Pairing: Loren/Nao

Genre: Romance; Family

Placement: Classique Chapter 39.5

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

1. An update to Classique is soon to come, I am working on it as you read this. Just a few more chapters to go. What comes next? We'll see…

2. This little one-shot, if you can even call it that, was originally a scene I removed from Classique, since I felt it didn't need to be there, but also, I didn't want to delete it. It features my most personal writing, in regards to Loren and his relationship with someone (no, not Nao). My relationship is just as strained, so when I write this, I will admit, it's for me first and foremost. If any of you find this enjoyable, I would love to hear it, since it is rare for me to write something so raw in a sense.

3. Have you checked out the Fan Fic Bento ~ Bon Appetit!? Me and 10 other amazing writers made a Collab of one-shots posted to this very website, so if you haven't, go give them a read (they are all labeled properly), and give these writers (and me) your feedback!

4. My Roles Series that started with Role Reversal and then Role Models will be getting expanded even more. Be on the lookout for Role-Play coming soon, featuring Akira & Hisako!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.


He remembered it like it was yesterday. Almost to a vivid detail. He remembered the location, the aromas, the chatter, all of it. He had recently turned thirteen, and his new elder sister Dove was about to celebrate her sweet sixteen. It was also the day said sister was making her biggest debut yet in the culinary world, as they all gathered in this big, fancy restaurant, and many men in fancy tuxedos and many women in fancier dresses gathered around, the whole space reserved just for them. Unlike the last few stops, he had no job to do in this particular stop. No mess to make. No craft to ruin without anyone noticing. This was all Dove this time.

So Loren Frechette stood next to the man clad in black after Azami Nakamura had long introduced Dove Dillinger to all the guests and chefs, making an important note of just how talented she was. How famous she would become. How much she was going to revolutionize the food industry itself.

Loren didn't much understand it all, but he knew Dove had gotten so, so good. And he felt proud of her, very much so, even if she didn't quite like to cook. Still, they both owed this man everything, so it made sense they'd sacrifice themselves to give back, or at least, that's how Loren used to think about it back then.

"Stand up straight Loren."

Loren flinched, quickly fidgeting in place to try to straighten up his posture. He had not even realized the man had been paying any attention to him.

"I am standing straight," he whined, pouting a bit.

"You were slouching…" Azami just commented, his eyes not on Loren, but on the large number of rich people before them all of them waiting for whatever dish Dove was about to present. "Remember, presentation is key in any business venture. Body language speaks far more than any words ever could. If you present yourself in an ill-befitting manner, nobody will take you seriously. Or worse, they will not accept you. Courage. Confidence. A man must always carry himself with certain poise."

Loren said nothing, just looking at him, and true to his word, when others approached Azami they spoke politely to him. The respect was evident. And each word the man said felt like it had weight. Calculated. And his body never betrayed that confidence. He kept firm, always looking at whoever in the eyes, his handshakes firm, his smile picturesque.

So, Loren shifted his stance again, trying his best to mimic Azami's own. He smiled like he did, and nodded and greeted whoever Azami was talking to when the elder man introduced him.

"He is my other student. Loren Frechette, my youngest."

And little Loren couldn't hide how much those words outright thrilled a former street rat like him…

"Loren…?"

The boy with the golden hair and black tips paused, blinking for a second, as his memories slowly dissipated and his surroundings shifted back to the present, and the image of Azami before him was no longer the man that raised him, but rather a photo on a shrine that had been updated to include all former First Seats of Tootsuki, now reincluding this man that had once been banned and had had all his achievements outright erased from the very school that made him.

Loren turned to the side, his eyes now on his closest (against his very wishes) friend, Mitsuru, who was looking at Loren rather curiously.

"What?" Loren just asked, trying to pretend he was annoyed, when he really was a little embarrassed to have just drifted off into the past like that. All because of a photo.

"…You okay?" Mitsuru asked, "We should all head to the main hall of the Resort. Master Gin Doujima will be starting this month-long event soon enough, and I'm certain if we're not there when he starts, we'll get expelled!"

"You can get expelled for that?" Loren noted, frowning. He turned back to the hall of fame of sorts before him. Every single First Seat. From some he had no idea who they were, down to the latest, Nene Kinokuni, with plenty of space for whoever would follow. "…I should have dropped that damn plate."

"Don't start that, this is a new life for you! Endless possibilities and all that!" Mitsuru added rather excitedly, to which Loren only groaned. But Mitsuru simply tugged at Loren's arm and pulled him across the hall and towards where they were supposed to be. "…Still, I'm surprised you care so much about the First Seats… Are you actually aiming for that Seat?"

Loren just scoffed. "As if!" he added, "Unless I can hide Dove under my desk for every single class and Shokugeki, I ain't making it that far."

"Don't say that," Mitsuru countered, "You have skills… Granted, not as much as you pretended to… well, way below how you pretended to actually…"

"…You needn't explain it so thoroughly…"

"Sorry…" Mitsuru said with a little laugh, before he and Loren ended up in the main room itself. Mitsuru then turned to Loren, having to speak a little louder since the massive crowd of First Year students gossiping about made it hard to communicate. "…But you were looking at his record, right?"

"Huh? Whose?"

"Your… mentor's," Mitsuru noted, carefully choosing his words, and Loren frowned, "He has a surprising amazing record here, the highest ranking First Year in Tootsuki's history. Third Seat at that! Only student to ever beat his record in terms of age is his own daughter, Erina, and even she only got up to the Ninth Seat during her First Year. As polarizing a figure that he is, the man is still a legend around these parts."

"…I don't really care about –" Loren began, but quickly interrupted when he got a surprise tackle from behind. The boy cried something out, managing to barely keep himself standing up, before the familiar scent of their perfume, alongside those golden locks, allowed him to recognize who had just hugged him by surprise. "Berta, Cilla…"

"Heya Loren!" both twin girls said in unison, both smiling as they did. "You still look gloomy, cheer up, this is just the first true test, you won't survive if you are dragging yourself this early in the race," the elder twin, the long-haired Berta, added.

"That's true, you should be more like Mitsuru!" Cilla, now bouncing back and standing next to the young reporter-in-training, noted, "He's probably the first one of us who'll be expelled, yet he's smiling."

"H-Hey! I'm not that helpless!" he complained, as Cilla just giggled in response, to which Berta, still clinging to Loren, just frowned.

"They keep doing that…" she whispered to him, "Flirting all the time. It's both cute and annoying."

"Like you can talk," Loren just barked back, before he untwisted himself from her surprisingly strong grip, "Besides, I'm not gloomy. Just focused. You two should try it."

Before either Berta or Cilla could make a fuss about it, as he knew they would, another annoyance (for Loren) popped up, because of course he would. "There you guys are," Raymond spoke up, walking towards the four, his hands on his pockets, his body language a lot more subdued than usual, much to Loren's surprise. This guy usually dumber that Yukihira, so why? "This place is pretty packed, huh? Guess those rumors about many new students enrolling after the Intercontinental Shokugeki concluded was rather true."

"Yeah, with how simplified our new Headmistress made things, there's a lot of new students who otherwise would never dream of coming here to Tootsuki!" Mitsuru noted with glee, his camera already on hand.

"You really can't turn off the paparazzi side of your brain, huh?" Raymond noted, eyes narrowed, as Mitsuru just pouted.

"Reporter! Not paparazzi! My news is, well, will be legit!"

"Our future Pulitzer Prize Winner, eh?" Cilla said in a tone that everyone except Mitsuru could tell was playfully flirty, as she smacked the boy with her hips teasingly. "What's the scoop then?"

"A-Actually there's quite a lot of… erm, noteworthy news…" the young boy fidgeted as he spoke. He still couldn't much handle Cilla being so physical in her affection. "Several noteworthy students have entered Tootsuki. Our year is packed. Look…" he added, as he pointed the other four towards one young man sitting to the side, a very collected expression on his face," That's Sadamitsu Aratani, he got near-perfect scores despite coming from an average middle school and having no prior culinary history in his whole family."

Loren just gave the guy a side glance. Dark hair, good looks, stupid face, reminded him of Asahi; he didn't like it.

"Oh! And that's Hiromi Kasai!" Cilla quickly pointed, which made Mitsuru flinch and fidget, since she was being too loud. The cute girl with the brown hair tied to a short ponytail likely heard her. Of course, the ever-naughty Cilla quickly whispered, "Rumor has it she and Aratani have quite a competitive history, and… a lewder history on top of that…"

"R-Rumors are not reliable sources Cilla…" Mitsuru muttered, blushing at what she was insinuating, yet the blonde only giggled.

"We also have the likes of Takeshi Nishida, Sadako Kitajima, Yasunori Takashima, and many others," Berta added, rather proudly at that, "All of which come from smaller establishments. Nothing noteworthy, but like how our seniors Soma and Takumi proved, that no longer defines Tootsuki. We are at the dawn of a new culinary age!"

Loren only half paid attention to all the names his friends were dropping. He had no clue who any of the students were, or how that mattered in the grand scheme of things. All that mattered was not shaming his own sister and surviving this hellish training camp or whatever this was. He was horrible with names anyways, so he'd deal with the specifics of who his new peers (and enemies) were later. Still, he couldn't help but feel Raymond's uncharacteristic glare on him. It was weird.

"What?!"

"…You're going to be a pain during this thing," Raymond replied, and Loren felt a vein pop.

"The heck did I do now?!"

"Not now…" Raymond said, before he turned around a bit, and it was here Loren began to notice it. It wasn't just his imagination after all. Almost every single First Year had their eyes set on the quintet, and if their expressions were anything to go by, they weren't all that pleased with them being there. Or rather… "Just as Mitsuru said, rumors aren't reliable, but they spread fast. And it seems our entire student-body here might have heard a little more than they should have in regards to out once star student."

"Huh?" Loren noted, before he frowned. 'Shit… Does this mean all these guys know that I cheated to get this far? That's unfair! I'm trying to turn a new leaf here!' the young boy thought, with his hand on his chin and a pensive stare on his face, 'Should I weed them out by placing laxatives on their dishes…?'

'He's thinking something bad, isn't he…?' Mitsuru, Cilla, Berta, and Raymond all thought, watching this little villain in the making brainstorm his little "plan", all four of them feeling a sweat drop, but before any of them could say anything, the stage came alive, as the sound system kicked in and the lights all focused on the very center before them all.

Before all these fresh First Years stood their strictest (as far as they knew) teacher, Roland Chapelle, the Chef Who Doesn't Smile… Often (Soma Yukihira had easily disproven this rumor the year before, as had Loren in a… unique way (thanks to Nao submitting one of her steamier fanfics as an essay of his)).

The elder chef cleared his throat, and hand on the microphone, began, "Pay attention to the stage. I'm going to explain the outline of this Training Camp. Before, The Friendship and Rapport Training Lodging used to be a week-long event, with a timeframe of just five nights and six days, with an assignment related to cooking given each day. Of course, on this particular year this has now been altered, given how we lost over a month and a half thanks to the unforeseen events of the Intercontinental Shokugeki. Meaning, for this particular stay, you lot will be staying for a period of four weeks, with six days of assignments, from Monday to Saturday, and the Sunday being your day of rest…"

The students all began to whisper amongst themselves. They had all been told in advance that their stay here would be longer than past years, but not that they would only get one single day of rest a week, only four out of twenty-eight days. It sounded harsh, but again, this was Tootsuki Academy.

"That very sensation you all felt now, remember it," Chapelle noted, knowingly, "Our course has been altered, to this particular event, usually meant to be merely the first to weed out the unworthy, has basically been turned into what would have been your first three major assignments, all in one. So… if you falsely believe that the new Strike System being tested in these very walls will save you, cleanse your mind of such folly, as you all have plenty of time and tests to fail far more than the three times required…"

At this you could feel the tension in the air, as all the First Years stared, some nervous, some excited, all of them uncertain. Loren, his arms crossed and glaring at the old man, was struggling not to shake in place. Was this really what he wanted…?

"Now then, the current one-thousand and forty-eight students here will be split into groups," their strict instructor added, "Once we are finished here, you are to report to your assign location and begin your first assessment with the Instructor overseeing your designated group. Which, of course, leads me to formally presenting these fine Instructors to you all. Make note, their time is valuable, so to take an entire month to assist you in your studies is no easy task, be grateful. And remember, these are the top chefs who braved the Tootsuki system of old… so be wary…"

And with his signal, in came walking the graduates that were outright legends at this point…

Soumei Saitou, former Fifth Seat, his signature blade on his back, a cool look on his face.

Momo Akenegakubo. former Fourth Seat, holding her stuffed plush Bucchi tightly.

Tosuke Megishima, former Third Seat, the most stone-cold look imaginable on his features.

Sonoka Kikuchi, former Second Seat on the generation prior, timidly smiling at the kids, despite how the little whistles from several of them made her blush harder.

Rindou Kobayashi, also former Second Seat, strolling in as if she owned the place, and letting out a mad grin the moment she set her eyes on her newest prey…

And… no one else.

The students all paused, eyes on the stage. They were all confused. If these five were here, didn't that mean…?

Chapelle visibly frowned, turning to the side where the former five had walked in from, and cleared his throat again. When no response came, the elder man outright glared. "…Eishi, damn it, we discussed this!"

Eishi, or rather, his arm came out from behind the curtains, waving off a little apology. "Y-Yes, and I didn't run away, as promised. But… is it required I walk into a stage with over a thousand onlookers? They all know me, I have nothing else to add, can't I just wait on my station and then speak just to the group I'm assigned as – ack!"

"Come on!" Rindou quickly grabbed his arm, and began to pull him out of hiding, "We are the ones who will shape these kids into masterful chefs! Their very futures are in our hands! This is not the time for you to freak out and hide away! So come on, man up, let's help shape the future of the culinary world!"

"R-Rin! Wait! Gah!" Eishi tried, but the girl who could (and did) wrestle with crocodiles was way too strong for him to be able to fend off, so he was pulled right into the center of the stage. He felt faint at so many new eyes on him, but he tried to just block them out as best he could.

"I am quite glad you six decided to assist," Chapelle continued, his eyes on Eishi for a second, before he pointed to the opposite side of the stage, "And now, before we begin, allow me hand over the microphone to your host, Chef Gin Doujima."

To the cheers of the First Years, the man himself walked onto the stage, that staggering mountain of a chef, as he gave this large group of chefs a prideful look. A few minutes in and no expulsions? Already looking better than last year.

"I won't take much of your time, as that is scarce enough as is. I welcome you all here, we are proud to have you, but do note…" Gin warned, "Do your absolute best, because if you watched the Intercontinental Shokugeki, you know what our best looks like. Fight, train, and grow to meet that potential, or you will not survive in this Academy. Best of luck, and move, you are all dismissed."

-0-

One week in, on Saturday night, Loren finally found himself alone in his hotel room, sitting down on his comfy bed, staring at a blank document on his laptop that Dove had gifted him (alongside a whole bunch of other equipment he wasn't sure he'd ever need), trying to write something. Anything. These last six days they had all gone to a "class" from each of the six graduates there, the class of the day and the time of it depending on what group they each ended up in. Thankfully, or, he assumed, purposely, Loren ended up with his friends in the same group, but annoyingly, he also ended up with that Asahi-looking stoic asshole and his self-proclaimed rival who never shut up. Between those two edging out Raymond of all people on how to be annoying, and Eishi making his class a living nightmare for Loren, the kid ended up barely surviving the week.

Almost getting into a fist-fight with the after mentioned Sadamitsu Aratani.

Having Raymond be the one to step in and stop the clash, which embarrassed Loren greatly.

And having so many, many rumors spreading about his true origin…

I mean, it was all true, but… he was trying to change, no?

Still, what ended up worse was the class Sonoka gave them. Hot as she was, she was just as kind and gentle, which gave Loren the false hope her class would be a breeze, but it was and it wasn't at the same time. She was the only one who gave them homework, which made her ten-times less hot in his eyes, but more than that, it was a topic that sounded easy on paper but he couldn't even start.

"Just sit down and write," he remembered her advising, but it wasn't that easy. She had tasked them all to write a letter addressed to the chef they most admired. They could send it or not if they wished, but they had to address their inspirations and what they most wanted to emulate about this professional. It could be a challenge, a praise, or simply an observation. Whatever they wished. But, it turns out, creative writing wasn't for him, because he instantly thought he had this in the bag. Just write to Dove, no?

But… he couldn't quite get the words out. How should he even address her?

Dear Miss Dillinger,

Loren shook his head. God, that sounded so weird to address her like that.

Dearest sister of mine,

He laughed, and erased it. If Dove ever received a letter from him addressed that way she'd fly over thinking he was dying.

Dove,

They are forcing me to write this stupid letter –

He stopped, and deleted it. It needed to at least sound sincere. Damn it, why was this so hard?!

He then heard a knock on his door, and the boy gave a pause. Normally he'd be annoyed, but any excuse to keep him from doing his assignment was a welcomed one at this point. He wondered if it was any of his friends, but they had all agreed to spend the next day at the pool, so why would they come over now? Shouldn't they be asleep this late?

He opened the door, and found Nao standing there.

"Hey!" she greeted, and his eyes went wide. She was wearing her student uniform, except having switched her skirt for some jeans that totally did not match the top, and holding a very familiar helmet at her side. Said mismatched uniform also looked very covered by sand, down to her wet shoes. And she was smirking. "Glad to see you haven't been kicked out yet. How many strikes do you have? Two?"

"Oh piss off!" Loren barked, blushing, "I have none, I'm doing fine!" he corrected, before he moved to the side to let her in. She bounced her way inside, looking at his room rather intently. "…What are you doing here? Weren't you sent to the beach for those exams you Second Years have to do?"

"I was stationed there, yes," she noted, as she took a seat on his bed. "And I hated it. Too much sun. Luckily, they allowed me to keep my umbrella with me at all times. Makes the time I was not running the shop a lot easier."

"So…" he began, walking towards her and taking a seat as well, "Did they not let you guys enjoy the beach?"

"If you're into that, you could, during your breaks.," Nao noted, resting her head on her little fists, "Soma and the other of the Elite Ten had it a little rougher though, as the stall they were given was not… ideal to say the least. Still… Oh lord, Erina and Hisako on bathing suits all day long, I couldn't take it…!"

"I'm honestly disappointed in myself that this already sounds normal…" Loren said with a sigh, frowning, before he added, "And why did you come all this way? You could get in trouble…."

At this Nao remained quiet for a moment, making Loren think she was going to avoid the question, but she simply voiced, "…I missed seeing you."

And he bit his lower lip, any sarcastic retort he had nipped at the bud, before he simply leaned in, and nervously, placed a soft kiss on her lips. Nao, responded in kind, like she does. Gently, slowly, letting him taste her as much as he wanted, putting no defense whatsoever. It took his breath away, as he wasn't used to this. To kissing her, to being with her.

"Nao… I…"

"…How has it been?" she asked, a very light blush on her features, as she looked from him towards his laptop. She was just as unused to this intimacy as he was. "You have an assignment?"

"Just… some dumb letter I have to write," Loren noted, dismissing it, "But relax, I won't make you write it for me… unless…?"

"Absolutely not," Nao quickly shot down, "At least try, you promised your sister you would," she added, and he pouted, but nodded. His sister was part of the problem, as he had already told her everything he wanted, so he had no idea how to phrase it in written form.

"I am, surprisingly enough," Loren voiced, his eyes on the blank document screen, "They want me to write a letter to the chef I admire most. They one who "inspired" me to become a chef. And… I don't know how to put it into words. I already told Dove what I think of her, many times, but it feels awkward to write it…"

"…You sure it's Dove?"

"What? Of course," Loren noted, almost offended at the question, "If you dare say my inspiration is Soma, then I'm kicking you out!"

At this Nao just laughed. "I wasn't thinking him, but, I mean, if you consider it from a character development standpoint, then…"

"No, none of that. I have enough of that in class. I'll… think of something," he noted, "Still, I want to complain. It's unfair that my girlfriend gets a week at the beach, while I get stuck a month in this resort… And where are my bikini pics, huh?"

Nao blinked. "I am not sending you photos of other girls in bikinis!" she argued, frowning, "Besides, I'm not allowed to have my camera anywhere near bodies of water, so…"

"That… doesn't surprise me…" Loren noted, and sighed, "And no you idiot, I didn't mean pics of your girl-crushes. Where are my picks of the swimsuit you got?"

And here Nao froze, her expression on of disbelief, before a shade of red took over. She stammered, fidgeting for a moment, before she spoke, "Seriously? You want to see me in my swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"…You sure?" Nao asked, "And not, you know, Erina, or Hisako, or Megumi, or Ikumi, or Yuuki, or Ryoko, or Madoka, or Urara, or Yua, or –?"

"Nao, stop listing every girl in your class," Loren quickly interrupted her, "And, no, I'm dating you, so of course the girl I'd want to see most would be…" he added, then paused. This was sort-of embarrassing to say, but also… "You do realize that don't you…? That no other girl…" he specified, as he gently caressed her hair with his thumb, moving her locks away to unobscured both of her eyes, "…is prettier than you?"

"Damn it fine!" Nao cried out, standing up suddenly with her face burning up. "Stop teasing me!" she added, still red, but before Loren could note that, no, he wasn't just teasing, she said, "…I did just get here from the beach, s-so I am wearing my swimsuit underneath… so, if you wanna see it, well, me in it… well…"

"Oh?" Loren noted, head tilted to the side, "You gonna strip?"

"Not if you put it that way!"

He laughed, arms crossed, since yeah, now he was teasing her. Still… "Let's sneak out then."

And here is when Nao remembered that, yes, her cute boyfriend was still a little devil and basically a villain in all but name. Of course a little rule-breaking would not be above him, and she should be the responsible one of the two and turn him down, but…

-0-

She blames that euphoria of being free from her brother's looming threat and the excitement of going out with her boyfriend on making these stupid decisions. Nao, now adorned with only her little swimsuit, which Loren had quickly observed as a very gothic looking one piece, adorned with a little wavy skirt and all, a true Lolita. Loren, for his part, had some fashionable swimming trunks and matching sandals, because of course, and soon the young couple found themselves sneaking into one of the many outdoor pools that they were totally not supposed to go into after nine. It was nearly eleven.

As Loren jumped over the closed gates and helped her do the same, the two made their way towards the pool, as Nao felt her heart about to beat out of her chest. She shouldn't be doing this!

Loren, on the other hand, gave pause, taking his time to observe her. She was pretty. She was cute. And she looked good wearing that.

"That really suits you…" he noted.

"…thanks," was all she could bring herself to say. This was too much.

"I'm genuinely shocked that you actually have a notable chest, you know?" he added casually.

She responded with an unholy shriek. "The hell?! What does that have to do with anything?!" she cried out, while covering her chest with her arms. "Stinking pervert…"

"What? You're always hunched over and wearing baggy clothes, it's hard to tell sometimes…" he noted matter-of-factly, and she hated how he didn't have an ounce of shame in him. "Granted, the dress you wore to the ball did show it off too, but back then I was more focused on seeing your actual face for the first time, so that took precedence."

"Oh s-shut up, and isn't this water going to be freezing?" Nao asked, glaring at him and then at the pool.

"Dunno," he noted, "You tell me," he added, and then lifted his foot, placed it firmly on her behind, and pushed her right into the pool. Nao shrieked as she fell in, shrieked louder as she swam back up for air, and her curse word heavy hex she wanted to cry out to him was interrupted when Loren just jumped in right after her, splashing her with even more cold water in the process. As he then swam back out, he couldn't help but laugh at the sheer murderous glare she was aiming his way, "Ah, that takes me back. Feels like you saw my phone's screen for the first time all over again!"

"I am going to murder you in your sleep when we get back to the dorms…" she growled, and he just laughed. "Also, yes, this stupid water is freezing! This idea is stupid! Let's go back!"

"Why? I just want to relax a little before Monday comes around and I'm forced to see Eishi again…" Loren noted, as he swam next to her. Nao, turned, brushing her wet hair out of her face, as she followed him with her vision.

"Eishi…? What's wrong? Hard class?"

"…Eh, kinda…"

"Loren…"

"…I'm very certain he doesn't want me here," Loren just admitted, clinging to the side of the pool, as Nao swam and clung to the side as well, eyes on him, "They all know after all, what my original purpose was. How I got this far. Dove's cooking, your assignments, I really didn't do much to earn being here…"

"And yet, here you are," Nao noted, and Loren turned to her. He also flinched. She was very close. "They only know a fraction of what really went down. Dove, Soma, Isshiki and everyone else at Polar Star knows that you earned the right to be here. All you need to do is prove it."

"If I could prove it to them so easily I would have –"

"No, not to them," Nao cut in, and got even closer. Loren's eyes widened even more. "…Prove it to yourself first. Soma, and… Ashitaro… you faced off against both of them. Nobody in this resort can claim the same. What are First Year tests for a boy who already traded blows with some of the best, and most frightening, chefs of our entire generation…?"

Loren's expression shifted to utter surprise, not just because of her words, but because of the timid kiss that followed. Nao, slowly, in a mix of nervousness and excitement, continued to kiss the boy and shifted herself so she was almost on him. Her arms wrapped across his neck, as he held her by her waist. Her tongue teased his for a moment, and he felt so, so grateful the water was so damn cold. She parted for a moment, biting her lower lip for a second, and all Loren could note was that Nao's blushing face really was the prettiest.

"…N-Nao…?"

"You're not alone," she stated, and it felt like the words he had told her back then, "You can do this. But… Do you need any help on the assignment? I won't do it for you, but I guess I could help with –"

"I really, really want to say yes but I should try to do my own stuff…" Loren noted, regrettably, "Although, if you were asked that, who would you pick?"

"As a chef who inspired me?" Nao noted, tilting her head for a moment, "Obviously it would be momma. Nobody taught me as much as she did."

"Figures," Loren said, still holding her slender waist firmly. He loved to leave his hands there. "…Miss Riko certainly is an easy answer…"

"But…" Nao voiced, and as Loren looked at her, she seemed to struggle with her words, and he could tell it had not been her intention to add anything more to her answer. And he frowned, because just like him, he knew that the answer was more complicated than either of them wanted to admit. Because it wasn't always just black and white. Because it hurt. But it was the truth. So, without her needing to say it, he knew what image flashed before her eyes the very moment she added, "If we're being honest, momma's not the only one… My style speaks for itself over who it was I mimicked most growing up…"

And Loren said nothing, because sometimes these feelings made absolutely no sense.

-0-

Nao ended up staying the night in his room.

It was at Loren's behest, granted, a genuine concern masked as just a spur-of-the-moment "why not?", but it didn't diminish how much it flustered them both. He still tried to tease her though, as when he offered her to take a warm bath first, he added, "Or, if you want, we could just go in together."

To which she shot down with a simple, "I won't lock the door then."

Loren spent the next twenty minutes with his face crimson, seated on his bed, way too flustered to try and call her bluff. He didn't check to see if she had locked the door or not. Still, she soon came out, sporting his shirt and his boxers since she had not planned ahead, and he had to pretend he could still function at this point. He took a warm shower next, since that pool had been really cold, and he felt…

Loren and Nao ended up sharing the bed, with the television on, showing some random anime neither of them knew, but they didn't much care. Loren was still trying to type something, anything, in his would-be letter to Dove, while Nao slowly drifted off to sleep, rested against his arm and shoulder. He looked at her, and her words echoed. About the people that made them.

Nao had an answer to his question she didn't want to voice, and deep down, so did he.

So Loren finally followed Sonoka's advice and just typed….

Hey old man,

I'm sorry things didn't turn out as you wanted them to. I genuinely tried my hardest to ruin this place, to wreck everything it stood for to save your daughter. But I ended up falling in love with a girl whose very life depended on this place… Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever done something so moronic for someone you love? We didn't much talk about it during these last three years, you and me, and now I wish we had.

I'm doing fine. Working and studying like crazy, as you should know, considering you are a legend at this school. Even after everything, they speak of you with such respect. Just like you once told me, not that I think you remember that. But I will admit, I still feel a bit lonely at times. Even with Nao and the others here, I know I miss Dove, even if we speak almost daily, but also, I miss you. There are so many things I want to tell you.

Deep down you and I are alike, and I'm going insane just thinking about it. Maybe we are meant to go our separate ways here, and maybe I'm being childish yet again in writing this. But I have this assignment, to write a letter to the chef I most admire, and I have to admit, it's not just Dove. I will always believe True Gourmet is the best of the world, even if the methods we used weren't ideal. I will fix it… maybe, I will try.

We haven't spoken since the competition ended, and I don't want you to think I have forgotten about what you did for me. Thank you for taking me in. Thank you for giving me purpose. Thank you for showing me how to be me.

With love, your youngest,

Loren Frechette


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Words From The Heart.

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Loren Frechette and Nao Sadatsuka's romance continues in "Classique"