A/N: I did not expect this to reach more than 2,500 words. AT ALL. O.o This was inspired by a) a piece of fan art I saw a while back in pixiv and b) real life events that happened way back in high school. Megumi's my best girl because I know where she's been and so I wanted to write a piece of that sort. I'm really hoping I pulled this one off since this is my first work in a VERY long time. Enough about me. Enjoy the story and please leave a review! :)

Tears and Smiles

"She's that girl, right? The girl who's one failing mark away from expulsion."

"How did the likes of her get to participate in a Shokugeki against an alumni and WIN?"

"I even heard she was friends with Erina-sama. Can you believe it?"

If there was one thing that Tohtsuki had anything remotely similar with ordinary high schools, it's that gossiping was a rampant phenomenon in the student body. Rumors get published in some of the school newspapers circulating around campus, or it's often the hot topic of conversation among boys and girls alike, or it's something that people pass notes in class when the teacher's not looking. It's not that important of a matter where the Elite Ten has to put a stop to it, since it IS a part of school culture, but they have set a boundary towards the body so that the school's reputation will not be tarnished by indecency.

Megumi Tadokoro was often a hot topic for gossip. She started shuffling in her seat at her current lecture class once she heard a bit of the conversation the girls were having rows behind her.

It's not that Megumi even wanted to be the center of attention, but it's that circumstances had led her to be just that. She couldn't help the fact that her stage-fright led her to the brink of expulsion. She couldn't help the fact that she was dragged into an unofficial Shokugeki during the training camp. She couldn't help the fact that she was able to surpass many skilled upcoming chefs in her generation with the touch of hospitality on her side. She couldn't help the fact that she was partnered with Erina Nakiri of all people during the trainee camp.

The bluenette sighed as she heard the bell that signaled the end of classes. The professor was talking about a new program the school was implementing but it seemed like everything he said was just passing through her ears. She was hurriedly fixing her stuff when her ears got another listen of the gossip, this time from the boys to her right.

"I heard that she's close to the Seventh Seat in the Elite Ten. I bet she's gunning it for the seat and nothing else."

"She's a cunning fox, then."

Brushing off that remark, Megumi picked up her notebooks and rushed outside the lecture hall the moment the professor shouted "Class Dismissed." She wanted to go home, back to her haven where she could relax and forget all of this mess. She didn't want to hear any more of the gossip, especially the ones about her.

Sometimes, she thought as she rode her bicycle towards the Polar Star dormitory, I don't know if the observation skills I've developed help me improve or bring me down further.

Megumi rode quickly so that no one would notice the tears starting to form in her eyes.

Soma was in his room looking up new recipes, albeit wasting his time staring at the cookbook's pictures, when he heard a familiar voice speak out from the pipe placed right across from his bed. He didn't even need to turn around to know whose voice was speaking.

"Working hard, aren't we, Soma-kun?"

"Do you need anything from me, Isshiki-senpai?" The redhead asked as he started closing the texts he was treating as picture books earlier.

Satoshi only shook his head. "I came to tell you that dinner's ready."

Soma stood up from his desk and stretched his arms, grateful that he had a valid reason to not read the book filled with terminologies he couldn't quite comprehend. He was about to thank his senior when something occurred to him.

Well, Soma thought, that's strange. Isshiki-senpai would usually blast through everyone's pipes that dinner was ready from the kitchen. But this time, it was only directed at me.

"You didn't go here just to tell me that dinner was ready, right, Isshiki-senpai?"

"Sharp as ever, I see," Satoshi smiled, "I was hoping I could ask a favor from you."

That's when Soma heard the familiar sound of one of the tiles being removed from the ceiling. He looked up from where he stood to look at Satoshi in his usual housekeeping getup. He was starting to get used to his senior's usual antics but that didn't make the scene any less… questionable.

"A favor? Sure. I'm always up to being the one to cook dinner if no one wants to." He then gave out a mischievous grin, "I'm sure they won't mind tasting a bit of what I experimented earlier."

Satoshi quickly shook his head. "I'd rather you not deprive our fellow youth the chance of having a peaceful meal after a long day. What I'll be asking is rather simple, actually."

"What is it then?"

"I was hoping you could deliver some tea to Tadokoro-chan's room."

"Why? Is she sick?" The redhead tilted his head as he crossed his arms. She seemed fine when they left for school earlier.

Satoshi shook his head once more. "No, but she said she'd skip dinner tonight without saying any reason why. It's my turn to prepare the food so I hope you won't mind checking up on her for me. I left the tea—"

He broke off mid-sentence as he heard Soma's footsteps rush out of the room and the door slamming behind him. A few minutes later, he heard him knock and call out to his neighbor, Megumi, who was just next door. There was silence before the sound of a door opening and the two whispering to each other had reached Satoshi's ears. Satisfied, he tidied himself up and returned the tile back to its proper place.

"I wonder if just telling Soma-kun that Tadokoro-chan was troubled would have been enough. Was the tea even necessary at all?" Satoshi sighed as he began making his way down towards the kitchen. It was best the two were left alone for now.

What Satoshi heard from the attic was quite accurate. The moment Soma heard that his friend might not have been feeling well; he quickly rushed over to the next room, almost forgetting the prepared tea, which was placed right by his door, in his haste. Since Satoshi told him that Megumi was reluctant in saying why she was skipping dinner, he decided to knock and let her open the door for him instead of barging in like he usually did.

Minutes passed before he heard Megumi utter a small "Come in" and he entered her room saying "I brought some tea", placing the tray on the table and took a quick look to how Megumi was doing. She was sitting on the floor near her bed, facing her desk. Her head was buried in her knees and her arms were folded as if to cradle them. She had her hair down, he noticed as her blue locks fell just right past her shoulders, but she was still wearing the same thing she did when they left for school in the morning which consisted of a jacket over her school uniform.

But what struck Soma the most was that, from the moment he entered the room to him taking the time to observe her state, she hadn't moved an inch from her spot. Somehow, he felt something… out of place now that she wasn't greeting him in her usual, polite manner when he came to her room to talk.

"Tadokoro, what's wrong?" he suddenly asked.

He stood there in silence as he waited for her to speak.

As Megumi Tadokoro sat there on the floor, clutching on to the charm her mother gave her before she left her hometown, all that she could think of was that she would not cry. She would not shed tears. She would not bawl. She promised herself that she would be stronger and it's damn about time that she stopped sobbing over petty little things.

It was a given fact that her first official Shokugeki and Soma's words towards her cooking have given her the confidence boost needed for her improvement and she will be forever thankful for that. She was sure that the mere idea of her putting together the words "cooking" and "fun" in a single sentence was impossible, but he proved her wrong. She, like Soma, had begun seeking new challenges and for more ways in which she could still grow as a chef.

But…

Knock knock!

…there was something Megumi and Soma did not have in common.

Silence. Then a sigh.

"Come in."

Megumi thought, as she briefly glanced at Soma's figure entering her room, that she didn't have the strength to be able to shrug off the hurtful words targeted at her.

Maybe it was the sudden change in atmosphere, or maybe it was Soma's presence, or maybe it was the scent of tea slowly filling up the room, but what Megumi once took comfort in silence was now something that was slowly suffocating her.

"Tadokoro, what's wrong?"

Megumi did not respond for a while. Controlling herself from crying was her utmost priority as of the moment. She heard Soma take a deep breath before seating himself right across from her.

"If you have anything you want to talk about, you know you can always approach me, right?" He said. She didn't even have to look up from her position to know that he said it a smile.

But still, she refused to speak. This time, it was taking everything in her not to spill everything. She didn't want to burden her friends, especially Soma, any further. She'd remain silent until she was left alone so she could cry in peace, just like she always did back then every time her mother called and she didn't have the courage to say she was failing her classes. Her hand clutched the charm tighter as thoughts of her family started trickling in her mind.

The silence dragged on. A hefty amount of time had passed when Megumi felt Soma shift his weight from where he sat, as if to stand up. For a moment, she felt relief course through her body but it quickly changed to dread when she realized that Soma didn't stand to leave her room, rather it was to change where he sat.

And it was to seat himself at the small spot right between her and her bed. Of all places!

Megumi felt the blood rush to her face as she realized how close he was sitting next to her.
"S-Soma-kun…" she said as she lifted her face from his shoulders and turned to face him. She was expecting him to be angry or maybe the least bit upset at her but the expression he wore had none of that. It was of concern and his eyes were gentle as he spoke.

"You know, I haven't seen you smile in a while."

Confused at his sudden remark, Megumi tilted her head questioningly, asking for him to go on, not trusting her voice to speak.

"Well, how do I put this?" Soma said, "It's like your smile warms people's hearts, just like your cooking. It makes me, and the rest of Polar Star, happy.

"So, tell me, Tadokoro," the redhead asserted, "what's wrong?"

It first started with the shaking. Soma noticed that Megumi was shaking as she slowly lifted her head from her knees, which prompted him to think that maybe she was shivering. Before he could ask, however, she quickly placed both of her hands to cover her face.

That was when she heard her sobbing.

Usually, in situations like these, Soma would try to lighten the situation by teasing her a bit or maybe giving a joke or two. Megumi thought that she should speak so that Soma could actually use the chance to make them laugh so that he wouldn't be stuck in such an awkward position. But the words wouldn't come and she couldn't stop crying and all she could hear were the words belittling and doubting her ability to stay at Tohtsuki.

"Dunce."

"Her time's up."

"She's reached her limit."

Megumi didn't know what to do, just that she was crying even though she desperately wanted to stop the habit.

Seeing that Megumi was in tears, Soma figured that maybe he shouldn't pry the matter at the moment. He adjusted his position so that he was able to sit Indian-style, his feet placed right beneath her thighs. Gently, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closing so that she was leaning on his back. With hardly any space between them, he could feel her tremble even more, could hear the quiet sobs she clearly didn't want anyone to hear, and could see the tears slipping past the fingers that are covering her eyes.

He leaned in closer and rested his jaw on her shoulder, careful not to invade her space. "I'm not sure why you don't want to tell me why you're so upset, but I'm just here to let you know that you're not alone in this battle. You're not burdening me, if that's what you're thinking."

If it was impossible to cry tears of both sadness and joy, then Megumi was breaking that notion as she cried out tears of sadness, as the words that she had been shrugging off and the pressure to stay in school was taking a toll on her, and tears of joy, since she could finally let it all out without the constant thought of burdening someone again.

Megumi took comfort in the warmth he was spreading through the tight embrace he was giving. She'd normally find this awkward, definitely, but for now she'll savor the moment of him wrapping his arms around her, patiently waiting for her to calm down. She hadn't lifted her hands from covering her face as off yet, but she could feel him breathing right beside her. She even noticed how her heart beat has paced itself in time with his.

For a while, silence fell on the room as the petite girl continued to let her tears fall and as the slim boy continued to be by her side.

The first thing she said after she's started to calm down was a simple, croaky, "W-Why, Soma-kun?" which could have meant a lot of things.

But Soma just shrugged it off and replied simply with "Why not, Tadokoro?" He also noticed that a bit of dialect was slipping through as well.

Shifting her weight a bit so she could dry her eyes, she asked him in a soft voice, "How can you do it, Soma-kun? How are you able to ignore the words of contempt from other students so easily?"

The redhead stared at her, urging her to tell him more. She obliged as she was rubbing her toes together, trying to find the right words. "It's not that I've lost confidence in my cooking but it's a bit hard to focus when you hear everyone belittling and doubting you. It's like they're saying I've lost my worth in this academy and I don't want to end my stay here so soon. Not when my hometown, my family, is cheering so hard for me. I…" She stopped herself this time since tears were starting to form in her eyes once more.

"Hmm," Soma gave a little more thought on this one, "It's because I'd rather let my cooking do the talking for me, I guess."

"Oh," she reacted, rather dejectedly at that.

"More importantly," he added, "it's that as long as the people close to me are there to back me up and my cooking, then I'll be able to face any challenge with my head held high. The old man taught me that it's best to treat every chef as equals, after all, since it helps you set your goals."

"Oh," she replied once more, this time a bit with a bit more optimism.

"I mean, you taught me something of the sort a while back, right?"

"I did?"

"You said it back then. 'Just make food while thinking of a person important to you. If you do that, your dishes will become tastier' or something of the sort."

Megumi did not reply right away, choosing instead to form her thoughts in the silence. Somehow, she thought, the burden she'd been carrying for the past few weeks never didn't seem like it existed in the first place. She started to feel lighter, as if someone had lifted a heavy weight from her heart.

Clasping her hands together, she gave him her most sincere, "Thank you."

And in that moment, Soma was able to exchange smiles with Megumi once more.

Now that she felt the weight lifting off her chest, the fact that she was still locked in Soma's embrace was slowly sinking back in. Needless to say, she could feel her face heating up swiftly, "S-S-Soma-k-kun, would you mind, um, letting me…go?" Soma, confused, let go of his arms around and was the first to stand up. He quickly held out his hand to help Megumi up.

"Oh, right! We haven't eaten dinner yet, after all. Are you still going to skip it?"

Megumi shook her head. "No. All that crying seemed to make me hungry."

"Well then, I'm starving!" The girl giggled as they both headed downstairs, happy that Soma still had the energy to making her smile.

Soma didn't mind though. Hearing Megumi's laugh was one of his favorite sounds, after all, he realized.

End