-DOJIMA GIN-
SEPTEMBER 4
Dojima Gin picked up four champagne flutes from the waiter's tray and returned to the cocktail table. Fuyumi Mizuhara lifted two from his grasp, downed one, and gave the other to Gotōda Donāto.
"I'm happy those two finally tied the knot," Gin said, peering over Donāto's shoulder to view the bride and groom.
"All the credit belongs to Hinako's perseverance," Donāto replied. "Because that stubborn man never envisioned the day." Mizuhara scoffed at the elegant man's comment and rolled her eyes. "Don't you mean her foolishness, Don?" All three men present stared at the monotoned woman. "What? We all know my best friend deserves better than Shinomiya, even if I'm the only one with the balls to say it."
Sekimori Hitoshi, who had been quiet, drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "I thought you were close to both Inui and Kojiro equally."
"Yeah, heavy on the past tense. Until we all visited him after graduation, remember that?"
"Oh, that was ages ago, Mizuhara. We've experienced many more trips together since then. Why freeze the prudent man in time?"
"Because he wasted her time all these years. And don't forget that he yelled at her for coming unannounced, but that's the point of a surprise visit."
"If I'm not mistaken, that's when he was struggling for customers?" Gin wasn't an actual member of this friend group. His interactions with them were limited to judging Shokugekis at Tōtsuki and running into each other occasionally at alumni and industry events.
"Horribly. The man was practically destitute," Donāto laughed. "But he still refused to borrow any money from me." He sounded proud of his best friend.
"Well, he didn't have an issue taking the money Hinako gave him."
"Forced him to take," Hitoshi corrected. Gin sipped his champagne and looked at the three longtime friends in their complementary wedding party attire. One looked like a fashion model waiting for his call time, another like a weary father moonlighting as a bodyguard, and the other looked like a dominatrix waiting for them to submit. He found them all strikingly attractive. He remembered when they were just fresh new faces on Tōtsuki's campus. Now, they were grown adults and masters in their culinary genres. Gin folded his giant arms and leaned on the one-legged table.
"Well, it sounds like I unintentionally pinched a nerve. My apologies. I was simply admiring how in love and happy they look." The table of four faced the direction Gin was leaning towards. The bride and groom stood at the far end of Shino's Paris's main dining room under a white-picket floral arch, taking pictures by their ginormous five-tier cake. Inui and Kojiro were giving each other hell like they often did—bickering to no end, but their love for the other radiated from their pores. Their closest friends couldn't help but agree: for all the ups and downs the couple had faced together, the two longtime enemies looked crazy in love.
"You know, they kind of remind me of those two," Gin nodded in the opposite direction.
-NAKIRI ERINA-
SEPTEMBER 4
Nakiri Erina did not grow up believing in any religion or god. The Nakiri dynasty were their own gods; what could they desire that they could not just receive by merit, money, or force? Never had the heiress wanted for or lacked anything material—whatever she asked, she immediately received. She did not need to believe in God.
Erina sat at the end of the ornately decorated banquet-style table and twirled her spoon in the frothy palate cleanser. She was not hungry. This would've been the perfect meal to satiate her persnickety tastebuds: two three-star Michelin chefs and former Tōtsuki top chairs. This meal would be their supreme recette as a culinary couple.
She knows because they were her clients.
Which is the only reason she was invited to this wedding. Sōma tried his best to convince her that not only did he have a built-in plus-one as the junior groom-slash-unofficial best man, but she still would've been invited without him. "You're the director of the elite academy that brought them together. Of course, they'd want you there." He tried to make her believe. But she only shook her head and told him the truth. "Their beloved director was my grandfather."
It didn't matter to her either way. Erina turned to look at the seat beside her. Where is that old man, anyway? He'd been off networking and mingling since the cocktail hour began an hour ago. She'd been left alone at the far end of the reception table, away from most of the wedding party. Sōma had been busy taking bridal pictures all cocktail hour, and now he was cooking his wedding present for the newlyweds in the kitchen. Sure, some people were brave enough to try to make small talk with her, but she didn't do small talk. Of course, a foolish few tried arrogantly pitching their so-called gourmet menu to her before begging her to take them on as clients, but her taste-testing calendar was fully booked and closed for the next two years. So, in the end, she had no one to talk to.
Although she wouldn't dare do so outside of the privacy of her bedroom or in the intimate comfort of Sōma's arms, Erina wanted to slump her shoulders and pout. She thought they'd at least spend the reception together; it's the only reason she came. But he told her to save him the last dance, so she stayed. But how long would that be? Dessert was already so far away.
The string quartet serenading the guests during the cocktail hour had been switched out for a sublime jazz trio. Every so often, Erina would feel her fingers thrumming to the staccato of the bass and her body swaying to the velvety tune of the saxophone, wisping her away to childhood memories of dancing in the Nakiri courtyard to jazz piano renditions of her favorite songs, twirling around the marble floor with her grandfather— the only person who'd never left her. Where was he?
The jazz trio's lead singer said a few words congratulating the newlyweds before transitioning to another song. It was slow, soulful, and very sexy. It felt like liquified caramel and dark chocolate poured into a sweet, rich pool of seduction. She slipped into a fantasy of her own.
Two hands gently gripped her shoulders. Their touch felt good, familiar. She smiled to herself and hummed along with the jazz singer. A cool, minty breath whispered in her ear.
"Can I have this dance?"
In her fantasy, the voice sounded just like Sōma. She let the music take her away, lift her into this dimly lit room…
Until she realized she was standing on her feet. Erina's eyes flew open.
Sōma's gazed back.
Erina's heart was in her throat.
Soma whispered through a bashful grin, "Hi."
"Hi," she choked back. He looked exhausted but happy to see her. She caressed his cheek with her thumb, a speck of flour vanishing from his face.
"So?"
Erina blinked, dazed and confused.
"Can I have this dance?"
So she didn't make that up? Erina maintained her blank stare. "But…this isn't the last dance," she innocently answered. Sōma tilted his lips into that sly smile he often gave her when she was being too literal for her own good. She sheepishly nodded, and he took her hand and laced her fingers between his.
-8-
Erina did not believe in God. The inner workings of her illustrious childhood were anything but. Then she met Yukihira Sōma. When he entered her life and the whirlwind manner by which he changed everything in it, she learned a humbling life lesson: she didn't have everything she wanted. She didn't have everything she needed. She didn't have this kind of love. It wasn't ordinary. She knew that to be true deep in the wells of her belly.
So, God had to be real. Who else could have heard her silent tears, seen her trembling nightmares all those years, and brought her savior as a teenage rascal with unruly flickering hair to match his audaciously free spirit? Sōma Yukihira was her angel on earth.
He led her to the center of Shino's Paris. It had been converted into a dance floor, but no one else was on it. This was the first time all day she felt nervous.
"Sōma! It's only us," she whispered, looking around at the reception guests. She could feel all eyes on them.
"I know." He pulled her in close and kissed her cheeks ceremoniously. "Let them watch. I only see you." Even though he wasn't religious either, the light Sōma's presence brought into every room, every circumstance, and every person was undeniable. It was almost spiritual, especially for Erina. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took him in. He looked so handsome in navy; it was his favorite color, and for good reason. His face was still flushed with beads of sweat dotting his hairline, and his suit jacket held a faint savory aroma, but Erina could see the maturity of growing up sculpting his face. He looked taller than the last time they were together—it must be the dress shoes. He looked like a bodyguard, protecting her from an empty and soulless life of entitlement, abuse, and neglect enshrouded by the golden shell of wealth, pride, and prestige. An angel she tried desperately, foolishly to expel from her Eden at every turn.
They danced slowly in silence. The jazz singer crooned, and the music swelled around them. Erina placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes. This moment felt better than any fantasy.
"Nakiri, you really are the girl of my dreams." It'd come out of nowhere and made her heart skip stones. A ripple of chills moved through her body. She tightened her hold around his neck; he tightened his grip around her waist. "I've missed you so much," he continued. She couldn't believe he had more to say. How was he finding these intimate words in such a public place? "I've missed the light scent of your hair. The smoothness of your touch…" Erina knew she was blushing, but how could she possibly care about that right now? He clearly didn't care about anything but her in the world right now.
"Oh?" Erina pulled back and smirked. "That's all?" She teased. He tugged her back into his arms.
"Not even close." He stepped back, never letting go, and spun her around until they faced the same direction. He wrapped his arms around her as her back pressed into his chest. She could feel his heart beating steadily in her shoulder blade. He was also so calm. So sure. "I've missed the way you feel wrapped in my arms. I-"
"I've missed that, too," Erina said, leaning back on his left shoulder. Her eyes closed, her smile wide as she spoke only to him. She missed his smile matching hers. Her mind was flooded with bliss, and this moment made all the stress and headaches of the weekend and last week worth it. She could not let history repeat itself. She had learned far too much about the love she deserved. This was the love she wanted. Sōma was it.
She would see to it.
"Good," he replied. His tone was serious, like he had just signed a contract declaring his commitment to her. He spun her away with one arm. Erina's legs turned quickly as the muscle memory from years of private ballet lessons kicked in like no time was lost. Her arms outstretched as their heads turned to face each other. Then, in a flash, she was back in his tight embrace, her bosom pressed against his chest.
"Never let me go?"
"Ever."
It didn't matter who'd asked and who'd answered. It was a moot point because she knew like she knew the power of her God Tongue; they both felt the same. Still, a wave of rage swelled at the brink of their peaceful shoreline. Erina braced herself for the confrontation, but a tiny voice inside her warned, Don't swim too far into the water.
-8-
Nakiri Senzaemon watched his beloved granddaughter blossoming into a fine young woman right before his eyes. It was difficult watching her grow up. He was old enough to know what it meant. Before he knew it, his baby girl, his princess, heir, and the sweetest apple of his aging, sage eyes, would leave his family home once and for all and begin her life with someone else. He couldn't bear to think of that day; his two granddaughters were all the true love he had left (though he'd never admit that to his very alive children). He stood in the back of Shino's Paris, barely listening to some old friends discuss business, trying to respect his granddaughter's autonomy by keeping his distance, watching a young man make his baby girl giggle and smile as they danced together, in love. He smiled a little as he mourned how he used to dance with her as a child, and it was just the two of them in the Nakiri mansion. It was hard not to feel like he was being replaced.
It was good that he was rather fond of the rebellious boy breaking into his kingdom.
-YUKIHIRA SŌMA-
SEPTEMBER 4
Okay. Sōma lied.
He worshipped the ground Erina walked on. On the wedding party's limo ride to the reception, he scrolled through a Snapchat video of that Spider-Man guy, Tom Holland, being Zendaya's cameraman from a doting distance at Beyoncé's concert in LA. He instantly saw himself in the lucky guy's action. He felt seen because he would absolutely do the same for Erina. Even though she wasn't the type to saturate her socials, she was the main attraction in their relationship. He knew it. The world knew it.
As he held her so close on the dance floor that he hoped she'd melt into him permanently, he knew he would marry her someday. They were young, but after everything they'd been through, he was mature enough to understand what he wanted. This wedding affirmed that he wanted to marry her just like the B.L.U.E. semifinals confirmed that he wanted her to challenge him for the rest of his life. And if he could, he'd find his way back to her after death.
"Nakiri?"
"Mm." Her voice was small and sleepy as she swayed in his arms.
"I love you."
Erina stilled.
Sōma stopped as they locked eyes. She said nothing but never took her watery eyes off him. She opened her mouth, and he waited for those three reassuring words to come his way.
But she said nothing. All that moved between them for a while were the tears welling in her eyes. He took the pad of his thumb to wipe away the tears rolling down her face. He panicked. "D-don't worry, you don't have to say it back. I...I said it because I wanted to, but no pressure. I just wanted you to know that I…" he scanned her face with an earnestness he seemed to only have with her. "I love you. So damn much." His voice cracked, making more tears fall down Erina's face. He didn't mean to do that, to make her sad. Her perfectly glossed lips moved like a fish out of water before her voice croaked through. Sōma's chest tightened around his heart. Finally.
"S-Sōma…I-"
"Nakiri-sama, your grandfather is taking his leave now."
The disembodied voice came from behind him. Sōma swiveled his neck to see an imposing bodyguard in a black suit towering over them.
"Um…" she stammered, looking back and forth between him and the bodyguard.
"He said he hates to pull you away from your affairs but that he's flying to Indonesia in the morning and wanted to hug you goodbye," the bodyguard clarified, devoid of emotion.
"O-oh, okay. I'll be right there." She lingered in his arms.
"Ma'am, he's leaving right now. I shall escort you to his car," the gruff bodyguard eyed Sōma indiscernibly as he spoke.
Sōma looked back at Erina and rubbed her back. It soothed him to touch her this way. "It's okay, my love. Say bye to your grandfather. I'll be waiting where you left me."
"Okay, I won't be long," she replied, lightly kissing him on his cheek, then moving to his mouth. She pressed her lips deeply into his. A roar of passion erupted in his belly at the suppleness of her red lips on his. The security guard cleared his throat awkwardly, impatiently. The couple hesitantly broke away, their lips lingering at their touch. It left Sōma lightheaded.
"Go," he softly instructed, his bottom lip grazing against her top. He nibbled it a little and then kissed her forehead. He could have gladly been cemented in this position forever. "Like I said, I'll be here."
Erina's doe eyes fluttered. She nodded and stood beside the bodyguard. Sōma turned to watch her leave through the restaurant's front doors, sad to see her go but loving how her hips sashayed in that gold dress with seductive authority. Damn, he loved everything about her.
That was when he realized every guest's eyes were glued to him. He was still the only one on the dance floor. He waved to the crowd and then to the newlyweds sitting at the high table staring down at him— Hinato's face gleaming adoringly as Kojiro slightly frowned but gave him an approving nod at his dish. A rush of pride coursed through his veins at the compliment. He'd made the vegetable quiche Shinomiya made on the first day of his Stagiere.
He turned to head back to the wedding party's seating at the banquet table.
"Whew, Yukihira! The two of you had everyone on our toes! Now that's some deep love," Tsukasa Eishi clapped, pompously holding a half-full glass of champagne. Sōma just stared at him. When had he come in?
"Tsukasa-senpai," he approached the man standing opposingly at the edge of the dance floor. "Don't watch my girl."
"Oooh, well, aren't you the protective boyfriend? Mr. Lover-Man! Makes sense why Erina wouldn't give me the time of day the other day. She was only focused on work, but that's nothing new," he laughed, stepping toward him and sipping his champagne.
Sōma must not have heard him correctly. "What is that supposed to mean?" His tone betrayed his relaxed stance.
"Oh-" Eishi sounded surprised, but Sōma noticed a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "When she came to my restaurant in Seoul. Aw, she didn't tell you?" He seemed to take pleasure in asking that question. Sōma wouldn't give him the benefit of knowing the truth.
"No, she told me, Tsukasa. I just don't know why you felt the need to tell me. Did you push up on my girl?"
"I tried," Eishi shrugged. Sōma's blood pressure spiked.
"You tried what?" He petered out.
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore because, WOW! There is no coming between you two, is there?" Eishi took a final swig from his champagne flute and slipped his hand into his pants pocket. "Have a good evening, Yukihira. And please, take care of my little princess."
"Watch yourself, Tsukasa." Sōma stepped up to Eishi, but Isshiki Satoshi pulled him away.
"All right, Sōma, it's alright. I'm sure it's been a long day. Your blood sugar must be low." The older brother-figure said in Sōma's ear. The too-close proximity conjured the angel and the devil on his shoulders imagery in his mind. But he listened and allowed himself to be pulled away. Kaboyashi Rindo walked up behind Eishi and smacked his back.
"Yeah, Tsukasa! You've had way too much to drink tonight, young man. So that's enough of that!" She yanked him by the fold of his expertly-tailored marigold suit. Sōma hated how much he looked like the Jungkook poster in Erina's bedroom.
"But one last thing, Yukihira," Eishi slurred. Sōma raised his eyebrow. It annoyed him to hear that pretentious voice aimed in his direction.
"What, Tsukasa? Don't waste my time."
"Don't waste your time?" Eishi chortled. "Don't waste Erina's time. You two may complement each other, looking like quite the adorable young couple in love all over social media and gourmet magazines, like…I don't know...the two colors navy blue and gold, but-" he stopped talking and wiped his immaculate suit down. And he took his time. Right shoulder, then the left, then onto the crisp front of his blazer, before lightly dusting his arms. What an arrogant son of a bitch.
"We match."
"You're a fucking cornball," Sōma burst out laughing and turned to Isshiki. "Get a load of this guy! He wears a real color for once, and alluva'sudden thinks he can bag Nakiri again!" Sōma couldn't contain himself; he couldn't stand the guy long enough to boil an egg. The subtle shadow of hurt in Rindo's usually irreverent eyes, and regretted being so obnoxious. He remembered the rumors about them. "I'm outta here." He turned to leave.
Megumi stood before him. "Sōma-kun. We need to talk."
-8-
They walked to the staff lounge. As they passed the rest of the wedding party, Sōma was acutely aware that people looked disappointed that they were leaving, probably wanting to have more gossip for content. He closed the room's door. Not a moment sooner, Megumi was talking a mile a minute.
"Nakiri-san is a bully. I've been trying sooo hard not to let her get between our friendship, but I've had enough, Sōma-kun! Now she's trying to ruin my life! Coming after my professional goals. Now she's playing a mean girl on the playground for her cousin and trying to intimidate me and control my love life. I can't take it anymore!" The fury emitting from Megumi's words gave Sōma whiplash. Her petite frame shook as she spoke. It was scary seeing her this upset.
"Whoa, whoa! Meg, slow down! Please slow down and talk to me. What are you saying?" He tempered his cadence down to a cautious probe.
Megumi sighed, tears streaming down her flushed face. "Erina denied my appeal for the Sixth Seat. She strongarmed me to rescind my Shokugeki application, Sōma. I just can't handle the stress anymore, Soma-kun. It's just like when we were second-years. She's the reason I left Totsuki! Do you even know that? Do you even understand why we even battled each other?" With every word, Megumi's voice tightened and got higher. She squeezed out her words like she was wringing her heart before him.
"It was because of you, Sōma-kun!" She could barely catch her breath as she cried into her cupped hands.
"I-I…don't-" Sōma's voice hitched as he watched Megumi rush out of the staff lounge. Sōma ran after her and caught her right before she entered the dinner reception. He scanned the dining floor to see if Erina had returned. They stood in the restaurant's front waiting area, and seeing how sad Megumi's kind eyes looked back at him made his heart dip into his sinking stomach. How could all of this have been happening right under his nose? When did he become so emotionally absent from his friendship and this love-blind in his relationship? His eyes bounced across Megumi's face. He pulled out his suit's handkerchief and extended it to her.
But Megumi denied it. She kept her tears at bay with her fingers. "I need space, Sōma-kun. I need a break from this friendship because it no longer feels…good for me."
"I can talk to Erina. We can fix this. You're my best friend."
"And you were mine." Sōma clocked the past tense. Megumi's head dropped. "But you're far too nice to do the necessary thing, and you're never going to leave your girlfriend for me, so I'll leave. Just like last time."
"Yes, please do," Erina's voice sliced over Sōma's shoulder. Sōma's head shot back, and then he looked down as his girlfriend snaked her arms around his torso from behind. When Erina was jealous, she was publically affectionate. Not that he minded at all. But he didn't enjoy the tension he'd just become sentient to. Maybe he could squash this once and for all.
"Hey, baby, be nice," he gently chided. Erina's face screwed tightly.
"Why?"
It was worth a try.
"Because she's my best friend."
"Was," Erina corrected. Sōma glanced at Megumi. She was fuming behind her nervous smile. No one else could tell, but he knew Megumi's quirks well enough; their three years of friendship hadn't been lip service.
"Well-" he started, but Megumi shook her head.
"No, she's right. Thank you for finally sticking up for me, Sōma-kun. But it's too late. Today has been the perfect goodbye."
That broke him. He stretched out his arm. "Megumi, is that what this is all about?"
But before she could answer, Erina pulled him away. He pulled his arm from her grip and faced Megumi. Can we talk about this when we get back to Tokyo?" Megumi listlessly shrugged and walked back into the reception, wiping her face. He turned back to Erina, scowling at him, looking like she was seconds from ripping out his throat. She pushed past him and out the restaurant's front doors. Sōma groaned to himself and chased after her. The intimate moment they'd just shared on the dance floor was a fleeting memory now. Their weekend in Paris had been more stressful than he anticipated.
"Erina, wait," he said, grabbing her by the arm. Erina froze, and ice coursed through his veins as she slowly turned to face him.
"Unhand me, Yukihira."
"No." He was firm, but he loosened his grip.
"It wasn't a request."
"I know, but no." He took hold of her hands and squared their bodies. He wasn't above begging. "Talk to me, Erina. For once, tell me what's going on with you."
Erina rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to say, Sōma. Sometimes, it annoys me how much you want basic things spelled out for you, at least when it's not about cooking. Such obvious problems that even a monkey would notice; you need to be spoonfed to you like a toddler learning to spell their name. Honestly, are you this…stupid?"
"You don't need to be mean, Erina. That's exactly what Meg-"
Erina ripped her hands out of his. "Don't you dare defend Tadokoro to me," she bit. Her voice was filled with disgust. "Are you crazy? You really don't see it, do you?"
"See what? I'm so confused right now."She laughed in his face, and it confused Sōma even more. Erina crossed her arms and shifted her weight on her heels.
"Tadokoro wants you, and you can't even see it. Don't look at me like that. Are you seriously going to tell me that you didn't know?"
"No, she doesn't…not anymore. We've moved past that. Besides, the Shokugeki was supposed to squash that fear within you."
"Fear? You mean the Shokugeki that was supposed to determine which one of us would stop pursuing you once and for all? You mean the Shokugeki she forced me to accept because she was so confident she'd win? The Shokugeki that she challenged me to, for your heart? That Shokugeki?" She was screaming in the parking lot. "I knew it then, and I was right! My intuition is always right."
Sōma's eyes widened. "But you told me that wasn't the reason why-"
"I TOLD YOU THAT TO SPARE YOU, DUMMY!"
"To spare me?" Sōma repeated, offended. "Sounds like you gaslit me, Erina!"
"Yukihira Sōma, you are such a fool. Yes, to spare you—you, the loyal boyfriend and best friend, who can never do wrong. You, who can't even pay attention long enough to handle having to choose which relationship to prioritize. Do you really think you would've been able to make that choice last January?"
"You have always been my priority."
"And Tadokoro?"
"She's my friend!"
"Who's still in love with you! Why don't you see that? And she's been in breach of the terms and conditions of our Shokugeki."
"But I'm in love with you! Fuck a Shokugeki agreement! Besides, you won, and I've only ever been focused on us. Why does that have to be at the expense of my close friendships, Erina?"
"You're starting to piss me off. She's the one you should be asking, but since I don't want you to talk to her again, let me clarify it for you. If your best friend is secretly—no—obviously in love with you, you two can't be friends because she will always be jealous of your girlfriend."
Her exaggerated gestures triggered something within him. "Megumi is not jealous of you."
"Oh, please. Everyone is jealous of me." She fanned his words away with a flick of her hand.
Sōma smirked and pulled her close. "Fine. Of us." He placed a delicate kiss on her lips. "But I don't feel about her like I do about you. How could I? You're Nakiri Erina, Girl Wonder!" His words tickled her earlobe as he playfully nibbled on it.
Erina shook her head in defeat and grumbled, "Like I said, Yukihira, you are such a fool."
"I'll admit that. So…" he rubbed their noses together. "What are you going to do with me?" He kissed her lips to punctuate his words.
"Leave you to your best friend."
"Good."
"Good?!" Erina snapped.
"Because you are my best friend." He squeezed her tightly.
"And Tadokoro?" Erina asked, unconvinced.
"Well, she's been very blunt that we are no longer besties for the resties. So there's nothing to choose there."
"But do you know how much it hurts not to be chosen? Like, seriously, Sōma."
"No, because I choose you every day."
"Hm, we have different recollections of the truth."
"What do you mean?" Erina stared him down. "You're right. I'm sorry for ignoring you back there, but I had to-"
"Of course you did. That's just who you are. Doesn't mean I have to like it." Erina shifted her weight in his arms and stammered, "She told me I wasn't good enough for you." Erina softly wept, and her shoulders caved like she was instantly relieved of a great weight. Her sobs rattled Sōma's bones.
"Do you believe her?" Sōma strained to hear her answer, but Erina said nothing; she quietly cried into his blazer.
"Well, can you believe this?" He lifted her head by the chin and held her gaze. She looked so lost in those deep, amethyst wells. His heart ached to see the love of his life doubting this obvious truth. He dipped his head, pressed their forehead together, and held them there. With his eyes closed, he took in a long inhale of her scent—honey, clementines, and jasmine.
Scooping her jaw into the palms of his hands, Soma devoured Erina's lips. He kissed her deeper and deeper with each breath they shared as if he had something to prove. Because he did. Soma poured every ounce of affection and apology into her mouth in the dimly lit parking lot until he had nothing left within him to quench her burning thirst. The intensity pricked through his veins and out fingertips like electrical currents as he held her head in the palms of his hands. Erina's body heat roared beneath his touch. He desperately wanted to run his finger through her hair at the nape of her neck, but he knew better than to tamper with it. It was a slow, passionate exploration of her tongue, almost like he was taking the scenic route home. She tasted sweet; he could tell she hadn't eaten anything after the Portuguese custard tart amuse-bouche served at the cocktail hour. He hesitantly broke their kiss.
"C'mon, let me go make you something to eat."
"I'm not going back in there."
"Okay…then let's stuff our faces with savory crepes and watch a K-drama back at the hotel."
"Mmm. That's more like it," she cooed, pulling his lips back to hers to restart their passionate makeout session. Sōma would've been a fool to fight it, so he didn't. They lost track of time, making up for so much lost time between traveling and arguing, and it felt good to be suspended in the moment.
But it was bugging him not to ask; the question was perched on the tip of his tongue, and he was never one to bite his tongue or hide things from her. So, Sōma pulled back to look at her and cleared his throat. He wrestled for a smile, he said in a hushed tone."So," he started, pressing their foreheads together.
Erina grinned seductively and reached for a kiss. "So…"
He spoke into her mouth, his voice low but clear.
"Tsukasa-senpai was the client who sent the Rolls Royce to pick you up?"
a/n: i'm back with a longer chapter just in time for the weekend! did'ja miss me? i'll let you in on a writer's secret: it's always a treat reading reviews that ask questions you're already answering or figure out the thread of a plot line you pinned in a previous chapter, but i still hope i've subverted a few of your expectations because it's validating to know that my readers have big brains because it makes it more fun to be on this journey with you. and transparently, my most recent reviews came as a much-needed pick-me-up on a very difficult day this week (so thank you to those two new readers/reviewers. i see you, and your words are deeply appreciated).
P&C is a chapter that i wanted to write from the inception of this story. you know by now that i enjoy a good adult perspective to fill out the main characters' backstories. so, is there any adult this chapter that you were surprised to view this world through? i've been playing with the idea of an adults-focused SYU mini-series and wouldn't be opposed to some fan service. speaking of fan service...while it was always the plan to focus this chapter on SoRina, i hope those who were craving another concentrated chapter on our lovebugs are full. this isn't the last time at all, but i want each time to be well worth the read. so please continue to review, like, and share with someone you think would enjoy reading!
-My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed!-
8.20withlove
lastly, school is revving up, and i'm focused on doing my best in my classes and in my writing, so i thank you for your patience between chapters.