#Hisako/Erina

[rosesonapond]

Akira x Hikaru x Yuki from Hikaru No Go

Ambrosius x Ballister from Nimona

Hisako x Erina from Shokugeki No Soma

Rio x Anzu x Riri from Romantic Killer

[ukingk24]

I want to see (you) Sorina childhood friends au part 2

Erina becomes a pretty familiar face in the diner. The patrons think she’s cute and Souma keeps cooking for her. Tamako absolutely adores Erina and makes no effort to hide the fact. Her and Kazusato love the little girl.

Erina starts bringing Hisako along and introduces her as her aide. Hisako is a little shocked that Erina spends so much time in such a common setting, but all doubts are gone once she tries Jouichirou’s food. Some doubts return when she fully realizes just how chaotic the Yukihira family can be.

Eventually, Erina starts to cook in the kitchen too and Souma holds his seniority over her. She pouts and bets she’ll already be a better cook but it’s her first time in a live setting but she quickly gets overwhelmed by the pace. Souma calms her down with the hand slap and takes over.

Hisako is annoyed that Souma deigns to assume he can do better than her Lady but quickly takes it back when she sees him work. Erina even admits it that yes, she can cook food better, but Souma has actual kitchen experience. Plating, serving, working under pressure, customer relations, he surpasses her in all of those. But make this a 5-year-old speak version.

Hisako sees what she means and both of them carefully watch Souma perform in the kitchen and the diner, swearing that they’ll surpass him. Soon, when Jo is teaching Erina something, Souma talks to Hisako alone and they get to know each other. Hisako is more respectful to him since Erina is friendly towards him and his family.

Souma asks how long she’s been friends with Erina and Hisako denies this, stating that she is merely Erina’s aide. One such as her is not worthy enough to be her friend. Souma finds this super weird cause he and Erina are friends. And every time Erina talks about her, she always says that Hisako’s her friend, though she wishes she’d be closer. Hisako is shocked and Souma encourages her to stand beside her as a friend instead of behind her as just an aide.

“Oi, Erina. Is Hisako your friend?” “What are you talking about, of course she is!” “Ha! I told you.” Souma tells Hisako in triumph. From that day on, Hisako and Erina become proper friends. As do Souma and Hisako, with her being eternally grateful that he gave her that push. The three go on to be a proper trio.

Souma has been to the Nakiri mansion at this point and met Alice.

just when things are going great for everyone, Azami comes in and begins Erina’s “education.” He cuts off contact with her friends and Souma gets worried that he hasn’t heard from her in a while and reached out to Hisako. Hisako tells him what’s happening, Souma tells his dad, and Jo tells Senzaemon, who promptly kicks out Azami from the Nakiri family. They’re all around 6 now.

Erina returns to the Yukihira restaurant and things seem normal again. Until she tastes a dish Souma cooked. Azami’s conditioning is still freshly ingrained in her and so she’s overly harsh to his food, almost cruel. In fact, for a 6-year-old, it is cruel. Souma starts crying because he doesn’t know why his best friend is mean to him. This gets Erina to cry because she made Souma cry and she’s really sorry. Hisako is crying because her best friends are fighting and crying and Jo and Tamako have to deal with a trio of crying 6-year-olds.

Tamako is consoling Erina while Jo explains to Souma and Hisako what Azami did to Erina in a way that’d be appropriate for 6-year-olds. Souma and Hisako naturally conclude that Azami is a jerk and a butt head and hatch a plan to make Erina feel better

Tamako is comforting Erina when Souma and Hisako come back into the kitchen and announce they’re going to cook something for her so she feels better cause her dads a jerk

they keep making dishes for Erina to try and she starts out still somewhat mean but Erina dials it down each time with Tamako’s help until she’s giving them honest critiques and advice. The “failed” dishes go out to the customers in the diner as an “experimental” gamble like Tamako does but each one is a massive hit for pallets not as refined as Erina’s.

each dish is better than the last one and by the end, all three of the kids are smiling and having a good time. Erina even calls it delicious. Souma and Hisako are happy that Erina is feeling better but he says her “delicious” doesn’t count for his goal since he had Hisako’s help. He wants Erina to say his food is delicious all on his own.

with the combined efforts of her two best friends never giving up on her, therapy, the support her family, reconnecting with Alice, and the Yukihira family, Erina is able to heal from the wounds Azami inflicted. Though a scar still remains.

[cuntyglam]

happy pride month to ✨them✨

i should rewatch food wars

[do-you-ship-it-polls]

Do you ship it?

[milesmoerales]

the thing about shokugeki is that the show is literally so queer coded. it's v obvious each character is part of lgbtq but what a shame the fandom has bunchs of entitled home of phobic straights who are so oblivious/denial

[wishingforatypewriter]

What proposal, wedding and Honeymoon headcanons might you have for a Erina x Hisako pairing?

Proposal

Even after they've been together for years, every day Hisako wakes up and is stunned that Erina actually returns her romantic feelings. She feels lucky just to be in her presence and walk beside her in life, and thinks it would be presumptuous of her to propose marriage.

With all of that being said, Erina would definitely be the one to propose. She would plan to do it during the pre-open of her second restaurant, The Evening Star, which she designed to have a particularly romantic atmosphere.

The entire week before the soft opening, Hisako would be trying to help Erina prepare and organize her schedule (even though she's quite busy with her own work), but Erina would softly tell her that she could manage on her own.

On the night of the soft opening, she would have Hisako seated at a table on the upper level—where the moonlight could cast its glow on her—and have course after dazzling course of a personalized meal brought out to her. Each dish would tie back to a special moment in their long relationship, and as Hisako ate them, she'd be filled with nostalgia and love.

At the end of the night, Erina would come out in her chef's whites with a brilliant diamond engagement ring and ask Hisako to be her wife.

Wedding

Erina and Hisako are both quite competitive by nature, so they would be united in the goal of topping Alice's wedding that took place the previous year.

They would divide and conquer the wedding planning, playing to both of their strengths. Erina would focus on the big picture of the wedding—the colors, the theme, the cohesion of the menu. Hisako would take care of the details—the vendors, the venue, the guest lists and seating charts. They've been working as a team for so long that the planning process is seamless and they get through it with minimal stress. The result would be a huge fairy tale wedding, with all of their friends and family in attendance.

Erina would wear a ballgown with lots of ornate embroidery on the bodice and skirt, and Hisako would wear a more understated sheath dress with lace sleeves.

They would write their own vows, even though the idea of sharing them in front of everyone would have both of them panicking a little.

Alice would give a toast that would royally embarrass them both, but they'd forgive her because it'd be hilarious.

Honeymoon

I like to think they'd honeymoon in Florence for about two weeks.

They'd walk hand in hand along the river Arno, stopping in cafes and admiring the architecture.

They'd stroll through the Uffizi Gallery, taking in the gorgeous art, but each finding the other even more beautiful than the paintings.

They'd try new restaurants, Hisako carefully vetting each one to make sure it's up to the standards of Erina's palate, and talk about how they might improve on the recipes when they got home.

[imaginebeautifulworlds]

Food Wars

Aldini Ismai Aldini Takumi Arato Hisako

Living for Myself (coming soon)

Summary: You've watched Hisako from a far for far too long, you see her talent and her worth. You see someone who should stand next to Nakiri Erina not behind her. When Yukihira Soma tells this to Hisako, you decide to take this opportunity to get close to her.

Hayama Akira

Spices and Love (coming soon)

Summary: The last thing you expected was seeing your boyfriend next to the students belonging to Central, and then the sadness that filled your heart when both of you locked eyes.

Isshiki Satoshi

Aprons and Chocolates (coming soon)

Summary: Being part of the 92nd generation and living at the Polar Star Dormitory, you're bound to encounter with Isshiki, and what a surprise when you saw him only wearing an apron.

Kinokuni Nene Kurokiba Ryo

Being First (coming soon)

Summary: Alice is your friend. Ryo is your boyfriend. Alice is Ryo's friend (servant). Ryo is Alice's friend (master). Where do you stand in Ryo's life?

Mito Ikumi Nakiri Alice Nakiri Asahi 

You're Siblings (coming soon)

Summary: Since you set foot on the new teacher's room you sensed something wrong coming from him. The last thing gu expected was for the teacher to be Erina's, one of your best friends, brother.

Nakiri Erina Shinomiya Kojiro

Recipes and Love (coming soon)

Summary: You're a very famous cutthroat food critic under the name Idolin, who nobody knows how it looks like. Strolling through a French market, you find a man holding a veggie that looks fine but to the trained eye it's definitely not good, therefore you tell the man but ended up offending him. To prove you wrong he invites you to his restaurant, with the purpose of serving you a dish with the very same veggie.

Tadokoro Megumi Terunori Kuga Tsukasa Eishi

Changes Make Us Stronger (coming soon)

Summary: You meet Eishi and Rindo in the last year of Totsuki's middle school on your first day of school as the new girl. In your first class you're partnered up with Eishi and immediately felt a connection with him.

Yukihira Joichiro

Feelings...Again (coming soon)

Summary: Tasting the food from your students at the Polar Star Dormitory was something you truly enjoy, the last thing you expected was to fall for the father of one of your favorite students.

Yukihira Soma

[polar-stars]

Happy 10th Anniversary to “Shokugeki no Soma” 🎉🍳💕❤️

-

I think it’s...rather clear that this manga/anime holds a lot of importance to me and I wouldn’t want it to be missing in my life. The joy I’ve got out of it and the memories I’ve made are just too precious!

So, given the occasion that it has been exactly 10 years ever since Shokugeki got published in Shonen Jump today....I just had to do a tribute-piece somehow   ;v;

I tried my very best on this...and I very much hope you like it! 💕❤️✨

[fridayinloaf]

better late than never. my erisako in ganbare nakamura-kun challenge

[ijustgotherebro]

Interviewer: can you tell us what your relationship with Ms. Erina is?

Hisako: Im Ms. Erina's right hand arm woman

Hisako: Im Ms . Erinas everything her confidant, her best freind, her silly rabbit

Interviewer: her what?,

Hisako: Her silly rabbit

Interviewer: is that what she calls you?

Hisako: no

[ukingk24]

I want to see (you) Sorina childhood friends AU part 3

Erina and Hisako begin to travel the world for her tasting work and they always tell Soma about their trips. Soma is happy for them but also a little jealous that they get to have such fun adventures. One day he asks his dad if he can go with him on one of his trips and Tamako says it’s a good idea. Jo starts bringing them along when he goes to cook and his jobs turn into little family vacations. They go every few months and Soma always cooks at every place they go

The trio exchange stories and gifts after every trip they take. Erina tells Soma about New York and Soma says his dad never took them to America when he goes so he doesn’t know much about it. He eventually asks his dad and Jo gets evasive. Tamako asks him about it privately and he admits he’s hiding something from them. Or rather, someone. Tamako is rightfully pissed and demands he tell the truth. Jo tells her about Asahi and Tamako says in no uncertain terms that they’re all going to America together next time. Soma is 7 here.

Next time comes and Soma is excited to finally go to America, though he doesn’t get why his parents look so nervous. After Jo’s job is done (and Soma learns about American food culture) he takes the family to a little orphanage and they meet a young (10) boy with messy black hair.

Asahi is initially thrilled to see Jo again but freezes when he sees who he’s with. He doesn’t need to guess since Jo talked about them, but Asahi never thought he’d meet Jo’s family. His real family. Tamako sees how nervous he is introduces herself and tries to calm him down. They all have a little chat and everything seems to go well until Soma pipes up “So we came here to see Asahi? Why? Who is he?”

This gets everyone to freeze. Leave it to a 7-year-old to point out the elephant in the room. Asahi feels like he’s going to puke because now they’re here. They’re at the point where they’re going to throw him away, tell him he’s not Jo’s real son. But he can’t just let go of the 3 years of memories he has with Jo. So he beats them to the punch. “I’m Asahi Saiba! Jouichirou’s my dad!” He declares.

This shocks the Yukihira family but before long, Tamako grins. Before she can respond, Soma once again pipes up. “Wait, if dad’s your dad… does that make you my big brother!? I have a big brother?? Why didn’t you guys tell me?!” Soma asks in excited delight. Now it’s Asahi’s turn to be shocked. He was expecting to be rebuffed and cast aside once again, now he has the son of the man he considers his father declaring him his big brother.

Tamako laughs and playfully smacks Jo

“Yeah, why didn’t we tell Soma he has a big brother?” She asks, loving seeing Jo squirm. She tells the boys to play and “get to know your brother.” She tells Asahi to stay back for a second though

“Asahi, I know you’re worried, but you don’t have to be. Everything’s gonna be ok. I promise.” Tamako says, holding out a pinky. Asahi is hesitant but he sees her smile and his hope outweighs his fear and pinky promises her.

The boys go out to play and Tamako and Jo have a serious discussion about Asahi. Tamako wants to bring him home and adopt him but Jo is hesitant. Not because he doesn’t love the boy but because he’s worried about his and everyone else’s reaction. Plus he still feels guilty keeping him a secret.

“Oh, you definitely should be, but we’ll focus on that later. Right now, all that it comes down to is this: do you love him?”

“Of course I do but-”

“Is he your son?”

“Tama, it’s not that simple.”

“Yes it is. Jo, look at me. Look me in the eye. Yes or no, is he your son?” Tamako asks seriously and Jo can’t help but say he is. “Then that’s that. We gotta bring our boy home.” Tamako smiles.

Outside, Soma and Asahi are playing. Soma asks why the other kids avoid Asahi and he says because they can never win when they play. Asahi copies their moves so they don’t like it. Soma asks to see and he thinks it’s really cool. Or rather, Soma is trying to play with Asahi but the older boy is hesitant. He doesn’t talk much and Soma can see he’s not having fun. He asks what’s wrong Asahi admits he’s nervous. This is the first time he’s meeting Jo’s family and while he doesn’t want to cause any problems, he also doesn’t want to stop seeing Jo. Soma reminds him that mom said she’d take care of it. Asahi says it’s not that simple since he’s not Jo’s real son but Soma is confused at this.

“Mom said you’re my brother, and you said dad’s your dad? Even dad said so. So that means mom’s your mom.”

“If that were true, why haven’t I been there?”

“We’re bringing you home this time, right?” Asahi is stunned. He doesn’t think that’ll happen but Soma is adamant. He grabs Asahi’s hand and marches back inside, saying he’s going to make them bring Asa-nii home with them.

Tamako and Jo are talking about the legal processes they’re going to have to go through to adopt Asahi and bring him to Japan when Soma comes marching back in, dragging Asahi along. “We’re taking Asa-nii back home!” He announces. Asahi is red faced from embarrassment and Tamako and Jo share a look before laughing. “Yeah, we are kiddo.”

“Oh, ok. See? I told you mom would take care of it.” Soma says simply, as if there were never any doubt. Asahi is on the verge of tears; he can’t believe this.

“Please don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” He says meekly. He can barely hold it together. A lifetime of pain and disappointment has kept him from hoping but right now they’re higher than they’ve ever been. If that hope turns out to be false, he might just break completely.

“We mean it kiddo. We’re talking to the orphanage about all the legal stuff, but it’s happening.” Tamako assures. Asahi looks to Jo for one last confirmation.

“I should’ve done this a long time ago, Asahi, and I can never apologize enough for not doing so. But one way or another, we’re bringing you home. That’s a promise from your father.” Jo declares and Asahi’s dam breaks. He runs into his father’s arms, crying tears of joy and Jo responds in kind.

They end up staying in America for a while to finalize the adoption process and getting Asahi’s records. Soma’s practically attached to Asahi’s hip and whenever she’s not doing paperwork or working through all the legal procedures, so is Tamako. “You got a 3-year head-start on us so we gotta make up for lost time!” Tamako says. Asahi has absolutely no complaints. Before they came, he was still complacent with seeing Jo a few times a year, knowing that their bond was strong but never really parent and child. Now, not only is Jo officially his dad, he’s got a mom and little brother. And a grandpa back home. He’s got a home! A few weeks pass, and Asahi is officially adopted and home in Japan.

At one point when dealing with all the papers, Asahi's name comes up. Everyone assumed that he'd go with Yukihira and he honestly wants that too, but he also doesn't want to get rid of Saiba. It's his link with Jo and the name is special to him. Tamako catches on to his hesitation and talk to him about it.

"Everything alright there, kiddo?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" "Asahi, how many times do I have ta ask you ta call me mom? Or at least Tamako? Literally anything but ma'am."

"Sorry ma- Tamako-san... I'm just not used to this yet."

"S'alright. You got the rest of your life to get used to it. So what's got ya stumped there?"

"Oh, uh. Just the name part..."

"You don't like Asahi?"

"No, that's not the name I'm having trouble with."

"Yukihira is the issue?"

"No! No- I'm so honored you'd let me use that it's just... Saiba..."

"I see."

"That's the name that Jouichirou gave me, it's... I don't really know how to explain it."

"You don't have to, Asahi. It's special to you, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you don't wanna get rid of it."

"But I also don't want to be rude to you and Soma."

"I get it. Look, Asahi. I wanna thank you for being honest with me. I also wanna apologize for not coming to get you sooner. Trust me, I gave Jo an ear-full when he fessed up. But I need you to know something, and I want to you look at me when I say it so you know I'm serious. I need you to know that you're our family now, and we're yours. No matter what name you choose, no matter what you do, you will always be our family. Jo's always gonna be your dad, Soma's always gonna be your brother, and if you let me, I'll always be your mom. But no matter what, you'll always be my boy."

Asahi fully breaks down in Tamako's arms and they're both ugly crying tears of catharsis. He starts calling her mom right then and there. Asahi eventually decides on Asahi Saiba-Yukihira as his name

Kazusato wastes no time in spoiling his newest grandson, and even less time scolding his idiot son in law for not doing this sooner. It takes a few months for him to gain Japanese citizenship and he also goes through a few language classes to brush up his Japanese. But Asahi is a very quick learner and it’s discovered that he has a photographic memory, and that especially translates into cooking. He can see a technique and understand it after a few tries. Once he understands it, he never forgets it.

Soma’s initially jealous that Asahi can do that but it just makes him all the more motivated. He also tells Erina and Hisako right away that he got a new brother and when they come over next time, they all meet. Asahi’s a little nervous because he’s meeting his little brothers best friends and wants to make a good impression

He doesn’t have to worry too much about that though since Soma vouches for him. He decides to make a dish to break the ice and is surprised with how critical Erina is. He’s even more surprised when Soma agrees with her. Erina is pleased that Soma is actually listening to her critiquing methods. “How can I not when you do it all the time?” Erina sticks her tongue out at him. Soma responds in kind. Hisako tells him that yes, it’s like this a lot.

[arlestial]

Hi! :D do you think you could do a fluff akira x reader or a soma x reader? either is fine and the plots up to you! ☺️

❝a little taste of heaven❞

synopsis : They had no clue they’d concentrate on something else than cooking by joining Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, but here you are..

pairing : Akira Hayama, Soma Yukihira x genderneutral!reader •— Food Wars

tw : None, simple fluff

word count : 2980~ words

author-note : The fact that I haven’t received any notification for this request.. and many others. I’m so, so sorry. I have like 8 requests in my ask box that I’ve never been aware of ? Thank you Tumblr 💀 I did both, in a sort of pitiful excuse 😭 Thank you for requesting, I hope you’re doing okay 💗 (first time writing for Food Wars I’m so excited !! Not proofread tho, sorry for the mistakes in advance !!) take care of yourself ♡

AKIRA HOYOMA has always been faithful to cooking. To Jun’s orders and advices. To people’s boundaries. He never crossed a line, always being focused. One day, as usual, he went into Erina’s office. His brows completly furrowed when he saw your form, fingertips grazing against the spines of the library old books. Who were you ? You weren't supposed to be here. Didn’t Hisako tell you that this office was private ? He opened his mouth to question you, but you turned to face him before he could even form words. His jaw tightened, fists clenching, but unfortunately, much to his own disbelief, no sound erupted from his mouth - and the sweet, polite smile adorning your face was nearly making him feel dizzy. Uneasy. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, so you broke the silence with a fake cough.

“Nice to meet you, uh..”, you said, in a weak attempt to get him to introduce himself. His piercing gaze was enough of an answer, and you gulped. “I’m looking for Erina, perhaps you’ve seen her ?”

“No.”

“Oh. Okay”. You’re immediately confronted by a loud and weird silence again. He seemed.. rather friendly - ironically, of course. After some minutes, Erina walked into the office, raising two suspicious eyebrows at the, well, kind of cringe atmosphere of the room.

“Akira, what did you do to my guest ? Y/N, I’m sorry, did he make you uncomfortable by any chance ?”, she asked, walking towards your form.

“No, don’t worry. He’s nice,” you lied, teeth clenched together. You flashed her a bright smile, that Erina reciprocated fondly; she glared at Akira, fully aware of his cold demeanor, especially to strangers. His intimidating tendencies were definitely not working right now, especially not on Erina.

“I have some things to discuss with Y/N, Akira. Can you leave us alone for a moment ?”

“Yeah, right. Sorry.”

AKIRA HOYOMA quickly left the office, feeling a bit nauseous - he didn’t know why, but he had a weird feeling in his stomach, and he felt like his head was burning. He wandered in the corridors until he crossed Soma’s path. He smirked, a teasing glint in his eyes as he watched his white-haired rival with amusement.

“Wow, Akira. Are you sick ? You’ve never been this red.”

Akira tsk-ed, hurrying to the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, completely taken-aback. He was, indeed, a bit red. Cheeks flushed, the tip of his ears were blazing, his breathe hitched at his own view; what was happening ? He was sure he was okay this morning. Perhaps it was you. He scoffed at the thought, washing his face with cold and refreshing water before leaving the bathroom. He never saw you before. Were you from here ? He found himself looking for you in the corridors all day, sighing at the end of the day when he realized he haven’t seen you. He was still embarrassed of the awkward silence that filled the room earlier - and he blamed himself for it. He should’ve been more welcoming.

AKIRA HOYOMA, 5 or 6 days after the incident, noticed strands of hair walking past him; they were looking similar to yours, so he turned around. You were walking alongside Hisako, laughing at one of her comments. Hisako looked at Akira and waved.

“Oh, hey ! I was searching for you. Erina needs my help, could you show Y/N the different classrooms in the other building ? I’m coming back as fast as I can !”

She didn’t let him answer as she walked away already. You sighed. It could’ve been anybody, but no, it was this guy. It wasn’t like you hated him - he was just straight-off rude.

“If you don’t want to, I don’t blame you. I can-”

“Come on, we don’t have all day.”, he added, cutting you off without even looking at you. You rolled your eyes, giving him a small smile, hoping it’ll help to ease the atmosphere. Spoiler alert, it didn’t.

The walk inside the cooking classes building was awfully quiet. Not a word was shared - except the little presentation he did of each room, his tone as cold as ice. You nearly shivered.

“Are you always this rude ?”, you asked with a sincere curiosity, "I mean. I’m not telling you to be the friendliest guy but..”

“I’m not rude.”

“You literally refused to give me your name earlier.”

“Akira Hoyoma. That’s all you need to know about me.”

And after this small interaction, Hisako came back. A small feeling of warm in his chest quickly regretted his lack of sympathy towards your person, and he felt like a douchebag for not even apologizing properly. He stopped in his tracks, opening his mouth to call you, but you were already gone with Hisako.

AKIRA HOYOMA was fully conscious of the “issue”. Time passed, and days after days, he grew more open to you. Not completely of course - but he was slowly accepting your presence in his group of "friends"; actually, enjoying a lot more your alone time together in class. He was secretly happy you two had been paired together. You tried to crack some jokes to make him laugh or at least, to make him smile, but it failed every single time. When you finally did it, a slight smile on his face and a “you’re the dumbest person I’ve ever seen in this school, I’m trying to concentrate, stop distracting me”, you beamed. He never saw a smile so radiant, so ethereal and yet so delicious to look at. A true bundle of sunshine at its finest. His cheeks heated up and he forthwithly focused on the plate you two were supposed to prepare. He would die to see this smile again - he wanted to be the reason you were smiling that way in the first place.

AKIRA HOYOMA was fully conscious of the situation. Time passed, and months after months, he grew more fond of you. So when he saw you eating one of Soma’s plates again, smiling at him with all your teeth and laughing at his antics - he was mad, as per say. His jaw tightened, fists clenching, but unfortunately, much to his own disbelief, no sound erupted from his mouth; it felt like the first time he ever saw you. A fiery and fervent emotion bubbling in his chest as he made his way to you. He grabbed your wrist and dragged you outside the kitchen, closing the door to have some “privacy” (in a empty corridor of Tōtsuki High, though). You were completely unfazed by his behavior usually, since you were used to his (sometimes) weird demeanor for the several months you two spent together as friends, but right now, his silence grew quieter, and you were worried. And for this only one time, he broke the stillness.

“You’re a distraction. I meant it. I’m hoping everyday to see you, to feel you near me. Is it out-of-place to say that ? You brought me a warmth that I never experienced - and I don’t want to let that go. Don’t eat this idiot’s food, you know you deserve well better than that. Let me show you how you should be treated, Y/N. Please. Let me show you how I feel about you.”

AKIRA HOYOMA’s words couldn’t describe the high spirits that invaded his heart when he realized you were wearing your signature warm smile, just for him. You took the hand that was grabbing your wrist in yours, intertwining your fingers.

“Here. Maybe you’re not as rude as I thought you were.”

SOMA YUKIHIRA tried to give you hints. But you weren’t getting it. Teasing you all the time, small compliments here and there, spending quality time with you. Unfortunately, you were always running away from him, a small pout on his lips as he chased after you. It wasn’t because of his awful mixes; when you two were together, in a somewhat romantic moment, and he was ready to confess to you, there was, no matter what, a disturbance. Whatever actually, a teacher coming in the classroom, Ikumi or Megumi; and you immediately backed off. He couldn’t help but sigh, his efforts ruined, but could he really blame you ? His yellowish eyes drowned so easily into yours, so he just smiled and bit back his disappointment, glaring at the disturbance with a vague hatred, that was rather scary, to be honest.

“Don’t chop it that way, it takes too much time.”

“Then show me, sir,”, you answered with a slight smirk, knife in your hand.

“Anything for you, ma’am.”

His devilish grin was addictive, really; you loved the small moments spent together in the classroom kitchen, but insecurity was always catching up with you, pulling you into abysses you prayed you'd never see again. Your worries faded away when you felt him behind you, caging you between his toned body and the kitchen countertop. His hands slided on top of yours, gently gesturing you how to cut the vegetables in a “more efficient way”; truly, it was an excuse to touch you. A comfortable silence filled the room, the sound of sliced and chopped foodstuffs echoing on the sunbathed walls. He kept his teasing to himself, deciding to enjoy this small moment of shared intimacy; he felt his head heating up at your warm breath fanning on his neck. He stopped his movements, locking eyes with you. The world seemed like it stopped itself; he leaned downwards to kiss you, his hands still on yours, your head turned to face his-

Until someone snapped him out of it. Erina opened the doors of the kitchen brutally without even knocking - he cursed under his breath, blaming her for this ruined opportunity to finally show you what he truly felt.

“Look who’s there. Giving lessons to average students, now, Yukihira ? I didn’t think you were into charity-stuff.”, Erina smirked, not even shooting you a glance. You backed off from Soma, already fed-up by her condescending behavior.

“Erina.. what a pleasure. Always coming in due course,” Soma answered with a forced smile, anger running through his veins.

“I was searching for you, actually, Yukihira. Well, not me, but Takumi was. He wants to have a contest with you again, and I’ll be the judge.”

“Uh. Sure. Can Y/N come too ? I-”

“It’s a private contest.”, she immediately urged to add, “Between the three of us. Now, come on, I have other things to attend to.”

Erina walked off, and Soma followed her with a sigh, giving you an apologizing, awkward chuckle. You knew better, but you just smiled, murmuring a small “good luck”, as you saw him leave.

Her little crush on Soma was unbelievable; you wanted to tear the stupid grin plastered on her features so bad. Technically, yes, you were jealous. She was always shattering his plates with critics, giving prideful advices, even if he didn’t need it. And he was still cooking for her, working all the goddamn time to satisfy her “god’s tongue” and her insatiable appetite. For him, ironically. And Soma was terribly clueless; not noticing her taking a liking in this little game. Or maybe he was not ? Maybe you were a second choice - and Erina was first. She was always first. You weren’t the type to envy others, but right now.. you sat down next to the window frame, staring at her proximity with Soma from afar. It was eating you alive; the abyss you were so afraid of was most likely, a warm embrace in comparison of your sinking heart.

SOMA YUKIHIRA felt that something was off. You were ignoring him like a plague, switching seats and changing class pairings. He knew he fucked up, but what did he do exactly ? Oh right. You were jealous. Because last time, he left you alone to join Erina and Takumi in a contest that he obviously won. Now, he was facing the cold-shoulder treatment, and his teasing wasn’t helping anymore. Yet, he’d still try to talk to you, but you were walking past him without a word; your eyes filled with sorrow. Or you were faking a smile, trying to make up an excuse and leaving. He wanted to beat himself up; because he was the one who put you in that state in the first place. It was his mistake, and he knew it. But why were you feeling that way ? He tried to talk about it to Takumi - he was a gentleman after all, he’d definitely know.

“You did what ?”

“I mean- I didn’t know it’d be an issue. I always did that and they never said anything about it.”

“Soma, are you seriously this dumb ? You’re leaving them to hang out with the Nakiri Erina and you’re seriously thinking that they won’t be insecure ?”

“Why would they be ? They’re literally the most beautiful and caring person ever. There’s nothing to envy in Erina.. Plus, I’m not hanging out with her. She’s the one who’s coming at the worst times.”, he stated, genuinely dumbfounded by his friend’s words. It was the truth, though; she interrupted you two when Soma was nearly kissing you.

“Soma. Think about it just for a moment- you told me you liked them, yeah ? And when you’re with them, and Erina walks in, you leave to follow her. They must think they’re a second choice or something. Please, you can’t be this oblivious.”

And then, he realized. Realizing the hints he gave you were nothing compared to his acts. His face in his hands as his elbows rested on the countertop, what should he do now ? Apologizing, yeah, but it wasn’t enough. He longed for your touch, and craved for your pardon. The next day, he searched for you in the Polar Star Dormitory, everywhere. When he finally spotted you, he opened the door of your bedroom without even asking. You yelped in surprise.

“What the hell ? Soma-”

“You’re the only one I want to be with. The one I want to dedicate my cooking to. I thought I made it clear. I’m sorry for my behavior. Erina is nothing for me, and she’s not even coming close to your ankle- look, I fucked up, I know. But I promise, you mean everything to me.”, he bluntly said, not giving you a second to breathe.

“And what are you gonna do the next time she’s gonna walk into us ? Hide me shamefully ? I-”

But he cut you off again, one hand stroking your cheek. He lifted your chin, in order to make you look at him.

“I’ll simply say that I’m taken by the prettiest and smartest person around. How does that sound ?”

He leaned, and this time, he wasn’t going to back off, with or without somebody walking in.

“Maybe I can show you who I’m talking of, baby,”

He smirked, your worries vanishing instantly in his yellow orbs. A kiss sounded good after all.

[substantial-gains]

It's been 6 months since Erina was told she couldn't just take a bite and have Hisako act as the human food disposal unit as usual. Something about "fully investing herself in her student's cooking and futures". What an inane idea, forced by plebian school board members who don't have the god tongue and can't discern the flavor profiles of an entire dreadful dish the moment a spoonful of pig slop makes contact with her taste buds!! This entire situation was absolutely ludicrous and a waste of time and energy for someone of her talents-

... She's put on more than 200 pounds as of today-

[they-have-the-same-va]

Erina Nakiri from Food Wars! shares a Japanese voice actress with Lucky Chloe from Tekken 7.

Voiced by Hisako Kanemoto

[a-student-out-of-time]

ASOOT Timeline: February 2013 (Bittersweet Victory)

Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to finish this arc. I was settling into a new job, and also this ending was A Lot. Thank you for your patience!–Timeline Anon

February 7: 

Hajime wakes up at 4:26 AM from his nightmares. Realizing he can’t escape the truth, he makes his decision.

Keiko, worried about Hajime, asks Hibiki to accompany him for the day.

That afternoon, at the Void Warehouse, Hajime (after receiving some comfort from Hibiki) walks in on Nikei and Masa arguing over the information about Takeharu that Masa uncovered. Apparently, they did some digging, and they found out that Takeharu had a wife named Eiko, who died in childbirth last June. The baby allegedly also died, but Masa doubts it, as the formula Takeharu was fetching was actually baby formula. Kyoji and Masa currently suspect that Marin Mizuta, who Chiaki saw on TV in 2030, is Takeharu’s daughter. Nikei doesn’t care and still wants Takeharu dead. An annoyed Masa reveals that when she tried to help Nikei when he was younger, he told her to kill herself and called her part of the problem. She storms off, and Nikei admits that he did that, as he thought that she wasn’t doing enough to stop terrible people, but he knows better now and regrets it. He reveals that he got the 2030 crew to show him what happens in the bad future that they saw, and he gets it now; it’s part of the reason why he’s so gung-ho about killing the Despairs. He won’t tell everyone until after the current mission, though (which he intends to go on, along with Erina and Taira). Hajime, meanwhile, has made his decision: he still doesn’t want the Quantum Crew to kill, but he’ll allow it if and only if there are truly no better options. But he still thinks it’s best to look for those better options first.

Hajime talks to Masa, and she agrees to go on the Mizuta mission as well. She admits that she doesn’t think Nikei is a bad journalist, it’s just that he needs to think ahead sometimes and remember that these stories contain the lives of real people. Nikei comes out and promises her that he won’t strong-arm the operation.

Back at Hope’s Peak, Harumi tries to talk with Chiaki, as she needs her testimony about the charity event, but they’re interrupted by multiple crises. For one, Taro’s parents have been charged with drug smuggling and distribution to children; although the drugs in question are prescription medications that were being given to kids who needed them, it’s still against Japanese law, so they’re going to prison. Taro will stay with Yuka for now, and will even use her last name to avoid public shame. Tsubasa admits that she is not actually the Ultimate Botanist but is simply holding the title for her friend Santa while he goes on an unspecified mission; she’s actually the Ultimate Child Psychologist, and she suspects the Steering Committee had her accept his deal so that she wouldn’t find out about the Elementary Division. She also wants to speak to Kotoko at some point. Harumi assures both students that they will not be in any trouble, and she even floats the possibility of helping Taro’s parents avoid jail time.

A CPS agent named Hisako Yasuda has gotten involved to reinvestigate the Elementary Division cases; her own daughter was once a Lil’ Ultimate herself. Her husband was murdered by Kanade, and Chiaki assures Harumi that they’ll send Kanade back to prison once the Despairs are taken care of. Chiaki herself is also going through a lot of turmoil over the recent revelations regarding the Mizuta family, wondering if it’s truly okay for them to kill someone’s father.

Meanwhile, Teruteru gets reamed out by Kojikoji and Yokoyoko about the soup incident. He swears that he wasn’t the one who put the aphrodisiac in the soup and was only going to use it to spice up a consensual encounter, but the twins point out that the fact that he even had it in the first place is not a good look for him or their family. Hiyoko arrives and admits that she was the one who actually used the aphrodisiac, and Yokoyoko slaps her in the face. Hiyoko is more sad than mad, as she’s been going around telling people the truth, and they’ve all been angry at her. Also, her father is disappointed in her, she feels terrible about herself, and she’s having suicidal thoughts. Harumi sends Hiyoko off to get comfort from her other partners, then reminds Chiaki that she can’t keep enabling her friends. She assures her that things will get better for them as long as they put in the work to be better. 

Chiaki takes the opportunity to ask for the Hanamuras’ help in the Takeharu mission. The twins agree, especially since they could use the money to help the family diner, and while Teruteru is worried, he lets them go after some convincing, but tells them to be careful.

Hiyoko finds Mikan and Kotoko, who have both been trying to avoid the investigation. Mikan comforts Hiyoko, and they all hang out together. Meanwhile, Sonia comes out of her room and watches a movie with Gundham and Kikue.

At 7:47, Nikei, Masa, Erina, Chiaki, Harumi, Kojikoji, Yokoyoko, and Taira gather for the mission. Taira has brought a lot of baby supplies. After a brief discussion about their plan, Taira decides that she will be the first to enter, on pretext of cleaning Takeharu’s house.

Taira goes to Takeharu’s house, claiming to be complementary housekeeping. He lets her in on the condition that she doesn’t bother him, and he also tells her that one specific room is off-limits. Taira finds a picture of his late wife Eiko, and when asked, Takeharu speaks fondly of her but also says she would’ve been better off if they had never met. Taira tells him that even if he doesn’t think too much of himself, she did, and that she loved him and would want him to be happy, which makes him feel a bit better.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group starts securing the exit points. Nikei admits to Erina that he’s worried about the possibility of Takeharu having a family; he’s conflicted and just wants to protect everyone. Erina hugs him. Nikei still finds it hard to trust people, but Chiaki reminds him that trust isn’t as easy as she makes it look, and that belief without doubt is simply a lie. She also points out that the Quantum Crew trusted him and his friends, and when Nikei replies that he doesn’t know why they were so supportive, she says they genuinely wanted to help them. She also agrees with Nikei that Shirogane must die, but doesn’t want anyone in the group to do it, especially given Hajime’s mindset, and she’s really worried about him. Harumi, meanwhile, doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet. Nikei rants that it might as well be him who kills the Despairs, because he thinks he’s already a bad person since he’s killed before. Erina hugs him again and insists that she knows he doesn’t really feel that way.

With the exits secured and everyone in position, the group knocks on Takeharu’s door. Harumi claims to be with the police here to talk with him about his company, but Takeharu tells her to come back with a warrant and slams the door in her face. Hearing this, Nikei breaks down the door and forces Takeharu to get on the ground at gunpoint, much to his teammates’ dismay. Taira assures them that he wasn’t going for a gun, and Takeharu quickly figures out that they’re with Kasugano. Then, they hear crying from the secret room. Despite Takeharu’s protests, Taira goes in, finds little 8-month-old Marin Mizuta crying in a crib, and comforts her. A pissed-off Takeharu threatens Nikei, but Erina protects him.

The group makes it known that they know about Takeharu’s connections to the Despairs, and they ask to talk to him. Takeharu calms down and tells them his story. It started when the bubble economy burst, he lost his job and ended up in debt, and things seemed hopeless. But then, he met Junko, and she promised to help him get rich if he would help her in return. Sure enough, treasures started rolling in, and he became wealthy and successful, and he would send her cash in exchange to fund her plans. The treasures in question were retrieved by Mukuro, who looted them during her Fenrir escapades across the Middle East. She has all of his personal information, so he can’t back out, and the one time he tried to back out, she sent him a diamond ring with a finger attached and threatened him. His wife Eiko, who he met and married after he got mixed up with Junko, stood by him even after finding out the truth and promised to help him find a way out, but then she died in childbirth. Marin is in fact his daughter, and nobody knows she’s alive and with him, not even Junko. He’s been turning down promotions because he knows that Junko would want him to be promoted, and he was hoping to move somewhere out of the way.

Apparently the next phase of the Despairs’ plan is to get rid of Tamami and Sofia, then bribe the Steering Committee into letting Junko and Mukuro attend Hope’s Peak without Jin’s approval. The investigation will make that harder for them, though.

Hearing all this, the Quantum Crew offer to help Takeharu and Marin escape, even suggesting witness protection, but Takeharu is convinced that Junko will find them anyway, and even if she doesn’t, he doesn’t want that life for Marin. He figures that the Quantum Crew’s only hope is if he disappears completely, buying them just enough time to take down Shirogane and cripple the Despairs. To that end, he tells the group to take Marin so that she can have a better, happier life. Erina agrees to adopt her. Takeharu gives his 80 million yen in cash to the Hanamura twins, and will transfer the rest of the money in his accounts to the Quantum Crew while making it look like a glitch in the system. Chiaki wants to give some of the money to the Owaris as well.

This is all too much for Nikei, who has to go out and sit on the curb for a while. At first, it seems that he’s upset that he was wrong, but it turns out that he’s actually upset because he feels bad for Takeharu and wishes his own father treated him the way Takeharu treats Marin. Taira and Erina hug him, and Masa says that the fact that he feels this way now says more about him than what he was suggesting before, and that ultimately, Junko is to blame for Takeharu’s situation. She also hints that her opinion of Nikei has improved. With Nikei set to become Marin’s new big brother, he holds her, and Taira of course agrees to help with her care.

Harumi gets Takeharu’s testimony, and then, Takeharu makes a video meant for Marin to watch when she’s old enough, which he gives to Erina. It turns out that he plans to leave some things with Eiko’s family and then go to the Aokigahara Suicide Forest to die. Despite the group’s protests, he’s sure that there’s no other way, and as long as Marin and everyone else can have a better future, he’s okay with it. He says goodbye to Marin and gives her a picture of her mother to hold onto. Then, he says farewell to the Quantum Crew, asks them to take care of his daughter, and expresses his hope that he’s lessened their burdens, if only a little bit. Finally, he gets into his car and drives away, with the song “El Paso” by Marty Robbins playing on the radio.

Takeharu Mizuta disappears into Aokigahara and is never seen again. He is 47.

February 8: 

The rest of the Quantum Crew is filled in on the results of the mission. Nikei apologizes to Hajime for giving him grief about wanting to find another solution. Hajime knows that he should be happy, but he isn’t. Estu will give Takeharu a proper funeral. On the bright side, his money has helped many people, including the Hanamuras, the Owaris, the Saiharas, and the Saionjis.

After sending Masa and Estu outside and promising to fill them in later, Hajime and the rest of the Quantum Crew tune in to 2030 once again. Sunako confirms that their mission was a success: the Preservation Project will only be able to run 23 games without Takeharu’s funding, the games that will happen will be forced underground, and Game L will not happen. The Giboura Middle School Massacre has also been prevented, as has the birth of Killer Killer. Echo, however, will still gain precognition powers and get kidnapped by Tsumugi, and she will still run all of her killing games, including the V3 one. (This will also still lead to the deaths of everyone in the Quantum Crew, sans Masa.) The only way for all the killing games to be prevented is to stop Shirogane. Kyoji will make more formulas to protect everyone’s genes from her.

When Nikei asks about Marin, Sunako assures her that she’s doing well in 2030 and is now a popular weather forecaster. Nikei, Erina, Nekomaru, Kazuichi, and Kenji gather to meet the newest and youngest member of their family. Sure enough, a teenage Marin Mizuta happily greets them, moving many of them (especially Nikei) to tears. She calls herself Big Sis because she often serves as the babysitter for all the younger kids, and it’s confirmed that she is the little sister to Nikei, Nekomaru, and Kazuichi. She is also best friends with Ayumu and protects him from his sister’s crossdressing attempts. Most heartwarming of all, she was inspired to become a weather forecaster from Nikei, who works at the same TV station as her.

Marin still has her mother’s picture and the video her father made for her. With her family’s encouragement, she watches the video. In the video, Takeharu tells her about his life, his relationship with Eiko, and the mistakes he made, and he hopes that even if he couldn’t save himself, he could save her. He expresses how much he loves her and how he’ll always love her. By the end of it, Marin is reduced to tears. But she knows how much both of her families love her. She and Sunako assure the Quantum Crew that they are making a difference.

Everyone decides to take a break before the next mission. They tell Masa and her friends that they’ll call them again when they need them, and Masa makes up with Nikei, telling him to say hi to Marin for her.

Nikei and Taira go with Erina, Nekomaru, Kenji, and Kazuichi back to the Nidai house to take care of Marin. The two of them reflect on how easy it is to make bad decisions when desperate, something they both have firsthand experience with. Meanwhile, Kenji offers to help Erina whenever she needs it, and Kazuichi notes how odd it is to see his dad up for dating again, but Nekomaru is just happy that his mom is happy. Everyone is bonding very nicely. Erina also plans to talk to Harumi about helping Nikei not go to jail for what happened with his parents. When she says good night to him, he calls her “Ma” for the first time.

As Nikei and Taira make plans to go out together with Ayame for Valentine’s Day, Taira confesses that she thinks Nikei is really lucky that Erina wants to adopt him and that she’s a bit jealous. Nikei offers to look for info on her family, which Taira immediately is on board with. The two of them cuddle and go to sleep.

It’s Hikaru’s birthday. He turns 39.

February 9: Nikei wakes up at 3:12 AM and finds Marin also awake and crying. He comforts her and talks to her about the events of the previous couple of days, apologizing for what happened to her father and for thinking the worst of him. He also doesn’t know how to feel about the fact that he will finally get parental figures, but he’s sure that they’ll both be okay in the end. She responds by playing with his notepad, grabbing his hand, and cuddling up against him. He holds his new baby sister until they both fall asleep.

//Finally, the timeline for The Price of Fate is complete!

[justminawrites]

Eremophobia

AO3

Summary: The fear of being isolated, lonely, or alone. Five times Hayama Akira asked someone to stay, and the one time he didn’t need to.

“Don’t go.”

Hayama was 19 when Shiomi Jun looked up from the unzipped suitcase and gave him a half-hearted smile, even though he couldn’t see it. He knew it would happen eventually, he just hadn’t expected it to be so soon. He thought he’d have more time. I’ll only be gone two months, Akira-kun, she’d promised. Two months of sun and sand and Greece, and she’d be back before he even had time to miss her. He knew she was lying, he didn’t even need to open his eyes to notice her torn cuticles or the slightly white pallor of her skin; she didn’t intend on coming home for a long while. She wouldn’t tell him why.

Jun put down the shirt and walked over to hug him; he returned the embrace without getting up from his place on the bed. It’s okay, she whispered soothingly petting his hair as he let himself cry into her sweater until dawn. It’s going to be okay. 

By the time he’d woken, red-eyed and cotton-mouthed, tangled in her bedsheets, she was already gone.

“Don’t go.”

Hayama was 22 when Arato Hisako paused at the door to their shared apartment and sighed. 

They’d done this many times, this dance, their little back and forth and it had left scars on the both of them. The agreement was simple, they’d begun dating out of convenience; falling in love was never on the table. As long as you never ask me to put you above Erina-sama, she’d proposed, and I never assume I can take Shiomi Jun’s place– we should be alright. It had gone so well, until it hadn’t. He couldn’t remember who had started it, maybe it was her, maybe it was him, maybe it was someone else; but a wine-stained tablecloth and a smarting cheek later, when he’d seen genuine tears in her eyes, he knew he had gone too far. 

She’d always threatened to leave, packing a duffel bag as she sought refuge in the arms of a Nakiri princess, but he’d always chased after her, pulling and pulling, somehow losing a piece of her each time he did. After two years, he didn’t know how much of her he had left. 

They had always come at each other with claws and fangs bared, unguarded and itching for a fight, but they’d found out quickly that the line between honesty and cruelty was terribly, horribly thin. Hisako waited for him to run after her again, even turned back a few times, but all he had left were words. She shut the door with a final resounding click. 

They had never been good with words.

“Don’t go.”

Hayama was 26 when he breathed it into Sendawara Natsume’s ear, smirking as he watched her writhe beneath him, lips parted in pleasure. She loved it when he was rough with her, all sharp angles and jagged edges, voices husky, kisses that were more teeth than tongue– just enough honey to numb the poison.

The first time was at an award ceremony, even his greatest victories were reduced to paltry displays of arrogance when he didn’t have someone worth winning for; where she’d run a teasing finger across his chest and he’d reciprocated by pulling her into an empty broom closet and made her moan his name. 

It had happened many many times since then, he was quite partial to ambushing her before she had a stage appearance or anywhere with cameras; her feeble protests dying on her tongue the moment he pinned her wrist to the wall, but it was always so alarmingly empty. He grew more and more unfeeling as the time passed, his thirst unquenched, the hole in him getting wider every time she pouted her lips or batted her lashes. The awards on his shelf grew, the medals collected dust, the flowers withered away in their bouquets.

Still he drank, hoping her poison would put him to sleep so he wouldn’t have to wake up to the very very faint smell of cinnamon on his pillow. 

Natsume grazed his jaw with a long, manicured nail and he stiffened, waiting for the vacant promises to slip into his ears, but she only sighed I’m late, before pushing past him to get to the doorknob. 

He didn’t even bother to turn around. 

“Don’t go.”

Hayama was 30 when he said it in his head as he looked into Nakiri Alice’s doe-like eyes, under the harsh glare of the laboratory lights. 

She’d barged into his office as usual and demanded to use  his workspace at three a.m. to test out a new recipe that had come to her in her sleep. They’d spent all morning trying to turn the damn lobster blue, and he had never been more tired in his life, but still he watched her wrinkle her nose in frustration as she squinted at the cloudy liquid in the little test tube, and resisted the urge to lean in and kiss her till she forgot her own name. 

Ryō-kun would know what to do, she’d sighed finally and dumped it into the sink. He watched the purple liquid swirl around, once, twice and smiled sadly as it trickled down the drain. He should have known. She’d only ever had eyes for the brooding, dark-haired chef she’d met in a small port side town in Denmark, and from what he’d noticed during their school days, the feeling was almost certainly mutual. 

She huffed and puffed and lay her head on the cold counter top, and within seconds she was fast asleep. Hayama made sure to cover her slight frame with his coat, before reaching for the phone to dial a familiar number. 

Kurokiba Ryō arrived not even an hour later to take her back home and he stopped at the doorway to watch them leave, trying not to wonder what might have happened if Alice had met him first instead, all those years ago, before either of them had learnt the true taste of love. 

“Don’t go.”

Hayama was 32 when he saw her sitting on the rooftop of Polar Star Dormitory, drinking sake out of a shot glass as she gazed at the moon. The new dorm matron, Sakaki Ryōkō had blushed at his intrusion and quickly made to leave him alone, before the words had slipped through his lips and sunk into the night air like an open invitation. 

She’d raised an eyebrow discerningly, but obliged his whims, scooting over to give the newly admitted Tōtsuki professor space; he took it with as much grace as he had left. They’d sat in silence for a good part of the next hour, taking turns downing the alcohol as they quietly recalled their own days at this school; competing with their peers, sharpening themselves with their rivalries, the 92nd Generation’s diamonds in the rough now haunting the place where they’d been forged. 

Hayama swayed a little and she turned and grabbed him by the shoulder– he’d been leaning too far out the edge and would’ve fallen if she hadn’t steadied him. 

Unfortunately, he inclined towards her too quickly and his arm reached out and knocked the glass over. They watched mutely as it roll away, plink, plink, plinking down the roof tiles and shatter onto the balcony below them. Ryōkō did the strangest thing then, watching those same broken pieces glitter under the moonlight– she threw her back and she laughed. 

The sound was so infectious that Hayama couldn’t stop himself from snorting too and soon they found themselves in stitches, giggling like a pair of love-drunk high schoolers who’d stayed up too late. 

It could have been the alcohol, hell, it could have been the fact that he hadn’t laughed in so long, but the world seemed brighter all of a sudden. The tiles under his feet were rougher, the gravity more pronounced, like he was waking from a long, long nightmare. 

As Hayama felt a cool breeze nip his neck, he found himself noticing the new matron more, her distinctly sweet smell, like honey and ripe citrus, and how her dark eyes reflected the tiny stars in the sky. He hadn’t seen it before, gaze too clouded by memory, but she was quite beautiful with her magenta hair and easy smile. 

He would’ve liked to stay longer but his stomach churned and it was all he could do to turn away in time before he found himself bent over the roof, hurling the contents of his dinner across the edge.

_________

Hayama Akira woke to the sound of knocking in his skull. He didn’t realise it was the door until he’d downed the jug of water beside his bed and felt some semblance of normality return to his body.

“Hello? Professor?"

He croaked out a quick, Be right there, before shedding the stained lab coat he hadn’t bothered to take off when he’d stumbled back into his dorm room last night and passed out on the couch. Hayama never handled alcohol well but yesterday’s embarrassing display nearly took the top spot for worst moments of his life; if it hadn’t been for the new matron’s quick thinking he’d probably still be sitting on the roof of Polar Star Dormitory, covered in puke and dead to the world. He would find a way to apologise to her somehow, a half-hearted thanks didn’t seem nearly enough for what she’d done. 

Once he’d splashed his face with cold water and rinsed his tongue with mouthwash- the smell bothered him more than anyone- he propped open the door to find a familiar magenta-haired woman standing outside, a steel thermos in her hand. 

Sakaki Ryōkō smiled at him in greeting, skin dewy fresh, wearing a flowery bandanna, no visible sign of the copies amounts of sake she’d chugged last night anywhere as she held out the flask. 

Hayama took it in surprise.

“My special hangover cure,” she explained, watching his green eyes widen at its warmth, “I thought you might need some since your classes begin today.”

“A-Ah,” he replied, trying to muster up a reaction that wasn’t confusion, he must have said something to her about his lecture somewhere between retching over the side of the roof, and dragging his feet across the polished floors as she helped him get back to his room. 

“Thank you, Sakaki-san. I hope you didn’t trouble yourself.”

“Don’t mention it, Hayama-kun, I’ve been up for hours anyway.”

Ryōkō seemed more luminous in the daylight; she’d tied her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing a light pink apron over her sweats, a streak of dirt smudged across her cheek and the gloves peeking out of her pocket the only indications that she’d been working outside in the garden all morning.

Hayama had never seen someone so alive. Jun was a heavier sleeper than he was and Hisako had always looked like she would stab anything that moved within 10 metres of her radius until she’d had her morning coffee; this shine in the new matron’s eyes alarmed him a little.

“When do you have to leave?” She  asked cheerfully, cocking her head to one side.

He checked the clock behind him: 9:00 a.m. His lecture wouldn’t start for another two hours at least.

“Do you have time for breakfast? The kids left already but I’m sure I can scrounge up something with–“

“Thank you, Sakaki-san,” he repeated firmly, “But I don’t want to intrude.”

He said it normally enough, but his voice came out flat and ungrateful. Her face fell and he resisted the urge to immediately soften the statement. This was better for the both of them. 

Hayama had returned to Tōtsuki Culinary Academy solely to take over the Shiomi Seminar at the request of the new director; he couldn’t leave Jun’s life’s work in the hands of someone who couldn’t properly care for it. He’d come here knowing he’d be surrounded by her ghost at every waking moment, he’d resigned himself to it, looked forward to it even. It would be cruel to start something with someone new, that would no doubt end in tears. 

“I see,” she frowned, let out a breath and snatched the thermos back.

Hayama blinked– he hadn’t expected that. 

“I guess you don’t need this either.” She huffed and then made to leave.

He stared after her mutely. His head began to throb in warning, dull beats, steady as a drum, and he could almost feel the ache pulsing through him as he stood in front of the lecture hall, in a few hours. His stomach tightened unhelpfully, making him aware of its painful emptiness. Perhaps breakfast wouldn’t end in tears after all.

“That’s-“

“Hm?” Ryōkō looked back, one hand on her hip. His pride clamped his tongue shut.

Hayama had always kept his cool around people, women especially; he hadn’t been one of the most eligible bachelors on Top Chef for no reason, but there was something unpredictable about Sakaki Ryōkō that left him feeling strangely flustered. 

He thought he knew her type, the kindly mother-figure of the friend group, the go-to shoulder to cry on; a more self-assured version of his friend Tadokoro Megumi– but an undercurrent of pure defiance ran right through her homely persona. There was kindness, yes, but none of the naivety he’d associated with it so far; a savoury sweetness– caramel, but the sharp tang of salt was unmistakable.

“I can’t stand the smell of eggs,” he blurted out stupidly. 

The dorm matron nodded sagely, as though that was a perfectly normal thing to say in such a conversation.

“You’re in luck, Hayama-kun. We seem to be all out of eggs at the moment.”

He could’ve sworn she was trying not to smile.

“Then.. uh-“ he opened the door wider, taking a step out into the hallway, but his voice wouldn’t work all of a sudden. Don’t go, Wait, Stay, the words got lost in his throat, tangled in the memories of all the times they hadn’t worked. 

The ambience of the night had been his friend, hiding his loneliness with a blanket of polite indifference but saying it in the light of day was harder, more concrete. Irreversible.

She turned away, heading down the staircase now. 

Hayama stared after her; he’d missed his chance again.

A vision of Hisako’s back came to him suddenly; the way her hands had shook with barely concealed distress, the downward incline of her shoulders, her last words to him before she left; bitter and tired. I hope you’re happy. He should have let her go sooner. Sighing, he felt the weight of his mistakes chain him down and coerce him back into the room- back into his bed for the next hour, where they could run uninhibitedly in his dreams, and was about to take heed when–

“Hayama-kun?”

He looked up, bewildered; the dorm matron had paused on her way down the steps and gave him a little wave. 

Hayama lifted his hand almost involuntarily and waved back; What a strange woman. 

Ryōkō smiled brightly as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and the feeling from last night burst in chest.

He felt his thoughts recede almost instantly as the world flushed with colour, the line between past and present slicing through his hesitation like a well polished knife, daring him to make a choice. But she was already ahead of him there too. 

“I’ll see you downstairs in ten minutes.”

She was gone before he could open his mouth.