Becoming Someone I'm Not (4.5k) / The Many Troubles of the Weaver Girl (4.5k)

"Ignore them, let's just focus on doing our group's job well."

Kitagawa Ryo simply shook his head at this, and then began to direct the group members to get the amount of ingredients appropriate for their group size. Just like the lunch and dinner they had in the Student Cafeteria yesterday, the ingredients prepared by the school were also quite basic or rather simple, but for Kitagawa Ryo, who possessed the talent of a golden God of Cooking, it was more than enough.

"I'll take charge of the cooking. Hamaguchi will assist me, and the rest, including washing and chopping vegetables, will be handled by those who are good at it. If you don't know how to do something, just ask me."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo casually picked up a cabbage from the side and showed off his knife skills.

"It's fine to cut it to about this thickness and length."

No sooner had Kitagawa Ryo finished speaking than Yamada Albert from Class 1-A volunteered. To the astonishment of his fellow group members, the big guy quickly began chopping vegetables on the cutting board with a nimbleness completely out of proportion to his size.

However, it must be said that Yamada's serious attitude quickly inspired the other students. Kitagawa Ryo also began to skillfully assign various tasks, striving not to give anyone a chance to slack off. Even the most clumsy Ishizaki Daichi was given the task of adding firewood and starting a fire. The scene looked a bit like camping, giving people a feeling of returning to Uninhabited Island.

"Hamaguchi, can you make me some omelets?"

"Wait a moment, I can't get over there right now either."

"It's alright, I'll do it. I usually cook for myself at school anyway, so this kind of simple dish shouldn't be a problem."

The second to showcase himself was Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class 1-C. His speech and subsequent skillful omelet-making drew some attention from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Indeed, this frivolous boy who managed to use his good looks to seduce two girls in the same grade twice wouldn't have been able to do so without any extraordinary talent.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo's Third Group was making great progress, the second and third year groups finally arrived late. Seeing that about two-thirds of the ingredients were still left on the nearby table, they understood what was going on. However, they didn't intend to cause trouble for Kitagawa Ryo. They simply took the ingredients quietly and began to cook for themselves.

It was already five o'clock, and even the most procrastinating group realized that if they didn't get up soon, there wouldn't be time to make breakfast. As a result, the Outdoor Cooking Area was noticeably more lively than when Kitagawa Ryo had first arrived. However, compared to the collaborative Matoba of their group, the other groups were plagued by frequent problems. From a distance, you could hear all sorts of girls on the verge of a mental breakdown, and it seemed that things were not going very smoothly. Even the teachers supervising nearby couldn't help but be drawn to their attention.

It has to be said that, although they had long since finished their student days, the staff at Tokyo Advanced Educational Junior High Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School still couldn't help but chuckle when they saw girls complaining to each other and saying things like, "Why do I have to do everything?", "She's been resting over there for so long," and "Getting up so early is bad for your skin."

However, this is a standard procedure for every Mixed Training Camp training camp exam. Compared to the boys' group where everyone just makes do and doesn't mind each other, the girls' group is always much more troublesome. If it's classmates who see each other all the time, they can barely manage to put on a show. But when facing students from other classes who are practically competitors, everyone is much less polite. Just last night, on the first night, many girls were already making noise after lights out due to their living habits and other issues. Now they have to come out again, still exhausted, to put up with the noise.

Just as the school staff member was amusedly enjoying the chaos on the girls' side, his nose twitched involuntarily as he suddenly smelled a rich fragrance.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered something.

After the Uninhabited Island Special Exam last summer, a legend circulated among the faculty and staff:

Among the students undergoing a grueling wilderness survival Special Exam on that Uninhabited Island, there were some who were eating better and more delicious food than the teachers and staff.

He used to scoff at this.

But now I believe it.

... Speaking of which...

Could he go over there later under the guise of giving feedback and ratings to try and get a free meal?

Chapter 401: Becoming Unlike Myself (4k5)

As the aroma of the food spread, not only the school staff supervising nearby, but also all the students in all the other groups in this Outdoor Cooking Area couldn't help but follow the scent and sniff to find its source. Many even ran out of their own group's designated area, captivated by the rich aroma, and unconsciously formed a small circle around Kitagawa Ryo's Third Group.

Seeing this sudden surge of people nearby, Ishizaki Daichi and the other students, who had also been tempted and were eager to eat, belatedly realized what was happening. They quickly spread their arms wide like mother hens guarding their food, shouting for them to scatter.

"Hey, what are you doing? If you're hungry, go cook for yourselves."

"Where's the teacher? Teacher, come quick and do something about this!"

"Running outside your designated area is a violation. Aren't you afraid of getting points deducted? The Special Exam has already started this morning."

With a few loud gulps of saliva, and after a barrage of threats from the Third Group members, the other students around them finally regained some composure. However, their gazes remained fixed on Kitagawa Ryo, who had remained unmoved by the reactions from the outside world and was still earnestly carrying out the final seasoning steps.

Although it wasn't a secret among the First Year that Kitagawa Ryo was a highly skilled cook and also an expert baker, hearsay and firsthand experience are two different things. Especially for the Class A students who had tasted Kitagawa Ryo's cooking during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, this familiar thrill undoubtedly reignited their taste buds, and they all began to regret not being drawn into the same group as him this time.

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. All students, return to your Matoba immediately. This is a one-time exception; no more violations, or you'll really get points deducted."

As the school staff, having regained their senses, began blowing their whistles to shoo people away, the students from the other groups reluctantly left, glancing back every few steps. However, they continued to discuss the matter enthusiastically, their previously drowsy spirits suddenly invigorated.

"If dating Kitagawa meant I could eat this kind of lovingly prepared meals every day, I'd be willing to do it even if he wasn't that handsome."

As it turns out, Kitagawa Ryo wasn't only able to spark the interest of all the girls in Ichinose Honami's group; the same was true for other girls, including Asahina Nazuna's second-year group.

"... There are so many flaws in what you said that I'm at a loss for words."

After hearing her friend's heartfelt remark, Asahina Nazuna retorted somewhat speechlessly.

"Don't you think guys who are good at cooking are really handsome?"

"No... I think it's just because he's naturally good-looking, so everything he does looks handsome to you. Look at that big, dark guy next to him, he cuts vegetables just as smoothly, doesn't he? Do you think he's handsome?"

"That's really true."

Shaking her head helplessly, and temporarily distancing herself from her friend whose mind was no longer focused on making breakfast, Asahina Nazuna quickly found Horikita Suzune, First Year student in the same group as her, and struck up a friendly conversation with her:

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Does the senior have any cooking experience before?"

"There should be a little."

"Hmm... then could you please help me beat and prepare those twenty eggs over there?"

"Okay, I understand."

It must be said that Asahina Nazuna wasn't being stubborn. After quickly cracking the eggs, she stood next to Horikita Suzune with the bowl in hand. While thoroughly mixing the egg mixture with a whisk, she continued to talk to her:

"Horikita didn't seem to have gone over to see what was going on earlier?"

"Yeah, I guess it's because I'm used to it. After all, I used to go grocery shopping and cook with Liang every day at school."

Although she can't compare to the naturally gifted Kitagawa Ryo, through years of training and honing her skills, Horikita Suzune's current culinary level is definitely among the highest of her peers. Even while chatting with Asahina Nazuna, her hands were not disturbed at all as she processed the ingredients.

"I see... This should be enough for the egg, right?"

"Okay, thank you for your help, senior."

"It's nothing. Oh, it seems they've already started eating over there."

As it turns out, a delicious and warm breakfast can indeed soothe the body and mind, making one feel enthusiastic and hopeful for the whole day, at least for the twelve boys in the Third Group.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wasn't actually someone who overly pursued the taste of food. After all, the three meals a day in the White Room were always the same nutritious meals with the same taste. Over time, the ingredients gradually lost their original flavor and appearance in his eyes, turning into nutrients composed of numbers and symbols.

Of course, after arriving at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also cooked for himself, and even considered adding a yogurt maker to his dormitory to make his own yogurt. Perhaps it was because of this that he was able to understand how superb the cooking skills of Kitagawa Ryo were.

The saying goes, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Perhaps this applies to women as well. And the reason Kitagawa Ryo is considered a "love encyclopedia"—one he hasn't finished reading yet, with new pages constantly being added—might be partly due to this.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka chewed his food slowly, feeling that he had gained some new insights.

However, the other students didn't have as many random, divergent thoughts as him. Everyone was completely immersed in Kitagawa Ryo's cooking. The ingredients, which had looked ordinary when they were handled just a few tens of minutes ago, had miraculously blossomed into an exquisite flavor after being cooked by Kitagawa Ryo, making them irresistible.

"Oh no! If our scores aren't the lowest in the group over these seven days, does that mean we'll never get to eat at Beichuan again?"

After sweeping away everything in a whirlwind, even pouring the last bit of soup into a bowl to dip rice into and eat, a satisfied Ishizaki Daichi suddenly remembered this serious problem.

"Wouldn't it be better to rest? If you're exhausted after a long day, Ishizaki, you definitely won't want to get up early to prepare breakfast."

Seeing Ishizaki Daichi's tense expression, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but chuckle and patted him on the shoulder.

"If I could have breakfast like this every day, waking up early wouldn't be a problem. I could just go to bed earlier like I did last night."

Once Ishizaki Daichi spoke up, the other students chimed in, with Miyake Akito even shruging exaggeratedly.

"But I'm afraid that you'll spoil us too much, Kitagawa, and we won't be able to eat our lunches and dinners here anymore."

Although it was just a joke, if Sakayanagi Arisu and Shiina Hiyori, they would probably have given a thumbs-up. After all, these two have really been fed breakfast or lunch by Kitagawa Ryo for quite some time, and have become almost inseparable from his cooking.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. After all, we don't know what kind of topic the school will prepare."

As the sun rose, Kitagawa Ryo stood up and stretched.

Because they arrived early and ate quickly, the other groups had only just finished making their breakfasts. However, they didn't have the same wolfing down of food as the other groups. With the help of his Eagle Hawkeye, Kitagawa Ryo could even see that many of the girls next to him looked somewhat strained, seemingly muttering things like, "Too much/too little salt," or "It has no flavor at all."

As six o'clock slowly passed, cheerful background music soon began to play from the Forest School's loudspeakers. This was a reminder to students who hadn't gotten up early to make breakfast. About five minutes later, Kitagawa Ryo saw many drowsy students come over and somewhat disdainfully accept breakfast from their classmates. However, since it was the result of the other students sacrificing their sleep, they didn't say much and just ate a couple of bites with their eyes closed.

"All students in the Third Large Group of boys, please assemble here."

Around 6:30, Kitagawa Ryo finally heard an instruction from a school official. Standing there was a serious-looking middle-aged man, whose demeanor was somewhat similar to that of Sakagami Kazuma homeroom teacher of Class 1-D.

"I am Onodera, the homeroom teacher of Class 3-B. After roll call, you will all go outside and clean your designated areas. Student Council who do not answer roll call will be considered absent, and all their scores for today will be zero. Please take note."

"After roll call, your task is to clean the school buildings. This will be a fixed task every morning. If it rains, there will be no need for outdoor cleaning, but cleaning the school buildings will take twice as long, so the total cleaning time will not be shortened. Also, starting today, in addition to school teachers, there will be people in charge of various subjects coming to guide you. Please pay attention to etiquette, as this will also be included in the scoring criteria for this Special Exam."

After explaining in detail the first task of each morning besides making breakfast, Onodera teacher, led the students of the Third Large Group to their assigned area and handed them over the cleaning tools.

After Onodera, the Onodera teacher, left, Kitagawa Ryo led the Third Group to begin the morning cleaning work.

Perhaps the positive buff and good mood from the delicious breakfast were still lingering, even the most clumsy Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Yogo showed a rare seriousness. The group quickly and smoothly completed their assigned area, and after resting for a while, they were led into the dojo on the third floor of the school building by their homeroom teacher, Onodera, who had arrived again.

Just like what Kitagawa Ryo saw through the window yesterday, this spacious dojo was filled with tatami mats, and upon entering, one could clearly smell the scent of rush pith, which calmed the mind.

The school staff waiting here were faces I'd never seen before. They must be the professionals that Onodera, the homeroom teacher, had mentioned earlier, who had been invited from outside. In fact, this wasn't the first time ANHS had done something like this. For many professional topics in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, the school had specifically invited many professionals to evaluate and score them, and this time it should be the same.

After the smiling teacher had the groups sit down, she began to give a brief explanation of the topic that would be discussed in the room.

In this place called the Meditation Hall, not only when walking, but even when standing, one must clench one's left or right fist and cover it with the other hand, raising the fist to the height of the heart, assuming this cupped-hand gesture to communicate and greet others.

"It really is meditation--"

Just after the teacher finished saying the term "meditation hall," Ishizaki Daichi, who was sitting in front of Kitagawa Ryo, couldn't help but turn around, his tone full of smug satisfaction after successfully predicting the question. As a result, he was immediately caught by the teacher, who was always watching, and was immediately given a stern reprimand. Ishizaki was so frightened that he didn't dare to move an inch, for fear that he would affect the score of the whole group.

"Alright, everyone, please be quiet, calm your minds, and begin sitting cross-legged for meditation."

After saying that, the teacher pulled out a bamboo sword that looked like a wooden stick from somewhere and began to walk among the students in the row with a bright look in his eyes. When he encountered a student who was fidgeting or secretly opening his eyes, he would strike him without mercy. For a moment, the whole dojo was filled with the sound of bamboo swords hitting backs. The school staff who were watching each student's performance through the monitor in the room to score them felt a little pained.

However, none of this concerned Kitagawa Ryo. The moment the other person said "start," he had already entered a meditative state, his mind as still as water, letting his thoughts wander freely. One second he was wondering what Hotaru was doing, alone in his dorm, and the next he was reminiscing about that outstanding graduate from White Room who had come to his room to say good morning and play good morning games during the last few days of winter break. Then his thoughts drifted to whether Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would secretly observe him from the upper bunk at night to see if he was asleep, like Yuki did...

The sudden ringing of the bell broke the jumble of thoughts in Kitagawa Ryo's mind. Before he knew it, his one-hour meditation session had come to an end.

Letting out a deep breath, Kitagawa Ryo quickly stood up from the ground. Then he helped Ishizaki Daichi, whose legs had gone numb from sitting cross-legged for too long, to get up again.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you this yesterday. Did you have any experience with this before, Kitagawa-kun? Sigh, I just can't calm down. I don't know how many times I've been hit in this hour."

As Ishizaki Daichi spoke, he rubbed his back.

"It's alright, you'll get used to it."

Kitagawa Ryo was only somewhat perfunctory about this, after all, he couldn't very well tell the other person that his mindset and temperament were entirely honed through various simulated lives, especially Sakayanagi Arisu's first simulation, which was the time he was diagnosed with ALS. He spent most of that period of his life meditating day after day in his hospital bed, and the pain and helplessness of his spirit being trapped in his increasingly stiff and decaying body is still vivid in his memory to this day. This is also one of the reasons why he was willing to accompany Sakayanagi Arisu in training until today.

Standing behind Kitagawa Ryo, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka continued to quietly watch his interaction with Ishizaki Daichi. If swimming in the sea on Uninhabited Island or running wildly in the wind at the Sports Festival made him feel the freedom of the body most clearly, then in the hour of meditation just now, he was also trying to break free of his mental constraints.

This is an incredibly contradictory process.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knew very well that if he could one day get rid of the sense of destiny he had imposed on himself—the feeling that he would inevitably return to the White Room and be caught up by his own Fate —he would actually have no reason to be an enemy of Kitagawa Ryo.

And this is the root of the conflict.

Because he didn't know how to establish or develop a new connection after their previous one was severed.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes held a complex expression; this was a kind of trouble he had never experienced in the White Room before, which made him even more eager to understand it.

From Amasawa Ichika to Yuki, the members of the White Room who get close to each other always unconsciously become unlike children who came from that place.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wasn't sure if he would be next.

But he didn't dislike it either.

After all, perhaps that was why he initially approached Kitagawa Ryo again, not as an enemy.

Chapter 402: The Weaver Girl's Many Troubles (4k5)

After an hour of meditation, the formal lesson began. Just like the meditation, everyone in the same group was gathered together for the class, which took place in classrooms on the first and second floors of the school building. I couldn't see it clearly when I passed by yesterday, but after Kitagawa Ryo went inside, I realized that the classrooms here were even larger than those at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.

However, unlike the seating arrangement at ANHS, the classrooms at Forest School are more like those at a university. The seats are arranged in a tiered fashion, and there is no fixed order. It is permissible to sit next to someone or take any seat within the rules. However, everyone still tacitly separates according to grade and sits with their group members of the same grade.

Standing on the podium was an elderly man who looked quite old but was very energetic. After taking attendance and confirming that everyone was present, he closed the classroom door and addressed the students in the Third Large Group with great spirit:

"My name is Oki Masashi, and I will be the teacher in charge of this course for the next seven days. That's my introduction."

"Next, I'd like you to introduce yourselves. However, I hope you remember that this isn't just a simple self-introduction, but rather part of this lesson."

"Every day from now on, I will have you give a presentation. The topic and details of the presentations will be different each academic year, but the criteria for judgment will always be these four things: volume, demeanor, content, and delivery."

As soon as Oki Masashi finished speaking, Kitagawa Ryo naturally thought of the 'poetry recitation' task that he had participated in with Shiina Hiyori during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. There were certain similarities between the two, but giving a speech to people and reciting from a script were two completely different experiences. He wondered if Hiyori could continue her excellent performance in this area this time.

"Okay, let's start with the boy at the very front."

"Yes! My name is Hashimoto Masayoshi, from Class 1-C. Please take good care of me from now on, teacher!"

"A speech is for the entire audience, and so is a self-introduction; it's not for any one person. But your presence is quite impressive. Please sit down."

Seeing Hashimoto Masayoshi sitting next to him humbly bow his head, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also subconsciously stood up.

The last time he introduced himself in front of so many people was probably when the semester started last year. However, he wasn't good at it back then, and all he could think about was how to stand behind the scenes and collect information without attracting attention. In the end, he gave a rather unremarkable, even dry, self-introduction, which was in stark contrast to Hirata Yosuke sitting to his right at this moment.

But things are different now. Whether it's a change in mindset or simply a desire to make a good impression on the teacher in order to get a high score, the hasty self-introduction style of the past can no longer be used.

So, after briefly recalling Hirata Yosuke's self-introduction, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka imitated the other's cheerful tone and began: