Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"Hey, Ryoko? Ryoko..."

Just as she was about to delve into her thoughts, she suddenly felt a push on her arm, followed by Bai Yuan's voice, which pulled her back from her reverie.

"Teacher Bai Yuan."

"Finally, there's a reaction! I thought you had heatstroke."

When he heard Ryoko Sakaki call his name, Shiro's tense heart finally calmed down, and a look of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.

How can this guy get distracted while we're chatting?

"I'm sorry, I just feel so happy right now, and I got caught up in happiness without even realizing it."

Noticing the dissatisfaction in Bai Yuan's eyes, Sakaki Ryoko expressed her feelings just now, and the tenderness in her eyes made people's hearts race.

"Happiness? Is it because we came to the seaside?"

However, it was clear that Hakugen had not grasped the true meaning behind Sakaki Ryoko's words.

"Coming to the beach is one thing, but more importantly, it's because I have many like-minded friends around me, which makes me very happy."

I feel that I could die without regrets now.

Ryoko Sakaki's voice was filled with emotion, and her earnest expression seemed genuine.

"Live well, my friend!"

Hearing Ryoko Sakaki's words, Shiroyuki mentally ranted, but maintained a calm expression on his face.

"This kind of life will continue for a long time to come."

Contemplating the underlying meaning of Ryoko Sakaki's words, Shirabuchi looked towards the sea.

If nothing unexpected happens, once Totsuki finishes their studies, these guys will all join the Dark Cuisine world, and then they can be together forever.

Joining the world of bizarre cooking is a lifelong commitment.

"If that's the case, happiness can last a long time. Thinking about it makes me so happy."

Following Bai Yuan's gaze into the distance, a look of longing appeared in Sakaki Ryoko's eyes. She wished this kind of life could continue forever.

"I feel like there's something off about what you're saying. It's like you're talking to a childhood sweetheart from a small town who's about to move abroad. Why are you being so sentimental?"

Sensing something amiss in Sakaki Ryoko's tone, Shirayuki glanced at her with a subtle look.

"No, it's just something I felt like saying."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Sakaki Ryoko quickly waved her hand, her face slightly flushed. Had she been that sentimental just now? She hoped she hadn't been misunderstood.

"Teacher Baiyuan, please teach me to swim. I've always wanted to learn but never had the chance."

Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something.

She stepped forward and grabbed Bai Yuan's arm, her eyes flashing with excitement.

"Sure, but my training is very rigorous. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Upon hearing Ryoko Sakaki's words, Shiro deliberately put on a serious expression, wanting to scare her.

"I need a strict teacher."

Ryoko Sakaki raised her head and looked at Shiroyuki's face, speaking each word clearly.

Bai Yuan seemed to be stimulated by her emotions, so he said, "Then you've come to the right place. I will do my best to teach you."

Give me your hand.

"Yes."

As they spoke, Bai Yuan reached out his hand to Sakaki Ryoko, whose heart raced slightly at the sight of his outstretched hand, but she still took it and followed Bai Yuan to the beach.

Looking at the seaside environment, Bai Yuan threw more than a dozen swimming rings into the water without hesitation.

Although he is a very good swimmer, he was worried about her having an accident while he was with her, as she was a non-swimmer. Therefore, it was necessary to take adequate safety precautions.

"The most important things in swimming are breathing and mindset. As long as you can do these two things, the rest is not difficult. You should start by practicing these."

Bai Yuan led Sakaki Ryoko to the shallow water area, stopped, and felt the faint push of the waves beneath him, tightly grasping her hand.

"Uh-huh."

Ryoko Sakaki nodded solemnly.

"Take a deep breath and hold it for 2-3 seconds, then exhale slowly through your nose."

Seeing the girl's serious expression, Bai Yuan continued. Sakaki Ryoko, without further hesitation, began practicing as instructed.

"Hold my arm, immerse your face in the water and exhale, then lift your head and inhale. Exhale evenly to avoid holding your breath for too long and causing tension."

Drowning victims often experience tension due to choking on water. To learn to swim, the first thing to do is to overcome fear of the current, and this is the purpose of Bai Yuan's training.

Beside him, Ryoko Sakaki, after hearing his words, began to practice diligently.

Although the process was very tedious, she was fortunate to have Bai Yuan by her side.

With him by her side, nothing else seemed to matter. Even mundane things became interesting, and occasional chats made her very happy.

After about half an hour, Ryoko Sakaki was finally able to swim a short distance.

"Great!"

Swimming back to shore from the sea, Ryoko Sakaki's face was filled with excitement. She then excitedly hugged Shirayu's waist and pressed her soft body against him.

"That's great. Among ordinary people, you learn very quickly."

Seeing this, Bai Yuan opened his arms and placed his hands on her fair and delicate back, a pleasant fragrance of a young girl wafting to his nose.

"Sorry...I'm sorry."

After the hug, Ryoko Sakaki suddenly realized that she might have gone a bit too far, so she tried to break free from his embrace, but he held her tightly around the waist.

"It's okay. I'm happy to be hugged by this pretty girl. Don't feel too guilty. Just hug her if you want."

Bai Yuan's voice was soft, revealing a gentle warmth.

He didn't do much, he didn't even let his hands wander over her body, he just held Ryoko Sakaki and felt her heartbeat.

Even so, she was still incredibly shy.

"Why am I so happy to be hugged?! Is this a confession?!"

Many thoughts flashed through Ryoko Sakaki's mind. Feeling the powerful aura of the man in front of her, she felt a little dizzy and her breathing became rapid. A faint joy welled up from the depths of her heart.

"Shirabuchi-sensei, Ryoko, what are you two doing...?"

Just as Ryoko Sakaki was about to say something, Yuuki Yoshino's voice came from not far away, causing her to push away Shirayuki like a startled fawn.

The force was so great that Bai Yuan, who was unprepared, had no choice but to let go.

Otherwise it would look like coercion.

"Yu...Yuhime, you, how did you get back?"

Turning her head to look at the familiar figure in front of her, Ryoko Sakaki felt inexplicably nervous.

"We came up after swimming; we can't stay in the water forever. But you, why are you hugging Teacher Bai Yuan?"

Yoshino Yuuki, being rather straightforward, didn't notice that Sakaki Ryoko's face was already flushed red, and continued to speak as if nothing was wrong, her voice carrying a subtle hint of sourness.

She was only gone for a short while, how did Ryoko manage to sneak off like that!?

"Ryoko had a bit of heatstroke and almost fell to the ground, so I went over to help her up."

Seeing Sakaki Ryoko's somewhat flustered expression, Shiro knew he couldn't pretend to be dead anymore, so he took the initiative to explain.

Of course, only they themselves know how much of this explanation is true.

"That's right, that's exactly it, we really have nothing to hide!"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Sakaki Ryoko spoke as if she had grasped at a straw.

At the same time, he gave Bai Yuan a "well done" look out of the corner of his eye.

"stare..."

Yoshino Yuuki looked at Sakaki Ryoko with disbelief in her eyes.

However, she seemed to realize something soon enough, but in the end she didn't expose them. She just gave the two of them a meaningful look and clicked her tongue.

Feeling inexplicably guilty under such gazes, Ryoko Sakaki dared not meet her eyes.

Bai Yuan, standing to the side, appeared completely at ease, even managing a smile, which left Yoshino Yuuki somewhat confused about the truth.

"Baiyuan-ge, Youji, Liangzi, I've been looking for you for ages, come and eat!"

Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat awkward, Alice Nakiri walked over.

She wore a hazy blue halter-neck one-piece swimsuit, the soft Morandi hue blending perfectly with her fair skin. A semi-transparent chiffon skirt was tied around her graceful waist, swaying like jellyfish tentacles when the wind lifted it.

Not only that, but a small silver pendant was also added below her collarbone, which vibrated slightly with her breathing and occasionally flashed with tiny sparkles of light.

"Is it lunchtime? Let's go over there."

Bai Yuan was just wondering what excuse to use to leave and avoid being seen through when Nakiri Alice appeared and saved him from the predicament.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too."

Beside her, Ryoko Sakaki, fearing that staying any longer would reveal something, quickly followed after responding.

Although Yoshino Yuuki still had doubts, the best time to ask questions had passed, so she could only obediently follow along, but her eyes remained fixed on Sakaki Ryoko.

I've decided to ask him properly tonight.

It's understandable that the guy might be too shy to say it out loud, but he'll definitely tell her privately, after all, they're best friends!

Soon, the group of four walked along the beach and arrived at a detached beach villa.

Several beach chairs were placed in front of the villa, where Mito Ikumi and Hojo Miyoko were sunbathing while wearing sunglasses.

A glass of orange juice sat beside them, and they looked quite comfortable and relaxed.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, you're back."

Hearing a commotion not far away, Mito Ikumi and Hojo Miyoko immediately looked over and saw Shirabuchi returning with Yoshino Yuuki and the others.

"You guys seem to be having a pretty good time here."

"Hehe, it's been a long time since I've sunbathed. I have to take advantage of this holiday to enjoy it. The sun feels so good on my skin in the morning! And it's good for my health."