Rewritten on May 29, 2024.
Please read the Author Note at the end.
Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy, or better known as Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.
This academy is a renowned cooking academy that is well known in the culinary industry. Due to the caliber and fame of the school, almost all aspiring junior chefs want to attend the school to become world-class chefs.
But not everyone can enter this school, they have to pass complicated and difficult tests first before they can gain knowledge. But just because they can get in doesn't mean they can graduate.
At this school, cooking is everything. If students cannot meet the categories desired by the teachers, they will be expelled from school. That's why this school has a very small graduation rate, namely under 10% of all students who initially register.
Although the number of graduates from this school can be counted by hand, those who have graduated have become world-class chefs and this tradition has continued for generations since the founding of Totsuki.
But even so, there is a generation that breaks this habit that has been passed down from generation to generation.
This generation has produced the most graduates compared to previous generations and has also produced many amazing talents.
That generation is the 92nd generation of Totsuki or better known as the 'Jewel Generation'. A generation populated by geniuses.
And today, in a dormitory called the Polar Star Dormitory, the generation known as the 'Jewel Generation' is celebrating their graduation in the dormitory's spacious dining room.
"CHEERS!"
"Fuahh, I didn't think that we would all graduate from this school, right, Ryouko?" Yuuki said cheerfully while drinking her drink.
"You're right Yuuki, I didn't expect that either," Ryouko said in reply with a smile, then she glanced at the girl beside her in confusion. "Hm? Are you alright, Megumi?"
"Y-Yes, it's just that I didn't expect it, even though in the past my grades were always at the bottom," said Megumi, moved.
"Come on Megumi, why are you always worried about that, even now you graduated as the 6th Seat of the Totsuki's Elite 10, that's an extraordinary achievement, and also we've already graduated so we don't have to think about that anymore," said Yuuki while embracing Megumi.
Totsuki's Elite 10, it is an organization consisting of the 10 best students in Totsuki which is the highest organization in Totsuki. The authority of the Elite 10 is so high that they can even decide the fate of the academy itself.
"Yoshino-san is right, Tadokoro-san," said someone behind them.
They turned around to see the Aldini brothers and Mito Ikumi walking towards them.
"It's not good to keep putting yourself down, you should be proud of yourself for what you have achieved so far," said Takumi.
"That's right, Megumi. You've come a long way from your old self, with everything we've been through these three years, you deserve to be proud of yourself. Moreover, you graduated as Elite 10," Ikumi said softly.
Just like Megumi, Takumi and Ikumi are also members of the Elite 10. Takumi occupies the 5th seat and Ikumi occupies the 10th seat.
Megumi looked at her friends in surprise before she smiled, "I guess you guys are right, sorry for acting like that."
"Haha, no need to apologize like that," Yuuki said while laughing. "Oh right, by the way what are you going to do after graduation?"
Takumi and the others fell silent hearing Yuuki's question, they then looked at each other before a few moments later starting to give their respective answers.
"We will both return to Italy to develop our restaurant," said Takumi, Isami nodded in agreement beside his brother.
"I haven't decided yet, but I don't want to stay away from the culinary and cooking fields," said Ryouko.
"I'll be working at my family's inn, I think I can help them with the restaurant," said Megumi.
"If it's you, I don't think it will take long for you to become head chef," Yuuki teased, making Megumi shy. Then she turned to Ikumi. "What about you, Ikumi?"
"Me? I will work at my family's company because I am already the heir there," said Ikumi. "What about you?"
"Well, to be honest, I'm interested in running a meat business too, especially in the field of livestock meat like I usually do here."
"Oh, if you are really serious, we might be able to run a cooperative business later."
"Really!? Wow, thank you, Ikumi!" Yuuki said happily, she then jumped to hug Ikumi.
But before Yuuki reached her, Ikumi immediately spoke, "But if this cooperation makes me lose, then I will without hesitation break it off."
Yuuki immediately froze hearing that, after which she pouted, "You're really good at destroying someone's joy."
"That's what business is all about," Ikumi said grinning.
Megumi and the others could only laugh at the conversation while Yuuki finished her drink to raise her spirits again.
"Hm, they really enjoyed this party there," said Shun while drinking his drink looking at Megumi and the others from a distance. Just like Megumi, Ibusaki Shun is also a member of the Elite 10 and he occupies the 9th Seat.
"You're right," said the boy beside Shun wearily. Shun turned around and glanced at the boy in astonishment.
"What's wrong, Marui? You look listless, are you not enjoying the party?" Shun asked in surprise, it was unusual for him to see Marui Zenji looking lethargic while partying outside his room.
"Huh? No, not that. Of course I enjoyed the party since it was our graduation. It's just…" Zenji was pensive for a moment, then he turned his attention to everyone in the room. "…This is our last party at this school."
"…"
Shun was silent hearing Zenji's words, it made him realize that this would be the last time they would be able to party at this school, as Totsuki students, and as residents of the Polar Star Dormitory.
Having a party after achieving something is an event that is usually done by the residents of the Polar Star Dormitory, no matter whether the achievement is something small or big, they will still throw a party as a form of gratitude.
At the party they were happy and did things they liked, such as cooking competitions, exchanging ideas with each other, and many other things that were useful for improving their cooking skills. Therefore parties are an event that is liked by the residents of the Polar Star Dormitory.
And now, this party will be their last party. The thought that they would no longer be in this Dormitory made something inside Shun feel empty.
Shun sighed, he leaned back in his chair and followed Zenji's gaze to look at everyone, "It's been six years, huh..."
"...Yeah, since middle school and without realizing it we have graduated from this school," said Zenji.
"Time passes quickly after what we have been through while studying here."
"Yeah, you're right."
Silence passed as the two boys reminisced about their experiences while attending Totsuki. Unbeknownst to them, two other boys who overheard their conversation were displeased by the melancholic atmosphere.
"Oh come on you two, you say that as if we will never meet again," Shouji said.
"Yeah, that's right. Even though this is our last party at this school, it doesn't mean we won't meet again. We can even have a party like this every day if you want," said Daigo nodding.
"Every day? That's too much," Shun said slightly sweating.
"Yeah, parties won't be special anymore," Zenji said in agreement, but he smiled a little. "But you guys are right, this won't be the last time we get together like this."
"Right, right? So come on, stop saying such gloomy things and let's have fun," Shouji said grinning.
"Yeah, come on come on!" Daigo said excitedly, he and Shouji then dragged their two friends into the middle of the party.
"Ah, hey! Don't drag me," Zenji shouted.
"Hahaha/Hahaha!"
Daigo and Shouji just laughed and ignored Zenji who was struggling, meanwhile Shun just sighed in resignation when he was dragged away.
"As usual, this place is always noisy," said Akira while leaning against the wall, far from the people in the middle of the party. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy parties, it's just that he's not a social person. By the way, he is also a member of the Elite 10 who occupies the 2nd seat and has the superpower of a very sharp sense of smell, making him have very high cooking abilities.
"Oi Hayama, even though we have graduated, our battle is not over yet," said Ryou walking closer with a sharp gaze at Hayama. The black-haired man is also a member of the Elite 10 who occupies the 3rd Seat.
"Of course, train harder, number 3," Akira said snorting and grinning slightly.
"Just wait! I will defeat you and Yukihira at the same time!" Ryou replied, if he was in his 'Berserk' mode then he would have shouted at Akira by now. While they were talking, suddenly someone grabbed Ryou's hand.
"What the hell Ryou-kun! You say that as if our competition is nothing!" shouted Alice. Just like the two of them, Alice is also a member of the Elite 10 who occupies the 4th seat.
"Miss, you're noisy," Ryou said in an indifferent tone when his body was shaken by Alice.
"What did you say! Lately you have become more rude to me Ryou-kun, looks like I have to educate you even harder!" Alice snapped.
"Gosh, Kurokiba is right, Alice. You're so loud, your voice can even be heard from the other end of the room," Hisako said from behind Alice, attracting the attention of the other two. This girl is a member of the Elite 10 who occupies the 8th seat and is very skilled in medical cooking.
Alice turned around with puffed out cheeks, "You too Hisokko-chan!"
"Don't call me Hisokko!" Hisako shouted irritably, this was the umpteenth time someone had called her that. "Really, when will they stop calling me Hisokko or Secretary Girl. My name is Arato Hisako!"
Ignoring Hisako's inner annoyance, Alice turned to another topic, "By the way, what are you going to do after this? Ryou-kun and I will return to Europe."
"I will remain Erina-sama's secretary," answered Hisako with certainty and without hesitation. After that they turned to the last person who had not answered.
"…"
The three of them waited patiently to hear Akira's answer, while the boy himself was pensively closing his eyes. Then he opened his eyes because of the silence that followed and realized that he had not given an answer.
"Ah, I guess I'll stay at Jun's seminar after this," Akira said, surprising the three.
Hayama Akira is undeniably the top five best in the Totsuki's Jewel Generation, his super sharp sense of smell makes him a master of food aroma, and he can even determine the type of spice just from the aroma alone. It wasn't surprising that he would be headhunted by various restaurants after he graduated from Totsuki.
And now, Akira had decided to continue researching Professor Shiomi Jun's seminar as he usually did every day, the information of course surprised Alice and the others.
"You're serious?" Alice asked.
"Yeah, I can't leave Jun, that woman can't do anything without me."
"Oho~, is that all or is there something more?" Alice asked with a teasing smile.
"What are you saying? There is no such thing, everything I do for her is in return for what she has done for me all this time. If she hadn't helped me when I was little, I wouldn't have become what I am today."
Alice and the others knew how deep those words meant to Akira, so they decided to keep quiet and not discuss the matter further.
"And here I thought you would run your own restaurant," Ryou said.
"Restaurant, huh. Well, I might think about it in the future."
The restaurant opened by Hayama Akira will definitely become a leading restaurant, Akira's name is already well known in the culinary and cooking world, it's certain that food enthusiasts won't want to miss the opportunity to taste Akira's food.
But that won't happen now because Akira has decided his future.
"So in the end we will all go our separate ways and choose our own paths," Hisako said changing the topic.
"Yes, that's what happens when we leave school, after all," said Alice. "But that doesn't mean we won't meet again, okay? We have to have a reunion at least once a year, you understand? I don't take no for an answer."
Akira and Hisako didn't complain at all and accepted Alice's request, while Ryou didn't say anything and just followed his Miss's orders. After all it was something they wanted too.
"Good," said Alice, nodding in satisfaction, then she drank the drink on the table while looking at everyone in the room. "By the way where is Erina, Hisokko-chan?"
"Eh?" Hisako gasped in confusion, she then looked around the room and realized her Miss was not there. "T-That's right, where is Erina-sama? I thought she was in this room earlier."
"Not only her, the person who is usually the loudest isn't here either," Akira said while crossing his arms.
"Oh right, Yukihira-kun isn't here either," said Alice raising an eyebrow.
"I'm going to look for Erina-sama," said Hisako starting to walk, but Alice immediately grabbed her hand.
"Oh, no, no, you stay here and enjoy the party, Hisokko-chan. It doesn't mean Erina is in danger or anything, maybe she just wants to be alone right now. You don't want to bother her like that, do you?"
"But…" Hisako hesitated, but after she thought about it better, Alice was right. There was a possibility that her Miss wanted to be alone and if she came to see her, it might only disturb her.
"Okay, I understand," said Hisako, giving in and sighing.
"Good, now let's enjoy the party. Come on, Hisokko-chan, it looks like they're doing something interesting there," said Alice while pulling Hisako's hand.
"H-Hey wait, don't pull me," Hisako said a little overwhelmed. "And don't call me Hisokko!"
And just like that, the graduation party at the Polar Star Dormitory continued.
While everyone was partying on the first floor of the dormitory, a beautiful girl was standing alone on the balcony of the dormitory located on the second floor. The girl was looking at the bright full moon while enjoying the cool night breeze.
The girl's name is Nakiri Erina or usually nicknamed 'God's Tongue' because she has a very sharp sense of taste. She currently holds the position of Headmaster of Totsuki Academy, an extraordinary achievement for an 18 year old girl. Not only that, when she was in year 2 she also won the BLUE tournament, which is a cooking championship for young people around the world.
With the position and achievements she obtained during school, it cannot be denied that Nakiri Erina is the best student and chef in the Totsuki's Jewel Generation. Her cooking ability coupled with her superpower 'God's Tongue' makes it difficult for other students in the same generation to catch up to her.
But that doesn't mean she's unattainable. Despite all her achievements and position, there was still one student in theJewel Generation who was able to approach her, that student broke through all the barriers that kept Erina away from other students and was able to achieve her. A student whose cooking ability was recognized by Erina even though the girl herself was embarrassed to say so verbally.
The student's name is…
"Yo, Nakiri."
A voice called out to her behind, Erina turned to the source of the voice and saw a boy leaning against the entrance while waving at her.
The boy had striking features, fiery red hair, golden eyes, a scar on his left eyebrow, and most notably a towel tied around his left wrist.
"Yukihira-kun," Erina said, acknowledging the boy's presence.
The boy's name is Yukihira Souma. A Totsuki student who is in the same generation as Erina, the Jewel Generation. He is also a resident of the Polar Star Dormitory, and the most amazing thing of all is that he is one of the Elite 10 Totsuki who occupied the First Seat when he was still in the first year.
Souma is a unique and special student, his background is not too luxurious and he only comes from a small and simple family restaurant. But with his years of experience as a chef, he was able to overcome all obstacles and stand at the top in less than a year.
With Erina occupying the position of Headmaster and Souma occupying the First Seat when they were in first grade, the two of them have recorded their names in Totsuki history as students who made the most amazing achievements. Because there are no more students who can achieve their achievements, the closest is Erina's father, Nakiri Azami, who was able to achieve Third Seat when he was still in first year.
"What are you doing here alone?" Souma said as he walked closer.
"Nothing, it's just that I was reminiscing about my school days," answered Erina.
"Oh I see..."
"What about you, Yukihira-kun?" Erina asked.
"Hm? Oh, nothing, I'm just looking for air. Everyone at the party is too enthusiastic, which makes the atmosphere quickly heat up," replied Souma, then he closed his eyes while enjoying the breeze.
Erina continued to stare at Souma until she noticed that her cheeks were red, then she turned her attention back to the moon. But soon her eyes turned to the boy again, somehow it was hard for her not to pay attention to him.
Yukihira Souma. Initially, Erina really hated Souma from the start of their meeting, according to her, Souma was a very annoying person and was a virus that entered her life. But as time went by and after everything they had faced at school, that hatred faded and turned into a feeling that made Erina's body hot when she was near the boy.
Actually, because of Erina's love for Shoujo manga, she already knows what feelings she has for Souma right now, but Erina is too embarrassed to admit it, especially when she remembers her behavior towards Souma all this time, even now she still hasn't admitted that Souma's cooking actually delicious.
"3 years, huh..." Souma said breaking the silence between them, making Erina turn to the boy. "I didn't expect time to pass so fast."
"Hmph, that's fast for you since you often disappear during school," Erina said snorting and crossing her arms. "But since you occupy the First Seat, I can tolerate it."
"Hahaha, sorry about that," Souma said with a laugh, before he gave a small smile. "It's just that since my defeat to you in the BLUE Finals last year it made me think that I still have a long way to go, and that makes me want to be even stronger. That's why I went training around the world."
"Are you that upset because I beat you?" Erina asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah! I lost to you and I can't even make you say my cooking is delicious, this makes me want to improve my skills even further," Souma said irritably while ruffling his hair. "By the way, what are you going to do after this, Nakiri?"
Erina was lost in thought for a moment because of this quick change of topic but she still answered, "You already know that I already have a job, Yukihira-kun. So I don't need to answer it," Erina closed her eyes, was silent for a moment before opening her eyes. "But..."
"But?"
"To be honest, I'm tired, Yukihira-kun," said Erina, sighing. "I'm tired of solving the problems we've experienced so far. I really love cooking, it has been the most important part for me, but now I hardly enjoy it because of these problems. All I want is to cook freely without any burden on my shoulders."
Starting from her father's cruel learning period which resulted in a change in her character, then Totsuki's dark period when her father carried out his plans with her as the center, then her problems with her mother which resulted in her almost being swallowed by a 'storm', and even though the past year Totsuki has been peaceful, she busy with her duties as a Headmaster whose schedule is so busy that she reduces her time for cooking.
"So, actually I really don't know what I want to do after this," Erina said wearily.
This is the same case with Saiba Jouchirou, who stopped cooking because he was too genius, causing him to get lost aimlessly in a storm, causing the storm itself to swallow him up. As a result, Jouchirou stopped cooking because he lost his goal for cooking.
If Jouchirou lost because of his own genius, then Erina lost because she was pressured by the people around her, pressure after pressure was put on her by everyone. Even though Erina can still cook, she doesn't enjoy it anymore because of the people around her.
"Nakiri..."
"F-Forget what I said earlier," stuttered Erina with a red face, just realizing that she had taken out the burden she had been carrying all this time on Souma. "A-And what about you, Yukihira-kun. What will you do after this?" Erina tried to change the topic.
"Me? Well, I guess I'll travel around the world to train again," Souma said.
At that moment Erina immediately froze, she felt like something had cracked inside her body and subconsciously shouted, "AGAIN?!"
"Whoa, calm down Nakiri. What's wrong with you? You surprised me," said a surprised Souma.
Erina tried to calm herself, but she felt an overwhelming feeling of unease welling up inside her. "Again? Why would he want to leave me again after disappearing for a year?" Erina thought sadly. She no longer wanted to pretend to deny her feelings, during the year Souma left she felt extraordinary loneliness as if the most important person to her had disappeared and would never return.
"Why?" Erina said in a low tone. "Why do you keep training? Even though you have gone to train before and you already have extraordinary abilities that no one else will have, so what? Why are you training so hard?"
"Why do you ask that, Nakiri? Of course the answer is that I will keep training until you say that my cooking tastes delicious," Souma answered with certainty as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Erina was silent and looked at Souma with wide eyes, she was extremely surprised to hear Souma's answer, "So he's been training very hard all this time because I never acknowledged the taste of his cooking?"
All this time, Erina thought that Souma asked her to taste the boy's cooking to evaluate his cooking, so she didn't expect that Souma was really serious about making Erina say that Souma's cooking was delicious.
"Why? Tell me, why do you want me to acknowledge your cooking so much? Is it because of me that you keep training this hard?" Erina shouted. She wanted to know, she really wanted to know the reason, why Yukihira Souma really wanted her to taste her cooking and say it was delicious.
"Well, to be honest that's quite embarrassing for me to answer," Souma answered while scratching his head.
"ANSWER ME!" shouted Erina, unable to hold back her emotions any longer.
Souma flinched at Erina's outburst and his eyes widened when he saw the girl's eyes starting to water. Souma didn't know why but he always felt something tight in his chest seeing Erina in a mess like that. He remembered Erina's broken condition when dealing with her parents and he didn't like that.
"Okay, okay, I understand, I will answer," Souma said immediately. "But calm yourself first, okay?"
There was an awkward silence between them as Erina turned her attention away from Souma to calm herself down, to be honest Erina was quite embarrassed after losing her composure earlier but she couldn't blame it because something inside her felt crushed when she heard Souma was going to walk away from her.
"..." Souma looked at Erina who was calming herself down, he was quite surprised to see the girl showing emotions that he rarely saw and that made him worried. If the answer can calm Erina then he will answer honestly, even though that answer might change their relationship.
"Are you calm?" Souma said after seeing Erina take a deep breath.
"Yes," answered Erina briefly. "Now please start your explanation."
"Okay, where should I start with this..." Souma pondered for a moment while looking at the moon in the sky, before long he started talking. "You know, I never thought about entering Totsuki at all, I didn't even know Totsuki existed before."
Erina was surprised to hear that, "Then why did you come in here?"
"My father told me to come in here, even though it was at your grandfather's request," Souma answered with a shrug.
"What? Grandfather? But why?" Erina asked in surprise.
"I don't know, they never said why. And that made me very upset, I used to have a strong ambition to beat my father and become the head chef of my restaurant. Then suddenly my father told me to go to school here and gave me a challenge, if I want to be able to beat him then I have to go to this school and train here. Hearing that, I accepted it eagerly and entered this school with confidence. That's when I met you."
Erina heard it silently, she still remembered the meeting. Her first encounter with a chef from a small outgoing restaurant brought major changes to her life.
"When I saw you, I thought 'Ah, this girl is quite arrogant and has high self-esteem', then I determined to conquer your pride with my cooking."
Erina pouted when she heard that, not expecting that Souma had that impression of her. But if she remembered more carefully, she really underestimated Souma at that time.
"Then it happened, you said my cooking was disgusting. It was the biggest humiliation of my life, as if the self-confidence I had accumulated over the years collapsed with just one breath. After that I swear that I will not let you step on my confidence again and will make you say that my cooking is delicious. In the past, that was the reason that made me train so hard."
"In the past?" Erina asked curiously. She also didn't expect Souma to feel so devastated by her words.
"Yeah, I kept practicing while thinking whether you would like the dishes I made, I kept practicing like that until it became a habit and when you kept saying my cooking was disgusting, somehow it raised my spirits to practice even harder."
Souma stopped for a moment when the night breeze blew, he needed this coolness because what he was going to talk about now was quite embarrassing even for someone like him. Souma then looked at his left hand which was tied with a towel and clenched his fist tightly.
"When I realized it, I had developed a lot from when I first entered Totsuki until now, I didn't think that I had developed that far even though I was training just to make dishes that would make you say they were delicious. Then I looked for the reason for my development until I remembered what my father once told me about the secret of becoming a great chef. Do you know what he said?"
Erina shook her head, she didn't know the answer. But if that answer could also improve her cooking skills, she wanted to know the answer. Especially if these tips come from Saiba Jouchirou, who she admires.
Souma was silent for a moment, then he looked directly into Erina's eyes with a serious look. Erina had to swallow hard because she felt nervous being stared at like that by Souma.
"My father said that to be a great chef is to find someone who means so much to you that you want to give them your best cooking. Someone you want to give your cooking to more than anyone else, someone special."
Erina was silent with her mouth slightly open, her brain was now in overdrive to interpret Souma's words just now. After a while Erina finally understood the meaning of Souma's words, immediately her face turned bright red and her body became very hot.
"W-Wh… S-So, T-That means..." Erina stammered, her head starting to dizzy and her eyes starting to roll around because of the embarrassment she felt. But she still tried to stand up, she wanted to know if Souma meant the same as she thought.
"Yes," Souma answered. "You are the one, Nakiri Erina. You are the person I want to dedicate the best dish I have ever made and you are also the reason I can be this strong now."
Erina couldn't bear to hear Souma's words any longer, her face was now very red and she was at her limit to maintain her body, she sat limp on the floor with a pounding feeling in her chest.
"N-Nakiri, are you okay?" Souma said worriedly.
Erina didn't answer, she kept her head down and her hair blocked Souma from seeing her face.
"I'll call Arato, wait here," Souma said as he turned around, but before he could take a step Erina suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Wait," Erina said weakly, Souma turned around and looked at Erina who was still looking down to hide her face. "Please don't go, stay here."
Souma looked at Erina who was bowing her head in silence, he had many questions about her current situation but if his presence could make the girl comfortable then he would comply, "Okay."
Silence fell between the two of them as they sank into their own thoughts, Souma didn't know what Erina was thinking at the moment but he felt it was something big that made the girl still bow her head silently on the floor.
About 10 minutes later, Souma, who was looking at the beautiful moon in the sky, felt movement next to him, he turned his head and saw Erina had raised her head. The girl started to stand up and looked directly into Souma's eyes with a serious look.
"Nakiri?"
Erina didn't say anything, she then inhaled and exhaled before looking back at Souma. For some reason, this situation reminded Souma of the past, when Erina first gathered the courage to fight her father.
"Yukihira-kun."
"Yes?"
"You said you were going abroad, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll go with you."
"Okay."
.
..
…
"Huh?"
Souma looked up and looked at Erina in surprise, he felt that Erina had just said something important and surprising. "What did you say just now?"
"I said I'm coming with you."
"W-Wait a minute, Nakiri. Are you serious?" Souma said. He didn't expect it and was very surprised to hear the girl's words, now he understood that he didn't hear it wrong.
"I'm serious."
"But don't you have a job right now? What are you going to do with it?"
"I will resign."
"But-"
"I'M GOING WITH YOU!"
Souma immediately flinched and took a step back hearing Erina's outburst, but he was more shocked and widened his eyes when he saw the tears streaming down Erina's cheeks.
"Do you know!? Back when we were in second year and I found the letter you left saying that you were going abroad, I was very upset, you know! I always thought you would always be here with me, cooking and competing whenever we wanted. But instead you left without a single word to everyone, not even me!"
Erina screamed and let out all her emotions, she also didn't think about the tears that came out and let them continue to flow. All she was thinking about right now was letting out all the emotions she had been holding back all this time on the boy in front of her.
"I kept waiting but you never came back! For me, that is..." Erina clutched her chest where it hurt. "That was the most painful thing for me! You know!"
Souma felt as if several sharp needles were pricking his body every time he listened to Erina's words, and the most painful part was his chest. It felt tight and painful just like Erina felt.
"When I heard that you came home, I was so happy because I could see you after so long, thinking that you would never leave again," added Erina while tears continued to flow. "And now you've decided to leave again, I don't want that!"
Erina couldn't hold it in anymore, then she hugged Souma and leaned her head on Souma's chest. She didn't want to experience the feeling of abandonment again, she had already been abandoned by her mother and it would take years for them to be together again. Based on that experience, she didn't want the same thing to happen to her and Souma.
"Please don't leave me!" Erina said pleadingly while clinging tightly to Souma with her crying never stopping.
"…"
Souma could only remain silent as the girl cried, curled up in his chest. At this time Souma experienced the biggest shock in his life that made him stand still without being able to say anything.
Erina's words really hit his soul, all this time he had been practicing to improve his cooking skills so that one day he could make Nakiri Erina admit that his cooking was delicious.
But because he was too focused on his training, without realizing it he had hurt Erina. Nakiri Erina is a noble girl with extraordinary beauty and high self-esteem, a genius even though she is arrogant but talented in cooking which makes many people admire her.
But this extraordinary girl was now crying on Souma's chest, he didn't know how Erina felt about him but seeing Erina's condition like this was very painful for him. Souma moved his arms and hugged the girl, he tightened his embrace and rubbed the girl's head gently to calm her.
They remained in that position for the next few minutes, Souma didn't care about his clothes which were wet from Erina's tears, his mind was now focused on something and it required great determination for him to do it.
Not long after, Souma finally decided what he was going to do. His resolve was strong, he didn't care what would happen after this but if it would make Erina happy, then he would do it.
"Nakiri," Souma began softly. "Are you okay with someone like me?"
"Un," Erina nodded in Souma's chest.
"Are you ready to leave your luxurious life and come with me?"
"I've decided," Erina let go of her hug and looked at Souma. "I have no doubts anymore, Souma-kun."
Right at that moment, as if something mysterious was moving his body, Souma immediately pressed his lips to Erina's lips. Souma usually wasn't interested or cared about this kind of thing, but when he saw the beauty presented in front of him, he couldn't help himself.
At first Erina was surprised to see Souma's actions, but she didn't fight and let him be, instead she felt comfortable for some reason. Erina then closed her eyes to feel this comfort more deeply, her face was very red and her heart was beating fast. This was something Erina had never experienced before but she enjoyed it.
Under the moonlight, the couple remained in that state for a while, sharing affection in kisses even though this was their first experience. But despite that, they enjoy each other and share comfort.
Not long after, Souma broke their kiss and looked at Erina with a smile, "Then let's go, Na-Erina."
Erina's eyes lit up, she was very happy that Souma called her first name, "Yes, Souma-kun," she replied with a beautiful smile.
On that night, a big decision was made by the 2 best chefs in Totsuki history.
Decisions that will change their lives.
The next day when everyone in the Dormitory was still asleep from last night's party, Souma and Erina decided to leave immediately. They had finished their departure preparations and decided to leave early in the morning when no one was looking.
They slipped quietly out of the Dormitory so as not to wake anyone, and when they made it out, they saw the Dormitory one last time.
"I never thought it was time for me to leave this place, it feels like just yesterday I registered," said Souma while looking at the Dormitory with longing.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk to them?" Erina asked.
"Yeah, if we want our whereabouts unknown then it's better to leave secretly."
"...Sorry," said Erina looking down guilty, because of her request they were forced to leave quietly, she didn't want anyone to know about her decision.
"It's okay, don't worry. That doesn't mean we'll never see them again," said Souma calming his lover.
Erina was taken aback for a moment before smiling slightly, "Yes, you're right."
Souma nodded with a smile, "Then let's go."
"Yes."
After all the preparations were complete, they finally left for the Totsuki gate to leave the school they had been living in all this time.
With that, their journey began.
It didn't take long after that, the Cooking World was in an uproar because of the disappearance of the 2 best chefs from the Totsuki's 'Jewel Generation'.
Everyone tried to look for them, but no matter what they did it was in vain. No one knew where the two chefs had gone, as if they had disappeared into the earth.
/
Meanwhile, Souma and Erina continued their journey around the world for days, months, and years until their names were almost unrecognizable.
Thanks for reading!
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
For my readers who are still faithfully waiting for this story, I apologize because I have to rewrite it from the beginning.
Since this is the first fanfic I've written, I realized how messy my writing was after I reread it.
Starting from the writing style, punctuation, story telling, dialogue between characters which feels bland and unimpressive. And what's more, my English isn't very good because it's not my main language.
Therefore I was forced to rewrite this story in a better version.
I'm sorry that the last time I updated this story was over two years ago, and I decided to rewrite it instead.
I won't leave this story if that's what you think, I'm just slow in writing because I'm busy in the real world.
Well, that's all I want to say for now. I will try to quickly rewrite everything up to the latest chapter.
See you next time!