silence in a foreign city

Nakiri Erina thought that Yukihira Souma was someone she would have never get along with. Now, a year after their graduation from Totsuki Academy, she could not imagine how she would live without the red-head man in her life.

"Oi, Erina," Yukihira called, grabbing her left shoulder softly. His hands were warm and gentle. Anytime he would hold her, she would feel comforted immediately. He was stable and familiar, someone that she could trust her life with. That was what she felt when he held her hand.

"What is it, Souma-kun?" Nakiri replied tiredly, peeking behind her with her soft purple eyes. They were hazy, almost threatening to close, but they were still mildly aware of the surroundings.

He stared at her worriedly before commenting, "You need to sleep."

To which Nakiri cried out in alarm, "No! I have to finish all the financial reports by tomorrow! You know how Hisako gets if I miss the deadline…"

Yukihira clicked his tongue, narrowing his golden eyes on the state of his friend. "She'd understand. You haven't slept properly for two days."

"And you have?" she bit back, knowing that he too was working just as hard as she was. She knew of his unreasonable shifts- entering the restaurant at five in the morning and leaving when it was almost midnight.

He smiled softly, but it did not quite reach his tired eyes. He replied, "I suppose we both need some rest."

"I don't." Nakiri stubbornly insisted, pulling her shoulder and focusing her attention on the stack of papers in front of her.

Yukihira sighed. He sat on the dirt brown colored sofa in front of Nakiri's desk, and waited. Her office was quite large, and it reminded Yukihira of the Elite Ten Council room. The carpet was wine red, like the kind Yukihira and Nakiri shared over dinner one night- Merlot was it? Yukihira didn't usually drank wine. Still, that carpet matched the heavy curtains of the large windows behind Nakiri. The dark mahogany boards, meanwhile, matched the desk Nakiri was currently using. It was fancy, and what you would expect from a restaurant of the Nakiri family.

"You can go home, Souma-kun." Nakiri said, without looking up from what she was writing.

Yukihira glanced at her. She had started tying her corn colored hair into a neat bun these past few months even when she was not in the kitchen, instead of letting it all down every time. She was still wearing her chef's uniform just as he was, considering that they both had just ended their respective shifts. She was clearly tired, but from her perfect posture, one wouldn't notice at first glance.

"I'll wait for you," he said.

"You don't have to do that."

"You keep saying that, but I would still wait for you no matter what."

Nakiri stopped writing. She pursed her chapped lips and furrowed her thin eyebrows, but still did not look up. Whispering, hoping that Yukihira would not hear it but also hoping he would, "Why do you keep pursuing me?"

Yukihira wanted to answer, but found himself speechless. He could mention that it was because she was an independent woman and he appreciated how she knew what she wanted. He could mention that he liked how she was focused when she wanted something done. He could mention how she carefully would teach every little thing and make sure the person got it. He could also mention how her eyes when connected with his made his lips dry, or how the strawberry scent of her hair made his heart leap out of his chest, or even how her smile, whether directed to him or not, made his whole day complete. He could mention so many things, and that was why nothing came out of his mouth.

Nakiri continued writing, not bothered by the fact that he did not answer her question. But maybe, deep inside of her, she was disappointed he did not answer.

Minutes passed before Yukihira managed to say, "I think… there are a lot of reasons why I like you."

Nakiri perked her head up, and he could see her cheeks on fire. She stuttered, her pure purple eyes looking alarmed and not as tired as they had been minutes ago, "W-what?"

Yukihira chuckled. "Don't you have to finish your financial reports?"

Nakiri frowned, still blushing, and retorted, "Just a minute ago, you were asking me to take a break."

"Then take a break." Yukihira suggested.

She glared at him as her cheeks turned into her normal skin tone. "I cannot afford to take a break."

"I think you can." Yukihira said. He paused for a moment, thinking of a way to prove to Nakiri that she needed some sleep. Finally, he sneaked his phone out of his pocket and decided to call a certain someone that would definitely help him convince the possessor of the God Tongue.

"Yukihira-kun?" a voice asked from his phone. The voice had a questioning tone, a bit harsh as if she did not want not talk to the said person at the moment, but still attentive enough for Yukihira to know that the person would listen.

Nakiri screeched, "You called Hisako?!"

"Erina-sama? You're still awake?"

"You are too, Hisako! You have to sleep!"

"Erina-sama, it's the middle of the day. Did you forget that we have different time zones?"

Yukihira interjected their conversation, "Hisako, it's two in the morning here. Can you please convince Erina to take a break? She has not slept for two days!"

"Erina-sama!" Arato gasped from the phone. "That's so careless of you! You should learn how to take care of your own body! I know that you are working hard, but that is not an excuse to start-"

"I know, Hisako. But I'm trying to finish the financial reports. You need this by tomorrow, so I can't afford to leave them!" Nakiri explained, staring at the phone helplessly as if she was talking to Arato face to face.

"Erin-sama, what are you talking about? I said I needed them next Thursday, not this Thursday!"

Nakiri stopped. She tried to process the information given. She remembered clearly that Arato had called her two days ago to remind her that the deadline was Thursday. Did she not understand what Arato said because of her sheer tiredness that day? Immediately, her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. To misunderstand something so simple, she thought to herself with shame.

Yukihira, meanwhile, was chuckling. He put the phone near to his mouth and said, "I think Erina's having a breakdown. Thank you, Hisako. I'll bring her home so she can get some sleep."

"Thank you, Yukihira-kun. I'll see you guys next month once you come back to Japan." Arato calmly replied.

Yukihira bid his goodbye before pressing the end call button. He glanced at Nakiri, who was still in shock with the news, and sighed.

Standing up, he went over to her and crouched right in front of her. He noticed her hands trembling and he wrapped it with his own warm ones. Nakiri's hands were cold and clammy, as if she was a teenager who was nervous at speaking in front. Her hands relaxed immediately when he enveloped his large hands over hers. Finally, Nakiri looked at him with silent eyes.

"Let's go home, okay?"

She nodded.

They stood up together, her hands still in his and their eyes still connected. He was breathing normally, and as relaxed as he had always been when he was with Nakiri. She was breathing heavily, rough and labored, nervous whenever Yukihira showered her with such careful attention.

When they were outside, the cold wind greeted them both and left them shivering. She pulled her large coat, a coat made of dark green felt that reached until her knees, closer to her in an attempt to shield the cold away. Yukihira noticed her predicament, and used his left arm to wrap her small shoulders. He was always amazed how petite Nakiri's body was despite being considered as one of the greatest chefs from Japan. Such a heavy title for a small woman.

"Sorry for making you wait," she apologized, eyes downcast as they lazily walk along the dark street with only the light of the moon to lead their way and the tall vintage street lamps that were randomly scattered across the city.

"I don't mind," he replied.

Nakiri exhaled through her nose. She found herself wishing that they were back at Japan, back at Totsuki in particular, in the same path towards the Polar Star Dorm. In the same ground path with the influx of trees all around them, and the sky mirroring freshwater lakes with the clouds substituting the fishes of the lakes. When the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom and were falling in a nonsensical pattern, covering the two of them as they looked at each other, gold and purple. They would stare with such smoldering gazes and wrap their arms around each other, like a shoujo manga in its climax-

She froze and her face immediately turned into a tomato patch.

Yukihira looked at her, worry written all over his face. He asks, "Erina? What's wrong?"

Nakiri shook her head and buried her face with the jacket that she was wearing. She did not want to think about Totsuki and the Polar Star Dorm again, not when such a strange picture would appear.

Yukihira stared at her strangely, his eyebrows forming a diagonal line. He said simply, like all the other times he talked to her about such serious matters, "Tell me."

Nakiri looked at him, frowning, "It's not that big of a deal, honestly."

Yukihira nodded. Maybe he understood or maybe not, he was the kind of guy who didn't push when asked. Instead, he brought her closer to him, enough for her face to completely rest against his chest, and then rested his chin on her head. And then he whispered, like many times before but the setting was a new one, a sincere promise that had always coated the two of them ever since Totsuki, "I love you."

She blushed, like many times before, but this one was brighter and warmer somehow. The kind that made a person's heart burst with laughter or the kind that made the soul blossom with each moment. This time, she did not pull away. She let herself be loved and listened to the calm and steady beating of his genuine heart.

Maybe… this was the right time.

"I-" Nakiri's words got caught in her throat. She forced it, the three little words that had tormented her since the beginning when they started this pseudo relationship. Those three little words that could rock the boat that they were currently stranded on. She opened her mouth, but still…

"Erina, you don't have to say it back." Yukihira assured her. However, his voice was thick as if he was forcing the words out, and one could tell that even he was disappointed at the turn of events.

Nakiri, hearing the tone of his voice, immediately snapped up and made eye contact with him. Her face was flushed, and her mouth was partially opened. What Yukihira was amazed about was the fact that her eyes were so full of emotions. Guilt, surprise, regret, protest- they were swirling around, mixing and blending with each other inside the purple pools he always found himself loving.

"Souma-kun," Nakiri breathed out. Finally, her eyes landed on one emotion, an emotion that was similar to the look she had whenever she challenged him into an impromptu Shokugeki: determination.

Yukihira bobbed his head slowly to show that he was listening.

"You've always been by my side. You comfort me when I'm down, or take care of me if I'm sick… I don't know how to repay you with all that. Actually, I don't even know why you like me at all! I'm bratty and snobby, and maybe I come off as a bit bossy to others, but you don't care about that!" Nakiri confessed. She felt warmth inside her throat, and an inexplicable churning of her nervous stomach. She felt her heart banging against her chest like a drum, and also the strange quickness of Yukihira's against her body. Perhaps he was as nervous as she was.

Nakiri swallowed the three little words. She pushed it down past her loud heart and her bursting lungs, until it rested with the butterfly-infested stomach. And she continued, "Souma-kun… thank you for everything."

Yukihira stuttered, a bit breathless from her words, "You're welcome, I guess."

She raised her body and stood on her toes. In an instant, she pressed her soft lips against the warm ones of Yukihira. And, in another instant, she was back on her feet, blushing but otherwise looked completely calm.

Meanwhile, Yukihira was a blubbering bush of burgundy. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, his body tense, and his posture frozen. Yukihira would have never thought in a million years that Nakiri would be the first person to steal a kiss from him. And to him it was magical, like heaven had bestowed upon him a pure gift. A sudden brush of her cold lips made his mind a bit dizzy, and also a bit excited.

Maybe that was enough, the pair decided. Maybe there wasn't a need for validation through words, because they already had a seal. It was a promise, perhaps, that maybe one day they would be better than this, that maybe there would come a time that they would be able to seal it better. There was still plenty of time. They could decide it tomorrow or fifty years after or maybe never at all. But it was already imprinted in their mind, and their souls would never separate again.

end