Short info before we start:
Updates: Weekly
Length: Will vary
Quotes and prompts: from writing-ideas-inc . tumblr . com and uhmmmsweetie . tumblr . com
Chapters planned: Ten
Pairing: KugaxOC

Chapter 1: Long Jing - Dragon Well Tea

Prompt: Cuddles

Quote: "To be honest, I just wanted a chance to look at the stars with you."

She wasn't pretty. No. She wasn't pretty at all. And, those delicate hands didn't catch his attention at all. Nope. It had nothing to do with her. It was all about the tea. He just wanted a good place to drink some high-quality tea and this was the best café to go to. In fact, café might've been a wrong word for it. It was more of a teafe. And, his coming here every Friday to drink tea had nothing to do with her. Now that he had cleared that up, Terunori returned to his staring. At her.

She wasn't pretty. In fact, if he'd seen her in casual clothing on the street, he'd have probably forgotten her in a flash. Yet, there was just something about in when she was serving at the Emerald Dragon. The long black hair neatly tied into a ponytail that trailed down her back. It swished with every move that she made, like some kind of a severe whip. It made him tingle. He couldn't stop following the silky strands, shining with each movement, when her back was turned to him. Well, maybe he was looking at her ass too. Maybe. It wasn't like there was nothing to look at, so he felt no shame whatsoever. That qipao did wonders for her. It was silk, he could tell. It slid down her form, hugging it in a rather sinful way, accenting all the right places with a shine and gentleness only silk could. Qipao was make or break, pretty much, just like Chinese cuisine. It either made one look like a silly cosplaying clown, or like a lady head to toe. She had lucked out. Majorly.

But, the emerald green silk dress with the golden dragon on it and her shiny hair weren't the only things that Terunori had noticed. No, it was when she turned around that the real staring began. She had a nice ass, sure, but her breasts were heaven. Not too large, not too small, just, perfect hand size. The kind that made you want to get to second base. Though, it wasn't her assets that he found himself staring at most of the time. No. It was her face. She had the most peculiar eyes he'd ever seen, a rather interesting shade of green. It was deep, almost black, yet when the light hit them just right, he could see that they were emerald. They were large, too. Always smiling at her customers, always honest, always kind. Her cheeks reminded him of a baby's, not that he'd seen that many in his teenage life. But, they were always rosy and somehow squishy, giving her a youthful appearance. The lips, oh, God, the lips. Perfectly small, pouty, and either in a smile or apart in almost confusion-like emotion, which she did while concentrating unconsciously. She didn't wear lipstick. He liked that. The most he'd seen on that pouty small mouth was the sheen of a lip-gloss. She wore something dark on her eyes, though. Something that made them pop even more. He could tell that, one Friday, she'd forgotten to put it. Her eyes had seemed smaller that day. Less appealing, but still able to catch his gaze easily.

She was his Friday girl. Simply because he didn't know her name. It wasn't like he had any other day girls. Maybe he should've had some? Maybe then, she wouldn't've become such an obsession. Yet, she was. She was a horrible obsession. After all, how could she not be? With that smile and those eyes, and that perfect ass. She was definitely his favorite Friday girl. Or any girl.

"Welcome back, young master!" God, her voice was heavenly, too. She was everything that he associated with tea. Beauty, grace, gentleness, and femininity. She had no place in the harsh cuisine which he practiced. She didn't need to face the spices that made you cry in anguish yet eat like you need them to survive. She was simply too delicate for that. Too delicate and too strong. She would destroy him, if he allowed her to. "Follow me to your table, please."

Terunori didn't talk to her. He didn't have the courage. She was polite, proper and fully in the role that the café gave her that day. Usually, they were simply a period tea shop. The servers were all dressed in traditional garb, mostly qinpaos or pinyins, greeting everyone with 'young master' or 'master'. They all spoke formally, too. There was no need for him to talk to the staff, unless he was ordering or buying. And, the Emerald Dragon was the best place to get tea, so he did talk to some of the staff quite often. But, never her. She was unattainable. She was there to look at. To enjoy. To sample. Like she was one of the numerous, exquisite teas on the menu herself. But, that Friday would be different.

"Can I sit over there?" Terunori asked before he realized that he had. The girl swiveled around, her eyes wide and her hair swishing around her, like a black silk veil.

"This table is not to your liking, young master?" She asked politely, bowing and showing him the single person accommodation next to the window. Terunori didn't really mind it. It offered a nice view of the street and the patrons. However, that wasn't what interested him. He preferred the other table. His usual table.

"I'd like that one," he grinned at her on instinct. He had been trained well at Totsuki. Smile. Just smile. Like a complete idiot. Don't ever let them know just how skilled you are. Just smile stupidly. Cutely. It had become second nature after a year.

"Of course," she bowed again, leading him towards the table he'd requested. That one was further in the back, where the café took on an Eastern style. It was on a raised platform, where one had to take off their shoes to enter. The tables were all low, with seats made of comfortable cushions around them. It was much more traditional and something that he preferred to the Western front. "Here you are, young master." Another bow. Terunori looked at the way her ponytail slipped forward over her shoulder, sliding down like a black waterfall. Truly, she was magnificent to look at.

"Thank you," he sat down in a proper seiza, which had also become second nature. He didn't need to take the menu, but ordered exactly what he knew he wanted for that day. "A long jing, please. With the pot."

"Certainly," she bowed, noting his order down and then leaving. Terunori couldn't look at her as she did, due to his choice of table. But, he would have a clear view of her once she was back in the Western-style area, like he always did. Instead, he turned to the side, directing his gaze behind the counter. There were numerous shelves, each containing multiple glass drawers of plants, labeled carefully. He didn't need to read the letters, though. Just by looking at the leaves inside the glass containers, he could tell which was which. It seemed that there had been a few new deliveries since last week.

Terunori focused on the reason why he'd come to the shop in the first place, other than to ogle the server, and took out his recipe notebook. He started messing with the lists of ingredients, imagining how each of them would taste in a meal. A new recipe would be a step up for him. It would bring him closer to his goal: becoming the number one seat in the Elite Ten. He just needed a solid recipe and Tsukasa to accept his Shokugeki request. Both seemed out of reach at that moment, though.

"Here you are, young master," her voice made him jump a bit, as he'd been too preoccupied with the task at hand. She knelt down on the cushion next to his, all her movements delicate. Then, she placed the tea pot and the cup from her tray onto the table. Terunori followed the movements of her hands in utter fascination. Her fingers were long, slim and delicate. The smooth skin seemed to flow along with her graceful movements, not a single motion too much or too little. It was perfect. She was perfect.

"Thank you," he managed, the fact that she was serving him, which didn't usually happen, finally catching up with his brain. Nervousness set in. He realized his hands were trembling and he quickly placed them in his lap. The girl either didn't, or pretended that she didn't, notice and bowed politely, before rising in a single smooth motion, walking away. He couldn't help but watch that ponytail swishing behind her. It was captivating. She was captivating.

Terunori stayed at the Emerald dragon for a long time. He wasn't really aware of the passage of time when he sat there, mulling over his recipes and drinking the wonderful tea they had. He usually came around noon and stayed until they tossed him out, quite politely, somewhere after eleven. It was a great place to get his head in the proper space to work. The gentle traditional music in the background, the quiet movements of the patrons and staff and the intoxicating scent of tea was where he felt most comfortable, second to maybe his kitchen.

"Is he still there?" Mayumi asked her colleague, not turning around to look at the problematic patron. Chunhua looked up, glancing at the table she knew her friend and coworker was asking about.

"Still there," the Chinese girl confirmed. "He looks quite preoccupied, though." Mayumi and Chunhua were like day and night. While the former was soft-spoken, elegant and ladylike, the latter was more of a tomboy and had had numerous problems getting used to the role of the server at the Emerald Dragon.

"I hope he leaves soon," Mayumi sighed, daring to glance at the odd boy sitting at one of the tables near the servers' area. He was peculiar. With multi-colored hair and always wearing some kind of weird clothing, he followed her with his eyes wherever she went whenever he was at the café. It unsettled her.

"Maybe you should just talk to him?" Chunhua shrugged. "He seems to have it bad for you." Mayumi whirled around, blushing.

"What?"

"He's sweet on you, Mayu," the girl chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Give him a chance. Maybe he'll surprise you." With a shrug, she left her colleague, going to the front to greet the next wave of guests.

Mayumi didn't know how to feel about the advice she'd received. She stood still for a few moments, holding the tray to her chest. He was odd. He stared. She felt exposed and borderline uncomfortable when he was at the café. It wasn't like the feeling she got from the pushy older gentlemen that came, though. It was a different kind of feeling. It made her feel hot all over and she didn't like that. But, Mayumi decided to take Chunhua's advice and be brave. She walked over to the table, bowing politely before asking in a soft tone.

"Is everything to you liking, young master?" He jumped at the sound, head going up to look at her. She saw the way he seemed to startle, then open his mouth, then close it, before finally speaking.

"Fine, it is," Mayumi held her breath, doing her best not to laugh at his obvious nervousness. By the way he blushed instantly, eyes wide, she could tell that he was mortified.

"Y-Yoda?" She asked, making the blush on his cheeks deepen. Then, she covered her mouth with her hand, realizing that she'd broken protocol. She wasn't supposed to break character. She was always supposed to be the polite server.

"I'm so sorry," he seemed to be blushing even more, if that was possible. "Please, sit down." Mayumi glanced at the entrance, seeing that Chunhua had it covered, before lowering herself on the cushion next to the boy. "The tea is great." He seemed to settle for saying, glaring at his notebook.

"I'm glad that it's to your liking." Mayumi bowed, training kicking back in. She dared to glance at the boy, who seemed to be trying to figure out something, as his brows were furrowed.

"M-meteor shower!" He finally said, looking up at her, then realized that had sounded too vague and elaborated. "There's one tonight, a meteor shower. Go you want with me?" That blush was back as soon as his words got jumbled up. Mayumi chuckled, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she did so. Perhaps, the boy wasn't as terrible as she'd initially thought. Perhaps, he was simply sweet on her, as Chunhua had said.

"I finish my shift at eleven." She told him.

"I'll wait!" Mayumi nodded at his eager reply, standing up with a bow and leaving his table. Throughout the rest of the shift, she couldn't help but glance at his table, catching his eyes on her numerous times. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been before, feeling that gaze on her body.

Terunori rubbed his hands together, trying to keep them warm. He had his coat on, along with a scarf and gloves, and was waiting for her to finish getting changed. He couldn't believe that he'd actually asked her to come with him and watch the meteor shower. It had been an unthinkable feat for him, in fact. But, she'd said yes. So easily. Perhaps, he could've done something like that a year ago, when he'd discovered the Emerald Dragon and his new obsession with the graceful girl. But, what was done was done and Terunori wasn't one to dwell on the past. A lot. It bothered him a bit. Yes, just a bit.

"Thanks for waiting," she finally came out, smelling of the teas she had been preparing the whole day. Her hair was down, a warm jacket over long black pants and high brown boots. She looked exquisite, as always.

"It's no problem," he grinned at her easily, falling into his usual persona due to nervousness. "Shall we?" She nodded, then followed him when he led them around the corner. His town car was waiting there. He opened the door for her, letting her slide in first, then following.

"Woah!" The girl exclaimed, looking around the expensive ride. "This is amazing." Terunori reminded himself that not everyone was as lucky as he was, being as rich as he was.

"It's convenient," he grinned, unzipping his coat. The girl did the same, revealing a soft brown sweater under her jacket. "I have a nice place where we can see the shower well, if that's alright?"

"Of course," she smiled at him, making his eyes focus on the way it changed her features. She seemed a tad on edge, but definitely more relaxed than at the café. It was like her server persona was gone. Yet, she still remained rather polite and graceful. He liked that. "Oh, I don't even know your name…" She looked troubled by that fact, a hand going to her mouth in astonishment.

"Terunori," he replied. "Just Terunori."

"Ah, first name?" She blushed, then covered her face. "I'm Murakami Mayumi." Mayumi. He liked it. Great archer, it somehow suited her.

"Mayumicchi, then." Terunori grinned, enjoying the way she blushed at the familiarity with which he addressed her. "Or Murakamicchi? No, I like Mayumicchi better. Maybe Mayucchi?" He was nervous, but he still rattled off confidently, enjoying the way she blushed more and more at the nicknames.

"Ah, whichever you prefer is fine with me." She told him, but she obviously wasn't. She wouldn't stop blushing. Murakami Mayuri, his Friday girl. She was sitting right next to him in his town car, going to watch the meteor shower he hadn't even planned on watching. It was like a dream.

They settled into easy chatter, talking about tea. It had been the safest topic Terunori could think of choosing, and it had proven to be the right one. Mayumi was happy to tell him about the café and what kinds of leaves they had and sold there. He listened, despite already knowing the majority of the information she was giving him. He simply liked hearing her talk to him. And, talking more seemed to make her relax more. It was nice.

There was no burden to compete. To hide what he was thinking. To put on a confident front. He wasn't Kuga or Kuga-senpai or the 8th Seat. He was simply Terunori. And he loved it. She laughed at his joked, smiled when he made a fool of himself and giggled when he told her a funny story of his experience with tea. She even shared a few details about starting her job at the Emerald Dragon with him, making him laugh and tease her. She'd blushed then. Pouted. God, he wanted just to kiss her. To hug her. To have his hands on her.

"Here we are," Terunori said when the town car stopped, holding the door for the girl and helping her out. He'd chosen a nice spot for the meteor shower viewing. It was one of the sightseeing spots, with benches and a small park, high on a nearby hill. He led Mayumi to the edge of the pedestrian zone, where there was a railing overlooking the city below and multiple telescopes, the kind that you put a coin into in order to see through. "Looks good for a spot, right?"

"Perfect!" Mayumi agreed, walking over to the railing. She leaned on it, giving him a nice view of her figure. Her hair was falling over her shoulders in messy, but gentle tresses, like a waterfall. Terunori reached out from his spot next to her, tucking a strand behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed as she turned to him.

"You're not cold, are you?" He asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head and making that same strand of hair fall back to its previous place.

"It's freezing, though!" Terunori told her, his weakness finally catching up to him as he hugged himself, trying to warm up. Mayumi giggled at that, stepping closer to him and taking his hand, pulling it around herself. Instantly, he felt warmer. Whether it was due to her close proximity or the intimate embrace, he didn't know.

"Terunori-kun, you're weak to the cold?" Mayumi giggled, her arm circling around his waist, warming him up even more. When he shakily nodded, she shook her head. "Why did you want to go stargazing then? In December of all months!" Terunori sighed, gathering his courage. He looked at the girl in his embrace, happy that he had a few centimeters on her in height. She seemed to be blushing as much as he was.

"To be honest, I just wanted a chance to look at the stars with you." Mayumi smiled at that, blushing and looking away from him.

"Ah, it's starting," she said, watching as the first stars began falling. But, Terunori couldn't do anything except look at her. She wasn't pretty. She was gorgeous.

That's all for now, folks!

Next chapter prompts preview:

Prompt: Sees the others' living space
Quote: "It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line."