Seeing the concerned expressions on Erina and Alice's faces, Sui was left speechless and said, "How is that even possible?"
Without them noticing, he discreetly tossed the business card he had received from the Sisters into the trash.
Only then did Erina and Alice relax, nodding in satisfaction. Sui couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. It seemed that in addition to becoming more obedient, Erina had also grown more jealous.
"Congratulations to everyone for passing the final exam and successfully moving on to the next semester," Dojima announced with a smile to Sui and the others.
"Thank goodness," Megumi sighed in relief. "So, can we go back now?"
"Of course, you're free to return if you'd like," Dojima replied, laughing. "But I recommend staying here for a few more days."
"Really? That sounds amazing!" Megumi exclaimed, her face lighting up.
For the past ten days, they had been intensively preparing for the exam. Now, the idea of skiing and soaking in the hot springs at the resort made Megumi feel elated.
"How about we continue celebrating tonight?" Rindō suddenly suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Everyone can bring out the dishes they made for the exam!"
"Sounds great!" everyone agreed enthusiastically.
"I've been wanting to try your dish, Sui," Eishi said cheerfully.
"And I've been wanting to taste yours, Eishi-senpai," Sui replied, equally interested.
That evening, they gathered for a celebration, bringing out the bear meat dishes they had prepared during the exam.
"Wow, this is delicious," Rindō said, her mouth full of food. "Sui-kun, your bear stroganina is truly incredible."
"Yeah, I agree," Eishi chimed in with a smile. "As expected, Sui, yours is better than mine."
"Oh, not at all," Sui replied modestly. "I had everyone's help in making this dish."
"Exactly! I contributed a lot!" Alice said proudly from the side.
"Alice, you usually just eat the food as soon as it's done, right?" Erina couldn't help but point out.
"That's not true! Customer feedback is important, isn't it?" Alice puffed out her cheeks in indignation.
"Yes, Alice's contribution is important," Sui nodded with a smile.
"See?" Alice made a victorious gesture towards her sister.
Erina sighed helplessly.
"Actually, the dish was mostly made by Sui-kun and Erina-san. Erina-san gave a lot of valuable advice," Megumi added modestly, feeling a little embarrassed. She felt like she only helped out after most of the work was done, yet Sui had credited her with much more, which made her uneasy.
"What's with this modesty, Megumi?" Alice teased.
"Sui and Erina really are like a husband-and-wife team," Rindō laughed. "You two work so well together."
"N-no, that's not true…" Erina blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment. However, despite her flustered appearance, she felt secretly happy that the dish she had made with Sui was so well received.
The next day, Yoshino, Ryoko, and some of the other students came to find Sui and the others.
"Yoshino, Ryoko! Did you pass the exam too?" Megumi asked excitedly.
"Yep! We all passed!" Yoshino stuck out her tongue playfully, flashing a victory sign. "Now it's time to have some fun!"
The students who passed the exam could stay at the resort for a while longer, with access to all the facilities, including the ski slopes and hot springs, free of charge. It was a nice reward for their hard work.
"Erina, do you want to go skiing together?" Sui asked.
"Sure," Erina nodded obediently.
"Wait, Sui, how did you manage to make Erina-chi so obedient? How did you tame her!?" Yoshino asked in surprise.
"W-what do you mean by 'tame'?!" Erina's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered with embarrassment. "That's nonsense!"
Sui, too, was at a loss for words, though he had to admit that Erina had become more compliant with him lately.
"No way, something must have happened during the exam," Yoshino said, stroking her chin thoughtfully, as though she were a detective solving a mystery. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Sui and Erina carefully.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization, and she gasped. "I got it! Could it be that you two..."
"W-what is it?" Erina asked, feeling a little nervous. Did Yoshino know that her grandfather had suggested they get married next year?
"Do you have a child?" Yoshino asked bluntly, looking at Erina's body.
"Eh? No way!" Ryoko exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. However, based on her experience reading romance comics and melodramatic TV dramas, she thought it might actually be possible.
"No way..." Sōma and the others stared at Erina's stomach in disbelief.
Erina turned bright red, quickly covering her stomach and gritting her teeth. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? That's not true at all!"
"Yoshino, don't joke about stuff like that," Megumi added with a weak smile, her face pale.
"Fine," Yoshino replied, casting a suspicious glance at Erina's belly, her tone still full of meaning.
"Why are you acting like a detective?" Sui couldn't help but flick her forehead, producing a crisp sound.
"Ow! Sui, ever since you got close to Erina, you've been treating me so roughly!" Yoshino complained, holding her forehead with tears in her eyes.
Sui sighed. If they were talking about who knew who first, he had met Erina long before he got to know Yoshino!
Later, everyone went to the ski resort, changed into ski gear, and began skiing. Since it was Sui's first time, he frequently fell down in the snow.
The others were in similar situations, struggling to keep their balance and avoid slipping.
In contrast, Erina and Alice skied with grace, their slender figures gliding effortlessly through the snow, like mermaids swimming through white waves.
"Wow, Erina, you're amazing!" Ryoko exclaimed in awe.