Chapter 15: The concern in your eyes
Hellooooo everyone, welcome back to another chapter!
Once again, I'm beyond thrilled to share with you all yet another idea that I had for a very long time now, and I really hope you like it! It was so awesome reading all those speculations you had about the message Soma needed to deliver, I really had to struggle a lot not to say anything hahahahahah!
And on that note, thank you, thank you, thank you soooo very much for each review you sent me, I'm extremely happy that you all enjoyed the chapters so much, and that you still want to continue reading! It's amazing how many wonderful people I've met over the course of this story, and how passionate everyone is about this particular pairing! I love SoRina beyond words, and I just hope I can do them justice with my creation! Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me, I'm so happy to have started this adventure with you guys!
As always, I want to thank my amazing friend lamperouge rolo for everything too! My girl, you're so awesome, and I'm extremely happy that I have you by my side for this, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the hard work, I love ya so much!
And my beautiful friends, Jellyann, and maddiesmt as well of course! You guys are soooo amazing and kind, I'm truly honored to call you my friends! Thank you for everything you write to me, I'm always so happy when I talk to you!
I can't wait to hear from all of you wonderful people again, please tell me what you think about my idea, guys, I'd love to see know your opinions on it!
Well, with that all out of my system, let's jump straight in, shall we?
Take care, everyone!
Erina could see the gears turning in Soma's head as he contemplated on her question. She waited for his answer with baited breath- nervous and curious on what her grandfather could possibly ask the red-haired chef to tell her in person after she shut off any form of communication with the family for three weeks straight.
The thought of selfishly ignoring a possibly critical message made her feel guiltier than she already was.
"Oh, right… Forgot 'bout that."
His hand came up to rub the back of his head in a sheepish gesture, amber orbs squinting in apology when he looked at her from across the balcony.
Although she was tempted to roll her eyes at the boyish grin spreading across his face, Erina chose to remain standing near the glass door with a small smile of her own, arms crossed over her chest, intending to show impatience and, at the same time, discreetly hide her now shaking body.
The wind had picked up significantly, causing one unpleasant shiver after another to run down her back, and despite their confession earlier today, the heiress still felt reluctant to let him see more vulnerability than he already had over the past few months.
Ever since her father had returned to Totsuki, she had done nothing but drown in her fears, wondering when things would finally get back to normal. And thinking that the redhead could no longer see her as the strong person she usually was, that he had no reason to compete with her anymore, just made her sick to the stomach.
Erina understood from his kisses- she blushed at the memory in spite of her anxiety- that he intends to stay by her side and support her. But at the back of her mind she still wants to be his 'shrine' and she would make sure she doesn't disappoint him. Even if it meant hiding the fact that she desperately needed the safety of his arms around her to calm her down.
"Well, actually… It was more like he wanted me to fill you in on something he felt like you could help with. But before we talk about that, let's get back inside. You might freeze your butt off if you keep standing there like that."
"What?! How rude, I-I'm not cold at all!"
"Alright, fine, you might not be, but I sure am, and I think it'd be better to talk behind closed doors than out here in the open, right?"
He stood up from the garden swing, constantly taking in her reaction as he closed the distance between them in a steady pace.
The way he came towards her, with his golden depths mainly focused on her face, shining brightly under the moonlight, caused her heart to start racing all over again as a faint blush spread on her cheeks. She should have known that he did notice her shivering at some point, and that he also would try to get her to go inside in a more inconspicuous fashion- seeing as her first impulse had been to deny her body's craving for some warmth right after he mentioned it. However, just because he was aware of what she needed right now, it didn't mean his poor tactics were going to work.
Erina would show him that she was tougher than she looked.
"No, we can stay here, I don't mind."
Just as she said that, another strong gust of wind blew through her hair, causing the goosebumps all over her bare arms to intensify. She mainly blamed her luck for that, or his cheeky grin that always threatened to make her heart stop whenever she saw it.
"You sure 'bout that?"
Another couple of minutes passed, leaving the heiress no choice but to sigh in defeat as she opened the wide door in front of her and stepped inside, still feeling the cool breeze against her back.
"F-fine, you win."
She could hear Soma entering the living room as well, just as she slowly closed her eyes with content, tense shoulders now dropping in relief.
He was really here, in her house, by her side. The illusion is now a reality…
He came to a stop right behind her, gently trailing both hands down her arms as he leaned in to give her uncoated shoulder a soft kiss. It made her flush furiously, knees weakening at the sensation of his palms now reaching out to lace their fingers together.
There was no doubt in her mind that this type of close contact was something she would definitely have a lot of trouble getting used to. Yet at the same time, Erina felt like she could never grow tired of being touched by him. Denying it was just a waste of breath at this point. She had started to subconsciously crave for his innocent caresses that it slowly reached the point where it drove her insane.
"It's still kinda cold in here, don't ya think?"
"O-oh, really? I-I haven't noticed."
"You feel a lot colder too, are you okay?"
"O-of course, I'm perfectly fine. It's probably just from the temperature outside, no need to worry."
Releasing her hands from his grip, he silently stepped in front of her, an eyebrow arched in confusion the moment he regarded her slightly uneasy expression.
"Erina…? I seriously don't wanna ask this, since I know you wouldn't be that carelessly stupid, but… Could it be that you didn't even bother turning on the heater in here each night?"
"N-no… Why would I? It's summer after all, and we are literally next to the beach. I don't see a reason to make it any warmer than it already gets during the day. And don't you ever dare call me stupid again! Who do you think I am?"
"Well, someone has to."
"Excuse me?!"
"Erina… it's only the beginning of summer, which means the temperatures are still going to drop a few degrees for a little while longer, no matter where you are. But aside from that, you clearly are freezing right now. Doesn't that bother you?"
A familiar wave of guilt flowed through her, the kind that forced the heiress to avert her eyes in order to escape his piercing gaze, the kind she had felt almost every day over the past few weeks, the kind probably neither of them wanted to deal with right now.
She had no excuse, no words of denial would roll off the tongue quite as easily as all her other retorts had up until now. So she stayed quiet, face turned away from the redhead standing before her, knowing full well that he was waiting for some sort of answer.
"Lemme guess. You didn't care one bit about warming yourself up, did ya? C'mon, Erina, you can't be serious right now!"
"This-this isn't a problem at all. I honestly didn't even feel it."
"How so?"
"I… I-I'm not really sure… to be honest, the temperature inside the house didn't even faze me until you brought it up. But, it's not something you need to concern yourself with, I can take care of myself."
He still didn't look convinced, eyebrows knitted together as he closed his golden orbs for a few seconds and exhaled a long breath. It almost seemed like he was forcing himself to refrain from objecting to her declaration.
"If ya say so… Let's go get some rest then, I can tell ya all about the assignment once we lay down, alright?"
"W-what? Y-you mean, y-you want…"
Without a warning, her face began to heat up, making her stumble a few steps back before she hit the wall on the other side of the room, a good distance away from him.
"N-no way, you… you must be joking, right? I-I refuse!"
Pressing herself as best she could against the cold marble, the blonde desperately tried to calm her shallow breathing, eyes never straying from the iron-willed chef standing there ever so casually with his hands in his pockets and scarred eyebrow raised all the way up to his hairline.
As she took note of the confused expression on his face slowly turning into a crooked grin, Erina could feel her heart ready to burst inside her chest, eyes narrowing with suspicion at the low chuckle that suddenly echoed in her ears.
It was safe to say, the cold shivers she had felt just a moment ago were now replaced by a much more pleasant heat spreading through her entire body.
"What's wrong Erina? Looks like you've got something in mind that we can do there. Don't be shy, tell me."
His mischievous smirk widened at the small grumble escaping her throat.
The bastard knew exactly how to tease her Shoujo-loving mind and there is no way she's letting him get his way that easily. Not when he seemed to enjoy himself so much at her expense.
"I-I would like to stay here for a while longer, actually."
"Really? Those massive bags under your eyes are indicating something else entirely though."
"H-hey! They are by no means massive, alright? Watch your tongue, commoner!"
"Whatever, they're still there. When even was the last time you slept properly, huh?"
"I-I… that is not relevant in any way right now!"
Once again, Erina averted her eyes, looking past him at the black glass table where a few small decorative plants were placed in a delicate manner.
She didn't notice the redhead's grin faltering for a second, nor was she prepared for the serious expression that had replaced the goofy one as he crossed his arms over his chest. No matter how intense his stare got, or for how long he planned on staying there like that, there was no way she would ever confess not remembering when she last had a good night's rest. However, something told her that he was already drawing the conclusion on how sleep deprived she is by himself anyway. And this made her feel more mortified than saying it out loud herself.
"Well, if ya don't wanna tell me then that's fine too. I guess I could always find another way to move ya away from that wall over there. Now what should we do here…"
He rubbed his chin with one hand as if trying to find the solution that was already clear to him.
It was amusing to see that his acting skills weren't quite as… ecstatic as he may believe them to be.
"Oh, I know! How 'bout I let ya taste test something I made just a few days ago instead? Since all I had been able to cook recently were egg dishes, I was kinda limited on flavor options for this one, but… I think it turned out to be a masterpiece nonetheless. Of course, you'd be the judge of that."
"You wouldn't dare."
His devilish grin was back with full force, eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement at the hidden challenge behind her words before they drifted towards his luggage, hinting that whatever he wanted to feed her was hidden somewhere deep inside. The thought caused her upper lip to curl in disgust, fully aware of the traumatizing experiences he had put his poor dorm mates through so many times over the last year brought by his eccentric dishes.
She is going to make sure that she will not be one of those victims, if it's the last thing she did.
"Well, guess what? I think I would. You haven't tried any of my awesome squid and peanut butter creations yet, and this is the perfect opportunity to let ya eat something even better than that! Squid tentacles dipped in yoghurt and raw egg yolks, sounds tasty, right?"
"What? Are you serious?"
"Absolutely! I'm not gonna let ya stay up alone for another night, so… it's either accepting that I make sure you get some shuteye, or trying out my, dare I say, world-class Yukihira style comfort food. The choice is yours."
"Why you…"
"C'mon, what's the harm? I mean, I admit, it's pretty bad, even for me… But I don't think it would end up making someone vomit- probably."
"'Pretty bad'? Knowing you, I'm sure it would be nothing short of absolutely revolting! Forget it, Soma! I am not going to put any of your vile experiments into my mouth, ever! And what on earth do you mean by 'probably', huh? Are you trying to taint my divine palate on purpose?!"
"Maybe not on purpose, but… it'll still be interesting to see what kind of reaction you'd have after eating one of my squid dishes, don't cha think?"
Her expression was now completely blank as she stared at his smug face.
"Definitely not."
"Well, so much for that. Gotta say, you're no fun at all, but, whatever. Guess that means you wanna go get some sleep instead then, right?"
Taking a step towards her, he placed both hands behind his head, seemingly pleased with himself as he continued to grin mischievously with those squinted amber eyes that made her feel like she was about to melt right on the spot.
Damn him and his boyish charm.
"F-fine… But y-you have to- I mean, you-you can't- it's actually not that common t-to…"
By now, it was nearly impossible to so much as even blink in his direction, words steadily failing her the longer he remained where he was, silently waiting for her to explain herself properly.
How was she supposed to voice her embarrassment without sounding utterly ridiculous anyway?
To think that one innocent look, one small gesture, one single word of concern was all it took for her to be completely thrown off her game, again, was absolutely preposterous. Yet here she was, pressing herself against the wall, undeniably flustered over the fact that she was about to share her bedroom with none other than Yukihira Soma, the one who had, more than once managed to light a dangerous fire inside her. A powerful flame that she didn't even know existed up until now. After all, she hadn't forgotten about all the passionate kisses they shared so far, or the way his hands wandered over her body ever so possessively every time he held her close to him. It was most definitely something she wouldn't get enough of, but staying together in one room, in one bed, just seemed so… indecent all of a sudden, regardless of what they did so far.
"Hey, you okay? Got a fever coming up or something?"
His voice sounded closer now, amused, yet still laced with a hint of worry that she found herself unable to overhear. And it was all she needed to partly calm down, amethyst orbs drifting back to him with the slightest hesitation as the heiress, once again, remembered who exactly she was so disconcerted over.
She trusted this boy in every way, dreaded nothing when he is near her, and loved him more than she'd care to admit. She had missed him terribly, and now that he was right in front of her, smiling so encouragingly with those bright eyes, Erina found herself more drawn to him than she had ever before.
And so, she ignored all those nerves, ignored the wave of embarrassment washing over her, instead choosing to listen to what her heart is telling her to do all along.
"N-no, I-I'm perfectly fine."
"Huh… whatever you say. Now, let's go already!"
"Alright, I'm coming. D-don't be so impatient."
With that, the heiress took another deep breath before slowly making her way passed him towards the one bedroom she had decided to reside in. It was an unfamiliar room with muted colors and simple furniture design. Compared to what other rooms in the house have to offer, it was nothing special. But Erina didn't choose the room because of the design; she chose it because it was Nakiri Amelia's childhood sanctuary, her mother's very own bedroom.
Perhaps Soma would be surprised to see that she still hasn't unpacked yet, and most likely question it too. But right now, she didn't care in the slightest about small details like that, her stomach twisting pleasantly at the prospect of them simply lying side by side and talking about her grandfather's request before slowly drifting off to sleep.
That really did sound quite nice in her ears…
Upon reaching her room, Erina closed her eyes and hesitantly stepped aside in order to let the redhead enter first. She was already expecting all those upcoming questions when she followed his uncertain gaze towards her own luggage placed near the closet, but found herself beyond surprised to hear only one leaving his mouth the second he turned back to face her. Although she should have figured that he'd drawn his own conclusion right away, there was a certain pain flashing through those golden depths that showed Erina he wasn't exactly happy with what he had come up with just now.
"Where do you wanna go from here?"
"W-why do you ask that?"
"You said you were planning to stay in Kamakura for only one more week, so…"
"Oh, yes… that's true, but- I mean I, eh…"
She drifted off, nothing she might say next sounded quite right anymore.
He waited for a few seconds before concluding that she wouldn't continue.
"Ah, who cares? That's not the time to be thinking about that kinda stuff, right? I see a giant fluffy bed over there that's practically screaming for me to jump on anyway!"
"…Hold on, what?"
Before she could say anything else however, the young chef had thrown himself face first upon the king sized mattress standing in the middle of the room, bouncing up and down in a silly fashion. And even though this caused Erina's left eyebrow to twitch several times, she still couldn't help but smile at his goofy behavior, feeling like no matter how hard she tried, the agitation would always leave her right before she got the chance to let him know how annoyed she wanted to be.
There was no way she'd ever allow him to find out how much power he truly had over her- that he was the only one successfully breaking through her ice queen persona. Without them both knowing it, he had become her greatest strength, and a constantly present weakness at the same time, and deep down Erina wasn't so sure if she liked that fact or not, thinking that perfection should be essential for someone with a high prestigious background such as herself. And yet… if it meant choosing between an ideal luxurious lifestyle and him… the heiress had no doubt in her mind that her choice would be Yukihira Soma, no matter how tempting the other option might be.
A warm smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, cheeks heating up in embarrassment once more as she shook her head from left to right in order to free herself from these thoughts. She couldn't help it, she had fallen too deep for this boy.
However…
"Could you stop playing around and give me the information I need already?!"
"Man, this bed is by far the comfiest I've ever slept on! You should really give it a try too, Erina!"
"Are you even listening to me? What about Grandfather's message?"
"C'mon. princess, don't be a buzzkill! I'm telling ya, jumping up and down here is way more fun than you might think!"
"I will do no such thing!"
Crossing her arms in defiance, the blonde turned her head away from him as an audible huff escaped her lips. She had never engaged in such simple activities, and there was no way she would even consider acting all childish like the nonchalant redhead in front of her now.
"Well, in that case…"
Suddenly, all movements on the bed were stilled, causing her to arch an eyebrow in wonder and risk a quick glance towards the young chef again, an action she immediately came to regret as a soft pillow hit her right in the face.
It took Erina a few minutes to register what happened while her eyes drifted from the white cushion on the ground towards a laughing redhead who no longer lay on the bed. Instead, he was standing on top of it, face turned towards her.
This means war. Because the moment she finally understood what he just did, was the moment he would literally have to run for his life. The proud heiress wasn't amused in the slightest, and she would most certainly not let him get away with throwing a pillow at her face, the mortification too deep to be left unattended. Especially when said boy was laughing wholeheartedly at her angered state, even going so far as to point a finger in her direction while his other hand held his stomach.
There is simply no way she's holding back now.
'You asked for it.'
And with that, the blonde wordlessly picked up the soft pillow, fully intending to take advantage of his distracted self while he was still wiping tears from his eyes. Erina gritted her teeth as she raised both hands and threw the cushion right back at him with full force, hitting his still chuckling face the same way it had bounced off her own earlier. To say this felt satisfying would definitely be an understatement. Her heart was racing with excitement, and the frown on her features disappeared at the sight of his bewildered expression.
Did he really assume she was just going to stand there and take the hit without giving any form of response?
"Oh, it's on now!"
"Hmph, you started it! I will not tolerate such disrespect from a measly commoner, you hear me?"
"What? Come over here and say that to my face, Missy!"
"With pleasure, Monsieur!"
Quickly reaching the edge of the luxurious bed, the heiress could literally hear the blood rushing through her ears as she grabbed the pillow he was graciously holding out to her with one hand before she allowed him to pull her up with his other. Despite his considerate gesture, there was still a certain glint in those amber depths that told her this boy was out to win.
But then again, so was she, and she would not let his stupid charm interfere with her plans, which was why as soon as they were face to face, she wasted no time and threw her pillow at him once more, giggling to herself when he stumbled back a few feet.
"So that's how ya wanna play, is it? Then lemme show ya something as well, princess!"
"W-what?"
Seeing a sinister smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, she felt her heart beating faster against her chest as she tried to avoid being hit by not one but two cushions at the same time, ducking and snickering while he attempted to shove the soft material against her head.
They fooled around like this for a while, with Soma constantly stealing all her ammunition whenever he got the chance when the heiress herself hit him with everything she had left on her side of the bed, eyes squinted with joy and mind fully at ease as they laughed loudly into the night.
To her, nothing could ever surpass this feeling of pure bliss running through her veins right now, the adrenalin rush that twisted her stomach in the most pleasant of ways, that special sensation blooming in her chest whenever their eyes met under the dimmed lights of her mother's old bedroom. There was simply no denying the fact that she enjoyed every bit of spending time with him.
Raising the last small cushion that was lying on the bed, she swung it as hard as she could at the red-headed chef standing before her, beyond amused at the sight of both his arms lifted as an attempt to block her strike. Just as she thought that it wouldn't do him any good anyway, her feet caught in the sheets, and before she had any chance to catch herself, Erina lost her balance and stumbled forward, tackling a now perplexed looking redhead with her. Although she was beyond grateful that he somehow managed to wrap an arm around her waist in order to prevent her from completely falling off the mattress, the blonde still couldn't help the nervousness that spread inside her stomach at the sudden sensation of his body lying right underneath her own, their faces so close that she could actually feel his warm breath lightly brushing against her skin. His eyes were wide open, mouth agape in a silent screech as she was partly on top of him, both not daring to move so much as even an inch as if fearing the growing daze of the moment could be broken if they did.
"Guess this means I win, huh."
"What? W-where would you get that idea? As far as I'm concerned, there was no clear victor here."
"Oh, c'mon, ya gotta be kidding me! You couldn't land a single hit this whole time, so that clearly makes it my win."
"Excuse me? Since when was there a rule stating that we must strike each other down in order to win?"
"Well, I thought that was supposed to be obvious. After all, this is the main objective of a pillow fight, princess, or did ya forget that?"
Erina's breath caught in her throat, eyes no longer able to look at him out of sheer embarrassment.
She didn't know what the main goal of this game was, never had the luxury of time, nor the interest to actually experience such pleasantries during her culinary training several years ago. But now that lack of expertise was proving itself to be a major disadvantage, as she couldn't even muster up the will to counter Soma's statement in any way, too abashed to bring out even a single word of refutation.
"Hold on… you do have an idea of what a pillow fight is, don't cha?"
"O-of course, you fool! W-who do you think you're talking to? I-it's just that… well… I-I have never, eh…"
"Lemme guess… This is your first game."
The sincerity in his voice and the earnest intent in his amber eyes caused the heiress to shiver, leaving her with no other choice than to slowly turn her head back towards him. She saw his soft smile, saw the tiniest hint of a blush now appearing on his cheeks as he tightened his grip around her waist, even felt how fast his heart was beating against the palm of her hand the closer he pressed their bodies together.
"I-it might be…"
"Well, in that case, it's a good thing I came over here, right? You'll get to experience a lot of things you've never done before this way."
"W-what is that supposed to mean? D-don't make it sound like something it isn't. I have been on plenty vacations before after all. E-even if neither of them involved pillow fights, I still enjoyed myself, thank you very much."
Closing his mouth for a moment, he stared back at her with a blank expression plastered on his face, as if saying that he wasn't impressed with her answer whatsoever.
"So… you have?"
"Obviously. Although I admit, the last time I went on a trip was when… I first started going to grade school… I believe. It's actually been quite a while, now that I think about it."
"Really? Where were you?"
"Somewhere in Europe… Italy, if I remember correctly… Grandfather had some business there, so I was supposed to wait at the hotel most of the time, but once he came back to pick me up, we visited many beautiful places, bought lots of delicious ice cream, and even went on a few boat tours every now and then."
"Wow, seriously? So I'm guessing… even in foreign countries, Gramps is still considered a bigshot, huh. I mean, if he actually has to travel abroad to take care of business, that has to be the most amazing experience for ya, since you can basically travel wherever ya want, right?"
"I, ehm, suppose so…"
Upon hearing that sort of response, the redhead narrowed his eyes in displeasure.
He seemed to have understood that her answer sounded like she was anything but happy with his assumption as he searched in her amethyst orbs for any indicators that she was indeed melancholic about something right now. She, however, was sure to let him find none as he gave her another gentle squeeze to rid her of these thoughts. And despite it reminding her over and over again of their current position, the heiress made no attempt whatsoever to get off him, feeling too content with where she was right now to even consider giving him some space. And from the way his grip around her waist tightened ever so slightly every time she moved, it seemed like he wasn't planning to let her go either.
"Which countries have you guys been to so far?"
"Well… Alright, the truth is, I was able to accompany him just that one time on his trip to Italy as it had been the only opportunity for me to spend a few days with my grandfather without having to attend any sort of taste testing appointments. After my first year in grade school, more chefs were starting to seek me out though, so there was no time left to go on another vacation."
"I see… So then, in which city have ya been staying when you went to Italy?"
"I believe it was Florence… Or maybe Venice? I don't know anymore, to be honest."
"Seriously, you can't remember? I thought you said it was fun over there."
"Of course… It truly was the most beautiful vacation I ever had. However, too much time has passed since then, Soma. Keep in mind I was only four years when we were there."
Her lips stretched into a small smile as bits and pieces of her voyage to Italy started to come back, memories long forgotten resurfaced, and blurry images slowly regained their color again, making Erina's heart warm up with nostalgia. It really had been a very long time since she last laid her eyes on those breathtaking sights scattered all over the city they were resided in, let alone took off in order to enjoy some valuable free time by herself. Or with her grandfather, who would have already been on his deserved vacation right now, if it weren't for her and her selfish decision to run away…
"Well, what d'ya think of visiting that place again refreshing those memories then? From what you told me, it sounds pretty awesome, and I'm sure there are a lot of new cooking techniques we could add to our repertoire as well! It's a clear win-win to me, so I say; why not do it?"
"What? Y-you want to… I-I mean- you would… but what about the academy? You are the first seat; you can't just disappear like that and go on vacation for who knows how long. There are duties waiting for you, don't ignore them like they weren't your concern!"
She tried to ignore the small flicker of pain shining in his eyes as he raised his fingers to let them run through her long hair, the sensation causing her body to relax more and more against his own.
It almost felt like a desperate gesture, a silent plea for her to stop talking like that. However, this definitely wasn't the time to start arguing about whether or not she would return to Totsuki one day- not yet. Erina knew that it was his wish for them to eventually go back together, but for right now…, she would leave this particular subject out of their reach, not feeling ready to face her mistakes so soon after they have been made.
And so, she simply rested her head on his chest, hearing his rapid heartbeat while he continued to stroke her hair in a calming motion.
A vacation in Italy, with Soma right next to her… the thought sounded more than perfect to her own ears. If only it could be that easy to just get on the next plane and fly wherever they pleased, without any regrets or responsibilities holding them back…
"I'm sure we can work around that somehow… And besides, if I'm the first seat, then you are the new director of the school, which means, you have to follow the rules just as strictly as I do. Those were the conditions we agreed upon when we gave each other these titles, right? I will only accept to take that seat if you'll become headmaster, and I stand by that decision."
Her eyes widened at his choice of words, flattered beyond words that he held her in such high regard.
How much faith could one person carry before it came around to bite them in the end?
She never wanted him to find out for himself- she would never allow his faith in her to falter.
"You truly are a fool, you know that?"
"And yet you're still here with me."
"Yeah… I suppose I am."
Despite feeling a huge wave of emotions threatening to crush her, the heiress couldn't fight the sincere smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she gazed into his golden eyes. He was serious, and she knew, as soon as he made that stubborn face, there was no place for further arguments. So, she remained quiet, choosing not to comment on the slight desperation shining through his facade of cockiness. After all, she couldn't afford to break his heart all over again- it wouldn't be fair.
"That said… I still win that pillow fight, milady."
"Wha… W-why you little… D-don't get so full of yourself, Yukihira Soma. I was already exhausted by the time you started throwing random pillows at me. I assure you, the outcome would have been reversed if we had this match in the morning."
"Huh… So does that mean I could beat you in a Shokugeki right now too?"
"O-of course not. I'm still far above you. Even if you were to wake me up in the middle of the night, I would still defeat you, and you know it."
"Yeah, yeah, ya don't have to rub it in. It was worth a shot though."
She heard him sigh in content, leaning his head against one of the main cushions still resting unharmed behind them.
As his breathing started to slow down, Erina laid her head fall back onto his chest, letting go of the tension her body had accumulated over the past few weeks.
"Soma? I need to ask… H-how… how is Grandfather anyway?"
At that, she heard him exhale a long breath, eyes drifting closed as if trying to prevent a certain emotion from being seen. The gentle strokes on her hair ceased for a moment, his other hand resting on her lower back, pulled her closer against his body. Whether it was to comfort her or rather himself, she couldn't say.
"You really wanna know?"
"…Yes, I need to."
"Well… honestly, he seems to be doing just fine from afar, but… as soon as I got a closer look, I could see the same exhaustion in his eyes that I was experiencing lately. He's hurting a lot, and from the way he kept rubbing his forehead all the time, I thought it was pretty obvious he hasn't slept for quite a while. Just like everyone else, your grandpa wants you to come back home, Erina."
"H-he… he is…"
The image of a Nakiri Senzaemon, saddened about her absence and tired beyond words, broke something deep inside her.
She buried her face further into the redhead's chest, biting her lower lip in guilt. And as much as it pained her to hear the news about her family, there was still one more thing she needed to know before she could drop this subject for tonight as well- something that was nagging at the back of her mind.
"W-what… what about Alice?"
"Oh, don't worry about her. Actually, I think she's more pissed off at me than you, anyway."
"H-huh? H-how so?"
He placed his hand on her cheek, gently lifting her head so that they were eye to eye again as a low chuckle escaped his lips. The sound of his voice, his warm palm resting against her cooled skin, those encouraging eyes gazing into her own, all of it made her feel like her heart could jump right out of her body at any second, as it started to beat uncontrollably fast again. And now that Erina knew where exactly those sensations came from, she found herself leaning into his touch in content rather than jerking her head in the other direction.
"Well, I guess you could say that she kinda was the first person who noticed that you were planning to leave… That morning, she came to ask me where you were, and wanted to know why you were acting so differently all of a sudden. Since Arato didn't say anything, I figured I shouldn't either, never mind the fact that I had no idea what you were up to at that time anyway. Thinking back now, she seemed more annoyed than anything else, really. And after I told her I won our bet today, she was still somewhat angry that I didn't give her any of the details, so… I'd say we should both be prepared to get an earful once we make it back to Totsuki."
She couldn't help but giggle at the amused tone in his voice, imagining how Alice would most likely end up yelling at them both the moment they saw her again. The heiress knew her cousin would try to hide her concern as best she could with some spiteful words, which are exactly what she needs to hear in order to get back to her usual self.
The thought just showed her again how much she actually missed Alice right now, something she would never even dare to admit out loud.
"Maybe I should give her a call sometime, see how mad she really is for myself…"
"Yeah… you should. And talk to Gramps too while you're at it, eh? He may not show it, but he's missing ya a lot."
"I… I-I'm not sure he would want that, actually…"
"Oh, trust me, princess, he definitely wants to have a word with ya. If it helps, I'll hang around as well, ya know, as moral support and all that."
Erina's eyes squinted in affection, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she placed her own hand above his, effectively pressing his palm closer against her cheek.
"I may not need it, but… Thank you."
And with that, she felt him lightly pull her head towards him, eyes closing shut the second their lips met for the umpteenth time ever since the redhead's arrival this evening. His free hand now drew lazy patterns on the small of her back. The light caress caused a pleasant shiver to run down her spine as she tilted her head to one side, relishing in the sensation of his tongue running over her lower lip before he found hers to ask for a heated dance.
But after just a few moments, he drew back.
"So… ya wanna get off now, or…? I mean, I'm starting to reach my limit here, and betraying Gramps' trust is definitely the last thing I want."
"Huh? What do you…?"
Her breath caught in her throat once more the moment she realized what he was referring to. Their bodies were intimately pressed together, with the heiress still lying on top of him, and thus feeling the odd tension in his muscles and the uncomfortable shift of his waist as he suddenly tried to avoid her gaze.
Blushing a deep shade of red, she immediately jumped away from him- ungracefully scrambling towards the opposite edge of the king-sized bed.
While she lay there, Erina tried to shut out several things at once- the hysterical laughter coming from the red-haired chef, the sheer embarrassment of being with him in such an indecent manner, and the fact that he would stay here in this room with her for the rest of the night. However, her heart didn't seem to agree with her wishes as it kept on reminding her of all that by constantly hammering against her ribcage.
Although she was overly flustered, the heiress couldn't bring herself to be mad at his vulgar comment, not when he was starting to be so adorably chipper again. That particular talk about his mother earlier, his insistence on her return to Totsuki academy, and the explanation he had to give her regarding her grandfather's current state of mind seemed to have dampened his mood significantly, and she couldn't bring herself to ruin his regained cheerfulness all over again. Then there was also the fact that he appeared to be slightly on edge all night long for some reason, making her wonder if that previous pillow fight was truly meant to be a distraction for her or rather himself instead. Either way, she decided that it would be best not to say anything and just wait until he felt ready to tell her what his uneasiness was all about.
After all, that was how she chose to deal with situations like this before.
"I didn't say you had to move that far away, ya know?"
"S-shut up! Who gave you permission to make fun of me like that, huh? I-I will not tolerate being insulted so casually!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Huffing in annoyance, she let her head fall back on the silky sheets, eyes closed and arms crossing over her chest as she felt her tired muscles finally relax a bit again. How nice it would be to fall asleep right then and there without any care in the world… But she couldn't do that- not now. There was still something they hadn't discussed yet, and it was about time he fessed up already.
"Hey, Soma? What about Grandfather's message?"
"Yeah, about that…"
She felt a shift in weight as he laid next to her, one arm serving as her new pillow while the other rested behind his own head as he heaved a particularly long sigh.
From what she could gather, it didn't seem like he was looking forward to this conversation at all, why she had no idea though.
"Honestly, he just wanted me to tell you to be extra careful wherever you go from here on out. Apparently, there's a weird follower of your dad's organization who's looking for retaliation ever since he was thrown out of Totsuki when Central disbanded. Gramps said there might be a higher chance of him finding you now that you left the school as well, so he wanted me to do some investigating while I was here, see what I can find out about that guy and if he has any alliances with other former Central members somewhere."
"What…? Central… A-are you serious?"
"Yeah… Turns out, Nakamura-senpai left a lot of his employees out in the rain when he decided to go back to America. And now, they seem to be blaming you for their misery, instead of him. Gramps told me they had a tough time finding work in the food industry these days, and wanted at least someone who would take responsibility for their situation."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing, a shock ran through her that left her mouth agape and eyes wide open as she tried to form any words.
That name… she didn't want to hear that name, the effect it still had on her scared the heiress to the core even today.
Did her father really fall so low that he would abandon all his working staff after being disbanded? She could not believe that a professional businessman such as Nakamura Azami would actually leave all his employees in the dust like that. To her, it didn't seem possible, and yet… here she was, listening to Soma's words, flinching unintentionally every five seconds at the prospect of being confronted with someone tied to her father once again.
It was hard for her to digest that. It seemed that, after all her efforts, she still hadn't escaped Central's clutches- a thought that paralyzed her every single time. This has to stop or else she would never regain the freedom she had so desperately longed for all this time. After all, she is still a proud member of the Nakiri family, and she would not allow herself to remain frightened any longer, wouldn't let her friends' patience and support go to waste just because she wasn't able to keep it together again.
If only her body could cooperate with her brain for once and stop shaking so pathetically. By now, she was almost certain Soma had noticed it too, just like he always does, based on the motion of his head leaning against her own in a comforting manner. She appreciated it, but…
"I-I don't understand… it was decided that none of the students would be held accountable for what happened back then, so why-"
"It not a student that's after you, Erina."
"H-huh?"
"According to your grandpa, we're dealing with one of the former lecturers at Totsuki here. That said… have you noticed anything suspicious going on around here lately?"
"Suspicious how…?"
She glanced up at him in confusion, only to find his gaze fixated on the ceiling above them instead, eyebrows knitted together as if he was contemplating a very important subject, something he apparently didn't feel the need to fill her in on.
"I'm… not sure, actually. Just… anything that seemed out of the ordinary to you, I guess. It's been three weeks, after all, did nothing happen?"
"No, not that I know of… B-but, even if something were to occur eventually, I'm confident I can easily handle some vengeful employees. They did work at Totsuki academy after all, so giving them a taste of their own failure shouldn't be a difficult task whatsoever."
"Erina… I think you're missing the point here. From what Gramps told me, these guys don't look like they would accept a Shokugeki right off the bat, let alone eat our food to be convinced that Nakamura-senpai's ideology had been wrong all this time. They're out to deal with you specifically, which means there's a high possibility that they won't play fair at all. I don't know what these people want per se, or why they even believe that you're the only one responsible for their suspension. Hell, I don't even have a clue if it's more than one person or not. But either way… we should still keep an eye out for anything odd, alright?"
"I understand… Though, I still say your worrying is completely unnecessary. I assure you, I will show these fools myself what kind of mistake they made when choosing to operate against me if they decide to make a move, so there's nothing to be concerned about."
At that, his eyes drifted back to her, an amused glint shining through them as he let out a small chuckle.
"Should've figured you'd say that. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't too worried either, it's just that… if someone's out there trying to mess with you, I… it doesn't sit right with me, ya know? I want to find this guy before anything bad can happen, and hopefully it'll all be taken care of by the time summer break's over."
She nodded absentmindedly, feeling like there was nothing else she could add to his confident statement.
All that lingered in Erina's mind right now was that there was actually someone out there seeking revenge for their, most certainly, messed up career in Central. No, she is definitely not afraid of them, but the fact that she didn't even know where they were hiding at the moment, or when they would come to confront her in person, blinded by rage, gave her a strange sense of uneasiness nonetheless.
Why did Soma want to be involved in this anyway?
That idiot could get himself into major trouble all over again if he wasn't careful, and from what she had experienced with him so far, it was safe to say he wouldn't take any sort of precautions whatsoever.
"You're doing it again, Erina, stop it."
"Doing what?"
"Your eyes… Stop looking so upset. I promise you, nothing's gonna happen. You're not alone in this, so don't sweat about the details, alright? Gramps and my old man are doing everything they can on their end, and we just gotta help them out from over here, find as much information as we can without being too obvious. From what I can gather, there're a lot of people scattered around the country after Nakamura-senpai's organization broke apart, and according to my dad, some of them resided here in Kamakura as well. If the guy looking for you really has a few connections, they could be giving him intel about you coming here as well, and that's what we'll use to our advantage to bust him."
"I guess… W-wait a second… Does that mean, Saiba-sama knows about this too?"
"Sure does. He was in your grandpa's office when I barged in, saying that they had been researching about that employee for over a week now, and that he would've ended up coming here if I hadn't… well, eh… it's… forget about it."
"Huh? If you hadn't what?"
Turning his face to the ceiling once again with the hint of a blush spreading on his cheeks, the redhead refused to give her any sort of answer, a reaction she didn't expect, but chose not to dwell on for too much longer.
Based on his lack of response, it must be something he didn't feel comfortable sharing with her yet, and she would respect that decision, as much as it hurt to admit that.
So, Saiba-sama is doing some research on that particular person as well now…
This knowledge actually changes things.
It seemed that whoever this employee or employees are, they would end up being a bigger pain to deal with than she thought. If her idol had involved himself in this situation as well, how serious was the threat going to be?
She definitely needed more answers about the matter before deciding on what to do next, not wanting to risk an early confrontation if she could avoid it. With the way Soma had talked about the matter, it was probably best to leave that particular person in the dark for as long as possible without making a scene.
And so, she lifted her upper body off the mattress in order to have a better look at the red-headed chef beside her, supporting her weight on one arm as she gently turned his face back towards her with her other. If he was displeased with her action in any way, he didn't show it, instead looking up at her with a mild confusion written in his amber depths.
"You have to tell me more than that, Soma. What were you able to find out so far? Did Saiba-sama fill you in on his investigation?"
"Well… he kinda did, but… all he could gather so far was just obvious stuff, like him being a former instructor in Central, and an employee of Nakamura-senpai's cooking industry here in Japan. Nothing about where he is right now, or why he has developed such a personal grudge against a student of the academy though. We don't even have a name for that matter."
"I see…"
"Speaking of whereabouts… What's this I heard about you walking around all by yourself in Hokkaido? Why would you go there of all places? I thought you said you would come straight here and then move to somewhere else."
Her eyes widened in disbelief, mouth agape as she continued to stare at his serious face, caught off guard by this sudden question.
"I-I… How do you know about that?"
"Through Gramps. After he gave me my assignment, he explained that you were over there for over two weeks straight. Seems like, there were some people who recognized you right away, which was how he found out about it in the first place."
Silence filled the room for at least half a minute, with Erina saying nothing and the redhead patiently waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he let a sigh of defeat escape his lips.
"Why were you there, Erina?"
"I… I-I couldn't- I mean, I wanted to… I guess I just felt like I couldn't come here so abruptly after all. Traveling somewhere else first… it helped me calm down a bit, though to be honest, I don't really know myself what compelled me to go back to Hokkaido… I hadn't planned on it, and before I knew it, two weeks had already passed, with me doing absolutely nothing at all. I mean… it's… hard to explain."
"You were too scared to come face to face with your mom's grave, right? Trust me, I know how that feels."
"I'm not a coward, Yukihira Soma! I had my reasons for not going right away, but being scared was certainly not one of them!"
Despite the harshness in her tone, she laid back down on her side next to him, head once again resting on his outstretched arm as she glanced up at his face. The smile he gave her was filled with so much understanding and gentleness that it caused a wave of guilt to spread inside her chest, making the blonde curse her own excessive pride in shame. She didn't mean to sound so egotistic, even though it wasn't exactly an uncommon reaction at this point, seeing as she used to look down on this boy ever since their first encounter at Totsuki's entrance exam. However, there was still something about the phrasing of these words that got to her on a much deeper level than she would have expected.
Because right here and now, Soma said out loud what she never wanted to acknowledge by herself.
Yes, she was scared, she knew that, but hearing it from the person she loved so dearly just made her feel downright awful, pathetic, weak… All those negative emotions she hated experiencing more than anything else in the world now came back to her without giving her any room to breathe, and she loathed the thought of coming off as a pitiful coward who couldn't even confront her own insecurities.
However, as always, Soma has seen right through her facade- or just felt the flinch of her body as soon as his arm pressed her tighter against him. He gently guided her head towards his chest as an attempt to calm her down, stroking her hair just like he had done earlier.
"I didn't say you were. But, I think now I'm starting to get why you went there first… you needed some sorta peace of mind before moving on, didn't you? It's no big deal, everyone has to get a timeout every once in a while to clear their head a bit, so there's no point in dragging this out, alright? I swear, tomorrow you'll be able to go inside that cemetery with no insecurities or worries holding you back. I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Not, that's…I-I'm sorry."
She felt him shake his head, fingers drawing lazy patterns on her lower back once again as he exhaled a long breath.
"Let's get some shuteye. After all, you have to be ready for our big food battle tomorrow. I won't accept a win knowing you're not at a hundred percent when we throw down, it wouldn't be as satisfying."
With that declaration, the heiress let out a sudden yawn as her eyes fluttered closed, sleep's warm embrace slowly welcoming her for the night, promising to let her slumber without any nightmares to force her out of this boy's strong hold.
And she gladly took the invitation.
"I already told you… even if you woke me up in only an hour or so, I would still… wipe the floor with you."
He chuckled softly at her murmured response, saying nothing else as she was already drifting off to sleep in his arms. The exhaustion finally caught up to her, and maybe- just maybe, she could finally have a good night's rest, with him by her side and the stars shining brightly in the sky as her only witness. It didn't even matter that they were lying on the wrong side of the mattress, or the fact that they weren't covered in silky bedsheets, all she cared about was the warmth radiating from his firm body, and the pleasant scent coming from him that lulled her into a deep dreamless slumber for the first time in weeks.
And hopefully it would be the first of many more to come.
…
The next time Erina opened her eyes, it was already bright outside, warm beams of sunlight shining through the large windows of her mother's room, making her realize how late it must have gotten by now.
Sitting up and taking a quick look around, the heiress couldn't help the small sting in her heart as she noticed a certain red-haired chef's absence, feeling like the air around her has dropped several degrees at once.
It hadn't been just a dream after all, right?
She was too scared to find out the answer, too anxious to stand up and head towards a, yet again, empty kitchen that she just sat there in her bed, unable to move another muscle, waiting for the seemingly endless silence to fade already.
It was not until after she felt white, silky bedsheets brushing against the exposed skin of her thigh, and smelled something incredibly delectable coming from the hallway that the heiress fully comprehended the difference between this morning and all the others she experienced over the course of the past three weeks- understood that she wasn't alone after all.
It hadn't been a dream… he was really here, probably having some fun in the spacy kitchen of her family residence…
He had been the one covering her with the very same blanket they were sleeping on last night, she was sure, and looking to her right now, she could also see the pillow that had been lying on the other end of the bed before, a clear indicator that this was indeed not a hallucination whatsoever. Although the thought made her blush a brilliant red, she was more than delighted about the fact that she wouldn't be alone anymore, or at least until the end of summer break…
Her plan didn't change, she still intended on traveling the world sooner or later, but… would she really be able to say goodbye to him once again when the time comes? She had no idea, and right now, she found that she didn't even want to know, for all that mattered at the moment was their precious time together and nothing else. There would always be another opportunity to think things through in peace, maybe even explain herself properly to him, but right now… that overwhelming aroma of freshly made crepes was literally making her mouth water, urging her to get out of bed and find the source as fast as possible.
And so, with an affectionate smile on her lips, the heiress gently pushed the sheets aside, stretching wholeheartedly as she made her way to the nearest bathroom.
She ignored the sudden blurriness of her vision as she reached the door, or the way her face felt oddly warm as she placed a hand on her cheek, thinking that was probably nothing to worry about right now.
After clearing her face with a few splashes of cold tap water to fully regain her senses, she beamed at her own reflection in the mirror of the large bathroom she stood in as her fingers combed through her honey blond tresses, the same way he had done last night.
She had loved how it felt, his gentle strokes still lingering in her mind when she walked down the wide hall and straight into the kitchen, eager to be near him once again.
"Yo, 'bout time you woke up, sleepyhead! I'll be with ya in a sec, just lemme finish this up, alright?"
Uncertain where exactly his voice came from, Erina fully entered the room in hopes of spotting the redhead somewhere between all those working stations. And sure enough, she found him kneeling in front of an open cabinet next to one of the many ovens residing there, head buried deep inside as he searched for something he would need for breakfast.
Breakfast… From him.
The thought made her headed cheeks all the more obvious, forcing her head to face the stove where a heated frying pan was laid out instead. It was too embarrassing to look at him when she felt like she was burning from inside out.
"T-take your time… When did you get up anyway?"
"I guess it's been about an hour or so."
"And you have the audacity to call me a sleepyhead?"
Finally sticking his head back out of the wooden cabinet, the redhead sent her a cheeky grin, eyes squinted in the most adorable way she had ever seen. In fact, it took all her will power not to grab his shirt and pull him up for another kiss, arms remaining firmly crossed in front of her chest to prevent her from doing such indecent actions so early in the morning- or rather, late in the morning, she didn't know. However, to her luck, she didn't even need to do anything as he stood up on his own, wrapped one arm around her waist, and yanked her forward to take her lips with a gentle dominance, breathing in her scent the same time their tongues continued their passionate dance ever so slowly.
It was safe to say, Erina was completely intoxicated by him at this point, feeling like she could never get enough of the tingly sensation his mouth unleashed inside her stomach.
Holding on to the warm flesh where both his neck and shoulder met, she tilted her head to the other side as the boy's own fingers stroked down her back, over the swell of her hip, and back up again in the most sensual manner, the other hand tangling itself in her hair once again. And by the time they parted, both were in a dire need of some air, breathing it in rapidly, yet still refusing to let the other move so much as even an inch away. It was everything she needed right now, and despite feeling this uncomfortable heat in her face ever since she woke up, she didn't want to release her hold on him- not yet.
"You feel cold."
"C-cold, really? I haven't noticed…"
"Again?"
"Well, actually… it's more like I'm burning up, so…"
"Oh, don't tell me it's because of me."
He chuckled softly, pressing her closer to him.
"O-of course not! D-don't be ridiculous."
"Then… maybe it's because of the amazing dish I'm about to serve ya?"
"Hmph, I assure you, nothing you put on my plate will ever have this effect on me."
"Huh… You sure about that? Because if that's really the case, I know just how to fix it!"
With another cheeky grin on his face, Soma let go of her now shivering body, swiftly turning around to throw chopped green peppers and onions into the pan, filling the room with a sizzling sound as he stirred his ingredients together.
From her position behind him, she could see the finished crepes on another plate, as well as quite a variety of spices stacked up right next to the stove, each one already opened and giving off all kinds of different fragrances that caused Erina's senses to go wild.
At the same time, it made her wonder though… Had he always worked with so many seasonings at once or was she just imagining things?
There was also a bowl with shredded cheese right beside them, and… an apple?
'What? What would he need that for?'
"So… ya know what I'm making yet?"
"H-huh?"
"You've been watching me for quite a while now, which usually means you either want to figure out what I'm making, or try finding some sorta flaws in the execution, right? Since this is a specialty from my family shop, I don't think the latter would be of any use to ya. And so… there's only one option left. Now, can ya tell what this'll be?"
Her face turned an even darker shade of crimson as she felt the slightest twitch of her left eyebrow, annoyed that he, once again, could see through her so effortlessly.
"Listen here, Soma; if you think you can throw me off just by spilling incoherent nonsense, you're out of your mind! I have better things to do than to wonder what you intend to place before me this time, so stop acting so smug and don't ever forget who stands in front of you! Whatever it is you're making, I can assure you, the taste will be just as average as all your other creations!"
Satisfied with her short outburst, the heiress flipped her hair back before crossing her arms in defiance.
It was his own fault for being too cocky, for pointing out her struggle to identify his dish and making her look stupid in the end. If he knew her so well, he should have seen this coming too.
But, his reaction was quite different from what she had expected. Instead of hearing an apology, she was met with the sudden sound of Soma's hysterical laughter the moment she turned her head back in his direction. Eyes squinted, one hand raised to hold his stomach, he merely stood there, laughing to his heart's content. It only irritated her more.
"Average, huh? Guess, that's still better than disgusting in the end!"
"What are you on about?"
"Well, before it has always been awful to ya, right? Seems like I'm improving a lot, wouldn't ya agree?
"I-I didn't say that! Your cooking hasn't changed whatsoever, so don't you dare get ahead of yourself now!"
It wasn't true, she knew it wasn't, but… that over-confident attitude just started to get on her nerves again.
His cooking was beyond incredible, no one could deny that, and Erina would be lying if she said she didn't look forward to his dishes each time he presented them to her. If only he wouldn't act so smug about it… she could have praised his food a long time ago.
Though, in the end, she supposed this was just how they worked best- competitive, ambitious, vigorous… always eager to one up each other the best way possible, and she enjoyed every second of it, thrilled to take the challenge he laid before her.
"Well, I suppose this means you don't know what I'm making then! Just like one year ago, eh? At the entrance exam, you told me something similar when you couldn't figure it out as well, except that back then, you practically forced me to spill it by saying you would flunk me right on the spot if I didn't, remember? Man, what good times!"
He grinned happily back at her, as if beyond pleased over the fact that she was too startled to give a proper response, with her eyes wide and mouth agape like a child admiring a beautiful Christmas tree.
That day…
The first clash of two fearsome chefs aiming for the top spot at Totsuki academy.
Never had she thought it would all lead to this, them shifting from rivals to allies, and then ending up being a couple after overcoming countless of obstacles side by side. If she didn't know any better, she would have believed that it was as if destiny played a major role in their meeting- or both their mothers, guiding their ways to find each other.
"T-that's- I… A-are you going to tell me what this is going to be now or not?"
A small chuckle and the vigorous shake of his head was all the answer she received before he continued to do his magic, with her pouting in the background, trying as inconspicuously as possible to stretch out and glance passed his shoulder.
Now that the spices were added, he turned off the stove and proceeded by skillfully slicing the apple, and placing them inside the crepes. From there on out, it was downright impossible for her to follow the rest of his work, simply because she had, oh so foolishly, underestimated their difference in height, and since she couldn't remain on her tiptoes forever, the heiress eventually gave up on trying to see what he was up to. She didn't want to take a step to the side either, feeling like it would be even more noticeable to him than her previous action was, plus she didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he had been right from the start. So she stayed where she was, arms still crossed over her chest, and face heated way too uncomfortably to make any sense of it.
"I thought you wanted to have a food battle first thing this morning? Why didn't you wake me?"
"Nah, it's alright. I figured you would probably need to get some rest before we do that. Don't get me wrong though, I still want to have a match, but… for now, we'll take it easy, alright?"
She was speechless yet again, the sheepish grin he sent her over his shoulder made her heart go berserk against her ribcage as she gazed into his amber depths. They seemed to hold a certain shimmer hidden within them, bright and so full of endearment that it made her smile softly in return.
"Besides, seeing how soundly you were sleeping there, I had no choice but to get up by myself. I mean, your pillow was literally covered in drool, the same way your mouth and chin were, didn't cha notice it at all? I never thought I'd get to see something like that, it was priceless!"
And with that, her smile faded away, leaving no indication that it had been there in the first place.
"Why you… I don't drool in my sleep! It's disgraceful!"
"Well, you can check it out for yourself if you like. It's saved in my phone, you know, as a memory."
"W-what? Why would you want that kind of memory?"
He chuckled yet again while swiftly placing something inside the oven.
"Because I doubt I'll ever get the chance to witness the God Tongue drooling all over the cushions in her sleep again. This was definitely a moment worthy of being saved, I'd say."
"No, it is not! I swear to God, Yukihira Soma, if you don't delete that picture right now, I'm going to throw that freaking device out the window!"
She was furious, mortified, embarrassed, just downright everything that indicated the small crack of her dignity, showed how much her pride hurt from his humiliating display.
How dare that fool take a picture of her while she was sleeping?
And the only way he responded to her demand was by turning his head towards her once again and smirking mischievously, as if he had done nothing wrong at all.
"Well, looks like we found the perfect incentive to have a Shokugeki later after all, eh? If I win, the picture stays, and should it be you who comes out on top, I delete it, deal?"
Now this was an interesting twist, alright.
She could already see his grin turning into a sad pout, the smug expression on that handsome face vanishing the moment he would have to come to terms with his defeat.
"Hmph, you're on, Soma. I will show you what it means to be competing with someone far above your skill level. For tonight's dinner, we are going to have a food war, and out of pure generosity, I even leave the decision for a theme and main ingredient to you. Make sure you choose something that involves your specialty, because I won't be holding back."
"Damn… you really want that photo gone, don't cha?"
"Of course! This is nothing to be proud of!"
"Alright, fine by me. We'll do it tonight, but until then… I won't say anything about the theme or the main ingredient, alright? You have to come up with something on the spot."
"I accept."
They grinned challengingly at one another, feeling the competitive atmosphere spreading everywhere inside the large kitchen like it was the most natural thing when these two chefs stood face to face, with their eyes burning and hearts racing.
With one last nod, the heiress turned to exit the room, once again ignoring the unpleasant heat in her body and the way her vision became blurry for a second again as she reached the double doors. However, before she could fully step outside to get some fresh air, Soma's voice echoed in her ears, loud and obnoxious, just the way she always believed him to be.
"Oh, by the way, what I'm making right now is Yukihira's famous apple crepe sauté, only this time, it has a few little twists added to it. Let's see if your 'divine palate' can find all of them!"
"You know as well as I do, there is no way I won't be able to find them. But… it seems you put some extra effort into this dish, so now I'm going to have even higher expectations than before. You'd be wise not to disappoint me."
"I knew you'd say that! Just you wait, I'm gonna get ya to say it's good! And this time, I expect to hear an honest answer. No messing around like last time."
Giving him a small grin as her only reply, she closed the wooden doors behind her, already excited to dive into all the flavors this boy would lay before her.
However, before Erina could engage in the type of rush that his cooking always seemed to bring forth, she needed to step onto the balcony for a few minutes, feeling unusually warm again. It would fade as soon as the morning breeze hit her, she was sure, but that feeling was slowly starting to become more and more of a nuisance with each step she took.
That fool would truly be the death of her one day.
Annndddd that's it for now!
I'm so excited to hear what you think about the second idea I wanted to bring into this story, and I can't wait to continue writing for you guys!
Thank you again for everything you told me last time, you're all so awesome!
Take care!