Akai Ito / Red String (of Fate)

Jealousy

"Since when do you care 'bout who I'm dating?"

Sōma's cheeky snigger is not unreasonable. Since the start of the meeting, the 1st seat blonde can't seem to stop stressing about how dating life can get in the way of Elite Ten business, and the entire room knows Erina is directing her words to the current 5th seat holder and his relationship with an annoyingly brilliant, stupidly gorgeous first year: Luna Hasashi.

People have said that his half-Greek girlfriend is the front runner of the 93rd generation, and it shows how she's earned that 4th seat just above her boyfriend. With her well-known expertise in conceptual dishes, it is given that she's mastered almost every modern culinary techniques (even people say she puts Nakiri Alice to shame) and pouring those into a whole new world of food full of imagination.

"N-Not in the least! I-It's not my concern at all!" Erina denies, hastily tidying her documents up and tuck it behind her hand, "I-It's just unprofessional of you to come late because of some childish relationship!"

He cocks his head at her remark, "Huh? But isn't that what you have with your cousin?"

"That is not the same thing, idiot! S-Seriously, that is a stupid thing to say by a 2nd grader." Her hotheadedness rises to the surface, "A-And weren't you with Mito-san during the summer?"

He doesn't answer immediately, instead taking his time to strut from another side of the meeting room to stand next to her. The grimace within his face definitely tells her that she's not going to like the answer, whatever it is.

The next thing she knows, he leans slightly on her and widen his sly smile, "So you do care 'bout who I'm dating."

"I-I DID NOT SAY-- you know what, forget it. I have more important matter to attend." Erina passes him and makes her way out the door.

But it turns out that five steps faster than Sōma isn't enough to keep her feet going when his voice echoes through the hall.

"Nakiri," He calls her out. She stops. Once again, he's stepping closer to her,"Y'know Nikumi and I are way over right? We're just good pals now."

"I thought it was Tadokoro-san."

"Well, she's a sister to me, if that's what you mean." His tone although sounds fairly casual, it's pretty reassuring, "Besides, I'm also not dating Luna."

Even just the mention of her name for some reason gets her blood boiling. Maybe it's her given talent that could potentially be a threat, or maybe it's her eyes that people say is brighter than the Pacific Ocean and her shiny jet black hair that blows gently when the autumn wind caresses her warm, smiley self. Or maybe, but absolutely not absolute-- she keeps telling herself, that...

"And at least half of Tōtsuki believes you are. Unless you are too dense to notice, which is probably true." She sneers, absentmindedly guarding herself with her paperworks pressed through her chest.

"I'm learning new stuffs from her. Her cooking's very interesting, y'know. Just the other day, she was recreating her idol's masterpiece which is this chicken liver pâté that looks exactly like mandarin orange but instead, she--"

"Yukihira, in case you didn't notice, I really could care less about what she makes."

Erina is not sure why she snaps him up like that, but when she does, his eyes turn wide and he goes from an excited mess to a silent moron real quick. It could be the way he lights up when he talks about her cooking that makes her go Zeus-- or what she likes to believe is that she's got issue when it comes to the next queen bee of Tōtsuki.

Usually, when that amethyst eyes meet his golden orbs, it creates that undeniable dynamic that both of them have to dominate each other. Has to be better than each other. But this time, it almost feels like both of them are looking for an answer neither of them are well-prepared and educated about. Her features mirrors his, except when his hands are neatly tucked in his pocket, her fingers grip the papers harder.

It feels like eternity since either of them speaks, and when solitude is usually Erina's friend, it feels like her enemy this time.

"Yeah, so I--" Sōma flinches, scratching the back of his head, "We're not dating. Hasashi and I. Nope."

It takes a while before she can get a word out, but she once again surprises herself when another fished question flies, "Then why do you seem so keen on assuring me?"

"Um, I dunno. When I talk about some girls, you look..." His voice trails off. Eyes looking at everywhere except her.

"I look what, Yukihira?" She stresses her tone as if she's read through the end of that sentence, but she knows it's not in his place to say it.

At her remarks, he's stoned for a couple of moments, but then his chin is up again, and he's eyeing her confidently, "Nah, forget it. Just glad you listened in the first place."

And when he passes her through, she's wondering why she was so persistent, and she doesn't realize there's a white-haired girl shaking her head from the distance.