Akai Ito / Red String (of Fate)

Come Back to Me

It doesn't take her that long to get over her relationship with the former 1st seat. In fact, she barely has time to mope around when Hisako's always blowing her up with clients after clients, and paperworks after paperworks, but maybe it's a good thing for her to not appear like one of those hopeless singles. At least she still has things going on in her life.

Plus, with clingy cousin Alice always hogging her free time, she really doesn't have time to even think what she wants to do while she's not working. Poor Hisako and Ryo are forced by her to tag along (no, actually poor Ryo for even having to enter this kawaii-surrounding Pompompurin Cafe).

"Why a character cafe, Alice? We're not 5 years old anymore." Erina complains, "I told you I'm only going to a place where they serve immaculate food! As the 6th seat you should've known better."

"Mou, Erina! Who says cute food isn't great?" Alice pouts. "We take you here because we want to cheer you up over your break-up!"

"That was a month ago."

"Yeah, so?"

"So the occasion isn't right!"

"Maybe it's a good thing we're here, Erina-sama." Hisako interloops, touching her shoulder, "We've been really busy lately, so it's okay to relax on a weekend and visit cute cafes like this."

"And we all can toast to Hishoko's 9 months anniversary with Hayama-kun!" Alice winks.

"E-Eh?! T-That's unnecessary, Alice-sama!"

"Then explain your tweet last night."

"U-Um...Th-That's..."

"I thought so. Anyways," The danish girl leans forward to her cousin, "Things are looking tense between you and Yukihira-kun since that Shokugeki, Erina."

"Hmpf. You talk as if I have some sort of special relationship with him." Erina retorts before drinking more of her iced tea.

"Well, don't you?"

Erina stays silent, but it's one of those saved-by-the-bell moment when the waiter puts down their excessive orders.

"I'm not having this conversation with you, Alice!" She snaps once the waiter leaves.

"Sure, but Ryo-kun will." Alice turns to her aid, "What do you think, Ryo-kun?"

"Uh... He looks fine. Except he doesn't work like Erina-ojou." Ryo replies simply before picking up a spoon.

"Maybe you should talk to him, Erina." The white-haired girl suggests.

"I told you I'm not having this conversation with you! It's--"

"About him being the 1st seat that he is." She ignores her annoyance, eyes only peeled for the dog-shaped rice she's capturing with her phone, "I have a feeling if he'd listen to anyone, it would have to be you."

"This time, I think Alice-sama does make a good point." Hisako adds before spooning some curry into her mouth, which agreement isn't really responded by Alice.

"But I know for a fact that Ryo-kun is saying that because he still can't beat him. Right, Ryo-kun?"

And she's planning on arguing some more with both of them, if only the dumpling touching her tongue doesn't taste so repulsive.

~

She ends up following Alice's advice later that day, swallowing hard every single thing that's stopping her for personally talking to him again, but Erina being herself means she's not sugarcoating anything, especially when she can easily compare Sōma to a sloth, slacking around in its cage.

"Ah... what do you know about me, Nakiri?" He mutters, hands drawing random sketch in the air.

"The fact that you're definitely not yourself." She sits on the edge of his bed where he lies down, "And here I thought your world of cooking is so vast, but clearly I was wrong seeing how much of a sloth you are once you took away my seat."

"So are you coming here to take it back?"

"Seeing how you perform right now, I suppose I could easily take it back."

He reflectively sits up, "Hey, I can still cook my ass off, y'know. Just last week, I won this competition where even the professional chefs--"

"Honestly, you're not at the top yet if you can't even bear all the responsibilities that come with that power, Yukihira."

"Man, you're just as bad as Tadokoro, y'know." Sōma sighs, laying back down.

"The difference between us is that I do not care for your well-being. I care about this academy, and you're not going to ruin something my grandfather has worked hard on maintaining." Erina gets up from her seat in advance, "Don't think too long. Otherwise that first seat will only be a part of your past."

"Nakiri," He sits up again, eyes glued to her figure at the door, "Did you mean the thing you said after our Shokugeki?"

"Which one?"

"When you said my dish is delicious."

Erina doesn't answer immediately, but surprisingly when she replies with a shrug, she swears she can see those golden orbs slowly regaining its old, bright color.

"I'll tell you 19 ways to improve it when you actually earn it."