Chapter 220
Thinking about her earlier outburst, Natsume blushed but nodded, saying, "It really is an impressive dish. I didn't expect the two cuisines could be blended so creatively. Did you come up with this?"
"Yes, I did," Sui replied with a nod.
A glint of admiration flashed in Natsume's eyes as she asked, "You must be a trainee from Totsuki, right? It's about time for the students to begin their internships."
"That's correct," Sui confirmed.
Natsume frowned slightly, deep in thought. "But I don't remember seeing you before. You must be at another venue."
With Sui's skills, she was certain she wouldn't have forgotten him if they had crossed paths before.
"By the way, would you be interested in becoming a food consultant for my group?" Natsume's expression softened as she gazed at him with seductive eyes, her voice turning sweet.
Sui was caught off guard. Was she trying to flirt with him?
"Uh, no thanks. I don't have any plans at the moment," Sui politely declined. He was far too busy with his current responsibilities to take on a consulting role.
And if he recalled correctly, Eizan already had a partnership with her company.
"I see..." A flicker of disappointment crossed Natsume's face, but she quickly masked it with a smile. She pulled out a business card, pressed it to her lips, and left a deep lipstick mark on it.
"This is my card. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have a great idea, my lovely chef." She winked playfully as she handed it to Sui.
Sui hesitated but eventually accepted the card. He could still catch the lingering scent of her perfume as he slipped it into his pocket. "Got it."
Once Natsume and her entourage had left, Ono and the other staff gathered around, visibly relieved. "Sui, we really owe you for this. If it weren't for you, Kirinoya's reputation would've taken a massive hit today."
"Yes, thank you," the others chimed in, nodding in agreement.
"Oh, I have to admit, it was my fault this time. Thanks, Sui, for saving us. And… I'll forgive you for yesterday's incident."
Hinako, who had been trying to maintain her composure, patted Sui's shoulder with a sigh of relief. Even though she had kept a calm face, deep down she had been worried about her restaurant's reputation.
Sui blinked, confused. Why was Hinako acting so strangely toward him today? Was this all because of what happened yesterday?
But all he did yesterday was pull a harmless prank while helping her remove her socks. Was that really something she had been holding a grudge over?
"What happened yesterday?" The others immediately perked up, eager for gossip.
Could the head chef's odd behavior today really be because of something Sui did?
Hinako, realizing her slip of the tongue, quickly covered her mouth, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"Was it a kiss?" Kiyomizu gasped dramatically. "Could it be that it was a 'forced' kiss?"
The very idea sent a thrill through her.
Hinako's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly waved her hands, saying, "It's not what you think!"
"Ahem, Kiyomizu, stop jumping to conclusions," Ono cut in, clearing his throat.
"Sorry," Kiyomizu stuck out her tongue, realizing her mistake. Given the age difference and Hinako's status as a renowned chef, such a rumor could be damaging.
Hinako breathed a small sigh of relief. "Sui-kun, your dish will now be a regular on Kirinoya's menu. We'll even credit you by adding your name to it."
"Thank you, Hinako-senpai," Sui said with gratitude.
"But..." Hinako suddenly shifted, her tone turning teasing as she patted Sui on the shoulder. "Miss Natsume seems to be quite fond of you, so you'd better take good care of that business card with the lipstick mark."
Though her voice was light, everyone could detect the faint hint of jealousy in her words.
Sui: "..."
She noticed the lipstick mark?
Everyone stood in stunned silence. Was Hinako, the always composed head chef, actually jealous?
Could she really have feelings for Sui, who was over ten years younger than her? Or was this just the type of jealousy a sister might feel toward her brother's girlfriend?
That's what everyone thought.
Realizing the shocked expressions around her, Hinako's cheeks flushed again.
"Oh no, how am I supposed to face everyone now?" she thought to herself, torn between embarrassment and shyness, with just a hint of sweetness mixed in.
As someone with no prior experience in romance, she didn't realize that this feeling of awkwardness was actually her first taste of love.
Later, because Natsume had reserved the entire restaurant for the day, Kirinoya closed early. Sui returned to the hotel with Megumi.
That evening, Alice paid Sui another visit.
Although Sui enjoyed her company, he couldn't help but feel a little concerned about her frequent trips to see him. After all, Alice was staying in the girls' dormitory, and it wasn't convenient for him to visit her there.
The next morning…
"I'm heading out now," Sui said as he got dressed.
"Mm." Alice smiled sweetly at him before turning her cheek toward him. "Give me a kiss before you go."
Sui rolled his eyes playfully but leaned down to give her a quick peck on the cheek, as was their routine.
"Don't forget to drink the milk on the table," he reminded her before heading out with Megumi to Kirinoya.
"Good morning," Sui greeted as he arrived.
Hinako greeted him with a smile. "Good morning."
For once, she didn't seem upset with him.
"Um..." Hinako looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Hinako-senpai, is something bothering you?" Megumi asked, noticing her hesitation.
"No, it's nothing," Hinako replied, forcing a smile.
Although the day was relatively uneventful, Hinako seemed somewhat downcast, often sighing to herself. This left Sui puzzled.
After the dinner rush, Sui and Megumi were called outside by a woman dressed in a suit.
"I'm Alyana Imperial from Totsuki's Academic Affairs Department. I've been monitoring your performance over the past few days, and I'm happy to say that you've passed your test with flying colors."
Sui suddenly remembered that today marked the fourth day of his field training.