Chapter 33: These Two Are Definitely Having an Affair!

"Hey, isn't that Miss Erina?" 

Yoshino and Ryoko exclaimed in surprise the moment they saw Erina. 

"Long time no see," Sōma added, waving at her. 

Veins throbbed faintly on Erina's pale forehead. Why are they here too? she thought. 

"Erina, you didn't mention you'd be a judge today," Sui said, equally surprised. 

"Miss Erina, do you know him?" Eizan Etsuya asked, astonished. From Sui's tone, it seemed like he was very familiar with Erina, casually calling her by name. 

"Yeah, we've been living together lately—" 

Before Sui could finish his sentence, Erina shot up from her seat, rushed over, and covered his mouth. In a hushed, frantic tone, she said, "Didn't I tell you not to talk to me in Tōtsuki?" 

If anyone found out she was living with Sui, it would ruin her reputation and bring shame to the Nakiri family. 

Kobayashi Rindō and Eizan Etsuya exchanged curious glances, watching the two with raised eyebrows. 

"Alright, enough of that nonsense," Eizan said impatiently. "Since you've applied to establish a Rare Ingredients Research Society, show us at least one rare ingredient." 

Sui nodded, recalling Erina's advice from the day before: it would be best to present the ingredients whole. 

That was the tricky part. If he killed the Dream Catfish beforehand, no one would be able to tell just by the meat that it was a rare ingredient. He had no choice but to present it whole. 

"Push it in," Sui instructed Sōma and the others. 

"Huh? Such a huge tank? Is there a shark inside?" Rindō exclaimed. She knew that some farmed sharks could be eaten and weren't illegal. 

"What on earth is this guy doing?" Erina muttered under her breath. She had felt something was off when Sui asked to borrow the aquatic tank earlier. 

Sui walked over and pulled off the cloth covering the tank, revealing the contents. All eyes followed him, not just Rindō and her group, but also Sōma and the others, who had been curious all along. 

A massive catfish appeared before everyone's eyes. 

Unlike the typical earthy yellow of most catfish, this one was a striking bluish-black, with two long whiskers. Its appearance was unusually elegant. 

"Is that... a catfish? Why is it so enormous?" Eizan Etsuya was visibly shocked. 

"A giant catfish?" Kobayashi Rindō mused. "But the world record for the largest catfish is only about 2.7 meters. This one looks over three meters long!" 

She walked closer, studying it with intense curiosity. "What species of catfish is this? The color and fins are completely different from any catfish I've ever seen." 

As someone well-versed in rare ingredients, who had explored the world in search of them, Rindō was sure that this catfish was unlike any other species she had encountered. 

"What's this catfish called? Where did you catch it?" she asked, tugging on Sui's arm playfully. 

"Hey! What are you two doing?" Erina gritted her teeth, glaring at the two as they stood close. Her tone was filled with annoyance. 

"Wait, Erina-chan, don't you know him?" Rindō asked with a puzzled expression. 

Erina blushed, stammering, "I... I mean, it's getting late. Let's get started with the assessment." 

"This catfish is called the Dream Catfish. As for where it came from, that's a secret," Sui replied, knowing he couldn't exactly tell them it was from the world of Inuyasha. 

"That's mean!" Rindō pouted, clearly displeased with his vague answer. 

"Your ingredient has been accepted," Eizan said, intrigued. It was the first time he had seen something like this, and by its rarity, it definitely surpassed anything he had encountered. "Now, demonstrate your cooking skills using this rare ingredient." 

"Sure," Sui nodded, contemplating how to cook the Dream Catfish. 

After some thought, he decided to steam it whole. He had already mastered the art of steaming fish, and catfish was one of the recommended species for this preparation method. 

"I'll need a large steamer. The bigger, the better," Sui requested. 

"A steamer?" Erina blurted out in surprise. "You're planning to steam this catfish? Such a large fish must have a rough texture. Steaming doesn't seem like the best method." 

"Ahem, Miss Erina, it's up to the applicant to decide how they want to cook the ingredients," Eizan lightly coughed, reminding her. "As a judge, you shouldn't interfere." 

Erina flushed with embarrassment. "I... I wasn't giving him advice!" 

"If you need a giant steamer, the Pinoy Cuisine Department should have one," Rindō suggested. 

Soon, the staff brought in a massive steamer from the Pinoy Cuisine Department. It was the largest they had, and it hadn't been used in ages. 

Sui inspected it and nodded. It would be enough.

"Can I have a bit more time? Considering how huge this fish is," Sui asked. 

Rindō smiled, "Since your ingredient impressed me so much, I'll give you some leeway on time." 

"Fine, but try to hurry up," Eizan added, tapping his chin. 

"But processing such a large fish will take quite some time, right?" Erina chimed in again. 

"Exactly," Sui agreed. "Can I ask someone to help me prepare it? It's a bit much for me to handle alone." 

Erina's eyes widened, a sense of dread creeping up on her. She vaguely remembered that research group members were allowed to help during assessments... 

Before she could say anything, Sui looked directly at her. "Erina, why don't you help me out?" 

Erina's inner thoughts: Q..Q 

"Hey, Miss Erina-chan, are you part of this research group?" Rindō and Eizan both asked in surprise. 

"N-No... I just joined casually!" Erina wanted to cry but held back her tears. 

By now, even the most oblivious person in the room could tell: these two were definitely having an affair!