"See you this evening, then." Sui waved as he walked out of the bathroom, leaving behind the sound of Erina's frustrated yell.
"You big-headed idiot!" Erina grumbled to herself, feeling a wave of regret. "Why did I ever invite this guy to Tōtsuki in the first place?"
The thought of living under the same roof with him from now on filled Erina with dread, as if she had walked straight into a personal hell.
After finishing her morning routine, Erina returned to her room, changed out of her pajamas, and put on her Tōtsuki school uniform. When she walked downstairs into the living room, a girl with short, pinkish-purple hair was already waiting for her.
This was Erina's personal secretary, Hisako Arato.
"Erina-sama, I thought I heard a boy's voice upstairs just now?" Hisako asked cautiously as Erina descended.
Erina's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly covered up her nervousness. "You must have misheard. How could there be a boy upstairs?"
Hisako smiled, reassured. "You're right. It must've been my imagination." The idea of a boy in Miss Erina's room seemed impossible.
"What's on the agenda for today?" Erina asked, swiftly changing the subject.
"You're scheduled to visit two restaurants to evaluate their chefs, and you'll also be an examiner for the transfer student exams," Hisako reported promptly.
Erina frowned slightly. "Ugh, the transfer exams... what a hassle."
——
Sui, meanwhile, changed into his school uniform and left his apartment.
"Sui!" A familiar voice called out as soon as he stepped outside.
He turned to see a girl with short black hair waving at him as she jogged over. She wore a sailor-style school uniform, her short hair bouncing playfully with each step. Her round face and big eyes gave her an adorably cute appearance.
Sui recognized her immediately—Luna, his childhood friend who lived nearby. They'd been in the same class since kindergarten, growing up side by side.
"Let's walk to school together," Luna said with a sweet smile.
"Sure," Sui agreed. Even now, in high school, they were still classmates.
As they walked, Luna glanced at him. "My dad told me your snack shop hasn't been open for seven days."
"Yeah," Sui replied. Luna's family ran a ramen shop, not a fancy place but a typical neighborhood ramen joint, much like Sui's snack bar.
"When do you plan on reopening?" she asked curiously.
"I'll figure it out," Sui said with a sigh. Managing two schools left him with little time, but he needed to think of a way to make money soon.
"Is it because you're running low on funds?" Luna asked seriously. "If money's tight, you can talk to me, you know. You're living alone, and with your parents gone, it must be hard."
"I can't accept that," Sui replied, feeling uncomfortable. Her family wasn't wealthy, and she often helped out at their shop after school.
"What's wrong with it? We've known each other forever!" Luna blushed slightly as she spoke.
Sui paused, looking at her closely. Does she... like me? he wondered.
But he brushed off the thought and smiled. "Okay, I appreciate it." Though the gesture moved him, Sui knew he couldn't bring himself to borrow her hard-earned savings.
Soon, the two arrived at their high school, Jinyu Academy. As they entered the classroom, Sui took his usual seat.
The other students were animatedly discussing their holiday plans, but Sui sat quietly, detached from the lively chatter. He wasn't very noticeable in the class, and his poor grades didn't help him stand out.
"Look at Sui. He failed several subjects last semester. I bet he'll be at the bottom again this term."
"Yeah, I wonder how he even got into this school."
"I heard he's an orphan. His parents passed away, and he has to take care of himself, so it's no wonder he doesn't have time to study."
"And he's a foreigner, too. It's tough for someone like him to get by here."
Sui ignored the whispered remarks. Because of his Asian face, his classmates didn't go out of their way to bully him, but there was a noticeable distance between them. With no friends aside from Luna and poor academic performance, he often felt isolated.
Before long, class started.
"Today's first lesson will be a practical cooking test," the homeroom teacher announced as he stepped up to the podium. "We've invited a guest evaluator for today's session: the manager of Kagura Sakaya."
A refined-looking man in a suit entered the classroom, his hair slicked back. He bowed politely and introduced himself. "Good morning, everyone. I am Mita, the manager of Kagura Sakaya, and I'll be evaluating your dishes today."
The class erupted into anxious murmurs.
"It's the manager of Kagura Sakaya!"
"Oh no, I didn't prepare for this!"
"I'm doomed! I spent the whole vacation goofing off!"
Sui was equally taken aback. Kagura Sakaya was a prestigious high-end restaurant, and its manager's standards would surely be exacting.
While Sui pondered the challenge, Luna turned around from her seat in front and smiled at him, full of confidence.
"She must've practiced diligently over the break," Sui thought with a smile. It was an unspoken bond between the two of them.
At that moment, a system notification appeared in Sui's mind.
"New task received: Stand out in the practical cooking test.
Task Description: Prepare a dish that earns the highest score in class.
Reward: One pound of butter matsutake mushrooms."
Sui's eyes lit up. "Fantasy ingredients?" If he could get his hands on them, he could perfect his Sinangag fried rice.
——
"The test is now officially starting. Students, please prepare a dish in the next two hours. The dish can be prepared in any form."
The teacher said,
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone rushed to the food area and started choosing ingredients.
Sui also walked towards the food area.
Although Jinyu Middle School is far inferior to Totsuki in strength, it is still a famous culinary school after all. It is still a bit difficult to get the highest score in the class.
So after thinking it over, Sui decided to make Sinangag fried rice.
In the meat area, Sui chose the freshest pork breast based on its colour and smell.
Distinguishing ingredients is also a compulsory course for chefs, so schools sometimes deliberately mix in some expired or spoiled ingredients. This is something students need to pay attention to.
Unexpectedly, as Sui just stretched out his hand, another hand also reached out and touched his.