Sui and Sōma felt a bit awkward under the scrutiny of a group of older men and women.
"If I had to guess, it's probably this handsome young man, right, Megumi?"
A middle-aged man with a receding hairline pointed at Sui and chuckled.
"But I think this simple-looking boy seems more suitable for Megumi."
Another middle-aged woman smiled as she looked at Sōma.
"Everyone… please stop joking."
Megumi blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment, occasionally sneaking glances at Sui.
"You're right. Megumi is only fifteen this year. It's a bit early for her to be thinking about boyfriends."
Megumi's grandfather, an elderly man wearing a knitted hat and with his eyes half-closed, laughed heartily.
Megumi's mother noticed her daughter's reaction and was taken aback. Could it be that this young man was the one her daughter liked?
Soon, everyone moved to the living room. Since it was still early for dinner, they sat down to enjoy some tea and conversation.
"Here, have some tea."
Megumi's mother handed Sui a cup of roasted brown rice tea, smiling warmly.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Sui quickly took the cup and sipped the hot tea.
"Megumi is truly a rising star. Who would've thought that someone from our small town could get into a prestigious school like Totsuki? Haha."
The uncles sipped their tea, their laughter filled with pride for Megumi.
Megumi's cheeks flushed red from all the praise, and she bowed her head shyly.
"How is Megumi doing in school? Her grades must be excellent, right?"
Her grandfather asked with a smile.
"Yes, Megumi's grades are very good. She's ranked fourth in her year."
Ryoko replied with a smile.
"No, I've always relied on Sui-kun."
Megumi said, looking embarrassed. She had always been at the bottom of her class, nearly expelled. It was Sui's support that had helped her avoid that fate.
"Ah, so you're Sui, Megumi's partner in cooking class?"
Masako Tadokoro looked Sui over curiously and said, "Megumi often mentions you. Thank you for looking out for her at school."
"Oh no, Megumi is very hardworking on her own."
Sui smiled.
"You're foreigner, right? What do your parents do? And how old are you?"
Masako asked.
Sui replied, "I'm one year older than Megumi. My parents passed away."
"I'm so sorry to hear that."
Masako quickly apologized.
They continued chatting in the living room, drinking tea and eating snacks. Sui found himself at a loss for words as Megumi's mother kept asking questions about his background, like a mother-in-law interrogating her daughter's suitor.
Megumi also noticed her mother's keen interest in Sui, and she knew she had misunderstood the situation, thinking Sui was her boyfriend. Embarrassed, her face turned bright red.
Before they knew it, two hours had passed. The people in Megumi's hometown were very hospitable, and the lively conversation continued pleasantly.
"It's about time to start preparing dinner."
Seeing that it was getting late, Masako got up to start dinner preparations.
"I'll help out."
Megumi quickly stood up. She often helped out in the kitchen when she was at home.
"No, it's okay. Just stay with your friends."
Masako said with a smile.
"Why don't we lend a hand too? We're pretty good in the kitchen."
Sōma laughed as he stood up.
"Oh no, we can't possibly let guests cook!"
Masako shook her head.
"It's no trouble. We can't just eat and drink without helping."
Sui added with a smile as he stood up.
"Well… alright then."
Masako hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. She had taken quite a liking to Sui; he was handsome, humble, and polite.
Soon, Sui, Sōma, and Yoshino joined in the kitchen to help prepare dinner.
Since it was a restaurant kitchen, the ingredients were abundant, mainly seafood, all freshly caught from the sea.
Before long, Sui and the others had each prepared a dish and brought them to the living room, ready to serve dinner.
"Megumi's cooking is as good as ever."
Her grandfather said with a smile as he picked up a shrimp rice ball.
"Then I'll make sure to cook for you more often, Grandpa."
Megumi said with a smile.
"Sui-kun, did you make this dish?"
Because she suspected Sui might be her daughter's crush, Masako was particularly curious about him. She looked at the food he prepared and asked.
"Yes, this is a Paleo Shrimp Sweet Potato Cakes with Avocado Salsa I made. Please, have a taste, Auntie."
Sui said with a smile.
The recipe was simple: mashed potatoes mixed with shrimp, seasoned, and fried until golden brown.
"Thank you. I'll try it."
Masako smiled as she picked up a piece of the potato and shrimp cake and took a bite.
The outside was crispy, and the inside tender. The flavor of potatoes and shrimp blended perfectly, creating a delicious dish.
"It's amazing! It tastes even better than what you'd find at high-end restaurants in town."
Masako covered her mouth in surprise, looking at Sui. "I didn't expect your cooking skills to be this exceptional."
"Really? Let me try too."
"I'd like to taste Megumi's boyfriend cooking as well."
The uncles also started tasting the dishes.
"Wow! Are these really dishes made by students?"
"It's almost like they're professional chefs!"
"Is this really just student work? Totsuki's students are incredible!"
They had never tasted such delicious food before and couldn't stop smiling.
"Of course, Sui-kun is the top student in his year."
Megumi said happily, thrilled that Sui was being so well-received.
"Wow! He's actually the top student at such a prestigious school!"
Everyone looked at Sui with newfound admiration.
——
Author Note: Since there is no mention of Megumi's mother's name in the manga, I came up with the name myself.
——