Chapter 22: The First Day and Erina Nagikiri, who fled in the wilderness

"But... but isn't the detailed use of rosemary part of the second-year curriculum?" the student stammered, trying to defend themselves.

"Is that so?" Professor Jun Shiomi asked with a blank expression.

"Y-yes," the student confirmed hastily.

"But that seems pretty basic, doesn't it? As a student at Tōtsuki Academy, shouldn't you already know the fundamental characteristics of various spices? Waiting until the second year to learn them seems a little late, don't you think?" Shiomi replied, after giving it some thought. "E."

"Oh my god, isn't that a bit too harsh?" a student whispered.

"Harsh? It's downright unreasonable!" another student muttered.

Seeing this, the other students were visibly rattled. Soon after, a few more were handed E grades.

"It's over... we're doomed."

"If this keeps up, I'm going to be expelled!" the classroom was filled with despair and murmurs of concern.

On the other side of the room, Sui opened the lid of the pot, releasing a wave of rich, aromatic steam. He carefully fished out the reddish-brown pieces of beef and plated them.

"Wow, what an incredible smell," Megumi exclaimed in awe. "I didn't expect you to be this skilled, Sui-san!"

"No, it's a dish we made together," Sui corrected her, slicing the spiced beef into thin, neat pieces.

Megumi was deeply moved. While she had contributed by helping with smaller tasks, it was clear that Sui had done most of the detailed work.

Once the beef cooled slightly, Sui gestured toward it. "Go ahead and give it a try."

He had already tasted it himself. While there were still a few imperfections, it was far from bad. Of course, if someone like Erina tasted it, she might mock him, but that was only because of her incredibly refined palate. Still, Sui believed that the spices had been handled well enough to pass.

With that, he presented the spiced beef to Professor Shiomi.

"Ha! Look at them," some of the nearby students sneered. "The transfer student and the second-to-last student are serving their dish now."

"It's bound to get an E," another student scoffed.

Shiomi Jun glanced at the plate of spiced beef, her curiosity piqued. As she inhaled deeply, her eyes widened slightly—what an incredible aroma!

Intrigued, she picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of the beef. The moment it touched her tongue, the soft, tender meat wrapped around her palate, and a symphony of complex flavors burst in her mouth. Spices like fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves came together in perfect harmony, each one distinct yet complementary.

"It's so intense, yet so balanced... it's like a symphony of flavors!" Shiomi exclaimed, covering her face with a look of pure delight. "It's absolutely delicious!"

"What? Professor Shiomi... did she just say that?" 

"No way! Did the transfer student and the girl at the bottom of the rankings make something that good?"

The students who had been expecting to laugh at Sui and Megumi stood frozen, their jaws dropping in disbelief.

Shiomi Jun regained her composure and explained, "Normally, the rule is to highlight just one spice, but you've used five here, and each one stands out while still working in harmony with the others."

She paused, smiling. "Congratulations, you've passed. Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to give you higher than A, but you've done an excellent job."

"Thank you, Professor Shiomi," Sui said calmly.

"They actually got an A!" 

"Are you serious? This has to be a mistake!"

As the nearby students watched in shock, Sui and Megumi returned to their workstation. Megumi, still in disbelief, could hardly process what had just happened. They had passed the challenge, and not just that—they earned an A! 

After a while, Megumi finally snapped out of her daze. Her face flushed slightly as she smiled with relief. "Thank goodness, I won't have to drop out! My mom will be so happy when she hears about this. Thank you, Sui-kun!"

As she spoke, she bowed deeply toward him.

"You don't need to thank me," Sui replied with a warm smile. "Like I said before, you played a big part in making this dish too."

"Right!" Megumi's face reddened even more. It was the first time someone had truly acknowledged her contribution, and her heart swelled with gratitude.

"From now on, just call me by my name," she added shyly.

"Alright, Megumi," Sui agreed, smiling. He then gestured to the remaining beef on the plate. "By the way, let's finish up this beef. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

"Okay," Megumi nodded eagerly. Truthfully, she had been wanting to try it for a while, but had felt too embarrassed to ask.

She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth. As soon as she bit into the tender beef, a wave of rich aromas and flavors burst forth, and the next moment, a symphony of deliciousness danced on her tongue.

"Wow, what an amazing feeling," Megumi murmured, closing her eyes in delight. She covered her flushed cheeks with her hands, her expression full of bliss.

"Sui-kun, you're incredible!" she exclaimed, her face filled with admiration.

"Hehe, it's nothing special," Sui responded, a little embarrassed by her praise. If Erina were here, she'd probably be quick to criticize every flaw in his cooking with her usual disdain, he thought with a wry smile. In fact, he found himself missing her sharp remarks a little.

…

The day flew by quickly.

Thanks to his efforts, Sui managed to score an A in all of his classes that day.

"Hey, did you hear? That new transfer student got straight A's in all his courses today!" a student whispered in the hallway.

"What? That's impressive! Was it the guy who made a scene at the freshman ceremony?" another student asked.

"No, it's someone else. I think his name is Sui."

Erina had just walked out of the classroom when she overheard the conversation in the hallway. As soon as she heard Sui's name, she clenched her teeth, remembering the incident from that morning.

Just as she was grinding her teeth in frustration, a familiar voice called out from behind her.

"Hey, isn't that Erina? Let's head back together!" Sui called out, waving cheerfully.

Erina froze. Her body stiffened, and when she turned around, she saw Sui waving enthusiastically in her direction.

"I told you not to talk to me at school!" she hissed, practically jumping like a startled kitten.

Students nearby glanced over, surprised at the commotion.

Panicked, Erina quickly covered her face with her hands and shouted, "I don't know you!" before rushing off, embarrassed.

Sui stood there, watching her leave with a slightly dejected look.