A Chain Reaction Caused by a Bowl of Shaxian Snacks

"We're here. Come in."

Pushing open the door to Room 217, Sakuya casually opened the shoe cabinet and gestured for Kamuro to change her shoes.

Kamuro Masumi changed into indoor shoes and walked into the room.

"Hungry?"

Tatsuya Sakuya spoke first.

"No. And when are you deleting that video? I brought your things back too."

Food was the last thing on Kamuro Masumi's mind. She only wanted him to delete the video as soon as possible and put an end to this farce.

Growl.

The sound of her stomach echoed through the quiet dorm room.

"Your stomach sold you out. Stay and have a bite. You're in luck—I'm cooking myself. Let me show you what I can do."

He carried the ingredients into the kitchen and casually tied on the apron hanging from the wall.

Water ran noisily in the kitchen as Tatsuya Sakuya methodically prepared the ingredients.

He first removed the skin from the chicken legs, rinsed them in cold water, and put them into a pot to blanch away the blood and gamey smell. Meanwhile, he boiled the farm eggs, then fished them out and placed them in cold water for easier peeling.

He tossed a packet of braising spices into a soup pot, added water and dark soy sauce, then put in the blanched chicken legs and peeled eggs to simmer over low heat.

A faint fragrance drifted out of the kitchen and filled the entire dorm room.

While waiting for the braise to finish, he boiled another pot of water, tossed in some baby bok choy, then removed it and drained it for later.

Finally came the soul of the dish: the sauce.

Several dozen minutes later, he brought out two servings of Shaxian-style snacks and set them on the table.

"It's ready. Give it a try."

Kamuro Masumi did not respond right away.

"Fine, fine. I'll delete the video now."

Tatsuya Sakuya opened his phone, found the video, tapped the delete button, and held the phone out in front of her.

"There. Deleted successfully."

Kamuro Masumi was a little taken aback. She had no idea what this boy in front of her was trying to do.

Since things had come this far, she might as well eat first.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up a piece of braised chicken leg meat, tender and richly flavored, and put it into her mouth.

The rich, savory braising sauce burst across her tongue. The skinless chicken was fresh, tender, and juicy, soaked through with the flavors of the spice packet, so smooth it practically melted in her mouth.

Kamuro Masumi's pupils contracted slightly, and her chewing stopped.

Delicious... What kind of cuisine was this?

She did not say it aloud, but the chopsticks in her hand had already gone out of control.

"Hey, pretty girl, you still haven't told me your name. Don't focus only on stuffing your face."

Tatsuya Sakuya tried to start a conversation.

"First-year Class 1-A, Kamuro Masumi."

Kamuro Masumi answered indistinctly while furiously working her chopsticks.

Suddenly, Kamuro Masumi pointed at the chicken leg in her bowl and asked, "Are you going to eat this chicken leg?"

"I'm not. You can eat—"

Before Tatsuya Sakuya could finish, Kamuro Masumi snatched the chicken leg from his bowl with one swift motion of her chopsticks.

"Great, thanks."

This girl.

Tatsuya Sakuya was a little dumbfounded. He decided to imitate her, pointing at the egg in his bowl and asking, "This one—do you want it?"

"Yes, thanks."

Kamuro Masumi promptly took the egg with another flick of her chopsticks.

This girl ate so much, yet she was still so thin.

Tatsuya Sakuya was momentarily speechless.

"I'm curious. Why did you steal? Were one hundred thousand points not enough for you?"

"Not really. I just found everyday school life boring, so I pursued the thrill that came from breaking rules. It makes me produce dopamine."

Kamuro Masumi openly admitted her motive.

"Then did you ever consider what would happen if someone caught you and reported you, getting you expelled?"

"I hadn't thought about that. But no matter what, I don't want to be expelled."

She did not want to be expelled no matter what? If someone else caught her stealing next time, it could very likely lead to expulsion. Unless she broke this habit and found something else more thrilling.

Tatsuya Sakuya suddenly came up with a good idea. Why not let her try Flammable Oolong Tea? He turned and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm done eating. Take your time."

A moment later, Tatsuya Sakuya brought out two cups of mixed liquid and placed them on the table.

The cups contained a warm amber-colored liquid, identical in appearance to the oolong tea sold on the market.

It looked like an ordinary tea drink. Unless someone leaned in close to smell it, no one would imagine that it was the famous Flammable Oolong Tea.

"What is this? It looks exactly like oolong tea, but why is it bubbling? It looks really powerful."

Kamuro Masumi curiously leaned closer and sniffed at the rim of the cup.

"Doubao, Doubao, this is Flammable Oolong Tea I mixed with Water of Life vodka and blended Scotch whisky at a nine-to-one ratio."

Tatsuya Sakuya opened the Doubao app on his phone and took a picture of the Flammable Oolong Tea.

Doubao replied, "Wow, this is the famous Flammable Oolong Tea scene from Grand Blue. Water of Life at 96 percent alcohol paired with blended Scotch whisky—the standard 9:1 ratio has been perfectly recreated.

A reminder: this drink is extremely dangerous in real life. High-proof alcohol is highly flammable. This is only an anime concept, so do not drink it."

"What a shame. You can't drink it. I wanted you to try some."

There was a hint of disappointment in Tatsuya Sakuya's voice.

"Hey, what exactly are you disappointed about?"

Kamuro Masumi tilted her head and asked in confusion.

"I was planning to use this to help you have some fun, but Doubao said no."

"You were trying to hurt me, weren't you?!"

"What's the atmosphere in your class like?"

Tatsuya Sakuya awkwardly chose to change the subject.

"What, are you already trying to gather intelligence on our class?"

"Class 1-A's main competitor is Class 1-B right now, while our main opponent is Class 1-C. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We should make lots of friends and unite everyone we can."

"Class 1-A currently has two leading figures. One is Katsuragi Kohei, and the other is Sakamayanagi Arisu. Their two factions are competing fiercely for control of Class 1-A."

"As far as I know, Katsuragi Kohei's faction is more popular with ordinary students, while Sakamayanagi Arisu's faction is more popular with elite students. But enough about that—what's your class like?"

"Our class is full of lunatics. Every lunatic in this school is in our class."

Tatsuya Sakuya blurted it out without even thinking.

Kamuro Masumi: "..."

"I thought of a way for you to seek thrills without the risk of expulsion."

Tatsuya Sakuya had a sudden flash of inspiration.

"There's a way like that? What is it?"

Kamuro Masumi asked curiously.

"How about becoming my girlfriend? From what I can tell, I'm not bad-looking myself."

Tatsuya Sakuya said it casually.

???

Was that map of Yan Kingdom really this short?

He wasn't even pretending anymore?

This guy was indeed pretty good-looking, but was there something wrong with his head?

"What are you trying to do? So you've finally revealed your true intentions, huh? I thought you were a good person, but you're actually a filthy pervert."

Kamuro Masumi backed away, folded her arms across her chest, and stared at Tatsuya Sakuya warily.

"Don't try anything. I'm calling the police."

"Don't get so worked up."

"Am I worked up?"

"Who's worked up? I'm seriously trying to come up with a solution for you."

Tatsuya Sakuya said with a solemn expression.

"What kind of solution is that? Besides, who decides to become a couple the first time they meet? Shouldn't you build up some affection before confirming the relationship?"

"Precisely because no one does that, isn't it thrilling?"

Tatsuya Sakuya said earnestly.

"If you don't want to, then forget it."

"Do you mean that?"

Kamuro Masumi realized there was still room to turn things around.

"Half true, half false. But I still hope you'll think about it. After all, stealing really can get you expelled."