A/N: So fair warning in advance guys. I lied. I'm a liar, liar, liar. My pants are most certainly in flames. Last chapter I said that the Erina/Megumi vs Sōma shokugeki would be concluded in this particular chapter. It hasn't even started. Blame my muses! Anyway, I hope you guys like this one! I really enjoyed writing it.

Ryo leaned against the door jamb of the kitchen silently as he watched Alice bustle around the kitchen. Based on the apparatus and ingredients she had out, Ryo assumed she was trying, or about to try, her hand at making ice cream again. A bit odd, considering he could've sworn she made ice cream just yesterday, but Ryo didn't really question it. His mistress had odder tendencies.

Her cheerful humming provoked a pang of sympathy in his chest and Ryo looked away from her, thinking of what he'd discovered a few hours ago. He felt the urge to simply discard his previous assurances right then and there and tell Alice of what her boyfriend had been up to behind her back, but he couldn't do it.

Yukihira may have thought Ryo gave him the night to break the news to Alice out of kindness or perhaps respect for their former camaraderie. The truth was that Ryo just didn't want to be the one to make his mistress cry.

"Oh, Ryo-kun hello. Don't just stand there brooding in the doorway like some vampire, come here!"

"Alright." Ryo agreed, stepping towards the counter and hoping that his customary blank expression was fixed as usual. He looked down at the bowls laid out in front of him, the varying colours and cool scents indicating that they were all different flavours of ice cream. Alice handed him several popsicle sticks, smiling in response to his querying stare.

"Go ahead and try them. I want to know how I did on this batch."

"Didn't you just make ice cream the other day, ojou?" asked Ryo placidly, taking up a small sample of the closest bowl. The rich, creamy taste was consistent with vanilla, although Ryo could detect a few subtle hints that differentiated it from the vanilla you would buy off of the shelf.

"Yup, but Momo-senpai came over and consumed a good portion of my efforts earlier this morning. And she didn't even have the decency to give me any detailed feedback!"

Alice harrumphed, her cheeks puffing out into a familiar, pouty expression. Ryo arched an eyebrow at her and it spoke to their many years together that Alice picked up on his unspoken question almost instantly.

"I have no idea why the fourth seat herself graced me with her presence today, Ryo-kun. I would've asked her but she left quite suddenly. It was quite rude."

"Ah, I see."

Ryo tried another bowl; the rich nutty taste of pistachio, along with just a hint of mint, hit his tongue and Ryo found himself almost smiling. He was well aware of Alice's fondness for the odd flavour.

"The pistachio's good." he offered, his tone approving. Alice cocked her head at him, smiling confidently.

"Well, of course it is! I made it, after all."

Ryo laughed softly, his deep voice making it sound more like a rumble than a chuckle.

"I suppose that's true."

He tried another flavour and the warm tones of caramel expanded across his tongue. It was a smooth embrace of sweetness.

"The caramel's delicious, ojou. My compliments."

Alice narrowed her eyes at Ryo, not reacting to the praise as she usually would. She leaned down until she was eye level with Ryo and stared at him. Red met red, and Alice hummed contemplatively.

"Ryo-kun, you're being awfully forthcoming today. Is something the matter?"

Ryo swore mentally; she was right. It had always been a bad habit of his. Ryo was something of a nervous talker. But, due to his silent, borderline grim demeanour, this really just meant that when he was flustered or hiding something, he talked about as much, and showed the same range of emotions as, an average person. Something that would usually go unnoticed.

To those that didn't know him well enough. And there wasn't anyone in the world that knew him better than Alice.

"It's nothing." he tried, hating the way he had to force calm into his tone.

Alice tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand.

"I don't really believe you, Ryo-kun. What's the matter?"

"I can't really say, Alice-ojou."

His guarded tone only served to frustrate Alice and she leaned forward, jabbing him in his shoulder with a pointed finger.

"Listen here, Ryo-kun. I already have a boyfriend chock full of secrets, I refuse to…"

Alice stopped talking as she saw Ryo's expression shift minutely. His eyebrows narrowed slightly and she saw his jawline shift, as if he was clenching his teeth. Signs of tension that would've been invisible to anyone in Tōtsuki that wasn't named Nakiri Alice.

"This has something to do with Sōma-kun."

It wasn't a question. Ryo turned his head from her curious gaze, choosing to sample another bowl of ice cream instead of responding to her. The flavour didn't even register to him as he thought furiously, wondering what excuse he could possibly offer. It didn't even need to be a strong one; it just needed to last him until Sōma returned to the mansion later that night.

Ryo expected Alice to snap at him; perhaps shake him by his collar and demand answers or threaten to deprive him of the portion of her allowance she allocated to him every week. That isn't what happened.

"Ryo-kun. Please."

The uncharacteristic softness of Alice's voice prompted him to turn back to face her and he found himself utterly disarmed by the feelings he saw in the garnet eyes of his mistress. Hesitance, caution, fear, concern and a host of other emotions that he'd rarely have associated with Alice at all. It really brought home something that he'd seen developing but been too slow and too cautious to stop before it could get too far. For not the first or last time, he cursed Yukihira Sōma.

His mistress had fallen head over heels for that red headed idiot. And now he'd get to watch him break her heart in two.

"I need to use the bathroom." was all he said before fleeing the room.

"Wait, really? NOW?!"

He ignored the incredulous cries of the girl he considered his closest friend, marching away from the kitchen and sliding into the first bathroom he saw, locking the door behind him. He sat on the tub, tangling a hand in his hair as he sighed. His unoccupied fist swung out, slamming into the wall. He ignored the dull throbbing in his knuckles as he tried to think of how he would handle things from here. He couldn't run from Alice forever and the bathroom would buy him a few minutes at best.

The time constraint didn't exactly help Ryo's thinking processes. Especially considering that, by all rights, he should just tell his mistress exactly what had happened. She deserved to know after all. He was more than capable of handling her when she was being excessive or thoughtlessly unfair. But he'd always been unable to resist the urge to help her when she truly needed him. It's what he was here for, after all.

That line of thinking brought him back to the words that Alice's father had left him with; words he'd thought of recently and completely failed at putting into action.

I leave it to you to ensure that, when the time comes, Alice chooses a man worthy of both her and her station.

He was supposed to have more time than this; how could he have known that his mistress would give away her heart to the first lout that smiled her way? It hadn't even been a month since Yukihira had moved in!

If Ryo had known just a little bit more about teenage girls, just a little bit more about what motivated Alice and Sōma's relationship and just a little bit more about the ways of the heart, he would've realized that he was grossly oversimplifying things; as it stood, he just felt guilty for his role in facilitating the relationship by simply standing aside all this time.

Ryo glanced at his watch and noted that he'd been sitting in the tiled room for almost seven minutes. In that time, he'd accomplished little besides lamenting his failure and dreading the thought of opening that door. He was loathe to confront his mistress and wondered, again, if telling her everything wasn't the simplest option.

He supposed he'd have to find out in the moment. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Ryo stood up and walked to the door, unlocking it and throwing it open.

An empty hallway greeted him.

He peeked his head out, looking from side to side but finding that both directions were absent of his mistress' presence.

"Alice-ojou?"

Alice marched off, doing her best to maintain her anger at Ryo. It helped distract her from the odd cocktail of concern and worry she had for her boyfriend as she walked towards Tōtsuki's main campus. She was fairly certain she knew where to find him; he should be wrapping up his English final, based on what she knew of his exam schedule.

She'd contemplated simply waiting for Ryo to come out of hiding but she found her patience had lasted all of thirty seconds before she stormed off to go find answers on her own. She didn't need second hand information; not where Sōma was concerned. He was confusing enough as it was.

Alice opened the door to one of the adjoining buildings off of Tōtsuki's main hall. A brief search brought her to the building's directory, which then led her to the second floor, where Class 3-A's English exam was taking place. She eyed the closed door and the foreboding 'Exam in Progress – Do Not Disturb' sign speculatively before shrugging and smiling to herself.

She slid the door open, stepping inside with a cheerful wave and exuberant greeting.

"Excuse me young miss!"

The dark haired proctor stood up from his seat, surprised by Alice's boisterous entrance. She looked around the class, a confused look on her face, even as she made note of the crowd of curious students. She recognized more than a few of them from her year.

"Oh, sensei, I'm so sorry! I thought this was Ishida-sensei's classroom."

The sugary sweet tone that Alice used didn't seem to have any effect on the severe looking man as he adjusted his glasses, glaring at her sternly.

"Well, as you can see, it is most certainly not. Now please, run along."

Alice's eyes moved to a shocked pair of yellow ones that sat in the back corner of the room. She grinned at the familiar sight before turning and bowing to the teacher.

"No problem. My apologies once again, sensei."

Stepping back out and shutting the door behind her, Alice grinned to herself. So she'd confirmed that, whatever was wrong with Sōma, it wasn't bad enough to make him miss his exams. Which was saying something, considering how little bearing exams that weren't related to cooking had at Tōtsuki. So it probably wasn't anything to do with her uncle. Which was a win in her book.

Alice leaned idly against the classroom wall, looking out of the window as she allowed her thoughts to drift. Now that she'd found him, all she would have to do is wait for him to finish. She couldn't be certain how long she'd have to wait but it couldn't be all that long. Based on what she'd seen when glancing around the room in her "confusion", most of the students had already closed their exam booklets; if enough time had passed for that to happen, Alice was confident that she had minutes to burn, at worst.

"Nakiri-chan!"

Alice jumped in surprise, her thinking interrupted by the loud voice at her ear. She turned to face the grinning face of Kobayashi Rindō.

"Ah, Rindō-senpai. Good day. What brings you here?"

The maroon haired girl folded her arms, tilting her head at the younger girl as she examined her expression.

"Just passing through. You seemed pretty lost in thought there, Nakiri-chan. Anything on your mind?"

Alice wondered why Rindō's tone seemed so suggestive, but she didn't pay it much mind. The second seat was well known for her various eccentricities and her fondness for mischief.

"It's nothing, Rindō-senpai. I'm just waiting for Sōma-kun to finish with his exams. He should be done in a few minutes."

Rindō couldn't tell if the girl was in denial or simply ignorant of the situation. When she'd spotted Alice marching purposefully through campus, she simply had to follow and see what she was going to do. It had been a few hours since the Kurokiba boy had caught her and Sōma together. That was more than enough time for the little snowflake to build up a head full of steam.

"I see. Is there any particular…reason you need to see Sōma-kun? Has he done something, perhaps?"

Alice felt something at the edge of her awareness, a sort of pre-emptive tremble that was telling her that the girl in front of her was dangerous. It was just a brief feeling, but it was enough to put Alice on guard.

"I believe that is between Sōma-kun and I." she responded diplomatically. The cat like girl's smile only seemed to grow, and Alice felt the odd feeling return, less of a tremble and more of a full blown warning now. Something wasn't right.

"I wouldn't be quite so sure of that, Nakiri-chan. Or have you not had the chance to catch up with that fishy little aide of yours today?"

Alice narrowed her eyes, her hackles rising at both Rindō's prodding and the continued sense of unease she was getting from the older girl. It also didn't help that Rindō's comment had sparked Alice's curiosity. It had seemed rather targeted and the timing of the jest was almost beyond coincidental. And Alice, as a matter of course, didn't believe in coincidence in the first place.

"Why are you so curious, Rindō-senpai? Is there something I should know?" she asked, her polite smile hollow as she fought the urge to step back. Rindō shrugged flippantly.

"Far be it from me to get involved in a lovers' quarrel, Nakiri-chan. It simply isn't my place."

Alice heard something in Rindō's words; something she didn't like. She just couldn't figure out what it was. Such was her distraction that she didn't even realize that Rindō had basically confirmed that she knew about her relationship with Sōma, a fact that only a select few were aware of.

"There is no quarrel, Rindō-senpai. If you have something you feel you should say then, by all means, go ahead."

Rindō wasn't fooled by the polite manner in which Alice phrased her sentence and, based on Alice's too-innocent expression, she was sure she wasn't meant to be. It was meant as a challenge; an invitation for Rindō to back up her assertions.

Rindō opened her mouth to respond, but the sliding door to the classroom opening interrupted her. The general bustle of the students filing out of the classroom and breaking into relieved discussion would've drowned out anything she had to say. As the group moved past their position, one broke off to stand in front of them.

Sōma looked at Rindō, his face blank and empty. He looked over at Alice to find her looking back at him in concern.

"Sōma-kun, is everything alright?"

Sōma didn't react visibly but Alice could've sworn that she felt something inside of him tense up and away from her. As if he was frightened. She hoped that it was simply her imagination. Sōma looked back over at Rindō, who was looking between the both of them in unconcealed glee.

"Alice. I need to speak with you. But I would suggest that we do it somewhere a little more private."

"Ok…" the white haired girl agreed hesitantly, trying to ignore the very real fear that had settled in the pit of her stomach at his tone. It was easy to dismiss her worrying as overthinking and paranoia when she didn't have Sōma's serious, guarded face in front of her. It had been a while since she'd seen him like this. At least, with her. Even in public, he didn't usually wall himself off to her like he was doing now.

"Sounds fun, can I come?" asked Rindō cheerily, as if they'd just planned a rendezvous at a party or a café. Sōma turned to face her and the look in his eyes made even Rindō's cheeky grin falter.

"It should go without saying that you are not welcome...senpai."

The sheer venom with which Sōma spat out the address was at complete odds with the iciness of his delivery. Alice was taken aback by the sudden shift in his mood and, if her expression was to be believed, so was Rindō.

She recovered swiftly however and simply shrugged, a hand going up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's all in good fun, Sōma-kun. No need to be such a downer about it."

The levity in Rindō's voice only seemed to incense Sōma further and he clenched his fists, his face still stubbornly set in stone despite the trembling of his shoulders. He stared at Rindō wordlessly, a familiar rage beginning to build inside of him until he felt an insistent tug at his sleeve. He felt a cool hand slip into his and he closed his eyes, the anger beaten back by something stronger.

"Let's go, Sōma-kun."

Alice pulled Sōma along, more than willing to separate him from the troublemaking third year. She didn't know exactly what the older girl had done to set Sōma off so but she was more than happy to make the executive decision to remove both herself and Sōma from the mischievous girl's presence. Once they'd put several classrooms and a stair well in between them and Rindō, Alice turned to face Sōma.

"Now, what do you need to tell me, Sōma-kun? What's the matter?"

Sōma looked down at Alice. At the warm, ruby eyes that he'd found himself pulled into so often over the past few weeks. He gritted his teeth as a single tear fell down his face. He opened his mouth. And he spoke.

Erina opened the door to room 303, sighing in contentment as she finally got home after a lengthy day spent taking final exams. She turned on the light, humming softly to herself as she placed her bags down near the desk. She waved politely.

"Greetings, Alice."

"Hi, Erina."

Erina continued humming, taking off her school jacket and setting it onto a hanger that she'd left hanging on the door for just such an occasion. As she moved towards the wardrobe in the corner of the room, she stopped halfway, wondering why she had this nagging feeling that…

"Wait, Alice?!"

She turned to face her cousin, who sat on her bed, clutching a pillow to herself. She had her head buried in the cushion and didn't react to Erina's exclamation, as if it was perfectly normal for her to be sitting in Erina's room in the dark.

Erina felt a surge of irritation at the girl's lack of response and she walked over to the bed, crossing her arms haughtily.

"It's not very polite to just come into people's rooms Alice. If you'd wanted to visit, you need only ask." Erina said, the rebuke containing little heat.

"Ah…"

Erina frowned at the muted response. Something didn't seem right; Alice was never this withdrawn.

"Did you lose a duel to Kurokiba-kun again, Alice?"

Erina knew how much the competitions meant to her cousin, despite the lack of actual stakes. Alice shook her head, her bang bobbing back and forth with the motion. She still hadn't so much as looked at Erina, her face still buried in the soft cotton of Erina's pillow.

"Alice, is everything alright?"

A pause. And then, slowly, Alice shook her head again. She looked up, her eyes meeting Erina's, and the blonde gasped. Alice's expression was downtrodden and morose and, most shockingly, her eyes were red. Not the usual ruby-red that was her natural eye colour but the irritated pinkish-red that came from too much time spent crying. Wet spots decorated the pillow below her and Alice glanced down at them.

"Gomen, Erina. I messed up your pillow."

Alice's voice was soft and quiet; almost wispy. It almost cracked as she spoke.

Erina sat next to Alice, taking the pillow from her unresisting arms. She took her cousin's hands in hers.

"That's not what's important. What's wrong, Alice? What happened?"

Alice sniffed slightly, gripping her cousin's hands in return.

"It's…it's Sōma-kun."

Erina blinked, surprised by the answer, but then remembered what Hisako had revealed to her and Megumi and she drew back, her mind racing as she thought about what the boy could've possibly done. What could that idiot have done?

Erina didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until Alice began sniffling again, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as a few errant tears fell down her cheeks.

"He…Sōma-kun…he did something wrong. But for a good reason. A really good reason."

The latter half of Alice's statement was almost muttered and Erina wondered at the odd statement, even as she felt her chest constrict at the sight of her cousin crying. Alice wasn't exactly conservative with her emotions, but her crying was usually loud and abrasive, childish and tantrum-like. This sombre, slow rush of tears was anything but. These were the tears of a woman, not a girl.

"What did he do, Alice?"

Alice looked at Erina's concerned gaze and, through her tears, she smiled at her. Erina found herself even more confused by the gesture; why was Alice smiling even as she continued to cry?

"Something bad. A means to an end. A really good end. But bad all the same."

"Eh?"

Erina was completely thrown by the seeming contradiction of her cousin's phrasing. The deeper meaning flew completely over her head. She simply didn't have the context to make heads or tails of such a cryptic statement.

"Alice, I'm afraid I don't really understand. What has Sōma-kun done?"

At Sōma's name, Alice's face fell, even as she continued to smile at her cousin. She didn't answer the other girl's inquiry; instead choosing to simply stare at her cousin thoughtfully. After a few seconds, Erina frowned concernedly.

"Alice, what is it? You can trust me."

"Oh I know I can, Erina. It's not my trust that's the issue."

The bitterness in Alice's voice made Erina wonder just what she was trying to imply. The white haired girl wiped her eyes with dogged determination, plastering a smile on her face that was much too hollow to be worn by the spritely molecular gastronomist.

"I'll be fine, Erina. It's sort of poetic for first romances to end tragically, in the pursuit of something greater, isn't it?"

Alice had surprised Erina several times in the past several minutes, but that particular statement, more than any other, really shocked the honey blonde haired girl. She stared at her cousin, open mouthed, trying and failing to find the words to say to her. What should she say to THAT? What could she say?!

Alice stood up, dusting off her skirt as she got to her feet.

"Sorry to bother you, Erina. I'm not even really sure why I came here. I'll see you later."

With one last, watery smile, Alice walked towards the door but she quickly found her motion halted by the hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Wait, Alice."

Erina's voice was surprisingly steady, considering how shell shocked she'd been a few seconds ago. She looked up at her cousin insistently.

"Do you really care for Yukihira-kun?"

Alice was surprised by the urgency in Erina's tone. She answered with simple, if painful, honesty.

"I…I do."

"Truly and honestly? With all of your heart?"

"Well, yes. Of course. But what does-"

"Then you shouldn't let things end this way."

Erina wasn't sure what in particular had motivated her on this particular course of action. Her head felt light and filled with fog even as she stood and faced her cousin, who was looking back at her in confusion.

"Does Yukihira-kun care for you as well?"

Alice frowned as she thought back to the conversation she'd had. To the angry words and tears that had come from both sides.

"He claims to. But I doubt it."

"Is that you speaking? Or is it your anger, Alice?"

"What? How can you-"

"You're one of the most perceptive people I know, Alice. If Yukihira cared about you, you would know it. Feelings like that don't just go away with one mistake."

"Don't speak as if you know what this is like!" she snapped, her previous irritation flaring in response to Erina's prodding. The very raw hurt and anger that still resided alongside her tears fuelled her words as she glared at the girl in front of her. "You don't know the first thing about any of this, Erina!"

Erina didn't rise to the heat in her cousin's words. Instead she simply took out her phone, dialling a number.

"You're right, I don't. But I think I know someone who knows a lot more than either of us about these kinds of things. And I think you should talk with her before doing something rash. Shiomi-sensei?"

The three women sat in silence in the Shiomi seminar's main room. Before them were cups of tea, their contents already drained. An empty plate of crumbs was all that was left from the offering of biscuits that Jun had provided upon seeing the two girls enter.

The silence wasn't…awkward, per se, but it also wasn't the most comfortable. Between sips of tea and bites of crackers, Alice had been coaxed into revealing just what Sōma had done. Erina had reacted with anger and offense; Jun's reaction was more subdued as she calmly listened to the girl's brief recitation of Sōma's indiscretion.

Jun broke the silence with a query.

"So Alice-chan, Sōma-kun has given you his reasons for why he kissed another woman, correct?"

A nod.

"And you consider these reasons to be good ones?"

A bit of hesitance and an almost imperceptible glance at Erina preceded another nod.

"Yet you still desire to break up with him?"

At this, Alice went to nod but she paused. She started to shake her head but then stopped again, before simply shrugging her shoulders. Jun held her chin thoughtfully, eyeing the young girl before her.

"Alice-chan. I'm not going to claim to have all of the answers but what I will say is that everyone makes mistakes. Some bigger than others. And you two are young and this is the first relationship that either of you have been in, correct?"

Alice nodded again but she chose to refrain from explaining to Jun the complicated mess that was Sōma and Rindō's previous relationship. She wasn't sure she would call that…mess…a real relationship anyway. And thinking about it only served to darken Alice's mood further; something that didn't go unnoticed by the diminutive professor.

"Alice-chan, is there…history between Sōma and this other girl?"

Alice started, looking at Jun in surprise. She'd always heard that the spice professor was a bit absent minded, but it seemed she was more perceptive than people gave her credit for.

"What, um…what makes you say that?"

"Call it womanly intuition. Does Sōma-kun still have feelings for this other woman?"

"I…I don't…it's complicated. He's not in love with her or anything like that. But he's…dependent on her. He needs her for…things. And that lets her have control over him. More than even he realizes, I think."

"That doesn't seem healthy." commented Erina, more than a little perturbed by the parallels she recognized. Jun stood up and began gathering the empty plates and cups from the coffee table.

"Alice-chan, it seems to me that the easiest solution here would be to just leave Sōma-kun to his own devices. He clearly comes with a lot of baggage. That's not stress you need in your first relationship."

Jun delivered her verdict calmly, as if she was commenting on the weather. Alice looked at Jun who didn't turn to face her. She just continued to gather up the used cutlery.

"You're a pretty girl, Alice-chan. I'm sure that, if you wanted, you could find another boy to date at the drop of a hat. Someone less complicated than Sōma-kun, perhaps?"

Alice went to speak but she wasn't sure what she should say. She'd been all for breaking up with Sōma when he first told her that he'd kissed someone else. Even after he'd explained the situation to her, she'd been almost blinded by her anger and had wanted to tell him that they were done right then and there. It seemed like the right thing to do. But to hear someone else suggest the exact same thing to her made her feel…wrong.

She didn't want to lose him. Even though he'd hurt her, more than almost anyone else ever had, she still wanted to be with him. Punish him a bit for being so stupidly noble and unfaithful at the same time. And have words with that purple haired upperclassmen bitch. But breaking up with Sōma wasn't what she wanted. Was it?

"Alice-chan?"

Alice looked up at Jun and something in her eyes made the professor want to smile. Although she was careful not to give in to the desire.

"So you've come to a decision then?"

"I…I think I have, Shiomi-sensei."

"So what are you going to do?"

At that, Alice grinned, not exactly happy but much less sad than she'd been since she and Sōma had spoken.

"I made Sōma a promise when we started dating. And I plan to keep it. One way or the other."

"I see. So you're going to take him back? Even though he cheated on you with another woman he was involved with in the past?"

The harshness with which the comment was delivered caught both Nakiris off guard.

"Sensei!" said Erina, looking over at Alice, who looked as if Jun's comment had taken all of the air out of her sails and more.

"Alice-chan. Sōma-kun cheated on you. He kissed another woman. He may have been coerced or bribed in some manner but, at the end of the day, he gave his consent."

Alice bit her lip as her previous confidence began to wane in the face of Jun's taciturn delivery.

"But he also told you about it, almost immediately after it happened. And, based on what you've told me, he knows that what he did was wrong and he regrets it heavily. Sōma-kun's a complicated young man but I believe he's ultimately a good one. And even good men make mistakes."

Jun smiled at Alice.

"I won't tell you whether you should get back together with him or not, Alice-chan. But I will tell you that you should be realistic, look at all of the facts, harsh as they may be, and do what's best for you, not someone else."

"But what if they are one and the same, Shiomi-sensei?"

Jun tilted her head at Alice, who seemed embarrassed at what she'd blurted out. The white haired girl began speaking haltingly, as if afraid to put her thoughts to words.

"What if…what if you know that what's best for you is trying your best to do what's best for someone else?"

"Then that's love, Alice-chan."

Jun said it so easily and so casually that the girl almost missed the significance of the woman's words. When she realized just what Jun had said, she simply nodded in response.

"Yea…I guess it is."

Alice stood up suddenly, surprising both Erina and Jun with her rapid movement.

"Thank you for all of your help, Shiomi-sensei. I know what I'm going to do now."

She bowed to the older woman, who bowed in return.

"It was nothing, Alice-chan. I hope you find happiness, whatever you decide to do."

With one last, small smile, Alice left, shutting the door behind her. Jun looked at the closed door for a second or two before promptly collapsing to her knees, gasping.

"Shiomi-sensei!"

Erina got up and rushed over to where Jun was kneeling. Jun's face was a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

"That was so hard…"

Erina felt an almost overwhelming desire to palm her face but she held back, in favour of helping Jun to her feet and onto a couch.

"I tried so hard to be all mature and encouraging but I really just wanted to give her a big hug! Poor Alice-chan…"

"Wait, if that's how you felt, then why did you act like that, Shiomi-sensei? That sort of sternness really wasn't like you."

Jun sighed as she leaned back into the cushions.

"It's what she needed, Erina-chan. Alice didn't need someone to hold her hand and comfort her. Well I mean, she DID. But you filled that role. She needed someone to help her come to a decision and so I tried to do my best to do that. If I were too nice and overly optimistic, there was a good chance I would've just made things worse."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, by presenting Alice with the harsh reality of what Sōma did, I made her confront what happened. If I'd been more pandering, it was possible that she would've simply brushed his indiscretions off or repressed her feelings towards them, which wouldn't be healthy for her in the least. It would've poisoned any further relationship she could've had with Sōma. Or even boys after him, depending on how far down those feelings would have ran. But by confronting them, she can accept what happened and move on with a clear head. She can come to the decision that's best for her that way and accept the outcome, whatever it may be. "

Erina wasn't sure that she grasped the full scope of what June was talking about but she more than got the gist, and was very impressed by her teacher's analysis of the situation. Although it made her wonder about something.

"Sensei, something's been bothering me for a while now."

"What is it, Erina-chan?"

"It's just, well…how do you know all of this?"

Jun blinked at Erina, who was staring at her critically.

"I didn't really question it when I first started talking to you about these sorts of things. But you seem very knowledgeable about things like relationships, dating and…love…for someone who seemed to have spent the majority of her time single and working."

Jun blushed brightly. She looked away from Erina as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Well, to be honest Erina-chan…when I started to realize how I felt about Hayama-kun, I wasn't very comfortable with that. As I'm sure you can imagine. And I didn't really date much, even before I started working at Tōtsuki, so I was really clueless. And so I…well, you see…"

With a sigh, Jun stopped speaking. She stood up and walked over to a bookcase and pulled several volumes from the shelves. She walked back over to Erina and set the books on the coffee table with a thud. The legs creaked in protest at the weight.

Jun handed the top book to Erina who took it from her. She looked at the cover, which bore the proud title of South Eastern Spices: A History of Plant and Spice Culture in Burma, Volume IX.

"I'm afraid I don't really understand, sensei."

"Just, um…open the cover flap. And read the top of the first page"

Erina did just that, and saw that the book itself looked odd; it was a bit smaller than the book sleeve would suggest, as if it wasn't properly sized for it. Erina read the title printed at the top of the page.

"Relationships: 100 Tips for Finding One, Making it Last and Knowing When to Break It Off…"

That's when Erina understood why the book sleeve seemed so oddly sized. She removed it entirely and found that the book it covered was covered in hearts and pink writing, as opposed to the plain color of most text books.

"Sensei, is this…a dating manual?"

Jun nodded ashamedly.

"Yes, it is."

Jun shucked the covers off of a few of the other volumes she'd brought, revealing more books with brightly colored covers and loopy handwriting.

Human Nature: Romance Edition

What is Love and Why do We Bother?

Dating: A History. From Fencing to Facebooking

The Psychology and Chemistry of Falling in Love

Is Mr. Right Really Mr. Wrong?

20 Steamy Tips for the Bedroom

Jun almost shrieked as she saw the last title she'd revealed, snatching it and putting it behind her back. She looked up to see that Erina hadn't even noticed the slip; she was busy leafing through the first book Jun had handed her.

"So you've been doing research? On romantic relationships?"

Jun took the opportunity to slip over and shove the book she held behind her back among a collection of other actual spice texts, before returning to her seat with Erina none the wiser.

"Yes. That's exactly right!"

Despite her initial embarrassment, Jun seemed to be excited to have someone to discuss her work with. Her passion as a researcher didn't seem to be limited to just spices after all.

"There isn't a book in the world that can teach you how to make someone fall in love with you, but humans have been falling in love with each other for thousands of years. There's so much about the phenomenon that's well documented and researched. I was honestly impressed when I first started looking into things. There's so much to learn."

She reached over and flipped through the book Erina held until she hit a certain page. She pointed to the title of the chapter.

"You see this one here? This chapter talks about common signs of an impending breakup. On the surface, much of them are simple and obvious but there are signs that are more subtle and hard to notice. Especially if you're caught up in your emotions which you SHOULD be, if it's a relationship with any sort of depth. So being familiar with reference material can help you strengthen your own relationship."

Jun continued speaking, pointing at parts in the book that Erina held to further illustrate what she was talking about. Erina followed along, interested in the more academic take on relationships that Jun was presenting. She personally preferred the dramatic themes of her shōjo manga but she appreciated the realistic analysis presented by the older woman as well. She found herself being more and more drawn into it as Jun continued speaking, donning her white coat to add emphasis to her words.

Hayama would return home hours later to find Jun in full lecture mode in front of a board with Erina following along diligently, taking notes in a notebook that she'd procured from the bookshelf. Neither women noticed his entrance until he cleared his throat, which brought on a lot of shrieking, a scramble to hide several objects and a thoroughly embarrassed Nakiri Erina shoving him out of the room and slamming the door.

He briefly considered just re-entering and explaining to Jun that he'd discovered her stash of "research material" the day after she'd bought them. But he decided to let it go and simply laughed to himself at the whispered conversations and hurried attempts to hide literature that he could hear through the wall.

"Ah, excuse me, Riza-san!"

With a rounded, portly figure, deep laugh lines and kind brown eyes, Idate Riza was the very picture of a matronly woman. She was also the head of the serving staff at the Nakiri mansion, a positon she'd proudly held for almost twenty years. She turned to face the young man that called out to her and smiled warmly.

"Good evening Yukihira-kun. How are you?"

Sōma stepped forward, his chain nowhere to be seen as he waved at the maid. He gave the woman a wan smile.

"To be honest, not the best. But I'll be fine."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Would you like to talk about it? I've been told I'm a good listener."

Sōma waved off the woman's offer but smiled gratefully at her.

"No thank you Riza-san, although your kindness is appreciated. Did the package arrive yet?"

Riza lit up and she started digging around in her bag.

"Oh, that's right. I finally received it in the mail earlier today. Mariko-chan had quite a time tracking it down but she came through, in the end."

She gave Sōma a thick manila envelope and he took it from her, popping the top open and looking down into the contents. He smiled widely at what he saw and, in a fit of spontaneity, he reached forward and hugged Riza, eliciting a good natured chuckle from the woman.

"Thank you so much, Riza-san. And please, give Mariko-san my thanks as well."

"First Rindō-senpai and now the help? Really, Sōma-kun?"

Despite the accusatory words, the voice was light. That didn't stop a cold fear from taking hold of Sōma however. He released Riza, bowing his head to her and thanking her again, before turning to face Alice, who was eyeing him stoically.

"Alice."

"Sōma."

The two teenagers continued looking at each other, the tensions mounting.

"We need to talk."

The sentence was said in unison and it caused both teenagers to blink in surprise before Alice started chuckling. Sōma joined in after a few seconds and the mutual exchange of humour did much to lighten the mood.

"What say I give you kids some privacy, hmm? Have a good evening Yukihira-kun, Alice-chii."

"Riza-obaa!" shouted Alice petulantly, her cheeks puffed out. "I'm not a child anymore!"

Riza didn't respond verbally, instead simply choosing to laugh and wave as she left the hallway.

Sōma looked at the pouting face of his estranged girlfriend and it made him smile, even as he felt the guilt and self-hatred claw at him. Even as he saw her face in his mind's eye, streaked with tears.

"Sōma-kun."

Her voice broke him from his thoughts and he saw that Alice had gone back to the placid expression she'd worn when she'd first entered the hallway. It was so very different from her usual cheerful demeanour.

"Come on then."

She turned, expecting him to follow and it wasn't long before his steps echoed alongside hers. Her path took them through the hallway and out to the foyer, winding around a staircase and through further halls until they finally ended up in his room.

"Go. Sit down."

Alice gestured with one dainty fingertip and Sōma obediently took a seat on his bed, the large envelope put to the side for the moment. Alice closed the door behind them and sighed before turning to face him, walking over until she stood over him, much as she had weeks ago when she'd first gotten a glimpse of the real Sōma. She took his face into her hands and looked down at him, her red eyes insistent. Her mouth moved.

"I love you."

Sōma had no idea that three words could mean so much. He felt almost guilty for how happy that simple phrase made him. He'd known, or at least thought he'd known, but to hear her say it made a world of difference. It made this amazing dream he'd been living…real. Tangible.

He smiled widely at Alice, opening his mouth to respond but she shushed him, putting a cool finger to his lips.

"Sōma-kun. I love you. And you hurt me. Deeply."

If Alice's initial statement had sent Sōma soaring, her follow up sent him plunging into the depths of the ocean. He felt every bit of guilt, shame and anger start to beat on his mind, his previous euphoria all but devoured in the face of it. A sharp pinch to his cheek drew his eyes back up to meet Alice's.

"Sōma-kun. Listen. Focus. I need you to hear this. To hear me. Can you do that?"

Sōma nodded mutely, even as his emotions continued to run unfettered. He felt the urge to chain his wrist but he clenched his fist, denying himself. He wouldn't run from this, from her. Not again.

"You hurt me. You had good reasons; reasons I understand and approve of, honestly, but that doesn't change the fact that you did that. YOU. And I forgive you. I forgive you for it. I give you my forgiveness freely, no strings attached."

Sōma felt some of the weight that hung over him disperse at the girl's words. Not all of it, not by any means, but a good portion of him was freed by Alice's acceptance.

"You said you didn't care; that there was no reason great enough in the world for what I did."

Alice shrugged at his response, overly casual.

"I was mad. You know I have a temper."

Sōma laughed at the bland joke.

"That you do."

They lapsed into a silence that, while not completely tension free, was much more comfortable than any they had a right to after the day they'd been through together. Sōma closed his eyes as he focused on the feeling of Alice's hands on his face. Her skin was always so cool, no matter what the temperature was like.

"So…us?"

Sōma asked the question calmly but the weight in it was clear to the both of them. Alice sighed, one hand reaching up to run through Sōma's soft, red spikes.

"Sōma-kun…what would you say if I asked you to stop. To give up on saving Erina and beating Uncle Azami?"

Sōma glanced up sharply at her words and he found Alice staring back at him, her face more serious than he'd ever seen it.

"If I said, right here and now, that I wanted you to end your campaign and just be…normal. A normal high school student with normal high school problems and a normal high school girlfriend…would you?"

Sōma's mouth felt dry and he opened his mouth to respond but words weren't there. He tried to speak a second time but his voice failed him. His eyes, his expressive golden eyes, told Alice all she needed to know. She sighed again as she released his face.

"That's what I thought."

"Alice, please. I just-"

"No, Sōma-kun. You don't need to give me any excuses. I understand, I really do. I would never ask something like that of you."

Alice smiled at him beatifically.

"That stupid noble streak is one of the things I love about you, you know? Even when it's buried under all those chains."

Alice sat beside Sōma on the bed, staring outwards, looking at the wall but not really seeing it as her mind drifted. Sōma didn't know what to say; he didn't really know what he could say. Sorry didn't seem like enough.

"We can't be together, Sōma-kun."

Sōma's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by soft, cool lips on his. The kiss caught him by surprise but he soon closed his eyes and lost himself inside of it; he could almost taste the sorrow within it. This was a kiss of regrets; of goodbye. A hint of salt hit his lips and he idly wondered if it was from her tears or his.

After several seconds, they both drew back and Alice looked at him, her eyes moist.

"Sōma-kun…I still love you. But I can't be first in your life; not now. Not as you are. And I understand that. I'm still here for you, I want to be here for you, but I'll have to do it as a friend. And then, one day in the future, when you've kicked Uncle Azami's ass and you don't need that stupid chain…"

She took Sōma's hand in hers and she squeezed it, taking in the heat that Sōma seemed to always carry with him.

"We can see where we stand. For as long as you want me to, I'll wait for you, Yukihira Sōma."

Alice stood up but found that her motion was soon arrested by Sōma's hand in hers. She'd released her grip but it seemed Sōma hadn't released his. He was looking up at her, his eyes a warm bronze, and Alice fought the desire to kiss him again with everything she had. It wouldn't help either of them.

"Alice…I don't want you to go. I want to fight for you, to tell you to stay by my side as the woman I love. I want to be selfish. I really, really, really do."

But I can't.

The words were left unvoiced. They didn't need to be spoken; they both knew it to be true, regardless. Alice sighed once more as she felt her resolve start to weaken. She needed to leave. Before she burst into tears again.

"Sōma-kun. I know. I understand. And I love you. Please let me go."

"I will…but not until I've given you this. Think of it as an apology gift from the worst boyfriend in the world."

The poor joke, combined with Sōma's small grin, made Alice smile and she allowed herself to be pulled back to the bed, where she sat down next to Sōma. He picked up the thick envelope that Riza had given him and gave it to Alice who looked at him questioningly.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Alice opened the top flap and peered down into the envelope but couldn't really see the contents. It was dark inside. Sōma smiled softly as he began speaking again, his voice filling the room.

"Endo Mariko was a maid that worked here almost ten years ago. She arrived at the Nakiri mansion a few weeks after you left for Denmark, I believe."

Alice tried to angle the envelope towards the light but still couldn't really see what was inside of it. She tipped it towards her lap at an angle, shaking it gently.

"She was the newest staff member, so they put her in charge of fairly menial tasks. Things that needed doing but required very little skill; such as greeting guests, relaying messages and handling the mail."

Alice's shaking bore fruit and several envelopes fell into her lap. All of them were the same aged, yellowish color and they all bore a variety of stamps.

"About five months after she began working here, Nakiri Azami gave her explicit instructions to deliver any mail addressed to Erina to him personally, without informing any of the other family members or staff. He claimed it was because he was concerned about Erina being solicited by those who would take advantage of her childish naiveté."

Alice reached down to pick up one but she hesitated; something Sōma had said had started the gears turning in her head and she suddenly felt short of breath as her hand landed on an envelope rimmed with red and white, with a stamp that had words on it in a language that was most certainly not Japanese.

"After Mariko-san found the remains of your first letter in the trash, she began hiding them and presenting Azami with copies she forged herself while she kept the originals. By the time Azami got wind of what she was doing, you'd already given up on sending Erina anymore letters. He promptly fired her and expelled her from the Tōtsuki grounds but she kept the letters she'd saved, all these years."

Alice stroked the edge of the yellowed envelope. From Alice was written on the corner, with a return address scrawled across the front, half covered by an improperly placed stamp.

"Riza-san got in touch with her for me. Mariko-san lives all the way out in Osaka now. She hadn't even heard that Azami had been exiled from the Nakiri family when it happened all those years ago, considering how quiet Senzaemon-sama kept things. She says she's sorry that she didn't get the chance to send them along to Erina after everything that had happened."

Alice tried to speak but she found her throat caught as her eyes began to water. Her previous vow to not burst into tears was almost completely abandoned but Alice didn't mind. These were tears of joy; of happiness long in the making. Her hands shook as she picked up another yellowed envelope with familiar, childish handwriting across the front.

"I know it's about ten years late but I'm sure Erina would appreciate you hand delivering these to her, wouldn't she?"

Alice looked over at Sōma, who was looking back at her with an honest, selfless smile. The kind of smile that Alice rarely provoked from him, but a smile she treasured all the more for it. Her hands stopped shaking and Alice gathered up the yellowed pages, slipping all of them back into the large manila envelope, before sealing the top of it. She got to her feet and walked towards the door without saying a word.

Sōma followed her path with his eyes, watching as she exited the room silently. He half stood to go after her but then sat down again as he wondered whether he should or not. He didn't have to wait long, however, as he soon heard the light clicking that was the sound of Alice's shoes hitting the hardwood floor of the hallway outside of his room.

She re-entered the room, the envelope missing from her hands. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She then checked the lock and tried the knob, just to be certain. She turned to face Sōma, who was looking at her, somewhat bemused. Alice took a deep breath and walked over to him.

Her face was red and she continued to remain silent. She simply continued staring at Sōma, as if she was trying to prepare herself to do something exciting but terrifying; like bungee jumping or going on a roller coaster. She swallowed and went to speak but stopped herself; instead she simply grew even redder. She looked at Sōma expectantly, which confused him even further.

As he opened his mouth to ask just what she was doing, Alice struck. She tackled Sōma, cutting off his words with a whoosh of air as they both fell back onto the bed. She began kissing him, none of the softness from their earlier lip lock present. This kiss was all fire and passion, heat and desire.

Sōma found himself stunned by the intensity of Alice's ministrations but he responded in kind quickly, the feel of her cool lips against his own igniting a familiar fire within him. His tongue lashed out and tangled with Alice's. He felt more than heard her moan in response. They'd kissed like this before more than once in the past but it was rare for Alice to be so fierce.

As their tongues continued to duel, Sōma started to feel lightheaded. He wasn't sure if that was because he needed to breathe or if he was simply losing himself to his desires. A few seconds more and Sōma figured that it was a combination of the two and he pulled away from Alice, gasping for breath. His hands were wrapped around her waist and hers were around his neck.

Their faces were so close that their noses are almost touching, and they looked into each other's eyes as they both panted, their breaths mingling.

"You taste like mint."

"And you taste like strawberries."

Alice leaned back down, apparently satisfied enough with the amount of breath she'd regained to go back to kissing Sōma stupid. He almost lost himself to the feeling a second time but, without the surprise factor, he found that his mental faculties were a bit more capable and he pulled away, using every ounce of restraint that he possessed in the process.

"Alice, what…what are we doing?"

"Do you have a problem with what we're doing, Sōma-kun? I certainly don't."

"But…we're not together anymore, right?"

Alice sighed, her breath ghosting against Sōma's ear and making him shiver in a way that he was not prepared for. At all.

"No. We are most certainly broken up. I refuse to be anyone's second fiddle, no matter how good their reasoning. But for tonight, just for tonight…we can forget. Ok?"

Alice moved to begin kissing Sōma again but he placed a finger to her lips, halting her advance.

"Is this what you want, Alice?" Sōma asked, his eyes staring into hers. She could see the desire in his eyes clear as day. It said a lot about his willpower and his concern for her that he risked ruining the mood by asking. Alice smiled in response, nipping playfully at his finger. She reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a small, grey box.

"Yes, Sōma, you stupidly sweet man. This is what I want."

Sōma looked at the box held in Alice's hands. He squinted at it before she rotated it and showed him the cover. His eyes widened and he looked up at her, to find her looking back at him, her expression open and vulnerable.

"I want this, Sōma. I want you. All of you. Even if it's just for tonight."

Sōma didn't respond and Alice took that as a sign to continue speaking, her words containing nervousness, excitement and fear in equal measure.

"I'm not that kind of girl usually, Sōma-kun, just so you know. And I know I said I would wait for you, and I will! But I'm not stupid; the road ahead isn't going to be easy and I don't want to ask myself what could have been, in case anything happens. And our health science teacher gave these out to all of the girls in class, so it wasn't like I went out and bought them or anything, so it wasn't as if I had designs on you. I mean, I did. But I had a plan, well, not a plan per se. But an idea, a framework, of how this was going to go and I-"

Sōma kissed Alice, cutting her off in the most pleasant of ways. He reached up and took the condoms from her hands and he smiled at her, even as she blushed a brilliant scarlet and looked away from him.

"Alice. Stop talking."

And those were the final, coherent sentences spoken in Yukihira Sōma's room that night.

A/N: Gotta admit, that break felt wonderful. But it also made me anxious to write, which is a good thing I suppose? Again, apologies for my lies last chapter. I know I said that the PSD shokugeki was going to be fully done in this chapter but…I'll be honest. The characters took me in a completely different direction. Blame them, blame them! Not me!

I hope you all enjoyed it and also, note that the pairing for the story has officially been removed. Let me explain why. As this story is ongoing, I plan to update the characters and pairings accordingly to reflect what is most up to date. And, as of this chapter, Alice and Sōma have officially broken up. Despite their more…amorous…moments at the end there.

Does this mean that Alice/Sōma won't get back together? No. Does this mean they WILL get back together? Again, No. Nisegami's an evolving project and my characters, while fictional, do grow and change with the story itself. So whether they end up together or not is something that you will have to wait to learn, I suppose. Hope you guys all enjoyed this week's update! Pleas review and give me your love/indifference/hatred!