Chapter 2: Fantasy Ingredients!
Both Sui and the blonde girl were frozen in place, their minds blank, unsure of how long they'd been stuck in this awkward position. Neither of them moved, both too stunned to process what had just happened.
"Didn't I tell you to keep it quiet?"
The door to the apartment suddenly burst open, revealing Utaha Kasumigaoka, her face twisted in anger. She was about to unleash a torrent of complaints when the scene in front of her caused her to freeze. Her words caught in her throat as she took in the sight of Sui lying on the floor with a beautiful blonde girl on top of him.
For what felt like an eternity, Utaha stood speechless. Then, as if struck by lightning, she quickly bowed, her face flushing a deep red. "S-sorry for interrupting!" she stammered before slamming the door shut behind her with a loud 'bang'.
The cool evening breeze hit Utaha's cheeks as she hurriedly walked away, her heart pounding in her chest. "Since when did that deadbeat otaku have such a beautiful girlfriend?" she muttered to herself, her mind racing. Even in that brief moment, Utaha had noticed how stunning the blonde girl was—possibly even more beautiful than herself!
---
Back inside the apartment, Utaha's abrupt intrusion snapped both Sui and the blonde girl back to reality. The girl's face flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly scrambled off Sui, retreating into a corner like a frightened kitten, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She glared at Sui as though he were some kind of criminal.
"Uh... Are you okay?" Sui asked hesitantly, unsure of what to say.
"You pervert! Beast!" the girl cried, her voice trembling with anger. Tears spilled from her eyes as she began berating him.
Sui stood there in silence, knowing he had unintentionally worsened the situation. He let her vent, nodding quietly as she continued her tirade.
For what felt like an eternity, the girl hurled insults at him, never pausing for breath. Unfortunately for her, her limited vocabulary meant she kept repeating the same insults—'pervert' and 'idiot'—over and over again. After a while, Sui began to tune her out, treating her words like the chirping of a small bird. Strangely enough, her voice had a melodic quality to it, almost pleasant, like a delicate canary's song.
As the girl's rant continued, Sui finally managed to piece together what had happened. Apparently, he had activated some sort of anime world system. His bathroom door was now a portal that could transport him to different anime worlds. By sheer chance, he had opened a portal to the world of 'Shokugeki no Soma'.
Which meant… this blonde girl could only be Erina Nakiri, the renowned "God's Tongue"!
No wonder she looked so familiar.
By the time Sui had figured everything out, Erina's voice had grown hoarse from her endless barrage of insults. She stopped, still glaring at him with watery eyes, but now her expression was more weary than angry. Defeated, she buried her face in her knees, looking very much like a lost kitten.
Sui sighed. He stood up, went to the kitchen, and poured a glass of water. Returning to Erina, he held it out to her. "Thirsty?"
Erina glanced up at him, her tear-streaked face hesitant. After a moment's pause, she took the glass and drank it in one swift gulp.
Feeling slightly better, her anger began to fade—only slightly, of course.
"About earlier..." she began, her voice soft.
"I know," Sui interrupted, nodding. "Don't worry, I'll take responsibility."
Erina nodded absentmindedly, but a second later, her eyes widened in shock. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Who said anything about taking responsibility?! I meant let's pretend it never happened!" she shouted, her voice trembling with embarrassment.
"Uh… okay," Sui replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "But, I mean, it was my first kiss, so… if you really want, I'll just forget it ever happened."
Erina stared at him, her mouth agape in disbelief. She had never met anyone so brazenly shameless! Her anger reignited, burning hotter than before.
"I'm the one who lost something here!" she thought furiously. "That was 'my' first kiss!"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Erina straightened up, determined not to waste any more energy on this fool. She glanced around the shabby apartment, her brows furrowing in disgust.
"Where am I? And why am I here?" she asked, her tone laced with irritation.
Sui looked at her seriously. "Do you really want to know?"
Erina nodded, though she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her gut.
"Well," Sui began dramatically, "according to Einstein's theory of relativity, and if we consider the possibility of wormholes—"
"That's enough!" Erina interrupted, rubbing her temples in frustration. "I don't need a lecture on physics!"
She stood abruptly, brushing off her skirt. "I'm leaving."
"Wait! We could get to know each other better," Sui said, a bit too eagerly. "My name's Sui, by the way."
Erina huffed, tossing her hair back haughtily. "A commoner like you isn't worthy of knowing my name," she declared, her voice dripping with disdain. With that, she opened the bathroom door and stepped back into her own world, slamming it behind her.
As the door clicked shut, Sui let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, I already know your name anyway," he muttered.
---
Just then, a voice echoed in Sui's head:
"The host has received a new mission: Gain the approval of Erina Nakiri."
Mission Details: Prepare a dish within two hours that satisfies Erina Nakiri.
Reward: Recipe for Sinangag Fried Rice (Bronze Grade)
Effect: Blissful.
Sui blinked in surprise. "Blissful?"
The system clarified: "The recipe contains a mysterious effect. After consuming the dish, it will erase negative emotions, making the person feel happy and content throughout the day."
Sui's eyes lit up. "That's… incredible!"
"However," the system continued, "you will need at least one fantasy ingredient. The more fantasy ingredients you use, the stronger the effect."
"Fantasy ingredients?" Sui repeated, confusion etched on his face.