Too Small

After class, Wuling waited as usual until almost everyone else had left before heading to the cafeteria at an unhurried pace.

If this had been high school, he naturally wouldn't have been so leisurely. But the building where he had class was almost the farthest from the cafeteria, and even if he ran over as soon as class ended, he would probably still have to stand in line, so there was no reason to rush.

Cartethyia, who sat beside him, hadn't left either. She seemed to have the same idea.

The crowd in the classroom gradually thinned, and the noise slowly faded through the open doors and windows.

Neither spoke. After spending those few minutes in silence, they got up one after the other and left.

The two walked slowly out of the classroom, one behind the other. The midday sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows across the path. Only a few students were still hurrying along it, the rush from the end of class already gone.

They didn't speak along the way. One of them didn't dare, while the other was simply thinking about what to eat for lunch. They walked slowly to the cafeteria entrance, and by then the rush had passed. The lines at the serving windows were much shorter, so there was no need to wait long.

"Then I'll go to this window first."

Cartethyia stopped and softly said goodbye to Wuling. She didn't know why; she had simply wanted to say something to him.

"Okay, see you in a bit."

The two parted ways and chose their meals separately. Since they were in the first group to eat, there was still plenty of food left.

Wuling was thinking about what to eat when he suddenly noticed an unusual serving window.

The words "Innovative Cuisine" were written in large characters on the signboard. In the lower right corner, a line of small red text specifically advised people with sensitive stomachs not to try it.

Wuling's curiosity was immediately piqued. There was no rule saying he had to buy anything, so he decided to go over and see what it was all about.

"Stir-fried bananas and century eggs?"

The first name he saw when he got closer made Wuling rub his eyes in disbelief, checking whether something was wrong with his vision. But it seemed that even more shocking things lay ahead.

"Chili peppers and Oreos, bitter melon stewed with vermicelli, mooncakes stir-fried with shredded ginger, and those look like they're five-kernel mooncakes. Pineapple stir-fried with meat—this one looks edible. What do you mean that's not meat but tomato? And what do you mean that's not pineapple but ginger? Ginger stir-fried with tomato? Who came up with that?"

By the time he'd looked through them all, Wuling felt his worldview had been overturned again and again. He now seriously suspected that the school had thrown together all its food that was nearing expiration and called it culinary innovation. Apart from the unusually low prices, only half those of ordinary dishes, he really couldn't find a single advantage.

What surprised him most wasn't these outrageous dishes, but the fact that someone was actually buying them, though there was only one person.

The light-pink figure looked familiar to Wuling. He felt as though he'd seen her somewhere before. After thinking back carefully, he realized she was the senior who had registered them on the first day of school.

After hesitating for a moment, Wuling decided to go over and ask the pink-haired senior. The price really was appealing, and what if the food actually tasted good?

The pink-haired senior noticed someone approaching and turned to look at him. Her lavender-purple eyes had a faintly hazy look, as though she still carried a touch of afternoon sleepiness. A gentle smile curved her lips, and she greeted him first.

"Are you a freshman looking to try the innovative cuisine too?"

"How did you know I was a freshman, senior?"

The pink-haired senior's gaze settled lightly on the brand-new Star Torch Academy badge on Wuling's lapel. She tapped the differently styled school badge on her own chest, smiling faintly.

"Academy rules don't require everyone to wear a full uniform. We only have to wear badges to distinguish our status. Freshmen's badges have a bright coating and no signs of wear. Most older students have used theirs for a while, so their shine is much softer."

"Besides, I was on duty at the freshman registration desk all day yesterday, so I remember some of the new faces. You left quite an impression on me."

Wuling instinctively looked down at the badge on his collar. He hadn't noticed that subtle difference before.

"So that's how it is. Speaking of which, I'm curious about the dishes at this window. Can you really eat them? The sign even warns people with sensitive stomachs to be careful, so I'm a little worried."

"They sound very strange, but the ingredients are all purchased fresh that day. They aren't old stock nearing expiration."

The pink-haired senior steadied her tray and explained softly.

"The cafeteria regularly experiments with dishes. This batch is part of a trial run, and the low prices are meant to gather feedback from people who try them."

"The flavors are polarizing, to say the least. Some combinations work surprisingly well, while the rest are purely there to satisfy people's curiosity about strange food. Quite a few people only dare to stop and watch from a distance. Very few actually dare to order a serving and try it."

Wuling looked at the mooncakes and shredded ginger being stir-fried in the kitchen, but in the end, he couldn't muster the courage.

"I'd better play it safe and pick a regular window."

The pink-haired senior didn't press him and nodded gently.

"A wise choice. A lot of people get upset stomachs after eating them. If you're interested later, you can always come back and try them when you have time."

After a brief exchange, Wuling said goodbye to the pink-haired senior and turned toward a regular serving window.

Not long after Wuling left, an orange-haired figure came bouncing over from a distance.

"Yaya, why are you eating these things again?"

When Xigelika came closer and saw Danya choosing innovative dishes again, she couldn't help frowning slightly.

It wasn't as though she had never tried these dishes herself, but the result was that, for the first time in her life, she felt eating wasn't a pleasure, but a form of torture.

"Don't worry, Xixi. I know exactly what these dishes taste like, so there won't be any problems. Besides, you know my family's situation. These meals are undoubtedly the best choice for me."

"Yaya, you..."

For once, Xigelika fell somewhat silent. He knew about Danya's family situation, but that was precisely why she couldn't bear to see this.

Wuling chose two dishes and got a free bowl of soup before deciding to find somewhere to sit.

He looked around and saw that the first floor was almost full. There were empty seats, but nearly all of them had people sitting next to them.

Wuling didn't much like having strangers sitting beside him while he ate. It made him feel a little uncomfortable, so he decided to go upstairs and look for an empty seat.

Just as Wuling was nearing the stairs, he suddenly caught sight of a yellow figure sitting in a corner out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing the lonely serving of rice and greens in front of Cartethyia, Wuling hesitated for a moment before finally stepping over.

Cartethyia seemed not to have noticed anyone approaching, perhaps because she had her head lowered as she ate.

"Cartethyia, is anyone sitting next to you?"

The girl, who had been quietly eating with her head down, froze. Her fingers tightened slightly around her chopsticks, and her blue eyes lifted in a panic. A faint blush quietly spread across her cheeks, and she looked like a startled kitten.

"N-no, no one."

Cartethyia's voice was very soft. She instinctively shifted her chair inward, leaving an empty space beside her.

Wuling thanked her, gently set his tray on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"By the way, Cartethyia, are you going to be okay eating just that?"

As soon as he spoke, a brief silence fell over the table.

Cartethyia's fingers unconsciously tightened around her chopsticks, and her gaze dropped hurriedly to the plain greens on her tray. A wave of indescribable embarrassment rose in her heart.

"I... don't have a big appetite."

She answered in a low voice, her tone a little strained.

"Wait here for me. I'll be right back."