The aroma of freshly baked soufflé drifted through the dorm's open windows, carried on the crisp afternoon breeze. Inside the Polaris Dormitory kitchen, the once-quiet room had turned into a symphony of chopping, simmering, and clinking utensils. Riku Kaizen stood at the center, surrounded by classmates who had gathered to prepare for the upcoming Totsuki Festival — a critical event that offered not only prestige, but also a rare opportunity for first-years to make a mark on the Academy's elite circles.
Megumi was delicately arranging herbs in a wooden bowl while Soma was engaged in a fierce spat with Ryo over some minor sauce adjustments. Erina Nakiri, however, was conspicuously absent, her presence missed more than most dared to admit. Riku couldn't help but notice the slight void her absence created — both in the kitchen and, unexpectedly, in his thoughts.
He stirred the demi-glace he had been perfecting, the rich brown liquid swirling in his saucepan as memories of their most recent Shokugeki replayed in his mind. The way Erina had stared him down with unwavering eyes. The faint curl of her lips when he pushed back with a surprising twist of flavor. She had expected defiance, and he had delivered. But more than that — he'd earned something else: a flicker of curiosity from the Queen of the Elite Ten herself.
"You spacing out again, Riku?" Soma's voice cut in, pulling Riku out of his reverie. The redhead nudged him with an elbow "Your sauce is going to turn bitter if you keep daydreaming."
"I'm not spacing out," Riku replied, adjusting the heat "Just thinking."
Soma smirked "That's what they all say right before burning the dish."
Riku responded with a dry chuckle, but his eyes strayed once more toward the door. He wondered if Erina would visit Polaris again. After their battle, she had kept her distance — perhaps out of pride, or perhaps because she didn't know what to make of him yet. Riku knew better than to chase her approval like a moth to a flame. Still, something in the way she had tasted his dish — closed-eyed and silent for a full moment longer than necessary — told him the story wasn't over between them.
Later that evening, as twilight dipped the campus in soft purples and oranges, Riku left the dormitory and made his way toward the Nakiri estate. He hadn't planned to visit — not really — but his feet took him there as if guided by instinct. The guards at the gate eyed him suspiciously until a voice called out from behind.
"You may let him in," Erina said, her voice even, calm, and unmistakable. She stood at the top of the steps, her long golden hair catching the last light of day like threads of sun. Riku's breath hitched at the sight, though he masked it quickly with a casual nod.
"I wasn't sure you'd be back," she said as he approached.
"I could say the same about you," Riku replied "You've been avoiding the dorm."
"I've been… busy," she said, her tone crisp yet not unkind "The festival is a significant event for the Elite Ten. It demands my full attention."
"And yet here I am," Riku said, his lips quirking into a small grin "Stealing a few minutes of that attention."
Erina turned, motioning for him to follow her along the stone garden path. The estate grounds were beautiful — pristine hedges, koi ponds, and fragrant wisteria trees lined the walkway. It was a stark contrast to the homey chaos of Polaris Dorm, and yet Riku found something serene in the structured elegance.
"Do you always push your way into places you don't belong?" she asked without looking at him.
"Only when I think it's worth the trouble."
That earned him a glance, sharp and curious "You really are something else."
They arrived at a small open-air pavilion where a traditional tea set had been laid out. Erina gestured for him to sit as she poured them both a cup.
"Why did you really come here, Riku?" she asked finally.
He held the cup in both hands, watching the steam rise before answering "I wanted to thank you for the match. And… to tell you something important."
She raised an eyebrow, lips poised on the edge of the porcelain cup.
"I know you have standards. Expectations. Traditions. I don't come from a famous family. I didn't grow up in a palace of flavors. But I cook with everything I've got, and I won't let anyone—especially not you—decide what's worthy in the kitchen."
For a moment, silence reigned. The leaves rustled softly in the breeze. Then Erina's lips curved into something resembling a smile.
"You're reckless," she said "Impudent. And you have no sense of boundaries."
"Yet you haven't thrown me out," Riku pointed out.
"Because I find it… refreshing," she admitted, almost reluctantly "You're the first person in a long time who challenges me without groveling for favor. It's infuriating. And a little… admirable."
Riku looked at her, caught off guard by her honesty "So we're rivals now?"
"Perhaps," Erina replied, leaning forward slightly "But rivals can become something more if the flame burns bright enough."
Their eyes met, the tension hanging between them as thick as a rich roux. Something had shifted — not just respect, not just rivalry — but a fragile, forming bond built on mutual defiance and a simmering curiosity that neither fully understood.
"I'll take that as a challenge," Riku said.
"I expect nothing less."
As they shared tea under the fading sky, the stars began to peek through the velvet curtain of night, as if bearing witness to the first sparks of something deeper between them.
And in that moment, Riku knew: the journey ahead wouldn't just test his skill in the kitchen, but the strength of the bond he was forging with the girl known as the God Tongue.