Chapter 432: Erina Stays the Night
If Erina and Shirou had only gotten together due to a momentary impulse of adolescent youth, and were destined to break up sooner or later due to their different social statuses and values, the interest groups wouldn't have cared much.
However, neither the pure-hearted Erina nor Shirou were like that. Shirou's choice was made after he had experienced and understood the nature of his current existence, acting in accordance with his own heart. In the realm of marriage, "unequal social status" is usually the biggest red flag for outsiders.
Initially, while they were in school, things were fine. They were surrounded by peers, and the opinions of adults—who obsessed over social standing—as well as the gossip from the outside world, were effectively shielded by the school walls. Until graduation, they were protected within the small world of Totsuki Academy. Even when they faced challenges from outsiders, the conflicts were judged purely by culinary skill. Plus, the elder of the Nakiri family was very open-minded, and Shirou's cooking skills were indeed worthy of the Nakiri family, so those who disapproved didn't dare say much.
But after graduation, Shirou refused the recruitment offers from the Nakiri Group and did not accept offers from other major global corporations that held even more influence. Instead, he participated in international culinary competitions, racking up titles and prize money. He used that money, along with the proceeds from selling patents for his new culinary inventions, to open his own small canteen.
Any chef with a bit of ambition would likely look down on such a "salted fish" (lazy/mediocre) shop. Furthermore, as a global catering conglomerate, how could the Nakiri Group allow their own young lady, the General Manager of Totsuki, to marry into such a small, insignificant place?
"Erina... Young Lady...!" Hisako screamed; she had failed to stop the Young Lady from spilling the beans!
"Why do you care so much about other people's opinions? Even if we don't get married and just live together, isn't it nice enough to be free and at ease just like this?" Shirou said with nonchalance, like an enlightened, Zen-youth.
"I don't want that! I had it all planned out back when I was at Totsuki. Free love, then marriage. I want to be in a church wearing a wedding dress, exchanging rings, and sharing a vow-kiss. I want to have three children, too!" Erina, in a frenzy, grabbed Shirou's head from the side and shouted directly into his ear.
"I know, I know. I'll try my best for your sake, Erina." Shirou rubbed his buzzing ears, but he certainly understood Erina's passion now.
"Humph, that's better!" Erina crossed her arms and looked away, though her face was as red as an apple.
"Alright, alright." Shirou comforted her, pulling her into his arms. As a young man content with living a low-key, "salted fish" life, he didn't care about others' perceptions, but it was different for those around him.
"Then tell me, what are you going to do from now on?" Erina asked, leaning her head against Shirou's chest.
"Well, since we've made a promise, I suppose I'll take it seriously for once." Shirou put away his "dead-fish eyes," his gaze turning as hot and red as molten steel in a furnace. After all, his girlfriend had the perfect figure, beauty, and wealth—she was truly exceptional. Naturally, there were no shortage of people eyeing her. It wasn't as if Shirou hadn't tried in the past; he simply used shokugeki to crush those who came to provoke him or get in his way, driving them back home.
Erina secretly looked up at Shirou's profile. Her heart hammered; whenever this usually laid-back guy got serious, it was incredibly heart-fluttering.
Although the world loves to sing praises of "pursuing dreams" and inspirational stories where "a pheasant flies up to the branch to become a phoenix," even when the pheasant becomes a phoenix, there is still a hierarchy of contempt against "phoenix men" (men who marry into wealth) in the world of the naturally noble beasts. Even those with ordinary backgrounds recognize this to some degree. Of course, one can't blame them for being snobbish; it's a common psychological trait in human nature.
Most people might say they don't believe in lineage theories and love the "grassroots hero who rose from the bottom," but they also dislike the crude, cunning, stingy, and cold-blooded sides of historical figures like Liu Bang or Zhu Yuanzhang. People prefer the bold, charismatic rich公子 (young masters) who toss gold for their friends and value loyalty. Deep down, people are more willing to accept stories like "The Ugly Duckling" or "The Frog Prince."
In many novels and manga, the protagonist appears to have an ordinary background, but later, it's revealed they have an extraordinary father or mother with high status. Otherwise, their "cheat-level" talent feels unconvincing, and their ability to show off lacks prestige. The Ugly Duckling became a swan because it was a swan to begin with; the frog became a prince because he was a prince to begin with.
People say "everyone has their use" and "all men are born equal," but there is also the saying that "people gather in groups." The wealth gap in society is widening, and the barrier between the poor and the rich is becoming more obvious—that is reality. Even if one doesn't want to admit it, people really do have different levels of natural talent, and the influence of genetics exists—and it's much greater than imagined. What's more terrifying is the accumulated background of generations, the environment one grows up in, the moral cultivation fostered, and the level of education received, all of which affect the trajectory of a person's life.
It is true that some complete a "counter-attack," just as there are cases of genetic mutation in nature. But just think: those born into famous families grow up in circles where everyone is an
elite. From their fathers and grandfathers, they have accumulated vast networks. They are surrounded by high-ranking people in every industry, dealing with the same circles, and reaching a mutual understanding of helping one another. This makes them invincible when they enter society. One could say that as long as they don't self-destruct, there is almost no reason for them to fail. If their conduct and character are also good, they are the definition of a "Prince Charming."
Compared to those born in poverty who must rely solely on themselves, the ratio of such people becoming successful is overwhelmingly disproportionate.
However... many forget another fact: time is fluid. Today's noble family could be tomorrow's downfall. History is written through such repetitive changes, and society develops through one revolution after another. Bringing about change will never be the job of those who are the vested interests of the time. The most ordinary, oppressed person—the one looked down upon by the mainstream—might be the brave soul who leads the transformation of the future.
Shirou wouldn't do things for fame or wealth, and he wouldn't care if he was looked down upon, but if it were for her...
Shirou placed the used tableware into the sink, cleaned it nimbly, and wiped his hands. "It's getting late, so let's stop here for today. Let's go rest."
"Eh?" Erina exclaimed in surprise.
"Didn't you say you wanted to stay?" Shirou looked at her and said with a light smile.
Shirou opened the back door of the restaurant, which led directly to the backyard of a quaint residence. The main building was five or six times the size of the small canteen—slightly larger than the Emiya residence of his previous life—and this was Shirou's current home.
This world truly placed high importance on the culinary profession; those who studied cooking were as sought after as medical specialists. The prize money for culinary competitions was often very generous, and since he didn't need to hoard his secret recipes as selling points for his restaurant, he simply sold the patents for the new recipes he developed for a good price. Beyond the massive one-time patent transfer fee, he received annual dividends from snack food processing plants and chains.
When Shirou was choosing the shop, he found he had plenty of money left, so he simply bought the residence too. Living in a house that was too small was inconvenient; the Emiya-style house suited him better, so he bought an estate and built the shop by the back door. He only wanted a plain life, but his desire to make those around him happy never changed. In fact, even if Erina brought nothing with her, he could guarantee a life without worry. However, Erina had a strong sense of career and the personality of a queen who refused to be subordinate to anyone.
Shirou handed a key to Hisako. "Hisako, the building you're staying in is ready for you, too."
"Yes. Good night, Erina-sama, Shirou-sama," Hisako said, bowing.
"Wait! When did I say I wanted to sleep with you? Hisako, wait for me!" Erina said, heading toward the other building.
"Alright, alright." Shirou pulled her back and hugged her.
"Mmph! Mmm!" Erina wanted to say something, but Shirou blocked her lips. Her face turned bright red, her eyes widened, and their tongues intertwined like two pink snakes sliding and curling. Erina soon calmed down, going limp in his arms.
"Sure enough, your body is more honest, Erina." The young man licked his lips. It tasted like lemon—very sweet, he admitted honestly.
The blonde beauty wasn't bristling like she usually was. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Shirou, the crimson blush on her face hadn't faded, and her slightly parted lips were gasping for air; in the moonlight, she looked exceptionally charming and moving. Shirou felt a sudden heat, his gaze growing increasingly intense as he looked at the blushing blonde beauty in his arms.
"Wait!" Erina finally regained her senses. Too weak to break free, she tried desperately to hide her face, not daring to look toward Hisako.
Actually, she didn't need to worry; Hisako, having experienced similar things many times, had rich experience in dealing with this. She looked away, cheeks flushed, covered her ears, and hurried toward her quarters. See no evil, hear no evil! Otherwise, even if she lived in another house, she would be wide awake all night.
"Erina, look at me." Shirou pinched the blonde woman's chin and gently guided her to look back into his eyes. In this quiet space, accompanied only by moonlight, the young man and woman saw only each other's faces in their pupils.
"What is it..." Erina asked, unable to hold back anymore.
"I love you." Shirou said affectionately. It was true that he had experienced so much before this life, but since coming to this world, the person who had walked through ten years of life with him was the woman before him.
Perhaps the life he chose, the path of his life, was not a grand heroic journey, and probably wasn't the path of the "most happiness" that the Shirou sleeping in the universe would have hoped for. After he died, his life wouldn't be recorded. Until the day the world converged, the traces of this life would return to zero. But so what? This was the life and love he chose. As long as he was with this woman, he would die with a smile on his face—wasn't that enough? If it was for the sake of this woman, then why not fight for it!
"Mm..." Erina nodded and agreed in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Haha, then let's go back to the room!" A handsome arc appeared at the corner of Shirou's mouth, and he scooped up the blonde woman and ran into the main house.
"Kya~!" Erina let out a coy cry, and they dove into the blankets.
Asking now: why do the eyes of justice often have dark circles? It's probably because of staying up too late.
After a night of passion.
At 6:00 AM the next day, Shirou woke up from under the blankets by himself, not waking Erina beside him. The blonde woman was truly exhausted last night, and since she was usually very busy with her work as the General Manager of Totsuki Academy and rarely got a chance to rest, he let her sleep.
Shirou left the room on tiptoe, went outside to the small shop at the back door, and received the fresh ingredients delivered on schedule by the cooperative farm to prepare the thirty-something portions of nutritious breakfast for the morning customers.
By ten o'clock, Shirou was in the shop preparing for the lunch service.
"Shirou!!!" Just then, Erina, wearing a bathrobe, suddenly pushed the door open. She ran over nervously, not noticing that her clothes were messy—barely covering her private parts, revealing her magnificent chest, and exposing her snow-white thighs through the slit. Fortunately, the shop wasn't open yet, and no one else saw this display of spring scenery.
Shirou looked at the blonde woman with spirit, thinking to himself: Showing me such benefits in broad daylight? Are you trying to seduce me?
"Erina-sama! Clothes! Clothes! You're showing too much~!" Hisako chased after them in a panic, draping an outer coat over the young lady.
"Forget about that for a moment! Shirou! Turn on the TV quickly," Erina said loudly.
"What's wrong?" Shirou asked, slightly disappointed as he picked up the remote and turned on the TV hanging on the wall of the shop.
The TV was currently broadcasting a live press conference for the Chef's Grand Prix. On streets, alleyways, billboards, and televisions in electronics stores, this same scene was playing simultaneously.
At the same time, many channels on the television were airing the same program. In fact, broadcasters from various countries had sent onsite reporters to provide live tracking coverage.
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