(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you!)
Erina gazed at Sui, her face flushed with a mix of shyness, nervousness, and anticipation.
Though she had already resolved in her heart that she would marry Sui one day, her grandfather Senzaemon's sudden insistence made her feel overwhelmed. It felt too soon.
However, as the heir to the Nakiri family, she knew that she couldn't refuse her grandfather's wishes. Even though Senzaemon had another son, Nakiri Souei, he mainly handled Totsuki's international affairs. When her grandfather eventually retired, Erina knew the domestic responsibilities of the Totsuki Group would be passed to her.
She understood his desire for her to marry early, but she wasn't certain if Sui would be willing. After all, high school romances often ended in disappointment, and she feared Sui might not want to commit to marriage so soon.
Sui, however, nodded firmly and said, "Of course, I'm willing."
"Really?" Erina's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Yes," Sui confirmed, though he too felt that marriage might be a bit premature at this point. But if Senzaemon truly expected such a commitment from Erina next year, Sui knew it was his duty as a man to accept that responsibility.
Erina was deeply touched. Even though she had already decided in her heart that Sui was the one she would marry, this was the first time he had given her an explicit promise.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she moved closer, gently hugging him and resting her blushing cheeks against his chest.
Erina's skin was as fair and smooth as porcelain, delicate to the touch, reminiscent of a peeled egg—soft and elastic.
As the warmth of his body enveloped her, Erina's face grew redder, a wave of bashfulness washing over her. When she felt Sui's hands beginning to explore her body, her cheeks flared even more.
"This… this isn't a good place for this, is it?" she whispered softly.
Sui smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, no one will come here."
——
The next morning, everyone gathered in the hotel lobby, preparing for their final exam.
Dojima Gin stood before them, a slight smile on his face. "Congratulations! You've successfully passed the first two exams. And the first-year group secured first place in both!"
Hearing this, Sōma and the boys discussed it excitedly as they walked toward the beach. Eizan, Nene, and Kuga were visibly displeased, frustrated at being overshadowed by their kohai.
For third-year students, it didn't matter much for them.
"Now, onto the final exam," Dojima Gin continued, leading the group to the forest near the hotel.
"The task for this exam is to prepare a dish using any ingredient found in this forest, meeting our high standards."
"This sounds like a challenge for the Elite Ten," Eizan couldn't help but comment.
Dojima Gin nodded. "Exactly. As Elite Ten members, your task is more difficult than that of regular students."
"Are there any specific guidelines?" Alice asked, skeptical that their standards would be the same as those of ordinary students.
Dojima chuckled. "Indeed, there are special guidelines for you."
The group's expressions grew serious. The previous exams had pushed them to their limits—Isshiki and others had even sacrificed their dignity to pass, which seems they enjoy…
"For ordinary students, the theme is to use any forest ingredient. But for you, the focus is on the most challenging ingredient here: bear meat," Dojima Gin said with a faint smile.
"Bear meat?" Megumi asked nervously.
"Yes. Bear meat has a notoriously strong gamey odor, making it one of the most difficult ingredients to prepare. For this exam, each group must create two different dishes using bear meat within three days."
"You can start preparing now. The staff will bring fresh bear meat soon."
The group exhaled in relief. If regular students had to face such a daunting task, they might faint from the pressure. But for chefs like Saito and the others, it was a test of their skills.
"Hmph. We won't lose to you this time," Eizan muttered, turning to leave.
Sui and his group also returned to the hotel, where the kitchen was available for use.
"If each group needs to create two dishes, why don't we split into pairs?" Erina suggested. "Each pair can handle one dish."
"Sounds good," the group agreed.
"The key challenge in cooking bear meat is masking its gamey odor. That requires precise use of spices, so I can handle one dish," Hayama Akira said confidently, as this test played directly to his strengths.
"I'll take charge of the other dish," Sui added.
"No objections! I'll team up with Sui!" Alice said cheerfully, raising her hand.
"I-I'd also like to be in Sui's group," Megumi added, blushing.
Erina shot them both a jealous glance before muttering, "Then I'll team up with Sui as well."
"Sōma and Ryō, you two can join Hayama-kun's team," Sui suggested. "That should even things out."
"Then it's settled. This time, I'll definitely make something better than what you and Miss Erina produce," Akira said with a determined look, before heading off to another kitchen.
At that moment, the bear meat was delivered. Sui picked up a piece and immediately detected the strong, gamey odor.
Bears were notoriously pungent animals, and their meat reflected that.
"Erina, what dish do you want to create?" Sui asked, seeking her opinion.