"Next, you just need to wait for the people from Totsuki to arrive," Jaden said slowly, looking at Erina in front of him. "After that, you'll probably be able to return to Totsuki."
Hearing this, Erina couldn't help but look at him.
"You're not going back, are you..."
It was phrased like a question.
But as she spoke, her tone gradually settled into certainty.
During this period of time, she had come to understand Jaden quite well. He had no desire to become a chef, and his talent in combat clearly promised him a future far better than one bound to the kitchen.
On top of that-
He was lazy.
So Totsuki...
"Totsuki isn't really suitable for me," Jaden said calmly. "If you're pursuing higher realms of culinary art, then this term's Totsuki does have quite a few formidable people. As for me..."
He shrugged slightly.
"You already know."
Hearing this, Erina finally accepted it.
She only nodded.
"Hm. But I'm one of the Elite Ten, so I have more free time than other students. And your home isn't far from Totsuki. I can still manage to cook for you every day."
When she said that, Jaden slowly smiled.
"Then I'll be waiting~"
"Hmph... suit yourself!" Erina turned her head slightly. "I lost to you, and I still haven't won against you in a Shokugeki, so don't think you can avoid me just by not going back to Totsuki!"
"In that case," Jaden said smoothly, "should we exchange email addresses?"
Erina froze.
Her cheeks flushed faintly.
But this time, she didn't refute him.
She simply lowered her head in silence and handed her phone to Jaden.
Not far away, Ohya Ken and Ryo Himura, who were still drinking, watched the two of them and sighed quietly, filled with emotion at the sight of youth.
Even though Jaden and Erina had never admitted anything verbally-and Erina was still stubbornly denying it-they had already concluded one thing.
These two were a couple.
And it wasn't just them.
Dojima Gin and Shinomiya Kojiro, who had just pushed open the doors and entered O-uchu, also noticed something odd when they saw Jaden and Erina laughing and talking together.
Still, they weren't in a position to interfere.
Nor did they intend to.
Dojima Gin only planned to report the situation to the Director later. After that, he walked over with Shinomiya Kojiro toward the two of them.
"Erina."
At the sound of his voice, Erina turned around.
"Chef Dojima... and Chef Shinomiya? Why are you here?"
She was clearly surprised.
Jaden also looked over.
"There's nothing we can do," Dojima Gin said with a light laugh. "You two caused quite a stir. You stole so many customers that the assessment at Totsuki Resort has to be postponed by a day and re-evaluated."
As he spoke, he nodded to Erina.
And then to Jaden as well.
Shinomiya Kojiro stood behind him, his expression stiff and cold.
The moment he saw the two of them together, that unforgettable taste from before surfaced in his mouth again.
For a split second, he even felt nauseous.
It only made his already unpleasant expression darker.
"So... about my expulsion," Erina said, looking at Dojima Gin.
Dojima Gin's expression became serious.
"If you were expelled, then expulsion is expulsion. Even as a member of the Nakiri family, the Director will not break precedent."
He stated that first.
Then his tone softened slightly.
"However, expulsions at the resort are recorded as application documents. They are only processed uniformly after the assessment concludes."
"In that situation, there is room for negotiation."
"And Erina," he continued, "what you've done so far gives you that qualification."
He paused.
"But compared to this method, there is a more direct way to silence objections, isn't there?"
As he spoke, Dojima Gin stepped aside slightly, pushing Shinomiya Kojiro forward.
"Since Shinomiya was the one who issued your expulsion, you should have a Shokugeki with him. As long as you win, the expulsion applications he submitted against you-and against Jaden beside you-can naturally be withdrawn."
This was a proposal Dojima Gin had thought through carefully.
In truth, according to Senzaemon Nakiri's intentions, let alone Erina being expelled from the resort-even if she truly had problems at Totsuki, the old man would undoubtedly break precedent for her.
He was a textbook doting father and grandfather.
Even this so-called "Jewel Generation" that Totsuki was assembling had been orchestrated by him personally for his daughter and granddaughter's God's Tongue.
But the current problem wasn't limited to Erina and Jaden.
Dojima Gin glanced at Shinomiya Kojiro from the corner of his eye.
-This man's problem is just as serious.
So by arranging a Shokugeki, he could secure Erina's return.
And at the same time-
Force Shinomiya Kojiro to wake up.
Everything had been planned out.
And just as he expected, Erina fell into thought.
She hesitated.
She wasn't fully confident in facing Shinomiya Kojiro in a Shokugeki right now.
But since things had reached this point-
She wouldn't back down.
Just as Erina was about to nod, Jaden suddenly spoke with a smile.
"A Shokugeki, huh... Chef Dojima, Chef Shinomiya."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I'm also one half of the expulsion duo. Since you want a Shokugeki, how about letting me have one with Chef Shinomiya~?"
"You-"
Erina turned to look at him.
Jaden winked.
Seeing that expression, Erina said nothing more.
Dojima Gin noticed the small exchange and then looked at Jaden.
"It's possible," he said slowly. "But if you lose-"
Before he could finish, Jaden cut in immediately.
"Don't worry. If I win, Erina returns to Totsuki. If I lose, you can process my expulsion application directly."
Hearing this, Dojima Gin still wanted to say something.
But before he could, Jaden turned his gaze toward Shinomiya Kojiro and spoke plainly.
"However, if the opponent is Chef Shinomiya, I see absolutely no possibility of me losing."
One sentence.
That was all it took.
Dojima Gin fell silent.
Shinomiya Kojiro's brows knit together in anger. His gaze sharpened as he stared at Jaden.
"I'm truly being looked down on," he said coldly. "One match or two, I don't care. I've already agreed to Senior Dojima."
"If you want a Shokugeki-bring it on."
Jaden merely smiled.
He didn't care in the slightest.
Shinomiya Kojiro, on the other hand, was so enraged by that attitude that all of his attention locked onto Jaden alone.
Because of that-
Only Dojima Gin noticed something else.
When the Shokugeki between Jaden and Shinomiya Kojiro was confirmed, the expression on Erina's face wasn't worry.
It wasn't disdain.
It wasn't indifference.
It was-
A strange expression.
One tinged with pity.
And that look-
Wasn't directed at Jaden.
It was directed at Shinomiya.
Dojima Gin paused for a moment.
Then he smiled faintly.
-The man acknowledged by the God's Tongue, huh.
This Shokugeki...
Might be interesting after all.
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