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There's no such thing as a free lunch. Equivalent exchange makes perfect sense.
Paying with fat to get an equal weight of food is simply a godsend for countless people trying to lose weight.
Unfortunately, Fujiwara Chika was unwilling.
"One hundred percent no!"
The pink-haired girl tightly covered her chest with both hands, unable to help but complain: "It's not useless fat! When I get married and have a baby, the baby will starve without fat, won't it?"
You're thinking too far ahead! Let's get through this immediate hurdle first!
"Fujiwara, calm down. Tension and panic will only affect your judgment," Shinomiya Kaguya said calmly, her pretty face showing no emotional fluctuations. She continued in a steady tone, "We cannot buy food; we can only exchange for it. Currently, the least costly way to exchange seems to be with blood..."
After Shinomiya Kaguya finished speaking, she looked at the gloating hooded man not far away: "If I'm not mistaken, that's what he did."
Fujiwara Chika blinked, her expression hesitant: "Like donating blood?"
"Exactly."
"Then we can try..." Fujiwara Chika stammered, "I've donated blood once before, and it hurt so much, tears even came out. Kaguya-chan, have you ever donated blood?"
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki silently looked at Shinomiya Kaguya's head.
A line of text quietly appeared.
"Sorry, I've never experienced it even once. I'm afraid of needles, afraid of needles, afraid of needles... I'm super scared when I see needles, and I hate injections the most!"
Saying super rational things with a cold expression like the ice and snow on a mountaintop, yet her inner emotional changes are so rich. Is this the legendary 'tsundere'?
No.
It should be called 'character breakdown'.
Amamiya Natsuki suddenly had a new idea.
If only we could bring pets.
If I brought a cow in, I could pass the test in minutes. Fresh blood is allowed, so fresh milk should also be considered food... Too bad Fujiwara couldn't do it.
As they spoke, a Ghost Girl with black hair covering her face and a school uniform stained with blood walked over.
"Step back, step back."
Fujiwara Chika quickly grabbed Amamiya Natsuki's sleeve and pulled him aside.
The Ghost Girl's target wasn't Amamiya Natsuki and his two companions. She lowered her head, approached the food counter, extended her right hand, and handed over a white bone coin. She received a plate of pork chop rice bowl with unknown ingredients from the window, then silently turned and walked to a corner to sit down.
This Ghost Girl's body seemed quite stiff. She clumsily picked up her chopsticks, grabbed an unknown piece of meat, but before she could bring it to her mouth, it clattered to the ground.
Under Amamiya Natsuki's gaze, a line of text suddenly appeared above the Ghost Girl's head:
["Danger, danger, danger. Good thing the Chef didn't see that, or I'd be dragged to the back kitchen as ingredients."]
"Shouldn't she tie her hair up before eating?" Fujiwara Chika couldn't help but mutter, "I really want to help her tie her hair up."
Amamiya Natsuki watched, and a bold idea suddenly sparked within him.
As long as you use the currency circulated in Haunted School, you can buy food, and it doesn't matter if you're human.
Players don't have money.
But these spirits in the Cafeteria definitely have money.
If that's the case, why not just take their money?
Plan confirmed!
"There's not much time left," Shinomiya Kaguya reminded, her tone calm. "We don't have the energy to worry about others right now."
"Even if Kaguya says that..." Fujiwara Chika looked distressed and pitiful. "They only gave us a stone bowl; it's not donating blood, it's making us bleed!"
"I do have an idea I want to test."
Amamiya Natsuki mused, then took a step towards the Ghost Girl.
"Eh?" Fujiwara Chika was startled. "What is Amamiya-kun going to do?"
Amamiya Natsuki waved his hand. "You'll know in a bit."
Walking up to the Ghost Girl, Amamiya Natsuki sat down directly beside her, extended his right hand, and spoke bluntly:
"Please give me hush money."
"Meow?"
The Ghost Girl, who was clumsily eating, looked up in confusion, gazing at Amamiya Natsuki.
What is this human saying?
Hush money?
Who gave him such audacity?
"You just dropped your food on the ground and didn't pick it up; instead, you kicked it away," Amamiya Natsuki said with a serious expression. "How dare you waste food in the Cafeteria? Hurry up and give me hush money, or I'll call the Chef over."
...
The Ghost Girl parted her hair with both hands, revealing a pair of hollow black eye sockets. Her face was pale and bloodless, and her voice was hoarse: "Foolish human, unless you know the Chef's name, he won't pay attention to you."
"I see," Amamiya Natsuki nodded. "Thank you for the guidance."
A wicked smile appeared on the Ghost Girl's face as she slowly leaned closer: "Foolish human, become my food!"
Amamiya Natsuki, without changing his expression, called out a name:
"Oink."
...
The smile on the Ghost Girl's face suddenly froze, and she opened her mouth in disbelief.
Amamiya Natsuki continued:
"Someone here is wasting..."
Before he could finish, the Ghost Girl's body trembled, and she quickly put her hands together: "I'm sorry, I'm terribly sorry, please forgive me."
The Chef usually doesn't come out of the Cafeteria's back kitchen, but every time he does, he brings terror. He hates people who waste food the most. Once he finds someone wasting food, he'll drag them into the back kitchen to be used as reserve ingredients.
So, the Ghost Girl in front of him decisively chickened out.
Even as a Spirit, she didn't want to be turned into reserve ingredients.
"Me, hush money, give me money."
Amamiya Natsuki extended his right hand unceremoniously.
Is bullying Spirits against the law?
Of course not.
...
The Ghost Girl's black hair swayed as she reluctantly pulled out a bone coin and offered it with both hands.
Amamiya Natsuki took the coin. He felt it was cool to the touch. Although it was made of bone, it felt delicate and smooth, like jade.
"Is this all your hush money?"
Amamiya Natsuki held the coin, dissatisfied.
You only give one coin? Who are you looking down on?!
"I'm sorry," the Ghost Girl became even more aggrieved, almost crying. "I only have this much money on me."
She only had enough money for her last meal, which was truly heartbreaking to hear.
Seeing the text ["There's really nothing left"] appear above this Ghost Girl's head, Amamiya Natsuki pocketed the coin and stood up to leave.
"Um..." Fujiwara Chika, who had been eavesdropping with her ears perked up, clutched her chest and whispered, "It feels like a delinquent extorting pocket money from a little girl"
Such a large Spirit, how could she be a little girl?
Amamiya Natsuki looked over expressionlessly: "Fujiwara, it's time to donate blood."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Fujiwara Chika quickly apologized, knowing that a wise person adapts to circumstances.
"It can be done like this?" Shinomiya Kaguya pursed her pink lips, thinking rapidly. "That old player said before that every Game scenario has hidden rules for passing. Is the hidden rule for the Cafeteria to trade with Spirit students?"
"There was no trade from beginning to end," Fujiwara Chika couldn't help but retort. "Clearly, only Amamiya-kun was bullying the Spirit; that girl was even crying!"
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