-NAKIRI ERINA-
Nakiri Erina sat poised on the plush white divan, her legs crossed delicately at her ankles, with one elbow propped up by the armrest. She clasped her hands together and frowned. The teacup on the tray in front of her had long gone cold.
"Alice. How many times are you going to try on that one outfit?"
Ever the flighty cousin of the two, Alice twisted in front of the full-length mirror, paused, and eyed her restless cousin through the glass. "As long as it takes to talk myself out of this haute couture look. I appreciate your concern!"
Erina rolled her eyes at her cousin's smart mouth and began to inspect her perfect cuticles. She was desperate for a manicure— not because her digits needed it, but because her mind did. "I'm just saying. We've been in this boutique for four hours now. You know how I feel about this." She could've been working right now. It's not like she didn't have six months' worth of requests in her inbox and paperwork piling up on her desk. Honestly, the director of Totsuki should not be held hostage in a fashion boutique like this. Alice faced her with an affronted gaze.
"You know how long I've been waiting for an invitation from Chanel—"
"But we're here on my—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Erina!" Erina instantly pursed her lips shut. Alice looked like she would commit parricide if not. The pixie princess huffed. "Why don't you request a look at this season's high jewelry to take yourself out of this unbecoming funk? Collection 1932 looks just your style and will match that gorgeous red Prada number I just forced you to buy," Alice lazily offered, fanning her hand dismissively to the other side of the boutique— away from her.
"I already own it." Alice snapped a fuming glare her way. "But maybe I can find something else I don't need." Erina stood up and strolled to the boutique's attendant, standing dutifully at the cash register. Her Chanel little black jacket draped elegantly over her shoulders swayed with each step of her perfect gait. The lithe middle-aged woman was the only other person in the store, barring the two Nakiri aides rarely out of arm's reach and the heiresses' eight bodyguards in all black flanking the entrance to the back of the store of the high-end boutique.
The boutique attendant looked up, stopping at the heiress's diamond-encrusted neck, and smiled. Erina hated that. Hisako spoke first. Her responsible tone blended into the woman's responsive business voice. Still inspecting her nonexistent cuticles, Erina absentmindedly thought of a timeline where Hisako was behind the register guarding and selling priceless jewels and clothing like her life depended on it.
A blunt gray bob swiftly moved past Erina's eye line, and she heard a curtain slide back and forth.
"Erina-sama, the concierge just went to the back to select the choicest pieces for you. She seemed pretty eager to do so—whispered something about it being an honor."
"Of course she did," Erina yawned. Yawns are indeed contagious because, no sooner than she lifted her head to face Hisako, she noticed Ryō taking her place on the divan, doing the same as Alice twirled in the twelfth couture gown of their visit. Alice didn't even have an event to attend. (Unlike the twenty in the next three months that Erina was dreading for herself.) Erina felt his boredom on a spiritual level. "I don't want to do this."
Hisako's eyes widened. "O-oh. Should I tell her never mind then?"
"No…" Erina lingered on Ryō's miserable countenance. "I doubt Alice would let me leave empty-handed anyway." Hisako giggled in her hand.
"I saw some handbags I'm sure you'd enjoy adding to your collection."
"If you're referring to the Pink Palette collection, I've already had the mini flap bag, the top handle mini flap bag, and the classic tweed handbag in storage for months. Call up the Bulgari personal shopper. I want to look at their new watches. Maybe I'll buy a few for always-late Alice." She took a step towards the boutique's entrance, then stopped. Turning her chin ever so slightly toward Hisako, she winked.
"And a couple of friendship bracelets for you and me."
-8-
"You know, Erina…" Alice started as the four teens reclined into their respective massage chairs. They returned to the Nakiri mansion's spa after Erina refused to be as impressed and delighted about being at an artisanal mochi café, listed as the best mochi ice cream shop in downtown Tokyo. "You've been really bitchy all year."
"Um, Miss Alice?" Ryō cautiously interjected on her right. "It's just the second week of February."
"My point, exactly, Ryō! Now, hush!" Alice pouted at him before redirecting her attention back to her left. "Now, why is that, Erina?" She tapped her index finger thoughtfully on her chin.
Erina knew her cousin was baiting her. She knew Alice already had the exact answer she wanted to hear and reason made up in her mind. She just wanted to waste (more) of Erina's time with her petty, childish games, as usual. She arched and dipped her feet into the soothing hot water bowl. The steam curled a blend of fresh peppermint and eucalyptus into her nostrils, and her shoulders immediately relaxed. She took her first conscious deep breath of the day.
"I thought being bitchy was my whole schtick on this show."
That gave Alice a start. "Well, true…" Alice considered. "But, I mean, you've been even bitchier by your standards. You really need to loosen up."
"For crying out loud! Can you please stop calling Erina a bitch, Alice-sama? She's the director!" Hisako slammed her hands on both armrests.
"Oh, you hush, too, Hishoko. Erina was my cousin before she was anybody's director—especially mine." She picked up her crystal champagne flute and took a sip of her sparkling apple cider. "I'm just saying, ever since she came home after New Year's, she's been in a bit of a crabby mood. And as Ryō so kindly pointed out, that was weeks ago, so I want to know why."
"I hate shopping, Alice. My stylist or any fashion house could've easily just sent items to the estate, and you know that."
"Oh, Erina! Where's the fun in staying cooped up in that gilded prison when the world is literally our fucking oyster? Honestly, for you to have it all, you're such a bore!"
Erina downed her sparkling water to keep herself from cursing Alice out. She never understood that girl. Even though they grew up in the same house until they were five and shared the same surname, they couldn't be any more different. The world was Alice's oyster— not Erina's. The world to Erina was just a giant camera lens. Did Alice forget the endless seas of paparazzi they had to pass through to leave Chanel and Mochi Toki? Of course, she didn't; Alice loved the spotlight and drank the cries for their attention all up. But that wasn't even the point right now. Although, if she really wanted to, Erina knew she could use it as the perfect deflection from the real issue at hand…
"I didn't realize I was such an emotional drain on you."
"You've been moping around, wearing nothing but black—" she raised an eyebrow and eyed Erina. Ryō and Hisako tried not to look over in consensus. Erina looked down at the short silk number rising above her knees. At least it had polka dots. "—like you're in mourning, or at the very least, like it's your new academy uniform. And speaking of the Academy: you've been nothing but business during classes and Council meetings…and you never talked about what happened when you went to Yukihira's hometown…" her voice trailed off into her half-empty glass.
And there it was.
Erina didn't want to talk about what happened on New Year's Eve. She didn't want to revisit her short time at the Sumire District. What had started like a storybook night had turned into a nightmare. No, she definitely didn't want to discuss anything dealing with Yukihira Sōma at all. Not about that night, and certainly not about the secret Shokugeki she'd just accepted only a few hours ago.
Erina frowned. "I thought you liked this Gucci dress. You forced me to wear it today, remember?"
"That's not the point I'm trying to make, and you know it, Erina!"
Erina sighed, more out of exasperation at her demanding family member than fatigue. "Look, Alice. None of what you listed is news, or even odd, when it comes to me. I'm just swamped with work, meetings, and school and want to enjoy the rest of this unnecessary shopping and spa day in peace—" Erina felt Alice's lips part. "And silence."
Much to Erina's relief, Alice frumped back against her bubbling massage chair and moaned in ecstasy.
"I know what you need!" Alice sang and clapped her freshly manicured hands. Erina groaned and rolled her eyes. Well, that didn't last long.
Whenever Alice said that, it was never what Erina actually needed and always what she wanted.
"Don't groan! I promise you'll love it! Valentine's Day is tomorrow. Let's have a fancy Galentine's date—just you and me!" She glanced over at Hisako and flashed a tight fake smile. "Oh, and wear the Prada dress, okay?!"
-8-
Erina stood in her closet wing, fully robed and completely flummoxed. Alice had not been the most forthcoming with her details about their Galentine's Day plans, leaving her stumped on what to wear for this nebulous occasion. She had never celebrated Galentine's Day, or even Valentine's Day, for that matter (except for the endless gifts their grandfather showered them with every year).
Her stylist had brought over a rack of fashionable options from fashion houses begging to work with her, but all she could hear screeching in her ears was Alice's voice. "Wear the Prada dress. Wear the Prada dress! Wear the Prada dress!" But where could they possibly go for her to wear the red Guipure lace dress staring back at her from its dustbag? She had to admit; the dress looked drop-dead gorgeous on her. Then again, everything did. The large red rose petals and exposed lace complemented her pale peach complexion. The boning of the corset that abstracted from the model's body, rather than holding and revealing it, hugged her hourglass figure perfectly in every place (thanks to the resident Nakiri tailor). The black silk belt inside the weightless garment gathered at her already snatched waist, and the plunging back revealed her bare skin but still left enough of her full backside to the imagination.
But this was not the dress for a night on the town with Alice.
She sighed and walked out the long corridor and down the hall to the salon studio. Alice was already there, waiting for her, with far too many opinions on how the artists should fashion Erina's hair and makeup. Erina took another deep, resigned breath and sat in her makeup chair.
"Wait. Why aren't you doing your hair and makeup right now, too? Aren't we both on a time crunch?"
"Because natural beauty doesn't take as long to prepare," Alice quipped. Erina swatted at her arm.
"Alice! Don't be a bitch! Or, so help me, God, I will stand you up tonight!" That sobered Alice right up, and playful Alice became too severe for Erina's comfort.
"Mou! Don't play like that, Erina." She grabbed her cousin's hand and held on tightly. "I am going to take a shower. Do not stand me up tonight. I've made it all about you." She stared deeply into her eyes before letting a loving smile spread across her naughty face.
"Oh my god, Alice." Erina rolled her eyes. "You're so mercurial. I'll be there, and knowing you, I'll be ready hours before you." She stood up from her chair to look squarely at her cousin. "And let's be real. You know I'm prettier than you by lightyears." She flipped her hair and left the studio.
-8-
When Erina began her descent down the Nakiri mansion's staircase, sure enough, Alice was nowhere to be found. And knowing her, she was nowhere near ready. Typical. She tucked her pouch bag and a small white gift box under her arm and grabbed the railing. The entire Nakiri mansion's grand foyer was decorated in celebration with red, pink, white, and gold cupids, hearts, and jewels. It had Nakiri Senzaemon's lovey-dovey sentimentality written all over it. Unbeknownst to many, her grandfather was a hopeless romantic, especially about his granddaughters. The courtyard's exquisite floral arrangements, which included a rose gold and white gold rose archway and mistletoe at every entrance, flowed throughout the first floor, and resonated with Nakiri Leonora's signature style. They even had an invisible harpist play classical music and love ballads from sunrise to sunset. Erina found it all a bit over the top, if not downright gaudier.
But catching her reflection in the foyer's center glass ceiling, she couldn't help but nod in approval.
Yeah, she looked bad. As fuck.
She had settled on the Prada lace dress, at last, and paired it with a simple pair of gold high-heeled satin slides with crystals. Her hair was meticulously wound into a messy beehive and dotted with diamond honeybee drooping earrings and matching hairpins to hold her hair in place. She opted for no other jewelry apart from the matching friendship bracelet she bought for her and Hisako and a natural, dewy beat on her face.
Now to wait on her untimely cousin.
Alice pranced down the stairs thirty minutes later in a biker leather mini dress and leather platform knee-high boots. Flailing her arm out to show off her red-feathered shoulder bag, she dramatically posed. "Like my look? It's vintage Versace!" Erina shrugged. "Aw, c'mon! Tell me! How do I look?"
"Not better than me," Erina shrugged again. Alice gasped. "But, not bad. Not bad at all," she grinned as Alice pouted the rest of the way down. To both their surprise, each cousin presented the other with a gift. Erina gave her the white box, and after opening her gift, Alice gave Erina a bear hug.
"Is that it?"
"What do you mean? I love your shoes! Prada?"
"Clearly. Alice. I gave you a white gold watch, and you gave me—"
"My love!"
"Keep it."
"You're so heartless, Erina! Be kinder to me—you're my Galentine," she whined.
"And you're exhausting me. Can we go now?" She asked with crossed arms. "Where are we going, anyway? We don't look like we're even going to the same place. I mean, leather and lace— Alice, are you even listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not." She looked up from her phone. "Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I demand you tell me where we're going!"
Alice's phone buzzed in her hand another time, and she hummed distractedly at Erina. "No. But I just realized I forgot your real gift in my room." She swiveled on her heels and bounded back up the staircase.
"What?" Erina screamed at her back. "Alice! Are you serious right now? I'm getting hangry!"
"Do you want your Galentine's Day gift or not? Look, just go wait for me outside. Daddy's driver is already in the driveway waiting for us! We're already running late!"
"Yeah, because of you! Ugh, I hate you!" Erina growled as Alice yelled in a singsong, "You know you love me!" and grumbled to the front door, knocked, and waited for it to be opened by security.
-SŌMA YUKIHIRA-
Yukihira Sōma was in a bit of a jam. He had put together a brilliant plan with the help of his most trusted co-conspirators— er, he meant, his friends. But he had nothing to wear and no absolutely no fashion sense. At least, nothing that would compare to whatever his date would undoubtedly be impressively dressed. So he was determined not to embarrass her with his outfit. Dating a billionaire wasn't for the careless wardrobe.
He stood in the Aldini brothers' small sitting room and gawked at the options presented to him.
"I am not wearing that," he pointed and gagged. Takumi looked at the ruffled tuxedo shirt in his left hand.
"Why not?" Takumi protested.
"Because I'm not a big white bird, Takumi," Sōma said as if he had just pointed out the obvious. Takumi reviewed the shirt for a second and frowned. He swallowed his hurt feelings and pushed out his right hand.
"Okay…how about this tuxedo coat?"
"Nii-chan, if he doesn't like the ruffles, I think you're pushing it with the long tailcoat," Isami snickered.
"Oh, shut up! Not true!"
"No, no, listen to the smarter twin," Sōma nodded. "We've been at this all morning. I don't think you know my style at all. I can't believe you have a fan club dressing like Tuxedo Mask." Isami rolled over and fell to the floor laughing. Takumi looked like his head was about to explode.
"Get out of my apartment, Yukihira!"
"Say less." Sōma walked back into Takumi's room and pulled out a black three-piece suit. "I'll take this and call it a day." He headed to the front door. "So, are you two headed to the Lonely Hearts party at Kyokusei tonight, or…?"
Isami passed Sōma to open the door for him."Takumi's forcing us to be the first ones there." Embarrassed by the exposure, Takumi blushed and wailed.
"I did not say that! I just believe we should be punctual to help set up…" The other two boys looked at each other and grinned.
"Right…" they said in disbelieving unison. Takumi stormed at Sōma to push him out the open door. Sōma spun out of his path and beelined to the small kitchen table.
"I think I'll take one of these." He snatched a single rose from the fresh bouquet serving as the centerpiece. "Not like you'll be needing all of them."
"Yukihira Sōma, you are the worst rival!"
"Says the guy that's always playing catch up with me," he said with a wink and a dash out the door. He could hear Takumi yelling behind him how he'd beat him one day, "Just you wait and see, Yukihira!" But Sōma was too busy laughing and running way behind schedule to respond.
-8-
Sōma pulled up to the Nakiri driveway in his moped, suited, booted, and sweating profusely. He wasn't sure if it was his race against the clock (even though Alice had bought him a whole extra hour) or his nerves about how Erina would react to being surprised for Valentine's day, but he could not hold it together; tonight was a big night. It also didn't help that he was staring at two of the toughest-looking men in black watching him like a hawk as he stood beside his secondhand moped, parked next to a 2023 scarlet red Maserati Ghibli. His small gift and the single rose shook in his hands. He chastised himself; he should've known a borrowed suit wouldn't cut it next to this family.
"Take deep, calming breaths, Sōma. This is Nakiri. You're never nervous with her." He sucked in large swaths of cool air and expelled long breaths of warm air until his heart slowed. Finally, his hands weren't shaking anymore, and he could feel his heartbeat slowing down in his chest. Then his phone buzzed in his jacket pocket.
He figured it was Alice texting him that it was game time. But he was surprised to see it was a call from his father.
"Yo, Pop! I'm kinda in the middle of something right now. What's up?"
"Sōma…" Jōichiro's voice choked. "Sato's had a stroke. We're in the ER." Sōma's heart stopped.
The gift and the rose dropped to the pavement. His mind immediately flashed back to his mother. His body began shaking.
"Which one?"
Then the mansion's front door opened. One look at her took his breath away; he almost forgot all about his father on the phone and the news currently wrecking his brain.
Erina looked unreal. Like she had just stepped off a fashion runway or out of a fairytale. He couldn't contain both his awe and his heartache. He stuttered to his dad that he had to go and shoved his phone in his pocket the second she looked up. Their eyes met and locked in an instant. She looked utterly dumbfounded to see him standing in her driveway. He felt torn about what he'd have to do.
"Nakiri…" he started to approach her. "You look…"
"Yukihira? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that? Why do you look like that?" The rapid-fire questions would've been adorable any other day, even right then, but his brain could not make sense of them.
"I…" he looked down at the gift and rose and rushed to pick them up. A petal had fallen off from the impact. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," he said, passing her the contents in his hands. Erina looked at them, puzzled, then at him, confused.
"…I don't understand why you're even here."
It was like someone had pressed fast-forward on his tongue. He rushed through how he had made plans with Alice to surprise her and take her on their first date, but now the call from his dad was changing their weeks-long plans. He began to make his way back to his moped. "I'm sorry, but I need to be by my grandfather's side. He's my—"
"Mother's father. I remember," her voice was solemn, understanding. She stepped toward the luxury vehicle and signaled the driver to open it. She placed one smooth, long leg inside the backseat and stared at him.
"Come on. You're not going to make it to any hospital on that," she gestured at his moped. Confused and astonished, Sōma put down his helmet and hurried to the other side. "Which hospital is he being treated at?"
"Uh…" Sōma tried to wrack his brain fog away to remember what his father said. "St. Luke's."
Erina made eye contact with the sunglassed driver, and he took off at once. The sports car flew down the driveway and out of the estate. Sōma wished he could've enjoyed the ride, but…
A soft and warm hand covered his balled-up fist. He didn't realize it was trembling until she made it stop.
"It's going to be okay," she whispered.
-8-
Minutes later, they encircled a helicopter pad on what Sōma recognized as the rooftop of a nondescript Totsuki building. His head turned to her with bewilderment in his eyes. She stepped out of the car.
"It's Valentine's Day. This is the fastest way to get to the hospital without getting stuck in traffic."
"Erina…"
"Shut up, and let's go. Your grandfather's waiting for you."
Once again that evening, Sōma found himself silently doing as he was told. This was not how he'd planned their evening, but damn, was he glad she was there with him.
Sure enough, the helicopter ride was their safest and fastest bet. They made it to the hospital in less than twenty minutes after takeoff. Sōma stared at the city's nightlife taking shape below them in dotted rows of bright lights the entire ride. His chin on his fist, his head in the clouds. It helped distract his thoughts. But her gentle squeezes every few seconds helped ease his mind.
"He's going to be okay," she'd softly say from her side of the small aircraft. And for some strangely comforting reason, Sōma believed her.
When they landed on the hospital's helicopter pad, they hugged and said their goodbyes.
"Nakiri, thank you for this. So much. And I promise, I'm going to make it up to you," he said with every sincere bone in his body.
"You better," she said with a wink, taking a whiff of her imperfect rose. And the aircraft took off with him standing on the roof, gazing into her deep doe eyes. Sōma's chest squeezed with a new feeling. He didn't know if it was love, but he liked it.
a/n: it's valentine's day, so why not share the love with a new (flashback) chapter as my gift to my readers? i wanted to write in more relationship-building moments before this story began, and flashbacks are a fun way to intertwine multiple stages of our lovebirds' overall love story. enjoy your lovely evenings self-loving or sharing it with others, and be safe! and as always, please review, like, and share with someone you think would enjoy reading!
-My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed!-
8.20withlove
disclaimer: you know already i don't own the rights to SnS, but you love reading this anyway, don't you? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯