"Wait, you want me to handle the food tasting?"
Sui was momentarily taken aback.
"This is all my fault," Hisako said with a guilty expression, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Originally, Erina-sama had two food tastings scheduled for today, one at noon and another at 3 p.m. However, I only realized yesterday that the two restaurants are quite far apart. It's impossible for Erina-sama to finish the first tasting at noon and still make it to the second restaurant by 3 p.m."
"But the second restaurant submitted their request over a month ago," Erina explained. "Canceling at the last minute would damage Totsuki's reputation."
"I'm... I'm so sorry, Erina-sama! It's entirely my fault," Hisako apologized, guilt-ridden for making such a serious mistake in her duties. She felt utterly ashamed to continue serving as Erina's secretary.
"It's alright, don't worry about it," Erina reassured her, trying to comfort her loyal assistant. The two had grown up together, and while Erina didn't often express it, she truly saw Hisako as more of a sister than an employee.
"I mean, I could help… but are you sure I'm the right person for this?" Sui hesitated. After all, the restaurant had invited Erina for the tasting, not him.
"Even though your name isn't as well-known, you have the God Tongue too, and your abilities aren't inferior to mine. You're more than qualified for the job," Erina said, her face blushing slightly as she recalled how Sui had outperformed her night after night, leaving her at his mercy.
"I'll be counting on you, Sui!" Hisako said, bowing deeply in gratitude.
"Well, alright," Sui agreed, feeling that he couldn't refuse after their insistence.
With the arrangements made, everyone parted ways and headed off to their respective class.
Later that morning, Sui successfully earned an A in class.
As the morning session ended, Sōma approached Sui. "Hey, Sui! There's no class this afternoon. How about we head over to Polar Star Dorm and hang out?"
"I've got something to do this afternoon," Sui replied.
"What, are you going on a date with Erina-chi?" Yoshino chimed in, teasing him.
"No, nothing like that," Sui answered, exasperated. He went on to explain about covering for Erina at the food tasting.
"Wait, really? You're going to a fancy restaurant to try some high-end cuisine?" Yoshino's mouth watered at the thought. "Can I come too?"
"No! You'll just get in the way of Sui's work!" Megumi sternly warned from the side.
"What's the harm? Sui's there to do the tasting, right? It's not like it matters if we eat a little too," Yoshino grumbled.
"Yeah, exactly! I've never been to a fancy restaurant before. Let me tag along," Sōma laughed.
Faced with their eager expressions, Sui reluctantly agreed. When the time came, he'd just treat them to a meal.
"Fine, but you can only sit quietly and not disturb me while I work," Sui warned.
"Sure! No problem!" Yoshino nodded enthusiastically, like a chick pecking at grains.
Soon after, the four of them boarded a train and headed toward the restaurant.
The destination was Kujo Restaurant, a French establishment run by a Totsuki graduate. While the chef wasn't one of the elite graduates like Kojiro Shinomiya or Hinako Inui, whose restaurants were renowned in the culinary world, graduating from Totsuki was no small feat. Even ordinary graduates from the school were far from average, and their restaurant had garnered a solid reputation.
When they arrived at 3 p.m., it wasn't peak dining time, and the restaurant was noticeably empty. Several chefs, dressed in crisp white uniforms, stood quietly in anticipation of someone's arrival.
To prepare for the God Tongue's visit, the restaurant had temporarily closed to the public.
The group walked in, eyes wide with awe.
"Whoa, is this the place for the tasting, Sui? It's so fancy!" Yoshino marveled. "I bet one dish here costs at least 2,000 yen!"
"2,000 yen? I wouldn't be surprised," Sōma said, managing to keep his cool.
"Could you guys keep it down? You'll distract Sui from his work…" Megumi muttered with a strained smile.
Sui could only shake his head in silence.
Just then, a middle-aged man in a chef's uniform approached. "I'm sorry, but the restaurant is closed today as we're expecting a distinguished guest," he said politely.
"You're expecting Erina, aren't you?" Sui asked.
The chef blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Yes, we are. Are you friends of Miss Erina?"
Since they weren't wearing their Totsuki uniforms, the chef hadn't immediately recognized them as students from the academy.
"Yes, we're students from Totsuki," Sui confirmed.
"Ah, wonderful! I'm also a graduate of Totsuki. My name is Kujo Eisuke," the chef said warmly, smiling at the sight of his juniors.
"Wait, so you're students of Totsuki? Does that mean Miss Erina is arriving soon?" one of the other chefs asked excitedly.
"We've been waiting a month and spent a lot of money to invite her for this tasting," another added.
"Yes, if we don't improve our recipe soon, we might lose our one-star rating this year," a third chef chimed in, relief beginning to show on their faces.
"When will Miss Erina be arriving?" Kujo Eisuke asked eagerly. "The tasting was scheduled for today…"
"I'm afraid Erina won't be able to make it," Sui said.
"She… won't?" Kujo Eisuke and the other chefs looked crestfallen.
"But I'm here to take her place. I'll handle the food tasting on her behalf," Sui continued.
"You? You'll be tasting the food?" Kujo Eisuke was taken aback, and the other chefs exchanged surprised glances.
"If that's the case, may I ask what rank you hold among Totsuki's Elite Ten?" Kujo asked respectfully, assuming that anyone trusted to take over for Erina must be one of the top five.
"Actually… I'm not a member of the Elite Ten," Sui admitted.
"You're not…?" Kujo Eisuke's expression froze, disbelief written all over his face.