Seeing the suspicious looks from Rindō and Eizan, Erina felt like crying inside.
"I'm really not close with him!" she protested, trying to defend herself.
"Eh? But Miss Erina, didn't you come to visit Polaris Dormitory with Sui a few days ago?" Yoshino asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I thought you two were on good terms," Megumi added.
"No... That's not true at all!" Erina stammered, her cheeks flushing red.
"Weren't you asleep that time, and Sui carried you back?" Sōma chimed in innocently.
"What? Is that true?" Megumi and the other girls' eyes widened in shock.
"Tell us more!" Yoshino patted Sōma on the shoulder, eager for gossip.
"Stop talking about that!" Erina cut in, panicking.
"Well, you were all asleep, but Isshiki-senpai and I saw it happen," Sōma said with a casual shrug.
Erina: Q…Q
"No way! That really happened?" Eizan was stunned. This was the princess of Tōtsuki—how could she be so close to some random guy?
"Erina-chan, are you in love?" Rindō teased with a grin.
Erina nearly choked in embarrassment. "Who would fall for him?!"
Both Eizan and Kobayashi exchanged skeptical looks at the pair.
"Alright then, let's get started," Eizan waved, urging them to move on.
Erina, still fuming, changed into a chef's uniform and joined Sui to help.
Sui began by hitting the catfish's head with a hammer, knocking it unconscious. He then used a sharp kitchen knife to cut open the catfish's belly.
"Erina, I'll take care of the innards, and you handle the gills," Sui instructed.
Erina nodded, efficiently removing the gills with a precise cut.
Thirty minutes later, the catfish was finally prepped.
Sōma, Megumi, and the others watched with fascination, almost like they were observing a science experiment. None of them had ever dealt with such a large freshwater fish before.
Once the fish was cleaned, Erina washed her hands and returned to her seat. Sui, with the help of the staff, placed the catfish in a large pot to blanch it, using hot water to remove the slime from its surface.
Afterward, Sui made a few cuts on the fish, rubbing it with cooking wine, pepper, and salt for seasoning. The marinating process took a while, mainly because it took time to find a plate large enough to hold the massive fish. Eventually, he found one and used several bottles of cooking wine and a whole bag of salt to season it properly.
When everything was ready, Sui placed the catfish in the steamer to begin cooking.
Normally, it only takes ten minutes to steam an average-sized catfish because the meat is naturally tender. But since this one was so large, Sui steamed it for three hours.
Throughout the process, neither the three judges—Kobayashi Rindō, Eizan Etsuya—nor Sōma and his friends felt impatient. In fact, they found it entertaining. None of them had ever seen such a massive fish being steamed before.
At last, the catfish was done. When the steamer was opened, a thick cloud of steam billowed out like a mushroom cloud, filling the entire venue with an intense, savory aroma.
"It smells incredible!" Rindō's nose twitched as she eagerly inhaled the scent.
"But with a fish this size, the meat is probably tough. Steaming doesn't seem like the best method," Eizan remarked lightly.
"You'll know once you try it," Rindō retorted, licking her lips in anticipation.
Sui poured an entire bottle of steamed fish sauce over the catfish, followed by a pot of chicken broth. "It's ready. Please, enjoy!" he said.
The enormous steamed catfish lay quietly in the steamer, its meat gleaming white and tender, releasing a fragrant aroma that filled the air.
Rindō couldn't wait any longer. She grabbed her chopsticks and dug in, poking at the fish. The tender flesh easily broke apart, revealing thick, delicate pieces of white meat.
The fish was fresh, tender, and succulent. Each bite was filled with flavor, leaving a lingering taste that danced on the palate.
"It's amazing! The texture is perfect, and the flavor is rich!" Rindō laughed heartily, savoring each bite.
"The meat is so tender and incredibly delicious!" Eizan Etsuya was equally astonished. He had assumed the meat would be tough due to the fish's size, but it was unexpectedly soft and springy—a true culinary delight.
"This is so good—there's no fishy taste at all!" Erina was taken aback. As soon as her tongue touched the fish, it felt as though the catfish was almost leaping on her taste buds.
"It's delicious! Absolutely delicious!" Kobayashi and Eizan both dug in with enthusiasm, sweating from the heat but eating ravenously.
"By the way, has my application passed?" Sui asked.
"No problem! It's approved," Rindō said between mouthfuls of fish.
Eizan nodded in agreement. "No issues here."
Erina, too, gave her approval. "It's passed."
Suddenly, Sui heard the system's voice in his head: "Mission complete. The Fantasy Ingredients Catalog has been unlocked. If you prepare a dish with a score of 80 or above, your cooking skill level will increase by two."
Sui was elated. With the Fantasy Ingredients Catalog unlocked, he could now buy rare ingredients directly!
But the catfish was so huge that even the three judges couldn't finish it. Not wanting to waste food, Sui picked up his chopsticks and was about to start eating when he noticed Sōma, Megumi, and the others standing nearby, eyeing the fish hungrily.
He couldn't help but smile. "Everyone, come join us."
"Really?" Megumi hesitated, glancing at Erina and the others for permission.
Sōma, Yoshino, and Sakaki didn't need any encouragement. They grinned and walked over without hesitation.
"It's fine. There's too much to finish anyway. It'd be a waste not to share," Erina nodded in agreement.
With that, Megumi beamed, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and eagerly joined the feast.