-NAKIRI ERINA-

AUGUST 29

Nakiri Erina sat behind her office desk, conflicted.

"The fountain pen or the quill, Hisako?" She looked desperately at her right-hand woman for guidance on what should have been a simple, if not easy, decision. The loyal teen rubbed her pink hair in confusion but spoke with conviction, her posture straightening to a defined point as she did. The sun had barely crossed over the horizon, but there was too much important work on the day's agenda.

"The quill, Erina-sama. Your penmanship flows more elegantly with the feather tip your grandfather gave you."

Hisako knew everything about Erina, literally— except for this. Yukihira Sōma gave her this pen on their very first date. It was special to her. So special that when Hisako first noticed it and incorrectly assumed it was another heirloom gifted from her grandfather's prized pen collection, she did not rush to correct her. That was six months ago, and she still hadn't fixed her friend's fallacy. She had learned in their short six months of being officially in a relationship, especially under the very watchful public eyes of Totsuki Academy and Tokyo's elite gourmet society, the importance of keeping some things sacred between them. It was an expensive gift, and she did not need any useless and disparaging rumors concerning how—or who—procured it for her. Hisako could be trusted with Erina's life, but even though Yukihira was known to have amassed talent and fame by now, he definitely did not have the fortune she was born into. Who needed to be accused of buying her own gifts on her boyfriend's behalf?

Erina picked up the golden feathered pen and hovered over the lone document on her desk. She really did not want to sign it. Not with this pen, in particular. But she had to. And Hisako was right, as usual; her signature flowed out of the ink and onto the thick paper like cool water. It was a quality writing utensil from the best young man she knew.

Which made doing what she was about to do—what she had to do—all the more difficult.

She let out a conflicted sigh and scribbled away, then passed the paper onto her friend and secretary. Hisako inspected her signature.

"Not your best signature, I must admit. But even your chicken scratch looks perfect, Erina-sama."

In response, Erina could only groan and slump on her desk with her head in her arms.

-8-

Nakiri Erina sat in her seat on the tarmac, tense.

She kept smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles on her vintage Ralph Lauren wool-cashmere sweater dress. The sensation of running her palm over the cable-knit pattern calmed her as she waited for the minutes to pass before the private jet took off. But it shouldn't be misinterpreted that her nervousness was out of fearfulness or anxiety about flying. Her stomach was in knots over what she was meant to do before takeoff.

Hisako silently offered her a steaming teacup. Its contents were unknown to Erina, but one whiff of the subtle herby blend cleared her mind. She straightened her back and crossed her pantyhosed legs.

"She should be boarding any minute now. Security has informed me that she's walked through the final checkpoint," Hisako dutifully reported. Erina nodded and stared out her seat's window. The mid-morning sky matched her outfit, though she didn't plan it. Powder blue. She placed her chin on her fist and watched a swarm of blackbirds playing follow-the-leader around the baggage handlers, ducking for cover as they struggled to do their jobs without error. The birds looked so carefree as they made the airport employees work harder. At that moment, she wished she were one of the careless birds. At that moment, she felt like all of the burdened employees.

Light taps of clumsy footsteps stole her attention from her wistful daydreaming. She reticently turned her head from the private plane's oculus, unaware of the bemused look on her face.

Tadokoro Megumi saw Erina and feverishly bowed repeatedly at the entranceway. "Oh! Erina-sama!" Her greeting was a mix of nerves and relentless appreciation. Hisako offered the quivering young chef a piteous smile as she took her oversized coat from her shoulders and walked to the back of the jet. Megumi returned with a wide and gracious one back.

"Tadokoro," Erina said. Her voice was void of any emotion. She steeled her nerves within herself, and her eyes locked on the meek girl approaching her. Seeing the out-of-season coat and lopsidedly hand-knitted scarf helped. It was an unseasonably breezy day, Erina agreed, but not enough to be bundled up like this, though it was uncanny how much the color matched and made the timid girl's eyes pop.

"Please, sit." Erina gestured to the cozy leather seat facing her. It was a command, not a request, and Megumi moved forward like she had been given marching orders. The disquieted words of appreciation recommenced.

"Thank you for inviting me on the Nakiri jet, Erina-sama! I can't believe this thing is real," she said, gawking around the luxurious camel-brown interior. A jet-black "N" was emblazoned in cursive stitch into each headrest while golden silk thread masterfully lined the seams. The armrests, overhead compartments, and coffee tables all still smelled of the oakwood used to carve them into place, and innumerable flecks of 24-karat gold were interspersed between the woodgrain grooves. The aircraft looked and smelled like wealth, more than Erina was sure Megumi had ever seen.

Erina placed a delicate hand up to stop her. "It's nothing at all, Tadokoro. I'm glad you could finally make the time to meet with me." She knew the dig landed on target when she saw Megumi's whole skeleton flinch beneath her school uniform. "I hope you had an easy time getting here."

Megumi fumbled with her skirt's pleats and fumbled over her words. "O-oh, um, ye-yes. Your drivers were quite punctual. And, s-sorry about canceling the other times, Nakiri-san. It's just been a lot preparing for the Autumn Selection while fulfilling my other duties on the Ten this summer."

"Of course. Understood."

Picking up a hint of suspicion, Megumi rushed, "I wasn't trying to ignore or avoid you or anything!"

"Yes…I'm sure." Silence settled between the two young women, one as calm as the clear blue sky outside the aircraft. And the other? Well…

"Tadokoro, can I offer you a glass of water? You look pale," Erina frowned in concern. She took Megumi's gaping expression for a yes and signaled the flight attendant. "Please, a glass of still for my associate here." Associate, yes. It would've been too on the nose, too disingenuous, to use friend, considering why they were both here.

Megumi to a long, slow sip from the crystal glass she was given. Erina decided to begin with small talk.

"Have you been taking care of yourself?" Erina didn't care, but Megumi still nodded honestly. It annoyed Erina how disarmingly innate the simple country girl's innocence was. It was almost charming. Megumi finished her water and cleared her throat.

"So!" She piped, adrenaline still working its way out of her system. "Where are we headed off to?"

"Pardon?"

Megumi's façade flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, my apologies. Is that not what you're supposed to say when flying private? Why I reckon, I've only flown commercial," she blushed.

"No, no, that's perfectly fine to say, but we're not flying anywhere." Erina took a lot of tongue-biting to hold back the most condescending scoff. Megumi's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Oh. I just assumed since you invited me, you were taking me—"

"Oh no." Erina shook her head, uncrossed her legs, and recrossed them, switching dominant legs. Megumi couldn't help but think the red soles under her stilettos resembled blood. She swallowed hard in anticipation. "I am taking off to Seoul for a business lunch, but I'm not taking you with me. Actually, this was my schedule's only available time to speak to you. I'm quite busy myself, you see."

"I see… So, what do you want to meet about?" Megumi's voice grew small with anxiety. Erina pulled a gold embossed casing from her blanc vintage YSL leather clutch on the seat next to her that Megumi didn't even notice until Erina handed it to her. It blended so well into the seat's upholstery. Erina cupped her knees in wait with a firm grip as Megumi held the heavy envelope and saw the Totsuki emblem above the script that read:

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF TŌTSUKI CULINARY ACADEMY

But Erina didn't give her a second to open and review its contents. She picked up and took a lukewarm sip from her teacup. The medicinal effect was instantaneous."I've denied your appeal to contend for the Sixth Seat." It was that sharp, that resolute.

"Wait. What? Why!" Megumi's voice trembled and grew louder with each bewildered question. Erina watched her eyes bulge and search her cold gaze in a frenzy. "The Shokugeki is tomorrow!"

"Well, as you just admitted, you're already overwhelmed with your current duties as the Tenth Seat, and a higher seat requires greater responsibility. If you're already drowning with the little on your plate—"

"I'm not!" Tears began to well in Megumi's eyes as she balled her fists.

Erina's eyes sliced across Megumi's eye line, and her blood ran cold. "It seems to me that you are. Canceling twice on the First Seat, and Academy director, no less? I'd beg to differ. Better luck next time," Erina sang, the encouragement as fake as the pearls in Megumi's earlobes.

"B-b-but, we're third years. There is no next time," Megumi whimpered.

"Oh! I suppose you are correct." She feigned a sorrowful pout. "How unfortunate."

"Did you bring this to the Council? Does Sōma-kun know?" Her voice shook before Erina muted her.

"My signature is sovereign at Totsuki."

The tears fell into the new silence. Erina ignored the sniffles and looked back out her window. Storm clouds had begun to roll in, and the blackbirds were scrambling to fly away. Pity. Erina hated flying in the rain.

Soft footsteps cut through like a blade. "Um, ma'am? It's time for takeoff if we're going to make it to Seoul on schedule," Hisako whispered her interruption. The secretary's gaze awkwardly passed between her boss and her classmate, then left.

One minute later, she returned with Megumi's coat and an umbrella. Megumi stood up, withdrawn, and took her jacket, but not the umbrella. Only then did Erina realize it was a down-feather raincoat. An odd choice for the season but a wise choice for the weather.

Megumi turned to leave the now suffocatingly small meeting space but stopped short of the cabin door. She turned back to face Erina's profile. "You know, for all your brilliance, beauty, and prestige, I still don't know what Sōma-kun sees in you." The cabin door closed behind her.

So, she didn't see Erina's face drop at the sting of her insult. She didn't feel the burn in Erina's chest as her words struck her darkest insecurity. She didn't hear Erina choke back a fistful of tears at the poison she sent coursing through her veins.

But Hisako saw it all. "She's just jealous, Erina-sama," she tried her best to console. "But what you did—it had to be done."

For once in their thirteen years of friendship, Erina felt like Hisako was utterly wrong.

-8-

Nakiri Erina sat in her client's Rolls Royce, annoyed.

The phone rang longer than she liked. The call connected on the final ring she had predetermined to hang up. A flurry of unruly red hair filled her phone screen.

"Nakiri! Yo! You land—"

"I thought we were past that," she snapped.

Sōma paused, and his face popped into full view. "My bad, Nak—" he flashed a devilish smirk and eyed her. "Hey, baby." Erina's heart fluttered in her chest, and her cheeks flushed. "How was the flight to Seoul?"

"Ugh, torture. We flew through storm clouds."

"Ah, yikes. I know how you feel about flying through rain," he said. His voice was coated with empathy. Something Erina realized at that moment she desperately needed from no one else but him.

"Thank you for remembering," she whispered. Sōma's voice boomed with laughter in her custom Airpods, and if not for how much she missed hearing it, she would've hung up on him.

"Of course, I remembered! Does Okinawa ring a bell?" Erina covered her face to hide her humiliation.

"Why do you remember Okinawa? I told you to forget that unseemly display."

"How could I forget?"

"What?"

"It was the first time I saw you cry."

"Sōma, that's not—"

"And became determined to be the reason you smile."

Erina's eyes widened to saucers, and her complexion turned beet red. "That was soooo cheesy, Yukihira," she giggled.

"But, it worked! Besides," he cleared his throat. "J'aime le fromage." His French was stilted but authentic in a Yukihira Sōma way.

"Bien joué! I see someone's been practicing their—"

"And you," he said softly. "Je t'aime, ma belle."

Her voice caught in her throat. Her lungs lost all their ability to collect air. "French."

It wasn't his first time saying it— telling Erina that he loved her. But it never made her melt into sweet butter any less each time. With Megumi's parting words still ringing in her ears, his soothing voice uttering those gentle words did so much to quiet the raging storm of doubt in her mind.

A clang and an exchange of shouting expletives filled his background. "Ah, shit! Sorry, baby, I gotta go! Kurokiba just threw a knife at Hayama's head, and the Aldini brothers aren't doing a great job breaking up the fight. There may be blood. I gotta record this!"

Erina looked for her voice. "Oh-oh, okay. I'll talk to you after my client meeting."

"You better," he winked. "Oh, and by the way..." Erina looked puzzled into her front camera. "I don't know who this client is, but you better close that deal if they're picking you up in a Cullinan!" He jutted his chin at the back of her head, blew a quick kiss her way, and hung up.

Erina turned to look at her headrest. Sure enough, the iconically stitched double-R was in plain view. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Boys and their toys, she chuckled to herself. She felt a cascade of relief rush over her as Hisako looked over her shoulder from the front passenger seat and nonverbally asked if she was ready for their departure. Erina nodded and smiled.

For the first time today, Nakiri Erina sat at ease.

a/n: new year, same story! i know it's been a while, but i hope you've all been doing other productive things in the absence of a new chapter. since we ended last year with an all-Alice chapter, it was only right to begin this year with an all-Erina chapter to continue us on our way. (the holiday chapters don't count because they are flashbacks and somewhat standalone...think, filler episodes.) let me know if you enjoy these chapters focused on one character (vs. the multi-character chapters). who knows? maybe i'll add them in more often as the story progresses.

be sure to leave a review! share, favorite, and follow to stay informed about updates, especially as we enter the downtime the end of the year brings.

-My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed!-

8.20withlove

disclaimer: yessss... i know i don't own the rights to SnS. but what who cares anymore?! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯