"Yo, Xingping-jun, you're quite early!"
Hoshino Sora raised his hand to greet Yukihira Soma, who had just arrived, and smiled politely. Dojima Gin also turned his gaze, a faint hint of surprise in his eyes.
"It seems Far Moon's education over the past two years has indeed been excellent; talented individuals are emerging in droves."
If these two weren't transfer students.
Hearing Dojima Gin's lament, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but inwardly complain. Rather than saying Far Moon's education was good, it was more like his old man's education was amazing.
Wait, Soma Yukihira? I seem to have heard that surname somewhere...
Realizing this belatedly, Dojima Gin's expression became thoughtful as he looked at the red-haired young man in front of him.
"Hoshino, you're the one! You finished 50 steak dishes so quickly, you're practically a monster!"
"I just happened to encounter a topic I'm good at. For fixed-style set meals, I once had the experience of making different types of set meals every day for a month, averaging several hundred portions a day."
Hoshino... that surname also feels familiar. Why am I encountering only familiar surnames today? Are these surnames really that common?
"Hmm, I've soaked enough. I'm about to head out. In any case, the training camp has just begun, so make sure to take good care of yourselves. Work hard tomorrow as well."
Such doubts arose in his mind, and after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out. Dojima Gin simply stood up from the bath, stepped one foot onto the edge of the tub, and said this to the two people in front of him, then strode away with firm steps.
"I'm also about done. I'll be going first, Xingping-jun."
"Ah, oh, bye-bye."
With only two people left, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Hoshino Sora soaked for two or three minutes before wrapping himself in a bath towel and standing up, then walked towards the direction of the outdoors.
"Erina, what are you doing here?"
"Ah? Master Chef Dojima, I, I'm waiting here... to get some fresh air."
She was halfway through saying she was waiting for someone, then suddenly felt it was wrong and immediately changed her words. Waiting for a boy in front of the boys' bathroom, that sounded too much like something a couple would do.
But she had no choice. Hoshino Sora told her to go to his room after showering, but didn't tell her the room number. There was no other way but to wait here. She was actually quite looking forward to the three-person card game.
"Getting some fresh air, here? That's a strange way to get fresh air. Go back and rest early; you have a themed study tomorrow."
"I understand, Senior Dojima."
Dojima Gin was somewhat perplexed by Eri Nai Nakiri's words, but he didn't inquire further. After a few polite exchanges, he left, until Hoshino Sora emerged and saw the slightly flushed young girl at the entrance.
"Are you specifically waiting for me at the door? I'm a little touched."
"Don't misunderstand, it's just that you didn't tell me the room number just now, so I reluctantly waited for you at the door for a moment. If you hadn't come out, I would have already left."
Seeing Hoshino Sora's smile, Eri Nai Nakiri hurriedly explained, she certainly didn't want to be misunderstood by him.
"Is that so? Then it's a good thing I came out in time, or I would have missed you."
Hoshino Sora nodded and agreed, but this girl was also a bit silly; didn't she know to send him a text message? No wonder there's a saying, 'big chest, no brain'.
At the time, he thought it was rude, but now it seemed true.
"Hmph."
"Erina-sama, Hoshino-kun... what are you two doing?"
Hisako Arato, who had rushed over from not far away in her school uniform, looked at Hoshino Sora, who was conversing with Eri Nai Nakiri, with a puzzled expression, somewhat not understanding why the two were chatting at the bathroom entrance.
"Hisako, you've come at a good time. After you shower, come to my room with Erina to play poker. I'll be waiting for you in room 824. If you want to play other three-person games, that's fine too."
Hoshino Sora stepped forward, patted Hisako Arato's shoulder, briefly explained a few words, and then jogged away, leaving the two of them standing there looking at each other.
"Erina-sama, should we go? I've already gotten the playing cards from the front desk; we can play by ourselves back in our room."
"Let's go. Not going would be like being afraid of him, and isn't a card game more fun with three people? You go in and wash up first. I'll go back to my room to wait for you and dry my hair. We can go together later."
Hearing Hisako's question, Erina pouted and said haughtily, then headed towards her own room.
However, the moment she turned around, in a place Hisako couldn't see, a joyful smile appeared on Erina's face. Playing games in a boy's room during the training camp felt so youthful!
"Erina-sama..."
Looking at the departing Eri Nai Nakiri, Hisako Arato softly murmured, a strange look in her eyes, and then she saw two people not far away, chatting and laughing as they walked towards the girls' bathroom.
"Hoshino-kun is amazing! He actually guessed the topic of the training camp and even helped us with special training beforehand."
"Isn't that right? If it weren't for Hoshino-kun, tonight would have been tough. How could we have finished so easily?!"
Tadokoro Megumi and Shiina Mahiru were holding their clean underwear and panties, chatting with smiles on their faces.
Hisako, standing in the distance, heard this and recalled what Hoshino Sora had told her in the car. No wonder he was able to complete 50 dishes at the same time as Erina-sama.
If he had prepared in advance, it seemed much more reasonable.
Thinking this, Hisako turned and entered the girls' bathroom. It was empty inside at the moment; besides Erina-sama, no one else should have soaked. The scent of Erina-sama still lingered!
Half a minute later, Tadokoro Megumi and Shiina Mahiru also walked in, occupying a small part of the bathroom. They were now quietly chatting, their topic revolving around Hoshino Sora, as they had met because of him.
Hisako listened to their discussion, seemingly having something to say, but she held back, staying in the bath and gurgling bubbles, then left before the fourth person entered.
——————
"Four."
"No."
Clutching the cards in her hand, Eri Nai Nakiri said with extreme reluctance, her face showing a frustrated and deflated expression.
"You can't even take a single four, hehe, so you're just a small fry."
Throwing out his last card, Hoshino Sora snatched the cards from Eri Nai Nakiri's hand, looked at the numbers, and couldn't help but hold his stomach, lay down on the bed, and then burst into boisterous laughter.
Given how smug that guy looked just now, he thought he had some impressive cards.
"You're the small fry! Hmph, you just happened to get lucky and beat me, do you need to be so arrogant?!"
Thinking about how her eight-bomb had just been beaten by Hoshino Sora's nine-bomb, Eri Nai Nakiri felt a surge of anger. If it weren't for that guy, why would she have been stuck with that three in her hand?
"Do you need to laugh so happily? Like an idiot."
"Yes! A bet's a bet, bring your face closer."
With a slight smirk, Hoshino Sora said smugly.
At this moment, Eri Nai Nakiri's face was covered in paper strips. Throughout the card game, she had hardly won any rounds, which made her extremely displeased. She had just barely managed to win a round, only to have her hopes cruelly crushed by Hoshino Sora.
"There's no more room to stick them. Where else do you want to stick them?"
Looking at Hoshino Sora with puffed cheeks, his face only had a few scattered paper strips. Realizing this, Eri Nai Nakiri was extremely annoyed. Why was this guy so good at 'Fight the Landlord'?!
"How about this, I'm hungry anyway. Erina, could you make us dinner? If you can, I'll give you a hundred paper strip exemptions, how about that?"
If the landlord loses, two paper strips are stuck on their face. If the peasant loses, one paper strip is stuck on their face. If there's a bomb, it doubles. If it's a 'spring' (a complete victory), it doubles. Roughly, that's the rule.
"That might not be good, dinner can be left to me…"
Sensing that the atmosphere was a bit strange, Hisako immediately spoke up to smooth things over. How could the noble Erina-sama cook for people like them?
"Shut up, Hisako! Are you not confident in my cooking? Or do you think my dishes can't satisfy your tongue? Wait here for me; today, I'll let you taste the most delicious dish you've ever eaten in your life! You too, wait for me. After dinner, we'll battle for another three hundred rounds. I refuse to believe I can't cover your face with paper strips!"
"I'm not, I didn't…"
The gap between the two was simply too large, so much so that it could no longer be explained by mere luck. She was simply being unilaterally dominated, with no power to fight back whatsoever.
This made her extremely displeased!
Jumping off the bed and putting on her shoes, Eri Nai Nakiri exited Hoshino Sora's room, then bumped into Tadokoro Megumi, who was opening the door of the adjacent room. For a moment, their eyes met.
But Eri Nai Nakiri ignored Tadokoro Megumi and walked on indifferently.
She didn't explain why she had come out of a boy's room. In fact, she didn't even know who this person in front of her was, nor did she know that the other person knew Hoshino Sora.
Hmm, if she had known, she wouldn't have such a relaxed expression right now.
"That was… Eri Nai Nakiri, one of the Totsuki Ten Elite!?"
Looking at Eri Nai Nakiri's gradually receding back, Tadokoro Megumi's eyes were filled with shock, her small mouth slightly agape, unable to say anything for a moment.
"Miss Erina and Hoshino-kun…"
The images of these two people appeared in her mind. Tadokoro Megumi closed the door and thought as she walked towards Marui Zenji's room. This gossip was really a bit too much for her.
One is the proud darling of the academy, and the other is a genius transfer student who just arrived. How similar are the identities of these two to the male and female protagonists in some shoujo manga?
It feels so shippable!
"So hungry, it's almost eight o'clock without me realizing it, but this bed is really soft! As expected of a hotel room that costs eighty thousand yen a night, it's definitely worth the price!"
Hoshino Sora's words carried a hint of emotion. This bed was simply too soft and very large; no matter how he rolled on it, he wouldn't fall off, giving him a feeling of wanting to lie there forever.
"Indeed, it should be to ensure students have a good rest environment, allowing them to better cope with tomorrow's themed exam."
Looking at Hoshino Sora lying on the bed, Hisako suddenly realized that only the two of them were left in the room, and they were on the bed. Immediately, strange thoughts arose in her mind.
Moreover, Hoshino Sora was wearing a yukata, revealing his fair collarbone, lying on the bed playing with his phone. Why was his skin so fair, even though he was a man?
Her heart rate quickened slightly. Facing this situation, Hisako was somewhat speechless. She couldn't very well tell Hoshino Sora, "You're showing a bit too much, put on some clothes."
Such words.
(Sigh)
"From just now, your gaze hasn't left my body. If you want to touch, you can. Anyway, it's just the two of us in the room now."
Feeling Hisako Arato occasionally stealing glances at his body, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but sit up and ask, and as he spoke, he boldly grabbed her hand, then lifted his clothes and placed it on his stomach.
"How is it? Is the texture what you imagined?"
"Who would imagine such a texture?!"
Looking at the frivolous Hoshino Sora with a flushed face, everything happened too quickly, so much so that she hadn't even reacted before her hand was already on his abs.
To be honest, the texture was quite nice.
At least she quite liked it.
But she couldn't show that on her face, or she would definitely be seen as a pervert. The best way was to pretend to be angry and then try to pull her hand away.
Why can't I pull it out? This guy is so strong…
Such thoughts flashed through her mind, and then a strong force came from in front of her. When she came to her senses, her hands were already pinned and restrained on the bed. Hoshino Sora was staring at her with longing eyes.
He was also straddling her, but fortunately, he wasn't putting his full weight on her.
"What do you want?"
"It's come to this point, a lone man and woman. What I want to do shouldn't be hard to figure out, right?"
"What you're doing is wrong."
Looking at the handsome face in front of her, Hisako's face was filled with panic. She turned her head away, her pretty face blushing at an astonishing speed. Her hands were firmly restrained on the bed, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. At this moment, she was like a struggling little mouse, being played with by the cat, Hoshino Sora, in the palm of his hand.
"You're speaking so vaguely. Do you want it or not?"
Looking at Hisako Arato's reaction, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but snicker. After a long moment, he finally released her wrist, then rolled over and lay beside her. He was very satisfied with her startled deer-like expression just now.
"You're teasing me?"
At this point, seeing the smile on Hoshino Sora's face, Hisako finally realized she had been teased. Her panic lessened a bit, but her heart rate was still a bit fast, unable to return to calm in a short time.
"Heh heh, do you hope I was serious?"
"Why didn't I notice you were so bad before? No, I did notice before. You really are a guy with a terrible personality!"
"Thanks for the compliment. I just saw you were a bit nervous, so I wanted to help you relax."
"Then I really thank you. Who uses this method to make a girl relax? Your thought process is truly bizarre."
Sighing softly, Hisako said somewhat speechlessly. When he forcefully pinned her against the wall, her heart actually fluttered for a moment. Now that she thought about it, it was really embarrassing.
However, this guy was indeed very handsome, handsomer than all the boys she had ever seen. She had to admit that.
It was only natural that her heart would flutter at that moment, right?
"What are you two doing? You're actually lying on the bed together, slacking off while I'm cooking! You're too lazy!"
Just then, the room door suddenly opened, and Eri Nai Nakiri's figure appeared at the doorway, her gaze scrutinizing the two people lying on the bed.
"I'm terribly sorry, Erina-sama. I was so tired just now that I lay down to rest for a while."
Hisako naturally didn't dare to mention that she had been taken advantage of. In fact, her body hadn't been touched; it was only her spirit that had been teased, which left her feeling somewhat disgruntled!
"How leisurely. You don't have any sense of urgency for the lodging training. Hurry up and taste my cooking, and don't forget the hundred-point sticker."
Apparently, Erina Nakiri was still preoccupied with the outcome of the poker game.
"I know, Erina's cooking. I've been looking forward to it for a long time. What could it be~"
He sprang up with a carp-like flip and leisurely walked over to Erina Nakiri. Then, he opened the dishes placed on the table, and a rich aroma wafted over. These were three perfectly executed steak set meals.
"Unexpectedly simple, huh."
Looking at the three set meals on the table, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but complain. He had thought the other party would serve something with more impact, but this was it?
"There were only these ingredients in the kitchen. For vegetables, I also made a vegetable salad. What? Are you getting picky when I cook for you?"
"I wouldn't dare. Then, I'll help myself."
With one bite, the juice was rich, and the meat's tenderness reached its peak, cooked between medium-rare and medium. The taste was much better than what he made; it should be the result of a serious effort.
That's right, you can only choose between efficiency and quality. To get efficiency, quality must be sacrificed a little. To get quality, more effort will naturally be spent.
The reason why the Silver Pot Return can be called a divine skill is because it can maintain quality while considering quantity, and it can also cook different dishes, which is simply a specialty for opening a restaurant.
"As expected of the Totsuki Ten Elite, the cooking skill is high."
A system prompt sounded in his mind, reaching Silver (Intermediate) as expected. Is this the level he can achieve just by casually cooking? He's truly an unfathomable guy.
The juice, why is it so rich?
As he savored the delicious dish, a question arose in Hoshino Sora's mind, but he quickly found the answer: this steak must have been seared.
By searing all four sides and then two more, a seared steak can lock in moisture better. This is the secret to the rich juices in the steak before him.
"Hurry up and eat, then let's start the Old Maid game!"
"Erina really likes Old Maid, doesn't she?"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's urging, Hoshino Sora said playfully. As he spoke, he walked to the window and looked down at the entire Yuanyue Resort.
"Hmph, do you think I like to lose? Just wait to be crushed!"
Puffing out her cheeks and pointing at Hoshino Sora's nose, Erina Nakiri said "fiercely." She was determined to cover his face with white strips, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at night!
"Then we shall see."
Facing Erina Nakiri's provocation, Hoshino Sora was unconcerned. He had never been afraid of anyone in fighting the landlord. He didn't know why she was so hyped up; her desire to win was ridiculously strong.
However, he didn't think he would lose!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.