Work Text:
7:30 AM
“When you close your eyes, what life do you imagine having?”
Takumi brought up the question on a random Monday afternoon. Soma and Ryo were sitting on the couch at the Shiomi Research Lab, waiting for Akira to give them his dish based on the shared ingredient: venison. Ryo took off his bandana as he slouched back into the seat, his gaze meeting Takumi. “It doesn’t matter what life I’m having. I’m to be the aide of Miss.”
“Yeah, Takumi” Soma added, “I already know what life I’ll be having. Once I take the top spot of the Elite Ten, I’ll graduate and go back to the Yukihira Diner.”
“Yukihira…” Takumi sighed as he balled his fist, “You say that and yet you never take me seriously as a rival.”
“It doesn’t matter” Ryo repeated, “The one who will be sitting at the top spot will be me in the end.” A fragrant scent whiffed the air, pulling everyone’s attention with a gravitational pull. With Akira’s power, the scent alone was able to make their stomachs’ growl and their mouths’ water.
“Damn that Hayama…” Ryo grumbled under his breath, “Whatever his dish is, I could do it better.”
Placing the plate on the table, Akira took a step back. “After I graduate, I want to continue Jun’s research. I owe it to her. If it wasn’t for Jun, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.”
Soma stared at the dish. What Akira said struck a chord with him because it sort of reminded him of his old man, that cooking for an important person’s sake could make all the difference. He leaned back on the couch with his thumb and index finger wrapping around his chin. A smile appeared on his face as his gaze lowered. “You know, she said that too” he mumbled to himself. Akira peered at Soma, interested in what he had to say, but Soma kept that small tidbit of who it was to himself.
His muscles twinged into a deeper smile as he recalled her saying cooking could change based on the importance of feelings. “When you make a dish while thinking of a person important to you, if you do that, I’m sure your dishes will become more delicious.” At first, he thought of a future life similar to life his mom and dad. Then, he contemplated what a life with her will be like. Why was it that, when he thought of her, it felt like home? He still had to pan out a few things of course.
Would they work at Yukihira together? What if he traveled around the world like his dad? Her face was fuzzy but he could hear the bustling and hectic mornings of the Yukihira in full swing. The chattering of laughter, the clinking of beer glasses, and the flushing of brazing fire against steel woks. He knows she will be good with the customers, Soma imagined. She’ll laugh when a customer was too drunk and would be making too many bad jokes. Or how the customers laugh at her when she would freak out that he had created another bad recipe as a chef’s special challenge. Those cute habits of her will reveal itself without her trying. Maybe they’d argue over something and she lets her dialect accent slip out. Or the one where she would cower in the back kitchen while writing the character “man” on her palm, hoping nothing awful will happen to the customer.
Yeah, that sounds about right and Soma laughed to himself.
But her hospitality will do wonders for Yukihira. Her calming presence, her beaming smile; he’ll have nothing to worry about. The bustling rush hours would be part of all the fun anyway. Rush hours, rush hours, he contemplated. They’d always rush around each other, huh? Their schedules would be similar. Ducking into the bathroom from their bedroom. She’d grab her hairbrush, brushing frantically, while she’s rummages through the drawers to toss him his signature headband. Their elbows and hips bump against one another over the single vanity while they try to brush their teeth, both trying to fight and hog for more space. As she’s rushing out of the bathroom, Soma will catch a quick glimpse of her. Her fingers run through her hair as she ties the long, dark blue waves into a single braid that’ll flow lovingly over her chest until it brushes against her waist.
He’ll break out of the trance fast enough as they dash toward the kitchen together. Cupboards closing, and mugs clinking against one another, she ducks under his arm while he tries to reach for something above her head. In the pause where they can take a moment to straighten tops, she reaches out and wraps her fingers around his chin to angle it and she plants a quick kiss on his lips before she whispers “I love you.” The words resound in his chest, making it swell, as he hugged her back just as tight so long that maybe he’d consider staying a little longer to do more than just a single kiss on the lips and a quick peck on the cheek.
They sink into their embrace and indulge at the moment before they finally let go. Thirty seconds feel like minutes and being separated from her feels as if he had been dreaming before he gazes back down at her in adoration. “I love you” slips pass as his lips and she smiles back.
“Have a safe trip.”
12:30 PM
Their free days will be the best. They could explore new restaurants to try new foods or they could go on spontaneous dates. They could meet up with friends from their Totsuki Academy days or throw a party to round the gang back together. Knowing them, Soma deduced they’d be posted all over the world and while he too would travel and explore the wondrous delicacies and opportunities out there, he also knew their lives would always be in the constant dance of separation and bonding together again. He walks into the living room, whether it was simply taking a break from the Yukihira Diner or after coming back from a food excursion, he will see her again and everything will feel right.
With the distance makes the heart grow fonder, he’d always come back because his home was with her. Right, the best days are those where they could finally catch a break. Where they stay at home and enjoy each other’s company.
“Soma, welcome home!” Her voice rang into his ear. How many times has he heard her voice and yet each time had become more endearing than the last. He stood at the living room door frame when she turns around to face him. There she sat, on the living room floor, her tears wet from a mix of laughter and nostalgia. Photos of their lives sprawled across the floor and the neighboring table as if their whole past was mapped out in technicolor. He crosses his arms, smiling down at her and her warm smile flutters the pit of his stomach like it was the first time he saw her.
He strides over, hovering over while she shuffles through all the various photographs. He watches her expressions change from a tear-jerking smile to a scrunched up nose from photos that gave hilarious expressions or blurs taken from inappropriate times. As she flips through them, a repressed giggle caught his attention.“Wah” he gasped while he forces out a laugh, looking at how much he didn’t change physically over the years, “This brings back memories.” In her hand, she held a photo of him from one of their celebrations from Polar Star. Bringing the photo closer to their faces, they both roar with laughter. Soma from his younger days had a calculating yet childish expression plastered on his face. His mouth was wide as a half-moon as he held a dried squid dipped in honey and oyster sauce. Zenji looked like a ghost in the background while Daigo and Shoji mirrored the same laughing expression as they tried to lift him off the ground.
“Since then, your reckless creations have only gotten worse” she chortles through her tears.
“Hey now” he sighed, though his smile didn’t escape his lips, “If I recall correctly, my recklessness has saved our butts a couple of times.” He’ll wrap his arms around her, as she leans back laughing.
“By the way,” her gaze meets Soma’s, her hazel eyes gleaming like melted gold as her tears of laughter glistened them, “Ryoko sent over her new rice juice for us to try. She must’ve sent it to all the alumni of our year.” She giggles. “Though we’re adults, it’s so funny to think about how we used to get ‘drunk’ over juice in high school.”
“Rice juice?”
“Let’s try it, let’s try it~”
4:00 PM
One shot would turn into three, and three would turn into nine, as they become a bumbling mess in the living room. They’re laughing, fingers entangling with one another, as they try to pull each other to stand straight. “What was that song we used to always sing?” she asks. Her face has flushed into a new hue of pink. Brighter than the sunlight that was slanting in from the window, but softer than fully bloomed cherry blossoms in the spring. She leans back, taking a step to balance herself, as she began to hum the melody he hasn’t heard in a long time. She claps her hands, lazily prancing around the living room as she giggled clumsily.
He reaches out to her, holding her hand in his as her weight shifts, pulling him into a poor display of a dance that he couldn’t help but find himself enjoying nevertheless. He’d hum along with her while they slow danced to the cheesy old music from their high school days before it gets cut off with spontaneous laughter. She stumbles into his embrace, her head bumping into his chin, while he wraps his arms around her waist. They gaze into each other’s eyes and he moved his hands from her waist to her face. She rested her cheek against one hand while he brushed her hair away from her face, exposing her forehead.
He snuggles his nose against the side of her temporal, kissing her excitedly. They were puppy dog kisses and as he leaned in on her, she’ll let out a cackling giggle. He enjoys her laugher, especially in such proximity to his ear. He gazes down at her face again, her cheeks cupped perfectly in the palm of his hands. “I…” the words escape him. She tilts her head, leaning into his palm one more, while she anticipates what he had to say. What was this feeling? Just staring into her eyes leaves him still like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Big, round eyes that remind him of honey. It softened his heart, making him feel exposed, but he just couldn’t stop staring at her eyes. Maybe the alcohol had become too intoxicating. He leans in for another round of kisses as their laughter resounds the room.
“Soma, stop” she tries to say through the breaks in her laughter.
She tries to break away, but instead he pulls her in closer, the embrace tight and firm. He rests his chin on her shoulder, his cheek rubbing against the nape of her neck. He closes his eyes for a moment, while he lowers his head and presses his lips against her shoulder. He inhales her scent, sighing in relief. He opens his eyes slowly as his voice fell to a whisper so quiet, she wouldn’t be able to hear him. “I love you…”
7:00 PM
There will be days that would be long and exhausting. He couldn’t think of any problems they could have right away. She didn’t get angry at his reckless antics, and at most, maybe she’ll probably nag his ear off. The more he thought about it, the more he thought maybe getting her angry would be something fun to do. In reality, Just days where the bustling mornings and the rush hours at the restaurant could take a toll on either of them or both at the same time. After closing the shop, they’ll walk home together, but by the time they’d get home, she could barely stand.
“If you want, I can cook dinner tonight” he offers.
“That’s not how the deal works.” They made the deal, whoever got home first, they’ll cook dinner. On days where they go home at the same time, they’d share the chores and make a meal together. They stand next to each other, much like how they were in the bathroom or at the diner: still in sync. When she needed something, he assists her by being two, three, four steps into the recipe ahead of her. Soma recalled that it was always like that.
“We make a good team” he noted. It was a slip of the tongue, causing him to look up and glance over at her. His eyes widen when her eyes met his, her smile radiating, enchanting.
“That makes me happy” she expressed. He checked the way she quickly cut the vegetables, even though she’s fatigue from the draining hours. He stroked her back, and she leaned on him. Moving behind her, she gives him the cutting board, adjusting the headband on his head before he turned away. The fragrance danced around the kitchen as the fire reflected in their eyes. The scents were spellbinding, one that energized them again.
He observes the way she took the first bite of food and how she beamed. “Ah, as I thought, Soma’s food is the best!” He smiled as his heart churned in his chest. The way she reacted to his food, even something as simple over a homemade dinner, was what gave him energy more than anything. Thinking back, it made sense how food could be more delicious, when you’re thinking of an important person. Then he began to think about how delicious food could be, now that they’re cooking together.
When they were finished eating, she takes in another deep yawn. Her head swings side to side before leaning forward and jolting back awake to sit straight. He coughed a chuckle as he watched her silly attempts at staying awake. He walks up to her, lifting her, and carrying her to the bathroom in a bridal style. Her head tilts back and forth, before resting on his shoulder.
Testing the warmth of the water, Soma added a bubble bar and rose oils, squirting them to create a lukewarm bubble bath. Undressing her carefully, he carries her into the bath and letting her rest on top of him her head leans into the nape of his neck. He hums a tune and she quietly follows along to try and stay awake. Taking the loofah sponge from the lower stand, he lifted her arms up and scrubbed them until they were clean. He did the same to her legs, and her torso. He grazed gently over her collarbone and for a moment he recalls the time during his first day at the Polar Star Dormitory and how he accidentally walked in on her bathing. She would tell him later in life that she couldn’t get married after that because she was so young.
Well, it didn’t matter because she’ll marry him so it’ll all work out in the end.
After getting them both dressed, he’ll plop themselves onto the bed. Sharing a meal and getting ready for bed together gave a breath of fresh air and that they could finally relax again. He closed his eyes as she sighed into his chest. He began to run his fingers through her hair while he counted the seconds, the metronome of their heartbeats, before drifting off to sleep. That was enough.
3:00 AM
Soma blinks his eyes open while the television quietly murmurs throughout the darkness. Curling up on the sofa together, crap tv shows that that will only play in the early hours that no one is watching. Feet tucked under thighs and arms around shoulders, he gazes down and sees her resting her head against his chest. Her face is illuminated from the white cast of the television screen, a light glow as if she was the full moon. How many years would need to pass so that he can see her in this light again?
He recalls back at the time at Polar Star where they stood together on the balcony. The moonlight gleamed on her face like before. He had told her how much he liked her cooking, that it warmed people, but spending time with her. Having her always by his side from the moment he first entered the academy, whether it was for class, for his shokugeki, during the training camp, the Autumn Elections, the Moon Banquet Festival: god. So much time spent together by each other’s side. He can’t imagine what kind of person he would be if she wasn’t there for him. The way she supported him despite everything. He could be the person he is because she was there. She had always been right there. People said she grew because she met him. She was able to be bolder and have more confidence in herself. But she always had it, there was always something about her. That was something he couldn’t deny. But the other thing was, he grew because he met her too. She made him feel warm and safe. That was her power. It was in that moment, it wasn’t just her cooking that he liked.
Her cheeks are round and soft while they push up against his chest, her little sighs are barely louder than a whisper while she falls into a deeper sleep. Soma brushes the hair strands that fall over her face, the dark blue contrasting with her porcelain skin, so he could continue to stare at her beauty. She grumbles a little while he caresses her, and he tries to suppress a soft chuckle.
He loves her. That was it. He loves her; he loves being with her.
“We should move to the bed” he called out to her, his voice low, from above her head. She rubbed her cheek as she readjusts herself back onto his chest.
“A few more minutes” she tried to say, but her voice is lost while she moved her lips ever so slightly. They need to wake up in a few hours to start the day again, but he wanted to indulge at the moment. He didn’t want to untangle himself from her. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head and breathing in her shampoo. He closed his eyes, listening to their heartbeats falling into sync. The last thought he’ll have before he drifts back to sleep is: this is a life worth living.
7:32 AM
“Hey, what were you thinking about just now?” Akira questioned. Soma broke out of his stance and noticed that everyone was staring at him.
“What do you mean?”
“You were there just thinking and smiling to yourself. It was kind of creepy” Akira explained. Soma sat up straight on the couch. How long had he been imagining that life?
“I kind of wish I had taken a photo” Takumi agreed.
“Nothing. I guess I might have thought of Takumi’s question a little better.” Takumi beamed at the thought, inflating his pride a little.
“That’s right, Yukihira, but before then I’m going to—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a knock resounded throughout the room. Megumi peeked through the door’s crack. “Soma-kun” she called. He didn’t notice it himself, but a smile was already forming on his face.
“Hey Tadokoro, what’s up?” Everyone glanced over at Megumi causing her to fret.
“Ah, no, not to disturb you all! Shiomi-sensei let me in!” She flailed her hands to explain herself before she quickly found her composure. “But Soma-kun, Isshiki-senpai is asking if we could help at the DEF Kitchen again.” Soma jumped up to his feet.
“Oh, is that so, is that so?” His grin grew even wider. “Let’s go!”
“Hey, Yukihira!” Takumi called, “What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Sorry, sorry” he said casually, “This holds priority.” He grabbed Megumi by the shoulders, gently pushing her out the door. “Alright let’s get going!”
“Soma-kun, wait a minute—”
“See you all later. Hayama, make that dish again for me next time, I’ll make something awesome for you guys too!” He closed the door behind him, leaving the trio dumbfounded.
“That Yukihira, he comes and goes like a hurricane. Doing whatever he wants” Akira sighed.
“You don’t think it’s because of that Tadokoro?” Ryo mentioned, eating Akira’s dish nonchalantly. He clicked his tongue, shifting his focus to at Akira’s dish. “I could do better than this.” Takumi and Akira both glanced at each other before glancing back at Ryo. They let his words sink in, not a single word passing between them before they all collectively agreed to the possibility.
“Ah,” Soma yawned as he stretched his arms before placing them behind his head as they walked back to Polar Star. “It was before the Autumn Elections since I saw Shouta and that precocious Kanao.” He looked up at the sky when a thought jolted through his mind. Kids in the future wouldn’t be so bad too. He stole a glance at Megumi who was looking straight ahead. She closed her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“Yes, I want to see if Ai is doing well.” Soma continued to steal glances at her as they walked. His gaze lowered, a smile of adoration painting his lips. She started to talk about what dish they’d make, or if the kids would be excited to see them. Soma observed at how her hair was braided into two. It hadn’t grown out to her waist yet. Her cheeks were still full, but without the blush he wanted her to have.
“Soma-kun? Is something bothering you?” Megumi asked, “You’ve been quiet and staring for a while.”
“No” he responded, turning away and staring ahead. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking how great it is to have you by my side, Tadokoro.”
“Huh?!” Her face blazed into a crimson red. From the tip of her nose, a pink painted her cheeks into a rosy hue that spread until it reached the tips of her ears. It was like a rose that bloomed on her nose, the petals panning over her cheeks. Her jaw dropped a little as she tried to formulate words as a response as she began to fidget with one of her braids. Soma observed her reaction and chuckled. Yeah, just like that.
“Let’s hurry,” he joked, moving forward and forcing her to run to catch up to him.
“Soma-kun, wait for me!” As he ran, he turned to face her from over his shoulder. Her blushing bewildered stare hastily turned into chuckling smile. Just the sight of her shifting expression stirred him, so comfortable, so satisfied, so safe and so happy. A smile grew where his eyes turned into crescent moons. Well. It was fine. He had an idea of what kind of life he wanted to have. He knew she was going to be the center of it all. All he has to do is strive for it.