Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Swinging in the backyard / pull up in your fast car / whistling my name

Sweat dripped off her brows like clear molasses. She swept the liquid off of her flushed forehead, salty droplets glistening in the hot, summer sun. Megumi was in the middle of picking edamame pods in Isshiki’s garden, where a multitude of vegetables were begging to be harvested. A wooden basket filled with a mountain of green pods threatened to spill over, along with other cases overloading with the summer soybean. Megumi let out a little sigh; her back aching from the hours of crouching and gently tugging crops from the stems. She felt hazy from waking up early to gather the veggies, and the sweltering sun did nothing to help ease the drowsiness she felt.

It’s quiet, she mused, Summer vacation can get quite lonely, I guess. Megumi walked over to the base of a tree and sat underneath the shade of the trees. Ryoko and Yuki were on a girls trip along with Alice and Nikumi, and they begged Megumi to come along. She chuckles at the memory from a few days ago:

‘Come on, Megumicchi!’ Yuki insisted, pulling on the sleeve of Megumi’s shirt, ‘It’ll be so fuuun. Think about it: the sun, the ocean, the cute boys~’ She grinned devilishly at Megumi sporting a pretty blush across her bridge of her nose. ‘I mean, look at Megumi! Her cuteness is already too much, think about what would happen if she was in a bikin-’

Megumi’s eyes bulged, and rushed to shut up Yuki’s fantasies. ‘Now, now, Yuki! You know that I don’t really show skin…’ She chuckled, waving Yuki off. She thought back to how her mom told her not to show off to just anyone , and yet… Soma saw her in the bath…

Oh, mom. I can never get married at this point…

Yuki let out a mixture of a snort and a chuckle at Megumi’s growing embarrassment, poking at her even further. ‘Oh, I see. I guess you only show skin to Soma , huh… I see how it is.’ Megumi hid her tomato-red face behind her hands, and Ryoko decided to take pity on the girl that looked like she was about to combust.

‘Won’t you come with us?’ Ryoko said, ‘The trip won’t be complete without you. It is a girls trip, after all, and we barely get to spend any time with you outside of cooking…’ She trailed off, looking at Megumi hopefully.

‘Ryoko, Yuki, you guys are so nice for inviting me… but Isshiki-senpai asked me to stay and tend to the garden. He’s on a business trip for the Elite Ten, and he trusted me to look over the vegetables. Honestly, I’d love to go… I’m sorry…!’ Megumi was frustrated, torn between spending precious time with her girlfriends and keeping her responsibilities in mind. She bit her lip, thinking about how she could repay the girls for refusing their invitation.

‘Megumicchi! We get it, there’s nothing we can do about it now.’ Yuki smiles, a hint of sadness mixed in with her grin. It fades within a tenth of a second. ‘We’ll buy a souvenir for you!’ Yuki’s expression turned mischievous, a familiar cheeky glint in her eye. ‘And who knows what’ll happen, I mean, Soma is staying in the dorms as well…’

‘Stop it, Yuki!’ Megumi cries out, feeling her face getting warm again. ‘You know it’s not like that.’

She brings a fist to her heart, her eyes downcast. ‘It’s not like that at all.’

Megumi snaps out of her daydream, startled by the distant rumbling of a motorbike. Soma’s bike comes to a halt near the dormitory, unceremoniously parked next to the gates. Megumi doesn’t even have to turn around to know it’s him, at this point. It’s like she’s developed a sixth sense to know where Soma is all the time, with what all the chaos and antics he leaves in his path. He jogs over to the garden while whistling a foreign tune, where Megumi is crouched on the dirt.

“Hey, Tadokoro. Whatcha picking?” He grins at her, his red hair shining from the afternoon sun. Megumi thinks that there’s a crown of fire sitting atop his head, burning brilliantly, burning a hole in her chest. She swallows, her tongue suddenly too big in her mouth to speak normally.

“Oh, you know, Edamame.” Megumi blurts, “I thought it’d be a nice afternoon snack, along with some rice vinegar and sea salt. It’s in season, right?” She internally hits herself. Of course it’s in season, idiot, why else would you be out here at the crack of dawn on a hellish summer afternoon?

“Ah, man, that sounds like it’d hit the spot right now.” Soma sighs contentedly, bending down to sit next to Megumi. “Edamame, huh? Wonder what kind of recipes would be good for edamame…” And like that, he’s lost in thought. He presses his cheek against the palm of his hand, his eyes faraway. Megumi’s lips quirk up, finding it endearing that he never stops in his quest for cooking the best dishes, a hunger that can (ironically) never be sated. Erina suits him, she thinks, the hole in her heart widening by an inch. A cook who can’t stop and a queen who’s never satisfied… they deserve each other.

“... Tadokoro? Hello, Earth to Tadokoro?”

“Haa! Sorry, sorry, I was just dozing off!” Megumi ducks her head and looks away, fiddling with the ends of her braids. She can’t help but be a pessimist about her love life. It would take a miracle and a half to even think that Soma would notice her as a girl, much less reciprocate her feelings. Besides, she mused, we’re here at Totsuki to cook… not to get caught up in silly fantasies. Megumi’s stash of shojo manga did the trick for those trivial urges, or at least it made her escape from her own emotions for a while.

“Anyways, let’s finish up picking these, yeah?” Soma stood up and brushed the dust off his pants and took in the sight of Isshiki’s garden. The summer did wonders for the crops, and the leafy expanse seemed like it had a mind of its own, bursting with vibrancy and life.

It was perfect for testing recipes.

“You sure?” Megumi questioned, “Isshiki-senpai put me in charge of tending to the garden, and I’d hate to dump all this work on you…”

“It’s all good. Need to spend some time outside, anyways, and I haven’t seen you around for a while…” Soma smiled, his eyes softening. With the constant shokugekis and the neverending piles of paperwork that came with being number one of the Elite Ten, Soma barely ever got to subject Megumi to his horrid recipes, much less actually spend time with her.

“Okay, if you say so…” Megumi stood up as well, turning back to the crops. She grasped the produce in her hands and tossed them into baskets, Soma mimicking her actions. It was peaceful; the summer heat, the quiet plunk of the pods, and Soma’s presence beside her.

“So, any plans for summer vacation? Or are you stuck on edamame duty?”

“Ah, yeah… I mean, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere until Ryoko and Yuki invited on a trip, but I guess I’m busy…” Yeah, if busy meant picking pods until I die. In for a fun vacation.

“You should’ve told Isshiki-senpai! He’d understand, you know. Imagine having to stay here by yourself while everyone else is probably having the time of their life at the beach…” Soma teased, a hint of concern present in his golden gaze beneath his playful expression.

“Well, I didn’t think about it ‘til now, but  I miss home… it’s real nice and cool there this time of year, but I need to keep my promise to Isshiki-senpai.” Megumi tugged on the pods, throwing them in the boxes with more force than necessary. The loneliness was getting to her after all.

Soma turned to face Megumi, beads of sweat gathering on his fiery hairline and trickling down to the sides of his neck. “Well, why not? What’s stopping you?”

Megumi deadpans. “I just told you, Isshiki—”

“We could take a day trip! If we go now, we’ll be able to come back here by the evening—” Soma goes on a tangent, always the more spontaneous of the two, even out of the kitchen. Megumi’s heart squeezes.

“I mean, I guess… wait a minute, ‘we’?” Megumi thinks she’s misheard him, because surely he can’t mean that he’s coming with her, right? Like a… a date?

Soma grins, a light blush (?!) barely dusted on his cheeks. “Of course, Tadokoro! Plus, I’m curious about where your cooking comes from, y’know?”

Ah. So this was about cooking.

Megumi reined herself in. Don’t get too excited…!

Soma breezed past her, calling her over his shoulder. “Well then, we should get going! I’ll pack some snacks for the road, you just go on and get ready.”

Megumi rushed after him, her thoughts in a daze. Talk about a change of plans, huh.

I’m in his favorite sundress / watching me get undressed / take that body downtown

Despite herself, Megumi worries herself a storm debating on what to wear on this last-minute outing of theirs. She spots a simple, light blue sundress with thin straps. This’ll work. Easy, breathable, and… cute.

She flushes, shaking her head furiously. Geez, Yuki has rubbed off on me.

Megumi takes a peek in the mirror, and gawks at the dirt and sweat on her face. She unravels her signature braids and opts for a bun instead, washing the gunk off her face with cool water.

“Tadokoro,” Soma says through the pipes, “we don’t have all day! I’ll be waiting at the entrance.”

“Ah, y-yeah!”

She pulls the dress over herself haphazardly, and grabs her purse, scrambling down the stairs of the dorm. Megumi sees Soma waiting by the gates, clad in a simple white tee and black jeans. Casual clothes, huh. It suits him.

“Alright, well, I don’t think we’ll have too much trouble getting train tickets. It is a weekday after all, and in the middle of the afternoon too—” Soma turns to her, voice caught in his throat. He thinks the color blue suits her, and Soma is definitely not complaining about the curve of her shoulders, dipping into the valley of her neck.

He swallows.

A singular bead of sweat makes its way down from her chin down to the ridges of her collarbones. The bead traces it lightly, and Soma doesn’t dare look further. He tears his eyes away, ashamed for even staring. What am I, an old man?

Megumi walks beside him, oblivious to his vulnerable state. “Let’s get going then! You’re the one who suggested this impromptu trip, anyways.”

“Aha, yeah! You’re right!” Soma scratches his cheek, finding the pebbles on the road definitely more interesting than whatever that mess was. He will not look at her like a piece of meat, he swears. I’m in my second year, for god’s sake. You think I’d have a better handle on my hormones by now. “It’ll be fun! A little adventure never hurt anyone.”

The two of them ended up barely catching the last train to Tohoku, the pair gasping for air in the train cars. Soma plopped himself down on the  seat, grateful for a spot to finally rest. Megumi followed suit, panting to get her heartbeat under control. They both grinned at each other, chuckling at their situation.

“Man, sprinting for a while really makes you hungry, right?” Soma says, taking the bag and setting on his lap. He opened it up and set containers of chicken karaage, rice, and edamame between them. Twisting the little container of flaky salt, Soma didn’t hold back with the seasoning, sprinkling the salt all over the fresh legume.

Megumi was practically drooling. “Where did you find the time to cook these up? We left on such a short notice, too…” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from chicken; the perfectly crisp outside encased in the shiny sauce made the appetizer glisten like polished jewels. Her stomach was in agreement, growling loudly. She reddened and reached for the chopsticks inside the bag.

“Sorry, haha…”

“Perfect timing! Anyways, I was cooking these up yesterday and had leftovers. It’d be a pain to refry them, so I just threw them in the oven for a little bit before we left the dorms. Karaage right out of the fryer can’t be beat, but what can you do?”

Soma beat her to the first bite, and reached to take a little bit of the white rice. Karaage really takes me back…

The bluenette was gnawing thoughtfully on an edamame pod. Soma’s karaage was nothing short of perfection, too, and the pairing with fluffy white rice was a match made in heaven. Megumi sighed, content with her stomach full. 

“Your cooking is amazing, as always. No wonder you’re going to BLUE.”

“Speak for yourself, Tadokoro. You won first in prelims, after all.”

“That’s true, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a fluke… I was competing against so many incredible chefs. I mean, talk about pressure! And not to mention, I’m the last seat of the Elite Ten...” She thinks back to Hayama, Kurokiba, and Alice. They’re leagues ahead of me. Hayama’s incredible sense of smell, and Alice’s creativity… it boggles my mind how none of them were chosen. Megumi wrings her hands together, lost in thought.

Soma let out a little sigh and brought his hands around hers, giving them a light slap. “Get a hold of yourself! Tadokoro, you have to realize this. No matter what anyone says, your cooking is great. D’you know why?” His stare pierced through every fibre of Megumi’s being, making her shiver in the process.

Wah, talk about intense. “N-no?” The warmth around her fingers occupied her thoughts now, and Megumi realized the lack of space between them. C-can’t breathe!

“Because it’s yours.” Soma’s face broke out into a bright smile, gently squeezing the fingers beneath his hands. “It’s uniquely yours, and no one can replicate it.” He looks down at their connected hands, and threads his fingers in between hers.  “It’s a reflection of who you are: kind, caring, and warm.”

If it wasn’t before, Megumi’s face was definitely red now. She bit the inside of her cheek, willing the butterflies inside of her chest to stay put. “Ahaha, S-Soma, that’s nice of you to say…” She chooses to look everywhere but the redhead in front of her, and pulls her hands away from his grasp. Soma frowns a little at the loss of contact. “I’ll…” Megumi gulps, but her gaze is resolute. “I’ll try harder!”

Soma nods happily, and the spell is broken. Megumi can finally breathe, and Soma scoots next to her in the train car, their shoulders a friendly distance apart. Time passes, and Megumi’s eyelids start to droop. The excitement from the moment before gave way to exhaustion, and not even a few moments later, Megumi dozes off. Her head rocks back and forth, and Soma, without thinking, cradles the crown of her head and positions her so that she’s resting on his shoulder.

I say you the bestest / lean in for a big kiss / put your favorite perfume on

Soma comes back to himself.

What the hell am I doing? Blood rushes to his face, and the pitter-patter of his heart quickens. I just wanted her to be comfortable, but…

He peeks at her face from the corner of his eye. It’s a terrible mistake: Megumi has no business looking that adorable. Her eyelashes flutter in her sleep, and she looks blissfully content, even nuzzling her face further into his shoulder. Soft breaths tickle his neck, and Soma shivers.

Soma is stiff. He doesn’t dare fidget, not wanting her to wake up and panic. But he’s unable to look away from the girl beside him. I bet her cheeks are so soft… Soma’s hand inches towards her face, and he brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. Tucking it behind her ears ever so slightly, he had a clear view of her face. Her eyebrows, usually knit together in worry, were relaxed. Tadokoro looks free of anxiety, for once.

His body was moving on his own, the space between his face and hers closing. Soma paused, memorizing every freckle, cataloguing in his mind the way her bangs fell haphazardly on her head. Leaning in further, Soma caught a faint whiff of vanilla and hints of lavender. It was addicting to take in her scent, to say the least. Not that Soma would ever tell her. He inhaled deeply and sighed, relaxing into Megumi’s side. This is nice.

Chapter Text

Megumi settled into the warmth beneath her face, burrowing further into the boy beside her. The sound of the robotic announcer drifted lazily through the train cars. She was annoyed at the constant noise, still wanting to be stuck in the haze of peaceful sleep with the human pillow by her side. Wait a second…

Forcing her eyes open, Megumi peeked through her bangs and the sight took her breath away. The soft rays of the late afternoon sun shone through his red hair, illuminating a sort of halo around his head. His eyes were closed thoughtfully, as if he were dreaming about the next recipe to test in the kitchen. And his hand… firmly clasped onto Megumi’s own, their fingers threaded together as if his hand was meant to fit in hers. She was hyper aware of the feel of his fingers in hers, the way that their palms molded together and she could feel the outlines of scars of cuts and rough patches from oil burns. T-too close!

She tries to extract her fingers from Soma’s hold, tugging her hand lightly from out of his reach. His eyes snap open, giving a sideways glance to the girl next to him. Soma pays no mind to the intimate moment they just shared and leans back in an obnoxious stretch, yawning the sleep away. “Man, what a good nap, am I right?” Soma chuckles at Megumi’s expression, her lips twitching in embarrassment. She hangs her head in shame, beating herself up over how lovey-dovey she acted towards him in his sleep. God, what am I, a love-sick tween?

“I’m so, so sorry! It was uncalled for me to do that, to get up all in your space, and to…” She stares at her hands, lingering warmth still making her fingers tingle in excitement and… longing?

Soma grinned, relishing only a little bit (a lot) in her flustered state. “Don’t worry about it, Tadokoro. And look outside, we’re nearly to Tohoku!”

Turning to look at the view outside the window, Megumi was met with the view of a vast lake, the dark velvety water sparkling with the light reflecting off the waves. Not a cloud was in the sky, and the rolling waves were dotted with fishing boats here and there. A few swimmers were spotted near land, frolicking in the water.

“Wow, I forgot that it was like this in the summer… winters were always so rough, but now it kinda looks like paradise, huh?” Megumi pressed her hand up in the window, lips tilted upward in a hint of a smile, her eyes shining with nostalgia.

Soma didn’t reply, instead taking Megumi’s distraction as an opportunity to finally let the breath he’d been holding onto out, and the blush from the shared moment before creep onto his cheeks.

Both of them were seated in the Ryokan, exhausted by their travels. Megumi’s mom greeted the two of them with a smile, looking at Megumi pointedly. 

“Well, what do we have here? Two of Totsuki’s best? You know, you could have given me a heads up that you were coming here.” Her mom teased gently, pulling her daughter into a side hug. “Everyone’s missed you here. Say hello to them in the back, will you? They’ll be delighted to see their little chef all grown!”

Megumi huffed, and made her way towards the kitchen. I come back, and I’m still treated as the baby of the town, huh…

Megumi’s mom turned towards Soma, and greeted him with a nod. “Megumi didn’t tell me she’d be bringing her boyfriend here. She’s told me all sorts of things about you, you know.”

Soma bit the inside of his cheek. “A-all good things, I hope? And I’m not Tadokoro’s boyfriend, actually—”

“Oh, really? What a shame, you two look very… comfortable together. I heard that you worked together in that team Shokugeki against Central. Megumi goes on and on about how you always save her in tight situations, so thank you for that.”

Soma snapped his head up, quick to refute her statements. “Tadokoro is a capable chef. If she really went for it, she’d be able to easily knock out some of the Elite Ten spots, and I don’t think I’ve really saved her, in that sense… she’s plenty fine on her own.”

Approval shone in Megumi’s mom’s eyes. She clapped Soma on the shoulder, laughing gently. “That’s good. I always tell her to believe in her worth and trust her skills. It’s good that she has someone like you in her life.”

“Someone like me? What do you mean—”

Megumi burst in, her eyes darting between her mom and Soma. “You didn’t tell him anything embarrassing, did you?”

Her eyes lowered into mischievous slits, a grin creeping onto her face. “Oh, we were just having a little chat about school, right?”

Megumi sputtered and tugged onto Soma’s wrist, pleading for any escape from this torture. “S-soma and I are going out into town!”

“Not staying for dinner, are you? Ah, and I wanted to know more about your boyfriend, too…”

“We’re leaving!”

It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you / Everything I do

Her grip still fairly tight, Megumi dragged him out of the Ryokan and onto the streets of Tohoku. The sun was hanging lower and lower, its hues barely kissing the horizon. They’ve walked a fair distance now, past the markets and the fishing docks and the street vendors. The roads came to an end, and there was more and more vegetation springing up. They were nearing the lake’s shore, and two of them walked together in silence. Megumi fidgeted, unsure of how to approach him.

“So… boyfriend, huh?”

“It’s not like that at all! I should’ve explained it better, my mom always assumes the weirdest things…” Megumi let go of Soma and watched the waves roll back and forth.

Soma pouted childishly, and the girl heard a little hmmph from beside her. “So you’re telling me I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend? Personally, I’m offended.”

“What? I never said that. Soma, you say the silliest things sometimes.”

“Yeah, yeah, what you’re saying is that I’m not the perfect boyfriend, right? I could never take you on cheesy movie dates, and put my arms around you like Prince Charming, right?” Soma sighed dramatically and pretended to faint, earning a giggle from Megumi. “No man could ever reach Tadokoro Megumi’s standards, especially me…” Soma sat down on the sand, sulking pitifully.

“Seriously, cut it out!” Megumi whacked him on the head, no malice in her attacks. She continued to push at him playfully, and soon the “fighting” match dissolved into giggles and half-hearted punches.

Soma turned his focus to the view in front of him, watching the orange rays reflect off the water. “You know, your mom mentioned something else too.”

It’s good that she has someone like you in her life.

“W-what’d she say?”

He leaned his head on the palm of his hand and stared Megumi down. Soma’s trademark carefree grin was replaced with the hint of a frown, and concern shone in his golden eyes. “She told me that you always talked about how I ‘saved’ you at Totsuki.” His expression soured at the word “saved.”

“Oh, that was all it was?” She sighed in relief and threaded her fingers through the sand beneath her. “It’s not like she was lying. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve definitely been kicked out by now.” Megumi says it like it’s nothing, like it’s a fact of life, just like how the sky is blue and water’s wet.

Soma can’t stand it.

His eyes are on fire, and he’s got this intense look directed at her, mixed with a little… sadness? “How can you say that, Tadokoro? Your cooking is special, it’s like… like a hug from the inside.” Soma cringed a bit at his wording, which earned a chuckle from the girl beside him. “You know what I mean. It’s like, I feel all the love you put into cooking. That’s no easy task.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the word ‘love.’ He couldn’t have known, after all this time. She took a peek at the redhead, and nothing in his demeanor changed except for an uncharacteristically serious aura around him.

“Well, I’m glad that my feelings get through to people that way. Still, it doesn’t really explain to me how I got into the top spot at BLUE prelims, but—” She ran her fingers through her hair thoughtfully. “—it’s easier when you think about someone while cooking.”

It’s all for you, everything I do.

Soma thought that her words were awfully similar to what his dad said to him a while ago, when he was just a boy with big words for show and barely any culinary experience.

“The secret to becoming a great chef is meeting a woman that will make you want to give all the food you make to her,” right, Dad? It seems that Tadokoro’s found that person, at least…

An unexpected twinge of jealousy grew in Soma’s heart. They’ve been an inseparable duo ever since that first fateful class, and Megumi’s found that special person already? It was uncomfortable for him to think about, that there was a possibility she would leave him for them .

She’d no longer be his go-to taste tester for late-night recipes, and he’d never have the pleasure of seeing her all red and stumbling at the Polar Star parties, all wasted on rice juice. He thinks back to when Shinomiya almost had her expelled. The image of her watery smile and desperate pleas to stop, Soma, it’s okay, I’m fine burned in his mind.

She’s found the one she’s dedicated her cooking to. Ah, Tadokoro, seems like I’ve fallen behind you after all…

I tell you all the time / Heaven is a place on earth with you

“Hey!” Soma jerked out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice, dazed from his inner turmoil. “We’ve come all the way to Tohoku, but we’ve hardly done anything yet. Come on, stop moping!” Megumi pulled on his arm, dragging him into water. He let out a poorly hidden shriek as the cold water came in contact with his ankles.

“Tadokoro, it’s freezing! ” 

“Wow, never thought you couldn’t handle a little water.” Megumi continued to torment him by splashing him with bouts of cold water, cackling as Soma decided to return the favor and attacked her with consecutive splashes.

“You asked for it! Take this, and this!”

Megumi squealed, half-heartedly trying to escape Soma’s wrath. The redhead was relentless, chasing her all the way back to the shore. She collapsed onto the sand, raising a hand in surrender. “Truce, truce! I yield, you monster.” 

Soma laughed and sat next to her, shoving her gently. “That’s what you get for messing with me.” His expression was now content, despite them both shivering like it was winter. Megumi was grateful that she had taken the boy’s mind off of whatever he was thinking. Soma, I wish I knew what was going on in that head of yours sometimes…

Silence persisted between the two, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. They watched the sunset together, the sun’s rays bleeding across the horizon. Brilliant orange was scattered across the sky, and the rolling waves slowed to almost no movement at all. It gave off the illusion of the lake as shining glass, and reflected light illuminated their surroundings.

“Heaven truly is a place on earth, huh?” The words slip from Megumi’s mouth, before she could stop them. The unsaid with you hung between them, between the gap that separated their shoulders, only centimeters apart.

Soma’s eyes sparkled as the evening dusk cast its spell between the two teens, the brilliant orange dying off into rich purples. “Yeah, but… to be honest, ‘heaven’ wasn’t the thing that came to mind.”

“Huh?”

“Egg yolk.”

“Egg yolk?”

“Don’t laugh, okay, but… the first thing I thought of when seeing the sunset was an egg yolk.” Megumi carefully constructed her poker face, swallowing the laughter bubbling in the back of her throat. “You know, a lightly fried egg and then you just… poke the yolk, and it oozes over some white rice, or maybe shoyu ramen? And then it spills out, and—”

Megumi can’t take it anymore.

“—Oi, you said you wouldn’t laugh!” The girl beside him was cracking up, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Soma, but really? Egg yolks?” She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, catching her breath. “Spoken like a true chef. Should’ve known that the first seat of Elite Ten, can’t keep his mind off of cooking for too long.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m a cooking freak.” He stuck his tongue out at her. “Seeing this sunset reminds of the egg tempura bowl I made back when we were training for the Team Shokugeki.”

Megumi remembers it clearly. The creaminess of the frozen egg yolks paired with the white rice and combination of mirin and bonito… ah, her mouth was watering already.

“Woah, that dish looked super tasty! Leave it to your mad strokes of genius to freeze the eggs.” He really was asking for a death wish, that time. “You’d be the only one insane enough to serve Erina a dish with bargain eggs, of course.”

“Man, it was so perfect too! She’s such an annoying girl, won’t even say ‘delicious’ to anything I serve her…” The redhead continued to whine on and on about how she’d refused to acknowledge the tastiness of his dishes. For Megumi, though, the mention of Erina made her stomach drop.

Tell me all the things you want to do / I know you like the bad girls, honey

Is that true?

“Hey, don’t talk about Erina like that. You guys worked so well together in that last bout of the team shokugeki, remember?” And I could barely keep up. “If she knows that you can work with her at that level, then she’s bound to tell you that your cooking is delicious.”

“I hope so. It’s getting frustrating for me to see her obviously enjoy my food, but never say it to my face. I’ll just keep cooking for her until she does.”

I’ll just keep cooking for her until she does. The words bounced around in Megumi’s head, echoing painfully in her heart. She steadied her gaze and prayed that her voice wouldn’t shake.

“Oh?” Megumi faked a teasing tone, convincing herself to play the part of the wingman, the side character that would help him get the girl. It wasn’t like she had any other choice. “Seems like I’m not the only one who found someone to dedicate their cooking to.”

Soma goes silent. She fears that she’s made the wrong move, possibly offended him in a way? What would he say? Tadokoro, I have no time for a stupid high school romance. Tadokoro, you should know by now that cooking is the only thing on my mind. Tadokoro, go die in a hole.

“Hey, Soma? I’m sorry if I went too far with what I said.” She sighed, not willing to meet his eyes. “It’s true, though, You guys are unbeatable as a team.”

A team. It’s times like these that Megumi wonders why he even stuck with her, why bother with someone like her when he could have the God Tongue at his disposal, the Nakiri Erina. The girl that made culinary giants bow at her feet,Totsuki’s shining jewel. Soma deserves a worthy partner.

“Yeah, we did make a great team against Central.” Soma muses, playing with the sand between his fingers. “It was more like a power struggle at times, though. Cooking with her was exhilarating, and I learned a lot from it. But it was also like a high stakes tug of war, and the stress was honestly exhausting.” He rubs the back of his head, and there was a hint of… hesitance in his face?

“Besides,” Soma’s sincere tone makes her look up, eyes widening. “don’t you think we make a better team?”

It’s better than I ever even knew / They say that the world was built for two

He continues. “You’ve been there for me since day one. Even when I was acting like a little shit when I first came to Totsuki, you’ve been the first friend I’ve had.”

Megumi feels something wet collecting at the corners of her eyes.

“Tadokoro, you’ve put up with me for so long. It’s a miracle that you even stick around when I force you to try my disgusting experiments.” He breathes out a laugh, and fondness gathers itself in his golden gaze. “You’re so reliable, too. Having you by my side when cooking against Kuga-senpai was such a big help. I didn’t even have to ask you, and it’s just… I don’t know, it’s amazing how selfless you are.”

The air between them now was thick. It was as if the world crumbled around her, and it was just a boy and a girl and the sound of their breaths, passing back and forth between them.

“There’s no one like you. At the end of the day, who’s the one to taste all my recipes?” He was staring at her now, his eyes like topaz, staring down to the fibers of her soul. “Who’s the one to stay with me in the kitchen until the crack of dawn? Who’s there when I fall asleep at the prep table, the one to cover my shoulders with a blanket and leave me a thermos of barley tea. Who’s there the next day, ready to repeat the whole cycle?”

Tears are freely streaming down her face now. She doesn’t care to wipe them away.

“So, if it was anyone in the world I’d be cooking all my food for, wouldn’t it have been you , all this time?” He’s beaming at her now, and Megumi’s heart is ready to take off into the skies.

“You… I…” Megum can’t even find the right words to describe the emotions churning up inside of her. Gratitude, adoration, and astonishment pound at her chest. She feels like falling, flying, and throwing up, all at the same time. She tells it like it is:

“Soma, you’re my best friend.”

She’s so grateful to have at least this in her life. Someone to share the quiet moments in the kitchen, to cheer with at shokugekis, to kill time in the council room (someone to ignore the stuffy paperwork with) . Doesn’t matter if the someone in mind has no time for romance, no big deal if life isn’t like a shoujo manga.

Megumi’s hand moves without prompting. She raises a shaky fist as she sniffles, saltwater now gathering into the corners of mouth, trickling down her neck. Love tastes like salt, huh.

Something shifts within Soma. In the past, he was so used to working alone. Restaurant Yukihira stood on both his and his dad’s shoulders, and now that his dad wants him to carve his own path, he believed that he’d have only himself to rely on. He’d use Totsuki as a stepping stone, and his wit and eccentric creativity to propel him to the top of the culinary world. But now he looks at this girl beside him, peering into her glossy yellow eyes (the same shade as his). In the fading light, her skin is almost glass-like, but Soma knows better than most that Megumi is made of platinum. Her hair has long unraveled from her bun, curled into wet ringlets along her face. He eyes the fist between them, and raises his own hand to meet her.

“Of course,” Soma’s voice sounds foreign in his own throat. “of course you’re my best friend, Tadokoro.”

Only worth living if somebody is loving you

Baby, now you do