"You really do like seafood..."
After completely losing to Mutou Judai in the Shokugeki, Erina regrouped, ignored the doubled meal-cooking duties, and made seafood rice for today's lunch.
Hearing Erina say this, Mutou Judai swallowed what was in his mouth, then blinked.
"I do like it quite a bit... Whether it's the expensive seafood you make or the cheaper seafood that a very skilled fisherman who knew the old man often sent to the orphanage when I was little, I like both."
Saying this, Mutou Judai picked up a piece of crystal-clear shrimp meat and showed Erina a light smile.
"Moreover, with the seafood you make, I think even people who don't particularly like seafood would probably come to love it after eating it."
Mutou Judai couldn't cook himself.
He was the type who would eat out when he had money, eat whatever he wanted when he had lots of money, depending on his appetite and preferences.
But since coming here and meeting Erina, even though he now had Eizan Etsuya's assets to inherit, would soon receive royalties from "A Certain Magical Index," and the old man had left him quite a bit of money before leaving—even under these circumstances, he hadn't eaten out even once.
Basically, Erina was responsible for all his meals.
And after getting used to Erina's cooking, he didn't even have the desire to eat out anymore.
When Erina had time, he ate what Erina made; when Erina didn't have time, he ate instant noodles.
That's how he'd been getting by lately.
"After all, I am a chef."
Erina snorted lightly, turned her head away, her face somewhat red.
Then she slowly spoke in this state:
"It just so happens that I've recently started thinking that only being able to make so-called high-end cuisine is too limiting. I'm also planning to learn about local cuisine and popular restaurants... So if you know fishermen and get ingredients and want to eat some local cuisine, I wouldn't mind studying it on the side."
Erina said this.
Seeing Erina like this, Mutou Judai wanted to say something, but before he could speak, a voice came from the side.
"Pff pff pff... How funny~ Erina, you clearly know everything about all types of cuisine, yet you talk about learning local cuisine and popular restaurants... hilarious."
Hearing this voice, Mutou Judai looked to the side.
Then he saw a girl with silver-white hair, like a Nordic fairy, very familiarly and very insensitively sitting down beside him and Erina.
"Alice!"
After hearing the voice, Erina knew who it was.
"Shut up! Cooking is something you have to constantly investigate and research. If you think you know everything after understanding some existing knowledge, you'll only become more fixed in a small circle, leading to narrow vision and inability to progress!"
Hearing Erina say this, Alice puffed up her cheeks.
"What's that supposed to mean? You used to always talk about high-end cuisine, high-end cuisine—and thought local cuisine and popular cuisine were garbage!"
"I..."
Hearing Alice say this, Erina became somewhat guilty.
Because that was indeed how she used to be.
Originally, under the influence of the psychological shadow her father left, she was exactly as Alice described... It's just that this situation gradually changed after meeting Mutou Judai.
First, as she said—if she only understood high-end cuisine, it would be very difficult to break through Mutou Judai's abilities. At least she hadn't seen hope yet.
Second...
Thinking of this, Erina's face reddened and she secretly glanced at Mutou Judai.
—I kind of want to make the flavors he specifically mentioned for him to eat.
Thinking this, Erina lowered her head and secretly smiled.
Seeing that Erina was ignoring her, Alice blinked and then looked at Mutou Judai.
Mutou Judai did have an impression of Alice.
He had seen her once before at the Totsuki resort, and when Erina mentioned her afterward, she said—Alice's full name was Nakiri Alice.
She was Erina's cousin.
Stare—
Since Alice had been bickering with Erina since she arrived, Mutou Judai thought she was someone who really liked to talk.
When she looked at him, Mutou Judai prepared to respond—deciding to leave a good impression on Erina's family.
But actually Alice didn't speak, instead continuously looking him up and down.
Finally, Mutou Judai spoke first.
"Um... is there some problem?"
Hearing Mutou Judai ask, Alice spoke.
"No... I just want to know what kind of man could make Erina like him so much..."
"—Alice!"
Erina, who had unconsciously been immersed in her own fantasies, raised her voice sharply after hearing Alice say this.
Now she wasn't just blushing—even her ears were turning red.
And her gaze kept glancing toward Mutou Judai.
Mutou Judai noticed all of this.
With his current hearing, it wasn't difficult to hear Alice's earlier words before Erina made a loud noise.
He also knew that perhaps he could say something at this moment, but...
Mutou Judai glanced at Alice, then at Erina, and finally gave up on this plan.
Erina also knew she should probably let Alice continue.
But...
At this moment, her and Mutou Judai's thoughts were perfectly in sync.
—That's too embarrassing! And Alice is still here, so let's wait a bit longer... wait for a better opportunity, then it would be better to talk about it...
They both thought this way.
So after Erina stopped Alice, it quieted down.
Erina secretly glanced at Mutou Judai, then found herself making eye contact with him—in just an instant, they both looked away simultaneously, then became even more silent with each other.
Alice watched all this, feeling anxious and inexplicably annoyed seeing Erina and Mutou Judai like this.
She could understand everything.
So...
—Why don't these two just get married already!
Just as Alice was about to slam the table and make everything clear, Arato Hisako came over calling Erina's name.
"Erina-sama..."
After coming over and seeing that Mutou Judai was also there, she nodded to Mutou Judai.
"Erina-sama, Mutou-sama—the Commander's old friend has come. The Commander is asking you two to come over."
"Grandpa is calling us..."
At this point, Erina barely adjusted her mindset, then for the purpose of changing the subject, directly asked Hisako:
"Which old friend of Grandpa's is it?"
"Apparently... it's the current patriarch of that legendary assassin family, the Wu Clan."
...