Truth

by RoyaldragonSevgisi15

After defeating Central and paying her Idol a visit to find some much needed answers, Nakiri Erina isn't so sure about anything anymore. Her world crumbles and suddenly she finds herself wondering if she'll be able to handle it all. And then there is Yukihira Soma, the boy responsible for all kinds of new feelings to rise within her, lately.

18. Chapter 18 What the heart wants

Chapter 18: What the heart wants

Heeeyyyyyyy guys, welcome back!

I hope you're all doing well so far, and enjoy a fantastic holiday (for those who have one, lucky you, hahahah)!

And while we're on the subject; happy New Year, everybody! May 2019 bring you good fortune and luck! God bless you all, my dear friends!

Just like every time, I want to thank each one of you so much for those beautiful comments you sent me, and believe me when I say, I was soooo excited to read them all! You guys are so wonderful people, and I'm beyond honored to be able to write for you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you, everyone, I mean it!

Annndddd, of course, to my amazing friend, lamperouge rolo, thank you soooo very much as well! You're so awesome, my girl, and words truly can't express how grateful I am for all the help you've been giving me all this time! I love you so much, my friend, thank you for being here and doing what you do! You're the best!

And, to all those adorable people that I've been chatting with lately; thank you so very much as well! You guys are amazing, and I couldn't be happier to talk to you! Thank you!

Well, before I burst into tears again (because it has happened before, hahahah), let's jump straight in, shall we?

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please let me know what you think!

Take care, everyone!

---

Another week passed with the young heiress mainly resting in bed, supervised by the energetic goofball that was her lover.

Changing the wet hand towel on her forehead every half an hour, bringing her herbal tea each time she was awake, and just staying up whenever she tossed around in bed due to strange nightmares she couldn't remember anymore- those little things that he did diligently added up and helped her recover quicker than she anticipated. And perhaps it had been her fever afflicted mind speaking on her behalf, but… she could literally feel the aches in her body fading with each passing day thanks to all the extra attention he gave her.

It was simply adorable how he hadn't left her side once, insisting on staying with her even in her short times of sleep, and, as usual, seeing the task of preparing her meals as a challenge to make her say that they were, for a fact, delicious in the process. 'Killing two birds with one stone', he had called it.

And although she knew he wasn't actually serious- he always dreamed of beating her on her best, after all- she had never caved in, basically keeping a straight face as she pointed out flaws that no ordinary person would have been able to detect, thus effectively forcing him to focus on his task in the kitchen rather than worrying about her.

Her harsh critique wasn't because his dishes weren't superb. She wanted to distract him- unable to see that intense look in his eyes indicating how uneasy he actually was at her current physical condition.

Aside from that, they had spent most of their time talking about the most recent events at the cemetery, her encounter with something she believed to be a mere illusion, the dream that had lead to it, and… her feelings about the whole ordeal in general. She had simply told him everything she could think of, from start to finish without an ounce of regret slowing her down.

And Soma… he had listened to her every word, patiently, sincerely, with the brightest glint of appreciation she had ever seen shining in his golden orbs on her effort to open up to him.

Erina could still recall bits and pieces of that particular conversation, a warmth spreading inside her chest just by thinking about the ecstatic look he sent her when she had told him she finally made peace with the past, the embrace they had shared once the first tear descended to the ground, and his last words before they had fallen asleep on the king sized mattress in her bedroom.

'That means I won't have to worry about you leaving me, right? Honestly, it was too hard the first time, so… don't make me chase after you like that again.'

She hadn't answered back then, and frankly, she still couldn't bring herself to do it now, roughly five days later.

For some reason it felt like the moment she expresses her agreement, he'd take it as a sign to pack up and bring her straight to the academy, which she wasn't sure she's quite ready to do yet.

Was it really okay for her to go back and just pick up where she left off? She didn't know, and sadly, her brain still tried to convince her that she didn't belong there anymore despite the fact that the heiress already came to terms with what happened in her early childhood.

She didn't want to disappoint Soma in any way if she could avoid it, but… returning to Totsuki with him still seemed so wrong at the moment.

Maybe one day she would give him the confirmation he wanted to hear, and actually mean it with all her heart.

For now, she just intended to give him a memorable vacation, and not let him suffer for her sake a second time.

"Hey, what cha doing there? Shouldn't you be resting some more?"

Startled by his cheery voice, Erina almost dropped the wooden spoon in her grasp before she whirled around to see the red-haired chef lazily strolling towards her with both hands shoved in his pockets and a knowing grin plastered on his features.

Shaking her head, she tried to ignore the way his alluring bedhead caused her stomach to twist with appreciation- or how his crooked smile made her cheeks heat up just like she had gotten used to over all those months she knew him.

"It's alright, I feel much better now. Besides, one more day of eating your weird experiments would surely end up giving me a heart attack sooner or later, so I had no choice but to make something by myself today."

"C'mon, my food tasted great and you know it."

"In your dreams maybe. Now stop distracting and let me get this done, would you?"

"Yeah, yeah. What are ya cooking anyway?"

"Be patient, you'll see once it is done."

He rolled his eyes in false exasperation, contrary to his smile stretching from ear to ear as if he enjoyed their daily banter more than he let on.

"Fine, I'll wait. But… if I heard correctly, you said you're feeling better already, right?"

"…Yes? Why?"

"Well…"

As he took a step forward, her instinct immediately ordered her to take one back- to retreat as fast as she could from the intense gaze he now gave her.

The sauce that was slowly boiling above the stove and the chocolate truffles roasting inside the oven were now completely forgotten as her back hit the wall behind her, preventing her from getting anywhere as Soma's body suddenly hovered over her own, golden eyes holding the glint of mischief that she was all too familiar with at this point.

"Guess this means the rule is officially over then."

And before she could ask what he was talking about now, he pressed his lips against her own, tilting his head just a little to create more friction between them. One hand was placed right next to her head on the wall while the other cherished her neck ever so lightly, moving from her jawline to her collarbone in the most tempting of ways as his tongue massaged her own expertly.

Right…

Now she remembered the 'rule' stating that he wasn't supposed to take her lips until she was fully recovered from her cold. It had been a week now, bust still; how could she have forgotten about that arrangement?

The kiss deepened, her initial surprise died down, and in spite of how embarrassing it was to admit, she had missed this close contact between them just as much as he apparently had, a fire burning deep within her that she was more than happy to show him by eagerly sliding her arms around his neck and tugging at his messy hair with nothing but passion edging her on.

She loved the way he responded with a low growl, loved his soft movements along the side of her waist before his fingers came to rest on her lower back, using the opportunity to press her even tighter towards his firm body.

And she especially loved the divine taste of his mouth as she obliged his wish of more intimacy with vigorous intent, enjoying the feel of his lower lip trapped oh so deliciously between her teeth and the sensation of his pink muscle dominating hers in the most seductive way possible.

The only thing she hated at this very moment was the dire need for oxygen that practically forced her to separate from him, albeit her arms were still wrapped around his neck, fingers tangled within those soft, spiky tresses she came to love just as much as that charming smile he now sported.

With visibly bruised lips, shaking knees, and an overjoyed heart hammering against her ribcage, the heiress gazed into his amber eyes for a few seconds, trying desperately to catch her breath as fast as possible so that she could dive right back into the fray and let him ravish her mouth for a second time this morning.

And to her utmost delight, he seemed to be struggling with similar difficulties, chest heaving rapidly as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Man… I never thought I'd end up being someone who would actually miss these kinds of things. Seriously, Erina, what've ya done to me?"

"I could… I could say the same to you… I'm getting way too impulsive around you and I don't know if that's a good thing or not…"

The distance between their faces shortened with each whispered word, igniting the fire that had been patiently waiting in the pits of her stomach once more the moment his long eyelashes tickled her cheek over and over again.

"It's a good thing alright… don't worry about it, you're not the only one with this problem. And I gotta admit, you couldn't have picked a better time to get over your cold too. I was already at my limit two days ago."

"W-what do you mean?"

"When you came out of the shower, it kinda drove me crazy. That's all I'm gonna say."

She didn't answer, instead chose to tease him with a proximity that would make him feel her breath brushing against his mouth repeatedly but not close enough to allow their lips to actually touch.

"Seriously?"

Impatient as he is, the red-haired boy just melded their mouths together himself with an amused glint in his beautiful eyes and a passion that rivaled her own accompanying every move of his hands.

She smiled to herself as he parted her lips with his own once more, a deep fondness mingling with her steadily increased pleasure at the thought of her being the only one who could actually draw these reactions out of him- the only one who made him lose his cool in a blink of an eye.

Then again, it wasn't much different for the blonde herself. His touches brought forth emotions far stronger than anything she had felt before. And without noticing it happening, she had gotten used to having him nearby every day and just the thought of spending only one away from him feels impossible for her to bear.

How in the world was she supposed to say goodbye when the time comes?

The question echoed through her mind over and over as the space between them diminished. But in spite of the worry, their game of cat-and-mouse with their tongues started to brew another mix of feelings, dashed with urgency, inside her stomach. The fire built up so quickly that she could feel a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead and her mind blanking out a mere seconds into their passionate dance.

It grew even stronger the moment Soma's lips traveled to her exposed neck next, teeth nibbling lightly at the sensitive flesh before he eventually bit down strongly enough to make her hiss in delight. Her trembling fingers scratched along his scalp, tugged at the messy locks even harder, and pressed his head closer against the crook of her neck where he licked over the small bruise his repeated sucking had left behind.

The hand on her waist came back up to swiftly unbutton the first two knobs of her chef's uniform, giving him easier access to her shoulder and collarbone as he, ever so gently, pushed the white fabric out of his way.

If his hands were to go further south, she was bound to lose more than just her mind- they both were.

But to their disappointment- or rather rescue, in her case, the timer on the oven stilled any further contact that might have happened between them, a sigh escaping the redhead's lips when he gently released her from his hold and took a step back as soon as he realized himself what he was just about to do.

"Guess that's my exit cue, huh?"

He tenderly pulled up one side of her chef's uniform- to prevent further distractions, no doubt.

"…Y-yes, I s-suppose it is…"

"Well, I already gave my good morning greetings to the God Tongue so I'll leave you to your work."

His whispered words caused her cheeks to quickly approach the color of raspberries- either that, or the way he lightly touched the side of her face did it, she couldn't tell anymore.

"Oh, and what d'ya say we head out and explore the town later? I've never been to Kamakura before this, so it'll be pretty interesting, don't cha think?"

"I-is that so…? Me neither actually… I-I think some fresh air could be a nice change, especially since we had to stay here for an entire week…"

"Awesome. I can't wait to check out all the food they serve around here!"

With another quick peck on her lips, the young chef strolled back towards the open kitchen door oh-so-casually as if nothing had happened just now. And before she could even begin to move from the wall and try to calm her overexcited heart, his head tilted towards her once more, a mischievous smile plastered on his face as he pointed his thumb towards the stove.

"Oh, and one more thing; your sauce is boiling over. See ya in a bit!"

"Wha…? Why you- whose fault do you think is that, you fool?!"

His low chuckle was the last sound to reach her ears before she looked down at herself and blushed a deep crimson all over again at the sight of her fine attire sliding back down the side of her arm, exposing parts of her black, lacy bra as it did so.

To her huge distress, the excitement didn't die down as quickly as she would have liked after he had excused himself, whether because her fingers couldn't stop tracing the pattern his lips had taken on her skin moments ago or the feeling of his arms wrapped around her body stubbornly refused to leave her memory, she didn't know.

Whichever it was, she spent two hours more in the kitchen thanks to that, redoing several steps and trying to ignore the image of his annoying grin in her head. Now that she's feeling better, she's determined to floor him with her skill- just to remind him of the standard that she holds for the both of them as he pursues his plan of satisfying her taste buds.

If Saiba-sama could hear her thoughts right now, she's quite sure he would approve.

A small smile graced her face when she moved on to the decoration of her truffles on each plate, feeling slightly nervous at the prospect of him enjoying her creation and complimenting her right afterwards. She had never cared for anyone's opinion, ever, but now… it was like all rationality would leave her as soon as he and his insufferable mouth got involved.

"He has to struggle for my approval, not the other way around, damn it!"

Was this really how people in love felt all the time? Nervous and overly self-conscious whenever their significant other is around?

If Soma gets a whiff of her anxiety, she's positive that she wouldn't hear the end of it.

So with a strong shake of her head to rid herself of these thoughts, the heiress put the finishing touches on her dish and simply tried her hardest not to let her feeling get the best of her.

"There. Took me long enough. Now he's sure to like it, right?"

Clasping a hand over her mouth the moment she realized what it was she just whispered, she felt like steam would come out of her ears any second now.

Was she truly that far gone?

'What did you do to me, Yukihira Soma?'

…

Another two hours passed, thanks to a lot of friendly bickering and Soma's insistence to explore the rest of the house, which she had absolutely no interest in. Though to her surprise, it was quite easy not to notice how fast time flies, especially when she spent most of it standing before the mirror, trying to choose the best outfit possible while the redhead wandered around all those empty hallways.

Now, with a satisfying meal behind them, both students happily strolled along the pavement towards their next destination: the center of Kamakura, where most temples and historical monuments are located.

Because Erina's family residence was so close to the main shopping district, and since the weather seemed to have recovered from the rain as well, they didn't need to ride the bus this time, a shared curiosity shining in their eyes as they slowly walked past one small shop after another, halting every now and then to have a better look at some unique artifacts.

To her, it was certainly fascinating to see all those different items representing their country's history, and to learn more about what this town in particular went through in the past.

And of course, she couldn't prevent Soma from buying something to eat every time they encountered an interesting looking food stall either, simply because she had no way of resisting that excited grin on his face once the vendors told them their menus have this area's specialties, and that they had to try at least one of them if this was their first time visiting.

And roughly half an hour later, as they finally reached the first attraction in town without any further interferences, she couldn't help but squeal in anticipation herself for the very first time, amethysts wide open at the magnificent sight of Kamakura's well known Hasedera Temple shining in all its glory right in front of them.

"Hey, that reminds me; why didn't ya tell me there was a freaking pool in your backyard? It's huge!"

"Huh? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"I dunno, it just occurred to me on our way here. I saw it while you were busy in the kitchen this morning. And now with the ocean so close to us, I thought it's the best time to ask."

"Wha…? What does the ocean have to do with that? Seriously, Soma, have I already pointed out that you have the strangest comparison skills and by far the worst timings for questions like these out of all people I know? Don't tell me this is the best you can come up with when we're about to enter a holy building."

He shrugged nonchalantly, the bored expression on his features making her sigh in exasperation.

"Never mind… Now that you mention it, I almost forgot about it myself, but… yes, I suppose we do have one."

"What? How could you've forgotten about something like that? Man, I'll never understand rich people."

Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, arms crossing impatiently over her chest.

"Anyway… Shall we go in?"

Immediately, his amber orbs drifted back to her embarrassed frame- and remained there for a few seconds with a sudden, crooked smirk adoring his features.

"So, you wanna pray? Really?"

"Wha… of course. Am I not allowed to or something? Believe it or not, but even I have things I want to pray for, just like every other person here."

"Huh, whatever ya say. I never thought I'd see ya actually pray in a temple, that's all. You sure your fever is completely gone?"

"How rude! J-just come on already! I don't have time to waste on this kind of nonsense."

He followed her with another shrug, amusement still evident in his face when he noticed the change of color on her cheeks. She should have known he'd say something that was bound to drive her up the wall eventually. He always did.

Nevertheless, Erina chose not to pay his goofy antics any mind as she gracefully walked up the staircase and made her way into the beautiful temple.

There were indeed a few things the heiress wished to get out of her chest before she would finally move on, and unbeknownst to the red-haired chef behind her, she had always wanted to visit a place like this in order to ask for her mother's return way back then. Now, with all that had happened, she had something else in mind that she needed to ask strength for. If her prayers would be heard or not was a different question altogether.

However, to her dismay, a massive crowed had already formed in front of the large altar, making it nearly impossible for them to get even close, and thus filling her with disappointment as she suggested to wait for a moment on the side in order to allow the swarm of people to get by more easily without crushing them in the process.

"I never would have guessed that so many tourists would actually come all the way here just to visit a temple like this on their vacation."

"Well, everyone has something they wanna confess, right? Summer break is the perfect opportunity to get a fresh start, so everyone gets excited whenever they have the opportunity to go to one."

She turned her face towards him in wonder, suddenly interested to find out if he had some sort of wish or prayer himself. A curious glint filling her eyes when he didn't add anything else.

"I suppose so."

"But, the real question is, what do you wanna confess now that you're here as well? Care to tell me?"

"A-as if I would say a word to a simpleton like you. Don't be ridiculous."

"C'mon, seriously? Whatever it is, I swear I won't laugh."

"T-that's a given, you fool! Still, I'm not going to tell you. In case you haven't read the sign outside, it states that your wish won't be granted if you talk about it out loud. I am not willing to risk that."

His eyes widened in surprise for a second, as if he was taken aback by something, before he shook his head and smirked down at her once again.

"W-what is it now?"

"I never thought you'd actually buy into that stuff. If that's really the case, then you should totally go on a shrine tour with Tadokoro next time! I'm pretty sure she's more educated in folktales than anyone else in the dorm. She could tell ya whether or not those signs actually mean anything."

"Oh… yeah, maybe…"

If he noticed the hint of sadness in her amethysts, he didn't show it. Instead, the young chef just tucked his hands into the pockets of his loose jeans and shifted his gaze back to the large crowd as if nothing could faze him. It was truly admirable how carefree he could be, and not for the first time in the past year, the heiress wished she had enough resolve to be just like that. Easygoing, unconcerned about anything, serene enough to just take things as they come without worrying about the rest…

"Well, that said, I still wanna know what you're gonna ask for."

"Give it up, Soma. I am not going to tell you."

"Huh… Wanna have a Shokugeki over it?"

A slight twitch of her left eyebrow caused her previous thoughts to disappear entirely as a wave of irritation cursed through her veins.

He would never learn, would he?

"You sure have engaged in many wagers lately, haven't you? Well first of all, Yukihira Soma, you know I will win no matter what. And second, don't think I forgot about that picture you still keep in your cellphone. That subject is far more important than a silly prayer, so let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You will delete that photo in due time, and I can ask for my wish in peace now, alright? Let's just leave it at that."

"That so? Sounds like you're just scared to me."

An icy smile that could easily freeze even the toughest businessman dead in his tracks graced her features, eyes squinted in amusement when he leaned closer, grinning brighter than ever in pure excitement.

Of course her intimidation would have no effect on him, she was used to that by now. At this point, it was just a form of entertainment for both of them, a mere competition to see who would cave in first. But seeing as something like that was never going to happen, the fun continued to edge them on, fueling their hearts with the desire to one up each other in every way possible.

She couldn't deny it, they basically are in their elements whenever a challenge was involved, which was exactly what caused her to blush so furiously the moment his intense gaze pierced right through her and left her no other option but to lean in herself, mesmerized by this boy's confidence.

Then again, so was she, and she was determined to win, no matter what.

"Make no mistake, commoner. My reluctance isn't out of fear. It's out of mercy. You see, after one Shokugeki against me, I guarantee you're not going to want to have another. And if possible, I would like to avoid traumatizing you."

She didn't mean to lower her voice the way she just had, especially when they were surrounded by so many people who would surely make it impossible for the redhead to understand her properly to begin with. However, she was too caught up in the mood to truly care, her stomach twisting with exhilaration and slight anticipation on how he would react next.

At this point, it wasn't a matter of pride but rather one of conviction, a primal instinct that told her how to play her cards and how to get him riled up in the most intense way she could. Why she thought that was beyond her though…

"Oh, you're on, princess. I'm dying to make ya eat those words as soon as we get back."

"We will see about that now won't we? Just don't start crying if you lose again, it would surely harm your reputation as Totsuki's first seat."

"Whatever. Don't forget who it was that announced me as the top chef back then."

"Oh, please. I had no choice. Everyone else was already defeated and waiting with bated breath on the sidelines."

"True, but you could've easily picked yourself instead of me, just like we were all expecting you to. You even said that I'd be the better fit, remember?"

"Maybe so. But I also recall saying that I would eventually snatch that seat from you, so you have no reason to be that smug about it. Besides, people change their mind constantly, so you shouldn't have been that surprised about me choosing you."

The mischievous smirk on his face gave her all the answer she needed before she decided to refocus her gaze on the altar in front of them. Her heart had enough, and she couldn't let it endure anymore when it was already on the verge of bursting right on the spot.

On a different note… Had she really just tried to sound seductive? About something as simple as his new status back at Totsuki?

What was wrong with her today?

'He didn't notice anything, did he?'

"Hey, you see that? I think we can squeeze through there, c'mon."

"H-huh?"

She felt the warmth instantly spreading through her body the second he laced their fingers together and led her towards the crowd, eyes never drifting once in her direction as if trying to hide something that was openly displayed within them.

Deciding to let her confusing thoughts be, the heiress took a hesitant step forward as well, widened amethysts mostly fixated on their joined hands as they made their way up a few more stairs, bumping into quite a few other visitors before finally reaching the large altar in the main hall of the temple.

Now, with her main objective now having fully returned, there was a crushing feeling of sadness that forced its way back into her as soon as she hit the bell above her head and imitated Soma's action by pressing her palms together in prayer, eyes squeezed shut in concentration.

She inhaled a deep breath before letting her heart take over completely. Rationality would only get in the way at a moment like this; she was sure.

'I've never done this before, but… please give me the strength to face my grandfather again someday. I am… moving on from the past but what I'm going to do next is still uncertain. I know that I have disappointed a lot of people, especially him, when I ran away but please, ask my grandfather's heart to forgive me. Because having him mad at me is the last thing that I would ever want.'

She snuck a glance at the boy beside her who had his eyes closed in prayer.

'Also, please protect this stubborn fool next to me. This whole thing about somebody from my father's organization seeking for revenge still sounds farfetched but I have this feeling that something terrible is going to happen one of these days. Please don't let him get hurt. I don't want him to run into trouble trying to investigate my family's affairs, it wouldn't be fair. And to be honest, I don't want to get him more involved than he already is because I-'

She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, a seemingly harmless reminder of what it was she truly wanted.

'I can't lose Soma too… I don't want to burden him anymore and so my last wish is… please let him forgive me for all my terrible decisions when we meet again.'

A single tear rolled down her cheek the second she opened her eyes again, a dejected smile formed on her trembling lips not even half a second after, and as the sound of all the people talking in the background slowly returned to her ears, Erina felt herself completely overwhelmed by her emotions, sadness and regret being at the top of the list.

As one hand now dropped to her side, the heiress quickly dried her eyes with the other, clearing her throat and emptying her head before she turned back to the red-headed chef beside her to check if he was also done.

There was no need to remain here any longer, she had completed what she came for.

But before she could even glance to her left, a sudden voice behind them caught her attention instead, growing in volume the moment she tried to make out where exactly it came from and what the person was trying say.

It was not until after she was face-to-face with that very same person that Erina realized it had been her who he was addressing in the first place. And as she got a closer look at the young man before her, both her eyebrows arched in sheer wonder, not having expected to meet him here inside a temple of all places.

"Hey there, Beauty! What a coincidence, huh? I was calling you the whole time, but I guess you didn't hear me. It's been a while, I missed ya."

"Wha… Masamune-san? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I always come here on Fridays to check out what's new in the market and get some shopping done. My day practically starts with a little visit to the temple and goes on from there, ya know?"

The sound of his cheerful voice now caused Soma to whirl around as well, confusion evident in his golden orbs as he stepped away from the altar and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Seriously? That's quite the coincidence, I'd say. If you're hanging around town all day, then who's taking care of your flower shop?"

"Oh, you're still here, Scarface? Pleasure to see ya again, I guess. Although, you have to forgive me for only now noticing your presence. You don't exactly stand out with that short height of yours."

"Why you… At least I'm not following people around, flower boy!"

"What? I did no such thing! It's only a coincidence, nothing more, right, Beauty?"

"Enough already, this is not the place for such childish affairs, understand?"

A second after successfully shutting both of them up, her hand landed on the redhead's shoulder as an attempt to calm him down a bit. Having sensed his growing desire to knock heads with the older man, she had to restrain his temper somehow, whether it was through words or actions didn't matter at this point.

"That said, it's nice to see you too, Masamune-san. If you like, we can head outside and wait with our talk until you are finished?"

"What?!"

"Sure! That would be great, ehm…"

She sighed.

"Nakiri Erina, and don't let it get to your head, please."

"O-of course! Erina-san… finally I know! It's as lovely as I had imagined it would be. Thank you for finally sharing your lovely name with me! It's gotta be my lucky day, huh?"

"The hell? She just told you not to put any meaning behind it!"

Another long exhale escaped her lips at the sight of both Masamune's overjoyed expression and the irritated chef's glare before she began to pull on the latter's shoulder, successfully dragging him behind her towards the exit.

Once they came to a halt near the front gate, she released his shirt and crossed her arms with slight exasperation written on her face. Despite knowing full well that he was not approving of her proposition to wait for Masamune out here, she couldn't help but take a quick glance back at the main entrance anyway. Not because she was ecstatic to have crossed paths with him but simply because she considered it proper etiquette to talk to someone when they were so obviously happy to see her, even if his reasoning was rather… an indiscreet one.

"What the hell, Erina? Why'd ya give him your name like that? We have a job to do, ya know! I told ya to keep your identity to yourself until this thing's over, not go around shouting it out to everyone!"

"You can't be serious. Considering he already knows which school we are from, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, I already told you to stop being suspicious of him, didn't I? He is not a part of Central, nor does he have any reason to harm someone he barely knows. So, those glares were highly unnecessary, if you ask me. Stop overreacting."

"Hey, it's not my fault, alright? He got way too close again despite what you did the last time we saw him! Why's that guy so obsessed with you anyway?"

"Is this your common sense talking or rather something else? Because I would definitely say that you're one hundred percent jealous right now, and it's affecting your judgement."

At that, a faint blush started to spread across the redhead's cheeks, eyes no longer able to return her irritated scowl as he shifted his body away from her.

"…Nah, I simply don't trust that guy, that's all there is to it. I say, it's not just a coincidence that we ran into him like that. He could've picked literally every other temple in this town to do his business, but instead he came here. If that's not suspicious than I don't know what is."

"Soma…"

She released yet another sigh, already tired of having to scold him for his impulsive actions. And even though she was quite happy he had reacted so strongly the moment someone showed the slightest bit of interest in her, it was beginning to reach a point where simple deduction and personal beliefs wouldn't be as easy to separate from each other as it seemed, which could end up hindering him from thinking clearly if she didn't do something now.

There was no need for him to interfere when she could very well handle the pushy vendor herself, after all.

"You need to calm yourself, this isn't like you…"

Hesitant at first, she eventually cupped his chin and turned his face back to her with gentle force, a warm smile slightly pushing the corners of her lips upwards when she noticed his gaze was still focused on the ground beneath them.

"Don't worry so much, alright? I'm sure it won't be the end of the world if only one person knows my name. You, me, Grandfather, and even Saiba-sama; we all are doing our best to get this incident sorted out, so I can guarantee we won't have anything to concern ourselves over. For now, just try not to let his rude comments provoke you like that. Don't forget, the first seat of Totsuki academy should always be well behaved and is able to carry himself with refinement."

She saw the smallest hint of a smile tugging at one corner of his lips, eyes closing as if he wanted to question the seriousness of her words with that silent gesture. And knowing him, it probably was just that.

Of course, she may have been a little off with her description of an ideal council member, let alone an exemplary first seat. However, his case was special- he was different and loved to stray from the typical road all the other top students before him had taken, so it didn't count as a mockery or an insult when she ordered him to show restraint every once in a while.

He simply had to stay true to himself, the roguish, untamable, and unique boy who had somehow still managed to win everybody's heart, even hers. That was all she wanted from him.

"Remember, as far as I'm concerned, I chose the rebellious 'Scarface' instead of a boring… what was it you called him again? 'Flower man'?"

"Eh, sure. Something like that, I guess…"

"See? There is no reason to be anxious then. We have a little chat with him, say our goodbyes, and move on the next spot. If possible, I'd like to hear about other tourist attractions that we could visit today, so it's actually a good thing we met Masamune-san here."

The melodic sound of his laugh caused the butterflies in her stomach to go on a rampage all over again as he raised his head so that their eyes were finally able to meet.

He seemed to have cleared his mind enough to actually register her words now, which was proven by the unexpected release of tension in his shoulder muscles as he gently guided her hand away from his chin and rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner, a soft smile causing small dimples to appear on each side of his cheeks as he did so.

"Yeah, sounds good to me. It's just… I don't know, something about him seems kinda off. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I get the feeling there's another story behind him showing up like that."

"Are you done talking about me, Scarface? Rest assured, I have already accepted that this beauty belongs to another man, so stop making such a fuss over a simple coincidence like a little brat, and just deal with it."

The sudden interruption caused both students to jump apart in sheer surprise before they whirled around only to find a casually smiling Masamune standing right beside them, eyes squinted in fake amusement and one eyebrow arched like he was waiting for some sort of apology.

"What did you say?! You got a problem, pal?"

"Yes, with your face, shorty!"

"Oh yeah? Well guess what, so do I-"

His outburst was quickly stopped with one firm squeeze of Erina's hand that, fortunately for her, was still clasped in his. She lightly pulled him away from the brunette before redirecting the topic of their conversation herself, well aware of the irritation the young chef behind her felt when his mumbled comments reached her ears.

She chose to ignore them, cowering his words with her own in favor of breaking the tension between the two as smoothly as possible. If Masamune still heard his voice over hers though… there was nothing else she could do, meaning the atmosphere around them would remain… awkward, to say the least.

"So, ehm… you come here every Friday morning, huh? I must say, that sounds like you are quite dedicated to your religion."

"Please don't start reading anything else into it too, Beauty. I'm just gonna take care of some stuff for my dad after my visit, that's all."

"Oh, n-no, that's not what I'm trying to say. It is a rather admirable trait to come pray before going out shopping for your family; I respect that. But… could you stop with that ridiculous nickname already? You know what my name is now, so it's time to drop that one."

A furious blush spread across his face as he turned away from her in sheer embarrassment, arms dropping on each side of his body.

"E-eh, sorry about that. I guess I got used to it somehow."

"Well, don't let it happen again, buddy."

As sharp as they were, Soma's words left her shivering with delight, subconsciously awakening a side in her that she didn't know she had up until now.

She had always liked it when he lowered his voice, but this…

"Whatever you say, eh…"

Hearing a long sigh from behind her, the heiress took a hesitant step aside as Soma walked right past her and came to a halt right in front of the older man, golden eyes fixated on him like an overly aggressive hawk driving its prey into a tight corner. She was fascinated by it yet at the same time slightly taken aback, since no memories of the usually cheerful redhead acting this belligerent came to mind when she followed his gaze with barely parted lips and heated cheeks.

"Yukihira Soma! Did you already forget?"

"Ah, yes, yes, I remember, Yukihira-kun, don't be so huffy. Seriously, is he always acting like that, Bea- Erina-san?"

"No… not necessarily, but don't mind him. I actually had something else I wanted to ask you."

"Oh? Sure, whatever you like."

"It's about the offer you made the other day, you know, the one where you talked about recommending a few special places for tourists like me to visit. I was wondering if you-"

"Ah, say no more, Darling, I perfectly understand! You want me to show you around town, and stay close to you since you can't trust that ruffian over there to give you a good time. It's quite obvious to me now that he isn't exactly cut out for these sorts of things anyway."

"What?!"

Their simultaneous outburst of pure bewilderment came faster than either of them had expected, widened eyes accompanied by the wish to facepalm right on the spot as their suddenly self-announced tour guide waved a hand up and down in a dismissive manner, seemingly satisfied with his announcement.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Didn't cha just tell us you have stuff to do?"

"Yes, I have to agree… To be honest, that wasn't really what I-"

"It's fine, don't worry, you two! We stroll around the city, and I get all the things I need on the way, pretty simple. I'll see to it that this trip was worth your while, you can count on it. Besides, I haven't explored a few places myself due to college assignments, and my recent work at the shop, so this'll be just as rewarding for me as it is for you. Now, follow me, we have a long day ahead of us!"

With amusement written all over his face, the tall brunette literally strutted right past the pair, leaving them dumbfounded where they stood and unable to move a muscle as their gazes first followed him, then turned back towards each other.

"…Is he serious?"

"I think he is… though that really hadn't been my intention. He interrupted me mid-sentence like he already knew what I wanted to ask, that's just rude."

"Well… what now?"

At that, she placed her hand under her chin as if she needed time to think carefully about her options.

"I suppose we could accept his offer and go along with it for a while. Despite the fact that I hate to give in so easily, we obviously have no choice at this point. I mean, he's basically trying to get us to follow him already, so what else can we do?"

"Fine… But don't blame me if I end up losing my temper every now and then."

"Well, I think I'm actually okay with that for once."

"Hey! I can hear every word, you know! Stop talking like I'm not around and let's go already!"

With another surprised glance at the frowning man in front of them, both students couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter, holding their stomachs as they faced each other once more.

And all of a sudden, the atmosphere seemed so much lighter- so overwhelmingly peaceful that Erina started to believe she was merely inside a sweet dream, one where she and the red-headed chef were standing side by side, laughing wholeheartedly together with all their friends about the smallest of things. Since all she had done lately was to cry and drown in her own guilt, this moment of serenity seemed just like the breath of fresh air she had so desperately longed for, especially when she couldn't even remember the last time she laughed in such a carefree manner. It didn't even matter why they were cracking up, or who made fun of whom here. All she cared about was the sensation of pure joy spreading inside her body as she held on to Soma's shoulder for much needed support, and the sight of his squinted eyes while he chuckled alongside her.

How wonderful it was to just giggle the stress of these past couple of weeks away like that. It was perfect, and she had the silent suspicion the young chef to her left knew exactly what went through her head right this moment, seeing as neither of them could stop laughing even though there was nothing particularly comical about this situation whatsoever.

Somehow, she felt like Alice would be proud that she was doing this in the middle of the street, right in front of a temple no less. And she had to admit; she needed it badly.

"Alright, fine, I get that this is pretty funny to you, but can we please just stop causing a scene and get a move on? I'm feeling kinda left out here."

"We… we're truly sorry about this, Masamune-san. Believe me, it has… it has nothing to do with you…"

"Yeah, it's just…"

While another fit of laughter washed over them, the young man in Capri shorts merely rolled his eyes in disapproval, once again stepping behind both students in order to push them forward- or rather, to get them as far away from the ogling crowd as possible.

"Okay, you guys, I don't understand what's happening, but if we stick around any longer, I feel like people might get creeped out by your weird behavior. So come along now, I have lots of exciting places to show you!"

"Whoa, hey, slow down, man! We're coming already, ya don't need to shove us like that!"

"Oh, Yukihira-kun, you're so bothersome! How in the world is Erina-san dealing with you?"

"Huh?!"

Having almost calmed down from her hype, she could only giggle at their lighthearted exchange, getting the impression that they were slowly but surely warming up to each other. It didn't surprise her, honestly, because like many others, the young shopkeeper has begun to experience the effect of the legendary 'Yukihira charm'. In other words, it was impossible for anybody to dislike him longer than a few minutes straight, and as soon as those were over, there was no doubt in her mind that he was considered their friend.

A fond smile stretched her lips upward as she watched him banter with the older man, following behind them now to observe the scene rather than continuing to be dragged along.

"And you're annoying as hell! Now stop pushing me already, would ya?"

"Jeez, shut up! If I did release you, I'm sure you would just head the opposite direction."

"Damn straight I would!"

"Wow, you're quite the feisty fella, aren't cha? In all honesty, I find it kinda hard to believe that Erina-san fell so easily for someone like you. Hey, Beauty, what did he do to you?"

"I told ya before; stop calling her that!"

A light blush spread across her cheeks, his words, angered yet somehow still possessive, causing her heart to do one somersault after another. It didn't exactly help that his attention had instantly shifted back to her as soon as the brunette apologized for the slip-up and repeated his question right after.

"Wh-what do you want to hear, Masamune-san?"

"Well, for starters… how did he manage to catch your interest in the first place?"

Immediately, her left eyebrow started to twitch as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms, visibly irritated with all the unpleasant memories of their first school year resurfacing in her mind when their gazes met.

"I-I have no particular interest in sharing my opinion about that fool there, so you might as well drop it right now."

Overly embarrassed, the heiress quickly made her way past them, taking the lead despite not knowing in the slightest where they would go or what they would do first. She just couldn't be face-to-face with that cockily grinning redhead for much longer, or else she feared her body might overheat under his intense gaze.

She walked with all her pride for a good couple of seconds in a random direction before noticing that neither Soma, nor a confused looking brunette had taken a single step forward, both still remaining near the temple gate and staring at her like she did something unusual. In fact, it was almost like she could see the question marks literally hovering above their heads.

And for some reason, that bothered her even more than the unnerving snicker that suddenly escaped the young chef's throat, even though he was trying his hardest to hold it back.

"What now?"

"E-ehm, no offense, Erina-san, but… do you even know where you're going? I thought I was supposed to be your tour guide for today."

"Man, that sure is a major case of Déjà vu, huh Erina? Good to see some things never change!"

His obnoxious laugh instantly brought the heat back to her cheeks, teeth gritting with irritation as she felt her blood slowly but surely boiling over.

"W-what the hell? How come I'm the one who's being made fun of now?! Know your place, Yukihira Soma!"

"Right, tell me that when you actually beat me in a Shokugeki once!"

"I already have beaten you multiple times!"

"Those didn't count!"

"Huh?! Yes they did!"

"Did not! I was too distracted then!"

"Well, so was I, and I have still beaten you!"

"Huh… I believe I understand a little better how your relationship works now. And as much as I hate to admit it, you two seem rather close even when you're arguing. How nice…"

At that, both students stopped glaring at each other in favor of watching a suddenly dejected looking Masamune shake his head from left to right before he smiled at them once again, having regained his composure faster than the last time they ran into him.

"Well, whatever. I believe that's quite enough messing around for the time being. We're wasting precious daylight, you guys, so just keep quiet and follow me, alright?"

Their eyes widened at the young vendor's statement, nothing but honest surprise shining through as they regarded his retreating back before turning towards each other once again with an audible huff.

"Fine."

'Seems like it's going to be a long day after all…'

…

And she hadn't exactly been wrong with that thought as they finally came to rest in a lovely looking, outdoor restaurant somewhere close to the beach for a nice dinner, requested by the enthusiastic brunette himself after having dragged them along wherever he wanted for quite a few hours straight.

It was impressive how much history and beautiful sights, both popular attractions and hidden gems, one city could contain. For the heiress, the most fascinating ones were the old traditional houses, popping every now and then as they had continued to walk around.

And although she didn't want to admit it, there was no denying the fact that their self-announced tour guide did a splendid job in showing them around- if she were to overlook the unnecessary banter he had shared with Soma every once in a while, that is.

By now, dusk had already fallen, old-fashioned streetlights were illuminating every pavement around them, and the sound of endless waves crashing against the shore was just like music to her ears while she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand above the already decorated table. As far as food went, Masamune had said that this place was undoubtedly the best option if one were to search for delicacies strictly related to Kamakura- just like what Soma wanted-, and that it was his most favorite restaurant out of all.

At least the atmosphere seemed charming enough, but regarding the quality of the dishes… she supposed there was nothing she could do other than wait and see for herself if he had truly been right or not.

"So then, I'm dying to know; did you guys had fun today?"

"It was very interesting. Your hometown is a wonderful place, Masamune-san. Thank you for showing us around and inviting us to dinner as well."

"On the contrary, my lady, it's my pleasure. After all, eating together with a stunning girl such as yourself is not something that happens to me every day, so I'm actually quite happy you accepted my invitation."

Against her will, the smallest hint of a blush spread across her face as she sighed in exasperation, deliberately ignoring the light nudge against her foot under the table.

"T-that's… I'm flattered, but could you please stop with those compliments?"

"I can certainly try, though I'm not sure if it'll work or not, ya know? Well then, what about you, Yukihira-kun? It was a good thing I came along after all, wouldn't ya say?"

"Dunno, I still think you're a pain in the butt, to be honest. Other than that, I appreciate you taking us to dinner too. Though, don't cha think you should've picked another eatery if you wanted to pay the bill? This place seems rather fancy."

At that, the brunette simply brushed him off by waving one hand back and forth with a bright smile plastered on his face.

"Don't worry about it, my short tempered friend. It's quite the experience for me to invite students of a world famous culinary institution to a place like this. I'm super hyped to hear what you think of the food they serve here. And also, I believe with this meal we can finally come to a truce, right?"

With his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, the red-haired chef hummed his agreement. And albeit it sounded rather forced and more like an apathetic response than anything else, he still refused to add another word as if wanting the older man to draw his own conclusion about the matter.

Their last exchange seemed civil enough for Erina that she averted her gaze to the beautiful coastline, lined by shining lights that highlights the spectacular view of the slowly setting sun.

A fond smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she envisioned her younger self running around the beach, playing tag with Alice while their grandfather just jogged alongside them as a part of his daily workout routine. They had laughed and played all sorts of games after another exhausting taste testing session ended, and with the headmaster being less busy in the holidays, the options on how they could spend time together had been practically limitless at that point.

This was way back in the past though, and she had long since accepted that there wouldn't be another opportunity for them to enjoy yet another vacation like they used to, with everything that's happened in those years she had lived without her cousin, and all.

As strange as it was to admit, she sure missed the white-haired girl a lot…

"Hey, Erina, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes, of course. Sorry, I guess I just spaced out for a second. What were you saying?"

The warm hand on her shoulder instantly brought her attention back to the scene before her, amethyst meeting amber in a matter of seconds as she turned her head to face him with an apologetic smile on her features.

"He didn't say anything, Erina-san. It was actually me who asked the question."

"I-is that so? Alright, go ahead. What can I help you with?"

"Well, it's not much, really. I was just wondering what you guys meant when you talked about beating each other in some kind of match earlier. Do you have a shared hobby or something?"

"Oh, about that. No, this is actually something unique for our school only and has continued for quite a few generations, so to speak. We hold food wars to test our own abilities against each other, that's all."

"Wow, really? And, eh, what is this 'food war' exactly?"

"Simple. A Shokugeki, or a food war, starts with a challenger proposing a wager to another student. If the other accepts, both of them will create a dish based on a theme, a chosen main ingredient, or a certain country's cuisine, in a limited amount of time. A panel of critics decides which dish is better and based on the result, the reward or punishment agreed upon in the wager would be carried out as absolute and final. Needless to say, there are more rules and conditions to be met, but this is basically the gist of it."

His eyes immediately lit up with excitement as he leaned further towards her from across the table, seemingly forgetting about the menus still lying underneath his fingers, which were now dangerously close to falling to the ground thanks to his impulsive movement.

"Very interesting. I've never heard of such a school system before. Though I guess that's to be expected if you attend the legendary Totsuki academy. So… does that mean you guys regularly partake in those matches and battle one another?"

"You could say that. To be honest, it's rather one-sided. He challenges me, we fight, and it ends with whoever has previously judged the dishes announcing the outcome in my favor. That's all there is to it."

"C'mon, not this again! You and I both know I was never serious in any of those matches we had so far. If I had gone all out, trust me you would've lost hundred times over."

"Huh? Are you sure, you're not just a sore loser, Yukihira-kun? From what it sounds like to me, she's rather bored with your failed attempts to win. Or am I wrong?"

"Obviously!"

At his instant response, she had no other means to hold her soft giggle in, the competitiveness in that voice just forced her to withdraw the palm from her cheek in favor of holding her clenched fist against her lips, hoping that it would be muffled at least a little bit this way.

Their eyes met, captivated by one another, with the redhead looking like he was torn between annoyance and relief while Erina herself tried to calm down from her laughter through multiple attempts of clearing her throat. At the end, a coy smile was all she offered him before returning her gaze to the seemingly attentive college student in front of her, who, by all appearances, was still leaning carelessly towards her.

"Although, I have to add that we haven't had a chance to face each other in an official food war yet, so it can't be said that we fight on a regular basis."

"Yeah, but we can change that once we get back, right? Then we'll clearly see who comes out on top."

"Y-yes, I suppose we could…"

The lack of conviction in her voice earned her yet another unreadable glance from the boy next to her, the kind she knew she wouldn't be able to return anytime soon- or at least until he spoke up again.

Yes, this was what he had been hoping for all the time, wasn't it? An earnest answer to his question from five days ago. He simply had no idea how badly she wished to give him one right here and now, to confirm his statement and allow him to rest easy. It probably hurt her more than it did him at this point that she couldn't- not right now anyway.

"Oh man, that sure sounds intriguing! Now I wish I could somehow come over there as well one day and watch you guys duke it out. I bet it'll be quite the show, huh?"

"Yeah, eh, probably. In fact, it's always been a big deal whenever two students decide to have a match. Everyone gets excited, and the stages are often packed with an audience. Who knows, maybe there'll be a lot of people who want to come too when Erina and I have our fight."

"Really? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised! You two must have a lot of fans there, right? Hey, do you think I could-"

Suddenly, they heard a phone buzzing in somebody's pocket, effectively interrupting the brunette mid-sentence as he pulled the device out with an apologetic nod towards the both of them.

"Sorry guys, it's my dad. I'll be right back. If our food gets here before I do, please start eating without me, alright?"

They watched him rise to his feet rather abruptly before he disappeared right behind the next corner.

If she didn't know any better, Erina would say that he looked quite troubled for some reason, like he was… nervous?

Not wanting to judge another person's behavior towards their own family member, she lightly shook her head and glanced back at the young chef beside her to see if, perhaps, he had the same thoughts as she did.

Though the moment she looked towards him, the blonde was more than surprised to find him gazing at the ocean rather than their companion, the silence that now filled the space between them when he didn't say anything for at least two or three minutes starting to make her feel oddly uneasy.

Was he mad about something?

She considered asking him, but decided against it at the last second, lowering the hand that had almost made contact with his shoulder to reach for her glass of water instead. Even if it provided only a little, she still needed all the courage she could get from this action in order to put her previous thoughts into words- because that's what he would want her to do; tell him what was on her mind and let him know what she wanted to do. She was sure of it.

"Hey, Soma? Are you listening?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure. What's up?"

The genuine interest in his voice, and the fact that he was now facing her made it effectively easier for the heiress to breathe a small sigh of relief as she closed her eyes with a smile playing on her lips, arms crossed over her chest out of mere habit.

"W-well, I've been thinking… perhaps the time has come to inform the others about how I'm doing so far? It's been over a month since the last time they heard from me, and… I guess making them worry any longer would be needless at this point. D-don't get me wrong though, I'm not asking for your opinion on this. I just wanted to tell you, that's all."

Eyes opening once again, she was met with the most mesmerizing smile she had ever seen on him, his squinted orbs filled with so much joy that it seemed near impossible for her to resist kissing him senseless right here and now. However, she held back for the sake of all the people around them, only grinning back at him in appreciation since there was nothing else she could do for the moment.

"Well, whether you wanna hear it or not, I'm still gonna tell ya that I'm glad you chose to give 'em a call. They'll be very happy about it too, I'm sure."

"Yeah, you might be right. I… I actually thought about doing it this evening."

"Huh, really? Okay then, what d'ya say as a celebration, we jump into that huge pool in your backyard. I mean, we gotta do this at least once before we head back. Plus, it'll be the perfect opportunity to let loose and have some fun, don't cha think?"

"W-what? Y-you can't be serious, Soma! Why would we do such a thing?"

Her embarrassed whisper shouting was instantly waved off by his hand as he chuckled to himself with that awfully impish glint in his golden depths.

"Calm down, would ya? To be honest, I'd wanted to take a dip in there from the moment I found it this morning, and since we can't have a Shokugeki tonight, we might as well check out the pool after you talked to Gramps and the others."

"B-but we don't even have swimwear or anything alike. Do you really expect us to go in with our clothes on?"

"Nah, we can just buy 'em on our way back."

"You're kidding, right?"

"C'mon, it'll be awesome! Or is it something else that's stopping ya? Perhaps the great Nakiri Erina can't swim?"

With one hand clasped over his mouth, he took a sharp inhale in fake realization, eyes wide and head slightly leaned away from her as if afraid of her response. She had to admit, for someone who was anything but talented in the art of acting, he sure managed to pull off the overly dramatic part. Who wouldn't smile at a purposefully ridiculous expression like that?

"Wait… Don't tell me that's it?!"

"What? Stop playing around, of course I can! As a matter of fact, I was taught by Grandfather himself at a very young age, so you can very well imagine what that implies."

She watched in delight as one shudder after another caused his body to jolt in slight discomfort, his handsome features contorting not even half a second later at the thought of her overly muscled grandfather teaching a small child how to swim in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by absolutely nothing but water. Or at least, that was what she would have thought right away. Although, Soma's eyes also betrayed a quite different emotion altogether. She recognized that look as one of deep respect with the slightest hint of fear hidden underneath, something she couldn't exactly find all that suitable for someone as bold as him, yet found it to be quite amusing nonetheless.

First Hisako, now a beloved family member… Just what was it about them that got him of all people so riled up?

"Man, there's really nothing that old man didn't teach you, is there? Well, no matter. Guess this means you just gonna have to show me what you can do, huh?"

"S-so we're still going through with is?"

"You betcha! I gotta see your awesome swimming skills now."

She sighed, not exactly sure whether this was a good idea or not.

"Oh, alright. But you better not peep at me when we buy our swimwear, got it?"

"Fine, fine. I'll try."

"I'm warning you, Yukihira S-"

"I'm back! Did ya miss me?"

Startled by the sudden interruption, both students jerked their heads forward to have a better look at the young man now taking his place at the table across from them, a bright smile spreading across his face as he did so.

"Man, you seriously gotta stop popping up like that."

"W-welcome back, Masamune-san. I'm sorry we haven't noticed you sooner. Did everything go well with your father? You seemed kind of timid when you left."

"Ah, you're worried about little old me? Thank you so much, my beauty. I knew you would care."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead's scarred brow twitch with annoyance, arms crossing over his chest almost automatically.

"Quit that annoying nickname already, would ya? She doesn't have a reason to be worried, so relax."

The monotone sound of his voice caused the brunette to chuckle wholeheartedly as he rested his arms above the table, eyes closing for a second before he cleared his throat as an attempt to regain his composure.

As for the heiress herself…, she couldn't tear her amethysts away from the burning intensity that shined through the redhead's irritated gaze. Something about it just wouldn't leave her alone, captivated her to the point where she felt her heartbeat increasing drastically without any kind of warning or intent to slow down soon. And to her dismay, so did the desire to meld their mouths together.

Completely unaware of her own action, she took her bottom lip between her teeth as she continued to stare at him with her eyes steadily darkening and the butterflies in her stomach extending their territory all the way up to her gullet in sheer excitement. He wasn't even looking at her, and yet she was probably more affected by it than the young vendor in front of them.

She really didn't understand what was going on with her body today. First, the events from this morning, now she had even more of a hard time controlling her own impulses, even though they were in public and she should feel embarrassment for her unusual thoughts over anything else.

What was this boy doing to her now?

"Huh, seems like our meals are still not here yet. Oh well, in that case I'll take the opportunity then and ask you guys about something that had been on my mind for quite a while now. There's going to be a huge festival down at the marketplace tomorrow evening. They hold it every summer, and it goes on for two weeks straight, until the end of summer break basically."

That instantly caught Erina's interest, being reminded of their yearly anticipated moon festival back at Totsuki as she arched an eyebrow the same time her teeth stopped nibbling on her lip.

She couldn't remember the last time she had seen an event like that where the goal was to walk around and have fun instead of collecting tickets just to be ranked higher than any other participant. It sounded quite enjoyable to her ears.

"Wait a minute, you haven't taken us to the marketplace yet, have ya?"

"Well, no. To be honest, I didn't take you there because I thought I could show you the main attraction tomorrow. I wanted to ask you earlier to join me, but I forgot."

"Oh, is that so? I understand. What do you think, Soma? Should we go as well?"

She hoped the question alone would be enough to conceal her overflowing excitement, or at best, calm that Shoujo manga clouded mind of hers that was already fantasizing about a typical, romantic festival-experience with the one person sitting right beside her. Although, so far in their relationship, how they act around each other was so different from the dynamic of her favorite romantic manga characters. After all, she had tried comparing them on so many occasions without so much as even a hint of success.

Regardless, that didn't stop her from imagining how Soma would casually win a stuffed penguin for her, or in what way they would sit on a bench together, watching fireworks go off in the distance as they confessed their love for-

'Wait… I'm getting carried away again, we already did that!'

She felt her face heating up in a matter of seconds, which she now tried to hide by pretending to look out for the waiter instead of the young chef beside her, feeling utterly humiliated over her own silliness while he obliviously continued to chat with the young vendor.

"A festival, huh? Sounds good to me! We'll definitely be there."

"Great! We can meet at the bus station next to our shop if you like. Let's say around… seven p.m. or so?"

"Sure."

She cleared her throat before uttering her agreement.

This was ridiculous, her hormones were starting to get the better of her all of a sudden.

Eventually, the heiress was saved from this torture as her eyes spotted a waitress quickly approaching them with three plates in her hands and a friendly smile on her face.

'Thank goodness.'

At least now she could distract herself from all this daydreaming by giving her full attention to the taste of her requested dish.

That should do it for the time being.

At least she hoped it would.

…

"Man, that hit the spot! Kamakura sure has a lot of great specialties to offer, don't cha think?"

"You're right. I have to say, I was kind of surprised myself. Turns out, Masamune-san does have good taste buds after all. Impressive."

"Seriously? We just parted with the guy and you already call his choice of food impressive?"

"What? Jealous?"

"More like 'offended'. What gives?"

She merely shrugged at his childish remark as she picked up her pace and walked right past him to hide her bright grin.

They were now in search of a clothing store that wasn't already closed for the night, trying their luck in multiple alleys where they hoped to spot at least one 'open' sign nearby. And so far, the pair hadn't found a single one despite all their effort.

"You know what? I'm beginning to think that, maybe we should call it a day and head back for now? It doesn't look to me like we are making much progress here."

"C'mon, you're giving up already? It hasn't even been thirty minutes since we started. Seriously, where's your sense of adventure?"

Slowing down once again, the heiress tilted her head towards him with a genuine curiosity written in her eyes.

"Are you telling me, you find this exciting?"

"Sure do."

"Unbelievable… Oh, fine. In that case, we should check around the main shopping district again. I doubt there is anything out here anyway."

She attempted to turn around and head back the direction they just came from when suddenly Soma's hand grasped her wrist in a gentle manner, effectively stopping the blonde in her tracks as he pointed behind him with a ten watt smile plastered on his features.

"Guess we're in luck after all."

Her interested gaze followed his thumb towards an inconspicuous looking light source that illuminated a small part of the pavement opposite to the one they were currently standing on. She was surprised to see a few giggling teenagers entering the little boutique without a rush as they fantasized about what they would buy for themselves today.

How did she not notice this place when they had just been about to make their way in that very direction? Or rather, how did it catch the redhead's attention so effortlessly?

"Huh, would you look at that…"

"Come on, let's get in there!"

With his warm hand still holding on to her wrist, the young chef literally dragged her along as he jogged across the street, took a quick peek inside through a large window, and threw the double doors of the lively store wide open only a few seconds after.

Other than stumble helplessly behind him, Erina just kept her amethysts glued to the floor in sheer embarrassment, not the least bit delighted over the sudden attention he had unintentionally drawn to them. And he didn't even seem to notice it as he let go of her arm with a playful grin before gazing over the room to find what they were looking for.

"Welcome, welcome. Please feel free to look around as much as you like, and if there is anything I can help you with, just let me know, alright?"

"Thank you, Ma'am. We will."

And just as she was about to wave the young cashier goodbye, her eyes spotted something gleaming behind the glass of a long vitrine standing right next to the tall woman in the background, the small price label in front of it only confirming her suspicion about its quality the second she spotted it; an elegant, copper colored bracelet with a few small jewels decorating it on one side. Mesmerizing to look at, yet for some unknown reason, she felt like she didn't have the right to grant herself the pleasure of buying a mere bracelet for over 4390 yen- not yet anyway.

Yes, she had learned to accept what happened in the past, had come to terms with the fact that nothing would change whether she liked it or not, and yet… there were all those small details lingering in her mind that showed how much the past couple of weeks had actually affected her- things she knew she still needed time to get back into.

And so, the heiress shook her head as an attempt to get rid of the growing melancholy before making her way past a few waiting customers in haste.

It was just a bracelet; she didn't need one…

She couldn't see Soma when she entered the swimwear section, nor was she in a hurry to find him when her attentive orbs scanned over each piece of clothing with utmost intensity, narrowing every now and then with aversion at various bikinis that seemed far too revealing for her taste.

Eventually, her whole attention was captured by one that was hanging far in the back of this section, literally screaming out to her- begging her to try it on and take it home with her as soon as possible.

To say she was mesmerized by it could surely be considered an insult at this point, for it appeared to be far more elegant than anything else she had ever seen before; which was quite miraculous in itself if one were to consider how many swimsuits she and Alice had stumbled upon in one of their online-shopping sessions back at the estate a while ago.

Excitement began to spread inside her body as she eagerly searched for her size and ran straight for one of the many changing rooms close by, having forgotten completely about the red-haired chef who had yet to show up here and find something to wear himself.

Whatever it was that held him back, she counted herself lucky to be alone this time, wanting to surprise him with her choice when the time was right and no one else around them to dampen the mood. As embarrassing this was to admit, she hoped to catch his eye in a different way tonight. Not as a talented chef who surpassed his own skills, or the person he loved dearly, but rather as someone he would find himself physically attracted to. He had never shown any interest in a girl's body before, so she wasn't quite sure whether or not he saw her in the light she now wished to be seen in. For that matter, did he even find her sexy?

She didn't know where those thoughts came from, nor was she the least bit calm while imagining the pure intensity she was bound to find in his golden depths the moment he would lay his eyes on her. However, despite of all the embarrassment and nervousness, she felt something else stirring up inside her stomach- a sensation she had already experienced earlier today, yet for some reason still didn't know what to make of it.

Again, she shook her head to rid herself of such fantasies as she regarded her now covered profile in the mirror, turning from one side to another with a bright smile and a dark crimson coloring her cheeks.

'It fits perfectly! What a relief…'

After another quick look-over, the heiress hurried to change back into her white summer dress, fearing that she had kept Soma waiting for too long now, and that it would eventually result in him barging in here to check on her without even a second thought in his stupid head.

'And speak of the devil; here he comes.'

She couldn't stop smiling fondly as she brought the straps of her dress over her shoulders, even when the zipper on the backside decided that now was an excellent time to refuse cooperating with her fingers, which were trying their hardest to get the little piece of metal that was stuck near her rear up and moving again.

His voice echoed in her ears, getting closer with every call of her name, and eventually stopped right before the heavy curtain she was standing behind as a low chuckle escaped his lips.

Of course he would find her right away, seeing as all the other changing rooms were empty at this time. She should have thought about that sooner.

"You could've waited for me, ya know? What's the rush?"

"F-forget it. Who do you take me for?"

With the rest of the curtain still covering her body, the blonde stuck her head out to glare at him in fake annoyance, almost ready to rip the cursed sipper on her lower back off.

"And besides, where have you been all this time?"

"Huh? Oh, I already picked out what I'm gonna wear. You're just too slow to notice, I guess."

"Shut up."

Her fingers slipped again, this time hitting the mirror next to her with quite a bit of force, causing Erina to jump in surprise and pain combined.

"Hey, you okay in there?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure?"

She stuck her head out once more, face heated beyond belief as she bit her lower lip sheepishly, eyes never once shifting away from their spot on the floor and her fingers now fisting the hem of her floaty dress in utter frustration.

This was mortifying, to say the least. Especially when his arched eyebrow and smirking expression didn't exactly help matters as well.

"Oh, whatever. I-it's just my… dress…"

"What? Sorry, didn't hear ya. Could you repeat that?"

Now overly irritated, the heiress let go of the soft material in her hand and pulled him as swiftly as she could inside the spacy room, a direct result of her uncontrollable anger, she supposed.

He looked rather startled, and more than adorable as he rubbed the back of his head repeatedly in a bashful manner, staring anywhere but her at this point.

She ignored it in favor of staying mad. Otherwise, the situation she had brought them into would certainly lead her to faint right here and now, she knew herself too well to risk it.

"I said; it's my freaking dress that causes me problems at the moment."

"O-oh, what's wrong with it?"

Without another word, the heiress hesitantly turned around to show him her uncovered back, no longer able to keep up her annoyed state as her hormones got the upper hand yet again.

She didn't see his reaction, didn't even dare gaze at him through the mirror for at least half a minute before eventually doing just that when she heard no movements whatsoever behind her. And what she was met with as soon as her eyes landed on their reflections ended up raising her heartbeat about twice its usual pace, the rosy color on her cheeks now turning a much deeper shade of red than it previously had.

He was just standing there, as if struck by lightning several times over, or having stumbled across a ghost, judging from his widened eyes and parted lips.

At least his shy head rubbing had also ceased at some point. Though if that could be considered a good thing or not was beyond her judgement right now, for the slightest hint of a blush spreading across his face as his golden orbs made contact with her through the wide mirror was enough to lock her in place as well, the multiple shivers running down her spine left completely unnoticed when a crooked, devilish smirk suddenly stretched his lips from one ear to the other.

"W-what? If you can't fix it, I'm just going to try a different method, s-so stop grinning like that and tell me whether you're able to help me or not."

"Relax, I'll help ya."

For a second, it appeared that he was putting all his effort into calming his heightened senses by closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath before letting it escape through his nostrils, one hand now placed at the back of his neck while the other was safely buried in his pocket.

And after what felt like an eternity to her, he finally stepped forward, gentle fingers brushing her long tresses over her shoulder, which allowed him a better view of her bare skin before he slowly traced his hand over the curve of her lower back, all the way down to the end of the zipper line. It caused her to jolt a little with uneasiness as he was only centimeters away from her rear now- in fact, his whole body was quite close to her own, so close, she could practically feel the heat radiating from him all over her back.

"If you want me to get this done, you gotta stand still. Otherwise, it might hurt you."

"S-sorry."

His voice… Since when was it able to drop this low?

Compared to him, Erina sounded like she was on the verge of exploding, every nerve, every muscle in her body was practically on edge, and would most likely continue to be until he stilled his movements altogether. Her muscles tense, the fine hairs on her neck straight up, she felt Soma shuffle around with that damned metal for a few seconds before he finally managed to free it completely from its trapped space between two layers of her dress, slowly zipping it up to the point where it at least covered her lower back.

"There. You should be good now."

"H-huh? But you didn't even zip it all the way up. Are you implying I should do it myself? That's rude, you know!"

It was quite frustrating to only communicate with him through his reflection in the mirror, for she couldn't exactly see his eyes when he turned his face slightly away- dangerously close to her exposed shoulder blades.

Her question was left unanswered as she suddenly felt his soft lips take the same route his fingers previously had, from one shoulder to the other, and eventually down her spine, which left her arching her back with pleasure, hands clasping his on each side of her waist in an attempt to keep herself from falling to the ground. When he had placed his palms there didn't concern her in the slightest, the lips that were now coming up to suck on the sensitive flesh of her neck being more deserving of her attention until he decided to move them somewhere else.

"W-what are you doing…?"

"Dunno. It felt right."

"You're not-"

A hiss escaped her throat the second he bit down, licking the spot right after as a means to apologize- 'be quiet or else' was the message, and she had understood all too clearly.

This couldn't be considered 'normal', could it?

Nakiri Erina wasn't supposed to give in to someone like him, was she? Right now, she didn't know anymore, all rational thoughts completely gone when she hastily turned around and crushed her lips against his, shoving him all the way to the back of the changing room and effectively keeping him trapped between herself and the wall behind him.

She had endured enough. Now it was her turn, and oh was she eager to get the sweet revenge she so deserved.

Heads tilted from side to side forcefully, searching for the best angle that would allow them even more friction, hands touched literally every part reachable, whereas his basically unzipped her dress again to touch her lower back as freely as the upper one, and hers moved up and down over his toned sides underneath the shirt he was wearing in a sensitive manner. Their bodies were pressed against each other as she started an all-out war inside his mouth. And although it didn't last long, she had to admit, it was an amazing experience to have the upper hand for at least a little while. She liked dominating him, reducing him to a panting, sweat covered mess in a matter of seconds.

They only parted for half a minute or so, to get some much-needed air before he eventually reversed their positions and pressed her against the wall with his entire body, kissing her to the point where she couldn't hold back on a silent whimper, one that was thankfully swallowed by his lips the moment she released it.

As she thought, their previous battle was now continuing in her mouth, his tongue ravishing her divine one without mercy while his hand on her back decided to remain further south since the clasp of her bra seemed to frustrate him immensely now.

Eventually, they had to separate again, with Soma's forehead resting on the cool wall next to her as he took several deep breaths to regain his senses. She could very well follow his reasoning, seeing as her own body was completely overheated right now and in dire need of some ice to calm down.

"Will… will it always be like this?"

"Hell if I know. But I suggest… you don't let me fix your zipper again if you… want to avoid all of this in public."

"P-perhaps… But what are you going to do if I told you that quite a few pieces I own include a zipper somewhere?"

Chuckling to himself in that oh so deliciously low voice, the redhead eventually brought his hand down to the small piece of metal on her lower back, zipping her dress all the way up while she was still leaning against the wall.

"Guess, you have no choice then. I'll zip 'em up for ya."

"Is that so?"

As she held him pressed against her, a massive wave of happiness suddenly washed over her- happiness that, she feared, was not by all means expressible in mere words, a feeling strong enough to wipe away even the slightest of doubts, and a sensation far greater than any other in this world. At least to her it was.

With that, it seemed she had also found her answer regarding his physical response to her feminine wiles now…

He was more than just attracted.

---

Yeeeaaaahhhhh, that happened…

I think it's time to wrap up yet another chapter of this story, yes?

I'm pouring my heart out here, because I'm sick of waiting for Soma and Erina to meet in the manga, hahahahahah!

As always, please let me know what you think, guys, I'd love to hear from all of you!

Take care, everybody, I will see you next time!