Gradually, the heavy breathing grew heavier. Megumi glanced nervously over at the violet-eyed girl seated beside her.

Erina gripped the shoujo manga between her delicate fingers tightly, staring so intently at the book that it seemed to shake and shy away from her wide eyes. The pages depicted a rather scandalous scene that Megumi couldn't help but blush at.

"Um. Nakiri-san, what's that?"

Erina blinked before turning around. "Oh. This? It's... um –" she glanced down at the book "– a kissing scene?"

The way she said it, Megumi would have thought it was a strictly pure, PG-13 kiss. The drawings objected.

"Yes," Megumi said, deciding to humour her, "but why is the guy on the girl – er, nevermind."

"Actually," Erina scoffed, "they're in such a position because they're in love." Was it Megumi's imagination or did her voice reach an excited, giddy pitch?

"Eh? That's how you know they like each other?"

"Maybe." Erina shrugged, continuing her analysis." But I cannot possibly fathom why a girl like her would like a guy such as him." She glared at the male character accusingly. "He's arrogant, annoying, and not at all good-looking."

Well, Megumi thought those insults sounded rather disturbingly familiar coming from the esteemed cook's mouth. "Why does she like him then?" she asked curiously.

"Because –" violet eyes seemed to spark with quiet happiness and for a moment, Megumi caught a glimpse of the side Erina locked away in public – "love is love."

Megumi stared, then giggled at the innocence of that.

It was a loud bang that awoke the blue-haired girl from her sleep. Dismissing it someone dropping their pots or pans, she closed her eyes –

– then opened them wide open when voices began to speak, right outside her room's door.

"–... you... idiot!"

Oh? The tone of it sounded like someone she knew. She sat up and slipped out of bed quietly, creeping towards the door.

"–... didn't know... clumsy..."

She twisted the doorknob, cringing slightly as it creaked, though the people outside didn't seem to notice. Megumi nervously peered out the crack.

A red-haired boy stared down at a violet-eyed girl sprawled underneath him, smirking slightly as her cheeks blushed furiously. His body leaned over hers in a position exactly like the one depicted in Erina's manga earlier.

Megumi gasped, feeling as though she was intruding. No– even worse, she was third-wheeling.

"You're the one who tripped me!" Erina hissed furiously.

"Well," Soma drawled with a hint of amusement, "you're the one who dragged me down with you."

"You grabbed me!"

"I was trying to catch you!"

An indignant, disbelieving scoff escaped the violet-eyed girl. "I hate you. Yukihira, you are the worst."

"Oh?" Soma grinned. "But you're not making any effort to move. You haven't pushed me off yet..." He brushed a strand of hair off her face. "And you're blushing... Erina. It's cute."

A blink. Then two. Then a mortified shriek shook the entire dorm. "You. Are. Arrogant. Annoying. And not at all good-looking! Get off me at once!"

Megumi retreated back into her room, slightly concerned for Soma's life. She shrugged them off.

Oh, well. Love is love.