Disclaimer: I do not own Shokugeki no Soma. Please do not sue me. I have no money.

Summary: Nakiri Erina lives a life far removed from that of a normal girl's. After a near defeat in a minor shokugeki, concerns are raised as to whether the young heiress is overworked and stressed. To assuage her grandfather's concerns, she agrees to see a therapist. Peculiar assignments are given in order to address the source of Erina's demons.

Thanks: Cyber for being a mega-bro and editing.

Therapy

Shokugeki no Soma

Chapter Five

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Erina looked ragged as she did her best to remain unseen.

The roaring air conditioned mall was a safe retreat from the blistering deathroes of the fall heat wave. Couples and families walked around the park. Children were smiling and lovers giggled. But all of Erina's attention was focused on a single entity leaning against a wall.

Peeking from behind a bush, Alice and Ryou in tow, Erina spied on her secretary-best-friend Arato Hisako.

"My my, Erina - isn't this what you call… hm… what's the word I'm looking for, Ryo?" Alice turned to her uninterested aide who simply sulked in the bushes. "The one that implies criminal activity and deviance from the norms of society?"

"Stalking milady," Ryo answered.

"Yes! That! Erina, aren't you becoming quite a criminal?"

"Perhaps you can sue me," Erina grumbled from her peeking location. Her head was tilted out from behind the green, leafy bush which provided little cover for her bright yellow hair. "You'll probably be a better lawyer than you'd be a chef."

As Alice began her slew of counter retorts and comebacks, Erina ignored them all.

Her mind was focused on the girl, wearing casual clothes, complete with sunglasses and a bonnet, and stood smiling at her phone.

It looked like she was waiting…

Erina sighed, remembering the day previously.

Arato Hisako set the tea tray, as she has done many times before, before she asked the question: "Lady Erina, may I take tomorrow off?"

Reaching for a sweet biscuit to munch on Nakiri Erina was busily pursuing a vintage recipe book from the Second French Empire. With half a mouthful of biscuit and a splash of tea Erina replied, "sure-wait. What?"

Arato Hisako never took a day off.

Crumbs rolled onto the floor before Erina muttered an affirmative. She had no reason to deny Hisako's request and simply stared as Hisako bowed, said 'thank you', and left Erina alone in the room.

Erina couldn't shrug it off.

And so here she was, watching Hisako wearing casual clothes. Hisako looked intently at her cellphone, and checking the clocks scattered throughout the mall. It looked so… so… unlike the Hisako that she had grown up with. It was frightening. It was terrifying.

Hisako looked like a normal girl, waiting for someone.

"Do you think your aide is waiting for a boy, perchance?"

"Wha-what!? No way… Hisako isn't even close to any… else…"

Erina fumbled her words without any confidence.

That said, did Hisako really have friends besides Erina? Erina didn't know. In fact, Hisako spent most of her time with her. She must have made some friends. That's it! Hisako must have made some friends over the Stagiaire month or something...

But still…

Why wouldn't Hisako want to tell her about it?

As Erina pondered the possible reasons ranging from hypnosis to blackmail, out of the corner of her eye she saw something… no, it was someone.

Hisako saw it too.

A bright smile erupted onto her lips.

Her arms waved at the approaching new comer:

Yukihira Souma.

"Yo, Hisako. Thanks for hanging out. It's pretty weird to go to the mall by yourself you know? Everyone else was busy."

"Not at all. It's a shame others couldn't join us."

They looked at each other, both smiling.

Erina felt her heartbeat stop.

"Whoa. Would you look at that? Guess Yukihira is going on a date with your secretary! How scandalous! Ryo! Get me my phone. We gotta leak this to the newspapers! Everyone must know! Besides, the gossip column has been so dry lately…"

"Yes, milady," Ryo nodded as he fumbled through Alice's purse for her phone.

"Hisako…"

Erina was still in disbelief. She was still in disbelief as she watched the two walked away. She was in disbelief as she watched talk as close as… well close friends… or even… perhaps…

Lovers.

Maybe Hisako was suffering from some kind of illness! That must be it! That had to be it…

Erina shook off the doubts.

She had to follow them.

"And Ryo! Make sure you tell them this was from an anonymous source! Actually, wait no! I want the credit, so tell them that Alice Nakiri was the source! Oh wait… that'd be bad attention… okay! Got it! Tell them it was Erina!"

"Yes, milady… but I doubt Lady Erina would agree."

"Of course she wouldn-Wait. Where'd she go?"

"She went after the pair on the date."

"Gosh darnit! After them!"

Ryo sighed. Then followed his master on the chase.

The day progressed normally, however, for the unaware stalk-tees. They wandered about the mall for a bit, looking at whatever interested them before a quick hamburger and fries with milkshake at the foodcourt. After that, they wandered off into a bookstore.

"A bookstore? How boooring," Alice moaned.

Erina Nakiri made no reaction to her cousin who spontaneously appeared from behind her. Erina herself was hiding behind a pillar. The two Nakiri cousins were already attracting much attention from the passerby crowds, wondering why two girls were acting like stalkers.

Ryo was standing behind them, holding the drinks they had picked up during their adventure.

"So far it's been so normal. I thought this was going to be a scandal!"

Alice fumed while Erina quietly observed.

Somehow, she felt annoyed by the situation, but at the same time she was angry - but not at Hisako or at Alice or even at Yukihira Souma. She was mad… at something. She just didn't know what.

But what she did know was that the pang in her heart only grew louder and more painful.

Whatever it was, it urged her to go in.

Alice, who had been eyeing designer dresses and purses in the side, was busy talking to Ryo. "Ryo! Make a note I want that bag and that dress… and those bags too… and ugh, I need a bag for Thursday-wait, where is Erina going?"

"Inside."

"Obviously! But if she follows them too closely, it ruins the point of stalking!"

Ryo didn't contest his master and her newly discovered expertise in stalking.

Once inside the bookstore, Erina wandered about. She had lost sight of the pair earlier

Turning a corner, she found them.

It was a reading corner with carpets and large cushioned sofas. Hisako and Yukihira were seated next to one another on a large sofa for two. Their shoulders pressed together as they leaned in close to read the various books they had picked up.

"I really enjoy the plot of this one," said Yukihira.

"Hm… but isn't a bit risque?" Hisako eyed it cautiously.

"I'm not sure what you're looking for. I like battle or comedy myself. Are you a fan of romance? More of a simple stuff, right?"

"A… a little… I just prefer the love stories not be so daring."

"Roger. Hm… this book looks good too. And look, it's at least twenty volumes!"

"Yeah, I can see why…"

Hisako's hair brushed against Yukihira's cheek. A soft hand swept the wayward strands. Yukihira and Hisako's eyes were nearly leveled and mere inches apart. They must have been able to smell each other without issue, and must have been able to taste each other's breath at such an approximate close distance.

The scene was so blissfully simple, pleasant, and innocent.

Erina opened her mouth.

Cat got God's Tongue.

She didn't speak. Her lips closed. Her teeth grinded against one another.

She left the bookstore.

"Oh look, Erina's back!" Erina had unwittingly spared Ryo from an hours-on-end lecture about some random thing Alice happened to read online about.

"Let's go," Erina mumbled.

Alice and Ryo looked at other. Erina seemed so utterly defeated. The limousine was summoned. The trio entered and began making their way back to the Nakiri residence.

"Whatcha think got's Erina down in the dumps?" Alice whispered to Ryo.

"Most likely Lady Erina is feeling left behind because her secretary has begun courtship rituals and most likely did not inform her of such. Lady Erina thus feels betrayed and also lost because her closest friend failed to confide in her of these events. This is similar to what most middle aged men feel when they realized that the world is moving on without them and their accomplishments mean little in the face of the unforgiving ravages of time."

Alice blinked.

"You should be a therapist, Ryo!"

Ryo sighed. He would be crying himself to sleep tonight again.

"Erina!" Alice shouted changing her attention to her cousin. "You gotta cheer up."

Erina looked up, dark bags had begun forming under her eyes.

"You know what'll cheer you up?"

"What…?"

"Having some people cook for you! Then you can taste it and trash how bad their cooking is! Yeah! Then you can dump their piping hot food on the top of their heads and call them second-rate chefs or some insulting things or whatever."

Erina paused. That did sound amusing, but it wasn't going to lift her spirits.

"I think I'd throw up if I eat poorly made food right now."

"Okay, okay… how about we watch a movie?"

"My eyes are sore."

"Um… let's go shopping?"

"I don't wear anything besides my school uniform anyways."

Alice fumed. She bit her thumb, trying to think of a possible solution.

"Hmmm… maybe Erina you should go on a practice date."

"A… a practice date?"

"Yeah! I mean, I drag Ryo on practice dates all the time."

Erina shuddered, looking at the boy next to her cousin. Ryo nodded. "The last time milady took us out on a practice date, I ended up bowling a 17."

"Ryo is such a notoriously bad bowler! He even puts on his bandana and gets into his berserker mode and just ends up throwing his bowling ball into the alley next to his! It's really fun to watch. You should come with us sometime, Erina. Bring a friend! Better yet, bring a male friend! That way it can be a double practice date."

Erina's eye twitched.

But somehow, the thought didn't sound too disagreeable…

"Okay…"

Chapter Five Fin