Fulfilling the Wager

"Here."

You En found a case of water in the classroom, asked the teacher briefly, then pulled out a few bottles and handed them to the girls nearby.

Ibuki crouched on the ground, taking the water. She couldn't speak anymore—every movement of her mouth brought back that strange sensation. When she'd eaten earlier, she'd retched repeatedly before finally swallowing.

Ichinose's face was pale. She'd had the least visible reaction after eating, managing to keep a faint smile as she thanked You En.

"Rested up?"

Teacher Edward brought out some small buckets again.

Ichinose Honami's already small face had gone somewhat pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Mahiro's heart ached for her, but she had enough sense to know that those who'd already withdrawn shouldn't interfere with students still in class.

You En sidled up next to Ibuki.

"How is it? Can you keep going?"

Ibuki wiped the corner of her mouth. "Nothing to be afraid of anymore. It's just bugs. What's grosser than that?"

To be honest, You En was having a great time. First, because he figured—since there was food here, eating like this meant he wouldn't need dinner tonight. Compared to the school's free meals, the bugs actually tasted okay; it was just the appearance that was hard to stomach.

Second, he got to see all kinds of expressions on the pretty girls' faces. That alone was a treat.

You En had an idea. He said to Ibuki, "How about this, Ibuki? The way things are now, you've already lost, based on our bet just now."

Ibuki looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"As long as you don't act like it tastes awful from here on—you don't have to treat the next food as delicious, just don't show obvious disgust or nausea—then you won't have to pay up on the bet. Deal?"

Ibuki thought You En was being pretty nice. She considered it and agreed. She wasn't losing anything anyway, and she might even get her own bet back. No matter how she looked at it, she came out ahead.

"Fine, then."

However, Teacher Edward brought out all kinds of bugs—silkworm pupae, bee pupae, dragonfly larvae.

And one more thing, He held up a tray of familiar-looking locusts.

You En closed his eyes and started eating, silently chanting protein in his mind.

Ibuki hadn't even started her challenge yet, but she'd already lost again—she just didn't realize it. She was still trying, attempting not to make that disgusted face.

"You En-kun is a little bit mean."

Ichinose said quietly to You En.

You En's expression didn't change. He denied it outright. "Not at all."

Ichinose smiled. She adapted quickly—now she could handle live bugs without flinching and even taste them.

Guess it made sense she was top of her grade in the entrance exam. Her mental fortitude was top-tier too.

You En watched Teacher Edward pull out bamboo worms and spiders like some kind of magic trick, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He couldn't deny it—the visual impact of those little things was getting to him too.

But thankfully, After they'd tried those, Teacher Edward didn't go back behind the curtain. He went to get other things instead.

He praised the three of them. "Not bad. You lot are the best I've seen in the first class I've taught this batch."

Thinking it was over, Ibuki and Ichinose both let out a sigh of relief.

You En didn't think it was that simple. He didn't let his guard down—what they'd just eaten might only be an appetizer.

"Overcoming habits is a crucial step. When surviving in the wild, you have to shed the habits you have in the city. When necessary, you might even have to let go of moral habits. For an individual, survival is usually the top priority."

Edward began to explain. "There are over 2,000 registered edible insect species alone. In reality, there are even more you can eat in the wild.

Of course, it's not just insects. Insects are rich in protein, but they're not very efficient at providing calories as food. What we need to eat are things rich in sugars and fats.

I was supposed to talk about fruit, but since you probably still have some things to overcome, let's start with some animals."

Teacher Edward went back behind that mysterious black curtain again.

You En was a little curious. The bugs were small, so he was only about thirty percent full. What else could fill his stomach?

Ichinose's expression wasn't great. She couldn't quite manage a smile anymore.

Ibuki, on the other hand, was perking up. After all, animals—what was there to be afraid of?

"Heh, looks like they've been fed well."

Edward came back carrying four huge snakeskin bags, setting them down on the ground.

The bags hit the floor with a dull thud. Whatever was inside seemed very heavy.

"Hiss..."

It sounded like some kind of cold-blooded creature.

Realizing what was inside the bag, Ichinose's bright eyes began to falter, her smile fading.

Teacher Ed opened one of the bags, and a massive python slithered out, slowly sliding from the opening.

The giant snake flicked its tongue from its flat jaws, its body a mottled brown, at least four meters long—fully extended, it could reach six or seven meters.

Not just Ichinose and Honami, even You En felt a chill; if he saw such a reptile in daily life, he'd definitely give it a wide berth.

The python reached You En's feet, seeming to take him as prey, and began coiling upward.

The girls nearby gasped or screamed.

But You En remained calm instead; even as the python tightened around him, compressing his chest and abdomen, restricting his breathing, he looked at Teacher Ed and asked, "Teacher, what should I do?"

Teacher Ed was a bit surprised. He waited for the python to coil up, then, before it fully constricted, felt for a spot on the snake's body and jabbed straight in.

The python's body instantly went limp.

"Most pythons are non-venomous, especially Burmese pythons like this one. Their weak point is the cloaca—dense with nerves. A sharp stimulus there will make them release their prey, giving you room to escape or a chance to kill."

You En took a deep breath. That feeling of being squeezed just now was truly terrifying.

Before he could fully recover, Teacher Ed said something terrifying, "Try it on each other."

Ichinose crossed her arms over her chest, forcing a smile, and said apologetically, "Teacher, sorry, I can't keep going."

"Mm, that's fine."

With the teacher's permission, Ichinose shot a look at Ibuki and You En, a look that roughly meant, "You'd better give up too. This isn't a normal lesson, and it's for your own safety."

You En looked at Ibuki, "What do you say?"

Ibuki let out a breath, made up her mind, "I'll be the one coiled. You try to save me."

"Okay."

The python recovered and started looking for a target again. It seemed to have learned from the creature with You En's scent, so it slithered toward Ibuki.

Ibuki felt a chill run through her body, goosebumps rising on her arms. As the python coiled around her bit by bit, gradually tightening, she finally understood what You En had felt and why he'd made that face.

A fear emanating from the bone, the threat of being crushed, suffocation spreading from her chest—this wasn't an illusion, but the reality of being killed as prey.

You En touched the cold, slippery snake body, quickly found the weak point, and delivered a clean, decisive strike.

The snake's body went limp, dropping like a piece of straw rope.

Ibuki, as if surviving a disaster, sighed in relief and went limp herself, nearly collapsing. Luckily, You En caught her arm.

She couldn't help complaining, "What took you so long?"

You En didn't dare say he thought he'd been fast enough, "My bad. Sorry."

Ibuki Mio instinctively leaned on You En, adjusting herself. The numbness from the coiling hadn't faded yet, but the harder thing to shake was the psychological fear, "Let me try next time. This time, you get coiled!"

You En naturally didn't object—after all, since Ibuki trusted him so much, he had to try trusting her too, "Rest up first. And the snake needs a break too."

You En saw Teacher Ed run his finger along the snake's body, and the snake's trembling lessened.

Could he be healing the snake?

That guess crossed his mind.

The next moment, You En saw the snake move, crawling toward him.

Another classic coiling. Well, once is a fluke, twice is familiar—You En wasn't as scared anymore.

Ibuki Mio fumbled for the snake's weak point, taking about half a minute to find it—twice as long as You En had.

She stimulated the weak point, but the snake only slackened briefly before tightening again.

"?!"

She panicked, and the other girls present felt a chill too.

As the one being coiled, You En was already struggling to breathe normally, and said in a weak voice, "Don't rush... I trust you."

Ibuki calmed down and tried a few more times, but it was no use.

"It's probably... the same stimulus used too many times, building up some immunity. Like being coiled by a snake—the first fear is always the greatest."

You En spoke calmly, not at all like a victim about to be strangled by a python, and added, "Use a tool. Give it a bigger stimulus."

That steady tone carried an indescribable strength.

Ibuki steadied herself, found the bamboo skewer she'd used earlier for the insects, aimed at the weak point again, and stabbed straight in.

The snake's body went completely limp.

If the python had consciousness, it probably felt like it wanted to die right about now.

Teacher Ed applauded, "Excellent. You En, in all my years of teaching, you're the student with the best mindset I've ever seen."

Ichinose Honami clapped along with Shiranami, "Amazing, You En."

"Um..." Shiranami Chihiro also spoke to You En, "Were you really not scared?"

"Of course I was scared. We're all the same."

You En took deep breaths, working his numb arm. "I just know one thing: the more you fear, the more you die."

Teacher Ed said, "That's really impressive. Being able to stabilize your mindset in an unexpected situation, overcome fear, and start thinking about how to resolve it—that's already great.

And you even came up with a solution. I'll give you full marks for this lesson."

"Thanks for the praise... Wait, this lesson has grades?"

You En caught on.

Teacher Ed just smiled without explaining.

Probably something he couldn't say.

Maybe hidden scores or something?

"Alright, this big python is also a rare delicacy. Basically, just remove the head and it's edible."

Teacher Ed said, "Normally, handling and cooking should be part of what you learn, but today, as a reward, I'll take care of it for you. You can watch and learn."

You En looked at Ibuki, who seemed a bit down, and asked, "Want to eat?"

Ibuki gritted her teeth, a hint of resentment in her voice. "Eat! It wanted to eat us, so of course we eat it."

"Snakes have a lot of parasites, and actually, so do most animals. When handling meat or insects, it's better to cook them thoroughly. Even if some parasites can't survive in the human body, they can still linger in the stomach for a while, causing serious discomfort. Keep that in mind."

"So we're eating in class."

Ibuki waited for the roasted snake meat with You En, complaining, "Learning this stuff—there's no way I'd eat it outside of class."

"You never know,"

You En chuckled. This girl was jinxing herself again, never learning her lesson. He looked at Ibuki with a hint of challenge, "Want to bet?"

Ibuki shut up. She remembered she already owed You En ten rounds of barking like a dog.

After it was roasted, You En asked the teacher, gesturing at the two girls sitting nearby, "Can I give them some to try?"

"Of course. This is your spoils. You can decide what to do with it."

You En looked at Ibuki. "Ibuki, what do you say?"

Ibuki glanced at the pink-haired, big-chested girl. She didn't overthink it—after all, they were classmates in the same lesson, and not rivals anymore.

"Sure. It's huge anyway, we can't finish it all."

"Thanks."

Ichinose took the snake meat You En handed her and tried it. Not bad—the flavor was mild, no greasy parts, chewy and firm. It tasted a bit like chicken, but not quite.

Shiranami, though less put off by You En after watching earlier, still couldn't bring herself to accept this kind of food.

You En noticed someone was missing. "Speaking of which, where's Kamuro?"

Shiranami replied, "She seemed to leave when the teacher let the snake out."

"Alright, there's still more to learn. We need to pick up the pace."

After finishing the python, Teacher Ed continued the lesson.

You En was already used to it—he learned quickly, basically grasping it after one lesson. Ibuki followed behind him, having him explain a few more times and repeat it, and she could master it too.

Things like how to handle small snakes, venomous snakes, and some other strange little animals.

"That's all for today. Class dismissed."

Teacher Ed dismissed them right on time without a single second of overtime.

You En and the others said goodbye to Teacher Ed and left the classroom.

When they came out, they breathed in the outside air, feeling as if an age had passed.

Ibuki asked, "Are you two coming again next time?"

She really only wanted to ask You En if he'd come, but asking him alone felt a bit odd, so she included Ichinose and the other.

Ichinose shook her head. "I don't think the students in our class could adapt to this kind of class, so we won't be signing up for Wilderness Survival."

"Oh," Ibuki replied flatly, then changed her expression, looking at You En with some anticipation.

"What about you?"

"I signed up for everything, so how could I not come?"

You En looked at the girl's youthful appearance, his heart stirring slightly. After a moment's thought, he said, "It's just a shame—next time, there won't be anyone to keep me company."

Ibuki remembered she'd only signed up for one session, but that was no big deal—she could just sign up for more.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you..."

Feeling her words came out a bit strange, Ibuki repeated herself, "I'll come to class with you, so you don't end up getting tortured to death by that teacher all alone."

"Alright, I'll be waiting for Lady Ibuki to save me."

The two got along pleasantly. You En remembered he had plans with Horikita that evening and decided to head off.

He waved goodbye to Ibuki and was about to leave, but his sleeve was tugged.

Ibuki first lowered her head, silent for a long while, as if psyching herself up, then lifted it and glared at him fiercely, her face slightly red.

"The bet! Don't think you can pretend it never happened. Since I lost, I have to follow through!"

You En shook his head. They'd become friends now, so he felt there was no need for that. Though he really wanted to see Ibuki in that state, the weight of friendship was clearly greater.

He said, "No need to take it so seriously, right? Let's just treat it as a joke."

Ibuki tightened her grip on his clothes. "Just come with me. Or do you want me to follow through in front of everyone?"

Seeing Ibuki so determined, You En had no other choice but to follow her, risking his life to keep a gentleman company.

But... Ibuki barking like a puppy?

He imagined the scene in his mind.

How to put it... He was actually looking forward to it.