It was only practical for Souma to obtain a license for his very own moped once he finally realized just how impossible it was to get around all of Tootsuki on foot. With the sum of money he had saved up from his father's small "once in a while" bank deposits, as well as from other spare time odd jobs, he was able to invest on a simple little vehicle. It wasn't a high-end, luxury boasting machine like most pampered students had, but it did the job of getting him from point A to point B.

During one of his routine drives to class, he had almost missed out on the wonderful opportunity of watching a certain Elite Ten member have a meltdown. He pulled up behind the familiar black car and shut off his engine. He smirked, seeing as how Erina had yet to take notice of him. Up ahead, he noticed the uneasy driver who was taking the brunt of Erina's morning wrath. Though he wasn't fully paying attention to Erina's rantings and the driver's incessant "I'm sorry, milady," he could tell that nothing was moving along. At this rate, she would never get to school on time. Off to the other side of the car, he spotted Hisako fretting over the phone, most likely trying to get some help.

Souma walked up to her and tapped her shoulder to get her attention, but instead of doing that he accidentally made her jump with a small shriek. 'Things must be worse than I thought.' He mused. He stepped back to give her some breathing room, careful not to get her even more riled up than she already was.

"Oh, it's you...For a second I thought you were Erina-sama..." She said between shaky breaths. She briefly put the person on the other line on hold before addressing Souma. "Why aren't you headed to school?"

"I'm going to redirect that question back at you. Things here are looking... lively. What's the deal?" The two turned back to Erina and the driver as Hisako explained.

"The car broke down and we had to pull over. Erina-sama wasn't in the best of moods this morning, so..." Hisako trailed off. Now, Erina was chasing the poor chauffeur in circles around the car. "I'm trying to get another car to pick us up, but it seems that it will take a while for someone to get out here."

"I knew Erina wasn't a morning person, but this?" He sweat dropped at the scene before him. It reminded him of those cat and mouse chases he'd seen in cartoons. "I think I'll try to settle her down."

"Good luck, then." Hisako told him, statement at odds with her obvious doubt. She resumed her call just in case things got worse.

Souma approached his girlfriend swiftly, but it was hard to tell if he could get her to sit still in one place. The driver looked over at the redhead pleadingly.

"-And another thing! You were hired for this job because you were expected not to mess up! How can a driver forget to carry a spare tire and a jack in the trunk?!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough from you. I think he learned his lesson." Souma said calmly, stepping in between the two.

"Souma? What are you doing here?" Erina asked, trying to subdue her frustration. The driver took this moment to run off, probably to hide away to where Hisako was.

"Helping," Souma replied. "I'm sure we can all get to school if we calm down for a second. Come to think of it, this is the angriest I've seen you. You never get this tense, not even while at the kitchens."

"That's because the cooks over there are able to carry out my instructions without problem." She glared off to the side. "Meanwhile, this driver can't even do his job properly!"

In an attempt to calm the blonde, Souma rushed up to her and enclosed his arms around her in a tight hug. It nearly knocked her off her feet, but it was enough to distract her from being mad. She still wasn't used to his romantic gestures, let alone in public, as seen by the shade of pink her face took on. Since her arms were locked to her sides, all she could do was hide her face in his chest.

"Let go!" She demanded, but his hold only got tighter.

"Not until I know you won't hurt your driver!" He persisted. Their stubborn streaks lasted until Erina finally gave up on struggling in his arms. Souma looked behind him to see a hopeful Hisako pointing at her phone. By the looks of it, someone would finally be on their way. "Okay, letting you go now."

"You didn't have to do that." Erina groused, crossing her arms once she was able to. Her boyfriend chuckled at her flustered state.

"I did, actually." He retorted with a smug look. "Otherwise poor Hisako here would have to hide that driver's corpse." Erina sent Hisako a questioning look, concerned by the uneasy aura that surrounded her secretary when her eyes landed on her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized sheepishly to her long-time friend.

"No need to be, Erina-sama." The pink haired secretary assured. "In any case, the replacement car should be here momentarily."

"I guess that's my cue to leave." Souma interrupted, placing a chaste kiss on Erina's cheek. "I don't want anyone scolding me for being late, after all. I'll see you later?"

Erina held her cheek which felt much warmer than before no thanks to his parting signal. Her eyes looked between Hisako and Souma as she seemed to think something over in her mind. "Actually," She started, "Do you mind if we go together? To school, that is."

The redhead raised his brows in surprise, but smiled anyways. "Sure! I've got an extra helmet if you want to hop on the bike with me." He pointed to his moped. Erina nodded, excitement evident in her eyes. While he started the engine, Erina walked over to Hisako and exchanged some words with her. After seeing her blonde friend off with the usual "Be careful, Erina-sama," Hisako walked towards the car.

Once Souma knew that Erina was safely seated behind him, he pressed on the accelerate and began driving down the road. Though they weren't going relatively fast, Erina had a tight hold on his midsection.

"Beats riding in that boring old car, huh?" Souma asked over the noise of motor.

"It does, but sometimes I'm worried that you'll drive us straight into an accident." Erina quipped.

"As if I'll ever let that happen. The only accident happening on this thing will be the serious case of helmet hair you'll be getting once we get to school!" He laughed heartily. Erina let him have his fun as she rested her head on his back. She would much prefer riding to and from school with Souma if it meant having him this close to her. Likewise, Souma relished in the peaceful atmosphere of these rides before starting another eventful of day of cooking.

"I'm sorry for being so snappy earlier."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just need to remember not to wake you up so early! I figured you were one of those early morning risers."

"What makes you say that?" Souma pondered this for a moment before giving his answer.

"Well, anytime I see you in the halls, you always look so focused and ready. Oh! And you always look nice, like you spent a lot of time getting ready." The last compliment pulled a smile from Erina.

"Thanks, but that's just for show. I try to hide how tired I usually am. My mornings are usually really tiring, and it's a wonder how I manage to pull through until the end of the day." She sighed.

"Sounds tough. If that's the case, do you want to go somewhere out of school grounds later?" he proposed. "I'll drive, of course." The thought of a nice relaxing drive by the beach side tempted her, but she didn't let it show.

"Hmm... Granted I'm not busy, I'd love to." she accepted. "For now, let's just get to class in one piece."

"Your wish is my command!" He said, speeding up his bike.

END

A/N: I apologize for the wait! I wanted to get my finals over with before continuing with another oneshot. In any case, I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Feel free to leave questions and constructive criticism. I think the next oneshot will be a sick day story. Still thinking on it, though!

By the way, aren't Erina's recent encounters with Souma in the manga just the best? I love how flustered/embarrassed she looks every time! I can't get enough of her.

See you all again in the next one! (Hopefully with less waiting in between!)