Forever and Ever

60 years…

That's how long has it been since her highschool days. The time when she met the people that changed her life from before to someone that she is to this day. The time when she met the man that changed her life for the greater good.

But everything is over now, she has now taken the throne as the most influential person on the Japanese Culinary World, being known once as the God's tongue. Even after her retirement, her influence over the world of Culinary is still visible even for years to come.

Her name is Yukihira Erina.

Known as once the God's Tongue and also the wife of the Late Yukihira Souma, her fame on the world never died down, neither does her late husband. They are always known as the Guardian of The Japanese Culinary World, no one could ever take those titles from them.

But now, ever since the person that she loved the most, her husband, died… She has been living a life that will never be the same from when he's still alive.

"Grandma!" The Voices of her grandchildren reaches her ear after she reminisced the past she had with him. She formed a smile, hiding her sadness to her grandchildren. "What is it, dear?" She answered with a soft voice.

"We are going to go to an Amusement Park! Let's go!" One of the twin sisters said to her while tugging on her arms excitedly. "Come on, girls. You'll bother your grandma." Another familiar voice reaches Erina's ear.

Yukihira Hikari, is Erina and Souma's first born child, and the older sister of Yukihira Kyoji. She's also the mother of The Twins, Yukihira Akane, and Yukihira Akari.

"Good morning, Mom." She greeted her mother the same way as usual. "We are going to go to an Amusement Park, do you want to come?"

Certainly, spending time with her daughter's family is a good thing, and she always spend it whenever she can. But lately, she hasn't been feeling like it. "Sorry, I'm not really feeling well right now…" She answered weakly.

"Not well? Are you sick? Then we should go to The Doctor instead!"

"N-No, I'm fine… Just a bit tired, that's all. You guys enjoy your little trip and I'll be here watching over the house." Erina said softly to assure her daughter.

"I-I see… Then, don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Hikari said to her mother, clearly still worried over her well being, and Erina feels happy about it, still having children that cares about you even after they had a family. Yet still, something is missing.

After a while preparing their stuffs, the family finally goes to The Amusement Park, leaving Erina alone watching over the house.

She closed the door and examine around her, the same house that she raised her children, with Souma. The same house that they bought after they got successful in the Culinary World. The same house that she spends so much time on, with Souma.

She got up to her room and started rummaging through her stuffs before coming across a box with something written on top of it. 'Days without you.' It also shows the picture of Souma in his middle-age, smiling to the camera.

Just by looking at it already sends a sad feeling through Erina's chest.

She opened the box and saw a number before she flipped one of it, changing it to a new number. 2647 days without you. The inside of the box also has a lot of Souma's picture in it, ranging from his highschool years to his old age.

Erina smiled weakly at his usual smug grin, knowing fully that she will never see them again. She put the box off for now and continued rummaging through until she found an old photo album. Yes, she used it back in the day to keep her pictures.

The Album has all the pictures of the Polar Star Members, the ones that changed her life. There are pictures of back when they finished first year together, until the graduation. Also when all of them go to a party to celebrate Takumi's new restaurant. And some of these even shows weddings, like Alice and Ryo's wedding and—

Their Wedding.

It was a grandeur day, everyone they knew came and greeted them in that wonderful day when Souma and Erina finally tied the knot of their relationship to the tightest. Truly a day that Erina and Souma would never forget.

But those days have passed.

Right now, she is not The God's Tongue. Not anymore, she is just an ordinary grandma that lives through the help of her child's hospitality. Not that she hates her current life, but right now… She really wants those days back.

The Days when they smile together, the day when they cry together, the day when they embrace each other.

"Souma…" Tears started forming in her eyes as she keeps rubbing the picture of Souma with her hands. "… I miss you." She then hold the picture book in her arms, tightly not to let it go. She released all her tiredness and rested her back on the chair.

But then, the bell rang.

They're fast. Is what Erina thought, maybe they forgot something important that they need to get it back? The Door opened without Erina ever letting the person in, so she thought that it may be Hikari's husband that come through the door to get his stuff. But then again, he always call her, but why not now?

Footsteps then could be heard getting closer to Erina as it climbs the stairs to the second floor. And when the door opens, the person that she saw, is the least expected person she ever thought going to see ever again.

That red hair, that scar on his brow, that smile on his face. It all looks so real. The same body tone that he has been keeping all these years, the same smell and the same expression that he put on whenever he saw her. It all looks so real.

With the warmest smile she ever saw since his death, he opened his arms to her, welcoming her to him. "Erina." He called out her name with his voice, the voice that Erina has been dying to hear again after all these years. "Come here, I miss you too."

With no hesitation, Erina quickly got to her feet and jumped to his arms, embracing him closely as Erina suddenly feel young again as soon as she got to him. "Souma! Souma!" She cried out in happiness, finally reunited with her husband once again.

"I miss you! I miss you, idiot. I love you." She throws a barrage of cries on his chest, only to receive a pat on the head. He chuckled with his usual tone, "Sorry. But don't worry now." He rubs her hair, her long blonde hair that she always known for softly. "I am here. And I will never let you go anymore."

Erina started to cry again, louder this time on his chest. "There, there."

After a while, Erina calmed down and finally speaks up. "Will we be together from now on?"

"Yes. Forever…"

"… and ever."

On that day, 23th March, 2073. Yukihira Erina has finally reunited with her husband. She was found holding the picture of her husband tightly on her chest, but one thing that stands out… Is that she has a smile, a smile of happiness formed on her face.