That evening after the physical examination, Lucian's home was bustling with energy.
This time, he hadn't invited anyone else.
"Ah~" Urara downed her drink in one go. "This is so delicious! Urara wants two bottles!"
"Don't drink too much, Urara, or you won't have room for food later."
Haru Urara rubbed her belly. "Don't worry, Trainer! I can eat a lot!"
Lucian chuckled and said nothing more, heading back into the kitchen.
"Lucian-kun, let me help you," Silence Suzuka said, standing up.
Seiun Sky took a sip of her drink, deep in thought. "Trainer, I'll help too."
Before Lucian could respond, both of them had already entered the kitchen.
The kitchen wasn't very spacious to begin with, and now it felt even more cramped.
"You two can wait outside. I'll be done soon."
"Trainer, I just want to help," Seiun Sky said, glancing at Silence Suzuka. "Same as Suzuka."
Seiun Sky didn't actually hold any hostility toward Silence Suzuka.
"Then how about this—once I'm done cooking, you two can help carry the dishes out and set the table. Sound good?"
"No problem~"
"Okay."
...
This time, Lucian didn't prepare hotpot for their team bonding.
For five people, he made six dishes and one soup: pork rib and radish soup, green pepper with lychee pork, dry pot cauliflower, salt-and-pepper dragonhead fish, steamed meat with egg, "Golden Jade Full Hall" (a dish of corn and peas), and home-style tofu.
They were all homely dishes, but with Lucian's careful plating, each one looked exceptionally appetizing.
"Wow! It smells amazing~" Urara sniffed the air.
Special Week stared at the dishes, already swallowing her saliva.
"Dig in, everyone," Lucian said, sitting down beside Silence Suzuka. He pointed at the golden dragonhead fish. "That one's best eaten soon, or it won't taste as good once it cools."
"Let's eat!" x4
Since Lucian said so, the salt-and-pepper dragonhead fish was the first dish to be wiped clean.
"Mmm... this is seriously delicious!" Spe-chan's glossy lips were still chewing as her chopsticks reached for another dish.
Haru Urara wasn't about to fall behind either. "Spe-chan, save some for me!"
Seeing how much everyone enjoyed his cooking, Lucian felt deeply satisfied.
"Trainer, you can't reach this, right? Here."
Lucian was focused on eating when Seiun Sky, sitting across from him, scooped a spoonful of corn and peas for him.
"Thanks."
Lucian didn't mind at all.
Watching Lucian eat the food she'd served him, Seiun Sky let out a soft laugh.
"Lu—Lucian-kun! This meat is really good too!"
Silence Suzuka picked up a piece of meat with trembling chopsticks and placed it into Lucian's bowl.
For her, this was clearly a monumental effort.
Without Seiun Sky's provocation, Silence Suzuka might never have mustered the courage to do something like this.
"Ah, thanks." Lucian accepted it without hesitation—of course, he already knew how it tasted.
"Hmm..." Seiun Sky playfully held her chopsticks between her lips for a moment, then gave Silence Suzuka a teasing look.
Silence Suzuka felt her gaze and looked up.
The moment their eyes met, Silence Suzuka panicked.
Sh-she wouldn't... use those chopsticks to feed Lucian, would she...?
This was a path Silence Suzuka had never even considered.
But now, in the midst of that cracked earth, a well had suddenly been dug.
Silence Suzuka's breathing trembled slightly.
Yet unlike before, this time it carried a hint of "joy" , even if just a tiny spark of excitement.
"Trainer, you can't reach this either, right?" Seiun Sky picked up a piece of cauliflower.
Silence Suzuka's world seemed to mute itself. Her nervous heart felt like an actor waiting for their grand entrance.
It was her turn...
A justified, legitimate...
Ind-indirect... k-kiss.
"I can reach it." Lucian stretched his arm across Silence Suzuka's line of sight and effortlessly picked up a piece of cauliflower. "You two should focus on eating. If you don't hurry, Spe-chan and Urara will finish everything."
"Fine~" Seiun Sky withdrew her chopsticks and resumed eating.
Meanwhile, a bucket of cold water doused Silence Suzuka's flames.
But it didn't matter. As long as the embers remained, they could always reignite.
...
"So full, so full... but I still want more!" Urara rubbed her belly, leaning against the wall with a blissful expression.
"Being full is enough. We've got training next week."
"Trainer, can't training be a little easier from now on?" Urara asked.
"Wasn't Thursday and Friday's training already lighter than Wednesday's?"
"It was lighter than Wednesday's, but Urara means... is there even lighter training?"
"There is, Urara-chan, there is. There's 'lighter' training."
...
"The radish in this soup is way too good."
Special Week's belly had long since shyly peeked out from under her clothes.
But that didn't stop her from continuing to eat.
"Spe-chan... more like 'Spe-chubby' now," Lucian remarked.
"Trainer-san, mmm... how could you say that?!"
Though she pouted in protest, it didn't stop her from holding onto her bowl and chopsticks.
"Chubby-chub, you've got your debut race next week. Don't let your weight suddenly spike," Lucian reminded her kindly.
"It's fine, Trainer-san. Just one meal won't hurt... and don't call me chubby!"
Lucian figured she was right—one meal probably wouldn't make a difference.
"What about Seiun Sky and Suzuka? Are you two full?"
"I'm full. Thanks for the meal." Seiun Sky wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Lucian-sensei's cooking really lives up to the rumors. I'd love to come over for meals every day."
Thinking she was joking, Lucian replied, "Sure, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks."
Seiun Sky smiled mysteriously.
But Lucian was more curious about the rumors. Just as he was about to ask, Silence Suzuka spoke up. "What about me?"
"Of course you can come too. Just let me know in advance if you want to eat here."
Silence Suzuka nodded.
"Seiun Sky, what were those rumors you mentioned earlier? Mind sharing?" Lucian asked.
"It's just stuff Grass Wonder and the others have been spreading around the school—saying it's five-star quality, the best food in the world, that eating it makes you want to scream 'Aaaah!' like a battle cry, that it makes you want to rip your clothes off, that people would pay a fortune for just one bite... stuff like that."
Seiun Sky paused. "I don't usually eat spicy food, but that lychee pork really did make me want to take my clothes off."
"Exaggerated." Lucian's lips twitched at the increasingly absurd rumors.
"I thought so too at first, but after tasting it, I don't think so anymore. Trainer, you're amazing."
"Haha, you're welcome to come again next time."