I want to see (you) Sorina childhood friends au part 2
Erina becomes a pretty familiar face in the diner. The patrons think she’s cute and Souma keeps cooking for her. Tamako absolutely adores Erina and makes no effort to hide the fact. Her and Kazusato love the little girl.
Erina starts bringing Hisako along and introduces her as her aide. Hisako is a little shocked that Erina spends so much time in such a common setting, but all doubts are gone once she tries Jouichirou’s food. Some doubts return when she fully realizes just how chaotic the Yukihira family can be.
Eventually, Erina starts to cook in the kitchen too and Souma holds his seniority over her. She pouts and bets she’ll already be a better cook but it’s her first time in a live setting but she quickly gets overwhelmed by the pace. Souma calms her down with the hand slap and takes over.
Hisako is annoyed that Souma deigns to assume he can do better than her Lady but quickly takes it back when she sees him work. Erina even admits it that yes, she can cook food better, but Souma has actual kitchen experience. Plating, serving, working under pressure, customer relations, he surpasses her in all of those. But make this a 5-year-old speak version.
Hisako sees what she means and both of them carefully watch Souma perform in the kitchen and the diner, swearing that they’ll surpass him. Soon, when Jo is teaching Erina something, Souma talks to Hisako alone and they get to know each other. Hisako is more respectful to him since Erina is friendly towards him and his family.
Souma asks how long she’s been friends with Erina and Hisako denies this, stating that she is merely Erina’s aide. One such as her is not worthy enough to be her friend. Souma finds this super weird cause he and Erina are friends. And every time Erina talks about her, she always says that Hisako’s her friend, though she wishes she’d be closer. Hisako is shocked and Souma encourages her to stand beside her as a friend instead of behind her as just an aide.
“Oi, Erina. Is Hisako your friend?”
“What are you talking about, of course she is!”
“Ha! I told you.” Souma tells Hisako in triumph. From that day on, Hisako and Erina become proper friends. As do Souma and Hisako, with her being eternally grateful that he gave her that push. The three go on to be a proper trio.
Souma has been to the Nakiri mansion at this point and met Alice.
just when things are going great for everyone, Azami comes in and begins Erina’s “education.” He cuts off contact with her friends and Souma gets worried that he hasn’t heard from her in a while and reached out to Hisako. Hisako tells him what’s happening, Souma tells his dad, and Jo tells Senzaemon, who promptly kicks out Azami from the Nakiri family. They’re all around 6 now.
Erina returns to the Yukihira restaurant and things seem normal again. Until she tastes a dish Souma cooked. Azami’s conditioning is still freshly ingrained in her and so she’s overly harsh to his food, almost cruel. In fact, for a 6-year-old, it is cruel. Souma starts crying because he doesn’t know why his best friend is mean to him. This gets Erina to cry because she made Souma cry and she’s really sorry. Hisako is crying because her best friends are fighting and crying and Jo and Tamako have to deal with a trio of crying 6-year-olds.
Tamako is consoling Erina while Jo explains to Souma and Hisako what Azami did to Erina in a way that’d be appropriate for 6-year-olds. Souma and Hisako naturally conclude that Azami is a jerk and a butt head and hatch a plan to make Erina feel better
Tamako is comforting Erina when Souma and Hisako come back into the kitchen and announce they’re going to cook something for her so she feels better cause her dads a jerk
they keep making dishes for Erina to try and she starts out still somewhat mean but Erina dials it down each time with Tamako’s help until she’s giving them honest critiques and advice. The “failed” dishes go out to the customers in the diner as an “experimental” gamble like Tamako does but each one is a massive hit for pallets not as refined as Erina’s.
each dish is better than the last one and by the end, all three of the kids are smiling and having a good time. Erina even calls it delicious. Souma and Hisako are happy that Erina is feeling better but he says her “delicious” doesn’t count for his goal since he had Hisako’s help. He wants Erina to say his food is delicious all on his own.
with the combined efforts of her two best friends never giving up on her, therapy, the support her family, reconnecting with Alice, and the Yukihira family, Erina is able to heal from the wounds Azami inflicted. Though a scar still remains.