"They've only known each other for a few months, and now they're going home together?"
"Does this mean they'll be holding hands soon?"
"So shameless..."
Erina lay on her bed, her legs draped in black stockings swaying slightly. She was blushing as she read a romance manga titled Sachiko's Love Story.
At that moment, Sui opened the door and walked in. "Hey, Erina, back so early today?"
Startled, Erina jumped up from the bed, her face flushed. "Don't you know how to knock?" she snapped angrily.
"Sorry, I'm so used to living alone that I always forget."
Sui glanced at the manga in her hands and raised an eyebrow. "I never would've guessed you read romance manga, Erina."
Erina quickly hid the book behind her, stammering, "Wh-Who said I was reading manga?"
"But I didn't expect you to be so conservative."
Sui smirked, recalling what he overheard when he entered. "You said holding hands after a few months of knowing someone is too fast. Honestly, that's pretty late in most relationships."
"Eh? Is... is it?" Erina looked flustered. "But shouldn't you at least wait a year or two, get to know each other, and get the parents' approval before dating? That's the right way, isn't it?"
Sui was momentarily speechless. Growing up in a sheltered environment, Erina seemed unusually innocent when it came to romance.
"But, if I remember correctly, weren't you the one who kissed someone right after meeting them and even moved in with a guy you barely knew?" he teased.
Erina's face turned scarlet. "Th-That's... because..."
Sui couldn't help but smile, feeling his weariness from the day melt away after teasing her.
"But seriously, Erina, since you're reading romance manga, are you interested in love?"
Erina quickly denied it. "No! It's just... Hisako lent it to me, and I glanced at a couple of pages, that's all."
"A couple of pages?" Sui eyed the stack of manga lined up on her bed, with Erina's halfway through the last one. "Looks like more than just a few pages to me."
"It's none of your business!" Erina shot back, her temper flaring.
"True," Sui nodded, "but with your attitude, pride, and temper, I doubt many boys would want to date you."
"Who cares if boys like me or not? That's none of your concern!" she growled. "Even if I devote my entire life to cooking, that's my choice!"
"Actually, Erina, if you're looking for love, you've got a pretty good option right in front of you," Sui said casually.
"I don't want to fall in love!" she retorted. But after a brief pause, she asked, "And who might that be?"
"Me, obviously," Sui said matter-of-factly.
Erina blinked at him, then chuckled haughtily. "You? Anyone weaker than me has no right to be my boyfriend!"
"Oh? What if I beat you?" Sui asked.
"You?" Erina laughed. "If you can defeat me, sure, I'll agree to be your girlfriend."
"Really?" Sui asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," Erina said proudly. "But there's no way you'll ever beat me."
"You won't go back on your word, will you?" Sui asked teasingly, skeptical.
Erina glared at him. "I never go back on my word. But don't fool yourself—it's impossible for you to defeat me in this lifetime!"
Sui chuckled to himself. With the experience he was gaining daily, it wouldn't be long before he caught up. When that day came, he'd see what she had to say!
"By the way, how's the application process going?" he asked.
"I've submitted the application to establish a research institute to the Ten Elites Review Committee on your behalf. In a few days, one of the Ten Elites will come to assess your qualifications," Erina replied.
Sui nodded, then suddenly asked, "Erina, how can I become one of the Ten Elites?"
Erina was taken aback for a moment, then a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Oh? You want to become one of the Ten Elites? Haha, with your current abilities, you're far from qualified!"
"If you want to join the Ten Elites, there are two ways. First, after the third-year students graduate, they select outstanding candidates to fill the vacancies based on their performance, such as in the Autumn Elections."
"The second way is to directly challenge a member of the Ten Elites to a Shokugeki and bet on their seat."
"I see," Sui said thoughtfully. The first option would take too long, so the only feasible path for him was to challenge one of them directly.
"But even if you want to challenge them, they might not accept. Do you have something valuable enough to wager for a spot among the Ten Elites? Simply betting your withdrawal from school won't be enough," Erina scoffed again.
"Erina, you're the Tenth Seat right now, aren't you?" Sui suddenly asked.
"That's right," Erina replied, a proud expression on her face.
"Then if I defeat the members ranked above you, would that count as defeating you too?" Sui pressed.
"Forget it!" Erina nodded confidently. "But this only applies to those ranked above me. It won't be long before I become the First Seat, and you can just try to catch up."
Sui nodded. His current goal was to defeat one of the Ten Elites.
"Erina, do you want a midnight snack?" he asked.
"No!" Erina replied coldly.
"There's still some leftover almond cabbage from last time. I was thinking of inviting you to share it, but if you're not interested, never mind," Sui said as he turned to leave.
Erina blushed, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered, "If that's the case, I suppose I wouldn't mind tasting it."
"What did you say?" Sui pretended not to hear her. "I didn't catch that. Say it louder."
"You're the most annoying person ever!" Erina shouted, her face flushed.