"The topic of the exam? It must be cooking," Sōma remarked confidently.
"Yukihira, don't oversimplify things," Erina responded calmly. "From the residential training to the field exercises later on, although they're related to cooking, the tests have never been solely about cooking. They assess other essential skills as well."
"Really? But as long as the food is good, won't customers come? There's an old saying, 'Good wine needs no bush,' right?" Soma scratched his head, grinning.
"That may be true, but the people here are tourists. Even if they love the food, they won't return until next year. We only have seven days, so it's impossible to slowly build up repeat business," Sui interjected calmly. "There's no way to reach a 90% occupancy rate by focusing on food alone."
"I see..." Soma fell into deep thought. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Oh! What if we sell ramen? We can set up a big pot at the entrance, cook up a fragrant broth, and the smell will definitely attract people!"
"This is a hot spring hotel, Yukihira. Delicious food is important, but it's not the only factor," Erina explained. "Besides, in this cold weather, the fragrance won't travel far. So, that plan won't work."
"Tsk, you really are clueless," Eizan sneered, looking at Soma with disdain.
"We're not going to figure this out just sitting here," Sui suggested. "Why don't we take a look at what other students are doing to attract guests?"
"Good idea," everyone agreed, and they set out to observe the other students' tactics.
Many tourists were wandering the hot spring street in search of accommodations. Compared to the quiet area where Sui's team was stationed, the main street was bustling. Students participating in the exam were actively trying to draw in guests to boost their occupancy rates.
"Stay at our hotel! We offer free breakfast and dinner every day!" one student called out.
"Our hot springs are the best—you won't want to leave!" another boasted.
Some students were handing out homemade flyers, but the response was lukewarm.
Others took a more desperate approach, with one even kneeling on the ground, pleading, "Please stay at our hotel! This determines whether or not we pass the semester!"
"Is this test about the level of service?" Alice wondered aloud.
"They're all offering similar services," Erina remarked. "The hotels are practically identical, and the service is roughly the same."
At that moment, Sui's eyes brightened. He felt like he had grasped something, but it was just out of reach.
As they continued walking, they came across a hotel that was drawing a large crowd of onlookers.
A sweet-looking girl stood in front of the hotel, singing "Winter Colors" by Yamaguchi Momoe:
"From the colors of your lipstick,
Paler than flowers,
Even a kiss won't fade, pure love…"
The tourists gathered nearby clapped along with the beat, clearly enjoying the performance.
"You sing so well!"
"She's really beautiful!"
"Such pure energy!" the crowd murmured.
The singer was Kawashima Rei, a first-year student. After finishing her song, she flashed a victory sign and, with a charming smile, announced, "If you stay at our hotel, you can enjoy my performance every night!"
"Really? That sounds amazing. I'll check in."
"Me too!" a few guests declared, immediately deciding to book a room.
"Damn, that girl," some of the female students nearby muttered through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Kawashima would have been in pieces.
"I see now," Sui said, his realization dawning.
"Did you figure something out?" Isshiki asked curiously.
"I think the key lies in the 'features' of the hotel," Sui responded.
"Features?" Everyone was puzzled.
"Exactly. Erina just pointed out that the hotels are basically the same in every way. That means the important thing is to 'highlight' our uniqueness," Sui explained. "Some hot spring hotels have distinctive traits—like offering views of monkeys bathing in the hot springs, or showcasing unique cultural performances."
Erina's eyes lit up as well. "So, this exam isn't just about cooking. It's about running a business. We need to identify the unique appeal of our hotel and establish its character as quickly as possible."
"Exactly. Kawashima-san probably didn't even realize she stumbled upon the answer," Sui nodded. "Her performance was just a happy accident."
"If that's the case, then we're in trouble!" Kuga suddenly exclaimed, looking horrified.
"What's wrong?" the others asked, curious.
"In our group, we've got Nene. She's neither cute nor pure, and her singing is worse than a monkey's screech," Kuga grimaced.
Nene's face darkened, and she was clearly on the verge of losing her temper. "You little runt, do you have a death wish?"
Eishi, Saito, and Tōsuke all turned to look at Rindō.
For once, Rindo blushed slightly and said shyly, "Why are you all looking at me? I can't sing."
Meanwhile, Akira and Sōma exchanged glances before turning their attention to Erina.
"I… I can't sing either," Erina stammered, her cheeks turning pink.
"Huh? But you sing really well, much better than Kawashima," Sui blurted out, recalling the time he had overheard Erina singing during their residential training. He had been impressed by her voice back then.
Whenever Erina was in a good mood while bathing, she would hum a tune. Sui had heard it more than once.
"That... you must have misheard! I can't sing at all!" Erina's face flushed with embarrassment, and her voice became flustered as she tried to deny it.