"Hmm…"
Slowly setting down his chopsticks and pushing forward the half-eaten portion of fried pork curry rice, Yuu starts wondering if he should bring homemade lunch to school starting tomorrow.
Before summer break, his cooking skills were average, and he was too lazy to wake up early to prepare a bento, so he always relied on convenience stores or the cafeteria. After summer break, with cooking skills that could produce doping-like effects—possibly even glowing at perfection level—he's grown disdainful of the cafeteria's food quality…
Though the school cafeteria meets the standard of a small restaurant outside, after getting used to his own cooking, it's like playing a AAA game and then being unable to stomach mass-produced mobile IP games.
Having seen the sea, no other water compares; besides Mount Wu, there are no other clouds.—On this, Kasugano Sora said something similar:
"Cook more for dinner, and I'll reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day. After getting used to your cooking, aside from instant food, I don't want to eat any other takeout."
Beyond that easily misinterpreted statement, is this what they mean by "master a girl's stomach, and you master her heart"?
If so, maybe in the future, earning system rewards won't be so complicated. Just shove his homemade bento into the target's mouth…
"Alright, I'll bring a bento."
Quickly deciding, Yuu picks up his chopsticks again, intending to finish the curry rice first.
Just then, the cafeteria door grows noisy.
Over a dozen people pour in. Though not overly loud, their presence draws the eyes of nearly every student like a magnet, impossible to ignore.
The main reason, of course, is the silver-haired girl leading the group, the center of attention. Calling her hair silver might not be quite right—it's a bluish-silver, like stars scattered across the Rhine River, shimmering under the light.
(The rate of premature white… ahem, silver hair in this world is pretty high? My sister's one, Totsuka Saika's one, that underclassman who loves mapo tofu earlier, and now this flashy transfer student too.)
Dismissing his random thoughts, Yuu chews on the slightly soggy fried pork, watching the transfer student, escorted by her "entourage," crowd around the automated food ticket machine. Several people recommend the cafeteria's best dishes, and after choosing something, the group follows her to the food pickup counter.
"Poor thing…"
Yuu can't help but mutter, then takes another bite of the pork. With his sharp eyesight, it's not hard to see that the transfer student's smile is barely holding up. Her cheeks and brows twitch constantly, her friendly, sociable mask slowly cracking. Her bright, beautiful blue eyes are shadowed, gazing forward as if lamenting "I'm so desperate" to the air.
Clearly, she can't reject her classmates' enthusiasm and must maintain her image as a well-mannered, approachable good girl, landing her in this situation. For an ordinary high schooler without Haruno's social skills, being too popular only brings trouble.
A conversation from the next table comes right on cue.
"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that the half-foreign transfer student who arrived today?"
"For real? She's gorgeous… My friend said he wants to get to know her…"
"My friend's fine just looking."
"My friend's already washing his pants."
"Damn, before you guys finish talking, I'm cutting ties with you all first."
"Stop joking, let's be serious… Among all the second-year girls, probably only Yukinoshita Yukino can stand next to her, right?"
"Hahaha, you kidding? Yukinoshita Yukino's figure is way behind, you know?"
"Yeah… and that snow queen's hard to talk to, unlike Natsukawa-san, who's always smiling kindly at everyone."
"The second-year beauty queen ranking's gonna change…"
"Should we go talk to her later? Invite her to hang out after school!"
"Invite what? Someone like her is clearly out of our league. Just eat your rice."
So, the group, holding their bowls and chopsticks, gazes at Natsukawa Masuzu from afar with hungry wolf-like eyes, eating with great relish.
"No wonder you guys don't have girlfriends…" Yuu mutters, quickly losing interest in the transfer student and focusing on finishing his curry rice.
Soon after, the chair across from him is pulled out, and Yuigahama, her face clean with a bit of sweat on her forehead, sits down.
"Sorry, I'm late! It's all because of Yumiko, she—"
"It's fine, there's still time for lunch break." Yuu shrugs, noticing the untouched bento in her hand and raising an eyebrow. "What's up with that Double Pigtail Blonde now? She didn't let you eat lunch?"
"No, no, it's just hard to break away from them, and I didn't let them come along…" A wry smile appears on her round, cute face as Yuigahama speaks with a hint of resignation. "Also, don't call Yumiko Double Pigtail. She's my friend, you know."
"Just stating facts." Glancing at the table, Yuu stands, heads to the drink vending machine behind them, buys a can of Gintoki's favorite strawberry milk, and places it in front of her. "You didn't bring water?"
"Oh, I forgot…" Slightly parched from running, Yuigahama grabs the strawberry milk in surprise and delight but quickly sets it down, pulling out her wallet. "How much was it? I'll pay."
"Treat me next time." Yuu replies indifferently.
Her large, dewy, bright eyes look up, sneaking a glance at him before Yuigahama purses her lips, giggling foolishly and happily.
"Ehehe, got it~"
The expression feels so familiar that Yuu doesn't know what to say for a moment, so he continues eating his remaining curry rice.
Before opening her bento, Yuigahama bows to him, her expression turning serious and formal.
"Yuu-kun, I'm really sorry about this morning, and thank you for giving me a chance to apologize!"
His chopsticks pause. Yuu frowns, as if uncomfortable: "That's not your style. Did this morning's incident make you swap brains?"
"What the heck!" Yuigahama's face instantly pouts, her small mouth pursing as she grumbles. "I'm apologizing seriously, so of course I need to show the right attitude… Yuu-kun, you've always been like this, always picking on me."
"Your fault for being Yuigahama." Yuu rolls his eyes, showing unhidden disdain.
He thought that in their second year of high school, she'd have grown a bit, but this morning's incident told him—the ditzy pigtail girl is still ditzy at 17, with zero progress.
Oddly, despite his insults, Yuigahama strokes her hair with a flushed face, looking away as if shy.
"Tch, that's how it is~ Good to know."
"Good to know what? I'm not complimenting you."
Yuu sighs, massaging his forehead.