"Megumi, chop the green onions," Sui instructed calmly.
"Megumi, chop the green onions," Subaru echoed from the other side.
Sui: "…That's enough. I've already told you what you need to do. Can you leave now?"
Subaru: "…That's enough. I've already told you what you need to do. Can you leave now?"
Sui: "…"
Megumi, who stood nearby, looked as if she were about to burst into tears. It was the first time in her life that she had encountered someone this unnerving.
"Is this the infamous 'Perfect Tracer'? He's terrifying!" Yoshino and Ryoko, witnessing the scene unfold, shuddered.
"It seems like Sui has offended someone he really shouldn't have," Ryoko sighed.
"Is that guy famous?" Sōma asked, scratching his head. "Honestly, at first, I thought Sui had somehow turned really ugly."
"That guy is notorious!" Yoshino whispered with a grim expression. "Anyone who crosses him ends up regretting it."
"We've definitely seen that for ourselves," Ryoko nodded in agreement, exchanging a glance with Soma. They both watched the trio standing by the kitchen, deep in thought.
The lesson progressed, and soon it was time to present their dishes.
"Teacher, here's my Chipotle Grilled Tofu. Please give it a try," Sui and Subaru presented their dishes simultaneously to the Chinese cuisine class instructor.
The instructor looked visibly annoyed, his forehead lined with frustration. "Excuse me, but you're not even in this class, are you? Please leave."
Subaru smiled, unfazed. "My name is Sui Mizushima, student number 1314. I specialize in different kinds of cuisine, and I'm the head of the Rare Ingredients Research Society. My partner here is Megumi Tadokoro. Also, the person I like is Erina Nakiri. She hasn't officially agreed to date me yet, but I'm working hard to win her approval!"
Sui: "…"
Instructor: "…"
'At least there's one thing this guy doesn't know,' Sui thought to himself. 'Yesterday, Erina and I officially started dating, and she's even thinking about marriage.'
He clung to this comforting thought as class finally came to an end. However, much to Sui's dismay, Subaru was still following him as he left the room.
"Well then, Sui, we'll be heading out first," Yoshino and Ryoko said, quickly disappearing down the hallway, clearly not wanting to stick around.
"See you next time!" they called over their shoulders, abandoning Sui without a second thought.
"Hey, Sui! I heard you've gotten your hands on some rare ingredients recently. How about we head to your research club and cook something together?" At that moment, Alice appeared, accompanied by her entourage, clearly intending to make use of Sui's ingredients.
Sui opened his mouth to respond, but Subaru beat him to it. "No problem, Alice. It would be an honor to cook alongside you," Subaru said, perfectly mimicking Sui's smile and tone.
Alice blinked, momentarily confused. "Ah, I just remembered! I'm expecting a shipment of ingredients this afternoon. Goodbye, Sui!" She quickly turned and left, not wanting to deal with the situation.
Sui: "…"
---
Outside the school building, Erina stood waiting, her arms crossed.
"Erina-sama, did you and Sui have an argument yesterday?" Hisako asked.
"Not exactly. You wouldn't understand, Hisako," Erina replied, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
Hisako nodded thoughtfully. She didn't really understand the intricacies of love, but it was clear that since falling for Sui, Erina-sama had become a little difficult to read.
"Darn it, why hasn't he shown up yet?" Erina muttered under her breath, growing impatient as she waited to walk home with Sui.
Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Miss Erina, shall we head back together?"
Erina's heart leapt with joy. Though the voice sounded strangely formal, she turned around, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Alright," she began, but her smile froze when she found herself face-to-face with… a grinning Subaru.
Erina immediately felt a wave of nausea.
"What… what do you think you're doing to Erina-sama?!" Hisako stepped in front of Erina protectively, glaring at Subaru. "How dare you have such inappropriate thoughts about her at Totsuki!"
"I'm Sui, Miss Erina. Don't you recognize me?" Subaru said with a disturbingly friendly smile.
Erina frowned. "Sui doesn't address me with honorifics!"
At that moment, the real Sui appeared from behind Subaru, looking exasperated. "Erina, sorry about this."
"Sui! What on earth is going on with this guy?" Erina's face lit up with relief as she hurried to Sui's side.
Sui sighed and briefly explained the Shokugeki with Subaru.
"A stalker, huh? As twisted as the rumors say," Erina remarked, disdain clear in her voice. The idea of someone copying others in this way was utterly repulsive to her.
"Let's get out of here," Sui said, taking the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist.
"Not in front of everyone!" Erina blushed but didn't pull away, only offering a brief struggle before relenting.
Subaru, watching the scene unfold, was dumbfounded. 'Are they really together?' He had heard the rumors but assumed they were just close friends. Now, it seemed that Sui and Erina were genuinely dating!
Hisako, too, was taken aback. After yesterday's argument, she had expected some tension, but instead, their relationship appeared stronger.
"You can try to imitate me all you want," Sui told Subaru coolly, "but there are some things you just can't replicate."
Subaru fell silent for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. "I didn't expect your relationship with Miss Erina to be this serious… but I won't admit defeat."
---
Later, Sui and Erina returned to her mansion. The guards stationed at the entrance ensured that Subaru wouldn't be able to follow them inside.
But little did Sui know…
---
At Polaris Dormitory, in Marui Zenji's room:
"Haha, here's the Sautéed Cabbage I made. Please enjoy it, but don't fight over it!" Subaru, now wearing clothes identical to Sui's, handed a plate of Sautéed Cabbage to everyone with a broad smile.
The room fell silent. Sōma, Megumi, Isshiki, and the others exchanged helpless glances.
'Will someone please take this guy away?'