The Door of My Bathroom Leads to the Comic World!

"Is it really the same quality as yesterday's cabbage?" Erina repeated, her tone uncertain.

"Of course," Sui affirmed confidently.

Erina hesitated before announcing, "Fine, I'll go take a look!" Her usual arrogance faltered, and curiosity took over.

Sui chuckled to himself, amused by her reaction. "Hold on a second," he said, heading back to his room. He retrieved a creamy matsutake mushroom from his system space and returned to Erina's room.

"Here, if you come along with me, I'll give you two of these." He held out the matsutake, its rich, creamy scent filling the air.

Erina's eyes widened. "What?! It's so... rich!" She was visibly surprised as she leaned in, her eyes fixed on the mushroom, the creamy aroma enticing her senses. It was the first time she had ever seen a matsutake of such high quality.

"Well? What do you think?" Sui asked with a smirk.

Erina, her cheeks slightly flushed, averted her gaze, pretending to be uninterested. "Alright then, but let's be clear: you're the one inviting me. I don't usually attend gatherings with common folk." Her tone remained haughty, but her facade was cracking.

"Sure, whatever you say, Miss," Sui replied with a sigh. 'So stubborn…'

With that, the two of them headed toward the Polar Star Dormitory together.

---

As they walked, Erina couldn't hold back any longer. "Wait a second, are we really going to that dormitory?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Yeah, Polar Star Dormitory," Sui answered casually.

"Polar Star Dormitory?!" Erina exclaimed. "Do you even realize how far that is? It takes at least 40 minutes to walk there!" 

Sui shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it."

Erina gritted her teeth in frustration. Normally, she was chauffeured around by Hisako, but calling her now would just raise unwanted questions. 'Fine', she thought, 'I'll endure it for the sake of those ingredients.'

Forty long minutes later, they finally arrived at Polar Star Dormitory. Erina, unused to such exertion, felt a dull ache in her feet.

Sui rang the doorbell. After a moment, Megumi Tadokoro opened the door, her face lighting up when she saw him. "Sui-kun, you're finally here!" she said excitedly, ushering them in.

"Thanks," Sui replied, stepping inside and finding the usual crew gathered in the common area—Isshiki, Yūki Yoshino, and the others.

Isshiki smiled warmly, his eyes squinting as usual. "So you're the new transfer student, right? We've heard a lot about you. Welcome to tonight's banquet."

"You're the one who got top marks in all your classes, right?" Yoshino Yūki and Ryōko Sakaki looked at him curiously.

Yukihira Sōma laughed. "Haha, looks like someone else around here's got some serious skills. Welcome!"

"Thanks," Sui said, turning back to the door. Erina was still standing outside, hesitant. 

"Hey, come on in," he called out.

"I'm coming, stop nagging!" she grumbled, stepping in reluctantly.

"Someone else is here?" Megumi asked, surprised. "Is she your roommate?"

Sui chuckled. "In a way. I felt bad for leaving her alone, so I brought her along. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Isshiki replied with a smile. "The more, the merrier."

"Don't act like you're doing me a favor!" Erina retorted, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I only came because of the ingredients!"

Sui could only sigh at her stubbornness.

The others, however, quickly recognized her. "Wait... isn't that Miss Erina?" Megumi gasped, while Yoshino and the others covered their mouths in shock.

Erina, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention, blushed deeply and mumbled, "Hello, everyone."

Sōma's eyes widened in recognition. "Hey, aren't you that girl from earlier?"

Erina's stomach dropped as she realized who was speaking. Oh no... it's him! She had hoped never to see Yukihira Sōma again, and here he was, grinning like it was some great coincidence.

"Haha, what are the odds we'd run into each other again!" Sōma laughed heartily.

Ugh! Why is this happening? Erina thought angrily, silently wishing the night would end as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, Megumi gasped. "Wait... Is Erina-sama really your roommate, Sui-kun?"

Before Sui could answer, Erina jumped up, flustered. "That's not true! We're not living together! I just ran into him on the way here!"

She couldn't let people think that the esteemed God's Tongue was sharing a living space with a boy—it would be a disaster for the Nakiri family's reputation!

"Oh, I see," Megumi sighed with relief. "Still, it's surprising. You two seem like good friends."

Isshiki tilted his head, studying Sui. "So, Sui-kun, where exactly do you live?"

"Ah, near the top of the mountain," Sui replied thoughtfully.

"Near the top?" Isshiki mused. "Isn't that where the Nakiri estate is?"

Before Sui could respond, Erina stepped on his foot, her expression strained. "Actually, there are a few student dorms there as well," she interjected quickly, her smile stiff.

Q_Q, her heart cried silently.

"Is that so?" Isshiki smiled, letting it slide. "Well, come on in, everyone. The banquet's about to start."

As they entered, Zenji Marui's voice groaned from the back of the room. "Can you all stop using my room for meetings?"

"No can do!" Yoshino declared. "Your room's the biggest!"

"And don't worry, we'll clean up afterward!" Daigo Aoki promised, though his words lacked credibility.

Before Marui could protest further, he noticed Erina standing among them. His demeanor shifted instantly. "E-Erina-sama, p-please come in! Sorry for the humble state of my room!"