After arriving at the shopping district with the girls, we decided to split up, since there were so many people and we'd need a lot of ingredients.
Perhaps it was to reassure a certain unlucky girl who was becoming increasingly convinced something was off, or perhaps it was to keep an eye on companions whose intentions were just as suspicious. In the end, Fuuka and I ended up in the same group.
"...It feels like Haruna set me up."
After we'd been apart from the others for a while, the furrow in Fuuka's brow suddenly relaxed, and she spoke those words, catching me by surprise.
Thinking it over carefully, she looked at me with a troubled expression, seeking my agreement.
"If you really think about it, you can tell something isn't right, can't you? I didn't even do anything wrong this time..."
She sighed before forcing herself to smile apologetically at me.
"But ever since last time, when I said I'd treat you to a meal but only ended up causing you trouble, it's been bothering me the whole time."
I still remembered it vividly.
Fuuka had painstakingly prepared eighteen different dishes for me, every single one of them delicious.
The problem was...
There were eighteen dishes.
"After that, I thought about it seriously, and I realized something."
Fuuka spoke earnestly.
"Simply making more dishes isn't the right answer. So I want to use this rare opportunity today to show you what I've learned."
"But Haruna and the others are coming too."
I reminded her.
Given the Gourmet Research Society's average appetite and their obsession with food, if there wasn't enough in either quantity or variety...
"As for those troublemakers, I'll just deal with them along the way."
Fuuka clearly didn't want to dwell on such discouraging topics.
"Anyway, I think that if I'm cooking for Sensei, then it has to be something special. That's why I plan to buy some special ingredients today."
"Special ingredients?"
Fuuka narrowed her eyes with a smile.
"Hehe. As for what they are... you'll just have to look forward to it."
I couldn't deny that her mysterious attitude had piqued my curiosity.
Before long, it seemed the answer was about to be revealed.
"Welcome! We just got a fresh shipment today! Don't miss out!"
The shopkeeper loudly called out to passersby, while Fuuka, who apparently had already done her research beforehand, eagerly walked into the seafood shop.
The moment she entered, all her attention was captured by the ingredients.
She leaned in for a closer look and exclaimed,
"Wow, this mackerel is really fresh... And they even have seasonal Spanish mackerel!"
Then, as if discovering a treasure, she excitedly called out to me.
"Sensei! Sensei! Look at this sea urchin! Hurry, look! It's so fresh that you could probably just put it on top of rice and eat it as is!"
Fuuka was always like this.
Whenever she encountered high-quality ingredients, she couldn't help getting excited.
Watching her so full of energy made me genuinely happy. Even though I didn't really understand seafood, I still nodded along.
"Just imagining it, it really does sound delicious."
"Right?"
"Of course."
I answered righteously.
"As long as it's paired with Fuuka's cooking."
"Eh? S-Sensei, what are you saying all of a sudden...?"
She shyly twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
My praise made her both happy and embarrassed.
It really was my fault.
Fuuka had grown so fond of me that just a few compliments were enough to draw her attention away from the ingredients and onto me instead.
"Young lady, you've got a great eye!"
At that moment, the shopkeeper enthusiastically joined the conversation.
"Hahaha! Sir, your bride has such good taste. I bet she's an amazing cook too! Am I right?"
"E-Eh!? B-Bride!?"
The capable black-haired girl froze before blushing even harder.
So...
Was this how other people saw Fuuka and me?
Even knowing there was probably some flattery mixed in, I still felt pleased.
"That's right. My Fuuka's cooking is absolutely first-rate."
"S-Sensei!? Ugh... Why are you saying strange things too...?"
"Hahaha! I knew it!"
The shopkeeper laughed heartily.
"So then, what are you two looking to buy today?"
Thanks to the extraordinary emotional resilience she'd developed through the Gourmet Research Society's selfless "help," Fuuka quickly regained her composure and politely asked,
"Excuse me, do you have eel?"
"Eel? Of course we do! I'm not exaggerating, the finest eel in all of Kivotos is right here in our shop!"
Curious, I asked,
"So the 'special ingredient' you mentioned earlier... was eel?"
She smiled and nodded.
"That's right. Isn't eel always said to be one of the best foods for restoring energy? Sensei always seems to work so hard that you exhaust yourself. This is the best way I could think of to reward the Sensei who works tirelessly for Kivotos day and night."
I hadn't thought much of it before.
But suddenly, a piece of information buried deep in my memory resurfaced.
It was from over half a year ago, before Amau-sensei had granted me a certain Authority, one that could only display its full potential through my peerless beauty and would later prove invaluable time and time again during work.
As a precaution, I'd searched online and learned of an old rumor that circulated in Hyakkiyako.
Eel restores vitality.
...Wait.
Or had I remembered it wrong?
While I was lost in thought, the shopkeeper sighed enviously.
"Someone's willing to go to all this trouble for you. You're one lucky man! Ah, I just can't help myself. I'll bring out the very best eel we've got today!"
As he spoke, he turned around and began selecting an eel.
"Thank you very much! Ah, and of course..."
Fuuka immediately revealed the shrewd side befitting the head of Gehenna's School Lunch Club.
"Even if it's your finest eel, you'll still give me a reasonable price, right?"
"Hahaha! Of course! You're quite the sharp one, young lady!"
The shopkeeper finally picked one out and proudly held it up.
"Look! This eel is unbeatable!"
After carefully examining it, Fuuka's face lit up even more.
"Wow! With an eel like this, I can definitely make an amazing dish! Hehe... Now, how should I prepare it?"
"You're certainly enthusiastic."
The shopkeeper grinned teasingly and gave me a meaningful wink.
"In that case, sir, doesn't that mean you won't be getting any sleep tonight? Ahahaha!"
...So I hadn't remembered it wrong after all.
Which meant...
Had Fuuka simply misunderstood something?
Or was she doing it on purpose?
"That won't do. When it's time to rest, you should rest properly."
Fuuka looked at me seriously.
"The most important thing is your health. The second most important thing is still your health. Sensei, do you understand?"
As someone who had literally stayed up all night, I solemnly promised,
"I understand. I definitely won't let your thoughtfulness go to waste, Fuuka."
Satisfied, she nodded.
The shopkeeper sighed again.
"Ah... The way you two care for each other so attentively. You really are madly in love."
"L-Love..."
Fuuka stammered before secretly stealing several quick glances at me.
Every single one of those little movements escaped neither my notice nor my eyes.
Considering the Gourmet Research Society would also be joining us tonight, she bought a large amount of eel, along with oysters, sea cucumbers, and other seafood.
The more ingredients she bought, the more suggestive the shopkeeper's gaze toward the two of us became.
And the deeper my own doubts grew.
Could it be...
Did she really have some grand plan?
Fortunately, after that, the ingredients Fuuka chose became much more ordinary, making me wonder if I'd simply been overthinking things.
Eventually, after finishing our shopping, despite Fuuka still looking reluctant to leave, we met back up with the Gourmet Research Society at the agreed location.
Looking at the vibrant green chives, the lively prawns, and the fresh beef and lamb everyone had bought, I couldn't help swallowing.
"Hehe. Sensei's already looking forward to tonight, aren't you?"
Akari asked with a strangely dangerous smile.
"Y-Yeah..."
I had to consider the possibility...
That everything that had happened today was part of a trap carefully laid by the Gourmet Research Society.
As everyone knew, Fuuka was an honorary member of the Gourmet Research Society.
There were even jokes in Kivotos' dark cuisine circles claiming that she was the true mastermind behind the Gourmet Research Society's operations.
Even if those were nothing more than baseless rumors, considering the profound friendship they'd forged over years of kidnapping and being kidnapped, it didn't seem entirely impossible that they'd occasionally join forces toward a common goal.
Filled with both nervous anticipation and genuine excitement, I returned to Schale together with the girls carrying tonight's ingredients.
After taking a shower and changing out of the clothes that had gotten dirty earlier, I sat on the sofa in the lounge area.
On the surface, I was idly replying to a few unimportant Momotalk messages.
In reality, all my attention was focused on the sounds coming from the kitchen, waiting for fate to pass its verdict.
Kaya: Seriously, Sensei, those SRT students are way too inconsiderate.
Kaya: They don't appreciate all our hard work at all... Even after the attack on the General Student Council, there are still people opposing the school's closure!
Me: I see.
Kaya: Right? Come to think of it, Schale's work usually involves dealing with troublesome students too...
Kaya: I feel like I understand your situation a little better now, Sensei.
I could tell she was genuinely trying her best to find common ground with me.
Unfortunately, I knew who the true mastermind behind that attack really was.
Just then, the melodious sound of the doorbell rang.
Assuming it had to be Juri, I went to answer the door.
But the moment I looked at the security monitor, I froze.
A short while later, Haruna, who had apparently also heard the doorbell amid the bustle and finally found a moment to leave the kitchen, walked out.
"Sensei, is Juri..."
"Sensei, you left these behind yesterday..."
Haruna and Hina spoke at exactly the same time.
Haruna had just walked out from the kitchen.
Hina had come to return the handcuffs I'd intentionally left behind.
Then their eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
"My, what a coincidence."
Standing off to the side, I remarked with completely feigned amazement.