-One-shot-

Nakiri Erina was had been very unconcerned by the fact that there was another vacant building directly across from the place that she had selected for her third restaurant. She knew that in the vicinity of this quaint and aged piece of Rome had been a popular place for all types of stores. From bars to specialty shops, this was a haven for any tourist and consequently heaven for anyone who had business here. Her foresight had allowed her to reserve this location ever since she had first looked across the globe for suitable places for her to open restaurants.

Now in her late twenties, she had two awarded restaurants under her belt as well as many other pop-ups opened in relation to her various classmates from Totsuki which had been well received every single time. Of them, the most talked about was the one she created in cooperation with her flighty cousin, which shook the globe and brought people from far and wide.

A small smile played on her lips as recalled those busy days, even though most were there for the food, it was not lost on her that there was a significant number that only wanted a glimpse of the famously austere Nakiri women. Of course, none of them ever got close to touching Erina's infamous cold heart.

Except maybe that person who happened to doggedly follow her seemingly everywhere. She could still recall the easy grace, something new that she never even knew he could have, that he slipped into the kitchen. His golden eyes sparkling with some unknown secret as he greeted her with a sarcastic salute.

Erina shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts as she looked back at the designs for the interior of her new restaurant, going for a rustic but upscale environment. There was no time to be wasted, and especially not on someone like him. Yes, she wasn't going to spare another second thinking about that source of aggravation, not when there was still the décor to be finalized and the menu to be decided upon for the opening night. She supposed there was also the issue of finding a few cooks as well, but that could wait after the opening month so she could take her time training them.

Her office had already been mostly furnished on the second floor of the three-story building that she now owned, and that was where she had been spending most of her time in the past few weeks. She was distracted from her work by her phone buzzing insistently on her desk and upon glancing at the contact name, she picked up immediately.

"Megumi-san," she greeted evenly, not at all surprised at the blue-haired woman's call as they had promised to contact each other today, "Good morning, it's quite early in Japan, isn't it? You could've called me a bit later; I still would've been awake."

Erina-san, you shouldn't be going to sleep so late! Especially when you're going to be opening a restaurant soon. There was worry in her friend's voice that caused the strawberry blonde's lips to turn into a small smile.

"Thank you, I'll try my best to rest well before opening night," there's a subtle warmth to her words, quite insignificant compared to what was held in her friend's voice, but that was more than enough to convey her feelings. "I'm just glad that…scoundrel isn't here to mess things up, I've been waiting forever to open a place up in Rome."

There is a pregnant pause on the other end of the line, and a chill crept up Erina's spine. A trail of expletives sounded in her mind because there is only one reason Megumi would stay silent in regard to Erina's mention of Yukihira: when she was sorely mistaken about his actions.

A soft sigh sounds in her ear as she hears Megumi's indistinct words coming through the phone, "I should've known, it's not your fault. Although, how he knew is a separate question…if he's really going to be here, I'll just deal with it when it comes."

Erina-san, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier! It's just-well—! He's um, you know—

She cuts off the rambling Megumi, there was nothing else she really expected from someone like him. There was no doubt he likely blackmailed the timid girl into not telling her anything, it seemed in character enough. Although this only posed another headache and unpredictable factor into her plans for her grand opening.

But when the faint annoyance passes, a glint appeared in her fuchsia irises that would've hooked literally any onlooker and made them her willing slave. Her mind hummed quietly, competitiveness rising like a tidal wave as she threw herself into her work once more with some added fire.

Yukihira. If you hadn't shown up, I would've been surprised. If there's anything you hate more than losing, it's losing to me.

. . .

Several Months Ago

"What was that?" Erina's eyes flashed with fury, nearly glowing in the dim lighting of the kitchen that was empty save the two of them, the restaurant cleared up after the incident prior, "I had it handled, you didn't have to stick your nose into that."

The redhead's arms were braced against the large metal island in the centre of the state-of-the-art kitchen, head hanging slightly so he wasn't facing her. The tense line of his broad shoulders strained slightly against the shirt that he had tucked into his slacks. If Erina wasn't so angry, she would've been staring at the way the unusual outfit had outlined his lean frame, but no, she was very cross with him right now.

A dry scoff emerged from his throat as he lifted himself off the counter in a fluid movement, turning so that he was facing her with a frown still on his face. "Didn't look like that to me."

"I was just ensuring that he would be present for Tōtsuki's promotional event next week, although he may sometimes come across as somewhat unsavoury," the headmistress of said school flicked her hair over her shoulder, the tresses undone from what had happened earlier. "You of all people should know I can stand up for myself."

"Ain't saying you can't, but you don't get it," Soma's golden eyes glittered in the low light as quiet fury flashed through them at the reminder of what had occurred. "He just wanted to take advantage of the fact you didn't wanna piss him off, he didn't give you the respect you deserved as the headmistress."

She couldn't really argue with him there, even if she was annoyed at the scene he made, it would be silly to say that she wasn't relieved when Soma had cut in-between them. The second-generation heir of one of their largest providers had sidled up to her as service was ending with the excuse of discussing one of the entrées he had sampled. Her ire was already spiking when he placed a 'gentle' hand on her arm as he complimented the flavour of the rabbit stew. A chilling smile emerged onto her icy countenance that went unnoticed as he continued his drivel that she put up with a feigned expression of concern.

This had to be the densest idiot to have ever lived, she concluded in her mind as he ignored the multiple cues that she had to finish up and discuss with her team. But alas, he had the comprehension ability of a spoon, "…why do you keep your hair up like that, it would look so much better down."

A fatal error, Erina realized as this imbecile was about to lay a grubby paw on her hair. It was too bad she had been busy thinking about other more important things to suitably put him in his place. Just as she was gearing up to rip this useless waste of space a new one, a low demand cut through the kitchen.

"Get your hands off of her," the voice is familiar and sends pleasant shivers down her spine, and Erina has to decide whether she's relieved or annoyed. Thankfully the next words the spill out of his mouth make that decision for her. "She's mine."

Turning back to situation at hand, she narrows her eyes at his now much taller figure with a slight disgruntlement, "That doesn't mean you get to storm in here and declare that you own me."

"I might not, but I have more of a right to those words than that idiot," a wry smirk appears on his lips as he tries not to remember the scene to maintain his slightly calmer head. He just didn't understand why she hadn't just thrown his arm off and let that random guy be as close as he was to her. It took him an entire year for her not to look at him as he were some mildly disgusting and annoying disturbance.

"No. No you do not. I am nobody's," Erina ground out, anger and frustration spilling over to the way she crossed her arms over her chest. "Least of all yours." How dare he proclaim some sort of claim over her when he hadn't even made an effort to make whatever it was between them official. Not that she was nervous he hadn't felt as deeply as she did, but it was rude to keep a lady, especially of her calibre, waiting.

Her words have the intended effect of stirring some reaction from him, although she seemed to have misjudged the severity of the blow. Soma seems to have lost his rationality for a hot minute as the words slip out, "That's not what you said a couple of nights ago."

To his credit, immediate regret hits him like a truck but it's too late. Erina heard him and that was all there was to it. She swallowed the impending wave of hurt because how dare he speak of it in this manner, what had occurred deserved more than to be brought up as a point in an argument. Perhaps she was simply foolish in her thinking of that night as something sacred, he clearly didn't feel the same.

"I guess our words then simply mean nothing because you seem to treat them as such." The strawberry-blonde chef's voice was startling level, it was able to cover the inflections of hurt that shone clearly on her face. "Since it's like this, I don't see why you're still here Yukihira. We both have places to be, people to meet and being here is a waste of time."

She spun on her heel to storm out of her own kitchen, she didn't have the capacity to realize that this would be the very first time, only for Soma to catch her wrist gently in his hand. There were a million reasons why she should've just yanked her arm out of his grip that demanded nothing, but she waited.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it—it was more than that. You're—you…" his voice trailed off uncertainly and Erina almost regrets staying because hearing him waver hurt more than she would've thought. She was the real idiot this evening, why did she ever hope?

"I'll save you the struggling, you probably say the same thing to everyone you've been with. I should've expected as such," she wasn't going to look at him, "I don't want to see you again, not for a long time."

"You're not!" The exclamation is immediate and nearly thunderous as it burst forth with an intensity that surprised himself. She was so much more than a fling, or even a lover, she was…

But Erina was done with this conversation, she retorted coldly, "Prove it." Before she pulled her arm from his hand and walked out of her restaurant and towards the car that waited for her. Sending a quick voice message to her assistant to come to the place to lock it down after Soma left, she rested her head back against the seat in an effort to relax. It wouldn't do to stay, she decided.

So she would go.

. . .

He surprisingly doesn't show during her opening night, the shopfront across from hers stays obstinately empty for a few weeks, not that she's paying particular attention or anything. But there couldn't be any other reason for that convenient opening so close to her restaurant that has been met with raving reviews, by the way, it had to be him.

So when he does show up, she's surprised at how nonchalant and void of burning competition he was. His red hair is lit up beautifully by the sun behind him, smile wide and beaming brighter than the late evening sun. She only barely stops himself from running up to hm because by God if she didn't want to kiss him just as much as she wanted to kill him.

"Yo," his golden eyes bright with affection as he sees her, "How's the Goddess of the Culinary World doing? Or is she too busy to take a little walk with me?"

The teasing that she had grown accustomed to receives a well-timed eyeroll, "Don't tell me you also read that drivel in those magazines. Ridiculous, I am the Headmistress of Tōtsuki, there is no title more befitting of my station."

"Still the same, aren't ya." But before she could make any comment otherwise, he enfolds her into a tight embrace that she returns without the slightest bit of hesitation. Even if they had left off on such a sour note, he was a friend that had marched through flames with her and…she had missed him.

. . .

"For once you're the one who chased me." There was a sardonic lilt to the words as the seated themselves in the fully furnished restaurant when Erina had expected a half-done mess as she had yet to see anyone even enter it the time she was here. "I've had this place for a while now, but never had the time to really get it off the ground and running."

"That was far from my intention, the exact opposite actually," she huffed, feigning annoyance at his teasing. But it seemed funny that this would've happened, fate was a funny thing indeed.

Soma smiled, "I know, even if I kinda deserved it." He doesn't need a crystal ball to know the blonde heiress was ballooning in anger at his words, because she most definitely would retaliate.

"Kind of? You totally, completely, and wholly deserved it!" She spun on her barstool to glare at him, her voice lowered into a softer mumble, "Especially after being such a boor."

"Okay, I'll admit it. I was an idiot, but even you can't deny that you aren't hard to read with all the mixed signals you send. Give a guy a break," Soma leaned on the tall bar table with an elbow as he studied the way a pink flush appeared on her ethereal face. He would never actually tell her just how helpless he was to her, but he doubted he had to voice it for her to know.

"Well—it's not like—you're any better at it!" the awkward defense she put up was not convincing in the slightest and she opts instead to lean forward and poke his chest with an angry finger. "You're always gallivanting across the word with this person and that, how would I know whether or not you mean what you say?"

"Erina, you know better than me that most of those people are our hold schoolmates," Soma gently took her hand in his, warm palm gently cradling hers with care that hid nothing. "Besides, you were too busy to go on some extended trip for a month. And…" he gently places a kiss on her knuckles.

"There had never been anyone besides you that made me want to cook, crave praise," his eyes shone brilliantly, completely open and glowing with emotion. "It took me a while to realize it, but there will be no one after you. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Erina was not going to cry, this wasn't even the most romantic thing that's ever been said to her, objectively speaking. But it seemed her body wasn't listening because her eyes glittered like amethysts, the film of liquid reflecting the setting sun and creating an image that was near blinding. "You better be." The chiding words could be ignored because in the next second she had reached over with her free hand and grabbed Soma's shirt and pulled so her lips connected with his.

. . .

"No. You cannot name it that!" Erina's voice was high-pitched and flustered as she shook an already dizzy Soma. "It's so embarrassing. Think of something else!"

But he was able to convince her otherwise, somehow.

And that was how Nakiri Erina's restaurant in Rome ended up right across from Fantastic Trims and Cuts, the best sandwich shop in the city. As much as she hated it, seeing it and its owner never failed to bring a smile to her face.

(Trim = Na Cut=Kiri)