Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

　Hisako Shinoto let out a sigh of relief, then half-exhaled...

　"I can't help but ask," he said.

　"It should be said that almost all the girls who come here are interested in Teacher Bai Yuan."

　Didn't you see Mito Ikumi? Her eyes were practically glued to Hakugen-sensei!

　I absolutely do not believe that she only sees him as a teacher. She's just timid and afraid of failure, so she doesn't dare confess and can only bury her feelings deep in her heart.

　Erina Nakiri astutely pointed out Mito Ikumi's worries and timidity, emotions that made it difficult for her to gain Hakubuchi's favor. After all, that guy had so many people around him, and getting him to take the initiative was simply a pipe dream.

　Are you scared...?

　Hisako Shinoto suspected that Erina Nakiri was targeting her, but she had no proof, so she could only hug her little pillow and silently lower her head once again.

　"That's right, it's cowardice. Falling in love can turn you into a coward!"

　This is a famous quote from the well-known light novel, "It's Impossible to Like That Idiot Aota-kun."

　Looking at Hisako Shinto, Erina Nakiri was reminded of herself back then. She pointed at the chandelier on the ceiling, her fair and delicate little feet swaying slightly, and uttered the famous line she had read in a light novel.

　"Love can turn you into a coward..."

　Hisako Shinto repeated Erina Nakiri's words, raising her head to look at her. The girl seemed to sparkle under the chandelier.

　The next moment, her face suddenly turned red.

　The scene I saw at the hot spring just now flashed through my mind. Back then, Lady Erina was not a coward at all!

　Not only are they not timid, they're terrifyingly bold!

　"What's with that expression? Your face is so red, are you running a fever...?"

　Seeing Hisako Shirato's face turn bright red in an instant, Erina Nakiri reached out and touched her forehead, pressing her head against it to feel the heat emanating from her forehead. It seemed perfectly normal.

　So what's causing this blushing?

　Speaking of which, why would Hisako suddenly run to her room and tell her that she also likes Baiyuan? Even though girls like to talk about love, the timing seems a bit off!

　Erina Nakiri finally realized that something was wrong.

　This is the time for intensive training, right? Even though it's nighttime for training, it's not the time to relax and chat about love in the room!

　From the very beginning, Erina assumed Hisako had some questions about cooking, which was why she came to ask her. But as soon as Hisako came in, she told her that she liked Shirabuchi.

　Looking at it this way, something seems a little off...

　Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri frowned slightly, and her gaze toward Hisako Shinoto, who had her head hanging low, became more scrutinizing.

　All the things that had gone unnoticed before suddenly came together in that instant, forming a network with incredibly clear logic.

　"Hisako, did you hear any strange noises while you were soaking in the hot spring?"

　Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri asked directly, and when she thought about what might happen, she looked at Hisako Shinoto with intense shame in her eyes.

　"A sound? What sound? I didn't hear anything."

　When Erina Nakiri suddenly changed the subject back to the hot spring, Hisako Shinoto immediately looked away, becoming somewhat guilty and avoiding eye contact.

　"You heard that, right? So what exactly happened!"

　I felt something was off as soon as I walked in. Why was there only one teacher, Shirayuki, in the women's bathroom?

　Seeing that Hisako Shinoto seemed to know something, Erina Nakiri immediately grabbed her shoulders, her voice trembling slightly.

　What was initially thought to be an accident was actually not so?

　"Actually, it was Miss Alice who secretly switched the signs for the men's and women's bathhouses. By the time I found out, you were already in the men's bathhouse next door. I wanted to go and remind them, but they stopped me, so I couldn't get through."

　Moreover, you were already...

　It wouldn't be appropriate for me to go over and point it out again...

　The image of the hot springs flashed through her mind again, and Hisako Shinto murmured.

　"At that time, I was already... In other words, you all saw what I was doing back then?!"

　Noticing Hisako Shinoto's choice of words, Erina Nakiri was not a stupid person. She immediately grasped the key point in her words and gritted her teeth.

　"Actually, it was just Miss Alice, Ms. Leah, and me who saw it."

　The others were scattered throughout the hot springs, seemingly unconcerned...

　Seeing that Erina Nakiri's face had visibly turned red, Hisako Shinoto carefully explained.

　At the time, Lady Erina was busy with important matters and it was too late to change the subject. She was afraid that speaking out suddenly would disturb her, and even more worried that it would leave her with psychological trauma, so she didn't say anything.

　After all, talking about it won't solve the problem; it will only make things awkward for both of them. So, it's better to just let things be and tell Erina Nakiri later.

　"Alice! It really is her! That wicked girl!"

　Hearing Hisako Shinto's words, Erina Nakiri gritted her teeth and said that although she had expected it, she still couldn't help but feel angry when she heard who the instigator was.

　Even if Bai Yuan orchestrated all of this, she wouldn't feel anything, since the two of them had long been a couple, and it was normal for him to want to take things further.

　But Nakiri Airi

　Silk, but that guy is the only one who won't do it. I'll not be a gentleman if I don't avenge him!

　"I apologize, Lady Erina, for not informing you sooner..."

　“It’s alright. Although I don’t know the specifics of the situation at the time, I know you would never harm me. The decision you made must have been the best one based on the circumstances.”

　Seeing Hisako's face full of self-reproach, even though she was initially somewhat dissatisfied with her, all her dissatisfaction vanished upon seeing her expression.

　Hisako has been by her side since she was a child, and her loyalty to her is beyond question.

　After something like this happened, I must have thought of a solution, but the situation was too bad at the time, so I didn't tell her in time...

　Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri gently ruffled Hisako Shinoto's fluffy, soft hair and said in a gentle voice, "You're not the one who made the mistake, so there's no need to blame yourself. You've already tried your best, so leave the rest to me."

　Various plans were brewing in Erina Nakiri's mind, and although she knew that Alice Nakiri was doing this to give her a push, she did ultimately benefit from it...

　But that doesn't stop her from getting revenge!

　"Go to sleep, there's special training tomorrow."

　A constant sense of shame rose from the bottom of her heart, then returned to calm. The intense emotional fluctuations made her feel tired, and with the softness of the bed, Erina Nakiri soon felt sleepy, her eyelids uncontrollably fluttering up and down.

　"Okay, I'll go turn off the lights."

　Hisako Shinto was about to stand up when Erina Nakiri grabbed her arm and pulled her back into bed with a strong force.

　"You can turn off the bedside lamp. Goodnight."

　Holding Hisako Shinoto in her arms like a life-size doll, and adjusting her position for comfort, Erina Nakiri wore a satisfied expression.

　"Erina... goodnight, my lady."

　As the lights dimmed, the girl closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly. Looking at her exquisitely beautiful face, Hisako Shinoto's gaze softened. She whispered something to her before closing her eyes as well.

　The last time we slept together like this seems to have been back in junior high.

　Moreover, Erina-sama back then was not nearly as clingy to her as she is now, holding her in her arms and feeling each other's heartbeats even through their pajamas. Although they were lying together, there was a large gap between them.

　The appearance of Teacher Bai Yuan has really changed Erina-sama a lot...

　If I end up with Teacher Bai Yuan in the future, could the three of us lie together?

　Teacher Bai Yuan was in the middle, and they each had their arms around him on either side...

　With this thought in mind, Hisako Shinoto also felt sleepy. After struggling for a few moments, she finally closed her eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.

　She had a very shameful dream.

　In my dream, Erina Nakiri in the hot spring transformed into her.

　Good morning, Erina. How was your day yesterday?

　As dawn broke, Erina Nakiri, with her hair tied in a neat high ponytail, wore the same uniform training clothes.

　After leaving the room, she and Hisako headed towards the elevator, where they saw Alice Nakiri greeting her from inside.

　"Alice! You bastard!"

　Seeing that familiar figure, the girl smiled faintly, which made Nakiri Erina a little angry.

　"What Alice? How have you become so disrespectful?"

　Have you forgotten our bet? When you see me outside, you have to call me Alice-neechan, dear Erina-neechan. Besides, getting angry first thing in the morning isn't good for your skin.

　Seeing Erina Nakiri's expression change from calm to furious, and knowing that she knew about yesterday's events, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but smile, then put her hands on her hips and spoke.

　"Alice... Sister, why did you scheme against me like that yesterday!"

　Although she was very unwilling, a food battle is a food battle, and the conditions for the winner are absolute. At this moment, Erina Nakiri chose to abide by the bet, but her hostile gaze remained unchanged as she looked at Alice Nakiri and said angrily.

　"Of course, it's because you guys haven't made any progress at all that's making people very anxious."

　Isn't this great? It's a one-step solution. It's just really unexpected that Erina would be so bold and surprisingly sassy.

　There are some moves that even I might not dare to make.

　Thinking of the scene she witnessed yesterday, Alice Nakiri said meaningfully.

　"What?! It's all Teacher Bai Yuan's fault! He clearly said we couldn't do that!"

　Upon hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Erina Nakiri's mind automatically conjured up the embarrassing scenes from the hot spring the previous night. Even though she brushed her teeth before bed and upon waking, the feeling still lingered...

　"Don't put all the blame on Teacher Baiyuan."

　If you really resisted that kind of thing, Teacher Baiyuan wouldn't have let you try it. However, you did do it, which proves that even if you had a rebellious heart, deep down you still looked forward to it.

　After all, you couldn't see a single trace of grievance on your face at the time.

　Nakiri Airi bluntly exposed Nakiri Erina's lie, her smile widening even more. This girl was still trying to shift the blame onto Shiro Awakening.

　As someone she spent every day with, no one knew Bai Yuan better than her!

　"I..."

　Erina Nakiri was exposed in public by Alice Nakiri.

　Feeling somewhat ashamed and indignant, and knowing that he couldn't win an argument with the other person, he decisively shut his mouth.

　"What do you mean, 'you'? Do you want to go up? If you do, hurry up and get on the elevator."

　As she spoke, Alice Nakiri yawned.