Sui had no choice but to pour Rindō a cup of milk.
"I want some too!" Yoshino raised her hand, and Sōma and Ryoko also stared at him expectantly.
Sui sighed and reluctantly poured a glass for each of them.
"This milk is so sweet and refreshing! I've never tasted anything like it before!" Megumi exclaimed as she wiped the milk from the corner of her mouth.
"It really is delicious! Hey, kohai, where did you get this milk from?" Rindō asked as she approached. "Tell me, and I'll give you a cute picture of Erina-chan."
Sui gave her a disdainful look. I could easily get something far more personal from the tsundere girl, so why would I want a picture? "No comment."
"Meanie!" Rindō pouted in frustration.
Noticing that Rindō, Yoshino, and the others were eyeing the remaining milk, Sui quickly shielded it behind him. "If you drink it all, there won't be enough for the food!"
"Exactly! No one touches it!" Rindō said with surprising seriousness before sitting down eagerly, waiting for the food.
Seeing this, the others obediently followed suit and sat down.
Sui combined milk, sugar, and cream in a small pot and simmered it over low heat. Soon, the cream and sugar had dissolved into the milk, releasing an irresistible aroma.
Rindō and the others were practically drooling at the scent, glancing longingly at the pot.
Meanwhile, Megumi had mixed flour, butter, and salt into water, kneading it into dough. After refrigerating it for a while, she rolled the dough out thin, placed butter inside, folded it in half, and repeated the process a few times.
"Is the tart crust ready?" Sui asked from the side.
During this time, he had beaten the eggs, mixed them with low-gluten flour, and incorporated the mixture into the milk.
"All set," Megumi confirmed.
She then buttered the tart molds, laid in the prepared crust, and handed them to Sui, who filled them with the egg mixture.
Having practiced together so often, their cooperation was seamless.
"You two work so well together," Yoshino remarked with admiration.
"Yeah," Sōma agreed.
Finally, Sui placed the egg tarts in the oven to bake.
After about twenty minutes, the tarts were done, filling the room with a rich, sweet fragrance.
Rindō and Yoshino, who had been waiting by the oven, could hardly contain themselves.
"Can we eat now?" Rindō asked eagerly.
"They're still a bit hot," Sui warned with a chuckle.
"Doesn't matter, I don't mind the heat," Rindō said, grabbing an egg tart and biting into it.
Freshly baked egg tarts are at their best. The crust was crisp and buttery, and the filling was silky smooth, almost solidified. The moment Rindō took a bite, the hot custard seemed to melt in her mouth, the flavors so exquisite she almost felt like she could swallow her tongue.
"It's amazing!" Rindō's eyes narrowed in bliss, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
Seeing her reaction, the others quickly grabbed a tart and took a bite.
"It's so good! Way better than any ordinary egg tart," Megumi said, her cheeks flushed with delight.
"Yeah, I've never tasted anything like this," Yoshino chimed in happily.
"Sui, you're incredible!" Sōma praised. "When can we have shokugeki?"
"Hey, kohai, can you give me some of your ingredients?" Rindō asked, sidling up to Sui and giving him puppy-dog eyes.
Was Rindō-senpai actually this playful? Sui was caught off guard but still refused. "No, I don't have that much to spare."
"A guy shouldn't be so stingy!" Rindō teased, adopting a knowing expression.
Sui just rolled his eyes, refusing to engage further.
Suddenly, voices could be heard coming from the hallway.
"Ryō-kun, be careful with that equipment. It's imported and expensive."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
"Huh? What smells so good?" A surprised voice exclaimed.
Moments later, a head peeked through the doorway, eyes scanning the room.
The girl had long silver hair, fair skin, and delicate features. She was dressed in Tōtsuki's school uniform and radiated youthful energy. Behind her stood a young man with long black hair, dark eyes, and an indifferent expression.
"Excuse me, are you guys making food?" she asked.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Wait, isn't that Alice, Erina's cousin? Sui was taken aback.
Alice strode in confidently, her eyes landing on the freshly baked egg tarts. She swallowed subtly as she examined them.
"What are you planning to do with my tart?" Rindō immediately became defensive, shielding her food.
Yoshino and Ryoko eyed Alice warily as well.
"Relax!" Alice pouted slightly. "I'm not going to steal your food."
Then, turning her gaze to Sui, she asked, "Are you the leader of this new research group? Did you make these egg tarts?"
"Yes," Sui replied.
"Hey, can we make a deal? Let me try one of the tarts you made," Alice leaned in closer and whispered to Sui.
Sui: "..."
Great. Another foodie.
"Fine," he agreed, knowing she was his future sister-in-law.
"But you only get one!" Rindō interjected firmly.
Sui nodded in agreement—after all, Alice wasn't his sister-in-law just yet.
"Rindō-senpai? You're here too?" Alice glanced at her, then sighed. "One is enough, I guess."
She picked up an egg tart and took a bite, her eyes widening with surprise.
The smooth, creamy texture and rich, milky flavor won her over immediately.