"Shouldn't this be resolved quickly?" Sui asked, puzzled. "If we cooperate properly, we could finish it all in one go."
"Cooperate better, the two of you?" Utaha's anger flared up at his casual attitude. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Sui, I must've really misjudged you. You actually just sleep with other girls so casually? And that girl isn't any better herself!"
"Utaha-senpai, what are you even talking about?" Sui was utterly confused by her accusation.
"I'm talking about you two having sex, obviously!" Utaha's face was filled with disdain. "How disgusting."
"Sex...?" Only now did Sui realize that Utaha had completely misunderstood the situation. With a helpless sigh, he tried to explain, "Senpai, you've got the wrong idea—"
Before he could finish, the door suddenly flew open, and Eriri stormed out, her face red with embarrassment. "What are you talking about?! Sui and I were just acting out scenes from the novel, okay?"
"The novel?" Utaha was momentarily taken aback.
"Yes, exactly!" Sui nodded in agreement.
Eriri's face grew even redder as she shouted, "What kind of filthy things are you imagining, Utaha Kasumigaoka?!"
Utaha also blushed, realizing that she had indeed misunderstood the situation. Still, she turned her head with feigned composure and said coolly, "Well, considering the kind of obscene comics you draw, isn't it natural to assume something like this?"
"Ahhh! Utaha, you jerk!" Eriri screamed, her face burning with fury. She turned to Sui and began furiously whipping him with her long braids.
Being lashed by Eriri's braids, Sui could only sigh. 'Seriously, girl... where did you learn this technique?'
——
A few days passed after the incident.
As the semester drew to a close, Sui completed several final exams, earning top marks in all of his courses. With fewer classes left, he found himself with more free time. Most of his days were spent either watching TV with Tohru in the apartment or helping Erina with food tasting.
Occasionally, Eriri would call him over to help act out scenes for her manga, and feeding Utaha, who was often lost in thought, became one of Sui's daily routines.
Between experiencing Utaha's eccentric behavior and Eriri's outlandish acting sessions, Sui had come to a profound realization: 'There's no such thing as a normal person among creators.'
——
That night, Sui was working at his shop alongside Tohru, as usual. After all, the shop was his main source of income, and he needed to make money to sustain not only himself but also Tohru and the others. Even the electricity bill from Kanna's constant phone charging alone was no small expense, and Elma needed to be paid her wages.
The menu at Sui's shop frequently changed. After a long period of selling pork dishes, there wasn't much of the prized red-haired pig left. Sui had kept a small portion for himself, while most of the current menu were beef-based—braised beef, beef bone broth, and beef fried rice.
"Elma, two orders of beef fried rice and one plate of braised beef for table three," Sui called out as he placed the dishes on the counter.
"Got it!" Elma replied cheerfully, delivering the orders with practiced efficiency. It was clear she had adapted well to her role as a maid in the shop.
Though she still lived in Sui's old apartment, for a food-loving dragon like Elma, any place with delicious food was heaven. Sui had even visited her apartment once and found her lounging on the sofa with a fridge stocked full of snacks—it was obvious she was living a blissfully content life.
At that moment, the sound of the door opening caught Sui's attention. A young woman in a light-colored dress and white high heels entered, followed by an elderly man with white hair but youthful energy, as well as several bodyguards.
"Is the shop finally open today?" the girl said calmly.
Elma quickly approached them with her usual bright smile. "I'm sorry, the shop is currently full. Would you mind waiting in line outside?"
The girl looked at Elma and replied, "I'm here to see the owner. Could you ask him to come out?"
Tohru, who had been watching from a distance, narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, eyeing the girl suspiciously. "Who are you? Are you one of Sui's mistresses?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" the girl snapped, clearly irritated.
Hearing the commotion, Sui stepped out from the kitchen. His eyes widened in recognition when he saw the girl. "Miss Takahashi? What are you doing here?"
He recalled that this girl, Airi Takahashi, was the granddaughter of the school chairman who had come to the principal's office a while ago.
"So, you're really here," Airi said, finally relieved to see him.
"How did you know where to find me?" Sui asked, surprised. No one from school knew about his shop.
"I got your location from the principal's daughter," Airi explained. "I've come by a few times, but the shop was always closed."
"Oh, that was during the field study trip," Sui remembered. "What brings you here?"
"My grandfather has been wanting to taste your cooking again. I came to buy some of that Stir-Fried Pork from last time," Airi said, her tone tinged with urgency.
After eating Sui's dishes the previous time, her grandfather's health had improved significantly, but he had recently relapsed, and Airi had become desperate to get more of Sui's cooking.
"Of course," Sui nodded. "There's still a bit of pork left. But you'll need to wait in line with the other customers."
"Wait in line?" Airi frowned as she glanced at the long queue outside. Impatiently, she said, "I'll pay double whatever you're charging. Just make it for me now."
"No," Sui said firmly. "That wouldn't be fair to the other customers. Please wait in line like everyone else."