Summary: When Erina and her friends go on a skiing trip and she meets her hot new skiing instructor, she decides to enlist help from the last person she ever thought she'd ask for flirting advice...

Rating: T, subject to change. Let me know in the comments if you guys have a preference for rating.

Disclaimer: I do not own SnS or any of the characters, only this plot.

"I'll check us in," Alice called out excitedly as she walked through the luxurious winter resort lobby. She commanded the boys holding her suitcases, "Be gentle with my bags please!"

Her muscular aide grunted subserviently, lugging her giant suitcases behind him, but Akira demanded irritatedly, "Why did you pack so much? We're only going to be here for a week."

Ryo growled, "There's no point in arguing with her. She overpacks for every vacation and she'll never stop."

Alice pouted, "Stop complaining, you're getting a free trip out of this! Besides, I obviously needed options to change from skiing to lounging to fine dining." She quickly made her way to the front desk and began checking everyone in.

Erina and Hisako giggled as they watched the men struggle under the weight of Alice's bags and made their way into the cozy lobby. The fireplace was burning, a giant glimmering Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner of the room, and the floor-to-ceiling windows gave a stunning view of the snow-covered mountains. Erina sighed contentedly, thinking of how much she'd be able to relax here.

The Lab Coat Trio, Erina, and Hisako had decided to take a trip to the mountains during winter break of their last year at Tōtsuki. Their workload as third years was quite simply unbearable, and with all her headmistress duties on top of that, Erina was finding herself buried in work without a single moment of free time. When her grandfather had planned this trip for them and proposed to temporarily handle her work over the holidays, Hisako had forced her to agree. While she hated that her grandfather had to step in and help her, Erina reluctantly admitted that she needed a break. It was at the point where she couldn't even sleep at night because she laid awake thinking of all the paperwork awaiting her in the morning.

This trip would be good for her, she decided. Trips to the sauna, daily massages, and watching the snow float gently down onto the mountains was the perfect way to unwind after this stressful year and prepare for their remaining semester.

Erina and Hisako sank down into the fluffy couches and were greeted by employees bearing hot drinks. They chatted excitedly about their upcoming vacation until suddenly, she spotted him.

Erina's eyes fell out of her head and her heartrate quickened when she saw a boy with flaming red hair walk in the lobby, lugging his suitcase inside. She jumped up from her seat and gasped, "Y-Yukihira! What are you doing here?!"

Soma's eyes lit up in recognition and his face broke into a giant cheerful smile. He let his bag drop from his shoulder and held out his arms in greeting, exclaiming, "Surprise!"

Erina and Hisako watched in astonishment as the rest of the usual gang filtered into the resort, loudly and animatedly taking in the lavish setting. They all waved over to the stunned girls, clearly unaware that their presence hadn't been expected. Hisako excitedly went over to greet their friends while Erina did her best to calm her heart's rapid beating and the massive backflip her stomach made every time she saw Soma.

Erina placed her hands forcefully on her hips, as if standing her ground. She asked exasperatedly, "What are you doing here, Yukihira? You said you guys were all staying at the dorms over the break!"

Soma shrugged, "Well, Kurokiba told me you guys were going here and I figured, why not! Fancy resort, snowboarding, cooking? Besides, it's our last year together. I thought it'd be fun to hang out during the break! Alice said you'd be happy to see me." He winked as he said his last words, enjoying the blush that spread across her cheeks.

She better sleep with one eye open tonight, Erina thought grimly.

The blonde growled, "Alice shouldn't speak for other people about things she knows nothing about!"

Her classmate teased, "So you're not happy to see me?"

She faltered, "W-well, I didn't say that!"

Soma smirked, "See how much fun we're having already?" He laughed at the annoyed look on Erina's face and assured her, "Seriously, don't worry about us! We're not gonna embarrass you at your fancy resort."

Erina rolled her purple eyes but a hint of a smile graced her lips. By now, she had collected herself and reverted to her icy persona, commenting haughtily, "I should hope not. This place is far above your usual standards, I'm sure. No offense, but how exactly can you afford a place like this?"

The resort was the best money could buy, and it was unlikely Soma's father had given him enough to stay for the week; similarly, their other friends, apart from Ikumi Mito, didn't seem to come from wealthy families either.

Soma explained, "All it took was a little negotiating with the manager to get us all jobs in exchange for room and board. Their chefs get their paid time off and we have a free place to stay in exchange for doing what we love. It's a win/win!"

Erina crossed her arms loftily and smirked, "My, my, I suppose the standards here have really gone down if they'd hire you without testing your food. I suppose Tōtsuki's reputation really holds its weight. Try not to tarnish the name, okay?"

Soma chuckled at her taunt and shrugged, "I'll do my best! Come by the restaurant sometime this week and I'll whip up something special for ya!"

She giggled, "Leave me alone, I'm on vacation! I really don't want to do any tastings this week! I just want to relax."

He groaned dramatically, "Nakiri, if I'm not challenging you, how am I gonna get my fix? I need it to survive!"

Erina raised an eyebrow and her mouth twisted into a wry smile, "I'm assuming you had a life before we met? I believe you'll find a way to carry on without me."

Soma muttered without thinking, "Maybe I don't want to."

Erina's eyes widened in shock and her heart lurched, but before she could analyze his statement, Soma quickly added, "Ah, I know, how about a little skiing competition by the end of the break?"

He gave her a crooked smile, and Erina instantly recognized the familiar twinkle of mischief in his golden eyes. She hesitated, as she'd never actually gone skiing, but the cocky grin on his face and his teasing were all it took.

"What? Don't you know how to ski?"

She tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and bristled, "Shouldn't you know by now, Yukihira? I can do anything!"

Without further hesitation, Erina stuck out her hand and declared, "Get ready to eat my snow, diner boy."

The redhead chuckled and shook her hand in response. "You're somethin' else, Nakiri."

For whatever reason, she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up as they always did whenever this man was involved. The warmth from his hand and his cheeky smile brought butterflies to her stomach, and she felt her heart twinge when he reluctantly pulled his hand away. He cleared his throat, "Anyways, I should probably go help everyone with their bags from the car. I'll see you around!"

She wistfully watched as Soma turned back out toward the parking lot, and as soon as he was out of sight, she rushed to the front desk where Alice was. She whispered frantically to the concierge, "I need a private ski lesson every day this week! I'll pay anything!"

Alice, who was in the midst of finishing up the paperwork, frowned, "Since when are you a fan of anything involving the cold? I've invited you to go skiing hundreds of times and you've always said no!"

Erina grimaced, "Since stupid Yukihira came and challenged me!"

Alice's head whipped around in search of the boy as she asked, "What? He's here?"

The blonde gave a deadly glare and hissed, "They're all here thanks to your guard dog's big mouth!"

Erina turned to face the concierge who wore a quiet smile of amusement and repeated, "Can I please get a private skiing lesson for this week?"

The concierge nodded, "Of course, ma'am. We have many world-class instructors you can choose from. Oh, in fact, here comes one of them now!"

The girls turned toward the instructor and were instantly floored by what they saw. Standing before them was the most stunningly handsome man the girls had ever seen. His tan skin and striking green eyes were enough to rival the men in Erina's romance novels!

The concierge introduced the two startled girls to the older boy, saying, "Brad is one of our oldest employees. He'd certainly be willing to teach you how to ski."

The twenty-year-old nodded in agreement, "For sure! By the time we're done, you'll be shredding down the slopes like a pro!" He shot them a dazzling white smile, causing Alice to nearly faint into Erina's arms.

Erina, still in shock, nodded mutely in response to his assertion, barely registering the time and place they would meet the following morning to begin their lessons.

When they finished checking in, Alice grabbed her cousin's arm and dragged her towards the elevators. She waved Hisako over to join them, and once the doors closed, she squealed, red eyes wide, "Oh my god, that was the hottest guy I've ever seen!"

The pink-haired girl queried, "Who?!"

Alice blurted out, "Erina's new ski instructor! I swear, if I wasn't already an expert on the slopes, I'd be the first in line for one-on-one lessons!"

Erina blushed and crossed her arms, annoyed at how good-looking he was. She really hated being flustered. First Yukihira, now this guy? She huffed grumpily, "He was okay."

Alice laughed, "Just okay?! He was like supermodel hot! You should totally ask him out!"

Erina's jaw dropped in surprise and she finally sputtered out, "Are you crazy? I-I can't just ask out a stranger, don't be ridiculous! Besides, he should be the one to ask me out!"

The girls found their room at the end of the hall and swiped past the door, entering the grand deluxe suite that had been prepared especially for them.

Alice dropped her bags on the bed closest to the window and exclaimed, "Girls can make the first move too! Come on, you're a strong independent woman! You're the headmistress of your own school!"

Hisako smirked, "If he's so great, why don't you ask him out?"

Alice sighed unperturbedly, "You know I've already got my eye on someone else." She turned to face Erina and winked, "Think of it as a Christmas gift from me to you. Besides, you've gotta get out there sometime. We're third years and you've never even been on a date. Some real-world experience wouldn't kill you."

Erina scowled but said nothing, dropping onto her bed in thought. It wasn't her fault she'd never been on a date! No one at Tōtsuki dared even approach her, let alone flirt with her. How was she supposed to know what to do or say when it came to boys when she had absolutely zero experience in the subject?

Why did it even matter? She wasn't looking to date or get involved with anyone at the moment. The only thing that mattered to Erina was becoming the greatest chef this world had ever known. Yet, despite her rational thoughts, she couldn't shake Alice's comments from her mind. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to practice dating...

Erina blushed, "I wouldn't even know where to start! I've never…"

She wavered, embarrassed at how personal this conversation had become. Alice was the last person she ever wanted to discuss her dating habits (or lack thereof) with.

The white-haired girl smiled coyly, "Just start by flirting with him! I'm sure he's used to it since he's GORGEOUS."

Erina slammed her hands down on the bed and exclaimed, "Exactly! He's probably used to hundreds of girls flirting with him, but I don't even know how, so I'm going to look like an idiot! He's never going to think I'm interested!"

Hisako giggled, "It doesn't matter if you embarrass yourself because this guy is a total stranger and you'll never see him again! I say go for it."

Alice's jaw dropped at her new ally's statement; Erina's assistant and her rarely saw eye to eye on things, but for once it seemed they agreed. Erina needed to go out on a date.

Erina grumbled, "It doesn't matter if he's a stranger; I don't want to humiliate myself by trying to 'seduce' him or whatever!"

Alice groaned, "You are being ridiculous! You're telling me you're too embarrassed to practice flirting even with a stranger? How will you ever get a boyfriend?!"

Hisako interrupted Alice's rant, suggesting helpfully, "Erina, I think I have an idea… Maybe what you need is a dry run with a friend to practice on! Someone with whom you are already familiar, but don't really care about them seeing you like that. I think that may help you loosen up and become more comfortable."

Alice chimed in, "I agree. That way you can get all the embarrassment out of your system first before approaching Instructor McHottie. I could ask Ryo to help…"

Erina held up a hand, cutting her off. "No way! Kurokiba is either emotionless or terrifying, neither of which would be conducive to this experiment."

Hisako offered, "Hayama could help? Although I can't picture him flirting with anyone." The girls had seen his stoic expressions upon receiving Valentine's chocolates from unsuspecting girls and they decided at once, he would not be fun to flirt with.

Alice smirked, "That leaves one option…"

All three girls stared at each other.

Erina yelled, "NO! Absolutely not!"

Alice grinned, "He'd be perfect! He already flirts with you all the time, even if he doesn't know it."

Hisako stifled a laugh and nodded solemnly, "You definitely care the least about his opinion out of all the guys, and you know he'd be willing to help you."

Erina buried her horror-stricken face into her hands and screamed silently. No fucking way was she going to ask HIM.

The following day, Soma, Yuki, and Megumi got up at the crack of dawn to prepare breakfast for their first shift at the hotel's restaurant. They employed the skills they had carefully crafted over the last 3 years and served their dishes with as much attention to detail as they would during a Shokugeki, carefully refining each dish to meet their guest's exact specifications. The guests of the hotel were blown away by the refinement and delectable food, and the restaurant outsold its average by 300%! Their delicious meals received so many compliments in fact, that the manager came over to personally congratulate them and offer them free lift tickets for the mountain!

After a few hours of hard work, they had finally earned the right to go enjoy the snow. They excitedly geared up and headed toward the snowy mountain. While Megumi chose to stay on the bunny slopes for the duration of the day while she got the hang of skiing, Soma and Yuki, who were also amateurs, threw themselves off the greens and blues, totally unfazed by the twists and turns of the mountainous slopes.

Soma cheered and whooped as he flew down at lightning speed while Yuki screamed in delight close behind him! They could feel the cold wind beating against their exposed cheeks and the smooth snow beneath their boards as they practiced careening down the mountain in the frigid air.

After the tenth time of throwing themselves down a particularly vertical blue, Yuki yelled out, "Again!" to which Soma grinned, "Hell yeah!"

His heavy trudging through the snow stopped however, when he caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair peeking out under a purple helmet. Soma chuckled as he watched Erina and Alice bicker as usual, catching the tail end of their conversation as he hiked towards them.

Alice was laughing uncontrollably, barely able to get her words out, "You…sounded like you were…negotiating the terms of a business deal!"

A mortified Erina seethed and shouted, "I told you I don't know what I'm doing!"

Alice sang back playfully, "You know what you could do…"

Soma called out cheerfully, interrupting their fight, "Yo, Nakiris! How's it going?"

He noticed Erina's face had gone as red as his hair for some reason, and she dutifully avoided eye contact with him. Alice merely smirked, "Oh hi, Yukihira! We're having a blast. How's it going for you?"

Soma high-fived Yuki, exclaiming, "Awesome! We just finished up our shift at the restaurant and now we're just shreddin'. This girl's a total natural!"

The teal-eyed girl squealed, "Yup! So is Yukihira! Erinacchi, I'd be worried about facing him! It may be his first time but he's already destroying the blues!"

Erina gaped at him furiously, "Are you telling me that you challenged me to something you'd never even done before? You presumptuous little…"

But her sentence was cut off by her new ski instructor Brad skidding to a halt right in front of the girls, a thin layer of snow flying out from under his skis.

Brad took sight of the newcomers and abruptly exclaimed, "Yukihira! What's up, bro?!"

To Erina's horror, Brad and Soma fist bumped and greeted each other like old pals!

Brad clarified, "I met this crazy dude at breakfast and let me tell you, he makes the BEST omelets ever! They're like super fluffy and bouncy!"

Soma chuckled and winked to Erina, offering his signature catchphrase, "It wasn't much!"

Brad continued, "Hey man, do you wanna ski with us? Technically it's a private lesson but since you guys are friends I'm sure Nakiri wouldn't mind, right?"

Erina fumed but tried her best to maintain her sweet demeanor, and she said through gritted teeth, "I'm sure Yukihira has better things to do."

Soma could only imagine the black diamonds they were skiing on, since he figured the wealthy Nakiri family probably had access to remote skiing locations all around the world. He shrugged, "Eh, today's only my first day but yeah I'm down to go on some crazier slopes!"

Brad shook his head in confusion, "Nah, don't worry, man! She's a beginner just like you. We mainly just did the bunny slopes and greens today."

Soma's jaw dropped, and his eyes gleamed with amusement as he sent Erina his best "caught ya" grin. The audacity of this girl to get mad for doing the exact same thing… He clapped a hand on her shoulder and stated firmly, "No worries, I wouldn't wanna interrupt her first lesson! She's got a big competition coming up at the end of the week and I'd hate to distract her."

With that, he shot her a final parting grin as he and Yuki took off to dominate the mountain once more.

Later that evening…

*knock knock*

Soma rolled out of bed leisurely, despite the incessant knocking at the door. Must be Takumi… he thought absentmindedly, recalling how the blonde Italian had sworn to challenge him on the slopes. He cracked open the hotel door to reveal a very nervous-looking Erina. Soma smiled warmly, "Yo, what's up?"

She kept her eyes glued to the floor and wrung her hands together nervously, stammering, "G-Good evening, Yukihira. May I speak with you for a moment?"

Soma felt that something must've been terribly wrong for her to be so apprehensive, and he allowed her to pass into his room. He asked worriedly, "Nakiri? Is everything okay?"

She squirmed in place for a while before finally lifting her face to meet his, only for her cheeks to burn as ferociously as the fireplace in his room when she came face-to-face with a shirtless (and well-built) Soma.

She blurted out tensely, "Put on a shirt, Yukihira! God, what is wrong with you?! Don't you have any decency in the company of a lady?!"

Soma blinked, then burst out laughing, "Alright, there she is! Phew, you were beginning to worry me!" He casually threw on a t-shirt, hiding his well-defined muscles from view. His smile never left his face as he continued to watch her fidget uncomfortably.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he asked calmly, "Seriously though, is something wrong?"

She nodded, then shook her head, clearly conflicted with herself. Erina slapped a hand across her forehead and muttered, "This was ridiculous, forget I came here."

She whirled around to leave, but Soma caught her hand. He pulled her around to face him, searching her amethyst eyes for any sign of distress.

He reassured her in a low voice, "Hey, it's okay. You can tell me. What's going on?"

As much as he loved to tease her, Erina was one of his best friends, and he would never want her to be unhappy in any way.

Her palms were sweaty, and she glanced down towards her feet, unwilling to meet his golden gaze. She closed her eyes and forced the words out, "I need your help."

Soma glanced worriedly at her squeezed fists and flushed cheeks, and he nodded in agreement. "Sure thing, what do you need?"

Erina groaned and ran a hand aggressively through her hair. Every word was like poison on her tongue.

"I need you… to teach me… how… to… flirt."