Today was the Red Leaf Viewing Gathering, an annual event where the elite ten students from the upper class and the best of the best freshman sat together to admire the autumn leaves, enjoy delicious food, and chat about their daily lives.
"The weather is so nice today, and the scenery is beautiful. It's such a pleasure to sit here with everyone, enjoying the red leaves," Isshiki said, smiling warmly as he knelt across from Sui, Erina, and the others, dressed impeccably in his school uniform.
"It's rare to see Isshiki-senpai dressed so formally. Honestly, I didn't even recognize him at first," Sōma said, scratching the back of his head with a grin.
"Haha, is that so?" Isshiki laughed, his eyes narrowing in amusement.
The Red Leaf Viewing Gathering was originally intended to allow upperclassmen and underclassmen to socialize, but in reality, Sui, Sōma, Megumi, and the others were already quite familiar with the Elite Ten. The only one who seemed a little tense was Takumi Aldini, who sat rigidly next to Soma.
Somei Saito's long hair flowed elegantly behind him as the red leaves swirled in the air, giving him the appearance of a refined gentleman.
Meanwhile, Eishi and the others sipped tea casually, completely at ease.
However, Sui noticed something odd—Rindō, who usually pestered him for food whenever they met, was behaving strangely today. She kept her head down, occasionally glancing at him with a shy blush.
Has Rindō-senpai changed her personality today?
"Um, kohai... did you drink the rice wine I gave you last time?" Rindō asked, her face flushed as she awkwardly avoided Sui's gaze.
At the mention of rice wine, Sōma's expression soured, and he quickly excused himself, running to the woods to retch. Everyone, especially Megumi and the others, couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.
"Oh, that rice wine? I finished it. It was pretty good," Sui replied. Though it wasn't as good as his homemade fruit sake, it had a distinct sweetness, and he had enjoyed sipping it over the past few days.
"Y-you finished it?" Rindō stammered, her face growing even redder as she stared at Sui in disbelief.
"Yeah. Why? Do you still have some more? If so, could I get another bottle?" Sui asked casually.
"N-no... there's none left," Rindō mumbled, lowering her head in a rare show of shyness. Her face was almost as red as the autumn leaves around them.
As she thought about Sui drinking the sake she had chewed, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. Didn't that mean they had indirectly kissed?
Everyone else was equally surprised by Rindō's uncharacteristic behavior.
"Rindō, what's going on with you?" Eishi asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Well... that rice wine... it was Kuchikamizake," Rindō murmured, her face burning with shame as she occasionally sneaked a glance at Sui, looking like a child caught doing something wrong.
"K-Kuchi...kamikaze!?" Erina and Alice exclaimed in unison, their faces full of shock.
"Kuchikamizake?" Nene adjusted her glasses, while Kuga choked on his tea, spraying it all over Takumi.
Rindō's face turned even redder, and she looked like she wanted to sink into the ground.
Sui, on the other hand, was speechless. So the bottle of rice wine he thought tasted pretty good was actually kuchikamizake? Rindō's kuchikamizake no less?
Doesn't that mean... I've been drinking her saliva? The mere thought left him with a strange, sour feeling.
Still, he figured he was luckier than Sōma, who had once accidentally drunk the saliva of an old woman. At least Sui's experience involved a beautiful girl.
"Rindō-senpai, why would you give Sui something like that?" Alice pouted angrily, cheeks puffed in protest.
Erina, although silent, clearly wasn't pleased either. Her expression suggested that if Sui was going to drink something, it should be from her.
"S-sorry..." Rindō apologized, lowering her head even further in embarrassment.
"Well, Rindō didn't mean any harm," Eishi said, smiling to ease the tension. "Why don't we all focus on the food and the beautiful scenery instead?"
"That's true. I brought some food for everyone, too. Please enjoy it," Somei chimed in, taking out the tuna sushi he had prepared.
As a sushi master, the quality of his sushi was unmatched. The others also began sharing their dishes, inviting everyone to taste them.
"As expected from a sushi master, this sushi is amazing!" Megumi exclaimed, impressed by the delicate flavors.
"Megishima-senpai's ramen is fantastic, too!" someone added.
"And look at this beautiful dessert. It's like a work of art! Akanegakubo-senpai, did you really make this?" Takumi marveled.
As they enjoyed the food made by the Elite Ten, Tadokoro, Takumi, and the others couldn't help but be amazed by the high level of cooking.
They had also brought dishes of their own, since it was a gathering and it would be rude not to contribute. However, after tasting the creations of the Elite Ten, they felt embarrassed by the thought of sharing their own dishes.
Eishi had made a French Terrine de Lapin. He blended rabbit meat, pork, pine nuts, and eggs into a paste, added brandy, and baked it in the oven. Once baked, he poured gelatin-soaked water over it and chilled it for ten hours. Served with pickles, the dish was tender and flavorful, while the pickles added a satisfying crunch.
The terrine immediately became the highlight of the gathering.
"It's truly delicious!" Erina's eyes lit up with admiration.
"As expected from Tsukasa-senpai!" Takumi said, clearly impressed by the enormous skill gap he suddenly felt.
"Don't be shy. Everyone, bring out your dishes," Isshiki encouraged with a smile.
Feeling slightly reassured by his words, the first-years hesitantly presented their own dishes.
"The food we prepared is a bit simple, so please don't mind," Takumi said, slightly embarrassed.
"Not necessarily. Sui and Erina's cooking is definitely on par with the Elite Ten," Alice remarked with a smile.
At her words, everyone turned their attention to Sui and Erina, especially Eishi, who seemed particularly curious about Sui's cooking.
Sui smiled calmly and presented his dish. "Please, enjoy."