A dish suddenly appeared amidst the clash of glares between the childhood friends.

Golden-brown scones, exuding an alluring aroma, aggressively filled their noses.

Yuzu Arisugawa looked up, her gaze meeting Eisuke Shi’s for a moment before her eyelashes fluttered down, and she picked up her fork.

This was the second time she had tasted Eisuke Shi’s cooking, and the amazing feeling remained unchanged.

However, having eaten many dishes from Totsuki Academy’s top-seat graduates, Yuzu Arisugawa controlled her expression, but cheerful little flowers inevitably bloomed behind her.

“My dish is ready too, Yuzu-chin. Please try it.” The blond senpai approached with a plate of bright red food.

“Spicy Chicken, please enjoy.”

Keigo Shinkura confirmed with some concern, “Mieko even found it spicy. Is Yuzu okay?”

Although Mieko Shinkura was the youngest, she was the one who could handle the spiciest food in the family.

Mieko, just thinking of the stimulating taste in her mouth, started salivating again. “That’s right, that’s right. Super spicy, but super delicious!”

Yuzu Arisugawa patted her chest. “I can handle it!”

Keigo Shinkura, being the one in the family who couldn’t handle spice the least, didn’t eat from the blond senpai’s table, but considering everyone else’s praise, he didn’t stop Yuzu Arisugawa.

Besides French food, Yuzu Arisugawa also preferred Chinese food, especially Cantonese cuisine, which included spicy dishes, so she considered herself to be able to handle spice.

Then, after confidently taking a bite, she felt something was wrong.

At first, she happily praised the fresh, fragrant, and spicy flavors.

Then, before she could take a second bite, the aftereffects hit.

Or perhaps she belatedly felt the extreme spiciness.

That day, Yuzu Arisugawa profoundly understood the difference between Cantonese spice and Sichuan spice.

Unfortunately, it was too late. She felt she had lost her sense of taste; no, she couldn’t feel her tongue.

Yuzu Arisugawa, with teary eyes, said, “Keigo-nii… can… can you… develop a technique to restore the five senses?” (She spoke in a mix of Japanese and a made up dialect to express her distress)

Human joys and sorrows are not shared. A wave of laughter swept through the room, including Keigo Shinkura himself.

Teruki Kuga also laughed with regret. “So this was Yuzu-chin’s spice threshold? You’ve lost so much joy. Not being able to eat my cooking is a huge loss in life!”

Only the angelic Mieko anxiously looked around for her sister, shouting towards Eisuke Shi’s cooking station. “Sister, there’s something to drink over there!”

It was Eisuke Shi’s second dish, an apple sparkling drink.

Yuzu Arisugawa rushed over in three strides, lifting the cup and tilting her head back, her slender white neck even more graceful with the movement.

Eisuke Shi didn’t comment, his gaze lingering on her upturned neck before continuing his work.

His third dish was originally marbled foie gras, but he changed his mind when he saw Teruki Kuga approaching with a plate.

He made blanquette de veau (white veal stew) instead.

Heavy cream, cheese, and other dairy products effectively suppressed the spiciness, while lemon juice provided refreshment and stimulated the taste buds.

This was the first time Yuzu Arisugawa had seen Eisuke Shi cook.

The first time she ate his cooking, she was in an informal food battle with him, her mind focused on the beef donburi she was making.

The second time, just now, was while catching up (arguing) with her childhood friend.

This was the third time, her gaze following his movements, eagerly wanting another spicy-relieving drink.

Eisuke Shi’s hands were very white; in fact, his whole person was very white, with cold white skin that didn’t show any darkness even under his white hair. He was wearing a pure white chef’s uniform.

Only a touch of red around his neck.

The bright red chef’s collar wasn’t fastened, fluttering behind him with his movements, not hindering his work but captivating the viewer’s attention.

Before finishing, he added some lemon zest.

“Blanquette de veau, please enjoy.”

Yuzu Arisugawa didn’t rush back to her seat. She somehow produced a fork and eagerly started eating at the cooking station.

Tears of gratitude flowed. “Waaah, my taste buds are back.”

Ryotan Kobayashi showed her small canine teeth in a smile. “As expected of Eisuke. Look how moved Yuzu is.”

Teruki Kuga eagerly raised his hand. “No, no, no. Yuzu-chin’s tears were clearly brought on by my spicy dish~”

Yuzu Arisugawa: Don’t tell the truth!

“Nap…napkins.”

Yuzu Arisugawa mumbled, feeling a clear liquid about to drip from her nose—it was the feeling of spicy-induced runny nose.

Eisuke Shi, who was closest, answered without looking up. “There are paper towels on the back left table.”

The paper towels were wet, and Yuzu Arisugawa had put on makeup that morning, so she turned to her aunt.

Women always seem to have napkins on them.

“Waaah~ Auntie, does Mieko often eat spicy food at home? She can eat something that spicy!”

Mrs. Shinkura pondered, covering her face. “Mieko was born that way. We rarely make spicy food at home, but her snacks are mostly from Chinatown, and most of them are spicy.”

“Mieko can’t taste the spice in the chili peppers sold locally, so we can only limit her snacks a little. After all, she really likes them. But Yuzu, you should stick to local chili peppers.”

Yuzu Arisugawa nodded obediently.

Mrs. Shinkura, as if thinking of something interesting, smiled slightly. “After Mieko ate Chef Kuga’s dish, she said she wanted to be his bride when she grew up, which made your uncle very anxious.”

Finally, she leaned closer to Yuzu Arisugawa and whispered, “Even Keigo’s expression was off. Look, it’s like this now.”

Hearing her mother mention the incident, Keigo Shinkura smiled gently on the surface, but those from Rikkai, who understood him best, shrank their necks.

Genichiro Sanada, with elders above and a younger sister below, naturally couldn’t say his catchphrase, “You’re so lax!”, so he remained silent, pressing his cap down.

Teruki Kuga, oblivious, puffed out his chest, perfectly accepting his irresistible charm.

Well, as expected of him.

Yuzu Arisugawa understood her younger sister best. “What’s the big deal? Cooking is a man’s best dowry. Should Mieko cook in the future?”

Mieko Shinkura’s eyes lit up as she jumped into Yuzu Arisugawa’s arms. “That’s right, Mieko wants to be a great painter. I don’t want to cook myself. It’s unfair that only girls have to take cooking classes in school!”

Yuzu Arisugawa raised her eyebrows. “Mieko doesn’t like it? Should we look for an international school nearby to transfer to? Traditional schools are like that.”

The Shinkura couple frowned, clearly also thinking it was a problem. Their family wasn’t one that insisted on traditional schooling; they had no objections to their daughter attending an international school.

Mieko Shinkura thought carefully and shook her head. “But I don’t want to leave my friends. I won’t transfer. It’s only one cooking class a week anyway.”

Yuzu Arisugawa nodded. “No rush. We can consider it when it’s time to choose a high school.”

Atobe Keigo raised a small hoe. “Then are you coming to my Ice Emperor Academy for high school? The courses and credits are purely British-style.”

Although Yuzu Arisugawa constantly argued with Atobe Keigo, she still acknowledged that he had done a good job managing and reforming Ice Emperor. “That’s actually pretty good. Mieko can live with me then. I probably won’t leave Tokyo.”

Yuzu Arisugawa had attended Ice Emperor for elementary school and had an apartment nearby.

Mieko Shinkura also thought it was good; it was the school her sister attended.

But they weren’t in a hurry. She was only in second grade; high school was still four years away.

The topic ended. When the fourth dish was served, Yuzu Arisugawa was talking to the Ice Emperor group about meeting Jiro Akutagawa’s sister.

“So, Mei told little Keigo to stop spoiling Jiro. His parents didn’t spoil him, and you shouldn’t spoil him!”

Atobe Keigo rested one hand on the back of his chair, the other elegantly holding a cocktail glass, taking a sip of the non-alcoholic cocktail. “Isn’t it you who favors Jiro more? That guy always hides behind you when he wants to slack off.”

Yuzu Arisugawa argued confidently. “I’m only in Japan for a few days every three years. What opportunities do I have? You’re the one spoiling him.”

Atobe Keigo shrugged. “Understood. When you come back, borrow Buntarō from Rikkai for me. Leave the rest to me.”

Yuzu Arisugawa agreed, but laughed gleefully. “The jackal will cry, hahaha.”

“French herb roast lamb chops, please enjoy.”

Everyone followed the aroma and looked over. Yuzu Arisugawa smiled happily. “Yay, thank you~”

The Ice Emperor group clutched their stomachs. “I guess I’m hungry again.”

Atobe Keigo scoffed at their pathetic state. “Have I ever shortchanged you on food?”

Yuzu Arisugawa translated for him. “Your stomachs are already so full, don’t force yourselves.”

She happily cut a piece of lamb chop, her mouth full of deliciousness. “As expected of Senpai Shi.”

Yuejin Aoi leaned over and asked, “If Yuzu is also at Totsuki Academy, will we be able to eat the same dishes in two years?”

Yuzu Arisugawa pondered for a while, smiling slightly as she looked at him. “I think… specialization is important. I’ve been working on a tomato cake these past two days. Want to try it?”

As soon as Souma Yukihira heard “tomato” combined with cake, he found it hard to imagine and chose to leave.

The karaoke equipment in the corner of the dining hall had been moved out again, and he quickly declared his intention to sing a song.

The atmosphere had subsided after everyone had eaten, but it became lively again with the music.

Even Peter wasn’t sticking to Atobe Keigo, strutting around the stage with his head held high.

No wonder girls these days liked to date tennis players. Look at their quality: handsome, strong, and they can sing.

Her brother’s entertainment company had tried many times to recruit these tennis players.

They’re so popular!