Chapter 96: Training Camp (8)

Erina's palms were slick with sweat from her nervousness. She was secretly following Sui's hints, hesitating between several cards in Yoshino's hand.

"Well done, Sui! You're actually helping your girlfriend cheat!" Ryoko teased, having noticed Sui's subtle signals.

"I'm just observing," Sui quickly responded, trying to play it off.

"Exactly!" Erina chimed in hurriedly, momentarily forgetting to refute Ryoko's claim that she was Sui's girlfriend.

"Erina-chi, hurry up and pick a card!" Yoshino urged with a mischievous smile, all while subtly moving the joker card closer to Erina's hand.

Sui couldn't help but feel exasperated. 'How sly,' he thought. It was a move anyone with a simple mind would fall for. Sure enough, Erina unwittingly pulled the joker card from the deck.

"Gotcha!" Yoshino grinned triumphantly.

"What? Erina, you fell for such an obvious trick?" Ryoko chuckled. Yoshino's trick never worked when they played together.

"Hehehe, let me help you with your punishment, Erina-chi!" Yoshino said gleefully, sticking a paper with a tiny turtle drawn on it to Erina's flushed cheek.

Erina clenched her teeth, her forehead lined with frustration. In an outburst, she threw her cards to the floor and shouted, "This game is pointless and kills any ambition! I'm never playing it again!"

Twenty minutes later...

"Come on, Erina-chi, you can draw a better card this time," Yoshino teased.

"I... I know!" Erina grumbled, clearly irritated. By now, her face was covered with sticky notes, making her look hilariously out of sorts. Meanwhile, Megumi, Yoshino, and the others remained spotless, as all the penalties had landed on Erina.

"I swear, I won't draw the joker this time!" Erina whispered to herself through gritted teeth, her palms once again sweaty with nerves.

Sui, observing from the sidelines, saw the familiar smirk forming on Yoshino's lips as she slyly moved the joker closer to Erina's hand once again.

Inevitably, Erina drew the joker card yet again.

Sui: "..."

"You fell for it again!" Ryoko exclaimed in disbelief. No matter how many times Yoshino maneuvered the joker, Erina always ended up drawing it.

"Hehe, another win for me!" Yoshino celebrated, flashing a victory sign before adding yet another note to Erina's increasingly crowded face.

"What's the fun in a game like this?" Erina grumbled, throwing her cards to the ground in frustration.

...

An hour later...

"Alright, we're heading out." Sui, carrying a fast-asleep Erina on his back, waved goodbye to the others.

"Yeah, see you," Sōma replied quietly, as most of the others were already dozing off.

Even though Erina had breezed through her daytime training with ease, she was still a girl who tired easily, especially after such an eventful day. Sui, carrying the ever-stubborn tsundere on his back, made his way back to their shared room.

"Mmm... I'm going to win this time..." Erina mumbled in her sleep, snuggled against Sui's shoulder.

Sui smiled and shook his head. Despite her fiery determination, Erina's poker skills were terrible. She had fallen for Yoshino's simple tricks all night long.

Back in their room, Sui gently placed Erina on the bed, slipped off her shoes, and tucked her in under the quilt. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Consider that payment for carrying you back," Sui said, nodding to himself in satisfaction.

He washed up and climbed into his own bed, reflecting on their relationship. Even though they were officially dating now, Sui wasn't the type to take advantage of someone while they were asleep.

The next morning, they both found themselves sharing the dressing table, brushing their teeth as usual.

"Ugh! Move over! You're crowding me!" Erina grumbled, her blonde hair a mess and her forehead lined with frustration.

Just when she thought she might finally get some peace, she realized she was stuck sharing the same bathroom with Sui again. It was beyond annoying.

After their noisy morning routine, Sui prepared breakfast—scrambled eggs and cabbage salad—while they both drank a glass of milk.

"I have class to attend," Erina said as she changed into her school uniform.

"Shouldn't you give your boyfriend a hug before you leave?" Sui teased, opening his arms playfully.

Erina blushed slightly, remembering their new status as a couple. After a brief moment of hesitation, she quickly gave Sui a hug before running out, her face bright red.

Sui chuckled to himself, then left the hotel and met Megumi outside. Together, they boarded the bus and headed to that day's training session.

...

At a French restaurant within the Tōtsuki Resort...

"Hello, everyone. I'm your guest lecturer today, Donato Gotōda," the man greeted the students with a smile. "Today's class is simple: work in pairs, complete the menu, and satisfy my standards."

He handed out menus to the students. Each group had a different menu, but all consisted of six courses: an appetizer, soup, side dish, main course, vegetable dish, and dessert. It was a complete Western-style menu.

"You have two hours to finish. If you fail to meet the deadline, you'll be expelled," Donato added with a grin.

At his word, everyone got busy.

"Let's get started quickly, Sui!" Megumi urged, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Right," Sui nodded as he began reviewing their assigned menu. After a moment, his expression shifted. "Something's off about this recipe..."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Megumi asked, confused. After all, the recipe came directly from the lecturer—how could there be an issue?