Rating: T+ (THIS)
Pairing: Soma/Erina
Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen; Slight Mature Themes
Notes:
Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!
First! I ended up having to split this Chapter into two parts, just because it was threatening to be even bigger than the last one, and if I stuck to that, you guys would be getting the update at around September. So, for the purposes of keeping an almost steady update schedule, I decided to update it as such. Not that this Chapter is short, per say, as it is, in fact, still a bit longer than the first few "Classique" has.
Second! I've been editing "Nouvelle" in-between writing sessions. One to try and fix all those little mistakes and make the story a little better, and two, as a way to remind myself of my own story that I started all the way back in 2014. So, if any of you go back to reread that, pay attention to the Chapters that no longer have the "Rating: T+" part at the very top of the Chapter. That indicates that the Chapter has been edited. I may have also expanded or even added a scene here and there to smooth things out a bit, so feel free to check it out and see if you catch those little extras!
Third! & Lastly! Thank you guys so much for all the feedback and support on my "Shokugeki no Soma" fanfiction universe. "Nouvelle" is on the verge of getting a total of 700k views, with over 2k in Favorites and Follows. It has meant the world to me. Likewise, the support of this story, "Classique", has been phenomenal, especially to all of you who have allowed me to use Asahi Saiba / Nakiri / Nakamura / Whatever His Final Name Turns Out To Be to his fullest and have accepted my once dreaded (mostly by me) OCs with open arms. Here's to you guys for making my hobby all the greater!
Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.
She had seen Etsuya Eizan scoff at the sight before him, playing up the macho man act like always, and walking away as if he hadn't just been dealt the most crushing defeat in the biggest possible stage. Had that very scenario not been the very one he had threatened the Yukihira boy with, only to be on the receiving end of it in some twist of karmic fate?
Still, a deal was a deal, she supposed, so she quietly followed the retreating soon-to-be former Ninth Seat as he excited the arena. Etsuya was, however, stopped by the sight of someone he really should have expected to see. As he reached the tunnel leading out of the arena, he could see his father, the infamous corporate overlord with a very shady past, Fukuzawa Eizan, waiting for him, looking none too happy.
"Seems like I lost," she remembered Etsuya voicing the obvious.
"It seems," his father had replied. "You do realize how much this will probably affect us, do you not? Your handpicked participants, beaten. You, an Elite Ten member, defeated. Tootsuki Academy, the example of strict, bending over to this brat. Our investors are sure to lower their offers as soon as they catch wind of this, plus Sakamoto is bound to get a massive push in his dealings with Roberts thanks to the fact that he was the one who first hired the boy. A boy from a no-name establishment, who crushed you like a worm despite everything I poured into your damn education!"
"I tried, or did you close your eyes to the whole thing!?" Eizan shot back, the biggest glare he could muster in his face directed at his father. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to cook at that level?! Of course you don't, because not once have I seen you cook! This deal was mine, not yours! It's my name and dignity on the line out there! I'm the one who has made our family the billions it has when you only managed millions! Did you not see any of that?!"
"All I saw was a grown man crying like a little girl," the elder Eizan had replied, his tone cutting, and his son could do nothing else but look down in shame, biting his tongue so he wouldn't cry again. She was sure he hated himself so much right now. "…And you have nothing else to say, of course," his father continued, taking a few steps towards the shaking young man. "My investments seem to have all been for naught. Damn it, I swear you screwed us over so bad that-"
"Enough!"
The shout was so sudden that she had not really noticed the sister until she placed herself between their father and Eizan, her arms stretched out as if to protect him from his rage. Their father glared at her, but she simply returned it in equal measure. "Yukichiko…" she heard him warn her.
"No, you listen here father," she shot back. "Etsuya has done enough, and thanks to you, we both have had to do so many unsavory things, just to keep you happy. I'm sorry if you couldn't manage you goals on your own, but you are not taking your frustrations out on him. If you're such a great businessman, then fix this yourself, we are going home, come Etsuya, pay him no mind."
And with a scoff of her own, Yukichiko just twisted around and took Etsuya by the hand, outright tugging him right along and away from their father. Said man was left there with nothing to say to the two, and absolutely no plan in mind on how to salvage the situation. He was finished, and all he could do was watch.
"Oof…" she finally spoke up mimicking a pained tone, once she realized the Eizan siblings were far enough away of course. Fukuzawa seemed to tense, having not noticed her presence either, but that was by design. As she walked right into view, the elder man seemed to glare at her, no doubt thanks to the uniform she sported, which now carried a name that spelled out the man's very financial ruin. "Oh, don't look at me like that!" she cheerfully shot back, flashing the elder business man a grin, "You're much too old and ugly to pull the pity card on anyone, so if I were you, I'd be a bit friendlier to kind strangers willing to offer you a helping hand."
"You seem to have me confused for someone else," the elder Eizan warned, "Or if not, then this is a very, very bad idea for a joke. I am certainly in no mood to entertain any other of you Tootsuki alumni."
"But I'm not just any run-of-the-mill Tootsuki student," she clarified, still sounding oh-so chipper. "In fact, I'm actually the closest thing your son has to an actual girlfriend, shocker, I know, and even more than that, to a business partner…"
Fukuzawa's eyes seemed to widen, but because of which declaration, she wasn't sure.
"He's never mentioned-"
"I'm not really surprised," she quickly cut him off, skipping over to him, before, with her hands to her back, she bent down a bit before the man, her smile still ever present, "Our relationship has certainly been… unique. But, I assure you, behind every great man, well, you know the rest!"
"Hmm…" he seemed to ponder it for a moment, but his scowl was still there. Like father, like son she supposed. "…What exactly do you want… Miss…?"
"Kaburagi," she replied, as something flashed in her eyes that made even the elder Eizan a bit wary, "Shouko Kaburagi, and right now, your only hope of saving your failing career and livelihood… for the right price, of course!"
It had taken her several months, and despite a setback or two, she had finally gotten all the pieces in the board the way she had envisioned them. So, with the brightest of smiles, she lathered her long hair with her most expensive shampoo that Etsuya had gifted her, as she allowed the warm water to shower her body from head to toe. She needed a good night's sleep after all, and nothing better than a nice, long, warm shower just before she hit the bed. Besides, she hoped Etsuya's little visit would go away soon, as the two had important things to discuss.
Said "visit" currently sat on one of the room's couches, arms and legs crossed, with the biggest scowl in her face.
On the opposite side sat Eizan, resting back as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, his head rested on his closed fist as he read from an open book held by his other hand. He looked utterly relaxed, and it irked his sister even further.
"I need context!" Yukichiko suddenly screamed out, while Eizan just flipped to the next page.
"…On what?" he asked ever-so innocently. "…Hey!"
In a flash, Yukichiko had bolted up from the couch and had snatched the book right out of Eizan's hand, and in that very same motion, smacked him upside the head with it. The younger brother just stared, scowling but not really glaring at his sister, as he fixed his glasses and finally turned his eyes to her, since he knew her well enough that if he didn't look at her the next set of smacks were going to come in a combo.
"What is that girl doing here?" Yukichiko demanded to know, pointing towards the bathroom's door.
"I believe they call that "taking a shower"," he offered, but when Yukichiko took aim with the book once more, he quickly raised his hands defensively. "Can't you take a joke? Obviously she's hiding out in here. Shouko has gotten into, let's say, quite the predicament."
"And that's related to her sleeping over at your dorm room how exactly?" Yukichiko inquired, as Eizan seemed to ponder what his response would be for a moment. Honestly, he had not expected Yukichiko to come visit him so suddenly. She was supposed to be working in that damn cruise, but it seemed that old man Sakamoto had given the whole squad some time off to come witness the "culinary event to end all events" and as such, here she was. He assumed all those other pests were here as well, all likely cheering Yukihira, Nakiri and the rest of them on like the little, lost puppies they were. Still…
"We're partners," Eizan replied, but as soon as he saw Yukichiko's eyes widen so much that they outgrew the size of her glasses, he quickly added, "Business partners if I may be exact," he continued, "We've been devising a little scheme to make the best out of this situation and get back what was so unjustly taken from us…"
"Unjustly?" Yukichiko repeated, and he frowned. That was not the word he had expected her to take issue with. "Etsuya… You're not seriously trying to get back at this Academy, are you? I know that you felt humiliated back then, back at the Showcase… but, this isn't the answer. You're in your Third Year, so close to graduation. Isn't the average number of students who graduate from here just barely above seventy? You're almost there, you can't just risk all of that just to get back at-"
"I will do what I must," Eizan quickly cut in, "You say you know what I went through, how I felt, but you can only hazard a guess, nothing more," he noted, softly removing his glasses and rubbing his temple. He could feel the headache coming. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his sister now, not so close to the big day. "…I finally have things figured out, so don't intervene on-"
"Etsuya," Yukichiko interrupted, and he tensed. The soft way she spoke was hard for him to brush off. "…We were wrong," she said the words he really didn't want to hear. "We've hurt people. Good people. All to please father. Don't… don't go down this path again just to get into good graces with him. He doesn't deserve that, and neither do you…"
"You worry too much," Eizan replied, placing his glasses back on, and offering his sister a little smile. "I've done the math correctly this time. Don't suppose you could just blindly trust in me just this once?"
Yukichiko seemed to want to argue, but she stopped herself. Her arms were still crossed, but she gave pause, took a deep breath, and then turned her head towards the closed bathroom door.
"…And her deal is?" she asked, clearly not approving of Shouko's presence at all.
"I told you, business partner," Eizan repeated, "She's been my most trusted advisor and assistant since before I became an Elite Ten member. There's no better partner in this entire Academy than that girl. Ruthless, elegant, brilliant and one hell of a chef, all in one package."
"She's currently singing to BTS," Yukichiko noted with a hint of disgust, pointing at the music that could be vaguely made out from the bathroom.
"Hey, I'll have you know that while I am personally not a fan of theirs, I cannot say I don't admire the dedication to their craft," Eizan noted, smirking. "Anyone who can garner such a huge fanbase and milk them for all their worth is okay in my eyes," he explained, before he too turned his eyes to the closed door. "As for Shouko, well, I've helped her; she's helped me. Right now, we're helping each other. Quid pro quo, sis."
"I mean, why is she living here?" Yukichiko clarified, her eyes narrowed at her little brother. "I don't care if you're almost a graduate, you are not in the position to be living with some girl."
"Would saying we've used protection alleviate any of your-" he began, but the moment he saw Yukichiko's expression darken to dangerous levels Eizan quickly swallowed his words and switched them around, "Kidding! What I mean is we just have a strictly professional relationship, absolutely nothing mo-"
An ear-piercing scream echoed throughout the entire dorm room, causing both Eizans to jump at the sound. Before either could fully comprehend what it even meant, the bathroom's door was kicked open and out came Shouko in all her glory.
Yukichiko felt her glasses crack.
Eizan felt his soul leave his body, if not because of the sight, then because of what it meant for him once his sister got hold of him.
Shouko, for her part, didn't seem to care. The nude girl just barged right past the two siblings and hid right behind the couch Eizan was currently sitting in.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Yukichiko screamed out, getting up and throwing the nearest piece of oversized cloth she could get her hands on over the girl. It was the ever-so expensive curtains Eizan had set up not so long ago, but the boy couldn't really argue it at the moment. "Have you no shame woman?!"
"S-S-Spider!" Shouko stumbled until she got the cry out decently enough, much to Yukichiko's confusion and frustration. "It's a huge one!" she added, still trembling. "Etsuya! Kill it! I still haven't conditioned my hair! Ah! It was hairy too! Hurry, kill it!"
"…A spider, seriously?" a pale Eizan muttered, as he motioned to try and get up, but Yukichiko's glare just made him freeze in his spot.
The elder Eizan scoffed, as she turned around and walked right into the bathroom, before within moments, the loudest smacks were heard, so hard that Eizan was certain his sister had cracked the walls themselves.
"…Your sister's hardcore," an impressed Shouko noted.
"…Don't sound so awestruck, we're next," a very worried Eizan added.
Yukichiko then slowly walked right out of the bathroom, with the now deceased spider held in her hands, covered in just a bundle of toilet paper.
"…Get back in there," Yukichiko ordered Shouko, and her voice was so deep it almost sounded like their father's, Eizan noted with a shiver. As Shouko stood up, also a bit dumbfounded by the ferocity on display, Yukichiko added, "And don't you dare drop that curtain until you're in there, got it?"
"Sure thing ma'am…" Shouko gleefully voiced as she bounced her way right back into the bathroom, and once inside, she turned to Yukichiko with the brightest of smiles. "Still, thanks sis! You saved me! And you shouldn't worry, this is nothing Etsuya hasn't already see-AH!"
Yukichiko, without even changing her expression, just tossed the dead spider at Shouko and closed the door right up, leaving her crying and screaming inside in what was outright the most coldblooded display of ruthlessness Eizan had ever seen his sister commit. She then turned her ice-cold glare towards her little brother, who seemed to be trying to sink into his seat and failing to do so.
"…Strictly professional?" Yukichiko repeated his very words, her eyebrow raised.
"…I may have skimmed out on a detail here or there…" was all Eizan could muster himself to say.
-0-
Within the confines of the hospital room he found himself in, Senzaemon Nakiri had plenty of time to think about things that mattered, and many that didn't. Distant memories of days long gone, and plenty of hopes he still had for future he hoped would come soon enough, once he was free from this uncertainty he now faced. Why now of all times? Why must his body fail him the moment his precious granddaughter needed him most?
Still, he knew his condition was… tricky. He couldn't be reckless. Despite this, he had to mentally restrain himself whenever he witnessed the matches unfold through the television set. Seeing his students struggle in this uphill battle, without his guidance or support, was saddening. But he believed in them, trusted their spirit, their talent, and their dedication.
But… seeing Erina like that, on the verge of breaking and being given such an abysmal score thanks to factors well outside her control, was almost too much.
Senzaemon sighed, his arms crossed against his chest, and he inwardly cursed at everything currently unfolding.
"Don't you look gloomy…" came a little jest from a visitor as he opened the door to Senzaemon's room. The old man didn't even need to look up to recognize the man before him, and all he did was laugh at the observation.
"It really does take one being on the verge of death to receive a visit from you," Senzaemon noted with a slight hint of mockery in his tone, as he turned towards his unexpected visitor. "…Jouichirou."
"You make me sound like an awful person," Jouichirou protested, and it was here Senzaemon noticed that the man was carrying a bouquet of what appeared to be flowers. The elder Yukihira took a few steps into the cold room, and proceeded to hand the flowers over to the old man. "Here, maybe this will cheer you up."
"Oh, you shouldn't have," the blushing old man noted, taking hold of the beautiful flowers, and finding a small card buried within them, proceeded to read it to himself, all the while Jouichirou took a nearby seat, flipping the chair around and using the back as an armrest. He was a bit baffled when Senzaemon glared at him all the sudden. "My love for your burns like the fury of a thousand suns, my dearest Chef Yukihira?"
"Oh!" Jouichirou quickly got back up, the goofiest expression in his face, as he quickly snatched the little card he had missed right out of Senzaemon's hands. "H-How'd that get in there?"
"You have the galls to come in here and offer me a hand-me-down gift?!" the old man yelled out, clearly pissed, and before Jouichirou could explain, he was smacked right in the face by the very flowers he had given the patient. "The nerve!" Senzaemon continued, clearly pissed, now turning his scowl, pout and all, to the opposite wall. "Go away! I do not wish to be bothered at this time!"
"Don't be such a drama queen," Jouichirou complained, trying his best to fix the flowers up and re-hand them to the old man. "It's the thought that counts, right? I immediately thought of you, doesn't that mean something at least."
"I don't want them!"
"Oh grow up!" Jouichirou barked, "Just take the damn flowers!"
"No!"
"…This is why I don't visit," Jouichirou noted with his eyes narrowed, before he set the flowers down on the nearest little table, taking a brief moment before speaking again, "…You've been watching the matches I take it?"
"Naturally," Senzaemon voiced, his tone now serious once more. "How I wish I could assist them in any way. However, I must commend you, or rather, your boy," Senzaemon added, turning towards Jouichirou. "Young Soma Yukihira has proven his worth far too many times to count. And, I'm sure, were it not for him, Erina wouldn't have been able to handle all this excessive pressure unfairly aimed her way."
"She's a strong girl," Jouichirou commented, "Stubborn like her grandfather-"
"I take the utmost pride in that!" Senzaemon quickly cut in.
"I'm sure you do," Jouichirou said, "And I'm sure you know she can take care of herself just fine. But yeah, Soma's been giving it his all. I'm sure this whole thing would have probably long broken me up. I am proud of the kid, of the man he's slowly becoming… But I'm also worried."
"About Azami?" Senzaemon inquired, his eyebrow lifted, knowingly, "Or is this about that other boy?"
"Azami is a factor," Jouichirou admitted. "That man turned out to be a far worse father than Gin or I ever imagined. And I know that Soma wants nothing more than a chance to get at him. But…"
"Asahi Saiba."
"Yeah, him," Jouichirou admitted. "…I never expected that little boy from that orphanage to become such a powerhouse. I… made mistakes. I should have guided him more, taken him under my wing, if not outright adopted him then and there. It was… cruel. I was so lost at the news about Tamako. It happened so fast, and Soma was so hurt, and confused, and I… I wasn't the man or the father either boy needed to remedy the situation."
"You are much too hard on yourself," Senzaemon noted, softly.
"No, If anything, I'm not hard enough," Jouichirou countered. "I need to get to Asahi before this whole thing goes down. The things I know that boy is willing to do to get what he wants, I have to talk some sense to him. What worries me… is that I'll no longer be talking to a kid, but a grown man. There's very little you can hope to change there."
"I'm certain Soma is more the willing to throw down with Asahi if need be."
"Oh, believe me, he is," Jouichirou noted with a laugh. "That's Soma in a nutshell, but, that's also what I'm afraid of. If they, Soma, Asahi, Erina, that Dove girl Azami trained… if they all clash with tensions running so high, with Azami so cornered he rather take everyone down with him if he goes down, I'm just afraid that no matter who wins or loses, the results will be less than ideal for all of them. And, young adults as they are, they're still kids to me… I don't want any of them to have to carry that for the rest of their lives."
"Emotional scars of that magnitude never do fade," Senzaemon added, his eyes closed in contemplation. "…What exactly is your plan regarding Asahi Saiba then?" he asked, his eyes once more on Jouichirou. "Surely you have more up your sleeve than handing him used flowers?"
"Can you let it go?!" Jouichirou barked, feeling a vein pop. "That's what I get for even trying to-"
Then the door opened once more, cutting the annoyed chef mid-sentence, as both he and Senzaemon turned, fully expecting one of the nurses to come right in and tell them they were being too loud. Both men were already preparing their apologies when the person who popped her head through the doorway turned out to be not a nurse at all.
"Pops," Riko Ebisawa greeted with a little wave, still standing by the doorframe, "Oh! And… Jouichirou Sai… I mean, Yukihira. This is… unexpected," she noted, seeing her former Elite Ten member sitting there, much to her surprise. She paused for a bit, before she turned back to her former Headmaster. "…You're not dying, are you?"
"Seriously?" Jouichirou blurted out, eyes narrowed, as Senzaemon gave out a hearty laugh.
"I feared that very thought myself if I'm being honest," he noted, his eyes on his former Golden Era Fourth Seat. "Riko, my dear, it has been a while. Sorry I couldn't make it to your event, I've been… rather tied up, as you can see."
"Oh, nonsense," Riko quickly shot back, before she quickly moved from the door and gave the old man the warmest of hugs. "I'm the one who should be sorry for taking this long to visit. It's just… Ah, nothing worth concerning yourself over. You look far better than I'd been led to believe, I'm relieved."
"You certainly did not think I would drop dead so suddenly now did you?" Senzaemon boasted, before he turned to the woman. "Still, I take it you've been preoccupied with the Sadatsuka family's involvement in this Intercontinental Shokugeki? The eldest son is part of Azami's current lineup after all."
"Yeah, pretty much," Riko noted with a heavy sigh, as she turned around, her eyes on Jouichirou for a moment. He stared back, wanting to say something, until she just pouted at him. "Where are your manners? Give me your seat."
"Oh that takes me back," Jouichirou replied with a laugh, standing right up an offering him his little, borrowed chair. "All these years later and here you are, still trying to take my Seat from me. Guess old habits do die hard."
"Keep up that tone with me and I'll have to challenge you again," she said with a little wink, before she took the seat "offered" to her and turned to Senzaemon. "Hey, that's a good question. Can I still challenge him to his Seat even if we're both graduates? Like, if I win you alter the academic records or something?"
"Are you serious?" Jouichirou asked, standing by the side, arms crossed, eyeing the woman.
"That's something Tootsuki Academy doesn't do," Senzaemon noted, "Then again, we didn't accept readmissions either, so who knows, go for it."
"Yay!" Riko quickly cheered, as she turned to Jouichirou with a look he knew well by now. There were outright stars in her eyes. "What do you say? One-on-one, right now!"
"Why do you even care?" he asked, amused. "You graduated with the same Seat I did anyways."
"That's only because you and Gin had already graduated by then!" she countered, crossing her arms against her chest, pouting again. "And Azami took over the First Seat with an iron fist, so I, despite my challenges to him, I never did manage to win one of those mock restaurant Shokugekis for the position… Like, damn that guy."
"You can say that again," Jouichirou noted, since even after all these years, Azami was still proving way too troublesome for all those unfortunate enough to cross his path.
"Still, I am glad I get to see you both," Senzaemon spoke up, his eyes on his former Second and Fourth Seats, before he added rather sternly, "Just wish you two would visit when I'm not in a critical condition every now and then!"
"Yeah, sorry about that," both adults replied in unison, and all Senzaemon saw was those two troublesome kids giving out their faulty excuses. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
They then spoke for a little while, the topics changing from Senzaemon's condition, to Erina and the other students' situation, and finally to what both Jouichirou and Riko had been up to respectively. After visiting hours were over, Jouichirou found himself outside the hospital, the chill of the night beginning to take effect. It was still early, mostly, but nightfall was beginning to take form. And, if he wanted to get a leg up against the competition and help his son out, he needed to move fast. Still, Riko had asked him to wait a moment, and in order to help stop all the accusations of him being a horrible friend from being aimed his way, he decided to do as he was told.
Soon enough, Riko excited the building as well, and met up with him. She stood next to him, her hands together over her professional skirt, her eyes looking just as tired as he assumed his did. Time did take its toll on everyone, he noted. Still, she was just as beautiful as the first day he had seen her, and at this thought, the advice his son had "offered" him seemed to ring back on his head.
"I don't think it would be wrong for you to start dating again."
Jouichirou shook his head with a little laugh. Soma was indeed getting to an age he wasn't really prepared for it seemed.
"You alright?" Riko asked as soon as she got close enough.
"Just thinking something my son told me," he answered in earnest, even if he kept the details to himself. "Little brat's at that age when they think they can start offering life advice to their elders."
"Oh, who knows?" Riko commented, stepping up and reaching the nearby pillar Jouichirou stood next to, and rested her back against it. It was indeed going to be a chilly night. "Your son seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Nothing wrong with at least taking his advice into consideration every now and then."
"Yeah," Jouichirou noted. "He's quite something."
"…I met the lad, you know?" she stated, her eyes on him once more. He nodded in response.
"Soma told me about it," Jouichirou responded. "About meeting you at your event."
"He can show up but the father can't, what a slap to the face that is to me," she joked, and Jouichirou frowned.
"Hey, I was halfway around the world at the time," he defended, eyeing the woman that had been one of his most trusted partners in what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Still… thanks for being kind to the kid. He's… unique."
"This coming from you?"
"I'm far more charming that he is, you have to give me that," Jouichirou countered, and Riko just laughed.
"Charming?" she asked, clearly in jest. "I still remember all the torture you put poor little Jun through. At least Soma didn't inherit that mischievous side of yours."
"…Well."
"Oh, he did didn't he?"
"Yeah…"
"Squid and all?"
"With peanut butter mostly," Jouichirou explained, and Riko felt all the blood drain from her face.
"Ack!" she cried out, almost tasting that combination. "Oh, pity whatever victim he has his eyes set on."
"Soma seemed thrilled about meeting you, though," Jouichirou commented, which caused Riko to tilt her head a bit. Had he now? "Guess you being a former Elite Ten member is something that will always get him excited."
"Do you know the first thing he said to me?" Riko asked, a little smirk on her face.
"Don't tell me…" Jouichirou voiced, already knowing the answer, because what else would it be?
"He challenged me to a Shokugeki," Riko said with a laugh. "Like father, like son. Little Erina was the one who had to practically pull him away, because I swear, given the determination I saw in his eyes, I already saw myself having a match with him right then and there."
"That would have been fun to see," Jouichirou noted, "Kid does need to be put in his place every now and then."
"What?" Riko asked, her eyes narrowed a bit. "No faith in him. Kid's good. I've seen all the matches. And I'm a bit rusty. Who knows?"
"I do," Jouichirou countered. "Soma's not there yet. Against you? No way."
"Damn, we must really be getting old," Riko noted with a grim expression, "For you to so openly praise my skills like that."
"Oh come on," he shot back, annoyed. "I'm not that bad a friend as you and Gin make me out to be."
"If you say so…" Riko almost sang, and Jouichirou got reminded little by little how easily this girl had been able to get under his skin back at the Academy. Back on those simpler days. Before he could try and counter her point, however, her expression shifted, and a more serious look overcame her. "…I do want to give you my sincerest thanks, however, for raising him into the young man he is."
"Where does that come from?" Jouichirou asked, tilting his own head to the side, confused.
"Aside from watching the matches on the television," Riko explained, "My little girl has been keeping me up to date with everything that's been going on. At first she couldn't stand him, or anyone in the Polar Star Dorms for that matter, but slowly, she's told me just how much he's gone out of his way to protect her, to keep her safe. That bastard Azami actually placed a student there as a mole of sorts, one which Nao has complained to me about almost endlessly, so much that I would swear she had a crush on the boy but that's neither here nor there," she added with a quick laugh. She was sure Nao would scream at her if she ever heard her assume that about the girl. "…And seeing that last match, it seems Soma managed to get through to him. Talent is one thing, but that kindness to go above and beyond and keeping everyone safe, I just needed to say it to you… that young man is quite something else. So thank you, for raising the boy that's helping me keep my baby girl safe."
-0-
The first text read: "Azami's not mad at you kiddo. Just relax, I've got this."
The second text read: "Just get over here to the Resort, from now until this ends you'll stay here with me. Sleepovers! Just like back then. I'll even share my bed with you, and we can play some games too!"
The third text read: "Oh! And the pool's amazing. You'll love it. Make sure to bring everything, okay?"
The fourth and final left-on-read text read: "I'm being serious here, okay? Loren, kiddo, everything's okay. You didn't mess up. Just… Just give me a call. I'm here waiting for you, or do you need me to go pick you up?"
At this Loren just stared at his phone's screen, frowning at it, alone in his darkening room, as he had not bothered to turn on the lights and night was slowly creeping in. What for anyways? He wasn't going to be staying here anymore. But, as he read through the text messages Dove had sent him, he couldn't help but clench his phone in frustration at himself.
"I won't lose to you Loren. But I will leave Tootsuki in your hands. Your call."
That exchange continued to replay itself inside his mind, and no matter how many times he heard his words, he still couldn't explain how or why he himself had responded the way he had.
"You think I won't do it?! You think just because you put me in the spotlight I will care?! I don't care about you! I don't care about the dorm! I don't care about any of you at all!"
He had screamed at him with everything he had, and now he knew, he had been screaming it at himself as well. This… This wasn't fun anymore.
Loren stood up, putting his phone inside his pocket and taking hold of his packed luggage. It didn't matter anyways. Instead of protecting his sister like a man, he had folded against the enemy and was left crying like a little kid, leaving Dove to have to do everything herself, just like always. Of course Dove assured him she'd be fine, that it all would work out, but he knew better. He knew how hard Azami pushed Dove to the brink just to get her to where she was. He didn't want to see her suffer. He didn't want to see her cry. And yet, the one time he could have done something about it… he failed spectacularly.
Deciding his job was done, failure and all, Loren moved out, opening the door of his little dorm room for what would be the last time…
…only to be met by her.
Nao stood by the door, her little fist clenched, as if she had been moments away from knocking on his door. Her eyes were wide, and as soon as she saw him exit the room, she averted her eyes.
Loren for his part glared at her. Because, deep down, he knew it had been her fault. He had thrown it all away, just for this stupid girl.
"Loren…"
"Nao."
"…You're planning on leaving, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes on the luggage he carried. He scoffed in response.
"Did the empty room clue you in, or was it the stuffed luggage I am trying to carry with me?" he asked sarcastically, as he just walked right past her, as she stiffened and tried her best to turn towards where he was headed for.
"Loren, damn it, wait!" she called out, and he had every intention of just ignoring her. He had already done enough for that little witch to last a lifetime. But her suddenly grabbing him by the sleeve of the Tootsuki uniform he had yet to take off himself caused him to pause. Rather violently too, as she had quite the grip. "I said wait!"
"The hell?!" he cried out, accidentally dropping his bags. He inwardly cursed, before he turned to face her, and he was surprised to see that her glare matched his own. "What now?!"
"…I-I…" she stammered, almost shaking in her spot, until she forced herself to bite her own lips and say, for once, what she needed to say the moment she needed to do so. "…Nobody had ever protected me, okay? I'm not used to affection. I'm not used to being important to anyone. The only crushes I've known have been with girls who just talked down to me. Insulted me. Not… unearned on my part, I'll admit, but still… Vile words are still an acknowledgement."
"You need a therapist," Loren said matter-of-factly, and Nao felt a blush threaten to appear.
"…You're not helping," she muttered, and the moment she saw his eyes widen at her words, she quickly shook her head, and blush and all, added, "Don't think too much into all this, but what I want to say is, what I need to say is…" she paused, since this was so strange to her. She had wanted nothing more than to get this guy out of here. To have the traitor ousted and have a sense of security. Loren Frechette was dangerous, she had known that from before anyone else had. Since almost the very start. And…
And here she was getting what she wanted…
…Only she didn't want it anymore.
"…Stay."
"What are you even saying?" Loren spoke, and to her surprise, he spoke softly. He looked utterly baffled by it all. "…Nao," he voiced, and she felt a knot in her stomach form whenever he said her name. "I think we're way past all of this. You've know from the start, and now, everyone does too. I failed. I came here exclusively to bring you all down. You guys won, I lost. There's nothing more to say-"
Her grip on his sleeve loosened, but to his surprise, she held him by the hand instead, just as firmly.
"You say that," she noted, "But I saw the match. We all did. You had the golden opportunity to bring us all down. And yet… you didn't. I asked you already, why? Why did you save me? And you told me that you didn't want to see me hurt," she recalled, and he couldn't help but blush. Both at her words and at her touch. "You didn't need to save me again. It went against your plan this time. And yet, you did so anyways. Loren… thank you."
Her little hands tightened, interlocked with his, and despite his attempts otherwise, he didn't really try and set himself loose.
"T-That wasn't because of-"
"Hey," she softly interrupted, "You said it yourself. We're way past all of this. So, traitor," she added, and he frowned at what had become her nickname for him. Matched his for her quite nicely now that he thought about it.
"What now, witch?"
She laughed, and she looked as anything but a dreaded creature, "For once, can you be honest with me?"
"What do you want me to say?" he asked, closing his eyes for a moment. Never had he thought things would end this way. Why was his heart beating so much faster now than when he had been at that damn arena?
"Did you really throw it all away…" she asked, her visible eye scanning his features very intently, "…just for me?"
Loren paused, his mind racing with about a dozen or so different excuses, anything to help explain away his actions, or lack of thereof, at that big event that had gone against everything he had threatened her and Soma and the others with from the very start. But… he honestly didn't know what to really say. So, to Nao's utter shock, he tightened their hold himself. To the witch's surprise, the boy's grip was stronger than her own.
"…Yeah."
Her smile almost blinded him.
"I really like you too!" she said gleefully, and his expression said more than any words ever could. Before he could try and get a word out, which would have been next to impossible given how he felt his head spinning way too fast right now, Nao proceeded to move and pull him alongside her, leaving the dropped bags behind, and guiding him down the stairs. Loren would have protested, but he couldn't quite get the words out, so before he knew it, they were both at the darkened main kitchen, and for the briefest of moments, Loren could swear the little witch was going to challenge him to one of those stupid Shokugeki things he now hated with a passion. But…
"Surprise!"
The sudden loud as hell cheer came just as soon as all the lights got turned on. Loren had to blink a bit to fully realize what was going on, as once he was able to see again, he saw that they all had gathered by the main table and counter.
"And there's the man of the hour!" Soma Yukihira said, as he sat right on the main table itself, one leg crossed, with a party popper on his hands. He had the biggest grin on his face.
"Ah… I can't stop myself from getting teary-eyed at this," Megumi Tadokoro said, as she stood right next to him, her hands clapped together, the brightest smile imaginable plastered all over her face.
"Thing are almost done on my end," Satoshi Isshiki said as he stood at the back, seemingly finishing his work on a dish, but still turned towards the two, a big smile on his face and his ass on full display. Loren really did not appreciate the sight.
"See! Told you there was something there!" Yuuki Yoshino almost shrieked. She was at the far end of the table, blowing on a small toy trumpet to make some noise, all the while the little rabbit she now carried everywhere sat on her head, somehow fully balanced despite the peculiar location he found himself in.
"Don't you start teasing them now, Yuuki," Ryoko Sakaki said, as she sat next to Yuuki, holding onto another party popper like the one Soma had, and the short haired girl was all smiles.
"Hey, when she's right, she's right," Shun Ibusaki countered, and he was also nearby, next to Ryoko, and he had just fired a special type of confetti into the air, given the little smoke trail emitting itself out of the little toy. His expression was as serious as always.
"Sur-Ack!" Zenji Marui had tried, but got cut off since Shun had filled his entire head with the ill-aimed confetti. Loren almost laughed at the pitiful sight.
"Oh, my, ha, ha, ha~" Madoka Enomoto didn't offer the nerd the same courtesy. She was laughing away at his predicament, while also offering him a hand at getting all that stuff off his hair.
"Looking good you two!" Idiot Number One, I mean, Daigo Aoki was busy exclaiming loudly as a Daigo does, cheering at the sight and also whistling provocatively at the sight. It was here Loren noticed he had not let go of Nao's hand.
"When's the wedding?!" the other idiot, Shoji Sato, was doing the same, just trying to be louder. This led into a competition between the two, as they each tried to shriek louder than the other, and in the end it came off as insane screeching.
"Seems like there really is a very fine line between love and hate after all," Berta Pedersen noted, as she applauded the sight, her expression all cheery, as she gave Nao a knowing wink, which caused the little witch to frown and blush. She too noticed she had not let go of Loren's hand at this point.
"Of course! After all, our top couple in the very definition of that, so it makes sense the boy touted as the next Soma Yukihira would follow suit," Cilla Pedersen added. For her part, was seated next to her sister and next to the young reporter, as while she looked happy, she had turned to Mitsuru and had appeared to whisper something in his ear, to which the young reporter seemed conflicted over how to answer.
Mitsuru Soutsuda looked at Loren after this, causing the blonde boy to stare at him, but try as he might, he couldn't find it in himself to glare at the guy. Or at any of them really. "…I guess there's only one real way to say this then, so…"
They all took a small pause, as even their dorm-mother, the once infamous Fumio Damidou, joined in, a knowing smile on her face, as all her kids geared up to cheer as loud they could muster…
"Welcome to the Polar Star Dorms Loren!"
"…You guys are certified morons, you know that?" Loren just muttered, peeved, before he forced himself to let go of Nao's hand. The little witch gave off a grin in response, and bounced her way towards where the rest were gathered, leaving Loren at a lost.
"And there it is," Soma quickly spoke up, same cocky grin he always sported. "That's the true Loren for ya. Hates our guts down to his very core. Glad we can finally meet the real you."
"Is that what…?" Loren tried, his eyes wide.
"It was very surprising to hear you've been plotting against us all this time," Ryoko noted, her words and her smile not matching.
"…Seems Nao was able to see through you rather easily," Shun added, his expression still unchanged.
"What can you hide from a girl who's madly in love after all-ack?!" Yuuki began, but was quickly shut up by Nao throwing one of the plastic cups right onto her head, the little witch blushing wildly. She had not intended to hold his damn hand for that long, especially not in front of this girl and her shipping goggles.
"Still, it takes balls to make such an attempt," Daigo added, stepping forth and standing right over Loren, who despite himself, couldn't help but tense up. "You know what we do to traitors around these parts?"
"Are you ready for what comes now?" Shoji added, both their tones having taken a sharp turn into the menacing. And, for as much as Loren inwardly mocked the two, he didn't really like the idea of getting into a fist fight with them. Still…
"…In my defense," Loren voiced, his eyes narrowing, "I've done less damage on purpose to this dorm's image than you two have accidentally."
Daigo and Shoji's glare seemed to intensify, and Loren inwardly cursed his sharp tongue and his instinct of talking smack back that he was sure he had picked up from Dove. But to his surprise, the two just burst out into laughter right after.
"He's got us there!" Daigo laughed away.
"Kid's a real one, I'll tell you," Shoji added.
"We just wanted to make our intentions clear," Isshiki quickly cut in, slipping right between Daigo and Shoji, and to Loren's relief, his apron remained firmly on. At least on the front end. Isshiki, still all smiles, quickly offered Loren a plate of something that smelled outright divine. It made the boy salivate, which he quickly caught and tried to play off. "We are all now well aware of your intentions against us so far," Isshiki explained, "So, here us hoping, now that that business is over and done with, you can now join us in earnest!"
"Join you?" Loren asked without even thinking, "What are you saying? I'm not a Polar Star, never been one. Don't-"
"Now that's not true," Megumi sweetly interrupted, stepping right next to Loren and giving the younger boy a tight hug, which caused him to outright flinch. He had been painfully aware that out of everyone there, she was the nicest, and it showed. One hug, and he was melting. "We've heard all of it, how you had planned to keep tabs on us all, well, mostly on Soma," she added, turning to the boy behind all his woes for a moment, who nodded at the mention. "All the while they set you up as the next big thing to assure you'd get roped in into the Intercontinental Shokugeki. It very nerve-wrecking stuff, and a lot of pressure to put on someone."
"Everything's nerve-wrecking for you Megs," Yuuki snickered, which caused Megumi to pout in response.
"It's not," she defended, "Anyways, Nao and Soma have explained it to us already. You had us at your mercy, literally, and in the end, you choose not to drop us, or something like that."
"It wasn't…" he tried, but still couldn't find the words.
"Loren's blushing Cilla," Berta noted, smirking.
"That he is Berta," Cilla replied, also smirking.
"I'm not… Damn it, stop this stupidity!" Loren barked, gently pushing Megumi away because even at his angriest he was careful not to hurt the nice girl, before he turned his very red faced glare towards the rest. "This isn't some damn fantasy story! My full intention was to destroy you all! Get it through your thick heads! I just… failed!"
"You chose to fail," Soma corrected, pushing himself up, and walking towards Loren. And just like the start, and at the match, the two faced each other down. "And I couldn't be prouder. For protecting us. For protecting Nao. For helping me win that match… Thanks, Loren," Soma said, as he extended his hand to the boy, and with a pointed finger added. "And like I promised, I'll have your back. You are a Polar Star, so you don't have to leave this dorm. And you are a Tootsuki student, so unless we fall, or you get yourself expelled, a Tootsuki student you remain. So unpack your stuff, cause you have no need of going anywhere."
"Yeah!" the rest of the Polar Stars cheered in unison, and Loren's complaints got caught in his throat.
And it was here that little Loren Frechette's worldview began to shift.
The academy that he needed to infiltrate, in order to help save Azami's daughter. That very strict and cruel place, now offered a warmness he wasn't at all accustomed to. With nothing but cheerful words, and honest expressions, the idea he had built inside his head was crumbling down, and in its place, he wasn't sure what was being rebuilt.
"That place is misguided. Nothing there but broken friendships and failed dreams…"
Azami had said, yet, what he saw, were bonds stronger than steel.
"I cook because I have to. Don't worry, I'm fine. It isn't fun, it will never be, but it is necessary."
Dove had said, and yet, here he was, seeing these young chefs giving it their all, with many smiles, and having… fun.
The Tootsuki Academy he had been trained to destroy, the very image of it… was no longer what he was seeing at all.
"…You'll regret this…" was the very last defense Loren could say, his vision already clouded a bit. But he wasn't going to cry, he had done that enough for one day. But, to his surprise, Soma just clenched his fist, and gently placed it at the boy's chest, and as everyone looked on, knowing smiles on their faces, the boy replied.
"I won't," he said firmly. "This is what friends do. And we're glad to have you with us, Loren Frechette."
Loren couldn't really reply anything to this at all, and as he heard the call for the party to start, all he could think of was something he was sure he could never outright voice. 'Azami… This guy, Soma… I think you're wrong about him…"
The party then exploded, and Loren was dragged into it, figuratively kicking and screaming, into a proper homecoming. They cheered, they shared dishes, they made joked, Isshiki changed clothes more times than Loren could count, each one more revealing than the next, but surprisingly enough, he kept his groin covered, somehow, even when realistically Loren could have sworn it wouldn't, shouldn't work. It was dumb. It was stupid. But… it was fun.
And slowly, the Trojan Horse began to laugh along to their antics, to their stupidity, to their stories, and to everything he had sworn to destroy. And through it all, every now and then, as he got pulled in by someone or the other, his eyes would meet with hers.
For naught but a second.
He'd blush, she would too.
Then they would turn their attentions elsewhere.
And through it all, the one response he managed to give was by text, sending words his elder sister had never expected to read from him…
"I think I'll be fine staying here a while longer."
-0-
On the opposite side of Tootsuki's great campus, in the biggest manor belonging to the esteemed Nakiri family themselves, inside her room, Erina just threw herself onto her bed. She buried her face into her pillows, taking hold on her plush toy out of nothing but habit and hugging it close to her chest. She knew she should be grateful. That she should at least be content, if not quite happy. It made sense. They had won. Or, at least, they had survived. And with each match that concluded, it meant that they were one match closer to this nightmare ending. Just two teams left, she thought…
'Lestrade,' she thought, as her mind went to the team she knew of least, as they hadn't really had the time to study up their upcoming opponents much in advance. They had been caught off-guard, and as such, had to make up for it by focusing on who came next on a day-to-day basis. It made sense, and yet, it worried her. But more than them… 'And Neo-Noir,' she added, almost shivering at the thought, and she hated that feeling. Hated how her entire body grew cold when she thought about facing them. About facing her again.
Erina proceeded to turn around, facing her roof, and planting her own pillow aggressively over her face, screamed as loud as she could muster. She muffled her frustrations as best she could, but even then, she didn't feel all that better.
'I was horrible,' she admitted, almost glaring at herself. 'Such an abysmal score! Me! Damn it… Ah, but I do kind of deserve it don't I? Getting humiliated like that on live television, didn't I use to revel on doing that to others? Yeah… I sucked… How had Hisako phrased it, "low even for me"? Guess that's karma at its finest…' she added, as she flipped around all over her massive bed, the anxiety giving her the urge to just move. Almost like an itch she couldn't quite scratch. 'But what am I going to do? Had that been a normal match, I would have been fully disqualified. I… lost. Damn it, I lost. And… I'm afraid of…'
She scoffed, what little pride she had left refusing to admit the obvious. Because screw Dove, screw her team, and screw the UK bunch too. She needed to get back in the game. Get herself back up. She was the Erina Nakiri after all. And…
'Soma bounced back from it all,' she recalled, and even in her head, her tone sounded filled with nothing but pride, 'I'll show the world his girlfriend is just as fierce. I'll manage, just don't ask me how…'
Erina then heard a soft knock on her door, which caused her to quickly jump and toss her plush away, the poor thing flying once more through the air and landing on the corner of her room. At this Erina just blinked, since she slowly realized nobody was coming in unless she opened the door, which made her feel stupid for acting so childishly. Frowning at herself, the heiress pushed herself off her bed and went to the door.
Opening revealed, to her surprise, her aunt.
"There she is," Leonora voiced happily, her arms clasped together, a little pose that reminded Erina so much of Alice. Or, rather, the other way around. "How's my little girl? Need an ear to vent your frustrations on, I'm a very good listener I'll have you know. Alice has made me very, very talented in this regard!"
"Oh, I can only imagine," Erina noted with a small smile. Alice could be a handful, of that she was sure. "…But I'm fine aunty, probably going to head to bed early today, that match left me winded."
"Oh?" Leonora noted, as she crossed her arms and gave out a childish pout. Like mother, like daughter, Erina supposed. "And here I thought I could make us something proper for us to enjoy. A, shall we say, proper family meal at that."
"Ah, oh, no, that's fine," Erina quickly shut down, shaking her head. "I am grateful, I really am, but I do not want to inconvenience you aunty. Feel free to do whatever, of course, but I will-"
Erina was quickly shut up, quite literally, by her aunt extending her hand and catching her lips and pressing them together with her fingers. At this forced pout Erina waved her hands around a bit, utterly lost at the sudden childish display, but her aunt was having none of it.
"I have diapered your bottom Erina," Leonora spoke firmly, and Erina blushed at this. What did that have to do with any of this? "Do not get sassy with me. I know you are blaming yourself for stuff way, way out of your control. You had a poor showing? Who cares? You're still this academy's top student and the pride of our family. Nothing will ever change that. Not a loss, not a poor performance, not your father, nor your mother."
As her aunt spoke up, Erina just stared, hearing her voice the words she had not even known she needed to hear.
"So I am not asking," her aunt made clear, as she tugged Erina's pout a little bit, causing the young girl to let out an annoyed grunt, which quickly turned to a muffled laugh when Leonora began tickling her by the sides.
"S-Stop!" she cried out, laughing. "Aunty, stop, fine! Mercy, mercy!"
"That's what I wanted to hear!" Leonora happily noted, once more clasping her hands together and smiling. "So… get ready, cause I'm going to make something myself for both you and Alice. It'll be something good, I promise."
"You're going to cook personally?" Erina asked, honestly surprised. She knew her aunt could cook, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise, but she never quite associated her with that branch of the culinary arts.
"Are you implying that I can't?" Leonora noted, her head tilted. "How rude! Maybe I should challenge you to a Shokugeki while I'm at it!"
"No, that's okay," Erina quickly waved off, still smiling the way only hear aunt made her smile. "I mean, against the God's Tongue, Tootsuki's Fourth Seat and, as you said, this academy's top student, well…" Erina added, trying her best to sound as smug as possible until she added in the most sincere of tones, "I would be no match. Not against you."
"Nonsense," Leonora replied, her hand now caressing the side of Erina's face tenderly. "You'll be the best of us all, of that I'm sure," she noted, before she quickly added, "But don't tell Alice I said that, she'll disown me."
At this Erina just laughed, before she nodded and promised not to tell. Her aunt laughed as well, before she turned towards the hallways, where Alice's room was located.
"Speaking of Alice," Leonora noted, "Ryou's also going to be eating with us, so…" she added, and given her smug face, Erina was already blushing before her aunt got her question out. "Care to invite anyone special?"
"Hmm…" a red-faced Erina muttered, before she just shifted her glance elsewhere. "…maybe."
"Sweet!" Leonora cheered. "So Soma's coming too! I'll make enough for us all!"
"Ah, wait, alongside Soma…" Erina voiced before she thought of it properly. But, in her mind, when her thoughts went towards her boyfriend, another face popped up, since there was a certain thing Soma had told her that she really needed to get to the bottom of. And what better way than tonight in her very own manor. "…Could I invite another family member too?"
"Oh?" Leonora voiced, for once taken back. Still… "…Sure sweetie, anyone you want," Leonora added, forcing the smile as best she could. 'Your girl needs this, so if it's Mana, or Heaven forbid, Azami, just suck it up Leonora,' Leonora told herself, still keeping the smile up as best she could. 'I can already picture Mana criticizing every single detail of what I make, and that's even if she "graces" my dishes with the privilege of eating them in the first place… It's not about you Leonora, it's about Erina, so suck it up and be a grown up…'
But, what Erina said afterwards turned out to be neither of those two.
It was in fact someone Leonora had no idea if she should be concerned over or not.
"It's my brother, Asahi," Erina replied, sounding just as conflicted as Leonora felt. "I sort-of realized I haven't properly introduced him to you aunty or to Uncle Soe."
-0-
The King of Noirs sat on his huge ass couch, his hands on his pockets and the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. He wasn't at the resort, not that he hardly was there anyways. After this last match, it was quite clear his little sister wasn't up to par to ever hope to take on the likes of Dove, Julius or Ashitaro, so he needed to take matter into his own hands. Which is why he found himself inside his little kingdom, the little Noir hideout that wasn't Con Calma, Don Calma.
A more secluded location. Better for meetings, and better for… beatings.
"We can do this the nice way too, ya know?" Asahi voiced, his voice full of glee, but his words being anything but. "I had high hopes for you all, and I wouldn't consider myself a bad boss, but… I do not appreciate getting backstabbed, you get me?"
Boogie Malcanta, laying on the floor, his lip busted and a very noticeable shiner on his left eye, stumbled to get himself into a sitting position, controlling his emotions as best he could not to glare at Asahi, as he knew what would follow if he did.
"What made you think it was a good idea to go behind my back, Boogie?" Asahi asked, as his sharp eyes hid the clear intent behind his words.
"I-I never-" Boogie began.
"Stop!" Asahi called out, interrupting him, his hand extended. The rest of the top Noirs all watched, standing around the area. Yuunosuke, Sargenta, Don Calma, Kou Shiou, Claude and Bonnie all stood at the ready, prepared to carve up Boogie if their leader so desired it. Boogie knew it, and worse, Asahi knew it too. "Yeah, we're not doing this. Be a man and own up to your shit. Trust me, it's less painful that way."
"…Are you all really going to go along with this…?" Boogie finally got out, and the rest just stared, surprised that he was directing his words to them. Asahi raised his brow, amused. "Can you not see what this guy is leading us to? We can't hope to deal with Azami Nakamura. And his ace-in-the-hole, that Erina girl, she's a mess. Not even you can polish her anymore, and you know it."
The rest of the crew said nothing, as Asahi just smiled.
"You know, I get what you're saying. I really do," Asahi noted, as he pushed himself up, and much to Boogie's fright, took hold of a nearby baseball bat. This… wasn't good. "But still hearing my little sister's name come out of your lips doesn't sit well with me."
"You've grown attached," Boogie noted, grimly. "And not just to her."
"Oh!" Asahi shot back, still all smiles. "Whatever does that mean?!"
"You'll all be sorry," Boogie warned, already bracing himself for the worse. "You've taken a shine to that Dillinger girl. The God Slayer is the only one who could have ratted me out. And you brought her over to our spot. Our King seems to be… on the verge of being dethroned."
"…Hmm, and who do I have to thank for that I wonder?" Asahi noted, as he then took aim, and Boogie tensed, "But!" Asahi added, taking a swing and stopping it inches from the scared man's face. Boogie's eyes were as wide as wide could be. "That's where you come in! You wanted to feed me false info? Fine idea. I think I'll take it. You're going to feed Azami what I want you to, because trust me, even if you are more afraid of him than of me, an… adequate way of thinking, but," Asahi paused, before he used the tip of the bat to gently caress Boogie's sweaty face. "My so-called father has the entire press up his ass. I don't. There's so much more I can do to you and get away with it than he can at this time. So play your cards right Boogie, as this might very well be the last decision you make if you choose poorly."
"I-I-" the clown tried.
"Are you sure that's what you want Asahi?" Yuunosuke voiced, his eyes on their leader. "He's not to be trusted anymore. This could lead to further problems."
"What kind of boss doesn't forgive the occasional treachery here and there?" Asahi joked, "Besides, look at that face," he added, pointing with his bat towards Boogie. "Is that the face of a two-timing traitor? Oh no it is not, no it isn't~"
"He's lost it," Bunnyhair noted, creeped out more at Asahi's attitude over Boogie's betrayal.
"Not sure he's ever had it to begin with!" Don Calma added, which caused Asahi to turn to the two with a frown.
"I heard that!" Asahi called out, before he turned back to the clown. "So, whatcha say? Friends?"
"…Do I have a choice?" Boogie asked, knowing fully well how much he had messed up. But why? Why had that girl given him away? What could Azami possibly gain by him being ousted? What could the God Slayer gain, even?
"Well, either help us in earnest, or," Asahi replied, still all cheery, "Well, you know, Sarge! Get the chainsaw!"
"Stop it with that dumb joke," Sargenta muttered, taking a few steps and reaching Asahi, as the boy was mimicking a baseball player's pose, using Boogie's head as his would-be target, much to the clown's nervousness. "Besides, how much of that is true?"
"I mean, I don't expect you to use an actual chainsaw, but-" Asahi began, and Sarge felt a vein pop.
"Not that!" she barked. "Did this all really come from her? Why on Earth would Dove Dillinger of all people entrust you with information that goes against Azami Nakamura's very plans. It makes no sense."
"Yeah, it kinda doesn't," Asahi noted with a smirk. "But that's the beauty of this all. He won't see it coming. The guy had plenty on his plate, and with my little sis being, well, out of commission, we need another way to make sure I can take him down. And I have an idea, well, an inkling of an idea," he added, but when all Sarge did was frown, Asahi realized that what bothered her more wasn't so much Azami, rather his protégée. "I know that look. Relax. And that goes to all of you," he added, turning to the rest, using his bat to point to each and every one of them. "I've got this. Dove Dillinger isn't using me, if anything, I'm using her. All part of the plan. When have I even led us astray?"
They all paused, but said nothing. He wasn't right, but he wasn't wrong either.
"You say that as if they're all here willingly," Yuunosuke voiced with a little laugh, which made Asahi frown.
"Well, we're all friends after all," Asahi countered, almost pouting, "I'd expect you all to have my back through thick and thin."
"Sarge and I joined you willingly," Yuunosuke explained, still laughing, "The rest you challenge and beat and practically forced to join you. No surprise they're a bit… unmotivated."
"I beg your pardon!" Don Calma quickly chimed in, arms crossed against his hairy chest, frowning at Yuunosuke.
"Oh, right, Don Calma also joined us willingly," he corrected.
"Way too willingly at that," Sarge added.
"And that's what makes him such a great ally, Don Calma, you are our star employee," Asahi noted, all smiled, pointing his bat at the older man and giving him a knowing wink. "The rest of you better start showing that level of dedication, because we're already balls-deep into this, so if I go down, I am so taking you all down with me," their boss warned, and they all tensed. They knew he meant every word. "…Still, I think we may need to expand a bit. Yuunosuke! I know we have a small army of sorts of Noirs, but none of those guys could ever hope to hold a candle to a Tootsuki student, not like you guys can…"
"Whatever are you plotting now?" Yuunosuke asked, intrigued but wary. He knew Asahi's "spontaneous ideas" tended to get him in trouble more often than not. Last time he was almost chocked to death by Julius Bedlam, and he rather avoid a scenario like that if he could.
"We may need to expand," Asahi noted, taking a swing with his bat. It flew roughly two inches from Boogie's skull. "Start a… shall we say, job-fair of sorts. Find me more capable chefs who would be willing to come over to the dark side of the culinary world."
"Dark side?" Bunnyhair repeated, her head tilted, the reference lost to her.
"Where would you presume we find such people?" Sarge asked, arms crossed and frowning.
"Use your imagination Sarge," Asahi cheerfully replied, taking another swing. One inch away this time. Boogie even felt the wind this time. "Our little frenemies back at the Resort, those six other super teams, they also took part in the Tootsuki undertaking or purge or whatever they nicknamed it. Several Third Years got booted off thanks to them. We might be able to convince those guys to come over to our side. To get a little revenge on the establishment that abandoned them so."
"Quite the risky venture," Claude noted, his eyes less of Asahi and more on Boogie and his failed attempts at trying to stand up to Asahi.
"That's… ludicrous," Boogie voiced, his tone dry, turning his eyes onto Asahi. "You were part of that very bunch who took them out. Why would they jump ship to your side of all places?"
"…Oh? Sorry, didn't think I said you had gained back the privilege of giving me advice," Asahi said so cheerfully that Boogie felt a chill run up his spine.
"W-Wait!" he cried out, extending his hands forwards, just as Asahi took aim with the bat. "I-If you want me to play the part with Azami I can't look beat up! I-It wouldn't work in your favor."
"That's true," Asahi noted, eyes widening a bit, as he stopped the bat midway, much to Boogie's relief. But then… "But you're always wearing makeup, no?"
"Huh?"
Everyone flinched the moment Asahi just struck Boogie right across his head with the bat, sending the obese man into the ground, utterly knocked out, as he flipped the bat around with a single hand, turning to the rest. "…No more going behind my back. Have I made my point clear?"
They all just nodded. Only Yuunosuke and Sarge frowned at the display, Yuunosuke because he knew he was the one who needed to make sure Boogie didn't die before they got the use out of him and Sarge because she did not at all like this new plan of his.
Then someone's phone began to ring, and Asahi frowned.
"Okay, who broke the "phones on silent" rule, huh?" Asahi asked, bat at the ready, before all the other Noirs all frowned in unison and pointed accusingly at him. He blinked, pausing for a moment before he realized it was his phone that was ringing. "Oh! Silly me! That would be me, bonk!" he voiced as he both took hold of his phone from the nearby table they had and also bonked himself in the head with the bat as a form of "punishment" for breaking his own rule.
Still, he wasn't expecting a call from her.
"Yellow?" he answered, as he raised his index finger to mimic to the rest to keep quiet. After all, she was the last person he needed getting wind of any of this.
"…Uh, hello?" Erina voiced, a bit surprised at his strange greeting. Shaking her head, as she wasn't still used to speaking on the phone with her brother, she tried to power through. "Asahi, brother, I am calling to invite you to a family dinner my aunt is throwing for us, and I would really like it if you'd come join us."
"Family dinner?" a baffled Asahi repeated, feeling the confused stares of all his companions drilling into the back of his head. He tried his best to play if off. "What? Wasn't that disastrous one with pa not enough? You even got a hashtag out of it."
"It won't be like that," Erina replied, and he flinched. He could sense it in her tone that his comment had bothered her. He managed to stop himself from apologizing to her over it. "Aunty and uncle are… different," she voiced. "And you'll have all night to form your own opinions. It's unheard of that, as my brother, you have yet to meet the people that helped raise me. So, I'll call your driver and have him pick you up at the resort in, what, thirty minutes?"
"Whoa, wait a sec!" Asahi cried out, alerting the others, as he quickly waved his hands around like a maniac. "Hey, I get it, sounds nice and all, but I'm… busy," he finished weakly, so much so that his entourage all gave him a pitiful look in turn, to which he mouthed a silent obscene phrase at them all as to where they could shove it.
"Too busy for me?"
Asahi felt slapped.
He had never heard that tone directed at him, and he was outright impressed. The spoiled darling was clearly not used to being rejected.
"Erina, I…" he tried again, "I'm not at the resort, I'm out, so-"
"Then I'll have the driver pick you up," Erina countered, her tone still dead-set on getting him on that limousine. "Where are you?"
"Sis," he tried still. "I can't make it. I would love to, but I'm… hanging out… with friends," he added each part as he thought them up. He eyed Boogie, and gestured to the beaten clown as if asking him if his excuse sounded good enough. The still hopefully just knocked out Boogie had no response. "Would be rude to just leave them hanging, you get me?"
"Rude would be to leave you sister, as you say, "hanging"," she countered yet again, and Asahi felt himself shrink. He could see Yuunosuke mouthing to him to just say "no" and hang up, but he was pretty sure he couldn't do that. "Asahi," she added, and to his dismay, her tone softened, and he hated that. The softer she spoke, the harder it was for him to say no to her. "Please, just this once. Please, please, please."
Now she sounded like a genuine younger sister, and he felt utterly defeated. But… He had one last card to play. He knew her weakness. How proper she was, and he could use that.
"Fine, you got me, I lied, okay?" Asahi admitted, and he could hear how Erina seemed to pause for a moment.
"Hmm?" she muttered, almost as if she had an argument at the ready but was holding it back just to allow him to explain himself. She was a woman alright he noted with a smirk.
"…I'm on a date."
"What?" it wasn't Erina who blurted that out first, as Sarge beat her to it. The Noir turned to Asahi with a look of utter shock in her face, and the rest followed suit. Only Yuunosuke seemed to have an idea of what it was Asahi intended with that little white lie.
"A date?" Erina asked, and Asahi frowned. She didn't sound as embarrassed as she had expected her to.
"Yeah," he said, "And, well, leaving a lady all alone is just not the kind of man your brother is, you get me?" he added, "So? Rain check? I promise to make it to whatever event you want me to next-"
"Bring her with you."
He felt something break inside him.
"I'm sorry?"
"Bring her with you," Erina repeated, and her tone now sounded genuinely excited, much to his sheer horror. "I would love to meet her! And trust me, I'll behave. No annoying little sister antics from me, promise. Plus, you'll have the entire Nakiri manor to show her. No better spot for a date."
"Ah…" Asahi tried, but he was at a loss for words.
"So… are you two coming?" Erina asked, and her tone, defiant to the end, faulted a bit there. She was clearly playing herself up, he noted. She was faking it just as much as he was. So, swallowing the inappropriate joke that had sprung into his head, he instead responded with a very, very defeated.
"…Yeah."
"Great!" she cheered, before she caught herself, and he could picture her blushing at her little outburst. "I mean, good. I will see you both then here at around nine. Send me your location so that I can send the driver to pick you up, okay?"
"…Yeah," Asahi repeated, same tone and all. Erina continued to explain how it would work, assuring him that he didn't need to be all fancy or anything, and that this would be the last time she would bug him for anything (lies, he knew, and she knew too) and after a bit, she said she'd see him soon, and then they hung up. Asahi remained, frozen on the spot, his fellow Noirs all giving him the most judgmental looks imaginable.
"…Just who's using who?" Yuunosuke asked, bluntly, and Asahi just glared and pouted in unison.
"Shove it," he instructed, "I have dinner to attend to, because, unlike what you bums are thinking, I have appearances to keep up. I can't just deny my "older brother" duties, much as I'd like to," he added, and then glared at the lot of them when it was clear none of them bought it. "Now then… I need a date."
"Why not Sarge?" Claude advised, signaling the girl in the uniform. Sarge's eyes widened at the suggestion.
"W-What? Me? Asahi and I haven't, well, not since-" she tried, but her blush gave her away. She turned to Asahi, almost as if expecting him to say "yes" without a complaint, but the young man wasn't even looking her way.
"No, Erina knows about Sarge," Asahi just said. "Wouldn't make sense."
"Wait?! You told her about us?!" Sarge asked, utterly shocked, to which Asahi only nodded. What? Why?! Why had the King of Noirs given the God's Tongue such personal details? Wasn't all of this supposed to be just an act on his part?
"There's Bunnyhair," Kou Shiou suggested.
"Why me? I do not want to be in the same vicinity as the Nakiri family. Why don't you go?" Bunnyhair shot back.
"He said it was a lady, so it can't be me," Kou Shiou countered, turning towards the girl with the rabbit ears.
"Judgmental much?" she noted, her eyebrow raised. "Besides, with that mask of yours, you could be a lady, who's to say? Just don't talk."
"How am I supposed to eat?!"
"Say you're in a diet!"
"That implies talking!"
"Write it down!"
"Shut up you two!" Asahi warned, which quickly got both Noirs quiet. Their fearless leader, looking very close to feeling fear, paced around, deep in thought, until he just sighed. "…Damn it. I've got no one else," he noted, as he took out his phone. Sarge was the first to realize what he meant.
"You are seriously not considering…!" she almost screamed, and Asahi just raised him finger to tell her to keep it down, as he placed the phone on his ear, just as he heard a few rings. It would be so easy for her not to pick up, because their deal had long been over by now. It made no sense for there to be any form of communication between them at all, and yet.
"Hello?"
"…What are you doing tonight Dove?"
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Next Time: A Dinner, A Date & The Most Unexpected Challenge!