In the following days, thanks to the performances by Erina, Alice, and Megumi, the hot spring hotel where Sui and the others stayed quickly became the most popular hotel on the street. The occupancy rate soared, surpassing even Kawashima Rei's hotel, and at one point, it was completely booked.
Isshiki's bath house also became a favorite among middle-aged women, second only to Sui's hotel.
Soon, the second round of exams officially ended, with Sui and his friends passing alongside their second- and third-year seniors.
On the final night, everyone gathered at Sui's hotel to celebrate their success.
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses, though they could only drink non-alcoholic beverages since alcohol couldn't be sold to minors. As the resort was under Totsuki's management, selling alcohol to them was out of the question.
"Hah, it's finally over," Sōma sighed with relief.
The hotel had been packed the past couple of days, leaving them all utterly exhausted.
"Yeah," Kuga and Eizan agreed, both visibly drained. "It felt like those middle-aged women were sucking the life out of us."
Erina blushed and frowned. "Kuga-senpai, can you please not phrase it like that?"
"But speaking of which, how did you manage to pass the exam, Eishi-senpai?" Sui asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Although Eishi's group inn had gained popularity, it seemed nearly impossible for them to meet the 90% occupancy requirement.
"Well, aside from the Rindō Eating Challenge, we added a massage service at the end," Eishi smiled.
"Massage service? Wait, is it like the... um... 'special' service Isshiki-senpai gave to their customers?" Erina and the other girls' minds raced, imagining Eishi massaging a group of middle-aged women. They shuddered at the thought.
"No, it was a blind massage," Rindō clarified.
"A blind massage?" Everyone exchanged confused looks. Where was the blind person?
"Well, we had Tōsuke pretend to be blind. But honestly, he's really good at massages," Isshiki explained with a laugh.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"Isn't that kind of... cheating?" Erina said, her expression blank.
"No one expected Tōsuke-senpai to be such a skilled masseur," Isshiki admitted.
"Since he spends all day pulling noodles, his hands are very strong, and his massages feel great. I've experienced it myself," Kuga added, sounding almost proud.
"Also, Saito's samurai sword show was turned into a tuna-cutting performance. After a relaxing hot spring soak, guests could enjoy a soothing massage and then watch live tuna carving. It's been a hit since we launched it." Eishi explained.
——
"Such a shame that our boy band is breaking up tonight," Isshiki said with a sigh of regret.
Kuga and Eizan nodded in agreement, clearly nostalgic for their time entertaining the middle-aged women.
Everyone else: "..."
Are these guys actually missing being gigolos?
At that moment, Erina's phone rang. She answered it, but after only a few moments of conversation, her face flushed crimson.
"Now... isn't it too early to be talking about this? I'm going to die of embarrassment!"
She hung up, her face still red.
"Erina, who was that?" Sui couldn't help but ask.
"It was Grandpa," she muttered, still blushing.
Sui raised an eyebrow. "Your grandfather? Why do you look so embarrassed?"
"It's nothing," Erina said quickly, lowering her head.
Soon, the celebration came to an end, and everyone began saying their goodbyes.
"Let me take care of the last night," Erina insisted.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Erina. We can handle it," Sōma offered.
"No, I'm the hostess of this hotel, so it's my responsibility," Erina replied firmly. Although the exams were over, the staff wouldn't take over until the following day, so they were still in charge for the night.
"I'll stay with Sui," she added.
The others exchanged glances and agreed. After all, Erina was the proprietress.
But Alice was clearly displeased. "Erina, this is too much! You're obviously trying to get some alone time with Sui!"
"T-that's not true!" Erina stammered, her cheeks flushing again.
After everyone left, Sui checked the time. It was nearing midnight. He turned to Erina and said, "Everyone's gone. Want to take a dip in the hot spring?"
Erina bit her lip, giving him an annoyed look, but didn't refuse. After all, they had done this once before.
Before long, the two were relaxing in the hot spring together.
"So, what was that call about?" Sui asked.
At the mention of the call, Erina's face turned beet red again. "Grandpa is being so nosy... he actually told me to start thinking about marriage."
"Marriage?" Sui was taken aback. Sure enough, older people tend to focus on such things, even the head of Totsuki.
"But you're only fifteen, right? Isn't it way too early to be thinking about that?" Sui said, genuinely puzzled.
"The legal age for marriage is eighteen. But if both parents consent, it can happen at sixteen," Erina explained, her voice barely above a whisper as she lowered her head. Her face was so red it looked like it might start dripping.
"So... next year?" Sui asked, surprised.
Erina nodded shyly, biting her lip. "That's what Grandpa meant. He wants me, as the family heir, to have children... sooner rather than later."
Sui felt speechless. Senzaemon was certainly in a rush, but with retirement approaching, it made sense. If Erina had an heir by the time she took over, it would indeed ease many worries.
"Sui, if... if Grandpa really insists we marry next year," Erina whispered, her voice trembling as she looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and fear. "Will you... marry me?"