Chapter 18

Fuck this light.

Awakening from his slumber, that was the first thought that raced through his pulsating head. A low growl escaping his lips, he struggled to get up only to be forced back down by a mighty force. Refusing to open his eyes in a fleeting attempt to hold onto the remaining strands of sleep, he pathetically turned to his side and grumbled.

"Old Man Nakiri, you really need to stop barging into people's rooms. You know you could arrested for that, right?" Soma spat, believing it could only be that dictionary-definition of a man to wield such strength. And Dojima. Maybe his dad, but definitely too far from the other two in terms of physical strength.

"Oh, Yukihira-kun, you jest. You're simply too weak to fight back" Soma weakly pried open his heavy lids, realizing that wasn't the hearty laugh of Senzaemon. Meeting the innocent ocean blue eyes of Isshiki, he grumbled even louder. Isshiki was definitely no slouch, but if he was able to stop Soma without breaking a single sweat, Soma knew he was in deep shit.

"How long have I been out? I can barely see the trees" the nasally redhead spoke, eyes cast on the empty darkness that patiently sat on the other side of the window.

"Hm, I'd say about seventeen hours, give or take. You slipped in and out, mumbling to yourself" Isshiki said. A low regretful groan escaped Soma's lips as Isshiki tore off another series of paper towels and folded them. Once he had soaked them in the pool of freezing water, he set it on Soma's forehead.

"Can you pass the tissue box?" Soma exasperated, closing his eyes once more as the cool paper towel relieved his infernal forehead. Listening to Isshiki shuffle around, he felt the sudden cloud-like texture of a tissue grazing his fingertip. Weakly pulling it out, he blew into the ply with all the force he could. He didn't care if he bled, if it came out of his nose it was going into this blasted tissue. Once he finished, he crumpled it up and tossed it to the trash can with all the strength he could.

"Everyone has their limits, Yukihira-kun. You should be well aware of that" Isshiki laughed, casually and swiftly grabbing the trash can and moving it so that it caught the weakly tossed used tissue. Another groan escaped Soma's lips. Frustration began to fill him as he shot up, a little too quickly he realized once his pounding headache reminded Soma who called the shots at the moment. One look was from Isshiki was all it took for Soma to begrudgingly accept his current situation and lay back down.

"That's the second time you've tried to get up in the first minute of returning to the world of the living. If that doesn't prove my point, I don't know what will" the light-brown haired boy jested. Soma adored Isshiki as much as the next guy, but right at this very moment, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance with every passing comment about his current state, albeit correct comments. Soma gently shook his head, trying to rid himself of such negative thoughts. It was the fever working his nerves, he thought.

"Sorry, and thanks" Soma finally muttered, struggling to articulate through his congested nose and his irritable throat. Isshiki's eyebrow arched, giving the redhead before him an inquisitive glance.

"What are you talking about, Yukihira-kun?" Soma couldn't hold back his dramatic groan. He was always willing to give credit to people. He didn't mind at all when they helped. But whenever it came to things regarding his health, he couldn't help but feel as if his heart were being constricted. Probably because it would remind him of his…

"No. I can't keep getting down on stuff like that" Soma thought, thinking back to the blonde's words that fateful rainy night.

"For taking care of me and stuff. You know I don't like being babied" Soma laughed, very well aware of his tendency to be overly-independent. Soma watched as Isshiki's salmon-shaded locks were tossed from side to side.

"You don't like being powerless, Soma. There's a difference" Isshiki added, cueing Soma to roll his eyes with a small chuckle.

"Besides, there's no reason to thank me. I wasn't the one taking care of you" Soma looked back at the Second Seat, puzzled.

"Oh? Was it Megumi or something?" Not that Soma didn't doubt that the others would rush to his aide; matter of fact it was quite the opposite. His lips curled into a loving smile thinking back to how his dormmates would berate him for going off on his own and not letting them help. He truly did have the best of friends, but it was simply instinct for him to immediately go to the timid blunette. She was his first friend after all, not counting Erina because of, well, reasons, he thought to himself, releasing a stifled chuckle.

"Nope, it was Erina-chan, actually. She's currently bathing and requested me to watch over you for the time being" Soma's eyes shot wide open as Isshiki's smiled back.

"S-she's here? Shit, she saw me like this?! Fuck, I'm so dead!" Soma gravely admitted, as he clutched both of his hands together and began to mutter incoherent nonsense, praying for forgiveness. Isshiki mused a hearty laugh, something Soma was able to illicit out of him with relative ease.

"Ah, so you're aware of your crimes and you still went through with them? Honestly, Soma, fly to close to the sun and you're bound to be burned" Isshiki taunted.

"Some suns are worth it…" Soma quickly retorted, surprising himself as much as Isshiki. Mentally fighting himself, he thought "What the hell? Why did I say that? Where did that even come from?". Interrupting his own interrogation, off the corner of his eyes he caught Isshiki hiding, with very low effort, a knowing smirk as he stared back at the redhead with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Mustering all the intimidation he could in his current state, he glared at the cackling boy sitting beside him, "Oi! What's so- "Soma coughed. "Of course I had to cough" he thought. "- So funny?" Soma weakly finished, unable to maintain the low growl in his voice from before, only further entertaining the apron-clad boy before him.

"Oh, nothing! Funny, Erina just texted me that she'll be back soon, so I'll show myself out. I wouldn't want to catch anything and take Erina-chan away from you" Isshiki mocked, winking at the blushing redhead.

"H-hey, what's the big idea- Isshiki-senpai! Get back -cough - here!" Soma choked out as he watched Isshiki prance out of his room. Watching the door shut, a defeated sigh snaked out as he slumped back onto his pillow.

Isshiki was laughing to himself, amused by the bashfulness of his two underclassmen, when he felt his phone vibrate furiously in his apron pocket. Taking it out, he read the three messages from Erina.

Isshiki-senpai, do you know if any of the girls are awake at this moment? – 9:24 P.M

Actually – 9:25 P.M

Never mind, it's fine. You're free to go, thank you so much for watching over the troublemaker – 9:25 P.M

"Hm, I wonder what it what she needed" Isshiki thought as he made his way to his room. Just as he was about to open the door, a notion struck him.

"I should probably warn her that he's awake now…but on second thought…" Isshiki smiled to himself and shook his head.

"I'm sure it'll be much more interesting if she finds out for herself"

Erina tightly gripped the towel that maintained the sanctity of her body. Covering her chest all the way down to her mid-thigh, she slowly snuck through the empty hallways of Polar Star Dormitory.

"How could I have been so foolish to go shower before getting a change of clothes?" the blonde chastised herself. After recomposing herself, she had spend the remainder of the day watching over Soma. From making sure he was cooled down, to getting the guys to change his shirt because lord knows she'd rather eat a burger from a vending machine before doing something as inappropriate at removing another's male's article of clothing, to going into the Polar Star garden and picking out fresh ingredients for some remedies that Hisako had texted. To her surprise, the garden was rather well organized and maintained. The dorm and the garden, Erina thought, was the perfect representation of those that resided there. A rowdy rambunctious group of rascals that, below their childish and immature exterior, truly put their heart and soul into their craft. Holding onto that image in her mind, her supple lips curved into a loving smile.

"Maybe I should check to see if they're awake but…I don't want to impose myself even more than I already have" she thought, letting out a sigh. "It's fine…I've done it before; I can do it again. Besides, I'd only be borrowing his clothes until mine were out of the wash! Yes, of course, only two hours or so…fuck I have to wait for it to dry" She let out a resentful sigh, shaking her head. So what she had to share his clothes again as if they…shared a relationship of more intimacy than just friends. A chill ran through her spine, physically revolted for even thinking of such a thing with that boy.

"He doesn't listen, he's always ignoring his responsibilities, always dozing off into his own world even when people are speaking to him, and beyond that…" Erina thought, suddenly feeling her blood boiling with the next point her mind came across.

"Always talking so shamelessly with other women. Of course, he's allowed to make friends with whoever, given they're willing to tolerate him, but there's a thing such as being too friendly!" As inexperienced as Erina would admit to be, she refused to believe that she didn't know what flirting looked like. After all, she saw a variety of examples of flirting from her shoujo manga. A perfectly accurate representation of real life, Erina thought.

"Whether it be friends or…strangers" As the image of that "black-haired bimbo" appeared in her mind, with her skimpy bikini and her grotesquely perverted smile, she couldn't fight the urge to punch the closest wall to her. Immediately after, however, she dropped to the ground, knees pulled in close as she massaged her throbbing knuckles. Small tears welling in her eyes from the pain, a scowl soon formed on her face.

"Ugh, what an awful boyfriend he'd make. I pity the poor woman that will become the prime subject of his torment" Erina thought, standing back up. Despite the fact that she had practically listed an entire list of cons for the scarlet-haired student, she felt her heart tighten at the thought of Soma with a girl. She couldn't understand why; it would give him someone else to bother which meant he wouldn't be so constantly in a ten inch vicinity of her, just maybe he wouldn't be bombarding her with ridiculous questions, pathetic jokes, incredulous banter that only he, aside from Alice, dared to commit to, and best of all, just maybe, his obsession with trying to please her palate would fade away.

So, why did it bring a small frown to her face when she thought about it?

Realizing it was simply bringing upon more needless stress, she shook the thoughts of her head as she stopped before the door that separated her from Soma. Her hand loosely rested on the doorknob as she pondered whether it was too late to ask Hisako to deliver her a change of clothes.

"Right…she's working on that class project with Hayama-kun" she thought, stifling a low laugh as she recalled Hisako's initial flustered expression when she had been paired up with the fourth seat. No matter how hopeless she may be in her own endeavors for romance, which of course were only hopeless because they weren't a priority, as Erina justified, she only hoped the best for her best friend.

With a deep breath, she turned the knob and walked in, making sure to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking the boy. As much as she wanted to berate him, that could wait for when he wasn't melting like ice cream. With the utmost vigilance, she preemptively turned the knob so that it wouldn't obnoxiously click into place. One the door had been fully closed; she slowly released her grip on the knob. Letting out a sigh of relief at the completion of her stealth mission, her jaw dropped as her eyes filled with pure at the sight of Soma Yukihira, who was staring right back Erina with those wide golden eyes, covering his nose with a tissue. They stared at each other, motionless, too afraid to make the first move.

That is, until, Soma decided to finally blow his nose, unable to bear the feeling of his nose being so clogged for any longer.

As Isshiki readied himself for bed, a banshee-like scream shook him to his core. Fumbling to catch his alarm clock, he let out a sigh of relief once it was in his grasp.

"…Maybe I should have warned her…" Isshiki thought, chuckling to himself.

"W-what the hell? What is she doing?! Why is she in a towel?! Where are her clothes?! Why am I still looking?! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-AGH ITS TOO ITCHY" Soma thought to himself, finally blowing into the tissue that had been cloaking his nose for so long.

He found out that he would immediately regret it as a blood-curdling scream escaped Erina's originally motionless lips, as if her soul had just returned to her body. Backing up against the wall, Soma began to flail his hands violently, completely ignoring the soreness that came with it.

"W-wait, Erina! Keep it down!" Soma nasally pleaded, trying to fake a smile before the wild purple eyes that bore into his very soul.

"W-what are you doing?!" Erina finally shouted, backing up against the wall and gripping onto the singular towel that hid her voluptuous body. Soma looked side to side, hoping there would be an answer that wouldn't enrage the adrenaline-rushed blonde anymore.

"Uh…being sick…in my room?" Soma nervously retorted with a shaky smile.

One look was all it took to realize that what he had just said was not the right answer.

"You disgusting pervert! Close your eyes and stop your ogling!" Erina embarrassingly hollered, grabbing the teapot on the counter beside her.

"W-wait put that down! I'll look away!" Soma exclaimed, throwing himself face flat into the pillow. Heaving for air, Erina slowly set the teapot back down on the counter without letting Soma out of her sight. Soma's muffled voice quickly caught Erina's attention as she struggled to decipher what he was trying to say. All Erina could get was something about his room. Staring blankly, the realization hit her.

"Oh shit…" Erina thought to herself, burying her face in his palm out of sheer embarrassment. She had waltzed into his room, without knocking, and now accused him of being the pervert for locking eyes on the person that just barged into his room. Letting out a sigh, she quickly grabbed the light quilt that laid folded on the small table in the middle of his room and wrapped herself in it. Swallowing her pride, she let out a deep sigh.

"Y-you can look now" Erina stammered, watching the floor in order to avoid making eye contact with the redhead. Struggling to get back up, he soon flopped over onto his back, covering his mouth as violently coughed into the crook of his elbow. Breathing heavily, he watched as Erina ran over to him with distress coloring her face. Soma watched in awe as he took in every single inch of Erina. He couldn't help himself; he was entranced. The way her damp blonde hair was clinging to her face, her gorgeous purple eyes that shone with brilliance even as uneasiness coated them, the way that even with a layer above her towel, the blanket was hugging every single mind-numbingly perfect curve her intoxicating body had to offer.

She truly was every bit of the goddess that so many described her as, Soma thought.

"Hold on…this is Erina you're talking about, Yukihira! Focus" Soma mentally slapped himself, quickly thinking of something to say.

"So uh, are you getting out of that towel or not?" Soma quickly sputtered as he watched Erina's eyes morphed into pure horror, tightening her grip on the blanket that covered her.

"Wait, that's not what I meant!" Soma exclaimed, waving his hands frantically again.

"Then what did you mean, scum! I should get you arrested for such lecherous comment!"

"Oh come on, you know you wouldn't do that!" Soma laughed with that horribly amused tone whenever Erina would threaten her, annoying the blonde to no end.

"Would you like to test your luck even more than you already have? All it takes is one phone call to end your miserable life as a chef and as a somewhat respectable human being!"

Soma placed his hand over his heart and put on a playful look of sincerity, touched by Erina's words. "Aw, you think I'm a respectable human being, now? I really have gone up the rankings with you, huh?" Erina rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Okay, so what did you mean, hm? This better be good, or else I will warn the entire female student body to stay at least thirty feet away from you at all times!" Erina shouted, digging into Soma's careless golden eyes.

"What I meant was if you were ever going to, you know, put clothes on? Unless you like chilling naked like Isshiki. I thought it was just him but is it an Elite 10 thi-" started Soma before he the crushing might of Erina's open palm crash into his cheek, sending him back into his pillow.

"You really don't know when to shut up, do you Soma?!" Erina growled in a hush tone, trying her hardest to keep her composure. Turning his head with a pout and huffed up cheeks, the redhead responded with "Hey, I was just looking out for you, alright? I was gonna say you're free to use my clothes, but I might just take that back"

Though completely perfectly set up for Erina in the most painless way possible, she just couldn't let go of her pride.

"As if! Me, Erina Nakiri, dressed in a commoner's rags?! Not even would in your wildest dreams could something so outlandish happen!" Erina retorted, making sure to run her free hand through his wet golden locks and toss them over her shoulder, adding a haughty laugh for good measure.

"But didn't you already do that? With my home clothes too, which I guess by your standards would probably be even worse than what I have here" Soma pointed out blankly, rubbing his chin.

"Wha-?! That was completely different!" Erina stammered back, crossing her arms against her chest and averting Soma's blank stare.

"But it's pretty much the same, no? I mean, you came to my place, unannounced. You took a shower without realizing you didn't have a change of clothes, and I assume you put your clothes in the wash or something and you already moved all your stuff out of here before summer, so that leaves you with having to wear my stuff again!" Soma exclaimed, making sure to point out every singe similarity with his fingers. As he went on with his list, Erina's confident glare turned into one of humiliation and distress.

"W-whatever! Just show me where you keep your freaking clothes!" Erina exclaimed, having enough of his mockingly innocent accusations. With a gleeful smile, Soma directed his index finger towards the bottom of his bedframe, revealing drawers.

"First one has shirts, second has pants and shorts, third is for boxe-"

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know" Erina cut the boy off, not wanting him to finish his directions for his undergarments. With a shrug Soma laid back in bed, facing the wall.

"Feel free to change, I won't turn" Soma exclaimed, shooting a thumbs-up. Partially ignoring his comment, she pulled out his signature navy blue "Yukihira Diner" shirt. She always despised the fact that he took such liberties with his uniform; always opting to keep his blazer unbuttoned and wearing his diner shirt underneath as opposed to the normally regulated white button down and tie. If it weren't for her grandfather, she would have expelled him on those grounds alone, yet he always sided with Soma much to her dismay. Despite the fact that she was headmaster now, she had grown so accustomed to him that it would just be a waste of time to expel him in that manner.

She still hated it though.

Grabbing a hold of the shirt and a pair of joggers, she stood back up and made her way towards the door.

"I think I'll just go to the bathroom, thank you very much" Erina said, turning the knob. With a brief moment of hesitation, she turned to Soma who was still looking away.

"Is there anything you want? Maybe from the vending machine?" Erina asked. No matter how she looked at it, she was still here for one reason. To help. Whether out of obligation or simply looking out for the reckless boy, because lord knows what will happen if someone isn't babysitting him, didn't matter to her anymore.

"Hm, maybe some Skittles or something. Take my wallet, treat yourself too! Oh, but don't touch the Sprite! Yoshino gets kinda cranky about that" Soma said with a sniffle. With a sigh, she walked back to the counter and scowered for his wallet. Needless to say, she wasn't in the slightest surprised to find out the torn-up worn out leather abomination was his wallet. Grabbing it, she made her way back to the door, once again met with hesitation.

"Are you sure it's okay? I mean, I can just buy whatever myse-"

"Erina, if I don't see a charge for more than one thing in my billing history, I will literally buy out the whole vending machine and drop it at your door. Your move" Soma playfully threatened, enticing the blonde.

"Oh, my. Awfully confident for someone who can barely get out of his own clothes" she bantered, raising an eyebrow.

"Awfully sassy for someone who's about to be in my clothes!" Soma continued, flashing the girl cocky grin. Erina simply narrowed her eyes in response.

"You should feel blessed that I'm gracing your pathetic excuse for garments with such high-class pedigree" Narrowing his eyes as well, but in a much more relaxed and carefree fashion, he simply clasped his hands together as if he were praying.

"Oh, how blessed I am indeed. Truly a wonderfully gracious gift from the Queen Erina Nakiri herself" he sarcastically recited as if he was a pope.

"You're getting Sour Skittles for that" His cocky grin soon morphed into a puffy-cheeked pout, eliciting a giggle from the blonde

"Wait, nooo!" Soma whined followed by a sniffle. "The Sour Skittles suck, and you know it!" Soma complained.

"All processed junk food are below my standard" Erina quickly added, insulted that Soma would think she indulged in cheap and health-risking commodities.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Go get changed already, I want that blanket back!" Soma exclaimed. With a roll of Erina's eyes, she opened the door and made her way to the bathroom. Quickly realizing she had let the boy get the last word, she quickly dashed back and swung the door back open, startling the redhead.

"You…! You suck!" Erina quickly exclaimed before shutting the door closed once more. Soma stared at the doorway with bewildered eyes, confused at the event that had just transpired.

"She is one tough cookie" he said with a sigh, followed by a sneeze that rocked his entire body.

Quickly punching in the code for Skittles, she swiped the redhead's debit card and made her way to the vending machine that contained drinks as the Skittles were being dispensed. Swiping the card once more, she punched in the code for a bottle of water, twice. She decided if she was to get anything from these foul health-compromisers, it'd be at least for something that wouldn't harm her physique she so graciously worked for. Once the bottles had been dispensed, she grabbed them by the caps and quickly reached for the bag of Skittles that were waiting to be retrieved. Making her way up the stairs, she gazed down on her current outfit. The shirt was baggy; though not humongous. It would perfectly suffice as something to sleep in, which was all it needed to do. The joggers, however, were surprisingly made of decent quality, comfortable, and warm, which truly was a gift considering the quickly declining climate that the fall was bringing. Letting out another sigh, Erina's mind began to wander once more.

"Just how did I get myself into this situation? A little over a year ago I was sitting atop a throne, working diligently to climb the ranks and graduate top of my class while leading a thunderous trail upon the cooking realm. Here I am now, in the clothes of a human being I absolutely despise- well…begrudgingly tolerate and taking care of him like some nurse. I'm the Headmaster now, for Christ sake! Shouldn't this have been the other way around?!" Erina thought to herself. It was absolutely ridiculous how her life had so quickly changed ever since Soma's arrival. Despite her over-top attitude that Erina could not control when around him, she couldn't pretend that Soma's arrival hadn't had positive effects. Thinking back to her earlier panic attack, she couldn't dismiss that idea that Soma had indirectly guided her through it, despite him not even being conscious for it, thankfully. Slowly, her mind lingered back to the haunting thoughts that invaded her mental fortress.

"…I wonder how mother is doing…" Erina thought. Caught off guard by the familiar door, she had reached Soma's room in no time. Pushing her doubting thought to the back of her head, she opened the door once more and walked in. Soma was still lying in bed, as he should, Erina thought, with his forearm resting on his forehead.

"Hey, can you check my phone? I think someone texted" Soma mumbled, placing the wet paper towel back on his forehead.

"Do I look like some maid to you?!" Erina shouted, chucking the bottle of water and pack of Skittles at Soma, crash landing onto his stomach.

"H-hey! I'm just asking, you don't have to be so aggressive" Soma laughed, placing the cold bottle of water on his forehead, making Erina stifle a laugh but cut it off short to avoid giving Soma any satisfaction.

"You make me have to be aggressive!" Erina argued back, taking a swig of water from her bottle as she walked over to his phone. A jaded thought ran through Erina's mind, soon making it to her tongue before she had the chance to truly comprehend it.

"What delusional girl did you trick into having a conversation with you at this time?" Erina spat, her words sharper than Soma's well-maintained knife he got from his father.

"I have no clue, I don't really get my phone number out but somehow people keep getting it" Soma explained, casually shrugging as Erina shot him a disturbed glare, unaware that her implausible thought was suddenly justified.

"You truly are a distraction to all- Oh it's Saiba-san!" Erina quickly exclaimed as her annoyance transformed into excitement.

"Oh, because it's my dad now it's okay" Soma muttered under his breath, earning him a deadly glare from the headmistress.

"Did I hear something from you, diner brat?" Erina quickly retorted, making Soma laugh.

"Oh, nothing. What'd the old man say?"

"Your phone is locked, Soma. How am I supposed to know?" Erina sardonically questioned, giving the boy a look of disbelief.

"9876 to unlock it" Soma quickly added, waving his hand dismissively. Erina simply sighed, debating whether she was more disappointed in Soma for having such a pathetic excuse for a password or disappointed in herself for expecting more out of him. Quickly punching in the password, she rolled her eyes at the unorganized clutter the boy had. Thousands of unread emails, many of which that could potentially be internships or job offerings, scattered apps without any designated folders, too many mobile games for one's own safety. Her eye nearly twitched seeing the "Your iPhone has not been backed up in 29 weeks" and the "Your Cloud is currently full! Upgrade for more!" notifications, wondering how the boy could bear seeing such constant notifications every single day. Dismissing it, she quickly opened the text messages and automatically stared at the tens upon twenties of unread message threads from various numbers. Some were requesting Shokugekis, while other were asking what time he'd be done with class. It didn't take a detective to find out at least the gender of each sender, some more obvious than others, she sarcastically thought. Rolling her eyes, she quickly clicked on the message thread with his father, his contact name dubbed "Lame Ass Dad that Kicked Me Out and Shipped Me Away", a sigh escaped her smiling lips. She will always and forever respect Jouichirou, but she did certainly find the interactions between him and his son to be entertaining, especially considering his rather unique parenting style. She quickly scanned the messaged, a concerned look soon forming.

Hey, kid. When's the next time you're free? – 9:57 P.M

We need to talk – 9:58 P.M

"This sounds serious…" Erina worriedly thought, quickly glancing back up at Soma.

"He's wondering when you're available. Here, message him- "Erina started before Soma quickly replied.

"Oh, now he wants to talk. But whenever I call him, I get put on a time limit like I'm at some photo booth. Tell the old man he can suck it" Soma said in an attempt to sound threatening, but his nasally tone truly failed him.

"So I'm not going to do that, and do you a favor" Erina sarcastically remarked, typing away on Soma's phone. She quickly sent the message, which now appeared in the thread.

Hello, Jouichirou-sama, it's me, Erina. Soma is currently bedridden after his reckless decision to drive in the rain last night. Don't worry too much, I'll watch over him to make sure he doesn't cause anymore trouble, if that's possible – 9:59 P.M

Surprisingly quickly, another ding rang from the phone as another messaged appeared.

"What the-?! So when you message him he messages back in like five seconds?! What kind of bullshit is that?!" Soma angrily exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air only for them to crash back down. Erina needed to learn from Soma's father, she thought. His ability to get under Soma's thick skin with such ease was uncanny, an art she had been trying to perfect for over a year now. With a stifled laugh, she read over the message.

Oh, actually, that makes this much easier! Getting that kid to listen is always like pulling teeth – 9:59 P.M

Finally, someone get its! Erina quickly responded back, shooting the elder Yukihira the text.

But what's the matter, Saiba-san? As far as I'm aware, he hasn't broken any of the more serious rules of conduct

Oh no, it's nothing like that. I just wanted to make sure he was okay for, uh – 10:00 P.M

Reasons. How's he holding up? – 10:00 P.M

"He could have just edited his messaged to sound a little less suspicious" Erina thought, remembering that as amazing Jouichirou was, he still shared the same blood as Soma.

He just needs to recover, nothing too serious. Well, NOW it's nothing serious. If I hadn't arrived who knows what kind of mess he would have dragged himself into.

Aha, I knew I could count on you to take care of that dimwit! Honestly, if I were any bit more selfish, I'd ask you to stay with him forever! – 10:01 P.M

Struggling to keep her composure, she kept her mind focused and her heart rate steady.

Yes, him and along many others would most certainly benefit from my guidance Erina responded calmly, struggling to hit enter with her shaky thumb.

Don't worry, I'm just pullin your leg! I wouldn't want to stay with a loser as dense as him either – 10:01 P.M

Lips curving into a small smile, she truly envied the relationship those two shared. Being able to banter and talk to each other with such unruliness while still maintaining their loving bond; it truly was a magical sight,

I'll get out of your hair, though! One Yukihira's enough to deal with. But one more thing… - 10:02 P.M

Have you ran into anybody using the name Saiba? And have they come in contact with Soma? – 10:02 P.M

Erina stared at the phone in bewilderment. The sentence itself seemed so bizarre, and even despite the fact there was no real way of understanding the tone of the situation, a sneaking suspicion worried Erina that this was a much more severe matter than Soma's father was leading on.

"Has some been using Saiba-san's name? How dare they attempt to tarnish and abuse his identity! But other than that…what would they want with Soma?" Erina's mind raced, trying to decipher the mystery that had just been presented to her. Realizing she had been thinking for a moment too long, she swiftly typed out the following message.

Not that I recall, no. No one else I've met recently has shared the same surname as you, Saiba-san. And as far as I'm aware, neither has Soma. Why? Is everything okay?

Yeah, don't worry too much about it kiddo. Just been a little on edge, that's all. Do me a favor and delete that last message will ya? The last thing I need is that brat of mine to stick his nose in business that shouldn't concern him and knowing him he will incessantly try to get himself involved. You know how he can be; all bark and even more bite – 10:04

A muffled giggle escaped her lips, struggling to find anymore accurate words to describe the redhead that was grumpily munching away at his Skittles.

Of course, I don't know how you were able to keep your sanity with someone as hardheaded as him.

It wasn't all that bad. You know, pride and joy and all that jazz. Just to be clear, you know what to do with the messages? – 10:04 P.M

What messages?

'Atta girl. Thanks for looking out for the kid. I'll catch up with ya some other time! – 10:05 P.M.

And just like that, he had disappeared after Erina messaged her last "Of course". Letting the phone sit on the desk, she couldn't help but feel a nagging feeling creep into her thoughts.

"What has Saiba-san gotten involved with, and why is it so bad that he refuses his son to even be aware of it? None of this bodes very well at all…" Erina thought. Suddenly, her contemplating soon halted to a stop once she felt the small colored pellet peck her in the forehead, falling into her lap. Staring at it in disbelief, her confusion soon turned into vein-throbbing anger as she picked up the piece of candy angrily focused on the snickering redhead.

"Did you just fucking throw this at me?! Soma Yukihira, I promise you I will make your life he-" she started before another piece of candy landing in her mouth as she spoke, startling her.

"There's the money shot! Chill for a sec, will ya? I just wanted to share" he laughed, taking pride in the fact that his aim hadn't withered due to his illness.

"You couldn't have just passed me the bag?!" she exclaiming, biting into the candy. The overwhelmingly sweet candy soon assaulted her heavenly taste buds. Despite being well aware of the clear imbalances, after many sleepovers with the girls at the Polar Star Dormitory, she managed to somehow tolerate the taste.

"I could have, but that's not as fun. You talk pretty animatedly, so I couldn't just pass on the opportunity!" Soma exclaimed, making the blonde grit her teeth.

"Are you insulting the way I speak?! And you're one to talk! I only speak this way because of- STOP THROWING SKITTLES INTO MY MOUTH!" she exclaimed, feeling another skittle casually fall onto her tongue.

"Yeah, but that's what makes it fun! You're always so serious with everyone else, how could I not abuse the fact that you talk so funny when it's with me?" Soma nasally exclaimed, trying to hold onto his escaping breath. She crossed her arms against her chest as her eyebrows furrowed.

"So you willingly choose to be an obnoxious brat around me on purpose?" she questioned accusingly, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Oh come on, "obnoxious brat" isn't the right word at all!" Soma replied with a cocky smirk. Even when he's a feverish mess like this, he still could pull off the same challenging expression Erina had mastered.

Curling her lips into a wry smile, she replied "You're right. Insufferable little devil child is much more appropriate"

"Now you're just being rude, Erina"

"You chucked food at your headmaster!" Erina exclaimed, disturbed that Soma had the audacity to even say such a thing.

"No, I shared candy with my friend" Soma confidently corrected, lying back in bed after swig of his water bottle.

"We aren't friends" Erina replied coldly, glaring at the boy.

"Hm, you're right. I suppose I hang around you more than just any old friend. We're best friends!" Soma exclaimed gleefully, extending his arm for a high-five. Erina quickly slapped his hand, making him retract it and rub the red backside of hand as he mouthed the word ow.

"Alright, geez if you wanted to be more than best friends you could've just said so. I knew Takuya thought so, but I didn't think you did too" Soma continued with a pout. Erina's eyes were wild and crazed, disgusted by Soma's implication.

"What?! I do not think we're more than friends, let alone friends at all!" Erina exclaimed. Her rage soon turned into a look of realization, allowing the rest of Soma's words sink in.

"Wait…Takuya thought what exactly?" Erina's voice was low and menacing, which Soma naturally failed to pick up on.

"Oh, right before we left. He asked if you were my girlfriend and I was all like "Yeah, you could say that". You were there!" Soma explained, disappointed that Erina didn't remember such a key moment that she was clearly a part of. Little did he know, Erina had already entered into her own world the moment he had uttered the word "girlfriend". The title bounced her head, failing to process until suddenly, something snapped. She quickly lunged towards Soma and grabbed him by the collar of his short-sleeved Yukihira shirt, shaking him violently as she sat next to him on the bed.

"YOU SAID WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU UTTER SUCH FRAUDULENT LIES ABOUT ME?!" Erina angrily shouted, viciously quaking the boy. The way he head flopped around from her strength made it seemed like she was choking the boy.

"What! It's not even a lie! You're a girl and my friend?! Where's the lie?!" Soma explained, stilling being man-handled by the pristinely manicured hands of Erina Nakiri. Her face burned a deeper crimson as she began to shake the boy even more intensely as the fact of Soma being horribly ill soon slipped away.

"YOU IDIOT! THAT'S NOT WHAT GIRLFRIEND MEANS!" Erina hollered, refusing to spare any mercy for the boy.

"H-hey, he's just a kid! There's no way he was talking about that kind of girlfriend!" Soma tried to defend himself, but Erina's rage was not one that was easily subdued, especially when it was caused by him.

"THERE IS NO OTHER TYPE OF GIRLFRIEND YOU ABSOLUTE DISGRACEFUL PIECE OF GARBA-"she started before dropping him on to his bed. Soma laid back on the pillow, dizzy from the torment the blonde princess had just delivered.

"Oh my god! Is that what he whispered to you in the gift shop?! And you agreed with him?! The whole time he thought I was your girlfriend?! Did he tell Himiko-san that I WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!" Erina cried out, feeling her life begin to crumble. The thought of such rumors circulating would only mean bad news, especially from someone as well-renowned as Izumi Himiko. First her grandfather, then the tabloids, then the entirety of Totsuki, and then all she would ever be asked about in interviews would be whether the rumors of Princess Nakiri, wielder of the God Tongue, stooped so low as to fraternize with a lowly dumpster diver, only for her pleads of denial to be ignored and haunt her for the remainder of her culinary career. She soon laid on the bed, opposite of Soma who was now sitting up cross-legged, making sure his feet weren't in her face. Erina, however, was too horrified of what the future held for her to be concerned of the placement of Soma's feet.

"Calm down, he promise he wouldn't' say anything to anyone! And that's not what he whispered to me at first at all, so chill!" Soma explained, resting a comforting hand on her knee. Erina jolted up, surprising Soma as he retracted his hand and sniffled.

"So then what did he whisper to you then?!" Erina asked, utterly disappointed in herself for not question such suspicious behavior earlier.

"He said you were really pretty!" Soma finally exclaimed defensively. Erina eyes widened in shock as shot back up while Soma began to scratch his cheeks which soon took on the shade of his hair.

"And I agreed because, well, you know. You are, I guess?" Soma hesitantly answered back, avoiding her wide-eyed gaze who shared just as much, if not more, embarrassment. Erina's cheeks were flushed and she could have sworn her pounding heart could have been heard throughout the entirety of the dorm. She watched Soma's awkward smile as he stared off into space, sniffling every once in a while to break the silence, albeit unintentionally.

Her mind was racing, and words refused to form, stuck in her throat. She was enamored by the rather uncommon view of a flustered Soma. Since he was bedridden all day, his already roguish excuse of a hairstyle was even more disheveled and tumultuous. Though Erina try as she might, she couldn't stop her mind from coming to the conclusion that Soma's bedhead was a good look on him, appreciative of the fact that she among a few select group of people that was able to witness his less-professional state.

"Well, even less professional, I suppose" Erina thought with a sigh. Deciding that someone had to say something, an exasperated sigh was freed, followed by a slight smile.

"Honestly, if this is how you flirt then I have no reason to worry about whether people think we're together or not. Thank you, Soma, your incompetence truly does come in handy" the girl teased, throwing in a haughty giggle. Just as she predicted, Soma's flustered blank stare turned into a gaze of ferocity, jumping back in to combat.

"Hey! I bet I can flirt circles around you, Nakiri! I'd have you all over me for days!" Soma exclaimed. Erina shook her head, unable to figure out if Soma exactly understood what he was implying was simply fighting back. After spending more time than she'd like to admit the bane of her existence, she assumed the later. But she always found Soma's challenges exciting, much more than anyone else's.

Erina's pink lips curved into a sultry smile and ran her hands through her hair, slinging it over her shoulder. Leaning in close, she made sure to plant her finger on Soma's chest, tapping it with increased strength with every word.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me, diner boy" she whispered coyly, easily pushing him on his back. Erina knew this would be the only time she'd have a physical advantage over the boy, and she planned on taking advantage of it.

"Oh yeah? Says who? Not like you've ever been flirted with, let alone flirted with other people" Soma rebelled, crossing his arms against his chest with a huff.

"O-of course I have!" Erina bluffed, angered by Soma's assumption.

"Oh yeah, totally! The guys here are spineless; you look at them a little funny and they'll run home crying for their butlers!" Soma mocked, rising back up. "And besides, the great Erina Nakiri has dared to flirt with another person? I didn't think you had it in you to put that ego of yours away" Soma said with a taunting sneer, pressing the crook of his thumb and index finger against his chin. Erina's mouth was agape as words jumbled up in her throat, unable to retort back. She knew as well as he did that she'd rather keel over and die than give someone the honor of her attention. Puffing up her cheeks, she simply pouted angrily and looked away.

"You speak as if you're some sort of Casanova, Yukihira! Is there anything I should be aware of before I get any complaints of misconduct?" Erina interrogated, turning the question back on him. She watched in disbelief as he stared up at the ceiling in deep thought, upset that the boy was taking her taunt as an actual question.

"Nope, but Megumi has said that I give off the wrong idea to the girls around me, especially the freshman. She brought up Nikumi once, but that was suuuuccchh a stretch! She's just a close friend!" Soma laughed, leaning his back against the backboard of his bedframe, blowing into a tissue once again. Erina fought the urge to slap the boy for his ignorance and dimwittedness. Having read an alarming amount of shoujo manga, Nikumi gave off all the tell-tale signs of being madly smitten for Soma. Though Erina normally adored such romantic scenes in her readings, the thought of Soma being involved in such dilemmas left a bad taste in her mouth. Probably with how that boy instinctively knew all the wrong things to say at all the wrong times, she simply pitied the poor girl who would lament over their broken heart by this numbskull, she thought.

"Honestly, Soma. You're such a moron. What might Tadokoro-chan be saying that you refer to be 'such a stretch'" Erina recited, mimicking Soma's words in an insulting attempt at his voice. Ignoring the obvious jab, Soma simply threw up his index finger.

"Well, for one, she says that Nikumi get's all red when I'm around her. But if that's the case, then what about you? You're always red when I'm around you, too!" Erina twitched at his response, insulted to be compared to Mito. Not that she had anything against her of course, but it simply tickled an unpleasant spot being compared to someone that has the intentions of pursuing something romantic with that "waste of oxygen".

"That's because all you do is anger and stress me out!" Erina exclaimed in dismay, only to be ignored by the redhead.

"She also says that she's always willing to help and that she even came over to my place once, something about it being a sacred thing when a guy invites another girl over" Soma continued to list off, waving a dismissive hand in the air.

"Soma, Mito-chan is someone who's incredibly gifted in her specialty, on top of having a heavily scouted and upcoming presence in the meat industry. Giving up precious time for your little tricks is not something any sane person wou- wait a minute. You invited her to visit Yukihira Diner? Alone?" Erina asked, narrowing her eyes and giving the redhead a glare.

"Uh, yeah. I wanna say it was during that break before the Autumn Elections? Or was it earlier…not too sure…somewhere around that time" Soma said nonchalantly, throwing another skittle into the air and catching it in his mouth. Paying no mind to the fuming Erina, she sat there with millions of thoughts going through her head.

"This…this scumbag! Inviting and manipulating that poor girl's feelings! And what was she doing accepting such a…promiscuous invite! Does she have no shame?!" Erina thought, feeling a low growl form in her throat.

"But like, I was with Mayumi-chan! It could hardly be considered anything romantic, plus it was to help with a new dish I was making!" Soma further explained, not realizing he was only digging his grave even further.

"AND HE TRIED TO ABUSE POOR KURASE-SAN'S FEELINGS AS WELL? WHILE LULLING MITO-SAN WITH SUCH A PATHETIC EXCUSE?! JUST HOW FAR WILL THIS DETESTABLE HUMAN BEING STOOP?!" Erina thought angrily, her blazing fury-filled eyes glaring at the unknowing boy who, she thought, represented everything that was wrong with men, just casually crunching on a snack.

"You, Soma Yukihira, are certainly the most disgusting human being I have ever been so cursed to meet. Manipulating those two without a single care in the world, how can you live with yourself?! The only thing that could stoop as low as your status are your standards!" Erina screamed, trying her hardest to not smother his stupid face with a pillow. Soma raised his scarred eyebrow, confused as to where this sudden outburst had come from.

"Manip- what? What are you talking about? Is it because I invited them over? But I let you come over too! In fact, I let you stay over for like, two days!" Soma argued back, taking the blonde aback. She had tried her hardest not to falter today, but she her strengthened will could not fight back the blush that had snuck up on her.

"W-what are you insinuating, dog?!" Erina stuttered, looking away from Soma.

"I'm saying I let you stay over and we're still friends! So what's the big deal?! What were you thinking?" Soma exclaimed, unable to understand what the problem was. Stunned, she turned her head back towards the redhead who stared back, dumbfounded. A mix of disappointed and relief filled Erina's sigh as she shifted her gaze back and forth, smoothening out her hair.

"W-well, of course! What else could I have been thinking! Nothing more!" Erina exclaimed haughtily, as nodding her head several times in confirmation as if she had been on the same page all along. A condescending sneer developed on Soma's face as he leaned in.

"Oh, so you admit we're friends now, right?" Erina mouth was agape as her lilac eyes widened in pure disbelief.

"That bastard! Getting me all worked up just to lure me into his stupid little trap!" Erina thought. She had to act quick, she refused to give Soma this victory!

"No, I simply agreed that such an act is something you do with everyone. You're like a lost puppy; willing to play nice with anyone!" Erina nodded confidently.

"But weren't you agreeing with Megu-"

"This isn't about Megumi! Just lay down and rest!" Erina shouted back, giving into her urges and lunging forward to grab a pillow, using it to crush Soma against his bed. His frantic flails contrasted with his wild laughter. Erina, infuriated by his taunting cackle pressed harder, only to let out a groan and slamming the pillow on his head, retracting her arms and crossing them against her chest. Soma simply sat back up, struggling to halt his laughter. Glaring at him, she watched as he ran his hand through his even messier crimson hair, making a sudden pang throb in her chest. Once his profuse laughter halted, he narrowed his eyes as a small but sinfully coy smile sent shivers down the blonde's spine.

"Man, is what you and the other girls do at sleepovers? I should join in; this is way too much fun!" Soma exclaimed quickly before the urge to cough overwhelmed him.

"Please, god no. Those are the remaining moment of my teenage years I can spend without you, seeming that you plan to infest every other moment with your presence" Erina whined, too mentally exhausted to combat against Soma's apparent endless reservoir of energy and trickery as she rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples.

"Hehe, sorry about that. It's just…" Soma started, his voice much softer and soothing compared to before, gaining Erina's attention.

"I just really like spending time with you!" Soma admitted with a wide grin, sending Erina's heart into a frenzy. This boy was capable of the saying the most outlandish and outrageous things that offended every single sense of the word "common sense" and angering the blonde with his infuriatingly constant carefree nature, his childish and poorly timed games, and his disgustingly cocky attitude. But then, as if the stars had aligned themselves for the perfect moment, she would forget everything under his enchanting golden eyes that could swoon millions with ease, his unreasonably seductive smile that made her heart lunge out of her chest, and his cheesy lines that just paired too well with his deceptively bad boy appearance. It was all too much for Erina.

She said it once and she'll say it again: Soma was bad for her heart. Letting out probably the fiftieth sigh that day alone, she rested a hand on her cheek at an attempt to hide her blush.

"I suppose…your presence can be a welcomed change of pace" Erina muttered. As much as she hated to admit it, Soma was different. She loved all of her friends and they all treated her like family, but Soma was the first person to never see her as Queen Nakiri. All he ever saw was Erina, and that made her heart do somersaults.

"Wow, can you say that again for me to record? No one believes me when I say that you do actually like me" Soma teased, lightly tapping her shoulder with her fist. Erina couldn't stop a giggle from escaping her lips, amused by the fact that the boy would go around trying to convince those of her secret tender side towards him.

Shaking her head, she looked back at Soma with the same tender eyes he had laid on her, catching the boy off guard, saying "Nope! I think I'll keep this our little secret" Erina quietly whispered, giving the boy a playful wink. The boy gulped and looked away with a nervous smile, surprising Erina.

"Is that what I look like when he says such foolish things? Hm…maybe I can get used to that…" Erina said with a smile. Adrenaline from what she considered to be a victory fueled her next action. She took her hand and gently rested it on Soma's burning cheek, eliciting a quick and subtle gasp as she brought his gaze back to hers.

"I hope that's okay, Yukihira-kun?" Erina spoke in a sultry and calm voice, contrasting greatly compared to her internal emotions of electric exhilaration from being able to fluster the boy as he had done to her so easily for the past year. His gaze shooting back between her and the wall, he slowly gulped and responded.

"I-I mean, I guess that's fine too. I'm cool with that" Soma tried to feign composure, but Erina knew she had the boy right where she wanted. Where she wanted, however, Erina chose to not dwell on.

"Good boy. So you can listen…and telling from your reaction, I believe I proved my ability to "flirt", as you might call it" she said playfully, making the boy's eyes widen in shock. Realizing he had fallen into her trap, he shook his head and smiled back. The girl actually did it; beat him at his own game!

"And so the student has finally surpassed the master" Soma jokingly responded. With a gentle slap, she retracted her hand back and rose up. Pulling on the hem of her shirt to adjust it, she glanced back at Soma over her shoulder and flipped her hair, hypnotizing the boy with her dangerously seductive smirk.

"Please, you'll have to wait several lifetimes before I become any sort of student of yours, Soma" she said with a taunting giggle, only exciting Soma even more. Soma normally either showed no mind or simply had a distaste for overly prideful people.

"Yet Erina Nakiri somehow does it…tastefully. Now, anyways" Soma thought to himself.

"Now lay back down, stupid. You're still burning up, and you need your rest" Erina said, pushing him back, though this time there was no retaliation from Soma. Dipping another set of folded paper towels into the cold water, she rested it on Soma's forehead. A stifled giggle snuck out of her throat at the sight of his child-like glee. His wide smile softened as he stared back at Erina.

"Honestly, I completely forgot I was sick for a moment" he laughed, making the girl roll her eyes. "But thanks. For taking care of me. I guess I really overshot with how much I could take, am I right?" Erina sighed, deciding that as much as she wanted to berate him for his reckless actions, she chose to let him slide. Only this time, though.

"You need to listen to me more often. You're going to get yourself killed at this rate. Stop overworking yourself, you're still a student" A knowing smile creeped onto Soma's face as he raised his scarred eyebrow.

"You're one to talk. I've watched Hishoko organize your schedule. Let's just say even with her making sure to squeeze in your spa treatments, your schedule looks like a losing game of Tetris" Soma joked.

"What my business calls for is none of your concern. I've been trained for this type of load; it's light work at this point"

"Light work or not, you're still a student too. The day I take it easy is the day you do. No way am I letting myself fall behind my number one competition" Erina gave him a demeaning nod, making the boy even smile wider.

"Uh-huh, keep holding onto that one-sided competition. Focus on me too much and Takumi-kun will get jealous" she playfully responded, sitting beside the boy once more.

"Hey, who said I can't have more than one rival" said Soma as his cheeks puffed into a childish pout.

"Wow, I guess we should add "Player" the infamous Soma Yukihira's repertoire" she responded with a devilish smirk, which Soma easily reciprocated with one of his own.

"Na, you just take priority. I did say that God Tongue was mine, remember?" Soma teased, making the girl blush once more followed by a twitch.

"W-what did I say about saying stuff like that?!" Erina reprimanded, trying to conceal her skittishness. Soma chuckled to himself before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"It's getting pretty late. I don't want to keep you up too long; you probably have lots of stuff to do tomorrow" Soma finally said. For a moment, he thought he a glint of disappointment in her eyes, only for it to be filled with her usual icy and proper indifference. He must have imagined it, he thought. She stood up and smoothed her navy blue Yukihira shirt while clearing her throat.

"Yes, I believe so as well. I'll take my leave now; I made some remedial soup that Hisako recommended with my own little flair. Call it a little present if you will. It's on your stove, so be sure to take some before you sleep, or else I'll personally hunt you down for wasting my generosity" Erina declared, making her way towards the doorway. A small laugh melodically rang through Erina's ears.

"Of course, I would never pass up a chance to taste the great Erina's cooking. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself a little more. Can't worry you or the rest of the guys too much" Erina simply nodded in response until Soma's airy voice echoed through the room once more.

"And again…thanks. For everything. I know you're pretty busy with everything you have to do…" Soma trailed off, almost saddened by Erina's constant obligations to lead. Taking a moment to look at the boy, she turned back and grabbed the doorknob.

"Just think of it as paying of my debt for when you took time out to take care of my injury" she simply responded, putting little thought into it. Soma scoffed and smiled.

"Sure, but even if I hadn't, I know you'd pull through. You always do" Soma confidently responded. Erina had no response to that, unable to contain the small smile as she faced the doorway.

"Goodnight, Soma" Erina sweetly said, walking through the door.

"Night, Erina" was the last thing Erina heard before shutting the door behind her. Taking in a refreshing breath of air, she put her hand over her heart, clutching her chest.

"This…fluttery feeling…why?" she thought before the sweet citrus smell from the shirt infiltrated her nostrils once more, causing her smile to spread even more. Shaking her head, she made her way back to the guest room she had once occupied.

The echoes of Erina's heels clicked against the ground as she easily made her way past the many students who had been lounging in the hallway, awaiting their next class. Making way for the blonde, they watched in awe of her beauty and her commanding aura that only elevated her heavenly presence. She truly was the Queen of Totsuki, and no one dared to challenge her for the crown. Stopping before the classroom door, she let out a sigh.

"…That idiot just had to go and get sick, didn't he?" she thought to herself, dreading having to waste time in such a trivial class. She had promised to make time in her schedule for the general education Literature class to ensure Soma would attend, knowing that his unexcused absences would certainly bite him back in the ass, unlike her. She had instinctively almost barged into his room and woke him up for class but stopped herself. He needed his rest, and that took priority over their little deal. Despite this, she still felt every bit betrayed. Letting out a sigh, she walked into the class.

Students instantly turned their heads and gawked at the rare appearance of their headmaster. She quickly scanned the room, meeting their gaze, making them instinctively turn their heads back. Everyone had a copy of Natsume Soseki's Kokoro before them, which Erina made note of. Making her way down to the professor who was still setting up, she politely asked him for a copy. Once she had her copy in her hands, she was preparing herself to take a seat in the mostly vacant first row, ignoring the looks of pure terror mixed with excitement from the few students who had been sitting there. That was, until she noticed one student in the farthest back row who had been lounging ever-so casually with his feet up on the desk, leaning back in their seat with the book resting on their face, covering it. Erina's eyes narrowed, marking her prey as she made her way up to student. The rest of the class watched in absolute horror, praying for the poor soul who was bound to get a close up look on the manifestation of hell itself.

Erina stood beside the sleeping boy, arms crossed against her chest as she tapped her foot. Surely her presence was made aware by the whispers and mutters of the other student, so this trouble had to have been testing her.

"If you dare to have the gall to disrespect my academy, be wary of the punishment" Erina finally announced, sending chills down everyone's spine, including the elderly professor himself. Despite this, no response from the hooligan, instigating Erina to arch an eyebrow.

"Truly a courageous one, aren't we? If you wish to behave in such a manor then I believe there is only one way to- huh?" Erina dagger-like gaze transformed into one of shock as the boy moved the book off his face, unveiling a familiar crazed nest of crimson hair. His long red locks framed his frame with utmost precision, making clear vision of his infamous scarred eyebrow. Despite being unable to see his sly smile behind the black face-mask, his chilling yet relaxed golden orbs piercing into Erina's widened amethyst eyes.

"About time you got here, I was getting bored waiting for you" Soma laughed, slightly muffled by his facemask.

"W-what are you doing here?! You should be resting!" Erina exclaimed in a hush tone, slamming her hand against the table, cuing everyone to turn away and mind their own business. Raising his scarred eyebrow, he looked at her questioningly.

"I promised you that I'd be here, so here I am!" Soma exclaimed happily. Erina stared back in continued shock, unable to process the boy's words. "Oh, by the way! Your soup was delicious! You gotta show me recipe sometime, ya know? I can't wait to see what crazy stuff I can do to it!" Soma continued; his eyes shut yet forming a smile to compensate for his unfairly hidden one. Snapping out of her daze, Erina's lips curled into a small smile as she pulled the chair beside him and sat next to him, completely forgoing the front row.

"So this book is actually kinda interesting. I mean, sometimes. I really wanna know what the sensei is hiding!" Soma continued, flipping through the pages.

"Yes, yes, please try not to spoil it. Also, get your feet off the desk you fool" Erina replied, all the while keeping her smile intact.

A/N: Quick tip for anyone that's trying to write; if you start writing a scene and immediately get hit with writer's block, look over the scene again. At one point, I was going to have Erina change right in front of Soma (of course, turned around), but it just didn't seem right. Erina wouldn't do that, and I struggled to continue with the story and it just kept nagging at me. A lot of parts I had to rewrite here and there, but eventually I got it all to work out and this chapter ended up wayyy longer than intended LOL but it all Gucci. Anyway, onto reviews~

43: Thank you thank you~ Honestly I really thought about it and I feel like Nene would be the only one to actually say something like that, and of course it would be directed to Kuga LOL just a little jokey joke I wanted to toss in there

Guest: Here you go you don't have to wait any longer

I'mAlsoAWe: Thank you for reading! Here you go uwu

Whatermelown: YEEEE Soma gotta learn his limits, that boy go crazy over little shit. And yes, sexual tension is fun with these two because they're so stand-offish with each other, Soma unintentionally ofc. As for Mana, I found her to be an interesting character but done kinda…lame? Idk Mana won't really make much of an appearance here, but if I ever plan a sequel, who knows~

Guest: Listen, when I'm on a roll, I'm on A ROLL. It becomes so fun to write when scene just flow, but it's also really cool when a chapter I struggle on just comes together (this chapter is a perf example, but now look at it…10k+ works LOL)

Jponseph: AWWW I'M SORRY BUT ALSO NOT REALLY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE POINTTTT. As much as I love Soma for always keeping his cool, it makes him a little too perfect, ya know. I don't want to make him super sappy, because that's just not him but also I wanna give him a break, being tough all the time isn't always fun.

That's all the reviews for 17~ I might start going back and tweaking some parts of the story, little line changes that just make the story a little more coherent so yah. Hope you guys enjoyed and please do leave a review~