Chapter 222: Shunkatei and Sonoka Kikuchi

"I'm sorry, Hinako-senpai," Sui said, feeling embarrassed. That gentle smile of hers had been too cute, and he had acted on impulse.

"Sui-kun, you're so vulgar!" Hinako's face turned crimson, as if blood could drip from her cheeks, her eyes glistening with tears. She wore an expression of anger, though her eyes held a hint of joy.

Even when she was upset, she looked so gentle and adorable that there was no trace of intimidation.

Sui was at a loss. It felt odd being called vulgar by a senpai who was eleven years older than him—and who had once been his lecturer.

Hinako was a mix of embarrassment and frustration. This had been her first kiss, and she hadn't expected it to be stolen by a kohai more than a decade younger than her.

At the same time, she found her emotions confusing. Logically, she should have been furious with Sui, but instead, she felt an odd sense of happiness. When he had kissed her, it had sent a thrilling jolt through her, leaving her with a desire to experience it again.

That thought frightened her.

Seeing that Hinako didn't seem too angry, Sui sighed in relief and said, "Well then, Hinako-senpai, you should rest. I'll take my leave."

Hinako bit her lip and remained silent.

Taking the hint, Sui quietly went downstairs, lifted the still-sleeping Megumi, and brought her back to their hotel.

After laying her on her bed, removing her shoes and coat, and tucking her under the covers, Sui returned to his own room.

Alice was already waiting for him. To avoid leaving her waiting outside all the time, Sui had given her a spare room key.

The first part of their internship had come to an end, and Alice had passed the assessment as well. Feeling relieved, they both fell asleep in each other's arms, content and relaxed.

The next morning, as soon as Sui woke up, he received a text message about his second internship location.

"Where's your next internship?" Alice asked curiously, peering over his shoulder at the screen.

"Shunkatei? I've never heard of this restaurant," she said, frowning slightly.

Sui was equally unfamiliar with the name.

Just then, Alice's phone also buzzed. She crawled out from under the blanket and fished her phone out of the coat pocket that lay on the floor.

She wasn't wearing any clothes, revealing her graceful figure and flawless, snow-white skin.

Noticing Sui staring at her, Alice's face turned bright red. She quickly covered her chest and shot him a reproachful look.

Even though they were quite comfortable with each other, Alice still felt shy at times.

"Which restaurant are you assigned to?" Sui asked, smiling.

"I've been placed at Mizuhara Fuyumi-senpai's restaurant," Alice pouted, puffing her cheeks in frustration. Her placement was far from Sui's, meaning they wouldn't be able to see each other regularly during this phase.

Sui felt the same disappointment. He enjoyed spending time with Alice.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Erina, most likely calling to ask about his internship location.

Unfortunately, they weren't assigned to the same group this time, which left both Sui and Erina feeling a bit regretful.

"It's almost time to head out," Sui said, starting to get dressed.

"You better answer my calls every day!" Alice puffed her cheeks again, still sulking a little.

"I will, I promise," Sui said with a helpless smile, leaning in to kiss her on her lips. Only then did Alice's pout turn into a satisfied smile.

After packing his things, Sui left the room and bumped into Megumi, who was also heading out.

"Sui, where are you going for your internship this time?" Megumi asked eagerly.

"Shunkatei. What about you?" Sui replied.

Megumi's face dropped with disappointment. "I'm going to Hojo Restaurant."

"Hojo? Then make sure you work hard, Megumi," Sui said encouragingly. Chef Hojo looked like a kind person when he was there, so Megumi shouldn't have a difficult time there.

"Yes, I'll do my best!" Megumi clenched her fists, her expression full of determination.

With that, they parted ways and set off for their respective destinations.

Sui followed the address he was given and quickly arrived at Shunkatei, a restaurant not far from his hotel. 

From the decor, it appeared to be a Western-style establishment.

However, as he approached the entrance, he overheard a few departing customers grumbling.

"That chicken and onion soup tasted a little off."

"Yeah, I've heard the reviews here aren't great. Should've known better."

Frowning at this, Sui sensed that something wasn't right about this place.

Upon entering the restaurant, he was immediately greeted by the sounds of a heated argument.

"Mr. Fabre, you're mistaken!" 

"I don't think so! Maybe the customer just didn't like the flavor."

"But you had no right to alter my recipe without permission!"

One of the voices sounded strangely familiar. Sui was surprised—could it be that someone he knew worked here?

He stepped further inside and found the source of the argument: a lovely girl with long, grayish-coral pink hair in a chef's uniform, locked in a disagreement with a foreign chef with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Wait… Sonoka-senpai?" Sui exclaimed in surprise.

The girl was none other than Sonoka Kikuchi, the same person who had come to Kirinoya with Taki Tsunozaki.

Hearing Sui's voice, both Sonoka and the foreign chef turned to look at him.

"Hey! Aren't you the intern I saw at Kirinoya before?" Sonoka recognized him immediately, her expression surprised.

"Yes, Sonoka-senpai. Is this your restaurant?" Sui asked.

"Yes, I'm the head chef here," Sonoka said with a gentle smile, nodding.

Sui finally understood why he had never heard of Shunkatei. Sonoka had only recently graduated, and this restaurant had been open for less than half a year.

"Oh, are you the Totsuki intern assigned to us this time?" the foreign chef spoke up, waving dismissively. "Do your job well, or I won't hesitate to have you expelled from school." He then turned and walked back into the kitchen.