Shun's question was plain and direct, yet it made Erina's cheeks faintly flush, a flicker of embarrassment hard to catch.
She couldn't exactly say she'd come over because of Grandpa's praise and her own tongue's inexplicable craving, could she?
Erina quickly masked it with an even loftier tone. "Hmph. Hisako's condition isn't suitable to partner with me today. What, are you doubting this lady's judgment?"
"Hm? Not feeling well… is her 'relative' visiting?" Shun muttered under his breath.
Erina's hearing was evidently excellent. Though Shun's voice was low, that line—"Is her relative visiting"—slipped cleanly into her ears.
In an instant, Erina's fair face went crimson, the color rushing all the way to the tips of her ears.
Her beautiful eyes widened in shock and indignation, and even the finger she leveled at Shun trembled.
"Y-You… how rude! What nonsense are you spouting?!" Her voice jumped a register, drawing even more sidelong glances.
"Uh, don't get worked up. People are watching," Shun reminded her.
Erina glanced around at the odd looks and forced her voice down, though her face stayed rosy—clearly fuming.
Just then, a system chime rang in Shun's head.
[Ding! Special story character 'Erina' initiated contact—mission triggered.]
[Mission: First Collaboration with the God Tongue]
Mission Objective: Work with Erina to complete "Magret de Canard à l'Orange" and receive an "A" or higher from Instructor Roland.
Mission Reward: Special item [Shokugeki Contract Template] ×1, and 200 Energy Points.
…
Seeing the mission and that reward item, Shun's heart gave a thump!
He wasn't sure yet what the [Shokugeki Contract Template] did, but it was certainly tied to Shokugeki.
It might even solve his biggest problem—stakes.
Either way, this mission had to be cleared.
With that thought, Shun's attitude shifted at once. He didn't press Erina about her change of heart; instead he smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's team up. But heads-up—I know nothing about French cuisine. My family runs a Chinese restaurant, so I'll have to follow the board recipe to the letter."
"What?"
Erina's brows knit, a trace of doubt flashing in her eyes.
Someone who made Grandpa have an "exploding-kimono" reaction… knew nothing about French cuisine?
If he'd said he wasn't skilled, she might believe it.
Knew nothing?
That was hard to swallow.
Erina felt Shun was dodging—or hiding his strength.
Noticing her skeptical look, Shun knew exactly what she was thinking and explained, "No need to bluff you. If I follow the board exactly, the dish will come out. The flavor might fall short in places… but that shouldn't trouble the 'God Tongue,' right?"
He didn't look like he was faking it. Erina let out a dubious "hmph." "No matter. With me here, you only need to follow my instructions precisely. Understood?"
She naturally slipped into that commanding tone.
"Got it, Erina-sama~"
Shun mimicked the way others addressed her, deliberately sing-songing it.
Then he picked up the nearby duck breast.
He didn't rush. First he carefully reread Roland's recipe on the board.
The recipe was only a framework; the details would be up to them.
"French cuisine, huh… never done it," Shun murmured.
Erina began prepping the oranges, but the corner of her eye never left Shun.
After reading, he didn't start the fire. Instead, he gently pressed the duck breast with his fingers, feeling the thickness of the fat and the elasticity of the meat.
What is he doing?
Erina's doubt deepened.
Then Shun did something that baffled her even more.
He brought his hands together and closed his eyes.
Not to pray—he was tapping into the foundation of his shoku-gi (Way of Food)… to feel the life and breath within the ingredient.
Through his fingertips he sensed the duck breast's fat layer, the direction of the muscle fibers, the bounce of the flesh—he even traced the faint flow of energy within.
This allowed him to handle it with maximal precision and draw out its potential to the fullest.
Erina's brows tightened at this ritualistic oddity—then she suddenly recalled the transfer exam.
Before cooking his "fried rice," he'd done this same "weird" thing.
"This guy definitely has something going on!" Erina didn't even have time to be surprised.
The next instant, Shun opened his eyes.
…
(End of Chapter)
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