"I often move around to change my writing environment, to keep things fresh."
Utaha's cheeks flushed slightly as she bit her lip in frustration. In the past, she had always been the one ridiculing others and leaving them fuming. But today, she found herself on the losing end for once.
Still...
She daintily cut a piece of steak and placed it in her mouth. The beef was cooked to perfection—tender and juicy, melting the moment it touched her tongue, sending a tremor of delight through her taste buds.
A wave of satisfaction welled up inside her.
In truth, her decision to move here was largely motivated by her craving for Sui's cooking. After tasting his food, everything else seemed dull and unappetizing. As she savored this latest meal, a sense of contentment filled her completely.
She realized that, even if Eriri mocked her, it didn't matter so long as she could eat such delicious food.
Eriri, meanwhile, had no time to continue her teasing. Her mouth was stuffed full, and her eyes gleamed with delight.
"It's... so good... It's even better than the food at the English Consulate," she mumbled between bites, clearly intoxicated by the flavors.
The thought of coming here regularly to eat made her feel positively elated.
"They're just here for the food," Tohru grumbled softly, unknowingly assuming the tone of a hostess.
Utaha and Eriri both blushed, then glanced at each other before turning their heads away with a small huff.
"Mmm, that was amazing. I feel completely revived!" Eriri sighed contentedly, sipping some water before dramatically falling back onto the floor, where she promptly dozed off.
"This girl never changes," Utaha remarked coolly, eyeing her slumbering rival. "She probably hasn't slept for days, pulling another all-nighter."
Sui, slightly exasperated, said, "I'll take her back to her room."
With that, he gently removed Eriri's glasses, picked her up, and carried her out of the room.
Utaha also rose to leave. As they reached the door, she paused and said, "Thank you for the meal."
"Anytime," Sui smiled before heading out to bring Eriri to her apartment, where he tucked her in and covered her with a quilt.
When he returned, Kanna had her backpack on and was preparing to leave. "Sui, I'm heading to school," she announced.
"Alright. Be careful on your way," Sui said, patting her head with a smile. But as soon as he said it, he realized it was a redundant caution. Even if Kanna encountered trouble, it would be the trouble that suffered, not her.
Once Kanna left, Sui turned to Tohru. "I'm heading to class too," he told her.
"Alright! Come back soon!" Tohru grinned, her small fang showing as she laughed.
After Sui left, Tohru began tidying up the table. But when she spotted a stack of papers, she paused. It was the H-manga manuscript that Eriri had forgotten to take with her.
"Huh? What's this?" Tohru wondered aloud as she curiously began flipping through the pages.
"Is this supposed to be torture? If Sui-kun tortured me like this, I wouldn't mind at all..." Tohru's golden eyes lit up with excitement.
If Sui had known, he would've rushed back to stop her. Tohru had a hidden masochistic streak that he wasn't aware of.
Downstairs, Erina was already waiting for Sui when he arrived.
"Let's go," she said, standing up as he approached.
"Right," Sui nodded, but his gaze lingered curiously on the scarf wrapped around her neck. It wasn't cold out—why the scarf?
Noticing his look, Erina's face flushed slightly, and she instinctively tightened the scarf around her neck.
The two walked together toward the school building. When they reached their destination, Sui waved and said, "See you later."
"Mm," Erina nodded, waiting a moment until Hisako arrived to join her.
"Erina-sama, is it cold today? Why are you wearing a scarf?" Hisako asked, a bit puzzled.
Erina's cheeks turned pink as she quickly replied, "It's nothing."
That morning, while getting ready, Erina had discovered an unmistakable kiss mark on her neck. There was no need to guess—Sui had left it there the previous night.
The mark had left her feeling embarrassed and nervous. The idea of others seeing it, especially since she was the esteemed Totsuki's "God Tongue," mortified her. In a panic, she had used the scarf to cover it up.
"How shameless!" she grumbled under her breath, though her blush deepened as she recalled being the one who had bitten Sui first. Her face grew even redder.
Hisako watched her with a confused expression, not fully understanding what was going on.
On the other side of campus, Sui had arrived in his classroom.
"Good morning, Sui," Megumi greeted him warmly, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Morning. Did you rest well yesterday?" Sui asked with a smile of his own.
"Yes," she replied softly, her face turning red as she glanced at him before quickly lowering her gaze.
Thanks to Ryoko's teasing, Megumi had come to believe she had done something embarrassing to Sui while drunk. The mere thought of it made her feel a mix of shyness and quiet happiness.
Sui, oblivious to Megumi's flustered demeanor, turned his attention to the class.
The first lesson was Shiomi Jun's spice class, where both Sui and Megumi received high marks.
But the second class was Chapelle's French cooking class. Today's lesson wasn't in the usual classroom—they were called to a larger one instead.
"Why are we in a different classroom today?" Sui asked, puzzled.
"Sui, didn't you get the notice?" Megumi asked, surprised.
"What notice?" Sui asked, feeling even more confused. He had spent the entire previous day at home watching movies with Tohru and the Kanna.
"Today is the last French cooking class, so it's the final exam," Megumi explained, her face turning pale at the thought.
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