erina all this time now appeared right next to her, startling her for a moment as he did so.
"Yu-Yukihira, y-you're back already?"
"Eh, yeah… I just came from, eh…, wait, where have I been again?"
Arching an eyebrow at his strange behavior Erina just pointed at the package in his hands, the smell of fish filling the space between them. She remained crouched in front of the small child in front of her while Yukihira lowered his hand to give the boy a lighthearted high-five.
Did that mean he knew this kid too?
"What are you doing here? Is Yuri with you?"
"Yeah, see?"
Looking straight ahead, he saw the woman as well, waving at her in greeting.
She, together with all the other children, now made her way towards them, her wavy black hair blowing in the wind majestically. She seemed a few years older than Erina, but already seemed to possess the beauty and elegance of a fully grown woman.
"Hello, Soma. It's nice to see you again. How are your studies?"
"Ah, come on, you too, Yuri? Gimme a break!"
"So…, I take it everything's just fine then. How wonderful."
Her blue eyes met Erina's next, once again admiration shining through them as she bowed in her direction.
"I never thought I'd see the day…, Miss Nakiri, it is truly an honor to make your acquaintance."
"Thank you very much, the pleasure is all mine."
"Please excuse Shido's behavior, he is one of our youngest and can't really hold in his excitement yet."
"O-oh, n-no, there is no need to apologize. He's a good kid. Right, Shido?"
"Yeah!"
Ruffing his curly hair in affection Erina got to her feet once again in order to properly face the older woman. She wished she could stay at eyelevel with the child, but it wouldn't be polite to do so, especially when the person in front of her was someone who seemed to know about her reputation.
"E-excuse me. A-are you really the Nakiri Erina?"
"Hm?"
A little girl with blonde hair was the first to ask before the six other children surrounded her and started talking all at once, wondering the exact same thing.
"Yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you all."
They were shocked to the core for a moment, stilling their movements and saying absolutely nothing. Then all the children began to cheer and express their amazement by clapping their hands or laughing with joy. It was the cutest reaction she had ever witnessed. Yukihira took a step forward, probably to defuse the situation, but as soon as they noticed him as well, every child started jumping up and down in delight, seemingly happy to see him again.
"Soma!"
"Where were you, Soma?"
"We missed you!"
"Why didn't you come to visit last year?"
Questions like these made the heiress feel like she was observing a family reunion of some sort, her heart warming up at the sight.
'So he's good with children too, huh? Go figure.'
"Calm down guys, I haven't been gone for that long."
"Oh really? You haven't visited us for an entire year. Ever since you started high school, in fact."
Yuri seemed amused, yet her tone had an accusing sound to it, like a mother lecturing her son for not finishing his homework in time.
"Yeah… sorry about that."
Her smile softened at his earnest apology, understanding written in her eyes.
"You have grown, my boy."
"Yeah Soma, why are you so tall now?"
Erina had to laugh, unable to suppress it any longer. It was so nice to see him surrounded by people he seemed to love. She wished she had some kind of connection with people like that. Maybe she wouldn't have been such a horrible person then…
"Why are ya laughing, Nakiri?"
"Wha… oh, nothing really. You're such a softy around kids."
"Says the person who wanted go and help Shido find his mom. Who is the softy here?"
"W-where did you- how do you know about that?"
His cheerful grin was the only response she got before he talked to the children again.
Meanwhile Erina's heart was about to jump right out of her chest, the blush on her face increasing by the second.
How did he know?
"Hey, Soma? How come you're walking around with someone like Nakiri Erina? She is so famous! Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend, or something?"
Immediately both their faces turned as red as a sun-drenched tomato, Erina's already visible blush only intensifying at this point.
What was going on?
Even little kids asked them this question now?
"E-eh, no, Mei. We, um…, we're not."
"Why not?"
"Miss Nakiri, don't you like Soma? He's really a nice person. You could tell that Miss Yuri was nice too, so why not him?"
Shido's innocent eyes seemed to pierce right through the blonde's soul, forcing her to be honest again.
Why did people say these things so much?
It was downright ridiculous.
"Alright everyone, I think we pestered them enough, don't you? Now that we bought our ingredients, what do you say we go back home and prepare a nice dinner?"
Thankfully, they all agreed with Yuri's idea, even if a long sigh of sadness was heaved, and walked straight back towards the shopping bags, taking some of them in their tiny hands. Erina felt relief and disappointment wash over her simultaneously. She was glad that the older woman rescued her from answering the boy's question, but she didn't want their time together to end either, feeling kind of attached to these kids now. Their gloomy expressions seemed to pull on her heartstrings, so much so, she was tempted to just invite them to Yukihira's diner for dinner. But knowing that it would be rude to take a bunch of children to a place she herself had yet to see, the heiress kept her mouth shut.
Maybe she could sent a car and invite them to the Estate someday?
"Um, Miss Nakiri?"
"Hm? Oh, what's up Shido? By the way, just call me Erina."
The boy's face lit up as if Christmas had come early, his eyes shining brighter than they had just a moment ago. She didn't fail to notice the hint of a blush spreading across his cheeks either, the sight so adorable she couldn't help but close her eyes grin right back at him.
"O-okay! I-I wanted to ask you again; would you guys like to come with us? We haven't seen Soma for so long too."
"Oh, well, you know we would, kiddo, but Nakiri has-"
"Actually, I'd love to go. And you can leave the cooking to Yukihira and me as well. Tonight we'll be your personal Chefs. How does that sound?"
Looking at him Erina could see that he was at a loss for words, speechless to the core, just staring up at her with huge eyes, probably wondering if she really meant what she said. Next to him, she found Yukihira staring at her with the exact same expression on his face. In fact, everyone around her seemed to be in some kind of trance for a moment, their mouths agape and drool dripping on the ground beneath them. It made her laugh quite a bit.
"Of course if it's alright with Miss Yuri, that is."
"B-but Miss Nakiri, a-are you sure you want to- I-I mean we can't just-"
"That won't be a problem. I'd love to cook for these kids. Do you have any objections, Yukihira?"
"H-huh… w-what? O-oh, eh, sure, yeah… We, eh, we'll come over. But are you really sure you want this, Nakiri? It's cool with me, but-"
"It just means we'll have a small delay in our schedule, nothing more. I can work with that."
Again, she felt someone tugging on her blazer, this time more hesitantly. Looking down she was confronted with Shido's hopeful expression, warming her heart in a matter of seconds.
He looked like he was about to cry.
"D-do- do you really mean that?"
"Of course! You will have a feast tonight!"
"A-and Soma, you'll come too? You didn't visit us all this time."
"Yeah…, I'll be there, buddy."
Unable to hold back his tears any longer the child jumped up to wrap both of them in a tight embrace, his face between their shoulders and his hands clinging to each of their necks. Yukihira tried to hold on to his back in order to not let him fall while Erina herself just stood there, not able to move even an inch.
What was going on?
She had never been hugged before in her life, let alone from a small child.
It was a strange feeling, one that she felt like she could get used to very easily. The only problem about this moment was the red headed Chef standing right next to her, touching her arm, staring at her dumbfounded once again.
Their faces were so close to each other again, making Erina's heart go on a rampage inside her chest. She couldn't allow herself to feel this way. Not towards him.
'Focus, focus, please focus…'
It would be a long night if she didn't get her emotions under control soon, that much was certain.
…
The first thing Erina noticed when they entered the orphanage was that there was no dirt anywhere, no filth whatsoever. Yes, it was a small building with some harmless dust here and there, but overall it looked like a cozy place to live in. In fact, the kitchen seemed well equipped with all kinds of cooking utensils they would need for their preparations.
It wasn't a bad environment whatsoever, and Erina could definitely understand now why Shido said that they were doing just fine here. The place was indeed worthy of being called home.
After storing all the groceries in their rightful places, the group of eight children, as well as Yuri, gathered inside the dining room, waiting with visible excitement what the two high schoolers would have to say next.
Both were smiling affectionately at each one of them, with Yukihira winking at some while he skillfully threw his infamous knife in the air, catching it on the right end each time. The kids looked amazed just like Erina did, only she knew how to hide it properly.
"Alright, I guess we're going to need a few helping hands if we want to feed the whole orphanage. What do you think, Nakiri?"
"Hm… yes, I suppose that would be much appreciated."
He grinned at her before pointing the knife at the kitchen behind them.
"So, who wants to help out?"
Immediately seven hands went up, silently wishing to be picked. For a split second, Yukihira's gaze fixated on the one that didn't raise their hand before looking at the others again.
"Oh damn, really? Hm, what to do…?"
"I have a suggestion. Why don't we each choose two helpers for our dishes and see how it works out?"
At hearing her suggestion, Yukihira's face changed from charming to overly cocky, a certain glint shining in his eyes.
That couldn't end well…
"I have an even better idea… why don't we make a Shokugeki out of it and see who comes out on top?"
And there it was…
She should have known he would make a challenge out of this too. Nevertheless, Erina's face reflected his in a matter of seconds, feeling the thrill of a challenge as well now.
"Fine by me Yukihira. If you're so sure, you want to lose again then who am I to stop you?"
Holding their staring contest for a few seconds longer, they didn't notice how all the children found themselves getting caught up in the competitive aura surrounding them, some already starting to side with one person, and others just wanting to prove themselves in any way they could.
"That's the spirit! I'll let you choose first, since, you know, ladies first and all that stuff."
"How generous of you, but don't expect me to hold back just because you let me go first."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Turning her gaze towards the kids again, Erina pointed a finger towards the two she would work with. There was no need to think about her choice.
"Shido, Mei, are you ready to beat Yukihira in a cooking match?"
Both seemed beyond happy to team up with her, which instantly caused her heart to melt for what seemed like the hundredth time today. She never thought she would feel something so warm towards children, the idea completely passing her by for all those years. But here, in this orphanage, she really started to regret her ignorance during all those years.
While they made their way towards the blonde Yukihira continued to smile in her direction, something between competitiveness and… proudness, she assumed. Erina didn't know why he would be proud, she couldn't even say if 'proud' was truly fitting at all, but… she wasn't able to deny that there was a certain hint in that smile, something gentle…
But maybe her imagination just went wild for a second again, just like it had back then when they were kissing at the banquet Hall…
Shaking her head rapidly, she tried to get rid of these images in her brain, not wanting to go in that particular direction.
She had her fair share of that.
"Okay, then I'll pick… Rika and Zen. C'mon guys, let's show her what it means to mess with us."
"You were the one who started this, Yukihira!"
"Yeah, yeah."
The little boy literally bounced towards him, eyes filled with happiness, while the girl looked like she was about to cry. Erina immediately recognized her as the one who didn't raise her hand earlier, that expression of sadness on her face unmistakably pointed at the red headed Chef in front of her. It was hard to say why, but there clear was something that bothered this child. Looking up at Yukihira, she noted that he was aware of that as well, however for some strange reason he didn't say anything.
Again.
Erina had the feeling he would at some point, though…
"Hey Soma, what's a Sho- Shoku…-"
He laughed a bit at that, ruffing Zen's dark hair affectionately.
"You mean a Shokugeki? It's… just a simple cooking competition. You have judges who tell you which of the presented dishes is more delicious. For our match all you guys and the rest of the kids here are gonna decide whose dish is the tastier one, alright?"
"Okay!"
"Awesome, now team, let's go to the battlefield!"
Before they entered the kitchen, the little girl turned around to meet Erina's gaze, her expression clearly showing how intimidated she was.
"I-I'm very sorry Miss Erina, p-please forgive us for opposing you, we… we really don't mean anything bad by it."
Taken aback she stared at the small child bowing her head fearfully.
Was she afraid of her?
Why?
"Hey, c'mon Rika, don't worry about it so much. Showing compassion for our rival is never a good thing, ya know?"
"S-sorry… b-but I'm not sure I-I can do this, S-Soma."
"What?"
He crouched down to properly meet her eyes, the concern radiating from him caused Erina to shudder.
"You okay?"
At the end, the little girl couldn't hold back her tears anymore, thus she started crying and hiccupping hysterically. Yukihira appeared to be just as startled as Erina herself for a split second, but still managed to keep his composure, his words gentle and warm.
"Hey now… what's wrong?"
"Y-y-you have- you haven't even visited us once ev-ever since you went to that new s-school, S-Soma! I-I missed you and-and I don't want- I don't want to hold you back with my b-bad- my bad…"
So that was why she seemed so worked up when he chose her to join his team…
'So he knew about it too then…'
Erina understood now, and it broke her heart all over again. Taking a quick glance around she recognized that look in quite a few more faces, some children trying to keep their tears from falling, others already crying and running towards the red headed Chef for comfort. Even Shido and Mei were sobbing helplessly into his chest now.
"W-we all missed you, Soma! Did-did you forget about us when you started going to T-Totsuki?"
"No, of course I haven't. Listen you guys, I-I… I'm sorry, honestly. I should have visited you from time to time."
"W-why haven't you?"
"Well…, I came to learn that study sessions at Totsuki are a bit different from those held in regular schools, so I guess I didn't have as much time as I hoped to come over, ya know?"
She could see it now.
These children loved him dearly… it was obvious how close they actually were and how much they respected him. The fact that he had been away for an entire year didn't seem to shatter their bonds at all, which was a bit surprising, considering that most people reacted angry when the person they were close to didn't stop by to see them for an entire year. That was what she heard anyway…
Not for the first time today, Erina felt extremely out of place as she stood alone in the corner watching eight children surrounding the young man she failed to understand on so many levels. It felt awkward, to say the least, and for a second Erina even considered heading towards the kitchen first in order to give them a bit more privacy, but somehow the conversation kept her frozen in place. It captivated her, he captivated her. Those soothing words, the way he tried to hold as many as he could in a big embrace, his apologetic smile, all of it just mesmerized her to no end. Witnessing Yukihira's soft side was definitely something she wouldn't be able to forget, no matter how fatal this sight might turn out to be for her later on.
"He truly is something else isn't he?"
"Hm?"
Feeling as if she was caught doing something wrong, Erina literally jumped out of her skin, her amethyst eyes searching and finding a innocently smiling Yuri right next to her.
"E-eh, what?"
"Soma. He's quite unique, don't you agree?"
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't understand."
"Up until his first year of high school that boy always came here to play and cook for the children. They got used to him pretty quickly, even asking about him every time he wasn't able to visit. When that happened I couldn't convince them to go outside or help me prepare dinner, it was a real pain. They feel strongly attached to him, and to be honest, who can blame them? He took care of each one just as much as I did."
Erina's eyes widened slightly, her heart hammering nonstop against her ribcage.
He seriously was a selfless person…
"But for the past year, we have neither seen nor heard from him. I was told that he went to your school to improve his cooking skills, and believe me when I say it wasn't easy to explain that to a bunch of five year old kids. They were devastated. And now… I think they needed to let it all out."
Hearing that the blonde gazed towards the group again with a much softer expression on her face. She was deeply moved, something she didn't get to feel very often in her daily routine. The red cheeks and her sky-high pulse rate told her that she should look away immediately before a specifically unpleasant memory could surface and freeze her heart again, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to appreciate this view for a little while longer.
"He really is special, the kind of gold that every girl would wish to come across at some point in their lives. At least that's my opinion."
"W-wait Miss Yuri! Where are you even going with this?"
"Hm? You don't know? Oh well, in that case it doesn't matter what I say. You'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure."
'Not her too! Why does everyone avoid telling me what's going on here?'
"Alright, you all ready to get this party started?"
Returning her eyes to the scene in front of her the heiress noted that the children had stopped crying, eagerly nodding their heads in confirmation.
"S-Soma, d-do you really think it's okay for me to help you?"
"Of course Rika, I'm gonna need your amazing cutting and water boiling skills to show Nakiri who's boss. No one but you can do it! Besides, you gotta show me how much you've improved in the kitchen over the past year too, alright?"
Erina could see the girl's cheeks heating up at hearing his words and feeling his hand on her head. The gorgeous smile he sported probably played its own part in this situation.
Making a brave step towards the happy group the heiress felt like she needed to say something as well, to encourage that poor girl, and to put the redhead in his place for assuming that he could beat her.
You never had any sort of empathy inside you to begin with, so there's no point in telling you what I feel.
She froze after taking her second step, the lights in the room slowly dimming in front of her eyes.
I live for my cooking, Nakiri. If I start losing focus on that, then… I don't want this, okay!
A sudden pain pierced through her heart, spreading inside her body and leaving her cold to the touch.
That's right.
She had almost forgot about that.
Yukihira didn't want anything to do with her, saying that she was throwing his cooking out of balance, too scared to face things the way they were.
Her stare turned cold and distant, not willing to let the wall around her crumble a second time. She had to be done with this just as much as he was.
He had to finish her business and get away from him as soon as possible.
No more pathetic whining, she refused to come off as weak.
Turning around she instead headed straight for the kitchen now, the words dying in her mouth and banned from her mind. There was no need to say anything anymore. After she talked to her role model there would be no stopping her from leaving this place for good.
Little did Erina know, the moment she stepped foot into that boy's diner was the moment her life would take a significant turn…
Annndddd cut!
What do you say guys? Was it good? Was it bad? Please tell me your opinion in a review and I hopefully see you next time. I'm really sorry it takes me this long to update each time, but right now I'm studying for an upcoming exam and it's a real pain in the ass hahahah.
Stay safe and as always:
Take care everyone!
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