"Are you Nao Sadatsuka?"
When Sui recognized her, he was visibly taken aback.
Sadatsuka blushed slightly and nodded.
After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Sui-kun, do I... look pretty today?"
"Yeah, you look nice," Sui replied, scanning her from head to toe before nodding in approval.
From her facial features alone, Sadatsuka was undeniably beautiful. In the world of Food Wars, few could rival her beauty, aside from the Nakiri sisters. Her pale, almost translucent skin, a result of years without sunlight, gave her an eerie, yet striking, beauty. Her crimson eyes and long black hair only added to her allure.
"Speaking of which, this is Erina's original pair," Sui suddenly remembered, handing something to her. If Erina ever found out that Sui had taken her panties, she would be furious enough to scream her lungs out.
Sadatsuka took the item and brought it close to her nose, inhaling deeply. After a moment, she nodded and confirmed, "Yes, this is Erina-sama's scent."
At any other time, she would have been ecstatic, but now she realized she preferred Sui's scent even more. Smelling the faint aroma from Sui, her face flushed slightly, and her heart raced, torn between excitement and nervousness.
"Alright, from now on, you're officially part of the Rare Ingredients Research Society," Sui declared.
"Mm," Sadatsuka nodded eagerly, feeling a surge of happiness. The thought of being able to spend more time with Sui filled her with joy.
Later that day, Sui returned to Erina's residence after finishing his classes.
A message from the system appeared in his mind:
"The host has received a new mission:
Mission: Sell 300 dishes made with fantasy ingredients, using recipes provided by the system.
Reward: Recipe for 'Four Happy Dumplings.'
Time limit: 7 days."
"Three hundred dishes? And they all have to be made with fantasy ingredients from system-provided recipes?" Sui sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
Currently, the system had given him three recipes: Sinangag Fried Rice, Stir-fried Cabbage, and Steamed Fish. But Dream Catfish was out of his budget, and he needed almond cabbage to feed the two Pokémon. This meant Sinangag Fried Rice was his only viable option.
He could only purchase one pound of cream matsutake mushrooms per day, which allowed him to make around 30 dishes daily. By his calculations, it would take about 10 days to complete the mission, but he had only seven days.
As Sui pondered over this dilemma, the system's voice chimed in again:
"The host has accumulated five daily gift packs. Would you like to open them all at once?"
"Yes, open them," Sui replied.
The system responded:
- "The host receives two almond cabbages."
- "The host's cooking skill level increases by 2."
- "The host's cooking skill level increases by 3."
- "The host's cooking skill level increases by 1."
- "The host receives five kilograms of cream matsutake mushrooms."
Sui's eyes brightened. Although he hadn't received any new fantasy ingredients, the extra almond cabbages and cream matsutake were a relief. With five kilograms of cream matsutake, he could now make 150 dishes, enough to complete the mission in time, without having to switch the Pokémon's diet.
Just then, Sui's phone rang. It was Manager Mita from Kagura Sakaya.
"Hello, is this Sui-kun?" the manager asked.
"Yes," Sui confirmed.
"Sui-kun, do you have time to come and cook today?"
"Sorry, I've already opened my own shop," Sui explained apologetically. Manager Mita had offered him a chance to work when he needed it most, without looking down on him for only knowing one dish. Sui was still grateful for that opportunity.
"I see..." Manager Mita sounded disappointed, but since there was no formal contract, there was little he could say.
"How about this?" Sui suggested. "From now on, I can provide a certain number of dishes daily, and you can sell them at your restaurant."
Manager Mita was momentarily stunned. Knowing how popular Sui's food had become, this was an offer he couldn't refuse. "That would be fantastic! I'll send someone to pick them up."
"Great," Sui replied. "Also, if possible, could you let your customers know the address of my new restaurant?"
"Of course," Manager Mita agreed.
After hanging up, Sui breathed a sigh of relief. Though he was confident in his food, he knew it would take time to build a loyal customer base at his new restaurant. Partnering with Kagura Sakaya would help spread the word and ensure steady sales.
His plan was to turn the small shop into a reservation-only restaurant, with limited daily servings. If people wanted his food, they'd have to wait in line or even make reservations a month in advance.
However, another concern soon came to mind—he expected a large number of guests today, and there was no way he could manage everything by himself.
"Right, I can get help from that tsundere!" Sui thought, his eyes lighting up as he headed to the bathroom.
Inside, he found Erina searching for something.
"Erina, what are you looking for?" he asked casually.
"I can't find one of my panties," Erina replied, frowning. "I'm sure I left it here."
"Is it the pale pink one with the black lace and the kittens on it?" Sui asked without thinking.
"Yes..." Erina confirmed, and then both fell silent.
Five seconds later, a furious roar echoed through the bathroom, "You pervert! Did you steal my panties?!"
Sui's heart sank as he realized he had let something slip.
Erina's face flushed with embarrassment and fury. The thought of Sui stealing her panties for who-knows-what purposes sent shivers down her spine.
"How could you accuse me of that? I've seen your underwear before, and if I wanted to steal them, I would've done it long ago, not just today," Sui defended himself.