-TADOKORO MEGUMI-

SEPTEMBER 3

9:33 AM

Less than twenty-four hours before her mentor's wedding, Tadokoro Megumi was sick of love.

That is why she took melatonin the moment she buckled into her seat on the flight to Paris the night before. It's also why she opted to stay in bed watching her favorite cooking anime all Saturday instead of sightseeing through Paris with the rest of the bridal party. If she could sleep away the humiliating memory of the rehearsal dinner, she'd be all the happier for it.

Alas...

6:33 PM

Her body was weak from sadness.

Crumpled-up tissues were strewn all over the bed, a few scattered on the floor and nightstand—evidence of a restless sleep. Her phone has been on silent all day. It may even be dead, but that wouldn't bother her. She didn't want anyone bothering her. The television was as loud as it could go—the highest decibel covering her sobs until she fell asleep. The dress rehearsal in Tokyo and its uncomfortable dinner party had drained her of tears. She was still in disbelief that Miyoko had convinced her to end her friendship with Sōma-kun and that she went through with it.

Since the day he saved her from being expelled as a first year, Megumi never imagined not being friends with Sōma-kun. But she didn't feel like she had any other choice. Still, even though she knew it was the right call for her heart and sanity, she regretted going into that closet with Yukihira Sōma. She regretted not switching her name placard with Mizuhara-san when she had the chance while the wedding party took pictures of the bride and groom in the courtyard. She regretted not leaving the second Nakiri-san agreed to stay.

8:33 PM

Nakiri Erina…ugh.

Megumi never wanted to be in this heartbreakingly petty feud with her. Her issue wasn't even that the prissy bitch was a formidable foe as much as it was painful to watch how unbearably in love Sōma-kun was with her. How could she ever compete with that? She had to talk to him, but now the weight of regret sat like a brick on her chest. Out of her profound respect for Inui-sensei and Shinomiya-sensei, that conversation should not have occurred at the dress rehearsal.

But the tug Sōma-kun had on her always forced her to seize the moment to be with him. Or, maybe it would've been the right time if Erina hadn't magically materialized. …but, of course, Erina showed up! When had she chosen not to come between their friendship?

Ever since he arrived at Tōtsuki, some way, somehow, he found a way to Erina. And ever since they won the Regimental Food War against the Azami regime, Erina had always found her way back to him, no matter where in the whole wide world he went. It's sickening the access Erina's wealth and influence afforded her. Why was poor, country seaport Megumi still trying to compete? It's not negative self-speak when it is the truth. Better to count her losses.

Besides, she still liked Ryō.

9:33 PM

On the other hand, it opened an all-consuming pit of insecurity in her gut that Sōma-kun didn't even try to fight for their friendship.

After all these years, after everything they'd been through together…all she'd done for him…she didn't expect him to let go so quickly. In hindsight, a peck on the forehead and a hug goodbye felt like a soothing death—it was a tender goodbye, but it felt like a nail in the coffin. But how could their friendship, this dynamic duo they had become since they met, be over?

10:33 PM

Megumi fought to go back to sleep every time another wave of sadness pummeled her. She lazily wiped her eyes, but it was of no use. She lay buried under her white hotel bedding, tossing and turning. How did she get herself so deep in this mess? How was she going to make it out alive? Every sense in her body felt heightened with fear.

Her stomach grumbled. The room service cart she ordered that morning was still left untouched. She had no appetite. Her mother would be sick to hear, but sleep was far better than being awake thinking about the same old mistakes and where and how things had gone so horribly wrong so quickly.

12:33 AM

Her phone would not stop buzzing on the nightstand.

Megumi had just managed to settle into a dreamless slumber. The drool leaking from the corner of her mouth illustrated how peaceful it had been…until the buzzing infiltrated her consciousness. She groaned as she reached for it. "Why isn't my Do Not Disturb still on?"

A thread of notifications populated her home screen.

TAKUMI-KUN 12 hours ago

Hey Tadokoro! I'm back in Tokyo.

TAKUMI-KUN 6 hours ago

Dropped by Kyokusei to bring you a gift from my travels. Ms. Fumio said you were in Paris?! How cool! :)

What's going on in Paris?

TAKUMI-KUN now

The whole campus is buzzing about how well you did hosting the Autumn Election! Congratulazioni, signorina!

Isshiki would be proud lol

Megumi smiled to herself and sat up. It probably would've felt weird that Takumi-kun was double-texting her, but she hadn't seen or spoken to her friend all summer. It was good to hear from him. Takumi-kun had become a valued friend to her. The Aldini brothers were two of the few Ten members who didn't choose sides or ridicule her for almost losing her seat and ending her culinary career last winter. It was a dark and challenging time, but Takumi-kun remained a good friend through it all. A late-night text conversation with him could salvage the day.

She began typing.

Takumi! Please forgive me. I'm so sorry! I've been jetlagged all day but I'm in Master Inui's wedding tomorrow. I wish you

The cursor blinked on the unfinished text. Megumi's eyes widened at the dark picture illuminating her screen. Her finger hovered over the red decline circle for several seconds.

"H-hello?" She answered. She tried to look at the time, but the notification banner distracted her.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" A nervously gruff voice scratched in her ear.

TAKUMI-KUN now

Just realized the time difference. You must be asleep by now. Lmk when you come back. Love to catch up. Ttyl xx

Megumi's attention was split most confusingly, but it was best to focus on the phone call. She turned off her read receipts.

"Ryō-kun?"

"Yeah, sorry for calling you so early, but I just need to get this off my chest."

"Get what off your chest?"

"Tadokoro." Her name sounded like a noun and a question on his tongue.

"Kurokiba?" Her mind was stuck on the silence coming from the other side of the phone. She wasn't used to talking to him over the phone, so she didn't know what to expect.

"I like you," Ryō said like someone was pulling his teeth.

"Oh!" She couldn't think of anything else to say. What was she supposed to say? "Aw, Ryō-kun…" she blushed. "I-"

"I've had some time to think about our kiss and…ah-after you told me that Erina rejected your Seat application, I realized that I did care about you."

"Did?"

"Do. I do care about you."

"I care about you too, Ryō-k…"

"But, we can't do this. I can't pursue anything further with you…because…" He sighed in a way that made her neck's hair stand on end.

"Let me guess. Because you're still in love with someone else?" Her voice broke. She nodded in the dark hotel room, holding the phone with all her might. His eerie silence returned. "I-" she cleared her throat. "I get it, Ryō. It's all good."

"Megumi," he softly called out to her. She imagined him reaching out to her through the phone.

"No, seriously, Ryō. I'm fine."

"I…wish things could be different. I promise I do."

"Me, too. Take care, Ryō-kun."

"You, too-"

"And take care of Nakiri-san," Megumi said before hanging up.

How she managed to have her heart crushed because of both Nakiri girls in less than two days, she didn't know. But Megumi hated it here. She stared at the ceiling of her cozy Parisian hotel room and thought of nothing and everything all at once. Her eyes had adjusted to the room's darkness, but the tears streaming down her cheeks blurred her vision anyway.

a/n: am i spoiling my readers with three consecutive new chapter releases? yes, and what about it? i appreciate everyone from around the world tuning into what i'm writing. and i hope it brings some joy/excitement to your weeks. also, i enjoy aligning the story's dates with the release dates; it only happens once a year. now let's talk about Megumi. it should not be a secret by now that i am not a SouMegu shipper, so i appreciate the feedback about how i'm portraying Megumi because i've been deliberate about fleshing her out of that static do-gooder we have come to know and like/love. still, it's important (to me) that she's seen as a dynamic character capable of feeling more than smiling and opining after Sōma...even if it means she stumbles along the way. and if confusion were fictionally personified, it would be our girl, Meg. so let's see how her story will end. let me know what you think: will clarity come, or will the chaos she's creating cause her to be even more confused in love? alright, i'm about to catch a flight and some zzzz's, so take it easy and, like always, review, like, and share with someone you think would enjoy reading!

-You're Welcome!-

8.20withlove