A:N/ Home stretch of the overhaul bois! So just a friendly reminder, this chapter is kinda like 7.5-ish because it's shorter than the previous chapters and this would focus solely on Atra's POV.

P.S: To those wondering until now what Atra looks like; she's 5'5, short dark pink hair (almost brown), Verdant Green eyes, body type like Megumi's (not too curvy, but just the right amount), she's 23 (like Sōma and the numerous other characters of their generation).

P.P.S: So here's how the timeline works: Sōma and Erina became an official couple when they were 16, they got married at 19, spent the next few years working/a little bit of running away from Azami (I will further go into detail in how they eloped in Bird In A Cage; that's where I will publish their story together) Anyway, present timeline, Sōma and Erina were 23 when Etsuko was born (Erina just turned 23 since Etsuko was born on March 26th) With all of that cleared away, now begins the phase 2 of the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shokugeki no Soma

Hearts Connected

Atra's POV:

I've never believed in fairytales ever since I was a little girl. There was no Prince Charming out there for me (I'm unlovable, have never been in a relationship before, timid and just plain looking.) For a while I was all okay with that.

I accepted the fact that I'll always be the bridesmaid, never the bride. I was still happy cheering for my friends as they all soon got married.

Emma and I shacked up when I finally got the money to live on my own, though I still need to go back to our old lonely house every once in a while since my Dad wants to have quality time with me.

He's a good father, but I'm a little bit upset at him for always treating me like an employee. Growing up, I felt the drive to excel at everything he wanted me to. It was my duty as the sole heir of the Iwatani-group to one day succeed him and take his place from the company. But something inside me felt like I was always trapped.

I always felt that I was never really 'free'. It was as if everything that I never before was a lie, everything that I've built up and strived to get was crumbling in my hands. My mother was one of the few people that supported me when I told my Dad that I think I didn't want to inherit the company.

He was utterly furious. His once prim and polished daughter was refusing her duty. But I was happy. I felt the freedom for the first time in my life. I still worked for my father, but our relationship had been a little bit rocky ever since.

"Food's ready!" I heard Yukihira-san from afar, coming towards my father and his colleague's table. I couldn't help but drool a little from the fabulous dinner that he whipped up a Quiche De Légumes Oubliés and Nine Vegetable Terrine.

"Iwatani-san, join me!" he smiled towards my way and offered me a plate. We ate inside the kitchen while my father and his colleague discussed something. I was amazed at the world class dish in front of me.

"The food I made brings back plenty of memories…" he chuckled, picking his food with his fork. I picked up my own fork and dug through my meal, the Nine Vegetable Terrine was really good and all the vegetables were really fresh.

"What kind of fond memory do you recall?" I asked him, half-way through done with my vegetable dish.

"Well… My Master and I didn't get off on the right foot when we first met…" he chuckled.

"Why so?"

He then rested his hand on his chin and grinned at me.

"Me and my friend almost got expelled!" I nearly dropped my fork in surprise when he told me that just so casually. I mean, how could you get expelled for cooking?

"W-What happened?" I beat my chest for the food to go down quickly, taking sips from the glass of water that I had.

"Well it all started when…"

It was a salvo of exchanging stories between us. I couldn't believe the ridiculous stories that he was spouting, they were all so colorful in my mind and exciting. All of Yukihira-san's thrilling stories from back in his High School made me more envious of his spunk and his sheer cheerfulness throughout all the tough things that happened when he was studying there.

"You've lived the exciting life haven't you?" I teased him. We were finished with our food not long after, I felt stuffed from the sheer amount of goodness that graced my mouth.

"I would trade some off that excitement for some quiet time, you know?" he slightly frowned, sighing from a distance. I nodded just for the sake of keeping things grounded and not awkward, but I saw something on Yukihira-san's arm that nearly jumped at my heart.

"What happen to your arm?" I cautiously asked, seeing a few cuts from self-harm that lidded his arm. I worriedly glanced at him and saw him trying to avoid my question, I probably shouldn't pry.

"I'm not comfortable talking about it… I'm sorry." I couldn't help but feel guilty for asking him. People had their own ways of coping through sadness throughout their life, I wouldn't want to know the pain that he felt when he self-harmed himself. However, I do want him to know something.

"I'm sorry for asking. Curiosity killed the cat you know?" I tried to laugh it off, seeing his uncomfortable gaze on the floor. This is bad. I probably shouldn't have even asked him in the first place. I looked around the kitchen wildly and tried to come up with another topic.

"You know… When I was a little girl… My Mom and I would make mochi when I had a bad day." I slipped out, seeing his face lighting up with curiosity.

"Do you still know how to make them?" he asked, looking digging around through the kitchen to look for ingredients to use. I helped him out and eventually we managed to put together the list of ingredients that I remembered from my Mother's recipe.

"Okay… So one hundred grams of sweet rice flour… One teaspoon of matcha power… Fifty grams of sugar… One tablespoon of salt then mix them all together and add a hundred milliliter of hot water…" it was my Mother's favorite, I accurately recalled every detail from her recipe and followed it with ease.

"I didn't know you liked mochi this much…" he quipped from behind me as I popped the bowl of mixture into the microwave, setting the timer for two minutes.

"It's the best mochi recipe made with lots of love." I grinned back at him with a cheesy look that would shame high school girls. It really was love that made them taste better, the sheer care I put into making these when I'm down would trump even the best mochi-makers in Japan.

After slicing the kneaded mixture, I then rolled them into small balls and added some bits of green-tea flavored chocolate kit-kats that we had laying around. Last bit of the recipe and I'm almost done, I rolled the matcha-filled mochi's in matcha powder and let them set on a small plate that I got.

"Woah… They look really good!" he complimented the mochi I made. I couldn't help but feel pride swelling in my chest as he praised my Mother's recipe and it brought a sense of nostalgia inside of me when I took the first bite of the treat. I offered one to him as he thanked me and ate it in one bite.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" I chuckled as the idiot dashed to get some water. The chocolate from inside must've gotten molten hot from being in the microwave for a bit longer than I usually would have them.

"How was it?" I asked Yukihira-san, offering another one to him. He clicked his tongue and looked down on the plate of mochi lovingly. It kinda made my heartbeat skip when he took another one and ate it.

"It's a dish that speaks to you. It screams: Hey, I know you had a tough day, so here's a mochi for you to enjoy and to help you relax."

That was maybe the first time I ever envisioned a Prince Charming being true. They didn't come in shining armor or on white horses… Sometimes they came in with an apron and bandanna on their heads, saying that the mochi you made was really good.

"Atra… What's that? Did you make it?" I felt being pulled back into reality when my Dad walked on us in the kitchen. He was pointing at the mochi I made with a surprised gaping in his mouth. I hesitantly nodded towards my Dad and offered him one, hoping that he would still remember the taste of my Mother's mochis.

"I didn't know that you could make these…?" he asked while savoring the taste in his mouth. I couldn't help but chuckle sometimes at how my Dad could be so emotional. He and I loved Mom so dearly, after she died a few years ago… Our relationship became rocky without the mediator around.

"Did you help her make these?" he asked to Yukihira-san. The young man beside me chuckled and shook his head.

"It was your daughter's work, Sir. I only helped her looking around for the ingredients when we wanted to make some for desert." He added.

My Dad turned to me and wiped his tears off his face.

"Dad?" I tried to ask why he was suddenly being so emotional.

"My colleague… I mean, Emma's Father… He told me everything…" he confessed. Emma's dad was our office's manager, meaning that all our work to be filed went through him before they could reach my Dad's firm.

"What did he tell you?" I asked. Yukihira-san gave us some space after taking a call from home. Now alone with my Dad, I sat down with him as he relayed through everything that he heard from Emma's Dad.

"Honey… Did you always felt like I was pressuring you…?" he asked. I felt bad to tell him the truth, but I also wanted him to know. I nodded in response, seeing him cry more.

"I am so sorry for always treating you like an employee while you were growing up…" he cried, embracing me. I didn't notice myself crying as well, but I admitted to him everything that was bottled up from inside, from the time that I couldn't make friends since I was always viewed as being snobby or too quiet, to all the times that he denied my request for a leave on the company when I couldn't take it anymore.

"Dad… Do you remember that picture I gave to you and Mom years ago on Parent's Day?" I asked him, pulling away from his hug to wipe away my own tears.

"How could I forget, Honey? I still keep it in my office!" he guffawed. I twiddled with my thumbs and wanted to beat around the bush before I ask him. I couldn't risk upsetting him now, since this might be my only chance to finally get out of the country.

"D-Do remember too when I told you and Mom that I'd like to move out of the country one day to open up my own Mochi store in Japan?" I cautiously asked. He nodded and patted me on the head with a grin on his face.

"Atra… Mom and I always wanted you to chase your own dreams… I'm sorry for being so pig-headed all this time. If you're asking for my blessings if you can go pursuit them, then please go ahead and enjoy your dream, Honey!"

He held out his arms and I felt like a little girl again, hugging him without a second thought.

That night, I couldn't tell if making that batch of mochi was the catalyst that made my Dad more emotional. I thanked my stars and thanked Yukihira-san again. He was the reason why I'm here right now. If it weren't for him pitching it to safe the dinner between my Dad and Emma's Dad, I probably wouldn't be able to fulfill my dream of finally opening up my own store in Japan.

I couldn't believe it. It was already Friday when I accompanied Yukihira-san to the airport. We had a fun-filled day back at the Fischer Adventures Tour. I felt a little bit embarrassed when the staff there kept egging us if we were already dating, I still couldn't imagine me dating anyone for that matter.

It was time. The time on the airport terminal was slowly moving, I couldn't help but take it the crazy adventures that I had with Yukihira-san these past few days. From meeting him at the Saint Gallen church, to him offering his help, our short little adventure out in the woods with those cute huskie sled dogs, and finally that amazing night that we shared when we ate my favorite baby-seal mochi snacks.

"Well… This is it!" I saw the look on his face and couldn't help but giggle at his grin. Licht-san and Asakura-san were there with us when they loaded Yukihira-san's luggage onto a trolley. The three of them hugged each other, shaking hands and exchanging their contacts.

"Good evening passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Japan. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately twenty minutes time. Thank you."

I felt an icy stake driving through my chest when we all heard the announcement coming from the speakers. There was so much more that I wanted to say! I wanted to go on more adventures with Yukihira-san and to get to know him better! It was all moving so fast now that I didn't even notice that Yukihira-san was gently shaking me out of my train of thought.

"Iwatani-san?" he asked with concern. Those golden eyes of his never cease to amaze me. There was a pause in his voice before he pulled me into a hug. I felt so light that I was fearing that I might've been floating right now, that and the fact that I felt the heat rushing in my face.

"There's so much more that I wanted to say to you… Are you ever going to come back one day?" I asked, afraid of losing the friend that I've made. Yukihira-san being the only one to have splashed my life with his vibrant and exciting colors, the man whom set me free from my cage that once held me captive on its cold walls.

"I probably wouldn't be back anytime soon. We'll always have our times here in Saint Gallen. Here's to seeing you again, Iwatani-san."

Yukihira-san then smiled and it made me melt inside. His smile made me rethink my whole perception on Prince Charming. He was an unfathomable man who breezed by my life, unforgettable as well as leaving behind fond memories.

"You cheeky guy, you stole that line from the movie Casablanca! We were just watching it earlier!" I whined, looking towards Yukihira-san's face. I couldn't help but laugh at his imitation of Humphrey Bogart, from his hat and coat that he was wearing, to the sheer suave of his voice.

"Hey, if you ever drop by Japan, feel free to contact me again." He lifted up my chin so that we could meet eye-to-eye. I felt the creeping blush on my face as I stuttered to utter a word, making awkward noises and nodding in response.

Yukihira-san embraced me one more time, after that he walked towards Licht-san and Asakura-san to hug them as well. I felt my heart beating faster as he turned his back on us, one last grin; one last smile before he left.

"I'll see you later, Iwatani-san!" the grin plastered on his face made me jump a little. That smile of his couldn't leave my mind. My first time ever encountering my Prince Charming and I saw him walking away, I promised myself that I'd go and see him one day…

"Let's meet up again… Someday…" I giggled, looking off into the distance where Yukihira-san left. Licht-san ran back towards our place when he noticed that Yukihira-san forgot something in the cab.

"Damn… He forgot his umbrella…" The man said, panting for breath as Yukihira-san's flight already took departure.

I was given the yellow umbrella after that. I cherished it as it reminded me of Yukihira-san's face and smile, I pulled out my phone to call or text him, but I hesitated…

"I'll give it back to him one day when we meet again…" I promised to myself.

I never believed in fairytales or happy endings. I always thought that they were just figments of imagination that people make so they would feel better about their situation. I now feel different when I hear about fairytales. Those few days with Yukihira-san made me believe that sometimes, all of those fictional things that we read from books or online come true, that somehow…

Maybe happy endings are real…

4 years later…

It was a long grueling day of work when I finally finished the paperwork for my new store and house here in Japan. It had already been four years since I left Switzerland, it felt like a dream when I got here. I still haven't gotten in touch with Yukihira-san after all this time, I kinda want to surprise him, but I couldn't find much lead on his whereabouts. His old number wouldn't work anymore so that's out of the question as well…

"Up you go!" I beamed as I hung up the newly-made sign of my mochi store 'Mochi-Mochi!' is finally ready for business! The rain didn't attract too much business, but it was a good thing that I had Yukihira-san's umbrella to help shield me from the rain as I hand out fliers.

It was around eight when I saw the bustle of crowds, no one still had come to my store, much to my dismay. I kept moving places here in Tokyo after I arrived here from my home. There wasn't any decent place to set up a mochi store!

It took a bit of luck before I found this quaint little district, the people were all nice and accommodating, moving here about a week ago was also a bit of a pain.

"Papa! Look! What's that?" I overheard a little girl wearing a cute raincoat said to her Dad while I was busy handing out fliers. I gasped when I saw the face staring right back at me with his eyes wide open.

"Iwatani-san…?" there wasn't much of a change in the time we spent apart. We were now older ourselves and have grown more, however Yukihira-san's smile still didn't change after all this time.

"It's nice to see you again, Yukihira-san…" I smiled at him. He blinked and paused, still trying to process it all, the big idiot he is…

"What brings you over here in Japan?"

"Let's just say, I wanted to return to you your handy yellow umbrella that you left in Licht-san's cab." I giggled, gesturing to him the umbrella that he left four years ago.

~ End

A:N/ So that's chapter 8.5 done! I hoped you liked it! I really had fun writing this and having my friend proof-read it for me while I was editing this. (THANK YOU AGAIN MISS TASIA)

P.S: By now, the story would take a different-ish approach, so the succeeding chapters after this would be either significantly altered or just completely different. Hope you liked it! Leave a review for me alright? Thanks a bunch!