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.

27. Chapter 27 part 2 Towards the future

Chapter 27: Towards the future

Part 2

Selam, everybody!

Ready for part two?

There's really not much to say about this one, except I hope you'll enjoy it! This is the last chapter of our story. After that, we only have the epilog left. And… wow. I can't believe it, you guys… We did it! I'm so happy to have finally finished this! I don't even remember when I started writing, but it feels so long ago now. My first story ever…

Anyway, thank you so very much for giving me some feedback on the last chapter. There weren't exactly many, but I appreciate every single comment I get. So thank you very much for your kind words! And even if some of you just dropped by to take a quick read through the chapter, I still appreciate it a lot! Thank you very much for even finding the time!

And, lamperouge rolo, my girl… Wow! You're just soooo amazing! Where would I be without you? Seriously, my friend! I couldn't be more grateful to you if I tried! Thank you so, so, so very much for all your help, and for accepting to look over these monstrous chapters in the first place! You're incredible and deserve so much credit for all your hard work! Thank you, my friend! For everything! Your suggestions and all your input is simply incredible! Thank you, girl! I couldn't have done any of this without you!

Now then, this was probably my shortest thank-you-message yet! I'm getting better at this, huh? So with that said… shall we jump right in?

Stay safe, everybody. And as always,

Take care!

---

"Is it really necessary to cover my eyes for this?"

"Yep, absolutely. Where'd be the fun if ya could see everything right off the bat? Now stop asking stupid questions and move, would cha?"

"W-well excuse me if I can't see where I'm going. You could at least tell me what's ahead, you know."

"Oh… right." Soma laughed sheepishly as he came back and took her outstretched hand, guiding the heiress safely away from his bike and along the pavement. "Sorry 'bout that. I kinda forgot."

"Honestly… you are hopeless." She rolled her eyes under the covers of his white hand cloth, "Is this oh so mysterious place far from here?"

"Nah, not really. We just gotta walk a little further. So no cheatin', got it?"

"Fine, fine… I assume you didn't stop right in front of it on purpose then. To make sure I wouldn't peek?"

She heard him laugh once more, squeezing her hand as he continued to hold it up at eye-level. "Busted. Man, can't hide anything from ya, ca I?"

"Of course you can't." She smugly retorted with all the confidence a blindfolded person could ever have. "Now… this means either I know the area pretty well, or you made a really intricate set-up. Am I correct?"

"Seriously, stop with the over-analyzing already. Ya can take a good look when we're there."

The heiress couldn't help but release a soft giggle of revenge at his frustrated growl. 'Serves him right', she thought. After the horrifying motorcycle ride he had put her through just now, he deserved to be picked on a little.

After they had pulled into a street she didn't recognize, he'd jumped off his bike and immediately covered her eyes with the white cloth that was usually tied around his left wrist. He had helped her get off and made sure she was stable on the ground despite her shaking legs before stepping away from her to park the motorcycle properly. And while she had to wait for him to come back, Erina figured there was no way she could yell at him when he was this caring.

Or maybe it was the sensory deprivation that's making her go soft on him. Even now.

"Would you care to hear another guess," she asked, feeling his firm grip on her hand as he led her towards their destination, "I believe it's actually somewhere I know. Somewhere meaningful and… probably special to you. Maybe… Yukihira's?"

Another growl made it past his throat when she began to giggle, her amusement not shared this time. "Give it up, Erina. I'm not tellin' ya."

"Oh? I will take that as a yes then. Really now. You make it too easy."

"Says the one who always gets frustrated 'cause she never knows what I'm thinking. What changed, Miss 'high and mighty'?"

"I suppose the past two years taught me quite a few things about you. Or maybe you are just losing your edge, Mister 'I challenge the whole school to a Shokugeki out of boredom'."

"I didn't do it 'cause I was bored!"

"Right, I'm sorry," she giggled, "You did it because you wanted me to expel you."

"No! Why would I want that?!"

Erina's brow twitched under the hand-cloth, her patience running lower, "Because you can't stand still one second without accepting a Shokugeki request! There must be something wrong with you if you keep on fighting everybody just for fun!" Trying to calm herself down, the blonde took a deep breath through her nose, well aware of why he couldn't answer right away. "And now you are grinning at me, aren't you?"

"How'd you guess that?"

"I told you," Erina said with her own grin returning, "you are losing your edge."

"Whatever. That was just luck. I'm pretty sure I haven't lost anything yet." Yanking her hand towards him, the redhead curled one arm around her waist as he picked up the pace, not the least bit bothered by her gasps and multiple attempts to slow down. "In fact, ya wanna try figuring out what I'm thinking right now? I bet you can't."

"That's because my eyes are covered, you fool." Wasn't he supposed to be the frustrated one here? Erina huffed. "And don't be ridiculous. I would have to be crazy to completely understand what's going on in that chaotic head of yours."

"But you are, aren't you?"

Her eyebrows shot up, enough to pop out from the blindfold, "E-excuse me?!"

He held her still for a second, the tiny hair at the back of her neck standing up as she felt him breathe next to her ear, "You're crazy about me."

Erina released a breathy, hearty laugh. A sound that would've been impossible to draw out from the God Tongue just a few years ago before the two of them met.

Unable to stop for a full minute, her body shook in mirth as she clutched his arm, "I swear your egocentric imagination knows no bounds!"

"Only when it comes to you, your highness," he chuckled tenderly, "Now, let's get moving."

Soma started guiding her again but she struggled to keep up with his pace- not to mention that, all the laughing left her knees weak. So she shifted, leaning on him a bit more for support.

"See? Clinging to me like that just proves my point." And unable to help herself, she swatted his arm playfully, pouting at him.

"It does not."

"Well, if ya say so." He laughed, pressing her closer to his side as they slowed down a bit. "Better?"

"Much better. Thank you." Her sigh of content was rewarded with a short kiss on her crown, something Erina couldn't believe made her heart flutter and her cheeks heat up even to this day.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while until Soma suddenly stopped, his arm around her waist tightening to prevent her from stumbling over her own feet.

"Hey," he started, "we're here. Good job for not peeking, Erina."

"Hmph, what do you take me for? Of course I can manage to quell my curiosity. I'm not a child."

She couldn't see his face but she felt his body tense next to her, his voice suddenly drained of its usual confidence, "Yeah, uh… erm… I dunno. You did some snooping before?"

"Huh? No, I… That wasn't really a question you had to answer…" she swallowed her astonishment down, only to let concern well up inside her. "Are you alright, Soma? You're shaking."

"What? Me? No way. How'd you get that?"

Yes, now she definitely knew something was amiss. "Are you second-guessing coming here?"

"What? No, that's not exactly… Oh, whatever. We, eh… we'll get back to that later, 'kay? Don't worry 'bout me, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I know that your ideas are often crazy but I fully trust you. So don't doubt yourself, alright?"

He laughed, her attempt to reassure him somehow working. "Gotcha."

"I mean it. Don't lose your head over something so trivial."

"Ah, right, that's… I know. Thanks."

"A-as long as you understand." Relieved, she released a long breath through her nose, holding her chin high in the air to keep her composure as she cleared her throat, "Now then. We are finally here, huh? Thank goodness… Can I untie the cloth now?"

"Oh, hold up a sec." With renewed vigor, he quickly let go of her lower back to take a step behind her, not leaving an inch of space between them as he took both ends of his white hand-cloth. "Lemme do it for ya. Ready?"

She chuckled teasingly, "You're awfully excited to show me your diner."

"You still think…? Alright, that's it! You asked for this." The cloth was gone, her eyes finally able to see.

However, before she could even get a hang of her surroundings, Soma hooked his arm behind her knees and lifted her up, holding her against his chest.

"W-what are you doing?! We had this conversation before, remember?! Put me down!"

"I told ya not to mess with me, didn't I? That's what cha get for saying I'm losing my edge. Still think we're at Yukihira?"

"W-why you… that's playing dirty! I couldn't even make out anything! At least go back and let me have a proper look!" She shifted in his hold, trying to get a better view of the building they were entering before shaking her head in amusement. She couldn't read in time what that sign outside said.

"Sorry, no can do. You'll see soon enough where we are. If you want, try to have another guess. Though I'm sure it'll be totally off the mark again, so… ya might as well not." He laughed again, her annoyed huff against his throat giving him all the reason to be amused.

And she had been so positive that he would take her to the Yukihira diner to celebrate, for the significance it holds. But now that they are walking through a different hallway altogether, it looks like he has another idea- one she's no longer able to guess. "You're really insufferable! Can you please let me down? This is getting embarrassing."

"Nope. I'm practicing."

"For what?!"

"Uh, nothing really. Just-" A loud scream suddenly ringed in their ears, making Soma whirl clumsily to his left with a startled heiress in his arms, both wide-eyed and confused. "What the…"

"Soma! Soma! No way! You're here! You kept your promise! You really kept your promise!"

Erina's jaw dropped as she watched an all too familiar face run out of a random room and come to a stop right in front of them, jumping up and down with a wide smile on his face. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him laugh gleefully, his short black hair as messy as ever, and those almond-shaped orbs shining with even more excitement than they did back when she first met him. There was only one difference… he had grown up significantly since the last time she saw him. He was taller…

"You really, really made it! You're amazing, Soma! I knew it! I just knew it!"

It's been over two years now. Why didn't she think of this sooner? Why wasn't she able to follow through with her promise to come back? The one she made at the marketplace so long ago. She felt ashamed for her lack of commitment, for not having recognized these halls as soon as they stepped in, for having forgotten all about her encounter with him in the first place. "S-Shido…"

"Yo, kiddo! Good to see ya! How've ya been?"

"T-thanks. I'm fine, but I… I-I knew you'd… Soma, you really kept your promise… Y-you did it."

"Well, I figured since this is your seventh birthday, we might as well start things off with a bang. And guess what, I used that trick to get her here as fast as possible. Ya know, the one you mentioned the last time I stopped by? It sure was effective, I tell ya." With a chuckle, he finally lowered the heiress to the ground, giving her a gentle push towards the little boy before crossing his arms over his chest in satisfaction. "As promised, Erina's here to visit you guys."

"Y-you really are amazing, Soma… this is… this is so cool! E-Erina's here!" He jumped up and down, laughing and clapping his hands as he squinted his eyes at them. "I knew you'd keep your promise!"

The shocked expression was still on her face when she gave Shido a kind smile, making her way over to him with hesitant steps. She couldn't believe it. When had this kid grown so much? His clothes were still a few sizes too big, but he seemed to carry himself with a lot more confidence than he had two years ago.

For a moment, he looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him, his eyes widening the closer she got as if he was just realizing that she was really walking towards him.

Hadn't he just said he knew she would come here?

"W-welcome, M-miss Erina. I-I, ehm… I've worked very hard to get better at cooking, a-and I really wanted to show you, and Soma promised me he'd make you visit again, a-and…" Unable to finish his sentence, the boy simply closed the small distance between them and hugged Erina's waist as tightly as his little fingers would allow, sniffling into her clothes. "W-why did you never drop by to play with us again? I thought you wanted to see us too, but you never showed up… W-we waited for you."

"S-Shido…" She cleared her throat to get rid of the stutter in her voice, embracing the child with all her might before crouching down and ruffling his messy black hair. "I'm truly sorry it took me this long to come back."

She was still confused about the promise between Soma and the kids at the orphanage, but that could wait. For now, Shido's hopeful gaze and his running nose were much more important.

"D-did… did you forget about us?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten about you, silly. Why would you think that?"

"B-because you… you never-never came back…"

"I'm sorry. I have been dealing with a lot of stuff at work lately. I know it's not a good excuse but a lot of people are depending on me at Totsuki. That's why I do my best. And if I heard correctly, you are also working hard for everyone here. Now," she tilted her head back to a still grinning redhead, her eyes shining with affection when he began to scratch his cheek in a bashful manner, "thanks to Soma, we could see each other again, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's right…" Shido's eyes began to water as she smiled at him warmly. "H-he kept his promise."

"He… sure did, didn't he?"

"Y-yeah…" And then, he began to cry, his sleeve not hiding the tears that were falling to the ground between them.

"Come on, don't do that. You are turning seven today, right? That is not how a big boy should be acting, now is it?"

"I-I'm not crying! I'm a grown-up now! Grown-ups don't cry!"

A bright grin settled on her lips as she pressed his head against her shoulder. "A grown-up?"

"Yeah! Like Soma."

At that, she couldn't hold in her laughter anymore, her eyes meeting the amused gaze of her boyfriend once more as he shrugged and whisper-yelled, "I have no idea what he's talking about, honest."

"Oh my… Like Soma, huh? I see."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" The redhead's brows knitted together, a small pout pushing his lower lip out in a child-like manner.

In response, the heiress could only shake her head while Shido leaned back and wiped his eyes vigorously. "S-see? I'm not crying at all."

She gently swiped the last of his falling tears, "Indeed. Good boy."

"By the way, Shido. Where're Miss Yuri and the others? Still getting stuff ready for the party?"

"N-no, they're just-" Another scream across the hallway caused the tanned boy to grin again, turning around to watch several of his friends hurry out of a different room while both Erina and Soma exchanged a confused glance.

And then she understood. This is the big surprise.

The blonde smiled up at him, unable to express in words how happy it made her that he came up with such a lovely idea, how lucky she feels to be a part of his life. Her eyes started to mist up when she thought about how Soma never forgot these children and his roots in spite of his crazy schedule. He managed to surprise her yet again, when she thought she had seen everything already.

It's now clear to her that his intention was to get her out of the office, cut her off from her boring routine, and make her spend time with him and the things he cared about. For her, it's the most charming and unexpected anniversary gift he could ever give her. She's grateful.

"Were you really worried that I wouldn't like this? Honestly, you are such a fool."

"Uh, well… that's not really what…" He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before a gentle smile found its way onto his lips. "Heh, yeah. Guess it was pretty dumb, huh?"

"It was. But you… you truly are…" She couldn't bring out the right words. Nothing she thought of saying would do him any justice. So she simply rose to her feet as the screams behind her got louder. With both hands, she stroked his cheeks, smiled at his perplexed expression, brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes, and finally brought his face closer to her own. Their foreheads touched, noses bumping playfully against one another before Erina pressed her lips against his in a tender kiss. It was chaste, yet still deep enough to make him feel all the affection and warmth she wanted to give him. And it made her heart jump just as hard as all their other, more passionate kisses had.

But at some point, Erina felt that she had to release him from her hold to give all those children eagerly waiting to welcome them a proper greeting. She could already hear a few of them make gagging sounds behind her, and it took all her self-control not to laugh out loud at their silly comments. 'That's so gross', and 'are they gonna be stuck like that now?' only being small parts of the overall mumble.

So she broke the kiss and smiled, missing Soma's soft gaze on her when she whirled around to laugh at the disgusted expressions most of the kids made.

"I apologize. You shouldn't have seen that." Her eyes squinted in delight when she suddenly found herself being pulled into a large group-hug, her words getting lost in the joyful shout around her.

They looked so ecstatic to see her that she couldn't resist trying to wrap as many kids as she could in her arms, even when the impact of their embrace knocked her back down to the ground. It didn't matter. The way they yelled her name simply made her heart swell with fondness, so much so, she didn't care about a stinging backside and a wrinkly skirt.

To see how much each of these kids had grown, she couldn't help but feel guilty for never coming back here after officially becoming Totsuki's headmaster. It wasn't fair to them.

But at least, they were all doing alright. That was the most important thing to her. Plus, she was relieved to find that two years weren't enough to make her forget the faces she had grown so fond of. She recognized Mei, Rika, and the ever so energetic Zen amongst all the huggers, remembered the time Soma and herself had decided to make their day a little brighter by preparing an unforgettable meal for them. A fun and silly cooking contest that would remain vivid in her memory forever.

"Hey! Gimme some space, you guys! I-I can't breathe!" Shido's scream caused the heiress to laugh as she watched him get squished between two of his friends, close to her shoulder, but not quite able to embrace her properly. "You're so pushy! Get off!"

Erina shook her head in amusement. There was nothing she could do to help him other than offer him to find some way out before he would end up crushed, which he declined fiercely as soon as the words left her mouth.

She relaxed into a wide smile, feeling Soma crouch beside her, sweeping the strands of blonde hair that went to her face during the commotion, and tucking them behind her ear, "Well, you deserved that death-hug for taking your sweet time getting back here, ya know. They really were waiting for a long time to see ya again. I had to do something or ya wouldn't have made it today either."

"I-I suppose this is a rather… welcoming punishment. Way to go beyond my expectations again, Yukihira Soma. I'm impressed."

"Nah, don't be just yet. Wait 'till ya see the real surprise. I've still got something else planned for ya tonight. It'll blow your mind for sure."

"Wha- there is more?"

"'Course there is! A couple of things, actually…" He twirled a few blonde locks around his fingers, grinning.

"I-is that so…?" A shy smile made its way onto her lips as she averted her gaze from him, "You are spoiling me too much… To what do I owe such special treatment?"

He shrugged, releasing her hair and turning his eyes back to the children still hugging her. "Someone has to watch out for ya, right? Or else, you're gonna work yourself sick for sure. So… there's no real reason- at least not for coming to this place. Just the usual."

"T-this is not what's 'usual', Soma. This is… special. Thank you… I-I appreciate it."

"Erina?! Erina?! Stop talking to Soma already and listen to me! Why haven't you visited us all this time?! I've missed you so much!"

"Yeah, me too!" Her expression turned apologetic once again when she watched Mei trying to push past Zen to get closer to her. "I wanted to show you the new doll I got from Miss Yuri on my birthday last year! She looks a little like you, but you're way prettier!"

Now forced to support Mei's weight, as well as his own, Zen waved his hand in an almost frantic motion, trying to get Erina to look at him next. "And I wanted to show you the cool toy cars I got on Christmas! It's super fast! You gotta see it!"

"Really? That sounds incredible. I certainly wouldn't mind taking a look at both later."

"We can have a race!"

"And my doll can be the driver in one of your cars!"

She arched a brow at their eagerness, eyes drifting back to Soma as he gave her one of his widest grins and a simple shrug to boot. "I told ya they were waiting," was all he said before Erina rolled her eyes and brought her attention back to the small group still holding her in place, her own grin widening with each passing second.

"You know what, Erina? That Shido is hanging around the kitchen all the time now just 'cause you told him to get better at cooking. It's really annoying! Can you make him stop, please?"

"What?"

"Yeah, she's right! Ever since you came here, he's been making food in there all the freaking time! And it tastes gross! Please make him stop!"

"Oh my," with a finger pressed against her chin, the heiress tilted her head up, trying to recall the last conversation she had with their tanned little friend- but to no avail. "Have I really told him to do that?"

"You did!" They all screamed in union, making her smirk.

"Huh…" She remembered Shido telling her he wanted to cook just as well as she did, but that was about it. Though, based on those frustrated expressions around her, the boy took it as an absolute must do.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Soma nodded his head over and over again with closed eyes, fake empathy written all over his face. "Yep. That's how it went down, sweetheart. I hate to break it to ya, but you did kinda order him to work hard so that he could become an even greater chef than you are. If ya know what that means, you gotta expect him to work at least ten times as hard as other people do."

Of course, it was supposed to sound like he was feeling sorry to let her know the truth- that she was the one who needed to take responsibility for the collateral damage. But Erina knew better. He wasn't even trying to conceal his shit-eating grin when he continued, "And that's something I seriously have an issue with, 'cause, let's be real here, not even I've managed to do that yet. And I'm a pretty decent chef if I do say so myself. So…" he paused, probably for dramatic effect, "What the hell, Erina? Why'd ya had to go and give him such high hopes like that, huh?"

"For the record, I did not order him. And get off your high horse. It's entirely possible that Shido can surpass the likes of you in a few years. You are the one who should let go of false hopes of beating me!"

"Oh yeah?! Says who?!" The redhead's voice raised a notch, his competitiveness getting the better of him.

"Me! The God Tongue!" She pointed her index finger between them, frowning. "Just face it already. You are still light years away from my level of gourmet!" And then she suddenly stopped, noticing the stares that they're getting. After taking in some of the confused expressions, Erina hissed at him with a glare, "And stop it, you are scaring the kids!"

His pout was adorable, the disappointment in his eyes melted her irritation almost instantly. But Erina didn't falter. She simply sighed and turned back to the children in front of her, not allowing herself to look up at him when she spoke up, "So. What is this about, again?"

After a moment, Zen pushed himself a little further towards her, ignoring Mei's shouts of protest. "Shido's always making terrible stuff in the kitchen! Please, Erina! Just tell him to stop! His food is so bad! I can't stand it anymore! Not even Miss Yuri is saying anything to him, so you're the only one who can do it! Please!" His look was pleading, his lower lip quivering as if he could start to cry at any minute.

"Is that right?" Erina tilted her head back to the tanned boy still squished between some of his friends, unable to bring a single word out when he met her questioning eyes. "Shido? What's going on here? Your cooking doesn't taste good? I thought you were working hard to impress me."

"Pfff, yeah. Good luck, buddy. I've been trying that for years." The redhead's murmur beside her made her brow twitch again. She was inclined to push him back onto his butt, but refrained when she noticed Shido's gaze turning bashful.

"I-I…" A small blush spread on the boy's cheeks before his brows knitted together, his tone turning defensive when he looked at her, "T-they're lying! I learned some stuff from watching Soma! My food's amazing!"

"…Say what now?" Soma's eyes widened, brows reaching his hairline when he stared at the boy in surprise. Him and Erina both.

"No it's not!" The chaotic yelling turned into a choir of agreement, all children glaring at the poor boy as he gasped in fright.

"B-but… it does taste good… Soma does it too all the time."

"Wait, wait. Hold on just a moment… Did he perhaps make…?" Erina's eyes narrowed as she raised a hand and grabbed the collar of her boyfriend's shirt, pulling him closer to her with one swift movement. "Soma…? Did you do something uncalled for again? Like, say… allowing him to watch you make a certain tentacle dish that wasn't supposed to be made in front of a child?"

"It's Squid, not tentacles."

"Soma…"

"Alright, alright. I really dunno what 'cha mean though… Sorry." He scratched his cheek, averting his eyes with a forced laugh.

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about, Mister. Now answer the question. Did you show him how to make one of those disgusting tentacle dishes of yours?"

"It's Squid."

"Whatever!" She glared daggers at him, making raise his hands in defense.

"Whoa, hey, hold up a sec! Calm down! I didn't show him anything! It's not my fault he just so happened to see me make it!"

"So you did make it!"

"Well… I never denied that."

"Unbelievable! I swear, Yukihira Soma! You are so… How could you let him watch?!"

"I told ya, it was an accident! I'm sorry!" His hands remained raised in front of him, the redhead slowly leaning away from her frown.

"That must have scarred the kids for life, you fool! Why are you never thinking ahead?!"

"Well… I didn't expect him to pick it up and try it out!"

"My point exactly! You are so…" She growled, struggling to find the right words in her anger.

"But, hey. Ya gotta admit, he's pretty sharp. Good job, Shido! Way to go!"

"That's not something to encourage him for, Soma! Where is your shame?!" She rose to her feet with squinted eyes and balled fists, ready to pounce. Still sitting on the ground in front of them, the children burst into hysterical laughter as soon as they saw her reddening face. And oddly enough, it dissipated her anger instantly as Soma followed her into a standing position, trying to suppress his grin.

Did they have to be so cute even when laughing at her expense?

"Fine, bring it on! I'm down if ya really wanna have a Shokugeki with me right now!"

"You are missing the point!" The blonde quickly reached out to grab his face, pulling on his soft cheeks as hard as she could. "Let me remind you one more time what your job as the First Seat of Totsuki Academy entails, genius! You are supposed to be an example to those who want to learn the fine arts of cooking! Instead of showing them barbaric catastrophes they can't even stomach, you should teach them proper etiquette in the kitchen! Which ingredients to use, what to look out for when combining certain spices, and how to maximize the flavor of your dish! So if a child wishes to achieve greatness through our instructions, you have to do whatever you can to support him, not trick him into thinking anything made with tentacles is edible! What you're doing is basically defiling our good name, and that is not acceptable! Are. We. Clear?!" She shot her spiel so fast that Soma just held on to her wrists and stared back at her with a blank expression, unable to bring a single word out.

He can't help a small grin as he watched her catch her breath. This was exactly how she lectured him after their decisive last battle in Hokkaido, the fond memory taking over him.

"Oh my. I see you two are as lively as ever." A delicate voice behind them was suddenly heard, her lighthearted laugh encouraging the other children to crack up even more as they pointed at both Soma and Erina with mischief in their eyes. "It's good to know nothing has changed. Welcome back, you two."

"Oh, hey, Yuri! How's is it going?" It was hard for him to speak properly with his cheeks still in her grasp. Abruptly, she released him and turned towards the tall woman as well, leaving the redhead to rub over the reddened spots

"M-Miss Yuri… Hello." She paused for a couple of seconds, unsure how to explain herself, "We, ehm… we were just-"

"Don't worry, Erina. It's alright. I heard all about your relationship with our immature, little boy here. There's no need to feel embarrassed. You can be at ease."

That isn't necessarily a good reason to be at ease. Especially with the older woman smiling so suggestively at them. "Y-you do?"

"Indeed. In fact, he told me himself. Congratulations, by the way. I'm happy I finally got the chance to give you my best wishes in person."

"O-oh…" Her heart hammered against her chest as she smiled back at Yuri, nervous fingers trying to smooth down her skirt without anyone noticing. This was awkward, to say the least. Shouldn't she say something else to her?

She wants to bring up the matter about Shido's cooking but her embarrassment from the earlier spectacle is too much. So she closes her mouth again, hands moving to clasp together behind her back to appear at least a bit more polite.

"Hey, wait! Hold on there a sec, Yuri. Who're you calling 'little boy'? Ya know that we'll be graduating from Totsuki soon, right?"

"Trust me, I'm well aware of that… You're indeed growing a bit more each time I see you, my boy. Especially now… you seem more mature." She winked, smile widening as if she knew something he didn't.

Or maybe he did. Based on the barely visible redness dusting his cheeks, Erina got the silent suspicion he did very well know what Yuri was talking about.

But maybe he played dumb on purpose? It's hard to read his face when he wants to be secretive.

"Huh?" He began, rubbing the back of his head bashfully, "What'd ya mean? I'm the same as ever. Nothing's changed."

"Oh I don't know…" Yuri winked again before suddenly clapping her hands together, "Well, in any case, I believe we can talk about this later. For now, why don't we just head into the living room? You kids know better than to let our guests stand in the cold hallway like that, right?"

A simultaneous 'yes' accompanied her words as all children eagerly pushed the two students out of the entrance area and into the cozy common room of the orphanage.

It was nice to see that it still looked the same as it had two years ago. Other than the decorations and balloons hanging here and there for Shido's birthday, nothing seems out of place. It allowed Erina to feel at ease as both Rika and Mei lead her through the room, sharing all kinds of fun moments that happened within those years they hadn't seen her. Like Mei falling on a puddle of mud when she tried to chase Zen around the courtyard. Erina smiled sympathetically, having never experienced something of the sort herself and pitying that, for once, she couldn't relate.

"You know what? Shido even wanted to make his own birthday cake tonight! He said he knew that you'd visit us today, so he wanted to do something special for you. But just in case you wouldn't make it after all, he wanted to give Soma some of his cake and tell him to bring it to you. He said it's so that you won't get hungry while you're working. But we didn't let him bake one. It was too risky!"

"Yeah. It really wouldn't have ended well. He's really bad at making food. Or sweets."

"Is that so?" The heiress laughed, even if the grimace on both Mei's and Rika's face made her feel sorry for their tanned friend. "I see. That's… quite something. So I'm assuming you guys did it for him instead?"

Suddenly nervous, Rika tapped her fingers together. "W-well, we wanted to… But we didn't have the time to do it yet… T-the decoration took longer than we'd expected, a-and…"

"We couldn't agree on what present to give him when we went into town… It all took too long!"

"Y-yeah. W-we're so sorry."

"Oh…" Glancing at the little boy running around the room in chase of a laughing Zen, Erina placed her hand against her chin before a bright smile appeared on her features. "Well then, it's a good thing Soma and I are here now, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"You guys can leave dinner to us. Plus, we are going to bake the best birthday cake Shido has ever seen. It will be a true sight to see, I guarantee it."

"D-do you really mean that? Y-you'll help us?"

"For real?!"

"Of course! This is a celebration, after all. And every proper celebration has delicious food and an awesome cake." She winked at both girls when they smiled up at her gratefully.

"Alright! Erina's gonna help us!" Mei raised a fist in the air, "Thank you so very much!"

"I think it's a wonderful idea as well. These kids could really use some help." Stepping closer to her, Yuri grinned down at the two girls standing on each side of the blonde's body before her warm gaze met hers. "He tried his best not to show it, but Shido really was looking forward to seeing you ever since Soma promised him to drag your butt back here someday. To have you visit right on his birthday… I'm sure he's close to passing out from happiness right about now."

"You really think so…?" Tilting her head away from Yuri and over to the little boy again, the heiress couldn't help but feel guilty again. For a few minutes, she watched him wordlessly as he chased his friend around the room before eventually giving up and marching over to sit down on Soma's lap, asking him for more recipes. She listened to them laugh together, exchange stories, and move on to talk about her instead. She heard the redhead say how prickly she could be sometimes and how much he enjoyed messing with her, which caused the corners of Erina's lips to move upwards.

It was truly a pleasure to just observe and listen. Especially when Soma pointed his finger at her from time to time, showing that he did notice her gaze on him. She didn't think much of it during their last visit, but… the sight of a small child sitting in Soma's lap makes her feel warm inside. It's nice.

"I will make sure he doesn't forget this birthday, Yuri-san. He deserves it." The blonde said, shyly waving when Soma grinned in her direction again.

"Yes he does… Thank you. I'm sure this means quite a lot to him."

"To me as well. He's a good kid. And his ambitions are pure. I would love to see what he can achieve in the future."

"Don't we all?" Yuri glanced at her from the corner of her eye before turning to face her properly again, lips curved into a fond smile. "Anyway, let me tell you, it's so good to have you here again, Erina. You have grown too."

"O-oh really? You think so?"

"Yes, of course. Being with Soma… it really seems like you two bring the best out in each other, doesn't it? I'm glad both of you came around after all this time. Since that last talk we had, I doubted anything would ever happen between you, but now… it's nice to see I had been wrong. Congrats."

"W-well… Thank you very much… But that's- I mean, i-it's not that simple, honestly. He did a lot more for me than I probably ever could for him, so… I just… it's hard to explain."

Yuri's smile widened as she shook her head in disapproval. "Oh, don't be so stiff, dear. When it comes to relationships, I doubt that sort of thing matters much in the end. What you feel is way more important than counting how many times you've helped each other out, don't you think? And besides, from what I've heard, you sure did play a large part in all his accomplishments up until now. His growth as a chef, and as a person, was by no means a small feat, but thanks to you, he seems stronger now. Taller. So don't get yourself down with such needless thoughts. I can say for a fact that the boy needed someone to get under his skin and straighten him up as much as you have. If you won't take my word for it, ask him. He can't stop gushing about you!"

"H-huh? Really?"

"Yes, really." Throwing her arms up in the air, the black-haired woman huffed, "Seriously, you won't believe how often he mentioned your name his past couple of visits! All we had to do was ask about you and he wouldn't stop going on and on about how much he owed you for pushing him this far! I mean, I know that already, but jeez. It sure does get old after a while. No offense, dear."

Grinning at Yuri's sudden outburst, the heiress crossed her arms and glanced back at her boyfriend, a fond smiled on her face when she watched him ruffle Shido's hair. "Don't worry. None taken."

"I mean, I'd like to hear more about the kid's love-life, dates and such but he just keeps on talking about cooking. He tells me about your tough exams at school, your strict critique of his food, and of course how cooking for you makes him happy. I'm starting to think he's too passionate about it…"

"W-well… I mean, he does want to surpass me at some point." Twisting her hands together, the heiress released a sheepish laugh, her face as warm as the first day she met that red-haired troublemaker. "Although, I'm not sure how far he would push himself for that."

"I bet he doesn't even know how the word 'limit' is spelled. Honestly…" Yuri closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, making the young heiress look back at her in confusion before she suddenly bowed her head low in front of her, black hair spread out across her back. "Thank you for motivating him as much as you have, Erina. Everyone who knows him would agree with me that you've definitely spiked his passion. Even more so than his parents had back when he was little…"

"Oh, ehm… you don't have to- I didn't do anything worth your praise, Yuri-san. Please raise your head."

"You did. That boy needs you, I can tell. I was worried about him for a long time, but now, I can rest easy. Thank you."

"I-I… I probably need him more than he does, believe me. Please raise your head, Yuri-san." With both hands raised in front of her, Erina stared at the bowing woman, not knowing what to do or what else to say that could make her straighten up already.

Now, she could definitely understand how Hisako feels when she receives compliments from her. It's overwhelming.

After a few seconds, in which the children still standing silently beside Erina stared at their caretaker with widened eyes, Yuri rose her head again, smiling fondly. "Whatever you say, dear. I just wanted you to see that nothing is one-sided in this relationship of yours. Believe it or not."

"T-thank you… I think I understand. But, please, don't bow again like that. It's…"

"Oh, my apologies. I guess I got a little carried away there, didn't I?" She laughed, placing both hands on her hips in a much more confident posture. "It's just that… I'm amazed to see Soma so happy ever since his mother died. The first time he came here, the boy was… no, never mind. I'm just glad I don't have to take care of him anymore. That's your job now. Plus, you two are actually graduating soon, aren't you?"

"…Y-yeah. We… There are only a few months left until we… graduate." She wanted to ask, wanted the older woman to explain what she meant by her previous words, but the genuine smile on her face prevented Erina from picking that topic back up.

Soma's happiness… Hadn't he always been a ball of energy, even before coming to Totsuki? She knew about his deceased mother, the pain he went through when he was just a child. But had there still been something else she'd never been aware of? Something he didn't tell her?

Biting her lower lip, the heiress glanced back in his direction, watching him converse with both Shido and some other kids as they all sat in a small circle together. If he hadn't been happy before, he sure is now. She knows he is.

"Wow…" Yuri let out a long breath through her nose, "Time sure flies quickly when you have so much to talk about, doesn't it? Anyway, why don't we go and let Shido know about your idea, Erina. I'm sure he will be delighted to hear it."

"Oh, right… I almost forgot." Suddenly, she felt a light squeeze of her left hand, looking down only to find Mei grinning at her with hopeful eyes. The change of subject must have encouraged her to remind the heiress that she and Rika were still there, waiting patiently for the serious conversation between their elders to end.

"Erina! Erina! Can we help out again?! It was so much fun last time, right, Rika?!"

"Y-yeah. I-I had a lot of fun too."

"Of course you can. We will certainly need all the help we can get, since it's going to be a grand feast. I'm counting on you both." She grinned at the girls as they all made their way across the room. "Actually… I have an idea."

Approaching the unsuspecting redhead, she wordlessly offered one hand to help him stand up, her amethysts filled with the competitiveness that he so loved to see.

"What's up, Erina?" he asked, "Ya looking kinda pumped up."

"Do I?" she winked at him, a gesture that she picked up from the endless back and forth teasing that they had over the past year.

As his scarred brow rose, the heiress turned towards the children, grinning. "Okay, listen up everyone. We are going to have another cooking battle tonight! Only this time, we will prepare the biggest birthday dinner ever and a fantastic cake on top of that. Soma and I are going to need your help to finish everything in the soonest possible time, and then, we'll decide the winner of the battle during the party. Are you kids up for it?"

With that, the sitting children finally jumped to their feet and cheered in the highest volume Erina had ever heard. It was incredible to see how excited they were just because she stood in front of them the same way she had back then- with pure confidence and a dominating aura that motivated each one of them to do their best. It was good enough for her to make them happy just by involving them in her work somehow. If that's all she could give these kids for now, then she would make sure they never forget.

A low chuckle suddenly echoed in her ears, Soma's arms crossed as he came to stand right next to her. She couldn't see his eyes thanks to red strands of hair casting a dark shadow over them, but that bright grin made it quite obvious that he was already bubbling with excitement. "Heh. I should'a expected you to pull a stunt like that. Ya sure know how to get my blood pumpin', don't cha?"

"H-hmph. Did you really think I would leave all the surprises to you tonight? Not happening. And don't even think you could get away with showing Shido those disgusting tentacle dishes of yours. You practically asked for this."

"It's still Squid."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I will teach you a lesson, so prepare yourself."

"That so? Guess we just gotta settle things with what's on the plate now, don't we? I'm in."

She smirked, sliding the blue jacket off her arms and pulling up her sleeves as he tied his trusted hand-cloth around his forehead with a wide grin of his own. "Indeed. Get ready to lose."

"Same. Just don't throw a tantrum when I finally make ya regret those words."

"Please, as if you could. Let's be realistic here." They looked intensely at each other, ready for combat. He sure knew how to push her buttons, and she couldn't deny that the fire in his eyes thrilled her and made her feel oh so alive. Their competitive spirits would never get old- not as long as they have the opportunity to stand face-to-face in a kitchen.

But then, a hesitant pull on Erina's skirt forced her to break the intense staring-contest and glance down at a crying Shido, his hands shaking against the thin fabric as he sniffed over and over again. She crouched down in front of the boy, one hand already placed on his head as she spoke, "What's wrong, Shido? Why are you crying?"

"A-are… are you really gonna bake me a cake? For real?"

With a throbbing heart, she smiled at him, ruffling his already messy hair. "Of course we will. And I promise; it will be the most amazing cake you have ever eaten. You will even have the honor of blowing out the candles in the end. Sounds good?"

"Y-yeah. I can do that," he choked between sobs.

"Good. Now… any special flavor you would want your cake to be?"

"Chocolate!"

A soft giggle went past her throat as she wiped the tears from his eyes, giving him a reassuring nod. "Alright then. Chocolate it is. And you are lucky it's one of my favorite ingredients to use."

"R-really?" Shido's eyes grew wide, his jaw dropping comically.

"Really. But don't tell anyone, okay?" She placed a finger in front of her lips for more emphasis, winking at the kid when he started to snicker gleefully. "It's our secret."

"N-not even Soma?"

"Especially not Soma." They snickered together, Erina paying no mind to the grinning redhead listening on them behind her. "He would have the craziest ideas if he knew."

"Right! I promise I won't tell anyone! And I'm gonna help you out as best I can too! I swear I'm an awesome cook! Don't listen to the others!"

"Well… about that. Let me give you one more piece of advice before we start this thing, alright? Please, please, please take what I'm about to prepare for you as an example and stop copying Soma's bizarre creations from now on. Tentacles are out of the question if you don't know how to cook them properly. This guy here is doing crazy experiments that are dangerous to other people's taste buds. Don't do the same."

"It's Squid!"

"You; Hush," she pointed a thumb at the redhead behind her before bringing her hand back to place her index finger gently against Shido's forehead, "And you; No more tentacle dishes."

"It's Squid!"

"Whatever!"

"H-huh? Are you sure, Erina?" Confused, the little boy glanced between a grinning heiress and a now frowning Soma, his eyes squinting when he finally made his decision. "Okay, if you say so. I guess I don't mind. Sorry, Soma!"

"Great! I suppose we got that settled then. Now let's go make some dinner!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on just a sec, Erina! Are ya really gonna leave it at that?! I'm a good chef, and ya know it!"

"Well, we'll see about that, Mister. Now, be quiet already and let your plate do the talking."

He glared at her once again, his white teeth at full display when he stepped closer. "You're so done for this time! I'm not holdin' anything back!"

"Bring it!" Their foreheads were pressing against each other at this point, fists balled and teeth gritted together. The children were laughing again, but this time, Erina didn't let it sway her. She will give this boy the beating of his life.

"My, aren't you lovebirds passionate." Clapping her hands together, Yuri approached the two students with a polite smile, "How about we just calm down for a moment and breathe? Don't forget your objective here. These kids haven't eaten anything yet, so we really should get started on making them something before they need to go to bed. Remember the time, Soma. You don't have much left."

"Ah, crap, you're right! I almost forgot about that!"

"…Wait, what?" So there was something Yuri knew after all. Somehow, it made Erina feel weird inside. She didn't want to be left out- not today at least.

But regardless of her small pout, she didn't push the subject by asking further questions, instead following a winking Yuri into the kitchen while Soma gestured for all their little friends to come along as well.

If it was about the other surprises he had in store for her, she could forgive his stubborn secrecy. At least until the night was over.

"So… How do ya wanna do this, headmaster? Got any certain menu ideas in mind?"

"Nothing in particular, actually. Let's just 'get creative' as you always do. We'll simply work with whatever is available."

The redhead grinned, his eyes burning even fiercer than they had before. "Right. And how're we gonna decide the winner if each of us is making completely different dishes?"

"Hm…" She placed two fingers against her chin in thought, glancing around the room for a moment, "We only go with a specific theme. Birthday. That's it. Our judges will be the majority of the kids, since we can only choose a limited amount of helpers."

"I see. Ya really do plan on having it just like last time, huh? Fine by me. I'm gonna beat cha either way."

Her lips twitched, the ghost of a smile threatening to ruin her sly act. With an expression that was more seductive than cocky, she walked right past him towards her working station, giving his jaw a fleeting caress. "Give it your best shot, darling."

He gulped audibly, his eyes narrowing. It was obvious he hadn't expected her to flirt with him right at the beginning of a match, and Erina had to admit she found the red-faced goofball in front of her quite adorable. It wasn't often that Yukihira Soma lost his composure, nor had she ever seen him blush this intensely either. She liked it.

But to her slight disappointment, he pulled himself together rather quickly. One shake of his head later, his eyes pierced through her as if they were arrows on fire. It was enough to make the blonde blink a few times as she tried not get swallowed by his intense stare.

Then, he smirked. Coolly. And with the competitive atmosphere having returned, both students tilted their heads back towards the children still standing in the doorframe. They had been looking at them with awe the entire time, each of their eyes shining brightly as both Soma and Erina crossed their arms. It was finally time to get this event started, and unlike that day two years ago, the heiress would be sure to keep distracting thoughts out of her head until she wins.

"Now then. Ya ready?"

"Hmph. Do you really have to ask?"

"Good. Guess I'll just go ahead then… Who wants to help me beat this chick right here?! Lemme see some hands!" And with that, their unofficial Shokugeki finally began.

…

"What's going on, Yuri-san? Why are we up here?"

"Be patient, dear. It's only a little something I want to show you. Or rather, Soma asked me to do it, since he didn't know how to tell you without blurting the most important part out on accident. Honestly, that boy is more nervous than the birthday child himself right now."

"He is? Why? If anything, I thought he didn't talk to me because he was just being a sore loser again. It wouldn't be the first time that happened."

"Oh he is a sore loser for sure, don't get me wrong. But, well… even Soma gets nervous from time to time. He doesn't have to show it openly for me to understand. I know a kid on edge when I see one."

"Huh…" Knitting her brows, Erina continued to follow the older woman down the hallway, confused. "When did he talk to you anyway?"

"When you went back into the kitchen to get Shido's cake."

"So you're involved in his strange plan somehow."

"Of course I am. But that's enough questioning for now. I guess you just have to wait and find out the rest for yourself later. To be honest, I don't know the details of what exactly he plans to do, but… it's safe to assume that boy has something very special in mind. You're lucky."

Receiving a wink from the woman walking in front of her, Erina couldn't help but blush furiously as her thoughts began to run wild. She knew Soma was unpredictable- in many ways-, but she hadn't much in mind when he told her there was more she should look forward to tonight. Especially not after the crushing defeat she had subjected him to just now.

With her emerging as the victor in their improvised Shokugeki downstairs, it didn't come as a surprise that the boy went straight to sulking in a corner. Arms crossed, scarred eyebrow twitching, lips pressed together in a thin line, he didn't bother at all to hide his frustration over his loss. Typical Soma-behavior.

But now, she hears that he's actually nervous about something? Impossible.

She remembered his weird behavior when they were standing in front of the orphanage earlier. The tone in his voice indicated that he might be a little… uneasy. But Erina thought they had passed that point when she made clear how much she enjoyed being here with him. What else was there to be uneasy about? The blonde's heart began to hammer against her ribcage, the tension in her body rising the more she repeated that question in her head.

"Here we are." Yuri stopped in front of a random door, pulling the heiress out of her thoughts. "This is getting exciting, huh? I should've brought a camera."

"T-that's really not necessary, Yuri-san. I think we are just fine without one. So, the thing you need to show me… it's in this room?"

"My room, to be more specific. And yes, it is. Just go in, dear. Don't be shy."

"…Okay." Erina hesitated, taking a deep breath before she finally pushed the door open. She'd never admit it out loud, but at that moment, she truly wished the obnoxious redhead would be right here with her. She wanted him to be the one to show her what he was hiding in here himself, maybe even tease her a little about it. She appreciated Yuri's cheerfulness and efforts, but… it was strange to receive his gift without him.

"Seriously," she sighed, "He could have at least said something to me… This is getting weird."

"I'm sure he has no idea how to properly give something to a girl, dear, so don't mind him. This is still new territory for both of you."

"Yeah. I suppose you are right about that. So, ehm… aren't you coming in?"

Shaking her head, the older woman turned around to walk back downstairs, one hand raised to wave Erina off. "You will do just fine without me. It's not something that requires much help anyway. I'll see you in the living room." She paused, stopping for a brief moment to give the heiress another glance, "Oh, and before I forget. Feel free to use the shower in my bathroom as well. You should be able to find whatever you need in there. Good luck!"

A shower? Why would…? "Oh… a-alright." She blurted out as Yuri walked away giggling. Confused, the heiress stepped inside and closed the door behind her, finding the light switch with shaking fingers before she let her eyes wander around the room.

Yuri's bedroom looked very ordinary. Except for one small detail lying on the bed right next to a wide window. That does not belong in an ordinary bedroom- she is sure of that.

With one brow raised, Erina moved towards it and glanced down, eyes widening in surprise when she saw a beautiful gown spread out wide in front of her. She didn't dare touch it, but the longer the blonde let her amethysts wander over the silky material, the more she couldn't resist. This was a dream of a dress, and most likely one of the finest she had ever seen. However, she wasn't quite able to shake the thought that this gown looked somewhat familiar. Like she had seen it before…

And then it dawned on her. With its v-halter neckline, open-back, and sequins decorating the entire décolleté area, it reminded her of that particular dress she had worn to the gala event two years ago. The one where she had been officially introduced as Totsuki's new headmaster. The dress she had worn the night she and Soma had kissed uninhibitedly on the terrace, the night she had said his name for the very first time without thinking, the night that had taken a very dark turn for the both of them. Their little adventure through the massive building, the slow dance under the moonlight, the tears at the end… she remembered it all as if it had happened merely a few days ago. Her skin began to tingle just thinking about it.

With wide eyes, she examined the beautiful gown anew, finding that, except the slightly darker color and a longer side-slit, it really wasn't much different from the one she had worn that night. Next to it was a golden circle barrette- maybe even the same one Hisako had used back then to make her hair when she had gotten ready in her room. She even recognized the velvet purse and the heels in the same color placed on the nightstand beside her.

A coincidence? Probably not. But what is Soma intending to do that requires her to look like she did back then? 'How did he even find this dress?'

Erina sighed. All this mystery is frustrating and exciting at the same time. She honestly appreciates the thought that he poured into these surprises, and for that reason, she decided to indulge him and go along with his plan. Because why not?

With a shy smile and a light blush on her cheeks, the heiress began to undress, leaving her school uniform on the nearby chair before she made her way towards the only other door in this cozy place and slowly stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. She was grateful for Yuri's offer, thinking this was a great opportunity to wash all the sweat from earlier off her body. However, hesitation accompanied her every step as she walked over to the modest shower and examined the different hair products laid out on the small counter inside. Was this really alright? Yuri did say she could use whatever she wanted, but…

Shrugging, the girl turned on the cold water to calm her overheated nerves. Surely, it would help get her head straight after all these vivid flashbacks.

'If it's a memory he wants to relive, I suppose I could oblige… at least this once.' Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and began to wash her hair. The cold water really did help, not only to sort out her thoughts but also to make sure she didn't spend as much time in the bathroom as she usually would, the girl hurrying to get out again and dry herself before anyone would come knock on the door. It happened several times back when she was a resident at the Polar Star dormitory, after all.

After blow-drying her hair, she stepped back into the room and slowly padded towards the bed. She is used to wearing moderately revealing dresses due to the multiple parties that she was required to attend as a Nakiri but this particular one right here still made her blush. The style of the dress requires her to put on sans brasserie, something she hadn't had to do in a while.

Carefully, she slipped on the dress, praying to the heavens that the pads would give enough support to her well-developed assets. After struggling a bit to pull up the zipper, she walked towards the mirror and was pleasantly surprised how well the dress fit her.

"Honestly, Soma… how could you come up with these crazy but thoughtful ideas? Charming bastard," she giggled happily as she took the circle barrette.

She gave herself another firm look in the mirror, silently wishing Hisako could be here to do her hair again. "Oh well," she shrugged, "Here goes nothing."

…

She was pretty sure more than half an hour had passed since Yuri had led her up the narrow stairway towards her room, and for a moment, Erina felt reluctant to go back down. Voices could be heard from down there, laughter- Soma's laughter in particular. She smiled at the fact that he was enjoying himself so much. His sulking over a lost Shokugeki never lasted long anyway.

Taking a shaky breath, she slowly climbed down the stairs, one after another so as to not accidentally step on her dress and embarrass herself by falling. That would be one for the books if that were to happen.

The laughter grew louder, her nervousness close to reaching its peak. She couldn't say why she felt so funny inside, but the closer Soma's voice got, the harder it was for her to breathe. Until she eventually saw him emerging from the living room with a big grin on his face, eyes searching for the staircase before he noticed her walking down.

He must have been looking for her, and that alone sent a pleasant shiver down her spine as she stopped dead in her tracks at the mere sight of him. His cheeky grin was gone by now, amber orbs wide open and his arms falling limp to his sides. Erina took a shaky breath.

He wore a tie. A red one. Over a white shirt that he had neatly tucked into a pair of black trousers, just like he had that night. A black blazer- most likely the same one from back then as well, and even a similar set of shoes completed his stunning appearance.

For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something, his lips parted. But he didn't seem to find the right words, so he simply pressed them together again, just staring up at her from below the staircase. She couldn't fault him for it- not when she was facing the same problem right now. He looked incredible. A tie definitely suited him, and just for a split second, Erina feared tonight might actually be the night she wouldn't be able to hold herself back anymore. Their conversation from this evening came to mind. He had asked her where her own self-control was, and right now, the heiress felt it was the perfect time to find the answer to that exact question. Could she really refuse him should he ask for her to let herself go? To let her emotions run wild without restraints? Just thinking about what she might end up doing, had butterflies wracking havoc in her stomach.

"You, uh… you're… here."

"Y-yes. I… I found the dress." She attempted to laugh, a nervous choke coming out instead. By now, Erina was certain her embarrassment had reached the rooftop of this orphanage. She just wasn't used to seeing him with a tie, and damn was that a mistake. "It's nice…"

"Aha… yeah, eh… Well-" He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile, unable to take his eyes off her. "I kinda had Alice's help for that one. Since, ya know, she keeps saying she's such an expert and all. I thought I might as well get her to lend me a hand."

"Is that so? T-that might actually explain the perfect fit… I-I have to say, I'm impressed."

"Yeah…" Lowering his hand, he took a deep breath and slowly made his way towards her. His eyes never left hers when he came up the stairs to meet her half way, holing out his hand to offer her some support- as always. She took it without hesitation, a 'thank you' on her lips as he led her down the rest of the way. At this point, Erina had lost count of how many times he had done this over the past years, how often his hand had been there when she needed it. However, numbers are just numbers in the end. She's certain that the feeling of pure joy accompanying this strong gesture would never fade, and that's more than enough for her.

"You, ehm… you look amazing, by the way. Really beautiful."

"T-thank you. I suppose you do as well… if I had to say it."

He chuckled, squeezing her hand when they reached the hallway before releasing it completely. "Thanks. I should've known you'd like it. Remember that one time I wore the school uniform? You were red like a tomato then too. And back when we-"

"N-not true! I was merely- I mean, I didn't even say it looked good on you, and… Stop grinning at me!"

"No way. I bet ya were starting to have a crush on me that day." He took a step back, acting shocked to have realized this only now. "Wait… You were, weren't cha? Damn. Who would've thought?"

"W-what are you talking about?! Stop spouting such nonsense!"

"That actually explains a lot! Erina had a crush on me!" He laughed, his dimples showing.

"Urgh! See what happens when I decide to be nice to you for once?! Honestly, I shouldn't have bothered at all." she pursed her lips together in a pout.

Instinctively, she raised her palm to feel around the improvised bun at the back of her head, making sure no strands of hair were sticking out before she took a long breath. Denying his claim would only lead to more teasing, and she wasn't in the mood for that right now. "S-so… putting your rude assumptions aside, is there a particular reason you chose these outfits? They seem… familiar."

"Hm? You noticed?"

"Of course I noticed. It is pretty hard not to when, well…" The words suddenly got stuck in her throat, making it impossible for her to continue. Instead, a furious blush spread across her face when she realized his amber orbs were still lingering on her in expectation. She couldn't look back. Her heart might jump straight out of her body if she did.

"Anyway," she started, "should I assume we are going somewhere else tonight?"

"Oh, uh… yeah. I had something in mind, but-"

"I will find out soon enough. Right?"

A bright grin graced his handsome features, golden eyes squinted as he flushed a light red. "Yep."

"I figured." She crossed her arms, pouting, "You really enjoy keeping me in the dark today, don't you?"

"Ya think so?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"Huh… I never noticed."

"Of course you wouldn't," Erina scoffed, "Anyway, could you at least explain why you have been acting weird ever since we came here? I know you have, so don't even try to deny it. Even Yuri-san saw it."

"I have?" Arching a brow, the redhead watched Erina slap her forehead, frustrated beyond words. The corners of his lips twitched upwards, but he refrained from bursting into another fit of laughter right away. Probably because she was on the verge of a mental breakdown right about now.

He loved messing with her way too much.

"Oh why do I bother?"

"C'mon. I really do have no idea what you're talking about. Is there something specific I'm supposed to say?" She lowered her hand, only to pinch the bridge of her nose next when she heard the confusion in his tone.

And then, it happened again. His nervous neck rubbing. She grumbled. "Don't answer a question with another question, Mister. I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Soma… Answer. Now."

"Well…" the boy held out his hand to cup her cheek tenderly. He took a breath and opened his mouth but instead of blurting a decent reply, he swiftly pulled her towards him and kissed her. He bit her lower lip a little rougher than usual, indicating that he wanted her to stop asking more questions.

Clever bastard. Kissing her to distract her from all these thoughts. And she walked right into that trap without even blinking, mesmerized by the fire in his eyes. She could've tried to resist but instead, she just jumped straight at him like a hungry predator. Restless, and so on edge.

His lips were burning, tongue branding her mouth as his. She fidgeted as his hands started to travel, warm palms against silk. Shifting, Erina tried to position herself to dominate the kiss. However, before she got the chance to, he pulled away, a glorious smirk on his face when he winked at her. If the kiss had affected him just as much as it had her, he hid it pretty well, placing both hands back into his pockets like nothing had happened. Right in time too, as the sound of children's laughter echoed in their ears and forced the heiress to swallow hard just so she could come to her senses again.

How sneaky of him.

With gritted teeth, Erina took a step towards him and quickly pulled on his red tie before he could lean back, whispering right into his ear, "I'm going to get payback for this, Yukihira. Keep your guard up if you know what's good for you."

She shouldn't have said that. She knew she shouldn't have. But the cocky grin on his face forced her to take action of some sort. She couldn't just let him steal her breath and leave it like that.

But that was a mistake. His gaze turned from innocent to shock to unintentionally seductive in less than half a second, a roguish smile accompanying his next words as he leaned in, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Good," he said, brushing his lips against hers. "I accept. Nakiri."

And that was probably the worst thing he could've chosen to reply. The way he pronounced her name sounded like melting butter on a freshly grilled steak fillet. Tender and so enticing. Erina was sure, their patience would be tested on so many levels tonight, and neither he nor her would be able to do anything about it should it actually run out at some point.

She inhaled, slowly. Taking her time to enjoy the prickle of his lips so close to her own. "You will lose again."

"I don't think so."

"We will see about that." Another shaky breath was taken. Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Repeat.

Would he go in for a second kiss now? Maybe she should…

But then, "Oh my… You are a real beauty indeed, Erina! Makes me want to turn back time and relive my younger days." They jumped apart at Yuri's sudden outburst, not having noticed that they weren't alone anymore. Erina blushed, unable to meet the caretaker's eyes. "Ah yes, that would be something, wouldn't it?"

"Hey, Miss Yuri! Where are they going? Can I go too please?!"

"No fair! If Shido goes, I wanna come too!"

"Me too!"

"What were they doing anyway? Erina looks like she's sick or something."

Startled, the heiress almost tripped over her long gown as she took a couple of steps back, hands raised in front of her. "O-oh, no, I'm perfectly fine. No need to worry about it, Mei. I was just… surprised to see how late it has gotten, that's all. We were… checking the time on Soma's watch, you see?"

"Yeah… what she said." The redhead laughed awkwardly as the children eyed them with innocent wonder, pretending to fix his sleeve where his white hand-cloth was barely visible before they would figure out he wasn't wearing a watch to begin with. Then, he cleared his throat, "And it's a good thing we did too. I'm sorry, Yuri, but we really gotta go now."

"Oh don't mind me, boy. I should get these kids to bed anyway. Erina is right, it is getting rather late." She winked at the blushing girl as if knowing full well what had been going on between them a moment ago.

"W-what?!" Stepping forward, Shido first looked up at Soma, and then at his caretaker as he fiercely wiped the trace of chocolate from his mouth. "But I said I wanted to go too! Please, Miss Yuri!"

"Didn't you just tell me you wanted to have another slice of that delicious cake you and Erina baked together? I can't promise you that there will be any left if you leave now."

"B-but I… that's not fair."

There was a conflict raging in his eyes when Erina crouched down to ruffle his thick hair, a soft smile following her comforting words, "Hey now… What's with that face, huh? I thought you are a grown-up now?"

"I-I am…"

"Then don't cry. You are acting as if I will never come to visit you again."

"W-well… will you?"

"Of course I will, Shido. Why shouldn't I?"

"Because it's been so long since the last time you came here… D-do we have to wait two years again to see you?"

She couldn't answer immediately, a lump forming in her throat as she watched the boy's saddened expression. Her hand moved from his messy hair down to his cheek, stroking it before she sighed, "You are right, that was my mistake. I truly am sorry, Shido. It shouldn't have taken me this long… And to make up for it, what do you say I invite everyone here to visit me at the Nakiri estate in… let's say a few weeks from now? I know I might have promised this before, but this time, I am going to keep it. I guarantee it."

"R-really? W-we can…?"

She nodded, a wide smile settling on her lips. "I will show you around Totsuki. A future chef needs to have a peek of what's coming, right?"

"H-huh? Me? A-at Totsuki?"

"Exactly. You want to go there at some point, don't you? If you aim to be a chef, Totsuki is the only place for you."

"R-right… Right!" A shimmer of hope returned to Shido's almond shaped eyes as he surprised her with a vigorous hug, almost choking her on the spot. "You're the best, Erina… T-thank you so much!"

"H-hey, slow down. This doesn't mean anything yet. You still have to practice some more under Yuri-san's watch, you hear? The first step is to make something that all your friends can enjoy eating."

"Y-yeah, I can do it! I know I can! I'll practice super hard, I swear!" His small hands tightened around her, tears wetting her shoulder as he sniffled.

She doesn't care. Even if her hair ends up in a mess or the dress gets wrinkled from his hug, she wouldn't pull back. If it meant making up to this kid, she'll take it any day. "Hey now, I didn't tell you this so you could start crying again. Just remember, there is a ton of trial and error involved if you actually want to study at Totsuki. The competition is intense, so I expect you to be in top shape when you take that entrance exam in a few years, alright? And like I said; No more tentacle experiments."

"It's Squid! Get it right, would ya?!"

"Whatever!" With her brow twitching, Erina ignored the shout behind her to focus on Shido's overwhelmed expression instead. He looked so happy that she couldn't help but beam at him.

"Y-yes," he said, "I-I promise!"

"Then I suppose we have a deal." She laughed along with him, struggling to breathe as he squeezed even tighter.

"But Erina…" Yuri's hand on her shoulder forced the blonde to pull back from the child in her arms and look up behind her, "Are you sure he will be able to even go to a prestigious school like that? I-I mean, the money…"

"I'm sure we can arrange something there. Don't worry, Yuri-san. As long as he is serious about learning, we will make it happen. Like my grandfather always says, everyone with talent is welcome in our academy. There are no exceptions to that."

"I-is that so…?"

"Yep." With a confident smile, she turned back to a beaming Shido, ruffling his hair once again, "See? We will see each other a lot once you get into middle school. Problem solved, right?"

"Yeah! And I'm gonna be the greatest cook ever! You'll see!"

"Oh my? Are you now? That sounds familiar somehow…" She tapped her chin in thought, shaking her head when she heard a low chuckle behind her, "I remember there was someone else who used to say that a lot. Huh…"

"R-really? Who?"

"Well…" Winking at the curious child, she rose to her feet again, her smile brighter than before when she crossed her arms, "I think I let you find out who it is when you actually enroll. Right now, just do your best and keep on practicing. Who knows, you might even reach the top spot sooner than that particular person has. However, first, we will have some fun at the estate in a couple of weeks. We could even prepare another dinner together."

At that, Shido began to jump up and down in place with another 'yes', happily clapping his hands as he imagined what delicious food they would make when they saw each other again. And while Erina enjoyed watching him celebrate like that, her eyes eventually drifted over to a still chuckling redhead, hands resting in his pockets as he gave her a nod of approval. The intensity in his amber orbs was so magnetizing, it made her blush all over again. He wasn't doing it on purpose, but she knew those eyes would push her over the edge sooner or later. And she was fine with it.

"Alright, it's settled then. Now let's send our two guests off before things get too hot in here, shall we? I fear it won't take too much for these two to-"

"Y-Yuri-san! What are you saying?!"

The black-haired woman laughed, taking a step towards the front door, "What? It's not like I'm wrong. Or am I, Erina?"

'Why do I get the feeling she and Alice would make a perfect teasing duo?' The heiress's eye started to twitch, Soma grinning from ear to ear as he shook his head and made his way towards her.

"Sorry, Yuri. Dunno what you're talking about."

"Oh? Well, if you say so. I'll just leave it at that then."

Erina sighed, "Thank you…"

"Hey, Miss Yuri? I'm not going after all. Can I have another slice of cake now?"

The woman laughed when she felt Shido pull on her shirt, urging her to come to the kitchen with him. "You can have the biggest slice there is, kid. Let's just say goodbye to Soma and Erina first, alright?"

"No fair! I want the biggest slice!"

"You already had too many, Mei! I want the biggest slice now!" Zen's brows knitted together as he stared his friend down, not caring that there still was some chocolate staining the corners of his mouth.

"What are you talking about? Miss Yuri promised me! And it's my birthday!"

"Okay, you guys asked for it! We gotta have to race now! Whoever gets to the fridge first, wins the biggest slice of cake!"

"Deal!" And with both boys shouting their agreement to Mei's declaration of war, they hurried to say their goodbyes, expressing their excitement to see what Erina's house looks like before storming off, everyone else in a hurry behind them as well.

She had promised them all to personally come pick them up with a limousine. A 'long and fancy car', they had called it. The only condition? Soma had to come too, which she thought was a given anyway, but didn't say as much when the redhead agreed to 'tag along' with a bright grin.

Erina giggled as she watched Yuri shake her head at the screams echoing in the long hallway behind them, exchanging a quick glance with Soma before they waved their goodbyes.

"I'll see you in two weeks then. Be careful on your way, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Don't worry, Yuri. I got it covered!" The redhead smirked at their friend before taking the blonde's hand again, leading her further down the road.

"H-hey! Stop pulling me!"

"We gotta hurry though."

"Again?!"

"Yep! Just shout what cha need to tell her."

"That's…" She huffed, annoyed that this game was starting all over again before she tilted her head back and shouted, "T-thank you for everything, Yuri-san! It was an incredible evening!"

"Don't mention it, dear! Thank you for coming!"

This is ridiculous. Erina could understand that they should get a move on now, since darkness had already settled over the city when they stepped outside, but not even giving her enough time to thank Yuri properly… That's just rude. She would have to apologize when she saw them all again.

Sighing, Erina focused on the pavement in front of her as she let the day's events replay in her mind. They sure had a lot of fun back there. From the moment he had picked her up in the office, it was a constant rush of adrenaline. One moment they were here, the next, somewhere else entirely. And Erina had to admit, it had its charm.

"They really are a lovely bunch, aren't they?" she said, smiling fondly at the thought of them, "I'm glad they still remembered me."

"What d'ya mean? 'Course they remember ya. How could they forget?"

Her eyes drifted over to the boy watching her in confusion, brows knitted together as he awaited her answer. She sighed again, tilting her head back upfront, "It's just that… To be honest, I was a little worried when I saw them. I haven't visited this place for so long, I know I should have come sooner, but… What I mean is, I'm happy they weren't too mad at me."

"Oh… Well, there's nothing you could've done really. The school needed you. And you kinda had to prove to those investment guys that they could still rely on you, right? They kept a close eye on you, so you couldn't have left anyway."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but-" Erina's eyes widened, her head snapping towards him in surprise. "Wait… you knew?"

"Arato told me when I wanted to get ya out of your office one time. I figured it must've been a tough job to keep those people satisfied with you, so I left it at that."

"I-is that so…?" Her heart rate increased as she twisted her hands together. She should've guessed that he knew already. It was Soma, after all. And nothing got past him- when he tried. "Regardless, I could have visited them at least once."

"Don't overthink it, Erina. Those kids aren't stupid. They understand. You made them happy just by coming over today, and if you ask me…" His voice softened as he leaned a little towards her, "you did plenty to make up for all that time you haven't seen them too."

"Y-you think so? I had the impression that, maybe, I shouldn't have rushed Shido into studying harder to become a chef. I did say some harsh things to him, didn't I? He's still young, and-"

"You're kidding, right? That fellow's as stubborn as they come. I'm sure you lightened a fire under his butt with your prickly attitude, not the other way around. And if cooking really is his passion, you gave him some serious hope. I'm sure he'll make good use of that." He paused, grinning, "Well… ya could've said it a bit more nicely, now that I think about it. But hey, who cares? That kid loves ya."

"W-what? Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

"A compliment. I think…"

"You think?!"

He laughed, placing a few lost strands of hair behind her ear. "I'm kidding. That was a great idea. I didn't think you'd actually let him come to Totsuki someday. You gave that kid something to look forward to. A chance to reach something he couldn't have done on his own. Thanks, Erina."

She blushed. Hearing him say her name so tenderly did something to her stomach that she's unable to put into words. Instead, she tried swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, her gaze turned away from him when she spoke, "W-well, someone has to make sure he doesn't continue making those awful tentacle dishes, right? I'm sure he learned how real food is supposed to taste like after tonight."

"It's still Squid though…"

"Whatever!"

Shrugging, he released a chuckle at her outburst, "Damn, ya really hate those, don't cha?"

"Everyone does, Soma. That… thing should be banned from this country just so you can't experiment with it anymore."

"Ya only ate it once."

"And it was enough to make me vomit for a whole week."

He laughed at her disgusted expression, placing both hands behind his head before giving his reply, "Whatever. I'm sure I can come up with a great idea now that I know your weakness."

"Which is?"

"Chocolate."

"W-what?"

The redhead's grin widened when he turned to face her, "You ate more cake than anyone else, don't think I didn't see it. It'll be the perfect ingredient for my next Squid dish. And you have to eat it because you can't resist some good ol' chocolate."

"T-that's not true! I-I didn't eat that much!" Offended, Erina gaped at him before she narrowed her eyes, "And if you dare to do that, I swear, Yukihira Soma, I will bury you in so much paper work, you won't even have time to think about anything other than your next deadline!"

"Man… that's brutal." He shuddered, lips pressing together in a thin line, "And here I was thinking you're pretty good with kids. But you can be a lot scarier sometimes, huh?"

"…W-what?" Caught off guard, Erina's amethysts widened as she tilted her head to one side, eying him. "What do you mean?"

Soma shrugged before a bright grin appeared on his face again, "Just what I said. You're good with kids. I gotta say, it really was nice seeing you act so natural in there. You were relaxed for once."

"I-is that what it looked like? Really?"

"Yep. It could be 'cause of those kids. I barely did anything. They were all focused on you today. And that's something, if ya ask me."

"Oh… I-I suppose that could be true." A light breeze brushed her face as the blonde's smile grew even wider.

She's good with kids…This is the first time anyone has told her that. Wasn't Soma actually the one children adored? Clearing her throat, she glanced over at the grinning redhead, thoughts left unspoken. "Well then. We'll see if Shido still thinks I'm all that great once he makes it into the middle school division in a few years. I won't go easy on him."

"As if. I would call ya crazy if you did."

She laughed, not offended in the slightest, "Like you said, if cooking really is his passion, I might not even need to be cruel. He will become a fine chef sooner or later. But… I suppose there is nothing wrong with looking after him from time to time. We just have to be discreet and as inconspicuous as we can."

"We?"

"Hm?"

"You said 'we'."

Her face turned a furious shade of red, amethysts wide when she understood the hidden meaning behind his words, "N-never mind. I misspoke."

"No, no. You just said 'we', didn't ya? As in 'you and me, still being there when Shido enrolls'. I gotta say, you think ahead pretty far, don't cha?"

"S-seriously, is this what I get for sharing my thoughts with you?!"

She saw it in his eyes- the urge to laugh, the attempt to hold it in. He failed, naturally, and began to chuckle at the glare she sent his way. It ticked her off, but she decided to roll her eyes instead of freaking out and shouting at him in the middle of the empty street like a spoiled little girl- something that she probably would have done two years ago.

In reality, she had meant it. She could clearly see them visiting their underclassmen together in the next couple of years. Though the embarrassment of admitting that is simply too much to bear, even after all those years of dating. Would she ever get used to it? Probably not.

But over the time that they slowly got to know each other, Erina noticed that Soma really made an effort to understand her. He gets it eventually, even though she doesn't spell everything out for him. He often still thinks like a kid but he matured to a certain level as a boyfriend who could handle, and often times, match her quick-fire attitude. And for that, she is grateful.

"C'mon, I'm kidding, so chill out. I actually like it when you do that."

"H-huh?"

"Sharing your thoughts. You used to keep everything to yourself, remember? You've really changed, Erina. In a good way."

"O-oh, that…" With a deep breath, her eyes followed his towards the starry sky, the warm smile never leaving her features when she said, "I suppose so. I did learn quite a bit from you, after all. Like cooking from the heart and not and not judging a book by its cover."

"Whoa, hold on. Ya gettin' all mushy on me now?"

She huffed defensively, "I'm just saying that your role in my life was- what I mean is… you helped me view things a little differently than I used to. I'm thanking you, that's all."

The boy closed his eyes and shook his head, chuckling. "Don't worry, you did a lot for me too."

"S-so I've heard…"

"…Yuri?"

"Yuri."

"Should've known." He laughed, pulling out the keys for his bike from his pocket. She hadn't even noticed they had already arrived until he turned a corner and walked a bit faster along the pavement, leaving her a couple of steps behind.

All she saw now was his back when he stopped laughing and cleared his throat, never slowing down his pace as he spoke, "But I don't think I'm done learning from you yet… not by a longshot."

"You aren't? But after graduation, won't you…?" 'Leave?'

He finally tilted his head back towards her, the smile he wore as gentle as it could be, his amber eyes softer than she could've ever imagined. He just smiled at her without saying anything else, not needing to say anything else. His eyes did all the talking for him. But unfortunately for her, she didn't have enough time to interpret that particular expression. They had already found his motorbike, and with Soma turning around again and getting ready to depart, she was left pondering what he meant by that look. She racked her brain but in the end, she couldn't come up with anything.

So instead, she smiled at his back and shook her head, having found another question that was literally burning on her lips. "You won't blindfold me again for this one, will you?"

"Hmm… Ya want me to?"

"No!"

"Alright, then let's do it! Good thinking, Erina. It'll be fun."

"…Why did I even ask?"

…

Bathroom. She had to find a bathroom as soon as possible- assuming the place he was taking her to had one. There is only so much that she could take before her royal upbringing kicks in. And now, she's starting to feel the anxiety to fix her hair, her make-up, and her dress. She's starting to feel the discomfort of riding a motorcycle, the needles creeping on her bum, legs, and feet. What would it take for this goofball here to finally agree to use her car? She wondered. Her chauffeur is a friendly old man, and the perks- leather seats, air conditioning, drinks on demand- are frankly incomparable to his motorcycle. And she would remind him again of that once their little trip was over.

"How much longer will this take, Soma? It's been what? 20 minutes?"

"Almost there. Why do ya sound like you're about to make mincemeat out of someone?"

"Because I am!"

His merry laughter echoed in her ears, making her roll her eyes and huff right into his left ear. "Relax, your highness. It's right here." Slowing down again, Erina felt him turn the motorcycle around a corner before he stopped the vehicle completely. "See?"

"I can't see anything right now! Did you seriously forget you covered my eyes again?!"

"O-oh, right… Sorry." The twinge of nervousness in his voice was back, Erina heard it.

He cleared his throat and got off the vehicle, making the girl frown in confusion as she waited for him, "Remember, no taking off the headband."

"Yes, yes, I won't. Can you please help me up too now?"

"Yeah… sure."

"…Seriously, what is the matter with you today?"

"Dunno what cha mean. Everything's peachy."

"Soma…" she shook her head, unsure how to approach him, "Just tell me what's wrong already, would you? I'm getting worried." Again, he didn't. Instead, he laughed at her puffed out cheeks and just took her hand to gently guide her off his bike.

And for a moment, Erina could've sworn she felt his fingers brush against her thigh. Very lightly and only for the briefest of moments, but the contact was still there. With the blindfold on, her sense of touch is in full blast. Whether it was real or imagined, it didn't stop the rush of blood in her veins causing her to involuntarily hold a part of the slit of her gown close with one hand.

"No need to worry. I'm fine, I promise."

"If you say so…" Sighing, she adjusted the white cloth over her eyes while the redhead led her down yet another mysterious path, deliciously ignorant of the fact that she was in a constant struggle with herself ever since this evening had started. He wouldn't tell her what was wrong with him, and she wouldn't admit that she was trapped in a nonstop thinking-process about what every single one of her touches could mean to him- if it flustered him just as much as it did her. Being on edge all the time is honestly stressing her out.

"Alright, ya ready?"

"W-what? We are there already?"

"'Course we are. Seriously, Erina. Stop daydreaming, would cha?"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who has been spacing out since we stopped."

She pulled on his hand in a moment of frustration, unintentionally bringing his face closer to her own. His breath fanned the tip of her nose, but she did her best to ignore it when she spoke, "Now hurry up and get your hand-band off my face, so I can look at you!"

"W-wait… Now?"

"Of course now! When were you planning to take this off anyway? Don't be silly, please."

"A-ah, you're right. Got it." The slight startle in his voice made her giggle, her point proven.

And even though she's used to the fired-up and confident Soma, she finds that this side of him is just as charming. When he's so adorably unsure of what he is doing, Erina can't help but feel compelled to guide him the rest of the way.

She let go of his hand and gestured for him to step behind her, letting him undo the tight knot on the back of her head. She sighed in relief when the pressure on her face finally disappeared. If Soma would ask her to do it again, she'd decline on the spot. No matter how much he would beg with those puppy-eyes.

Taking his place back beside her, the boy tied the white cloth back around his wrist, visibly satisfied with his work. "There. What d'ya think?"

"Hold on a second." She blinked, finally getting whatever had been stuck in her left eye out before she glanced up again. "Just let me take a… look… first…"

And what she saw made Erina gasp. Her amethysts widened in shock at the familiar building in front of her. "Wha… what… have you…?"

"Surprised?"

"Of course I am! H-how did you… I mean…"

"Well…" Smiling, the redhead shrugged his shoulders, "How 'bout cha take a breather first."

Then, his soft expression vanished, his eyes glowing evilly under the bright streetlights. He turned away from her to bend forward and let a dark shadow settle over his face as he snickered, "Oh yeah. I knew it. That's one month without any fucking paperwork to worry about. You shouldn't have betted against a pro, Hayama. Told ya she'd be surprised. Too bad for you, buddy. I win."

"W-wait a minute… H-Hayama-kun? He knew?!"

"That guy seriously thought you'd expect me to bring you here tonight, but I sure proved his ass wrong. Man does it feel good to win!"

"Y-you did what? But…" She was confused. Her mind couldn't follow his words no matter how much effort she put into it. A bet? Again? "S-so I'm guessing this means we won't see him attend any meetings next week if he has to fill out of all those documents you were supposed to take care of?"

"Yep, we sure won't." He laughed, "Just wait 'till I tell him! Serves ya right, Hayama!"

Erina shook her head in disbelief, thinking Hayama's involvement is the least of her concerns right now. "W-whatever. I'm still confused… What are we even doing here, Soma? How did you-"

He shrugged, turning back to her, "Now ya know what the fancy get-up was for. Sure feels nostalgic, doesn't it?"

"It… it does, b-but…" Was he actually referring to the same event she had been thinking of all this time? Her lips felt too dry to speak anymore, forcing the heiress to wet them before she gulped down her sudden nervousness. "I-I don't understand. Back when we first came here, this place had been rented by Totsuki's sponsors and grandfather himself… W-what did you… how are we supposed to get in now?"

"Oh don't worry 'bout that. Haven't cha noticed? There's no one inside to begin with."

"What…?" Her eyes drifted back towards the massive building in front of them, its lights illuminating every hallway she could spot through a window. He's right. There is no sign of a gala event being held at the moment. The banquet hall is empty, and yet, the double doors are wide open, with guards in back suits standing on each end. "But how… is this even possible?"

"Does it matter? C'mon, Erina, you're way too stiff. Relax already, would ya? Let's go in."

"You seriously rented the hall… No, wait. Was it Grandfather? But he's not here…"

"Hello? Erina? You okay there?" He waved a hand in front of her face, snickering when she didn't respond right away.

"Huh…?"

"C'mon, let's get a move on. I can tell you everything later if you really wanna know." Without another word, the young chef merely offered her his bent elbow, his grin too precious to worry about anything else. So she complied. Her shaking hand held on to his arm very naturally, her cheeks warm and her smile shy when she looked up at him.

"Y-you sure are crazy, Yukihira Soma…"

"Seriously? That's all ya got for me?"

"It's the biggest compliment I could give you. Don't push it."

"Oh I don't think so. There is something you could tell me that's way better than this. And you know damn well what I'm talkin' about."

"Unfortunately, you know just as well that it's a satisfaction I won't give you. You can make me admit whatever you want, but your… plebeian cooking is out of the question."

"Is that so? You make it pretty hard not to challenge you to a Shokugeki sometimes, ya know that? I'm practically itching to give that tongue of yours another taste of my food. It always curls up whenever you like it."

"I-it does not! How dare you pay so close attention to that!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! You shouldn't make those sounds if ya don't want me to stare! They're really hard to miss!"

"W-wha…" A furious blush spread across her face, reaching even the back of her neck as she struggled with her words, "I-I do not make any sound while eating!"

"Yes, ya do. Want me to record it next time?"

"O-of course not!"

"And that pretty much proves ya like my cooking. I just gotta make ya admit it out loud and everything's good."

"I don't enjoy your cooking, Yukihira Soma. Forget it." She huffed, eyes wandering over the glorious hall as she answered him, "But, I suppose this hardly gets you to stop, so… You have a lifetime to try anyway. Feel free to let me know when you give up."

It wasn't supposed to sound weird. Not at all. But the few stumbles in Soma's steps made the blonde somewhat question her own words. She looked up at his tense features. Was this a drop of sweat she spotted on his brow?

"Y-yeah, fine. Say whatever ya want, I'm not quittin'."

"…Seriously. You said I was the stiff one, but look at you. You can't even walk straight."

"What? No way. You're imagining things."

"Am I really?"

"Yeah. I'd say."

"I don't know about that, Soma. You just… you have been acting pretty weird today. Throw me off as much as you like, but I'm not letting this go until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nope, nothing to tell here!" He laughed, the sound fake to the core. It was amusing to see him stutter and freak out over the smallest of her observations, despite how worried she was about him. For once, the roles were reversed, and Erina couldn't help but enjoy herself teasing him.

She giggled, shrugging her left shoulder and focusing on her surroundings again. "Alright then… I will ask again later."

He tensed up again, but didn't answer her this time. Erina didn't mind. The empty banquet area simply required all her attention.

The state of her dress, as well as the plan to find a bathroom and fix her hair was forgotten. She simply took the majestic architecture in, the large spaces that were usually filled with thousands of people, those tight hallways she used to hide in as a child whenever someone came looking for her. It feels like a completely new experience now. So much more enticing.

"By the way… where are we going? Another tour?"

He smirked, scratching his chin as if in deep thought. "Well…"

"Come on, Soma. You can share with me at least this much, can't you?"

"…Nah. Don't wanna."

"Are you kidding me?!" She was losing her patience, and he knew it very well, judging from the light chuckle escaping his throat at her comical expression.

"Just come on. You'll see soon enough where we're going."

"Fine…" She let him pull her towards the wide staircase with a pout, eyes briefly taking note of the few old men standing suspiciously close to the different instruments spread out on the wide stage. An orchestra perhaps?

Soma towed her up the stairs, all the way to the very last floor. And with each step she took, her hand in his began to tremble ever so slightly. He's taking her to the terrace… the one place that has the most vivid memories of the day they first came here.

When they arrived, he gently pushed the glass door open, gesturing for her to go outside first before following close behind her. It was just like she had done back then. Erina remembered it so well, one might think this happened not two years ago but literally just yesterday.

'Welcome to the most beautiful spot in the entire building, monsieur Yukihira.'

Taking a hold of her hand again, he led her across the white, marbled floor, past the same tropical trees she had so excitedly pointed out to him on their first visit, and right to the glass railing on the other end of the terrace, eyes kept up front the whole time while Erina found herself looking around with parted lips.

Nothing had changed around here. It still held the same exotic elegance it used to, the same dim lighting, and the same cozy atmosphere. Even the deckchairs and the glass tables around the pool were untouched.

They leaned on the railing, taking in the salty air from the port down below and listening to the faint crash of the waves against the shore in silence.

'I had no idea we were so close to the ocean.'

And the time of night only added to the memories replaying in her mind.

"Weird how we only managed to come back here after so long, huh?"

"Y-yeah, I suppose so… We were very busy with the school."

He tilted his head towards her, seeming to admire her appearance in the dim lighting before he grinned gleefully. "A lotta stuff happened back then, didn't it? You, hiding from Gramps and all."

"I-I wasn't hiding. How absurd. I was only cooling my head in the garden. But of course, a certain someone had to march in and disturb my peace."

"The old man asked me to look for ya. How was I supposed to know you wanted to be alone?"

"Wasn't it obvious?"

"…No."

She stifled a laugh as her eyes drifted back to the port, the cold breeze brushing her face gently. "Typical. You really had no idea what you put me through, did you?"

"Honestly, I kinda didn't want to think too much about your weird behavior back then. I'd a feeling it had something to do with me, and I said as much too, but… I had my own stuff to figure out first."

"Really? And what was that?"

'Well, since we can't get back inside, we might as well have some fun here, right? …Let's dance.'

His grin turned into a soft smile, arms still resting on the railing when he closed his eyes and leaned back, "Finding out why I couldn't focus on my cooking at that time, for example. I didn't want you to see it, but I was really freaking out, ya know."

'Alright then, let me teach you. …You feel my feet slowly moving back and forth, right? …So when I take a step forward, you take one back and vice versa.'

"O-oh…"

"But there was no escaping you- I can't and didn't wanna do that anyway, so… I thought, maybe some things would become clearer if I just let it play out. Man was I wrong though…" With a low chuckle, he leaned back in, most of his body now supported by the railing, "You, how I felt about you, about us… it didn't make sense at all. It was too hard to figure out."

"I suppose… Then again, I never understood what I actually wanted from you either. It was so frustrating." She sighed, resting her chin on her palm. "Those were some rough times, huh?"

"Oh yeah, you can say that again. I don't think I ever felt so confused in my life. You really are something, Erina."

"Right… I can say the same for you. Although, for what it's worth, I'm glad you didn't stay away from me. At least not completely."

"Really?"

She smiled at the surprised tone in his voice, "Really."

"Whoa… didn't see that coming…" the young chef cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, "Well then, I'm glad too. But now, you'll have to deal with me sticking around whether ya want to or not. And I'm not sure if you can manage that." He grinned.

With her head still in her palm, Erina giggled, eyes wandering over to him when she spoke, "I have no doubt I can handle you. And I wouldn't have it any other way either. You have to stay right where you are, or else I'll be pissed."

"Deal."

Silence took over, pulling them both back into their own thoughts. Until now, Erina hadn't noticed that the distance between them had shortened, and that their arms were touching. She hadn't paid attention to the sound of music playing in the background either, causing her to arch a brow. Recalling the few men she had seen downstairs, she couldn't help but wonder now if this was a coincidence or a part of Soma's plan as well. She wouldn't be surprised if it was. He truly had thought about everything tonight.

'Not bad, you really got the hang of it now.'

'Told ya I would. You impressed with my moves, or what?'

'Not on your life. There still are too many flaws in your footwork. I'm afraid you have to try a lot harder to impress me.'

'…Can do.'

"So… Masamune-san will be released next year."

"Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that. Ya still going over there to check on his mom?"

A deep sigh escaped her throat, eyes closing as she listened to the music in the background.

"I do," she said, "Regularly. Though, it's only to confirm for myself that everything is probably taken care of. A promise is a promise, after all."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"But I have to say, the caretaker I hired sure does a good job. I think she actually grew fond of Masamune-san's mother."

"Ya think so?" Soma's grin widened as he leaned closer towards her in curiosity, letting the ocean breeze brush his hair out of his face. "How'd you know?"

"She always brings a recipe book with her to surprise the old lady with new and unique dishes. It's a lot of effort if you think about it. A really sweet gesture."

"Oh, like how I'm trying to make ya something new every time, huh?"

"T-this is different. You just do it because you want to satisfy your own ego. That girl is not like that. She can't get any praise, even if she wants to. But regardless, that doesn't stop her from doing her best."

"…And how's that any different than what I'm doing?"

"Y-you…" Her cheeks heated, brows knitting together as the heiress tried to brush him off, "Her purpose is to feed Masamune-san's mother, yours is to get a few silly words out of me. She doesn't aim to impress anybody."

"Aha… I still don't get it."

"H-hmph, I would be surprised if you did." The heiress held back a giggle when she saw the lost expression on his features. He really didn't get it.

"Oh well." He shrugged, no longer interested in that topic. "So then, guess this means she's not that bad in the kitchen, huh?"

"I… suppose she's not."

"That's great! Maybe she'll even keep the job after 'flower boy' comes back."

"Yeah, maybe…" A few seconds passed before the heiress faced him again with thoughtful eyes, taking a slow breath, "Do you think we will see them again someday?"

"Oh for sure. We still owe him the Shokugeki of a lifetime, remember? He's gotta come over for a visit to play judge."

The heiress laughed, their conversation about Masamune's interest in Totsuki's traditional cooking battle fresh in her memory. "That's true. And despite everything, I really do hope he won't have a hard time adapting to his old lifestyle again. Staying in prison for such a long time is bound to change people one way or another."

"I don't think that guy's gonna change so easily. He acted out of his conscience to save you, and he did what he did for his family. Three years can't break a person like that. He'll be fine."

"You say it like you have actually gained some experience in that field. Don't tell me you've been sent to prison before, Soma." Raising a brow at him, she watched as the redhead shook his head, an amused expression on his face.

"Nah, just guessing. If three years isn't enough time to get ya to admit that you like my food, how can it be enough to make a completely new person out of flower boy? I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Oh my. You really want me to say it out loud, don't you?"

"Duh. I'm dying to hear it."

"Well…" Two fingers brushed over her bottom lip as she shifted her palm to a more comfortable position under her chin, pretending to be in deep thought. Then, she just laughed and gave the redhead a sly wink, "Just keep wishing then. It will never happen."

"That's so unfair. For a second, I thought you were actually gonna say it."

"It is what it is. I'm sorry."

They fell into comfortable silence once more, each gazing at the wide ocean until Soma shifted a little closer, his expression soft when he looked over at her. "Hey, Erina?"

"Hm?"

"I know we haven't had the chance to talk about this in a while, but… how are you holding up? Still having those nightmares about that guy?"

"…Not as often as I used to. There is this weird feeling coming back every now and then, but the medicine helps me get right back to sleep whenever I do wake up. With the way it's going, I think I won't even need them at all soon. But, that's just my own opinion." She huffed, closing her eyes when the concern in Soma's gaze became too much for her to handle, "Honestly, it's not gone but with time and everyone's support, I feel strong enough to get past it. So don't worry."

"Gotcha. I'm really glad to hear that, but… don't rush anything, 'kay? If you feel like you still need the medicine to sleep, just keep it. No one's judging ya because you have 'em."

She sighed again, still unable to look at him, "I know. But I don't like them, Soma. I'm not comfortable taking them. It's too… weird. Plus, I get very sleepy during the day. Those pills just irritate me."

"Still. You should keep 'em around just in case. I don't wanna hear ya scream at night ever again. It scared the shit outta me the first time, ya know." A playful nudge against her arm made Erina laugh. She felt him shift beside her again before her head landed on his shoulder, a smile of content on her lips.

"Alright, I hear you. So… how about you? You had nightmares too, after all. Any better?"

"Yeah… I'm fine. It's not so bad."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I already dealt with it a while ago."

"That's good. You were quicker to get over it than I was." She paused, contemplating whether or not she should actually voice her next thoughts. After a while, she decided to just go for it. It was him, after all. She could always talk to him.

"You know, sometimes…" she began slowly, "I mean, don't make fun of me for what I'm about to say, but… sometimes, I wish you could still sleep right next to me. Having you beside me helps me relax, and I could fall asleep a lot faster than trying on my own."

"Yeah… Same here."

"R-really?"

He nodded, the gentle smile never leaving his features when he placed his lips on her crown and rested his head above hers. "Really." He squeezed her affectionately, staying like that for a few moments, reveling in her softness.

'So, you impressed yet?'

'K-keep dreaming.'

"And the stuff with your mom…"

"All dealt with. Her grave looks a lot better now thanks to the new tombstone I ordered. It really needed to be taken care of."

"That's good, but you know I'm not asking about that, Erina. How're you feeling now that you go to visit her more frequently?"

"O-oh…" Pausing for a moment, she closed her eyes to think, her heart calm, "I miss her. But I finally let go. It's enough for me to know that she's up there watching over us. Both our mothers are."

"Yeah… they are. That's a really nice way of looking at it."

"It's what I learned from you."

"You did?"

"Of course." She smiled at his second squeeze, feeling comfortable with his chin resting on her head. They didn't say anything for a while after that, just watched as more waves met the shore down below, the ocean breeze fanning their faces lightly.

But then, Soma suddenly took a step back, grinning at her as he held out one hand, "So. Wanna dance?"

"W-what?" Her amethysts locked with his citrine ones before moving down towards his outstretched hand between them. His grin was even wider now, and Erina could see the amusement in his eyes. Just like back then.

"Let's dance."

"D-do you even remember how to dance?"

He shrugged, still grinning. "Partly? See it as practice for the graduation party. I gotta have a dance with the headmaster at some point there, right?"

"I-I suppose…" With her heart racing, she took his hand and allowed the boy to guide her back towards the center of the terrace. He placed both palms on her lower waist the same time she curled hers around his neck, their bodies slowly beginning to sway back and forth to the rhythm of the violin playing downstairs.

This time, there was no press to worry about, no Nakiri Senzaemon looking for them, no haste to get out of this place. Just them and the music. Erina couldn't believe how comfortable she was in the redhead's arms, how much she wanted to stay here until dawn.

Her hands tightened around his neck ever so slightly, their steps in perfect sync, and unlike last time, neither of them felt the need to fight back the feelings they shared. He dipped and twirled her around him as if he had done it a million times over, leading the dance with such confidence that Erina wondered if it even could be called 'practice' anymore.

He spun her out of his hold, let her twirl a few times on her own before pulling her back in, the heiress seeing her chance to do something she had done on pure reflex back on their very first dance up here. She slung her exposed leg around his torso once the momentum was there, lifting herself up a little to be at eye-level with him- trusting him to hold her in place.

And he did. As if knowing this would happen, he held on to her bare thigh with one hand, the other pushing her body up by pressing against her rear. She didn't care. Not now. She just enjoyed the feeling of him everywhere around her, his hands on her skin, his warm breath fanning her face.

'What are you doing, Nakiri? …You know this spells trouble for both of us, right?'

She leaned in, and rested her forehead against his. They tried to catch their breaths, calm their frantic heartbeats before Soma pulled back and placed a tender kiss on her crown- as if he knew very well what he would risk if his lips were to land anywhere else.

His hand lifted from her thigh for a second to undo the knot in her hair, letting it fall down her bare back as he threw the hairpin over his shoulder and got back to holding her thigh. Her surprise was written in her eyes when she stared past his head, pouting over the lost item. "What are you doing? The hair-do might've looked bad, but was it really necessary to throw the barrette?"

He shook his head in amusement, smirking. "Looked bad? Ya kidding me, right? You looked amazing. But this," his hand came up once more, this time to run his fingers through her silky hair, "this is how I like it best. This feels more you."

'Look, I… I have no idea what's happening to me lately. You- it's somehow tied to you and… I can't really think straight right now, so…'

She smiled gently at his earnest words, burying her face in the crook of his neck to avoid showing him the deep blush on her face.

'What- what are we doing, Yukihira?'

'I don't know… but, damn it Nakiri, you've gotta stop me. Please.'

He released her thigh only reluctantly when the music gained a faster rhythm, Erina stepping back only to rush forward again with a wide grin on her face. She pushed him further against the glass wall behind them, making him stumble for a moment.

"This might be a bit too fast for you," she breathed, "so we should start with some basic steps first. Just to ease you into it. There won't be just slow music playing at the graduation party, after all, and I don't think either of us would want you to embarrass yourself."

He huffed out a breath, taking a hold of her wrist before she had the chance to move away. "Screw that." With one swift motion, he yanked her towards him, pressing her body against his as he turned them around. Now, it was her who felt the cold glass on her back.

Seemingly not in the mood to give her questioning eyes an explanation, the boy just locked their lips together with impressive haste, sliding his tongue across her bottom lip and gripping her hips almost painfully. She complied without hesitation, parting her lips to allow their tongues to finally meet.

He tasted delicious, as always. There was even a faint flavor of chocolate left from their shared treat at the orphanage earlier, and Erina couldn't get enough of it. Her eyes closed as she tilted her head to get more friction between them, eagerly pressing her chest against his.

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

'I-I don't… I-'

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

Her hands tightened around his neck, her lips moved in perfect harmony with his, nibbling and biting, sucking and licking over every spot that she's able to reach. After a heartbeat, she strayed from his lips to his jawline, his throat, his collarbone. He was pure temptation- a temptation she was all too willing to jump into.

Throwing her worries, her hesitation, her insecurities to the sea breeze, she decided to just enjoy herself right here in the now, finding her self-restraint worth the wait. This was insane on multiple levels, and Erina loved it.

'I live for my cooking, Nakiri. If I start losing focus on that, then… I don't want this, okay?'

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

"Damn it, Erina. You know what you're doing right now? Pushing me. Too hard." His hands now wandered up and down her bare back before settling at her rear again, squeezing the shaped flesh underneath her gown as his lips moved down towards her sensitive neck. Erina immediately threw her head back to give him as much space as he needed, the sensation of him placing soft kisses along her collarbone driving her crazy the longer he did it. She was losing herself, and she didn't mind one bit.

"And you think you are the… only one who is being pushed to his limits here? That's foolish." She gasped when he bit down, licking over the spot in tender care.

"Guess this means we both lost the game, huh?"

"W-we… we did… Call it a draw?"

He bit down again, getting dangerously close to her chest. "Fine," he said before placing heated kisses all along her décolleté. She was seriously tempted to just throw the piece of clothing off, but couldn't thanks to well-placed straps at the back. "We can do that."

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

She struggled to slide the black jacket off his broad shoulders, grinning mischievously when it finally landed on the floor next to them. Loosening his tie and opening the first few buttons on his shirt were next on her list. If only he could stop landing heavy kisses on her décolleté for a second…

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

'S-so you weren't… I-I was wrong?'

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

'B-because you are scared?'

Finally free of his tie, she pulled Soma towards her with surprising force, the heiress wasting no time to spin them around so that she had all the access she wanted to his neck and shoulders.

Would this really happen right now? After so many years of waiting- of yearning. Could she allow the rule to be broken?

'Pathetic.'

She was getting restless. After all, she had been both expecting and fearing this moment the entire evening. And the memories of their last confrontation on this terrace kept on coming up, both dread and insecurity tugging at the back of her mind.

"H-hey, Erina? Wait a sec. As much as I hate to stop… before this goes on, I think I gotta tell ya something first."

She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, lips brushing against the skin of his chest as she muttered, "Now?"

"Better do it now, or else I'm gonna lose my nerve completely."

She cleared her throat, straightening up, "A-alright." Panic slowly creeped in. She took a step back, looking at him properly.

Soma looked uneasy, taking several big breaths, looking away from her as he rubbed the back of his neck. It seemed so unusual. Why would his confidence fade away like that all of a sudden?

Erina willed herself to calm down. He did call her out on overthinking earlier. She shouldn't get right back to it. So, she folded her hands together and waited.

A few seconds passed without them saying anything, only the sound of the instruments down below filling the silence between them as the redhead struggled to keep his anxiety in check. After a rather strong shake of his head, she started to worry, after all, reaching a hand out to him, "Soma… are you alright?"

He looked straight into her eyes, his serious tone causing her to pull her hand back, "You know… there was actually another reason I brought you here tonight. Not just 'cause of an anniversary."

She nodded slightly. "Go on."

"Well… it was something I thought about a lot in the past couple of weeks. I wasn't sure where to start or how to do it exactly, so… I-it might even be too early, I dunno. But… I realized I truly wanted this. For a long time." She noticed a thin layer of sweat forming on his skin. He looked a bit shaken, as if she's breaking his silence on a really big decision. A very rare look on a commonly bright and confident face.

Could it be…? A memory earlier today suddenly popped out. When she tried asking him of his plans after graduation, his response was a warm but cryptic smile. Just a smile, nothing more.

And right now, his eyes- although mostly on her- were shifting back and forth between the ground and the glass railing on the other end of the terrace. Erina swallowed.

"At first I talked to Dad about it. Just to see what he would think of the idea, and if he'd support it. And he did. Well, with a few rules of his own to add, of course." He sighed, as if disappointed about something.

She tried to focus on what he's saying but a puzzle piece with a picture of Saiba Joichiro, honing his abilities as a chef by travelling around the world, started to form in her mind. The thought began to get a bit bitter when the face of her idol was suddenly replaced with Soma's. She smiled regretfully, trying not to interrupt him.

"Then, I called Gramps. He told me to go for it right away, which was a bit weird if ya ask me. He seemed even more on edge than I was when he heard the news."

Wait... he also talked with her grandfather? Unable to hold it, she blurted out in a shaky voice, "Soma, I don't understand… w-what is this about?"

A shake of his head was all the answer she got before he moved on, now visibly more focused than he had been earlier, "Next was Arato. Since I had already made up my mind, I just needed her to help me out with the details. You know, all that stuff I didn't think I needed."

"Wait. Hisako?" He's preparing for something- something that she doesn't know but her best friend can help with. Possibly requests… to take care of her? More puzzle pieces form.

"Yeah. She was really great. I definitely owe her one."

Good God… he can't possibly be… leaving? Is this how he felt when she suddenly took off? She desperately fought off rebellious tears that started to gather in her eyes. 'Stay strong,' she told herself. To no avail.

"S-so you want to… And you couldn't tell me sooner?" She swallowed again, feeling nothing actually go down her throat.

"Well, no… This isn't exactly something I can just blurt out anywhere, you know. I wanted to wait until… the timing was right."

"Oh…" She trembled.

It's only natural. He had always talked about his wish to see what his father had seen, to experience everything he had and possibly even more. He wanted to follow his passion, even if that means leaving her. She already knew it would come to this eventually, but… it still hurt. What kind of goodbye is this? All the trouble of dressing up, coming here, asking about her well-being… just so he could tell her what she dreaded to hear the most? It isn't fair.

With her lower lip trapped between her teeth, Erina watched him take another deep breath, no longer rubbing his neck. He then moved on to pull something out of his back pocket, slowly lowering himself to one knee right in front of her before he raised his hand and opened the small, velvet box. And the shock kicked in.

Now more serious than nervous, he looked up at her, and his passionate, piercing gaze froze the tears to a halt, "You told me earlier that I had a lifetime to challenge you and prove how good I am. I'm taking you up on that. I want that lifetime to try my best for you. If you let me… I wanna take this as far as I can." his face settled into a tender smile, channeling all his courage into letting her know how he feels about her, "Will you marry me, Erina?"

She stumbled a couple of steps back, hands pressed firmly against her mouth as she took in the full view in front of her. The last of her resolve to stop the tears was fully blown away.

He isn't… leaving? She got it wrong? Erina hiccupped, more tears falling.

He is proposing… actually proposing marriage.

A warmth she had never felt before spread inside her stomach, all the way up to her cheeks. There was no describing the happiness she felt, the overwhelming love and desire to be with this foolish man for the rest of her life. The man who had successfully broken in all her walls one by one, the man who had managed to spark her anger more times than she could count, the man who always greets her with a wide grin and unwavering passion in his eyes. Never in a million years had Erina imagined to be tied forever to someone like him, to fall in love with such a pure soul. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world.

Stepping back towards him, she let her hands fall back on her sides as she gave him the brightest smile she had ever worn on her face. She was still trembling when she answered him, "Y-you idiot… as if I could refuse after that." And she would carry those words with pride.

"…W-wait, seriously?"

"What? Were you expecting something else?" She ignored the wetness on her cheeks as she glared down at him in fake irritation, trying to contain her gushing happiness. "I can always take that back if you like," she said, but still allowed him to take her hand and place the ring on the right finger. It fit perfectly.

He grinned, relief written all over his face. "Hell no. Get ready for some nasty competitions on a daily basis. I'm not gonna let ya go ever again."

"Hmph, as if you could. I'm not moving an inch away from you. And if it's a challenge you want, you should get ready to lose on a daily basis instead."

"This means war then, Erina. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

She laughed, falling onto her own knees to be at eye-level with him. "I think I have a pretty good idea…"

"Oh yeah?" Brushing the tears out of her face with his thumb, the boy grinned even wider, excitement barely contained. "Ya sure you do?"

"Pretty sure, yes. And it will be the most brutal war you have ever faced, I guarantee it."

"Yeah, true. But ya know what? I'd like that. Bring it on."

And with that, he pulled her in for a long embrace, they both laughing and clinging to each other as the music continued to play in the background. Never in her wildest dreams could Erina have predicted that this was how their night together would come to an end- that she would walk out of this building with a shining ring on her finger and a new promise for life. With this, she had everything she could've ever asked for.

And hopefully, her mother could see her happiness as well, one thumb lifted while grinning at her daughter in pride.

'Let him love you, sweetie.'

She finally knew how she could do that, knew how she could show her own in return. Two years ago, Alice had asked what the redhead had in mind for his proposal, and now, they would be able to finally give her cousin the answer she had been waiting for. The most incredible answer ever.

"And here I thought you were going to tell me that you'll leave me soon to travel around the world like Saiba-sama did."

"Huh? Why would I do that?"

"Well, because… I don't know. You don't want to?"

He pressed her trembling body tighter against him, chuckling. "I do. But if I'd leave this place, do ya honestly think I wouldn't take you with me?"

"You… want me to come with you?" That, she hadn't seen coming. Erina smiled against his neck, overjoyed at the possibility of a whole new adventure with him.

"Duh. I'm not going anywhere unless you come to. But let's not talk about that now. We have a lotta time to think 'bout all the stuff we wanna do later, right?"

"R-right…"

"And, Erina?" His tone changed into a more serious one again, the boy squeezing her against his chest as he spoke, "Thank you… I mean it. I didn't think you'd actually agree to marry me."

"I would be an even bigger fool than you if I had refused. And I can't risk someone else taking what's mine."

He snickered delightfully, lips pressing firmly against her temple, "Fair enough. The same goes for you though. You're stuck with me for life now."

"I'm fine with that."

They settled into comfortable silence, hugging each other as if their very lives depended on it. Erina still couldn't stop crying, and by now, Soma had given up trying to wipe her eyes dry. It had no use anyway. So instead, he simply kissed the top of her head over and over again, showing her affection she never thought possible. Especially from him.

What was going to happen next was something they both eagerly awaited. Telling all their friends about the engagement, choosing a suitable date with her grandfather and Saiba-sama… it would be rough putting all the focus they had left on the last step of their education now that a wedding was among the list of things to look forward to. But they would have to manage. Somehow.

A wedding. With Soma… She still couldn't believe it. No matter how long she watched her new ring shine in the dim light around them, she just couldn't wrap her head around it. They would actually become husband and wife.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Are we even allowed to get married at seventeen?"

She felt him shrug against her shoulder, a smile spreading on her face when he snorted at her question. "Dunno. But if Gramps told me to go for it and ask you right away, I think he might have something in mind to get past whatever rule states that we can't. I wouldn't worry about it too much. He'd come right back here to take care of it if he really wants to."

"Yes, fair point. Another question though. What made you decide to do it now of all times? Did something happen?"

"Not really. I just thought 'why not', since we're almost graduating and all. I was mainly waiting for that to be over."

"Which clearly you couldn't. We haven't graduated yet."

"Well, it's your fault."

"M-my fault? How so?"

Laughing, the boy placed a few strands of hair behind her ear, eyes squinted when he answered, "You made it too hard for me to wait. It was all because of that look you gave me every time I came into the office."

"Hm? What look?" She leaned back, curious eyes meeting his as he smiled down at her.

"…That one."

"O-oh…" A furious blush spread across her cheeks when he gave her a sly wink. "So then… you always were set on marrying me?"

"'Course. You had doubts?"

She shook her head, the movement soft as she rested her head back on his shoulder. "Not really. I just didn't think you would… actually go through with it, that's all."

"Sounds like doubting to me."

"I assure you, it's not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is- you know what? Never mind. Maybe I have doubted you. But only a little."

Again, he pressed her harder against his torso, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent. "Don't ever do that, you hear? You're the only one I'd ever want to get married to. It's all I've been thinking about."

"Which explains why you have been so forgetful lately." Leaning back, she grinned at him with squinted eyes, no more tears left to blur her vision. "And why you were so nervous today. I finally have my answer."

"Yeah, right. Very funny. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack back there, ya know. This is some nerve-wracking business, I tell ya that."

"Oh I believe you. You looked terrified."

"Pfff, Come on, not that much. Uneasy, at best."

"No, no. I'm telling you, it was fear. I could see it in your eyes. For a second, I feared you might actually pass out. Good thing you pulled yourself together in time, or else I would have called for some help."

"Hey! I told you, I wasn't. As if I'd be scared." He rolled his eyes before the corners of his lips stretched into a crooked smirk, one that caused the small hairs on her neck to rise in alarm. "More importantly, though… Now that that's settled, did you just admit ya lost our bet earlier? Because I could've sworn you did. Right into my ear."

She knew it. "T-that's not an appropriate thing to ask right after I agreed t-to marry you, you fool! A-and besides… so did you! It was a draw. Nothing to brag about."

"Oh, but if I hadn't stopped ya when I did, you would've jumped at me without a second thought, wouldn't cha? Like I was your dinner or something."

"W-what are you talking about?! It wasn't like that at all!" She rose to her feet quickly, walked back to the glass door, and grumbled when she almost stumbled over her own dress. "So shameless."

Ah, c'mon!" Rushing after her, the boy placed both hands behind his head as he began to chuckle. "Admit it, you looked kinda hungry there, Erina. Did you see me as a piece of chocolate? It's fine, you can admit it."

"S-stop it! I did not!"

"Yeah, I bet ya did. Damn… I had no idea I could get cha all riled up like that. Kinda makes me wonder how long it'll take 'till you actually-"

"I-I said stop!" Her steps got quicker, her embarrassment overbearing at this point. She couldn't face him any longer, so she just climbed back down the stairs with parts of her gown safely tucked away in one hand to help her avoid tripping over her own feet this time.

"Hey, could ya let me try it again?"

"T-try what?" She shouldn't have asked.

"Well, there was this one spot that kinda got me curious, and-"

Yes, she really shouldn't have. "N-no!"

"Aw, why not? I wanna touch it again."

"Not on your life, idiot! L-leave me alone!" She heard the redhead following close behind her, his laughter contagious despite the frown on her face.

Every now and then, her eyes would shift down to the new ring sparkling beautifully under the bright chandelier. It was the most valuable possession she had now, the greatest of all her jewelry. She would treasure this ring to the day she died, show it off with pride whenever she could, and just enjoy the feeling of it on her finger until it was replaced with the one she would carry for the rest of their lives together.

"C'mon!" Soma snickered behind her, "Ya were about to lemme do even more if I hadn't-"

"T-that's enough! I swear, Yukihira Soma, if you say one more word, I am going to throw you out the window! S-so vulgar! I cannot believe you!"

"But I wanna know what happens if I touch that one spot again!"

"T-too bad for you, because I don't! N-now stop following me, you pervert!"

His laughter got louder, "Oh man, I can't wait to marry ya! This look is so priceless, I gotta see it every day!"

"W-would you stop it already?!"

"And those sounds you made… damn. I don't think I'll ever get enough of that! Best thing is, I didn't even do all that much! It was all you!"

"Forget it! I-I changed my mind! No wedding! Stay far away from me, you hear?! Idiot!" He cracked up all over again at her embarrassed shriek, following his new fiancée all the way down the stairs as he continued to tease her.

At this point, the terrace was completely empty again, only the sound of hysterical laughter filling the large space that was normally used for celebrations. No one would ever know that here, on this very terrace, something outstanding took place. No one would ever guess that right here, the two most famous chefs-to-be had decided to face the storm of culinary greatness together, to share the rest of their lives with one another.

Because here, only the ocean breeze and the stars above would serve as their witnesses. A fact that wouldn't change for many years to come- years of freedom, happiness, and peace. For the couple that is going to make a step towards a better future.

Together.

---

Wooooowwwww! And there you have it. The very end of our little story!

I can't believe it's actually over! Damn, that was a fun ride! So many amazing people I got to meet, so many amazing reviews I was given the pleasure of reading! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much for all your time, guys! I really appreciate every single one of you! And I really hope I'll see you all again for the next story lamperouge rolo and I are hopefully gonna tackle together- whenever that's gonna be.

After this, there's gonna be a sweet, sweet epilog we can look forward to, and I really hope it'll satisfy all you guys to some extent! This is why we rated this thing M, after all, so be ready, hahahah!

Please stay safe out there, everyone. And as always,

Take care!

R/N: Thank you so much for giving your time and reading this amazing work by Galp. It was truly an honor to work on this. I hope you guys enjoyed this journey with us. There are still a lot of things to improve on, but I'm proud of the work we've done. Thank you for sticking around. xoxo Rolo