Inside the Coffee shop,
Erina ordered two cups of coffee for both of them.
Just as Akira Fujimiya was about to speak, Erina Nakiri suddenly held his hand.
He froze, looking at Erina in shocked — his emotions turning chaotic, he can't understand what the hell was going on.
"Please… don't let go. Let me hold your hand for half an hour… no, ten minutes," Erina said, her tone anxious.
"...."
Akira calm down, he seemed to realize something — something so absurd that he doesn't even to admit it —, and slowly withdrew his hand without saying anything.
When Erina saw him pull back, a hint of disappointment flashed across her face.
"By holding my hand....do you think you can eliminate the side effects of the Divine Tongue?" Akira asked slowly, trying to verify the absurd guessed that he had.
"You....you can see it!?" Erina's face was filled with disbelief.
"Is it here?" Akira stretched out his hand, her expression was enough to let him know.
The next moment, a virtual screen appeared in front of him — his system status window that he hadn't used lately.
Erina was stunned.
'Could Akira really see this?'
"...Miss Nakiri," Akira waved his hand in front of her, gaining her attention.
Erina slowly regained her composure and lowered her voice.
"....Do you understand me now? If you let me hold your hand for one minute, I'll give you 10,000 yen!"
"Sorry, Miss Nakiri, I don't shake hands. I only shake hands with girls I like," Akira refused without hesitation, he was still confused as to what caused this situation, who was to blame for it!
{T/N: ^_^}
"You! Can't you help me? The Yukinoshita family and the Nakiri family have a deep cooperative relationship and You're the fiancé of the second lady Yukinoshita and also now a member of the Yukinoshita family....If you're willing to help me, I can help the Yukinoshita family in other ways, okay?" Erina proposed, her voice tinged with insistence, but he could also feel something else.
"...To be honest, it's the Nakiri family—and you personally—who need help, not the Yukinoshita family," Akira said, looking at her intently, He will have to first understand the situation better before doing anything else.
"The Nakiri family needs help!?" Erina's eyes widened in confusion.
"Your father will return to Totsuki Academy soon, you know," Akira revealed casually, trying to shift her attention.
Upon hearing this, Erina's face instantly drained of color.
....
Azami Nakiri — Her father!
This was a name that made Erina shiver whenever it was mentioned.
Erina Nakiri as a child had learned her initial, near-perfect cooking from her father, Azami Nakiri, He had guided Erina in her understanding of cooking.
Although this method had eventually forged her into the "Tongue of God", it was excessively cruel for a child.
It was also because of him that Erina's standards for cooking became so rigid.
The outcome would be either discovering dishes that suited her divine taste or mitigating the side effects of the God Tongue somehow!
Azami Nakiri had also accelerated the formation of the Tongue of God, forcing Erina to abandon ordinary dishes entirely.
Normally, it would have taken years for Erina to slowly develop signs of anorexia.
{T/N: Anorexia nervosa (often called anorexia) is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition. }
What Azami Nakiri did — was push all ordinary dishes into the trash, telling her that a true God's Tongue must forsake them completely!
If it weren't for Saiba Joichiro's cooking, Erina might have developed severe anorexia as a child.
This was also the main reason she respected him so deeply.
However, Saiba Joichiro fully understood the situation.
No matter how skilled a chef was, it would take years for them to produce dishes that Erina could really enjoy!
Once the God Tongue became accustomed to the flavor of certain dishes, it would constantly seek even higher-quality cuisine.
At that point, it would be nearly impossible for anyone in the culinary world to satisfy her tastes.
.....
Inside the coffee shop,
Sometimes has passed,
Akira was observing Erina, whose face remained pale from just the mention of her own father.
A single piece of news had shaken her so deeply. But he can't blame her either considering her childhood — No wonder she had seemed so anxious and lost when facing him.
"...Your situation isn't optimistic. If I were you, I'd hate him forever....No matter the reason, accelerating the formation of the Tongue of God was wrong," Akira said calmly, his words deliberate, trying to find something to solve his own confused.
"You could have had over ten years to gradually understand, explore, and savor cuisine. Instead…"
"You only have a few years left. If you attempt dishes from top chefs and grandmasters, you'll edge closer and closer to anorexia," he warned, his voice voice, his eyes observing her every move, facial expressions, her complex emotions in her eyes.
While, Erina absorbed his words, before coming to her senses as she looked at him — Akira change his expression to 'normal' not letting her know that he was observing her.
"How do you know he will come back?" she asked, intensely staring at him.
"Not only do I know he will return, I also know that the current Ten Great Students of Totsuki have already made contact with him. According to Totsuki Academy's rules, the Ten Great Students can even replace the principal. Honestly, the existence of the Ten Great Students is… quite interesting," Akira said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, secretly glancing at her.
Erina's pupils constricted as she realized what he meant.
If Azami Nakiri—her father had ties with the Ten Great Students and returned, the Ten would inevitably side with him…
"Miss Nakiri, do you understand now? Who really needs help here?" Akira picked up his coffee cup and looked at her.
"You! Can you help the Nakiri family?" Erina's reaction was immediate.
"Of course I can. The Ten Great Students' authority comes from your grandfather. If he wants to change the rules, he can naturally strip the Ten Great Students of their power," Akira explained slowly.
"But…" Erina hesitated.
"I've said all I needed to. If you want my help, let your grandfather speak to me. If you don't want to alter anything and welcome your father's return, I won't interfere....When you truly hate all food, I'll help—but by then, the price will be higher," Akira said, standing up.
Erina watched silently as he left the coffee shop.
.....
Akira returned to Sobu High School,
He planned to wait until exams were over before taking further action.
He received a phone call from an unknown number, but he was unsurprised.
.....
In the quiet corridor,
He answered the call.
"I heard you wanted to speak with me?" Nakiri Senzaemon's voice came through.
"...I take it you already know the reason." Akira replied lightly.
"....It's very difficult to alter the power of the Ten Great Students of Totsuki (also known as Tōtsuki Elite Ten Council)," Nakiri Senzaemon said after a pause.
"...If you sell me more shares of Totsuki Resort, I can become vice-president of Totsuki Academy through Totsuki Resort. The other rules can remain unchanged—just add one more: replacing the principal requires the vice-president's consent," Akira said, looking out the window.
"You want me to trust you completely?" Nakiri Senzaemon asked, understanding the implication.
"You can also choose to trust Mrs. Yukinoshita and let her control Totsuki Academy directly. By then, I don't know whether Totsuki Academy will still belong to the Nakiri family," Akira said calmly.
"What's your goal?"
"Nothing personal really. You too know that It's your granddaughter and the Nakiri family who need help."
"Then what conditions do you require to assist the Nakiri family?"
"The vice-president position and the chef role at Totsuki Academy—that's all I need," Akira replied.
"And Erina?"
"...Miss Nakiri needs me, not the other way around. You can ask her yourself for specifics."
Akira did not reveal anything—Where even he was trying to find out how does she know or can it.
Senzaemon Nakiri fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally said, "I'll let you control 80% of the shares, but I have one condition."
Akira paused his step, as he asked calmly, "Please say"
"Drive away Nakiri Azuchi and ensure Erina's safety," Nakiri Senzaemon stated firmly.
"Okay," Akira agreed.
"I'll have someone send the documents over…"
"Give them to Haruno Yukinoshita. She understands this better than I do."
"You and Mrs. Yukinoshita…"
"As, I said it's not that I need Mrs. Nakiri. She needs me," Akira clarified.
After hanging up, he called Yukinoshita Haruno, who picked up the called very quickly, and explained the situation.
Haruno smiled faintly upon hearing it.
"Akira, this is a great opportunity to take control of Totsuki Academy...But I guess you're hesitant to let the eldest daughter of the Nakiri family become ordinary."
"You are even thinking kicking the Nakiri family out—even Mrs. Yukinoshita might not dare do that. And Mrs. Nakiri needs me, and this bargaining chip is enough," Akira said slowly.
"Can you really cure the side effects of the Divine Tongue?" Haruno asked, low, calm but their was a hinted of expectation.
"I can try"
When she heard this, Haruno recalled the meteor shower incident, smiling faintly on the other side.
"Anyway, I'll wait for you to return," she said softly, "I miss you a little," Haruno's voice, gentle.
"When you come back, I'll give you a whole day for dating and shopping…"
"Dating and shopping are boring. I want you to stay with me all day and night not go out!"
"Do you want to compete with me?" Akira asked amused but also intrigued.
"This time, I'll definitely win," Haruno said, her lips curl up turning into mischievous smile.
After a few more words, Akira ended the call, pocketed his phone, and walked toward the Service club, pondering a question.
Could Erina Nakiri reveal the system to others?
If so, the system might be too vulnerable —
Also how does she knows about it! And if she knows that he had the system that why was she so shocked when he first spoke about it. What connection does she had with the system!
What is the system trying to do...
{T/N: O_o}
.....
At the same time — elsewhere,
A car from Totsuki Academy drove down the road.
Erina Nakiri received a call from Senzaemon Nakiri.
"Why do you need Akira?" he asked, the question that was bucking him.
"Because…" Erina subconsciously wanted to tell him about the system, but at that moment, her consciousness seemed to freeze.
All sound disappeared; she could not speak or move.
Erina realized instantly that the system did not want others to know.
When the thought crossed her mind, everything around her was restored.
"Why?" Nakiri Senzaemon asked.
"Because… I like him," Erina answered, her voice steady.
...
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Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,853