Author's Note:

This has been on tumblr for a little while already but as I got soft over the thought of the Central Ladies bonding together today, I remembered this One-Shot and welp...It got more attention on tumblr than I would have ever expected (not saying that it blew up or something, but it got more notes than anything I usually do so well)

Anyways, I thought I could give it a shot to post it here as well.

Two things:

1. This One-Shot is actually related to another story of mine: "Shokugeki no Kimiko"; it's not of big importance right now but I'd still like to point it out (also just a little Promo for SnKimiko, because it's very dear to me and I swear I'll try to update soon)

2. It's stated in the description already but, just to make sure, there's implications to the following ships in this One-Shot: Eishi/Rindou, Somei/Momo & Nene/Etsuya. If any of these is not your cup of tea, you're warning has been given. No one forces you to read this story. Please just respect my personal opinions, thank you.

Lastly, I do not own "Shokugeki no Soma" or any of the characters.

Just like she always did, Nene arrived first. However her burgundy lipstick, open hair, squared glasses and pale pearl earrings did make her look more mature, even a tad bit more experienced. The days of her innocent, prudish pigtails being long gone. She wore a black, lacy cocktail dress with a wide skirt that went to her knees and probably costed more than all of her striped T-shirts from earlier days together did. Her legs were covered by transparent tights and her feet had dived into a pair of flat pumps. The entire ensemble was covered by a warm, grey coat. With crossed arms she stood in front of the brightly lit restaurant, surrounded by the sparkles of the city's lights and the misty clouds she blew into the air with every breath.

The next one to arrive was predictively Momo who stepped out of a car that had driven right in front of the restaurant and Nene. While there was still a lot of youthfulness in Momo's stoic face, one could still tell that she got older as well. Her straight, purple hair had gotten longer and went beyond her shoulders nowadays. There were bits of glitter in her pale eye shadow and small, embroidered flowers on her short dress. Considering that she was not much of a tall person, she made up for that fact with a pair of high-heeled pumps. The purple plush-cat she held close to her chest was the most strongest reminder of the times when both Nene and Momo would meet each other in royal blue school uniforms. "Kinokuniyan. You're here already." Momo greeted in usual flat manner. Nene took a step forwards and gave a slight head nod. "Momo-senpai, good evening."

Of course Rindou was the last one of the party to show up. Even back in their school days, she had always looked the most mature out of the three. The other two spotted her running towards them, her high heels echoing through the streets, laughing and ecstatically waving her hand. Her bright, red locks flew wild and free in the night air and her yellow, cat-like eyes practically glowed in anticipation. Given her sensitivity to the cold, she had wrapped a scarf around her neck and wore a more than thick jacket whose hood had, what the two assumed to be, fake fur attached to it. Dark red lip stick was on her lips while she had settled on smokey eyes for eye-make up. "Sorry for being late." She giggled when stopping in front of the two, cheeks flushed from the cold and the running. But before the other two could even begin to debate wether they should forgive the lateness or not, they were already pulled into a tight hug.

"Good evening, ladies!" Rindou exclaimed full of joy, as she clutched the bodies of her much more reserved friends closer to hers. "I'm so excited we got to do this!" "Go….Good evening, Rindou-senpai." Nene was able to press out. Momo was a bit more precise. "I can't breath, Rindou."

After a few more seconds, in which Momo felt like being in the grip of an anaconda, Rindou finally let go of the two, of course with a big grin. "I haven't seen you for a long time, Momo!" She chirped. Momo only huffed. Nene brought herself back into the conversation. "I am certain that Momo-senpai is looking forward to seeing you too. The same goes for me, of course." She explained in her usual dry manner.

Rindou giggled. "Oh boy, for a second there I felt like it's been only a day ever since I left Totsuki behind." She eyed her two friends from top to bottom. "Appearance-Wise you two have changed quite a bit, especially you Nene, and I am sure you have a lot to tell me. But let's go in first. "

So Rindou just started to walk, but her friends actually followed immediately. And it didn't took long till the three of them were sitting at the table reserved by Momo in one of the most decadent restaurants in the city.

"Well then." After ordering, Rindou put her two elbows on the table and rested her head on her hands. A mischievous smile graced her face and her feline eyes glittered mischievously. "Feed me news, Akanegakubo and Kinokuni."

Immediately surprise wandered over both Nene's and Momo's face. "Since when are you using our last names?" Momo finally asked, remembering how a young, short-haired Rindou had shouted enthusiastically a long time ago. "Your name is 'Momo'? How sweet! Here's a cheers for a good companionship, Momo! "

"Hm-Hm~" Rindou's smile widened a little. "I merely make use of the last moments in which I can do so. Or am I not talking to the future Mrs. Saito and future Mrs. Eizan? "

Momo raised her eyebrow while Nene's cheeks turned slightly pink. But before they could even start thinking about what to answer, Rindou's arms suddenly jerked forward, grabbed Momo's and Nene's hand and pulled them forward. "I want to see the engagement rings!"

"Rindou..What was that about?" Pouted Momo, who was startled by the sudden action. Her face also turned a little red. " Ho...Honestly...Rindou-senpai ..." Stammered Nene. "Oooh ~ It looks fairly expensive." Rindou only purred while inspecting Nene's hand and the small, radiating diamond on her finger. A classic, as well as sumptuous promise for faithfulness, devotion and a life without financial worries. "But I wouldn't have expected anything else from Eizan." Nene's free hand went to her glasses to adjust them while she looked bashfully to the side. Discussions about love had turned the cool, strict girl, who was not afraid to reservedly threaten death to classmates, into an innocent, shy wallflower.

"I have to say, I never thought I would ever hear that the refined, proper Kinokuni Nene got engaged to..." She let go of Nene's hand and started tapping her finger on her chin while playfully pretending to be naive. "... what did you always call him back then? Ah yes!" She fixiated her former Elite 10 colleague with an amused and penetrating look. "... the rude, ruthless barbarian."

One of the waiters came and poured the three women a high-quality wine that was exactly the same color as the one that Nene's head had taken in the meantime.

"In ... third year of high school, he changed a lot." Nene explained, still looking somewhere else as soon as the waiter was gone. Beside her, Momo shrugged. "Momo has always seen it coming. After all, Etsunyan had always had a crush on Kinokuniyan." She pouted again. "If he hadn't been so clumsy in his courtship, you might even have become a couple earlier and not when Momo left school."

The completely overheated Nene did not answer, but preferred to take her first sip of wine this evening. Rindou, on the other hand, only laughed loud enough for some heads at the other tables to turn in their direction.

Still giggling, she finally turned her eyes to Momo's hand that she was still holding on to. "Then let's see what the good, old Saito gave you- Oh! Well, that's cute!" There was a golden flower attached to Momo's ring and in it was a sparkling green emerald to match Momo's eye color. Rindou couldn't help but smile. Everyone knew how much Momo loved flowers. "If it hadn't been cute, I would hardly have said 'yes'." The wearer of the rings snorted, although it didn't sound too convincing despite all her efforts.

Rindou smiled and released Momo out of her grasp. "It's nice knowing you two happy then. Glad to know that you can look into the future with someone by your side." She leaned back and for a few seconds Nene thought she saw a kind of sadness in her otherwise bright eyes.

"And what about you Rindou?" Momo asked and immediately became more precise. "What about you and Tsukasa?"

The glow in Rindou's eyes returned and a laugh was heard. "What's there to talk about? Apart from the fact that we both address each other by first name now, kiss each other on the lips and exchange various other forms of affection that I don't have to discuss in public… nothing much has changed between us. "She started rubbing her cheeks a little like a rapt schoolgirl. "He brings me breakfast in bed, we cuddle a lot and sometimes I wake him up at 3 to see the stars with me." Her voice became a little quieter but Momo and Nene heard complete happiness speaking from her. "It's like everything's stayed the same and yet it's still so much more beautiful."

When she looked back at her two friends, she saw a honest, small and truly touched smile on Nene's face. Momo just nodded in agreement. "I also always knew that you two would become a thing." She looked at Nene. "Hopefully Tsukasa doesn't take too much time with the wedding proposal, right Kinokuniyan?"

The smile disappeared from Nene's face and she frowned, almost a little motherly. "Momo-senpai...Don't rush them." Rindou had to giggle again.

The time passed. Plates stacked with exquisite delicacies were emptied. Topic-changes piled up.

And at some point the overly delicious dessert, which even the extremely critical Momo had praised, was consumed.

"It's late." Nene said, looking at her elegant, silver wristwatch. "It felt a lot shorter than it was." Momo commented. Rindou then just cheered. "That's how it is with good friends!"

For a short while there was silence. Then just when Rindou wanted to call the waiter to pay the bill, Momo spoke up again. "Say Rindou ... I've wanted to ask you all this time, but why haven't I heard much about you and Tsukasa lately?" Her forehead wrinkled. "You are two of the most famous personalities who have ever left Totsuki and yet none of you have opened a restaurant. Is there at least one planned? "

Nene gave an automatic nod. "I must confess, I was wondering about that as well. It shouldn't be too difficult for you two to get a foothold in the industry. When it comes to opening a restaurant, Etsuya may also be able to help you as a consultant. "

Rindou remained silent for a moment. Something unreadable in her facial expressions. Then she smiled, though weaker than usual. "As sweet as it is to hear that you want to get your fiancé some work, but neither I nor Eishi have any plans for a restaurant or anything."

"Oh?" Nene pushed her glasses up her nose in surprise. Momo started talking again. "Then what are you planning? You haven't even said anything about your career all evening. "

The corners of Rindou's mouth dropped again and this time the silence was a little longer. Then finally she seemed to have found her answer. "Let's put it this way ... it's a surprise."

The bill was paid and finally the three found themselves out in the night air again.

"Somei picks me up, he should be here soon." Momo mumbled with a quick look at her cell phone, which after all these years was still in a case that would be associated with a middle schooler based on the look.

"I'm going to order a taxi." Nene said, more to herself, but she still got Momo's attention. "We can take you too, Kinokuniyan. You just have to tell Somei where you live." Nene looked down at the much smaller companion and started a search for excuses in her head. "Oh no ... that's not necessary. I don't want to be any troub- " "You aren't a trouble." Momo promptly interrupted her. And before Nene could argue, Momo turned to her former classmate. "And you Rindou? We can take you too."

Rindou only made a fleeting hand gesture. "No need. I much prefer to walk home." She spread her arms enthusiastically. "There's nothing like a night walk!"

"... night walk?" Momo repeated, raising an eyebrow. "It could be dangerous, Rindou-senpai." Nene pointed out.

Rindou, however, gave them both a charming wink. "Don't worry too much about me. I'm a big girl after all."

For a few more seconds, skepticism persisted on Momo's and Nene's faces. But finally Momo grumbled. "If you really want to." "But please be careful!" Came from Nene.

"I will, I will!" Rindou laughed and walked up to them. "Well, I think it's a goodbye for now." Without warning, she fell forward and pulled her friends into a hug. "Goodbye you two! Greet Saito and Eizan from me. All the best for your sweets-empire Momo and your restaurant-plans Nene. "

Momo felt that Rindou's hug was even tighter and longer than at the beginning. Nene didn't want to believe her ears but somehow she couldn't shake the feeling of hearing a slight melancholy in Rindou's voice.

"Goodbye, Rindou." "Come home safely, Rindou-senpai."

Rindou let go of the two, gave them one of the most beautiful smiles on planet Earth, and then turned away.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it !