Airi was taken aback, as were the guests in the restaurant.
The chief food consultant was currently Yamadaya himself. Did he intend to relinquish his position?
"Mr. Yamadaya?" Airi couldn't help but look at him in surprise.
Yamadaya chuckled, showing no embarrassment. "If this young man is willing to join, I have no problem stepping down. Besides, isn't Mr. Sui far more talented than me?"
"Making Chef Yamadaya give up his position?" The guests were astonished, even if they knew Yamadaya was being modest. They had already recognized the young chef's exceptional skills, but this acknowledgment from such a prestigious figure only deepened their shock.
Sui, slightly surprised himself, hadn't expected Yamadaya to be so forthright. Still, he shook his head and replied, "Thank you for the offer, but I don't have any plans in that regard for now."
"Really?" Yamadaya was taken aback but admired Sui even more. It wasn't every day that someone turned down the position of chief food consultant, especially at such a young age.
Nodding, Yamadaya said, "If that's the case, I'll let it go. Hopefully, we can stay in touch."
"Of course," Sui agreed with a nod.
"By the way," Airi chimed in, "would it be possible to order your food in advance? Perhaps three times a week, and I can have someone pick it up at a set time."
Since Sui declined her offer to be a private chef or consultant, this was the next best thing.
"That's fine," Sui replied. "But I only have time in the evenings."
"Understood. I'll arrange for someone to pick up a portion of Stir-Fried Pork with Garlic every other day. How does 100,000 yen per portion sound?" Airi said decisively.
They exchanged contact information in case Sui was unavailable one day.
"We'll take our leave now," Yamadaya said, bowing politely before he and Airi exited the restaurant.
The moment they left, the remaining customers burst into murmurs of awe.
"Owner, I had no idea you were this incredible!"
"Yeah, turning down the position of chief consultant? Amazing."
While they had already known Sui was talented, they hadn't anticipated he was so skilled that even a renowned cooking master like Yamadaya would not only wait in line for his food but also offer to step down for him.
Meanwhile, Tohru, Kanna, and Elma seemed completely unfazed. To them, this was no surprise. As far as they were concerned, no food in the world could surpass Sui's cooking.
Kanna lazily yawned from her perch at the front desk.
After seeing off the last customer, Sui closed up shop and headed back. Unbeknownst to him, the story of a humble little restaurant and its mysterious young chef had already begun to spread among food enthusiasts.
Upon returning to the apartment, Sui noticed the light in Utaha's room was still on. She was undoubtedly staying up late writing her novel again.
"You guys go on ahead," Sui said to Tohru and Kanna.
"Come back soon," Tohru replied before heading inside with Kanna.
As expected, Utaha hadn't locked her door, something that always made Sui sigh. 'What if she ran into a bad person?' he thought.
Upon entering her room, he saw Utaha seated at her desk, her eyes glued to the screen, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
"Beef fried rice," she muttered without even turning around.
Sui was already used to this routine. Though she hadn't looked his way, she somehow always knew when he arrived. Without a word, he headed to the kitchen and quickly prepared a plate of beef fried rice, setting it beside her.
As if on cue, her lips parted slightly at the scent of food. Sui sighed but sat beside her, squeezing into the small chair they now shared. He scooped a spoonful of fried rice and gently fed her.
Utaha ate it, her eyes still locked on the screen.
The chair was small, and with both of them sitting on it, they were pressed close together. Sui could faintly smell the soft, girlish scent that clung to her. The act of feeding her felt strangely intimate, but he paid it no mind—Utaha was completely absorbed in her writing.
As he fed her, Sui's gaze drifted to her computer screen. Though her writing was undeniably beautiful, some parts were surprisingly risqué, with bold descriptions that seemed quite mature for a high school student.
Just then, Sui felt a nudge against his foot. He looked down, realizing Utaha had kicked him.
"Mmm? Mmh... mhm?" she mumbled through a mouthful of food.
'Is this some new state of trance?' Sui thought, confused.
"Sui, why did you stop feeding me?" Utaha asked, swallowing another bite while continuing to type.
"You're... awake?" Sui was taken aback. Utaha had snapped out of her trance much earlier than usual today.
Suddenly, he became aware of how closely they were sitting and immediately stood up.
"Sui," Utaha called softly.
"Hm?"
She patted the seat next to her, indicating for him to sit back down.
After a moment's hesitation, Sui returned to his seat. Utaha opened her lips slightly, signaling that she wanted him to continue feeding her.
Sui sighed. Over time, he had grown used to this routine. At first, she was shy about him feeding her, but now, Utaha seemed entirely comfortable with it. In fact, she had become so accustomed to being fed by him that it no longer felt out of the ordinary.
In the meantime, Sui had also discovered that Utaha had a mischievous side. She often made cheeky remarks to tease him, revealing a side of her personality that wasn't immediately obvious.
After she had finished the entire plate of beef fried rice, Utaha stretched her long legs, clad in black stockings, and gave Sui a playful kick.