Chapter 23: Erina, Let's Go Together!
Sui returned alone to Erina's mansion. He couldn't help but feel a bit speechless; Tōtsuki Academy was so vast that it had taken him half an hour to walk from the teaching building to the mansion!
After a long and tiring day, Sui was exhausted. He decided to treat himself to a relaxing soak in the luxurious bath of Erina's mansion. The warm water enveloped him, and he had to admit, nothing beat a hot bath after a day like this.
As he soaked, the familiar sound of the system echoed in his mind.
"Daily Quest complete. You've received the Starter Pack. Upon opening it, you've got Cooking Level +3."
Although it didn't grant him any rare ingredients or recipes, improving his cooking skills was the most valuable reward for him at this stage. After all, that's where the foundation of a chef lay.
Plus, the Daily Quests would be available every day.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was Megumi Tadokoro calling. Earlier, they had exchanged contact information after class.
"Hey, Sui-kun?" came Megumi's soft and polite voice from the other end of the line.
"Yeah, it's me," Sui replied.
"I just got back to the dormitory," Megumi continued. "Oh, by the way, I live in Polar Star Dormitory. Where are you staying? Maybe I can visit you sometime!"
"Um…" Sui paused, trying to recall the name of Erina's mansion, but couldn't. "I'm not sure, actually."
Megumi giggled. "That's fine. But Sui-kun, your dorm should be preparing a welcome dinner for you, right?"
"That's definitely not happening," Sui replied flatly. The thought of Erina organizing a welcome dinner for him was laughable. She'd more likely throw him out than make him feel welcome.
"Huh? Are your dormmates that harsh?" Megumi sounded surprised. "What kind of people are they?"
"Well," Sui thought for a moment. "Willful, not very straightforward, bad-tempered, and she likes to yell for no reason."
"Someone like that?" Megumi exclaimed in disbelief. "Sui-kun, that sounds awful. You really have it tough."
"It's just me and her living here for now," Sui added.
"It must be a remote, run-down dorm," Megumi said sympathetically. "Anyway, we're having a welcome dinner here for another transfer student, Yukihira-kun. Since you're a transfer student too, why don't you join us?"
"Are you sure that's okay?" Sui hesitated.
"Of course! Everyone at Polar Star is so nice, they'd love to meet you!" Megumi reassured him.
"New mission available: One of the side plots of the Shokugeki.
Objective: Create a dish that will be recognized by your friends at Polar Star Dormitory.
Reward: Steamed Fish Recipe."
Sui smiled at the coincidence. "Alright, I'll come."
"Great!" Megumi's excitement was palpable.
"By the way, Megumi," Sui suddenly remembered something. "I've heard that Yukihira has a habit of accidentally walking in on girls when they're bathing, so you might want to be careful when you take a bath."
"Huh?!" Megumi gasped, her voice filled with panic. "Th-thanks for the warning!"
"Don't worry about it." Sui chuckled before they ended the call.
After a relaxing bath, Sui got out and wrapped himself in a bathrobe. Just as he finished, he heard the sound of the front door opening—it was Erina returning home.
Sui opened the door and stepped into the hallway just as Erina walked in.
"You're back," Sui greeted her casually.
Erina froze in place. As soon as she saw Sui standing there, fresh from a bath and wearing a bathrobe—her bathrobe, no less—her face turned crimson.
"You're back?! More like, what are you doing in my bedroom?!" she yelled, her voice filled with both fury and embarrassment.
Sui shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, alright. I'll leave."
He walked back to his room, leaving Erina standing there, her heart pounding in her chest. Though this wasn't the first time Sui had barged into her space, having a boy show up like this was still incredibly flustering.
Just as she began to relax, Sui reappeared, this time dressed in his school uniform.
"What now?" Erina growled, glaring at him.
"Oh, someone invited me to a dinner party, so I'm heading out," Sui replied honestly.
Erina's eyes widened in disbelief. "And you thought it was okay to stroll through my bedroom again?!"
She was regretting ever designing her mansion with the bathroom connected to her bedroom. What was she thinking?!
"When will you be back?" she asked angrily. She realized with frustration that he'd have to pass through her room again when he returned.
"I'm not sure," Sui replied thoughtfully. Then, looking at her, he asked, "By the way, Erina, do you have any plans for tonight?"
Erina gritted her teeth. "First of all, we're not on a first-name basis. You will call me Miss Erina or Erina-sama! Secondly, my schedule is none of your business!"
"I just didn't want to wake you up when I come back," Sui said with a shrug.
Erina blinked, momentarily taken aback by his considerate response. She hesitated before replying, "I'll probably be practicing my cooking, then I'll shower and head to bed."
"Ah, I see," Sui nodded. Then, with a slight smirk, he added, "It doesn't seem like you have many friends to hang out with."
Erina's face turned bright red. "Who cares?! I don't need you of all people to worry about my friends! Not just anyone is worthy of being my friend!"
Sui suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for Erina. For all her pride, her life seemed rather pitiful. From a young age, her path had been meticulously planned out for her. She had no friends, had never read comic books, never played card games, and her days were filled with monotony and boredom.
"Erina, why don't you come along?" he asked, glancing at the proud girl beside him. "There are a lot of great people there. It'll be fun."
"Hmph! I have no interest in mingling with commoners!" Erina crossed her arms and lifted her chin, her face full of pride.
"An ingredient of the same quality as yesterday's cabbage," Sui said, raising a finger with a teasing smile.
"What are you trying to do, bribe me?" Erina shot back, ready to reject him outright. But something in her voice wavered. "Wait... Is it really…of the same quality as yesterday's cabbage?"