Chapter 5: God Tongue
For some reason, just seeing Sui's smile made Erina Nakiri's blood boil.
"Don't get too full of yourself, you insufferable creature! This dish is, at best, the level of an average student at Tōtsuki!" Erina barked, clenching her teeth.
"An average student at Tōtsuki?" Sui raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Erina's face flushed slightly as she stammered, "Okay... maybe a little better than average. It's more like an exceptional student."
"An exceptional student?" Sui was even more shocked now.
After all, in the world of *Shokugeki no Soma(Food Wars)*, Tōtsuki Academy was the top culinary school in Japan, notorious for its brutal elimination system. Even ordinary students who managed to graduate would become elite chefs in the future.
Am I really that skilled now? Sui wondered to himself. After all, this omelet rice was something he had whipped up casually.
"Hmph! But you're still miles away from the Elite Ten!" Erina added, eager to bring him down a notch. "This dish has tons of flaws! The eggs were undercooked by thirty seconds, and the rice wasn't fried long enough..."
Utaha, who had been quietly observing, blinked in confusion. To her, the omelet rice had been delicious. "Flaws? What flaws?" she thought.
"So, do you get it now?" Erina asked, standing tall and proud, expecting to see Sui crumble under the weight of her critique.
However, Sui remained calm. He took the spoon Erina had just used, scooped up a bite of omelet rice, and began to taste it again.
"You—!" Erina's face turned crimson as she watched, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed at his audacity for using the same spoon.
Ignoring her outburst, Sui chewed thoughtfully. Thanks to his own heightened sense of taste, every detail of the dish became clear to him.
"Hmm, you're right. I could've reduced the salt by about 2 grams and added an extra 3 to 6 grams of sugar. The eggs also could've been whisked more thoroughly..." Sui mumbled, analyzing his own cooking.
Erina's expression shifted from pride to astonishment. She hadn't expected him to have such a keen sense of taste, and Utaha was equally shocked.
"How did you pick up on that?" Erina asked, staring at him as if she was seeing him in a new light.
Sui glanced back at her. "Isn't it obvious? I tasted it with my tongue."
"Your tongue?" Erina's eyes widened, her lips parting slightly in surprise. She looked unintentionally cute as she exclaimed, "Do you... also have the God Tongue?"
"If you're referring to a heightened sense of taste like yours, then yeah, I guess I do," Sui replied, nonchalant.
"You have the God Tongue as well?!" Erina was truly shocked now.
"It's not that big of a deal. Why are you acting so surprised?" Sui looked at her, bewildered.
Erina nearly exploded with frustration. The God Tongue is an ability that chefs all over the world dream of having, and he's acting like it's some everyday skill!
At that moment, Utaha stood up, remembering her deadline. "I should get going. I still need to finish my manuscript."
She took out a 5,000 yen bill from her wallet and handed it to Sui. "Thank you for dinner. This is for the meal."
"Wait, that's too much," Sui protested.
After all, it was just omelet rice made with simple ingredients—definitely not worth that much. In fact, 5,000 yen was the equivalent of ten times the cost of a standard omelet rice at a roadside stall.
"It's fine. I don't want to owe you any favors," Utaha said seriously, before glancing at Erina and adding, "Just consider it payment for the girl."
Though young, Kasumigaoka Utaha was a successful light novel author and didn't lack money. She felt that the omelet rice was definitely worth the price.
"Well, if you insist..." Sui finally accepted, realizing he could really use the money.
The 5,000 yen would be enough to cover his expenses for a few days. Reflecting on his struggling snack shop, Sui felt like he had stumbled upon a way to make a living.
After Kasumigaoka left, Erina eyed Sui curiously. "What did she mean by 'payment for the girl'?"
"I don't know," Sui shrugged.
If they knew what Kasumigaoka had been thinking, Erina would probably faint from embarrassment, and Sui would just shake his head, marveling at the wild imagination of light novel authors.
As Sui resumed eating his portion of the omelet rice, Erina's irritation flared up again—he was still using the spoon she had used!
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Erina suddenly spoke, "Why don't you consider coming to Tōtsuki?"
"Tōtsuki?" Sui looked at her, surprised.
"Yes," she said, her expression complicated. "With your talent, it would be a waste to let it go unused. Tōtsuki would be the perfect place for you."
Initially, Erina had intended to simply destroy Sui's self-confidence. But after discovering that he also possessed the God Tongue, she couldn't help but reconsider. As the heir to the Nakiri family and someone who cared deeply for Tōtsuki's legacy, she knew that someone like Sui had incredible potential.
Of course, the main reason was that she wants to prove that her god tongue is the best god tongue!