…
"Sui Mizushima has completed his 200 servings."
Ten minutes later, Sui finally wrapped up his task.
Although his speed wasn't the fastest among the students, Alice knew the truth: Sui had only just started selling his dishes a short while ago! If they compared the time taken, he was probably faster than even Erina.
As guests savored the delicious deep-fried dough sticks rolled in a thin pancake, they watched with interest as Sui expertly poured batter onto the pan.
"Is that crispy thing a fried dough stick? I've had it before during a business trip. Combined with the soft pancake dough and spicy-sour sauce, it's amazing."
"Western breakfasts are elegant and fancy, but I prefer this—it's much more satisfying."
Many guests shared their praise.
"Damn it! He stole all my guests!" Alice grumbled angrily.
"Ready to bark like a dog?" Sui quipped with a smirk, turning toward Alice.
She fumed in response, clearly frustrated.
__
"The aroma is incredible. I didn't expect to taste a street food here," Dojima Gin remarked, stepping forward with a smile. "Mind if I try it?"
"Of course," Sui replied, his smile never wavering.
"It might be delicious to the average person, but this is just low-quality street food to us. There's no need for us to taste it, right?" Shinomiya interjected dismissively.
In his eyes, the cooking of first-year students who hadn't even graduated yet wasn't worth his time.
"Go ahead, taste it," Dojima insisted, fixing Shinomiya with a pointed look. "You've been stagnant for too long. You think of yourself as a Tōtsuki graduate, looking down on these freshmen. But soon, they'll surpass you."
Shinomiya's face stiffened, his expression darkening. After a brief moment of hesitation, he picked up a plate of pancakes and took a bite.
As he tasted the dish—soft dough, crispy fried dough sticks, and crunchy cucumber—the combination of flavors stunned him.
"This first-year... his skill is even beyond mine when I was in his shoes!" Shinomiya's mind raced with disbelief.
Dojima Gin smiled. "See? This is the brilliance of the new generation. Stay still, and they'll leave you behind."
Shinomiya clenched his teeth, his expression grim.
…
"The competition is officially over! Students, please stop what you're doing."
"And now, here are the top ten results:
First place: Sui Mizushima, 450 meals served.
Second place: Erina Nakiri, 407 meals served.
Third place: Alice Nakiri, 380 meals served.
..."
Erina's expression shifted. "How am I not in first place? Didn't he only finish 200 portions?"
Confused, she remembered how late it was when Sui had finished 200 meals. How did he manage to catch up and surpass her?
As the thought crossed her mind, her cheeks flushed, recalling their earlier agreement.
"Do I… really have to kiss him every day?" she muttered softly, her face turning red.
"Phew! Finally done!" Soma, who had barely made it in time by improvising, let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, Erina, how about a round of poker tonight to celebrate?"
Erina, still flustered, snapped. "Shut up!"
"What did I do?" Soma asked, puzzled by her sudden anger.
...
"Did you hear? That transfer student got first place!" a student exclaimed.
"Even Miss Erina couldn't beat him. But didn't he only serve 200 people?"
"Yeah, how did that happen?"
Confusion spread among the students, shocked at how Sui, who had lagged behind, ended up at the top.
Alice, also frustrated, clenched her fists. "Damn it! Not only did I lose to Erina, but to him too. Does this mean I really have to bark like a dog?"
Just then, Megumi and her group rushed over, cheering. "Sui, you did it! We all passed!"
Erina approached, still uneasy. "How did you manage to overtake me?"
Sui replied casually, "Oh, I was frying dough sticks earlier, so I didn't let anyone pick up food at first."
"You had even less time than the rest of us?" Erina asked in disbelief.
"That's right. The dough sticks lose their crispiness if left for too long, so I had to fry them right away. That wasted a lot of time," Sui explained.
Noticing Alice trying to slip away, Sui called out, "Alice, trying to run? Have you forgotten our bet?"
Caught, Alice puffed her cheeks, stopping in her tracks. "I'm not running!" she protested, clearly frustrated.
"So, what are you supposed to do now?" Sui asked, amused.
"Wait, what bet?" Erina asked, startled
"Arf! Arf!"
Alice, her face flushed, gave two embarrassed barks. "There, happy?!"
Seeing this, Erina couldn't help but smile, a rare moment of amusement showing on her face, while the others struggled to contain their laughter.
Alice glared at Sui. "I'll remember this!" she yelled, running off, covering her blushing face.
Erina smirked. "I never thought I'd see the day."
Sui glanced at Erina with a teasing smile. "Erina, don't forget our agreement."
Her smile froze as she, too, contemplated making a run for it.