Akai Ito / Red String (of Fate)

Epilogue

"How much longer will you be in there, eh? We'll be late, y'know."

Great, she almost drops an earring into the sink. "I swear to my God tongue, if you don't stop asking the same question for the next 15 minutes, it will take me twice as long as that stupid yacht dinner, Yukihira!"

"We've been dating for two years. I think it's time we drop the family name calling."

"Maybe another year." She exits the bathroom as her hand battles the infuriating zipper of her red dress, "Ugh, zip this thing up for me."

Sōma gets up from the bed and approaches her back, but instead of zipping it up, he does it the other way as he leaves little pecks along her shoulder to the back of her neck.

"S-Stop it, idiot! You're the one who's very keen on this dinner plan." She squiggles, but he shows no sign of letting go.

"Y'know too well how this dress works for me, so don't blame me if I steal you out of it." He smirks before aiming his lips to hers, but it's quickly caught by her palm.

"Lipgloss, Yukihira."

"Aw, c'mon! You're no fun, Nakiri. You can always re-apply the thing."

"We can wait after we get back, can't we?" She says, fixing her hair, "Besides, we can't ruin that nice tuxedo."

"You called a tux you just see the first time nice, yet you still can't say my cooking's delicious? Really?"

"Just be grateful I don't call it disgusting anymore."

He cackles and motions towards her, "I can take this thing off for you, y'know."

"Yukihira, haven't you had enough from last night?"

"Not nearly." He swings their hands playfully, "I mean, when in Paris, right?"

"Stop making Paris an excuse, will you?" She rolls her eyes, "You said the same thing when we were in Rio."

"Hey, it's not often we both can take some days off work to travel, aight?"

"I know." Erina offers him a smile, circling her arms around his neck, "If you say we can stay a little longer... I mean, I wouldn't mind redoing my make-up later."

At her remark, Sōma chuckles. He lets her do that flirty eye trick she always uses to get him to bed, and it almost never fails.

Until now.

"I'm kidding. We should leave now." He taps her bum playfully, "Here's your purse."

"W-What?!" Deep down, she knew she should never give in to his devilish touches.

"That swanky yacht will leave in 30 minutes."

"It will only take us 20 minutes to get to Seine river."

"Not if we do it." He rushes to the door with her hand in his, "Oh, by the way,"

"What?"

"Are you not wearing anything under that dress?"

She sneers pompously as she passes his stunned self in front of their hotel room. Now who's game is it? "Perhaps if you don't check your front pocket, you shall never know."

"You mean the pocket... of this tux?"

"Yukihira, you didn't eat anything from that convenient store across the street, did you? Of course the pocket of that tux, baka!"

He hastily gropes the front pocket, and an instant relief drawn on his feature, which immediately turns into a reassuring rise of an eyebrow.

"Interesting."

She grimaces, "Alright, now walk in front of me so you're not distracted by my backside."

"As you wish, ojou-sama."

Oh, if only Erina has any idea what Sōma is actually planning tonight. Why he's been ringing Takumi non-stop for the last two weeks. Why he bribes for reservation in that exclusive river yacht dinner.

Or how thankful he is she didn't see that Cartier box hiding under his Armani tuxedo.