In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
Now seven years old, Satoshi Oda found himself seated at the back of a classroom near the window in one of Tokyo's most prestigious elementary schools.
Not by choice, of course.
It had taken an unholy alliance between Sae Chabashira and his parents to get him enrolled here. After that night three years ago, Sae had somehow embedded herself in the Oda household — first as a "concerned guardian," then as something of an older sister figure, much to Satoshi's amusement.
"This school nurtures elite minds," Sae had said with folded arms and that usual deadpan expression. "You're too smart to waste your time in some public classroom solving single-digit math."
Naturally, Satoshi disagreed. He didn't need school. But eventually, he relented — partially out of boredom, and partially because Sae said she'd pay the full tuition herself.
At least the uniform looked decent.
And thanks to Noir, his fox-like cursed spirit, any time Satoshi wanted to skip classes, he could — with nobody the wiser due to her abilities to manipulate perception.
Simply the best little thing he could ask for.
But today, he chose to stay because of the girl who sat beside him.
It was his friend he made a year ago, Erina Nakiri.
His system had told him to make a friend at his first day of school.
Seeing a familiar name, he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a friend who would not only be a beauty, but also an extremely good cook in the future.
Thus, he stayed in school today due to him noticing a little problem with her.
Erina was already infamous at the age of seven — the daughter of a culinary dynasty, bearer of the "God Tongue," and the kind of girl other children either admired from afar or avoided entirely.
Their friendship had started on one rainy afternoon in first grade.
The teacher had asked the kids to pair up for an activity, but Erina had been left partnerless — not because no one wanted to, but because no one dared. Her icy demeanor scared most kids away.
Satoshi, bored and mildly curious, walked up and sat beside her without asking.
She blinked. "Excuse me, this seat is—"
"Empty," he replied simply, placing his notebook down.
Her eyes narrowed. "Do you even know who I am?"
"You're Erina. Your handwriting's nice," he said, not even looking up.
That threw her off. Just slightly.
Most kids would freeze up under her gaze. But this boy… he didn't seem affected at all. It wasn't confidence, either — it was like he genuinely couldn't care less.
"What's your name?" she asked suspiciously.
"Satoshi."
She gave a soft "hmph," but said nothing more.
For the rest of the class, they sat side by side, working in silence.
The next day, he sat beside her again.
And the day after that.
It wasn't until a week later that things shifted.
During lunch, Satoshi placed a wrapped bento box on her desk.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Food, what else? Try it or don't."
Erina hesitated. Her pride screamed at her to decline, but something about his nonchalance — his complete lack of pressure — made her curious.
One bite. That's all it took.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Where did you get this?"
"At a Diner. The chef's good."
"…It's acceptable," she muttered, already reaching for a second piece.
From that day forward, their little friendship bloomed.
To anyone watching, they weren't quite friends. But they weren't strangers either, especially since Satoshi seemed to be the only person keeping her company.
Present day—
The classroom buzzed quietly as students settled into their seats.
Satoshi sat by the window, cheek resting in his palm, silver eyes half-lidded as he watched petals drift by outside.
Beside him, Erina took her seat with noticeably less energy than usual.
Her perfect posture remained, but her eyes seemed a little duller, her lips pressed in a thin line.
Satoshi glanced at her.
For the past few days, he had noticed this shift — the gloom behind her eyes, the mechanical way she responded to things, the tight grip she had on her pencil during class.
It was why he decided to stay in school.
'Family issues,' he thought.
From what he recalled, Erina's father, Azami Nakiri, had always been a controlling figure, especially during her childhood.
For the past few days, her smile had faded almost entirely.
And it was likely because of him.
He didn't say anything. Not right away.
Instead, he reached over and lightly poked her cheek.
Erina flinched slightly. "What are you doing?"
"You're sulking," he said.
"I'm not."
"Mm. Liar."
She glanced away, her lips pressed thin. "It's nothing."
Satoshi didn't press her.
Instead, he opened his bag and pulled out a small paper box — sweets from Yukihira. Nothing extravagant. Just little honey cakes with a hint of cinnamon, warm and soft and a bit too sweet for someone with the God Tongue.
He placed it on her desk without a word.
Erina blinked. "What's this?"
"Bribery."
"For what?"
"To cheer up," he said lazily.
She hesitated.
Then, slowly, she opened the box and took one bite.
Silence.
"…It's too sweet," she said, her voice flat.
Satoshi arched a brow as she took another bite, slightly amused. Naturally, he knew she liked it as it was made by the chef she idolized, Joichiro, unbeknownst to her.
In the past, she had tasted one of his dishes and had instantly become one of his devout fans.
"Awful, huh?"
"The worst."
"How tragic. I'll inform the chef."
"…Hmph." She harumphed as she took another bite.
She didn't look at him, but her shoulders loosened and her gaze softened.
Outside, the wind shifted, carrying the soft flutter of cherry blossoms past the window like falling snow.
Beside her, Satoshi let his eyes drift shut again, the quiet hum of the classroom fading into the background.
'Should I just kill her father?' he mused casually.
It wasn't a malicious thought — more like a passing suggestion.
He exhaled softly as he shook his head.
'No, that's a bit excessive. I haven't killed any humans in this life yet… just a few curses here and there.'
He sighed. 'Besides, it might only make things worse. No matter how twisted he is, he's still her father. Emotions don't just disappear with the problem.'
He leaned back in his seat slightly, glancing at Erina from the corner of his eye.
'I guess I can try visiting her house as a friend.'
That seemed liked a better idea.
[New mission: Help out your friend!]
[Reward: Culinary talent + high grade recipe]
A chime rang in his head.
'Great timing.'