"Didn't you sleep last night?"
Erina's cold voice broke the silence as she descended the stairs in her pajamas, rubbing her tired eyes.
Her eyes were bloodshot, a clear sign she hadn't slept well herself.
"No," Sui replied with a nod.
Erina hesitated, her voice softening slightly. "But today's the day of your Shokugeki. Are you sure you have enough energy for this?"
"I'll be fine," Sui assured her.
The two then headed upstairs to freshen up. While getting dressed, Sui couldn't help but complain, "My dress sleeves are torn again."
Erina, with her usual air of superiority, snorted, "Well, I never learned how to wash clothes. You're the one who told me to do it."
Sui sighed inwardly. Clearly, a tsundere like her wasn't suited to domestic life. In contrast, Megumi was much more skilled in such matters.
At that moment, Miltank came running over with a cup of fresh milk, handing it to Sui.
"Thanks," he said with a smile, accepting the cup and downing it in one go. The rich nutrients in the milk left him feeling refreshed and energized.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a notification. It was a text from the school's Shokugeki Administration:
"The Shokugeki Administration has officially approved your Shokugeki competition with second-year student Eizan Etsuya. Please arrive at Venue A by 9 a.m."
"Let's go," Sui said, tucking his phone into his pocket.
"Mm," Erina nodded.
At the door, Hisako was waiting. When she saw Sui and Erina exit together, her expression was a mix of disbelief and discomfort. She still couldn't reconcile the image of her perfect, untouchable Erina-sama with the fact that she was living with someone else.
Erina, noticing Hisako's look, flushed slightly in embarrassment.
The three of them then got into a car and headed to the Tōtsuki campus.
——
By the time they arrived, word of Sui's Shokugeki against Eizan had already spread like wildfire. Students were buzzing with chatter.
"That transfer student is crazy! Challenging Eizan-senpai? He's asking for it!"
"He's way out of his league. It's like a mayfly trying to knock down a tree!"
"Damn it, Eizan-senpai's tactics are so underhanded!" Erina muttered angrily. "The Shokugeki was only just approved. There's no way the whole school should know about it already. This has Eizan's scheming written all over it."
When Sui and Erina reached Venue A, it was already packed with students. Among them were familiar faces—Megumi, Soma, and Isshiki—all members of Polaris Dormitory are there to support Sui.
"Sui-kun, give it your best! We came to cheer you on!" Megumi said earnestly, her fists clenched in determination.
"Sui, you can't drop out of school; otherwise, I'll lose a rival," Soma said with a laugh.
"Eizan really went too far this time," Isshiki added with a smile. "Sui, you need to hang in there. I don't want to see such a promising student get expelled."
"Thanks," Sui replied.
"By the way, Miss Erina, are you and Sui already dating? I heard something from Yoshino," Isshiki suddenly asked.
Erina immediately turned her head and shot a glare at Yoshino. This girl had sworn yesterday that she would keep her mouth shut!
Sui was at a loss for words.
Yoshino looked up at the sky, her expression innocent, as if to say, "I don't know anything."
Soon, it was nine o'clock.
Kawashima Rei stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone. "Hello, everyone! I'm Kawashima Rei from the first year, and I'll be the emcee for today's Shokugeki. This Shokugeki has been officially approved by the Shokugeki Administration. Now, let's welcome our two contestants!"
Eizan Etsuya, dressed in his chef's uniform, walked onto the stage, greeted by loud cheers from the audience.
"Go, Eizan-senpai! Show those transfer students what happens when they get too cocky!"
"Let them know the consequences of arrogance!"
In contrast, when Sui stepped onto the stage, he was met with boos.
This was largely due to Soma's speech at the entrance ceremony, which had turned the entire school against the transfer students. Sui was also affected. Moreover, his perfect A-grades in all his classes over the past few days had made many students secretly resentful, so they eagerly anticipated seeing him crushed by Eizan.
"This... doesn't look good," Megumi muttered, trembling with concern.
"Yeah, Sui is being hated," Soma nodded in agreement.
Everyone glanced at him sideways. Didn't he realize this was all his fault? Honestly, the situation was entirely because of him!
"Haha, it certainly looks like things are in my favor," Eizan sneered.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing you on your knees later, Eizan-senpai," Sui responded calmly.
"Hmph! Brat, this is the last time you'll get to talk big!" Eizan retorted coldly.
"Now, please welcome our three judges to the stage!" Kawashima Rei announced loudly.
The three judges stepped onto the stage, and the crowd erupted in shock and excitement.
The judges were none other than Totsuki's Commander-in-Chief Nakiri Senzaemon, the general manager of the Totsuki Resort, Dojima Gin, and the head of the French Cuisine Department, Chapelle!
"What a luxurious lineup!"
"Even though it's a Shokugeki involving the Ten Elites, having the Commander-in-Chief himself here is over the top!"
"Yeah, totally!" the students exclaimed in awe.
"Is this the first-year student daring enough to challenge a member of the Ten Elites?" Dojima Gin asked, his eyes fixed on Sui, a smile playing on his lips. "He reminds me of myself at that age."
Seeing Sui brought back memories of his time at the Polar Star Dormitory. Back then, he, Joichiro, and Azami had sought out challenges everywhere, fearless in their youth, bringing a golden age to the polaris dorm.
Now, in Sui, he saw that same fighting spirit and courage, which made him nostalgic.
"Come to think of it, Commander, I'm surprised you agreed to be a judge for this Shokugeki," Chapelle remarked.
After all, as the head of Totsuki, Senzaemon Nakiri rarely judged student Shokugekis.
In truth, if it weren't for the Commander's personal invitation, Chapelle wouldn't have agreed to serve as a judge for this Shokugeki either.
Senzaemon smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "Nonsense, he's my future grandson-in-law; how could I not take an interest?"
When he first received the report from the Shokugeki Administration, he was shocked that a first-year student dared to challenge a member of the Ten Elites. But he couldn't help but admire Sui's courage.
Senzaemon then announced in a deep voice, "I hereby declare the Shokugeki officially open. The theme is seafood. You must bring your own ingredients. The time limit is two hours, and there are no restrictions on cooking style!"
With that, Sui and Eizan Etsuya quickly sprang into action.