Chapter 186
Yukino Shita Yukino rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on, as the two of them started chatting as if no one else was around.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, there are a few things I need to confirm."
"Oh, you said it."
"First of all, I think you should define what constitutes a friend before you say I have no friends." Yukino Shita Yukino raised her right hand and extended one finger.
"The moment you uttered those words, you already lost, Yukino Shita." Hiratsuka Shizuka gazed at her with warm eyes.
"Little Yukino has a friend! It's me!" Yuihama Yui her hand energetically.
"..."X 3
The group watched her silently.
"Why... why are you silent and looking at me like that! Little Yukino! Waaah, cough hehe..." She sobbed as she hugged Yukino Shita Yukino next to her.
"Um, Classmate Yuihama, I don't think we're close enough to call each other friends yet. We only met last week, right?"
Yukino Shita Yukino cruelly revealed her inner standards, inflicting a second blow on this poor child.
"Gurgle!!" Yuihama Yui slowly collapsed to the ground.
Yukino Shita Yukino turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka again, coughed lightly, and held up two fingers. "Secondly, that man and I are too incompatible; there's no way we could be friends!"
"Hmm... I've often heard you say that to others, but I didn't expect you to have such a low opinion of this guy."
Hiratsuka Shizuka, embracing the most magnificent and abundant mountain range in the area, looked at her helplessly.
"..." Yukino Shita Yukino felt disgusted with herself for being attracted to that thing for a moment.
Doesn't that just prove how much you care? How vulgar!
She straightened her expression, shook her head, and said, "No, I have a very high opinion of that person."
After all, he was someone who could debate with her for two minutes and ultimately remain evenly matched—she would never admit that she had just lost and was only temporarily pausing due to exhaustion.
She was equally beautiful—or so she thought—and seemed to excel academically and musically as well; among her peers, this was the first time she had ever met someone like her.
"However, evaluation and compatibility are two different things, so if this is a request, I'm sorry I cannot fulfill it."
She made no attempt to hide her displeasure with him, then turned a sarcastic smile and said:
"But don't worry, even though I can't do it, considering his objective characteristics, one day, there should be some nocturnal insects with poor judgment who will become his friends, right?"
"Hmph~ I see." Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Sakurakoji Talent with amusement. "I really want to know, in such a short time, what exactly did you do to make people dislike you so much?"
"I'm starting to admire you."
Sakurakoji Talent his extraordinary talent, appreciated the bright sunlight outside the window, squinting as he murmured, "The one who's amazing isn't me, it's Miss Haruno- san."
"What do you mean?" Hiratsuka Shizuka tilted her head.
"It's nothing. Since things have come to this, let's eat as usual, otherwise it'll get cold again." He pointed to the lunchbox on the table.
Chapter 236 Lunch for Four
"Ah, that's true. If we go again, we won't have time to eat."
Hiratsuka Shizuka in one of the chairs and beckoned him to come over.
"Does Teacher Shizuka have a class during the first period this afternoon?"
"No, no... Oh right, you're not a student at our school, so it's alright." She realized what she meant, smiled simply, and said, "We'll take our time. I'll close the clubroom for you, Yukino Shita."
"Teacher..." Yukino Shita Yukino sighed deeply, "Please fulfill your duties as a teacher in front of your students."
"--I'd also like to add that I can't be friends with someone who's so lazy they can't even manage to study properly."
"As a teacher, I don't expect you to treat students from outside the school badly, but at least you shouldn't bring them in and disrupt the learning atmosphere on campus, right?"
"What does it matter? No one will suffer any loss anyway." Hiratsuka Shizuka opened the lunchbox nonchalantly, and the overflowing aroma immediately filled the entire clubroom.
"Besides, this guy's grades are really good, he's first in the grade just like you, and it seems like the teachers at his school can't control him, so there's nothing I can do."
"Amazing!" Yuihama Yui exclaimed, "She's just like Little Yukino!"
"..." Yukino Shita Yukino and remained silent.
Although she had expected his grades to be good given his literary background, she hadn't anticipated they would be this good.
Although I don't know which school he attended, his overall academic performance must have been quite good. (Sakurakoji Talent: Can't you be a little more competitive Rowing Boat?)
This was the first time in her life that she had encountered such an evenly matched opponent, and she seemed to understand why her sister wanted him to be her friend.
More than friends, she probably wanted to find a rival for herself, right?
Well, although following her plan is a bit unpleasant, there's no other way given the current situation.
"Wow~ It smells so good~" Yuihama Yui looked up and sniffed the air, glancing greedily at the luxurious dishes in front of the other two, and beckoned to Yukino Shita Yukino:
"Little Yukino, shall we start eating?"
She took out her lunchbox, which was wrapped in a pink tablecloth, unwrapped it, and placed it on her lap.
"Yeah, that makes sense." Not letting her chaotic emotions trouble her for too long, Yukino Shita Yukino took out the bento she had made that morning.
Because she lives alone in an apartment, her cooking and housework skills are surprisingly good, even quite good compared to her peers.
The two opened their respective bento boxes and began to eat, looking at the rather cute-looking dishes inside.
But dishes that usually taste quite good all seemed rather bland today. The reason for this—
"Wow! This tastes amazing! Did you really make this yourself, Sakurakoji? It tastes just as good as a top-notch restaurant!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka picked up another small piece of Wagyu beef crispy pork, held it high, and popped it into her mouth, then looked satisfied and happy.
If I started a mukbang (eating broadcast) right now, it would probably attract a lot of people...
However, compared to the viewers who could only see the images on screen, the other two people in the audience who were dominated by the scents and colors were probably more pitiful.
It's true that without comparison, there's no harm done.
Compared to the abundance of dishes on their table, which nearly filled two desks, and the several large boxes overflowing with food, the small lunchboxes in their hands looked so tiny and delicate...
"Are you some middle-aged man who drinks at izakayas after work?" Sakurakoji Talent complained with a bitter expression.
Her exaggerated gestures and expressions made it seem like she had just been drinking.
"Ah~ because it's just so delicious!" Hiratsuka Shizuka shamelessly, continuing to devour the food. "Even though I already knew you were a master at making sweets, I never imagined you were so good at home-cooked meals!"
"Oh no! How am I supposed to eat all the food I made after this?! How are you going to make it up to me?!"
"Then don't eat it." He pretended to pick up the small fruit from her chopsticks.
"Wrong, wrong! Don't do that!" She quickly popped it into her mouth.
After chewing and swallowing, she looked down at the table full of dishes. "But didn't you make a bit too much? There's not enough for the two of us."
"It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Hmm~ Is that so? Well, how about that?" She blinked cutely, seeking his opinion.
"I don't mind." He easily understood what she meant.
"Yosh!" Hiratsuka Shizuka slammed her hand on the table with a flourish, making the lunchboxes on it shake. She pointed at the two people watching them pitifully, "Hey, you two come join us!"
"Is it okay?!" Yuihama Yui instantly shifted from sorrow to joy. She leaned forward, her school uniform trembling slightly.
"..." This child's Mirai is not to be underestimated either, Sakurakoji Talent, turning his gaze away.
"Okay! Consider it a thank you gift for borrowing your venue! Come on in!"
"Wow! Thank you!" She picked up her own lunchbox, stood up, and placed it on the table as well. "Hurry up, Little Yukino too!"
"No, I'll..." Yukino Shita Yukino shook her head and declined.
Regardless, she has her pride; how could she do something that sounds like admitting defeat just for a lunch?
"Alright, alright, eating alone is so lonely! Hehe!" Yuihama Yui laughed and walked over, practically pulling her to this side of the table.
"Classmate Yuihama!"
Yukino Shita Yukino, who had been dragged to the table, was about to refuse when she saw that Yuihama Yui had already brought over chairs for the two of them.
After being set up, the two tables that were originally pushed together now have a seat on each of the four sides.
"Well, Yukino Shita, don't be shy! Sit down and join us!" Hiratsuka Shizuka made the final decision.
"Since Teacher Hiratsuka says so... I understand." She still couldn't quite accept it, but she didn't want to offend Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Although she didn't have much face in front of Sakurakoji Talent, at Soubu High School, she was still a teacher who stood above all the students.
Even Yukino Shita Yukino had to bow to this social reality.
"Excuse me."
Welcome!
She gave Sakurakoji Talent a light glare, so light that it was almost imperceptible that she was glaring at him.
"Alright, let's get started again!"
"I'm starting!" XN
"I feel bad about only eating your food. This is my humble creation from this morning. Please feel free to eat it if you like."
Before starting, Yukino Shita Yukino introduced her own lunchbox, a small but exquisite bento box filled with a variety of ingredients, making the whole box adorable.
For her, eating and drinking for free was simply against her principles of conduct.
"Ah, and me too! Although it was my mom who made it, hehehe~" Yuihama Yui touched the Dango on her head and said shyly.
"Oh~ this looks good too, I won't be polite!" Hiratsuka Shizuka picked up an octopus sausage, ate it in one bite, chewed and swallowed it, her expression changing slightly.
"How does it taste?" Yukino Shita Yukino pursed her lips, a little curious about what others thought.
"Hmm, it's pretty good, much better than my cooking," Hiratsuka Shizuka replied, half-jokingly.
It's definitely better than her cooking, and normally she would enjoy the meal, at least it's better than nothing. But today... especially after eating the food next to her, the contrast is even more obvious.
Although she tried to hide it, Yukino Shita Yukino still noticed something was amiss and frowned.
After a moment's thought, she realized where the problem lay. She looked at the large, dark-colored lunchbox. Was it really that good?
Staring at the high-quality food inside, which looked far better than the lunch she had made... well, she admitted it was good.
But ultimately, a dish's appeal comes down to its taste, doesn't it?
After hesitating for a moment, she stretched out her snow-white wrist, picked up a piece of char siu coated with tomato sauce, and put it in her mouth.
Hmm!
Her tranquil eyes snapped open, and the veins on the back of Ningxue's hand bulged. This smell...
She gave Sakurakoji Talent. She had to admit that, in terms of cooking skills alone, he was probably better than her.
Is he really just a student, or some kind of master chef? His cooking skills are even better than her family's chef.
Or perhaps he actually attended a culinary school? If she remembered correctly, there was a fairly famous one in Tokyo Metropolis...
"Oh, the first series!!!"
While she was still in a daze, Yuihama Yui, who had also started eating, loudly praised her—or rather, she was a little surprised that she was only now starting to eat. She hadn't been paying much attention; had she been taking pictures earlier?
"What is this?! This is the first time I've ever tasted such a delicious lunch!" Yuihama Yui's eyes sparkled as she looked at Sakurakoji Talent with adoration.
"Could Sakurakoji-san be a chef?"
"No, I just have a slight talent for this." He shook his head modestly, then reached for Yukino Shita Yukino's lunchbox with his chopsticks.
Yukino Shita Yukino watched with a hint of worry as he picked up the food she had made and put it in his mouth... She only breathed a sigh of relief when he finally didn't show any mocking expression.
So this is what it means to be afraid of losing face in front of outsiders? Her face flushed slightly.
Seeing him raise his chopsticks towards her again, she said, almost as if possessed, "It's okay if you don't force yourself."
After she finished speaking, she realized she had spoken out of turn and gently covered her mouth.
Sakurakoji Talent glanced up at her, then took another small piece of sushi and said, "I'm not forcing you, it's just that I eat homemade food every day, so I don't really want to eat it. Yukino Shita- san feels the same way, right?"
Just kidding, this is a bento box made by the Second Miss herself, it's a rare opportunity, okay? Although the taste can't compare to his, he doesn't really care about the taste anyway, it's all the same to him, the important thing is this feeling of collecting stamps.
He offered a way out, but the other party didn't seem inclined to accept it.