Sui opened his arms and embraced Alice.
Inhaling the familiar scent and feeling his warmth, Alice's cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt an unexpected sense of calm. The frustration and disappointment from her earlier defeat slowly began to fade away.
"Thank you. I feel much better now," she said, releasing her hold on him and smiling faintly.
"That's good to hear," Sui nodded.
Then, to his surprise, Alice leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She grinned playfully and said, "I forgive you for what happened last time."
Having grown up abroad, Alice's cheerful and open-minded personality was quite different from her reserved and tsundere cousin, Erina. She knew that what had happened was an accident, and over the past few days, she had managed to put it behind her.
Sui touched the spot where she had kissed him, still feeling the wetness there. He couldn't help but smile wryly. But seeing Alice back to her usual cheerful self, he felt relieved.
"So, about us..." he began, hesitating.
"I… I haven't thought that far ahead yet," Alice admitted. The carefree demeanor she had just shown vanished, replaced by a look of confusion. Her face turned red, and she lowered her head, avoiding eye contact.
Although she had come to terms with what had happened between them, she still felt unsure about how to approach Sui. Despite teasing Erina about her lack of experience in romance, Alice herself was equally inexperienced. Faced with these feelings, she didn't know how to proceed.
Sui was at a loss for words but understood her hesitation. After all, they hadn't been particularly close before, and the sudden turn of events would be overwhelming for anyone.
"Hey, you two are here."
At that moment, Erina walked over.
"Erina, even though I lost this time, I'll definitely beat you next time!" Alice declared defiantly, pouting.
Erina was taken aback. Just moments ago, she had seen Alice running off the stage, crying like a child. How had she recovered so quickly?
She glanced at Sui in confusion, wondering how he had managed to console Alice so effectively.
"Is that so? Well, I'll be waiting for you then," Erina replied calmly. Though she spoke lightly, she didn't take Alice's challenge seriously. Confident in her own abilities, she wasn't worried about Alice catching up to her.
"The next match is about to start, Sui. Let's go," Erina said as she turned towards the audience seats.
"Are you coming to watch?" Sui asked Alice.
"Of course," she nodded.
The three of them made their way to the stands.
By this time, Megumi and Ryo Kurokiba, the participants in the second match, were both on stage, visibly tense.
"Go, Megumi! You can do it!"
"We won't lose to them!"
Yoshino, Ryoko, and other members from Polaris Dorm keep shouting from the audience, cheering loudly for Megumi. Yoshino even held up specially made fans and banners covered with phrases like "I Love Megumi!" and "Go Megumi!" The colorful display stood out in the crowd, leaving everyone speechless.
"Everyone's here," Sui said with a smile as he, Erina, and Alice joined the group.
"Sui, you're here too! Let's cheer for Megumi together!" Yoshino exclaimed, delighted.
"Everyone…" Megumi, standing on the competition stage, felt a wave of warmth as she saw her friends cheering enthusiastically. Her heart was further warmed when she noticed her family and friends from her hometown had come to support her.
She glanced at Sui sitting in the audience, and determination filled her eyes.
'Sui-kun, I won't lose!'
"Isn't she the girl who was at the bottom of her class during the first year? How did she make it to the quarterfinals?"
"Yeah, but her opponent is Miss Alice's aide. She's definitely going to lose miserably, right?"
"I really don't understand how she got this far."
Many students were whispering among themselves, clearly not confident in Megumi's chances.
Sui, however, smiled. After learning ramen techniques from the master ramen chef, Tōsuke Megishima, Megumi's skills had improved dramatically. It was hard to predict the outcome of this match.
"Just watch. Megumi won't lose," he said confidently.
"What? My aide won't lose either!" Alice retorted angrily.
"How about a little bet?" Sui suggested with a smile.
"What kind of bet?" Alice asked, feeling a bit guilty but intrigued.
"If you lose, you have to bark like a puppy," Sui said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Fine! Who's afraid of who?" Alice pouted and accepted the challenge.
Soon, both contestants finished their dishes.
Ryo Kurokiba was the first to present his creation to the judges.
"Please try my Soupe De Poisson Ramen," he announced.
The five judges, including Senzaemon, began tasting the dish.
The explosive flavors of seafood hit them like a storm, intense and overwhelming. In an instant, Senzaemon's clothes burst open.
"The collar's been ripped!"
"Wow, amazing!"
The students were stunned by the scene.
"He's so strong!" Yoshino and the others looked worried.
"Of course! If he wasn't strong, he wouldn't qualify to be my aide," Alice said proudly.
Megumi was surprised by Ryo's dish but quickly regained her composure and encouraged herself.
'I must not lose! Sui has helped me so much. I can't let him down.'
Taking a deep breath, she brought her dish to the judges.
She made Kozuyu Chicken Soy Sauce Ramen.
The dish was the same as in the original plot, but the difference now was that Megumi's ramen skills had improved significantly. The depth and balance of her flavors were on a whole new level.
As soon as Senzaemon tasted her ramen, his eyes widened in shock. He savored the dish, and in that moment, his clothes tore apart, leaving him in his underwear.