"What? You want me to go back to school?"
Sui was taken aback for a moment, realizing he hadn't been to his original school in quite some time.
At first, he had been juggling both Totsuki Culinary Academy and his previous school, commuting between the two daily. But as time passed, he became increasingly lazy and simply took extended leave from his old school.
Now that he thought about it, it did seem a bit irresponsible.
"Yes, Sui, could you come over for a bit? The head teacher would like to see you," Luna's voice came over the phone, with a hint of awkwardness.
Sui glanced at Erina, who was sitting next to him.
"What's wrong? Something urgent?" Erina asked, noticing his expression.
"Well, my old teacher from my previous school wants me to drop by," Sui said after a brief pause. He hesitated—Erina had been looking forward to today for quite some time. He had even helped her with food-tasting assignments just so they could free up this day.
"It's fine, go ahead," Erina smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Despite her disappointment, she understood. "We can reschedule."
"How about we go together?" Sui suggested. "It shouldn't take too long, and we can go shopping afterward."
His head teacher had always been kind to him, so it felt wrong to decline. Plus, Sui figured the errand wouldn't take much time.
Erina's eyes brightened. "Alright," she agreed, nodding.
Later, the two of them returned to Sui's apartment. Kanna and Tohru weren't home—who knew where they were off playing this time?
Together, Sui and Erina headed to his former school.
"Want to come inside with me? I'll take care of things quickly, and then we can get back to our date," Sui offered as they reached the school.
Erina nodded, walking in beside him. She curiously observed the surroundings as they made their way through the campus.
"Isn't that the guy from Class 6?"
"Yeah, I heard he hasn't been coming to school. If he keeps skipping like this, they'll probably kick him out."
"Well, he's an orphan, right? Maybe he's busy working to make money."
"But who's that girl with him? She's stunning!"
"She looks like a celebrity!"
As the students noticed Sui walking through the halls, whispers spread quickly. Before long, their attention shifted from Sui to Erina, captivated by her beauty.
"These people are so annoying," Erina muttered, frowning at the overheard gossip. "There's no point in attending such a mediocre school. It's a waste of your talent."
"Ignore them," Sui replied calmly. He took Erina's hand and led her toward his classroom.
"Wait, is that guy 'holding hands' with that girl? Are they together?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
The murmurs grew louder as the students around them gawked, particularly the boys, who couldn't believe what they were seeing.
It was the end of a class period, so when Sui entered his classroom, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Is that Sui? He finally decided to show up?"
"I thought he'd been expelled by now."
The students whispered amongst themselves. At the start of the school year, Sui had scored the highest marks and received a special invitation from Kagura Sakaya, which sparked jealousy among his classmates.
"Well, look who's back! None other that Sui!"
A girl with a smug look approached him. This was Mako Suzuki, the class's vice-monitor, known for her sharp tongue and habit of picking on others. When Sui's cooking scores had been lower, she never missed a chance to mock him.
"Yeah," Sui replied calmly, not bothered by her presence.
"I thought you'd been expelled already," Mako sneered. "But I suppose getting lucky and catching the manager's attention bought you some time. Won't last long, though—you'll be back at the bottom soon enough. I even heard you got fired."
Before Sui could respond, a cold voice cut through the room.
"Who are you to insult others?"
Erina stepped forward, her gaze icy. The room fell silent as her presence immediately commanded respect.
Mako's face paled. Erina's aura was so powerful, so regal, that she couldn't help but feel intimidated. Seeing Erina's angelic face only deepened her embarrassment.
"Who 'is' she? She's beautiful!"
"She must be Sui's friend from another school—there's no way a girl that pretty goes here."
The classroom buzzed with excitement and curiosity as the students watched Erina.
"Who do you think you are?" Mako gritted her teeth, glaring at Erina with jealousy. She felt utterly inferior next to this radiant girl. "You're not even a student here!"
Erina blushed slightly, but without missing a beat, she replied, "I'm Sui's girlfriend."