The group consisted of three boys and two girls, all roughly the same age as Sui and his peers, though their faces bore a trace of indifference.
"Which culinary school are they from?" Sui leaned closer to Erina and whispered.
Feeling his warm breath brush her ear, Erina's face flushed as her ears tingled. She shot him a reproachful look but still responded in a hushed tone: "They're from the Royal European Culinary School. It's one of the top schools there, comparable to Totsuki's standing in Japan. They're particularly famous for cultivating high-quality food ingredients."
"The Nakiri International Research Society has its headquarters there, so we've maintained some contact with their school. They sent students for an exchange program last year."
"I see," Sui nodded.
"Though I heard things didn't go smoothly last year," Erina added hesitantly.
"Didn't go smoothly?" Sui asked, surprised.
"Well, their school tried to prove they were superior to Totsuki, which led to some conflict between their exchange students and ours," Erina explained. "It's clear they're not here just for learning and friendly exchange. We'll have to stay on our guard."
Sui nodded in agreement.
Just then, Isshiki approached with his usual smile. "Hello! Can you speak Japanese?"
A girl with long, light blonde hair stepped forward and answered in halting Japanese, "A little."
Her striking European features stood out, and she seemed to be the group's representative.
"Great! Let me show you around our campus," Isshiki said warmly, preparing to lead the tour.
"Are you the famous Totsuki Elite Ten?" the girl suddenly asked with a calm demeanor.
"That's right," Isshiki replied with a smile. "Is there something you'd like to ask?"
"I heard Totsuki has a unique rule," the girl said, a faintly cruel smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Erina and Isshiki smiles froze, while a cold glint flickered in Momo's eyes. The same thought crossed all of their minds: these students hadn't come for friendly exchange—they were here to challenge Totsuki!
Erina, maintaining her composure, asked calmly, "What rule are you referring to?"
"Don't play dumb," the girl sneered, struggling with her Japanese. "Let's... eat chicken!"
A heavy silence fell over the group. Erina and the others exchanged confused glances.
"Eat chicken? Are they hungry?" Isshiki wondered aloud.
"Maybe it's a special dish from their country?" Erina mused as they huddled together, whispering.
Sui sighed, finally breaking the awkward silence. "You mean 'Shokugeki', right? Shokugekis?"
The girl's face flushed. "Yes! That's what I meant—'Shokugeki'!" she corrected herself quickly.
Isshiki smiled politely, explaining, "If you wish to challenge us to a 'Shokugeki', you'll need to propose a proper wager, submit your request to the 'Shokugeki' Administration, and arrange for an odd number of judges."
The girl nodded and pulled out a coin, handing it to Isshiki.
"What's this?" Isshiki asked, perplexed.
"You said there needs to be a bet. This is the bet," the girl replied with dead seriousness.
Isshiki, at a loss for words, patiently explained, "The wager doesn't have to be money. It can be something else of value."
The girl's eyes narrowed as she thought it over. "Oh, I see. So, 'seppuku', then?"
"Huh?" Isshiki blinked in confusion.
"If you lose, you commit 'seppuku', right? Like in the samurai movies. After losing a duel, the warriors would take their own lives. It's the same for Shokugekis, right?"
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
This girl's imagination was truly something else.
"Let's leave the 'Shokugeki' talk for now and focus on your tour," Sui said, stepping in to change the subject.
The girl fixed her eyes on Sui, narrowing them as she said coldly, "You're the boy who mated with Miss Erina, right?"
The air around them grew tense.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Who... who would ever do that with him!" Erina stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment and irritation.
"Hmm? But just now, Ms. Leonora mentioned—"
One of her companions quickly interjected, correcting her, "No, senior, you meant to say 'deal', right?"
"No, it was 'conversation', or maybe 'communication'," another suggested.
"No, you meant dating, didn't you?" Isshiki said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Yes, dating! That's what I meant. My Japanese is actually quite good!" the girl insisted proudly.
"Her Japanese is worse than my aunt's..." Erina muttered, exasperated.
Meanwhile, the exchange group huddled together, whispering to each other.
"What now? They won't agree to a Shokugeki!"
"Of course not. They're probably afraid. After all, if they lose, they'd have to commit 'seppuku'!"
"Let's drop it for now. We'll definitely defeat Totsuki's students."
Sui led them to his research group's lab, inviting them to sit down. He decided to offer everyone a glass of milk.
Erina and Alice had tasted this milk before, but it was Isshiki and Momo's first time. The moment the milk touched their lips, they were both taken aback by its extraordinary sweetness.
They had never tasted anything like it.
The exchange students were equally shocked. Their school was renowned for cultivating high-quality food ingredients, yet even their best-bred cows didn't produce milk as exquisite as this.
Could Totsuki have developed a breed of cows superior to theirs? The question lingered in their minds.
"Hey, Su Pian, where did you get this milk? Will you sell me some?" Momo approached him, her face slightly flushed as she asked shyly.
Sui smirked and lightly tapped her on the forehead. "What did you just call me?"
Momo pouted, covering her forehead in frustration.