Chapter 5: Seven Minutes in Heaven

PopNina250: Hey everyone! I'm switching back to the third person POV. I tried first person, but it was honestly not for me. Hope you enjoy!!!

Anime Show: Shokugeki no Soma

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Shun Ibusaki and Ryoko Sakaki

Overview: Shun and Ryoko have their first heart-to-heart, due to the situation and circumstances they find themselves in. But will this just create a stronger friendship or will it be the start of something more?

Tension filled the air as well as blushing cheeks. Ryoko kept her stare fixed on the bottle, pointed directly at her. Out of all people, she had to be the one picked to be with Ibusaki, who just so happened to be the one occupying her thoughts all day long.

She felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she perked her head up to see him. Surprisingly, Shun seemed rather calm, with his natural non-emotional expression on his face.

He got up from his sitting position on the floor and looked down at her. "Alright, let's go," he said, stating it with an almost serious tone, almost as if he was having no urge to take part in this.

Flustered and confused, Ryoko got up with him and they strolled over to Zenji's closet. She glanced back to the rest of the group and just felt her embarrassment stir up even more. Ikumi's knowing smirk had no sense of comfort whatsoever.

Walking into the closet, Shun being ahead of Ryoko, they made their way around Zenji's perfectly organized clothing, and Ikumi, who sauntered behind both of them, immediately shut the door.

Alrighty then, I'm setting the timer for you two!" she giggled evilly and walked away from the door, which just made the situation more awkward.

Ryoko kept her stare down, not wanting to meet Ibusaki's partially covered face. Shun, on the other hand, kept his gaze straight on her. He watched as she crossed her arms over her large bust and shuffled her feet, implying how extremely uncomfortable she was.

A minute had passed in the awkward silence and glances, until Shun's curiosity took over.

"Sakaki... have you been doing alright?" Her head perked up at the sound of his deep, worrisome voice. She had finally looked up to his face, blush still present but her heart had saddened at his question.

"W-Why are you asking?" She felt her bottom lip quiver, as she gulped with dread. She squeezed her arms closer to her chest, not wanting Ibusaki to know what's been bothering her. In return Shun sighed and stepped a bit closer to Ryoko. If her heart wasn't beating as fast before, it was surely beating faster now.

"This whole week, with everything that had happened, I know your hurting. It's tough to lose someone like that, without a sign or warning. And I know Yuki and you were close..." At the sound of whimpers, Shun immediately stopped talking to watch as tears fell from Ryoko's face. Her hand put over her mouth to quiet the sounds she made as her composure fell apart and as she kneeled to the ground.

Shun froze. Not because he didn't want to comfort her; he was just in complete shock at what he was seeing. Ryoko, a woman known for her tranquility and self-control, was trembling, crying on the floor in front of him.

"Sakaki?" He knelt down beside her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Please, talk to me. I hate seeing you in pain. I want to help." He lifted one hand from her shoulder and used it to tilt her chin upward so she had to look at him. His heart broke a little, seeing her tear-filled eyes, filled with absolute sorrow.

"P-Please don't worry about me, I-Ibusaki." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I-I'm going to be fine." She forced a smile up at him. A smile she didn't want or feel but wanted to use for the sake of her dorm mate. Shun's eyes widened at her obvious fake expression.

Without hesitation, he pressed his forehead against hers, both his hands pulling her closer by her shoulders. In that moment, Ryoko was gazing back at his ocean blue eyes, with her own eyes, that used to be blurred with seeping liquid, that were now widened. She looked deep into them, focusing on the way they examined her. A true look of frustration and disappointment.

"Don't lie to me Sakaki. I can't watch you fathom this loss anymore. Tell me what's been bugging you, or I'll just keep pressing with questions." Even though there was such a serious tone in his voice, Ryoko took notice in his hands caressing her shoulders.

The gentle back and forth motion made her flustered and yet secure. And just like that, Ryoko told him what had happened before the party. The phone call, the constant ignoring, everything she could possibly tell him about the rift between her and Yuki. Statement after statement, one complaint after another, Shun listened to everything.

When Ryoko ended her rant, she finally took notice of their rather intimate position. The side of her head was pressed against Shun's chest, her hand intertwined with his, and the rest of her body was partially on his lap.

Her instincts told her to get off him and apologize, but her heart told her to stay where she was and live in the moment, embrace it.

With that in mind, Ryoko raised her arms and threw them around Shun, bringing him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Shun. Thank you for listening to me, even though I was reluctant to telling you at first. I... really appreciate you being here for me."

Shun was now the one to become flustered. He felt her entire body pressed against him. Contact that he never would of imagine would appear between them.

Slowly, he returned her actions and wrapped his own arms around her. Both of them, in the back of their minds, thought, "Is this really happening?"

Ryoko repositioned her head, allowing herself to meet his gaze once again. The teens blushed at each other, mesmerized by the other's current state. Time seemed to stop.

Without thinking, both of them began to inch their lips closer and closer together until there was only a few centimeters between them.

"Ryoko... I-"

The sudden sound of a door opening brought them back to their senses.

"TIME'S UP YOU TWO!!!!" Ikumi busted the doors opened and looked down to them. Her prideful, glowing face was now replaced with a more surprised one. And with a final look over them, she gave off a knowing smirk.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Aren't you guys getting rather close. Did I interrupt something or are you guys not done yet?" Shun and Ryoko blushed angrily at her, then faced each other. Realizing how close they were, they retracted to different sides of the closet.

"Shut up, Ikumi-Chan! Get your head out of the gutter! We were just talking." Ryoko gave her a withering stare, while Shun sat there staring at his feet, still dazed from their previous exchange.

The rest of the dorm members - Takumi, Zenji, and Isami - just gave off blank, confused expressions. The true faces of true bachelors.

A few moments passed before Ryoko finally got on her feet, still keeping her stare fixed on Ikumi.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm kind of partied out. I'm gonna go to bed."

And with that, she walked out of the room, leaving Shun puzzled with new feelings and emotions. He lifted his hand towards his forehead. With this reaction, Zenji walked over to him and squatted next to him.

"You good, Shun." Abruptly, Shun got up from his seated position and turned back to his friend.

"Yes... I'm probably just getting tired. It's... just been a long day."

After saying his farewells and good nights, Shun walked out of the room and headed straight for his room.

He arrived at his room, dorm 208, and quickly shut and locked the door. He placed a hand over his heart, feeling how fast it was beating. Along with that, his breathing was rather heavy and his face felt warm and flushed. His other hand went up to his lips, rubbing back and forth on them.

"...Was I about to kiss Ryoko?... And was she going to kiss me back?!?"

Concluding Statement: Now we're getting somewhere! Don't worry, there's going to be so many more chapters with Shun and Ryoko! I'm also thinking of doing side stories and different AUs in the future, featuring them and other Shokugeki no Soma characters. Keep an eye out for updates!!! :)