As soon as Sui walked out of the meeting room, Sōma, Yoshino, and the others were waiting for him. Megumi had already filled them in on what had happened.
"Sui, I heard that Eizan-senpai is planning to disband your research group?" asked Sōma.
"That's right," Sui nodded.
At that moment, Erina also stepped out of the room.
"Although I don't want to admit it," she began, "Eizan-senpai has the worst character among the Elite Ten. He holds grudges and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals."
"I'm so mad!" Alice stormed out as well, cheeks puffed in frustration, clearly fuming.
"Huh? Alice?" Erina blinked in surprise, realizing Alice's research group was also on the chopping block.
"This is all your fault, Erina!" Alice snapped angrily.
"What does this have to do with me?" Erina retorted, annoyed.
"Erina, you're part of the Elite Ten too! Do something and veto this ridiculous proposal," Alice demanded.
"There's nothing I can do," Erina said helplessly. "Most of the other members have already agreed. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Sui interjected.
"Unless Eizan withdraws the proposal himself. Then it would be null and void," Erina explained.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go make that despicable guy retract the proposal!" Alice fumed, marching toward Eizan Etsuya's office, the others quickly following behind her.
Soon, they arrived at Eizan's office.
"What brings you all here?" Eizan greeted them with a smile, clearly in a good mood.
"You! Withdraw the proposal, now!" Alice demanded angrily.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Alice," Eizan replied with a smug grin.
"This is personal, isn't it? You're targeting me specifically," Sui cut in.
"Haha, you could say that," Eizan admitted with a triumphant smile. "I want to teach you what happens when you cross me."
Sui's eyes narrowed, his expression growing cold as his anger flared. "So, you're not going to retract the proposal?"
"That's right," Eizan smirked, clearly enjoying Sui's frustration.
"In that case, let's settle this with a Shokugeki," Sui said, his voice calm yet firm.
"Oh? You want to challenge me to a Shokugeki?" Eizan laughed, as if he had just heard the most absurd thing.
Even Erina and the others were taken aback by Sui's challenge.
"That's right. If you lose, you retract the proposal and..." Sui's voice turned sharp, "you kneel and apologize."
In truth, Sui had initially wanted to challenge Eizan for his seat in the Elite Ten, but the stakes weren't high enough for that yet, even with his access to rare ingredients. In Tōtsuki, the Elite Ten Council held supreme authority, capable of deciding even the position of the headmaster. Each seat in the council represented immense power and wealth, and Eizan was far too shrewd to gamble his position unless the stakes were significantly higher.
"How interesting," Eizan's expression turned cold. "Very well. But if you lose, you'll drop out of Tōtsuki."
"Deal. What's the theme?" Sui asked.
"I'll let you choose, so no one can accuse me of bullying you," Eizan replied confidently.
"Fine. Let's make the theme seafood," Sui decided.
"We'll hold the Shokugeki tomorrow, then," Eizan said coolly. "You don't have much time left."
After leaving Eizan's office, Erina couldn't hold back any longer. "Sui, don't you think you're being reckless? You're challenging an Elite Ten member with your current skills?"
"Yeah, Sui-kun," Megumi added, clearly worried. "You could still withdraw the challenge before it's officially submitted to the Shokugeki Administration."
"That's impossible. Once I've spoken, I won't take it back," Sui replied firmly.
He had been diligently completing his daily tasks, and his skills had improved dramatically since entering the academy. Facing the Ninth Seat, Eizan Etsuya, was a challenge he was now ready for.
"You've got guts, Sui," Sōma said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I haven't even had the chance to challenge the Elite Ten yet, but you've gone ahead and taken the lead. Guess I'll have to work even harder."
"That's right, Sui! You better win! My research group depends on you!" Alice cheered, playfully patting his shoulder.
"Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate your support," Sui said with a grateful smile.
Erina, still feeling the weight of the situation, sighed. "Why don't you all come to my place for a bit to relax?"
"Haha, it's no big deal. We're all good friends with Sui," Soma laughed.
"Exactly," Megumi agreed with a nod.
Soon after, they arrived at Erina's residence.
Just as they reached the front door, two adorable creatures—Miltank and Chansey—ran out to greet them.
"Eh? What are these little guys?" The group was immediately captivated by the two small spirits, especially Alice and Yoshino, whose eyes lit up with excitement.
"Erina, are these your pets? Can I have one?" Alice pleaded, putting on her best begging face.
Erina felt a sudden headache coming on. "They're not mine. They belong to Sui."
"Huh? Sui's? Why are his pets here at your place?" Alice asked, clearly puzzled.
Erina suddenly realized she had made a critical mistake! They didn't know that Sui was living with her. I hope they don't figure it out, she thought anxiously.
"Wait a minute, Erina! Are you and Sui living together?" Alice exclaimed in shock.
Erina: "..."
"Of course not! I'm just looking after them," Erina stammered, clearly flustered.
"Hold on, aren't those Sui's clothes drying on the balcony upstairs?" Soma pointed out, noticing the clothes on display. "Are you two really roommates? Otherwise, why are Sui's clothes at Erina-sama's place?"
Erina: "Q…Q"
"No way! Sui, are you dating Miss Erina?" Yoshino asked, eyes wide with curiosity. "Since when have you two been living together?"
In an instant, everyone began bombarding them with questions.
At that moment, Erina wanted nothing more than to disappear. If only I hadn't invited them!
Sui coughed awkwardly. "Well, for the time being, yes, we are living together. But I'd appreciate it if you kept this between us."
"Erina, you're too much! You act all prim and proper, but secretly you've been living with a boyfriend!" Alice said, half-angry, half-teasing.
"Who's pretending to be prim and proper?!" Erina shot back, red-faced and furious.
After some more playful banter, Sui invited everyone inside, offering them a large jug of freshly poured milk.
Power Stones = Chapters
99 Power Stones = 2 additional chapters.
Erina sat quietly on the chair, her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head. Softly, she pleaded, "In any case, I ask that you all keep it a secret for now… about Sui and me living together…"
"Wow, this milk is amazing! Give me another glass!" Alice exclaimed happily, licking the milk from the corners of her mouth.
"I'll have one too!" Yoshino quickly held out her empty cup.
"I could drink ten liters!" Sōma chimed in.
No one seemed to pay attention to what Erina had just said.
Veins bulged on Erina's forehead as her face paled with frustration. Meanwhile, Megumi, looking slightly distracted, held her own glass and asked in a low voice, "Sui-kun, are you… dating Erina-san?"
"Well, it's not exactly like that," Sui answered after a moment of thought. Even though Erina's grandfather had given his blessing, he didn't consider their relationship formal yet.
"Really?" Megumi asked, a trace of joy in her voice.
"Yeah," Sui nodded.
Megumi let out a small sigh of relief, murmuring, "I thought you two were officially together…"
——
Finally, after drinking what seemed like a dozen glasses of milk, Alice stretched with satisfaction. "Well, I suppose we'll leave for now. But we'll definitely be back!"
"Thanks for the treat!" Yukino and the others echoed, standing up.
Both Sui and Erina watched them leave, looking as though they had just survived a hurricane. While the group had been quite a handful, Sui couldn't be too harsh considering how quickly they had come over when he called for help.
"There won't be a next time," Erina said coldly, her patience thin. "Next time you show up, Alice, don't expect any hospitality from me!"
"Sis, that's so heartless! Are you ignoring me now just because you have a boyfriend?" Alice teased dramatically.
"W-What are you talking about?!" Erina's face flushed bright red, and she quickly denied it.
"Don't worry, Erina-chi! We won't tell anyone about you and Sui-kun living together," Yoshino said with a mischievous grin.
"Y-Yes, thank you," Erina stammered, sighing in relief.
Sui, however, could only roll his eyes. Yoshino wasn't exactly the most trustworthy when it came to secrets.
Once their guests had left, Erina turned to Sui, her expression more serious. "Why did you challenge Eizan-senpai to a Shokugeki? Do you realize what could happen if you lose? You'll be expelled from school!"
Sui blinked, a bit taken aback by her concern. It wasn't every day that he saw Erina so serious.
"Are you… worried about me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Erina's face instantly flushed again. "Of course not! I just don't want to see someone I recruited getting kicked out of school!"
Sui chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. But can you tell me more about Eizan-senpai's abilities?"
Erina thought for a moment before responding. "Each of the Elite Ten has their own specialty. Eizan-senpai excels at manipulating ingredients to maximize their potential. He may hold the ninth seat, but he's incredibly talented. If he hadn't focused so much on making money, he might hold an even higher seat by now."
After a pause, she asked, "Since the theme is seafood, what dish are you planning to make?"
"Four Happy Dumplings," Sui replied confidently.
It was a recipe he had been practicing for some time, and he felt confident he could score highly with it. His recent progress in the kitchen had strengthened his resolve.
"Do you need any help?" Erina offered, hesitating slightly.
"No, I've got it covered," Sui said with a smile.
"I just hope you don't get expelled," Erina muttered, her tone softening as she turned to leave. "It would be quite embarrassing for me…"
Before she could walk away, Sui called after her. "Don't forget about our agreement."
Erina stopped, frowning in confusion. "What agreement?"
With a sly grin, Sui reminded her, "You said if I beat you, or any of the Elite Ten ranked higher than you, you'd agree to be my girlfriend."
Erina's face flushed bright red again, and she stammered, "W-When did I say that? I don't remember such an agreement!"
Sui feigned surprise. "Oh? Are you planning to go back on your word?"
Erina clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. "Fine! If you can actually beat Eizan-senpai, then I'll agree. But that's not going to happen!"
With that, she stormed off, her cheeks still burning with embarrassment. Sui just chuckled to himself and headed into the kitchen.
——
As night fell, Sui continued practicing his Four Happy Dumplings, feeling more confident with each batch. By the time morning arrived, he hadn't slept, but his spirits were high. He had managed to consistently score above 90 with the dish, and his cooking level had risen to 45.
Meanwhile, word had spread across Tōtsuki Academy about Sui's upcoming Shokugeki with Eizan Etsuya.
"Did you hear? That transfer student challenged Eizan-senpai to a Shokugeki!"
"And if he loses, he'll be expelled!"
"Is he crazy? He doesn't stand a chance!"
"Serves him right. He's even more arrogant than that other kid from the entrance ceremony!"
The entire campus was buzzing with talk of the battle, with many eager to see if Sui could back up his bold challenge.
Power Stones = Chapters
99 Power Stones = 2 additional chapters
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