The Shokugeki lasted a little over an hour. Most of the time was spent with the participants busily cooking, while the three judges used about five minutes to give their comments after tasting the dishes.
Finally, the judges determined the winner of the Shokugeki.
After briefly exchanging pleasantries with the other two judges, Sonoka hurriedly approached Ren, who was waiting in the spectator seats.
Together, Sonoka and Ren walked toward the parking lot. "Sorry, Ren-kun, it must've been boring just watching, right?"
She felt guilty for making her young lover wait. Sonoka assumed Ren must have been bored by such an event.
"Not boring at all. Watching Sonoka work was actually quite enjoyable."
Ren flashed a hypocritical smile, so perfect it could deceive anyone. As he spoke, he wrapped his arm around the older woman's slender waist, pulling her slightly closer.
"Ren-kun, people are watching…" Sonoka stammered, her face instantly flushing red.
With her gentle and highly polite personality, she was embarrassed to display affection in public, especially feeling the fleeting glances of the students around them.
"That's just your imagination, Sonoka. The students at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy aren't that interested in romance. In their minds, cooking is everything. You should know this better than me."
"I suppose you're right."
Hearing Ren's rhetoric, Sonoka mustered the courage to observe her surroundings.
Sure enough, the students around them only spared a glance before returning to their heated discussions about recipes or the latest cooking techniques.
For most students at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, romance or trivial gossip wasn't worth their attention. Their primary focus was singular: honing their cooking skills to the peak.
"Wow… This is the first time I've seen a couple being affectionate in person."
A whisper of awe came from a blonde female student, her eyes fixed on Ren and Sonoka.
"But… Isn't that guy a few years younger than the woman? Is this what they call a sugar mommy?" A crease appeared on her pretty forehead.
"Erina-sama? What are you looking at?" Another voice, more formal and disciplined, sounded from behind her. Hisako, her personal assistant, approached.
"Nothing!"
Erina—the tsundere blonde girl—quickly turned her face away, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
"Let's go, Hisako. My schedule is very busy!"
"Understood, Erina-sama."
Without asking further, Hisako promptly followed Erina's brisk pace.
"Phew…"
The tsundere girl let out a sigh of relief after successfully diverting her assistant's attention. The sight of Ren and Sonoka being so intimate on campus had left an unexpected impression on her, reminding her of the shoujo manga she secretly read.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Parking area.
"Sonoka, let me drive." Ren said suddenly, looking at Sonoka with a reassuring smile.
"Eh? But Ren-kun doesn't have a driver's license…" Sonoka hesitated, weighing the risks and rules.
"It'll be fine. Trust me, okay?" Ren pressed, his gaze convincingly earnest.
"Alright." Sonoka finally relented under Ren's persuasion.
She handed him the car keys, and they both got into the vehicle.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Ren started the engine. The soft roar of the car's engine filled the parking lot before it smoothly pulled out of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.
Soon, the car was cruising steadily on the busy highway.
"Sonoka, do you have any free time? Want to go on a date?" Ren asked, glancing at Sonoka beside him.
"Uhm… Sorry, Ren-kun." Sonoka looked uncomfortable rejecting the date invitation, her face showing a hint of guilt. "I have to get back to the restaurant."
"I see. Okay, I won't force you. But… give me some compensation." A meaningful, faint smile curled on his lips.
"What kind of compensation does Ren-kun want?" Sonoka asked, slightly confused by the unexpected request.
Ren leaned closer to Sonoka's ear, whispering something lengthy and detailed.
"…?!?!?!"
Sonoka's expression changed drastically. Her face turned bright red like a boiled shrimp, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"That's dangerous, Ren-kun! What if we get into an accident? Can't you ask for something else? Please~"
She pleaded, her voice trembling with embarrassment and panic at Ren's depraved request inside the moving car on a busy road.
"Don't forget I'm a Campione." Ren said casually, his eyes still focused on the road. "As long as I'm driving, unless I intend it, an accident is impossible."
"Still, it's embarrassing…"
Sonoka remained reluctant, her face still flushed. Though Ren's persuasion sounded logical to her—a Campione was indeed beyond reason—her embarrassment was stronger.
"Please, Sonoka! This is my lifelong request!" Ren begged, using the clichéd line he often employed.
"Ren-kun has said that line multiple times." Sonoka replied with a tired but amused tone.
It wasn't the first time Ren had used that tactic on her. Initially, she had often given in and indulged her boyfriend's perverse acts because of that line.
"No deal?"
Ren suddenly turned to Sonoka, his eyes glistening like an abandoned puppy's—a look utterly at odds with his usual depravity.
"Ren-kun, that's unfair…"
Sonoka sighed, unable to resist his gaze. Finally, she nodded slowly, giving in.
"Yay! You're the best, Sonoka!" Ren cheered gleefully, focusing back on the road.
"Ren-kun! Watch the road!" Sonoka scolded, her heart racing from both shock and embarrassment.
"Haaa…"
Letting out a resigned sigh, Sonoka's face still red, she slowly leaned down. Her trembling hands reached for Ren's pants zipper, carefully pulling it down.
"Mhm~"
A moan escaped her lips as Ren's intimate part came into view. Without hesitation, though with slight awkwardness, Sonoka opened her mouth. Slowly, she enveloped the warmth and began moving.
"Gulp… Slurp… Nnnh… Haa…"
Her movements were gentle, cautious, but grew increasingly rhythmic. The faint sound of sucking filled the car, mingling with Ren's stifled moans.
Sonoka occasionally glanced up, ensuring Ren stayed focused on driving, but her hands never stopped gripping firmly, guiding each up-and-down motion. The busy road seemed an ironic backdrop to the hidden activity inside the car.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"I'm home."
Ren opened the door, and Hayasaka was already waiting for him.
"Welcome back, Ren-sama. Dinner first? Bath first? Or me~?" Hayasaka asked in a teasing tone, then slowly spun around, revealing she was wearing only a naked apron.
Nothing was beneath the thin fabric. As her back came into view, her round, firm buttocks were clearly visible.
"You know how to please me, Ai. Of course, I choose you." Ren smiled, satisfied with his maid's welcome.
He was all set to fuck Hayasaka at the door, but his phone suddenly rang, interrupting his plans.
"Wait a sec, Ai."
Ren clicked his tongue, annoyed at the interruption of his intimate moment. He grabbed his phone from his sling bag.
"Hm? Alice? It's rare for her to call me. First time, isn't it?"
Recalling the frail noblewoman he met in England, Ren answered the call.
"Hello, Alice. How's it going?"
"Thanks for worrying about my condition, Lord Ren. As usual, nothing's changed." Came a melodious female voice from the phone's speaker.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka, with high initiative, began her service. Crouching in front of Ren, she deftly pulled down her master's pants and started providing special service with her mouth. Her movements were calm and skilled, showcasing her experience.
"Hisss…"
Ren's free left hand gripped Hayasaka's head, guiding it back and forth, savoring the thrilling sensation of the new game.
"Lord Ren? I hear a sucking sound. Am I calling while you're eating?" Alice faintly caught the odd noise from the other end.
"You could say that." Ren replied casually, as if nothing was amiss. "By the way, what's the purpose of your call?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ren pushed Hayasaka's head to take him deeper, his member reaching her throat, while he continued his conversation with Alice.
"Oh, I just wanted to remind Lord Ren that the Prime War is coming soon."
There was no urgency in Alice's tone, as if it were a trivial matter.